Rose and white lip salves were used as now, but their dentifrices were peculiar, to say the least, if this is a fair sample: 'Take four ounces of Coral, reduced to an unpalpable powder, eight ounces of very light Armenian bole, one ounce of Portugal Snuff, one ounce of Havanah Snuff, one ounce of the ashes of good tobacco, which has been burnt, and one ounce of gum myrrh, which has been well pulverised. Mix all these well together, and sift them twice.' An inferior tooth powder was made by leaving out the coral and substituting old broken pans (brown stone ware) reduced to a very fine powder. These mixtures were either rubbed on the teeth with the finger, or else used with a vegetable tooth brush or 'Dentissick Root,' which seems to have been made out of the roots of the marsh mallow, partially dried, and then fried in a mixture of rectified spirits, dragon's blood, and conserve of roses, until they were hard; when one end was bruised with a hammer, in order to open the fibres and form a rudimentary brush. There were dentists, both male and female, and they seem to have been so far successful that some of them guarantee their patients being able to eat with the false teeth after they were fixed. 'So firm and exact as to be eat on, and not to be discover'd by any Person from Natural Ones.'
The usual way of darkening the hair was by the mechanical means of a leaden comb.[163] 'Jenny Trapes! What that Carrot pated Jade that Lodges at the Corner of White Horse Alley!—The Same indeed, only She has black'd her Hair with a Leaden Comb.' But there were also 'Hair Restorers' in those days, as we find by an advertisement, that 'All Persons who, for themselves or Friend, having red or grey Hairs, and would have them dy'd, or turn'd black or dark brown, will find entire Satisfaction, as a great many have already, by the use of a Clear Water,' etc.
Should the sight fail, it could be aided by spectacles, as now—but they were awsome things—with heavy horn, tortoiseshell, or silver rims, and were certainly no adjuncts to personal appearance. They varied in price from 4d. to 25s. per pair.
CHAPTER XII.
TRADE, ETC.
The penny post — Dockwra's vindication of himself — Abolition of penny post — Post days and rates — Halfpenny post — Method of doing business — The Exchange — Description of frequenters — Bankers — Curious advertisement of Sir Richard Hoare's.
Among the social institutions then in existence, was the penny post, which cannot be better, or more tersely, described than in Misson's own words: 'Every two Hours you may write[164] to any Part of the City or Suburbs, he that receives it pays a Penny, and you give nothing when you put it into the Post; but when you write into the Country, both he that writes and he that receives pay each a Penny. It costs no more for any Bundle weighing but a Pound, than for a small Letter, provided the Bundle is not worth more than ten Shillings. You may safely send Money, or any other thing of Value, by this Conveyance, if you do but take care to give the Office an Account of it. It was one Mr. William Dockwra that set up this New Post, about the beginning of the Reign of King Charles 2, and at first enjoy'd the Profits himself; but the Duke of York, who had then the Revenue of the General Post, commenc'd a Suit against him, and united the Penny Post to the other.'
Misson makes a slight error here. The penny post was started in 1683 by Rob. Murray, an upholsterer, but next year, several charges being brought against him, he was removed, and the concern was handed over to Dockwra, who was dispossessed as above, by an action in which he was cast both in damages and costs; but, about a year after, he was appointed Controller of the District Post. He was allowed a pension in the time of William and Mary (variously stated of from £200 to £500 a year), but he only enjoyed it four years, when he was discharged on account of some charges of malversation, etc., which were brought against him.
In January 1703, when Dockwra tried for the Chamberlainship of the City of London—which candidature, however, he soon abandoned—he found it necessary to issue disclaimers, and tell his version of the history of the penny post.[165]
'Whereas a malicious false Report has been industriously spread, that one Robert Murray was the first Inventor of the Penny Post, and that he has been in Articles with me William Dockwra, and wrong'd and hardly used; the World is desired to take notice, That as to the first Pretence, it is utterly false, for Dr. Chamberlen, one Henry Neville, Payne, and others pretended themselves the first Inventors; And after I had actually set up the Office, one Mr. Foxley came and shew'd me a Scheme of his concerning a Penny Post, which he had offer'd to Sir John Bennet, Post Master General, eight Years before I ever Knew Murray, but that was rejected as impracticable, as indeed were all the rest of their Notions; nor was it by any of them, or any other Person whatsoever, put into any Method to make it practicable, till at my sole Charge and Hazard I begun it in the Year 1680.
'As to the Articles, they were sacredly Kept on my part, but never perform'd by Murray, to my great Loss and Damage, as by the very Articles themselves will evidently appear; and I am ready at any time to demonstrate, it is so far from having One Shilling due to him, or using him any way hardly, That on the Contrary, in Compassion to his distressed Condition, I have often bayl'd him to keep him out of Prison, and redeem'd him from thence, lent him several Sums of Money, which he never took care to pay again; and to this day I have Notes and Bonds to Produce, that he owes me more than One hundred and Fifty Pounds: So that these most unjust and ungrateful Allegations in Murray, are at this time reviv'd to be made use of, as malicious Reflections to lessen my Service to this City, and to stain my Reputation and Integrity thereby, to hinder my Fellow Citizens Kindness upon the Election for Chamberlain, which I hope will make no Impression, since I do affirm myself to be the first that ever put the Penny Post into Practice at a vast Expence and great Loss to me and my Family.