Barbara Philpot Author:Lewis Wingfield Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: volume as it goes—contingents from Golden Square, from Marlborough Street and Soho, where dwell the politest quality. It must be something of grave import thus t... more »o change the habits of the great, for time-honoured barriers are broken down, established usage overset. On the ordinary days of the usual season, a Tory would no more be seen at the St. James's than a Whig at the Cocoa Tree, yet they tear in and out, now, of the first coffee-house that offers, mad for intelligence, chattering the while like pyes. Moreover, though 'tis not yet one of the clock, the tawdry crew are painted, powdered, patched—armed cap-a-pie—instead of looming dyspeptically, as their way is at this hour, in deshabille, jaundiced and blear-eyed, in curl-papers and velvet caps. Reason hath, for some reason, good-humouredly vacated her seat in favour of Disorder. Hundreds of broken panes smashed in mere wantonness recall the riot of last night, for which, by-the-way, thanks to the Jubilee, none have received punishment. Was not the damage done in effervescing loyalty ? and were not the Justices themselves so drunk with toasts as to be unable to attend to business ? 'Twas but a jolly skirmish, not a serious battle. All are in high spirits, bent on holiday. Yonder a trumpeter and drummer collect a crowd to tell of a wondrous calf with six legs and a topknot. Muzzled bears force their solemn way to remind those whom it concerns that there'll be sport at Hockley. Whorecks of the passing funeral with its train of broad- shouldered mutes, each with a sprig of rosemary held to his ruby nose ? 'Tis but the passing shadow that makes the day more bright. Though we must die some day, let us be merry now; for the new sun hath risen, and is shining cloudless. Even yonder gamester, who comes slowly out of White's with knuckl...« less