' The Society told him
he was a knave, and then voted 'that the Justice had done him no wrong
in setting him in the stocks--but that he had done the nation wrong
when he pulled him out of the pond,' and caused it to be entered in
their books--'That Sir Edward was but an indifferent Justice of the
Peace.'"
Sometimes religious subjects are touched upon. The following may be
interesting at the present day--
"There happened a great and bloody fight this week, (July 18th 1704),
between two ladies of quality, one a Roman Catholic, the other a
Protestant; and as the matter had come to blows, and beauty was
concerned in the quarrel, having been not a little defaced by the
rudeness of the scratching sex, the neighbours were called in to part
the fray, and upon debate the quarrel was referred to the Scandalous
Club. The matter was this:
"The Roman Catholic lady meets the Protestant lady in the Park, and
found herself obliged every time she passed her to make a reverent
curtsey, though she had no knowledge of her or acquaintance with her.
The Protestant lady received it at first as a civility, but afterwards
took it for a banter, and at last for an affront, and sends her woman to
know the meaning of it. The Catholic lady returned for answer that she
did not make her honours to the lady, for she knew no respect she
deserved, but to the diamond cross she wore about her neck, which she,
being a heretic, did not deserve to wear.
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