Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-08-22
A BEEFSTEAK SOCIETY.
ORIGIN And HISTORY or aTHE
SUBLIME SOCIETY or sTEAks.n


An Organisation Of EnsIislsmen yrhoss !,
AL. ,,.-,,.. sx,.,..., :. ~. =. - .v,...
- 4 ="
eo"'a hat t"e 'sreatsNt NhnDero 81 rr'ed
Cats ~ leat-- Fnmosss Men IN H.
T.a ~, ,,,,,, ...,.,, ~. y, I. ..r,..,..,.s
~ yl,;, ~.
formed III The reign ~ Oneen Anne m. /
court. the actor. was made steward. md !
for i mark Of distinction wore rho clnb
badge. 4 ANAL golden gridiron. hum, nIons /
the neck by a green SILK ribbon. Ehtcourt
was a character III his day.
Estcourt opened tavern il Covent Gar.
den. which, he called The bumper. nnfl
here the club. which. ACCORDING Is Chet-
| wood In bis History Of the Stage. p l74g.
| was composed OF the chief wits and great
| men Of the nation, used to meet. The .uc-
cess OF these gatherings was 10 great thar
| II led to the creation Of. .sThe Sublime So
| ciety Of Steaks" which. after century
| and half, still lives In the periodical
| gatherings ut the Lyceum tbeater.
The Sublime Society Of Htakes-which
| 70 dsapises being called club that one Of
| its members once fought duel with a per-
| son who persisted ia 50 specifying twas
| founded by John Rich in l735. Rich wss
| at that time the lessee aud manager OF the
| Coyent Garden tbeater. He was the father
/ OF comic pantomIu1e. and was very nonular
| with the .aie aristocrats Of the town. who
i liked TO drop in on him In his private room
!! at the theater and handy with him while
he was inventing new tricks and connie
scenes for his stage
/ ORIGIN OF THE socIery
i IN. d.v tba e.rl ~ r.,s-t,.-..,,,vt, -.
-,,,,,5 ,rh;s ms r;.,'i. 49,, ss~ .
hour fror, wbieh he ,,o,,id - 80. IN.
da,.a..as 49, - s..s,,,d 49,. Sas-. .'ass
sro,r, EATING a,tn.eshar Ths ',.anaa.s.
c.I,,,lv ;na;ffsra,,t ~ tba ,,rsa,.. - ~,
not,,a ,,;s;tar .,,-ssd Ne III. .'s;.s, ~
cIo,h ,.ol, 81 ii ,,..+ .ta .caI e.. q. ~
ers,s down in j, yrodncsd &C., ,,,@,,; ~
g., -, ,..,',',,,ss :. ,ssa
which . seryant bronobt him from ~
butchers, on gridiron which he fetched
from closet.
The incense OF this culinary altar piaued
his lo-dsbjp's appetite. Rich invited him
to share In the repast. and he accented
Another steak was sent for while they yyere
eating the first. and wine was brought
from a neiphboring tavern. IL was late in
the afternoon when the Jolly old peer drove
home in his coach. and before he denar tetl
! he made an engagement for another dinner
of the same sort the SATURDAY. to come He
| brought three or four friends with him all
. men OF wit and pleasure about town. and
there and then they laid the plans which
. resulted 10 the formation OF the Sublime
, Society of Steaks. 1t was TO meet every
, Saturday during the town season.
The bill of fare was to lie restricted to
, beefsteaks, punch and port wine As the
i
too restricted for IT'S convenience. and the
meetings were held In the painting room
OF the theater. This gave rise to the ac.
, count that Lambert, the principal sceue
| painter at Covent Garden, was the origi-
nator OF the club. but Rich was really its
parent. Lambert, who was cham pion
) beef eater, being only an early. however.
honorel member
t SOME NOTABLE MEMBERS
earr,ct was n nernbar md ,rn,,, .hs
l .,nh rsi;cs ,ra st,Ii nr..srvsd ~ he ~
s,rnr,, for rho mr., If P,n,,ar -''' '-'o
> T,ha rna,,I,sr.I,ir,o ~ ,I,a S,a,,-s
t,aiIv res,ric,ed RI twentr.fou- T., ,-S.
D TIC soc,et !. ,eIahr.,ed ;rs f;f,;a,h ,n,,,,.r
0 aary hv Interesting ira pumIxsr r., ,,,-a,,, ..
. Gve IN ordar 70 nI,,ir III. pri,,ca ~ w.
!. O,.'er royal and nohl. n,ay,,,er. ,rsra ~
0 Dut.s If Ci.ronce and ~ C,...x .,,d ~,
Duke of Norfolk The Inter WINS n trtllv
: royal feeder, and before he came to tho
Steaks to dinner would whet his appetite
? with fish Mt a neighboring tavern. He
!. would eat two or three steaks, then rravely
j rub u clean plate with shalot for the fourth
John Kemble was another member, aud d
3 grea, crouy of the dukes. Their rival feats
at the table, the enormous quantities they
+ could consume, rendered them noteworthy
even among men gifted with gustatory
powers which would awaken arnazeluent
!" In our own time.
. Il was hard living age. The member.
: of the Steaks belonged to the hardes
u livers of the age; rich oilers, roliickinl
e players, authors who dipped deeper int
+ the wine bottle than the ink pot With,
l. the society the most perfect eaualit,
i reigned The junior members, irrespect
i've of title or station, had to perform suci
mental offices as might he required OF them
To every one at table belonged the priv
ilege of chaff He who stood the fire O
the Steaks in good humor was soon left il
peace, but woe befall the man who lost hi
- temper Him the ways never allowed
respite, and we may read of mem bers VIII,
: were literally joked out of the society be
:, cause they could not take as good as the,
= could give
% HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY.
}, The Suhlime Society of Steaks as ma,
le readily h.. sean soon o,It0reTv tba o.+sr;n.
!. norsrs NJ pich and nc grid;rop M,
ls an,hars came IN hrln Linn Net reg,,la
% 800 ,rara birsa IL 10 1-sI "a ,,r,I