Social Life in the Reign of Queen Anne, Taken from Original SourcesAshton, John
History
Social Life in the Reign of Queen Anne, Taken from Original Sources
Ashton, John
Great Britain -- History -- Anne, 1702-1714; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 18th century
The Londoner, too, had his Lord Mayor's Show, with its fun, perhaps
just a trifle rougher than in our day. Owing to the difference of old
and new style, Lord Mayor's day was on October 29 instead of November
9 as now. Ward naturally revels in it[335]: 'Tuesday 29. Windows in
_Cheapside_ stuck with more Faces at Ten, than the Balconies with
Candles on an Illumination Night. Wicked havock of Neats-Tongues and
Hamms in the Barges about Eleven. Artillery Men march by two and two,
burlesqued in Buft and Bandileers. The Vintners and Brewers, the
Butchers and Apothecaries justle about precedence; 'Tis pity they are
not incorporated. The Ladies pelted with dead Cats instead of Squibs
from Twelve to Three. Mob tumultuous. Boys starting to see that which,
as the Old Woman said, they must all come to one Day.' And in the
_London Spy_ he gives a very long account of the show, its pageants,
and the rough humour of the spectators.
[Footnote 335: _Comical View of London and Westminster._]
'I took three lads, who are under my Guardianship, a rambling, in a
hackney Coach, to shew them the town; as the lions, the tombs,
Bedlam.'[336] These were the three great sights of London: the lions
at the Tower, the tombs in Westminster Abbey, and the poor mad folk in
Bedlam. 'To see the lions' is proverbial, and these had to be visited
by every one new to the City. In 1703 there were four, two lions and
two lionesses--one with a cub. In this reign three of the lions died
almost at the same time, and it was looked upon by some as an event of
dire portent. Addison laughingly alludes to the popular idea of
something awful happening on the death of a 'Tower' lion, when, in the
_Freeholder_, he makes the Jacobite squire ask the keeper whether any
of the lions had fallen sick when Perth was taken, or on the flight of
the Pretender. When dead they were sometimes stuffed, as Ward relates.
He also says there was a leopard, three eagles, two owls, and a
hyena. That was in 1703; and Thoresby, writing in 1709, went to see
the 'lions, eagles, catamountains, leopards, &c.' He also relates[337]
his experiences of a visit to the Tower itself: 'Walked with Mr. Dale
to the Tower; was mightily pleased with the new and excellent method
the Records[338] are put into (of which see a letter of the Bishop of
Carlisle to me;) and viewed many great curiosities of that nature, and
original letters from foreign kings and potentates, upon parchment,
and paper as old (reckoned as great a rarity) to the Kings of England,
very ancient tallies, Jewish stars, &c., which the obliging Mr. Holms
showed me, who also gave me an autograph of Queen Elizabeth, that was
his own property; then went to view the several armouries, as that
more ancient of the weapons taken in the year 1588 from the pretended
Invincible Armada, and those modern from Vigo, and in other memorable
transactions of this age; the present armoury for use is put to a
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account