552 



ENGLAND. 



such legs are made within to the hie. Happy is the tradesman who can aisplayover his door, 

 the ensigns of royaUy, as hatter, cutler, &,c., to the king. There are a great many tradesmen 

 thus favored, and there is a sign of " privileged bug-destroyer to his Majesty," and another, 

 " vender of asses' milk to the Duke of York." In a monarchy, the favor of ihe sovereign is 

 the road to wealth. It is also a great desire with a London tradesman, to have a " country- 

 box " in some of the villages about the metropolis. 



In England, as Trinculo says, " anything passes for a show," and the national curiosity 

 finds gratification in the numerous spectacles of London. Some of these are peculiar, others 

 are common to all cities. A shaven bear, dressed in a robe and turban, and made to sit up- 

 right, was once shown as an Ethiopian savage ; and a small monkey, shaven and sho'-n, was 

 dressed in green, and successfully exhibited as a fairy. An exhibition was made, too, of the 

 fork belonging to the knife, with which Margaret Nicholson intended to kill the king. Quackery 

 is in England, as in America, a certain way to wealth, if follov.ed witli sufficient zeal and im- 

 pudence. There is no country that produces so many humorists as England, or so many per- 

 sons who grow up with marked peculiarities of character. Men generally, in most enlightened 

 countries, are much assimilated ; but in England, the impress of the medal is often entiro, and 

 there we find the strangest whims and caprices as boldly acted upon as if they were general 

 principles. 



Of course, there are some few contradictions in the English character. The people are lib- 

 eral ; yet there is hardly a museum, collection of pictures, or national monument open to the 

 public, where there is not some douceur to be paid to the attendants. An Englishman at 

 Genoa or Florence, is sensible to the ridicule that should pertain to the grandees for selling oil or 

 wine at retail, in the basement of their palaces ; yet, when he does not occupy for the evening 

 his own opera box, he will let it out for hire. In England, too, where so many have the 

 touch of Midas, where wealth is told by millions, few people write letters, except on business, 

 witliout a frank from some privileged person, to save the amount of postage. To receive an 

 unfranked letter is, on many occasions, a matter of less pleasure than surprise, and yet it would 

 be resented, should the writer pay the postage. All men seem willing thus to detract from the 

 revenue. 



There is nothing in England, that strikes an American more forcibly than the difference in 

 the situation of women there and here. As he arrives in a vessel at Liverpool, he notices 



white cloth ooat and scarlet plush small-clothes. Many 

 families, who disli'ce tlie color of their own liveries, dress 

 their servants in this. The livery servants leave their liv- 

 eries when they leave their places. The footmen must 

 wear powder ; so generally does the hutler. 



T!if- king's livery is crimson and oold ; so also is that of 

 the Be of Hamilton. The Fife livery is green and crim- 

 son vvilli gold lace ; that of the earl of Weyiness, dark 

 blue and yellow, with a profusion of silver. Pale blue and 

 silver is tlie livery of several noble families. The coats 

 are lined and faced with silk the color of the small-clothes. 

 Tlie dress of the grooms is a frock coat, top boots, and 

 while corduroy small-clothes. When they ride as postil- 

 ions, their dress is altered from a frock coat to a colored 

 jacket agreeing with the livery, and the hat is changed to 

 a black velvet cap, called a jockey cap. The under 

 MToonis, who are usually very small, light boys, are those 

 chosen as postilions. The coachman wears the same liv- 

 ery as the footman ; but is distinguished by his frock coat. 

 To this is added, when he mounts the box, a bag wig 

 pou'dered and curled like that of a judge, to increase his 

 dignified appearance ; also a cloth great coat with seven 

 capes, three of the same color as his coat, the other four 

 the same as liis small-clothes. The duty of the coachman 

 is to superintend the carriage and horses, to see that the 

 grooms do their duty, and to drive with grace and dexter- 

 ity. The duty of the grooms is to rub down and feed tlie 

 horses, and keep them in good condition ; to brighten the 

 harness, and keep the saddles, bits, stirrups, &c.,in order. 

 They are usually assisted by stable-boys and helpers. 

 When the coachman mounts his box, two grooms should 

 be in readiness to place his whip in his hands; and to 

 hold the reins for him while he puts on his white gloves. 

 A coachman of taste seldom appears without a large bo- 

 quet in his coat. The business cf the butler is to take 

 chai Q'e of the cellar, to see that iiie under butler and fool- 



men do their duty, and to superintend at the serving of 

 the table, upon which he usually places the first dish, 

 Tlie duty of an under-butler is nearly the same. The gen- 

 tleman's valet attends solely to the personal appearance of 

 his master. It is his duty to keep the gentleman's ward- 

 robe in order; to curl his hair ; arrange his whiskers ; re- 

 mind him of his engagements ; and to take care that his 

 dress and appearance are exactly according to the last fash- 

 ion. In a large establishment there are usually several 

 footmen. Of thesC; one belongs exclusively to the lady. 

 He attends her wherever she goes, with a cane in his 

 hand, silk -stockings, and a nosegay in his coat. He 

 stands behind her carriage ; attends her to the opera, the- 

 atre, &c., &c. ; and walks behind her in the Park ; stands 

 behind her chair at table, and should be six feet high. 

 Footmen of this altitude are in great demand. The other 

 footmen stand behind the carriage, serve at table, clean 

 the plate, and keep everything appertaining to the table in 

 order. A separate table is usually kept for the upper and 

 under servants, as the butler and gentleman's personal 

 servant consider it a degradation to eat with the footmen 

 or grooms. 



Ladies of high rank in London are frequently attended by 

 chasseurs and hussars, especially by the former. The dress 

 of a chasseur is very splendid. It is either green and gold, 

 or green and silver. He wears a dress coat covered with 

 gold lace, loose trowsers striped with gold, a cocked hat, 

 and an enormous black plume, and moustaches; also, 

 half boots of chamois-colored leather, and gloves of the 

 same, and a gold belt, in which is stuck a couteau-de- 

 chasse. The tallest men are chosen I'or this office, and 

 they are often Italians. The hussar wears the dress of 

 a hussar officer, with a cap, cloak, and boots. It is the 

 duty, both of the huzzar and chasseur, to stand behind 

 the carriage, and attend upon the lady, supplying the 

 place, and doing the office, of a lady's foolmnn. 



