His next onslaught was upon that of carrying swords; and in this respect Nash became a public benefactor, for in those days, though Chesterfield was the writer on etiquette, people were not well-bred enough to keep their tempers, and rivals for a lady’s hand at a minuet, or gamblers who disputed over their cards, invariably settled the matter by an option between suicide or murder under the polite name of duel.  The M.C. wisely saw that these affairs would bring Bath in bad repute, and determined to supplant the rapier by the less dangerous cane.  In this he was for a long time opposed, until a notorious torchlight duel between two gamblers, of whom one was run through the body, and the other, to show his contrition, turned Quaker, brought his opponents to a sense of the danger of a weapon always at hand; and henceforth the sword was abolished.

These points gained, the autocrat laid down rules for the employment of the visitors’ time, and these, from setting the fashion to some, soon became a law to all.  The first thing to be done was, sensibly enough, the ostensible object of their residence in Bath, the use of the baths.  At an early hour four lusty chairmen waited on every lady to carry her, wrapped in flannels, in

    ‘A little black box, just the size of a coffin,’

to one of the five baths.  Here, on entering, an attendant placed beside her a floating tray, on which were set her handkerchief, bouquet, and snuff-box, for our great-great-grandmothers did take snuff; and here she found her friends in the same bath of naturally hot water.  It was, of course, a reunion for society on the plea of health; but the early hours and exercise secured the latter, whatever the baths may have done.  A walk in the Pump-room, to the music of a tolerable band, was the next measure; and there, of course, the gentlemen mingled with the ladies.  A coffee-house was ready to receive those of either sex; for that was a time when madame and miss lived a great deal in public, and English people were not ashamed of eating their breakfast in public company.  These breakfasts were often enlivened by concerts paid for by the rich and enjoyed by all.

Supposing the peacocks now to be dressed out and to have their tails spread to the best advantage, we next find some in the public promenades, others in the reading-rooms, the ladies having their clubs as well as the men; others riding; others, perchance, already gambling.  Mankind and womankind then dined at a reasonable hour, and the evening’s amusements began early.  Nash insisted on this, knowing the value of health to those, and they were many at that time, who sought Bath on its account.  The balls began at six, and took place every Tuesday and Friday, private balls filling up the vacant nights.  About the commencement of his reign, a theatre was built, and whatever it may have been, it afterwards became celebrated as the nursery of the London stage, and now, O tempo passato! is almost abandoned.  It is needless to add that the gaming-tables were thronged in the evenings.