Thomas Tomkins

“ About 1619 he left Cambridge, and became organist of St. Paul's. Fletcher, then in Norfolk, addressed a poem to him on the occasion. In 1625 Tomkins was sworn for the next place that should fall vacant in the chapel royal. He was appointed epistler, 3 Nov. 1626, and gospeller on 30 Jan. 1626–7. It is probable that he excelled rather as an executant than as a composer. Anthems by him exist in most manuscripts with his brother Thomas's, but they are few in number, and none have been printed. ”

“ Paul's; and Wood says there was a manuscript volume of his sacred music at Magdalen College. The most remarkable of Tomkins's works are the anthems ‘O praise the Lord, all ye heathen,’ which is for twelve voices, and ‘Glory be to God,’ for ten voices. These and others were scored by Thomas Tudway [q. v.] from the choir-books at Ely, and he justly described them as ‘very elaborate and artful pieces, and the most deserving to be recorded and had in everlasting remembrance.’ One was scored by Purcell in a volume now at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. ”

“ TOMKINS, THOMAS (1743–1816) , calligrapher, born in 1743, kept for many years a writing school in Foster Lane, London. For boldness of design, inexhaustible variety, and elegant freedom, he was justly considered to have attained the highest eminence in his art. ”

“ The sooner we get rid of them the better. An Englishman, sir, needs no hired supernumeraries to protect his home. When was our soil ever invaded? Let the French come, and we will give them graves!" And having delivered himself of this sublime sentiment, Tomkins would incontinently ring for another tumbler. It always struck us, however, as a singular proof of the eccentricities or rather inconsistencies of genius, that our distinguished friend, when in his cups, and towards the close of the evening, invariably began to glorify himself upon his length of lineage and descent. ”

“ Tomkins. “I’m noo—to a certain extent.”
“You’ll have to smarten up, my man,” said the small boy. “You don’t brush your hair very often, do you?”
“I run a comb through it now and again,” said Tomkins apologetically. “A man can’t be always a-titivating hisself—not a man, that is to say, who’s got his living to earn. You might be always at it if you’d nothing else to do.”
Master Anstruther walked across and examined Tomkins more carefully. He seemed a little puzzled, and glancing round the small office his eyes again rested on Mr. Tomkins’ face. ”

“ Tomkins adroitly. “She said she might not be long, and on the other ’and she might be some little time—it all depended.”
“Did she kiss me before she went away?”
“Like anything,” said Mr. Tomkins. “I thought she were never going to leave off.”
“She always does that.” The small boy smiled thoughtfully. “We love each other dreffully, my mamma and me.”
“That’s right,” said Mr. Tomkins approvingly. “There’s nothing like it. Respect your parents when they’re young and when they grow up——”
“Who are you?” demanded Master Anstruther. “Are you a new servant?” ”

“ Indeed, I was rummaging for those keys, and when I brought the sal-volatile my lord gave it to her hisself, and my lord and me agreed that the best thing for me to do was to get her ladyship to bed; and my lord said, 'You had better stay by her, Mrs. Tomkins.' To be sure it is very strange he cannot learn my name; but anyhow I am satisfied about him and my lady, and I suppose he will find out I am called Tomkinson at last, and then everything will be as it should," which was a cheerful prospect to end with. ”

“ Tomkins moves about, peeping under the coverings, dusting the statues, patting and quieting, and perhaps feeding, the animals. He holds in one hand a string which is attached to one of them. Enter Tom Thumb and his Bride, arm in arm, followed by his aged parents and maiden aunt. (Five little children must be dressed up to represent these.) Tomkins helps them to a high platform at the back part. Old lady is knitting a doll’s stocking. Enter crowd of May-dancers, Peg among them. She tries several times to separate Flora from Elsie while they are listening to Tomkins, and finally succeeds. ”

“ He exhibited with the Free Society of Artists from 1761 to 1764, with the Incorporated Society from 1764 to 1768, and at the Royal Academy annually from 1769 to 1790. He was elected an associate of the academy in 1771. Some of Tomkins's works were engraved in Angus's and Watts's sets of views of seats of the nobility. He died at his house in Queen Anne Street, London, on 1 Jan. ”

“ Tomkins became red when the Doctor picked up his essay; but it soon faded away—I mean the redness.
"Now here," said Dr. Dunstan, "we are met by an attempt of a very different character. The boy Tomkins appears to think that there is nothing more to be said about the flowers of the field than to utter their names. His prose lacks dignity; there is a feverish desire to tell us what everything is called. There is no poetry, no feeling. Vagueness, indeed, we have, but vagueness is not poetry, though to uncritical minds it may sometimes pass for such. This is how Tomkins approaches his subject. ”

“ We gave this good Tomkins wine and medicine for his family when sick—we supplied him with little comforts and extras which need not now be remembered—and the grateful creature rewarded us by informing some of our tradesmen whom he honoured with his custom, "Mr. Roundabout? Lor' bless you! I carry him up to bed drunk every night in the week". He, Tomkins, being a man of seven stone weight and five feet high ”

“ Whoever shall apprehend, or cause to be apprehended and lodged in one of his Majesty's jails, the said John Tomkins, shall receive the above reward. He is a thickset, sturdy man, about five foot six inches high, halts in his left leg, with a stoop in his gait, with coarse red hair, nose short and cocked up, with little grey eyes, one of them bears the effect of a blow which he has lately received, with a pot belly, speaks with a thick and disagreeable voice, goes shabbily drest, had on when he went away a greasy shag great coat with rusty yellow buttons. ”

“ There is a breathlessness, a feeling of haste, as if somebody was chasing Tomkins along the road while he was making his researches. This, unless Tomkins has been guilty of trespass—an alternative I refuse to consider—is difficult to explain."
The Doctor then gave us a bit out of Tomkins—
"'As one walks down a country lane, one can often hardly see the leaves for the flowers. They burst upon the view in millions. The hedges are thronged with them; the scent is overpowering. Turn where you will, they greet the bewildered eye. They hang from the trees and spring from the earth ”

“ He could not act in opposition to the wishes of his friend and patron, Mr Clayton, but very glad would he have been, as every word and look assured me, to meet the wishes of us both, had that been practicable. If the great desire of Jehu Tomkins' heart could have been gratified, he never would have been at enmity with a single soul on earth. He was a soft, good-natured, easy man; most desirous to be let alone, and not uneasily envious or distressed to see his neighbours jogging on, so long as he could do his own good stroke of business, and keep a little way before them. ”

“ I can't abide that Tomkins. A mercer he was, in Norwich, and a kind of a preacher, and now he has made money, they've made him a justice, save the mark. And if he can furbish up a great enough plot, he is assured it will bring him his knighthood at the least. And so he goeth up and down, that maliceful to our young lady—only thanks be, she have escaped the claws of him. The only thing that troubles me is the noises. Leastways, they doesn't trouble me, not to say real trouble; I hope I can keep my wits about me. 'Tis but those idle huzzies that talk of ghosts and noises. ”

“ It comes upon me with tremendous impetus; mechanically, almost unconsciously, I take up a pen and write. Space opens before me and I see a hospital ward. A blaze of light floods it. Rows of narrow beds are there, and on one I see Tomkins—dying. I make my way to him: now I am by his bed. I see him stretched beneath my eyes. I see the pillow dark with the sweat of his death agony—the night-shirt torn at his throat to get air. Have I time to consider then whether the British public like the word night-shirt, and whether it would not be safer to put Tomkins into a dressing-gown? ”

“ I asked, and a very slight nodding of his head made me know that I had guessed rightly.
“But hadn’t I better send for Tomkins first?” I suggested; for it didn’t seem right to leave him even a moment more in that state without help. But at this he rolled his head so violently from side to side that I hastily gave up the idea and scrambled around on the floor picking up and trying to arrange in some orderly fashion the papers about his feet. And all the while his wonderful blue eyes followed me as if he longed to say something more and couldn’t. ”

“ And if you don’t mind I’ll just have a whiff or two more.”
“I don’t mind,” said Master Anstruther. “Commander Gane always smokes when he comes to dinner. Do you know Commander Gane, Tomkins?”
“May ’ave met him,” said Tomkins sleepily, “in the ’aunts of society, but don’t know him well enough to ’ob-nob with.”
“Commander Gane is going to marry my mamma some day,” said the small boy importantly. “He’s such a big strong fellow. Is this your telephone, Tomkins?”
“Don’t belong me,” murmured Mr. Tomkins closing his eyes. “Belongs ’nother genelman.” ”

“ Richard,” cried Tomkins, aghast, attempting to bar the passage to the upper regions.
“Then let's have her out o' bed,” cried John Rex, plunging to the door.
Tomkins, attempting to restrain him, is instantly hurled into a cabinet of rare china, and the drunken brute essays the stairs. The other servants seize him. He curses and fights like a demon. Doors bang open, lights gleam, maids hover, horrified, asking if it's “fire?” and begging for it to be “put out”. The whole house is in an uproar, in the midst of which Lady Devine appears, and looks down upon the scene. ”

“ Tomkins was a 7, he did not possess the universal benevolence which that ancient order inculcates; but revolving in his mind the probable reasons for Seraphina’s hesitation, he came to this conclusion: she either loved him −8 somebody else, or she did not love him at all. ”

“ On 2 July following he licensed ‘Paradise Regained’ and ‘Samson Agonistes,’ and in 1672 was instituted rector of Monks Risborough, Buckinghamshire. In 1675 he published ‘The Modern Pleas for Comprehension, Toleration, and the taking away the Obligation to the Renouncing of the Covenant considered and discussed’ (London, 8vo) ; another edition appeared in 1680 entitled ‘The New Distemper, or the Dissenter's usual Pleas for Comprehension, &c., considered and discussed;’ the first edition was answered by Baxter in his ‘Apology for the Nonconformist's Ministry.’ Tomkins died at Exeter on 20 Aug. ”

“ In the year 1863 he was again appointed to Stanstead, and re-elected to the chairmanship, which he held, with an interruption of a little more than a year, till the time of superannuation. In 1866 Mr. Tomkins removed to Hatley, where he spent three years, and in the summer of 1869 he retired from active work and took up his residence at Stanstead, where he remained till the close of his long and useful life, and where he continued to assist by every means in his power in advancing the interests of his Master’s cause. As a man, Mr. ”

“ Certainly not the tread of Mary; not light, and not stealthy, but firm and ponderous.
What step could it be? Tomkins returning to tell one of his good stories, or to ask for soda-water? He listened, and hesitated whether to rise or not. It must be the step of Tomkins; no one else would venture to come in at this time. The step was arrested at the drawing-room door; then Philip stood up, and as he did so the door was thrown open, and Uncle Jeremiah stood on the threshold, looking at him. He knew the old man at once, though he was changed, and his hair white. ”

“ For men, who are convicted upon sufficient evidence, have generally the sense to see that the magistrate who convicts them, merely does his bounden duty. Tomkins put common sense and reason out of the question, and determined to do some [Pg 26] thing by way of revenge. Mr. Hale's house was situated about seven miles off. It stood at the extremity of a rather extensive paddock, at the other end of which was a large fish pond, well stored with jack and perch. Tomkins knew the pond well, and took it into his head, that he would make it refund part of his fifteen pounds. ”

“ That was all Tomkins could tell us. He added that the doctors were confident that Uncle's brain was practically unimpaired by the shock, that he was conscious of all that went on, and that his reasoning powers were still all right. Only his speech and one side of his body were affected. But they had not yet put the matter to an absolute test, as his condition was still too critical. Tomkins had seen him but little, though the doctors said Uncle seemed to want him near by, and to be better when he knew that he was there.
“And now, what about Mr. Cookson?” we demanded. Tomkins looked very grave. ”

“ Tomkins, as an artist, stood foremost in his own profession, and his name will be handed down to posterity with the Heroes and Statesmen, whose excellences his penmanship has contributed to illustrate and to commemorate.” I always give the Pour and the Contre!
Such men about such things have produced public contests, combats a l’outrance, where much ink was spilled by the knights in a joust of goose-quills; these solemn trials have often occurred in the history of writing-masters, which is 173 enlivened by public defiances, proclamations, and judicial trials by umpires! ”