Toasts, Rakes And Cits (e-book) (used book) | bookbook.eu

Description

PRE-ISBN.


This book comprises sketches of social life in London culled at random from 'The Tatler' between the first and last issues of 12th April 1709 and 2nd January 1711. It could be considered to be a forerunner of the type of present publications represented by "Hello" magazine -- except that wit and observations published in The Tatler tended to be both witty and acerbic; and certainly NOT fawning!

From the Forward:

"At the time when he edited The Tatler, Steele was living in Shire (or Sheer) Lane – a street that extended between Carey Street and the Strand, and ran roughly parallel to Chancery Lane. Its site is now covered by the Law Courts. It emerged in the Strand close to Temple Bar. In Shire Lane stood the Trumpet Inn, claimed as the resort of the Kit-Cat Club.

White’s Chocolate House (from which so many of the Tatler essays are dated) was, at the time when the Tatler appeared, on the west side of St James’s Place. It was burnt down in 1733, and its site is now [1920] occupied by Arthur’s Club. Will’s Coffee-house is now at No. 1, Bow Street, Covent Garden (at the corner of Russell Street). The Grecian Coffee-house was in Devereux Court, Strand, hard by Temple Bar. The building is now [1920] known as “Grecian Chambers”.

In shape, the Tatler was a single sheet, printed on both sides. The first four numbers were given free, and the price was then fixed at a penny, which was afterwards doubled.”