The Letter-Bag of Lady Elizabeth Spencer-Stanhope Part 14

PART OF THE JOURNAL OF THE CELEBRATED ELIZABETH WOODVILLE (afterwards Queen of Edward IV.) previous to her first marriage with Sir John Grey. Extracted from an ancient MS. preserved in Drummond Castle.

_Monday morning._ Rose at four o'clock & helped Catherine to milk the cows, Rachael, the other Dairy Maid having scalded her hands the night before. Made a Poultice for Rachael & gave Robin a penny to get something comfortable from the Apothecary's.

_6 o'clock._ The Bullock of Beef rather too much boiled & the beer rather stale. Mem: to talk to the Cook about the first fault & to mend the second myself by tapping a fresh barrell.

_7 o'clock._ Went to walk with the Lady d.u.c.h.ess, my Mother, [37]

in the Courtyard. Fed 25 Men & Women. Chid Roger severely for expressing some ill words at attending us with the broken Meat.

_8 o'clock._ Went into the Paddock behind the house with my maid Dorothy, & caught Thump the black Poney & rode a matter of six miles without either Saddle or Bridle.

_10 o'clock._ Went to dinner. John Grey [38] a most comely Youth,--but what is that to me? a Virtuous Maiden should be entirely under the guidance of her Parents--John ate but little and stole a great many looks at me; said "Women could never be handsome in his opinion that were not good temper'd." I think my temper is not bad. No one finds fault with it but Roger, & he is the most disorderly serving man in our Family. John Grey likes white Teeth. My Teeth are of a pretty good colour, I think, & my hair is as black as Jet. John Grey, if I mistake not, is of the same opinion.

_11 o'clock._ Rose from table, the Company all desiring a walk in the Fields. John Grey would help me over every stile & twice he squeezed my hand. I can't say I have any great objections to John Grey. He plays at Prison Bars as well as any Country Gentleman; is remarkably dutiful to his Parents, my Lord and Lady; & never misses Church on a Sunday.

_3 o'clock._ Poor Robinson's house burnt down by accident. John Grey proposed a subscription among the Company for the relief of the Farmer & gave no less than 4 himself. Mem: Never saw him look so comely as at that Moment.

_4 o'clock._ Went to Prayers.

_6 o'clock._ Fed the Pigs and Poultry.

_7 o'clock._ Supper on Table, delayed to that hour on account of Robinson's misfortune. Mem: the Goose Pie too much baked & the Pork roasted to rags.

_9 o'clock._ The Company fast asleep. These late hours very disagreeable. Said my Prayers a second time, John Grey distracting my thoughts too much the first. Fell asleep at ten. Dreamed that John Grey had demanded me of my Father. [39]

CHAPTER IV

1808-1810

ON DITS FROM GROSVENOR SQUARE AND CANNON HALL

_Marianne Spencer-Stanhope to John Spencer-Stanhope._ GROSVENOR SQUARE, _Jan 27th, 1808._

Poor Philip went to school to-day, to the great regret of all the party, for he is a general favourite. Such a lively little monkey I never saw.

On Sunday Roast Beef and Plum Pudding [1] dined with us, and were entertaining as usual, also Orator Milnes, who was quite fascinating, the first time I ever saw him so! He is perfectly different with his town face to what he appears in Yorks.h.i.+re. Yesterday we had a pleasant _dinnette_. In the evening Lady Glyn arrived _bien triste_, and Mrs Beaumont all magnificence for Lady Castlereagh's. We were much surprised to find Count Holmar [2] in town, but we have had the mystery explained. He took the Princes back to their own country, and then came back here on account of his love for Miss Gifford, Lady Lansdowne's daughter by her first husband. [3] She is pretty and clever, without much fortune, but Lord Lansdowne has taken a fancy to her, has settled Southampton Castle upon her, and having no child of his own, intends making her an heiress. The young lady does not like the Count much, but her friends wish it, so there are delicacies and difficulties enough for a novel of the first order. He spent three months there this autumn, and certainly as far as a pale cheek, sunk eyes, and slender form can prove anything, he is either hopelessly consumptive or in love. So much for him!

Mrs Beaumont is quite on her high horse. 'Tis said _he_ has asked for a peerage on account of his _overwhelming_ influence in the county of York, all of which he employed in favour of Lord Milton!

Bravo, say I!

Another story is that he has had the offer of a Swedish order, fees 150, a sky-blue ribbon, which gives no place, and the honour of being a Sir, not hereditary. I never heard of its being conferred on any but dancing masters and medical geniuses.

My father has become acquainted with Mrs Knox, and is much charmed with her. He says they seem to live in prodigious style, have a magnificent house, as finely furnished as Bretton. She said her son mentioned you in the highest terms.

We were at the Opera on Sat.u.r.day. Fuller of men I never saw it; the boxes thin. The d.u.c.h.ess of A. was there looking _fade_. Kelly's room is at an end; so we had the pleasure of waiting, or rather starving in the great room for near an hour.

Marianne Stanhope, later, thus describes this room at the Opera where the audience a.s.sembled on leaving, and where each lady who was unattended by a cavalier of her own family, strove anxiously to escape the crowning ignominy of not having a beau to "hand her to her carriage."

Then came the pleasures of the crush-room, that most singular of all places of amus.e.m.e.nt, where a mob of good company a.s.semble twice a week, in a thorough draft of air, to enjoy the pleasure of inhaling the odours of expiring lamps, amid the ceaseless din of "Lady Townley's carriage stops the way"--"Lord D----'s servants'--"--"the d.u.c.h.ess of N---'s carriage"--"Lord P----'s coming down"--"The Duke of S---- must drive off," and sounds such as these constantly reiterated.

Young ladies by the dozens were to be seen freezing, with shawls off one shoulder, trying to inveigle some man, by means of sweet words or sweeter looks, to hand them to their carriages; the unfortunate mammas behind them, looking worn out in the service, ready to expire with the cold and bustle, sinking on the sofa opposite to the fireplace to await their turn with what patience they might. [4]

And after enlarging upon the various methods by which the representatives of the _haut ton_ strove likewise to secure the satisfaction of "hearing their names proclaimed by each pa.s.ser-by," she exclaims--"Say! ye frequenters of the Opera round-room, if these are not its chiefest pleasures?"

Meanwhile the flirtations which were wont to beguile this tedious hour invariably attracted much attention.

_January 29th, 1808._

I have heard some news respecting the little Viscount which surprises me--that he is to marry the second Miss Bouverie as soon as she is presented. [5] That the eldest was cruel & moreover that he always preferred the second, though he has never given the slightest hint & did not go near her at the Opera, not even in the crush-room. He is gone to Bath, probably to avoid the talk & gossip of London till it is publickly declared.

_February 22nd, 1808._

On Monday we were charmed at Drury Lane with Mrs Jordan in "_Three weeks after Marriage_." I admire her so much I could forgive the Duke of Clarence anything. On Friday, we had a dinner party at Mrs Glyn's--_hum-drum enough_. The next night we had a dinner here, at which we had George Hampson, who is now one of our great flirts; he has been much in Edinburgh and likes nothing better than Scotch dancing.

The dear Prims [Primroses] dine here _a l'ordinaire_. I met the Viscount in the Park with his love, and he went again in the evening, but I wonder they don't dine together of a Sunday. She is a nice little girl, very genteel and pleasing, but no beauty like her sister, who is all-conquering this year. At Court the other day she had a tr.i.m.m.i.n.g and headdress of her own composition, all pheasant's feathers, the plumage of two-and-thirty. As for poor little Frankey [Frank Primrose] as Mary Lowther says, all the Roast Beef and Plum Pudding will produce nothing.

Miss de Visme [6] has not yet arrived. She has made great havoc among the Staffords.h.i.+re beaux. Your old Square Flame, Miss Calcraft [7] is in a few months to come out a raging belle. She is amazingly admired by the few who have seen her. London is p.r.o.nounced dullissimo, so pray continue to amuse yourself in Edinburgh, which by your account must be the gayest and pleasantest place in the world.

We are much obliged to the d.u.c.h.ess of Gordon for giving you so happy an opportunity of announcing the beautiful, or extraordinary presents we may expect to receive--perhaps Scotch husbands--who knows! Pray don't be dilatory. Miss Glyn is smarter, gayer, and a greater flirt than ever. A last attempt--may it succeed!

_Mrs Spencer-Stanhope to John Spencer-Stanhope._ _February 26th, 1808._

Yesterday I had the pleasure of your gay, wild epistle. You remind me of the French prisoner who was asked how he spent his time. He answered--"We breakfast, then dance; dine, dance again; sup--_encore la danse!_" This I begin to suspect is a Scotch life, and very good for bile, provided the dinners are such as the prisoner partook of.

You seem to be the happiest of the happy and the gayest of the gay.

Peter was quite shocked you had not mentioned Walter Scott. Have you ever met with him? Great expectations are formed of his poem. Campbell and Rogers are both going to publish poems.

_March 11th, 1808._

I believe I have not written to you since your sisters were at the Argyle Rooms, [8] which they liked extremely, but where they had small opportunity of exhibiting their new steps. There was first an Operetta, then a supper, and afterwards an attempt at a dance; but the stupid English voted it not _ton_, and there were only about fifteen couples who ventured to defy this opinion--Marianne and Mr Macdonald one of them. Anne remained a spectator. As the dancing did not seem to be approved, Mr Greville said, for the future there should be none except upon ball nights.

_March 16th, 1808._

We were at the Opera on Sat.u.r.day and at the Argyle Rooms on Monday. At the latter place we had only a concert and supper--thin and I thought dull. The men are always in the house and have little time for anything but politicks.

The King is, I understand, quite provoked with the Opposition, and says that their present method of proceeding is different to any that has ever been in his reign. They depend upon wearing out the Const.i.tutions of the Ministers. Your father told Lord Castlereagh he was certain it was all owing to his pale face and therefore he ought to put on a little rouge. The Lords sending back the Bill on the orders of Council had given great spirits to the Opposition.