But when he found the Boys at Play,
And Saw 'em dabling in their Clay;
He stood behind a Stall to lurk,
And mark the Progress of their Work;
With true Delight observ'd 'em All
Raking up Mud to build a Wall;
The Plan he much admir'd, and took
The Model in his Table-Book;
Thought himself now exactly skill'd,
And so resolv'd a House to build.
A real House, with Rooms and Stairs,
Five Times at least as big as Theirs;
Taller than MISS'S by two Yards;
Not a sham Thing of Clay, or Cards;
And so he did: For in a while,
He built up such a monstrous Pile,
That no two Chairmen cou'd be found,
Able to lift it from the Ground;
Still at White Hall it Stands in View,
Just in the Place where first it grew;
There all the little School Boys run,
Envying to see themselves outdone.
From such deep Rudiments as these,
VAN is become by due Degrees,
For Building Fam'd, and justly Reckon'd
At Court, Vitruvius the Second;[76]
No wonder, since wise Authors show,
That Best Foundations must be Low;
And now the Duke has wisely ta'en him
To be his Architect at Blenheim:
But Railery for once apart,
If this Rule holds in ev'ry Art;
Or, if his Grace was no more Skill'd in
The Art of Batt'ring Walls, than Building,
We might expect to find next Year
A Mouse trap Man, Chief Engineer.
But should any reader wish to see good specimens of real Queen Anne's houses, I would recommend a visit to Nos. 10 and 11 Austinfriars. They are undoubtedly genuine (mark the date 1704 on the waterspout); and the staircase of No. 10, with its beautifully turned and carved balusters, and boldly yet easily carved soffits, is a real treat to see; and were it to be cleansed from its many coats of paint, and appear in its original state, it would be an almost matchless specimen of the domestic building of the time. The ceiling, too, at the top of the staircase is very beautifully painted, and was most probably the work either of Laguerre or Thornhill. It is good enough for either of them. No. 11 is inferior to No. 10, but were its neighbour away it would be looked upon as a very good type of a house in the reign of Queen Anne. See also an old house, now used as a Ward School, formerly the residence of Sir C. Wren, in a courtyard in Botolph Lane, Eastcheap.
But a good plan is to judge of the houses by contemporary evidence and description. 'To be Let, a New Brick House, Built after the Newest Fashion, the Rooms wainscotted and Painted, Lofty Stories, Marble Foot paces to the Chimneys, Sash Windows, glaised with fine Crown Glass, large half Pace Stairs, that 2 People may go up on a Breast, in a new pleasant Court planted with Vines, Jesamin, and other Greens, next Door to the Crown near the Sarazen's Head Inn in Carter Lane, near St. Paul's Church Yard, London.' So we see even as late as 1710 that a staircase capable of accommodating two people abreast was a novelty, only to be found in 'the last thing out' in houses. The windows of these houses were long but narrow; the smallness of the panes being rendered necessary by the fact that no large size could be made in window-glass, it being only of late years that the manufacture has improved to that extent. Here is another house described, temp. 1712. 'To be Lett, near Cheapside, A large new-built House that fronts two Streets of great Trade: The Shop is lined with Deal all round, and is about 60 Foot deep one way. There is under the Shop a very good dry Warehouse that is brickt at Bottom. Joyce and boarded over it, the Sides and Top is lined with Deal, it is 9 foot between Floor and Top. There is above Stairs 4 Rooms on a Floor, almost all Wainscotted, and a large Staircase all Wainscotted. All the Flat is covered with very thick Lead, with Rails and Bannisters round the Leads and a large Cupolo on the Top. Inquire of Mr. Richard Wright at the Perriwig in Bread Street.'
This must have been an extra good house, for they were mostly roofed with tiles, a fact which has practical demonstration, for after the terrible storm of Nov. 26, 1703, which damaged London alone to the extent of a million sterling, and cost us many men-of-war, the loss of over 1,500 sailors of the navy, and an unnumbered quantity of merchant seamen, the price of tiles rose tremendously. On Dec. 7 'there is to be sold Plain Tiles 50s. a Thousand, and Pan Tiles for 6l. a Thousand.' The plain tiles went still higher, for on Dec. 24 they were 65s. a thousand.
As a rule the rooms were fairly lofty, and the walls of the better class were mostly wainscotted with oak, walnut, chestnut, or cedar, and sometimes beautifully carved, and in the lower-class houses with deal, painted. But wall papers were coming in.[77] 'At the Blue Paper Warehouse in Aldermanbury (and nowhere else) in London, are sold the true sorts of figur'd Paper Hangings, some in pieces of 12 yards long, others after the manner of real Tapistry, others in imitation of Irish Stitch, flower'd Damasks, Sprigs and Branches; others yard Wide, in imitation of Marble and other coloured Wainscoats; others in yard wide, Emboss'd work, and a curious sort of Flock work in imitation of Caffaws, and other Hangings of curious figures and colours. As also Linnen Cloath, Tapestry Hangings, with a variety of Skreens and Chimney pieces, and Sashes for Windows, as transparent as Sarconet.' And another advertisement in next year gives 'imitation of Marbles and other Coloured Wainscoats, which are to be put in Pannels and Mouldings made for that purpose, fit for the Hanging of Parlours, Dining Rooms, and Stair Cases; and others in Yard wide Emboss'd work, in imitation of Gilded Leather.' The old style of hangings did not go out at once, for in 1704 was advertised 'Three Suites of Hanging: one of Forrest Tapistry, one of clouded Camlet, and one of blue Printed Linsey; the 2 first very good, scarce the worse for wearing—to be sold very reasonable.'
Stained glass was not used, generally, for decorative purposes, save for coats of arms; indeed, the art seems to have been in a bad way, judging from the following advertisement:[78] 'Whereas the ancient Art of Painting and Staining Glass has been much discouraged, by reason of an Opinion generally received, That the Red Colour (not made in Europe for many Years) is totally lost; These are to give Notice, That the said Red, and all other Colours are made to as great a Degree of Curiosity and Fineness as in former Ages by William and Joshua Price, Glasiers and Glass Painters near Hatton Garden in Holborn, London, where any Gentlemen, who have the Curiosity, may be convinc'd by Demonstration, there being a large Window just now finished for his Grace the Duke of Leeds, which will be sent into the Country in a few days.'
Houses were not always let by Agreement, but the leases were sold; and it is by means of such advertisements that we are able to get at the rents, which seem to have been very low—even reckoning the difference of value in money. Certainly they had none of our modern appliances and conveniences, which add so considerably to the cost of buildings, nor do they seem to have been saddled with exorbitant ground rents. 'To be sold a lease of 33 years to come in 5 Houses standing together on the North side of the Pall Mall, whereon 25l. per Ann. Rent is reserved. The Houses are let at 200l. a year.' 'A Gentleman has occasion for a lightsome fashionable House in some Genteel part of the Town, or very nigh the Town, and if accommodated with Coach House and Stables it will be better lik'd, of about 30l., 40l., or 50l. a year Rent.'
A little way out of town rents were even cheaper than this. Here would be a boon for rowing men. 'To be let at Barns adjoyning to Mortlack, fronting the River Thames, is a convenient little New House, 2 rooms on a floor, so well situated that it may be shut up, and the Furniture Safe. The benefit of the air may be had at pleasure, for 6l. 10s. per Ann.' 'Also another House for more private Dwelling, well accommodated with a Garden, River Water, etc., well situated for a Gentleman belonging to the Custom, East India, or African House, or Navy or Victualling Office, and the rent but 10l. per Annum. Also a Brick House in the Country, 2 Miles off, standing pleasantly in a good Air, and but 5l. per Annum to be Lett.' These instances clearly prove that house rent was cheap in those days, which makes the price paid for apartments seem rather high. When Swift came to London in 1710, he says:[79] 'I lodge in Bury Street, where I removed a week ago. I have the first floor, a dining room and bed chamber, at eight shillings a week; plaguy deep, but I spend nothing on eating,' etc. When he removed to Chelsea he had to pay more. 'I got here in the stage coach with Patrick and my portmantua for sixpence, and pay six shillings a week for one silly room, with confounded coarse sheets.'[80] On one of Ralph Thoresby's visits from Leeds to London[81] he 'was surprised with the old gentlewoman's (Mr. Atkin's mother) demand of 4s. per week for my lodgings;' but then that could only have been a bedroom, for the old gentleman was always out the whole day.
It is needless to say that there was more danger of fire then than now; and the inhabitants of London, very many of whom must have had a vivid remembrance of that awful fire in 1666, were not altogether neglectful of their interests in this matter. In 1710 an Act was passed amending an Act made in the sixth year of Anne's reign, 'for the better preventing of Mischiefs that may happen by Fire.' This Act dealt with parochial fire-engines, rewards, rates for water supply and maintenance of same, the thickness of party walls,' etc., and contained one very useful little clause. 'It is further enacted, That there shall be left at the House, upon which there is a Notice of a Fire Plug, a Key to open the Stop Cock, and also a Pipe for the Water to come thereout, to be made use of as Occasion shall require.'