Page:A short history of social life in England.djvu/275

Founded on the principle of eating and drinking were the clubs of Queen Anne's reign. The origin of these is quaintly put in an early number of the Spectator, written by Addison. "Man is said to be a Sociable Animal," he says, "and we may observe that we take all occasions and Pretences of forming ourselves into those little Nocturnal Assemblies, which are commonly known by the name of Clubs. When a Sett of Men find themselves in any Particular, tho' never so trivial, they establish themselves into a kind of Fraternity and meet once or twice a week upon the Account of such a Fantastick Ressemblance." In this way started the club of Fat Men, in a room with two doors. If a candidate could make his way through the small door he was unqualified for membership, but if he stuck, folding doors were immediately thrown open and he was saluted as a brother! In opposition to this, sprang up a club of Scarecrows and Skeletons, but a more serious undertaking was the famous Kit-Cat Club, which met at a mutton-pie house near Temple Bar, kept by one Christopher Cat, whose pies were humorously termed "kit-cats." It became the rendezvous of Whig chiefs, men favourable to the succession of the House of Hanover. Each