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close of the play. So rapid were the flames that but little was saved, and the splendid chandelier, the celebrated pictures of Beau Nash, &c. were all consumed.

It may not be uninteresting to close this brief sketch with a short account of Nash, whom it appears, from all his biographers, (one of which was no less than the celebrated Goldsmith,) was boru at Swansea, in the county of Glamorgan, the 18th of October, 1674; his father possessing a handsome income, chiefly derived from a glass-manufactory there. On his mother's side, his descent was more respectable, she being the niece of Colonel Poyer, who was executed by Oliver Cromwell, for defending valiantly the castle of Pembroke on behalf of the unfortunate Charles the First. At Carmarthen, Mr. Nash received the elements of education, and a competent share of classical knowledge, which he was sent to the University of Oxford to improve at the early age of sixteen. Here he entered at Jesus College, with an intention to pursue the study of the law. But he had mistaken his turn; the dry code of civil jurisprudence was ill calculated to fix the attention of one whose disposition was naturally gay and volatile. Nash devoted himself to pleasure, instead of acts of parliament; and was on the eve of sacrificing all his prospects to a very disproportionate marriage in point of age and fortune, when his friends discovered the amour, and instantly removed the young enamorato from the sphere of his mistress's attractions. He then purchased a pair of colors, and became a soldier: but he soon found that he had pleased himself with ideal delights; and his rank did not lift him above subordination. He, therefore quitted the army in disgust, returned to the discarded law, and entered himself a student of the Middle Temple. He now became a town fine gentleman of the second rate; dressing tawdrily, affecting public places, and dividing his time between play and the ladies. Nash shortly after became a public character, by the following circumstance-At the time of William's accession to the throne, our hero was a member of the Temple, where he had acquired the credit of wit, gallantry, and elegance and upon the society's entertaining the new monarch with a revel and a pageant, Nash's fame for taste and gaiety rendered him the fittest person for the office of high-priest on the occasion; and William, indeed, offered to knight Nash; but our hero, who

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seems to have had sense enough to despise the unsubstantial mockery of a title without the palpable comfort of a good income attached to it, declined the intended honor. In the year 1704 Nash went down to Bath, which was then just beginning to be a place of fashionable resort; and a vacancy happening about the same time in the office of master of the ceremonies, by the loss of Captain Webster, the well-known talent of Nash for the invention of amusement, and the promotion of dissipation, became a powerful recommendation to his succeding to the important situation of arbiter elegantiarum. He was accordingly elected, and invested with the fullest power to order, arrange, correct, and improve, the manners of the company, the routine of amusements, and the points of etiquette. Uncontrolled as was the authority thus delegated to him, it must be confessed he deserves great credit in having exercised it entirely for the public good. Under his auspices, Bath quickly emerged from that obscurity in which it had been hidden for ages, to splendor, elegance, and taste. old roads to it were repaired and improved, and new approaches made: public charities were instituted, (one of which, the General Hospital, will prove an imperishable monument of the feeling traits of his benevolent disposition ;) places of amusement constructed; the pumps and baths furnished with new accommodations; and the motley crew of visitors, which met together at the place of general resort, was reduced to order and propriety of conduct. Nash was the first person that prohibited the wearing of swords in the public rooms, which, at that period, no well-dressed man of fashion was ever seen without, alleging as one reason, that they discomposed the dresses of the ladies; but the real fact was, these instruments of death were too often resorted to in the heat of play, producing serious and calamitous events. Yet, it appears, that swords were worn a long time after at the public places of resort; but were, at length, finally prohibited being worn at Bath," through the decided interference of Nash, in consequence of a duel having been fought by torch-light, between two noted black legs, of the names of Clarke and Taylor. And, after a most desperate opposition, the efforts of Nash finally triumphed over the wearing boots in the assembly rooms, to the great discomfiture of the 'Squire Western part of the creation. In order, it should seem,

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genarally to ridicule human nature out of its numerous weaknesses, the following lively, yet interesting and harmless, piece of satire, written by Nash, was hung up in the rooms, and afforded much amusement to its various perusers:

RULES BY GENERAL CONSENT DETERMINED.

I. That a visit of ceremony at coming to Bath, and another at going away, is all that is expected or desired by ladies of quality and fashion-except impertinents.

II. That ladies coming to the ball appoint a time for their footmen's coming to wait on them home, to prevent disturbances and inconveniences to themselves and others.

III. That gentlemen of fashion, never appearing in a morning before the ladies in gowns and caps, show breeding and respect.

IV. That no person take it ill that any one goes to another's play or breakfast, and not to their's-except captious by na

ture.

V. That no gentleman give his ticket for the balls to any but gentlewomen. N. B. Unless he has none of his acquaintance.

VI. That gentlemen crowding before the ladies at the ball show ill manners; and that none do so for the future-except such as respect nobody but themselves.

VII. That no gentleman or lady take it ill that another dances before them-except such as have no pretence to dance at all.

VIII. That the elder ladies and children be contented with a second bench at the ball, as being past, or not come to, perfection.

IX. That the younger ladies take notice how many eyes observe them. N. B. This does not extend to the Have-atAlls.

X. That all whisperers of lies and scandal be taken for their authors.

XI. That all repeaters of such lies and scandal be shunned by all company-except such as have been guilty of the same

crime.

N.B. Several men of no character, old women, and young ones of questioned reputation, are great authors of lies in this place, being of the sect of levellers.

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