384 STYLE OF DRESS IN GEORGE II.'S TIME.-1727-1760. along the rocky channel of a torrent. In the course of their journey Charles became so exhausted for want of food, and fatigue, that he could walk no further; and two of the men carried him over the rugged paths to a place where their friends had provided food for them. 12. On the 29th of August the prince reached a place of concealment which had been prepared by him, and which was called the Cage, a habitation formed in the hollow of a small cluster of bushes, which grew out of a high rock. The floor was composed of trunks of trees, and was made level by having earth spread on it. The trees which grew at the sides were interwoven with ropes, made of heath, and the top was thatched with long grass. 13. This singular dwelling was large enough to contain seven persons, and here the prince, with Cameron of Lochiel, stayed till September 13th, when he received information that two French ships had arrived off the coast. He got on board one of thein, but his dangers were not yet over, for British ships guarded all the neighboring seas. Under shelter of a dense fog he passed through the midst of the enemy's squadron, and on the 29th of September, 1746, landed safely in France. 14. He was so worn out by the fatigues and hardships he had undergone, that he was scarcely to be known as the same handsome and sprightly youth, who had left France, full of animation and hope, the year before. By the terms of a general peace, made at Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1748, Louis withdrew his protection from the Stuart family, who retired to Rome. The young pretender long kept up a secret correspondence with the Jacobites in England, and once, if not oftener, he came privately to London. 15. As he advanced in years, his character underwent a great change for the worse, and his friends abandoned his cause in disgust. He took the name of Count d'Albany, and died in 1784, leaving no children. His brother, Cardinal York, who then became the sole representative of the royal house of Stuart, died at a very advanced age, in 1807, and with him the family became extinct. CHAPTER CC. The Style of Dress in George II.'s Time.-Of the Farmer's Festival.-Old Style and New Style.-New-year's Day changed. 1. IN noticing the changes of dress, we may remark that the long flowing wigs of the preceding age had now given place to a snug kind of tie-wig; but in other respects the style of dress had by no voyage to France? 14. What of his appearance? 15. Relate the remaining particulars about the Stuart family. CUSTOMS AMONG THE COUNTRY PEOPLE. 385 means improved. Ladies wore very long waists, and laced so tight that they suffered great pain from their endeavors to acquire what they esteemed a fine shape. 2. They also wore such enormous hoops, that they could not, without difficulty, go through a moderately wide doorway; and their heads and shoulders looked as if they were rising out of a tub. The gown was commonly of rich silk, ornamented with a variety of trimLings. The head was dressed exceedingly high, and the hair drawn tight.off the face. At the elbows hung long ruffles, something like the ears of a poodle dog, which were often catching fire at the candles, or dipping in the dishes at table. 3. It may be well to give a particular description of the dress of a lady of fashion in the early part of the last century. In the first place, she had on a black silk petticoat, trimmed with a red and white calico border, and a cherry-colored bodice, trimmed with blue and silver. She wore, in addition, a yellow satin apron, and a train of dove-colored silk, brocaded with large trees. The ladies appear to have been as stiff and formal in their intercourse with one another, as in their style of dress. 4. As for the gentlemen, those at least who lived in towns, they generally spent their evenings at clubs and coffee-houses; and drinking was so much the custom amongst them, that they rarely met without becoming intoxicated. A foreigner, who visited London about the end of the reign of George I., has given us the following account of his way of spending his time there: "We rise by nine, and either attend great men's levees, or tea-tables, till about eleven or twelve, the fashionable folks assemble in several chocolate and coffee-houses. 5. "We are carried to these places in sedan chairs. If it be fine, we take a turn in the park till two, when we go to dinner with a party at the tavern, where we sit till six, and then go to the play After the play the best company commonly go to Tom's or Will's coffee-houses, and spend the time till midnight in conversation, cards or politics; but party runs so high here that whigs and tories have each their coffee-houses, and would not, on any account, be seen at any other. If you like the company of the ladies, there are assemblies at most houses of people of quality." 6. Among the country people a variety of pleasant customs prevailed a century ago, which have now almost disappeared. Among the happiest was the festival of harvest-home. This merry-making was common throughout England, but different ceremonies were observed in different places, though everywhere they ended with a good feast at the house of the proprietor of the land, to which all the neighbors, as well as the laborers on the farm, were heartily welcomed. In England the farms are generally large, and a great many laborers, both male and female, are employed upon them. 7. In some places, the last handful of grain reaped in the field was called the maiden. It was contrived that this should fall into the CC.-1. What change in head-dress? What of the dress of ladies? 3. Give a description of a lady's dress at the beginning of the last century. 4, 5. What of the manners of the gentlemen? 6. What festival was observed by the farmers? 10. What 386 66 "OLD STYLE" AND NEW STYLE." hands of one of the most comely lasses in the field, who became the queen of the coming feast. The maiden, gayly decorated with ribbons, was placed on the top of the last load of grain which left the field, the wagon itself being gayly decked with flowers and ribbons, and was thus borne home in triumph, with music and shouting. 8. There, to use the language of an old poet, 9. Dancing and various mirthful games succeeded, in which the good man of the house and his wife took part. At the close of th♬ festivities, the maiden is hung up in some conspicuous part of th› farm-house, where it remains till the next year, and it would be esteemed a very unlucky omen if any accident should happen to it. 10. The young reader may have been puzzled with the words "old style" and ". new style," affixed to dates; it may be well, therefore, to explain their meaning. Julius Cæsar, the Roman general, caused some calculations to be made to determine the length of the year. These calculations made it three hundred and sixtyfive days and six hours. But the increased knowledge of astronomy has enabled the modern scientific men tó ascertain that this reckoning was eleven minutes too much. 11. In the lapse of time, these eleven minutes accumulated to eleven days. In the year 1572, Pope Gregory XIII. corrected this error, and reduced the year to its exact length. The reader will learn elsewhere how he guarded against a recurrence of the error. The pope made use of his power to secure the adoption of the new or Gregorian style, in all the Catholic countries of Europe, but England, Sweden, and Russia still retained the old or Julian style. 12. The English merchants found it a great inconvenience to use a different mode of computing time from their foreign correspondents, and the hatred of the pope, which had led to the retention of this error for so long a time after it was pointed out, having in a great degree subsided, in 1752, the British parliament ordered the new style to be adopted in England. The eleven days were taken out of September; the day after the 2d of September being called the 14th, instead of the 3d. The year, also, which, till that time, had been reckoned to begin at the 25th of March, has since been computed from the 1st of January. is the old style and new style? 12. When was the New Style adopted in England? How was the change effected? What other change was made? THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR.-1755. 387 CHAPTER CCI. The Seven Years' War.-General Washington gains his first Laurels. -Capture of Quebec, and Death of General Wolfe.-Lord Clive extends the British Empire in India.-Death of George II.—About Sir Robert Walpole. 1 THE peace which had been made at Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748 continued till 1755, when the encroachment of the French upon what were then British colonies, and are now the United States, led to a war, which entirely involved all Europe, and is often called the Seven Years' War. It was in this that General Washington first distinguished himself, though then very young, by his prudent conduct in an expedition sent out to act against the French, who were endeavoring to connect their settlements in Canada and Louisiana by a chain of forts in the rear of the English colonies. 2. The operations of the war were at first very unfavorable to the English. The ministry were divided in opinion, and very inefficient. The man of all others most competent to conduct the affairs of the nation was William Pitt; but his political principles were too liberal to suit the king, and it was not till the will of the people was too loudly expressed to be any longer disregarded, that George consented to commit the reins of government to his hands. 3. A decisive change now took place in the fortunes of the war; Canada was entirely subdued, and the French power annihilated in that part of the American continent. This was not effected, however, without the loss of one of the most popular and distinguished commanders whom the English ever had to boast of; namely, General Wolfe, who was killed in the moment of victory at the siege of Quebec, in 1759. 4. Upon the continent of Europe, the war was carried on by England with only Frederick, King of Prussia, commonly called Frederick the Great, for its ally, against all the other powers combined. But the sagacity and military skill of Frederick, and the energy of Mr. Pitt, enabled her to sustain with success the apparently unequal contest. Hanover, which, in the beginning of the war, had been conquered by the French, was recovered, and the King of Prussia established its position as one of the first-rate powers of Europe. The principal battle was that of Minden, fought August 1st, 1759, in which the English and Prussians defeated the French. 5. In the East, Lord Clive, who had rapidly risen, by the force of his own abilities, from the humble situation of clerk to that of commander-in-chief of the forces, laid the foundations of the British empire in India. Upon the ocean the British flag was completely CCI.-1. How long did peace continue? What occasioned the renewal of war? Who distinguished himself for the first time in this war? 2. What of the success of the war on the part of England? What change in the ministry? 3. What change followed in the fortunes of the war? What of General Wolfe? 4. What of the war upon the conti nent of Europe? Whs: was the principal battle? 5. What affairs in the east? 6. When 388 DEATH OF GEORGE II-1760. triumphant. In the midst of these successes, the king, without any previous complaint, was suddenly seized with the agonies of death. He had hitherto enjoyed a degree of health and bodily vigor very unusual at his advanced age, and which seemed to give the promise of a much longer life. 6. On the 25th of October, 1760, he rose at his usual hour, and observed to his attendants, that, as the morning was fine, he would walk in the garden. He was still at the window, observing the weather, when he fell to the ground, and almost immediately expired. He was in the seventy-seventh year of his age, and the thirty-fourth of his reign. During the whole time he was upon the throne, political contests were carried on with great animosity. The niost distinguished political leaders were Robert Walpole, Sir William Wyndham, Mr. Pelham, Sir William Pulteney, and Mr. Pitt. 7. Sir Robert Walpole was the prime minister during the first half of this reign. He made use of very disreputable means to keep himself in office. Since the revolution of 1688, England has been essentially a free government, and no man can sustain himself in office as minister, unless his measures are approved by a majority of the votes of the house of commons, who are in theory the representatives of the people of England. 8. To secure to himself this majority, Walpole made a most liberal distribution of money and offices, a mode of retaining power which cannot forever be successful, since all who are venal will oppose for the very purpose of being bought over; and to the minister's means there must be a limit. And so Sir Robert found, for, in 1742, he was forced to resign. He was, however, made Earl of Orford. 9. One great cause of the popular discontent against Walpole, was his taking the king's part in a quarrel between his majesty and his son Frederick, Prince of Wales. We do not know the original cause of this quarrel, but it was conducted with such animosity on the king's part, as to excite the sympathy of the people, with whom the prince was very popular, on account of his estimable qualities. He did not live to be king, but died in 1751, leaving many children. FAMILY OF GEORGE II. WIFE. Caroline of Anspach. CHILDREN. Frederick, Prince of Wales, died in 1751. Anne, married the Prince of Orange. Amelia, died in 1786. Caroline, died in 1757. Mary, married the Prince of Hesse-Cassel. Louisa, married the King of Denmark. did George II. die? What was his age? How long had he reigned? Who were the chief political leaders in his reign? 7. What of Sir Robert Walpole? 9. What of Fred erick, Prince of Wales? |