The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-08-16

A LEGEND OF OLD vAUxHALL.
tFrOm cassell's xsgarins J

came more fashionable than ever about l72S,
when certain Jonathan Tyers took them
Roueilliac carved and cast statues of Handel
and Milton, Hogarth painted designs for the chief
| psviioDs, and Doctor Arne composed ballads
| for the orchestra. The gardens opened in 1872
| with RidottO, at which Frederick. prince OF
wales was present, and one hundred of the foot
| guards kept order.
Let Us light once more the thousand lamps in
The old gardens of London pleasure and folly I;
! let them once more glimmer on green leaves; ;
let Us place in the orchestra the musical gentle.
men IN cooked hats who play Arne's music; let
4 us again fill the long walks with redheeled dan
dies parsons 10 flowing cassocks and bands sly
| pckpockets, clustering Over.dressed highway
| men, with nags at the gate ready 10 mount for
quiet moonlight canters on BagshOt or H1unslOW
| Heatbs let ladies' ia flowing silk and mountain.
Gus beaddresses mingle in the crowd-whe we
revive one Of the most curious of the old legends
OF Vsuxhall, and, armed with the perpetual gold
| ticket given by Tyefs to HOgarth we enter the
chief gate, and imagine for few moments the
gayety snd noise of l773.
Thanks to some old Macaroni magazines Of the
exact date, we can describe the appearance Of the
actors in the following little drama with uAerrng
exacutude.
The story, simple as il Is seems 10 US well
worthy Of preservation, ahouudng as It is IN Goa.
trasts TO the msnners of the present day and
showing what q vast gulf there is in every essen
tial point between the two periods. The Macaro-
MES IN 1913 were a set OF Travelled dsndies who
few years before had signaliZed themselves by
introducing maearOni the favorite dish of Italy
(unkuown before in England at the substitution
table at Almsck's. The Macaronies we're the
most extravsgant handles that had ever appeared
IN this country. Dandyism eliminated ia them,
and has never since mot even under Brummel and
bis fat frieDd) rea he'd so high a water m ark The
Macaronies were affected. efeminate fops vicious
and incident fond of gambling, drinking aud
dueling, and INDUCING in the costllest dress. They
were the special tOrments of quiet people at
Nauxball. They passed away like sumner flies
a auA
eDCumbered estates. We are indebted T. them
for only two things; the one is the Introduction
of that excellent and nutritious and succulent
dish, maoaroni. and the invention Of that useful
slang word bore" (bOar) which orig nally
meant any opponent of dandyism, or Any person
who could not afford to dress in the height OF
fashion. These miserable creatures wore scented
silk coats of all ColOrs-skimp coats with small
collars and outside pockets -knee breeches of
spotted or striped silk, satin velveret, collar.
less, embroidered and laced waistcoats white
Stockings, and small diamond buckled shoes, enOr-
nous cooked hats turned mp behind aud looped
with very small buttons (they made great point
of the small button
Their powdered wigs, in two stiff tiers of curls
were collected behind into enormous clubs thick
as prize fighters arm and bound tight for halt a
loot near the tnfted end with black silk Their tight
sleeves ended 10 small rufies that half hid their
little lily white hands. Their clouded canes were
decorated with large double tasses, and they car
RED at their sides either very small stee-hIted or
silver hted sw Ords or small hangers and scimtars.
Officers OF great MacarOnies wore scarlet stocks,
The lsGies (and here we rather trembie at at.
tempting to condense so vast a subject as the
female dress of any epoch)-the ladies' figured in
fllk nish tgOwns" THAT was the fashion book
phrase of the time) with jewel breast knots
short loose mantle, and curious round hats,
crested with bows of ribbon and fitting up be
tore and behind over piles of powdered hair.
The young ladies' wore quaint caps, bound round
with ribbon, and enormous frills dropping do wn
ard hiding half the face. The little pointed shoes
had high heels; the dresses, cut low, had trailing
short sleeves. Such were the actors in our
drama.
But TO our story. On Jolly evening in l773.
the Reverend Fl. Bate, editor OF the Morning Post |
generally known as Parson Bste," a staiwart, |
chOltric, sporting parsOn, strOlling about the |
gardens, came upon a bench near the orchestra |
wbereon sat four friends-Mr. Hartley and his |
wife. very beautiful woman Mr.. Colem An and |
Mr.. Tateham. Parso1 Bates sailed up TO them in |
his flowing black and, greeting the party ia his |
best style. sat down. and Joined in the agreeable
conversation. Whilst engaged in this pleasant |
way, two gentlemen passed. who stared at the |
lady IN rude way. They presently returned in /
the round Of prOmenaders, accompanied by /
agreement seated themselves at a table directly
opposite to Mrs. Hartley, and commenced rudely !
staring her oct OF countenance. The lady bore
this for some time, till atlast she complained TO
her husband. He, quiet man. thinking they
would soOD getup aud go, begged her to continue
TIL the cantata then singing was finished. The
-four dsndies, however, still laughing and staring,
Delighted at her confusion, her wOman's spirit
rose, and she said
" The behavior Of those gentlemen is so rude
IS SO uncommony rude Il can bear it no
longer"
Parson Bate, upon this, arose as the champion.
To endure such insults would be to conference
them. Neither born a philosopher nor bred
pharlsee, his hot blood could stand it no longer.
He spoke to Mrs. Hartley aloud:
Madam, beg you will not be distressed asI
of hat = !
I'VE purpOsely retain the exact words, as they
are 30 characteristic of the times.)
Parson Bate then. bracng himself to his pur.
pose, placed himself firmly on seat between the
four intruders and Mrs. Hartley. This hint the
candles only received with horse-lauEhs aud
banter. ParsOn Bate then faced the four men,
and exchanged with them glances of defiance
worthy OF the ehOerc retainers of the houses of
Montague and Capulet Mrs. Hartley had already
walked away, upon which sturdy Parson Bate
Der champion, followed her, first remarking that
they were four impairment puppies. .
gentleman WHO proved to be Captain Crofts
Of burgoyDe's Light Dragons, instantly followed
Parson Bate and said
DO you address yourself in that speech to
me?r
Bate replied: Certainly not, as I do not re.
member to have seen you IN that party"
DO you call me puppy?n
" The only way 10 be perfectly convinced in this
particular" replied Bate a" is for you to tell me
you we're one OF the four; for Ishal persist that
|
distressed the lady with whom was in company
we're four dirty impairment puppies.n
" You look very big upon the OCCASION said |
Japlain Crofts, eying Bate superciousy from
lead to foot; you are a good tight fellow, and
suppose. mean TO inlmidate me because you
IRE boxer"
Boxing" replied Bate, is by no means nv
)lan; but as you seem determined not to be salts
led, and continue to follow me, il you speak three
nore mpertnent words to me, III wiring your
lore of your face"
Captain Crofts instantly demanded Bates name
nd address, aud they separated. soon after. |
'alking round in search Of lingering friend Bats !
gain met the four handles, who instantly began |
aughing and jeering. and crying, " Twig the Gu.
ate, etc. Stopping short to knock the first of
he insolent rascals down Captain Crofts again
topped up, touched Bate on the shoulder aud de-
Ied bis address, as be had forgotten it, Bate
nstsntly told him. number seventeen Chfori's
m; and TO made sure OF it, begged him to call a
waiter for pen and ink which he did. During thi.
conversation, Mr.. Fitzgerald, smother dandy, came
p, and impertinenty ssked if any man had not a .
light TO lock at handsome woman. ,
Bate replied sternly,
" There are two ways Of looking at ladies-with
1rlirafiOn and with copfarnnt