500 
St. Clement Danes occurs; and, I 
also think, his conjecture may be 
tolerably correct as to the expression 
applying to any other set of chimes.as 
well as those of St. Clement’s ; only he 
must remember, that chimes are not, 
nor I believe never were, very com- 
mon in London; and, as those cf St. 
Clement’s, always play at the ‘witch- , 
ing hour of night, U think Shallow’s 
remark is still in. their favour. But, 
leaving this ‘momentous’, matter to 
abler hands, I must beg to say, that 
the succeeding part of ‘the Druid’s 
note is by no means so ciyil, for he 
charges me with leaving unnoticed 
“the forum of Orator Henley in Ports- 
mouth-street, and the Black Jack 
elose by.” Now, as my loose gossip- 
ping article, suggested originally by 
your notice of the Duke of York © 
public house, was confined, and pro- 
fessed to be so, to the parish of St. 
Clement Danes, it was not likely I 
should step out of my way to 
notice two houses, however well I 
might know them, and however 
famous they might have once been, 
which are situated in the parish of St. 
Giles’s in the fields, which happens to 
be the case with both the places ‘the 
Druid’ has mentioned. Ihave known 
the house that was once Orator Hen- 
ley’s in a variety of diflerent occupa- 
tions for the last thirty years: tiil 
within these few years it was a sale- 
room, but is now ‘Mr. Mitchell’s 
‘assembly-rooms,” who is a sort of 
rival to Mr. Chivers, mentioned in 
wy former communication as now 
eceupying the once Robin Hood 
debating rooms. As to the Black 
Jack, it has been for many years 
known as the sort of the house ‘the 
Druid’ describes it to have been; 
though 1 always understood it to be 
more visited by the performers than 
by persons connected with the press, 
but they very. frequently associate. 
Tt is now T fear in the wane, and is 
more famous for being used by the 
butchers of Clare-market than any 
thing else... There;is still a society 
kept. up there callod the ‘ Jackers,’ a 
title to which ‘the Druid’ perhaps, at 
ihe time of his sojourning in Clement's 
Inn, might aspixe. 
In justice, however, to ‘the Druid,’ 
J must say, that it is not wonderful ke 
should mistake; for the houses he has 
pointed ont are so close io St. Cle- 
ment’s, especially the Black Jack, 
that very many of the neighbours, I 
Chimes at St. Clement's. 
[Jan. 1 
believe, consider the latter house as’ 
being in that parish; the other ‘house 
is much farther from it. In fact, the 
line which parts the two parishes runs 
directly between, the houses on the 
south side of Lincoln’s Inn fields, and’ 
those on, the north side of Portugal- 
street,. cutting in two the present 
Surgeon’s-hall, and it will do soby the 
New Insolvent Debtov’s Court, which 
is now building, and its offices in Lin- 
coln’s Inn fields; this line was origi- 
nally a ditch, and is so designated i in 
some very old plans of that neigh- 
bourhood. 
With respect to leaving Clement’s 
Inn unnoticed, I plead entirely guilty ; 
but it was not for want of recollection 
nor local knowledge, for I lived in it 
nearly forty years; but I feared I 
should make my communication too 
tedious and too long; however, I am 
glad to find ‘the Druid’ has so much 
respect for the neighbourhood as to 
have wished for more. Still, I cantell 
‘the Druid, that I know the com- 
monly-received story of the kneeling’ 
black in the garden being the figure 
of a-murderer, to be a falsehood ; and 
that the man who murdered his master 
at No, 18, inthe Inn, was‘a white man; 
and, alas! an Englishman: his history 
may be found in the old Newgate 
Calendars, I have understood, and 
believe, tiat the figure of the black: 
was, on the contrary, meant as a‘com- 
pliment to the black servant of oneof 
the ancients of the Society, who was so: 
worthy and honest.a man, that liewas 
said to be as true as time; in allusion 
to which character, the sun-dial:-was 
placed on his head. 
During my abode there, 1 have 
known, as residents merely, many 
gentlemen not unknown to the literary: 
world; at the head of whom might be 
placed Jittle Caslon, the once great 
letter-founder, who was certainly a 
man of letiers. Lremember Perry of 
the Chronicle, as he used to be called, 
having chambers there when he first 
began to write for it, and when he was: 
a very poor man; his abilities, and the 
good fortune which afterwards  at- 
tended them, are well knowr,. Dr. 
Wolcott. (alias. Peter: Pindar) had 
chambers at No..17 for many years;) 
and some twenty-five or thirty years’ 
ago, [ think Mr. D’Isracli had cham- 
bers on the same staircase. ‘Wooller 
of the Black Dwarf, and the late Peter 
Finnerty, had also chambers in the Inn 
recently; and I recollect Sedgwick, 
(who 
