DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1041#0051
History of the Society of Dilettanti 37
appearing at the windows they were stoned by the
mob, in spite of their protestations of fidelity to
the Government and the king. It ended in a riot,
stirred up by a Catholic priest, which the newspapers
converted into an event of historical importance.
At the committee meetings of the Dilettanti Society,
which were held under circumstances of less ceremony
than the ordinary meetings, a high pitch of con-
viviality seems to have prevailed, for on February 18,
174-?, it is recorded that
< The Committee growing a little noisy and drunk and seeming
to recollect that they are not quite sure whether the Report of the
Committee signed by Chairman and Toast-master Holdernesse
may not be so intelligible to the Society as the meaning of the
Committee have intended, etc., etc'
That the hard drinking of the time was not de-
leterious to life seems proved by the fact that of the
original members of the Society all, with but two
or three exceptions, lived to be well into the second
half-century of life. The resolution of April, 1770,,
against health-drinking was repealed by a minute of
February 13, 1791.
' The Resolution of April Ann. Soc. Trig. Sept. declaring " that
every member who drinks to another or accepts the Comp* of being
drank to during Dinner shall forfeit half a Crown " was taken into
consideration & after due deliberation being had it appearing
that little or no income had arisen from the infraction of this Rule
it was unanimously resolvd that it be rescinded & that in Future
members be at Liberty to drink to each other, & thank each other
for the compliment without incurring any Penalty/
The general toasts originally proposed and adopted Toasts.
by the Society were Viva la Virtu, Grecian Taste and
ftgman Spirit, and Absent Members. To these was
added by a minute of March 7, 174|-, Esto praeclara,
estoperpetua. On March 29, 1789, it was resolved
to add the toast of The King to precede all others.
This addition was, no doubt, due to the outburst of
appearing at the windows they were stoned by the
mob, in spite of their protestations of fidelity to
the Government and the king. It ended in a riot,
stirred up by a Catholic priest, which the newspapers
converted into an event of historical importance.
At the committee meetings of the Dilettanti Society,
which were held under circumstances of less ceremony
than the ordinary meetings, a high pitch of con-
viviality seems to have prevailed, for on February 18,
174-?, it is recorded that
< The Committee growing a little noisy and drunk and seeming
to recollect that they are not quite sure whether the Report of the
Committee signed by Chairman and Toast-master Holdernesse
may not be so intelligible to the Society as the meaning of the
Committee have intended, etc., etc'
That the hard drinking of the time was not de-
leterious to life seems proved by the fact that of the
original members of the Society all, with but two
or three exceptions, lived to be well into the second
half-century of life. The resolution of April, 1770,,
against health-drinking was repealed by a minute of
February 13, 1791.
' The Resolution of April Ann. Soc. Trig. Sept. declaring " that
every member who drinks to another or accepts the Comp* of being
drank to during Dinner shall forfeit half a Crown " was taken into
consideration & after due deliberation being had it appearing
that little or no income had arisen from the infraction of this Rule
it was unanimously resolvd that it be rescinded & that in Future
members be at Liberty to drink to each other, & thank each other
for the compliment without incurring any Penalty/
The general toasts originally proposed and adopted Toasts.
by the Society were Viva la Virtu, Grecian Taste and
ftgman Spirit, and Absent Members. To these was
added by a minute of March 7, 174|-, Esto praeclara,
estoperpetua. On March 29, 1789, it was resolved
to add the toast of The King to precede all others.
This addition was, no doubt, due to the outburst of