Social Life in Queen Anne's Reign
The Daily Courant.
Wednesday, March 11, 1702.
From the Harlem Courant, Dated March 18. N. S.
_Naples_, Feb. 22.
On Wednesday last, our New Viceroy, the Duke of Escalona, arriv'd here
with a Squadron of the Galleys of Sicily. He made his Entrance drest
in a French habit; and to give us the greater Hopes of the King's
coming hither, went to Lodge in one of the little Palaces, leaving the
Royal One for his Majesty. The Marquis of Grigni is also arriv'd here
with a Regiment of French.
_Rome_, Feb. 25. In a Military Congregation of State that was held
here, it was Resolv'd to draw a Line from Ascoli to the Borders of the
Ecclesiastical State, thereby to hinder the Incursions of the
Transalpine Troops. Orders are sent to Civita Vecchia to fit out the
Galleys, and to strengthen the Garrison of that Place. Signior Casali
is made Governor of Perugia. The Marquis del Vasto, and the Prince de
Caserta continue still in the Imperial Embassador's Palace; where his
Excellency has a Guard of 50 Men every _Night in Arms_. The King of
Portugal has desir'd the Arch-Bishoprick of Lisbon, vacant by the
Death of Cardinal Sousa, for the Infante his second Son, who is about
11 Years old.
_Vienna_, Mar. 4. Orders are sent to the 4 Regiments of Foot, the 2 of
Cuirassiers, and to that of Dragoons, which are broke up from Hungary,
and are on their way to Italy, and which consist of about 14 or 15000
Men, to hasten their March thither with all Expedition. The 6 new
Regiments of Hussars that are now raising, are in so great a
forwardness, that they will be compleat, and in a Condition to march
by the middle of May. Prince Lewis of Baden has written to Court, to
excuse himself from coming thither, his Presence being so very
necessary, and so much desir'd on the Upper-Rhine.
_Francfort_; Mar. 12. The Marquiss d'Uxelles is come to Strasburg, and
is to draw together a Body of some Regiments of Horse and Foot from
the Garisons of Alsace; but will not lessen those of Strasburg and
Landau, which are already very weak. On the other hand, the Troops of
His Imperial Majesty, and his Allies, are going to form a Body near
Germeshein in the Palatinate, of which Place, as well as of the Lines
at Spires, Prince Lewis of Baden is expected to take a View, in three
or four days. The English and Dutch Ministers, the Count of Frise, and
the Baron Vander Meer; and likewise the Imperial Envoy Count
Lowenstein, are gone to Nordlingen, and it is hop'd that in a short
time we shall hear from thence of some favourable Resolutions for the
Security of the Empire.
_Liege_, Mar. 14. The French have taken the Cannon de Longie, who was
Secretary to the Dean de Mean, out of our Castle, where he has been
for some time a Prisoner, and have deliver'd him to the Provost of
Maubeuge, who has carry'd him from hence, but we do not know whither.
_Paris_, Mar. 13. Our Letter from Italy say, That most of our
Reinforcements were Landed there; that the Imperial and Ecclesiastical
Troops seem to live very peaceably with one another in the Country of
Parma, and that the Duke of Vendome, as he was visiting several Ports,
was within 100 Paces of falling into the Hands of the Germans. The
Duke of Chartres, the Prince of Conti, and several other Princes of
the Blood, are to make the Campaign in Flanders under the Duke of
Burgundy; and the Duke of Maine is to Command upon the Rhine.
From the Amsterdam Courant, Dated Mar. 18.
_Rome_, Feb. 25. We are taking here all possible Precautions for the
Security of the Ecclesiastical State in this present Conjuncture, and
have desir'd to raise 3000 Men in the Cantons of Switzerland. The Pope
has appointed the Duke of Berwick to be his Lieutenant-General, and he
is to Command 6000 Men on the Frontiers of Naples: He has also settled
upon him a Pension of 6000 Crowns a year during Life.
From the Paris Gazette, Dated Mar. 18. 1702.
_Naples_, Febr. 17. 600 French Soldiers are arrived here, and are
expected to be follow'd by 3400 more. A Courier that came hither on
the 14th. has brought Letters by which we are assur'd that the King of
Spain designs to be here towards the end of March; and accordingly
Orders are given to make the necessary Preparations against his
Arrival. The two Troops of Horse that were Commanded to the Abruzzo
are posted at Pescara with a Body of Spanish Foot, and others in the
Fort of Montorio.
_Paris_, March. 18. We have Advice from Toulon of the 5th instant,
that the Wind having long stood favourable, 22000 Men were already
sail'd for Italy, that 2500 more were Embarking, and that by the 15th
it was hoped they might all get thither. The Count d'Estrees arriv'd
there on the Third instant, and set all hands at work to fit out the
Squadron of 9 Men of War and some Fregats, that are appointed to carry
the King of Spain to Naples. His Catholick Majesty will go on Board
the _Thunderer_, of 110 Guns.
We have Advice by an Express from Rome of the 18th of February, That
notwithstanding the pressing Instances of the Imperial Embassadour,
the Pope had Condemn'd the Marquis del Vasto to lose his Head and his
Estate to be confiscated, for not appearing to Answer the Charge
against him of Publickly Scandalizing Cardinal Janson.
ADVERTISEMENT.
It will be found from the Foreign Prints, which from time to time, as
Occasion offers, will be mention'd in this Paper, that the Author has
taken Care to be duly furnish'd with all that comes from Abroad in any
Language. And for an Assurance that He will not, under Pretence of
having Private Intelligence, impose any Additions of feign'd
Circumstances to an Action, but give his Extracts fairly and
Impartially; at the beginning of each Article he will quote the
Foreign Paper from whence 'tis taken, that the Publick, seeing from
what Country a piece of News comes with the Allowance of that
Government, may be better able to Judge of the Credibility and
Fairness of the Relation: Nor will he take upon him to give any
Comments or Conjectures of his own, but will relate only Matter of
Fact; supposing other People to have Sense enough, to make Reflections
for themselves.
_This Courant (as the Title shews) will be Publish'd Daily; being
design'd to give all the Material News as soon as every Post arrives:
and is confin'd to half the Compass, to save the Publick at least half
the Impertinences, of ordinary News-Papers._
LONDON. Sold by _E. Mallet_, next Door to the _King's-Arms_ Tavern at
_Fleet-Bridge_.
SOCIAL LIFE
IN THE
REIGN OF QUEEN ANNE
TAKEN FROM ORIGINAL SOURCES
BY
JOHN ASHTON
AUTHOR OF 'CHAP-BOOKS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY' ETC.
A NEW IMPRESSION
WITH 84 ILLUSTRATIONS
FROM CONTEMPORARY PRINTS
LONDON
CHATTO & WINDUS
1919
PREFACE.
From the time of Dean Swift downwards to our own days many Political
Histories of the Reign of Queen Anne have been written, but its Social
Life we have been left to gather mainly from the efforts of novelists,
who have been more or less conscientious, according to their
knowledge, in placing it before us.
No doubt the drudgery of the work, the wading through all the
newspapers, and reading all the literature of the time, has deterred
many from attempting what, in its execution, has proved a very
pleasant task; for in doing it, one has got to be thoroughly
identified with the age--its habits and customs--which, being taken
from the very words of the people, then living, writing for living
people, who could contradict their statements, if false or
exaggerated, a charm was lent to the task, which fully compensated for
its labour.
All history, unless it is contemporary, must necessarily, if honest,
be a compilation, and my idea is, that it should honestly be avowed as
such, and the authorities given for all facts; and this I have done,
even at the risk of proving wearisome.
In compiling it, my task has been similar to one who, having a
necklace of old beads, finds it broken, and the beads scattered
hither and thither. His business, naturally, is to gather them
together, and string them so as to satisfy criticism. He may not pick
them all up, and he may not please everyone's taste in his
arrangement, but his course is clear--he should not add new beads of
his own to supply deficiencies, but should confine himself to putting
together all he can find in the best manner he possibly can.
The almost total absence of domestic news in the newspapers has
compelled me to draw largely on the essays and descriptive books of
the time, and in one or two instances I have ventured to transcribe
(as in the case of Misson) from works published, or written, two or
three years before Anne actually reigned--but the facts were precisely
the same as then obtained, so that much has been gained thereby.
The Illustrations might, undoubtedly, have been made more artistic and
unreal--but I have carefully taken them from contemporary prints, and
prefer to present them in all their uncouthness and reality.
JOHN ASHTON.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION (BOYS).
Page
The Duke of Gloucester -- The Queen's refusal to marry again --
Treatment of children after birth -- Baptismal feasts -- A
christening -- 'Daffy's Elixir' -- Treatment of infantile
diseases -- The nursery -- Toys -- Children's books -- Horn-books
-- Private tuition -- Boarding and day schools -- Free schools --
Classical education -- School-books -- Penmanship -- Runaway boys
-- College education -- Charity schools 1