y possessed the flower of beauty in the spring of life, is lost in
forgetfulness. The floor that trembled under that foot which was covered
with a leather shoe tied with a silken string, and which supported a
stocking of dark blue worsted, not of the finest texture, is now buried
in oblivion.

[Illustration: Hotel.]

In 1750 we had two assembly rooms; one at No. 11. in the Square, the
other No. 85. in Bull-street. This last was not much in use afterwards.
That in the Square continued in repute till in the course of that
evening which happened in October 1765, when Edward Duke of York had the
honour of leading up the dance, and the ladies of Birmingham enjoyed
that of the Duke's hand, He remarked, "That a town of such magnitude as
Birmingham, and adorned with so much beauty, deserved a superior
accomodation:--That the room itself was mean, but the entrance
still meaner."

Truth is ever the same, whether it comes from a prince or a peasant; but
its effects are not. Whether some secret charm attended the Duke's
expression, that blasted the room, is uncertain, but it never after held
its former eminence.

In 1772 a building was erected by subscription, upon the Tontine
principle, at the head of Temple row, and was dignified with the French
name of Hotel: From a handsome, entrance the ladies are now led through
a spacious saloon, at the extremity of which the eye is struck with a
grand flight of steps, opening into an assembly-room, which would not
disgrace even the royal presence of the Duke's brother.

The pile itself is large, plain, and elegant, but standing in the same
line with the other buildings, which before were really genteel,
eclipses them by its superiority: Whereas, if the Hotel had fallen a few
feet back, it would, by breaking the line, have preserved the beauty of
the row, without losing its own.

WAKES.

This ancient custom was left us by the Saxons. Time, that makes
alteration only in other customs, has totally inverted this.

When a church was erected, it was immediately called after a saint, put
under his protection, and the day belonging to that saint kept in the
church as an high festival. In the evening preceding the day, the
inhabitants, with lights, approached the church, and kept a continual
devotion during the whole night; hence the name _wake_: After which
they entered into festivity.

But now the devotional part is forgot, the church is deserted, and the
festivity turned into riot