ceiemonies ; who might ride in a carriage drawn by horses ; who must be content to sit behind mules ; whose sedan-chair might have fittings of ivory, whose of silver, &c. Not all ladies could attain to a seat in this little senate, which dealt with such delicate questions of etiquette ; but we find them forming other clubs of their own which occasionally meddled with questions of municipal, if not of general, interest. They deliberated on the rewards to be given to this or that magistrate, and voted funds for monuments and statues in honour of those who had earned their approbation. The names of women are not unfre- quently set down as patronesses of certain craft-gilds, of which they can hardly have been ordinary members ; and in one instance at least in Africa, and in another in Majorca, inscriptions distinctly mention that certain ladies
had filled all the official posts in a collegium.
Modern Clubs.—The word club, denoting the promotion of intercommunity and good fellowship, is not very old, and only became common in the time of the T-.itler and Spec tator ; it claims a descent, however, from the Anglo-Saxon, being derived from cleofan, to divide, because the expenses are divided into shares. Thomas Occleve (temp. Henry IV.) mentions a club designated La Court de Bone Compaignie of which he was a member. Aubrey (1659) speaks thus of the word : " We now use the word clubbe for a sodality in a taverne." He also mentions the ballot box, that potential instrument too often used in modern days for the indulgence of secret spleen : "Here we had (very formally) a ballotting box, and bal lotted how things should be carried." Dr Johnson, according to Boswell, defines a club to be an "assembly of good fellows meeting under certain conditions." And to the same authority may be traced the words " clubable " and " unclubable."
The numerous London clubs which sprang into existence in the last and previous century had their place and origin almost entirely in the coffee-houses and taverns then so much in vogue. Of these the earliest known was the Bread Street or Friday Street Club originated by Sir Walter Raleigh, and meeting at the Mermaid Tavern. Shakespeare, Beaumont, Fletcher, Selden, Donne, and others were members of this club. Other clubs were subsequently formed, such as that meeting at the Devil Tavern near Temple Bar, of which Ben Jo.nson was supposed to be the founder; and later on (in 1764) we find the Literanj Club was established chiefly at the instance of Sir Joshua Reynolds, which soon acquired a renown no more than pro portionate to its merits a renown maintained and brought down to the present day.
Addison, in the Spectator, has a paper on the clubs of his day (No. 9, vol. i. 1710). Of the description of club there sketched many exist at the present time, having no object but that of good fellowship and dining. In this category may be included the Royal Society Club, the history of which has been written by the late Admiral Win. Henry Smyth, F.R.S., in the privately printed Sketch of the Else and Progress of the Royal Society Club, published in I860.
Of the more notable of the clubs of the past and the early part of the present century but few resembled the club of the Victorian era. Of those which survive may be mentioned Wldte s, originally established in 1698. This club was formerly of a high Tory character, and though no longer political is still somewhat conservative and undoubt edly aristocratic. Brooks s club, similar to White s in the character of its members, and nearly coeval in date, has continued to maintain a political aspect, and is considered to be identified with Whig principles. Boodle s, of later date, has always been deemed the resort of country gentle men, and especially of masters of fox-hounds. Arthur s, in some respects an offshoot of White s, was established fully a century ago, and continues to this day a club of gentle men associated for no special purpose, but united cnly by congeniality of tastes and ideas.
The number of regularly established clubs in London is upwards of fifty, divided into political, literary and scien tific, university, naval and military, and general clubs. Of the political clubs the principal are the Carlton, the Conserva tive, the Junior Carlton, and the St Stephen s, the Reform, and the Devonshire (a kind of junior Reform club), the conditions of admission into which are of a political nature. Of the literary and scientific, the Athenveum was " insti tuted for the association of individuals known for their scientific or literary attainments, artists of eminence in any class of the fine arts, and noblemen and gentlemen distinguished as liberal patrons of science, literature, or the arts," and has long enjoyed a high reputation, rendering admission to its ranks both tedious as regards the length of time a candidate has to wait before being put up for ballot, and difficult when he is subjected to that crucial test. Of university clubs the United University is the oldest, the others being the Oxford and Cambridge, the New University, and others, the qualification for mem bership of winch would be that of connection with the chief universities. The naval and military clubs include the United Service, the Junior United Service, the Army and Navy, with numerous others intended for military and naval officers, and in some instances for officers of militia. The general clubs include the Travellers , to be deemed eligible for which a candidate must have " travelled out of the British Islands to a distance of at least 500 miles from London in a direct line " (not a very onerous condition in the present day, but one of some weight in 1815 when the club was founded), and the Oriental and East India United Service clubs, intended more especially for members of Her Majesty s Indian services both civil and military. Besides these there are numerous clubs of a special character, such as the Windham, whose object is stated to be " to secure a convenient and agreeable place of meeting for a society of gentlemen all connected with each other by a common bond of literary or persona] acquaintance;" the National club, consisting of "members who hold the doctrines and principles of the Reformed faith, as revealed in Holy Scripture, asserted at the Reformation, and generally embodied in the articles of the Church of England;" or the Garrick, which was instituted in 1831 for "the general patronage of the drama, for bringing together the supporters of the drama, and for the formation of a theatrical library with works on costume. 1
This list might be extended, but the general aims of thp modern style of club are sufficiently indicated in this reference to the salient features of the clubs named.
The architectural elevations of the London club-houses are such as have lent dignity and character to the parts of London in which they are situated. Pull Mall notably is thus now a street of palaces. Nor should the contents of these handsome and convenient mansions pass unnoticed. The Athenceumlias probably the choicest library of its kind, consisting mainly of books of reference, and including 45,000 volumes. The Garrick club has an exceedingly valuable collection of oil and water-colour paintings, chiefly as might be expected, relating to dramatic episodes. The United Service, the Reform, the Oriental, and some other clubs have an assemblage of portraits of members who have won fame, or of paintings of celebrated battles and public events. The furniture and arrangements of the different apartments correspond to the exteriors, every convenience and luxury being placed at the disposal of the members.
the committee alone have the power of choosing new
members. In others the election is by ballot of the whole