Skates were then spelt "Skaits." The "Heavy smack," transported
luggage--to the Provinces by river or canal. The "Twopenny Postman" is
often alluded to. "Campstools," carried about for use, excited no
astonishment. Gentlemen don't go to Reviews now, as Mr. Wardle did,
arrayed in "a blue coat and bright buttons, corduroy (Boz also spells it
_corderoy_) breeches and top boots," nor ladies "in scarfs and feathers."
It is curious, by the way, that Wardle talks something after the
fashionable manner of our day, dropping his g's--as who should say
"huntin'," or "rippin'"--"I spent some evnins" he says "at your club."
"My gals," he says also. "Capons" are not much eaten now. "Drinking
wine" or "having a glass of wine" has gone out, and with it Mr. Tupman's
gallant manner of challenge to a fair one, _i.e._ "touching the
enchanting Rachel's wrist with one hand and gently elevating his bottle
with the other." "Pope Joan" is little played now, if at all; "Fish"
too; how rarely one sees those mother-of-pearl fish! The "Cloth is not
_drawn_" and the table exposed to view, to be covered with dessert,
bottles, glasses, etc. The shining mahogany was always a brave show, and
we fear this comes of using cheap made up tables of common wood. Still
we wot of some homes, old houses in the country, where the practice is
kept up. It is evident that Mr. Wardle's dinner was at about 3 or 4
o'clock, for none was offered to the party that arrived about 6. This we
may presume was the mode in old fashioned country houses. Supper came at
eleven.
A chaise and four could go at the pace of fifteen miles an hour.
A "1000 horse-power" was Jingle's idea of extravagant speed by steam
agency. Now we have got to 4, 5, and 10 thousand horsepower. Gentlemen's
"frills" in the daytime are never seen now. Foot gear took the shape of
"Hessians'" "halves," "painted tops," "Wellington's" or "Bluchers." There
are many other trifles which will evidence these changes. We are told of
the "common eighteen-penny French skull cap." Note _common_--it is
exhibited on Mr. Smangle's head--a rather smartish thing with a tassel.
Nightcaps, too, they are surely gone by now: though a few old people may
wear them, but then boys and young men all did. It also had a tassel.
There is the "Frog Hornpipe," whatever dance that was: the "pousette;"
while "cold srub," which is not in much vogue now, was the drink of the
Bath Footmen. "Botany Bay ease, and New South Wales gentility," refer to
the old convict days. This indeed is the most startling transformation
of all. For instead of Botany Bay, and its miserable associations, we
have the grand flourishing Australia, with its noble cities, Parliaments
and the rest. Gone out too, we suppose, the "Oxford-mixture trousers;"
"Oxford grey" it was then called.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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