CLUB-IIOUSE. Under this term are designated the splendid establishments which have sprung up at the west end of the metropolis within the last few years. Called into existence by the requirements of a highly refined state of society, the clubs of London represent an assemblage of gen tlemen composed of all that is eminent in rank, wealth, and talent ; the elite of the gentry and nobility of the kingdom.
The clubs of the present day must not be confounded with those of a past age, they are essentially institutions of modern creation. Of the clubs of former days, the earliest described in our popular literature date about the end of the sixteenth, or the beginning of the seventeenth century. About that time was established the famous club at the Mermaid Tavern in Friday Street, amongst whose members were Shaksperc, Beaumont, Fletcher, Raleigh, Selden, Donne, and others.
Another celebrated club, founded by Jonson, held its meet ings at the well-known Devil Tavern. For this club Jonson wrote the " Leges Convivales," which are printed among his works. In the Spectator, Addison describes an association of a political character, called "The Club," or rather the Con federacy of the Kings. "This grand alliance," says he, " was formed a little after the return of Charles 11., and admitted into it men of all qualities and professions, provided they agreed in this surname of king, which, as they imagined, sufficiently declared the owners of it to be altogether untainted by republican and anti-monarchical principles." The great age of clubs, political, literary, and of every other description, was the early part of the last century. Amongst the most celebrated of these was the first Beef steak club, of which Mrs. Woffington, the popular actress, was the president, being the only female member ; and Esteourt, the comedian, provisor, wearing in that character a small gridiron of gold hung round his neck with a green silk riband. Still more celebrated, perhaps, was the famous Kit-Cat club, said to have been instituted at the time of the trial of the seven bishops in the reign of James II., but in its
greatest glory in that of Queen Anne, In 17:15 was established the second Ileef-steak club, which is still in existence, aitd which has numbered among its mem bers the most eminent public characters that have appeared since its institution. This dub originated with Rich, the pantomimist, and the Earl of Peterborough, and has con tinued to the present day to maintain its high celebrity, as the chosen resort of good-fellowship and conviviality.
The modern clubs are associations of gentlemen of simi 1arit ()I' political feeling, literary or professional pursuits— as the Reform, the Carlton, Athenaeum, United Service, &c. These are, in no other respects, clubs, according to the ancient English understanding of the term, except that every member must be balloted for, or admitted by the consent of the rest. They might perhaps be more correctly described houses as combining the characters of restaurants and reading-rooms, for the use of a selected number of associated persons, who agree to !oak e an ammal payment for their support, whether they resort to them little or much ; and pay besides for what ever refreshment they may require, at a cost free of profit. Originating within the present century, and concentrating a large proportion of the men of Ibrtune, station, and poli tical note in the metropolis, these establishments have cer tainly had a striking effect upon the manners, not only of the departments of society from which the members are drawn, but upon society in general. They have, indeed, given a new direction to the habits of certain classes, and the change has been decidedly for the better.
Although it is our province more especially to describe the buildings in which these institutions are domiciled than the institutions themselves, a slight account of the origin and progress of the latter, abbreviated from an interesting sketch in Chainbers' Edinburgh Journal, may not be uninteresting.