following article from the Gentleman's Magazine for 1757, p. 386, which
is a sufficient explanation of the outrage:
"Aug. 10, 1757. Early this morning Mr. Hartley, a seafaring
gentleman, was found dead in the area of a house of ill fame in
Southampton-street, Covent-garden. He had been drinking with some
sailors at their house of rendezvous near Westminster Bridge, and in
his way home wanted to stop at the house above mentioned, but was
denied admittance; on which he attempted to break the windows with
his cane, but that dropping into the area, he jumped down after it,
fractured his skull, and died without speaking a word. Since this
accident happened great numbers of people have assembled with a design
to pull the house down (_the Craven Arms_), many of whom have been
wounded, and 14 sent to the round-house in one night. The people had a
notion that the house was Justice Fielding's, and that he protected it;
and it was found necessary to undeceive them, by advertising that it
belongs to a charity in Southwark."
CHAP. VII.
AMUSEMENT--DETAIL OF ITS PRINCIPAL VARIETIES SINCE 1700.
Many pursuits called amusements will be found in this section which the
Moralist must term _Crimes_.
When the reader has traced the endeavours of the last century in the
art of killing time, as related in this volume, he cannot but agree
with me that a laughing is better than a sullen and ferocious age.
Concerts of vocal and instrumental musick were held as at present
at the commencement of the century, and patronised by Ladies of
distinction.
"_The great room_" in York-buildings was used for this purpose; and
benefits were appointed for Mrs. Hudson and Mr. Williams, March 20,
1700.
A Concerto was held at the Theatre in Dorset-gardens April 24, 1700,
with a most curious accompaniment, in order to amuse the auditors
optically as well as auricularly. Joseph Thomas, master of the noble
science of defence, had challenged or been challenged by a Mr. Jones,
who came from North Wales, in order to decide whose skill was superior;
after a trial before many of the nobility and gentry the palm was
assigned to Mr. Jones.
While the superior ranks were thus employing their leisure hours, the
_canaille_ had their amusements, perhaps not _quite_ so refined, but
equally palatable to them. The following advertisement will explain
one description of those, probably entirely forgotten by the oldest
inhabitant now living: April 27, 1700. "In Brookfield Market-place,
at the East corner of Hyde-park, is a fair to be kept for the space
of _sixteen_ days, beginning the first of May. The first three days
for live Cattle and Leather, _with the same entertainments as at
Bartholomew-fair_; where there is shops to be let ready built for all
manner of tradesmen that usually keep fairs; and so to continue yearly
at the same time and place."
The present Tunbridge-wells, or Islington Spa, was in full favour
with the publick, and opened for the Summer on the 5th of May. The
proprietors admitted dances during the whole of the day on Mondays and
Thursdays, provided they did not appear in Masks, for whom musick was
provided. In this instance, it may be worthy of remark, we have no
parallel at present; and happily none for the Bear-garden at Hockley in
the Hole, where the infamous part of the community were _entertained_
with battles between eminent professors of the art of fencing, and
sometimes with five pair of young men exhibiting together proofs of
skill and strength.
"_At his Majesty's_ Bear-garden in Hockley in the Hole: a trial of
skill to be performed to-morrow, being the 10th instant (July 1700), at
three in the afternoon, between John Bowler of the City of Norwich, and
Champion of Norfolk, Master of the noble science of defence, and Will
of the West, from the City of Salisbury, Master of the said science of
defence."
The trumpet, always a favourite instrument with the publick, was then
used only by persons licensed by the Serjeant Trumpeter, who received
upon conviction one shilling _per_ day from those who performed without
a licence, which William Shore, Serjeant, assured the publick should
be given to the poor, as the fines had been by his father, whom he
succeeded in the office. These instruments are now used by persons
who wish to attract notice at Puppet-shews, Bartholomew-fair, &c.;
the amusements peculiar to which can only be caught by an attentive
examination of the periodical publications of the day. An article
in one of those, dated August 6, 1700, mentions: "The lessees of
West-Smithfield having on Friday last represented to a Court of
Aldermen at Guildhall, that it would be highly injurious to them to
have the erection of all booths there _totally prohibited_, the right
honourable Lord Mayor and the Court of Aldermen have, on consideration
of the premises, _granted licence to erect some_ booths during the
time of Bartholomew-fair now approaching; _but none_ are permitted for
_Music booths_, or any that may be a means to promote debauchery." On
the 23d of the same month the Lord Mayor went on horseback to proclaim
the Fair, when he ordered two booths erected for the performance of
Musick to be taken down immediately.
An anniversary celebration of Musick was held on St. Cecilia's day at
Stationers'-hall in 1700 by a Society of Gentlemen; but whether those
amateurs performed themselves, or hired performers, does not appear.
Certain persons felt great displeasure at the public amusements of
the day; and at length that displeasure found vent in the presentment
of the Grand Jury of Middlesex: "We the Grand Jury of the County
of Middlesex do present, that the Plays which are frequently acted
in the play-houses in Drury-lane and Lincoln's-Inn-fields in this
County are full of prophane, irreverent, lewd, indecent, and immoral
expressions, and tend to the great displeasure of Almighty God, and
to the corruption of the auditory both in their principles and their
practices. We also present, that the common acting of plays in the
said play-houses very much tend to the debauching and ruining the
youth resorting thereto, and to the breach of the peace, and are the
occasions of many riots, routs, and disorderly assemblies, whereby
many murders and other misdemeanors have been frequently done, and
particularly the barbarous murder of Sir Andrew Slanning, which was
very lately committed as he came out of one of the said play-houses;
and further that the common acting of plays at the said play-houses
is a public nuisance. As also the Bear-garden in Hockley in the Hole,
in the parish of St. John's Clerkenwell, in the said County, to be of
the like nuisance. We hope this honourable Court will use the most
effectual and speedy means for the suppressing thereof."
The minor offenders were noticed as follows, in "The presentment of
the Grand Jury sworn for the City of London at Justice-hall in the Old
Bailey the 4th day of June 1701, and in the 13th year of the reign of
our Sovereign Lord King William III. of England, &c.
"This honourable Court, having taken notice in the admirable Charge
given to us of the great advantages which this City hath received
from the zeal and industry of those gentlemen and citizens, who in
and about this City are concerned in Societies for the promoting
more effectually the execution of the Laws against profaneness and
debauchery, in pursuance to his Majesty's proclamations, and who have
received the public approbation of many persons in high stations in
Church and State: we the Grand Jury of this City do think it becomes
us to return our hearty thanks to those worthy persons who are thus
engaged in Societies for the promoting a reformation of manners, so
absolutely necessary to our welfare; and we hope their engaging so
heartily in this noble design will be an encouragement to others to
join with them for the effecting a more general reformation.
"We having observed the late boldness of a sort of men that stile
themselves masters of the noble science of defence, passing through
this City, with beat of drums, colours displayed, swords drawn, with
a numerous company of people following them, dispersing their printed
bills, thereby inviting persons to be spectators of those inhuman
sights, which are directly contrary to the practice and profession of
the Christian Religion, whereby barbarous principles are instilled in
the minds of men: we think ourselves obliged to represent this matter
to this honourable Court, that some effectual method may be speedily
taken to prevent their free passage through the City, in such a
tumultuous manner, on so unwarrantable a design."
"Whereas we have seen a printed order of the Lord Mayor and Court of
Aldermen the 25th June, 1700, to prevent the great profaneness, vice,
and debauchery, so frequently used and practised in Bartholomew Fair,
by strictly charging and commanding all persons concerned in the said
Fair, and in the sheds and booths to be erected and built therein, or
places adjacent, that they do not let, set, hire, or use, any booth,
shed, stall, or other erection whatsoever, to be used or employed for
interludes, stage-plays, comedies, gaming-places, lotteries, or music
meetings[113:A]: and as we are informed the present Lord Mayor and
Court of Aldermen have passed another order to the same effect on the
3d instant, we take this occasion to return our most hearty thanks for
their religious care and great zeal in this matter; we esteeming a
renewing their former practices at the Fair a continuing one of the
chiefest nurseries of vice next to the play-houses; therefore earnestly
desire that the said orders may be most vigorously prosecuted, and
that this honourable Court would endeavour that the said Fair may be
employed to those good ends and purposes it was at first designed."
These Juries omitted noticing a most barbarous _amusement_ which
prevailed to great excess, as will appear by the ensuing advertisements
issued in the same year: "At the Royal Cockpit on the South side of St.
James's-park, on Tuesday the 11th of this instant February, will begin
a very great Cock-match; and will continue all the week; wherein most
of the considerablest Cockers of England are concerned. There will be a
battle down upon the Pit every day precisely at three o'clock, in order
to have done by day-light. Monday the 9th instant March will begin
a great match of Cock-fighting betwixt the Gentlemen of the City of
Westminster and the Gentlemen of the City of London for six guineas a
battle, and one hundred guineas the odd battle, and the match continues
all the week, in Red-Lion-fields."
In the following April another match commenced, to continue for a week,
at four guineas a battle, and forty guineas the odd battle, between the
Gentlemen of London, and those of Warwickshire, at the new Cockpit
behind Gray's-Inn-walks.
The presentments were, however, of some service, as the proprietors
of the Bear-garden advertised subsequently "_without beat of drum_."
Wrestling was exhibited by them, and the prizes were gloves at two
shillings and sixpence _per_ pair. Lambeth-wells opened on Easter
Mondays, and had public days on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, with
musick from seven in the morning till sunset; on other days till two.
The price of admission was three pence; the water one penny _per_ quart
to the affluent, and _gratis_ to the poor.
The good people at Bartholomew Fair were entertained in 1701 by a
Tiger, who had been taught to pick a fowl's feathers from the body.
This feat seems to have roused the proprietors of the Theatre in
Lincoln's-Inn-fields; and they immediately, "at the desire of several
persons of quality," exhibited "that delightful exercise of vaulting on
the managed horse according to the Italian manner," after the play of
the Country Wife.
Amongst the variety of amusements with which London has abounded,
public exhibitions may be fairly included. The first upon record
within the century appears to have been certain models representing
William the Third's palaces at Loo, Keswick, and Hunslaerdike: those
were shown in 1701 from ten in the morning till one, and from two
till eight at night, "at the White head near Pall-Mall facing the
Haymarket, _within two doors of the glass lamps_." The proprietors
elegantly observe in their advertisement, that they were "brought over
lately by _outlandish_ men;" and that, "to render those diversions
altogether more delightful and acceptable, there will be a collection
of several curiosities to be sold and raffled for at the opening, and
likewise every Monday and Friday following, those days being appointed
the public raffling-days, besides a great variety of rarities: and to
entertain the nobility and gentry (who, the undertakers hope, will
countenance them with the honour of their company) there shall be on
Wednesday the 14th instant (January) a _concert_ of musick by the best
performers; and if all these diversions please such for whom they are
intended, there shall be from time to time great additions made."
However pleasing and moral the Stage may be at present, we are in great
measure indebted to our Ancestors for the improvements which have taken
place. In the reign of Charles II. the licence permitted to Dramatic
Authors was indecent and infamous in the extreme, and the profane and
immoral expressions inserted in many plays really rendered the use of
masks necessary for those ladies who possessed the least delicacy of
sentiment.
In 1701-2 another and effectual effort was made to reform this evil,
by a prosecution instituted in the Court of King's-bench, and tried
before Lord Chief Justice Holt. The Jury on this occasion found the
players of Lincoln's-Inn-fields play-house guilty of uttering impious,
lewd, and immoral expressions.
In April 1702, an advertisement appeared in the papers, inviting the
publick to see the skeleton of a Whale then lately caught in the
Thames, which the proprietors had carefully scraped and put together in
the field near King-street, Bloomsbury. They asserted that one bone of
his head weighed 40 cwt. The price of admission was threepence.
This stupendous exhibition accompanied another of the model of
Amsterdam, which almost vied with it in size: the length was between
twenty and thirty feet, the breadth twenty; and the artist or artists
were occupied twelve years in completing it. The place of exhibition
was Bell-yard, Fleet-street.
May Fair opened this year with the usual _splendid_ entertainments,
and, if the managers of these elegant diversions were to be credited,
with more than common _eclat_. There was Mr. Miller's booth "over
against" Mr. Barnes the rope-dancer's, where was "presented an
excellent droll called Crispin and Crispianus, or a Shoemaker a Prince,
with the best machines, singing, and dancing _ever yet in the Fair_."
This and other excellent performances attracted the lasses and lads
of London, whose spirits, exhilarated by the season from which the
Fair was named, met in vast numbers, and with them the thief and the
prostitute, who, as usual, did not permit the attractions of _drolls_
to _divert_ them from business: indeed they were so extremely active
in their vocations, that the Magistrates thought proper to thin the
number of the latter by commitments; but in the execution of this plan
the Constables were resisted by a set of Soldiers, who determined to
protect the _Fair_, which they did in such serious earnest, that Mr.
John Cooper, one of the peace-officers, lost his life, and in due time
was buried at St. James's Church Westminster, where a Funeral Sermon
was preached by Josiah Woodward, D. D. Minister of Poplar Chapel,
before the Justices, High Constable, &c. and which he published at
their request. The Observator, a paper published twice a week at that
period, says ironically of May Fair; "Oh the piety of some people about
the Queen; who can suffer things of this nature to go undiscovered to
her Majesty, and consequently unpunished! Can any rational man imagine
that her Majesty would permit so much lewdness as is committed at May
Fair for so many days together so near her Royal Palace, if she knew
any thing of the matter? I do not believe the patent for that Fair
allows the Patentees the liberty of setting up the _Devil's shops_,
and exposing his merchandise to sale; _nor was there ever one Fair
or Market in England constituted for this purpose_. But this Fair is
kept contrary to Law, and in defiance of Justice; for the last Fair,
when the Civil Magistrate came to keep the Queen's peace there, one
Constable was killed, and three others wounded." The man who committed
the above murder escaped, and a butcher of Gloucester was hanged for
the crime; but the real culprit finally suffered: and thus tragically
ended the Fair of May 1702.
Mr. Pawlet had a great dancing-room near Dowgate, Thames-street; hither
the gay were invited to a "_Consort_" produced by violins, hautboys,
flutes, and _a trumpet_, with singing. The admission 1_s._ 6_d._
The following quotation from the first number of "The Secret Mercury,"
published September 9, 1702, gives a better idea of one of the
Drolls or Interludes of the day than any I have previously met with:
"Wednesday September 2, having _padlocked my pockets_, and trimmed
myself with Hudibras from head to foot, I set out about six for
Bartholomew Fair; and, having thrown away _substantial silver_ for
visionary Theatrical entertainment, I made myself ready for the Farce;
but I had scarce composed myself when bolts me _into the Pit_ a bully
beau," &c. &c. "The curtain drew, and discovered a nation of beauish
machines; their motions were so starched, that I began to question
whether I had mistaken myself and Dogget's booth for a Puppet-shew. As
I was debating the matter, they advanced toward the front of the stage,
and making a halt began a singing so miserably, that I was forced to
tune my own whistle in romance ere my brains were set strait again.
All the _secret_ I could for my life discover in the whole grotesque
was the consistency or drift of the piece, which I could never
demonstrate to this hour. At last all the childish parade shrunk off
the stage by matter and motion, and enter a _hobletehoy_ of a dance,
and Dogget in old woman's petticoats and red waistcoat, as like Progue
Cock as ever man saw; it would have made a Stoick split his lungs, if
he had seen the temporary harlot sing and weep both at once; a true
emblem of a woman's tears. When these Christmas carols were over,
enter a _wooden_ horse; now I concluded we should have the ballad of
Troy-town, but I was disappointed in the scene, for a dancing-master
comes in, begins a complimenting the horse, and fetching me three or
four run-bars with his arm (as if he would have mortified the ox at
one blow) takes a frolick upon the back of it, and translates himself
into cavalry at one bound: all I could clap was the _patience_ of
the beast. However, having played upon him about half a quarter, the
conqueror was pursued with such a clangor from the crusted clutches of
the mob in the _sixpenny place_, that for five minutes together I was
tossed on this dilemma, that either a man had not five senses, or I
was no man. The stage was now overrun with nothing but Merry Andrews
and Pickle-herrings. This Mountebank scene was removed at last, and I
was full of expectation the successor would be Pills, Pots of Balsam,
and Orvietan; but, alas, they were but half Empiricks, and therefore
_Exeunt omnes_."
From several circumstances it appears that, notwithstanding the
proclamation and feeble exertions of the Corporation of London, these
interludes were openly performed in Smithfield: and that the Governors
of St. Bartholomew's Hospital actually permitted prostitutes to walk
the Cloisters. One of the "Secret Mercuries" has this expression:
"Well, I shall catch you _in the Cloysters_;" but the Observator of
August 21, 1703, sets the matter beyond doubt: "Does this Market of
lewdness tend to any thing else but the ruin of the bodies, souls,
and estates, of the young men and women of the City of London, who
here meet with all the temptations to destruction? The lotteries to
ruin their estates; the drolls, comedies, interludes, and farces, to
poison their minds with motions of lust; _and in the Cloisters_ (those
conscious scenes of polluted amours) in the evening they strike the
bargain to finish their ruin. What strange medley of lewdness has that
place not long since afforded! Lords and ladies, aldermen and their
wives, squires and fidlers, citizens and rope-dancers, jack-puddings
and lawyers, mistresses and maids, masters and prentices! This is not
an ark, like Noah's, which received the clean and unclean; only the
_unclean_ beasts enter this ark, and such as have the Devil's livery on
their backs." And in another paper he says, "they'll raffle with the
punks in the Cloysters."
The reader will pardon the introduction of the substance of an
advertisement inserted in the Postman, August 19, 1703, by Barnes and
Finley, who, after the usual exordium of _their_ superior excellence,
mention that the spectator will "see my _Lady Mary_ perform such
curious steps on the _dancing rope_, &c. &c." This lady Mary is
subsequently noticed in Heraclitus Ridens, No. 7, by Earnest, who
says, "Look upon the old gentleman; his eyes are fixed upon my lady
Mary: Cupid has shot him as dead as a Robin. Poor Heraclitus! he has
cried away all his moisture, and is such a dotard to entertain himself
with a prospect of what is meat for his betters; wake him out of his
lethargy, and tell him the young noblemen and senators will take it
amiss, if a man of his years makes pretensions to what is more than a
match for their youth. Those, &c. &c. and roguish eyes have brought her
more admirers than ever Jenny Bolton had; it is a pity, say I, she has
no more manners, and less ill-nature." Chetwood, in his History of the
Stage, mentions a Lady _Isabella_, which name, writing from memory, he
has evidently mistaken for Mary, who was the daughter of noble parents
inhabitants of Florence, where they immured her in a Nunnery; but, most
fruitlessly careful of their beautiful offspring, she accidentally saw
a Merry Andrew, who unfortunately saw her; in consequence of which a
clandestine intercourse took place, an elopement followed, and finally
this villain taught her his infamous tricks, which she exhibited for
his profit till vice had made her his own; as Heraclitus proves. The
catastrophe of the Lady Mary was dreadful; her _husband_, impatient of
delays or impediments to profit, either permitted or commanded her to
exhibit on the rope when eight months had elapsed in her pregnancy:
encumbered by her weight, she fell, never more to rise; her infant was
born on the stage, and died a victim with its Mother.
Mr. Abel advertised a concert and dancing at Covent Garden Theatre for
Tuesday December 29, 1702: the performers, himself, Monsieur l'Abbé,
Mr. Isaac's _scholar_, and others. The galleries were let for the
benefit of the proprietors of the Playhouse.
Hitherto we have had to notice amusements which involved the performers
in little corporeal injury, unless from accidents, or sudden quarrels.
I shall now introduce an _entertainment_ the very zest of which
consisted in a great number of broken pates. "At the White Horse at
_Bristol_ Causeway (now denominated Brixton) in Surrey, three miles
from London in the road to Croydon, will be a Hat played for at
Cudgels, on the 23d of April, 1703; the Country against the Londoners.
_He that breaks most heads_ to have the hat; he that plays puts in
sixpence." Smock-races were run at this elegant place of resort "by
young women and maids," to the utter disgrace of the neighbouring
Magistracy.