The Beggar's Benison (2001)

This book gives David Stevenson's investigation of the truthfulness of the 1892 book which describes the events of the Beggar's Benison -- a gentleman's club which was founded in the early 1700's and lasted for nearly 200 years.  In the 1892 Notes & Supplement to the Beggar's Benison, there are numerous claims of masturbatory activity in the club as an initiation.  Plus there is also the claim that The Benison hired woman to display themselves nude in front of the club.  

The Beggar's Benison has may surviving sexually explicit objects from the club including glass penises.

David Stevenson does not realize that the toast -- "The Beggar's Benison" --  survived into the Regency Period.  I have this toast from two books from the 1850's and it is also found in regular songbooks of this period.

Just as the disguised naughty toast of  "Han's Clavel's Ring" [aka -- pussy] would implies knowledge of the story of Han's Clavel and his ring, the use and survival of the Benison toast outside of the Benison society implies the story of the beggar's blessing was known and shared outside of the society.

Also see the song, "The Jolly Gauger", in the Merry Muses of Caledonia which was attributed to Edward I as being written by him or about him.  This song has the Gauger (tax collector) meeting up with a beggar down by the river side and having sex with her "as she had been a queen."   After having sex with her, beggar gives a blessing on the Gauger.