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Will's Coffee House

Will's Coffee House was one of the foremost coffeehouses in England in the decades after the Restoration. It was situated in Russell Street in London, at the northwest corner of Bow Street, between the City and Westminster. According to the Methuen Drama Dictionary of the Theatre, it was also known as the Rose Tavern, the Russell Street Coffee House, and the Wits' Coffee House. It was founded by Will Urwin.

Patrons edit

Will's Coffee House was the home of the Wits,[1] centring on the figure of John Dryden.[2] With the departure of John Dennis, William Wycherley complained in a well-known letter, "nor is Wills the Wits Coffee-House any more, since you left it, whose Society for want of yours is grown as Melancholly, that is as dull as when you left 'em a Nights, to their own Mother-Wit, their Puns, Couplets, or Quibbles...."[3] "This place is much altered since Mr Dryden frequented it," recalled Richard Steele in The Tatler afterwards; "where you used to see songs, epigrams, and satires in the hands of every man you met, you have now only a pack of cards."[4]

Will's is mentioned repeatedly in the diary of Samuel Pepys, who first dropped in on the evening of 3 February 1663/4:

"where Dryden the poet, I knew at Cambridge, and all the wits of the town, and Harris the player and Mr. Hoole of our College. And, had I time then, or could at other times, it will be good coming thither, for there, I perceive, is very witty and pleasant discourse".

Jonathan Swift, for his part, did not recall it so positively: "And indeed the worst conversation I ever remember to have heard in my life was that at Will's coffee-house, where the wits (as they were called) used formerly to assemble."[5]

From their first appearance in London,[6] coffeehouses were centres of sociability, each one frequented by certain professions, a centre of communication for news and information. At Will's gathered those gentlemen of no profession at all and circulated their scurrilous epigrams and satires, and criticized the latest productions on stage or in print.

Decline edit

After Dryden's death (May 1700), the reputation of Will's declined rapidly, though it is noted in Daniel Defoe's Journey Through England. Though in the first number of The Tatler, poetry was promised under the heading Will's Coffee-house,[7] it was severely reviewed by Richard Steele in The Tatler, 8 April 1709, and fashion soon passed to Button's Coffee House across the way, where Joseph Addison established Daniel Button in business, about 1712.[8]

References edit

  1. ^ A. Ellis, The Penny Universities: A history of the coffee-houses, 1956; Steve Pincus, "'Coffee Politicians Does Create': Coffeehouses and Restoration Political Culture" The Journal of Modern History, 67 (December 1995:807-34); Brian Cowan, The Social Life of Coffee: the emergence of the British coffeehouse, 2005;
  2. ^ 'Bow Street and Russell Street Area: Bow Street', Survey of London: volume 36: Covent Garden (1970), pp. 185–192. Date accessed: 8 July 2009; this gives the history of the site.
  3. ^ Wycherley to Dennis, Letter lxxix in A select Collection of Original Letters, written by the Most Eminent Persons... (London, 1760) vol. ii:118f.
  4. ^ Steele, The Tatler, no. 1, 12 April 1709 from "Will's Coffee-house",
  5. ^ Quoted in Raymond F. Howes, "Jonathan Swift and the conversation of the coffee-house", Quarterly Journal of Speech, 17.1 (February 1931:14-24).
  6. ^ Pasqua Rosée, a native of Ragusa, opened a coffee-house in St. Michael's Alley, Cornhill, in 1652
  7. ^ "All accounts of Gallantry, Pleasure, and Entertainment shall be under the Article of White's Chocolate-house; Poetry, under that of Will's Coffee-house; Learning, under the title of Graecian; Foreign and Domestick News, you will have from St. James' Coffee-house."
  8. ^ William Harrison Ukers, All about Coffee, 1922:574–76.

Further reading edit

    • Urwin, William (d. 1695), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

    51°30′46″N 0°07′17″W / 51.51280°N 0.12133°W / 51.51280; -0.12133

    will, coffee, house, foremost, coffeehouses, england, decades, after, restoration, situated, russell, street, london, northwest, corner, street, between, city, westminster, according, methuen, drama, dictionary, theatre, also, known, rose, tavern, russell, str. Will s Coffee House was one of the foremost coffeehouses in England in the decades after the Restoration It was situated in Russell Street in London at the northwest corner of Bow Street between the City and Westminster According to the Methuen Drama Dictionary of the Theatre it was also known as the Rose Tavern the Russell Street Coffee House and the Wits Coffee House It was founded by Will Urwin Contents 1 Patrons 2 Decline 3 References 4 Further readingPatrons editWill s Coffee House was the home of the Wits 1 centring on the figure of John Dryden 2 With the departure of John Dennis William Wycherley complained in a well known letter nor is Wills the Wits Coffee House any more since you left it whose Society for want of yours is grown as Melancholly that is as dull as when you left em a Nights to their own Mother Wit their Puns Couplets or Quibbles 3 This place is much altered since Mr Dryden frequented it recalled Richard Steele in The Tatler afterwards where you used to see songs epigrams and satires in the hands of every man you met you have now only a pack of cards 4 Will s is mentioned repeatedly in the diary of Samuel Pepys who first dropped in on the evening of 3 February 1663 4 where Dryden the poet I knew at Cambridge and all the wits of the town and Harris the player and Mr Hoole of our College And had I time then or could at other times it will be good coming thither for there I perceive is very witty and pleasant discourse Jonathan Swift for his part did not recall it so positively And indeed the worst conversation I ever remember to have heard in my life was that at Will s coffee house where the wits as they were called used formerly to assemble 5 From their first appearance in London 6 coffeehouses were centres of sociability each one frequented by certain professions a centre of communication for news and information At Will s gathered those gentlemen of no profession at all and circulated their scurrilous epigrams and satires and criticized the latest productions on stage or in print Decline editAfter Dryden s death May 1700 the reputation of Will s declined rapidly though it is noted in Daniel Defoe s Journey Through England Though in the first number of The Tatler poetry was promised under the heading Will s Coffee house 7 it was severely reviewed by Richard Steele in The Tatler 8 April 1709 and fashion soon passed to Button s Coffee House across the way where Joseph Addison established Daniel Button in business about 1712 8 References edit A Ellis The Penny Universities A history of the coffee houses 1956 Steve Pincus Coffee Politicians Does Create Coffeehouses and Restoration Political Culture The Journal of Modern History 67 December 1995 807 34 Brian Cowan The Social Life of Coffee the emergence of the British coffeehouse 2005 Bow Street and Russell Street Area Bow Street Survey of London volume 36 Covent Garden 1970 pp 185 192 Date accessed 8 July 2009 this gives the history of the site Wycherley to Dennis Letter lxxix in A select Collection of Original Letters written by the Most Eminent Persons London 1760 vol ii 118f Steele The Tatler no 1 12 April 1709 from Will s Coffee house Quoted in Raymond F Howes Jonathan Swift and the conversation of the coffee house Quarterly Journal of Speech 17 1 February 1931 14 24 Pasqua Rosee a native of Ragusa opened a coffee house in St Michael s Alley Cornhill in 1652 All accounts of Gallantry Pleasure and Entertainment shall be under the Article of White s Chocolate house Poetry under that of Will s Coffee house Learning under the title of Graecian Foreign and Domestick News you will have from St James Coffee house William Harrison Ukers All about Coffee 1922 574 76 Further reading editWaes Hael Poetry amp Tobacco Club The English Coffee Houses Urwin William d 1695 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography51 30 46 N 0 07 17 W 51 51280 N 0 12133 W 51 51280 0 12133 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Will 27s Coffee House amp oldid 1149956377, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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