Old and new London : a narrative of its history, its people, and its places . s, where Pleasure seemedto beckon her wanton followers. I have acknow-ledged myself charmed at my entrance ; you willwonder, therefore, when I tell you that satiety fol-lowed. In five minutes I was familiar with thewhole and every part; in the five next indifterencetook place; in five more my eyes grew dazzled, myhead became giddy, and all night I dreamed ofVanity Fair. The Rotunda was first opened with a public break- 7S OLD AND NEW LONDON. [Chelsea. fast in April, 1742 ; and, for a short time, morningconcerts were
Old and new London : a narrative of its history, its people, and its places . s, where Pleasure seemedto beckon her wanton followers. I have acknow-ledged myself charmed at my entrance ; you willwonder, therefore, when I tell you that satiety fol-lowed. In five minutes I was familiar with thewhole and every part; in the five next indifterencetook place; in five more my eyes grew dazzled, myhead became giddy, and all night I dreamed ofVanity Fair. The Rotunda was first opened with a public break- 7S OLD AND NEW LONDON. [Chelsea. fast in April, 1742 ; and, for a short time, morningconcerts were given, consisting of selections fromoratorios. Walpole, in a letter to Sir HoraceMann, written during the next month, gives us thefollowing particulars of this once famous place of years later we find the following record by the samegossiping chronicler :— Every night constantly Igo to Ranelagh, which has totally beat goes anywhere else—everybody goes Lord Chesterfield is so fond of it that he Ilanelai>h Houfe 7A z/yrsfj^^f—MeKyi/js^ ail 1. A CARD OF INVITATION TO RANELAGH. amusement:— There is a vast amphitlieatre, finelygilt, painted, and illuminated, into which everybodythat loves eating, drinking, staring, or crowding, isadmitted for twelve pence. The building and dis-position of the gardens cost sixteen thousandpounds. ... I was there last night, but did notfind the joy of it. Vauxhall is a little better, forthe garden is pleasanter, and one goes by , however, appears soon to have eclipsedits rival on the other side of the water, for two says he has ordered all his letters to be directedthither. And again, some four years afterwards, hetells us : Ranelagh is so crowded, that in goingthere tother night in a string of coaches, we had astop of six-and-thirty minutes. The Jubilee Masquerade, after the Venetianmanner, held here in 1749, about seven years afterthe gardens were first opened, is thus described bygossiping Horace Wa
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