OLIQUI

THE

HISTORY OF CHOICE SPIRITS,

AND

Ballad Singing.

JUBAL, or TUBAL CAIN, was the first

composer of Tunes; his Lyre preceded Orion's, Amphion's, and even the Harp of Orpheus.

ORION, when making his voyage upon the Dolphin's back, invented Water Music.

AMPHION introduced Cotillons as well as Country Dancing.

ORPHEUS, to please his Eurydice, exhibited the first Harmonic Meeting.

And on the mountain Gibello, CIRCE held her first Court for COMUS. The

Magazines of the Ancients, those most useful repositories of ready-made erudition tell us, that BACCHUS instituted a . Club at this very period, called the Bacca or Bacchantes, and which are now called the Bucks; as it appears, not only by Nimrod's ancient Charter deposited in the Archives of the Babylonian Lodge in the environs of Soho, but also by the authenticated Records belonging to the Pewter Platter in Bishopsgate-precinct.

And to these two Bodies of that Noble and Ancient Order, the following Engraving of the famous GOBLET, or CUP used by the GRAND BUCK at Rome, when he celebrated the Secular Games, is here addressed, with its original Inscription, and a Translation, for the mutual entertainment of those distinct Classes of Critics, the LEARNED and UNLEARNED, who alternately take the lead in all Conversations.

BENE OMNIBUS NOBIS;

BENE CUI NON INVIDET MIHI,
ET EO CUI NOSTRO GAUDEO GAUDET.

THUS TRANSLATED:

HERE'S TO THEE,

HERE'S TO ME,

ON OUR ABSENT FRIENDS WE'LL THINK,

TO OUR NOBLE SELVES WE'LL DRINK;

THEN TO HIM, FROM ENVY FREE,

WHO LOVES FUN LIKE YOU AND ME.

X

The reason for introducing this Antique unto the Reader's acquaintance is, according to the modern custom of Bookmaking, to shew the Author's Erudition; which is still farther displayed in the following account of Choice Spirits.

After Circe's elopement with Ulysses, they became wanderers upon the Face of the Earth, and like Jews, and Strolling-players, continue Itinerants even unto this day; they have nevertheless multiplied exceedingly, propagating their Convivialities into the different Orders of Grigs, Gregs, and Gregorians;—Antigallicans, Free Masons, and Macaroni; -Sons of Sound Sense and Satisfaction; -Sons of Kit, and Old Souls ;—True Blues, Purples, and Abions;-The Beef Steak, Jockey, and Catch Clubs ;-The