Curiosities of Civilization Part 1

Curiosities of Civilization.

by Andrew Wynter.

TO THE READER.

The following Essays have been reprinted from the pages of the _Quarterly_ and _Edinburgh Reviews_, with the kind permission of their proprietors. It may be necessary, however, to state that, with the exception of the paper on the "Mortality in Trades and Professions," which was published in the _Edinburgh Review_ of January, 1860, the whole of them have appeared in the _Quarterly Review_ during the last six years. The date of each essay is given in the list of contents; but, where necessary, corrections have been made, so as to bring each article up to the knowledge of the present day.

A. W.

COLEHERNE COURT, OLD BROMPTON.

_August, 1860._

ADVERTIs.e.m.e.nTS.

It is our purpose to draw out, as a thread might be drawn from some woven fabric, a continuous line of advertis.e.m.e.nts from the newspaper press of this country, since its establishment to the present time; and, by so doing, to show how distinctly, from its dye, the pattern of the age through which it ran is represented. If we follow up to its source any public inst.i.tution, fas.h.i.+on, or amus.e.m.e.nt, which has flourished during a long period of time, we can gain some idea of our national progress and development; but it strikes us that in no manner can we so well obtain at a rapid glance a view of the salient points of generations that have pa.s.sed, as by consulting those small voices that have cried from age to age from the pages of the press, declaring the wants, the losses, the amus.e.m.e.nts, and the money-making eagerness of the people.

As we read in the old musty files of papers those _nave_ announcements, the very hum of bygone generations seems to rise to the ear. The chapman exhibits his quaint wares; the mountebank capers again upon his stage; we have the living portrait of the highwayman flying from justice; we see the old china auctions thronged with ladies of quality with their attendant negro boys, or those "by inch of candlelight" forming many a Schalken-like picture of light and shade; or, later still, we have Hogarthian sketches of the young bloods who swelled of old along the Pall-Mall. We trace the moving panorama of men and manners up to our own less demonstrative but more earnest times; and all these cabinet pictures are the very daguerreotypes cast by the age which they exhibit, not done for effect, but faithful reflections of those insignificant items of life and things, too small, it would seem, for the generalizing eye of the historian, however necessary to clothe and fill in the dry bones of his history.

The _English Mercurie_ of 1588, which professes to have been published during those momentous days when the Spanish Armada was hovering and waiting to pounce upon our southern sh.o.r.es, contains, among its items of news, three or four book advertis.e.m.e.nts, and these would undoubtedly have been the first put forth in England were that newspaper genuine. Mr.

Watts, of the British Museum, has, however, proved that the several numbers of this journal to be found in our national library are gross forgeries, and, indeed, the most inexperienced eye in such matters can easily see that neither their type, paper, spelling, nor composition are much more than one, instead of upwards of two centuries and a half old.

Newspapers, in the strict sense of the word--that is, publications of news appearing at stated intervals, and regularly paged on--did not make their appearance until the latter end of the reign of James I. The _Weekely Newes_, published in London in 1622, was the first publication which answered to this description; it contained, however, only a few sc.r.a.ps of foreign intelligence, and was quite dest.i.tute of advertis.e.m.e.nts. The terrible contest of the succeeding reign was the hotbed which forced the press of this country into sudden life and extraordinary vigour. Those who have wandered in the vaults of the British Museum and contemplated the vast collection of political pamphlets and the countless Mercuries which sprang full armed, on either side of the quarrel, from the strong and earnest brains which wrought in that great political trouble, will not hesitate to discover, amidst the hubbub of the Rebellion, the first throes of the press of England as a political power. At such a time, when Marchmort Needham fell foul with his types of Sir John Birkenhead and the court party which he supported, with as heavy a hand and as dauntless a will as Cromwell hurled his Ironsides at the Cavaliers at Naseby, it is not likely that we should find the press the vehicle to make known the goods of tradesmen, or to offer a reward for stolen horses. The shopkeepers themselves, as well as the n.o.bility, were too hard at it, to avail themselves of this new mode of extending their trade: they had to keep guard over the malignants, to cover the five members with the s.h.i.+eld of their arms, to overawe Whitehall, to march to the relief of Gloucester,--objects quite sufficient to account for the fact that the train-bands were not advertisers. After the king's death, however, when the Commonwealth had time to breathe, the people seem to have discovered the use of the press as a means of making known their wants and of giving publicity to their wares. The very first advertis.e.m.e.nt we have met with, after an active search among the earliest newspapers, relates to a book which is ent.i.tled--

Irenodia Gratulatoria, an Heroick Poem; being a congratulatory panegyrick for my Lord General's late return, summing up his successes in an exquisite manner.

To be sold by John Holden, in the New Exchange, London. Printed by Tho. Newcourt, 1652.

This appeared in the January number of the Parliamentary paper _Mercurius Politicus_. It is evidently a piece of flattery to Cromwell upon his victories in Ireland, and might have been inserted at the instigation of the great Commonwealth leader himself. Booksellers appear to have been the first to take advantage of this new medium of publicity, and for the obvious reason that their goods were calculated for the readers of the public journals, who at that time must have consisted almost exclusively of the higher orders. From this date to the Restoration the quaintest t.i.tles of works on the political and religious views, such as were then in the ascendant, are to be found in the _Mercurius Politicus_: thus, we have "Gospel Marrow;" "A few Sighs from h.e.l.l, or the Groans of a d.a.m.ned Soul;"

"Michael opposing the Dragon, or a Fiery Dart struck through the Kingdom of the Serpent." And in the number for September, 1659, we find an advertis.e.m.e.nt which seems to bring us face to face with one of the brightest names in the roll of English poets:--

Considerations touching the likeliest means to remove Hirelings out of the Church; wherein is also discours'd of t.i.thes, Church Fees, Church Revenues, and whether any maintenance of Ministers can be settled by Law. The author, J. M. Sold by _Livewell Chapman_, at the Crown in Pope's Head Alley.

In juxtaposition to these ill.u.s.trious initials we find another advertis.e.m.e.nt, which is the representative of a cla.s.s that prevailed most extensively at this early time--the Hue and Cry after runaway servants and lost or stolen horses and dogs. Every generation is apt to praise, like Orlando, "the antique service of the old world;" but a little excursion into the regions of the past shows us how persistent this cry has been in all ages. Employers who are in the habit of eulogising servants of the "old school," would be exceedingly astonished to find that two hundred years ago they were a very bad lot indeed, as far as we can judge from the advertis.e.m.e.nts of rewards for the seizure of delinquents of their cla.s.s.

Here is a full-length portrait of apparently a runaway apprentice, as drawn in the _Mercurius Politicus_ of July 1st, 1658:--

If any one can give notice of one _Edward Perry_, being about the age of eighteen or nineteen years, of low stature, black hair, full of pockholes in his face; he weareth a new gray suit trimmed with green and other ribbons, a light Cinnamon-colored cloak, and black hat, who run away lately from his Master; they are desired to bring or send word to _Tho. Firby_, Stationer, at Gray's Inne gate, who will thankfully reward them.

It will be observed that the das.h.i.+ng appearance of this runaway apprentice, habited in his gray suit trimmed with green ribbons, and furbished off so spicily with his cinnamon-coloured cloak, is rather marred by the description of his face as "full of pockholes." Unless the reader has scanned the long list of villanous portraits exhibited by the Hue and Cry in the old papers of the last portion of the seventeenth and first portion of the eighteenth centuries, he can form but a faint conception of the ravages committed by the small-pox upon the population.

Every man seemed more or less to have been speckled with "pockholes," and the race must have presented one moving ma.s.s of pits and scars. Here, for instance, is a companion picture to hang with that of Edward Perry, copied from the _Mercurius Politicus_ of May 31st, 1660:--

A Black-haired Maid, of a middle stature, thick set, with big b.r.e.a.s.t.s, having her face full marked with the smallpox, calling herself by the name of _Nan_ or _Agnes Hobson_, did, upon Monday the 28 of _May_, about six o'Clock in the morning, steal away from her Ladies house in the Pal-mall a mingle-coloured wrought Tabby Gown of Deer colour and white; a black striped Sattin Gown with four broad bone-black silk Laces, and a plain black-watered French Tabby Gown; Also, one Scarlet-coloured and one other Pink-coloured Sarcenet Peticoat, and a white watered Tabby Wastcoat, plain; Several Sarcenet, Mode, and thin black Hoods and Scarfs, several fine Holland s.h.i.+rts, a laced pair of Cuffs and Dressing; one pair of Pink-coloured Worsted Stockings, a Silver Spoon, a Leather bag, &c. She went away in greyish Cloth Wastcoat turned, and a Pink-coloured Paragon upper Peticoat, with a green Tammy under one. If any shall give notice of this person, or things, at one _Hopkins_, a Shoomaker's, next door to the Vine Tavern, near the Pal-mall end, near Charing Cross, or at Mr. _Ostler's_, at the Bull Head in Cornhill, near the Old Exchange, they shall be rewarded for their pains.

Scarcely a week pa.s.ses without such runaways being advertised, together with a list of the quaint articles of which their booty consisted. At the risk of wearying the reader with these descriptions of the "old-fas.h.i.+oned"

sort of servants, we give another advertis.e.m.e.nt from the _Mercurius Politicus_ of July 1st 1658:--

One _Eleanor Parker_ (by birth _Haddock_), of a Tawny reddish complexion, a pretty long nose, tall of stature, servant to Mr.

_Frederic Howpert_, Kentish Town, upon Sat.u.r.day last the _26th of June_, ran away and stole two Silver Spoons; a sweet Tent-work Bag, with gold and silver Lace about it, and lined with Satin; a Bugle work-Cus.h.i.+on, very curiously wrought in all manners of slips and flowers; a Sh.e.l.l cup, with a Lyon's face, and a Ring of silver in its mouth; besides many other things of considerable value, which she took out of her Mistresses Cabinet, which she broke open; as also some Cloaths and Linen of all sorts, to the value of Ten pounds and upwards. If any one do meet with her and please to secure her, and give notice to the said _Frederic Howpert_, or else to Mr. _Malpa.s.s_, Leather-seller, at the Green Dragon, at the upper end of Lawrence Lane, he shall be thankfully rewarded for his pains.

An advertis.e.m.e.nt which appears in the same paper, of the date of August 11th, 1659, gives us the first notice we have yet found of the service of negro boys in this country. From this period, however, as we shall presently show, England, at least the fas.h.i.+onable part of it, seems to have swarmed with young blackamoors in a greater degree than we should have imagined even from the familiar notice made of them in the pages of the "Tatler" and "Spectator." These early negroes must have been imported from the Portuguese territories, as we did not deal in the article ourselves till the year 1680. The amusing point of the following advertis.e.m.e.nt, however, is the a.s.surance it gives us that the Puritans "polled" their negroes as well as themselves.

A Negro-boy, about nine years of age, in a gray Searge suit, his hair cut close to his head, was lost on Tuesday last, _August 9_, at night, in _S. Nicholas_ Lane, _London_. If any one can give notice of him to Mr. _Tho. Barker_, at the Sugarloaf in that Lane, they shall be well rewarded for their pains.

About this time we find repeatedly advertised the loss of horses. It is observable that during the "troubles" such things as highwaymen were unknown. The bold, unruly characters, who at a later date took to the road, were then either enlisted under the banners of the state or had gone over the sea to Charlie. The great extent to which horse-stealing prevailed during the Commonwealth period, and, indeed, for the next half-century, might possibly be ascribed to the value of those animals consequent upon the scarcity produced by the casualties of the battle-field. We cannot account, however, for one fact connected with the horse-stealing of the Commonwealth period, namely, that when at gra.s.s they were often kept _saddled_. The following advertis.e.m.e.nt, which is an ill.u.s.tration of this singular custom, is very far from being an uncommon one:--

A small black NAG, some ten or eleven years old, no white at all, bob-Tailed, wel forehanded, somewhat thin behind, thick Heels, and goeth crickling and lamish behind at his first going out; the hair is beat off upon his far Hip as broad as a twelvepence; he hath a black leather Saddle trimmed with blew, and covered with a black Calves-skin, its a little torn upon the Pummel; two new Girths of white and green thread, and black Bridle, the Rein whereof is sowed on the off side, and a knot to draw it on the near side, Stoln out of a field at _Chelmsford_, _21 February_ instant, from Mr. _Henry Bullen_.

Whosoever can bring tidings to the said Mr. _Bullen_ at _Bromfield_, or to Mr. _Newman_ at the Grocer's Arms in _Cornhil_, shall have 20_s._ for his pains.--_Mercurius Politicus_, February 24, 1659.

It could scarcely have been, in this particular case at least, that the exigencies of the time required such precautions, as the only rising that took place this year occurred six months afterwards in the county of Chester. The furniture of the nag, it must be confessed, seems remarkably adapted for service, and might, from its colour, have belonged to a veritable Ironside trooper. Another reason, perhaps, of the great value of horses at this period, was the establishment of public conveyances, by which means travellers as well as letters were conveyed from one part of the kingdom to the other. Prior to the year 1636 there was no such thing as a postal service for the use of the people in this country. The court had, it is true, an establishment for the forwarding of despatches, but its efficacy may be judged of from a letter written by one Bryan Tuke, "master of the postes" in Henry VIII.'s time, to Cromwell, who had evidently been sharply reproving him for remissness in forwarding the king's papers:--

"The Kinges Grace hath no mor ordinary postes, ne of many days hathe had, but betweene London and Calais.... For, sir, ye knowe well that, except the hackney-horses betweene Gravesende and Dovour, there is no suche usual conveyance in post for men in this realme as in the accustomed places of France and other partes; ne men can keepe horses in redynes withoute som way to bere the charges; but when placardes be sent for suche cause (to order the immediate forwarding of some state packet) _the constables many tymes be fayne to take horses oute of ploues and cartes, wherein can be no extreme diligence_."

This was in the year 1533. Elizabeth, however, established horse-posts on all the great routes for the transmission of the letters of the court; and this, in 1633, was developed into a public post, which went night and day at the rate of seven miles an hour in summer and five miles in winter--not such bad travelling for those days. Still there was no means of forwarding pa.s.sengers until the time of Cromwell, when we find stagecoaches established on all the great roads throughout the kingdom. We do not know that we have ever seen quoted so early a notice of public stage conveyances. We have evidently not given our ancestors so much credit as they deserved. The following advertis.e.m.e.nt shows the time taken and the fares of a considerable number of these journeys:--

From the 26 day of April 1658 there will continue to go Stage Coaches from the _George_ Inn, without Aldersgate, _London_, unto the several Cities and Towns, for the Rates and at the times, hereafter mentioned and declared.

_Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday._

To _Salisbury_ in two days for xx_s._ To _Blandford_ and _Dorchester_ in two days and half for x.x.x_s._ To _Burput_ in three days for x.x.x_s._ To _Exmaster_, _Hunnington_, and _Exeter_ in four days for xl_s._

To _Stamford_ in two days for xx_s._ To _Newark_ in two days and a half for xxv_s._ To _Bawtrey_ in three days for x.x.x_s._ To _Doncaster_ and _Ferribridge_ for x.x.xv_s._ To _York_ in four days for xl_s._

_Mondays_ and _Wednesdays_ to _Ockinton_ and _Plymouth_ for l_s._

Every _Monday_ to _Helperby_ and _Northallerton_ for xlv_s._ To _Darneton_ and _Ferryhil_ for l_s._ To Durham for lv_s._ To _Newcastle_ for iii_l._

Once every fortnight to _Edinburgh_ for iv_l._ a peece--_Mondays_.

Every _Friday_ to _Wakefield_ in four days, xl_s._

All persons who desire to travel unto the Cities, Towns, and Roads herein hereafter mentioned and expressed, namely--to _Coventry_, _Litchfield_, _Stone_, _Namptwich_, _Chester_, _Warrington_, _Wiggan_, _Chorley_, _Preston_, _Gastang_, _Lancaster_, and _Kendal_; and also to _Stamford_, _Grantham_, _Newark_, _Tuxford_, _Bawtrey_, _Doncaster_, _Ferriebridge_, _York_, _Helperly_, _Northallerton_, _Darneton_, _Ferryhill_, _Durham_, and _Newcastle_, _Wakefield_, _Leeds_, and _Halifax_; and also to _Salisbury_, _Blandford_, _Dorchester_, _Burput_, _Exmaster_, _Hunnington_, and _Exeter_, _Ockinton_, _Plimouth_, and _Cornwal_; let them repair to the _George_ Inn at _Holborn Bridge, London_, and thence they shall be in good Coaches with good Horses, upon every _Monday_, _Wednesday_, and _Fridays_, at and for reasonable Rates.--_Mercurius Politicus_, April 1, 1658.

Other announcements about the same time prove that the Great Western road was equally provided, as well as the Dover route to the continent. It is not a little singular, however, that regularly-appointed coaches, starting at stated intervals, should have preceded what might be considered the simpler arrangement of the horse service. That the development of the postal system into a means of forwarding single travellers did not take place until some time afterwards, would appear from the following:--

_The Postmasters on_ Chester _Road, pet.i.tioning, have received Order, and do accordingly publish the following advertis.e.m.e.nt_:--

All Gentlemen, Merchants, and others, who have occasion to travel between _London_ and _Westchester_, _Manchester_, and _Warrington_, or any other Town upon that Road, for the accommodation of Trade, dispatch of Business, and ease of Purse, upon every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday Morning, betwixt Six and ten of the Clock, at the House of Mr. _Christopher Charteris_, at the sign of the Hart's-Horn, in West-Smithfield, and Post-Master there, and at the Post-Master of _Chester_, at the Post-Master of _Manchester_, and at the Post-Master of _Warrington_, may have a good and able single Horse, or more, furnished at Threepence the Mile, without the charge of a Guide; and so likewise at the House of Mr. _Thomas Challenor_, Post-Master at _Stone_ in _Staffords.h.i.+re_, upon every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sat.u.r.days Morning, to go for _London_. And so likewise at the several Post-Masters upon the Road, who will have all such set days so many Horses with Furniture in readiness to furnish the Riders without any stay to carry them to or from any the places aforesaid, in Four days, as well to _London_ as from thence, and to places nearer in less time, according as their occasions shall require, they ingaging at the first Stage where they take Horse, for the safe delivery of the same to the next immediate Stage, and not to ride that Horse any further without consent of the Post-Master by whom he rides, and so from Stage to Stage to their Journeys end. _All those who intend to ride this way are desired to give a little notice beforehand, if conveniently they can, to the several Post-masters where they first take horse, whereby they may be furnished with so many Horses as the Riders shall require with expedition._ This undertaking began the 28 of _June_ 1658 at all the Places abovesaid, and so continues by the several Post-Masters.

The intimation that these horses might be had without the "charge of a guide" gives us an insight into the bad condition of the roads up to that period. We can scarcely imagine, in these days, the necessity for a guide to direct us along the great highways of England, and can with difficulty realize to ourselves the fact that as late as the middle of the seventeenth century the interior of the country was little better than a wilderness, as we may indeed gather from Pepy's journey from London to Bristol and back, in which the item "guides" formed no inconsiderable portion of his expenses.

In turning over the musty little quarto newspapers which mirror with such vividness the characteristic lineaments of the Commonwealth period, not yet left behind us, we chanced upon an advertis.e.m.e.nt which tells perhaps more than any other of the dangerous complexion of those times. It is an advertis.e.m.e.nt for some runaway young "sawbones," whose love of desperate adventure appears to have led him to prefer the tossing of a pike to pounding with a pestle:--

_George Weale_, a Cornish youth, about 18 or 19 years of age, serving as an Apprentice at _Kingston_ with one Mr. _Weale_, an Apothecary, and his Uncle, about the time of the rising of the Counties _Kent_ and _Surrey_, went secretly from his said Uncle, and is conceived to have engaged in the same, and to be either dead, or slain in some of those fights, having never since been heard of, either by his said Uncle, or any of his Friends. If any person can give notice of the certainty of the death of the said _George Weale_, let him repair to the said Mr.

_Graunt_ his House in Drum-alley in Drury Lane, _London_; he shall have twenty s.h.i.+llings for his pains.--_Mercurius Politicus_, Dec. 8, 1659.