Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 8.djvu/327

 9*8. vin. OCT. 19, 1901.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

319

Once again let me advocate the placing of a memorial tablet on this house. The

Mrs. D'Israeli's absence from home at the

time she gave birth to her son. I take the __ __

statement from Mr. Foster, viz., that Mr. medallion used (such as that to Garrick on a Jeaffreson, of Highbury, wrote (in a letter to house in Adelphi Terrace, which, by the way, the Standard in 1881) " that his grandfather has absurdly been conjectured as once the Dr. Jeaffreson ushered one of Isaac D'Israeli's Disraeli residence) offers but scant space for children into the world, and that that child inscription, and 22, Theobalds Road, claiming was, according to his young tradition, \ two distinguished men, father and son, Ben'janrin D'Israeli ; Street, Islington." Dr. that in 1803 the family were living " behind 'Canonbury Tower," and that while their house

than usual.

this was in Upper I requires rather more words Jeaffreson also said | Might they riot run thus ?

The House of Isaac D'Israeli,

1802-1817,

And the Birthplace

of his son Benjamin,

Earl of Beaconsfield, K.G.,

21 Dec., 1804.

- - This, writ so plain " that he that

is stamped on this story, and that no reliance rea d, WO uld probably close the recurrent can be placed on the " young tradition. question of the birthplace ; and I feel sure no

Mr. Vincent, having worked hard in getting | 5 rror would be committed, his evidence from the leases, gave the result to the Standard of 19 April, 1887, and in so doing furnished foundation for excellent articles in the Pall Mall Gazette of 17 April, 1896, and the St. James's Gazette of 18 April, 1900. On

was undergoing repairs they lived next door to Dr. Jeaffreson, who was hastily called in to attend Mrs. D'Israeli. The house was then in Trinity Row, and became 215, Upper Street. It seems to me that improbability

runs may

W. L. RUTTON.

these sources and the correspondence in

A UNIQUE BOOK.

A SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY book, of the exist- ence of which nobody seems to have been

fair summary and arrangement of claims and evidences touching Lord Beaconsfield 's birthplace. These duly considered, I cannot think any doubt will remain that the house thus distinguished is 22, Theobalds Road.

inly recorded in ' N.

z Q.' The book in question is now before me. It may be that there is a reference to it in some bibliographical work ; at, if so, I have not been able to discover it. _ have made inquiries about it in all likely

The house is not a mean one, though, being quarters, but hitherto entirely without suc- at present untenanted, its condition is dirty, C ess. If anything is known concerning it, I shabby, and knockerless. The notice " To dare say some correspondent of * N. & Q.' is let on lease " removes the apprehension of | in possession of the information, and wil

demolition. Vertically it is of five tiers, including basement and attics ("stories" and "floors" seem to me indefinite terms).

impart it to us.

The book, as I have said, is a thick folio volume of nearly one thousand pages. It is

five rows of windows, one over printed in double columns, and is almost other plain, rectangular perforations, wholly written in doggerel verse. As each characteristic and not lovely London page contains on the average about 128 lines, Two windows look into | the reader will easily be able to figure

It has

the

the

Georgian window.

the area, two are on the level of the hall, up the appalling total. My copy unfortu

three above, say to drawing-room, over them nately lacks the title-page if, indeed, it ever

three to bedrooms, and at the top three attic had one. This, of course, much increases the

windows. The hall-door, four steps above difficulty of ascertaining anything about its

the pavement, has wooden classic pillars and authorship or history. It is (or rather has

pediment, a style of door pertaining to old been) lettered on the back " Quaker Poems

nouses in this neighbourhood. Theobalds but this, as I shall show, is not a proper

Road is now a noisy tramway and omnibus description of it. It would have been more

thoroughfare, and certainly No. 22 no longer | correct to call it "Anti-Quaker Poems."

offers the advantages of a quiet home.

Yet, if ears could be accommodated to the

rolling traffic, the eyes might find delight in

the green oasis of Gray's Inn Gardens, the

,

accurately trimmed lawns and fine trees of which are overlooked by the house.

I suppose I need hardly say that I have not accomplished the feat of reading through the whole of the doggerel of which the book is composed. It would indeed have to be a considerable bribe which would induce me to face that task. But I have read parts of it