Manners and customs of ye Englyshe

by Percival Leigh

MANNERS AND CVSTOMS

OF THE

ENGLYSHE.

anners and Cvstoms

OF ye ENGLYSHE

DRAWN FROM Y^e QVICK BY RYCHARD DOYLE.

---

TO WHICH BE ADDED SOME EXTRACTS FROM

r Pips hys Diary.

CONTRYBVTED BY PERCIVAL LEIGH

Published by BRADBURY & EVANS, 11, Bouverie Street, Fleet Street.

Printed by Bradbury & Evans, Whitefriars.

YE CONTRIBUTOR HYS PREFACE.

Suppose the great-grandfather of anybody could ſtep down from his picture-frame and ſtalk abroad, his deſcendant would be eager to hear his opinion of the world we live in. Moſt of us would like to know what the men of the Paſt; would ſay of the Preſent. If ſome old philoſopher, for inſtance Socrates, exchanging robes for modern clothes, leſt he ſhould be followed by the boys and taken up by the police, could reviſit this earth, walk our ſtreets, ſee our ſights, behold the ſcenes of our political and ſocial life, and, contemplating this buſtling age through the medium of his own quiet mind, ſet down his obſervations reſpecting us and our uſages, he would write a work, no doubt, very intereſting to her Majesty's ſubjects.

It would anſwer the purpoſe of a ſkilful literary enchanter to "unſphere the ſpirit of Plato," or that of Pythagoras, Aristotle, or any other diftinguiſhed ſage of antiquity, and ſend it out on its rambles with a commiſſion to take, and report, its views of things in general. But ſuch necromancy would have taſked even the Warlock of the North, would puzzle the wizard of any point of the compaſs, and, it is probable, could be cleverly achieved by no adept inferior to the ingenious Mr. Shakspeare.

However, there flouriſhed in a ſomewhat later day a philoſopher, for ſuch he was after his faſhion, a virtuoſo, antiquary, and F.R.S., whoſe ghoſt an inconſiderable perſon may perhaps attempt to raiſe without being accuſed of pretending to be too much of a conjuror. He appears to have been a Peripatetic, at leaſt until he could keep a coach, but on the ſubjects of dreſs, dining, and ſome others, his opinions favour ſtrongly of Epicuriſm. A little more than a hundred and eighty years ago he employed his leiſure in going about everywhere, peeping into everything, feeing all that he could, and chronicling his experiences daily. In his Diary, which happily has come down to our times, the hiſtorical fads are highly valuable, the comments moſtly ſenſible, the ſtyle is very odd, and the autobiography extremely ludicrous. I have adventured reverently to evoke this worſhipful gentleman, that, renaming his old vocation as a journaliſt, he might comment on the "Manners and Cvſtoms of ye Englyſhe in 1849," in the name of Mr. Pips. I hope his ſhadow, if not his ſpirit, may be recogniſed in the following pages.

PERCIVAL LEIGH.

Hammersmith,

December 12, 1849.

Chapters (not listed in original)

• An "At Home." Ye Polka.
• A Prospect of a Fashyonable Haberdasher hys Shope.
• Ye Fashonable Worlde takynge its Exercise in Hyde Parke.
• A Drawvnge Room Day. Saynte Iames hys Streets.
• Smythfield Cattle Markete.
• A Few Friends to Tea, and a Lyttle Mvsyck.
• Ye National Sporte!!! of Steeple Chasynge.
• Ye Commons Ressolved into a Commyttee of Ye Whole Hovse.
• Ye Pvblick its Excytemente on ve Appearance of Miss Lind.
• A Prospect of Exeter Hall. Showynge a Christian Gentleman Denovncynge ye Pope.
• Ye Exhybityon at ye Royal Academye.
• A View of Epsom Downes on ye Derbye Dave.
• A Prospect of Greenwich Fair.
• Kensyngton Gardens with ye Bande Playinge there.
• Hyghest Court of Law in ye Kyngdom. Ye Lords Hearyng Appeals.
• "Socyetye" Enioyinge Itselfe at a Soyreé.
• A View of Mr. Lorde hvs Cryket Grovnde.
• The Flower Showe at Chvsyk Gardens.
• A Raylwaye Meetynge. Emotyon of ye Shareholderes at ye Annovncemente of a Dividende of 2d.½.
• A Prospect of ye Thames its Regatta.
• A Raylway Statyon. Showynge ye Travellers Refreshynge Themselves.
• Ye Brytysh Granadiers a Moyntynge Gvard at St. Iames Hys Place Yarde.
• A Cydere Cellare Dvrvng a Comyck Sonce.
• Regente Strete at Fovr of ye Clocke, P.M.
• Ye Sport of Pvnte Fyshynge off Rychmonde.
• Blackwall. Showynge ye Pvblick a Dinynce ox Whytebait.
• Madame Tvssavd her Wax Werkes. Ye Chamber of Horrors!!
• Deere Stalkynge in ye Hyghlandes.
• Trycks of Ye London Trade.
• A Partie of Sportsmen ovt a Shvtynge.
• A Prospect of an Election.
• Ye Wyne Vavlts at ye Docks. Showynge a Partye Tastynge.
• A Weddynge Breakfaste.
• A Theatre, Showynge ye Hovse Amvsed by ye Comycke Actor.
• A Prospecte of ye Zoological Societve its Gardens. Feedynge ye Beasts.
• Westminster Hall, Showynge ve Ceremosve of Openynge Terme.
• A Prospecte of ye 5th of November, Showvnce ye "Gvys."
• A Banqvet Showvnge ye Farmers Friend Impressyngi on ye Acricvltvral Interest that it is Rvined.
• Appearance of ye Crymvnyal Covrte dvryng an "Interestyng." Tryal for Mvder.
• A Promenade Concerte.