The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-01 00:00:00

Fraser's Magazine.

Mr. John Stuart Mill gives us the concluding
chapters of his essay on " Utilitarianism" in this
number. It bears, like all Mr. Mill's writings,
the impress of deep thought, a broad mind, and
great argumentative powers. The reader who does
not subscribe to the utilitarian theory will find plea-
Sure in studying the subject under the guidance of so
able a writer. A very interesting and agreeable
paper on " Clubs," takes a rapid glance over the
various assemblies which have borne that name
among us. The writer refers, of course, to those
fraternities of wits, philosophers, or sometimes
rogues, which have held periodical gather-
ings, and not to the stately buildings
of the present day, where membership de-
mands no special characteristics but a yearly
payment. Traces of clubs are found in England in
the early years of the fifteenth century, when " La
Court de Bonne Compagnie," an assembly of merry
fellows, held dining in fellowship as one of their
laws. The next convivial associations of note are
the celebrated clubs established by Raleigh and
Ben Jonson. "It was for the assembly at the
Devil Tavern near Temple bar, that Ben Jonson
wrote his famous Leges Conviviales, or rules for the
Tavern Academy, which would serve with scarcely
any alteration for a modern club of choice spirits."
It is mentioned as singular that although the club
was now a national institution, the word is
not found in the works of Shakspere or Ben
Jenson. It has been suggested that the
word is of Saxon origin, being derived from
" cleofan," to divide, in reference to the division
of expenses among the members. An amusing
account is given of the minor clubs which rejoiced
in most absurd titles, such as The Lazy, the Terri-
ble, the Club of Ugly Faces, established by a par-
son named Crab, of frightful visage ; the Broken
Shopkeeper's, which assembled at the appropriate
meeting place of The Tumbledown Dick in South-
wark. The Lying Club was instituted in 1709,
with the following high-minded motto,

" Say why should busy mortals be enjoined
To follow truth, since in this age we find
Officious lyes so useful to mankind."
The Virtuosi Club which was established by the
principal members of the Royal Society, is thus
humorously described by Ward in his " History of
Clubs.
" This club of Virtuosos, upon a full night—when some
eminent maggot-munger, for the satisfaction of the society,
had appointed to demonstrate the force of air by some
hermetical pop-gun, to show the difference of the gravity
between the smoak of tobacco and that of colt's foot and
bittany, or to try some other such like experiment—were
always composed of such an odd mixture of mankind, that
like a society of ringers at a quarterly feast, here sat a nice
beau next to a dirty blacksmith, there a purblind philoso-
pher next to a talkative spectacle maker; yonder, a whim of
quality next to a ragged mathematician; on the other side,
a consumptive astronomer next to a water-gruel physician;
above them, a transmutater of metals next to aPhilosopher-
stone hunter; and at ale lower end a prating engineer.
When they were thus met, happy was the man
that could find out a new star in the firmament, discover a
wry step in the sun's progress, assign new reasons for the
spots in the moon, or add one stick to the bundle of faggots