There were many reasons why a young man or woman might have turned to a life of crime and lewdness in eighteenth-century England. Heart-rending tales of orphaned children, abandoned lovers, destitution and failed ambitions fill the pages of contemporary memoirs, newspaper columns and court records. But for some, one of the prime suspects behind the nation’s idleness and vicious inclinations was quietly, steadily taking root in almost every street in the country. As it did, the nation as a whole risked become more and more debauched.
This terrible foreign invader encouraged young men to stay “a lurking in the bed” rather than earning an honest wage. It turned women to harlotry and insolence, caused atrocious child neglect, and was armed to carry everyone off to their grave a decade early. This enemy of virtue? Why, tea, of course.
Emily Brand’s Ms B—d’s School of Venus is one of my latest discoveries. I love her blog. Want to know what it’s about? The brief description she provides in the sidebar will give you a clear idea:
Take a seat. Have a mug of gin. Welcome to Ms B–d’s exploration of England’s underworld, the seemingly glamorous and the unspeakably grim, from the Restoration to the dawn of the Victorian era. Please, feel free to look around. But you might want to keep an eye on your pockets. All manner of devilish wretches come through my door.
(I have to thank Lee Jackson of victorianlondon.org for getting to discover Ms Brand and her work.)
