Fitzherbert, Maria Anne, 1756-1837; George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830
I've made thieves in the candle to move him to thinking;
I have clatter'd my casements and chairs to confound 'em;
I have let in the dews and the blast all around 'em;
I have elbow'd my timbers 'gainst many a head;
I have stirr'd up the sewers to stink 'em to bed:
Yet this mass of antipathy marr'd my own liver,
And my tears fill'd the gutter like Egypt's deep river.
--My eyes, my dear Coz, are exhausted with crying;
So I'll give o'er at present--I'm yours till I'm dying.
'PAVILION.'
We learn what the society at Brighton was like at this time by the
following excerpt from the _Times_ of July 13, 1796:
'BRIGHTON.--The Prince and Princess of WALES'S arrival has been talked
of much in London; but, as yet, we have no signs of it here. The Duke
and Duchess of MARLBOROUGH pass their time in a very retired manner
indeed. His Grace walked for some time yesterday evening upon the
_Steyne_; the company consisted chiefly of opulent Jews, needy fortune
hunters, broken down Cyprians, fishermen's daughters, and several fat
city dowdies, from the environs of Norton Folgate. Her Grace commands
the play on Friday evening, which will be her _first appearance_ in
public, here, for this season. The Officers of the Blues are the _great
dashers_ of the place; they associate with no one but their own Corps.
The most of them keep their blood horses, their curricles, and their
girls. At one o'clock they appear on the parade, to hear the word of
command given to the Subaltern Guard: afterwards, they toss off their
_goes_ of brandy, dine about five, and come about eight to the Theatre.
_Vivent L'Amour et Bacchus._'
The latter part of this quotation seems to be borne out by the first
of 'TWELVE GOLDEN RULES _for young Gentlemen of Distinction, to be
observed at Brighton for the year 1796_':
'Young and inexperienced officers must confederate with several of
their mess, as young as themselves, and reel into the theatre, during
the performance, in a state of assumed intoxication, and be sure to
disturb the audience in the most important part of the drama, by taking
liberties with any of those Cyprian nymphs who harbour in the green
boxes, and are, unhappily, devoted to insult: by this manœuvre, if
dexterously managed, they will gain three enormous points;--the first
is, the credit of having consumed more wine than their income will
allow; the second is, a disposition for unlimited intrigue; and the
third is, an opportunity of displaying their contempt for good manners,
without any hazard of personal danger.--This behaviour will be totally
out of character if any of the parties have seen service, or arrived at
the years of discretion.
'N.B.--All descendants, or members of the tribes of Israel, must
neither mention lottery tickets, _omnium_, _bonus_, scrip, navy, nor
exchequer bills; they must pay their tradesmen on Saturdays, laugh at
the paschal, eat swine, and shave every day.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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