The Plain Truth.—Sir John Trevor, cousin to Lord Chancellor Jefferies, was an able man, but as corrupt as he was able. He was twice Speaker of the House of Commons, and officially had the mortification to put the question to the house, "whether himself ought to be expelled for bribery." The answer was "Yes."
Freaks of Royalty.—James I. in a capricious mood, threatened the Lord Mayor with removing the seat of royalty, the meetings of parliament, &c. from the capital. "Your Majesty at least," replied the Mayor, "will be graciously pleased to leave us the River Thames."
The Original Strand.—In the reign of Edward III. the Strand was an open highway. A solitary house occasionally occurred; but in 1353, the ruggedness of the highway was such, that Edward appointed a tax on wool, leather, &c. for its improvement.
On the laying the first stone of the church of St. Martin's in the Fields, the king (George I.) gave one hundred guineas to be distributed among the workmen.
A swampy Kingdom.—In the reign of Charles II. at the east end of St. James's Park, there was a swampy retreat for the ducks, thence denominated Duck Island, which, by Charles was erected into a government, and a salary annexed to the office, in favour of the celebrated French writer, M. de St. Evremond, who was the first and last governor.
The gold embroidery of the chair of state in Carlton Palace is stated to have cost 500l.
The horse rode by the Champion in the coronation of George the Third was the same that bore George the Second at the memorable battle of Dettingen.
Political Criticism.—The following proof of political prejudice may not be known:—"John Milton was one whose natural parts might deservedly give him a place amongst the principal of our English poets, having written two heroic poems and a tragedy, viz:—Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, and Samson Agonistes; but his fame is gone out like a candle in a snuff; and his memory will always stink, which might have ever lived in honourable repute, had he not been a notorious traitor, and most impiously and villanously belied that blessed martyr, King Charles I."—Lives of the most famous English Poets, &c. 1687, by Wm. Winstanley.
A Pastor.—The Rev. Andrew Marvell, A.M. father of the patriot, was born at Mildred, in Cambridgeshire, in 1586. He was a student of Emanuel College in that University, where he took his degree of Master of Arts in 1608. Afterwards he was elected master of the grammar school at Hull, and in 1624, lecturer of Trinity Church in that town. "He was a most excellent preacher," says Fuller, "who, like a good husband, never broached what he had new-brewed, but preached what he had studied some competent time before: insomuch that he was wont to say that he would cross the common proverb, which called 'Saturday the working day, and Monday the holiday, of preachers.'"