XXVII. Sir Roger in London
Motto. "Simplicity, in our age most rare."
—Ovid, Ars Amoris, i. 241.
[185]: 15. Gray's Inn Walks. The walks and gardens of Gray's Inn (see note, p. 221) were a favourite resort.
185: 18. Prince Eugene. Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736), a famous Austrian general. He had fought side by side with Marlborough through several campaigns in the great War of the Spanish Succession that was now drawing to a close. At this time Marlborough had just been dismissed from his command in the army (see p. 244), and the English Tory ministry were making negotiations for a peace. Prince Eugene visited London to urge the continuance of the war and the restoration of Marlborough, but his mission was futile.
[186]: 5. Scanderbeg. Corrupt form of Iskander (Alexander) Bey; a noted Albanian chief, whose name was George Castriota, born 1404. He won many victories against the Turks.
186: 24. Out of Dr. Barrow. See VI, p. 79. Dr. Isaac Barrow (1630-1677) was one of the most eloquent divines of his age.
[187]: 1. Tobacco stopper. A small plug, made of wood or bone, to pack the tobacco in the bowl of a pipe.
[188]: 14. The late Act of Parliament, the Act to repress Occasional Conformity, passed 1710. By the Test Act of 1673 it was required of every person filling any civil office that he should take the sacrament, at certain times, according to the forms of the Church of England. The object, of course, was to exclude all Romanists and all Dissenters from office. But it was found that many Dissenters did not feel themselves forbidden by conscience to take the sacrament occasionally from the hands of a priest of the Church of England, if only so they could qualify for office. A bill to prevent this "Occasional Conformity" was warmly urged through all the earlier years of the reign of Anne; but so long as the Whigs were in power, it was impossible to pass it. When the Tories came in, in 1710, they naturally passed it at once.
188: 19. Plum-porridge. Extreme Dissenters looked with disfavour upon all Christmas festivities as savouring of Romish observance.
188: 28. The Pope's Procession. November 17, the anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth, was long celebrated by parades and processions in which the pope and Catholic traditions were turned into ridicule. These parades were often the occasion of popular tumult; but, in 1711, some of the more violent Whigs planned an especially offensive demonstration, which had to be suppressed by the authorities. Swift writes on the evening of the day: "This is Queen Elizabeth's birth-day" [he was in error there; it was not her birth, but her accession, that was celebrated], "usually kept in this town by apprentices, etc.; but the Whigs designed a mighty procession by midnight, and had laid out a thousand pounds to dress up the pope, devil, cardinals, Sacheverel, etc., and carry them with torches about, and burn them.... But they were seized last night, by order of the secretary; you will have an account of it, for they bawl it about the streets already. They had some very foolish and mischievous designs; and it was thought they would have put the rabble upon assaulting my lord treasurer's house, and the secretary's; and other violences. The militia was raised to prevent it, and now, I suppose, all will be quiet."—Journal to Stella, November 17, 1711.
Addison naturally rather minimizes the disturbance by the absurd question of Sir Roger.
[189]: 10. Baker's Chronicle. See note, p. 226. The Chronicle was a favourite authority with Sir Roger; in the next paper we find him quoting it at length.
189: 16. Squire's. A coffee-house in Holborn, near Gray's Inn, specially frequented by the benchers of the inn.
189: 23. The Supplement. A newspaper of the time, issued on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.