A history of English sexual morals / by Ivan Bloch ; translated by William H. Forstern.

  • Iwan Bloch
Date:
1936
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: A history of English sexual morals / by Ivan Bloch ; translated by William H. Forstern. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    634/700 (page 604)
    that he spent a shilling on board the boat. Originally, ft ' Folly ' was a musical establishment intended as a render vous for 'persons of quality', but very soon the ' ladies c the town ' realised that it was an excellent place for the] purpose, and they gradually drove away the respectabl women who had used the boat as the venue of amorou intrigues of a slightly different sort. Queen Mary, wife o William III, paid a visit to the ' Follywhereupon th owner rechristened it ' Royal Diversion', though th people continued to refer to the boat by its original name Thomas Browne describes a visit he paid to the 'Folly' ir the year 1700. As soon as he boarded the ship he founc himself surrounded by young and old women ' of all type^ and sizes '. Some of these women were dancing gaily al] over the deck, while others were talking with their admirers. However, the majority, including men armed with long swords, who lived on the immoral earnings of the women, crowded the saloons below deck, smoking and drinking. Thomas Browne, who was no puritan, was so disgusted that he immediately left the ship. In later years the ' Folly' became the meeting place of decent artisans and shop assistants, who went there with their sweethearts after hours for their daily diversion. The music-halls proper, which were characteristic of English musical life, dated from the conclusion of the Commonwealth period. The first music-hall in the grand style was established by a man named Sadler in Islington. Ned Ward, the author of London Spy, gave in his ' Walk to Islington' a delightful description of the doings of a music- hall audience in the year 1699: We enter'd the houses, were conducted upstairs, There lovers o'er cheesecakes were seated by pairs. The organs and fiddles were scraping and humming, The guests for more ale on the tables were drumming; [604]