Social England under the Regency, Vol. 1 (of 2)Ashton, John
History
Social England under the Regency, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Ashton, John
England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century; Regency -- England
About this time there was an improvement in the King's health; so
much so that on the 8th of February the Queen and the Princess
Augusta were allowed to have an interview with him, and on the next
day and for two or three others, he appeared on the Terrace and
walked for a time accompanied by the Physicians in attendance upon
him.
CHAPTER III.
Story of a crime -- The Shanavests and the Caravats -- Gluttony
-- Smuggling bullion -- A Tar at the theatre -- Deposition
of French Colours in Whitehall Chapel -- The Duke of York
reinstated as Commander-in-Chief -- The Regency Fête -- Account
of the entertainment.
And now, for a while, we will leave Royalty alone, and note anything
particular that occurred--not that there ever was much general
news recorded--there were no country correspondents to the London
Newspapers, which were but of small size, and with very little space
to spare for what we call News. As these little scraps of information
will be scattered throughout this book, I may at once say that they
will, perforce, have no sequence one to another except that of
Chronological order.
At the beginning of February, as a dragoon was returning from
duty to his quarters, which were at a small public-house called
"Barndean Hut," near Petersfield, in the New Forest, his attention
was arrested by the cries of some person in distress, which induced
him to ride up to the spot from whence they proceeded, where his
humanity was shocked on beholding a woman tied to a tree, with the
tears, which her situation and suffering had produced, actually
frozen to her cheeks, and, horrid to relate, quite naked, having
been stripped and robbed of every article of dress, by two villains,
who, afterwards, left her in that deplorable condition. The dragoon
instantly cut the cords that bound her hands and feet to the tree,
and, having in some measure restored her to the use of her limbs by
rubbing them, wrapped her up in his cloak, placed her on his horse,
and proceeded on to his quarters, where he soon after arrived; and,
as he was conducting the shivering object of his care into the house,
she looked through a window that commanded a view of the kitchen,
and, in a faint voice, exclaimed, "There are the two men that robbed
me of my all, and used me so cruelly." The soldier, in consequence,
entered the kitchen and secured the men, who were the next day taken
before a magistrate, and, after the necessary examination, fully
committed to Winchester jail, for trial at the next assizes.
Ireland has always been a sweet boon to England ever since the
Union; and faction fights used to abound. Among others were those
of the Caravats and Shanavests--the Capulets and Montagues of their
time; and the etymon of the names of two formidable factions, which
embraced the greater part of the lower order of people in the two
counties of Tipperary and Limerick, is thus given:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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