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IXXKICr,  WITH   HAIK  OF  QOeU  CHAKLOTTB.  AIID  CAMEO  Of  KIKC  OKOROE   III., 
GITKK   BT  THRIR  MAJmiEB  TO  MKS.  DELAVT. 


•se/}h£rsv/n.. 


ly     :>' 


DA 

4-B3 


LONIHJX:   I'KIKTKD   BY   W.  CU>WJiS  AND  tONS,  bTAMFOKD  blttBkT. 


18    DEDICATED    TO 

THE   LORD   LLANO VEK, 

BT 

HIS   WIFE; 

WUO    WAS    ENCOURAGED    IN    ITS    COMMENCEMENT    15Y 

UIS   SYMPATH\',    AND   AIDED    IN    ITS    PROGRESS 

BY    HIS    APPROBATION. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Mary  Granville  was  the  eldest  daughter  of  Bernard 
Granville,  son  of  Bernard,  the  second  surviving  son  of 
the  celebrated  Sir  Bevil  Granville.  At  different  periods 
Mary  Granville  had  commenced  a  history  of  her  own 
recollections,  of  which  two  unfinished  MSS.  still  exist. 
They  contain  many  interesting  particulars  of  her  early* 
days,  with  which,  and  numerous  letters  written  by  her- 
self through  a  long  course  of  years  addressed  to  her  re- 
lations and  friends,  the  materials  for  a  very  complete 
record  of  her  life  and  times  have  been  supplied.  The 
autobiographical  fragment  which  forms  the  commence- 
ment of  the  present  Volume  relates  to  her  origin  and 
earliest  days,  though  it  appears  to  have  been  written  in 
the  latter  years  of  her  life,  as  it  was  dictated  to  a  con- 
fidential amanuensis,  but  the  series  of  letters  which 
form  the  second  autobiographical  MSS.  were  addressed 


viii  INTRODUCTION. 

to  her  most  intimate  friend,  the  Duchess  of  Portland 
(Margaret  Cavendish  Harley).  The  original  MS.  is 
in  the  handwriting  of  Mrs.  Delany,  and  is  dated  1740, 
but  it  is  evident  that  it  was  continued  during  suc- 
cessive years,  and  to  render  the  chain  of  events  more 
complete  the  original  letters  of  her  uncle  (George  Lord 
Lansdown)  and  other  relations  are  introduced  in  the 
course  of  her  own  biographical  narrative,  with  those  of 
Mary  Granville  herself  to  her  mother  and  sister,  after 
her  first  marriage,  and  in  their  proper  order  of  dates 
when  written  during  the  period  to  which  her  own 
history  relates. 

It  may  be  necessary  to  remind  those  who  do  not 
recollect  the  style  of  writing  of  the  18th  century 
(especially  the  early  part  of  it),  that  many  peculiarities 
which  would  now  be  considered  as  grammatical  inac- 
curacies were  then  sanctioned  by  Pope  and  Addison, 
in  whose  most  elaborate  compositions  "  you  was  "  may 
be  found,  as  well  as  in  the  correspondence  of  Horace 
Walpole.  The  Editor  has  preserved  the  phraseology  of 
the  letters  contained  in  this  work,  by  which  means  the 
superiority  of  the  style  of  Mary  Granville  can  be 
measured  by  comparison  with  the  greater  part  of  her 
contemporaries  in  her  own  class,  and  although  it  must 
be  admitted  she  was  not  only  the  favourite  niece,  but 


INTRODUCTION.  IX 

almost  the  pupil  of  George  Lord  Lansdown,  yet  she 
married  so  early  that  she  was  separated  from  him  at 
an  age  when  even  in  these  days  the  epistolary  style  of 
young  ladies  is  generally  very  faulty  and  unformed. 

The  object  of  the  Editor  in  publishing  this  Work 
is  to  give  a  true  account  of  a  person  whose  name 
as  "  Mrs.  Delany "  is  still  revered,  and  has  been  so 
for  more  than  a  hundred  years,  but  of  whom  very 
little  beyond  that  name  is  now  remembered.  Had 
nothing  ever  been  published  about  Mrs.  Delany  it 
is  probable  that  her  autobiography  and  the  corre- 
spondence contained  in  these  volumes  would  never 
have  seen  the  light ;  but  as  notices  of  her  have  ap- 
peared, both  in  this  and  the  last  century,  which  gave 
an  erroneous  impression,  the  Editor  felt  that  as  the 
descendant  of  her  only  sister,  Ann  Grranville,  it  was  a 
duty  to  her  memory  to  give  these  MSS.  to  the  world, 
the  simplicity  of  which,  together  with  the  fact  of  their 
never  having  been  intended  for  public  perusal,  will 
disarm  the  severity  of  criticism. 

It  is  an  extraordinary  fact  that  the  name  of  a  private 
individual,  who  always  shunned  publicity,  should  have 
been  hallowed  and  remembered  for  more  than  a  hundred 
years,  but  it  is  still  more  extraordinary  that  so  many 
proofs  of  her  remarkable  talents,  industry,  and  ingenuity, 

VOL.  I.  h 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

should  have  been  sacredly  preserved  to  this  day  to  her 
honour. 

The  life  of  Mrs.  Delany  is  interesting  in  itself  from 
the  gradual  development  of  her  own  character,  and  the 
evident  self-improvement  which  is  clearly  to  be  traced 
as  perceptibly  increasing,  until  that  combination  of 
virtues  and  talents  was  matured  which  rendered  her 
for  so  many  years  worthy  of  the  notice  and  confidence 
with  which  she  was  honoured  to  the  day  of  her  death 
by  their  late  Majesties  George  the  Third  and  Queen 
Charlotte. 

December,  1860. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY 


AND 


CORRESPONDENCE. 


CHAPTER  I. 


From  the  Biktii  of  Mary  Granville  to  her  First  Marriage. 

1700—1717. 

I  WAS  born  in  the  year  1700/  at  a  small  country- 
house  of  ray  father's  at  Coulston,  in  Wiltshire.  My 
father  was  grandson  of  Sir  Bevil  Granville,  who  was 
killed  on  Lansdown,  in  the  year  1643,  fighting  for  his 
king  and  country.  A  monument  was  erected  on  the 
spot,  recording  his  loyalty,  his  valour,  and  his  death. 
At  the  very  moment  he  was  slain,  he  had  the  patent 
for  the  Earldom  of  Bath  in  his  pocket,  with  a  letter 
from  King  Charles  I.  acknowledging  his  services.  This 
letter  is  still  in  the  family.  He  left  sons,  the  eldest 
of  whom,  John,  took  up  the  title  at  the  time  of  the 
Restoration,  and  his  sisters  were  allowed  to  rank  as 
Earl's  daughters.   Bernard,^  my  grandfather,  the  youngest 

'  May  14:th. — This  frao;ment  was  dictated  by  Mary  Granville. 

^  Bernard  Granville,  next  brother  to  John,  1st  Earl  of  Bath,  married  Ann, 
only  child  and  heir  of  Cuthbert  Morley,  of  Cleveland,  in  the  connty  of  York, 
Esq.,  and  of  his  wife,  the  Lady  Catharine  Leek,  daughter  to  Francis,  Earl  of 
Scarsdale,  she  was  therefore  "  the  maternal  grand-davglder  of  the  Earl  of 
Scarsdale" 

YOL.    I.  B 


2  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

son  of  Sir  Bevil,  was  the  messenger  to  Charles  II.  of  the 
joyful  tidings  that  he  might  return  to  his  kingdom  in  j 
safety.  He  was  made  Grroom  of  the  Bedchamber  at  the 
Eestoration,  married  Miss  Morley,  maternal  grand- 
daughter of  the  Earl  of  Scarsdale,  and  had  three  sons 
and  two  daughters. 

My  uncle,  Sir  Bevil,  the  eldest  son,  was  Governor 
of  Barbadoes,  and  died  in  his  passage  home  ;  George, 
the  second,  was  created  Lord  Lansdown,by  Queen  Anne, 
and  my  father,  Bernard,  the  youngest,  married  a  daughter 
of  Sir  Martin  Westcomb,  Consul  of  Cadiz.  My  aunt, 
Ann,  the  eldest  daughter,  was  Maid  of  Honour  to 
Queen  Mary,  after  whose  death  she  married  Sir 
John  Stanley/  King  William,  who  bestowed  the 
usual  addition  to  the  Maid  of  Honour's  portion, 
granted  her  the  apartments  in  Whitehall  which  were 
afterwards  the  Duke  of  Dorset's.  Sir  John  was  at 
that  time  Secretary  to  the  Lord  Chamberlain,  Duke  of 
Shrewsbury. 

Elizabeth,  the  youngest  daughter,  died  unmarried. 

At  six  years  old  I  was  placed  under  the  care  of  a 
Madlle.  Puelle,  a  refugee  of  a  very  respectable  character, 
and  well  qualified  for  her  business.  She  undertook  but 
twenty  scholars  at  a  time,  among  whom  were  Lady 
Catherine  KnoUys,  daughter  to  the  Earl  of  Banbury,  and 
great  aunt  to  the  present  Lord ;  Miss  Halsey,  daughter 
to  a  very  considerable  brewer,  and  afterwards  married 
to  Lord  Temple,  Earl  of  Cobham  ;    Lady  Jane  Douglas, 


In  the  List  of  Baronets'appended  to  the  sixth  edition  of  Gwillym's  '«  Display 
of  Heraldry  '  1724,  and  under  the  head  "Anno  Domini,  1699,"  and  "Re-is 
Guil.  3  11  stands  «  April  14,  John  Stanley,  of  Grange  Gorman,  in  the  kin<^- 
dom  of  Ireland,  Esq.  Argent,  on  a  Bend  Azure,  3  Bucks'  heads  cahoched  Or  " 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  3 

daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Douglas,  and  mother  to  the 
present  Mr.  Douglas,  whose  remarkable  story  in  the 
dispute  of  his  birth,^  is  well  known;  and  MissDye 
Bertie,  a  daughter  of  Mrs.  Oldfield,  the  actress,  who  after 
lea\dng  school,  was  the  pink  of  fashion  in  the  beau  monde, 
and  married  a  nobleman. 

At  eight  years  old  my  Aunt  Stanley  took  me  to  live 
with  her  and  Sir  John  Stanley  at  Whitehall.  I  quitted 
my  good  aud  kind  mistress  with  great  sorrow,  as  well 
as  Lady  Jane  Douglas  (whose  regard  for  me  made  her 
delight  in  all  my  little  occupations ;  she  would  pick  up 
the  little  flowers  and  birds  I  was  fond  of  cutting  out  in 
paper,  and  pin  them  carefully  to  her  gown  or  apron, 
that  she  might  not  tear  them  by  putting  them  in  her 
pocket ;  and  I  have  heard  of  her  preserving  them  many 
years  after).  She  kept  a  partial  remembrance  of  our  early 
affection  to  the  end  of  her  life,  though  I  never  saw  her 
from  the  moment  of  leaving  school ;  but  I  received 
numberless  proofs  of  her  regard  by  messages  and  enquiries 
which  were  sent  to  me  by  every  opportunity  she  could 
meet  with. 

At  the  same  time  London  not  agreeing  with  the 
health  of  my  mother,  my  father  settled  himself  and  his 
family,  consisting  of  two  sons  and  a  daughter,  at  Little 


1  Archibald,  last  Duke  of  Douglas,  died  in  the  year  1761.  In  right  of  a 
lineal  descent  from  the  Duke's  paternal  ancestors,  James  George  Hamilton,  7th 
Duke  of  Hamilton,  succeeded  to  the  titles  of  Marquis  of  Douglas  and  Earl  of 
Angus  on  the  death  of  the  Duke  of  Douglas ;  Lady  Jane  Douglas,  sister 
of  Duke  Archibald,  was  sole  heir  to  his  fortune.  She  m.  Sir  John  Stewart,  of 
Grandtully,  Bart.,  and  had  twin  sons  who  were  born  at  Paris,  July  10,  1748. 
Sholto  died  young, — Archibald  succeeded  to  the  estates  of  the  Duke  of 
Douglas,  assumed  his  name  and  arms,  and  in  1771,  married  Lucy,  only 
daughter  of  William.  Graham,  2nd  Duke  of  Montrose,  and  in  July,  1780, 
was  created  Baron  Douglas.  The  Hamilton  family  impugned  his  birth,  and 
laid  claim  to  the  Douglas  propeiiy. 

b2 


4  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Chelsea.  My  uncle  and  aunt,  though  very  kind  to  me, 
were  too  grave  and  serious  to  supply  the  place  of  the 
companions  I  had  left.  But  I  soon  formed  new  con- 
nections that  helped  to  cheer  me  for  those  I  had  lost. 
The  fine  Gothic  gate  which  divided  Whitehall,  commonly 
called  the  Cockpit,  from  King  Street,  was  inhabited  by 
Hyde,  Earl  of  Eochester,  younger  brother  of  the  Earl 
of  Clarendon,  and  second  son  to  the  great  Chancellor. 
Lord  Hyde,  the  Earl  of  Eochester's  eldest  son,  married 
Miss  Lewson,  daughter  of  Lord  Gower,  and  grand- 
daughter of  Sir  Bevil  Granville,  and  they  and  their 
large  family  at  this  time  all  lived  with  Lord  Eochester  ;^ 
where  I  soon  grew  into  great  intimacy  with  my 
young  cousins.  But  chiefly  my  acquaintance  was  with 
Miss  Catherine,  afterwards  the  celebrated  Duchess  of 
Queensbury,  who  was  exactly  of  my  own  age,  and  whose 
wit,  beauty,  and  oddities  made  her  from  her  early  years 
when  she  was  '  Kitty  beautiful  and  young '  to  the  end 
of  a  long  life,  a  general  object  of  animadversion,  censure 
and  admiration.  Another  of  my  earliest  connections, 
from  inclination,  was  with  Miss  Judith  Titchburne,^  a 
niece  of  Sir  John  Stanley's  brother's  wife,  who  was  one 
year  younger  than  myself.  She  was  very  pretty,  tall,  and 
of  a  good  figure,  and  very  sensible  and  agreeable,  though 
so  shy  and  bashful  that  she  by  no  means  did  herself 
justice. 

'  Jane,  youngest  daughter  of  Sir  William  Leveson  Gower,  and  of  his  wife 
the  Lady  Jane  Granville,  (eldest  daughter  of  John  Granville,  1st  Earl  of 
Bath  ;)  married  Henry  Hyde,  2nd  Earl  of  Rochester,  who  became  4th  Earl  of 
Clarendon  by  the  death  of  his  cousin,  the  3rd  Earl,  in  1723.  In  him  both 
Earldoms  became  extinct. 

2  Daughter  and  co-l,eiress  of  Benjamin  Tichbourne,  Esq.  Slie  married 
Charles,  3id  Earl  of  Sunderland,  in  1717;  became  a  widow  in  April  172"  • 
and  married  the  Rt.  Hon.  Sir  Robert  Sutton,  K.B.,  in  1725.  """ ' 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  5 

During  my  residence  at  Sir  Jolm  Stanley's,  tliere 
happened  the  very  remarkable  attack  upon  the  life  of  my 
Lord  Oxford/  by  Guiscard.  Tliis  man  had  already  been 
taken  up  as  a  spy  and  sent  to  the  Tower,  from  whence 
he  was  brought  to  the  Council  to  be  examined.  When 
he  came  into  the  anti-chamber,  where  the  clerks  were  in 
waiting,  his  hands,  which  had  been  muffled,  were  untied  ; 
and  he  then  contrived  to  seize  a  penknife,  which  he  con- 
cealed till  he  was  brought  up  to  the  Lords  to  be  ex- 
amined. He  then  suddenly  stabbed  the  Earl  of  Oxford, 
and  had  not  the  blow  been  lessened  by  the  thickness  of 
the  coat-sleeve,  it  would  have  been  a  fatal  stroke :  the 
blade  came  against  one  of  his  ribs,  which  broke  it  in  two. 
In  that  state  the  knife  is  now  preserved  in  the  family. 

In  the  year   10  I   first  saw   Mr.  Handel,  who  was 


'  This  occurred  on  the  8th  of  Maich,  1711;  the  lU.  Hon.  Robert  Harley, 
afterwards  1st  Earl  of  Oxford,  being  then  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer.  Sir 
Robert  Harley,  1st  Earl  of  Oxford  and  Mortimer,  was  successivt'ly  Si^aker 
of  the  House  of  Commons,  Secretary  of  State,  and  Chancellor  of  the  Ex- 
chequer under  Queen  Anne.  On  the  accession  of  George  I.,  in  1714,  he  and 
his  party  fell  into  disgrace.  Many  of  them  were  impeached  for  high  treason, 
and  fled  the  country,  but  the  Earl  of  Oxford,  after  the  passing  of  a  bill  of 
attainder  against  him,  stood  his  ground,  and  was  committed  to  the  Tower  in 
June  1715.  After  two  years'  imprisonment,  he  was  brought  to  his  trial  in 
Westminster  Hall.  None  of  his  accusers  appeared  against  him,  and  he  was 
dismissed.  Tlie  rest  of  his  life  was  spent  in  privacy,  and  he  died  in  1724. 
He  was  twice  married,  first  to  Elizabeth,  sister  of  I'homas,  1st  Lord  Foley, 
and  second  to  Sarah,  daughter  of  Thomas  Middleton,  I]sq. 

Edward,  2nd  Earl  of  Oxford,  was  the  son  of  the  1st  Earl  by  his  first  marriage. 
The  date  of  his  birth  is  not  given  either  by  Debrett  or  Burke,  but  it  must 
have  been  lieen  about  the  year  1G90.  He  collected  the  Harieian  MSS.,  which 
after  his  decease  were  purchased  by  Government  for  the  British  Museum.  He 
married,  in  1713,  Henrietta  Cavendish  Holies,  the  only  child  and  heir  of  John 
Holies,  last  Duke  of  Newcastle,  of  that  family.  Edward,  2nd  Earl  of  Oxford, 
had  only  one  child,  Margaret  Cavendish,  born  in  1714,  and  married  in  1734,  to 
William,  2nd  Puke  of  Portland  :  she  was  the  heiress  of  her  mother's  property. 
Her  father's  titles  descended  to  his  cousin,  Edward  Harley,  3rd  Earl  of  Ox- 
ford,  who  married,  in  1725,  Martha,  daughter  of  John  Morgan,  of  Tredegar,  Esq. 


6  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

introduced  to  my  uncle  Stanley  by  Mr.  Heidegger,  the 
famous  manager  of  the  opera,  and  the  most  ugly  man 
that  ever  was  formed/  We  had  no  better  instrument 
in  the  house  than  a  little  spinnet  of  mine,  on  which 
that  great  musician  performed  wonders.  I  was  much 
struck  with  his  playing,  but  struck  as  a  child,  not  a 
judge,  for  the  moment  he  was  gone,  I  seated  myself 
to  my  instrument,  and  played  the  best  lesson  I  had 
then  learnt ;  my  uncle  archly  asked  me  whether  I  thought 
I  should  ever  play  as  well  as  Mr.  Handel.  *  If  I  did 
not  think  I  should,'  cried  I,  *  I  would  burn  my  instru- 
ment !'  such  was  the  innocent  presumption  of  childish 
ignorance. 

I  '  Here  ends  this  Fragment,  which  was  probably  written  by  Mrs. 
Delany,  in  her  latter  years,  with  the  intention  of  completing  a 
private  record  of  her  life  for  her  own  family. 

The  following  letters  written  by  Mary  Granville  (Mrs.  Delany), 
contain  her  own  recollections  of  a  great  part  of  her  life,  the 
extraordinary  accuracy  of  which  may  be  judged  by  the  corro- 
boration of  other  letters  to  and  from  her  family,  which  are 
introduced  where  they  are  contemporaneous,  but  which  Mrs. 
Delany  did  not  herself  collect,  or  consequently  refer  to.  These 
letters  were  addressed  to  her  intimate  friend  Margaret  Cavendish 


*  Heidegger's  term  as  principal  lessee  of  the  Haymarket  Theatre  terminated 
in  1734,  and  his  partnership  with  Handel  then  ceased.  A  curious  anecdote  of 
Heidegger  is  mentioned  in  Scha?lcher's  Life  of  Handel — James  Heidegger, 
commonly  called  the  '  Swiss  Count.'  He  was  said  to  be  the  ugliest  man  of 
his  time,  and  his  portrait,  in  that  character,  was  engraved  at  least  ten  or  twelve 
times.  Lord  Chesterfield  laid  a  wager  that  it  was  impossible  to  discover 
a  human  being  so  disgraced  by  nature.  After  having  searched  through  the 
town,  a  hideous  old  woman  was  found,  but  it  was  agreed  that  Heidegger  was 
handsomer,  but  as  Heidegger  was  pluming  himself  upon  his  victory, 
Chesterfield  required  that  he  should  put  on  the  old  woman's  bonnet ;  tlius 
attired,  the  Swiss  Count  appeared  horribly  ugly,  and  Chesterfield  wa» 
unanimously  declared  the  winner,  amid  thunders  of  applause. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  7 

Harley,  Duchess  of  Portland.  The  persons  mentioned  are 
designated  by  fictitious  names,  the  key  to  which  was  given  by 
Mrs.  Delany  on  a  separate  sheet  of  paper,  each  name  having  a 
letter  of  the  alphabet  which  corresponded  with  those  on  the 
key  ;  but  to  save  trouble  the  names  given  by  herself  are  here 
printed  in  italics  to  distinguish  them  from  the  Editor's  notes. 


LETTER  I. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 
Letters  to  my  dear  Friend,  begun  in  the  year  1740. 

The  task  you  have  set  me,  my  dearest  Maria,'  is  a 
very  hard  one,  and  nothing  but  the  complying  with  the 
earnest  request  from  so  tender  a  friend,  could  prevail 
with  me  to  undertake  it.  You  are  so  well  acquainted  with 
my  family,  that  it  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  inform  you 
of  the  ebbs  and  flows  that  have  attended  it  for  many 
years ;  in  the  most  prosperous  time  of  our  fortune  you 
were  not  bom. 

The  death  of  Queen  Anne^  made  a  considerable  altera- 
tion in  our  affairs :  we  were  of  the  discontented  party, 
and  not  without  reason ;  not  only  my  father,  but  all  my 
relations  that  were  in  public  employments,  suffered 
greatly  by  this  change.  My  father  being  a  younger 
brother,  his  chief  dependance  was  on  the  favour  of  the 
Court  and  his  brother's  friendship  ;  the  first  being  with- 
drawn, he  had  recourse  to  the  latter,  and  was  offered  by 


'  The  real  Christian  name  of  the  Duchess  of  Portland  was  Margaret,  but  it 
was  the  fashion  of  the  time  for  friends  to  be  known  amongst  each  other  by 
fictitious  appellations. 

*  Queen  Anne  died  August  1,  1714. 


8  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

him  a  retreat  in  the  country,  and  an  addition  to  the 
small  remains  of  his  fortune ;  he  retired  with  my  mother 
my  sister  and  myself.  Anna^  (my  sister's  name),  who 
was  then  a  little  girl,  too  young  to  consider  how  much 
such  a  retirement  might  prove  to  her  disadvantage,  was 
delighted  with  a  new  scene. 

I  was  then  fifteen  years  of  age,  had  been  brought 
up  under  the  care  of  my  aunt  Valeria,'^  a  woman  of 
extraordinary  sense,  remarkably  well-bred  and  agreeable, 
who  had  been  Maid  of  Honour  to  Queen  Mary,^  was 
particularly  favoured  and  distinguished  by  her,  and 
early  attained  all  the  advantages  of  such  an  education 
under  so  great  and  excellent  a  princess,  without  the 
least  taint  or  blemish  incident  to  that  state  of  life,  so 
dangerous  to  young  minds.  Her  penetration  made  her 
betimes  observe  an  impetuosity  in  my  temper,  which 
made  her  judge  it  necessary  to  moderate  it  by  mortifying 
my  spirit,  lest  it  should  grow  too  lively  and  unruly  for 
my  reason.  I  own  I  often  found  it  rebellious,  and  could 
ill  bear  the  frequent  checks  I  met  with,  which  I  too 
easily  interpreted  into  indignities,  and  have  not  been 
able  wholly  to  reconcile  to  any  other  character  from  that 
day  to  this  ;  nevertheless,  the  train  of  mortifications  that  I 
have  met  with  since,  convince  me  it  was  happy  for  me  to 
have  been  early  inured  to  disappointments  and  vexations. 


'  Ann  Granville. 

2  Lady  Stanley.  Ann,  eldest  daughter  of  Bernard  Granville,  Master  of  the 
Horse  to  King  Charles  II.,  married  Sir  John  Stanley,  Baronet,  of  Grange 
Gormon,  Ireland. 

3  The  seal  given  by  Queen  Mary  to  Ann  Granville  (afterwards  Lady  Stanley), 
is  still  preserved  in  the  family.  It  has  the  head  of  Minerva  in  a  hehn'et, 
engraved  on  an  amethyst,  with  the  crown  and  M.  in  the  comer,  also  a  mottn 
round  it,  which  unfortunately  has  become  illegible  from  use  and  having  been 
cut  in  the  part  of  the  stone  which  projected  beyond  the  gold  setting. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  9 

Valeria  was  very  fond  of  me,  l3ut  too  generous  to  de- 
prive ray  father  and  mother  of  what  they  might  think 
a  comfort  in  their  retirement ;  so  upon  their  going  into 
the  country,  I  quitted  lier  and  went  with  them. 

My  eldest  brother  was  then  at  the  academy,  and  my 
youngest  at  a  public  school ;  but  I  can  tell  you  no 
particulars  relating  to  them  but  as  they  are  mixed  with 
my  own  life ;  for  I  begin  already  to  tremble  at  the 
tediousness  of  these  letters.  I  must  take  breath,  and 
next  post  will  pursue  my  subject.  T  hope  you  will 
consider  how  much  your  patience  must  suffer,  repent 
of  your  commands,  and  release  me  from  my  engagement. 


Explanations  by  Mrs.  Delany  appended  to  this  Letter. 

Alcander^  the  year  after  the  accession  of  George  I.  was 
sent  to  the  Tower,  at  the  same  time  with  Lord  Oxford.  'My 
father,  who  then  resided  in  Poland-street,  upon  this  change  in 
the  affairs  of  his  family  determined  upon  retiring  into  the 
country.  He  ordered  two  carriages  to  be  at  his  door  at  six  o'clock, 
and  gave  a  charge  to  all  his  people  not  to  mention  his  design,  as 
he  did  not  wish  to  take  a  solemn  leave  of  his  friends  upon  an 
absence  of  such  uncertain  duration.  The  man  from  whom  the 
horses  were  hired,  and  who  proved  to  be  a  spy,  immediately,  in 
hopes  of  a  reward,  gave  information  at  theSecretary  of  State's  Office 
of  these  private  orders,  affirming  that  it  was  his  belief  the  Colonel 
and  his  family  were  going  secretly  out  of  the  kingdom.  I  was 
sleeping  in  the  same  bed  with  my  sister,  when  I  was  suddenly 
awakened  by  a  disturbance  in  my  room.  My  first  idea  was  of 
being  called  to  rise  early,  in  order  to  sit  for  my  picture,  which 
was  then  painting  for  my  father,  but  the  moment  I  looked  round 
me,  I  saw  two  soldiers  standing  by  the  bedside  with  guns  in  their 


*  Georye,  Lord  Lansdowne. 


10  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

hands.  I  shrieked  with  terror,  and  started  up  in  my  bed. 
"  Come,  Misses/'  cried  one  of  the  men,  "  make  haste  and  get  up 
for  you  are  going  to  Lord  Townshend's"^  (then  Secretary  of  State). 

I  cried  violently :  they  desired  me  not  to  be  frightened.  My 
mother's  maid  was  with  difficulty  admitted  into  the  room  to  dress 
us.  My  little  sister,  then  but  nine  years''  old,  had  conceived  no 
terror  from  this  intrusion,  but  when  the  maid  was  going  to  put  on 
her  frock,  called  out,  "  No,  no,  I  won't  wear  my  frock,  I  must 
have  my  bib  and  apron ;  I  am  going  to  Lord  Townshend's." 

When  we  were  dressed,  we  were  carried  to  my  father  and 
mother,  whom  we  found  surrounded  by  officers  and  messengers  ; 
two  of  each  and  sixteen  soldiers  being  employed  in  and  about 
the  house.  My  father  was  extremely  shocked  by  this  scene,  but 
supported  himself  with  the  utmost  composure  and  magnanimity  ; 
his  chief  care  being  to  calm  and  comfort  my  mother,  who  was 
greatly  terrified,  and  fell  into  hysteric  fits  one  after  another. 

Here,  before  any  removal  could  take  place,  while  we  were  in 
the  midst  of  our  distress  and  alarm,  my  aunt  Valeria  forced  her 
way  into  the  room.  Intelligence  having  reached  her,  by  means 
of  one  of  my  father's  servants,  of  the  situation  we  were  in,  she 
instantly  came,  but  was  refused  admittance.  She  was  not,  how- 
ever, to  be  denied ;  she  told  the  officers  that  she  would  be 
answerable  for  everything  to  Lord  Townshend,  and  insisted  on 
passing,  with  a  courage  and  firmness  that  conquered  their  opposi- 
tion. I  can  never  forget  her  meeting  with  my  father ;  she  loved 
him  with  the  extremest  affection,  and  could  never  part  from  him, 
even  for  a  short  absence,  without  tears  ;  they  embraced  one 
another  with  the  most  tender  sadness,  and  she  was  extremely 
good  in  consoling  my  poor  mother.  She  entreated  that  the  mes- 
sengers would  at  least  suffer  her  to  convey  them  to  their  confine- 
ment herself  in  her  own  coach,  but  this  they  peremptorily  refused. 
She  then  protested  she  would  positively  be  responsible  for  carry- 
ing her  two  young  nieces  to  her  own  house,  instead  of  seeing 
them  conveyed  to  the  messenger's,  and  in  this  point  she  con- 


Charles,  2nd  Viscuuut  Townshoud. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  11 

qiiered,  and  being  forced  to  separate  from  my  father,  she  had  us 
both  put  into  her  coach,  and  carried  us  to  W  hitehall. 

Valeria  had  a  very  particular  attachment  to  a  young  woman 
who  attended  her  person,  she  was  her  god-daughter,  and  daughter 
to  a  governess  that  had  lived  with  her  till  she  married  Sebastian. 
She  was  of  a  very  good  family  in  France  and  married  to  a  general 
officer,  by  whom  she  had  this  child,  but  he  was  a  very  libertine 
man,  and  soon  reduced  her  circumstances  to  oblige  her  to  seek 
for  a  maintenance  in  a  much  lower  style,  upon  which  she  quitted 
France  and  was  recommended  to  my  grandmother  Granville, 
who  placed  her  about  my  aunt.  Her  ill  health  obliged  her 
to  leave  her  service  soon  after  my  aunt  married,  but  she  left  her 
daughter  under  her  protection.  The  girl  was  then  fifteen,  about 
three  years  before  my  aunt  took  me  from  school,  at  which  time 
I  was  eight  years'  old.  Miss  Tellier  was  sensible,  ingenious,  and 
very  well  in  her  appearance ;  perfectly  mistress  of  French,  and 
she  behaved  herself  with  great  aflfection  towards  her  benefactress, 
whose  great  partiality  and  indulgence  to  her  made  her  expect 
more  than  she  had  a  right  to  claim.  She  soon  grew  jealous  of 
the  increasing  kindness  /  met  with,  both  from  my  uncle  and 
aunt,  and  was  a  strong  instance  how  dangerous  it  is  to  the  best 
dispositions  to  be  too  much  occupied  with  an  opinion  of  their 
own  merits,  for  this  carried  her  so  far  as  to  make  her  wish  I 
should  be  removed. 

She  began  with  insinuations  to  my  aunt  to  my  disadvantage, 
as  I  found  by  my  aunt's  alteration  in  her  behaviour  to  me.  I 
was  a  lively,  merry  child,  but  I  do  not  recollect  I  was  mischievous, 
and  always  very  fond  of  those  that  showed  me  any  kindness. 
Miss  Tellier  fell  into  an  ill  state  of  health,  and  attributed  it  to  a 
blow  I  had  given  her  upon  her  breast,  which  might  have  happened 
in  my  sleep,  as  I  was  always  her  bed-fellow,  but  I  am  siure  not  in- 
tentionally, as  I  was  not  of  a  revengeful  nature.  But  this  un- 
happy turn  in  her  disposition  towards  me  occasioned  me  much 
sorrow,  for  as  I  loved  my  aunt  with  warm  affection  every  mark 
of  her  displeasure  made  me  miserable,  therefore  I  was  not  sorry 
when  my  father  and  mother  took  me  home.  I  never  uttered  a 
word  of  this  affair  to  them.  Miss  Tellier  soon  recovered  her  health 


12  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDEKCE 

and  I  was  always  received  very  kindly  when  sent  to  pay  my  duty 
there.  I  must  in  justice  to  the  memory  of  poor  Miss  T.  assure 
you  that  in  the  latter  part  of  her  life  she  made  me  all  the  amends 
in  her  power  for  the  injury  she  had  done  me.  She  was  convinced 
in  her  own  mind  that  I  had  not  deserved  it,  and  for  some  years 
before  her  death  she  did  me  and  my  brother  every  good  office  in 
her  power  with  my  uncle  and  aunt,  and  at  her  death  left  me 
many  valuable  presents  that  she  had  received  from  Valeria  ; 
indeed  divided  between  my  brother,  sister,  and  myself,  all  she 
was  worth. 


LETTER  11. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

I  am  very  sorry  I  can't  prevail  with  you  to  let  me 
be  silent;  you  will  be  the  sufferer,  but  since  you  are 
obstinate,  you  deserve  the  punishment.  At  the  age  I  was 
when  I  left  the  fine  world  (as  I  then  thought  it),  I  ma 
own,  without  fear  of  much  reproach,  I  left  it  with  great 
regret.  I  had  been  brought  up  with  the  expectation  of 
being  Maid  of  Honour.  I  had  been  at  one  play  and  one 
opera,  and  thought  the  poet's  description  ofthe  Elysium 
fields  nothing  to  the  delights  of  those  entertainments ; 
I  lamented  the  loss  of  my  young  companions,  and  the 
universal  gaiety  I  parted  with  when  I  left  London.  I 
often  repeated  Mr.  Pope's  verses  to  a  young  lady  on  her 
leaving  the  town  after  the  coronation  ;^  and  to  make 
the  change  appear  still  more  gloomy,  all  this  I  quitted 
in  November,  travelled  five  days  through  miserable 
roads,  and  in  a  few  daj^s  after  our  arrival  at  the  Farm'^ 
(the  name  of  the  house  we  went  to),  were  blocked  up 
from  all  intercourse  with  our  neighbours,  by  as  severe  a 

'  Epistle  V.  addressed  to  Miss  Martha  Blount,  and  dated  1715. 
2  Buckland,  near  Camj^en,  Gloucestershire.      "  The  Farm  "  was  a  fictitioiu 
name. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  13 

frost  as  was  ever  known  in  England,  which  prevented 
company  from  coming  to  us,  or  our  going  abroad.  At 
that  time  I  thought  it  a  loss,  though  my  father's  excel- 
lent temper,  great  cheerfulness,  and  uncommon  good 
humour  made  him  exert  himself  for  our  entertainment 
at  home ;  and  as  I  loved  him  excessively,  and  admired 
everything  he  said  and  did,  I  should  soon  have  found 
consolation  from  his  engaging  manners,  but  the  de- 
jectedness  of  my  mother's  spirits,  occasioned  by  the 
disappointments  my  father  had  met  with  in  his  fortune, 
and  the  not  being  able  to  give  her  children  all  the  ad- 
vantages in  their  education  she  wished  to  do,  made  her 
unable  to  support  herself,  and  often  affected  her  to  so 
great  a  degree,  as  to  prejudice  her  health :  this  hurt  my 
father,  and  I  felt  it  on  a  double  account. 

Three  months  passed  in  this  place,  without  any  variety 
of  company  or  employments.  I  was  kept  to  my  stated 
hours  for  practising  music,  reading,  writing  and  French, 
and  after  that  I  was  expected  to  sit  down  to  work.  My 
father  generally  read  to  us  ;  in  the  evening  I  was  called 
upon  to  make  up  a  party  at  whist  with  my  father  and 
mother  and  the  minister  of  the  parish.^  Fortunately  this 
man  was  of  a  most  particular  character,  an  original,  and 


'  Mr.  Tucker.  The  Rev.  Tretheway  Tooker  was  instituted  to  the  Rectory 
of  Buckland  in  1714,  by  the  guardians  of  Thomas  Thynne,  Esq.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded in  1746  by  the  Rev.  John  Martin.  There  are  portraits  of  the  Rev.  John 
Martin,  of  Buckland,  and  of  his  wife,  at  a  house  in  Wellersey.  The  old  rectory 
was  built  by  WiUiam  Grafton,  the  rector,  who  was  instituted  by  the  Abbot  of 
Gloucester  in  1515.  There  is  an  engraving  of  it  in  Lyson's  Gloucestershire 
Antiquities,  and  also  one  of  the  three  compartments  of  painted  glass  in  the 
east  window  of  the  Church,  representing  three  of  the  Roman  Sacraments. 
There  is  some  painted  glass  also  in  the  rectory  hall,  and  the  rebus  of  Wm. 
<^irafton,  "a  graft  issuing  out  of  a  tun." — Letkr  from  Sir  Thomas  PJnlij^j  a, 
Bart.,  of  Middle  Hill,  near  Broadway,  Worcestershire.     18G0. 


14  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

entertained  us  extremely  with  his  extravagant  notions. 
He  never  appeared  to  so  little  advantage  as  in  the  pulpit, 
and  as  companion  a  grazier's  coat  would  have  hecome 
him  hetter  than  the  clergyman's  habit :  he  had  a  sort 
of  droll  wit  and  repartee  that  was  diverting,  but  would 
have  been  more  so,  had  it  not  been  somewhat  out  of 
character  and  unbecoming  the  dignity  of  his  profession, 
which  though  not  inconsistent  with  cheerfulness  and 
innocent  mirth  (but  rather  embellished  by  it),  loses  its 
polish  if  sullied  with  the  least  buffoonery.  He  said  he 
had  a  Familiar  that  attended  him,  that  he  often  appeared 
to  him  at  home  and  abroad  ,•  warned  him  against  danger, 
and  advised  him  how  to  conduct  himself  in  all  exigencies. 
As  much  as  I  remember  of  Tranio's  conduct,  I  think  it 
did  not  do  much  honour  to  his  Familiar. 

This  was  our  chief  entertainment  till  Roberto,  a  young 
gentleman,  came  into  the  neighbourhood,  who  was  driven 
tos  helter  there  by  some  hot-headed,  misguided  zealots.^ 
Their  chief  betrayed  them,  and  Roberto  was  obliged  to 
seek  for  refuge  at  Tranio's,  who  had  formerly  been  a 
great  friend  of  his  father's.  He  was  twenty-two,  tall, 
handsome,  lively  and  good-humored :  he  did  not  want 
for  sense,  his  understanding  not  much  improved,  his 
education  that  of  a  country  squire,  his  goodnature  and 
desire  of  obliging  made  up  for  a  want  of  acquired 
politeness,  and  prevented  his  doing  anything  rude  and 
impertinent.  He  was  soon  introduced  into  our  family. 
The  first  Sunday  after  he  came  he  met  us  all  at  church, 
and  my  father  asked  him  to  eat  beef  and  pudding  with 
his  landlord :  he  came  the  next  day — he  came  again.  He 
pleased  my  father  extremely,  they  grew  so  fond  of  each 


'  Sir  Wm.  Windham  at  their  head. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  16 

other  that  by  degrees  "  The  Farm "  was  his  home, 
and  my  mother  was  very  glad  to  encourage  his  visits, 
as  she  found  they  gave  my  father  so  much  pleasure. 
The  winter,  or  rather  spring,  passed  on  tolerably  well, 
the  days  brightened  and  lengthened,  and  we  had 
compliments  and  visits  from  all  our  neighbours.  In 
March  Eoberto  left  us  to  return  home,  all  things, 
being  quiet  in  the  country  at  that  time,  but  he  pro- 
mised my  father  he  would  come  and  make  him  a  visit  > 
the  latter  end  of  the  year.  J 

I  took  great  delight  in  a  closet  I  had,  which  was  fur- 
nished with  little  drawings  and  cut  paper  of  my  own 
doing  ;  I  had  a  desk  and  shelves  for  my  books.  — . 

About  this  time  I  contracted  a  friendship  with  Sappho,^  ' 
a  clergyman's  daughter  in  tlie  neighbourhood,  a  girl  of 
my  own  age.  She  had  an  uncommon  genius  and  intrepid 
spirit,  which  though  really  innocent,  alarmed  my  father, 
and  made  him  uneasy  at  my  great  attachment  to  her. 
He  loved  gentleness  and  reserve  in  the  behaviour  of 
women,  and  could  not  bear  anything  that  had  the 
appearance  of  being  too  free  and  masculine  ;  but  as  I 
was  convinced  of  her  innocence,  I  saw  no  fault  in  Miss 
Kirkham.  She  entertained  me  with  her  wit,  and  she 
flattered  me.  with  her  approbation,  but  by  the  improve- 


^  Sarali,  daugliter  of  the  Rev.  Lionel  Kirkham,  was  born  in  1699;  she 
married  the  Rev.  John  Capon  in  1725.  In  the  register-book  of  the  parish  of 
Stanton,  Gloucestershire,  in  which  her  birth,  baptism,  and  marriage,  and  the 
birth  and  baptism  of  her  five  children,  and  the  death  of  some  of  them,  are  entered, 
the  name  is  invariably  spelt  Capon,  but  in  the  entry  of  her  burial,  Feb.  24, 1764, 
she  is  called  "  Sarah,  widow  of  John  CJiapone.'"  It  is  probable  that  the  family 
was  originally  French,  that  it  was  once  Chapon,  but  was  corrupted  into  Capon, 
and  that  the  h  was  restored  by  the  above  Sarah  Capon,  with  the  addition  of  an 
e,  which  in  those  days  seemed  to  be  used  at  pleasure,  and  added  or  left  out  at 
the  end  of  names  bv  the  owners  themselves  at  ditferent  periods  of  their  lives. 


16  LIFE  AND   CORRESPONDENCE 

ments  she  has  since  made,  I  see  she  was  not,  at  my  first 
acquaintance,  the  perfect  creature  I  thought  her  then. 
We  wrote  to  one  another  every  day,  and  met  in  the  fields 
between  our  fathers'  houses  as  often  as  we  had  an 
opportunity,  thought  that  day  tedious  that  we  did  not 
meet,  and  had  many  stolen  interviews.  Her  extraordinary 
understanding,  lively  imagination  and  humane  dispo- 
sition, which  soon  became  conspicuous,  at  last  reconciled 
ray  father  to  her,  and  he  never  after  debarred  me  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  her,  when  it  was  convenient  we  should 
meet.  My  sister  was  at  this  time  a  plaything  to  us, 
and  often  offended  at  our  whispers  and  mysterious  talk. 
'Tis  time  to  break  ofif,  my  friend,  adieu. 


Explanations  by  Mrs.  Delany  on  this  Letter. 

Queen  Ann  had  set  me  down  for  maid  of  honour  with  her  own 
hand,  and  given  her  promise  to  my  father. 

The  Play.     The  Lancashire  Witches. 

The  Opera.  Hydaspes,  in  which  NicoUni  fights  with  a  Hon — 
remarkable  equally  for  his  very  fine  voice  and  very  fine  action. 

I  also  saw  Powell's  famous  puppet  show,  in  which  Punch  fought 
with  a  pig  in  burlesque,  in  imitation  of  Nicolini's  battle  with  the 
lion.  My  Lord  Bolingbroke  was  of  the  party,  and  made  me  sit 
upon  his  lap  to  see  it  The  rest  of  the  company  were  my  father, 
my  uncle  Granville,^  Sir  John  Stanley,  Vice- Chamberlain  Cooke, 
Mr.  W.  Collier,  my  mother  and  Lady  Stanley,  and  Mrs.  Betty 
Granville. 

Among   my    young   companions    was    my  Lord  Clarendon's 


1  Probably  Sir  Bevil  Granville,  eldest  brother  of  Lord  Lansdown.     Ho  was 
governor  of  Barbadoes,  and  died  in  the  year  1716. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  17 

daughter,  Lady  Catherine  Hyde/  afterwards  Duchess  of  Queens- 
borough. 

The  first  day's  journey  to  the  Farm  was  only  Uxbridge,  though 
we  travelled  in  a  coach  and  six. 

The  minister  of  the  parish  was  Mr.  Tucker. 

Roberto,  Mr.  Twyford. 

Sappho,  Mrs.  Chapone,  mother-in-law  to  the  author  of  Letters 
on  the  Improvement  of  the  Mmd. 

The  Farm  ^  is  near  Broadway,  in  Gloucestershire. 

The  Vale  of  Evesham. 

Sir  WilHam  Windham,  who  had  gained  over  a  great  many 
young  men  in  his  neighbourhood  to  be  of  his  party  in  favour  of 
the  Pretender,  appointed  a  day  to  meet  in  order  to  consult  how 
they  should  pursue  their  scheme.  Accordingly  they  assembled 
(I  think  the  number  was  about  thirty)  full  of  youthful  fire,  to 
proceed  on  this  expedition,  when  an  express  came  from  Sir  Wm- 
Windham  to  inform  them  that  he  had  surrendered  his  person 
to  the  government,  and  begged  they  would  consider  their  own 
safety ;  upon  which,  after  many  imprecations,  urged  by  their 
resentment  for  what  they  called  his  treachery,  they  dispersed 
several  ways  to  their  particular  friends. 


LETTER  III. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

As  much  as  the  vanity  of  my  heart  suffered  by  leaving 
the  court,  assembly,  play,  &c.,  the  country'  grew  pleasant 
to  me  as  soon  as  the  weather  permitted  me  to  consider 
its  beauties.  The  Farm  is  a  low  house,  with  very  good, 
convenient  room  in  it,  the  outside  entirely  covered  with 

'  Daughter  of  Henr}%  Earl  of  Clarendon  and   Koch  ester.     She  married, 

March  10th,  1720,  Charles,  3rd  Duke  of  Queensbury  and  2nd  Duke  of  Dover. 

Her  two  sons,  who  were  successively  Earls  of  Drumlaurig,  lived  to  manhood, 

I'Ut  died  before  their  parents.     The  Duchess  died  in  1777 — the  Duke  in  1778. 

Buckland, 

VOL.  I.  C 


18  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

laurel,  the  inside  neat  furnished  with  home  spun  stuff, 
adorned  with  fine  China  and  prints.  The  front  of  the 
house  faces  the  finest  vale  in  England,  the  Yale  of  Evesham, 
of  which  there  is  a  very  advantageous  view  from  every 
window :  the  back  part  of  the  house  is  shaded  by  a  very 
high  hill  which  rises  gradually ;  between  lies  tlie  garden, 
a  small  spot  of  ground,  but  well  stocked  with  fruit  and 
flowers.  Nothing  could  be  more  fragrant  and  rural :  the 
sheep  and  cows  came  bleating  and  lowing  to  the  pales 
of  the  garden.  At  some  distance  on  the  left  hand  was 
a  rookery ;  on  the  right  a  little  clear  brook  run  winding 
through  a  copse  of  young  elms  (the  resort  of  many 
warbling  birds),  and  fell  with  a  cascade  into  the  garden, 
completing  the  concert.  In  the  midst  of  that  copse 
was  an  arbour  with  a  bench,  which  I  often  visited,  and 
I  think  it  was  impossible  not  to  be  pleased  with  so 
many  natural  beauties  and  delights  as  I  there  beheld  and 
enjoyed  around  me. 

But  this  innocent,  uniform,  still  life  was  not  to  last. 
At  the  end  of  the  year,  Eoberto  returned  according  to 
his  promise  ;  he  was  invited  to  the  Farm,  and  accepted 
very  readily  the  invitation.  I  found  his  behaviour  not  at 
all  the  same  as  it  used  to  be ;  he  was  often  silent  and 
thoughtful.  When  I  came  down  in  a  morning  to  practise 
my  harpsichord,  as  was  my  constant  custom  till  the  family 
met  at  breakfast,  which  was  about  nine,  he  was  always 
in  the  room,  and  would  place  himself  by  me  whilst  I 
played.  Whenever  I  went  to  my  favourite  bench,  if  I 
did  not  find  him  there,  he  followed  me  immediately. 
This  I  observed,  but  was  so  young  and  innocent  as  to 
imagine  it  without  design.  One  day  he  took  me  by  the 
hand,  as  I  was  coming  down  stairs,  and  said  "he  almost 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  19 

wished  lie  had  never  known  the  family."  I  interpreted 
that  very  naturally — he  had  lived  some  time  with  us 
very  agreeably,  and  was  then  obliged  to  return  home 
to  a  cross  father  and  more  perverse  mother,  who  valued 
herself  upon  being  a  great  fortune,  and  living  miserably 
to  enrich  her  family.  Roberto  was  the  youngest  of  twenty 
children,  and  had  only  five  sisters  living. 

After  he  had  been  a  month  with  us  my  mother  took 
notice  of  his  being  more  particular  in  his  behaviour  to- 
wards me  ;  even  my  little  sister  Anna  made  several  obser- 
vations that  often  made  Roberto  blush  (which  he  was  as 
apt  to  do  as  I  was),  and  made  me  angry  at  her  pertness. 
My  mother  cautioned  me  not  to  leave  my  room  in  a  morn- 
ing till  she  sent  for  me  down,  and  never  permitted  me  to 
walk  without  a  servant,  when  she  or  my  father  could  not  I    . 
go  with  me.     Roberto  I  believe  designed  speaking  to  me 
first,  in  which   being    disappointed,  he  applied  to  my 
father,  and  made  proposals   of  marriage.     He  told  him 
I  had  no  fortune,  and  it  was  very  probable,  for   this 
reason,  his  friends  would  not  approve  of  his  choice ;  if 
they  did  he  had  so  high  an  opinion  of  him,  that  he  should 
be  well  pleased  with  his  alliance ;  upon  which  Roberto 
returned  home  to  try  what  he  could  do  with  his  friends, 
but  after  some  months'  trial  to  get  his  parents  to  con-   i 
sent,  he   wrote   my  father  word  they  were  inexorable. 
This  he  apprehended  before  he  went,  and  pressed  me 
very  much  to  marry  him  privately,  but  I  was  ofiended 
at  the  proposal,   and  desired  him,  if  he   could  not  gain 
the  consent  he  wished  to  have,  to  think  no  more  of  me.^ 
I   little   thought   then   how   fatal  this  disappointment 
would  prove  to  him.     I  was  very  easy  when  the  affair 
was  over,  or  rather  glad  of  it.     From  that  time  till  the    ^ 

c  2  ^ 


20  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

September  following  notliing  remarkable  happened  in 
our  family  or  in  the  neighbourhood  worth  troubling 
my  dear  friend  with  an  account  of  I  release  you  for 
a  few  posts,  and  then  will  proceed  in  my  relation.  I 
cannot  give  you  a  stronger  proof  of  how  entirely  I  am 
devoted  to  you. 


LETTER  IV. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

I  told  you,  ray  dear  Maria,  in  my  last  letter  that  till 
the  September  after  Roberto  left  us  nothing  new  hap- 
pened. I  had  then  an  invitation  from  my  uncle, 
Alcander,^  and  my  aunt  Laura^  to  go  with  them  to 
the  Bath,  and  afterwards  to  spend  the  winter  at 
their  country  seat,  not  very  distant  from  it.  They  had 
been  confined  nearly  two  years,  for  reasons  of  State, 
in  the  Tower,^  and  had  not  been  long  at  liberty.  The 
invitation  was  a  very  agreeable  one  to  me,  and  thought 
too  advantageous  by  my  father  and  mother  to  be  re- 
fused. My  father  accompanied  me  himself,  and  delivered 
me  into  Lord  Lansdown's  hands,  who  received  me  with 
that  grace  and  fondness  so  peculiar  to  his  politeness  and 


'  George  Oranville,  Lord  Lansdovm. 

2  *'  Laura,^'  Lady  Lansdoivn.  She  was  previously  Lady  Mary  Villiers, 
daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Jersey,  and  widow  of  Thos.  Thynne,  Esq.,  who  was 
the  son  of  Henry  Fredericlc  Thynne,  one  of  the  Clerks  of  the  Privy  Counci', 
and  grandson  of  Sir  Henry  Frederick  Thynne,  of  Kempsford,  Bart.  Thomas 
Thynne,  Esq.,  died  in  the  year  1710,  and  his  only  child  Thomas  Thynne, 
became  2nd  Viscount  Weymouth  in  1714,  on  the  death  of  his  great  uncle 
Thomas,  1st  Viscount  Weymouth,  eldest  brother  of  Henry  Frederick  I'hynne, 
Clerk  of  the  Privy  Council. 

^  February  8th. — The  Lord  Lansdown,  having  received  his  pardon,  was  re- 
leased from  his  imprisonment  in  the  Tower. — Historical  Register,  for  1717. 


OF  MKS.  DELANY.  21 

good-nature.  No  man  had  more  the  art  of  winning 
the  affections  where  he  wished  to  oblige.  Laura  and 
Superba  ^  (a  maiden  sister  of  Alcander's,  who  had  always 
hved  with  him)  showed  me  great  kindness.  Laura  was 
at  that  time  about  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  very  hand- 
some, and  had  behaved  herself  very  well.  I  soon  grew 
fond  of  her,  and  was  delighted  with  every  mark  of  her 
favour,  though  the  pleasure  I  received  from  my  uncle's 
distinction  of  me  far  exceeded  it.  I  was  proud  of  his 
approbation,  and  glad  of  every  opportunity  of  conversing 
with  liim,  and  ingratiating  myself  with  him.  There  was 
at  that  time  a  great  deal  of  company  in  the  house,  and 
the  design  of  going  to  the  Bath  was  put  off  till  the 
spring :  we  danced  every  night,  and  had  a  very  good 
band  of  music  in  the  house.  Lord  Lansdowne  was 
magnificent  in  his  nature,  and  valued  no  expense  that 
would  gratify  it,  which  in  the  end  hurt  him  and  his 
family  extremely. 

I  now  thought  my  present  state  and  future  prospects 
as  happy  as  this  world  could  make  them.  How  easily  is  our 
youth  imposed  upon  by  the  gaudy  show  of  pleasures !  I 
soon  had  reason  to  make  that  reflection.  My  father  had 
thoughts  of  returning  home,  well  pleased  at  my  being  in 
such  favour,  but  discontented  with  my  uncle's  treatment 
of  himself,  which  was  not  what  he  expected.  He  told 
him  that  now  he  should  lessen  liis  income,  supposing 
that  by  this  time  he  was  fallen  into  a  method  of  living 
in  the  country,  and  did  not  want  so  large  an  income  as 
at  first  setting  out.  Alcander  reminded  him  at  the 
same  time  how  kind  he  was  to  his  children.    These  were 


Superba.     Mrs.  Elizabeth  Granvitte, 


22  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

truths,  but  harsh  to  a  generous  and  grateful  mind,  such 
as  my  father's  was.  He  wanted  no  hints  of  the  obhga- 
tions  he  lay  under  to  his  brother,  and  the  day  before  he 
left  Lord  Lansdown's  house,  he  opened  his  heart  to  me, 
and  talked  on  the  subject  in  so  moving  a  way,  that  it 
made  a  deep  impression  on  my  mind,  and  often  after  he 
was  gone  I  used  to  walk  in  the  gallerj'-  where  we  had 
our  last  conversation,  and  recollect  it  with  grief  of  heart. 
I  wished  that  I  had  returned  with  him,  that  I  might  by 
my  duty  and  tender  affection  show  him  that  I  preferred 
his  house  and  company  to  all  the  flattering  views  that 
were  laid  before  me  ;  but  it  was  his  pleasure  I  should  stay. 
My  two  aunts  soon  grew  jealous  of  the  great  favour 
shown  me  by  my  uncle,  and  would  never  suffer  me  to  spend 
an  hour  with  him  alone,  which  mortified  me  extremely  ;  for 
though  I  did  not  pretend  to  much  penetration  or  any  judg- 
ment, I  soon  found  their  conversation  much  less  in- 
structive, as  well  as  less  entertaining  than  his.  I  had  been 
brought  up  to  love  reading ;  they  never  read  at  all,  or,  if 
they  did,  idle  books  that  I  was  not  allowed  to  read. 
Alcander  delighted  in  making  me  read  to  him,  which  I 
did  every  day,  till  the  ladies  grew  angry  at  my  being  so 
much  with  my  uncle. 
\  About  this  time  there  came  on  a  visit  to  Alcander  an 

old  friend  and  countryman  of  his,  Gromio.^  When 
he  arrived  we  were  at  dinner  :  he  had  travelled  on  horse- 
back, the  day  excessively  rainy  :  he  sent  in  his  name,  upon 
which  Alcander  rose  from  table  overjoyed  at  his  arrival, 
and  insisted  on  his  coming  in  to  dinner.  I  expected  to 
have  seen  somebody  with  the  appearance  of  a  gentleman, 

^  Alexander  Fendarves,  Es^.,  of  Boscrmv,  Cornwall. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  23 

when  the  poor,  old,  dripping  almost  drowned  Gromio  was 
brought  into  the  room,  like  Hob  out  of  the  well,  his  wig, 
his  coat,  his  dirty  boots,  his  large  un wieldly  person,  andl 
his  crimson  countenance  were  all  subjects  of  great  mirth 
and  observation  to  me.  I  diverted  myself  at  his  expense 
several  daj^s,  and  was  well  assisted  by  a  young  gentle- 
man,^ brother  to  Laura ;  who  had  wit  and  malice.  Gromio/j}^ 
soon  changed  his  first  design  of  going  away  the  next  day,  '^ 
the  occasion  of  his  coming  was  {it  was  stated)  a  quarrel 
he  had  with  a  gentleman^  who  had  married  his  niece  ; 
he  offered  to  settle  on  him  his  whole  estate,  provided  he 
would  after  his  death,  take  his  name.  Bassanio  (his 
nephew's  name)  proud  of  his  family,  refused  to  comply 
with  that  part,  upon  which  Gromio  determined  to  dis- 
pose of  his  estate,  and  settle  quietly  for  the  rest  of 
his  life  in  the  country.  In  order  to  execute  this  design, 
he  was  going  to  London,  and  passing  near  Alcander's 
heard  that  the  family  were  in  the  country,  which  deter- 
mined him  to  make  his  journey  one  day  longer  by  calling 
there.  He  talked  of  going  every  day,  but  still  stayed,  ^^J/ 
and  I  (to  my  great  sorrow)  was  after  some  time  convinced 
I  was  the  cause  of  this  delay ;  his  behaviour  was  too 
remarkable  for  me  not  to  obser\^e  it,  and  I  could  easily 
perceive  I  was  the  only  person  in  the  family  that  did 
not  approve  of  it.  Gromio  was  then  near  sixty,  and  I  { 
seventeen  years  of  age.     You  may  readily  believe  I  was 


^  The  Hon.  Henry  Villiers,  second  and  youngest  son  of  Edward,  1st  Earl 
of  Jersey.     He  died  in  1743. 

2  Francis  Basset,  of  Tehidy,  Esq.,  married  as  liis  second  wife  Mary,  daughter 
and  heiress  of  the  Eev.  John  Pendarves,  rector  of  Dunsteigntou,  Devonshire. 
She  was  also  eventually  the  heiress  of  her  father's  elder  brother,  Alexander 
Pendarves,  of  Roscrow.  The  eldest  son  of  Francis  her  second  son,  was  the  1st 
Lord  de  Dunstanville. 


24  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

not  pleased  with  what  I  suspected.  I  formed  an  in- 
vincible aversion  towards  him,  and  everything  he  said 
or  did  by  way  of  obliging  me,  increased  that  aversion. 
I  thought  him  ugly  and  disagreeable  ;  he  was  fat,  much 

'  afflicted  with  gout,  and  often  sat  in  a  sullen  mood, 
which  I  concluded  was  from  the  gloominess  of  his  temper. 
I  knew  that  of  all  men  living,  my  uncle  had  the  greatest 
oninion  of,  and  esteem  for  him,  and  I  dreaded  his  making 
a  proposal  of  marriage,  as  I  knew  it  would  be  accepted. 
In  order  to  prevent  it,  I  did  not  in  the  least  disguise  my 
great  dislike  to  him ;  I  behaved  myself  not  only  with  in- 
difference but  rudeness ;  when  I  dressed,  I  considered 
what  would  become  me  least ;  if  he  came  into  the  room 
when  I  was  alone,  I  instantly  left  it,  and  took  care  to 
let  him  see  I  quitted  it  because  he  came  there.  I  was 
often  chid  by  my  two  wise  aunts  for  this  behaviour  :  I 
told  them  plainly  he  was  odious  to  me,  in  hopes  they 
would  have  had  good-nature  enough  to  have  prevented 
what  I  foresaw ;  but  Laura  called  me  childish,  ignorant, 
and  silly,  and  that  if  I  did  not  know  what  was  for  my 
own  interest,  my  friends  must  judge  for  me.  I  passed 
two  months  with  dreadful  apprehensions,  apprehensions 
it  too  well  grounded.  I  assure  you  the  recollection  of  this 
part  of  my  life  makes  me  tremble  at  this  day.     I  must 

-relieve  my  spirits  by  concluding  this  letter :  adieu. 

The  above  letter  suggests  various  reflections.  The  cause  of  the 
quarrel  between  Mr.  Pendarves  and  his  nephew  Mr.  Basset  (both 
of  very  ancient  Cornish  families)  will  remind  the  reader  of  feuds 
between  their  Celtic  kinsmen  in  Wales.  There  is,  however,  ap- 
parent contradiction  in  Mr.  Pendarves'  intention  of  selling  his 
estates  (and  yet  settling  in  the  country),  to  punish  his  nephew 
for  refusing  to  take  his  name  after  his  death,  as  the  punishment 
of  such  an  act  would  appear  to  fall  upon  himself  for  life ; — but  it 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  25 

may  easily  be  supposed  that  if  any  man  was  sufficiently  angry 
with  another  as  to  lose  his  powers  of  reason  so  far  as  to  intend  to 
sell  the  estates  of  his  ancestors  in  the  hope  of  annoying  that 
person,  that  he  would  be  quite  capable  of  still  further  punishing 
himself,  during  the  remainder  of  his  life,  by  living  in  the  country, 
after  he  had,  by  his  own  act,  deprived  himself  of  his  principal 
interests  there,  and  of  his  natural  home ;  and  no  doubt,  this  is 
the  real  explanation  of  those  intentions.  It  is,  however,  more  than 
probable  that  they  were  partially  abandoned  before  he  arrived  at 
Longleat,  and  that  it  was  not  then  that  Lord  Lansdown  heard 
of  tbem  for  the  first  time  ;  and  it  may  reasonably  be  inferred  that 
his  old  political  ally  had  consulted  him  on  the  alternative  of 
marrying,  requested  his  advice  as  to  an  alliance,  and  was  invited 
to  Longleat  on  his  way  to  London,  for  the  express  purpose  of 
seeing  the  Mary  Granville  who  was  destined  by  Lord  Lansdown 
for  the  wife  of  Mr.  Pendarves,  although  she  herself  never  knew 
of  such  intentions. 


26  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 


CHAPTEE  II. 

From  Mary  Granville's  Marriage  with  Alexander  Pex- 
j)ARVES,  Esq.,  of  Eoscrow,  to  his  Death. 

1717—1724-5. 

LETTER  V. 

autobiography. 

Gromio  was  sometime  debating  with  liimself  whether  he 
should  declare  his  sentiments  of  me  or  not,  conscious  of 
the  great  disparity  of  years,  and  often  staggered  (as  he 
told  me  afterwards)  by  my  behaviour;  but  at  last  a 
violent  fit  of  jealousy,  raised  by  young  Vilario's^  gal- 
lantry towards  me  (which  I  only  took  for  very  unde- 
signing  merriment),  made  him  resolve  to  address  himself 
to  Alcander,  and  make  such  proposals  as  he  thought 
might  gain  his  consent.  Lord  Lansdown,  rejoiced  at  an 
opportunity  of  securing  to  his  interest  by  such  an 
alliance,  one  of  some  consequence  in  his  country,  whose 
services  he  at  that  time  wanted,  readily  embraced  the 
offer  and  engaged  for  my  compliance;  he  might  have 
said  obedience,  for  I  was  not  entreated,  but  commanded. 
One  night,  at  one  of  our  concerts,  all  the  company  (I 
suppose  by  agreement)  went  into  the  room  where  the 
music  was  performed,  which  was  next  to  the  drawing- 


Mr.  Villkrs,  second  sou  of  Edward,  1st  Earl  of  Jersey, 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  27 

room.  I  got  up  to  follow  them,  but  my  uncle  called 
me  back,  and  desired  1  would  bear  him  company,  for  he 
was  lame  and  could  not  walk  into  the  next  room.  My 
spirits  foreboded  what  he  was  about  to  say,  and  when  he 
bid  me  shut  the  door,  I  turned  as  pale  as  death;  he 
took  me  by  the  hand,  and  after  a  very  pathetic  speech 
of  his  love  and  care  of  me,  and  of  my  father's  unhappy 
circumstances,  my  own  want  of  fortune,  and  the  little 
prospect  I  had  of  being  happy  if  I  disobliged  those 
friends  that  were  desirous  of  serving  me,  he  told  me  of 
Gromio's  passion  for  me,  and  his  offer  of  settling  his 
whole  estate  on  me ;  he  then,  with  great  art  and  elo- 
quence, told  me  all  his  good  qualities  and  vast  merit, 
and  how  despicable  I  should  be  if  I  could  refuse  him 
because  he  was  not  young  and  handsome  ;  and  tliat  if  I 
did  refuse  him  he  should  conclude  my  inclinations  were 
engaged  to  Eoberto,  a  name  I  had  not  heard  or  thought 
of  for  above  half  a  year — a  name  that  had  never  before 
given  me  much  disturbance,  though  now  it  added  to  my 
distress. 

How  can  I  describe  to  you,  my  dear  friend,  the  cruel 
agitation  of  my  mind  !  Whilst  my  uncle  talked  to  me, 
I  did  not  once  interrupt  him ;  surprise,  tender  concern 
for  my  father,  a  consciousness  of  my  own  Httle  merit,  and 
the  great  abhorrence  I  had  to  Gromio,  raised  such  a 
confusion  of  thoughts  in  my  mind,  that  it  deprived  me 
of  the  power  of  utterance,  and  after  some  moments' 
silence  I  burst  into  tears.  Alcander  grew  warm  upon 
this  mark  of  my  distress,  and  said,  "  I  see.  Madam,  you 
are  not  to  be  gained  by  merit ;  and  if  Roberto  is  the 
obstacle  to  my  friend's  happiness,  and  he  ever  dares  to 
come  to  this  house,  I  will  have  him  dragged  through 


28  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

the  liorse-pond."  Sucli  an  expression  from  a  man  of  my 
uncle's  politeness,  made  me  tremble,  for  it  plainly- 
showed  me  how  resolute  and  determined  he  was,  and 
how  vain  it  would  be  for  me  to  urge  any  reasons  against 
his  resolution.  With  great  difficulty  I  said  I  was  so 
sensible  of  his  goodness  to  me,  and  of  the  gratitude  I 
owed  him,  that  I  would  submit  to  his  commands,  but 
must  beg  leave  at  that  time  to  retire,  and  that  he  w^ould 
excuse  my  appearing  any  more  that  evening.  He  gave 
me  my  liberty,  and  by  a  back  way  I  avoided  the  com- 
pany and  went  to  my  own  apartment,  locked  myself  up 
in  my  closet,  where  I  wept  bitterly  for  two  hours. 
Several  messengers  came  to  the  door  to  call  me,  and  at 
last  my  uncle  sent  me  word  he  absolutely  insisted  on  my 
coming  to  supper :  nothing  could  be  at  that  time  more 
vexatious  to  me,  but  I  proposed  one  consolation,  which 
was,  that  Gromio  and  the  rest  of  the  family  should  see 
how  unacceptable  the  proposal  that  had  been  made  to 
me  that  afternoon  was. 

I  shall  not  disguise  my  thoughts,  or  soften  an- 
part  of  my  behaviour,  which  I  fear  was  not  altogether 
j  justifiable,  and  which,  though  your  judgment  may  con- 
demn, your  indulgence  and  partiality  I  hope  will  find 
some  excuse  for.  I  thought  that  if  I  could  convince 
Gromio  of  the  great  dislike  I  had  to  him,  that  he 
would  not  persist,  but  I  was  disappointed  in  that  view. 
I  had  nobody  to  advise  with ;  every  one  of  the  family 
had  persuaded  themselves  that  this  would  be  an  ad- 
vantageous match  for  me — no  one  considered  the  senti- 
ments of  my  heart;  to  be  settled  in  the  world,  and 
ease  my  friends  of  an  expense  and  care,  they  urged  that 
it  was  my  duty  to  submit,  and  that  I  ought  to  sacrifice 


OF  MRS.  DELAXY.  2^ 

ever}4ihing  to  that  one  point.  I  acted  as  they  wished 
me  to  do,  and  for  fear  of  their  reproaches,  made  myself 
miserable  :  my  chief  motive,  I  may  say,  was  the  fear  of 
my  father  and  mother  suffering  if  I  disobliged  Alcander. 
I  then  recollected  the  conversation  I  had  with  my  father 
in  the  gallery  the  day  before  he  left  us.  I  considered 
my  being  provided  for  would  be  a  great  satisfaction  and 
reUef  to  hira,  and  might  be  a  means  of  establishing  a 
good  understanding  between  the  brothers ;  that  if  I 
showed  the  least  reluctance,  my  father  and  mother 
would  never  consent  to  the  match,  and  that  would 
inevitably  expose  them,  as  well  as  myself,  to  Alcander 's 
resentment.  These  considerations  gave  me  courage, 
and  kept  up  my  resolution. 

As  soon  as  I  had  given  my  consent,  my  uncle  sent 
a  special  messenger  to  the  Farm,  to  ask  the  consent 
of  my  father  and  mother,  and  to  invite  them  to  the 
wedding.  As  Alcander's  heart  was  set  upon  making 
this  match,  you  may  easily  believe  he  represented  it 
to  them  in  the  fairest  light ;  they  wished  for  nothing 
more  than  to  see  me  well  married,  and  hoping  I  might 
be  so  now,  came  readily  into  this  proposal.  I  had 
now  nothing  to  do  but  to  submit  to  my  unhappy 
fortune,  and  to  endeavour  to  reconcile  myself  to  it.  I 
pass  over  the  courtship,  it  was  awkward  to  Gromio 
(who  saw  too  well  my  unsurmountable  dislike),  and  too 
painful  to  me  to  raise  any  entertainment  to  you  from 
the  relation.  I  was  married  with  great  pomp.  Never 
was  woe  drest  out  in  gayer  colours,  and  when  I  was 
led  to  the  altar,  I  wished  from  my  soul  I  had  been 
led,  as  Iphigenia  was,  to  be  sacrificed.  I  was  sacrificed. 
I  lost,  not  life  indeed,  but  I   lost  all  that  makes  life 


30  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

desirable — -joy  and  peace  of  mind ;  but  altbougli  it 
was  plain  to  all  the  witnesses  to  this  sad  scene,  how 
much  I  suflPered  in  it,  no  one  showed  any  sensibility  of 
it  but  my  father  and  mother,  the  only  persons  from 
whom  I  wished  to  hide  my  distress  :  they  persuaded 
themselves,  however,  that  my  great  trouble  arose 
from  the  thought  of  leaving  so  many  friends,  and  not 
from  any  dislike  I  had  to  Gromio,  which  gave  me 
r  a  happy  opportunity  of  indulging  my  opprest  heart. 
I  staid  about  two  months  at  Alcander's  after  I  was 
married,  and  Gromio  shewed  me  all  the  respect  and 
tenderness  he  was  capable  of,  and  I  returned  it  with, 
all  the  complacency  I  was  mistress  of,  and  had  he 
known  how  much  it  cost  me,  he  must  have  thought 
himself  obliged  by  my  behaviour. 

An  accident  happened  one  day  at  table  that  discon- 
certed me  a  good  deal.  A  gentleman  who  came  to 
dinner  said  he  had  heard  a  very  melancholy  story  of  a 
neighbour  of  his,  for  whom  he  had  a  great  regard,  and 
after  giving  him  a  very  extraordinary  character,  said, 
"  Poor  Boberto !  he  is  struck  with  a  dead  palsy."  I 
blushed  excessively,  and  felt  a  grateful  compassion  for  a 
man  who  had  always  expressed  a  very  particular  regard 
for  me.  I  could  not  help  thinking  I  might  perhaps 
have  been  the  unfortunate  cause  of  his  misfortune,  as  in 
truth  I  was,  though  I  did  not  know  that  till  some  years 
after  his  death.  I  was  then  told  by  a  lady,  a  great 
friend  of  his,  to  whom  he  used  to  open  his  mind,  that 
his  mother's  cruel  treatment  of  him,  and  absolute  refusal 
of  her  consent  for  his  marrying  me,  affected  him  so 
deeply,  as  to  throw  him  into  the  palsy,  he  lost  the  use 
of  his  speech,  though  not  of  his  senses,  and  when  he 


OF  MKS.  DELANY.  3* 

strove  to  speak,  he  could  not  utter  above  a  word  or  two, 
but  he  used  to  write  perpetually,  and  I  was  the  only 
subject  of  his  pen.  He  lived  in  this  wretched  state 
about  a  year  after  I  was  married.  When  he  was  dead 
they  found  under  his  pillow  a  piece  of  cut  paper,  which 
he  had  stolen  out  of  my  closet  at  the  Farm.  I  have 
made  this  digression  too  long  already,  or  I  could  relate 
more  particulars  about  Eoberto^  that  were  very  extraor- 
dinary. It  was  very  lucky  for  me  that  Gromio  had 
never  heard  of  such  a  person,  for,  as  he  observed  my 
looks  very  narrowly,  he  might  have  been  alarmed  at  the 
alteration  he  might  have  then  seen  in  me  ;  but  as  it  was 
it  only  passed  for  common  compassion  upon  hearing  a 
melancholy  story. 

The  day  was  come  when  I  was  to  leave  all  I  loved  | 
and  valued,  to  go  to  a  remote  country,  with  a  man  I 
looked  upon  as  my  tyrant — my  jailor ;  one  that  I  was 
determined  to  obey  and  oblige,  but  found  it  impossible 
.  to  love.  It  was  a  happiness  to  me  that  my  sister  at  / 
that  time  was  too  young  to  observe  my  distress.  Had 
she  been  then  to  me  what  she  is  now,  how  would  my 
misery  have  been  doubled,  by  the  grief  it  would  have 
been  to  her !  but  she  was  then  a  child,  and  I  parted 
with  her  unwillingly,  but  not  more  grieved  than  for  a 
pretty  lively  companion,  who  had  often  made  my  sad 
heart  cheerful  with  her  wit  and  sprightly  humour.     My 


^  "  Roberto^  Mr.  Tw^ford  might  have  been  brother  to  the  ladies  who  are 
buried  in  Kilmersdon  church,  under  the  names  of  Anne  and  Sarah  Twvford 
daughters  of  James  Twvford,  Esq.,  by  Sarah,  daughter  and  co-heiress  of 
Gabriel  Goodman,  Esq.,  Lord  of  the  Manor  of  Kilmersdon.  Mr.  Joliffe,  of 
Aramerdoun  Park,  Somersetshire,  is  now  the  representative  of  this  family. 
The  Editor  has  not  been  able  to  discover  "  Roberto's  "  tomb. 


32  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

eldest  brother  was  the  only  person  allowed  to  go  with 
me  into  the  country,  but  he  was  too  young  and  inex- 
perienced in  the  ways  of  the  world  for  me  to  advise  with 
upon  any  occasion,  though  he  had  a  thoughtfulness  and 
discretion  beyond  his  years,  and  we  loved  each  other  with 
great  tenderness. 

Before  I  take  this  long  journey  I  must  rest.  I  am 
sure  it  is  time,  my  dearest  Maria,  to  relieve  you :  and 
your  curiosity  must  be  strong,  if  you  can  bear  with 
patience  this  long  narration. 

Mary  Granville's  unaffected  expression  of  apprehension  tKat 
the  Duchess  of  Portland  would  blame  her  for  not  being  able  to 
adopt  the  views  and  sentiments  of  Lord  and  Lady  Lansdown  on 
this  occasion,  and  the  evidence  there  is  that  her  father  and 
mother  (for  whom  she  ever  expresses  so  much  affection)  approved 
of  her  marrying  Mr.  Pendarves,  and  were  not  at  all  disturbed  by 
their  disparity  of  years  or  the  complete  absence  of  congeniality 
in  their  dispositions,  tastes,  or  habits,  not  appearing  to  have  even 
a  suspicion  that  her  tears  flowed  from  any  other  cause  than 
parting  from  her  family,  is  a  very  striking  illustration  of  the  com- 
plete disregard  shown  in  marriage  at  that  period  to  everytliin*^ 
but  the  worldly  settlement  in  life.  Even  Lady  Stanley,  though 
represented  as  so  virtuous  and  so  amiable,  evinces  in  the  followino- 
fragment  of  a  letter  of  congratulation  to  her  niece,  written  to 
Mrs.  Pendarves  in  1717,  that  she  considered  "riches,  honours, 
and  length  of  years,"  properly  to  represent  "happiness." 

Too  stupid  to  write  letters,  that  is  indeed  the  reason 
that  I  have  not  writ  to  anybody  since  my  last  letter 
to  my  brother  Lansdown.  I  put  myself  into  your  hands 
to  make  my  excuses,  I  dare  say  you  can  make  them 
acceptable.  I  have  a  new  acquaintance  to  talk  you  over 
with,  that  is  Mrs.  (Leviston  ?)     I  dare  say  you  will  be 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  33 

happy  in  her  acquaintance  ;  she  is  a  very  good  sort  of 
woman,  and  one  I  hope  to  improve  on  acquaintance  with 
myself.  You  see  I  like  to  talk  with  you,  by  the  length 
of  this  letter,  but  must  end  as  I  began,  wishing  you  and 
]VIi\  Pendarves  all  happiness  together,  riches^  honour,  1 
and  length  of  days  is  the  prayer  of  dear  niece, 

Your  most  humble  servant, 
Anne  Stanley. 

The  name  of  the  lady  praised  by  Lady  Stanley  as  a  "good 
sort  of  woman  "  can  only  be  guessed,  but  it  is  probably  intended 
for  Livingstone  (often  spelt  without  b.  g  or  an  e),  in  which  case 
it  must  have  been  the  sister  of  Mr.  Pendarves,  who  married  a 
Scotchman.  Lady  Stanley  might  have  considered  it  not  only 
courteous  but  politic  to  intimate,  that  she  considered  the  ac- 
quaintance of  so  near  a  relation  of  the  l)ridegroom  would  be 
an  acquisition  to  herself.  This  opinion  is  further  borne  out  by 
the  evidence  of  this  lady's  being  personally  unknown  to  Mary 
Granville,  and  yet  conversing  about  her  with  Lady  Stanley. 


LETTEE  VI. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

Must  I  proceed  ?  Well,  then,  I  will  carry  3^ou  a  long  way 
off.  I  will  not  hurt  your  tender  heart,  by  giving  you  a 
particular  account  of  my  taking  leave  ;  under  the  circum- 
stances I  was,  you  \vill  easily  imagine  how  terrible  it 
must  have  been  to  me.  We  were  about  a  fortnight  on 
the  road,  for  Gromio  being  desirous  of  introducing  me  to 
all  his  friends,  we  went  to  all  that  were  in  our  way,  in- 
stead of  going  to  an  inn,  which  was  very  disagreeable  to 

VOL.  I.  D 


34  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

me,  who  would  much  rather  have  hid  myself  in  a  cave, 
than  have  been  exposed  to  the  observation  of  any  body. 
I  met  with  great  civility  and  flattery  from  all,  but  received 
no  satisfaction  from  anything  but  a  few  stolen  retired 
moments,  to  vent  my  grieved  heart  by  my  tears,  which 
I  took  great  care  should  not  be  seen  by  Gromio,  for  I 
wished  to  deceive  him  in  that  particular,  and  believe  I 
succeeded.  As  my  nature  was  very  sincere,  this  dissimu- 
lation was  painful  to  me,  but  I  think  I  may  venture  to 
afiirm  that  I  never  deceived  him  in  anything  else. 

You  say  I  have  omitted  giving  you  his  character,  'tis 
true  1  have  not  been  very  particular  in  it.  I  fear  I  am 
not  good  at  drawing  characters,  and  that  my  prejudice  is 
too  strong  to  allow  my  doing  justice.  His  age  I  have 
already  told  you ;  as  to  his  person  he  was  excessively  fat, 
of  a  brown  complexion,  negligent  in  his  dress,  and  took 
\  a  vast  quantity  of  snuff*,  which  gave  him  a  dirty  look : 
his  eyes  were  black,  small,  lively  and  sensible ;  he  had 
an  honest  countenance,  but  altogether  a  person  rather 
disgusting  than  engaging.  He  was  good-natured  and 
friendly,  but  so  strong  a  parti/  man,  that  he  made  him- 
self many  enemies,  and  was  at  one  time  involved  in  such 
difficulties,  that  it  was  with  great  good  luck  he  escaped 
being  discovered.^     He  was  very  sober  for  two  years  after 

'  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  there  existed  at  that  period  a  strong  party 
in  favour  of  the  exiled  Stuarts  among  the  descendants  of  those  who  liad 
fought  for  King  Charles  I.,  and  assisted  in  effecting  the  restoration  of  King 
Charles  II.,  and  that  Cornwall  had  ever  been  the  stronghold  of  his  adherents,  and 
was  distinguished  by  the  following  especial  letter  from  Charles  II. 

King  Charles'  Letter  to  the  Inhabitants  of  Cornwall. 
"C.  R. 

•'  To  the  inhabitants  of  the  county  of  Cornwall. 

"  We  are  so  highly  sensible  of  the  merit  of  our  county  of  Cornwall,  and  ol 
their  great  zeal  for  the  defence  of  our  person  and  the  just  rights  of  our  crown 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  35 

we  married,  but  then  he  fell  in  with  a  set  of  old  acquaint-  ; 
ance,  a  society  famed  for  excess  in  wine,  and  to  his  ruin 
and  my  misery  was  hardly  ever  sober.  This  course  of 
life  soured  his  temper,  which  was  naturally  good,  and  the 
days  he  did  not  drink  were  spent  in  a  gloomy  sullen  way, 
which  was  infinitely  worse  to  me  than  his  drinking ;  for  I 
did  not  know  how  to  please  or  entertain  him,  and  yet  no 
one  ever  heard  him  say  a  snappish  or  cross  thing  to  me.^ 

I  have  run  a  greater  length  from  the  course  of  my 
story  than  I  designed,  but  as  you  desired  Gromio's  cha- 
racter and  behaviour  towards  me,  I  thought  it  necessary 
to  tell  you  this  now. 

\\nien  we  arrived  at  Avemo,'  the  name  of  his  seat, 


in  a  time  when  not  only  no  rew'ard  appeared,  but  great  probable  dangers  were 
threatened  to  obedience  and  loyalty,  of  their  great  and  eminent  courage  and 
patience,  in  their  indefatigable  prosecution  of  their  great  work  against  so 
potent  an  enemy,  backed  with  so  strong,  rich,  and  populous  cities,  and  so 
plentifully  furnished  and  supplied  with  men,  arms,  money,  ammunition,  and 
provisions  of  all  kinds,  and  of  the  wonderful  suc<;ess  with  which  it  pleased 
Almighty  God  (though  with  the  loss  of  some  eminent  persons,  who  shall 
never  be  forgotten  by  us,)  to  reward  their  loyalty  and  patience  by  many 
strange  victories  over  their  and  our  enemies,  in  despight  of  all  human  pro- 
bability, and  all  imaginable  disadvantages,  that  as  we  cannot  be  forgetful 
of  so  great  desert,  so  we  cannot  but  desire  to  publish  it  to  all  the  world, 
and  i^erpetuate  to  all  time  the  memory  of  their  merits  and  of  our  accept- 
ance of  the  same,  and  to  that  end  we  do  hereby  render  our  royal  thanks 
to  that  our  county  in  the  most  public  and  lasting  manner  we  can  devise,  com- 
manding copies  hereof  to  be  printed  and  published,  and  one  of  them  to  be  read 
in  every  church  and  chapel  therein,  and  to  be  kept  for  ever  as  a  record  in  the 
same,  that  as  long  as  the  history  of  these  times  and  of  this  nation  shall 
continue,  the  memory  of  how  much  that  county  hath  merited  from  us  and 
our  crown,  may  be  derived  with  it  to  posterity.  (This  letter  is  still  on  the 
walls  of  Truro  church,  in  Cornwall.) 

"  Given  at  our  camp  at  Sudoly  Castle,  the  10th  of  September,  1643." 
1  The  desire  evident  in  the  above  passage  to  give  Mr.  Pendarves  credit  for 
any  possible  merit  does  not  however  imply  that  he  never  was  cross  or  snappish 
when  they  were  alone,  but  that  he  constrained  himseli"  sufficiently  to  prevent 
the  appearance  of  any  disrespect  in  company. 
*  Moscrow. 

D  2 


36  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDEXCE 

I  was  indeed  shocked.  The  castle  is  guarded  with  higl 
walls  that  entirely  hide  it  from  your  view.  When  thi 
gate  of  the  court  was  opened  and  we  walked  in,  tho 
front  of  the  castle^  terrified  me.  It  is  built  of  ugly  coarse 
stone,  old  and  mossy,  and  propt  with  two  great  stone 
buttresses,  and  so  it  had  been  for  threescore  years.  E 
was  led  into  an  old  hall  that  had  scarce  any  light  belong- 
ing to  it ;  on  the  left  hand  of  which  was  a  parlour,  the 
floor  of  which  was  rotten  in  places,  and  part  of  the  ceil- 
ing broken  down ;  and  the  windows  were  placed  so  high 
that  my  head  did  not  come  near  the  bottom  of  them. 

Here  my  courage  forsook  me  at  once,  and  I  fell  into  a 
violent  passion  of  crying,  and  was  forced  to  sit  down  some 
minutes  to  recover  myself  My  behaviour  to  be  sure  shocked 
Gromio,  and  I  was  sorry  T  had  not  a  greater  command 
of  myself ;  but  my  prison  appeared  so  dismal,  I  could  not 
bear  the  surprise,  not  expecting  to  see  so  ruinous  a 
place.  The  rest  of  the  house  was  answerable  to  what  I 
have  described.  It  had  not  been  inhabited  for  above  thirty 


*  The  editor  visited  Roscrow  in  August,  1856,  and  convinced  herself,  (  ii 
contradiction  to  all  she  had  heard,)  that  the  present  modern-looking  block  of 
building  is  the  original  kernel  of  the  old  granite  castellated  mansion  hero 
described  ;  but  that  this  remnant  has  been  modernized  after  being  deprived  of 
its  quadrangle,  its  gateway,  and  court-yard,  though  the  walls,  the  chimneys, 
and  even  two  or  three  rooms  are  the  same ;  as  also  a  small  staircase  which 
leads  to  the  bedrooms,  and  which  formerly  must  have  been  one  of  many  : 
one  or  two  mantelpieces  and  ceilings  remain  unchanged  in  lower  rooms  which 
witnessed  the  struggle  of  Mary  Granville  to  be  resigned  and  cheerful.  The 
view  from  a  closet  attached  to  one  of  the  existing  bedrooms,  is  precisely  that 
described  by  herself,  and  where  probably  many  an  hour  was  spent  in  beguiling 
her  thoughts  by  early  efforts  in  those  arts  of  drawing,  embroidery,  and 
cutting  out  in  paper,  for  which  she  was  afterwards  so  celebrated.  There  are 
still  evidences  in  modern  foundations,  of  Roscrow  having  been  a  very  con- 
siderable pile  of  building,  though  a  passing  traveller  might  at  a  distance  now 
take  it  for  a  square  modern  shooting  box.  The  view  is  magnificent,  and  the 
remains  of  the  old  walls  very  interesting. 


OF  MRS.  DELAXY.  37 

years,  but  Gromio  gave  me  the  liberty  of  fitting  it  up  con- 
veniently to  my  own  fancy,  which  helped  to  amuse  me 
greatly.  The  situation  made  some  amends.  I  never  saw 
so  beautiful  a  spot ;  it  was  placed  on  the  side  of  a  hill 
(which  fell  gently  from  the  front  of  the  house),  sur- 
rounded by  pleasant  meadows,  which  by  an  easy  descent 
opened  a  view  to  one  of  the  finest  harbours^  in 
England,  generally  filled  with  shipping.  The  prospect 
was  enriched  with  two  towns ^  one  considerably  large, 
and  a  castle^  placed  on  an  eminence  which  at  some 
distance  looked  like  an  island.  The  chief  town*  was  a 
peninsula,  and  situated  on  a  high  hill ;  it  consisted  of  one 
large  street,  which  crossed  the  summit  of  the  hill,  by 
which  advantage  every  house  had  a  falling  garden  and 
orchard  that  belonged  to  it ;  and  what  is  yet  more  sin- 
gular, a  rivulet  that  ran  through  each.  These  gardens 
and  orchards  entirely  covered  the  hill,  so  that  to  every 
eye  which  beheld  it  at  a  distance  the  whole  appeared  a 
garden,  and  in  great  bloom  at  its  proper  season.  Indeed 
nothing  could  be  more  delightful  or  beautiful  in  the 
months  of  May  and  June :  the  whole  terminated  in  an 
unlimited  view  of  the  sea. 

It  was  some  time  before  I  could  make  out  any  entertain- 
ment to  myself  by  observing  these  beauties,  but  to  make 
the  place  as  agreeable  to  my  brother  as  I  could,  and  his 
desire  to  make  it  so  to  me,  made  us  both  take  notice  of 
what  was  pleasant  in  the  neighbourhood.     We  often  rode 


'  Falmouth. 

2  Penrynn  and  Flushing. 

'  Pendennis  Castle,  which  is  a  beautiful  object  from  the  upper  windows  of 
Eoscrow  to  this  day.     See  plate. 
*  Penryim. 


88  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

out  together,  and  found  many  things  (in  a  country  s< 
different  to  what  we  had  been  used  to)  to  amuse  us. 
Gromio^  was  seldom  of  our  parties  :  he  was  often  confined 
with  the  gout,  and  when  he  was  not,  his  indolence  of 
temper  made  him  prefer  his  easy  chair  to  his  horse.  This 
abridged  me  of  some  of  my  pleasures  abroad,  not  that  I 
wanted  his  company,  but  it  obliged  me  to  hasten  home 
many  a  fine  evening  that  I  had  rather  have  spent  any- 
where than  in  the  castle  of  Averno. 
<(^  About  a  month  after  we  had  been  at  home  and  had 
received  the  compliments  of  the  chief  of  our  neighbour- 
hood, Grromio  proposed  that  we  should  make  a  visit  to 

_,JBassanio^  who  had  married  his  niece.  I  made  no  objec- 
tion, but  was  rather  pleased  to  leave  my  own  house  for 
some  time.  Bassanio  had  been  in  his  youth  a  man  of 
gallantry ;  his  figure  despicable  enough,  but  his  wit  and 
cheerfulness  made  amends,  though  at  this  time  both  were 
a  good  deal  impaired  by  an  ill  state  of  health  and  a  very 
dull  wife,  who  with  a  very  inferior  understanding  to  his, 
was  the  chief  agent.  He  seemed  only  to  act  with  her  per- 
mission, which  was  most  astonishing.  We  were  received  at 
first  I  thought  very  coolly.  Gromio's  marrying  was  a  great 
disappointment  to  Bassanio  and  Fulvia.^  They  expected 
his  estate,  and  were  both  avaricious.  Bassanio  liked  to 
take  wine,  but  not  to  excess.  When  his  spirits  were  a 
little  raised,  he  was  very  gay  and  entertaining,  and  till 

_  then  I  had  not  laughed  or  shown  the  least  sign  of  mirth. 

r    After  having  spent  a  fortnight  at  this  place,  Gromio  grew 

thoughtful,  and  would  often  retire  to  his  chamber,  and  at 

supper  and  dinner  sat  gloomy  and  discontented.     When 


1  Mr.  rencldives.  ^  Mr.  Basset  of  Tehidy.  '  Mrs.  Basset  of  Tehitlv. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  39 

I  was  alone  with  him,  he  would  sigh  and  groan  as  if  his 
heart  would  break.  I  thought  him  ill,  and  asked  him 
several  times  if  he  was  not,  to  which  he  always  answered 
with  great  sullenness,  "  he  was  well  enough."  I  began 
then  to  examine  my  own  behaviour  to  him  ;  I  was  sure  he 
could  resent  nothing  in  that,  more  than  he  had  reason 
for  before,  and  that  I  was  not  so  grave,  but  (in  appear- 
ance) happier  than  at  first.  After  enduring  great  anx- 
iety of  mind  for  a  week,  I  could  not  forbear  taking 
notice  to  him  of  the  change  I  found  in  his  temper  ;  for 
though  he  never  made  himself  agreeable  to  me,  it  had  not 
been  for  want  of  kindness  and  civility  in  his  behaviour ; 
but  now  he  had  laid  aside  both,  and  I  own  I  was  greatly 
perplexed  to  find  out  the  cause.  'Tis  certain  that  fond- 
ness from  a  person  distasteful  to  one  is  tormenting,  and 
what  can  so  much  hurt  a  generous  heart  that  can  make 
no  return  for  it ;  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  very  disagreeable 
to  be  treated  with  gloomy  looks  which  show  an  inward 
discontent,  and  not  to  be  able  to  account  for  it. 

At  last  the  mighty  distress  broke  out  in  these  words : 
"  Oh  !  Aspasia,  take  care  of  Bassanio ;  he  is  a  cunning 
treacherous  man,  and  has  been  the  ruin  of  one  woman 
already,  who  was  wife  to  his  bosom  friend," — and  then  he 
burst  into  tears.  I  was  so  struck  with  this  caution  and  his 
behaviour  that  I  could  not  for  some  time  speak  ;  at  last  I 
said,  "  I  am  miserable,  indeed,  if  you  can  be  jealous  of  this 
ugly  man  ;  what  am  I  for  the  future  to  expect  ?"  I  was  so 
much  surprised  and  vexed  that  it  threw  me  into  an  agony 
of  tears  ;  he  assured  me  all  the  time  that  he  had  nothing 
to  charge  me  with ;  that  my  behaviour  was  just  what  he 
wished  it  to  be,  but  he  could  not  help  seeing  how  much 
charmed  Bassanio  was  with  everything  I  said  or  did,  and 


40  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

■  he  knew  him  to  be  a  man  not  to  be  trusted.  By  this 
time  T  was  a  little  recovered,  and  entreated  him  to  return 
to  Averno,  but  he  said  "  no ;"  to  convince  me  he  had  no 
doubt  of  my  conduct,  he  would  not  go  before  the  time 
he  had  first  proposed.  I  was  grieved  at  this  resolution 
and  tried  to  dissuade  him,  but  to  no  purpose.  We  stayed 
a  week  or  ten  days  longer,  during  which  time  Bassanio 
exerted  himself  to  entertain  us,  aud  every  day  proposed 
some  new  party  of  pleasure,  as  riding  on  the  sands  in 
search  of  shells  (which  I  took  great  delight  in) ;  or  going 
to  the  Gull  Rocks,  or  fishing.  That  part  of  the  country 
was  very  romantic,  and  afforded  variety  of  entertainments 
of  that  kind ;  but  as  Gromio  was  unable  to  partake  of 
these  diversions,  I  avoided  them.  I  was  every  hour  in 
pain — every  civil  thing  Bassanio  said  to  me  made  me 
unhappy,  and  I  perceived  he  was  more  assiduous  in 
obliging  me  than  I  wished  him  to  be.  As  he  knew  the 
world  and  had  a  great  deal  of  wit,  he  was  well  bred  and 
entertaining,  and  knew  how  to  make  compliments  with- 
out appearing  to  flatter.  Whenever  Gromio  was  absent 
he  would  say  something  to  set  him  in  a  ridiculous  light, 
but  so  artfully  that  his  dull  wife^  was  not  offended  ;  but  as 
I  was  upon  my  guard,  I  could  not  help  observing  his 
design.  This  I  resented,  and  he  soon  found  that  sort  of 
^l  behaviour  would  not  recommend  him  to  my  favour. 
Good  night  my  dear  Maria ;  'tis  late.  You  shall  soon 
hear  again  from  your  affectionate  Aspasia.'' 


^  Mrs.  Basset  "was  the  niece  of  Mr.  Pendarves,  and  his  heir  if  he  made  no 
other  disposition  of  his  property. 

2  Aspasia  was  the  name  by  which  Mary  Granville  was  often  designated  by 
her  intimate  friends,  and  was  a  favourite  appellation  of  the  period,  where 
beauty  and  accomplishments  were  united,  without  reference  to  its  being  inap- 
plicable from  other  circumstances. 


OF  MRS.  DELAXY.  4^ 

Mrs.  Delany's  reminiscences  of  this  period,  and  their  correct- 
ness, are  confirmed  and  enlarged  by  the  following  contemporary 
letters  addressed  to  her. 


Lord  Lansdowne  to  Mrs.  Pendarves. 

Sheffield  House.'  May  1st,  1718. 

My  Dear  Niece, 

I  own  freely  to  you  that  I  was  touched  with  so 
much  tenderness  at  parting  with  you,  that  I  have  in- 
dustriously shunned  the  occasion  of  renewing  it,  by 
writing  to  you.  You  are  therefore  to  impute  my  silence 
to  the  abundance  of  kindness,  and  not  to  the  want  of  it. 
I  have  the  satisfaction  to  be  verily  persuaded  that  Mr. 
Pendarves  will  omit  no  opportunity  of  making  you  re- 
paration for  the  friends  you  have  left,  by  all  imaginable 
testimonies  of  service  and  affection";  and  the  greatest 
pleasure  I  have,  is  to  think  that  you  are  happy,  and  to 
hope  3'ou  will  continue  so.  Be  pleased  to  let  Mr.  Pen- 
darves know  that  Lord  Sunderland^  promises  to  do  him 


'  *^  Sheffield  Bouse.""  John  Sheffield,  1st  Maniuis  of  Nonuauby,  created 
Duke  of  Normanby,  March  9,  and  Duke  of  the  county  of  Buckingham,  March 
23rd,  1703,  married  Catherine,  illegitimate  daughter  of  King  James  IL,  by 
Catherine  Sedlej',  Countess  of  Dorchester.  After  rebuilding  his  residence  in 
St.  James's  Park,  he  called  it  Buckingham  House.  John  Sheffield,  Duke  of 
Buckingham,  died  February  24,  1720-21,  He  wrote  the  following  epitaph,  and 
ordered  it  to  be  engraved  on  his  tomb,  but  it  was  not  considered  orthodox 
and  not  permitted.  It  was  as  follows  : — "  Pro  Recce  siepe,  pro  repubhca  semper,  I 
dubius  non  improbus  vixi.  Incertus  nee  perturbatus  morior.  Christum  veneror.  ^ 
In  Deo  confide  c^terno  ac  omnipoteute.  ENS  ENTIUM  MISERERE  MEI."  \^ 
He  was  made  Knight  of  the  Garter  by  King  Charles  II.,  and  Lord  Chamberlain 
by  his  successor.  He  was  always  in  the  opposition  against  King  "William,  made. 
Privy  Seal  by  Queen  Anne,  and  the  only  Duke  in  London  who  was  absent  at 
the  coronation  of  King  George  I.  Notwithstanding  his  dying  in  a  state  of 
uncertainty  (as  he  owned  in  his  epitaph),  he  had  appeared  very  zealous  for  the 
Church.  He  died  1720,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Edmund  Sheffield,  who 
died  1735,  when  his  honours  became  extinct. 

*  Charles,  3rd  Earl  of  Simderland,  was  at  that  time  Lord  President  of  the 
Council. 


42  LIFE  A^^)  CORRESPONDENCE 

what  service  he  can,  but  a  memorial  must  be  delivered  by- 
some  hand  to  the  Lords  of  the  Treasury  in  form  at  their 
meeting,  and  then  he  need  not  doubt  of  a  favourable 
answer  and  dispatch ;  which  prospect  of  success  is  wholly 
owing  to  your  own  interest,  and  application.  I  intend  to 
employ  Jack  Anstis^  in  it  if  he  approves  of  it. 

Pray  accept  of  all  our  compliments,  and  likewise  make 
them  to  the  family  where  you  are. 

Believe,  me  my  dear  niece,  I  am,  more  than  can  be  ex- 
prest,  your  most  affectionate  uncle  and  obedient  servant, 

Laxsdown. 

This  letter  was  probably  written  to  Mrs.  Pendarves,  on  he: 
journey  from  Longleat,  after  her  marriage,  when  stopping  on  thi 
road  to  Roscrow,  to  pay  one  of  the  visits  she  alludes  to  in  he: 
previous  narrative.  It  clearly  indicates  that  Lord  LansdoM'ne  was 
not  altogether  easy  or  happy  at  the  match  be  had  insisted  upon, 
and  at  the  same  time  he  is  careful  to  remind  Mr.  Pendarves  that 
the  family  interest  of  his  wife  is  of  no  small  importance  to  him. 
It  is  probable  that  Lord  Lansdowne  dated  his  letters  "  Sheffield 
House  "  from  having  been  accustomed  to  that  appellation  before 
the  Duke  of  Buckingham  changed  the  name  to  Buckingham 
House. 


\ 


'John  Anstis,  a  Comishman,  represented  St.  Germains  in  Parliament,  in  the 
year  1702.  and  in  1713  was  appointed  Garter  Kins;  at  Arms.  He  was  the 
author  of  several  heraldic  works.  John  Anstis,  when  member  for  Launces- 
ton,  was  taken  into  custody  on  suspicion  of  conspiracy  with  Sir  Wm.  Windham, 
Sept.  171 5.  His  son.  Dr.  John  Anstis,  in  1725,  was  appointed  Registrar  and 
Genealogist  of  the  Order  of  the  Bath.  Died.— ./oA/i  Amtis,  Esq.,  Garter 
Principal  King  at  Arms,  aged  near  80.  In  him  were  joined  the  learning  of 
Camden,  and  tlie  industry  without  the  inaccuracy  of  Sir  William  Duydule. 
He  is  succeeded  in  his  office  by  his  son,  John  Avstis,  Esq.,  who  had  a  rever- 
sionary grant  for  the  same. — London  Magazine,  Maich,  1744. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  43 

Lord  Lansdowne  to  Mrs.  Pendarves. 

May  29.  1718. 

My  Dearest  Niece, 

It  is  with  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  I  congratulate 
your  safe  arrival  at  Roscrow,  notwithstanding  so  many 
overturns.  I  am  sorry  they  happened  upon  Cornish 
ground,  where  I  wished  you  might  find  everything 
favourable  to  you,  and  take  it  as  a  compliment  to  myself, 
that  you  excuse  those  roads,  and  lay  the  fault  somewhere 
else.  I  take  that  tenderness  very  kindly  in  favour  of  m?/ 
country,  and  thank  you  for  it.  I  hear  Sir  Richard  Vy  vyan^ 
and  his  lady  were  very  early  with  you ;  you  may  re- 
member I  assured  you,  you  might  depend  upon  their 
kindness.  Whenever  you  see  them  pray  make  them  my 
best  compliments,  and  inform  yourself  if  Sir  Richard  re- 
ceived my  letter  from  Longleat.  It  will  be  great  satis- 
faction to  me  to  know  that  everything  pleases  you  where 
you  are,  and  to  hear  sometimes  how  you  are  diverted. 
It  is  impossible  to  be  more  than  I  am,  my  dearest  niece, 
Your  most  affectionate  uncle  and 

Faithful  humble  servant, 
Lansdowne. 

I  refer  Bunny^  to  be  entertained  by  the  ladies. 
All  our  best  services  attend  my  friend  Pen. 


'  Sir  Richard  Vyvyan,  M.P.  for  the  couuty  of  Cornwall,  in  the  reign  of 
Queen  Anne,  married  Mary,  daughter  and  heiress  of  Francis  Vyvyan,  Esq.,  of 
Coswarth,  and  had  six  sons  and  four  daughters. 

2  "  Bunny." — Bernard  Granville,  the  elder  hrother  of  Mary  Granville,  Mrs. 
Pendarves,  and  nephew  and  heir  to  Lord  Lansdown. 


4i  LIFE  A'ND  CORRESPONDENCE 


Oeorge  Lord  Lansdoume  to  Mrs.  Pendarves. 

0 

Oct.  21,  1718. 

My  Dear  Niece, 

Not  having  heard,  by  your  fair  hand,  nor  any 
other,  a  great  while  from  Roscrow,  we  are  in  some 
pain  about  the  health  of  the  family.  But  though  we 
have  not  heard  directl}^  from  you,  I  have  heard  lately 
a  great  deal  of  you  — which,  to  spare  your  modesty, 
I  must  not  repeat.  You  may  believe  I  am  very  well 
pleased  in  being  entertained  with  any  accounts  to  your 
advantage,  neither  indeed  can  I  expect  any  other. 
Among  other  things  I  have  been  informed  that  'tis  a 
mark  of  disaffection  to  the  Government  to  lead  you  from 
the  church  to  your  coach,  and  that  an  unfortunate  neigh- 
bour has  lately  been  in  trouble  upon  that  account ! 

Why  are  you  so  close  in  your  correspondence  as  to  con- 
ceal your  amusements  from  us  ?  and  why  must  we  have 
recourse  to  strangers  to  be  informed  how  you  divert,  and 
are  diverted  ?  Bunny  I  know  is  lazy  and  loves  to  be 
brief,  and  I  expect  nothing  from  him  but  "  good  morrow," 
and  "  your  humble  servant ;"  otherwise  he  is  an  excellent 
person  at  chit-chat,  and  if  he  would  be  at  the  pains 
might  entertain  us  with  some  country  tittle-tattle  at  his 
leisure  hours.  When  you  are  weary  of  him  you  will 
send  him  to  us,  but  I  am  loath  to  take  him  from  you  till 
you  are  willing  to  part  with  him,  or  till  I  know  he  is 
troublesome. 

I  should  be  glad  to  hear  if  Mr.  Pendarves  had  my  last 
letter  in  answer  to  his. 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  4$ 

Sheffield  House  salutes  you  with  their  best  wishes,  and 
I  subscribe  myself  to  Roskrow  Top-a-Toe, 
My  dear  niece 

Your  most  affectionate, 

Faithful,  humble  servant, 

Lansdowne. 


Oeorge  Jjord  Lansdowne  to  Mrs.  Pendarves, 

Nov.  21.  1718. 

My  Dear  Niece, 

I  have  been  much  too  slow  in  returning  you 
thanks  for  your  last  letter  of  October  31st.  The  excuse 
you  make  for  your  paper  is  very  unnecessary :  your  hand 
will  set  off  the  coarsest,  and  your  agreeable  turn  in 
writing  make  every  thing  acceptable  and  pleasing.  It  is 
the  workmanship,  and  not  the  beauty  of  the  stone  or 
the  marble  that  gives  the  value  to  the  figure. 

I  find  by  the  account  you  give  me  of  your  neighbours 
and  their  contentions,  that,  c'est  tout  comme  ici,  and  that 
the  world  is  everywhere  in  a  quarrel  some  way  ;  but  as 
long  as  we  enjoy  peace  within  doors,  and  domestic 
friendship  and  affection  is  uninterrupted,  the  rest  is  of 
very  little  concern,  and  you  may  survey  from  your  ascent 
at  Eoscrow  with  pleasure  aU  the  storms  below  you.  I 
hope  to  hear  in  your  next  that  my  friend  Pen  is  restored 
to  the  use  of  his  limbs.  Most  of  our  country  gentlemen 
who  came  up  to  town  in  a  hurry  are  returning  back  as 
fast.^     Sir  Cop.'^  has  allowed  himself  but  one  week  more, 

'  King  George  I.  opened  Parliament  on  the  11th  of  November,  1718,  and  in 
the  debate  on  the  address,  the  country  party  strenuously  objected  against  the 
words  "  entire  satisfaction  in  those  measures  which  His  Majesty  had  already 
taken."     The  address  was  carried  by  216  votes  against  loo. 

'  Sir  Coplestone  Warwick  Bampfyld,  M.P.  for  the  county  of  Devon  from 


46  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

and  then  is  to  be  met  by  my  lady  at  Hardington.  I  take 
it  for  granted  your  brother  is  as  unwilling  to  leave  you, 
as  you  are  loath  to  part  with  him  whilst  you  have  no 
other  company.  I  will  not  be  accessory  to  anything  that 
might  give  either  of  you  a  moment's  uneasiness,  and 
therefore  leave  you  both  entirely  to  your  own  inclinations. 
The  temptations  on  this  side  of  the  world  are  at  present 
very  moderate,  and  I  know  of  nothing  that  could  make 
liim  amends  at  this  time  for  parting  with  you.  Your 
aunts  are  extremely  your  humble  servants.  It  is  im- 
possible to  be  more  than  I  am, 

My  dear  niece, 
Your  most  aifectionate  uncle  and  faithful  servant, 

Lansdowne. 


George  Lord  Lansdowne  to  Mrs.  Pendarves. 

Jan.  2nd,  1719. 

My  Dear  Niece, 

I  am  heartily  concerned  for  your  brother's  indis- 
position, and  must  desire  you  not  to  fail  giving  me  an 
account  constantly  how  he  does.  Your  own  pain  which 
you  complain  of  is  no  small  addition  to  my  concern.  'Tis 
every  where  a  very  sickly  time  :  you  cannot  be  too  carefull 
of  yourselves.  I  hope  you  will  believe  me  when  I  assure 
you  I  have  nothing  more  at  my  heart  than  the  welfare 
of  all  my  friends  at  Roskrow.  Your  riding  habit  has 
been  ready  for  you  some  time,  and  waits  for  Mr.  Tonkin^ 

the  12th  year  of  Queen  Anne  until  his  death,  which  took  place  in  1727.  He 
married  Gertrude,  daughter  of  Sir  John  Carew,  and  was  ancestor  of  the 
present  Lord  Poltimore.  One  of  the  family  seats  is  Hardington  Park,  near 
Frome. 

1  Tonkin  of  Trevaunance  in  St.  Agnes,  Cornwall,  traced  his  pedigree  to 
the  reign  of  Richard  IT.  The  family  became  extinct  by  the  death  of  Thomas 
Tonkin,  Esq.,  about  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  third  son  of  the  Thomas 
Tonkin  who  made  large  collections  towards  a  history  of  Cornwall. 


OF  Mas.  DEL  ANY.  47 

who  has  desired  to  be  the  deliverer  of  it.  Your  letter 
for  Buckland  I  sent  the  same  day  I  received  it,  as  you 
commanded :  I  wish  you  a  happy  meeting,  and  am  sorry 
it  is  not  in  my  power  to  be  myself  of  the  party.  Your 
aunts  as  well  as  myself  are  faithful  servants  to  both  our 
nephews,  and  I  remain  always  in  a  most  particular 
manner, 

My  dear  niece, 
Your  most  faithful  and  obedient  servant, 

Lansdowne. 


George  Lord  Lunsdoume  to  Mrs.  Pendarves. 

July  28th,  1719. 

My  Dear  Niece, 

When  I  look  back  to  the  date  of  the  last  letter 
with  which  you  favoured  me,  I  am  out  of  countenance 
when  I  write  this.  I  have  indeed  met  with  many  inter- 
ruptions, or  I  should  not  have  appeared  so  slow  in  my 
acknowledgments. 

I  am  very  well  pleased  to  hear  of  the  mutual  incli- 
nation between  Sir  Richard  Yyvyan's  daughter  and  your 
sister,  as  I  w^ould  have  it  natural  for  our  families  to  love 
one  another.  Your  brother  need  not  be  in  any  hurry  to 
leave  you,  since  he  writes  me  word  he  has  settled  his 
half-pay^  i  I  was  indeed  in  pain  about  that,  not  knowing 


'  It  is  related  by  Collins,  1756,  that  William  Wentworth  of  Henbury, 
Dorsetshire,  "had  a  cornet's  commission  in  a  regiment  of  dragoons  when  he 
■uas  but  two  years  old."  The  abuses  which  had  crept  into  the  regular 
army  by  this  time  are  thus  described  by  Sir  Walter  Scott,  in  an  article  in 
the  Edinburgh  Weekly  Journal,  of  January  10,  1827.  "  No  science  was 
required  on  the  part  of  a  candidate  for  a  commission  in  the  army,  no  term 
of  service  as  a  cadet,  no  previous  experience  whatever,  the  promotion  went  on 
equally  unimpeded ;  the  boy  let  loose  from  school  last  week  might  in  the 


48  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

who  was  his  agent,  nor  which  way  to  go  about  it.  That 
concern  being  over,  I  leave  him  master  of  his  own  reso- 
lutions, and  refer  him  to  what  will  be  most  acceptable  to 
his  mother  and  yourself,  only  I  would  not  have  him 
remain  to  be  too  troublesome.  Your  papa  gives  me  hopes 
of  seeing  him  as  soon  as  his  harvest  is  in,  and  you  may 
beheve  him  as  impatient  to  be  with  you  as  you  can  be  to 
have  him.  It  would  be  a  great  pleasure  to  me  if  we 
could  once  more  be  all  together. 

My  wife  had  a  letter  from  you  this  morning  which  she 
has  not  time  to  answer,  but  she  heartily  thanks  you 
for  it ;  she  will  in  a  post  or  two  acquit  herself  of  that 
debt.  We  are  all  faithful  servants  to  Roskrow,  and  I 
remain  always  in  a  most  particular  manner  and  witli 
entire  affection. 

My  dear  niece, 
Your  most  faithful  humble  servant, 
Lansdowne. 


course  of  a  month  be  a  field  officer,  if  his  friends  were  disposed  to  be  liberal  of 
money  and  influence.  Others  there  were  against  whom  there  could  be  no 
complaint  for  want  of  length  of  service,  although  it  might  be  difficult  to  see 
how  their  experience  was  improved  by  it.  It  was  no  uncommon  tiling  for  a 
commission  to  be  obtained  for  a  child  in  the  cradle,  and  when  he  came  from 
college  the  fortunate  youth  was  at  least  lieutenant  of  some  standing  by  dint 
of  fair  promotion.  To  sum  up  this  catalogue  of  abuses,  covimissions  were 
in  some  instances  bestowed  u]>on  young  ladks,  when  pensions  could  not  be 
had.     We  know  ourselves  one  fair  dame  who  drew  the  pay  of. a  captain  in 

the di-agoons,  and  was  probably  not  much  less  fit  for  the  service  than 

some  who  at  that  period  actually  did  duty." 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  49. 


George  Lord  Lansdoume  to  Mrs.  Pendarves, 

Feb.  20th,  1719-20.' 

I  cannot  forbear  congratulating  with  my  dear  niece 
in  memory  of  this  day,  which  I  hope  and  make  no  ques- 
tion, will  prove  in  every  circumstance  a  happy  one  to  you. 
As  a  proof  that  it  is  an  auspicious  one,  Mr.  Pendarves's 
Bill  was  read  the  second  time,  and  committed  this  morn- 
ing in  the  House  of  Lords  -^  so  that  he  is  now  in  a  fair 
way  of  being  very  speedily  his  own  master,  and  of  an- 
swering his  longing  to  return  to  you.  We  are  now 
together  in  order  to  drink  your  health  with  an  Huzza, 
and  to  Roskrow  Top-a-Toe.  All  the  wishes  of  this 
family  sincerely  attend  you.  Pray  make  our  compli- 
ments to  our  friends  with  you,  and  believe  me  with  un- 
alterable truth  and  affection, 

My  dear  niece, 
Your  most  faithful,  humble  servant, 

Lansdowne. 


'  Mrtvy  Granville  was  married,  (vide  the  Historical  Register  for  1718,)  on  the 
17th  of  February,  to  Alexander  Pendarves,  and  according  to  an  old  calendar, 
the  17th  of  February,  1718,  fell  on  a  Wednesday,  so  that  the  above  letter  of 
Lord  Lansdowne  could  not  have  been  written  on  the  exact  anniversary  either 
by  the  day  of  the  week,  or  the  day  of  the  month  ;  but  as  he  so  perseveringly 
determined  to  disregard  everything  connected  with  his  niece's  marriage,  except 
stren;jcthening  his  own  political  Cornish  connection,  it  is  not  extraordinary  that 
he  should  make  this  slight  mistake  in  the  date,  which  it  was  evident  he 
was  determined  to  associate  with  the  passing  of  a  bill  connected  with  that 
large  estate  which  he  believed  would  be  secured  to  her,  and  which  he  persuaded 
himself  ought  to  repay  her  for  years  of  misery,  if  she  survived  Mr.  Pendarves. 

2  Private  Acts.     Anno  6  Georgii  L     (1719.)     / 


VOL.  I. 


50  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

LETTEE  VII. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

Let  your  own  obstinacy,  my  dear  friend,  be  your  pun- 
ishment, and  since  you  insist  on  my  finishing  this  little 
history  I  will  not  spare  your  patience  but  put  it  to  the 
utmost  trial,  by  recollecting  as  many  particulars  as  my 
memory  will  permit.  I  have  told  you  the  unhappy 
situation  I  was  in  at  Bassanio's,  whose  company  would 
have  been  a  great  relief  to  my  oppressed  spirits,  had  he 
/  ^been  less  assiduous  to  please  me.  My  brother  was  fond  of 
his  company,  and  was  not  of  an  age  or  experience  enough 
in  the  ways  of  the  world  to  make  any  observations  to  his 
disadvantage.  He  begged  of  me  to  prevail  on  Gromio 
to  make  a  longer  stay :  I  said  I  knew  it  was  in  vain  to 
attempt  it,  for  he  was  determined — at  least  I  was  resolved 
not  to  prevent  his  going  home,  a  place  I  did  not  imagine 
I  should  ever  see  again  with  pleasure ;  but  I  soon  found 
there  were  degrees  of  misery. 

Some  months  passed  after  our  return  without  any 
^extraordinary  event :  all  the  neighbourhood  came  and  paid 
their  compliments,  and  the  house  was  continually  full  of 
company.  I  endeavoured  to  be  very  civil  to  all,  parti- 
cularly Gromio's  relations,  who  were  not  at  first  inclined 
to  receive  me  well,  but  my  youth  and  the  application  I 
had  to  oblige  them  gained  their  favour,  and  I  had  the 
satisfaction  of  being  well  treated  by  them  all. 

The  affair  that  had  given  me  so  much  disturbance  at 
Bassanio's,  kept  me  on  my  guard  in  my  behaviour  towards 
other  men ;  I  would  rather  have  had  a  lion  walk  into 
the  house,  than  any  one  whose  person  and  address  could 


OF  MRS.  DELAXY.  51 

alarm  Gromio.  There  was  in  the  neighbourhood  a 
young  man  whose  father  had  been  a  great  friend  of  Mr. 
Pendarves ;  he  was  a  merchant,  and  was  thought  very 
rich ;  he  gave  his  son  an  expensive  education,  and  sent 
him  to  travel ;  on  his  return  he  married  him  to  a  young 
lady  with  10,000/.,  knew  himself  at  that  time  to  be  a 
bankrupt,  and  when  he  died  left  his  son  in  miserable  cir- 
cumstances. Carlo ^  was  a  very  good-humoured  agreeable 
man,  modest  and  unaffected,  very  well  in  his  person,  his 
understanding  nothing  remarkable.  He  was  not  very  en- 
tertaining, rather  silent  than  talkative.  His  wife's  estate 
and  house  lay  about  twenty  miles  from  Eoskrow,  but  he 
often  came  to  make  Gromio  a  visit,  who.  loved  him  very 
much,  and  my  brother  took  so  great  a  fancy  to  him  that  he 
often  made  him  stay  a  fortnight  or  tliree  weeks  at  a  time, 
in  all  which  time  his  behaviour  was  unexceptionable. 

Carlo's  wife  was  of  the  dull  strain,  had  had  a  private 
education,  was  sickly  and  peevish,  and  had  kept  very 
little  company.  I  was  not  fond  of  encouraging  an 
intimacy  with  her,  but  she  came  once  or  twice  in  the  year 
to  make  me  a  visit  of  a  few  days  upon  the  unhappy 
change  of  affairs  in  their  family.  I  was  much  concerned 
for  their  distress,  for  from  a  prospect  of  the  greatest 
affluence,  and  living  almost  with  magnificence,  they  were 
plunged  into  downright  poverty,  obliged  to  sell  all  her 
estate,  house  and  furniture,  and  board  in  an  obscure  part 
of  the  country.  Mr.  Pendarves  and  I  thought  it  but 
common  humanity  to  invite  them  to  spend  some  time 
with  us,  which  we  did.  Carlo  came,  expressing  the 
highest  gratitude  for  our  taking  notice  of  them  at  a 
time  when  many  they  once  thought  their  friends  had  for- 

'  Mr.  Nswman. 

£  2 


52  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

saken  them.  He  made  an  excuse  tliat  business  obliged 
her  to  stay  at  home.  He  stayed  one  month,  then  another, 
and  when  it  came  to  the  third  I  began  to  think  it  strange 
he  should  stay  so  long  from  his  poor  unhappy  wife. 
He  grew  excessively  melancholy,  hardly  eat  or  spoke, 
and  avoided  all  company  that  came  to  the  house. 

Gromio  often  said  to  me,  "  I  grieve  for  this  poor 
young  man's  misfortunes :  I  wish  they  do  not  at  last 
distract  him,  for  I  fear  he  is  greatly  in  debt."  I  was 
of  the  same  opinion,  till  one  morning  as  I  was  passing 
from  my  dressing-room  through  the  parlour,  I  found 
him  standing  at  the  window  with  a  handkerchief  in  his 
hand,  which  he  held  to  his  eyes.  I  called  to  him,  for 
his  back  was  towards  me,  and  asked  him  if  he  were  not 
well,  upon  which  he  looked  at  me  with  a  very  disturbed 
look  and  seized  me  fast  by  both  hands  with  such  a  grasp 
that  he  quite  terrified  me.  "  What  is  the  matter  with  you, 
Carlo  ?  I  fear  you  are  in  some  great  distress ;  if  Gromio 
can  in  any  way  serve  you  I  am  sure  he  will,  and  he  has 
a  great  regard  for  you.  I  am  surprised  at  your  beha- 
viour, and  beg  to  know  what  is  the  matter?"  "You 
best  can  tell."  answered  he,  "  who  are  the  occasion  of  it ; 
you  are  the  cause  of  all  my  distraction?"  I  was  so 
innocent  I  thought  he  meant  I  had  done  him  ill  offices 
with  Gromio,  and  said,  "  I  assure  you,  you  are  very 
unjust  if  you  think  me  your  enemy,  or  capable  of  doing 
you  any  injury ;  I  have  ever  been  in  your  interest,  and 
ever  have  had  great  compassion  for  your  misfortunes.  I 
will  appeal  to  Gromio  if  I  have  not." 

All  this  while  he  held  me  fast,  and  looked  so  wildly 
that  1  endeavoured  to  break  from  him,  upon  which  he  said 
"  he  wished  he  had  died  before  he  had  seen  me."     This 


i 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  53 

fully  explained  liis  meaning ;  I  broke  from  him,  ran  back 
into  my  dressing-room  and  locked  myself  up  to  recover 
the  astonishment  this  strange  behaviour  of  his  had  thrown 
me  into  ;  then  I  strictly  examined  my  own  behaviour  to- 
wards him,  and  could  not  accuse  myself  of  having  in  any 
way  encouraged  him,  so  far  otherwise,  as  I  had  reason  to 
be  very  cautious,  and  was  naturally  shy  to  strangers,  espe- 
cially after  what  had  happened  at  Bassanio's.  I  often 
thought  my  conduct  had  been  so  cold  and  reserved  to- 
wards Carlo,  that  he  had  reason  to  think  his  being  at 
Averno  not  very  agreeable  to  me,  and  during  this  whole 
course  of  my  acquaintance  with  him,  he  had  never  said 
a  word  which  could  make  me  suspect  that  he  had  a  greater 
regard  for  me  than  he  ought  to  have.  What  was  I  to 
do  ?  I  did  not  dare  tell  Gromio,  and  how  could  I  get 
Carlo  removed  ?  What  a  cruel  distress  !  With  my  little 
judgment,  no  experience,  without  a  judicious  friend  to 
advise  with,  I  found  myself  in  a  most  dangerous  situation ; 
I  knew  there  could  be  no  safety  but  in  Carlo's  being  re- 
moved. 

A  shocking  accident  that  night  gave  me  the  oppor- 
tunity I  wanted.  After  supper,  and  when  everybody 
was  retired  to  their  apartment,  Gromio' s  servant  told  him 
he  had  some  reason  to  think  that  Carlo  designed  laying 
violent  hands  on  himself,  and  thought  it  would  be  best  to 
have  him  watched  that  night.  He  had  asked  for  a  pistol, 
and  when  told  there  was  none  in  the  house  in  order,  he 
looked  very  gloomy  and  discontented.  This  unhappy 
suspicion,  or  I  may  rather  say  fortunate  one  (as  I  believe 
it  was  the  means  of  avoiding  a  dreadful  evil),  gave  me 
the  opportunity  I  wanted,  and  I  urged  Gromio  so 
earnestly  to  have  him  removed,  that  the  next  day  he  told 


54  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

him  we  were  obliged  to  '*  go  on  a  visit  for  some  time  "  (the 
custom  of  that  country),  and  hoped  it  would  be  no  in- 
convenience to  him  to  return  home.  I  believe  Carlo 
suspected  I  had  told  what  had  passed  between  us,  and 
with  tears  and  many  acknowledgments  for  favours  re- 
ceived took  his  leave. 

I  most  heartily  rejoiced  at  seeing  him  ride  away, 
though  1  was  indeed  touched  with  his  unhappiness,  and 
that  I  should  add  to  his  misfortunes.  He  never  loved 
his  wife,  nor  was  she  amiable,  but  that  did  not  excuse 
him,  and  she  loved  him  excessively.  I  heard  nothing 
of  him  for  six  months  after  this,  and  then  was  told  that 
he  went  from  our  house  to  a  friend  who  had  been  very 
generous  and  kind  to  him,  and  in  return  seduced  his 
sister.  He  lived  about  a  year  after  that,  and  died  dis- 
tracted ;  I  ought  to  relieve  you  after  telling  you  so 
melancholy  a  story.  Hpw  providentially  fortunate  was 
I  to  escape  the  snares  of  so  villanous  and  ungrateful  a 
wretch  !     Adieu,  my  dear  Maria. 


LETTER  Yin. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

Soon  after  this  sad  event  last  related,  my  brother  was 
called  from  me.  I  was  very  sensible,  though  a  great  in- 
dulgence to  me,  it  could  be  no  advantage  to  him  to  be 
buried  in  a  country  that  allowed  him  no  opportunity  of 
improving  himself :  though  my  reason  approved  of  his 
going,  the  tender  love  I  had  for  him,  and  my  own  un- 
happy state  made  me  very  miserable  to  part  with  him. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  55 

I  have  so  mucli  to  tell  you,  that  1  must  not  dwell  too 
long  upon  little  particulars.  Gromio  seemed  very  happy 
and  well  satisfied  with  my  behaviour,  and  if  I  showed  no 
delight  in  being  in  his  company  (which  my  honest  heart 
would  not  let  me  do),  I  took  care  he  should  have  no 
reason  to  accuse  me  of  preferring  any  other  to  it.  I 
never  made  any  visits  without  him,  and  as  he  was  oft^n 
confined  with  the  gout,  I  always  worked  and  read  in  his 
chamber.  My  greatest  pleasure  was  riding,  but  I  never 
indulged  myself  in  that  exercise  unless  he  proposed  it, 
and  I  must  do  him  the  justice  to  say  he  was  very  obliging 
in  his  behaviour  to  me,  and  T  have  often  reproached 
myself  bitterly  for  my  ingratitude  (if  it  can  be  strictly 
called  so),  in  not  loving  a  man,  who  had  so  true  an  affec- 
tion for  me.  That  is  a  most  painful  reflection,  and  has 
frequently  added  to  my  anxieties. 

In  this  manner  two  years  passed.  I  was  happier  in  the 
third  :  business  obliged  Gromio  to  go  to  London,  and  my 
father  and  mother,  and  sister  came  to  stay  w^th  me  in 
his  absence.  0  happy  year  I  that  made  me  some  amends 
for  what  I  had  suffered ! 

My  sister,  though  very  young,  was  now  grown  very 
conversable  and  entertaining,  and  I  took  great  delight 
in  her  company.  AVe  went  to  every  place  in  the  country 
that  was  worth  seeing ;  and  my  father,  whose  family  had 
been  so  long  distinguished  and  respected  in  that  country, 
was  much  caressed  by  all  the  neighbourhood,  and  had 
extraordinary  civilities  paid  him  by  everybody;  my 
mother  though  naturally  reserved  and  weak-spirited, 
exerted  herself  to  entertain  me  and  my  friends,  and 
nobody  could  be  more  engaging  or  agreeable,  as  she 
was  sensible,  well  acquainted  with  the  world,  and  per- 


66  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

fectly  well-bred ;  and  the  beauty  of  her  countenance, 
and  the  gracefulness  and  dignity  of  her  person,  could 
not  fail  to  engage  the  regard  and  esteem  of  all  that 
conversed  with  her. 

This  happy  year  passed  on  without  anything  happen- 
ing worth  relating  to  you. 

Gromio  wrote  to  me  by  every  post,  and  his  affairs 
obliging  him  to  stay  another  year  in  London,  he  desired 
me  to  come  to  him,  when  my  friends  returned  home, 
which  they  proposed  doing  the  latter  end  of  the  summer. 
I  was,  I  own,  very  well  pleased  at  the  thought  of  seeing 
once  more  a  place  where  I  had  been  bred  up,  and  those 
friends,  who  had  had  the  care  of  me  ;  but  these  jo>'s 
were  damped  to  so  great  a  degree,  by  one  thought, 
that  I  should  have  preferred  banishment  from  all  I 
loved  to  the  enjoyment  of  their  company,  since  by 
doing  that,  I  could  not  avoid  the  person  who  made  my 
life  miserable. 

I  am  sure  my  dear  generous  Maria  must  condemn  me, 
and  have  a  very  bad  opinion  of  my  nature,  that  could  so 
obstinately  repel  all  sense  of  affection  for  one  so  fond  of 
me,  but  I  flatter  myself  it  was  not  in  my  power  to  make 
a  suitable  return,  or  if  it  had,  I  promised  not  to  disguise 
any  part  of  my  conduct  or  even  my  sentiments  from  you  ; 
and  I  will  rather  run  the  hazard  of  losing  some  part  of 
your  good  opinion,  than  hide  myself  from  you,  under  the 
veil  of  any  kind  of  deceit. 
]  The  day  came  when  we  were  to  leave  Averno ;  it  cost 
me  fewer  tears  on  leaving  its  solemn  walls  than  in  coming 
to  them.  Our  journey  was  pleasant,  though  attended 
i^with  some  accidents  on  the  road,  as  breaking  of  wheels 
&c.,  but  no  other  harm  than  a  little  delay. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  57 

I  staid  a  month  at  the  Farm  with  my  father  and 
mother,  and  tlien  received  a  summons  which  I  durst 
not  refuse,  but  immediately  left  that  dear  delightful 
place.  My  father,  whose  goodness  to  me  was  beyond  all 
expression,  accompanied  me  to  my  own  house.  I  was 
then  to  enter  upon  a  new  scene  of  life,  and  must  (befo  re 
I  lay  it  open  to  your  view)  beg  leave  to  take  breath. 


Mrs.  Petidarves  to  Mrs,  Ann  Qranvitte,  at  Buckland,  near  Broadivay,  hy 
Campden  Bag,  Gloucestershire. 

London,  29th  Nov.  1720. 

Dear  Sister, 

I  have  been  very  rude  in  not  sooner  returning 
my  thanks  for  your  obliging  letter,  but  I  really  have  so 
little  time  to  myself,  that  I  cannot  do  as  I  would  or  as  I 
ought.  Pray  present  my  humble  duty  to  my  mama.  I 
designed  writing  to  her  last  post,  but  I  was  engaged  that 
whole  day  at  Somerset  House,  and  my  papa  told  me  he 
would  write  to  my  mother  and  make  my  excuse.  I  was 
last  Wednesday  at  the  opera  called  Astartus  ;^  it  is  a  new 
one,  and  there  is  very  fine  musick  in  it.  The  stage  was 
never  so  well  served  as  it  is  now,  there  is  not  one  indif- 
ferent voice,  they  are  all  Italians.  There  is  one  man 
called  Serosini'^  who  is  beyond  Nicolini^  both  in  person 


*  Schloecher,  in  his  "  Life  of  Handel,"  writing  of  the  establishment  of  the 
Royal  Academy  of  Music,  and  of  Handel's  direction  of  the  Italian  Opera 
at  the  Haymarket  Theatre,  mentions  Bononcini  as  a  celebrated  composer 
brought  over  by  the  R.A.M.,  in  1720,  from  Rome.  "  Where  he  had  lately 
produced  the  opera  of  '  Astarto'  with  much  success." 

2  Query  Senesino — so  called  because  he  was  a  native  of  Sienna,  his  proper 
name  being  Francesco  Bemardi.  He  was  one  of  the  most  celebrated  of  the 
company  of  fine  singers  collected  by  Handel  in  1720, 

'  Nicolini  Grimaldi  arrived  in  England  in  1708,  and  sang  in  the  "Pj'rrhus 


58  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

and  voice.  I  wish  my  mama  and  yourself  were  in  town 
with  all  my  heart.  I  go  as  often  to  Somerset  House  as  I 
can,  for  it  is  the  greatest  satisfaction  I  have  now  I  can't 
have  your  company.  You  are  now  so  perfect  a  woman 
in  your  behaviour,  that  I  don't  doubt  but  your  conver- 
sation makes  the  hours  pass  away  very  agreably  to  my 
mother,  but  I  find  you  have  not  much  company.  I  ex- 
pect my  Lady  Grandison  to  make  me  a  visit  this  even- 
ing. Lady  Carteret  nor  the  Countess  have  yet  honoured 
me  with  a  visit,  but  the  reason  is,  there  is  one  of  Lord 
Carteret's  sons  dead.  I  stick  close  to  my  spinnet,  and 
Mr.  Simmons  is  very  good  and  diligent.  I  have  not 
been  "  mother  Brown'''  with  him  since  I  came  to  town.  He 
and  his  son  have  almost  all  the  business  of  the  town, 
and  he  has  raised  his  price  to  two  guineas  a  month. 
Mrs.  Langley  (Miss  Mercer  that  was)  has  been  to  see 
me  ;  she  is  prettier  than  ever  she  was,  but  prodigious  fat. 
My  Aunt  Stanley  and  Mrs.  Tellier  have  both  had  bad 
colds.  Mrs.  Tellier  is  pretty  well  again,  but  my  aunt  is 
still  much  out  of  order.  Mr.  Cowper's  gun  and  pistols 
are  safe ;  they  shall  be  sent  by  the  next  return  of  the 
carrier.  I  beg  his  pardon  that  I  have  so  long  kept  them. 
Poll  is  very  well,  and  at  present  with  my  father. 

I  am  afraid  I  have  quite  tired  you  with  my  long  letter  ; 
pray  let  me  hear  from  you  very  often.  I  beg  my  daugh- 
ter s^  pardon  for  not  answering  her  letter,  but  I  will  very 
soon ;  give  my  love  to  her,  and  I  will  certainly  speak  to 


and  Demetrius  "  of  Alessandro  Scarletti,  which  was  adapted  for  the  occasion 
by  Nicolo  Francesco  Haym,  a  native  of  Rome. 

1  Sarah  Capon  (afterwards  Mrs.  Sandford),  daughter  of  Sarah  Kirkham, 
the  early  playfellow  of  Mary  Granville  ;  and  her  god-daughter,  as  well  as  her 
sister's,  Ann  Granville,  to  whom  this  letter  is  addressed. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  59 

her  uncle  when  I  see  him.     Service  to  all  neighbours, 
and  be  assured  I  am,  my  dearest  sister, 

Yours  most  affectionately, 
M.  Pendarves. 

Don't  brag  of  my  long  letter  to  any  of  my  correspon- 
dents, for  I  cannot  afford  to  write  to  them  so.  All  friends 
in  Cornwall  are  well. 


Lady  Lansdotime  to  CoL  Bernard  QranviUe. 

London,  June  lOtb,  1721. 

I  return  you  thanks,  dear  brother,^  for  your  inquiring 
after  me.  I  should  make  you  some  excuse  for  not  having 
done  it  before,  but  I  have  not  had  a  moment  to  myself. 
You  may  well  imagine  that  after  a  year  absence,  and  as 
things  have  altered  in  that  year,  there  is  a  great  deal  to 
be  done ;  for  when  I  went  out  of  England  I  was  a  South- 
Sea  lady.  But  my  fate  has  been  as  all  the  rest  of  the 
world,  therefore  we  are  obliged  to  do  as  our  neighbours, 
which  is  to  consider  that  the  South  Sea  is  no  more,  and  we 
must  make  ourselves  as  easy  as  we  can !  upon  this  your 
brother  thought  my  coming  would  be  proper ;  he,  I  thank 
God,  is  very  well.  Your  brother  gave  me  commission 
among  other  things  to  speak  to  you,  if  you  was  in  town, 
about  your  son  Bevill,  who  has  written  to  him  that  he 
thinks  he  has  been  long  enough  at  school,  and  indeed 
every  body  is  of  his  mind  for  what  he  learns  there.  I 
believe  he  would  be  as  well  anywhere  else.  I  was  in 
hopes  that  he  would  have  gone  through  the  school  as  my 
brother  Villiers  had  done  before  him,  but  you  must  now 


'  Bernard  Granville  was  hrother-in-law  to  Lady  LansdowTie. 


60  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

let  me  know  your  opinion  about  him.  You  know  your 
brother  has  got  five  hundred  pounds  of  his,  which  we  can 
pay  him  fifty  pounds  a  year.  Bevill  is  at  Sir  John 
Stanley's,  and  has  been  there  for  some  time.  The  holidays 
being  almost  over  makes  me  write  to  you,  for  I  sup- 
pose he  will  not  return  to  school.  I  wish  that  it  was  in  my 
power  to  serve  both  your  sons,  but  the  world  is  so  altered 
that  I  do  not  know  anybody  that  will  help  one  another. 
Our  circumstances  are  so  \hat  we  must  retrench  our 
family,  to  see  if  we  can  save  anj^thing  at  the  year's  end  to 
get  my  daughters  some  small  fortunes ;  for  my  part,  I 
am  not  ashamed  to  have  the  world  know  the  reason  that 
I  save  money,  we  are  but  as  our  neighbours.  If  you  have 
anything  to  say  to  your  brother  by  me,  you  must  let  me 
know  soon,  for  I  hope  to  return  next  week.  My  service 
to  my  sister  and  niece.  Believe  me  with  great  truth,  dear 
brother.  Your  most  humble  servant, 

M.  Lansdowne. 
Jjord  Carteret's  son^  is  dead  of  the  small  pox. 


LETTEE  IX. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

There  is  one  thing  you  will  think  strange,  which  is 
my  not  mentioning  Bassanio  in  all  this  time  ;  he  was  too 
quick-sighted  not  to  perceive  Gromio's  suspicions  and  my 
great  dislike  of  his  behaviour,  and  as  it  was  his  interest 

»  The  Hon.  George  Carteret,  born  February  14th,  1717,  was  buried  at 
Hawnes,  in  Bedfordshire,  June  13,  1721.  John  Lord  Carteret,  his  father,  was 
afterwards  Earl  Granville,  as  he  succeeded  to  that  earldom  on  the  death 
of  his  mother,  who  was  Countess  Granville  in  her  own  right,  and  grand- 
daughter to  the  famous  Sir  Bevil  Granville. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  61 

to  keep  in  favour  with  his  uncle,  he  was  upon  his  guard, 
and  never  gave  either  of  us  reason  to  be  offended  with 
him  any  more.  Soon  after  he  was  seized  with  terrible 
fits  that  ended  his  life,  a  year  and  half  after  I  married. 

When  I  came  to  London,  Gromio  received  me  with 
great  joy  ;  he  had  taken  a  house  in  a  very  unpleasant 
part  of  the  town  (Rose  Street,  Hog  Lane,  Soho) ;  but 
I  was  very  indifferent  where  my  situation  was.  I  have 
never  mentioned  to  you  a  sister  he  had,  who  was 
four  years  older  than  himself,  and  married  the  year 
before  him,  without  his  or  any  of  her  friends'  consent. 
You'll  say  she  was  old  enough  to  choose  for  herself;  but 
her  judgment  was  by  no  means  equal  to  her  years ; 
not  that  she  wanted  sense,  but  she  was  vain  and  impe- 
rious, excessively  jealous,  and  inquisitive  to  the  last  degree 
of  impertinence  :  she  affected  all  the  airs  of  a  young 
woman  of  twenty-five. 

Thus  qualified,  you  cannot  be  surprised  that  a  very 
artful  Scotchman,  who  knew  a  good  deal  of  the  world, 
should  gain  her  good  graces ;  she  had  a  very  good 
opinion  of  herself,  had  not  a  heart  of  adamant,  and 
thought  her  cliarms  so  much  on  the  decline,  that  if 
she  refused  this  offer,  she  might  not  have  another,  so  at 
the  age  of  sixty-one  she  resigned  herself  and  fortune 
into  the  possession  of  this  man.  The  latter  was  what 
he  wanted ;  he  got  two  thousand  pounds  of  it,  the  rest 
her  brother  would  not  pay.  The  cunning  Scot  walked 
off  with  his  booty,  and  left  the  poor  forlorn  woman, 
to  mourn  liis  absence,  for  he  had  managed  so  well 
with  her  that  she  did  not  see  the  dupe  she  was.  When 
I  married  Gromio,  I  was  told  of  her  indiscreet  marriage, 
and  how  much  her  brother  resented  it ;    that  she  was  in 


62  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

great  distress,  and  he  would  not  see  her,  and  I  made  it  ray 
request  that  he  would  be  reconciled  to  her,  which  he 
immediately  complied  with  ;  but  at  the  same  time  I 
told  him  I  hoped  he  would  never  insist  on  her  living 
with  me,  for,  from  the  character  he  had  given  of  her,  I 
was  afraid  of  her  meddling,  governing  temper.  He  pro- 
mised me  she  never  should  be  imposed  upon  7ne ;  this 
being  settled  between  us,  I  was  greatly  surprised,  upon 
my  coming  to  town,  to  find  her  in  the  house,  but  hoped 
it  was  only  for  a  few  days.  Vain  were  my  hopes  ;  I  too 
soon  found  she  was  fixed  there,  and  that  I  should  sufier 
infinitely  from  her  ill-humours.  I  believe  that  if  I  had 
insisted  upon  Gromio's  promise,  that  she  should  not  live 
with  me,  I  might  have  had  her  removed ;  but  as  I  feared 
no  spy,  I  would  not  put  it  into  the  power  of  her  malice 
to  say  I  did.^ 

Hitherto  I  had  lived  in  great  affluence,  and  I  had  never 
known  the  want  of  money  :  I  was  as  prudent  in  the 
management  of  my  domestic  affairs,  as  I  thought  our 
circumstances  required ;  in  the  country,  I  had  not  the 
demands  for  money  that  attended  the  life  I  was  now 
engaged  in,  and  I  was  so  well  furnished  with  clothes  and 
pocket-money  by  Lord  Lansdown  on  my  marriage,  that 
I  had  no  notion  of  ever  wanting.  I  will  not  trouble 
you,  my  dear  Maria,  with  the  particulars  of  my  dis- 
tresses on  that  score  ;  Gromio's  excuse  to  me  was,  "  bad 
tenants   and  a  cheating  steward,"  which  I  truly  believe 


'  It  is  known  that  at  this  period  the  servants  of  Mrs.  Pendarves  were  under 
orders  to  give  a  daily  account  of  every  place  she  went  to ;  and  it  was 
doubtless  the  knowledge  of  this  system  which  made  her  endure  everything 
rather  than  ask  for  the  removal  of  her  duenna.  This  fact  was  mentioned  by 
Mary  Granville  in  the  latter  years  of  her  life  to  her  niece,  the  mother  of  the 
Editor,  from  whom  she  heard  it. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  63 

was  the  case,  though  I  had  many  hints  given  me,  by  his 
old  friends,  that  he  had  some  very  'mar  relations  to 
maintain.  This  was  the  l^ist  mvifortune  I  could  have 
expected ;  I  thought  myself  at  least  secure  of  an  easy 
fortune.  Gromio,  to  drown  his  cares,  which  I  believe 
were  then  very  heavy  on  him,  and  his  remorse  for  having 
drawn  me  into  miserable  circumstances,  had  recourse  to 
the  society  I  have  already  mentioned :  he  never  was  at 
home  but  when  the  gout  confined  him,  and  then  I 
never  left  him.  When  he  had  the  gout,  he  could  never 
bear  (even  in  the  midst  of  winter)  the  least  fire  in  his 
room,  and  I  have  read  three  hours  together  to  him, 
trembling  with  cold  all  the  time.  He  has  often  been 
confined  six  weeks  together :  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to 
go  abroad,  he  returned  to  his  society,  never  came  home 
sober,  and  has  frequently  been  led  between  two  servants 
to  bed  at  six  and  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Un- 
happy, cruel  state  !  How  many  tears  have  I  shed,  and 
what  sorrow  of  heart  have  I  felt !  These  were  the 
scenes  I  had  at  home  :  it  is  now  time  to  tell  you  what 
I  met  with  abroad,  which  I  must  make  the  subject  of 
another  letter,  this  being  already  of  unreasonable  length. 
I  am,  my  dearest  Maria,  your  faithful 

ASPASIA. 

The  following  Darrative  was  also  written  in  Mary  Granville's 
own  hand  ;  and  as  it  concludes  with  the  period  alluded  to  in 
the  above  letter,  it  is  here  inserted. 

In  the  year  1718,  when  I  was  at  Roscrow,  in  Cornwall,  Sir 
William  and  Lady  Pendarvise  (distantly  related  to  Mr.  Pen- 
darves)  were  our  nearest  neighbours,  (She  was  sister  to  Dean 
Godolphin.)  Sir  Wm.  Pendarvise  was  a  very  handsome  man, 
with  a  moderate  understanding,  ten  years  at  Court,  younger  than 


64  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

his  lady,  wlio  was  neither  young  or  handsome,  therefore  it  may 
be  presumed  he  married  her  for  her  fortune  and  connections, 
and  she  married  him  for  his  pretty  person,  and  was  excessive 
fond  of  him.     Lady  Pendarvis  had  brought  down  into  Cornwall 

with  her,   Miss   H (daughter  of  Lord  ,  the  Earl  of 

's  son,  who  had  been  so  reduced  in  his  circumstances  that 

he  married  Mrs.  Hays,  who  kept  the  rooms  at  Bath,  for  a  main- 
tenance.     Lady  Pendarvis,   when  at   Bath,   was   moved   with 

compassion  at  seeing  a  young  creature  like  Miss  H exposed 

to  every  danger  that  beauty,  high  spirits,  and  no  education  must 
necessarily  subject  her  to,  without  a  prudent  relation  or  friend 
to  guard  and  admonish  ber.     Lady  Pendarvis  therefore  proposed 

to    Lord  to  take  his    daughter    with    her    to    Cornwall, 

which  he  very  readily  consented  to.  The  prettiness  of  her 
person,  the  liveliness  of  her  manner,  and  the  melancholy  situa- 
tion she  was  in,  made  me  very  glad  to  show  her  any  civility  that 
would  a  little  console  her,  and  indeed  a  good-natured,  agreeable 
companion  was  a  great  aquisition  to  me,  and  we  soon  grew 
very  intimate ;  but  in  the  course  of  our  acquaintance,  which  had 
been  about  half  a  year,  I  found  an  alteration  in  her  behaviour,  a 
pertness,  and  an  assuming  manner,  which  I  plainly  saw  gave 

Lady  Pendarvis  uneasiness.     Miss  H told  me  that  though 

Lady  P was  very  kind  to  her,  and  she  was  sensible  of  the 

obligation  she  was  under,  that  her  temper  was  so  gloomy  and 
captious,  she  really  did  not  know  how  to  please  ber. 

I  knew  that  several  wild  and  unprincipled  people  were  the  com- 
panions of  Sir  W.  Pendarvis,  and  I  often  warned  Miss  H to 

be  very  cautious  in  her  behaviour,  and  to  take  no  steps  but  what 

were  directed  by  Lady  P ,  for  which  grave  admonition  she 

turned  me  into  ridicule,  and  said  I  was  "growing  as  crusty  as  the 
old  lady ;"  this  lively  stroke  made  me  suspect  something  had 
gone  wrong.  I  asked  her  how  they  spent  their  time  at  Pen  - 
darvis  (the  name  of  their  seat  in  Cornwall)  ;  she  said  there  was 
a  succession  of  men  visitors,  and  that  they  generally  sat  a  great 
while  after  dinner,  but  as  she  loved  reading,  when  she  could 
get  away  from  Lady  P ,  she  used  to  go  into  her  own  room 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  65 

for  that  purpose,  and  now  and  then  one  or  two  of  the  gentlemen 
would  follow  her,  and  read  plays  with  her ;  but  she  found  this 

gave  ofifence  to  Lady  P ,  who  called  her  to  an  account  for  it ; 

upon  which  she  altered  her  behaviour,  and  did  everything  she 
could  to  oblige  her ;  and  after  such  a  sacrifice  she  thought  she 
might  indulge  herself  after  the  family  were  gone  to  bed,  in  ad- 
Hnitting  visits  for  an  hour  or  two  at  that  time,  especially  as  Sir  "W. 
Pendarvis  was  often  of  the  party,  there  could  be  no  harm  in  it. 

I  told  her  I  was  sure  she  did  not  think  she  was  doing  wrong, 
or  she  would  not  have  allowed  them  such  liberty ;  but  it 
appeared  to  me  as  very  dangerous  conduct,  and  I  could  wish  she 
would  not  persue  it,  if  she  did  I  must  break  off  all  acquaintance 
with  her.  But  she  laughed  at  me,  said  I  was  very  prudish,  and 
from  that  time  she  had  never  any  confidence  in  me.  It  was  a  point 
I  could  not  talk  of  to  Lady  Pendarvis ;  I  knew  her  temper  was 
violent,  and  thought  if  I  raised  a  jealousy  in  her,  I  might  make 
her  very  miserable,  and  had  not  confidence  enough  in  my  own 
judgment  to  meddle  in  an  affair  of  such  delicacy  ;  and  there  was 

no  intimate  friend  of  Lady  P that  I  could  consult,  and  indeed 

I  was  without  any  confidential  friend  of  my  own  to  advise  with. 

My  brother  w^as  at  that  time  with  me,  and  I  soon  observed, 
by  her  very  forward,  talkative  manner  with  him,  that  she  had 
lost  that  diffident  modesty,  which,  at  my  first  acquaintance 
with  her,  was  an  engaging  part  of  her  character ;  he  was  too 
young  and  unpractised  in  the  ways  of  the  world,  for  me  to 
consult  with  on  an  occasion  of  such  a  nature,  but  I  was  soon 
relieved  from  my  anxiety  about  her.  From  the  time  of  the 
extraordinary  conversation  I  had  with  her,  her  behaviour  was 
very  different ;  she  was  reserved,  civil,  and  quiet  in  her  manner, 
and,  I  hoped,  had  considered  the  subject  with  some  advantage 

to  herself.     Her  youngest  aunt  was  Mrs.  B ,  and  her  eldest 

aunt  Mrs.  P.  B ,   who  was  a  woman  of  great  wit,  with  a 

certain  intrepidity  of  behaviour,  that  made  her  very  entertaining, 
though  too  often  her  unguarded  manner  gave  offence  to  those  who 

were  of  a  more  delicate  way  of  thinking.     Miss  H 's  mother 

was  the  eldest  sister  of  this  family,  but  died  when  she  was  an 

VOL.    I.  F 


66  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

infant.  Lady  D ,  her  grandmother,  had  lodgings  in  Somer- 
set House ;  they  were  all  very  well  at  Court,  and  had  interest 
sufficient  to  obtain  the  place  of  semstress  to  Her  Majesty  Queen 
Caroline,  for  their  niece,  and  I  believe  the  day  that  Lady  Pen- 
darvis  was  called  upon  to  carry  her  to  Court,  and  resign  her 
charge,  was  a  very  happy  one  to  her. 

I  saw  very  little  of  Sir  Wm.  Pendarvis,  or  his  lady,  after 

Miss  H left  them;  they  were  very  little  [in  the  country, 

and  Mr.  Pendarves  had  never  a  very  cordial  kindness  for  Sir 
William.      Some   years   after    I    heard   that   Lady  Pendarvis 

had  acted   a   very    generous  part    towards   Miss   H ;    for 

though  she  had  disturbed  her  domestic  happiness  in  a  high 
degree,  she  never  made  any  complaint  of  her,  but  let  the 
affair  drop  quietly  ;  indeed  she  did  not  long  survive  it ;  after 
which  Sir  W.'s  house  was  the  rendezvous  of  a  very  immoral 
set  of  men.  One  of  his  strange  exploits,  amongst  other  frolics, 
was  having  a  coffin  made  of  copper  (which  one  of  his  mines  that 
year  had  produced),  and  placed  in  the  midst  of  his  great  hall, 
and  instead  of  his  making  use  of  it  as  a  monitor  that  might  have 
made  him  ashamed  and  terrified  at  his  past  life,  and  induce 
him  to  make  amends  in  future,  it  was  filled  with  punch,  and  he 
and  his  comrades  soon  made  themselves  incapable  of  any  sort 
of  reflection  ;  this  was  often  repeated,  and  hurried  him  on  to  that 
awful  moment  he  had  so  much  reason  to  dread. 

I  went  to  London  in  the  year  1720,  in  the  beginning  of 
November.     Soon  after  my  arrival  I  received  a  letter  from  Miss 

H ,   full   of  acknowledgements    for  the   civilities   she   had 

received  from  me  in  Cornwall,  and  hoping  I  would  give  her  leave 
to  improve  the  acquaintance,  and  appoint  a  day  for  our  meeting, 
which  I  did  with  great  pleasure.  She  was  in  the  apartments 
belonging  to  her  office,  and  seemed  very  happy  and  in  good 
spirits,  and  begged  I  would  be  her  chaperone  when  she  went  to 
public  places,  as  the  Queen,  who  had  been  so  good  to  take  her 
under  her  protection,  gave  her  cautions  with  whom  she  appeared 
in  public.  "  On  Her  Majesty's  enquiring,"  said  she,  "  who  were 
my  chief  acquaintance,  I  named  you  with  a  particular  regard,  and 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  67 

she  said  she  should  be  ^'perfectly  satisfied  at  my  going  tvith  you 
anywhere."  I  complied  with  her  request,  and  went  with  her  to 
plays  and  Lady  Strafford's  assembly,  which  was  once  a  fortnight, 
and  the  only  one  at  that  time,  except  Lady  Chetwind's  every 
Sunday,  which  I  never  attended.  But  I  was  by  no  means  pleased 
with  her  behaviour :  she  was  very  free  in  her  manner  and  con- 
versation, which  consequently  drew  a  circle  of  fluttering  men  about 
her,  which  often  distressed  me,  and  I  remonstrated  with  her  on 
the  impropriety  of  such  conduct ;  and  upon  her  making  me  a  very 
free  speech  in  company,  which  put  me  very  much  out  of  counte- 
nance, I  declared  to  her  I  would  be  her  chaperone  no  longer  ;  and 
indeed  I  was  very  sensible  (though  a  married  woman)  that  I  was 
too  young  for  such  an  oflSce,  being  one  year  younger  than  herself. 

After  this  time  there  was  a  great  coolness  between  us.  The 
summer  following  she  was  ordered  to  go  to  Tunbridge  for 
her  health,  which  had  been  declining  for  soncie  time ;  at  her 
return  to  town,  at  the  latter  end  of  the  year,  she  sent  to  beg  I 
would  come  and  spend  an  evening  with  her,  as  she  was  not  well 
enough  to  go  to  me.     I  accordingly  went,  and  found  with  her 

her  sister  and  her  uncle,  Mr.  W.  B ,  who,  she  told  me,  was 

not  very  fond  of  her.  When  they  went  away  I  would  have 
gone,  but  she  desired  me  to  stay  and  sup  with  her,  which  I  did. 
Her  conversation  was  upon  common  topics,  and  rather  reserved  ; 
she  said  she  was  no  better  for  Tunbridge,  and  mdeed  she  looked 
very  ill — was  in  a  loose  wrapping  gown.  She  desired  I  would  let 
her  come  and  spend  an  evening  with  me  as  soon  as  she  was  well 
enough  to  go  out,  which  she  did  in  about  a  fortnight  after. 
Before  my  little  supper  was  ready,  she  quite  fainted  away  in  her 
chair.  I  was  greatly  shocked  and  alarmed,  but  she  soon  reco- 
vered out  of  her  fainting  fit,  but  did  not  find  herself  well  enough 
to  stay  supper,  and  went  home  directly.  I  heard  the  next 
morning  that  she  had  a  good  night,  and  was  pretty  well  again. 

A  few  days  after  this.  Sir  Anthony  Westcomb,  my  friend  and 
cousin-german,  who  lived  much  in  the  world,  and  was  so  friendly 
as  to  advise  and  caution  me  (knowing  how  ignorant  I  was  of  the 
world)  told  me  he  wished  I  would  break  off  all  acquaintance 

with  Miss  H ,  for  her  conduct  had  been  very  indiscreet ;  that 

f2 


68  LIFE  AND  COERESPONDENCE 

he  had  his  information  from  very  good  authority,  but  was  not  at 
hberty  to  tell  his  author.  I  was  very  much  offended  at  the 
aspersion,  and  I  hoped  it  was  a  false  one ;  he  said  he  did  not 
doubt  of  my  abhorrence  of  indiscretion,  but  feared  that  such  arts 
as  she  was  mistress  of,  might  impose  upon  one  so  free  from  awy, 
and  begged  of  me  to  bear  in  mind  what  he  told  me,  which  I 
really  did  ;  and  the  recollection  of  many  circumstances  that  had 
passed,  raised  some  suspicion  in  me. 

Soon  after  this  I  spent  a  fortnight  at  North-End.  When 
I  returned   again  to  town,  I   received  a  verbal  message  from 

Miss  H ,  to  desire  I  would  not  call  on  her,  for  she  had 

got  a  complaint  which  obliged  her  to  keep  all  her  acquaintance 
from  her;  and  that  she  would  give  notice  when  they  might 
come.  I  own  the  meSsage  astonished  me ;  some  weeks  after 
I  received  another,  to  desire  I  would  call  in  the  morning, 
appointing  the  hour,  I  had  told  Mr.  Pendarves,  what  had 
passed  between  me  and  Sir  Anthony  about  her,  and  my  con- 
duct upon  it,  which  he  seemed  very  well  satisfied  with.  I 
then  proposed  that  we  should  call  in  our  way  to  North-End,  if 
he  would  have  the  patience  to  sit  in  the  chariot  whilst  I  made  a 
short  visit,  which  he  readily  agreed  to,  having  as  much  curiosity 
to  hear  the  account  of  this  visit  as  I  had.  I  was  ushered  up- 
stairs into  a  drawing-room  (she  was  then  at  a  lodging  in  War- 
wick Street).  She  soon  came  into  the  room,  so  thin,  and  so 
pale,  that  it  put  me  into  the  utmost  astonishment,  and  I  said, 
"  Indeed,  you  look  very  ill !"  "  Oh,  I  have  been  very  bad 
indeed  ;  but  am  very  well  now."  I  thought  it  best  not  to 
make  any  particular  enquiries  what  had  been  her  disorder,  but 
shortened  my  visit  by  telling  her  Mr.  Pendarves  waited  for  me 
in  the  chariot,  and  that  we  were  engaged  to  go  to  North-End. 

Soon  after  the  real  cause  of  her  confinement  was  made 
public ;  many  and  various  were  the  conjectures,  and  gentle 
means  were  tried  by  those  to  whom  she  was  under  the  highest 
obligations,  to  get  the  truth  from  her :  her  best  friend  had  the 
humanity  to  wish  to  bring  her  to  such  a  sense  of  it,  as  to  make 
some  amends  for  what  she  had  been  guilty  of.  Soon  after  her 
last  visit  10  me,  she  sent  for  her  privately,  and  told  her  what  had 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  69 

been  suspected  now  amounted  to  a  certainty,  but  that  she  had 
such  a  real  kindness  and  compassion  for  her,  she  was  willing  to 
save  her,  if  possible,  from  any  further  censure  from  the  world  ; 
and  that  if  she  would  honestly  confess  to  her,  and  say  that  she 
was  truly  sensible  of  her  bad  conduct,  and  wished  sincerely  to 
reform,  she  would  not  only  give  her  an  opportunity  of  retiring, 
but  restore  her  again  to  her  place  and  favour  in  time.  Instead 
of  receiving  this  gracious  offer  with  humble  thankfulness,  and 
being  overwhelmed  with  such  goodness,  she  flew  into  a  passion,^ 
said  it  was  a  vile  aspersion,  and  defied  what  the  world  could  say 
of  her;  upon  which  she  was  dismissed  from  the  Q 's  pre- 
sence and  her  service,  and  obliged  to  remove  to  other  lodgings, 
where  her  only  associates  were  her  uncle  and  her  sister,  and  a 

Col.  W ,  a  friend  of  her  uncle's,  who  met  there  to  play  at 

cards.     To  complete  this  horrid  tale,  Col.  W ,  a  man  of  as 

little  delicacy  as  morals,  had  planned,  for  some  time,  to  secure 
her  for  himself,  and  carried  her  off  into  Wales,  since  which  time 
I  have  never  heard  of  either  of  them. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  OranvxHe. 

Rose  Street,  14th  July,  1722. 

You  must  not  take  it  ill,  my  dear  sister,  that  this  is  the 
first  letter  directed  to  you  since  I  left  Buckland,  for  I 
have  been  in  full  employment  since  I  came  to  town  in 
equiping  myself  with  clothes  for  my  mourning,^  which 

1  It  is  recorded  that  this  lady  made  use  of  an  expression  which  is  so  very 
extraordinary  that  it  is  here  repeated  as  a  curiosity  of  the  last  century  to  show 
what  a  peer's  daughter  and  a  maid  of  honour  could  say  more  than  a  hundred 
years  ago.  When  desired  to  speak  without  reserve,  she  said  that  "  the  Devil 
should  eat  her  bones  if  she  did." 

■^  Historical  Register,  1722,  April  14 .  Died,  Mrs.  Stanley,  wife  of  Colonel 
Stanley,  brother  of  Sir  John  Stanley,  Bart.  On  the  3rd  of  May  died  "  Henry 
Monk,  Esq.,  the  last  heir  in  tail  (of  that  family)  by  the  will  of  Cr.  Monk, 
Duke  of  Albemarle." 

For  either  of  these  persons  Mrs.  Pendarves  might  have  worn  slight  mourn- 
ing in  July  1722. 


70  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

tliougli  a  very  slight  one,  was  a  good  pretence  for  me  to 
have  a  white  lutestring.  Your  cheerful  letter  and  good  ac- 
count of  my  dear  papa  has  given  me  a  great  deal  of  pleasure 
and  satisfaction  ;  I  never  cease  praying  for  his  re-estah- 
lishment  in  a  perfect  state  of  good  health,  and  I  heg  I 
may  constantly  hear  how  he  does  in  a  particular  manner, 
whilst  he  is  under  the  physician's  discipline.  I  desire 
you  will  present  my  humble  duty  to  my  papa  and  mama. 
I  did  design  writing  to-day  to  my  father,  but  Mr.  Pen- 
darves  prevents  me,  so  I  will  defer  my  letter  to  another 
post.  Pray  assure  my  brother  and  Mrs.  Carter  of  my  humble 
service  ;  I  acknowledge  myself  their  debtor,  but  will  pay 
them  in  a  very  little  time. 

Last  Wednesday  I  was  all  night  upon  the  water  with 
Lady  Harriot  Harley.^  We  went  into  the  barge  at  five 
in  the  afternoon,  and  landed  at  Whitehall  Stairs.  We 
rowed  up  the  river  as  far  as  Eichmond,  and  were  enter- 
tained all  the  time  with  very  good  musick  in  another 
barge.  The  concert  was  composed  of  three  hautboys, 
two  bassoons,  flute,  allemagne,  and  young  Grenoc's 
trumpet.  We  were  to  have  had  Mrs.  Eobinson'^  with  us, 
but  unluckily  she  was  engaged,  otherwise  our  entertain- 
ment had  been  complete.  While  we  lay  before  Richmond, 
we  eat  some  cold  meat  and  fruit,  and  there  was  variety 
of  wines ;  but  notwithstand^  all  these  varieties  of  diver- 
sion I  should  not  have  enjoyed  them,  had  I  not  received 
a  letter  that  post  from  Mrs.  Carter  which  gave  me  a 
particular  good  account  of  my  father,  for  which  favour  I 


1  Wife  of  Edward,  then  Lord  Harley,  and  afterwards  2nd  Earl  of  Oxford, 
and  mother  of  Margaret,  Duchess  of  Portland.  His  father,  the  1st  Earl  of 
Oxford,  died  May  21,  1724. 

2  The  second  wife  of  Charles,  4th  Earl  of  Peterborough, 


OP  MRS.  DELANY.  71 

will  return  her  a  thousand  thanks.  I  cannot  say  though 
the  town  is  not  full,  that  it  is  disagreable.  I  have  ac- 
quaintance enough  in  it  never  to  be  quite  alone,  and 
the  Park  is  very  pleasant,  for  what  company  there  is  in 
town  you  are  sure  of  meeting  there. 

Mrs.  Andrews's  sister.  Miss  AVliiteman,  is  run  mad, 
and  now  confined  in  a  mad-house ;  her  sister,  I  think, 
wants  such  a  place  as  much,  for  nothing  but  one  out  of 
their  senses  could  behave  themselves  so  ridiculously.  I 
expect  Mrs.  Nelly  Warren  to  dine  with  me  to-day,  I  have 
not  yet  seen  her.  Yesterday  my  Cousin  Ogle  was  here, 
who  asked  very  much  after  all  friends  at  Buckland ;  she 
expects  her  husband  home  soon,  laden  with  the  prizes  he 
has  taken  from  the  three  pirates. 

I  was  in  the  afternoon  yesterday  at  Somerset  House, 
where  I  found  my  Aunt  Stanley  better  than  she  had 
been  for  some  days  ;  she  charged  me  with  her  service 
and  best  wishes  to  Buckland.  She  would  have  writ  to 
ray  father  herself,  and  hopes  he  does  not  take  it  unkind 
she  has  not,  but  she  was  so  ill  and  low  in  spirits  that 
she  was  not  able  to  write  a  line.  My  brother  Bevill 
walked  in  the  Park  with  me  last  night.  I  left  him  well 
in  Stable-yard,  but  suppose  you  will  have  a  letter  from 
him  this  post.  I  was  sitting  down  to  write  to  Buckland 
last  post,  but  was  prevented  by  a  message  from  my  aunt 

G IP  that  she  wanted  to  speak  with  me  at  Somerset 

House.  When  I  came  it  was  to  give  me  the  solitaires, 
which  are  at  last  arrived.  I  will  send  my  mother's  and 
yours  by  the  first  opportunity. 

I  am,  my  dear  sister  most  afiectionately  yours, 

M.  Pendarves. 


^  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Granville,  the   unmarried   sister  of  Lord   LansJownc, 
Colonel  Granville,  and  Lady  Stanley. 


72  LIFE  AND  COREESPONDENCE 

I  rejoice  at  the  Goldfinch's  good  health ;  Pigeon  is  not 
so  gay  as  when  at  Buckland,  but  begs  his  humble 
service. 

I  am  not  certain  when  I  go  to  Cornwall,  or  if  at  all.  I 
will  make  enquiry  for  some  right  Palsye  drops. 


Mrs.  Anastasia  Kobinson. 

The  following  account  of  Mrs.  Anastasia  Robinson  was  dictated 
to  Dr.  Burney  by  Mrs.  Delany,  many  years  after  the  date  of  this 
letter. 

"Mrs.  Anastasia  Robinson  was  of  a  middling  stature,  not 
handsome,  but  of  a  pleasing  modest  countenance,  with  large 
blue  eyes ;  her  deportment  easy,  unaffected,  and  graceful ; 
her  manner  and  address  very  engaging,  and  her  behaviour 
on  all  occasions,  that  of  a  gentlewoman,  with  perfect  pro- 
priety. She  was  not  only  liked  by  her  acquaintance,  but 
loved  and  caressed  by  persons  of  the  highest  rank,  with  whom 
she  appeared  always  equal  without  assuming.  Her  father's 
house,  in  Golden  Square,  was  frequented  by  all  the  men  of  genius 
and  refined  taste  of  the  times.  Among  the  number  of  persons  of 
distinction  who  frequented  Mr.  Robinson's  house,  and  seemed  to 
distinguish  his  daughter  in  a  particular  manner,  were  the  Earl  of 

Peterborough  and  General  H .     The  latter  had  shown  a  long 

attachment  to  her,  and  his  attentions  were  so  remarkable,  that 
they  seemed  more  than  the  efiects  of  common  politeness  ;  and  as 
he  was  a  very  agreeable  man  and  in  good  circumstances,  he  was 
favourably  received,  not  doubting  but  that  his  intentions  were 
honourable ;  but  a  declaration  of  a  very  contrary  nature  was 
treated  with  the  contempt  it  deserved,  though  Mrs.  A.  Robinson 
was  very  much  prepossessed  in  his  favour. 

"  Soon  after  this  Lord  Peterborough  endeavoured  to  convince 
her  of  his  partial  regard  for  her ;  but,  agreeable  and  artful  as  he 
was,  she  remained  very  much  upon  her  guard,  which  rather  in- 
creased than  diminished  his  admiration  for  her ;  yet  still  his 
pride  struggled  with  his  inclination,  for  all  this  time  she  was 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  73 

etigaged  to  sing  in  public,  a  circumstance  very  grievous  to 
her ;  but  urged  by  tlie  best  of  motives,  she  submitted  to  it,  in 
order  to  assist  her  parents,  whose  fortune  was  much  reduced  by 
Mr.  Robinson's  loss  of  sight,  which  deprived  him  of  the  benefit 
of  his  profession  as  painter. 

''  At  length  Lord  Peterborough  made  his  declaration  to  her 
on  honourable  terms.  He  found  it  would  be  vain  to  make  pro- 
posals on  any  other,  and  as  he  omitted  no  circumstance  that 
could  engage  her  esteem  and  gratitude,  she  accepted  them,  as 
she  was  sincerely  attached  to  him.  He  earnestly  requested  her 
to  keep  it  a  secret  till  a  more  convenient  time  for  him  to  make 
it  known,  to  which  she  readily  consented,  having  a  perfect  con- 
fidence in  his  honour. 

*'  Mrs.  A.  Robinson  had  a  sister,  a  very  pretty  accomplished 
woman,  who  married  Dr.  Arbuthnot's  brother.  After  the  death 
of  Mr.  Robinson,  Lord  Peterborough  took  a  house  near  Fulham, 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  his  own  villa  at  Parsons -green,  whero 
he  settled  Mrs.  Robinson  and  her  mother.  They  never  lived 
under  the  same  roof,  till  the  earl,  being  seized  with  a  violent  fit 
of  illness,  solicited  her  to  attend  him  at  Mount  Bevis  near 
Southampton ;  which  she  refused  with  firmness,  but  upon  con- 
dition that,  though  still  denied  to  take  his  name,  she  might  be 
permitted  to  wear  her  wedding-ring  ;  to  which,  finding  her  inex- 
orable, he  at  length  consented. 

"  His  haughty  spirit  was  still  reluctant  to  the  making  a  decla- 
ration that  would  have  done  justice  to  so  worthy  a  character  as 
the  person  to  whom  he  was  now  united ;  and  indeed  his  uncon- 
trollable temper  and  high  opinion  of  his  own  actions  made  him  a 
very  awful  husband,  ill  suited  to  Lady  Peterborough's  good  sense, 
amiable  temper,  and  delicate  sentiments.  She  was  a  Roman 
Catholic,  but  never  gave  offence  to  those  of  contrary  opinion, 
though  very  strict  in  what  she  thought  her  duty.  Her  excellent 
piinciples  and  fortitude  of  mind,  supported  her  through  many 
severe  trials  in  her  conjugal  state.  At  last  he  prevailed  on 
himself  to  do  her  justice,  instigated,  it  is  supposed,  by  his  bad 
state  of  health,  which  obliged  him  to  seek  another  climate,  and 


74  -  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

she  absolutely  refused  to  go  with  him  unless  he  declared  his 
marriage ;  and  her  attendance  on  him  in  this  illness  nearly  cost 
her  her  life, 

"  He  appointed  a  day  for  all  his  nearest  relations  to  meet  him 
at  the  apartment  over  the  gateway  of  St.  James's  Palace  belong- 
ing to  Mr.  Poyntz,  who  was  married  to  Lord  Peterborough's 
niece,  and  at  that  time  preceptor  of  Prince  William,  afterwards 
Duke  of  Cumberland;  he  also  appointed  Lady  Peterborough 
to  be  there  at  the  same  time.  When  they  were  all  assembled, 
he  began  a  most  eloquent  oration,  enumerating  all  the  virtues 
and  perfections  of  Mrs.  A.  Robinson,  and  the  rectitude  of  her 
conduct  during  his  long  acquaintance  with  her,  for  which  he  ac- 
knowledged his  great  obligation  and  sincere  attachment,  declaring 
he  was  determined  to  do  her  that  justice  which  he  ought  to  have 
done  long  ago,  which  was,  presenting  her  to  all  his  family  as  his 
wife.  He  spoke  this  harangue  with  so  much  energy,  and  in 
parts  so  pathetically,  that  Lady  Peterborough,  not  being  apprised 
of  his  intentions,  was  so  affected  that  she  fainted  away  in  the 
midst  of  the  company. 

"  After  Lord  Peterborough's  death,  she  lived  a  very  retired 
life,  chiefly  at  Mount  Bevis,  and  was  seldom  prevailed  on  to  leave 
that  habitation  but  by  the  Duchess  of  Portland,  who  was  always 
happy  to  have  her  company  at  Bulstrode  when  she  could  obtain 
it,  and  often  visited  her  at  her  own  house. 

"  Among  Lord  Peterborough's  papers,  she  found  his  memoirs, 
written  by  himself,  in  which  he  declared  he  had  been  guilty  of 
such  actions  as  would  have  reflected  very  much  upon  his  cha- 
racter, for  which  reason  she  burnt  them.  This,  however,  con- 
tributed to  prove  the  excellency  of  her  principles,  though  it 
did  not  fail  giving  offence  to  the  curious  inquirers  after  anecdotes 
of  so  remarkable  a  character  as  that  of  the  Earl  of  Peterborough." 

Lord  Peterborough's  declaration  of  his  marriage  took  place  in 
1735,  and  he  died  at  Lisbon  the  same  year. 

Lady  Peterborough  died  in  1750. 

It  is  said  that  Bevis  Mount  derives  the  first  part  of  its  name 
from  Sir  Bevis  of  Hampton,  who  is  "fabled  to  have  mauled  the 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  75 

invading  Danes,  even  to  better  purpose  than  Sir  Guy  of  War- 
wick, who,  as  the  story  goes,  smote  the  great  Colebrand,  some- 
where in  the  vale  of  Chilcombe,  while  King  Athelstan,  sitting  on 
a  turret  of  the  north  wall  of  Winchester,  beheld  the  progress  and 
issue  of  the  combat. 

If  Sir  Bevis  did  not  decide  the  fate  of  the  Danes,  by  hewing 
down  a  giant  in  single  combat,  he  has  the  credit  of  raising  a 
gigantic  mound  of  earth,  to  obstruct  the  passage  of  the  Itchen ; 
and  this  is  the  origin  of  the  name. 


Lord  Lansdowne  to  Col.  Bernard  OranviUe. 

Feby.  15, 1722-3. 

My  Dear  Brother, 

I  rejoice  exceedingly  at  the  account  you  continue 
to  give  me  of  recovering  your  health  at  the  Bath. 
I  thank  you  for  the  plan  you  sent  me  of  the  pillar  erected 
upon  Lansdowne,  but  I  find  the  performer  has  not  been 
exact  in  the  execution,  having  failed  in  the  two  principal 
points  recommended  to  him.  His  directions  were  to  be 
sure  of  making  the  tables  for  the  inscriptions  so  large, 
that  the  letters  might  be  easily  legible  at  a  distance  by 
any  passenger  on  horseback,  and  the  size  of  the  tables 
would  be  a  direction  to  proportion  the  rest  of  the  work. 
It  was  likewise  foreseen,  that  unless  it  was  surrounded 
by  a  rail  it  would  be  impossible  to  hinder  it  from  being 
defaced  by  comers  and  goers,  who  would  be  apt  to  scratch 
their  own  conceits  and  sentences  upon  it ;  besides  cattle 
which  are  constantly  grazing  upon  the  down  would  be 
rubbing  against  it.  These  very  reasons  were  urged  by 
the  undertaker  himself,  and  therefore  it  was  concluded 
there  should  be  a  handsome  rail  of  stone,  of  which  there 
is  great  plenty  in  all  that  neighbourhood  and  the  best  in 


76  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

the  kingdom,  and  unless  this  is  performed,  he  has  not 
completed  his  work  according  to  his  own  proposition. 

I  have  had  a  very  grave  and  serious  letter  from  my 
nephew  Bevil,  to  acquaint  me  that  he  has  at  last  taken 
the  resolution  of  devoting  himself  to  the  Church.  I 
cannot  say  but  I  am  heartily  glad  of  it ;  there  is 
nothing  like  choosing  some  profession  or  other  for  young 
men  ;  otherwise  they  must  necessarily  fall  into  idleness 
without  any  hope  of  being  ever  useful  in  any  kind  to 
their  families  or  country.  A  man  of  quality,  provided  he 
maintains  his  character  (for  without  that,  there  can  be 
nothing  expected),  cannot  fail  of  making  his  way  some 
time  or  other,  and  more  readily  this  way  than  any  other. 

He  informs  me  that  he  designs  to  enter  himself  at 
Trinity  College  in  Cambridge  because  I  was  of  that 
college,  which  he  means  as  a  compliment  to  me,  but  I 
would  have  him  well  consider  of  that.  In  my  time  in- 
deed it  was  a  most  flourishing  college,  but  of  late  years 
it  has  been  disturbed  with  a  civil  war  between  the 
master  and  fellows,  which  is  carried  on  with  so  much 
warmth  and  animosity  on  both  sides,  that  it  cannot  be 
comfortable  living  amongst  them.  I  should  think  he 
had  better  choose  come  college  in  Oxford,  which  is  nearer 
to  you  at  Buckland,  which  neighbourhood  would  make 
that  choice  more  convenient  and  agreeable  to  you  all,  and 
besides  you  would  have  his  conduct  and  behaviour  more 
under   your   own   inspection.      There   is  a   college^  in 

1  Lord  Lansdown  refers  to  Exeter  College,  Oxford,  where  Sir  Bevil  Gran- 
ville graduated  as  Bachelor  of  Arts,  Febry,  1613.  Denis  Granville,  Dean  of 
Durham,  a  son  of  Sir  Bevil's,  also  received  his  education  there.  Lord 
Lansdovs^n's  father  was  Bernard  Granville,  brother  to  the  Dean,  consequently 
the  Dean  was  his  uncle,  and  Sir  Bevil  bis  grandfather,  to  which  Lord  Lansdown 
referred  in  this  letter. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  77 

Oxford  particular  to  the  western  gentleman ;  my  uncle 
the  dean  was  I  believe  of  it,  and  so  was  my  grandfather, 
whose  death  that  University  so  much  honoured.^  Christ 
Church  1  have  heard  is  as  much  divided  into  factions  as 
Trinity — the  same  reason  subsists  against  going  there  ; 
when  one  is  to  choose  a  retreat,  one  would  choose  a  quiet 
one ;  there  is  no  studying  in  the  midst  of  quarrels  and 
disturbance.  I  have  answered  his  letter  and  given  him 
my  opinion  in  all  but  this  article ;  I  would  fain  have 
him  do  well,  and  establish  such  a  character  as  may  give 
him  higher  views  in  time  than  barely  remaining  a  country 
parson. 

God  Almighty  bless  and  prosper  you  all.  Being  come 
to  the  bottom  of  my  paper,  I  have  but  barely  room  to 
assure  you  of  my  remaining,  my  dear  brother, 

Eternally  yours.     Lansdown. 

Endorsed  by  Col.  Granville  as  "  Received  Saturday,  16  Feb.  1722-3." 


Lord  Lansdown  to  Col.  Bernard  OranviHe. 

March  9th,  1722-3. 

My  Dear  Brother, 

I  am  heartily  sorry  for  any  mistakes  which  happen 
beWeen  you  and  your  neighbours,  wishing  for  nothing 
so  much  as  a  good  understanding  between  you.  What 
I  have  always  required  from  him,  to  which  my  circum- 
stances oblige  me,  is  that  he  should  make  good  to  me  m/y 
rent  roll,  as  it  was  always  in  his  predecessor's  time.  I 
wish  with  all  my  heart  I  could  make  greater  allowances, 

'  A  collection  of  verses,  by  the  University  of  Oxford,  on  the  death  of  Sir 
Bevil  Granville,  was  printed  in  1643,  and  reprinted  in  1684.  To  these  are 
annexed  King  Charles's  letters  to  Sir  Bevil  Granville,  and  to  the  county  of 
Cornwal ;  and  a  patent  of  Charles  I.,  which  grants  to  the  county  of  Cornwal 

trade  to  Denmark,  the  great  Duke  of  Muscovy,  and  the  Levant. 


78  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

but  as  my  misfortunes  and  my  family  have  encreased  I 
cannot  go  beyond  what  was  then  allowed.  I  have  written 
to  him  to  observe  the  same  rule  as  in  Cooper's  time.  If 
I  could  make  it  better  I  would,  but,  as  the  world  goes, 
we  must  each  of  us  submit  to  the  present  necessity,  and 
consider  one  another  in  our  turns  as  well  as  we  can,  with 
the  best  husbandry ;  you  are  and  shall  ever  be  sure  of 
me  to  the  very  utmost  of  my  power  ;  all  that  1  have  to 
ask  of  you  in  return,  is  to  consider  with  the  same  tender- 
ness my  circumstances  till  I  have  more  in  my  power, 
and  whenever  that  happens,  I  will  give  you  leave  to  re- 
proach me,  if  your  condition  should  not  mend  whenever 
mine  does.  I  have  already  thanked  you  for  the  plan  you 
sent  me,  and  gave  you  my  reflexions  upon  the  perform- 
ance, which  I  hope  you  received. 

Pray  tell  Madam  Lyndsey  that  I  rejoice  at  her  resur- 
rection; she  has  been  dead  and  buried  with  us  above 
these  twelve  months,  and  I  have  been  very  angry  with 
her  brother,  who  is  a  principal  person  in  this  part  of  the 
world,  for  not  going  into  mourning  for  her,  for  which  I 
shall  beg  his  pardon.  I  likewise  congratulate  the  city 
of  Bath  for  continuing  under  the  direction  of  its  old 
governour,  whom  our  newspapers  had  sent  of  a  long 
journey  into  the  other  world.  Care  shall  be  taken  to 
equip  my  god-daughter  as  you  desire  with  the  very  first 
opportunity  of  sending  from  hence. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  brother,  there  is  nothing  in  my 
power  but  shall  be  always  as  much  as  I  am  yours. 

My  wife  is  your  humble  servant. 

Lansdown. 

It  is  certain  that  Col.  Granville  not  only  lost  immensely  by 
his  own  attachment  to  the  Stuarts,  but  that  his  brother,  Lord 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  79 

Lansdown's  influence  being  considerable,  it  was  probable  that  it 
was  exerted  to  strengthen  his  adherence  to  their  cause,  still 
more  to  the  injury  of  his  worldly  affairs  in  his  later  days. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  OranviUe. 

London,  16th  May,  1723. 

Though  I  have  been  a  voyage  to-day,  I  can't  forbear 
writing  two  or  three  lines  to  my  dear  sister.  Mrs. 
Carter  and  myself  are  just  returned  from  Chelsea,  where 
we  found  all  friends  well.  Mr.  Butler  complains  very 
much,  but  I  believe  he  is  a  little  hipped,  for  he  grows  fat 
and  eats  and  sleeps  well.  Wlien  we  came  home  we  had 
a  mortification,  for  Mrs.  Carter  found  a  letter  from  Lady 
H.  H.  to  offer  her  two  tickets  for  the  Opera,  the  loss  of 
which  makes  Maddy  grumble,  but  she  is  very  well  and 
very  good  to  be  contented  with  the  accomodations  she 
meets  with  here.  She  gives  her  service  to  you,  and  is  at 
this  time  writing  out  the  variations  of  Minuett  Favorita. 
I  am  rejoiced  to  hear  by  your  letter  to  her  that  my  mama 
is  pretty  well ;  if  my  good  wishes  had  any  influence  her 
health  would  be  perfect.  This  day  my  Aunt  Clifford  had 
an  account  from  my  cousin  Carter  of  Braintree  of  old 
Mrs.  Taverner's  death :   she  died  last  Wednesday  night. 

Lady  Lansdowne  is  expected  to-night  or  to-morrow 
morning.  Miss  Grace  has  quite  recovered.  Sir  William 
Carew's^  lawsuit  with  Lord  Coventry  is  just  determined 
in  favour  of  Sir  William.  The  young  Duchess  of  Marl- 
borough^ has  settled  on  Bononcini   for   his   life    £500 


'  Sir  Wiliiam  Carew,  of  Anthony,  M.P.  for  Cornwall,  married  Ann,  only 
daughter  and  heiress  of  Gilbert,  4th  Earl  of  Coventry.  On  the  Earl's  decease 
in  1719,  the  title  devolved  upon  "William  Coventry,  Esq.,  M.P.  for  Bridport, 
a  descendant  of  the  1st  Lord. 

2  The  great  Duke  of  Marlborough  died  June  16,  1722.  His  widow  "  tho 
old  Duchess,"  survived  till  1744.    Their  daughter  Henrietta,  wife  of  Francis 


80  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

a-year,  provided  he  will  not  compose  any  more  for  the 
ungrateful  Academy,  who  do  not  deserve  he  should  enter- 
tain them,  since  they  don't  know  how  to  value  his  works 
as  they  ought,  and  likewise  told  him  he  should  "  always 
be  welcome  to  her  table."  Lady  Francis  Hamilton  is  soon 
to  be  married  to  Mr.  Sanderson,  a  brother  of  Lord  Scar- 
borough ;  she  is  to  have  ten  thousand  pound  down,  and 
ten  thousand  pound  after  Lord  Orkney's  death. 

Yesterday  I  had  a  letter  from  Miss  Legh,  who  asks 
me  many  questions  about  you :  as,  if  you  are  in  town  ?  if 
you  mind  your  musick  ?  and  to  crown  all  if  you  are  to  be 
married  soon  ?  she  is  to  suffer  penance  in  the  country  some 
time  longer.  The  Countess^  is  persecuted  with  lovers  and 
with  poetry  by  the  penny  post ;  wit  flows  in  abundance. 
When  I  see  you,  I  shall  be  able  to  entertain  you  with  some 
very  extraordinary  things,  but  I  won't  trust  the  post ;  be- 
sides circumstances  and  several  particulars  must  be  told, 
which  cannot  so  well  be  expressed  in  writing,  and  I  hope 
we  shall  meet  before  the  year  is  expired  and  tell  old  stories. 

But  I  must  tell  of  a  new  entertainment  I  have  had, 
which  was  the  Masquerade  last  Tuesday.  We  dispatched 
Moll  and  Bess  before  us,  and  said  not  one  word  of  our 
design  of  going,  but  as  soon  as  they  were  gone  we  dressed 
ourselves  in  black  dominos,  took  sober  Mr.  Cole  with  us, 
and  went  after  them  to  the  Masquerade,  where  we  should 
have  had  pure  sport,  if  Edgcombe,  who  was  very  quicJv- 
sighted  in  finding  out  the  widow,  had  not  betrayed  us. 
I  was  very  much  pleased  with  it,  and  like  it  so  well  as 


Earl  of  Godolphin,  succeeded  by  Act  of  Parliament  to  her  father's  dukedom, 
and  is  here  mentioned  as  "  the  young  Duchess."  She  died  in  1733,  wlicn  her 
sister's  son  Charles,  5th  Earl  of  Sunderland,  became  Duke  of  Marlborough. 

1  "  Tlie  Countess."  Lady  Sunderland,  step-mother  to  the  Earl  of  Sunderland, 
who  became  2nd  Duke  of  Marlborough. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  81 

to  hope  one  day  to  have  the  pleasure  of  going  with  you 
to  one.  I  met  with  no  smart  people,  and  it  was  thin  of 
company  to  what  they  used  to  be,  but  as  it  was  the  first 
I  ever  was  at,  I  did  not  find  any  faults,  but  a  great  deal 
of- diversion :  I  will  dress  up  your  head,  and  am  proud 
you  should  prefer  my  fingers  before  any  other.  Now  I 
must  have  compassion  on  you  and  conclude,  though  if  I 
had  a  foHo  sheet  before  me,  I  believe  I  could  fill  it :  I  am 
sure  it  would  not  hold  all  I  have  to  say,  were  I  to  tell 
you  with  how  much  affection 

1  am  yours. 
Penny  Penny. 


LETTEE  X. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

Alcander,  upon  some  discontents  occasioned  by  political 
affairs,  went  with  his  family  to  France  the  year  before  I 
came  to  town.  I  was  much  disappointed  at  not  finding 
liim,for  I  loved  him  notwithstanding  the  unhappy  set- 
tlement he  had  made  for  me,  and  I  hoped  for  some 
redress  from  him.  I  at  first  lamented  the  absence  of 
Laura,^  from  whose  friendship  I  expected  much  consola- 
tion, for  she  corresponded  with  me  in  the  kindest  manner 
imaginable,  and  professed  a  sincere  affection  for  me,  but 
I  found  her  conduct  since  my  leaving  her,  had  been  very 
indiscreet.  I  told  you  in  one  of  my  first  letters  that 
she  was  very  handsome  and  gay ;  she  loved  admiration — 
a  most  dangerous  disposition  in  an  agreeable  woman,  and 
proved  a  most  ruinous  one  to  Lady  Lansdown.  The 
libertine  manners  of  France  accomplished  what  her  own 


*  Lady  Lansdowne. 
VOL.  I. 


82  LIFE  AND  COREESPONDENCE 

nature  was  too  prone  to.  No  woman  could  less  justify  her- 
self than  she  could.  Alcander,  whom  she  married  for  love, 
had  every  agreeable  quality  that  could  make  a  husband 
amiable  and  worthy  of  the  most  tender  and  constant  affec- 
tion ;  he  was  fond  of  her  to  excess,  generous  to  extrava- 
gance, allowing  her  the  command  of  all  his  fortune.  He 
had  learning  and  sense,  far  beyond  her  capacity  and  wit, 
with  the  greatest  politeness  and  good-humour  imaginable  ; 
in  one  word,  he  was  as  fine  and  finished  a  gentleman,  as 
in  his  own,  or  any  other  age,  ever  adorned  his  country. 

Alcander,  had  he  married  a  woman  of  prudence,  sense 
and  virtue,  would  have  made  a  shining  figure  in  the 
world  to  his  last  moments;  and  Laura,  had  she  married  a 
man  of  a  resolute  arbitrary  disposition,  might  have  made  a 
decent  wife  ;  but  she  was  extravagant,  and  given  up  to  dis- 
sipation, and  my  uncle's  open  unsuspecting  temper  gave 
her  full  liberty  to  indulge  the  unbounded  vanity  of  her 
heart.  I  have  been  very  particular  in  her  character,  that 
you  may  the  more  plainly  see  in  the  progress  of  this 
little  history,  the  dangers  I  escaped  from  her  example 
and  attempts  upon  me ;  and  when  I  came  to  consider 
what  a  risk  I  must  have  run  under  the  conduct  of  such  a 
woman,  I  was  thankful  to  Providence  for  my  present 
situation,  and  that  reflection  reconciled  me  more  to  it 
than  all  my  reasoning  before  could  possibly  do :  a  strong 
argument  for  humble  resignation  to  the  dispensations  of 
that  Providence,  which  so  often  from  the  evils  we  endure 
produces  the  good  we  could  not  foresee. 

Though  I  was  on  my  coming  to  London  disappointed 
of  two  friends,  on  whom  I  had  depended,  I  was  not  of  the 
third.     My  aunt  Valeria,^  whose  friendship,  virtue,  and 

*  Lady  Stanley. 

I 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  83 

good  sense,  guided  and  supported  me  through  several  diffi- 
cult paths,  was  the  only  person  in  the  world  to  whom  I 
ever  made  any  complaint,  and  even  from  her,  I  concealed 
the  greatest  part  of  what  I  suffered,  except  where  I  wanted 
her  direction  to  act  properly,  and  then  I  was  forced  to  tell 
her  my  difficulties  without  disguise.  She  had  a  great 
partiality  for  me ;  she  was  infirm  and  unahle  to  go  to 
public  places,  but  was  very  careful  wJio  I  went  with: 
my  being  young  and  new,  and  soon  known  to  be  married 
to  a  man  much  older  than  myself,  exposed  me  to  the 
impertinence  of  many  idle  young  men.  It  was  not  my 
turn  to  be  pleased  with  such  votaries,  and  the  appre- 
hension of  Gromio's  jealousy  kept  me  upon  my  guard, 
and  by  a  dull  cold  behaviour  I  soon  gave  them  to  under- 
stand they  were  to  expect  no  encouragement  from  me. 

Germanico,^  a  foreigner,  was  not  so  easily  repulsed. 
His  figure  was  by  no  means  agreeable,  his  manner  forward 
and  assured,  and  his  age  placed  him  amongst  those  that  I 
could  not  imagine  had  any  gallantry  in  their  head — but 
was  mistaken.  He  was  'often  in  my  company  ;  the  first 
time  was  at  a  ball  given  by  one  of  the  foreign  ministers  -^ 
he,  unfortunately  for  me,  engaged  me  to  dance  with  him, 
and  that  gave  him  a  pretence  of  talking  to  me  whenever 
we  afterwards  met,  but  as  I  did  not  observe  anything  in 
his  behaviour  to  me  that  could  give  me  offence,  I  behaved 
towards  him  with  the  same  indifference  I  did  to  my 
general  acquaintance.  He  was  to  give  an  entertainment 
of  music  and  supper  to  some  relations  and  intimate 
friends  of  mine  :  he  engaged  them  to  bring  me  with  them. 
I  told  Gromio  and  Valeria  of  the  invitation,  and  they 
both  encouraged  me  to  go  as  I  loved  music,  and  the  com- 

1  M.  Fabrici,  the  Hanoverian  Minister.  ^  Danish  Amhassador. 

G  2 


84:  LIFE  AND  COERESPONDENCE 

pany  were  agreeable  to  me ;  accordingly  I  consented,  and 
at  nine  o'clock  we  went.  We  were  twelve  in  company  : 
nothing  could  have  been  more  gay  and  magnificent  than 
the  music  and  supper.  When  we  sat  down  to  table,  it 
was  proposed  we  should  sit  a  man  and  a  woman ;  it  was 
my  place  to  sit  the  lower  end  of  the  table,  and  Germanico 
sat  next  to  me,  but  I  soon  wished  for  another  neighbour. 
He  stared  at  me  the  whole  night,  and  put  me  so  much  out 
of  countenance,  that  I  was  ready  to  cry  :  he  soon  checked 
all  my  pleasure  at  the  entertainment,  the  music  sounded 
harsh,  and  ever3^thing  appeared  disagreeable.  I  showed 
all  the  signs  of  discontent  I  could,  enquired  if  my  chair 
was  come,  and  looked  at  my  watch  twenty  times ;  at  last, 
to  my  relief,  the  company  broke  up.  I  took  a  hood  out 
of  my  pocket  to  put  on,  and  Gernianico  gave  me  a  paper 
which  he  said  I  had  dropped  in  taking  out  my  hood :  he 
led  me  to  my  chair,  squeezed  me  by  the  hand  and  offered 
to  kiss  it,  but  I  snatched  it  from  him  with  the  highest 
resentment :  I  was  indeed  greatly  offended  at  his  imper- 
tinence, and  heartily  repented  of  my  supping  there. 

I  communicated  what  had  passed  to  Valeria,  who  advised 
me  to  avoid  him  as  much  as  possible,  which  I  did  by 
keeping  from  all  public  places,  or  wherever  I  thought  it 
might  be  probable  for  me  to  meet  him.  I  abhorred  the 
wretch  and  could  not  forgive  his  presumption,  but  how 
was  my  detestation  of  him  increased  a  day  or  two  after 
this  odious  supper,  when,  sorting  some  papers  I  had  in 
my  pocket,  I  found  a  letter  from  Germanico,  with  a  pas- 
sionate declaration  of  love  !  I  tlu'cw  it  into  the  fire  with 
the  utmost  indignation.  This  was  the  paper  which  he 
pretended  I  had  dropt  from  my  pocket,  which  I  (unprac- 
tisecl  in  such  arts)  took  without  the  least  suspicion. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  85 

These  perplexities  abroad  and  discontents  at  home, 
made  me  wish  myself  in  a  place  of  more  solitude,  and 
even  solicit  Groraio  to  return  to  Averno,  where  at  least 
I  should  pass  my  time  with  fewer  difficulties,  though  not 
with  more  happiness.  He  promised  me  from  month  to 
month  he  would  go,  but  retirement  was  not  then  to  bo 
my  lot.  A  few  months  after  this  I  went  down  to  my 
father's  house  in  the  country,  Gromio  was  detained  in 
town  upon  business ;  I  was  transported  once  more 
to  see  the  dear  Farm,  and  alas  !  it  was  hut  once  more  I  My 
sister  was  now  grown  a  very  reasonable  and  entertaining 
companion  though  very  young  :  she  had  a  lively  genius, 
improved  beyond  her  years,  loved  reading,  and  had  an 
excellent  memory.  I  was  surprized  at  her  understanding, 
having  never  before  attended  to  her  but  as  to  a  child, 
and  the  goodness  of  her  heart,  and  the  delicacy  of  her 
sentiments  delighted  me  still  more.  From  that  time  I  had 
a  perfect  confidence  in  her,  told  her  some  of  my  distresses, 
and  found  great  consolation  and  relief  to  my  mind  by 
this  opening  of  my  heart,  and  from  her  great  tenderness 
and  friendship  for  me. 

Three  months  of  felicity  soon  passed  over  caressed  and 
indulged  by  the  most  amiable  parents  in  the  world,  but 
this  happy  scene  was  closed  by  a  most  severe  affliction — 
the  death  of  my  dear  father!  That  misfortune  dispersed  us 
all :  my  brother  was  sent  for  post,  on  this  sad  occasion. 
My  mother  could  not  bear  to  remain  in  a  place  where 
she  had  gone  through  so  melancholy  a  scene ;  she  removed 
to  a  town  ^  about  twelve  miles  from  the  Farm,  where  she 
has  been  settled  ever  since.  She  took  my  sister  with 
her,  my  brother  returned  with  us  to  London ;  business 

*  Gloucester. 


86  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

called  him  and  duty  me,  for  Gromio  began  to  resent  my 
staying  so  long ;  but  one  good  thing  happened  in  my 
absence — the  brother  and  sister  quarrelled  and  parted. 

I  shall  be,  my  dear  friend,  surprised  if  your  patience 
be  not  exhausted  by  this  time ;  I  suspect  it  is,  and  beg 
you  will  own  it  frankly,  and  you  will  oblige  yours, 

&c.,  &c. 


George  Lord  Lansdown  to  his  Niece^  Mrs.  Pcndarves. 

Dec.  22ua,  1723. 

My  Dearest  Niece, 

I  have  both  your  letters  at  the  same  time  of  the  12 1st 
and  30th  of  November  your  style  this  very  day,  the  post 
coming  in  so  late,  that  I  have  but  just  a  moment  to 
acknowledge  the  receipt  of  them.  If  I  had  received  your 
first  letter  without  the  last,  I  should  indeed  liave  suf- 
fered a  great  deal,  but  the  comfort  which  one  brought, 
has  prevented  the  pain  which  the  other  would  have 
given.  I  beg  you  to  assure  my  brother  of  my  tenderest 
wishes  for  his  health  ;  I  hope  it  will  please  God  to  give 
us  life  to  come  together  again  with  some  comfort.  He 
and  his  may  be  always  assured  of  my  utmost  afiection. 
Pray  make  my  compliments  to  my  sister  and  my  niece. 
The  little  time  I  have  to  own  the  receipt  of  your  letters  is 
what  I  would  not  omit,  though  it  allows  me  no  more  than 
just  to  assure  you,  my  brother  and  family,  of  my  being 
eternally,  with  the  truest  and  most  tender  affection, 
My  dear  niece,  your  most  affectionate 

uncle  and  most  faithful  servant, 
Lansdowne. 

I  hope  my  old  friend  Pen  is  always  in  good  health. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  87 

Lord  Lanadown  to  Mrs.  Pendarves. 

Dec.  31, 1723. 

Dear  Niece, 

It  grieves  me  that  tlie  first  time  of  my  saluting 
you  in  this  manner,  should  be  upon  so  melancholy  an 
occasion  as  the  death  of  so  tender  a  father :  my  heart 
joins  with  you  in  all  the  affliction  you  feel.  Comfort 
your  poor  mother,  let  that  be  your  care.  As  far  as  it 
shall  be  in  my  power  to  be  instead  of  a  father  to  you  all 
I  will.     Believe  me.  with  all  truth  and  tenderness. 

My  dear  niece, 

Your  most  affectionate  uncle, 
Lansdowne. 


Sir  John  Stanley  to  Mrs.  Pendarves,  at  BucTdands. 

London,  lOtb  Dec.  1723. 

Madam, 

No  body  can  be  more  concerned  at  the  great 
loss  which  I  fear  before  this  time  you  have  had  at 
Bucklands :  it  could  be  no  surprise  from  the  nature  of  the 
distemper,  and  the  violence  of  the  attack,  and  therefore 
I  hope  my  sister  and  you  were  better  prepared  for  it.  I 
have  that  opinion  both  of  your  good  understandings  and 
true  piety,  that  you  will  endeavour  to  be  easy  under  this 
stroke  of  Providence,  which  though  heavy  when  it  comes, 
yet  we  know  must  fall  on  everybody  in  their  turn.  My 
wife  is  so  much  out  of  order  that  I  have  not  ventured  to 
let  her  know  the  worst,  though  I  have  prepared  her  for 
it ;  she  knows  notliing  of  the  express  you  sent ;  and  your 
brother's  going  down  I  told  her  was  by  Sir  Anthony 


88  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Westcomb's  advice  and  mine  ;  it  was  certainly  right,  and 
so  good  a  son  and  brother  must  be  a  comfort  to  you. 

I  am,  madam, 
Your  most  obedient  and  most  humble  servant, 

J.  Stanley. 


Lady  Lansdown  to  Barnard  Qranvilk,  Esq. 

Jan,  Ist,  1724, 

Dear  Nephew, 

You  can't  imagine  how  sincerely  I  am  concerned 
for  the  loss  that  you  have  made  of  so  good  a  father  :  I 
am  the  more  concerned,  knowing  what  it  is  for  a  dutyfull 
child  to  lose  a  tender  father ;  and  enter  into  your  loss 
more  sensibly  than  another,  having  some  years  past  made 
the  same  loss.  But  you  have  a  comfort  left,  which  is  an 
uncle  that  you  are  sure  will  he  a  father  to  you  in 
worldly  affairs,  and  he  would  take  it  very  kindly  of 
you,  that  after  you  have  seen  which  way  your  mother 
is,  if  you  would  make  him  a  visit  on  this  side  of  the 
water,  when  you  have  taken  due  care  of  the  poor 
widow  and  of  your  sister  Anne. 

You  that  know  your  uncle  so  well,  you  may  imagine 
how  much  concerned  he  is  for  the  death  of  your  father, 
after  having  lived  so  long  well  together.  I  hope  that  I 
have  no  occasion  to  assure  you  of  my  friendship ;  all  I 
wish  is  that  it  was  more  in  my  power  to  show  you  how 
much  I  am,  and  shall  always  be,  my  dear  nephew, 

Your  most  faithful  friend, 
M.  Lansdowne. 


OP  MRS.  DELANY.  89 

LETTER  XI. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

Gromio,  who  really  loved  me,  was  mucli  concerned  to 
see  me  so  melancholy  on  the  loss  of  my  father,  but  that 
was  no  consolation  to  me.  The  summer  following  he 
proposed  going  to  Windsor  for  a  month.  I  liked  the 
proposal  very  well,  and  we  took  lodging  facing  the  gs^te 
that  goes  into  the  Little  Park  :  the  situation  was  plea- 
sant, having  a  view  of  the  Park  from  the  upper  windows. 
Gromio  was  taken  ill  with  the  gout  the  day  we  came 
there.  I  used  to  rise  very  early  in  the  morning  to  walk 
in  the  Great  Park,  which  joined  to  the  garden  of  our 
house,  attended  by  my  maid  and  man.  I  chose  to  walk 
at  that  early  hour  to  avoid  company,  as  the  Court  was  at 
that  time  at  Windsor. 

Stella,^  a  lady  much  distinguished  and  in  favour  at 
Court,  who  has  she\vn  me  on  many  occasions  much 
civility,  and  with  whom  I  was  often  engaged  on  musical 
parties,  which  we  both  loved,  and  in  which  she  excelled, 
had  at  this  time  an  apartment  in  the  palace  at  Windsor. 
She  heard  of  my  being  there  by  a  particular  accident,  for 
Gromio  did  not  design  it  should  be  known;  but  an 
artist,^   famous   for   making   musical  clocks,^   who    was 

'  Lady  WalsingJiam,  niece  to  the  Duchess  of  Kendal,  afterwards  Lady 
Chesterfield.  Melusinda  de  Schulemberg,  created  by  King  George-  the  First 
a  peeress  for  life  in  her  own  right,  April  7,  1722,  as  Baroness  of  Aldborough 
and  Countess  of  Walsingham. 

2  Pinchbeck. 

3  In  an  old  book  these  lines  were  recollected  by  the  Baroness  de  Bunsen  on 
hearing  this  MS.  read  : 

"  Sly  Chinese  toys  must  go  to  pot, 
My  Deards,  my  Pinchbecks,  and  what  not." 
"  Deard  "  was  a  famous  jeweller,  whose  descendant.  Miss  Deard,  died  at 
Abergavenny,  South  Wales,  in  the  present  century.    (1859.) 


90  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

recommended  to  me  for  his  great  skill,  and  at  whose 
house  I  had  often  been  entertained  with  his  works, 
heard  I  was  at  Windsor,  and  followed  me,  that  I  might 
speak  in  his  favour  to  Stella :  he  brought  with  him  one 
of  his  fine  clocks,  and  I  could  not  refuse  his  request. 
Stella,  as  soon  as  she  heard  of  my  being  in  her  neigh- 
bourhood, came  to  see  me,  and  appointed  a  day  for  my 
drinking  tea  with  her.  I  went  according  to  the  appoint- 
ment, but  had  the  vexation  of  finding  Germanico  there. 
I  endeavoured  to  show  him,  by  my  cool  behaviour,  that 
my  thoughts  of  him  were  still  the  same,  and  that  I  had 
a  thorough  contempt  for  him.  Stella  was  extremely 
obliging  to  me,  and  desired  to  see  me  often,  and  she 
asked  me  if  I  should  like  to  meet  her  in  the  Little  Park. 
I  said  I  should,  and  she  named  the  next  day,  in  the  cool 
of  the  evening ;  I  was  very  glad  of  that  liberty,  as  it 
appeared  with  so  much  beauty  to  me  out  of  my  chamber 
window,  that  I  had  often  wished  for  the  privilege  of 
walking  there. 

The  next  day,  at  six  in  the  afternoon,  a  servant  came 
to  tell  me  the  Park  door  was  open,  and  Stella  waited  for 
me,  upon  which  I  immediately  went.  As  soon  as  I  got 
within  the  gate  the  servant  locked  me  in.  I  walked  up 
and  down  towards  the  Castle,  expecting  to  find  Stella  in 
Q.  E.'s  Walk  ;  when,  to  my  equal  surprise,  I  saw  only 
Germanico  !  I  started  back  with  an  intent  to  return  ;  but 
recollecting  that  the  gate  was  locked,  I  stopped  for  some 
minutes.  I  soon  apprehended  this  was  a  plot  of  the 
audacious  wretch's  contrivance,  and  a  thousand  fears 
crowded  into  my  mind  :  however,  I  thought  it  best  to 
walk  towards  him  with  some  confidence,  though  I 
trembled  so  much  I  could  liardly  keep  my  feet.     He 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  91 

came  up  to  me  and  threw  himself  upon  his  knees, 
holding  my  petticoat,  and  begged  I  would  forgive  the 
stratagem  he  had  made  use  of,  for  an  opportunity  of 
declaring  how  miserable  he  was  on  my  account.  I  grew 
so  frightened  and  so  angry,  that  I  hardly  heard  what  he 
said,  nor  can  I  exactly  recollect  what  I  said  to  him,  in 
the  vast  confusion  I  was  in.  He  found  it  was  in  vain  for 
him  to  expect  any  favour  from  me,  but  still  he  would  not 
let  me  go.  At  last  I  was  so  provoked,  that  I  assured 
him  that  "  the  King  should  be  made  acquainted  with  his 
presumption ;  that  if  Stella  would  not  do  me  that 
justice,  /  had  fnemls  tliat  would  not  bear  to  have  me 
insulted  and  persecuted  in  such  a  manner ;  and  that  if 
lie  did  not  instantly  go  and  acquaint  Stella  of  my  being 
there,  I  would  go  up  to  the  windows  of  the  apartment 
where  I  knew  the  King  sat  after  dinner,  and  should 
not  scruple  making  my  complaint  of  him  aloud." 

He  was  alarmed  at  finding  me  so  resolute  (for  he  ex- 
pected a  dove  instead  of  a  tiger),  and  he  asked  my  pardon, 
most  submissively,  for  what  had  past,  and  entreated  me, 
if  I  had  any  humanity,  that  I  would  not  let  his  be- 
haviour be  kno^vn  to  the  King,  for  if  it  were  he  should 
be  ruined.  I  told  him  if  he  would  immediately  bring 
SteUa  into  the  walk  where  I  was,  and  never  speak  to  me 
again,  or  even  bow  to  me,  I  would  not  expose  him. 

This  conversation  lasted  above  an  hour;  and  what 
added  to  my  distress  was  that  the  walk  we  were  in  faced 
the  chamber-window  where  Gromio  always  sat.  What  a 
scene  would  it  have  been  for  him  to  have  seen  Ger- 
manico  upon  his  knees,  holding  me  by  the  petticoat ! 
But  my  fears  were  groundless.  When  SteUa  came  she 
chid  Germanico  for  not  sooner  bringing  her  word  of  my 


9^  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

being  in  the  Park,  and  said  she  "  did  not  expect  me  till 
the  cool  of  the  evening."  I  kept  my  word  with  Ger- 
manico,  and  he  kept  his  with  me,  and  I  think  we  never 
'\_  met  but  once  after  that.  Whilst  I  was  walking  with 
Stella,  I  observed  she  looked  back  very  often,  as  if  she 
expected  somebody,  and  at  last  exprest  a  surprize  that 
"  the  King  was  not  come  into  the  Park,  as  he  told  her  he 
would."  I  was  alarmed  at  this,  not  desiring  to  be  intro- 
duced to  His  Majesty  in  so  improper  a  manner,  not 
having  been  at  Court,  and  having  observed  before  that 
some  pains  had  been  taken  to  bring  me  into  his  way, 
though  in  vain,  T  hastened  out  of  the  Park  as  soon  as  I 
could,  with  civility,  not  without  some  dread  that  what 
had  past  might  have  been  observed  to  my  disadvantage ; 
but  I  happily  found  to  the  contrary. 

I  soon  found  Windsor  too  public  a  place  for  me  to  live 
in  with  any  comfort.  Gromio  could  never  walk  out ;  and 
to  be  confined  the  whole  day  to  a  little  close  lodging,  in 
one  of  the  hottest  seasons  that  ever  was  felt,  was  almost 
insupportable ;  and  when  I  went  out  I  was  embarrassed 
with  more  company  than  was  either  agreeable  or  proper 
for  me  to  allow.  I  made  myself  a  close  prisoner  the  last 
week  I  staid,  and  was  glad  to  be  set  at  liberty  by  going  to 
my  own  house  in  town.     Here  I  must  rest.     Adieu  ! 


LETTER  XII. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 


Since  you  say  positively  it  is  your  desire  I  should 
proceed,  I  will  teaze  you  no  more  with  excuses.  As  I 
told  you  in  my  last  I  avoided  all  opportunities  of  meet- 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  93 

ing  with  Germanico.  About  that  time  my  aunt  Laura  vj^ 
came  to  England.  I  went  to  wait  upon  her  as  soon  as  I 
heard  of  her  arrival ;  she  was  overjoyed  to  see  me,  and 
brought  me  a  letter  from  Alcander,  wherein  he  expressed 
the  fondest  affection  for  his  wife,  and  enjoined  me  to 
show  her  all  imaginable  respect.  I  endeavored  to  acquit 
myself  in  the  best  manner  I  was  able ;  she  paid  great 
court  to  me,  her  beauty  was  in  its  decline,  but  her 
love  of  admiration,  and  her  coquet  disposition  remained 
in  all  its  strength.  I  was  upon  my  guard,  as  her  repu- 
tation had  suffered  a  great  deal,  and  her  behaviour  soon 
confirmed  all  I  had  heard.  The  company  I  met  at  her 
house  were  free  libertine  people,  and  I  was  often  shocked. 
I  once  took  courage,  told  her  of  my  opinion  and  what 
the  world  said  of  her  conduct ;  she  carried  it  oflf  with  a 
laugh,  but  never  forgave  it,  and  from  that  day  made  use 
of  all  her  arts  to  draw  me  into  a  share  in  her  misconduct. 
Clario,^  a  gay  flattering  audacious  Frenchman,  was  the 
person  she  pitched  upon  to  serve  her  purpose.  He  had 
for  some  time  been  her  humble  servant,  but  they  were 
now  tired  of  each  other.  I  met  him  one  morning  at  her 
toilette,  the  rendezvous  of  idle  flatterers  ;  he  by  her 
encouragement  soon  grew  acquainted  with  me.  The 
next  time  I  met  him,  I  found  it  time  to  double  my  re- 
serve, but  that  signfied  Httle,  I  was  turned  into  ridicule 
by  Laura  and  Clario,  and  at  last  he  came  to  an  open 
profession  of  his  having  a  violent  passion  for  me  ;  upon 
which  I  expressed  great  resentment  to  Laura  for  allow- 
ing me  to  be  so  improperly  treated  in  her  house,  and 
gave  him  to  understand  I  should  by  no  means  allow  of 
such  freedom  :  several  weeks  past,  and  I  neither  went 

»  Earl  of  Clare. 


94  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

to  Laura  nor  to  any  place  where  I  thought  Clario  would 
probably  be.  Great  part  of  that  time  Gromio  was  con- 
fined with  the  gout,  at  which  time  I  never  left  him  ;  one 
day  when  I  was  sitting  by  his  bedside,  reading  to  him, 
my  servant  brought  me  a  letter  ;  I  opened  it ;  guess  at 
my  vexation  when  I  found  it  came  from  Clario  !  It 
was  written  in  French  with  the  true  spirit  of  a  libertine 
Frenchman.  In  it  he  deplored  my  unhappy  situation 
in  being  nurse  to  an  old  man,  and  declared  most  passion- 
ately his  admiration  of  me,  and  that  he  could  teach  me 
better  lessons  than  I  found  in  romances  which  he  knew 
I  was  fond  of  reading  and  studied,  which  made  me  so 
shy  and  reserved,  so  cruel  and  haughty ;  and  if  I  would 
allow  myself  to  be  more  natural,  I  should  be  more  agre- 
able.  To  this  effect  was  his  elaborate  billet  composed, 
and  stuffed  with  high-flown  compliments  to  me,  all  which 
I  despised  as  much  as  I  detested  the  author. 

Luckily  for  me  Gromio  was  fallen  asleep  with  my  read- 
ing, and  the  servant  in  bringing  in  the  letter  did  not 
awake  him.  I  went  out  and  enquired  who  brought  it,  and 
was  shocked  when  they  told  me  "  a  servant  of  Laura's."  I 
bid  them  tell  the  servant  "  the  letter  required  no  answer." 
If  I  had  followed  the  dictates  of  my  resentment  at  that 
time,  I  should  not  have  given  so  quiet  an  answer,  but  I 
was  afraid  of  exposing  Laura :  I  resolved  to  go  no  more  to 
her  house  on  any  account,  and  was  above  two  months 
without  seeing  her.  At  last  Gromio  was  surprised  I 
never  went  there,  and  said  I  should  disoblige  my  uncle, 
and  to  avoid  his  questioning  me  too  closely  I  went  to  see 
her  one  day  when  I  heard  she  was  not  well.  I  found 
her  alone,  and  I  took  the  opportunity  of  reproaching  her 
severely  for  allowing  Clario  to  behave  himself  towards 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  95 

me  as  lie  had  done :  she  laughed  at  my  prudery  as  she 
called  it,  and  said  I  was  a  fool.  Immediately  Clario  came 
into  the  room  and  I  rose  to  be  gone,  upon  which  she 
ordered  him  to  lock  the  doors,  which  he  did,  and  then 
pretended  to  be  very  humble  and  respectful.  I  entreated 
Laura  to  let  me  go — I  told  her  I  was  engaged  and  must 
go — all  to  no  purpose :  she  vowed  I  should  not  go  out  of 
her  house  till  after  supper,  rang  for  a  servant  to  send 
away  my  coach,  and  kept  me  by  violence.  It  was  by 
this  time  past  nine,  and  the  company  she  expected  came. 
When  I  found  there  was  to  be  a  great  deal  of  company 
I  grew  more  composed,  but  did  not  open  my  lips  to 
speak  one  word. 

Clario  kept  me  in  continual  confusion  all  the  evening 
with  his  particular  attention  to  me,  though  the  rest  of 
the  company  were  so  much  engaged  with  each  other  they 
attended  to  nothing  else,  but  had  they  observed  Clario 
it  would  not  have  offended  them  as  it  did  me,  their  won- 
der would  have  been  at  my  uneasiness,  for  he  was  thought 
an  Adonis  by  that  set  of  ladies,  but  in  my  eyes  he  was 
most  despicable,  and  excessively  vain  of  his  person  and 
silly.     When  supper  was  over  the  gaiety  of  the  company 
increased,  and  with  it  my  uneasiness ;  they  sang  French 
catches,  which  gave  me  unspeakable  offence,  and  when 
this  was  over,  one  of  the  ladies  proposed  that  the  same 
party  should  meet  at  her  house,  and  desired  a  day  might 
l3e  named ;  which  was  accordingly  done  and  agreed  to  by 
all  but   me.     I  said  I  was  engaged;  another  day  was 
named — I  was  still  engaged  ;  a  third  day  was  named,  and 
then  I  resolutely  said  "  I  was  engaged  for  as  many  days  as 
she  could  name ;"  glad  of  the  opportunity  of  showing  my 
detestation  of  so  dangerous  a  society.     Upon  this  they 


96  .  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

immediately  broke  up,  and  we  all  went  to  our  different 
homes.  Clario,  by  tLe  treachery  of  Laura,  stole  a  slight 
ring  from  me,  which  I  put  off  when  I  washed  my  hands 
after  supper :  it  gave  me  some  vexation,  not  knowing 
what  boast  or  ill  use  he  might  make  of  it,  but  from  that 
day  I  never  saw  more  of  him,  but  that  he  left  England 
in  a  few  days. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville^  at  the  Deanery,  Oloster. 

March  28tli,  1724. 

Dear  Sister, 

You  should,  if  you  keep  strictly  to  the  rules  of 
mourning,  wear  your  shammy  gloves  two  months  longer, 
but  in  the  country  if  it  is  more  convenient  to  you,  you 
may  wear  black  silk ;  you  might  have  worn  black  ear- 
ings  and  necklace  these  two  months.  You  desire  some 
sprigs  for  working  a  gown,  which  I  will  send  you,  though 
my  fancy  is  not  a  good  one. 

Yesterday  I  was  to  see  the  bride  my  lady  Walpole^ 
who  was  married  the  day  before.  She  was  excessively  fine, 
in  the  handsomest  and  richest  gold  and  white  stuff  that 
ever  I  saw,  a  fine  point  head,  and  very  fine  brilliant  ear- 
ings  and  cross.  Mrs.  EoUe  was  in  a  pink  and  silver 
lutestring,  and  Mrs.  Walpole  in  a  white  and  gold  and 
silver,  but  not  so  pretty  as  Mrs.  Rolle's.  I  saw  the 
bridegroom  in  his  equipage,  w^hich  was  very  fine  ;  the 
liveries   are   extravagantly   so,    and  everything   else   in 


'  Margaret  Rolle,  married  in  1724  to  Lord  Walpole,  afterwards  2nd  Earl  of 
Orford.  She  married,  secondly,  the  Hon.  Sewallis  Shirley,  and  in  the  year 
1751  became  in  her  own  right  Baroness  Clinton. 

"Mr.  Harris,  who  married  Lady  Walpole's  mother,"  is  mentioned  by  Horace 
"Walpole  in  a  letter  to  Sir  Horace  Mann,  dated  July  7,  1742. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  •         97 

proportion.  She  looked  very  smiling  and  well  pleased, 
and  notwithstanding  the  vast  crowd  of  people  that  came 
to  wish  her  joy,  was  not  in  the  least  out  of  countenance. 
Every  body  had  favours  that  went,  men  and  women :  they 
are  silver  gauze  six  bows,  and  eight  of  gold  narrow 
ribbon  in  the  middle  :  they  cost  a  guinea  a  piece  ;  eight 
hundred  has  already  been  disposed  of.  Those  the  King, 
prince,  princess,  and  the  young  princesses  had,  were  gold 
ribbon  embroidered ;  they  were  six  guineas  a  piece,  I  hope 
you  was  merry  at  your  ball :  I  should  have  been  glad  to 
have  made  one  among  you.  I  expect  Mrs.  Hyde  every 
minute.  Mr.  Pendarves  is  out  of  order  with  the  gout, 
my  Aunt  Stanley  with  a  bad  cold.  My  humble  duty  to 
my  mother,  and  service  to,  &c. 

I  am,  my  dear  sister. 

Most  affectionately  yours, 
M.  Pendarves. 

Mr.  Edcombe  ^  lays  close  siege  to  Betty  Tichborne,* 
but  the  town  will  have  it,  that  it  is  for  the  sake  of  the 
widoic.^  We  walked  in  the  park  to-day,  all  the  world 
there.  The  club  is  pestered  with  penny  post  love 
letters,  but  cannot  guess  from  whence  they  come,  that  is, 
those  that  are  at  liberty  to  receive  them,  as  the  Countess 
Bess,  and  Gunpowder. 


*  "  Mr.  Edcombe,'''  qiiery  Edgcombe. 

2  "  Betty  Tichhome,''  sister  to  Countess  of  Sunderland. 

'  "  The  widow,"  the  Cbuntess  of  Sunderland. 


I 


VOL.    I.  H 


98  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Beaufort  Buildings,  30th  May,  1724. 

You  are  very  unjust  to  yourself,  my  dearest  sister,  in 
saying  you  have  it  not  in  your  power  to  make  your 
letters  agreeable  :  they  are  so  to  me  more  than  I  can  ex- 
press, and  I  shall  always  think  my  time  well  employed 
in  writing  to  you,  when  in  return  I  have  so  much  plea- 
sure as  the  favour  of  your  last  letter  gave  me.  When  I 
am  writing  to  you  I  am  so  intent  on  the  subject,  that 
I  forget  all  things  but  yourself,  and  by  that  means 
you  can  never  fail  of  a  long  letter  from  me,  for  I 
never  grow  weary ;  and  when  I  have  finished  my  letter, 
I  am  sorry  to  think  the  conversation  is  broke  oiF,  for 
imperfect  as  it  is,  it  gives  me  more  satisfaction  than  any 
personal  one  that  I  meet  with  here.  Though  so  many  hills 
and  vales  separate  our  bodies,  thought  (that  is  free  and 
unlimited)  makes  up  in  some  measure  that  misfortune, 
and  though  my  eyes  are  shut,  I  see  my  dearest  sister  in 
my  dreams.  I  talked  with  you  all  last  night  and  was 
mortified  when  the  vision  fled. 

I  thank  you  for  your  prayers,  and  hope  they  will  be 
heard,  and  then  I  shall  see  you  surrounded  with  blessings 
and  the  richest  gifts  of  Providence,  which  will  be  happi- 
ness in  excess  to  me. 

I  do  not  wonder  the  widower  has  forsaken  college 
since  the  person  he  paid  his  adorations  to  is  not  there. 

Mr.  Pendarves  is  still  at  Chelsea,  lame  with  the  gout 
in  his  foot :  we  were  there  yesterday.  My  Aunt  Clifford 
complained  of  the  gout  in  her  knees,  but  she  looks  very 
well,  and  was  very  cheerful.  Mr.  Butler  rides  every 
morning  to  drink   the  waters   at  Acton :   he  has  found 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  99 

benefit  by  tbem  already.     The  cut  paper  I  will  get  framed 
and  mended,  and  send  them  by  Mrs.  Carter. 

There  was  a  great  many  fine  clothes  on  the  birthday. 
Lady  Sunderland^  was  very  fine  and  very  genteel.  Her 
clothes  were  the  finest  pale  blue  and  pink,  very  richly 
flowered  in  a  running  pattern  of  silver  frosted  and  tissue 
with  a  little  white,  a  new  Brussels  head,  and  Lady 
Oxford's  jewels.  Bess^  had  on  a  pale  lemon-coloured 
lutestring  and  look'd  like  a  witch,  at  least  her  sister's 
good  looks  were  no  advantage  to  her.  I  was  at  Lady 
Carteret's^  toilette,  whose  clothes  were  pretty,  pale  straw 
lutestring  and  flowered  with  silver,  and  new  Brussels 
head.  Lady  Lansdown  did  not  go,  but  Lord  Wey- 
mouth* and  Mademoiselle  Lansdown  ^  went,  their  clothes 
was  very  handsome.  She  danced  at  Court  with  great 
applause.  I  did  design  making  my  letter  longer,  but 
Lady  Carteret  has  just  sent  to  me  to  go  to  the  opera  with 
her. 

M.  Pendarves. 


>  Widow  of  Charles,  3rd  Earl  of  Sunderland,  the  eminent  statesman. 

-  Elizabeth  Tichboume,  sister  to  Lady  Simderlaud. 

^  "Frances,  born  March  6,  1694,  only  daughter  of  Sir  Robert  Worsley, 
Bart.,  by  his  wife,  Frances,  only  daughter  of  Thomas  Lord  Viscount  Wey- 
mouth, by  Frances,  eldest  daughter  of  Heneage  Earl  of  Winchelsea,  by 
the  Lady  Mary  his  wife,  eldest  daughter  of  William  Duke  of  Somerset, 
and  the  Lady  Frances,  his  duchess,  eldest  daughter  of  the  famous  Robert 
Devereux,  Earl  of  Essex,  the  favourite  of  Queen  Elizabeth." — Collins,  vol.  iii. 
p.  451.  Frances  Worsley  was  married  at  Longleat,  October  17,  1710,  to 
John  Lord  Carteret,  afterwards  Earl  Granville. 

*  Thomas,  2nd  Viscount  Weymouth,  the  son  of  Lady  Lansdown,  by  her 
first  marriage  with  Mr.  Thynne. 

*  The  Hon.  Anne  Granville,  eldest  daughter  of  George  Lord  Lansdown. 


H    2 


100  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

December  12th,  1724. 

Dear  Sister, 

Nothing  but  a  wedding  could  excuse  my  having 
been  so  long  silent.  Last  Wednesday  Lady  Sun- 
derland made  Sir  Eobert  Sutton  ^  the  happy  man ;  she 
was  not  to  have  married  till  Thursday,  and  the  wedding 
was  to  be  kept  at  Writtle-Park,  but  Col.  Stanley  is  so 
very  ill,  that  it  is  thought  he  cannot  recover.  With 
much  persuasion  they  prevailed  with  the  young  Countess 
to  be  married  the  day  she  was.  I  was  at  the  supper  : 
there  was  nobody  there  besides  Mrs.  Titchborne  and  my- 
self, except  Lord  and  Lady  Delawarr.'^  All  of  us  met 
there  and  dined  with  them  next  day.  Her  new  house 
is  in  George  Street  by  Hanover  Square ;  is  a  very  good 
one,  and  furnished  with  a  mighty  good  taste.  She  has 
not  made  her  many  suits  of  clothes,  because  she  had  a 
great  many  fine  ones  by  her.    Her  laces  are  all  very  fine. 

Moll  Bramston  has  been  confined  with  her  youngest 
sister,  who  is  just  recovered  of  the  small  pox,  and  has  had 
it  very  favourably ;  so  she  has  had  no  sport  with  us.  Sir 
Eobert  has  presented  Lady  Sutton  with  earrings,  cross,  and 
girdle  buckle,  the  tops  of  the  earrings  are  middling  bril- 
liants, the  drops  are  pink  colour  diamonds  of  a  prodigious 
size,  the  cross  and  buckle  are  very  fine  brilliants.  I 
hope  she  will   be  very  happy  j  I  think  there  is  a  great 


^  Sir  Robert  Sutton,  K.B.,  born  in  1671 ;  a  diplomatist  of  the  first  rank  ; 
a  Privy  Councillor,  and  M.P.  for  the  county  of  Nottingham. — Burke. 

2  John  Lord  Delawarr,  bom  April  4th,  1693,  who  filled  many  imfiortaiit 
public  posts  during  the  reigns  of  George  I.  and  George  II. ;  married,  first,  the 
Lady  Charlotte  Macarthy,  daughter  of  Donaugh  Earl  of  Clancarty,  and  of 
his  wife.  Lady  Mary  Spencer,  2nd  daughter  of  Robert  Earl  of  Sunderland. 
—See  Collins,  vol.  v.  1756,  pp.  40-1. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  101 

appearance  of  her  being  so  :  her  house  is  charmingly 
furnished  with  pictures,  glasses,  tapestry,  and  damask, 
all  superfine  in  their  kind.  Artaxerxes  is  Hked  by  most 
people.  I  think  there  are  some  very  pretty  things  in 
it.  I  have  bespoke  three  of  the  best  songs  in  it.  I  will 
copy  them,  and  send  them  to  Mrs.  Carter  as  soon  as  I 
have  them.  Enclosed  is  a  song  out  of  Tamerlane,  which 
is  a  favourita. 

I  will  answer  Mrs.  Carter's  questions  about  her  mourn- 
ing to  you.  I  think  her  in  the  right  in  buying  a  white 
satin  to  top  her  black,  for  the  reasons  she  gives  me ;  but 
that  she  can  only  wear  as  a  nightgown,  and  if  she  was 
in  town  she  should  wear  only  mourning  when  she  is 
dressed,  but  in  the  country  that  will  not  be  minded, 
white  gloves,  coloured  fan  and  coloured  shoes,  and  edgings 
if  she  pleases,  and  black  or  white  short  apron  and  girdle, 
which  she  likes  best.  My  mama  must  not  wear  black 
handkerchiefs  with  her  second  year's  mourning.  Mr. 
Pendarves  is  confined  with  the  gout  in  his  foot :  he 
has  had  a  very  violent  cold,  but  it  is  now  pretty  well 
again. 

There  will  be  no  masquerades  till  after  Xtmas.  I 
have  leave  to  go  to  one  or  two,  but  one  will  content 
me.  I  was  to  see  the  opera  of  Dioclesian,  but  was 
very  much  disappointed,  for  instead  of  Purcell's  musick 
which  I  expected,  we  had  Papuch's,^  and  very  humdrum 


^  Dr.  John  Christopher  Pepusch  was  born  at  Berlin  in  1667.  He  came  to 
England  about  1700,  where  he  died  in  1752.  About  the  year  1724  Dr. 
Berkeley,  afterwards  bishop  of  Cloyne,  having  formed  a  plan  for  erecting  a 
college  in  the  Bermuda  Islands,  engaged  Dr.  Pepusch  as  one  of  the 
members  of  the  projected  establishment.  He  and  his  associates  embarked 
for  the  place  of  their  destination;  but  the  ship  was  wrecked,  and  the 
undertaking  abandoned.     His   princii^al    com^wsitions  are   twelve   cantatas, 


102  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

it  was  ;  indeed  I  never  was  so  tired  with  anything  in  my 
life.  The  performers  were,  Mrs.  Barbier/  Mrs.  Chambers, 
(a  scholar  of  Margarettas),  Legard  and  old  Leveridge. 
Mr.  Eich  promises  the  town  a  great  many  fine  things  at 
the  new  house  this  winter.  There  is  a  great  curiosity 
set  up  in  one  of  the  rooms  in  the  Opera  house,  and  no- 
body is  admitted  to  see  it  under  a  guinea  a  piece,  'tis  the 
Temple  of  Solomon ;  but  it  is  too  much  money  for  me  to 
bestow  only  to  see  a  model  that  may  be  no  more  like 
the  original  than  like  St.  Peter's  at  Rome !  Lady  Lans- 
downe  just  now  sent  me  a  ticket  for  the  opera,  but  I  have 
resisted  the  temptation,  and  stay  at  home  to  nurse. 

I  want  to  know  how  you  hke  your  things.  Your 
laces  look  very  grey,  but  they  are  Mrs.  C.'s  doing ;  the 
English  head  is  not  weU  dressed  up,  but  I  had  not  time 
to  alter,  for  they  came  home  but  just  before  they  were 
packed  up.  I  am  afraid  Miss  Matt  will  not  like  her 
fan,  but  tell  her  quadrille  is  all  the  mode,  and  the  sticks 
were  mended  in  so  many  places  that  they  told  me  they 
did  not  deserve  a  better  mount ;  the  price  was  three  and 
sixpence.  I  am  very  happy  in  the  good  account  I  have 
of  my  dear  mama. 

Mrs.  Ptndarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  OranviUe, 

February  9th  and  11th,  1724-5. 

I  was  interrupted  by  Lady  Peyton  ^  and  her  daughters, 


and  he  assisted  Gay  to  select  the  national  airs  in  The  Beggars'  Opera,  to 
■which  he  composed  basses  ;  he  wrote  also  an  overture  to  the  opera.  Hogarth's 
Musical  History. 

*  Mrs.  Baibier  is  mentioned  by  Schcelcher  as  having  sung  in  1713,  in  the 
opera  of  "  Rinaldo."  Aaron  Hill  wrote  the  libretto  of  this  opera,  and  Rossi 
translated  it  into  Italian. 

2  Anne,  daughter  of  George  Dash  wood,  Esq.,  and  wife  of  Sir  Tewster 
Peyton,  of  Doddington,  Cambridgeshire,  Bart. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  103 

who  called  on  me  to  go  to  hear  the  musical  clock,  and 
would  take  no  denyal ;  it  is  a  new  one  the  man  has  just 
finished,  and  a  complete  piece  of  ingenuity  as  ever  I  saw  ; 
it  plays  twenty-four  tunes  with  as  much  exactness  as  it 
is  possible  for  them  to  be  played  in  concert,  the  price  of 
it  is  five  hundred  pound.  He  was  in  hopes  o^  disposing  of 
it  to  the  King  for  Prince  Frederick. 

I  am  very  glad  you  have  taken  a  fancy  to  drawing, 
you  will  find  a  great  deal  of  entertainment  in  it.  By  the 
time  I  shall  make  you  a  visit,  you  will  be  able  to  be 
my  mistress,  that  is  supposing  you  to  be  a  person  of  a 
quick  apprehension,  for  I  hope  to  be  with  you  by  t]j.e 
time  I  proposed  in  my  last  letter.  I  was  last  Sunday  at 
Chelsea  :  my  Aunt  Clifibrd  looks  extreme  well,  and  was 
very  cheerful,  so  was  the  rest  of  our  friends  there.  Mr. 
Pendarves  is  stiU  with  them,  and  will  stay  there  two  or 
three  days  longer.  We  drank  all  your  healths  and  wished 
you  with  us,  but  vain  are  wishes,  or  my  dear  Nanelia  and 
I  had  not  been  so  long  divided  !  but  as  fortune  some- 
times smiles  as  well  as  frowns,  I  comfort  myself  with  the 
expectation  of  her  smiles,  and  as  the  French  motto  says 
"  L'esperance  me  console." 

L.  L.  lives  a  sad  life,  and-  no  hopes  of  a  reformation. 
I  have  avoided  her  company  as  much  as  possible,  but 
shall  still  more ;  she  is  a  woman  of  unbounded  extrava- 
gance in  every  respect,  and  I  am  afraid  will  be  abandoned 
soon  by  all  her  acquaintance.  I  can't  say  I  wish  her  to 
return  from  whence  she  came,  for  some  certain  reasons 
you  may  guess,  but  I  wish  her  far  from  London,  and 
that  I  was  not  so  much  a  favourite  as  I  am.  She  makes 
as  great  a  rout  with  me,  as  if  she  could  not  live  with- 
out me,  and  T  am  at  a  loss  how  to  disentangle  myself 


104  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

from  her  caresses,  for  it  is  dangerous  to  provoke  a  ve- 
nomous tongue. 

Lady  Oxford's  ^  coming  to  town  is  both  a  pleasure  and 
vexation.  I  shall  be  extremely  glad  to  see  her,  having  a 
very  sincere  value  for  her,  but  then  the  opera-box  that's 
surrendered,  Lnd  now  I  must  bid  adieu  to  the  charming 
sociable  Tuesday  nights,  but  have  not  much  reason  to 
repine,  for  I  have  only  missed  three  Tuesdays  the  whole 
opera  season. 

Miss  Bell  Dunch^  was  married  last  week  to  Mr. 
Tomson.  How  Mr.  Harvey  and  his  love  goes  on  I  don't 
hear,  nor  any  pretty  thing.  The  town  is  stupid,  and  no 
sort  of  entertaining  conversation  stirring.  There's  a  re- 
markable accident  has  happened  lately  to  a  famous  sur- 
geon who's  name  I  think  was  St.  Andre.  A  man  came 
to  him  about  a  week  ago,  and  told  him  he  must  go  with 
him  to  a  person  who  was  in  distress  for  him,  and  that  he 
must  immediately  follow  him,  which  he  did,  and  was  led 
through  so  many  by-lanes  and  alleys  that  he  did  not  know 
in  what  part  of  the  town  he  was.  He  was  conducted 
into  a  room  where  there  was  a  woman  who  was  very  ill : 
he  writ   down  a  perscription   for   her,  and  was  hand- 

*  Henrietta  Cavendish  Holies,  only  child  and  heiress  of  John  Duke  of 
Newcastle.  She  married,  October  31,  1713,  Edward,  2nd  Earl  of  Oxford  and 
Mortimer.  He  died  June  1741.  The  Countess  died  December  8,  1755.  Their 
only  child  and  heiress  was  Margaret  Cavendish  Harley,  born  February  11, 1714, 
and  married  July  11,  1734,  to  William,  2nd  Duke  of  Portland.  She  was  one 
of  the  early  friends  of  Mary  Granville,  and  in  later  life  the  most  intimate 
friend  of  Mrs.  Delany. 

^  "  Arabella,  the  wife  of  Edward  Thompson,  Esq.,  one  of  the  daughters  and 
co-heiress  of  Edmund  Dunch,  Esq.  The  others  were  the  Duchess  of  Man- 
chester and  Lady  Oxendon."  See  Lord  Wharncliffe's  note  to  Lady  Mary 
Wortley  Montagu's  "  Elegy  on  Mrs.  Thompson,''  vol.  iii.  of  her  letters  and 
works.  1837.  The  Dimch  family  were  of  Wittenham,  Berks.  In  j the  above 
work,  may  be  found  an  account  of  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Tliompson  of  Marsdcn 
and  Miss  Arabella  Dunch.     The  date  there  given  is  February  6,  1725. 


OF  JIES.  DELANY.  105 

somely  paid ;  tlien  the  man  desired  him  to  drink  a  glass  of 
wine,  which  he  refused  doing,  upon  which  the  man  seemed 
to  be  affronted,  so  to  reconcile  matters,  the  surgeon  said 
he  would  drink.  The  man  drank  to  him  in  a  glass  of  wine, 
and  gave  him  a  dram  of  cherry  brandy,  and  then  conveyed 
him  away  in  the  same  manner. 

{The  succeeding  page  of  this  letter,  with  the  sequel  of  this  ad- 
venture, has  not  been  found.) 


LETTER  XIII. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 


The  first  year  of  my  coming  to  London,  Gromio  intro- 
duced me  to  the  acquaintance  of  a  young  lady,  with  whose 
husband  he  was  very  intimate.  Her  innocent  agreeable 
manner  and  good  humour,  soon  engaged  me  to  love  her, 
and  created  a  friendship  between  us  that  has  never  ceased. 
She  was  extremely  handsome,  and  seemed  to  be  the  only 
person  ignorant  of  it.  She  was  of  a  noble  family,  married 
to  a  man  of  very  moderate  fortune.  Her  name  was 
Charlotte.  ^  By  being  often  at  her  house,  I  became  ac- 
quainted with  her  brother  Herminius,^  a  young  man  in 
great  esteem  and  fashion  at  that  time,  very  handsome, 
genteel,  polite  and  unaffected.  He  was  bom  to  a  very 
considerable  fortune,  and  was  possest  of  it  as  soon  as  he 
came  of  age,  but  was  as  little  presuming  on  the  advan- 
tages he  had  from  fortune,  as  on  those  he  had  from 
nature.  He  had  had  the  education  bestowed  on  men  of 
his  rank,  where  generally  speaking  the  embelHshing  the 
person  and  polishing  the  manners  is  thought  more  mate- 

'  Mrs.  Hyde,  sister  of  Lord  Baltimore. 
-  Henninius,  Lord  Baltimore 


106  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

rial  than  cultivating  the  understanding,  and  the  pretty 
gentleman  was  preferred  to  the  fine  gentleman.  I  never 
went  to  Charlotte,  that  I  did  not  find  Herminius.  He 
soon  ingratiated  himself  so  much  with  Gromio  as  to 
become  a  great  favourite,  who  often  commended  him  to 
me,  and  invited  him  to  his  house,  which  invitation  was 
readily  accepted.  Herminius  behaved  with  the  greatest 
respect  imaginable,  and  with  so  much  reserve  that  I  had 
not  the  least  suspicion  of  his  having  any  particular 
attachment  to  me,  but  I  was  cautious  in  my  behaviour 
towards  him,  and  feared  his  growing  particular,  but  from 
a  difierent  motive  to  what  I  had  feared  it  in  others.  I 
thought  him  more  agreeable  than  anybody  I  had  ever 
known,  and  consequently  more  dangerous.  Four  years 
I  passed  in  this  manner,  from  the  time  of  my  coming 
from  Averno,  and  I  have  related  to  you  all  the  material 
circumstances  I  can  recollect,  three  years  of  which  time 
I  was  acquainted  with  Herminius ;  and  in  all  that  time, 
though  we  often  met,  he  never"  said  a  word  that  could 
offend  me,  or  give  me  just  reason  to  avoid  his  company. 
I  now  pass  over  many  incidents  that  perhaps  might 
amuse  you,  but  I  have  already  said  so  much,  that  I  study 
to  abridge  what  I  have  to  relate. 

After  having  been  married  seven  years  I  became  a 
widow,  a  state  you  may  believe  (after  the  sincere  con- 
fessions I  have  made)  not  unwelcome,  but  the  manner  of 
Gromio's  death  was  so  shocking,  that  I  cannot  to  this 
hour  recollect  it  without  horror.  The  day  before  he  died 
we  were  engaged  separately,  he  to  his  usual  set,  I  to  a 
particular  friend  with  whom  I  past  much  of  my  time, 
and  to  whose  prudent  judgment  and  sincere  friendship  I 
had  many  obligations.  We  had  been  friends  from  children, 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  107 

and  she  well  deserves  to  be  mentioned  with  the  highest 
honour,  as  she  was  possest  of  every  virtue  that  could  make 
her  dear  to  intimate  friends,  and  admired  and  esteemed  by 
everybody ;  but  this  subject  opens  a  recent  wound  not  yet 
healed,  and  you  are  no  stranger  to  Placidia's  '  excellences, 
whose  loss  I  shall  ever  deplore.  But  to  return  :  I  had  that 
day  a  kind  of  foreknowledge  of  what  was  to  happen.  The 
night  before,  shocking  dreams,  and  all  the  day  following 
a  dread  on  my  spirits,  which  I  could  not  get  the  better 
of.  Placidia  had  made  me  promise  to  sup  with  her,  but 
I  found  myself  so  unaccountably  opprest,  that  as  soon  as 
supper  came  on  the  table,  I  sent  for  a  chair  and  went  home. 

Gromio  had  got  home  just  before  me.  He  said 
many  kind  things  to  me  on  my  having  made  him  **  a 
good  wife,  and  tcished  he  might  live  to  reward  me."  I  never 
knew  him  say  so  much  on  that  subject.^  He  went  to  bed 
between  eleven  and  twelve.  I  slept  very  little  that  night. 
He  slept  (as  usual)  very  uneasily,  drawing  his  breath  with 
great  difficulty.  I  did  not  close  my  eyes  till  past  four  and 
then  slept  till  seven.  I  rung  my  bell,  my  servant  came 
and  opened  the  window  shutter ;  I  stepped  softly  for  fear 
of  awaking  Gromio,  and  as  I  put  by  the  curtain  to  get 
up,  how  terrified  was  I,  when  looking  at  him,  I  saw  him 
quite  black  in  the  face !  At  first  I  thought  him  in  a  fit, 
but  immediately  it  struck  me  he  was  dead  I 

I  ran  screaming  out  of  my  room,  almost  out  of  my 
senses ;  my  servant  (for  I  was  not  at  this  instant  capable 

1  Lady  Sunderland.  The  date  of  the  death  of  Lady  Sunderland  does  not 
appear  in  any  extinct  Peerage  which  has  been  refeiTed  to. 

2  Mr.  Pendarves  also  expressed  his  desire  that  she  would  ring  the  bell  that 
he  misht  sign  his  will,  after  which  he  should  feel  happier.  Mrs.  Pendarves, 
thinkin<^  he  was  low,  begged  him  to  defer  it  till  the  next  day.  This  was 
mentioned  by  Mrs.  Delauy  to  the  Editor's  mother. 


L 


108  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

of  thinking  of  anything  but  the  terror  that  had  seized  me), 
sent  for  a  lady/  an  old  friend  of  mine,  who  luckily  lived 
in  the  same  street ;  she  came  immediately.  Physicians  and 
surgeons  were  sent  for,  but  too  late — they  judged  he  had 
been  dead  about  two  hours. ^  This  is  too  dismal  a  scene 
to  dwell  longer  upon !  My  friends  were  all  sent  to. 
Valeria  insisted  on  my  going  home  with  her,  which  I  did, 
and  which  so  offended  Laura,  (who  had  in  a  very  earnest 
and  friendly  manner  pressed  me  to  come  to  her),  that  I 


*  Mrs.  Catherine  Dashwood,  the  Delia  of  Hammond  the  poet.  Lord  Hervey 
in  her  name  wrote  an  answer  to  one  of  Hammond's  love  elegies.  Mr. 
Croker  states  that  Lady  Cork  considered  that  poet  to  have  died  for  love. 
Mrs.  C.  Dashwood  survived  him  thirty-five  years,  and  died  herself  in  1779, 
bedchamber  woman  to  Queen  Charlotte, 

2  In  Davies  Gilbert's  '  Parochial  History  of  Cornwall,'  the  following  notice 
is  given  of  Mr.  Pendarves's  death  from  the  manuscripts  of  Mr.  Tonkin,  the 
Cornish  antiquarian,  who  was  an  intimate  friend  of  his.  It  is  worthy  of 
remark  that  the  character  here  given  of  him  by  this  old  and  partial  friend 
corroborates  what  was  said  by  his  unhappy  wife,  who  bore  testimony  to  his 
having  originally  had  a  good  temper,  and  alludes  to  the  sensible  expiession  of 
his  countenance,  and  the  best  jiroof  of  his  steady  adherence  to  the  interests  of 
the  political  party  to  which  he  was  attached,  was  his  marriage  with  Mary 
Granville. 

Mr.  Tonkin  writes  as  follows  : — 

"  Alexander  Pendarves,  Esq.,  of  Roscrow,  died  in  1726  [query  1724]  very 
suddenly  at  his  house,  in  London,  being  then  a  burgess  for  the  town  of  Laun- 
ceston.  His  death  was  a  great  surprise  to  all  his  friends,  and  especially  to  me, 
with  whom  I  had  taken  a  hearty  breakfast  that  very  morning  at  my  aunt 
Vincent's,  at  Chelsea.  I  must  add  that  on  the  Sunday  before  he  and  I  bore 
up  the  pall  to  John  Goodall,  of  Fowey,  Esq.,  buried  in  St.  Margaret's,  West- 
minster ;  and  that  on  the  Sunday  fortnight  after  I  had  the  misfortime  to  bear 
up  his  in  St.  Mary's,  Savoy.  He  was  the  last  rnale  of  the  family  of  Pendarves 
in  this  place,  which,  with  the  rest  of  his  proi)erty  has  devolved  to  his  niece, 
Mary,  the  only  daughter  and  heiress  of  his  brother  John  Pendarves,  Rector  of 
Drews  Teignton,  in  Devonshire,  and  relict  of  Francis  Basset,  of  Tehidy,  Esq.  ; 
and  this  lady  is  now  the  possessor."  "  But  before  I  leave  this  place  I  must  not 
forget  to  give  the  just  character  of  my  deceased  friend,  with  whom  I  had  the 
honour  to  serve  as  burgess  for  Hilston,  in  Queen  Anne's  last  Parliament,  that 
for  good  humour,  good  sense,  for  a  true  and  sincere  adherence  to  the  interests 
of  his  country,  and  for  a  harmless,  merry  disix)sition,  he  hath  not  many  his 
equals,  and  none  that  exceed  him  in  the  country." 


OF  MRS.  DELANT.  109 

think  she  never  forgave  it,  but  I  did  not  dare  to  trust 
her.  I  knew  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  Sebastian  ^  and 
Valeria  would  be  the  surest  refuge  I  could  fly  to  at  a  time 
when  I  might  be  exposed  to  the  insinuating  temptations 
and  malicious  arts  of  the  world.  I  was  now  to  enter  it 
again,  on  a  new  footing.     Adieu,  ever  yours, 

ASPASIA. 


LETTER  XIY. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

When  this  great  change  happened  I  was  not  twenty- 
four  years  of  age.  I  was  so  much  affected  by  the  sur- 
prizing manner  of  Grromio's  death,  that  I  did  not  recover 
my  spirits  in  a  great  while.  I  was  not  hypocritical  in 
the  concern  T  showed,  for  to  a  fearful  nature  such  as 
mine,  there  could  not  have  happened  a  more  terrifying 
accident ;  but  my  natural  good  spirits,  time,  and  finding 
myself  freed  from  many  vexations,  soon  brought  me  to  a 
state  of  tranquillity  I  had  not  known  for  many  years. 
As  to  my  fortune,  it  was  very  mediocre,  but  it  was  at  my 
own  command.  Some  uneasiness  attended  it  at  first,  the 
case  of  most  widows,  but  I  gave  myself  little  anxiety  about 
it.  A  la-wj-er  recommended  to  me  by  Alcander,  in  whom 
I  had  confidence,  managed  very  well  for  me.  I  had  not 
then  a  turn  for  saving  or  management  so  as  to  make  the 
best  of  my  fortune,  but  I  endeavoured  to  act  prudently, 
and  not  run  out,  and  now  had  it  not  been  for  the  mis- 
fortunes and  misconduct  of  my  youngest  brother,'^  I  should 


1  Sir  John  Stanley.   Valeria,  Lady  Stanley. 

2  Bevil  GranA^ille. 


110  LIFE  AND  COEKESPONDENCE 

have  been  very  happy,  but  I  suffered  infinite  vexation  on 
his  account  for  some  years.  After  a  variety  of  distresses 
he  went  abroad,  and  the  climate  not  agreeing  with  his  con- 
stitution, he  died  soon  after  he  left  England,  and  though 
his  life  had  occasioned  me  much  sorrow,  his  death  was  a 
most  sensible  grief  to  me. 

This  is  a  little  digression  from  the  main  story,  which 
you  must  excuse ;  I  spare  you  any  more  particulars 
about  this  unfortunate  brother,  though  I  feel  myself 
inclined  to  enlarge  on  this  subject.  I  had  been  a 
widow  about  six  months  when  Herminius  ^  sent  to 
know;  if  I  would  give  him  leave  to  wait  upon  me : 
his  sister  Charlotte  was  at  that  time  in  the  country,  and 
I  had  not  seen  her  since  the  death  of  Gromio.  I  could 
not  refuse  his  visit.  The  next  day  he  came,  with  the 
permission  of  Valeria,  whom  I  consulted  on  all  occasions. 
His  conversation  turned  chiefly  on  my  circumstances, 
which  he  enquired  into,  not  with  an  impertinent  inqui- 
sitiveness,  but  with  an  air  of  friendship  which  obliged 
me :  he  staid  two  hours,  and  when  he  went  away  I  was 
sent  for  by  my  aunt  to  come  into  her  apartment. 
Valeria's  husband,  Sebastian,  of  whom  I  ought  to  have 
made  some  mention  in  the  beginning  of  these  letters, 
treated  me  in  the  most  friendly  manner  imaginable ;  he 
was  fond  of  me,  and  pleased  with  every  mark  of  favour 
that  Valeria  bestowed  upon  me ;  he  was  of  a  grave 
studious  disposition,  extremely  polite,  but  retired  as 
often  as  he  could  from  the  world,  to  indulge  his  taste 


^  Mrs.  Pendarves  had  been  acquainted  with  Lord  Baltimore  during  the 
period  of  her  residence  in  London  with  Mr.  Pendarves.  His  sister  was  her 
intimate  friend.  Charles  Calvert,  6th  Lord  Baltimore,  was  a  Lord  of  the  Bed- 
chamber to  H.R.H.  Frederick  Prince  of  Wales.  Lord  Baltimore  was  born  in 
the  year  1699,  and  consequently  was  not  very  much  older  than  herself. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  Ill 

at  a  little  villa  he  much  delighted  in.  He  left  the 
management  of  most  of  his  affairs  to  Valeria,  having  a 
high  opinion  of  her  judgment ;  they  had  no  children, 
and  a  very  good  fortune  which  at  that  time  was  unset- 
tled. Sebastian  had  several  nephews,  but  was  not  parti- 
cularly fond  of  any  of  them ;  his  eldest  sister's  son 
Henricus,^  a  lively  good-humoured  young  man,  very  well 
in  his  person  and  manner,  had  but  a  moderate  understand- 
ing, was  uncultivated,  trifling,  without  knowledge  of  the 
world,  came  to  make  a  visit  to  his  uncle  soon  after  my 
being  a  widow,  and  unfortunately  for  me,  liked  me  so 
well  as  to  apply  to  Sebastian  for  leave  to  make  his 
addresses  to  me. 

Valeria  had  a  great  desire  of  uniting  the  families  by 
making  a  match  between  Henricus  and  me :  when  she 
sent  for  me  after  Herminius's  visit,  it  was  to  inform 
me  of  Henricus's  intention ;  she  set  out  all  the  advan- 
tages ;  how  considerable  Sebastian  would  make  his  for- 
tune, and  how  much  my  uncle  would  be  obliged  by 
my  not  rejecting  the  proposal  that  was  to  be  made. 
I  was  struck  with  astonishment  at  my  aunt's  recommend- 
ing a  person  to  me  that  I  was  sure  must  appear  very  in- 
significant to  her — it  mortified  me  excessively.  I  told  her 
sincerely  I  never  could  give  my  consent ;  that  I  had  no 
inclination  to  marry,  and  less  to  the  person  proposed,  and 
begged  of  her  to  put  it  off  as  handsomely  as  she  could, 
that  Sebastian  might  not  be  offended  with  me,  to  whom 

^  Mr.  Henry  Monck  was  the  son  of  Sarah,  sister  of  Sir  John  Stanley,  of 
Grange  Gormto,  who  was  ancestress  to  the  Earl  of  Eathdown  and  the 
present  Viscount  Monck,  and  a  branch  of  the  family  of  Sir  Thomas  Monck 
of  Potheridge  (father  of  Monck,  the  celebrated  Duke  of  Albemarle),  who  was 
hiisband  of  the  daughter  and  co-heiress  of  Sir  George  Smythe  of  Maydford, 
uear  Exeter,  and  sister  of  Grace,  wife  of  the  celebrated  Sir  Bevil  Granville. 


112  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

I  had  infinite  obligations  as  well  as  to  herself;  but  she 
would  not  undertake  or  be  satisfied  with  my  answer,  she 
bid  me  not  be  rash,  but  consider  of  it.  The  next  day  my 
brother  was  employed  to  persuade  me  to  listen  to  this 
proposal,  but  he  was  so  good  as  only  to  mention  it, 
thinking  it  very  reasonable  to  leave  me  at  liberty  on  such 
an  important  point.  I  was  much  astonished  at  my  aunt's 
being  so  zealous  for  him,  and  that  fortune  should  ever 
sway  so  far  with  her  generous  nature  as  to  wish  me 
united  to  so  insignificant  a  man  !  I  was  extremely  per- 
plexed and  persecuted  for  some  time,  not  only  with  his 
addresses,  but  Valeria  set  several  of  my  relations  to 
endeavour  to  prevail  with  me  to  alter  my  resolution. 
The  visit  I  received  from  Herminius  alarmed  her :  she 
immediately  concluded  it  was  more  than  a  mere  visit  of 
ceremony,  and  as  he  came  several  times  though  I  was  often 
denied  to  him,  it  confirmed  her  in  that  opinion.  She 
sifted  me  often  to  find  out  the  turn  of  his  conversation 
with  me  ;  I  had  no  disguise,  but  told  her  every  word  that 
passed,  having  no  design  of  carrying  on  any  secret  com- 
merce :  I  rather  wished  to  have  her  advice  and  direction 
in  everything,  knowing  what  an  advantage  it  would  be 
to  me,  to  be  guided  by  so  experienced  and  judicious  a 
person.  I  must  defer  what  I  have  more  to  say  to  another 
time,  my  dear  friend. 


OF  MRS.  DELAKY.  113 


CHAPTEE  III. 

From  the  Year  of  Mr.  Pe^tdarves's  Death  to  Mrs.  Pen- 
DARVEs's  First  Visit  to  Ireland. 

1725—1731. 


Lord  Lansdowiie  "  to  tlte  Hon.  Mrs.  Granville,  at  Gloucester.'^ 

Paris,  January  19,  1725. 

Dear  Sister, 

I  received,  with  infinite  pleasure,  your  kind  and 
obliging  letter.  I  am  thankful  to  my  niece  Pendarves 
for  the  justice  she  has  done  me.  You  may  be  always 
assured  of  my  most  tender  concern  for  you  and  yours. 
My  misfortunes  have  affected  me  in  nothing  so  much  as 
in  disabling  me  from  giving  you  those  demonstrations  of 
friendship  which  are  rooted  in  my  heart.  If  ever  it  shall 
please  God  to  put  it  again  in  my  power,  my  sincerity 
shall  be  known  and  proved  by  effects.  In  the  meantime, 
believe  me,  dear  sister,  my  best  wishes  shall  always 
attend  you,  and  in  whatever  I  may  be  able  to  express  it, 
3^ou  shall  find  me  with  the  greatest  truth,  as  well  as 
aftection  and  esteem. 

Dear  sister, 

Your  most  faithful  and  most  humble  servant, 

Lansdowne. 

VOL.  I.  I 


114  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

I  wish  I  could  send  my  god-daugliter^  from  hence 
something  better  than  a  bare  blessing.  I  am  much  her 
humble  servant. 

The  thankfulness  expressed  by  Lord  Lansdowne  for  ' '  the  justice 
his  niece  had  done  him/'  no  doubt  alluded  to  Mrs.  Pendarves's 
generous  exculpation  of  Lord  Lansdowne  with  regard  to  his 
negligence  of  her  pecuniary  interests  and  affairs,  which  appears 
at  last  to  have  occasioned  him  some  remorse. 


Oeorge  Lord  Lansdotune  to  Ids  niece,  Mrs.  Pendarves. 

Mr  DEAR  Niece, 

As  Mr.  Hawkeswell  knew  the  strict  care  with 
which  I  charged  him  to  keep  the  writings  which  concern 
you  could  only  be  for  your  sake,  his  scruple  about 
delivering  them  to  you,  without  an  express  order  from 
me  at  this  distance,  is  an  unseasonable  nicety.  I  hope 
what  I  have  already  written  to  yourself  and  Lady 
Lansdowne,  referring  to  him,  may  already  have  overcome 
it ;  but  for  fear  of  the  worst,  I  enclose  you  a  letter  for 
him  that  there  may  be  no  difficulty  remaining.  I 
am  glad  to  find  it  fixed  in  whose  hands  they  were  left, 
and  that  they  are  safe  somewhere.  I  have  been  under 
great  uneasiness  about  it,  my  memory  having  failed  me 
in  recollecting  exactly,  at  such  a  distance  of  time,  the 
settlement  which  was  made  at  Long  Leat.  If  I  am  not 
much  mistaken,  your  father  took  [it]  with  him,  otherwise 
in  all  probability  it  must  have  remained  amongst  my 
own  writings  in  your  Aunt  Betty's  custody  :  how  she 
has  disposed  of  them,  she  only  can   give   an   account. 


Ann  Granville. 


OF  MRS.  DEL  A  NY.  115 

I  left  all  my  papers  behind  me,  in  exaot  order,  in  my 
several  scrutoires  ;  what  has  been  their  fate  is  more  than  I 
can  tell !  Thank  God  this  deed  was  not  amongst  them  ; 
my  heart  is  the  easier  for  that !  My  daughter,  Graces 
writes  me  word  you  are  a  handsome  widow — I  hope  you 
will  find  yourself  a  rich  one.  Pray,  my  dear  niece,  make 
my  compliments  to  Sir  John  Stanley  and  my  sister,  and 
believe  me,  with  more  tenderness  than  I  can  express. 

My  dear  niece. 
Your  most  affectionate  uncle  and  most  faithful  servant, 

La'nsdowne. 

Paris,  April  5th,  1725. 

Your  cousin  Mary^  _  is  your  most  humble  servant. 
There  is  open  war  betwixt  her  and  Lord  Clare. 

By  the  date  of  the  above  letter  it  appears  that  Lord  Lansdowne 
was  still  at  Paris,  whither,  we  are  informed  in  Mrs.  Delany's 
Autobiography,  he  had  repaired  in  consequence  of  fresh  political 
troubles,  and  that  nearly  three  months  had  elapsed  before  the 
document  was  found  which  secured  to  his  niece  the  moderate 
jointure  upon  which  he  had  consented  to  Mr.  Pendarves's 
marriage  with  her,  implicitly  depending  upon  the  will  which  was 
to  make  her  the  "  rich  widow  "  he  alluded  to. 


Lord  Lansdowne  to  Mrs.  Pendarves. 

July  12th,  1725. 

My  dear  Niece, 

I  am  to  thank  ^^ou  for  your  letter  of  the  2 1  st  of 
June,  your  style,  which  I  should  have  acquitted  myself 
of  sooner,  if  a  circumstance  had  not  happened  to  take  my 
thoughts  from  everything  else. 


1  The  Hon.  Mary  Granville,  second  daughter  of  George  Lord  Lansdowne, 
married  on  the  14th  of  March,  1729-30,  "William  Graham,  of  Flatten,  near 
Drogheda,  Esq. 

I  2 


116  LIFE  AND  COllRESPONDENCE 

This  is  the  twelfth  day  that  my  daughter  Mary  has 
been  confined  to  her  bed  by  a  malignant  fever.  For 
some  days  we  had  little  hopes  of  her,  but  it  has  pleased 
Grod  to  preserve  her,  and  she  is  now  pronounced  out  of 
all  danger  by  the  physicians.  Independently  of  the 
partiality  of  a  father,  I  may  say  she  was  worth  preserving, 
and  her  danger  has  cost  many  tears  wherever  she 
was  known.  It  pleases  God  to  give  me  these  frequent 
trials,  and  I  submit  to  them  !  His  wall  be  done  !  It  is 
})y  this  post  only  that  I  have  given  her  mother  any 
account  of  it :  I  would  not  do  it  till  I  could  assure  her 
positively  of  her  recovery.  I  have  had  the  same  tenderness 
for  my  friends  at  Somerset  House,  for  I  am  persuaded 
o^  their  sincere  concern  for  me,  in  all  events.  I  have 
heard  nothing  more  from  Mrs.  Bassett,  or  any  of  her 
agents,  since  the  letter  I  sent  you.  I  am  heartily  sorry 
for  lioskrow's  being  stript — I  have  been  very  merry  there 
in  my  time !  I  hope  it  was  not  a  sister  that  did  it :  all 
sisters  are  not  alike  !  Old  Lear  had  one  kind  daughter, 
among  three  ;  the  odds  were  two  to  one  :  I  had  but  two 
sisters,  the  lay  was  equal,  but  I  think  myself  sure  of 
one  :  the  world  is  not  so  bad  as  it  was,  pray  God  make 
it  better !  My  dear  niece,  believe  me  with  more  afiection 
than  I  can  express, 
Your  most  affectionate  uncle  and  faithful  servant, 

Lansdowne. 

My  compliments  to  Sir  J.  and  my  Lady,  &c. 

Lord  Lansdown's  allusion  to  "  Roscrow  being  stript "  proves 
that  he  was  by  that  time  aware  that  Mr.  Pendarves  had  never 
signed  the  will  in  favour  of  his  wife.  The  comparison  between 
his  own  two  sisters  was  evidently  in  favour  of  Lady  Stanley  in 
contradistinction  to  ''Siiperba  "  (Mrs.  Betty  Granville). 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  117 

The  Editor  has  not  found  any  letters  of  Mrs.  Pendarves 
relative  to  the  will  of  her  husband ;  but  throughout  her  long 
life  she  ever  evinced  such  indifference  with  regard  to  money, 
excepting  for  the  benefit  of  others,  that  it  may  be  fairly  con- 
cluded she  was  less  concerned  than  any  of  her  relations  at 
being  left  with  an  income  of  a  few  hundreds  instead  of  many 
thousands  a  year. 


Mrs.  Perulurves  to  Mrs.  Anne  OrauviUe. 

August  22nd,  1725. 

I  am  glad  Gloucester  affords  you  such  variety  of 
diversions ;  may  your  beaux  increase  for  the  satisfaction 
of  the  belles.  I  hear  Col.  ChurchiU  is  gone  to  your 
city.  I  don't  know  what  he  may  pass  for  among  you ; 
if  assurance  will  recommend  him  he  never  fails  of  that 
quality,  though  he  can  behave  himself  with  as  much  good 
manners  as  any  body  where  his  impertinence  meets 
with  no  encouragement.  Pray  let  me  know  if  you  was 
at  the  Sheriff's  ball ;  if  you  danced,  and  who  was  your 
partner  ?  ^ 

Last  Thursday  I  went  to  town  with  Lady  Sunderland ; 
we  dined  at  Lord  De  Lawarr's,'  and  was  very  merry. 
Mrs.  Sandoni  (who  was  Cuzzoni),  is  brought  to  bed  of  a 
daughter :  it  is  a  mighty  mortification  it  was  not  a  son. 
Sons  and  heirs  ought  to  be  out  of  fasliion  when  such 
scrubs  shall  pretend  to  be  dissatisfied  at  having  a 
daughter  :  'tis  pity,  indeed,  that  the  noble  name  and 
family  of  the  Sandoni's  should  be  extinct !  The  minute 
she  was  brought  to  bed  she  sung  "  La  Speranza,"  a  song 
in  Otho.  He  has  been  at  an  extravagant  expense  to 
please    that    whimsical  creature    against   her  l3^ing-in ; 

*  The  Lord  DcLr.vun-  of  1725  was  John,  1st  Earl. 


118  LIFE  AND  CORllESrONDEKCE 

amongst  other  superfluous  charges,  he  has  bought  a  very 
fine  looking-glass  for  the  child,  and  a  black  laced  hood 
for  his  wife  to  see  company  in  at  the  end  of  her  month  : 
in  short  there  is  more  talk  of  her  than  ever  there  was  of 
the  Princess^  when  she  lay  in. 

We  see  very  little  company,  and  I  go  nowhere  now  but 
sometimes  to  the  Countesses.  Mrs.  Hyde  is  gone  into 
the  country :  her  old  harridanical  mother-in-law  has 
stripped  her  house  in  town  of  all  its  furniture,  so  there  is 
no  hopes  of  her  coming  here  any  more,  which  is  a  mighty 
trouble. 

The  "London  Daily  Post"  of  Sept.  7th,  171^1,  contains  the 
following  notice — "  Mrs.  C— z — ni  is  under  sentence  of  death  for 
poisoning  her  husband  ;"  but  M.  Schloecher  adds,  "  that  it  is  a 
question  whether  she  was  ever  married  ;"  and  at  all  events  the 
sentence  of  decapitation  must  have  been  commuted  into  exile, 
as  she  made  another  appearance  in  England. 


Lord  Lansdowne  to  his  nephetv,  Bernard  Granville. 

July  17th,  1726. 

Dear  Bunny, 

Your  Aunt  Lansdown  having  got  perfected  some 
writings  for  the  settlement  of  my  affairs  according  to  my 
direction,  it  is  possible  that  for  form's  sake,  the  lawyers 
may  desire  your  signing  with  me,  having  made  you  my 
heir  in  case  of  failure  of  sons  from  myself. 

If  I  had  had  the  same  fair  play  from  my  uncle,  it 

*  December  7,  1724,  the  Princess  Louisa  was  born ;  the  youngest  child  of 
the  Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales,  who  were  afterwards  King  George  II.  and 
Queen  Caroline  ;  the  Princess  Louisa  married  Frederick  V.King  of  Denmark. 
She  died  December  8,  1751. 


OP  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  119 

would  have  been  the  better  for  us  all.  This  is  therefore 
to  desire  you  to  comply  with  what  she  shall  advise  you 
upon  this  occasion,  and  to  believe  me  ever,  my  dear 
nephew. 

Your  most  affectionate  uncle, 
Lansdowne. 

Lord  Lansdown's  allusion  to  the  disposition  of  the  property 
of  his  uncle,  John,  1  st  Earl  of  Bath,  had  reference  to  his  estates 
having  been  divided  between  Grace,  Countess  Granville,  Lady 
Gower,  and  Jane,  instead  of  having  been  settled  upon  himself. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville. 

You  are  very  just  to  me,  my  dearest  sister,  in  saying 
I  will  lose  no  opportunity  of  conversing  with  you,  which 
indeed  I  will  not ;  and  you  must  lay  it  to  the  charge  of 
anything  but  negligence,  when  I  happen  to  miss  a  post. 
Yesterday  we  shifted  our  quarters  from  Somerset  House 
to  Northend.  It  is  said  we  shall  stay  here  as  long  as  the 
sun  shines,  and  to  say  the  truth  between  you  and  I, 
London  is  a  dismal  place  at  present.  The  streets  are  filled 
with  nothing  but  dray-carts  and  hackney-coaches,  out  of 
which  sometimes  peeps  a  pragmatical  lawyer,  with  staring 
eyes  and  white  gloves,  but  they  might  save  themselves 
the  trouble  of  looking,  for  I  don't  vouchsafe  them  my 
regard.  If  somebody  had  been  with  me  (that  shall  be 
nameless),  perhaps  they  would  have  sigh'd  for  •"  one  look 
more  before  we  part  for  ever."  I  have  some  good  news 
for  you  :  Ermin  is  in  good  health,  and  sent  his  compli- 
ments to  you.  He  has  been  at  Paris,  but  says  he  cannot 
pretend  to  give  his  opinion  of  the  French  ladies,  for  their 
faces  and  persons  are  so  hid,  he  does  not  know  what  to 


120  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

make  of  them  :  he  is  going  to  the  provinces,  and  designs 
to  return  to  (now  your  heart  goes  pit-a-pat)  Paris,  and 
spend  his  winter  there ;  hut  alas  1  I  forgot  I  was  writing 
to  you ;  I  protest  my  imagination  was  so  kind,  that  I 
thought  I  had  been  talking  to  you — it  is  all  one  to  you 
whether  he  passes  the  remainder  of  the  year  in  France  or 
London,  since  you  are  40  miles  off:  that  is  a  ci'uel 
thought,  and  has  come  unluckily  in  my  way  to  check  a 
vein  of  merriment  that  I  was  unaccountably  fallen  into. 
Lady  Lan.  made  us  a  visit  the  day  before  we  went  to 
town ;  she  looked  thin  and  pale,  Bess  no  changeling,  but 
you  have  disobliged  her,  and  she  says  she  is  bound  to 
curse  you  as  long  as  she  lives. 

Phyrsis  is  come  from  the  Conubian  Mountains  :  I  have 
not  seen  him,  but  he  has  paid  his  devoirs  to  the  goddess 
of  his  vows.  Can't  you  sometimes  imagine  yourself  at 
Vandermine's  \  feasting  your  eyes  with  Sophonisba  ?  I 
am  sure  tobacca  is  there  in  its  full  force.  That  Dutch  rogue 
has  not  quite  finished  my  piece,  though  there  is  not  above 
an  hour's  work.  Mrs.  Hyde  has  taken  to  Woodfields' 
house,  pulled  down  their  furniture,  and  put  up  her  own, 
and  the  Woodfields  are  to  remain  in  the  house — so  they 
are  happy  folks.  1  am  glad  you  have  got  an  agreeable  neigh- 
bour :  I  hope  you  will  improve  tlie  acquaintance,  and  that 
the  young  lady's  conversation  will  be  answerable  to  her 
person,  or  I  know  you  will  despise  her.  Basta  is  a  false 
matadore.  Ombre  flourishes  abroad,  but  content  alone  is  my 


»  Fraiick  Vandcrmine  was  a  native  of  Holland,  but  lived  in  England,  and 
practised  as  a  portrait-paintei-  both  in  London  and  the  country.  He  loved 
smoking,  nor  would  he  leave  his  pipe,  though  he  found  it  disagreeable  to  his 
eini)loyers.  There  is  a  mezzotinto  of  Franck,  from  a  picture  of  his  own  paint- 
ing, inscribed  "  T/ie  Smoker:'    He  died  miserably,  in  Moorlields,  iu  1783. 


OP  MRS.  DELANY.  121 

game.  I  have  had  a  letter  from  Erminia,  wherein  she  lays 
a  copy  of  verses  that  have  been  sent  to  Mon,  to  my  charge ; 
the  baggage  has  betrayed  us,  for  she  has  seen  that  hand  of 
mine  before.  Two  posts  ago  brought  me  an  epistle 
from  our  friend  Sally/  but  she  is  grown  a  conjugal 
creature,  and  so  fond  of  her  husband,  that  it  is  full  of 
nothing  but  "  caro  sposo,"  and  the  terrible  and  dreadful 
misfortune  she  lately  met  with,  of  being  disappointed 
of  a  lodging  which  they  eagerly  and  earnestly  desired, 
after  a  week's  absence  ;  but  strange  unaccountable  things 
happened  to  prevent  and  cross  their  purpose.  She  was 
at  Abingdon,  and  he  poor  man  mourned  like  a  sucking 
babe,  and  galloped  full  speed  to  see  his  dear,  and  surprise 
her  with  his  company,  when  oh  (unlucky  chance),  she  left 
Abingdon  that  very  day,  and  return'd  to  Stanton  a  con- 
trary way — so  missed  of  her  lover ! 

Pray  let  me  know  who  that  gentleman  was  that  gave 
me  the  epithet  of  "  fine  ,•"  it  sounds  as  if  it  came  out  of 
your  landlord's  mouth,  or  the  parson  of  your  parish ;  but 
chiefly  give  me  an  account  of  what  more  particularly  con- 
cerns yourself,  or  you  shan't  know  who  it  was  that  I  saw 
and  spoke  to,  and  was  questioned  and  answer 'd  on  a  cer- 
tain day  of  the  week,  between  Sunday  and  Sunday,  at  the 
hour  particularly  agreeable  to  the  purpose,  and  the  critical 
minute,  in  the  year  1726. 

I  don't  know  if  Lady  Stanley  will  keep  Nanny  or  no ; 
when  I  hear  anything  of  it,  I  will  write  you  word ;  but 
my  mama  is  a  better  judge  than  I  am,  if  she  is  fit  for  my 
cousin  Lawson's  service.  I  hope  you  received  the  harp- 
sichord strings,  the  ballads  and  the  edging.  I  send  the 
rest  of  the   strings  this  post.     Gim  is  as  merry  as  a 

'  Sarah  KirkLam  (Mrs.  Caix)u.) 


122  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

criket,  and  has  got  a  very  pretty  white  and  black  puss 
for  a  playfellow. 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.   Ann  Granville,  at  Robert  Isaacson's  Esq.,  Asphy, 
near  Wvbournf  Bedfordshire. 

Northend,  November  8th,  1726. 

I  was  extremely  pleased  last  night  with  a  passage  I 
met  in  Mr.  Evremond^  concerning  friendship,  where  he 
says  it  softens  and  mitigates  old  afflictions,  and  raises 
good  fortune  to  a  double  pitch  of  felicity.  Without  the 
communication  of  a  real  friend,  sorrow  would  sink  one  to 
the  lowest  ebb,  and  pleasures  lose  half  their  advantage.  It 
is  not  that  the  sharing  one's  grief  with  a  person  one  loves 
takes  off  its  force ;  the  way  I  take  it  is,  that  after  the 
insults  of  fortune,  and  the  rubs  that  attend  human  life, 
the  compassion  a  friend  affords  one,  their  advice  and  the 
fresh  proofs  that  such  accidents  of  life  gives  one  of  their 
esteem,  is  of  that  healing  nature,  it  is  like  opiate  to  one  in 
violent  racking  pain  :  it  lulls  their  torments,  and  changes 
their  horror  into  pleasing  and  delightful  slumber.  This  is 
the  advantage  of  friendship  in  trouble ;  but  oh  how  much 
beyond  expression  is  it  in  relation  to  our  joys !  I  can 
think  of  all  the  strokes  of  good  fortune  that  is  possible 
to  meet  with  in  life — as  health,  honour,  riches,  and  a  train 
of  other  blessings — with  a  great  deal  of  moderation  ;  but 
when  I  suppose  I  may  attain  all  this,  and  not  have  my 
dearest  sister  to  partake  with  me,  I  am  confounded  with 


^  Charles  de  Marquetel  de  St.  Denis,  Seigneur  de  St.  Evremond,  was  born 
at  Constance,  in  Normand}',  in  1613.  He  died  in  1703,  and  was  buried  in 
Westminster  Abbey.  He  wrote  essays,  letters,  poems,  and  dramatic  pieces, 
much  read  and  admired  by  his  fashionable  contcmiwraries.  An  English 
translation  of  his  works  was  published  by  Des  Maizeaux. — Sec  Gorton's 
Biographical  Dictionary. 


OF  MRS.  dp:laxy.  123 

the  idea ;  and  it  plainly  proves  to  me  that  you  are  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  the  completing  of  my  happiness  ;  and 
without  all  those  mighty  things  I  have  mentioned,  and 
in  lieu  thereof,  a  moderate  share  of  health  and  wealth, 
but  a  vast  quantity  of  your  love  and  friendship,  I  shall  not 
envy  any  one's  estate,  and  whilst  I  can  be  assured  of  that, 
I  can  be  happy  even  in  your  absence. 

"  Your  friendship  at  so  just  a  rate  I  prize, 
As  I  for  that  an  emigre  would  despise. 
Friendship's  a  stronger  tye  than  blood." 

I  shall  be  glad  to  have  the  rest  of  Mustapha^  and 
Zanga.  The  last  scene  in  the  book  is  where  Solyman 
makes  Roxalana  write  down  her  own  accusation ;  it  ends 
with  a  speech  of  his,  and  the  two  last  lines  are, 

"  These  threat'ning  tumults  only  dangerous  are 
To  monarchs  who  dare,  less  than  subjects  dare," 

This  is  spoke  to  Haly  who  brings  him  an  account  of 
the  tumult.  To-morrow  we  shall  go  to  London ;  I  am 
extremely  glad  that  you  are  to  be  at  Aspley  some  time, 
I  wish  I  could  be  of  the  party  in  that  agreable  family. 
I  hope  my  mama  will  be  so  good  as  to  excuse  my  not 
writing  to  her  this  post,  but  I  believe  she  is  so  just  to 
me,  as  not  to  think  I  can  ever  be  wanting  in  duty  and 
respect  to  her.  If  it  is  possible  for  me  to  write  next  post 
I  will ;  but  I  will  give  you  a  sketch  of  what  I  am  to  do, 
and  then  you  may  be  judge  how  much  time  will  lie  upon 
my  hands.  We  dine  to-morrow  with  Sir  John  at  Somer- 
set House  •?'  at  four  o'  the  clock  in  the  afternoon  comes  my 


1  Mustapha  the  son  of  Solyman  the  Magnificent — a  tragedy,  by  Roger 
Earl  of  Orrery.  The  scene  of  the  play  is  in  Hungary,  and  was  founded  on 
historical  facts.  Dryden  says  it  should  have  ended  with  the  death  of  Zanga, 
and  not  have  given  the  Grace  cup  after  dinner  on  Solyman's  dinner  from 
Roxalana. 

^  Somerset  House  was  built  by  John  of  Padua,  a  celebrated  Italian  architect, 
for  Edward  Duke  of  Somerset,  the  Protector,  in  the  reign  of  King  Edward  VI. 


124  LIFE  AND  COIUIESPONDENCE 

lawyer  and  my  taylor,  two  necessary  animals.  Next 
morning  I  send  for  Mrs.  Woodfelds  to  alter  my  white 
tabby  and  my  new  clothes,  and  to  take  my  black  velvet  to 
make ;  then  comes  Mrs.  Boreau  to  clip  my  locks,  then  I 
dress  to  visit  Lady  Carteret,  then  I  come  home  to  dinner, 
tlien  I  drink  coftee  after  dinner,  then  I  go  to  see  my  niece 
Basset  and  Mrs.  Livingstone,  then  they  reproach  me, 
then  I  give  them  as  good  as  they  bring,  then  we  are 
good  friends  again,  then  I  come  back,  then  if  it  is  a  pos- 
sible thing,  I  will  write  to  mama,  then  sup  and  go  to 
bed.  My  new  pussey  is  of  the  Northend  family,  she  is 
white,  with  a  black  nose  and  a  black  chin,  and  regularly 
spotted  with  black  spots  of  the  bigness  of  half-a-crown. 
I  will  give  you  a  full  and  true  account  of  all  the  fops 
and  fopperies  I  meet  with.  I  will  remember  La  Belle 
Assemblce,  which  is  at  my  cousin  Lawson's  service  to 
read.  Pray  let  me  know  if  by  mistake  among  your 
books  you  have  got  "  the  Golden  Medley."  So  now,  adieu. 
My  aunt,  brothers,  and  Mrs.  Tillier's  service,  and  duty 
as  due. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  Oranville. 

Somerset  House,  November  27th,  1726. 

Lady  Stanley  is  much  pleased  at  the  thoughts  of  her 
plum-calce,  and  we  shall  eat  with  a  particular  pleasure 
when  we  think  of  the  fair  hands  that  made  it.    I  have 


At  the  duke's  death  it  was  forfeited,  b}'  liis  attainder,  to  the  Crown,  and 
assigned  as  a  residence  to  Ihe  Princess  Eiizabctli,  who  was  afterwards  queen. 
Subsequently  this  palace  was  successively  the  residence  of  Anne  of  Denmark, 
wife  of  King  James  I. ;  of  Henrietta  Maria,  wife  of  Cliarles  I. ;  and  of  Cathe- 
rine of  Braganza,  the  wife  of  Cliarles  IJ.  It  belonged  also  to  each  succeeding 
(jueenas  an  appurtenance  until  Buckingham  House  was,  by  Act  of  Parliament, 
settled  on  Queen  Charlotte  in  its  stead,  in  the  year  1775.  Th(!  old  palace  was 
inmiediately  taken  down,  and  Sir  William  Chambers  in  the  course  of  a  few 
years  erected  on  its  site  the  pile  of  buildings  now  known  by  the  some  name. 


OF  MRS.  DELAXY.  125 

borrowed  Pharamond^  of  Lady  Delawarr  for  you,  and 
desire  you  will  take  care  no  accident  happens  to  it.  No 
wit  is  stirring. 

A  poor  woman,  dead  as  was  supposed  and  going  to 
be  dressed  for  her  coffin,  was  thouglit  by  the  people 
about  her  to  have  some  signs  of  life ;  upon  which  they 
sent  for  Sir  Hans  Sloane,'^  who  ordered  her  to  be  let  blood  ; 
they  cut  a  vein  but  she  would  not  bleed.  She  has  a  little 
pulse,  and  her  flesh  not  at  all  discoloured,  though  she  has 
lain  in  this  way  seven  days  ;  when  she  wakes  I  may  have 
some  pretty  dream  to  give  you  an  account  of. 

Last  Saturday  I  was  at  Camilla  ^  with  Lady  Carteret 
find  her  daughter,  who  grows  very  handsome.  That 
mornino"  I  was  entertained  with  Cuzzoni.  Oh  how 
charming !  how  did  I  wish  for  all  I  love  and  like  to 
be  with  me  at  that  instant  of  time  !  my  senses  were 
ravished  with  harmony.  They  say  we  shall  have  operas 
in  a  fortnight,  but  I  think  Madam  Sandoni  and  the 
Faustina  are  not  perfectly  agreed  about  their  parts. 
Well,  as  I  was  saying,  I  was  at  the  opera  of  Camilla  : 
it  is  acted  at  Lincoln's-Inn  play-house,  performed  by  a 
Mrs.  Chambers,  Mrs.  Barbiere,  Mrs.  Fletcher,  a  Signor 
Eochetti,  Mr.  Leveridge,  Mr.  Legard.  I  can't  say  I  was 
much  pleased  with  it,  I  liked  it  for  old  acquaintance  sake, 
but  there  is  not  many  of  the  songs  better  then  ballads. 
Enclosed  I  have  sent  you  a  riddle,  but  lest  j^ou  should 


Pharamond,  a  romance,  containing  the  history  of  France.  Done  into 
English  by  T.  Phillips.     London,  1677. 

2  Sir  Hans  Sloane,  the  founder  of  the  British  Museum.  This  eminent 
physician,  botanist,  antiquary  and  vii-tuoso  was  bom  1660,  and  died  1753. 

^  Schoslcher  mentions  that  the  opera  of  "  Camilla  "  was  first  performed  April 
30, 1706,  and  that  the  music  was  chiefly  borrowed  from  Mario  Antonio  Bonon- 
cini,  brother  of  the  celebrated  Giovanni  Eononcini. 


126  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

take  it  in  a  wrong  sence,  I  must  expound  it  to  you  :  it  is 
the  game  of  quadrille  ;  the  four  ladies  are  the  queens,  the 
gallants  the  kings  ;  if  you  have  a  notion  of  the  game  you 
will  easily  find  out  the  rest,  it  does  not  differ  much  from 
Ombre.  ,1  have  been  this  morning  to  make  a  visit  to 
Mrs.  Basset,  and  to  desire  she  will  conclude  my  affairs  as 
soon  as  possible,  which  she  promises  to  do. 

I  am  by  appointment  to  go  and  drink  tea  with  Lady 
Tirrawley,  which  will  hinder  me  from  making  my  letter 
so  long  as  otherwise  I  would.  Since  I  writ  this  letter, 
Mr.  Paulin  has  sent  me  word  I  cannot  possibly  have 
mama's  gown  till  late  to-morrow  night. 

In  reference  to  the  theatre  in  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields,  mentioned 
in  the  above  letter,  the  following  extract  is  interesting.  It  is 
stated  by  Smith  that  "  Portugal  Street  was  so  named  in  compli- 
ment to  the  queen  of  Charles  II.,  and  is  celebrated  as  the  site  of 
Sir  William  Davenant's  theatre.  Though  it  is  the  general  opinion 
that  there  was  but  one  theatre  in  this  quarter,  there  appear  to  liave 
been  two  ;  but  it  is  not  a  little  difficult  to  determine  the  exact  site 
of  each,  and  the  exact  period  when  they  were  opened.  Killigrew, 
in  the  year  1661,  had  a  theatre  in  the  Tennis  Court,  Vere  Street, 
Clare  Market,  but  he  and  his  company  removing  to  Drury  Lane, 
in  1663,  there  was  an  end  for  the  time  of  this  first  of  the 
Lincoln's  Inn  Fields  theatres.  In  1662,  while  Killigrew  was 
still  in  his  old  quarters,  Sir  William  Davenant's  (or  the  '  Duke's ' 
company,  as  they  were  called  to  distinguish  them  from 
Killigrew's,  or  the  *  King's '  company,)  removed  from  Salisbury 
Court  to  a  new  theatre  in  Portugal  Street.  Davenant's  company 
performed  here  till  1671,  when  for  some  reason  or  other,  which 
does  not  appear,  they  returned  to  Salisbury  Court.  In  1 694, 
Betterton  and  Congreve  re-opened  the  theatre  in  Portugal  Street, 
under  a  licence  from  King  William  III.,  and  Betterton  continued 
to  manage  its  affairs  until  1704,  when  the  neighbours  copiplained 
of  it  as  a  nuisance.     He  then  assigned  his  patent  to  Sir  John 


OF  MRS.  DELAXY.  127 

Vanbrugh,  who,  finding  the  premises  too  small,  erected  a  theatre 
in  the  Haymarket.  The  Portugal  Street  Theatre,  being  thus 
abandoned,  remained  empty  for  about  ten  years,  when  it  was  re- 
opened by  Mr.  Rich.  •  The  performers,'  says  the  author  of  the 
introduction  to  Baker's  '  Biographia  Dramatica,'  '  were  so  much 
inferior  to  those  at  Drury  Lane,  that  the  latter  carried  away  all 
the  applause  and  favour  of  the  town.  In  this  distress  the  genius 
of  Rich  suggested  to  him  a  species  of  entertainment  which,  at  the 
same  time  that  it  hath  been  deemed  contemptible,  has  ever  been 
followed  and  encouraged  ;  Harlequin,  Pantaloon,  and  all  the 
host  of  pantomimic  pageantry  were  brought  forward,  and  sound 
and  show  obtained  a  victory  over  sense  and  reason.  The  fertility 
of  Mr.  Rich's  invention  in  these  entertainments,  and  the  excel- 
lence of  his  own  performance,  must  at  the  same  time  be 
acknowledged  ;  by  means  of  these  only  he  kept  the  managers  of 
the  other  house  at  all  times  from  relaxing  their  diligence,  and 
to  the  disgrace  of  public  taste,  frequently  obtained  more  money 
by  ridiculous  and  paltry  performances,  than  all  the  sterling  merit 
of  the  other  theatre  was  able  to  acquire.'  Rich  and  his  company 
removed,  in  1 733,  to  the  then  newly-erected  theatre  of  Covent 
Garden,  and  the  old  one  was  shut  up  for  about  two  years.  It 
was  then  taken  by  a  Mr.  Giffard,  from  Goodman's  Fields,  who, 
not  finding  his  speculation  answer,  gave  it  up  in  1737,  when  it 
ceased  to  be  a  theatre.  It  was  afterwards  occupied  as  a  pottery 
warehouse,  and  has  now  disappeared  altogether.  It  stood  nearly 
opposite  to  the  burial-ground.  Many  curious  particulars  relative 
to  the  theatre  in  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields  are  to  be  found  in 
Pepys's  '  Diary,'  who  says,  that  at  the  theatre  in  Vere  Street, 
he  first  saw  a  woman  on  the  stage." 

The  Lady  Tyrawley  mentioned  by  Mrs.  Pendarves  was 
Frances,  daughter  of  Jarvis  Rous  in  the  county  of  Worcester. 
Her  son  was  created  Baron  of  Kilmaine,  and  succeeded  his 
father  1721<,  and  in  1727  was  appointed  Envoy  Extraordinary  to 
the  King  of  Portugal.  Horace  Walpole  says  (Nov.  1 7-12) :  "  My 
Lord  Tyrawley  has  come  from  Portugal,  and  has  brought  three 
wives  and  14  children ;  one  of  the  former  is  a  Portuguese  with 


128  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

long  black  hair  platted  down  to  the  bottom  of  her  back,  he  was 
asked  the  other  night  what  he  thought  of  England,  whether  he 
found  much  alteration  from  fifteen  years  ago.  '  None  at  all,'  said 
he  ;  '  there's  my  Lord  Bath  is  just  what  he  was,  and  I  found  my 
Lord  Grantham  walking  on  tiptoe  as  if  he  was  still  afraid  of 
waking  the  Queen.' "  In  1743  he  says  "  Lord  Tyrawley,  who 
has  been  fifteen  years  in  Portugal,  says  he  finds  nothing  but  Si^fog 
whist,  and  the  House  of  Commons'^  And  in  June  1762  he  says 
that  the  Count  La  Lippe  is  to  Pcommand  the  ortuguese,  and 
Lord  Tyrawley  the  English."  And  in  July,  he  adds,  "Lord 
Tyrawley  is  coming  home  disgusted  vith  the  nomination  of 
Count  La  Lippe,  and  in  truth  I  cannot  see  the  wisdom  or  honor 
of  that  measure.  If  we  protect  Portugal,  is  it  not  more  creditable 
to  give  them  an  English  commander,  and  the  general,  who  was 
almost  a  Portuguese — almost  naturalized  among  them — trusted 
and  beloved  there  ?  How  can  English  soldiery  prefer  him  to 
their  countryman  ?" 


Mrs.  Pendnrves  to  Mrs.  Anne  Granville. 

January  2Gth,  1720-7. 

I  heartily  grieve  to  think  how  ill  you  have  been 
used  by  your  landlord.  I  am  glad  my  mama  has  given 
him  warning,  and  that  she  designs  to  remove  in  the 
Spring.  I  should  be  very  happy  could  I  flatter  myself 
with  the  hopes  of  her  steering  her  course  this  way  of  the 
world,  and  should  rejoice  to  join  with  her  in  any  way ; 
but  I  shall  approve  of  everything  she  thinks  most 
proper.  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  know  her  determination, 
because  I  will,  if  possible,  wait  on  her  before  she  leaves 
Brickhiir  if  she  intends  to  go  farther. 

1  Great  Brickliill,  Buckinghamshire,  is  a  seat  of  tlie  Duncombe  family.    Sir 
Charles  Duncomlie  was  knighted  when  Lord  Maj'or  of  London  in  1709,  and 


OF  MRS.  DELAXY.  129 

This  day  dines  here  Lord  and  Lady  Fitz  William^  and 
the  charming  Faustina,  who  is  the  most  agreeable  creature 
in  the  world  (except  my  Lord  Mayer)  in  company,  and 
we  are  to  have  our  senses  ravished  by  her  melodious 
voice.  Oh  that  you  had  wings !  Mrs.  Legh*  is  trans- 
ported with  joy  at  living  once  more  in  "  dear  London," 
and  hearing  Mr.  Handel's  opera  performed  by  Faustina, 
Cuzzoni  and  Senesino  (which  was  rehearsed  yesterday 
for  the  first  time)  that  she  is  out  of  her  senses.  To 
add  to  her  joys,  somebody  has  presented  her  with 
a  pelican  crane  and  a  little  St.  Anthony  in  wood :  I 
design  to  get  her  a  pig,  and  send  it  by  the  porter, 
for  her  Saint  is  nothing  without  his  pig !  She  has 
enquired  after  you.  The  Countess  and  her  little  one 
continues  well ;  the  babe  is  to  be  made  a  Xtian  next 
Sunday.  Miss  Legh  is  fallen  in  love  with  the  Basilisk,^ 
and  says  he  is  the  most  charming  man  of  the  world ; 
he  happened  to  commend  Handel,  and  won  her  heart 
at  once. 

Yesterday  I  made  a  visit  to  Mrs.  Moody.  Mrs.  Misson 
was  there,  and  they  were  prodigiously  glad. 


his  nephew,  Anthony  Duncombe,  after  having  represented  the  city  of  Salisbury 
in  Parliament,  was  created  an  English  peer,  by  the  title  of  Lord  Feversham, 
in  1747.  He  was  thrice  married,  and  by  his  last  wife  Anne,  daughter  of  Sir 
Thomas  Hales,  baronet,  he  left  two  co-heiresses.  The  peerage  became  extinct 
at  his  death  in  1763. 

^  John,  second  Earl  Fitzwilliam,  succeeded  his  father  in  1719,  and  died 
28th  August,  1728.  He  married  Anne,  daughter  and  sole  heir  of  John 
Stringer,  Esq.,  and  left  a  son  and  three  daughters. 

*  The  Leighs  mentioned  in  these  letters  appear  to  have  been  of  the  Adlestrop 
and  Longborough  family. 

'  The  same  person  as  "  Herminius"  and  **  The  American  Prince  "  —i.  e.. 
Lord  Baltimore. 


VOL.  I.  K 


130  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 


LETTEE  XV. 

AUTOBIOQRAPHY. 

Herminius  continued  very  assiduous  in  his  visits, 
and  his  manner  gave  me  reason  to  believe  he  had  a 
particular  regard  for  me.  I  confess  I  wished  it  might  be 
so,  and  it  gave  me  resolution  absolutely  to  refuse 
Henricus.  Valeria  was  by  no  means  pleased  with  my 
determination,  but  she  found  it  in  vain  to  prevent 
me  any  longer.  She  had  received  an  impression  to 
the  prejudice  of  Herminius ;  I  now  believe  she  made  a 
better  judgement  of  him  than  I  did,  but  his  behaviour  to 
me  was  so  respectful  and  engaging,  that  the  natural  vanity 
of  human  nature  led  me  to  think  more  favorably  of  him 
than  he  deserved.  He  had  not  many  opportunities  of 
seeing  me,  for  as  I  suspected  my  own  inclination  towards 
him  increased,  I  grew  more  reserved. 

All  the  summers  I  spent  either  with  my  mother  a 
great  distance  from  the  metropolis,  or  at  a  villa  of 
Sebastian's,  a  few  miles  from  it,  where  I  had  spent  some 
of  my  most  youthful  and  happy  days.  From  thence  I 
frequently  went  to  town,  either  on  business  of  my  own 
or  my  aunt's,  or  to  see  some  of  my  intimate  friends.  As 
Herminius  was  a  good  deal  on  the  watch  to  see  me,  he 
generally  found  an  opportunity  of  calling  on  me  at  Lady 
Stanley's  house  in  town ;  I  was  not  shy  of  receiving  his 
visits  as  his  behaviour  towards  me  was  unexceptionable. 
The  last  day  we  ever  met  there  he  proposed  to  me  a 
party  on  the  water.     The  weather  was  excessive  hot  and 


OF  MRS.  DELAXY.  131 

fine  :  he  said  his  sister  was  ready  to  wait  on  me,  and 
desired  me  to  take  what  company  I  pleased,  and  that  he 
had  bespoke  a  barge  of  musick  to  attend  us.  The 
temptation  was  almost  irresistible,  but  T  thought  it  not 
prudent,  and  refused  all  his  entreaties,  at  which  he  left 
me  disappointed  and  chagrined,  and  instead  of  going  on 
the  water,  put  off  the  barges  that  were  waiting  on  the 
waterside  and  went  to  the  Tennis  Court,  where  a  ball 
struck  him  between  the  eyes  and  knocked  him  down. 
AU  the  company  thought  him  killed ;  he  was  carried  to 
his  sister's  house  (being  nearer  than  his  own),  weltering 
in  his  blood,  but  with  some  signs  of  life. 

I  was  gone  out  of  town  before  this  accident  happened,  for 
I  went  as  soon  as  he  left  me  ;  his  sister,  almost  distracted, 
sent  a  letter  to  inform  me  of  it,  and  to  beg  to  see  me  as 
soon  as  possible.  I  was  extremely  shocked,  believing 
myself  (though  innocently)  the  cause  of  this  misfortune. 
The  next  day  I  went  to  town ;  when  I  came  to 
Charlotte's  house  I  found  her  drowned  in  tears  and 
under  the  greatest  apprehensions  for  her  brother's  life. 
He  had  lost  so  great  a  quantity  of  blood  that  he  was 
reduced  to  the  lowest  weakness ;  he  said  he  wished 
extremely  to  see  me,  and  begged  of  me  to  go  to  his 
bedside.  I  could  not  bring  myself  to  do  it,  as  he  had 
never  positively  made  any  declaration  that  could  warrant  » 
my  granting  him  such  an  indulgence,  and  I  thought  it 
might  disturb  him  ;  I  was  therefore  resolute  in  my 
refusal,  and  poor  Charlotte  thought  me  inhuman ;  but 
I  left  her  with  a  promise  that  if  he  continued  as  ill  the 
next  day,  and  desired  to  see  me,  I  would  not  refuse  him. 

I  was  so  affected  after  this  visit  that  for  some  days  I 
was  ill  and  not  able  to  go  to  town,  receiving  every  day 

K  2 


1 32  LIFE  AND  CORRESPOKDENCE 

very  doubtful  accounts  of  his  recovery  ;  but  his  youth  at 
length  prevailed  and  he  grew  better.  I  avoided  going  to 
town,  thinking  it  sufficient  to  send  and  enquire  after  him. 
He  went  to  his  country-house  as  soon  as  it  was  safe  for 
him  to  remove ;  when  he  was  gone  I  went  to  see  his  sister. 
She  reproached  me  with  my  indifference  to  her  brother, 
and  called  me  ungrateful,  for  he  expressed  so  great  a 
regard  for  me  all  the  time  of  his  illness,  that  he  seemed 
to  desire  life  only  for  my  sake,  and  would  take  nothing 
that  was  prescribed  him,  but  as  he  was  told  it  was  my 
request.  A  lady  of  his  acquaintance  sent  him  a  necklace 
of  bloodstones  to  wear  (as  it  is  vulgarly  thought  a  specific 
against  violent  bleedings),  he  threw  it  away  with  the 
utmost  indignation.  Charlotte  got  one  from  me  she  had 
seen  in  my  cabinet,  which  he  wore  without  any  difficulty 
and  honorably  restored.  Soon  after  Herminius  going 
out  of  town,  I  received  a  letter  from  him  to  return  me 
thanks  for  the  concern  I  had  expressed  for  him,  and  to 
assure  me  that  his  recovery  was  more  owing  to  that  than 
to  the  skill  of  his  physicians,  and  concluding  with  some 
warm  expressions  of  his  great  regard.  Not  long  after 
I  was  desired  to  use  my  interest  with  him  in  favour  of  a 
person  who  wanted  to  be  recommended  to  him;  1 
mentioned  it  to  Charlotte,  and  in  a  few  days  received 
another  letter  from  him  to  assure  me  "  my  request  was 
granted,  and  how  happy  he  was  to  have  any  opportunity 
of  obeying  my  commands,  and  that  he  wished  for  nothing 
more  than  to  show  me  how  much  he  was  my  devoted 
humble  servant." 

Though  there  was  nothing  more  in  this  letter  than  a 
little  polite  compliment,  yet  as  there  was  something  very 
particular  in  his  whole   behaviour,  I  own   I   could  not 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  133 

lielp  thinking  somewhat  more  was  meant  by  his  letters 
than  mere  politeness  of  manners  :  however,  I  answered 
neither  of  them,  nor  did  I  make  a  confidence  of  my 
secret  thoughts  to  anybody.  His  sister  often  said 
her  brother  had  a  higher  opinion  of  me  than  of  any 
woman  he  knew,  and  said  many  things  in  my  favour. 

I  went  to  Tunbridge  at  the  end  of  that  summer  with 
Sebastian  and  Valeria,  but  heard  nothing  of  him.  At 
my  return  to  town  he  came  to  see  me  (I  was  still  with 
Valeria) ;  he  told  me  he  was  going  to  make  a  tour  abroad 
for  three  months,  and  had  fitted  up  a  little  vessel  for 
that  purpose  ;  that  he  had  great  lowness  of  spirits,  partly 
occasioned  by  his  late  accident  at  tennis  and  some 
vexation  he  had  met  with;  that  before  he  went  he  had 
a  request  to  make  me,  which,  if  I  knew  how  great  his 
regard  was  for  me,  and  how  much  his  happiness  depended 
on  it,  I  would  not  refuse  him  :  he  paused,  and  I  was  in 
such  confusion  I  could  not  say  a  word,  nor  could  I  guess 
what  this  earnest  request  was  to  be.  At  last  he  begged  me 
to  give  him  my  picture  in  miniature  to  take  abroad  witli 
him.  I  told  him  it  could  not  be,  that  though  I  had  a  great  ^ 
opinion  of  his  honour,  /  did  not  think  it  right,  and  hoped 
he  would  Dot  be  offended  at  my  refusing  it.  If  I  could 
comply  with  such  a  request  to  anybody  it  should  be  to 
him ;  he  protested  solemnly  I  should  have  no  reason  to 
repent  of  bestowing  on  him  such  a  favour,  but  I  abso- 
lutely refused  him.  He  looked  vexed  and  disappointed, 
but  made  me  a  thousand  professions  of  love  and  esteem. 

So  we  parted,  neither  of  us  pleased  with  each  other ; 
I  looked  upon  him  as  a  fiutterer,  and  was  at  a  loss 
to  know  what  his  intentions  were.  He  went  to  sea, 
and    staid  the    greatest    part   of  the    winter.      It  was 


134  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

reported,  and  generally  believed,  that  his  ship  was  cast 
away ;  he  was  much  lamented  by  everybody,  and  I  own 
I  was  not  insensible  on  the  occasion.  One  night  as  1 
was  at  the  drawing-room,  who  should  I  see  in  the 
crowd  but  Herminius  making  up  to  the  circle.  I  was  so 
prepossessed  with  his  being  drowned  that  had  I  really 
seen  his  apparition  I  could  not  have  been  more  startled. 
As  soon  as  he  had  been  noticed  by  the  King,  on  his 
return  home,  he  came  up  to  me :  he  looked  dejected  and 
ill,  which  I  attributed  to  the  great  fatigues  he  had  gone 
through.  As  soon  as  I  could  get  a  seat  he  came  and  sat 
down  by  me,  and  expressed  great  satisfaction  at  seeing 
me  again.  I  felt  in  some  confusion,  and  to  disguise  it 
rallied  him  on  his  stratagem  of  giving  out  that  he  was 
cast  away  to  try  how  his  friends  would  lament  him.  I 
came  thus  far  before  I  remembered  I  was  writing  a  letter, 
and  will  not  add  more  before  we  have  both  taken  breath. 
I  am  your  most  aflectionate  and  obedient, 

ASPASIA. 


Mrs.  Fendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  OranvtUe,  at  Gloucester. 

October  5th,  1727. 

Mrs.  Badge  nor  I  could  not  rightly  understand  you 
about  the  Bohea  tea,  for  she  does  not  remember  she  was 
ordered  to  bespeak  any,  and  you  say  in  your  letter  that 
I  must  send  the  Bohea  tea  that  was  bespoke,  and  a  pound 
more.  She  imagines  the  tea  mama  meant  was  "  tea  dust,'' 
but  she  can't  get  any  for  love  nor  money,  but  has  bought 
two  pound  of  Bohea,  at  thirteen  shilling  a  pound,  which 
the  man  says  is  extraordinary  good ;  but  every  thing  of 
that  kind  grows  very  dear,  chocolate  especially.     I  have 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  135 

sent  you  a  pound  at  three  and  sixpence,  the  best 
in  town  at  that  price,  but  I  am  afraid  it  is  not  such 
as  my  mother^  will  like,  but  I  desire  her  approbation  of 
it  as  soon  as  she  has  tasted  it.  In  the  box  with  the 
linnen  there  is  mama's  black  poudesoy  gown  and  petty- 
coat,  your  white  pettycoat,  and  mama's  two  hoods  ;  (but 
I  will  never  again  employ  these  people),  also  three  japan 
bords,  six  forks  and  spoons,  and  French  silver  salt- 
sellers,  and  a  pair  of  China  ones,  which  you  may  think 
old  fashion,  but  it  is  the  new  mode,  and  all  saltsellers 
are  now  made  in  that  manner.  There  is  a  little  Tun- 
bridge  jewel  box  which  Mrs.  Tillier  desires  you  to  accept 
as  her  fairing;  in  the  first  partition  there  is  three 
cakes  of  lip  salve,  in  the  next  a  solitary  ring  which 
begs  the  honour  of  embracing  one  of  your  fitngers,  the 
motto  wiU  inform  you  from  whom  it  comes ;  in  the  next 
is  the  overplus  money  of  the  five  guineas,  and  in  the  last 
is  my  mother's  six  pound  ten  shillings,  and  Mrs.  Badge's 
account  how  she  has  laid  out  the  money.  There  is  also 
two  "  Tunbridge  voiders,"  which  I  hope  mama  will 
not  think  me  saucy,  if  I  desire  the  favour  of  her 
to  make  use  of,  and  the  standish  is  for  Mrs.  Viney, 
her  ingenuity  will  direct  her  how  to  set  it  together, 
for  I  was  forced  to  unscrew  it  least  it  should  break  in 
the  carriage.'* 

I  was  at  Court  last  Thursday  morning,  and  the  King 
asked  me  if  I  had  been  in  Cornwall,  for  he  had  not  seen- 


»  Mrs.  Granville  having  been  brought  up  in  Spain,  was  particularly  fond  of 
chocolate. 

2  This  account  of  the  manner  Mary  Granville  packed  all  these  odd  trifles,  and 
her  exactness  in  giving  the  account,  is  a  part  of  her  character,  and  of  the 
qualification  in  which  she  excelled  of  packing  well,  as  also  the  principle  she 
practised  as  well  as  preached  of  never  executing  commissions  by  deputy. 


136  LIFE  AND  COKKESPONDEKCE 

me  a  great  while  ;  and  when  I  told  him  where  I  had  been 
he  asked  me  abundance  of  questions  how  I  had  passed 
my  time  at  Tunbridge  ?  The  Queen  has  upon  her  petty- 
coat  for  the  coronation,  twenty-four  hundred  thousand 
pounds  worth  of  jewels.  Her  train  is  to  be  held  up  by 
the  three  young  princesses,  and  Lady  Frances  Nassau,^ 
Lady  Mary  Capell,^  Lady  Margaret  Herbert,^  Lady  Anne 
Lumley/ 

What  interest  I  have,  I  shall  be  very  willing  to  make 
use  of  for  my  sweethearts^  service,  but  nothing  can  be 
done  till  he  is  sent  to  school  to  Westminster.  I  saw 
Captain  Moles  worth  yesterday,  he  asked  after  Gloucester 
friends. 

The  "  Tunbridge  Voider"  mentioned  in  this  letter,  was  probably 
a  sort  of  basket  for  waste  paper.  "  Dr.  Johnson  defines  the  word 
'  voider '  as  *'  a  basket  iu  which  broken  meat  is  carried  from  the 
table."  In  Tudor  times  an  afternoon  refreshment  of  con- 
fectionary used  to  be  called  a  "void,"  of  this  Dr.  Johnson  does 
not  seem  to  have  been  aware,  but  a  light  cake-basket  might 
perhaps  have  borne  the  name  of  "voider"  in  the  early  part 
of  the  18th  century. 


•  Lady  Frances  Nassau  was  the  youngest  daughter  of  Henry  de  Nassau, 
Lord  of  Auverquerque,  and  sister  of  Henry,  1st  Earl  of  Grantham,  and  of 
Isabelhi,  who  married  Charles,  2nd  Earl  of  Bath.  Lady  Frances  was  con- 
sequently connected  with  the  Granville  family.  Lady  Frances  married 
Nanfant  Cote,  Earl  of  Bellamont. 

2  The  Lady  Mary  Capel,  third  daughter  of  Algernon,  2nd  Earl  of  Essex, 
was  one  of  the  ladies  of  the  bedchamber  to  the  Princess  Royal,  Anne, 
daughter  of  King  George  11.,  and  married  in  1729  Alan  Broderick,  Viscount 
Middleton. 

^  The  Lady  Margaret  Herbert,  second  daughter  of  Thomas,  8th  Earl  of 
Pembroke  and  5th  Earl  of  Montgomery,  died,  unmarried,  December  15,  1752. 

•  The  Lady  Anne  lainiley,  third  daughter  of  llichard,  1st  Earl  of  Scar- 
borough, afterwards  married  Frederick  Frankland,  Esq.,  M.P.  for  Thirsk, 
and  died  in  February,  1740. 

•  "  tSweetheart  "  was  a  word  then  often  applied  to  children. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  137 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Somerset  House,  the  day  after  the  Coronation. 

You  require  a  full  and  true  account  of  all  the  pomp 
I  saw  yesterday.  I  cannot  say  my  dearest  sister  is 
unreasonable,  but  how  can  I  answer  your  demands?  No 
words  (at  least  that  I  can  command),  can  describe  the 
magnificence  my  eyes  beheld.  The  book  I  sent  you 
informs  you  of  all  the  ceremony  and  manner  of  proceed- 
ing. I  was  a  spectator  in  Westminster  Hall,  from  whence 
the  procession  begun,  and  after  their  Majesties  were 
crowned,  they  returned  with  all  their  noble  followers  to 
dine.  The  dresses  of  the  ladies  were  becoming,  and  most 
of  them  immensely  rich.  Lady  Delawar  was  one  of  the 
best  figures ;  the  Duchess  of  Queensborough  depended 
so  much  upon  her  native  beauty  that  she  despised  all 
adornments,  nor  had  not  one  jewel,  riband,  or  puff  to  set 
her  off,  but  everybody  thought  she  did  not  appear  to 
advantage.  The  Duchess  of  Richmond  pleased  every- 
body ;  she  looked  easy  and  genteel,  with  the  most  sweet- 
ness in  her  countenance  imaginable ;  in  short  all  the  ladies 
young  and  middle-aged,  though  not  handsome,  looked 
agreeable  and  well.  The  Lords'  dress  is  not  altogether  so 
well,  but  those  that  walked  well  had  the  advantage.  Lord 
Sunderland,  Lord  Albemarle,  the  Duke  of  Richmond, 
Lord  Finch,  and  my  Lord  Lichfield  were  ihe  top. 

The  Queen  never  was  so  well  liked;  her  clothes 
were  extravagantly  fine,  though  they  did  not  make  show 
enough  for  the  occasion,  but  she  walked  gracefully  and 
smiled  on  all  as  she  passed  by.  Lady  Fanny  Nassau 
(who  was  one  of  the  ladies  that  bore  up  the  train)  looked 
exceeding  well ;  her  clothes  were  fine  and  very  becoming, 


138  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

pink  colour  satin  the  gown  (which  was  stifF-bodied), 
embroidered  with  silver,  the  petticoat  covered  with  a 
trimming  answerable.  Princess  Anne  (who  is  now  dis- 
tinguished by  the  title  of  Princess  Royal),  and  her  two 
sisters,  held  up  the  tip  of  the  train  :  they  were  dressed  in 
stifF-bodied  gowns  of  silver  tissue,  embroidered  or  quite 
covered  with  silver  trimming,  with  diadems  upon  their 
head,  and  purple  mantles  edged  with  ermine,  and  vast 
long  trains  ;  they  were  very  prettily  dressed,  and  looked 
very  well.  After  them  walked  the  Duchess  of  Dorset  and 
Lady  Sussex,  two  ladies  of  the  bedchamber  in  waiting ; 
then  the  two  finest  figures  of  all  the  procession — Mrs. 
Herbert^  and  Mrs.  Howard,^  the  bedchamber-women 
in  waiting,  in  gowns  also,  but  so  rich,  so  genteel,  so  per- 
fectly well  dressed  that  any  description  must  do  them  an 
injury.  Mrs.  Herbert's  was  blue  and  silver,  with  a  rich 
embossed  trimming;  Mrs.  Howard  scarlet  and  silver, 
trimmed  in  the  same  manner,  their  heads  with  long  locks 
and  puffs  and  silver  riband. 

I  could  hardly  see  the  King,  for  he  walked  so  much 
under  his  canopy,  that  he  was  almost  hid  from  me  by  the 
people  that  surrounded  him ;  but  though  the  Queen  was 
also  under  a  canopy,  she  walked  so  forward  that  she  was 
distinguished  by  everybody.  The  room  was  finely  illumin- 
ated, and  though  there  was  1800  candles,  besides  what 
were  on  the  tables,  they  were  all  lighted  in  less  than  three 
minutes  by  an  invention  of  Mr.  Heidegger's,  which  suc- 
ceeded to  the  admiration  of  all  spectators ;  the  branches' 

1  Mrs.  Herbert.  Mary,  daughter  of  John  Smith,  Esq.,  Speaker  of  the 
House  of  Commons,  Bedchamber-woman  to  Queen  Caroline,  and  wife  of  the 
Hon.  Robert  Sawyer  Herbert,  of  High  Clere,  2nd  son  of  Thomas,  8th  Earl  of 
Pembroke,  and  5th  Earl  of  Montgomery. 

'  Mrs.  Howard,  afterwards  Countess  of  Suffolk. 


OF  MRS.  DELAKY.  139 

that  held  the  candles  were  all  gilt  and  in  the  form  of  pyra- 
mids. I  leave  it  to  your  lively  imagination  after  this,  to 
have  a  notion  of  the  splendour  of  the  place  so  filled  and  so 
illuminated.  I  forgot  to  tell  you  Lady  Carteret  looked 
charmingly,  and  nothing  was  ever  more  beautiful  than  her 
fine  throat,  which  appeared  to  the  utmost  advantage. 

I  went  with  Mrs.  Garland,  a  particular  friend  of  my 
Lady  Carteret's,  and  one  of  a  general  acquaintance.  We 
went  to  the  Hall  at  half-an-hour  after  four  in  the  morning, 
but  when  we  came  the  doors  were  not  opened,  and  we  were 
forced  to  go  in  to  a  coffee-house,  and  staid  till  the  doors 
opened,  which  at  half-an-hour  after  seven  they  brought  us 
word  they  were.  We  then  sallied  forth  with  a  grenadier 
for  our  guide  :  he  conveyed  us  into  so  violent  a  crowd  that 
for  some  minutes  I  lost  ray  breath,  (and  my  cloak  I  doubt 
for  ever).  I  verily  believe  I  should  have  been  squeezed  as 
flat  as  a  pancake  if  providence  had  not  sent  Mr.  Edward 
Stanley  to  my  relief,  and  he  being  a  person  of  some  au- 
thority made  way  for  me,  and  I  got  to  a  good  place  in 
the  Hall  without  any  other  damage  than  a  few  bruises  on 
my  arms  and  the  loss  of  my  cloak  ;  and  extreamly  frighted 
with  the  mob,  so  much  that  all  I  saw  was  a  poor  recom- 
pense for  what  my  spirits  had  sufiered. 

I  got  home  without  any  accident  about  ten  of  the  clock 
at  night.  It  was  not  disagreeable  to  be  taken  notice  of 
by  one's  acquaintance  when  they  appeared  to  so  much  ad- 
vantage, for  everybody  I  knew  came  under  the  place 
where  I  sate  to  ofier  me  meat  and  drink,  which  was  drawn 
up  from  below  into  the  galleries  by  baskets  at  the  end  of 
a  long  string,  which  they  filled  with  cold  meat  and  bread, 
sweetmeats  and  wine.  I  think  I  have  told  you  as  much 
as  I  at  this  time  can  remember.    Considering  the  fatigue 


140  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

I  underwent,  you  have  no  reason  to  complain  of  my 
letter,  for  all  blunders  that  must  be  an  excuse.  I  hope 
you  have  found  the  worsted ;  I  packed  it  with  the  flax,^ 
which  if  it  proves  good  I  desire  you  will  give  me  the 
satisfaction  of  knowing.  Pray  present  my  humble  duty 
to  my  mama.  Sir  John  and  Lady  Stanley  are  at  North- 
end.  My  eyes  have  been  so  much  dazzled,  that  I  can't 
see  to  fill  this  sheet  of  paper. 

The  Coronation  of  George  II.  and  Queen  Caroline  took  place 
11th  October,  1727.  King  George  I.  died  11th  June  in  the 
same  year.  Lord  Harvey  says — "  In  October  the  ceremony  of 
the  Coronation  was  performed  with  all  the  pomp  and  magnifi- 
cence that  could  be  contiived  ;  the  present  king  differing  so 
much  from  the  last  that  all  the  pageantry  and  splendour,  badges 
and  trapping  of  royalty,  were  as  pleasing  to  the  sou  as  they  were 
irksome  to  the  father.  The  dress  of  the  Queen  on  this  occasion 
was  as  fine  as  the  accumulated  riches  of  the  city  and  suburbs 
could  make  it ;  for  besides  her  own  jewels  (which  were  a  great 
number  and  very  valuable),  she  had  on  her  head  and  on  her 
shoulders  all  the  pearls  she  could  borrow  of  the  ladies  of  quality 
at  one  end  of  the  town,  and  on  her  petticoat  all  the  diamonds 
she  could  hire  of  the  Jews  and  jewellers  at  the  other."  Horace 
Walpole  in  his  "  Reminiscences "  says — "  At  the  death  of 
Queen  Anne  such  a  clearance  had  been  made  of  Her  Majesty's 
jewels,  or  the  new  king  had  so  instantlj'  distributed  them  among 
his  German  favourites,  that  Lady  Suffolk  told  me  Queen  Caroline 
never  obtained  of  the  late  Queen's  jewels  but  one  pearl  neck- 
lace." The  above  fact  is  cited,  in  a  note  to  Lord  Hervey's 
Memoirs,  as  an  excuse  for  borrowing  and  hiring. 


>  There  are  frequent  allusions  in  these  letters  to  the  jnirchase  and  selection 
of  flax.  Mary  Granville  and  her  mother  Averc  celebrated  spinners,  botli 
in  flax  and  in  that  preparation  of  wool  called  Jersey.  The  Editor  still  jios- 
sesses  the  wheel  of  Mary  Granville,  and  a  piece  of  purple  jtoplin  of  her  si)in- 
ning.  There  are  also  in  existence  damask  napkins,  of  the  finest  texture,  spun 
by  her  mother  and  sister. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  141 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  Granville  at  Gloucester. 

Somerset  House,  31  October,  1727. 

After  a  Coronation  a  Lord  Mayor's  feast  cannot  pre- 
sume to  make  a  figure  in  print,  but  as  I  love  to  keep  my 
word  on  all  occasions,  I  will,  according  to  my  promise, 
describe  as  well  as  I  am  able  what  I  was  yesterday  wit- 
ness of,  though  with  gazing  my  eyes  are  so  weak  to  day, 
that  I  fear  I  shall  hardly  be  able  to  see  my  way  quite 
through  the  crowd.  The  Duchess  of  Manchester,^  Lady 
Carteret,  Lady  Fanny  Shirley,^  called  on  me  at  half-an- 
hour  after  one  ;  the  streets  were  prodigiously  crowded 
with  mob  and  the  train-bands,  whose  ridiculous  appear- 
ance and  odd  countenances  were  very  entertaining,  and 
all  the  windows  from  the  bottom  to  the  top  loaded  with 
people.  We  were  in  no  bustle  of  coaches,  for  no  hackneys 
were  allowed  to  pass,  and  all  went  the  same  way ;  but 
there  was  so  great  a  throng  they  could  move  but  very 
slowly  for  fear  of  trampling  the  people  to  death,  so  that 
we  were  a  whole  hour  going  from  Somerset  House  to 
Guildhall.  \Vlien  we  came  to  King  Street,  the  officers 
upon  duty  said  we  must  not  go  any  further,  but  get  out 
of  our  coaches  in  Cheapside,  for  none  but  the  royal  family 
were  to  drive  to  the  Hall  gate,  but  as  the  street  was  well 
swept  and  soldiers  planted  to  keep  off  the  mob,  it  was 
very  good  walking.  When  we  had  walked  about  half 
way  up  the  street,  one  of  the  Lord  Mayor's  officers  with  a 
blue  and  gold  staff  met  us,  and  said,  with  an  audible  and 


*  Isabella,  wife  of  William,  2nd  Duke  of  Manchester,  who  bore  the  golden 
spurs  for  the  Earl  of  Essex  at  the  coronation  of  George  II.  She  was  the 
eldest  daughter  of  John,  Duke  of  Montague. 

*  The  Lady  Frances  Shirley,  4th  daughter  of  Robert,  1st  Earl  Ferrers. 
She  died  unmarried  in  1778. 


142  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

formal  voice,  "  Ladies,  open  your  tickets,"  which  accord- 
ingly we  did.  "  Very  well,  ladies,  you  will  have  admit- 
tance into  the  Hall,  and,  ladies,  you  may  tarry  till  the 
morning ;  indeed  from  this  time  until  six  6*  the  clock  you 
may  tarry."  Then  we  were  all  conducted  into  the  room 
where  my  Lady  Mayoress  and  all  the  Aldermen's  ladies 
were  seated.  Our  names  were  told,  and  everybody  made  a 
low  curtsey  to  her  ladyship,  who  returned  it  with  a  great 
deal  of  civility,  and  told  us  if  we  would  followher  we  should 
dine  at  her  table — an  honour  not  to  be  refused,  and  indeed 
it  was  a  particular  favour.  We  attended  her,  and  had  a 
very  fine  dinner,  and  all  the  polite  men  of  our  acquaintance 
waited  behind  our  chairs  and  helped  us  to  what  we  wanted  : 
I  had  to  my  share  Sir  Eobert  Sutton  and  Mr.  Stanley. 

As  soon  as  we  had  dined  the  Lady  Mayoress  got  up, 
and  we  followed  her  to  a  very  pretty  room  with  a  good 
fire,  where  there  was  closets.  After  that  we  went  back 
to  the  first  room,  at  the  upper  end  of  which  was  placed 
two  armed  chairs  and  two  stools  for  their  Majesties  and 
the  Princesses.  All  this  while  my  Lord  Mayor  was  per- 
forming his  part  through  the  City,  but  wind  and  tide 
being  against  him  made  his  return  very  late. 

The  King,  &c.,  were  at  a  house  which  they  say  has  al- 
ways been  kept  for  that  purpose,  over  against  Bow 
church,  to  see  the  procession.  His  own  coach  and 
horses,  that  conveyed  him  to  the  Hall,  was  covered  with 
purple  cloth ;  the  eight  horses,  (the  beautifullest  crea- 
tures of  their  kind),  were  cream  colour,  the  trappings 
purple  silk,  and  their  manes  and  tails  tied  with  purple 
riband ;  the  Princesses  horses  were  black,  dressed  with 
white  ribands.  The  King  was  in  purple  velvet ;  the 
Queen  and  Princesses  in  black,  and  very  fine  with  jewels. 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  '  143 

At  six  o'  th'  clock  my  Lord  Mayor  and  Aldermen  re- 
turned, and  in  three  quarters  of  an  hour  after  the  King 
came.  My  Lord  Mayor,  after  having  received  him  and 
paid  the  usual  homage  at  the  gate,  conducted  him,  &c. 
into  the  room  where  we  sate.  He  and  the  Queen  and  the 
Princesses  stood  before  the  chairs  and  stools  that  were 
placed  for  them,  which  were  raised  four  steps,  and  a  very 
loyal  speech  was  made  by  one  of  the  Aldermen  and  an 
acknowledgment  of  the  honour  received.  Their  Majesties 
were  very  gracious,  and  then  the  Lady  Mayoress  and  the 
Aldermen's  wives  were  presented.  All  that  ceremony 
being  over,  it  was  time  they  should  have  some  refreshment, 
which  they  had  in  a  very  magnificent  manner  in  the  Hall. 

We  followed  the  train  and  saw  them  at  dinner.  The 
Lady  Mayoress  waited  at  the  Queen's  elbow.  Having 
satisfied  our  curiosity  so  far,  we  thought  it  convenient 
to  secure  a  place  in  the  gallery  where  the  ball  was  to  be, 
which  indeed  was  much  too  straight  for  the  purpose,  but 
we  solaced  ourselves  with  tea  and  cofiee.  About  ten  the 
royal  folk  came  where  we  then  were,  but  the  crowd  was 
so  insupportable  we  made  made  the  best  of  our  way  out 
of  it.  I  had  one  glimpse  of  our  Alderman,  who  was 
endeavouring  to  get  to  me,  but  that  was  not  to  be  effected, 
so  we  were  parted  and  saw  no  more  of  him.  The  King 
and  Queen  went  about  twelve  o'  clock  away,  and  we  stayed 
an  hour  and  a  quarter  after  them,  not  being  able  sooner 
to  get  to  our  coach. 

We  got  home  very  well,  and  I  must  own  I  was  very 
well  pleased  with  my  day's  expedition.  The  Lady 
Mayoress  and  those  that  had  been,  and  the  High 
Sheriff"s  lady,  wore  gold  chains,  but  not  as  a  necklace, 
— they  were  tacked  on  the  robings  of  their  gowns  in 


144  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

loose  scollops  in  the  manner  of  a  galloon,  and  looked  very 
pretty  upon  black  velvet.  There  was  a  vast  many  people 
of  quality,  and,  considering  the  great  number  of  people, 
less  confusion  than  I  expected.  I  have  come  now  to  the 
end  of  my  journey.     I  am,  my  dearest  sister, 

More  yours  than  words  will  express, 
M.  Pendarves. 

My  humble  duty  and  service. 

Mrs.  Badge  ^  is  now  here;   and  presents  her  humble 
duty  to  my  mama  and  yourself. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Somerset  House,  11th  Novr.  1727. 

I  was  yesterday  at  the  rehearsal  of  Mr.  Handel's  new 
opera  called  King  Eichard  the  First — 'tis  delightful. 
There  I  saw  Captain  Elliot.  I  was  in  Lady  Sunderland's 
box,  Mrs.  Dashwood  and  Miss  Peyton^  with  me,  and  he 
came  and  sate  behind  me.  I  reminded  him  of  his  promise 
about  the  poor  man,  and  he  said  he  had  spoke  about  him 
and  would  try  further  ;  he  goes  to  quarters  next  Tuesday 
to  Warwick.  You  ask  me  if  the  Lady  Mayoress  was 
young  or  handsome  ? — she  was  neither.  Masquerades 
are  not  to  be  forbid,  but  there  is  to  be  another 
entertainment  barefaced,  which  are  balls.  Twelve  sub- 
scribers, every  subscriber  pays  ten  guineas  a  night,  and 

*  The  Dashwood  and  Peyton  families  were  closely  connected  by  frequent 

intermarriages.  The  Mrs.  Dashwood  and  Miss  Peyton  here  mentione<l 
appear  to  have  been  Anne  and  Margaret,  daughters  of  Sir  Sewster  Peyton, 
2nd  baronet,  and  of  his  wife,  Anne,  sister  of  Sir  Robert  Dashwood,  of  North 
brook,  bart.  Their  father  being  dead,  their  brother  Thomas  was  then  3rd 
baronet.  Anne  Peyton  married  Richard  Dashwood,  Esq.,  of  Cock ly Hey. 
Margaret  Peyton  married  "her  cousin,"  George  Dashwood,  Esq.,  and  her 
descendants  (1857)  represent  the  Peyton  family. — See  Burke's  Peerage  and 
Baronetagr. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  145 

is  to  have  tliree  tickets  to  dispose  of,  two  of  them  to 
ladies  and  the  other  to  a  gentleman,  that  will  make  up 
four-and- twenty  couple.  There  is  to  be  a  handsome 
collation,  and  they  will  hire  Heidegger's  rooms^  to 
perform  in.  Some  prudes  already  have  attacked  the 
reputation  of  those  ladies  that  will  accept  of  the  tickets, 
but  as  all  the  subscribers  are  men  of  the  first  quality, 
and  most  of  them  married  men,  I  don't  see  what  scandal 
can  ensue,  only  spiteful  people  make  harm  of  everything. 
There  are  to  be  no  spectators,  nor  tickets  to  be  sold,  and 
there  are  to  be  twelve  of  these  balls.  I  am  sorry  my 
mama  has  any  perplexing  thoughts  about  her  present 
undertaking,^  because  it  will  be  in  her  power  to  quit  it. 
provided  it  does  not  answer  her  purpose.  I  hope  she 
has  her  health,  and  that  God  Almighty  will  continue 
her  that  blessing,  and  then  she  will  find  a  chimney- 
comer  of  her  own,  with  such  a  companion  as  my  sister, 
very  comfortable  and  happy. 

Make  my  compliments  to  the  fair  society,  and  though  it 
is  almost  a  pity  to  part  you,  I  cannot  but  wish  the  knot 
was  broke — I  mean  that  another  should  be  tyed.  But  to 
speak  seriously,  matrimony  is  no  way  in  my  favour — far 
from  it ;  for  I  would  rather  see  you  all  as  you  are,  unless 
you  each  of  you  met  with  a  man  worthy  of  you,  but  that 
I  really  think  is  hardly  to  be  found ;  therefore  you  are 
better  as  you  are,  were  you  but  in  my  reach.  Heigh  ho  ! 
that  thought  damps  my  spirits  and  spoils  many  a  pretty 
thing  I  had  thought  of  before  that  melancholy  reflection 
came  in  my  way.      Monimia  is  out  in  her  conjectures. 


1  At  his  theatre  in  the  Hayinarket. 

'  This  alluded  to  Mrs.  Granville's  change  of  residence  and   permanent 
settlement  at  Gloucester. 

YOL.  I,  L 


146  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

Memuon  trembled  and  looked  pale  when  I  said  she  had 
been  ill ;  he  speaks  to  me  only  to  have  an  opportunity 
of  naming  her. 

Now  for  the  modes  : — undrest  people  wear  all  sorts  of 
second  mourning,  unless  they  go  to  Court,  then  they 
must  wear  black  silk  or  black  velvet.  There  is  great 
liberty  taken  in  dress ;  everybody  pleases  themselves. 
A  great  many  people  curl  the  hair  round  the  face,  the 
young  and  handsome  become  it.  Ribbon  is  not  very 
much  worn.  Mr.  Wise^  has  been  in  town  some  time  : 
he  told  me  he  had  writ  to  my  mother  or  I  had  men- 
tioned him  sooner.  I  am  very  glad  my  brother  Bevill  is 
in  France;  it  is  what  I  advised  him  to  long  ago,  and  the 
only  secure  step  he  could  take ;  for  as  he  has  managed 
his  affairs  I  doubt  he  could  not  have  staid  in  England 
with  any  security.  You  have  given  me  many  instances 
of  your  friendship,  but  I  believe  I  must  esteem  the  last  as 
the  greatest  I  ever  received :  to  stay  from  College  prayers, 
where  your  time  would  have  been  so  well  employed,  was 
an  indulgence  I  acknowledge  with  many  thanks. 

Poor  Ha  Ha  has  undergone  great  misfortunes,  he 
must  take  a  companion  of  another  kind  to  make  amends 
for  those  he  has  lost.  I  saw  him  one  night  at  the  play : 
he  stood  just  behind  me,  and  I  was  in  an  agony  to  ask 
him  after  you  :  you  can't  think  what  a  struggle  it  was 
to  me  to  deny  myself  that  vast  satisfaction.  Wliat  is 
"  Monsieur  Fenelon  V  You  shall  have  Cyrus  as  soon  as 
I  can  get  him.  Adieu,  I  am  ever  yours.  I  go  to-night 
to  the  opera  with  Lady  Oxford. 

^  In  the  list  of  deaths  appended  to  the  London  Magazine  for  December 
1738,  occurs  the  following : — "  Henry  Wise,  Esq.,  chief  gardener  to  King 
William,  Q.  Anne,  and  King  George  I." 


OF  MRS.  DKLANY.  147 

When  friendship  snch  as  yours  our  hours  Bless 
It  soothes  our  cares  and  makes  affliction — Less. 
Opprest  by  woes  from  you  I'rn  sure  to — Find 
A  sovereign  cure  for  my  distempered — Mind ; 
At  court  or  play,  in  field  or  shady — Grove, 
No  pkce  can  yield  delight  without  your — Zove. 

When  me,  with  your  commands  you  Bless, 
My  time  is  yours,  nor  can  I  offer — Less. 
There  so  much  truth  and  love  I — Find, 
That  with  content  it  fills  my — Mind; 
Happy  to  live  in  unfrequented — Qrove, 
Assured  of  faithful  Nanny's — Love. 

Although  T  have  received  a  letter  in  the  packet  that 
came  from  Gloucester  to  Brickhill,  I  cannot  say  I  am 
satisfied ;  three  posts  have  passed  and  no  letter  except 
that — which  was  without  a  date.  My  dearest  sister  must 
excuse  my  troublesome  fears,  but  where  two  such  friends 
as  my  mother  and  yourself  are  the  constant  object  of  my 
tenderest  thoughts,  I  cannot  help  yielding  to  my  appre- 
hensions when  I  miss  hearing  from  you,  but  I  know 
you  blame  my  weakness,  and  think  your  sister  a  sim- 
pleton. You  are  very  merry  about  your  new  habita- 
tion ;  I  wish  you  merry  in  it.  I  am  glad  you  won't 
want  light,  but  I  doubt,  by  your  account,  yoM  will  be 
very  much  troubled  with  2cind.  Alas !  you  would  fain 
make  a  poet  of  me ;  the  words^  you  sent  me  are  soft 
and  pretty,  and  I  have  aimed  to  tell  you  by  their 
means  a  small  part  of  what  I  feel,  but  I  find  it  a 
great  difficulty  to  express  my  sentiments  on  that  score, 
but  you  must  think  the  rest  for  me.  Pray  tell  me  the 
meaning  of  your  sending  those  words  ?    I  ought  to  be 


*  "  The  words  "  sent  alluded  to  the  rhymes  wl  ich  were  filled  up.  Sending 
rhymes  to  each  other,  "  Bout  rimes,"  appears  to  have  been  a  favourite  amuse- 
ment with  the  ladies  of  that  period. 

l2 


148  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

even  with  you  and  put  you  to  your  wit's  end  in  return, 
therefore  make  sense  of  these  six  words — tender,  render, 
joy,  hoy,  fasting,  lasting.  I  dined  yesterday  at  Lady 
Suns,  her  girl  is  very  well,  and  like  Dada.  I  will  take 
care  of  your  letter  to  France,  but  you  must  not  direct 
any  more  in  that  manner.  Dinner  is  just  ready,  and  I 
undrest.     Adieu. 

I  am  faithfully  yours, 

Penelope. 

My  humble  duty  and  service,  as  due.  Pray  don't  for- 
get to  date  your  letters. 

25th  November,  1727. 

When  I  finished  the  other  side  of  my  paper  I  was 
afraid  I  should  not  find  time  to  add  to  it,  but  I  have 
stole  away  to  say  a  little  more.  I  have  read  so  much 
of  philosophy  lately  that  I  am  convinced  there  is 
no  real  happiness  but  in  a  faithful  friend.  As  Doctor 
Swift  says  to  his  Vanessa,  it  is  a  "  rational  delight,'^ 
it  fills  the  mind  with  generous  motives,  and  I  must 
have  a  mean  opinion  of  those  that  call  it  romantic :  it 
is  the  most  improper  name  for  it  in  the  world,  for 
the  foundation  of  a  worthy  friendship  is  truth.  People 
may  fancy  themselves  in  love,  and  work  up  their 
imagination  to  such  a  pitch  as  to  really  believe  them- 
selves possessed  of  that  passion,  but  I  never  yet 
heard  of  anybody's  carrying  friendship  on  by  mere 
imagination.  Herminius  is  really  a  pretty  boy,  but 
I  fear  he  is  not  so  bright  within  as  without,  but  travel- 
ling will  improve  his  judgment  and  fancy.  Mr.  Wise 
is  now  here,  and  presents  his  humble  duty  to  mama 
and  you ;  he  writ  her  a  letter  some  time  ago,  which  he 
hopes  she  has   received.       Last   Wednesday   was   per- 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  149 

formed  the  musick  in  honour  of  St.  Cecilia  at  the  Crown 
Tavern.  Dubourg  was  the  first  fiddle,  and  every- 
body says  he  exceeds  all  the  Italians,  even  his  master 
Geminiani.  Senesino,  Cuzzoni  and  Faustina  sung  there 
some  of  the  best  songs  out  of  several  operas,  and  the 
whole  performance  was  far  beyond  any  opera.  I  was 
very  unlucky  in  not  speaking  to  Dubourg  about  it,  for 
he  told  me  this  morning  he  could  have  got  me  in  with 
all  the  ease  in  the  world.  One  piece  of  extraordinary 
news  I  had  almost  forgot  to  tell  you,  the  Duchess  of 
Buckingham  and  Doctor  Chamberlayne  are  parted,  she 
has  no  further  business  for  him,  and  so  has  sent  him 
home  to  his  wife. 

I  doubt  operas  will  not  survive  longer  than  this  winter, 
they  are  now  at  their  last  gasp  ;  the  subscription  is  expired 
and  nobody  will  renew  it.  The  directors  are  always 
squabbling,  and  they  have  so  many  divisions  among  them- 
selves that  I  wonder  they  have  not  broke  up  before ;  Sene- 
sino goes  away  next  winter,  and  I  believe  Faustina, 
so  you  see  harmony  is  almost  out  of  fashion.  I  have 
been  making  up  some  packets  of  musick  for  Dublin. 
Our  friends  are  certainly  safe  there,  but  the  wind 
continues  contrary  for  the  return  of  the  packet  boats. 
I  beg  pardon  for  not  having  lately  enquired  after  your 
pussey,  I  hope  she  is  well :  all  the  animals  belonging 
to  this  house  are  in  good  case.  Pray  let  me  know  how 
the  fish  proves.  I  expect  an  answer  to  every  paragraph. 
I  believe  this  is  the  fourth  letter  you  have  to  answer. 
Once  more  farewell. 

I  am  eternally  yours. 


150  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Friday,  New  Year's  Day,  1727-8. 

I  must  again  repeat  my  wishes  for  my  dearest  sister, 
that  she  may  be  blessed  with  many  very  happy  new 
years ;  nothing  can  be  more  self-interested  than  I  am 
in  that  wish,  my  peace  of  life  depends  upon  it.  You 
are  the  "  cordial  drop  heaven  in  my  cup  has  throvm^"  and 
I  unwillingly  submitted  last  post  to  a  painful  silence. 
Our  mornings,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  are  strangely  dangled, 
and  I,  who  am  no  friend  to  idleness,  am  obliged  to 
saunter  away  a  great  deal  of  time.  Mrs.  Tellier's  ill 
health  makes  her  lye  long  a-bed  in  a  morning.  I  am 
summoned  to  breakfast  at  my  aunt's  tea-table,  the  cere- 
mony of  which  generally  lasts  till  twelve  !  By  that  time 
the  necessary  duties  of  the  morning  are  over,  part  of 
which  the  toilette  engrosses,  'tis  two  or  three  ;  then  what 
time  have  I  to  write  ?  why,  after  dinner  !  and  then  I  am 
liable  to  impertinent  visits,  or  am  engaged  to  go  abroad. 

This  sketch  of  my  life  is  to  show  you  that  it  is,  some 
days,  impossible  for  me  to  find  an  hour  to  write.  There 
is  nothing  that  can  make  me  amends  for  robbing  myself 
of  one  moment's  conversation  with  you,  but  I  frequently 
meet  with  those  interruptions,  or  my  letters  should  be 
as  regular  as  the  return  of  the  day.  Thus  far  of  my 
epistle  was  writ  last  night.  I  have  received  my  dear 
mama's  obliging  letter  and  your  P.S.,  and  will  pay  my 
duty  and  thanks  next  post  in  a  more  particular  manner. 

I  am  glad  Mr.  Stanley  has  made  you  a  visit ;  I  find  he 
knew  what  could  make  him  welcome.  I  suppose  the 
young  lellow  was  Bob  Scawen :  I  assure  you  he  could 
have  give  you  a  full  and  true  account  of  all  our  pranks 


OF  MRS.  DELAXT.  151 

at  Tunbridge.  His  father  and  mother,  I  believe,  are  the 
two  most  miserable  parents  that  ever  lived :  they  have 
had  abundance  of  children,  all  very  handsome  except  Bob 
and  his  eldest  brother.  One  of  her  daughters,  that  was 
married  to  a  Mr.  Trenchard,  cut  her  own  throat.  Sir  John 
Shelly's^  lady  (who  was  another)  broke  her  neck  off  of  her 
horse,  another  daughter  has  been  almost  distracted  with 
the  vile  usage  of  her  husband,  and  about  a  fortnight  ago 
the  eldest  son,  who  is  immensely  rich,  run  quite  mad. 
Sir  Thomas  is  a  downright  alderman,  but  my  Lady 
Scawen  is  a  sensible,  well-bred,  religious  woman  as  ever 
was  bom,  but  was  so  miserable  as  to  be  mad  herself  at 
times,  but  at  all  other  times  a  woman  of  excellent  conduct 
in  every  respect,  I  think  I  never  knew  a  more  melancholy 
relation,  but  we  may  learn  from  them  that  riches  will 
not  procure  happiness ;  for  they  are  possest  of  all  the 
plenty  and  affluence  of  fortune  imaginable.  I  beg  your 
pardon  for  telling  you  so  sad  a  tale  ;  but  the  moral  is  good, 
how  thankfull  ought  we  to  be  to  Providence  that  we 
have  no  such  terrors  to  struggle  with ;  nay,  I  think  I 
shoidd  sooner  envy  a  beggar  the  quiet  possession  of  his 
morsel  than  these  poor  people's  greatness  and  riches, 
embittered  with  the  sorrows  they  feel. 

I  believe  I  never  told  you  of  poor  Mr.  Head's  death : 
you  must  remember  we  joked  with  Mrs.  Peyton  about 
him.  He  died  about  a  month  ago  very  suddenly,  to  the 
great  grief  of  his  acquaintance,  for  they  say  he  was  a  very 
honest  good  young  man. 

I  am  going  to  dine  with  Lady  Sunderland,  and  am  to 
go  to  the  opera  with  her.     Mrs.  Hyde  made  me  a  visit 

1  Sir  John  Shelly,  4th  Baronet  of  that   name,  married  first,   Catherine, 
daughter  of  Alderman  Sir  Thomas  Scawen,  Knt. 


152  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

yesterday ;  her  youngest  son  has  had  a  violent  fever,  and 
my  goddaughter  is  so  ill  in  the  country  that  she  fears 
she  can't  recover.  Sir  John  Stanley  complains  of  his 
spirits  and  want  of  sleep  and  appetite,  which  alarms  us 
very  much,  it  being  the  same  time  of  year  he  was  taken 
ill  before,  but  I  hope  it  is  only  a  little  effect  of  the 
spleen,  and  when  the  weather  is  better  that  he  wiU  also 
brighten  up.  I  had  a  very  kind  long  letter  last  post 
from  Lady  Carteret,  with  a  copy  of  verses  made  by  a  lady, 
which  I  designed  sending  you  this  post,  but  last  night  I 
showed  them  to  Piggy,  and  she  seized  them  and  said  I 
should  not  have  them  again  till  next  post. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville. 

Somerset  House,  19th  Jan,  1727-8. 

My  Dearest  Sister, 

O  may  I  long  the  sacred  pleasures  know 
Of  strictest  amity,  nor  ever  want 
A  friend,  with  whom  T  mutually  may  share 
Gladness  and  anguish,  hy  kind  intercourse 
•  Of  speech  and  offices.     May  in  my  mind 
Indelible  a  grateful  sense  remain 
Of  favours  undeserved  I 

Mr.  Philips^s  Poem  on  Cydtr} 

Since  my  confinement  at  home,  among  other  things  to 
divert  me,  I  have  read  "  Cyder,  a  Poem."  I  have  it  in  very 
great  veneration,  and  the  above  written  words  speaking 
my  own  sentiments,  I  could  not  help  transcribing  them, 
though  I  believe  you  are  very  well  acquainted  with 
them.     I  thank  you  for  your  letter,  which  came  into  my 

1  Mr.  John  Philips,  son  of  Dr.  Stephen  Philips,  Archdeacon  of  Salop,  was 
born,  December  30th,  1676,  at  Bampton  in  Oxfordshire,  educated  at  Christ- 
church,  Oxford,  under  Dr.  Aldrich.  He  wrote  "The  Splendid  Shilling," 
"  Blenheim,"  "  Cyder,  a  Poem,"  and  several  odes.  He  died  at  Hereford, 
I5th  of  February,  1708. 


OF  MRS.  DELANT.  153 

hands  last  night.  I  am  now  perfectly  recovered  of  all  my 
complaints,  and  am  sorry  I  gave  you  or  mama  a  moment's 
anxiety.  I  am  so  little  used  to  sickness,  that  I  fancy 
myself  very  bad  when  anything  ails  me,  though  it  should 
be  but  a  pain  in  my  finger,  but  I  assure  you  I  am  now 
as  well  as  ever  I  was  in  my  life.  Sir  John  is  pretty  well, 
but  my  aunt  is  very  much  out  of  order ;  Mrs.  TeUier  has 
been  very  ill  too,  but  is  now  better,  in  short  we  have 
been  a  crazy  family.  Yesterday  I  dined  with  Lady  Sun- 
derland. Bess  is  always  complaining.  Your  harpsichord 
is  not  yet  come  ;  when  it  does  I  vnR  do  my  best  about  it. 
You  may  keep  the  Fables  a  month  longer  if  you  please. 
To-night  I  go  to  the  opera  with  Lady  Oxford. 

Next  Thursday  there  will  be  a  masquerade  in  the  Hay- 
market  ;  I  believe  I  shall  make  one  among  them  ;  if  I  do, 
I  wiU  give  you  a  faithful  account  of  aU  transactions  there. 
Next  Monday  I  go  to  the  new  play,  which  is  very  much 
applauded,  everybody  that  has  seen  it  commends  it  ex- 
tremely. I  go  with  Lady  Peyton.  Yesterday  in  the 
afternoon  I  made  some  visits — Lady  How,'  Duchess  of 
Manchester,  Mrs.  Percival,  Mrs.  Cavendish  and  Mrs. 
Page;^  found  none  at  home  but  the  last,  who,  poor 
woman,  has  had  a  melancholy  confinement;  her  name 
was  How,  a  sister  of  my  Lady  Pembroke's,^  an  extremely 

1  Lady  Howe.  Sir  Eichard  Howe,  who  represented  the  county  of  Wilts  in 
nine  parliaments,  married,  in  1673,  Mary,  daughter  of  Sir  Henry  Frederick 
Thynne,  Bart.,  of  Kempsford,  Gloucestershire,  and  sister  of  Thomas,  1st 
Viscount  We}Tnouth.  They  had  no  children  :  he  died  in  1730,  and  his 
widow  in  1735. 

'  Judith,  wife  of  Thomas  Page,  Esq.,  of  Battlesden,  co.  Bedford,  second  son 
of  Sir  Gregory  Page  of  Greenwich,  in  Kent,  Bart. ;  was  the  second  daughter  of 
Scroop,  1st  Viscount  Howe,  by  his  second  wife  Juliana,  daughter  of  William 
Lord  Allington.     Mrs.  Page  survived  her  husband,  and  died  in  1780. 

*  Mary,  daughter  of  Scroop,  1st  Viscount  Howe,  and  third  wife  of  the  8th 
Earl  of  Pembroke. 


154  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

pretty  woman.  Mr.  Page  married  her  for  love  ;  her 
fortune,  which  was  but  three  thousand  pounds,  she 
gave,  with  his  consent,  to  her  youngest  sister.  He  is 
immensely  rich,  and  has  vast  expectations,  for  Sir 
Gregory  Page  ^  his  brother  is  worth  three  hundred  thou- 
sand pounds  at  least,  has  been  married  several  years  and 
has  no  children.  This  poor  gentleman  for  sixteen  years 
has  been  subject  to  a  violent  pain  in  one  of  his  legs,  the 
effects  of  a  fever ;  his  torment  has  been  inexpressible,  he 
would  roar  so  loud  that  they  could  hear  him  across  the 
street, — a  terrible  sound  for  a  wife  who  loves  him.  At 
last  a  surgeon  that  was  accidentally  called  in,  (for  he 
has  been  sadly  mangled  and  at  last  resolved  to  cut  his 
leg,)  opened  his  leg  and  screwed  out  a  piece  of  the 
b^ne,  and  has  taken  out  the  marrow,  and  since  that 
they  say  he  has  recovered  wonderfully. 

When  that  visit  was  over  I  returned  to  Lady  Sunder- 
land, and  we  went  together  to  the  Princess  Boyal's,  where 
was  a  vast  crowd  of  people,  and  I  returned  home  about  nine 
o'  the  clock.  Lord  Thanet  ^  is  dead.  He  has  left  but  one 
daughter  unmarried,  Lady  Bell  Tuffcon,  a  handsome  black 


'  Gregory  Page  of  Greenwich,  an  eminent  merchant,  was  created  a  baronet 
Deer.  3rd,  1714.  He  was  for  many  years  a  Director  of  the  East  India  Company, 
and  M.P.  for  Shoreham.  He  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Thomas  Trotman, 
citizen  of  London,  and  died  May  25,  1720.  Tlieir  eldest  son,  Sir  Gregory 
Page  of  Wricklemarth  in  Kent,  married  Mrs.  Martha  Kenward,  but  liad  no 
children,  and  dying  at  the  age  of  90,  in  1775,  his  property  descended  to  his 
great  nephew,  and  the  baronetcy  became  extinct.  The  Page-Turner  family, 
baronets  of  Ambosden,  now  possess  the  Page  estates  as  descendants  from  the 
sister  of  the  last  Sir  Gregory. 

2  Thomas  Tuftou,  Earl  of  Thanet,  born  August  30,  1644,  married  August 
14, 1684,  Catherine,  daughter  and  coheir  of  Henry  Cavendish,  Duke  of  New- 
castle. He  died  July  30, 1729,  leaving  five  daughters  ;  the  youngest,  Isabella, 
was  married  subsequently  to  the  Lord  Nassau  Paulet,  brother  to  the  Duke  of 
Bolton. — Collins' s  Peerage. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  155 

woman;  her  fortune  two  thousandpounds,  which  her  father 
has  left  her  with  this  proviso,  not  to  marry  Lord  Xassau 
Paulet — a  hard  injunction,  as  they  have  long  had  an  in- 
clination for  one  another.  His  estate  is  about  two  thousand 
a  year,  but  my  Lord  Thane t,  not  thinking  it  sufficient  for 
his  daughter,  forbids  the  banes ;  I  have  no  patience  with 
his  memory,  for  who  can  judge  of  our  happiness  but  our- 
selves, and  if  one  thousand  pound  a  year  and  a  great  deal 
of  love  will  content  me,  better  than  ten  thousand  with 
indifference,  it  is  the  reasonable  part  to  choose  that  which 
will  give  me  the  most  satisfaction.  I  have  no  notion  of 
love  and  a  knapsack,  but  I  cannot  think  riches  the  only 
thing  that  ought  to  be  considered  in  matrimony  :  how- 
ever this  will  prove  Lord  Nassau's  love,  if  he  does  not 
persist  in  his  addresses  to  her  now.  I  have  not  seen  the 
Missons  ^  or  Moodys  a  great  while,  not  having  been 
abroad  these  twelve  days. 

"  Epicurus  declares  it  his  opinion,  that  wisdom  among 
all  the  ingredients  of  happiness,  has  not  a  nobler,  a 
richer,  or  a  more  dehghtful  one  than  friendship."  I 
could  hug  the  old  philosophers,  whenever  I  meet  with 
a  passage  that  speaks  my  own  sentiments.  The  book 
which  has  obliged  me  with  this  sentence,  has  no  meaner 
person  for  its  author  than  Cicero,  the  title  is  "  Tully  of 
Moral  Ends."  I  have  read  but  half  yet,  and  though  I  quote 
Epicurus,  I  at  present  have  no  vast  opinion  of  him,  but 
Cicero  charms  me  with  his  eloquence,  and  I  am  delighted 
to  have  that  sensual  philosopher  confuted  in  his  false 
notions.    I  believe  you  may  borrow  the  book  if  you  have 


*  The  Historical  Ecgistcr  of  1722  records,  January  12  :  "  Died  Maximilian 
Misson,  Esq.,  author  of  the  'Voyage  to  Italy,'  in  four  volumes."  Probably 
"  the  Missons,"  mentioned  by  Mrs.  Pendarves  in  1728,  were  of  his  family. 


156  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

a  mind  to  read,  or  I  will  try  and  borrow  it  for  you.  But 
now  I  must  discourse  with  you  about  some  certain 
manuscripts  of  more  importance  and  value  to  me,  as  they 
speak  the  tender  friendship  of  my  dearest  sister.  I 
designed  writing  to  you  last  post,  which  was  Tuesday ; 
had  pen  and  ink  before  me  for  that  purpose,  and  they 
brought  me  up  word  there  was  "  a  gentleman  below  who 
desired  to  speak  to  me  about  a  servant  that  had  lived 
once  with  me,"  (a  brother  of  John  Treubattis).  Upon  my 
permission  up  comes  the  gentleman,  so  spruce  and  so 
finical  you  would  have  sworn  he  had  been  just  taken 
out  of  a  box  of  cotton.  Smirking,  he  sat  down,  and  from 
the  hour  of  twelve  till  past  one,  did  he  entertain  me 
with  the  economy  of  his  family;  and  gave  me  to 
understand  he  lived  with  "  my  lady,"  "  his  mother ;"  he 
kept  four  stout  horses  that  will  work  fifty  mile  a  day, 
many  servants,  and  is  never  drunk  ; — in  short  the  thing 
talked  over  his  own  perfections  so  much,  that  I  am  in 
some  doubt  whether  he  had  not  a  mind  to  offer  his 
service  to  me ;  but  the  conversation  was  broke  off  by 
Mrs.  Badge^  giving  three  gentle  taps  with  her  fan  at  the 
door,  upon  which  Essence  made  me  a  bow  and  desired  me 
to  command  him,  and  so  retired.  You  may  easily  guess 
how  provoked  I  was  ;  he  talked  so  ridiculously  that  I  was 
forced  to  bite  my  lips  to  refrain  laughing. 

Yesterday  I  received  one  of  your  favours,  and  am 
also  indebted  to  you  for  that  conveyed  by  Mr.  Skin,  who 
with  me  has  not  yet  been.  I  have  taken  care  of  all  the 
enclosed  letters.  Great  news  stirring :  Lady  Betty 
Berkeley,  daughter  to  the  Earl  of  that  name,  being  almost 


*  "ilfrs.  Badge  "  was  evidently  an  old  waiting-woman. 


# 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  157 

fifteen,  has  thought  it  time  to  be  married,  and  ran  away 
last  week  with  Mr.  Henley  ^  a  man  noted  for  his  impru- 
dence and  immorality,  but  a  good  estate  and  a  beau — 
irresistible  charms  in  these  days.  The  next  I  present 
you  with  is  an  old  fool  known  and  distinguished  by  the 
title  of  Duchess  of  Buckingham  "^  going  to  be  married  to 
Monsieur  Visconti,  the  Duchess  of  Slirewsbury's  relic. 
The  Duchess  of  Kingston,^  they  say,  is  actually  married 
to  my  Lord  Clare  ;*  she  may  be  his  mother,  but  that's 
nothing,  she  has  grown  weary  of  a  single  life,  and  he  is 
poor  and  glad  of  a  maintenance  at  any  rate.  Sir  John 
Hobart^  is  married  to  Miss  Bristol,  and  'tis  reported 

'  The  Lady  Elizabeth  Berkeley,  daughter  of  James,  3rd  Earl  of  Berkeley' 
married,  February  11, 1727-8,  Anthony  Henley,  Esq.,  elder  brother  of  Robert, 
1st  Earl  of  Northington.     She  died  in  1745. 

'  C'atherine,  illegitimate  daughter  of  King  James  the  Second,  and  of 
C'atherine  Sedley,  widow  of  James  Earl  of  Anglesea,  and  of  John  Sheffield, 
Duke  of  Buckingham,  to  whom  she  was  the  third  wife.  Her  son  Edmund 
Sheffield,  2ud  Duke  of  Buckingham,  died  at  Rome,  a  minor,  in  1735. 

'  Evelyn,  Duke  of  Kingston,  married,  first,  the  Lady  Mary  Fielding, 
secondly,  August  2,  1714,  the  Lady  Isabella  Bentinck,  fifth  and  youngest 
daughter  of  William,  Earl  of  Portland,  (by  his  first  wife.)  She  died  at  Paris 
on  February  23,  1727-8,  leaving  two  daughters. 

''  There  was  a  renowned  series  of  O'Briens,  Lords  of  Clare,  of  which  Daniel, 
the  3rd  Viscount,  fought  for  King  James  the  Second,  at  the  battle  of  the 
Boyne  ;  Daniel,  the  4th  Viscount,  accompanied  that  king  to  France ;  Charles, 
the  5th  Viscount,  was  mortally  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Ramilies ;  and  Charles, 
the  6th  Viscount,  heir  to  the  Marquisate  of  Thomond,  who  won  for  Louis  the 
Fifteenth,  the  battle  of  Fontenoy,  (1745,)  who  must  have  been  the  "  Lord 
Clare"  mentioned  by  Mrs.  Delany,  as  "a  Frenchman"  in  1724,  and  in  1728. 
He  died  in  1761,  and  on  the  decease  of  his  son  Charles,  the  7th  Viscount,  in 
1774,  the  male  line  of  the  race  became  extinct.  The  memory  of  the  6th 
Lord  Clare  has  been  renewed  by  the  "  Ballad  of  the  Brigade,"  by  Thomas 
Davis — "Thrice  at  the  huts  of  Fontenoy,"  &c.,  but  neither  of  the  O'Brien 
Clares  married  a  Duchess  of  Kingston. 

*  "  Married  February  10,  1728,  Sir  John  Hobart  of  Blicking,  in  the  county 
of  Norfolk,  Knight  of  the  Bath  and  Baronet,  to  Mrs.  Bristow," — Chro7iological 
Diai-y  for  1728.  In  the  last  century  it  was  usual  to  pronounce  the  town  of 
Bristol  as  " Bristow"  it  is  therefore  probable  that  Mrs.  Pendarves  wrote  the 
name  of  the  bride  alluded  to  as  she  was  accustomed  to  write  the  name  of  the 
town  of  Bristol. 


158  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

Lord  Blandford  is  married  at  Paris,  but  I  have  not  heard 
to  whom — I  wish  it  was  to  one  of  my  cousins.  Yesterday 
I  was  at  the  rehearsal  of  the  new  opera  composed  by 
Handel :  I  like  it  extremely,  but  the  taste  of  the  town 
is  so  depraved,  that  nothing  will  be  approved  of  but  the 
burlesque.  The  Beggars'  Opera  entirely  triumphs  over 
the  Italian  one ;  I  have  not  yet  seen  it,  but  everybody 
that  has  seen  it,  says  it  is  very  comical  and  full  of  humour  ; 
the  songs  will  soon  be  published,  and  I  will  send  them 
to  you. 

To-morrow  night  I  go  again  to  see  the  Westminster 
boys  act  Julius  Ceasar ;  it  is  bespoke  by  the  King  and 
Queen ;  it  is  acted  at  the  theatre  over  against  the  opera 
house.  Julius  Ceasar  performed  by  my  Lord  Danby, 
Mark  Anthony  a  Mr.  Eoberts,  Brutus  Master  Hay 
(a  son  of  my  Lord  Kenoule),  these  parts  are  done  to  per- 
fection, Cassius,  Lord  Middlesex,  son  to  the  Duke  of 
Dorset,  a  handsome  creature.  Portia  and  Octavius  by 
his  two  brothers.  I  am  infinitely  obliged  to  the  dear 
Unity  s  ^  for  remembering  me.  I  doubt  in  their  heart  they 
think  me  unworthy  of  their  regard,  having  in  appearance 
neglected  answering  the  favour  of  their  letters,  but  I 
declare  it  is  want  of  time.  I  do  a  thousand  disagreeable 
unavoidable  things,  and  I  have  it  not  to  say  I  am  mistress 
of  my  time,  for  I  must  comply  with  those  I  live  with, 
which  makes  me  lose  some  agreeable  moments.  Poor 
Mary  is  in  great  sorrow,  her  mother  is  dead.  I  have 
often  promised  to  pay  her  humble  duty  to  my  mother 
and  yourself,  she  had  the  news  last  night. 

^  A  family  of  the  name  of  Unet. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  159 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  QranviUe. 

29th  Fel/.,  1727-8. 

To-morrow  is  the  Queen's  birthday.  Great  preparations 
are  made  for  it :  abundance  of  embroidery.  I  once 
thought  of  going,  but  upon  second  thoughts  I  changed  my 
mind.  We  are  just  going  to  Northend  to  avoid  the 
bustle  of  the  day,  and  return  on  Sunday  night  to  be 
ready  for  the  entry  of  the  Dutch  Ambassador  on  Monday. 
Yesterday  Mrs.  Peyton  and  I  went  to  Court  in  the  morn- 
ing ;  I  afterwards  dined  with  the  family  of  the  Peytons 
and  Dashwoods,  and  supped.  Sir  Tom  was  brighter  than 
ordinary,  which  makes  me  fancy  Cymon  has  met  with  an 
Iphigenia.  We  were  very  merry,  and  sung  the  Beggars' 
Opera,  talked,  and  wished  for  my  mama  and  you,  but  all 
in  vain.  By  Monday's  coach  I  will  send  the  chocolate 
and  tea,  and  the  new  plays,  and  a  tippet^  of  my  own 
making  and  invention,  which  I  desire  your  acceptance  of. 

After  the  birthday  I  believe  everybody  will  go  into 
colours,  except  at  Court ;  if  there  is  any  alteration  in  the 
fashions  I  will  tell  you.  The  curly  murly  fashion  of  the 
hair  is  not  much  worn  now.  The  town  is  mussy,  though 
very  full.  I  have  not  been  at  an  assemblee  this  winter, 
but  I  will  go  to  my  Lady  Strafford's  ^  to  put  me  in  mind 

*  The  tippet  here  mentioned  was  probahly  made  of  feathers.  A  most  heau- 
tiful  tippet  of  this  description  has  been  preserved,  and  is  still  in  existence. 
It  is  long,  narrow,  and  flat,  lined  with  white  satin,  made  to  fit  the  neck,  and 
fall  with  long  ends  over  the  chest.  The  principal  feathers  are  those  of  the 
macaw,  dark  blue  gentianella  colour  relieved  with  scarlet,  and  interspersed 
with  small  feathers  of  the  canary  bird. 

2  The  Lady  Strafford  of  1727-8,  &c.,  was  Ann,  daughter  and  heir  of  Sir 
Henry  Johnson,  of  Bradenham  in  the  county  of  Bucks,  and  wife  of  Thomas 
Wentworth,  Earl  of  Strafford,  Baron  of  Eaby,  K.G.,  and  a  Baronet,  a  dis- 
tinguished military  commander  and  diplomatist.  The  Earl  died  in  1739,  and 
Countess  in  1754. 


160  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

of  some  happy  hours  I  have  had  there  with  you ; 
though  they  never  are  out  of  my  memory,  but  I  love 
those  places  best  where  we  have  been  together.  The  Opera 
will  not  survive  after  this  winter ;  I  wish  I  was  a  poet 
worthy  the  honour  of  writing  its  elegy.  I  am  certain 
excepting  some  few,  the  English  have  no  real  taste 
for  musick ;  for  if  they  had,  they  could  not  neglect  an 
entertainment  so  perfect  in  its  kind  for  a  parcel  of  ballad 
singers.  I  am  so  peevish  about  it,  that  I  have  no 
patience.  Mr.  Voltaire's  Henriade  is  not  yet  come  out ; 
'tis  writ  in  French,  which  for  your  sake  I  am  sorry  for. 
You  may  remember  in  his  criticism  on  Milton,  a  passage 
he  takes  notice  of,  and  finds  great  fault  with — of  the 
allegory  of  Sin  and  Death,  upon  which  my  Lord  Harvey 
(who  by-the-by  has  been  dying)  said  of  Voltaire,  who 
has  not  the  reputation  of  being  the  best  man  in  the 
world, 

"  So  much  confusion,  so  wicked  and  so  thin, 
He  seems  at  07ice  a  Chaos,  Death,  and  Sin." 

He  spoke  it  extempore.  Let  me  know  if  you  have  seen 
the  ballad  on  the  King's  speech,  if  not  I  will  send  it  you. 
I  have  this  moment  had  a  letter  from  my  brother 
Bevil ;  he  has  had  a  bad  cold,  but  is  now  much  better. 
Our  Irish  friends  talk  of  coming  the  middle  of  April. 
Yesterday  morning  I  had  a  visit  from  my  sister  Living- 
stone ;^  she  grows  younger  and  younger,  I  never  saw  her 
so  brisk  and  lively.  I  writ  you  word  Mr.  Kemp  was 
retired  to  Devonshire.  I  had  a  letter  from  Lucy  Worth, 
who  enquired  after  my  mama  and  you.  I  don't  know 
if  I  writ  you  word  of  my  Lady  Ogle  ;  she  is  in  a  fair  way 
of  doing  well.    Mr.  Page,  who  has  been  in  such  torment 

*  Livingstone,  (?)  sister  of  Mr.  Pendaisres,  who  married  the  Scotchman  ? 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  161 

with  his  leg,  is  now  under  a  salivation ;  for  they  dare 
not  heal  it  up  without  he  submitted  to  that  sad  medium. 
Mrs.  Page  is  a  mighty  agreeable  creature.  Mrs.  Grace  ^ 
comes  here  almost  every  day ;  she  never  fails  drinking 
your  health,  and  would  not  forgive  me  if  I  omitted  her 
duty  and  service  to  her  aunt  and  cousin  Nanny. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  ChranviUe. 

My  Dear  Sister,  12th  March,  1728. 

Should  have  heard  from  me  last  post,  but  I  took 
that  day  to  make  a  visit  to  Lady  Sunderland,  not  having 
had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  her  in  above  a  fortnight ;  and 
Sunday  we  went  to  Northend  and  took  the  lover  (Mon- 
sieur Bury)  with  us  ;  he  seems  very  much  enamoured,  but 
talks  more  reasonably  than  generally  people  do  under  his 
circumstances.  He  is  to  be  a  happy  man  in  a  month  or 
six  weeks.  We  returned  last  night.  I  am  in  a  hurry,  as 
you  may  guess  by  the  distance  of  my  words  and  lines, 
but  I  will  jumble  together  all  the  news  I  have  heard. 

First  'tis  said  that  Lady  Mary  Capel  and  Mr.  Mor- 
daunt  have  taken  pet  at  one  another,  and  that  match  is 
broke  off.  Lady  Harriot  Hamilton  will  shortly  be  yoked 
to  Lord  Boyle,  son  to  my  Lord  Orrery  ;  and  Mr.  Clinton,^ 
brother  to  Lord  Lincoln,  was  married  last  week  to  one 
of  the  Miss  Carls,  the  youngest  of  them.  The  pre- 
liminaries of  the  peace  is  settled,  and  all  that  grand  affair 
is  almost  at  at  an  end. 


'  Honourable  Grace  Granville,  daughter  of  Lord  Lansdowne. 

2  The  Hon.  George  Clinton,  second  son  of  Francis,  6th  Earl  of  Lincoln,  was  an 
eminent  naval  officer,  and  died  Senior  Admiral  of  the  White  in  1761.  He 
married  Anne,  daughter  and  heiress  of  Major-General  the  Honourable  Peter 
Carl. 

VOL.  I.  M 


102  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

Sir  Robert  Walpole  and  Mr.  Pulteney  are  very  hot 
every  day  about  the  debts  of  the  nation,  and  nobody 
understands  them  but  themselves.  I  shall  go  to  the 
opera  to-night  I  believe.  I  have  sent  to  Lady  Sunderland 
to  know  if  she  has  any  room  in  her  box.  To-morrow 
morning  an  opera  is  to  be  rehearsed ;  I  have  not  heard 
of  the  fame  of  it,  its  name  nor  author.  The  last  is  a 
charming  piece  of  musick,  but  quite  neglected  for  the 
Beggars'  Opera.  I  sent  by  a  gentleman  who  came  from 
Mr.  Skin  ^  last  Friday,  three  pounds  of  chocolate  at 
four  shillings  per  pound,  one  pound  of  Bohea  thirteen 
shillings,  a  little  box  with  some  plays,  and  the  tippet. 
When  lampreys  come  in,  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  as 
many  potts  sent  me  as  will  come  to  the  money  I  have 
laid  out  in  the  chocolate  and  tea,  which  is  twenty-five 
shillings.  I  would  have  them  when  they  are  plenty 
enough  for  me  to  have  ten  or  twelve  potts  for  that  money. 

Mrs.  Badge  has  just  come  in,  and  desires  me  to  pre- 
sent her  most  humble  duty  to  my  mama  and  your  lady- 
ship ;  she  grunts  mightily,  poor  woman,  but  I  hope 
the  sun  will  revive  her,  as  it  does  the  butterflies.  Con- 
sidering I  begun  my  letter  with  an  apology  for  the  haste 
I  was  in,  I  have  played  m}'^  part  very  well  with  you. 

I  believe  I  wrote  you  word  Miss  ThornhiU  ^  was  come 
to  town.  Mrs.  Boper  has  just  made  us  a  visit,  and 
enquired  after  you. 

I  am,  my  dearest  sister, 

Most  afiectionate  and  faithful, 
M.  Pendarves. 


^  A  carrier. 

«  Johanna,  third  daughter  of  Sir  Bevil  Granville,  married  Colonel  Richard 
ThornhilL     Miss  ThornhiU  was  probably  a  member  of  this  family. 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  163 


*     Mn.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  OranviUe. 

Somerset  House,  14  March,  1727-8. 

I  desire  you  will  introduce  the  Beggars'  Opera  at 
Glocester ;  you  must  sing  it  everywhere  but  at  church,  if 
you  have  a  mind  to  be  like  the  polite  world.  1  was 
last  Tuesday  at  the  Italian  Opera  with  the  club,  'twas 
sweet  and  lovely :  it  gave  me  infinite  pleasure,  and 
you  accompanied  every  delightfull  note.  I  have  under- 
taken a  large  sheet  of  paper,  but  I  doubt  neither  my 
will  nor  my  time  will  hold  out  to  the  end  of  it.  I 
have  this  morning  writ  a  long  letter  to  m}'-  uncle 
Lansdown.  Yesterday  my  aunt  Stanley  received  a  letter 
from  my  brother  Bev.,  I  am  sorry  he  has  an  ague, 
although  it  is  in  the  spring.  I  dine  to-day  at  Mrs. 
Dashwood's ;  next  month  S'  John  spends  at  Northend. 
The  eighth  chair  is  now  in  hand,  and  is  to  be  finished 
forthwith ;  the  frames  are  making,  they  are  for  the  new 
room  at  Northend. 

The  Alderman's  name'  I  danced  with  is  Micajah  Perry, 
a  married  man  and  as  blind  as  a  beetle,  so  I  was  in  no 
danger  of  being  liked  or  disliked ;  but  I  won't  have  a 
fusty  alderman  unless  he  was  Lord  Mayor  elect !  As  for 
your  rural  squires  I  detest  them,  and  your  town  fops  are 
my  abomination.  Tom  Titt's'^  eyes  are  very  smart,  and 
look  as  if  they  did  not  belong  to  the  sockets  they  are 
placed  in.     The  Doctor  is  still  in  the  country,  and  going 


1  "  February  24,  1728,  Micajah  Perry,  Esq.,  unanimously  elected  Alderman 
of  Aldgate  Ward,  in  the  room  of  Sir  Francis  Porteen,  Knt.,  deceased." — 
Historical  Begister  for  1728. 

2  Sir  Thomas  Peyton. 

m2 


164  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

to  his  studies  at  Cambridge.  Monsieur  Bury's  goddess's 
name  is  Hutchinson,  a  young  lady  of  an  extraordinary 
good  character.  Well,  my  dearest  sister,  don't  think  me 
the  maddest  thing  in  the  world  for  writing  such  a  rantum 
scantum  letter ;  my  spirits  are  very  alert  to-day,  and  I 
don't  know  why.  I  am  to  be  curled  and  friz'd,  and 
am  not  yet  a  bit  dressed  ;  I  can  no  longer  rob  my  toilette 
of  my  person,  but  must  take  my  leave  of  you  for  this 

post. 

Penelope  Darves. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Qranville,  in  Oloncester. 

Somerset  House,  19  March,  1727-8. 

I  was  just  returned  from  making  my  Court  last  night, 
when  your  letter  came  to  my  hands.  Yesterday  was  a 
very  racketing  day  with  me,  for  at  noon  the  sun  shone 
very  bright,  and  enticed  me  and  Miss  Thornhill  to  take 
a  turn  in  St.  James's  Park  ;  we  went,  but,  alas  !  the  wind 
and  the  dust  had  like  to  have  demolished  us :  we  made 
the  best  haste  we  could  into  our  chairs  and  went  to 
Piggy's.^  I  returned  home  with  an  intention  to  sit 
sedate  till  Court  hour,  but  I  found  a  message  from  Mrs. 
Hyde,  wherein  she  begged  I  would  dine  with  her, 
and  afterwards  go  to  a  concert  of  musick  with  her, 
which  I  could  not  refuse.  I  thought  it  barbarous 
to  disappoint  one  who  has  so  few  pleasures  in  this 
life.  Matrimony  !  I  marry  !  Yes,  there's  a  blessed  scene 
before  my  eyes  of  the  comforts  of  that  state. — A  sick 
husband,  squalling  brats,  a  cross  mother-in-law,  and  a 


'  "Piggy."     The  Editor  has  not  been  able  to  discover  the  real  name  of  this 
lady,  but  it  might  possibly  be  one  of  the  Bellenden  family. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  1C5 

thousand  unavoidable  impertinences  ;  no,  no,  sister  mine, 
it  must  be  a  "Basilisk"  indeed :  but  stop  my  rage  !  be 
not  too  fierce.  I  may  be  dashed  on  the  very  rock  I  endea- 
vour to  avoid,  and  therefore  I  will  say  no  more  against  a 
station  of  life  which  in  the  opinion  of  some  people  is  not 
in  our  power  to  prevent, 

"  If  Fate  be  not,  then  what  can  we  foresee  ?" 
Or  how  can  we  avoid  it  if  it  be  ?" 

But  you  are  a  mere  wag,  sister,  to  think  London 
ladies  such  gudgeons  as  to  bite  at  anything.  I  am  sorry 
for  the  poor  man's  fever,  but  my  conscience  does  no 
way  accuse  me  of  being  accessary  to  it.  You  have  said  a 
great  many  pretty  things  for  him,  or  if  they  were  his 
own  'tis  likely,  since  his  fever  is  so  high,  that  he  was 
delirious  when  he  uttered  so  many  things  to  my  advan- 
tage. I  desire  you  will  persue  the  scheme  of  performing 
the  Beggars'  Opera,  but  you  must  defer  it  till  I  come  to 
you,  for  I  put  in  for  the  part  of  Mrs.  Slamikin  !  I  must 
say  you  was  a  little  unconsionable  to  expect  a  letter  last 
post :  you  think  wit  springs  up  as  fast  as  mushrooms. 
You  are  mightily  mistaken,  a  very  little  now-adays  goes 
a  great  way — all  the  butterfly  men  were  at  Court  last 
night,  no  great  plenty  of  females. 

Last  Sunday  I  staid  in  town  on  purpose  to  hear  my 
friend  Mr.  Williams  preach  at  Whitehall :  he  gave  us 
an  excellent  practical  sermon.  I  dined  with  him  after- 
wards at  Lady  Peyton's.  Sir  Tom  is  gone  out  of  town 
for  a  week  or  ten  days.  I  supped  with  the  family  the 
night  before  he  went,  and  he  laid  aside  Spadill  and  all 
his  mistical  healths  to  toast  my  dearest  sister  by  her  own 
proper  name,  which  has  inclined  me  a  little  to  him. 

Operas  are  something  mended  within  this  fortnight ; 


166  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

they  are  much  fuller  than  they  have  been  any  time  this 
winter.  Captain  Elliott  was  at  the  Cour  last  night,  he 
has  been  returned  from  his  quarters  about  a  fortnight. 
He  asked  after  pretty  Miss  Scudamore/  I  told  him  she 
had  been  ill  and  you  had  nursed  her,  so  he  had  some 
obligation  to  you ;  he  conducted  me  to  my  chair. 

Lord  Hermitage  ^  is  at  Nottingham,  where  he  deverts 
himself  very  well,  for  he  visits  all  the  ladies  whether 
they  will  or  not.  Pray  is  not  Miss  Sally  Blizzard  a 
Sadler's  daughter ;  for  he  told  me  the  town  of  Glouces- 
ter was  so  obliging  as  to  say  he  was  in  love  with  such  a 
one !  Lady  Sun  was  here  last  night,  and  left  word  I 
must  go  to  Court  with  her  this  morning,  and  I  suppose 
go  to  the  opera  at  night. 


.Mrs.  Pendarvts  to  Mrs,  Ann  Granville. 

April  16th,  1728. 

I  am  indebted  to  you,  my  dearest  sister,  for  a  very  kind 
letter.  I  expect  a  faithfull  account  of  all  your  doings  at 
the  assizes.  I  think  my  mama  had  best  tye  you  by  the 
leg,  for  fear  some  of  the  lawyers  should  clap  you  into 
their  bag,  for  you  are  a  portable  thing  and  not  much 
heavier  than  a  bundle  of  papers,  though  a  person  of  great 
consequence.  If  you  did  not  tiff  out  for  the  fine  men,  it 
was  out  of  arrogance  and  pride,  you  thought  your  native 


*  The  Hon.  Frances  Scudamore,  horn  in  1711,  only  child  of  James,  3rd  Vis- 
count Scudamore.  She  married  first  in  1729,  Henry  Somerset,  3rd  Duke  of 
Beaufort ;  and  second,  Charles  Fitzroy  Scudamore,  Esq.  Her  only  child, 
Frances  Scudamore,  married,  in  1731,  Charles  Howard,  11th  Duke  of  Norfolk. 

,^  Francis  Scott,  eldest  son  of  Henry,  1st  Earl  of  Deloraine,  was  the  Lord 
Hermitage  alluded  to  as  being  then  at  Nottingham. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  167 

cliarnis  were  sufficient,  and  scorned  to  be  obliged  to  any 
ornament  for  the  conquests  of  your  eyes.  Northend  has 
all  the  beauties  of  Arcadia — the  trees,  the  water,  the 
nightingales,  the  flowers  all  now  are  gay  and  serene ; 
only  now  and  then  a  gentle  breeze  serves  as  a  thorough 
bass  to  the  singing  birds.  But  as  for  a  Celadon  we  have 
no  room  nor  desire  for  one.  If  such  a  mad  nymph  as 
Annabella  were  here,  I  don't  doubt  but  those  kind  of  ani- 
mals would  find  encouragement,  but  I  will  have  you 
know  that  I  have  a  forbidding  way,  and  make  them  keep 
their  distance.  Enclosed  I  have  sent  you  Sally's  ^ 
letter  ;  pray  take  care  of  it,  and  send  it  me  by  the  first 
opportunity,  but  I  desire  you  will  read  this  first,  for  you 
can  never  bear  these  trifles  after  her  solidity.  Mr. 
William  Stanley  talks  of  taking  a  tour  to  Gloucester 
some  time  this  week.  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you, 
my  dear  sister,  for  all  the  trouble  you  have  taken  about 
Mr.  Gibbs  :  I  wish  he  was  more  worthy  of  it,  but  I  hope 
he  is  not  quite  so  bad  as  he  is  represented. 

Oh  the  charming  month  of  May — charming,  charming 
month  of  May.  June  succeeds  May,  and  please  God  I 
will  be  with  you  before  the  first  of  July.  Never  did 
woman  take  so  much  pains  about  love  powder  as  I  have 
done  about  "  cassia,"  and  am  now  as  wise  as  I  was  a  fort- 
night ago.  What  they  give  me  for  it  can  never  be  what 
3'ou  mean,  for  there  is  no  possibility  of  sending  it  in  a 
letter,  therefore  be  pleased  to  describe  the  thing  to  me, 
for  neither  apothecary,  druggist,  nor  confectioner  can 
tell  me  what  I  mean  when  I  ask  for  it ;  and  they  desire 
me  to  tell  them  what  kind  of  a  thing  it  is.  I  believe 
you  meant  I  should  ask  for  it  on  the  first  of  April,  but 

'  Sally,  (Sarali  Kirkham,)  Mrs.  Csl\>ou. 


168  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

to  be  serious,  there  is  two  or  three  sorts,  and  you  must  be 
more  particular  before  I  can  supply  you. 

Mr.  Mulinex  ^  is  dead,  the  rabbit  merchant ;  he  married 
a  sister  of  my  Lord  Essex's.  Last  week  as  we  were 
sauntering  agreeably  in  the  King's  Road  to  take  a  little 
air,  we  met  Princess  Amelia  in  her  way  to  the  Bath.  She 
is  carried  in  a  chair,  not  being  able  to  bear  the  motion  of 
a  coach :  our  coach  was  very  close  to  her,  and  she  looked 
smiling  and  pretty,  bowed  to  us  all,  and  asked  who  we  were. 
I  wish  the  Bath  may  do  her  good,  for  she  has  lived  hitherto 
a  life  of  misery,  and  everybody  commends  her  temper. 
I  hear  our  Irish  friends  will  be  here  the  first  week  in 
May,  but  I  doubt  not  till  the  later  end  of  the  month. 
I  think.it  will  a  scandal  upon  your  sheriff  if  he  does  not 
give  you  a  ball.  Pray  what  cavaliers  have  you  now  at 
Gloucester,  or  have  they  all  forsaken  your  noble  city  ? 
Where  is  Harry  Harvey  ?  his  brother,  my  lord,  they  say 
is  past  recovery.  My  Lord  Essex  has  lost  his  only  son, 
but  a  new  match  at  Newmarket  will  dispel  the  grief. 
Sir  John  has  his  health  perfectly  well.  I  doubt  my  aunt  is 
very  bad,  but  she  will  not  own  it,  nor  do  any  one  thing 
she  is  ordered.  They  constantly  drink  your  healths, 
and  desire  me  to  make  their  compliments,  as  doth  Mrs. 
Tellier,  who  is  now  hard  at  work. 

1  The  Lady  Elizabeth  Capel,  third  daughter  of  Algernon,  2nd  Earl  of  Eseex, 
"  married  first,  (says  Sir  E.  Brydges,)  on  April  5,  1727,  to  Samuel  Molineu-x, 
Esq.,  Secretary  to  George  the  Second  when  Prince  of  Wales ;  secondly,  on 
May  27,  1730,  to  Nathaniel  St.  Andre,  Esq.,  and  died  on  March  21,  1759." 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  l'J3 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  GranviUe. 

Northend,  27  April,  1728. 

Thougli  Mrs.  Belenden  and  Miss  Thornhill  are  just 
arrived,  I  have  withdrawn  myself  from  their  presence  to 
pass  an  hour  or  so  with  my  dearest  sister,  though  they 
abuse  me  and  say  I  am  always  talking  of  writing  letters, 
to  make  the  world  believe  I  have  a  good  knack  at  it. 
Every  place  to  me  is  a  lonely  desert  without  you,  and  I 
had  more  pleasure  in  walking  through  the  dusty  lanes  at 
Ealing,  than  in  the  beautifullest  gardens  that  ever  art 
and  nature  conspired  to  embelish  ;  we  saunter  every  day 
and  lead  as  dull  a  life  as  Prior's  "  John  and  Joan."  I  long 
to  have  some  opportunity  of  saying  everytliing  I  think, 
and  doing  as  I  please ;  but  notwithstanding  I  meet  with 
great  indulgences  I  have  a  sort  of  awe  upon  me  that  will 
not  permitt  me  either  to  say  or  do  so  much  as  I  verily 
believe  without  offence  I  might. 

We  have  been  in  the  coach  this  morning  all  round 
Chiswick — the  sun  was  as  bright  as  your  eyes;  it  now 
rains  most  violently,  and  the  wind  rattles  the  sashes 
about  my  ears.  How  sudden  an  alteration  !  and  how  true 
an  emblem  of  most  things  in  life !  everything  is  mutable, 
but  friendship  built  upon  the  never-failing  basis  of  truth 
and  honour,  and  I  may  without  presumption  say  ours  is 
such.  There  are  a  thousand  amusements  and  advantages 
in  life  you  have  at  present  no  opportunity  of  obtaining, 
and  which  whenever  they  do  come  in  your  way,  I  am  sure 
you  will  make  an  excellent  use  of,  but  nature  has  boun- 
teously supplied  the  want  of  art,  and  has  given  you  a  turn 
of  mind  that  makes  you  superior  to  your  fellow-creatures 
with  all  the  adornments  of  the  most  polite  education,  and 


170  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

I  think  it  more  glory  for  you  to  be  author  of  such  letters 
as  you  make  me  happy  with,  than  to  have  borne  away  the 
bell  at  a  splendid  birthday.  I  know  I  offend  your  modesty, 
but  as  I  speak  from  my  soul  you  must  forgive  me ;  I 
would  rather  you  had  heard  I  said  this  of  you  than 
write  it  you,  but  I  cannot  help  doing  you  this  little 
justice,  which  is  but  a  very  small  part  of  what  I  think. 
You  must  send  Sally  the  letter,  and  I  will  charge  her  to 
return  it,  but  for  fear  I  should  not  have  an  opportunity 
of  writing  to  her  so  soon  as  I  wish  to  do,  I  desire  you 
will  send  her  word  that  I  require  it  at  your  hands  again. 
Alas  !  sister,  it  is  well  for  me  that  my  indifference  secures 
me  from  languishing,  for  I  may  walk  and  sigh,  and  write 
verses  and  all  these  pretty  amusements  without  any 
other  effect  than  growing  lean,  for  the  scarcity  of  agree- 
able men  is  as  great  here  as  at  Gloster.  But  I  have  no 
romantic  symptoms,  I  sleep  well,  and  eat  well,  and  when 
my  thoughts  are  so  employed  as  to  make  me  forgetful 
of  my  company,  it  is  only  of  a  female  that  I  think  ! 

You  are  certainly  in  the  right  in  saying  that  we  create 
the  greatest  part  of  our  miseries  by  the  uneasiness  of  our 
own  tempers.  I  never  had  one  to  vex  me  extremely,  but 
when  it  has  been  over,  and  I  have  examined  the  cause  of 
it  strictly,  I  have  been  convinced  I  had  no  reason  for 
half  the  unhappiness  I  had  felt.  I  hope  this  reflection 
will  be  of  service  to  me,  but  I  can  be  very  courageous 
when  danger  is  out  of  sight.  I  know  none  of  General 
Evans's  blusterers,  but  pray  keep  Harry  Harvey  and  the 
mountebank  till  I  come,  that  they  may  divert  me;  I  don't 
wonder  the  stage  is  erected  under  your  window,  for  the 
doctor  I  suppose  designs  you  should  slay  for  him,  to 
show  his  skill  in  bringing  people  to  life  again.     Lord 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  171 

Hervey  is  recovered  I  guess,  for  I  met  him  one  day  last 
week  with  Mrs.  Oldfield  in  her  coach.  Did  I  talk  of  "  an 
aldeirman  "  and  "purling  streams,''  sure  I  did  not  ?  but  I 
don't  know  any  creature  but  a  female  friend  that  can  put 
one  in  mind  of  anything  so  smooth  and  gentle;  for  if  I  am 
inclined  to  any  country  squire,  presently  I  think  of  a 
horse-pond  and  a  kennell  of  hounds ;  if  a  spruce  beau 
intrudes  upon  my  thoughts,  I  can  think  of  no  water  but 
honey  water,  and  no  place  but  an  opera ;  and  an  alderman, 
as  you  say,  is  fitter  for  a  nine-pin  alley,  or  the  Mulberry 
Garden,  than  anything  else.  But  when  I  rove  to  shady 
grove,  'tis  you  employ  my  care ;  in  moonshine  bright,  or 
dark  or  lights  I  wish  for  you,  my  dear:  no  swain  so 
gay  tho'  brisk  as  May,  can  ever  please  so  well ;  ye  muses 
7iine,  with  me  combine,  to  say  I  love  how  well  ?  I  was 
going  on  rhyming  but  am  interrupted,  and  can  only 
say  that  I  am, 

Yours  for  ever  and  aye, 
M.  Pendarves. 

Wliat  do  you  mean  by  a  packet  ?  I  have  received  none 
yet.  We  go  to  London  on  Tuesday  to  stay.  My  humble 
duty  to  my  dear  mama,  compliments  from  rest  of  the 
house,  mine  to  Mrs.  Viney,  &c.  Since  my  writing  this 
letter,  I  am  informed  my  sister  Levington  ^  is  a  widow, 
Mrs.  Woodfield  is  now  making  her  weeds.  I  shall 
make  it  as  slight  as  I  can  without  offence. 


1  Sister  of  Mr.  Pendarves. 


T7%  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs,  Anne  Oranville. 

Somerset  House,  11th  May,  1728.    ' 

I  am  glad  you  have  had  an  agreeable  jaunt.  I  shall 
be  glad  to  partake  of  any  of  your  amusements.  London 
is  so  full  of  entertainment,  that  if  I  lived  a  polite  life  I 
should  not  have  a  moment  my  own  ;  as  it  is,  with  only 
visiting  intimates,  I  am  so  hurried  I  can  hardly  comb 
my  hair  as  I  ought  to  do.  Poor  Lady  Sunderland  has 
been  very  ill  indeed,  and  the  surprise  and  vexation  for 
Mr.  Gibbs  has  been  the  occasion  of  it.  She  has  done 
everything  that  was  possible  to  save  him,  and  spared  no 
pains  nor  cost ;  but  it  is  all  in  vain,  she  begged  of  me  to 
present  her  humble  service  to  you,  and  to  return  a  thou- 
sand thanks  for  all  the  trouble  you  have  had  about  this 
unhappy  affair :  she  has  been  extremely  ill  these  three 
weeks,  or  she  would  herself  have  acknowledged  all  your 
favours ;  she  is  now  better,  but  looks  miserably,  and  is  so 
low-spirited  she  can  hardly  speak  without  crying — it 
grieves  me  to  see  her. 

I  spoke  to  Mrs.  Badge  about  the  tea  for  Mrs.  Viney. 
The  man  at  the  Poultry  has  tea  of  all  prices, — Bohea 
from  thirteen  to  twenty  shillings,  and  green  from  twelve 
to  thirty.  At  last  after  rummaging  the  whole  town  over, 
I  have  met  with  cassia,^ — it  is  six  shilling  an  ounce. 

Mr.  Dubourg  "^  is  just  come  from  Dublin ;  our  friends 
there  propose  being  in  England  some  time  this  month  ; 


1  Cassia — a  pod  with  a  ptilpy  fruit,  much  used  for  medicine  in  Italy. 

*  Matthew  Dubourg,  a  celebrated  player  on  the  violin,  who  commenced  his 
pubhc  performances  in  early  childhood,  and  was  long  a  member  of  Handel's 
band.  In  1753,  Handel  writing  from  Dublin,  said  : — "  For  the  instruments  they 
are  really  excellent,  Mr.  Dubourg  being  at  the  liead  of  them."  See  Anccdohs 
of  Handel.    An  account  of  him  may  be  found  in  Bumey's  History  of  Music. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  173 

lie  left  my  brother  in  good  health.  I  had  a  letter  from 
Bevil  last  post,  but  have  heard  nothing  of  his  wife  lately  ; 
I  suppose  she  is  gone  back  to  Weedon.  The  weather  is 
excessively  hot ;  St.  James's  Park  very  pleasant.  I  walked 
there  last  night  with  Piggy,  who  has  had  a  melancholy 
time  of  it  with  Mrs.  Drake  ^  upon  the  death  of  her 
husband.  Last  Wednesday  Miss  Anne  How^  a  sister 
of  Lady  Pembroke's,  was  married  to  Coll.  Mordaunt  that 
was  to  have  had  Lady  Mary  Capel.  It  is  an  extraordinary 
good  match  for  her.  She  married  him  without  her  mo- 
ther's consent,  because  when  he  addressed  her  before  my 
Lady  How  forbid  him.  She  came  home  to  her  mother  as 
soon  as  she  was  married,  and  told  her  what  business  she 
had  been  about,  upon  which  she  turned  her  out  of  doors, 
but  as  she  had  a  very  good  house  to  go  to,  her  husband 
consoled  her,  and  carried  her  to  my  Lord  Peter- 
borough's at  Parsons  Green,  where  she  has  been  ever 
since  ; — a  sweet  place  for  lovers. 

There  is  to  be  but  four  opera  nights  more,  and  then 
adieu  to  harmony  of  that  kind  for  ever  and  ever.  Sene- 
sino  and  Faustina  have  hired  themselves  to  Turin  and  to 
Venice  for  the  next  winter  and  the  carnival  following. 
Next  Wednesday  the  Duke  of  Norfolk  gives  a  masque- 
rade ;  everybody  is  to  be  extravagantly  fine,  and  to  pull  off 
their  masques  before  they  leave  the  house. 

1  Robert  Dobyns,  Esq.,  of  Evesbatch,  Herefordshire,  assumed  the  surname 
and  arms  of  Yate  of  Bromesberrow,  in  1759.  His  eldest  daughter,  Catherine 
Gorges,  married  Benjamin  Hyett,  Esq.,  of  Painswick,  Gloucestershire.  His 
second  daughter,  Eleanora,  married  the  Rev.  Dr.  Drake,  Vicar  of  Rochdale, 
Lancashire. 

"  Anne  Howe,  daughter  of  the  1st  Viscount  Howe  by  his  second  wife, 
Juliana,  daughter  of  William  Lord  Allington  of  Horseheath,  married  May  8, 
1728,  to  the  Hon.  Lewis  Mordaunt. 


174  LIFE  AND  COKKESPONDENCE 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs,  Anne  OranviUe. 

Northend,  18th  June,  1728. 

I  was  in  town  from  Tuesday  till  Saturday,  and  London 
is  not  a  place  of  leisure,  especially  when  it  is  taken  flying 
as  I  have  done  lately.  If  anything  may  be  depended 
upon,  I  may  presume  to  say  you  may  assure  yourself  of 
my  being  at  Gloucester  by  the  tenth  of  next  month. 

If  you  have  not  got  Mrs.  Capon's  letter,  nor  sent  it 
enclosed  as  I  once  desired,  it  will  be  too  late  now,  for 
Sir  Robert  Sutton,  his  bag  and  baggage,  set  forward 
of  their  journey  this  week.  When  you  and  I  are  rich 
enough,  we  will  take  a  jaunt  too ;  at  present  we  must  be 
contented  to  jog  on  the  same  dull  path  of  life  without 
striking  into  any  new  road.  But  why  do  I  call  it  dull  ? 
when  enlivened  with  the  greatest  blessing  that  heaven 
has  in  store — a  strong  and  faithfull  friendship  !  that's  the 
true  zest  of  pleasure,  the  refinement  of  life,  which  mends 
the  heart,  and  mitigates  a  thousand  sorrows.  A  fairy  spot 
of  ground  to  be  enjoyed  with  a  friend  is  preferable  to 
the  whole  world  without  that  happiness ;  at  least  I  that 
know  what  it  is  to  be  so  blest,  can  never  love  anything 
for  my  own  sake  only,  and  I  may  venture  to  say  where 
one  person  has  a  right  notion  of  friendship,  there  are 
hundreds  that  never  examined  what  the  word  meant.  I 
hope  Mrs.  Viney  does  not  take  it  ill  that  I  have  not 
writ  to  her,  but  I  protest  I  have  so  little  time,  that  I 
wonder  how  I  write  so  much  as  I  do  to  you,  for  if  I  am 
missing  half-an-hour,  there  is  a  hue  and  cry  all  over  this 
house. 

I  have  not  had  any  private  conversation  with  Lady 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  175 

Oxford,  I  was  at  tlie  Conr  on  Tuesday  with  Lady 
Carteret,  went  to  town  from  lience  at  seven  o'  the  clock 
in  the  morning,  my  head  ready  drest :  there  was  no 
new  clothes  upon  the  occasion.  I  was  to  see  the  Pro- 
voked Husband.  Mrs.  Oldfield'  acted  to  oblige  Lady 
Carteret,  because  she  was  at  Dublin  during  the  time  of 
its  performance.  She  topped  her  part,  and  notwithstand- 
ing it  deserves  criticism  in  reading,  nobody  (let  them  be 
ever  so  wise)  can  see  it  without  being  extremely  pleased, 
for  it  is  acted  to  admiration. 

Your  country  entertainment  delights  me  more  in  your 
description,  than  all  that  I  saw  at  Court ;  and  I  assure 
you  we  had  no  such  pretty  sport.  We  had  ogling  and 
tweezing,  and  whispering  and  glancing;  no  eating  or 
drinking,  or  laughing  and  dancing :  there  was  standing 
and  walking,  and  fine  ladies  airs,  no  smart  repartee  and 
not  one  word  of  prayers.  I  cannot  rime  more  ;  if  you 
knew  how  hard  my  muse  is,  you  would  be  thankful  for 
this  production,  which  I  believe  is  the  effect  of  a  quart 
of  whey  which  I  have  drank  this  morning. 

I  hope  your  wax  work  will  not  leave  Gloster  till  I 
come,  for  I  have  had  no  opportunity  of  seeing  it  in 


1  Anne  Oldfield  was  born  in  1683,  and  became  an  actress  at  the  King's 
Theatre,  under  Mr.  Rich,  the  patentee,  having  been  recommended  to  him  by 
Sir  John  Vanburgh.  Her  ability  in  comic  parts  gained  her  great  celebrity', 
and  her  fine  person  and  engaging  manners  made  her  a  general  favourite  both 
in  public  and  private  life.  Although  she  was  the  avowed  mistress  of  Mr. 
Arthur  Mainwaring,  and  afterwards  of  General  Churchill,  the  lax  morality  of 
the  day  and  her  many  amiable  qualities  obtained  the  esteem  of  several  respect- 
able persons.  She  died  in  1730,  and  was  buried  in  Westminster  Abbey. 
Writing  of  genteel  comedy,  Horace  Waljxde  says  : — "  Why  are  there  so  few 
genteel  comedies,  but  because  most  comedies  are  written  by  men  not  of  that 
sphere?  Etherege,  Congreve,  Vanburgh,  and  Gibber,  wrote  genteel  comedy, 
because  they  lived  in  the  best  company  ;  and  Mrs.  Oldfield  played  it  so  well, 
because  she  not  only  followed,  but  often  set  the  fashion." 


176  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

London.  My  aunt's  and  Mrs.  Tellier's  compliments. 
My  aunt  I  fear  grows  worse,  though  I  dare  not  add  she 
has  drank  asses  milk  these  two  months. 

A  gap  here  occurs  in  the  correspondence  with  Ann  Granville, 
between  18th  June  1728,  and  7th  of  November  1728,  in  which 
interval  Mrs.  Pendarves  probably  visited  her  mother  and  sister. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  Oranvilk. 

Loudon,  7th  November,  1728. 

It  was  the  last  command  I  was  so  happy  to  receive  of 
my  mama  to  write  my  first  letter  to  you,  therefore  I 
make  no  further  apology  about  it ;  I  finished  my 
journey  with  good  success,  and  was  received  very  kindly. 
Sir  John  is  cheerful,  my  aunt  endeavours  to  appear  so, 
but  wears  a  melancholy  cloud  that  I  fear  will  not  soon 
be  dispelled.  This  morning  has  been  spent  with  tender- 
ness and  concern  on  both  sides,  and  I  have  been  detained 
so  long  by  her,  that  it  has  robbed  me  of  the  time  I  in- 
tended to  dedicate  to  you. 

I  believe  that  you  have  some  curiosity  to  know  how  I 
was  entertained  during  my  journey.  At  the  end  of  the 
town  some  part  of  the  coach  broke,  and  we  were  obliged 
to  get  out,  and  took  shelter  at  an  alehouse  :  in  half-an- 
hour  we  jogged  on,  and  about  an  hour  after  that,  flop  we 
went  into  a  slough,  not  overturned  but  stuck.  Well,  out 
we  were  hawled  again,  and  the  coach  with  much  difficulty 
was  heaved  out.  We  then  once  more  set  forward,  and 
came  to  our  journey's  end  about  five  o'  the  clock  without 
any  other  accident  or  fright,   and  met  with  no  waters 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  177 

worth  getting  out  of  the  coach  for.     I  writ  to  you  from 
Oxford,  and  hope  you  receiv'd  it. 


Mrs  Pemlarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

From  my  apartment  Sunshine, 
19  November,  1728. 

Last  night  I  returned  from  Court,  cold  and  weary, 
with  the  expectation  of  finding  a  letter  at  home  to  recom- 
pense me  for  the  toils  I  had  endured ;  but,  alas  !  I 
was  sorely  deceived,  for  I  only  found  a  room  full  of 
smoke,  the  wind  and  rain  beating  against  my  windows, 
my  pussey  lost  (as  I  tliought),  but  she  was  found.  Well, 
into  bed  I  tumbled  about  half  an  hour  after  one.  I  slept 
tolerably  well,  dreamt  of  nothing  at  all,  waked  at  eight, 
roused  iSIrs.  Bell,  huddled  on  my  clothes,  bought  eighteen 
yards  of  very  pretty  white  silk  for  Trott,  something  in 
the  nature  of  shagreen,^  but  a  better  colour  than  they 
ever  are ;  it  cost  sixpence  a  yard  more ;  the  piece  came 
to  three  pounds  and  twelve  shilling.  Then  I  called  for  my 
tea-table,  sent  John  of  a  Howdee  ^  to  my  Aunt  Stanley, 
and  at  his  return  he  brought  me  a  letter  from  my  dear 
sister. 

I  suppose  you  wiU  write  to  my  aunt  as  I  desired  you 
in  my   last,   when  you  have  received  the  things.    You 


*  "  Tlie  term  '  shagreen,'  when  applied  to  silk  and  not  to  the  prepared  skin  of 
fish  or  beasts,  was  a  kind  of  taffeta,  and  is  an  An5;licised  form  of  the  French 
chagrin,  which  is  also  used  to  signify  a  sort  of  silk,  as  well  as  prepared  skin. 
Keferring  to  silk,  shagreen  does  not  api)ear  to  indicate  cdour,  or  strictly  speaking 
qualify,  but  rather  intimates  the  grained  or  pimpled  fabric  of  the  silk,  re- 
sembling the  sort  of  skin  or  leather  which  was  called  shagreen,  and  formerly 
much  more  used  than  at  present." — Notes  and  Qiieries. 

^   Of  a  Howdee,  query  How  d'ye  do  ? 

YOL.  I.  N 


178  LIFE  AND  COREESPONDENCE 

must  write  to  let  her  know  they  came  safely,  and  then 
you  can't  avoid  mentioning  Mrs.  Tillier  as  one  you 
always  had  an  esteem  for. 

Yesterday  at  one  o'  the  clock  I  went  to  Lady  Carteret, 
to  wait  on  her  to  Court ;  in  tip -top  humour  you  may 
be  sure  I  was,  and  in  my  best  airs,  for  Puzzle  had 
been  with  me  in  the  morning.  On  Sunday  after  church, 
Mrs.  Bellenden  and  I  sought  a  walk  in  the  garden, 
the  sun  shining  :  there  I  met  the  man  of  the  law  -^ 
he  said  he  had  designed  himself  the  honour  of  waiting 
on  me  ever  since  he  knew  of  my  being  in  tow^n,  but  had 
been  so  confined  with  business  at  Westminster,  he  had 
not  been  able.  Yesterday  (as  my  tail  was  pinning  up) 
he  came  :  he  was  not  very  gay,  but  enquired  very  much 
after  you,  and  entertained  me  with  his  journey  to  town  ; 
he  then  took  courage  and  asked  for  a  tune  upon  the  harp- 
sichord, pretended  to  like  it  prodigiously,  and  took  that 
opportunity  to  show  his  art  of  complimenting,  and  told 
me  that  morning  he  had  given  up  those  letters  that  were 
entrusted  with  him.  Well,  to  Court  I  went  in  the  morning, 
with  Lady  Carteret  and  the  Duchess  of  Manchester^- — a 
great  croud ;  fortune  almost  huddled  me  into  the  arms 
of  his  Grace  of  Kent.  After  dinner,  I  went  with  Lady 
Carteret  to  Lady  Granville's,  and  tarried  there  till  Court 
hour,  which  is  half  an  hour  after  nine,  then  the  .Duchess 
of  Manchester  called  us,  but  sure  so  thin  a  drawing- 
room  was  never  seen ;  I  don't  believe  there  were  twenty 


1  " Man  of  the  law"  probably  Mr.  E,  Stanley,  afterwards  Sir  Edward 
Stanley  of  Alderley. 

2  Isabella,  eldest  daughter  of  John,  Duke  of  Montague,  married,  April  IG, 
1723,  to  William  Duke  of  Manchester.  Becoming  a  widow  in  1739,  she  after- 
wards married  Edward  Hussey,  Esq.,  who  was  subsequently  made  a  Knight  of 
the  Bath,  and  assumed  the  surname  of  Montagud.   a^^i  Uvi  CukU^  ^SMy, 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  179 

people  besides  their  own  family.  The  King  asked  me 
where  I  had  been,  and  why  I  did  not  go  to  the  Bath,  and 
three  or  four  other  questions.  Guyamore  ^  was  the  only 
bright  thing  in  the  circle,  he  and  I  had.  some  conversa- 
tion, but  not  of  consequence  enough  to  insert  in  this 
paper.  I  enquired  last  night  if  Ha  Ha  was  in  town ;  I 
long  to  see  the  verses,  you  had  best  procure  them.  I 
have  not  met  with  any  wit  since  I  came  to  town,  it  is  a 
scarcer  commodity  here  than  at  Gloucester. 

Who  is  Lavinia  ?  I  don't  remember  any  verses  about 
her.  Will.  Stanley  was  at  Somerset  House  last  Sunday 
night,  and  told  me  that  Sir  Eobert  Bay  lis  before  he 
was  chosen  Lord  Mayor  w^as  very  inquisitive  to  know 
if  I  was  come  to  town,  and  when  I  was  to  come,  for 
he  designed  to  ask  my  aunt's  leave  that  I  might  represent 
the  Lady  Mayoress  I  Sir  John  said  he  intended  dining 
with  him  in  a  few  days,  and  desired  to  know  if  he 
asked  him  about  it  (for  there  is  to  be  a  feast  at  Xtmas), 
what  answer  he  should  give?  I  told  him,  /  did  not  under- 
stand being  a  sham  Lady  Mayoress  I 

Pray  tell  Dr.  Greville  that  it  is  not  the  fashion  in 
London  to  make  long  courtships,  and  he  will  be  very 
unpolite  if  he  dangles  any  longer. 

"  Ha  Ha  "  was  probably  the  Honourable  Henry  Hervey.  He 
was  the  fourth  son  of  John,  Earl  of  Bristol,  by  his  second 
wife,  the  only  daughter  of  Sir  Thomas  Felton.  Henry  Hervey 
was  born  January  5,  1700;  he  married  Catherine,  sister  and 
heiress  of  Sir  Thomas  Aston,  Bart,,  took  the  name  of  Aston,  and 
entered  into  holy  orders.  Boswell,  in  his  Life  of  Johnson,  under 
the  year  1737,  says: 


'  Guyamore — Lord  Baltimore. 

N  2 


180  LIFE  AND  COERESPONDENCE 

"  Amidst  this  cold  obscurity,  there  was  one  brilliant  circum- 
stance to  cheer  him ;  he  was  well  acquainted  with  Mr.  Henry 
Hervey,  one  of  the  branches  of  the  noble  family  of  that  name, 
who  had  been  quartered  at  Lichfield  as  an  officer  of  the  army, 
had  at  this  time  a  house  in  London,  where  Johnson  was 
frequently  entertained,  and  had  an  opportunity  of  meeting 
genteel  company.  Not  very  long  before  his  death,  he  mentioned 
this  among  other  particulars  of  his  life  which  he  was  kindly 
communicating  to  me ;  and  he  described  his  early  friend,  Henry 
Hervey,  thus :  '  He  was  a  vicious  man,  but  very  kind  to  me. 
If  you  call  a  dog,  Hekvey,  I  shall  love  him.' " 


Mrs.  Fendarvesto  Mrs.  Anne  Granville. 

5th  December,  1728. 

I  was  prevented  last  post  by  an  impertinent  Puzzling 
visit :  the  clock  struck  two  when  he  left  me,  and  I  was 
summoned  over  the  way.  I  fully  resolved  writing  to  my 
mama  in  the  afternoon,  but  I  *was  seized  upon  to  deal 
with  the  DevllVs  hooks :  cross  enough  you  may  be  sure 
I  was,  and  made  blunder  upon  blunder,  set  the  table  in 
an  uproar,  and  was  inhumanly  scolded  at ;  and  all  was 
your  fault,  for  I  could  not  help  thinking  of  you,  and 
overlooked  my  aces,  trumped  my  partner's  king,  and  a 
thousand  such  mistakes,  and  sometimes  I  did  it  out  of 
spite,  because  they  would  make  me  play  against  my  will. 
Now  I  proceed  to  make  my  acknowledgments  for  your 
letters.  And  first  for  the  first  dated  "  Cold  "  and  "  raw." 
'Tis  impossible  for  me  to  answer  those  nice  touches 
of  yours,  and  therefore  I  will  be  dumb  upon  the  subject, 
and  can  only  tell  you,  that  nothing  can  express  the 
merits  of  Seraphina,  or  the  love  of  Barsina ;  but  re- 
member your  promise  of  finishing  the  Conversation  Piece. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  181 

If  you  have  not  those  verses  of  Ha  Has  that  Mon 
sent  me,  I  will  send  them  to  you.  I  have  not  heard 
from  Sally  since  I  writ  last,  but  I  don't  care  for  his 
Asturian  Highness.  I  design  to  be  at  Rest,^  and  a  fig 
for  all  the  young  fops. 

Without  putting  yourself  to  any  manner  of  expense, 
(you  want  for  neither  w^it  nor  sense) — high  day !  I  am 
writing  in  rhime,  and  never  thought  less  of  it  than  at  this 
time !  Chatter-chops  (Mrs.  Laroche)/  is  just  come  in, 
and  desires  me  to  present  her  tres  humble  service.  The 
Universal  Spectator^  was  very  indifferent  last  week; 
they  will  prove  but  dull ;  that  was  a  pretty  one  by 
chance,  which  I  sent  you,  but  I  own  I  think  the  ladies' 
rules  about  matrimony  not  easily  to  be  maintained,  unless 
the  man  proves  a  Phoenix  for  goodness,  and  then  there 
would  be  no  difficulty :  what  she  says  of  love  and 
coui'tship  I  think  exceeding  good  and  right.  I  don't 
believe  you  have  studied  Coke  upon  Littleton  enough  to 
make  verses  with  law  terms,  or  I  should  suspect  you 
had  a  hand  in  "  the  Clients  ,*"  pray  tell  me  who  has  been 
so  witty  ?  I  have  not  time  now  to  answer  them ;  I  will 
peruse  them  again,  and  if  I  think  it  worth  my  while, 
perhaps  may  do  them  the  favour.  Ay  (says  my  sister), 
"  Madame  Pen's  style  is  exalted,  she  tosses  up  her  nose  at 
everything."  "  A  saucy  flirt,  may  be  humbled,  and 
brought  down  in  her  wedding-shoes  soon."    Yesterday  I 


1  "  Rest."     A  pun  upon  Wrest,  the  Duke  of  Kent's,  in  Bedfordshire. 

2  John  Laroche,  Esq.,  born  in  1700,  was  for  many  years  M.P.  for  Bodmin. 
He  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Isaac  Gamier  of  Westminster,  a  celebrated 
apothecary.  Their  third  son,  James  Laroche,  Esq.,  of  Over,  in  Gloucestershire, 
was  created  a  Baronet  in  1776. 

3  The  Spectator  ceased  in  December,  1714.  ITie  Universal  Spectator  of 
1720  was  a  flimsy  publication,  and  failed. 


182  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

dined  at  the  Percivals,  and  tweedled  away  upon  a  lovely 
harpsichord,  and  I  was  not  bid  to  "  mind  my  tim£."  I 
played  an  hour  and  half  without  ceasing. 

Most  affectionately  thine,  my  Seraphina, 

And  your  faithful,  Barsina. 


I  will  write  to  the  two  Unitys  very  soon ;  at  present 
I  am  in  haste.  I  made  Piggy  a  visit  one  day  last  week ; 
she  has  been  extremely  ill,  but  is  pretty  well  again.  She 
enquired  very  much  after  her  friends  at  Glocester,  and 
desired  me  to  present  her  humble  service  when  I  writ. 

/  Yesterday  was  married  my  Lord  Carnarvon  and  a  daughter 
of  my  Lord  Bruce's,^  the  ugliest  couple  this  day  in 
England ;  but  then  there's  riches  and  great  alliance,  and 
that  is  firstto  be  considered.  Beauty,  sense,  and  honour 
are  things  not  required ;  if  thrown  into  the  bargain,  why 
well  and  good ;  but  the  want  of  them  will  not  spoil  a  match 
now-a-days,  but  if  the  fortune  prove  short  of  what  was 
reported,  and  the  lady  has  aU  other  accomplishments  that 
can  be  desired,  it  is  said  by  her,  as  once  of  virtue  "  being 
its  own  reward,"  the  lady  is  a  very  pretty  lady^  hut  no 
match  for  me ;   this  is  the  way  of  the  world,  and  a  sad 

[jvorld  it  is. 

I  desire  you  will  burn  this  letter,  for  hereafter  if 
it  should  come  into  a  stranger's  hand,  they  will  say, 
Surely  the  person  that  writ  it  must  have  received  great 
injuries  from  all  mankind,  that  she  writes  so  invet- 
erately  against  them.     But  indeed  they  will  lie  under  a 


*  Henry,  Marquis  of  Carnarvon,  only  surviving  son  of  James,  1st  Duke  of 
Chandos,  married  on  December  21,  1728,  Mary,  eldest  daughter  of  Charles, 
Lord  Bruce,  only  son  and  heir  apparent  to  Thomas,  Earl  of  Aylesbury. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  183 

mistake,  for  my  reflections  proceed  from  my  observations 
on  the  world  in  general,  which  I  will  endeavour  to  profit 
by,  and  act  as  cautiously  as  possible,  though  that  may  not 
secure  me  from  the  common  calamity ;  but  when  I  have 
done  my  part  to  the  utmost  of  my  power,  I  will  trust 
Providence  with  the  rest,  and  be  contented.  Will.  Stanley 
is  gone  to  Glocester,  that  is  to  Mr.  Window's.  Puzzle 
goes  to  Glocester  next  week.  Pray  remember  me  to  Mrs. 
AVilkinson.  My  compliments  in  particular  to  Mrs.  S., 
and  tell  her  I  often  think  of  those  few  hours  that  I 
spent  in  her  company.  I  hope  all  the  family  is  well  at 
Pains  wick.  I  have  not  been  able  to  make  one  visit  to 
my  cousin  Izaacson's  since  they  came  to  town,  which  I 
doubt  they  take  iU,  but  I  have  not  had  one  afternoon  to 
spare  since  their  arrival,  and  they  live  at  the  farther  end 
of  Westminster,  which  is  a  mile  and  a  half  from  any 
other  place  I  go  to. 

I  think  now  I  have  writ  you  a  long  letter  of  nothing 
at  all ;  I  wish  I  could  make  it  more  entertaining.  Sir 
John  is  gone  to  Northend.  I  have  not  seen  Bevil 
tliis  fortnight,  but  hear  he  is  well  and  very  busy  about 
his  play,  which  I  fear  he  will  manage  simpl}^,  and  he  does 
not  care  to  be  advised :  he  has  long  promis'd  me  a  copy 
of  it  for  you,  but  I  cannot  yet  get  it.  Mrs.  Dash  wood 
and  the  Peytons  will  be  in  town  soon  after  Xtmas :  I 
shall  not  have  much  of  their  company,  I  doubt,  for  I 
confine  myself  very  much  to  my  aunt,  though  sometimes 
she  sends  me  abroad  whether  I  will  or  no.  I  am  in 
great  concern  at  your  being  without  a  servant.^  There 
are  none  without  multitudes  of  faults,  and  they  will  be 

1  Servant."  One  of  the  many  changes  in  tlie  last  100  years  is  the  sense  in 
which  the  word  "  Servant "  is  used.  No  gentlewoman  would  now  sjieak  of  her 
*'  Sen-ant " — meaning  her  maid,  but  it  was  constantly  used  for  a  personal 
female  attendant  in  the  last  century. 


184  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

plagues  if  we  expect  perfection  from  them.     Adieu,  my 

dearest  sister. 

M.  Pendarves. 

Poor  Badge  has  been  very  ill  with  a  cold,  and  over- 
whelmed with  the  vapours :  she  has  not  been  able  to 
write,  and  is  afraid  my  mama  will  think  her  very  un- 
grateful for  not  having  herself  thanked  her  for  the  favour 
of  the  chine,  which  was  the  best  that  ever  was  eat. 


Bernachi  ^  has  a  vast  compass,  his  voice  mellow  and 
clear,  but  not  so  sweet  as  Senesino,  his  manner  better ; 
his  person  not  so  good,  for  he  is  as  big  as  a  Spanish 
friar.  Fabri  has  a  tenor  voice,  sweet,  clear,  and  firm, 
but  not  strong  enough,  I  doubt,  for  the  stage :  he 
sings  like  a  gentleman,  without  making  faces,  and  his 
manner  is  particularly  agreeable ;  he  is  the  greatest 
master  of  musick  that  ever  sung  upon  the  stage. 
The  third  is  the  bass,  a  very  good  distinct  voice,  with- 
out any  harshness.  La  Strada  is  the  first  woman ; 
her  voice  is  without  exception  fine,  her  manner  perfec- 
tion, but  her  person  very  had,  and  she  makes  frightful 
mouths.  La  Merighi  is  the  next  to  her ;  her  voice  is  not 
extraordinarily  good  or  bad,  she  is  tall  and  has  a  very 
graceful  person,  with  a  tolerable  face ;  she  seems  to  be 


*  The  Daily  Courant,  of  July  2,  1729,  says  : — "  Mr.  Handel,  who  is  just 
returned  from  Italy,  has  contracted  with  the  following  persons  to  perform  in 
the  Italian  oj^ra :  Sig.  Bernacchi,  who  is  esteemed  the  best  singer  in  Italy  ; 
Signora  Merighi,  a  woman  of  a  very  fine  presence,  an  excellent  actress,  and  a 
very  good  singer,  with  a  counter-tenor  voice  ;  Signora  Strada,  who  hath  a  very 
fine  treble  voice,  a  person  of  singular  merit ;  Sig.  Annibale  Pio  Fabri,  a  most 
excellent  tenor  and  a  fine  voice  ;  his  wife,  performs  a  man's  part  exceedingly 
well ;  Signora  Bertoldi,  who  is  a  very  fine  treble  voice,  &c."  Schcrlcher  says 
Signora  Bertoldi  was  a  contralto,  and  that  her  right  name  was  BertoUi. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  185 

a  woman  about  forty,  she  sings  easily  and  agreeably. 
The  last  is  Bertoli,  she  has  neither  voice,  ear,  nor 
manner  to  recommend  her ;  but  she  is  a  perfect  beauty, 
quite  a  Cleopatra,  that  sort  of  complexion  with  regular 
features,  fine  teeth,  and  when  she  sings  has  a  smile  about 
her  mouth  which  is  extreme  pretty,  and  I  believe  has 
practised  to  sing  before  a  glass,  for  she  has  never  any 
distortion  in  her  face. 

The  first  opera  is  Tuesday  next,  I  have  pronused 
Mrs.  Clayton  to  go  with  her.  Lady  Delawar  has  been 
very  ill  of  a  sore  throat,  but  is  better.  I  went  with  Lady 
Sunderland  to  see  her,  and  passed  an  hour  or  two  very 
merrily ;  she  has  wit  and  humour  when  she  pleases.  I 
dined  yesterday  at  Lady  Sunderland's,  and  in  the  after- 
noon came  Miss  Legh.  She  was  in  her  good-humoured 
flights,  and  made  us  all  laugh :  she  is  very  fond  of  me 
since  I  sent  her  word  that  I  would  never  set  my  foot 
within  her  doors  when  I  knew  her  father  was  at  home, 
but  would  avoid  him  as  I  would  a  toad.  She  says  I  am 
"  dear  creature,"  and  she  loves  me  dearly. 

Your's  eternally, 

M.  P. 
My  humble  duty  to  my  dear  mama.     I  had  a  letter 
last  night  from   Bunny.     Let  me  know  if  Erminia  has 
made  any  new  conquest.  I  know  Mat.  is  satisfied  she  has 
a  slave  she  likes,  and  looks  no  further. 


Mrs.  Pendarvesto  Mrs.  Anne  Granville. 

10th  February,  1728-9. 

As  for  the  rotten-apple  water,  I  sent  Mrs.  Badge  to 
Mrs.  Clark  about  it,  and  she  says  it  is  wonderful  the 


186  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

quick  effect  of  it,  and  very  safe  ;  and  that  if  you  use  it 
at  all,  you  should  do  it  night  and  morning.  It  must  be 
the  rottenest  apples  that  can  be  had,. put  into  a  cold  still, 
and  so  distilled,  without  anything  besides.  But  I  am 
under  no  apprehensions  of  your  being  marked,  and  I 
dare  say  your  complexion  will  be  better  than  ever  it  was.^ 
I  hope  the  play  will  entertain  you ;  pray  let  me  know 
your  opinion.  I  am  very  much  offended  at  Dr.  Greville's 
neglect,  but  this  love,  that  shoots  at  the  peasant  as 
well  as  the  beau,  spoils  those  that  have  anything  to 
do  with  his  darts.  1  should  have  thought  his  heart  so 
much  at  rest  by  being  in  possession  of  his  goddess, 
that  he  might  have  had  leisure  to  have  attended  his 
patients  with  diligence. 

If  ever  I  see  Ha  Ha  I  have  a  great  mind  to  tell  tales, 
but  he  has  not  yet  come  in  my  way.  His  Grace  of  Kent 
is  speedily  to  be  made  happy  :  the  nymph  is  wafting  o'er 
the  seas,  and  he  as  impatient  as  any  lover  in  romance.  She 
will  hardly  mend  the  De  Greys,  for  she  is  homely  enough  ; 
I  am  glad  Mrs.  Woodward  is  in  your  neighbourhood,  be- 
cause I  have  often  heard  you  commend  her.  Since  my  eyes 
have  been  cloudy,  I  have  kept  house — and  open  house,  too, 
I  assure  you.  I  have  had  my  circle  of  beaux  and  belles, 
and  now  and  then  a  tete-a-tete  friend  and  backgammon ; 
and  have  been  as  careful  of  myself  as  you  could  wish  me 
to  be.  Mrs.  Bellenden  is  a  very  agreeable  neighbour, 
and  very  good  in  coming  often  to  me :  she  has  met 
Puzzle  once  or  twice,  and  is  so  taken  with  him  and  he 
with  her,  that  I  shall  soon  lose  the  reputation  of  his 
being   my  humble    servant.     She  has  sung  ballads   to 


^  The  apple-water  was  probably  after  measles  or  cliicken  ix)x,  to  restore  the 
complexion. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  187 

him,  and  ravished  his  senses.  You  must  be  so  good 
to  make  my  excuse  to  Miss  Unetts  for  not  writing  to 
them ;  but  all  the  time  I  can  allow  myself  for  writing 
I  must  dedicate  to  you.  My  Aunt  Stanley  is  never 
well ;  I  ^hope  better  weather  will  be  of  use  to  her. 
Sir  John  is  at  Northend.  I  hear  of  no  news.  The 
Duchess  of  Queensbury  gave  the  Prince  a  ball  and 
supper  last  Tuesday — everything  was  elegant :  my  Lord 
Burlinofton^  intends  the  same  for  next  week.  What  can 
be  happier  in  appearance  than  that  young  man  *  is  at 
present  r  but  he  will  pay  dear  enough  for  it  when  the 
weight  of  the  nation  lies  on  his  shoulders.  I  don't 
hear  of  his  marriage  yet,  nor  have  I  taken  any  steps 
towards  what  I  once  mentioned ;  for  till  I  am  satisfied 
that  the  salary  is  the  same  as  the  Queen's,  I  will  not 
make  any  interest  about  it :  if  it  is,  it  will  be  very  well, 
as  three  hundred  pounds  a-year,  with  the  dividend  of  the 
clothes  (if  the  same  as  the  Queen's),  will  be  a  pretty 
addition  to  my  fortune. 

The  Duke  of  Kent  mentioned  in  this  letter  was  Henry  Grey, 
12th  Earl  of  Kent,  and  1st  Duke  of  that  family.  He  was  twice 
married;  first  in  1713,  to  Jemima,  eldest  daughter  of  Thomas 
Lord  Crewe  of  Stene,  by  whom  he  had  four  sons  and  seven 
dauofhters.  The  sons  all  died  before  their  father,  the  eldest  of 
them  being  the  Lord  Harold,  the  first  husband  of  Lady  Mary 
Tufton.  The  duke's  second  wife  was  the  Lady  Sophia  Bentinck, 
a  daughter  of  William,  1st  Earl  of  Portland,  by  his  second  mar- 
riacfe.  The  Duke  of  Kent  and  Lady  Sophia  were  married  in  1728. 

The  Bentinck  family  at  this  period  were  still  essentially  Dutch, 
and  both  the  brothers  of  the  bride  were  nobles  of  Holland. 
She  was  probably  brought  up  there,  and  might  justly  be  described 

'  Eichard  Boyle,  Srd  Earl  of  Burlington. 
*  Frederic,  Prince  of  Wales. 


188  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

as  a  "  nymph  coming  over  the  sea."  The  duke  and  his  second 
wife  had  one  daughter  named  Anna  Sophia,  who  married  John 
Egerton,  Bishop  of  Durham,  great  nephew  of  the  1st  Duke  of 
Bridgewater,  and  the  son  of  that  bishop  became  7th  Earl  of 
Bridgewater. 


Mrs,  Pendarves  to  3Irs.  Anne  Granville. 

Somerset  House,  16tli  February,  1728-9. 

I  have  not  been  abroad  lately,  and  therefore  cannot 
entertain  you  with  foreign  affairs.  I  am  now  at  my  Lady 
Stanley's  elbow.  I  wish  I  could  give  as  good  an  account 
of  her  health  as  of  my  own ;  but  she  is  never  free  from 
violent  colds. 

There  is  a  tragedy  now  acting  in  Lincolns-Inn-Fields 
that  bears  a  tolerable  character :  as  soon  as  I  have  read  it 
I  will  dispatch  it  to  wait  on  you ;  and  the  Village  Opera 
likewise,  though  that  is  but  a  so-so  affair.  There  was  a 
masquerade  last  Thursday  at  the  Opera  House,  but  I  have 
not  heard  any  report  about  it.  People  seem  to  be  tired 
of  that  sort  of  diversion ;  I  have  not  been  at  one  this 
winter,  and  don't  find  any  inclination  in  myself  to  make 
one  of  the  rabble-rout.  The  subscription  for  the  Opera 
next  winter  goes  on  very  well,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of 
all  musical  folks.. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  Oranville. 

From  our  fireside,  28  February,  1728-9. 

First  receive  my  thanks  for  your  dear  letters,  **  more 
welcome  far,  than  gold  to  misers  or  to  soldiers  war.'* 
That  puts  me  in  mind  of  Mars's  pockett  pistol,  alias 
Apollo's  Imp,  alias  Ha  Ila.  He  likes  me  for  somebody's 
sake  that  shall  be  nameless ;    he  was  at  my  door  last 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  189 

Sunday  morning,  but  I  was  doing  what  he  ought  to  have 
been  employed  in.  The  little  man  of  mettle  {not  Corin- 
thian) was  not  discouraged,  but  came  again  on  Tuesday. 
Molly  Bramston  was  with  me ;  he  staid  two  hours  and 
chattered  away  very  agreeably.  I  think  he  is  like  you. 
Gloster  was  the  chief  of  our  discourse,  it  being  the  chief 
in  our  affection  ;  and  there  is  a  young  lady  xiwells  there 
that  has  more  perfections  than  any  mortal  has  a  right  to  ; 
her  "  wit  so  poignant,  her  judgment  so  wonderfull,  her 
good-nature  so  excessive,  that  she  always  delights  but 
never  offends."  I  guessed  who  he  meant,  but  was  not 
obliged  to  take  it ;  I  think  it  was  very  rude  to  say  so 
many  fine  things  of  an  absent  lady,  it  made  those  that 
were  present  look  very  silly,  but  the  fops  of  this  age 
know  no  manners.  He  saw  my  clothes  ;  I  said  you  would 
I  suppose  want  the  description  of  them,  but  I  should  not 
give  myself  that  trouble ;  quoth  he,  "  perhaps  she  may 
receive  it  from  a  third  hand." 

On  Wednesday  I  dined  at  Lady  Carteret's,  and  went 
in  the  afternoon  to  a  consort  of  musick  for  the  benefit  of 
Mr.  Holcomb ;  the  Duchess  of  Manchester  and  the  two 
eldest  IVIiss  Carterets  were  of  the  party.  Holcomb  sung 
six  songs  ;  we  had  two  overtures  of  ^Ir.  Handel's  and  two 
concertos  of  Corella  by  the  best  hands.  I  was  very  well 
pleased ;  the  house  was  exceeding  full  and  some  verj  good 
company.  Ha  Ha  was  to  be  distinguished,  though  in 
the  midst  of  a  great  crowd,  and  so  w^as  the  peer  among 
ten  thousand,  &c.  Tiny  did  not  see  me,  but  Guyamore 
made  me  a  respectful  bow.  I  am  already,  or  shall  be 
very  soon  married  to  the  Black  Don  ^  upon  his  ha\dng 


1  This  passage  alludes  to  a  joke  with  her  cousin,  Sir  Anthony  "Westconih. 
1'he  "  Gumlej'^ "  alluded  to  was  Deputy-Commissary-General.  Sir  Anthony 
Westcomb  succeeded  him  in  that  post. 


190  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

the  prospect  of  succeeding  Gumley,  so  I  sent  to  him  and 
desired  his  acceptance  of  myself  and  fortune !  You 
country  ladies  that  love  to  be  in  the  fashion,  I  must  give 
you  notice  that  nothing  is  so  unpolite  as  telUng  the 
truth,  and  if  you  are  ambitious  of  being  thought  exces- 
sive genteel,  let  two  or  three  rousing  1 — s  escape  you, 
and  you  will -gain  immortal  reputation.  I  was  just  come 
to  this  place,  when  who  should  enter  my  chamber  but 
the  American  Prince,^  gay  and  fine — the  second  visit  he 
has  made  me :  his  manner  is  the  same  it  used  to  be. 

To-morrow  is  the  Birth-day.  I  shall  be  fine,  but  like 
the  jay  in  borrowed  feathers.^  I  have  not  heard  anything 
about  the  comet  you  mention,  I  believe  it  has  been  dis- 
covered by  some  Gloster  conjurer.  My  head  is  drest, 
and  Mr.  Wise  who  is  at  my  toilette  says,  "  prodigious 
well." 

Upon  receiving  a  lock  of  hair  from  Anna  which  she  unjustly 

call'd  a  trifle. 

'ITie  gift  which  jon  a  trifle  call, 

To  me  is  far  beyond 
That  celebrated  lock^  of  which 

The  poets  were  so  fond. 
Nor  gold  nor  titles  can  impart 

Such  pleasure  as  your  love, 
Possest  of  such  a  faithful  heart 

With  happiness  I  move. 
All  things  hut  /rie7idshi2)  such  as  yours 

Inconstant  pass  away, 
This  lock  the  emblem  of  your  love 

Like  that  will  ne'er  decay. 
Then  what  have  I  to  do  with  care, 

With  joy  my  days  I'll  spend, 
Since  I'm  secure  of  heaven's  best  gift, 

A  faithful,  tender  friend. 


1  American  Prince.   Lord  Baltimore. 

2  "  Borrowed  feathers.'^  The  practice  of  friends  lending  each  other  jewels  for 
Court,  appears  to  have  been  much  more  common  in  the  last  century  than  at 
present. 

'  Berenice's  hair. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  191 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Airs.  Anne  Oranville. 

Somerset  House,  4th  March,  1728-29. 

On  Saturday  the  first  day  of  March,  it  being  Queen 
Caroline's  birth-day,  I  dressed  myself  in  all  my  best 
array,  borrowed  my  Lady  Sunderland's  jewels,  and  made 
a  tearing  show.  I  went  with  my  Lady  Carteret  and  her 
two  daughters.  There  was  a  vast  Court,  and  my  Ladv 
Carteret  got  with  some  difficulty  to  the  circle,  and  after 
she  had  made  her  curtsey  made  me  stand  before  her.  Tlie 
Queen  came  up  to  her,  and  thanked  her  for  bringing  me 
forward,  and  she  told  me  she  was  obliged  to  me  for  my 
pretty  clothes,  and  admired  my  Lady  Carteret's  extremely ; 
she  told  the  Queen  that  they  were  my  fancy,  and  that  I 
drew  the  pattern.  Her  ^Majesty  said  she  had  heard  that 
I  could  draw  very  well  (I  can't  think  who  could  tell  her 
such  a  story) ;  she  took  notice  of  my  jewels ;  I  told  her 
they  were  my  Lady  Sunderland's ;  "  Oh,"  says  she, 
''  7/ou  zvere  afraid  I  should  think  my  Lord  Selkirk '  gave 
them  to  you,  but  I  believe  he  only  admires,  for  he  will 
not  be  so  free  of  his  presents.^'  (I  think  it  is  a  great 
condescention,  after  all  this,  to  correspond  with  a  country 
girl !)  Who  should  I  spy  in  the  crowd  but  Ha  Ha, 
bedecked  with  azure — a  proper  colour  for  a  poet  and  a 
lover :  en  passant,  he  made  me  a  compliment,  said  "  he 
could  write  more  than  he  dared  to  speak."  Miss  Carteret 
heard  him,  and  lays  him  to  my  charge,  when  Cupid 
knows  he  only  is  civil  to  me  for  sakes  sake,  however,  I 
had  the  reputation  of  him  for  that  day. 

At  night  sure  nothing  but  the  Coronation  could  exceed 


^  Charles  Douglas,  2nd  Earl  of  Selkirk,  died  unmarried  in  1739. 


192  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCP: 

the  squeezing  and  crowding  that  was  there,  the  ball-room 
was  so  excessive  full  that  I  could  not  see  one  dance, 
but  was  thrust  quite  from  mj  company.  However,  a  little 
to  recompense  that  loss  and  the  fatigue  I  had  undergone, 
it  was  my  fortune  to  be  thrown  in  the  way  of  Guyamore, 
who  very  gallantly  got  me  a  seat  and  sate  down  by  me ; 
his  aunt,  Lady  Betty  Lee,  was  oposite  to  us.  I  asked 
him  why  he  would  not  go  and  pay  his  dut}'^  to  her  ?  He 
"  hated  to  look  at  her,"  he  said,  "  she  was  so  confounded 
ugly  ;"  and  "  that  he  should  be  a  happy  man  were  I  as 
ugly."  Miss  Tolmash  came  to  the  place  where  I  sat,  and  I 
resigned  my  place  and  made  an  attempt  to  find  my  com- 
pany, but  all  in  vain,  I  might  as  well  have  attempted  to 
swim  cross  the  sea  in  a  storm ;  and  after  having  been 
buffeted  about  and  crushed  to  a  mummy,  my  Lord  Sun- 
derland espied  me  out,  and  made  me  take  his  place. 

The  clock  struck  twelve,  the  French  dances  were 
just  over,  and  every  man  took  the  woman  he  liked  best 
to  dance  country-dances,  the  Prince  set  the  example  by 
choosing  the  Duchess  of  Bedford,^  who  is  the  queen  of 
his  fancy  at  present.  Ha  Ha  found  me  out  and  en- 
treated me  to  dance  one  dance,  but  the  crowd  was  so 
monstrous  I  had  not  courage ;  he  looked  disappointed. 
/  was  sorry  to  refuse  him  ;  but  though  I  would  not 
make  use  of  him  in  his  own  way,  I  did  make  a  conveniency 
of  him,  for  by  his  means  I  found  my  Lady  Carteret.  We 
went  away  at  half  an  hour  after  one ;  and  I  was  so  tired 
all  Sunday,  I  could  hardly  hold  up  my  head ;  but  yester- 
day I  was  very  well,  and  dined  with  my  Lady  Carteret ; 
and  went  in  the  afternoon  to  my  Lady  Sunderland. 

1  The  Lady  Anne  Egerton,  only  daughter  of  Scroop,  Duke  of  Bridgewater, 
and  of  his  wife  the  Lady  Elizabeth  Churchill,  married  Wriotbesly,  3rd  Duke 
of  Bedford,  in  1725. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  198 

The  King  was  in  blue  velvet,  with  diamond  buttons ; 
the  hat  was  buttoned  up  with  prodigious  fine  diamonds. 
The  Queen  was  in  black  velvet,  the  Court  being  out 
of  mourning  only  for  that  day.  Princess  Royal  had 
white  poudesoy,  embroidered  with  gold,  and  a  few  colours 
intermixed;  the  petticoat  was  very  handsome,  but  the 
gown  looked  poor,  it  being  only  faced  and  robed  with 
embroidery.  Princess  Amely  had  a  yellow  and  silver 
stuff,  the  pattern  marked  out  with  a  thread  of  purple,  and 
purple  ribbons  with  pearl  in  her  head,  which  became  her. 
Princess  Caroline  had  pink  colour  damask,  trimmed  with 
silver.  The  Prince  of  Wales  was  in  mouse-colour  velvet, 
turned  up  with  scai'let,  and  very  richly  embroidered  with 
silver ;  he  dances  very  well,  especially  country -dances, 
for  he  has  a  great  deal  of  spirit.  Lady  Carteret's  clothes 
were  the  finest  there — green  and  gold,  embroidered  and 
trimmed ;  Miss  Carteret  yellow  and  silver.  Lady  Hart- 
ford had  a  blue  manteau,  embroidered  with  gold,  and  a 
white  satin  petticoat ;  it  looked  very  whimsical,  and  not 
pretty.  Ha  Ha  told  me,  (for  his  mortification),  he  had 
seen  the  cause  of  all  his  woe ;  she  was  very  fine,  but,  says 
he,  'tis  all  outside,  oh  that  she  were  as  bright  within ! 

I  suppose  you  will  have  some  odd  account  of  me,  pray 
let  me  know  what  they  say  of  me  behind  my  back  ?  The 
Duchess  of  Queensbury,  to  the  great  amazement  of  the 
admiring  world,  is  forbid  the  Court,  only  for  being  solici- 
tous in  getting  a  subscription  for  Mr.  Gay's  sequel  of 
the  Beggars'  Opera,  which  the  Court  forbid  being  acted, 
on  account  that  it  reflected  on  the  Government.  The 
Duchess  is  a  great  friend  of  Gay's,  and  has  thought  him 
much  injured  ;  upon  which,  to  make  him  some  amends, 
for  he  is  poor,  she  promised  to  get  a  subscription  for  his 

VOL.  I.  o 


194  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

play  if  he  would  print  it.  She  indiscreetly  has  urged 
the  King  and  Queen  in  his  behalf,  and  asked  subscrip- 
tions in  the  drawing-room,  upon  which  she  is  forbid 
the  Court — a  thing  never  heard  of  before  to  one  of  her 
rank :  one  might  have  imagined  her  heaviy  would  have 
secured  her  from  such  treatment !  The  Vice  Chamber- 
lain went  with  the  message,  and  she  returned  the 
answer  which  I  have  enclosed.^ 

Last  week  I  had  Mr.  Haws  with  me,  Mrs.  Basset's 
steward  and  her  lawyer,  to  ask  me  to  accept  a  sum  of 
money  for  my  jointure.  I  told  them  it  would  not  be 
reasonable  in  them  to  suppose  I  would  lessen  my  in- 
come, and  they  best  knew  if  they  could  afford  to  give  me 
what  would  bring  me  in  an  equivalent.  I  have  not  had 
their  answer ;  they  want  me  to  name  a  sum,  but  that 
is  not  my  business.  I  know  what  I  will  accept,  but 
if  they  don't  offer  me  that,  I  am  pleased  to  keep  my 
jointure  as  it  is.  I  spoke  of  it  to  Sir  John ;  he  says 
money  is  troublesome,  arid  difficult  to  get  good  security 
for  it ;  but  if  they  offer  very  largely  I  shall  be  tempted. 

Your  shoemaker  is  dead ;  but  I  believe  Mulinix  will 
make  them  as  well. 


Feb.  27,  1728-9. 
1  "  The  Duchess  of  Queensbury  is  surprised  and  well  pleased  that  tlie  King 
hath  given  her  so  agreeable  a  command  as  to  stay  from  Court,  where  she 
never  came  for  diversion,  but  to  bestow  a  civility  on  the  King  and  Queen;  she 
hopes  by  such  an  unprecedented  order  as  this  is  that  the  King  will  see  as  few 
as  he  wishes  at  his  Court,  particularly  such  as  dare  to  think  or  speak  truth. 
1  dare  not  do  otherwise,  and  ought  not  nor  could  have  imagined  that  it  would 
not  have  been  the  very  highest  compliment  that  I  could  possibly  pay  the  King 
to  endeavour  to  support  truth  and  innocence  in  his  house,  particularly  when 
the  King  and  Queen  both  told  me  that  they  had  not  read  Mr.  Gay's  play. 
I  have  certainly  done  right,  then,  to  stand  by  my  own  words,  rather  than  his 
Grace  of  Grafton's,  who  hath  neither  made  use  of  truth,  judgment,  nor 
honour,  through  this  whole  affair,  either  for  himself  or  his  friends." 

"  C.  QUEENSBERRY." 


OF  MRS.  DELANY,  195 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  OranviUe. 

8  March,  1728-9. 

Yesterday  I  went  to  Cour  with  my  Lady  Carteret :  it 
was  excessively  full,  but  I  have  some  reward  for  my  trou- 
ble, for  the  King  asked  me  many  aquestion.  Mrs.  Clayton, 
who  was  the  person  employed  by  my  Lady  Granville  in 
the  affair  I  told  you  of,  has  refused.  I  am  mighty  easy 
in  the  matter ;  but  my  cousins,  who  are  very  fond  of  me, 
insist  upon  my  going  another  way  to  work ;  they  say  they 
are  sure  if  it  was  only  named  to  the  King  and  Queen 
I  should  be  accepted.  My  brother  Bevil  has  met  with 
great  disappointments  in  his  play,  which  is  not  to  be 
acted,  but  he  is  going  to  print  it,  and  wants  to  dedicate  it 
to  the  Princess  Eoyal.  I  am  going  this  morning  to  Lady 
Fitzwilliara's  to  see  if  T  can  get  the  Princess's  leave. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  OranviUe. 

Somerset  House,  6  !March,  1728-9. 

Last  nigrht  when  I  returned  from  the  Duchess  of 
Norfolk's  Assembly,  (muzzy  enough,  not  having  met 
with  agreeable  conversation),  I  had  the  delight  of  read- 
ing your  letter. 

So  you  cannot  guess  who  the  absent  lady  was,  that 
Ha  Ha  sung  the  praises  of;  dont  he  so  affected,  the 
picture  was  too  well  drawn  not  to  know  who  it  belonged 
to  ;  there  was  no  occasion  to  write  "  AnnabeUa  "  under  it ; 
the  limner  is  too  good  an  artist  to  be  so  treated,  and  I 
won't  allow  you  to  give  yourself  such  airs.  The  Pocket 
Pistol  says  he  has  writ  to  the  Doctor,  he  talks  of  recruit- 
ing, and  that  he  shall  visit  Gloster,  not  only  to  recruit 
men,  but  spirits ;  he  proposes  great  happiness  to  himself, 

0  2 


1D6  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

but,  poor  tiling  !  if  he  should  be  disappointed  and  the  bird 
flown,  it  will  be  pity.  He  told  me  of  some  verses  (golden 
ones  says  he)  that  he  had  the  happiness  of  seeing  upon 
Mrs.  Grrevill's  marriage,  quite  poetic.  I  will  be  cautious 
of  what  I  say  to  Ha  Ha,  for  I  believe  he  sends  everything 
to  his  correspondent ;  Puzzle  saw  him  here  one  morn- 
ing, and  it  would  have  diverted  you  to  have  seen  how 
queer  he  looked.  Ha  Ha's  gaiety  makes  one  fall  into 
the  same  sort  of  humour;  Puzzle  outstaid  the  other, 
and  when  he  was  gone,  begged  for  God  sake  I  would  let 
him  sit  still  to  recover  himself,  for  if  he  went  home  in 
the  humour  he  was  in,  he  should  hang  himself.  1  have 
seen  him  once  since,  he  seems  to  be  very  well  recovered ; 
and  I  must  giv-^e  him  his  due,  he  behaves  himself  with 
good  manners  and  respect,  and  I  believe  is  convinced  he 
had  best  hold  hold  his  tongue. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  Granville. 

From  my  fireside,  14th  March,  1728-9. 

Sally's  letters  are  what  I  prize  next  to  yours,  but 
her  last  was  too  crabbed  to  please  me.  She  confounds  me 
with  her  ideas.  I  had  much  rather  she  would  descend 
to  the  style  that  I  am  acquainted  with,  for  I  cannot  deny 
my  ignorance,  which  is  so  great  that  I  do  not  compre- 
hend her  logic,  and  1  really  think  she  has  cramped  her 
way  of  writing  extremely.  The  beauty  of  writing  (in  my 
opinion)  consists  in  telling  our  sentiments  in  an  easy 
natural  way  ;  whatever  expressions  seem  laboured  must 
disgust,  unless  they  discourse  on  an  abstruse  subject, 
and  then  it  must  be  treated  accordingly.  Without 
partiality  to  you,  you  have  attained  that  art  in  writing 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  197 

which  alone  makes  it  delightful ;  your  sense  is  so  in- 
telligible that  it  is  known  at  first  sight,  whereas  Sally's 
is  in  masquerade,  and  I  must  examine  the  sentence  more 
than  once  to  find  her  out ;  but  she  has  fallen  into  this 
way  since  her  being  the  half  of  a  parson,  for  her  letters 
used  to  please  as  well  as  instruct.  I  think  my  uncle's 
play  has  more  things  in  it  to  be  condemned  than  ap- 
plauded, but  yet  I  am  so  much  inclined  to  any  production 
of  his,  that  I  cannot  entirely  give  it  up ;  the  characters  I 
allow  are  unnatural,  but  there  is  wit  in  it,  and  that  is 
more  than  can  be  said  of  any  other  modern  comedy. 

I  have  begun  to  answer  your  letters,  as  the  witches 
do  their  prayers — backwards.  I  am  afraid  the  Dr.  will 
think  I  set  up  for  a  poet,  and  that  is  a  character  I 
detest,  unless  I  was  able  to  maintain  it  as  well  as  my 
Lady  Winchelsea.  Nothing  is  so  impertinent  as  dabblers, 
despised  by  men  of  sense ;  I  wonder  the  doctor  has  not 
yet  received  Ha  Ha's  letter — he  told  me  he  sent  it  a 
week  ago.  He  made  me  a  visit  last  Tuesday  morning, 
enquired  after  all  friends  at  Gloucester,  and  desired  me 
to  make  his  compliments.  I  gave  you  a  hasty  sketch 
last  post  of  the  Imp  and  Guyamore  ;  I  don't  know  whe- 
ther I  can  mend  it.  The  American  Prince  has  what  is 
generally  thought  an  advantageous  person,  he  is  tall, 
genteel,  a  handsome  face,  no  feature  in  his  face  but 
what  you  may  allow  to  be  good ;  but  the  sparkling  fire  is 
more  conspicuous  in  Ha  Ha  and  his  vivacity,  which  is 
really  attended  with  wit,  wiU  at  any  time  make  those 
that  converse  with  him,  give  him  the  preference.  But  I 
think  he  has  a  fault  though  a  good-natured  one  (if  that 
is  an  expression  may  be  allowed),  which  is  a  turn  of 
compliment  to  a  degree  of  flattery,  and  he  must  think  a 
woman  mightily  possessed  with  herself  to  believe  all  those 


198  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

flourislies  her  due,  but  it  is  more  excusable  where  they 
are  spoken  with  ease,  which  indeed  I  must  say  he  does, — 
for  that  gives  them  an  air  of  sincerity.  Puzzle  is  of  a 
very  different  composition,  and  has  his  merit  in  his  way. 
When  he  talks  it  is  sensibly,  but  he  never  makes  a  com- 
pliment but  in  a  way  that  without  a  great  deal  of  vanity 
one  may  be  allowed  to  take  it,  and  to  believe  he  speaks 
what  he  thinks.  He  discovers  in  his  manner  a  great  deal 
of  honesty,  and  though  plain-dealing  seems  to  be  what 
he  prides  himself  in,  it  is  accompanied  with  so  mvjch 
manner  as  not  to  offend ;  for  though  he  will  not  praise 
where  he  thinks  it  not  due,  he  is  not  a  satirist  nor 
apt  to  spy  little  faults.  In  short  my  three  visitors  are 
as  different  in  their  manners  as  their  persons ;  they  give 
me  a  great  deal  of  entertainment,  and  if  by  their  means 
I  have  given  you  any,  I  shall  be  better  pleased  with 
them  than  ever  I  was. 

I  and  my  clothes  were  too  slight  to  be  taken  notice 
of  by  Apollo's  favourite,  though  he  intimated  he  had 
given  an  account  of  both;  as  for  myself  your  own 
imagination  always  draws  me  to  so  much  advantage 
that  I  will  let  you  think  as  favourably  as  you  please. 
My  clothes  were  grave,  the  ground  dark  grass  green, 
brocaded  with  a  running  pattern  like  lace  of  white  inter- 
mixed with  festoons  of  flowers  in  faint  colours.  My 
ribbons  were  pink  and  silver,  my  head  well  drest,  French 
and  a  cockard  that  looked  smart,  my  clothes  were  a 
French  silk,  I  happened  to  meet  with  a  great  penny- 
worth— they  cost  me  seventeen  pounds. 

The  Duchess  of  Quensbury'  is  still  the  talk  of  the  town. 

1  The  celebrated  Catherine,  Duchess  of  Queensbury,  having  in  old  age  at- 
tended the  funeral  of  the  Princess  Dowager  of  Wales,  as  one  of  the  attendants 
to  the  chief  mourner,  Horace  Walpole  wrote  the  following  stanza  on  the 
occasion : — 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  199 

She  is  going  to  Scotland :  she  has  great  reason  to  resent 
her  usage,  but  she  was  provoking  first,  and  her  answer 
though  it  shows  spirit  was  not  worded  as  her  friends 
could  have  wished ;  good  manners  ought  to  be  observed 
to  our  equals,  and  our  supenours  certainly  have  a  right 
to  it.  My  Lady  Hervey  told  her  the  other  day,  that 
'*  now  she  was  banished^^  the  Court  had  lost  its  chief 
ornament"  the  Duchess  replyed,  "  /  am  entirely  of  your 
mind.'*  It  is  thought  my  Lady  Hervey  spoke  to  her 
with  a  sneer,  if  so  her  Grace's  answer  was  a  very  good 
one.  I  am  amazed  at  the  odd  proceeding  of  Thresher : 
he  acts  like  a  madman  or  a  rogue — 'tis  charitable  to  sup- 
pose it  the  first.  I  am  heartily  concerned  at  poor  Bessy's' 
indisposition.  I  don't  at  all  wonder  at  her  being  affected 
by  this  man's  odd  behaviour ;  I  dare  say  Providence  has  a 
better  lot  in  store  for  her,  and  more  suitable  to  her  merit. 
You  say  you  are  the  dullest  thing  alive  :  I  cannot 
be  of  your  mind  at  all,  but  I  am  still  angry  that  you 
have  not  sent  me  those  verses  Mrs.  Greville  had  on  her 
marriage :  I  shall  be  more  cautious  for  the  future  how  I 
send  the  inventions  of  my  noddle  ^  since  you  don't  use 
me  in  the  same  way.     Last  night  I  was  at  a  concert  of 

"  To  many  a  Kitty,  Love  his  car 
Would  for  a  day  engage  ; 
But  Prior's  Kitty,  ever  fair, 
Obtained  it  for  an  age." 

1  On  two  occasions  the  Duchess  of  Queensbury  got  into  disgrace  at  Court. 
She  usually  wore  an  apron,  and  when  this  article  of  attire  was  forbidden  to  be 
worn  at  the  royal  drawing-rooms,  the  Duchess  appeared  in  it  one  day:  her 
entrance  was  consequently  opposed  by  the  Lord  in  waiting,  when  she  tore  it  off, 
threw  it  in  his  face,  and  walked  on.  Her  second  offence  was  that  of  soliciting 
subscriptions  for  the  poet  Gay  in  the  royal  presence. — See  Horace  Walpde,  &c. 

2  Bessy  Tichboume,  sister  of  the  Countess  of  Sunderland. 

'  Here  is  an  allusion  to  other  verses  written  by  Mrs.  Pendarves,  who  was 
as  well  as  Ann  Granville  evidently  in  the  habit  of  sending  each  other  little 
"ytu  d'espriis  "  both  in  prose  and  verse. 


200  LIFE  AND  COERESPONDENCE 

music  with  Mrs.  Clayton,  Mrs.  Percival's  daughter : 
it  was  a  charity  business  for  the  benefit  of  Mr.  Grant, 
my  mercer's  partner,  who  has  had  losses  lately ;  I  was 
glad  the  poor  man  had  a  full  house.  The  music  was  not 
extremely  well  performed,  Mrs.  Barbier,  Mrs.  Wright, 
and  Mrs.  Chambers  sung.  Puzzle  was  there,  I  was  in 
the  stage-box.  Captain  Hyde  sat  behind  me,  and  con- 
veyed me  to  the  coach  when  the  concert  was  done.  I 
have  no  news  to  send  you,  only  the  enclosed  verses.  I 
don't  know  the  authors  of  any  of  them,  you  may  know 
of  whom  I  had  the  manuscript  by  the  hand. 

Interest  is  making  to  get  Mr.  Horatio  Walpole  ^  to 
let  my  brother  Bevil  go  over  with  him  to  Soissons 
where  he  is  going  Plenipo,  and  I  fancy  it  will  be  obtained ; 
it  must  be  a  secret. 

Lord  Lansdown's  play  alluded  to  in  this  letter,  may  have  been 
**  Once  a  Lover  and  always  a  Lover,"  which  came  out  in  its  im- 
proved form  in  1728.  Dr.  Johnson,  in  his  Life  of  Lord  Lans- 
down,  says :  "  In  the  time  of  his  retirement,  it  is  probable  that  he 
composed  his  dramatic  pieces,  "The  She  Gallants"  (acted  1696), 
which  he  revised  and  called  "  Once  a  Lover  and  always  a 
Lover ;"  "  The  Jew  of  Venice,"  altered  from  Shakspeare's  " 
Merchant  of  Venice  "  (1698) ;  "  Heroic  Love,"  a  tragedy  (1701)  ; 
"The  British  Enchanters"  (1706),  a  dramatic  poem;  and 
"  Peleus  and  Thetis,"  a  masque,  written  to  accompany  "  the 
Jew  of  Venice."  The  comedies,  which  he  has  not  printed  in 
his  own  edition  of  his  works,  I  never  saw." 

Warton  remarks,  "  Pope  in  '  Windsor  Forest '  having  com- 
pared his  patron,  Lord    Lansdown,    with    Surrey,   he   was   im- 


1  The  Horatio  Walpole,  who  went  to  Soissons  as  Minister  Plenipotentary, 
was  brother  to  the  Prime  Minister,  and  uncle  to  the  Horace  Walpole  of  ejjisto- 
lary  renown  :  a  coarse  shrewd  man,  who  owed  his  elevation  to  his  brother. 
He  was  created  Lord  Walpole  of  Wolterton,  and  his  descendants  inherited  the 
Earldom  of  Urlbrd  on  failure  of  the  elder  branch  of  tlie  family. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  201 

inediatelyreprinted,  but  without  attracting  many  readers,  altliough 
it  was  vainly  imagined  that  all  the  world  would  eagerly  purchase 
the  works  of  a  neglected  English  poet,  whom  Pope  had  called 
**  the  Granville  of  a  former  age" 


Mrs.  Pertdarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  QranviUe. 

13th  March,  1728-9. 

Never  did  I  want  your  assistance  more  than  last  night 
to  compose  my  spirits,  which  for  these  two  days  past  have 
suffered  a  good  deal  on  my  Aunt  Stanley's  account,  for 
she  has  been  very  ill,  but  thank  God  is  now  much  better. 
All  Sunday  she  complained  extremely  of  her  head,  and 
was  very  hot,  her  spirits  very  much  upon  the  flutter,  and 
for  four-and-twenty  hours  she  neither  slept  nor  lay  in  a 
posture  for  a  minute  together,  and  now  and  then  seemed 
to  be  light-headed.  I  was  very  much  fHghtened,  and 
begged  her  to  send  for  a  doctor ;  but  she  would  not  bear 
the  thoughts  of  it  till  Sir  John  came.  I  writ  him  an 
account  how  she  was,  in  as  moderate  terms  as  I  could  ; 
but  he  apprehended  I  made  the  best  of  it,  and  was  so 
much  affected  by  it,  that  when  he  came  to  town  I  thought 
him  almost  as  ill  as  my  aunt;  but  she  is  very  much 
mended ;  I  did  not  leave  her  till  twelve  o'  the  clock,  and 
I  have  just  had  an  account  of  her  which  is  a  very  good 
one,  and  Sir  John  is  pretty  well  again. 

I  am  glad  my  drawing  pleases  you.  I  endeavoured 
to  keep  up  to  the  originals,  but  fear  I  have  done  them  an 
injury,  particularly  Ha  Ha.  Regular  features  may  easily 
be  expressed,  but  there  is  a  certain  agreeable  air  that  no 
limner  can  hit  off,  where  there  is  a  great  deal  of  variety 
it  will  pose  the  most  skillful  to  describe.  Now  for 
answering  your  questions  three.  I  have  seen  Mr.  Hays's 
hand^^work,  and  think  him  so  great  a  proficient,  that  is 


202  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

pity  he  has  not  an  opportunity  of  being  instructed  by 
some  good  master.  Mr.  Wise's  picture,  and  the  copy  of 
my  aunt's  is  extremely  well  done  ;  as  for  mine,  I  cannot 
say  so  much,  for  I  never  saw  so  crabbed  a  witch — but 
considering  what  he  copied  after,  I  think  it  very  well ! 
I  am  much  obliged  to  him  for  his  cantata  and  minuet, 
and  think  them  very  pretty.  I  desire,  when  he  comes 
to  town,  that  he  wiU  caU  upon  me,  for  I  have  a  mind  he 
should  copy  a  picture  for  me  of  my  Aunt  Stanley's. 

Well,  I  do  think  I  have  showed  some  indifference  to 
you;  I  had  my  designs,  I  thought  you  would  have 
dropt  the  proposal,  and  that  I  should  not  be  plagued 
with  you.  If  half  a  man,  half  a  maid,  half  a  room,  lialf 
a  bed,  and  half  a  French  roU  for  breakfast  will  satisfy 
you,  you  shall  be  as  welcome  as  my  whole  heai-t  can 
make  you,  and  I  hope  my  dear  mama  will  be  able  to 
spare  you ;  and  I  hope  I  may  promise  her  that  I  will 
restore  you  to  her  safe  and  sound  upon  demand.  You 
see  I  am  full  of  Jwpes  about  it,  and  hope  they  will  not 
be  blasted.     "  Hope  of  all  ills  that  men  endure,'  <^'c. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  OranviUe. 

Somerset  House,  1st  April,  1729. 

The  first  thing  that  happened  to  me  this  morning  was 
being  made  a  fool  of — a  thing  easily  done,  so  they  ac- 
quired no  great  honour  who  set  their  wits  at  work  ;ibout 
it.  You  must  know,  madam,  that  I  am  this  afternoon 
to  have  with  me  Lady  Peyton,  her  fair  daughter  Mrs. 
Dashwood,  and  the  Tom  Tit  invited  himself, — I  could 
not  refuse  him  without  being  rude. 

^  It  appears  that  about  tliis  time  Mrs.  Pendarves  had  a  house  or  apartments 
in  London  of  her  own,  though  she  was  continually  with  Lady  Stanley,  both  at 
Somerset  House  and  North  End. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  203 

Last  Sunday  I  went  to  St.  James's  Chapel.  After 
chapel  to  the  drawing-room  with  Lady  Carteret^  and 
her  two  daughters.  I  heard  a  gentle  voice  whisper  in 
my  ear,  "  How  does  Mrs.  Pendarves  do  ?"  I  turned  round 
and  soon  discovered  the  little  Imp :  he  seemed  shy,  I 
thought.  I  asked  him  when  he  had  heard  from  his  corre- 
spondent at  Gloster.  "Not a  great  while,"  he  said;  "not 
since  he  had  writ,  which  was  a  month  ago."  I  doubt  his 
letter  miscarried,  and  truly  that  is  a  pity. 

I  went  home  with  Lady  Carteret  from  the  drawing- 
room,  in  hopes  of  seeing  the  lovers  together,  but  my  Lord 
Dysart  *  went  that  morning  to  his  estate  in  the  country, 
and  does  not  return  till  next  Sunday.  Miss  Carteret  be- 
haves herself  very  well  in  the  affair,  and  looks  neither  grave 
nor  merry,  though  she  has  no  reason  to  be  displeased,  and 
I  believe  sixteen  is  more  transported  with  the  prospect  of 
such  an  affair,  than  after  they  have  attained  a  score  of 
years.  She  has  a  better  chance  of  being  happy,  than  , 
most  young  ladies  in  her  station,  because  her  father  and 
mother  are  so  indulgent  to  her  humour  that  (although 
they  have  as  much  ambition  as  most  people),  yet  they 
would  not  force  her  inclinations,  which  was  part  of 
the  answer  Miss  Carteret  made  my  Lord  Dysart,  when 
he  told  her,  that  "  notwithstanding  my  Lord  and  Lady 
Carteret's  goodness  to  him,  and  the  encouragement  they 
gave  him,  he  should  not  proceed  if  she  did  not  approve  of 


'  Lord  Carteret's  first  wife  was  Frances,  daughter  of  Sir  Robert  Worseley. 
She  died  at  Hanover,  June  9,  1743. 

2  Lionel,  3rd  Earl  of  Dysart,  married  July  22,  1729,  Grace,  eldest  daughter 
of  John,  Lord  Carteret,  afterwards  Earl  Granville.  She  was  the  mother  of  the 
4th  and  5th  Earls  of  Dysart,  and  of  three  other  sons,  who  served  their  country 
in  the  royal  navy.  The  eldest  of  her  two  daughters,  (Louisa,)  became  Counters 
of  Dysart  in  her  own  right,  March  iith,  1821. 


204  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

hiin^  Lord  Beaumont,  the  Duke  of  Eoxborough's  only 
son,  they  say,  is  to  be  married  to  the  Duke  of  Mon- 
tague's daughter,  Lady  Mary,  and  is  to  be  very  soon ;  thus 
matrimony,  you  see,  is  in  a  thriving  way,  and  so  let  it, 
may  all  happiness  attend  those  that  run  the  venture  ! 

Lord  and  Lady  Fitzwilliam,^  after  five-and- twenty 
years  of  tolerable  agreement,  are  going  to  be  divorced. 
I  think  if  I  could  live  five-and-twenty  years  with  a 
man,  T  could  live  five  hundred.  Nobody  knows  why 
they  part,  but  that  they  are  peevish  with  one  another ; 
'tis  monstrous  to  think,  with  so  many  children  all 
grown  up  to  be  men  and  women,  they  should  expose 
themselves  and  their  children  to  the  calumny  of  the 
world.  As  for  the  men,  the  world  is  apt  to  forget 
their  ill-conduct,  but  young  ladies,  whose  fate  depends 
a  good  deal  on  the  conduct  of  their  parents,  must 
suffer.  It  is  injustice,  but  it  is  the  common  way  of 
speaking ;  who  will  venture  on  the  daughter,  when  the 
mother  has  proved  such  a  wife  ?  Not  that  I  believe  my 
Lady  Fitzwilliam  is  wholly  to  blame :  he  is  a  peevish, 
splenetic  man,  and  provoking  in  his  temper.  Fine 
encouragement  this  to  wedlock.  Shall  I  devote  my  life, 
my  heart,  to  a  man,  that  after  all  my  painful  services 
will  be  glad  of  an  opportunity  to  quarrel  with  me? 
What  security  have  I,  more  than  my  neighbours,  to  de- 
fend me  from  this  fate  ?  I  am  frail,  my  temper  is  apt 
to  be  provoked,  and  liberty  of  speech  all  womankind 
has  thought  their  privilege,  and  hard  it  is  to  be  denied 

*  John,  2nd  Earl  Fitzwilliam  in  the  Irish  Peerage,  married  Ann,  daughter 
and  heiress  of  John  Stringer,  Esq  ,  of  Sutton-npon-IiOimd,  in  Nottinghamshire. 
She  died  in  1726,  and  lier  husband  in  1728.  William,  3rd  Irisli  and  1st 
English  Earl  Fitzwilliam,  was  their  son,  and  they  left  also  three  daughters. 
No  mention  is  made  by  Sir  E.  Bridges  or  by  Burke  of  any  divorce. 


OF  MRS.  DELANT.  205 

what  has  so  long  heen  allowed  our  prerogative;  the 
greatest  chance  for  avoiding  the  above-mentioned  mis- 
fortune, will  be  choosing  a  man  of  sense  and  judgment. 
But  there's  the  difficulty ;  moneyed  men  are  most  of 
them  covetous,  disagreeable  wretches ;  fine  men  with  titles 
and  estates,  are  coxcombs :  those  of  real  merit  are  seldom 
to  he  found  ;  I  believe  I  shall  never  finish  my  Sunday's 
progress. 

Sunday  at  that  period  was  considered  by  the  most  exemplary 
persons,  as  THE  day  for  innocent  recreation  after  the  performance 
of  religious  duties.  Queen  Charlotte  always  had  her  draw- 
ing lesson  on  Sunday,  as  also  the  princesses  her  daughters, 
because  it  was  considered  a  quiet  and  innocent  recreation. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  OranviUe. 

As  much  exalted  as  yourself. 
8th  April,  172^. 

The  first  step  towards  declaring  a  passion  for  a  lady 
is  admiring  any  of  her  little  animals ;  it  is  almost  an 
infallible  sign  of  attention  to  the  mistress  of  the  beast ; 
but  it  is  saucy,  impertinent,  unmannerly,  and  petty- 
fogger-like,  to  be  making  comparisons  that  are  odious, 
and  then  to  give  the  preference  to  other  folks  things  is 
monstrous  and  intolerable.  I  own  I  think  your  pussey 
has  charms,  but  if  you  believe  all  the  flatterers  that  buz 
about  you,  you'll  be  undone,  for  believe  me  there  is  no 
m/)re  comparison  between  your  cat  and  mine^  than 
between  a  Spanish  and  an  Irish  potatoe,  and  you  may 
come  and  look  if  you  won't  give  credit  to  my  words. 

I  am  determined  when  you  come  to  London  to  keep 
you  close  in  a  garret,  and  you  shall  neither  see  nor  be 


206  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

seen  by  any  but  such  as  is  fit  for  you  to  converse  w^itb, 
that  the  few  good  morals  you  have  may  not  be  corrupted. 
The  young  people  of  this  age  think  when  they  come  to 
town  they  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  take  their  pleasure ; 
your  business  is  of  a  very  different  kind,  it  is  to  give 
pleasure. 

I  have  not  said  anything  yet  to  my  Aunt  Stanley  of 
your  coming  to  town :  when  you  write  to  her  you  will 
mention  it  I  suppose,  but  I  am  again  alarmed  about  her. 
On  Sunday  morning  she  got  up  very  early  to  receive  the 
sacrament,  and  found  herself  so  much  better,  that  in  the 
afternoon  she  went  to  see  my  Uncle  Lansdown,  which 
was  venturing  too  much,  for  she  had  not  been  down 
stairs  above  six  weeks  or  two  months ;  and  yesterday 
she  was  ill  again  all  day. 

I  call'd  on  the  Peyton  family  ^  Sunday  in  the  after- 
noon, where  I  met  the  tribe  assembled.  I  went  in  the 
morning  to  Whitehall  Chapel  to  hear  Mr.  Williams,  He 
gave  us  a  fine  discourse  on  the  day:  he  preaches  very 
well,  his  doctrine  sound  and  plain,  his  words  well  chosen, 
he  expresses  a  great  deal  in  a  little  compass,  his  delivery 
distinct,  and  his  voice  clear :  he  seems  to  feel  what  he 
says,  for  which  reason  he  can't  fail  of  making  an  impres- 
sion on  the  minds  of  his  congregation. 

Why  will  you  abuse  the  poor  Tom  Tit  ?"  it  is  not  his 
fault  his  voice  does  not  equal  the  nightingale's,  or  his 
beauty  the  goldfinch,  and  though  he  has  but  one  note,  he 
shows  his  good-will  to  please  by  repeating  it  so  often ! 


^  The  Peytons  •were  allied  by  marriage  with  the  Granvilles.  Lady  Catherine 
Granville,  eldest  daughter  of  John  Granville,  1st  Earl  of  Bath,  and  to  whom 
he  bequeathed  all  his  Jewels  and  10,000/.,  was  married  to  Craven  Peyton, 
Esq.,  Warden  of  the  Mint.     She  died  without  issue. 

2  Sir  Thomas  Peyton. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  207 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  Oranvitte. 

Somerset  House,  19  April,  1729. 

I  yesterday  dined  at  my  Lady  Carteret *s,  went  to  Court, 
and  at  night  was  entertained  with  the  lovers.  Here  we  have 
all  complexions,  so  you  can't  fail  of  being  pleased  with  one 
among  the  number.  First  there's  Jamaica,  as  black  as  the 
pepper  belonging  to  the  country,  and  as  biting.  Then 
there  is  "  sweet  master  Harry  Monk,"'  an  excellent  repre- 
sentative of  Master  Slender  ;  he  would  be  well  enough  if 
it  was  not  for  his  ugly  face  and  awkward  person  ;  he  is 
good-natured  and  well-meaning,  but  another  sort  of  ani- 
mal to  his  cousin  who  is  married.  Then  there  is  my 
pert  lawyer  -^  but  he  does  not  deserve  to  be  amongst  the 
number  of  extraordinary' s ;  but  there  is  Mr.  E.  (abas 
Pamper)  with  his  Irish  fash  as  round  as  a  potatoe,  and 
with  a  sufficient  stock  of  Corinthian  mettle  to  denote 
the  "  nashion  "  he  belongs  to ;  he  will  make  doux  yeux, 
and  tell  you  all  the  histories  of  the  world;  he  has 
memory  enough  for  a  fool,  and  sense  enough  for  a  wise 
man,  but  an  unfortunate  manner  of  setting  forth  his 
talents,  and  is  a  compound  of  oddnesses. 

How  does  Phillis  ? 

Pray  speech  it  handsomely  for  me  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Grumey. 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  OranvUle. 

I  have  left  my  bed  betimes  this  morning,  on  purpose 
to  write  to  my  dearest  sister.  I  received  your  billet 
from  Oxford,  and  give  thanks  innumerable  for  it.  I  hope 


*  Henry  Stanley  Monk. 
2  Mr.  E.  Stanley. 


208  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDfiNCE 

you  have  worn  a  mask  in  your  journey  ;  these  easterly 
winds  are  bad  for  a  sound  complexion,  but  exceeding  bad 
for  one  that  has  been  battered  as  lately  as  yours  :^  but  I 
dream  of  you  fair  and  lovely,  so  that  I  cannot  form  an  idea 
of  you  otherwise  when  I  am  awake.  I  shall  be  impatient 
to  know  how  you  get  to  Brickhill.  I  hope  you  will  avoid 
all  waters.  Well  there  is  a  satisfaction  in  thinking  you  but 
forty  miles  from  me ;  I  can  know  to-morrow  what  you 
have  done  to-day,  there  is  a  pleasure  in  that,  but  when 
the  hour  comes  of  my  seeing  all  your  motions,  what  does 
my  heart  say  to  that  ?  why  it  beats  an  alarum  to  my  very 
throat,  and  proclaims  its  joy  aloud.  I  am  heartily  glad  to 
hear  my  mama  has  been  so  well  upon  the  road,  and  I  hope 
the  sweet  air  of  Brickhill  will  give  her  health  and  pleasure. 
My  Aunt  Stanley  continues  very  weak  and  low,  she 
did  not  get  out  of  her  bed  all  day  yesterday.  My 
Uncle  Lansdown  is  still  very  full  of  pain,  he  was 
blistered  yesterday,  and  was  something  better  in  the 
evening :  he  has  not  slept  this  week.  I  went  to  see 
him  Tuesday  in  the  afternoon  and  found  him  so  full  of 
pain  that  he  could  hardly  speak,  but  what  he  said  was 
kind  and  good ;  not  so  my  lady,  for  she  has  taken  it 
in  her  head  to  be  monstrous  rude  to  me, — I  sup- 
pose to  drive  me  from  my  uncle ;  but  that  it  shall  not 
do  as  long  as  he  is  pleased  with  me.  Poor  Lady  Sunder- 
land seems  in  a  very  bad  way,  and  I  am  extremely  con- 
cerned for  her — she  has  had  an  intermitting  fever,  and 
ever  since  Saturday.  She  is  seven  months  gone,  confined 
to  her  bed,  and  has  been  let  blood.  Bess  Tich.  has  been 
very  ill  of  a  fever  and  a  violent  humour  in  her  face  and 

*  These  remarks  probably  alluded  to  Ami  Granville's  recent  recovery  from 
measles  or  chicken  pox. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  209 

teeth,  and  is  confined  to  ber  bed.  It  is  doubly  unfortunate 
to  me  now  to  be  hindered  from  going  there  when  I  should 
be  of  some  use  and  comfort.  Mrs.  Hyde  is  not  yet  brought 
to  bed.  I  went  last  Sunday  again  to  Wliitehall  to  hear 
Mr.  Williams  preach ;  he  made  us  a  very  fine  discourse, 
well  suited  to  the  times,  and  did  not  spare  the  vices  of 
the  age,  but  spoke  with  that  authority  and  courage 
suitable  to  his  calling.  I  wished  all  the  rakes  in  town  had 
been  of  his  congregation,  for  I  think  none  could  be  so 
hardened  as  not  to  profit  by  his  sermon.  I  have  not 
seen  any  of  the  Peytons  since  that  day  at  church,  till 
yesterday  morning  that  Mrs.  Peyton  made  me  a  visit ;  all 
the  males  of  that  family  are  gone  out  of  town.  Mrs. 
Dashwood  junior  is  as  well  as  can  be  expected  consider- 
ing her  condition  ;  I  have  got  her  pincushion  to  stick 
for  her.^  Dr.  Colbourne,  an  old  very  rich  quack,  is 
married  to  my  Lady  Mary  Feilding,'  the  eldest  sister  to 
that  Lady  Fanny  so  much  talked  of  for  Lord  Finch. 
She  is  very  ugly  ;  he  went  one  morning  to  make  a 
visit,  and  found  Lady  Mary  weeping.  He  asked  her  what 
was  the  matter  ;  she  said  "  her  circumstances  were  so  bad, 
she  could  no  longer  live  in  town  but  must  retire  into  the 
country ;  she  was  not  anxious  about  leaving  London,  but 


1  "  Her  pincushion  to  stick  for  her"  This  alluded  to  the  pincushion 
prepared  for  the  nursing  toilette  of  Mrs.  Dashwood.  The  making  and  sticking 
a  pincushion  was  an  indispensable  accomplishment  of  the  last  century. 
A  very  beautiful  one  is  still  preserved  of  Mrs.  Delany's  making ;  and  for 
the  benefit  of  those  interested  in  such  arts,  a  description  is  subjoined.  It  is 
of  white  satin,  quilted  curiously,  the  iipper  and  under  side  being  in  different 
patterns,  independent  of  which  the  pins  were  stuck  to  represent  another 
design,  which  added  to  the  effect  of  the  quilting ;  the  whole  was  stuffed  with 
layers  of  flannel  laid  on  one  another,  and  stitched  together  to  form  an  exact 
square. 

^  The  Lady  ^lary  Fielding,  daughter  of  Basil,  4th  Earl  of  Denbigh,  married, 
April  15,  1729,  William  Cockburn,  M.D.     She  died  Oct.  1,  1732. 

VOL.  I.  P 


210  LIFE  AND  COKKESPONDENCE 

regretted  some  friends  she  must  leave  behind."  He  said, 
"  Madam,  may  I  hope  I  am  one  of  those  ?"  "  Certainly," 
says  she,  "  doctor,  for  you  have  always  shewed  us  great 
friendship."  *'  Then,  madam,  (says  he,)  if  an  old^man  and 
fifty  thousand  pound  can  be  acceptable  to  you,  you  may  put 
off  your  journey  whenever  you  please."  She  did  not  long 
I  demur,  and  after  ten  days'  courtship  they  were  married. 
Nobody  blames  the  lady  :  the  man  is  called  "  an  old  fool." 

I  have  not  yet  seen  my  Lord  Dysart  and  Miss  Carteret ; 
he  is  very  assidious,  and  every  day  more  enamoured.  I 
design,  if  my  Aunt  Stanley  is  pretty  well,  to  dine  with 
my  Lady  Carteret  to-morrow.  I  often  make  your  com- 
pliments to  her,  for  she  never  fails  enquiring  after  you, 
and  is  in  great  care  about  your  complexion,  which  she 
says  with  justice  was  too  good  to  he  spoiled.  Having 
been  so  strict  a  nurse-keeper,  I  think  I  have  sent  you 
a  great  deal  of  tittle  tattle. 

There  is  to  be  a  masquerade  this  day  se'night,  and  the 
"Wednesday  following  a  ball,  at  the  Duchess  of  Norfolk's. 
I  have  promised  Mrs.  Peyton  to  go  with  her  to  the  ball, 
and  if  anybody  presents  me  with  a  ticket  I  will  go  to  the 
masquerade — not  else.  I  sent  a  little  box  last  night  to 
the  carrier  with  a  set  of  china  as  my  mama  ordered  me : 
I  hope  they  will  come  safely,  I  gave  great  charge  about 
packing  them  carefully.  China  is  risen  mightily  within 
this  month.  My  Aunt  Stanley  liked  them  so  well  for  the 
oddness  of  them,  that  she  bought  a  set  of  cups,  saucers, 
bason,  sugar-dish  and  plate  cost  fourteen  shillings.  I  shall 
take  it  mortally  ill  if  you  disappoint  me ;  I  dare  say  it  will 
be  your  own  fault  if  you  do,  for  I  am  sure  my  mama  is  so 
good  that  she  will  permit  you;  but  when  you  are  de- 
termined to  give  me  the  trouble  of  your  company  let  me 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  211 

know  beforehand,  because  I  will  meet  you  a  mile  or  two 
out  of  town,  and  I  will  also  send  John  down  to  wait  on 
you  up.  I  won't  favour  you  with  many  more  of  my  words 
at  this  present  writing,  only  to  desire  you  will  present  my 
most  humble  duty  to  my  dear  mama,  and  service  to  my 
cousins  ;  pray  muster  up  my  books  that  they  have  got 
among  them,  and  let  me  have  tbem,  if  they  have  done  with 
them  ;  there  is  Homer's  Iliad  and  the  Belle  Assemblee,  I 
don't  remember  if  they  have  any  others  of  mine.    I  am, 

Most  affectionately  and  constantly 
Thine,  my  dearest  Anna. 

If  there  is  anything  that  I  have  omitted,  I  beg  I  may 
be  excused,  for  I  have  been  so  much  hurried  by  my  Lad}'- 
Stanley's  illness,  that  I  have  hardly  been  able  to  think 
of  anything  else. 

Penelope. 

An  interval  here  occurs  in  the  correspondence  of  four  months. 
The  above  letter  appears  to  have  been  written  after  the  15th 
April,  1729,  and  before  22nd  July  of  the  same  year  as  proved  by 
the  dates  of  the  marriages  alluded  to — viz. — that  of  Lady  Mary 
Fielding  to  Dr.  Cockburn,  and  that  of  Lord  Dysart  which  took 
place  at  the  date  last  named.  The  visit  of  Ann  Granville  to  her 
sister,  probably  occasioued  this  hiatus. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  Granville. 

23  August,  1729. 

Nor  Court  nor  Greenwich  have  I  been  at,  for  the  lady 
I  have  to  deal  with,  not  knowing  her  own  mind  long 
together,  disappointed  me  of  the  first  intention,  and  Sir 
Robert  Sutton's  coming  home  mal-a-propos,  has  deferred 
the  other.  I  am  more  diverted  ^^-ith  the  account  of  your 
comrades  as  yoti  described  them,  than  I  doubt  you  are. 

p  2 


212  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

I  will  get  the  worsteds  as  soon  as  I  come  from  Northend. 
I  have  found  the  prints  among  those  of  the  Passions,  and 
will  send  them  to  you  with  the  worsted,  which  I  suppose 
must  be  to  Gloucester,  for  I  suppose  your  day  for  leaving 
Brickhill  is  the  2nd  of  September.  I  was  yesterday 
at  Lady  Sunderland's,  and  supped  there.  Lady  Sun.  is 
very  busy  about  japanning :  I  will  perfect  myself  in  the 
art  against  I  make  you  a  visit,  and  bring  materials  with 
me.  I  would  advise  you  not  to  buy  Congreve's  life  ;  only 
hire  it,  for  it  is  very  indifferently  done.  Yesterday  the 
Black  Knight  ^  dined  at  Somerset  House  gay  and  debon- 
naire,  and  fuU  of  his  odd  sentences. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  OranvUle. 

Somerset  House,  9  Sept.  1729. 

I  have  now  before  me  two  letters  of  my  dearest 
sister's  to  answer.  I  was  hurried  away  last  post,  or  you 
should  sooner  have  had  my  thanks  for  that  which  I 
received  from  Oxford.  I  hope  the  sights  you  saw  there 
made  you  amends  for  the  disappointment  you  met  with 
in  the  journey,  and  that  my  mama  was  able  to  partake  of 
them  with  you.  I  think  Oxford  a  charming  place,  and 
hope  some  time  or  other  to  be  able  to  see  it  at  leisure 
with  you,  for  I  never  was  there  but  in  a  hurry,  and 
hardly  remember  anything  I  saw,  except  the  Divells's  ^ 
hand  writing  at  Queen's  College  Library.  It  was  lucky 
you  met  with  Mr.  Merchant,  he  is  an  agreeable  man. 
That  put's  me  in  mind  of  Grreenwich.  I  have  not  taken  the 
journey  with  Lady  Sun. ;  her  husband  must  be  coming  to 

'  Sir  Anthony  Westcomb. 

'  Thus  pronounced  at  that  period. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  213 

town  mal-a-propos,  and  now  is  hurrying  her  off  to  the 
Bath.  I  doubt  I  shall  not  be  able  to  get  the  surfeit  water, 
for  my  Aunt  Stanley  slipped  her  opportunity  this  year  of 
making  it,  but  if  she  has  any  I  am  sure  it  mil  be  very 
much  at  her  service.  I  left  her  yesterday  at  Northend 
pretty  well,  she  comes  to  town  to-night;  the  cause 
of  my  coming  before  her,  was  that  I  had  promised  Lady 
Sunderland  to  go  to  the  South  house  with  her  this 
morning. 

We  had  not  been  at  Northend  an  hour  last  Saturday, 
when  a  messenger  arrived  to  let  my  Lady  Stanley  know 
that  the  Queen  would  be  at  Somerset  House  on  Monday 
by  nine  o'  the  clock,  and  she  must  be  ready  there  attend- 
ing in  her  office.  She  not  being  able  to  bear  the  fatigue 
of  it,  sent  her  humble  servant  Sir  John  to  the  business  for 
her;  whatpassedbetweenhimandher  Majesty  I  cannot  tell 
you.  I  had  a  letter  from  Miss  Carteret  with  the  enclosed 
copy  of  verses,  that  I  suppose  were  addressed  to  my  Lord 
Carteret.  The  Percivals  ^  lament  your  absence  extremely, 
and  I  love  them  for  it.  Mrs.  Clayton  ^  will  soon  go  into 
Ireland  with  her  husband,  who  is  to  be  preferred  to  a 
deanery  there  ;  I  shall  be  sorry  to  lose  her  acquaintance, 
for  they  are  all  agreeable  people.  Everybody  is  mad 
about  japan  work ;  I  hope  to  be  a  dab  at  it  by  the  time 
I  see  you.  I  must  write  to  Mrs.  Basset,  who  has  not  yet 
had  the  conscience  to  order  my  money  to  be  paid. 


^  Philip  Percival — son  of  Sir  John  Pereival,  the  3rd  Baronet,  and  brother  of 
John,  5th  Baronet,  who  was  created  Earl  of  Egmont — went  to  Ireland  at  an 
early  age,  and  sat  in  the  Irish  Parliament,  1713.  He  married,  June  12,  1712, 
Martha,  daughter  of  Christopher  Usher,  of  Dublin,  Esq.,  and  widow  of 
Nehemiah  Donellan,  Esq.,  Lord  Chief  Baron  of  the  Exchequer  in  Ireland  ; 
by  this  lady  he  had  a  son,  Philip,  who  died  an  infant.  Mr.  Percival  died  in 
London,  April  26,  1748. 

'  Mrs.  Clayton  (born  Donnellan).  Dr.  Clayton  was  afterwards  the  Bishop 
of  Killala,  and  finally  Bishop  of  Clogher. 


214  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  Oranville. 

From  my  own  apartment, 
16  Sept.  1729,  ten  o'clock  at  night. 

I  am  more  convinced  now  of  the  sympathy  between 
friends  than  ever  I  was  in  my  life,  and  that  in  a  most 
agreeable  manner ;  for  my  spirits  have  danced  for  this 
week  past,  and  I  could  give  no  reason  for  it  till  I  received 
yours,  where  I  found  they  had  been  very  much  enter- 
tained (for  they  never  forsake  you) ;  the}^  took  a  jaunt  to 
Oakly  Wood,  met  cavaliers,  stormed  castles,  in  short  did 
as  many  mad  things  as  Nancy  and  Piggy  were  capable 
of ;  but  nothing  satisfies  them  so  well  as  their  journey 
to  the  Bath,  where  they  design  to  regale  themselves  with 
every  good  thing  that  can  be  had  in  the  best  company  ! 

I  received  your  letters  last  night ;  my  Aunt  Stanley 
had  been  very  ill  all  day,  and  was  so  low-spirited  that  I 
was  afraid  of  showing  your  letter  lest  she  should  dis- 
approve ;  but  she  asked  me  so  many  questions  about 
you  (for  indeed  she  is  always  very  kind  in  her  enquiries), 
that  I  at  last  ventured  to  tell  her  where  you>  were  ;  and 
she  was  so  far  from  disapproving,  that  she  is  very  much 
pleased  at  your  going  to  the  Bath,  under  the  convoy  of 
Mrs.  Lumley,^  whom  she  has  an  extremely  good  opinion 
of.  She  gives  her  service  to  you,  and  charges  you  to  put 
on  all  your  best  airs  and  graces,  and  desires  Mrs.  Lumley 
(to  whom  she  sends  her  compliments),  that  she  wiU  not 
teach  you  to  be  cruel,  as  she  is  to  all  that  profess  them- 
selves her  humble  servants. 
^^^  Your  white  satin  came  home  last  week,  and  is  pro- 


i  "Mrs.  Lumley"  probably  Ann,  daughter  of  Sir  William  Wiseman,  of 
Cranflield  House,  Essex,  and  widow  of  general  the  Honourable  Henry  Lumley. 
He  died  in  1722  ;  she  died  March  4,  1737. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  215 

digiously  pretty.  I  have  sent  it  to  be  made,  and  shall 
send  it  to  the  Bath  this  week.  I  shall  send  at  the  same 
time  my  Brussels  night-clothes,  which  I  desire  you  will 
wear,  and  tear  if  you  please,  as  long  as  you  flaunt  it  at 
the  Bath. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  OranvlUe. 

Somerset  House,  9  Oct.  1729. 

Two  posts  have  I  been  without  writing  to  my  dearest 
Anna ;  but  faith  and  troth,  I  was  not  able  to  help  it, 
for  I  have  been  so  hurried  about  from  London  to  North- 
end,  I  had  not  a  moment.  On  Saturday  we  went  to  that 
delightful  ViUa,^  where  I  did  not  much  enjoy  myself, 
for  it  rained  all  the  time,  and  my  aunt  was  in  great  pain, 
which  frightens  me  extremely.  My  brother  Bevil  is  as 
well  as  he  can  be.  I  suppose  you  may  have  had  a  letter 
from  liim  by  this  time,  for  he  said  he  would  write.  I 
wiU  take  care  of  yours  to  him ;  but,  by  the  by,  I  must 
tell  you  that  your  members  are  insufficient,  and  good  for 


^  In  the  year  1718  Hicks  Borough  surrendered  a  messuage  at  North  End, 
called  Browne's  House,  which  had  formerly  been  Lord  Griffin's,  to  Sir  John 
Stanley,  Bart.,  from  whom  it  passed,  anno  1735,  to  his  nephew,  William 
Monck,  Esq.  It  was  afterwards  the  property  of  Francis,  Earl  Brooke,  who 
aliened  it  to  the  late  Marquis  of  Downshire.  It  was  purchased  in  the  year 
1761  by  the  late  Sir  Gilbert  Heathcote,  who  expended  great  sums  of  money  in 
embellishing  and  improving  the  gardens,  and  made  it  one  of  the  most  delight- 
ful retreats  in  the  vicinity  of  London.  The  plan  and  disposition  of  the  grounds 
excited  universal  admiration.  Sir  Gilbert  Heathcote  died  in  November  1785. 
The  Dowager  Lady  Heathcote  (daughter  of  Robert  Hudson,  Esq.,)  continued 
to  reside  here  till  the  year  1796,  when  the  present  baronet  sold  the  estate  for 
11,000?.  The  house  has  since  been  pulled  down,  and  the  gardens  converted 
into  brickfields!  The  road  adjoining  these  premises  has  been  very  much 
raised,  as  appears  by  an  ancient  wall,  the  top  of  which  is  not  more  than 
eighteen  inches  above  it.^— Faulkner's  Account  of  Fulham,  published  in  1813. 


216  LIFE  AND  COKKESPONDENOE 

nothing  ;  they  do  their  business  but  sorrily,^  and  /  have 
paid  for  their  want  of  ability.  I  don't  do  this  by  way  of 
complaint,  or  that  I  grudge  my  pence,  but  to  give  you 
friendly  advice,  and  desire,  when  you  have  anything  to 
be  done,  that  you  will  provide  yourself  with  abler  tools. 
I  am  delighted  with  your  variety  of  entertainments.  I 
suppose  you  are  returned  by  this  time  to  the  boihng 
springs  where  cripples  wade. 

Yesterday  I  spent  very  agreeably  with  the  Percivals. 
Mrs.  Clayton  called  on  me  in  the  morning,  and  we  walked 
in  the  park.  It  was  very  fine,  and  brought  to  my  remem- 
brance the  happy  hours  I  have  spent  in  that  dear  place  : 
a  chain  of  thoughts  brings  the  Basilisk"  into  my  mind  ; 
but  alas  !  his  idea  is  not  the  once  sprightly  youthfull  peer, 
but  faint  and  sickly,  just  recovered  from  a  fit  of  illness 
that  has  almost  cost  him  his  life,  and  has  detained  him 
a  month  longer  on  the  other  side  of  the  water.  His 
sister^  has  sympathized  with  him,  and  been  very  ill  of  a 
fever,  I  must  make  some  further  enquiry  about  her, 
poor  thing. 

I  have  this  morning  bought  me  a  scarlet  damask 
manteau  and  petticoat,  and  a  gold-colour  tabby  night- 
gown. When  you  are  re-settled  at  your  dwelling  in 
Gloucester,  I  hope  Piggy  will  have  so  much  regard  for 
her  friends  in  London,  as  to  grant  them  a  view  of  her 
sweet  person.  Mrs.  Bellenden  came  to  town  last  night, 
but  goes  away  again  to-morrow,  and  is  to  stay  in  the 

*  This  remark  alluded  to  the  had  writing  on  the  frauks,  which  at  that 
time  only  required  the  signature  of  the  memhers,  who  it  ajjpears  often  signed 
their  names  so  illegibly  that  they  were  not  recognized  at  the  Post-Office,  and 
the  letters  were  consequently  charged. 

*  Lord  Baltimore. 
'  Mrs.  Hyde. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  217 

country  with  Lady  Thanet  ^  till  February ;  she  makes 
great  enquiries  after  "  Eyebrows  J'  but  I  know  nothing 
since  I  saw  him.  Did  you  tell  me  that  Ha  Ha  made 
the  verses  of  Moninia  to  Lothario  ?  They  were  printed 
a  great  while  ago,  and  another  author  named  for  them, 
but  I  don't  know  who. 


Mm.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  OranvUle. 

18  November,  1729. 

I  have  but  a  moment's  time  to  thank  my  dearest  sister 
for  her  letter,  which  gave  me  more  pleasure  than  the 
Court  I  had  just  left.  Mrs.  Clayton  had  a  mind  to  go 
and  I  could  not  refuse  her,  though  I  had  been  at  the 
drawing-room  the  Friday  before. 

Yesterday  I  dined  at  Lord ,  my  Lord dined 

there  also.  Conversation  did  not  run  high,  everyone's 
passions  seemed  to  be  in  agitation,  but  your  humble 
servant.  I  had  calmness  enough  to  make  remarks,  and 
if  I  can  judge  by  countenance  what  passes  in  the  heart 
no  one  was  satisfied  at  the  table.  The  most  agreeable  of 
the  company  solicited  for  a  regard  that  was  alone  his 
due,  but  what  he  could  not  obtain.'^  The  other  shewed 
the  indifference  of  a  disgusted  lover ;  and  the  lady  played 
her  part  not  so  cunningly  as  such  a  woman  generally 
does ;  a  fourth  person  has  but  an  iU  time  of  it  in  such 
company. 

Lady  A who  has  all  her  life  acted  like  a  fool,  has 

*  Sackvile,  Earl  of  Thanet,  married  on  the  11th  of  June,  1722,  to  the 
Lady  Mary  Savill,  youngest  of  the  two  daughters,  and  coheirs  of  William, 
Marquis  of  Halifax,  by  whom  he  had — 1.  John,  who  died  1734.  2.  Sackvile, 
born  in  August  1733.  3.  Mary,  bom  in  1723.  4.  Charlotte,  bom  in  1728. 
The  Countess  died  July  30,  1751. 

*  This  remark  probably  alluded  to  Lord  Lansdown. 


^18  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

now  been  publicly  exposed  by  her  monstrous  conduct. 
Sure  the  women  were  never  so  audacious  as  they  are 
now ;  this  may  well  be  called  the  brazen  age.  The  purity 
and  innocence  that  reigns  in  the  country  will  make  you 
stare  at  these  pranks,  but  they  pass  for  nothing  in 
London. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville. 

20tli  Novr.,  1729. 

Thank  God  I  have  escaped  better  than  my  neighbours, 
I  had  a  common  cold,  but  a  day's  nursing  set  me  to  rights 
again.  I  gave  you  an  account  in  general  of  my  going  to 
Court,  but  did  not  tell  you  that  the  King  asked  me  where 
I  had  been  all  the  summer,  and  how  I  passed  my  time  in 
the  country  ?  and  the  Prince  told  me  I  did  not  look  as  if  I 
had  had  an  illness.  The  Princess  Caroline  ^  asked  me  when 
I  heard  from  Lady  Carteret,  but  she  mumbled  so  that  I 
did  not  know  what  she  said,  and  at  a  venture  answered. 
No ;  and  when  I  recollected  what  she  said  to  me  I  was 
not  a  little  confounded  at  my  nonsense. 

In  sober  sadness  I  must  inform  you  of  the  departure  of 
poor  Bas. ;  ^  the  last  letters  that  came  from  Italy  said  that 
he  was  then  dangerously  ill  of  a  fever  that  had  reduced 
him  so  much,  that  should  he  recover  the  fever  it  was  not 
possible  for  him  to  live  long.  I  am  really  sorry ;  he  was 
a  good-natured  generous  brother,  and  liis  successor  will 
fall  short  of  him  every  way  :  this  is  actual  truth,  would 
it  were  not ! 

I  dined  at  Lord  Lansdowne's  on  Monday,  and  left  my 

^  Elizabeth  Caroline,  3rd  daughter  of  George  II.  and  Queen  Caroline ;  was 
born  May  1713,  died  unmarried  December  28,  1757. 
^  Lord  Baltimore. 


OF  MBS.  DELANY.  219 

Lady  at  quadrille.  The  party  was  her  Ladyship,  Mrs. 
Piilteney,  Lord  Romney,^  and  Lord  Hervey,  who  is  quite 
recovered  and  looks  better  than  ever  I  saw  him.  They 
talked  of  Captain  Hervey' s  ^  going  to  be  married  to  a  rich 
brewer's  daughter  of  Bristol,  and  that  Tom  was  gone 
down  to  the  wedding.  I  have  not  seen  the  Percivals  a 
great  while.  I  am  reaUy  of  opinion  that  if  people  passed 
more  of  their  lives  in  the  country,  poetry  would  not  be  at 
so  low  an  ebb,  for  I  am  sure  neither  London  nor  the  way 
of  living  in  it,  \\ill  give  any  opportunity  for  the  muses  to 
show  their  talents  :  cards  are  the  only  diversion,  and  the 
few  men  of  taste  that  we  have,  are  so  devoted  to  Spadille, 
that  ApoUo  is  quite  neglected;  nay  I  think  the  Matadores 
even  rival  Bacchus,  and  that  is  the  only  merit  they  have. 

Except  Mrs.  Percival's  and  Lady  Sunderland's  I  don't 
know  a  reasonable  fireside  in  all  this  city.  Yester- 
day I  had  the  pleasure  of  spending  some  hours  alone 
with  her,  you  were  the  subject  of  our  discourse.  Thou 
tirt  a  vain  girl ;  you  desire  to  know  what  is  said  of  you, 
and  you  know  well  enough  it  cannot  be  to  your  disad- 
vantage ;  but  for  once  I  will  teU  you  truly  what  was  said 
concerning  you,  which  was  that  you  behaved  yourself 
very  well,  and  were  very  much  liked  by  everybody,  and 
though  there  were  some  that  were  envious  at  the  devo- 
tion paid  you  by  master  Jackey,^  yet  nobody  spoke 
spitefuUy  of  you. 

I  design  to  go  to  my  Lady  Guise's  assemblies  if  she 

>  Robert,  2nd  Baron  Eomney. 

2  Captain  Hervey  must  have  been  one  of  the  eleven  sons  of  John  Hervey,  1st 
Earl  of  Bristol,  by  his  second  \rife,  Elizabeth,  only  daughter  and  heir  of  Six 
Thomas  Nelton,  of  Playford,  Bart.,  Suffolk. 

^  "  Master  Jacky  "  was  probably  John,  the  only  son  of  Sir  John  Guise, 
Bart.,  M.P.  for  the  county  of  Gloucester,  by  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Sir 
Nathaniel  Napier,  Bart.,  of  Critchell. 


220  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

has  any,  and  I  will  make  an  acquaintance  with  the  little 
thing.  Should  he  come  to  Gloucester  don't  give  yourself 
shy  airs  ;  I  don't  believe  he  is  a  person  of  that  punctilio 
to  like  a  woman  better  for  being  upon  such  great  reserve ; 
the  Countess  gives  him  a  character  that  is  no  way 
despicable.  I  hope  I  shall  be  able  to  send  the  box  by 
Saturday's  carrier  with  Mrs.  Greville's  gown  which  I 
sent  to  the  man  as  soon  as  I  received  it,  and  shall  to-day 
get  the  screen  and  the  buckles. 

Gauze  heads  are  now  the  top  mode  :  I  will  send  you 
one  exactly  in  the  fashion  and  charge  you  to  wear  it 
without  any  alterations.  You  will  think  it  strange  coarse 
stuff,  but  it  is  as  good  as  the  Queen's,  and  sure  that's 
good  enough  for  you. 

My  Lady  Sunderland  told  me  the  other  day  without 
my  asking  her,  that  she  would  speak  to  my  Lord  Sun- 
derland and  make  him  promise  her  the  reversion  of 
Altrope  living  for  my  brother  Bevil,  which  is  a  very 
good  one,  a  fine  house  for  him  to  live  in,  and  the  advan- 
tage of  a  patron  that  will  have  it  in  his  power  to  pro- 
mote him  :  it  was  very  kind  and  obliging.  Sir  Charles 
Dalton^  is  not  in  town.  I  had  a  letter  from  Mrs.  Dash- 
wood  about  a  week  ago.  The  Tom  Tit  has  been  very  ill, 
but  is  chirping  again.  Mrs.  Peyton  made  a  conquest  at 
Tunbridge  that  was  at  first  thought  worthy  of  her  ac- 
ceptance, but  it  has  proved  otherwise. 


*  "  Charles  Dalton,  Esq.,  Senior  Gentleman  Usher  and  Daily  Waiter  to  His 
Majesty,  appointed  Gentleman  Usher  of  the  Black  Rod,  in  the  room  of  Sir 
William  Saunderson,  Kt.  and  Bart.,  who  died  17th  May,  1727.  His  Majesty 
conferred  the  honour  of  knighthood  on  the  said  Charles  Dalton,  Esq." 


OF  MRS.  DELANT.  '  221 

Lord  Lansdowne  to  Mrs.  Pendarves. 

Nov.  21,  1729. 

My  Dear  Niece, 

I  am  to  thank  you  for  the  favour  of  your  letter 
of  October  26,  your  style.  You  have  no  occasion  to 
have  recourse  to  the  diversions  of  the  town  to  make 
your  letters  entertaining.  The  dulness  of  the  place  can 
have  no  influence  over  you,  who  have  a  fund  of  your 
own,  which  stands  in  need  of  no  supply  from  any  other 
quarter. 

I  hope  your  brother  will  find  his  account  by  the 
journey  he  has  taken ;  he  is  at  least  in  the  road  of  pre- 
ferment.    I  wish  I  could  say  the  same  of  poor  Bevil. 

Tlie  opening  of  the  Parliament  will  fill  your  town,  and 
revive  all  your  pleasures.  I  am  told  there  are  arrived 
here  lately  two  Roman  ladies  who  equal  Cuzzoni  in 
their  voices,  and  surpass  all  the  world  in  their  beauty. 
There  is  an  Italian  concert  established  here  by  subscrip- 
tion, for  those  of  this  country  who  have  that  taste :  the 
performance  is  twice  a  week.  None  are  permitted  to 
enter  but  subscribers ;  I  can  therefore  say  nothing  of  it 
from  my  own  knowledge  ;  only  by  hearsay  I  learn  they 
have  made  their  appearance  with  great  applause.  I  am 
as  much  a  stranger  to  the  pleasures  of  this  town,  as  if  I 
was  in  another  country.  I  have  a  httle  gallery  which 
opens  upon  a  garden,  which  furnishes  me  with  air  and 
exercise  without  going  abroad  to  seek  it ;  a  few  books  to 
employ  serious  hours,  and  my  children  for  play-fellows 
at  idle  ones.  It  is  thus,  my  dear  niece,  that  I  saunter 
away  life  in  a  philosophical  way,  abstracted  from  all 
those  vain  pursuits  in  which  the  generaHty  of  mankind 
lose  so  much  time. 


222  LIFE  AND  COREESPONDENCE 

I  thank  you  for  telling  me  Lady  Lansdowne  is  in 
such  good  health  and  in  such  beauty  ;  but  pray  tell  me, 
is  it  not  a  hard  case  that  she  should  be  so  well  and  so 
handsome,  and  the  sea  between  us  ?  Notwithstanding 
what  you  write  about  my  sister  Stanley,  that  she  has 
not  had  her  health  so  well  a  great  while,  you  must 
pardon  me  if  I  am  not  satisfied ;  I  have  written  several 
letters  to  her  which  I  am  sure  she  would  have  answered 
if  she  had  been  well.  Her  kindness  I  can  never  doubt, 
and  therefore  there  must  be  something  more  in  her 
silence  than  I  am  permitted  to  know ;  this  reflexion 
gives  me  many  uneasy  moments. 

I  was  told  here  two  months  ago  that  Sir  John  had 
left  Scotland,"  he  must  then  have  been  returned  long 
since.  Having  filled  four  sides  it  would  be  unreasonable 
to  begin  another.  I  conclude  with  assuring  you,  my 
dear  niece,  that  I  am,  most  sincerely, 

Y"^  most  affectionate 

Uncle  and  faithful  serv*' 

Lansdowne. 


The  remark  of  Lord  Lansdown,  '*  I  hope  your  brother  will 
find  his  account  by  the  journey  he  has  taken,"  probably  alludes 
to  an  attachment  of  Bernard  Granville's,  Mrs.  Pendarves's  elder 
brother,  ("  Bunny.")  There  is  a  family  tradition  that  a  dis- 
appointment in  love,  caused  his  total  desertion  of  Cornwall,  where 
so  much  time  was  spent  in  his  early  years,  to  which  part  of 
Great  Britain  his  uncle,  Lord  Lansdown,  was  so  much  attached, 
and  to  which  all  his  father's  family  belonged.  On  becoming  his 
own  master,  he  purchased  the  estate  of  Calwich  Abbey  in  Staf- 
fordshire, where  he  lived  and  died  unmarried.  This  estate  was 
sold  in  this  century  by  his  great  nephew  and  heir,  (the  grandson 
of  Ann  Granville,)  to  the  Honourable  and  Rev.  F.  Duncombe, 


OP  MRS.  DELANY.  223 

Dean  of  York.  The  house  has  been  since  razed  to  the  ground, 
and  another  built  in  another  situation.  The  former  house  con- 
tained the  fine  pictures  belonging  to  Sir  Martin  Westcomb,  as 
well  as  his  library  and  valuable  collection  of  drawings  by  the  old 
masters;  and  also  Mr.  Granville's  37  MS.  vols,  of  Handel's 
music,  copied  under  the  personal  superintendence  of  that  gi-eat 
master  for  Mr.  Granville,  who  was  both  his  patron  and  friend. 


Mrs.  Pendarvea  to  Mrs.  Anne  Granville. 

I  am  pleased  that  you  took  so  mucli  notice  of  Miss 
Usher.  Last  Saturday  morning  I  went  with  Mrs.  Don- 
nellan  to  hear  a  rehearsal  of  church  music  composed  by 
Mr.  Green — a  Te  Deum  and  an  anthem  ;  they  were  both 
very  good.  I  engaged  her  to  come  home  and  dine  with 
me,  and  I  gave  her  boiled  chick,  roast  mutton,  and 
apricot  tart.  She  has  a  sensible  soul,  and  has  had  a  friend 
she  doated  on  as  we  do  on  each  other ;  she  spoke  so  sen- 
sibly and  movingly  of  her  that  it  touched  me  prodigiously. 
It  was  an  elder  sister  of  Miss  Usher's,  adorned  with 
uncommon  accomplishments  of  mind  and  body ;  she 
married  greatly,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  most  splendid, 
gay,  and  happy  life,  was  seized  with  a  consumption  that 
hurried  her  from  what  she  enjoj^ed  here,  in  all  likelihood 
to  an  uninterrupted  happy  state.  They  were  exactly  of 
an  age,  and  brought  up  together ;  I  pitied  her  prodigi- 
ously, and  it  gave  a  serious  turn  to  our  discourse. 
I  could  not  help  indulging  her  in  that  way,  because  I 
am  sure,  under  the  same  unhappy  circumstances,  I  should 
have  liked  it. 

In  the  afternoon,  Mrs.  Percival  and  Mrs.  Clayton  came 
and  drank  tea  with  me,  and  stayed  till  ten  o'clock.  Yester- 
day I  dined  at  my  Lord  Lansdowne's,  where  my  mama 


224  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

and  you  were  kindly  enquired  after,  and  your  health 
drank.  My  Lord  and  My  Lady  have  both  very  bad  colds ; 
the  young  ladies  are  at  Old  Windsor  ;  no  news  yet  of  Mr- 
Graham  ;  the  men  are  odd  fantastic  things.  At  night, 
when  T  returned,  I  was  kindly  met  by  your  letter. 

I  was  not  at  the  Cour,  therefore  cannot  be  very  par- 
ticular in  my  account  of  the  Birthday,  there  was  very 
little  finery  and  many  old  clothes.  The  only  particular 
lady  was  the  Duchess  of  Eichmond,^  who  is  just  re- 
turned from  Paris.  She  was  quite  in  the  French  mode, 
her  clothes  very  fine  and  handsome — silver  tissue  ground 
and  velvet  flowers ;  her  head  was  yellow  gauze,  and 
her  lappets  tied  with  pufis  of  scarlet  ribbon,  about  two 
inches  distance.  With  difficulty  they  made  up  a  set  of 
seven  couple  for  country  dances.  My  cold  was  then  so 
troublesome,  I  would  not  venture  for  fear  of  increasing 
it,  but  now  I  am  very  well  again.  Amidst  all  the  in- 
creases that  matrimony  may  produce  us,  if  ever  we 
condescend  to  that  state,  we  shall  have  no  increase  of 
happiness,  that  I  verily  believe ;  for  in  every  state  of  life 
we  have  a  share  of  sorrows  in  proportion  to  the  pleasures 
dealt  to  us.  I  am  not  of  the  vulgar  notion  that  fortune  is 
so  very  partial.  In  general,  if  we  are  afflicted  with  pains 
of  the  body,  there  is  then  a  double  portion  of  fortitude  in 
the  mind  to  support  it — unless  people  have  an  evil  con- 
science, the  misery  of  that  there  is  not  any  salve  for ; 
and  I  believe  the  afflicted  always  have  some  consola- 
tion in  their  severest  trials  ;  and  as  on  the  other  hand, 
all  pleasures  have  a  drawback  in  the  main  (be  our  lot 
what  it  will)  our  state  of  happiness  will  be  much  the 

1  Charles,  2nd  duke,  married  December  4,  1719,  Sarah,  eldest  daughter 
and  co-heir  of  William,  Earl  Cadogan.    She  died  in  1751. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  225 

same.  I  am  sorry  your  ladies  should  tiff  anything  but 
their  hair;  I  am  in  confusion  when  I  think  of  the 
Unities/  but  I  protest  I  have  not  time  to  write,  as  you 
may  see.  But  to  be  serious ;  by  the  time  I  have  finished 
this  epistle,  you  may  guess  it  will  be  time  for  me  to  dress, 
that  am  to  dine  at  Somerset  House.  You  are  a  naughty 
girl  for  not  sending  the  book  to  SaUy ;  pray  has  she  got 
her  silk  ?  Adieu  for  this  time,  without  any  rhyme ; 
Heyday  !  I  think  my  pen  and  ink  wiU  make  me  a  poet, 
and  not  let  me  know  it.  I  forgot  to  say  my  cat  has 
four  kits. 

I  am,  my  dearest  sister,  yours,  most  affectionately, 

M.  Pendarves. 

The  Usher  family  here  alluded  to  were  settled  in  Ireland  for 
many  centuries  :  they  appfer  to  have  been  a  branch  of  the  Neville 
family.  Many  of  them  held  the  highest  offices  in  the  city  of 
Dublin  for  several  generations  previous  to  the  birth  of  Archbishop 
Usher  who  subsequently  rendered  their  name  illustrious,  and 
whose  father,  Arnold  Usher,  one  of  the  six  clerks  of  the  Irish 
chancery,  was  a  man  of  remarkable  learning  and  ability.  His 
mother  was  Margaret,  daughter  of  James  Stanihurst,  speaker  of 
the  Irish  House  of  Commons.  James  Usher  was  bom  in  the 
city  of  Dublin  in  1580,  and  educated  at  Trinity  College.  He 
took  holy  orders  in  1601,  and  was  Divinity  Professor  in  the 
University  of  Dublin  from  1607  to  1620,  when  he  was  made 
Bishop  of  Meath.  In  1624,  being  raised  to  the  Archbishopric 
of  Armagh,  he  became  primate  of  all  Ireland.  He  was  eminent 
for  his  piety,  and  his  erudition  has  been  eulogised  as  "  colossal." 
He  took  the  royal  side  in  the  ci\al  strife,  and  was  conse- 
quently deprived  of  his  property,  as  well  as  his  ecclesiastical 
dignities;  he  died  in  1656,  at  Ryegate  in  Surrey,  leaving  many 
valuable  and  learned  works.      Collateral  branches  of  the  Usher 


»  The  Miss  UnittsT 
VOL.  I.  Q 


226  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

family  were  numerous  in  the  eighteenth  centuiy,  and  are  men- 
tioned by  Bishop  Gibson,  in  his  last  edition  of  Camden's 
"  Britannia,"  (1772)  as  being  still  in  a  flourishing  condition. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  Qranville. 

5  December,  1729. 

Millions  of  thanks  for  dedicating  so  mucli  precious 
time  to  me!  indeed,  without  that  indulgence  the  plea- 
sures of  this  place  would  be  as  insipid  to  me  as  the 
common  conversation  one  daily  meets  with,  which  only 
turns  either  upon  the  sickly  season,  the  bad  weather, 
and  the  strange  behaviour  of  Lady  A.,  and  some  more  of 
the  same  character.  These  are  subjects  that  would  afford 
very  good  morals,  and  be  far  fropi  displeasing  topics  in 
conversation,  if  people  would  give  themselves  time  to 
make  reflections  ;  but  instead  of  that,  the  woman  is 
pitied — *^ poor  thing  /"  her  "  stars  "  are  blamed ;  she  was 
unlucky,  indiscreet  not  to  manage  more  cunningly, 
and  by  the  generality  of  the  world  she  is  more  con- 
demned for  not  hiding  her  fault  than  for  committing  it. 

Does  not  this  give  one  a  very  sad  idea  of  the  virtue 
of  the  times  ?  It  is  enough  to  make  one  a  cynic,  to 
shun  the  world,  and  shut  oneself  up  in  a  tub  as  Diogenes 
did ;  but  I  must  acknowledge,  though  the  age  is 
very  degenerate,  that  it  is  not  quite  void  of  per- 
fection. I  know  some  persons  that  still  reconcile  me  to 
the  world,  and  convince  me  that  virtue  is  not  fled,  though 
it  is  confined  to  a  few.  The  first  and  chief  of  these  I  need 
not  name,  the  next,  for  sanctity  of  manners  and  inward 
worth,  as  well  as  outward  accomplishments,  T  think  I 
must  name  the  Percival  family,   they  have  the   free- 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  227 

dom  and  agreeableness  of  conversation  that  makes  tliera 
liked  by  everybody  ;  and  they  are  not  so  much  in  awe  of 
the  world  but  that  they  do  take  all  opportunities  of 
recommending  virtue  and  reproving  vice  :  I  have  seen 
several  instances  of  it  since  my  acquaintance  with  them. 
How  happy  would  my  mama  be  in  their  conversation ! 
it  is  more  like  her  own  charming  turn  than  any  I  ever 
met.  I  shall  be  sorry  when  they  quit  the  kingdom, 
for  they  are  people  worth  cultivating  a  friendship  with. 
I  give  up  Mrs.  Clayton,  for  she  will  have  a  call  soon  to 
her  own  country,  that  will  place  her  in  so  good  a 
station,  that  I  can't  injure  her  so  much  as  to  wish  she 
may  stay  long  here  ;  for  her  husband,  I  believe,  will  be 
made  a  bishop,  and  as  an  instance  of  his  goodness, 
though  his  estate  is  most  of  it  in  England,  and  he  is  an 
Englishman  born,  it  is  said  he  chooses  a  bishopric  in 
Ireland  rather  than  here  (though  he  is  offered  one  here  of 
more  advantage  to  him),  because  he  thinks  he  can  do  more 
service  there ;  but  I  believe  Mr.  Percival  will  not  go  away 
soon,  because  he  is  defending  the  cause  of  an  oppressed 
lady,  who  has  no  other  friend  zealous  enough  to  stick 
by  her,  and  she  is  engaged  in  a  lawsuit  that  may  last 
some  years. ^ 

Thus  far  of  my  letter  I  writ  this  morning,  and  was 
called  upon  by  Mrs.  Clayton  and  Mrs.  Donellan  to  go 
into  the  city,  which  I  accordingly  did.  We  went  to 
Mrs.  Barnes's,  where  I  saw  nothing  extraordinary  but 
the  fine  japan  you  so  much  despised :  it  put  me  in 
mind  of  the  fine  ladies  of  our  age — it  delighted  my  eyes, 
but  gave  no  pleasui*e  to  my  understanding.     After  we 


^  Mrs.  Tennison,  a  widow  of  large  fortune,  who  became,  in  the  year  1732, 
the  first  wife  of  Dr.  Delany. 

q2 


228  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

liad  bought  some  pennyworths  there,  they  set  me  down 
at  Somerset  House,  where  I  found  my  aunt  very  indif- 
ferent. 

I  went  last  Wednesday  to  see  old  Mrs.  Hyde,  wlio 
has  been  in  town  about  a  fortnight,  not  with  a  design  to 
ask  anything  of  unfortunate  Bas :  but  she  happened  to 
name  that  unhappy  man,  and  then  it  was  civil  for  me 
to  ask  if  she  had  had  any  news  ?  She  said  the  accounts 
they  had  were  very  bad,  but  not  certain,  but  she  believed 
if  he  was  not  drowned,  which  was  too  much  to  be  feared, 
that  he  was  detained  somewhere  upon  account  of  his  ill 
health,  for  he  was  very  ill  when  he  set  sail  for  England, 
and  so  extremely  weak,  that  they  did  not  imagine  he 
could  outlive  the  voyage.  I  made  Mrs.  Tayler  a  visit  this 
afternoon,  where  I  met  Mr.  Neadler  :  he  played  two  or 
three  solos  sweetly  upon  the  violin :  it  soothed  some  of  my 
melancholy  thoughts,  and  I  was  sorry  when  he  had  done. 

Yesterday  1  went  with  Mrs.  Percival  and  Miss  Donel- 
lan  to  the  Crown  in  the  Strand,  to  hear  some  music  of 
Dr.  Blow's^  and  Purcell's.  I  was  very  well  pleased  with 
the  solemnity  of  it :  it  is  performed  by  the  gentlemen  of 
the  club — the  vocal  part  by  the  King's  choir. 

Saturday  Morning,  G  Dec.  1729. 

I  think  I  have  not  said  one  word  of  the  opera  yet,  and 
that  is  an  unpardonable  omission  ;  but  when  you  know 
the  salutation  I  had  upon  my  entrance  into  the  Opera- 


*  John  Blow,  M.  D.,  is  mentioned  in  Dr.  Burney's  History  of  Music  as  the 
instructor  of  several  of  the  most  distinguished  musicians  of  his  time,  and 
among  them  of  Purcell.  Dr.  Blow  was  born  in  1G48  at  North  CoUingham, 
Notts,  and  was  one  of  the  first  set  of  "  children  of  the  Chapel  Royal "  after 
King  Charles  the  Second's  restoration.  In  1 687  he  was  appointed  almoner  and 
master  of  the  choristers  at  St.  Paul's,  He  was  afterwards  organist  of  West- 
minster Abbey.     He  composed  some  fine  church  music  and  other  pieces. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  229 

house,  you  will  not  be  surprized  that  I  forgot  all  things 
I  heard  there.  Mr.  Cole  sat  by  me  and  told  me  that 
the  news  of  Bas  was  confirmed.  I  had  not  so  much 
hardness  in  my  nature  as  to  hear  of  his  deplorable  end 
without  being  shocked,  and  whether  it  was  owing  to 
that,  or  that  the  opera  really  is  not  so  meritorious  as 
Mr.  Handel's  generally  are,  but  I  never  was  so  little 
pleased  with  one  in  my  life.  Bernachi,  the  most  famous 
of  the  men,  is  not  approved  of;  he  is  certainly  a  good 
singer,  but  does  not  suit  the  English  ears.  La  Strada 
and  the  rest  are  very  well  liked.  I  desire  you  will 
engage  the  favorite  Druid  to  give  me  the  meeting  next 
summer  at  Gloucester. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  Granville. 

Pall  Mall,  20  Dec.  1729. 

The  opera  is  too  good  for  the  vile  taste  of  the  town  :  it 
is  condemned  never  more  to  appear  on  the  stage  after 
this  night.  I  long  to  hear  its  dying  song,  poor  dear 
swan.  We  are  to  have  some  old  opera  revived,  which  I 
am  sorry  for,  it  will  put  people  upon  making  comparisons 
between  these  singers  and  those  that  performed  before, 
which  will  be  a  disadvantage  among  the  ill-judging  mul- 
titude. The  present  opera  is  disliked  because  it  is  too 
much  studied,  and  they  love  nothing  but  minuets  and 
ballads,  in  short  the  Beggars'  Opera  and  Hurlothrumho 
are  only  worthy  of  applause. 

I  am  sorry  your  Assembly  droops,  but  I  hope  it  will 
continue  (not  drooping  I  don't  mean),  company  may 
come  to  the  town  that  will  make  it  flourish.  I  am  glad 
the  favourite  Druid  exerts  his  lungs  so  much  to  your 
satisfaction,  I  shall  grieve  if  he  escapes  me  next  summer. 


230  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

I  am  to  make  my  acknowledgments  to  you  for  the 
help  of  your  scissors.  The  little  poppets  are  very  well  cut, 
but  you  must  take  more  pains  about  the  trees  and  shrubs, 
for  no  white  paper  must  be  left,  and  the  leaves  must  be 
shaped  and  cut  distinctly  round  the  edges  of  the  trees ; 
most  of  the  paper  I  have  cut  has  cost  me  as  much  pains 
as  if  it  was  white  paper. 

Now  I  shall  give  you  some  account  of  my  conversa- 
tion last  night.  Mrs.  Clayton  and  Miss  Donellan  were 
my  company,  we  chose  to  sit  some  time  in  the  out- 
ward room,  their  being  no  possibility  of  getting  to  the 
circle  till  it  thinned  a  little.  The  American  Prince  ^  came 
and  sat  by  me,  and  after  common  compliments  he 
said  he  must  ask  after  his  friend  our  sister,  where 
she  was  and  what  she  had  done  with  herself?  I  told 
him  of  your  flauntings,  I  ask'd  him  if  he  had  been  in 
as  many  perils  as  was  rumoured  of  him,  he  said  no. 
I  told  him  Mrs.  Hyde  and  his  family  had  been  under 
great  apprehensions  and  concern :  he  said  he  was  very 
much  obliged  to  his  friends,  he  wished  he  knew  if  I  had 
once  thought  of  him  or  was  sorry  when  I  heard  he  was 
cast  away  ?  I  asked  him  why  he  should  suppose  I  had  so 
much  ill-nature  as  not  to  be  sorry  for  so  unfortunate 
an  accident  to  an  acquaintance.  "  That  cornmoti  compassion* 
(says  he  in  a  tiff)  "would give  me  but  little  satisfaction** 
We  were  so  conveniently  placed  as  not  to  have  neigh- 
bours, and  he  spoke  very  low,  but  I  was  so  much  afraid  of 
being  overheard  that  I  gave  him  very  little  encourage- 


*  "  American  Prince,"  one  of  the  names  used  to  designate  Lord  Baltimore, 
adopted  from  his  being  proprietor  of  the  province  of  Maryland  in  America.  It 
appears  that  there  must  have  been  a  letter  between  the  present  date  of  20tli 
Dec.  and  the  preceding  one  of  5th  Dec,  contradicting  the  previous  report  of 
Lord  Riltimore's  death  and  mentioning  his  safe  return  to  England. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  231 

ment  to  speak ;  I  told  him  of  the  accident  that  had 
happened  to  Lady  Betty  Lee's  leg.^  He  said  he  hoped 
that  I  did  not  like  her  acquaintance  or  encourage  it,  for 
it  "  was  not  worthy  of  me,  that  he  hated  her,"  "  that  his 
aversion  and  quarrel  with  her  was  upon  my  account,  and 
he  never  could  forgive  her'"'  Lady  Lansdown  was  there, 
hut  I  narrowly  escaped  her,  for  she  is  resolved  to  play 
me  some  trick  whenever  she  meets  me  and  Ba^.  in  the 
same  place,  and  he  avoids  her  as  much  as  I  do.  I  think 
him  grown  thinner,  but  he  looked  very  well  and  not  a 
bit  of  a  tar.  Who  should  be  at  the  drawing-room  last 
night,  but  the  Prince  of  Asturias,  awkwardly  civil,  and 
he  led  me  to  the  coach. 

"  Hurlothrumbo,"  (or  "  the  Supernatural,")  the  play  mentioned 
in  the  above  letter,  was  written  by  Samuel  Johnson,  a  dramatic 
writer  and  performer,  of  eccentric  celebrity,  who  died  1755.  The 
editor  of  Dr.  Byrom's  works  says,  that  he  wrote  an  epilogue 
which  the  author  took  as  a  compliment,  and  had  it  both  spoken 
and  printed  with  the  piece;  that  it  had  a  run  of  above  thirty 
nights — its  oddity,  whimsicality,  and  originality,  having  amazing 
success.  It  was,  however,  surmised,  that  Dr.  Byrom  supplied 
more  than  the  epilogue,  and  this  idea  is  confirmed  by  the  simi- 
larity of  style.  The  following  lines  are  a  specimen  of  the 
epilogue : — 

"  Author. Rules, 

Like  clocks  and  watches,  were  all  made  for  fools. 
Critic.  Pray,  sir,  which  is  the  hero  of  your  play  ? 
Author.  Hero  !  why  they  are  all  heroes  in  their  way. 
Critic.  But  here's  no  plot,  or  none  that's  understood ! 
Author.  Here's  a  rebellion,  though,  and  that's  as  good. 
Critic.  No  spirit  or  genius  in't. 
Author.  Why,  didst  not  hear  ? 

A  spirit  and  a  genius  both  appear. 


*  Lady  Betty  Lee  and  Lord  Baltimore's  mother  were  sisters,  daughters  of 
Edward  Lee,  1st  Earl  of  Litchfield. 


232  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Critic.  Pooh  !  'tis  all  stuff  and  nonsense. 

Author.  Lackaday!  why  thafs  the  very  essence  ofajjay. 
Your  old  house,  new  house,  opera,  and  ball, 
"J'is  nonsense.  Critic,  that  supports  'em  all. 
As  you  yourselves  ingeniously  have  shown, 
Whilst  on  their  nonsense  you  have  built  your  ovm. 


*'  Ye  sons  of  nonsense  read  my  Hurlothrumbo, 
Turn  it  betwixt  your  finger  and  your  thumbo, 
And  being  quite  outdone,  be  quite  struck  dumbo." 


"  Critic,  or  player,  a  Dennis,  or  a  Cibber, 
Vie  only  which  shall  make  it  go  down  glibber. 
A  thousand  murd'rous  ways  they  cast  about 
To  stijle  it,  but,  murder  like,  Hwill  out. 
Our  author  fairly  without  so  much  fuss 
Shows  it — in  puris  naturalibus." 

"  So  true  a  stage,  so  fair  a  play  for  laughter 
There  never  was  before  nor  ever  will  come  after." 


*'  Eandel  himself  shall  yield  to  Hurlothrumbo, 
And  Bononcini  too  shall  cry  succumbo  : 
That's  if  the  ladies  condescend  to  smile, 
Their  looks  make  sense,  or  nonsense,  in  this  isle." 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Xtmas  Day,  1729.    Ten  o'clock  morning. 

I  am  just  returned  from  doing  my  first  and  most 
material  duty  in  life.  St.  James's  Chapel  is  very  con- 
venient, for  prayers,  sermon,  and  sacrament  every  Sunday 
and  every  holy  day  throughout  the  year  :  it  begins  at  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  I  go  into  the  vestry,  where  I 
am  quiet  and  warm.  Bas^  made  me  a  visit  on  Monday. 
Saturday  last  I  went  to  the  opera.  Guyamore  was  there, 
and  sat  behind  me  the  first  act,  came  again  as  soon  as  the 


*  "Bas,"  short  for  Basilisk,  the  name  by  which  Lord  Baltimore  is  generally 
designated  in  these  letters.  "  Guyamore "  was  also  another  name  for  Lord 
Baltimore,  as  well  as  the  "  American  Prince," 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  233 

opera  was  done  and  led  me  to  my  cliair  ;  talked  in  the  old 
strain,  of  being  unhappy,  and  that  I  was  to  answer  for  all 
his  flights  and  extravagance.  I  told  him  that  was  so  large 
a  charge,  that  I  should  be  sorry  to  have  it  placed  to 
my  account.  However,  on  Monday  he  came ;  when  he 
came  into  the  room  I  could  not  help  wishing  his  mind 
might  be  answerable  to  his  appearance,  for  I  never  saw 
him  look  so  well.  He  sat  down,  and  immediately  asked 
me  "  if  I  did  not  think  they  were  miserable  people  that 
were  strangers  to  love ;  but,  added  he,  you  are  so  great 
a  philosopher  that  I  dread  your  answer."  I  told  him,  as 
for  **  philosophy,  I  did  not  pretend  to  it ;  "  but  "  I  endea- 
voured to  make  my  life  easy  by  living  according  to 
reason,  and  that  my  opinion  of  love  was  that  it  either 
made  people  very  miserable  or  very  happy,"  he  said  it 
**7nade  him  miserable."  "  That,  I  suppose,  my  Lord," 
said  I,  " proceeds  from  yourself :  perhaps  you  place  it  upon 
a  wrong  foundation r  He  looked  confounded,  turned  the 
discourse,  and  went  away  immediately  after.  I  must 
confess  I  could  not  behave  myself  with  indifference,  and 
I  have  been  in  no  public  place  since.  I  shall  not  care 
to  meet  him ;  but  if  I  do  I  will  let  you  know  how  he 
behaves  for  the  future. 

My  Lady  A.'s  behaviour,  and  some  more  wives  of  the 
same  stamp,  has  so  disgraced  matrimony,  that  I  am  not 
surprized  that  men  are  afraid  of  it ;  and  if  we  consider 
the  loose  morals  of  the  men,  it  is  strange  the  women  are 
so  easily  won  to  their  own  undoing. 

Give  me  a  cot  beside  a  grove,  where  I  may  never  hear  of  love 
But  such  as  friendsliip  does  inspire,  no  higher  bliss  do  I  desire  ; 
With  thee,  my  Ann,  to  live  and  dye,  and  Cupid's  arrows  to  defye. 

The  pictures  I  sent  you  are  not  my  own  colouring.  I 
am  going  to  do  boxes  for  a  toilette.     I  will  send  you  a 


234  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

box  and  some  varnisli ;  but  as  to  the  laying  the  ground 
I  doubt  you  will  find  it  difficult,  unless  I  could  show  you 
the  way,  which  I  hope  next  summer  to  accomplish. 

The  above  letter  marks  a  crisis  in  the  life  of  the  writer,  and  a 
perceptible  difference  is  observable  in  her  style  of  writing  from 
this  year.  During  Mr.  Pendarves's  life  her  letters  to  her  sister 
were  not  cmifidential  as  that  sister  was  too  young  to  be  entrusted 
with  the  sorrows  and  trials  of  the  interior  of  her  home — they 
were  merely  demonstrative  of  her  affection  for  and  interest  in 
Ann  Granville,  and  of  the  pleasure  she  took  in  sending  her  a 
general  journal  of  her  outer  life.  •  After  Mr.  Pendarves's  death  she 
began  gradually  to  show  a  real  enjoyment  in  all  the  amusements 
of  life  natural  to  youth,  her  intellect  gradually  expanded,  and  as 
her  sister  became  older,  she  confided  in  her,  to  a  limited  extent, 
her  feelings  towards  Lord  Baltimore.  It  is  evident,  however,  that 
she  never  expressed,  in  her  correspondence  the  depth  of  her  attach- 
ment to  him ;  and  were  it  not  for  the  following  pages  of  her  own 
autobiography,  the  desperate  struggle  she  underwent  to  tear 
from  her  heart  one  whom  she  believed  undeserving  of  her  affec- 
tion, would  not  have  been  known  ;  as  she  tells  Ann  Granville  as 
little  as  possible  consistent  with  letting  her  know  the  outline  of 
the  truth,  and  that  all  was  over  between  Lord  Baltimore  and 
herself,  and  immediately  afterwards  tries  to  turn  her  sister's 
attention  to  painting  and  other  ingenious  occupations,  endeavour- 
ing to  show  that  she  herself  is  taking,  and  will  take,  increased 
interest  in  them.  There  is  no  attempt  to  extort  pity — no  de- 
claration of  a  breaking  heart.  She  had  immediately  formed  her 
resolution  to  overcome  her  attachment  for  a  man  who  trifled  with 
her  feelings,  as  soon  as  she  was  convinced  he  was  unworthy  of  her 
regard,  but  she  did  not  make  any  merit  of  doing  this,  she  did 
not  commiserate  herself,  or  torment  her  friends.  She  strove  to 
be  cheerful,  determined  to  employ  herself,  and  finally  was  rewarded 
by  the  attainment  of  that  happiness  which  at  first  she  only  out- 
wardly assumed.  The  words,  '*  I  do  not  care  to  see  him  again," 
meant,  in  the  phraseology  of  the  time,  I  do  not  tvish  to  see 


OF  MKS.  DELANY.  235 

him  again.  Happy  would  it  be  for  many  of  the  girls  in  this 
century,  if  they  would  thus  heroically  cast  ofiF,  at  once  and  for 
ever,  their  dangling  lovers,  when  convinced  that  they  are  only 
followed  for  pastime,  and  that  there  is  no  fixed  principle  in  those 
who  are  insidiously  stealing  their  hearts  away,  without  the 
slisrhtest  intention  of  devoting  their  lives  to  them  in  return. 


Lady  Stanley  to  Mrs.  Anne  OranviUe. 

Dear  Niece  and  Goddaughter, 

I  have  delayed  informing  you  of  my  dear  deceased 
goddaughter,  Mrs.  Anne  Tillier's  will,  because  I  was 
finding  some  way  to  have  had  that  little  box  delivered 
that  you  will  now  find  is  one  directed  for  you  with 
some  things  that  I  desire  your  acceptance  of,  hoping 
they  may  be  of  use  for  variety  till  your  sister  Pendarvis 
sends  you  your  manto  and  petticoat  to  be  a  brides- 
maid. I  hope  that  you  will  adorn  and  shine  in  the 
society,  and  in  a  little  time  write  to  me,  and  ask  a  better 
manto  fit  for  a  bride,  which  I  shall  take  great  pleasure 
to  do,  and  willrub  up  my  old  fancy  for  you,  being,  dear 
niece, 

Your  most  humble  serv*, 

Anne  Stanley. 

My  humble  service  to  my  sister. 

I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  send  her  a  Cheshire  cheese, 
as  Mrs.  Pendarvis  saith  they  are  not  to  be  bought  in 
Gloster,  and  a  Httle  hamper  of  Spanish  wine  that  was 
sent  me. 


236  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Pall  Mall,  7  Feb.,  1729-30. 

My  dearest  sister  knows  well  how  to  indulge  every 
sentiment  of  my  heart,  and  always  does  in  the  highest 
degree  heal  it  when  vexed,  and  doubles  all  its  joys.  It 
is  a  mistaken  notion  that  speaking  to  a  friend  of  the 
affliction  they  are  under  adds  to  their  pain — far  from  it : 
'tis  a  comfort,  for  when  the  mind  is  possessed  of  any 
particular  object,  it  is  the  greatest  satisfaction  to  talk  it 
over,  and  any  other  subject  is  unnatural  and  irksome. 
Don't  say  your  advice  is  not  wanting,  for  when  our 
reason  is  overwhelmed  with  the  gusts  of  passion,  and 
unable  to  exert  itself,  tli€n  a  friend's  advice  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  support  and  recal  us  to  a  right  behaviour ; 
but  I  would  not  have  you  infer  from  this  that  I  am  in 
great  affliction.  I  am  also  extremely  sorry  for  my  poor 
aunt,  but  more  grieved  at  the  painful  condition  she  lies 
in  than  at  the  thought  of  her  death ;  for  she  has  been  so 
miserable  a  woman  ever  since  she  lost  Mrs.  Tillier,  that 
the  world  will  be  no  loss  to  her,  though  she  will  be  to 
the  world :  I  have  resigned  her  for  some  time,  and  she 
seems  very  sensible  of  her  own  danger.  I  must  own  Sir 
John  gives  me  great  pain ;  I  never  saw  more  tenderness 
and  concern  than  he  shows  upon  her  account,  and  I 
really  believe  he  will  not  long  survive  her. 

I  am  glad  you  have  got  Madame  de  Sevigne's  letters. 
I  am  afraid  they  will  lose  a  great  deal  of  their  spirit  by 
being  translated.  You  will  find  they  never  were  intended 
to  be  published,  by  the  Httle  odd  circumstances  often 
mentioned  ;  but  they  are  so  tender  that  they  delight  me, 
and  in  the  Brench  have  a  great  deal  of  wit.     I  will  send 


OF  MKS.  DELANY.  237 

tlie  Japan  book  to  the  coffee-house  for  Mr.  Skin,  and 
Timoleon  the  new  play.  The  news  you  write  of  my 
Lord  Carteret^  was  put  in  the  papers,  but  I  have  not 
heard  it  confirmed. 

I  have  not  seen  any  of  the  agreeable  Percivals  a  great 
while,  they  have  sent  often  to  me  to  come  and  dine 
with  them,  but  I  have  not  been  able  to  leave  my  aunt. 

You  may  take  all  my  lovers  amongst  you,  and  try 
what  you  can  make  out  of  them.  Let  me  see,  there's 
first  Don  Diego,  solemn  and  stately,  and  if  you  will  take 
his  o^\Ti  word,  well  read  in  all  arts  and  sciences.  Passive 
obedience  and  non-resistance  is  his  text,  and  the  doctrine 
that  he  will  teach  with  a  vengeance.  The  next  is  a 
deserter ;  he  can  be  of  no  use,  he  was  a  pretty  plaything 
enough — could  sing  and  dance,  but  as  he  has  listed  under 
another  banner,  I  strike  him  out  of  my  list.  Now,  as 
for  those  others  laid  to  my  charge  I  declare  myself  not 
guilty.  The  first  in  quality  is  an  Adonis  in  person,  but 
his  mind,  alas  !  how  idle,  how  vain  I  however,  he  would 
make  a  pretty  show  by  a  fair  lady's  side  in  a  fine  berline, 
with  six  prancing  Flanders  mares,  and  as  for  his  domes- 
tick  behaviour,  he  would  acquit  himself  as  well  as  most 
of  his  neighbours,  but  as  that  won't  satisfy  me,  I 
deliver  him  over  to  society,  perhaps  they  will  accept  of 
him  on  his  own  terms.  An  alderman,  a  councillor,  and 
two  or  three  more  such  odd  animals  I  will  send  down  in 
a  bag  together,  and  you  may  cast  lots  for  them,  they 
are  not  worth  my  wearing.      They  may  do  well  enough 

'  Lord  Carteret  was,  at  the  date  of  this  letter,  Lord  Lieutenant  of  Ireland 
and  on  the  19th  of  June  of  the  same  year,  the  usual  time  of  holding  that  ap- 
pointment having  expired,  the  Duke  of  Dorset  was  appointed  to  succeed  him 
and  he  had  no  public  employment  from  that  time  till  February,  1742,  when 
he  became  prime  minister. 


238  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

in  the  country,  but  they  would  be  as  awkward  here  as  if 
I  was  to  wear  a  commode} 

I  never  see  Piggy :  she  is  quite  out  of  my  way  j  but 
she  might  call  upon  me,  because  she  has  a  coach  at 
command.  I  shall  always  love  her  for  her  civility  to 
you,  though  considering  the  pleasure  it  procured  her  her 
merit  on  that  account  is  not  so  prodigious  ;  however,  I  re- 
spect her  for  knowing  so  well  how  to  bestow  her  favours. 

You  did  not  answer  about  Mrs.  Wyndham.  Mr. 
Southwell  is  a  good  husband. 

Allusion  is  again  made  in  this  letter  to  mental  sufferings  which 
of  course  relate  to  the  cruel  desertion  of  Lord  Baltimore,  and  it  is 
much  to  be  regretted  that  the  letter  of  Ann  Granville  on  that  sub- 
ject has  not  been  found.  From  this  period  a  more  serious  tone  per- 
vades the  letters  of  Mrs.  Pendarves,  whose  mind  evidently  had 
constantly  improved  under  her  trials,  and  whose  character  was 
strengthened  and  developed  in  proportion  as  fortitude  was 
required.  Her  aunt,  Lady  Stanley,  died  the  month  following 
the  date  of  the  above  letter.  Her  death  is  thus  recorded  in  the 
Historical  Register : 

"  March  1st,  1730.  Dy'd  in  her  apartment  at  Somerset  House, 
of  which  palace  she  was  housekeeper,  the  Lady  Stanley,  wife  of 
Sir  John  Stanley,  Bart.,  one  of  the  Commissioners  of  His  Majesty's 
Customs.  She  was  sister  of  George  Granville,  Lord  Lansdown,  of 
Biddiford  in  the  county  of  Devon." 

^  Commode  [French].    The  head-dress  of  women. 

"  Let  them  reflect  how  they  would  be  affected  should  they  meet  with  a  man 
on  horseback,  in  his  breeches  and  jack  boots,  dressed  up  in  a  commode  and  a 
night  rail." — Spectator. 

"  She  has  contrived  to  show  her  principle  by  the  setting  of  her  commode ; 
so  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  any  woman  that  is  disaffected  to  be  in  the 
fashion." — Addisori's  Freeliolder. 

She,  like  some  pensive  statesman,  walks  demure, 
And  smiles,  and  hugs,  to  make  destruction  sure  ; 
Or  under  high  commodes,  with  looks  erect, 
Barefac'd  devours,  in  gaudy  colours  deck'd, 

Grakville. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  239 


LETTEE  XVI. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

My  last  letter  ended  with  my  rallying  Herminius  at 
the  drawing-room  upon  the  report  spread  of  his  heing 
lost.  He  answered,  it  was  very  indifferent  to  him  what 
effect  the  report  had  on  the  generahty  of  the  world : 
he  wished  he  could  know  how  I  had  been  affected 
on  the  occasion,  for  that  was  of  more  consequence  to 
him  ?  I  told  him  very  honestly  and  artlessly  that  I  was 
much  concerned^  and  felt  great  satisfaction  in  seeing  him 
safe  returned.  I  had  no  sooner  said  the  words  than  I 
accused  myself  of  having  said  too  much,  and  was  in  such 
confusion  that  I  was  glad  to  leave  my  place  and  follow 
the  lady  '  with  whom  I  came  to  Court,  and  who  proposed 
our  going  away.  As  I  did  not  frequent  public  places 
much,  and  my  aunt,  I  thought,  would  not  approve  of 
my  seeing  Herminius  often  at  home,  we  seldom  met  that 
year,  for  I  was  out  of  town  the  greatest  part  of  the 
summer,  and  the  winter  following.  Towards  the  next 
spring  I  came  to  to^vn  and  settled  in  a  house  by  myself.^ 

I  found  Valeria  in  a  very  declining  way,  and  my  whole 
attention  and  time  was  given  up  to  her  and  my  unfortu- 
nate younger  brother,  on  whose  account  I  had  been  in 
distress  some  years.  One  night  Valeria  thought  herself 
better  and  insisted  on  my  going  to  the  opera ;  she  was 
afraid  of  my  great  confinement  to  her  room  and  the  per- 
plexity I  labored  under  on  my  brother's  account  would 
prejudice  my  health,  and  her  tenderness  for  me  made  her 


Lady  Sunderland.  «  In  Pall  Mall. 


240  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

insist  on  my  doing  what  at  that  time  was  really  painful 
to  me,  but  to  oblige  her  I  went.  Herminius  was  there, 
and  placed  himself  just  behind  me;  he  told  me  he  won- 
dered where  I  had  buried  myself;  he  could  neither  see 
me  at  home  nor  abroad,  and  that  he  had  been  miserable  to 
see  me  ;  that  since  his  opportunities  were  so  few  he  could 
no  longer  help  declaring  that  he  "  had  been  in  love  with  me 
for  Jive  years,''  during  which  time  I  had  kept  him  in  such 
awe  that  he  had  not  had  courage  to  make  a  declaration  of 
his  love  to  me.  I  was  in  such  confusion  I  knew  not  what  I 
saw  or  heard  for  some  time,  but  finding  he  was  going  on 
with  the  same  subject,  I  softly  begged  he  would  not  inter- 
rupt my  attention  to  the  opera,  as  if  he  had  anything  to  say 
to  me,  that  was  not  the  proper  place.  He  then  asked  "  if 
I  should  be  at  home  the  next  day  ?"  I  said  "  I  should." 
I  cannot  say  I  listened  much  to  the  music,  and  I 
had  a  secret  •  satisfaction  in  thinking  this  affair  would 
be  explained  some  way  or  other,  and  free  me  from 
the  anxiety  of  uncertainty.  The  next  day  he  came 
punctually,  very  much  dressed  and  in  good  spirits.  I 
cannot  recollect  minutely  our  conversation.  It  began  with 
common  talk  of  news.  Some  marriage  was  named,  and 
we  both  observed  how  little  probability  of  happiness 
there  was  in  most  of  the  fashionable  matches  where  in- 
terest and  not  inclination  was  consulted.  At  last  he  said 
he  was  determined  never  to  marry,  unless  he  was  well 
assured  of  the  affection  of  the  person  he  married.  My 
reply  was,  can  you  have  a  stronger  proof  (if  the  person 
is  at  her  own  disposal)  than  her  consenting  to  marry 
you  ?  He  replied  that  was  not  sufficient.  I  said  he  was 
unreasonable,  upon  which  he  started  up  and  said,  "  I  find, 
madam,  this  is  a  point  in  which  we  shall  never  agree." 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  241 

He  looked  piqued  and  angry,  made  a  low  bow  and  went 
away  immediately,  and  left  me  in  such  confusion  that  I 
could  hardly  recollect  what  had  past,  nor  can  I  to  this  hour, 
— but  from  that  time  till  he  was  married  we  never  met. 

The  vexation  of  mind  I  had  laboured  under  for  some 
time,  the  fatigue  and  great  distress  I  went  through  on 
Valeria's  account,  whom  I  found  much  worse  on  my 
return  from  that  opera,  affected  me  to  so  great  a  degree 
that  I  fell  ill  of  a  fever  the  very  day  that  Herminius 
made  me  that  last  extraordinary  visit.  As  it  fell  on  my 
spirits,  I  was  for  some  days  in  a  great  deal  of  danger. 

During  my  whole  confinement  he  never  once  enquired 
after  me.^  Before  I  was  well  my  Aunt  Valeria  died, 
whose  death  was  a  most  sensible  affliction  to  me.  I  lost 
a  wise,  tender,  and  faithful  friend.  Sebastian,  whose 
tender  friendship  I  must  ever  acknowledge,  seemed  to 
double  his  regard  for  me  on  our  mutual  loss,  and  I  en- 
deavoured to  pay  him  that  respect  and  gratitude  so 
justly  his  due.  As  soon  as  I  was  able  to  go  abroad,  I 
went  with  him  to  his  villa,^  but  that  so  severely  renewed 
my  trouble,  or  rather  added  to  it,  that  I  was  not  able  to 
bear  it.  I  then  proposed  to  a  dear  friend  of  mine,  Silvia ' 
(who  had  shown  the  utmost  tenderness  and  kindness 
whilst  I  was  ill),  to  take  a  lodging  at  the  pleasantest 
village  within  ten  miles  of  London.* 

She  readily  consented;  we  joined  in  the  expence,  and 
our  situation  was  as  pleasant  as  anything  could  be.  Her 
good  sense,  her  peculiar  agreeable  talent  for  conversation, 


^  It  is  probable  tbat  as  no  letters  have  been  found  between  Christmas  day, 
1729,  and  Februaiy  7th,  1730,  when  Mrs.  Pendarves  mentioned  her  aunt's 
hopeless  state,  that  Ann  Granville  had  been  in  London  during  her  sister's 
dangerous  illness,  and,  that  from  that  time  she  had  her  entire  confidence. 

^  North  End.         '  Mrs.  Donnellan.        *  Richmond. 
VOL.  I.  R 


242  LIFE  AND  COERESPONDENCE 

our  variety  of  works — ^reading,  walking,  going  on  the 
water,  seeing  all  the  fine  places  in  the  neighbourhood, 
gave  me  a  new  turn  of  thinking,  shook  off  the  gloom, 
and  restored  me  to  my  health.  But  as  my  spirits  had 
not  quite  recovered  their  usual  vivacity,  I  readily  com- 
plied with  a  proposal  she  made  in  her  turn  of  going  with 
her  to  Ireland  to  see  her  friends,  her  sister  being  settled 
there  in  a  very  splendid  and  agreeable  way. 

I  had  heard  of  Herminius's  new  engagement  with 
Julia,  and  almost  as  soon  of  his  marriage.  As  his  behaviour 
had  given  me  some  disquiet,  I  thought  it  best  to  avoid 
meeting  him  for  some  time,  but  a  too  great  retirement 
from  public  places  would  have  looked  remarkable,  which 
determined  me  to  go  to  Ireland  with  ray  friend  Sylvia  as 
soon  as  it  was  convenient  for  her  to  go,  but  the  real  reason 
of  my  going  was  entirely  locked  within  my  ovm  heart. 

My  friends,  who  were  so  good  as  to  consider  my  health, 
more  than  the  pleasure  their  partiality  made  them  take 
in  my  company,  thought  change  of  air  and  the  exercise 
of  so  long  a  journey  might  quite  establish  it,  and  were 
very  well  satisfied  with  my  going ;  and  the  latter  end  of 
that  year  we  put  our  scheme  into  execution.  I  soon  re- 
covered my  usual  strength  and  cheerfulness,  much  pleased 
with  my  expedition.  I  liked  the  country  extremely, 
met  with  great  civility,  and  made  some  friendships  tliere 
that  have  been  a  great  part  of  the  happiness  of  my 
life  since.  And  this  I  think  is  a  very  proper  period  to  my 
little  history,  which  I  fear  has  not  given  you  tlie  enter- 
tainment and  satisfaction  you  expected  from  it.  If  it 
has  failed  in  those  particulars,  I  hope  it  will  at  least  con- 
vince you  of  the  great  confidence  I  have  in  your  friend- 
ship, and  how  much  I  am  your  faithful  and  devoted 

ASPASIA. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  243 

The  particulars  here  given  throw  considerable  additional  light 
upon  Lord  Baltimore's  conduct  and  probable  motives.  It 
cannot  be  doubted  that  he  was  in  love  with  Mary  Granville,  as 
far  as  he  could  love  anything  but  himself,  and  that  he  was  in 
serious  earnest  when  he  made  his  formal  and  unequivocal 
declaration  at  the  opera  on  the  "  Saturday"  mentioned ;  but  it 
is  equally  apparent  that  the  person  he  addressed  was  too  anxious 
to  ascertain  his  sincerity  to  follow  the  dictates  of  her  inclination 
by  accepting  him  on  the  spot.  She  gave  time  before  her 
decision  was  to  be  pronounced,  and  allowed  Sunday  to  intervene 
(as  is  shown  by  the  previous  letter  to  her  sister,  though  forgotten 
in  the  lapse  of  years  at  which  the  autobiography  was  writtfen). 
In  those  forty-eight  hours  it  is  probable  that  Lord  Baltimore, 
instead  of  verifying  his  previous  protestations  by  following  the 
impulse  of  his  feelings,  determined  to  extricate  himself  from  the 
position  in  which  their  unreserved  expression  had  placed  him 
on  the  previous  Saturday.  His  extravagant  habits  probably 
required  a  richer  wife.  He  therefore  invented  a  pretext  for  a 
quarrel,  and  soon  after  married  Mary,  the  daughter  of  Sir 
Theodore  Janssen,  of  Wimbledon,  whose  family  originally  came 
from  Guelderland.  In  consequence  of  political  troubles,  the 
grandfather  of  Sir  Theodore  had  sought  an  asylum  in  France, 
and  left  a  large  fortune.  Sir  Theodore  himself  removed  into 
England  in  1680,  and  having  a  considerable  estate,  was  knighted 
by  King  William  III.,  as  during  the  reign  of  that  monarch,  and 
that  of  Queen  Anne,  he  had  shown  his  zeal  for  the  interests  of 
Great  Britain,  particularly  regarding  its  commercial  relations 
with  France.  After  the  treaty  of  Utrecht  he  was  created  a 
baronet  at  the  especial  "request  of  the  Elector  of  Hanover  (after- 
wards George  I.),  March  11th,  1714,  in  which  year  he  was  also 
elected  for  the  borough  of  Yarmouth.  He  married  Williarasa, 
daughter  of  Sir  Robert  Henley,  of  the  Grange,  in  Hampshire. 
Sir  Theodore  had  realized  a  very  large  fortune  by  forty  years 
success  in  trade.^     He  died  in  1748,  aged  ninety ;  and  although 


^  In  the  account  of  Mortlage  (Mortlake)  in  the  Doomsday  Book,  reference 
is  made  to  a  ferry  at  Put  Nie  (Putney)  which  yielded  twenty  shillings  a  year, 

R  2 


244  LIFE  AND  COERESPONDENCE 

he  had  five  sons,  the  baronetcy  became  extinct  within  thirty  years 
of  his  death. 

It  will  be  proper  at  this  period  to  give  some  account  of  the 
Baltimore  family,  whose  representative,  in  1731,  possessed  such 
uncommon  powers  of  attraction,  and  who  exercised  so  great  an 
influence  over  the  affections  of  Mary  Granville  for  a  period  of 
five  years,  before  his  character  appeared  in  such  a  light  as  no 
longer  to  justify  the  continuation  of  her  regard.  In  the  earUer 
part  of  her  autobiography  she  mentions  that  Lady  Stanley  was 
(as  she  then  thought)  unjustly  prejudiced  against  Lord  Balti- 
more, which  was  a  bar  to  their  meeting,  as  she  did  not  receive 
him*  in  a  morning,  in  deference  to  her  aunt's  wishes.  She  also 
intimates  that  Lady  Lansdown  was  always  ready  to  make  mis- 
chief between  them.  These  circumstances,  together  with  Lord 
Baltimore's  illness  and  departure  from  England,  account  for 
the  length  of  time  which  elapsed  before  the  declaration  took 
place  which  preceded  his  desertion,  when  his  character  appears 
in  so  unfavourable  a  light. 

The  Baltimore  family  was  originally  Flemish.  From  Flanders 
they  transported  themselves  into  the  north  of  England,  and 
Leonard  Calvert  of  Danbywiske,  in  the  county  of  York,  married 
Alicia,  daughter  of  John  Crossland,  of  Crossland,  in  the  same 
county.  His  son,  George  Calvert,  was  secretary  to  Sir  Robert 
Cecil,  when  Secretary  of  State.    He  was  afterwards  Clerk  of  the 


Here  also,  in  the  time  of  Earl  Harold,  was  a  valuable  fishery,  the  ownership  of 
which  descended  with  the  manor.  In  1663  it  was  let  for  an  annual  rent  of 
the  three  best  salmon  caught  in  March,  April,  and  May,  which  rent  Avas  after- 
wards commuted  for  money.  Sir  Theodore  Janssen  was  the  lord  of  Wimble- 
don in  1717,  he  was  also  one  of  the  South  Sea  Directors,  and  was  one  of  the 
few  whom  (though  he  lost  considerably)  did  not  lose  his  character  and  was 
not  ruined :  he  sold  the  above  estate,  which  probably  accounts  for  both 
circumstances,  and  at  that  time  the  fishery  was  let  for  6Z.  yearly,  which  rent 
was  increased  to  8Z.  on  a  lease  which  only  exi^ired  in  1800.  Sturgeon  was  then 
occasionally  taken  in  that  part  of  the  Thames,  and  sometimes,  though  rarely, 
a  porpoise.  These  were  regarded  as  royal  fishes,  and  claimed  by  the  Lord 
Mayor  under  a  grant  from  the  Crown,  the  fisherman  being  obliged  to  deliver 
them  as  soon  as  taken  to  the  water  bailiff. — See  Lysons^  Surrey,  and  Blunt''8 
Law  Dictionary,  1670.     Art.  Royal  Fishes. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  245 

Privy  Council,  was  knighted  in  1617,  and  was  appointed  (1618) 
Secretary  of  State  to  the  king,  who  employed  him  in  most  im- 
portant affairs,  and  settled  in  1620,  a  pension  of  1000^.  a  year 
upon  him  besides  his  salary.  Sir  George  Calvert*  changed  his 
religion  in  1624,  and  on  turning  Koman  Catholic  voluntarily 
resigned  his  post,^  He  was  nevertheless  continued  in  the  Privy 
Council,  and  the  king  having  made  him  large  grants  of  lands  in 
Ireland,  elevated  him  to  the  peerage  of  that  kingdom  on  the 
16th  of  February,  1624,  and  to  him  Sir  George  St.  George, 
then  Norroy,  King  at  Arms,  gave  the  coat  the  family  afterwards 
bore,  viz. :  Pally  of  six  topaz  and  diamond,  a  bend  counterchanged, 
crest,  in  a  ducal  coronet  gold  two  pennants  first  topaz  the  other 
diamond,  staves  rubies ;  with  supporters,  two  leopards  gardant 
coward  proper.  Motto,  Fatti  maschi  parole  femine.  The  Calvert 
arms  having  previously  been  Or,  six  martlets  sable.  While  Secre- 
tary of  State,  Sir  George  Calvert  had  obtained  a  grant  of  Avalon 
in  Newfoundland,  with  most  extensive  privileges ;  he  expended 
25,000?.  upon  this  settlement,  and  visited  it  three  times  in  the 
reign  of  James  I.,  but  being  unable  longer  to  contend  against  the 
French  encroachments  he  was  obliged  at  last  to  abandon  it ;  where- 
on he  obtained  from  King  Charles  I.  the  patent  of  Maryland  to 


1  We  have  this  list  of  his  works,  given  by  Walpole,  in  his  "  Eoyal  and 
Noble  Authors:" — "  Carmen  funebre  in  dom.  Hen.  Untonum,  ad  Gallos  bis 
legatura,  ibique  nuper  fato  functum,"  1596,  quarto.  The  Earl  of  Bristol 
■wrote  an  elegy  on  the  same  occasion.  "  Speeches  in  Parliament."  "  Various 
Letters  of  State."  "The  Answer  of  Tom  Telltroth."  "The  Practice  of 
Princes,  and  Lamentations  of  the  Kirk,"  1642,  quarto.  "  Something  about 
Maryland" — not  printed. 

2  Archbishop  Abbot,  in  a  letter  to  Sir  T.  Pioe,  gives  a  different  account  of 
this  affair.  "  Mr.  Secretary  Calvert,"  saith  the  prelate,  "  hath  never  looked 
merrily  since  the  prince  his  coming  out  of  Spain  :  it  was  thought  that  he  was 
much  interested  in  the  Spanish  affaires  :  a  course  was  taken  to  rid  him  of  all 
employments  and  negotiations.  This  made  him  discontented  ;  and  as  the  say- 
ing is,  Desperatio  facit  monachum,  so  be  apparently  did  turn  papist,  which  he 
now  professeth,  this  being  the  third  time  that  he  hath  been  to  blame  that  way. 
His  Majesty,  to  dismiss  him,  suffered  him  to  resign  his  Secretary's  place  to  Sir 
Albertus  Morton,  who  paid  him  3000?.  for  the  same  ;  and  the  king  hath  made 
him  Baron  of  Baltimore,  in  Ireland  :  so  he  is  withdrawn  from  us  ;  and  having 
bought  a  ship  of  400  tons,  he  is  going  to  New  England,  or  Newfoundland, 
where  he  hath  a  colony." — L'oe's  Letters^  p.  372. 


246  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

him  and  his  heirs  for  ever,  with  the  same  title  and  royalties  as 
in  Avalon,  paying  yearly  as  acknowledgment  to  the  crown,  two 
Indian  arrows  at  Windsor  Castle  on  Easter  Tuesday,  and  the 
fifth  part  of  the  gold  and  silver  ore.  Lord  Baltimore,  however, 
died  before  this  grant  passed  the  Great  Seal,  and  his  successor 
Cecil,  the  second  Lord  Baltimore,  had  it  made  out  in  his  own 
name,  20th  of  June,  1632.  The  province  was  named  by  Charles  I., 
Maryland,  in  honour  of  his  Queen,  Henrietta  Maria.  It  was  chiefly 
a  settlement  of  Roman  Catholics.  Cecil  married  Anne,  daughter 
of  Thomas,  Lord  Arundel  of  Wardour,  and  was  succeeded  by  his 
son  John,  who  was  present  in  King  James  II.'s  Irish  Parliament 
in  1689,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Charles,  4th  baron,  who 
was  outlawed  for  high  treason  in  Ireland,  although  he  had  never 
been  in  that  kingdom.  King  William  III.  caused  the  outlawry 
to  be  reversed  in  January  1691.  He  came  into  possession  of  the 
manor  of  Horton  and  Woodcote  near  Epsom,  under  the  will  of 
Elizabeth,  widow  of  Ricbard  Evelyn,  Esq.,  who  was  brother  of 
John  Evelyn,  the  well-known  author ;  she  was  daughter  and 
heiress  of  George  Mynne,  from  whom  she  inherited  the  manors 
of  Horton  and  Ebbisham  (now  Epsom),  and  at  her  death  (s,  p.) 
she  bequeathed  the  manor  of  Epsom  to  Mr.  Parkhurst,  a  relation 
on  her  mother's  side,  and  the  manor  of  Horton  with  the  residence 
of  Woodcote  to  Charles,  Lord  Baltimore,  her  kinsman  on  her 
father's  side,  from  the  marriage  of  Sir  George  Calvert,  first  Lord 
Baltimore,  with  Anne,  daughter  of  George  Mynne  of  Herting- 
fordbury,  Herts,  from  whom  the  Mynnes  of  Surrey  were  descended. 
A  tablet  to  Mrs.  Evelyn's  memory  was  erected  by  Charles,  4th 
Lord  Baltimore  at  the  east  end  of  the  south  aisle  of  Epsom 
church,  which  bore  the  following  inscription  : — 

"  M.  S.  Elizabethse  Evelyn  relictae  Richarrli  Evelyn  de  Woodcott  Armigeri 
ex  stemmate  Mynniano  oriimd£e,  femina^  tarn  pietate  quam  hospitalitate, 
celeberrimiu,  de  Ebbisham  et  do  Horton  Doniina;.  Consanguineaj  meritis- 
simaj  Carolus  Calvert  Baro  de  Baltimore  posuit.  Obiit  anno  Christi,  astatis  63, 
mensis  Jan.  29." 

The  old  church  at  Epsom  was  pulled  down  in  1824,  and,  as 
appears  to  be  almost  invariably  the  case  under  similar  circum- 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  247 

stances,  monuments  and  inscriptions  have  disappeared,  and  this 
among  the  number.  Charles  Lord  BaUimore  died  February 
1714-15,  and  was  succeeded  by  Benedict  Leonard,  oth  baron,  who 
having  returned  to  the  established  church  in  1713,  was  elected 
afterwards  for  Harwich.  He  married  Lady  Charlotte  Lee,  eldest 
daughter  of  Edward,  1st  Earl  of  Lichiield,  from  whom  he  was 
divorced  in  1705,  and  dying  in  1715,  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son 
Charles,  6th  baron,  born  1699.  He  was  Lord  of  the  Bedchamber 
to  Frederic,  Prince  of  NV'ales,  and  was  much  in  his  confidence. 

The  following  extracts  from  Lord  Hervey  and  Horace  Walpole 
lead  to  the  conclusion,  that  the  6th  Lord  Baltimore's  character 
was  a  strange  combination  of  good  and  evil,  and  that  his  opinion 
of  his  own  abilities  was  very  much  superior  to  that  expressed  of 
him  by  George  11. 

Lord  Hervey  relates,  in  1735,  that  Lord  Baltimore  (who  was 
then  one  of  the  Lords  of  the  Bedchamber  to  Frederic,  Prince  of 
Wales),  was  employed  by  that  prince  to  negotiate  the  parting 
between  himself  and  Miss  Vane,  and  that  "  Miss  Janssen,  sister 
to  Lord  Baltimore's  wife  (a  very  dexterous  lady),"  had  been  em- 
ployed in  the  same  affair.  Also  in  1737,  in  quoting  a  conver- 
sation about  the  prince  and  his  advisers,  Lord  Hervey  says,  "  The 
King  went  on  saying,  'There  is  my  Lord  Carnarvon,  a  hot- 
headed, passionate,  half-witted  coxcomb,  with  no  more  sense 
than  his  master;  there  is  Townshend,  a  silent,  proud,  surly, 
wrong-headed  booby ;  there  is  my  Lord  North,  a  very  good  poor 
creature,  but  a  very  weak  man  ;  there  is  my  Lord  Baltimore, 
who  thinks  he  understands  everything,  and  understands  nothing, 
who  wants  to  be  well  with  both  courts,  and  is  well  at  neither ; 
and,  entre  nous,  is  a  little  mad  ;' "  &c.  &c.  Although  Horace 
Walpole's  estimate  of  Lord  Baltimore  does  not  appear  on  the 
whole  to  have  been  favourable,  he  sums  up  his  character  in  the 
following  words : — "  Lord  Baltimore  is  the  best  and  honestest  man 
in  the  world,  with  a  good  deal  of  jumbled  knowledge ;  but  is  not 
capable  of  conducting  a  party."  The  word  "honest"  would 
certainly  be  misapplied  to  the  circumstances  here  recorded 
antecedent  to  his  marriage. 


248  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Lord  Baltimore  represented  the  county  of  Surrey  for  some 
time,  and  in  1734  he  was  elected  for  St.  Germains,  in  Cornwall ; 
in  1736  he  was  constituted  Warden  of  the  Stannaries ;  in  1740 
Steward  of  the  Manor  of  Kennington,  in  Surrey ;  in  1741  Com- 
missioner of  the  Admiralty ;  which  he  resigned  in  1745,  and  was 
made  Cofferer  of  the  Household  to  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and 
Surveyor-General  of  the  Duchy  Lands  in  Cornwall.  His  principal 
residence  was  at  Woodcote,  in  the  county  of  Surrey,  one  mile 
from  Epsom,  his  London  residence  was  Rosslyn  House,  corner  of 
Russell  Square  and  Guildford  Street.  He  died  the  24th  of  April, 
1751,  having  married,  as  before  stated,  the  20th  of  July,  1730, 
Mary,  daughter  of  Sir  Theodore  Janssen,  Bart.,  who  died  at 
Chaillot,  near  Paris,  25th  of  March,  1770. 

It  is  recorded  that  Benedict  Leonard,  brother  of  Charles,  6th 
baron,  M.  P.  for  Harwich,  and^goveriior  oF^Maryland,  died  on 
his  passage  home  the  1st  of  June,  1732 ;  Edward  Henry,  the 
third  brother,  was  appointed  Commissary-General  and  President 
of  the  Council  of  Maryland.  The  date  and  place  of  his  death 
does  not  appear,  but  his  widow  married,  in  1741,  James  Fitz- 
gerald, Esq.  There  was  also  a  fourth  brother,  Cecil,  a  twin  with 
Charlotte,  born  November  1702.  Charlotte  married  Thomas 
Brerewood,  Esq.,  and  Jane  married  John  Hyde,  Esq.  of  Kingston 
Lisle  in  Berkshire,  a  fact  which  is  neither  recorded  by  Nicholl  nor 
Burke,  although  the  latter  mentions  the  marriage  of  Charlotte 
to  Mr.  Brerewood.  There  is  little  doubt  that  the  husband  of 
Charlotte  Calvert  was  Thomas,  the  grandson  of  Sir  Robert 
Brerewood  of  Place  House,  Horton,  near  Windsor  ;  while  the 
husband  of  Jane  Calvert  (the  early  friend  of  Mary  Granville) 
was  John  Hyde,  of  the  family  of  Hyde  of  Dench worth  and 
Kingston-Lisle,  Berkshire.  She  was  buried  in  the  ancient 
Chapter  House  of  Westminster  Abbe}',  under  a  stone  upon 
which  was  the  following  inscription : — 

"  The  Hon,  Jane  Hyde,  daughter  of  Benedict,  Lord  Baltimore,  by  Charlotte, 
daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Litchfield,  and  relict  of  John  Hyde,  of  Kingston-Lysle, 
in  Berkshire.   Died  the  15th  of  July,  1778,  aged  74." 

The   editor   has   as   yet   only  been  able  to  trace  one  of  the 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  249 

descendants  of  Jane  Hyde,  viz.  Katherine,  who  is  mentioned  in 
"Burke's  Commoners"  as  the  daughter  of  Colonel  Hyde,  and 
OT;and-daughter_  of  Lord  Baltimore,  and  who  married  Thomas, 
the  son  of  Henry  Willis,  whose  son  was  John  Willis  Fleming, 
of  Stoneham  Park,  Hampshire.  That  the  above  Katherine  was 
a  younger  child  of  Jane  Hyde,  is  proved  by  the  will  of  Charles, 
6th  Lord  Baltimore,  who  left  1000^.  to  Mary,  Jane,  Philip, 
and  Katherine,  the  younger  children  of  his  sister,  Jane  Hyda 
Barbara,  the  youngest  child  of  Benedict  Leonard,  Lord  Balti- 
more, bom  November,  1704,  died  in  infancy.  Charles,  6th^ 
Lord  Baltimore,  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Frederic,  7th 
baron.  Bom  loth  February,  1732,  to  whom  His  Royal  High- 
ness the  Prince  of  Wales  and  the  Duke  of  Richmond  were 
godfathers,  and  the  Princess  Royal  godmother.  He  married  in 
1753,  Lady  Diana  Egerton  (daughter  of  Scroop,  Duke  of  Bridge- 
water),  who  died  18th  August,  1758.  It  appears  that  this 
nobleman  did  not  do  any  credit  to  his  royal  sponsors  or  his 
noble  lineage.  After  the  death  of  Lady  Diana  he  acquired  an 
unhappy  celebrity,  and  was  the  subject  of  a  trial  about  a 
Quakeress,  in  1768  ;  but  although  he  was  acquitted,  he  sold  his 
estate  of  Woodcote,  and  left  the  country  soon  afterwards.  He 
published  a  "Tour  to  the  East,"  in  1763  and  1764,  with 
"  Remarks  on  the  City  of  Constantinople  and  the  Turks  ;"  also, 
"  Select  Pieces  of  Oriental  Wit,  Poetry,  and  Wisdom,^'  in  the 
preface  to  which  he  says  that  "  every  traveller  is  singular  in  his 
observations,  all  men  not  having  the  same  genius.  He  was 
brought  up  at  Eton,  and  wrote  these  journals  for  his  own 
private  amusement.  He  is  included  by  Walpole  in  his  "  Royal 
and  Noble  Authors,"  who  remarks  that  these  "  Travels"  prove 
a  well-known  truth,  that  "  a  man  may  travel  without  observa- 
tion, and  be  an  author  without  ideas." 

Frederic,  the  last  Lord  Baltimore  died  at  Naples  the  4th  Sep- 
tember, 1771.  His  will  was  written  in  Italian  and  English. 
His  remains  were  brought  to  England,  and  interred  in  Epsom 
church  with  great  pomp,  the  cavalcade  extending  from  the 
church  to  the  eastern  extremity  of  Epsom.     He  left  two  sisters, 


250  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

Caroline,  married  to  Robert  Eden,  Esq.,  and  Louisa  married  a 
member  of  the  Browning  family :  she  resided  at  Horton  Lodge, 
on  part  of  the  Horton  manor,  left  to  her  by  her  father,  the  6th 
lord.  The  manor  of  Horton  with  Woodcote,^  was  purchased 
by  Mr.  Monk,  and  resold  four  times,  the  last  purchaser  being 
Lewis  Tessier,  Esq.,  a  merchant  of  London,  who  died  181  J.  It 
then  became  the  property  of  his  son,  the  Baron  de  Tessier,  to 
whom  that  title  was  granted  by  Louis  XVIII.  in  1819,  as  the 
lineal  descendant  of  Tessier,  Baron  de  Marguerites,  and  Mar- 
quis de  La  Game,  in  Languedoc.  It  is  now  (1860)  the  pro- 
perty and  residence  of  Mr.  Brooks,  M.P.  for  Weymouth. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  OrantnUe. 

Pall  Mall,  4th  April,  1730. 

Your  last  was  more  than  commonlv  welcome,  because  it 
brought  me  the  good  news  of  my  mother's  being 
perfectly  well.  I  heartily  wish  she  may  continue  so, 
and  that  this  fine  weather  will  tempt  her  to  use  exercise. 
Dr.  HoUins  says  if  people  would  be  convinced  of  the 
real  service  exercise  and  hartshorn  would  do  them,  they 
would  not  so  much  neglect  such  easy  medicines  :  he 
prescribes  two  or  three  hundred  drops  to  be  taken  in  a  day. 
Pray  what  makes  your  neighbour  disagreeable?  Is  it 
matrimony  has  had  that  effect  ?  I  suspect  it ;  in  short, 
my  conduct  will  be  justified,  for  had  I  married,  by  this 
time  I  had  been  good  for  nothing.  I  honour  Primitive 
Xtxanity^  and  desire  you  will  let  him  know  as  much 
when  next  you  see  him.     Children  and  cards  are  amuse- 


^  Woodcote.  Piobert  Talbot,  Doctor  Gale  and  Iforsley,  snppcise  the  station 
round  Novio  Magus  to  have  been  situated  at  or  near  Woodcote,  or  Woodcote 
Warren,  where  foundations  of  old  buildings,  Eoman  coins,  urns,  and  bricks, 
have  been  discovered. — Brayley's  JHstory  of  Surrey,  vol.  i. 

*  Probably  a  nickname. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  251 

ments  pretty  much  alike ;  ttey  are  what  you  oftener  lose 
than  gain  by.  I  will  tell  Mrs.  Badge  what  my  mama 
desires  me,  but  I  fear  it  will  be  to  no  purpose,  for  my  Lord 
Arran  has  settled  the  payments  for  every  half  year,  and 
will  not  alter  them. 

I  think  Sophonisba^  much  superior  to  Timoleon,  for 
that  play  has  nothing  tolerable  in  the  language  but  what 
is  said  by  Timoleon,  and  the  poet  owes  all  his  sentiments 
to  Plutarch's  life  of  that  hero.  Sophonisba  is  a  character 
that  can  never  be  made  agreeable  ;  that  extravagance  of 
love  for  her  country,  had  it  been  softened  by  a  little 
tenderness,  wo'uld  have  been  more  moving ;  and  had  she 
loved  Massinissa,  I  should  have  esteemed  her  a  worthier 
woman  ;  but,  as  it  is,  I  have  no  manner  of  compassion 
for  her,  and  am  only  pleased  with  Scipio's  character,  and 
have  a  little  pity  for  Massinissa.  The  language  is  sublime, 
and  I  think  excels  any  play  we  have  had  a  great 
while. 

This  afternoon  I  expect  Mrs.  Donnellan.  We  are  to 
settle  our  rural  ramble,  and  believe  we  shall  set  forward 
on  Wednesday.  Her  cough  is  still  very  bad,  and  she 
has  been  confined  to  her  house  ever  since  her  sister  went. 
She  hopes  that  "  dear  Miss  Granville,  who  so  well  knows 


1  Sophonisba,  a  tragedy  by  James  Thomson,  was  perfonned  in  London  in  the 
year  1729.  The  original  cast  of  the  characters  was,  Massinissa,  Mr.  Wilka ; 
Syphax,  Mr.  Mills  ;  Narva,  Mr.  Roberts ;  Scipio,  Mr.  Williams  ;  Lselius,  Mr. 
Bridgewater ;  Sophonisba,  Mrs.  Oldfield ;  Phcpnissa,  Mrs.  Roberts.  This 
tragedy  was  soon  afterwards  printed  and  published  with  a  dedication  to  Queen 
Caroline,  who  had  honoured  its  representation  with  her  especial  patronage. 
See  Murdoch's  Complete  Edition  of  Thomson's  Works,  in  4  vols.,  12mo. 
Millar,  1766.  Thomson's  Tragedy  of  "  Sophonisba"  was  first  brought  out  in 
1727.  Dr.  Johnson  relates,  in  his  life  of  that  poet,  that  "  Sophonisba  raised 
such  exj)ectations,  that  every  rehearsal  was  dignified  with  a  splendid  audience, 
collected  to  anticipate  the  delight  that  was  preparing  for  the  public."  To  one 
of  these  rehearsals  Mrs.  Pendarves  alludes  in  1726. 


252  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

the  sorrow  that  attends  parting  friends,  will  excuse 
her  omitting  so  long  answering  the  most  obliging, 
agreeable  letter  that  ever  was  received ;  she  is  a  very  bad 
scribe  (she  says),  but  will,  as  soon  as  she  has  spirits 
enough,  make  her  own  apology."  You  chide  me  for  not 
saying  enough  of  myself.  Why,  generally  I  gorge  you 
with  the  subject.  As  for  my  countenance,  I  cannot  say 
much  in  its  commendation ;  it  is  somewhat  thinner  and 
paler  than  usual,  and  my  complexion  is  altered,  but  I  can 
give  myself  the  air  of  saying  it  is  "  owing  to  my  fever  ,•" 
though  alas  !  thirty  years  is  enough  to  wear  off  bloom,  and 
I  must  submit  to  be  tarnished  by  tim^.  The  richest 
metal  endures  the  same,  but  to  those  that  understand 
the  right  use  of  life,  it  is  not  now  of  less  value !  May 
that  be  my  lot !  and  /  believe  it  will :  I  eat  heartily,  and 
I  sleep  and  divert  myself  as  much  as  I  am  able.  I  have 
not  seen  Piggy  since  I  came  to  town,  but  I  have  been  to 
blame,  but  have  not  been  able  to  help  it. 

Last  Thursday  I  went  to  the  ridotto.  I  was  engaged 
to  go  with  my  cousins  Graham  and  Granville,  and  my  Lady 
Lansdown  being  of  the  party,  I  shuffled  me  off,  and  was 
resolved  to  go,  though  it  was  with  some  difficulty  ;^  and 
that  she  might  not  think  me  destitute  of  company,  I  got 
one  of  the  Bramstons.^    The  hour  it  begins  is  nine  ;  polite 


''  *  It  appears  that  Mrs.  Pendarves  put  a  force  upon  herself,  and  determined  to 
appear  in  public  at  the  ridotto  on  hearing  that  Lady  Lansdown  was  to  be 
there,  lest  she  should  attribute  her  absence  to  its  real  cause,  viz.,  her  sufferings 
in  consequence  of  the  breach  with  Lord  Baltimore. 

'  The  connection  of  the  Bramston  family  with  the  Carterets  (subsequent  to 
the  date  of  this  letter),  was  iu  consequence  of  the  widow  of  Thynne  Worsley, 
brother  of  Frances,  first  wife  of  Lord  Carteret,  having  married  Edmund  Bram- 
ston, gentleman-usher  to  the  Princess  Dowager  of  Wales,  a  descendant  of  Sir 
John  Bramston,  Chief  Justice  of  England  in  1635,  whose  wife's  grandmother, 
Elizabeth,  was  the  twentieth  daughter  of  Sir  William  Loch,  Lord  Mayor  of 
London. 


OF  MES.  DELANY.  253 

company  does  not  come  till  eleven  :  I  was  between  both, 
and  went  at  ten.  The  room  is  set  out  in  the  same  manner 
as  for  the  masquerade ;  it  is  the  most  entertaining  sort 
of  assembly,  because  you  are  at  liberty  to  wander  about 
as  much  as  you  please,  and  there  is  dancing,  tea,  coffee, 
chocolate,  and  all  sorts  of  sweetmeats.  Most  of  the 
ladies  were  in  great  distress  for  partners,  for  the  great- 
est part  of  the  clever  men  are  gone  to  Newmarket.  I 
did  not  think  of  dancing ;  but  my  cousin  Graham,  with 
something  more  of  civility  than  his  mother-in-law,^  told 
me  he  had  reserved  himself  for  me,  and  I  could  not  resist 
the  temptation.  An  Irish  lord,  whose  name  1  have  forgot, 
danced  with  Miss  Granville,  and  Sir  Richard  Mead,  an 
Irish  baronet,  danced  with  Mrs.  Graham.'*  There  was  a 
prodigious  crowd,  they  danced  till  half  an  hour  after  one. 
How  can  you  suppose  that  music  and  I  are  foes ! 
No  ;  I  love  it  as  well  as  ever,  but  don't  meet  with 
it  so  much  as  I  could  wish.  Operas  are  dying,  to 
my  great  mortification.  Yesterday  I  was  at  the  re- 
hearsal of  a  new  one ;  it  is  composed  of  several  songs 
out  of  Italian  operas  ;  but  it  is  very  heavy  to  Mr. 
Handel's.  Mrs.  Donnellan  has  not  sung  a  great  while,  for 
fear  of  straining  her  lungs.  Mrs.  Clayton  got  very  well 
as  far  as  Lancashire ;  they  have  not  heard  but  once.  If 
my  brother  made  all  your  compliments  to  my  Lord 
Lansdowne,  I  think  it  is  sufficient.  Poor  Lady  Betty 
Lee^  is  very  much  to  be  pitied,  for  she  is  left  with  three 


'  "  His  motJier-in-law"  was  Lady  Lansdown. 

2  It  appears  that  at  this  period  it  was  the  custom  for  ladies  to  be  engaged  to  | 
the  same  partner  to  dance  the  whole  evening. 

'  Lady  Betty  Lee,  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Lichfield,  aunt  of  Lord  Baltimore 
and  ^\adow  of  Colonel  Lee,  was  married  in  1731  to  Dr.  Edward  Young,  author 
of  the  "  Night  Thoughts." 


254  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

children  to  maintain,  and  not  a  farthing  to  support  her. 
I  am  really  very  sorry  for  her.  Mr.  Yate^  sent  here  to- 
day to  know  if  I  had  any  commands  to  Gloucester  ;  had 
he  called,  perhaps  I  had  honoured  him  with  a  commission. 
The  book  tells  you  how  to  polish  your  work.  I  have 
not  polished  any  yet ;  when  I  do  it  will  be  by  book. 
What  have  you  done  with  my  poor  stools?  I  shall 
bring  work  down  with  me,  I  promise  you,  for  I  intend 
not  to  be  idle. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  Granville. 

Richmond,  26  April,  1730. 

I  find  it  is  in  vain  for  me  to  disguise  any  of  my 
actions,  since  you  have  such  exact  intelligence.  You  may 
hear  of  private  walks,  two  struggling  damsels  losing 
their  way  in  a  wood,  but  what  of  all  this  ?  Our  shepherds 
being  creatures  of  consequence  were  obliged  to  quit  us  and 
our  rural  pleasures  for  the  city,  where  nothing  reigns  but 
noise  and  impertinence,  and  we  have  not  heard  of  them 
since  they  went  away  on  Tuesday  morning.  Never  did 
people  live  with  more  tranquillity ;  we  enjoy  everything 
in  perfection  without  hurry  or  trouble.  Last  Wednesday 
we  went  by  water  to  Bushy  Park,  which  is  the  sweetest 
place  I  ever  beheld.  Such  charming  fine  spreading  trees 
with  banks  of  turf  round  them,  to  invite  you  to  partake 
of  their  shade,  canals  in  several  forms,  cascades,  and  turf 
that  always  looks  verdant.    How  often  have  I  wished  for 


'  Walter  Yate,  Esq.,  of  Hook  House,  in  the  parish  of  BromesVarrow, 
Gloucestershire,  and  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  county  militia.  He  married 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Charles  Dowdeswell,  Esq.,  of  Forthampton  Court,  and 
had  two  children  who  died  young.     Colonel  Yate  died  12th  December,  1744. 


OP  MRS.  DELANY.  265 

you  since  my  being  here  !  Sometimes  we  walk  out  with- 
out design  of  going  to  any  particular  place,  and  never 
fail  of  discovering  some  new  agreeable  prospect.  The 
day  before  yesterday  we  went  to  see  the  remains  of  the 
Clarendon  Gardens  and  the  woods  my  mother  remem- 
bers so  flourishing ;  it  would  make  her  melancholy  were 
she  to  see  it  now !  Nothing  is  left  of  the  house  but  a 
few  walls  that  the  fire  spared ;  the  gardens  are  pretty,  in 
the  old  taste.  The  most  refined  pleasures  are  of  the 
shortest  duration ;  for,  alas  !  all  these  delightful  places  we 
must  leave  I  doubt  on  Monday  or  Tuesday  ;  for  Mr. 
Wesley  ^  has  desired  Miss  Donellan  to  go  with  him 
and  his  lady  to  the  Spaw.  They  are  to  be  in  London 
the  2nd  of  May,  and  intend  setting  forward  on  their 
journey  in  a  fortnight  after.  This  hastens  our  going  to 
town. 

I  believe  my  brother  Granville  will  be  in  London  the 
latter  end  of  next  week. 

The  Bishop  of  Killala  is  now  waiting  at  Chester  to 
go  back  in  the  yatch  that  brings  my  Lord  Lieutenant 
over.  I  suppose  my  cousin  Graham  will  be  preparing 
for  Hibernia,  he  seemed  determined  to  go  the  beginning 
of  May.  The  next  letter  you  receive  from  me  will  be 
dated  from  Pall  Mall. 

Before  I  conclude  I  must  set  you  right  in  an  error 
that  you  have  committed.     You  give  me  Celadon  and 


1  Richard  CoUey,  Esq.,  second  son  of  Henry  Colley,  Esq.,  of  Castle  Carbery, 
by  Mary,  only  daughter  of  Sir  William  Usher,  succeeded,  23rd  Sept.  1728,  to 
the  estates  of  his  cousin,  Garrett  ^Yesley,  Esq.,  of  Dangan,  county  Meath, 
and  assumed  the  name  and  arms  of  Wesley,  and  was  created  Baron  of 
Moruington,  9th  July,  1746.  He  married,  23rd  Dec.  1719,  Elizabeth, 
eldest  daughter  of  John  Sale,  LL.D.,  and  died  31st  January,  1758,  being  suc- 
ceeded by  his  only  son  Garrett,  who  was  created  Viscount  Wellesley  and  Earl 
of  Mornington,  20th  October,  1760. 


256  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Hylas  to  Sylvia  (so  is  my  friendly  shepherdess  called) ; 
it  is  just  the  reverse,  I  declare  myself  for  Hylas. 

Yours, 
Hermana. 
I  doubt  you  will  think  this  letter  very  circum  floribus. 

The  recollections  of  Mary  Granville  and  her  mother,  of  the 
Clarendon  Gardens  in  their  beauty,  as  alluded  to  in  this  letter, 
were  of  course  prior  to  1715,  when  the  Granville  family  left  London 
on  account  of  political  troubles.  Hyde  the  Earl  of  Rochester 
of  that  day  was  the  father  of  the  celebrated  Duchess  of  Queens- 
bury,  so  often  alluded  to  in  these  letters,  the  cousin  of  Mary 
Granville,  and  of  whom  she  saw  so  much  in  her  early  childhood  as 
well  as  in  later  life.  It  appears  from  Walpole's  correspondence 
that  Queen  Anne  had  bestowed  the  rangership  of  Richmond  New 
Park  on  her  relations,  the  Hydes,  for  three  lives,  one  of  which  was 
expired.  King  George,  fond  of  shooting,  bought  out  the  term  of 
the  last  Earl  of  Clarendon  and  his  son  Lord  Combury  for  5000?. 
and  frequently  shot  there. 

The  park  had  run  to  great  decay  under  the  Hydes.  The  Earl 
of  Rochester,  who  succeeded,  1723,  to  the  title  of  Clarendon,  on 
the  extinction  of  the  elder  branch,  had  a  villa  close  outside  the 
park,  which  was  burnt  down  in  1721,  and  only  one  wing  left. 
W.  Stanhope,  1st  Earl  of  Harrington,  who  died,  1756,  purchased 
the  ruins  and  built  the  house  since  bought  by  Lord  Camelford, 
from  whom  it  was  bought  in  1790,  by  William  IV.,  then  Duke  of 
Clarence. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville. 

Northend,  19th  May,  1730. 

Nothing  can  be  more  beautiful  than  this  garden  is  at 
present,  and  what  endears  it  more  to  me,  is  the  remem- 
brance of  having  walked  over  it  with  you.  Every  tree  you 
liked  is  a  favourite,  particularly  the  oranges ;  had  you 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  257 

taken  a  fancy  to  the  nettles,  I  verily  believe  I  should 
have  preferred  them  to  jessamine.  I  came  here  last 
Saturday,  as  I  writ  yoii  word  I  intended.  Sir  John  is 
very  kind,  desires  me  to  make  his  compliments,  and  is 
very  much  obliged  to  mama  for  the  lampre^^s.  Our 
friends  at  Gloucester  are  always  remembered  in  the  grace 
cup.  I  left  Mrs.  Viney  in  town  as  busy  as  a  bee.  I 
was  very  sorry  I  could  not  have  more  of  her  company, 
but  Sir  John  had  sent  for  me  so  often  that  I  was  afraid 
he  would  take  it  ill  of  me,  and  I  had  promised  him  to 
stay  this  month  at  Northend  with  him.  I  design  to  go  to 
town  to  see  Mrs.  Viney  before  she  leaves  it,  and  am  then 
to  return  to  Northend  till  I  can  contrive  to  go  further. 

Mrs.  Donnellan  would  have  been  glad  to  have  had  a 
letter  from  you  before  she  went.  When  I  write  to  her  I 
will  make  your  compliments,  but  I  shall  not  see  her,  for 
she  goes  on  Thursday  next. 

You  have  your  w4sh  :  the  birds,  the  breezes,  and  all 
things  conspire  to  make  this  place  the  seat  of  pleasure 
and  delight,  but  wanting  you  I  can't  enjoy  them  in  per- 
fection, and  prefer  a  certain  old  mansion  dark  and  gloomy 
to  this  house,  finished  with  the  utmost  art ;  and  the 
twirling  of  that  malt  mill '  has  more  charms  for  me  than 
all  the  nightingales  that  are  now  singing  near  my 
window.  When  I  see  Bellenden  I  will  tell  your  odd 
piece  of  news :  strange  indeed  that  a  brisk  widow  with 
seven  thousand  pounds  hard  money,  should  take  a  lawyer 
that  has  nothing  at  all ;  but  I  hear  the  report  is  false. 
Ned  Stanley'^  is  soon  to  be  married  to  a  Miss  Ward,  a  rich 


*  Alluding   to  a  mill   in   the   neighbouriiood  of  her   mother's  house,  at 
Gloucester. 
2  "  Ned  Stanley"  afterwards  Sir  Edward  Stanley. 
VOL.  I.  8 


258  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

bookseller's  daughter :  he  is  so  diligent  in  his  attendance 
on  his  mistress,  that  there  is  no  getting  at  him. 

On  Saturday  morning  Mrs.  Monck  was  brought  to 
bed  of  a  daughter.  Sunday  evening  Sir  Eobert  Sutton 
and  his  lady  made  us  a  visit  here.  Sir  Bob  looks  very  ill, 
he  has  had  a  very  severe  fit  of  the  gout.  Yesterday 
morning  Mr.  Edgcumbe^  did  himself  the  honour  to  wait 
upon  me  :  he  was  mightily  pleased  with  this  place.  Sir 
John  has  been  very  much  out  of  order  these  three  or 
four  days  ;  it  is,  I  doubt,  a  return  of  his  fever.  When  I 
do  come  among  you,  I  hope  to  find  you  all  in  perfect 
health  and  well  supplied  with  spirits,  for  I  do  want  a 
recruit,  though  God  forbid  I  should  take  from  you  to 
make  up  my  own  defects  !  I  don't  believe  my  spirits  are 
exhausted,  they  only  lie  dormant  and  they  will  revive 
at  your  irresi  stable  call ;  I  shall  give  myself  over  for  a 
lost  thing,  if  that  does  not  do.  Considering  I  am  not  in 
a  place  of  great  variety,  I  think  I  have  now  behaved 
myself  handsomely,  and  if  my  speeches  when  I  come  to 
you  are  in  proportion  as  long  as  my  letters,  you'll  say 
"when  will  the  eternal  'laruin  cease?" 


*  Edgcumbe,  of  Mount  Edgcumbe,  in  the  parish  of  Cheriton  Fitz  Payne, 
Devonshire,  related  by  marriage  to  most  of  the  old  families  of  the  western 
counties.  Piers  Edgcumbe,  Esq.,  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Sir  John  Glan- 
vil,  of  Broad  Hinton,  Wiltshire.  'I'heir  eldest  daughter  married  Sir  Baynl.am 
Throckmorton,  Bart.,  of  Totworth,  Gloucestershire ;  the  youngest  married 
Thomas,  1st  Earl  of  Coventry.  Sir  Richard  Edgcumbe,  Knight  of  the  Bath, 
eldest  son  of  Piers  Edgcumbe,  and  like  him  a  zealous  royalist,  married  the 
Lady  Anne  Montagu,  daughter  of  Edward,  Earl  of  Sandwich.  Sir  Richard 
died  in  1688.  His  widow  survived  him  until  1729.  Their  son  Richard,  1st 
Lord  Mount  Edgcumbe,  and  their  five  daughters,  were  contemporaries  and 
associates  of  Mary  Granville  during  the  early  part  of  her  life.  Mr.  (afterwards 
Lord  Mount)  Edgcumbe  was  member  for  Cornwall  in  the  time  of  King 
William,  and  he  sat  for  other  places  during  the  remainder  of  that  reign  and 
iu  the  beginning  of  Queen  Anne. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  259 

From  the  allusions  in  this  letter  to  her  sister's  favourite  trees  at 
Northend,  it  would  appear  that  they  had  been  there  together 
within  a  recent  period,  and  as  no  letter  has  been  found  with  an 
announcement  of  Lady  Stanley's  death,  it  is  probable  that  Ann 
Granville  was  in  London  at  that  time,  and  the  cessation  of  corre- 
spondence from  the  7th  of  February  to  the  4th  of  April,  confirms 
this  supposition. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  OranviUe. 

Northend,  27th  May,  1730. 

Once  more  I  must  write  to  my  dearest  sister  from  this 
enchanting  place.  This  afternoon  I  go  to  town  to  pack 
up  some  things  I  am  to  send  by  the  carrier  to  a  certain 
place  called  Gloucester.  Sir  John  will  be  in  town  on 
Sunday ;  his  holiday  will  be  then  expired,  and  he  must 
return  to  his  drudgery — such  is  the  Custom-house  : 
indeed,  I  pity  him,  notwithstanding  the  income  of  that 
place,  to  be  forced  to  leave  this  delightful  retreat  that  he 
has  30  much  reason  to  doat  on  as  he  does.  To  a  man  of 
genius  and  contemplation  nothing  can  be  more  suitable. 
Sometimes  he  is  obliged  to  undergo  the  inconvenience 
you  complain  of,  of  an  inundation  of  people  breaking  in 
on  his  soliloquies,  but  that,  in  my  opinion,  only  serves 
to  heighten  the  pleasure  of  the  place  when  they  are  gone. 

Without  a  little  pain  now  and  then,  the  happiness  of 
ease  would  not  be  so  much  known ;  in  short,  we  must 
submit  to  cloudy  weather  sometimes,  and  not  grumble. 
We  have  reason  to  be  thankful  that  the  sun  ever  shines 
when  we  consider  what  noxious  vapours  the  world 
produces  to  interpose  between  us  and  his  brightness. 
You'll  say  I  have  chosen  hard  terms ;  but  you  must  know 
T  have  lately  conversed,  by  the  help  of  inimitable  Fonte- 

s  2 


2(30  LIFE  AND  COKEESFONDENCE 

nelle,  with  the  planets ;  nothing  ever  was  so  delightfully 
entertaining  as  well  as  instructive  as  his  Plurality  of 
Worlds.  What  a  charming  place  is  the  moon !  but 
although  I  have  formed  a  very  advantageous  idea  of  that 
agreeable  planet,  I  shall  not  envy  its  inhabitants  when  I 
am  with  mi/  star, — that  presides  over  all  my  actions, 
and  influences  me  to  virtue.  When  do  you  think  will 
that  be  ?  Why,  on  the  —  of  next  month.  Ned  Stanley 
dined  here  to-day  for  the  first  time  since  his  time  of 
courtship  began.  It  sits  very  easy  upon  him,  and  well 
it  may,  for  they  say  his  mistress  will  be  worth  fourteen 
thousand  pounds.  I  am  very  glad  of  it.  I  think  him 
an  honest  man,  and  not  likely  to  increase  his  fortune  by 
the  common  tricks  of  the  law.  I  am  to  sup  with  Mrs. 
Bellenden  to-night,  and  I  hope  on  Tuesday  night  to  do 
the  same  with  my  dearest  mama  and  sister  ;  for  on 
Monday  morning  the  first  day  of  June  (God  willing)  I 
will  embark  for  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  It  is  with 
some  difficulty  that  I  have  kept  this  piece  of  news  so 
long  a  secret.  I  have  intended  it  about  a  fortnight ;  but 
so  many  things  happen  between  the  cup  and  the  lip  that 
I  would  not  venture  to  write  till  I  was  sure  of  it. 

Mrs.  Pendarves's  visit  to  her  mother  is  here  announced  as  in- 
tended to  take  place  1st  of  June,  and  the  correepondence  ceases 
with  her  sister  after  this  letter  (27th  of  May,  1730)  for  five  months. 


The  following  letter  is  endorsed  in  Mrs.  Granville's  hand- 
writing, "  Account  of  Mrs.  Elstob's  letter — showed  to  the  Queen,'' 
and  in  another  hand,  *' History  of  poor  Miss  Andrews."  It  is 
evident  that  the  history  of  Miss  Andrews,  though  on  a  separate 
slieet  of  paper,  was  written  by  Mrs.  Pendarves  at  the  same  time. 
The  date,  at  the  commencement  of  the  first  sheet,  is  15th  Oct. 
1730.     It  may  here  be  desirable  to  give  some  particulars  of  Mrs. 


OF  MRS.  dp:lany.  261 

Elstob  whose  case  excited  so  much  sympatliy  un  the  part  of  Queen 
Caroline,  and  which  appeared  in  the  2nd  edition  of  the  Bio- 
graphia  Britannica,  1798. 

Elizabeth   Elstob  was  born  at  Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  in  1683. 
She  was  the  sister  of  William  Elstob,  a  divine  and  antiquary,  who 
was  appointed  rector  of  the  united  parishes  of  St.  Swithin  and  St. 
Mary  Bothaw,  London,  where  he  continued  to  his  death.     This 
appears  to  be  the  only  ecclesiastical  preferment  he  ever  obtained. 
He  was  a  celebrated  Anglo-Saxon  scholar.     The  most  considerable 
of  his   designs    was  an  edition  of  the    Saxon  Laws,   with   great 
additions,  and  a  new  Latin  Version  by  Somner,    together    with 
notes   of  various  learned  men,  and  a  Prefatory   History   of  the 
Origin  and  Progress  of  the  English  Laws,  down  to  the  Conqueror 
and  to  Magna  Charta.     This  great  plan  was  completed  in  1721, 
by  Dr.  David  Wilkins.     It  is  said  that  his  sister,  Elizabeth  Elstob, 
owed  the  rudiments  of  her  extraordinary  education  to  her  mother : 
of  which  advantage,  however,  she  was  soon  deprived,  for  at  the 
age  of  eight  years,  she  had  the  misfortune  of  losing  her.     Her 
guardians,   who  entertained  different  sentiments,  discouraged,  as 
much  as  they  were  able,  her  progress  in  literature,  as  improper  for 
her  sex,  but   their  efforts  were  to  no  purpose,  for  she  had  con- 
tracted   too  great  a  fondness  for  literary  studies  to  be  diverted 
from  the  prosecution  of  them.     During  her  brother's  continuance 
at  Oxford,  she  appears  to  have  resided  in  that  city,  where  she  was 
esteemed  and  respected  by  Dr.  Hudson  and  other  Oxonians.  Upon 
her  brother's  removal  to  London,  she  probably  removed  with  him, 
and  it  is  certain  that  she  assisted  him  in  his  antiquarian  under- 
takings.    The  first  public  proof  which  she  gave  of  it  was  in  1709, 
when,  upon  Mr.  Elstob's  printing   the  Homily  on  St.  Gregory's 
Day,  she  added  an  English  translation :  the  preface,  also,  was  written 
by  her,  in  which  she  answers  the  objections  made  to  female  learn- 
ing, by  producing  "  that  glory  of  her  sex,'^  as  she  calls  her,  Mrs. 
Anna  Maria  Schurman.    Mrs.  Elstob's  next  publication  was  a  trans- 
lation of  ]\Iadame  Scudery's  Essay  on  Glory.     She  assisted,  also, 
her  brother  in  an  edition  of  Gregory's  Pastoral,  which  was  pro- 
bably intended  to  have  included  both  the  original  and  Saxon  ver- 


262  LIFE  AND  CORIIESPONDENCE 

sion,  and  she  transcribed  all  the  hymns  from  an  ancient  manuscript 
in  Salisbury  cathedral.     By  the  encouragement  of  Dr.  Hickes,  she 
undertook  a  Saxon  Horailiarum,  with  an  English  translation,  notes, 
and   various   readings.       To  promote    this    design,    Mr.    Bowyer 
printed  for  her,  in  1713,  "  Some  Testimonies  of  Learned  Men  in 
favour  of  the  intended  Edition  of  the  Saxon  Homilies,  concerning 
the  learning  of  the  Author  of  those  Homilies,  and  the  Advantages 
to  be  hoped  for  from  an  Edition  of  them.     (In  a  letter  from  the 
Publisher  to  a  Doctor  in  Divinity.)"      About  the  same  time  she 
wrote  three  Letters  to  the  Lord  Treasurer,  from  which  it  appears 
that  he  solicited  and  obtained  for  her  Queen  Anne's  bounty,  a  sum 
towards  printing  the  Homilies  in  question.     Her  Majesty's  decease 
soon  deprived  Mrs.  Elstob  of  this  benefit,  and  she  was  not  other- 
wise patronized  so  as  to  be  able  to  complete  the  work.     A  few 
only  of  the  Homilies  were  actually  printed  at  Oxford,  in  folio, 
and  Mrs.  Elstob's  portrait  was  given  in  the  mitial  of  "  The  English 
Saxon  Homily  on  the  Birthday  of  St.  George."       In  1715  she 
published  a  Saxon  Grammar,  the  types  for  wliich  had  been  cut  at 
the  expense  of  the  Lord  Chief  Justice  Parker,  afterwards  Earl  of 
Macclesfield.     Mrs.  Elstob  had  other  literary  designs  in  view,  but 
was  prevented  from  the  prosecution  of  them  by  her  distressed  cir- 
cumstances and  the  want  of  due  encouragement.     After  her  bro- 
ther's death  she  was  so  far  reduced  that  she  was  obliged  to  retire 
to  Evesham  in  Worcestershire,  where  she  subsisted  witli  difficulty, 
by  keeping  a  small  school.     In  this  situation  she  experienced  the 
friendship  of  Mr.  George  Ballard  and  of  Mrs.  Capon,  wife  of  the 
P,cv.  Mr.  Capon,  who  kept  a  school  at  Stanton,  in  Gloucestershire. 
These  worthy  persons  exerted  themselves  among  their  acquaint- 
ance,  to  obtain  for  Mrs.  Elstob  some  annual  provision  ;    and  at 
length  she  was  recommended  to  Queen  Caroline,  who  granted  her 
a  pension  of  twenty  guineas  a  year."^      Mr.   Rowe  Moses   de- 
scribes her  as  having  been  "  the  undefessa  comes  of  her  brother's 
studies,  and  a  female  student  of  the  University,  and  as  having 


1  "  Tiventy  guineas  a  year.^^  According  to  the  letter  of  Mrs.  Pendarves  this 
appears  to  have  been  a  mistalsc,  as  she  says  that  Queen  Caroline  gave  100^. 
and  desired  her  to  apply  again  when  in  need  ! 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  263 

originally  possessed  a  genteel  fortune,"  which,  "  by  pursuing  too 
much  the  drug  called  learning,  she  did  not  know  how  to  manage." 
In  the  Catalogue  of  the  London  Library  there  are  two  works  of 
Mrs.  Elstob's,  viz.  "  Elizabeth  Elstob's  English  Saxon  Homily  on 
the  Birthday  of  St.  Gregory — London,  1709;"  and  "  Rudiments 
of  Grammar  for  the  English  Saxon  Tongue,  4to.,  1715." 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Upper  Brook  Street,  15th  Oct.  1730. 

My  last  letter,  my  dearest  sister,  was  so  short  and 
hasty,  that  I  cannot  do  less  than  try  to  tire  you  for  it 
now.  T  came  to  town  last  night  with  Sir  John,  and 
found  yours  and  my  brother's  letters,  for  which  my  best 
thanks  attend  you.  Considering  the  bustle  you  have 
been  in  in  removing,  you  have  been  very  good  to  me ; 
but  that's  a  point  you  never  fail  in.  I  was  diverted  at 
your  different  occupations  in  packing  up,  and  hope  all 
got  safe  to  Dowdeswell,  where  I  wish  I  could  see  how  you 
all  look  after  your  fatigue.  I  told  you  in  my  last  I  had 
left  Sally's  letter  with  Mrs.  Pointz.  She  gave  it  her 
liusband,  who  desired  the  Duke  to  read  it  to  tlie  Queen. 
The  Queen  was  so  touched  with  the  letter  that  she 
immediately  sent  for  Mrs.  Pointz,  to  inquire  into  some 
more  particulars  about  the  person  mentioned  in  it,  and 
the  person  that  wrote  it.  Mrs.  Pointz  said  she  knew  no 
more  than  what  the  letter  told,  but  that  Mrs.  Chapon^ 
was  a  friend  of  ours.  The  Queen  said  she  never  in  her 
life  read  a  better  letter,  that  it  had  touched  her  heart, 
and  ordered  immediately  an  hundred  pounds  for  Mrs. 

1  Mrs.  Chapmi.  It  appears  that  Sarah  Kirkham,  Mary  Granville's  early 
playfellow,  afterwards  Mrs.  Capon  (Chapon),  wrote  the  letter  in  favour  of  Mrs. 
Elstob  which  produced  such  an  effect  upon   Queen  Caroline.     Throughout 


261  'LIFE  AXD  CORRESPONDENCE 

Elstob,  and  said  she  "  need  never  fear  a  necessitous  old 
age  whilst  she  lived,  and  that  when  she  wanted  more  to 
ask  for  it,  and  she  should  have  it."  I  think  this  was 
acting  like  a  queen,  and  ought  to  be  known,  though 
she  ordered  that  it  should  not  be  spoken  of,  because  she 
has  many  demands  of  this  kind  that  it  is  not  possible  for 
her  to  satisfy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pointz  have  showed  so  much 
pleasure  and  readiness  in  doing  this  thing,  that  if  they 
had  no  other  merit  I  must  always  love  them  for  it,  as  I 
am  sure  you  will.  I  hope  this  may  be  a  means  of  serving 
our  friend  Sally,  her  letter  was  the  whole  discourse  of 
the  drawing-room.  The  Queen  asked  the  Duke  "  when 
he  should  be  able  to  write  such  a  letter."  He  answered, 
honestly,  "  never. ^'  Mr.  Pointz  has  asked  me  many  parti- 
culars about  Mr.  Chapon,  and  I  did  him  justice.  Mr. 
Pointz  is  so  well  pleased  with  my  account  that  he  says 
we  shall  not  rest  till  he  sends  him  a  scholar  that  may 
make  his  fortune  ;  I  gave  Mrs.  Chapon  an  account  of  my 
happy  success  last  post. 

I  had  a  letter  last  night  from  Miss  Betty  Winnington, 
with  a  melancholy  account  of  poor  Mrs.  Griffiths ;  her 
husband  lay  then  a-dying.  I  have  wrote  to  know  how 
the  poor  woman  designs  to  dispose  of  her  daughters,  that 
if  it  lies  in  my  power  any  way  to  serve  them  I  may.  I 
am  sure  you  will  not  forget  your  design  of  getting  some- 
thing for  your  god-daughter  at  the  Hereford  collection. 
Mr.  Wyndham's  steward  has  just  been  with  me ;  he  says 
there  is  two  year  and  a  half  to  come,  and  he  will  let  my 

Mary  Granville's  autobiography  and  corres^wndence  she  has  repeatedly  allndcd 
to  the  talents  of  Sarah  Kirkham,  whose  letters  would  have  been  a  most  valu- 
able addition  to  this  work.  It  is  possible  that  some  of  them  may  still  l)e  pre- 
served in  collections  as  yet  unknown  to  the  editor,  but  she  is  only  as  yet 
aware  of  a  great  number  having  been  burned  accidentally. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  265 

brother  have  it  (the  house).  I  did  not  make  a  positive 
bargain,  because  I  could  not  tell  whether  my  brother 
would  take  it  for  so  long.  If  he  takes  it  only  for  a  year 
he  can't  have  it  under  thirty-five  pounds :  it  is  certainly 
cheap  and  convenient ;  the  grate  in  the  kitchen  is  Mr. 
Wyndham's,  which  he  must  buy  if  he  will  have  it ;  if  he 
determines  to  take  it,  desire  him  to  write  to  Mr.  Edwards 
in  Great  Dean's  Yard,  Westminster,  to  say  he  agrees  to 
give  so  much  for  it,  the  time  he  takes  it  from,  and  the 
time  he  takes  it  for,  and  the  house  will  be  ready  for  his 
use  immediately  if  he  pleases.  Mr.  Edwards  knows  my 
name,  and  that  I  am  his  sister ;  if  he  does  not  care  for 
this  trouble,  let  him  bid  me  do  it,  and  I  will  obey  him. 
The  soot^  is  incomparable ;  a  thousand  thanks  for  your 
care  about  it,  pray  let  it  be  sent  the  first  opportunity,  and 
many  thanks  for  the  lamperns.  I  was  this  morning  at 
Furbers,  and  you  shall  have  sent  by  the  coach  on  Monday 
next  (directed  for  my  brother  to  be  left  at  Cold  Comfort) 
all  the  garden  things  you  wanted.  I  hope  they  will  flou- 
rish and  do  well  with  you. 

I  go  next  Monday  to  Bulstrode :  I  grieve  for  you  that 
Bunny  is  hurried  from  you  to  his  odious  q",  a  letter  went 
to  him  last  post  to  that  purpose,  I  suppose ;  but  I  hope 
he  need  not  stay  long  there.  My  brother  strangely  mis- 
took when  he  read  puppy  for  pussy  ;  pray  make  him  read 
my  letter  over  again.  I  meant  to  say  that  Sir  John  had 
two  black  kittens  for  him  to  choose  out  of.  I  think  he 
bespoke  one  for  Betty  Carter.  I  hope  mama  had  my 
letter ;  but  by  your  not  mentioning  it,  I  am  afraid  she 
had  it  not ;  but  I  beg  she  will  not  give  herself  any  pain 


1  "  The  soot "  was  probably  some  preparation  of  soot  for  the  Japan  work 
then  becominL!;  so  fashionable. 


266  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

about  answering  it,  since  she  has  so  good  a  secretary.  I 
am  glad  you  have  still  got  Miss  Graves  with  you.  My 
kind  compliments  to  her,  and  keep  her  as  long  as  you  can. 
I  have  not  seen  Colly^  a  great  while,  but  will  call  on  her 
before  I  go  to  Bulstrode.  I  am  going  to  get  ribbons, 
gloves,  and  some  more  frippery  things  for  my  journey  ;  if 
I  have  time  when  I  return,  I  will  fill  this  sheet  of  paper. 
On  Saturday  I  dine  at  Barn  Elms  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Pointz.  Good-night,  I  have  jolted  all  over  the  City,  and 
am  so  tired  I  can  only  say  I  am,  with  the  utmost  affection 
and  fidelity, 

Yours,  M.  P. 

Mrs.  Pendarves  mentions  in  this  letter,  that  she  was  going  to 
Bulstrode,  and  as  a  period  again  occurs  from  this  date  of  15th 
of  October,  1730,  to  May  27th,  1731,  (seven  months),  without 
any  letter  to  her  mother  or  sister,  it  may  be  inferred  that  they  were 
together  in  London  and  at  North  End. 

Account  of  Miss  Andrews. 
In  Mrs.  Pendarves  s  handwritiyig. 

I  believe  you  have  not  heard  of  the  death  of  Miss 
Andrews.  She  died  last  November,  and  after  all  the 
malice  of  the  world,  was  an  innocent,  virtuous  creature. 
She  was  pretty,  you  know,  and  much  liked,  for  which 
some  women  were  spiteful. 

About  four  years  ago  the  Prince  saw  her  walking  in 
St.  James's  Park,  inquired  who  she  was,  addressed  her, 
and  made  her  large  offers,  but  she  rejected  him  with 
contempt.  When  he  found  he  could  neither  touch  her 
heart  nor  tempt  her  vanity,  he  desisted.  Two  years 
after  that,  at  a  masquerade,  a  woman  came  up  to  him, 

1  "  Co%,"  Miss  Catherine  Collingwood. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  267 

and  called  him  "  my  Lord  Gruildford,"  upon  whicli  the 
Prince  thought  he   should  have  some  diversion  by  dis- 
covering  an   intrigue   of  my  Lord  Guildford's ;   so  he 
resolved  to  deceive  her,  and  answered  to  the  name.     She 
told  him   she   had   a  message  from  Miss  Andrews  to 
entreat  him  to  speak  to  the  Prince  in  her  behalf,  and  to 
let  him  know  the  misfortunes  she  was  reduced  to ;  that 
she  was  that  instant  going  to  be  dragged  to  a  spunging 
house ;    that    her    relations    and   friends   denied   their 
assistance  because  she  had  turned  Protestant ;  that  she 
had  wrote  to  the  Archbishops  of  York  and  Canterbury, 
and  to  my  Lord  Chancellor,  to  let  them  know  her  case, 
but  they  hud  taken  no  notice  of  her  letter,  and  that  she 
humbly  hoped  the  Prince  would  have  the  goodness  to 
represent  her  case  to  the  Queen.      The  Prince  promised 
the  mask  that  he  would  punctually  observe  her  com- 
mands ;    and   so   they   parted.      The    pleasures   of  the 
masquerade  hurried  this  affair  out  of  the  Prince's  head 
till  about  a  fortnight  after,  when  he  received  a  letter  to  tell 
him  that  my  Lord  Guildford  had  been  desired  to  speak  to 
him  in  behalf  of  Miss  Andrews,  who  was  actually  in  a 
spunging-house  somewhere  in  Fleet  Ditch.     The  Prince 
was  struck  to  the  heart  (for  he  is  both  generous  and 
good-natured)  at  his  having  been  so  neglectful  of  this 
poor  young  woman.     He  disguised  himself,  took  only 
Mr.  Cornwallis  in  a  hackney-coach,   and  went  to   the 
spunging-house.       He    enquired  if  such  a  person  was 
there,  naming  Miss  Andrews,   and  found  it  too  true. 
The  moment  he  came  into  the  room  he  dismissed  all  the 
people.     She  recollected  him,  notwithstanding  his  dis- 
guise, and  fainted  away.     As  soon  as  she  recovered,  the 
Prince  told  her  he  was  not  come  to  take  any  advantage 


268  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

of  lier  misfortunes,  but  to  assist  her  to  the  best  of  his 
power.  He  gave  her  two  hundred  pounds,  and  said  he 
would  send  her  more  next  day,  but  that  he  would  not 
visit  her  again,  for  should  it  come  to  be  known,  it  might 
do  her  an  injury.  She  threw  herself  at  his  feet,  and  was 
not  able  to  spake  a  word.  He  was  much  moved  and  did 
not  stay  long.  The  next  morning  he  sent  her  three 
hundred  pounds  more. 

Last  February,  at  a  masquerade,  the  Prince  was  walk- 
ing with  Miss  Peering,  and  a  mask  followed  her  very 
close.  When  she  quitted  the  Prince  he  came  up  to  her, 
said  he  had  a  favour  to  beg  of  her  if  she  would  give  him 
leave  to  say  a  word  or  two  out  of  the  hearing  of  anybody. 
They  sat  down  on  a  bench,  and  he  asked  her  who  that 
was  she  had  been  walking  with  ?  She  told  him  she  did 
not  know.  He  said  he  thought  it  had  been  the  Prince  ; 
and  if  it  had,  he  would  have  desired  her  to  deliver  a  mes- 
sage to  him  from  one  Miss  Andrews  that  was  now  dead ; 
but  on  her  death-bed  (last  November)  he  said  she  sent  for 
me,  and  charged  me  to  find  out  some  means  of  letting  the 
Prince  know  she  prayed  for  him  with  her  last  breath  for 
his  extraordinary  goodness  and  generosity,  for  he  had 
saved  her  from  the  greatest  misery,  and  "  she  hoped  God 
would  prosper  him  and  all  that  belonged  to  him.  She 
died  as  SDon  as  she  pronounced  these  words,  and  with  her 
all  that  was  valuable  in  life  to  me,"  which  words  the 
mask  spoke  in  an  agony  of  grief. 

The  next  morning  Mrs.  Deering  told  this  message  to 
the  Princesses  as  she  was  dressing  them,  (for  the  Prince 
had  left  the  ball-room  the  night  before,  so  that  she  could 
not  meet  with  him  again  at  dinner) .  The  Prince  always 
dines  with  them;    and   when  told  what   the   mask  had 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  269 

said  to  her,  he  burst  into  tears,  and  told  the  story 
as  I  have  related  to  you,  and  said  he  loved  her 
memory,  and  though  she  had  treated  him  with  the 
utmost  scorn  and  contempt,  he  could  not  help  admiring 
her  virtue.  I  think  this  ought  to  be  known  in  honour 
to  the  Prince  of  Wales,  though  it  was  told  me  not  to  pub- 
lish it.  You  may  depend  on  the  truth  of  it,  for  /  had  it 
from  Mrs  Deering,  and  was  extremely  touchd  at  the  re- 
lation. I  only  wish  I  could  have  transcribed  it  as  I 
heard  it. 

An  interval  here  occurs  of  seven  months  in  the  corre- 
pondence  of  Mrs.  Pendarves  with  her  sister,  Ann  Granville,  which 
period  was  probably  spent  with  her  family,  and  during  which 
tlie  following  letter  from  John  Wesley  was  written  to  Mrs- 
Granville. 


tTohn  We^cy  to  Mrs.  Granville,  at  Great  Brkkldll,  near  Stony  Stratford. 

Line.  Coll.  December  12th,  1730. 

Madam, 

Were  it  possible  for  me  to  repay  my  part  of  that 
debt  w""^'  I  can't  but  be  sensible  is  still  growing  upon 
me,  your  goodness  would  give  me  a  still  greater  plea- 
sure then  I  have  yet  experienced  from  it.  To  be  the 
instrument  of  some  advantage  to  a  person  from  whom  I 
have  received  so  much,  as  it  would  be  the  truest  instance 
of  my  gratitude,  is  the  utmost  wish  I  can  form.  But 
a  view  of  my  own  numerous  failings  checks  the  vanity 
of  this  hope,  and  tells  me  that  though  He  in  whom  I  move 
and  speak  does  not  always  require  wisdom  and  prudence, 
yet  some  degree  of  purity   he   does  always   require,   in 


270  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

those  who  would  move  or  speak  to  His  glory.  I  have 
therefore  little  reason  to  expect  that  He  will  direct  any 
motion  of  mine  to  that  end,  especially  when  the  particu- 
lar end  proposed  relates  to  one  who  is  far  advanced  in 
the  great  race  w""^  I  am  but  lately  entered  upon,  if 
indeed  I  am  entered  yet.  AVhat  shall  I  say  to  such  a 
one  as  is  almost  possest  of  the  crown,  which  I  dimly  see 
afar  off?  To  another  I  could  recommend  those  assist- 
ances w*"^  I  find  so  necessary  for  myself.  I  could  say, 
that  if  our  ultimate  end  is  the  love  of  God,  to  w""**  the 
several  particular  Christian  virtues  lead  us,  so  the  means 
leading  to  these  are  to  communicate  every  possible  time, 
and  whatsoever  we  do.  To  pray  without  ceasing ;  not  to 
be  content  with  our  solemn  devotions  whether  publick 
or  private  ;  but  at  all  times  and  in  all  places,  to  make  fer- 
vent returns  "  by  ejaculations  "  and  "  abrupt  intercourses 
of  the  mind  with  God :"  to  thrust  "  these  between  all 
our  other  employments,"  if  it  be  only  by  a  word,  a 
thought,  a  look,  always  remembering 

'*  If  I  but  lift  my  eyes,  my  suit  is  made  ! 
Thou  caa'st  no  more  not  hear,  than  Thou  can'st  die !" 

To  account  what  of  frailty  remains  after  this,  a  neces- 
sary incumbrance  of  flesh  and  blood ;  such  an  one  as  God 
out  of  his  mercy  to  us  will  not  yet  remove,  as  seeing  it 
to  be  useful  tlio'  grievous  ;  yet  still  to  hope  that  since 
we  seek  Him  "  in  a  time  when  he  may  be  found,"  before 
the  great  water-flood  hath  overwhelmed  us.  He  will  in 
his  good  time,  "  quell  the  raging  of  this  sea,  and  still  the 
waves  thereof  when  they  arise  !"  To  you,  who  know 
them  so  well,  I  can  but  just  mention  these  considerations, 
which  I  would  press  upon  another  :  yet  let  me  beg  you 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  271 

to  believe,  that  though  I  want  the  power,  I  have  the  most 
sincere  desire  of  approving  myself, 
Madam, 
Your  most  obliged  and 

Most  obedient  humble  servant, 
John  Wesley. 

My  brother  joins  with  me  in  his  best  respects  both  to 
yourself,  and  those  good  ladies  whom  we  love  to  call 
your  family. 

The  above  letter  from  the  celebrated  Wesley  proves  the  high 
estimation  in  which  the  mother  of  Mary  Granville  was  held  by  a 
man  of  whom  it  has  been  justly  observed,  that  he  **  was  one  of  the 
most  extraordinary  characters  that  ever  existed;"  whether  con- 
sidered as  a  various  and  voluminous  writer,  a  zealous  and  inde- 
fatigable preacher,  or  the  founder  of  one  of  the  most  numerous  sects 
in  the  Christian  world.  He  was  born  1703  ;  entered  as  scholar  in  the 
Charter-house  1713,  fellow  of  Lincoln  College,  Oxford,  in  1725, 
and  took  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  in  1726.  He  preached  his  first 
field-sermon  at  Bristol,  on  the  2nd  of  April,  1738,  from  which  time 
his  followers  continued  to  increase.  Although  he  chiefly  resided  in 
the  metropolis,  he  occasionally  travelled  through  every  part  of 
Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  establishing  congregations  in  each 
kingdom,  and  died  on  the  2nd  of  March,  1791,  in  the  88th  year 
of  his. age. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Northend,  27  May,  1731. 

I  believe  I  answered  every  part  of  y'  last  except  about 
mama's  takino'  Mrs'.^^arson's  house.  I  think  she  will  do 
mighty  well ;  she  wiU^have  but  a  httle  way  to  move,  and 
the  house  being  wainscoted  she  will  find  it  very  con- 


272  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

venient :  I  never  saw  the  rooms  above,  those  below  are 
cheerfull.  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  hear  she  has  taken  it. 
I  beg  ten  thousand  pardons  for  not  sooner  sending  you 
the  measure  of  the  chairs  as  you  desired  me,  but  you 
know  what  a  naughty  place  London  is :  I  hope  I  am 
now  time  enough,  I  question  if  they  can  be  made  in 
the  country  well.  Last  Sunday  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pares  dined 
here,  she  looks  very  well,  but  not  so  merry  as  she  used 
to  be.  Monday  in  the  afternoon  came  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wesley,  and  Miss  Donnellan.  S'  John  Stanley  received 
them,  and  showed  great  civility,  as  is  his  nature.  They 
were  mightily  pleased ;  it  was  a  lovely  day :  we  walked  a 
great  deal,  and  going  abroad  has  improved  Mrs.  Wesley 
prodigiously ;  they  all  talked  of  you,  and  wished  often  to 
have  you  with  them.  Mr.  Wesley  proposes  many  jaunts 
this  summer,  and  always  is  so  good  as  to  desire  me  for 
one  of  the  party.  You  cannot  imagine  how  Mrs.  Wesley's 
humour  is  changed  for  the  better.  She  is  as  easy  and  cheer- 
full  as  anybody  can  desire,  and  expresses  great  liking  to 
y'  humble  servant ;  not  that  I  would  have  you  imagine  I 
measure  her  good-humour  from  her  approbation  of  me, 
but  she  seems  inclined  to  be  civil  everywhere,  and  what- 
ever peevishness  she  exprest  in  the  winter  must  be  attri- 
buted to  her  sickness,  which  will  try  the  best  of  tempers. 
Upon  my  mama's  approving  of  my  Irish  scheme  I 
plucked  up  my  courage  and  spoke  again  t  o  my  brother. 
I  told  him  Sir  John  approved  of  it  as  well  as  mama,  and 
he  answered  "  I  was  to  please  myself,  he  had  nothing  to 
do  with  it,"  and  after  that  was  as  mute  as  a  fish  to  all  I 
could  say,  but  has  been  in  good  humour  ever  since ;  so  I 
believe  he  thinks  it  more  reasonable  than  he  now  cares 
to  own  after  having  been  so  point  blank  against  it.     I 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  273 

laid  the  whole  affair  before  him,  but  not  a  word  could  I 
^et  out  of  him  more,  so  I  took  his  silence  for  consent, 
and  have  thought  how  to  settle  my  matters  for  that 
same  expedition.  The  Bishop  of  Killala  and  his  lady 
and  Mr.  Donnellan  have  wrote  very  kind  pressing  letters 
for  us,  and  there  is  an  apartment  ready  for  us  in  the 
Bishop's  house  whenever  we  please  to  go  and  take  pos- 
session. I  talked  of  it  yesterday  to  S'  John  Stanley, 
and  he  seems  very  well  pleased  with  it. 

Lady  Carteret  and  Lady  Dysart  go  to  Tunbridge 
before  they  go  to  the  Bath.  I  sent  your  letter  to  Miss 
Carteret,  which  I  am  sure  will  delight  her.  I  have  heard 
nothing  of  Puzzle  since  he  left  Glocpster.  Have  you  seen 
old  Biddy  ?  what  says  she  ?  Bounce  rails  at  Eyebrows 
most  excessively,  and  lays  the  loss  of  her  lover  to  his 
charge ;  I  wish  you  and  I  could  peep  in  at  her  window 
the  first  time  they  meet. 

Dragon  Legh  has  quarrelled  with  my  neighbour  Lady 
Doddy,  and  they  rate  one  another  handsomely.  Lady  Dod 
told  Mrs.  Donnellan  that  Legh  spoke  very  disrespectfully 
of  her,  and  that  she  had  said  so  many  outrageous  things  of 
me,  that  I  ought  to  fly  out  of  any  room  she  came  into. 
Sir  John  Stanley  met  her  at  Lady  Sunderland's  one  day 
and  commended  a  pair  of  blue  glass  earrings  that  she 
called  diamonds,  and  won  her  heart ;  he  afterwards  thanked 
my  Lady  Sunderland  for  her  goodness  to  Biddy,  she  imme- 
diately enquired  who  that  was  ?  and  told  Sir  John  she 
should  have  her  custom,  and  she  would  do  her  all  y* 
service  she  could,  and  had  bought  a  lutestring  which 
she  did  not  want  on  purpose  that  she  should  make  it, 
and  gave  her  two  more  suits.  The  girl  has  her  lesson 
given  her  not  to  say  she  makes  clothes  for  me. 

VOL.  I.  T 


274  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Ned  Stanley  dined  here  last  Sunday  ;  lie  was  gayer  than 
usual.  I  forget  to  write  you  word  that  last  week  I  had 
a  very  kind  letter  from  Mrs.  Hyde  ^  to  desire  me  to  come 
to  Epsom  races,  and  that  she  had  kept  a  room  on  pur- 
]30se  for  me,  but  I  would  not  go.  We  have  not  heard  of 
Lord  Weymouth's  arrival,  nor  lately  how  Miss  Grace 
does. 

Remember  me  in  the  kindest  manner  to  the  Unity s. 
Have  you  given  the  picture  and  the  crab-tree  ?  those 
inimitable  pieces  in  their  way.  No  news  in  verse  or 
prose  have  I  met  with  this  many  a  day.  I  have  lately 
been  very  much  entertained  with  a  book  wrote  by  a 
Swiss — "Lettres  sur  les  Anglois  et  sur  les  Fran^ais" — 
wherein  he  gives  a  very  good  account  of  both  nations. 

Your  account  of  Puzzle  savours  much  of  madness.  I 
am  glad  his  fortune  is  so  good,  'tis  a  very  handsome  main- 
tenance for  a  single  man.  I  think  he  has  a  great  deal  of 
merit,  and  I  protest  solemnly  I  am  extremely  sorry  to 
give  him  any  pain ;  and  had  I  any  inclination  to  marry 
and  a  fortune  double  what  I  have,  I  would  prefer  him 
to  any  man  I  now  know ;  but  to  let  you  see  serioiLsly 
that  money  without  worth  cannot  tempt  me,  I  have  re- 
fused my  Lord  Tirconnell.^  L^  Carteret  asked  me  the 
other  day  if  I  would  give  her  leave  to  proceed  in  it,  that 


'  Mrs.  Hyde  (Honourable  Jane  Calvert,  sister  of  Lord  Baltimore).  From 
this  invitation  to  the  Epsom  races,  it  appears  that  Mrs,  Hyde  resided  herself 
near  Epsom,  as  Lord  Baltimore  being  then  married  the  Hydes  could  not  have 
lived  at  his  place,  Woodcote. 

2  Sir  John  Brownlow,  created  May  14th,  1718,  Lord  Brownlow  and  Viscount 
Tyrconnel ;  married,  first,  to  his  first  cousin  Eleanor,  daughter  to  Sir  John 
Brownlow  ;  but  by  her,  who  died  Sept.  11,  1730,  he  had  no  issue.  Lord  Tyr- 
connel married,  secondly,  on  the  24th  of  Jan.,  1732,  Elizalx'th,  daughter  of 
William  Cartwright,  Esq.  He  died  s.  p.  in  1754,  when  the  title  became  ex- 
tinct. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  275' 

slie  thought  I  should  be  very  blameworthy  to  refuse  so 
vast  a  fortune,  a  title  and  a  good-natured  man.  All  that,  I 
told  her,  was  no  temptation  to  me ;  he  had  the  character 
very  justly  of  being  silly,  and  I  would  not  tie  myself  to  \ 
such  a  companion  for  an  empire;  she  said  I  was  in 
the  wrong.  I  suppose  Puzzle  designs  to  throw  off  all  ac- 
quaintance with  me  :  I  gave  him  a  fair  invitation  to  my 
friendship,  though  I  could  not  admit  of  more ;  but  he 
is  like  the  children  that  won't  eat  their  bread  and  butter 
without  glass  windows. 

I  am  sorry  the  houses  are  so  soon  disposed  of.  You 
must  send  to  Cap*.  Pierce  for  a  plan  to  build  a  house, 
and  then  I  am  sure  it  will  be  pretty  and  convenient.  I 
am  delighted  with  mama's  charming  work,'  and  will  have 
it  whitened  by  the  best  hand.  The  jewel-box  is  not  yet 
come  home ;  I  will  take  care  and  call  for  it.  I  have  been 
a  brute  to  Tom  Tit.  He  told  me  so  many  pretty  things 
to  say  to  you  about  the  box,  that  I  believe  the  little 
creature  was  inspired,  and  I  have  never  seen  him  but 
that  he  has  showed  me  the  box,  and  said  something 
gaUant  on  the  occasion. 


Mi-s.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville. 

New  Bond  Street,  8th  June,  1731. 

I  mentioned  to  you  my  dining,  on  Thursday  last,  at 
Mrs.  Percival's.  There  was  Capel  Moore  and  Lady  Mary, 
his  wife ;  she  seems  to  be  a  good  sort  of  a  woman,  wdthout 
any  airs  or  livehness ;  he  was  a  little  cogitibund  or  grave 
(for  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  do  not  well  understand  the 

'  Mrs.  Granville's  spinning. 

T  2 


276  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

meaning  of  y*  hard  word),  till  after  dinner.  He  asked 
after  you.  I  reproached  him  for  not  meeting  you  and 
making  you  laugh  as  you  appointed  him  to  do  at  the 
ridotto  :  he  endeavoured  to  excuse  himself,  and  to  put 
an  end  to  my  reproof,  said  kind  things  of  you.  After 
drinking  tea,  Lady  Mary  went  away ;  Capel  proposed 
going  on  the  water :  we  accepted  the  offer,  took  up  Mr. 
Wesley  in  our  way,  drove  to  Wliitehall  Stairs,  took  the 
boat  we  liked  best,  and  rowed  away  very  pleasantly — the 
water  smooth,  the  sky  serene,  the  company  in  good 
humour,  Philomell  was  soon  called  upon  to  make  use 
of  her  sweet  pipe,  which  she  did.  A  boat  with  two 
ladies  and  one  gentleman  was  immediately  attracted  and 
pursued  us.  As  soon  as  they  were  near  enough  for  us  to 
see  their  faces,  who  should  we  behold  but  the  Duchess 
of  Ancaster,^  an  odd  woman  with  her,  and  my  Lord 
Tyrconnell !  I  was  not  a  little  diverted  at  the  interview, 
but  much  more  so  when  he  opened  his  wise  mouth,  and 
told  Mrs.  Donnellan  her  singing  was  "  the  finest  water 
language  he  ever  heard,  nay,  the  finest  language  he  had 
ever  heard  by  land  or  by  water,"  and  many  more  polite 
speeches  we  had.  They  were  in  an  open  boat,  ours  was 
cover'd :  it  would  have  diverted  you  to  see  how  the 
wretch  peeped  to  look  at  us,  which  was  no  easy  matter. 
My  companion's  voice  charmed  them  so  much  that 
they  did  not  quit  us  till  she  had  sung  several  songs. 
Capel  asked  the  Duchess  of  Ancaster  to  sing,  which 
she  in  a  droll  way  did  vqry  readily  ;  at  last  they  agreed 
to  sing  a  duetto  out  of  y*  Beggars'  Opera,  but  such 
catterwauling  never  was  heard  and  we  all  laughed. 

>  Query,  whether  Albini.o,  Duchess  Dowager  of  Ancaster,  who  died  1745,  or 
Jane,  wife  of  Peregrine,  2nd  Duke  of  Ancaster,  who  died  in  1736. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  277 

As  we  were  returning  home,  and  had  parted  with  our 
gallant  company,  they  discovered  water  in  the  hottom  of 
the  boat :  my  feet  were  soaked  quite  through  up  to  my 
ankles,  and  my  petticoats  above  half-a-yard  sopped  in 
water.  We  began  to  think  it  no  joke,  and  ordered  the 
boatmen  to  put  in  at  the  first  stair.  We  landed  at  a  little 
island,  where  was  one  solitary  house  ;  we  knocked  at  the 
door,  and  a  clever-shaped  young  woman,  dressed  in  a 
white  calico  night-gown,  with  some  difficulty  admitted 
us.  The  boat  was  examined  and  pronounced  leaky. 
We  endeavoured  to  get  another  boat,  none  could  be  had, 
so  they  mended  up  our  crazy  vessell  and  we  ventured. 
We  arrived  safe  and  sound  at  Whitehall  Stairs  at  eleven 
o'  th  clock  ;  the  moon  shone  sweetly. 

It  is  the  only  jaunt  I  have  taken  this  year  where  I 
have  not  wished  for  you ;  at  our  first  setting  out  I  did, 
but  when  we  discovered  the  defects  of  our  barque  I  was 
glad  you  were  not  there.  I  was  not  at  all  frightened  at  it, 
though  I  believe  there  was  some  danger.  So  much  for 
that  day,  which  was  a  merry  one.  The  next  day  I  met  the 
Percivals  at  Mr.  Wesley's,  where,  after  a  very  good  repast 
and  kind  welcome,  we  walked  up-stairs,  where  we  were  to 
be  entertained  with  an  orrery.  You  must  understand  that 
this  is  a  machine  in  form  of  a  sphere,  wherein  is  demon- 
strated the  solar  system,  with  all  the  motions  and  dis- 
tances of  the  planets.  Just  as  the  learned  man  was  going 
to  explain  to  us,  a  summons  arrived  for  me  to  go  to  Mrs. 
Monck's  Xtning,  which,  with  great  regret,  I  did,  and 
what  was  more  provoking,  had  no  company  there  but 
old  men  and  boys ;  my  fine  feUow-gossip  departed  that 
morning  for  Ireland,  and  pro\dded,  to  supply  his  place, 
an  old  deaf  man  with  half  an  nose.  My  Lord  Darnley  was 


278  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

the  other  godfather,  and  I  represented  Lady  Shelbourn. 
No  woman  there  but  myself.  I  staid  there  about  an 
hour,  and  returned  to  y*  good  folks  in  Conduit  Street, 
but  the  celestial  affair  was  over. 

Nothing  worth  giving  you  an  account  of  happened 
from  that  time  till  yesterday,  that  we  went  to  Greenwich, 
but  never  people  chose  such  a  day  for  such  a  jaunt.    It 
being  Whitson  Monday  the  place  was  fuller  of  mob  than 
ever  Barton  fair  was ;  however,  we  endeavoured  to  make 
ourselves  sport  with  everything  we  met  with.     First  we 
went  to  see  Sir  Gregory  Page's  house,  the  outside  of 
which  and  the  situation  you  know.     The  house  is  not 
magnificent,  but  prodigiously  handsome,  furnished  ele- 
gantly but  not  extravagantly,  everything  well  under- 
stood, and   a   nicety   in  the  furnishing   of  it   beyond 
any  I  ever  saw ;    some  very  pretty   pictures,  but  none 
by  the  most  valuable  hands,  ten  rooms  on  a  floor,  and 
a   very   handsome  gallery,   China   and   Japan  to    per- 
fection.    After  dinner,  Mrs.  Donnellan  and  I  and  Miss 
Wesley  were  inclined  to  walk  in  the  park  ;  the  gentlemen 
had  not  quite  finished,  so  we  left  them  and  took  two 
footmen  with  us.  With  dificulty  we  crouded  into  the  park, 
but  melancholy  sight !  not  one  bit  of  grass  to  be  seen, 
all  that  verdure  so  parched  up  for  want  of  rain  that  one 
could  not  have  thought  grass  had  ever  grown  there,  it 
was  so  different  from  what  I  have  ever  seen  it,  that  it 
recalled  no  hour  back  that  I  had  ever  passed  there ;  but 
still   I  wished  for    you ;    we  sat  down  on   a  bench  to 
observe  the  odd  medley  and  the  people  rolling  down  the 
hill. 

Sir  Gregory  Page,  mentioned  in  this  letter  (was  of  Grreenwich 
and  Wricklemarsh,  Kent),  succeeded  his  father  1720.     He  married 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  279 

Mrs.  Martha  Kenward,  but  had  no  issue,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
ninety,  4th  of  August,  1775 ;  when  the  property  devolved  upon 
his  great  nephew,  Sir  Grregory  Turner,  Bart.,  who  assumed  the 
surname  and  arms  of  Page.  Lysons  states  that  Wricklemarsh  (in 
the  parish  of  Charlton)  was  bought  by  Sir  Gregory  Page  in  1721, 
after  the  death  of  the  widow  of  Sir  John  Morden,  Bart.  "  Sir 
Gregory  having  pulled  down  the  old  mansion,  built  at  a  great 
expense  a  very  magnificent  structure  of  stone,  consisting  of  a 
centre  and  two  wings  united  by  a  colonnade ;  the  whole  of  which 
was  completed  in  one  year  by  James  the  architect.  He  also  adds, 
that  the  internal  decorations  corresponded  in  magnificence,  and 
that  a  very  fine  collection  of  paintings  by  the  old  masters  bore 
witness  to  the  taste  and  liberal  spirit  of  the  owner.  His  great 
nephew  sold  the  estate  to  John  Cator,  Esq.,  in  1784 — who  in  1787 
sold  the  house  by  auction,  in  lots,  to  be  taken  down — a  great  part 
of  it  had  not  been  removed  in  1796,  when  it  still  stood  In 
ruins,  a  melancholy  monument  of  its  former  grandeur." 


Mrs.  Pendarues  to  Mrs.  Anne  Granville. 

New  Bond  Street,  5th  August,  1731. 

Time,  thou  most  precious  of  all  things  why  art  thou 
so  fleeting  ?  But  I  must  write,  and  let  the  world  wait. 
Last  night  in  order  to  dolce  sogno  my  kindest  and  dear- 
est sister's  letter  came  to  my  hands.  The  sense  of  your 
French  paragraph  is  very  well  to  be  understood,  though 
not  properly  wrote ;  however  that  must  not  discourage 
you,  for  many  an  Englishman  bom  and  bred  at  school 
does  not  write  English  better  than  you  now  do  French, 
that  learned  but  three  months  ;  read  constantly,  and  set 
yourself  every  day  a  task  out  of  the  grammar,  and  I  am 
sure,  without  any  assistance  besides  your  own  industry, 
you  will  conquer  all  the  difficulties  of  it.     Vertot'  sworks 


280  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

are  delightful ;  they  are  very  good  French  and  well  wrote. 
I  know  the  more  you  are  acquainted  with  the  language, 
the  more  you  will  like  it ;  I  have  got  the  Henriade  and 
Madame  de  Sevigne's  letters  from  Sally.  Your  letters 
always  charm  me,  but  none  ever  delighted  me  more  than 
the  last  I  received  from  you,  I  cannot  make  use  of  any 
words  that  can  better  express  the  sense  of  my  pleasure 
in  that  particular  than  your  own,  that  you  so  kindly 
apply  to  me :  "I  cannot  be  persuaded  that  any  creature 
has  the  art  of  writing  so  sensibly  and  tenderly  as  your- 
self," &c.  I  sent  you  an  epistle  the  post  before,  wherein  I 
joked  about  the  young  man  with  aching  chops,  and  was 
so  silly  as  to  name  names,  which  I  am  sorry  for  since 
you  have  not  received  it,  for  I  was  a  little  jocose,  and  if 
it  lights  in  bad  hands  it  might  be  taken  seriously.  Your 
partiality  to  my  phiz  makes  you  not  think  the  picture 
handsome  enough  :  I  am  afraid  you  do  not  like  the  dress, 
and  I  pleased  myself  with  the  oddness  of  it,  and  I  hate  a 
face  that  is  always  without  shade.  I  have  a  picture  too,  but 
alas  !  a  feint,  feint  resemblance  !  I  am  always  vexed  as 
well  as  pleased  when  I  look  at  it,  for  it  certainly  is  a  bad 
likeness,  and  not  well  painted;  you  are  much  better  drawn 
in  a  place  where  the  air  cannot  fade  you,  and  where  justice 
is  done  you  without  flattery  ;'  there  are  not  only  the  out- 
lines and  the  air  of  the  countenance,  the  life  and  sweet- 
ness of  the  eyes,  but  that  sensible  penetrating  look  that 
fairly  shows  how  well  the  form  is  animated. 

If  you  expect  any  sublimity  in  Barnwell  you  will  be 
disappointed,  the  style  is  mean  enough  ;  you  shall  have  it 
as  soon  as  I  can  have  an  opportunity  of  sending  to  you. 

'  This  remark  might   have  alluded   to  the  portrait  of  Ann  Granville  in 
crayon  under  a  glass  painted  hy  her  si'ster. 


OF  MRS.  DELA^'Y.  281 

Yesterday  I  dined  at  Sir  Jolin  Stanley's  to  meet  the 
whole  blood  of  the  Moncks ;  my  old  love's  wife  is  really 
a  pretty  sort  of  a  civil  young  thing.  He  is  grown  very 
fat  and  grave,  much  altered  from  what  he  was  ;  the  gay 
and  sprightly  youth  is  dwindled  into  the  thoughtful  dull 
husband,  and  it  is  so  generally  speaking.  'Tis  strange, 
but  when  we  are  arrived  to  the  summit  of  any  happiness 
we  have  been  eagerly  pursuing,  the  spirits  grow  languid 
and  heavy,  and  don't  seem  to  enjoy  what  they  were  before 
so  miserable  to  obtain.  I  believe  by  this  time  my  brother 
Bevill  is  embarked — he  only  waited  for  a  fair  wind.  Mr. 
Benedict  Calvert,'  that  was  Governor  of  Maryland,  is 
come  home  on  the  account  of  his  health,  and  a  brother 
of  Mr.  Ogle's  is  going  in  his  place.  I  desired  Mrs. 
Donnellan  to  ask  his  interest  in  favour  of  my  brother, 
and  he  has  in  the  handsomest  manner  promised  to  do 
everything  for  him  that  lies  in  his  power.  He  has  now 
the  fairest  opportunity  in  the  world  to  mend  his  fortune, 
and  what  is  past  may  serve  as  a  very  good  lesson  to  him, 
and  prevent  his  splitting  on  the  same  rock.  As  soon  as 
we  know  when  Mr.  Kit  Donnellan  can  come  to  town  we 
shall  fix  our  time  of  going.  I  am  afraid  I  shall  not  be 
able  to  send  you  any  venison,  because  there  is  no  carrier 
from  Longleat  to  Bristol.  Does  a  carrier  come  to  Glou- 
cester every  day,  or  what  days  ?  I  am  glad  mama  likes 
the  chains  :  they  are  very  strong  and  much  admired  by 
everybody.  I  must  go  to  my  work,  having  millions  of 
things  to  do,  and  leave  my  dearest  Anna  to  make  a 
ruffle.     Oh  base  exchange  !  but  it  must  be,  though  I  am 


^  Honourable  Benedict  Calvert,  brother  of  Lord  Baltimore. 


282  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

very  much  ruffled  about  it.     My  duty  to  my  dear  mama, 
and  service  to  all  friends  that  remember  one  who  loves 

you  so  tenderly  as 

Your  affectionate  and  unalterable 
Friend  and  Sister, 

Penny. 


Lord  Lcmsdowne  to  his  niece,  Mrs.  Pendarves. 

Wednesday  Evening,  June  30,  1731. 

My  Bear  Niece, 

I  should  be  glad  if  it  might  suit  with  your  con- 
veniency  to  let  me  see  you  either  this  evening  or  to- 
morrow morning  before  you  go  to  Court.  I  would  wait 
upon  you  myself,  if  I  knew  your  hour  of  being  at  home. 
Believe  me,  my  dear  niece,  always  your  most  affectionate 

uncle  and  most  humble  servant, 

Lansdowne. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Anne  OranvUle. 

13th  July,  1731. 

I  have  not  sent  you  any  catgut  for  working  handker- 
chiefs. I  begun  to  work  one,  and  I  found  it  so  tedious 
that  I  was  sure  you  would  not  like  the  work  ;  but  now  I 
have  given  you  warning,  if  you  insist  upon  having  one, 
you  shall. 

*  The  style  of  dress  in  England,  in  1731,  is  exactly  represented  by  Hogarth, 
who  is  the  best  authority  for  the  costume  of  all  the  years  in  which  his 
pictures  were  executed,  and  in  general  for  the  reigns  of  George  I.  and  II. 
Written  descriptions  and  pictures  of  the  dresses  worn  from  1714  to  the  close 
of  George  lll.'s  reign,  may  be  found  in  Blanche's  "  British  Costume  :"  those 
from  1772  to  1789  being  derived  from  prints  after  Hoppner.  In  1732,  a  sort 
of  gipsy  hat  was  in  fashion,  worn  with  a  cap  and  lappets  underneath.  The 
forms  of  the  hats  varied  from  year  to  year  through  tlie  century,  according  to 
the  prevalent  manner  of  dressing  the  hair. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  283 

I  long  to  know  how  you  like  the  black  hat ;'  the  fancy 
was  approved  of  very  much  here ;  I  should  have  sent  it 
you  down  by  Puzzle,  but  he  did  not  come  to  me,  and  I 
did  not  care  to  send  it  to  him. 

I  cannot  say  I  like  Mr.  Lafountain's  painting,  he  does 
not  understand  the  drawing  part  so  well  as  he  ought ; 
but  I  am  grown  passionately  fond  of  Hogarth's  painting, 
there  is  more  sense  in  it  than  any  I  have  seen.  I  be- 
lieve I  wrote'  you  word  that  Mr.  Wesley's^  family  are 
drawn  by  him,  and  Mrs.  Donnellan  with  them.  I  have 
had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  him  paint  the  greatest  part  of 
it ;  he  has  altered  his  manner  of  painting  since  you  saw 
his  pictures ;  he  finishes  more  a  good  deal.  I  have  re- 
leased Lady  Sunderland  from  her  promise  of  giving  me 
her  picture  by  Zinck,  to  have  it  done  by  Hogarth.^  I 
think  he  takes  a  much  greater  Hkeness,  and  that  is  what 
I  shall  value  my  friend's  picture  for,  more  than  for  the 
excellence  of  the  painting.  Hogarth  has  promised  to 
give  me  some  instructions  about  drawing  that  will  be  of 
great  use, — some  rules  of  his  own  that  he  says  will  im- 
prove me  more  in  a  day  than  a  year's  learning  in  the 
common  way.  When  he  has  performed  his  promise  I  will 
communicate  to  my  dearest  sister,  though  that  will  not  be 
politic,  for  you  excel  me  now,  and  when  I  have  delivered 


*  William  Hogarth,  the  painter,  was  bom  in  1698,  and  bound  apprentice  in 
London  to  a  silver-plate  engraver.  In  1720  he  entered  into  business  for  him- 
self. His  first  original  painting  is  said  to  have  been  a  representation  of  Wan- 
stead  Assembly,  with  portraits  from  the  life.  In  1730,  he  married  the 
daughter  of  Sir  James  Thomhill,  and  afterwards  produced,  year  after  year, 
many  remarkable  pictures.  After  the  treaty  of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  (1748,)  he 
visited  France,  and  being  in  the  act  of  making  a  drawing  of  the  gate  at  Calais, 
was  taken  up  as  a  spy.  On  returning  to  England  he  recorded  the  fact  in  his 
print  called  "O  !  the  roast  beef  of  old  England  !"  He  amassed  a  good  fortune 
died  in  1762,  and  was  buried  at  Chiswick. 


284  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

up  my  arms  you  will  vanquish  me  quite,  but  this  is  the 
only  instance  where  I  shall  have  more  pleasure  in  being 
excelled  than  in  excelling,  as  my  own  performance  can 
never  give  me  so  much  delight  as  yours  will. 

Last  Friday  I  dined  at  Mr.  Wesley's,  and  met  the 
Percivals,  Mr.  Coot  and  Harry  Usher.  After  dinner  I 
came  home  to  settle  accounts  with  Mrs.  Badge,  and 
order  the  packing  up  of  the  box ;  when  that  was  done  I 
returned  to  my  company-  The  young  men  upon  my  going 
away  thought  the  company  was  to  disperse,  and  walked 
off,  but  we  were  very  merry  without  them.  Mr.  Perci- 
val,  you  know,  can  be  very  entertaining,  and  so  can  Mr. 
Wesley.  We  romped,  and  played  at  little  plays  with  the 
children  till  supper-time.  I  never  met  with  so  deHghtful 
a  man  as  my  hero  Mr.  Wesley — so  much  goodness, 
friendliness,  and  cheerfulness  joined.  To  my  sorrow,  he 
goes  away  to-morrow ;  I  am  to  meet  them  to-day  at  Mrs. 
Percival's,  to  take  leave.  Miss  Wesley  is  the  finest  girl  I 
ever  saw ;  you  would  have  been  charmed  had  you  seen 
her  mimick  the  dancing  of  twenty  people,  I  believe  among 
them  Miss  Edwin  and  languishing  Mr.  Ogle. 

I  pick  up  by  degrees  the  things  I  shall  want  for  my 
Irish  expedition ;  I  have  bought  a  gown  and  petticoat, 
'tis  a  very  fine  blue  satin,  sprigged  all  over  with 
white,  and  the  petticoat  facings  and  endings  bordered 
in  the  manner  of  a  trimming  wove  in  the  silk ;  this 
suit  of  clothes  cost  me  sixteen  pound ;  and  yesterday  I 
bought  a  pink-coloured  damask  for  seven  shillings  a 
yard,  the  prettiest  colour  I  ever  saw  for  a  nightgown. 
As  soon  as  we  know  when  Mr.  Kit  Donnellan  ^  can  come 


^  Son  of  Chief  Justice  Donellan,  and  brother  of  Mrs.  Clayton  and  Mre. 
Douellau. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  28^ 

to  London,  we  shall  fix  the  time  for  our  journey.  The 
flowers  for  your  patch-boxes  are  bespoke.  Mama's  chairs 
are  finished,  and  will  be  sent  down  this  week.  I  wish 
the  pictures  I  chose  for  Mrs.  Hop  may  please  her, 
but  not  knowing  what  her  design  was  made  me  at  a  loss 
what  sort  of  pictures  to  choose.  Pray  what  coloured 
ground  are  your  boxes  ?  You  never  saw  such  perfection  as 
Mrs.  Clayton's  trunk  ;  other's  Japan  is  beautiful,  but 
this  is  beauty — it  is  the  admiration  of  the  whole  town. 
Oh  but  the  '"''flying  toad  /"  if  you  do  not  procure  it  for  me 
1  shall  be  miserable;  it  will  be  of  great  service  to  me.  I  de- 
sign to  make  it  my  master  of  the  ceremonies  to  Sir  Hans 
Sloane,  my  ambassador  extraordinary  that  shall  nego- 
tiate in  my  favour,  and  procure  for  me  the  liberty  of 
living  among  Sir  Hans'  curiosities  as  long  as  I  please, 
and  shall  also  secure  a  place  for  you.  I  have  not  heard 
from  Sally  a  good  while.  I  am  indebted  to  Cyrus,  but  I 
will  write  as  soon  as  I  can.  If  you  write  to  him  soon 
you  may  say  I  am  in  some  hurry  preparing  for  my  in- 
tended journey. 

How  do  you  like  your  French  master  ?  Do  you  learn 
often  ?  I  will  soon  send  you  Voltaire's  Brutus ;  it  is  a 
fine  tragedy,  but  I  never  saw  one  so  affecting  as  George 
Barnwell.^  It  is  not  yet  published ;  when  it  is  you  shall 
have  it  with  Brutus.  The  latter  is  in  French,  the  other 
in  English,  but  I  do  not  know  who  is  the  author. 

>  "  George  Barnwell."  This  tragedy  was  written  by  George  Lillo,  who  is  said 
to  have  been  the  son  of  a  Dutch  father  and  an  English  mother.  Like  his  father, 
he  followed  the  trade  of  a  jeweller.  He  was  born  in  1693,  spent  his  life  in  Lon- 
don, and  died  in  1743.  Besides  the  tragedy  of  "George  Barnwell,"  he  wrote 
"Fatal  Cnriosity,"  and  " Arden  of  Faversham."  Campbell  calls  Lillo  "the 
tragic  poet  of  middling  and  familiar  life,"  and  remarks  that  his  works  "  trlve 
us  life  in  a  close  and  dreadful  semblance  of  reality,  but  not  arra}-ed  in  tlio 
magic  illusion  of  poetry." 


286  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 


CHAPTEE  IV. 

Mrs.  Pendarves's  Visit  to  Ireland. 
Sept.  1731— April,  1733. 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville. 

Chester,  10th  Sept,  1731. 

Here  we  are  weather  bound :  wliat  can  I  do  so  agreable 
to  my  inclinations  as  write  to  my  dearest  sister.  In- 
deed 1  find  it  very  intolerable  to  be  so  many  days  with- 
out receiving  any  of  your  letters.  I  am  sure  you  wrote 
and  directed  it  to  Chester  as  you  promised  you  would  :  it 
vexes  me  to  lose  one  of  yours.  The  weather  hitherto  has 
been  contrary  to  us,  and  we  are  so  cautious  that  we  will 
not  venture  till  the  weather  is  well  settled.  This  house, 
considering  it  is  an  inn,  is  very  well,  the  landlady  I  gave 
mama  an  account  of.  We  have  several  of  our  acquaint- 
ances here  waiting  for  a  passage  also.  Mr.  Dubourg  and 
his  wife,  with  his  charming  Fidelle,  sweet  Philomel,  whose 
conversation,  you  know,  is  not  inferior  to  her  voice,  exerts 
herself,  and  is  an  excellent  tra-veller.  Our  spiritual  guide 
takes  abundance  of  care  of  us,  and  by  way  of  variety, 
we  have  a  pretty  butterfly  man  now  and  then — Mr.  Gore, 
son  to  Judge  Gore,  of  Ireland,  and  heir  to  a  great  estate. 
Mr.  Donnellan,  his  sister,  and  I  breakfast  together  on 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  287' 

coffee  and  parapy elites.'  At  dinner-time  our  company 
meet,  and  we  pay  a  shilling  a-head  for  our  meal,  and  find 
our  own  wine :  we  are  very  well  provided  for ;  our  sup- 
per we  have  by  ourselves.  We  amuse  ourselves  with 
working,  reading,  and  walking,  and  in  the  evening  play 
a  pool  at  picket.  We  have  secured  places  in  the  Pretty 
Betty.  The  best  cabin  Mrs.  Donnellan  and  I  have  taken 
to  ourselves,  and  are  to  pay  five  guineas,  but  I  believe 
it  will  be  some  days  before  we  shall  go  away.  Yesterday 
morning  Mr.  Gore  tempted  us  to  go  to  Sir  Richard 
Grosvenor's  ;^  the  day  favoured  us,  and  we  were  mightily 
pleased  with  the  place ;  the  gardens  are  laid  out  in  the 
old-fashioned  taste,  with  cut-work  parterres,  and  wil- 
derness enclosed  in  hedges  ;  the  ground  lies  extremely  well 
to  the  house,  and  every  way  there  is  a  fine  prospect.  I 
have  not  seen  an  inland  situation  that  I  like  so  well. 
We  were  offered  fruit  and  wine,  though  Sir  Richard 
was  not  there.  I  have  now,  I  think,  told  you  all  the 
remarkable  occurrences.  We  might  be  entertained  with 
assemblys  and  plays,  but  we  do  not  think  it  worth  our 
while  to  shine  at  Chester.  I  suppose  by  this  time  you 
are  returned  from  Staunton.  Dubourg  plays  and  Phill 
sings  as  much  as  we  desire  them. 

Dublin,  Sept.  22, 1731. 
I  hope  by  this  time  my  dearest  sister  has  no  more 
fears  for  me,  and  that  my  mama  has  received   my  letter 

^  Query  Pyclites  (a  sort  of  cake). 

3  Sir  Richard  Grosvenor,  of  Eaton,  who  acted  as  grand  cupbearer  at  the 
coronation  of  King  George  II.  by  presenting  to  his  Majesty  the  first  cup  of 
wine  after  he  had  been  crowned,  and  had  the  cup  as  his  fee.  Sir  Richard  mar- 
ried, first,  Jane,  daughter  of  Sir  Ed  ward  Wyndham,  Bart.,  by  whom  he  had 
no  surviving  issue,  secondly,  Diana,  only  daughter  of  Sir  George  Warburton, 
Bart.,  of  Arley,  county  Chester,  but  had  no  issue.  He  died  in  1732,  when 
the  title  devolved  upon  his  brother. 


288  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

with  an  account  of  my  voyage,  which,  considering  the 
time  of  year,  was  a  very  good  one.  I  must  do  justice  to 
the  good  people  I  am  with,  and  give  you  a  notion  of  our 
way  of  living,  and  the  friendliness  I  meet  with.  The 
Bishop  and  his  lady,  you  know,  are  agreeable,  but  were 
never  so  much  so  as  in  their  own  house,  which  indeed  is 
magnijique,  and  they  have  a  heart  answerable  to  their 
fortune.  They  received  me  with  real  joy,  which  does  not 
seem  to  allay  upon  our  being  longer  together.  The 
first  day  we  came  we  were  denied  to  all  but  particular 
friends.  Mrs.  Usher  and  her  son  and  daughter  came  ;  you 
were  much  inquired  after,  and  heartily  wished  for.  Alas  ! 
did  I  not  join  in  that  wish  ?  The  next  day  we  dined 
at  Mrs.  Usher's  and  supped,  an  established  rule  in  this 
place,  and  were  very  handsomely  entertained. 

Sunday  we  went  to  church,  and  in  the  evening  saw 
all  company  that  came,  which  was  numerous,  for  Mrs. 
Clayton  is  extremely  liked,  and  visited  by  everybody. 
Yesterday  we  were  at  the  same  sport,  and  this  morning 
we  are  to  go  to  the  Duchess  of  Dorset's^  to  pay  our  court. 
Miss  Moll  Forth,  who  you  have  often  heard  Philomel 
mention,  is  now  in  the  house  with  us.  She,  I  believe,  is 
worthy  of  the  character  Phill  always  gave  her.  She  has 
sense,  and  the  greatest  degree  of  backwardness  I  ever  met 
with ;  she  can't  help  sometimes  saying  a  witty  thing,  but 
it  comes  without  design.  She  is  the  picture  of  humility 
and  gentleness.  It  is  a  great  deal  to  say  of  a  person  that 
one  has  not  known  a  week,  but  I  believe  if  you  were  here 
you  would  make  the  same  judgment.      So  much    for  our 

'  Lionel,  Duke  of  Dorset,  was  Lord  Lieutenant  of  Ireland  from  June  23, 
1730,  to  April  23,  1737,  and  also  from  Dec.  15,  1750,  to  April  2,  1755.  He 
married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Lieut.-General  Walter  Philip  Colyear,  brother 
to  David,  Earl  of  Portmorc. 


OF  MRS.  DELANT.  289 

company — now  for  our  habitation  !  Stephen's  Green  is 
the  name  of  the  Square  where  this  house  stands;  the  chief 
front  of  it  is  like  Devonshire  House.  The  apartments  are 
handsome,  and  furnished  with  gold-coloured  damask — 
virtues,  and  busts,  and  pictures  that  the  Bishop  brought 
with  him  from  Italy.  A  universal  cheerfulness  reigns  in 
the  house.  They  keep  a  very  handsome  table,  six  dishes  of 
meat  are  constantly  at  dinner,  and  six  plates  at  supper. 

(About  postage.)  I  will  enquire  some  means  or 
other  of  lessening  that  expense.  I  can  do  it  very  well 
if  Sir  Eobert  Sutton  is  not  gone  to  the  Bath,  but  do 
write  constantly  to  me,  and  omit  no  particulars,  for  now 
I  shall  want  to  know  more  than  ever,  not  only  every- 
thing you  do  but  everything  you  think.  Adieu,  my 
dearest  sister,  I  am  called  away.  The  kind  services  of  this 
liouse  attend  you,  and  my  humble  duty  to  dear  mama. 
I  am  yours,  with  the  tenderest  affection, 

For  ever  and  ever,  M.  Pen. 


Dublin,  26th  Sept.  1731. 
After  having  waited  and  wished  a  whole  fortnight, 
I  received  my  dearest  sister's  letter ;  the  pleasure  I  had 
at  that  instance  can  only  be  surpassed  by  that  of  seeing 
you.  Ten  thousand  thanks  for  every  line  in  it.  'Tis 
absolutely  necessary  to  my  happiness,  that  I  constantly 
receive  such  marks  of  your  affection  for  me,  as  often  as 
the  winds  wiU  permit.  You  are  by  this  time,  I  hope, 
perfectly  satisfied  about  every  thing  relating  to  my 
journey.  I  must  now  proceed  and  give  you  an  account 
of  men  and  manners.  Last  Tuesday  I  wrote  you  word 
of  my  having  been  at  the  Castle  in  the  morning.  We 
went  again  in  the  evening ;  the  apartments  consist  of 

VOL.  I.  F 


290  LIFE  AND  COREESPONDENCE 

three  rooms,  not  altogether  so  large  as  those  at  St. 
James's,  but  of  a  very  tolerable  size.  In  the  farthest  room 
there  is  placed  a  basset  table,  at  which  the  Duchess  of 
Dorset  sits  down  after  she  has  received  and  made  her 
compliments  to  the  company.  It  is  very  seldom  any 
ladies  sit  down  to  basset,  but  quadrille  parties  are  made 
in  the  other  rooms,  and  such  idle  ones  as  1  saunter  up 
and  down,  or  pick  up  some  acquaintance  to  chat  with,  just 
the  same  as  at  St.  James's.  There  were  several  very  pretty 
women  ;  the  top  beauty  is  Lady  Ross,^  a  sweet  agreeable 
creature.  Your  friend  Miss  Usher  is  much  improved, 
and  very  justly  placed  among  the  pretty  women ;  she  is  a 
very  good-humoured,  cheerful  girl,  and  much  at  your 
service  as  she  often  tells  me ;  her  brother,  whom  you 
have  heard  mentioned  frequently  by  Phill  as  her 
favourite,  is  a  very  agreeable  young  man,  has  sense  and 
humour,  but  is  so  backward  that  I  believe  I  never  shall 
be  better  acquainted  with  him  than  to  ask  the  common 
questions  of  the  hour  and  the  weather,  &c.  My  cousins 
are  not  yet  come  to  town,  but  are  expected  about  a  fort- 
night hence. 

Great  preparations  are  making  against  the  Birthday. 
There  are  to  be  no  balls  at  Court,  but  on  such  public 
days ;  Lady  Carteret  used  to  have  balls  once  a  week, 
but  they  brought  so  great  a  crowd  that  the  Duchess, 
who  is  of  a  quiet  spirit,  will  avoid  them.  Most  of 
the  Moncks  ^  are  at  present  out  of  town,  but  I  expect 


*  Basset ;  a  game  at  cards,  invented  at  Venice. 

*  Sir  James  Ross  married  Grizel,  third  daughter  of  William,  11th  Lord  Ross. 
Sir  James  died  in  1755,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  William. 

^  Henry  Monck,  Esq.  married,  1673,  Sarah,  daughter  and  heiress  of  Sir  Thomas 
Stanley,  Knt.,  of  Grange  Gorman,  in  the  county  of  Dublin,  and  had  issue— 
1.  George,  his  successor,  who  married  the  Honourable   Mary  Molesworth, 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  291 

them  thick  and  three-fold  soon.  Yesterday  I  spent  an 
agreeable  afternoon  at  Mr.  Hamilton's,  Mr.  Usher  met 
us  there.  I  never  saw  a  couple  better  suited  than  Mr. 
Hamilton  and  his  wife  ;  they  are  both  genteel  and  per- 
fectly well-behaved,  without  any  affectation ;  their  house, 
like  themselves,  looks  cheerful  and  neat.  Whist  was 
played  till  supper,  but  there  were  always  three  that  looked 
on,  who  all  took  their  turn  of  play,  except  your  humble 
servant.  We  had  a  ver}-  pretty  supper,  neatly  served,  and 
parted  between  twelve  and  one. 

I  don't  beheve  I  shall  meet  mth  people  I  like  better 
during  my  stay  here ;  they  are  both  young,  and  have 
four  children,  whose  behaviour  shows  the  sense  of  their 
parents.  As  for  the  generality  of  people  that  I  meet 
with  here,  they  are  much  the  same  as  in  England — a 
mixture  of  good  and  bad;  all  that  I  have  met  with 
behave  themselves  very  decently,  according  to  their 
rank,  now  and  then  an  oddity  breaks  out,  but  none  so 
extraordinary  but  that  I  can  match  them  in  England. 
There  is  a  heartiness  among  them  that  is  more  like 
Cornwall  than  any  I  have  known,  and  great  sociableness. 
I  apprehend  from  that  way  of  living  there  must  arise  a 


and  had  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  2.  Charles,  who  inherited  the  property 
of  his  maternal  ancestor  of  Grange  Gorman,  and  was  father  of  Henry  Monck, 
by  Agneta  Hitchcock,  by  whom  he  became  possessed  of  the  estate  of  Charle- 
ville.  His  son,  the  above  Henrj'  Monck,  married  Isabella,  daughter  of  Henry, 
1st  Duke  of  Portland,  and  had  one  surviving  daughter,  who  married  George, 
Marquis  of  Waterford.  The  estates  of  Henry  Monck  devolved,  at  his  decease, 
upon  his  cousin  Charles  Stanley  Monck.  3.  Thomas,  married  Judith,  daughter 
of  Eobert  Mason,  Esq.,  and  had  three  sons  and  one  daughter,  who  married 
Viscount  Monck.  The  eldest  son  was  the  above  Charles  Stanley,  who  inherited 
his  uncle's  estates  as  above  stated,  and  was  created  Viscount  Monck,  and  whose 
son  was  created  Earl  of  Rathdown.  4.  William,  married  Dorothy,  sister 
of  John,  Earl  of  Damley,  and  was  ancestor  of  the  Bligh  Moncks,  of  Coley 
Park,  Berkshire. 

u  2 


292  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

good  deal  of  tittle-tattle,  but  I  have  not  heard  much 
jet.  Wherever  I  go  I  meet  with  great  civilities ;  I  don't 
take  it  as  paid  me  on  my  own  account,  but  that  of  those 
I  am  with,  who  are  here  highly  regarded,  and  indeed 
their  friendliness  and  kindness  to  me  increases  every 
day.  They  study  to  entertain  me,  and  I  have  no  uneasi- 
ness on  their  account  but  that  they  may  think  I  am  not 
so  cheerful  as  they  would  have  me  ;  but  as  I  grow  older, 
though  I  feel  as  much  warmth  as  ever,  I  have  not  so 
lively  a  way  of  shewing  it.  I  attribute  it  a  great  deal  to 
the  fear  I  have  always  had  of  appearing  too  gay ;  a 
wrong  notion  I  am  now  convinced,  and  it  hurts  the 
temper.  Our  spirits  ought  to  have  their  full  career  when 
our  inclinations  are  innocent,  and  should  not  be  checked 
but  where  they  would  exceed  the  bounds  of  prudence. 

I  received  yours  and  Sally's  joint  epistle.  This  day  will 
be  dedicated  to  home — Sunday  always  is,  and  on  Monday 
we  are  to  go  to  the  review.  I  suppose  you  have  in- 
formed her  of  my  safety,  for  I  have  not  yet  had 
time  to  write  to  her,  but  will  as  soon  as  possible.  I 
desired  Cyrus  to  direct  any  letter  he  wrote  to  me  to 
Glo'ster,  but  I  did  not  consider  that  will  double  the 
expense,  therefore  I  desire  you  will  send  him  the  direc- 
tion to  me  here.  I  enjoy  all  the  entertainment  you  had 
at  Stanton,  as  far  as  my  imagination  can  reach.  I  am 
glad  to  find  that  Puzzle  is  not  likely  to  die  of  the  pip, 
but  if  he  keeps  up  his  spirits  with  hope,  I  advise  him  to 
make 'use  of  a  better  cordial,  for  that  will  certainly  fail 
him  in  the  end.  I  am  very  glad  the  venison  came 
safe  and  sweet  to  you.  I  can  assure  you,  madam,  we  did 
not  go  flaunting  to  the  Chester  assembly,  though  we 
were  much  courted  to  it,  and  had  invitations  to  concerts 


OF  MRS.  DELAXY.  293 

of  music,  of  which  Dubonrg  was  the  head,  and  yet  we 
did  not  go  ;  perhaps  you  will  call  this  stupidity.  I  am 
obliged  to  you  for  your  trusting  me  with  Erminia's 
affair — you  know  how  securely  you  may  trust  me.  I  shall 
be  impatient  till  I  hear  more  of  it,  and  heartily  wish 
good  success  to  it — I  am  sure  she  deserves  good  fortune. 
The  Bishop  and  his  fair  lady  charge  me  with  their 
compliments,  and  desire  me  never  to  omit  them. 

Dr.  Clayton,  Bishop  of  Killala,  has  been  represented  as  an 
eminent  scholar,  of  "  commanding  deportment,"  who  united  "the 
dignity  of  an  ecclesiastic  with  the  ease  of  a  fine  gentleman," 
sumptuous  in  his  mode  of  living,  and  munificent  in  charitable 
deeds,  thougli  his  better  qualities  were  tarnished  by  obsequous  ambi- 
tion, and  latterly  by  avowed  Arianism.  But  as  his  second  work, 
"  The  Chronology  of  the  Hebrew  Bible  Vindicated,"  was  not  published 
till  nearly  twenty  years  after  his  preferment  to  the  see  of  Killala, 
and  was  followed  by  his  "  Dissertation  on  Prophecy,"  and  "  Impartial 
Enquiry  into  the  Time  of  the  Coming  of  the  ^Tessiah,"  a  consider- 
able number  of  years  must  have  elapsed  before  public  attention 
was  especially  drawn  to  his  unorthodox  opinions  by  the  publica- 
tion of  the  "  Essay  on  Spirit,"  sanctioned  if  not  written  by  him- 
self. He  married  a  daughter  of  the  Irish  Chief  Justice  Donnellan, 
was  promoted  from  Killala  to  the  Bishopric  of  Cork,  and  afterwards 
to  the  still  more  important  Bishopric  of  Clogher.  He  died  the 
25th  of  February,  1758.  Dr.  Campbell,  in  his  visit  to  England, 
1775,  says:  "Dr.  Johnson  asked  me  whether  Clayton  was  an 
English  or  an  Irishman  ?  '  He  endeavoured  to  raise  a  heresy  among 
you,'  says  he,  '  but  without  effect,  I  believe.'  I  told  him  one  effect 
in  the  case  of  the  parish  clerks.  His  indignation  was  prodigious. 
'  Ay,'  says  he,  '  these  are  the  effects  of  heretical  notions  upon 
vulgar  miuds.' " 


294  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Dublin,  4th  Oct.  1731. 

I  wrote  you  word  on  Thursday  last,  that  we  designed 
going  to  the  play  that  evening.  Company  dined  here, 
among  whom  were  Mr.  Hamilton  and  Mr.  Usher.  I  am 
always  made  to  play  on  the  harpsichord  after  dinner,  and 
great  honours  I  have  received  on  that  account — more 
than  I  am  sure  I  merit.  Well,  after  that  to  the  play 
we  went,  *'the  Spanish  Fryar,"'  tolerably  well  acted. 
The  house  is  small,  but  neat  and  very  well  lighted, 
the  gentlemen  all  sit  in  the  pit.  On  Friday  we  went 
to  a  concert  of  music,  but  our  sport  there  was  very 
near  being  spoiled,  for  most  of  the  performers  were  at 
the  Castle,  playing  to  their  Graces,  and  did  not  think  fit 
to  come  among  us  till  past  eight  at  night :  we  then  had 
two  or  three  pieces  of  music  very  well  performed,  Dubourg 
being  the  violino  primo.  On  Saturday  we  dined  and 
supped  at  Mrs.  Usher's,  where  we  always  are  very  hand- 
somely entertained  and  in  a  friendly  manner. 

But  the  chief  entertainment  of  this  week  I  have  forgot 
to  mention,  which  was  the  review  on  Friday  morning  last. 
The  park,  justly  called  Phoenix  Park,  was  the  place  of 
show.  One  regiment  of  horse  and  three  of  foot,  who  all 
performed  their  parts  well.  The  Duchess  of  Dorset  was 
there  in  great  state,  and  all  the  beau  monde  of  Dublin. 
The  weather  favoured  us,  and  we  were  very  pleased  with 
the  sight.  But  I  must  not  pass  over  in  silence  the  beauties 
of  the  park,  which  is  a  large  extent  of  ground,  very  fine 


^  The  Spanish  Fryar,  by  John  Dryden,  was  advertized  in  the  Daily  Post  of 
June  27,  1733  ;  to  he  represented  at  the  New  Theatre  in  Goodman's  Fields, 
London,  on  the  same  evening. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  295 

turf,  agreeable  prospects,  and  a  delightful  wood,  in  the 
midst  of  which  is  a  ring  where  the  beaux  and  belles  resort 
in  fair  weather :  indeed,  I  never  saw  a  spot  of  ground 
more  to  my  taste, — it  is  far  beyond  St.  James's  or  Hyde 
park.  Nobody's  equipage  outlooked  our's  except  my 
Lord  Lieutenant's,  but  in  every  respect  I  must  say  Mrs. 
Clayton's  outshines  her  neighbours,  not  that  that  is 
easily  done  here,  for  people  understand  not  only  living 
well,  but  politely. 

Yesterday  we  went  to  Christchurch,  one  of  the  cathe- 
drals. I  cannot  say  they  have  much  reason  to  brag  of 
the  architecture  of  it,  but  they  have  good  voices  and  a 
very  sweet  organ.  In  the  afternoon  we  took  a  tour  of 
visits,  met  with  most  of  our  acquaintances  at  home,  and 
returned  to  our  mansion  about  ten,  and  who  should  be 
there  to  fly  into  our  arms  but  your  friend  Mr.  Index. 
You  know  the  strength  of  his  raptures,  so  figure  him  to 
yourself  flying  from  one  to  the  other  with  as  much  vehe- 
mence as  a  hawk  seizes  on  his  prey. 

Wabh  states  that  the  Phoenix  Park  derives  its  name  by  corruption 
from  the  native  Irish  name  of  the  manor  "  Fionn-uisge,"  which 
signifies  clear  water,  and  appHes  to  the  chalybeate  spring  near  the 
vice-regal  lodge.  The  word  "  Fionn-uisge,"  is  properly  pronounced 
"  Finniske,"  and  has  been  corrupted  by  the  English  into  Phoenix. 
Lord  Chesterfield,  when  Lord  Lieutenant  of  Ireland,  erected  the 
column  with  the  figure  of  the  fabulous  bird  surmounting  its  capital, 
which  has  assisted  in  perpetuating  this  absurd  misnomer. 


LETTEE  XVII. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 


Why  should  you,  my  dear  Maria,  insist  on  my  going 
on  with  my  narrative ;  it  will  hardly  afibrd  you  enter- 


296  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

tainment  enough  to  compensate  for  the  loss  of  time  in 
reading  it,  I  will  convince  you  of  it  by  my  obedience. 

I  was  so  well  pleased  with  my  visit  abroad  that, 
instead  of  staying  six  months  (the  time  I  at  first  pro- 
posed) I  staid  eighteen.  Amongst  many  agreeable 
acquaintances  I  made  there,  was  the  person  to  whom  I 
am  now  married.  The  character  he  bore  in  the  world, 
and  his  particular  attachment  to  the  Baron  and  Baroness, 
my  relations  and  particular  friends,  made  me  wish  to 
be  acquainted  with  him.  He  was  then  married,^  lived 
in  a  very  agreeable  manner,  reserved  one  day  in  the 
week  for  his  particular  friends,  amongst  which  number 
were  those  of  the  best  learning  and  genius  in  the 
kingdom.  I  thought  myself  honoured  by  being  admitted 
into  such  a  set,  and  Silvia  and  I  never  failed  making  use 
of  a  privilege  so  agreeable  to  both  of  us.  She  made  a 
considerable  figure  in  society  so  well  suited  to  her. 

By  this  means  I  grew  intimate  with  Dessario,^  and 
had  an  opportunity  of  observing  many  excellent  qualities 
which  cannot  be  known  in  barely  being  acquainted  with 
those  talents  which  must  be  allowed  shining  ones,  and 
have  distinguished  him  for  many  years.  His  wit  and  learn- 
ing were  to  me  his  meanest  praise ;  the  excellence  of  his 
heart,  his  humanity,  benevolence,  charity  and  generosity, 
his  tenderness,  affection,  and  friendly  zeal,  gave  me  a 
higher  opinion  of  him  than  of  any  other  man  I  had  ever 
conversed  with,  and  made  me  take  every  opportunity  of 


^  This  is  a  slight  error,  which  was  very  natural  in  recoimting  from  memory 
the  history  of  so  long  a  course  of  previous  years.  Dr.  Delany  was  not  married 
when  Mrs.  Pendarves  first  arrived  in  Dublin,  in  1731,  but  he  married  some 
months  afterwards  before  she  left  Ireland. 

3  Dessario. —  Dr.  Delany. 


OF  MKS.  DELANY.  297 

conversing  and  corresponding  with  one  from  whom  I 
expected  so  much  improvement. 

A  little  before  I  made  my  visit  to  Ireland  young 
Tomasio^  returned  from  his  travels,  being  just  of  age. 
He  was  son  to  Laura  by  her  first  husband,  heir  to  great 
honours  and  a  vast  estate.  I  had  been  so  used  to  him 
from  his  infancy  in  Alcander's  family,  that  I  looked  upon 
him  as  my  younger  brother.  He  was  always  very  fond 
of  me,  and  being  ten  years  younger  than  myself,  I  used 
to  give  him  my  advice  upon  all  occasions,  and  he  had  an 
entire  confidence  in  me.  We  corresponded  when  he  was  in 
France,  and  I  often  told  him  he  must  let  me  choose  him 
a  wife,  wliich  he  said  I  should.  He  had  been  married  in 
his  minority  to  a  young  lady  of  great  quality,^  but  she 
died  before  he  returned  from  his  travels,  so  they  never 
lived  together.  It  was  after  that  he  promised  to  consult 
me  whenever  he  was  inclined  to  marry.  I  really  had  the 
affection  of  a  sister  for  him,  and  had  his  interest  at  heart. 

Laura's  indiscretion,  and  Alcander's  indolence,  made 
me  fear  they  would  not  have  a  proper  attention  to 
him,  and  if  they  had,  I  knew  they  had  no  power  over 
him.  He  was  easily  led  by  those  he  was  fond  of,  but 
jealous  and  obstinate  where  he  thought  any  authority 
was  usurped,  which  made  me  very  cautious  in  my  manner 
of  proceeding  with  him.  His  behaviour  towards  me 
was  very  obliging,  and  I  was  so  far   from  losing  his 


1  Thomas,  2nd  Viscount  Weymouth. 

2  Thomas,  Viscount  Weymouth,  (son  of  Lady  Lansdown,)  was  bom  May 
21st,  1710.  He  succeeded  his  grandfather's  elder  brother  in  the  title  and 
estates  in  1714  ;  was  married  on  December  6,  1726,  being  then  fifteen  years'  \ 
old,  to  the  Lady  Elizabeth  Sackville,  daughter  of  Lionel,  Duke  of  Dorset,  which 
lady  died  on  June  29,  1729,  whilst  he  was  on  his  travels.  He  married  se- 
condly, Louisa,  daughter  of  John,  Lord  Carteret. 


298  LIFE  AND  C50RKESP0NDENCE 

favour  by  any  advice  I  took  the  liberty  of  giving  him, 
that  at  last  I  began  to  fear  I  had  gained  it  too  far.  I 
was  not  only  related  to  the  Baron,  but  had  a  par- 
ticular intimacy  with  his  family,  and  friendship 
with  the  Countess^  and  with  the  Baron's  daughters,* 
who  though  much  younger  were  very  fond  of  me,  and 
I  loved  them  all  very  well,  but  particularly  the 
second  daughter,"  who  had  a  sweetness  of  manners  (a 
true  copy  of  her  mind),  joined  to  a  pretty  genteel  person, 
that  made  her  very  engaging,  and  gave  her  the  preference 
to  most  of  the  beauties  of  her  time. 

As  soon  as  I  could  judge  of  her  disposition  I  wished 
that  Tomasio  might  Hke  her  as  well  as  I  did.  She 
was  very  sensible,  discreet,  of  a  complying  temper, 
gentle,  mild,  and  withaU  very  Uvely.  Tomasio  was 
good-natured  and  affectionate,  but  Hberal  without  dis- 
tinction, warm  in  his  temper,  could  not  bear  contradic- 
tion, and  had  not  discernment  enough  to  be  reasoned 
with.  This  sort  of  disposition  was  hard  to  deal  with, 
and  required  all  those  qualities  Louisa  possessed  in  a 
high  degree.  Her  fortune  was  small,  but  she  had  been 
bred  up  in  magnificence,  and  knew  how  to  spend  a  large 
one  gracefully  and  manage  it  prudently :  his  fortune 
was  very  large,  but  his  good-nature  and  want  of  resolu- 
tion turned  his  natural  generosity  into  profuseness. 

What  made  me  more  zealous  for  this  union  was  its  being 
most  earnestly  desired  by  the  Baroness  and  being  agree- 
able to  Louisa.  This  encouraged  me  to  lay  a  train  towards 
making  the  proposal  to  him,  by  commending  her  on  all 

^  The  Countess  Granville. 

8  The  daughters  of  Lord  Carteret.  | 

'  ITie  Hon.  Louisa  Carteret,  2nd  daughter  of  Lord  Carteret. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  299 

occasions,  and  telling  him  everything  I  thought  might 
prejudice  him  in  her  favour ;  and  he  would  often  say, 
"  Why  do  you  commend  her  so  much  ?"  and  "  he  did 
not  know  if  he  did  marry  why  he  should  not  choose  me, 
for  that  he  liked  me  better  than  anybody."  He  said  this 
in  so  blunt  a  manner  that  it  passed  with  me  for  a  joke, 
till  he  repeated  it  so  often,  adding  so  many  fine  compli- 
ments, that  I  thought  it  time  to  let  him  see  I  had  no 
view  of  engaging  him  for  myself,  and  then  without 
disguise  mentioned  Louisa  as  the  person  in  the  world  I 
thought  best  fitted  to  make  him  happy.  He  did  not 
relish  this  proposal,  and  gave  me  no  other  answer  but 
that  he  must  return  to  France  before  he  settled,  but  that 
he  liked  Louisa  the  best  of  the  sisters.  He  soon  after 
went  to  France,  and  I  to  Ireland.  And  now  adieu ; 
'tis  time  to  rest,  &c. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Dublin,  9th  Oct.,  1731. 

This  morning  we  are  to  go  out  of  town  to  a  house  of 
Dr.  Delany's  called  Delville :  we  carry  a  cold  scrap 
with  us,  and  propose  spending  the  day  very  agreeably  ; 
it  is  about  three  mile  off".  Our  own  family,  Mr.  Percival, 
and  Mr.  Usher  make  up  the  party.  This  is  by  way  of 
preparing  you  for  a  short  letter.  I  can  easily  believe 
my  dear  mama  and  sister  were  rejoiced  at  receiving  the 
news  of  my  safe  arrival ;  not  much  less  was  my  joy  last 
post  in  hearing  from  you  after  having  waited  for  the 
packet  a  fortnight — a  cruel  circumstance  that  I  fear  must 
often  be  my  fate,  but  since  there  is  no  remedy  for  it  I 
will  endeavour  to  bear  it  patiently.  Indeed,  I  wish  you 
could  partake  of  the  entertainments  I  every  day  meet 


300  LIFE  AND  COKKESPONDENCE 

with,  then  I  should  relish  them  more,  as  at  present  they  are 
very  imperfect  to  me ;  but  I  will  give  you  an  account  of 
them,  because  you  say  you  love  to  know  what  I  am  doing. 

On  Saturday  morning  we  went  in  the  coach  and 
six  to  Still  Organ,  a  seat  of  my  Lord  Allen's,^  four 
miles  from  Dublin,  very  fine  and  charming  prospect 
of  the  sea  all  the  way,  like  the  harbour  of  Falmouth. 
On  a  rising  ground  in  the  park  there  is  erected  an 
obelisk,  very  well  built,  from  whence  there  is  a  very 
fine  and  extensive  view.  The  house  is  like  one  made 
of  cards,  the  gardens  laid  out  in  the  old-fashioned  taste, 
but  capable  of  being  made  a  fine  thing ;  nothing  can  be 
prettier  than  the  situation. 

I  must  say  the  environs  of  Dublin  are  delightful.  The 
town  is  bad  enough,  narrow  streets  and  dirty-looking 
houses,  but  some  very  good  ones  scattered  about :  and  as 
for  Stephen's  Green,^  I  think  it  may  be  preferred  justly  to 
any  square  in  London,  and  it  is  a  great  deal  larger  than 
Lincoln's  Inn  Fields.  A  handsome  broad  gravel  walk 
and  another  of  grass,  railed  in  round  the  square,  planted 
with  trees,  that  in  the  summer  give  a  very  good  shade ; 
and  every  morning  Miss  Donnellan  and  I  walk  there.    The 


1  Joshua,  2nd  Viscount  Allen,  born  in  1685,  married  18th  Oct.,  1704,  Mar- 
garet, daughter  of  Samuel  Du  Pass,  Esq.,  of  Epsom.  His  lordship  died  in 
1742. 

2  Stephen's  Green  is  described  by  Eraser,  as  the  largest  square  in  the  city 
of  Dublin,  the  "  circumference  being  nearly  a  mile,  and  its  area,  which  is  en- 
closed by  an  iron  railing,  20  statute  acres."  "  Its  surface,  which  is  very  flat, 
is  laid  out  in  walks  aud  shrubberies,  for  the  use  of  the  surrounding  houses,  and 
in  the  centre  there  is  an  equestrian  statue  in  brass  of  George  II.  A  broad 
graveled  promenade  surrounds  the  square,  which  is  separated  from  the  street 
by  a  line  of  stone  posts,  connected  with  festooned  chains.  There  are  nine 
approaches  to  the  square,  viz.,  Grafton-street,  South  King-street,  York-street, 
Cuffe-street,  Harcourt-street,  Leeson-street,  Bagot^strcet,  Kildare-street,  and 
Dorset-street." 


OF  MKS.  DELANY.  301 

weather  has  been  prodigiously  good  ever  since  we  came ; 
I  find  you  cannot  boast  the  same.  I  am  sincerely 
rejoiced  at  Miss  Unet's  good  fortune  ;^  I  am  sure  she  well 
deserves  it.  Yesterday  being  the  anniversary  of  the 
King's  coronation,  we,  like  loyal  subjects,  went  to  the 
Castle ;  there  was  a  ball  very  decently  ordered,  and 
French  dancing  in  abundance.  Your  friend  Index,  who 
often  speaks  of  you,  played  his  part  very  well  there,  and 
had  the  prize.  I  danced  three  country  dances  with 
Mr.  Usher  in  a  vast  crowd ;  after  that  we  were  sum- 
moned to  supper,  where  everything  was  prepared  with 
great  magnificence.  Three  large  tables  beside  the  Duke's, 
covered  with  all  sorts  of  provision  disposed  very  well.  I 
never  saw  so  much  meat  with  so  little  confusion.  After 
that  they  went  to  dancing  again ;  it  was  so  hot  and 
crowded  that  our  courage  would  hold  out  but  for  half  a 
dance.  Between  twelve  and  one  we  came  home,  and__ 
were  very  well  pleased  to  lay  us  down.  I  have  just 
began  an  acquaintance  among  the  wits — Mrs.  Grierson, 
Mrs.  Sycon,  and  Mrs.  Pilkington ;  the  latter  is  a  bosom  / 
friend  of  Dean  Swift's,  and  I  hope  among  them  I  shall  i 
be  able  to  pick  up  some  entertainment  for  you.  ■— ^ 

I  thank  you  for  the  verses,  they  are  pretty  and  new ;  but 
your  own  thoughts,  you  know,  always  delight  me  more 
than  other  people's.  Adieu  !  'tis  barbarous  to  be  inter- 
rupted, but  I  am  hurried  away  and  cannot  any  longer  in- 
dulge myself.  My  duty  to  our  good  mama,  and  kindest  ser- 
vice to  Mrs.  Viney  and  Mrs.  Butler ;  they  will  be  angry 
with  me  for  not  writing,  but  I  declare  I  have  not  time. 
Poor  Lady  Sunderland  has  been  in  great  frights  for  her 


*  Miss  Unitt's  marriage  to  Mr.  Foley. 


302  LIFE  AND  COREESPONDENCE 

little  boy  Jack,  who  has  had  several  convulsion  fits.     I 
hope  he  may  recover  it. 

I  am  for  ever  yours,  M.  Pen. 

Inclose  my  letters  to  the  Bishop  of  Killala. 

Ballard,  in  his  "  Memoirs  of  Learned  Ladies,"  says  that  **  the 
Constantia  Grierson,  mentioned  as  one  of  the  wits  of  Dublin  in  the 
above  letter,  was  born  in  the  county  of  Kilkenny,  in  Ireland,  and  that 
she  was  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  women  that  either  that 
age  or  any  other  ever  produced.  She  died  in  the  year  1713,  at 
the  age  of  27,  and  was  allowed,  long  before,  to  be  an  excellent 
scholar,  not  only  in  Greek  and  Roman  literature,  but  in  history, 
divinity,  philosophy,  and  mathematics.  She  gave  a  proof  of  her 
knowledge  in  the  Latin  tongue,  by  her  dedication  of  the  Dublin 
edition  of  Tacitus  to  the  Lord  Carteret,  and  by  that  of  Terence  to 
his  son,  to  whom  she  likewise  wrote  a  Greek  epigram."  She  wrote 
several  fine  poems  in  English,  (Mrs.  Barber  has  inserted  several 
specimens  of  her  talent  in  this  way  in  her  printed  poems,)  on  which 
she  set  so  little  value,  that  she  neglected  to  leave  more  than  a  few 
copies  behind  her.  "  What  makes  her  character  the  more  re- 
markable is,  that  she  rose  to  this  eminence  in  learning  merely  by 
the  force  of  her  own  genius,  and  continual  application.  She  was 
not  only  happy  in  a  fine  imagination,  a  great  memory,  an  excellent 
understanding,  and  an  exact  judgment,  but  had  all  these  crowned 
by  virtue  and  piety ;  she  was  too  learned  to  be  vain,  too  wise  to  be 
conceited,  too  knowing  and  too  clear-sighted  to  be  irreligious.  As 
her  learning  and  abilities  raised  her  above  her  own  sex,  so  they 
left  her  no  room  to  envy  any ;  on  the  contrary,  her  delight  was  to 
see  others  excel ;  she  was  always  ready  to  advise  and  direct  those 
who  applied  to  her,  and  was  herself  willing  to  be  advised.  Lord 
Carteret,  when  he  was  Lord  Lieutenant  of  Ireland,  obtained  a 
patent  for  Mr.  Grierson,  her  husband,  to  be  the  king's  printer,  and 
to  distinguish  and  reward  her  uncommon  merit,  had  her  life 
inserted  in  it." 

Letitia  Pilkington,  another  wit,  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Vanlewin, 
a  physician  of  Dublin,  was   bom    in    that  city  in  1712.      Her 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  303 

husband  was  a  clergyman,  and  a  needy  author,  from  whom  a  separa- 
tion took  place  by  mutual  consent.      Mrs.  Pilkington  was  one  of 
Dean  Swift's  female  coterie,  and  perhaps  surpassed  all  the  party  in 
wit  and  genius  not  less  than  in  levity.  She  died  in  Dublin  in  1750. 
Her  memoirs  written  by  herself,  and  her  letters,  are  still  entertain- 
ing.    Mrs.  Pilkington's  acquaintance  with  Dean  Swift  commenced 
by  her  sending  him  verses  on  his  birthday.     She  was  afterwards 
introduced  to  him  by  a  lady,  whom  he  asked  if  she  was  her  daughter, 
and  when  informed  that  she  was  Mrs.  Pilkington,  he  said,  "  What, 
that  poor  little  child  married !     God  help  her,  she  is  early  inured 
to  trouble;*'  the  next  Sunday  the  Dean  engaged  Mr.  Pilkington 
to  preach  for  him  at  St.  Patrick's  church,  when  Mrs.  Pilkington 
was  struck  by  observing  that  Dr.  Swift  went  through  the  whole 
service  himself  without  once  looking  into  a  book.     After  church  he 
was  surrounded  by  poor  people,  and  gave  to  all  but  one  old  woman 
with  dirty  hands,  to  whom  he  said  that  "  though  a  beggar,  water 
was  not  so  scarce  but  that  she  might  have  washed  them."     He 
afterwards  invited  the  Pilkingtons  to  supper,  handed  her  to  the 
coach,  and  slipped  into  her  hand  the  exact  sum  of  money  that  she 
and  her  husband  had  given  at  the  Offertory  in  the  morning,  as  well , 
as  the  coach-hire.      The  Rev.  Thomas  Pilkington  was  originally 
introduced  by  Dr.  Delany  to  the  notice  of  Dean  Swift,  and  obtained 
a  humble  post  in  his  cathedral.  He  had  talent  and  vivacity,  but  was 
totally  devoid  of  principle,  and  imposed  upon  Dr.  Swift,  who, 
ever  anxious  to  serve  merit,  gave  him  strong  recommendations, 
when  Pilkington  went  to  England,  to  his  old  friend  Barber,  then 
Lord  Mayor  of  London,  who  made  Pilkington  his  chaplain.     He 
also  gave  him  introductions  to  Pope,  Bolingbroke,  and  other  friends. 
Pilkington  soon  threw  off  the  mask,  and  became  impudent  and  pro- 
fligate, which  occasioned  the  complaint  of  Lord  Bolingbroke  to 
Swift  upon  the  discredit  that  had  been  occasioned  by  his  recom- 
mendation of  Pilkington,  of  whom  the  Lord  Mayor  Barber,  also 
complained.     Mrs.  Pilkington  did  not  turn  out  much  better  than 
her  husband,  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  she  was  very  clever,  and 
that  she  exerted  herself  with   great  success  at  the  period  of  this 
letter  in  appearing  as  estimable  as  she  was  agreeable. 


J 


304  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Mrs.  Sican  (or  Sycon),  one  of  the  three  wits  above  recorded,  was 
the  mother  of  Dr.  J.  Sican,  who  was  murdered  in  Italy.  Roscoe, 
in  his  edition  of  Swift,  calls  her  "  a  very  ingenious  lady,"  and 
Swift  having  transformed  her  name  into  "  Psyche,"  addressed  to 
her  the  following  verses ; — 

ON  PSYCHE. 

At  two  afternoon,  for  our  Psyche  inquire, 

Her  tea-kettle's  on,  and  her  smock  at  the  fire  : 

So  loitering,  so  active  ;  so  busy,  so  idle  ; 

Which  has  she  most  need  of,  a  spur  or  a  bridle  ? 

Thus  a  greyhound  outnms  the  whole  pack  in  a  race, 

Yet  would  rather  be  hang'd  than  he'd  leave  a  warm  ])lace. 

She  gives  you  such  plenty,  it  puts  you  in  pain ; 

But  ever  with  prudence  takes  care  of  the  main. 

To  please  you,  she  knows  how  to  choose  a  nice  bit, 

For  her  taste  is  almost  as  refined  as  her  wit. 

To  oblige  a  good  friend  she  will  trace  every  market, 

It  would  do  your  heart  good  to  see  how  she  will  cark  it. 

Yet  beware  of  her  arts,  for  it  plainly  api)ears 

She  saves  half  her  victuals  by  feeding  your  ears. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Qranville. 

Dublin.  21st  Octr,  1731. 

The  enclosed  was  to  have  been  sent  to  the  last  post 
by  way  of  excusing  me.  Mrs.  Clayton  was  obliged  to 
go  to  Court  in  the  morning,  and  would  have  me  go  with 
her.  I  am  glad  you  like  your  friend's  friend ;  I  have 
enclosed  to  you  a  letter  for  her,  which  I  desire  she  may 
have  soon.  I  dare  say  your  mind  was  never  yet  tainted 
by  envy.  This  present  circumstance  puts  me  in  mind 
of  Lady  Sunderland's  wedding.  I  believe  you  have  the 
same  satisfaction  in   Miss  Unet's^  good  fortune  as  I  had 


*  Elizabeth,  daughter  and  co-heir  of  Robert  Unitt,  Esq  ,  was  the  fourth 
wife  of  Thomas  Foley,  Esq.,  who,  after  marrying  a  fifth  wife,  died  in  1749. 
He  was  of  Whitley  Court,  in  Worcestershire. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  305 

on  hers,  or  rather  more,  because  you  have  been  together 
at  an  ajje  when  the  affections  are  strongrest.  Who 
knows  what  may  follow?  The  account  of  your  ball, 
indeed,  is  dull  enough  :  we  have  better  at  Court.  I  have 
not  heard  from  Mr.  Kirkham  ;^  when  I  do  I  shall  do  my 
endeavour  to  serve  him.  You  must  know,  madam, 
yesterday  being  Wednesday,  Mrs.  Clayton  opened  her 
apartment  and  admitted  all  her  acquaintance.  I  will 
describe  to  you  how  they  are  disposed  and  furnished. 
First  there  is  a  very  good  hall  well  filled  with  servants, 
then  a  room  of  eighteen  foot  square,  wainscoated  with  oak, 
the  panels  all  carved,  and  the  doors  and  chimney  finished 
with  very  fine  high  carving,  the  ceiling  stucco,  the 
window-curtains  and  chairs  yellow  Genoa  damask, 
portraits  and  landscapes,  very  well  done,  round  the  room, 
marble  tables  between  the  windows,  and  looking-glasses 
with  gilt  frames.  The  next  room  is  twenty-eight  foot 
long  and  twenty-two  broad,  and  is  as  finely  adorned  as 
damask,  pictures,  and  busts  can  make  it,  besides  the 
floor  being  entirely  covered  with  the  finest  Persian 
carpet  that  ever  was  seen.  The  bedchamber  is  large  and 
handsome,  all  furnished  with  the  same  damask.  There 
was  abundance  of  good  and  agreeable  company;  they 
went  away  about  half  an  hour  after  ten,  and  so  deUghted 
with  their  reception,  that  Mrs.  Clayton  has  promised  to 
admit  her  friends  every  Wednesday.  I  preside  at  the 
commerce  table.  I  must  leave  off,  my  letter  wanted  to 
go  to  the  post. 


^  Eev.  Mr.  Kirkham,  tbe  father  of  "  Sally,"  Mrs.  Capon,  (ChaiJone.) 


VOL.  I.  X 


306  LIFE  AND  COREESPONDENCE 

Mrs.  Foley  to  Mrs.  Ann  OrcmvUle,  in  the  Eastgate  Street,  Oloucester. 

Putney,  October  y«  26th,  1731. 

Notwithstanding  I  left  Glocester  with  so  great  a  pro- 
spect of  happiness,  yet  I  assure  you  leaving  my  Nanelit 
was  a  very  great  allay  to  it ;  and  though  I  have  so  ofter 
experienced  the  pain  of  parting,  the  frequency  of  it  is  sc 
far  from  inspiring  me  with  philosophy  enough  to  hear  ii 
cheerfully,  that  I  left  you  with  greater  regret  then  ever 
but  the  reason  of  that  is,  that  by  your  sweetness  of  tempei 
and  the  many  good  qualities  you  possess,  you  are  dearer  tc 
me  every  day,  and  the  continuance  of  your  friendship  is  es- 
sential to  my  happiness  in  whatever  state  of  life  I  am  in, 

As  you  are  so  good  to  be  interested  in  all  my  affairs, 
I  shall  as  I  promised  let  you  into  them  without  any 
reserve,  though  as  I  am  not  yet  at  all  settled  I  have 
not  much  to  communicate.  My  sister  informed  you 
that  we  had  a  good  and  agreeable  journey.  I  was  re- 
ceived by  my  father  and  mother  Wolstenholme,  with  a 
great  deal  of  kindness  and  civility.  My  mother  is  so  good 
to  go  on  with  the  housekeeping  till  Xmas,  by  which 
time  I  hope  to  be  a  little  acquainted  with  it ;  and  she  is 
so  kind  to  take  the  care  of  the  chilldren,  which  for  many 
reasons  I  am  glad  of.  I  think  I  never  saw  finer  or  better 
behaved  chilldren  in  my  life.  I  need  not  tell  dear  Miss 
Granville  how  perfectly  happy  I  am  in  Mr.  Foley,  and 
from  the  appearance  of  affairs  at  present  I  have  great 
reason  to  believe  I  shall  be  so  in  every  other  particular. 
I  hope  the  good  fortune  I  have  met  with  in  this  world 
will  be  no  bar  to  my  thoughts  of  a  much  better,  but 
rather  heighten  my  gratitude  and  acknowledgments  to 
the  Author  of  them.     Some  people  might  perhaps  take 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  307 

this  for  cant,  but  I  know  I  am  writing  to  a  person  that 
is  so  happy  as  to  have  a  notion  and  regard  for  religion, 
and  is  well  assured  that  the  minutest  accidents  of  our 
lives  are  governed  by  an  all- wise  and  good  Providence. 

I  have  not  been  long  enough  in  this  place  to  give  you 
any  particular  description  of  it ;  I  can  only  say  in  the 
general  'tis  very  pleasant.  One  thing  T  know  you  would 
be  delighted  with,  which  are  the  common  gardens  which 
there  are  a  vast  number  of;  they  are  very  large,  and  cut 
into  shady  walks  made  of  all  the  different  greens  you  can 
think  of,  adorned  with  all  sorts  of  flowers  :  you  may  walk 
in  any  of  them  whenever  you  please,  or  upon  a  most 
delightful  common,  which  the  ladies  are  fond  of,  but  I 
think  too  public.  My  own  house  is  small  but  very  con- 
venient, and  the  garden  is  delightful.  Mr.  Foley,  who  does 
everything  to  oblige  me,  constantly  begins  with  yours  and 
your  mama's  health  at  dinner  and  supper ;  he  is  gone  to- 
day to  London  upon  business,  but  charged  me  to  make 
his  particular  compliments  to  both.  When  I  shall  go  to 
the  metropolis  I  can't  tell,  for  my  chariot  was  not  bespoke 
till  to-day.  I  have  had  a  great  deal  of  very  agreeable 
company,  and  expect  a  great  deal  more.  As  you  observe> 
there  is  a  great  deal  of  difference  in  entertaining  the 
Glocestrians  and  the  people  of  this  part  of  the  world.  I 
had  two  as  fine  ladies  to  see  me  yesterday  as  I  ever 
beheld, — the  one  a  married  woman,  her  name  Lewis,  the 
other  single,  her  name  is  Porteen ;  you  may  imagine  my 
time  is  a  good  deal  taken  up,  but  I  will  always  find  a 
moment  to  converse  with  you.  I  must  tell  you  a  joke 
will  make  you  laugh,  which  has  put  me  in  some  hurry, 
and  Mr.  Foley  some  expense,  but  he  must  thank  himself. 
Mr.  Andrews  is  already  got  into  second  mourning^   and 

X  2 


308  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

all  his  relations  into  colours,  it  was  lucky  I  brought  my 
colour  clothes  with  me ;  I  sent  for  the  mantua  woman 
you  recommend,  she  is  making  up  my  embroidery,  and 
a  night-gown.  She  came  by  Northend,  and  saw  Sir  John 
and  your  brother  well  yesterday  morning.  I  have  only 
room  to  beg  mine  and  my  sister's  respects  to  all  friends, 
and  to  assure  you,  I  am 

l^our  afFec*  and  faithful 
E.  Foley. 

I  shall  be  obliged  to  you  if  you'll  let  them  know  in 
Bart :  St.  we  are  well  and  desire  our  duty. 

The  writer  of  this  letter  was  Elizabeth  Unett,  a  friend  of  Ann 
Granville,  and  whose  approaching  marriage  was  alluded  to  in  Mrs. 
Pendarves'  previous  letter.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Robert  Unett, 
Esq.,  and  the  fourth  wife  of  Thomas  Foley,  Esq.  of  Whitley  Court, 
in  the  county  of  Worcester,  whose  third  wife  was  Elizabeth  Wol- 
stenholme,  and  whose  father  and  mother  are  alluded  to  in  this 
letter  by  her  successor,  as  "  my  father  and  mother  Wolstenholme." 
His  first  wife  was  Miss  Andrews,  an  heiress,  and  the  "joke" 
alluded  to  probably  meant  that  Mr.  Foley,  to  show  respect  to  the 
memory  of  his  first  wifes  mother,  had  put  his  fourth  wife  and  his 
household  into  mourning,  and  afterwards  found  that  the  nearest 
relations  of  the  deceased  were  in  colours. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville,  in  the  Eastgate  Street,  at  Gloucester. 

4  Nov,  1731. 

I  hope  my  dearest  sister  is  well,  and  my  dear  mama. 
I  persuade  myself  you  are,  as  much  as  I  can.  But 
I  must  leave  off  complaints  to  give  you  some  account  of 
our  magnificence  on  the  Birthday.  Before  I  proceed  I 
must  tell  you  'tis  past  one  o'clock,  and  that  we  are  in- 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  309 

vited  to  dine  abroad.  The  Birthday,  as  you  may  re- 
member, happened  on  a  Saturday.  In  the  morning 
we  all  attended  their  Graces  at  the  Castle  in  our  best 
array,  as  I  wrote  you  word  after  my  return.  Sunday  we 
stayed  at  home  ;  on  Monday  at  eight  o'clock  went  to  the 
Castle.  The  room  where  the  ball  was  to  be  was  ordered 
by  Capt.  Pierce,  finely  adorned  with  paintings  and 
obelisks,  and  made  as  light  as  a  summer's  day.  I  never 
saw  more  company  in  one  place  ;  abundance  of  finery,  and 
indeed  many  very  pretty  women.  There  were  two  rooms 
for  dancing.  The  whole  apartment  of  the  Castle  was  open, 
which  consists  of  several  very  good  rooms  ;  in  one  there 
was  a  supper  ordered  after  the  manner  of  that  at  the 
masquerade,  where  everybody  went  at  what  hour  they 
liked  best,  and  vast  profusion  of  meat  and  drink,  which 
you  may  be  sure  has  gained  the  hearts  of  all  guzzlers  ! 
The  Duke  and  Duchess  broke  through  their  reserved 
way  and  were  very  obliging  ;  indeed  it  was  very  hand- 
some the  whole  entertainment,  but  attended  with  great 
crowding  and  confusion.  To-day  we  dine  at  Mr.  Hamil- 
ton's, (my  favorites) ;  but  of  all  the  diversions  our  own 
assembly  is  the  prettiest ;  how  many  times  do  I  wish  for 
you  !  But,  alas  !  that  is  as  vain  as  my  anxiety  about  the 
wind  ;  the  latter  will  much  sooner  change  than  the  other 
come  to  pass ;  we  had  last  night  a  great  deal  of  com- 
pany, our  cousins  are  constant  attendants. 

Next  Saturday  we  are  all  to  go  to  see  Madame  A^iolante, 
and  next  week  our  ridottos  will  begin  ;  masquerades  ai-e 
not  talked  of,  but  a  scheme  is  laid  for  operas,  which  I 
hope  will  succeed.  Yesterday  Index^  took  his  seat  in  Par- 

^  "  Yesterday  Index  took  his  seat."    The  date  of  this  letter  being  4th  Nov. 
1731,  has  been  the  means  of  identifying  the  individual  so  often  mentioned  as 


310  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

liament,  but  opened  not  his  moutli,  but  when  the  flame 
that  burns  within  him  breaks  out,  woe  be  to  all  that 
oppose  him,  for  never  was  there  so  warm  a  patriot ! 
I  am  called  upon  to  dress.  I  shall  hate  everybody  and 
everything  to-day ;  was  it  not  Enough  that  the  packets  are 
not  come  in,  but  I  must  be  dragged  from  my  employment 
and  obliged  to  send  you  a  sheet  of  paper  scratched  with 
a  little  incoherent  stuff  that  wiU  cost  tenpence — tis  pro- 
voking. 

M.  P. 

Dr.  Walsh,  in  his  History  of  the  City  of  DubUn,  says,  "  In  the 
year  1731,  Madame  Violante  had  attempted  to  estabhsh  a  booth 
for  the  performance  of  rope-dancers,  but  the  public  were  soon  tired 
of  the  exhibition,  and  she  converted  the  booth  into  a  theatre.  To 
make  her  performance  more  attractive  by  its  novelty  and  singularity, 
she  exhibited  all  theatrical  pieces  with  a  company  of  children  under 
ten  years  of  age.  It  is  remarkable  that  the  '  Beggars'  Opera '  was 
first  introduced  to  the  notice  of  a  Dublin  audience  by  these  infants ;" 
and  that  Margaret  Woffington  made  her  first  theatrical  effort  among 
them  in  the  character  of  Polly.  "  The  house  in  which  this  infant 
company  exhibited  stood  on  the  spot  where  Fownes-street  is  now 
(1818)  built."  Margaret  Woffington  was  born  in  Dame-street,  Dub- 
lin, in  the  year  1719.  She  was  the  daughter  of  a  journeyman 
bricklayer,  and  attended  school  from  her  fifth  to  her  tenth  year. 
When  her  father  was  dying,  she  came  home  to  assist  her  mother  in 
the  business  of  a  washerwoman.  Being  seen  one  day  fetching  water 
from  the  Liffey  by  a  Madame  Violante,  who  kept  a  show-booth  in 
Dame-street,  the  latter  was  so  struck  with  the  little  Irish  girl's 
beauty  that  she  offered  to  engage  her  as  an  apprentica  Her  mother 
consenting,  little  Woffington  was  transferred  to  the  care  of  Madame 
Violante,  to  be  taught  the  dramatic  art,  and  it  was  not  long  before 


"  Index"  as  in  the  journals  of  the  Irish  House  of  Commons  the  Honourable 
John  Perceval  is  stated  to  have  taken  his  seat  for  the  borough  of  Dingle 
Iconeh  in  the  Co.  of  Kerry,  on  the  Srd  Nov.,  1731. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  311 

she  was  announced  to  play  Polly,  in  the  Beggars'  Opera.  Her 
reception  was  enthusiastic ;  and  continuing  to  perform  she  became 
the  prop  of  the  Booth  Theatre,  and  was  allowed  a  salary  of  30». 
per  week.  She  left  Dublin  for  London,  and  had  not  been  long  in 
the  metropolis  before  she  was  engaged  by  Rich,  to  appear  at  Covent 
Garden,  where  she  made  her  debut  in  the  character  of  Sir  Harry 
Wildair — a  part  previously  performed  by  her  in  Dublin.  Her 
success  was  brilliant ;  she  played  Sir  Harry  to  crowded  audiences 
for  twenty-two  successive  nights,  and  on  the  termination  of  her  en" 
gagement  with  Rich,  who  had  given  her  9/.  per  week,  she  went 
back  to  Dublin  on  a  salary  of  14/.  Little  short  of  adoration  was 
now  paid  her  in  her  native  town;  and,  whilst  on  the  stage  she 
fascinated  all,  she  determined  to  enjoy  herself  off  it,  as  far  as  an 
equipage  and  other  luxuries  would  enable  her  to  do  so.  She  made 
an  allowaace  of  20/.  per  annum  to  her  mother ;  and  was  in  otlier 
respects  a  liberal  and  generous  distributor  of  the  fortune  she  was 
acquiring. 

The  failure  of  the  Dublin  manager,  inducing  her  return  to 
London,  she  accepted  an  engagement  at  Covent  Garden,  where  she 
continued  to  be  an  admired  favourite  until  her  retirement  from  the 
stage  in  May  1757.  The  derangement  of  her  health  has  been 
stated  by  some  persons  as  a  reason  for  her  quitting  the  theatre; 
whilst  others  ascribe  her  renunciation  of  it  to  a  sermon  she  had 
heard  in  which  some  errors  similar  to  her  own  were  very  forcibly 
touched  upon,  and  the  alteration  which  took  place  in  her  conduct 
makes  the  last  account  the  more  probable  one.  She  increased 
her  mother's  allowance  from  20/.  to  30/.,  and  became  simple  in 
her  dress  and  manners.  She  died  retainincr  all  the  amiable  but 
none  of  the  blameable,  qualities  of  her  early  life,  on  the  28  th  of 
May,  1760,  and  was  buried  at  Teddington. 

"  The  music-hall  in  Crow-street  was  erected  for  the  practice  of 
Italian  music,  and  opened  on  the  30th  of  November,  1781,  with  a 
ridotto.  A  musical  society  was  also  formed  and  held  at  the  Bull's 
Head.  By  the  subscribers  to  its  funds,  the  music-hall  in  Fishamble- 
street  was  built,  and  the  first  concert  held  in  it  on  the  1st  of 
October,  1741.     But  a  circumstance  then  occurred  w^hich  seemed 


312  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

to  give  a  decided  turn  to  the  taste  of  the  town.  Handel,  banished 
from  England  by  the  spirit  of  party,  sought  refuge  here  and  found 
protection  ;  soon  after  his  arrival,  he  performed  his  oratorio  of  the 
Messiah  for  the  benefit  of  the  city  prison  in  the  new  music-hall, 
assisted  by  the  violin  of  his  friend,  M.  Dubourg,  and  he  effected 
a  total  revolution  in  the  music  of  the  metropolis.  Meantime 
Italian  singers  were  invited  to  Dublin,  and  operas  established  with 
an  eagerness  equal  to  that  displayed  in  England." 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Dublin,  16  Nov.,  1731. 

Hope  the  pain  in  the  ankle  has  proved  itself  to  be  a 
sprain.  The  gout  or  rheumatism  you  have  never  pro- 
voked— it  would  be  hard  indeed  if  you  should  suffer  by 
those  severe  discipliners  :  distant  as  I  am,  I  should  share 
the  anguish.  A  sprain  is  as  painful  for  the  time  it  lasts, 
but  not  so  apt  to  return.  How  will  the  guilty  suffer 
when  the  innocent  is  so  attacked  ?  That  one  who  leads 
as  temperate  a  life  as  any  nun,  should  be  subject  to  dis- 
tempers that  generally  are  the  fruits  of  a  luxurious  life, 
or  that  you  should  sprain  your  ankle  who  never  made  a 
false  step,  are  accidents  I  cannot  reconcile  to  myself! 

You  guess  very  rightly,  your  favourite  Miss  Wesley 
performs  miracles  at  the  Castle,  and  is  by  much  the  best 
dancer  there.  You  may  imagine  such  a  little  pretty 
creature  does  not  want  for  praises  :  were  I  her  mother,  I 
should  not  expose  her  to  so  many,  she  is  of  an  age  to  be 
spoiled  by  them,  unless  she  has  an  uncommon  share  of 
sense.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wesley  receive  your  compliments 
very  kindly,  and  heartily  return  theirs.  Nothing  can  be 
worse  than  the  present  condition  of  the  Charitable  Cor- 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  313 

poration.  I  fear  the  books  will  be  of  little  use  to  them. 
I  am  grieved  for  our  friends  in  Grosvenor  Square  ;^  not 
so  much  on  account  of  the  fortune  they  have  lost,  as  for 
the  trouble  they  are  in  at  the  reflections  cast  on  the 
Directors  ;  but  I  still  believe  our  friend  has  not  acted  a 
dishonest  part  but  he  has  been  basely  imposed  upon. 
Bess  was  lucky  enough  to  sell  out  two  days  before  the  ruin 
fell.  Sir  Dingledy  Couch  is  so  intoxicated  with  politics 
and  parliamentary  affairs,  that  he  has  hardly  leisure  to 
receive  a  compliment,  much  less  return  one  ;  but  he  looks 
pleased  when  I  tell  him  you  remember  him. 

No,  madam,  I  do  not  dance  in  evety  croud,  though  I 
always  have  an  agreeable  partner  at  hand,  and  I  did  not 
dance  on  the  Birthuight.  Next  Monday,  being  St. 
Cecilia's  day,  it  is  to  be  celebrated  in  the  morning  at  St. 
Patrick's  church,  with  Powell's  Te  Deum  and  somebody's 
Anthem,  but  I  don't  know  who's,  and  some  of  CorelH's 
concertos,  all  performed  w^ith  instruments.  At  night  Lord 
Mountjoy  gives  a  ball  to  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Dor- 
set ;  he  has  invited  my  cousins,  and  told  them  he  designed 
to  ask  me.  Poor  Puss  !  and  has  she  lost  her  tail  ?  I 
lament  the  disaster :  had  I  a  poet  at  command  an  elegy 
should  soon  be  produced. 

I  esteem  Mr.  Foley,  without  having  any  other  know- 
ledge of  him  than  what  you  have  given  me.  I  dare  say 
his  fondness  to  his  wife  will  increase  as  her  qualities  are 
of  that  nature  to  engage  the  more  the  better  they  are 
known.  I  wish  I  had  Sally's  letter  on  that  occasion.  I 
love  her  sprightly  wdt,  and  admire  her  grave  sense.  At  last 
I  found  an  opportunity  of  writing  to  her.  I  long  for  n 
letter   in    return,  to  know  her  fate  in  regard   to   the 

'  Sir  Rubert  Sutton  and  Lady  Sunderland. 


314  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

lottery.  I  will  endeavour  to  get  a  good  answer  to  your 
musical  question,  but  Sally  is  the  best  definer. 

Do  you  ever  write  to  Lord  Lansdown  ?  I  have  heard 
not  only  from  him,  but  from  my  lady,  who  is,  at 
present,  in  a  fond  fit ;  your  cousins  desire  their  compli- 
ments to  you,  they  are  constant  attendants  here  every 
Wednesday  ;  yesterday  they  dined  with  us.  I  was  at 
Court  with  them  on  Tuesday,  and  danced  one  country- 
dance,  but  the  heat  and  crowd  were  so  intolerable  that 
I  soon  quitted  that  sport,  and  made  the  best  of  my  way 
home.  The  Bishop  has  gone  to  bed.  Mrs.  Usher,  her  son 
and  daughter,  dine  here  to-day,  and  in  the  afternoon  we 
all  go  to  Mrs.  Butler's,  where  we  are  to  spend  the  evening. 
She  is  a  very  good-humoured,  agreeable  woman,  and  her 
husband  a  plain,  rough,  merry  officer,  who  doats  on  his 
wife,  and  admires  everybody  that  likes  her. 

The  ball  at  Mrs.  Graham's^  will  be  next  week  I 
believe.  Humphrey  Matthews'  asked  particularly  after 
you ;  he  is  but  just  come  to  town.  We  are  soon  to  have 
a  story-telling  evening :  who  shall  I  wish  for  to  listen  to 
him,  I  wonder  ?  Mr.  Barnard  was  here  last  night  at 
our  assembly  (which  was  as  much  crowded  as  ever  I  saw 
my  Lady  Stafford's,  and  more  agreeable,  except  in  one 
respect,  which  you  will  not  be  at  a  loss  to  guess  at) ;  he 
is  very  conceited   and  silly,  and  said  many  things   he 


^  Mary,  second  daughter  of  George  Lord  Lansdowne,  married  in  1730, 
William  Graham,  Esq.,  of  Flatten  ;  died  in  November,  1735. 

2  The  Mathew  family  resided  atRadyr,  in  the  county  of  Glamorgan,  South 
Wales,  in  the  year  1660,  after  which  George  Mathew  settled  at  Thurles,  in 
the  county  of  Tipperary.  His  father's  family  once  possessed  the  town  of  Llan- 
daff,  and  one  of  his  descendants  married  Margaret,  fourth  daughter  of  Thomas 
Butler,  Esq.,  of  Kilcash.  Francis  Mathew,  Esq.,  of  Thoniastown,  was  created 
Baron  Llandaff,  12th  October,  1783,  and  Earl  of  Llandaff  in  November,  1797. 
The  earldom  became  extinct  on  the  death  of  his  son,  12tli  March,  1833. 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  315 

intended  to  be  taken  for  svit.  He  jeered  me  extremely 
upon  liking  Ireland,  and  had  he  been  an  Englishman  I 
should  have  thought  him  very  rude,  for  saying  so  many 
disobliging  things  of  a  place  where  I  am  so  civilly  treated, 
Phill  gave  him  a  rub  or  two  about  the  lamps  in  Pall 
Mall  that  would  not  burn  bright  for  him,  and  he  had 
not  much  to  say  for  himself  I  have  sent  you  the  verses  J 
I  promised,  and  will  endeavour  to  get  more — they  are  ( 
Mr.  Pilkington's.  Pray  do  you  ever  write  to  Miss 
Carteret  ?  I  keep  up  a  correspondence  with  Lord  "Wey- 
mouth— he  is  too  kind  a  friend  to  slight. 

I  wish  that  my  mama  and  you  could  be  brought  here 
in  your  sleep,  without  the  trouble  of  sea  and  land. 
Your  affectionate  and  constant 

Penny. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Qranvitte. 

Dublin,  Nov.  25,  1731. 

I  must  teU  you  all  that  has  passed  since  my  writing 
to  you  last,  which  was  on  Thursday.  I  believe  I  told 
you  then  that  we  were  to  spend  the  evening  at  Mrs. 
Butler's.  Mrs.  Usher,  her  son  and  daughter,  gave  us 
the  meeting.  There  was  a  table  of  quadrdle,^  and  one  of 
commerce,  of  which  party  was  your  humble  servant.  We 
had  a  very  genteel  supper,  and  were  very  merry  and 
easy.  On  Friday  we  went  to  the  Castle;  there  was 
a  great  deal  of  company  ;  that  day  we  dined  at  Dr. 
Madden's,  who  always  enquires  after  you.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wesley  were  there,  they  never  omit  asking  how 

^  Quadrille,  a  game  played  by  four  persons,  with  forty  cards,  which  are  the 
remains  of  a  pack,  after  the  four  tens,  nines,  and  eights  are  discarded. 


316  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

you  do,  and  my  good  friend  Mrs.  Wesley  joins  heartily 
in  wishing  you  here ;  Saturday  we  staid  at  home  the 
greatest  part  of  the  day.  I  eloped  for  an  hour  or  two  to 
make  a  visit  to  a  young  lady^  who  is  just  recovered  of 
the  small-pox.  I  think  I  never  saw  a  prettier  creature 
than  she  was  before  that  maUcious  distemper  seized  her, 
— a  gay,  good-humoured,  innocent  girl,  without  the  least 
conceit  of  her  beauty ;  her  father  has  been  dead  about 
six  months,  a  worthless  man  that  has  left  a  very  un- 
certain fortune ;  she  paints  delightfully.  All  the  men 
were  dying  whilst  she  was  in  danger,  but,  notwith- 
standing their  admiration  of  her,  not  one  of  them  will 
be  generous  enough  to  marry  her  while  the  lawsuit  is 
pending ;  now,  indeed,  even  their  adoration  will  cease, 
they  will  not  acknowledge  her  for  a  divinity  since  she  is 
divested  of  those  charms  that  occasioned  their  devo- 
tion. Sunday  to  church  we  went — staid  at  home  all  the 
afternoon,  Mrs,  Percival  and  Mrs.  Usher  of  the  company. 
Monday  being  St.  Cecilia's  Day  it  was  celebrated  with 
great  pomp  at  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral.  We  were  there 
in  the  greatest  crowd  I  ever  saw ;  we  went  at  10  and 
staid  till  4 ;  there  is  a  very  fine  organ,  which  was 
accompanied  by  a  great  many  instruments,  Dubourg  at 
the  head  of  them;  they  began  with  the  1st  concerto 
of  Corelli ;  we  had  PurceU's  Te  Deum  and  Jubilate ; 
then  the  5th  concerto  of  Corelli ;  after  that  an  anthem 
of    Dr.    Blow's,    and    they    concluded   with    the     8th 

*  Letitia  Bushe  was  the  young  lady  here  mentioned  as  recovering  from  the 
small  pox.  The  friendship  which  then  commenced  with  Mary  Granville,  con- 
tinued to  the  end  of  her  life,  which  closed  long  before  that  of  Mrs.  Delany. 
The  beaiity  then  supposed  to  have  been  destroyed  must  afterwards  have  been 
regained,  if  we  may  judge  by  her  portrait  in  after  years,  where  the  beauty  of 
the  complexion  equals  the  regularity  of  the  features,  and  the  sweetness  smd 
intelligence  of  their  expression. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  317 

concerto  of  Corelli.  Perhaps  you  think  this  was  en- 
tertainment enough  for  one  day ;  pardon  me,  we  are  not 
here  so  easily  satisfied  as  to  let  one  diversion  serve  for 
the  whole  day  and  we  double  and  treble  them.  Lord 
Montjoy^  made  a  fine  ball  for  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of 
Dorset  and  their  retinue,  our  house  was  among  the 
invited  people,  and  Monday  was  the  day  fixed  on. 

After  our  music  we  returned  home,  eat  our  dinner  as  • 
expeditiously  as  we  could,  and  by  seven  (the  hour  named) 
we  were  aU  equipped  for  the  ball;  Mrs.  Graham,  Miss 
Granville,  and  Miss  Usher  called  on  us,  and  we  all  went 
away  together,  nobody  was  admitted  but  by  tickets. 
There  was  four-and-twenty  couple,  12  danced  at  a 
time,  and  when  they  had  danced  2  dances,  the  other 
12  took  their  turn.  No  lookers  on  but  the  Duchess 
and  Mrs.  Clayton,  who  thought  it  beneath  the 
dignity  of  a  Bishop's  wife  to  dance.  The  Duke 
danced  with  Lady  Allen  (the  Duchess  had  the  head- 
ache) Lord  Mountjoy  with  Lady  Caroline,^  Mr.  Coot  \ 
with  Lady  Lambert,  Capt.  Pierce  with  Mrs.  DoneUan, 
and  Mr.  Usher  with  me ;  the  rest  were  people  you  don't 
know  at  all ;  Index  would  not  condescend  to  dance 
more  than  minuets.  Before  the  dancing  began,  the 
company  were  all  served  with  tea  and  cofiee ;  at  9, 
every  lad  took  out  his  lass.  At  11,  those  who  were  not 
dancing  followed  the  Duke  and  Duchess  up  stairs  to 
a   room   where  was  prepared   all  sorts  of  cold  meats, 

^  Thomas  Windsor,  1st  Viscount  Windsor  in  Ireland,  younger  son  of 
Thomas,  1st  Earl  of  Plymouth,  descended  from  Andrews  Windsor,  1st  Baron 
Windsor,  by  Elizabeth,  sister  and  co-heir  of  Edward,  2nd  Baron  Montjoy. 
Created  Baron  Montjoy  of  the  Isle  of  Wight,  1st  Jan,  1711 ;  died  1738. 

3  Lady  Caroline  Sackville,  youngest  daughter  of  Lionel,  Duke  of  Dorset. 
She  married  Joseph  Damer,  Esq.,  who  in  June  1753,  was  created  Lord 
Milton. 


318  LIFE  AND  COERESPONDENCE 

fruits,  sweetmeats,  and  wines,  placed  after  the  same 
manner  as  the  masquerades.  We  eat  and  drank  as  much 
as  we  liked,  and  then  descended  to  make  way  for  the 
rest  of  the  company.  Mrs.  Clayton  went  away  at  12, 
the  Duchess  soon  after  that,  and  Phil  and  I  staid  till  1, 
and  then  with  much  difficulty  made  our  escapes,  the 
rest  staid  till  4  in  the  morning.  On  the  whole,  the 
entertainment  was  more  handsome  than  agreeable, 
there  being  too  much  company. 

The  next  morning  we  rose  at  9  o'clock,  put  on  our 
genteel  dishabille,  and  went  to  the  Parliament  House,  at 
11,  to  hear  an  election  determined :  the  parties  were 
Brigadier  Parker  the  sitting  member,  and  Mr.  Ponsonby 
the  petitioner,  Mr.  Southwell's  interest  was  the  first, 
and  the  last  was  Sir  R*^  Mead's.  1  believe  we  were 
the  most  impartial  hearers  among  all  the  ladies  that 
were  there,  though  rather  inclined  to  Mr.  Southwell's 
side,  but  the  cause  was  determined  in  favour  of  Sir  R. 
M's.  I  was  very  well  entertained  there.  Our  cousins 
were  also  there.  About  3  o'clock  Mrs.  Clayton  went 
home  to  dinner  with  her  Bishop ;  we  were  stout,  and 
staid.  Mr.  Hamilton,  a  gentleman  I  have  mentioned  to 
you,  brought  us  up  chickens,  and  ham,  and  tongue,  and 
everything  we  could  desire.  At  4  o'clock  the  speaker 
adjourned  the  House  'till  5.  We  then  were  conveyed, 
by  some  gentlemen  of  our  acquaintance,  into  the  Usher 
of  the  Black  Rod's  room,  where  we  had  a  good  fire, 
&c.,  and  meat,  tea,  and  bread  and  butter.  Were  we 
not  well  taken  care  of? 

When  the  House  was  assembled,  we  re -assumed  our 
seats  and  staid  till  8  ;  loth  was  1  to  go  away  then,  but  I 
thought  that  my  kind  companions  were  tired,  and  staid 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  319 

out  of  a  compliment  to  me,  so  home  we  came,  not  a  little 
fatigued  with  what  we  had  undergone  for  two  days  to- 
gether. Yesterday  our  assembly,  to-day  we  shall  spend 
peaceably  by  our  own  fireside,  and  talk  over  the  passed 
hurries.  Miss  Forth's  two  sisters  come  to  town,  who  are 
to  be  introduced  to  me  to-day,  'tis  one  of  them^  that 
paints  so  finely.  I  believe  I  did  not  write  you  word  that 
Mrs.  Foster  is  parted  from  her  husband.  Dean  Berkeley'* 
and  his  family  are  returned  to  England  ;  they  are  not  at 
Greenwich.  They  talk  of  coming  to  Dublin  early  in  the 
spring ;  I  wish  they  may  for  I  want  to  be  acquainted 
with  him.  Mrs.  Barber  is  still  in  England,  she  has  not 
yet  published  her  works  ;  I  wish  she  may  not  spend 
more  money  in  pursuing  this  afiair  than  the  subscription 
will  answer. 

Adieu,  my  dear  sister, — how  I  long  for  the  packets  ! 
'Tis  terribly  cold,  but  I  wish  for  an  easterly  wind,  though 
it  would  make  me  ten  times  colder;  I  know  then  I 
should  have  my  heart  warmed  by  some  expressions  of 
yours,  without  which  I  could  hardly  live,  or  live  miserably, 
like  the  poor  creatures  in  Greenland,  when  they  lose 
their  sun. 

Yours  for  ever, 

ASPASIA. 


'  The  lady  here  mentioned  was  Dorothy,  daughter  and  co-heir  of  James 
Forth,  of  Redwood,  King's  County,  Esq.,  better  known  under  the  name  of 
Mrs.  Hamilton,  whose  paintings  of  flowers  and  insects  are  unrivalled.  She 
married,  in  October,  1733,  the  Hon.  and  Rev.  Francis  Hamilton,  son  to  the 
Earl  of  Abercom. 

'  Dean  Berkeley,  afterwards  the  celebrated  Bishop  of  Cloyne,  a  cadet  of  the 
family  of  Earl  Berkeley.  His  learning  and  virtues,  his  vsit  and  agreeable  con- 
versation, made  his  friendship  sought  and  his  acquaintance  cultivated  by 
many  learned  men,  and  amongst  others  by  the  Earl  of  Peterborough,  Dr.  Swift, 
Dr.  Arbuthnot,  Pope,  and  Addison.  He  was  made  Dean  of  Derry  in  1724, 
and  married  in  August,  1728,  Anne,  eldest  daughter  of  the  Right  Hon.  John 
Foster,  Speaker  of  the  Irish  House  of  Commons. 


320  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Lord  Montjoy's  ball,  which  was  limited  to  twenty-four  couple, 
who  danced  in  turn,  affords  a  good  example  to  the  ball-givers  of 
the  present  day,  where  dancing  is  rendered  the  exception  at  balls,  in 
consequence  of  the  total  disregard  which  is  paid  to  the  proportion 
between  space  and  numbers.  Dancing  in  1731  appears  to  have 
been  a  real  enjoyment,  and  an  invitation  to  darice  was  a  reality ^ 
and  not  a  fiction.  It  is,  however,  to  be  hoped  that  the  excessive 
absurdity  of  invitations  to  an  amusement  of  which  it  is  impossible 
that  nine-tenths  of  the  company  can  be  partakers,  will  at  last 
occasion  a  reform,  and  that  instead  of  everybody  supposing  it 
necessary  to  spend  many  hundred  pounds  in  giving  one  over- 
crowded assembly,  where  breathing  is  difficult,  and  moving  next 
to  impossible,  that  somebody  may  set  the  fashion  of  giving  a 
succession  of  dancing  parties  with  very  simple  refreshments,  by 
which  means  their  houses  need  never  be  overcrowded,  while  all 
the  guests  might  really  enjoy  some  amusement.  This  need  not 
prevent  magnificent  entertainments  and  enormous  gatherings 
wherever  the  owners  have  tlie  will,  and  the  power  to  provide  an 
area  large  enough  conveniently  to  receive  all  their  acquaintance  at 
once,  although  such  entertainments  would  necessarily  be  confined 
to  a  minority. 


The  following  letter,  written  by  Dr.  Delany  to  Mrs.  Clayton, 
afterwards  Lady  Sundon,  although  it  has  already  appeared  in  the 
Memoirs  of  Lady  Sundon,  may  be  properly  introduced  at  this 
period.  The  letter  has  no  date  of  year,  but  as  Mrs.  Barber,  "the 
Poetess,"  was  in  London  in  1731  to  obtain  subscriptions  to  her 
poems,  and  she  was  at  tliat  time  suspected  of  having  written  an 
anonymous  letter  to  Queen  Caroline  against  Mrs.  Clayton,  and 
another  in  praise  of  herself,  signed  "  Jonathan  Swift,"  the  letter  of 
Dr.  Delany  must  have  been  written  about  that  period. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  321 

Dr.  Delany  to  Mrs.  Clayton. 

February  27.  Z' 

Madam, 

I  take  up  my  pen  with  some  reluctance,  yet  under 
an  irresistible  impulse,  to  write  to  you,  though  upon  a 
subject  where  persons  of  more  consequence  have  failed ; 
yet  no  way  discouraged,  but  rather  excited,  by  their  ill 
success. 

You  have,  madam,  in  a  way  very  honourable  and 
very  exemplary,  eased  one  good  mind  of  misery,  relieved 
one  good  genius  from  the  load  of  life,  and  placed  im- 
provement and  happiness  of  every  kind  within  his  reach. 
But  can  one  instance  of  this  kind  fill  up  the  measure  of 
your  beneficence  ?  Does  the  doing  honour  to  one  good 
genius  do  justice  to  your  own?  No,  madam,  you  think 
too  justly  and  too  largely  to  imagine  it  can.  You  know 
that  every  human  creature  that  equally  deserves,  has  an 
equal  claim  to  your  beneficence,  and  that  nothing  but 
want  of  merit  in  them,  or  abiHty  in  jou,  can  acquit  you 
of  the  claim.  Nor  need  you  be  told  that  distress  is 
merit,  and  distress  undeserved  the  greatest. 

It  is  upon  these  principles  that  I  now  beseech  your 
protection  for  one  who  hath  laboured  more  years  than 
Duck  hath  lived,  in  a  course  of  upright,  obliging,  well 
guided,  and  unwearied,  though  unsuccessfull  industry : 
in  an  exemplary  education  of  a  numerous  issue ,  in  one 
continued  series  of  good  advice,  and  good  offices  of  every 
kind,  to  the  whole  world  round  her,  who  never  turned 
away  her  face  from  any  poor  man  in  miserj^,  and  was 
dways  ready  in  the  very  letter  of  the  command,  if  it 
vere  possible,  to  draw  out  her  very  soul  to  the  hungry ; 
his  woman  on  the  verge  of  fifty,  with  an  hereditary  gout, 

VOL.  I.  Y 


322  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

cough,  and  asthina,  with  a  load  of  four  children,  excel- 
lently educated,  perfectly  well-disposed,  and  utterly  un- 
provided for,  sues  for  your  protection,  and  is  refused,  and 
refused,  too,  with  apparent  justice ;  she  has  injured  you, 
(you  say)  and  appearances  are  for  you. 

She  hath  wrote,  it  is  said,  two  letters  to  the  Queen, 
one  in  abuse  of  you,  without  a  name,  and  another  in 
praise  of  herself,  in  the  name  of  Dr.  Swift ;  by  the 
last,  she  hath  to  my  knowledge,  entirely  lost  his  friend- 
ship, and  by  the  former  all  hope  of  yours.  As  to  Dr. 
Swift,  I  shall  content  myself  to  tell  you  I  know  her 
innocent ;  but,  as  to  you,  I  shall  not  attempt  to  acquit 
her,  let  the  imputation  rest  upon  her  with  all  its  weight. 
It  is  for  that  reason,  and  under  that  very  circumstance,  I 
claim  your  protection  for  her.  And  I  claim  it  as  the 
noblest  occasion  your  virtue  ever  did,  or  ever  will  find 
to  exert  itself  to  advantage ;  it  is  perhaps  the  severest 
trial  to  which  a  Christian  spirit  can  be  exposed,  but  you 
must  own  it  is  at  the  same  time  the  noblest  opportunity 
of  triumph  it  can  ever  hope  for.  Your  injury  is  public, 
and  your  good  offices  will,,  for  that  very  reason,  be  illus- 
trious tenfold. 

Your  character  wanted  this  occasion  to  complete  it, 
and  providence  hath  been  signally  indulgent  in  throwing 
it  in  your  way.  I  speak  lowly  of  it,  when  I  venture  to 
pronounce,  that  it  will  not  be  your  least  honour  with  the 
present  age,  nor  your  least  praise  with  posterity.  Could 
I  think  less  highly  of  you  than  I  do,  I  had  taken  a  quite 
contrary  method,  I  had  vindicated  Mrs.  Barber's  inno- 
cence, and  treated  her  supposed  calumny  as  monstrous 
and  incredible,  and  laid  before  you,  in  the  fullest  lightj 
the  merit  of  supporting  a  woman  of  so  much  worth, 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  323 

whose  least  praise  was  writing  (in  the  intervals  of  busi- 
ness) a  volume  of  excellent  poems,  with  more  good 
sense,  true  taste,  and  a  righter  turn  of  thinking,  than 
any  woman  of  her  own,  or  perhaps  of  any  age.  But 
then  in  acting  thus,  you  must  own  I  had  treated  you 
upon  the  foot  of  a  common,  at  least  no  very  uncommon 
character.  Whereas,  at  present  I  have  treated  you  up 
to  my  own  idea  of  your  dignity,  and  to  all  the  height  of 
my  esteem  ;  and  in  doing  this,  I  have  given  you  so  fair  an 
occasion  of  unexampled  beneficence,  as  will  be  a  sure 
source  of  solid  satisfaction  to  you,  when  all  the  vanities 
of  this  world  shall  forsake  you,  or  you  them. 

It  is  true,  madam,  in  doing  this  I  have  risked  the 
honour  of  your  acquaintance,  and  give  me  leave  to  say,  I 
know  the  value  of  what  I  risk.  Yet  I  would  not  enjoy 
the  greatest  honour  I  ever  had  or  hoped  for,  upon  the 
terms  of  a  less  open  or  less  upright  freedom,  upon  every 
just  occasion.  And  if  ever  there  was  a  just,  an  upright, 
and  an  honourable  occasion,  this  is,  and  is  in  the  place 
of  ten  thousand  proofs  how  much  I  am, 

Madam,  your  faithful  servant, 

P.  Delant. 

P.S.  Give  me  leave  to  add  this  short  postscript,  to 
assure  you,  that  no  mortal  knows  of  this  letter,  or  ever 
shall  from  me,  treat  it  as  you  will. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  Mrs.  Barber  eventually  proved  her 
innocence  to  the  satisiaction  of  both  her  patrons,  Dr.  Swift  and 
Dr.  Delany. 


y2 


324  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Qranville. 

Dublin,  4tli  Deer.  1731. 

My  eyes  are  perfectly  well  again,  and  always  at  your 
service,  my  dearest  sister.  I  should  have  wrote  to  you 
last  post,  but  I  was  to  go  to  a  ball  at  the  Grrahams,  and  I 
was  afraid  of  making  too  much  use  of  my  eyes,  lest  I 
should  dim  their  lustre,  but  I  need  not  have  been  so 
careful,  for  there  was  not  a  man  worth  darting  at.  Our 
company  was  as  follows :  Lord  Charles  Hay,  Mrs. 
Graham,  Mr.  Graham,  and  Mrs.  Hancock  (Miss  Vesey 
that  was,  I  believe  you  saw  her  at  the  Bath).  He 
was  to  have  danced  with  me,  but  Mrs.  Hancock's 
husband  is  so  jealous  of  her,  that  she  must  not  dance 
with  an  unmarried  man.  Sir  Richard  Mead  danced 
with  Miss  Kelly,  who  keeps  her  beauty  very  well. 

The  rest  of  the  men  are  not  worth  naming,  poor  dull 
wretches,  very  ill  chosen  I  am  sure.  I  wanted  my 
good  partner  Mr.  Usher  ;  in  his  stead  I  had  Captain 
FoUiat,  a  man  six  foot  odd  inches  high,  black,  awkward, 
ramping,  roaring,  &c.  I  thought  he  would  have  shook 
my  arms  off,  and  crushed  my  toes  to  atoms,  every  moment 
he  did  some  blundering  thing,  and  as  often  asked  "  my 
ladyship's  pardon."  I  was  pitied  by  the  whole  company  ; 
at  last  I  was  resolved  to  dispatch  him  with  dancing 
since  he  was  not  worth  my  conquest  any  other  way ;  I 
called  a  council  about  it,  having  some  scruples  of  con- 
science, and  fearing  he  might  appear  and  haunt  me  after 
his  death  staggered  my  resolutions,  but  when  it  was 
made  plain  to  me  that  I  should  do  the  world  a  great 
piece  of  service  by  despatching  him,  it  solved  all  my 
scruples,  and  I  had  no  more  qualms  about  it.     In  the 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  325 

midst  of  his  furious  dancing,  when  he  was  throwing  his 
arms  about  him  most  outrageously  (just  like  a  card 
scaramouch  on  a  stick),  snap  went  something,  that  we  all 
thought  had  been  the  main  bone  of  his  leg,  but  it  proved 
only  a  bone  of  his  toe.  Notwithstanding  which  (like 
Widdington)  he  fought  upon  his  stumps,  and  would  not 
spare  me  one  dance ;  we  began  pegging  it  at  eight, 
and  continued  our  sport  till  one,  without  ceasing. 

I  was  almost  dead  yesterday,  I  never  was  so  much 
fatigued  with  dancing  in  my  life,  but  I  am  very  well  to- 
day, and  am  to  go  to  a  concert  of  musick  for  Mrs.  Bar- 
bier's  benefit ;  it  is  half-an-hour  after  three,  and  I  fear  I 
shall  be  called  before  I  have  filled  my  sheet  of  paper.  I 
hope  you  do  not  neglect  your  harpsichord,  especially 
thorough-base.  I  have  a  great  many  thanks  to  return 
you  for  your  letters :  how  happy  they  do  make  me  !  I 
have  not  received  one  this  week.  I  have  had  a  letter  from 
Mrs.  Foley  ;  I  take  it  very  kindly  of  her  to  remember 
me  at  a  time  when  she  has  so  many  things  to  take  up 
her  time ;  I  every  day  lament  your  loss  of  those  good- 
humoured  agreeable  women ;  I  am  very  sensible  how 
great  a  difference  there  is  between  their  conversation, 
and  most  of  those  that  they  have  left  behind  them. 

There's  an  end  of  our  hopes  of  operas  ;  but  last  Monday 
we  had  a  ridotto,  which  everybody  liked  very  well.  I 
was  not  there,  my  eyes  being  out  of  order.  The  gentle- 
men subscribed  two  moiders  ^  a  piece,  and  have  two 
tickets  each  night  to  dispose  of  to  ladies.  There  are  in 
this  town  two  subscription  concerts  on  that  footing,  so 
that  the  women  are  at  no  expence  for  their  entertainments, 

'  Moidores. 


526  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Is  not  that  polite  ?  Phill  says  you  are  too  good  n 
creature  for  remembering  her  so  kindly  ;  she  is  even  with 
you,  and  has  her  white  satin  hood  in  great  esteem  for 
your  sake.  She  wore  her  green  satin  that  is  embroi- 
dered with  gold  and  silver  on  the  Birthday,  and  I  had  a 
blue  and  white  satin  that  I  bought  in  England,  and 
a  new  laced  head. 

Do  you  pity  me  for  reading  three  letters  of  yours  in 
one  day  ?  Why  do  you  not  pity  me,  that  I  have  health 
and  happiness — that  I  taste  the  sweets  of  friendship,  and 
that  you  love  me  ?  Pity  me  for  all  the  blessings  I 
enjoy,  if  I  deserve  compassion  on  the  score  you  mention  ! 
Who  is  the  favourite  ?  Col.  B.  I  suppose,  the  tupee 
beau.  I  have  a  very  cheerful  letter  from  Lady  Sunder- 
land ;  she  says  she  has  got  the  better  of  her  loss,  that 
she  is  very  well  assured  of  Sir  Robert  Sutton's  in- 
nocence, though  he  has  been  very  unfortunate,  and  the 
world  is  always  ready  to  judge  in  the  worst  way  of  acci- 
dents of  that  nature. 

I  can  only  turn  over  a  new  leaf  to  assure  my  dearest 
sister  that  I  am  ever  hers,  M.  P. 

Lady  Betty  Germain  writes  as  follows  to  Dr.  Swift,  January 
11th,  1731-2,  in  reference  to  the  Miss  Kelly  whose  beauty  is 
alluded  to  by  Mrs.  Pendarves  in  the  above  letter : — 

"  Miss  Kelly  was  a  very  pretty  girl  when  she  went  from  hence, 
and  the  beaux  show  their  good  taste  by  liking  her.  I  hear  her 
father  is  now  kind  to  her,  bat  if  she  is  not  mightily  altered,  she 
would  give  up  some  of  her  airs  and  equipage  to  live  in  England." 

On  the  1st  of  May,  1733,  Lady  Betty  Germain  lurther 
says : — 

"  I  am  extremely  Mrs.  Kelly's  humble  servant,  but  I  will  never 
believe  she  is  more  valued  for  her  beauty  and  good  qualities  in 
Ireland  than  she  was  in  Eny-land." 


OF  MUS.  DELANY.  327 

Mrs.  Pendarvts  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Dublin,  9  Dec.  1731. 

I  wrote  to  you  last  Saturday  and  gave  you  an  account 
of  all  that  had  happened  till  that  time.  That  night  we 
went  to  Mrs.  Barbier's  benefit,  which  was  not  very  full. 
She  sings  well,  with  a  bad  voice,  but  having  at  home  an 
entertainment  so  excellent  in  that  way,  I  cannot  say  I 
can  bear  any  other  singing.  After  the  concert  was  over, 
some  young  ladies  begged  of  us  to  go  to  Mrs.  Southby's 
(a  charitable  assembly).  After  much  persuasion  we  were 
prevailed  with,  and  away  we  went,  played  one  pool  of 
commerce,  and  were  at  home  by  half  an  hour  after  ten. 
Index  makes  one  with  us  wherever  we  go,  and  sometimes 
adds  greatly  to  our  entertainment,  for  he  is  certainly  the 
oddest  creature  that  ever  was  born,  but  has  very  extra- 
ordinary sense.  Sunday  morning  went  to  church,  spent 
the  evening  at  Doctor  Van  Luens.^  I  believe  I  have 
mentioned  that  family  to  you  before :  they  are  sensible 
and  cheerfuU.  It  was  proposed  by  Mrs.  Van  Luen  that 
everybody  should  own  what  quality  they  valued  them- 
selves most  for,  and  afterwards,  what  they  most  disliked 
in  themselves ;  this  fancy  made  us  very  merry,  and 
made  our  conversation  not  unlike  some  in  Clelia. 

On  Monday  Miss  Donellan  and  I  went  in  the  afternoon 
to  Mrs.  Hamilton's,  Mrs.  Clayton  staid  at  home  with  her 
love.  We  supped  abroad  and  staid  till  near  one,  I  never 
saw  a  couple  I  liked  better ;  she  says  she  never  had  the 
least  wrangle  with  her  husband  in  her  life,  for  she 
always  yields  to  liim  in  great  matters,  and  he  never  will 

Dr.  Vanlewin  was  a  physician,  born  at  Dublin,  and  practising  his  profes-    j 
siou  there.     Letitia  Pilkiugton  was  the  daughter  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Vanlewin.       / 


328  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

dispute  little  things  with  her.  If  that  state  could  be  envied, 
I  think  it  can  only  be  when  it  is  such  as  they  make  it. 
They  are  sensible,  cheerful,  well  bred,  and  very  friendly 
in  their  behaviour,  have  a  small  fortune,  several  children, 
and  live  as  comfortably  as  any  people  in  Dublin.  On 
Tuesday  Phill  and  I  went  to  the  Castle,  got  a  very  snug 
seat  in  the  ball-room,  and  made  ourselves  very  merry 
with  some  good  figures  that  exposed  themselves  there. 
I  am  out  of  conceit  with  dancing  at  the  Castle — it  is  so 
intolerably  crowded.  Yesterday  was  our  day,  we  had 
a  good  deal  of  company,  my  table  is  flocked  to,  and  is 
generally  made  up  of  beauties,  excepting  your  humble 
servant.  Lord  Charles  Hay^  has  made  acquaintance  with 
me  as  a  thing  whose  face  he  was  used  to  in  London  ;  I 
am  jeered  about  it,  and  so  I  am  upon  some  other  things 
of  that  kind. 

Last  Monday  Mr.  Bernard  gave  a  ball;  the  wretch 
did  not  think  fit  to  invite  me,  and  I  was  not  sorry, 
for  I  have  a  great  distaste  to  him,  he  is  so  intolerably 
affected,  no  lady  was  ever  more  so ;  and  he  thinks  to 
recommend  himself  to  me  by  rallying  Ireland  and  all  its 
diversions.  I  have  too  much  gratitude  to  find  fault 
with  anything  that  treats  me  kindly,  were  there  room 
for  it,  but  I  protest  I  never  was  in  a  place  that  more 
deservedly  claims  my  good  word  than  this  I  am  now 
in.  To-morrow  we  go  to  a  concert  of  music,  on 
Saturday  to  the  poppet-show,  on  Monday  to  the  ridotto ; 
but  I  find  all  these  amusements  cannot  employ  my  mind 
so  much  as  to  make  me  forget  how  large  a  tract  of  land 

*  Lord  Charles  Hay,  second  son  of  Charles,  3rd  Marquess  of  Tweeddale,  Lord 
Charles  was  a  major-general  in  the  army  ;  he  died  unmarried  in  May,  1760 ; 
he  was  brother  to  the  Marquess  of  Tweeddale,  who  married  Lady  Frances 
Carteret. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  323 

and  sea  divides  tis,  and  that  it  must  be  some  months 
before  there  can  be  a  possibihty  of  our  meeting ;  when  I 
indulge  that  tliought  it  overcomes  my  spirits  too  much. 
Tell  me  how  French  and  thorough  bass  thrive  with  you  ? 
they  are  good  companions,  and  deserve  your  favour. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Westley  are  in  the  country  for  a  few  days ; 
they  are  much  at  your  service ;  after  Xmas  I  go  to 
Flatten,  Mr.  Graham's  countrey-house,  20  miles  from 
Dublin.  We  are  to  spend  a  fortnight  there :  they 
design  inviting  as  much  company  to  go  down  with  them 
as  will  make  6  couple  for  country  dances,  and  we  are 
to  dance  every  night.  I  hope  Mrs.  Viney  and  all  her 
family  are  well,  and  Mrs.  Butler,  when  you  heard  from 
her.  Do  you  ever  hear  from  Figgy?  Col.  Fyat  asks 
after  her  very  often  ;  he  is  one  of  the  Duke  of  Dorset's 
aide-de-camps,  and  a  constant  attendant  on  our  assembly 
and  the  commerce  table.  The  Bishop  is  just  come  home  ; 
dinner  is  called;  you  never  mention  Dr.  Greville  and 
his  fair  lady ;  in  what  degree  of  esteem  do  they  now 
stand  with  you  ? 

Mrs.  Pendaroes  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

DubUn,  Dec.  14, 1731. 
Your  kind  and  tender  sentiments  never  fail  of  giving 
me  the  delight  you  mean  they  should,  nor  can  any 
pleasure  make  me  amends  for  the  reaction  I  endure  when 
I  am  robbed  of  that  satisfaction  by  the  perverseness  of 
the  winds  ;  we  have  very  little  frost  here,  it  never  lasts 
above  two  or  three  days.  I  hope  the  weather  is  mended 
at  Glo'ster  since  you  last  wrote  to  me.  'Tis  pity  your 
faculties  should  suffer ;  but  though  the  cold  affects  your 
outside,  I  can  always  depend  on  the  warmth  of  your 


830  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

heart.  Poor  St.  Cecilia  I  she  would  have  a  sad  time  of  it 
were  she  to  listen  to  some  of  the  performances  that 
are  offered  in  honour  to  her.  I  wish  music  was  on  a 
better  foot,  or  more  properly  speaking  in  better  hands 
than  it  now  is  at  Glo'ster  :  your  ears  were  designed  for 
more  dehcate  entertainments  than  you  meet  with,  'tis 
well  that  your  eyes  make  you  some  amends.  What 
does  the  Grrand  Druid  mean  ? 

Archbishop  Usher  was  great-uncle  to  Mr.  Usher, 
my  partner,  and  a  great  honor  to  their  family,  which  was  a 
very  considerable  one.  The  story  of  the  farmer's 
daughter  is  a  very  remarkable  one :  we  have  had  a 
wedding  lately,  too,  Lord  Meath,^  a  man  of  good  sense 
and  great  fortune,  who  was  married  unfortunately  when  he 
was  a  boy  to  his  aunt's  chambermaid.  He  never  lived 
with  her,  and  she  died  about  a  month  ago.  Yesterday  he 
married  Miss  Pendergrass,  sister  to  Sir  Tho^  Pender- 
grass :  he  has  been  in  love  with  her  several  years ; 
she  has  little  or  no  fortune,  and  is  far  from  handsome. 

I  always  thought  that  Miss  Yate  had  a  good  deal  of 
artifice  in  her  in  regard  to  the  Insect,  but  I  believe  sIjc 
will  be  bit  there,  if  she  builds  any  hopes  of  fixing  him. 
I  cannot  quite  give  him  up ;  his  father  keeps  him  in 
great  awe,  and  he  is  unsettled  in  his  opinions.  Are  you 
certain  that  he  is  to  have  Miss  Stanhope,  or  did  you  only 
say  it  to  her  maliciously  ?  I  suppose  you  will  see  Puzzle 
at  Xmas.  Mrs.  Barber,  I  hear,  does  not  design  to 
leave  England,  but  is  to  settle  with  her  family  at  Bath : 
her  husband,  who  is  a  woollen-draper,  is  to  carry  on  his 


>  Chaworth,  6th  Earl  of  Meath,  married  in  1731,  Juliana,  daughter  of  Sir 
Thomas  Prendergast.  He  died  without  issue  in  1758,  and  was  succeeded  by 
his  only  brother,  Edward,  7th  Earl. 


OF  MRS.  DELA^^Y.  Sol 

business,  and  she  will  let  lodgings  ;  her  works  are  not  yet 
printed,  nor  do  I  hear  when  they  will  be.  I  am  making 
interest  in  getting  off  some  subscriptions  for  Mr.  Hook,^ 
the  gentleman  that  wrote  the  English  of  the  Travels 
of  Cyrus.  He  is  now  going  to  publish  an  abridgment 
of  the  Roman  History,  taken  from  the  Jesuits ;  in 
the  original  there  are  16  volumes,  he  reduces  it  to  4 
octavos.  The  subscription  is  a  guinea.  Perhaps  Mr. 
Hyett  and  some  few  more  will  like  to  subscribe,  if  so,  I 
can  convey  some  receipts  to  you  ;  the  work  is  done  in 
England  ;  my  Lord  Lansdowne  desired  me  to  be  zealous 
about  it — it  is  what  he  recommends  very  much.  Poor 
Mrs.  Shuttle  worth  has  lost  by  the  C/iaritable  Corpora- 
tion every  farthing  she  was  worth  in  the  world,  which  I 
am  sure  you  will  be  sorry  for — she  has  been  very  un- 
fortunate. By  some  lucky  accident  last  winter  she  met 
with  the  play  of  the  Lost  Lady'* — ^you  heard  Mrs.  Dun- 
comb  and  Sir  Thomas  Hanmer^  speak  of  it.  She  has 
sent  it  over  to  us  to  try  to  get  it  performed,  and  for  her 

1  Nathaniel  Hooke,  author  of  an  esteemed  "  Roman  History,"  translator  of 
"  Ramsay's  Travels  of  Cyrus,"  and  a  "  History  of  the  Life  of  the  Archbishop  of 
Cambray,"  and  editor  of  "  An  Account  of  the  Conduct  of  the  Dowager-Duchess 
of  Marlborough,  from  her  first  coming  to  Court  to  the  year  1710,  in  a  letter 

from  herself  to   Lord ,  in  1742."     This  was  dictated  to  him  by   the 

Duchess,  while  she  was  still  in  bed.  She  delivered  to  him,  without  any 
notes,  her  account,  in  the  most  lively  as  well  as  connected  manner,  and  con- 
tinued dictating  for  six  hours,  aud  would  have  continued  longer  had  she  not 
perceived  that  Mr.  Hooke  was  quite  exhausted,  and  wanted  rest  and  refresh- 
ment. So  eager  was  she  for  the  completion  of  the  work,  that  she  insisted  on 
Mr.  Hooke's  not  leaving  her  house  till  he  had  finished  it.  This  was  done  in 
a  short  time,  and  her  grace  was  so  well  pleased  with  the  performance,  that 
she  complimented  the  author  with  a  present  of  5000/.    Mr.Hooke  died  in  1764. 

■  The  Lost  Lady  ;  Tragi-Com.,  by  Sir  William  Barclay,  1638. 

3  Sir  Thomas  Hanmer  was  lx)rn  1676,  at  Bettisfield  in  Flintshire.  He  was 
the  son  of  William,  born  at  Angers  in  France,  in  the  time  of  the  Commonwealth, 
and  of  his  wife  Peregrine  North,  of  Mildenhall  in  Suffolk.  He  sat  more  than 
thirty  years  in  the  House  of  Commons,  and  was  chosen  Speaker  in  1712.     Sir 


332  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

to  have  the  S**  night.  I  heartily  wish  we  may  bring 
it  to  bear ;  for  she  has  many  friends  here  who  will  exert 
themselves  upon  that  occasion  ;  but  we  do  not  design  to 
speak  of  it  till  it  is  just  ready  to  publish. 

Index  speaks  like  an  orator  in  the  House  of  Commons, 
and  is  so  much  involved  in  politics,  that  you  must  not 
be  surprised  he  has  not  paid  his  devoirs  to  you ;  for  I 
assure  you  he  is  so  far  from  remembering  those  that  are 
absent,  that  he  hardly  sees  those  that  he  is  every  day 
with;  and  if  we  ask  him  any  common  question,  he 
answers  *'  such  a  bill  is  to  be  brought  into  the  House," 
"  such  a  member  is  a  glorious  patriot,  another  is  an  enemy 
to  his  country,"  all  other  subjects  are  shut  out  from  his 
remembrance.  Yesterday  Phill  and  I  went  to  the 
ridotto  with  a  whole  train  of  young  things  at  our  heels. 
I  like  it  the  least  of  any  diversion  I  have  seen  here. 
There  was  a  vast  deal  of  company,  two  rooms  of  dancers  ; 
above  20  couple  in  each  room.  I  danced  with  Mr. 
Usher  2  dances,  and  had  like  to  have  been  torn  limb 
from  limb ;  the  Duke  of  Dorset  was  there,  and  Lady 
Caroline  Sackville ;  the  Duchess  is  very  ill  of  a  fever. 
"We  staid  till  12  o'clock ;  Index  came  home  with  us  by 
way  of  a  guard. 

Pray  how  does  your  Pussey  do?  I  forget  whetlier 
or   not   I   wrote    you    word    of   a    pretty    kitten    my 


Thomas  was  also  a  man  of  letters,  of  which  his  edition  of  Shakspeare,  published 
at  Oxford,  remains  the  best  memorial.  He  married  first,  in  1G98,  Isabella,  the 
first  Duchess  of  Grafton,  who  was  left  early  a  widow  by  the  death  of  the 
Duke  at  the  sie^e  of  Cork.  She  was  in  her  own  right  Countess  of  Arlington  : 
secondly,  Elizabeth,  only  daughter  and  heir  of  Thomas  Folkes,  Esq.,  of 
Barton,  Suffolk.  Sir  Thomas  died  in  1746  without  issue,  when  his  north 
estates  descended  to  the  issue  of  his  sister.  Lady  Bunbury,  and  his  Flintshire 
estates  to  his  cousins  of  his  own  name.  The  baronetcy  of  James  the  First  ex- 
pired. 


OF  MRS.  DELAXY.  333 

Lady  Ross  has  given  me ;  it  is  like  Ermion  that  you 
liad  at  Ealing,  but  more  playful  than  any  of  its  kind. 
Do  you  ever  lieai'  from  Poor  Badge  ?  I  wrote  to  her, 
but  I  fear  she  was  angry  with  me  that  I  did  not  do 
it  sooner.  Last  week  I  had  a  very  obliging,  enter- 
taining letter  from  Sir  John  Stanley ;  four  sides  of  paper 
filled.  Was  not  that  a  particular  favour  ?  Adieu  !  I  am 
called  to  breakfast.  Do  you  ever  hear  anything  of  Sir 
Anthony  Wescomb? 


Mrs.  Pendarws  to  Mrs.  Ann  OranvQle. 

Dublin,  17  Jany.  1731-2. 

Would  it  were  so,  that  I  went  ravaging  and  slaying 
all  odious  men,  and  that  would  go  near  to  clear  the  world 
of  that  sort  of  animal ;  you  know  I  never  had  a  good 
opinion  of  them,  and  every  day  my  dislike  strengthens ; 
some  few  I  will  except,  but  veri/  feiv,  they  have  so  des- 
picable an  opinion  of  women,  and  treat  them  by  their 
words  and  actions  so  ungenerously  and  inhumanly.  By 
my  manner  of  inveighing,  anybody  less  acquainted  with 
me  than  yourself  would  imagine  I  had  ver^  lately  received 
some  very  ill  usage.  No !  'tis  my  general  observation 
on  conversing  with  them :  the  minutest  indiscretion  in 
a  woman  (though  occasioned  by  themselves),  never  fails 
of  being  enlarged  into  a  notorious  crime ;  but  men  are 
to  sin  on  without  limitation  or  blame  ;  a  hard  case  ! — not 
the  restraint  we  are  under,  for  that  I  extremely  approve 
of,  but  the  unreasonable  license  tolerated  in  the  men. 
How  amiable,  how  noble  a  creature  is  man  when  adorned 
with  virtue  !  but  how  detestable  when  loaded  with  vice  ! 

Yesterday  was  our  Assembly,  and  a  notable  one  we  had. 


334  LIFE  AND  COERESPONDENCE 

as  full  as  it  could  hold.  Mrs.  Donellan  and  I  have  each  of 
us  made  a  brown  stuff'  mantcau  and  petticoat,  and  have 
worn  them  twice  at  the  assemblies ;  pretty  things  they 
have  produced ;  'tis  said  now  that  people  are  convinced 
^'  fine  feathers  do  not  make  fine  birds. ""^  We  "  adorn  our 
clothes  ,*"  other  people  are  "  adorned  by  their  clothes^  We 
gave  sixteen  pence  a  yard  !  I  wish  I  could  convey  a  suit 
to  you,  but  they  are  prohibited ;  however  I  will,  when  I 
return,  try  if  I  can  cheat  for  you.  This  afternoon  we 
are  to  have  music — Barbier  to  sing  duets  with  Phillo- 
mell  (something  Hke  a  raven  and  a  nightingale.)  Sir 
Ealph  Gore,  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Commons,  is  to  be 
here ;  Mr.  Usher  (who,  by-the-by,  is  given  me  for  a 
husband  by  the  tattle  of  the  town)  ;  Mr.  Coot,  Mr.  Ha- 
milton and  his  lady.  All  thoughts  are  now  laid  aside  of  the 
opera,  for  the  Bishop  of  Killdare  will  not  give  the  choir. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  her  sister  Mrs.  Ann  OranviUe. 

Dublin,  3d  Feb.,  1731-32. 

I  am  sorry  my  dearest  sister  has  such  frequent  returns 
of  the  headache.  I  was  in  hopes  the  mustard-seed  had 
been  of  service  to  you ;  pray  use  a  great  deal  of  exercise, 
and  take  hartshorn  constantly.  I  believe  in  time  you 
will  find  more  benefit  from  that  than  anything  ;  but  lose 
no  opportunity  of  walking  or  riding  every  day,  when  the 
weather  will  permit  you ;  remember  that  in  taking  care 
of  yourself,  you  preserve  the  life  and  happiness  of  one 


*  Irish  poplin,  which  Mrs.  Pendarves  (after  she  became  Mrs.  Delany) 
brought  into  fashion  at  the  Irish  Court.  Lady  Betty  Germain  writes  as  fol- 
lows about  the  Duchess  of  Dorset  to  Dean  Swift,  Nov. 4, 1731.  "I  mightily 
approve  of  my  duchess  being  dressed  in  your  manufacture.  If  your  ladirs 
will  follow  her  exnmplo  in  all  things,  they  cannot  do  amiss." 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  335 

who  I  know  is  not  indifferent  to  you.  I  prescribe  to  you 
the  method  I  pursue,  every  day  that  is  tolerable,  Phill 
and  I  walk  three  times  round  Stephen's  Green,  which  is 
two  English  miles.  I  never  had  my  health  better  than 
since  being  here.  They  make  mighty  good  gloves  here  ; 
but  I  shall  not  be  able  to  send  you  any ;  they  are  pro- 
hibited. 

Last  Saturday  my  cousins  came  from  Plattin ;  I  went 
to  them  on  Sunday-night.  Miss  Granville  has  got  a  very 
handsome  French  stuff  from  France,  that  her  brother^  has 
made  her  a  present  of.  He  lives  very  magnificently  at 
Paris,  ViUiers  is  with  him,  and  is  his  domestic  chaplain ; 
how  much  will  he  improve  from  so  worthy  a  preceptor  (!) 
I  don't  hear  that  any  time  is  fixed  for  his  return  home. 
Monday  we  spent  at  home  ;  and  in  the  evening  had  an 
assembly  of  our  prettiest  men — Mr.  Percival,  Mr.  Frank 
Hamilton  (the  clergyman),^  Mr.  Coot,  Mr.  Will.  Usher. 
We  sang  and  talked,  and  were  very  good  company.  Tues- 
day were  invited  to  eat  oysters  at  Mr.  Pilkington's,  and 
went  accordingly,  every  woman  was  to  take  a  man.  Mrs. 
Clayton  took  Index  ;  Mrs.  Don,  Frank  Hamilton :  my 
man  was  to  have  been  Mr.  Usher,  but  he  basely  deserted 
me ;  so  by  way  of  revenge,  I  seized  on  Phill's  partner ; 
secured  him  to  myself  the  whole  night,  and  leiPt  her  to 
take  care  of  herself,  which  she  knows  how  to  do  as  well 
as  any  of  them  all,  but  nothing  less  serves  her  proud 
spirit  than  an  Archbishop  or  a  General  I  At  present  she 
has  the  last  in  her  power,  his  fortune,  quality,  temper, 
unexceptionable,  (this  is  no  joke,)  while  I  must  for- 
sooth be  contented  with  a  poor  curate  !     We  were  not 


'  Lord  Weymouth. 

2  The  Hon.  ami  Kev.  Francis  Hamilton^  son  to  the  Gth  Earl  of  Alercom. 


336  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

very  merry  at  Mr.  Pilkington's  till  after  supper,  when 
our  spirits  danced,  and  im  sung  most  harmoniously. 

I  have  enclosed  you  a  poem  to  insert  in  our  book,  you 
must  not  give  a  copy  of  it  to  anybody.  I  dare  not  tell 
you  the  author,  who,  I  believe  you  will  think,  has  no 
reason  to  be  ashamed  of  the  piece.  I  sent  you  last  post 
The  Grand  Question  debated,  a  poem  by  Swift :  I  hope 
you  have  received  it  safely,  and  I  am  endeavouring  to  get 
some  more  entertainment  for  you.  Miss  Bush  is  abroad 
again,  and  comes  very  often  to  us  :  she  has  lost  her  fine 
complexion,  but  her  eyes  have  not  received  any  damage^ 
but  are  lively  and  sweet ;  she  has  many  agreeable  waj's 
with  her,  and  would  please  you,  I  am  sure.  I  believe 
I  told  you  she  has  a  fine  genius  for  painting ;  she  is 
hard  at  work  for  me,  she  paints  both  in  oil  and  water- 
colours.  I  have  enclosed  you  a  little  scrap  of  her  drawing, 
which  she  scratched  out  by  candlelight  in  a  minute.  I 
hope  you  draw  sometimes.  I  fancy  if  you  copied  some 
landscapes,  and  did  them  in  Indian  ink,  you  would  like 
it  better  than  faces.  I  am  sure,  with  very  little  applica- 
tion, you  would  do  them  very  well ;  but  copy  only  from 
the  best  prints. 


Mrs.  Fmdarves  to  Mrs.  Ann    Oranvitte  in  the  East   Oate  Street,  Qlocester, 

England. 

Bess  has  had  a  sad  time  of  it  between  her  two  melan- 
choly sisters.  I  shall  long  to  see  the  dear  little  house 
in  Mary's  parish,  let  me  know  how  it  is  to  be  trick'd  out  ? 
Mrs.  Donnellan,  alias  Queen  Elizabeth,  alias  Philomella, 
has  got  another  very  bad  cold  :  she  was  much  delighted 
"with  your  letter,  and  if  she  can  will  answer  it  this  post. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  337 

John  King  is  with  me,  and  grows  fatter  and  fatter. 
Many  thanks  attends  mama,  beside  my  humble  duty,  for 
the  receipt  of  y®  eye-water :  Miss  Forth  is  a  woman  of 
great  merit  and  one  you  would  like  extremely.  I  have 
ten  thousand  things  more  to  say  to  you,  but  time  says 
no;  we  dine  abroad  to  day,  I  am  not  drest,  the  clock 
has  struck  two.  Last  night  we  had  a  full  assembly,  all  the 
fine  folks,  but  plague  take  them  for  engrossing  so  much 
of  my  time,  and  not  allowing  me  a  reasonable  oppor- 
tunity of  telling  you  all  I  know  and  all  I  think.  My 
dear  Sally  I  have  not  yet  wrote  to  —  I  am  provoked 
when  I  think  of  it :  I  never  pass  a  day  without  some 
thought  concerning  her,  but  I  can  now  say  no  more  but 
that  in  short  I  am  for  ever  yours. 

M.  Pendarves. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mr.  Bernard  Granville. 

Dublin,  7th  March,  1731-32. 

My  Dear  Brother, 

May  your  assemblies  increase  at  Wells,  and 
every  agreeable  entertainment  that  can  give  you  any 
pleasure.  A  thousand  thanks  to  you  for  your  last  letter. 
I  will  not  defer  my  answer,  though  I  am  in  a  monstrous 
hurry. 

'Tis  fit  in  return  for  the  account  you  give  me  of  your 
amusements,  that  I  let  you  know  what  we  do  here. 
Why,  on  the  first  of  March  we  went  to  Court  in  the 
morning,  heard  a  song  of  Dubourg's,  (not  so  pretty  as 
the  last,)  after  that  compliment  was  over  and  we  had  re- 
freshed ourselves  by  dinner,  we  went  again  at  seven. 
The  ball  was  in  the  old  beef-eaters  hall,  a  room  that  holds 

VOL  I.  z 


338  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

seven  hundred  people  seated,  it  was  well  it  did,  for  never 
did  I  behold  a  greater  crowd.  We  were  all  placed  in  rows 
one  above  another,  so  much  raised  that  the  last  row 
almost  touched  the  ceiling !  The  gentlemen  say  we 
looked  very  handsome,  and  compared  us  to  Cupid's 
Paradise  in  the  puppet-show.  At  eleven  o'clock  minuets 
were  finished,  and  the  Duchess  went  to  the  basset  table. 

After  an  hour's  playing  the  Duke,  Duchess,  and  nobility 
marched  into  the  supper-room,  which  was  the  council 
chamber.  In  the  midst  of  the  room  was  placed  a  holly 
tree,  illuminated  by  an  hundred  wax  tapers  ;  round  it  was 
placed  all  sorts  of  meat,  fruit,  and  sweetmeats ;  servants 
waited  next,  and  were  encompased  round  by  a  table,  to 
which  the  company  came  by  turns  to  take  what  they 
wanted.  When  the  doors  were  first  opened,  the  hurly 
burly  is  not  to  be  described ;  squawliug,  shrieking,  all 
sorts  of  noises  •  some  ladies  lost  their  lappets,  others  were 
trod  upon.  Poor  Lady  San  try  ^  almost  lost  her  breath  in 
the  scuffle,  and  fanned  herself  two  hours  before  she  could 
recover  herself  enough  to  know  if  she  was  dead  or  alive. 
I  and  my  company  were  more  discreet  than  to  go  with 
the  torrent ;  we  staid  till  people  had  satisfied  their 
curiosity  and  hunger,  and  then  took  a  quiet  view  of  the 
famous  tree,  which  occasion'd  more  rout  than  it  was 
worth.  I  have  enclosed  you  the  newest  piece  of  wit 
now  stirring ;  the  author  they  say  is  Mr.  Pitzmorris. 

Miss  Burton  was  married  last  week  privately  to  my 
Lord  Netterville ;  Lord  Montjoy  was  bit,  and  some  say 
Miss  Pearson,  who  had  given  my  Lord  Netterville  great 
encouragement.     I  hope  in  your    next  letter  to  hear  of 


'  Lady  Santry,  daughter  of   Sir  Thomas  Domville,    and  wife   of  Barry, 
3rd  Lord  Sautry,  who  died  Jan.  27,  1734.  j 


J'os^w?h£rownx■  so. 


%hm^l  ff^^.fm^  W^iairiLE^  5^®MTf.«\Sll|[F,. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  341 

in  the  way  of  the  world ;  her  person  rather  pretty  than 
otherwise,  has  a  great  deal  of  vivacity,  and  is  very  inge- 
nious— 'tis  she  that  paints  so  well.  Kelly  comes  here, 
for  ever  she  has  taken  such  a  liking  to  Phill  that  she 
will  not  live  without  seeing  her  once  a-day !  She  is 
very  harmless,  and  not  at  all  coquet ;  I  thought  her 
quite  another  creature  before  I  was  so  well  acquainted 
with  her.  She  brings  in  all  the  wit  that  flies  about,  and 
now  and  then  adds  a  little  of  her  own.  These  are  the 
women  that  we  converse  with  most,  and  from  the  variety 
of  characters  can't  fail  of  some  diversion. 

I  am  glad  you  can  resent  our  being  left  out  of  the  list 
of  beauties,  1  think  it  was  a  great  slur  upon  us ;  the 
poet  has  had  reason  to  repent  of  the  great  homage  and 
distinction  paid  to  Miss  Burton,  for  she  has  used  him 
like  a  dog,  and  is  since  married  to  Lord  Netterville,^ — a 
fop  and  a  fool,  but  a  lord  with  a  tolerable  estate,  who 
always  wears  fine  clothes ;  she  has  nine  thousand  pound 
for  her  portion,  with  a  pretty  person  much  in  vogue. 

I  believe  I  did  not  say  one  word  to  you  of  our  Birthday 
ball;  why  it  was  nothing  more  than  what  we  had  for 
the  King's  Birthday,  only  that  in  the  supper-room  there 
'  was  placed  a  holly -tree,  illuminated  by  an  hundred  wax 
tapers,  round  which  was  placed  the  meats,  fruits,  and 
sweetmeats,  the  servants  next,  and  all  was  surrounded 
by  a  table  to  which  the  company  came,  and  was  served 
with  everything  they  wanted.  There  was  a  monstrous 
crowd  ;  I  did  not  dance. 

I  have  had  a  most  excellent  letter  from  Gran,  which  I 


^  Nicholas  Xetterville,  5th  Viscount  Netterville,  married  Catherine, 
daughter  of  Samuel  Burton,  Esq.,  of  Burton  Hall,  in  the  county  of  Carlow. 
Their  son  John  succeeded  at  his  father's  death,  in  1750,  as  6th  Viscount. 


342  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

will  preserve  for  you ;  as  for  Lord  Tyrconnell,  1  don't 
relent  or  repent  one  bit  ;^  and  as  you  say,  Molly  Petty 
may  console  me. 

As  to  the  grand  affair  of  my  returning  to  my  deai 
mother  and  sister,  'tis  what  my  heart  is  full  of,  from 
no  other  motive  than  the  impossibility  of  my  being  happ}? 
when  long  absent  from  you,  otherwise  I  can't  say  I  have 
had  reason  one  moment  since  I  came  here  to  wish 
myself  away.  I  believe  I  ought  to  stay  till  the  spring, 
but  I  can't  determine  till  I  know  what  Mrs.  Perciva] 
will  do.  If  she  comes  to  Ireland  this  summer  it  will  be 
to  fix  for  ever,  and  I  shall  have  no  prospect  of  seeing 
Phill  any  more  unless  I  make  her  a  visit,  which  will  nol 
be  easily  done ;  if  Mrs.  Percival  does  not  come  I  fancy 
she  will  insist  upon  her  returning  to  her  this  summer.  ] 
will  not  let  her  go  without  me:  Prudence  pleads  strongl}? 
for  my  staying  here  till  spring,  Love  draws  me  away  this 
summer.  I  know  which  would  get  the  better  if  I  was 
quite  at  liberty,  but  the  Bishop  interferes  and  swears  {at 
much  as  a  bishop  may)  that  I  shall  not  go  till  spring. 

But  I  did  not  teU  you  what  I  did  on  Thursday  last 
"Why  Mrs.  Graham,  Miss  Granville,  one  Mrs.  Clements 
and  myself — four  dull  women,  without  so  much  as  on( 
cavalier  to  attend  us — went  to  Mr.  Conolly's  house,  callec 
Castle  Town,  'tis  not  in  his  possession  at  present,  bul 
will  be  so  after  his  aunt's  death.  It  is  a  large  heav} 
building,  a  vast  deal  of  room  in  it,  but  not  laid  out  witl 
a  good  taste,  the  furniture  good,  but  not  disposed  t( 
the  best  advantage,  the  situation  very  fine,  and  the 
country  about  extremely  pleasant — some  wood  and  prettj 

This  alludes  to  the  positive  refusal  Mrs.  Pendarves  gave  to  Lady  Cartere 
when  she  advised  her  to  marry  Lord  Tyrconnel. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  343 

winding  rivers.  Our  sleepy  lover  was  yesterday  dubbed 
a  knight,  and  to-day  I  have  promised  to  give  him  the 
meeting  at  the  Graham's,  where  I  shall  dine,  but  I  am 
afraid  Sir  Edward  Pierce  will  hardly  think  it  worth  his 
while  to  make  up  for  the  neglects  of  Captain  Pierce  I  Our 
parliament  was  dismissed  yesterday. 

The  town  will  now  grow  idle — most  people  talk  of 
going  into  the  country.  The  Duke  goes  to  England  the 
27th  of  April,  but  first  he  makes  a  visit  to  Plattin,  and  I 
doubt  the  Duchess  goes,  it  will  put  my  cousins  in  a  fuss, 
and  give  them  very  little  pleasure,  for  they  are  as  awkward 
as  ever  at  entertaining  strangers ;  and  I  am  afraid  they 
will  insist  upon  my  going  with  them,  but  I  had  rather 
be  excused. 

I  suppose  you  know  that  Lord  Weymouth  is  in 
England.  Cyrus,  by  this  time,  has  blotted  me  out  of  his 
memory,  or  if  he  does  remember  me,  it  can  only  be  to 
reproach  me  ;  what  can  I  say  for  myself?  What  can  I 
indeed  say  to  myself,  that  have  neglected  so  extraordinary 
a  correspondent  ?  I  only  am  the  sufferer,  but  I  should  be 
very  sorry  to  have  him  think  my  silence  proceeded  from 
negligence,  I  declare  'tis  want  of  time  !  then  there's 
poor  Sally,  too,  who  I  think  of  every  day,  but  cannot 
find  a  moment  to  tell  her  so,  though  soon  I  will  endeavour 
to  acquit  myself  in  a  proper  manner  to  them  both.'  I 
can't  put  myself  into  better  hands  for  making  an  excuse 
for  me  than  in  yours.  As  for  Mrs.  Butler,  I  am  sure 
she  never  received  my  letter,  or  I  never  hers,  I  have 
not  been  able  to  write  again,  and  I  conclude  she  is  quite 
outrageous  against  me.  There's  Mrs.  Foley,  too — I 
declare  I  have  never  answered  her  letter ;  'tis  not  want 
of  good-will  to  her,  I  am  sure ;  when  I  am  nearer  to 


344  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

her  I  will  make  amends  for  what  is  past,  but  this  must 
be  a  year  of  indulgence  to  me.  Lady  Carteret,  Miss 
Carteret,  nay,  even  Lady  Sunderland,  make  heavy  com- 
plaints against  me. 


Mrs.  Fendurves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Dublin,  30  March,  1732. 

You  are,  my  dear,  for  better  things  designed  than 
moving  of  old  rubbish  and  lumber,  but  I  am  glad  you  have 
eraced  those  characters  that  were  in  the  old  hangings,^ 
they  were  too  dear  and  too  sacred  to  be  ridiculed  by  an 
insensible  logger-head ;  you  have  placed  those  words 
just  where  I  desire  they  should  ever  remain,  and  where 
I  depend  upon  their  being  inviolable.  Ah,  my  dear 
sister,  what  enjoyment  has  my  Lady  Sun  :  had  of  her 
new  house  ?  I  declare  I  would  not  accept  of  it  on  the 
terms  she  has  hitherto  held  it ;  the  continual  irritation  of 
mind  she  has  been  under  on  Sir  R's  account,  has  been 
purchasing  her  magnificence  at  a  dear  rate.  I  had  a 
letter  from  her  last  post,  she  is  better  satisfied  than  she 
was,  and  seems  confident  of  her  husband's  innocence ; 
but  he  has  been  in  very  had  company.^  I  already  de- 
light in  your  garden ;  pray  have  plenty  of  roses,  honey- 
suckles, jessamine  and  sweet  briar,  not  forgetting  the 
lily  of  the  valley,  which  I  would  rather  be  than  any 
flower  that  grows — 'tis  retired,  lives  in  shade,  wraps  up 
itself  in  its  mantle,  and  gently  reclines  its  head  as  if 

*  This  probably  alluded  to  some  of  the  relics  removed  from  Buckland,  and 
to  some  motto  worked  by  Mary  Granville  in  her  father's  life  time. 

2  June,  Friday,  23rd. — "Sir  Robert  Sutton,  Knight  of  the  Bath,  entered 
into  recognizances  before  the  Barons  of  the  Exchequer,  not  to  depart  the 
kingdom  for  one  year,  and  until  the  end  of  the  next  sessions  of  Tarliament, 
&c.,  pursuant  to  the  late  Act." 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  345 

ashamed  to  be  looked  at,  not  conscious  how  much  it 
deserves  it.  How  pretty  it  is  !  Wlio  would  not  be  that 
flower  ?  I  am  afraid  you  are  not  careful  enough  of  your 
foot.  By  this  time  the  wind  has  chopped  about,  and 
conveyed  my  letters  to  you :  from  the  finest  weather  in 
the  world  we  have  now  the  worst. 

This  has  been  a  week  of  great  mirth  and  jollity ;  on 
Monday  Phill  and  I  went  to  the  ridotto  with  Mrs. 
Wesley,  where  we  met  with  no  disturbance ;  it  began 
with  a  concert  of  music,  the  Duke,  Duchess,  and  Lady 
Caroline  were  there ;  they  went  away  when  the  music 
was  over,  and  after  some  hideous  minuets,  we  went  to 
country  dances.  Mr.  Wesley  was  my  partner,  there  were 
twenty  couple,  four  dances  were  as  much  as  my  spirits 
would  bear.     We  got  home  by  a  little  after  twelve. 

On  Tuesday  we  had  a  party  more  to  my  gout.  Mr. 
AVesley  in  the  days  of  yore,  (before  he  had  his  great 
fortune,)  had  a  little  house  about  three  miles  out  of  town 
called  Butlers  Town, — the  situation  of  it  very  fine,  some- 
thing like  Boskrow,  but  nearer  the  sea.  It  is  now  in 
possession  of  a  near  relation  of  his,  Mr.  Kit  Ussher,  a 
very  sensible,  plain,  good  humoured  man  :  his  wife  is  a 
poor  little  meek  woman  that  never  makes  or  mars 
sport.  To  this  place  the  old  jaunting  set  went,  about  two 
o'clock,  where  we  had  cold  fowl,  lamb,  pigeon  pye, 
Dutch  beef,  tongue,  cockells,  sallad,  much  variety 
of  liquors,  and  the  finest  syllabub  that  ever  was  tasted. 
When  we  had  devoured  as  much  as  possible,  we  all 
adjourned  to  Mr.  Wesley's,  where  I  was  placed  at  the 
harpsichord,  and  after  jangHng  a  little,  Mr.  Wesley  took 
his  fiddle  and  played  to  his  daughters'  dancing.  Those 
children  grow  prettier  and  more  agreeable  every  day  than 


346  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

the  other,  and  remember  you  very  well.  We  mustered  up 
five  couple  and  danced  two  hours ;  the  master  of  house 
fiddled  and  danced  the  whole  time ;  then  we  went  to 
supper,  and  had  a  profusion  of  "peck  and  hooz  "  (terms  for 
meat  and  drink)  and  extravagance  of  mirth.  We  parted  at 
half  an  hour  after  one. 

Yesterday,  we  had  an  entertainment  of  another  sort, 
and  very  agreeable  in  its  way, — an  assembly  at  Mrs. 
Butler's,  a  lady  I  have  mentioned  in  some  of  my  former 
letters,  cards  of  all  sorts ;  I  played  two  pools  at  commerce  : 
when  that  was  over,  at  ten  o'clock  was  placed  on  little 
tables  before  the  company  as  they  sat,  a  large  Japan 
board  with  plates  of  all  softs  of  cold  meat  neatly  cut,  and 
sweetmeats  wet  and  dry,  with  chocolate,  sago,  jelly,  and 
salvers  of  all  sorts  of  wine.  While  we  were  eating,  fiddles 
were  sent  for,  (a  sudden  thought).  We  began  before 
eleven  and  held  briskly  to  it  till  half  an  hour  after  two. 
Phill  was  not  idle ;  she  danced  with  her  cousin  Will 
(Usher),  and  I  with  Mr.  Butler  :  we  were  eight  couple  of 
as  clever  dancers  as  ever  eye  beheld,  though  /  say  it  that 
should  not. 

To-day  we  are  to  dine  at  the  college  with  Mr.  Lloyd, 
a  clergyman,  a  great  friend  of  the  Bishop's,  a  worthy, 
agreeable,  well-behaved  young  man;  he  has  a  living  near 
Killala,  and  is  to  be  with  us  there.  (Remember  his  name 
and  character,  because  I  shall  speak  of  him  sometimes.) 
We  shall  be  very  merry  in  a  quiet  free  way  to-day,  and 
come  home  soberly  at  eleven:  nobody  is  allow'd  to  stay 
in  the  college  after  that  hour.  Pray  let  me  know  in  your 
next  letter  those  people  that  I  have  mentioned  in  my 
letters,  with  whom  you  are  best  acquainted  :  I  don't  love 
to  name  people  whose  characters  you  don't  know  some- 


OF  MES.  DELANY.  347 

thing  of,  as  it  must  be  very  dull  to  you.  I  took  a  great 
deal  of  pains  last  year  to  get  my  mother's  picture  from 
Lady  Catharine  Jones,  and  have  attempted  it  several 
times  to  no  purpose.  I  hope  you  will  have  better  success. 
I  will  pay  the  money  for  it  positively.     Adieu. 

For  ever  yours, 

M.  Pen. 

Grran  ^  has  writ  a  poem  call'd  the  Progress  of  Musick, 
which,  if  we  can  coax  her  to  show,  will  give  us  great 
diversion  ;  'tis  writ  in  ridicule  of  Mr.  Pilkington.  We 
design  to  send  her  verses  by  way  of  praising  her  works. 
You  must  contribute  and  enclose  it  to  me,  either  comical 
or  the  highest  sublime — which  you  please ;  you  must 
not  fail  sending  some  to  me,  'tis  to  be  quite  among 
ourselves. 

The  Lady  Catherine  Jones,  mentioned  in  this  letter  as  having 
a  picture  of  Mrs.  Granville,  was  the  third  daughter  of  Richard  Earl 
of  RanelagK  She  was  a  correspondent  of  Dean  Swift's,  and  in  one 
of  her  letters  to  him  she  writes  as  follows  : — "  The  world  teaches 
us  that  relations  and  friends  look  like  two  different  species,  and 
though  I  have  the  honour  to  be  related  to  my  Lord  Burlington, 
since  the  death  of  his  good  father  and  mine,  the  notice  he  takes  of 
me  is  as  if  I  was  a  separated  blood,  or  else  I  am  vain  enough  to 
say  that  we  are  sprung  from  one  ancestor  wliose  ashes  keep  up  a 
greater  lustre  than  those  who  are  not  yet  reduced  to  ashes.'' 

The  ancestor  alluded  to  was  Richard  Boyle,  1st  Earl  of  Cork,  to 
whom  Lord  Burlington  and  Lady  Catherine  Jones  were  great- 
grandchildren. A  gap  here  occurs  in  the  correspondence  of  more 
than  a  month. 


1  *•  Gran." — Query,   the   Hon.  Ann  Granville,  daughter   of  George  Lord 
Lansdowne,  and  sister  of  Mrs.  Graham  of  Flatten. 


348  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

To  Mrs.  Ann  Qranville. 

Dangan,  27  May,  1732. 

We  left  Dublin  last  Thursday  at  twelve  o'clock, 
stopped  at  a  place  called  the  Pace,  where  we  bated  our- 
selves and  our  horses.  Miss  Kelly  and  Letty  Bushe 
accompanied  us  so  far  on  our  journey  in  a  chaise,  Mr. 
Usher,  Nemmy  Donnellan  and  Mr.  Lloyd  on  horseback  ; 
those  that  we  were  to  leave  behind  had  most  sorrowful 
faces.  Phillis's  love,  and  mine  (that  is  Miss  Kelly  and 
Letty  Bushe)  played  their  parts  very  handsomely,  and  I 
should  have  been  very  glad  could  they  have  proceeded 
on  the  journey  with  us,  but  that  was  not  practicable,  so 
part  we  must,  and  did  ;  at  five  o'clock  I  went  in  a 
chaise  with  my  L**  Bishop  ;  the  evening  was  very  pleasant, 
and  the  road  very  good. 

Mr.  Wesley  took  a  walk  to  meet  us  two  mile  from  his 
house ;  we  got  to  our  journey's  end  about  eight  o'clock, 
were  received  with  a  very  hearty  welcome  ;  we  shall  not 
stay  here  longer  than  the  latter  end  of  next  week.  Our 
young  men  are  not  with  us  now,  but  are  expected  to  day. 
The  house  is  very  large,  handsome,  and  convenient,  the 
situation  not  very  pleasant,  the  country  being  flat  about 
it,  and  great  want  of  trees.  Mr.  Wesley  is  making  great 
improvements  of  planting  trees  and  making  canals.  You 
know  the  good  people  so  well  that  belong  to  this  place, 
that  there  is  no  occasion  for  me  to  say  how  agreeable  they 
make  their  house,  and  they  never  fail  of  obliging  me  by 
enquiring  after  my  dearest  sister.  The  sweet  little  girls  re- 
member you  and  all  your  pretty  ways.  Miss  Wesley  does 
the  honours  of  the  house  as  well  as  if  she  was  a  woman. 
We  live  magnificently,  and  at  the   same  time  without 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  349 

ceremony.  There  is  a  charming  large  hall  with  an  organ 
and  harpsichord,  where  all  the  company  meet  when  they 
have  a  mind  to  be  together,  and  where  music,  dancing, 
shuttlecock,  draughts,  and  prayers,  take  their  turn.  Our 
hours  for  eating  are  ten,  three,  and  ten  again ;  I  am 
afraid  I  shall  not  be  able  to  write  to  you  again  a  great 
while,  if  I  can  once  more  before  I  leave  Dangan  I  will, 
but  what  I  shall  do  on  the  road  I  cannot  tell,  however 
I  will  write  though  I  may  run  the  hazard  of  a  mis- 
carriage by  it ;  my  brother  I  suppose  is  still  with  you. 
After  this  post  I  will  not  trust  to  that,  because  Sir 
John  Stanley  writ  me  word,  he  expected  him  soon  to 
town.  Our  correspondence  will  have  a  cruel  interrup- 
tion till  I  am  settled  at  Killala ;  tongues  are  already 
levelled  at  me  for  writing  so  much ;  let  them  scold 
on,  I  will  find  time  to  fill  this  sheet.  I  hope  my  dear 
sister  wil]  endeavour  to  make  herself  and  my  mama 
easy  at  my  staying  so  much  longer  in  Ireland  than  I  at 
first  designed,  for  I  never  had  my  health  better  in  my  life  ; 
this  country  agrees  perfectly  well  with  me.  Sir  John 
Stanley,  I  find  by  one  of  his  letters,  has  been  told  that  I 
am  going  to  be  married :  I  easily  guessed  the  party 
though  he  did  not  name  him ;  it  is  very  likely  the  same 
report  may  reach  your  ears, — this  is  therefore  to  give 
you  notice  that  it  is  altogether  groundless.  I  cannot 
perform  my  promise  of  filling  this  sheet  of  paper  ;  I  am 
called  ofi"  from  my  employment,  but  'tis  not  in  the  power 
of  mortal  man  or  woman  to  call  my  thoughts  from  my 
dearest  sister,  who  occupies  all  my  tender  faculties.  My 
duty  to  dear  mama. 

Yours  entirely, 
M.  Pen. 


350  LIFE  AND  COEEESPONDENCE 

The  following  account  of  Dangan  is  given  in  Hall's  Ireland  : — 
"  Dangan,  the  former  seat  of  the  Wesley s,  is  distant  about  seven 
miles  from  Trim,  and  about  twenty  from  Dublin.  On  the  death 
of  Lord  Mornington,  it  became  the  property  of  the  Marquis  of 
Wellesley,  from  whom  it  was  purchased  by  a  gentleman  named 
Boroughs,  who,  after  residing  there  some  time,  and  adding  to  it 
many  improvements,  let  it  on  lease  to  Mr.  Roger  O'Connor. 
While  in  his  possession  the  house  and  demesne  were  dismantled 
of  every  article  that  could  be  converted  into  money ;  the  trees 
(of  which  there  was  an  immense  variety,  of  prodigious  height  and 
girth,)  rapidly  fell  beneath  the  axe;  the  gardens  were  permitted 
to  run  waste.  An  application  to  the  Lord  Chancellor  proved 
utterly  ineffective,  and  at  length,  the  premises  being  largely 
insured,  the  house  was  found  to  be  on  fire,  and  was  of  course 
consumed  before  any  assistance  could  be  obtained  to  extinguish 
it.  One  portion  of  the  building,  the  walls  of  which  are  of  pro- 
digious thickness,  is  still  inhabited  by  a  farmer,  who  superintends 
the  property." 


Newtown  Gore.i  12th  June,  1732. 

We  are  now,  my  dear  sister,  within  six  mile  of  Killala. 
We  came  here  on  Saturday  night,  and  are  to  decamp  this 
morning.  But  before  I  say  anything  of  this  place  or  the 
person  it  belongs  to,  I  must  let  you  know  all  that  has 
happened  since  I  last  wrote  to  you.  This  is  the  third 
letter  I  have  addressed  to  you  in  my  travels ;  my  first 
was  from  Mr.  Wesley  Dangan ;  the  other  was  from  Mr. 
Mahone,  Castlegar.  I  hope  you  have  received  both  those 
letters,  that  you  may  see  that  wherever  I  go  you  are  still 
in  mind ;  not  that  I  believe  you  want  a  confirmation  of 


'  Newtown  Gore. — There  are  some  vestiges  of  the  ancient  abbey  of  Moy, 
and  close  to  the  village  is  a  large  druidical  altar.  About  2^  miles  to  the 
south,  are  the  ruins  of  the  castle  of  Longfield. 

Ijcwis'  Topographical  Dictionary  of  Ireland,  1837. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  351 

that.  Well,  (as  I  was  saying  in  my  last  to  you),  we  went 
a-fishing  to  the  most  beautiful  river  that  ever  was  seen, 
full  of  islands  delightfully  wooded.  We  landed  on  one  of 
the  islands  belonging  to  the  gentleman  that  carried  us 
there — Mr.  Mahone.  A  cloth  was  immediately  spread  on 
the  grass  under  the  shade  of  the  trees,  and  witliin  view 
of  the  winding  of  the  river,  great  variety  of  provisions 
was  produced.  We  sat  ourselves  down  and  partook  very 
plentifully  and  merrily  of  the  good  cheer  before  us  ;  our 
sweet  Phill  supplied  the  place  of  nightingales,  and  the 
weather  favoured  us.  I  often  sighed  that  you  were  not 
there  to  share  so  agreeable  an  entertainment,  for  I  think 
I  have  not  met  with  anything  since  my  being  in  Ireland 
that  I  have  liked  so  well.  We  staid  on  the  water  till  eight 
o'clock,  then  went  to  a  cabin,  which  is  such  a  thing  as  this 
thatched.  It  belongs  to  a  gentleman  of  fifteen  hundred 
pounds  a  year,  who  spends  most  part  of  his  time  and  for- 
tune in  that  place :  the  situation  is  pretty,  being  just  by 
the  river  side,  but  the  house  is  worse  than  T  have  repre- 
sented. He  keeps  a  man  cook,  and  has  given  entertain- 
ments of  twenty  dishes  of  meat !  The  people  of  this  country 
don't  seem  solicitous  of  having  good  dwellings  or  more  fur- 
niture than  is  absolutely  necessary — hardly  so  much,  but 
they  make  it  up  in  eating  and  drinking  I  I  have  not  seen 
less  than  fourteen  dishes  of  meat  for  dinner,  and  seven  for 
supper,  during  my  peregrination  ;  and  they  not  only  treat 
us  at  their  houses  magnificently,  but  if  we  are  to  go  to  an 
inn,  they  constantly  provide  us  with  a  basket  crammed 
with  good  things  :  no  people  can  he  more  hospitable  or 
obliging,  and  there  is  not  only  great  abundance  but  great 
order  and  neatness.  All  this  by  way  of  digression.  We 
went  to  the  above-mentioned  cabin,  where  we  had  tea. 


852  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

wine,  bread  and  butter,  and  might  have  had  a  supper  would 
we  have  accepted  of  it.  At  nine  we  mounted  our  chaises 
and  returned  to  Mr.  Mahone's,  where  we  had  spent  Satur- 
day, Sunday,  and  Monday.  On  Tuesday  we  proceeded  on 
our  journey  ;  that  night  lay  at  Tuam,  where  we  had  a  very 
tolerable  inn,  where  Mr.  Loyd  met  us  ;  his  living  is  near 
Killala,  and  he  is  to  be  all  the  summer  with  us,  which  I 
am  glad  of,  for  he  is  a  very  good-humoured,  well-behaved 
man.  From  Tuam  we  went  to  Mr.  Bingham's,  the  name  of 
the  place  Castlebar,*  where  we  staid  Thursday  and  Friday. 
The  house  is  a  good  old  house,  and  Mr.  Bingham  is  im- 
proving about  it,  so  that  in  time  it  will  be  a  very  pretty 
place,  there  are  very  pretty  shady  lanes  about  it,  at  the 
end  of  them  a  wood ;  at  some  distance  from  the  house 
there  is  a  lough,  which  in  our  language  is  a  lake. 

The  face  of  the  country  has  very  much  improved  since 
we  left  Mr.  Mahone's,  bogs  less  frequent,  and  pretty 
woods  and  water  have  supplied  their  place — a  good  ex- 
change you'll  say.  The  country  of  Ireland  has  no  fault 
but  want  of  inhabitants  to  cultivate  it ;  the  mountains 
and  noble  loughs,  of  which  there  are  abundance,  make 
a  fine  variety,  but  they  cut  down  all  their  woods  instead 
of  preserving  them  here.  Mr.  Bingham  and  his  lady 
are  very  agreeable  people ;  he  has  been  a  great  beau, 
and  has  seen  a  good  deal  of  the  world,  is  now  turned 
perfect  country  gentleman,  and  affects  bluntness  and 
humour,  which  he  manages  so  as  to  be  very  enter- 
taining; Mrs.  Bingham  is  very  civil,  and  a  smart 
woman.  We  left  them  on  Saturday  morning,  travelled 
tha,t  day  over  very  high  mountains — a  pretty  romantic 
road.  The  roads  are  much  better  in  Ireland  than  England, 

^  "■Mr.  Bingham's,  Castlebar,"  now  the  residence  of  the  Earl  of  Lucan. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  355 

mostly  causeways,  a  little  jumbling,  but  very  safe.  We 
arrived  at  this  place  on  Saturday  about  nine  o'clock  ;  'tis 
an  old  c2iSi\Q patclied  up  and  very  irregular,  but  well  fitted 
up,  and  good  handsome  rooms  within.  The  master  of  the 
house,  Sir  Arthur  Gore,^  a  jolly  red-faced  widower,  has 
one  daughter,  a  quiet  thing  that  lives  in  the  house  with 
him ;  his  dogs  and  horses  are  as  dear  to  him  as  his 
children,  his  laugh  is  hearty,  though  his  jests  are  coarse. 
His  eldest  son  married  a  widow  of  great  fortune,  daughter 
to  Mr.  Saunders ;  her  father  I  believe  has  something  to 
do  with  Snowhill,  for  Sally  writ  to  me  about  her  father's 
having  a  mind  to  plough  up  the  hill,  and  I  hope  soon  I 
shall  have  an  opportunity  of  doing  him  some  service. 
Mrs.  Gore  is  expected  here,  and  I  will  not  forget  Sally. 
By  the  wall  of  this  garden  runs  a  river  that  ends  in  a 
lough,  we  rowed  all  over  it  yesterday ;  'tis  bounded  by 
vast  mountains,  such  as  you  never  saw.  As  soon  as  I 
have  finished  this  letter  I  must  eat  my  breakfast,  and 
then  depart,  for  all  things  are  ready, 

Phill  hopes  she  shall  find  a  letter  from  you  at  Killala ; 
you  may  now  direct  your  letters  to  me  there  ;  you  need 
say  no  more  than  for  me  " at  Killala,  in  Ireland"  The 
poverty  of  the  people  as  I  have  passed  through  the 
country  has  made  my  heart  ache,  I  never  saw  greater 
appearance  of  misery,  they  live  in  great  extremes,  either 
profusely  or  wretchedly. 


1  Sir  Arthur  Gore,  of  Newton  Gore,  in  the  county  of  Mayo,  was  created  a 
Baronet  in  1662  ;  his  grandson,  Sir  Arthur,  was  M,P.  for  Longford  in  1727, 
and  married.  Elizabeth,  eldest  daughter  of  Maurice  Annesley,  Esq.  Their  son 
was  the  1st  Earl  of  Arran,  who,  in  1730,  married  'Jane,  daughter  of  R. 
Saunders,  Esq. 


VOL.  I.  2  A 


354  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  OranviUe, 

Killala,  21st  June,  1732 

Killala  is  a  very  pretty  spot  of  ground ;  tlie  house  old, 
and  indifferent  enough,  the  sea  so  near  us,  that  we  can 
see  it  out  of  our  window  ;  the  garden,  which  is  laid  out 
entirely  for  use,  is  pretty, — a  great  many  shady  walks  and 
full-grown  forest  trees.  The  Bishop  has  added  a  field,  and 
planted  it  in  very  good  taste ;  there  are  ahundance  of 
green  hills  on  one  side  of  the  garden,  on  the  other  a 
line  view  of  the  Bay,  and  main  ocean  beyond  it,  and 
several  pleasant  islands.  I  have  given  already  an  account 
of  our  journey,  and  how  my  heart  fluttered  as  I  went 
further  from  you,  but  I  must  not  turn  my  thoughts 
that  way  now,  if  I  do  I  shall  soon  grow  incapable  of 
finishing  my  letter. 

One  day  Miss  Don,  Miss  Forth,  Mr.  Crofton,  Mr. 
Lloyd,  and  your  Penny,  mounted  their  horses  to  take  the 
air !  We  rode  very  pleasantly  for  a  mile  by  a  sweet 
river,  were  caught  in  a  smart  shower  of  rain,  took  shelter 
in  a  cabin  as  poor  as  that  I  described  to  you  some  time 
ago,  the  master  of  it  the  greatest  bear  that  ever  walked 
erect  on  two  legs,  his  wife  little  better,  and  that  man  is 
absolutely  worth  two  thousand  pounds  a  year ;  "  muck  is 
his  darling,''  poor  miserable  wretch  !  but,  however,  he  had 
hospitality  to  receive  us  as  civilly  as  his  sort  of  manners 
would  allow,  made  a  good  fire,  and  his  wife  gave  us  tea ; 
the  sky  cleared,  we  took  our  leave,  and  returned  home 
wisely  moralizing  all  the  way,  and  condemning  the  sordid- 
ness  of  the  wretch  we  left  behind  us. 

Last  Sunday  the  Bishop  gave  us  a  very  good  sermon.^ 
Perhaps  you  think  our  cathedral  a  vulgar  one,  and  that 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  355 

we  have  an  organ  and  choir ;  no !  we  have  no  such  popish 
doings, — a  good  parish  minister  and  bawling  of  psalms  is 
our  method  of  proceeding !  The  church  is  neat,  but  you 
would  not  dream  it  was  a  cathedral !  I  suppose  you 
never  set  your  foot  within  a  parish  church,  now  you  are 
placed  so  near  the  college.  Monday  we  made  visits  to 
some  of  the  townspeople ;  there  are  none  better  than  Mrs. 
Herbert  or  some  of  her  rank,  which  eases  us  of  much 
ceremony.  Tuesday  we  had  a  very  clever  expedition, — 
the  Bishop  and  I  in  a  chaise,  Mrs.  Clayton,  Phill,  and 
Miss  Forth  on  horseback,  Mr.  Crofton,  Mr.  Lloyd,  and 
another  black  coat  made  up  the  train.  We  went  to  a 
place  about  five  miles  off  where  the  salmon  fishery  is,* 
the  house  put  me  in  mind  of  Eedgate,^  in  Cornwall, — the 
place  mama  used  to  be  so  fond  of.  We  saw  the  river 
drawn  as  we  stood  in  the  garden,  and  a  whole  net  full 
caught  of  salmon  and  trout.  It  was  very  good  sport, 
but  what  was  best  of  all,  those  salmon  were  dressed  for  our 
dinner,  and  we  regaled  very  plentifully ;  we  might  have 
eat  heef,  pig,  lamb,  or  goose,  but  we  stuck  to  fish  and 
left  the  flesh  for  vulgar  mouths.  Phill  and  I  changed 
places  when  we  returned  home :  the  evening  favoured 
us ;  part  of  our  way  home  was  over  a  pleasant  strand. 
To-day  we  dined  at  one  Mr.  Palmer's,  a  gentleman  that 
lives  a  mile  off,  the  only  very  agreeable  neighbour  we 


'  The  river  here  mentioned  is  the  river  Moy,  on  which  there  is  a 
salmon  leap,  the  fishery  of  which  was  mentioned  by  Berins,  in  1837,  as  very 
productive  ;  the  rent  being  from  1200Z.  to  1400/.  a-year,  although  in  1779  it 
was  let  for  only  250?.  He  also  states,  that  as  many  as  one  thousand  and  thirty 
salmon  have  been  taken  at  one  time.  The  Ballina  fish  were  sent  to  Liverpool 
and  Glasgow,  and  the  season  for  fishing  closes  on  the  12th  of  August. 

2  Redgate,  situated  just  above  Fowey  river,  in  St.  Cleer  parish,  about  four 
miles  from  Liskeard,  in  Cornwall 

2  A  2 


356  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

have ;  lie  is  a  very  good  sort  of  man,  has  a  handsome 
fortune,  his  wife  a  civil,  gentle,  agreeable  woman  :  they  are 
very  fond  of  one  another,  but  both  melancholy  in  their 
dispositions ;  they  were  married  some  time  and  had 
no  children,  at  last  she  had  one  son,  which  is  so 
great  a  darling  and  so  much  spoiled,  that  I  believe  she'll 
repent  of  her  wishing  so  earnestly  as  she  did  for  a  son. 
He  is  a  fine  boy,  has  great  vivacity  (the  more  likely  to 
prove  her  plague);  we  had  a  very  fine  dinner;  she 
played  once  very  well  on  the  harpsichord,  but  has  left  it 
off,  and  I  am  in  hopes  she  will  lend  us  her  harpsichord  as 
she  has  no  use  for  it  herself;  we  have  staid  longer  than 
we  intended. 

I  expect  the  post  every  minute,  beside  supper  stays  for 
me,  which  puts  me  into  a  hurry  of  the  spirits.  We  rise 
at  eight,  meet  altogether  at  breakfast  at  ten,  after  that  sit 
to  work,  Phill  holds  forth,  Zaide  ^  entertains  us  at  present 
in  French, — 'tis  a  pretty  romance.  How  I  love  Belasive, 
Alphonzo's  mistress,  and  pity  him,  though  his  folly 
wrought  his  destruction.  We  dine  at  three,  set  to  work 
again  between  five  and  six,  walk  out  at  eight,  and  come 
home  time  enough  to  sit  down  to  supper,  by  ton,  very  pretty 
chat  goes  round  till  eleven,  then  prayers,  and  so  to  bed. 

How  many  of  my  waking  and  sleeping  hours  does  my 
dearest  sister  occupy  !    I  harassed  mama  with  a  long  letter 


'  Zaide,  Histoire  Espagnole,  par  Monsieur  de  Segrais  (J.  Regnauld  de  Sc- 
grais),  avec  uu  Traite  de  TOriginc  des  Romans,  par  Mr.  Huet.  Published 
at  Amsterdam,  chez  Jaques  Desbordes,  M.DCCXV.  12mo.  Edition  in 
British  Museum.  The  above  edition  could  not  have  l>een  the  first,  as 
it  was  "  done  into  English  by  P.  Porter,  Esq.,"  and  published  in  London, 
1678.  Gonsalvo,  son  of  Alphonso,  king  of  Leon,  appears  to  be  the  hero;  and 
the  story  takes  ])lace  about  50  years  after  the  Moors  invaded  Spain, — Zaide 
being  the  daughter  of  a  Moor.  (Madame  La  Fayette  is  believed  to  have 
asssited  Mons.  do  Segrais  in  this  work.) 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  357 

the  post  before  last ;  I  hope  she  received  it.  I  have  asked 

you  twenty  times  about  the  Bishop  of  Gloucester/  who 

he  is  and  what  he  is?     I  must  go — a  cruel  case.     My 

humble  duty  and  service  to  all  as  due.     Phill  croaks  out 

as  hoarse  a  note  as  she  can  by  way  of  reproach  for  your  ill 

usage  of  lier  correspondence.     Had  my  paper  been  three 

ells  long,  I  should  have  reached  the  bottom  I  verily  believe, 

though  all  the  bishops  in  the  universe  were  waiting  supper 

tor  uie 

T  am  yours  for  ever  and  ever,  M.  Pen. 

See  of  Killala,  Barony  of  Tyrone,  County  Mayo.  Founded  by 
St.  Patrick  between  434  and  441.  St.  Patrick,  it  is  said,  built  a 
church  at  this  place,  called  Kill  Aladh,  over  which  he  placed  one 
of  his  disciples,  St.  Murduch,  as  bishop,  whose  successors  were 
called  by  the  eariy  writers  Bishop  of  Tiraraalgaed,  from  the 
surrounding  territory,  now  called  the  Barony  of  Tirawley,  and 
also  they  were  called  Bishops  of  O'Fiaira  Mue,  from  the  dis- 
tricts extending  along  the  river  Moy.  Owen  O'Connor,  Dean  of 
Achonry,  was  advanced  to  the  see  of  Killala  by  Queen  Elizabeth, 
1591,  and  allowed  to  hold  the  deanery  with  the  bishopric.  Archi- 
bald Hamilton,  who  succeeded  1623,  obtained  from  James  I. 
a  commendatory  grant  of  the  see  of  Achonry ;  and  his  successor, 
Archibald  Adair,  1630,  was  consecrated  Bishop  of  Killala  and 
Achonry,  which  appear  from  that  time  to  have  been  united. 
Thomas  Otway,  1670,  rebuilt  the  cathedral  from  the  foundation. 
These  sees  were  held  together  till  the  death  of  Dr.  James  Vers- 
choyle,  1833,  when,  under  the  provisions  of  the  Church  Temporali- 
ties Act,  3  &  4  William  IV.,  they  became  annexed  to  the 
archiepiscopal  See  of  Tuam,  and  the  temporalities  were  vested  in  the 
Ecclesiastical  Commissioners.  The  diocese  is  one  of  the  six  that 
constitute  the  ecclesiastical  province  of  Sligo,  and  a  considerable 
portion  of  Mayo.     It  is  forty-three  miles  long  and  twenty-one  in 

^  The  Bishop  of  Gloucester  was  Dr.  Elias  Sydall,  translated  from  St. 
David's  to  Gloucester,  1731,  and  died  1734,  when  he  was  succeedal  by  Dr. 
Martin  Benson,  Prebendary  of  Durham, 


358  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

breadth,  comprises  twenty-seven  parishes  and  thirteen  benefices. 
The  cathedral  is  also  the  parish  church.  It  is  an  ancient 
structure  with  a  spire,  and  was  repaired  in  1817,  when  the  late 
Board  of  First-fruits  granted  a  loan  of  lOSH.  10s.  9d.,  and  the 
Ecclesiastical  Commissioners  afterwards  granted  600^.  for  further 
repairs. 

In  the  Roman  Catholic  division  this  diocese  is  an  appointed 
bishopric,  and  one  of  six  suffragans  to  Tuam.  The  parish  includes 
the  island  of  Bartra  or  Bartrach.  The  castle  was  formerly  the 
episcopal  palace,  and  in  1837  was  the  residence  of  Mr.  Bourke. 
On  an  eminence  in  the  town  is  an  ancient  round  tower.  At  the 
mouth  of  the  river  Moy  are  the  remains  of  a  Franciscan  friary,  of 
the  "  strict  observance,"  founded  1460,  by  Mac  William  Bourke. 
After  the  dissolution  it  was  granted  to  Edmund  Barrett.  At  Castle- 
reagh,  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Eathfran,  two  miles  from  the  sea, 
are  the  vestiges  of  a  castle  of  great  strength,  which  was  levelled  to 
the  ground  ;  and  a  mile  to  the  west  is  Carrickanass  Castle,  built  by 
the  family  of  Bourke,  and  several  forts.  The  arras  of  the  bishopric 
are — an  open  book,  a  cross  and  upright  crozier.  Killala  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  French  for  a  month  in  1798. 


Lord  Lansdotvne  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville. 

Old  Windsor,  June  23,  1732. 

My  dear  Niece, 

If  you  are  angry  with  me  you  have  reason  :  it  is 
now  nearly  six  months  since  I  had  the  pleasure  of  your 
good  wishes  upon  the  last  New  Year's  Day ;  though  I 
failed  in  returning  them  to  you  in  writing,  I  did  it  very 
sincerely  in  my  heart;  but  that  is  not  justification 
enough,  since  my  silence  may  have  given  you  occasion  to 
think  unkindly  of  me.  The  truth  is,  I  was  so  entirely 
laid  up  for  all  the  winter  months  with  one  of  my  usual 
colds  in  that  season  of  the  year  that  I  was  not  able  to 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  359 

write  to  anybody.  All  my  other  correspondents  have 
forgiven  me,  and  allowed  it  for  a  sufficient  reason,  I 
trust  to  your  goodness  to  do  so  too. 

I  cannot  say  that  winter  is  yet  over  with  us.     As 
near   as   we   are   to   Midsummer-day,   the    cold    rainy 
weather  still  obliges  us  to  sit  by  a  fire-side.     As  **  God,'* 
(they  say),  " is  in   GlouceiteVy'  I  hope  he  takes  better 
care   of  you.     The   last   news  we  had  of  your  brother 
Bevil,    was  that    he   was   settled,    at  that  time  of  his 
writing,    to    his    satisfaction    in    Carolina,     where    he 
found  the  governour    an  old  acquaintance  and  school- 
fellow at  Westminster,  who  immediately  put  him  in  an 
advantageous  way  of  preaching  the  gospel  and  convert- 
ing infidels.     If  he  could  but  have  been  steady  but  a 
very  little  longer  in  his  pious  fits  in  this  old  world,  he 
would  soon  have  been  under  no  necessity  to   seek  his 
fortune  in  the  neiv,  but  I  hope  that  is  not  irretrievable. 
Time  and  patience  bring  about  many  unexpected  events. 
Pray,  if  you  are  so  good  to  restore  me  to  favour,  after 
having  in  appearance  deserved  so  much  to  forfeit  it,  let 
me  hear  how  my  sister,  your  mother,  enjoys  her  health. 
Assure  her  of  my  constant  afiection  and  best  wishes,  and 
believe  me,  my  dear  niece,  always  with  truth  and  ten- 
derness, 

Your  most  affectionate  uncle  and  humble  servant, 

Lansdowne. 

Lady  Lansdowne  is  very  much  your  humble  servant, 
and  your  mother's. 

Eobert  Johnson,  Esq.,  was  "  the  Governor  "  of  South  Carolina 
mentioned  by  Lord  Lansdowne ;  he  made  his  first  speech  to  the 
general  assembly  in  that  colony  January  22, 1730-1.     George  Lord 


360  LIFE  AND  COERESPONDENCE 

Carteret,  afterwards  Earl  Grranville,  was  one  of  the  eight  lords  pro- 
prietors of  South  and  North  Carolina,  as  heir  to  his  grandfather, 
Sir  Greorge  Carteret,  vice- chamberlain  of  the  household  to  Charles 
11.  The  other  seven  lords  proprietors,  viz.,  Edward  Earl  of 
Clarendon,  George  Duke  of  Albemarle,  William  Lord  Craven, 
John  Lord  Berkeley,  Anthony  Lord  Ashley,  Sir  William  Berkley, 
and  Sir  John  Collaton,  having  sold  and  surrendered  their  respec- 
tive rights  and  titles  to  George  II.,  the  one  full-unprovided  eighth 
part  of  the  said  provinces,  and  all  the  premises  granted  by  letters 
patent,  &c.  was  confirmed  by  Act  of  Parliament  to  George  Lord 
Carteret,  in  1744,  subject  to  the  payment  of  an  annual  rent  of 
11.  13s.  4:d.  on  the  Feast  of  All  Saints,  with  a  right  to  one  fourth 
part  of  all  the  gold  and  silver  ore  found  upon  the  premises.  The  exten- 
sive interest  that  Lord  Carteret  must  have  had  in  North  and  South 
Carolina  accounts  for  Mr.  Bevil  Granville  having  been  sent  there. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  her  sister  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Killala,  28  June,  1732. 

You  have  already  had  an  account  of  our  journey  and 
safe  arrival.  You  say  nothing  of  my  letter  from  Castle 
Gar,  (Mr.  Mahone's)  so  I  suppose  that  has  escaped  you. 
Another  you  ought  to  receive  from  Sir  Arthur  Gore's. 
Poor  Mrs.  Wilson !  I  am  sorry  for  the  shock  her  death 
must  have  given  Sally,  whose  tenderness  must  sometimes 
take  place  of  her  wisdom,  hut  I  hope  when  she  con- 
siders the  great  advantage  her  sister  in  all  probahility 
will  receive  by  the  exchange  she  has  lately  made,  that 
she  will  be  reconciled  to  the  loss  of  a  sister  that  has 
given  her  more  woe  than  happiness  ;  pray  has  Mrs. 
Wilson  left  any  children  ?  Whilst  I  am  writing  this 
letter  my  ears  are  dinged  with  the  Irish  howl,  our 
window  looks  into  the  churchyard,  and  during  the  burial 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  361 

service  there  is  such  a  confusion  of  howls,  that  'tis 
enough  to  distract  one.  The  clouds  interposed  so  much 
while  we  were  at  Dangan,  that  I  could  not  pay  my 
homage  to  the  planetary  world  as  I  designed ;  but  I  forget 
myself,  and  I  am  talking  like  a  mortal,  though  you  must 
know  that  I  am  nothing  less  than  Madam  Venus,  Mrs. 
Clayton  is  Juno,  Phill  Minerva,  Miss  Forth  the  three 
graces,  so  named  by  Mr.  Wesley,  who  is  Paris.  Mr.  Lloyd 
Hermes,  and  Mr.  Crofton  is  the  Genius  of  the  grotto 
that  we  are  erecting.  About  half-a-mile  from  hence 
there  is  a  very  pretty  green  hill,  one  side  of  it  covered 
with  nut  w^ood ;  on  the  summit  of  the  hill  there  is  a 
natural  grotto,  with  seats  in  it  that  will  hold  four  people. 
We  go  every  morn^  at  seven  o'clock  to  that  place  to 
adorn  it  with  shells — the  Bishop  has  a  large  collection  of 
very  fine  ones ;  Phill  and  I  are  the  engineers,  the  men 
fetch  and  carry  for  us  w^hat  we  want,  and  think  them- 
selves highly  honoured.  I  forgot  to  tell  you  that  from 
the  grotto  we  have  an  extensive  view  of  the  sea  and 
several  islands ;  and  Killala  is  no  small  addition  to  the 
beauty  of  the  prospect,  for  in  the  midst  of  it  there  is 
a  pillar,  not  unlike  a  Roman  obelisk,  of  great  height. 
The  town  is  surrounded  by  trees,  and  looks  as  if  it  was 
in  the  middle  of  a  wood ;  this  affair  yields  us  great  diver- 
sion, and  I  believe  will  make  us  very  strong  and  healthy, 
if  rising  early,  exercise  and  mirth  have  any  \drtue. 

Could  you  be  here  with  a  wish,  our  godships  w^ould 
soon  have  their  band  enlarged,  and  we  would  ravage 
Olympus  to  find  a  title  suitable  to  you.  I  am  glad  you 
correspond  with  Gran,  Phill  takes  it  a  little  to  heart 
that  you  have  neglected  her  correspondence  so  much.  I 
am  glad  Ogleby  is  worth  your  acquaintance.     Let  no 


362  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

opportunity  of  laughter  escape  you  I  beg  ;  every  hearty 
laugh  you  laugh  is  an  addition  to  my  happiness,  80  laugh 
and  be  sure  to  let  me  know  you  do.  I  heartily  rejoice  with 
you  for  Mrs.  Foley's  coming  into  the  country,  many 
pleasant  hours  may  you  have  together,  and  much  of  that 
time  may  I  employ  !  '*  An  unreasonable,  impertinent 
wish,"  says  Mrs.  Foley,  who  has  not  heard  from  me  since 
my  receiving  a  very  obliging  letter  from  her,  but  I  trust 
you  will  make  my  peace.  I  will  not  promise  for  much 
better  behaviour  till  I  have  got  off  from  this  same  Hiber- 
nian land. 

Notwithstanding  many  pretty  things  we  do  here,  the 
shortening  of  the  days  gives  me  a  secret  joy — not  that  I 
wish  for  a  return  to  Dublin,  but  the  sooner  winter  comes, 
the  sooner  comes  spring,  the  time  when  I  am  to  take  my 
flight  and  perch  /  know  where. 

I  had  a  letter  yesterday  from  my  brother,  by  this 
time  he  is  playing  the  coquet  among  the  belles  on 
Tonbridge  walks,  and  /  know  not  ivho  can  do  it  better ! 
I  have  not  yet  had  a  letter  from  Lady  Sunderland 
since  Sir  Robert's  misfortunes.  I  believe  she  has  not 
been  in  a  very  writing  way ;  I  own  my  heart  aches 
for  her,  and  the  thought  of  her  being  unhappy  comes 
across  my  mind  too  often.  Who  could  have  thought 
that  her  fortune  should  fail  her?  We  have  begun 
Clelia,  she  is  a  much  better  French  lady  than  an 
English  one ;  our  hours  of  work  and  reading  are  from 
breakfast  to  dinner,  and  from  five  to  seven  our  walk- 
ing hours.  You  are  very  good  in  getting  the  copple- 
crowned  fowl :  I  suppose  they  are  white  ones.  I  writ  a 
direction  how  you  were  to  send  them  to  the  Bishop,  but 
for  fear  that  letter  should  miscarry,  I   will  repeat  it. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  363 

You  can,  I  suppose,  get  them  conveyed  to  Bristol,  and  a 
bargain  made  for  their  passage  thence  to  Dublin,  but 
great  charge  must  be  given  about  them,  for  as  the  poor 
birds  are  eatable  things,  some  one  on  board  the  ship 
may  long  for  a  tit-bit ;  they  must  be  directed  to  Mr. 
Ryves,  merchant  in  Dublin.  Pray,  what  is  become  of 
Sir  Tony  ?  does  he  correspond  with  my  mother  or  you  ? 
We  have  not  touched  a  card  since  we  came,  but  when 
candle-light  is  more  plenty  we  shall  begin  commerce. 
Must  I  bid  you  tell  my  mother  that  I  am  hers  most 
dutifully  and  affectionately ;  she  does  not,  I  hope,  want 
a  confirmation  of  that,  but  it  cannot  be  too  often  re- 
peated. I  am  now  going  to  build  a  pyramid  for  the 
grotto :  I  will  secretly  dedicate  it  to  you  know  who ;  if 
not,  'tis  time  you  should,  and  every  looking-glass  can  in- 
form you.     Where  is  the  Marquis  ? 

The  book  called  "  Clelia,"  which  was  read  aloud  for  the 
amusement  of  the  society  at  the  Bishop  of  Killala's,  is  thus  en- 
titled : — "  Clelia ;  an  excellent  new  Romance,  dedicated  to  Made- 
moiselle de  Longueville.  Written  in  French  by  the  exquisite  pen 
of  (Magdeleine  de  Scudery,  sister  of)  Monsieur  de  Scudery,  Go- 
vernour  of  Nostredame  de  la  Garde."  An  English  folio  edition, 
published  in  London,  1678.  The  words  "  Magdeleine  de  Scudery, 
sister  of,'^  are  interlined  in  ink,  in  the  title-page  of  the  copy  in 
the  British  Museum.  This  folio  romance  has  a  remarkable  com- 
mencement, as  it  begins  with  "  CleHa"  and  "  Aronces"  (who  are 
to  be  married  the  following  day)  taking  a  walk  with  her  father 
and  mother,  and  seeing  a  former  lover  approaching,  she  leaves 
Aronces  to  go  to  her  father  and  induce  him  to  "  prevent  mischief," 
at  which  express  moment  an  earthquake  happens,  which  divides 
the  ground  between  Clelia  and  Aronces,  and  in  the  confusion 
Clelia  falls  into  the  power  of  the  rival  lover  Horatius !  There  is  a 
map  appended,  which  contains  a  river  representing  the  course  of 
Esteem,  Friendship  and  Love. 


364  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Killala,  4th  July,  1732. 

As  I  was  yesterday  sitting  on  a  haycock,  thinking  in- 
tensely of  her  that  gives  the  relish  to  all  my  pleasures, 
and  as  a  reward  for  so  faithfully  performing  my  duty, 
my  dearest  sister's  letter  was  brought  to  me.  As  for  the 
riddle,  I  own  my  ignorance,  I  cannot  find  it  out ;  pray 
always  send  me  the  explanations  with  your  riddles,  for 
I  am  dullness  itself. 

Poor  Mrs.  West !  there's  an  end  of  her  beauty  and 
vanity ;  the  illness  she  had  before  her  death  I  hope  was 
of  service  to  her.  Just  as  I  came  was  I  dragged  out,  to 
go  to  the  grotto :  I  resisted  as  much  as  I  could,  that  I 
might  bestow  all  the  evening  on  you,  but  company  being 
here,  I  was  afraid  they  might  be  aifronted  if  I  shut  my- 
self up,  and  country  ladies,  you  know,  are  ietchi/  things. 
I  have  now  snatched  up  my  pen  in  great  haste,  mu(!h 
afraid  I  shall  not  have  time  to  finish  my  letter  before  the 
postman  sounds  his  horn. 

You  said  not  one  word  to  me  about  Bunny's  wearing 
his  own  hair.'  I  had  a  letter  yesterday  from  Lady  Car- 
teret :  she  writes  me  word  that  he  "  looks  ver^/  well  with 
his  new-adorned  pate."  Tell  me  what  you  think  ?  I  fanfiy 
a  wig  became  him  better ;  what  provoked  him  to  cut  so 
bold  a  stroke  f  I  received  a  packet  of  the  same  sort  as 
yours,  the  author  is  easily  guessed — she  is  made  of  odd 
materials ;  I  wonder  at  this  time  frolics  can  take  place. 

1  In  the  early  part  of  King  George  II.'s  reign,  wigs  were  very  generally 
worn,  some  of  which  were  powdered  and  others  not ;  but  some  young  men  wore 
their  own  hair  dressed  and  jx)wdered,  and  some,  in  imitation  of  Lord  Boling- 
broke,  wore  their  unpowdcred  hair  in  long  ringlets,  tied  back  with  a  long 
streaming  ribbon. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  365 

I  have  not  heard  from  Lady  Sunderland  since  her  mis- 
fortunes/ I  am  not  much  surprised  at  it,  but  I  think 
Bess  might  have  given  me  some  account  of  their  affairs ; 
unhappy  as  they  are,  it  would  be  more  satisfaction  to 
me  to  hear  it  from  them  than  from  strangers. 

Last  Monday  our  family  and  Mr.  Palmer's  met  on  a 
very  agreeable  expedition.  We  were  in  all  twenty ;  we 
left  home  about  eleven,  and  went  four  mile  in  coaches 
and  chaises,  then  we  all  mounted  our  horses,  and  went 
to  a  place  called  Patrick  Down,  seven  mile  from  Killala. 
The  road  is  all  the  way  by  the  sea-side,  over  vast  cliffs, 
such  as  you  have  seen  about  Mr.  Basset's,  in  Cornwall. 
We  had  no  prospect  from  the  Downs  where  we  stood,  but 
the  main  ocean ;  about  a  mile  from  the  cliffs,  that  are  of 
an  immense  height,  is  a  rock  which  formerly  was  joined, 
I  believe,  to  the  part  where  we  stood,  for  it  seemed  to  be 
the  same  heiglit :  grass  grows  upon  it,  and  there  is  the 
remains  of  a  wall ;  it  is  so  perpendicular  that  no  one 
could  climb  it.  The  day  was  just  so  windy  as  to  make 
the  waves  roll  most  beautifully,  and  dash  and  foam  about 
the  rocks.  I  never  saw  anything  finer  of  the  kind ;  it 
raised  a  thousand  great  ideas ;  oh !  how  I  wished  for 
you  there  !  it  is  impossible  to  describe  the  oddness  of 
the  place,  the  strange  rocks  and  cavities  where  the  sea 
had  forced  its  way.  For  our  feast  there  was  prepared 
what  here  they  call  a  "  swilled  mouton,"  that  is,  a  sheep 
roasted  whole  in  its  skin,  scorched  like  a  hog.  I  never 
eat  anything  better;  we  sat  on  the  grass,  had  a  rock 
for  our  table ;  and  though  there  was  great  variety  of 
good  cheer,  nothing  was  touched  but  the  mouton.  The 
day  was  very  agreeable,  and  all  the  company  in  good 
humoui'. 


366  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

I  beg  the  receipt  of  American  balsam  and  elder-berry 
water. 

*'  The  misfortunes  "  of  Lady  Sunderland  may  be  explained  by 
reference  to  the  records  of  the  reign  of  King  George  II.,  when  a 
Joint  Stock  Company  called  "  The  Charitable  Corporation,"  having 
for  its  expressed  object  the  loan  of  money  in  large  and  small  sums 
at  a  legal  rate  of  interest,  and  upon  any  sufficient  security.  It 
originated  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne,  and  had  maintained  its 
reputation  for  about  twenty  years,  when  in  the  year  1731,  the 
cashier,  George  Eobinson,  M.P.  for  Mario w,  and  John  Thompson, 
the  warehouseman  who  had  charge  of  the  pledges,  both  suddenly 
disappeared  in  one  day.  The  shareholders,  finding  that  their 
capital  of  500,000?.  had  also  disappeared  in  a  mysterious  manner, 
brought  the  affair  before  the  House  of  Commons.  A  secret  com- 
mittee was  appointed,  and  a  system  of  fraud  was  discovered,  in 
which  some  of  the  most  considerable  persons  in  the  country  were 
implicated.  Three  members  of  the  House  of  Commons  were 
expelled  for  the  "  sordid  knavery "  of  these  transactions — Sir 
Eobert  Sutton,  Sir  Archibald  Grant,  and  George  Robinson,  Esq. 

It  is  probable  that  Sir  Robert  Sutton's  well  known  attachment  to 
the  Stuarts  prevented  the  possibility  of  his  exposure  and  disgrace 
being  avoided  on  this  occasion.  He  represented  the  county  of 
Nottingham,  was  a  Privy  Councillor,  a  Knight  of  the  Bath,  and  a 
distinguished  diplomatist. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville. 

Killala,  7th  Augwst,  17|2. 

liong  before  this  will  reach  you  you  wiU  be  returned 
from  Staunton.^     I  can  easily  guess  how  well  you  spent 


*  Staunton,  near  Broadway,  Worcestershire,  and  consequently  near  Buck- 
land,  (once  the  retreat  of  Col.  Bernard  Granville,)  was  at  that  time  the 
residence  of  Sarah  Kirkham,  (Mrs.  Capon),  it  was  here  that  Mrs.  Elstob, 
the  Anglo-Saxon  scholar,  found  a  home  during  her  trouble. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  367 

your  time  there,  but  part  of  the  entertainment  you 
expected  at  Stanway  I  am  afraid  you  have  been  disap- 
pointed in,  for  the  Fredericks  I  hear  are  at  Tunbridge. 
Sir  John  and  my  brother  are  now,  I  suppose,  at  London ; 
they  write  me  word  that  they  have  not  had  a  great 
crowd  of  company.  I  had  a  letter  two  posts  ago  from 
poor  Lady  Sunderland,  who  bears  her  misfortunes  with 
great  strength  of  mind ;  she  goes  constantly  to  IsHngton 
wells,  where  she  meets  abundance  of  good  company. 
Those  waters  are  rising  in  fame,  and  already  pretend  to 
vie  with  Tunbridge :  if  they  are  as  good  it  will  be 
very  convenient  for  all  Londoners  to  have  a  remedy  so 
near  at  hand.  The  Scotts  are  soon  to  go  to  Scofton, 
there,  I  hope,  to  end  their  days ;  Bess  Tichbourne  has 
a  strange  disorder  in  her  eyes,  and  has  had  it  for  above  two 
months — little  blisters  that  rise  on  her  eyeballs  every 
morning,  and  continue  two  or  three  hours.  I  never  heard 
of  so  odd  a  complaint ;  Lady  Delawarr  is  in  Holland. 

Sir  Thomas  Peyton  ^  was  married  on  the  2nd  June, 
at  Cambridge — my  friend  Dr.  Williams  tied  the  Gordian 
knot ;  the  affair  was  finished  at  Emnetli.^  Very  merry 
doings  they  have  had  ever  since ;  the  lady  is  far  from 
a  beauty,  but  every  way  else  much  commended.  Now 
you  must  know  I  always  thought  the  Tomtit  a  better 
judge  of  beauty  than  of  the  agreeable ;  I  have  not  heard 
what  fortune,  but  I  fancy  no  great  matter,  or  it  would 
have  been  mentioned.  It  is  comical  that  I,  who  am 
removed  to  one  of  the  remotest  parts  of  Hibernia,  should 
be    sending   you    news   from  your  neighbourhood,   but 

Married  June,  1732,  Sir  Thomas  Peyton,  of  Doddington,  in  the  Isle  of  Ely, 
to  Mrs.  Skeffington,  of  20,000?.  fortune. — London  Magazine. 

2  Emneth,  county  of  Norfolk,  belonged  to  Laurence  Oxburgh,  who  ruamed 
Dorothy  great  great  aunt  of  the  Sir  Thomas  Peyton,  here  alluded  to. 


368  LIFE  AND  COKEESPONDENCE 

sometimes  foreign  papers  inform  one  more  exactly  of  our 
own  affairs  than  domestic  ones.  I  have  been  at  an 
island  inhabited  by  nothing  but  bullocks,  rabbits,  and 
snails,  it  is  over  against  Killala ;  we  took  a  boat  and 
away  we  went,  the  hottest  day  that  ever  was  felt. 
When  we  came  to  the  island  every  one  took  a  way  of 
his  own,  my  amusement  was  running  after  butterflies 
and  gathering  weed  nosegays,  of  which  there  are  great 
plenty ;  Phill  sat  down  on  a  bank  by  the  seaside  and 
sung  to  the  fish,  got  up  in  haste  when  she  thought  it 
time  to  join  her  company,  dropped  her  snuff-box  in  the 
sand,  and  did  not  recollect  it  till  she  was  at  home.  The  next 
day  we  were  to  dine  at  Mr.  Lloyd's  sister's,  who  lives  four 
or  five  miles  off ;  we  went  by  sea,  passed  the  island ;  Phill 
said  she'd  go  and  look  for  her  box,  as  odd  an  undertak- 
ing as  "  seeking  a  needle,^'  &c. ;  but  she  went  and  found  it. 
So  we  proceeded  merrily  to  the  place  appointed,  walked 
a  mile  or  two  on  a  very  pleasant  strand,  and  gathered  a 
fresh  recruit  of  shells  for  our  grotto ;  the  whole  day  was 
very  pleasant,  and  put  me  in  mind  of  our  jaunt  to 
Rosteague  ;  but  the  water  was  somewhat  smoother.  Mr. 
Kit  Donellan  is  come  among  us,  and  is  a  very  good 
addition ;  he  is  a  man  of  great  worth,  and  must  be 
valued  by  all  that  know  him ;  his  only  fault  is  being  too 
reserved,  and  not  caring  to  preach — that  last  is  unpardon- 
able in  him,  because  nobody  does  it  better  ;  his  excuse  is 
weakness  of  his  lungs.  I  writ  my  mother  word  that 
we  had  company  in  the  house  with  us ;  they  stay  till 
Wednesday,  after  that  we  shall  have  another  supply ; 
in  short,  we  have  almost  as  much  company  here  as  in 
Dublin,  and  that  is  too  much,  indeed  we  never  are  so 
well  pleased  as  when  we  are  by  ourselves.     To-morrow, 


OP  MRS.  DELANY.  369 

madam,  we  are  to  have  dainty  doings  ;  'tis  Killala  fair- 
day.  There  are  to  be  the  following  games,  viz.,  two 
horse  races,  one  race  to  be  won  by  the  foremost  horse, 
another  by  the  last  horse.  A  prize  for  the  best  dancer, 
another  for  the  best  singer,  a  third  for  the  neatest  drest 
girl  in  the  company.  Tobacco  to  be  grinned  for  by  old 
women,  a  race  run  by  men  in  sacks,  and  a  prize  for  the 
best  singing  boy.  Judge  you  if  these  will  not  afford  us 
some  good  sport.  I  will  let  you  know  who  are  the 
visitors,  and  all  the  grand  doings. 

Miss  Forth  made  me  abundance  of  speeches  the  other 
day  for  a  letter  she  writ  you,  with  directions  how  you 
might  enclose  my  letters  free ;  but  as  you  have  never 
mentioned  the  receiving  it,  or  taken  the  advantage  she 
proffered  you,  1  suppose  the  letter  miscarried ;  I  am 
sorry  you  should  miss  of  it,  because  it  cost  her  some 
pains  to  write  it ;  her  eyes  are  not  well  enough  to  per- 
mit her  to  write  often,  or  hardly  at  all. 

Lord  Weymouth  has  given  his  house  at  Old  Windsor 
to  his  mother,^  who  immediately  sold  it.  I  wish  he  had 
given  it  to  me !  'twas  on  a  pleasant  spot  of  ground,  and 
the  house  good  enough  for  me.  Lady  Carteret  writes  me 
word  that  she  has  bought  the  ground  her  house  stood  on 
in  Arlington  Street,  and  that  my  lord  designs  to  build 
there.^  Lady  Dysart  is  at  Welmingham,  Miss  Lewson 
with  her :  her  daughter,  Lady  Grace,  is  at  Ham, — a  fine 
thriving  child ;  Mrs.  Percival  is  at  a  lodging  at  Little 
Chelsea,  and  Dr.  Delany  wHth  her,  who  has  just  married  a 


*  "  His  mother,''^  Lady  Lansdowne. 

-  Lord  Granville's  house  in  Arlington-street,  was  the  lowest  in  the  street 
on  the  side  of  the  Green  Park.     It  now  belongs  to  Lord  Gage. — D. 

Letters  of  Horcice  Walpole,  vol.  ii.  p.  351. 
VOL.  I.  2  B 


370  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

very  rich  widow  :  Gran  has  writ  me  a  very  comical  ac- 
count of  their  way  of  living ;  she  has  an  excellent  talent  at 
description.  Mrs.  Mahone's  being  in  the  house  with  us 
has  put  a  stop  to  our  studies  for  some  time.  I  writ  you 
word  that  we  had  read  Dr.  Delany's  and  were  about  Dr. 
Berkeley's ;  I  wish  if  Mrs-  Chapon  could  get  them  to 
read  she  would,  and  send  me  her  judgment  of  them  ;  and 
also  let  me  know  (if  you  have  an  opportunity  of  reading 
them)  your  opinion-  Did  j^ou  get  my  letter  about 
Nanny  Griffith  ? 

Our  fiddler  has  left  us,  so  there's  an  end  of  dancing 
for  some  time,  but  we  expect  a  famous  piper  and  haut- 
boy, and  then  we  shall  foot  it  again  most  furiously- 
Miss  Granville  is  gone  to  England ;  I  hear  that  Lord 
Lansdowne  went  as  far  as  Chester  to  meet  her.  Mrs. 
Graham  has  got  another  son-  I  fancy  they  will  take 
a  trip  to  France,  but  I  have  no  authority  to  say  it. 
Miss  Bushe  writes  me  once  a  fortnight — she  has  as 
good  a  command  of  her  pen  as  of  her  pencil :  she  sends 
me  some  pretty  produce  of  her  pencil  every  time  she 
writes :  when  I  see  you  I  shall  be  able  to  show  you  a 
collection  of  her  works.  I  must  write  three  or  four 
letters  this  post  besides  this,  so  adieu,  my  much-loved 
sister ;  I  have  not  had  any  letter  from  my  brother  Bevil, 
but  my  Lord  Lansdowne  has  had  an  account  since  I 
heard  of  him,  that  confirms  the  news  of  his  extraordinary 
good  fortune- 

The  Islington  Wells  which  are  mentioned  in  this  letter,  were  also 
called  Sadler's  Wells,  from  a  spring  of  mineral  water,  discovered 
by  a  man  named  Sadler,  in  1683,  in  the  garden  of  a  house 
which  he  had  opened  as  a  public  music-joom,  and  called  by  his 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  371 

own  name,  "Sadler's  Music  House."  A  pamphlet  was  pub- 
lished in  1G84,  giving  an  account  of  the  discovery,  with  the 
virtues  of  the  water,  which  is  there  said  to  be  of  a  ferrugineous 
nature,  and  much  resembling  in  quality  and  efPects  the  water  of 
Tunbridge  Wells. 

"  People  may  talk,  of  Epsom  wells, 
Of  Tunbridge  springs  which  most  excells ; 
I'll  tell  you  by  my  ten  year's  practice 
Plainly  what  the  matter  of  fact  is  : 
Those  are  but  goo<i  for  one  distase, 
To  all  distempers  this  gives  ease." 

A  Morning  Bamble,  or,  Islington  Wells  Burlesqt. 

Loudon,  1684. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Killala,  13th  August,  1732. 

Your  last  letter,  my  dearest  sister,  raised  an  idea  that  I 
could  not  think  of  without  a  mixture  of  pain  and  pleasure, 
the  remembrance  of  those  happy  hours  that  I  have  passed 
with  you  and  Sappho  :  the  arbour,  Bunhill,  the  fields,  all 
the  places  where  we  have  enjoyed  her  conversation  I  have 
a  particular  regard  for,  and  could  not  bear  their  being 
passed  away,  had  I  not  hopes  of  renewing  that  satisfaction 
as  soon  as  I  can  set  my  foot  on  English  ground :  that 
prospect  indeed  is  too  far  off,  but  winter  approaches,  and 
as  soon  as  a  safe  passage  may  be  depended  on,  I  shall 
sail  over  the  main  to  my  best  beloved  sister. 

I  hope  Sally  finds  a  great  deal  of  comfort  from  her  fair 
companion  whose  person  you  commend  :  if  she  has  a  mind 
capable  of  improvement  she  has  now  a  fair  opportunity  of 
cultivating  it  to  the  utmost  advantage.  I  am  glad  our 
goddaughter  is  such  a  lively  creature,  and  gives  you  reason 
to  think  she  will  have  her  mothers  icit.  I  hope  Mr. 
Gore  has  accommodated  his  affairs  to  Mr.  Kirkham's  satis- 

2  B  2 


372  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

faction :  they  say  he  is  a  good  sort  of  a  young  man,  but 
I  question  if  he  is  unprejudiced  enough  to  relish  the 
conversation  of  our  friend — his  life  has  not  been  spent 
with  women  of  her  turn ;  so  much  for  Sally,  I  delight  to 
talk  of  her  !  Mr.  Grore  could  not  saj?  more  of  the 
Bishop  of  Killala's,  &c.,  than  they  deserve.  The  Bishop 
seems  to  be  one  of  the  best  of  men,  so  even-tempered  and 
obliging,  everybody  is  at  liberty  to  do  what  they  like, 
and  he  is  never  so  well  pleased  as  when  his  company  is 
diverted.  Mrs.  Clayton  has  also  her  charms,  and  Phill's 
you  are  acquainted  with  better  than  I  can  describe. 
Miss  Forth  is  also  a  very  agreeable  creature. 

Last  week  we  were  hard  at  work  in  gathering  a  fresh 
recruit  of  shells  to  finish  the  grotto.  You  lost  some 
sport  by  the  Tracys  and  Fredericks  being  from  home. 
The  verses  on  Stella  and  Flavia  positively/  are  Mrs. 
Barber's.  Dr.  Delany's  being  married  to  a  very  rich 
widow,^  and  Mrs.  Barber's  design  of  leaving  England 
soon,  may  be  you  know  already.  We  have  been  diverted 
lately  in  reading  the  renowned  history  of  Eeynard  the 
Fox.  The  fair  of  Killala  has  added  largely  to  our 
library — Parismus  ^  and  Parismenos,^  the  Seven  Cham- 
pions, Valentine  and  Orson,  and  various  other  delectable 
histories  too  numerous  to  be  here  inserted.     Philosophy, 


*  Dr.  Delany  married  in  August,  1732,  Mrs.  Tennyson. 

'  "  Parismus,  (by  Thomas  Creed  or  Creede,)  the  renowned  Prince  of  Bohemia, 
his  most  famous,  delectable,  and  pleasant  history  ;  containing  his  noble  bat- 
tailes  fought  against  the  Persians,  his  love  to  Laurana,  the  king's  daughter  of 
Thessaly,  and  his  strange  adventures  in  the  desolate  island,  etc." — London, 
1598,  4to. 

3  "  Parisraenos  :  the  second  part  of  the  most  famous  delectable  history. " — 
London,  1599,  4to. 

Creed  was  a  London  printer  or  bookseller,  who  lived  in  the  Ifith  century, 
and  v/rote  many  works. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  37? 

romance,  and  liistory  amuse  us  by  turns ;  when  candles 
are  lighted,  Mr.  Donnellan,  Phill  and  I,  play  at  back- 
gammon, the  Bishop  and  Mr.  Crofton  go  to  chess,  the 
rest  saunter  and  make  their  observations  on  the  gamesters ; 
we  go  to  supper  at  nine,  after  supper  play  at  pope  Joan 
or  commerce  tiU  eleven,  then  go  to  prayers  and  so  to 
bed. 

This  is  Sunday  morning.  Mr.  Lloyd  is  to  preach  to- 
day, which  I  rejoice  at,  for  he  preaches  prodigiously  well. 
I  have  a  very  good  joke  to  tell  you,  but  Phill  has  a  mind 
to  be  the  tell-tale  herself,  so  I  think  I  must  leave  it  to 
her  :  it  is  a  thing  that  has  flustered  me  not  a  little.  You 
must  have  patience  till  next  week,  and  considering 
how  long  you  kept  silence,  you  may  be  contented. 

We  had  excellent  sport  at  the  fair ;  I  gave  you  an 
account  of  the  method  that  w^as  to  be  observed,  the  games 
and  the  prizes.  About  eleven  o'clock  Mrs.  Clayton,  well 
attended,  in  her  coach  drawm  by  six  flouncing  Flanders 
mares,  went  on  the  strand,  three  heats  the  first  race. 
The  second  gave  us  much  more  sport ;  five  horses  put 
in,  the  last  horse  was  to  van,  and  ever}^  man  rode  his 
neighbour's  horse  without  saddle,  whip,  or  spur.  Such 
hollowing,  kicking  of  legs,  sprawling  of  arms,  could  not 
be  seen  without  laughing  immoderately;  in  the  after- 
noon chairs  were  placed  before  the  house,  where  we  all 
took  our  places  in  great  state,  all  attired  in  our  best 
apparel,  it  being  Mrs.  Clayton's  birthday  ;  then  dan- 
cing, singing,  grinning,  accompanied  with  an  excellent 
bagpipe,  the  wdiole  concluded  with  a  ball,  bonfire,  and 
illuminations;  pray  does  your  Bishop  promote  such 
entertainments  at  Gloster  as  ours  does  at  Killala  ? 

I  had  a  letter  last  post  from  Lady  Carteret ;  Lady 


374  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Dysart  is  at  Welmington,  Miss  Lewson  with  her.  Lady 
Chen's  ^  death  has  enriched  my  Lord  Gower's  family  ;  he 
is  a  worthy  man,  and  I  am  glad  he  should  prosper. 

You  say  nothing  of  my  brother's  having  left  off  his 
wig :  how  does  his  hair  become  him  ?  what  work  are  you 
about,  and  what  book? 

I  suppose  you  saw  the  Winningtons  and  Griffiths  ;  are 
they  as  usual,  or  has  any  alteration  happened  ?  Wliere 
is  Sir  Tony  ?  Now  I  am  drawing  towards  my  fortieth 
year,^  'tis  time  to  enquire  after  him.  Did  Mrs.  Wilson 
leave  any  children  ?     No  end  of  my  questions  to-day. 


The  following  paper  was  found  in  a  sketch-book  belonging  to 
Mrs.  Pendarves,  with  views  of  places  in  Ireland  by  Letitia  Bushe, 
especially  one  of  Coote  Hill,  which  is  so  particularly  described  in 
this  Journal,  and  which  appears  to  have  been  kept  by  her  with 
the  drawing  of  that  place  which  Miss  Bushe  had  been  visiting. 

August  the  24th,  1732.     Left  Dublin. 

Dined  at  LismuUen  ;^  Mr.  Dillon's  house  made  mighty 
neat ;  a  vast  deal  of  wood  and  wild  gardens  about  it. 
Walked  to  see  the  ruins  of  the  old  Abby  near  them — a 
vast  building  enclosed  with  large  trees,  great  subter- 
raneous buildings,  with  arches  of  cut  stone,  which  make 
no  other  appearance  above  the  earth  than  as  little  green 
hillocks,  like  mole-hills.  The  arches  seem  to  have  been 
openings  to  little  cells,  rather  than  continued  passages 
to  any  place;  they  are  very  low — whether  it  be  that 


»  Query.    The  Lady  Cheney,  who  died  at  her  house  in  Lisle-street,  near 
Red  Lion-squure,  in  June,  1732. 

2  Mrs.  Pendarves  was  then  only  thirty-two. 

'  Lismullen,  five  miles  from  Navar,  county  of  Mcath. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  375 

they  are  sunk  into  the  ground,  or  always  were  so,  I  can't 
judge,  but  they  are  formed  of  very  fine  cut  stone.  The 
Abbey  is  in  the  prettiest  spot  about  the  house ;  'tis  sur- 
rounded with  tall  trees,  and  a  little  clear  rivulet  winds 
about  it.  The  road  from  Lismullen  to  Naver  very  plea- 
sant ;  passed  by  Arsalah,  which  lies  upon  the  Boyn.  The 
house  seems  a  very  antique  edifice,  it  has  fine  gardens, 
but  the  trees  and  meadows  that  lie  by  the  river  are 
extremely  beautiful ;  their  domains  reach  all  along  the 
river,  and  half  the  way  to  Naver.  Naver  stands  just 
where  the  Boyn  and  Blackwater  meet,  high  over  the 
river.  I  walked  over  the  bridge  by  moonlight,  along  a 
walk  of  tall  elms  which  leads  to  a  ruined  house  they 
call  the  Black  Castle,  from  a  vulgar  tradition  of  its  being 
haunted ;  it  lies  over  the  Blackwater,  has  a  vast  number 
of  trees  about  it,  and  seems  to  have  been  pretty.  The 
"  f<pirit "  it  was  visited  by  was  extravagance ;  it  belonged 
two  yoimg  men,  who  in  a  few  years  ruined  themselves, 
and  let  the  seat  go  to  destruction,  and  ever  since  they  give 
out  it  is  haunted,  it  is  now  another  person's  property,  and 
going  to  be  repaired. 

The  25th,  left  Naver,  and  travelled  through  bad 
roads  and  a  dull  uninhabited  country,  till  we  came 
to  Cabaragh,  Mr.  Prat's  house,  an  old  castle  modern- 
ized, and  made  very  pretty :  the  master  of  it  is  a 
virtuoso,  and  discovers  whim  in  all  his  improvements. 
The  house  stands  on  the  side  of  a  high  hill ;  has  some 
tall  old  trees  about  it;  the  gardens  are  small  b"t  neat; 
there  are  two  little  terrace  walks,  and  down  m  a  nollow 
is  a  little  commodious  lodge  where  Mr.  Prat  lived 
whilst  his  house  was  repairing.  But  the  thing  that  most 
pleased  me,  was  a  rivulet  that  tumbles  down  from  rocks  in 


376  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

a  little  glen,  full  of  shrub-wood  and  trees ;  here  a  fine 
spring  joins  the  river,  of  the  sweetest  water  in  the  world. 
The  26th,  left  Mr.  Prat's,  and  travelled  over  the 
most  mountainous  country  I  ever  was  in  ;  still  as  we  had 
passed  over  one  hill,  another  showed  itself,  Alps  peeped 
over  Alps,  and  "  hills  on  hills"  arose  :  the  face  of  the  coun- 
try not  pleasant  till  I  came  to  Shercock,  which  is  a  hand- 
some house,  and  stands  over  a  fine  lake,  that  has  several 
woods  and  meadows  on  the  sides  of  it.  A  vast  deal  of 
heath  and  ploughed  land  from  that  till  I  came  within 
three  miles  of  Coote  Hill,  then  the  scene  changed  most 
surprisingly,  and  the  contrast  is  so  strong,  that  one 
imagines  they  are  leaving  a  desert  and  coming  into 
Paradise,  The  town  of  Coote  Hill  is  like  a  pretty  English 
village,  well  situated,  and  all  the  land  about  it  cultivated 
and  enclosed  with  cut  hedges  and  tall  trees  in  rows. 
From  the  town  one  drives  nearly  a  mile  on  a  fine  gravelled 
road,  a  cut  hedge  on  each  side,  and  rows  of  old  oak  and 
ash  trees,  to  Mr.  Coote's  house.  Within  two  hundred 
yards  of  the  house  is  a  handsome  gate-way,  which  is 
built  in  great  taste,  with  a  fine  arch  to  drive  through.  This 
house  lies  on  the  top  of  a  carpet  hill,  with  large  lakes 
on  each  side  which  extend  four  miles,  and  are  surrounded 
by  fine  groves  of  well-grown  forest  trees.  Below  the 
house  and  between  the  lakes  is  a  little  copsewood  which 
is  cut  into  vistas  and  serpentine  walks  that  have  the 
softest  sods  imaginable,  and  here  and  there  overgrown 
forest  trees,  in  the  midst  of  them  there  is  jessamine, 
woodbine,  and  sweetbrier,  that  climb  up  the  trees ;  and 
all  sorts  of  flowers  sprinkled  in  the  woods;  all  these 
have  end  in  the  view  of  a  lake  of  four  or  five  miles  long. 
From  the  copsewood  you  go  into  a  spacious  moss-walk, 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  377 

by  the  lake  side  :  on  the  other  side  towards  a  spacious 
kitchen-gardeu,  there  is  a  wood  of  scrub  and  timber 
trees  mixed,  of  twelve  hundred  acres,  with  avenues  cut 
for  a  coach  to  drive  through,  and  up  and  down  little 
openings  into  fine  lawTis,  and  views  of  the  lake  and  town 
of  Coote  Hill.  From  this  wood  I  rode,  and  saw  the 
demesnes  in  Mr.  Coote's  hands,  which  are  about  thirty 
fields,  finely  enclosed  with  full  hedge-rows,  corn-meadows, 
pastures,  and  a  deer-park,  enclosed  with  a  high  stone 
wall  well  stocked  with  deer  it  is  a  very  convenient 
ground. 

Coote  Hill,  in  the  county  of  Cavan,  was  the  residence  of  the 
Honourable  Thomas  Coote,  son  of  Richard,  Baron  Coote.  Mr. 
Coote  was  one  of  the  Justices  of  the  King's  Bench,  and  in  1696 
one  of  the  Commissioners  entrusted  with  the  Great  Seal,  He 
married  three  times :  1st.  Frances,  daughter  and  co-heir  of 
Colonel  Christopher  Copley  ;  2ndly,  Elinor,  daughter  and  co-heir 
of  Sir  Thomas  St.  George  ;  and  3rdly,  in  1679,  Anne,  widow 
of  William  Tigh,  Esq.,  and  daughter  of  Mr.  Alderman  Christo- 
pher Lovett,  of  Dublin,  by  whom  he  left  six  children.  Mr. 
Coote  died  24th  April,  1741.  His  second  daughter  by  his  third 
wife,  married  in  1704,  Mervyn  Pratt,  Esq.,  of  Cabra  Castle,  in 
the  county  ot"  Cavan,  which  place  is  also  mentioned  in  the  narrative 
as  "  Caharagh'^ 


Mrs.  Pendarvcs  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville. 

Killala,  27th  August,  1732. 

I  believe  Gloster  looked  dirty  enough  after  the  sweets 
of  the  Yale  of  Evesham  and  Glostersliire  hills.  I 
have  not  heard  lately  of  young  Walpole's^  love :  I  do 


*  "  Young  WaJpole."  Horace  Walpole  wasbominl718.  He  left  Eton  in 
1734.  This  might  have  been  him  ;  but  it  was  more  hkely  to  have  been  one 
or  other  of  his  elder  brothers ;  the  eldest  of  whom  was  afterwards  the  second 
Earl  of  Orford,  and  the  second,  the  Hon.  Sir  Edward  Walpole. 


378  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

not  hear  he  has  applied  elsewhere  since  his  disappoint- 
ment, and  am  willing  to  believe  him  that  rarity, — a 
constant  man.  Puzzle  has  acted  like  one  of  his  pro- 
fession :  I  think  him  monstrously  ungrateful  to  my 
mother  ;  I  have  no  notion  of  Tom  Prederick's^  marry- 
ing for  love,  I  fear  the  love  of  money  has  too  powerfully 
got  the  possession  of  him,  to  let  in  a  spark  of  generosity. 

Now,  having  answered  all  your  queries,  I  proceed  to 
inform  you  how  we  have  passed  our  time  since  I  last 
wrote.  Last  Tuesday  our  family  and  the  Palmers  went 
to  a  place  called  Kilcummin,  not  very  unlike  Down 
Patrick,  but  nearer  to  us ;  the  day  was  very  fine,  the 
sea  in  a  great  agitation  ;  we  had  a  magnificent  entertain- 
ment, with  a  rock  our  table,  and  rocks  for  seats,  where  we 
had  a  fuU  prospect  of  the  sea  in  all  its  glory,  and  were 
sliaded  from  the  wind.  We  were  exceedingly  merry ;  no 
one  of  the  company  seemed  to  want  anything  to  com- 
plete their  pleasure,  except  myself.  I  fell  into  my  usual 
reveries,  which  are  now  so  well  understood,  that  I  am 
indulged  in  them.  We  returned  home  well  satisfied 
with  our  entertainment. 

Last  Friday  we  were  diverted  in  another  wa}^  :  it 
was  Mr.  Lloyd's  birthday,  his  father  was  bishop  of  this 
place,  and  Mr.  Lloyd  was  born  in  this  house,  for  which 
reasons  it  was  thought  proper  to  solemnize  it.  We  all 
dressed  ourselves  out  with  all  our  gaiety  and  abund- 
ance of  good  taudry  fancy.  After  dinner  a  fiddler  ap- 
peared, to  dancing  we  went  ding  dong,  in  the  midst  of 
which  I  received  your  last  dear  letter.  Notice  was  given 
that  a  set  of  maskers  desired  admittance ;   so  in  they 


•  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Peter  Bathurst,  Esq.,  of  Clarendon  park,  AVilt- 
shire,  M.P.,  married  Sir  Thoma«  Frederick  of  Hampton,  Middlesex,  Bart. 
She  died  in  1764., 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  379 

marched,  three  couple  well  adorned  with  leeks,  and  a 
He  and  She  goat  were  led  hridled  and  saddled  with 
housings  and  pistols,  and  their  horns  tipped  with  leeks ; 
the  whole  concluded  with  an  entertainment  of  toasted 
cheese. 

The  enclosed  poem  was  presented  to  the  gentleman 
of  the  day,  which  I  think  well  deserves  your  notice. 
They  were  made  by  Mr.  Donnellan,  though  he  will  not 
own  them. 

An  Ode  on  tlie  Birthday  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lloyd. 
Recitative. 
Hail  to  the  day 

That  gave  the  noble  Welshman  birth  ; 
Th'  illustrious  Lloyd. 
The  pride  of  Wales  and  glory  of  the  earth. 
Descended  from  a  kingly  race 
Of  Welsh  nobility. 
Cadwaladyr  and  Tudor's  grace 
His  royal  stock  and  blazon  out  his  pedigree. 

AlK. 

What  tongue  can  tell,  or  pen  describe  the  joy 
That  ushered  in  the  lovely  royal  boy. 
The  shaggy  tribe  in  transports  wild, 

Did  frisk,  curvet,  and  play  ; 
The  riigged  rocks  and  niouutains  smiled. 

And  Penmaen  mawr  looked  gay. 
The  leek  in  freshest  verdure  clad. 

Its  choicest  odours  spread 
And  formed  a  beauteous  garland  glad 

T'  adorn  the  hero's  head. 
Recitative. 
From  heavenly  mansions  bright. 
The  gods  with  Taify  posted  to  the  earth, 
And  at  Penhwnllys  i  famous  castle  hght, 
T'  attend  the  great,  the  vast  the  important  birth. 
They  club  the  lovely  babe  t'endow. 
With  every  virtue,  every  grace. 
Each  god  and  goddess  did  their  gifts  bestow 
To  dizen  out  his  body,  soul,  and  face. 
These  Taffy  mixed,  and  his  best  clay  employed, 
Then  called  the  Jiapjpy  composition,  Lloyd. 

^  The  name  of  Mr.  Lloyd's  ancestral  castle  in  Wales. 


380  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 


Air. 


Let  every  Welshman  then  with  might  and  main, 

Echo  aloud  his  praise, 
And  every  harp  with  stirring  strain 

Call  forth  its  choicest  lays. 
Let  the  seas  roar, 
On  the  bleak  shore, 

The  rocks  their  joy  proclaim  ; 
And  kids  and  goats, 
With  quivering  throats. 
Bleat  forth  his  mighty  fame. 
Chorus. 

Let  every,  etc. 

Ware  states  in  his  history  of  Ireland,  that — Bishop  "William 
Lloyd  was  bom  at  Penhwnllys,  in  the  island  of  Anglesea,  in 
Wales  (the  Mona  of  the  ancients),^  but  was  educated  in  the 
University  of  Dublin,  of  which  he  afterwards  became  a  Fellow. 
In  1683  he  was  made  Dean  of  Achonry  and  Chantor  of  Killala, 
from  whence  he  was  promoted  to  the  sees  of  Killala  and  Achonry, 
by  letters  patent  dated  the  28th  of  February,  1690,  and  con- 
secrated in  Christchurch,  Dublin,  August  23rd,  1691,  by  Francis, 
Archbishop  of  Dublin,  assisted  by  the  Bishops  of  Kildare,  Killaloe, 
and  Clonfert.  He  died  in  December,  1716.  William  Lloyd, 
Bishop  of  Killala,  had  a  son  born  at  Wrexham  on  February  24th, 
1691,  and  a  daughter,  Susan,  also  born  there  June  3rd,  1693. 
The  Penhwnllys  family  seem  to  have  been  Hughes ;  and  one  of 
them  married  a  Lloyd. 


Mrs.  Fendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granvillcy  at  Oloucester. 

Kilalla,  6th  Sept.,  1732. 

I  won't  make  an  apology  to  you,  my  dear  sister,  for  not 
writing  to  you  last  post ;   I  know  you  are  better  pleased 

*  The  Isle  of  Aniilesea  (in  Welsh)  is  called  Mon,  and  the  Isle  of  Man, 
Monaio  (or  Mon  of  the  Waters)  ;  whilst  Anglesea  is  somotinies  designated  hy 
the  Welsh  jwets,  as  ''  Mvn  FyuydiL,"  or  Mouof  the  Mountain.     The  Romans 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  381 

that  I  spared  my  weak  eye,  than  if  I  had  writ  you  a  very 
entertaining  letter, — besides  my  place  was  so  well  supplied 
that  you  have  no  reason  to  complain.  Phill  attacked  you 
^vith  a  folios  heet,  which  I  hope  you  have  received  safely 
I  believe  it  afforded  you  good  entertainment  every  way- 
She  writes  well,  and  had  a  very  extraordinary  affair  to 
relate  to  you,  which  she  would  not  suffer  me  to  teD.  To 
speak  the  truth  of  the  matter,  I  have  been  not  a  little 
enraged  about  it,  but  at  last  I  thought  it  best  to  make  a 
joke  of  it :  the  whole  country  knows  it/  and  the  wretch  is 
ridiculed  to  that  degree,  that  he  has  not  made  his  ap- 
pearance since  he  wrote  the  letter, — so  much  for  that/ 
Now  for  a  more  pleasing  subject. 

Your  last  letter  was  kind,  entertaining,  and  delightful. 
I  blame  myself  for  not  sometimes  shewing  your  letters, 
they  would  do  you  great  honour,  but  I  have  a  particular 
pleasure  in  thinking,  though  they  are  worthy  of  being 
perused  by  the  best  judges,  that  they  are  designed  only 
for  me,  and  that  my  shewing  them  would  rather  offend 
than  please  you.  I  however  read  part  of  some  of  them 
to  dear  Phill,  who  has  the  heart  and  delicacy  to  be  de- 
lighted with  them,  and  she  says  you  write  better  than 
anybody  and  with  more  ease  and  liveliness.  I  hope 
you  have  now  the  pleasure  of  my  brother's  company,  and 
that  the  assizes  and  review  will  have  given  you  much 
diversion  :  you  are  list'ning  to  the  sound  of  the  trumpet, 
the  beating  of  the  drum,  and  the  fine  speeches  of  the 
officers,  whilst  we  are  occupied  in  our  rural  sports,  far 

called  both  Anglesea  and  the  Isle  of  Man,  Mona  ;  but  the  natives  of  the  latter 
island  called  it  Mannin,  hence  the  English  name  of  Man,  It  was  further 
known  to  the  Romans  by  the  names  of  Monoeda,  Monahia,  and  Eubonia. 

*  This  joke  appears  to  relate  to  a  letter  of  proposal  from  an  Irish  admirer 
of  Mrs.  Fendarves. 


382  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE  . 

removed  from  the  noise  and  din  of  the  war  and  warlike 
men.     Our  daily  amusements  I  have  so  often  repeated ; 
that  you  have  them  by  heart,  but  are  they  not  pretty  ? 
do  you  not  wish  yourself  extended  on  the  beach  gathering 
shells,  listening  to  Phill  while  she  sings  at  her  work,  or 
joining  in  the  conversation,  always  attended  with  cheer- 
fulness ?  perhaps  you  had  rather  rise  by  seven  and  walk 
to  the  grotto  with  your  bag  of  shells,  and  a  humble 
servant  by  your  side,  helping  you  up  the  hill  and  saying 
pretty  things  to  you  as  you  walk  ?  though  may  be  you 
choose  to  be  at  work  in  the  grotto  shewing  the  elegancy  of 
your  fancy,  praising  your  companions'  works,  and  desiring 
approbation  for  what  you  have  finished  ?  if  this  is  too 
fatiguing,    'tis   likely    you    would    prefer    working    or 
reading  till  dinner,  after  that  eating  nuts  and  walking 
to  gather  mushrooms,  &c. 

Do  display  your  fan,  my  dear  sister,  never  spare  it,  and 
make  those 'wretches  tremble  that  would  make  you  a 
slave  were  you  in  their  clutches.  I  don't  believe  one  word 
of  Tom  Tit's  great  fortune  ;  for  I  think  his  aunt  and  sister 
would  have  acquainted  me  with  it  were  it  true.  The  oc- 
casion of  Miss  Forth 's  writing  to  you,  was  to  put  you  in 
a  way  of  enclosing  your  letters  to  a  relation  of  hers,  that 
would  have  conveyed  them  without  expense  to  me ;  she 
said  nothing  of  it  to  me  at  that  time  for  fear  I  should 
oppose  her  giving  herself  so  much  trouble ;  but  I  have  made 
your  compliments  to  her,  and  that  will  do  as  well  as  your 
writing  to  her.  You  have  reason  to  wish  to  hear  Mr. 
Donnellan  preach  ;  he  is  very  excellent  that  way,  but  has 
weak  lungs,  and  is  forced  to  spare  himself;  he  has  not 
brought  a  sermon  with  him  to  Killala,  to  my  great  dis- 
appointment, I  never  heard  him  but  once.     I  beheve  I 


OF  MRS  DELANY.  383 

liave  told  you  that  Mr.  Lloyd  is  a  very  good  preacher, 
but  so  modest  withall,  that  'tis  not  easily  done  to  get 
him  into  the  pulpit ;  he  is  a  mighty  good  sort  of  a  young 
man.  D's  writings  are  very  differently  spoke  of,  some 
commend  them  prodigiously,  others  rail  at  them,  my 
judgment  is  that  they  neither  deserve  to  be  extolled  nor 
condemned!  he  writes  with  a  spirit  that  sometimes 
carries  him  a  little  towards  extravagance,  but  he  means 
very  well,  and  is  hearty  and  zealous  in  the  cause  of  re- 
ligion, is  a  man  oiexemjjJary  charity,  but  is  very  particular 
in  some  of  his  opinions,  which  he  is  apt  to  maintain 
with  obstinacy.  Mrs.  Barber '  is  come  to  Ireland  thi^y 
say  in  order  to  transplant  her  family  in  England  ;  tlie 
copple  crown'd  ^  gentry  will  be  extremely  welcome ;  the 
13ishop  and  Mrs.  Clayton  think  themselves  much  obliged 
to  you  for  the  trouble  you  have  had  about  them. 

Yesterday  at  five  o'  the  clock  in  the  afternoon  we  took 
boat  and  went  to  a  shore  about  a  mile  off  to  gather  shells, 
where  we  found  a  vast  variety  of  beauties.  We  were  very 
merry  at  our  work,  but  much  merrier  in  our  return 
home,  for  five  of  us,  viz.,  Phill,  Mrs.  Don.,  Mr.  Lloyd, 
and  a  young  clergyman  (who  is  here  very  often,  one  Mr. 
Langton),  and  Penelope  all  mounted  a  cart,  and  home 
we  drove  as  jocund  as  ever  five  people  were.  I  laughed 
immoderately  at  the  new  carriage,  and  wished  for  you 
there,  more  than  ever  I  did  when  flaunting  in  a  coach 
and  six.     The  rest  of  the  company  were  conveyed  home 

'  "  Mary  Barber  was  bora  in  Dublin,  about  1712.  She  married  a  ])erson  in 
business,  and  appears  to  have  been  an  estiniable  cliaracter.  She  j  iiblished  a 
small  volume  of  poems,  under  the  patronage  of  Dean  Swift  and  Lord  OiTery, 
which  are  moral  and  not  inelegant."     Mrs.  Barber  died  in  1757. —  WaMCs  H. 

'  Referring  to  the  "  Copple-crowned  fowls,"  mentioned  in  a  former  letter. 


384  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

in  a  chaise,  being  too  proud  for  carting.  You  must 
understand  that  we  are  as  private  in  this  place  as  heart 
can  wish,  and  that  we  may  do  a  hundred  frolics  of  that 
kind  without  any  other  witnesses  than  the  servants  of 
the  house.  Pray  make  my  compliments  in  the  kindest 
manner  to  Mrs.  Viney  and  her  family.  Where  is  Mrs. 
Butler  ?  when  you  write  to  her,  tell  her  the  reason  she 
has  not  heard  from  hence  has  been  because  I  would  not 
put  her  to  so  much  expense ;  I  have  no  opportunity 
here  of  getting  my  letters  franked.  When  I  return  to 
Dublin,  she  shall  certainly  hear  from  me.  We  shall 
leave  this  place  about  the  middle  of  next  month.  We  are 
all  so  well  pleased  with  our  situation,  that  if  it  was  con- 
venient to  the  Bishop,  I  believe  we  should  prevail  on 
him  to  stay  till  Xtmas.  My  humble  duty  and  tenderest 
wishes  to  dear  mama. 

If  Bunny  is  with  you,  say  something  very  kind  from 
your  faithful 

M.  P. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  OranvilU. 

Nenagh,  Oct.  27,  1732. 

This  is  the  first  opportunity  I  have  had  since  my 
leaving  Castlebar,  of  writing  to  my  dearest  sister :  i\\Q 
days  that  we  have  rested  on  the  road  have  not  happened 
on  post  days.  If  you  have  suffered  by  that,  I  promise 
you  I  have  heartily  shared  with  you ;  and  the  want  of 
telling  you  every  step  I  took,  made  the  road  tedious  and 
dull.  Perhaps  you'll  say  that  was  owing  to  the  bad  ways 
and  weather  ;    no  indeed ;  the  roads,  though  bad  for  Irish 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  385 

ground,  have  been  very  tolerable,  and  the  weather  has 
favoured  us  just  as  you  wished  it  should. 

I  writ  to  you  from  Mr.  Bingham's  :  we  staid  there 
Tuesday  and  Wednesday,  and  were  very  merry.  Left  that 
place  on  Thursday  morning,  and  dined  at  another  Mr. 
Bingham's,  about  eight  miles  from  Castlebar,  uncle  of 
the  Mr.  Bingham  we  left — a  very  good,  agreeable  sort 
of  man,  extremely  beloved  by  all  the  gentlemen  of  the 
country ;  his  wife — a  plain  country  lady,  civil,  hospitable 
and  an  immoderate  lover  of  quadrille ;  their  two  eldest 
daughters  are  beauties — reserved,  well-behaved,  but  not 
entertaining,  so  we  passed  that  day  hum-drumlsh.  The 
next  morning  we  decamped,  and  travelled  to  Tuam ;  no- 
thing happened  on  the  road  remarkable,  sometimes  I 
rode,  but  generally  went  in  the  chaise  with  Phill,  that 
being  the  way  I  like  best.  We  got  early  into  our  inn, 
played  at  my  lady's  hole,  supped,  and  went  early  to  bed. 

The  next  day  we  arrived  at  Mrs.  Mahone's,  staid  there 
Sunday  and  Monday,  were  free  and  easy,  lived  as  at 
Killala,  everybody  went  their  own  way,  we  danced 
and  sung,  and  were  entertained  in  a  very  handsome 
friendly  manner.  We  left  them  Tuesday  morning ;  jogged 
on  through  bogs,  and  over  plains,  and  about  three  miles 
from  the  place  we  were  to  rest,  we  passed  a  fine  place 
called  Aire's  Court,  a  great  many  fine  woods  and  improve- 
ments that  looked  very  English.  We  passed  the  finest 
river  in  Ireland — the  Shannon,  but  it  was  so  dark  I  saw 
but  little  of  it ;  it  parts  Connaught  and  Munster.  The 
town  we  lay  at  that  night  was  Bannahir,  in  the  King's 
County.  After  very  little  rest  in  a  bad  inn,  we  rose  at 
six,  and  made  the  best  of  our  way  to  the  place  where  we 
are  now  lodged,  wliich  belongs  to  Mr.  Donellan.     The 

VOL.   I.  2  c 


386  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

country  we  passed  through  the  last  day  was  ver}''  plea- 
sant ;  fine  oak  woods,  great  variety  of  hills,  little  winding 
rivers,  and  every  pretty  circumstance  that  can  make  a 
prospect  agreeable.  This  moment  I  have  heard  a  piece 
of  bad  news — that  the  post  goes  out  before  twelve.  I 
am  summoned  to  breakfast,  and  after  that  we  are  to 
drive  about  Mr.  Donellan's  grounds,  to  see  his  improve- 
ments. He  is  going  to  build,  at  present  he  is  in  a 
small  house  in  the  town,  which  is  part  of  his  estate- 
They  have  very  fine  children,  are  sensible  and  agreable 
people,  and  live  handsomely. 

Nenagh  is  partly  in  the  barony  of  Upper  Ormond,  but  chiefly 
in  Lower  Ormond,  county  Tipperary,  and  provmce  of  Munstcr, 
19  miles  from  Limerick,  and  75  S.W.  from  DubHn;  on  the 
mail-road  between  the  two.  It  was  one  of  the  ancient  manors  of 
the  Butlers,  by  whom  the  old  castle,  now  in  ruins,  is  believed  to 
have  been  built.  The  town  is  on  a  stream  of  the  same  name. 
Fairs  are  held  six  times  a  year,  under  a  grant  of  Henry  VIII.  to 
the  Butler  family.  The  ruin  of  the  old  castle  is  commonly  called 
"  Nenagh  Round,"  and  consists  of  a  lofty  and  massive  circular 
dungeon,  or  keep. 


Mrt.  Pendarves  to  Mrs,  Ann  Granville. 

Nenagh,  30  Oct.  1732. 

As  I  was  saying,  my  dearest  sister,  this  place  has 
afforded  me  very  good  entertainment  of  all  sorts.  The 
people  you  know  already,  by  my  account  of  them.  Mr. 
Donellan  has  only  laid  the  plan  of  his  improvements, 
and  raised  fine  nurseries  for  that  purpose ;  he  is  going 
immediately  to  execute  his  designs,  which  when  finished 
will  be  delightful.     Nature  has  done  everything  for  him 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  387 

he  can  desire — fine  woods  of  oak,  a  sweet  winding  river, 
and  charming  lawns,  that  will  afford  him  sufficient  mate- 
rials to  exercise  his  genius  on.  He  seems  to  have  a  very 
good  taste,  and  if  he  could  prevail  on  his  countrymen 
to  do  as  much  by  their  estates  as  he  intends  doing,  Ire- 
land would  soon  be  as  beautiful  as  England,  and  in  some 
circumstances  more  so,  for  it  is  better  icatered.  I  was 
obliged  to  cut  my  discourse  to  you  short,  so  I  re- 
solved to  give  you  the  sequel  the  first  opportunity  ;  our 
time  for  leaving  this  place  is  not  quite  determined.  The 
Bishop  talks  of  Thursday  ;  but  I  fancy  they  will 
prevail  on  him  to  stay  till  Monday. 

The  weather  has  been  very  favorable  to  us  since  our 
being  here ;  we  have  gone  every  morning  in  chaises  to 
view  Mr.  Donellan's  grounds.  We  dine  at  three,  plenty  of 
excellent  food.  After  tea  and  coffee,  we  divide  into  differ- 
ent parties.  The  Bishop  and  Mr.  Donellan  go  to  chess, 
a  party  of  quadrille  is  made,  and  the  overplus  play  at 
backgammon,  at  which  I  always  make  one.  Mr.  Kit 
Donellan  is  here,  and  young  Nemmy,  and  we  are  a  jolly 
company  ;  we  sup  at  ten,  and  go  to  bed  very  late.  Yester- 
day we  went  to  church,  the  Bishop  preached.  Company 
came  to  dinner,  among  them  a  great  heauty,  Miss  Pretty : 
she  is  very  handsome,  and  if  she  was  less  acquainted  with 
it,  it  would  be  more  agreeable  ;  she  is  tall  and  well  shaped, 
and  has  a  great  resemblance  to  Lady  Charlotte  Hyde 
and  Peg  Sutton.  We  are  to  dine  abroad  Tuesday  and 
Wednesday,  to  my  sorrow  ;  for  I  do  hate  the  fuss  of  dress- 
ing, and  unpacking  all  one's  frippery.  I  have  a  pretty 
girl  at  my  elbow,  about  five  years  old,  who  has  asked  me 
a  thousand  questions ;  Mrs.  Donellan  has  very  fine 
children,  her  two  eldest  boys  are  at  school.     At  home 

2  c  2 


388  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

she  lias  the  little  girl  I  just  now  named,  ahoy  about  four, 
and  two  younger;  I  never  saw  children  under  better  man- 
agement, and  yet  have  spirit  in  abundance.  I  make  great 
diversion  out  of  them,  and  have  made  them  fond  of  me. 

"We  shall  not  go  back  to  Mrs.  Wesley's  till  after 
we  have  been  at  Dublin,  which  will  be  more  con- 
venient to  us  all,  for  our  apparel  wants  to  be  re- 
cruited. I  have  taken  my  brother  at  his  word,  and  have 
not  troubled  him  with  a  letter  since  I  began  my 
journey.  I  suppose  you  let  him  know  my  progress, 
and  that  I  am  now  in  the  County  of  Tipperary.  After 
breakfast  I  thought  myself  sure  of  time  enough  to  finish 
your  letter ;  but  a  walk  was  proposed,  and  the  company 
insisted  on  my  going  with  them,  and  by  that  means 
my  letter  was  delayed  a  post.  The  weather  has  happily 
favoured  us  ever  since  our  being  here,  by  which 
means  we  have  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  all  Mr. 
Donellan's  estate,  and  knowing  all  his  schemes.  How 
much  more  laudable  is  his  turn,  than  most  country 
gentlemen's,  who  generally  prefer  a  good  stable  and 
kennell,  to  the  best  house  and  finest  improvements,  though 
the  expense  would  be  rather  less.  Three  days  together 
have  we  dined  abroad. 

We  shall  not  go  away  till  Monday ;  you  must  not  ex- 
pect to  hear  from  [a  piece  here  out],  the  town  of  "  Nenagli- 
aroon,"  that  is,  in  English,  Sweet  Nenagh ;  at  the  bottom 
of  the  hill,  which  is  covered  with  wood,  runs  the  river,  by 
the  side  of  which  Mr.  Donellan  can  make  a  walk  three 
miles  long,  of  the  finest  turf  that  ever  was  seen.  Tlie 
river  is  so  well  disposed,  that  he  can  make  cascades,  and 
do  what  he  pleases  with  it ;  I  almost  envy  him  the 
pleasure    his  improvements  will  give  him   every  hour  : 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  389 

for  next  to  being  with  the  friend  one  loves  best,  I  have 
no  notion  of  a  higher  happiness,  in  respect  to  one's  for- 
tune, than  that  of  planting  and  improving  a  country,  I 
prefer  it  to  all  other  expenses.  I  can't  address  any  of 
my  correspondents  till  my  travels  are  at  an  end. 

Oh,  I  had  almost  forgot  a  request  1  promised  to  make, 
which  was  for  the  receipt  of  your  white  elder  wine ;  we  met 
with  some  yesterday  that  was  not  quite  so  good  as  ours ; 
and  Mrs.  Clayton  wants  the  receipt  mightily.  I  am 
always  troubling  you  with  some  trumpery  thing  or  other  : 
I  wish  you  could  contrive  to  send  me  over  a  pattern  of 
your  gloves,  that  I  may  bring  you  over  a  few  pair,  when  I 
come  to  you ;  not  that  the  gloves  are  better  here  than  in 
England,  but  they  are  cheaper.  Does  your  stuff  wear 
well  ?  Mrs.  Clayton  designs  having  her  assembly  when 
she  goes  to  town  till  Lent,  so  we  must  prepare  for  hurry- 
durry ;  but  as  it  will  be  the  only  agreeable  crowd,  I  think 
it  may  be  borne  once  a  week.  I  shall  soon  now  give  you 
an  account  of  your  old  acquaintances,  Will.  Usher, 
Mrs.  Hamilton,  etc.,  whom  you  have  not  heard  of  a 
great  w^hile ;  till  then,  my  dearest  sister,  once  more 
adieu,  wherever  I  am  my  best  affections  are  constantly 
with  you ;  'tis  not  possible  for  me  to  be  more  faithfully 

than  I  am, 

Yours,  M.  Pen. 

The  remark  about  "dressing"  for  dinner  in  the  above  letter, 
proves  that  it  was  not  considered  indispensable  for  daily  life,  which 
might  have  been  inferred  from  the  number  of  hours  spent  out  of 
doors  after  dinner,  which  in  a  variable  climate  would  have  been 
quite  incompatible  with  an  elaborate  toilet. 

An  interval  here  occurs  in  the  correspondence  of  two  months ; 
but  when  it  is  considered  that  so  many  of  the  letters  of  Mary 


390  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Granville  have  been  preserved,  it  is  not  extraordinary  that  some 
have  disappeared.  The  next  letter  is  from  Dublin,  in  January, 
1732-3,  by  which  it  seems  she  had  been  at  Flatten,  with  her  cousin, 
Mrs.  Graham  (born  Granville). 


Mrs.  Peiularves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Dublin,  Jan.  4,  1732-3. 

Four  packets  are  due,  and  yet  tliere  is  a  letter  of  yours 
to  answer — is  not  that  monstrous  ?  The  new  year  too  ! 
Some  days  of  that  is  past,  and  not  one  word  to  mother 
or  sister  !  "  Come,  Pen,  what  have  you  been  doing  ? 
answer  the  charges,  and  if  possible  clear  up  these  matters." 
Upon  honour,  my  heart  is  so  full  of  washing  you  and 
my  mother  multiplicity  of  happiness,  that  it  is  ready  to 
burst,  and  I  have  been  miserable  in  keeping  of  it  in  so 
long.  I  defy  all  your  tenderness  and  generosity  (and 
that's  a  cold  word),  to  be  more  busy  on  this  occasion  than 
I  have  been.  Ever  since  the  new  year  has  begun,  I  have 
been  considering  what  could  be  the  greatest  happiness 
for  my  mother  and  you,  and  have  joined  my  ardent 
wishes  to  every  thought  that  could  possibly  promote  your 
happiness.  For  my  own  part  (for  I  could  not  forget  one 
you  love  so  well),  my  chief  wish  has  been  our  happy 
meeting  ;  health  and  joy  seems  to  attend  that  prospect, 
and  many  delightfull  circumstances  that  my  pen  or  yours 
cannot  so  well  describe  as  my  heart  suggest. 

The  last  time  I  writ  to  you  was  from  Plattin,  on  this 
day  sen'night.  I  told  you  we  were  to  have  a  ball,  and  a 
ball  we  had  ;  nine  couple  of  as  clever  dancers  (though  I 
say  it  that  should  not)  as  ever  tripped.  The  knight  and  I 
were  partners,  we  began  at  seven  :  danced  thirty-six  dances 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  391 

with  only  resting  once,  supped  at  twelve,  every  one 
by  their  partner,  at  a  long  table  which  was  handsomely 
filled  with  all  manner  of  cold  meat,  sweetmeats,  creams, 
and  jellies.  Two  or  three  of  the  young  ladies  sung.  I 
was  asked  for  my  song,  and  gave  them  "  Hop^  she ;" 
that  occasioned  some  mirth.  At  two  we  went  to  dancing 
again;  most  of  the  ladies  determined  not  to  leave 
Plattin  till  day-break,  they  having  tliree  miles  to  go  home, 
so  we  danced  on  till  we  were  not  able  to  dance  any 
longer.  Sir  Thomas  Pendergast  is  an  excellent  dancer^ — 
dances  with  great  spirit,  and  in  very  good  time.  We  did 
not  go  to  bed  till  past  eight,  the  company  staid  all  that 
time,  but  part  of  the  morning  was  spent  in  Httle  plays. 

We  met  the  next  morning  at  twelve  (very  rakish 
indeed),  went  early  to  bed  that  night,  and  were  perfectly 
refreshed  on  Saturday  morning.  We  had  promised  Miss 
More  to  breakfast  with  her  that  morning  ;  we  kept  our 
word.  Sir  Thomas  was  of  the  party.  I  believe  I  writ 
you  word  that  he  was  enamoured  of  that  young  lady ; 
he  carries  the  affair  very  cunningly  if  he  has  any  design 
there ;  his  behaviour  was  not  at  all  particular  to  her ; 
and  by  what  I  see  of  him  and  his  manner  of  talking,  he 
has  no  thoughts  of  the  matrimonial  trap ;  he  is  very  civil 
and  agreeable,  but  no  gallantry.  On  Sunday  we  went  to 
church,  and  on  Monday  Mrs.  Graham  brought  me  to 
town,  where  I  found  my  good  friend  in  the  Green  in  very 


1  March  10, 1733.  "  Sir  ITiomas  Pendergast,  Bart,,  a  relation  to  hor  Grace 
the  Duchess  of  Richmond,  elected  representative  in  Parliament  for  the  city  of 
Chichester,  in  the  room  of  the  Lord  William  Beauclerk,  deceased." — Histm-iml 
Register.  The  relationship  to  the  Duchess  of  Richmond  above  alluded  to, 
must  have  been  that  of  first  cousin,  as  the  mother  of  Sir  ITiomas  Peudergast 
was  the  sister  of  William,  1st  Earl  Cadogan,  father  of  Sarah  Duchess  of 
Richmond. 


392  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

good  health,  but  complaining  of  the  dulness  of  tlie  town. 
The  death  of  poor  Miss  Pierson  had  damped  everybody's 
spirits,  and  stopped  the  circulation  of  amusements  for 
some  time.  She  was  a  young  woman  worth  lamenting, 
but  as  these  afflictions  wear  off,  those  that  mourned 
deepest  for  her,  are  now  endeavouring  to  divert  them- 
selves and  the  town. 

To-morrow  is  to  be  acted  The  Distressed  Mother,  the 
part  of  Hermione  by  Miss  Molesworth,  daughter  to  my 
Lord  Molesworth,  Andromache  by  one  Miss  Parker,  a 
good  and  pretty  girl,  Pyrrhus  by  Lord  Montjoy,  Orestes 
by  Mr.  Burnwell,  brother  to  my  Lord  Kingsland.  Every 
performer  has  twelve  tickets  to  dispose  of.  The  scene  of 
action  is  to  be  the  council-chamber,  all  the  Bishops, 
Judges,  and  Privy  Counsellors  are  to  be  there ;  Lord 
Montjoy  brought  us  all  tickets  last  night,  so  we  are  happy, 
whilst  half  the  girls  in  town  are  trembling  for  fear  they 
should  not  be  admitted. 

Yesterday  Mrs.  Clayton  had  an  Assembly;  a  great 
many  ladies,  few  gentlemen.  I  had  a  commerce  table  of 
absolute  beauties :  I  divided  them,  or  rather  tied  them 
together,  like  a  black  ribbon  in  a  garland  of  flowers,  for  I 
am  in  mourning  for  Lord  Villiers.^  I  am  very  glad  to  find 
you  keep  up  to  a  good  spirit  at  Gloucester ;  long  may  it 
last !  Well  then,  I  find  I  have  done  myself  much  wrong, 
for  upon  reading  over  your  last  letter,  I  see  that  /  did 
answer  it,  so  I  am  off  of  that  accusation.  I  should  in- 
deed have  writ  to  you  or  mama  on  Tuesday,  but  I  had 
the  headach  that  morning,  and  was  afraid  that  writing 


'  James  Fitzgerald,  Lord  Villiers,  eldest  son  of  John  first  Earl  Grandison, 
married  Jane,  daughter  and  heir  of  Richard  Butler,  Esq.,  of  London,  and 
dying  in  1732,  left  an  only  daughter,  who  died  in  1738, 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  393 

would  make  it  worse.  Perhaps  you  take  all  my  letters 
to  yourself,  my  dear  sister;  if  you  do  you  are  wrong.  It 
is  true  I  address  them  to  you,  as  they  are  in  the  familiar 
style,  but  positively  I  mean  them  as  much  to  my  mother 
as  to  you,  and  hope  she  is  so  good  as  to  take  them  as  if 
I  dedicated  them  principally  to  her.  I  should  be  ashamed 
to  trouble  her  with  so  many  bagatelles,  but  as  I 
address  them  to  you,  I  take  the  liberty  of  writing  down 
all  my  rough  thoughts  with  little  or  no  ceremony.  Take 
care  of  the  enclosed  letter,  my  dear,  and  say  some  very 
kind  things  for  me  to  Mrs.  Viney  and  Mrs.  Butler.  When 
I  return  to  England,  I  will  try  to  make  amends  for  my 
past  silence,  but  here  I  have  not  time,  and  I  hope  they 
will  accept  my  best  wishes  through  your  means,  I  think  I 
do  them  no  wrong  in  employing  such  a  messenger. 

To-day  I  dine  at  Mr.  Stanley  Monck*s  (iny  lord}  that 
might  have  been).  In  the  evening  we  are  to  have  a 
merry  tribe  at  home  to  eat  oysters — Miss  Usher,  her 
cousin  Miss  Ormsby,  Miss  Kelly,  and  Miss  Bush, 
whose  sketch  I  sent  you,  but  there's  something  about 
the  mouth  that  does  her  great  injustice,  for  she  has 
graces  and  sweetness  which  does  not  appear  in  her  shadow ; 
but  she  did  it  for  you,  and  I  would  send  it :  the  nose 
and  eyes  resemble  her. 

Mrs.  Wesley  and  those  sweet  girls  are  in  town ;  I 
have  not  yet  seen  them.  Mr.  Wesley  is  at  Dangan 
with  his  Xtmas  companions  ;  we  shall  go  to  him  some 
time  in  February.  We  had  a  notable  masquerade  among 
the  servants  at  Phellin  that  entertained  us  mightily. 
Lord  George  Sackville  dressed  himself   up  in  women's 


^  "  My  lord  that  might  have  been,"  is  in  allusion  to  her  rejection  of  Mr. 
Stanley  Monck,  vfhose  suit  was  so  much  favoured  by  her  aunt  Lady  Stanley. 


391  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

clothes,  and  played  his  part  very  archly  ;  he  is  a  comical 
spark  .  Adieu,  my  dear  Anna,  receive  the  compliments 
of  the  season  from  this  house ;  you  have  had  duplicates 
of  mine,  but  I  cannot  too  often  repeat  how  much  I  am, 
my  dearest  sister. 

Your  affectionate  and  faithful, 

M.  Pen. 

"  Hop^  she."  The  song  alluded  to  must  have  been  the  old  air 
sung  with  words  beginning  : — 

"  A  crow  sat  on  a  pear-tree,  a  pear-tree,  a  pear-tree, 
A  crow  sat  on  a  pear-tree,  heigh  ho,  heigh  ho,  heigh  ho! 
Once  so  merrily  hopp'd  she  ; 
Twice  so  merrily  hopp'd  she  ; 
Thrice  so  merrily  hopp'd  she ; 
Heigh  ho,  heigh  ho,  heigh  ho  I" 

The  above  words  were  repeated  by  the  daughter  of  a  Scotch 
nobleman,  who  was  born  in  the  last  century,  and  who  had  a  large 
collection  of  very  old  songs,  some  of  which,  and  this  among  the 
number,  he  used  to  teach  his  children.  The  amusement  consisted  in 
swallowing  the  contents  of  a  wine  glass  of  water  in  three  sips 
at  the  words  "  hopp'd  she,"  without  choking  or  delaying  the  song 
long  enough  to  interrupt  the  air ;  the  company  present  sang  the 
chorus.  For  the  notes  of  the  air  here  given  the  Editor  is  indebted 
to  Mr.  W.  West,  who  said  he  believed  them  to  have  been  written 
by  Mr.  T.  Cooke,  the  well-known  composer,  and  that  they  were 
sung  by  him  at  the  Beef- Steak  Club  in  Dublin.  In  the  copy 
given  by  Mr.  West,  the  burden  of  the  song  is  "  Away,  away,  away," 
instead  of  *'  Heigh  ho." 


liiE^^^^i^^^^^^ 


Once   so  met  -  ri  -  ly   hop'd  she,    Twice  so   mer  -  ri  -  ly  hop'd  slie. 


^^^^r=^^^=gi=.^ 


Thrice    so  mer  -  ri  -  ly  hop'd  she       a  "  way,    a  -  way,    a  -    -  way 


OF  MRS.  DELANY  395 

Mrs,  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  QranviUe. 

Dublin,  24th  January,  1732-3. 

Last  post  I  answered  your  letter,  my  dearest  sister, 
and  not  having  any  of  your  sweet  words  to  raise  my 
spirits,  you  must  not  be  surprised  if  I  am  exceeding  dull. 
The  last  packets  brought  me  a  letter  from  Saph,^  which 
I  designed  answering  to-day,  but  I  am  not  at  home, 
and  all  I  shall  be  able  to  do  will  be  to  fill  this  sheet  of 
paper  to  you.  She  is  in  great  raptures  with  Dr.  Delany's 
book  on  Bevelation,*  but  she  does  not  say  if  he  has 
made  her  a  convert  to  his  opinion  about  eating  of  blood. 
It  is  hard  to  know  what  judgment  one  must  make  in  such 
an  affair,  where  one  very  learned  man  says  we  must  do 
one  thing,  and  another  as  learned  tells  you  'tis  unneces- 
sary. I  hope  it  is  not  a  point  necessary  to  salvation, 
for  I  protest  I  am  at  a  loss  what  to  determine  :  the  salvo 
I  have,  is  that  if  eating  blood  was  against  the  law  of 
God,  that  the  churchmen  would  not  have  given  it  up. 

Last  Tuesday  I  vrrote  to  you  ;  that  day  I  dined  at  Mr. 
Usher's,  and  in  the  evening  w^ent  to  Mrs.  Southby's 
Assembly,  where  we  met  a  great  deal  of  company.  On 
Wednesday  we  went  to  sweet  Mrs.  Hamilton's,  and  sat 
a  melancholy  evening  with  her,  Mr.  Hamilton  has  just 
lost  a  worthy  good  friend,  and  a  man  generally  lamented — 
Sir  Ealph  Gore.^  He  was  speaker  of  the  House  of  Commons 

»  "  Saph,'""  Sappho  (Mrs.  Chapone). 

*  "  Eevelation  examined  with  Candor,"  by  Dr.  Delany.  Dr.  Campbell 
says  (1775)  "  He  (Dr.  Johnson)  told  me  he  had  seen  Delany  when  he 
was  in  every  sense  gravis  annis,  "  but  he  was  an  able  man,"  says  he  ; 
"  his  '  Revelation  examined  with  Candour '  was  well  received,  and  I  have  seen 
an  introductory  preface  to  a  second  edition  of  one  of  his  books,  which  was  the 
finest  thing  I  ever  read  in  the  declamatory  way." 

'  Sir  Ralph  Gore,  M.P.  for  the  county  of  Donegal,  a  privy  councillor.  Chan- 
cellor of  the  Exchequer,  and,  subsequently  in  1729,  Speaker  of  the  House  of 


396  LIFE  AND  COREESPONDENCE 

and  one  of  the  lords  justices,  an  amiable  man  in  his  pri- 
vate life,  affable  and  humane  to  every  creature ;  and  in  his 
public  capacity  more  beloved  and  less  envied  than  ever  any 
man  was  in  his  station.  He  has  left  his  lady  with  child, 
and  six  children  besides ;  her  fortune  is  a  very  good  one, 
but  her  loss  too  great  to  be  made  up  by  any  advantage  of 
fortune.  You  will  say  again  that  I  never  speak  of  any 
people  of  this  country  but  with  encomiums  :  why  there 
may  be  worthless  people  here  as  well  as  in  other  countries, 
but  they  have  not  yet  come  within  my  knowledge. 

On  Thursday  Phill  and  I  dined  at  Dr.  Delany's ; 
there  we  met  Miss  Kelly,  Lord  Orrery,  the  Dean  of 
St.  Patrick's,  Mr.  Kit  Donellan,  Dr.  Helsham — a  very 
ingenious  entertaining  man.  In  such  company  you 
may  believe  time  passed  away  very  pleasantly.  Swift 
is  a  very  odd  companion  (if  that  expression  is  not  too 
familiar  for  so  extraordinary  a  genius)  ;  he  talks  a  great 
deal  and  does  not  require  many  answers ;  he  has  infinite 
spirits,  and  says  abundance  of  good  things  in  his  common 
way  of  discourse.  Miss  Kelly's  beauty  and  good-humour 
have  gained  an  entire  conquest  over  him,  and  I  come  in 
only  a  little  by  the  by. 

Lord  Orrery  is  very  gentle  in  his  manner,  and  mighty 
polite ;  he  only  dined  with  us,  for  he  is  in  the  hands  of 
lawyers  and  was  obliged  to  give  us  all  up  for  those 
vultures  :  the  rest  of  us  staid  the  evening.  We  are  ini- 
tiated of  that  witty  club,   and  Thursday  is  the  day  of 


Commons  in  Ireland.  Sir  Ealph  married,  1st,  Miss  Colville,  daughter  of  Sir 
Eobert  Colville  :  2ndly,  Elizabeth,  only  daughter  of  Dr.  Aske,  bishop  of 
Clogher.  Sir  Ralph  died  23rd  February,  1732  (qy.  3).  He  succeeded  in 
right  of  his  mother,  to  the  estate  of  Manor  Hamilton,  and  after  beautifying  the 
island  of  Bailyraacmanus,  in  Lough  Earne,  gave  it  the  name  of  Bi  lie  Tslc. — 
Burke^a  Baronetage. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  397 

meeting,  but  next  Thursday  we  shall  not  be  able  to  be 
there,  it  being  the  first  of  March.  I  gave  you  an  account 
of  the  ball  we  are  to  have,  of  which  there  are  tliree 
Kings  and  three  Queens,  viz.,  Lord  Montjoy,  Mr. 
Thomson,  Mr.  Usher,  Miss  Pennyfather,  Miss  Biddy 
Southwell,'  and  Mrs.  Pendarves.  Yesterday  we  spent  at 
home,  had  a  petite  assembly,  which  we  among  ourselves 
call  a  "  ridotto,"  because  at  ten  o'clock  we  have  a  very 
pretty  tray  brought  in,  with  chocolate,  mulled  wine,  cakes, 
sweetmeats,  and  comfits ;  cold  partridge,  chicken,  lamb, 
ham,  tongue, — all  set  out  prettily  and  ready  to  pick  at. 

This  morning  I  had  appointed  to  take  the  air  with 
Miss  Kellj,  and  came  to  her  for  that  purpose,  but  by 
the  time  I  came  here,  it  rained  and  spoiled  our  sport. 
She  kept  me  to  dinner ;  Donellan  came  to  us,  and  I  am 
now  writing  at  Kelly's  desk.  God  bless  you  my  dearest 
sister,  and  adieu,  for  I  can  write  no  more  !  All  the  while 
I  have  been  writing,  Don  and  Kelly  have  read  with  an 
audible  voice  Hans  CarveU  and  some  other  pretty  things  of 
that  kind,  and  how  can  one  help  listening?  but  I  would 
stop  my  ears  had  I  anything  to  say  that  would  be  enter- 
taining. My  humble  duty  to  my  mother,  and  service  to 
all  friends.     I  am 

Yours  my  dearest  sister  for  ever, 
M.  Pendarves. 

In  relation  to  Delville,  Walsh  said  that  it  was  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Tolka,  and  laid  out  by  Dr.  Delany,  who  in  concert  with  his 


*  Sir  Thomas  Southwell,  Bart.,  1st  Baron  Southwell,  married  Lady  Me- 
liora,  daughter  of  Thomas  Earl  Coningsby,  and  had  six  sons  and  five 
daughters.  Thomas,  2nd  baron,  was  the  eldest  son,  and  probably  Miss  Biddy 
might  be  one  of  the  daughters,  none  of  whose  names  are  given  in  Debrett 
or  Burke,  who  with  Nicholls  (1735)  only  record  the  narces  of  two  daughters, 
"  Frances  and  Luisa." 


398  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

friend,  Dr.  Helsham,  a  physician  and  also  fellow  of  Trinity  College, 
erected  the  house  and  laid  out  the  grounds.  It  was  called  Hel- 
Del-Ville,  formed  from  the  initial  syllables  of  the  names  of  the  pro- 
prietors, to  intimate  their  joint  property  in  the  place,  but  the 
first  was  soon  dropped,  as  having  a  strange  association.  It  was 
laid  out  in  a  style  then  new  in  Ireland.  It  is  said  by  Cowper 
Walker  to  have  been  the  first  demesne  in  which  "the  obdurate 
and  straight  line  of  the  Dutch  was  softened  into  a  curve,  the 
terrace  melted  into  a  swelling  bank,  and  the  walks  opened  to 
catch  the  vicinal  country ;"  but  notwithstanding  this  assertion  the 
walks  are  in  right  lines  terminating  in  little  porticoes,  and  valleys 
crossed  by  level  artificial  mounds,  that  on  the  most  eminent  point 
stands  a  temple  decorated  with  specimens  of  Mrs.  Delany's^  skill 
in  painting.  On  the  rear  wall  of  which  is  a  full-length  portrait 
of  St.  Paul,  in  fresco,  in  excellent  preservation,  and  above  a 
medallion  of  the  bust  of  Stella,  said  to  be  taken  from  the  life. 
On  the  frieze  in  the  front  is  the  inscription,  * '  Fastigia  despicit 
urbis ;"  attributed  to  Dean  Swift,  and  supposed  to  be  a  punning 
allusion  to  this  rural  retreat  on  an  eminence,  which  literally  looks 
down  on  the  city.  The  house  still  displays  the  remains  of 
specimens  of  Mrs.  Delany's  taste ;  and  the  ceiling  of  the  room 
(which  was  the  chapel)  is  ornamented  with  a  cornice  made  by  her- 
self of  real  shells,  in  the  manner  of  modelled  stucco,  of  remarkable 
beauty. 

Delville  now  (1859)  belongs  to  Sir  William  Somerville,  and  it 
is  let  to  Mr.  Mallett  on  a  long  lease.  It  belonged  previously  to 
Percy,  Bishop  of  Dromore. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs,  Ann  Granville. 

Dublin  20th  Feby.,  1732-3. 

I  have  not  been  again  in  company  with  Dr.  Swift,  but 
I  don't  fear  having  my  vanity  raised  by  anything  lie  can 
say.    You  have  used  me  so  much  to  praise,  that  I  think 


1  Mrs.  Delany  (Mary  Granville),  2nd  wife  of  Dr.  Delany,  Dean  of  Down. 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  399 

I  am  proof  against  all  that  cau  be  said  from  any  other 
tongue ;  and  indeed  if  I  did  not  suppose  you  partial  to 
me,  I  should  by  this  time  have  been  monstrously  con- 
ceited of  my  own  perfections.  Next  Thursday  we  are 
to  dine  at  Dr.  Delany's  ;  it  has  been  twice  put  off  on 
account  of  the  violent  colds  that  everybody  in  some 
degree  has  shared ;  I  hope  their  fiiry  is  abated,  though 
K}e  have  not  had  much  reason  to  complain.  They  have 
not  been  mortal  with  us.  I  have  checked  my  whims 
as  much  as  possible,  but  the  anxiety  that  naturally 
rises  for  friends  that  are  surrounded  by  any  evil,  is  not 
always  to  be  mastered  by  reason,  and  though  I  endeavour 
to  rely  on  Providence  on  all  occasions,  there  is  a  tender- 
ness of  heart  that  will  rise  sometimes  and  give  me  an 
alarm.  But  still  you  tell  me  my  mother  is  well,  and  that 
you  are  also  in  liealth ;  pray  Grod  keep  you  so  ! 

The  budding  of  the  trees,  and  spring  nosegays  that  are 
carried  about  the  streets,  give  me  more  pleasure  than  ever 
I  felt  at  their  approach  before ;  they  tell  me  April  is  at 
hand,  and  that  introduces  a  crowd  of  pleasant  thoughts. 
In  the  midst  of  my  joy,  I  confess  I  feel  a  damp  at  the 
thoughts  of  leaving  Mrs.  Clayton,  with  very  little  prospect 
of  my  seeing  her  soon  again ;  for  this  is  not  a  journey  to 
be  taken  often  in  one's  hfe.  The  next  person  I  am  con- 
cerned to  part  mth  is  Mrs.  Hamilton,  an  amiable  worthy 
creature  as  ever  I  was  acquainted  with,  and  one  that  I 
should  think  myself  happy  to  have  always  in  my  reach  : 
she  has  every  good  quality  of  the  heart,  and  all  the  agree- 
ment of  embellishments  that  can  be  desired.  I  will  say 
no  more  of  her  now,  but  leave  her  till  you  and  I  can  talk 
her  over ;  'tis  more  than  probable  I  shall  never  see  her 
again.      There  are  several  agreeable  ingenious  people  to 


400  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

whom  I  am  much  obliged  for  having  been  very  obliging 
and  entertaining  to  me,  such  as  Miss  Bushe,  Miss  Forth, 
&c.,  but  Mrs.  Hamilton  is  the  person  that  commands  my 
esteem  more  than  any  of  them,  and  the  one  I  shall  most 
regret.  I  have  before  given  you  an  account  of  my 
men  acquaintance,  and  how  they  stand  in  my  favour. 

I  have  put  on  my  black  gown  for  poor  Betty  Clifford. 
I  think  my  aunt's^  having  lived  so  long  is  almost 'a 
miracle,  but  if  she  long  survives  her  daughter  I  shall 
begin  to  think  she  is  immortal.  I  am  very  sorry  for 
Tommy  Woods  :  had  they  no  other  son  ?  The  Dean  of 
St.  Patrick's  answered  my  Lord  Orrery's  verses  by  a 
letter  in  prose,  which  Mrs.  Barber  saw,  and  says  it  is 
very  pretty.  He  is  in  love  with  Miss  Kelly  at  present. 
He  sent  her  some  Spanish  liquorish  for  her  cold,  and  with 
it  a  fable  very  prettily  applied  of  Lycoris.^  His  works 
are  going  to  be  published,  collected  by  themselves, — all 
his  verse  and  prose,  four  volumes.  They  are  only  printed 
in  Ireland ;  I  have  subscribed  to  them. 

I  heard  nothing  of  Miss  Edwin's  matrimony.  Pray 
who  is  the  happy  man  that  is  possessed  of  so  many 
charms  ?  I  am  heartily  sorry  for  Mrs.  Foley  :  I  hope  the 
Bath  will  prove  beneficial  to  her.  It  is  particularly  good 
for  striking  out  the  gout  into  the  limbs,  and  she  is  so 
young  that  I  have  great  hopes  she  wUl  get  the  better  of 
her  disorder.  How  uncertain  is  happyness  in  this  world  ! 
That  which  we  generally  look  upon  as  the  life  of  most 
misery,  in  the  end  proves  our  greatest  advantage,  it 
detaches  us  from  the  world,  it  raises  our  thoughts  towards 

»  "  My  nunt:'     Query  Mrs.  Clifford,  aunt  to  Mr.  Pendarves? 
^  The  poem  above  alluded  to,  does  not  api>ear  to  have  been  published  with 
Swift's  poetical  works. 


OF  MRS.  DELANT.  401 

attaining  what  we  were  created  for,  reconciles  us  to  death, 
and  refines  our  mind  from  the  prejudices  and  follies  that 
are  inseparable  from  prosperity. 

Sure  Trotty  is  now  come  to  a  time  of  life  that  ought 
not  to  be  wasted  at  quadrille.  Nothing  betrays  so  great 
an  idleness  of  mind,  as  that  perpetiial  seeking  out  of 
something  to  divert  thought ;  and  where  people  hai'e 
talents  for  more  rational  entertainment  than  that  of 
shuffling  and  dealing  cards,  it  surprises  and  provokes  me 
beyond  all  patience.  I  am  not  so  great  an  enemy  to 
cards  as  to  be  uneasy  at  them,  but  I  would  not  make  it 
my  business  to  secure  company  for  that  purpose ;  when 
they  come  accidentally  in  the  way  they  are  very  well. 
But  enough  of  that.  The  town  of  Dublin  begins  to  look 
a  little  pert  again,  people  have  shook  off  their  colds,  and 
are  now  making  parties  for  plays,  assemblies,  &c.  To- 
night we  are  all  to  go  to  Mrs.  Southby's  assembly,  a 
charity  affair,  a  poor  woman  under  the  same  circum- 
stances as  Mrs.  Hine.  To-morrow  we  shall  spend  at 
Mrs.  Hamilton's,  Thursday  at  Dr.  Delany's,  Friday  we 
are  to  have  a  great  many  people  with  us  by  way  of  a 
private  assembly,  and  Saturday  we  are  to  have  the  black- 
coated  gentry,  and  on  Monday  we  go  to  the  play  ;  time, 
you  see,  does  not  lie  heavy  on  our  hands.  We  shall  go 
to  Dangan  about  the  middle  of  March,  and  stay  there  a 
fortnight.  In  my  last  letter  I  writ  to  you  to  get  me  a 
good  maid  if  you  can.  Mr.  Usher  is  to  call  on  us  at  one 
o'  the  clock  to  take  the  air  ;  afterwards  we  are  to  go  home 
and  dine  with  him,  the  hour  draws  near  and  I  am  not 
yet  dressed,  so  farewell. 


VOL.  I.  2d 


402  LIFE  AND  COREESPONDENCE 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville. 

I  have  given  up  the  trial  with  Kelly,  her  heauty  and 
assiduity  has  distanced  me,  and  I  will  not  attempt  a 
second  heat.  At  present  she  is  disabled,  poor  thing,  for  she 
is  confined  to  her  bed  with  a  pleuratic  disorder,  but  the 
Dean  attends  her  bedside :  his  heart  must  be  old  and 
cold  indeed  if  that  did  not  conquer.  But  Dr.  Delany  will 
make  a  wore  desirable  friend,  for  he  has  all  the  qualities 
requisite  for  friendship — zeal,  tenderness,  and  application  ; 
I  know  you  would  like  him,  because  he  is  worthy. 

Last  Monday  we  were  at  a  new  play  called  the  Fate 
of  Ambition,^  a  bad  performance  every  way,  but  charity 
carried  us  thither.  I  wish  people  would  be  contented 
with  one's  money,  and  not  insist  on  one's  presence — it  is 
hard  to  sacrifice  three  hours  to  nonsense  wilfully.  Poor 
old  Abbot !  I  believe  he  is  no  great  loss  to  the  world, 
nor  the  world  to  him. 

You  may  again  enclose  your  letters  to  the  Bishop. 
1  believe  I  told  you  before  at  what  time  privilege  would 
come  in.  Don't  send  me  any  more  openings  of  gloves — 
I  will  receive  them  from  your  fair  hands.  I  have  no  use 
for  them  here,  for  after  to-day  we  shall  have  no  public 
doings.  I  am  not  surprised  at  your  account  of  Sir  J.  G. : 
want  of  sense  and  good  principles  will  lead  men  into  very 
detestable  ways.  My  valentine  was  Mr.  Nugent,  a  gentle- 
man of  this  country  whom  I  know  nothing  of,  but  that  he 
is  a  Eoman  Catholick,  and  a  widower.  We  were  to  have 
dined  to-day  at  Dr.  Delany's,  but  being  to  go  to  the  ball 
in  the  evening,  we  have  put  it  off  till  next  Thursday. 

X  saw  Mrs.  Barber  last  night.    She  is  still  confined,  and 

*  *'  The  fate  of  Ambition,"  a  play,  written  by  A.  V.  Forster. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  403 

the  doctor  gives  but  small  hopes  of  her  ever  recovering 
the  entire  use  of  her  limbs.  Poor  woman  !  I  wish  she  was 
well  settled  in  England ;  she  and  I  talk  you  over  not  a 
little  when  we  meet.  Oh  T  forgot  to  tell  you  my  Lord 
Orrery  ^  was  at  Dr.  Delany's  the  last  time  we  dined 
there,  and  that  he  only  looked  at  and  talked  with  Miss 
Kelly,  a  most  formidable  young  woman ;  but  she  has 
touched  me  in  a  tenderer  part,  for  she  has  so  entirely 
gained  Mrs.  Donellan,  that  ^vithout  joking  she  has  made 
me  uneasy,  but  what  does  all  this  serve  to  show  ?  why 
to  show  me  my  dear  sister's  love  in  all  its  value,  that 
never  has  been  turned  from  me  by  anybody. 

To-morrow  the  Hamilton  s  are  to  be  with  us,  and  on 
Saturday  we  dine  at  Baron  Waynwrights.''  To-day  we 
dine  with  Miss  Bushe  and  Mrs.  Forster.  The  Bishop 
and  Mrs.  C.  are  otherwise  engaged.  Take  care  of  the 
enclosed  to  Sally,  and  solicit  my  hearing  soon  from 
her.  I  gave  you  an  account  of  the  loss  we  have  sus- 
tained by  the  death  of  Sir  Ralph  Gore;  my  agreeable 
friends  the  Hamilton s  suffer  very  severely  by  it.  Oh 
how  I  pity  those  that  lose  a  worthy  friend  !  yet  'tis  a 
trial  most  people  must  prove,  unless  they  leave  the 
world  betimes. 

'  John,  5th  Earl  of  Orrery.  He  married  in  1728,  Lady  Henrietta  Hamilton, 
youngest  daughter  of  George,  Earl  of  Orkney ;  she  died  12th  August,  1732. 
The  Earl  mariied  2ndly,  30th  June,  1738,  ^largaret,  daughter  and  sole  heir 
of  John  Hamilton,  Esq.,  of  Caledon,  county  Tyrone.  He  was  distinguished  in 
the  republic  of  letters,  and  was  the  friend  of  Swift.  The  Orrery,  originally 
invented  by  Mr.  George  Graham,  was  copied  by  Mr.  Rowley,  who  made  the 
first  for  the  Earl  of  Orrery.  Sir  Richard  Steele,  who  knew  nothing  of  Mr. 
Graham's  machine,  wishing  to  compliment  the  (supposed)  inventor  of  so 
curious  an  instrument,  gave  Mr.  Rowley  the  praise  due  to  Mr.  Graham,  and 
called  it  an"  Orrery''*  in  honour  of  its  first  patron.  The  earl  died.  16th  Novem- 
ber 1762,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Hamilton,  6th  Earl. 

2  John  Wainwright,  appointed  one  of  the  Barons  of  the  Exchequer,  in  Ire- 
land, 1732. 

2d  2 


404  LIFE  AND  COREESPONDENCE 

The  Dean  of  St.  Patrick's  is  writing  a  poem  on  poetry. 
Dr.  Delany  has  seen  what  is  done  of  it,  he  says  'tis  like 
himself,  but  he  gives  us  no  hopes  of  seeing  it  yet  awhile. 
Mr.  Pope  I  find  has  undertaken  to  lash  the  age  ;  I  believe 
he  will  be  tired  before  they  are  reformed.  He  says  he 
"  ivill  spare  neither  friend  nor  foe, ^^  so  that  declaring  ones- 
self  for  him,  will  not  secure  us  from  a  stroke. 

Miss  Kelly,  the  beauty  and  the  wit,  who  has  been  so  frequently 
alluded  to  in  these  letters,  was  the  daughter  of  Captain  Dennis 
Kelly,  who  had  a  very  good  estate  in  Ireland,  and  was  committed 
to  the  Tower  in  1722,  on  suspicion  of  corresponding  with  the 
Pretender,  but  nothing  could  be  proved  against  hira.  The  Rev. 
George  Kelly  was  probably  her  uncle.  He  was  taken  up  on  sus- 
picion of  treasonable  correspondence,  was  tried  by  the  House  of 
Lords,  found  guilty,  and  sentenced  to  be  confined  in  the  Tower 
for  life  ;  but  he  made  his  escape  in  the  year  1736.  Dean  Swift, 
in  a  letter  to  Robert  Cope,  Esq.,  Dublin,  October  9th,  1722, 
writes  as  follows  : — "  It  is  said  that  Kelly  the  parson  is  admitted 
to  Kelly  the  squire,  and  that  they  are  cooking  up  a  discovery 
between  them,  for  the  improvement  of  the  hempen  manufac- 
ture. It  is  reckoned  that  the  best  trade  in  London  this  winter 
will  be  that  of  evidence." 

Alderman  Barber,  in  a  letter  to  Dean  Swift,  the  2nd  (jf  July, 
1738,  says : — "  The  report  of  the  Duke  of  Ormond's  return  is 
without  foundation.  His  Grace  is  very  well  in  health,  and  Hves 
in  a  very  handsome  manner.  He  has  Mr.  Kelly  with  him  as  his 
chaplain^  the  gentleman  who  escaped  out  of  the  Tower.  A  worthy 
friend  of  yours  and  mine  passed  through  Avignon  a  month  since, 
and  dined  with  his  Grace,  from  whom  I  have  what  I  tell  you." 
In  May,  1733,  Miss  Kelly  wrote  to  Swift,  alluding  to  her  illness, 
and  asking  for  his  advice  for  the  books  he  thinks  most  proper  for 
her  to  read  to  improve  her  mind.  The  illness  under  which  she 
was  then  suffering  ended  fatally :  she  went  to  the  Bristol  Hot 
Wells  for  the  recovery  of  her  health,  and  on  the  6th  of  November, 
1733,  Mr.  Ford,  in  a  letter  to  Dean  Swift,  thus  alludes  to  her 


OF  MRS.  DELAXY.  405 

death : — "  We  have  lost  Miss  Kellj,  who,  they  say,  was  destroyed 
by  the  ignorance  of  an  Irish  physician,  one  Gorman ;  Dr.  Beaufort 
was  sent  for  when  she  was  dying,  and  found  her  speechless  and 
senseless." 

Miss  Kelly  died  the  last  week  in  October,  1733. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville. 

Dangan,  5th  April,  1733. 

I  am  sorry  I  am  obliged  to  Avrite  to  you  on  such  small 
paper,  but  I  have  all  indulgencies  allowed  me  here  except 
that  of  retiring  from  the  company :  they  say  as  we  are 
to  be  here  hut  a  few  days  together,  it  is  unreasonable  in 
me  to  give  away  any  of  my  time  from  them.  I  cannot 
be  of  their  opinion,  but  as  they  mean  it  kindly,  I  must 
not  declare  openly  that  I  have  more  pleasure  in  dedi- 
cating an  hour  to  my  dearest  sister,  than  all  the  enter- 
tainments of  the  place  can  possibly  afford. 

Your  last  letter,  dated  Easter  Eve,  made  me  happy 
yesterday — you  never  wrote  a  better ;  I  cannot  say  more 
in  its  praise.  It  grieves  me  that  I  am  so  crampt  in 
time  as  not  to  be  able  to  answer  it  paragraph  by  para- 
graph, but  I  will  do  it  another  day.  All  the  company 
that  I  wrote  you  word  were  invited  here  are  assembled ; 
you  are  so  well  acquainted  with  their  different  characters, 
that  you  may  easily  form  to  yourself  how  agreeably  we 
live ;  liberty  {the  great  happiness  of  society)  reigns 
absolutely  here — every  one  does  just  as  they  please.  We 
meet  at  breakfast  about  ten ;  chocolate,  tea,  coffee,  toast 
and  butter,  and  caudle,  «&c.,  are  devoured  without  mercy. 
The  hall  is  so  large  that  very  often  breakfast,  battledore 
and  shuttlecock,  and  the  harpsichord,  go  on  at  the  same 


406  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

time  without  molesting  one  another.  Mr.  Wesley  (alias 
Paris,)  has  provided  every  one  of  us  with  a  walking-staff, 
whereon  is  fixed  our  Parnassus  name.  Mr.  Usher  is 
Vulcan  ,*  young  Nemmy  Don*",  Mars ;  and  Mr.  Kit 
Don,  (the  Reif),  is  Neptune.  Our  staffs  are  white,  and 
when  we  take  our  walks,  we  make  a  most  surprising 
appearance,  somewhat  like  the  sheriff's  men  at  the  assizes  ! 
Yesterday  we  walked  four  mile  before  dinner,  and  danced 
two  hours  in  the  evening,  we  have  very  good  music  for 
that  purpose ;  at  nine  we  have  prayers,  and  afterwards 
till  supper  is  on  the  table  the  organ  or  harpsichord  is 
engaged ;  Miss  Wesleys  are  every  day  improving,  they 
are  engaging  little  creatures.  Mr.  Wesley  has  three 
canals  in  his  gardens ;  in  one  of  them  he  has  the  model 
of  the  king's  yacht,  the  Carolina.  It  was  designed  as  a 
present  for  the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  but  the  person  that 
had  bespoke  it  died  before  it  was  quite  finished,  so  Mr. 
Wesley  was  lucky  in  meeting  with  it ;  'tis  worth  fifty 
pounds — the  prettiest  thing  I  ever  saw  of  the  kind,  and 
will  hold  two  people,  it  has  guns,  colours,  &c.,  with  as 
much  exactness  as  the  original.  In  another  of  his  canals 
he  has  a  barge,  which  he  calls  the  Pretty  Betty,  that  will 
hold  a  dozen  people :  we  are  immediately  going  to  try  it ; 
and  in  his  third  canal  he  has  a  yawl,  named  after  Miss 
Fanny.  In  his  garden  there  is  a  fir-grove,  dedicated  to 
Vesta,  in  the  midst  of  which  is  her  statue  ;  at  some  dis- 
tance from  it  is  a  mound  covered  with  evergreens,  on 
the  which  is  placed  a  temple  with  the  statue  of  Apollo. 
Neptune,  Proserpine,  Diana,  all  have  due  honours  paid 
them,  and  Fame  has  been  too  good  a  friend  to  the 
master  of  all  these  improvements  to  be  neglected ;  her 
Temple  is  near  the  house,  at  the  end  of  a  terrace,  near 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  407 

which  the  four  Seasons  take  their  stand,  very  well  repre- 
sented by  Flora,  Ceres,  Bacchus,  and  an  old  gentleman 
with  a  hood  on  his  head,  warming  his  hands  over 
a  fire.  We  shall  stay  here  till  this  day  se'night. 
You  are  remembered,  my  dearest  sister,  by  all  in  this 
house  in  the  kindest  manner.  Phill  -spoke  for  herself 
very  lately  ;  she  told  you  at  the  same  time,  that  one  of  my 
eyes  was  bleared  ;  but  she  was  more  tender  of  me  than 
was  necessary,  for  the  redness  went  off  that  day,  and  has 
been  very  well  ever  since.  The  day  before  we  came  out 
of  town,  we  dined  at  Doctor  Delany's,  and  met  the  usual 
company.  The  Dean  of  St.  Patrick's  was  there,  in  very 
good  humow\  he  calls  himself  "  my  master"  and  corrects 
me  when  I  speak  bad  English,  or  do  not  pronounce  my 
words  distinctly.  I  wish  he  lived  in  England,  I  should 
not  only  have  a  great  deal  of  entertainment  from  him, 
but  improvement,  1  am  in  great  hopes  Mrs.  Barber 
will  be  well  enough  to  travel  with  us ;  she  will  be  an 
excellent  companion  for  us,  for  she  has  constant  spirits 
and  good-humour.  I  hope  your  journey  to  the  Bath 
will  not  be  put  off,  or  at  least  that  you  Avill  take  a  jaunt 
with  Mrs.  Foley  to  Herefordshire,  which  indeed,  I  believe 
will  be  the  pleasantest  of  the  two ;  though  why  should 
I  think  you  grown  as  dull  as  I  am — you  have  many 
years  to  come  before  you  arrive  at  my  station.  I  own  I 
have  now  lost  so  much  the  relish  of  a  public  life,  that  I 
prefer  the  conversation  of  an  indifferent  friend  or  ac- 
quaintance, to  the  hurry  that  necessarily  attends  all 
crowded  places  ;  but  I  will  give  you  to  your  five-and- 
thirtieth  year  before  you  may  say  that.  I  must  finish, 
they  say,  so  adieu.  My  humble  duty  to  my  mother, 
and  kind  service  as  due  elsewhere. 

Yours,  for  ever,  M.  Pen, 


408 


LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Qranville. 

Dangan,  11th  April,  1733. 

This  place  has  charms,  but  like  all  other  of  this  world's 
pleasures,  has  its  mixture  of  mortification,  I  fully  in- 
tended writing  to  you  last  post,  but  the  company  and 
diversions,  which  are  as  various  as  the  weather,  drag  me 
away  from  my  duty,  and  oblige  me  to  give  up  an  enter- 
tainment more  suitable  to  the  inclination  of  my  heart 
than  any  I  can  meet  with.  They  say,  "  Why  will  you 
be  so  fond  of  retiring?  shall  you  not  leave  us  soon 
enough  ?  your  sister  then  will  enjoy  you  without  inter- 
ruption." These  are  their  arguments,  and  I  am  forced  to 
give  a  little  way  to  friends  who  seem  to  take  pleasure  in 
my  being  well  entertained. 

The  more  I  am  acquainted  with  Mr.  Wesley,  the  higher 
my  esteem  rises  for  him.  He  has  certainly  more  virtues 
and  fewer  faults  than  any  man  I  know  ;  he  has  a  proper 
mixture  of  good  and  agreeable  qualities,  his  wife,  his 
children,  his  friends,  his  poor  and  rich  neighbours,  can 
testify  the  truth  of  what  I  say.  He  values  his  riches  only 
as  they  are  the  means  of  making  all  about  him  happy  ;  he 
has  no  ostentation,  no  taste  merely  for  grandeur  and 
magnificence.  He  improves  his  estate  and  all  the  country 
round  him  as  much  as  if  he  had  a  son  to  enjoy  it  (which 
there  is  no  great  probability  of  his  having),  and  his  estate 
goes  from  his  daughters  to  a  man  that  has  always  been  his 
declared  enemy.  Mrs.  Wesley  has  some  very  engaging 
qualities,  she  is  generous  and  of  a  very  easy  temper,  but  I 
cannot  say  her  merits  are  equal  to  her  husband's.  Their 
children  are  lovely  creatures,  their  prettiness  is  the  least 
part  of  their  merit ;   Miss  Wesley  does  everything  well 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  409 

that  she  undertakes  ;  no  child  had  ever  more  indulgencies, 
and  yet  she  never  does  anything  that  can  offend.  She  de- 
sired me  to  give  her  humble  service  to  you,  and  to  assure 
you  that  she  has  "not  forgot  you,  but  loves  you  still" — 
these  are  her  own  words.  All  that  I  have  writ  here  I 
believe  I  have  said  to  you  before,  but  when  I  name  a  man 
of  so  much  worth  as  Mr.  Wesley,  it  is  impossible  not  to 
give  him  part  of  that  praise  which  he  so  well  deserves. 
We  shall  stay  here  a  week  longer  than  we  at  first 
designed,  and  I  am  glad  of  it,  for  we  live  very  cheerfully. 
When  the  weather  is  fine  we  take  the  advantage  of  it, 
and  walk,  ride,  or  go  on  the  water ;  Mr.  Wesley  has  a 
very  pretty  boat  on  a  fine  canal,  that  would  reconcile 
you  to  the  water,  we  carry  our  music  on  board,  hoist 
our  flag,  and  row  away  most  harmoniously.  The  county 
town  is  called  Trim. 

We  went  one  morning  and  breakfasted  with  a  reverend 
clergyman,  who  gave  us  very  good  coffee,  and  then  we 
walked  round  the  town,  the  chief  part  of  which  is  a  fine 
ruin  of  a  castle  that  belonged  to  King  John  ;  his  butler, 
gentleman-usher,  and  standard-hearer  were  the  ancestors  of 
the  Duke  of  Ormond,  Mr.  Usher,  and  Mr.  Wesley.  The 
situation  of  the  castle  is  very  fine,  on  a  sloping  green  hill, 
with  the  river  Boyne  gliding  at  the  foot  of  it ;  I  never  saw 
so  pretty  a  ruin,  nor  so  large  a  one.  We  have  had  some 
very  good  weather,  and  now  the  rain  begins  again.  Two 
of  our  cavaliers  have  left  us  ;  Mr.  Usher,  being  high  sheriff 
of  Dublin  this  year,  was  obliged  to  go  to  town ;  and  Mr. 
Kit  Don  was  called  away  by  college  business  ;  they 
both  said  they  would  return  to-day  if  possible ;  the  wind 
and  the  rain  will  stop  their  design ;  but  we  can  live  ^vith- 
out  them.     We  dance,  play  little  plays,  and  sometimes 


410  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

cards  and  backgammon ;  Nemmy  Donn,  alias  Mars,  is 
my  constant  partner,  and  a  very  good  one  ;  Miss  Fanny 
Wesley  dances  every  night,  and  never  is  out ;  she  would 
surprise  you. 

As  for  the  ridicule  Cyrus  has  been  exposed  to,  I  do  not 
at  all  wonder  at  it ;  religion  in  its  plainest  dress  suffers 
daily  from  the  insolence  and  ignorance  of  the  world ; 
then  how  should  that  person  escape,  who  dares  to  appear 
openly  in  its  cause  ?  He  will  meet  with  all  the  mortifi- 
cation such  rebels  are  able  to  give,  which  can  be  no  other 
than  that  of  finding  them  wilfully  bUnding  themselves, 
and  running  headlong  into  the  gulf  of  perdition ;  a 
melancholy  prospect  for  the  honest-hearted  man  who 
earnestly  desires  the  salvation  of  his  fellow-creatures. 

I  am  sorry  the  Act^  at  Oxford  happens  this  year ;  I 
fear  it  will  incommode  me  in  my  journey  to  Gloucester — • 
the  town  will  be  so  cramm'd ;  and  I  have  so  much  a 
higher  pleasure  in  view  than  any  entertainment  they 
can  give,  that  I  have  no  thoughts  of  stopping  there. 


*  The  following  explanation  of  the  '^  Act^  at  Oxford  may  be  interesting  to 
those  who  do  not  belong  to  that  University — "  The  word  Act  is  of  vfry  ancient 
date,  and  refers  to  certain  scholastic  exercises,  prizes,  and  gathering  together  of 
the  members  of  the  University,  with  accom])anying  festivities  which  were  held 
at  that  time,  being  at  the  close  of  the  academic  year,  and  probably  date  from 
six  hundred  years  ago.  Traces  are  still  preserved  of  the  ceremonial,  on  those 
occasions,  by  the  Doctors  wearing  their  dress  robes  at  St.  Mary's  on  the 
Act  Sunday,  viz.,  the  Sunday  before  the  Act  day.  The  day  on  which  these 
ceremonies  take  place  has  been  always  the  Tuesday  after  the  first  Sunday  in 
July  (the  Tuesday  before  the  end  of  the  Trinity  or  Act  term),  and  as  a  general 
rule  it  will  be  the  Tuesday  after  either  the  third  or  fourth  Sunday  after 
Trinity  Sunday." 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  411 

LETTER  XVIII. 

AUTOBIOGEAPHT. 

Wliile  I  was  in  Ireland  it  was  reported  and  put  in  the 
news  that  Tomasio  was  returned  to  England  and  going 
to  marry  Louisa.     I  wrote  to  him  immediately  to  express 
my  great  joy  at  an  alliance  I  had  so  much  wished  for, 
and  at  the  same  time  to  the  Baroness  to  know  the  truth 
of  the  report,  and  she  informed  me  there  was  nothing  in 
it — this  was  just  before  I  left  Ireland.     I  found  on   my 
coming  to  England  Tomasio  was  living  like  a  fine  gen- 
tleman of  the  times.     I  was  much  grieved  about  it,  be- 
lieving if  it  continued  he  must  be  ruined  every  way. 
He  was  very  glad  to  see  me,  as  obliging  as  usual,  and 
pressed    me    extremely   to    make  him   a   visit   in   the 
country,  I  told  him  I  should  be  very  ready  to   do  it, 
when  he  had   company  there  which  was  fit  for  me  to 
keep.    He  looked  confused,  and  asked  me  what  I  meant  ? 
upon  which  I  told  him   what  I  had  heard,  and  freely 
blamed  his   conduct ;  and  told  him  he  could  not  be  a 
happy  man,  nor  make  a  figure  suitable  to  his  birth  and 
fortune,  till  he  married  somebody  equal  to  him  in  rank 
and  condition  ;   that  he  had  a  great  deal  of  choice  before 
him  and  could  not  fail,  if  he   would  consult  his  reason 
and  judgment.    He  looked  grave  and  thoughtful  for  some 
time,  and  then  said,  "  I  know  what  you  wish,  I  received 
your  letter  from  Ireland,"  and  left  me  abruptly.     A  few 
days  after  he  came  to  see  me  again,  and  said,  "  /  can  tell 
you  a  piece  of  news  that  will  surprise  you ;   Louisa  is 
absolutely  engaged — her  father  told  me  so  this  morning." 
I  was  indeed  extremely  surprized,  having  had  the  night 
before  a  great  deal  of  conversation  with  the  Baroness,  who 


412  LIFE  AND  COREESPONDENCE 

engaged  me  as  much  as  possible  to  promote  this  match 
with  Tomasio,  and  thought  it  strange  the  Baron  should 
not  have  acquamted  her  with  this  engagement.  He 
laughed  at  my  surprise,  and  told  me  she  was  engaged,  it 
was  true,  but  it  was  to  him ;  I  was  much  pleased  with 
the  step  he  had  taken,  and  congratulated  him  on  his 
prudent  choice.  The  Baron  and  Baroness  were  in  the 
highest  joy  on  this  occasion.  Laura's^  indiscretion  made 
it  absolutely  necessary  it  should  be  kept  a  secret ;  in  a 
short  time  Tomasio  made  articles  it  should  be  so,  and  he 
was  at  liberty  to  choose  for  himself;  Laura  liked  Louisa 
very  well,  though  she  had  an  inveterate  dislike  to  the  rest 
of  the  family,  but  Alcander  often  wished  it  might  be  a 
match  ;  so  I  was  sworn  to  silence  till  writings  and  clothes 
were  ready,  and  then  Tomasio  went  to  his  mother  and 
declared  his  intentions  in  form,  and  she  seemingly  ap- 
proved of  it,  so  all  preparations  magnificent  on  both 
sides  went  on. 

At  my  house  the  young  people  often  met,  nothing 
could  be  more  gentle,  amiable  and  engaging  than  Louisa's 
behaviour;  she  liked  Tomasio  very  much,  who  was 
handsome,  and  when  he  softened  his  manner,  agreeable, 
though  she  was  not  quite  satisfied  with  his  behavioui*, 
which  I  can't  say  had  much  of  a  lover  in  it,  and  often  made 
me  very  uneasy  ;  and  when  I  told  him  of  it,  he  would 
turn  it  into  some  compliment  to  myself  which  vexed  me, 
and  prevented  my  saying  so  much  as  I  otherwise  should 
have  done,  and  I  was  willing  to  think  it  an  awkward  bash- 
fulness,  which  he  always  had  when  not  quite  at  his  ease. 
But  I  knew  his  disposition  so  well,  and  Louisa's  great  merit, 

•  "  Laura" — Lady  Lansdowne,  mother  of  Lord  Weymouth,  and  wife  of 
George  Lord  Lansdowne. 


OF  MKS.  DEL  ANT.  413 

that  when  once  she  was  his  wife,  I  was  sure  he  would  love 
and  admire  her,  and  when  in  confidence  she  used  to  tell 
me  her  fears  about  him,  I  endeavoured  to  set  him 

The  autobiography  here  breaks  off  abruptly,  but  the  period  to 
which  it  extends  is  marked  by  the  marriage  of  Lord  Weymouth, 
which  took  place  3rd  July,  1733.^  The  last  letter  in  the  editor's 
possession,  written  before  Mrs.  Pendarves's  departure  from  Ireland, 
is  dated  11th  April  in  the  same  year;  and  as  she  then  alluded  to 
her  return  to  England,  and  expressed  her  fears  that  her  journey 
jfrom  London  to  Gloucester  would  be  at  the  time  of  the  "  Act " 
at  Oxford,  which  took  place  early  in  July,  it  is  probable  that  she 
left  Ireland  a  very  few  weeks  after  her  visit  to  Dangan,  at  which 
period  she  occasionally  corresponded  with  Swift.  The  letters  which 
are  here  inserted  from  Mrs.  Pendarves  to  him,  were  published 
many  years  ago,  but  those  from  the  Dean  of  St.  Patrick's  to  her  have 
never  before  appeared.  It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  all  Swift's 
replies  have  not  been  found,  and  it  is  supposed  that  they  were 
given  {or  taken)  by  friends,  for  autographs. 

Mrs.  Pendarves's  first  letter  to  Swift  is  written  from  London, 
the  month  after  her  last  {'preserved)  letter  to  Ann  Granville,  from 
Ireland. 


1  Married,  3rd  July,  1733,  the  Lord  Weymouth  to  the  second  daughter 
of  Lord  Carteret. 


414  I  LIFE  AND  COKKESPONDENCE 


CHAPTEE  V. 

From  Mrs.  Pendarves's  Return  from  her  Visit  to  Ireland 
TO  THE  Marriage  of  her  Sister  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

1733—1740. 

From  Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Dr.  Swift. 

London,  May  29,  1738. 

Sir, 

You  will  find  to  your  cost  that  a  woman's  pen, 
when  encouraged,  is  as  bad  as  a  woman's  tongue  ;  blame 
yourself,  not  me ;  had  I  never  known  the  pleasure  of 
receiving  a  letter  from  you,  I  should  not  have  persecuted 
you  now.  I  think  (a  little  to  justify  this  bold  attack) 
that  I  am  obliged  by  all  the  rules  of  civility,  to  give  you 
an  account  of  the  letter  you  charged  me  with.  I  delivered 
it  into  my  Lord  Bathurst's  hands,  he  read  it  before  me ; 
I  looked  siUy  upon  his  asking  me  what  you  meant  by 
the  Posset  affair  ?^  and  I  was  obliged  to  explain  it  to  him 
in  my  own  defence,  which  gave  him  the  diversion  you 
designed  it  should.  We  then  talked  of  your  vineyard  , 
he  seemed  pleased  with  every  subject  that  related  to  you, 
and  I  was  very  ready  to  indulge  him  that  way.  I  did 
not  forget  to  brag  of  your  favours  to  me  :  if  you  intended 


*  "  Fosset  affair."  This  must  have  alluded  to  one  of  the  proposals  received 
in  Ireland — probably  to  the  story  hinted  at  while  at  Killala. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  415 

I  should  keep  them  secret,  I  have  spoiled  all,  for  I  have 
not  an  acquaintance  of  any  worth  that  I  have  not  told 
how  happy  I  have  been  in  your  company.  Everybody 
loves  to  be  envied,  and  this  is  the  only  way  I  have  of 
raising  people's  envy ;  I  hope,  sir,  you  will  forgive  me, 
and  let  me  know  if  I  have  behaved  myself  right.  I 
think  I  can  hardly  do  wrong  as  long  as  I  am,  sir,  your 
most  obliged  and  most  obedient  servant, 

M.  Pendarvks. 

Mrs.  Donellan  is  much  your  humble  servant,  and  as 
vain  of  your  favours  as  I  am. 


From  Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Dean  Svnft. 

Gloucester,  July  21, 1733. 

Sir, 

May  I  say  without  offending  you,  that  I  was 
overjoyed  at  the  honour  you  did  me  in  answering  my 
letter  ?  and  do  not  call  me  formal,  when  I  assure  you 
that  I  think  myself  made  happy  by  such  a  distinction. 
It  was  stupidity  in  me  not  to  let  you  know  where  to 
address  to  me,  but  I  do  not  repent  of  it ;  I  have  by  that 
means  tried  your  zeal,  but  I  am  afraid  your  good-breeding 
more  than  inclination  procured  me  that  favour.  I  am 
resolved  to  be  even  with  you  for  what  you  say  about  my 
writing,  and  will  wTite  henceforward  to  you  as  carelessly 
as  I  can  ;  and  if  it  is  not  legible  thank  yourself.  I  do  not 
wonder  at  the  envy  of  the  ladies,  when  you  are  pleased 
to  speak  of  me  with  some  regard :  I  give  them  leave  to 
exercise  their  malice  on  an  occasion  that  does  me  so  much 
honour.  I  protest  I  am  not  afraid  of  you,  and  would 
appear  quite  natural  to  you  in  hopes  of  your  rewarding 


416  LIFE  AND  CORRESrONDENCE 

my  openness  and  sincerity,  by  correcting  what  you  dis- 
approve of;  and  since  I  have  not  now  an  opportunity 
of  receiving  your  favours  of  pinching  and  beating,  make 
me  amends  by  chiding  me  for  every  word  that  is  false 
spelt,  and  for  my  had  English.  You  see  what  you  are 
like  to  suffer :  if  this  promises  you  too  much  trouble,  do 
not  give  me  so  much  encouragement  in  your  next  letter, 
for  upon  something  in  your  last  I  have  almost  persuaded 
myself,  that  by  your  assistance,  and  my  own  earnest 
desire,  I  may  in  time  become  worthy  of  your  care. 
Vanity  stands  at  my  elbow  all  this  while,  and  animates 
me  by  a  thousand  agreeable  promises :  without  her  en- 
couragement I  should  never  have  presumed  to  corres- 
pond with  the  Dean  of  St.  Patrick's.  Some  say  she  is  a 
mischievous  companion ;  I  swear  she  is  a  pleasant  one. 
You  must  not  be  angry  with  me  for  keeping  her  com- 
pany, for  I  had  very  little  acquaintance  with  her  till  I 
had  received  some  marks  of  your  favour. 

I  received  your  letter  but  a  little  while  before  I  left 
London ;  I  attended  Lord  and  Lady  Weymouth  down 
to  Long  Leat,  and  left  them  with  a  prospect  of  as  much 
happiness  as  matrimony  can  give :  they  are  pleased  with 
one  another  at  present,  and  I  hope  that  will  continue. 
My  Lord  and  Lady  Carteret  are  both  satisfied  with  the 
disposal  of  their  daughter  in  so  advantageous  a  station. 
Common  report  wrongs  my  Lord  Weymouth  ;  for  which 
reason,  Cas  I  am  his  friend,)  I  must  tell  you  his  good  qua- 
lities :  he  has  honour  and  good-nature,  and  does  not 
want  for  sense  ;  he  loves  the  country,  but  inclines  a  little 
too  much  to  his  stable  and  dog-kennel ;  he  keeps  a 
very  hospitable  good  house,  and  is  always  ready  to 
relieve  those  in  distress ;  his  lady  Dr.  Delany  can   give 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  417 

you  a  character  of,  and  is  what  I  believe  you  will  approve 
of. 

I  came  from  Long  Leat  last  Saturday,  and  am  now 
at  Gloucester  with  my  mother  and  sister.  My  Lord 
Bathurst  was  here  about  a  fortnight  ago.  I  was  sorry 
to  miss  him ;  I  have  a  double  reason  for  Hking  his  com- 
pany. He  has  made  me  promise  to  pay  him  a  visit  at 
Oakley  Wood,  which  I  certainly  will  do ;  I  shall  with 
great  resignation  submit  to  any  punishment  you  convey 
through  his  liands.  I  wish  you  could  make  your  words 
good,  and  that  I  was  a  "'sorceress ;"  I  should  then  set  all 
my  charms  to  work  to  bring  you  to  England,  and  should 
expect  a  general  thanksgiving  for  employing  my  spells  to 
so  good  a  purpose.  The  syren  ^  has  lately  been  at  Oxford : 
we  parted  very  unwilUngly,  she  is  extremely  obHged  to 
you  for  remembering  her  so  favourably.  I  am  glad  Mr. 
Donellan  pleases  you ;  I  know  he  has  a  high  value  for 
you,  and  I  agree  with  you  in  tliinking  him  a  most  deserv- 
ing young  man.  My  Lord  Lansdown  is  much  at  your 
service,  laments  the  days  that  are  past,  and  constantly 
drinks  your  health  in  champaign,  as  clear  as  your  thoughts, 
and  sparkling  as  your  wit ;  Lord  and  Lady  Carteret,  and 
my  Lady  Worsley  all  talk  kindly  of  you,  and  join  their 
wishes  to  mine  for  your  coming  among  us.  I  request  it 
of  you  to  make  my  humble  service  acceptable  to  those 
friends  of  yours  that  are  so  good  as  to  remember  me. 

I  am,  sir, 
Your  most  obHged  and  faithful  humble  servant, 

M.  Pendarves. 

Be  pleased  to  direct  for  me  at  Mrs  Granville's,  Glou- 
cester. 

*  Mrs.  Donellan. 
VOL.  1.  2  E 


418  LIFE  AND  COERESPONDENCE 

Oeorge  Lord  Lansdowne  to  his  niece  Mrs.  Pendarves. 

My  Dear  Niece,  London,  Augt.  8th,  1733. 

The  last  post  brought  me  the  enclosed  from  Sir  W. 
Carew.  I  send  it  you  for  your  farther  instructions. 
You  mentioned  to  me  at  parting  a  certain  Mr.  Cox  who 
was  to  come  to  me,  but  I  have  never  heard  of  him. 
Your  good  sense  will  make  all  places  agreeable  to  you, 
but  with  your  pardon,  notwithstanding  all  your  fine 
rural  descriptions,  the  pleasures  of  Courts,  and  the  en- 
tertainments of  the  town  are  more  at  the  bottom  of  your 
heart ;  and  it  is  fit  they  should  be  so  for  the  sake  of  the 
public,  qualified  as  you  are  to  grace  our  assemblies.  Nor 
can  you  ever  make  me  believe  you  prefer  the  murmuring 
of  a  purling  stream,  to  a  quaver  of  Cuzzoni  !  Your  friend 
the  Reverend  Dean  ^  would  tell  you  this  is  all  "  widoice's 
cant''  and  **  meer pruderieT  I  wish  Lord  Bathurst*  success 
with  all  my  heart,  but  I  am  told  Mr.  Stow  gives  his  in- 
terest to  Sir  John  Dutton.  Is  that  possible  ?  Our  pre- 
sent subject  for  discourse  is  the  marriage  of  the  Duchess 
Dowager  of  Cleveland  ^  with  Mr.  Southcot.  Widow !  have 
a  care ;  a  matrimonial  star  is  reigning  over  young  and 
old,  7/ou  may  he  caught  before  you  are  aware,  and  there  is 
no  resisting  one's  destiny. 

I  hear  all  at  Long  Leat  are  well,  except  Lord  Inchiquin,* 

^  "  Your  friend  the  Dean," — Dean  Swift. 

s  Allen,  first  Lord  Bathurst,  one  of  the  twelve  Tory  peers  created  by 
Queen  Anne,  in  1711  ;  created  an  earl  in  1772.  He  lived  to  see  his  eldest  son 
Lord  Chancellor  of  England,  and  died  at  the  age  of  91,  in  1775,  He  was 
the  friend  of  Pope,  Congreve,  Swift,  Prior,  Hume,  Sterne,  and  other  men  of 
letters. 

*  Anne,  daughter  of  Sir  Wm.  Pulteney  ;  married  in  1094,  to  Charles  Duke 
of  Cleveland,  by  whom  she  was  mother  of  William  Duke  of  Cleveland.  She 
was  married,  secondly,  to  William  Southcote,  Esq.,  of  Weybridge,  in  Surrey  ; 
and  died  February,  1 746. 

*  William,  4th  Earl  of  Inchiquin,  succeeded  his  father,  1719  ;  manied  in 


420  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

The  above  letter  appears  to  have  been  written  to  Mrs,  Pen- 
darves  whilst  with  her  mother  and  sister  in  the  country,  after 
having  heard  her  expressions  of  delight  in  the  enjoyment 
of  nature,  which  from  her  earliest  years  ever  proved  a  true  solace 
to  her,  as  well  as  a  gratification ;  but  it  was  a  sort  of  pleasure  in 
which  Lord  Lansdown  could  not  sympathize. 


From  Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Dr.  Swift. 
gljl  Gloucester,  Octr.  24,  1733. 

I  cannot  imagine  how  my  Lord  Orrery  came  by 
my  last  letter  to  you  :  I  believe  my  good  genius  conveyed 
it  into  his  hands,  to  make  it  of  more  consequence  to  you  ; 
if  it  had  that  effect,  I  wish  this  may  meet  with  the  same 
fortune. 

If  I  were  writing  to  a  common  correspondent,  I  should 
now  make  a  fine  flourish  to  excuse  myself  for  not  sooner 
acknowledging  the  favour  of  your  letter ;  but  I  must 
deal  plainly  with  you,  sir,  and  tell  you  (now  do  not  be 
angry),  that  the  fear  of  tiring  you  stopped  my  hand.  I 
value  your  correspondence  so  highly,  that  I  think  of 
every  way  that  may  preserve  it ;  and  one  is,  not  to  be  too 
troublesome.  Now  I  cannot  guess  how  you  will  take  this 
last  paragraph;  but  if  it  makes  me  appear  affected  or  silly,  I 
will  endeavour  not  to  offend  in  the  same  manner  again. 
Some  mortification  of  that  kind  is  wanting  to  bring  me 
to  myself.  Your  ways  of  making  compliments  are  dan- 
gerous snares,  and  I  do  not  know  how  to  guard  against 
the  pleasure  they  bring  :  to  be  remembered  and  regretted 
by  you,  are  honours  of  a  very  delicate  kind ;  I  have 
been  told,  that  unexpected  good  fortune  is  harder  to  bear 
well  than  adversity. 

The  cold  weather,  I  suppose,  has  gathered  together 
Dr.  Delany's  set :  the  next  time  you  meet,  may  I  beg 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  421 

the  favour  to  make  my  compliments  acceptable?  I 
recollect  no  entertainment  with  so  much  pleasure,  as 
what  I  received  from  that  company ;  it  has  made  me 
very  sincerely  lament  the  many  hours  of  my  life  that  I 
have  lost  in  insignificant  conversation. 

A  few  days  before  I  had  your  last  letter,  my  sister 
and  I  made  a  visit  to  my  Lord  and  Lady  Bathurst  at 
Cirencester.  Oakly-wood  joins  to  his  park,  the  grand 
avenue  that  goes  from  his  house  through  his  park  and  wood 
is  five  miles  long: :  and  the  whole  contains  five  thousand 
acres  ;  we  staid  there  a  day  and  half.  The  wood  is  ex- 
tremely improved  since  you  saw  it,  and  when  the  whole 
design  is  executed,  it  will  be  one  of  the  finest  places  in 
England;  my  Lord  Bathurst  talks  with  great  delight 
of  the  pleasure  you  once  gave  him  by  surprising  him  in 
his  wood,  and  showed  me  the  house  where  you  lodged. 
It  has  been  rebuilt ;  for  the  day  you  left  it  it  fell  to  the 
ground,  conscious  of  the  honour  it  had  received  by 
entertaining  so  illustrious  a  guest,  it  burst  with  pride ! 
My  Lord  Bathurst  has  greatly  improved  the  wood  house, 
which  you  may  remember  but  a  cottage,  not  a  bit  better 
than  an  Irish  cabin.  It  is  now  a  venerable  castle,  and 
has  been  taken  by  an  antiquarian  for  one  of  King 
Arthur's,  "  with  thicket  overgrown  grotesque  and  wild." 
I  endeavoured  to  sketch  it  for  you,  but  I  have  not  skill 
to  do  it  justice.  My  Lord  Bathurst  was  in  great  spirits ; 
and  though  surrounded  by  candidates  and  voters  against 
next  Parliament,  made  himself  agreeable  in  spite  of  their 
clamour :  we  did  not  forget  to  talk  of  Naboth's  vine- 
yard' and  Delville.^  I  have  not  seen  him  since,  though 
he  promised  to  return  my  visit. 

^  "  Nahoth^s  vineyard  "  belonged  to  Dr.  Swift. 

2  Dr.  Delany's  beautiful  villa,  about  a  mile  from  Dublin. 


422  LIFE  AND  COREESPONDENCE 

All  the  heau  monde  flock  to  London  to  see  her  Eoyal 
Highness^  disposed  of;  but  I  prefer  my  duty  to  my 
mother,  and  the  conversation  of  a  country  girl,  (my 
sister),  to  all  the  pomp  and  splendour  of  the  Court.  Is 
this  virtue,  or  is  it  stupidity  ?  If  I  can  help  it  I  will  not 
go  to  town  till  after  Christmas.  I  shall  spend  one  month 
in  my  way  to  London  at  Long  Leat.^  I  hear  that  the 
young  people  there  are  very  happy. 

It  is  a  little  unreasonable  of  me  to  begin  a  fourth 

page ;  but  it  is  a  hard  task  to  retire  from  the  company 

one  likes  best.    I  am,  sir,  your  most  obliged  and  faithful 

humble  servant, 

M.  Pendarves. 


From  the  Countess  of  Qranvill^  to  Dean  Swift. 

Hawnes,  Nov.  27,  1733. 

Dear  Sir, 

I  have  received  the  honour  of  your  commands, 
and  shall  obey  them ;  for  I  am  very  proud  of  your  re- 
membrance. I  do  not  know  we  ever  quarrelled  ;  but  if 
we  did,  I  am  as  good  a  Christian  as  you  are, — ^in  perfect 
charity  with  you ;  my  son,  my  daughter,  and  all  our 
olive-branches  salute  you  most  tenderly. 

I  never  wished  so  much  as  I  do  now  that  I  were 
bright,  and  had  a  genius  which  could  entertain  you,  in 
return  for  the  many  excellent  things  that  entertain  me 
daily,  which  I  read  over  and  over  with  fresh  delight. 


'  The  Princess  Royal,  whose  marriage  was  afterwards  deferred  till  March  iu 
the  following  year. 

'^  The  country  seat  of  Lord  Weymouth. 

^  Grace,  widow  of  George  Lord  Carteret,  daughter  of  John  Granville,  1st 
Earl  of  Bath,  and  granddaughter  of  Sir  Bevil  Granville.  She  was  created 
Viscountess  Carteret,  and  Countess  Granville,  1st  January,  1714-15,  with 
limitations  of  those  honours  to  her  son  John  Lord  Carteret. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  423 

Will  you  never  come  into  England,  and  make  Hawnes' 
your  road  ?  You  will  find  nothing  here  to  ofifend  you, 
for  I  am  a  hermit  and  live  in  my  chimney-corner,  and 
have  no  ambition  but  that  you  will  believe  I  am  the 
charming  Dean's 

Most  obedient,  humble  servant, 

Granville. 


Mrs.  Pendarvet  to  Mrs.  Ann  OranviUe. 

Long  Leat,  19  Dec.  1733. 
I  send  all  my  letters  by  way  of  London,  and  yet  I 
find  they  do  not  come  regularly  to  you.  Letters  even 
from  London  miscarry,  unless  they  direct  them  by  the 
Frome  bag :  T  had  one  two  days  ago  from  Bunny, 
that  should  have  come  to  me  a  week  ago.  I  had  been 
uneasy  at  not  hearing  from  him ;  but  I  find  he  is  very 
well,  and  has  picked  up  a  little  sober  acquaintance  at 
Dunce ;  he  brags  of  plays  and  puppet-shows  too.  Sir 
John  Stanley  writ  a  short  postcript  in  the  letter  ;  he  has 
been  very  ill  with  a  strain  in  his  back,  which  he  got  by 
pruning  his  trees  at  Northend,  and  a  cold  upon  it  which 
he  has  not  yet  recovered.  I  had  a  letter  yesterday  from 
Mrs.  Shuttle  worth,  with  an  account  of  my  poor  Don- 
ellan,  who  had,  the  day  she  wrote  that  letter,  been  for 
the  first  time  in  the  park  to  take  the  air,  but  was  so 


'  The  seat  of  Lord  Carteret,  afterwards  Earl  Granville,  in  Bedfordshire. 
This  letter  has  been  published,  but  is  an  interesting  link  in  the  present  chain 
of  correspondence,  as  she\\"ing  the  variety  of  pfirsons  of  the  most  different  dis- 
positions, who  were  alike  in  their  partiality  for  the  society  of  Swift.  There 
could  not  be  two  individuals  much  more  dissimilar,  though  of  the  same  blood, 
than  Mary  Granville  and  the  redoubtable  Grace  Countess  Granville,  but  they 
both  agreed  on  that  point. 


424  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

weak  that  Mr.  Kelly  was  forced  to  carry  her  down  stairs 
in  his  arms;  but  when  she  came' back  she  was  so  much 
better,  that  with  a  little  help  she  walked  up  stairs.  By 
this  time  I  believe  you  have  received  the  explanation  of 
the  five  words ;  and  you  will  find  that  Friendship  is  not 
wanting,  though  the  word  is  not  there.  I  sent  you  a  few 
unmeaning  letters  last  time  I  wrote,  I  thought  to  have 
finished  the  alphabets  by  this  time,  but  I  have  not  time. 

I  have  not  yet  settled  the  afiair  of  Buckland,  and  I 
am  afraid  I  shall  not,  for  Lord  W.^  does  not  care  to  part 
with  it.  I  thank  you,  my  dear,  for  your  desiring  to 
work  a  cheneil  manteil  for  me ;  but  to  tell  you  the  truth 
I  am  sick  of  manteils,  and  I  have  two  by  me.  I  am 
glad  your  hood  answers  your  labour  so  well;  Lady 
Weymouth  is  very  impatient  for  her  box.  I  am  mightily 
pleased  at  your  having  a  summer's  ramble  in  view  ;  it 
will  be  agreeable  and  healthy,  and  very  convenient  so 
near  Gloucester.  I  wish  you  may  have  good  entertain- 
ment from  your  players. 

Whilst  Lord  and  Lady  Carteret  were  here,  Lord  Wey- 
mouth sent  for  the  players  from  Bath,  and  had  scenes  put 
up  in  the  great  parlour :  they  acted  two  plays  very  well. 
When  they  arrived  with  their  baggage.  Lady  Wey- 
mouth says  it  was  as  entertaining  a  part  as  any,  and 
put  her  in  mind  of  Scarron's  comical  romance.  We  have 
a  great  mind  to  have  a  little  dancing  this  Xtmas,  but  we 
shall  hardly  bring  it  to  bear,  for  Lord  Weymouth  hates 
it,  and  is  afraid  Lady  W.  should  use  too  much  exercise ; 
but  he  is  very  glad  of  any  pretence  to  put  it  off",  though 
he  is  very  obliging  to  her,  and  excessively  fond  of  her, 


»  "Lord  W."— Lord  Weymouth. 


OF  MRS.   DELANT.  -125 

and  I  don't  wonder  at  him,  for  if  any  man's  heart  is  to 
be  won  by  merit,  she  has  a  very  good  title  to  his ;  I 
never  saw  more  complaisance  and  sweetness  of  manner 
than  she  has  in  her  whole  behaviour.  Lord  0.  has  at  last 
put  on  a  shoe,  but  not  a  boot ;  he  is  expected  here  every 
day,  for  he  promised  to  make  his  first  visit  to  Long 
Leat  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to  go  abroad.  Some  men 
are  expected  from  the  Bath  to  spend  a  day  or  two  here, 
old  companions  of  Mr.  Yilliers's ;  I  don't  expect  much 
from  them.  Mr.  Harbin^  makes  me  an  hour's  visit 
every  morning,  which  time  I  think  very  well  spent,  for 
he  is  improving  and  entertaining.  Since  my  moving 
into  a  new  apartment,  and  that  my  room  does  not  smoke, 
I  have  not  taken  my  morning  walks  in  the  gallery,  for 
that  broke  in  a  little  too  much  on  my  morning  exercises. 
I  have  made  up  my  green  muff,  and  it  looks  very  pretty ; 
Lady  W.  liked  it  prodigiously,  but  I  could  not  make 
her  a  compKment  of  it,  because  it  is  a  counterpart  of 
yours,  and  a  sort  of  emblem  of  you  and  me,  and  so  I 
must  cherish  it. 

I  think  I  wrote  you  word  long  ago  that  Mrs.  Helen 
Seymour  was  dead ;  'tis  thought  she  might  have  been 
recovered,  if  the  old  miser  her  father^  would  have  been 
at  the  expense  of  sending  for  a  good  physician.  She  was 
the  best  of  the  family ;  she  had  a  fortune  of  ninety 
pounds  a  year  in  her  own  power,  which  she  left  to  two 
of  her  sisters.  Sir  Edward  allowed  them  forty  pounds 
a  year  a-piece,  and  since  that  legacy  he  has  stopped  it, 
a  notable  instance  of  his  fatherly  love  and  generosity. 


1  "  Mr.  Harbin,"  query  Lord  Wejinouth's  chaplain  ? 

2  Sir  Edward  Seymour,  5th  baronet,  and  father  of  Sir  Edward  Seymour, 
who  succeeded,  in  1750,  to  the  Dukedom  of  Somerset. 


426  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

I  told  you  before  that  I  had  begun  Lord  Clarendon's 
History;  it  entertains  me  very  much,  and  Lady  W.  is 
mightily  pleased  with  it ;  I  am  very  glad  to  introduce 
anything  to  her  that  can  please  and  inform  her  at  the 
same  time. 

There  are  no  other  letters  preserved  from  Long  Leat,  where 
Mrs.  Pendarves  spent  the  Christmas  of  1733.  Her  next  letter  to 
her  sister  is  in  February  of  the  new  year. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Qranville. 

L.  B.  Street,  16  Feby,  1733-4. 

My  valentine  was  my  Lord  Orkney/  I  have  fixed  it  on 
the  Earl,  and  have  some  thoughts  of  marrying  him ; 
then  bury  him  decently  in  Westminster,  and  enjoy  the 
dowagership  most  gallantly.  Wliat  think  you  of  this 
scheme?  I  won't  pursue  it  till  I  have  your  consent. 
You  shall  be  very  welcome  to  Clevedon,  'tis  a  fine  place. 
I  can't  brag  much  of  my  eye.  I  find  it  still  weak,  and 
it  wiU  be  humoured ;  though  it  went  pinking  and  blinking 
to  Court  last  night,  where  I  saw  nothing  bright  enough 
to  dazzle  it  much.  I  went  with  Lady  Dysart  and  Lady 
Weymouth;  we  only  went  to  the  King's  drawing-room. 
I  had  a  bow  from  Periander,  but  I  brushed  by  him  for 
fear  of  his  throwing  some  awkward  sentence  at  me  out 


*  George  Hamilton,  5th  son  of  William  Duke  of  Hamilton,  was  created  in 
1696,  Earl  of  Orkney,  Viscount  Kirkwall  and  Baron  Dechmont.  He  was  a 
distinguished  military  officer,  and  in  1712  served  as  a  general  of  foot  iindcr 
the  Duke  of  Ormond  in  Flanders.  He  married  Elizabeth  Villiers,  sister  of 
Edward,  1st  Earl  of  Jersey,  became  a  widower  in  1733,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
71,  in  1737,  leaving  three  daughters,  the  eldest  of  whom,  Anne,  became  in 
her  own  right  Countess  of  Orkney. 


OP  MRS.  DELANY.  427 

of  that  disagreable  mouth  of  his,  and  then  the  ladies  I 
was  with  would  have  led  me  a  weary  life. 

Now  you  expect  some  account  of  our  cousin  Spencer.^ 
They  were  married  on  Thursday  between  eight  and  nine 
o'  the  clock  at  night.  Those  at  the  wedding  were  the 
Duke  and  Duchess  of  Marlborough,  Duke  and  Duchess 
of  Bedford,  Sir  Eobert  Worsley  and  my  lady,"  Lord 
Morpeth,  Lord  Winchelsea,  Col.  Husk",  Col.  Montague, 
and  all  Mrs.  Spencer's  brothers  and  sisters.  After  they 
were  married  they  played  a  pool  at  commerce,  supped  at 
ten,  went  to  bed  between  twelve  and  one,  and  went  to 
Windsor  Lodge  the  next  day  at  noon,  and  are  to  return 
on  Monday ;  they  have  taken  the  lodging  Mr.  Percival 
had  in  Conduit  Street.  Her  clothes  were  white  satin 
embroidered  with  silver,  very  fine  lace ;  and  the  jewels 
the  Duchess  of  Marlborough  gave,  which  I  believe,  I 
have  already  given  you  an  account  of,  so  I  will  not 
repeat  it.     The  rest  of  her  clothes  are  a  pink  and  silver, 


1  Georgiana  Carolina  Carteret,  fourth  daughter  of  John  Lord  Carteret,  after- 
wards Earl  Granville,  was  bom  March  12,  1716,  and  baptized  on  the  5th  of 
the  following  month.  King  George  II.  and  Queen  Caroline  were  her  sponsors. 
She  was  married  February  14, 1733-4,  to  the  Honourable  John  Spencer,  brother 
of  Charles  Duke  of  Marlborough.  Her  son  by  this  marriage  was  created  Earl 
Spencer  in  1765.  The  Daily  Courant  for  February  15,  1734,  thus  reports  this 
marriage.  "Yesterday,  the  Hon.  John  Spencer,  Esq.,  brother  to  his  Grace 
the  Diike  of  Marlborough,  and  grandson  to  her  Grace  the  Duchess-dowager  of 
Marlborough,  was  married  at  St.  George's,  Hanover  Square,  to  the  third 
daughter  of  the  Eight  Hon.  the  Lord  Carteret,  a  beautiful  young  lady,  with  a 
fortune  of  30,000?." 

2  Sir  Robert  Worsley,  of  Appuldercombe,  born  in  1669,  who  married  in 
1690,  Frances,  only  daughter  of  Thomas,  first  Viscount  Weymouth  ;  and  had 
issue,  1.  Robert,  bom  in  1695,  died  unmarried  in  1714 ;  2.  Thymee,  bom  in 
1711,  married  Henrietta  Maria,  daughter  of  Charles  Wither,  Esq.,  of  Hall 
Place,  Hants,  but  died  s.  p.,  in  1741 — his  widow  married  secondly  Edmund 
Bramston,  Esq. ;  3.  Francis,  married  to  John,  Lord  Carteret,  afterwards  Earl 
of  Granville,  and  had  issue.  Sir  Robert  Worsley  died  in  August,  1747,  and 
was  succeeded  by  his  cousin. 


428  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

a  flowered  silk,  white  ground,  a  blue  damask  night- 
gown, and  a  white  damask  the  robing  and  facings  em- 
broidered with  gold  and  colours ;  a  pink  plain  poudesoy, 
a  flowered  silk,  green  ground,  her  laces  and  linenvery 
fine.  Everybody  at  the  wedding  was  magnificent.  Lady 
Dysart,  white  and  purple  and  silver,  Lady  Weymouth, 
blue  and  silver.  Their  clothes  are  now  laid  by  for  the 
royal  wedding,  which  will  be  about  three  weeks  hence, 
'tis  thought.  I  have  got  my  wedding  garment  ready, 
'tis  a  brocaded  lutestring,  white  ground  with  great  ramp- 
ing flowers  in  shades  of  purples,  reds,  and  greens.  I  gave 
thirteen  shillings  a  yard ;  it  looks  better  than  it  describes, 
and  will  make  a  show :  I  shall  wear  with  them  dark 
purple  and  gold  ribbon,  and  a  black  hood  for  decency's  sake. 

Who  should  I  see  at  Court  last  night,  noddling  her 
head,  but  Molly  Winnington,^  who  by  the  by,  I  fear  I 
have  afironted,  for  I  could  not  get  at  her  to  speak  to 
her,  nor  have  I  visited  her ;  for  how  is  it  possible  for 
one  that  lives  on  the  walls  of  Hyde  Park,  to  visit  at 
St.  G's? 

Our  cousins  are  now  growing  the  most  considerable 
people  in  the  kingdom.  If  their  heads  don't  turn  with 
it,  I  may  say  of  them  as  once  was  said  of  a  man  that 
bragged  he  could  look  down  a  steep  precipice  without 
being  giddy — that  he  had  the  strongest  or  the  weak- 
est head  in  the  world.  Well,  my  dear  sister,  we  are 
certainly  the  poorest  of  our  family,  but  yet  I  would  not 
change  with  any  one  of  them  every  circumstance  of  my 
life;  what  say  you?  But  don't  fear  that  mauvaise 
horde  of  yours ;  a  little  use  will  wear  it  off",  and  /  hope 

1  Mary,   eldest  daughter  of  Francis  Winnington,  Esq.,  of  Broadway,  in 
Worcestershire  ;  M.P.  for  Droitwich. 


OP  MRS.  DELANY.  429 

it  will  be  put  to  the  trial. ^  I  have  not  yet  seen  Lady 
Hertford,  but  shall  some  morning  next  week.  The 
Prince  of  Hesse  Cassel  will  have  Princess  Amelia.^  Look 
in  your  map  and  see  how  you  like  that  country  ?  'tis  better 
than  the  Prince  of  Orange's/  and  a  very  cheap  place. 

I  have  sent  the  hartshorn^  salts^  solos,  and  two  or  three 
poems,  that  perhaps  you  have  seen — Lord  Lansdowne 
sent  them  to  you;  he  expresses  great  liking  for  you. 
I  am  delighted  with  the  thoughts  of  your  country 
seat  this  summer.  The  work  I  design  sending  you  is 
some  I  have  ready  drawn,  but  it  must  not  be  traced — 
traced  work  is  very  ugly,  and  quite  out  of  fashion. 
You  that  have  a  knowledge  of  shading  cannot  be  at  a  loss, 
and  if  you  should  spoil  a  bit  of  canvass,  what  does  it 
signify. 

Sister  Griselda  received  your  packet.  She  waits  for 
something  to  send  you  in  return.  The  fortune  of  the 
Wesleys  is  not  on  so  good  a  foot  as  you  imagine,  for 
if  they  have  no  son,  the  estate  goes  to  one  that  has 
used  them  very  ill. 

The  following  verses  were  found  among  Mrs.  Delany's  corre- 
spondence, written  on  a  sheet  of  paper  surrounded  by  a  garland  of 
roses  : — 

To  y**  HonWe.  Geovgina  Caroline  Carteret,  on  May  1st,  1731 : — 

Hail  beauteous  emblem 

Of  the  blooming  year ! 

On  thee  y^  rose  and  lilly  shew, 

Fairer  by  far,  much  sweeter  too, 

Than  bush  or  meadow  bear. 


1  This  sentence  was  in  allusion  to  the  expectation  of  Mrs.  Anrt  Granville's 
having  an  appointment  at  court. 

2  This  marriage  did  not  take  place. 

3  William  Prince  of  Orange,  who  married  Ann,  Princess  Royal,  March  14, 
1734. 


430  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

And  durst  I  have  a  wish, 

I  wou'd  appear  a  lilly  too, 

That  almost  vies, 

With  snow  that  on  yJ"  bosom  lies, 

And  grow  for  ever  there. 

By  ye  Reverend  Mr.  Fletcher. 

The  following  account  is  given  in  the  Daily  Courant  of  Janu- 
ary 21,  1734,  a  month  before  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Spencer  and 
Miss  Carteret : — "  On  Tuesday  last  the  estates  of  his  Grace 
Charles  Duke  of  Marlborough,  in  Northamptonshire  and  Bedford- 
shire, together  with  Sunderland  House  in  Piccadilly,  were  in 
due  form  conveyed  to  the  Hon.  John  Spencer,  his  Grace's  only 
brother,  pursuant  to  the  last  will  and  testament  of  the  late  Duke 
of  Marlborough — that  then,  and  in  that  case,  he  would  recommend 
it  to  the  Duke  of  Marlborough  to  settle  such  estates  he  was  before 
in  possession  of  on  his  younger  brothers  or  brother,  or  give  them  or 
him  an  equivalent  in  money  in  lieu  thereof,  within  three  months 
after  the  acquisition  of  those  honours." 

"  We  hear  that  the  Duchess  Dowager  of  Marlborough  hath 
settled  5000?.  per  annum  on  the  Hon.  John  Spencer,  her  grand- 
son, and  his  heirs  for  ever." 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville. 

L.  B.  Street,  2  March,  1733-4. 

My  Dearest  Anna, 

I  am  so  much  indebted  to  all  my  correspondents, 
that  I  cannot  possibly  afford  you  this  post  a  folio  sheet, 
having  several  letters  to  write ;  but  I  make  yours  the 
first  for  fear  some  impertinence  otherwise  might  happen, 
and  rob  you  of  your  due.  I  have  received  the  ham  and 
woodcocks,  and  am  prodigiously  obliged  to  my  dear  mama 
for  them.  But  I  am  sorry  she  has  put  herself  to  that 
expense  and  trouble ;  surely  I  want  no  new  mark  of 
her   goodness  to  me,  that   have  already  received  more 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  431 

than  I  can  ever  return.  I  am  indebted  to  you  for  the 
carriage  of  the  last  things  I  had  from  Grlocester.  What 
could  make  you  pay  the  carriage  there  ?  I  have  this  day 
sent  your  box,  some  flower-seeds  from  Lady  Sunderland, 
three  caps  for  mama,  and  I  have  tried  to  get  the 
violet  comjlts,  but  no  such  thing  is  to  be  met  with ; 
and  your  fan,  which  is  mounted  with  an  Indian  paper — 
no  others  are  now  worn,  and  the  sticks  are  too  weak 
for  any  other  kind  of  paper.  If  you  have  not  seen  Tit 
for  Tat,^  I  believe  it  will  amuse  you — I  have  cramm'dit 
in  the  box.     It  was  occasioned  by  an  abusive  poem  of 

Lord  H to  a  clergyman,  where  he  mauls  poor  Pope 

unmercifully  and  unskilfully :  both  the  poems  are  to- 
gether. I  have  nothing  else  worth  reading,  or  you 
should  have  it. 

Yesterday  being  the  anniversary  of  her  Majesty's 
birthday,  the  same  was  observed  with  the  usual  cere- 
mony and  magnificence.  I  can't  say  I  saw  much  of  it ; 
for  I  have  kept  my  clothes  for  the  wedding.  I  was  at 
Lady  Carteret's  yesterday,  and  saw  her  three  married 
daughters,  most  completely  dressed,  and  three  very  fine 
figures  they  were,  though  very  difierent  beauties.  Lady 
Dysart's  face  is  handsomer  titan  ever ;  but  Lady  Wey- 
mouth's person  bears  away  the  bell,  even  from  the  Marl- 
borough race,  and  Mrs.  Spencer  is  neither  so  handsome 
as  Lady  Dysart,  nor  so  genteel  as  Lady  Weymouth, — 
and  yet,  altogether,  she  is  as  agreeable  as  either  of  them  ; 
Lady  Dysart's  clothes  were  pink  armazine  trimmed  with 
silver.  Lady  Weymouth,  white  brocaded  lutestring  with 
silver  and  colours,  Mrs.  Spencer,  white  satin  embroidered 

^  Tn  the  Daily  Journal  for  January  26,  1734,  is  an  advertisement.  "  This 
day  is  published,  price  6d.,  Tit  for  Tat,  or  an  answer  to  the  Epistle  to  a 
Nobleman." 


432  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

with  silver  ,*  Lord  Weymouth  gave  her  the  day  before  the 
birthday,  a  brilHant  necklace  worth  two  thousand  pounds. 

Now  I  have  entered  upon  this  subject,  I  must  tell  you 
the  present  the  Prince  of  Orange  has  prepared  for  his 
princess — a  necklace  of  rose  diamonds ;  the  five  middle 
diamonds  are  half  the  necklace,  two  of  which  are  worth 
four  thousand  pound,  her  earrings  of  proportionable  value  ; 
a  green  diamond  to  hang  as  a  bob  to  her  necklace  of  a 
vast  size,  and  five  loops  for  her  stays,  the  finest  that  he 
could  get  in  England.  He  presented  her  before  his  sick- 
ness with  pearl  much  finer  than  any  of  the  Queen's.  The 
day  for  the  royal  nuptials  is  not  yet  named ;  the  Prince 
is  to  be  in  town  on  Monday  next. 

I  suppose  there  is  a  letter  for  me  at  Lord  Weymouth's, 
but  they  are  not  stirring  yet,  for  I  am  a  very  early  person, 
and  rise  every  morning  at  seven,  though  Dean  Berkley^ 
that  was,  (now  Bishop  of  Cloyne),  and  his  lady  rise  every 
morning  at  four  o  the  clock  :  they  are  the  most  primitive 
couple  that  ever  I  heard  of.  I  forgot  to  tell  you  in 
my  last,  that  Mr.  Huddleston  should  have  his  case  well 
drawn  up,  and  presented  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury :  if  he  has  no  better  means  of  doing  it,  T  will 
endeavour  to  find  out  somebody  to  do  it  for  him, 
if  you  will  get  all  those  circumstances  of  his  life  stated, 
that  may  be  of  service  to  him.  Poor  Barber  is. very 
much  dejected,  and  I  am  sorry  for  it ;  I  doubt  her  cir- 
cumstances are  not  in  the  best  way,  and  this  last  affair 
has  been  very  troublesome  and  mortifying  to  her, 
though  there  can  he  nothing  against  her  of  consequence.^ 


^  George  Berkeley,  Dean  of  Derry,  was  appointed  to  the  bishopric  of  Cloyne 
in  1734. 

*  The  allusion  to  Mrs.  Barber  proves  that  her  patrons  did  not  give  credence 
to  her  having  written  the  letters  to  Queen  Caroline  before  alluded  to. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  433 

Now  for  a  little  of  my  own  affairs  !  Mrs.  Basset's  agent 
is  glad  to  pay  the  half-year  as  due;  but  as  to  the 
charge  of  security,  they  offer  me  fifty  guineas  to  do 
them  a  courtesy  which  is  worth  twenty  thousand !  but 
they  have  teazed  me  and  tired  me  so  much,  that  I  have 
offered  to  compound  the  matter ;  Bunny  will  not  be 
pleased  with  this  composition,  but  I  am  sick  of  having 
any  more  dealings  with  them. 

I  am  to  dine  to  day  at  Lord  Lansdown's,  to  meet  Sir 
William  Carew  and  Sir  John  S*  Aubyn  ;^  Lady  Lansdown 
and  Miss  Granville  were  both  very  fine  yesterday.  You 
find  how  unnecessarily  you  tormented  yourself  at  not 
hearing  from  me ;  pray  don't  be  so  easily  alarmed,  'tis 
the  way  to  be  miserable.  Our  real  evils  are  as  much  as 
our  weak  natures  can  possibly  support ;  we  must  always 
strive  against  imaginary  ones,  or  to  what  purpose  are  we 
endued  with  reason?  Let  me  know  what  letters  you 
want  to  complete  your  alphabet;  in  what  character  is 
Miss  Beal  to  go  with  the  Orange  family  ?  A  sub-maid, 
I  guess.     I  must  finish.    Adieu,  my  love, 

I  am  yours  with  all  truth  and  tenderness, 

M.  P. 

My  humble  duty  to  dear  mama.  If  you  can  get  a 
tolerably  neat  frame  and  glass  at  Glocester,  put  Swift's 
picture  in  one  before  you  give  it  Mr.  Newton,  and  let  me 
know  what  it  comes  to. 


^  Sir  John  St.  Aubyn  married,  1725,  Mary,  daughter  and  co-heir  of  Peter 
de  la  Hay,  Esq.  Xo  date  of  his  death  is  given  in  Burke's  Extinct  Baronetage. 


VOL.    I.  2  P 


434  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

From  the  Countess  Granville  to  Mrs.  Pendarves. 

Hawnes,  March  14th,  1733-4. 

Dear  Cousin, 

I  accept  of  your  cliallenge,  and  am  ready  to  try 
who  shall  be  tired  first.  Your  visits  are  most  agreeable, 
and  can  never  be  too  long;  I  wish  I  could  entertain 
you  as  much,  or  serve  you  in  the  pursuit  you  are  in, — an 
after-game  is  more  difficult  than  a  first.  However,  I 
think  you  are  in  the  right  way,  as  to  your  man  acquaint- 
ance. He  has  too  much  honour  to  promise,  and  not 
keep  his  word,  but  as  to  your  ladies,  I  have  no  opinion 
of  anything  they  say  !  I  don't  doubt  but  you  make  your 
court  by  being  on  that  side  in  music,  everything  runs  into 
party,  and  with  many  without  any  judgment ;  but  I  don't 
say  that  of  2/ou,  for  you  have  a  right  taste  in  everything. 
I  am  very  glad  my  young  ladies  think  so  much  of 
music,  as  to  be  of  either  side.  I  hope  Lady  Weymouth 
will  find  time  to  recover  her  hand,  it  is  only  practice  can 
do  it ;  she  tells  me  she  was  about  buying  a  harpsichord. 
I  have  so  entirely  given  up  all  my  authority  to  her  Lord, 
that  I  have  no  directions  to  give  in  any  particular.  I 
am  much  pleased  with  your  saying  I  have  the  honour  of 
his  good  opinion,  for  he  has  a  great  share  in  my  heai-t ; 
his  right  judging  of  everything,  and  his  good  nature 
charms  me ;  I  hear  he  is  one  of  the  handsomest  beaus 
in  town,  and  shines  as  much  as  his  wife  does.  Your 
commending  Fanny  '  pleases  me  very  much ;  she  is  now 
at  her  worst,  but  I  hope  will  mend  every  day.  Pray  be 
so  good  as  to  hear  her  play  and  sing,  and  let  me  have 


*  Lady  Fraaces,  youngest  daughter  of  Lord  Carteret,  and  granddaughter  to 
CJountess  Granville. 


I 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  430 

your  opinion ;  she  promises  me  to  take  a  great  deal  of 
pains,  which  Lady  Weymouth  never  would  do,  else 
she  had  sung  as  well  as  her  mother,  for  she  has  as  sweet 
a  voice,  and  strength  would  have  come  with  often  practice, 
and  a  good  deal  of  pains,  which  made  Lady  Carteret's 
what  it  is.  Till  she  learned  of  Mr.  HoUcome  a  few  years 
ago  she  would  never  put  out  her  voice.  There  is,  I 
think,  no  accomplishment  so  great  for  a  lady  as  music, 
for  it  tunes  the  mind.  My  daughter  tells  me  Mrs. 
Spencer  will  improve  her  music  with  learning,  for  Mr. 
Spencer  loves  it  extremely,  and  plays  himself  very  weU 
on  the  German  flute. 

The  Boyal  Wedding  will  give  you  matter  to  fill  a 
letter;  I  guess  you  will  venture  into  the  booth,  and 
pretty  women  never  want  people  to  take  care  of  them.  I 
wish  Sir  John  Stanley  would  make  me  a  visit  and  see  my 
improvements,  when  I  am  alone,  that  I  might  have  him 
all  to  myself  two  or  three  days  longer.  I  know  he  can't 
spare  time,  but  whether  he  will  or  no  give  me  that 
pleasure,  pray  tell  him  I  love  and  honour  him,  for  I  have 
been  long  acquainted  with  his  generosity,  good  sense,  and 
good  nature  :  he  is  the  reverse  of  his  friend,  my  neighbour 
at  Great  Park,  who  makes  a  sad  figure ;  I  never  see 
him,  which  I  am  not  sorry  for.  I  tell  you  all  my 
thoughts,  for  I  have  the  utmost  esteem  for  you ;  and  on 
all  occasions  I  shall  be  glad  to  show  you  how  much 
I  am,  dear  cousin. 
Your  most  affectionate  humble  servant, 

Granville. 

The  above  letter  was  written  by  Grace,  Countess  Granville, 
familiarly  called  "  the  old  Countess,"  and  also  **  the  Dragon." 
She  was  the  youngest  surviving  daughter  of  John,  1st  Earl  of 

2  F  2 


436  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Bath ;  was  born  Sept.  3,  1654.  She  married,  March  9,  1674, 
George,  1st  Baron  Carteret,  who  died  22nd  Sept.,  1695,  in  the 
26th  year  of  his  age.  By  the  death  of  her  nephew,  William 
Henry  Granville,  Earl  of  Bath,  in  1711,  she  became  a  coheir  of 
his  estate,  and  in  1715  she  was  created  Viscountess  Carteret  and 
Countess  Granville  in  her  own  right.  She  died  in  1744,  and 
was  buried  in  Westminster  Abbey. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  OranvUle. 

16  March,  1733-4. 

My  dearest  sister,  with  a  muddled  head  (the  effects  of 
raking),  I  shall  attempt  to  give  you  some  account  of  our 
Royal  Wedding.^  You  must  not  expect  a  very  intelligible 
description,  for  it  is  hard  to  make  that  plain  which 
appeared  to  me  all  confusion.  As  to  the  ceremony  that 
was  performed  on  Thursday,  I  refer  you  to  newspapers, 
where  you  will  meet  with  better  information  than  any  I 
can  give  you ;  for  I  was  not  there,  which  I  have  since 
repented,  for  it  was  in  the  greatest  order  that  it  could 
be,  and  much  less  fatigue  than  Court  was  yesterday. 

The  Princess  of  Orange's  dress  was  the  prettiest  thing 
that  ever  was  seen — a  corps  de  robe,  that  is,  in  plain 
English,  a  stiff-bodied  gown.  The  eight  peers'  daughters 
that  held  up  her  train  were  in  the  same  sort  of  dress — all 
white  and  silver,  with  great  quantities  of  jewels  in  their 
hair,  and  long  locks  :  some  of  them  were  very  pretty  and 
well  shaped — it  is  a  most  becoming  dress.  They  all  wore 
it  yesterday,  except  the  Princess,  and  she  was  in  a 
manteau  and  petticoat,  white   damask,  with  the  finest 


'  Anne,  Princess  Royal,  born  October  22,  1709,  married  March  14,  1734,  to 
William  Prince  of  Orange,  and  died  in  1759. 


OF  MBS.  DELANY.  437 

embroidery  of  rich  embossed  gold  and  festoons  of 
flowers  intermixed  in  their  natural  colours.  On  one  side 
of  her  head  she  had  a  green  diamond  of  a  vast  size,  the 
shape  of  a  pear,  and  two  pearls  prodigiously  large  that 
were  fastened  to  wires  and  hung  loose  upon  her  hair :  on 
the  other  side  small  diamonds  prettily  disposed ;  her 
earrings,  necklace,  and  bars  to  her  stays  all  extravagantly 
fine,  presents  of  the  Prince  of  Orange  to  her.  The 
Prince  of  Orange  was  in  a  gold  stuiF  embroidered  with 
silver  ;  it  looked  rich  but  not  showy .  The  King  was  in  a 
gold  stuff  which  made  much  more  show,  with  diamond 
buttons  to  his  coat;  his  star  and  George  shone  most 
gloriously.  The  Queen's  clothes  were  a  green  ground 
flowered  with  gold  and  several  shades  ;  but  grave  and  very 
handsome ;  her  head  was  loaded  with  pearls  and 
diamonds.  The  Prince  of  "Wales  was  fine,  as  you  may 
suppose,  but  I  hardly  ever  remember  men's  clothes. 
Princess  Amelia  had  white  embroidered  with  gold  and 
scarlet ;  Princess  Caroline,  white  embroidered  with  silver, 
green  and  purple.  The  Prince  of  Wales  dances  better 
than  anybody,  and  the  Prince  of  Orange  most  sur- 
prisingly well  considering  his  shape. 

The  Princess  of  Orange's  servants  were  all  presented  to 
her  yesterday  morning ;  Peg  most  outrageously  affronted 
by  being  presented  the  tkird  when  she  expected  to  be  the 
first.  She  was  bedizened  sumptuously,  pink  satin  with  a 
silver  trimming  that  cost  fifty  guineas  ;  Leonora  did  not 
consult  her  complexion,  her  clothes  were  a  black  green 
flowered  with  silver,  and  some  very  dull  colours.  Oh, 
what  a  figure  she  cut !  Lady  Sunderland,  with  whom  I 
went,  was  very  fine ;  a  white  and  gold  stuff  and  coloured 
flowers ;  Bess  in  a  pink  and  gold  silver  damask.     Now 


438  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

you'll  want  to  know  where  I  saw  all  this,  why  I  went  in 
the  morning  with  Lady  Sunderland  and  the  Duchess  of 
Marlborough.  We  went  at  one — such  crowding,  such 
finery  I  never  saw ;  with  great  difficulty  I  made  my  curt- 
sey, and  the  Queen  commended  my  clothes.  We  got  home 
to  dinner  about  five,  and  went  to  the  ball  at  eight,  were 
so  squeezed  for  half  an  hour  that  'twas  insupportable,  but 
Lord  Baltimore^  permitted  us  to  go  up  into  the  gallery  : 
he  made  way  for  us,  and  we  were  happily  placed  where 
we  could  see  everything.  Lord  Crawford'^  was  in  a  white 
damask  laced  with  gold.  No  women  danced  but  the 
princesses  and  the  trainbearers. 
We  got  out  very  easily  at  twelve. 

There  is  some  ambiguity  in  the  wording  of  a  sentence  at  the 
commencement  of  the  above  letter  relative  to  the  royal  marriage, 
as  it  would  appear  on  first  reading  that  Mra  Pendarves  was  not 
present,  and  yet  that  she  gave  the  account  as  that  of  an  eye- 
witness, at  the  same  time  referring  her  sister  to  the  newspaper. 
But  the  facts  are  as  follows :  The  Princess  Royal  was  married  to 
the  Prince  of  Orange  on  Thursday  the  14th  of  March.  Mrs.  Pen- 
darves says  that  she  repented  that  she  did  not  witness  the  mar- 
riage, for  the  account  of  which  she  refers  her  sister  to  the  paper. 
The  details  of  dress,  &c.,  which  she  afterwards  gives  from  her  own 
observation,  was  at  the  drawing-room  the  following  day  (Friday, 
15th),  of  which  she  said  it  appeared  "all  confusion,"  but  that  the 
marriage,  she  understood,  had  been  conducted  with  •'  the  greatest 
order  possible ;"  the  following  account  extracted  from  the  papers 
of  1734,  may  be  interesting  to  those  who  witnessed  the  recent 
marriage  (1858)  of  the  Princess  Royal  of  England  to  observe  the 
differences  in  the  ceremonial. 


1  This  is  the  first  mention  of  Lord  Baltimore  since  1730. 

3  John  Lindsay,  Earl  of  Crawford,  is  mentioned  by  Horace  Walpole  as 
having  died  January  1750.  His  life,  which  has  nothing  remarkable  in  it, 
was  afterwards  published  in  a  large  quarto. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  439 

"  On  Thursday,  the  14th  of  March,  came  on  the  marriage  of  the 
Princess  Royal  with  his  Serene  Highness  the  Prince  of  Orange, 
on  which  occasion  great  rejoicings  were  made.  The  ceremony 
was  performed  in  the  evening,  and  the  procession  from  the  palace 
through  the  gallery  built  in  the  parky^  to  the  chapel  contiguous  to 
the  palace,  was  in  the  following  manner :— Drums  and  trumpets 
and  kettle-drums,  and  the  Serjeant  Trumpeter,  in  his  collar  of 
S.S.,  and  bearing  the  mace ;  the  Master  of  the  Ceremonies,  with 
one  of  the  chiefest  officers  of  the  Bridegroom  ;  Gentleman  Usher  of 
the  Bridegroom,  between  the  two  senior  heralds  ;  the  Bridegroom, 
in  his  nuptial  apparel,  with  the  collar  of  the  Garter,  conducted  by 
the  Duke  of  Grafton,  Lord  Chamberlain,  and  Lord  Hervey,  Vice- 
Chamberlain,  and  supported  by  the  Earls  of  Scarborough  and 
Wilmington,  Knights  of  the  Garter,  being  both  batchelors,  wearing 
their  collars.  The  officers  attendant  on  the  Bridegroom  followed 
in  pairs,  according  to  their  rank.  Upon  the  entry  into  the  chapel 
the  attendants  went  to  the  seats  assigned  to  them,  and  the  Bride- 
groom was  brought  by  his  conductors  to  the  stool  placed  for  his 
Highness,  next  below  his  Majesty's  chair  of  state  on  the  haut-pas. 
The  Lord  Chamberlain  and  Vice-Chamberlain  returning  back  to 
conduct  the  Bride,  the  drums  and  trumpets  likewise  returning 
without  playing,  and  then  playing  in  like  manner  before  the  pro- 
cession of  the  Bride,  and  afterwards  betbre  the  procession  of  their 
Majesties.  The  Bride,  in  her  nuptial  habit,  and  wearitig  her 
coronet^  was  conducted  by  the  Lord  Chamberlain,  supported  by 
the  Prince  of  Wales  and  the  Duke  of  Cumberland.  Her  train 
was  carried  by  Lady  Caroline  Manners,  Lady  Louisa  Bertie,  Lady 
Caroline  Pierpoint,  Lady  Betty  Seymour,  Lady  Die  Gray,  Lady 
Caroline  Darcy,  Lady  Fanny  Montague,  and  Lady  Fanny  Pier- 
point.     {TJie  names  spelt  as  here  given.) 

"  The  Prince  of  Wales's  servants  preceded  him  one  by  one  in  a 


'  In  allusion  to  this  gallery,  Walpole  mentions  an  anecdote  of  the  Duchess  of 
Marlborough,  who  with  her  characteristic  insolence  expressed  her  wonder  as  to 
when  her  "  neighbour  would  take  away  his  orange  chest,"  which  darkened  the 
windows  of  Marlbro'  House.  The  gallery  was  erected  for  the  procession  from 
the  windows  of  the  great  dravnng-room  at  St.  James's  across  the  gardens  to  the 
Lutheran  Chapel  in  the  Friary. 


440  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

line ;  the  royal  Bride's,  and  the  Duke  of  Cumberland's  servants 
preceded  them  in  the  same  manner.  Unmarried  daughters  of 
peers  preceded  in  pairs,  as  also  peeresses. 

"  His  Majesty,  in  the  great  collar  of  the  Garter,  was  preceded 
by  all  the  Bishops  in  their  episcopal  habits,  who  followed  the  Knight 
Marshal,  the  Heralds,  Knights  of  the  Bath,  (not  peers,^  Privy 
Councillors,  {not  peers,)  Sir  Robert  Walpole,  Knight  of  the  Garter, 
with  his  collar,  alone,  Sir  Conyers  Darcy,  Knight  of  the  Bath, 
with  his  collar,  alone,  in  his  place  as  appointed  for  the  Comptroller 
of  the  Household,  and  the  Barons.  The  Bishops  were  followed  by 
the  Viscounts,  Earls,  Marquesses,  and  Dukes,  two  and  two,  accord- 
ing to  their  respective  precedencies :  two  provincial  Kings  of 
Arms,  Lord  Privy  Seal,  Lord  Chancellor,  Garter  King  of  Arms, 
between  two  Gentlemen  Ushers,  the  Earl  Marshal,  with  gold  staff, 
Sword  of  State,  borne  by  the  Duke  of  Montagu,  K.G.,  supported 
by  the  Lord  Chamberlain  and  Vice-Chamberlain. 

"  After  his  Majesty  followed  the  Captain  of  the  Guards,  having 
on  his  right  the  Captain  of  the  Band  of  Pensioners,  and  on  his  left 
the  Captain  of  the  Yeomen  of  the  Guard  ;  the  Earl  of  Pembroke, 
Lord  of  the  Bedchamber  in  waiting,  Sir  Robert  Rich,  and  Col. 
Campbell,  grooms  of  the  bedchamber  in  waiting.  Her  Majesty 
was  preceded  by  Mr.  Coke,  her  Vice-Chamberlain,  supported  by 
the  Earl  of  Grantham,  her  Lord-Chamberlain,  and  the  Earl  of 
Pomffet,  her  Master  of  the  Horse. 

"The  Princesses  Amelia,  Caroline,  Mary,  and  Louisa,  were 
supported  severally  by  two  Gentlemen  Ushers.  The  ladies  of  her 
Majesty's  bedchamber,  maids  of  honour  and  women  of  the  bed- 
chamber followed  the  Princesses  in  pairs,  according  to  their  pre- 
cedencies, the  gentlemen  pensioners  walking  in  two  rows  on  each 
side. 

"  All  persons  in  the  procession,  on  their  entering  the  chapel, 
retired  to  the  several  places  appointed  for  each  degree  or  class. 
None  remained  on  the  haut-pas  besides  their  Majesties,  seated  on 
their  chairs  of  state,  and  the  Royal  Family,  on  stools,  excepting  the 
Lord  of  the  Bedchamber  in  waiting,  behind  the  King,  the  lord 
who  bore  the  sword  and  continued  holding  it  erect  on  his  Majesty's 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  441 

right  hand,  and  the  Lord  Chamberlain,  with  the  Vice-Chamberlain 
near  him  on  the  left  hand  of  his  Majesty.  Her  Majesty's  Lord 
Chamberlain,  Master  of  the  Horse,  and  Vice-Chamberlain,  stood 
upon  the  haut-pas  behind  her.  The  ladies  of  the  bedchamber, 
maids  of  honour,  and  women  of  the  bedchamber  went  to  the  places 
assigned  them.  After  the  Bishop  of  London,  (as  Dean  of  the 
chapel,)  had  given  the  blessing,  their  Majesties  removed  to  tlie 
traverse  erected  on  one  side  of  the  altar ;  the  Prince  of  Orange, 
then  leading  the  Princess,  went  up  to  the  rails  of  the  altar,  and 
knelt  there.  When  the  Dean  had  finished  the  service  in  the 
liturgy,  the  married  couple  rose  and  retired  back  to  their  stools  on 
the  haut-pas,  while  the  anthem  was  sung.  On  the  return  of  the 
procession  the  Prince  of  Orange  was  supported  by  two  marined 
dukes,  Knights  of  the  Garter  (viz.  Richmond  and  Rutland).  The 
Princess  was  supported  as  before  by  her  two  royal  brothers,  her 
train  carried  as  before,  but  all  the  married  ladies  in  pairs  went 
next  to  the  Princess,  and  all  the  unmarried  ladies  who  in  the 
entry  preceded  the  married  ones,  now  followed  them  according  to 
tlieir  degrees. 

"  The  only  change  in  his  Majesty's  procession  on  the  return 
was  that  the  Heralds  supplied  the  rooms  of  the  provincial  Kings, 
who  attended  the  Princess  and  her  Majesty  in  like  manner,  the 
Princesses  following  in  the  former  method.  As  soon  as  the^ro- 
cession  came  back  to  the  door  of  the  lesser  drawing-room,  the 
company  stopped,  but  their  Majesties,  Prince  of  Wales,  Duke  of 
Cumberland,  Bride  and  Bridegroom,  and  the  Princesses,  went  in, 
when  the  Prince  of  Orange  and  Princess  Royal  kneeled  and  asked 
their  Majesties'  blessing.  At  11  o'clock  the  Royal  Family  supped 
in  public,  in  the  great  state  ball-room ;  their  Majesties  were 
placed  at  the  upper  end  of  the  table,  under  a  canopy ;  on  their 
right  the  Prince  of  Wales,  the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  and  the 
Prince  of  Orange ;  on  tlieir  left  tJie  Princess  Royal  and  the 
Princesses  Amelia,  Caroline,  and  Mary.  The  Countess  of  Hert- 
ford carved.  About  one  the  Bride  and  Bridegroom  retired,  and 
were  afterwards  seen  by  the  nobility,  &c.  sitting  up  in  their  bed- 
chamber in  rich  undresses. 


442  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

**  All  people  of  quality  and  persons  of  distinction  that  did  not 
walk  in  the  procession,  had  a  gallery  prepared  for  them  in  the 
chapel  to  see  the  ceremony." 

On  the  Prince  of  Orange's  arrival  in  Nov.  1733,  the  prisoners 
on  the  Master's  side  of  the  King's  Bench,  made  great  rejoicings  by 
illuminations,  &c.,  and  particularly  by  a  large  paper  machine,  in 
which  was  enclosed  several  candles.  The  machine  was  transparent, 
and  upon  the  sides  were  written  the  four  folio wng  lines : — 

"Great  is  our  joy,  let  echoing  cannons  roar, 
Nassau  is  landed  on  the  British  shore. 
William  brought  peace,  and  liberty  restor'd, 
We  hope  like  blessings  Nassau  will  aflford." 

Jonathan  Pinchbeck,  the  fan-maker,  also  advertised  "  The  original, 
loyal,  Nassau  Fan ;   or  Love  and  Beauty  triumphant." 


Mrs.  Ann  Qranville  to  her  sister  Mrs.  Pendarves. 

Gloster,  20  March,  1734. 

So  mucli  magnificence  and  order  must  be  a  noble 
sight ;  well,  positively  when  we  marry  another  daughter 
I  will  contrive  to  be  in  town.  Thanks  to  my  dearest 
sister  for  her  fine  description  ;  your  words  render  every- 
thing, however  fine  and  agreeable  in  itself,  doubly  so  to 
me.  I  have  not  read  your  letter  yet  to  above  a  dozen 
people,  but  it  will  be  made  known  to  the  whole  town ; 
the  author  of  the  Journal  would  give  me  a  good  price 
for  it !  The  dress  of  the  Princess  and  her  train-bearers 
must  be  extremely  becoming,  it  put  me  very  much  in 
mind  of  De  Scudery's  descriptions.  Methinks  I  am 
sorry  Princess  Eoyal  is  going  away ;  I  have  always 
heard  her  commended,  yet  her  perfections  have  been 
more  talked  of  siuce  the  match  was  on  foot  than  before. 
I  am  glad  the  Prince  of  Orange  has  so  much  under- 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  443 

standing,  I  wish  to  have  ingenious  people  come  together 
be  it  in  high  or  low  life :  there  cannot  be  greater 
unhappiness  to  a  person  of  sense,  than  to  be  forced  to 
live  with  those  of  a  small  capacity  I  There  are  many 
places  more  polite  than  our  city,  but  I  assure  you  none 
more  loyal.  There  was  such  general  rejoicing  that  it 
really  gave  one  spirits,  and  great  illuminations  at  night. 
My  mother  made  all  her  windows  very  bright,  as  was  the 
whole  square,  only  one  house,  and  they  suffered  for  it. 
I  hope  next  winter  there  will  be  a  proper  match  offered 
for  Princess  Amelia,  it  makes  so  much  gaiety.  I  am 
very  glad  you  were  not  the  worse  for  raking ;  you  are  so 
accustomed  to  hear  of  great  people  and  things  that  I 
don't  know  what  subject  to  talk  to  you  of,  and  to  relate 
our  petite  occurrences  at  this  time  would  be  drawing  you 
out  of  your  bright  sunshine  into  dark  shade.  Was  Phill 
well  enough  to  see  the  splendid  nuptials  ?  I  hope  Bunny 
is  by  this  time  safely  arrived  ;  I  am  six  Hues  in  his  debt, 
but  shall  desire  you  to  make  my  compliments  to  him, 
because  I  suppose  he  will  have  business  enough  upon  his 
hands  upon  his  first  coming  to  town ;  pray  ask  him 
about  a  heroine  in  his  regiment,  who  served  as  a  common 
soldier  for  some  years,  but  at  last  was  brought  to  bed 
of  a  son,  who  must  needs  be  a  great  warrior ! 

I  have  got  Doctor  Swift  placed  in  as  curious  a  frame 
as  this  unhandy  place  will  produce,  and  designed  to 
have  carried  it  this  morning,  but  it  rains  prodigiously. 
In  the  afternoon  we  go  to  Mrs.  M.,  and  have  much 
business  upon  our  hands  while  we  stay  here.  I  shall 
have  one  advantage  when  we  go  to  our  maison  champetre, 
of  being  freed  from  many  disagreeable  people  ;  is  it  not 
a  little  like  Macbeth' s  being  glad  to  be  hanged  to  leave 


44.4:  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

both  his  wives,  for  I  am  told  we  are  to  have  no  neighbour 
nearer  than  two  miles,  except  Mrs.  Bridgeman,  and  she 
is  so  so,  though  I  really  shall  not  be  sorry,  for  I  had  rather 
have  too  little  than  too  much  company  at  any  time. 

The  Hibernian  artist,  Mr.  Murphy,  was  very  unlucky, 
for  the  rejoicings  for  the  wedding  prevented  his  concert, 
but  'tis  no  matter,  for  he  is  the  most  impertinent  fellow 
that  ever  was  ;  is  there  any  music  in  his  harp  or  no  ? 
Oh  the  Serenata  !  could  I  have  heard  it,  or  the  Anthem 
Mr.  Handel  composed  for  the  Princess !  'tis  a  horrid 
thing  to  be  removed  from  all  harmony.  Sure  my  Lord 
Crawford's  dress  was  foppish  and  unbecoming  ?  I  hope 
you  received  my  last  letter  with  the  garden-seeds  for 
Lady  Sun.  I  have  not  yet  been  able  to  get  sweet  sultane 
but  I  shall  soon ;  has  she  any  of  the  fennel-flowers  ? 
I  can  send  some  from  Hatherly.  Miss  Sutton's  basket 
has  been  done  this  fortnight  and  is  a  great  beauty,  but 
too  small  to  be  sent  by  the  coach. 

'Tis  fit  some  folks  should  meet  with  a  little  mortifica- 
tion, if  Dragons^  were  not  sometimes  subdued  they  would 
overcome  and  distress  the  whole  world !  Who  are  the 
Princess  of  Orange's  maids  of  honour  besides  Mrs.  Sutton  ? 
I  know  who  I  wish  was  one,  and  yet  her  heart  would  go 
pit-a-pat  at  this  time  to  step  out  into  the  wide  world  by 
herself;  and  all  things  considered,  I  believe  she  is  per- 
fectly satisfied  things  are  as  they  are.  Periander  desired 
he  might  drink  tea  with  us  on  Sunday  in  the  afternoon. 

Yesterday  we  dined  at  the  Vineys  ;  children  roaring, 
he  scolding, — sweet  entertainment  for  company  !  Mrs. 
Butler  is  really  better,  but  she  will  not  believe  it.  Oh ! 
preserve  us   heaven   from  melancholy  and  its  train  of 

*  '*  Dragon."  Countess  Granville  was  known  by  the  name  of  *'  the  Dragon.^ 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  445 

miseries  !  which  would  deprive  us  of  all  joy  and  comfort, 
and  would  be  a  great  alloy  to  the  infinite  delights  my 
dearest  Penny  gives  her  ever  faithfull  and  affectionate, 

A.  a 

My  mother's  blessing  and  many  services  attends  you. 
My  compliments  to  all  friends  and  acquaintance ;  my 
duty  in  particular  to  Sir  John.  Mama  sent  by  the  carrier 
a  ham  last  Monday. 

In  the  Daily  Journal  of  11th  March,  1734,  is  the  following 
paragraph : — 

*'  We  hear  amongst  other  public  diversions  that  are  prepared 
for  the  solemnity  of  the  approaching  nuptials,  there  is  to  be  per- 
formed at  the  Opera  House,  in  the  Haymarket,  on  Wednesday 
next,  a  Serenata,  called  Pamasso  in  Festa.  The  fable  is 
Apollo  and  the  Muses,  celebrating  the  marriage  of  Thetis  and 
Peleus.  There  is  one  standing  scene,  which  is  Mount  Parnassus, 
on  which  sit  Apollo  and  the  Muses,  assisted  with  other  proper 
characters  emblematically  dressed,  the  whole  appearance  being 
extremely  magnificent.  The  music  is  no  less  entertaining,  being 
contrived  with  so  great  a  variety,  that  all  sorts  of  music  are 
properly  introduced  in  single  songs,  duettoes,  &c.,  intermixed 
with  choruses,  somewhat  in  the  style  of  oratorios.  People  have 
been  waiting  with  impatience  for  this  piece,  the  celebrated  Mr. 
Handel  having  exerted  his  utmost  skill  in  it." 


Mr».  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville. 

L.  B.  St.,1  28th  March,  1734. 

I  told  you,  in  my  last  letter,  that  I  would  not  write 
to  you  last  post.     I  had  ^'much  add"  (a  genteel  expression 


*  "i.  B.  St."  was  Lower  Brook  Street,  where  Mrs.  Pendarves  had  a  house 
after  her  return  from  Ireland, 


446  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

that)  to  keep  my  promise,  having  received  two  very  rich 
letters  of  my  dearest  Anna's  that  deserved  an  immediate 
answer ;  but  what  do  you  think  prevented  me  ?  nothing 
less  than  Bunny's  arrival.  He  was  at  my  tea-table  on 
Tuesday  morning  by  ten  o'  the  clock  ;  no  other  man  upon 
the  face  of  the  earth  would  have  kept  me  from  you,  but 
as  this  is  a  spark  of  equal  consequence  to  us,  I  know  you 
wiU  not  blame  me  !  Our  good  and  worthy  brother, 
thank  Grod,  is  in  good  health  and  good  looks,  he  is 
grown  a  little  fatter,  and  it  becomes  him  very  weU.  We 
talked  of  you  and  mama  you  may  conclude. 

I  dined  with  him  at  Sir  John  Stanley's,  whose  spirits 
were  so  raised  by  the  return  of  his  companion  that  he 
would  treat  him  with  the  opera  that  he  might  hear 
Caristini  sing :  I  went  with  Lady  Chesterfield  in  her  box. 
She  asked  me  if  you  were  in  town  with  me,  and  I,  alas  ! 
answered  no.  'Twas  Arbaces,  an  opera  of  Vinci's,  pretty 
enough,  but  not  to  compare  to  Handel's  compositions. 
The  next  piece  of  good  news  I  have  to  tell  you  is  that 
my  affairs  with  Mrs.  Basset  wiU  at  last  be  happily  con- 
cluded ;  happily,  I  may  say,  for  it  is  well  to  get  rid  of 
trouble  at  any  rate.  I  am  to  receive  an  hundred 
pounds  for  changing  my  security,  and  an  hundred 
and  ten  pounds  costs,  and  then  I  may  say  I  am  rich, 
but  still  it  will  cost  me  pains  and  management  to 
keep  myself  clear,  and  that's  an  employment  no  way 
to  my  gout;  L.L.^  has  used  me  ill  in  this  affair,  and  if 
Mr.  Stanley  had  not  been  very  much  in  my  interest, 
and  a  clever  man  in  his  business,  I  might  have  been 
undone. 

Last    Monday    Lady    Carteret,    with   her   daughters 

>  L.  L. — Lady  Lansdowne. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  447 

Dysart  and  Weymouth,  were  going  into  the  city  to  see 
their  uncle  Carteret/  who  lives  at  the  Post  Office,  at  Paul's 
Churchyard.  The  coach  overturned  most  violently ;  never 
were  three  women  more  frightened  or  with  more  reason. 
No  harm  has  come  of  it,  but  considering  the  condi- 
tion of  the  ladies,  it  was  a  most  hazardous  accident.  I 
was  at  Lady  Wemouth's  when  she  came  home,  she  went 
to  bed  immediately,  and  I  supped  by  her  bedside.  I 
really  was  extremely  alarm'd  for  her,  and  she  has  such 
pretty  good-humoured  ways  'tis  impossible  not  to  love 
her  :  she  says  a  thousand  obliging  things  of  you.  Just  at 
that  time  I  received  your  letters,  and  she  begged  so  hard 
that  I  was  forced  to  show  her  one  of  them,  wliich  I  did 
not  repent  doing,  for  she  understood  the  value  of  it,  and  it 
diverted  her,  and  kept  her  from  thinking  of  the  accident 
which  had  just  befallen  her. 

I  have  wrote  to  Mr.  Stanley  to  take  out  a  lottery 
ticket ;  he  chose  the  other.  You  must  understand  that 
the  Penny  Post  is  my  running  foot-man  ;  George's '  foot 
mends  a  little,  but  very  slowly ;  Mr.  Talbot  says  it 
will  be  six  months  before  she  can  have  the  use  of  it. 
I  knew  Miss  Tracy  was  with  somebody,  but  where 
tlmt  somebody  lives  is  what  I  want 'to  know,  and  she 
must  live  unvisited  by  me  till  I  know  where  to  find  her. 

1  "  Their  uncle  Carteret."  Edward  Carteret,  Esq.,  third  son  of  Sir  George 
Carteret,  Bart.,  and  brother  to  George  Lord  Carteret,  the  husband  of  Lady- 
Grace  Granville,  ("  the  old  Countess")  was  baptized  at  Hawnes,  November 
26, 1671.  He  represented  Huntingdon  in  parliament,  in  King  William's  reign, 
and  Bedford  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne.  In  George  I.'s  reign  he  was  member 
for  Bere-alston,  and  on  the  4th  of  April,  1721,  he  was  appointed  joint  post- 
master-general with  Galfridus  Walpole,  Esq.  He  held  that  office  until  his 
death,  April  15,  1739.  He  married  Bridget,  daughter  of  Sir  Thomas  Eaton, 
and  had  three  sons  and  three  daughters ;  one  of  the  latter  was  a  Maid  of 
Honour  to  Queen  Anne. 

2  "  George,"  her  waiting-woman. 


448  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Tou  think  London  no  bigger  than  Grloster,  and  that 
everybody  is  as  well  known  here  as  your  mayor  and 
alderman  !  You  are  enough  to  put  folks  into  a  passion  ! 
You  say  our  separation  is  worse  this  time  than  ever ;  I 
find  it  so,  but  can  account  for  it  no  way  but  one,  which 
is,  the  increase  of  our  affection. 

I  hope  Mr.  Newton  liked  Swift's  picture.  If  a  better 
could  have  been  had  he  should  have  had  it ;  never  omit 
my  compliments  to  him.  Why  won't  you  tell  me  what 
worsteds  you  want  ?  you  are  very  provoking.  I  was  to 
tell  you  something  about  the  garden-seeds  from  Lady  S., 
and  I  have  almost  forgot  what,  but  I  think  it  was  that 
the  capscicum  and  double  striped  balsamine  must  be 
raised  in  a  hot  bed. 

The  Princess  of  Orange's  maids  of  honour,  besides 
Sut,^  are  Miss  Schutz,'^  (daughter  of  Miss  Maddens 
that  was) ;  Miss  Herbert  ugly,  coniTnonly  called  pretty^ 
that  might  have  been  married  and  would  not;  Miss 
Howe,  of  Somerset  House,  sister  to  the  maid  of  honour 
that  ran  mad  for  Mr.  Lowther,^  a  black  frightful  witch. 


»  "  5m«."  Miss  Sutton. 

'  Several  of  the  Sclnitz  family  belonged  to  the  household  of  King  George  IT. 
Augustus  Schutz,  Esq.,  'probably  the  father  of  this  Maid  of  Honour,  was 
'*  Master  of  the  Robes  "  to  his  Majesty. 

In  the  Historical  Register  the  list  stands  thus  : — 

"  The  Lady  of  Lord  Herbert  of  Cherbury,  and  the  Lady  of  Lord  Southwell, 
of  Ireland,  appointed  Ladies  of  the  Bedchamber. 
Miss  Schutz,  j 

Miss  How,  '  Maids  of  Honour,  with  a  salary  of 

Miss  Herbert,  and  j     2001.  per  annum  each. 
Miss  Sutton.         J 
!  Miss  Dives,  1 

Miss  Charles,  and  \  Dressers,  with  a  salary  of  1001.  each." 
Miss  Scot,  ) 

3  Mr.  Croker  in  his  Biographical  Notice  of  Lord  Hervey,  prefixed  to  his 
Memoirs  of  tJie  Reign  of  George  II.,  states  that  liOrd  Hervey 's  Epistle  of 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  449 

Her  dressers  are  likewise  four  in  number — Mrs.  Charles, 
Mrs.  Dives,  Miss  Scot,  I  can't  remember  who  the  fourth 
is.  Her  ladies,  Lady  Southwell,  Vice  Chamberlain  Cook's 
daughter,  as  disagreeable  and  affected  as  ever  you  saw 
any  creature,  and  a  Lady  Herbert,  who  they  say  is  a 
good  sort  of  a  woman :  indeed,  my  dear,  without  any 
comphment,  you  would  have  been  the  flower  of  the 
flock  had  you  made  one  among  them.  I  am  sorry  he, 
(V.)  has  found  the  knack  of  scolding  again,  I  was  in 
hopes  he  had  left  it  off,  for  he  had  a  longer  fit  of  good 
humour  whilst  I  was  at  Gloster,  than  I  thought  him 
capable  of. 

Sir  John  Stanley  desires  his  most  humble  service  to 
mama  and  you,  and  a  thousand  thanks  for  your  kind 
present  of  a  ham.  I  have  devoured  your  woodcocks  ; 
they  were  incomparable.  To-morrow  I  shall  stay  at 
home  all  day  in  the  afternoon :  I  am  to  have  a  belle 
assemblee  ;  Lady  Wey,  Lady  Dysart,  Miss  Lewson,  and 
Miss  Jacksons  ;  you  shall  be  let  in  if  you'll  come. 

I  dine  to-day  wdth  Sir  John  and  Bunny,  in  the  after- 
noon sit  with  Lady  W.  Yesterday  I  dined  at  Mrs. 
Percival's,  and  in  the  afternoon  Phil  and  I  went  to  the 
oratorio  at  Lincoln's   Inn,   composed    by    Porpora,^  an 


Monimia  to  Philocles,  was  designed  to  represent  the  case  of  "  the  giddy  and 
unfortunate  Sophia  Howe,  Maid  of  Honour  to  the  Princess,"  and  Mr.  Anthony 
Lowther.     For  which  opinion  he  quotes  Horace  Walpole. 

^  Niccolo  Porpora,  born  at  Naples,  1689.  He  began  his  career  at  Vienna, 
where  he  brought  out  his  first  ojjera,  Ariana  and  Teseo,  in  1717,  a  work  which 
laid  the  foundation  of  a  European  reputation.  In  1733  he  came  to  England  at 
the  invitation  of  a  party  of  nobility  and  gentry,  who  had  established  an  ojx^ra 
in  opi^iosition  to  Handel,  but,  notwithstanding  his  reputation  and  acknow- 
ledged ability,  and  the  aid  he  received  from  Farinelli's  exquisite  singing,  he 
was  unable  to  comjjete  with  his  gigantic  adversary,  and  after  several  years  of 
unequal  contest  he  returned  to  the  continent.  He  died  in  jwverty  at  Naples, 
in  1767. — IIogarth''s  Musicul  History, 

VOL.   T.  2  G 


450  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Italian,  famous  for  church  music,  who  is  now  in 
England :  it  is  a  fine  solemn  piece  of  music,  but  I 
confess  I  think  the  subject  too  solemn  for  a  theatre.  To 
have  words  of  piety  made  use  of  only  to  introduce  good 
music,  is  reversing  what  it  ought  to  be,  and  most  of  the 
people  that  hear  the  oratorio  make  no  reflection  on  the 
meaning  of  the  words,  though  God  is  addressed  in  the 
most  solemn  manner;  some  of  the  choruses  and  recitative 
are  extremely  fine  and  touching,  but  they  say  it  is  not 
equal  to  Mr.  Handel's  oratorio  of  Esther  or  Deborah. 

I  had  a  letter,  last  post,  from  Bushe ;  she  is  far  gone, 
poor  girl,  in  the  spleen.  I  work  hard  now  at  my  tent- 
stitch,  I  have  done  two  roses  that  are  not  despicable 
things,  a  bunch  of  blue  bells  and  many  green  leaves. 
I  will  send  you  the  Memoirs  of  a  French  gentleman' 
that  will  amuse  you,  if  you  will  tell  me  how  to  send 
them.  They  are  melancholy  ;  you  never  met  with  so 
many  tragical  passages  in  any  romance.  The  French  is 
easy  and  the  story  new. 

They  wear  their  stays  extravagantly  low,  their  sleeves 
very  short  and  wide,  petticoats  short,  English  domieu-^es, 
and  the  girdle  not  in  the  least  peaked  down ;  you  have 
not  had  so  much  of  fashions  from  me  since  my  being  in 
town,  and  may  not  have  so  much  again  till  next  year,  so 
make  much  of  this. 

I  have  lately  read  some  of  South's  sermons,  I  can't 
say   they   delight    me :    they  deserve   an    epithet   ver}^ 

»  The  Daily  Courant  for  January  5,  1733,  advertises,  "  Female  Falshood,  or 
The  Life  and  Adventures  of  a  late  French  Nobleman."  Written  by  himself 
after  his  retirement,  and  digested  by  M,  de  St.  Evremond.  The  third  edition, 
in  two  pocket  volumes.  N.B,  This  is  the  book  recommended  by  Sir  Richard 
Steele  in  the  Guardian,  No.  150,  and  from  which  the  adventure  inserte<l  in 
that  paper  is  transcribed." 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  451 

unsuitable  to  that  sort  of  writing,  which  is  that  tliey  are 
diverting.  It  is  below  the  dignity  of  religion  to  have  it 
treated  in  that  witty  way  ;  the  plain  easy  way  of  Dr. 
Young  gives  me  infinitely  more  satisfaction.  But  I  will 
read  more  of  Dr.  South,  and  perhaps  I  may  be  reconciled 
to  him.  Adieu.  My  best  respects  to  dear  mama.  I 
am  yours  most  tenderly,  with  the  utmost  constancy, 

M.  P. 

Dr.  Robert  South  was  bom  at  Hackney,  in  1633.  He  studied 
at  Westminster  school,  and  afterwards  in  Christchurch  College, 
Oxford.  In  1654  he  wrote  a  copy  of  Latin  verses,  to  congratulate 
Cromwell  upon  the  peace  concluded  with  the  Dutch  ;  and  the 
next  year  a  Latin  poem,  intitled  Mmica  Tncantans.  In  1660  he 
was  elected  public  orator  of  the  university,  and  in  1661  became 
domestic  chaplain  to  Edward  Earl  of  Clarendon,  Lord  High  Chan- 
cellor of  England  ;  after  whose  retirement  into  France,  in  1667, 
he  became  chaplain  to  the  Duke  of  York ;  and  in  1676, 
attended  as  chaplain  to  Laurence  Hyde,  Esq.,  Ambassador  Extra- 
ordinary to  the  King  of  Poland.  After  the  Revolution  he 
took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  King  William  and  Queen  Mary, 
though  he  excused  himself  from  accepting  a  great  dignity  in  the 
Church,  vacated  by  the  personal  refusal  of  that  oath.  Dr.  South 
died  in  1716,  and  was  interred  in  Westminster  Abbey.  He 
was  remarkable  for  his  wit,  which  abounds  in  all  his  writings,  and 
particularly  in  his  sermons ;  but  at  the  same  time  they  equally 
abound  in  ill-humour,  spleen,  and  satire.  He  was  remarkable  for 
being  a  time-server.  During  the  life  of  Cromwell  he  was  a  staunch 
Presbyterian,  and  then  railed  against  the  Independents ;  at  the 
Restoration  he  exerted  his  pulpit  eloquence  against  the  Presby- 
terians ;  and  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne,  was  a  warm  advocate  for 
Sacheverel. 


2  G  2 


452  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

L.  B.  Str.,  2nd  April,  1734. 
4th  April. 

These  two  lines  were  wrote  last  post  with  a  design  of 
continuing  to  the  end  of  the  folio  sheet,  when  in  came 
Phil  so  low  and  dispirited,  that  she  was  hardly  alive  ;  she 
begged  I  would  take  the  air  with  her.  My  brother  was 
here,  and  promised  he  would  write  to  you,  and  so  I  gave 
you  up  to  do  a  charitable  action  ;  it  was  so  late  when  I 
came  home  that  I  had  not  time,  and  in  the  afternoon 
w^ent  with  Lady  Bich  to  the  oratorio,  Deborah  by  name, 
which  I  love  (besides  its  own  merit  which  is  a  great 
deal)  for  "sister  Deborah's  "  sake.  First  I  must  tell  you  of 
a  piece  of  unluckiness  of  yours  which  has  disappointed 
and  mortified  me  more  than  it  will  you  I  am  sure.  Lady 
Weymouth  very  prettily  gave  me  a  ticket  in  the  lottery 
for  you,  and  charged  me  not  to  let  you  know  anything 
of  it  till  it  was  drawn,  which  alas  !  it  is — a  blank  ;  it  was 
well  designed,  and  I  am  sorry  it  met  with  such  indifferent 
success.  The  number  I  sent  you  was  your  ticket ;  the 
number  of  that  which  is  taken  out  for  the  new  quadru- 
ple alliance  is  4.2  in  869,  and  I  heartily  wish  good  luck 
may  attend  it ! 

I  am  now  to  thank  you  for  your  letter  from  Cranham^ 
which  describes  very  prettily  your  villa;  I  hope  the 
fields,  trees,  and  birds  all  conspire  to  do  the  best  they 
can  to  make  your  solitude  agreeable ;  your  cough  not 
gone  yet  ?  that  I  dont  like ;  I  beg  you  will  drink  asses 


^  Cranliam  is  described  in  Lewis's  TypograjMcal  Dictionary,  as  "  a  parish 
in  the  hundred  of  Rapsgate,  county  of  Gloucester,  two  and  a  half  miles 
N.E.  by  E.  from  Painswick,  containing  321  inhabitants  ;"  and  probably  Ann 
Granville  had  removed  with  her  mother  to  a  house  at  Cranham,  for  change  of 
air  in  the  spring. 


OF  MKS.  DELANV.  453 

milk  and  ground  ivy  tea.  Your  situation  is  charming. 
I  love  to  be  near  the  clouds,  and  a  large  extent  of  view 
gives  one  tlie  most  exalted  subjects  for  contemplation ; 
the  more  we  see  of  the  beauties  of  the  creation,  the  more 
we  must  adore  the  great  Creator. 

I  can  give  you  but  a  bad  account  of  Phil ;  I  don't 
find  that  the  doctor  knows  what  to  make  of  her ;  she 
never  is  free  from  pains  and  stitches  all  over  her, 
but  particulcirly  her  legs,  a  perpetual  stitch  on  one  side, 
and  her  lungs  are  extremely  tender,  yet  they  do  not  appre- 
hend her  in  a  consumption ;  God  knows  what  it  is,  but  she 
is  in  an  unhappy  way,  for  her  spirits  are  so  extremely 
affected  by  these  disorders,  that  she  has  no  joy  in  any- 
thing. I  design  to  go  out  of  town  with  her  for  a  week 
or  two  and  see  what  country  air  will  do.  We  propose 
going  to  Beaconsfield  where  Mrs.  Bellenden  is,  and  in  the 
meantime  if  Sir  John  Stanley  will  let  her  be  a  day  or 
two  at  Northend,  I  hope  that  may  be  of  some  service 
to  her,  for  indeed  she  is  in  a  melancholy  way. 

I  have  not  been  yet  able  to  get  at  poor  Lumley,  who 
they  say  is  very  ill,  but  to-day  or  to-morrow  I  will  try 
and  compass  it. — Oh  to-morrow  I  can't,  for  the  cousin 
Isaacsons  are  to  dine  with  me  at  last.  Thanks  for  the 
sweet  pasteels.  I  had  your  hasty  dab,  (as  you  call  it), 
from  Gloster,  your  ^^dabs"  are  of  more  worth  to  me  than 
folios  of  letters  any  one  else. 

I  repent  my  having  undertaken  Buckland,'  for  I  fear 
it  wiU  cost  me  a  good  deal  of  trouble,  and  hurt  my  friends 
that  I  have  engaged  in  it.  Lord  Weymouth  is  so  easily 
worked  upon  by  those  that  have  his  ear,  that  if  I  do  not 

^  " Biiddand"   It  appears  tliat  Mrs.  Pendarves  ^vished  to  obtain  a  lease  of 
Buckland  for  the  Chapons. 


454  LIFE  AND  COBRESPONDENCE 

bring  him  to  let  a  lease  of  it,  I  shall  be  in  continual  appre- 
hensions that  somebody  will  persuade  him  to  take  it  into 
his  own  hands  again,  and  that  will  distress  the  Chapons 
extremely,  and  vex  me  heartily.  Don't  mention  my 
fears  to  them,  for  I  will  do  all  that  lies  in  my  power  to 
serve  them,  let  it  cost  me  ever  so  much  pains.  You  say 
nothing  of  a  letter  I  enclosed  to  you  for  Mrs.  Arnold  ? 

Yesterday  Lady  Dysart,  Lady  Weymouth,  Lady  Cath. 
Hanmer,^  and  your  humble  servant,  met  at  Mrs.  Donel- 
lan's,  where  we  sang  and  played,  and  squabbled  about 
music  most  extravagantly ;  I  wish  you  had  been  there  to 
have  made  up  the  chorus.  Next  week  I  shall  have  a  very 
pretty  party.  Oh  that  you  were  to  be  here  !  The  Percivals, 
Sir  John  Stanley,  Bunny,  Lady  Eich  and  her  daughter, 
Mr.  Hanmer,  Lady  Catherine,  Mr.  Handel,  and  Strada, 
and  if  my  Lady  S.  will  lend  me  her  harpsichord,  she 
shall  be  of  the  party.  George  mends  very  slowly,  her 
surgeon  gives  no  hopes  of  her  being  able  to  make  use  of 
her  foot  for  some  months :  it  has  made  me  very  uncom- 
fortable, but  next  winter  I  hope  will  make  amends  for 
the  dulness  of  this.  Tell  me  how  I  may  send  two  or 
three  books  to  you  ;  they  are  not  worth  paying  for  the 
carriage.  Bunny  is  just  come  in  from  riding,  and  desires 
his  compliments  as  due.  Young  Jackson,  our  favourite, 
has  just  made  me  a  visit  en  cavalier  at  my  window,  saw 
me  with  pen  in  hand,  and  desired  his  particular  compli- 
ments to  my  agreeable  sister. 

M.  P. 


'  ITie  Lady  Catherine  Hanmer  was  the  eldest  daughter  of  John  Perceval 
Earl  of  Egmont,  and  wife  of  Thomas  Hanmer,  Esq.,  of  the  Fenns,  in  the 
county  of  Flint,  M.  P,  for  Castle  Kising. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  455 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Gramnlle. 

L.  B.  Strt.,  12  April,  1734. 

About  ten  o'  the  clock  Phil  and  I  are  to  go  to  Northend, 
and  there  we  shall  stay  till  Tuesday  morning.  I  arose 
this  morning  with  the  lark  that  I  might  have  time  to 
write  to  3^ou. 

I  kept  to  my  own  cell  all  day  yesterday.  In  the 
evening  about  seven  o'  the  clock,  Piggy  came  and 
made  me  a  visit,  enquired  kindly  after  "  her  niece  Nan,*' 
and  accused  herself  of  not  writing  to  you.  Her  spirits 
are  as  good  as  ever,  and  she  is  very  happy  in  her  situa- 
tion at  Bird's  Place,  which  she  describes  to  be  very 
agreeable,  but  her  way  of  living  there  is  not  suitable  to  a 
rural  life ;  for  she  7iever  is  without  company,  and  that  is 
tiresome  in  the  country  and  destroys  the  design  of  living 
there  ;  and  by  her  own  account  her  expences  must  amount 
to  more  than  her  income  will  prudently  allow  of. 

Dr.  Ellis  asked  Piggy  "  whether  you  and  I  were  of  a 
disposition  ?"  she  said  oh  no,  for  you  loved  retirement 
and  solitude,  took  no  pleasure  in  the  common  diversions 
of  the  world,  and  preferred  j^our  closet  at  Gloster  to  all 
other  entertainments  ;  but  that  I  loved  gaiety  and  plea- 
sure, and  living  in  a  circle  of  diversions.  Piggy  is  not 
good  at  giving  characters,  for  I  don't  think  either  of 
those  hit  you  or  I.  What  she  said  of  you,  though  it 
makes  you  appear  a  little  dull,  is  however  no  scandal ;  but 
to  give  me  the  name  of  being  a  flaunting  frisking  widow, 
is  scandalum  magnatum,  and  I  have  charged  her  to  eat  her 
words  when  she  sees  the  Druid  next,  for  I  would  not 
have  him  think  you  a  p7ude,  or  me  a  flirt. 

I  have  now  a  long  story  to  tell  you  about  myself, 


456  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

which  begins  in  the  following  manner.     Last  summer 

when  I  came  from  Ireland,  I  was  persecuted  at  church 

by  one  Mr.  Prideaux,  I  told  you  how.     On  Monday  last 

Mrs.  Harris  (Mrs.  RoUe  that  was)  left  her  name  at  my 

door,  and  a  message  to  desire  I  would  drink  tea  with  her 

next  day  or  Wednesday,  for  she  was  to  go  out  of  town 

soon.    I  sent  her  word  I  would  wait  on  her  on  Tuesday ; 

accordingly  I  went  at  seven  o'  the  clock ;  who  should  be 

there  ready  to  receive  me  but  that  same  Mr,  Prideaux ! 

My  mind  misgave  me  plaguely ;  I  staid  there  about  two 

hours,  the  man  talked  sensibly  enough,  described  some 

part  of  his  house,  particularly  his  library,  which  is  a 

very  large  one,  (I  suppose  what  belonged  to  his  father. 

Dr.  Prideaux,  who  wrote  the  Connection  of  the  Old  and 

New   Testament),    talked  of  his   pictures,  his  love   of 

music,  and   is  a  sort  of  performer   (upon  tlie  fiddle)   I 

believe.  When  my  visit  was  over  I  made  some  reflection 

on  this  meeting,  but  slept  and  forgot  it  again,  till  another 

message  from  Mrs.  Harris  that   she  "  desired  to  speak 

with  me  that  morning  and  would  wait  on  me  if  I  would 

give  her  leave."     Then  I  grew  frighted,  but  resolved  to 

see  her ;  when  she  came,  after  making  several  apologies 

for  the  errand  she  came  on,  she  told  me  she  was  desired 

by  Mr.  Prideaux  to  make  known  liis  circumstances  to 

1  me,  and  to  beg  leave  he  might  wait  on  me  ?  he  is  a 

widower  aged  between  forty  and  fifty  (as  I  guess,  for  she 

did  not  tell  me  his  age) ;   he  has  four  sons  that  are  at 

school    and    are  always    to    be    kept  abroad,  and    one 

daughter  about  nine  year  old ;  his  estate  is  between  two 

and  three  thousand  a  year,  twenty  thousand  pounds  of 

which  is  unsettled  and  to  be  at  my  disposal  {if  I  please)  ,* 

he  lives  for  a  constancy  in  the  country;  his  character 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  '  457 

is  that  of  an  honest  gentleman  and  a  man  of  sense. 
Thus  have  I  given  you  a  true  state  of  the  case,  with 
what  advantages  it  may  appear  to  you  I  know  not,  but 
it  did  not  tempt  me !  The  five  children,  loithout  considering 
any  other  circumstance,  determined  me  to  say  "  no  ;"  I  am 
afraid  mama  will  think  I  was  too  rash,  but  to  tell  you  the 
truth  matrimony  is  so  little  my  disposition,  that  I  was 
glad  to  lay  hold  of  a  reasonable  excuse  for  not  accepting 
the  proposal,  and  I  was  as  glad  to  find  he  had  jive  chil- 
dren as  some  people  would  have  been  at  hearing  he  had 
jive  thousand  a-yearl  I  hope  my  mama  will  not  con- 
demn me  ;  I  confess  I  applaud  myself,  and  my  brother  is 
very  well  satisjied  with  what  I  have  done,  but  I  hav^  not 
had  courage  to  tell  Sir  John  yet  of  it. 

After  Piggy  left  me  last  night,  came  Lady  Carteret 
and  Lord  and  Lady  Weymouth.  I  am  quite  delighted 
at  the  thoughts  of  spending  a  few  days  at  Northend. 
Oh  the  nightingales !  have  you  any  at  Chatham  ?  * 
Lady  Sun.  is  much  obliged  to  you  for  the  sweet  sultan 
seed ;  the  Indian  pinks  are  come  up  very  well.  Miss 
Sutton  is  much  delighted  with  her  basket,  which  I 
am  indebted  to  you  for.  I  must  tell  you  of  a  little 
entertainment  of  music  I  had  last  week;  I  never 
wished  more  heartily  for  you  and  my  mother  than 
on  that  occasion.  I  had  Lady  Eich  and  her  daughter. 
Lady  Cath.  Hanmer  and  her  husband,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Percival,  Sir  John  Stanley  and  my  brother,  Mrs.  Donel- 
Ian,  Strada  and  Mr.  Coot.  Lord  Shaftesbury  begged  of 
Mr.  Percival  to  bring  him,  and  being  2i  profess  d  friend  of 
MDr.  Handel  (who  was  here  also)  was  admitted;  I  never 
was  so  well  entertained  at  an  opera !  Mr.  Handel  was 

*  Chathant  is  here  evidently  written  in  mistake  for  Crunham. 


458  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

in  the  best  humour  in  the  world,  and  played  lessons  and 
accompanied  Strada  and  all  the  ladies  that  sung  from 
seven  o'  the  clock  till  eleven.  I  gave  them  tea  and 
coffee,  and  about  half  an  hour  after  nine  had  a  salver 
brought  in  of  chocolate,  mulled  white  wine  and  biscuits. 
Everybody  was  easy  and  seemed  pleased,  Bunny  staid 
with  me  after  the  company  was  gone,  eat  a  cold  chick 
with  me,  and  we  chatted  till  one  o'  the  clock. 

My  humble  duty  to  my  dear  mama.  I  hope  she  likes 
her  country  seat. 

The  family  of  Prideaux,  of  Place,  near  Padstow,  in  Cornwall,  is 
now  represented  by  Mr.  Prideaux  Brune.  Dr.  Prideaux,  the 
father  of  the  admirer  of  Mrs.  Pendarves,  was  Dean  of  Norwich  j 
he  was  born  at  Padstow,  in  1648,  and  educated  at  Westminster, 
and  Christ's  College,  Oxford.  Besides  "  The  Connection  of  the 
Old  and  New  Testaments,"  mentioned  in  the  above  letter,  he 
wrote  the  "Life  of  Mahomet,"  and  other_^  works,  and  died  in  1724. 

The  apprehension  expressed  by  Mrs.  Pendarves,  lest  her  mother 
should  disapprove  of  her  refusal  of  Mr.  Prideaux,  and  her  disin- 
\  clination  to  tell  Sir  John  Stanley  for  the  same  reason,  proves  the 
extraordinary  deference  to  the  opinion  of  her  family,  which  con- 
tinued after  her  widowhood,  and  to  an  age  when  she  might  have 
been  supposed  to  be  at  liberty  to  refuse  whoever  she  pleased,  even  in 
those  days  of  family  matrimonial  arrangements.  It  also  proves  the 
fixed  idea  in  those  times,  that  the  rejection  of  any  man  of  suitable 
)  birth,  with  a  good  fortune,  was  an  act  of  insanity.  Three  thousand 
a  year  in  1734  was  equal  to  six  thousand  a  year  in  these  days,  and 
a  settlement  of  20,000/.  was  equal  to  40,000/.  now.  Her  brotlier, 
Mr.  Granville,  never  appeared  to  desire  her  to  accept  any  of  the 
suitors  alluded  to ;  not  all  the  pecuniary  advantages  held  out  by 
Lady  Stanley,  in  aid  of  the  intended  alliance  with  Mr.  Stanley 
Monck,  ever  induced  Mr.  Granville  to  second  their  wishes  ;  but 
his  sister  had  probably  less  reason  to  be  grateful  to  his  sympathy 
with  her  feelings,  than  to  his  very  great  family  pride.     He  was 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  "  459 

fond  of  his  sister,  but  he  probably  thought  more  of  her  being  a 
Granville,  than  of  being  her  brother,  and  as  far  as  is  known, 
he  never  favoured  any  suit,  and  never  considered  any  body  of 
sufficient  importance  to  desire  their  connection,  and  his  own  early 
disappointment  in  love  probably  increased  this  feeling. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

L.  B.  Strt.,  27  April,  1734. 

I  am  £jlad  your  rebuke  to  the  postmaster  has  been  of 
use  to  you ;  nothing  can  be  more  provoking  than  to  have 
letters  kept  from  one ;  I  have  reason  to  believe  mine 
are  so  to  you,  because  it  is  not  possible  for  me  to  doubt 
of  your  sincerity.  I  never  desire  you,  my  dearest  sister, 
to  be  methodical  in  your  letters,  your  wild  notes  are  more 
delightful  and  more  harmonious  to  me  than  the  most 
studied  numbers ;  the  liveliness  of  your  fancy  and  the 
warmth  of  your  heart  have  afforded  me  treasures.  Your 
account  of  the  young  married  folks  gives  one  a  comfortable 
idea  of  matrimony ;  but  a  forward  obstinate  wife  must 
certainly  be  a  severe  curse,  and  there  are  too  many  I 
doubt  of  that  number.  I  am  glad  you  have  such  variety 
of  studies  ;  I  know  you  can't  be  unhappy  if  you  have 
books,  and  time  to  read  them.  Your  head  and  ruffles 
being  made  up,  I  think  I  had  as  good  take  the  oppor- 
tunity of  sending  them  at  the  same  time  I  do  the  books 
to  Mr.  Webb.  Brussels  always  looks  very  yellow,  but  as 
you  are  in  the  country  it  will  be  better  to  wear  them 
new,  than  have  them  first  washed.  I  have  not  bought 
the  lutestring,  for  if  you  go  no  where  but  to  Sally's 
it  will  be  best  to  spend  the  money  towards  a  suit  in 
the  winter,  when  I  hope  you  will  be  in  a  place  of  more 
company,  but  do  that  which  you  like  best,  you  will  find 
me  ready  to  execute  your  orders. 


460  LIFE  AND  COIlllESPONDENCE 

I  am  of  your  opinion  that  nothing  requires  more  pene- 
tration than  to  be  able  to  find  out  people's  characters :  too 
candid,  or  too  severe  a  way  of  judging,  is  apt  to  mislead 
one,  though  the  first  occasions  less  mischief  than  the  latter. 
That  talent  seems  to  me  as  much  a  genius  as  music  or 
poetry,  &c.,  it  may  possibly  he  acquired  by  much  experience 
and  observation,  but  not  often.  I  think  one  ought  to  be 
very  cautious  in  declaring  one's  opinion  either  to  the  preju- 
dice or  advantage  of  any  one  ;  for  if  you  commend  upon  a 
sHght  acquaintance,  and  they  afterwards  prove  unworthy 
of  it,  one's  judgment  will  certainly  be  called  in  question. 
I  need  not  give  you  any  caution  against  censure  ;  no  one 
is  less  apt  to  run  into  it,  but  I  find  upon  the  whole,  that 
a  proper  silence  gives  one  more  the  character  of  wisdom, 
than  speaking  one's  sentiments  too  openly,  though  ever 
so  well  expressed.  I  am  sorry  you  are  the  only  person 
in  the  world  that  has  reason  to  complain  of  your  head : 
it  is  using  you  very  ill  indeed,  to  delight  everybody  else 
and  pain  you.  I  can't  say  you  suffer  alone,  for  I  have 
my  share  ;  I  am  glad  you  ride  out  sometimes — do  it  as 
often  as  you  can.  What  does  Mr.  Kirkham  advise  you 
to  do  ?  Our  tickets  ai-e  still  in  the  wheel,  and  I  hope  I 
shall  be  able  soon  to  wish  you  joy  of  good  luck.  I  shall 
go  with  Donellan  next  Wednesday  to  Beaconsfield,  there 
we  shall  stay  a  fortnight. 

Your  letters  are  just  a  week  coming  to  me;  what 
makes  them  so  tedious  ?  I  shall  quarrel  with  Cranham 
— I  used  to  have  your  letters  from  Gloster  the  third 
day.  I  am  sure  you  will  find  great  pleasure  in 
simpling  ;^  I  loved  it  formerly  when  I  was  the  mistress  of 
fields  and  meadows.     The  Essays  on  Man  are  owned  by 

'  *' Simpling"     Gathering  herbs. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  461 

Mr.  Pope/  and  nobody  now  but  Mr.  Castleman  disputes 
their  being  his :  does  he  think  they  are  too  good  or  too 
had  for  Pope's  ?  I  like  the  account  of  yoar  farmer  ex- 
tremely :  you  may  find  more  pleasure  from  the  conversa- 
tion of  a  man  so  well  endowed  by  nature  than  the  politest 
company  will  often  give  you.  Young  Mr.  Seward,  (Sally's 
friend,)  came  and  made  me  a  visit,  I  like  him  very  well, 
as  he  is  civil  and  sensible,  but  a  little  affected  in  his  ex- 
pressions, which  is  the  University  air,  and  will  probably 
wear  off  with  seeing  more  of  the  world  and  of  good  com- 
pany. Just  now  George  is  come  down,  to  make  me  a  visit 
for  the  first  time  she  has  been  able  above  two  months ; 
she  desires  her  humble  duty  to  you  and  mama,  and  many 
thanks  for  your  goodness  in  expressing  so  much  concern 
for  her.  She  has  had  a  miserable  time  of  it,  and  I  very 
much  fear  her  constitution  will  suffer  b}"  it ;  Lady  Wey- 
mouth will  not  let  me  pay  the  surgeon,^  which  is  very 
handsome  of  her ;  pray  give  me  some  account  of  your 
Gloucester  election. 

The  piece  of  news  talked  of  is  Lady  Fanny  Pierpoint's 
walking  off  with  Mr.  Meadows  at  last.^  I  was  at  the  opera 


1  On  the  first  publication  of  the  Essay  oil  Man,  Pope  did  not  own  it,  and  it 
was'  given  by  the  public  to  Lord  Paget,  Dr.  Young,  Dr.  Desaguliers,  and 
others.  Noble  relates  that  Dr.  John  Theophilus  Desaguliers  was  the  son  of  a 
French  Protestant  clergj'man,  educated  at  Christ's  College,  Cambridge,  and 
settled  in  London,  though  he  held  the  donative  of  Whitchurch,  in  Middlesex, 
given  to  him  by  the  Duke  of  Chandos.  He  was  the  first  person  who  read 
lectures  on  exjjerimental  philosophy  in  the  capital,  and  the  public  received  him 
with  res^xKit.  He  died  at  his  lodgings  at  the  Bedford  Coffee-house,  Covent 
Garden,  February  29th,  1744,  and  was  buried,  !March  26th,  at  the  Savoy. 

2  It  appears  that  Mrs.  Pendarves's  waiting-woman  must  have  had  a  severe 
accident,  occasioned  in  some  way  by  persons  belonging  to  the  establishment  of 
Lord  and  Lady  Weymouth. 

^  Lady  Frances,  daughter  of  William  Pierrepoint,  Earl  of  Kingston,  and 
gi-and-daughter  of  Evelyn,  1st  Duke  of  Kingston,  married  in  1734,  Philip 


462  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

at  Lincoln's-Inn  last  Tuesday,  she  was  there  (she  was  of 
age  the  day  before),  and  Mr.  Meadows  sat  at  some  dis- 
tance from  her  in  the  box  before  me :  at  the  end  of  the 
first  act  she  went  out  under  pretence  of  being  sick.  A 
young  lady,  (Miss  Wortley,')  daughter  to  Lady  Mary, 
went  out  with  her,  and  returned  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour. 
Mr,  Meadows  staid  some  time,  and  then  marched  off. 
Most  people  guessed  what  they  were  about  but  dull  I,  who 
minded  the  music,  made  no  reflection  on  what  past,  but 
next  day  it  was  published.  I  own  I  think  she  was  in  the 
right  to  marry  him,  if  she  could  not  live  without  a 
husband,  for  nobody  else  would  have  cared  for  her  not- 
withstanding her  twenty  thousand  pounds.  I  have  been 
often  interrupted  since  I  began  this  letter  by  the  pretty 
tricks  of  two  delightful  kittens  which  inherit  their  mother's 
wit  but  not  her  beauty  ;  pray  have  you  no  cats"nor  birds  ? 
I  hope  your  little  ones  at  Gloster  were  all  well  when  you 
heard  from  them  ?  Last  Tuesday  I  went  to  hear  Cuzzoni 
sing :  she  sings  as  well  as  ever,  but  nothing  now  pleases 
me  so  well  as  Caristini.'^      Wednesday  I  was  at  the  play 


Medows,  Esq.,  deputy  ranger  of  Richmond  Park,  third  son  of  Sir  Phili]) 
Medows,  Knight  Marshal  of  the  King's  palace.  Charles  Medows  their  eldest 
son,  succeeded  to  the  estates  of  his  uncle,  the  2nd  Duke  of  Kingston,  assumod 
the  name  and  arms  of  Pierrepoint,  and  was  created  Baron  Pierrepoint  and 
Viscoimt  Newark,  and  on  the  1st  of  A\m\,  1806,  was  advanced  to  the  dignity 
of  Earl  Manvers. 

1  Afterwards  the  Countess  of  Bute,  wife  of  John,  3rd  Earl  of  Bute,  minister 
to  George  11.  and  George  III. ;  she  was  mother  to  John,  1st  Marquess  of  Bute ; 
and  James,  who  assumed  the  surname  of  Wortley,  and  was  father  to  James,  1st 
Baron  Whamcliffe,  Frederick,  who  died  May,  1802,  Sir  Charles,  who  was 
father  to  Lord  Stuart  de  Rothesay,  William  Archbishop  of  Armagh,  Mary 
Countess  of  Lonsdale,  Jane  Countess  Macartny,  Anne  Duchess  of  Northum- 
berland, Lady  Augusta  Corbet,  Caroline  Countess  of  Portarlington,  and  Lady 
Louisa  Stuart,  who  only  died  in  1851,  aged  94. 

*  Carestini,  (Giovanni,)  a  celebrated  Italian  singer.  His  first  appearance  on 
the  stage  seems  to  have  been  at  Rome,  in  1721,  in  the  female  character  of 


OF  MRS.  DEL  A  NY.  403 

with  Lady  Weymouth,  not  much  entertained — "The 
Mistakes,"  a  silly  play  of  Sir  John  Vanburgh's.  Thursday 
at  Lincoln's-Inn  opera  again.  Yesterday  morning  at  the 
rehearsal  of  a  most  delightful  opera  at  Mr.  Handel's  called 
Sosarme,^  which  is  acted  to-night,  and  I  doubt  as  I  am 
to  go  out  of  town  next  week,  I  shall  not  be  able  to  resist 
the  temptation  of  it.  All  the  diversions  I  have  had  this 
week  have  cost  me  nothing  but  thanks.  Adieu  my  dearest 
love. 

I  am  yours  for  ever, 
M.  P. 
My  humble  duty  to  dear  mama.     I  beg  she  w  illnot 
work  too  hard,  but  walk  sometimes  when  the  weather  is 
tempting. 

The  following  account  of  the  Mr.  Seward  mentioned  in  this 
letter  may  be  interesting  to  the  reader.  The  Eev.  Thomas 
Seward,  Canon  Residentiary  of  Lichfield,  editor  of  "  Beaumont 
and  Fletcher,"  was  father  of  Miss  Seward,  the  poetess.  Of  this 
person  Horace  Walpole  gives  the  following  anecdotes  in  1758  and 
1783  :— 

"You  cannot  imagine  how  astonished  a  Mr.  Seward,  a  learned 
clergyman,  was,  who  came  to  Ragley  while  I  was  there.  Strolling 
about  the  house,  he  saw  me  first  sitting  on  the  pavement  of  the 
lumber-room  with  Louis,  all  over  cobweb?,  dirt  and  mortar,*  then 
found  me  in  his  own  room  on  a  ladder,  writing   on  a  picture  : 

Costanza,  in  Buononcini's  opera  of  Griselda.  Subsequent  to  1730,  he  was 
engaged  by  Handel  to  supply  the  place  of  Senesino,  who,  together  with  his 
whole  troop,  except  Stradn,  had  deserted  from  his  service,  and  enlisted  under 
the  banners  of  Porpora  and  the  nobility  at  Lincoln's-Inn-fields.  Handel,  how- 
ever is  said  not  to  have  treated  him  well.  He  continued  in  the  highest  reputa- 
tion for  twenty  years  after  quitting  England,  and  sang  at  Berlin  in  1750, 1754, 
and  1755,  and  at  Petersburgh  till  the  year  1758,  when  he  returned  to  Italy, 
and  soon  after  died. 

'  The  opera  of  Sosarme,  by  Handel,  was  produced  on  the  15th  of  Februar\', 
1732,  and  revived  on  the  27th  April,  1734.  The  air  in  Sosarme,  "  Rendi 
sereno  al  ciglio,"  is  known  only  as  "  Lord,  remember  David." 


464  LIFE  AND  COllRESPONDENCE 

and  half  an  hour  afterwards  lying  on  the  grass  in  the  court,  with 
the  dogs  and  the  children,  in  my  slippers  and  without  my  hat. 
He  had  some  doubt  whether  I  was  the  painter  or  the  factotum  of 
the  family  !  but  you  would  have  died  at  his  surprise  when  he  saw 
me  walk  into  dinner  dressed,  and  sit  by  Lady  Hertford.-  Lord 
Ijyttelton  was  there,  and  the  conversation  turned  on  literature : 
finding  me  not  quite  ignorant  added  to  the  parson's  wonder  ;  but 
he  could  not  contain  himself  any  longer,  when  after  dinner  he  saw 
me  go  to  romps  and  jumping  with  the  two  boys  ;  he  broke  out  to 
my  Lady  Hertford,  and  begged  to  know  who  and  what  sort  of 
man  I  really  was,  for  he  had  never  met  with  anything  of  the  kind." 
At  another  period  he  says,  "  I  remember  Mr.  Seward  (father  of  the 
present  muse  of  Lichfield),  who  was  travelling  governor  to  Lord 
Charles  Fitzroy,  who,  falling  dangerously  ill  at  Genoa,  and  being 
saved,  (as  Mentor  thought),  by  Dr.  Shadwell,  the  governor  whipped 
up  to  his  chamber,  and  began  a  complimentary  ode  to  the  physician, 
but  was  called  down  before  it  was  finished  on  his  pupil's  relapse, 
who  DID  die.  However,  the  bard  was  too  much  pleased  with  the 
debut  of  his  poem  to  throw  it  away,  and  so  finished  it,  though 
his  gratitude  had  been  still-bom." 

The  "  affiectation  "  of  Mr.  Seward,  mentioned  by  Mrs.  Peudarves, 
and  the  conceit  illustrated  by  Horace  Walpole,  seem  to  have  been 
inherited  in  some  degree  by  his  daughter  with  his  amiable  qualities, 
and  his  love  of  literature. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville. 

L.  B.  Str.,  30  April,  (1734.) 

'Tis  strange,  but  not  more  strange  than  true,  that  I 
have  left  your  letter  for  the  last  of  four,  by  which  means 
I  have  lost  so  much  time  that  I  wish  I  may  be  able 
to  scratch  a  dozen  lines  to  you.  I  have  wrote  to 
Mrs.  Bellenden  to  put  off  our  Beaconsfield  journey, 
for  Dr.  Hollins  has  ordered  Donellan  to  go  imme- 
diately   to    Islington  waters ;  I    have    wrote   to   Sister 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  465 

Deborah,  and  I  have  wrote  to  Madame  Foley.  Your 
head,  contrary  to  your  orders,  I  have  sent  by  Mr.  Webb, 
and  the  French  books.  I  fancy  the  first  story  will  move 
you — it  did  me,  extremely;  'tis  easy  French,  and  the 
stories  are  not  tedious,  especially  the  two  first  volumes ; 
but  nothing  ever  was  so  pretty  as  your  "  Vision  :"  I  may 
thumb  over  my  musty  papers  long  enough  before  I  can 
give  you  as  good  a  one. 

Your  letter,  dated  9  th  of  A  prill,  came  to  me  yesterday, 
I  suppose  you  meant  the  new  stile.  1  am  glad  my  mama 
approves  of  my  proceedings.  Should  fortune  smile  again 
I  will  pursue  her ;  'tis  seldom  she  gives  encouragement, 
and  when  she  does,  she  ought  not  to  be  neglected.  Much 
joy  your  letters  always  give  me,  but  your  last  revived 
me  extremely,  there  is  a  sprightliness  in  it  that  tells 
me  confidently  that  you  and  mama  are  well.  Bunny 
has  just  been  with  me,  and  he  says  that  my  mother  brags 
much  of  her  spirits  ;  pray  God  continue  her  that  blessing  ! 
All  your  pretty  birds  and  pretty  things  describe  delight- 
fully, and  your  sensible  farmer  is  no  bad  part  of  your 
entertainment. 

Can't  you  persuade  Mr.  Donne  to  build  a  room  for  us 
next  year?  I  have  not  spent  a  summer  in  the  country 
with  you  since  we  were  at  Ealing,  and  don't  you 
remember  how  sweet  that  was  ?  I  am  sure  you  do  !  The 
churchyard  and  the  fields,  even  the  dusty  lanes,  all  were 
charmino-.  You  and  the  summer  and  the  country  together 
are  a  complication  of  the  greatest  blessing  this  world 
affords  me.  Ben  Bathurst  ^  was  neither /ranX-  nor  free,  but  I 


1  Benjamin  Bathurst,  of  Lidney,  in  Gloucestershire,  M.P.  for  Gloucester- 
shire in  1734,  youngest  son  of  Sir  Beuj.  Bathurst,  by  Frances,  daughter  of  Sir 

VOL.  I.  2  H 


466  LIFE  AND  COREESPONDENCE 

beseech  you  not  to  spare  my  pocket :  if  you  do,  I  will  be 
even  with  you,  and  not  write  above  once  a  fortnight.  I 
have  taken  care  of  your  letter  to  Mrs.  Spencer.  Lady 
Carteret,  Lady  Weymouth,  and  Miss  Carteret  were  with 
me  all  the  afternoon  yesterday,  and  Donellan  and  Barber 
supped  with  me.  Lord  Weymouth  will  not  let  me  pay 
the  surgeon,  and  Lady  Weymouth  has  given  me  her 
picture,  and  very  like  her,  it  is  to  cost  twenty  guineas 
without  the  frame.  Sir  John  Stanley  and  my  brother  go 
to  Tunbridge  ;  my  going  is  uncertain,  for  if  Phil  does  not 
go  I  shall  not.  I  shall  like  it  very  well,  and  as  my 
staying  in  town  this  summer  is  principally  on  Sir  John 
Stanley's  account,  I  shall  be  glad  to  be  with  him  there. 

I  go  to-night  to  the  opera  with  Lady  Rich  and  Mrs. 
Donellan,  to  Sosarmes,  an  opera  of  Mr.  Handel's,  a 
charming  one,  and  yet  I  dare  say  it  will  be  almost 
empty  !    'Tis  vexatious  to  have  such  music  neglected. 

If  there  should  be  a  war  I  don't  hear  what  troops  will 
be  ordered  abroad.  I  will  not  consent  to  your  having 
T.  C,  so  don't  set  your  heart  upon  him,  I  beg.  Lady 
Sun's  house  is  restored  to  its  usual  tranquillity ;  the 
dragons  are  sent  to  foam  and  roar  in  foreign  climes,  and 
we  have  met  after  the  manner  of  primitive  days,  and  no 
disturbers  among  us.  Molly  Bramston  desires  me  to 
make  her  compliments  to  you.     Sir  William  Wyndham  ^ 


Allen  Apsley.  By  his  first  wife  Finetta,  daughter  and  co-heir  of  Henry  Poole, 
Esq.,  of  Kemble,  Benjamin  Bathurst  had  twenty-txvo  children,  of  whom  one 
daughter  alone  had  issue,  viz.,  Anne,  wife  of  Charles  Bragg,  Esq.,  whose  son 
took  the  name  of  Bathurst ;  and  by  his  second  wife,  Catherine,  daughter  of 
Lawrence  Brodrick,  D.D.,  he  had  fourteen  children,  of  whom  the  third  was  the 
Right  Revd.  Henry  Bathurst,  Bishop  of  Norwich,  who  died  April  5,  1837. 

*  Sir  William  Wyndham  was  son  of  Sir  Edward  "Wyndham,  and  Catherine, 
sister  to  John  Lord  Gower,  and  was  consequently  nearly  connected  with  Mary 
Granville.     Sir  William  filled  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne,  the   offices  of 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  4G7 

is  in  great  affliction  for  the  loss  of  his  eldest  daughter,  a 
fine  young  woman  about  eighteen.  He  has  another 
daughter,  that  I  pity  from  my  heart,  about  fifteen ;  she 
used  to  say  that  when  her  sister  married  she  should  be 
miserable  to  lose  so  mach  of  her  company,  and  now, 
poor  thing !  she  has  lost  her  for  ever  in  this  world.  I 
dare  not  enlarge  my  letter;  I  am  not  drest,  and 
'tis  two  o'  the  clock.  I  have  promised  to  dine  with 
Sir  John.  Yesterday  I  dined  at  home,  all  alone,  upon 
mutton-chops  and  toasted  cheese  1  Oh,  how  I  wished  for 
you !  but  when  do  I  not  ?  but  if  I  don't  upon  better 
occasions  you  have  no  reason  to  thank  me.  I  hate  to 
leave  you,  but  must,  so  farewell  for  a  few  days. 

I  am  yours  for  ever, 

M.  P. 

My  humble  duty  to  dear  mama ;  Badge  will  have  me 
crowd  in  hers,  though  I  have  no  room. 


Master  of  the  Buckhounds,  Secretary-at-War,  and  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer, 
and  was  sworn  of  Her  Majesty's  Privy  (Douncil.  Sir  William  was  twice  mar- 
ried ;  first  (July  21,  1708,)  to  Catherine,  second  daughter  of  Charles  Duke  of 
Somerset,  by  whom  he  had  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  1.  Charles,  his  suc- 
cessor, who  upon  the  death  of  his  uncle,  Algernon  Duke  of  Somerset, 
February  7,  1750,  succeeded  to  the  earldom  of  Egremont.  2.  Percy,  who  in- 
herited the  estates  of  his  uncle,  Henry  Earl  of  Thomond,  and  was  created  Earl 
of  Thomond,  in  Ireland.  3.  Catherine,  who  died  unmarried  in  April,  1734. 
4.  Elizabeth,  married,  in  1749,  the  Honourable  George  Grenville.  Sir  William 
married,  secondly,  Maria  Catherina,  widow  of  the  Marquis  of  Blandford,  but 
had  no  issue  by  her.     Sir  William  died  June  17,  1740. 


2  H  2 


468  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

From  the  Countess  Oranville. 

Hawnes,  May  2nd,  1734. 

Dear  Cousin, 

Though  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spencer^  are  now  with  me, 
and  I  have  a  great  deal  of  tattle  to  amuse  me,  yet  I 
can't  forget  acknowledging  the  favour  of  your  letter. 
You  have  been  the  only  comfort  I  have  had  in  my  soli- 
tude. I  have  constantly  read  your  letters  over  every  day, 
and  found  new  pleasure  in  them ;  your  stile  is  so  agree- 
able and  your  hand  so  fine  that  they  seem  increased. 
Whatever  you  do  is  always  done  in  perfection,  and  I  am 
very  glad  Lady  Dysart  and  Lady  Weymouth  shew  such 
good  taste  in  the  midst  of  their  joys  as  to  distinguish 
you.  The  account  I  have  of  my  daughter^  ^i?;g5  me  not  any, 
I  am  so  afraid  for  her,  either  going  on,  or  losing  her  child  ; 
Lord  Weymouth  told  me  with  joy  about  Lady  Carteret. 
It  really  is  an  extraordinary  thing  for  a  mother  and 
three  daughters  to  be  in  the  same  condition,  but  I  own 
I  am  much  grieved  about  it,  and  can't  wish  to  see  her 
as  soon  as  I  was  in  hopes  I  should.  I  hope  you'll  not 
go  out  of  town  while  she  stays,  for  your  ocmpany  is  a 
great  entertainment  to  her  ;  and  I  really  hope  Lord 
Weymouth  will  be  so  good  as  to  let  his  wife  stay 
on  purpose  to  wait  on  her,  since  his  house  is  so  airy 
and  good,  that  though  the  weather  should  grow  hot,  yet 
Grosvenor  Square  will  remain  pleasant.  Mrs.  Spencer 
says  Lady  Weymouth  unfortunately  broke  a  tooth, 
which  often  gives  her  great  disturbance.  Whatever  un- 
easiness she  has  makes  me  very  unhappy,  but  this  satis- 

*  Mrs.  Spencer  Georgiana  Carteret,  daughter  of  Lord  Carteret,  afterwards 
Earl  Granville,  and  granddaughter  to  Countess  Granville ;  who  afterwards 
married  Earl  Cowper. 

*  "  My  daughter.^''    Lady  Carteret,  Lady  Granville's  daughter-in-law. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  469 

faction  I  have,  that  her  dear  lord  will  never  give  her 
any!  I  was  vastly  pleased  with  his  kind  visit,  and  to 
see  him  more  improved  than  anybody  ever  was  in 
the  time,  for  nothing  shews  so  much  good  sense  in  a 
young  man  as  improving  himself/ 

Granville. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granvttte. 

L.  B.  Street,  May  28th,  1734. 

I  am  fully  disposed  to  fill  this  sheet,  every  inch 
of  it;  I  will  not  so  much  as  leave  a  margin,  for  I 
have  not  had  this  many  a  day  the  comfort  of  talking 
to  you  without  interruption.  It  is  now  just  eight  of 
the  clock ;  I  have  drank  my  two  dishes  of  tea,  and  my 
charge  is  gone  to  Islington  Wells,  my  man  to  market, 
my  maids  at  breakfast ;  and  nothing  moves  about  me 
but  my  two  cats  and  a  little  hopping  canary  bird,  that 
hangs  up  in  my  dressing-room,  where  I  hope  to  indulge 
an  hour  in  thinking  of  my  best  of  sisters. 

Phil  I  think  has  found  great  benefit  from  Islington 
waters,  though  she  has  every  now  and  then  a  pull  back 
that  a  little  disheartens  her,  which  must  be  expected 
whilst  the  weather  is  so  uncertain ;  she  thinks  herself 
much  obliged  to  my  dear  Anna  for  her  good-nature. 
You  were  one  of  the  first  persons  she  said  that  she  was 
sure  would  feel  a  great  deal  for  their  distressful  circum- 
stances.    She  has  received  the  kindest  letter  from  her 


^  The  acconnt  of  Lord  Wejmouth  corroborates  Mrs.  Pendarves's  opinion, 
that  he  and  Lady  Weymouth  were  admirably  well  suited  to  each  other,  and 
that  while  she  lived  his  conduct  was  imexceptionable. 


470  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Brother  Kit  on  this  occasion,  with  a  bill  of  £30,  which  con- 
sidering he  has  not  a  very  affluent  fortune,  was  generous 
and  kind,  and  to  Mrs.  Shuttle  worth  he  has  sent  five 
pound.  I  know  your  disposition  will  make  you  delight 
in  an  instance  of  generosity,  and  I  could  not  forbear  telling 
this  of  one  I  value  so  much  as  I  do  Mr.  Donellan,  who 
has  certainly  as  good  principles  and  as  genteel  a  spirit  as 
ever  any  man  had :  Bunny  is  very  like  him,  in  having  a 
plain,  honest,  generous  heart,  without  disguise  or  osten- 
tation. 

As  to  what  you  say  of  its  being  a  duty  incumbent  on 
us  to  fix  in  the  country  we  were  horn  in,  I  can't  see  any 
reason  for  that ;  there  is  hardly  a  family  throughout  the 
Scripture,  or  a  remarkable  person,  that  lived  continually 
in  the  place  they  were  bom  in :  if  another  country  is 
more  convenient  to  my  circumstances  or  constitution, 
my  reason  directs  me  to  that  place,  be  it  where  it  will. 
What  think  you  then  of  the  Bermuda  scheme  ?  The  per- 
sons that  were  disposed  to  promote  that,  were  of  great 
consequence  in  the  place  where  they  were  bom,  and  did  a 
great  deal  of  good  both  by  their  charity  to  the  poor,  and 
by  their  example  to  the  rich  ;  yet  they  thought  they  might 
do  acts  of  a  higher  nature,  and  more  evidently  glorify  Grod, 
by  raising  and  instructing  a  set  of  poor  ignorant  creatures 
that  were  buried  in  darkness.  Surely  it  was  a  glorious 
design,  and  well  worth  the  sacrifice  they  would  have  made 
of  friends  and  country ;  but  I  give  into  your  notion  so  far 
as  to  think  that,  if  there  is  not  some  very  apparent  reason 
to  justify  quitting  one's  country,  that  the  people  among 
whom  we  are  born  have  more  right  to  the  little  we  can 
bestow  than  strangers.  According  to  your  opinion,  if 
the  Prince  of  Orange  had  courted  you,  instead  of  Princess 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  471 

Eoyal  a  country  qualm  would  have  hindered  you  from 
accepting  of  his  Highness. 

I  don't  take  up  this  side  of  the  argument  by  way 
of  preparing  you  for  my  fixing  on  any  other  ground 
than  that  of  England,  for  I  certainly  never  shaU  ;  but 
I  Hke  travelling  about  so  well,  that  I  wish  my  circum- 
stances would  let  me  see  every  part  of  Europe,  and 
then  I  would  try  how  well  it  would  agree  with  you 
too !  I  am  of  your  mind,  that  fortune  does  not  design  that 
we  should  be  rich  :  but  we  have  no  reason  to  reproach  her 
for  that.  I  am  convinced  we  are  in  a  happier  way,  if  we 
don't  neglect  the  advantages  of  having  fewer  attach- 
ments to  the  world.  Is  it  not  a  comfortable  reflection, 
my  dearest  Anna,  that  what  we  esteem  our  greatest 
happiness  here  (the  friendship  we  have  for  one  another, 
and  some  more  who  are  worthy  of  our  love)  will  con- 
stitute part  of  our  happiness  •hereafter  ?  Whereas  gold 
and  jewels,  palaces  and  equipages,  and  the  whole  train  of 
wealthy  pleasures  that  are  here  so  much  desired  and 
laboured  for,  must  be  left  behind  us ;  and  if  we  form  no 
higher  joys  w\iB.t  wretched  moments  must  our  last  prove  ? 
But  I  would  rather  be  capable  of  the  reflections  you  make 
in  your  solitude,  than  mistress  of  all  Lady  Betty  Jermyn's^ 

*  Lady  Elizabeth  Berkeley,  daughter  of  Charles,  2nd  Earl  of  Berkeley; 
married  the  notorious  adventurer  and  gambler,  Sir  John  Germain,  who 
had  previously  married  the  divorced  Duchess  of  Korfolk  (Lady  Mary 
Mordaunt)  by  whose  will  he  became  possessed  of  the  estate  of  Drayton,  in 
Northamptonshire,  which  he  left  on  his  owti  death  to  Lady  Betty,  his  second 
wife ;  Lady  Betty  left  it  to  Lord  George  Sackville,  third  son  of  Lionel,  1st 
Duke  of  Dorset.  Lady  Betty  was  a  friend  and  corresix)ndent  of  Smft ;  she 
survived  her  husband  fifty-one  years.  An  allusion  to  the  large  fortune  of 
Lady  Betty  Germaine,  is  to  be  found  in  a  letter  of  the  Duchess  of  Marl- 
borough, in  Walpole's  Reminiscences ;  and  the  following  account  of  some  of 
her  bequests  appears  in  the  Annual  Reghter,  for  1769. — "  Dec.  16th,  1769. 
Lady  Betty  Germain  by  her  will  has  left  to  Lady  Vere  20,000?.,   to  Lord 


472  LIFE  AND  COREESPONDENCE 

jewels,  though  she  has  as  many  as  would  dress  out  a 
Sultana  of  the  Indies  !  Pharamond  is  very  easy  French, 
but  I  think  Cleopatra  prettier ;  and  I  believe  I  can  bor- 
row that  of  Lady  Sunderland  for  you.  There  are  two 
or  three  new  French  novels  come  out,  that  when  I  have 
read  I  will  lend  you.  I  will  let  Mr.  Wise  know  mama's 
commands ;  I  hope  she  has  got  a  maid  now  that  is  good 
for  something ;  I  am  sure  she  was  sadly  tormented  whilst 
I  was  with  her.  I  have  got  a  man  that  I  really  believe 
is  a  phoenix  of  a  servant :  he  markets  excellently  well,  is 
quiet,  diligent,  sober,  and  honest. 

You  are  a  shrewd  guesser  of  my  parties.  My  dress- 
ing-room is  pretty,  and  worth  your  coming  to  see.  I 
have  set  my  heart  upon  you  for  next  winter. 

I  am  afraid  I  shall  lose  for  some  time  our  good  friends 
the  Percivals,  for  they  are  determined  to  go  to  Ireland 
in  August,  but  I  have  some  reason  to  hope  they  will 
not  stay  there ;  if  they  do,  my  loss  here  will  be  irrepair- 
able.  Donellan  and  I  are  to  dine  to-day  with  Sir  John 
Stanley,  and  afterwards  go  with  him  to  Pastor  Fido.' 
Yesterday  Mrs.  Bellenden*  dined  with  us  ;  and  on  Sunday 


George  Sackville  20,000?,,  with  Drayton-house  and  the  manor  thereunto  be- 
longing ;  to  Lady  Catharine  Beaiiclerk,  1000/.  and  her  best  diamond  ring ;  to 
Earl  Berkeley  a  gold  cup;  to  Mr.  Berkeley,  5000/.,  to  the  Countess  of 
Granard,  3000/. ;  to  Lady  Craven,  3000/. ;  to  Lady  Temple,  500/.  for  a  ring  ; 
her  jewels,  plate,  &c.,  &c.,  to  be  sold,  and  with  the  residue  of  her  estate  to  be 
equally  divided  between  Lord  and  Lady  Vere  and  Lord  George  Sackville. 

^  Pastor  Fido  was  produced  on  the  21st  of  November,  1712.  The  Daily 
Journal,  of  the  1st  of  June,  1734,  announces  : — On  Thursday,  the  4th  of 
June,  at  the  King's  Theatre,  in  the  Haymarket,  will  be  performed  an  o\cr&, 
called  Pastor  Fido,  composed  by  Mr.  Handel,  intermixed  with  choruses.  The 
scenery  after  a  particular  manner."  It  was  repeated  eight  times,  between  the 
4  th  and  the  29th  of  June,  which  was  the  last  performance  of  the  season. — 
*ScAa?/c^er's  Life  of  Handel. 

2  "  Mrs.  Bellenden."  Mary  Bellenden,  daughter  of  John,  2nd  Lord  Bellenden, 
Maid  of  Honour  to  Queen  Caroline  when  Princess  of  Wales,  married  the  Hon. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  473 

I  had  Mrs.  Percival  and  my  Lord  Percival/  who  often 
enquires  after  you,  and  says  you  are  a  ''dear  girl"  he  is 
now  in  full  employment  upon  a  very  good  work,  which 
is  the  pursuit  of  Mr.  Cantillion's  murderers,  for  all 
people  agree  that  he  was  certainly  murdered,  and  the 
house  set  on  fire  on  purpose ;  which  is  so  dreadful  an 
action,  that  it  is  to  be  hoped  the  wretches  concerned  in 
this  \dllainous  affair  will  be  detected ;  new  suspicions 
rise  every  day,  but  nothing  yet  strong  enough  to  con- 
demn them  positively. 

I  have  heard  once  from  Bunny  since  his  being  among 
the  lads  of  Dunce ;  he  gives  hopes  of  being  back  by 
Tunbridge  season.  Mrs.  Barber  has  not  yet  finished  the  ~\ 
troublesome  affair  that  the  Pilkingtons'  ingratitude  has 
involved  her  in.'*  Her  poems  will  come  out  about  a  month 
hence.  I  had  a  letter  last  post  from  Letty  Bushe,  who '" 
laments  in  mournful  lays  your  having  given  her  up ; 
write  to  her,  and  tell  her  of  the  pretty  country  that 
surrounds  you ;  she  loves  descriptions,  and  she  will 
receive  them  with  advantage  from  you.     I  think  I  have 


John  Campbell,  afterwards  Duke  of  Argyle,  in  1720,  therefore  the  Mrs. 
Bellenden  here  mentioned  was  probably  a  sister. 

^  John  Lord  Perceval,  2nd  Earl  of  Egmont,  was  bom  24th  Feb.,  1710-11 ; 
married  first  on  loth  Feb.,  1737,  Catherine,  second  daughter  of  James,  5th 
Earl  of  Salisbury.  She  died  16th  August,  1752,  and  the  Earl  married  se- 
condly, 26th  January,  1756,  Catherine  Compton,  created  Baroness  Arden,  19th 
May,  1770.  His  lordship  was  created  Lord  Lovel  and  Holland,  in  the  English 
peerage,  7th  May,  1762,  and  died  20th  Dec,  1772.  His  father.  Sir  John  Per- 
ceval, was  elevated  to  the  peerage  of  Ireland,  21st  April,  1715,  as  Baron  Per- 
ceval, and  on  the  25th  February,  1722,  created  Viscount  Perceval,  and  on 
the  6th  Nov.  1733,  Earl  of  Egmont.  He  married  in  1710,  Catherine,  eldest 
daughter  of  Sir  Philip  Parker  A'Morley,  Bart.  His  lordship  died  1st  May, 
1748. 

*  "  The  troublesome  affair  that  the  Pilkingtons'  ingratitude  has  involved  lier 
in."  This  might  possibly  refer  to  the  letters  sent  to  Queen  Caroline,  of  which 
Mrs.  Barber  was  suspected  for  some  time.  ) 


474       '  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

almost  been  as  good  as  my  word ;  and  pray  observe  that 
I  have  wrote  my  smallest  hand.  Badge  is  pretty  well ; 
but  poor  Mrs.  Walls  is  sadly  plagued  with  her  un- 
gracious son.  My  humble  duty  to  dear  mama.  I  hope 
the  whey  had  its  usual  good  effect.  I  am,  my  dearest 
sister, 

Most  tenderly  and  constantly  yours, 

M.  P. 

The  following  account  appeared  in  the  London  Magazine  of 
1734  :— 

"May  14, 1734. — This  morning,  about  half  an  hour  after  three, 
the  house  of  Mr.  Cantillon  in  Albemarle  Street  was  perceived  to  be 
on  fire,  and  the  smoke  and  smother  being  traced  to  his  bed-chamber, 
the  servants  rushed  in  and  found  their  master  dead,  with  his  head 
almost  burnt  off.  The  corpse  was,  however,  carried  off,  and  some 
jewels  and  a  few  other  things  of  value  saved ;  but  the  flames  were 
so  violent  that  the  house  was  soon  burnt  to  the  ground,  as  was 
likewise  that  of  the  Hon.  Mr.  Percival,  brother  to  the  Earl  of 
Egmont,  the  Lord  Viscount  St.  John's,  and  two  other  houses  ad- 
jacent were  greatly  damaged.  This  accident  was  at  first  said  to 
have  been  occasioned  by  Mr.  Cantillon's  reading  in  bed,  and  falling 
asleep  with  the  candle  burning,  which  was  supposed  to  have  set 
fire  to  some  papers  tliat  lay  near  it  on  the  table ;  but  two  of  his 
servants  were  soon  taken  up  on  suspicion  of  murdering  him,  and 
jafterwards  setting  fire  to  the  house ;  and  after  examination  were 
(Committed  to  the  Gatehouse.  This  Mr.  Cantillon  was  formerly  a 
ban]ker  in  the  city,  but  about  fifteen  years  ago  removed  to  Paris, 
where  Jjaving  acquired  a  plentiful  fortune,  he  lately  returned 
hither,  in  order  to  purchase  an  estate.  His  lady  is  still  abroad, 
but  shortly  expected  here.  She  was  daughter  of  Mons.  Omani, 
one  of  the  richest  merchants  in  Paris,  and  half  sister  to  the  Lord 
Clare,  an  Irish  nobleman,  who  followed  the  late  King  James  to  St. 
Germain's/' 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  475 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Orcmville. 

L.  B.  Strt.,  7th  June,  1734. 

I  was  very  mucli  provoked  last  writing  day,  that  I 
was  not  able  to  find  one  moment  to  write  to  my  dearest 
sister,  but  from  seven  in  the  morning  till  eleven  at 
night,  I  met  with  impertinences  !  When  I  first  got  up 
I  had  the  headache,  and  walked  into  High  Park  with 
nit/  nightingale  by  my  side,  in  hopes  the  air  and  exercise 
would  amend  me ;  and  so  it  did,  but  not  for  the  purpose 
I  wanted;  for  company  came,  and  fiddle-faddles  innu- 
merable. I  dined  at  Sir  Jolin  Stanley's,  where  I  met  a 
whole  heap  of  Moncks,  Irelands,  etc. ;  I  staid  there  till 
eight  of  the  clock,  and  was  then  obliged  to  go  to  Lord 
Lansdown's,  and  then  to  Lady  Weymouth,  to  take  leave 
of  her  before  her  going  out  of  town,  or  she  would  never 
have  forgiven  me. 

What  is  Captain  Foley  gone  to  the  Highlands  for  ?  I 
wish  Bunny  and  he  were  to  meet ;  I  fancy  they  would 
like  one  another ;  poor  Bernard  has  very  bad  com- 
pany with  him,^  which  is  a  terrible  thing  for  a  man  of 
his  turn,  whose  amusements  are  all  of  the  sober  lady 
kind.  I  think  you  had  best  make  your  visit  to  Mrs. 
Foley  in  the  long  evenings ;  it  may  be  convenient  to  her 
to  bring  you  to  town  with  her,  and  though  I  don't  wonder 
you  should  regret  leaving  my  dear  mama,  it  will  be 
only  for  a  few  months ;  and  what  would  you  do  if  you  had 
a  husband  who  would  carry  you  away  for  as  long  as  he 


'^  ^^ Poor  Bernard"  h^mg  pitied  for  the  bad  company  he  has  with  him, 
probably  alludes  to  his  being  quartered  at  Dunce,  in  Scotland.  The  "  lads  of 
Dunce  "  were  before  mentioned. 


476  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

pleased?  You  may  say  there  would  be  something  to 
recompense,  but  /  dont  know  what!  I  will  do  my 
best  endeavour  to  make  your  time  at  least  easy,  if  not 
delightful ;  but  you  must  understand  that  next  winter  I 
propose  living  much  at  home,  and  if  you  young  thing 
like  flirting  about,  you  may  do  it,  and  bring  me  home 
the  fruits  of  your  labours.  You  must  direct  to  Mrs. 
Letitia  Bushe,'  enclosed  to  Thomas  Tickel,  Esq.,  Secre- 
tary at  the  Castle,  Dublin. 

I  am  delighted  with  your  bee-flower,  and  have  told  my 
Lady  Sunderland  of  it,  who  will  search  her  garden 
library  to  find  it  out,  and  if  it  thrives  with  you,  shall 
be  very  thankful  for  some  of  the  seed.  You  think,  madam, 
that  I  have  no  garden,  perhaps  ?  but  that's  a  mistake ;  I 
have  one  as  big  as  your  parlour  at  Gloucester,  and  in  it 
groweth  damask-roses,  stocks  variegated  and  plain,  some 
purple,  some  red,  pinks,  Philaria,  some  dead  some  alive  ; 
and  honeysuckles  that  never  blow.  But  when  you  come  to 
town  to  weed  and  water  it,  it  shall  be  improved  after  the 
new  taste,  but  till  then  it  shall  remain  dishevelled  and 
undrest.  I  have  not  got  the  books  I  told  you  of,  for 
since  Phill's  being  with  me  I  have  had  no  time  for  read- 
ing, but  when  I  have,  you  shall  have  your  share  of  them. 
I  am  of  your  mind,  that  a  romance  is  of  too  great  a  hulk 
to  sit  down  to  read  it  through  by  way  of  entertainment, 
but  I  proposed  it  to  you  by  way  of  helping  you  in  your 
French  study,  but  novels  will  do  that  as  well,  and  are 
easily  carried  about.  Wherever  you  go  take  some  French 


'  It  does  not  appear  that  Letitia  Bushe  had  at  that  time  been  in  England, 
hut  Ann  Granville  probably  had  executed  commissions  for  her  through  her 
sister  Mrs.  Pendarves. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  477 

book  with  you,  and  the  dictionary,  and  read  every  day 
half  an  hour,  for  that  constant  using  yourself  to  it  will 
prepare  you  so  well  for  the  language,  that  one  month's 
learning,  or  two  when  you  come  to  town,  will  complete 
your  knowledge  of  French.  I  have  great  pleasure  in 
your  understanding  French;  not  only  because  it  is 
polite,  but  for  the  additional  entertainment  you  have  in 
your  reading;  although  it  is  certain  there  is  variety  enough 
in  our  own  language,  but  there  is  something  in  the  French, 
though  so  very  different  from  ours,  still  much  more  suitable 
to  some  subjects,  so  that  I  think  it  is  pleasant  to  be  able 
to  understand  it. 

I  pity  Mr.  Hyet;  nothing  can  be  more  deplorable 
than  a  man  under  the  circumstance  that  he  is  ;  that  un- 
willingness to  part  with  the  world  after  having  enjoyed 
it  so  many  years,  and  felt  the  variety  of  troubles  incident 
to  it,  what  can  it  mean  ?  It  is  either  from  just  sense  of 
their  demerits,  or  from  supposing  that  all  things  end 
with  this  life ;  but  sure  no  man  of  reflection  can  be  so 
grossly  imposed  upon  by  a  false  notion  ? 

Mrs.  Percival  will  certainly  go  to  Ireland ;  and  if  she 
does  she  wdll  stay  all  the  winter,  but  I  beheve  they  will 
not  settle  there,  for  Mr.  Percival  likes  better  living  in 
England.  I  should  be  truly  afflicted  if  I  thought  they 
would  not  return  to  us,  but  as  for  their  going  now,  it  is 
necessary  to  their  affairs,  and  those  that  love  them  as  I 
do  must  give  them  up  when  their  interests  is  concerned ; 
and  I  hope  my  poor  dear  Donellan  will  reap  some  advan- 
tage from  it  to  her  health ;  the  change  of  air,  and  the 
agreeable  cheerfulness  of  the  place,  must  I  think  do  her 
good.  I  assure  you  I  wish  you  and  I  could  be  con- 
veniently transported  there  for  one  year,  no  place  could 


478  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

suit  your  taste  so  well;  the  good-humour  and  conver- 
sableness  of  the  people  would  please  you  extremely. 
To-day  I  am  to  have  to  dine  with  me  Sir  John  Stanley, 
Lord  Percival,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Percival :  they  are  to  have 
for  dinner,  imprimis,  hoiled  leg  of  lamb  and  loin  fried, 
collyflowers  and  carrots,  beefsteaks ;  secondly,  roast  chicken, 
artichokes  and  lampreys,  cherry  pie ;  thirdly,  jelly,  straw- 
berries, cream,  and  cherries.  In  the  afternoon  Lady  Mary 
Colley  and  Miss  Carteret. 

Lady  Blandford*  was  married  last  week  to  Sir  William 
Wyndham  ;  my  Lord  Godolphin  and  some  of  that  family 
pretend  to  find  fault  with  her,  which  they  have  no  right  to 
do,  for  they  have  never  used  her  well.  Old  Marlborough 
says  she  "has  done  very  well,"  and  that  "if  Sir  William  had 
courted  her  some  time  ago,  she  would  have  had  him  her- 
self!" Eeasonable  people  think  the  match  very  well ;  since 
they  liked  matrimony,  they  could  not  either  of  them  have 
done  better.  Sir  William  Wyndham's  good  sense,  good 
family,  and  good  estate,  give  him  a  title  to  anybody,  and 
Lady  Blandford's  character  is  a  very  good  one  ;  her  jointure 
three  thousand  pounds  a  year.  Next  Monday  Do- 
nellan  and  I  go  to  Ham,  to  spend  a  week  with  Lady 
Dysart,  which  will  be  excessively  pleasant,  for  she  is  very 
good-humoured  and  easy,  and  the  place  is  the  finest  of 
its  kind  in  England.  I  promise  you  shall  not  be  forgot 
in  my  walks  ;  the  situation  is  so  charming,  so  that  'twill 
be  impossible  not  to  think  pleasantly.  Did  I  tell  you  I 
had  taken  again  to  my  pencil  ?  you  shall  see  the  fruits  of 
it  as  soon  as  I  have  recovered  my  hand  enough  to  do 

'  Maria  Catherine,  daughter  of  Peter  de  Jong  of  the  province  of  Utrecht, 
and  widow  of  the  Marquis  of  Blandford,  was  the  second  wife  of  Sir  William 
Wyndham. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  479 

anything  worth  your  acceptance.  Lady  Dysart  performs 
miracles  for  the  time  she  has  learned  ;  I  have  but  one 
objection  to  that  sort  of  employment,  which  is  the  seden- 
tary life  it  may  lead  one  into,  and  that  is  not  healthful  to 
be  sure. 

Six  pots  more  lampreys  for  Lady  Sun,  if  not  too  late. 
I  have  sent  you  some  books  of  music,  a  dormeuse^  patron, 
a  little  snuff  for  mama,  and  lavender-water. 

Manning  gives  the  following  account  of  Ham,  where  Mrs.  Pen- 
darves  says  she  was  going  to  visit  her  cousin,  Lady  Dysart. 

"  Ham  House,  in  the  parish  of  Petersham,  Surrey,  was  first 
erected  as  a  mansion  by  Sir  Thomas  Vavasour,  Knight  Marshal ; 
and  surrendered  by  him  to  John  Ramsay,  Earl  of  Holdemess,  who 
died  in11624  or  1625,  it  was  then  sold  to  William  Murray,  thro' 
whose  widow  it  came  to  Sir  Lionel  Talmache.  The  house  under- 
went great  alterations,  and  many  additions  were  made  to  it  by  the 
Countess  of  Dysart,  Elizabeth,  (widow  of  Sir  Lionel),  and  afterwards 
Duchess  of  Lauderdale  ;  but  it  is  said  to  have  been  furnished  at  a 
very  great  expense,  in  the  taste  of  those  times  by  King  Charles  II." 
Lysons  states,  that  "  it  was  once  intended  for  Henry  Prince  of  Wales, 
brother  of  King  Charles  I.,  and  is  a  curious  specimen  of  a  mansion 
of  that  age.  The  ceilings  are  painted  by  Verrio,  and  the  rooms  are 
ornamented  with  that  massy  magnificence  of  decoration  then  in 
fashion.  The  furniture  very  rich,  and  even  the  bellows  and 
brushes  in  some  of  the  apartments  are  of  solid  silver,  or  of  silver 
filagree.  In  the  centre  of  the  house  is  a  large  hall,  surrounded  with 
an  open  gallery.  The  balustrades  of  the  grand  staircase,  which  is 
remarkably  spacious  and  substantial,  are  of  walnut-tree,  and  orna- 
mented with  military  trophies.  In  the  north  drawing-room  is  a 
very  large  and  beautiful  cabinet  of  ivory,  lined  with  cedar.  On  the 
west  side  of  the  house  is  a  gallery  ninety -two  in  length,  hung  with 


Possibly  a  sort  of  hood. 


480  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

portraits.  In  the  closet  adjoining  the  bed-chamber  which  was 
the  Duchess  of  Lauderdale's,  still  remains  the  great  chair  in  which 
she  used  to  sit  and  read ;  it  has  a  small  desk  fixed  to  it,  and  her 
cane  hangs  by  the  side.  There  are  many  fine  pictures  by  the  old 
masters.  This  house  was  the  birthplace  of  that  great  statesman 
and  general,  John  Duke  of  Argyle,  who  was  grandson  to  the 
Countess  of  Dysart,  Duchess  of  Lauderdale.  Hume  says  that 
James  IL  was  desired  to  retire  to  this  house,  on  the  arrival  of  the 
Prince  of  Orange  in  London,  but  thinking  himself  unsafe  so  near 
the  metropolis,  he  fled  privately  to  France." 

Ham  still  exists,  a  venerable  specimen  of  past  ages. 


For  the  following  letter  from  Lady  Margaret  Cavendish  Harley, 
(afterwards  Duchess  of  Portland)  to  Miss  Collingwood,  the  Editor 
is  indebted  to  Sir  Robert  Throckmorton,  who  also  has  kindly  con- 
tributed other  letters  to  his  step-ancestress,  Lady  Throckmorton, 
from  the  Duchess  of  Portland  from  Mary  Granville  (Mrs.  Pendarves), 
and  Anne  Granville  (Mrs.  Dewes),  with  one  letter  from  Miss 
Vernon  preserved  with  the  same  correspondence,  and  which  serves 
as  a  link  in  the  history  of  that  time.  The  letters  of  the  Duchess 
of  Portland  are  written  in  cypher  with  regard  to  the  proper  names. 
The  key  to  this  cypher  the  Editor  does  not  possess,  and,  it 
must  therefore  be  left  to  the  reader's  ingenuity  to  discover  who 
the  persons  were,  designated  as  " Long  Nose"  " Mrs.  Sullen," 
"  Cherry"  &c.  The  former  was  probably  the  governess 
of  Lady  Margaret  Cavendish  Harley,  "  CollyjiowerP  and  the 
"  Doctor^  "  were  the  names  of  Miss  Collingwood ;  the  well  known 
Mrs.  Montague  (Miss  Robinson)  was  also  one  of  her  correspondents 
both  before  and  after  her  marriage  to  the  Duke  of  Portland. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  481 

Lady  Margaret  Cavendish  Harley  to  Miss  Cdlingwood} 

March,  1733. 
I  think  it  ten  thousand  ages  since  I  have  seen  my 
dearest  Collyflower,  but  I  hope  it  will  not  be  very  long 
before  I  shall  enjoy  your  sweet  conversation,  which  is 
better  to  me  than  Balm  of  Gilead  or  Balsam  of  Peru. 
Long  Nose  is  out  of  the  way,  so  I  can  write  what  I  will. 
Last  Friday,  being  the  first  of  March,  Mrs.  Sullen  and 
Cherry  honoured  me  with  their  presence,  though  but  for  a 
moment,  so  I  had  not  half  so  much  wit  as  I  cou'd  have 
wished,  but  I  hope  soon  to  see  them  longer.     We  are  to 
correspond,  so  I  think  if  you  will  be  so  good  as  to  con- 
vey our  letters,  for  it  can't  be  so  well  done  else,  and  I 
will  give  you  a  reason  for  it  when  I  see  you.     I  was  last 
Saturday  at  Mrs.  Charles  Caesar's,  where  was  her  hus- 
band, Mr.  Jen  and  his  wife,  the  two  sisters,  Mrs.  Bellasise, 
pretty   Miss  Collaton,  Julius,   and   young  Sabin.     We 
were  vastly  merry,  and  he  played  to  us ;   I  wished  you 
with  us,  but  really  I  even  wished  you  also  at  your  friend's 
Miss  Carew's,  for  he  did  blow  delightfully.     I  want  to 
know  what  experiments  the  Doctor  has  wrought  upon 
the  Frog ;  I  hope  he  has  brought  it  to  some  sort  of  pro- 
position, which   is    an    experiment  I  shall  hke  to  see. 

^  CatLcri'ie,  daughter  of  George  CoUingwood,  Esq.,  of  Esslington,  county  of 
Nortliumberland ;  married  in  January,  1737-8,  Sir  Robert  Throckmorton, 
Bart.,  whose  first  wife,  Lady  Theresa  Herbert,  daughter  of  William  Marquess 
of  Powis,  died  June  17,  1733.  George  CoUingwood,  of  Esslington,  was  an 
adherent  of  the  Stuarts,  and  was  taken  prisoner  in  1715,  and  hung  at  Tyburn. 
His  estate  was  forfeited,  and  purchased  from  the  Crown  by  Lord  Ravensworth. 
The  only  child  of  Catherine  CoUingwood,  Lady  Throckmorton,  married  Mr. 
Giffard,  of  Chillington,  in  Staffordshire,  and  was  great  grandmother  to  the 
present  Mr.  Giffard  of  Chillington  ;  she  would  have  been  the  heir  of  Essling- 
ton, but  for  the  circumstances  above-mentioned.  For  the  above  particulars  the 
Editor  is  indebted  to  Sir  Robert  Throckmorton. 

VOL.  I.  2  I 


482  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Write  me  a  long  letter,  and  let  me  know  wlien  I  shall 
send  for  it. 

Dear  Colly,  yours  everlastingly. 
If  you  could  spare  Miss  Stonor's  letter,  the  first  I  saw, 
I  wish  you  would  send  it  me  by  the  bearer,  and  you'll 
oblige  your  slave. 

This  letter  having  been  written  in  March,  and  Lady  Margaret 
Cavendish  Harley  having  been  married  in  May  1734,  it  might  have 
belonged  to  the  same  year,  though  according  to  the  old  style  the 
date  would  have  been  1733. 


An7ie  Vernon,  to  Mrs.  Katherine  ColUngwood,  at  the  Horible.  Mrs.  Collingwood's 
Lodgings  in  New  Bond  Street,  next  door  to  the  Cock,  London. 

Cocktbrop,  June  y«  27,  1734. 

If  dear  Miss  Collingwood  complains  for  want  of 
materials  to  fill  a  letter,  being  at  the  fountain-head  of 
news,  what  must  I  do  that  am  so  far  off?  no  distant 
spring  reaches  in  many  miles  of  this  place,  and  I  should 
inevitably  grow  quite  stupid  were  it  not  for  the  com- 
pany of  my  agreeable  friend,  with  whom  no  hour  is  un- 
enjoyed,  but  as  you  know  her,  I  need  say  no  more  in  her 
praise. 

I  am  very  happy  Lady  Margaret  Ms  to  be  released 
out  of  her  priso7i,  and  shall  always  be  desirous  of  her 
friendship.  I  have  no  merit,  but  she  has  enough  for  us 
both ;  and  I  am  sure  I  can  brag  of  sincerity  to  my 
friends,  so  if  that  alone  will  do,  I  hope  to  be  happy 
often  in  her  company  next  winter ;  and  as  soon  as  I've 
leave,  will  trouble  her  with  a  letter.     Do  send  word  of 

1  Married  May,  1734,  the  Duke  of  Portland  to  Lady  Margaret  Harley,  sule 
daughter  and  heiress  to  the  Earl  of  Oxford. 


OP  MRS.  DELANY.  483 

her  clothes  and  wedding,  if  it  is  not  impertinent.  Suppose 
by  this  time  Lady  Harriett's  match  is  over ;  fancy  she 
is  quite  happy  about  it. 

Lady  Petres^  had  best  go  to  the  Bath  now,  if  she  is 
so  ill.  We  have  had  liere  Mrs.  Vernon^  for  ten  days, 
she  that  was  Miss  Howard,  she  has  been  at  the  Bath 
for  the  abovementioned  reason.  We  have  matches  on 
foot  in  this  country — Mr.  Delme  to  a  Miss  Lenthall, 
and  her  brother  to  Miss  Delme  ;  it  is  great  luck  for 
the  Lenthalls.  Hope  to  hear  from  you  soon.  Perhaps 
you'll  say,  I've  mor^e  time,  but  remember  how  much  less 
brains,  and  you'll  pity  and  forgive 

Your  sincere  humble  ser\ 

Anne  Vernon. 

P.S.  A  Rebus, 

The  mariner's  wish,  and  the  miser's  desire, 
Is  the  name  of  a  lady,  some  people  admire. 

Sweet  Solitude  !  when  life's  gay  hours  are  passed, 
Howe'er  we  range,  on  thee  we  fix  at  last, 
Tost  through  tempestuous  seas,  the  voyage  o'er. 
Pale  we  look  back,  and  bless  the  friendly  shore. 
Our  own  strict  judges,  our  past  life  we  scan, 
And  ask  if  virtue  has  enlarged  the  sjian. 
If  bright  the  prospect,  we  the  grave  defy, 
Trust  future  ages,  and  contented  die. 

I  had  these  lines  sent  me  :  think  them  pretty,  so  have 
writ  them  you  for  want  of  something  better.  Pray  let 
me  know  how  you  like  them. 


1  Lady  Anne  Radcliflfe,  daughter  of  James,  3rd  Earl  of  Derwentwater,  mar- 
ried in  May,  1732,  Robert  James,  8th  Baron  Petre. 

2  Mary,  daughter  and  coheiress  of  Thomas,  6th  Lord  Howard  of  Effingham, 
married  in  1734,  George  Vernon,  Esq.,  of  Sudbury,  who  was  raised  to  the 
peerage,  May  1,  1762,  as  Lord  Vernon.  LIrs.  Vernon  died  in  1740,  leaving  a 
son,  George,  2nd  Baron,  and  a  daughter. 

2  1  2 


48*  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

L.  B.  Street,  30  June,  1734. 

I  have  now  nothing  marvellous  or  new  to  tell :  I  write 
this  purely  by  way  of  a  little  conversation  with  you. 
This  morning  all  the  beau  military's  are  assembled  in 
my  neighbourhood  to  be  reviewed  by  his  Majesty  and 
the  rest  of  the  royal  family,  for  all  assist  in  this  great 
work,  even  little  Princess  Mary.^  I  am  contented  with 
the  honour  of  their  dust  as  it  comes  in  at  the  window, 
for  they  all  pass  by  my  door. 

I  dined  last  Thursday,  after  I  had  made  my  visit  to 
you,  with  my  dear  good  Sir  John  Stanley,  by  way  of 
taking  leave.  I  don't  believe  there  is  in  the  world  a 
man  of  such  true  honour  and  generosity.  He  is  not 
only  "just,  but  bright ;"  "  there's  a  lustre  attends  all  his 
words  and  actions,"  and  I  pray  God  continue  him  a  long 
and  happy  life,  for  his  example  is  necessary  in  a  world  so 
abounding  with  evil.  He  has  given  me  the  command 
of  Northend  in  his  absence,  and  I  shall  make  use  of  it. 
I  design  to  go  on  Thursday  or  Friday,  and  take  my 
little  Donellan  with  me,  and  spend  a  week  there  at 
least.  Ah!  could  I  but  transport  my  mama  and  you 
there,  how  should  I  be  transported ! 

To-night  is  the  last  night  of  the  opera,  and  I  go,  and 
to-morrow  to  Court.  I  have  got  a  new  madness,  I  am 
running  wild  after  shells.^  This  morning  I  have  set  my 
little  collection  of  shells  in  nice  order  in  my  cabinet,  and 


1  Princess  Mary,  fourth  daughter  of  George  II.,  born  Feb.  22,  1723  ;  mar- 
ried May  8,  1740,  to  Frederick,  Landgrave  of  Hesse  Cassel,  and  died  in  1771, 

-  Mrs.  Pendarves's  taste  for  sliells  seemed  to  have  existed  when  at  Killala 
although  more  as  an  amusement  than  as  the  study  which  it  was  afterwards. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  485 

tliey  look  so  beautiful,  that  I  must  by  some  means  en- 
large my  stock ;  the  beauties  of  shells  are  as  infinite  as  of 
flowers,  and  to  consider  how  they  are  inhabited  enlarges 
a  field  of  wonder  that  leads  one  insensibly  to  the  great 
Director  and  Author  of  these  wonders.  How  surprising 
is  it  to  observe  the  indifference,  nay  (more  properly) 
stupidity  of  mankind,  that  seem  to  make  no  reflection  as 
they  live,  are  pleased  with  what  they  meet  with  because 
it  has  beautiful  colours  or  an  agreeable  sound,  there 
they  stop,  and  receive  but  little  more  pleasure  from  them 
than  a  horse  or  a  dog. 

I  was  stopped  in  my  career  of  moralization  by  Mr.  Jack- 
son's calling  at  my  window ;  we  have  chatted  of  the 
business  of  the  day,  and  he  desired  me  to  make  his  com- 
pliments. Lady  Dysart  goes  on  extremely  well  with  her 
drawing :  she  has  got  to  crayons,  and  I  design  to  fall 
into  that  way.  I  hope  Mr.  Pond  ^  will  help  me  too,  for  his 
colouring  in  crayons  I  think  the  best  I  have  seen  of  any 
English  painter — it  tries  my  eyes  less  than  work,  and 
entertains  me  better ;  /  aim  at  everything,  and  will  send 
you  a  sample  of  what  I  am  about,  but  I  don't  de- 
sign to  colour  till  I  am  more  perfect  in  my  drawing.  I 
tried  one  landscape,  and  find  it  so  easy,  that  I  am  almost 
tempted  to  stick  to  that  sort  of  drawing.      My  Lord 


'  Of  this  English  artist  we  possess  scarcely  any  particulars.  He  painted 
portraits,  as  well  in  oil  as  in  crayons,  and  together  with  George  Knapton, 
published  a  collection  of  the  heads  of  illustrious  persons,  engraved  by 
Houbraken  and  Virtue,  the  memoirs  written  by  Dr.  Birch.  These  two 
artists  also  engraved  ninety-five  plates  from  the  drawings  of  the  first 
Italian  masters,  in  imitation  of  the  originals.  Pond  published  on  his  own  ac- 
count twenty-tive  caricatures,  after  Ghezzii  and  other  painters,  and  he  also 
etched  some  portraits  in  the  manner  of  Eembrandt.  This  artist  died  in  Great 
Queen  Street,  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields,  September  9,  1758.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Royal  and  Antiquarian  Societies. — Filkington's  Dictionary  of  Painters. 


486  LIFE  AND  COERESPONDENCE 

Orrery  ^  is  returned  from  his  travels ;  he  went  out  of  town 
yesterday,  but  had  not  the  good  manners  either  to  send  or 
to  come ;  Mrs.  Butler  has  fixed  her  day  for  Scarborough. 
She  goes  next  Wednesday  ;  she  says  you  must  forgive 
her  not  writing  to  her,  but  she  is  perpetually  in  a  hurry, 
as  you  may  suppose.  I  have  done  the  rudest  thing  by 
Mrs.  Elis  in  the  world,  but  'tis  Piggy's  fault ;  she  told 
me  she  was  out  of  town,  and  that  she  would  let  me  know 
when  she  returned,  but  I  have  heard  nothing  of  her. 
She  lives  as  far  from  me  as  you  are  from  Glocester ;  I 
have  but  one  man,  and  if  I  worry  him  to  death  I  don't 
know  where  I  shall  get  such  another.  I  have  not  had 
my  chair  this  month,  because  it  is  an  extravagance  at 
this  time  of  the  year. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Northend,  22  July,  1734. 

Whatever  happiness  my  dearest  sister  enjoys  I  am 
sure  of  having  my  share  of  it.  I  own  I  had  a  secret 
pleasure  to  myself,  besides  that  which  you  would  enjoy, 
in  your  meeting  with  our  good  dear  Deborah.'^  I  knew 
I  should  often  be  called  upon  when  two  such  friends  met, 
and  next  to  being  with  you,  the  assurance  of  being  some- 
times the  subject  of  your  conversation  gives  me  the 
highest  satisfaction.  Phil  and  I  were  beforehand 
with  you,  and  have  made  our  party  several  times  in 
imagination,  but  alas  !   that's  a  poor  sickly  pleasure.     I 


*  John,  5th  Earl  of  Orrery,  married  in  1728,  Lady  Henrietta  Hamilton, 
youngest  daughter  of  George  Earl  of  Orkney,  who  died  August  12,  1732.  He 
was  author  of  a  transhition  of  Pliny's  Epistles,  a  Life  of  Dr.  Pwift,  &c. 

3  "  Deborah.'^    A  name  given  to  Mrs.  Chaponc  as  well  as  Sappho. 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  487 

have  hardly  known  the  delight  you  boast  of,  that  of 
having  Sally's  company  uninterrupted,  but  next  summer 
1  promise  myself  something  like  it,  if  possible.  The 
ingenious  MS.'  was  sent  in  my  mama's  box,*  it  is  an 
excellent  piece  of  wit  and  good  sense,  and  when  she  (the 
author)  has  rectified  the  law  part  of  it,  it  will  be  fit  for 
the  press  and  the  perusal  of  the  smartest  wits  of  the  age. 
Tell  her  I  am  a  little  diverted  at  the  thoughts  of  her  being 
abused  by  some  of  the  coxcombs ;  bid  her  prepare  for 
the  attack,  and  sharpen  her  weapons  of  defence  in 
readiness  :  they  are  composed  of  such  well  tempered  mettle 
that  her  adversary  will  soon  repent,  let  him  be  ever  so 
stout,  of  his  provocation. 

Oh  sweet  gloomy  park  in  Burhill !  I  see  thy  reverend 
oaks,  that  afford  a  friendly  shade  in  the  hottest  hours  of 
the  day,  and  I  hear  the  rooks  join  in  their  melancholy 
notes  !  Don't  imagine  I  am  so  unreasonable  as  to  desire 
to  hear  from  you  twice  a-week ;  no,  I  expect  it  but  once 
a- week,  and  will  not  have  you  think  of  writing  oftener. 
It  would  be  ungrateful  to  rob  Sally  of  a  pleasure  she  is  so 
worthy  of  as  that  of  your  conversation  ;  and  though  you 
are  a  very  good  thing  to  look  at,  yet  you  must  be  heard 
to  make  the  pleasure  complete,  and  nothing  but  your 
tongue  can  give  more. 

Mrs,  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  OranviUe. 

L.  B.  Strt.,  15th  August,  1734. 
I  conclude  that  this  letter  w^ill  find  my  dearest  Nancy 
at  Cranham.     A  letter  I  received  last  night  from  our 


1  "  The  ins^euioas  MS."  It  is  evident  that  this  alhides  to  something  written 
by  (Sarah  Kirkham)  Mrs.  Chapone,  whose  powers  of  composition  are  else- 
where noticed  in  the  correspondence. 


488  LIFE  AND  COEKESPONDENCE 

good  mama  makes  me  hope  so,  for  I  find  slie  has  had  a 
return  of  her  sore  throat,  and  I  know  how  carefully  you 
will  nurse  her.  I  must  beg  before  I  go  away,  further, 
that  you  will  make  my  best  acknowledgments  to  my 
mother  for  her  great  kindness  in  writing  so  constantly 
to  me  during  your  absence  ;  I  think  myself  infinitely 
obliged  to  her  for  it,  and  shall  never  forget  the  many 
instances  I  have  of  her  great  indulgence  and  favour  for 
me.  I  had  your  last  from  Buckland,  wherein  you  told  me 
your  impatience  to  get  home.  I  know  your  tenderness 
for  my  mama,  will  not  let  you  enjoy  any  pleasure  if 
she  is  in  a  way  of  wanting  your  care  and  attendance. 

I  went  last  Sunday  to  Northend  to  meet  Sir  John,  who, 
thank  God,  is  returned  from  Tunbridge  in  a  perfectly  good 
state  of  health,  and  not  a  little  pleased  to  be  in  quiet 
possession  of  Beauty  spot,  alias  Northend ;  not  so  quiet, 
neither,  perhaps  you'll  say,  when  I  am  of  the  party.  He 
has  brought  you  a  very  pretty  fashionable  necklace  and 
earrings  by  way  of  Tunbridge  fairing.  He  told  me  he 
had  something  else  coming  by  the  carrier ;  I  suppose  I 
shall  know  what  it  is  to-day,  for  I  dine  with  him.  We 
came  last  night  to  town  :  he  to  make  his  appearance 
among  his  brethren  at  the  Board,  and  I  to  sign  and  seal 
the  agreement  between  Mrs.  Basset  and  me,  and  then  a 
fig  for  the  law  and  the  lawyers  !  I  shall  cast  them  all 
off,  and  hope  never  more  to  have  anything  to  say  to 
them  and  their  quirk  and  quibbles.  I  told  you  in  one  of 
my  letters  when  you  was  at  Buckland,  that  I  had  wrote 
a  letter  to  my  Lord  Weymouth,  full  of  resentment ;  I  am 
afraid  I  have  done  them  no  good,  and  myself  harm. 
I  was  warm,  and  it  is  highly  resented  by  every  one  of 
the    family,  which    I    am    sorry    for,    for  I   would  not 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  489 

quarrel  with  them ;  but  I  find  my  Lord  Weymouth  is 
determined  they  shall  not  stay  at  Buckland,  and  they  may 
thank  Mr.  Tooker^  and  Mr.  Beazant  for  that  turn.  I  have 
not  yet  seen  my  Lord ;  he  came  one  morning  here,  but  I 
was  abroad :  he  is  out  of  town  now,  and  does  not  come 
till  Friday,  but  I  mil  see  him  on  Saturday,  and  send  a 
particular  account  to  Sally  of  what  he  says.  Somebody 
has  told  him  that  Mr.  Chapon  has  employed  some 
interest  against  him,  which  has  provoked  him  extremely. 
He  designs  at  Michaelmas  to  give  them  warning  to  go 
out  at  Lady  Day,  but  he  does  not  design  to  take  any 
rent  for  the  time  they  have  been  in  it.  I  own  I  have 
been  vexed  about  this  thing,  but  I  think  it  will  be  best 
for  them  to  settle  somewhere  else,  for  with  two  such 
underminers  they  will  always  be  in  danger  of  a  very 
trotiblesome  uneasy  life ;  I  have  drawn  them  into  this 
trouble,  but  if  that  w^ill  be  any  alleviation  I  have  had  a 
double  share  of  it;  nothing  touches  one  more  sharply 
than  to  be  the  occasion  of  a  friend's  distress.  The  clock 
has  struck  ten,  and  tells  me  to  prepare  to  meet  my 
lawyers.  If  I  have  time  in  the  evening  I  will  say  a  word 
or  two  more,  but  for  fear  I  should  not,  will  not  take  my 
leave  till  I  have  desired  you  to  present  my  humble  duty 
and  kindest  wishes  to  my  dear  mama. 

1  "  Mr.  Tooker."  Tliis  no  doubt  was  the  Eev.  Tretheway  Tooker,  Eector 
of  Buckland.  In  the  autobiography  his  name  was  spelt  "  Tucker,''  but  he  is 
elsewhere  called  Tooker,  and  the  change  of  letters  in  spelling  names  was  at 
that  period  so  common,  that  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  comment  upon  it.  Mrs. 
Pendarves's  intervention  for  the  continuance  of  the  Cha^wns  as  tenants  at 
Buckland,  seems  to  have  involved  her  in  a  feud  with  Lord  Weymouth  and 
her  own  family.  The  Editor  has  not  ascertained  who  the  Mr.  Bezant  was  who 
conspired  to  render  Lord  Weymouth  so  ill-disposed  towards  them,  but  it  is 
not  unhkely  that  the  witty  "  Sally  Kirkham,"  did  not  spare  the  eccentricities 
of  "  Tranio,"  and  that  he  wished  for  a  neighbour  with  less  talent  and  under- 
staudins;. 


490  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

I  am  yours,  my  dearest  Anna,  with  the  utmost 
constancy. 

Letty  Bushe  copied  my  picture  for  Donnellan,  and 
sent  it  (like  a  ninny)  by  the  post,  and  'tis  lost ;  yours 
is  safe,  but  I  suppose  she  will  keep  it  to  copy  again. 


From  Grace  Countess  Granville,  sister  to  Ixt'ly  Jane  Granville,  wife  of  Sir 
WUliam,  Leveson  Gower,  to  Mrs.  Fendarves, 

Hawnes,  August  25th,  1734. 

Dear  Cousin, 

While  Lady  Weymouth  was  with  me  I  could 
think  of  nothing  else,  and  now  I  can't  but  say  she  still 
employs  my  thoughts.  The  best  excuse  is  always  to  speak 
truth,  and  you  have  so  much  sincerety  in  your  nature, 
that  I  know  you'd  be  better  pleased  with  being  treated  so, 
than  with  flourishes  that  pass  away  as  soon  as  told.  I 
should  have  sooner  thanked  you  for  your  last  obliging 
letter  but  for  the  above  said  reason,  for  I  really  love  you 
heartily,  and  often  wish  it  were  in  my  power  to  serve 
you.  I  think  you  have  no  fault  but  not  considering 
yourself  enough ;  men  if  they  are  good  for  anything  may 
shift,  but  ladies  cannot !  You  have,  my  dear,  too  little 
for  yourself  and  too  much  for  generosities ;  if  your  heart 
swells  beyond  your  purse  you  will  suffer  greatly,  which 
will  affect  me,  because  I  have  nothing  in  my  power  to 
help  you  ;  believe  me  when  I  say  this,  for  I  have  all 
the  esteem  and  tenderness  for  you  that  you  can  desire. 
If  you  can  punish  yourself  with  a  winter's  solitude,  you'd 
be  most  welcome  to  me,  as  in  the  summer  I  never  have  a 
spare  bed,  but  this  is  a  sad  request  to  a  lady  so  bright  and 
gay ;  so  that  I   can't  be   surprised  if  it    should  appear 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  "  491 

unreasonable  to  you ;  but  had  as  my  proposal  is,  I  think 
it  is  better  than  ray  Cousin  Edgcombs !  I  carit  hear  the 
thought  of  your  being  hurried  into  Cornwall  to  be  a 
mother-in-law^  without  a  good  settlement  I  Lihertu,  believe 
me,  is  far  better  than  doing  so,  and  the  opportunity  of 
waiting  on  ray  beloved  Sir  John  Stanley,  who  is  really 
one  of  the  worthiest  raen  in  the  world  :  I  hope  to  have  a 
kind  salute  frora  him  in  a  little  time,  for  my  Lord 
Weymouth  has  my  promise  to  go  to  London  to  Xten 
either  his  son  or  daughter.^  My  stay  is  to  be  but  a  week, 
just  to  see  ray  friends.  Your  friend  and  humble  servant, 
Fanny^,  mends  in  my  hands ;  she  rides  every  day  with 
her  brother,  has  good  courage,  and  great  delight  in  being 
able  to  guide  her  horse.  I  wish  I  could  guide  my  pen 
as  well,  and  then  I  would  oftener  write,  and  assure  my 
dear  cousin  how  much 

I  am  her  most  affectionate  faithful  humble  servant, 

Gra.:nville. 

This  characteristic  letter  of  Countess  Granville's  contains  another 
instance  of  the  absolutely  received  idea  of  the  last  century — that 
the  only  consideration  in  any  marriage  was  the  amount  of  settle- 
ment, and  that  inclination  or  disposition  were  never  thought  of. 
It  also  throws  some  light  upon  an  allusion  in  one  of  Mrs.  Pendarves 
letters  to  Ann  Granville,  wherein  she  speaks  of  being  again  on  the 
same  terms  as  ever  with  Lady  Sunderland,  "  let  Dragons  roar  as 
they  ivill."  The  marriage  which  Countess  Granville  disapproved 
for  Mrs.  Pendarves,  was  to  Mr.  Edgecombe,  who  had  before  been  a 


^  Richard  Edgcumbe,  Esq.,  of  Moiint  Edgcumbe,  M.P.  for  Cornwall.  Ho 
married  Matilda,  daughter  of  Sir  Henry  Fnmese,  Bart.,  of  Waldershare,  Kent, 
and  in  1742,  was  created  Baron  Edgcumbe.  Frequent  family  alliances  made 
almost  all  the  west  county  chieftains  cousins. 

2  This  was  written  prior  to  the  birth  of  Lord  Weymouth's  eldest  son, 
Thomas,  born  1734. 

^  The  Hon.  Frances  Carteret,  afterwards  Marchioness  of  Tweedale. 


492  LIFE  AND  COERESPONDENCE 

supposed  suitor  to  Lady  Sunderland's  sister ;  and  it  is  not  impos- 
sible, that  although  the  old  Countess  disapproved  of  her  cousin  ^ 
Mary  Granville's,  marrying  their  cousin,  Mr.  Edgecombe — yet  that 
she  might  have  equally  disapproved  of  Mrs.  Pendarves's  renewed 
intimacy  with  a  family  into  which  she  did  not  wish  Mr.  Edgecombe 
to  marry,  but  where  he  had  been  much  encouraged.  The  opinions 
of  Mrs.  Pendarves  and  Countess  Granville  exactly  coincided  with 
respect  to  their  regard  for  Sir  John  Stanley,  whom  they  both 
appeared  equally  to  esteem  and  respect. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Dr.  Swift. 

Little  Brook  Street,  Sept.  9,  1734. 

Sir, 

I  find  your  correspondence  is  like  the  singing  of  the 
nightingale — no  bird  sings  so  sweetly,  but  the  pleasure 
is  quickly  past ;  a  month  or  two  of  harmony,  and  then 
we  lose  it  till  next  spring.  I  wish  your  favours  may  as 
certainly  return.  I  am  at  this  time  not  only  deprived 
of  your  letters,  but  of  all  other  means  of  inquiring  after 
your  health,  your  friends  and  my  correspondents  being 
dispersed  to  their  summer  quarters,  and  know  as  httle  of 
you  as  I  do.  I  have  not  forgot  one  mortifying  article  on 
this  occasion,  and  if  your  design  in  neglecting  me  was  to 
humble  me,  it  has  taken  effect.  Could  I  find  out  the 
means  of  being  revenged  I  would  most  certainly  put  it 
in  execution,  but  I  have  only  the  malice  of  an  incensed, 
neglected  woman,  without  the  power  of  returning  it. 
The  last  letter  I  writ  to  you  was  from  Gloucester,  about 
a  twelvemonth  ago,  after  that  I  went  to  Long  Leat  to 
my  Lady  Weymouth ;  came  to  town  in  January,  where 
I  have  remained  ever  since,  except  a  few  weeks  I  spent 
at  Sir  John  Stanley's  at  Northend,  (the  Delville  of  this 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  "  493 

paii  of  the  world) .  I  hope  Naboth's  Vineyard  flourishes ; 
it  always  has  my  good  wishes,  though  I  am  not  near 
enough  to  partake  of  its  fruits.  The  town  is  now  empty, 
and  by  most  people  called  dull ;  to  me  it  is  just  agreeable, 
for  I  have  most  of  my  particular  friends  in  town. 
My  surperfluous  acquaintance  I  can  very  well  spare. 
My  Lord  Carteret  is  at  Hawnes  ;  my  Lady  Carteret  is 
in  town  nursing  my  Lady  Dysart,  who  is  brought  to 
bed  of  a  very  fine  son,  and  in  hopes  of  my  Lady  Wey- 
mouth's being  soon  under  the  same  circumstances. 

I  have  not  seen  my  Lord  Bathurst  since  I  was  at  his 
house  in  Gloucestershire.  That  is  a  mischief  I  believe 
you  have  produced,  for  as  long  as  I  could  entertain  him 
with  an  account  of  his  friend  the  Dean  he  was  glad  to 
see  me,  but  lately  we  have  been  great  strangers.  Mrs. 
Donellan  sometimes  talks  of  making  a  winter's  visit  to 
Dublin,  and  has  vanity  enough  to  think  you  are  one  of 
those  that  will  treat  her  kindly.  Her  loss  to  me  will  be 
irreparable,  besides  the  mortification  it  will  be  to  me  to 
have  her  go  to  a  place  where  I  should  so  gladly  accompany 
her ;  but  I  know  she  will  be  just,  and  tell  the  reason 
why  I  could  not  this  year  take  such  a  progress.  After 
having  forced  myself  into  your  company,  it  will  be  imper- 
tinent to  make  you  a  longer  visit  and  destroy  the  inten- 
tion of  it,  which  was  only  to  assure  you  of  my  being,  sir, 
your  most  faithful  and  obliged  humble  servant, 

M.  Pendarves. 


494  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCP: 


Duchess  of  Portland  to  Miss  Collingwood. 

BuUstrode,  Sep^'.  16th,  1734. 

Dear  Doctor, 

Your  letter  gave  me  infinite  pleasure.  I  hope 
you  will  never  stand  upon  letters,  but  write  whenever 
any  news,  or  the  spirit,  moves  you,  and  I  will  do  the 
same.  I  know,  my  dearest  Colly's  wishes  are  very  sin- 
cere, and  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  them ;  I  assure  you 
that  you  shall  always  have  a  share  of  my  friendship,  and 
hope  you  will  grant  me  the  same.  You  say  you  want  to 
know  what  is  become  of  the  Elder  of  the  Tribe  of  Jacob ; 
why,  much  against  True  Blue's^  will  and  mine,  she 
came  down  with  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Commons, 
who  desired  she  might.  They  stayed  a  week,  and  the 
Elder  took  upon  her  to  order  most  extremely,  and 
was  sometimes  rebuked  by  the  Speaker,  but  not  very 
often.  She  would  have  fain  have  stayed,  and  when  she 
went  away  trembled  most  excessively,  as  if  she  had  had 
an  ague,  and  as  I  hear  afterwards,  was  extremely  melan- 
choly. She  told  me  she  designed  to  ride  down  here,  and 
go  back  at  night ;  "  Do  ye,  (says  I,)  sure  you  can't  do 
that !"  and  never  said  I  should  be  glad  to  see  her,  which 
baulked  lier  much  I  believe.  She  is  at  present  with  the 
Speaker,  and  is  to  go  into  the  county  of  Somerset  with 
her,  but  the  Speaker  says  that  she  is  to  go  to  your  town 
after  that,  for  she  won't  have  her  stay  there  with  her. 
She  makes  great  complaints  how  dull  a  hfe  she  leads, 


*  "  True  Blue"  is  evidently  the  Duke  of  Portland ;  but  the  Editor  has  not 
sufficient  grounds  to  hazard  a  conjecture  as  to  the  real  names  of  the  jiersons 
indicated  by  "  The  Elder  of  the  Tribe  of  Jacob"  "  The  Speaker  of  the  House 
of  Commons,"  "  Mrs.  Tehee,''  "  The  Prophetess,"  "  The  Quilted  Petticoat,' 
«  The  Giant;'  "  The  Library,"  or  ♦'  Lady  Artifice." 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  '        495 

Lut  I  fancy  it  will  end  in  her  always  living  there.  I 
don't  know  where  she  can  mend  herself  truly.  When 
she  was  here  there  was  a  gentleman  that  pretended  to 
be  deep  in  love  with  her,  and  since  she  has  been  gone 
has  wrote  a  couple  of  love-letters  to  her,  which  madam 
beheves  to  be  in  earnest,  and  by  what  I  find  he  has 
put  tJie  West  Wind  into  a  quite  different  comer  from 
what  he  was.  I  fancy  you  may  have  good  diversion 
with  her  about  it,  for  she  shows  her  letters  to  everybody ; 
and  to  be  suie  she  will  to  you,  for  you  were  formerly 
a  great  favourite  with  her.  You  must  not  take  any 
notice  that  you  know  anything  from  me  about  it,  or  that 
we  correspond ;  I  don't  doubt  but  Mrs.  Tehee  was  very 
merry  at  the  fair,  especially  if  she  drunk  of  the  Lake  of 
ObHvion  before  she  went ;  I  want  to  know  what  the 
Prophetess  talked  about  me ;  I  wonder  whether  I  am  in 
her  books  or  not. 

I  am  sorry  to  hear  you  are  so  fond  of  a  country  life, 
but  I  hope  it  will  never  be  your  fate  to  be  chained  to 
a  country  squire.  I  am  quite  rejoiced  at  the  exit  of 
the  Elephant,  and  hear  that  part  of  the  Quilted  Petti- 
coat is  quite  happy,  for  I  had  a  letter  Sunday  last 
from  her, — she  tells  me  she  "  thinks  herself  in  a  dream, 
her  life  is  so  much  changed  for  the  better."  I  hear  she 
has  left  the  Giant  upwards  of  three  score  thousand  pound 
in  money,  besides  jewels,  plate,  land,  &c.  I  am  to  be  at 
the  ball  that  tlie  Library  makes,  but  whether  you  will  he 
admitted  under  the  shadow  of  my  wdng  (as  you  call  it) 
I  can't  tell ;  for  I  suppose  it  will  be  stufft  up  with  all  the 
tribe  of  Jacob,  which  you  know  will  be  disagreeable 
enough.  I  do  assure  you  I  want  as  much  to  see  you  as 
you  can  me,  for  I  have  myriads  of  things  to  tell  you ; 
and  when  mama  goes  to  the  Bath  I  shall  come  to  town 


496  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

for  two  or  three  days  to  take  leave  of  her  before  she  goes 
her  journey,  and  shall  be  at  Whitehall,  so  I  am  deter- 
mined nothing  shall  prevent  my  seeing  and  discoursing 
my  dear  Doctor. 

The  ode  I  sent  you  I  thought  extremely  silly,  but 
when  I  see  you  I  will  show  you  the  verses  I  told  you 
of,  which  are  very  pretty,  and  you  may  copy  them  if 
you  please;  they  are  not  by  the  Club,  but  by  the 
"  Poetical  Footman."  I  found  out  your  riddle,  and 
have  puzzled  a  good  many  people  with  it.  I  have  sent  you 
one  in  return,  that  you  may  send  to  the  Wit.  I  don't 
know  whether  I  wrote  you  word  of  Mrs.  Sullen  s  writing 
to  me  or  not,  but  I  believe  I  did  not ;  the  letter  came 
here,  and  I  was  in  town,  so  the  D^  opened  it,  thinking  it 
was  to  her,  upon  which  I  was  obliged  to  show  it  to  the 
Higher  Powers,"^  who  came  here  t'other  day,  and  the 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Commons  asked  me  if  I  had 
answered  her  letter  j  I  said  "  yes,^'  to  which  she  replied, 
"  Oh,  you  need  not  keep  up  a  corespondence  with  her,  it 
is  better  not."  So  when  I  vsnrite  to  her  again  I  shall  tell 
her  I  would  not  have  her  say  to  any  body  that  we  write  to 
one  another,  for  it  would  be  ridiculous  to  disoblige  the 
Speaker  in  such  a  trifle  as  that,  and  we  may  do  it  and 
she  know  nothing  of  it,  but  I  told  you  to  tell  her  she 
should  not  write  till  she  heard  from  me  first.  Now  you 
are  come  to  town  I  expect  news  in  abundance,  for  you 


'  "I  was  obliged  to  show  it  to  the  Higher  Powers.''^  The  incident  here  re- 
lated of  the  arbitrary  manner  in  which  the  Duchess  of  Portland  was  com- 
manded with  regard  to  her  female  corresi)ondent,  after  having  been  obliged  to 
show  her  friend's  letter,  in  consequence  of  its  being  known  that  she  had 
received  one,  affords  an  explanation  of  the  reason  which  induced  her  to  take 
the  trouble  of  having  a  cy^jher  for  all  the  names  of  the  persons  mentioned,  so 
a '.  to  render  it  more  difficult  of  interpretation  if  they  should  fall  into  any  hands 
but  the  [Hii-sou  to  whom  they  were  written. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  497 

know  nothing  gives  me  so  much  satisfaction  to  have 
as  some  of  your  sheets  well  filled.  Pray  is  Lady  Artifice 
Flirtigig  and  her  chere  moitie  going  to  France  ?  for  I  see 
they  are,  in  the  papers.  Pray  send  me  the  Irish  letter 
you  have  so  long  promised  me  ;  I  had  last  week  a 
charming  long  letter  from  dear  Kitty,  who  is  very  well. 
I  shall  not  fail  to  carry  you  to  see  her  in  tlie  winter.  I 
suppose  you  have  had  many  delightful  letters  from  Miss 
Stonor ;  what  would  I  give  to  be  acquainted  with  her 
and  to  have  some  of  her  letters!  I  am,  my  dear  friend, 
perfectly  well,  and  have  no  returns  of  my  fever.  I 
hope  whenever  you  make  a  purchase  you  will  have  the 
same  good  fortune  attend  you  that  I  have  had,  for  I  do 
assui'e  you  that  True  Blue  has  every  good  quality  you 
wished  him  to  have.  He  wants  much  to  be  acquainted 
with  you,  so  I  propose  a  great  deal  of  mirth  next  winter. 

Yours  most  faithfully. 
Write  to  me  very  soon. 

"  The  exit  of  the  Elephant "  may  possibly  allude  to  the  death  of 
Elizabeth,  Duchess-Dowager  of  Albemarle  and  Duchess  of  Montague, 
wiiose  death  is  thus  recorded  in  the  London  Magazine  for  August 
1734. 

"  On  the  28th,  at  night,  died  at  Newcastle  House  in  Clerkenwell- 
Close,  in  the  96th  year  of  her  age,  her  Grace  Elizabeth  Dutchess- 
Dowagpr  of  Albemarle,  and  Dutchess-Do wager  of  Montagu.  Her 
Grace  was  eldest  aughter,  and  one  of  the  coheirs  of  Henry  Caven- 
dish, Duke  of  Newcastle,  and  married  first,  Christopher  Monk, 
Duke  of  Albemarle,  son  to  the  famous  General  Monk,  and  next, 
Iialph  Lord  Montagu,  father  to  the  present  Duke.  She  was  his 
Grace's  second  wife,  and  had  no  issue  by  him.  She  was  allied  to 
most  of  the  noble  families  in  England.  Besides  being  mother-in- 
law  to  the  Duke  of  Montagu,  and  consequently  grandmother  to  the 
Duchess  of  Manchester  and  Countess  of  Cardigan,  she  was  aunt  to 
the  Countess  of  Oxford^  to  the  Lady  Viscountess  Morpeth,  to  the 

VOL.  I.  2  K 


498  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Countesses  of"  Salisbury  and  Harold,  and  to  the  Lady  Lovel, 
Baroness  of  Clifford.  She  was  likewise  great  aunt  to  the  Duchess 
of  Portland,  to  the  present  Duke  of  Newcastle,  and  to  the  Earl  of 
Eockingham,  and  widow  of  Christopher,  second  Duke  of  Albemarle. 
As  she  was  a  coheiress  of  the  last  Cavendish,  Duke  of  Newcastle, 
she  enjoyed  an  immense  fortune,  and  being  mad,  was  confined  at 
Montagu  House,  but  served  with  royal  state.  Her  relations  pre- 
tended she  was  dead,  and  the  Duke  was  forced  to  produce  her  in 
Westminster  Hall.  After  his  death,  she  lived  at  Clerkenwell,  and 
3000?.  a  year  was  allowed  for  her  imaginary  court.  The  rest  was 
laid  up,  and  went  to  her  own  relations." 

Walpole  observes,  "  This  puts  me  in  mind  of  the  Duchess  of 
Albemarle,  who  was  mad  with  pride.  The  first  Duke  of  Montagu 
married  her  a«  Emperor  of  China  ;  and  to  her  death  she  was  served 
on  the  knee,  taking  her  maids  for  ladies  of  the  bed-chamber." 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville, 

Little  Brook  Strt.,  26  Sept.',  1734. 

I  should  have  wrote  to  my  dearest  Anna  last  post, 
but  thus  the  case  stood,  and  I  could  not.  Mr.  Goupy^ 
staid  so  late  with  me  that  day,  that  by  the  time  I  was 
dressed  'twas  three  o'  the  clock.  I  was  to  dine  at  Sir 
John  Stanley's,  who  you  know  does  not  keep  very  regular 
hours,  and  to  be  at  home  by  six,  to  meet  Lady  Mary 
CoUey.  She  was  here  before  I  could  get  h  ome,  and  staid 
till  ten ;  Phill  supped  with  me,  and  it  was  impossible  for 


*  "This  painter  was  born  at  Nevers,  in  France,  but  came  to  England 
when  very  young,  and  practised  as  a  drav/ing-master  and  engraver.  He 
was  patronised  by  Dr.  Brooke  Taylor,  with  whom  he  made  several  excur- 
sions for  the  purpose  of  sketching  landscapes  after  nature.  By  this  means  he 
became  known  to  Frederick  Prince  of  Wales,  who  employed  him  very  much  at 
Kew  and  Cliefden  House.  On  the  accession  of  his  late  Majesty,  (George  II.,) 
Goupy  had  a  small  jiension  allowed  him,  which,  however,  he  did  not  long 
enjoy,  dying  at  an  advanced  age,  in  1763.  His  landscapes  are  much  in  the 
etyle  of  Salvator  Rosa." — PUkingtmi'a  Dicti(mary  of  Painters. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  499 

me  to  secure  a  moment  of  writing  time.  They  had  better 
have  let  me  done  my  duty,  I  should  have  been  pleasanter 
company  to  them  than  I  was  ;  for  I  own  I  never  am  easy 
when  I  give  you  the  least  shadow  to  think  I  neglect  you. 
Your  dabs,  my  dear,  are  little  bits  of  delight  that  always 
rejoice  my  heart.  I  know  by  experience  that  one's  de- 
signs are  so  frequently  interrupted,  that  there  is  no 
dependence  on  them.  I  hope  your  horse-races  will 
afford  you  plentiful  diversion,  and  that  all  the  squires 
will  make  love  to  you ;  but  I  am  afraid  their  hearts 
are  so  full  of  tenderness  for  their  horses,  that  there  is 
no  room  left  for  a  more  delicate  affection,  especially 
for  one  who  takes  up  so  much  room  as  you  do ;  for 
you  are  unreasonable  enough  to  require  the  whole  heart 
to  yourself,  and  will  hardly  condescend  to  take  up  with 
the  coimer  of  a  stable ;  and  I  can't  but  commend  you ! 
I  hope  you  were  jigging  at  a  ball,  or  flirting  at  an 
assembly,  but  1  rather  fear  the  headache  as  a  thing  that 
is  more  likely  to  come  in  your  way. 

Poor  Jenny  Webb  !  she  has  soon  followed'her  father ; 
I  have  great  compassion  for  her  mother  and  sisters,  but  as 
Mrs.  Duncombe  observes  (in  one  of  her  letters  to  Mrs. 
Donellan),  the  "  changes  of  this  life  are  so  quick,  that  we 
have  hardly  time  to  mourn  or  rejoice  for  anything,  before 
the  circumstance  alters."  She  is  (Mrs.  Dun),  a  very  sen- 
sible woman,  and  I  lament  the  loss  of  her  conversation,  but 
I  believe  she  is  fixed  for  ever  in  the  country.  By  this  to  be 
sure  you  have  seen  Betty  Carter  :  I  hear  she  is  highly 
delighted  with  the  kind  entertainment  she  has  met  with  in 
Gloucester.  We  have  had  some  terrible  stormy  weather  ; 
I  hope  Cranham  is  so  snugly  situated  as  to  defend  my 
mother  from  the  melancholy  sound  of  it :  when  Michael- 

2  K  2 


500  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

mass  is  over  we  may  expect  a  serener  sky.  Lady  Gran- 
ville^ comes  to  town  on  Saturday,  and  stays  a  fortnight, 
I  suppose  I  shall  go  back  with  her.  Lady  Weymouth  and 
her  son,  Lady  Dy  and  her  son,  are  all  well  and  happy, 
and  so  are  you  and  I  also,  though  without  a  scrap  of 
their  magnificence  ;  as  we  can  partake  of  other's  joys,  and 
I  think  our  greatest  distress  is  that  we  can't  add  to  them 
as  much  as  we  desire. 

People  that  enjoy  all  the  magnificence  of  life  are  so 
wrapped  up  in  themselves,  they  are  not  capable  of  feeling 
so  much  the  joys  that  spring  from  their  own  good  for- 
tune, and  by  that  means  are  deprived  of  many  pleasures 
that  you  and  I  have  a  relish  for  ;  so  far  as  this  we  have 
the  advantage,  but  in  another  instance  they  have  it  over 
us ;  for  they  have  no  leisure  to  consider  the  miseries  of 
their  feUow-creatures.  Those  few  that  can  compassionate 
woes  they  never  felt,  have  the  glorious  opportunity  of  re- 
lieving them  ;  and  there  they  are  the  object  of  my  envy. 

Lady  Sunderland  is  very  well,  and  her  youngest  son 
recovering  ,♦  Mrs.  Tichborne  has  taken  Ward's  drop  again, 
and  is  very  well  after  it ;  how  is  that  poor  lame  woman 
that  we  used  sometimes  to  visit  in  the  cloysters  ?  If  the 
drop  would  be  of  any  service  to  her  I  will  bring  some  of  it 
down  with  me.  It  has  certainly  done  wonderful  cures  in 
scorbutic  cases ;  but  particularly  for  cancers  and  palsies  it 
has  had  surprising  success.  I  have  not  heard  from  Bunny 
for  several  posts,  so  I  hope  he  is  on  the  road. 

They  talk  of  the  King  of  Prussia's  dying;  if  that 
comes  to  pass  'tis  likely  we  shall  have  weddings,  but 
if  my  mama  is  determined  not  to  part  with  you,  I  must 


*  The  old  Countess  Granville. 


OF  MUS.  DELANY.  501 

not  make  interest  for  you  either  with  Princess  Royal  or 
Princess  AmeHa :  I  own  I  had  rather  fix  you  with  Prin- 
cess CaroHne,  but  in  an  affair  of  this  kind  one  must  be 
contented  with  what  one  can  get.  As' for  the  Prince 
of  Wales,  all  the  places  about  his  princess,  when  he 
marries  (which  is  not  yet  talked  of),  will  be  disposed  of 
to  those  that  can  bring  good  interest  with  them,  and 
they  wiU  be  given  to  married  women,  'tis  thought,  as  the 
Queen's  were ;  I  hope  we  shall  have  leisure  to  talk 
this  over.  I  have  finished  my  Apollo,  and  given  it  to 
Sir  John  Stanley,  who  was  much  pleased  with  it ;  I  wish 
I  could  have  shown  it  to  you,  but  you  will  see  it  in  the 
spring. 

Mrs.  Barber  dined  with  me  yesterday  ;  she  left  me  as 
soon  as  she  had  dined,  but  I  was  not  alone ;  Xenophon's 
Cyrus  kept  me  company,  and  entertained  me  very  well. 


Dean  Swift  to  Mrs.  Pendarves,  in  Little  Brook  Street,  near  Orosvenor  Square, 

London. 

Oct.  7,  1734. 

Madam, 

When  I  received  the  honor  and  happiness  of 
your  last  letter  (dated  Sept.  9),  I  was  afflicted  wdth  a 
pair  of  disorders  that  usually  seize  me  once  a  year,  and 
with  which  I  have  been  acquainted  from  my  youth,  but 
it  is  only  of  late  years  that  they  have  begun  to  come 
together,  although  I  should  have  been  better  contented 
with  one  at  a  time — these  are  giddiness  and  deafness, 
which  usually  last  a  month ;  the  first  tormenting  my 
body,  and  the  other  making  me  incapable  of  conversing. 
In  this  juncture  your  letter  found  me  :  but  I  was  able  to 
read,  though  not  to  fiear ;  neither  did  I  value  my  deaf- 


502  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

ness  for 'three  days,  because  your  letter  was  my  constant 
entertainment  during  that  time ;  after  which  I  grew 
sensibly  better,  and,  although  I  was  not  abroad  till  yes- 
terday, I  find  myself  well  enough  to  acknowledge  the 
great  favor  you  have  done  me,  but  cannot  guess  your 
motive  for  so  much  goodness.  I  guess  that  your  good 
Grenius,  accidentally  meeting  mine,  was  prevailed  on  to 
solicit  your  pity !  Or,  did  you  happen  to  be  at  leisure 
by  the  summer  absence  of  your  friends  ?  Or,  would  you 
appear  a  constant  nymph,  when  all  my  goddesses  of 
much  longer  acquaintance  have  forsaken  me,  as  it  is 
reasonable  they  should  ?  But  the  men  are  almost  as  bad 
as  the  ladies,  and  I  cannot  but  think  them  in  the  right ; 
for  I  cannot  make  shifts  and  lie  rough,  and  be  undone 
by  starving  in  scanty  lodgings,  without  horses,  servants, 
or  conveniences,  as  I  used  to  do  in  London,  with  port- 
wine,  or  perhaps  Porter's  ale,  to  save  charges  ! 

You  dare  not  pretend  to  say  that  your  town  equals  ours 
in  hospitable  evenings,  with  your  deep  play  and  no  enter- 
tainment but  a  cup  of  chocolate,  unless  you  have  mended 
your  manners.  I  will  not  declare  your  reasons  for  not 
taking  a  second  trip  over  hither,  because  you  have  offered 
none  but  your  royal  will  and  pleasure ;  but  if  I  were 
in  the  case  of  your  friends  here,  with  more  Hfe  before  me 
and  better  health,  I  would  solicit  an  act  of  Parliament 
to  prevent  your  coming  among  us ;  or,  at  least  to  make  it 
high  treason  in  you  ever  to  leave  us.  In  the  meantime, 
I  wish  you  were  forced  over  by  debts  or  want,  because 
we  would  gladly  agree  to  a  contribution  for  life,  dinners 
and  suppers  excluded,  that  are  to  go  for  nothing.  I 
speak  for  the  pubhc  good  of  this  country ;  because  a  per- 
\    nicious  heresy  prevails  here  among  the  men,  that  it  is  the 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  503 

duty  of  your  sex  to  be  fools  in  every  article  except  what 
is  merely  domestic,  and  to  do  the  ladies  justice,  there  are 
very  few  of  them  without  a  good  share  of  that  heresy, 
except  upon  one  article,  that  they  have  as  little  regard 
for  family  business  as  for  the  improvement  of  their  minds  I 

I  have  had  for  some  time  a  design  to  write  against  this 
heresy,  but  have  now  laid  those  thoughts  aside,  for  fear  of 
making  both  sexes  my  enemies  ;  however,  if  you  will  come 
over  to  my  assistance,  I  will  carry  you  about  among  our 
adversaries,  and  dare  them  to  produce  one  instance  where 
your  want  of  ignorance  makes  you  affected,  pretending, 
conceited,  disdainful,  endeavouring  to  speak  like  a  scholar, 
with  twenty  more  faults  objected  by  themselves,  their 
lovers,  or  their  husbands.  But,  I  fear  your  case  is  des- 
perate, for  I  know  you  never  laugh  at  a  jest  before  you 
understand  it ;  and  I  much  question  whether  you  under- 
stand a  fan,  or  have  so  good  a  fancy  at  silks  as  others  J 
and  your  way  of  spelling  would  not  be  intelligible.  There- 
fore upon  your  arrival  hither  (which  I  expect  in  three 
packets  at  furthest),  I  will  give  you  a  licence  to  be  as 
silly  as  you  can  possibly  afford,  one  half-hour  every  week, 
to  the  heretics  of  each  sex,  to  atone  for  which  you  are  to 
keep  one  fasting-day  at  Doctor  Delany's  or  Dr.  Helshams, 
and  one  at  the  Deanery. 

I  think  my  Lord  Carteret  is  the  most  happy,  in  all 
circumstances  of  life,  that  I  ever  have  known,  and  as  he 
well  deserves  it,  so  I  hope  he  is  sensible  of  it ;  all 
my  fear  is  that  he  will  be  too  rich.  I  am  no  cause 
of  my  Lord  Bathurst's  forsaking  you ;  he  hath  long 
done  the  same  with  me,  and  to  say  the  truth,  madam, 
it  is  a  very  cold  scent  to  continue  a  correspondence 
with   one    whom   we   never   expect    to  see.      I    never 


504  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

knew  it  long  practised,  except  among  the  learned  of 
different  nations ;  Mr.  Pope  and  my  Lord  Bolingbroke 
themselves  begin  to  fail  me,  in  seven  years.  Nothing 
vexes  me  so  much  with  relation  to  you,  as  that  with 
all  my  disposition  to  find  faults,  I  was  never  once  able 
to  fix  upon  anything  that  I  could  find  amiss,  although 
I  watched  you  narrowly ;  for  when  I  found  we  were 
to  lose  you  soon,  I  kept  my  eyes  and  ears  always  upon 
you,  in  hopes  that  you  would  make  some  houtade.  It 
is,  you  know,  a  French  word,  and  signifies  a  sudden 
jerk  from  a  horse's  hinder  feet  which  you  did  not 
expect,  because  you  thought  him  for  some  months  a  sober 
animal,  and  this  hath  been  my  case  with  several  ladies 
whom  I  chose  for  friends ;  in  a  week,  a  month,  or  a  year, 
hardly  one  of  them  failed  to  give  me  a  houtade;  there- 
fore I  command  you  will  obey  my  orders,  in  coming 
over  hither  for  one  whole  year ;  after  which,  upon  the 
first  houtade  you  make,  I  will  give  you  my  pass  to  be 
gone. 

Are  you  acquainted  with  the  Duke  of  Chandois  ?'  I 
know  your  cozen^  Lansdown  and  he  were  intimate  friends. 
I  have  known  the  Duke  long  and  well,  and  thought  I  had 
a  share  in  his  common  favor,  but  he  hath  lately  given  me 
great  cause  of  complaint.  I  was  pressed  by  many  persons 
of  learning  here  to  write  to  his  Grace,  that  having  some 
old  records  relating  to  this  kingdom,  which  were  taken 
from  hence  by  the  Earl  of  Clarendon,  who  was  Lieu- 


'  James  Bi-}dges,  created  Marquis  of  Carnarvon  and  Duke  of  Chandos  on 
the  30th  of  April,  1719.  He  married— 1st,  in  1696-7  Mary,  daughter  to  Sir 
Thomas  Lake,  of  Cannons  ;  2ndly,  Cassandra,  sister  of  Thomas  Lord  Middle- 
ton  ;  3rdly,  in  April,  1736,  Lydia  Catherine  Van  Haaten,  widow  of  Sir 
Thomas  Davall.     The  Duke  died  August  9,  1744. 

^  "  Your  cozen  Lansdown"  is  a  mistake  foi-  your  uncle  Lansdown. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  505 

tenant  here,  and  purchased  them  from  private  owners, 
and  are  now  in  the  Duke's  possession,  that  his  Grace 
would  please  to  bestow  them  to  the  University  here, 
because  Irish  antiquities  are  of  little  value  or  curiosity 
to  any  other  nation.  I  writ  with  all  the  civility  in  my 
power,  and  with  compliments  on  the  fame  of  his  gene- 
rosity, and  in  a  style  very  different  from  what  I  use  to 
my  friends  with  titles,  but  he  hath  pleased  to  be  silent 
for  above  six  weeks,  which  is  the  first  treatment  I  ever 
met  with  of  that  kind  from  any  English  person  of 
quality,  and  what  would  better  become  a  little  Irish 
Baron  than  a  great  English  Duke.  But  whether  grandeur 
or  party  be  the  cause  I  shall  not  enquire,  but  leave  it  to 
you,  and  expect  you  will  employ  "  my  Brother  Lansdown  " 
(his  Lordship  will  tell  you  why  I  give  him  that  title),  if 
he  still  converses  with  the  Duke,  to  know  the  reason  of  this 
treatment,  and  you  shall  be  my  instrument  to  find  it  out, 
although  it  should  cost  you  two  shillings  for  a  chair ! 

If  I  have  tired  you,  it  is  the  effect  of  the  great  esteem 
I  have  for  you,  do  but  lessen  your  own  merits,  and  I 
will  shorten  my  letters  in  proportion.  If  you  will 
come  among  us,  I  engage  your  dreadful  old  beggarly 
western  Parson  to  residence,  otherwise  we  all  resolve  to 
send  him  over,  which  is  in  our  opinion  the  surest  way 
to  drive  you  hither,  for  you  will  be  in  more  haste  to  fly 
from,  than  to  follow  even  Mrs.  Donellan,  when  you 
keep  out  of  sight ;  if  she  be  among  you,  I  desire  she 
may  know  I  am  her  true  admirer  and  most  humble 
servant. 

I  am,  with  true  respect  and  high  esteem. 

Madam, 
Your  most  obed*  and  obliged  humble  serv*, 

J.  Swift, 


506  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

You  may  please  to  know  that  after  dining  alone  as  a 
king,  not  yet  daring  to  face  the  cold,  you  see  the  mark  in 
the  red  spot  of  wine  and  water  that  accidentally  fell. 

Oct.  7th  1734. 

Your  friends  here  are  all  well,  and  remember  you  with 
pleasure  and  regret.     You  must  call  this  a  Postcript. 

You  must  excuse  my  many  interlinings,  on  account  of 
my  ill  head,  which  disposes  me  to  blunders. 


Mr$.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville. 

L.  B.  Strt.,  15  Octr.,  1734 

If  ever  I  bestow  a  pleasure  on  you,  my  dearest  sister, 
you  have  a  way  of  paying  me  very  good  interest  for  it. 
I  think  I  have  lately  used  you  but  scurvily  by  way  of  a 
correspondent,  and  yet  you  do  not  lessen  your  favours 
to  me.  It  is  not  in  the  power  of  pleasure  or  pain  to  drive 
you  from  my  mind — you  are  absolutely  necessary  to  the 
heightening  one,  and  alleviating  the  other.  I  wish  I 
could  bring  it  about,  to  have  Bunny  my  conductor  to 
Glocester,  but  'tis  not  practicable,  or  indeed  if  it  were  is 
it  prudent,  for  Sir  John  Stanley  expresses  so  great  a  love 
for  him  that  one  would  not  draw  him  away  when  he 
has  been  so  long  absent  from  Sir  John.  I  hope  in  the 
summer  he  will  be  able  to  make  you  a  visit ;  the  pain 
in  his  shoulder  is  better.  The  weather  has  been  and  is 
cruelly  bad,  and  the  Hertfordshire  roads  I  should  ima- 
gine must  be  impassable  ;  I  doubt  I  shall  find  many  bad 
bits  between  this  and  Glocester ;  I  have  not  had  since 
my  brother  came  to  town  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  discourse 
with  him  ;  he  promised  to  come  to  me  this  morning,  but 
behold  so  thick  a  fog  interposes,  that  I  fear  I  shall  not 
see  him.     Last  post  I  did  not  write,  but  I   sent  you  a 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  507 

letter  from  Donellan  ;  you  must  make  Foley  amends 
another  year  for  your  neglect  of  this,  but  for  people  that 
do  not  keep  an  equipage  'tis  a  difficulty  to  bring  about 
seeing  those  friends  that  lie  at  such  a  distance  from  them. 
Your  shoes  shall  come  with  me,  and  I  wiU  get  a  cha- 
fing-dish for  my  mother  ;  but  tell  me  if  it  must  be  for 
coals,  or  spirits,  or  both.  I  was  in  hopes  to  have  named 
my  day  in  this  letter,  but  I  cannot  till  Mr.  Stanley 
comes  to  town,  having  a  few  afiairs  to  transact  with  him 
before  I  leave  this  place,  and  he  does  not  come  till  next 
week.  I  shall  hire  a  coach  that  I  may  take  my  rubbish 
with  me.  Since  I  began  this  letter  Bunny  has  been 
with  me,  and  I  have  communicated  to  him  my  design  of 
paying  you  a  winter's  visit,  which  he  in  his  silent  way 
approves  of,  though  he  "  wishes  it  was  summer  for  my 
sake  ;"  he  has  so  lately  known  the  distress  of  bad  roads 
that  he  compassionates  those  that  are  to  wade  through 
them.  But  I'll  have  him  to  know  I  shall  be  in  a  state  of 
envy  and  not  of  pity,  when  I  am  travelHng  towards  my 
dear  mama  and  sister ;  I  hope  I  may  be  able  to  leave 
this  place  this  day  fortnight ;  I  must  make  three  days  of 
it,  the  days  being  now  so  short ;  and  don't  expect  me 
tiU  late  at  night — for  I  never  yet  got  into  Glocester  before 
ten  at  night  from  London ;  and  don't  attempt  meeting 
me  on  the  road  for  there  is  so  much  mud  and  filth  in  the 
way  that  it  would  grieve  me  to  have  you  trotting 
through  it.  Your  harp^  was  the  most  musical  one  that 
ever  was  played  on,  'twas  sweet  and  tender,  and  had 
every  good  property  you  wished  it  might  have,  and  was 
well  bestowed  on  the  kind  friend  you  sent  it  to,  who 

^  "  Your  harp  "  was  probably  figurative,  and  an  allusion  to  a  copy  of  verses 
sent  to  Sir  J.  Stanley  bv  Ann  Granville. 


508  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

drank  your  health.  Moncks  and  Donellan  were  of  y* 
party ;  they  quadrilled^  after  dinner  till  ten,  and  I  dozed 
by  them  ;  I  wanted  a  pretty  tete-a-tete  friend,  and  a  closet 
a  top  of  the  house,  for  I  confess  losing  at  cards  infallibly 
lulls  me  to  sleep.  Well,  is  it  not  pure  that  we  shall 
meet  in  a  fortnight,  please  God  to  permit  it  ?  my  heart 
dances  about  it,,  and  'tis  so  honest  a  joy  that  I  hope 
I  shall  not  be  disappointed.  Tell  me  if  you  can  how  I 
must  direct  to  Mr.  James  Tooker  ?  My  duty  to  our 
good  mother.  I  cannot  express  the  joy  I  feel  at  the 
thoughts  of  seeing  her  soon ;  I  don't  know  what  time 
you  propose  returning  to  Grloster  :  perhaps  the  time  I 
have  named  for  coming  to  you  may  be  sooner  than  is 
convenient.  Adieu,  my  dearest  Anna;  pray  God  Al- 
mighty bless  you,  and  send  us  a  happy  meeting 

I  am, 
Most  tenderly  and  faithfully  yours, 

M.P. 

On  Friday  next  I  shall  have  a  little  musical  party — 
Strada  to  sing  and  one  to  accompany  her,  and  young 
Gleg  for  the  fiddle,  who  plays  very  well ;  the  audience  are 
to  be  the  Percivals,  S""  John,  Bunny,  Lady  Mary  Coley,' 
and  Mr.  Hamilton — a  fine  batchelor  man  her  brother,  who 
is  just  such  a  sober  musical  thing  as  my  brother. 


1  "  They  quadrilVd^''^ — played  at  quadrille. 

2  Lady  Mary  Colley  was  the  second  daughter  of  James,  6th  Earl  of 
Abercorn,  and  sister  to  James,  7th  Earl.  She  had  eight  other  brothers,  whose 
names  are  not  specified  by  Burke. 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  509 

2%e  Duchess  of  Portland  to  Miss  Cdlingwood. 

BuUstrode,  Octber  20th,  1734. 

I  should  before  now  have  returned  my  dear  Doctor  a 
million  of  thanks  for  her  most  obHging,  entertaining,  and 
delightful  letter,  which  came  to  my  hands  just  as  my 
winkers  were  open.  I  read  it  with  great  satisfaction  and 
pleasure,  which  occasioned  my  not  being  ready  for  break- 
fast,' but  as  we  do  not  deal  much  in  ceremonials,  it 
was  not  high  treason.  The  muff  please  to  accept  my  most 
kind  acknowledgements  for,  and  imagine  you  see  me 
blush  for  the  trouble  I  gave  you ;  pray  don't  forget  the 
price  when  I  come  to  town  that  I  may  be  out  of  your 
debt  in  that  respect ;  for  as  for  all  the  many  kind  pieces  of 
friendship  which  you  have  been  so  good  to  favour  me 
with,  I  am  very  sensible  you  have  a  long  score  with 
me,  but  I  do  assure  you  I  shall  take  all  opport  unity s  of 
convincing  my  dear  friend,  I  am  not  ungratefull,  and 
shall  think  myself  extremely  happy  whenever  anything 
offers  where  I  may  any  ways  be  serviceable  to  you. 

The  reason  of  my  not  writing  before  was  occasioned  by 
a  return  of  my  fever,  which  I  am  afraid  I  must  take  the 
bark  for :  I  am  at  present  much  better,  and  believe  it  is 
owing  to  the  pleasure  I  give  myself  in  writing  to  you. 
I  will  be  sure  to  mind  the  advice  you  give  me  in  being 
careful  in  not  catching  cold  in  my  feet ;  I  assure  you  I 
was  extremely  troubled  to  leave  you  so  soon  at  White- 
hall.    I  thought  I  was  quite  secure  in  having  you  alone 

'  "  Occasioned  my  not  being  ready  for  hreaJc/ast."  The  fact  thus  mentioned 
as  an  exception  proves  that  the  Duchess's  habits  were  then  very  different  from 
those  of  her  later  life,  as  she  used  to  remain  awake  the  whole  night  and  be 
read  to  by  her  readers  or  waiting-women,  of  whom  there  were  two  who  sat 
up  every  alternate  night.     This  habit  did  not  appear  to  have  been  contracted 


510  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

for  the  Manuscripts^  told  me  they  could  not  possibly 
come,  for  their  great  devotions  would  hinder  'em  ;  but  you 
see  I  am  in  such  great  favour,  that  coming  to  see  me  and 
the  bustle  of  an  election  are  upon  the  same  foot,  for  they 
will  neglect  their  duty  for  either  ;  you  know  what  I  mean, 
for  a  word  to  the  wise  is  enough. 

You  say  you  are  impatient  for  the  sequel  of  the  Story 
upon  the  Staircase  :  it  is  this,  Roses  and  Nettles  were  to 
know  nothing  of  my  making  a  purchase  till  it  was  quite 
over,  for  what  reason  I  know  not,  but  it  was  decreed  so 
by  the  Higher  Powers,  so  when  the  flowers  were  come 
together  and  tyed  up  in  a  nosegay,  advice  was  sent  to 
the  Roses  and  Nettles,  and  as  you  know  the  quality  of 
that  weed,  it  would  not  be  acceptable  with  Sweet  William, 
but  however  there  was  a  fine  pacific  congratulary  oration 
from  the  Nettle,  which  without  doubt  came  from  the 
heart  of  that  root,  which  was  taken  very  well  but  their 
flourishing  so  much  at  Florence,  and  as  I  believe  the 
seed  beginning  to  spread,  inflamed  the  wrath  of  Mr.  Ford 
so  much,  that  he  would  not  believe  it  was  the  pleasure  of 
hearing  Farinelli  sing  which  was  their  pretence,  but  the 
other  which  they  could  not  part  from.  The  matter  I 
believe  is  now  made  up,  and  that  no  Roses  will  be  ex- 
ported till  February  or  March  next.     Now  I  think  I  have 

from  ill  health,  as  it  was  continued  when  her  pursuits  and  occupations  were 
actively  carried  on  after  she  got  up,  and  she  used  to  say  that  when  she 
Avas  in  some  hotel  she  used  to  sink  into  a  comfortahle  sleep  on  hearing  the 
chamhermaid  cleaning  the  stairs  near  her  room  in  the  morning,  which  did 
rot  the  least  disturb  her,  as  she  knew  that  the  hour  had  then  arrived  for  her 
to  begin  her  night's  rest,  and  that  from  that  time  she  slept  most  soimdly  for 
the  number  of  hours  that  she  required  repose,  viz.,  till  twelve  or  one  o'clock. 

^  "  The  Manuscripts,'"  "  the  Story  on  the  Staircase,^''  "  the  Roses  and  Nettles" 
"  the  Nosegay"  and  "the  Angel"  must  be  referred  to  the  ingenious  surmises 
of  the  reader,  together  with  the  cyphers  in  the  preceding  letter  of  the  Duchess 
of  Portland  to  Miss  Collinerwood. 


OP  MRS.  DELANY.  511 

given  you  a  full  account  of  the  gardening  affairs.  The 
Sweet  Williams^  as  agreable  as  ever,  and  more  so  if 
possible ;  I  wish  you  knew  more  of  that  flower,  for  I 
;im  sure  you  would  be  quite  charmed  with  it ;  I  assure 
3'ou  the  Collyfiower  ^  is  a  great  favourite,  and  I  don't 
doubt  of  its  growing  more  so  the  better  it  is  known. 

When  I  desired  you  to  write  a  long  letter  I  very  weU 
knew  how  empty  the  town  was,  and  how  fruitful  your 
pate  is,  so  might  reasonably  expect  well  filled  sheets 
which  I  assure  you  I  do  next  Sunday,  for  it  will  be  a 
week  after  you  have  received  mine.  Thanks  are  due  to 
you  for  the  pebbles,  let  me  have  an  account  of  them  in 
your  next.  All  the  world  has  been  at  the  Bath,  but  came 
away  before  the  Elder  of  the  Tribe  went ;  how  cruel  is 
that  little  urchin !  I  really  believe  her  fate  will  be  to 
teach  the  apes  to  dance  in  Pluto's  dominions  at  last,  as 
you  say. 

My  Lord  is  your  most  humble  servant,  and  drank  your 
health  to-day  by  the  Angel,  and  esteems  it  a  feather  in 
his  hat,  that  you  wall  own  kindred  with  mortals.  Dear 
Colly,  you  will  certainly  spoil  my  devotion,  for  I  stared 
at  your  picture  all  church  time ;  I  have  had  a  letter 
from  the  Wit,  who  is  very  angry  you  don't  write  to  her ; 
she  sent  me  a  rebus,  which  I  desire  you  will  send  me  the 
explanation  of  very  soon. 

A  measure  of  lace,  that's  less  than  a  nail, 
And  where  travellers  hope  to  meet  with  good  ale, 
The  shepherd's  retreat  when  the  sun  is  at  height, 
Is  the  name  of  a  lady  we  love  at  first  sight. 

Thank  you  for  the  Irish  letter,  it  was  long  a  coming, 
but  very  welcome  when  it  did. 

^  Another  name  for  the  Duke  of  Portland. 
*  Miss  Collincrwood. 


512  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

The  Riddle. — Answer  28  :  which  number,  multiplied  by  3,  produces  84 ; 
2  sevenths  of  84,  which  number,  trebled,  produces  72  ;  2  ninths  of  72  is  16  ; 
and  the  square  root  of  16  is  4. 

I  am  yours  most  affectionately, 

M.  C.  Portland,  which  I  take  to  be  the 
answer  to  y'  rebus. 


The  Duchess  of  Portland  to  Miss  CdUingwood. 
*  Bullstrode,  Nov^',  3rd.  1734. 

I  beg  my  dearest  Colly  will  not  be  surprised  if  this 
epistle  exceeds  in  stupidity  above  all  those  I  have  ever 
wrote  to  you,  for  I  have  just  now  been  writing  a  letter  to 
Holland,  which  has  caused  me  to  squeeze  my  brain  so 
much,  and  have  found  it  so  costive  or  otherways  barren, 
that  I  don't  know  when  it  wiU  come  to  its  primeval  bright- 
ness again ;  but  I  was  resolved  I  would  not  defer  writing 
to  you  one  post,  so  you  must  e'en  take  it  for  better  for 
worse,  for  the  pleasure  your  letters  always  give  me  is 
inexpressible,  but  I  believe  I  have  said  that  fifty  thou- 
sand times  to  you  and  hope  you  are  well  assured  of  it.  I 
have  been  quite  well  ever  since  I  wrote  to  you  last,  and 
believe  your  letter  has  had  more  effect  upon  me  than  the 
bark. 

I  am  very  sorry  to  hear  Miss  Stonor  has  been  so  ill, 
and  if  she  should  ever  come  to  town  I  hope  she  will 
not  deny  me  the  pleasure  of  being  acquainted  with  her. 
I  had  a  letter  from  Aspasia  ^  tother  day,  who  told  me 
she  had  seen  you  ;  I  assure  you,  you  are  in  great  favour 
with  her — she  reaUy  has  a  vast  deal  of  wit ;  I  have  had 


*  Aspasia  was  one  of  the  names  of  Mary  Granville  (Mrs.  Pendarves). 


OF  MHS.  DELANO'.  -513 

some  charming  letters  from  her ;  pray  let  me  have  an 
account  of  your  witty  conversation  with  her. 

I  hear  such  commendations  of  the  button-maker  tra- 
gedian, that  I  hope  he  won't  quit  the  stage  till  I  have 
had  the  honour  of  seeing  h;^  majestical  appearance. 
Your  account  of  Venus  was  delightful ;  I  believe,  you 
don't  know  who  I  mean,  but  I  will  explain  it  to  you. 
Lady  Berkshire^  (who  you  know  has  an  infinite  deal  of 
wit)  went  to  make  a  visit  some  years  ago  to  Lady  George 
Howard,"  where  she  found  the  good  lady,  old  Lady  Patch 
Nose  Skip  worth,  and  another  old  woman  as  great  a  beauty 
as  the  two  former,  and  the  Duke  of  Gordon,^  who  was  then 
reckoned  a  mighty  handsome  man.  The  Countess  as  she 
went  out  of  the  room  whispered  the  Duke,  and  told  him 
she  desired  the  next  time  she  saw  him  he  would  tell  her 
which  of  those  three  beauties  he  had  given  the  golden 
apple  too,  which  set  him  in  to  such  a  fit  of  laughter,  that 
he  was  obliged  to  quit  the  room  without  further  cere- 
mony, now  without  doubt  Lady  George  was  Venu^ ! 

I  believe  you  have  guessed  the  rebus  right,  but  I  took 
it  to  be  your  name,  but  however  ask  3Irs.  Sullen  about 
it  for  she  sent  it  me.  Pray  make  inquiries  about  the  peb- 
ble marchant,  for  I  would  not  lose  those  precious  stones 
upon  any  account ;  and  as  they  are  to  be  cut  according  to 
your  fancy  and  approbation,  I  shall  wear  them  for  your 


1  Catharine,  daughter  of  James  Grahame,  Esq.,  married  March  5,  1708-9, 
Henry,  4th  Earl  of  Berkshire. 

*  Lord  George  Howard,  son  of  Henry,  6th  Duke  of  Norfolk,  bj-  his  second 
wife,  married  Arabella,  daughter  and  heir  of  Sir  Edmund  Allen,  Bart.,  and 
widow  of  Francis  Thompson,  Esq. 

3  Alexander,  2nd  Duke  of  Gordon,  died  in  1728,  and  was  succeeded  by  his 
eldest  son,  Cosmo  George,  3rd  Duke,  who  married  in  1741  Catharine,  daughter 
of  William,'Earl  of  Aberdeen. 

VOL.  I.  2  L 


514  ^  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

sake.  If  you  pick  up  any  rarities  or  curiosities,  pray  keep 
them  against  T  come  to  town,^  and  don't  lose  them  as  you 
did  the  half  moon  ;  I  think  that  is  a  bad  omen,  to  be  so  neg- 
ligent of  Diana's  badge.  Since  my  last  came  a  fresh  mail 
from  Italy,  with  an  account  that  Roses  and  Nettles  were 
arrived  at  Vicenza,  in  order  to  be  transplanted  at  Eome, 
where  I  imagine  they  will  spread  as  much  as  at  Florence. 
I  think  you  should  address  Flora  to  be  an  Anemone,  which 
always  closes  as  the  dew  falls  upon  it  and  opens  with  the 
rays  of  Phoebus,  and  is  a  most  beautiful  flower  !  I  suppose 
the  reverend  divine  made  you  a  visit  and  gave  you  a  long 
account  about  your  humble  servant,  and  that  I  expected 
to  hear  from  you  next  Sunday  without  fail.  He  told  me 
of  a  prodigiously  comical  letter  you  had  with  hard  words  ;  I 
should  be  vastly  obliged  to  you  if  you  could  send  it  me  to 
read ;  I  would  return  it  again  by  the  next  post. 

Pray  if  you  have  any  verses,  riddles,  rebus's,  conum- 
drums,  punns,  and  carry whichits,  I  desire  you  will  send 
them  me. 

I  hope  you  have  not  burnt  the  collection  of  rarities 
that  you  were  to  have  sent  to  all  the  world.  I  wish  you 
would  copy  over  the  titles  of  them  and  send  it  me.  My 
Lord  is  your  obedient. 

I  am  mv  dearest  Doctor's  most  constant, 

Patient,  and  affectionate  Cousin. 

I  believe  whenever  Mr.  West  loses  his  heart  he  will 
never  accuse  the  Elder  of  the  Tribe  of  Jacob  of  that  theft. 

*  "  If  you  pick  up  any  rarities  or  curiosities  pray  keep  them  against  I  come  to 
town."  This  sentence  proves  that  the  Duchess  of  Portland's  love  of  natural 
history  was  of  very  early  date,  and  that  the  similarity  of  pursuits,  which 
strengthened  the  bonds  of  friendship  with  Mary  Granville,  who  was  her  senior 
by  fifteen  years,  were  cultivated  as  soon  as  she  became  her  own  mistress,  and 
finally  rendered  her  collection  of  precious  stones,  shells,  flowers  and  rare 
animals,  together  with  objects  of  verld,  including  the  Portland  Vase,  celebrated 
all  over  Europe. 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  515 


From  the  Duchess  of  Portland.     For  Miss  Collingwood,  at  her  lodgings  in 
New  Bond  Street,  London. 

Bullstrode,  Novber.  lo,  1734. 

My  dearest  Doctor  will  wish  me  at  York  for  pestering 
her  so  soon  again  with  my  epistles ;  but  I  could  not  miss 
a  post  from  thanking  you  for  one  of  the  most  delightful 
letters  I  ever  received.  You  certainly  laugh  at  me  when 
you  say,  you  should  be  satisfied  if  yours  were  half  as  en- 
tertaining, no,  Colly,  that  won't  pass  upon  me  but  for  a 
joke.  I  would  give  a  bit  of  my  ears  to  write  as  well  as 
you  do,  and  then  for  you  to  say  such  things  !  Fye,  fye  ! 
child,  you  tell  jibs,  and  you  don't  consider  that  you  micst 
confess  all  this  to  an  old  fellow  {not  a  young  one) ;  mind 
that,  and  you'll  have  the  punishment  of  telling  your 
beads  so  many  times  more  then  you  have  occasion  for.^ 

You  desire  the  confirmation  of  my  good  health,  and  if 
you  have  a  mind,  you  shall  have  it  under  my  hand  and 
seal  that  I  am  perfectly  well.  The  reverend  divine  mis- 
takes ;  I  don't  write  a  vast  deal,  for  I  have  not  wrote  near 
a  hundred  letters  since  I  came  down,  and  I  only  write 
long  ones  to  you,  and  Kitty  and  the  Quilted  Petticoat, 
and  I  am  sure,  that  can  do  me  no  manner  of  harm,  but 
rather  good.  If  you  give  me  an  account  in  your 'next  letter 
about  the  pebbles  it  is  time  enough,  which  I  hope  will 
be  next  Sunday ;  I  don't  believe  you  will  be  long  in 
Diana's  train,  or  men  must  be  stupid  creatures  indeed 
then,  and  I  don't  take  you  to  have  any  nun's  disposition 
about  you.  What's  become  of  the  Wild  Beast  ?  is  he  in 
the  land  of  the  living  still  ?  I  want  to  know  whether  Miss 
Andrews  is  married  yet,  send  me  an  account  of  that  affair. 


^  This  was  a  joking  allusion  to  Miss  CoUingwood's  being  a  Eoman  Catholic. 

^w    J.J    ^ 


516  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

I  fancied  the  letter  of  hard  words  was  very  witty,  and 
that  it  was  Miss  Stonor's — if  you  should  find  it  do  send 
it  me ;  you  say  you  don't  understand  musick,  but  if 
you  remember  you  did  Dutch  performances.  I  believe 
I  shall  come  up  to  hear  Farinelli,  but  don't  say  anything 
of  it ;  I  must  certainly  see  you  then.  I  am  of  your  opinion 
about  Aspasia,  but  I  did  not  think  she  set  people  together 
by  the  ears,  though  I  think  she  had  better  let  her  Carrots^ 
alone.  Cherry  cou'd  hardly  be  spoilt  with  the  small  pox, 
for  I  suppose  that  pretty  forehead  remains,  cat's  eyes,  and 
fine  chin :  the  Duchess  of  Bedford,  you  know,  she  says, 
is  very  like  her ;  I  think  Lady  Mary  Finch  ^  very  pretty 
sure.  Lord  Castlemain's  equipage  was  very  much  out  of 
the  way,  I  hope  his  clothes  were  his  father's  or  his  own 
vjork,  they  would  be  of  much  more  value.  You  are  much 
mistaken  about  my  correspondents,  for  I  had  not  heard  a 
word  of  all  you  told  me. 

What  possessed  Lady  Fitzwilliam  ^  to  go  into  a  convent, 
let  me  know  that  ?  Send  me  the  copy  of  the  curiosities  in 
your  next  letter.  I  approve  of  the  verses  of  Pope's  very 
well,  I  think  you  have  no  loss  of  the  Prophetess  s  com- 
pany.   I  want  some  account  of  Roses  and  Nettles,  I  hear 


'  "  She  had  tetter  let  her  Carrots  alone."  Query  Carterets.  •  This  remark 
might  apply  to  the  feud,  alluded  to  by  Mrs.  Peudarves,  between  herself 
and  Lord  Weymouth,  in  consequence  of  her  advocacy  of  the  Chapones,  and 
which  she  mentioned  had  been  taken  up  against  her  by  all  the  family.  The 
Duchess  of  Portland  might  hav?  thought  her  interference  in  their  behalf  ill- 
advised.  It  is  not,  however,  certain  that  the  Aspasia  here  mentioned  was 
Mrs.  Pendarves,  although  she  was  known  by  that  name  by  some  of  her  intimate 
friends. 

2  Lady  Mary  Finch,  fourth  daughter  of  Daniel,  Earl  of  Nottingham  by 
the  daughter  of  Christopher  Viscount  Hatton.  Lady  Mary  married  Thomas, 
1st  Marquess  of  Rockingham. 

'  Anne,  wife  of  John  Earl  Fitz  William,  and  daughter  and  sole  heir  of 
John  Stringer,  Esq. 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  517 

Roses's  birthday  was  observed  with  great  pomp  and  splen- 
dour ;  there  was  above  forty  gentlemen  that  had  an  en- 
tertainment, and  Farinelli  made  a  magnificent  suit  of 
clothes  and  charmed  the  company  with  his  voice  as 
Orpheus  did,  (and  so  kept  them  from  drinking,)  though 
this  is  only  my  supposition.  I  expect  an  answer  to  all 
ray  query s  by  the  aforesaid  time.  My  Lord  sends  his 
light  love  and  his  nimble  service  to  his  cousin.  • 

Dear  Doctor, 

Your  most  devoted. 


From  Mrs.  PendarWB  to  Dean  Swift. 

St.  Mary's  Square,  Gloucester, 

November  20, 1734. 

Sir, 

I  am  truly  concerned  at  your  having  been  so 
much  out  of  order ;  I  most  heartily  wish  you  constant 
health  and  happiness,  though  that  is  of  little  use  to  you, 
and  only  serves  to  do  honour  to  myself  by  showing  I 
know  how  to  prize  what  is  valuable.  I  should  have 
returned  you  thanks  much  sooner  for  the  favour  of  your 
last  letter,  but  when  I  received  it  I  was  preparing  for  my 
journey  hither,  and  have  ever  since  had  so  great  a  dis- 
order in  one  of  my  eyes  that,  till  this  moment,  I  have  not 
been  able  to  make  my  acknowledgments  to  you.  I  won- 
der you  should  be  at  a  loss  for  a  reason  for  my  writing 
to  you  ;  we  all  love  honour  and  pleasure,  were  your 
letters  dull,  do  you  imagine  my  vanity  would  not  be 
fond  of  corresponding  with  the  Dean  of  St.  Patrick's  ? 
But  the  last  reason  jow.  give  I  like  best,  and  will  stick 
by,  which  is  that  I  am  a  more  constant  nymph  than  all 


518  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

your  goddesses  of  much,  longer  acquaintance  ;  and  fur- 
thermore I  venture  to  promise  you  are  in  no  danger  of 
receiving  a  boutade,  if  that  depends  on  my  will.  As  for 
those  "  fasting  days  "^  you  talk  of,  they  are,  I  confess, 
alluring  baits,  and  I  should  certainly  have  been  with  you 
in  three  packets,  according  to  your  commands,  could  I 
either  fly  or  swim,  but  I  am  a  heavy  lump,  destined 
for  a  few  years  to  this  earthly  element ;  I  cannot  move 
about  without  the  concurrent  assistance  of  several  animals 
that  are  very  expensive. 

Now  for  business  :  as  soon  as  I  received  your  letter, 
I  went  to  your  "  brother  Lansdoum  "^  and  spoke  to  him 
about  the  Duke  of  Chandos.  He  desired  me  to  make  his 
compliments  to  you,  and  to  tell  you  he  was  very  sorry 
he  could  be  of  no  service  to  you  in  that  affair,  but  he 
has  had  no  manner  of  correspondence,  or  even  acquaint- 
ance with  the  Duke  these  fifteen  years.  I  have  put  it, 
however,  into  hands  that  wiU  pursue  it  diligently,  and  I 
hope,  obtain  for  you  what  you  desire ;  if  they  do  not 
succeed  you  must  not  call  me  negligent,  for  whatever 
lies  in  my  power  to  serve  you  is  of  too  much  consequence 
for  me  to  neglect. 

I  have  left  my  good  friend  and  your  humble  servant, 
Mrs.  Donellan,  behind  me  in  London,  where  she  meets 
with  little  entertainment  suitable  to  her  understanding  ; 
and  she  is  a  much  fitter  companion  for  the  Dublin 
Thursday  Society  than  for  the  trifling  company  she 
is   now  engaged  in ;    I  wish  you   had    her  with    you 


*  "  Fasting  days  "  meant  dining  upon  two  or  three  dishes  at  the  deanery, 
which,  in  comparison  with  mai^nificent  tables,  tlie  Dean  iised  to  call  "  fasting." 

^  There  was  an  old  joke  of  Dean  Swift  being  called  "  Brother,"  by  Lord 
Lansdowne. 


OP  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  519 

(since  I  cannot  have  her),  because  I  know  she  would  be 
liappier  than  where  she  is,  and  my  wish  I  think  no  bad 
one  for  you.  Neither  my  eyes  nor  paper  will  hold  out 
any  longer. 

I  am,  sir,  your  most 

Faithful  humble  servant, 
M.  Pendarves 

I  beg  my  compliments  to  all  your  friends. 


Tlie  Duchess  of  Portland  to  Miss  CoHingwood. 

Bullstrode,  Decber.  1st,  1734. 

My  dearest  Doctor  is  so  good  to  tell  me  that  Monday 
is  a  particular  favorite  day  of  yours,  because  my  letters 
arrive  of  that  day.  I  am  sure  Simday  is  my  happy 
day,  for  as  soon  as  my  winkers  are  opened  I  am  always 
blessed  with  one  of  your  epistles,  which  ever  gives  me 
the  greatest  of  satisfactions.  I  have  deferred  so  long 
coming  to  hear  Farinelli  that  I  can't  tell  but  that  I 
shall  not  do  it  at  all,  for  I  can't  possibly  come  this 
month,  and  then  it  will  be  so  short  a  time  that  it  will 
not  be  worth  while.  You  may  depend  upon  seeing  me 
as  often  as  the  Speaker  and  the  Elder  will  let  me,  and 
shall  often  rue  my  hard  fate  to  be  deprived  of  that 
charming  conversation  of  yours. 

I  have  not  heard  an  age  from  the  Quilted  Petticoat^ 
and  can't  imagine  what  is  become  of  her ;  but  I  heard 
some  time  ago  that  she  was  much  taken  up  with  a  lover 
of  about  a  hundred  years  old.  I  wrote  her  word  of  it, 
and   told   her   I   took  it  very  ill  that  she  would  not 


520  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

acquaint  me  of  such  an  arduous  affair  that  concerned 
her  so  much.  She  answered  me  she  had  a  rival,  a 
Cat,  and  that  her  father  said  "  it  was  time  enough  to 
he  married,  for  they  were  young  i'  so  she  said  she 
supposed  "they  stayed  for  an  Act  of  ParHament  to 
make  him  of  age.""  But  what's  become  of  her  since  I 
know  not,  though  I  am  in  expectation  every  post  of  a 
letter  from  her ;    I  love  her  extremely. 

Dear  Kitty  was  very  well  when  I  heard  from  her.  I 
have  had  a  great  many  charming  letters  from  her ;  she  is 
now  in  London.  When  I  write  to  her  next  I  shall 
certainly  let  her  know  what  you  say  of  her ;  I  know 
she  proposes  great  pleasure  in  your  acquaintance  when  I 
come  to  town.  I  am  very  sensible  of  your  love,  friend- 
ship and  partiality  to  me,  and  hope  you  will  be  always 
so  good  to  tell  me  of  my  faults ;  as  you  say  you 
are  a  plain  dealer,  I  don't  question  but  you  are  so. 
I  have  got  a  great  cargo  of  pebbles,  which  I  am  in 
great  hopes  will  succeed,  but  they  are  so  many  that  I 
must  wait  patiently  till  I  come  to  town  before  I  trouble 
you  with  them  !  You  rejoice  me  very  much  by  telling 
me  Miss  Stonor  is  much  better;  I  heartily  wish  her 
good  health,  for  there  can  be  no  complete  happiness 
w^ithout  that  blessing ;  you  indeed  surprised  me  very 
much  by  telling  me  Lady  Fitzwilliam  was  a  Eoman 
Catholick,  for  I  had  never  heard  it  before. 

I  am  quite  of  your  opinion  about  Roses,  and  believe 
the  female  affection  exceeded  that  of  the  musick  to  a  very 
great  degree,  which  occasioned  the  songster  so  many  fine 
presents.  I  don't  imagine  the  Nettle  will  remember 
any  of  his  old  acquaintance,  and  that  he  will  have  the 
same  fancy  for  the  cloth  as  he  had  before  he  went ;  for  I 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  521 

believe  a  toupee  and  a  fine  suit  of  clothes  he  will  have 
a  much  greater  veneration  for  then  a  dismal  black 
gown. 

I  thought  I  had  wrote  you  word  of  poor  Dup's^ 
misfortune,  or,  more  properly,  narrow  escape  ;  that  affair 
is  quite  at  an  end,  for  as  soon  as  he  proposed  himself  she 
said  "  she  never  woud  marry  hut  with  an  equivalent 
estate r  She  was  treated  by  all  at  the  Bath  just  as  she 
deserved,  and  I  hear  was  hissed  as  she  went  along  the 
streets,  which  pleased  me  much.  I  must  tell  you  a  pretty 
speech  of  hers,  one  night  that  he  danced,  about  a  week 
after  it  was  over  she  said,  she  "  did  not  think  he  had  been 
capable  of  so  unmanerly  a  triumph."  But  go  to  the 
Manuscripts,  and  they  will  tell  you  more  about  it,  I  want 
to  know  what  they  say,  for  I  hear  she  is  a  great  admirer 
of  their  brother.  I  am  glad  Lady  Harriot  is  so  well  pro- 
vided for,  but  I  suppose  there  is  some  fortune  for  the  child 
that  she  is  to  bring  forth.  I  think  it  is  very  likely  that 
the  youngest  copy  of  the  Manuscript  should  make  their 
brags,  for  that  reason  I  shall  not  write  in  haste  to  her. 

I  thank  you  for  not  mentioning  me  to  the  Elder, 
for  it  is  better  not ;  you  see  there  is  nothing  to  be 
wondered  at  under  the  sun,  as  the  wise  man  says ;  and  I 
suppose  my  rattles  will  last  for  ever  and  aye.  Mrs. 
Coleman  is  a  very  pretty  woman  and  not  unlikely  to 
succeed ;  sure  Pulteney  will  come  in  then.  I  am  surprised 
at  what  you  tell  me  about  Lord  Charles  ;^  there  is  some 
great  alteration,  and  I  imagine  Lady  Sophia  and  she 
will  be  inseparable  till  they  quarrel  about  a  lover,  which 


1  Thomas  Viscount  Dupplin,  son  of  George  Henry,  7tli  Earl  of  Kinnoul. 
His  mother  was  Abigail,  youngest  daughter  of  Robert  Harley,  Earl  of  Oxford. 

2  "  Lord  Charles  "  is  evidently  a  lady  by  the  succeeding  sentence. 


522  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

is  not  improbable.  Mrs.  Sullen  would  not  be  a  little 
pleased  at  being  a  vicountess,  but  his  estate  surely  should 
have  a  great  fortune,  for  it  is  very  small.  When  did  you 
hear  of  Lady  Montague/  and  where  is  she  now  ?  I  hope 
she  was  well  when  you  had  a  letter.  Do  you  hear  nothing 
of  Lady  Petre's  bringing  forth  yet  ?  what  sort  of  a 
spouse  does  he  make  now  ?  Does  the  Dss  of  Norfolk'' 
go  on  in  her  hard  words  still  ?  have  you  no  new  ones  to 
send  me  ?  If  you  have  not  seen  the  verses  on  Mrs.  T — 's 
death  by  Lady  Mary  I  will  send  them  you.  When  did 
you  see  pretty  Lady  Belle w  ?^  Answer  all  my  queries 
by  next  Sunday's  post. 

I  am,  dear  Doctor, 

most  affectionately  yours. 

My  Lord  begs  his  service  to  your  worship. 


Deem  Swift  to  Mrs.  Pendarves. 

Dublin,  Feb.  22,  1734.    (0..S.) 

Madam, 

I  have  observed  among  my  own  sex,  and  particu- 
larly in  myself,  that  those  of  us  who  grow  most  insignifi- 
cant expect  most  civility,  and  give  less  than  they  did  when 
they  possibly  were  good  for  something.  I  am  grown 
sickly,  weak,  lean,  forgetful,  peevish,  spiritless, — and  for 
those  very  reasons  expect  that  you,  who  have  nothing 


*  Barbara,  third  daughter  of  Sir  John  Webb,  of  Halthorj:),  in  the  county  of 
Gloucester,  married,  in  1720,  Anthony  Lord  Viscount  Montagu. 

'  Thomas,  8th  Duke  of  Norfolk,  married,  in  1709,  Mary,  daughter  of  Sir 
Nicholas  Shirbume,  of  Stonyhurst.  The  Duke  died  December  23,  1732,  and 
his  widow  married  Peregrine  Widdrington,  Esq.,  and  died  Sejitcmber  24, 
1754. 

'  Sir  Edward  Bellew  married  Eleanor,  eldest  daughter  and  co-heir  of  Michael 
Moore,  Esq.,  of  Droglicda. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  523 

to  do  but  to  be  happy,  should  be  entertaining  me  with 
your  letters  and  civilities,  although  I  never  return 
either.  Your  last  is  dated  above  two  months'  ago,  since 
which  time  (as  well  as  a  good  while  before)  I  never  had  one 
single  hour  of  health  or  spirit  to  acknowledge  it.  It  is 
your  fault ;  why  did  you  not  come  sooner  into  the  world 
or  let  me  come  later  ?  It  is  your  fault  for  coming  into 
Ireland  at  all ;  it  is  your  fault  for  leaving  it.  I  confess 
your  case  is  hard,  for  if  you  return  you  are  a  great  fool 
to  come  among  beggars  and  slaves,  and  if  you  do  not, 
you  are  a  great  knave  in  forsaking  those  you  have  se- 
duced to  admire  you. 

The  complaint  you  make  of  a  disorder  in  one  of 
your  eyes  will  admit  no  raillery,  it  is  what  I  was 
heartily  afflicted  to  hear,  but  since  you  were  able  to 
write,  I  hope  it  hath  entirely  left  you.  I  am  often 
told  that  I  am  an  ill  judge  of  ladies'  eyes,  so  that  I 
shall  make  you  an  ill  compliment  by  confessing  that  I 
read  in  yours  all  the  accomplishments  I  found  in  your 
mind  and  conversation,  and  happened  to  agree  in  my 
thoughts  with  better  judges.  I  only  wish  they  could 
never  shine  out  of  Dublin,  for  then  you  would  recover 
the  only  temporal  blessings  this  town  affords — I  mean 
sociable  dinners  and  cheerful  evenings,  which,  without 
your  assistance,  we  shall  infallibly  lose.  For  Dr.  Delany 
lives  entirely  at  Delvill,  the  town  air  will  not  agree 
with  his  lad}^,  and  in  winter  there  is  no  seeing  him  or 
dining  with  him  but  by  those  who  keep  coaches,  and  they 
must  return  the  moment  after  dinner.  But  I  have  chid 
him  into  taking  a  house  just  next  to  his,  which  will  have 
three  bed-chambers,  where  his  winter  visitants  may  lie, 
and  a  bed  shall  be  fitted  up  for  you.     Your  false  reasons 


524  LIFE  AND  COERESPONDENCE 

for  not  coming  hither  are  the  same  in  one  article  for  my 
not  going  among  you,  I  mean  the  business  of  expense ; 
but  I  can  remove  yours  easily,  it  is  but  to  stay  with  us 
always,  and  then  you  can  live  at  least  three  times  better 
than  at  home,  where  everything  is  thrice  as  dear,  and  y' 
money  1 2  in  the  hundred  better,  whereas  my  sickness 
and  years  make  it  impossible  for  me  to  live  at  London. 
I  must  have  three  horses,  as  many  servants,  and  a  large 
house,  neither  can  I  live  without  constant  wine,  while 
my  poor  revenues  are  sinking  every  day. 

I  am  very  sorry  for  the  death  of  your  couzin  Lans- 
down :  his  son  Graham  is  ruining  himself  as  fast  as  pos- 
sible ;  but  I  hope  the  young  lady  has  an  untouchable 
settlement.  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  your  care  about 
that  business  with  the  Duke  of  Chandois  :  I  hear  he  told 
a  person  he  would  grant  my  request,  but  "  that  he  had 
no  acquaintance  with  me." 

I  had  a  letter  lately  from  Mrs.  Donellan,  and  I  com- 
mand you  to  let  her  know  that  I  will  answer  it  with 
the  first  hour  of  tolerable  health.  Pray,  madam,  pre- 
serve your  eyes,  how  dangerous  soever  they  may  be  to 
us ;  and  yet  you  ought  in  mercy  to  put  them  out,  be- 
cause they  direct  your  hand  in  writing,  which  is  equally 
dangerous.  Well,  madam,  pray  Grod  bless  you  wherever 
you  go  or  reside  !  may  you  be  ever  as  you  are,  agreeable 
to  every  Killala  curate  and  Dublin  dean,  for  I  disdain  to 
mention  temporal  folks  without  gowns  and  cassocks.  I 
will  wish  for  your  happiness,  although  I  shall  never  see 
you,  as  Horace  did  for  Galatea  when  she  was  going  a 
long  voyage  from  home ;   pray  read  the  verses  in  the 

original. 

Sis  licet  felix  nbicunque  malis 

Et  meraor  nostri  Galatea  vivas,  &c. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  525 

A  year  or  two  ago  I  would  have  put  the  whole  into 
English  verse  and  applied  it  to  you,  but  my  rhyming  is 
fled  with  my  health,  and  what  is  more  to  be  pitied  is 
even  my  vein  of  satire  upon  ladies  is  lost. 

Dear  madam,  beheve  me  to  be,  with  the  truest  respect 
and  esteem, 

Your  most  obedient 

Humble  servant, 

J.  Swift. 

Dean  Swift  has,  in  this  letter,  again  made  the  mistake  of  men- 
tioning Lord  Lansdown  as  the  cousin  instead  of  the  uncle  of  Mrs. 
Pendarves,  and  Mr.  Graliam  (of  Flatten)  as  the  807i,  instead  of  son- 
in-law,  of  Lord  Lansdown.  It  does  not  appear  that  any  letters 
have  been  preserved  of  Mrs.  Pendarves's  on  the  death  of  Lord 
Lansdown,  an  event  which  must  have  affected  her  deeply,  as 
throughout  all  the  trials  of  her  first  marriage,  of  which  Lord 
Lansdown  was  the  cause,  she  expressed  her  attachment  to  him. 
The  following  notices  of  the  deatlis  of  Lady  Lansdown  and  himself 
may  here  properly  precede  the  bill  for  his  burial,  by  which  it 
may  be  inferred  that  he  and  Lady  Lansdown  were  not  buried  at 
the  same  time,  as  the  charges  for  their  interment  would  probably 
have  appeared  in  the  same  account.  The  notice  from  the  London 
Magazine  is  as  follows  : — "  February,  1735.  Deaths.  The  Lady 
Mary,  wife  of  the  Eight  Honb^  George,  Lord  Lansdown."  And 
immediately  following,  under  the  same  date  of  month  and  year, 
and  also  without  the  day  of  the  month : — "  The  Right  Hon^'^ 
George  Granville,  Lord  Lansdown,  in  the  county  of  Devon,  so 
created  in  the  10"^  of  Queen  Anne.  He  dying  without  issue  male, 
the  title  is  extinct  His  lady  died  but  a  few  days  before  him.  See 
his  lordship's  excellent  letters." 

The  following  bill  for  Lord  Lansdown's  burial  is  dated  1734: — 


526 


LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 


"  S*  Clement  Danes  in  the  County  of  Midd'^ 

"  A  Bill  of  Dues  for  the  Buriall  of  the  R^  Honb'«  the  Lord 

Lansdown. 


Chancell  Vault. 

Minister  . 

Clerk        . 

Mason 

Light  and  Charcoal  in  y®  Vault 

Sexton 

Bearers     . 

Lights  in  the  Church 

Bell 

Register   . 

Late  Attendance 


£      8. 

d. 

15     0 

0 

1     0 

0 

0  15 

0 

0     5 

0 

0     8 

0 

0     3 

0 

d  12 

0 

0  10 

0 

1     0 

0 

0     1 

0 

0  10 

0 

£20     4     0 


"  fFebruary  the  3  day,  1734, 

then  received  the  ffull  of  this  Bill, 

By  me,  Robert  Cocks, 

Parish  Clerk." 

On  the  back  of  this  paper  is  written — "  Mr.  Thos.  Blackwall, 
Rector  of  S^  Clements." 

The  apparent  discrepancy  between  this  date  and  the  date  of 
notice  in  the  London  Magazine  (1735)  is  easily  accounted  for  by 
the  old  and  new  style.  Dean  Swift's  letter  agrees  in  date  with 
the  bill — 1734,  old  style — whilst  the  London  Magazine  com- 
menced the  new  year  from  the  1st  of  January.  The  enquiries 
made  at  St.  Clements  Danes  have  as  yet  been  unsuccessful  in  dis- 
covering any  tomb  or  tablet  of  any  kind  to  mark  the  spot  where 
George  Lord  Lansdowne  was  buried.  The  only  record  yet  dis- 
covered in  that  church  being  the  register  of  burials,  wherein  is 
found  that  of  "  the  Right  Honb^^  George,  Lord  Lansdown,  Baron 
of  Bideford,  on  the  3'*^  of  February,  1734."  In  the  course  of  the 
enquiries  made  at  St.  Clements  Danes,  in  the  month  of  December, 
1859,  with  a   view   to  ascertain  whether  the  coffins  and  coffin- 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  527 

plates  of  Lord  and  Lady  Lansdown,  with  any  inscription,  still 
existed,  it  was  mentioned  that  a  short  time  previous  an  order  to 
close  the  vault  had  been  put  in  force  ;  and  although  the  vault  had 
been  very  little  used,  and  was  not  at  all  unwholesome,  a  quantity 
of  quick  lime  had  been  put  down,  according  to  the  regulation,  and 
the  coffins  having  been  placed  in  the  centre,  the  whole  was  filled 
up  with  rubbish.  Previous  to  this  there  were  two  bodies,  which 
were  always  called  "My  Lord  and  My  Lady,"  which  were  in  extra- 
ordinary preservation  in  the  vault ;  that  they  were  not  skeletons, 
although  the  skin  was  much  dried,  and  they  were  very  light ; 
that  they  were  set  upright  against  the  wall,  and  that  it  had  been 
always  the  custom,  when  there  was  a  new  clerk,  to  take  him  into 
the  vault,  and  introduce  him  to  "My  Lord  and  My  Lady."  It 
occurred  to  the  Editor  that  these  might  possibly  have  been  the 
bodies  of  Lord  and  Lady  Lansdown,  that  their  extraordinary 
state  of  preservation  might  be  accounted  for  from  their  having 
been  embalmed,  and  that  after  the  coffins  had  decayed,  and  the 
plates  lost  (or  if  of  silver  stolen),  they  might  have  retained  the 
appellation  of  "  My  Lord  and  My  Lady,"  till  all  trace  of  any  other 
name  had  disappeared  ? 


The  following  letter  from  Mrs.  Badge  proves  that  Mrs.  Pen- 
darves,  Ann  Granville,  and  Mr.  Granville,  were  all  in  London  on 
the  8th  of  March.  The  Editor  does  not  possess  any  letters  of 
Mrs.  Pendarves's  between  the  dates  of  November  20th,  1734, 
when  she  wrote  from  her  mother's  at  Gloucester,  and  the  18th  of 
March  following.  It  is  probable  that  she  remained  during  that 
interval  with  Mrs.  Granville  and  her  sister,  which  supposition  is 
confirmed  by  a  letter  from  Mrs.  Donellan  to  Dr.  Swill,  the  19th 
of  January,  1735,  in  which  she  tells  him  that  "  the  duty  she  herself 
owes  a  very  good  mother"  has  kept  her  so  many  years  in  London, 
*'  since  she  desires  her  company,  as  well  as  the  convenience  which 
she  enjoys  with  her,  of  a  house,  coach,  and  servants  at  command ;" 
and  also  that  she  supposes  Dr.  Swift  knows  that  "  Mrs.  Pen- 
darves  has  been  some  time  at  Gloucester,  having  preferred  a  pious 


528  LIFE  AND  COREESPONDENCE 

visit  to  a  sick  mother  in  a  dull  country  town,  to  London  in  its 
gayest  dress ;"  but  that  "  she  designs  to  return  to  them  tlie 
next  month."  Mrs.  Pendarves  and  her  sister  must  therefore 
have  been  together  either  in  Gloucester  or  London,  when  the  deatli 
of  Lord  Lansdown  occurred,  which  may  account  for  there  not 
being  any  letter  to  Ann  Granville  on  that  occasion.  On  the  10th 
of  May,  1735,  Mrs.  Donellan  again  writes  to  Dr.  Swift,  and  tells 
him  of  the  large  accession  of  fortune  which  Mr.  Granville  inherited 
in  consequence  of  Lord  Lansdown's  death,  which  she  adds  "  was  so 
settled  that  my  Lord  Lansdown  could  not  touch  it."  Mrs. 
Donellan  adds,  that  Mr.  Granville  is  a  man  of  great  worth,  a  very 
kind  brother,  and  that  he  has  it  now  in  his  power  to  provide  amply 
for  his  sister  Ann  Granville,  of  whom  Mrs.  Pendarves  is  "  extremely 
fond,"  and  that  this  "  must  have  been  a  cordial  to  compensate  for 
her  grief  "  at  Lord  Lansdown's  death. 

From  Susan  Badge  to  the  IIon<'^^  Mrs.  Oranville,  these. 

March  8,  1734-5. 

Madam, 

My  master  and  the  two  ladys  has  laide  there 
commands  upon  me  to  present  theare  most  humble 
deuty  to  your  ladyship  and  to  lett  you  knowe  thay  are 
all  very  well,  which  you  will  heare  from  under  thaire  own 
hands  next  weeke.  The  ladys  dine  today  with  Mr. 
Granville  att  his  inchanted  palace,  where  I  was  a  Thurs- 
day for  the  first  time,  haveing  bin  confinde  at  home  with 
ill  health  and  ill  weather.  I  was  so  delighted  with  the 
prittiness  of  the  place  and  the  great  convenceis  in  so 
small  a  compace,  and  the  goodness  of  the  master  of  it, 
that  I  thinke  it  has  almost  cured  me ;  it  enabled  me, 
with  God's  assistance,  to  goe  yesterday  to  Little  Brook 
Street,  where  I  founde  the  good  ladys  well  and  well 
pleas'd.  Mr.  Granville  did  me  the  honour  to  call  upon 
me  to  day.  I  toulde  him  that  I  must  give  your  ladyship 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  529 

an  account  of  the  prittyness  of  his  house,  and  he  charg'd 
me  to  doe  so,  and  to  present  his  most  humble  deuty  and 
to  begg  pardon  he  did  not  write  this  postt.  There 
is  everything  in  better  order  than  one  coulde  expect. 
Mr.  Granville  will  have  necessarys,  but  nothing  super- 
fleus ;  but  he  is  a  mericle  of  goodness  and  management  ; 
he  tells  me  I  shall  come  and  be  att  his  house  while  he  goes 
to  the  countrey,  wh  ich  is  no  small  delighte  to  me. 

I  beginn  now  to  flatter  myselfe  with  the  hopes  I  may 
live  to  see  your  ladyship  in  towne,  which  will  be  no  small 
pleasure  to  me ;  I  hope  good  Mrs.  Viney  and  the  deare 
little  jewels  and  the  rest  of  her  famely  are  all  well :  I 
wish  'em  all  happines,  and  begg  your  ladyship  will  be 
pleas'd  to  exsept  of  my  most  humble  deuty. 
For  ever,  madam,  your  most  deutyfull 

And  most  obedient  servaint, 

Susan  Badge.' 

Mrs.  "Wallace  presents  her  humble  duty  to  your  lady- 
ship ;  she  has  lost  her  oulde  lodger,  she  dyed  last  month, 
but  we  have  got  one  Mr.  Rime. 

Miss  Granville  sends  your  ladyship  this  note-paper. 


^  Supnn  Badge  was  evidently  an  old  family  housekeeper  or  "waiting-wcnmn, 
and  had  been  housekeeper  to  Mr.  Granville.  It  is  very  probable  that  she  was 
a  clergyman's  daughter,  as  in  the  last  century  many  persons  in  that  rank  of 
life  (much  to  their  honour)  took  such  situations,  and  fulfilled  them  with  the 
greatest  credit,  retaining  the  respect  of  those  above  and  below  them.  Mrs, 
Badge  appeared  when  she  wrote  this  letter  to  be  a  retired  out-pensioner  of 
Mr.  Granville's. 


VOL.  I.  2  M 


530  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Granville. 

15  March,  1734-5. 

I  received  the  pleasure  of  my  dearest  mama's  letter 
yesterday.  I  am  very  angry  with  the  post  for  being  so 
unjust  to  us,  and  for  giving  you  reason  to  think  we  are 
one  moment  negligent  of  our  duty  to  you.  My  sister  is 
very  much  mended  by  Dr.  Hollins's  prescriptions ;  she 
looks  abundantly  better,  and  is  as  lively  as  she  used  to 
be.  We  were  together  at  Mr.  Handel's  oratorio  Esther, 
and  the  day  after  at  Lady  Strafford's,  all  which  has 
agreed  perfectly  well  with  her.  The  good  account  you 
give  us  of  your  health  does  not  a  little  contribute  to  our 
happiness ;  indeed  we  could  enjoy  none  had  we  not  the 
constant  assurance  of  your  being  well,  and  well  pleased. 
Mr.  Simmonds  is  just  come  in — my  sister  begins  with 
him  to-day. 

I  believe  you  have  heard  from  my  brother  since 
I  last  wrote :  he  is  very  well,  thank  God ;  we  are  to 
dine  with  him  to-day  at  his  "  Palace,"  as  Badge  calls  it ; 
it  is  a  fair^/  one.  He  is  impatient  to  hear  something 
about  Paradise,  as  he  thinks  it  is  a  place  will  suit  your 
inclination,  and  he  seems  to  have  nothing  so  much  at  his 
heart  as  making  us  all  happy.  I  heartily  wish  you  to 
have  Betty  Freeman ;  for  if  you  settle  in  the  country  she 
would  be  a  clever  servant  for  you,  though  there  is  a  little 
sturdiness  in  her  temper.  The  jaunt  you  propose  to  my 
sister  and  to  me  would  be  very  agreeable  to  us  botli, 
but  'tis  not  at  present  practicable,  for  my  brother  travels 
on  horseback,  and  is  obliged  to  be  back  again  so  soon  to 
settle  his  affairs,  that  we  should  spend  more  time  on  the 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  531 

road  than  we  should  have  to  stay  at  Gloster ;  but  I  hope 
you  cannot  imagine  we  should  neglect  any  opportunity 
of  waiting  on  you  that  we  could  with  any  tolerable  con- 
venience lay  hold  of:  I  am  glad  Badge  performed  her 
epistle  so  well;  her  master  was  always  a  darling,  and 
you  may  imagine  his  charms  dont  lessen  in  her  eyes. 
The  seal  of  your  letter  happened  to  blot  out  the  price  of 
the  lampreys,  and  I  cannot  find  out  whether  it  was  meant 
for  two  or  ten  shillings,  but  I  suppose  the  latter ;  if  so, 
two  pots  will  do  till  they  are  cheaper.  If  you  have 
bespoke  more  they  must  come,  and  as  soon  as  they  are 
half-a-crown  or  three  shillings,  four  pots  for  my  Lady 
Sunderland. 

Yesterday  my  cousin  Isaacson,  his  wife,  and  young 
CuUen  dined  here,  I  never  saw  the  cousin  look  so  well : 
they  ai'e  very  happy,  for  their  eldest  girl  has  just  re- 
covered from  the  small  pox.  The  tea  for  Mrs.  Ahenlack 
went  last  week  by  Mr.  Bell.  Molly  Ellit  made  me  a 
visit  last  week,  the  Lady  Comptons  are  very  civil  to  her, 
and  she  is  quite  happy,  but  thinks  of  Gloces^er  with 
some  contempt.  Mrs.  Foley  dined  here  yesterday,  she 
is  pretty  well :  I  am  very  sorry  for  poor  Miss  Molly 
Unet,  I  am  afraid  she  indulges  herself  in  an  indolent 
way  too  much,  though  the  sharp  winds  we  have  had 
have  been  but  bad  encouragement  for  crazy  folks  to 
venture  abroad  in.  There  is  to  be  a  magnificent  mas- 
querade at  y*  Spanish  Ambassador's  after  Lent ;  happy 
are  those  that  can  get  tickets.  I  hope  to  get  one  for  my 
sister,  for  it  wiU  be  a  show  worth  going  to.  The  Per- 
civals,  to  my  great  mortification,  are  positively  deter- 
mined to  go  to  Ireland  in  two  months ;  they  are  much  your 
humble  servants.     George  has  been  pretty  well  since  she 

2  M  2 


532  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

came  to  town  till  within  these  two  or  three  days  that  she 
has  complained  of  her  foot — the  sharp  weather  I  believe 
occasions  it.  She  is  sensible  of  the  honour  you  do  her  in 
enquiring  so  kindly  after  her,  and  desires  me  to  present 
her  humble  duty  and  most  grateful  acknowledgments. 
To-night  is  Farinelli's  benefit ;  all  the  polite  world  will 
flock  there,  and  go  at  four  o'  the  clock,  for  fear  they 
should  not  be  time  enough :  I  don't  love  mobbing,  and 
so  I  shall  leave  them  to  themselves.  My  sister  gave  you 
an  account  of  Mr.  Handel's  playing  here  for  three  hours 
together :  I  did  wish  for  you,  for  no  entertainment  in 
music  could  exceed  it,  except  his  playing  on  the  organ 
in  Esther,  where  he  performs  a  part  in  two  concertos, 
that  are  the  finest  things  I  ever  heard  in  my  life.  Doc' 
Meingy  made  us  a  visit  last  Thursday,  he  desired  his 
compliments  to  you ;  he  has  told  the  Bishop  of  Grioster 
so  much  of  you,  that  he  intends  to  be  a  good  neighbour 
to  you  when  he  goes  to  Glocester ;  he  is  a  very  worthy 
good  sort  of  man.  I  am  called  away,  and  have  only 
time  idt  say  that  I  am,  with  the  utmost  respect  and 
afiection, 

Dearest  madam. 
Your  most  dutiful  and  most  obed* 

M.  Pendarves. 
My  sister's  most  affectionate  duty. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  533 

From  Mrs.  Pendarves  to  her  mother,  Mrs.  QranviUe. 

Lower  Brook  Street,  April  12,  1735. 

Madam. 

I  congratulate  you  on  the  pleasure  of  having  my 
brother  Granville's  company ;  I  am  sure  it  makes  you 
both  happy,  though  I  am  a  little  envious  at  not  being  a 
witness  of  it.  My  sister  is  gone  on  horseback  this 
morning,  with  Mr.  Peyton  and  Mr.  Jackson  by  way  of 
guards  ;  I  hope  it  will  agree  with  her,  if  it  does  she  is  to 
continue  it.  She  still  complains  of  her  side,  but  Doctor 
Hollins  assures  me  there  is  no  manner  of  danger  in  it, 
that  it  is  a  humour  fixed  on  the  muscles,  and  it  will  take 
a  good  deal  of  time  to  get  the  better  of ;  she  sleeps  well, 
and  has  a  good  appetite,  but  takes  pills  and  a  draught 
night  and  morning  in  order  to  sweeten  her  blood. 

I  receiv'd  my  brother's  letter  yesterday  about  the  salmon, 
I  was  then  at  Sir  John  Stanley's  who  is  very  well,  and  I 
have  seen  him  almost  every  day  since  the  squire  left  us ; 
pray,  madam,  tell  him  young  Sweep  is  the  merriest,  best- 
humoured  kitten  that  ever  was  played  with,  she  scrambles 
for  an  hour  together  all  over  me  whenever  I  go  there. 
The  party  that  was  to  have  gone  to  my  brother's  to- 
night, is  put  off  till  next  week,  for  poor  Lady  Peyton  is 
very  ill  and  keeps  her  bed.  Mr.  Peyton  has  been  much 
indisposed  ;  I  am  afraid  he  will  not  recover.  Mrs.  Dash- 
wood  (the  dowager)  came  to  town  last  week,  and  looks  as 
well  as  ever  I  remember  her :  all  that  family  enquire  very 
particularly  and  kindly  after  our  good  mama,  which  does 
not  a  little  recommend  them  to  our  favour. 

Yesterday  morning  my  sister  and  I  went  with  Mrs. 
Donellan  to  Mr.  Handel's  house  to    hear  the  first  re- 


534  "  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

hearsal  of  the  new  opera  Alcina.^  I  think  it  the  best  he 
ever  made,  but  T  have  thought  so  of  so  many,  that  I  will  not 
say  positively  'tis  the  finest,  but  'tis  so  fine  I  have  not  words 
to  describe  it.  Strada  has  a  whole  scene  of  charming 
recitative — there  are  a  thousand  beauties.  Whilst  Mr. 
Handel  was  playing  his  part,  I  could  not  help  thinking 
him  a  necromancer  in  the  midst  of  his  own  enchantments. 
I  go  next  Wednesday  with  Lady  Weymouth  to  see 
it  performed  at  Co  vent  Garden,  but  I  believe,  dear 
madam,  you  will  be  tired  of  my  account  of  music,  which 
does  not  describe  so  well  as  it  sounds.  I  go  on  with 
my  painting,  and  have  just  finished  a  large  Madonna 
that  I  wish  Mrs.  Viney  was  to  see,  because  'tis  the  best 
thing  I  have  done.  Sir  John  Stanley  has  seized  on  it, 
which  makes  me  not  a  little  vain.  Mr.  Perceival  has 
fixed  his  time  for  leaving  England  ;  he  must  be  in  Ire- 
land by  the  23rd  of  June.  I  find  by  the  newspapers, 
that  poor  Mr.  Newton  is  dead,  which  I  am  sincerely  sorry 
for ;  my  sister  was  very  much  touched  with  it.  I  grieve 
for  his  family,  and  want  to  know  which  way  they  are  to  be 
dispos'd  of;  if  Miss  Newton  cared  to  part  with  the  shells 
Mr.  Newton  had,  I  should  be  glad  to  give  her  something 
in  exchange  for  them,  whatever  you  think  would  be  con- 
venient and  proper.  His  books,  I  suppose,  will  be  sold, 
and  very  likely  cheap ;  I  beg  if  they  are,  that  you  will 
please  to  let  me  know.  Mrs.  Donnellan  is  now  at  work 
by  me,  and  desires  her  compliments  to  you  and  Bunny. 
I  will  not  make  any  apology  for  the  blunders  I  have 


*  On  the  16th  of  April,  1735,  Handel  was  in  a  condition  to  reopen  the 
theatrical  season  with  Alcina,  which  was  finished  on  the  8th  of  April,  and 
contained  thirty-two  airs,  one  duet,  and  four  little  choruses.  Alcina,  which  is 
one  of  his  most  admired  productions,  was  pretty  well  received,  and  brought 
the  season  to  a  close. 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  535 

made  in  my  letter,  she  has  occasioned  them  by  her 
prattling.  Last  night  arrived  at  my  house  six  pots  of 
lamprey,  which  I  suppose  were  those  I  bespoke  for  my 
Lady  Sunderland  ;  if  so,  I  beg  the  favour  of  my  brother 
to  pay  for  them,  and  I  will  repay  him  when  he  comes 
to  town.  I  hope  the  assemblies  are  not  neglected,  I 
fancy  my  brother  was  no  unwelcome  guest ;  we  long  to 
hear  how  you  proceed  about  Paradise ;  I  am  obliged  to 
break  abruptly  off,  for  I  have  hardly  allowed  myself  time 
to  dress.  My  sister  is  not  yet  come  home,  a  sign  that 
her  ride  and  company  please  her.  I  am, 
Dearest  madam, 

Your  most  dutiful  and  most  obed*, 
M.  Pendarves. 

My  best  service  to  my  brother. 

My  sister  came  home  from  riding  about  three  o'  the 
clock  in  very  good  spirits  :  it  did  not  hurt  her  at  all,  but 
delighted  her  prodigiously.  Mrs.  Chute,  Mrs.  Crisp, 
Mr.  Jackson,  and  Mr.  Peyton  are  now  here,  and  desire 
compliments  to  you  and  my  brother ;  they  will  not  go  to 
my  brother's  house  till  he  is  there  to  r.e.c.e.ive  them. 


Frmi  the  Countess  Granville  to  Mrs.  Pendarves  or  Mrs.  Ann  OranviUe,  (but 

without  address.) 

May  11th,  1735. 

I  hope  you  have  not  so  good  a  reason  for  your  silence 
as  I  have  had  for  mine ;  I  have  been  dying  this  three 
months,  have  not  stirred  out  of  my  apartment  or  been 


'  The    word    r.e.c.e.ive,   thus    written,    probably    was   to    imitate  Mr. 
Granville's  deliberate  manner  of  speaking. 


536  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

able  to  write  to  anybody  but  Lady  0/ — who  is  as 
good  as  an  angel  to  me.  As  to  her  fair  daughters  I  am 
in  their  debt  at  least  ten  letters,  and  yet  without  cere- 
mony they  continue  enquiring  after  me  ;  you  are  the  only 
person  stands  upon  ceremony.  I  confess  I  am  in  your 
debt  one  letter,  which  I  did  not  think  worth  answering, 
since  it  was  only  compHments,  and  filled  with  a  notion 
you  had  taken  in  your  head  I  was  angry,  which  thought 
surprised  me,  because  upon  receiving  a  letter  from  you 
at  your  first  coming  to  town,  I  wrote  immediately  as  kind 
a  letter  as  I  was  well  able  to  word  it  to  you  and  your 
brother,  which  you  did  not  think  fit  to  take  any  notice  of 
till  a  month  after,  so  that  I  concluded  it  had  miscarried ; 
and  ordered  my  servant  to  write  to  the  post  office  to 
enquire  of  the  letter  carrier  if  he  had  delivered  such  a 
letter,  which  enquiry  produced  me  the  letter  I  have  not 
done  myself  the  honour  to  thank  you  for. 

I  thought  your  brother  in  all  this  time  would  have 
exerted  himself  so  far  as  to  have  rode  post,  and  have  made 
me  a  visit  for  a  day  or  two.  This  omission  I  should  not 
mention,  were  it  not  that  once  more  I  will  give  a  little  ad- 
vice, since  I  hear  your  brother  is  led  hy  his  attorney,  who 
thinks  himself  wiser  than  my  son.  I  own  I  gave  a  hint  that 
I  was  of  the  opinion  that  your  brother  should  have  an 
agent,  and  that  Plaxton  was  not  to  be  left  alone  in  our  new 
acquisitions,  which  was  occasioned  by  my  agent's  being  out 
of  town  at  the  time  of  the  Duchess  of  Albermarle's  death  -^ 

»  "  Lady  C."    Lady  Carteret. 

2  "  The  Duchess  of  Albemarle's  death."  This  allusion  must  have  been  tf) 
Lady  Elizabeth  Cavendish,  widow  of  Christopher,  2nd  Duke  of  Albemarle,  who 
married,  secondly,  Ralph,  1st  Duke  of  Montague.  General  Monck,  1st  Duke  of 
Albemarle,  was  the  son  of  Elizabeth,  (Smythe)  wife  of  Sir  Thomas  Monck,  of 
Potheridge,  and  sister  to  Grace,  wife  of  Sir  Bevil  Granville  ;  and  the  Duke  of 
Albemarle  dying  without  heirs,  these  estates  were  divided  between  tlie 
Countess  Granville,  Lord  Gowcr,  and  Mr.  Granville,  brother  of  Mra.  Pendarvcs. 


OF  MRS.  DELAKY.  53T 

and  taking  immediate  possession  being  absolutely  neces- 
sary, we  gave  a  letter  of  attorney  to  Plaxton  for  that  pur- 
pose only,  but  be  I  soon  perceived  design' d  it  was  to  go 
further,  that  he  was  to  be  the  only  manager  in  the  affair, 
wliich  I  could  not  think  proper  any  more  than  I  now 
do.  If  we  are  to  be  governed  by  our  attorneys,  your 
brother's  is  either  a  knave  or  a  fool,  else  he  would  be 
convinced  by  my  son's  judgment,  who  it  is  pretty  well 
known  is  master  of  both  law  and  equity.  For  that  reason 
my  Lord  Gower  and  I  have  referred  all  matters  to  him, 
and  give  your  uncle  poor  Lord  Lansdowne  his  due,  he 
never  disputed  what  he  determined  was  to  be  done  for 
our  mutual  good,  without  feeing  council  upon  every 
occasion.  Had  it  not  been  for  my  son's  wise  manage- 
ment, we  should  not  have  had  any  part  of  the  Albe- 
marle estates  to  dispute  upon.  There  is  no  acting  in  bu- 
siness, if  we  can't  depend  upon  one  person  to  direct ; 
lawyers  always  raise  disputes  for  their  own  service  more 
than  for  their  clients  ;  attorneys  especially  take  care  to 
bring  in  large  bills,  so  your  brother  may  have  the  pleasure 
to  spend  a  good  deal  of  money  to  teach  him  wit. 

My  son,  my  Lord  Gower,  and  I  have  not  the  least  in- 
tention to  wrong  him,  but  on  the  contrary  to  make  him 
master  of  his  estate  without  vexatious  delays  ;  I  give  you 
free  leave  to  read  this  to  Sir  John  Stanley  as  well  as  your 
brother,  and  afterwards  if  I  can't  prevail  if  we  are  not  to 
go  on  in  an  amicable  way,  I  shall  think  both  the  Knight 
and  the  Esq.^  are  of  the  family  of  the  Wrong-heads. 

I  begun  upon  a  great  sheet  of  paper,  that  I  might  save 
you  postage,  but  I  find  I  have  enlarged  so  much  that  I 


1  "  Both  the  Knight  and  the  Squire."     Sir  John  Stanley  and  Mr.  Gran- 
ville. 


538  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

must  be  forced  to  send  my  letter  under  a  cover.  When 
I  am  indifferent  to  people,  I  let  them  go  their  own 
ways,  for  it  is  not  my  turn  to  give  advice,  but  your 
brother  I  have  had  so  much  at  my  heart  to  see  happy, 
that  I  would  not  have  him  take  the  contrary  way  to  it. 
This  is  the  last  time  I  shall  trouble  you  upon  this  head, 
so  I  hope  I  may  be  pardoned.     I  am 

Yours  affec®. 
I  beg  you'll  give  my  humble  service  to  your  sister.  I 
hope  she  is  quite  recovered.  I  shall  make  no  excuse  for 
my  blots  and  mistakes,  for  I  think  it  is  almost  a  miracle 
that  as  ill  as  I  am,  I  have  been  able  to  write  so  long  a 
letter.  Nothing  could  have  enabled  me  to  do  it  but  pure 
love  and  kindness  to  your  brother,  who  I  hope  will  not 
persevere  in  the  wrong,  and  so  break  all  friendship.  My 
son  nor  I  have  no  intention  but  to  be  just  to  him  in 
every  particular,  and  to  put  him  in  a  right  way  to  make 
himself  and  his  family  happy.  It's  quite  silly  to  mistrust 
one's  best  friends. 


From  Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Dr.  Swift. 

May  16,  1735. 

Str, 

You  have  never  yet  put  it  in  my  power  to  accuse 
you  of  want  of  civility ;  for  since  my  acquaintance  with 
you,  you  have  always  paid  me  more  than  I  expected :  but 
I  may  sometimes  tax  you  with  want  of  kindness,  which, 
to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  did  for  a  month  at  least.  At  last 
I  was  informed  your  not  writing  to  me  was  occasioned  by 
your  ill  state  of  health :  that  changed  my  discontent,  but 
did  not  lessen  it,  and  I  have  not  yet  quite  determined  it 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  530 

in  my  mind,  whether  I  would  have  you  sick  or  negligent 
of  me ;  they  are  both  great  evils,  and  hard  to  choose  out 
of — I  heartily  wish  neither  may  happen.  You  call  your- 
self by  a  great  many  ugly  names,  which  I  take  ill,  for  I 
never  could  bear  to  hear  a  person  I  value  abused ;  I,  for 
that  reason,  must  desire  you  to  be  more  upon  your  guard, 
when  you  speak  of  yourself  again ;  I  much  easier  forgive 
your  caUing  me  knave  and  fool.  I  am  infinitely  obHged 
to  you,  for  the  concern  you  express  for  the  weakness  of 
my  eyes — they  are  now  very  well ;  I  have  had  a  much 
greater  affliction  on  my  spirits,  which  prevented  my  writ- 
ing sooner  to  you.  My  sister  (the  only  one  I  have,  and 
an  extraordinary  darling)  has  been  extremely  indisposed 
this  whole  winter.  I  have  had  all  the  anxiety  imaginable 
on  her  account ;  but  she  is  now  in  a  better  way,  and  I 
hope  past  all  danger. 

I  would  rather  tell  you  somewhat  that  is  pleasant ;  but 
how  can  I?  I  am  just  going  to  lose  Mrs.  Donellan,  and 
that  is  enough  to  damp  the  liveliest  imagination :  it  is 
not  easy  to  express  what  one  feels  on  such  an  occasion, 
the  loss  of  an  agreeable,  sensible,  useful  companion,  gives 
a  pain  at  the  heart,  not  to  be  described.  You  happy 
Hibernians,  that  are  to  reap  the  benefit  of  my  distress, 
will  hardly  think  of  anything  but  your  own  joy,  and  not 
afford  me  one  grain  of  pity, — thus  tilings  are  carried  in 
tliis  world ;  the  rich  forget  the  poor. 

T  am  sorry  the  sociable  Thursdays,  that  used  to  bring 
together  so  many  agreeable  friends  at  Dr.  Delany's,  are 
broke  up :  though  Delville  has  its  beauties,  yet  it  is  more 
out  of  the  way  than  Stafford  street.  I  believe  you  have  had 
a  quiet  winter  in  Dublin ;  not  so  has  it  been  with  us  in 
London ;  hurry,  wrangling,  extravagance,  and  matrimony. 


540  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

have  reigned  with  great  impetuosity.  The  newspapers 
I  suppose,  have  mentioned  the  number  of  great  fortunes 
that  are  going  to  be  married. 

Our  operas  have  given  much  cause  of  dissension ;  men 
and  women  have  been  deeply  engaged ;  and  no  debate  in 
the  House  of  Commons  has  been  urged  with  more  warmth  : 
the  dispute  of  the  merits  of  the  composers  and  singers  is 
carried  to  so  great  a  height,  that  it  is  much  feared,  by 
all  true  lovers  of  music,  that  operas  will  be  quite  over- 
turned. I  own  I  think  we  make  a  very  silly  figure 
about  it.  I  am  obliged  to  you  for  the  two  Latin  lines  in 
your  last  letter,  it  gave  me  a  fair  pretence  of  showing  the 
1  etter  to  have  them  explained,  and  I  have  gained  no  small 
honour  by  that.  I  hope,  sir,  though  you  threaten  me 
with  not  writing,  that  you  will  change  your  mind ;  the 
season  of  the  year  will  give  you  spirits,  and  I  shall  be 
glad  to  share  the  good  effects  of  them.  I  am,  sir, 
Your  most  obliged  humble  servant, 

M.  Pendarves. 

When  you  see  Mrs.  Donellan,  she  will  entertain  you 
with  a  second  edition  of  Fosset,  too  tedious  for  a  let- 
ter. I  have  made  a  thousand  blunders,  which  I  am 
ashamed  of. 

Mrs.  Pendarves  was  apparently  occupied  with  her  sister,  and 
under  anxiety  about  her  health,  from  the  date  of  the  above  letter, 
16th  of  May,  1735,  till  the  following  year,  between  which  periods 
the  Editor  has  no  account  of  her  movements,  excepting  a  published 
letter  to  Dr.  Swift  of  the  8th  of  November,  1735,  dated  Paradise, 
in  which,  after  lamenting  Dr.  Delany's  retirement,  as  he  had  then 
given  up  his  house  in  Dublin,  she  says : — 

"  I  expected  his  benevolent  disposition  would  not  have  suffered 
him  to  rob  his  friends  of  the  pleasure  and  advantage  of  his  company. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  54T 

If  you  have  not  power  to  draw  him  from  his  solitude,  no  other 
person  can  pretend  to  do  it.  I  was  in  hopes  the  weekly  meetings 
would  have  been  renewed  and  continued ;  Mrs.  Donellan  is  much 
disappointed,  and  I  fear  I  am  no  longer  a  toast.  I  am  thoroughly 
convinced  that  a  reasonable  creature  may  live  with  more  comfort 
and  credit  in  Dublin  than  in  London,  but  my  lot  is  thrown  on  English 
ground,  and  I  have  no  pretence  to  fly  my  countiy ;  furnish  me 
with  one,  and  you  have  laid  temptations  enough  in  my  way  to 
make  me  ready  to  embrace  it" 

She  then  proceeds  to  say  that  Northend  has  all  the  advantage  of 
the  country ;  that  she  takes  a  great  deal  of  exercise  in  the  morning, 
and  in  the  evening  reads  aloud ;  that  she  was  then  reading  Beau- 
mont and  Fletcher's  works,  and  sometimes  a  little  philosophy, 
Derham's  lectures  ;  and  that  although  many  things  are  too  abstruse 
for  her  in  that  study,  she  fancies  herself  much  wiser  than  she  was 
before  she  begun  them,  and  hopes  Dr.  Swift  will  recommend  any- 
thing he  thinks  will  be  more  to  her  advantage.  She  expresses  her 
pleasure  in  the  promotion  of  Mrs.  Donellan's  brother,  and  says  he 
well  deserves  good  fortune,  as  he  **  knows  how  to  enjoy  it  hand- 
somely, though  he  scorns  to  court  it  meanly." 


Tlie  Duchess   of  Portland   to    Mrs.   Catherine    Cdllingwood,  next    door    to 
Mr.  Nash's,  in  St.  John's  Court,  Bath. 

Bullstrode,  Dec.  1st,  1735. 

My  dearest  Catharina  will,  I  am  afraid,  think  I  have 
been  very  long  in  answering  your  last  letter,  but  I  was 
then  in  towTi,  and  this  is  the  first  moment  I  have  had 
pen  and  ink  to  be  able  to  thank  you  in  best  manner  I 
am  capable  of.  I  wish  I  could  have  made  my  last  longer, 
but  it  was  quite  impossible ;  however  T  propose  this  shall 
be  very  long,  and  wish  it  may  not  quite  tire  you.  You 
are  vastly  good  to  express  so  much  satisfaction  at  the 
receipt  of  my  letters  :  I  am  sure  they  are  not  worth  it, 
and  it  is   only  your  partiality  to  me   makes  you  be  so 


542  LIFE  AND  COREESPONDENCE 

vastly  good.  At  my  return  I  found  Bess^  much  improved 
and  grown.  The  Speaker  and  I  are  upon  the  best  terms  in 
the  world,  she  is  to  come  down  here  next  week.  The  Tribe 
of  Jacob  has  tried  everything  to  get  into  favour  again, 
but  all  in  vain,  for  the  Speaker  will  not  see  them  upon  any 
account,  and  I  hope  she  will  keep  her  resolution.  All  the 
fish  that  ever  swam  and  all  the  birds  that  everfiew,  has  been 
in  town  on  purpose  to  see  her,  and  sent  word  so,  but  she 
was  denied  that  was  the  most  dangerous  person  of  all, 
for  she  had  never  done  anything  to  offend :  but  I  hear 
the  Old  Haradan  and  the  rest  of  them  talk  very  furiously 
of  your  humble  servant.  Lord  Dup  does  set  up  for  mem- 
ber for  Scarborough,  and  I  hope  will  carry  it,  for  I  hear 
the  women  are  mightily  charmed  with  him. 

I  am  quite  astonished  you  don't  know  Lady  Caroline'^ 
is  married,  she  is  quite  an  old  married  woman ; — but  for 
the  future  I  will  write  you  all  the  news  I  hear,  so  if  it  is 
old  to  you  it  is  your  own  fault.  I  delivered  your  message 
to  my  sister,  and  she  gives  her  most  humble  service  to  you, 
and  she  longs  to  hear  your  story.  I  want  much  to  hear 
Mrs.  Drumond  preach,  for  I  have  heard  so  much  of  her  : 
is  she  pretty  or  young  ?  I  pity  you  much  for  going  to  the 
play, — I  am  very  well  acquainted  with  the  wretchedness  of 
the  actors ;  is  not  Patt  in  great  joy  upon  her  niece's  wed- 
ding ?  You  could  not  be  in  a  greater  astonishment,  than 
I  was  to  hear  of  Lady  Frances  Nassau's  affair  :  they  are 
not  married  nor  have  there  been  promises,  but  they  used 
to  meet  at  Lady  Cowper's,  and  there  have  been  letters 


^  Lady  Elizabeth  Bentinck. 

*  Married  October,  1735,  the  Earl  of  Ankram,  son  to  the  Marquess  of  Lothian, 
to  the  Lady  Caroline  d'Arcy,  sister  to  the  Earl  of  Holdernes^,— a  20,000/, 
fortune. — Historical  Hegister. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  543 

past :  I  fancy  she  will  marry  him  when  her  father  is  dead. 
Pray  has  not  Lady  Bab  ManseP  a  very  odd  manteel 
and  petticoat  ?  I  am  not  at  all  surprised  Farthing  Candle 
is  jealous,  for  I  believe  she  gives  him  reason  enough. 
Pray  how  does  L —  Stu —  behave  ?  1  hear  they  have  the 
finest  equipage  coming  out  that  ever  was  seen,  the 
harness  is  to  be  all  solid  silver  and  finely  painted,  &c. 
I  am  sorry  I  can't  have  any  hair  {^  bracelets),  because  I 
promised  Lady  Bell  that  she  might  make  them.  How- 
ever I  beg  you  will  send  me  one  of  your  hair,  with  any 
French  motto  you  like  best  and  C.C.  upon  it^ 

I  assure  you,  the  story  of  Lady  Thauet^  diverted  me 
highly  ;  Aspasia^  is  just  married  ;  I  believe  I  shall  write  to 
her,  but  I  am  not  certain.  I  hear  iny  dear  motlier  is  to 
be  married  to  the  Duke  of  Chandois/  How  many  thou- 
sand and  million  of  graces  must  she  have  !  She  wrote  the 
Speaker  word  upon  the  death  of  the  Duchess,  that  she 
"  had  lost  a  counsellor  "  from  God."  I  hear  there  was  no- 
thing in  the  quarrel  between  Lady  V.  and  Mrs.  Poultney. 
I  had  a  letter  from  dear  Kitty  a  little  while  ago  ;  she  de- 
sired her  compliments  to  you,  she  is  just  come  to  London. 
I  never  heard  Lady  L — g  M —  was  either  a  wit  or  beauty. 


1  Barbara,  only  daughter  of  William,  2nd  Earl  of  Jersey,  married  first  to  Sir 
Walter  Blackett,  Bart.,  and  secondly  to  Bussey  Mansell,  4th  Lord  Mansell. 

*  Sackvile,  Earl  of  Thanet ;  married  11th  June,  1722,  jLady  Mary  Savile 
youngest  daughter  of  William  Marquis  of  Halifax.  Lady  Thanet  died  July 
30,  1751. 

3  "Aspasia."  This  evidently  was  not  Mary  Granville  (Mrs.  Pendarves)  some- 
times called  Aspasia  by  her  friends,  as  she  was  not  going  to  be  married  at 
that  time. 

*  The  Duke  of  Chandos  married  three  times.  His  second  wife  died  in  July, 
1735,  and  he  married  for  the  third  time,  in  April,  1736,  Lydia,  widow  of  Sir 
Thomas Davall.  This  lady  was  probably  designated  as  " my  dear  mother" 
which  is  evidently  a  cypher,  as  the  Duchess  of  Portland,  could  not  have  meant 
her  own  mother,  Lady  Oxford,  as  Lord  Oxford  did  not  die  till  June,  1741. 


544  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Lord  Lovelace^  called  upon  us  last  week  here ;  he  is  opera 
frmd.  The  Mrs.  Mordaunt  I  mentioned  is  Lord  Howe's 
aunt,  the  late  lord's  sister  and  Lady  Pembroke's  and 
Mrs.  Page's  ;  she  married  Mr.  Mordaunt,  late  Lord  Peter- 
borow's  nephew. 

We  set  out  last  Monday  for  Acton,  where  we  staid 
till  Wednesday  mom  ;  then  we  went  to  London ;  Thurs- 
day I  was  at  Court,  and  saw  the  famous  foreigner 
Madame  Loos,  who  is  taller  by  half  the  head  at  least 
than  Mr.  Achard.  She  was  the  late  King  of  Poland's 
mistress.  There  were  the  eternal  courtiers  Lady  Betty 
Germain  and  Miss  Chambers,  who  I  suppose,  is  to  be 
called  so,  for  I  find  the  match  between  Lord  Vere  Beau- 
clerc^  and  her  is  not  yet  publicly  owned ;  he  was  just 
behind  her  almost  the  whole  time :  she  looks  as  yellow 
as  a  kite's  foot.  Lord  Ancram  asked  her  if  her  husband 
was  there,  and  she  said,  ''Yes."  Don't  you  think  that 
was  odd  ?  Lord  Harvey  has  the  finest  set  of  Egyptian 
pebble  teeth  as  ever  you  saw  ;  everybody  dresses  French. 
Princess  Amalie  looks  as  well  again,  her  dress  becomes 
her  so  much  better.  Lord  Rockingham  ^  is  cried  up  for  a 
great  beauty.     I  think  his  face  would  be  prettier  for  a 


1  Nevil  Lord  Lovelace,  Baron  of  Hurley,  Bucks  ;  died  August,  1736.  He 
was  2nd  and  last  surviving  son  of  John  Lord  Lovelace. 

2  Married,  July,  1735,  Lord  Vere  Beauclerc,  next  brother  to  the  Duke  of  St. 
Albans,  to  Miss  Chambers,  eldest  daughter  of  Thomas  Chambers,  of  Hanworth, 
in  Middlesex,  Esq., — a  20,000/.  fortune. — Historical  Beg-ister.  Lord  Vere 
Beauclerc  was  the  3rd  son  of  the  1st  Duke  of  St.  Albans,  created  in  1750  Lord 
Vere  of  Hanworth  in  Middlesex.  Miss  Chambers  was  daughter  and  heiress  of 
Thomas  Chambers,  Esq.,  of  Hanworth,  by  Lady  Mary  Berkeley. 

'  Lewis  Watson,  Earl  of  Rockingham  and  Viscount  Sondes,  married  in 
April,  1736,  Katherine,  daughter  and  co-heir  of  Sir  Robert  Furnese,  Bart.  Lord 
Rockingham  died  in  December,  1745,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  brother 
Thomas,  who  died  in  the  following  February. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  545 

woman ;  lie  is  not  so  tall  as  my  lord,  and  very  slender,  so 
that  he  looks  quite  a  boy,  and  he  has  Lady  Mary  Sander- 
son's voice.  I  went  that  afternoon  to  Miss  Worthy,  Lady 
Lewisham,  Mrs.  Harley,  Miss  Caesars,  and  old  Franclin, 
and  was  not  from  Dover  Street  one  hour ;  don't  you 
think  I  was  very  expeditious  ?  We  set  out  Friday  for 
Acton,  where  we  staid  till  Saturday  ;  there  was  no  news 
there,  only  that  Madamoiselle  Lissette  had  a  litter  of  ten 
puppies  and  was  in  a  likely  way  to  do  well.  We  arrived 
here  yesterday  about  dinner-time,  and  since  that,  I  heard 
that  the  great  dog  has  killed  the  little  black  boar,  so  that 
we  must  get  another.  I  have  settled  some  afiairs  in  my 
apothecary's  shop,  and  sent  for  an  ounce  of  tamarinds : 
I  am  a  great  doctor,  and  have  cured  a  poor  boy  of  dropsy. 
The  Duke  of  Marlborough  '  has  the  Lodge  in  the  Little 
Park,  and  he  has  made  very  great  improvements  there, 
and  great  plantations — a  canall,  and  a  serpentine  river, 
and  a  mount  that  has  cost  a  vast  deal  of  money.  The 
old  Duchess  came  there  a  little  while  ago,  and  brought  a 
great  many  men  from  London  to  destroy  everything  that 
had  been  done  ;  pulled  up  the  trees,  and  cut  and  hacked 
everything  she  came  near.  After  that  she  went  to  Justice 
Beeves's  ;  he  had  pailed  in  a  piece  of  waste  ground  that 
was  Mr.  Topham's,  which  will  be  Lord  Sidney  Beauclerc's 
— she  had  that  pulled  down  and  destroyed,  for  she  said  that 
"  Sid  the  beggar  nor  none  of  his  family  should  ever  be  the 

1  Walpole  relates  that  Sarah  Duchess  of  Marlborough,  being  annoyed  at 
her  giandson's  (the  2nd  Duke)  n.arriage  with  the  daughter  of  Lord  Trevor, 
who  ha<i  been  a  bitter  enemy  of  the  great  Duke  ;— "  She  turned  the  Duke  out 
of  the  little  Lodge  in  Windsor  Park,  and  then  pretending  that  the  new  Duchess 
and  her  female  cousins  (eight  Trevors)  had  stripped  the  house  and  garden, 
she  had  a  puppet-show  made  with  waxen  figures,  representing  the  Trevors 
tearing  up  the  shrubs,  and  the  Duchess  carrying  off  the  chicken-coop  under 
her  arm." 

VOL.  I.  2  N 


546  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

better  for  her,"  and  told  the  justice  "  he  might  go  to  law 
about  it  if  he  pleased." 

1  am  told  the  Duchess  of  Manchester  ^  has  returned  the 
diamond  girdle  buckle  that  the  Duke  of  Bedford  sent 
her,  as  from  his  Duchess  ^  and  him.  Before  she  died, 
she  desired  he  would  keep  that  for  a  Greorge.  He  said 
as  he  had  given  it  to  her,  he  desired  she  would  give  it 
away,  and  mentioned  the  Duchess  of  Manchester :  she  said 
"  pray  give  it  her."  The  Duchess  of  Manchester  said  she 
would  have  taken  it  from  the  Duchess  of  Bedford  if  she 
had  left  it  her,  but  not  from  him :  this  is  I  suppose  to 
please  her  old  granny. 

Old  Lady  Dysart  ^  is  married,  or  going,  to  Mr.  Warren, 
Lord  Cullin's  uncle ;  she  is  above  ninety  years  old ! 
Mrs.  Houblon  is  coming  to  town  to  buy  a  house,  but 
I  have  no  sort  of  correspondence  with  her,  nor  have 
ever  seen  her  since  that  day  we  were  together.  Miss 
Vernon  chose  to  be  married  of  a  Saturday  to  avoid 
drums  and  trumpets,  went  to  Surrey  on  Sunday  morn- 
ing, would  have  no  fine  clothes  and  refused  all  jewels ; 
Miss  Harcourt  went  down  with  her  to  stay  a  little 
while.  Lord  Harcourt  ■*  assures  his  grandmother  she 
will    much    approve    of    his    choice    of    a    wife   when 

*  Isabella,  daughter  of  John  Duke  of  Montague,  married  William,  2nd 
Duke  of  Manchester. 

2  Died  September,  1734,  at  Southampton  House,  Bloomsbury  Square,  in 
the  26th  year  of  her  age,  of  a  consumption,  the  most  noble  Diana,  Duchess  of 
Bedford,  &c.,  sister  to  the  present  Duke  of  Marlborough,  youngest  daughter  to 
the  late  Karl  of  Sunderland,  and  grand-daughter  to  her  Grace  the  Duchess- 
dowager  of  Marlborough.     Her  husband  was  John,  ith  Duke  of  Bedford. 

»  Married  December,  1735,  the  Right  Hon.  the  Countess-dowager  of  Dysart, 
to Warren,  of  Cheshire,  Esq. — Historical  Register. 

*  Simon  Lord  Harcourt,  married,  in  October,  1735,  Rebecca,  sole  daughter 
and  heir  of  Charles  le  Bas,  of  Pipwell  Abbey,  in  Northamptonshire.  He  was 
created  Earl  Harcourt  on  Dec.  1,  1749. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  547 

she  is  acquainted  with  her :  he  says  she  has  very 
§:ood  sense  and  nature,  speaks  French,  plays  on  the 
harpsichord,  and  sings  well.  He  has  two  French  cooks, 
and  his  liveries  are  very  handsome.  I  saw  him  at 
Court,  I  think  he  is  vastly  altered — he  looks  rakish. 
Mrs.  Stanley  has  been  reported  to  be  married  to  Lord 
Delawar,'  and  likewise  Miss  Edwin,  but  it  was  founded 
on  no  other  reason  than  their  being  much  with  his 
wife.  Lady  Salisbury-  has  given  Lady  Sondes'  share 
of  the  Duchess  of  Albemarle's  estate  to  Mr.  Watson. 
Poor  Sir  George  Savile  ^  is  quite  mad :  he  goes  about  the 
country  and  tells  everybody  that  his  wife  has  desired 
him  to  forgive  her,  and  he  said  indeed  he  had  forgiven 
her  four  times  already. 

Bishop  Cecil*  was  married  at  Hatfield  to  Mrs.  Lum- 
ley.  Sir  James's  sister — her  fortune  8000/.  It  was 
talked  of  in  company  that  it  was  a  very  improper  match 
— that  it  was  wrong  to  them  both  :  a  lady  said  she 
was  quite  of  another  mind ;  she  thought  it  a  very  proper 
match  as  could  be.  "  Why,  madam,  do  you  think  so." 
"Why?"  answered  the  lady,  "because  if  they  did  not 
marry  one  another  nobody  else  would  have  them."   If  you 

*  John,  7th  Lord  Delawarr,  married,  first,  Cliarlotte,  daughter  of  the  Earl  of 
Clancarty,  who  died  February,  1735.  Lord  Delawarr  married,  secondly,  Anne, 
daughter  of  Edward  Thomicroft,  Esq.,  but  the  date  of  this  marriage  is  not 
given  by  Burke  or  Collins. 

2  Lady  Anne  Tufton,  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Thanet,  married  James,  Earl, 
of  Salisbury  ;  and  her  sister.  Lady  Catherine  Tufton,  married  Edward,  Lord 
Viscount  Sondes,  son  and  heir  to  Lewis  "Watson,  Earl  of  Rockingham.  Their 
mother  Lady  Thanet,  and  the  Duchess  of  Albemarle  were  both  daughters  of 
Cavendish  Duke  of  Newcastle. 

3  Sir  George  Savile,  of  Rufford,  in  Nottinghamshire,  married,  in  1722, 
Mary,  daughter  of  John  Pratt,  Esq.,  of  Dublin.  Sir  George  died,  Sept.  16, 
1743,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  George. 

*  Married  November,  1735,  Dr.  Cecil,  Bishop  of  Bangor,  to  Miss  Lumley, 
sister  to  Sir  James  Lumlev,  Bart. 

2n  2 


54S  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

have  not  heard  the  dialogue  between  Mr.  Eyre  and  Mr. 
Dartiguenave/  I  fancy  it  will  divert  j^ou : — 

Mr.  Ey  :  Sir,  I  come  to  wait  upon  you  to  make  my 
addresses  to  your  daughter  to  marry  her. — Mr.  Da  :  Sir, 
what  do  you  mean  ?  Marry  my  daughter.  Sir ;  you  had 
better  marry  Mr.  such-a-one's  daughter,  or  Mrs.  such-a 
one's  daughter. — Mr.  Ey  :  Indeed,  sir,  I  desire  your 
daughter. — Mr.  Da :  Really,  sir,  I  tell  you  my  daughter 
is  very  cross ^  very  untoward,  and  you  had  better  go  some- 
where else ;  I  suppose  you  think  my  daughter  will  be  a  very 
great  fortune  ?  No  ;  I  tell  you  I  will  give  her  2500^.,  and 
no  more. — Mr.  Ey  :  Very  well,  sir ;  I  accept  it,  sir  :  will 
you  give  us  leave  to  live  with  you  ? — Mr.  Da :  No.  What ! 
give  my  daughter  2500/.  and  let  her  live  with  me,  no,  no  ! 

So  ended  the  first  meeting,  and  they  are  since  married. 
Her  mother  treats  her  the  same  way.  She  wondered 
*'  how  anybody  would  marry  her  daughter."  She  was 
visiting,  and  talking  of  her  daughter  she  said,  "  Please 
God,  as  long  as  she  had  her  limbs  she  would  keep  her  in 
order."  The  lady  asked  what  she  meant  ?  "  Why  I  knocked 
her  down  just  as  I  came  out  to  wait  on  you." 

I  think  Mr.  Eyre  was  a  ve^y  bold  man  to  venture  on 
lier,  except  he  designed  to  make  her  his  stepping-stone  to 
heaven?  I  am  really  afraid  I  have  quite  tired  your 
patience.  Pray  let  me  know  how  Mrs.  Collingwood  is ; 
my  compliments  attend  her.  I  expect  a  very  very  long 
letter  in  answer  to  this.  My  Lord  and  Frere  Bonavan- 
ture,  desire  their  humble  service  to  j'ou. 

I  am,  my  dearest  Doctor, 

Yours  most  affectionately  till  death. 

'  Charles  Dartiguenave  was  Paymaster  of  the  Board  of  Works,  and  Surveyor 
of  the  Royal  Gardens  and  Waters,  in  1726. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  649 

From  Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Dr.  Swift. 

Bath,  Jany.7,  1735-6. 

Sir, 

I  am  told  you  have  some  thoughts  of  coming  here 
in  the  spring.  I  do  not  think  it  proper  to  tell  you  how- 
well  pleased  I  am  with  that  faint  prospect,  for  such  I 
must  call  it  till  the  report  is  confirmed  with  your  own 
hand.  I  write  in  all  haste  to  know  if  you  really  have 
any  such  design ;  for  if  you  have,  I  shall  order  my  affairs 
accordingly,  that  I  may  be  able  to  meet  you  here.  The 
good  old  custom  of  wishing  a  happy  new  year  to  one's 
friends  is  now  exploded  amongst  our  refined  people  of 
the  present  age,  but  I  hope  you  will  give  me  leave  to 
tell  you  without  being  offended,  that  I  wish  you  many 
years  of  happiness. 

The  physicians  have  at  last  advised  my  sister  to  the 
Bath  w  aters ;  we  have  been  here  a  fortnight :  they 
do  not  disagree  with  her — that  is  all  can  be  said  of  them 
at  present,  I  wrote  to  you  from  Paradise,  and  hope 
there  is  a  letter  of  yours  travelling  toward  me.  I 
think  I  have  used  you  to  a  bad  custom  of  late,  that 
of  writing  tw^o  letters  for  one  of  yours;  I  am  often 
told  I  have  great  assurance  in  writing  to  you  at  all, 
and  that  to  be  sure  I  must  do  it  with  great  fear  and 
tremblinor,  and  I  am  not  believed  when  I  affirm  I  write  to 
you  with  as  much  ease  as  to  any  correspondent  I  have  ; 
for  I  know  you  as  much  above  criticising  a  letter  of  mine, 
as  I  should^  be  below  your  notice  if  I  gave  myself  any 
affected  airs :  you  have  encouraged  my  correspondence, 
and  I  should  be  a  brute,  if  I  did  not  make  the  best  of 
such  an  opportunity. 


550  LIFE  AND  COREESPONDENCE 

Bath  is  full  of  people,  such  as  they  are,  but  none 
worth  giving  you  any  account  of.  My  solace  is  Mrs. 
Barber,  whose  spirit  and  her  good  countenance  cheer 
me  whenever  I  hear  or  see  her ;  she  is  at  present  pretty 
well.  Company  is  this  moment  coming  up  stairs,  and  I 
can  only  add  that  I  am,  sir,  your  most  faithful  humble 
servant, 

M.  Pendarves. 


Dean  Swift  to  Mrs.  Pendarves. 

Dublin,  Jan.  29,  1735.     (0.  S.) 

Madam, 

I  had  indeed  some  intention  to  go  to  Bath,  but  I 
had  neither  health  nor  leisure  for  such  a  journy ;  those 
times  are  past  with  me,  and  I  am  older  by  fourscore  years 
since  the  first  time  I  had  the  honour  to  see  you.  I  got 
a  giddiness  by  raw  fruit  when  I  was  a  lad  in  England, 
which  I  never  could  be  wholly  rid  of,  and  it  is  now  too 
late,  so  that  I  confine  myself  entirely  to  a  domestic  life. 
I  am  visited  seldom,  but  visit  much  seldomer.  I  dine 
alone  like  a  king,  having  few  acquaintance,  and  those 
lessening  daily.  This  town  is  not  what  you  left  it,  and 
I  impute  the  cause  altogether  to  your  absence.  I  fear 
if  your  sister  mends,  as  I  pray  God  she  will,  it  is  rather 
due  to  the  journey  than  the  Bath  water. 

It  was  impossible  to  answer  your  letter  from  Paradise 
— the  old  Grecians  of  Asia  called  every  fine  garden  by 
that  name ;  and  besides,  when  I  consulted  some  friends, 
they  conceived  that  wherever  you  resided  that  must 
needs  be  a  paradise.  Yet  this  was  too  general  a  direc- 
tion if  you  were  in  a  humor  of  rambling,  unless  the 
post-office  had  constant  intelligence  of  your  stages.  With 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  651 

great  submission  I  am  sorry  to  find  a  lady  make  use  of 
the  word  paradise,  from  which  you  turned  lis  out  as  well 
as  yourselves ;  and  pray  tell  me  freely  how  many  of  your 
sex  bring  it  along  with  them  to  their  husband's  houses  ?  I 
was  still  at  a  loss  where  this  Paradise^  of  yours  might  be, 
when  Mrs.  Donellan  discovered  the  secret ;  she  said  it 
was  a  place  (I  forget  in  what  shire)  where  K.  Charles  1** 
in  his  troubles  used  to  ride,  because  he  found  good 
watering  for  his  horse !  If  that  be  all,  we  have  ten 
thousand  such  paradises  in  this  kingdom,  of  which  you 
may  have  your  choice,  as  my  hay  mare  is  ready  to  de- 
pose. It  is  either  a  very  low  way  of  thinking,  or  as 
great  a  failure  of  education  in  either  sex,  to  imagine  that 
any  man  increases  in  his  critical  faculty  in  proportion  to 
his  wit  or  learning  ;  it  falls  out  always  directly  contrary. 
A  common  carpenter  will  work  more  cheerfully  for  a  gen- 
tleman skilled  in  his  trade,  than  for  a  conceited  fool  who 
knows  nothing  of  it ;  I  must  despise  a  lady  who  takes 
me  for  a  pedant,  and  you  have  made  me  half  angry 
with  so  many  lines  in  your  letter  which  look  like  a  kind 
of  apology  for  writing  to  me.  Besides,  to  say  the  truth, 
the  ladies  in  general  are  extremely  mended  both  in 
writing  and  reading  since  I  was  young,  only  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  in  proper  time  gaming  and  dressing,  with 
some  other  accomplishments,  may  reduce  them  to  their 
native  ignorance.  A  woman  of  quality,  who  had  excel- 
lent good  sense,  was  formerly  my  correspondent,  but  she 
scrawled  and  spelt  like  a  "VVapping  wench,  having  been 


*  *'  Paradise."  Sir  John  Stanley's  villa  at  North  End  was  called  "  Paradise,^ 
but  there  was  also  another  place  where  Mrs.  Pendarves  was  staying  with  her 
mother,  \yhich  was  also  called  "  Paradise." 


552  LIFE  AND  CORRESEONDENCE 

brought  up  in  a  Court  at  a  time  before  reading  was 
thought  of  any  use  to  a  female ;  and  I  knew  several  others 
oivery  high  quality  with  the  same  defect. 

I  am  very  glad  to  find  that  poor  Mrs.  Barber  hath  the 
honor  to  be  in  your  favor  ;  I  fear  she  is  in  no  very  good 
way  either  as  to  health  or  fortune ;  the  first  must  be 
left  to  God's  mercy,  the  other  to  the  generosity  of  some 
wealthy  friends  ;  and  I  do  not  know  the  reason  why 
she  is  not  more  at  ease  in  the  latter.  Her  sickness 
hath  made  her  more  expensive  than  her  prudence 
or  nature  inclined  her ;  I  think  she  hath  every  kind 
virtue,  and  only  one  defect,  which  is  too  much  bash- 
fuUness. 

Dr.  Delany  hath  long  ago  given  up  his  house  in 
town.  His  Dublin  friends  seldom  visit  him  till  the 
swallows  come  in.  He  is  too  far  from  town  for  a 
winter  visit,  and  too  near  for  staying  a  night  in  the 
country  manner  ;  neither  is  his  house  large  enough  ;^  it 
minds  me  of  what  I  have  heard  the  late  Duchess  ^  com- 
plain, that  Sion  House  was  "  a  hobbedehoy,  neither  town 
nor  country." 

I  believe,  madam,  I  am  mistaken,  and  think  myself 


*  ^^  Neither  is  his  house  large  enough"  Delville  must  have  been  considerably- 
enlarged  after  this  period. 

2  Lady  Elizabeth  Percy,  only  surviving  child  and  heir  of  Joceline,  11th  and 
last  Earl  of  Northumberland,  succeeded  to  the  baronial  honours  of  her  ancestors 
in  1716,  and  was  in  her  own  right  Baroness  Percy, Poynings,  Fitz-Mayne,  Bryan, 
and  Latimer.  Her  Ladyship  married,  1st,  when  only  fourteen  years  of  age, 
(1679,)  Henry  Cavendish  Earl  of  Ogle,  (son  and  heir  of  Henry  Duke  of  New- 
castle,) who  assumed  the  name  of  Percy  ;  but  his  Lordship  died  without  issue, 
1st  Nov.,  1680,  and  her  Ladyship  married  in  1682,  (3rdly,  it  is  stated,  but  she 
appears  to  have  been  only  contracted  tothomas  Tbynne,  Esq.,  of  Longleate,  who 
was  assassinated  Feb.  12,  1681-2,)  Charles  Seymour,  Duke  of  Somerset,  who 
also  assumed  by  preliminary  engagement  the  surname  and  arms  of  Percy,  but 
fron;  that  stipulation  he  was  released  when  her  Grace  attained  her  majority.  By 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  553 

to  be  in  your  company,  where  I  could  never  be  weary ; 
no  it  is  otherwise,  for  in  such  a  case  I  would  rather  choose 
to  be  your  silent  hearer  and  looker-on.  But  whether  you 
may  not  be  tired  for  the  three  minutes  past  is  a  different 
question  ;  tlie  surest  way  is  to  put  an  end  to  the  debate 
by  concluding  by  assuring  you  that  I  am,  with  the  truest 
respect  and  esteem. 

Madam, 
Your  most  obedient  humble  servant, 

JoNATH.  Swift, 


From  Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Dr.  Svuift. 

London,  April  22,  1736. 

Sir, 

I  am  sorry  you  make  use  of  so  many  good  argu- 
ments for  not  coming  to  the  Bath ;  I  was  in  hopes  you 
might  be  prevailed  with :  and  though  one .  of  my 
strongest  reasons  for  wishing  you  there,  was  the  desire 
I  had  of  seeing  you,  I  assure  you  the  consideration  of 
your  health  took  place  of  it.  T  have  heard  since  I  re- 
ceived the  favour  of  your  last  letter,  that  you  have  been 
much  out  of  order.  I  believe  we  sympathised,  for  I  was 
very  ill  with  a  feverish  disorder  and  cough  for  a  month, 
which  obliged  me  to  defer  answering  your  letter  till  I 
came  to  town.  I  left  the  Bath  last  Sunday  se'night, 
very  full  and  gay ;  I  think  Bath  a  more  comfortable 
place  to  live  in  than  London :  all  the  entertainments  of 


this  marriage  the  Duchess  had  thirteen  children,  the  eldest  surviving  of  whom 
Algernon  Seymour,  was  summoned  to  Parliament  in  1722,  on  the  death  of 
his  mother,  as  Riron  Percy.  His  Lordship  inherited  the  Dukedom  of  Somer- 
set in  1741,  and  his  only  daughter,  Lady  Eliza  Seymour,  married  Sir  Hugh 
Smithson,  who  was  created  1st  Duke  of  Northumberland  in  1766. 


554  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

tlie  place  lie  in  a  small  compass,  and  you  are  at  your 
liberty  to  partake  of  them,  or  let  them  alone,  just  as  it 
suits  your  humour.  This  town  is  grown  to  such  an 
enormous  size,  that  above  lialf  the  day  must  be  spent  in  the 
streets,  going  from  one  place  to  another.  I  like  it  every 
year  less  and  less.  I  was  grieved  at  parting  with  Mrs. 
Barber,  I  left  her  pretty  well,  and  I  really  had  more 
pleasure  in  her  conversation  than  from  anything  I  met 
with  at  the  Bath.  My  sister  has  found  the  good  effect 
of  your  kind  wishes ;  she  is  very  much  recovered,  and 
in  town  with  me  at  present,  but  leaves  me  in  a  fortnight 
to  go  to  my  mother. 

When  I  went  out  of  town  last  autumn,  the  reigning 
madness  was  FarineUi ;  I  find  it  now  turned  on  PavS- 
quin,^  a  dramatic  satire  on  the  times.  It  has  had 
almost  as  long  a  run  as  the  Beggars'  Opera ;  but,  in 
my  opinion,  not  with  equal  merit,  though  it  has  humour. 
Monstrous  preparations  are  making  for  the  royal  wed- 
ing.^  Pearl,  gold  and  silver,  embroidered  on  gold  and 
silver  tissues.  I  am  too  poor  and  too  dull  to  make 
one  among  the  fine  multitude.  The  newspapers  say, 
my  Lord  Carteret's  youngest  daughter  is  to  have  the 
Duke  of  Bedford  -^  I  hear  nothing  of  it  from  the 
family,  but  think  it  not  unlikely.  The  Duke  of  Marl- 
borough and  his  grandmother  are  upon  bad  terms ;  the 


1  "  Pasquin"  was  written  by  Henry  Fieldinf;;,  and  was  a  rehearsal  of  a 
comedy  and  a  tragedy ;  the  comedy  was  called  "  The  Election,"  and  the  tragedy 
"  The  Life  and  Death  of  Queen  Common  Sense."  This,  and  some  other 
dramatic  satires  by  the  same  anthor,  levelled  against  the  administration  of 
Ijord  Oxford,  produced  an  Act  of  Parliament  for  licensing  the  stage  and 
limiting  the  number  of  playhouses,  which  was  passed  in  1737. 

2  Of  Frederic,  Prince  of  Wales. 

*  His  Grace  married  Miss  Gower,  daughter  of  the  Lord  Gower  by  his  first 
wife,  on  the  1st  of  April,  1737. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  555 

Duke  of  Bedford,  who  has  also  been  ill-treated  by 'her, 
has  offered  the  Duke  of  Marlborough  to  supply  him  with 
ten  thousand  pounds  a  year,  if  he  will  go  to  law  and 
torment  the  old  dowager !  The  Duke  of  Chandos's 
marriage  has  made  a  great  noise,  and  the  poor  Duchess 
is  often  reproached  with  being  bred  up  in  Burr  Street, 
Wapping.^ 

Mrs.  Donellan,  I  am  afraid,  is  so  weU  treated  in 
Irelai  d,  that  I  must  despair  of  seeing  her  here;  and 
how  or  when  I  shall  be  able  to  come  to  her  I  cannot 
yet  determine.  She  is  so  good  to  me  in  her  letters,  as 
always  to  mention  you. 

I  hope  I  shall  hear  from  you  soon ;  you  owe  me  that 
pleasure,  for  the  concern  I  was  under  when  I  heard  you 
were  ill.  I  am,  sir,  your  faithful  and  obliged  humble 
servant, 

M.  Pendarves. 

I  beg  my  compliments  to  all  friends  that  remember 
me,  but  particularly  to  Dr.  Delany. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs  A,  GranviUe. 

London,  May  1736. 
Melancholy  Monday. 

I  heard  you,  my  dearest  sister,  when  you  rose,  but 
found  my  heart  failed  me,  and  judged  it  would  be  best 
for  us  both  if  I  lay  quietly  till  you  were  gone.  It  was 
unnecessary  for  us  to  see  one  another's  tears ;  we  are  both 
too  well  convinced  of  each  others  affection  to  want  any 
heightenings  of  that  kind.  I  hope  your  journey  will  be 
prosperous  and  pleasant ;  I  shall  impatiently  wait  for  an 

"^  The  "  'poor  Duchess  "  was  Lady  Daval,  widow  of  Sir  Thomas  Daval,  who 
had  a  large  fortune. 


556  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

account  of  your  travels,  and  will  now  proceed  to  tell  you, 
how  I  have  passed  this  dismal  day.     I  rung  my  bell  at 
seven  (I  shall  only  tell  you  matters  of  fact,  not  one  word 
of  my  thoughts  and  reflections,  I  hope  they  corresponded 
so  much  with  yours,  that  it  is  needless),  came  down  to 
breakfast  as  usual.    But  alas  !    Your  picture  stared  m:e  in 
the  face  all  the  time ;  I  was  angry  with  it  for  not  speak- 
ing.    As  soon  as  I  had  swallowed  my  two  cups  of  small 
tea,  I  wrote  to  Collingwood  to  make  your  excuse,  as  you 
desired ;  I  shall  see  her  by  and  by,  and  till  then  I'll  say 
no  more  of  her.     By  that  time  George  returned.    I  said 
little  to   her,   but   kissed  the   little   nosegay   made  up 
of  rosebuds,  daisies,  seringos,  and  heartsease — the  lovely 
emblems  of  your  friendship,  which  blooms  and  blesses  me 
every  year.     I  curled,  powdered,  dressed,  and  w^ent  to 
Mrs.  Montague  at  one  ;  from  thence  to  Court,  where  we 
were  touz'd  and  hunched  about  to  make  room  for  citizens 
in  their  fur  gowns,  who  came  to  make  their  compliments 
to  the  royal  pair.    They  received  them  under  their  canopy. 
With  great   difficulty  we   made   our   curtsey  to  the 
Princess  of  Wales,  but  as  for  the  Prince  you  might  as  well 
have  made  your  compliments  to  him  at  Henley !  it  was 
actually  more  crowded  than  the  day  we  went  to  be  pre- 
sented.    I  met  Baron  Sparr  in  the  crowd,  who  asked  me 
to  dine  with  him,  but  you  know  I  was  engaged.     From 
the  Prince's  Court  we  went  to  the  Queen's  ;  we  made  our 
reverence,  but  retired  without  any  particular  honours. 
Hot  and  dispirited  we  were.     I  dined  with  our  agreeable 
friends,  who  like  you  too  well  not  to  feel  for  me   to-day, 
and  I  have  run  away  from  them,  to  say  this  much  to  you, 

'  Frederic,  Prince  of  Wales,  married  the  Princess  Augnsta  of  Saxe  Goflia, 
Ai^ril  27,  1736,  at  which  time  Ann  Granville  was  with  her  sister  in  London, 
and  consequently  no  accoiuit  Avas  written  to  her  of  the  inarriago. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  557 

before  the  Duchess  of  Portland  and  Collin  ^  come,  but 
I  could  not  live  longer  without  speaking  to  you,  my  dearest 
sister ! 

My  Lord  Gower  is  married  to  my  Lady  Harold  :^ 
everybody  thinks  him  a  lucky  man  to  get  a  woman  of 
her  understanding  and  fortune;  though  I  can't  but  call  her 
sense  in  question  to  engage  with  a  man  so  encumbered 
with  children,  but  love  removes  great  obstacles.  I  dou't 
know  what  day  they  were  married,  but  the  Queen  spoke 
of  it  in  the  drawing-room  this  morning. 

It  is  thought  Mr.  Stanhope  will  recover.  I  am  to  go  to- 
morrow morning,  with  my  Lady  Colladon,  to  see  Yander- 
bank's  pictures ;  Di  misses  you,  if  she  did  not  I  would  dis- 
miss her.  I  have  just  had  a  message  from  Mrs.  Djincomb, 
to  desire  me  to  drink  tea  with  her  to-morrow.  I  was  asked 
by  everybody  for  you,  that  spoke  to  me  at  Court, — among 
the  rest  my  Lord  of  Law, — but  it  was  a  painful  civility  to 
me.  No  letters  are  come  to  day  by  the  post.  I  could 
not  bear  my  house,  but  walked  away  to  the  Countess, 
where,  you  know,  one  has  full  liberty  to  indulge  any  sple- 
netic humour;  I  came  home  at  eleven  or  a  little  after; 
and  Morpheus  was  so  kind  as  to  make  me  forget  my  for- 
lorn condition  for  some  hours,  but  I  waked  early,  and  have 
not  been  long  up.  It  is  now  just  eight ;  my  Lady  Colla- 
don made  me  promise,  to  come  to  her  this  morning,  to 
go  with  her  to  Vanderbank's,^  the  painter's — (this  I  told 


*  Collin  (Miss  CoUingwood). 

-  Lord  Gower  was  grandson  of  Lady  Jane  Granville,  (wife  of  Sir  William 
Leveson  Gower,)  and  great  nephew  of  Grace  Countess  Granville.  He  married, 
first.  Lady  Evelyn  Pierrepoint,  daughter  of  the  1st  Duke  of  Kingston  and  sister 
of  Lady  Mary  Wortley  Montague  ;  his  second  wife  was  Penelope,  daughter  of 
Sir  John  Stonehouse  and  widow  of  Sir  Henry  Atkins  ;  and  he  married  thirdly 
in  May,  1736,  Mary,  widow  of  Anthony  Grey,  Earl  of  Harold. 

'  Jan  Yanderbank  was  a  Dutch  portrait-j^ainter  much  patronized  by  the 


558  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

you  before,  but  you  must  forgive  a  little  abstraction. 
Mrs.  Spencer  was  brought  to  bed  yesterday  morning 
of  a  daughter.  Lady  Dysart  has  just  sent  me  her 
ticket  for  Adriano.^  I  have  sent  to  Lady  Mary  Colley 
to  know  if  she  will  go,  if  not  I'll  take  Bess.^  I  have 
taken  my  walk  with  Lady  Colladon.  From  Vanderbank's 
we  went  to  Marylebone,  and  walked  in  the  gardens,  but 
sun  and  dust  destroyed  the  pleasure  of  the  walk. 

I  have  not  picked  up  any  news  to-day.  Lady  Coll  says 
she  hears  Miss  Jackson  is  to  go  to  the  Princess  Eoyal ;  I 
was  glad  of  an  opportunity  of  doing  her  justice,  and  I  hope 
she  will  get  it,  because  it  will  suit  her  every  way.  Smoke, 
rattling  of  coaches,  &c.  a  fine  contrast  to  what  you  have  : 
but  taka  notice,  I  did  not  find  out  these  impertinences 
belonged  to  the  place  till  since  yesterday  seven  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  Jenny  I  hope  is  in  good  case,  and  has 
the  sense  to  know  you  are  returned  to  honour  her  back. 
Puss,  Penanna,  and  Nanny,  are  well ;  I  talk  to  my  little 
black  Nanny,  but  she  serves  me  lik^  the  picture ;  Ursula 
would  serve  me  better,  but  she  has  reassumed  her  station 
among  the  constellations,  and  I  can  only  have  news  of 
her  from  Paradise.  Adieu.  I  am  with  more  tenderness, 
than  I  can  ever  express,  for  ever  yours, 

M.  P. 

George  is  at  my  elbow,  saying — "Do,  madam,  say 
something  for  me  besides  my  humble  duty ;"  she  is 
sensible  of  all  your  goodness  to  her.  My  humble  duty 
to  my  mama,  and  service  to  Mrs.  Betty. 

higher  classes  in  Loudon  about  1740 — 50.  His  works  are  said  by  Bryan  to 
have  shown  great  facility  of  execution,  but  to  have  been  "  hurried  and 
neglected  in  the  finishing." 

^  1735.  November  25th.  Adriano,  a  new  opera,  composed  by  Veracini,  was 
first  represented  by  his  Majesty's  command. 

2  "  Bess."    Miss  Titchborne,  sister  to  Lady  Sunderland. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  559 

Mrs.  Pendarves  mentions  in  this  letter  taking  a  walk  with 
Lady  Colladon  in  Marylebone  Gardens,  which  then  occupied  the 
site  where  Beaumont  Street,  Devonshire  Street,  and  part  of 
Devonshire  Place  now  stand,  and  was  formerly  a  celebrated 
place  of  amusement  known  by  the  name  of  Marylebone  Gardens ; 
but  from  the  circumstance  of  a  French  chapel  having  been  erected 
upon  this  spot,  it  was  called  by  some  persons  the  "  French  Gardens." 
Marylebone  Gardens  were  open  before  the  year  1737,  the  public 
having  free  access ;  the  sum  of  Is.  being  then  first  demanded  for 
admission  by  Gough  the  proprietor,  lor  which  an  equivalent  was  to 
be  received  in  refreshments.  As  these  gardens  became  more 
fashionable,  various  entertainments  were  provided.  Balls  and 
evening  concerts  were  given,  some  of  the  first  singers  were  gene- 
rally engaged  there,  and  fireworks  were  li-equently  exhibited. 
The  musical  department  was  for  some  time  under  the  direction  of 
Dr.  Arne,  and  the  music  of  Handel  and  other  celebrated  composers 
was  often  heard  in  the  orchestra  there. 


Mrs.  Ann   OranvUle  to   Mrs.   Catherine  Collingicood^  in  New  Bond  Street, 
near  Hanover  Sqitare,  London. 

Paradise,  June  17,  173G. 

Nothing  can  l^e  more  obliging  and  agreeable  than 
my  dear  Miss  Collingwood's  last  letter;  and  the  kind 
epithet  of  "  Fne7id"  pleases  me  extremely :  I  will 
endeavour  to  deserve  the  title  you  have  bestowed  from 
your  own  good-nature,  and  I  flatter  myself  you  will  not 
repent  of  the  gift.  I  fear  this  sounds  a  little  vain  ;  but 
I  don't  speak  this  from  any  conceit  I  have  of  being 
worthy  the  distinction  from  perfections,  but  I  know 
I  have  gratitude  and  sincerity,  and  that  will  claim 
the  continuance  of  friendship,  though  I  shall  never  think 
your's  sincere  'till  you  appear  more  sensible  of  the  plea- 
sure I  take  in  your  letters,  and  leave  off  abusing  what 


560  LIFE  AND  COmiESPONDENCE 

deserves  more  praises  than  I  will  give,  because  I  know 
you  like  better  to  deserve  commendation  than  receive  it. 

I  desire  you  will  not  refrain  your  descriptions  of 
things,  from  the  notion  that  I  receive  them  from  my 
sister,  because  everybody  has  a  different  way  of  seeing 
the  same  thing,  which  is  agreeable  to  hear.  The  Duchess 
of  Portland  does  me  great  honour,  for  wliicli  I  am 
obliged  to  you,  as  well  as  to  her,  and  hope  to  receive 
the  benefit  of  both  another  year  ;  will  you  be  so  good  to 
make  my  compliments  to  her.  My  sister  has  had  great 
pleasure  in  the  Duchess's  company  and  yours,  since  I 
came  out  of  town ;  but  you  were  hurried  violently  from 
them  one  day, — tell  me  which  of  all  your  lovers  it  was. 
to  ?  Where  a  person  I  love  is  concerned  I  am  a  most 
inquisitive  creature. 

Squeek  has  got  a  little  imderstanding,  I  find,  since  I 
knew  him  ;  I  wish  it  may  increase  for  the  benefit  of  his 
acquaintance.  Cupid  may  meet  his  grave  at  Paradise 
soon  if  he  pleases.  I  hope  the  "  Sweet  Maid  "  will  be  here 
in  a  short  time.  Do  not  be  so  cruel  as  to  imagine  1  don't 
feel  very  sensibly  the  leaving  my  agreeable  friends  in 
London ;  but  perhaps  I  brag  of  the  pleasures  of  my  solitude 
more  to  show  my  philosophy  than  the  great  joy  they  give 
me,  for  nothing  alone  can  be  very  delightful.  You  con- 
tribute to  my  entertainment  many  ways ;  and  I  am  now 
reading  L'Amour  a  la  mode,  which  I  doubt  is  too  natur- 
ally described.  I  wish  I  could  enclose  my  letters  to  some 
member  of  your  acquaintance,  or  had  one  of  my  own  now 
at  command.  My  best  respects  attend  Mrs.  Collingwood. 
Write  to  me  soon,  and  believe  me,  dear  Lady  Kitty, 
Your  most  obliged  and  faithful, 

A.  G. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  661 

I  hate  the  ceremony  of  sir-names,  so  call  me  Anna, 
and  tell  me  how  I  may  address  you  to  avoid  *'  Madam*' 
Favour  me  with  a  little  place  in  all  your  letters  to  Lady 
Mary,  who  I  hope  has  picked  up  some  new  acquaintance 
she  likes  :  Bath  without  it  is  very  disagreeable. 

I  am  glad  the  Knight  has  made  up  to  poor  Bene  the 
mortification  he  gave  him :  I  am  sure  Sir  K.  cannot  do  a 
real  ill-natured  thing,  however  it  may  appear. 


Mrs.  Ann  OrcmvUle  to  Miss  ColUngtvood. 

Paradise,  8th  July,  1736. 

I  obey  my  dear  agreeable  Kitty's  kind  command  of 
answering  her  letter  soon :  I  will  not  defer  writing  one 
moment  longer,  though  I  should  do  it  with  infinitely  more 
pleasure  were  I  able  to  make  my  letter  half  as  enter- 
taining as  hers.  You  are  a  creature  just  to  my  own 
gout,  you  are  lively  mthaut  romping,  and  have  the  ten- 
derness of  sentiment  requisite  in  friendship ;  you  are — 
but  I  won't  say  what  I  think  of  you,  because  my  ex- 
pressions will  come  short  of  my  opinion.  I  would 
excuse  nobody  but  my  sister  for  taking  you  from  me, 
but  to  her  I  am  pleased  to  yield  my  highest  delights, 
though  I  had  rather  enjoy  them  with  her.  I  will  never 
place  two  ideas  so  difierent  as  you  and  a  Willow  together. 
No  !  the  blooming  Kitty  shall  be  crowned  with  myrtle. 
I  shall  never  see  her  sighing  by  a  murmuring  brook, 
if  she  cannot  vanquish  those  she  desires,  she  will  re- 
member L'Amour  a  la  mode,  and  despise  the  whole  band 
of  danglers. 

"  A  dangler  is  of  neither  sex, 
A  creature  made  to  tease  and  vex,"  &c. 

VOL.  I.  2  o 


562  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

I  hope  you  have  been  by  this  time  at  Northend,  and 
found  my  sister  in  her  grotto,  where  she  works  night 
and  day;  I  long  to  see  it.  I  had  not  known  of  the 
scheme  of  coming  here,  but  for  your  goodness  that  re- 
vealed it ;  I  had  some  kind  of  pleasure  in  knowing  it  was 
thought  of,  and  hope  it  may  be  executed  some  other 
time. 

You  do  my  brother  great  honour ;  indeed  he  deserves 
the  opinion  you  have  so  obligingly  conceived  of  him,  for 
he  is  as  good  a  creature  as  ever  was,  and  I  the  happiest 
in  a  brother  and  sister.  Miss  Graves  is  not  with  me 
yet ;  I  heard  from  her  last  post — she  will  be  pleased  to 
be  remembered  by  you.  I  am  sorry  your  Lady  Duchess 
is  absent,  because  I  know  it  gives  you  great  pain ;  I 
wish  you  were  near  me,  but  could  you  support  this 
solitary  life ;  which  really  gives  me  great  pleasure  ?  Can 
birds  and  poultry  delight  you  ?  and  a  nosegay  of  wild 
flowers  entertain  you  for  half  a  day  ?  /  fear  not,  and 
you  begin  to  despise  my  taste  as  very  low ;  but  to  show 
you  I  can  raise  my  notions  higher,  I  often  think  of  dear 
Kitty,  and  am  her  most 

Obliged  and  affectionate 

Anna. 

My  particular  compliments  to  Mrs.  Collingwood.  I 
hope  her  eyes  are  better. 


From  the  Duchess  of  Portland.     For  Miss  CoHingiuood,  in  New  Botid 
Street,  London. 

July  23,  1736. 

I  find  my  dear  CoUy  forgets  her  good  old  custom  of 
writing  every  Saturday.     I  did  wonder  what  you  could 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  '  563 

be  doing ;  but  I  am  very  sorry  to  hear  your  time  was 
taken  up  in  '' tears,  frights  and  headaches,*^  and  I  hope  we 
shall  not  have  much  more  music  in  the  air,^  or  at  least 
not  when  you  write  to  me.  The  day  I  saw  you  was 
much  better  spent  than  I  expected,  for  the  Speaker  was 
in  top  good  humour :  as  for  the  week  after,  I  was  happy 
in  the  company  you  mention,  and  believe  I  shall  be  so 
a  great  while,  for  I  hear  of  no  reports  of  moving.  We 
have  had  a  great  many  difficult  cases  of  midwifry,  but 
as  they  are  so  much  out  of  my  way,  I  give  up  all  my 
pretensions  to  the  Great  Judge  to  decide. 

I  must  now  trouble  you,  my  dear  friend,  again,  that  if 
the  fans  are  not  gone,  you  will  be  so  good  to  send  them 
to  Mr.  Payzant's  in  Downing  Street,  Westminster,  and  to 
teU  him  that  those  are  the  fans  that  Sir  Luke  Schaub 
wrote  to  him  about,  and  desire  he  will  take  care  of  them. 
Pardon  all  the  trouble  I  have  given  you.  The  Little 
Queen  ^  is  in  perfect  good  health,  and  I  found  her  very 
safe  and  sound,  and  there  were  no  intrigues  carrying 
on  in  my  absense.  I  am  of  your  mind  about  the  Speaker; 
for  I  am  sure  she  has  had  much  such  far-fetched 
thoughts.  I  don't  imagine  Sappho  wiU  be  out  of  favour 
thcvse  seven  years ;  though  the  passion  is  so  violent,  one 
could  hardly  think  it  would  last  so  long,  yet  I  can't 
answer  for  anything  in  this  world :  a  thousand  thanks 
to  you  for  your  intelligence.  I  hope  you  will  go  some- 
times to  the  Cas —  for  it  won't  do  amiss. 

I  had  a  letter  from  my  dear  little  Dash,^  who  inquired 


>  "  Music  in  the  air,'^  probably  meant  a  scoldiTig. 
2  Lady  Elizabeth  Bentinck. 
^"DashT    Mrs.  Catherine  Dashwood. 

2  0.2 


564  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

how  you  did,  and  desired  her  compliments  as  did  Gracey/ 
My  Lord,  and  Frere  Bonavanture,^  are  much  your 
humble  servants.  My  best  compliments  to  your  good 
mama. 

Believe  me,  most  faitlifully  and  most  aflfectionately, 

Ever  yours. 

Do  let  me  know  as  soon  as  you  can,  if  the  fans  are 
gone.     Once  more  adieu  my  dear  friend. 


Frmn,  the.  Duchess  of  Portland.      For  Mrs.  Catherine  ColUngwood,  in 
New  Bond  Street,  London. 

Aug.  8,  1736. 

My  dearest  Colly  should  not  have  been  so  long  without 
an  epistle,  had  I  had  a  moment  to  myself;  but  indeed 
my  time  is  so  taken  up  with  working  and  talking,  that 
I  can  never  do  anything  I  Hke  :  that,  you'll  say,  is  "  very 
odd,"  for  when  a  woman's  tongue  is  at  liberty,  everything 
must  be  agreeable  to  her.  But  you  see  the  frailty  of  human 
nature — was  I  forbid  talking,  I  should  be  mad  to  do 
it,  but  now  I  am  obliged  to  it,  I  would  give  the  world 
to  be  silent ;  much  better  it  would  be  to  my  hearers,  I 
am  sure,  were  I  dumb,  but  enough  of  that  subject. 
Thank  you  a  thousand  times  over,  my  dear  friend,  for 
your  obliging  and  kind  letter,  I  wish  it  had  been  ten 
times  as  long,  the  only  fault  of  it  was  its  diminitiveness, 
but  your  next,  I  hope,  will  mend  that  fault.     Now  this 


*  "  Oracey."     The  Hon.  Grace  Granville,  daughter  of  Lord  Lansdown. 
2  li  prere  Buon  Aventura "   was    Mr.   Achard,   the   Duke  of   Portland's 
secretary. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  566 

will  come  to  you  the  day  that  you  used  to  receive  minC; 
therefore  I  expect  a  very  long  answer  next  Sunday.     I 
am  glad  you  had  so  pleasant  a  party  upon  the  water. 

Accept  my  thanks  for  the  fans  and  gown,  and  if  you 
please  to  keep  the  receipt  till  I  come  to  town,  I  think 
that  better.  I  hope  it  won't  be  so  long  as  you  imagine ; 
but,  indeed,  I  can't  tell,  for  I  hear  nothing  of  our  moving : 
but  I  live  in  hopes  of  another  family's  motion,  which 
will  give  me  no  small  joy.  The  Little  Queen  is  much 
obliged  to  you  for  drinking  her  health ;  you  only  mistake 
a  day — it  was  the  27th.  Frere  Bonavanture  made  great 
preparations  for  it ;  we  had  an  illumination  and  fire- 
works, rockets,  dumps,  line  rockets,  fire  balls,  fire  wheel, 
and  mine — they  were  all  charming ;  I  wish  you  had  been 
here,  I  am  sure  you  would  have  liked  them  :  there  were 
between  five  and  six  hundred  people  in  the  garden.  I 
had  a  charming  letter  from  Peny  ^  the  day  I  had  yours ; 
but  I  have  never  answered  it  yet,  much  to  my  mortifica- 
tion. Little  Dash  is  very  well ;  I  will  be  sure  to  tell  her 
your  message ;  I  have  not  wrote  a  letter  so  long  as  this 
this  month,  and  I  hope  Mrs.  Webb  is  gone  by  this  time, 
that  I  may  have  a  long  epistle  from  you.  I  have  killed 
a  thousand  snails,^  and  have  got  the  prettiest  fly  that 
ever  was  seen — the  wings  are  like  gauze. 

I  am  just  come  home  from  visiting ;  went  to  Lady  Kill, 
and  did  not  find  her  at  home,  and  that  has  put  me  quite 
out  of  humour.  I  went  to  Cowley^  to  see  Mrs.  Tatton,  and 
there  I  met  old  Lady  Kill,  as  tall  as  the  house,  a  thumb 


'  Mrs.  Pendarves. 

2  "  Killed  a  thousand  snails."    This  was  done  to  procure  the  shells  for  her 
collection. 

*  Cowley,  near  Uxbridge. 


566  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

as  big  as  a  salt  cellar,  and  talking  like  a  one-eyed  parrot ; 
well,  I  will  bid  you  good  nigbt,  for  you'll  think  I  never 
design  to  have  done.  My  Lord,  and  Frere  Bonavanture 
are  yours  most  devotedly,  and  to  your  mama,  as  I  am  like- 
wise. The  verses  were  upon  Swift  and  Penny,  the  Irish 
letter,  and  the  Lord  knows  how  many  more.  Adieu. 
Yours  most  affectionately  and  faithfully. 


Mrs.  Fendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  OranvUle. 

Aug.  17,  1736. 

My  dearest  sister  should  have  heard  from  me  last 
post,  but  my  brother  came  early  on  Friday,  and  staid  the 
whole  day,  which  prevented  my  writing ;  and  I  was 
engaged  to  go  on  Saturday  to  Bushy  Park,  and  set  out 
early  in  the  morning ;  and  since  my  eye  has  been  bad  I 
have  not  ventured  to  write  by  candle-light. 

I  thank  you  for  all  your  Bath  news.  Am  really  sorry 
for  Seagar — he  vdll  be  a  publick  loss  ;  and  that  poor 
Barber  has  the  gout;  as  to  her  undertaking  Dame 
Lindseys,  she  is  the  unfittest  person  for  it  in  the  world, 
she  would  be  cheated  hy  everybody,  and  not  able  to  keep 
herself,  and  her  daughter  is  too  young  and  unexperienced 
to  be  of  any  great  use  to  her  in  the  management  of 
so  difficult  a  sort  of  business :  if  she  had  a  great  fancy 
to  it  I  should  not  care  to  dissuade  her  from  it,  but  I 
think  it  too  hazardous  an  undertaking  to  persuade  her 
to  it. 

I  grieve  for  Madam  Jenny's^  eye ;  enclosed,  my  Lady 
Sunderland  has  sent  you  some  Portugal  snufF ;   if  Jenny 


*  A  favourite  mare  of  Ann  Granville's. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  567 

has  any  film  over  her  eye,  let  some  of  it  be  blown  once  a 
day  through  a  quill — it  is  infallible  ;  if  a  humour,  lapis 
caliminaris  pulverized  and  put  into  rose-water,  is  ex- 
cellent, but  my  brother  recommends  a  rowell  under  her 
jaw,  which  Mr.  Foley's  groom  understands  to  be  sure 
how  it  is  to  be  done.  A  puppy  of  Dash's  is  much  at 
Mr.  Foley's  service ;  and  my  brother  happy  to  dispose  of 
one  of  his  family  so  well. 

I  think  you  icould  he  wild  to  make  a  visit  to  Dum- 
bleton^  at  this  time  of  the  year,  which  though  at  present 
has  a  fair  face,  we  may  expect  it  to  frown  every  hour, 
considering  how  long  the  sun  has  smiled  upon  us  ;  and 
since  you  have  so  good  and  so  agreeable  an  opportunity 
of  being  conveyed  by  Mrs.  Foley  home,  my  opinion  is 
you  should  stay  for  it,  and  prevail  with  Sally  and  Miss 
Graves  to  let  their  visit  be  at  Paradise  instead  of  at 
Glocester. 
■r  Sir  John  is  come  home  as  well  as  you  and  I  wish  him 
to  be,  with  lively  spirits  and  a  good  appetite.  He  is  very 
glad  to  hear  you  continue  so  well.  He  came  home  last 
Sunday,  and  judge  of  my  distress — he  had  been  in  the 
house  an  hour  before  I  could  see  him,  for  Lady  Mary 
Colley  was  with  me,  who  always  makes  particular  en- 
quiries after  you,  and  so  do  all  the  folks  that  have  a  mind 
to  oblige  me.  I  don't  know  if  I  shall  see  the  L'Isle 
grotto  or  no ;  Collin,*  the  last  time  I  saw  her,  which 
was  last  Thursday  that  she  -spent  the  day  with  me,  said 
nothing  of  it,  but  if  she  holds  her  resolution,  I  do  mine. 
The  orange-flower  and  variegated  myrtle  were  welcome ; 
they  still  perfume  my  pocket. 

^  Uumbleton,  in  Gloucestersliire ;  then  the  residence  of  the  Rev.  Sir  Rd. 
Cocks. 

Miss  Collingwood. 


568  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

No  place  is  so  wholesome  as  the  Bath  or  London  in 
winter ;  had  I  a  house  at  the  first,  you  should  he  as 
welcome  to  me  there  as  now  you  will  be  in  town.  Mrs. 
Map  is  a  wonderful  woman — everybody  agrees  in  it. 
The  Miss  Foley  I  recommended  her  to  is  my  Lord's 
sister,  and  not  your  little  friend,  who  I  am  glad  does  not 
want  the  assistance  of  a  bone-setter  I 

I  had  a  letter  last  night  from  Colly.  I'll  tell  her  to- 
morrow morning  what  you  say  about  writing  to  her: 
she  is  to  meet  me  in  Brook  Street.  'Tis  said  (but  I  hope 
not  true),  that  Caristini  is  to  be  broke  on  the  wheel  at 
Venice  for  killing  a  man.  I  spent  last  Saturday  at 
Bushy,  where  you  were  very  particularly  enquired  after. 
My  Lady  Colladon  is  much  concerned  she  should  have 
opposed  Miss  J.  by  getting  in  Miss  Cotterell — she 
was  engaged  to  her  before  she  knew  the  other  desired  it ; 
but  she  has  spoke  to  Princess  Amelia  so  much  to  her 
advantage,  that  she  hopes  it  may  be  of  service  to  her 
some  other  time ;  a  place  being  ofiered  to  you,  and  your 
refusing  it,  was  all  talked  over  at  Court,  so  whilst  you 
think  yourself  in  such  a  retired  corner  of  the  world,  you 
are  the  subject  of  Princess's  thoughts  ! 

I  have  not  heard  from  Donellan  this  fortnight. 

A  curious  account  of  Mrs.  Mapp,  the  famous  bone-setter,  is  here 
given  from  the  London  Magazine  of  August  and  September,  1736. 
"  The  town  has  been  surprised  lately  with  the  fame  of  a  young 
woman  at  Epsom,  who,  though  not  very  regular,  it  is  said,  in  her  con- 
duct, has  wrought  such  cures  that  seem  miraculous  in  the  bone- 
setting  way.  The  concourse  of  people  to  Epsom  on  this  occasion 
is  incredible,  and  'tis  reckoned  she  gets  near  20  guineas  a  day. 
She  executes  what  she  does  in  a  very  quick  manner;  she  has 
strength  enough  to  put  in  any  man's  shoulder  without  any  assist- 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  669 

ance ;    and  this  her  strength  makes  the  following  story  the  more 
credible. 

"  A  man  came  to  her,  sent,  as  it  is  supposed,  by  some  surgeons, 
on  purpose  to  try  her  skill,  with  his  hand  bound  up,  and  pretended 
his  wrist  was  put  out,  which  upon  examination  she  found  to  be 
false ;  but  to  be  even  with  him  for  his  imposition  she  gave  it  a 
wrench,  and  really  put  it  out,  and  bade  him  *  go  to  the  fooh  who 
sent  him,  and  get  it  set  again^  or  '  if  he  would  come  to  her  that 
day  month,  she  would  do  it  herself.'  This  remarkable  person  is 
daughter  to  one  Wallin,  a  bone-setter  of  Hindon,  Wilts.  Upon 
some  family  quarrel  she  left  her  father,  and  wandered  up  and  down 
the  country  in  a  very  miserable  manner,  calling  herself  '  Crazy 
Sally. ^  Since  she  became  thus  famous,  she  married  one  Mr.  Hill 
Mapp,  late  servant  to  a  mercer  on  Ludgate-hill,  who  'tis  said  soon 
left  her,  and  carried  off  100/.  of  her  money."  On  Sept.  I9th  of  the 
same  year  it  is  recorded  that  "  Mrs.  Mapp,  the  famous  bone-setter 
at  Epsom,  continues  making  extraordinary  cures.  She  has  now 
set  up  an  equipage,  and  this  day  came  to  Kensington  and  waited  on 
her  Majesty."  Mrs.  Mapp  died  at  her  lodgings  near  the  Seven 
Dials,  miserably  poor,  in  December,  1737. 


From  Mrs  Pendarves  to  Dean  Swift. 

Sept.  2, 1736. 

Sir, 

I  never  will  accept  of  the  writ  of  ease  you  threaten 
me  with ;  do  not  flatter  yourself  with  any  such  hopes  :  I 
receive  too  many  advantages  from  your  letters  to  drop  a 
correspondence  of  such  consequence  to  me.  I  am  really 
grieved  that  you  are  so  much  persecuted  with  a  giddiness 
in  your  head ;  the  Bath  and  travelling  would  certainly 
be  of  use  to  you.  Your  want  of  spirits  is  a  new  com- 
plaint, and  what  will  not  only  afflict  your  particular 
friends,  but  every  one  that  has  the  happiness  of  your 
acquaintance. 


570  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

I  am  uneasy  to  know  how  you  do,  and  have  no  other 
means  for  that  satisfaction  but  from  your  own  hand ; 
most  of  my  Dubhn  correspondents  being  removed  to 
Cork,  to  Wicklow  mountains,  and  the  Lord  knows  where. 
I  should  have  made  this  enquiry  sooner,  but  that  I  have 
this  summer  undertaken  a  work  that  has  given  me  full 
employment,  which  is  making  a  grotto  in  Sir  John 
Stanley's  garden  at  North  End,  and  it  is  chiefly  composed 
of  shells  I  had  from  Ireland.  My  life,  for  two  months  past, 
has  been  very  like  a  hermit's ;  I  have  had  all  the  com- 
forts of  life  but  society,  and  have  found  living  quite  alone 
a  pleasanter  thing  than  I  imagined.  The  hours  I  could 
spend  in  reading,  have  been  entertained  by  RoUin's 
History  of  the  Ancients,  in  French,  I  am  very  well 
pleased  with  it ;  and  think  your  Hannibals,  Scipios,  and 
Cyruses  prettier  fellows  than  are  to  be  met  with  now- 
a-days.  Painting  and  music  have  had  their  share  in  my 
amusements,  I  rose  between  five  and  six,  and  went  to 
bed  at  eleven.  I  would  not  tell  you  so  much  about  my- 
self, if  I  had  anything  to  tell  you  of  other  people ;  I 
came  to  town  the  night  before  last,  but  if  it  does  not, 
a  few  days  hence,  appear  better  to  me  than  at  present,  I 
shall  return  to  my  soKtary  cell ;  Sir  John  Stanley  has 
been  all  the  summer  at  Tunbridge. 
I  I  suppose  you  may  have  heard  of  Mr.  Pope's  accident, 
which  had  liked  to  have  proved  a  very  fatal  one.  He 
was  leading  a  young  lady  into  a  boat  from  his  own 
stairs,  her  foot  missed  the  side  of  the  boat,  she  fell  into 
the  water,  and  pulled  Mr.  Pope  after  her:  the  boat 
slipped  away,  and  they  were  immediately  out  of  their 
depth,  and  it  was  with  some  difficulty  they  were  saved. 
The  young  lady's  name  is  Talbot ;  she  is  as  remarkable 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  571 

for  being  a  handsome  woman,  as  Mr.  Pope  is  for  wit ;  I 
think  I  cannot  give  you  a  higher  notion  of  her  beauty, 
unless  I  had  named  you  instead  of  him.  I  shall  be  im- 
patient till  I  hear  from  you  again ;  being,  with  great 
sincerity,  sir, 

Your  most  faithful,  humble  servant, 

M.  Pendarves. 

P.  S.  I  forgot  to  answer  on  the  other  side  that  part 
of  your  letter  which  concerns  my  sister.  I  do  not  know 
whether  you  would  like  her  person  as  well  as  mine, 
because  illness  has  faded  her  complexion,  but  it  is 
greatly  my  interest  not  to  bring  you  acquainted  with 
her  mind,  for  that  would  prove  a  potent  rival,  and  no- 
thing but  your  partiahty  to  me  as  an  older  acquaintance 
could  make  you  give  me  the  preference. 


Mrs.  Ann  OranviUe  to  Miss  Collingvxxxl. 

Paradise,  Sept.  14, 1736. 

I  should  make  a  thousand  apologies  to  my  dear  agree- 
able Kitty,  for  my  long  silence,  did  I  not  know  that 
your  thoughts  have  been  so  much  engaged  lately  in 
things  of  greater  importance,  that  you  hardly  recollect 
whether  I  am  in  your  debt  or  no ;  but  as  I  shall  always 
remember  your  favours  past,  I  shall  be  equally  soHcitous 
for  the  continuence  of  them,  and  however  this  Hip- 
polito  may  fill  one's  head,  I  shall  expect  a  share  in  your 
heart,  nor  can  you  give  it  all  away  without  doing  vio- 
lence to  friendship.  You  see  my  faithful  intelligencer  in- 
forms me  wliat  you  are  about,  so  you  may  as  well  confess 
the  truth,  for  Pecolet  will  make  discoveries,  but  in  hopes 


572  LIFE  AND  COEKESPONDENCE 

of  being  still  of  some  small  consequence  to  you,  I  will 
relate  the  cause  of  my  not  sooner  returning  thanks  for 
the  charming  letter  you  sent  me.  I  was  then  in  Here- 
fordshire, with  a  most  amiable  friend,  who  was  in  great 
distress  for  the  illness  of  her  husband,  who  is  a  very 
pretty  gentleman,  and  they  th  e  happiest  couple  in  the 
world ;  but  his  want  of  health  gives  her  many  painful 
alarms,  (who  would  enlarge  their  tender  affections,  when 
they  never  fail  to  bring  disquiet  with  them)  ?  but  not  to 
discourage  you,  my  dear  Miss  CoUingwood,  a  married 
life  may  be  exempt  from  all  unhappiness ;  and  so  I  hope 
whenever  you  try  you  will  find  it  so. 

I  have  been  the  strangest  rambler  that  ever  was, — at 
two  country  horse-races  and  a  music-meeting,  there  I 
saw  dirty  beaus,  awkward  belles,  bad  dancing,  and  worse 
fiddles ;  to  one  part  I  contributed,  and  danced  three 
nights,  but  not  together,  had  an  excessive  dull  partner, 
which  was  for  my  advantage,  and  inclined  me  to  go  home 
sooner  than  I  should  have  done  from  an  agreeable  one, 
and  so  provoking  they  could  not  play  the  Broderre, 
to  awaken  agreeable  remembrance  of  you.  The  fuss  you 
have  been  in  is  of  a  different  nature,  and  I  can  easily 
guess  what  makes  the  water  so  enchanting :  a  party  so 
polite  and  engaging  might  reconcile  me  to  that  un- 
certain element,  which  at  present  I  hate  for  its  hjrpo- 
crisy — it  smiles  in  your  face  one  moment  and  devours 
you  in  the  next.  Your  descriptions  are  so  entertaining, 
they  can  never  appear  long,  therefore  I  beg  you  will  not 
shorten  them,  but  let  me  hear  from  you  soon,  and  inform 
me  if  my  conjectures  are  right  concerning  you.  Imagine 
my  present  joy !  my  sister  comes  to  us  next  Thursday. 
I  fear  she  stays  but  a  short  time,  but  the  thought  of 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  573 

seeing  her  has  put  me  into  such  rapture  that  I  hardly 
know  what  I  say,  only  this  I  am  certain  of,  that  I  am 
always 

Dear  Kitty's 

Most  faithful  and  obliged 

Anna. 

We  also  expect  my  brother  every  day.  /  am  very 
happy.  My  best  respects  to  Mrs.  CoUingwood.  I  have 
the  receipt  for  Roman  friendship,  which  I  think  very 
pretty,  but  believe  we  can  make  English  full  as  good. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Catherine  Cdlingivood,  in  New  Bond  Street, 

London. 

Oct.  25,  1736. 
Sunday. 

It  is  not  fair,  my  dear  Miss  Collingwood,  to  enjoy  all 
the  pleasures  of  this  place,'  without  communicating  some 
of  them  to  you.  But  I  think  it  will  be  best  to  be  silent  on 
that  head  for  two  reasons  :  one  is,  that  I  am  at  a  loss  to 
tell  you  how  well  pleased  I  am  with  my  entertainment ; 
and  the  other  is,  not  to  tantalize  you.  You  have  so  just 
an  esteem  for  the  Duchess,  and  are  so  well  pleased  to 
make  your  friends  happy,  that  I  hope  you  have  wished 
yourself  with  us ;  if  you  have  not,  you  are  an  ingrate. 
The  Duchess  received  your  letter  this  morning  and  gave 
it  a  kind  welcome.  Don't  imagine,  she  would  have  wrote 
to  you  to-day  if  I  had  not,  for  that  will  make  you  wish 
my  pen,  ink  and  paper  in  the  fire.  She  could  not  possibly 
have  wrote  to  you,  for  what  with  praying,  entertaining 
agreeable  company  (NB.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Herbert),  kissing 

»  "This placer    Bulstrode. 


574  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Lady  Betty,  and  writing  four  long  letters  of  great  conse- 
quence, she  had  not  an  inch  to  spare  ,•  her  compliments 
and  the  Duke's  attend  you.  The  Duchess  will  by  no 
means  have  your  muffs  and  tippets ;  but  if  you  can  pick  up 
a  few  loose  feathers  of  poll's,  or  any  other  beautiful  bird 
they  will  be  very  acceptable.  Her  grand  design  for 
feathers  is  over,  the  history  of  which  you  shall  know  an- 
other time. 

Frere  Bonaventure  desires  his  best  respects  to  you, 
and  bids  me  tell  you,  that  the  medicine  he  went  to  town 
for  has  done  him  so  much  good,  that  he  believes  he  shall 
never  be  sick  again.  I  assure  you,  he  overflows  with  wit 
and  humour,  and  makes  us  laugh  till  we  cry  again.  We 
made  use  of  the  fine  weather,  and  walked  all  over  the  park 
and  gardens ;  they  are  very  fine,  and  so  is  the  house,  and 
though  we  live  as  magnificently  as  the  Prince  of  Wales, 
I  am  as  easy  as  if  I  was  at  home,  which  is  charming  and 
very  uncommon. 

Dear  Colly,  send  me  a  Kttle  news  privately,  for  I  have 
exposed  my  ignorance  strangely  since  my  being  here.  No- 
body by  my  conversation  would  think,  that  I  was  just 
come  from  London,  but  rather  imagine  I  had  spent  my 
whole  life  on  the  mountains  !  I  hope  Mrs.  Collingwood 
has  had  no  return  of  her  disorder ;  I  beg  my  humble  ser- 
vice to  her.  We  have  variety  of  amusements,  as  reading, 
working^  and  drawing,  in  a  morning ;  in  the  afternoon  the 
scene  changes,  there  are  billiards,  looking  over  prints, 
coffee,  tea,  cribbage,  and  by  way  of  interlude  pretty  Lady 
Betty^  comes  upon  the  stage,  and  I  can  play  as  weU  at 
bo-peep  as  if  I  had  had  a  nursery  of  my  own.  She  is  the 
best  humoured  little  dear  that  ever  I  met  with.   I  forgot 

Lady  Betty,  eldest  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Portland,  was  bom  July,  1735. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  575 

to  tell  you,  that  for  one  hour  after  dinner  here  is  an 
assembly  of  old  women,  that  we  converse  with ;  'tis  true 
they  are  a  little  antiquated  but  they  are  easy,  and  though 
they  dofit  say  a  word  they  are  great  helps  to  our  con- 
versation ;  they  are  favorites  of  Mr.  Achard's,  particularly 
one  that  he  constantly  singles  out.  I  am. 
Dear  Miss  Collingwood, 

Your  most  faithfal  and  obedient, 
M.  Pendarves. 

This  letter  was  evidently  written  from  Bulstrode,  though  not 
named,  as  proved  by  the  contents  as  well  as  the  postmark  of  Garreds 
Cross,  25th  October. 


Dean  Swift  writes  to  Sir  John  Stanley  from  Dublin,  October  30, 
1736,  in  favour  of  a  tenant,  and  says  : — 

"  I  have  known  you  long,  and  have  always  highly  esteemed  and 
loved  you,  and  therefore  expect  you  will  comply  with  his  request 
It  is  hard  for  me,  or  any  one,  to  iaterfere  in  a  business  of  property  ; 
but  I  well  understand  the  practice  of  Irish  tenants  to  English  land- 
lords, and  of  those  landlords  to  their  tenants ;  but  if  Mr.  Wilding 
rightly  represents  that  he  has  been  a  great  improver,  his  gains  not 
exorbitant,  and  his  payments  regular,  you  neither  must  nor  shall 
act  as  an  Irish  racking  squire  ;  so  that  I  fully  reckon  you  will  obe^ 
viy  commands.  I  have  one  advantage  by  this  letter,  a  fair  occasion 
to  enquire  after  your  health,  where  you  live,  and  how  you  employ 
your  leisure,  and  what  share  I  keep  in  your  good  will?  As  to 
myself,  years  and  infirmities  have  sunk  my  spirits  to  nothing. 
My  English  friends  are  all  dead,  or  in  exile,  or  by  prudent  oblivion 
have  utterly  dropped  me — having  loved  this  present  world,  and 
as  to  this  country  I  am  only  a  favourite  with  my  old  friends,  the 
rabble ;  I  return  their  love  because  I  know  none  else  who  deserve 
it.  May  you  live  long  and  happy,  and  be  beloved  (as  you  have 
ever  been,)  by  the  best  and  wisest  of  mankind ;  and  if  you  ever 


576  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

happen  to  think  of  me,  remember  I  have  always  been  and  shall 
ever  continue  with  the  truest  respect  and  esteem,  sir,  your  most 
obedient  and  obliged  servant,  J.  Swift." 


Mrs.  Ann  Oranville  to  Mrs.  Catherine  Cdlingtuood. 

Gloucester,  Nov.  19,  1736. 

So  charming  a  letter  as  my  dear  Kitty's  last  deserved 
my  speediest  acknowledgments,  and  I  wish  I  had  sooner 
told  you  what  pleasure  it  gave  me,  because  I  might  have 
done  it  in  a  more  lively  manner ;  for  now  I  am  certain 
everything  I  say  will  be  infected  by  the  air  of  a  dull 
country  town  where  I  am  at  present  confined,  and  give 
you  the  spleen  to  read  them.  But  is  it  not  mortifying 
to  be  dragged  from  a  clear  air,  bright  sunshine,  singing 
birds,  and  bleating  sheep,  to  a  foggy  hole  full  of  imperti- 
nent company,  that  takes  off  one  thoughts  from  dear 
agreeable  absent  friends,  and  gives  one  no  pleasant  images 
in  return  ?  But  some  pains  are  unavoidable  in  this  life ; 
I  would  dispense  as  few  of  mine  as  possible  to  those  I 
love,  and  therefore  I  will  make  no  more  complaints,  but 
must  assure  you  that  I  sincerely  congratulate  you  upon 
your  good  mama's  recovery.  The  greatest  delights  we 
have  proceed  from  natural  affections,  improved  by 
reason  and  reflection ;  I  hope  yours  will  be  alarmed 
no  more,  but  that  you  and  Mrs.  Collingwood  wiU  enjoy 
each  other  in  many  years  of  happiness.  And  now 
you  are  returned  to  your  gaieties  pray  let  me  have  an 
account  of  them ;  I  shall  be  glad  to  be  your  confidant, 
and  don't  despair  of  that  honour  though  you  are  so 
ironical ;  but  prenez  garde,  for  since  Mr.  Stafford  could 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  577 

only  give  a  careless  sigh  to  the  memory  of  a  handsome 
young  creature  whose  greatest  fault  was  her  fondness  to 
him,  and  whose  misfortunes  perhaps  all  proceeded  from 
that  weakness  which  so  early  took  possession  of  her 
mind,  what  hope  of  constancy  or  gratitude  can  we 
expect  from  men?  Your  account  of  Miss  Andrews' 
lover  provoked  me  excessively  :  should  I  ever  meet  him 
and  he  display  the  brightest  wit,  I  am  certain  it  will  not 
please  me,  I  shall  see  a  Hght  ungenerous  heart  through 
all  the  agrhiient,  and  detest  the  possessor  of  it ;  I  shall 
recollect  my  poor  departed  friend  in  all  her  heighth  of 
bloom  and  beauty,  surrounded  by  admirers,  whom  she 
all  despised  for  his  sake  who  hardly  now  remembers 
there  ever  was  such  a  creature. 

**  When  men  e'er  coiirt  thee,  fly  'em  and  believe 
They  're  serpents  all,  and  thou  the  tempted  Eve." 

My  sister  was  happy  beyond  expression  at  Bulstrode  : 
every  letter  was  full  of  delight  with  the  Duke  and 
Duchess,  and  I '  am  charm'd  with  the  account  she  gives 
me  of  their  goodness  and  love :  I  hope  she  has  had  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  you  often  since  her  return  to  town. 
Tell  me  if  she  looks  well;  don't  let  her  paint  herself 
blind,  and  inform  me  soon  if  you  can  hear  another  letter 
from  this  dull  place.  I  am,  dear  agreeable  Kitty,  your 
most  obhged  humble  servant,    Anna. 

The  letters  of  Ann  Granville  at  this  period  indicate  in  some 
passages  that  she  was  out  of  spirits,  and  it  is  very  probable  that  it 
was  not  without  regret  she  refused  the  place  offered  her  at  Court, 
for  the  sake  of  her  mother ;  but  her  melancholy  feelings  on  her 
return  to  the  dull  walls  of  Gloucester  were  soon  overcome  by  her 
good  principles  and  the  active  occupation  of  her  mind. 

VOL.  I.  2    P 

t 


578  LIFE  AND  COBRESPONDENCE 

Mrs.  Penda/rves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville. 

Nov.  27,  1736. 

I  wrote  to  you  on  Monday.  I  dined  that  day  with  Sir 
J.  Stanley  ;  in  the  afternoon  made  visits.  Tuesday  the 
Wescombs  ^  dined  here,  and  staid  till  seven.  I  wrote 
and  read  till  ten ;  then  Bunny  came  from  the  Haymarket 
Opera,  and  supped  with  me  comfortably.  They  have  Fari- 
nelli,  Merighi,  with  no  sound  in  her  voice,  but  thundering 
action — a  beauty  with  no  other  merit ;  and  one  Chimenti, 
a  tolerable  good  woman*  with  a  pretty  voice,  and  Mon- 
tagnana,  who  roars  as  usual  t  With  this  band  of  singers, 
and  dull  ItaKan  operas,  such  as  you  almost  fall  asleep 
at,  thei/  presume  to  rival  Handel — who  has  Strada,  thai 
sings  better  than  ever  she  did  ;  Gizziello,^  who  is  much 
improved  since  last  year ;  and  Annibali '  who  has  the  besi 
part  of  Senesino's  voice  and  Caristini's,  with  a  prodigious 
fine  taste  and  good  action  !  We  have  had  Alcina,*  and 
Atalanta,^  which  is  acted  to-night  for  the  last  night  with 
the  fireworks,  and  I  go  to  it  with  Mrs.  Wingfield.    Nexi 


*  The  marriage   of  Sir  Anthony  Westcombe    appeared    in   the   Londot 

Magazine,  in  April,  1736.  He  married  Anna  Maria,  daughter  and  heir  of 

Calmady,  Esq.,  by  his  second  wife  Jane,  daughter  of  Sir  John  Holt,  of  Milton 
in  Devon. 

^  Signor  Giochino  Conti,  called  Gizziello  from  his  master  Gizzi,  made  hi; 
first  appearance,  in  the  opera  of  Ariodantc,  on  May  5,  1736.  He  was  u 
London  for  two  seasons,  and  received  with  much  favour.  His  voice  was  thei 
a  very  high  soprano,  and  his  style  remarkable  for  pathos,  delicacy  am 
refinement. 

»  Annibali  (Dominico)  an  Italian  singer  at  the  court  of  Saxony.  He  wa 
engaged  by  Handel  for  his  operas,  in  1736. 

*  Alcina,  an  opera  by  Handel,  was  first  performed  on  the  16th  of  Apri 
1735.  Atalanta  on  the  12th  of  May,  1736.  It  formed  part  of  the  festivitif 
given  on  the  occasion  of  the  marriage  of  Frederic,  Prince  of  Wales.  Atalant 
was  revived  on  the  26th  of  the  following  November,  in  honour  of  tb 
anniversary  of  the  Princess  of  Wales's  birthday,  and  "  several  fine  device 
in  fireworks,  proper  to  the  occasion,"  were  exhibited. 


11 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  579 

Wednesday  is  Ponis/  and  Annibali  sings  Senesino's  part. 
Mr.  Handel  has  two  new  operas  ready — Erminius  and 
Justino.^  He  was  here  two  or  three  mornings  ago  and 
played  to  ine  both  the  overtures,  which  are  charming. 

My  brother  has  tied  me  down  at  last  to  learn  of  Kella- 
way  f  he  has  paid  him  the  entrance-money,  which  is  two 
guineas,  and  has  made  me  a  present  of  Handel's  Book  of 
Lessons.  I  don't  find  Kellaway's  method  difficult  at  all, 
and  I  believe  a  couple  months'  learning  will  be  of  use  to 
me,  at  least  'twill  make  me  practice.  Mrs.  Porter  acts 
three  times  a  week  :  I  have  made  a  party  to  go  next  week ; 
she  is  the  only  support  of  the  stage,  the  house  is  crammed 
whenever  she  acts.  Last  Thursday  Lady  Colladon,  her 
son,  daughter,  and  granddaughter,  and  lady  Worg,  spent 
the  afternoon  with  me,  and  on  Monday  I  am  to  meet 
them  all  at  Lady  Worg's.* 

Mrs.  Tichborne  has  had  an  ugly  accident  from  bleed- 
ing with  a  leech,  one  of  her  fingers  was  swelled,  and  she 
fancied  if  she  bled  it  with  a  leech  it  would  abate :  she 
bled  about  two  ounces,  and  was  very  well  after  it,  but  the 
next  day  her  hand  and  arm  swelled  to  such  a  monstrous 
size  as  if  it  had  been  poisoned. 

It  will  snow  soon  I  dare  say.  Bunny  breakfasted  with 
me,  desires  humble  duty  and  service,  and  begs  a  chine  by 

'  Porus  was  first  performed  on  the  2nd  of  February,  1731,  and  had  fifteen 
,  consecutive  representations,  and  met  with  great  success. 
'       2  Arminius,  represented  for  the  first  time  on  the  12th  of  January,  1737, 
!   and  was  succeeded  by  Justin,  or  Giustino,  on  the  16th  of  February,  1737. 
'  Kellaway,  query  Joseph  Kelway,  successor  to  Weldon,  as   organist  of 
St.  Martin's  in  the  Fields,  about  the  year  1744.    He  was  a  pupil  of  Geminiani. 
His  playing  on  the  organ  was  so  excellent,  that  Handel  is  said  often  to  have 
gone  to  the  church  when  he  performed.      Some  harpsichord  sonatas  of  his 
composition  were  published. 

*  Sir  Clement  Werge  was  counsel  for  the  CrowB  upon  the  celebrated  trial  of 
Bishop  Atterbury,  and  subsequently  knighted  and  made  Solicitor-General,, 

r2p  2 


680  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

the  first  opportunity :  he  is  not  quite  settled  yet,  thougl 
his  goods  are  all  removed ;  and  he  lives  at  his  house  ii 
Park  Street,  Grosvenor  Square. 

Mr.  Hanmer  is  somewhat  better,  but  still  very  weak 
I  wish  he  may  recover.  Mrs.  Collin gwood  is  unde: 
Taylor  the  occulist's  hands  ;  her  eyes  have  been  brushec 
twice,  and  she  is  very  well  pleased  with  his  manned  o 
treating  her.  Colly  ran  here  yesterday  morning  for  j 
minute  before  her  mother  was  up,  she  was  happy  witl 
your  letter.  I  had  a  short  letter  last  night  from  Donn 
she  has  been  at  the  Bishop  of  Cloyne's. 

Mrs.  Porter,  the  celebrated  actress,  to  whom  allusion  is  made  ii 
this  letter,  lived,  according  to  Cunningham,  "  over  against  th( 
Blue  Ball,"  in  Arundel  Street,  Strand.  Walpole,  speaking  o 
Garrick,  says  *'  Mrs.  Porter  surpassed  him  in  passionate  tragedy ;' 
and  in  another  place  he  adds,  '*  still  I  cannot  think  that  acting 
however  perfectly,  what  others  have  written,  is  one  of  the  mos 
astonishing  talents,  yet  I  will  own  as  fairly^  that  Mrs.  Porter  anc 
Mademoiselle  Dumenil  have  struck  me  so  much,  as  even  to  rever 
ence  them.  Garrick  never  affected  me  quite  so  much  as  those  tw< 
actresses,"  &c. 

In  a  letter  from  Miss  Talbot  to  Mrs.  Carter,  dated  February  23 
1743,  she  says  : — "  The  only  play  I  have  been  at,  was  to  see  Mrs 
Porter  take  leave  of  the  stage,  which  she  did  with  a  very  gooc 
grace  in  an  epilogue  that  seemed  dictated  by  good  sense,  and  spok< 
with  a  sincerely  grateful  heart." 

The  following  letter  is  without  signature :  it  was  preservec 
among  the  MSS.  of  Mary  Granville,  and  was  evidently  from  som( 
person  who  belonged  to  the  party  of  Religioiiista  occasionally  men 
tioned  in  this  coiTcspondence  as  endeavouring  to  put  a  stop  to  al 
innocent  amusement  at  Gloiicester.  The  fact  of  its  preservation, 
and  of  the  writer  being  a  friend  of  persons  valued  by  Ann  Granville, 
gives  it  interest  independent  of  the  peculiarity  of  the  style,  which 
very  much  resembles  that  of  an  early  missionary. 


OF  MES.  DELANY.  581 

To  Mrs.  Ann  QranviUe,  in  Gloster. 

Savannah,  24th  Sept,.,  1736. 

Tlie  mutual  affection,  and  indeed  the  many  other 
amiable  qualities  of  those  two  sisters,  one  of  whom  is 
lately  gone  to  a  happier  place,  would  not  have  suffered 
me  to  be  unmindful  of  your  friend  and  you,  had  I  had 
nothing  else  to  remind  me  of  you.  I  am  persuaded  that 
heavy  affliction  will  prove  the  greatest  blessing  to  the 
survivor  which  she  ever  yet  received.  She  is  now  very 
cheerful,  as  well  as  deeply  serious.  She  sees  the  folli/ 
of  placing  one's  happiness  in  ani/  creature,  and  is  fully 
determined  to  give  her  whole  heart  to  Him,  from  whom 
death  cannot  part  her. 

I  often  think  how  different  her  way  of  life  is  at 
Savannah  from  what  it  was  at  St.  James's,  and  yet  the 
wise,  poKte,  gay  world,  counts  her  removal  thence  a 
misfortune.  I  should  not  be  at  all  grieved  if  you  were 
fallen  into  the  sa7ne  misfortune,  far  removed  from  the 
pride  of  life^  and  hid  in  some  obscure  recess,  where  you 
were  scarcely  seen  or  heard  of,  unless  by  a  few  plain 
Christians,  and  by  Grod  and  his  angels. 

Mr.   Eivington  will  send  your  letter,  if  you  should 
ever  have  leisure  to  favour  with  a  few  Hues, 
Your  sincere  friend  and 

Most  obedient  servant. 

Do  you  still  watch  and  strive  and  pray,  that  your  heart 
may  be  right  before  Grod  ?  Can  you  deny  yourself,  as 
well  as  take  up  your  cross  f     Adieu  ! 

The  seal  of  this  letter  was  a  cross ;  and  the  English  post-mark 
7  th  December. 


582  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Dec.  24,  1736. 

My  Lady  Weymouth  continues  extremely  ill,  she  has 
not  had  since  this  day  se'nnight  three  hours'  sleep  ;  her 
fever  is  very  high,  and  she  has  been  the  greater  part  of 
that  time  delirious  :  she  has  had  nine  blisters,  but  to  no 
purpose  but  to  torment  her,  for  they  have  injured  her 
much!  So  melancholy  a  house  I  never  saw,  and  poor 
Lady  Carteret  is  truly  to  be  pitied ;  Lady  Dysart  does 
not  yet  know  the  misery  that  is  in  store  for  her,  but  I 
prepared  her  for  it  last  night — a  terrible  office  for 'one 
who  knows  how  to  feel  for  her  on  such  an  occasion.  I  go 
to  them  every  day,  and  think  I  am  some  comfort  to  them, 
which  keeps  up  my  spirits ;  Lady  Carteret  has  nobody  in 
town  that  can  be  of  any  comfort  to  her ;  ray  Lord  is  at 
Hawnes,  and  her  daughters  none  of  them  in  town. 

Lady  Weymouth  is  still  strong  enough  to  last  some 
days,  and  whilst  there  is  life  there  is  hope,  that  is 
all  can  be  said !  I  begin  a  day  before  the  post,  because 
to-morrow  I  shall  be  better  employed,  but  will  find 
time  to  tell  you  more  about  this  poor  woman,  who  will 
be  an  infinite  loss  to  her  family.  Miss  Grranvilles  are 
sincerely  afflicted ;  I  love  them  for  the  sensibility  they 
show  on  this  occasion,  and  my  Lord  Weymouth  is 
like  a  madman.  Last  night  I  was  in  hopes  I  miglit 
have  burned  this  letter.  Lady  W.  mended  so  much.  I 
left  them  at  ten  o'clock,  cheerful  and  full  of  hope,  all 
the  doctors — Mead,^  HoUins,  and  Barber — thought  her 

^  Richard  Mead,  M.D.,  was  born  in  1673,  practised  in  London  for  many- 
years  as  one  of  the  most  eminent  physicians  of  his  time,  and  died  in  1754,  in 
the  81st  year  of  his  age.  He  was  the  son  of  Matthew  Mead,  the  celebrated 
theologian,  and  the  friend  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton.  Dr.  Mead  was  remarkable 
for  his  blameless  and  benevolent  character. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  583 

in  a  good  way,  but  her  fever  returned  at  twelve  last 
night,  and  her  head  extremely  disordered.  I  prayed  for 
her  most  heartily  this  morning  at  early  church,  but  God 
Almighty  designs  her  for  a  happier  place  soon.  She  has 
discharged  all  her  social  duties  with  great  honour,  and  I 
believe  her  an  innocent  well-disposed  creature,  but  must 
resign  her ;  I  own  I  did  not  know  I  loved  her  so  well 
as  I  find  I  do  ! 

Poor  dear  Lady  Weymouth}  is  gone :  she  died  at  half 
an  hour  after  Jive.     I  can  add  no  more  than  that  I  am 

Ever  yours, 

M.  Pendarves. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  OranvCUe. 

Dec.  28,  1736. 

I  wrote,  my  dearest  sister,  last  post,  a  long  and  me- 
lancholy account  of  poor  Lady  Weymouth,  and  have 
been  in  pain  ever  since  lest  it  should  have  shocked  you 
too  much,  but  as  you  were  less  used  to  her  than  I  had 
been,  I  hope  it  did  not  afiect  you  more  than  any  com- 
passionate case  must  touch  so  tender  a  heart  as  yours. 

Her  behaviour  to  me  upon  her  coming  to  town  was 
kinder  than  ever,  which  had  softened  me  too  much  to 
receive  this  stroke  without  feeling  it  eveji  more  than  I 
imagined  I  should;  but  I  assure  you  I  am  very  well, 
and  will  not  indulge  a  thought  that  can  add  to  my  con- 
cern for  her.  Her  race  was  short,  but  happy,  and  Pro- 
vidence has  snatched  her  from  the  pride  of  life  before  it 


^  "  Died,  Dec.  1736,  in  childbed,  the  Rt.  Hon.the  Lady  Louisa,  Viscountess 
Weymouth,  second  wife  to  the  Rt.  Hon.  the  Lord  Viscount  WejTuouth,  and 
daughter  to  the  Lord  Carteret." — London  Magazine.  Lady  Weymouth  left 
three  sons. 


584  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

had  corrupted  her  heart ;  I  know  some  who  had  higher 
virtues  than  she  had,  but  none  with  fewer  faults ;  her 
husband's  and  Miss  Granville's  loss  is  inseparable.  Her 
conduct  towards  them  was  excellent,  and  they  are  sin- 
cerely grieved  to  lose  her.  As  to  my  Lord,  he  will 
console  himself,  for  he  is  a  man,  and  one  who  is  more 
subject  to  joy  than  grief ! 

My  Lady  Carteret  is  indeed  to  be  lamented,  she  is 
extremely  afflicted,  but  bears  it  with  great  quietness  and 
resignation ;  my  Lord  Carteret  came  to  town  last  night. 
I  dread  poor  Lady  Dysart's  knowing  of  it ;  she  loved 
Lady  Weymouth  tenderly — she  does  not  yet  know  the 
infinite  loss  she  has.  Lord  Weymouth  went  to  Old 
Windsor  at  two  o'clock  Sunday  morning,  and  his  sisters 
followed  him  at  seven.  Lady  Weymouth  is  to  be  buried 
at  Long  Leat. 

I  was  all  Monday  and  all  yesterday  with  Lady  Car- 
teret ;  she  had  nobody  else  with  her.  To-day  I  shall 
give  my  spirits  some  rest ;  I  dine  with  Sir  John  Stanley, 
and  come  home  at  seven  to  meet  Lady  Sarah  Cowper. 

P.S.  My  brother  says,  "  Pray  Mrs.  Ann,  truce  with 
your  compliments,  draw  on  me  for  twenty-five  pounds, 
and  let  me  know  all  the  particulars  you  can  of  Dowds- 
well ;  give  my  humble  service  t(f  Mrs.  Chapon,  and  tell 
her  I  hope  she  will  be  a  good  neighbour  to  us  when  we 
are  at  Dowdswell;  I  hope  you  have  made  her  well 
known  to  the  Bishop." 

The  above  postscript  on  the  turn  down  dictated  by  Mr.  Granville, 
intimates  that  he  was  then  negociating  for  Dowdeswell ;  a  purchase 
however,  which  never  was  completed. 


OF  MBS.  DELANY.  585 

Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Ann  OranviUe. 

Jan.  4, 1736-7. 

May  health,  and  joy,  and  peace  ever  attend  my  dear- 
est sister  this  year  and  many  others !  I  received  your 
letter  just  as  I  was  stepping  into  my  chair  to  go  to  Lord 
Weymouth's  dismal  house  !  to  the  christening  of  master 
James  Thynne.'  I  personated  Mrs.  How.^  The  office  I 
own  was  terrible  to  me,  but  I  could  not  refuse  it  when 
my  Lord  Carteret  desired  it  as  a  favour  of  me.  Such  a 
crowd  of  melancholy  thoughts  at  the  solemnity  of  that 
ceremony — the  tears  of  the  servants,  and  the  deep  inoum- 
ing  all  appeared  in,  affected  me  extremely ;  I  endea- 
voured to  think  of  the  poor  woman  that  was  once 
brilhant  there  as  placed  in  more  glory,  and  in  eternal 
happiness,  but  my  thoughts  would  turn  upon  her  poor 
children  and  servants,  and  the  agonies  I  saw  her  in  the 
last  time  I  was  in  the  house. 

I  have  taken  hartshorn  since  I  came  home,  and  read 
your  dear  dehghtful  letter,  which  has  quite  composed  me, 
and  I  am  going  to  dine  with  Mrs.  Wingfield,  and  will 
talk  of  Gloucester,  the  Bath,  and  L-eland,  and  divert  my- 
self as  much  as  I  can  without  my  beloved  sister :  and  as 
the  strongest  cordial,  and  what  will  most  effectually  drive 
sorrow  from  my  heaj*,  I  will  think  of  your  coining ! 
Whenever  you  come  you  will  be  joy  to  my  eyes,  and  till 
you  do  I  will  be  as  easy  as  possible. 


1  Master  James  Thynne,  third  son  of  Viscount  "Weymouth,  bom  December, 
1736. 

-  Married  John  Howe,  Esq.,  of  Stowell,  who,  on  the  decease  of  Sir  Eichard 
Howe,  Bart.,  of  Compton  in  Gloucestershire,  and  Wishford  in  Wiltshire, 
succeeded  to  those  estates,  and  became  M.P.  for  the  latter  county  in  1730. 
He  was  created  Lord  Ched worth  in  1741.  Mrs.  Howe,  afterwards  Lady 
Ched worth,  is  often  mentioned  by  Mrs.  Pendarves,  and  died  in  '  777 


586  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

To-morrow  I  go  to  tlie  opera  with  Lady  Chesterfield, 
and  on  Thursday  stay  at  home  to  receive  Lady  Sarah 
Cowper  and  her  sister  Anne/  Ah  if  mine  was  here  to 
meet  her  that  would  be  pure  !  Lady  Dysart  knows  of 
her  sister's  death.  I  hope  she  will  be  in  town  the  latter 
end  of  this  week.  How  great  is  her  loss  I  'tis  impossible 
not  to  feel  for  her.  I  own  I  am  glad  you  were  not  in 
town  at  this  melancholy  time. 

Sir  John  Stanley  is  very  well,  so  is  Lady  Sun :  who 
dies  with  impatience  for  the  colutea-seed  you  promised 
her :  she  desires  when  you  send  it  (though  I  am  of  opinion 
you  had  best  bring  it),  that  you  will  let  her  know  what 
kind  it  is,  because  there  are  several  sorts  of  it.  Sally^ 
would  shine  in  an  assembly  composed  of  Tullys,  Homers, 
and  Miltons ;  at  Gloucester  she  is  like  a  diamond  set 
in  jet,  their  dulness  makes  her  brightness  brighter ! 
Did  I  tell  you,  or  did  she  tell  you,  of  the  unpardon- 
able solecism  in  good  manners  I  was  guilty  of  towards 
the  Lady  Cocks  of  Dunihleton  P  When  I  wrote  to  her, 
I  made  no  more  of  her  than  of  a  simple  gentlewoman, 
and  did  not  once  write  "  ladyship "  throughout  my 
whole  epistle ! 


^  Lady  Sarah  Cowper  was  the  eldest  daughter  of  William,  Ist  Earl  Cowper. 
She  died  unmarried,  in  1758.  Lady  Anile,  her  sister,  married  James 
Colleton,  Esq. 

*  Sarah  Capon  (Chapone),  born  Kirkham. 

'  The  Rev.  Sir  Robert  Cocks,  of  Dumbleton,  in  the  county  of  Gloucester, 
married  Mrs.  Anne  Fulks,  of  Oxford,  and  had  several  sons,  but  all  died 
childless  except  Robert,  the  fourth  son,  who  succeeded  him,  and  five  daughters. 
Sir  Robert  died  Feb.  9,  1735-6. 


Li«\©^   SAIRAIH]    €(S)W[FE[^, 


'''««<^^'^^^i^?^:^<;^t<«x^?z/  ^:Aa<^  0a4/■^'h^fi^^^.^^ 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  589 

escaped  miraculously  without  the  least  accident  or  cold, 
but  a  little  pain  in  my  face.  We  arrived  in  town  by  five 
o'clock  ;  Thomas  met  me  beyond  Uxbridge,  and  I  went 
directly  to  my  brother's,  who  cunningly  brought  my  sister 
home  to  see  a  picture  frame.  Guess  how  she  stared  at  my 
appearance — you  know  how  agreeable  her  raptures  are. 
She  was  to  have  the  Duchess  of  Portland,  Lady  Carteret  and 
Lady  Dysart  sit  with  her  the  evening ;  she  made  me  go 
in  just  as  I  was,  in  my  riding-dress^  and  cap ;  I  never  was 
so  little  fatigued  in  my  life  with  a  journey.  Sir  John  was 
so  good  to  come  and  see  me  as  soon  as  he  heard  I  was 
come,  and  looks  very  well,  enquired  extremely  after  you. 
Yesterday  Miss  Graves  and  her  brother  were  here ;  she 
was  amazed  to  see  me,  and  his  compliment  was,  that 
"  he  should  not  have  been  more  surprised  at  the  sight 
of  a  bear ;"  she  looks  a  little  thin  after  her  illness. 
She  has  now  a  very  good  proposal  made  her  from  a  man  of 
an  extraordinary  character,  and  better  circumstances  than 
she  could  expect,  but  she  does  not  like  him,  for  which 
she  can  give  no  very  good  reasons — I  think  her  to 
blame,  but  this  is  a  great  secret.  My  brother  looks 
well.  If  Mr.  Eich  will  take  five-and-twenty  shillings  a 
ton  for  the  hay  rick,  my  brother  will  take  it  all.  Bunny 
desires  humble  duty ;  we  dine  with  him  to-day,  I  have 
just  made  him  a  morning  visit ;  his  house  is  delightful 
and  as  near  to  us  as  Mrs.  Pitt  to  you.  Our  dear  Penny 
does  not  look  quite  so  well  as  when  she  was  at  Paradise.^ 

1  In  the  early  part  of  the  present  century  (1860)  ladies  always  travelled  in 
their  habits,  which  were  not  of  the  absurd  length  now  used.  It  would  then 
have  been  considered  very  vulgar  to  travel  out  of  a  travelling  costume,  which 
was  a  riding  dress,  with  a  riding  hat  or  cap. 

^  Paradise  was  the  name  generally  apjjlied  by  Mrs.  Pendarves  to  North  End, 
the  residence  of  Sir  John  Stanley,  but  it  appears  by  passages  in  some  of  the 
letters  of  herself  and  her  sister,  that  the  latter  called  some  other  place  she 
visited,  "  Paradise  "  in  rivalry  to  her  sister's  favourite  retreat. 


590  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

The  death  of  poor  Lady  Weymouth  affected  her  tender 
heart  too  much,  and  I  can  see  even  tlirough  the  joy  she  is 
so  good  to  feel  at  my  coming,  that  she  has  not  recovered  her 
spirits.  I  hope  to  raise  them,  and  tell  you  this,  because  I 
know  you  will  he  better  pleased  that  I  am  come  to  her.  Mrs. 
George  is  brisk  and  well,  desires  humble  duty  to  you ;  and 
they  are  about  the  finest  piece  of  embriodery  I  ever  saw, 
indeed  the  house  may  be  called  the  cabinet  of  curiosities, 
for  it  is  Ml  of  prettiness  and  ingenuity  ;  my  sister's 
painting  is  actually  wonderful.  I  believe  the  outdoings 
of  a  friend  the  only  thing  in  the  world  that  can  humble 
and  please  one  at  the  same  time ;  but  then  it  must  be 
when  their  perfections  are  possessed  by  one  that  delights 
without  overbearing,  and  such  is  the  joy  I  have  in  the 
preeminence  of  my  most  particular  friends. 

I  was  agreeably  surprised  by  Mrs.  CeciP  coming  to  us 
yesterday  morning ;  I  never  saw  her  look  so  well  and 
brisk — she  is  fat  and  handsome  !  we  are  to  dine  with  her 
next  week.  I  beg  my  compliments  to  all  friends,  par- 
ticularly Mrs.  Viney  and  aunt  Trotty,  who  I  hope  has 
recovered  her  cold ;  I  was  very  sorry  to  leave  Gloster^ 
without  seeing  her.  I  could  write  much  longer  to  my 
dearest  mama,  but  am  obliged  to  dress,  which  is  a 
novelty  to  me ;  but  must  entreat  you,  madam,  to  take 
particular  care  of  yourself,  and  do  everything  you  can 
find  the  best  pleasure  in,  for  the  sake  of  your  affectionate 
children  and  your  most  dutiful  daughter  and  obedieni 
humble  servant 

A.  Granville. 


Mrs.  Cecil,  wife  of  the  Bishop  of  Bangor. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  691 


From  Mrs.  Ann  OranvilJe,  to  her  mother,  Mrs.  Granville. 

3d  March,  1737. 

Nothing  was  ever  so  good  as  my  dearest  mamma,  in 
letting  us  hear  so  often  from  her,  which  is  the  only  thing 
that  can  make  ns  easy  when  from  you ;  and  indeed,  ma- 
dam, you  write  too  well  to  let  that  talent  lie  useless.  I 
received  the  favour  of  your  last  letter  when  Lady  Sarah 
Cowper  was  with  us,  to  whom  I  told  the  melancholy 
story  of  poor  Mr.  Huddlestone,  for  whom  I  grieve  ex- 
tremely, and  fear  that  is  all  I  can  do  for  him,  but  I  went 
last  night  to  the  Bishop  of  Bangor's,^  with  a  design  to 
beg  of  him  to  represent  his  case  to  the  archbishop,  but 
he  has  been  confined  to  his  bed  these  three  weeks  with 
the  gout.  I  just  saw  Mrs.  Cecil  for  a  few  moments,  and 
he  takes  Ward's  PiU  to  day. 

I  hope  I  shall  have  an  opportunity  before  it  is  long, 
but  fancy,  if  Mr.  Huddlestone  would  draw  up  some  par- 
ticulars of  his  case  for  to  be  shewn,  it  would  be  better. 
Mrs.  Egerton's  place  is  taken,  and  she  will  wait  upon  you 
next  Wednesday,  sets  out  from  hence  on  Monday.  I  hope 
you  will  like  her :  her  appearance  is  very  plain,  but  her 
sobriety  and  honesty  may  be  depended  upon.  Her  history 
is  a  little  particular  :  she  was  a  child  left  at  St.  James'  in 
Queen  Mary's  time,  with  a  paper  to  say  that  her  father  and 
mother  were  people  of  fashion,  whose  circumstances  would 
not  permit  them  to  keep  their  child,  and  they  begged  her 
Majesty's  protection  of  it,  who  was  so  good  to  have  her 
put  out  to  nurse  and  then  to  school,  till  she  was  old  enough 
to  be  under  the  Queen's  laundress,  with  whom  she  lived 


Dr.  Cecil,  Bishop  of  Bangor. 


592  LIFE  AND  COEEESPONDENCE 

many  years,  and  she  loved  her  as  lier  child,  but  when  the 
laundress  died  Mrs.  Egerton  could  not  get  the  place,  and 
was  obHged  to  go  to  service.  She  will  carry  the  money 
to  Mrs.  Carter,  out  of  which  I  told  her  she  might  pay 
for  her  passage  in  the  coach,  for  I  find  she  has  let  her 
friend  whose  house  was  burnt  down  have  all  her  money. 
My  brother  is  glad  the  fish  went  safely,  and  desireshis 
humble  duty  to  you.  He  talks  of  going  soon  to  Shrop- 
shire, to  settle  affairs  there,  and  Penny  and  I  talk  every 
day  of  the  pleasure  of  meeting  you  at  Dowdswell,^  to 
which  the  sun  and  flowers  now  invite  us.  I  must  de- 
sire Mr.  Hyet  will  let  you  have  some  seeds  of  the 
caper  plant,  capsianus,  which  be  pleased  to  send  some 
of  to  John  Driver  ;  and  if  you  could  send  some  yellow 
and  other  stocks,  he  might  plant  them  in  the  side  bor- 
ders of  my  garden ;  and  Mr.  Eogers  said  he  would  get 
me  a  yellow  rose  from  his  brother  the  Archdeacon,  which 
should  now  be  sent  to  Dowdswell,  it  being  the  time 
for  transplanting  all  trees.  Mr.  Hyet's  gardener  pro- 
mised me  a  layer  of  the  passion-flower  which  may 
be  sent  at  the  same  time.  I  beg  a  thousand  pardons  for 
being  so  troublesome.  Last  Tuesday,  being  her  Majesty's 
birthday,  I  went  to  pay  my  devoirs  in  a  new  pink- 
coloured  tabby  ;  I  went  in  the  morning  with  Lady  Sun- 
derland, and  at  night  with  Mrs.  Pine,  there  was  a  great 
crowd.  The  King  looked  in  good-humour,  and  they  say 
will  pay  the  Prince  a  hundred  thousand  pound  a-year. 
He  does  not  go  abroad  but  passes  the  summer  at  Hampton 
Court ;  he  was  excessively  fine  on  the  Birthday,  and  the 
Princess  Amelia's  clothes  very  beautiful.     There  was  no- 


Dowdeswell,  between  Cheltenham  and  Northleach. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  593 

thing  else  remarkable,  but  that  my  Lord  Onslow  ^  was 
very  near  being  demolished  ;  he  went  to  help  some  ladys 
into  the  foreigners  box,  his  foot  slipped,  and  he  tumbled 
backward  among  all  the  crowd,  and  had  like  to  have  beat 
Princess  Mary  off  of  her  seat.  He  lay  sprawling  some  time 
before  he  could  recover  himself,  and  caused  much  mirth 
throughout  the  assembly,  the  King  and  Queen  laughed 
heartily. 

To-night  my  sister  and  I  go  to  the  ridotto,  so  T 
need  not  tell  you  that  I  am  very  well,  and  much  the 
better  for  the  good  account  you  give  of  yourself  in 
the  letter  my  sister  was  so  happy  as  to  receive  this 
morning,  and  will  return  her  thanks  for  it  soon.  Her 
humble  duty  ever  attends  you.  I  will  send  a  pattern 
for  my  fine  habit  which  I  shall  long  to  wear,  but  think 
I  must  keep  it  for  some  extraordinary  occavsion,  it  being 
too  great  a  beauty  for  vulgar  rides  or  visits. 

Last  Sunday  we  went  to  Northend,  and  finished  the 
evening  with  Miss  Graves,  who  had  her  brother  and  her 
lover  with  her,  who  is  not  handsome  in  his  person,  but 
his  sense  very  good,  and  manner  not  at  all  disagreeable, 
but  she  does  not  like  him  :  I  wish  she  did,  because  it  would 
be  an  extraordinary  good  match  for  her.  I  hope  Mrs. 
Yiney's  family  mends,  and  that  she  is  well  again ;  my 
good  wishes  attend  her.  1  desire  she  will  send  me  Mr. 
Clifford's  observation  on  the  comet,  and  in  return  I  will 
tell  her  what  the  London  astronomers  say  of  it.  Lady 
Sunderland's  compliments  attend  her  acquaintances  at 
Gloster,  and  the  Bishop  desired  me  to  make  his  to  you — 
he  will  not  see  his  diocese  soon  I  doubt.     I  am  to  take  a 


>  Thomas,  2ud  Baron  Onslow,  married  Elizabeth,  only  daughter  and  heir  of 
Mr.  Knight  of  Jaraaica,\vho  had  a  large  fortime.    He  died  in  1740. 
VOL.  I.  2  Q 


594  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

walk  this  morning  to  a  flower-shop,  the  sun  shining 
most  gloriously.  Your  letter  to-day  has  given  me  great 
spirits,  for  my  dearest  mama's  happiness  is  the  most 
important  thing  in  the  world  to,  madam, 

Your  most  dutiful  daughter, 
and  most  obedient 
A.  Granville. 
My  brother  made  him  a  fine  laced  coat,  and  went  to 
the  Birthday.    Mrs.  Loyd  (that  was)  has  been  with  Mrs. 
Badge,  and  received  the  money  with  thanks ;  I  believe 
she  is  very  poor,  1    am  sure  you  are  very    good,  and 
I  only  wish  you  had  all   the  money  that  Heidegger 
receives  to-night  for  the  ridotto. 


From  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville,  to  her  mother,  Mrs.  OranvUle. 

8th  March,  1737. 

The  sharp  easterly  wind  caught  my  sister's  eye  going 
to  church  last  Sunday,  which  prevents  her  paying  her 
duty  to  our  dearest  mamma,  who  I  hope  will  accept  of  it 
from  my  hand,  with  both  our  tenderest  wishes.  Your 
last  letter  to  Penny  gave  us  great  joy,  from  the  good 
account  it  brought  of  your  being  so  well,  which  I  hope 
will  continue  and  increase  by  the  sweet  air  of  the  Cots- 
wold,  when  we  shall  have  the  happiness  of  meeting  you 
there,  which  Penny  and  I  extremely  long  for,  notwithstand- 
ing the  allurements  of  the  operas,  ridottos,  etc.  Music 
is  certainly  a  pleasure  that  may  be  reckoned  intellectual, 
and  we  shall  never  again  have  it  in  the  perfection  it  is 
this  year,  because  Mr.  Handel  will  not  compose  any  more ! 
Oratorios  begin  next  week,  to  my  great  joy,  for  they  are 
the  highest  entertainment  to  me.  I  hope  Mrs.  Egerton 
will  be  with  you  before  this  letter,  and  that  upon  trial 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  595 

she  will  give  you  satisfaction  ;  but  that  you  cannot  soon 
be  a  judge  of.  I  would  have  sent  Mrs.  Haywood's  worsted 
by  her,  if  I  had  had  her  answer  whether  she  cared  to 
give  four  shillings  a  pound  f  I  will  send  enclosed  the 
pattern  of  my  habit :  I  believe  I  must  have  sixteen  yards, 
because  the  way  the  habits  are  made  now  takes  up  a 
greater  quantity.  I  hope,  madam,  you  will  be  so  good 
as  to  partake  of  the  Assize  entertainments  :  indeed  we  are 
the  better  for  taking  up  with  the  diversions  that  are  stir- 
ring in  the  world,  however  insignificant  one  thinks  them. 
Lady  Catharine  Hyde'  goes  every  night  to  the  Opera ; 
reads  her  book  very  attentively  with  spectacles,  and  I 
dare  say  is  more  good-humoured  when  she  goes  home 
for  it :  and  Lady  CoUidon  (who  is  a  woman  of  excellent 
understanding)  was  lamenting  the  other  night  that  she 
was  a  little  too  old  to  go  to  a  ridotto,  but  all  other  public 
places  she  frequents ;  which  is  a  great  happiness  to  her 
daughter,  who  lives  very  much  in  them,  because  her 
husband  belongs  to  the  Court.  Patty  Griffith  is  gone, 
I  fancy,  by  this  time  to  the  Bath  to  Mrs.  Bishop, 
to  be  her  apprentice,  who  takes  her  for  seven  years, 
and  the  money  for  her,  I  fancy,  will  be  best  laid  out  in 
whatever  clothes  she  wants  most. 

Last  Thursday  Lord  Weymouth  gave  my  sister  a  ticket 
for  the  ridotto,  wliich  carried  us  both  into  a  monstrous 
crowd  of  fine  folks,  through  which  we  pushed  and  bustled 
till  one  in  the  morning,  and  then  came  away  heartily 
tired.  The  next  day  we  sat  soberly  with  the  Duchess  of 
Portland,  who  was  to  see  the  Queen  yesterday;  this 
afternoon  I  sat  with  her  again,  and  poor  Penny  stays  at 
home  to  nurse  her  eye,  and  to-morrow  and  next  day  the 

*  Lady  Catherine  Hyde,  eldest  daughter  of  Edward,  3rd  Earl  of  Clarendon . 

2  q2 


596  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

Duchess  sees  her  company  in  form,  and  then  goes  abroad. 
The  Duchess-dowager  of  Portland  is  very  ill. 

My  brother  and  sister  are  very  well,  excepting  poor 
Penny's  eye,  which  I  hope  with  good  nursing  will 
s  oon  be  well.  Music/7iw.s^  satisfy  her  now  for  not  being 
able  to  use  her  pencil,  with  which  she  improves  daily,  but 
I  grumble  at  it,  because  it  prevents  her  using  the 
exercise  I  think  necessary  for  her  health.  We  dined  the 
other  day  at  Mr.  Grranville's  with  Mr,  Ogilvy,  who  in- 
quired after  his  friends  at  Gloster,  and  desired  com- 
pliments to  them.  Why  have  you  left  off  snuff?  I  don't 
think  you  should ;  so  beg  you  will  not  try  to  do  it,  nor 
aim  at  any  other  mortification,  because  no  one  can  need 
them  in  this  world  by  their  own  acquiring  ! 
I  am,  my  dearest  mama's 

Most  dutiful  and  affectionate, 

A.  Granville. 


Mrs.  Ann  Oranville  to  Miss  Cdlingwood. 

12th  March,  1737.  | 

I  would  not  have  my  dear  Colly  think  it  is  by  way  of 
reprisal  that  I  have  been  so  long  in  answering  her  letter, 
but  the  hurry  of  a  London  life  will  not  allow  one  to  be 
a  regular  correspondent,  and  indeed,  were  it  not  for  one 
most  particular  friend,  and  a  few  more  agreeable  ones,  I 
should  be  very  easy  never  to  see  this  overgrovm  city 
again,  which  is  full  of  discord;  we  cannot  agree  even 
in  our  diversions :  no  wonder  then  we  do  not  in  politics. 
The  spirit  of  contradiction  reigns,  but  lest  you  should 
think  me  grown  cynical,  I  will  talk  of  some  of  the  few 
things  that  must  please  everybody — your  letters  and 
our  dear   Duchess,    who   is    happily  released   from  the 


I 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  597 

government  of  nurses,  caudle,  &c.  ;^  and  has  gone  through 
her  great  ceremonies.  She  saw  the  Queen  on  Monday,  the 
Princess  on  Tuesday,  and  tout  le  monde  Wednesday 
and  Thursday ;  her  apartment  was  glorious,  her  dress 
very  fine,  and  herself  lovely,  but  her  tenderness  is 
much  oppressed  by  the  illness  of  the  dowager  Duchess, 
who  is  in  great  danger.^  The  Duke  came  from  her  last 
night,  while  I  was  there,  and  looked  quite  melancholy ; 
both  he  and  the  Duchess  are  the  quintessence  of  good 
nature,  and  Lady  Betty  is  very  like  them  both.  The 
Duchess  received  your  letter  while  I  was  there,  which 
gave  great  pleasure,  that  I  partook  of;  and  she  ordered 
me  to  tell  you  that  she  was  very  well,  and  would  write 
to  you  as  soon  as  she  was  able.  She  is  very  sensible 
of  your  merit,  and  we  both  most  heartily  wished  that 
you  were  Kterally  absent  from  the  Bath.  How  pro- 
voking it  is  that  you  should  be  there  when  I  am  in 
London ;  another  year,  perhaps,  you  may  be  here  when 
I  am  there  I  By  this  time  I  hope  you  are  convinced 
that  you  accused  my  Penny  wrongfully,  who  I  am  sure 
never  neglected  a  friend. 

I  was  extremely  diverted  with  the  philandering  you 
gave  me  an  account  of,  but  there  is  more  gallantry  going 
forward  than  3^ou  will  confess ;  but  Bath  is  not  a  place 
to  keep  lovers  a  secret !  Pray  inform  me  who  the  matri- 
monial lover  of  Miss  Witherington's  is.  There  is  no 
entertaining  thing  I  can  relate  from  hence,  the  world 
being  divided  between  the  King  and  Prince ;  and  the 
next   affair  of  importance  —  the  footmen  being  turned 

1  February,  1737,  was  born  Lady  Henrietta  Bentinck,  second  daughter  of 
tbe  Duke  of  Portland. 

*  Died  March,  1737,  at  her  house  in  Jermyn  Street,  her  Grace  the  Duchess- 
dowas^er  of  Portland. 


598  LIFE  AND  CORKESPONDENCE 

out  of  the  playhouse :  they  have  a  strong  party  of  ladies 
on  their  side  ;  they  were  very  impertinent,  but  the 
gentlemen  were  to  blame  also.  I  must  intreat  you 
to  make  my  compliments  to  your  good  mama  and 
dear  Lady  Mary,  whom  I  should  rejoice  to  see  again, 
but  fear  I  never  shall  be  so  happy.  My  good  wishes 
attend  the  poHte  master  of  your  agreeable  concerts, 
which  I  shall  always  think  of  with  particular  pleasure, 
because  I  was  there  first  acquainted  with  my  dear 
amiable  Kitty,  to  whom  I  am  a  most 

Faithful  humble  servant, 

Anna. 

Poor  Mrs.  AUain,  our  opposite  neighbour,  sets  out  for 
Barbadoes  this  week,  to  manage  her  estates  there,  which 
are  in  bad  hands;  were  I  in  her  case,  I  would  have 
married,  and  then  have  sent  over  my  husband,  and  saved 
me  the  trouble  of  an  unpleasant  voyage.  My  sister 
has  got  your  stuff  from  Ireland,  and  desires  your  com- 
mands whether  she  shall  send  it  to  you  or  keep  it  till 
you  come. 

The  following  account  is  taken  from  a  periodical  of  1737.  "  This 
night  a  great  number  of  footmen  assembled  together  with  sticks, 
staves,  and  other  offensive  weapons,  in  a  tumultuous  and  riotouj 
manner,  and  broke  open  the  doors  of  Drury-lane  play-house,  ibi 
not  being  let  into  what  they  call  their  gallery ;  and  fought  thei] 
way  in  so  desperate  a  manner  to  the  stage  door  (which  they  forced 
open),  that  twenty-five  or  twenty-six  persons  were  wounded  in  i 
very  dangerous  manner,  in  the  fray.  Col.  de  Veil,  who  was  ii 
the  house,  being  thereupon  applied  to,  and  required  to  read  the 
proclamation,  did  accordingly  attempt  to  do  it,  having  a  small  guarc 
to  support  him,  but  such  was  the  violence  and  number  of  footmer 
in  this  riotous  assembly,  notwithstanding  their  Royal  Highnesses 
the  Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales,  and  others  of  the  royal  famil} 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  599 

were  there,  it  was  impossible  to  appease  their  fury,  without 
coming  to  such  extremities  as  he  thought  improper.  Being 
thus  obstructed,  and  hindered  from  reading  the  proclamation  in 
the  execution  of  his  duty,  and,  not  knowing  where  this  dangerous 
attempt  would  end,  he  caused  several  of  the  ring-leaders  of  this 
disturbance  and  riot  to  be  taken  into  custody,  the  audience  having 
been  put  into  the  utmost  confusion,  and  several  ladies  greatly 
frightened.  The  prisoners  that  were  taken  were  under  examina- 
tion before  Col.  de  Veil,  in  an  adjacent  room  to  the  play-house  till 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  several  of  them  (after  long  exami- 
nation) were  committed  to  Newgate ;  a  great  number  of  persons 
wounded  had,  during  that  time,  their  wounds  dressed  by  a  surgeon 
in  the  said  room. 


An  extract  from  a  published  letter  of  Lord  Carteret's  to  Dean 
Swift  at  this  period  (dated  Arlington  Street,  24th  March,  1737), 
is  an  interesting  link  in  these  memoirs,  as  bearing  testimony  to  the 
influence  which  the  Dean  of  St.  Patrick  had  obtained  over  Lord 
Carteret,  as  well  as  the  very  high  esteem  in  which  he  continued  to 
be  regarded  by  every  member  of  the  Granville  family,  and  their 
connections.  Lord  Carteret  says  that  he  had  personally  attended 
the  cause  recommended  to  him  by  Dr.  Swift,  viz.  the  appeal  of 
Dennis  Delane,  which  Lord  Bathurst  also  attended.  He  also  informs 
Dr.  Swift  that  his  son,  not  yet  sixteen,  "  understood  Greek  much 
better  than  he  (Lord  Carteret)  did  at  twenty,"  and  ends  his  letter 
with  these  words  : — 

"  Your  late  Lord  Lieutenant  (Duke  of  Dorset)  told  me  he 
thought  he  was  not  in  your  favour.  I  told  him  I  was  of  that 
opinion,  and  showed  him  the  article  of  your  Utter  relating  to  him- 
self, and  I  believe  I  did  wrong ;  not  that  you  care  a  farthing  for 
princes  or  ministers,  but  because  it  was  vanity  in  me  to  produce 
your  acknowledgments  to  me  for  providing  for  people  of  learning, 
some  of  which  I  had  the  honour  to  promote  at  your  desire,  for 
which  I  still  think  myself  obliged  to  you ;  and  I  have  not  heard 


600  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

since  they    have  disturbed    the  peace    of  the  kingdom  or  been 
Jacobites  in  disgrace  to  you  and  me  ! 

"  I  desire  you  will  make  ray  sincere  respects  acceptable  to  Dr. 
Delany.  He  sent  me  potted  woodcocks  in  perfection,  which  Lady 
Grranville,^  my  wife  and  children,  have  eat,  though  I  have  not  yet 
answered  his  letter.  My  Lady  Granville,  reading  your  postscript, 
bids  me  tell  you  she  will  send  you  a  present,  and  if  she  knew  what 
you  would  like,  she  would  do  it  forthwith.  Let  me  know,  and  it 
shall  be  done,  that  the^r«^  of  the  family  may  no  longer  be  post- 
poned by  you  to  the  third  place.  My  wife  and  Lady  Worsley 
desire  their  respects  should  be  mentioned  to  you  rhetorically ;  but 
as  I  am  a  plain  peer,  I  shall  say  nothing  but  that  I  am,  for 
ever.  Sir, 

"  Your  most  humble  and  obedient  servant, 

"Carteret. 

P.S. — "  When  people  ask  me  how  I  governed  Ireland,  I  say 
that  I  pleased  Dr.  Swift. 

"  *  Quaesitam  meritis  siime  suijerbiam.'" 

The  year  in  which  this  letter  of  Lord  Carteret's  was  written  was 
the  last  before  the  brilliant  faculties  of  Swift  were  extinguished. 
From  1736  his  intellects  had  frequently  been  overclouded  ;  and 
though  life  lasted,  the  mind  was  gone.  Tn  1740  his  affairs  were 
placed  in  the  hands  of  trustees,  as  he  was  no  longer  able  to  regu- 
late them  himself,  which  fact  will  account  for  the  cessation  of  his 
correspondence  with  Mrs.  Pendarves.  As  the  object  of  the  Editor 
has  been  merely  to  endeavour  to  carry  on  the  interest  of  the  reader 
in  the  character  of  those  with  whom  Mary  Granville  was  associ- 
ciated  at  different  periods  of  her  life,  the  following  anecdotes  of 
Swift  have  been  selected,  as  giving  an  idea  in  a  small  compass  of 
the  combination  of  benevolence  and  self-denial,  with  perseverance 
in  right  objects,  which  in  spite  of  his  eccentricities  gained  him  so 
many  friends  and  admirers  in  all  classes. 

With  regard  to  the  Granville  family  and  their  connections, 
esteem  and  attachment  to  the  Dean  of  St.  Patrick's  appear  to  have 


"  Lady  Oranville."     Lord  Carteret's  mother. 


OP  MRS.  DELANY.  601 

been  a  rule  almost  without  exception.  From  the  old  Countess 
Granville  these  feelings  extended  to  her  son,  Lord  Carteret,  whose 
wife  as  well  as  his  mother-in-law.  Lady  Worsley,  were  equally 
imbued  by  them,  together  with  George  Lord  Lansdown,  his  sister 
and  brother-in-law  Sir  John  and  Lady  Stanley,  his  niece  Mary 
Granville,  and  their  cousin  the  Duchess  of  Queensbury.  They  also 
pervaded  their  intimate  friends  and  associates  in  the  Oxford 
family.  One  bond  of  union  with  Mary  Granville  may  be  traced  to 
similarity  of  feeling  with  regard  to  Queen  Anne,  whose  memory 
was  reverenced  by  Swil^  as  long  as  he  retained  his  intellects,  and 
whose  name  is  mentioned  in  his  will  in  a  manner  so  peculiarly 
loyal  and  emphatic. 

It  is  recorded  of  Swift  that  he  gave  half  his  annual  income  to 
decayed  families,  and  kept  500?.  in  hand  for  the  sole  service  of  the 
industrious  poor,  which  he  lent  out  at  bl.  at  a  time,  and  took  pay- 
ment back  by  2s.  instalments.  Many  poor  industrious  tradesmen 
could  not  have  obtained  tools  for  their  work,  but  by  these  small 
loans  at  their  outset.  This  500/.  was  said  (by  Sir  Walter  Scott)  to 
be  the  first  sum  of  that  magnitude  of  which  he  was  the  master. 
Mrs.  Brent,  his  housekeeper,  asserted  that  he  found  a  new  method 
of  being  charitable,  by  debarring  himself  of  superfluities,  instancing 
his  having  just  at  that  time  given  the  price  of  a  coach  (which  he 
saved  by  running  home  in  the  rain)  to  a  poor  man  who  could  not 
walk,  and  giving  the  price  of  a  pint  of  wine,  when  he  dined  alone, 
to  the  poor  instead  of  drinking  it. 

Dr.  Theophilus  Bolter  (promoted  to  the  bishopric  of  Clonfert, 
1722,  bishopric  of  Elphin,  1724,  and  archbishopric  of  Cashel, 
1729)  was  visited  by  Swift  on  each  promotion.  On  his  first 
visit  he  expressed  his  hope  that  he  would  now  make  use  of  his  talents 
in  the  service  of  his  country  in  the  House  of  Peers.  The  prelate 
said  "  his  bishopric  was  very  small,  and  he  would  never  have  a 
better  if  he  did  not  oblige  the  Court."  Then  said  Swift,  "  When 
you  have  a  better  I  hope  you  will  become  an  honest  man.,  until 
then  farewell."  The  Dean  of  St.  Patrick  perse veringly  repeated 
his  reminder  on  eacA  promotion  to  no  purpose ;  there  was  an 
archbishopric  in  view,  and  until  that  was  obtained  nothing  could 
be  done !    Having  obtained  this  at  the  end   of  seven  years,   he 


602  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

called  on  the  Dean,  and  said,  "  I  well  know  no  Irishman  will  ever 
be  made  primate,  and  as  I  can  rise  no  higher  in  fortune  or  station, 
I  will  now  zealously  promote  the  good  of  my  country ;"  from 
which  time  he  became  a  zealous  patriot. 

An  instance  of  Swift's  straightforward  good  sense,  accompanied 
by  amusing  eccentricity,  is  related  in  connection  with  his  visit  to 
a  farmer  near  Quilca,  with  whom  he  went  to  dine.  The  farmer's  wife 
was  dressed  very  expensively,  and  her  son  appeared  in  a  silver-laced 
hat.  The  Dean  of  St.  Patrick's  saluted  her  like  a  duchess,  and 
with  successive  bows  handed  her  to  a  seat,  proposing  to  her  hus- 
band to  "  look  over  his  demesne"  "  TJie  devil  afoot  of  land  belongs 
to  me  or  any  of  my  line  ;  I  have  a  pretty  good  lease  from  my 
Lord  Fingall,  but  he  will  not  renew  it,  and  I  have  only  a  few 
years  to  come."  The  Dean  asked  when  he  was  to  see  Mrs.  Riley. 
*'  There  she  is  before  you."  "  Impossible  !  I  always  heard  Mrs. 
Riley  was  a  prudent  woman  ;  she  would  never  dress  herself  out  in 
silks  and  ornaments  only  fit  for  ladies  of  fortune  and  fashion.  No ! 
Mrs.  Riley,  the  farmer's  wife,  would  never  wear  anything  beyond 
plain  stuflfs  and  other  things  suitable  J'  Mrs.  Riley,  who  really  was 
a  woman  of  sense,  took  the  hint,  went  out,  changed  her  dress  to  an 
apparel  proper  for  a  farmer's  wife,  and  returned ;  the  Dean 
then  took  her  by  the  hand,  and  said  in  the  most  friendly  manner, 
* '  Your  husband  wanted  to  pass  off  a  fine  lady  upon  me,  dressed  up 
in  silk  in  the  pink  of  the  mode,  for  his  wife,  but  I  was  not  to  be 
taken  in."  He  then  took  a  penknife,  cut  the  silver  lace  off  the 
young  master's  hat,  and  folding  it  up  in  several  papers,  put  it  in 
the  fire :  when  burnt  sufficiently  he  took  it  out  and  wrapped  it  in 
fresh  paper  and  put  it  in  his  pocket.  He  then  resumed  his  good 
humour,  entertained  them  in  a  manner  that  could  not  be  excelled, 
as  no  one  knew  better  how  to  suit  his  conversation  to  his  hearers, 
and  the  day  passed  cheerfully.  When  he  went  away  he  said,  "  I 
don't  intend  to  rob  you,  there's  your  son's  hat-lace.  I  have  only 
changed  its  form  for  a  better  one.  God  bless  you  !  and  thanks 
for  your  good  entertainment ;"  the  paper  contained  the  burnt 
lace,  with  four  guineas.  He  kept  his  eye  afterwards  on  these 
Riley s,  and  finding  they  were  cured  of  their  foolish  finery,  he 
afterwards  induced  Lord  Fingall  to  renew  their  lease. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  603 

Among  the  legacies  left  bj  Dean  Swift's  will,  was  a  Japan 
writing-desk,  given  him  by  Lady  Worsley ;  a  tortoiseshell  snuff- 
box, inlaid  with  gold,  given  by  Henrietta  Countess  of  Oxford ; 
and  a  seal  with  Pegasus,  given  by  the  Countess  Granville.  He  also 
left  to  Pope  the  picture  by  Zincke,  of  Robert  Earl  of  Oxford, 
and  to  Edward  Earl  of  Oxford,  his  seal  of  Julius  Caesar,  and 
another,  supposed  to  be  Hercules;  specifying  that  he  "  bestowed 
them  upon  him  because  they  belonged  to  her  late  most  excellent 
Majesty,  Queen  Anne,  of  ever  glorious,  immortal,  and  truly  pious 
viemory,  the  real  nursing  motJier  of  her  kingdom." 

To  Dr.  Delany  he  left  his  "  medal  of  Queen  Anne,  in  silver,  and 
on  the  reverse  the  Bishops  of  England  kneeling  before  her  most 
sacred  Majesty."  Dr.  Delany,  who  was  also  Chancellor  of  St.  Patrick, 
was  one  of  his  eight  executors. 


Mn.  Ann  Granville  to  Mrs.  Catherine  CoTlingwood,  at  Bath. 

Little  Brook  Street,  6th  May,  1737. 

Having  but  little  time  to  write,  I  won't  lose  a  moment 
in  apologies;  but  hasten  to  assure  my  dear  CoUy,  I 
delight  in  her  letters,  and  return  my  thanks  for  her  last, 
which  was  a  very  delightful  one.  You  want  no  mediator 
with  my  sister,  who  thinks  of  you  very  justly ;  but  to 
spare  your  modesty,  I  will  not  say  more  of  that,  but  am 
mad  that  I  shall  leave  London  before  you  come  to  it, 
and  what  vexes  me  more,  I  am  sure  you  are  pleased  all 
this  time,  enjoying  a  thousand  agreeable  parties  that 
engross  your  time  and  thoughts  so  much,  that  you  do 
not  wish  to  come  to  us,  but  think ; — we  are  du-sty  and  dull, 
wliile  you  are  drinking  tea  a  h  fresco  in  Hay's  summer 
house,  or  walking  by  the  river- side  hearing  a  thousand  soft 
tilings,  receiving  the  admiration  of  many,  but  approving 
of  but  one;   and  making  poor  Lady  Mary  saunter  till 


604  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

her  legs  ache,  being  a  discreet  and  faithful  friend,  who 
will  not  interrupt  your  conversation,  but  even  have  the 
patience  to  hear  it  repeated ;  really  I  pity  her,  and  am 
always  her  most  faithful  humble  servant,  which  if  you 
have  leisure  pray  let  her  know. 

But  now  I  have  had  my  joke,  I  must  tell  my  dear 
Kitty  that  I  admire  her  kind  zeal  for  good  dear  Barber, 
which  heaven  reward  and  send  successful !     I  am  quite 

of  your   opinion   in   regard   to  B ,  and  think  her 

entertaining,  but  not  sincere,  though  she  professes  it; 
but  lion  talkers  are  lainh-like  fighters,  your  favourite 
Dry  den  says.  You  guessed  right  in  dismissing  Leonora, 
she  has  no  bad  qualities  I  believe,  but  none  agreeable. 
Our  Duchess  is  very  well,  and  talks  of  you  always.  We 
passed  the  afternoon  yesterday  with  her  at  Fair  Dash's. 
We  laid  out  two  or  three  charming  parties,  which  I  wish 
may  succeed,  but  our  garden  of  Hesperides  is  at  present 
guarded  by  three  dreadful  dragons  that  keep  everybody 
out.  I  was  at  the  last  masquerade,  and  who  should 
pick  me  up  and  plague  me  all  night  but  Lord  George ; 
so  I  met  with  but  little  entertainment — he  was  very  civil, 
but  you  know  is  not  excessively  witty.  There  have  been 
weddings  without  number  this  spring ;  but  none  so 
much  talked  of  as  Mrs.  Knight's,^  who  is  most  ridiculous. 
She  says,  that  "' she  and  Mr.  Nugent  have  been  in  the 
country f  attended  only  by  the  boy  Cupid '^  I  could  tell 
you  many  more  of  her  bon  mots,  but  fancy  you  have 
enough   of  them.      Mr.   Grreenville  was   to   have  been 


*  "  Mrs.  Knight.''  Daughter  of  James  Craggs,  Esq.,  Postmaster  General, 
and  widow  of  Robert  Knight  of  Gosfield  Hall,  Essex,  Esq.,  married,  1736, 
Robert  Nugent,  Esq.,  who  was  created  Viscount  Clare  in  1766  and  Earl 
Nugent  in  1776. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  605 

married  last  Wednesday  to  Miss  Chambers,'  but  he  was 
taken  extremely  ill;  he  is  better  now.  The  Duke  of 
Ancaster  ^  is  going  to  marry  Lady  Buck,  because  he  says 
he  "  wants  a  discreet  person  to  breed  up  his  daughter." 
But  there  is  a  lady  coming  to  town  from  Ireland,  that 
will  set  the  whole  world  a-madding,  her  name  is  Coen.  ' 
She  has  lived  hitherto  upon  little  or  no  fortune,  and  con- 
sequently not  been  taken  much  notice  of,  but  by  the 
death  of  two  very  distant  relations  is  mistress  of  a  \ 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  pounds  I  Don't  you  think 
she  wUl  be  esteemed  a  most  accomplished  creature  ?  I 
have  many  more  things  to  say,  but  cruel  time  obliges 
me  to  come  to  that  part  of  my  letter  that  you  may  be 
pleased  with,  because  it  saves  you  from  the  farther  im- 
pertinence of  dearest  Colly's 

Most  faithful  and  obhged  humble  servant, 

Anna. 

My  sister's  kind  wishes  ever  attend  you.  Make  my 
compliments  to  all  friends,  not  forgetting  our  agreeable 
knight.  I  grieve  for  my  favourite,  Mr.  Ward.  If  you 
don't  Avrite  to  me  very  soon,  enclose  your  letter  to  the 
Duchess,  because  I  shall  be  gone  out  of  town,  and  I 
would  not  for  the  world  lose  your  words.  Penny  says, 
"  though  silent  not  forgetful."  I  write  so  fast  and  bad, 
I  am  ashamed  of  myself. 


^  Married,  in  May  1737,  Richard  Greenville,  Esq.,  nephew  to  the  Lord 
Viscount  Cobham,  and  on  whom  that  honour  is  entailed,  at  Marble  Hall,  near 
Twickenham,  belonging  to  the  Countess  of  Suffolk,  to  Miss  Chambers,  youngest 
daughter  of  the  late  Thomas  Chambers  of  Hanworth,  in  Middlesex,  with 
GU,0OO?. — Historical  Begisttr. 

2  Peregrine,  Duke  of  Ancaster,  married  Jane,  daughter  of  Sir  John  Brown- 
low.  Her  Grace  died  Aiigust  26,  1736,  and  the  Duke  died  January  1, 1741-2, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son. 


606  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 


Fr(mi  the  Duchess  of  Portland,  for  Mrs.  Catherine  Cdlingwood,  at  Bath. 

Whitehall,  May  17th,  1737. 

Dear  Colly: 

Since  my  letter  went  last  post,  I  have  heard  a 
piece  of  news  that  gives  me  great  uneasiness — that 
you  are  certain^  going  into  a  monastery !  ^  I  should 
have  imagined  you  would  have  wrote  me  word  of  it, 
hut  then  I  considered  you  were  sensible  it  would  give 
me  vexation,  and  that  (as  indeed  it  has  affected  me  ex- 
tremely) prevented  your  telling  me  so  disagreeable  and 
cruel  piece  of  news.  To  he  parted  from  my  dear  Colly 
for  ever  !  the  thoughts  of  it  I  am  not  able  to  bear. 
Good  God!  what  motive  in  the  world  can  induce 
you  to  burg  yourself  alive  and  leave  your  dear  mama — 
who  doats  on  you,  and  all  your  friends  to  whom 
you  give  the  utmost  torment?  It  is  barbarous  in  you 
to  forsake  one  in  that  manner.  As  to  gour  religion, 
I  wont  enter  into  it,  but  I  can  never  think  but  what 
one  is  as  acceptable  to  the  Almighty  in  following  his 
precepts  and  commandments  in  the  station  of  life  gou 
are  in,  as  if  you  were  to  make  yourself  a  sacrifice,  for  to 
follow  the  dictates  of  reason,  (which  is  certainly  con- 
sistent with  rehgion,)  that  cannot  be  required  of  us. 

I  am  not  able  to  write  more ;  for  my  heart  is  too  full, 
and  overflows  with  so  much  affection  and  grief,  that  it 
will  not  let  me  utter  half  what  I  think  or  feel.  My  dear 
friend,  let  me  know  as  soon  as  possible  whether  I  must 
remain  miserable ;   do  not  keep  me  in  suspense,  for  that 


*  Miss  CoUingwood  was  a  Roman  Catholic. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  607 

will  be  cruel  and  against  your  nature  ;  adieu,  angels 
guard  you  and  every  happiness  attend  you !  Wherever 
you  are,  or  whatever  you  do,  I  shall  be  your  faithful  and 

Affectionate  friend  till  death. 


Duchess  of  Portland  to  Mrs.  Ann  Granville. 

Whitehall,  June  21st,  1737. 

Dear  Madam, 

Just  as  I  was  setting  pen  to  paper,  to  beg  forgive- 
ness for  my  long  silence  in  the  best  manner  I  was  able, 
the  guns  went  off,  which  has  started  and  surprized  me 
so  much,  that  all  the  fine  speeches  I  had  laid  up  in 
store  for  you  are  now  fled  to  the  land  of  forgetfulness ; 
but  in  truth  I  own  my  fault  is  great,  but  as  it  is  the 
first  I  have  committed  of  this  kind,  hope  you  will  pardon 
it,  and  let  me  know  soon  from  under  your  own  hand  that 
you  are  in  charity  with  me.  Your  letter  made  me  very 
happy,  and  had  but  one  fault — which  was  being  too  short. 

I  should  be  glad  to  have  Mrs.  Chapon's  letter,  that 
is  when  it  is  most  convenient  to  you.  If  I  can  pick  up 
any  wit  I  shall  certainly  send  it  you,  to  make  up  for 
the  stupidity  of  my  epistles ;  but  that  is  not  your  case, 
for  it  is  impossible  for  'em  to  be  more  agreable,  nor  can 
they  be  made  more  acceptable  to  me.  Your  cousin  Pots^ 
departed  last  week  from  Oxford,  mounted  upon  an 
Oxford  hack,  in  order  to  proceed  to  Yorkshire ;  the  last 
time  I  saw  him,  his  best  compliments  he  begged  might  be 
made  acceptable  to  his  cousin  Pipkin.  Your  sister  I 
hope  received  my  horrid  long  letter,  which  I  fear  has 

>  Cousin  "  Pots,"  a  nickname.  The  Duchess  of  Portland's  name  for  Ann 
Granville  was  "  Pipkin." 


608  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

made  her  take  a  resolution  never  to  make  me  happy 
again.  I  have  inclosed  the  impression  of  the  medal  you 
gave  me  by  mistake,  and  hope  it  will  come  safe.  Colly 
has  not  wrote  to  me  an  age,  which  really  makes  me  quite 
uneasy,  for  I  fear  she  is  not  well.  Grive  my  kind  love 
to  Penny,  and  tell  her,  her  dear  little  chorister  now 
warbling  out  his  duty  to  her,  is  in  perfect  health,  and 
entertains  me  highly.  I  had  a  present  t'other  day  of 
four  fine  shells  ;  I  have  been  to  see  Lady  Walpole's^ 
shellery,  (for  grotto  I  will  not  call  it,)  it  is  a  fine  thing, 
but  I  can't  say  it  pleases  me.  That  regularity  is  abomi- 
nable ;  besides,  all  the  red  coral  is  painted — mine  shall 
not  be  made  after  that  model !  I  believe  I  shall  be  a 
great  rambler  this  year,  for  the  Duchess  of  Kent^  has 
invited  us  down  to  Tunbridge  for  two  or  three  days 
to  see  all  the  fine  places  thereabouts ;  then  in  August 
we  are  to  go  to  Rest,^  and  afber  that  into  Hampshire. 

I  will  now  tell  you  a  great  piece  of  news,  that  Miss 
Carteret  sat  with  me  a  whole  evening  hy  appointment. 
I  really  pity  her,  for  she  is  excessively  melancholy,  and 
seems  to  endeavour  all  she  can  to  hide  it,  which  certainly 
makes  her  suffer  very  much.  I  have  been  at  Pond's,  and 
like  Lady  Dysart's  picture  of  all  things,  and  think  upon 
no  account  it  should  be  altered ;  Dash's  is  there,  and  I 
think  mended.     There  is  a  poem  come  out  upon  the  late 


1  Sir  Robert  Walpole,  the  minister,  married  Maria,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Skerret,  Esq.  They  resided  at  the  Cockpit  iu  Wliitehall. — See  WalpoWs 
Letters. 

2  Lady  Sophia  Bentinck,  daughter  to  William  Earl  of  Portland,  second 
wife  of  Henry  de  Grey,  Duke  of  Kent. 

'  Horace  Walpole  in  1736,  mentions  a  visit  which  he  had  paid  to  the  seat  of 
the  Duke  of  Kent,  Wrtst,  in  Bedfordshire.  Wrest  now  (1860)  belongs  to  Earl 
de  Grey. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  609 

Lord  Chancellor'  (in  blank  verse),  by  Thomson,  which 
they  say  is  execrable,  or  else  I  would  have  sent  it  you. 
The  News  informs  you  of  the  places  that  are  disposed 
of,  and  matches,  they  say  there  is  a  great  many :  if  I 
can  recollect  them  I  will.  Lady  Carnarvon*  to  Lord 
Cardi-oss,'*  Lady  Brydges  to  Charles  Feilding,*  Lord 
Crawford  to  the  youngest  Miss  Spen,  Lady  Barker*  to 
Mr.  Devereux,®  Lady  Byron'  to  Mr.  Hammond,  and 
Lady  Delves^  to  one  whose  name  I  have  forgot.  Mr. 
Lens'  has  given  me  two  lessons  ;  but  I  fear  we  shall  go 
out  of  town  too  soon  to  make  any  progress  in  it.  Duke 
Hamilton's'"  match  they  say  is  going  off,  but  Old  Sel- 


'  Charles  Talbot,  Lord  Chancellor,  December  5,  1733,  created  Baron  'J'albot, 
of  Hensol ;  died  February  14, 1736-7.  He  was  a  i>atron  of  Thomson,  author 
of  "  The  Seasons,"  &c. 

2  Lady  Catherine  Talmash,  m.  September  1,  1724,  John  Marquis  of  Car- 
narvon, son  of  James,  1st  Duke  of  Chandos.  Lord  Carnarvon  died  April 
28,  1727,  and  his  widow  January  17,  1754.  No  mention  is  made  by 
Collins  or  Burke  of  her  being  married  a  second  time. 

'  Henry  David,  Lord  Cardross,  m.  January  31,  1739,  Agnes,  second 
daughter  of  Sir  James  Stewart,  Bart.  • 

••  September  1737. — The  Hon.  Charles  Fielding,  Esq.,  brother  to  the  Earl 
of  Denbigh,  m.  Lady  Bridges,  relict  of  Sir  Brook  Bridges,  of  Goodneston, 
in  Kent,  Bart. 

^  Anne,  relict  of  Edward  Spencer,  Esq.,  of  Bendlesham,  m.,  Feb.  9,  1731, 
^ii-  William  Barker,  who  died  July  23  of  the  same  year. 

-Married  August  1740,  the  Hon.  Mr.  Devereux,  only  son  of  the  Lord 
\     count  Hereford,  to  Miss  Price,  of  Rhiwlas,  Merionethshire,  N.  «W. 

■  Sir  Thomas  Hay,  Bart.,  to  the  Lady  Byron,  widow  of  WiUiam  Lord 
11,  and  daughter  of  William  Lord  Berkley  of  Stratton. 
Ithoda,  4th  wife    of  Sir  Thomas   Delves,  and    daughter  of  Sir    John 
Huband,  of  Ipsley.     Sir  Thomas  Delves  died  September  12,  1725,  when  the 
baronetcy  became  extinct. 

^  Bernard  Lens  died  1741.  "He  was  drawing  master  to  the  Duke  of  Cum- 
berland and  the  Princesses  Mary  and  Louisa,  and  to  one  whom  nothing  but 
gratitude  can  justify  my  joining  with  such  names,  the  author  of  this  work ; 
my  chief  reason  for  it  is  to  bear  testimony  to  the  virtues  and  integrity  of  so 
good  a  man,  as  well  as  excellent  artist." —  Walpole's  Anecdotes  of  Painting. 

">  TTie  5th  Duke  of  Hamilton  and  Brandon,  married  1st  Ann,  daughter  of 

VOL.  I.  2  R 


610  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

kirk^  says  "  they  only  stay  for  a  fine  coach,"  which  is 
much  to  exceed  Lord  Dunkeron's.^  Lady  Dunkeron's 
sedan^  is  yellow  velvet,  imbroidered  and  imbossed  with 
silver.  Pray  tell  Penny  that  the  next  time  I  write  it 
shall  be  a  short  one,  that  it  may  not  fright  her  again 
from  writing  to  me.     Adieu. 

Dear  Pipkin,  'tis  very  late,  and  I  shall  tire  you  as  I 
have  done  Penny.  My  Lord  begs  his  best  compliments 
to  you  both ;  and  believe  me,  with  great  truth, 

Your  faithful  and  obedient  servant. 

My  humble  service  attends  Mrs.  Viney ;  I  am  quite 
ashamed  of  myself  that  I  have  not  wrote  to  her,  but  do 
make  som£  excuse  for  me — you  know  how  I  am  hurried. 
I  hear  Miss  Talbot*  is  coming  to  Glocester  :  I  wish  you 
joy,  for  she  is  a  charming  creature. 

Excuse  this  wretched  scrawl.  Dup*  and  Mr.  Achard 
are  both  your  admirers. 


Johir  Earl  of  Dundonald  ;  2nd,  Eliza,  daughter  and  coheir  of  Thomas 
Strangeways,  of  Melbury  Sampford,  co.  Dorset,  and  3rd,  July  1737,  Ann, 
daughter  and  coheir  of  Edward  Spencer  of  Rendlesham,  co.  Suffolk. 

*  Elizabeth  Hutchinson,  widow  of  John  Lord  Kennedy,  m.  in  1701,  John, 
3rd  Earl  of  Selkirk. 

'  Lord  Dunkerron  was  the  eldest  son  of  the  Earl  of  Shelbume.  He  married 
in  April,  1737,  a  daughter  of  Sir  James  Clavering,  Bart. ;  died  before  his 
father,  and  left  no  child.  The  Irish  Barony  of  Dunkerron  now  (1859,)  belongs 
to  the  Marquis  of  Lansdown. 

'  The  chairs  of  persons  of  quality  were  often  fitted  up  magnificently  at  this 
period.      The  Duchess  of  Marlborough's  chair  was  stolen  while  she  was  at 

r chapel,  for  its  cushions  of  crimson  velvet. 
*  Catherine  Talbot,  the  daughter  of  Edward  Talbot,  Esq.,   second  son  of 
,    the  Bishop  of  Durham,  was  born  in  1720.  She  was  in  after  years  distinguished 
I    for  her  Essays,  Reflections,  and  Letters.    Her  home  was  with  Dr.  Seeker,  then 
(^Bishop  of  Oxford,  and  afterwards  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 
5  "  Dup."    Lord  Dupplin. 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  611 

From  the  Duchess  of  Portland,  for  Mrs.  Catherine  Cdlingwood,  at  Bath. 
•  Whitehall,  June  25th,  1737. 

The  begining  of  your  letter,  dear  Colly,  made  me 
happier  then  I  can  express ;  but  as  I  continued  to  read 
on,  instead  of  raising  my  spirits,  as  one  wou'd  naturally 
imagine  your  letters  wou'd  do,  it  depressed  them 
most  terribly  by  your  saying  that  you  fear  you  sliall 
not  see  me  this  year.  I  shall  go  out  of  town  for  all 
the  summer  and  part  of  the  winter,  next  Friday  fort- 
night, so,  if  there  is  a  possibility,  let  me  see  you  before 
we  are  parted  again  for  so  lojig  a  time.  Mrs.  Cannon 
and  all  the  crew  go  with  us,  so  no  doubt  but  you 
will  envy  my  happiness.  I  am  quite  low-spirited  about 
it  myself,  for  by  their  going  I  am  deprived  having 
with  me  a  very  dear  friend,  which  is  Lady  Peterborow.^ 
I  am  much  rejoiced  Mrs.  Collingvvood  is  so  much  better 
for  the  waters,  and  hope  she  will  come  to  town,  that  I 
may  be  so  happy  to  see  you  both.  I  have  a  thousand 
letters  to  write.     So  adieu, 

Yours,  with  everlasting  affection  and  fidelity. 

My  Lord   and  Frere  Bonavanture  are  your  humble 

servants.     The  twopence  halfpenny s  are  very  well.     We 

went  to    Grracey's^  by  water   t'other   day,  and  wished 

heartily   for    you.      A   thousand    thanks    for    y^   dear 

pretty  ring,  it  fitted  me  perfectly  well. 

In  another  handwriting  on  the  turn  dozen  of  letter — 

Some  natural  tears  he  dropt,  but  wip'd  them  soon. 
The  world  was  all  before  him  where  to  choose, 
His  place  of  rest,  and  providence  his  guide. 

'  Charles,  4th  Earl  of  Peterborough,  married,  first,  Mary,  daughter  of  John 
Cox,  Esq  ;  and  secondly,  Eobiniana,  daughter  of  Col.  Brown. 
*  The  Hon.  Grace  Granville. 

2  R  2 


612  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 


Mrs,  Pendarves  to  Miss  CoIUngwood. 

Sunday,  1737. 

My  dear  Miss  CoUingwood  is  engaged  in  such  pretty 
parties,  that  I  think  it  is  pity  to  interrupt  her  a  moment, 
either  from  the  dear  dehghtful  game  of  quadrille,  or  the  en- 
livening conversation  of ,  of ,  of .  But  I  have 

received  a  very  obliging  mark  of  your  favour,  and  a  request 
joined  to  it  of  my  writing  soon,  which  makes  me  intrude 
upon  your  elegant  amusements  !  How  differently  have 
I  been  entertained  my  cell  can  witness,  where  nothing 
polite  has  entered,  but  the  master  of  the  place.  I  worked 
last  Friday  from  six  in  the  morning  till  two,  only  allowed 
myself  half-an-hour  to  breakfast ;  I  am  a  true  disciple  of  a 
certain  wise  man  called  Solomon,  who  says  "  whatever  you 
do,  do  it  with  all  your  7nightr  The  great  rains  we  have 
had  has  made  Sir  John  Stanley  put  off  his  Tunbridge 
journey  for  some  days,  and  the  pleasure  I  was  in  hopes 
of  seeing  you  here  postponed,  I  fear,  till  he  is  gone ; 
though  I  could  wish  you  were  acquainted  with  so  worthy 
a  man,  and  that  he  knew  a  young  lady  of  so  much 
merit,  &c. 

You  say  true,  Northend  is  the  habitation  of  peace  and 
deUght,  at  least  so  it  is  to  me,  who  have  been  trained  up 
with  it,  and  perhaps  with  that  partiality  that  naturally 
attends  a  tender  friendship.  Should  I  not  be  ungrateful 
did  I  not  love  a  place  that  has  gratified  so  many  of  my 
senses  ?  and  that  daily  gives  me  an  opportunity  of  re- 
calling most  sweetly  to  my  mind  a  thousand  pleasures 
I  have  enjoyed  with  good  and  agreeable  friends  ?  I 
have  a  particular  contemplation  spot,  to  which  I  hope  to 
have  the  honour  of  introducing  you  substantially — in  idea 


OF  MRS,  DELANY.  613 

you  have  made  it  several  visits ;  all  this  will  be  dull  to 
you,  I  fear,  but  I  have  nothing  else  to  tell  you,  but 
that  my  sister  is  very  well  and  in  charming  spirits,  my 
brother  not  yet  come.  The  Duke  of  Hamilton  ^  is  no 
friend  or  kin  of  mine  I  assure  you,  so  your  apology  was 
throron  away ;  I  despise  Miss  Spencer  for  her  fancy, 
and  am  not  at  all  surprized  so  many  bad  husbands  are 
in  the  world.  I  wish  I  was  a  beauty  with  a  monstrous 
fortune,  that  I  might  show  my  spirit  to  some  advantage  ; 
now  though  my  will  is  good,  nobody  will  give  me  an 
opportunity  of  acting  heroically,  or  I  would  humble  your 
Hamiltons,  Edwins,  &c.  I  will  write  soon  to  the  Duchess 
of  Portland ;  it  is  odd  to  say  it,  but  realy  I  have  not  had 
time.  I  am  sure  I  am  very  much  her  humble  servant, 
and  so  I  am  to  Mrs.  Collingwood,  and  yours, 

My  dear  Miss  Collingwood,  most  faithfully,     M.  P. 

I  hope  Lady  Mary  Petres  was  well  when  you  heard 
from  her.     I  beg  my  compliments  whenever. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Cath.  Collingwood,  at  tJie  Bath. 

Dowdeswell,  to  be  left  at  Mr.  Smart's,  at 
Cheltenham,  Glocestershire. 

I  protest,  I  think  it  is  now  downright  assurance  in  me 
to  write  to  my  dear  Miss  Collingwood.  I  received  two 
very  obliging  letters  from  you,  which  ought  to  have  been 
acknowledged  long  ago.     Indulge  me  so  far  as  to  beheve 


1  "Married  July,  1737,  his  Grace  the  Duke  of  Hamilton  and  Brandon,  to 
Miss  Spencer,  a  young  lady  of  fine  accomplishments,  and  a  fortune  of 
75.000Z." 


614  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

I  am  as  truly  devoted  to  you  as  if  I  told  you  so  every 
post.  The  warm  weather  I  fancy  will  drive  you  from 
tlie  Bath,  though  the  fields  and  river  make  it  agreeable 
even  at  this  season ;  I  hope  Mrs.  Collingwood  has  found 
benefit  from  the  waters — m.y  best  compliments  attend 
her.  I  heard  just  before  we  came  out  of  town,  that  poor 
Mrs.  Barber  was  very  ill,  my  heart  has  ached  for  her 
till  yesterday,  that  I  received  an  account  of  her  being 
out  of  danger ;  she  boasts  of  your  great  goodness  to  her. 
You  enjoy  a  great  happiness,  my  dear  Colly,  in  having  a 
heart  so  ready  to  compassionate  the  distrest ;  I  can't  but 
place  such  a  disposition  amongst  the  highest  blessings  we 
enjoy  from  providence. 

My  sister  says,  you  are  in  her  debt ;  she  has  a  very 
sincere  value  for  you.  We  have  on  many  occasions  wished 
for  you ;  but  particularly  when  we  have  been  with  our 
dear  agreeable  Duchess,  who  loves  you  truly  ;  we  have 
been  alarmed  at  a  report  of  your  retiring,  it  made  us  all 
up  in  arms  against  you,  but  I  hope,  there  was  no  grounds 
for  so  unreasonable  a  report  ?  A  short  absence  gives  your 
friends  more  pain,  than  I  believe  you  would  wilHngly 
give  to  an  enemy,  unless  the  Bath-waters  has  petrified 
your  lieai't ;  then  what  would  they  suffer  from  an  eternal 
one  ?  I  think  the  death  of  a  person  I  loved  would  hardly 
give  my  so  much  pain  as  their  shutting  themselves  up  in 
a  cloister  I  to  think  they  are  in  the  world,  and  that  there 
is  no  possibility  of  seing  them,  would  be  dreadful.  Stay 
amongst  us,  my  dear  Colly — your  fair  example  will  be 
more  meritorious  to  yourself,  as  well  as  beneficial  to 
the  world,  than  retiring  to  a  cell.  May  I  beg  the 
favour  of  you  to  let  the  enclosed  be  sent  as  directed,  and 
forgive  my  impertinence.     I  am  an  humble  servant  to 


OF  MRS.  DELANI.  615 

your   mama,  and  Lady  Mary  and  Mrs.  Petres  .and  Sir 
R.  T.,  and  to  yourself  a  most  faithful  and  assured  friend 

M.  P. 

Say  nothing  to  Biniken  of  this  letter,  for  I  am  afraid, 
I  have  been  an  age  in  her  debt. 

I  am  happy  the  stuff  pleased  you  so  well,  I  am  sure, 
you  adorn  it. 


Mrs.  Ann  Qranville  to  Mrs.  Caih.   CoUingivood,  in  New  Bond  Street,  near 
Hanover  Square,  London. 

Dowdeswell,  Aug.  1,  1737. 

I  hope  this  will  find  dear  Miss  Collingwood  safely 
arrived  in  London,  since  thither  you  must  go,  though  I 
had  rather  you  enjoyed  some  rural  retreat,  and  much 
rather  it  were  in  our  neighbourhood ;  for  all  country 
pleasures  give  me  so  much  pleasure  that  I  pity  all  my 
freinds,  who  do  not  taste  them  or  have  no  opportunities 
to  learn,  for  I  am  persuaded  it  is  like  other  inclinations , 
improved  hy  seing  the  reasonableness  of  it. 

My  dear  Eatty's  agreeable  letter  found  me  making 
hay  accompanied  by  my  brother,  sister,  Mrs.  Chapon, 
and  Miss  Graves,  who  all  join  in  many  compliments  to 
you  and  wishing  you  with  us  ;  when  we  had  finished  our 
work,  we  drank  tea  under  the  trees,  and  the  hay  was  so 
excellent  that  the  horses  eat  it  up  immediately !  I  grieve 
for  poor  Lady  Mary  to  lose  so  engaging  a  companion, 
and  to  be  left  in  the  one  continual  round  of  Bath ;  I 
know  Miss  Upton,  and  think  Mrs.  B.  would  be  to  blame 
to  let  slip  so  good  an  occasion  of  displaying  her  darling 
talent  of  raillery,  which  turn  I  am  not  fond  of  when 
directed  to  others  no  more  than  to  myself. 


616  LIFE  AND  COKRESPONDENCE 

I  hope  Mrs.  CoUingwood  has  received  great  benefit  from 
her  journey  ;  I  should  always  be  very  solicitous  about  any 
thing  that  concerns  your  heart  so  much,  were  I  not  ac- 
quainted with  your  mama,  but  that  makes  my  wishes 
double.  I  greive  for  your  loss  of  our  sweet  Dutchess, 
surely  you  will  visit  her  at  Bulstrode,  though  the  golden 
fruit  has  Dragons  to  guard  it,  which  is  a  terrible  thing. 
You  will  oblige  me  by  some  relations  from  the  great 
world ;  as  fond  as  I  am  of  our  private  path,  I  have  a 
pleasure  in  hearing  the  transactions  of  other  people,  and 
I  have  heard  of  some  sad  mischance  that  has  befallen 
Lord  Scarborough,  but  don't  know  what  it  is ;  but  above 
all  tell  me  what  relates  to  your  own  dear  self,  the  state 
of  your  hearty  whether  you  design  to  dispose  of  it,  or 
keep  it  always  in  its  cell  of  ice  f 

Penny,  you  know,  is  much  devoted  to  you.    Alas  !  you 
will  see  her  too  soon  for  my  repose,  which  thought  has 
made  me  so  melancholy  that   I  can't  possibly  say  one 
word  more,  but  that  I  am,  happy  or  miserable. 
My  dear  Kitty's,  faithful  and  obhged, 

Anna. 

My  sister's  and  my  respects  attend  Mrs.  CoUingwood. 


The  Duchess  of  Portland  to  Mrs.  Ann  Oranville. 

Bulstrode,  Augt.  24,  1737. 

Dear  Pipkin, 

I  find  I  have  so  much  pleasure  at  the  receipt  of 
your  letters,  that  were  you  to  delay  answering  mine 
some  time  you  would  make  me  very  uneasy.  So  in- 
croaching  is  our  nature  in  respect  to  its  pleasures,  that 
one  has  no  sooner  gained  a  favour  but  one  grows  more 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  G17 

and  more  troublesome  to  the  giver ;  such  is  my  case  at 
present,  that  I  can't  help  being  desirous  of  obtaining  as 
much  of  your  precious  time  as  you  can  possibly  allow 
me  ;  I  esteem  myself  happy  if  I  could  give  you  a 
moment's  amusement  by  relating  my  progress.  I  wish 
my  dull  brains  would  produce  any  tiling  worthy  your 
perusal,  but  invention  is  not  my  talent ;  and  as  for  news, 
that  aid  is  denied  me,  for  I  have  not  seen  a  mortal  that 
knew  the  least  tittle-tattle  this  age.  Yon  disappoint  me 
very  much  by  saying  you  must  not  think  of  London  this 
winter,  when  I  had  raised  my  expectations  at  the 
thoughts  of  it,  and  built  fifty  castles  in  the  air,  which 
you  have  cruelly  demolished,  and  laid  them  as  low  as  the 
architect's  understanding !  I  hope  dear  Penny  is  well^ 
she  is  very  good,  and  I  flatter  myself  will  let  me  see  her 
as  often  as  she  can  spare  time ;  but  the  C — 's'^  do 
ingross  her  so  much  to  themselves,  that  it  makes  me 
quite  peevish,  nay,  but  I  dont  wonder  at  them,  for  I 
sliould  do  just  the  same.  Bess  is  very  well,  and  little 
Harriot  is  weaned ;  I  was  obliged  to  do  it,  for  her 
nurse's  husband  died  suddenly  ;  she  has  taken  it  very 
well,  and  is  as  merry  as  usual. 

Doctor  Greene  was  in  a  great  fuss  that  I  should  write 
you  word  he  fell  asleep  in  the  library,  but  I  must  say  for 
his  justification  that  he  got  up  before  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  that  he  was  a  great  many  hours  in  the  stage- 
coach ;  he  was  highly  entertain  d  all  the  time  he  stayed,  for 
he  was  hardly  a  moment  from  the  harpsichord  I  Pray  ac- 
cept my  thanks  for  the  roots  of  the  bee-flower ;  I  shall 
take  great  care  of  them,  for  I  will  plant  them  myself  How 


>  ''Cs:'  Carteret's, 


618  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

can  you  say  yon  have  not  Lady  Andover's  art'  when  you 
partly  promised  me  some  of  your  drawing  ?  and  I  was 
in  hopes  you  would  have  fullfilled  it  by  sending  me  that 
flower.  I  am  going  to  make  a  muff  of  jay's  feathers, 
yours  came  very  opportunity.  Where  does  Miss  Talbot 
go  when  she  leaves  Gloucester  ?  they  talked  of  Spa,  or 
the  southern  parts  of  France.  I  never  heard  of  that 
book  you  mention,  but  will  endeavour  to  get  it,  for  I 
am  sure  it  is  worth  reading  when  you  approve  of  it. 

My  affectionate  compliments  to  Penny,  and  tell  her  I 
shall  give  myself  no  further  trouble  (as  she  calls  it, 
which  I  thought  none  at  all)  about  Mr.  Pope's  letters, 
for  I  spoke  to  Lady  Peterborow,  and  she  immediately 
sent  me  the  following  order: — "Pray  deliver  to  Mrs. 
Pendarves,  or  bearer,  the  book  of  letters,  in  quarto,  or 
large  folio,  as  she  pleases.  A.  Pope.  To  Mr.  Dodsley, 
Bookseller  in  Pall  Mall,  Aug'*  20*^."  All  in  his  own  hand, 
which  I  shall  take  care  of  till  I  have  further  orders  from 
her.     My  complements  attends  your  brother. 

I  have  looked  all  over  my  collection  of  moss,  and 
can't  find  any  kind  like  yours,  that  which  most  re- 
sembles it  is  the  small  floivering  green  storie  moss,  and 
the  heai'd  of  brier, — but  the  first  is  a  deeper  green  and 
not  scarlet,  and  the  other  is  not  near  so  beautiful  as 
yours.  I  found  to-day  a  very  odd  fly — the  body  black, 
the  legs  red,  and  a  tail  half-an-inch  long,  the  whole  fly 
rather  larger  than  a  gnat.  My  Lord's  humble  service 
waits  on  you,  as  does  the  General's,  who  is  gone  to  St. 
Alban's  in  his  way  to  Pest,  which  place  we  set  out  for 
to-morrow  morning  early.      I   made  a  visit  yesterday, 

*  "  Lady  Andover"  excelled  in  cutting  out  landscapes  and  figures  in  paj)ei 
80  finely  as  almost  to  require  a  magnifying  glass. 


OF  MRS.  DEL  ANY.  619 

md  had  a  present  of  a  box  of  shells,  some  too  good  for 
[he  grotto  ;  My  Lord  desires  you  will  make  no  more 
3xcuses  about  his  franking  your  letters,  it  gives  him  a 
pleasure.  I  please  myself  with  the  fancy  that  you'll 
liter  your  mind  and  come  to  London  this  year,  and  then 
[  insist  positively,  and  will  not  be  refused,  that  Penny 
shall  bring  you  down  with  her  here,  which  will  be  a 
vast  pleasure  to  me.  Thugh  my  paper  obliges  me  to 
bid  you  adieu,  yet  I  am  and  always  shall  be  ever  your 

Faithful  servant, 

M.  C.  Portland. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Cath.  CoUingtuood,  in  New  Bond  Street,  London. 

Dowdeswell,  19  Sept.,  1737. 

Though  I  know  my  dear  Miss  Collingwood  is  a  merci- 
ful creature,  my  guilty  conscience  would  greatly  allay 
the  pleasure  of  meeting  her,  if  I  should  omit  ray  thanks 
for  a  most  kind  and  entertaining  letter  which  I  received 
since  you  came  from  Bath ;  a  hurry  of  company,  country 
sports,  and  a  villanous  cold,  have  conspired  to  prevent 
my  doing  my  duty  by  you  and  myself;  for  to  be  truly 
grateful,  and  to  have  no  opportunity  of  expressing  it,  is 
a  tormenting  circumstance,  and  has  been  mine  ever  since 
the  beginning  of  August,  which  was  the  time  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  receiving  your  letter. 

I  shall  be  in  town  on  Michealmas  Day,  or  the  day 
after,  and  I  hope  you  will  let  me  see  you  as  soon  as  you 
can  conveniently.  I  most  heartily  congratulate  you  on 
Mrs.  Collingwood's  finding  so  much  benefit  from  the 
Bath ;  I  think  I  know  so  well  the  tenderness  of  your 
heart,  particularly  as  a  daughter,  that  I  am  thoroughly 


620  LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 

sensible  of  your  joy  on  this  occasion.  I  expect  in  return 
that  you  will,  from  your  soul,  pity  me  for  leaving  my 
sister  behind  me,  she  is  most  faithfully  yours,  and  says 
as  soon  as  she  has  recovered  her  senses  you  shall  hear 
from  her.  Lady  Ann  B.  has  played  the  fool,  but  Captain 
Paul'  has  outdone  her  considerably,  or  rather  has  played 
the  knave.  They  are  not  likely  to  prove  a  happy  pair. 
You  have  heard  of  all  the  frights  about  Lady  B.,  but  I 
am  sorry  for  our  good  friends  who  fret  about  these  affairs. 
I  have  not  time  to  enlarge  on  this  or  any  other  sub- 
ject, my  sister  chides  me  for  leaving  her  so  long.  T 
must  refer  all  I  have  to  say  till  we  meet.  I  beg  my 
humble  service  to  your  mama,  and  be  assured  of  the 
affectionate  wishes  of, 

Your  faithful 

M.  Pendarves. 
When  you  see  Sir  Robert  Throck.  pray  make  my 
compliments ;  I  hope  to  be  in  town  time  enough  to 
restore  him  his  book  of  prints,  if  he  has  not  sent  for 
them  away ;  I  packed  them  up,  with  directions  they 
should  be  delivered  if  he  sent  for  them. 


Mrs.  Pendarves  to  Mrs.  Oath.  Collinywood,  in  New  Bond  Street^  near 
Grosvenor  Street. 

Saturday  night. 

My  dear  Miss  Collingwood  told  me  at  parting  she 
should  expect  the  first  paper  visit,  which  I  faithfully  paid 
her,  and  sent  it  by  S'  John  Stanley's  groom.  I  can't 
think  but  that  you  have  answered  me,  and  I  have  been 
so  unlucky  as  to  miss  the  favour  you  designed  me.  When 

'  Lady  Ann  Bentinck,  married,  Sept.  1737,  to  Captain  Paul. 


OF  MRS.  DELANY.  621 

you  write  again  send  my  letter  to  my  house ;  the 
penny  post  is  a  rogue,  and  not  worthy  the  honour 
of  being  your  messenger.  I  nlay  be  mistaken  in  all 
this,  and  the  case  perhaps  quite  otherwise  ;  many  agree- 
able parties  may  have  engaged  you  so  much  as  not  to 
give  you  leisure  to  think  of  a  poor  solitary  grotto  nymph. 
Strawberries  are  almost  out  of  season ;  and  I  presume  you 
have  lost  your  wager.  I  shall  fly  to  town  on  Tuesday 
on  some  business,  but  will  find  time  to  call  on  you  for  a 
moment  some  time  before  one  o'  the  clock.  My  compli- 
ments attend  Mrs.  CoUingwood.  My  servant  shall  call 
on  you  to-morrow  to  bring  me  word  how  you  do,  and 
if  you  retain  any  spark  of  kindness  for 

Your  faithful 

M.  Pendarves. 

If  you  really  have  wrote  to  me,  and  the  letter  is  lost  I 
charge  you  recollect  every  individual  word,  as  I  should 
grieve  to  lose  a  syllable. 


END    OF    THE    FIRST   VOLUME. 


LONDON:   PBIKTE1>  BV  W.  CLOWES  AKO  SONS,  STAMFORD  STKBET  AND  CHARING  CROSS. 


DA  Delany,  Mary  (Granville) 

4B3  Pendarves 
D3A2  The  autobiography  and 

1861  correspondence  of  Mary 

v.l  Granville 


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