Protestant Exiles from France/Volume 2 - Book Third - Chapter 25 - Anthony Chamier
Anthony Chamier, Esq., M.P., son of Daniel Chamier, Esq. (see Chapters xviii. and xx.), was born on 6th October 1725; Antoine Loubier was his god-father. He began life as a merchant, and was also a stock-broker. At a later period an attempt was made to represent him as having been an unimportant and uninfluential man in the City of London. But that he was both influential and stable is evident from the following note addressed by him to the Earl of Bute:—[1]
“My Lord, I beg the favour of your Lordship to admitt me, into the next Subscription, for Thirty Thousand pounds. As I have never paid in less than One Hundred and fifty Thousand pounds every year during the course of the late war, I flatter myself your Lordship will excuse the liberty I take. I have the honor to be with the most respectfull submission, my Lord, your Lordship’s most obedient and most humble servant,
“London, 15 Jany. 1763.”
It was not till after his fortieth year that he entered upon political life. He was first the private secretary of the Earl of Sandwich in the Foreign Office; then Lord Barrington, Secretary at War, made him his chief clerk, and gave him the office of Deputy-Secretary at War in 1772. He became M.P. for Tamworth in 1774, and sat for that Borough in the House of Commons till his death. In 1775 he became one of the under Secretaries of State, and this post he held for the rest of his life.
The great honours of Anthony Chamier’s career were his being one of the original members of Dr. Johnson’s Literary Club, and also a Fellow of the Royal Society. Such distinctions entirely relieve him of the contempt in which Junius endeavoured to overwhelm him. The fact that Sir Philip Francis was furiously enraged at Chamier’s being introduced into the War office and promoted over his head, when he himself was a candidate for the secretary ship (and the clear evidences that no one else both could and would have penned the attacks on Chamier in Junius’ Letters), form the great proof that Junius was Francis:—
March 10th 1772. — “For shame, my Lord Barrington, send this whiffling broker back to the mystery he was bred in. Though an infant in the War Office, he is too old to learn a new trade. At this very moment they are calling out for him at the bar of Jonathan’s, Shammy! Shammy! Shammy. The house of Israel are waiting to settle their last account with him. During his absence things may take a desperate turn in the alley, and you never may be able to make up to the man what he has lost in half-crowns and sixpences already.”
March 23rd. — “I think the public have a right to call upon Mr. D’Oyley and Mr. Francis to declare their reason for quitting the War Office. . . . They know nothing of the stocks, and therefore Lord Barrington drives them out of the War Office. The army is indeed come to a fine pass with a gambling broker at the head of it.”
On his first entering upon public life he had been saluted sneeringly by Junius as “that well-educated, genteel, young broker, Mr. Chamier.” But when the wrath of the elegant scribe came to its height, he asseverated that it was a “frantic resolution” to give the office of Deputy War Secretary to “Tony Shammy;” and he pictured Lord Barrington referring a general officer for information to “Mr. Shammy” — “little Waddlewell” — “my duckling” — “little three per cents reduced” — “a mere scrip of a secretary” — “an omnium of all that’s genteel — the activity of a broker — the politeness of a hairdresser,” &c, &c. As Mr. Taylor[2] remarks, “Sarcasm, argument, and threats, all the topics that could dissuade, provoke, or terrify, were employed to remove Chamier. But all these efforts were in vain. . . . Sir Philip found himself unable to stand against his antagonist, who not only possessed the qualifications necessary for advancing his own interest, but was backed with the influence of his brother-in-law, Bradshaw.” Mr. Chamier was married to Dorothy, daughter and co-heir of Robert Wilson, Esq., Merchant of St. Mary Axe, London, and her sister was the wife of Thomas Bradshaw, Esq., private secretary of the Duke of Grafton and Secretary to the Treasury, and afterwards a Lord of the Admiralty.
Dr. Johnson’s Literary Club had been founded in February 1764. Its original members were Johnson, Reynolds, Burke, Nugent, Beauclerk, Langton, Goldsmith, Chamier, and Hawkins. As to Chamier’s intercourse with the Club, Boswell gives one anecdote. Goldsmith, being a blundering talker, did not always get the credit of being the author of his own writings. Johnson said of him, “Goldsmith talked away at random. He had been at no pains to fill his mind with knowledge. It did not settle in his mind, so he could not tell what was in his own books. But whatever he wrote he did better than any other man.” Chamier could not at first believe that he was really the author of “The Traveller.” He said to Goldsmith, “Tell me about that fine line, ‘Remote, unfriended, melancholy, slow’- — what do you mean by ‘slow?’ do you mean tardiness of locomotion?” Goldsmith at once said, “Yes.” “No, sir,” exclaimed Johnson, “you do not mean tardiness of locomotion, you mean that sluggishness of mind which comes upon a man in solitude.” “Well,” thought Chamier, “Johnson wrote the first line at any rate.” Goldsmith, however, improved upon acquaintance; and one evening, after talking with the poet for some time, Chamier went up to Johnson and said, “Well, I do believe he wrote the poem himself; and, let me tell you, that is believing a great deal.”
Johnson had an esteem and value for Chamier as an Under-Secretary-of-State. The Doctor wrote to Boswell on 28th June 1777:—
“Poor Dodd was put to death yesterday. . . . He was, I am afraid, long flattered with hopes of life; but I had no part in the dreadful delusion; for as soon as the King had signed his sentence, I obtained from Mr. Chamier an account of the disposition of the court towards him, with a declaration that there was no hope even of a respite. This letter was immediately laid before Dodd.”
Mr. Chamier had a country residence at Epsom. It merits celebrity as the place where Johnson spent the birthday to which he had long looked forward with awe, for then his years attained the sacred number of "threescore years and ten." The Doctor’s memoranda having hitherto been printed in a disjointed state, I now produce them in their proper order:—
1779. September. On the 17th Mr. Chamier took me away with him from Streatham. I left the servants a guinea for my health, and was content enough to escape into a house where my birthday, not being known, could not be mentioned. I sat up till midnight was past, and the day of a new year, a very awful day, began. I prayed to God who had [safely brought me to the beginning of another year] but could not perfectly recollect the prayer, and supplied it. Such desertions of memory I have always had. When I rose on the 18th I think I prayed again, then walked with my friend into his grounds. When I came back, after some time passed in the library, finding myself oppressed by sleepiness, I retired to my chamber, where by lying down and a short imperfect slumber, I was refreshed and prayed as the night before. I then dined, and trifled in the parlour and library, and was freed from a scruple about Horace. At last I went to bed, having first composed a prayer.
September 18, 1779 hora p.m. 12 m.a. Almighty God, Creator of all things, in whose hands are life and death! glory be to Thee for all Thy mercies, and for the prolongation of my life to the common age of man. Pardon me, O gracious God, all the offences which in the course of seventy years I have committed against Thy holy laws, and all negligences of those duties which Thou hast required. Look with pity upon me, take not from me Thy Holy Spirit, but enable me to pass the days which Thou shalt yet vouchsafe to grant me, in Thy fear and to Thy glory; and accept, O Lord, the remains of a misspent life, that when Thou shalt call me to another state, I may be received to everlasting happiness for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Epsom. My purpose is to communicate at least thrice a-year.
To study the Scriptures.
To be diligent.
19th, Sunday. I went to Church and attended the service. I found, at Church, time to use my prayer, O Lord, have mercy, &c.