''Nocturnal Revels'' is a 1779 two-volume book about

prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...

in 18th-century

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

during the reign of

George II George II or 2 may refer to: People * George II of Antioch (seventh century AD) * George II of Armenia (late ninth century) * George II of Abkhazia (916–960) * Patriarch George II of Alexandria (1021–1051) * George II of Georgia (1072–1089) * ...

. The title page introduces the book as "the history of King's-Place and other modern nunneries", with authorship by a "monk of the Order of St Francis", and "containing their he nunneries'mysteries, devotions and sacrifices, comprising also, the ancient and present state of promiscuous gallantry: with the portraits of the most celebrated demireps and courtezans of this period: as well as sketches of their professional and occasional admirers".''Nocturnal Revels: Or, the History of King's-Place, and Other Modern Nunneries'', Volumes I and II. M. Goadby, London (1779). Reprinted BiblioBazaar (2010). The Order of St Francis is a coded reference to the

Hellfire Club Hellfire Club was a name for several exclusive clubs for high-society rakes established in Britain and Ireland in the 18th century. The name most commonly refers to Francis Dashwood's Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe. Such clubs, ...

, founded by

Francis Dashwood Francis Dashwood, 11th Baron le Despencer, PC, FRS (December 1708 – 11 December 1781) was an English politician and rake, Chancellor of the Exchequer (1762–1763) and founder of the Hellfire Club. Life and career Early life Dashwood wa ...

, the club later renamed the Order of the Monks of Medmenham. The "modern nunneries" the author describes are contemporary high-class

brothel A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub par ...

s. The book includes anecdotes about high-society figures who frequented brothels or were otherwise involved with prostitutes. Their names are partly blanked out, but were obviously recognisable, with a Miss Armstrong appearing as "Armstr_ng". Particular mention is given to the exploits of the

Duke of Queensberry The title Duke of Queensberry was created in the Peerage of Scotland on 3 February 1684 along with the subsidiary title Marquess of Dumfriesshire for the 1st Marquess of Queensberry. The Dukedom was held along with the Marquessate of Queensbe ...

and the

Earl of Sandwich Earl of Sandwich is a noble title in the Peerage of England, held since its creation by the House of Montagu. It is nominally associated with Sandwich, Kent. It was created in 1660 for the prominent naval commander Admiral Sir Edward Montagu. ...

. The second volume includes a defence of prostitution as social necessity:

"Even in the state of matrimony itself, it often happens, that a man who holds his wife in the highest estimation, may be debarred the felicity of hymeneal raptures, from sickness, absence, and a variety of other temporary causes, which may with facility be imagined. If, in any of those situations, a man could not find temporary relief in the arms of prostitution, the peace of Society would be far more disturbed than it is: The brutal Ravisher would stalk at large, and would plead, as in the case of hunger, that the violence of his passion would break down even stone walls: No man's wife, sister, or daughter would be in a state of security: The rape of the Sabines would be daily rehearsed, and anarchy and confusion ensue. In this point of view then, at least, female prostitution should be winked at, if not protected; and though it may be pronounced a moral evil, it certainly is a political good".

In chapter 24 the writer provides a detailed description of life at

Charlotte Hayes Charlotte Hayes (c. 1725–1813) was a highly successful brothel keeper in early Georgian London, and the owner of some of the city's most luxurious brothels in and around King's Place, in St James's. Biography Although the precise detail ...

seraglio A seraglio, serail, seray or saray (from fa, سرای, sarāy, palace, via Turkish and Italian) is a castle, palace or government building which was considered to have particular administrative importance in various parts of the former Ott ...

(high-class brothel) at King's-Place,

St James's St James's is a central district in the City of Westminster, London, forming part of the West End. In the 17th century the area developed as a residential location for the British aristocracy, and around the 19th century was the focus of the de ...

(now Pall Mall Place off Pall Mall), and aspects of Hayes' life. Volume I states that Hayes' fortune was derived from the "follies, vices and profligacy of the age". There is an itemised price list from a typical day at the brothel, with entries including a client named Doctor Frettext, who would pay two guineas for the services of Poll Nimblewrist or Jenny Speedyhand. There is also an account of the recruitment techniques by which Charlotte Hayes tricked young women into joining the brothel.

References

{{Authority control 1779 non-fiction books 1770s in London Non-fiction books about British prostitution Hellfire Club Books about London

See also

Further reading

References