LITERARY AND ARTISTIC CLUBS To turn to another form of specialization in this direction, there are a large number of literary and artistic clubs in London, of which The Athenaeum is the most important. This famous centre was founded by John Wilson Croker, at Mr. Murray's house in Albemarle street, in 1823, most of the leading literary men of the day—Scott and Moore among them—being members of the orig inal committee. It was first (when it was called The Society), domiciled in Waterloo place, but in 1831 took possession of the clubhouse designed for it by Decimus Burton in Pall Mall.
Another well-known literary club is The Savile, or New Club as it was first called and generally regarded as a "waiting place" for the Athenaeum, which was opened in 1868 and for long occu pied the small bay-fronted house in Piccadilly till it went to 69, Brook street.
A literary and artistic centre of more or less Bohemian charac ter is the Savage (1857), which, of ter many temporary homes, has since 1890 been installed in Adelphi Terrace. Of a more theatrical character is the Garrick (1831) . The "Little Garrick" of Thack eray, was in King street, Covent Garden, but the present premises have been occupied by the club since 1862. The Authors' Club is a more modern example, dating only from 1891; while The Royal Societies Club is three years younger.
Another phase of energy is more specially indicated by a num ber of clubs of which artists and connoisseurs and those interested in analogous subjects are members. Of these the Arts Club (1863) may be taken as the representative; as the P.E.N. Club (1921) may be of the more modern conception of what should be termed perhaps a working literary club.
'Varsity clubs are, too, prominent, the four principal ones, restricted to members of the Universities, being the United Uni versity (182 2) ; the Oxford and Cambridge (1830) ; the New University (1822) and the New Oxford and Cambridge (1883) .
In another direction, that of sport, the National Sporting Club is dedicated to boxing; the Sports Club (1893) has a wider interest in varied aspects of sport ; the Turf (1868), emanating from an earlier club known as the Arlington, speaks for itself as to its particular point of view ; while there are various clubs specially connected with racing, such as the Sandown, Hurst Park and Kempton Park. The Badminton and the Beaufort have an aura of the hunting-field about them as their names connote ; and such clubs as the Coaching and Four-in-Hand, and above all The Jockey (175o), which has for nearly two centuries laid down the law upon all matters pertaining to horse-racing, and has done so much to keep the turf an honourable institution, are sui generis. Besides these there is hardly a form of sport which does not possess its special club, from yachting in the Solent and the Thames to model yacht racing on the Round Pond in Kensington Gardens; from motoring, the Royal Automobile Club (1897), whose home in Pall Mall is the largest and most luxurious in London, to golfing (The Golfers' Club, 1893) ; from winter sports to dry fly-fishing; while the Kennel Club (1873) ; the Farmers' Club (1842) ; the United Sports (1903) ; the Royal Aero Club (190 i) ; the Alpine Club (1858) ; the Fencing (1848) and The Sword (19o5), and many others, including the Smithfield Club and the Bath Club, all attest that widespread interest in every variety of sport which has always characterized this country.
Apart from the clubs which have their own premises there are certain dining clubs inaugurated to do honour to the memory of some great man or which have for their object the bringing together, at stated intervals, of those interested in some special form of collecting. The most important of these is the Society of Dilettanti, dating from 1734; the collection of pictures belonging to this famous club, painted by Reynolds and Knapton, now being housed in the St. James's club, where the Dilettanti hold their dinners. Grillions Club (1813), of which so many illustrious men have been and are members, is another example of this more inti mate view of sodality approximating in many respects to the clubs of Swift and Johnson. Others of the kind are The Roxburghe (I812), connected with book-collecting ; the Breakfast Club (1866), a very select society; and such specialized examples as the clubs named after Johnson and Pepys, and Butler (The Erewhon) ; Omar Khayyam and Dickens (the Boz Club) ; Rabelais and Lamb and Thackeray (The Titmarsh). The Sette of Odde Volumes, The Rhymers, the "Connozzers," the Grolier, the First Edition, and the Urban; The Goat and the Hardwicke (associated with the law) ; and so forth, represent other phases of hero worship or the wor ship of inanimate objects.
Many as are the existing clubs, those that during the last loo years have arisen, flourished for awhile, and disappeared, are as numerous, some of which, like the Arundel and the Raleigh, to take but two examples, are still remembered by many.