CONVIVIALITY IN QUEEN ANNE'S DAYS.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, 1 September 1880, Page 3

CONVIVIALITY IN QUEEN ANNE'S DAYS.

The fove^n policy of Q"^" A'>nes ministers opened a new ev\ in diiMun« wb>h by norarans«endeil to conviviali.y. We mido the famnni Mnihuen treaty v.i'h Portniral, and Tn-ihw\ was flomlefl , witli heaif V"*- T]ie 'C>inf.loynt o f Si-olland ' on .'.at subject i* expressed m the pi Iby though haelf»<-yctl coxiplet : - Fii-m nnd cect tb<s Ciilpdoni;m sfool, Old wa-' hia mi'Hr-n »"(\ bis cluret- gooilJ " Lei; him dm»k port I" the En-lis'i Bfcalesman cried . . . , He drink the poison, and Irs spK»t a «•■<*■ All ihnt an be said is'tl.at <t'ue final i^ fliatcßman, find the Enalish wan of letters pt well, suffered iv common willi the Caledonia. Port -I ec-me the popular wine in count y seMs r as in London crff c houses. As io the'fe-rmer, it was of l!>e less cons -quenee that it mattered little whether fox-ltnnline county- jjeoilpmcn of tho tyi)fi of Sir Hildebrond Osbaldistone' nn'l Pquire Wes'ern'B i-Ah<>r mu«!'H".l th«>mgp!vrfs with the wines of Opono or no. They remained equnl to ihe disch(*rge of their piwchial duties ?s justices of fji<? peace and church'Wiir<l.;.iß ; and that w,iß the utt7)ost their country expected of them. Bnt who plmll estimate the efflecU of lh-3 wines of the Do«ro on the chiefs of f !>e stHte f>i)d of tiis literary coteries P Brilliant ns BolingbroljQ and Pope and Svriffc find h ; s corapanions Wflve, and woixioifttl ;is nvo the literary^|monu» 'inonfs ti'oy ! jx"e b'ft behimb fheai, they TrouUl i!!idoi'!itefMy have been more liriiJinnt still ha.l <hay heea content to stick (o (he inspirations of chnet. As it is, ire stand amazed, at. (he work of raviolis kinds accomplished by them nod their successor?, considering the drag they deliberately imposed Od lliemselve*. Bolinjbrolce was a senit'S of intense vitality. <md Sir Robert Walpole had the robust frame of a fojchuofcin^ Norfolk pqiire ; and do doubt their s'ornachs had been seasoned (o Ihe strong liquois they li!t!>itu;»!lr irnhHied. BuS, «fi'er all, they wpre cHsi; in the enme morilJ as ouvKt!v?B ; we Itnnw how ft "m»n feels the, hext morning now-esd'ys wlien he baa sw.'llowed but ha'f a i;oUle of port fvernight ; aud we mny be sure that, with ail their capacity for work, their lirains must have l>een constantly clonl-d by rapjiT, Pdrpe'ual depr<33Fion nf^r excels must have necessitated constan's Bliins Bolingbroke, who was himself a mau of profound learning and wit, invited men of wit and learning to his sympo'Ud when lie-wns not snpp'.ng i:i fera-ile society, and might always make an effort to rise to the occasion more or Iff-" successfully.