Payne

“ After the accession of William and Mary to the throne in 1689, Payne, who in this year took the degree of D.D. at Cambridge, was appointed to the lectureship of the Poultry Church in the city of London, and received the post of chaplain-in-ordinary to their majesties. He strongly supported the comprehension scheme, brought forward in 1689 for facilitating the inclusion of protestant dissenters in the established church. The proposal was opposed, among others, by Thomas Long [q. v.] , whose pamphlet on the subject, entitled ‘Vox Cleri,’ was answered by Payne in an ‘Answer to Vox Cleri’ (1690) . ”

“ We have already on several occasions expressed our great admiration of the merits of Mr. John Payne, and our conviction that he is entitled to a high place among the poets of the day. His astonishing mastery over difficulties of metre, the grace and harmony of his language, and the subtle charm which runs through all his writings, merit a warm recognition at the hands of all students of modern poetry. is manner is simply perfect ”

“ I think him rather a fanatic; he thinks me a pagan. But we both have common-sense enough to see that each honestly wishes to help suffering humanity, and on that broad platform we meet. Mr. Payne tells me you don't know much of London, Miss Liddell. I can help you to see some of its more interesting sides. ”

“ It pleases us to learn that the friend who met and helped them there was an American, John Howard Payne. He escorted Mary to Paris, when she was fit to travel, two months later. There Crabb Robinson met them, and says: “Her only male{100} friend is a Mr. Payne, whom she praises exceedingly for his kindness and attention to Charles. He is the author of ‘Brutus,’ and has a good face.” ”

“ Miss Payne uttered an inarticulate sound between a h'm and a groan, by which she generally expressed indefinite dissent and disapprobation. Then she rose [Pg 103] and walked to the dwarf bookcase at the end of the room to fetch her tatting. She was tall and slight. Following her, you might imagine her young, for her figure was good and her step brisk. ”

“ Payne spoke briefly. Every society had its ups and downs: this society was just now all in the downs, as the song had it. But it was well worth while to have such an experience, if only to see his old chum, his good old chum Erb, righted in the eyes of everybody and restored to a position that he ought never to have quitted.
The Labour member begged leave (his tones intimating nothing of humility) to say a few words before this was put to the vote. ”

“ Payne turned swiftly. The engineer's keen eyes had picked out three small specks bobbing up and down out on the prairie and even at the distance he knew them for easily riding horsemen.
"It didn't take him long to tell his friends," said Payne. "Hig, you go down to the other side of the boys. My guess is that they'll try to terrorize our labor. If they drive this bunch off the news will spread. Negroes won't come to work down here where they hear any white men are out against them. If they're like the first pup they'll try to ride the boys down." ”

“ His father, Ralph Payne (d. 1763) , chief justice and afterwards governor of St. Kitts, came of a family which had long been resident at St. Christopher's, whither it had migrated from Lavington in Wiltshire. His mother, whose ancestors came from Bridgwater in Somerset, was Alice, daughter and heiress of Francis Carlisle. After being educated in England, Payne returned to his native island, where he was at once elected a member of the House of Assembly, and at its first meeting unanimously called to the chair. In 1762 he was again in England, and he then made the tour of Europe. ”

“ At the same instant Miss Randolph, in her most imperious manner (and she can be imperious) , commanded Payne to stop instantly and go back. "But we shall have the whole pack of them on us like wolves," he objected. "Go back!" she repeated, stamping her little foot. "I won't hurt a man and drive away." Suddenly Payne pulled up, and putting in the reverse, we ran slowly into the midst of the horde of angry peasants, swollen now by many others who had been passing along the crowded road. ”

“ Payne in the chair made his hammer heard above the din of contending voices, and then, standing up, shook the hammer threateningly. If they did not at once stop their row, said Payne, he, as chairman, would have to consider the advisability of jolly well doing something; having given this vague threat Payne conferred with Erb in a whisper.
“Tell you what occurs to me,” said Payne, with a weak pretence of proclaiming an idea of his own. “Let's hear what friend Lindsay has to say, and if there's anything in it, why no doubt our friend the secretary will reply.” ”

“ Payne has, "Verily God the Most High created man after His own image, and likened him to Himself, all of Him truth, without falsehood; then He gave him dominion over himself and ordered him and forbade him, and it was man who transgressed His commandment and erred in his obedience and brought falsehood upon himself of his own will." ”

“ The fact that great musicians so seldom play “Home, Sweet Home” as a pastime, did not trouble Griffith. His did.
The picture ended in a manner no longer to be taken seriously. Payne (Walthall) , dying in sin, goes promptly to an impressive Hell, a chasm in the mountains, where, arrayed in an astonishing costume, considering the climate, he is given a disagreeable time by certain devils wearing the falsest of false faces. His sweetheart (Lillian) , dying a saint, had gone straight to Heaven—a sort of grown-up Little Eva. Must Payne remain in Hell? Not above a week, at the longest. ”

“ François Ier, à la suite d’une chasse qui l’avait séparé de sa suite, se perdit dans une forêt et chercha un asile dans la cabane d’un charbonnier. L’homme était absent; le roi ne trouva que la charbonnière, s’empara du meilleur siège et demanda à souper. La femme voulut attendre l’arrivée de son mari. A son retour, celui-ci reprit brusquement son siège et offrit un simple escabeau au roi: ‘Je prendz cette chaise,’ dit-il, ‘parce qu’elle est à moi: Or, par droit et par raison,
Chacun est maître en sa maison.’ ”

“ Generations of worthy ancestors had transmitted to her the instincts of a lady, a warm and loving heart, and an appreciation of true worth, traits that were to serve her well in after years.
[21] The grandfather, Josias Payne [1] , gentleman, was the son of George Payne, justice and high-sheriff of Goochland, who was descended from one of "Virginia's Adventurers," a younger brother of Sir Robert Payne, M.P. from Huntingdonshire, England. Josias Payne had become the owner of thousands of acres of Virginia's richest land along the James river. ”

“ Payne joined us, poor fellow, and I did what I could to console him, telling him that was always the way in this [Pg 335] world, with the well-meaning, unselfish people. He was awfully grateful for my kindness, and when he heard that Pa and I had just that very minute been talking things over and deciding we'd had enough of being abroad, he asked if we'd mind his travelling with us as far as England, where he might stop for a few weeks, and drive about in his motor-car. ”

“ If it don't have no effect, what I've been thinking of is a deputation to the General Manager.”
“She's not a going to manage me,” returned Payne, catching something of the last sentence. “If I'm treated with proper respect I'm a lamb, but if anyone attempts to lord it over me, I'm simply a roaring lion.”
William Henry, ordered back to the tail of his van, made note number two. Trouble brewing, and, in the case of wholesale discharges, a fair chance of honest lads gaining promotion. ”

“ Paine—Vaughan—Muir—Perry—British Club.
The French Revolution, like a new religion, effaced the feeling of nationality, and led men, partly from a sense of duty to the world, partly from inordinate vanity, to expatriate themselves, or even to plot their country's downfall. Prominent among these was Thomas Paine—in France he spelt his name Payne—who was the only foreigner besides Cloots who sat in the Convention, and who, more fortunate than Cloots, suffered nothing worse than imprisonment. He had twice visited Paris prior to the Revolution, but his previous career need not be related. ”

“ Wherefore Payne and a man named Kirby and another called Old Jim, decided, in the best interests of mankind at large, and of Spanswick in particular, that some steps should be taken, that it was for them to take these steps, and that the following Friday evening (being pay day) was the time to be selected. Payne's idea was this. They would run Spanswick to earth in one of his resorts, and by wise counsel and urgent illustration force upon him a recognition of the downward career that was his, and its inevitable end. ”

“ We shall not readily forget the mixed sensations of concern and risibility with which, day after day, from the first annunciation of Master Payne’s expected appearance at Philadelphia, we were obliged to listen to the misjudging applause of his panegyrists. There is a narrowness of heart, and a nudity of mind too common in our nature, under the impulse of which few people can bring themselves to do homage to one person without magnifying their incense by the depreciation of some other. According to these a favourite has not his proper station, till all others are put below him ”

“ Dangerfields Particular Narrative (1679) he was one of the chief devisers of the Presbyterian Plot and, as "chief Pen-man" for the Catholics, the author of several "scandalous books" about their enemies. Payne was again before the Privy Council in November 1679, but eventually all the principals in the Catholic plots to discredit the government were released.
After the accession of James II Payne kept more respectable company. References to him during these years say nothing about any work for the theater, but his pen was still busy--from 1685 to 1687 in the cause of religious toleration. ”

“ Lestrange looked rather shocked. "I don't understand," he said. "I always gathered that you thought it our business to—well, to love people."
"Our business, yes!" said Father Payne; "but our pleasure, no! One must begin by hating people. What is there to like about many of us?"
"Why, Father," said Vincent, "you are the most charitable of men!"
Father Payne gave him a little bow. "Come," he said, "I will make a confession. I am by nature the most suspicious of mankind. I have all the uncivilised instincts. There are people of whom I hate the sight and the sound, and even the scent. ”

“ The enormity of his offence increased upon him, and as he reached his home, the consciousness of having added disgrace to poverty, almost set him wild. He went first into the library, which was in the lower part of the house, because, as he said, the sound of music and gayety that came from the drawing-room, maddened him. He had scarcely entered the room when the hall-bell rang, and the servant ushered into the dimly lighted library, a gentleman; and as he heard his name announced, Mr. Payne shuddered,—it was the very name he had used unlawfully, a few hours before. ”

“ She is what we call an American queen, and her dominion is undisputed in our nominal republic. We have also a good many kings. But the queens are the actual rulers, because, you see, they boss the kings. Payne's father was a king of mines and railroads. Payne himself is what we call an expatriated American, and is regarded by the rest of us with cold contempt and disapproval. He might have been a king himself, but he chose to abdicate with about twenty millions of dollars. ”

“ By his father too, who is one of the best fencers in Europe, he was improved in gracefulness of attitude—and nature had uncommonly endowed him for the reception of those instructions. Of such means of improvement Master Payne was wholly destitute, for there was not a man that we could hear of in America who was at once capable and willing to instruct him. Self-dependent and self-taught as he must be, we could see no feasible means by which he could evolve his powers, be they what they might, to adequate effect for the stage. ”

“ The party of the nobles, who had been ready to make terms, were attacked in the Diet at Prague, by the Orphans and Taborites. Next year the dispute led to open war. The nobles were victorious at Lipau on the 29th of May 1434, and it was reported in England that Payne was killed. When soon afterwards the majority of the Orphans joined the moderate party, Payne allied himself with the more extreme Taborites. Nevertheless his reputation was so great that he was accepted as an arbitrator in doctrinal disputes amongst the reformers. ”

“ The inhabitants of London are now placed under a new kind of Test, and those who refuse it will undoubtedly be persecuted. Meantime these papers are carried from house to house to be signed, especially by those lodging as strangers. This Test causes murmurs, and some try to evade signature, but the number is few. The example of the capital is generally followed. The trial of Payne, which at one time seemed likely to cause events, has ended in the most peaceful way. Erskine has been borne to his house by people shouting God Save the King! Erskine forever! ”

“ In a short, but incredibly active life, he had amassed a fortune that was considerable, even in the midlands where fortunes are made. I do not know what he manufactured, but his business was conducted in Gloucester, and the Overton estate, which he acquired shortly before his death, lay under the shadow of Cotswold, between its escarpment and the isolated hill of Bredon, within twenty miles of that city. Mr. Payne had died of acute pneumonia in a sharp struggle that was in keeping with his strenuous mode of life. Seven months after his death his only child, Arthur, was born. ”