The conduct of this party was of the most fulsome, nauseous, and slavish description. The Almighty, the church, and the king were the new Trinity now worshipped; and I am sorry to say it is difficult to state which of these divinities were most glorified: thus

"The mind of mortals, in perverseness strong,

Imbibes with dire docility the wrong." JUVENAL.

Notwithstanding the frivolity of the high-born, full-blooded cavalier, the bulk of the community still retained much of the good old English spirit.

There were many of the royalists who steadily exhibited the best days of Queen Elizabeth: they adhered to the primitive hours under all circumstances; and used the old fare at table, notwithstanding the introduction of French cookery. Before they attended to the regular affairs of the day, they went to their tavern or ale-house, and took their "morning," which consisted of a cup of ale or wine; when business was over, they attended their club or coffee-house, where they discussed on religion, politics, or literature.

Tea, coffee, and chocolate were now first introduced. According to Dryden's "Wild Gallant," they began to be relished as a morning draught by those who had been guilty of excessive drinking on the over-night; and they superseded those fiery liquors that had hitherto accompanied every meal. Thus arose the ever-reviving, ever-pleasant social tea-table.

If such remains of simplicity kept its ground in London in spite of so much evil example on one side, and too stiff a rigidity on the other always exhibited there, we must not wonder it was still more plentiful in the country. The baronial table was still, as it ought ever to have been, heart of oak, heavily laden with cheerful festivity; and the huge sirloins and lusty plum-puddings smoked to scorn every effort of French cookery of fashionable London.

The country squires still gave their tenants their annual feasts at their own houses, and kept up the natural tie still free, yet friendly and unbroken; so that it was a sort of politico family relationship; while the happy farmer, so well described by Cowper as

"An honest man, close button'd to the chin,
Broadcloth without, and a warm heart within,"

gave his jovial sheep-sheerings, harvest suppers, and other set feasts to his workmen and attendants.

These happy, these soul-enlivening, these heart-cheering feasts are all faithfully depicted in the old plays, which, when

now brought forward, are only intended to excite ridicule. Whereas every Englishman ought to blush with shame to think that he has most slavishly suffered himself to be robbed of the means by the never-ceasing tax-gatherer, which now prevents him from doing exactly the same.

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CLUBS.

AFTER the restoration of Charles II. came forth political clubs, for politics now were the great excitement; and here came extravagances of another description, equally turbulent and equally as base. They met at coffee-houses; and, as there must be at least two or more parties, each having its idols or factions, to prevent them from coming in open contact with each other, and having street scuffles, they wore ribands in their hats, to mark the distinction. One party wore green ribands, and was called the green riband club.*

In Dryden's time he thus notices clubs: "I would ask you one civil question; what right has any man among you, or any association of men, (to come nearer to you,) who out of parlia ment cannot be considered in a public capacity, to meet, as you daily do, in factious clubs, to vilifie the government in your discourses and to libel it in all your writings?"

Otway thus advises :

"Avoid the politic, the factious fool,

The busy, buzzing, talking, hardened knave;

The quaint smooth rogue, that sins against his reason,

Calls saucy loud sedition public zeal,

And mutiny the dictates of his spirit."

In fact, one would suppose that once merryc Englande," according to the diarists and the tracts of the times, was become a grand den of madmen all let loose, with some mischief-making demon always hurling in the air some new foot-ball to be scuffled and scrambled for.

How true is the following remark of Bolingbroke: "There is a time when factions, by their vehemence, stun and disable one another."

WHIG AND TORY.

IN 1679, according to Roger North, Tory had the start. It was applied to the Duke of York's friends: they were called at

first Yorkists, but that did not scandalize enough. Then came Tantivy, which implied riding post to Rome. Observing that the duke favoured Irishmen, all his friends were called Irish, or wild Irish, or bog-trotters; then Tory, which signified the most despicable savage among them; and, it being a round and clear-sounding word, it kept its hold.

After beating about for an opposite word, True Blues, Brumingam Protestants, (alluding to forged groats,) they hit upon Whig, which was very significant and vernacular in Scotland, meaning corrupt whey; that ran like wild-fire, and ran up a sharp score on the other side.*

At the revolution of 1688, Whig meant one who approved the setting aside King James II. and his heirs. At the American independence, in 1776, Whig meant setting aside George III. and his heirs for ever.

The following account of these parties and their places of meeting is from a late number of the "Gentleman's Magazine," which brings their history down to the close of the reign of the Stuarts:

"Among the most famous subscription coffee-houses of the olden time were Tom's and Will's, both in the neighbourhood of the theatres, of which we meet with the following curious notice in Mackay's Journey through England,' published in 1724: This amusing depicter of the manners of that period was lodged in Pall Mall, the ordinary residence of all strangers, because of its vicinity to the king's palace, the park, the parliament house, the theatres, and the chocolate and coffee houses, where the best company frequent. If you would know our manner of living, it is this: We rise by nine; and those who frequent great men's levees, find entertainment till eleven, or, as in Holland, go to tea-tables. About twelve the beau-monde assembles in several chocolate and coffee houses; the best of which are the Cocoa Tree, White's chocolate houses, St. James's, the Smyrna, and the British coffee houses, all of which are so near one another that in less than an hour you see the company of them all. We are carried to these places in sedanchairs, which are here very cheap-a guinea a week, or a shilling per hour; and your chairmen serve you for porters to run on errands, as your gondoliers do at Venice. If it be fine weather, we take a turn or two in the park till two, when we go to dinner; and if it be dirty, you are entertained at piquet or basset at White's, or you may talk politics at the Smyrna or St. James's. I must not forget to tell you that the parties have their different places, where, however, a stranger is always well received; but a Whig will no more go to the Cocoa Tree

* Examen.

or Orinda's, than a Tory will be seen at the coffee-house of St. James's. The Scots go generally to the British, and a mixture of all sorts to the Smyrna. There are other little coffee-houses much frequented in this neighbourhood. Young Man's, for officers; Old Man's, for stock-jobbers, paymasters, and courtiers; and Little Man's, for sharpers.' In another place some account is given of the most important of an infinity of clubs, or societies for the improvement of learning, and keeping up good humour and mirth;' as the Kit-catt, the Hanover, the October, and the several mug-house clubs.

"After the plays, the best company generally go to Tom's and Will's, near adjoining, where there is playing at piquet, and the best of conversation, till midnight. Here you will see blue and green ribands and stars sitting familiarly with private gentlemen, and talking with the same freedom as if they had left their quality and degrees of distance at home; and a stranger tastes with pleasure the universal liberty of speech of the English nation. Or, if you like rather the company of ladies, there are assemblies at most people of qualities' houses. In all the coffee-houses you have not only the foreign prints, but several English ones with the foreign occurrences, besides papers of morality and party disputes.

"Tom's coffee-house, No. 17 Great Russell-street, Covent Garden, was well known in 1713. There is now in existence two of the old card-tables, of plain solid mahogany, covered with green baize, the pools being marked off by green tape at the corners. On the hearth-stone of the fire-place is a deep indentation, worn, if not like the steps of Becket's shrine at Canterbury, by the devotees themselves, yet by their faithful and ever-attendant minister, who watched the happy moments when the bubbling coffee and the simmering chocolate had arrived at that state which rendered them most palatable and acceptable."

DUELS.

"Embrace, embrace, my sons! be foes no more,
Nor glad vile Jacobins with patriot gore !"

WHEN the lance and the battle-axe were laid aside, the rapier and dagger came into use in the reign before this; and the duello, or modern duel, now became the customary mode of

* Gentleman's Magazine, vol. xvi.

deciding the differences among gentlemen. In these encounters, which, as at present, arose not only out of private and personal quarrels, but also out of the great exciting public questions of the day, it would sometimes happen that the parties, though of high rank, belaboured each other stoutly with cudgels before proceeding to more knightly extremities. But even in the regular duel it was not unusual for unfair advantages of various kinds to be attempted to be taken by one or both parties, till the practice of appointing seconds in all cases was resorted to, in order to guard against such treacheries. Combatants also, before they encountered, sometimes searched each others' clothes, or, for better assurance, stripped and fought in their shirts.

Yet, when a duel was a grave and premeditated affair, and between men of nice honour and punctilio, the stately ceremonials of ancient chivalry were carefully observed. If the chalenge was delivered orally, it was with hat in hand, profound congees, and fervent protestations of respect; and if by letter, the length of the chalenger's sword was specified and the terms of the combat prescribed. If the party chalenged demurred at the invitation, the bearer gravely stuck the cartel upon the point of his sheathed rapier, and again tendered it; but if it was still refused, the weapon was gradually lowered, until the paper fell at the recusant's feet.* James, in his character of peace-maker, (and herein he deserves great praise,) found ample employment in composing the quarrels or preventing the duels of his nobles and courtiers. When the civil war broke out, there was fighting enough; and when that was over, the parliament put a final stop to it for a period. They were obliged, by law, to consider the maxim of Terence: "The falling out of faithful friends, the renewing is of friendship ;" and thus they composed their difficulties for a time.

In 1654 there were laws against duels, (and prohibiting cockfighting matches ;) duellists were to be imprisoned six months, and find bonds for good behaviour for one year after.

When the profligate, Charles II., came, and had innoculated with fresh virus the still dormant licentiousness, no wonder that the cruel and reckless duelling again sprouted forth.

Perhaps one of the most reckless instances ever on record was perpetrated during this reign it was the duel fought by the Duke of Buckingham and the Earl of Shrewsbury. The vile duke, having wounded the earl in " that nice point" which none but wittols quietly bear, encountered off-hand, and slew the earl; the viler countess standing by, disguised as a page, and holding the horse of her paramour, after whose fall she wel* Life of Lord Herbert of Cherbury.