The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-01-21

John Purcell, David Currie, Jr
VIM H MCFARLAND, Chm.
WM Z. MUNFoRD, Secy.
Mr.. Tkackerays Lectue.-When we reached the
hall of the Athenaum at the hour announced for
the opening of the doors last Friday night, the
house was SO densely packed that it was impossible
to obtain an entrance, while hundreds were en-
gagged in trying to refute the proposition that nc
two bodies can occupy the same space at the same
time" and as many more were leaving the house
without making an attempt. We managed to
squeeze in just far enough to get glimpse of the
bluff countenance and massive Uranium of the grea
satirist as he begun his lecture
Mr.. Thackeray commenced by saying that few
years since he was acquainted with a venerable
lady whose hand had been asked in marriage by
Horace Walpole who had been the personal friend
of Chesterfield Bolingbreke Fox, Pit, Prior Gray
and all the statesmen, poets politicians and terat
who had ourished during the last half of the 18th
century. and when he grasped her erfriendly hand
in return to her cordial greeting and heard her tel
of the times and scenes and actors of those bygone
days, he felt as if she was the connecting link be
tween all that had passed in those stirring times
and these in which we live; and thinking that
others as well as himself would like to know and
converse with those who had lived In former pc.
rodS TO learn how they lived and acted, he was in
duced TO prepare these lectures. He deemed it ne
cessary to say this much by way of preface, be-
cause he had been taken to task by sundry jour.
nails for not entering into the historic details of the
periods of which he spoke, and telling of all the
battles, seges, courts and treaties while in reality
tn TINS was NOT ms % ooeeI; he wished 70 lay aside
to gid the actions of party q king, and to
show If possible the details of the real life of those
who lived and moved and were the people of the
minnie descrntion os he family and eo,,5,trv
avar xybieb r,,iad tho s,,.r d,,i A S.s,... ~
last half of the I7th centnrv lived in nor,;en -
the kingdom of Hanover, and from whom sprung
the royal line now ruling over Great Britain
Hal Anl$ h..t.
suaI and besotted family who had NO nuslity bnt
brayery TO redeem q hundred fauIts and Woes
how thew lived in splendid castles and palaces and
hunted through maentcent marks in CAV apparel
to the sound Of bugIes while followed by lords and
ladies' the latter OF more than doubtful
how the household had large allowances of horses
and meat and wine in abundance and how they
lived and drank and feasted in magnificence; and
among q long list OF officers and servants and
grooms and cooks he grieved to say there were but
tsco oasherromen.
He also told us that to support all this folly and
waste and extravaganza, the peasantry were
made to toll and strive, and be robbed, and need
be, torn from their families and made soldiers Of
and II their masters required IT, they were sold ike
so many cattle to night for Catholic or Protestant
whoever needed their services and could pay 80
many ducats head for them. as In after years was
the case In quarrel with certain colonies be wot
of.how my lord duke would stake battalion OF
a string Of diamonds to hang on the neck of mis-
tress.
George the ist, and his adven. into England tell
ing how he was detained for some time by the
whims of his two favorites, afterwards known in
England as the Elephant and the Maypole, who did
not feel disposed to leave home just .hen.how the
Elephant at last packed up MS trunk ana started,
a nd the Maypole followed soon aIser-,ae lana'ng
:. h @ anu sh ,Ie mo o. nS ~