The dreadful consequences of this attempt to set aside all virtue and all religion were conspicuously observable, even at the moment, in the sudden deaths of four members of these dreadful clubs; not that I mean to insinuate the Almighty interfered by miracles to shew his displeasure; on the contrary, the event was produced by natural causes inherent in each diabolical act. The hurry of the spirits, occasioned by ardent liquors and the terrors of conscience, were sufficient; Nature shrunk from the contest; and he that drank a toast too shocking to repeat fainted under the recollection; and she that had assumed the character of the Mother of Christ fell a victim to the keen horrors of remembrance in her lucid moments of repentance. It was said, that one of the clubs met at Somerset-house, where they celebrated their infamous orgies to the sound of musick during the hours of Divine service, which will account for the concluding paragraph of the Proclamation. The number of Justices who attended the Lord Chancellor's summons exceeded 100; they received his most strenuous recommendation to exert themselves in the execution of the order, but I find no recorded effects of its operation.

The mob carried the same brutality more brutalised to the feet of the gallows; and even while the miserable wretches, who afforded them a spectacle, were supplicating that forgiveness which the laws of morality denied on earth, they were interrupted by shouts and execrations, and injured by stones, dirt, and filth, thrown with violence in every direction. At an execution, June 1721, several persons had their limbs broken, others their eyes almost beaten out; and Barbara Spencer, carried to Tyburn to be strangled and burnt, was beaten down by a stone when beseeching on her knees the mercy of Heaven. These wretches frequently robbed the Surgeons.

The wretched manner in which the lowest description of people lodged in 1721, may be gathered from the ensuing extract from an order of the Court at a General Quarter Session, October 4. "It is now become a common practice in the extreme parts of the town, to receive into their houses persons unknown, without distinction of age or sex, on their paying one penny or more per night for lying in such houses without beds or covering; and that it is frequent in those houses for 15 or 20, or more, to lie in a small room."

These miserable people, thus indiscriminately mixed, corrupted each other, and licentiousness reigned triumphant amongst them; in truth, the population of London always exceeded the means of subsistence; and I believe there are now, upon an average, three families to each house, and thousands of homeless wanderers. Fleet marriages were common in 1723; and the wonderful omissions of government at that period, in permitting so sacred an office to be celebrated, and registers of marriages kept at ale-houses and brandy-shops within the rules, where 32 couples are known to have been joined in three days, was one cause of the overgrown community. An author of the time alluded to says: "It is pleasant to see certain fellows plying by Fleet-bridge to take poor Sailors, &c. into the noose of matrimony every day throughout the week, and the clocks at their offices for that purpose still standing at the canonical hour, though perhaps the time of the day be six or seven in the afternoon."

Macky gives a good sketch of the manner of living in 1724. The following is extracted from his Journey through England, vol. I. p. 190.

"I am lodged in the street called Pall-mall, the ordinary residence of all strangers, because of its vicinity to the King's Palace, the Park, the Parliament house, the Theatres, and the Chocolate and Coffee-houses, where the best company frequent. If you would know our manner of living, it is thus: we rise by nine, and those that frequent great men's levees find entertainment at them till eleven, or, as in Holland, go to tea-tables. About twelve the beau-monde assembles in several chocolate and coffee-houses; the best of which are the Cocoa-tree and White's chocolate-houses, St. James's, the Smyrna, and the British coffee-houses; and all these so near one another, that in less than an hour you see the company of them all. We are carried to these places in chairs (or sedans) which are here very cheap, a guinea a-week, or a shilling per hour, and your chairmen serve you for porters to run on errands as your gondoliers (watermen) do at Venice.

"If it be fine weather, we take a turn in the Park till two, when we go to dinner; and if it be dirty, you are entertained at Picket or Basset at White's, or you may talk politics at the Smyrna and St. James's. I must not forget to tell you, that the parties have their different places, where, however, a stranger is always well received; but a Whig will no more go to the Cocoa-tree or Ozinda's, than a Tory will be seen at the coffee-house of St. James's.

"The Scots go generally to the British, and a mixture of all sorts to the Smyrna. There are other little coffee-houses much frequented in this neighbourhood, Young-man's for officers, Old-man's for stock-jobbers, pay-masters, and courtiers, and Little-man's for sharpers. I never was so confounded in my life, as when I entered into this last: I saw two or three tables full at Faro, heard the box and dice rattling in the room above-stairs, and was surrounded by a set of sharp-faces, that I was afraid would have devoured me with their eyes. I was glad to drop two or three half-crowns at Faro, to get off with a clear skin, and was overjoyed I was so got rid of them.

"At two we generally go to dinner: ordinaries are not so common here as abroad; yet the French have set up two or three pretty good ones, for the conveniency of foreigners, in Suffolk-street, where one is tolerably well served; but the general way here is to make a party at the coffee-house to go dine at the tavern, where we sit till six, then we go to the play; except you are invited to the table of some great man, which strangers are always courted to, and nobly entertained.

"I know abundance of French, that by keeping a pocket-list of tables, live so almost all the year round, and yet never appear at the same place above once in a fortnight. By looking into their pocket-book in the morning, they fix their place of dining, as on Monday with my Lord ——, and so for two weeks, fourteen Lords, Foreign Ministers, or men of quality; and so they run their round all the year long, without notice being taken of them.

"There are three very noble Theatres here: that for Opera's at the end of the Pall-mall, or Hay-market, is the finest I ever saw, and where we are entertained in Italian music generally twice a-week: that for History, Tragedy, and Comedy, is in Covent-garden (a Piazza I shall describe to you in the sequel of this letter), and the third for the same, is by Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, at a small distance from the other.

"The Theatres here differ from those abroad; in that those at Venice, Paris, Brussels, Genoa, and other parts, you know, are composed of rows of small shut-boxes, three or four stories in a semi-circle, with a Parterre below; whereas here the Parterre, commonly called the Pit, contains the gentlemen on benches; and on the first story of boxes sit all the ladies of quality; in the second, the Citizens wives and daughters; and in the third, the common people and footmen: so that between the Acts you are as much diverted by viewing the beauties of the audience, as, while they act, with the subject of the Play; and the whole is illuminated to the greatest advantage. Whereas abroad, the stage being only illuminated, and the lodge or boxes close, you lose the pleasure of seeing the company; and indeed the English have reason in this, for no nation in the world can shew such an assembly of shining beauties as here.

"The English affect more the Italian than the French music; and their own compositions are between the gravity of the first, and the levity of the other. They have had several great masters of their own: Henry Purcel's works in that kind are esteemed beyond Lully's every where; and they have now a good many very eminent masters: but the taste of the town being at this day all Italian, it is a great discouragement to them.

"No nation represents History so naturally, so much to the life, and so close to truth, as the English; they have most of the occurrences of their own History, and all those of the Roman Empire, nobly acted. One Shakespear, who lived in the last century, laid down a masterly foundation for this in his excellent plays; and the late Mr. Addison hath improved that taste by his admirable Cato, which hath been translated into several languages, particularly into Italian blank verse, and is frequently acted in Italy.

"Their comedies are designed to lash the growing follies in every age; and scarce a fool or a coxcomb appears in town, but his folly is represented. And most of their comedians, in imitation of Moliere, have taken that province; in which Mr. Cibber, an extreme good player, hath succeeded very well.

"They seldom degenerate into farce, as the Italians; nor do they confine their tragedies to rhyme and whining, as the French. In short, if you would see the greatest actions of past ages performed over again, and the present follies of mankind exposed, you must come here.

"After the Play, the best company generally go to Tom's and Will's coffee-houses, near adjoining, where there is playing at Picket, and the best of conversation till midnight. Here you will see blue and green ribbons and stars sitting familiarly with private gentlemen, and talking with the same freedom, as if they had left their quality and degrees of distance at home; and a stranger tastes with pleasure the universal liberty of speech of the English nation. Or, if you like rather the company of ladies, there are assemblies at most people of quality's houses. And in all the Coffee-houses you have not only the foreign prints, but several English ones with the Foreign Occurrences, besides papers of morality and party-disputes.

"My Bills of Exchange oblige me now and then to take a turn to the Royal-Exchange, in a hackney-coach, to meet my merchant. These coaches are very necessary conveniencies not to be met with any where abroad; for you know that at Paris, Brussels, Rome or Vienna, you must either hire a coach by the day, or take it at least by the hour: but here you have coaches at the corner of every street, which for a shilling will carry you any where within a reasonable distance; and for two, from one end of the City to the other. There are eight hundred of them licensed by Act of Parliament, and carry their number on their coaches; so that if you should chance to leave any thing in a coach, and know but the number of it, you know presently where to lay your claim to it; and be you ever so late at a friend's house in any place of this great City, your friend, by taking the number of the coach, secures your safety home.

"The Royal-Exchange is the resort of all the trading part of this City, foreign and domestic, from half an hour after one, till near three in the afternoon; but the better sort generally meet in Exchange-alley a little before, at three celebrated Coffee-houses, called Garraway's, Robin's, and Jonathan's. In the first, the people of quality who have business in the City, and the most considerable and wealthy Citizens, frequent. In the second, the Foreign Banquiers, and often even Foreign Ministers. And in the third, the buyers and sellers of Stock.

"When I entered into this last, I was afraid I had got into Little-man's Coffee-house again; for busy faces run about here as there, with the same sharp intent looks, with the difference only, that here it is selling of Bank-stock, East-India, South-Sea, and Lottery Tickets, and there it is all cards and dice.

"You will see a fellow in shabby clothes selling ten or twelve thousand pounds in stock, though perhaps he may not be worth at the same time ten shillings, and with as much zeal as if he were a Director, which they call selling a Bear-skin; and these men find bubbles enough to get bread by it, as the others do by gaming; and some few of them manage it so, as to get pretty large estates.

"Near this Exchange are two very good French eating-houses, the one at the sign of Pontack, a President of the Parliament of Bourdeaux, from whose name the best French clarets are called so, and where you may bespeak a dinner from four or five shillings a-head to a guinea, or what sum you please; the other is Caveack's, where there is a constant ordinary, as abroad, for all comers without distinction, and at a very reasonable price.

"I am told, that while wagers were allowed to be made on taking of towns, and gaining of battles, during the last war, this Exchange-alley was the sharpest place in the World; but the abuse of intelligence, sham letters spread upon the Exchange, and private letters coming before the Mails, made that practice so notorious, that the Queen and Parliament wisely thought fit to put a stop to it by a seasonable provisional Act against it, as they have endeavoured to do by another Act against excessive gaming, being both equally looked on as a cheat and imposition upon the well-meaning subject. However, some great men have not disdained to be deeply concerned in both, and have got good estates: for tricking is not here reckoned so despicable a quality as abroad, when it is cleanly done; therefore, my friend, when you come here, play not in England, nor venture to lay wagers, except you know your company very well, or are sure of your fact. The fatal South-Sea scheme, and the wicked execution of it, proves what I foretold you to be too true."

The pernicious and general custom of wearing masks enabled half-repentant sinners to mix with the most profligate of the female sex undiscovered, and to indulge in excesses which they would not have dared to commit had their features been exposed as at present. This practice afforded opportunities of gratifying very improper curiosity, and of visiting places at unseasonable hours; an instance of this description occurred in May 1724. The White-lion[280:A], in Wych-street, had long been famed for riotous assemblies under the pretence of Concerts; and the neighbouring moralists waited with impatience for the hour when they should effectually transgress the Law: that hour at length arrived, and a posse of Constables, executing a warrant obtained for the purpose, discovered females even of some distinction, tradesmen's wives, their daughters, and many common prostitutes, a collection that really surprised each other; the vicious hardly crediting that they were in so much good company, and the noviciates frightened at the features of unmasked depravity. The latter received wholesome admonition, and were sent home; the former visited Bridewell.

The custom of walking and talking in the Nave of St. Paul's cathedral had become so very prevalent in 1725, that the Bishop of London found it necessary, at his visitation in that year, to declare his positive intention of enforcing the 18th Canon, and the Act of the First of William and Mary, by which transgressors forfeited 20l. for every offence.

A subscription was opened in 1727 for the relief of Mrs. Clark, the aged and only surviving daughter of Milton. An author, under the signature of Bruyere, in the London Journal, ardently recommended liberal contributions; and drew the following picture of the manners then prevailing. "At White's we see nothing but what wears the mask at least of gaiety and pleasure; powder and embroidery are the ornaments of the place, not to forget that intolerable stink of perfumes, which almost poisons the miserable chairmen that besiege the door. Conversation is not known here; the enquiries after news turn chiefly upon what happened last night at the Groom Porters. The business of the place is to promote some musical subscription; to make all possible court to some young man of quality that is next expected to take possession of a great estate; to take care to be very well with a knot of well-dressed people that meet here, and modestly call themselves the world; but, above all, to solicit a share in the direction of the moneyed interest, which is established here under the name of a Faro Bank.

"At Tom's Coffee-house, in Cornhill, there is a very different face of things. Plenty, the parent of Cheerfulness, seems to have fixed her residence on this spot; while Joy, which is the offspring of Folly, seems to be utterly unknown. Industry, the first principle of a Citizen, is an infallible specifick to keep the spirits awake, and prevent that stagnation and corruption of humours which make our fine gentlemen such horrible torments to one another and to themselves. Decency in dress is finery enough in a place where they are taught from their childhood to expect no honours from what they seem to be, but from what they really are. The conversation turns principally on the interests of Europe, in which they themselves are chiefly concerned; and the business here is to enlarge the commerce of their country, by which the publick is to gain much more than the merchant himself. For the rest I need not add, that there is a vein of strong sense and useful knowledge runs through their whole discourse, which makes them to wise men very desirable companions. If I should say that in this house I have met with Merchants of as liberal education and generous principles, of as exquisite taste in classical knowledge and polite learning, as are to be found at Court or in the College, I should be confident of every reader's credit when he knows that in this place was first projected the subscription for the relief of the sightless old age of Milton's daughter."

The Monarchs of this happy Island have frequently honoured the Citizens of London with their presence at Guildhall, when the Lord Mayor enters upon his office. On the 29th of October 1727, and in the Mayoralty of Sir Edward Becher, Knight, and afterwards Baronet, George II. his Queen, the Princess Royal, and the Princess Carolina, proceeded to Cheapside at three o'clock in the afternoon, attended by a great number of the Nobility and others, through a double line of the London Militia. A balcony near Bow-church had been prepared for their reception, whence they viewed the procession, and the houses decorated with carpet, and tapestry to do them honour. After the City-officers were disposed in due order for the reception of the King in Guildhall, the Sheriffs waited on him, and conducted him there; the Lord Mayor, kneeling at the entrance, presented the Sword of State to his Majesty, who returned it, and followed the Mayor to the Council Chamber, where Sir William Thompson (as Recorder) thus addressed the King:

"May it please your Majesty,

"The Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of this City, beg leave to offer their most humble acknowledgments for this great honour to the City, by the presence of your Majesty, your Royal Consort, the Princess Royal, and her Royal Highness. Their joy is inexpressible, to behold their Sovereign condescending to accept their good-will and affections, and in the most engaging manner vouchsafing here to receive their homage and duty.

"This day will be ever remembered by them with the highest satisfaction: this happy day, which gave birth to their most gracious King, who is pleased thus to honour them, and who protects them in the enjoyment of all their rights and privileges: a Prince who takes pleasure in promoting their happiness, and who thinks it gives the truest lustre to his Crown, to preserve the religion, the laws, and liberties of his people. Fortunate is their present condition, and delightful is their prospect while they have in view your Majesty, their most gracious and justly admired Queen, and the illustrious branches of your Royal Family. Permit, Sire, these your Majesty's most faithful subjects to take this opportunity of assuring your Majesty of their unalterable attachment to your Royal Person, and of their warmest zeal for the support of your government.

"The best, the only security of our excellent Constitution in Church and State, and of every thing which is dear and valuable to Englishmen, Gratitude and Interest, make these the unanimous sentiments of this your Majesty's most loyal and most dutiful City of London."

Their Majesties (preceded by the Lord Mayor bearing the Sword) went to the Hustings, where they dined in company with the Princesses and the Ladies of the Bed-chamber. The entertainment was of the most sumptuous description, and served at different tables, prepared for the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council, the foreign Ministers, the Nobility, Privy Counsellors, the Judges, ladies, &c. &c. After silence had been commanded, the Common Cryer announced that the King drank to the health of the Lord Mayor, and prosperity to the City of London and the trade thereof, and, that her Majesty drank, confirming the same. He then proclaimed that the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council drank health, long life, and a prosperous happy reign to our Sovereign Lord King George; and that they drank to the health, long life, and happiness of our most gracious Queen Caroline, and all the Royal family.

When the dinner was concluded, their Majesties returned to the Council Chamber, where they were seated till 11 o'clock during a ball in the area below. The City was illuminated on this occasion.

An author of this period, treating on the number of poor, and their manner of living, very justly observes: "If any person is born with any defect or deformity, or maimed by fire or any other casualty, or any inveterate distemper which renders them miserable objects, their way is open to London; where they have free liberty of shewing their nauseous sights, to terrify people, and force them to give money to get rid of them; and those vagrants have for many years past been moved out of several parts of the three Kingdoms, and taken their stations in this Metropolis, to the interruption of conversation and business.

"The Quaker workhouse is an example for each parish: the poor orphans among them, as well as the children of such poor as are unable to subsist them, are put to their workhouse, where they are taught to read and write certain hours of the day, and at other times are put to spin, or other employments. And as the Nation has found great advantage by those workhouses, which have been established by Act of Parliament, it is a great pity that so profitable an Institution was not made general through the Nation, that so there might be no pretence for any beggar to appear abroad. Their example is very pernicious, for what they get by begging is consumed commonly in Ale-houses, Gin-shops, &c.; and one drunken beggar is an inducement to a great many to follow the same trade.

"But, as to those creatures that go about the streets to shew their maimed limbs, nauseous sores, stump hands or feet, or any other deformity; they are by no means objects fit to go abroad; and considering the frights and pernicious impressions which such horrid sights have given to pregnant women, should move all tender husbands to desire the redress of this enormity."

I have frequently observed, in the course of my researches, the strange methods and customs peculiar to gaming, horse-racing, dice, and wagers; the latter are generally governed by whim and extreme folly. We have already noticed Noblemen running their coaches and footmen. In 1729, a Poulterer of Leadenhall-market betted 50l. he would walk 202 times round the area of Upper Moorfields in 27 hours, and accordingly proceeded at the rate of five miles an hour on the amusing pursuit, to the infinite improvement of his business, and great edification of hundreds of spectators.—Wagers are now a favourite custom with too many of the Londoners; they very frequently, however, originate over the bottle or the porter-pot.

A curious exhibition distinguished the anniversary of the Queen's birth-day, March 3, 1730; 100 wool-combers assembled in their shirts, with various coloured woollen caps on their heads, in Bishopsgate-street, from whence they went in procession to St. James's Palace, preceded by the Steward of their company and a person on horseback, representing Bishop Blaze, in wigs of wool neatly curled; the Bishop carried a wool-comb in one hand, and a Prayer-book in the other. They arranged themselves in the Park facing the Palace; and their leader addressed the King and Queen, who appeared at a window, thanking his Majesty for the encouragement they had received, and intreating his future protection.

A writer in Read's Weekly Journal of January 9, 1731, has obliged us with a concise and pleasing description of Christmas customs prevalent at that period, which I shall transcribe for the reader's information.

"My house, Sir, is directly opposite to a great Church; and it was with great pleasure I observed from my window, last Christmas-day, the numerous poor that waited at the doors very liberally relieved; but my joy was soon over, for no sooner were the charitable congregation dispersed, but these wretches, who before appeared the very pictures of misery, forgot their cant, and fell to quarrelling about the dividend; oaths and curses flew about amongst them, very plentifully, and passion grew so high that they fell hard upon one another's faults. In short, Sir, I learned from their own mouths that they were all impostors, both men and women; and that amongst their whole number, which was very large, there was not one object of charity. When they had tired themselves with scolding, they very lovingly adjourned to a neighbouring brandy-shop, from whence they returned in a condition neither fit for me to describe nor you to hear.

"The next day I met with another wonder; for, by that time I was up, my servants could do nothing but run to the door. Enquiring the meaning, I was answered, the people were come for their Christmas-box; this was logick to me; but I found at last, that, because I had laid out a great deal of ready-money with my brewer, baker, and other tradesmen, they kindly thought it my duty to present their servants with some money for the favour of having their goods. This provoked me a little; but, being told it was the custom, I complied. These were followed by the watch, beadles, dust-men, and an innumerable tribe; but what vexed me the most was the Clerk, who has an extraordinary place, and makes as good an appearance as most tradesmen in the parish; to see him come a-boxing, alias begging, I thought was intolerable; however, I found it was the custom too, so I gave him half-a-crown; as I was likewise obliged to do to the bell-man, for breaking my rest for many nights together.

"Having talked this matter over with a friend, he promised to carry me where I might see the good effects of this giving box-money. In the evening away we went to a neighbouring ale-house, where abundance of these gentry were assembled round a stately piece of roast-beef and as large a plumb-pudding. When the drink and brandy began to work, they fell to reckoning of their several gains that day; one was cursed for a stingy dog for giving but sixpence; another called an extravagant fool for giving half-a-crown, which perhaps he might want before the year was out; so I found these good people were never to be pleased. Some of them were got to cards by themselves, which soon produced a quarrel and broken heads. In the interim came in some of their wives, who roundly cursed the people for having given them money, adding, that instead of doing good it ruined their families, and set them in a road of drinking and gaming, which never ceased till not only their gifts, but their wages, were gone. One good woman said, if people had a mind to give charity, they should send it home to their families; I was very much of her opinion; but, being tired with the noise, we left them to agree as they could.

"My friend next carried me to the upper-end of Piccadilly, where, one pair of stairs over a stable, we found near an hundred people of both sexes, some masked, others not, a great part of which were dancing to the musick of two sorry fiddles. It is impossible to describe this medley of mortals fully; however, I will do it as well as I can. There were footmen, servant-maids, butchers, apprentices, oyster and orange-women, common w——s, and sharpers, which appeared to be the best of the company. This horrid place seemed to me the very sink of hell, where, however virtuous young people may be before, they will not come often thither before they learn to be both w——s and thieves. It is a notable nursery for the gallows. My friend informed me, it was called a three-penny hop; and while we were talking, to my great satisfaction, by order of the Westminster Justices, to their immortal honour, entered the constables and their assistants, who carried off all the company that was left; and, had not my friend been known to them, we might have paid dear for our curiosity.

"I believe I have almost tired you as well as myself with an account of the lower sort of diversions. I come next to expatiate on the entertainment and good cheer I met with in the City, whither my friend carried me to dinner these holidays. It was at the house of an eminent and worthy merchant; and though, Sir, I have been accustomed in my own county to what may very well be called good house-keeping, yet, I assure you, I should have taken this dinner to have been provided for a whole parish, rather than for about a dozen gentlemen. It is impossible for me to give you half our bill of fare; so you must be content to know that we had turkeys, geese, capons, puddings of a dozen sorts, more than I had ever seen in my life, besides brawn, roast-beef, and many things of which I know not the names; mince-pies in abundance, and a thing they call plumb-pottage, which may be good for aught I know, though it seems to me to have 50 different tastes. Our wines were of the best, as were all the rest of our liquors; in short, the God of Plenty seemed to reign here. And, to make every thing perfect, our company was polite, and every way agreeable; nothing but mirth and loyal healths went round.

"I allowed myself now but one day more to finish my ramble and my curiosity; and that was last Wednesday, being Twelfth-day. The preparations which were made for the keeping this day, which is reckoned the conclusion of the holidays, were reported to me to be so great, and the cheerfulness and good humour with which most persons spoke of its approach appeared so remarkable, that my expectation was not a little impatient for the sight of this last scene of the Jubilee. And as I had the honour of having been several times invited by a person of quality, with whom I had transacted some affairs since my being in town, to take the freedom of his table; I determined with myself that I could not choose a more agreeable time for the acceptance of his courtesy than this. Accordingly, I dressed myself in a manner as suitable as I could to the place where I proposed to make my visit, and took coach for the Court end of the town; in my passage to which, from the extreme part of the City, I was highly entertained with almost one continued subject of wonder and amusement. All the trades in town seemed to be suspended for a while, and to yield to that single one of the pastry-cooks; and no other manufactories were thought on but the grocery and confectionary wares, that were taken up in the incredible number of cakes prepared for this night's revel. The pomp and pageantry with which the several pastry-shops were set out, the fancy, richness, and number of their flags and streamers, and the contention which appeared in every one to outdo his neighbour in splendor and delicacy, were pleasingly remarkable; and failed not of attracting the eyes of successive crowds of admirers.

"Having passed through this diverting scene, I was set down at last at my nobleman's door, who, being at home, gave me a free, noble, and generous reception. There was a pretty deal of company besides, but all perfectly easy and cheerful, without stiffness or ceremony. I need not, I believe, inform you that we had a very elegant and sumptuous entertainment; and that one article of it was the reigning topick of the day, an immense rich twelfth-cake. The sight of this immediately introduced the ceremony of choosing King and Queen, a custom, whose rise or antiquity very few I believe are able to give us. Through the extraordinary bounty of my stars, the election of King fell upon me; whereupon, I instantly received the compliments of the company upon my new dignity. The title of Queen came to a beautiful lady who sat opposite to me. There were inferior characters, which fell amongst others of the company. In short, after having supported my mock Royalty with a great deal of innocent and decent mirth for some hours, till the night was pretty far wasted, making my profoundest respects to his lordship and company, and rewarding the servants, according to the rank I had borne that night, I very contentedly drove home, and having taken a hearty sleep, I found myself in the morning entirely divested of all Royalty, and no more than your plain humble servant,

Thomas North."

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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.