The Merry Past 



even gentlemen's servants wore swords, that a hun- 

 dred soldiers were necessarily stationed at the en- 

 trance to preserve order. 



Vauxhall, in spite of the efforts of its proprietors, 

 was for many years the occasional scene of wild 

 disorder. Ladies were forced from their parties by 

 drunken bucks into the dark walks, and treated with 

 savage rudeness, a state of affairs which prevented 

 respectable females from remaining in the gardens 

 after midnight. 



Nevertheless, Tyers, the proprietor of Vauxhall, 

 pledged himself to the public that the dark walks 

 should be lighted ; no hai women^ known to be such, 

 should be admitted ; and watchmen were hired to 

 keep the peace. 



Tyers had a country house near Leatherhead, and 

 it was his delight to pass his Sunday and part of 

 Monday there, during the Vauxhall season, with 

 artists and wits, many of whom were almost entirely 

 supported by his bounty. 



On Saturday nights the gardens were closed at 

 twelve, when such visitors as he had invited got into 

 Tyers' carriage, or a hired coach, and set off for his 

 pleasant retreat. There they ruralised until Monday, 

 when, taking an early dinner, they returned to London 

 in time for the opening of Spring Gardens. These 

 parties were of a very pleasant kind. 



Roubilliac found a patron in Mr. Tyers, and Ho- 

 garth's talent was also called in to aid the decoration 

 of delightful Vauxhall, a golden ticket of admission 

 in perpetuity being presented to him. Hayman's 



227 



