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Leader (1850-1860), 25th October 1856, Edition 2 of 2, Page 18, 1026 - •' TgB.-jL j^APBB.;. :- . [No. 34...

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      The Eighteenth Century. The Eighteenth C...

      sion of chapters on Fashionable Life—Costume—Marriage Customs—Public Amusements—Street Fairs—Trade and Commerce—Servants— -Literature —Newspapers—the Drama—Gambling—Duelling ;—State of the Roads-Public Conveyances—an d so forth , which contain details piquant enough , and suggest strange reflections . As a writer , Mr . Andrews , never excellent , is sometimes facetious , and then he is hilarious with puns of tins quality : — The fashionable world -will have to take refuge in the Arctic regions , where it "will certainly be ice-elated enough , and whence it can send its fashions in "furs and other novelties of the -winter season , ' \ by the returning whale-ships . '¦ ¦¦

      : Or this : — . .. ¦ ¦ . - ¦' .- ¦" .... . - . . " Merrie Islington" presented all the appearance of a . fair throughout the year ; it might , in fact , be said to h & a complete jiiir-yland . " JDescribing the " Rake ' s Progress , " Mr . Andrews says : — Here the man of fashion , in his deshabille , is surrounded by professors— -the dancingmaster , the French teacher of the small-sword , the English master of quarterstaff , the landscape-gardener , anxious to get the rake in his hands . In each case the italics are the author ' s , and they kindly point out to xis that a joke is meant . There are several such facetiae in the volume . They -did not greatly amuse us . Mr . Andrews not unfrequently falls into a laxity of language peculiar to those who . ' write much and think little , but at no time agreeable to read , w-bich would in France be severely criticized , because in France "writers are jealous of the purity of their language . What a sentence is this , for examp le : — .. . ' . ; ' : . , \ . ¦"¦ •; '¦ ¦ , . - ' . - ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ . ¦ ¦ . - ' . ¦ - > ... ¦ ¦ . . ¦' ; -.

      An an « cdoteis told of Garrick ' s visit to the fair , -when we should ojine that David ' s Vanity must have sustained a little mortification . Pascal admirably says there are des mots determinants ) et qui font jvger tie Tesjprit ( FunTiomme ; thei'e are also determining sentences , which gauge the gtyle of a writer ; the sentence just quoted is one : it is not the worst in Mr . Andrews ' s volume , but it is typical of the laxity into which lie occasionally sinks . ' . ¦' / " ' .. ' . ' "¦ ¦'¦ . ¦ .. ' . ¦ ¦ ' ¦ ¦ '' . ¦¦ ;; . " : ¦ , ' ' ¦ '¦ . . . . - ' ¦'¦ ¦ : To readers of fine culture , therefore , -we cannot commend this Eighteenth iCentmy ; nor to readers desirous of accurate and exhaustive information . IMuch of the -material has been picked up from very common places ; Mr . Harrison Ainsworth is actually cited as an authority in one case ! and where the information is derived from less accessible sources , we do not feel that confidence in the ample knowledge of the writer which would assure us that the matter was thoroughly trustworthy . But , we repeat , the mass of readers fceirig both ignorant and uncritical , will probably find in this volume much € hat is both novel and interesting ; at any rate " there ' s no ofien . ee in ' t . " We will select a passage or two : — -...-

      -. ¦ ' ¦ . - . . . ¦ ¦ ... - . ¦ . - ¦ - . . MTJFFS . ¦ ¦ . . ¦¦ ¦ . . . ' . ' . . ' . ¦ . . ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦¦ - The la-rge mufis which were in vogue about the middle ot the century , must , one ¦ would think , have given the gentlemen somewhat of an effeminate appearance , and Twere in lndicrous contrast to the warlike sword that was girt about their waists . In two of Hogarth ' s pictures we have examples from which to judge of the effect of these appendages of winter dress , namely , in " Taste in High Xife , " and in the ¦* Arrest for Debt" scene of the " Rake ' s Progress , " They appear to have been most in fashion about 1760-70 , and only exceptional at ¦ other periods of the century . The sporting Earl of March writes thus in i 766 , to

      George Selwyn , at Paris : " The muff you sent me by the Duke of Richmond I lrke prodigiously ; vastly better thaH if it had been of tigrd , or of any glaring colourseveral are now making after it . " And again : " Pray bring me two or three bottles of perfume to put amongst powder , and some patterns for velvets that are new and pretty . ^ ' Might we not fancy it was a lady ' s letter , instead of a young nobleman's ? —in after-years the infamous " Old Q . " of" Piccadilly . " Might we not fancy ? " asks Mr . Andrews . Fancy has wide latitude , indeed , but its privileges scarcely extend to such complete emancipation from sj ' ntax as this of a lady ' s letter becoming in after-years the infamous <" OldQ . "

      FLEET MARRIAGES . Idlers about Fleet Market were often amused by the sight of a carriage , surrounded by the parsons and their " touters , " as coaches near the theatres are besieged by vendors of play-bills , while the cries rang round of " A parson , sir *? ' " I am the ¦ clerk and registrar of the Fleet . " " This way , madam , that , fellow will carry you to a little puddling alehouse . " " Come with me ! he will take you to a brandy-• shop ! " & c . Here we must again quote Mr . Knight for a graphic account of the marriage ceremony which ensued : — " As the party ascend the prison stairs , and pass along the gallery , they receive various invitations to stop . A coal-heaver is

      especially pressing : ' This , ' says he , 'is the famous Lord Mayors chapel ; you will got married cheaper here than in any other part of the FLeet ! ' The parson who has got the job looks daggers at him , but receives a horse-laugh in reply ; and , by-tlieby , th « pair are fortunate—their worthy conductor is sober to-day . They enter his rooms . There is a hint about brandy and wine , which the excellent priest deals in , as well as wedlock , and both axe called for ; and the ceremony now proceeds , and is performed , on the / whole , decently enough . " "But , " says Mr . Jtnight , witli great significance , " woe betide the bridegroom if he has not made up his mind to pay handsomely , even according to the Fleet standard , otherwise ho will not soon forget the Fleet parson ' s lesson in 'Billingsgate . '"

      Mr . Andrews quotes from the Grub Street Journal the following : — " Since Midsummer last , a young lady of birth and fortune was deluded and forced from lier friends , and , "by the assistance of a wry-necked swearing parson , married to an atheistical wretch , whose life is a constant practice of vice and debauchery . And , since the ruin of my relation , another lady of my acquaintance hail like to have been trepanned in the following manner : The lady had appointed to meet a gentlewoman . at the old playhouse in Drury-lano , but extraordinary business prevented her coming Being alone , when the play was over , she bade a boy call a coach for the City . One dressed liko a gentleman helps her into it and jumps in after her . ' Madam , ' says ¦ he , ' this coach was called for me , and since the weather is so bad , and there is no

      -other , I beg leave to bear you company . I am going into the City , and will sot you down wherever you please . ' The lady begged to be excused , but lie bade the coachman drive on . Being ; come to Ludgate-hill , ho told her his sister , who waited his coming five doors up the court , would go with her in two minutes . Ilo went jmd returned , with hia protended sister , who asked her to Btop in but otic minute , and she would wait upon her In the coach . The poor lady foolishly followed tier into the house , when Instantly the Bister vanished , and a tawny fellow in a black coat and a t rru Y ftp ? , earc ** * Madam , you are come in good time : the doctor was just a-going . ' The doctor \ says she , horridly frighted , fearing it was a . madhouso ; ' what has the doctor to do with me ? ' i . To marry yo » to that gentloman ; the doctor has waited

      for jou these three hours , and will be paid by you or that gentleman before von " ^ . ' That gentleman , ' says she , recovering -herself , 'is worthy a better fiXp i ° * mine , ' and begged hard to be gone . But Doctor Wryneck Lore she S « ried , or > f slip yonld not he . would still have his fee , and register the narr 11 T ~ that n , gh The lady finding she could not escape without money or a ' leW ^ them she liked the gentleman so well she would certainly meet hini [ to-morrow *^ * and gave them a ring as a pledge , ' which , ' ; says she , ' was my mother'SjX *' deathbed , enjoining that , if ever I married , it should be my yredcW riiS' 5 ? winch cunning contrivance she was delivered from the black doctor and ht \ y crew . ls « wny

      The lady who gives this account of the hazardous adventure of her ' friwwi curious to see something of these . Fleet marriages . " So " she savs " somo r 7 ^ this I went with this lady and her brother , in a coach , to ¦ Ludgate-hill in the'S to see the manner of their picking up people to be married . As soon as H stopped near Fleet-bridge , up conies one of the myrmidons . < Madam ' savs hi i want a parson ?» ¦ ' Who are you ? ' says I . < I am the clerk and registrniof 2 l'leet . ' ' Show me the chapel . At which comes a second , desiring me to « o « w with him . Says he , < That fellow will carry you to a puddling alehouse ' * Saw third , ' Gowith mo-he will carry you to a brandy-shop . ' Iu the interim " comes th « doctor : ' Madam , ' says he , Til do your job for you presently . ' ' Well , « ntlelJsays I , ' since you can ' t agree , and I can't be married quietly , I'll put it off « n another time ; so drove away . " ™ . The open manner iu which these things were done , as well as the competition ex isting among the several parsons , are shown in the following advertisement of which scores of a similar kind appeared in the newspapers : ' _ " Marriages with a license , certificateand a crown stamp , af a guinea at the

      , , new chapel , next door to the china-shop , near Fleet-bridge , London , by a regular-bred clergyman , and not by a Fleet parson , as is intimated in the public papers : and that the town may be freed of mistakes , no clergyman , being a prisoner in . the rules of the Fleet , dare marry , and , to obviate all-doubta , the chapel is not in the " , verge of the Fleet , but kept by a gentleman who was lately chaplain on board one of his Majesty ' s men-of-war , and likewise who had gloriously distinguished himself in defence of his king and country , and is above committing those little mean actions that some men

      impose on people , being determined to have everything conducted with- ' the utmost decency and regularity , such as shall all be supported in law and equity . " This worthy , while he indignantly repels the insinuation that lie was a Fleet parson , -- was , byIns own ' confession at least , a chaplain in thejkti . With the flavour of this lastjoke In their mouths our readers may part from the Eighteenth Century .,

      1026 - •' Tgb.-Jl J^Apbb.;. :- . [No. 34...

      1026 - •' TgB .-jL j ^ APBB . ; . :- . [ No . 344 , Sato * dAT . ———— " —^ — — - ¦ i , — . X . ¦

      The Camel In" Peace And War. The Camel: ...

      THE CAMEL IN" PEACE AND WAR . The Camel : his Organization , Habits and Uses , considered with reference to his Introduction into the United States . By GeorgeT . Marsh . ' " " Trtlbncr . A grant of thirty thousand dollars was made last year by the Government of the United States , for the introduction of a camel train into the American ai'my . For a long period the practicability of this scheme had been considered—b y Mr . G . P .-Marsh especially , Avho during a protracte ' residenced in the Turkish ' . territories , entered into a series of investigations in connexion with his favourite idea ; He journeyed in Egypt , Nubia , Arabia Petrtea , and Syria , saw the -Turcoman -camels , and others of northern breeds , employed Syria , saw the Turcoman camels , and others of northern breeds , employed

      in Asia Minor , and at Constantinople , consulted the works of " naturalists and travellers , and convinced himself that camels might advantag-eous / y . be introduced into the United States , not for military purposes -only . It -was unnecessary ,, perhaps , in support of this conclusion , to begin so ' vigorously ah ovo as to urge that the first command addressed to the human species by the Creator , enjoined it to have dominion over all other orders of living things . Some writers , American writers particularly , will have a solemn exordium ; but we are talking about camels , and it is afflicting -to struggle with . an introductory chapter which might have been composed by Lord Kaime or Goguet , or by . young llousseau , in an eccentric mood .

      With respect , to camels , he is , perhaps , not unjustifiably prolix . Sir Gardiner " Wilkinson , in his bold book on Egypt , denies that the . Orientals call this animal the Ship of the Desert , and Hitter confirms his assertion . Mr . Marsh is well read upon that point . One after another he hurls at Sir Gardiner and Hitter , Sir William Jones , Langles , Daumas , aw anonymous Arab poet , and Ilammer-Purgstall , so that we consider Wilkinson . and Milter confuted . But , not to idle among , the generalities of the subject , where Mr . Marsh is pleased too long to linger , it may he interesting to survey the grounds upon -which it is held that the camel may be successfully introduced into the United- States . The regions to the west of the Mississipp i arc principally kept in view in this discussion . So far as mere extremes of temperature are concerned they present none more violent than are to be found heatsi

      in the oldest homes of the camel , no fiercer or more continuous ' or withered deserts than those in which the Arabian species thrives in perfection ) no colder latitudes than those in which the Bactrian species has been perfectly naturalized . It is true that the western continent has , generally , ft nioister climate , subject to moro frequent rains , than the eastern ; and the camel thrives principally in countries which , ( luring a long season at least , are dry . Yet they are found in the valley of the lower _ Danube , and in several Northern Asiatic districts subject to very similar climatic conditions . In the cold and damp provinces of Russia they are less liable to disease ,, and attain greater longevity than in any other parts of the world , In the Crimea they are not used during the hot months , their services being most valuable during the bleak winters of that peninsula . . . in winch it is

      Moreover , those portions of the North American continent proposed to naturulizc the camel arc exceptions to the general ly mow' influence of the climate . They comprise the driest and least fertile surtiices ; —the Great Plain which forms the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains , and the Great Basin of the interior . The first division includes nearly tuo entire vnlley of the llio Grande , and stretches to the northernmost bounclap of the Union . Throughout this vnst space , which has an area < : onsideraljiy greater than that of all the American states east of the Alleft hanios , the touu annual p recipitation nowhere exceeds twonty-five inches , niul only m limited district attains that average . In the Great Basin the precipitation is less . Large tracts , indeed , closely resemble the deserts of Arabm , t ' O j i they arc less sandy , pasturage being afforded in adequate quantities , ^ 'j ^ tho supplies of water arc rare . There is , however , snys Mr . Mnrsli , u

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 25, 1856, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_25101856/page/18/