The Mysteries of the Court of London by Pauline Clarendon — page 5: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

2 THE COURT OF LONDON of the Prince of Wales with the Princess Caroline of Bruns- wick had been announced to the nation. This rapid glance at the state of political affairs will not only give the reader an idea of the interesting period at which our tale commences, but is likewise in certain points an indispensable preface to the incidents that are to follow. It was, then, in the beginning of January, 1795, and on a fine frosty evening, that a number of bagmen, or commercial travellers, were assembled around a blazing fire and sipping their hot toddy in the room especially set apart for their accommodation at the George and Blue Boar, Holborn. Some of them were about to depart that very night upon their journeys in various directions; others had just returned from long tours, and were felicitating themselves on the prospect of a few weeks’ holiday. Those who were on the point of setting out were already equipped to encounter the nipping chill of the weather, save in respect to their heavy ereatcoats which hung to the pegs in the apartment; while those who had come home again were indulging in the luxu- rious indolence of dressing-gowns and slippers. The conversation was general: for the bagmen, frequent- ing that tavern, were all well known to each other — and even when a newcomer in the “ profession”’ appeared amongst them, their convivial heartiness of disposition and frank hospitality of character soon placed him on terms of ease and familiarity. For there is no class of men more generous nor more intellectual and enlightened, taking them as a body, than that of commercial travellers. It was between six and seven o’clock on the evening of which we are speaking, and the bagmen were in the middle of a warm though perfectly good-tempered discussion on some political subject, when the door opened, and a short, thin man, who looked like a locomotive mummy, so com- pletely was he enveloped in greatcoats and ‘‘ comforters,” bustled into the room. ‘“ Holloa, Page — old fellow — how are you? ”’ exclaimed every voice simultaneously; and the demand was made with a heartiness of tone and manner which indicated how wel- come was the presence of this new arrival to the travellers already assembled at the George and Blue Boar. ‘" As well as ever, and as hungry as a hunter,’ ) responded GOmiGoooks (Elo)