Note 56 — CALAMITIES OF AUTHORS: (continued 2)

The history of the closing years of Henley’s life is thus given in “The History of the Robin Hood Society,” 1764, a political club, whose debates he occasionally enlivened:—“The Orator, with various success, still kept up his Oratory, King George’s, or Charles’s Chapel, as he differently termed it, till the year 1759, when he died. At its first establishment it was amazingly crowded, and money flowed in upon him apace; and between whiles it languished and drooped: but for some years before its author’s death it dwindled away so much, and fell into such an hectic state, that the few friends of it feared its decease was very near. The doctor, indeed, kept it up to the last, determined it should live as long as he did, and actually exhibited many evenings to empty benches. Finding no one at length would attend, he admitted the acquaintances of his door-keeper, runner, mouth-piece, and some other of his followers, gratis. On the 13th of October, however, the doctor died, and the Oratory ceased; no one having iniquity or impudence sufficient to continue it on.”—Ed.