Excerpt from Sir Roger De Coverley and the Spectator's Club The question which is perplexing the anxious, over burdened man Oi the nineteenth century, Is life worth living might, with some propriety, have been asked in the eighteenth of the social dawdler whose days were rounds of sensual pleasures. Thackeray says, I 'have calculated the manner in which statesmen and persons Of condition passed their time and what with drinking and dining, and supping and cards, wonder how they got through with their business at all. The fine gentleman rose late, and sauntered in the Mall the fashionable promenade which we are I told was always full of idlers, but especially so morn ing and evening when their Majesties often walked with the royal family. After his walk the society man, dressed elaborately and in his periwig, cocked hat, skirt-coat wired to make it stick out, ruffled linen, black silk hose, square-toed shoes, and buckles, gaily betook himself to the coffee-house or chocolate house. Here he lounged, and over the steaming cup discussed the latest news from abroad, from Parlia ment, from society. As there were few conveniences in the homes for entertaining, it was the custom to dine with-a friend or two at the tavern, where hilarity prevailed, and drunkenness was a trifling incident, attaching no Shame or disgrace to the Offender. Din ner over, the coffee-house again, or possibly the club, occupied the attention, and the theatre or gaming table finished the day for this man of quality who perhaps had no uneasy consciousness Of time wasted. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.