Of the furniture of the time-the houses were, to our idea, very scantily furnished. Take any of the very few engravings of social life in this reign, and one is astonished at the bare look of the apartments: a table in the centre, a few high-backed and clumsy chairs, a square, box-like settee, are all that are movable; on the walls a picture or two, sometimes, not always, a looking-glass, occasionally an alcove with shelves for china and bric-a-brac, and window curtains-always curtains,-the possession of which must have entailed much trouble on many housekeepers. Vide

FIREPLACE AND UTENSILS.

the following advertisement: 'London, Nov. 24.-Having no longer since than last Night had the misfortune (with other of my Neighbours in Leicester Fields) to be robb'd by a very uncommon method; I desire you would (for the Good of the Publick) incert in your Paper the underwritten Advertisement, that Persons may thereby be put upon their Guard, and make such provision as may prevent the like Robberies.

'The Thieves observe those Houses whose Window-shutters, either outward or inward, reach not up to the top of the

1 Daily Courant, Nov. 27, 1704.

Windows; and taking out some Quaries of the Glass, put their Hands in and rob the Houses of their Window Curtains.'

Without doubt, the houses of the wealthy were better furnished, and more artistically. The virtuoso would bring with him on his return from his 'grand tour' some specimens, both of pictures and furniture, of the lands he visited. Of the former, they were invariably originals or copies of the Caracci, Titian, Palma, Van Dyck, etc., and they were always being imported or changing hands; but of good furniture we seldom find any to be sold, such as, for instance, 'Two Cabinets, the one of 48 drawers, containing great variety of curious Shells, Agates, Corals, Mocus's' (the Mocha or Moco Stone), Medals, Minerals, and other Rarities. The other finely inlaid with Flowers and Birds of Stone by Baptist.'

And the merchants and well-to-do people undoubtedly had furniture almost invented to show off their china:1 'Whereas the New East India Company did lately sell all their China Ware, These are to Advertise, that a very large parcel there of (as Broken and Damag'd) is now to be sold by Wholesale and Retail, extreamly Cheap, at a Warehouse in Dyer's Yard. Note.-It's very fit to furnish Escrutores, Cabinets, Corner Cupboards or Sprigs, where it usually stands for Ornament only.'

Naturally, almost all the ornamental ceramics came from China or Japan-for the state of our own ceramic art was at a very low ebb; in fact, it was only in its infancy in the middle of the last century. Some pottery was made in Staffordshire and York, but it was near London that the manufacture of the best, such as it was, was seated. The potteries at Fulham were at work, as also Lambeth and Vauxhall. Thoresby tells us of this latter: We went by water to Foxhall and the Spring Garden: I was surprised with so many pleasant walk's &c. so near London. After dinner there, we viewed the pottery and various apartments there; was most pleased with that where they were painting divers colours, which yet appear more beautiful, and of different colours when baked.'

None of these wares were remarkable at that time for their beauty, and so the oriental porcelain was naturally the most Thoresby's Diary, May 24, 1714.

Harl. 5996, 147.

admired, and consequently bore away the palm, both for beauty of form and design. The use of tea, too, largely helped the consumption of oriental China. The cups and teapots were home articles for the Chinese to make, and it was very many years before we, in England, were even nearly rivalling them.

Tea necessitated a smaller and more elegant table, so we find the want supplied by tea and Dutch tables. Lacquer ware was also in much request, as well for 'Tea Tables, Bowls, Dressing Suites, Cabinets, and

Bellows Boards,' as for screens to keep off draughts.

But perhaps the most glorified piece of furniture in the house, was the bed, which could be had at all prices, from the new sacking bottom'd Bedsteads as IIS. a piece' to that imperial couch which was a prize in a lottery 'by her Majesty's permission,'"'A Rich Bed, 7 Foot broad, 8 foot long, and about 14 foot high, in which is no less than Two Thousand Ounces of Gold and Silver wrought in it; Containing four Curtains Embroidered on both sides alike, on a white Silk Tabby, Three Vallains with Tassels, three Basses, two Bonegraces, and four Cantoneers Embroider'd on Gold Tissue Cloth, cost 3,000l., put up at 1,400. This, of course, was an extraordinary bed; but the price of bed Furniture really seems to have been from 67. or 71. per Bed to 40l. per Bed, with all sorts of fine Chain Stitch Work.' Velvet, both in crimson and other colours, was also a favourite for bed-hangings, and cost 40%. at least. One quilt is described, but I fairly give it up-Stole out of the house of John Barnes, &c., a Culgee quilt.'

1 Harl. 5996, 87.

A BED.

• Ibid. 5961, 326.

CHAPTER VI.

SERVANTS.

Number of servants-Footmen-Wages-Liveries-'How d'ye - The Upper Gallery-Footmen's Parliament-Accomplishments-White slaves from Barbary-Negro slaves-Runaways-Apprentices.

THE quantity of servants in vogue at that time, especially of male servants, seems to us to be excessive, but when we look how useful they were, apart from their menial duties, as guards, and assistants when the carriage stuck in a deep rut when travelling, and remember that the old feudal system of having retainers about one for show was then only moribund (it is not yet dead), their number is accounted for. First on the list stands my lord's page, who wore his livery, although of more costly material than that worn by the footman. He served his apprenticeship as 'a little foot page,' but it was always understood that, afterwards, his rise in life should be looked to by his patron. It was very much the same relation that existed between knight and squire. How he accompanied his lord on state occasions is shown in one of the illustrations of carriages. Steele speaks disparagingly of the lad's position.' 'I know a Man of good Sense who put his Son to a Blacksmith, tho' an Offer was made him of his being received a Page to a Man of Quality.'

But it was the footman of that age, and indeed of the whole of the early Georgian era, who was the perpetual butt of the satirist-probably not without reason. 'There's nothing we Beaus take more Pride in than a Sett of Genteel Footmen. I never have any but what wear their own Hair, and I allow em a Crown a Week for Gloves and Powder; if one shouldn't, they'd Steal horridly to set themselves out, for now, not one in

1 Spectator, 214.

ten is without a Watch, and a nice Snuff Box with the best Orangerie; and the Liberty of the Upper Gallery, has made 'em so confounded pert, that, as they wait behind one at Table, they'll either put in their Word, or Mimick a body, and People must bear with 'em or else pay 'em their Wages.'1 Steele, of course, could not resist such a tempting theme for his pen, and, consequently, devotes a whole Spectator (No. 88) to footmen. He says: 'They are but in a lower Degree what their Masters themselves are; and usually affect an Imitation of their Manners; and you have in Liveries, Beaux, Fops, and Coxcombs, in as high perfection, as among People that keep Equipages. It is a common Humour among the Retinue of People of Quality, when they are in their Revels, that is when they are out of their Master's Sight, to assume in a humourous Way the Names and Titles of those whose Liveries they wear.'

Indeed, the footmen of that age must have had a good time of it, for the custom of feeing them, or, as it was called, of giving them 'vails,' was very prevalent. It got worse later on-indeed, it became such a nuisance that it was obliged to be stopped. Yet even now it has to be done, like feeing waiters. Certainly their wages were not great. I love punctual Dealings, Sir; Now my Wages comes to at Six Pound per Annum, Thirty two Pounds the Five Years and four Months, the odd Week two Shillings Sixpence, the two Hours one halfpenny,' etc. This, certainly, even at the then enhanced value of money, was not a great yearly wage, and to a certain extent must plead excuse for the custom of giving vails. As a rule they were treated like dogs by their masters, and were caned mercilessly for very trivial faults. They were very far from being faultless, and Swift's man Patrick seems to have been a specimen of his kind. How humorously Swift used to describe his faults to Stella! how he was always going to get rid of him, and never did!

Their liveries were, perhaps, not so gorgeous as in the later Georgian time, but they liked fine clothes. Her footmen, as I told you before, are such Beaus, that I do not much care for asking them Questions; when I do, they answer me with a sawcy Frown, and say that every thing, which I find fault with, 1 Tunbridge Walks, ed. 1703. The Perplexed Lovers, by Mrs. Centlivre, ed. 1712.