CLUBS 



305 



4'lllbs. The will i-lnl, in from the same root 

 as r/iniifi : and its secondary meaning of 'a collec- 

 tion of pei -on-' is illiiHtrate<l by 'a r/n/n/i of 

 \- specially applied to a select association 

 meeting I'm- social iiitcrcoiirMe, it dates from the 

 ITili eentiiry, and the use liiis since leen extended 

 t. other bodies having a eoniiiioii object, such as 

 literature, science, amusements, politics, or the 

 furtherance of material interests. The practice of 

 >onie kind of dull lite is almost universal, ami can 

 IN- traced in the earliest civilisations. Modern 

 1 1. sellers in Africa, the Pacific, and elsewhere, 

 constantly speak of a kind of club-houses where 

 the men meet for gossip and recreation. Vacancies 

 in the public tables among the Spartans were filled 

 up liy ballot, ami Aristotle refers to members of 

 the same locality in Greece as clubbing for merry- 

 making. Many such associations Imth in (Jreece 

 ami Koine were, however, really secret societies 

 for the cultivation of religious mysteries ; others 

 wen- more of the nature of Guilds (q.v.). Hut 

 there are records of social clubs more closely allied 

 to the modern form, and Cicero tells of his pleasure 

 in frequenting such gatherings. We also hear of 

 a club of old soldiers belonging to the armies of 

 Augustus, and another among the officers of an 

 African legion. Women had their sociable collegia. 



In England the history of clubs dates from the 

 Court de Bone Compaignie mentioned by Occleve 

 in the early part of the 15th century. Nearly two 

 hundred years later the symposia originated by 

 Raleigh made the Mermaid Tavern in Bread Street 

 famous, while Ben Jonson is said to have founded 

 a similar gathering at the Devil Tavern. The 

 Apollo is connected with Jonson's Leges Con- 

 i-i'-inles. The Rota (1659) and the clubs of the 

 Restoration were mainly political. The members 

 of the Calves'-head Club (q.v.) were supposed to 

 ridicule the memory of Charles I. The portraits of 

 the members of the Kit Kat Club (1700) are still 

 preserved. Addison, Steele, and the essayists of 

 the Spectator and Toiler class have made us familiar 

 with the coffee-house and tavern clubs of their 

 time. The Royal Society Club (1743) is the 

 earliest of the many dining-clubs associated with 

 the learned societies. To Reynolds is due the 

 institution of the still existing Literary Club ( 1762), 

 which numbered so many distinguished members, 

 among them Dr Johnson, who established the Ivy 

 Lane and other clubs of a less formal character. 

 Good fellowship and conversation were the leading 

 features of these societies. 



The present type of English club is quite different 

 from the earlier bodies bearing the same name. It 

 arose about the commencement of the 19th cen- 

 tury, and is characterised by dining and other 

 arrangements whereby members seek to preserve 

 their independence while sharing in the benefits to 

 which their united subscriptions contribute. The 

 modern club-house is generally a spacious and 

 handsome building, with dining, smoking, billiard, 

 newspaper, writing, and drawing rooms, &c. Some 

 possess libraries, the most extensive being that of 

 the AthenaMim, which owns one of the choicest 

 collections of books of reference in London. The 

 Garrick is famous for its theatrical pictures. Por- 

 traits of eminent members are to be found on the 

 w;ills of many club-houses. Clubs are usually 

 managed by a changing committee who submit 

 their accounts and report to an annual meeting. 

 Some are proprietary. The numl>er of members is 

 generally limited. They are either elected by a 

 Ballot of the whole club, a certain numl>er of black- 

 balls or contrary votes excluding, or by the com- 

 mittee, who sometimes choose all or a select 

 Bomber. The revenue is derived from the sale of 

 provisions, &c. consumed in the house, and from an 

 entrance fee and annual subscription paid by each 

 124 



memlier. Some clulw have a dining-room to which 

 strangers may IN; invited ; in other- a select number 

 of honorary member- are admitted. House-dinner* 

 are a revival of a former habit. Many of the rccenl 

 dubs contain bedrooms for memlers. Concert** ami 

 entertainments are also innovations. Moderate 

 curd-playing is allowed, but games of chance are 

 invariably forbidden in respectable Kn^li-h club*. 

 ( 'lulis have been instituted to unite pei-on- of 

 every class, profession, and opinion. There are 

 clubs for ladies alone, and Home to which ladies 

 are admit ted on equal terms with gentlemen. In 

 others ladies are allowed as guests. It is difficult 

 to say where the club proj>er ends and the mere 

 drinking saloon commences ; some of the numerous 

 working-men's clubs and inferior political clubs fall 

 in the latter class. Others are developments of 

 the old betting and gambling rooms. 



The l>est organised and finest clubs in the world 

 are in London, where there are over a hundred of a 

 high class. The chief among them are the Albe- 

 marle ( 1875), for ladies and gentlemen ; Army and 

 Navy (1838) ; Arthur's (1765), social; Arts (1863); 

 Athenamm (1824), literature, science, and art; 

 Bachelors' ( 1881 ), ladies admitted ; Boodle's ( 1762), 

 social; Brooks's (1764), Liberal politicians; Bur- 

 lington Fine Arts (1866), exhibitions held; Carlton 

 ( 1832 ), for Conservatives ; City Conservative ( 1883 ) ; 

 City Liberal (1874); Conservative (1840); Con- 

 stitutional (1883), for Conservatives ; Cosmopolitan, 

 conversation; Devonshire (1875), for Liberals; 

 East India United Service ( 1849) ; Garrick (1831 ) ; 

 German Athenaeum (1869), entertainments given; 

 Grillion's (1812), breakfast parties; Grosvenor 

 (1883), social; Guards' (1813); Hogarth (1870), 

 artistic ; Isthmian ( 1882) ; Junior Army and Navy 

 (1869); Junior Athenaeum (1864); Junior Carlton 

 (1864); Junior United Service (1827); Literary 

 (1762); Lyric, entertainments given; National 

 (1845), Church of England; National Lileral 

 (1882); National Union (1887), for Unionists; 

 New Athena-urn (1878); New University (1863); 

 Oriental (1824); Orleans (1877); Oxford and 

 Cambridge (1830); Press (1882); Reform (1836), 

 for Liberals; St George's (1874), social; St Ste- 

 phen's (1870), for Conservatives; Salisbury (1880), 

 ladies admitted ; Savage ( 1857), literature, drama, 

 &c. ; Savile (1868); Scottish (1879); Thatched 

 House (1865); Travellers' (1819); Turf (1868); 

 Union (1822); United Service (1815); White's 

 ( 1730) ; Windham ( 1828). County clubs are to be 

 found in all English provincial towns. At Edin- 

 burgh the New Club (1787), and in Dublin the 

 Kildare Street (1790), are equal to the best 

 metropolitan clubs. The English in India and 

 the colonies possess luxurious club-houses in which 

 bed rooms for temporary visitors are a convenience. 



Well-appointed clubs in the English style have 

 been established in all the leading cities of the 

 United States. Among the best in New York are 

 the Lotos (1870), Union League (1863), Century, 

 Manhattan, Union, Knickerbocker, and University. 

 Gambling and the giving of dramatic and musical 

 entertainments and exhibitions of pictures are 

 special features of club-life on the European con- 

 tinent. The Jockey Club (1833) and the Union 

 Artistique 'Cercle des Mirlitons' (1863) at Paris 

 are representative examples. The political asso- 

 ciations formed in Paris at the time of the first 

 revolution exercised considerable influence on public 

 affairs. In 1848 similar Ixxlies in Germany and 

 Austria were suppressed by order of the police. 

 'Club' is frequently used as an equivalent to 

 society, as in benefit societies, Alpine Club (q.v.), 

 Book-club (q.v.), and cricket, cycling, yachting, 

 boating, and racing clubs. The word nas been 

 adopted in most European languages, although 

 Cercle in France and Circolo in Italy are used. 



