Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

PRECEDENCE.

THOUGH much has been already said upon the subject of Precedence, yet it still seems to deserve a Section to itself, as particularly connected with the title of my book, and a subject of pressing importance, in the affairs of this world. While the best-bred persons and personages in the community, are placed above all hazard of disputes, by their titles of Nobility, it seems a cruel case, by carrying the distinctions no lower, to have thrown such a bone of contention amongst the ignoble and untitled; amongst those too, who in not a few cases, may be destitute of that good breeding, and those polished manners, that are calculated, under all circumstances, to make life pass smoothly. 'People who have no title to distinction," says the Inspector, "are always most ambitious of it." Now this is really very provoking, but who in the world can help it? The same periodical writer, whose entertaining papers appeared about the middle of the last

66

century, (I believe they were chiefly from the pen of Dr. Hill) tells of a Lord Mayor's ball that was thrown into great confusion, by a dispute for precedence, between a "Watch-spring-maker's lady and the wife of a Watch-case-joint-finisher." The Lord Mayor himself, it seems, was quite incapable of deciding the matter between them, and I much question, if it had happened at the other end of the town, whether it might not have puzzled the Lord Chamberlain.

Had such a case been referred to Frederic II. of Prussia, he would probably have settled it, as he is reported to have done, by the lady of the President of the Court of Justice, and the lady of the President of the Chamber of Revenue at Cleves. The former having insisted upon taking place in all public assemblies, till she had wearied out the patience of her competitor, and mortified her pride past all bearing, as a last resource, the lady of the President of the Chamber of Revenue wrote to the King himself, desiring that his Majesty would be pleased graciously to interpose his authority, and declare once for all, which ought to go first. Frederic was at no loss to satisfy the complainant; how graciously I need not say; he immediately re

turned the following laconic answer :-" Let the greatest fool walk first."-This is told of Frederic in Dr. Towers's Life of that Monarch, and therefore I suppose it to be true; but the very same thing is related by St. Real of Charles Vth, who had a similar point to adjust between two ladies of fashion at Brussels. It is surprising, says the latter author, how polite the two ladies were to each other ever after, and how scrupulous of taking the lead!

The ladies' indictment of Timothy Treatall, Gent. in Mr. Bickerstaff's Court of Honour (Tatler, No. 262) for the great and unspeakable confusion he had occasioned, by desiring a party of ladies to take their places at his supper table, according to their age and seniority, is much of a piece with the above stories; the only difference being, that a few Tell-tale Parish Registers, to which Mrs. Fidget and Mrs. Fescue, are reported in the paper referred to, to have had recourse, might settle any disputes in regard to age at once; whereas, which were the greater fool or simpleton, of any two given ladies, disputing for precedence, on the mere ground of their own personal vanity, or private piques, might be a question to puzzle and perplex the subtlety of an

Edipus. The following story, related of Mr. George Colman the younger, is, I think, as neat an attempt to settle the question between age and precedence, as I ever remember to have heard. His present Majesty, when Prince of Wales, meeting Mr. C. at a party composed of the first wits of the day, gaily observed, that there were two Georges the younger in company, "But," continued his Royal Highness, "I should like to know, which is George the youngest?" "Oh!" replied Mr. Colman very happily, " I could never have had the rudeness to come into the world before your Royal Highness."

Having, as in duty bound, consulted the Register of Mr. Bickerstaff's Court of Honour, I am disposed to cite the following case, as suggesting a fair and ready mean of settling and adjusting any disputed points of ancestry—no very uncommon subject of jealousy and altercation. Dathan, a pedling Jew, and T. R. a Welchman, being indicted for having raised a disturbance, by a fierce and angry dispute about the antiquity of their families, the Jew pretending to be the son of Meshech, the son of Naboth, the son of Shalem, and so on to the end of the chapter; and Taffy, John ap Rice, ap Shenkin, ap Shones,.

(ap Endless and Eternity in short;) they were both sentenced to be tossed in a blanket, in order to prove by sensible demonstration, which could go highest, and as the Tatler expresses it," to adjust the superiority as they could agree on it between themselves."

The observation of the Spectator, (No. 119) that, generally speaking, "there is infinitely more to do about place and precedence in a meeting of Justices' wives, than in an assembly of Duchesses," must be received with some allowances. Duchesses can have no disputes. Their rank is known not only to themselves, and to each other, but to every body with whom they are likely to associate, and the Nobility may rejoice in being, for the most part, exempt from the confusions and perplexities of a promiscuous Drawing-room.

"I have known my friend Sir Roger de Coverly's dinner almost cold," adds the Spectator, "before the company could adjust the ceremonials of precedence, and be prevailed upon to sit down to table." And who has not seen the like, where it has been left entirely to the master or mistress of the house to arrange a company of untitled guests? Who has not seen the formal

« ZurückWeiter »