according to old Erra Pater's prognostication in 1663, is a question; and in 1739-40 * he honoured him with a third, which was no less joyous than the preceding two. In 1788-9, the Thames was completely frozen over below London Bridge. Booths were erected on the ice; and puppet-shows, wild beasts, bear-baiting, turnabouts, pigs and sheep roasted, exhibited the various amusements of Bartholomew Fair multiplied and improved. From Putney Bridge down to Redriff was one continued scene of jollity during this seven weeks' saturnalia. The last Frost Fair was celebrated in the year 1814. The frost commenced on 27th December 1813, and continued to the 5th February 1814. *
* “The River Thames (4th Feby 1814) between London and
Blackfriars Bridges was yesterday about noon, a perfect
Dutch Fair. Kitchen fires and furnaces were blazing,
roasting and boiling in every direction; while animals, from
a sheep to a rabbit, and a goose to a lark, turned on
numberless spits. The inscriptions on the several booths and
lighters were variously whimsical, one of which ran thus:—
This Shop to Let. N.B. It is charged with no Land Tax or
even Ground Tient! Several lighters, lined with baize, and
decorated with gay streamers, were converted into
coffeehouses and taverns. About two o'clock a whole sheep
was roasted on the ice, and cut up, under the inviting
appellation of Lapland Mutton, at one shilling a slice!”
There was a grand walk, or mall, from Blackfriars Bridge to London Bridge, that was appropriately named The City Road, and lined on each side with booths of all descriptions. Several printing presses were erected, and at one of these an orange-coloured standard was hoisted, with “Orange Boven” printed in large characters. There were E O and Rouge et Noir tables, tee-totums and skittles; concerts of rough music, viz. salt-boxes and rolling-pins, gridirons and tongs, horns, and marrow-bones and cleavers. The carousing booths were filled with merry parties, some dancing to the sound of the fiddle, others sitting round blazing fires smoking and drinking. A printer's devil bawled out to the spectators, Now is your time, ladies and gentlemen,—now is your time to support the freedom of the press! * Can the press enjoy greater liberty? Here you find it working in the middle of the Thames!” And calling upon his operatical powers to second his eloquence, he, with “vocal voice most vociferous,” thus out-vociferated e'en sound itself,—
Siste Viator! if sooner or later
You travel as far as from here to Jerusalem,
Or live to the ages of Parr or Methusalem,—
On the word of old Wynkyn,
And Caxton, I'm thinking,
Tho' I don't wear a clothes—
Brush under my nose,