NOTE

Of the eight papers printed here, “Some Eighteenth-Century Men About Town,” “A Forgotten Satirist: ‘Peter Pindar’,” “Sterne’s Eliza,” and “William Beckford, of Fonthill Abbey,” have appeared in the Fortnightly Review; “Charles James Fox” appeared in the Monthly Review, “Exquisites of the Regency” in Chambers’s Journal, and “The Demoniacs” in the American Bookman. To the editors of these periodicals I am indebted either for permission to reprint, or for their courtesy in having permitted me to reserve the right of publication in book form. “Philip, Duke of Wharton” is now printed for the first time.

Lewis Melville

Contents

PAGE
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY MEN ABOUT TOWN[13]
SOME EXQUISITES OF THE REGENCY[47]
A FORGOTTEN SATIRIST: “PETER PINDAR”[103]
STERNE’S ELIZA[129]
THE DEMONIACS[161]
WILLIAM BECKFORD OF FONTHILL ABBEY[189]
CHARLES JAMES FOX[219]
PHILIP, DUKE OF WHARTON[253]
INDEX[283]

List of Illustrations

“A VIEW FROM THE PUMP ROOM, BATH”
 A Facsimile Reproduction of a Drawing by Richard Deighton		[Frontispiece]
SIR JOHN LADE
 From the Painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds		To face page [16]
THE PRINCE OF WALES
 From the Miniature by Cosway		"  "  [48]
LUMLEY SKEFFINGTON
 From a Contemporary Miniature		"  "  [80]
PETER PINDAR
 From the Painting by John Opie		"  " [112]
LAURENCE STERNE
 From the Painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds		"  " [144]
WILLIAM BECKFORD
 From the Painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds		"  " [192]
CHARLES JAMES FOX
 From the Painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds		"  " [224]
PHILIP, DUKE OF WHARTON
 From a Contemporary Painting		"  " [256]