Between 1700 and 1750, the population of Bath tripled from three to nine thousand and was comprised of diverse types. The aristocracy came from London to take the waters and escape the bustle of the big city. Parsons, country squires, tradesmen, and their wives came to mingle with the nobility. Indeed the seasonal retreat of the middle class to Bath may mark the first time in English history when the concept of _____ for large numbers of working people became a reality.