inter gathered round the fire, in summer
round the window, first throwing his cloak to his page and hanging up
his hat and sword. The parvenu would single out a friend, and walk up
and down uneasily with the scorn and carelessness of a gentleman usher,
laughing rudely and nervously, or obtruding himself into groups of
gentlemen gathered round a wit or poet. Quarrelsome men pace about
fretfully, fingering their sword-hilts and maintaining as sour a face as
that Puritan moping in a corner, pent up by a group of young swaggerers,
who are disputing over a card at gleek. Vain men, not caring whether it
was Paul's, the Tennis Court, or the playhouse, _published_ their
clothes, and talked as loud as they could, in order to appear at ease,
and laughed over the Water Poet's last epigram or the last pamphlet of
Marprelate. The soldiers bragged of nothing but of their employment in
Ireland and the Low Countries--how they helped Drake to burn St.
Domingo, or grave Maurice to hold out Breda. Tom Coryatt, or such
weak-pated travellers, would babble of the Rialto and Prester John, and
exhibit specimens of unicorns' horns or palm-leaves from the river
Nilus. The courtier talked of the fair lady who gave him the glove which
he wore in his hat as a favour; the poet of the last satire of Marston
or Ben Jonson, or volunteered to read a trifle thrown off of late by
'Faith, a learned gentleman, a very worthy friend,' though if we were to
enquire, this varlet poet might turn out, after all, to be the mere
decoy duck of the hostess, paid to draw gulls and fools thither. The
mere dullard sat silent, playing with his glove or discussing at what
apothecary's the best tobacco was to be bought.

[Illustration: DOLLY'S COFFEE-HOUSE (_see page 278_).]

"The dishes seemed to have been served up at these hot luncheons or
early dinners in much the same order as at the present day--meat,
poultry, game, and pastry. 'To be at your woodcocks' implied that you
had nearly finished dinner. The more unabashable, rapid adventurer,
though but a beggarly captain, would often attack the capon while his
neighbour, the knight, was still encumbered with his stewed beef; and
when the justice of the peace opposite, who has just pledged him in
sack, is knuckle-deep in the goose, he falls stoutly on the long-billed
game; while at supper, if one of the college of critics, our gallant
praised the last play or put his approving stamp upon the new poem.

"Primero and a 'pai