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LONDON-WINES CUSTOMS AT TABLE.

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ding is derived from the stone, or the stone from the pudding, and either might be considered as a reflection; but to my taste plum-pudding is excellent.

The wine generally drank is Port, high in colour, rough, and strong,-Madeira, and Sherry; Bourdeaux wine, usually called here Claret, Burgundy, Champagne, and other French wines, are luxuries: few of these wines come to England without some heightening of brandy. People generally taste of fewer dishes here than at Paris, each dining generally on one or two. You are not pressed to eat or drink. The ordinary beverage during the dinner is small-beer, porter rarely, and sparkling ale, which is served in high shaped glasses like Champagne glasses; water, acidulated by the carbonic gas, is frequently used: few drink wine and water mixed. The crystal vessels, called decanters, in which wine is brought on table, are remarkably beautiful. Formerly it was the invariable custom to drink every body's health round the table; and although less general now, it is by no means entirely abolished. It was done in this way: One of the guests challenged another, male or female; this being accepted by a slight inclination of the head, they filled respectively, each watching the motions of his adversary, then raised their glasses, bowing to each other, and in this attitude, looking round the table, they had to name every one of the company successively. This ceremony finished, the two champions eyed each other gravely, and carrying their glasses to their lips, quaffed their wine simultaneously. As one challenger did not wait for another, and each guest matched himself without minding his neighbours, the consequence was, circular glances, calls of names, and mutual bows, forming a running

fire round the table, crossing in every direction. It was then the invariable custom to introduce guests to each other by name, and it was quite necessary to recollect these names, in order to drink their healths at table. This custom of introducing is losing ground every day; and in fact the height of fashion is, to banish every thing like gêne and ceremony. This is certainly very well; but some people go a little farther; and, under pretence of ease, every appearance of mutual goodwill is excluded. Voltaire has said somewhere, "qui n'est que juste est dur." I would add, qui n'est que franc est brutal. True politeness, I presume, is merely benevolence in small things; which costs so little, and requires so few sacrifices, that it is not worth while to dispense with it. When politeness promises no more, it is consistent with perfect sincerity. The manners of those who have that sort of politeness resemble each other in all countries, while the arbitrary politeness of fashion is more local. Fashionable people in England are very apt to be insolent,-in France probably impertinent.

Soon after dinner the ladies retire, the mistress of the house rising first, while the men remain standing. Left alone, they resume their seats, evidently more at ease, and the conversation takes a different turn,-less reserved,-and either graver, or more licentious:

Le dîner fait, on digère, on raisonne,
On conte, on rit, on médit du prochain.

Politics are a subject of such general interest in England, both for men and women, that it engrosses the conversation before, as much as after: the retreat of the ladies; the latter, indeed, are

LONDON-POLITICS.

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still more violent and extravagant than the men, whenever they meddle at all with politics, and the men out of Parliament, I think, more than those in Parliament. Women, however, do not speak much in numerous and mixed company. The political topics most usually agitated relate to the measures of administration; and the ministers are infallibly blamed or praised for the same things, and for every thing, as the person who speaks happens to belong to one or the other party. This ministerial controversy, however, is carried on with sufficient good-humour; but there is another branch of politics which is hardly ever introduced without producing more heat and earnestness of debate,that is, parliamentary reform; a nice and intricate question, which few of the disputants understand, and they are the more positive and violent on that very account. As to ministers, it is quite another thing; the disputants on this point know exactly how the matter stands; those who support them are in general supposed to be in duty bound to do so, and there is no disputing on a point of duty.

The minister, Walpole, who is thought to have understood the manipulation of his art better than any one, and to have known how to manage mankind, used to say, that he was sure to keep his guests at table in good humour, by leading the conversation to eating and women;-they were all of one mind on those subjects. The recipe has lost nothing of its efficacy, and the matter is at this day discussed con amore. Old men and young all join in it; and make themselves amends, over the bottle, for the restraint necessary before

women.

There are some customs here not quite consistent with that scrupulous delicacy on which the Eng

lish pique themselves. Towards the end of dinner, and before the ladies retire, bowls of coloured glass full of water are placed before each person. All (women as well as men) stoop over it, suck. ing up some of the water, and returning it, and, with a spitting and washing sort of noise, quite charming, the operation frequently assisted by a finger elegantly thrust into the mouth! This done, and the hands dipped also, the napkins, and some times the table-cloth, are used to wipe hand and mouth. This, however, is nothing to what I am going to relate. Drinking much and long leads to unavoidable consequences. Will it be credited, that, in a corner of the very dining-room, there is a certain convenient piece of furniture, to be used by any body who wants it. The operation is performed very deliberately and undisguisedly, as a matter of course, and occasions no interruption of the conversation. I once took the liberty to ask why this convenient article was not placed out of the room, in some adjoining closet; and was answered, that in former times, when good fellowship was more strictly enforced than in these degenerate days, it had been found that men of weak heads or stomachs took advantage of the opportu→ nity to make their escape shamefully, before they were quite drunk; and that it was to guard against such an enormity, that this nice expedient had been invented. I have seen the article in question regularly provided in houses where there was no man, that is, no master of the house; the mistress, therefore, must be understood to have given the necessary orders to her servants, a supposition rather alarming for the delicacy of an English lady. Yet I find these very people up in arms against some uncleanly practices of the French;

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for instance, spitting on the floor, the carpet, &c. &c. or spreading in full view a snuff-taking handkerchief, with an innocence of nastiness quite inconceivable. To take a lump of sugar with their fingers, is another offence the French are apt to give, but of a lesser dye. Dr. Johnson was once exposed to an abomination of the latter sort during his tour in France, and the astonishment and wrath of the Doctor are faithfully recorded somewhere.

It may be a matter of curiosity in France to know how the people of London are lodged. Each family occupy a whole house, unless very poor. There are advantages and disadvantages attending this custom. Among the first, the being more independent of the noise, the dirt, the contagious disorders, or the danger of your neighbour's fires, and having a more complete home. On the other hand, an apartment all on one floor, even of a few rooms only, looks much better, and is more convenient. These narrow houses, three or four stories high, one for eating, one for sleeping, a third for company, a fourth under ground for the kitchen, a fifth perhaps at top for the servants,and the agility, the ease, the quickness with which the individuals of the family run up and down, and perch on the different stories, give the idea of a cage with its sticks and birds. The plan of these houses is very simple, two rooms on each story; one in the front with two or three windows looking on the street, the other on a yard behind, often very small; the stairs generally taken out of the breadth of the back room. The ground-floor is usually elevated a few feet above the level of the street, and separated from it by an area, a sort of ditch, a few feet wide, generally from three to

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