1798.] 
On the Latenefs of Hours. 
oy 
in this laudable defign, by fending you , your correfpondent has fuggefted, name- 
occafional fupplies of anecdotes and cor- 
rections, by way. of illuftrating the me- 
moirs of dittinguifhed characters. I truft, 
however, that the annual publication of 
the propofed NecroLocy will in a few 
years prevent the ncceflity of continuing. 
{uch an article in any mifcellany like 
yours. Tam, &c. | 
Augufi 3, 1798. Wigs 
ee 
To the Editer of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
OUR correfpondent CLEON (p. 414) 
has no reafon to refort to an extra- 
ordinary ftate of the atmoiphere tor’ the 
vifibility of Yeas at noon, on the firft of 
February lait.. 
She had then paffed her greateft elonga- 
tion after her inferior conjunction, and 
come to the meridan of Greenwich two 
hours 39 minutes after the fun, This 
reduced to diftance, is 40 degrees within 
one minute. . 
Now this is precifely the angle of her 
greateft illumination: when, though only 
Z of her difk is enlightened with refpect to 
us, fhe exceeds the light of all the*fixed 
ftars, and has even been known to. cait a 
fhadow. 
This phenomenon was calculated by the 
illuftrious HALLEY. 
The computation may be feen in 
“© Martin's Philofopbia Britannica,” vol. 
iii, p. 137... Lremain your’s, fincerely, 
Trofton, Fuly 20. LG bry 
——— EE 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
Y Have juft been reading in your Maga- 
zine for July, an excellent paper on 
the ‘* Progrefive latenefs of Hours kepi in 
England,’ and heartily concur with the 
fentiments offered there on this growing 
folly. Itisa fubject, indeed, on which 
long intended to have addrefled you ; 
and I confider your correfpondent’s paper 
as a hint to my indolence, and an in-, 
formation, that now is the time to follow 
up the fubject. He has, however, in a 
great meafure anticipated my detign ; 
although I cannot fay, as a certain au- 
thor did, fome time ago, ina bookieller’s 
fhop, when he took up avolume of Paley’s 
6¢ Faidences of Chriflianity,’—** Sir, this 
is the zdentical book that I have Jong in- 
tended to write!” 
It is not eafy to difcover any other rea- 
fon for late hours of dining, than what 
MontTu ty Mac, No, Xxxv. 
ly, a defre to be diftinguifhed in fore 
refpect from all the reit of Europe; and, 
in that re{peét from the infericr clafles of 
fociety in Gur cwn country. It is cer- 
tainly a very fingular mode of diftine- 
tion, and I fhould think the upper ranks 
would have béen fay more happy if they 
could have invented a mode ot eating and 
drinking different froma all the reft of the 
world, and which could not be imitated. 
Merely to gratify ones appetite at a later 
hour than the reft of mankind is but a 
paltry diftinétion.. Yet there .is fome- 
thing in it perfectly confonant to the 
etiquette of high lite in other matters. 
You may obferve, that in proceffional ce- 
remonies, the greater perfonages come 
Jat. The hint, I do fuppofe, of date 
dinners was taken from this, and the 
all-powerful and invifible deity of fafhion 
ordained that the vulgar fhould fatisfy 
the wants of nature firft, in compliance 
with the general fyftem. 
I believe that fowr o’clock is the lateft 
dinner-hour in the memory of the oldeft 
fafhionables now living. This was foon 
altered to five, which, with fome, is ftrll 
nominally the hour: I fay nominally, tor 
cards of invitation, like the beauties of 
-Eaftern writing, are not to be interpreted 
literally ; and five generally means, and is 
fully underftood to mean, any time between 
fix and feven. Even this hour, however, 
with the utmoft latitude of interpreta- 
tion, began about ten or twelve years 
ago, to rank among the carly hours ; and 
as any farther extenfion of the time of 
dining might interfere with the opera, 
the theatres, the parliament, or other 
amufements, it was agreed that, with re- 
gard to the former, the cloth fhould be 
laid when the curtaiz dropt; and, with 
regard to the latter, it was thought very 
convenient to dine ju? after the divzfion. 
One night at the opera, when the laft 
dance was finifhed, I heard Mr. B— afk 
Lord D— to go home and take pot-luck 
with him, which the latter declined, 
owing to a previous engagement to dine 
with a feleét party, as foon as the Duke 
of Bedford’s motion was got rid of! 
This Mr. B—, however, is a fort of 
wag—a plain country gentleman, who 
eats his mutton chop quietly at two 
o’clock at noon, and afterwards fups at 
his lady’s midnight dmners. 
Having now fairly got on the boundary 
of the day, it became neceffary to give the 
other meals a correfponding ficve. This 
was not very difficult : fupper very quietly 
N retired 
