Plaque: Lamb & Flag - pub information board
Stay traveller rest & refresh yrself in this ancient tavern within whose walls so many great figures of the past have taken their ease. Here often sat the immortal Charles Dickens & his friends, poor Samuel Butler & the wits & gallants of the restoration. Hither resorted the Bucks & Dandies to witness prize fights & cocks main, while hard by was enacted the notorious Rose Alley Ambuscade in Decr 1679 when the poet Dryden was almost done to death at the instance of Louise De Keroualle, Mistress of Charles II.
Courage & Barclays Noted Ales on Draught & Entire
The Lamb and Flag
Wines, Spirits & Excellent Light Meals may be had within.
This plaque implicates De Keroualle in the attack on Dryden whereas it's more usual for responsibility to be squarely laid on Rochester, who is here not mentioned.
Note: "cock mains" is a mid-18th century expression meaning "cockfighting contests". But even this archaic use does not convince us that this panel is as old as it would have us believe. Early 20th century at the earliest, we think.
Site: Bowden & Dryden (3 memorials)
WC2, Rose Street, Lamb & Flag pub
This pub and the nearby streets are the subject of a post by the great A London Inheritance.
At around 8pm on 18 December 1679, Dryden was attacked in Rose Alley probably because, in his poem "An Essay upon Satire," he attacked amongst others King Charles II, one of the king's mistresses Louise De Keroualle, and the Earl of Rochester. It is generally thought that Rochester hired some henchmen to carry out the attack.
The pseudo-antique panel is on the ceiling of the passageway to the right (east) of the pub.
