Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-10-27
WHEN GEORGE THIRD WAS KING.

In the second volume-just pubished-of
Nj. Massey s ell-planned History of Englan
during the reign of George the Third, there
is chapter upon English manners in the
young days of that king which brings together
very cleverly good many interesting details.
and which we must needs rifle of some of its
contents. The judcious critic will say that
the chapter is not fair that il tells all the evil
of this portion of our good old times, and
omits compcnsatng details. Very true-so
be it. The authors reply to the judicious
critic doubtless would be, that he tells of no
exceptional misdeeds or shortcomings: he
tells of what our forefathers did commu-
nifty. \ terrible picture of our own day might
be drawn from the criminal reports, and If Mr..
Aassey'S account of the early days Of George
the Third came from such sources, we certain
Jy could match il in the year one thousand
eigiis hundred and ifty-eght. But the con-
trast is fairly provoked, aud it comes strongly
in aid of our old doctrine, that bad society
may be nov, it has been worse and is becom-
ing bstter: that our duty is not to deplore the
past, but to apply all energy to the securing of
= noble future.
Great scandal is caused nowadays in the
church bv excess of zeal. But, in the early
days of George the Third, scandal arose from
excess OF infdelity. The supple family parson
with his bottle and his pack of cards-the Rev.
Mr.. Sampson, whose acquaintance we now
making in Mr.. Thackerays Firgiuians-be-
longs to the past of which we speak. Family
ljvings still exist; but they are not given to
secure bread to the family fool, to the dsrep-
utabc dependant of dssolute patron, to the
son of jobbing attorney in part payment for
service done, or to clients found in the worst
company. The greater proportion of the liv-
iugS,were, in the time of which we speak, thus
filled. OF the remainder: large part were IN
the hands Of gentlemen indeed, but of gentle
men who frcquented fashionable assemb blieS,
sauntered at watering places, haunted the
leyecs of great men. A clergyman who did
not chase the fox, was commonly hunter for
prefcrment; and with that view, would accom-
pany the young heir Oh the grand tour, NOM
inally as preceptor, really as scrvile com
panion. Or he woud write pamphlets and par
sgraphs for his employer, give his clerical in
fiucnce in his own parish at elections, even be-
come the distributor of bribes. Such men OBJ
tsined stalls, deaneries and bshoprics; and,
by their morals, cast discrcdit on the church.
All this lay at the root of that indifference to
religion which pervaded Hgood' society. Re-
Iigious observanccs were openly derided, and
no man who dreaded ridicule would venture,
an polite company, to show any respect tor
sacred things.
State patronage was in the kings hands;
and the royal power-even perhaps the Fro
testant successon-was maintained only by
the use abuse OF it. Sir Robert Walpoie
ras the first who Systematically carried on the
kings government by means of parliamentary
corruption He troubled himself little-writes
Nr. Massey-about any niceties or intrlcacles
OF management, but went straight to the point.
He bought the member with place; or, II he
only wanted vote, he bought II with money
taken from the sccret-service fund. Inc
Duke of Newcastle extended and organised
the system so successfully, that by its opera
tion alone in the absence of every other quail
iiication for power, he became, for some years.
the dictator of the administration. Ills plan
WAS to buy up the small constituencies. AT
one time he was said to have farmed, IN TINS
manner, one third of the House OF Commons.
The beau of the time OF Anne and OF the
Hanover succession painted and pcriumed
like woman. He took woman's time over
his toilet wore silks, brocades, lace, EN- broid-
ery. and Jewels. He seldom stirred ABROAD on
fofn except for a turn in the Mall and, II ne
Rad only TO cross the street from his lodging
to a tavern, he was conveyed in chalr- his
time, away from home, was spent IN gaiiantry
and gaming. He read plays, novels, lampoons
and tracts in ridiculc of religion, and con-
demned educated men as prigs and pedants.
The men of fashion who were men OF VIII,
however high their ambition, usually looked
low for their pleasure. When yindictive enc
mics sought for whatever charges could DIS
credit Sir Robert Walpole, not voice nfSed
against the minister the grossness OF ms con.
Yersation and the periodical debaucheries oI
Houghton, which were to the whole country
matters of talk, but not of censure They De-
longed to the life of the day. OF three men
VINO were leading ministers during the early
part OF the reign of George the Third, two,
Lord Sandwich and Sir Francis DashYood-
the one successfully Secretary of State and
First Lord of the Admiralty, the other Chan
cellor OF the Exchequer-were the most noto-
riously profiigate men of the day They were
the founders of the Franciscan Climb which,
In the ruins OF Medmenham Abbey, seoffed at
the sacred things of hearth and altar.
In those days ministers of state held daily
levees, at which bishops and priests, jobbing