DR. JOHNSON’S CHAIR.
AN INCIDENT AT THE OLD CHESHIRE CHEESE.
“An interesting episode in the family history of the House.”
By F. Cox.
(William’s Room in the distance.)
At the foot of the staircase leading up to the apartments sacred to the fair Hebes of the House a sepia drawing by F. Cox claims our notice. It is entitled “An interesting episode in the family history of the House.” A stalwart favourite of the bar is snatching a kiss, while two lovely colleagues of his beautiful victim are tip-toeing down these very stairs to see the fun, and one pretty forehead has just reached the corner of the wainscoting. And now as the smiling beauties to the right of the picture bar our further progress, let us descend to the kitchen, where the most interesting objects are the original coal range and coal grill, which have been in use for over a hundred years. Possibly nowhere in the wide world is there a gastronomic temple of greater renown or more worthy of it, for here have always been cooked in huge copper boilers the famous pudding, the fire being fed and the pudding tended throughout the whole night previous to the solemn and regular introduction of this mammoth delicacy to the longing gaze of its patrons. That is the hour when the analytical observer might make valuable studies of the watering mouth.
Dinners, by the way, are now served in the Annexe. This room has been formed by roofing with glass what was originally a court-yard. It contains amongst the rest two famous original prints by H. Bunbury—“A City Hunt” and “Hyde Park, 1780.” Other interesting prints are “Destruction of the Bastile, July 14, 1789,” after a painting by H. Singleton, and a line engraving by James Heath from a painting by F. Wheatley of “The Riot in Broad Street on the 17th of June, 1773.” Here also is a cabinet containing various articles which may be purchased by visitors. The price list may be conveniently appended here. It runs as follows:—
| O.C.C. Ware, etc. | Each | |
| s. | d. | |
| Three-handle Mugs, silver mounted | 50 | 0 |
| Three-handle Mugs | 10 | 0 |
| Two-handle Mugs | 7 | 6 |
| One-handle Mugs | 2 | 0 |
| One-handle Mugs, silver mounted | 21 | 0 |
| Cream Jugs | 1 | 0 |
| Sugar Basins | 1 | 0 |
| Mustard Pots | 1 | 0 |
| Salt Cellars | 1 | 0 |
| Pepper Pots | 1 | 0 |
| Tea Pots | — | |