Social England under the Regency, Vol. 2 (of 2)Ashton, John
History
Social England under the Regency, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Ashton, John
England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century; Regency -- England
"That which has been the most fashionable, for a long time, is called
Bond Street, and communicates with St. James's Street and Pall Mall,
by Piccadilly on one side; and Oxford Street on the other. When the
weather is fine, it is the rendezvous of good company; thus, in
novels, and in plays, coxcombs are all called _Bond Street Loungers_.
This latter appellation comes from the pastry cook's shops, where
they find means to wait with some patience for dinner; by taking some
slight refreshment, which the English call _a lunch_. This happens
between one and two o'clock. These shops are always supplied with
a great variety of pastry, in which currants are most used. The
refreshments consist of lemonade, or orgeat; and, in summer, very
inferior ices. At other shops forced fruit is sold at a high price.
"The public squares are almost all regularly built; their form is
oblong, from whence they take their name (?). The centre of the
greater part of the squares is laid down in grass, planted with
shrubs, and divided by gravel walks; these grounds are surrounded by
iron rails, like the 'Palais Royal' at Paris; they are always kept
shut. The neighbouring houses only, have keys, which they make use
of for an airing for children and sick persons."
Speaking of St. James's Park he says that "In the centre is a meadow,
with cattle grazing, watered by a canal, and surrounded with wooden
rails." The Green Park he dismisses in a few words, and of Hyde Park
he says that it is "the general rendezvous of all classes, who parade
here in great numbers, on foot, on horseback, and in carriages. It is
supposed that sometimes a hundred thousand persons assemble there.
This assertion seems, at first, spoken at random; but it is grounded
on probability, and even on calculation."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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