HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS,

13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.

1882.

All rights reserved.

22b. j. 410.

ΤΟ

ANDREW COMMINS, Esq.,

B.L., LL.D., M.P.,

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED.

PREFACE.

N the following pages an attempt is

IN

made to give a reliable and, it is to be hoped, interesting picture of the manners, habits, and morals of the English Court under the reign of the two first Georges, and of the society-brilliant, witty, remarkable-which revolved around and too faithfully followed these royal models. As far as possible, the dry and already wellknown facts of the politics of this period have been omitted, and are only referred