At my ease this prodigious collection and crowd of a
happy, cheerful world, who were here enjoying themselves devoid of
care, when a waiter very civilly asked me what refreshments I wished
to have, and in a few moments returned with what I asked for. To my
astonishment he would accept no money for these refreshments; which
I could not comprehend, till he told me that everything was included
in the half-crown I had paid at the door; and that I had only to
command if I wished for anything more; but that if I pleased, I
might give him as a present a trifling douceur. This I gave him
with pleasure, as I could not help fancying I was hardly entitled to
so much civility and good attention for one single half-crown.
I now went up into the gallery, and seated myself in one of the
boxes there; and from thence becoming all at once a grave and
moralising spectator, I looked down on the concourse of people who
were still moving round and round in the fairy circle; and then I
could easily distinguish several stars and other orders of
knighthood; French queues and bags contrasted with plain English
heads of hair, or professional wigs; old age and youth, nobility and
commonalty, all passing each other in the motley swarm. An
Englishman who joined me during this my reverie, pointed out to me
on my enquiring, princes and lords with their dazzling stars; with
which they eclipsed the less brilliant part of the company.
Here some moved round in an eternal circle to see and be seen; there
a group of eager connoisseurs had placed themselves before the
orchestra and were feasting their ears, while others at the well-
supplied tables were regaling the parched roofs of their mouths in a
more substantial manner, and again others, like myself, were sitting
alone, in the corner of a box in the gallery, making their remarks
and reflections on so interesting a scene.
I now and then indulged myself in the pleasure of exchanging, for
some minutes, all this magnificence and splendour for the gloom of
the garden, in order to renew the pleasing surprise I experienced on
my first entering the building. Thus I spent here some hours in the
night in a continual variation of entertainment; when the crowd now
all at once began to lessen, and I also took a coach and drove home.
At Ranelagh the company appeared to me much better, and more select
than at Vauxhall; for those of the lower class who go there, always
dress themselves in their best, and thus endeavour to copy the
great. Here I saw no one who had not silk stockings on. Even the
poorest families are at the expense of a coach to go to Ranelagh, as
my landlady assured me. She always fixed on some one day in the
year, on which, without fail, she drove to Ranelagh. On the whole
the expense at Ranelagh is nothing near so great as it is at
Vauxhall, if you consider the refreshments; for any one who sups at
Vauxhall, which most people do, is likely, for a very moderate
supper, to pay at least half-a-guinea.
The Parliament.
I had almost forgotten to tell you that I have already been to the
Parliament House; and yet this is of most importance. For, had I
seen nothing else in England but this, I should have thought my
journey thither amply rewarded.
As little as I have hitherto troubled myself with politics, because
indeed with us it is but little worth our while, I was however
desirous of being present at a meeting of parliament - a wish that
was soon amply gratified.
One afternoon, about three o'clock, at which hour, or thereabouts,
the house most commonly meets, I enquired for Westminster Hall, and
was very politely directed by an Englishman. These directions are
always given with the utmost kindness. You may ask whom you please,
if you can only make yourself tolerably well understood; and by thus
asking every now and then, you may with the greatest ease find your
way throughout all London.
Westminster Hall is an enormous Gothic building, whose vaulted roof
is supported, not by pillars, but instead of these there are, on
each side, large unnatural heads of angels, carved in wood, which
seem to support the roof.
When you have passed through this long hall, you ascend a few steps
at the end, and are led through a dark passage into the House of
Commons, which, below, has a large double-door; and above, there is
a small staircase, by which you go to the gallery, the place
allotted for strangers.
The first time I went up this small staircase, and had reached the
rails, I saw a very genteel man in black standing there. I accosted
him without any introduction, and I asked him whether I might be
allowed to go into the gallery. He told me that I must be
introduced by a member, or else I could not get admission there.
Now, as I had not the honour to be acquainted with a member, I was
under the mortifying necessity of retreating, and again going down-
stairs, as I did much chagrined. And now, as I was sullenly
marching back, I heard something said about a bottle of wine, which
seemed to be addressed to me.
I could not conceive what it could mean, till I got home, when my
obliging landlady told me I should have given the well-dressed man
half-a-crown, or a couple of shillings for a bottle of wine. Happy
in this information, I went again the next day; when the same man
who before had sent me away, after I had given him only two
shillings, very politely opened the door for me, and himself
recommended me to a good seat in the gallery.
