Old times : $b A picture of social life at the end of the eighteenth centuryAshton, John
History
Old times : $b A picture of social life at the end of the eighteenth century
Ashton, John
Great Britain -- Social life and customs
"Lewes.--Last week the Volunteers for regular Service from the
Derby, Westminster, North Gloucester, and Surrey regiments of
Militia, marched into this town, from their respective stations,
on their routes to the grand depot, at Horsham. The large
bounties which these men have received, enable them to keep up a
scene of drunkenness, and insubordination, which it is very
difficult to restrain. After parade here, on Saturday evening,
Sir Joseph Mawbey, and other Officers, commanding the Surrey
Volunteers, were compelled to have recourse to their drawn
swords, to enforce order, and maintain their command, which was
for some time powerfully resisted, on their ordering a man to the
guard-house. And, on dismissing the parade, yesterday evening, a
similar disturbance took place. No swords were then drawn, but
the clamour demanded the interference of General Hulse, who, in
consequence, ordered out a piquet guard of infantry, and a
patrole of horse, by which tranquillity was restored, and
preserved. Others who have passed through this town, in their
drunken frolics, distinguished themselves by swallowing
Bank-notes between slices of bread and butter, and lighting their
pipes with them, to the no small advantage of the
Bankers."--(_Times, July 31, 1799._)
SOCIAL ECONOMY.
Under this head are placed many matters which could scarcely be
classified.
Take, for instance, the series of groups copied from a long picture of
the "Installation Supper, as given at the Pantheon, by the Knights of
the Bath, on the 26th of May 1788."
In looking at this series, we must never lose sight of the fact, that,
here, we are getting a peep at _haut ton_--none of your common
folk--and, if the picture be a true one, they must have been contented
with the roughest accommodation. Hard seats, plain tables, with no
Plate, nor floral decorations, no napkins; Knives and forks brandished
in a most reckless, and uncouth manner; an utter disregard for the
proprieties of the table, even to drinking the gravy out of a plate;
and intoxication, in its various phases, passing, seemingly,
unchallenged. A tankard of beer admitted to such a banquet, and two
people sharing the same "dish of tea," are all, to us, astounding
revelations of the social manners of our grandfathers.
[Illustration: Installation Supper.]
[Illustration:
Sir F Johnston & Lady.
Lord Bathurst.
Major Topham.]
From the following we get a curious glimpse of the Social economy, of
the times--a phase of thinking which would scarcely do nowadays:--
"In a complicated machine, any of the inferior parts getting out
of order, will soon obstruct the whole: and, conceiving such may
be the case with public society, we are led to make a few
observations on some improprieties which occur in the present
day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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