214 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2'"i S. VII. Mar. 12. '69, 



The Common Pleas was the laughing-stock of all 

 the barristers and attorneys in the celebrated 

 " Hall of the Four Courts," and gave rise to all 

 sorts of waggery. One of the newspaper re- 

 porters put a paragraph in his paper one day, 

 headed : — 



" Extraordinary Rumour. — A rumour prevailed j'es- 

 terday in the ' Hall ' to the effect, that there was a mo- 

 tion to be moved in the Common Pleas, but on our 

 reporter going to the Court, he found it was utterly void 

 of foundation ! " 



This bit of "fun" caused the greatest annoy- 

 ance to the Chief Justice, who, although a great 

 wit and favourite in private and social society, 

 was thoroughly rejected as a judge. Some days 

 after, another reporter procured a diamond, and, 

 going into the empty Court, wrote on the window 

 the following lines : — 



" When I want to spend an hour of ease, 

 I stept into the Common Pleas," 

 For as Poets' pockets for his lays 

 Are empty — so is Common Pleas. 



" In the Court of Common Pleas, 

 Learned Judges sit in threes. 

 Snug and cozy at their ease, 

 Talking about the Ashantees — 

 Now on Eailwa3' speculation, 

 Or some other ' navigation.' 

 And when at last I end my days, 

 Oh bury me in Common Pleas, 

 Where no rude footsteps ever presses, 

 Where never sweep the torn tresses 

 Of worn gown or horsehair wig, 

 Tho' Justice once there danced a jig ! " 



This put the Chief Justice into a furious rage, 

 as the allusion to " railway speculation" was par- 

 ticularly obnoxious to his Lordship, it being well 

 known at the time that he had lost many thousands 

 in that way. After a few days, the lines became 

 common in the " Hall," and his Lordship ordered 

 the insulting square of glass to be removed. The 

 allusion to " Justice dancing a jig " had reference 

 to the time when the late Lord Norbury was 

 Chief Justice of that Court — 



" Whose .jokes made learned wigs with fun stir!" 



I think this worth a nook in " N. & Q." for 

 preservation. 



Liverpool. 



S. Redmond. 



HAYDON AND CHARLES LAMB, 



The following beautiful Latin verses, dnd an 

 English translation by Charles Lamb, addressed 

 to Haydon, on his picture of " Christ's triumphant 

 Entry into Jerusalem," published in the Champion 

 Sunday newspaper of May 7, 1820, whilst that 

 picture, with others by my much lamented friend, 

 was first exhibited in the Egyptian Hall, Picca- 

 dilly, from a correct copy in my possession, are, 

 I think, worthy of introduction into your more 



durable volume, in memoriam of two unhappy 

 sons of genius : — 



" In tabulam eximii pictoris B. R. Haydont, in qua 

 Solymsei, adveniente Domino, palmas in via proster- 

 nentes, mira arte depinguntur. 



" Quid vult iste equitans? et quid velit iste virorum 

 Palmifera ingens turba, et vox tremebunda Ho- 



sanna ? 

 Hosanna Christo semper semperque canamus. 



" Palma, fuit senior Pictor celeberrimus olim ; 

 Sed palmam cedat, modb si foret ille superstes, 

 Palma, Haydone, tibi ; tu palmas omnibus aufers. 



"Palma negata macrum, donataque reddit opimum. 

 Si simul incipiat cum fama increscere corpus, 

 Tu citb pinguesces, fies et, amicule, obesus. 



" Affectant lauros pictores atque poetse. 

 Sin laurum invideant (si quis tibi) laurigerentes. 

 Pro lauro palmd viridanti tempora cingas. 



" Carlagnulus," 

 Translation of the above. 

 " What rider's that ? and who those myriads bringing 

 Him on his way with palms, Hosanna singing? 

 * Hosanna to the Christ,' Heav'n — Earth — should still 

 be ringing. 



" In days of old. Old Palma won renown : 

 But Palma's self must yield the Painter's crown, 

 Haydon, to thee. Thy palms put every other down. 



" If Flaccus' sentence with the truth agree, 

 That • Palms awarded make men plump to be,' 

 Friend Horace, — Haydon soon in bulk shall match 

 with thee. 



" Painters with Poets for the laurel vie : 

 But should the laureat Band thy claims deny. 

 Wear thou thine own green Palm, Haydon, triumph- 

 antly. C. L," 



The last few times I saw my two friends to- 

 gether were, the private view of the above lau- 

 reated picture ; at the Champion office, with Mr, 

 John Scott, the martyred editor, and once 'or 

 twice, in evening parties at the painter's house, 

 LisSon Grove, North. Lamb and Haydon were 

 often like boys, so boisterous in their miith and 

 hilarity. 



Whilst I am on the subject of poetry and art, 

 the following lines by Lamb, extracted from my 

 Common-place Book, on Art, taken from a collec- 

 tion of his works, may be acceptable to the lovers 

 of the sister arts. They are " On the celebrated 

 Picture of Leonardo Da Vinci called ' The Virgin 

 of the Rocks '" : — 



" While young John runs to greet 



The greater Infant's feet. 



The mother standing by, with trembling passion 



Of devout admiration, 



Beholds th' engaging mystic play, and pretty adora- 

 tion ; 



Nor knows as yet the full event 



Of those so low beginnings. 



From whence we date our winnings, 



But wonders at the intent 



Of those new rites, and what that strange child- 

 worship meant. 



But at her side 



An angel doth abide ; 



