CURRENT LITERATURE.
Royston Winter Recreations in the Days of Queen Anne. (Longmans.) —Mr. Hervey, Rector of Ewelme, has here translated into Spenserian Terse a Latin poem, the work of a certain Dr. Wright, which describes the "hibernation of the elite of Royston in the reign of Queen Anne." The notion of fashionable persons coming into a country town to winter seems utterly strange to this generation. The only thing in our present social life that at all resembles it is the practice of resorting to such towns as Melton Mowbray, which are conveniently situated in good hunt- ing countries. Habits have so entirely changed that the country is the abode of the fashionable in winter, while with characteristic good sense they spend the slimmer in London. The po3m itself, which, it may be said in passing, Mr. Hervey has translated with creditable skill, has very little interest. But the notes which the local publisher, Mr. Warren, has added to it are full of readable matter. The most noticeable event in the history of Royston is the protracted residence of King James L in the town. He settled there in 1604, and continued to reside there during the hunting season for the remainder of his life. He was residing there, indeed, till within a month of his death. The hunting which he pursued was probably hare-hunting, for we find him employing a " verminter," whose duty it was to destroy, among other things, " foxes,"—this animal, indeed, heads the list of vermin to be destroyed. Whatever it was that he followed, he did not care to ride very hard, ler we find that the occupants of land were directed "to take down the high bounds which hinder his Majesty's ready passage." But it would have been surprising to find that James was a bold rider. Another document represents the King as issuing directions that the Attorney-General should call before him the owner and tenant of a coney warren at Fenimore, near Royston, "which hinders the King's sport, and request them to have it diswarrentai." "Should they refuse, their title was to be called for," and. "dissolved, if found in any way defective." Sometimes the Cambridge students performed a play before the King ; the idler sort amused themselves in less loyal fashion, by "frequenting the parts about Royston with nets, to make spoil of the game." The Club was founded about 1691I, and lasted for something less than a century. The contested eleetion of 1751 is said to have first caused its decay, but as in 1783 it still possessed three pipes of wine, its existence was not yet extinct.
Previous page
