The Merry Past 



A lady of the same class, who many years later 

 became a weil-known figure in the West End, was 

 the celebrated Harriet Wilson, who lived in Berkeley 

 Street. Her somewhat apocryphal Memoirs mention 

 many of the celebrated men of her day, some of whom 

 she certainly knew. Little reliance, however, can be 

 placed upon the truth of most of her statements, 

 the Memoirs in question having been written when 

 she had fallen upon evil days and was desirous of 

 making money by any possible means. Some of the 

 illustrations of this book, though totally devoid 

 of any artistic merit, are quaint — one, for instance, 

 shows the Iron Duke in his cocked hat standing 

 outside Miss Wilson's door in a towering rage, 

 whilst the Duke of Argyle (disguised in a mob cap 

 as an old landlady) informs the gallant but unwelcome 

 visitor that his fair one is not at home. 



Much was thought a joke in old days which 

 would be now regarded in a very serious light. 



A woman, for instance, who kept a house of doubt- 

 ful fame at York, being brought before a magistrate, 

 was questioned as to her line of business. " Please, 

 your Worship," said she, " I keep a circulating library, 

 the neatest books in sheets your Worship ever saw ! " 

 " Indeed ! " observed the worthy magistrate, '' then 

 I'll take care to bind you and them over to be of good 

 behaviour." 



To-day, when all frolic has fled from England, the 

 unassuming freedom which prevailed at the fes- 

 tivities of the past would be little to the taste of 

 the ^^present generation. Even Bohemian dances are 



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