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قراءة كتاب Social England under the Regency, Vol. 1 (of 2)
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SOCIAL ENGLAND
UNDER
THE REGENCY.
BY
JOHN ASHTON,
AUTHOR OF "SOCIAL LIFE IN THE REIGN OF QUEEN ANNE," "OLD TIMES,"
"DAWN OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY," ETC.
WITH 90 ILLUSTRATIONS.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
London:
WARD AND DOWNEY,
12, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN.
MDCCCXC.
PREFACE.
Certainly, it is not the least part of an Author's reward, for all his pains and trouble, to find that the Public appreciates his efforts, and purchases, and reads his books.
This, I am happy to say, was specially the case with one of mine, "The Dawn of the Nineteenth Century." In it I wrote of Social England in the first decade of the century, leaving off at a time when George III. was hopelessly incompetent to govern, and a Regency was in progress of establishment.
The favour which the Public bestowed upon this book emboldens me to continue it, and sketch the men and manners of the Regency. Most books of this class deal mainly with the great ones of the land, but I have only done so where necessary to illustrate the history of the times, my aim being more to delineate the social condition of England, and her people; and this work will be found perfectly reliable as history, nothing being taken at second hand, but all compiled, even down to the illustrations, from original and contemporaneous authorities.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Page
The King's Malady — Former preparations for a Regency — King's recovery — The King at home — His love of music — Severe frost — Lucien Buonaparte a prisoner of war — French obstructions to commerce — A gallant merchantman 1
CHAPTER II.
A Regency inevitable — Prince of Wales waited on — He undertakes the Regency — French and English prisoners of war — Roman Catholic soldiers — Roughness of manners — Passing of Regency Bill — The Prince's companions — Inauguration of the Prince as Regent — Improvement in the health of the King 17
CHAPTER III.
Story of a crime — The Shanavests and the Caravats — Gluttony — Smuggling bullion — A Tar at the theatre — Deposition of French Colours in Whitehall Chapel — The Duke of York reinstated as Commander-in-Chief — The Regency Fête — Account of the entertainment 39
CHAPTER IV.
Ladies' dresses at the Fête — The banquet — Carlton House thrown open to the public — The crush — Sir F. Burdett's action against the Speaker — Relief of British Prisoners in France — Scarcity of guineas — Lord King and his tenants — Stories respecting the Currency 57
A smuggler's victim — Illness of Gilray — A gallant highwayman — A Witch — Bartholomew Fair — The Comet — A practical joke on the Queen — Woman's Cricket Match — Ballooning — French prisoners of war — Luddite riots — The King and his physicians — His health 75
CHAPTER VI.
1812.
The Regent's doings — The Royal Sprain — Colonel McMahon — Luddite and Factory Riots — Scarcity of Bullion — Murder of Mr. Perceval 97
CHAPTER VII.
French Prisoners of War — Repeal of the "Orders in Council" — Rejoicings for the Victory of Salamanca — Saturnalia thereat 119
CHAPTER VIII.
Chimney-sweeps — Climbing boys — Riot at Bartholomew Fair — Duelling — War with France — Declaration of war between England and America — Excommunication for bearing false witness — Early Steam Locomotives — Margate in 1812 — Resurrection men — Smithfield Cattle Club 133
CHAPTER IX.
1813.
High price of provisions — Luddites — Smuggling — Day of Humiliation — The Cossack — Mdlle. Platoff — Discovery of body of Charles I. at Windsor — The Queen and the mad woman — The fasting woman of Tutbury — Fight between the Shannon and the Chesapeake — Rejoicings for the Victory at Vittoria — Fête at Vauxhall — William Huntingdon, S.S. 149
CHAPTER X.
Emperor of Russia invested with the Garter — The Poet Laureate — French Prisoners of War — Joy over Napoleon's defeat at Leipsic — "Orange boven" — The Allies and the War with France — The War with America — The Princess Charlotte and her establishment — The Prince of Orange her suitor — The King's Health 179
A Cat in a Conflagration — Scramble for Exchequer Bills — A Matrimonial Dispute — An old Debtor — A Volunteer Dinner — A Man and Hedgehog — Torpedoes — Slavery — Gambling on Napoleon's Life — Gas Lighting