Club Life of London, Vol. 2 (of 2): With Anecdotes of the Clubs, Coffee-Houses and Taverns of the Metropolis During the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries — John Shaqi
Club Life of London, Vol. 2 (of 2): With Anecdotes of the Clubs, Coffee-Houses and Taverns of the Metropolis During the 17th, 18th, and 19th CenturiesTimbs, John
History
Club Life of London, Vol. 2 (of 2): With Anecdotes of the Clubs, Coffee-Houses and Taverns of the Metropolis During the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries
Timbs, John
Clubs -- England -- London; Literary landmarks -- England -- London; London (England) -- Social life and customs
Dean Lockier has left this life-like picture of his interview with the
presiding genius at Will's:--"I was about seventeen when I first came
up to town," says the Dean, "an odd-looking boy, with short rough
hair, and that sort of awkwardness which one always brings up at first
out of the country with one. However, in spite of my bashfulness and
appearance, I used, now and then, to thrust myself into Will's, to
have the pleasure of seeing the most celebrated wits of that time, who
then resorted thither. The second time that ever I was there, Mr.
Dryden was speaking of his own things, as he frequently did,
especially of such as had been lately published. 'If anything of mine
is good,' says he, ''tis _Mac-Flecno_; and I value myself the more
upon it, because it is the first piece of ridicule written in
heroics.' On hearing this I plucked up my spirit so far as to say, in
a voice but just loud enough to be heard, 'that _Mac-Flecno_ was a
very fine poem, but that I had not imagined it to be the first that
was ever writ that way.' On this, Dryden turned short upon me, as
surprised at my interposing; asked me how long 'I had been a dealer in
poetry;' and added, with a smile, 'Pray, Sir, what is it that you did
imagine to have been writ so before?'--I named Boileau's _Lutrin_, and
Tassoni's _Secchia Rapita_, which I had read, and knew Dryden had
borrowed some strokes from each. ''Tis true,' said Dryden, 'I had
forgot them.' A little after, Dryden went out, and in going, spoke to
me again, and desired me to come and see him the next day. I was
highly delighted with the invitation; went to see him accordingly; and
was well acquainted with him after, as long as he lived."
Will's Coffee-house was the open market for libels and lampoons, the
latter named from the established burden formerly sung to them:--
"Lampone, lampone, camerada lampone."
There was a drunken fellow, named Julian, who was a characterless
frequenter of Will's, and Sir Walter Scott has given this account of
him and his vocation:--
"Upon the general practice of writing lampoons, and the necessity of
finding some mode of dispersing them, which should diffuse the scandal
widely while the authors remained concealed, was founded the
self-erected office of Julian, Secretary, as he calls himself, to the
Muses. This person attended Will's, the Wits' Coffee-house, as it was
called; and dispersed among the crowds who frequented that place of
gay resort copies of the lampoons which had been privately
communicated to him by their authors. 'He is described,' says Mr.
Malone, 'as a very drunken fellow, and at one time was confined for a
liable.' Several satires were written, in the form of addresses to him
as well as the following. There is one among the _State Poems_
beginning--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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