1801.] — 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
ACCOUNT of the svaTx of socieTY and 
MANNERS iz LIVERPOOL, 
Ziratur molem ZEneas, magalia quondam : 
Miratur portas flrepitumque et firata 
Viarum. 
Infiant ardentes Tyrii. ViRG. 
HE extraordinary increafe of the 
town of Liverpool, which has been 
commenturate with the extenfion of its 
commerce, has of late years rendered it 
an object well worthy the attention of 
the enlightened +raveller. ‘The parti- 
cular circumitances of its trade have fre- 
quently occupied the deliberations of the 
Britith legiflature; and the literary re 
putation of fome of its inhabitants has 
conferred upon it no fmall degree of 
luftre. It is therefore prefumed that a 
fetch of the ftate of fociety and manners 
in this flourifhing mart will not be an 
unacceptable communication to the Editor 
of the Monthly Magazine. 
The ftreets of Liverpool prefent the 
appearances which ufually occur in large 
towns. The carriages of the wealthy 
{plafh the humble pedeftrian, and the 
fplendid ornaments lavifhed upon youth 
and beauty form a ftriking contraft to 
the mifery of aged poverty. Bnt we do 
not here meet with the extreme fquali- 
dity, and the quantity of difgufting ob- 
jects which deform: the ftreets of manu- 
facturing towns. Poverty is here decent 
in its appearance; and the lower claffes 
of people, not being corrupted by the 
bare-faced licentioufnefs of crowded fac- 
tories, wear tolerably healthy courte- 
nances, and are in general orderly and 
civilized in their behaviour. 
Liverpool is the child of commerce. It 
owes its exiftence and its profperity to 
trade, and its inhabitants pay honour due 
to that activity to which it owes its ele- 
vation. With the exception of the cuf- 
tomary proportion of profeffional men, 
almoft every body refident in the town is 
employed in fome department of traffic. 
Confequently a gentleman, that is to fay, 
a perfon not engaged in bufinefs, is out 
of his element in Liverpool. There he 
is as it were alone, in the midft of a 
crowd. He meets with no affociates 
whole company will fpeed the heavy 
flight of time; and, what is worle, he 
is held in very light eftimation in the 
public opinion. 
cafe, that many inftances have occurred 
of merchants of the frft confequence 
entirely lofing their influence in the town 
on their retiring from bufinefs with large 
fortunes. 
Monruty Mac. No. 67. 
State of Society and Manners in Liverpool. 
So ftrikingly is this the 
% 
497 
As commercial purfuits are in their 
nature hazardous, the annals of a town 
of fuch extenfive commercial dealings as 
Liverpool may be naturally expected to 
exkibit moft ftriking inftances of the 
viciffitudes of fortune. It often happens 
that the fervant rifes while the mafter 
falls. To day a man is a merchant, all 
fpirit and enterprife, and living in fplen- 
dovr and luxury—to-morrow he is a 
bankrupt, humbly requefting the fiena- 
ture of his certificate, or foliciting for 
fome {eantily-falaried fituation in the 
cuftoms or excife. Families, which twenty 
or thirty years ago took the lead in the 
circles of Liverpool fafhion, are now re- 
duced, forgotten, and unknown. More 
fortunate or induftrious characters have 
rifen to fupply their place, and fhine for 
their day, in all probability never alkiog 
themfelves, whether it is not poffible that 
they may be in their turn eclipfed by 
future adventurers. In Liverpool, the 
prophecy may at any given time be 
fafely pronounced—“ Many that are 
firft fhall be laft, and the laft fhall be - 
firft.” In this town, few families can 
count three opulent or fuccefsful genera- 
tions. 
In reference to thefe flu@uations in 
the circumftances of individuals and of 
families, it may be obferved, that the 
mercantile inhabitants of Liverpool have 
been charged with the indulgence of a 
propentity to hazardous fpeculations. It 
is difficult to determine how far this 
charge is well founded, fince it is diffi- 
cult to define the limits beyond which 
fpeculation, the main fpring of commerce, 
is unwarrantable. The general profs 
perity of the town fhould feem to indi-+ 
cate that it ought at leaft to be con- 
fined to a few individuals.’ No where 
does the unfuccefsful trafficker meet with 
more lenity and forbearance than in Li- 
verpool. This is not an indication of 
laxity of principle, or vicioufnefs of dif 
pofition. It is an univerfal canon, that 
knaves are fufpicious and unrelenting, 
while good men are open-hearted and 
merciful. If the mercantile character of 
Liverpool be tried by this teft, it will ap- 
pear to confiderable advantage. 
They who make the acquifition of a 
fortune the main object of their exer- 
tions, are, generally fpeaking, abforbed 
in attention to bufinefs; becaufe it isa 
very evident and intelligible truth, that 
indiftry is the high road to wealth. "Vhe 
cultivation of the elegant arts tends too 
much to the unproduétive confumption 
of time, and to the diftraction of the 
mind from lefs amufing concerns, to be 
tolerated in a counting houfe. Ofcourfe 
it frequently happens in Liverpool, as in 
S 
all 
