Notes and Queries, Number 28, May 11, 1850 | Page 2

and it was under the influence of these beliefs that the sonnets were composed:--
I.
"'Twas on this spot some thousand years ago, Amid the silence of its hoary wood By sound unbroken, save the Teviot's flow, The lonely Temple of the Druids stood! {450} The conquering Roman when he urged his way, That led to triumph, through the neighbouring plain, And oped the gloomy grove to glare of day, Awe-stricken gazed, and spared the sacred fane! One stone of all its circle now remains, Saved from the modern Goth's destructive hand; And by its side I muse: and Fancy reigns; And giant oaks on Pennial waving stand; With snowy robe and flowing bears sweep bye The aged Druid-train beneath the star-lit sky.
II.
"The Druid-train has moved into the wood, Oh! draw a veil before the hideous scene! For theirs were offerings of human blood, With sound of trump and shriek of fear between: Their sacred grove is fallen, their creed is gone; And record none remains save this gray stone! Then come the warlike Saxons; and the years Roll on in conflict: and the pirate Dane Uprears his Bloody raven; and his spears Bristling upon the Broadlaw summit's plain Spread terror o'er the vale: and still rude times Succeed; and Border feuds with conflagration light Nightly, the Teviot's wave, and ceaseless crimes Chase from the holy towers their inmates in affright.
III.
"Land of the South! Oh, lovely land of song! And is my dwelling by thy classic streams; And is the fate so fondly wished and long, Mine in the fullest measure of my dreams,-- By thy green hills and sunny glades to roam, To live among thy happy shepherd swains Where now the peaceful virtues have their home; A blissful lot! nor aught of grief remains Save for that friend, beloved, bewailed, revered, To whom my heart for thrice ten years was bound By truest love and gratitude endeared: The glory of his land, in whom were found Genius unmatched, and mastery of the soul, Beyond all human wight, save Shakspeare's own controul."
F.S.A. L. & E.
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NOTES ON CUNNINGHAM'S HANDBOOK FOR LONDON.
Soho Square.--Your correspondent "NASO" (p. 244.) has anticipated me in noticing Mr. Cunningham's mistake about Mrs. Cornellys' house in this square; but he has left unnoticed some particulars which deserve to be recorded. Mrs. Cornellys', or Carlisle House as it was called, was pulled down at the beginning of the present century (1803 or 1804), and two houses built upon its site, now Jeffery's Music Warehouse and Weston's Printing Office. Some curious old paintings representing banqueting scenes, formerly in Carlisle House were carefully preserved until the last few years, in the drawing-room of the corner house, when they were removed to make room for some needed "elegancies" of the modern print shops. The Catholic Chapel in Sutton Street was the banquetting-room of Carlisle House; and the connecting passage between it and the house in Soho Square was originally the "Chinese bridge."
"Teresa Cornelys, Carlisle House, St. Ann, Soho, dealer" appears in the bankrupt list of The London Gazette of November, 1772; and in December of the same year, this temple of festivity, and all its gorgeous contents, were thus advertised to be sold by public auction:--
"Carlisle House, Soho.--At twelve o'clock on Monday the 14th instant, by Order of the Assignees, Mr. Marshall will sell by Auction on the Premises, in one Lot, All that extensive, commodious, and magnificent House in Soho Square, lately occupied by Mrs. Cornelys, and used for the Public Assemblies of the Nobility and Gentry. Together with all the rich and elegant Furniture, Decorations, China, &c., thereunto belonging, too well-known and universally admired for their aptness and taste to require here any public and extraordinary description thereof. Catalogues to be had at the House, and at Mr. Marshall's, in St. Martin's Lane. The curiosity of many to see the house, to prevent improper crowds, and the great damage that might happen therefrom (and the badness of this season) by admitting indifferent and disinterested people, must be an excuse to the public for the Assignees ordering the Catalogues to be sold at 5s. each, which will admit two to see the house, &c., from Monday the 7th instant to the time of sale, Sundays excepted, from ten in the morning to three in the afternoon, and they hope no person or persons will take amiss being refused admittance without Catalogues."
In December 1774, the nobility and gentry were informed (by advertisement), "That the Assemblies at Carlisle House will commence soon, under the conduct and direction of a New Manager;" but notwithstanding the efforts of this person, we find that Mrs. Cornellys resumed her revels here with great spirit in 1776. In 1778, Carlisle House was again publicly advertised to be sold by private contract, or "to be hired