RULES AND ORDERS.

The following are the rules and orders (as established by the Corporation) for regulating bathing and pumping in the public and private baths, and also the fees and conduct of the Serjeant, Bath-Guides, and Cloth-Women,

A Serjeant shall not demand more than 3d. for each time of bathing: A Guide shall not demand more than 1s. for each time of bathing: A Cloth-Woman shall not demand more than 3d. for each time of bathing.

Pumping in the King's and Queen's-Bath, 2d. each hundred strokes; at the Dry Pump, 4d. each hnndred strokes.

(The above fees are to be understood so as not to affect people in low circumstances, or servants, such being allowed to bathe for 6d. only to the Guide, for linen and attendance)

That no Serjeant, Bath-Guide, Cloth-Woman or Chairman, shall demand any thing of a bather for his or her entrance upon bathing or pumping, which has been usually demanded by the name of footing-money.

That sufficient fires (at the expence of the Chamber of the city) be made in the slips; to be lighted at six o'clock in the morning in the winter, and at five in the summer season, and be continued the usual hours of bathing.

Bathing is allowed on all holidays, except Christmas-Day and Good-Friday.

The following are the expences of bathing, &c. in the New Private Baths, and Hot-Bath:

Each person bathing in the open bath, to pay Is. 6d: for each time of bathing. In the private bath, vapour-bath, or sweating-room, 3s, Bathing in the private bath, and afterwards using the sweating-room or vapour-bath, 4s. For the use of a bed, 2s. 6d. Pumping in the bath, 3d. for one hundred strokes; and at the Dry Pump, 6d.

The bath and pump to be paid for each time of using; and every person bespeaking a bath, must pay for the same though not used, unless due notice be given that the bath may be let again.-Dresses, Towels, &e included in the terms.

N. B. Any lady or gentleman having cause of complaint against the attendants of any of the baths, are desired to

make such complaint known to the Magistrates at the TownHall on Monday mornings at twelve o'clock.

The time people generally bathe in the King's-Bath and Cross-Bath, is between the hours of six and nine in the morning, when there is a fresh supply of water; that which arises one day being discharged the next day by drains into the river Avon; by which means, the baths are always kept sweet and wholesome.

CHAP. IX.

Of the Amusements of BATH.

HE goddess of pleasure has selected this city as the place

variety of fascinating forms that elegant dissipation can suggest; the most fashionable train of resplendant amusements are ever obedient to her dictates; fancy is always on the wing, to supply her with every elegancy that can command esteem, or excite admiration; and curiosity introduces to her court all the admirers of social gaiety; so that at present her throne is raised to a pitch of grandeur that cannot be paral leled.

The Romans were the first who induced this festive goddess to form an establishment at these springs. Their medicinal virtues having invited these noble conquerors to settle around them; their classical taste, and desire for dissipation, attracted the attention of pleasure, and gave rise to a diversity of entertainments that drew a great influx of spectators to the place, where they were to be seen. The rage and barbarity of the Saxon invaders, suppressed the career of refined amusements, at Bath; to these succeeded the rude pastimes of the pranks of mountebanks, the feats of jugglers, tumblers, and dancers: bull-baiting, cock-fighting, pig-racing, foot-ball, grinning through a horse-collar, and swallowing burning-hot frumenty; but the gradual refinement of national manners introduced balls, plays, and cards, instead of those athletic sports and gross diversions; and suggested the erection of the first Assembly-Room in Bath, in the year 1708.

Mr. Harrison, a man of speculation, observing that a building of this kind was much wanted, (at the intimation of Mr.

Nash) built a large commodious room for the reception of company. The success that attended this undertaking, induced Mr. Thayer to erect another large room, on the Walks, in 1728, which was successively called Lindsay's and Wiltshire's Rooms. From this time commenced a regular succession of fashionable amusement; public breakfasts, morning concerts, noon card-parties, and evening promenades rolled on in an elegant and diversified order.

The author of a tour through Great-Britain, gives the following account of the manner of spending the day at Bath at that period, which he wrote about sixty-five years ago.

"In the morning the young lady is brought in a close chair, dressed in her bathing-clothes to the Cross-Bath. There the music plays her into the water, and the women who attend her present her with a little floating dish like a bason, into which the lady puts an handkerchief and a nosegay, and of late a snuff-box is added. She then traverses the bath, if a novice, with a guide; if otherwise, by herself; and having amused herself nearly an hour, calls for her chair, and returns home. But, (observes Mr. Wood), the author should have added, that while the young lady was thus amusing herself, she seldom failed of becoming an object of admiration to some young gentleman in the gallery by the side of the bath; or of receiving those compliments which a fine glow of countenance, arising from the heat of the waters, must necessarily draw from her admires.*

"The amusement of bathing is immediately succeeded by a general assembly of people at the pump-house- some for pleasure, and some to drink the hot waters. Three glasses, at three different times, is the usual portion for every drinker; and the intervals between their drinking are made agreeable to them by the harmony of a small band of music, as well as by the conversation of the gay and healthy.

"From the pump-house the ladies from time to time withdraw to a neighbouring toy-shop, amusing themselves with

*"A certain gentleman, once looking at his wife while she was bathing in the King's- Bath, was so charmed with her increase of beauty, that he could not forbear complimenting her upon it; which a King of Bath hearing, he instantly took him by the heels, and as an act of gallantry, hurdled him over the rails into the water."-Wood, 438.

reading the news; and from thence they return to their lodgings to breakfast. The gentlemen withdraw to the coffeehouses to read the public papers; and there some of them break their fast with buttered rolls, or Bath buns, not to be equalled elsewere, and with the best of chocolate, tea or coffee; paying for each roll or bun the sum of fourpence, sixpence for a dish of chocolate, and threepence for a dish of tea, or for a cup of coffee.

"Now to continue the day with pleasure, people of fashion, in their turns, make public breakfasts at the assembly houses, to which they invite their acquaintance; and sometimes private concerts of music, and at other times lectures upon the arts and sciences, make part of the mornings' amusement. The private concerts are performed in the ball-rooms, into which people are admitted by tickets at a crown each; and the lectures upon the arts and sciences are read to the subscribers either in rooms belonging to the assembly-houses, or in such as are situated near them, every subscriber paying no more than one guinea for a whole course.

"Concert-breakfast at the assembly-houses for some time made another of the morning's amusement at Bath; and the expence of these were defrayed by a subscription among gentlemen; every subscriber contributing a certain sum, and for this he had a certain number of tickets to present the ladies with. These entertainments were esteemed of some of the politest of the place; they came to mere trifles to individuals, and such people of rank and fortune as were well skilled in music, took a pleasure in joining, on these occasions, with the common band of performers. The expence of the concertbreakfasts fell short of the subscription to them, notwithstanding the tickets came to no more than one shilling and ninepence each; the surplus was presented to the General Hospital, and in the annual printed list of contributors to that charity, ending the first of May 1747, we find the surplus of three subscriptions amounting together to the sum of twenty-three pounds and one shilling..

"When noon approaches, and church is over, some of the company appear on the grand parade, and other public walks, where a rotation of walking is continued for about two hours, and parties made to play at cards in the Assembly-Houses; while other parts of the company taking the air and excercise, some on horseback, and some in coaches. There are others who amuse themselves with reading in the bookseller's shops,

as well as with walking in Queen-square, and in the meadows round about this city.

"The first place appropriated for taking the air and exercise bn horseback, is a small ring in imitation of the ring in Hyde-Park, near London; it is six hundred yards in circumference, almost upon a level, on a gravelly soil, highly situated, defended from the winds, is part of the town-common, and the field out of which it is taken is called HydePark. The next place is that part of Camalodunum which goes by the name of Claverton-down, and on which there is an excellent two-mile course for horse racing; but as this down is private property, the corporation of Bath formerly paid a rent of thirty pounds a year for the liberty of airing upon it. Mons Badonca, or Lansdown, is the third place, which, though as much inclosed as possible, nevertheless affords many excellent parts to ride upon; and the healthiness of the place is such, that not long since every house upon it had an inhabitant, who had lived almost to the age of one hundred years; and the fourth and last place is the first three miles of the London road, which is much frequented for airing, in the winter especially.

"The difficulty of ascending our hills is not so great as is generally reported; but when surmounted, what beautiful prospects do they give; and what fine air do the invalids breathe in upon them! I will venture to say, that thirty different rides, each sufficient for a morning's airing, with so many beautiful points of view and matters of curiosity, may be found about Bath, as conducive to the health and pleasure of mankind, as can be met with in ten times the space of ground in any other country.

"When the hour of dinner draws near, and people return from walking, riding, playing, and other amusements, they are sure to find their tables covered with the best of provisions of all kinds. Our mutton is celebrated, and that which is really fed upon our downs, has a flavour beyond comparison; our butter cannot be exceeded, the herbage in the neighbourhood being sweet, the housewifery neat and clean; and we have fish in great plenty as fresh and as good as even the greatest epicure can desire. So that if good provisions. may be called an addition to the pleasures of any place, Bath will yield to none in this point, especially since no city in the world can be furnished with better and cleaner cook-maids to dress them; and the extraordinary abilities of those maids