… in early eighteenth-century Britain (and occasionally further afield). His publications offer a startlingly intricate portrait of his times – covering anything from politics to prostitution; fashionable wigs to food – and they have … or abstracted character profiles; rather, the Spy relates dynamic encounters with those he meets, presenting a vivid portrait of sociability among both the high-life and the low. 4 . Peter M. Briggs, ‘Satiric Strategy in Ned Ward’s London … allowed Ward to exercise his scatological flair. The text is playful in tone, but it nevertheless affords an animated portrait of sociability in the capital. 7 . Peter Clark, British Clubs and Societies, 1500-1800: the Origin of an …