roat with it, mamma would scarcely be more shocked. I
allude to these peculiarities of bygone times as an excuse for my
favourite, Steele, who was not worse, and often much more delicate than
his neighbours.

There exists a curious document descriptive of the manners of the last
age, which describes most minutely the amusements and occupations of
persons of fashion in London at the time of which we are speaking; the
time of Swift, and Addison, and Steele.

When Lord Sparkish, Tom Neverout, and Colonel Alwit, the immortal
personages of Swift's polite conversation, came to breakfast with my Lady
Smart, at eleven o'clock in the morning, my Lord Smart was absent at the
Levee. His lordship was at home to dinner at three o'clock to receive his
guests; and we may sit down to this meal, like the Barmecide's, and see
the fops of the last century before us. Seven of them sat down at dinner,
and were joined by a country baronet, who told them they kept Court hours.
These persons of fashion began their dinner with a sirloin of beef, fish,
a shoulder of veal, and a tongue. My Lady Smart carved the sirloin, my
Lady Answerwell helped the fish, and the gallant colonel cut the shoulder
of veal. All made a considerable inroad on the sirloin and the shoulder of
veal with the exception of Sir John, who had no appetite, having already
partaken of a beefsteak and two mugs of ale, besides a tankard of March
beer as soon as he got out of bed. They drank claret, which the master of
the house said should always be drunk after fish; and my Lord Smart
particularly recommended some excellent cider to my Lord Sparkish, which
occasioned some brilliant remarks from that nobleman. When the host called
for wine, he nodded to one or other of his guests, and said, "Tom
Neverout, my service to you."

After the first course came almond pudding, fritters, which the colonel
took with his hands out of the dish, in order to help the brilliant Miss
Notable; chickens, black puddings, and soup; and Lady Smart, the elegant
mistress of the mansion, finding a skewer in a dish, placed it in her
plate with directions that it should be carried down to the cook and
dressed for the cook's own dinner. Wine and small beer were drunk during
this second course; and when the colonel called for beer, he called the
butler, Friend, and asked whether the beer was good. Various jocular
remarks passed from the gentlefolks to the servants; at breakfast several
persons had a word an