An attempt was made, at the commencement of 1731, to suppress some
of the most considerable gaming-houses in London and the Suburbs,
particularly one behind Gray's-Inn walks. The Editor of the St.
James's Evening-Post, observed upon this occasion: "It may be matter
of instruction as well as amusement, to present our readers with the
following list of officers which are established in the most notorious
gaming-houses.
"A _Commissioner_, always a proprietor, who looks in of a night; and
the week's account is audited by him and two others of the proprietors.
"A _Director_, who superintends the room.
"An _Operator_, who deals the cards at a cheating game called Faro.
"Two _Crowpees_, who watch the cards, and gather the money for the Bank.
"Two _Puffs_, who have money given them to decoy others to play.
"A _Clerk_, who is a check upon the Puffs, to see that they sink none
of the money given them to play with.
"A _Squib_ is a Puff of a lower rank, who serves at half-salary, while
he is learning to deal.
"A _Flasher_, to swear how often the bank has been stripped.
"A _Dunner_, who goes about to recover money lost at play.
"A _Waiter_, to fill out wine, snuff candles, and attend in the
gaming-room.
"An _Attorney_, a _Newgate_ solicitor.
"A _Captain_, who is to fight any gentleman that is peevish for losing
his money.
"An _Usher_, who lights gentlemen up and down stairs, and gives the
word to the Porter.
"A _Porter_, who is generally a soldier of the foot-guards.
"An _Orderly-man_, who walks up and down the outside of the door, to
give notice to the Porter, and alarm the house at the approach of the
Constables.
"A _Runner_, who is to get intelligence of the Justices meetings.
"Link-boys, watchmen, chairmen, drawers, or others, who bring the first
intelligence of the Justices meetings, or of the Constables being
out--half a-guinea reward.
"Common-bail, affidavit-men, ruffians, bravoes, _cum multis aliis_."
To characterise the follies of the day, it will be necessary to add
to the account of the _walking_ man, in a preceding page, another
of a _hopping_ man, who engaged to hop 500 yards in 50 hops, in St.
James's-park, which he performed in 46. This important event occurred
in December 1731.
The Lord Mayor issued a notice in December 1732, observing, that
vagrant children were suffered to _skulk_ about the streets and lanes,
and sleep upon bulks, stalls, and other places, "whereby many of them
perish by the extremity of the weather." In order to prevent this, he
commanded constables, &c. to apprehend them, and to have them properly
taken care of according to Law.
The Citizens of London have been particularly distinguished for their
loyalty since the Revolution of 1688; this they have evinced by
public rejoicings or respectful mourning on any great event occurring
in the domestic concerns of their Sovereigns; thus it has become
an established custom to celebrate the marriages of the respective
branches of the Royal family. When that of the Prince of Orange and
the Princess Royal took place in March 1734, the City was brilliantly
illuminated; but, as that of Ludgate exhibited on each front, at the
expence of Henry Vander Esche, surpassed every other, I shall present
the reader with a minute description.
"First, A pyramid, whose base and perpendicular were 25 feet each, on
each side of which was placed an obelisk, standing upon a pedestal,
supported by the arms of the most noble and antient City of London.
"Secondly, A little higher on the face of the plan, were interwoven
the cyphers of Prince William of Nassau, and her Royal highness the
Princess Anne of Great-Britain.
"Lastly, At the extreme height of the building, were the Royal arms,
over a large transparent semicircle, on which were delineated the
several hieroglyphicks following. In the middle stood his Highness
the Prince of Orange, hand-in-hand with his illustrious bride, the
Princess Royal.
"For these bless'd nuptials, loyal hearts contend
Which shall the most with ardent joy transcend.
"On the left-hand of his Highness was represented Prudence, by a woman
with two faces, having a helmet on her head, a looking-glass in one
hand, and in the other a remora, which retards the motion of a ship.
"Whilst others court applause by feats of arms,
The fair, 'tis Nassau's wit and prudence, charms.
"Behind, on the right hand of his Highness, appeared the emblem
of Fortitude, a virtue which enables us to overcome the greatest
difficulties, and frequently rewards with riches and glory those who
are happily endowed with it.
"'Tis this which bears aloft on the wings of fame,
Great Cæsar's, and royal William's greater name.
"Farther forward on the right-hand near his highness stood Hymen, the
God of Marriage, with a burning torch, the emblem of ardent love, in
one hand, in the other a flame-coloured veil, the emblem of modesty,
called _flammeum_, with which the bride used to be covered to conceal
her blushes.
"Patron of marriage! bless the Royal pair,
Nor veil, nor burning torch are wanting there.
"Near Hymen's right-hand was pourtrayed Religion, a woman with her face
veiled, fire in her left hand, and in her right a book with a cross;
veiled because she is always secret; the cross is the victorious banner
of the Christian religion; the book the Holy Scriptures.
"True piety ne'er so lovely does appear,
As when conspicuous in the great and fair.
"Over the Prince near the sweep of the circle was the figure of Fame,
holding a trumpet in her right-hand, with which she celebrates the
glorious actions of heroes; now flying abroad with this joyful motto:
"Happy Union!
Happy, thrice happy, may this Union be,
And prove the firm support of Liberty!
"On the right-hand of Fame was represented Diana, the goddess of
chastity and sister of Apollo, with a crescent on her forehead and
lance in her hand; her dress, though careless, yet decent, and
behaviour modest and unaffected.
"As amongst the rural nymphs her beauties shine,
Amidst the British fair, so Anna, thine.
"On the other side of Fame, is seen the figure of Divine Justice, a
winged woman with a crown on her head, her hair dishevelled, a sword
in the right-hand, and a shield in her left, from which shines the
piercing eye of Justice; she flying thus to the assistance of Hercules,
the emblem of heroic Virtue, who is chasing away faction, envy, malice,
and tyranny, in the defence of Britannia, who is seated leaning upon
the British arms, holding those of Nassau in her right hand.
"Thrice happy Isle, where Peace and Plenty reign;
Whose Royal fleets give laws unto the main.
"On the fore-ground, on the left-hand of the circle, stood Peace,
a young woman winged, crowned with olive and ears of corn; having
seated by her on the ground, Plenty crowned with a garland, holding
a cornucopiæ in her right hand, denoting the affluence of all things
necessary for human life.
"What by those joyful emblems are design'd,
May Britain in abundance ever find;
May Peace and Plenty still join hand-in-hand,
And unanimity spread o'er the land!
"Lastly, on the left-hand and on the foremost ground were Thame and
Isis, whose united streams, as they flow with a long and easy course
"So may great Nassau and his Royal Dame,
In blended love, glide with a gentle stream,
Nor ebb 'till sweet repose of night they know,
At day's return, fresh tides of transport flow."
2000 lamps were used for the above transparencies: the monument was
singularly ornamented with lamps suspended on the urn and flame, and
the Duke of Newcastle caused a large bonfire to be lighted before
his door in Lincoln's-inn-fields, where he regaled the populace with
strong-beer.
The humane Act for the transportation of felons had saved 6000 lives in
the Metropolis alone, from the date of its commencement till 1734.
The Beau of 1734 "was like the cinnamon-tree; his bark is worth more
than his body. A creature of the doubtful gender, masculine in habit,
and feminine in manners; one who has so little manners, that he himself
doth not regard it half so much as his body. All his reading has been
the academy of compliments; and his heels have profited as much by it
as his head. The cut of his clothes he learnt at Paris, the tone of
his voice in Italy, and his affectation every where. In his dressing
he shews his industry; for he spends four hours a day constantly in it
without being fatigued or out of patience. His genius appears in the
variety of his suits, and his generosity in his taylor's bills; his
delicacy in not so much as bearing a breath of wind to blow on him, and
his innocency in being seen with ladies at all hours, and never once
suspected of doing an uncivil thing. When he is dressed, the business
of the day is over; when he is undressed, he grows invisible, for his
clothes are all that is seen of him; when he dies, they are his only
valuable remains, and hung up as trophies in Monmouth-street."
The customs and manners of a part of the community of 1735 are
satirically detailed in a "Covent-garden Eclogue:"
"The _midnight_ Justice, now devoid of care,
Began to slumber in his elbow-chair;
Long had he wak'd, but now his trade was o'er,
Nor could expect a single shilling more:
The watch had cry'd _Past one_, with hollow strain,
And to their stands return'd to sleep again;
Grave cits and bullies, rakes and squeamish beaux,
Came reeling with their doxies from the Rose;
Jephson's and Mitchell's hurry now was done,
And now Tom King's (so rakes ordain'd) begun;
Bright shone the Moon, and calm around the sky,
No cinder-wench, nor straggling link-boy nigh,
When in that _garden_, where with mimic pow'r
Strut the mock-purple heroes of an hour;
Where by grave _matrons_ cabbages are sold,
Who all the live-long day drink _gin_ and _scold_;" &c.
The St. James's Evening Post of August 21, 1735, contains the
following paragraph: "Yesterday the antient company of Archers of this
City met at the Pied Horse, at the Artillery-ground, where a grand
entertainment was provided for them, after which they performed their
exercise with bows and arrows. This company is of several hundred years
standing, and used formerly to muster at this time of the year in the
Artillery-ground, as our Trained Bands do now. Some time after the
invention of fire-arms the City voted them useless; but they have ever
since kept up the company and their annual meeting, having a Marshal
handsomely equipped in a green livery with a large silver badge."
Michaelmas or Mile-end fair was presented as a nuisance by the Grand
Jury of Middlesex in 1735, which had been extended to seven days
continuance beyond the original grant.
Another Royal marriage was celebrated in 1736, which is so amply
described by Read in his Weekly Journal of May 1, that I cannot do
better than give it in his own words:
"Monday between one and two in the afternoon his Royal Highness the
Prince of Wales set out from St. James's, and crossing the water at
Whitehall, went on horseback to Greenwich, where he dined with the
Princess, and returned in the evening to St. James's in his barge.
"The crowd of people at Greenwich was the greatest that had ever been
seen; it is thought there was not less than 10,000 persons at one time
in the Park: and her Highness had the goodness to shew herself for
upwards of half an hour from the gallery of the Palace, which drew the
loudest acclamations.
"On Tuesday the King's leading coach, followed by his Majesty's body
coach, drawn by his cream-coloured horses, brought her Highness and her
retinue to Lambeth, where the King's barge waited, and carried her
over to Whitehall, and from thence in the King's own chair through the
Park to St. James's house, where the Court was in the Drawing-rooms,
and appeared in their new clothes to receive her with all imaginable
splendor.
"When her Royal Highness the Princess came to St. James's, she was
dressed in a suit of rich silk; deep ground, trimmed with gold; and
embroidered with green, scarlet, and purple flowers: in which manner
her Highness was so condescending, that she shewed herself in several
of the windows of the Prince of Wales's apartments, to gratify the
curiosity of the people, who expressed their joy and satisfaction with
the loudest acclamations.
"About four o'clock her Highness dined with the Prince of Wales and the
Princess Amelia and Caroline, in his Royal Highness's apartment.
"Between six and seven o'clock her Highness, dressed in her
wedding-clothes, which were of silver tissue, and all over white,
with her hair curled and stuck with jewels, after the German fashion,
was presented to her Majesty, who presented her to the Prince; whose
clothes were of silver tissue, with white shoes and stockings.
"In the evening the ceremony of the marriage was performed; and the
procession from the King's apartments down the great stairs, under the
Piazza, to the Chapel Royal, was as follows: Four drums, drum-major,
eight trumpets, four and four. Kettle-drum. Serjeant-trumpeter in his
collar of SS. bearing his mace. The master of the ceremonies, with the
Right Honourable the Lord Carnarvon, Gentleman Usher, between the two
senior heralds. The Prince of Wales in his nuptial apparel, invested
with the collar of the garter, conducted by the Lord Chamberlain and
Vice Chamberlain, and supported by two Lords Bachelors. The officers
attendant upon the Prince followed by pairs.
"Upon the entry into the Chapel, the Master of the Ceremonies, with the
Gentleman Usher, went to the seats assigned them; and the Bridegroom
was brought to the stool placed for his Highness, fronting his
Majesty's Throne.
"The Lord Chamberlain and Vice Chamberlain returned to conduct the
Bride; and the two Heralds returned with them to perform other
functions, as did the Drums and Trumpets.
_Procession of the Bride._
"Gentleman Usher to the Bride, between two Provincial Kings at Arms.
The Bride, in her nuptial habit, with a coronet, conducted by the
Lord Chamberlain and Vice Chamberlain, and supported by the Duke of
Cumberland; her train borne by ten young ladies.
"Upon the entry, the Bride was conducted to her stool, below her
Majesty's Chair of State, opposite to the Prince; the Duke sat on a
stool near the Altar; and the ladies who bore the train stood near the
Bride, to perform their duties while the Marriage was solemnizing.
"The Lord Chamberlain and Vice Chamberlain returned, with the
Provincial Kings, to wait upon his Majesty.
_His Majesty proceeded in this manner._
"Knight Marshal. Pursuivants. Heralds. Sir Robert Walpole, Knight of
the Garter, with his collar. The Comptroller of the Household. The
Bishop of London, &c. Two Provincial Kings at Arms. Lord Privy Seal.
Lord Chancellor. Garter Principal King at Arms, between two Gentlemen
Ushers. The Earl Marshal with his gold staff. The Sword of State
carried by the Duke of Portland. His Majesty in the Great Collar of the
Garter. The Lord of the Bed-chamber in waiting.
"Her Majesty, preceded by Mr. Coke, Vice Chamberlain, and supported by
the Earl of Grantham, her Lord Chamberlain, and the Earl of Pomfret,
her Master of the Horse.
"The Princesses Amelia, Carolina, Mary, and Louisa, supported severally
by two Gentlemen Ushers.
"The Ladies of her Majesty's Bed-chamber, Maids of Honour, and Women of
the Bed-chamber.
"Upon the entry into the Chapel, none of the persons in this procession
remained upon the Hautpas, except the Lord of the Bed-chamber in
waiting behind the King, the Lord who bore the Sword, who continued
holding it erect upon his Majesty's right-hand, and the Lord
Chamberlain, who stood upon the left-hand of his Majesty, having the
Vice Chamberlain next to him.
"His Majesty was seated in his Chair of State in the upper angle of the
Hautpas, on the right side.
"Her Majesty was seated in her Chair of State, on the other side of the
Hautpas.
"And the four Princesses on stools placed next the Duke at the side of
the Altar.
"Her Majesty's Lord Chamberlain, Master of the Horse, and Vice
Chamberlain, stood upon the Hautpas behind her.
"The Ladies of the Bed-chamber, &c. went to the places assigned them.
"During all this time the organ played; but, as soon as the persons
were thus seated, the organ ceased, and Divine Service began.
"After the Bishop of London and Dean of the Chapel had given the
Blessing, their Majesties removed to the Throne, erected on the
right-hand of the Altar of crimson velvet, richly laced with gold.
"Then the Prince of Wales, leading the Princess of Wales, went up to
the Altar, and kneeled there.
"When the Dean had finished the Divine Service, the married pair rose,
and retired back to their stools upon the Hautpas; where they remained
while an Anthem composed by Mr. Handel was sung by his Majesty's band
of musick, which was placed in a gallery over the Communion-table.
_The Return was in the manner following._
"The drums, &c. as before.
"The Prince of Wales, supported by two married Dukes, &c.
"The Princess, supported as before.
"Then their Majesties and the Princesses, in the same manner as they
went to the Chapel.
"As soon as the Procession came back to the door of the latter
Drawing-room, the company stopped; but their Majesties, the Prince
and Princess of Wales, the Duke and the Princesses, went in, when the
Prince and Princess received their Majesties' blessing.
"About half an hour after ten the Royal Family supped in public, in
the Great State Ballroom. Their Majesties were placed at the upper end
of the table under a canopy: on the right-hand the Prince of Wales and
the Duke; and on the left the Princess of Wales, and the Princesses
Amelia, &c.
"The first course consisted of fifteen dishes cold and fifteen hot, the
second of thirty dishes hot; and then came the dessert, which formed
a fine garden rising to a terrace, the ascent to which was adorned
with the resemblance of fountains, grottoes, groves, flowers, &c. In
the middle was the Temple of Hymen, the dome of which was supported
on transparent columns three foot high. As the meats were the most
exquisite and rare that could be procured, so the dessert contained a
profusion of the finest fruits, amongst which were cherries in great
perfection, apricots, pine-apples, &c. At the end of the first course,
their Majesties drank to the Bride and Bridegroom; and soon after, the
Prince and Princesses rising up, drank the healths of their Majesties,
during which the Duke and Princesses stood likewise. When the Royal
Family rose from table, the sweetmeats were distributed amongst the
Quality.
"Their Majesties retired to the apartments of his Royal Highness the
Prince of Wales; the Bride was conducted to her bed-chamber, and the
Bridegroom to his dressing-room, where the Duke undressed him, and
his Majesty did his Royal Highness the honour to put on his shirt.
The Bride was undressed by the Princesses; and being in bed in a rich
undress, his Majesty came into the room, and the Prince following soon
after in a night-gown of silver stuff, and cap of the finest lace, the
Quality were admitted to see the Bride and Bridegroom sitting up in the
bed, surrounded by all the Royal Family.
"His Majesty was dressed in a gold brocade turned up with silk,
embroidered with large flowers in silver and colours, as was the
waistcoat; the buttons and star were diamonds. Her Majesty was in a
plain yellow silk, robed and laced with pearl diamonds, and other
jewels of immense value.
"The Dukes of Grafton, Newcastle, and St. Alban's, the Earl of
Albemarle, Lord Hervey, Colonel Pelham, and many other noblemen, were
in gold brocades of 3 to 500_l._ a suit. The Duke of Marlborough was in
a white velvet and gold brocade, upon which was an exceeding rich Point
d'Espagne; the Earl of Euston, and many others, were in cloths flowered
or sprigged with gold; the Duke of Montague in a gold brocaded tissue.
The waistcoats were universally brocades, with large flowers. It is
assured that most of the rich cloths were the manufacture of England;
and it must be acknowledged, in honour of our own Artists, that the few
which were French did not come up to these in richness, goodness, or
fancy, as may be seen by the Royal Family, which are all of the British
Manufacture.
"The ladies were principally in brocades of gold and silver, with large
flowers, and wore their sleeves much lower than had been done for some
time.
"Some worthy Citizens, on this further strengthening the Protestant
Succession, a truly joyful occasion, finely illuminated the Monument
(as was indeed the whole City), to shew their regard to his Majesty,
and his most illustrious Family, the great protectors of it.
"At the Drawing-room on Wednesday morning his Royal Highness saluted
all the ladies, and afterwards the Princess Amelia presented them to
her Royal Highness, to kiss her hand; when the Honourable Colonel
Townshend informed her Royal Highness of the names of every particular
lady as they came up.
"His Royal Highness presented all his chief officers and servants
himself to his Royal Consort; and they had severally the honour of
kissing her Royal Highness's hand.
"Wednesday at noon there was the greatest appearance of the Nobility,
Quality, and Gentry at Court, that has been known in the memory of man,
to congratulate their Royal Highnesses on their nuptials.
"The ladies were variously dressed, though with all the richness and
grandeur imaginable; many of them had their heads dressed English of
fine Brussels lace, of exceeding rich patterns, made up on narrow
wires, and small round rolls, and the hair pinned to large puff caps,
and but a few without powder; some few had their hair curled down on
the sides: pink and silver, white and gold, were the general knots
wore. There were a vast number in Dutch heads, their hair curled down
in short curls on the sides and behind; and some had their hair in
large ringlets behind, all very much powdered, with ribbands frilled
on their heads variously disposed, and some had diamonds set on
ribbands on their heads; laced tippets were pretty general, and some
had ribbands between the frills; treble-laced ruffles were universally
worn, though abundance had them not tacked up. Their gowns were either
gold stuffs, or rich silks, with gold or silver flowers, or pink or
white silks, with either gold or silver nets, or trimmings; the sleeves
to the gowns were middling (not so short as formerly) and wide, and
their facings and robings broad; several had flounced sleeves and
petticoats, and gold or silver fringe set on the flounces; some had
stomachers of the same sort of the gown, others had large bunches of
made flowers at their breasts; the gowns were variously pinned, but
in general flat, the hoops French, and the petticoats of a moderate
length, and a little sloped behind. The ladies were exceeding brilliant
likewise in jewels, some had them in their necklaces and ear-rings,
others with diamond solitaires to pearl necklaces of three or four
rows; some had necklaces of diamonds and pearls intermixed, but made
up very broad; several had their gown-sleeves buttoned with diamonds,
others had diamond sprigs in their hair, &c. The ladies' shoes were
exceeding rich, being either pink, white, or green silk, with gold or
silver lace and braid all over, with low heels, and low hind-quarters,
and low flaps, and abundance had large diamond shoe-buckles.
"The gentlemen's clothes were generally gold stuffs, flowered velvets,
embroidered or trimmed with gold, or cloth trimmed, the colours
various. Their waistcoats were also exceeding rich silks flowered with
gold, of a large pattern, all open sleeves, and longer than formerly,
and the cuff broader; the clothes were longer waisted than of late, and
the plaits of the coat were made to stick out very much (in imitation
of the ladies hoops) and long. The wigs were of various sorts; the
tyes, higher foretops than formerly, and tied behind with a large flat
tye; the bag-wigs, &c. as usual. White stockings were universally worn
by the gentlemen as well as the ladies.
"Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales left 100 guineas to be
distributed among Sir John Jennings's servants at Greenwich.
"The officers of the horse and foot-guards that mounted on Tuesday at
St. James's wore Ramellie periwigs by his Majesty's order."
The now almost obsolete practice of giving strong-beer to the populace
on public rejoicings always occasioned riots instead of merriment. This
assertion is supported by the behaviour of the mob in August 1737, when
the present Duchess of Brunswick was born. The Prince of Wales ordered
four loads of faggots and a number of tar-barrels to be burnt before
Carleton-house as a bonfire, to celebrate the event; and directed the
Brewer to his household to place four barrels of beer near it, for
the use of those who chose to partake of the beverage, which certain
individuals had no sooner done, than they pronounced the liquor of
an inferior quality: this declaration served as a signal for revolt,
the beer was thrown into each other's faces, and the barrels into the
fire, "to the great surprize of the spectators; it being perhaps the
first instance of Sir John Barleycorn's being brought to the stake, and
publicly burnt by the rabble in Great Britain."
The Prince had the good-nature to order a second bonfire on the
succeeding night, and procured the same quantity of beer from another
brewer, with which the populace were pleased to be satisfied. Such was
the strange disposition of the collected mind of the lower classes; a
mind compounded of insensibility of kindness, pride, and independence,
that condescended to accept of an entertainment, and that had the
ill-nature to condemn the provision even in the presence of their
Prince, who must have been ignorant that the beer was bad--_if it
really was so_.
An instance of blind folly arising from a better motive occurred very
soon after, during the exercise of an antient custom practised by the
mob at that period, though now discontinued.
Two loose women had seized upon an inebriated gentleman, and were
conveying him to their lodgings at noon-day: the populace concluded he
would at least be robbed, and determined to rescue him immediately;
which they did, and severely ducked the women in the Chequers Inn yard.
Thus far justice proceeded in its due channel; but an unfortunate
journeyman cutler happened to exert himself rather too outrageously,
and attracted notice: he was observed to hold the woman or women in
a manner that might be supposed real efforts of anger, or as efforts
intended to mask an intention to release them; the word was instantly
given to duck him as _their bully_--the women were released, and
escaped; the cutler was thrown into the horse-pond in defiance of his
protestations of innocence; and when his wife endeavoured to rescue
him, she underwent the same discipline.
Many of the follies committed in this wanton manner must doubtlessly
have originated from the excessive use of beer and gin; to suppress
which, every possible effort was then making; but such was the demand
for the latter, that no less than 587 persons were convicted, and paid
a penalty of 100_l._ each, between September 1736 and August 1737, for
retailing it, besides 127 committed to Bridewell.
_Practical_ jokes sometimes distinguished the manners of the Citizens
of London: those were generally innocent, and generally very silly;
but one of a contrary description marked the Autumn of the year just
mentioned. A well-dressed man rode down the King's road from Fulham
at a most furious rate, commanding each turnpike-gate to be thrown
open, as he was a Messenger, conveying the news of the Queen's sudden
death. The alarm instantly spread into every quarter of the City; the
Trained-bands, who were on their parade, desisted from their exercise,
furled their colours, and returned home with their arms reversed. The
shop-keepers began to collect sables; when the jest was discovered, but
not the author of it.
The following ballad gives a pleasant review of the customs, or, if you
please, fashions of the Citizens, previous to 1737, in care of their
health:
"On fashions a ditty I mean to indite,
Since surely you'll own, 'tis the fashion to write:
And, if you don't like it, then e'en lay it down,
The fashion is not to be scar'd with a frown.
To fashion our healths, as our figures, we owe;
And, while 'twas the fashion to _Tunbridge_ to go,
Its waters ne'er fail'd us, let ail us what wou'd;
It cemented crack'd bones, and it sweeten'd the blood.
When Fashion resolv'd to raise _Epsom_ to fame,
Poor _Tunbridge_ did nought: but the blind or the lame,
Or the sick or the healthy, 'twas equally one,
By _Epsom's_ assistance their business was done.
_Bath's_ springs next in fashion came rapidly on,
And out-did by far whate'er _Epsom_ had done;
There the gay and the sullen found instant relief,
And the sighing young widow was eas'd of her grief.
Unrival'd by any, _Bath_ flourish'd alone,
And fail'd not to cure in gout, colic, or stone,
Till _Scarborough_ waters, by secret unknown,
Stole all the fam'd qualities _Bath_ thought her own.
Ev'n _Islington_ waters, _though close to the Town_,
By Fashion one Summer were brought to renown;
Where we flock'd in such numbers, that for a supply,
We almost had tippled the _New-river dry_.
It late was the fashion by _Ward_ to be cur'd;
And his pill mov'd the cause on't, whate'er we endur'd;
While every eye saw on which _Taylor_ laid hand,
And no cripple _Mapp_ touch'd, but could instantly stand.
But since 'tis the fashion to banter their skill,
Our eyes are relaps'd, and we're worse for the pill;
Our joints are contracted, our anguish so sore,
We fly to the Doctors we laugh'd at before."
One of the strange and perverse customs practised by the Society of
Quakers is, their determination to open their shops on those days
held sacred by other classes of Religion. On the Fast-day of February
1757, the Lord Mayor sent the proper officers to close their windows
_per_ force, which they did to the number of 70: yet a person of this
persuasion had the presumption to wait on the Chief Magistrate with an
anonymous letter he had received, threatening to destroy his house if
his windows were opened, at the same time soliciting him to go there
and read the Riot Act; thus demanding protection from the vengeance he
provoked, by insulting the piety of others, exclusive of the impiety
of opposing respect and supplication, directed to the same Divinity he
worships.
Curiosity may be said to have become so prevalent throughout
all classes of the inhabitants of London, that it is actually a
distinguishing trait in their general character; nor is it by any
means a new one, an assertion that might be supported by many proofs.
An essayist of 1757 says: "I have that opinion of the ladies and
gentlemen of the present age, that if the French were in full march
along the New-road, and they had no engagement of pleasure on their
hands, they would go out to see a _new_ army, as, indeed, there would
be a variety in it; the clothes, standards, &c. being different; nor do
I believe that any one person would put off their intended pleasure,
even though they heard the enemy's drums beating."