, 1860-10-12

enough, but we confess we are puzzled to know
whether the following is genuine or not. We
copied It from among number Of others, from
which it was undistinguishable by any peculiar
ity Of typo:-
TNHE Charitable AdUiee O6lce, where all per-
IL sons may have the opinion Of dignifed Cler-
gymen, learned Council graduate Physicians,
and experienced Surgeons, to any question in
Divinity, Morality, Law, Physic, or Surgery;
with proper Prescriptions, within twelve hours
after they have delivered in 4 state Of their case.
Those who can't write may have their cases
stated at the office. The fees are only Is
at delivery, or sending your case, and Is more
on re-delivering that and the opinion upon it
being what is thought sufficient to defray the
necessary expense Of servants and ofiice-rent-
Taller, December 1G, 17l0.
To pass, however, from the keen weapons Of
the brain to those Of flesh, It is interesting to fix
with some tOlerable accuracy tie change which
took place in the early part Of the eighteenth
century in what might be called the amusements
Of the fancy. The noble art Of defence, as it
was termed, up to the time Of the first George
seems to have consisted in the bfoad-sword ex-
ercise. Pepys describes in his Diary several
bloody encounters Of this kind which he him
self witnessed; and the following advertisement
half century later, shows that the skilled wea-
pom had not at that time been set aside for the
more brutal fist:-
A Tryal Of skill to be performed at His Ma
| IA jesty's Bear Garden in Hockley-in-the-
Hole, on Thursday next, being the 9th instant,
betwixt these following masters Edmund But
ton, master Of the noble science Of defence iCho
lateiv cut dourn Mr.. Hasgit and the Champion Of
the West, and besides, and James Harris an
Herefordshire man, master Of the noble science
Of defence, who has fought 9s prizes and never
was worstcd, to exercise the usual weapons at
o'clock in the afternoon precisely.-POaman,
July 4, l7O1.
The savage character Of the time may be
Judged from this public boast Of Mr.. Edmund
Button that he had cut down six men with a
murderous weapon.
Other advertisements about this time relate to
cock-matches, sometimes to last the week. to
buli-baiting, and, more cruel still, to dressing up
mad bulls with fireworks, in Orl,r 10 worry
them with dogs. The brutal tone Of manners,
which set in afresh with the IIAnovefian success
sion, might be alone gathered from the sO-caled
sporting advertisements Of the day, and we now
see that Hogarth, in his famous picture. had no
need to, and probably did not draw upon his
Imagination for the combination Of horrid cruel
ties therein depicted.
The very same spirit pervaded the gallantry
Of the day, and We print two advertisements,
one Of the time Of Anne; and the other Of the
age We are now illustrating, in order to contrast
their spirit. We give the more polished one
precedence -
A GENTLEMAN who, the twentieth instant
| IA. had the honour to conduct a lady out Of a
boat at Whitelall-stairs, desires to know where
be may wait on her to disclose a matter Of con-
cera. A letter directed to Mr.. Samuel Reeves,
to be left with Mr.. May, at the Golden Head,
the upper end Of New Southampton Street, Co
vent Gardcn.- Taller, March 2l, 1903.
A certain cOurty style and air Of good breed
ing pervades this advertisement, Of which Sir
Richard Steele himself need not have been
ashamed but what falling of is here!--
NNTHEREAS, young lady was at COvent
wv Garden playhouse last Tuesday night and
received blow with square piece Of wood on
her breast il the lady be single and meet me
on Sunday, at two o'clock on the Mall N q.
James Park. or send line directed for A. b.,
ID Mr. Jones's at the Sun Tavern in St Paups
Churhyard, where and when shah wait on her,
10 inform her Of something very much to her
advantage on honorable trms. her compliance
win be lasting pleasure 70 her most obedient
seryanL- Gensral Advertiser, Feb. 8, 174s.