, 1874-12-19
FAMILIAR TALK,
ENNLANp IN lh1d,

In 1876, London was Il city Of C, 600 tnl,nlHt-
ants. Afew Of itn largo etlfices wore huilt Of
stono, or Of nodded brickp, which hal como into
uso nehr tho beginning uf tho century bus thu
groatcr nunbor of tho houatA wero constructed
Of wond, at,t with their gablo-roofs, or!ol win
dowH, gilt yanoH, and mammoth clnncys, Eayo |
tho atreoss quaint md r!csuroaquo look, Tho
strectn thomualvcR woro naYrow aud ut,pnycd
aud iii IN abo1ninnbly-iiltly condition, In vet |
weather they woro nearly itnpassnhlo. aufl Mt
night wero anyolpprd iu I,eriious gloom. Tim
only lghta that gmnlorod through tho dark
1.oas, acting 40 kindly boaeona to boluted
travotors, ware tho lan.horna which publIc.
spirited citizens hung out at tholr gatewnya nj
their own cxpcnHo. Carriages woro not n!ro- /
dueod until 1850. and tho only wheeled volcsos |
in woro tho heavy, lnlnboring carth employed
in tho transportation Of freight mud baggage.
Tho nohlo und wealthy 1nado their }ourneSs ex-
ourslons and progresses, on horseback, acconl-
panied with rotinuo absolutely essontal 10 So
euro them against assaults from tho
highwaytncn that Infested ovon tho most
populouB digtrictn Of London, making travel at
night, aud Of ten ut midday. dangerous uudor-
taking,
When tho dsta nceB to be- travcrsod wero not
great, tho gayoht ga1lautB Of tho court and city
accomplished than Oil foot picking their way 1t.
| tho mud and garbage among the crowd OF com"
| mon folk who ind no alternative but to walk.
II wonder" wrE:eH ono Of the gosspH ut tho time,
Just afsor coaches lad como Into faabion md tho
| rich Ind learned tho luxury OF riding. "wliy
| our nobility catInot In fair weather walk tho
strcota as they weso wont; as hnTe soeu tho
! Earls OF Cumberland, Essex, Shrewsbury, etc.t
| besides thoao u,initabo presidents Of courage
and valor, Sir Francis Drake, Sir PHILIP ssdnoy."
| The Thanlcs was 1T this tino n clcnr stream,
/ mud n n tIlDrn1frttfnrn
1000 matornlcn forlu1 employment in conveying
passengers and merchandise from, poipe to point:
It WAS 30 fur superior as chnnscl or tFaitlo anu
travel to Tho ordinary roadwRYs that It Was uiado
| use Of vhoreyor tho occasion permitted. Tho
| old Norman or Anslo-Nornlan wall tilat encirclcd
portion of tho city was still In tolotaole state
1f1 ihe Thames at tAo fo"ef
In tho interior Of Che dwellings OF the great.
| wainscot and harHlngs were giving way to plus
| tor. Cslsss wau not yet common In common
was 10 carefully priced that, III tho absence Of
tito family tho sanhos wero taken cut asd stored
awry for eafo keeping We beaa in the s,,rvoy
Of Alpwicl Cas;lo, 15G7," because through ox-
Guy and waato it we're good tho Whole olsilts OF
ovor1o window at tho departure Of Ills lordsh'ppe,
aud during tho tiino Of hls lorashlp's abkoace.
woro taken DOWN aud lAtd up in safety" Carved
furniture WIS NOW coming iuto ropntc, but had
not yet been manufactured III tasteful or artistic
styles. In tinp housea tho immoneo, chi1nnoy-
plecoa wo. Q composed Of carved wood; hut, IN
ill tho dwellings built about 1700. tho gpluy of
tho pnror fireplace was covered with ttleB OF
Do!it pottery. which wore sometimes white. but
usually covered with Dibio Bcenos, rudoly drawn
| And colorod.
sumptuous tables g!ittered With silver-plate;
but caFthenwn1o was scarce and Of the coarsest
character. Glass cups and mirrors had been ill.,
troduccd from Vonice. aud porcelain WAS import
| cd from Chinn and Japan In Hmall 1uanstoH;
but wood was atil' tho inateriAl for most domes-
tic utensils. and cups aud Epoona were OF horn
! ,rhon not Of Eaivor aud gold. knives wcro Us
yet luxury, and forks by no neana univosaal.
and nobility sat down to their dinner, which was
served ut cu.ly noon. Above the salt were tho
seats Of honor, md the place where elloico yanls
uud oxpensIvo wines circulated; Willie be!ow it
, tho humble guests, tho clergy. and retaiuera Of
tho houso. .>ontentod themselves. with plain
! food, washoa down with home-brewad alo.
Carpets had not entirely displacel tiles
. and ruHhes. even iu Kings, palaces |, aud,
| In Queon Elis:abohs dlning-ilull md audlonce-
chambers, thick gpreau Of 11lshes Was suffered
to lo for wt:eks--nay, montha' togethor--Nith-
out fro3h onoTsl e., noaon,o breoaingpaos
St. Pau!'s Cathedral MAS fayorito place Of re-
aort for the 5Isshonabiea Of tho day, aud, from
10 to IL in tho morning., and from 3to IN tho
: ,matcd Hpeotaclo. rlore, young and luxurious
idleza mot to gosaip mud mako appointments,
: mud transact tstnS alaira Of business, md to
; display, vhilo sanntorine up and down. their
doublets, their Italian laco collars and Bpnngcd
plumcs, theis peach-colored hose, fringed
; gators, mud goldou spurs FAlatAfr says Of Bar
tiolpll, II bought him at st. paul's," in a!lu-
sio.i to tho CUSTOM Of barterins mud brbins which
! | prevailed within tho old Cathedral-walIs. Mhou
Qttarrola arose among tic hot-hcadod gallanta
assembled there. the tomb OF Warwick afforded
churcbynlt Of st. rau1a was tho principal place
, fur tho sale Of books. lilo modern bookatoro
was not yet in e1istouco. Among. other curiouA.
fashions OF the times was TINT OF handing round
rosemary at funerals, and vino in cAurchca aftos
woddiuga.
Q Genelowomon on drcss-occssions were attirod
In huge tariuyaoa aud atarcllod ruffs. with ner-
Z pain, md "yAst fana Of os,ricl-fcathore, snna
in handlcs Of gold or silver half yard long, tue
9 little nr,or hanging from tho Grdte, and
Z tho coquestiah lovo-iocl thrown over the
q end" it must bo acknowledged tho pic.
: ture strikingy recalls tho bo!lo Of throt
Il centuries later. It waa tho Earl Of Oxford who
presented Queen 1slzabeth with lles first pair oi
tufts OF rose-colorod silk and wcro imported
from Spain. 1lor INST pair Of silk hoso cRme
from Flanders. but her elocki'gs Of a common
quality wero kn.t in England, tho invention huv
OF tho century. or EllZaboth'a oxtsaSagnni
wardrobe everybody knows who has read Of ho1
so wigs arsl 3000 dresses Of marvellous n!ateria
and manufacture IN tho inventory Of these
last aro "silks embroidered with birds, beasts
boes, catcrpillars, spiders, flies, snakoH, ant
gvuasloppore, aunH mud fountains. treos aut
clouas, aiad ono alIegorieally covered with oyee.
| Imagine tho huughty Queen attiicd in ono o
those extraordinary robes, with tho gorgoona ane
elaborate acco!ssoricu combined i'll tho costume
Of tho period and how widely does tho tigurt
differ from that OF any basbnrous Oriental po
tenrato OF tho hinetoonth contuIy?
It ia difficult to conceive tho tedious affocta
tions In speech and lnunne1s ihat were In vogus
among tho higher classoH. Thornbury, iu Ut:
sAakspears's England" gvos an amusiul
Hccao occurring between twoGnpering and cern
1noniouB fopA who lnya ranclod doorway sim
" ultauouuBy. and, with profuso bows aud flour
J. lHI,oa Of lollow po!itonuss. contend "a to whs
% shall yield the other precedence
u "'Iia yours. sir"
III ''Wlth your example, airl"
Q, mot i, sir +"
10 ut IL Votr rightln