26
During the expansion of newspapers and periodicals , The Town and Country Magazine ( 1763 – 1795 ) began to publish a column titled “ The Coffee-house ” ( 1781- 1786 ), which ranged from short essays to published letters on the topic of coffee-house culture . The format was reminiscent of Joseph Addison and Richard Steele ’ s periodical prose essays published in the early 18 th century . The subject of these columns encompassed a variety of coffee-house culture from essays on politeness to amusing anecdotes . Where the tone and format of the column had conformed to traditional print culture , it differed in its lack of a unifying authorial voice . Letters and essays were published if they were interesting or entertaining , rather than if they were authored by a particular person . This column was touted as an important forum for printed discussion : a letter published in 1781 described it as a space within itself , a ‘ Universal Coffee-house for universal reading ’. 30 The first issue of the column describes the coffee-house as a place filled with interesting characters . It was a space that embodied the aesthetic quality of novelty 31 which is found within the ‘ characters ’ of the coffee-house . All coffee-houses are filled with an array of individuals from the ‘ vociferous lawyer , the sonorous pedant ’ to the ‘ profound politician , and the eternal lounger .’ 32 These characters often display a ‘ diversity of sentiments ’ and are not just humorous or entertaining , but satirical , informative , and wise . 33 Here the coffee-house is not presented as a space of ideal politeness , but of diversity and novelty . This should not be confused with equality or egalitarianism , but it certainly indicates that the coffee-house was an interesting and complex space that captured the interest of many readers .
Within the first issues of “ The Coffee-house ”, the author refers to the character of the ‘ eternal lounger ’ who is lauded as one of the most populous characters within any coffee-house throughout London . They would ‘ breakfast , dine , and sup in public , and many of them take up their constant residence there .’ 34 The word lounger was used both as a character or stereotype , but also as a noun to describe particular individuals . Loungers are generally depicted as men who possessed some degree of wealth , which enabled them to spend much of their time within the coffee-house . Their leisurely approach to life was often the subject of satire within plays and periodicals , yet there was by no means a unified approach to doing so . Issue one presents the
30
31
32
Ibid ., 23 .
33
Ibid ., 23-4 .
34
Ibid ., 23 .