Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-02-16
QUEEN ANNE,s ENGLAND.
A Curious Picture of Eighteenth.Cen
tury Life.


A Curious Picture OF Eighteenth.Cen-
tury Life.
From the Nations review OF Ashton's "SocIal
life in the Reign ofQueen Anne."l
OF the intellectual products of the reign
of Anne, it is needless to speak Mr.
Ashton truly says that it was the merit of
| Addison, Steele, and their compeers not
only to refine literature but to render
reading popular. Science had made in
the reign of Charles H., progress which
throws Mr. Buckle off his balance, and
leads him to glorify by no means glo-
rious period Under Anne, the Royal
Society is the butt of all the wits, not ex-
cepting the liberal minded Addison and
perhaps the ridicule was partly deserved,
if scientific collectors exhibited 'the
bones of mermaids' and 'the horns of
unicorns" but even the author of Lapu-
ia would scarcely have sneered at New
ton. An additional interest attaches to
the giants of those days on account of
their lack of the subsidiary appliances
which now enable men who are not great
to do great things. We admire Newton
more when we think of the ponderous
geometry which he welded, and Bentley
when we think of the editions which he
must have used, The drama was at low
cbb-the genius of the nation had spent
itself i'll the glorious profusion of the
Elizabethan era but the theatre was
pretty ilourishing, though not patronized
by the Oueen There were good actors
and still better actresses, such as Mrs
Oldiield and Mrs. Bracegirdle, though, as
Mr.. Ashton says, it was then not more
than forty years siuce the first appearance
of women on tbc stage. Pnnphleteerinp
both political and relirious-or rather &C.
observation-disclosures lively and hod nlentv Of
matter. political Journalism was in it's
cradle. The chief organs of daily discus.
sion seem tn have been the cofIae.houses
the closing of which. under Charles II
was therefore equivalent TO IMPOSING
silence on the press. The political orato.
ry'of the period was not r,ported. Pro-
baby from the yerv fact of its being ad-
dressed. not through reporters to consti-
tuents. but to the House and with the OBJ
iect of gaining votes. il was superior TO
/ the prolix editorials which fill the weary
hours of Parliament Mt the present day.
But AS the ayowed aim of Bolinpbrokc
was "to show game to the Tory souires. "
it is not likely that in his speechess those
of n second Demostheness are lost.
To painting. sculpture and music neither
English genius inclined nor had Puritan
ism been propitious. though Cromwell
himself loved music. and the miniature
portraits of him by Cooper are superb.
Engraying in Anne's reign was good: and
carving. excellent after its fashion. both
in wood and stone. was done Inv Grinliup
Gibbons If the reign conll claim st
Pauls. it might boast of having produced
AS noble an exterior MS auy in tho world:
bnt Wrnn and his work belong rather 10
the penerotion before The great buildino
of Annes period is VanbrueI's Blenheim,
n work original pituresoue. and imposing,
n real noloce and n worthy embodiment
of historical grandeur. let criticism say
what it will Mr.. Ashton gives MS +
shock Inv treating the bouse architectur,
of the rcion os almost n fiction and tell.
ino ms that what is taken for the Once,
Anne style is really Dutch As the best
of the genuine specimens remaining. he
names two town houses Nos 10 nnd II
Anstinfrinrs Rnt surely there ore conn
trv bonsrs the date of which ;s undcnio
lie that present n stvle of their own IA,
inferior in beoutv To ihot Of the Tndo
m,ns;nns vet rborocter;zed bv nm am
nlitude and n stately formolitv wbicl
seem to corresnnnI veil WITH fulj, j,bottom
| ed wips and NV .prlS Grand manner
Of y;toI rei;c;on NJr Ashton 10 nrnbo
, blv Whit in soying that there was M
mich That had takon its denartnre wifi
' the pnriton Fren.thinling was merit,
| rife tLouoh often covered Inv noliti,
r m,s, os in tba casa of Rol;ngbrole who
4 tn GAIN the votes of the H;gb Cbnrcl
t nartv framed nersecnt;no laws ogo;ns
n n;asantars and Ieft ;n,;dei treot;ses tn IN
nr;mtcI nfter his death There was how
i aver n Good Jeal os outward obserynnce
n such ne Io;lv nrove, in cbnrcLas nm
n weor,o ILocl i, 'e1t norLnns ,boro ,,a
n oyom rsi hnr nova nf r,oi awo AMI rovo,
ence than ia cnmmonlv s,nnosoJ Narl
q hnron,L hoSnrn a bot,la olu'ora Lo
v ,raver. rooJ at Tho LooInf oocI, roG;nont
anj b;msoIf rece;voJ tha sacrame1t frn,
If his chanlnin' OF noliticaI reIi~;on sncr @
. no thc Socbevereil atfn;r coi1oJ fnru
4 thorc was nm omonnt fully nronort,nna
If tn the iocl of Christ;anity r sean
ii wonderful thot tbe J'Lot sr,nor,ars y
81 thc Church of EuoIonI sbprlJ boy
l. treotcd her clergy wifi contnmelv th,
.e tLev sLonId hoye behaveJ IN tha cInnio;
is os to n meniol servant made him Ian,
g the table before the acssert and force