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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..56b7e5c --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #63748 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/63748) diff --git a/old/63748-0.txt b/old/63748-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d344921..0000000 --- a/old/63748-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10820 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mary Boyle--Her Book, by Mary Louisa Boyle - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Mary Boyle--Her Book - -Author: Mary Louisa Boyle - -Editor: Courtenay Edmund Boyle - Muriel S. Boyle - -Release Date: November 14, 2020 [EBook #63748] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARY BOYLE--HER BOOK *** - - - - -Produced by Fay Dunn, Barry Abrahamsen, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - MARY BOYLE - - HER BOOK - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - -[Illustration: - - SVB SOLE VANITAS -] - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - MARY BOYLE - - HER BOOK - - - - EDITED BY SIR COURTENAY BOYLE, K.C.B. - - - - - - Publisher’s Logo - - - - - LONDON - JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W. - 1901 - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - TO - - MY TWO WELL-BELOVED COUSINS - - GERTRUDE (COUNTESS OF KENMARE) - - AND - - LADY SARAH SPENCER - - WHOSE HEARTS, HANDS AND HOMES ARE EVER OPEN TO ME, - - THESE PAGES ARE AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED - - BY - - MARY BOYLE - - (“VANESSA”) - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION - - -These sketches of my dear aunt’s life were begun by her only a few years -before she died. The discretion as to their publication was left to -those on whose judgment she relied, and at their request I have -undertaken to prepare the sketches for presentation to the public, and -to add to them here and there a few explanatory notes of my own. - -I have left her chapters almost exactly as she wrote them. They are well -described in her Preface, and are very characteristic of herself. Like a -light-winged butterfly she flits from flower to flower, resting long on -none, nor caring to return to what she had apparently only quitted for a -moment. As is natural to one writing after a lapse of years, she refers -within the space of a page or two to events which happened at wide -intervals of time. - -She dwells with pardonable pride on her love for the drama and the -dance. Those who knew well her proficiency in these will prefer to let -their memory rest on the brilliant wit and imperturbable good nature -which made her a welcome guest in many societies. As a girl she had many -opportunities of sharing in the Court life of her own country and more -than one continental state. Later she became intimate with literary men -of the highest position. All through her life she had the _entrée_ to -many pleasant country houses, in which were gathered men of influence in -affairs, and clever and amusing women full of knowledge of the events of -the society in which they moved. She was everywhere popular, and this -was not a little due to the fact that she hated scandal and eschewed -gossip. She could not be ill-natured if she chose. Probably the severest -thing she ever uttered was said of a young man who, seeking a greater -prominence than he deserved, had somehow trodden on her toes. “Well, -but, Mary, you must at any rate admit that he is a good mimic.” “Is he? -then I wish he would always imitate some one else.” I have reason to -believe she even repented this. - -In my father’s house there was ever a room allotted to her and known by -her name. It was occasionally my privilege to occupy it, and to read her -collection of volumes of many sorts and many styles. It was there that I -read much of Landor, Browning and Mrs Browning, and all, or nearly all, -the novels of G. P. R. James, whom she called her literary godfather, -and whose influence is traceable in her novels of “A State Prisoner” and -“The Foresters.” - -With my father’s children, when we were children, she was the object of -the keenest admiration and the warmest love. She joyed in our joys, and -soothed our sorrows with unfailing tact. In later years it was a source -of no little regret to us that her roving life and somewhat restless -disposition deprived us of some opportunities of returning the care she -lavished on us when we were young. - -I am probably not alone in wishing that she had written more than she -did. The two novels to which I have referred have nothing to lose in -comparison with those of later writers, who have had a far wider -circulation than she. Graceful and graphic, they are marked by a purity -of plot and a delicacy of taste which make no attempt to season pleasure -with offence. She was not of those who consider it impossible to -interest or amuse without the introduction if not of that which is -unclean, at least of that which is bizarre. Later in life she produced a -short sketch of character called “Tangled Weft,” which probably would -have been more widely read had it been less refined.[1] - -Footnote 1: - - She also wrote a small volume of Poems, “My Portrait Gallery and other - Poems.” Dedicated to Walter Savage Landor. Privately printed in - London, 1849. - -A kindly critic in the _Athenæum_ of April 1890, immediately after her -death, described her conversation as having a charm that was -indescribable and perhaps unique. This was probably so. In her, judgment -and good sense were as solid as her shafts of wit were keen. She never -was the victim, happily for her, of the unreasoning adulation, which so -cruelly affected the last years of the life of the most humorous as well -as the wittiest Irishman whom it has ever been my good fortune to meet. -I knew Father Healy when his life was spent among his friends. I knew -him also when he was the idol of a flattering throng, who knew not what -they worshipped. Often have I seen him crushed into silence by the -persistence of admirers who would never let him utter three words on any -subject without beginning to laugh before he could get out with the -fourth. Mary Boyle, perhaps because she frequented the society of only -those who were friends, was not expected to drop pearls whenever she -spoke. - -In her letters it is possible that an equal charm might be found. But it -would require some patience in seeking; for her handwriting had -undoubted peculiarities. “We had a committee on your letter, dear Mary,” -once wrote an intimate friend. “We placed it on a table and sat round -it, and by dint of looking at it from every point of view we really made -out a good deal.” Notwithstanding the difficulty, however, some of those -who, like Charles Dickens, Lord Tennyson, and Browning, loved to -correspond with her, kept up an exchange of letters which ended only -with death. - -If my aunt had lived to finish these chapters, the title she desired to -apply to them might have been appropriate. As it is, they can scarcely -be considered an autobiography. There are lacking, too, references to -several houses[2] where she was a frequent guest, and to many circles of -friends whose gatherings she helped to make merry. I miss, especially, -allusions to Ireland, and above all to that happy shore, “washed by the -farthest” lake, where to my knowledge she spent many days of unalloyed -enjoyment. Her close friendship with Lady Marian Alford, the “your -Marian” of Lord Tennyson’s verses, is not mentioned.[3] But of the -society which Lady Marian loved to gather around her Mary Boyle was a -welcome member. It was at Ashridge that some years before the present -Bishop of Ely put on Lawn there flashed forth one of those keen answers -with which she often delighted her hearers. They were discussing some -important point of High Church—Low Church—Moderate Church. As luncheon -was announced a prudent critic of the discussion said, “Well, after all, -it is very true that _via media securum iter_.” “You don’t know what -that means, Mary?” “Oh, yes, I do! that is what Lord Alwynne says, -‘caution is the way to secure a mitre.’” - -Footnote 2: - - _See_ Supplementary Chapter. - -Footnote 3: - - _See_ Supplementary Chapter. - -After my father’s death in 1868 Mary Boyle established herself in a -small house in South Audley Street. James Russell Lowell, one of the -many brilliant men who both got and gave pleasure by a visit to her tiny -rooms, says of it: “No knock could surprise the modest door of what she -called her _bonbonnière_, for it opened and still opens to let in as -many distinguished persons, and what is better, as many devoted friends -as any in London.” This was written in 1888, the last year of her -occupancy, and two years before her death. “Miss Mary Boyle,” he goes on -to say, “bears no discoverable relation to dates. As nobody ever knew -how old the Countess of Desmond was, so nobody can tell how young Miss -Mary Boyle is. However long she may live, hers can never be that most -dismal of fates to outlive her friends while cheerfulness, kindliness, -cleverness, and all the other good nesses have anything to do with the -making of them.” She certainly had the faculty, a somewhat rare one, of -making as well as keeping friends. I have met in the wee chamber, which -she was wont to call a drawing-room, men of three generations all coming -within the category to which Mr Lowell refers. - -[Illustration: - - “THE BONBONNIÈRE”, 22 SOUTH AUDLEY STREET. -] - -Nor were her guests all of one sex. Neither her cleverness nor her -kindliness alone would have sufficed to keep the friendship of the many -women who loved her till her death. Together they did. So her rooms were -filled with those who were lovely and brilliant as well as those who -were learned and clever. The friendship which Mary Boyle maintained with -men of distinction in many spheres of life lasted for a long period of -years. Mr Lowell in the passage I have quoted was preparing for -publication some letters which were written to her by Walter Savage -Landor.[4] Those who wish to read these letters in full may find them in -the _Century Magazine_ for February 1888. “They are most interesting,” -says Lowell, “and have more clearly the stamp of the writer’s character -than many of Goethe’s to the Frau von Stein. They give an amiable -picture of him without his armour and in an undress, though never a -careless or slovenly one.” They are too long to be set out at length -here, but I may cite a few brief passages. The opening sentence of the -first especially commends itself to me. Lowell thinks it was written in -1842: - -“Your letter is a most delightful ramble. I believe I must come and be -your writing-master. Certainly if I did nothing else by drilling, I -should make rank and file stand closer.”... “You ask me if I have ever -seen Burleigh? Yes, nearly half a century ago. Nevertheless I have not -forgotten its magnificence. No place ever struck me so forcibly. And -then the grounds!”... - -Footnote 4: - - _See_ Supplementary Chapter. - -“And so, Carissima, you want to know whether I shall be _glad_ to see -you or _sorry_ to see you on the twentieth. Well then—sorry—to _have_ -seen you, glad, exultingly glad, to see you. And now I am resolved not -to tell you which I love best, Melcha or Mora.[5] Melcha colpisce -fortemente—Mora piu ancora s’innamora: I have broken my word to myself -all through you.”... “You see I have learnt to write from you—only I can -sometimes get three or four words into a line—which you can never do for -the life of you. But there are several in which I find two entire ones. -I do not like to spoil the context, otherwise I would order them to be -glazed and framed in gold.”... - -Footnote 5: - - Names of two characters in a poetical drama, which she wrote, called - the _Bridal of Melcha_. - -“It is only this evening that I received the _Bridal of Melcha_. I do -not like to be an echo, but I am certain that I must be one in -expressing my admiration of it. To-night is our Fancy Ball. You should -be at it crowned with myrtle and bay. If I had opened the volume, but at -the very hour of meeting my friends there, I could not have refrained -from reading it through before I set out. It is indeed already late -enough, and I suspect past the post-office hour, adieu, Musa Grazia! and -call me in future anything but Dottissimo. Remember, you have a choice -of Issimi.”... - -“It would grieve me to see religion and education taken out of the hands -of gentlemen and turned altogether, as it is in part, into those of the -uneducated and vulgar. I would rather see my own house pulled down than -a Cathedral. But if Bishops are to sit in the House of Lords as Barons, -voting against no corruption, against no cruelty, not even the -slave-trade, the people ere long will knock them on the head. -Conservative I am, but no less am I an _aristocratic radical_ like -yourself. I would eradicate all that vitiates our constitution in Church -and State, making room for the gradual growth of what altering times -require, but preserving the due ranks and orders of society, and even to -a much greater degree than most of the violent Tories are doing.” - -... She was associated with Tennyson, Wordsworth, and Landor in a small -miscellany which Lord Northampton encouraged and edited in aid of the -surviving family of Edward Smedley. Her contribution, “My Father’s at -the Helm,” attracted a considerable amount of attention, and achieved -some popularity. Better judges than myself encourage me to reproduce it: - - “The hurricane was at its worst, - The waves dashed mountains high, - When from a gallant ship there burst - A loud despairing cry. - - The Captain’s son sat on the deck, - A young and lovely child, - And when the crew foreboded wreck, - He shook his head and smiled. - - ’Mid groans of care and deep despair - And manhood’s bitter tear, - That gentle boy, all hope and joy, - Betrayed no signs of fear. - - A mariner, who strove in vain - To nerve his troubled soul, - Thought of his wife and babes with pain, - Nor could his fears control— - - Approached the boy and with a loud - And rough defiant tone, - ‘Tell me, and art thou then endowed - With courage all thine own? - - Dar’st thou defy or doubt the sky - Hath power to overwhelm?’ - The gentle child looked up and smiled - ‘My father’s at the helm.’ - - Oh, could we think as that blest child, - Whilst wandering here below, - We should not dread the tempest wild, - The storm of human woe! - - The waves of misery might dash - Above our little bark, - And human wrath like lightning flash - Then leave our life track dark! - - His soul all calm, no thoughts of harm - The Christian overwhelm, - Firm in the thought with safety fraught - His Father’s at the helm.” - -Later in life she printed, for a limited circulation only, Historical -and Biographical Catalogues of the Pictures at Longleat, Hinchingbrooke, -Panshanger and Westonbirt, to which Lowell was probably right in -attributing a serious value. - -Of all her writings it may be said that their chief charm consists in -their reproduction of herself. Standing alone they would have stood -strongly. They were meant for her friends, and to her friends, who were -many, they conveyed a pleasure which was largely due to connection -easily traceable between what was written and her who wrote. - -The marriage in 1884 of her niece Audrey, the only daughter of my uncle -Charles, with Hallam Tennyson, increased the already keen friendship -between her and our last great poet. How intimate it was and how much he -valued it, may be gathered even by him who runs, from the stanzas which -he sent to her with one of his latest poems. She received them in the -spring of 1888 when still mourning the death of her friend Lady Marian -Alford. - - - SPRING-FLOWERS. - - “While you still delay to take - Your leave of town, - Our elm tree’s ruddy-hearted blossom-flake - Is fluttering down. - - Be truer to your promise. There! I heard - One cuckoo call. - Be needle to the magnet of your word, - Nor wait, till all - - Our vernal bloom from every vale and plain - And garden pass, - And all the gold from each laburnum chain - Drop to the grass. - - Is memory with your Marian gone to rest, - Dead with the dead? - For ere she left us, when we met, you prest - My hand, and said - - ‘I come with your spring-flowers!’ You came not, friend; - My birds would sing, - You heard not. Take then this spring-flower I send, - This song of spring. - - * * * - - And you that now are lonely, and with grief - Sit face to face, - Might find a flickering glimmer of relief - In change of place. - - What use to brood? This mingled life of pains - And joys to me, - Despite of every Faith and Creed, remains - The Mystery. - - * * * - - The silver year should cease to mourn and sigh— - Not long to wait— - So close are we, dear Mary, you and I - To that dim gate.” - -Close indeed were they both “to that dim gate.” She died in April -1890—and in 1892 the great writer, and the still more kindly man, -answered the “one clear call,” and embarked to “meet his Pilot face to -face.” - - * * * * * - -Thus far Sir Courtenay Boyle had written his Introduction to the Memoirs -when to him also came the “one clear call,” and he too embarked to “meet -his Pilot face to face.”[6] - -Footnote 6: - - Sir Courtenay Boyle died 19th May 1901. - -The papers which now form the Supplementary Chapter arrived too late. It -was his intention to have incorporated them in the book, and they would -doubtless have necessitated some slight modification in his -Introduction. I have preferred to leave his work as he left it, and keep -the supplementary papers separate. - - MURIEL S. BOYLE. - -_September 1901._ - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - _J. Russell & Sons, photo._ - _Courtenay Boyle_ -] - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - PREFACE - - -I hope my readers, whether gentle or simple, will do me the favour to -read this Preface, as I wish to explain a little, perhaps apologise a -little, after the usual fashion of people who write their reminiscences. -According to custom, I had better begin by stating that it was at the -instigation of many personal friends, some of them men of literary -tastes and distinction, that I overcame my cowardice to embark on what -appeared to me a most hazardous enterprise; but one in which I have -found so much pleasure and relaxation—during hours of failing health and -growing blindness—that I have often been tempted to say, “Oh that these -pages might amuse the reader half as much as they have done the writer.” -The choice of a title, which, as Mr Motley in one of his delightful -letters says, ought to be “selling and telling” occupied me for a very -short time, as far as I myself was concerned. The name of “Vanessa” was -endeared to me by old recollections, for I had gained that _sobriquet_ -on one occasion, when a goodly troop of friends and relations was -assembled in the country house of a dear cousin. - -These companions “who did converse and waste the time together,” -enrolled themselves into a band and gave each other fanciful, and as -they considered at the time, appropriate names, or nicknames, what the -Italians might call Ottias. For instance, a much-loved member of my -family, “who looked well to the ways of her household,” and “ate not the -bread of idleness,” was christened “Melissa,” or the working-bee; -another, whose short-sight was one of his only shortcomings, was dubbed -“Belisarius,” while I was unanimously hailed as “Vanessa,” or the -Butterfly. - -This circumstance, coupled with the love I had for all that was bright, -variegated, motley, for bright colours, bright flowers, bright scenes, -bright sunshine, made me resolve on the “Autobiography of a Butterfly.” -More than one friend argued against my choice, saying it conveyed a -wrong impression of my character and ways of thinking, inasmuch as it -sounded frivolous and superficial, but I do not think so; it appears to -me that the joyous flittings of a butterfly through a summer garden give -rather a suitable notion of a wandering, chequered life, replete with -light and happiness, or to make use of another metaphor, broken up into -bits like an ancient mosaic pavement containing many particles of gold, -with an incomplete pattern, so I have stood by my original title and -chosen for my emblem a butterfly on the gnomon of that dial, “which only -counts the hours that are serene”; for although in recording the days of -a long life, the shadow of sorrow and bereavement must necessarily fall -on some of the pages, yet it has been my earnest desire to dwell on the -brighter side of things—to interest and amuse, rather than to sadden or -depress. - -In this my chronicle I have striven as far as in me lies to avoid -tedium, for is not tedium, either in writing or conversing, “the -unpardonable sin”?—likewise the two faults which I have so often -detected in the autobiography of others, viz. the pride that “apes -humility,” and all the while calls out to the reader (if I may be -allowed the vulgarism) “Am I not a fine fellow?” and the more palpable -self-conceit and egotism that asserts the fact boldly. Another lesson I -have learned in the writings of some of my predecessors, is to refrain -from saying bitter things of those who can no longer take me to task for -so doing, and from wounding the feelings of survivors who loved them. - -One of the chief pleas which was urged on me, and which encouraged me to -write the following pages, was the fact that I had been on terms of -close and tender friendship with many great men, any mention of whom -would be welcome to my readers. But it is one thing to appreciate and -remember the delightful companionship of such eminent friends as I may -enumerate in these pages, and another to convey to others the faintest -idea of their individuality. - -During the course of writing I have hit upon what appeared to me a novel -expedient. After carrying on my narrative to a certain point, I have -inserted detached chapters, treating of people and places which are -calculated in my opinion to interest the general reader, and that -without much reference to dates; indeed, as far as those terrible -stumbling-blocks are concerned, I plead guilty in many cases to -inaccuracy, offering as my excuse that I have never kept a continuous -journal, but rather have written a few spasmodic pages at intervals. One -more excuse, and I have done. In my blindness, I have been helped by -more than one kind and patient secretary, but I have sadly missed the -power of myself looking over the manuscript and detecting fault in style -or frequent tautology. For all these shortcomings I humbly beg pardon, -and earnestly desire to be forgiven. - - “VANESSA.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CONTENTS - - - PAGE - EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION ix - - PREFACE xxi - - CHAP. - - I. BIRTH, PARENTAGE AND FAMILY 1 - - II. LIFE IN A DOCKYARD—FRIENDS, 15 - FAVOURITES AND RETAINERS - - III. MY FIRST PLAY—MARRIAGE OF THE 25 - DUKE OF CLARENCE—DEPARTURE FOR - SHEERNESS - - IV. EARLY DRAMATIC 33 - RECOLLECTIONS—RESIDENCE AT - HAMPTON COURT - - V. LIFE AT HAMPTON COURT 41 - - VI. OUR EXTRA HOMES 51 - - VII. MY GRANDMOTHER’S MAID 64 - - VIII. OUR HOUSEHOLD 73 - - IX. BRIGHTON—SCHOOLDAYS 80 - - X. VISITS IN CUMBERLAND AND 92 - LEICESTERSHIRE—ACCESSION OF - WILLIAM IV. - - XI. FIRST CONTINENTAL TRAVELS—TURIN 103 - AND GENOA - - XII. SUMMER AT THE BATHS OF LUCCA 115 - - XIII. SHORT SOJOURN IN FLORENCE 125 - - XIV. SUMMER AT NAPLES 134 - - XV. PISA AND FLORENCE 145 - - XVI. RETURN TO ENGLAND—ACCESSION OF 158 - QUEEN VICTORIA—HER CORONATION - - XVII. MILLARD’S HILL—TENBY—CHARLES 163 - YOUNG AND A COURT BALL - - XVIII. 1844. TRIP TO THE CHANNEL 170 - ISLANDS - - XIX. WHITTLEBURY 179 - - XX. MUNICH—SECOND VISIT TO ITALY 187 - - XXI. ARRIVAL IN ROME, 1846—OCTOBER 194 - FESTIVALS AND “POSSESSO” - - XXII. SUMMER OF 1847—FLORENCE, VILLA 201 - CAREGGI - - XXIII. RESIDENCE IN FLORENCE—CHARLES 210 - LEVER—REVOLUTION, AND THE - BROWNINGS - - XXIV. LAST DAYS AT FLORENCE—RETURN TO 221 - ENGLAND—MILLARD’S HILL, - LONDON, 1848 - - XXV. ROCKINGHAM CASTLE—CHARLES 229 - DICKENS - - XXVI. PROTECTIONIST PARTY AT BURGHLEY 244 - - XXVII. ALTHORP 253 - - - SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER - - WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR 262 - - VISCOUNT STRATFORD DE REDCLIFFE 265 - - CARLYLE 267 - - THE GROVE 269 - - HINCHINGBROOKE 272 - - OSSINGTON 278 - - ASHRIDGE 279 - - WREST PARK 281 - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - _SUB SOLE VANITAS, from a drawing by E. _Frontispiece_ - V. B._ - - “THE BONBONNIÈRE,” 22 SOUTH AUDLEY xiv - STREET - - SIR COURTENAY BOYLE, _from a photograph xx - by J. Russell & Sons_ - - MARY BOYLE, _from a picture by Madame 2 - Perugini_ - - VICE-ADMIRAL THE HON. SIR COURTENAY 8 - BOYLE AND THE HON. LADY BOYLE - - HON. EDMUND BOYLE, AFTERWARDS EIGHTH 52 - EARL OF CORK, BORN 1787; HON. RICHARD - BOYLE, ELDER BROTHER OF ABOVE, DIED - YOUNG; HON. COURTENAY BOYLE, BORN - 1770, AFTERWARDS VICE-ADMIRAL, K.C.B. - - LONGLEAT 54 - - MILLARD’S HILL, WITH “NARCISSUS” IN THE 164 - FOREGROUND, _from a drawing by E. V. - B._ - - GAD’S HILL 238 - - BURGHLEY 244 - - BOWOOD 250 - - ALTHORP 254 - - THE GROVE 270 - - HINCHINGBROOKE 272 - - ASHRIDGE 280 - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - MARY BOYLE - - - - - CHAPTER I - - BIRTH, PARENTAGE AND FAMILY - - -The nineteenth century was still in its teens when I first saw the -light. Let me pause, lest I make an inaccurate assertion, for I was born -on the 12th November, the month of fogs, in Margaret Street, Cavendish -Square, London, the home of fogs. It was under the sign Sagittarius, -whose patronage, combined with the tastes inherited from two -grandfathers, both masters of hounds, made me a “mighty huntress.” -“Tuesday’s child,” says the old adage, “is full of grace,” hence my -vocation for, and proficiency in, dancing. The motto of my natal month -is “fidelity in friendship”; my patron plant, the ivy, which almost -invariably clings to things nobler and loftier than itself. And truly in -this respect I have been more than commonly blessed, for, through many -adverse circumstances, the coffers of my heart have overflowed with the -treasures of friendship, and good measure pressed down and running over -has been cast into my bosom. It is usual, at the commencement of a -story, to give the description of the heroine, but a few words will -suffice in the present instance. In complexion and colouring I am very -fair, and have often flippantly remarked— - - “Angels were painted fair to look like me.” - -Indeed, blondes have a great responsibility placed upon them, as in the -old story-books the fair women are very good and the brunettes very bad, -though I have not always found the distinction to be carried out in real -life. The other chief characteristic of my exterior is that I am very -diminutive, a subject on which I have been “chaffed” my life long. I -have often been induced to complain that as “Greenwich is the standard -for longitude, so Mary is the standard for shortitude.” In spite of -which, it has been a cherished vanity of mine that I have very long legs -in proportion to my height, and five feet and eight heads (_Anglice_) in -drawing, was the strange description I gave of myself to a friend, whose -natural rejoinder was, “What a very remarkable animal!” - -One of my chief moral attributes was light-heartedness, and, as -Autolycus says: - - “A merry heart goes many a league, - Your sad one tires in a mile”— - -which is perhaps the reason of my having been an indefatigable walker. -From my earliest childhood I have had a decided predilection—I might -almost say passion—for all that is bright and brilliant, in garments, -furniture, decorations. The “sick turned up with sad” which a few years -ago held such universal sway in fashion, and which I devoutly hope is -now in the wane, never had any charms for me. Firmly believing as I do -that the colouring of our native island is not sufficiently cheering of -itself to dispense with cheerful adjuncts, I have wooed external -brightness, which does not seem unnatural to the tastes of a -“Butterfly.” But let me proceed with my narrative. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - -[Illustration: - - _M Boyle_ -] - -[Sidenote: A NATIVE OF LONDON] - -Being a native of London, I am an undoubted Cockney, a circumstance -which embittered many of my childish years, and although by no means of -an envious disposition, I assuredly envied my sister the privilege of -being born in a delightful old Queen Anne’s mansion, in a pretty room, -overhanging a broad gravel terrace, the windows of which were embowered -with roses, jasmine, and honeysuckle—Balls Park, the home of my uncle, -Lord John Townshend—and I have often upbraided my mother for not having -selected so delightful a spot for my entrance into the world.[7] - -Footnote 7: - - Mary Louisa Boyle, born November 1810, died April 1890. - -At the time of my birth, we were in family three girls and two -boys—Courtenay, Caroline (Caddy as she was always called), Charles, -Charlotte, and myself. But one day, when I was between three and four, -my mother asked me if I should not like a live doll to play with? Oh, -rapture! Dolls were my passion, but a live doll!—the idea was ecstasy! -How well I can recall my first sight of my youngest brother, seated on -his nurse’s knee, crowned with one of those quilted contrivances of -white satin and rosy pink, that seemed a link between a baby hat of the -period and a pudding or bourlet of the olden time. Oh! how I then and -there loved my live doll, my brother Cavendish—the little Benjamin of -the family!—how I did love him with the love of more than half a -century. How I love him still, though we no longer tread the earth -together, and how fondly I cling to the hope of a reunion in that -region— - - “Where those who left us dwell in joy sublime; - And those we leave will come in God’s good time.” - -But to return to the members of our family.[8] My parents were Captain -(afterwards Admiral) Sir Courtenay Boyle, second surviving son of -Edmund, seventh Earl of Cork and Orrery, and Carolina Amelia, daughter -of William Poyntz, of Midgham House, Berkshire. - -Footnote 8: - - Vice-Admiral The Hon. Sir Courtenay Boyle, born 1770; married 1799 - Carolina Amelia, daughter of William Poyntz, Esq., of Midgham, Co. - Berks; died May 1844. - - ISSUE OF ABOVE: - - Courtenay Edmund William, Capt. R.N., born 1800; married 1836 Mary, - daughter of W. Wallace Ogle, Esq.; died 1859. - - Charles John, born 1806, died 1885; married 1849 Zacyntha Moore, - daughter of General Sir Lorenzo Moore. - - Cavendish Spencer, born 1814; married 1844 Rose Susan, daughter of - Captain C. Alexander, Royal Engineers; died 1868. - - Carolina, born 1803, died 1883. - - Mary Louisa, born 1810, died 1890. - - -[Sidenote: “THE DIVINE PHILOSOPHER”] - -As this is a book of confessions as well as of reminiscences, I may as -well make a clean breast of it at once, and own that I take a pride in -ancestry, and love Heraldry and History, and many of the “ries,” even as -scientific people love the “ologies.” I am proud of my descent because -my forefathers were many of them great and good men; and I once boasted -that I could find five of them in Biographical Dictionaries, inclusive -of Robert Boyle, “the Divine Philosopher of the World,” who has been -described in one of the aforesaid books as “the Father of Chemistry and -the brother of the Earl of Cork.” - -I certainly admit, “that it is better to have a glory of your own, not -borrowed of your fathers;” but surely it is better to have that than -“none at all.” - -“I do not care about ancestry,” said my dear friend, Mayne Dickens, to -me one day. - -“Well,” said I, “you are better off than any of us in that respect, for -your great ancestor is still alive; but will not his children’s children -glory in his name?” - -On my mother’s side I claim collateral relationship with Rosamund -Clifford. Now this involves a moral question. May I be pardoned for -feeling any pride on that account? It is so romantic, so pathetic a -tale, the scandal, if there were any, dates so many centuries back! The -damsel was so fair. Besides, has not our beloved “Laureate” of late -wiped the blot from fair Rosamund’s escutcheon? - -My father had served with great distinction in the Navy, into which he -had entered at the very early age of ten, and had been midshipman on -board Lord Nelson’s ship, with whom he was a great favourite. I have in -my possession two autograph letters of the Hero’s, one written with the -right, the other with the left hand, which I will insert here. The first -is addressed to Lord Cork; the second to my father. - - - _Lord Nelson to Lord Cork, written by the Right Hand._ - - - PORTSMOUTH, _22nd July 1787_. - - MY LORD,—I have received your letter of the 17th wherein you - seem to think that my advice in regard to Courtenay may be of - service to him. I wish it may, therefore will give it. In the - first place, it is necessary he should be made complete in his - navigation—and if this war continues, French is absolutely - necessary. Drawing is an accomplishment that possibly a - sea-officer may want. You will see almost the necessity of it - when employed in foreign countries. Indeed the honour of the - nation is so often entrusted to sea-officers, that there is no - accomplishment that will not shine with peculiar lustre in them. - He must nearly have served his time, therefore he cannot be so - well employed as gaining knowledge. If I can at any time be of - service to him, he may always call upon me. His charming - disposition will ever make him Friends, and he may as well join - the ship when his brother goes to the Continent.—I have the - honour to be, my Lord,—Your most obedient humble servant, - - HORATIO NELSON, - - EARL CORK. - - - _Nelson with the Left Hand._ - - - “VICTORY,” _18th August 1803_. - - MY DEAR BOYLE,—I am very happy to have you in so fine a frigate - under my command, for I am ever yours most faithfully, - - NELSON and BRONTE. - - Honble. C. BOYLE, - - H.M.S. _Seahorse_, - - Malta. - - -[Sidenote: MY FATHER SHIPWRECKED] - -During the war with France in the year 1800, my father suffered -shipwreck on the coast of Egypt, and narrowly escaped with his life. He -sent all his crew ashore before he himself left the sinking vessel, -headed by an officer with a flag of truce, to make terms with a -detachment of French soldiers (the country being then in the occupation -of Napoleon’s army), and these soldiers stood on the beach, calmly -watching the dangers and struggles of the shipwrecked mariners, as they -endeavoured to gain the shore on hastily-constructed rafts, through surf -which threatened to swamp them. The sea was running very high, and many -of their provisions and possessions were floated off and lost to them -for ever. The locality was near Rosetta, and the Frenchmen, in spite of -promises of assistance and protection—which men of any chivalrous -feeling would surely have afforded to an enemy in such straits—plundered -the English sailors, ill-treated them, and threw them into prison, a -fate which also befell their commanding officer on landing. - -The history of that portion of my father’s life is a long, and to me, -interesting one. Suffice it to say, that from all the officials with -whom he had to deal, both he and his men met with the harshest and most -unjust treatment. Many of his crew succumbed under the hardships to -which they were exposed in their dreary and noisome prison-houses. The -bright exception to these hard-hearted functionaries was Marshal Kléber, -one of Napoleon’s most distinguished generals, a man of high courage, -proverbial generosity, and great personal beauty. He was Governor of -Cairo at the time, and showed my father especial favour, allowing him -out of prison, “on parole,” and courting his society on every occasion. -He also presented him with a sword, which I grieve to say did not become -an heirloom in the family as my father made it an offering to the Prince -Regent. - -There were many among those who surrounded the Governor, to whom my -father was an object of dislike and jealousy, and when General Kléber -was assassinated by a fanatic, my father was accused of being an -accomplice of the assassin, and condemned to death. His only companion -and comforter in those terrible hours being his favourite pointer, -“Malta,” who kept him warm by lying on his chest at night, and scaring -away the rats and scorpions which infested the cell. While awaiting the -completion of his sentence, the prisoner wrote a most pathetic and -eloquent farewell to his wife in England, then expecting her -confinement. I subjoin the letter, in order that my readers may judge if -the epithets I have bestowed on it be ill-chosen. I have read it over -and over again, at many periods of my life, and every time - - “It did beguile me of my tears.” - -[Illustration: - - VICE-ADMIRAL THE HON. SIR COURTENAY BOYLE. -] - -[Illustration: - - THE HON. LADY BOYLE. -] - -[Sidenote: LETTER OF CAPT. COURTENAY BOYLE] - - - FROM MY PRISON IN THE CITADEL OF CAIRO, - _19th June 1800_. - - Should this ever come to the hands of my beloved wife, I shall - be no more. Torn from this world by a cruel enemy, I have been - bound to answer for the safety of another captive, a French - prisoner in the hands of the Turks, our allies. Should I, - however, innocent of the crime imputed to me, suffer this - unmerited death, I trust in God that I shall possess sufficient - fortitude to die as a man, and sufficient religion to die as - becomes a Christian. - - My last prayer will be for the happiness and comfort of my - beloved wife, and of her child, should it have pleased God that - she has survived her lying-in. So high an opinion have I of her - devout mind and excellent heart, that I shall only recommend her - to instil into this dear infant its mother’s principles and - virtue. - - Assure our friends, my loved Carolina, and particularly our dear - mother, that my soul—which will pray to God to receive it during - the last moments that it lingers here—will quit this world with - emotions of gratitude for kindness to us both, and with a - conviction of its continuance to you and to our child.... I - cannot write more in the wretched prison where I am confined. - - Summon, dear Carolina, your utmost fortitude, and endeavour by - prayer to console yourself in this world of trial. - - This is the tribute I ask to be paid to the memory of a husband, - who wished only to live to promote your happiness. Let my just - debts be paid; and give to John Stephens, an old and trusty - servant of my father, fifty pounds. Prove this my last - will—leaving and bequeathing everything I possess to my beloved - wife, Carolina Amelia Boyle. - - Wrote in prison, in the citadel of Cairo, after having had an - audience with the French general-in-chief, Menou, who informed - me that he had determined on my death, and that no application - should make him move from his determination. - - Adieu, for ever! My much-loved and esteemed wife, adieu! - - COURTENAY BOYLE. - - -The cruel sentence would assuredly have been carried into execution, but -for the timely arrival in those waters of the gallant Admiral, Sir -Sydney Smith, whose influence effected an interchange of prisoners; and -so Captain Courtenay Boyle, with his faithful dog, “Malta,” returned in -safety to his native land. - -My mother was one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen, in form, -feature and complexion, and remained so till old age, and even after -death. My eldest brother bore the name “Courtenay,” and, following the -profession of his father, he also went to sea when quite a boy. I can -well remember our sorrow at his departure, and how, shortly after, there -was some vague dread and anxiety respecting him, which I did not quite -understand at the time, till on his sudden re-appearance the mystery was -solved. He had gone on his first cruise in the (not good) ship -_Meander_, which proved unseaworthy, and narrowly escaped foundering. My -brother was asleep in his berth at the moment of extreme peril, and one -of the officers forbade that he should be disturbed. “Leave the poor -little chap in peace,” he said, “and let him awake in Heaven.”... But -our middy came back in safety and lived to be an admiral. He brought -home with him specimens of the _Meander_’s timber, which would have made -Mr Plimsoll’s hair stand on end, for they crumbled away in our hands -like so much touchwood. - -Courtenay’s first cruise I commemorated in rather a peculiar manner, by -giving the name of “Meander” to my little bay mare, the first palfrey I -ever mounted; and I am glad to say the name brought no ill-luck either -to pony or rider. Courtenay was the very moral of a sailor—frank, -light-hearted, open-handed, impulsive, of a most impressionable and -susceptible heart, which he was in the constant habit of losing to every -pretty girl he met. He was frequently engaged (perhaps I had better say -entangled) before he had attained Post rank. His promotion came to him -early. One day he arrived at Hampton Court (before the days that -railroads made the old Palace little more than a suburb of London), when -his appearance in a yellow “po chay” called forth astonishment and -upbraidings at his extravagance. “How else,” was the proud reply, -“should a Post-captain travel?” After passing through many vicissitudes -in respect of affairs of the heart, Courtenay married one whose -remarkable personal charms were her chief recommendation. - -[Sidenote: CAROLINE AND CHARLES BOYLE] - -Next in succession came my sister Caroline (Caddy), who was often absent -from home, going abroad with our Uncle and Aunt Poyntz, whose three -daughters[9] were nearer her age and more fitted to be her companions -than myself, her junior by several years. Wherever she went, Caddy was -much admired. Her colouring was exceptionally bright, and even in her -eightieth year, her eyes literally sparkled, and her complexion was of -that red and white, so softly blent that it might have become an infant -in the cradle. Yet the real, surpassing gift of beauty was reserved for -my brother Charles. Ah! what a store of love and memory is connected -with that dear name, and how well did the Greek epithet “Kalos” become -him, which implies in its melodious sound both moral and physical -beauty. The term beautiful does not appear, perhaps, often applicable to -a man, but it certainly was to Charles. In feature, colouring and -expression he was the counterpart of our mother, the same soft brown -hair, the same sapphire blue eyes, the same faultless outline of -profile. I have a very fine painting of him by Samuel Reynolds, the son -of the celebrated engraver. I have also a sketch of his head, a crayon -drawing of great beauty, which is doubly valuable to me, as the work and -precious gift of our dear friend and world-famed painter, George Watts. - -Footnote 9: - - Frances, Lady Clinton; Elizabeth, Countess Spencer; Isabella, - Marchioness of Exeter. - - “Blest be the hand, whose touch can give - The looks that last, the smiles that live! - Blest be the hand that gives us back - The looks we miss, the smiles we lack, - ‘Mid time and absence, distance, space, - Recalls the one familiar face - With us to dwell, with us abide, - Which our own tears alone can hide!” - -An earlier friend, John Hayter, brother of Sir George Hayter, some time -President of the Royal Academy, also made an equestrian sketch in -coloured crayons of Charles in a gorgeous Albanian costume, which he -brought with him from Greece, on his return from a cruise with our -sailor brother. I shall never forget the sensation caused at the fancy -ball at Brighton, when our young Albanian appeared with his sister -Caroline, also arrayed in a genuine Greek costume. They were indeed a -most beautiful pair, and looked the very embodiment of the hero and -heroine of one of Byron’s Eastern poems. - -Fourth in succession came a little blue-eyed, fair-haired sister, -Charlotte by name, who died when only six years old. In what high relief -do such early records stand out on the tablet of a child’s memory. Never -shall I forget the tone of deep melancholy in which my mother would -exclaim: “No one knows what real sorrow is till they have lost a child.” - -[Sidenote: EPITAPH ON CHARLOTTE BOYLE] - -Charlotte’s burial-place is at Preston, in Kent, not far from Sheerness, -where we were then living, and was chosen not alone on account of -proximity. The church contains an elaborate monument erected by our -ancestor, the first Earl of Cork, after he had made his fortune, to the -memory of his parents, both natives of Kent. This monument has, I grieve -to say, been suffered to fall into decay, although I have frequently -raised my feeble voice in expostulation on the subject. My uncle, Lord -John Townshend, wrote my little sister’s epitaph, which is inscribed on -a marble tablet in Preston church. To me the lines have ever appeared -pathetic, although penned in the old-fashioned style of those days. -After recording the dates of her birth and death, they go on to say:— - - “Scarce yet had smiled thy early dawn of day, - Youth’s roseate buds just opening into bloom, - When wintry winds, that chilled thy lovely May, - Shed all thy with’ring blossoms on the tomb. - - “But blest, fair child, blest far above thy years, - With filial piety and duteous love, - Thy sure reward restrains our selfish tears - And lifts our hearts to Charlotte’s bliss above.” - -Some years ago, when on a visit to my dear friend, Charles Dickens, I -made a pilgrimage to the tombs of my ancestors, and that of my little -sister. Knocking boldly at the door of the Rectory, I told my errand to -the clergyman, asking him at the same time for the key of the church. He -discreetly allowed me to remain alone for some time, and when he -followed me, naturally enquired to whom he was speaking. Now, I flatter -myself, that my mode of self-introduction was rather original. Pointing -to a portion of the monument in question, recording the early demise of -a certain Mary Boyle, who had died at least two hundred years before, -“That is my name,” I said, “and I am very much obliged to you for your -kindness.” - -I came between Charlotte and Cavendish, and of the latter I shall make -constant mention, as being closely bound up with my life and -heartstrings. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER II - - LIFE IN A DOCKYARD—FRIENDS, FAVOURITES AND RETAINERS - - -Few people have had more homes than I, and few have resided in those -homes for, comparatively speaking, so short a consecutive time. I have -often said during a long life that I might lay claim in some measure to -the character of a gipsy; but then, in the language of the profession to -which I always boast that I belong by taste and inclination, I most -assuredly never “looked the part.” The first home I recollect is that of -Sheerness Dockyard, when my father was Commissioner, and where, with -occasional flittings, we remained until I had attained my eighth year. -Remote as that period appears in retrospect, Sheerness and its environs -are indelibly impressed on my memory—the frightful town, the hideous -chapel, the bustling dockyard with its numerous shipping, the -comfortable house, where I can still walk in recollection through every -room, the pleasant garden, and the pretty conservatory with a large -aviary at the end, which contained our favourite birds. - -Alas! how well I remember one day as I went in to pay a visit to my -feathered friends, I found that the mousetrap which had been set for the -robber of bird-seed, had caught and beheaded one of our prettiest -bull-finches. - -The life we led at Sheerness was very peculiar, and I question whether -in those bygone days the Viceroy of India, or Ireland, or any other -representative potentate, could have been held in higher consideration -than the Commissioner of a Dockyard. I am speaking, of course, of our -circumscribed official circle. As to the Commissioner’s children, they -were looked upon as little else than princes and princesses on a small -scale, and to our numerous retainers the slightest wish of the youngest -member of the family was as law. This remark held good more particularly -with the boat’s crew, who were the most devoted and loyal of our -subjects. Two of these men were told off as running grooms to Cavendish -and myself, and accompanied us in our daily rides to one of the few -green spots in the neighbourhood, called the Major’s March. Here, -slipping the reins by which they had led us for safety through the town, -they would gaze with admiration on our juvenile feats of -horsemanship—our wild careering over what then appeared to us a vast -tract of country. Cavendish’s hack was a small Welsh pony, “Black -Taffy,” the present of a clerk in my father’s office, who had imported -the little charger from his native hills of Cambria. “Meander,” my pony, -was a bright golden bay, and many were the races and wild gallops that -pretty little pair of ponies afforded us. - -Besides our nautical stablemen, the coxswain, a small but most efficient -seaman, was a great favourite with us all; and once, during the absence -of the men-servants, Lowe, as he was by name and stature, did not -disdain to wait in the nursery. One day he caused us great merriment by -stopping in the act of carrying in the children’s dinner, and placing -the wooden tray on the ground with a bang, exclaiming in a stentorian -voice: “God bless my soul, I’ve forgot the beer!”—the leg of mutton -being left to cool on the carpet, while Lowe descended to the cellar to -fetch what he doubtless considered the most important item in the -repast. - -[Sidenote: “LONG GEORGE”] - -Another remarkable member of the crew was “Long George,” a handsome -giant, but decidedly a _mauvais sujet_, who was in constant scrapes and -periodical danger of dismissal. When so placed, he would invariably -steal up to the nursery, and with a timid knock, and in a coaxing tone, -ask if “Miss Mary would be so very good as to beg Commissioner to let -him off this once”; and downstairs would little Mary fly with a beating -heart, to knock at the door of father’s office. After being kept in -suspense for a few moments, which seemed to her as many hours, she would -scamper back to her “ne’er-do-weel” with the joyful intelligence that he -was forgiven, but it was positively for the very last time. Some last -times are of frequent recurrence. - -Another class of men who came frequently under our notice were the -convicts employed in various ways in the dockyard. Our nursery windows -commanded a view of a spot where important works were carried -on—wharfage, transport, and the like. It rejoiced in the name of -Powder-Monkey Bay, a title that did not convey a very clear meaning to -our young minds, savouring as it did of a semi-zoological character. In -those days criminals convicted of the worst offences wore round the -waist an iron belt, from which were suspended heavy chains, fastened at -each ankle, such as we see in Hogarth’s painting of “Macheath,” and -other unworthies. From our windows, we often saw two boys thus accoutred -at work, and never did so without a shudder; they were brothers, about -fifteen or sixteen years of age, who had murdered their mother. A -mother!—in our sight the most sacred, the most beloved of human beings. -But there were different characters and various moral grades among these -men, and perseverance in good conduct often shortened the period of -their imprisonment. Those who had been artizans were allowed to carry on -and dispose of their work while on board the hulks; and one of the -convicts, who went by the name of “Tidy Dick,” was permitted to make -shoes for the Commissioner’s children. We were very fond of him, and -participated in his delight when he came to tell us he had obtained his -release. We even added the mite of our small allowances to the -subscription which our father and mother, the Admiral, and other -dignitaries of the dockyard, had raised to fit out “Tidy Dick” with a -new suit of clothes, in which he came to bid us good-bye. The word was -not invented in those days, but there is no doubt about it, Dick was a -regular “swell.” - -Another member of the community caused much amusement to my father, who -on one occasion went into his garden and found a convict at work after -the hour that the warder and the other prisoners had left off for the -day. - -[Sidenote: “OH! I AM FOR BIGAMY”] - -“What are you here for?” was the question asked in tones of surprise. -The man jumped up hastily from his kneeling position, and pulling his -forelock, answered in the most cheerful and unconcerned tones: “Oh! I am -for bigamy, Commissioner.” - -Another convict was a skilful tailor, and was permitted the privilege of -making costumes for our dramatic company on the occasion of our first -play—a subject of great importance, of which I shall treat hereafter. - -But while writing of our friends and retainers, I should be ungrateful -to omit the mention of a warder endowed with the unusual name of Orper. -This man had in our childish eyes attained the very summit of high art, -and if in those early times we had ever heard of Michel Angelo, we -should have placed Orper on a level with that great man. It must be -confessed his genius was not as versatile, neither did he even attempt -the modelling of the human form divine; but then his birds! It must also -be allowed that his young patrons displayed much discrimination in -classing and naming the peculiar ornithological representations which he -carved in wood for our delight. These works of art were more especially -objects of our admiration and desire, when slightly coloured or tinted. -In this respect Orper had an illustrious follower in the celebrated John -Gibson, although we are fain to believe that that eminent sculptor had -never heard of his predecessor. - -I have now come to a portion of my narrative which entails delicate -handling, but I have promised that these pages shall contain -confessions, and I will therefore lose no time in owning frankly that I -was ever a flirt, and will candidly enter on the subject of my juvenile -flirtations. - -My first love was naturally much older than myself (being nearly -fourteen), and very tall, a very handsome black-eyed fellow, the son of -my father’s dear friend and colleague, the Port Admiral. He was by fits -and starts very good and condescending to me, and accepted my devotion -in rather a patronizing manner. In fact, he was the one _qui tendait la -joue_. I blush to acknowledge that on the Sunday of my first appearance -in church (I was then not much more than five years old) I spent nearly -the whole of the sermon weighing in my own mind the probability of -walking home with George. My wildest hope was fulfilled, little as I -deserved it. Hand-in-hand we returned from church, where I had been an -inattentive worshipper. My love often passed our nursery windows, of -which there were four—two looking round the respective corners—and I -invariably ran from one to the other, about the hour I expected his -appearance, to watch that beloved, and to me gigantic, form, and follow -it with my eyes out of sight. But my attachment though ardent, was not -of very long duration; in my juvenile, if fickle, heart, George was ere -long supplanted by no less a personage than the Commanding Officer of -the Depôt. A man of his years, a soldier, a hero, who wore a Waterloo -Medal and a brilliant uniform—a lover full of compliments—for - - “A winning tongue had he,” - -[Sidenote: CHILDISH FLIRTATIONS] - -what chance had poor George the school-boy with such a rival? I used to -walk with my sweetheart on the ramparts to hear the band play, and was -often allowed to choose the air. To this very day I am not quite sure -whether gratified vanity or real affection preponderated in my childish -breast. I am inclined, at this distance of time, to decide in favour of -the first-named feeling, for I was most decidedly puffed up and elated -by my military conquest. He often assured me he could never part from -me, and would ask my father to give me to him, and that he would place -me under a glass case on the chimney-piece of his barrack-room in -whatever quarters he found himself, with divers similar compliments of -the kind, which, I doubt not, he had addressed before and since to other -ears. I listened with intense delight to his declarations, for I had a -very low opinion of my own personal appearance, as the other members of -my family surpassed me greatly in comeliness. He also presented me with -frequent gifts, two of which I yet possess, and I still remember him -after the lapse of more than half a century, with feelings of real -regard. I never saw him again, but I read of his death, which occurred -at a very advanced age, with some emotion, and rejoiced at the encomiums -which were passed on him as a man and a soldier. I had also an adorer of -quite another stamp, age, and profession. He was a contemporary of my -father’s, and a full admiral. I tolerated his attentions, and I am bound -to say accepted many gifts, which was scarcely honourable in one whose -heart was pledged to another. Sir Thomas Williams (for he was a baronet) -gave me one day a pigeon of most beautiful plumage, who was so tame as -to eat out of my hand, while I on my part, or rather my father for me, -made him the more substantial offering of a cow. The pigeon was called -“Tom,” the cow received the name of “Mary,” and the exchange was the -cause of much bantering on both sides. He was a very benevolent man, and -was the original founder or instigator of that excellent establishment -“The Naval Female School,” to which, out of regard for my friend’s -memory, I became a subscriber when shillings were even scarcer than they -are now, and I still continue to take a deep interest in the charity. - -[Sidenote: EARLY LOVE OF SHAKESPEARE] - -I am afraid some of these revelations are not calculated to raise me in -the estimation of my readers, yet I must make another, for I have -pledged myself to tell the truth, and the truth I will tell, I cannot -remember how it came about. I suppose I must have overheard my mother or -my governess (who, by the way, was a most beautiful young woman) reading -Shakespeare, but I took a most extraordinary (at least so it appeared to -my elders) taste—I may say passion—for the plays of our immortal poet. I -found out where these volumes were placed on the bookshelf, and, one -after another, would take them down and devour them with my eyes—the -_Midsummer Night’s Dream_, with its enchanting scenes of fairyland, -being my especial favourite. So far, no harm was done; but alas! for the -unfortunate day when I overheard (with the proverbially sharp ears of a -little pitcher) my father enlarging to a friend of his on my wonderful -taste in literature. The two men agreed that such a predilection and -such a precocious power of appreciation showed undoubted promise of -future talent. Alas! for the little eavesdropper, who had hitherto -enjoyed her Shakespeare on her own account in a simple and single-minded -manner. Now, for the first (do I boast, if I say for the last?) time in -my life, I posed. When company came to dinner and I was allowed to -appear in the drawing-room for the brief and dreary period which -intervenes between the arrival of the guests and the announcement that -“they are served,” I brought in my favourite volume, and was usually -found by my father’s friends in an attitude of deep absorption, poring -over the pages, and fondly hoping that the company would think me very -clever indeed, for I knew father did. I little guessed at the time that -I should look back upon myself as I do now, and have for many, many -years past, as a revolting little prig. The poses are over, the -audiences are not needed, and I love my Shakespeare for himself, and -myself, without any ulterior consideration. On the occasion of these, -usually official, banquets, I made profound reflections on the law of -precedence, as I saw it carried out in one Commissioner’s house, and I -came to the conclusion that I did not wish to be a lady of the first -standing, as they never had a chance of going in to dinner with the -Middies. - -One more incident I must recall which was the cause of the greatest -amusement and delight to us children, and was indeed planned entirely -for our delectation. Two admirals, both well-known and honoured in later -years, came to dinner rather early one evening. One was Sir James -Gordon, afterwards Governor of Greenwich Hospital, a tall and handsome -man, with only one leg, having replaced the other (which he lost, I -believe, in action) by what was then called a “Greenwich pensioner”—an -ordinary wooden substitute, such as was used by common seamen. The other -was Sir Watkin Pell, and he also had but one leg, but, being more of a -dandy in such matters, he had provided himself with a shapely cork leg -and foot, with its smart silk stocking and jaunty pump. Sir James -Gordon, on whose knee I was sitting at the moment, asked if the children -would not like to see a race between the two one-leggers. The -dining-room was divided from the drawing-room by a long and somewhat -spacious hall. This he proposed as their race-course, and, amid the -clapping of big and small hands, the cheering on and the backing of Sir -James Gordon (who was our idol) by the younger ones, the two admirals -started, and the Scotchman won in a canter, to our infinite delight. - -I now come to a most important episode in my existence, namely my first -appearance on what I still fondly call the right side of the footlights, -a circumstance most deeply interesting to myself, in which I shall -endeavour to enlist the sympathy of my readers. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER III - - MY FIRST PLAY—MARRIAGE OF THE DUKE OF CLARENCE—DEPARTURE FOR SHEERNESS - - -A subject of such deep and vital interest, to a mind so dramatically -constituted as mine, demands a separate chapter. My brother Charles came -home for the holidays, from Charterhouse, just in time to celebrate the -fourth anniversary of Cavendish’s birthday, and this we proposed to do -on a scale of unprecedented magnificence. For we entertained the -astounding idea of writing and performing a Tragedy, in which the -company, though consisting only of three persons, were to enact seven -characters, the principal _rôle_ being undertaken by the authoress, as -well as the stage management, decorations, costumes, properties and -business. - -The plot was of a most thrilling and sensational character, for the -better understanding of which I subjoin a Bill of the Play—not as it -was, but as it ought to have been. - - BY EXPRESS COMMAND AND UNDER THE ESPECIAL PATRONAGE - - OF THE - - COMMISSIONER OF THE DOCKYARD - - WILL BE - - _Performed for the first time on the 12th May 18—_ - - THE ROMANTIC AND TRAGICAL DRAMA - - OF - - “THE KING AND THE USURPER” - - _DRAMATIS PERSONÆ_ - - CAVENDISH, │_King of Little │CAVENDISH - │ Britain, a │BOYLE. - │ Crusader, a Hero │ - │ and a Lover._, │ - - OSMAN, │_An Ex-Slave, a │CHARLES - │ Rebel, and a │BOYLE. - │ Usurper,_ │ - - THEODORE, │_The Brother-in-Arms│MARY BOYLE. - │ and Confidant of │ - │ the King_, │ - - SELIM │_Confidant of │MARY BOYLE. - │ Osman_, │ - - HIGH PRIEST, │ │CHARLES - │ │BOYLE. - - IRENE, │_A Converted Slave, │MARY BOYLE. - │ betrothed to the │ - │ King_, │ - - ZAYDAH, │_Her Countrywoman │CHARLES - │ and Confidante_ │BOYLE. - - LOCALITY.—_The Capital of Little Britain._ - PERIOD.—_Any time during the Crusades and in the very Dark Ages._ - - -The name of Little Britain was given out of compliment to the tender -years of its monarch, and had no special geographical significance. The -curtain drew up on a scene in the palace, where Zaydah announces to her -mistress that Osman, the would-be usurper of the throne, desires an -audience in the absence of the King, he being deeply smitten with the -charms of his lovely fellow-countrywoman. The idea is revolting to the -mind of the beautiful Irene. She will not listen for one moment to one -word from the lips of this monster of ingratitude, who, not content with -endeavouring to supplant his master on the throne, would now attempt to -do so in the affections of his beloved. But the rebel is not to be so -easily dismissed, and with what a burst of virtuous indignation is he -received by the Prima Donna, in whose lofty breast love for one man and -hatred for another are now waging war! The words forbidding Osman to -lift her hand to his lips—lest it should not be “worth her King’s -acceptance” when soiled by his barbarous touch—were given in manner -worthy of Mrs Siddons, and fairly brought down the house; while the -swift transitions of dress and character would have done honour to Mr -Irving’s _Lyons Mail_, had that eminent actor lived at the time. You had -scarcely lost sight of the turban, trousers, and scimitar of the rebel, -when your eyes were riveted by the charming _confidante_, Zaydah, like -her lovely mistress, a convert to the Christian faith—for the play it -may be seen had a decidedly religious as well as moral tendency. - -[Sidenote: I APPEAR AS A SOLDIER] - -A tender love-scene had no sooner passed between His Sacred Majesty and -his betrothed wife, than he was to be seen in earnest conversation with -his friend and brother-in-arms, the noble Theodore. In the character of -this gallant soldier, Mary was universally allowed to show a masculine -vigour and a warlike deportment scarcely to be expected from an actress, -however talented. I can well remember how the pride of wearing a hat of -unequivocally modern aspect, and flourishing a naked sword, much bigger -than myself, made the moment of my appearance as Theodore one of the -proudest of my life! In a drama of this nature, virtue was of course -triumphant, vice and ingratitude defeated. A terrible scene ensued, in -which Osman appeared on the stage flying before an unseen enemy, a -victim to remorse, disappointed love and ambition, and commenced, before -the audience, to commit that suicide which was supposed to be completed -behind the scenes, whither he had repaired to change his dress. Here was -our sister Caroline, who, not sharing to the full our dramatic -enthusiasm, had refused to appear on the stage, but nevertheless “had -kindly consented” (after the fashion of Mr Sims Reeves) to take the part -of the “Insurrection,” in which character she was much admired in her -spasmodic performance on the kettledrum. - -The last scene was the Celebration of the Nuptials of King Cavendish and -the lovely Irene, their hands being joined by a religious functionary of -a most venerable aspect, a snow-white beard descending to his girdle, -but of somewhat equivocal denomination. If any fault should be found -with an inexperienced though talented author, in respect of calling the -minister who performed the marriage ceremony a high priest, and dressing -him in Judaical rather than Christian vestments, she would offer as an -excuse the observation which a lady, famous for her lisp, once made when -speaking of the late Lord Lytton: “We mutht make allowantheth for the -ecthentrithiteh of geniuth.” - -So fell the curtain on three first appearances, amidst the deafening and -enthusiastic applause of an audience composed of very different -ingredients; for the Admiral was there and his family, the clergyman and -doctor with their wives, the Officer in Command of the garrison, and -many other members of the highest importance and standing in the -dockyard, as well as minor officials, warders, boat’s crew, and domestic -servants, etc. - -The whole community rang with the praises of the manner in which the -great Dramatic Entertainment had been carried out. Indeed I never can -forget the pride with which we listened to the verdict of the -head-gardener, who was a man of culture (in every sense I emphasize the -word), when he assured us that the latter part of the play was the -finest thing he had ever seen in all his life. The tailor (a convict) -who made the gentlemen’s costumes, also participated in the success, and -I remember the delight with which my mother heard, on the day following -the representation, how little Cavendish had thanked the _costumier_ -most graciously for making the royal robes so well. Let me pause to say -they were indeed gorgeous, being constructed out of some old scarlet -moreen curtains, bound with yellow cotton ferret, the kingly cap -surmounted by a splendid brass ornament, which had fallen off one of the -old chairs. “I wish I was really a king,” said the little four-year-old -monarch to the convict, “and then I would set you free at once.” - -[Sidenote: WELCOME TO THE DUKE] - -Before taking leave of our life at Sheerness, I must mention that my -father and mother were appointed to meet and welcome the Duke and -Duchess of Clarence, when the Duchess first came to England as a bride. -I am not sure where the meeting took place, but I have a vague idea that -it must have been at Gravesend, and that my parents went there in the -yacht, called the _Chatham_, which was always at the Commissioner’s -disposal, and in which we often went to London, a voyage of exquisite -delight to us children. At all events, I know that Queen Adelaide always -said that my mother was her first English friend, while the Duke of -Clarence had already shown great favour to my father, and had stood -godfather to my poor little lost sister. The last incident that I can -remember at Sheerness is being taken to the Ramparts, to see the flags -of all the ships stationed in the harbour hoisted half-mast high, in -consequence of the death of King George III. I have but a dim -recollection of the circumstances of our departure, but I know it cost -Cavendish and myself bitter tears to part from our humble friends, the -boat’s crew, the warders, and the convicts, all of whom participated in -our regret. - -[Sidenote: SOMERSET HOUSE] - -Thus it will be seen I have lived in the reigns of four sovereigns, and -without myself having been attached to a Court, I have seen much at -different times of a Court life, as both my father and mother, my eldest -brother and sister, were all members of royal households. Moreover, our -lines fell in royal residences. My mother in her capacity of bed-chamber -woman to Queen Charlotte, had a small set of apartments apportioned to -her in the intervals of waiting (and even after the Queen’s death) in St -James’ Palace; and she subsequently became the occupant of an excellent -suite of rooms in the Palace of Hampton Court. Again, my father who—on -leaving the dockyard of Sheerness had an appointment at the Navy -Board—came into possession of a very good house attached to that office, -in Somerset House, which, likewise, comes under the category of royal -residences, or at least did so at one time. In the days of which I am -now speaking, there were no buildings on the opposite side of Wellington -Street, or, at all events, not sufficient to obstruct the pretty view of -the river as far as Westminster Abbey from our windows. Here, as at -Sheerness, we children enjoyed great privileges. The terrace overhanging -the Thames was a pleasant and favourite resort, and there was always a -boat at the disposal of the governess and the schoolroom, and two -boatmen of our own, successors in our regard to the Sheerness crew. One -of them in particular, an intelligent little hunchback, won our esteem, -although he, shortly after our arrival, obtained the name of “Danny -Man,” from his unworthy prototype in the celebrated novel of the -“Collegians,” a book which made so much noise at the time of its -publication. - -It was our great delight to go by water on Sunday afternoon to -Westminster Abbey, and there is no doubt we occasionally cut a grand -figure on the river; for when my father went out he had a splendid -barge, rowed by boatmen clad entirely in scarlet, with black jockey -caps, such as in those picturesque old days formed part of that -beautiful river procession in honour of the Lord Mayor, on the 9th of -November, over the disappearance of which pageant I have often mourned. -We occasionally had picnics, and went down to Greenwich or elsewhere in -our splendid barge; and I well remember one day when I had the honour -(for so it appeared to me) of dancing a reel with one of our scarlet -boatmen and a blue jacket, a regular salt, who was one of the family. - -Whilst we are on river topics, I cannot refrain from recalling an -incident which amused every one very much including the royal personage -who figures in it. One day at Hampton Court when the City barge came -down, we went to see her as she arrived in front of the water-gallery at -the end of the terrace in the royal gardens. Here the Duchess of -Clarence was to embark for luncheon, and, when the feast was ready, -naturally walked first towards the companion, which was narrow and did -not admit of two abreast. Suddenly, quick as a flash of lightning, came -the Lady Mayoress, and, brushing past her royal guest, exclaimed: “Beg -pardon, your Royal Highness, I take precedence here.” - -And no doubt she had the _pas_, for the Lady Mayoress is queen of the -river to within a certain distance of Temple Bar; but the good lady -little knew of how much merriment she was the occasion. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER IV - - EARLY DRAMATIC RECOLLECTIONS—RESIDENCE AT HAMPTON COURT - - -Some of our more fashionable friends in London complained of Somerset -House “being a long way off,” that ambiguous term which, I suppose in -those days, meant a long way from exclusive Mayfair. So indeed it was, -but it was not far from the theatres, which, in my estimation, -represented Elysium. We had two cousins, both influential in regard to -position and fortune, but whose grandeur came home to me as being part -proprietors of Drury Lane and the Lyceum. My father was a great lover of -the drama, and would often apply for one or other of our kinsmen’s -boxes. I can still recall the thrill of joy with which I used to see, on -our return from a walk or drive, the large silver ticket, looking more -like some official badge, which the Duke of Devonshire had sent us, -lying on the hall table, promising a night of rapture—for my father -generally stipulated that little Mary should be of the party. I well -believe that if I gave myself a little trouble I could bring back to my -mind the names of almost every play, and every actor and actress I ever -saw in those schoolroom days. One piece in particular captivated my -girlish fancy: it was called _The Cornish Miners_, and it is worth my -while to remember it, for in that play I first saw those matchless -_artistes_, the Keeleys (hear it, ye gods!) before their marriage. Yes, -Mrs Keeley, I venture to hope you will honour this poor tribute with a -perusal. It was there I saw Miss Howard, as the boy hero who volunteered -to go down the shaft and rescue his comrades, from what peril, and in -what manner, I cannot say. My father predicted the future success of the -charming young actress, and I can recall even now the delightful -comedian who ere long became her husband, with his laughter-provoking -face, and lackadaisical air, carrying a lighted candle in the band of -his miner’s cap. - -[Sidenote: YOUNG, POWER, AND LEVER] - -Of how many years of entertainment and genial amusement to me was that -night the forerunner. I can also remember one of the first performances -of the _Freischütz_, or, as it was then popularly called, the _Der -Freischütz_, in London. Likewise some kind of musical burlesque, in -which Madame Vestris sang all the favourite airs of that charming opera, -showing how the nurse lulled her bantling to sleep, how the footman -blacked the shoes, and how the housemaid trundled the mop, to the soft -strains of the various choruses of Weber’s beautiful masterpiece. In -those far-off days there was no elaborately-painted drop to give a -cheerful termination to the end of the entertainment, but a gloomy, -dark-green baize curtain, with which my spirits fell at the same moment, -betokening a termination to that night’s joy; and who could tell when -the delight-giving cousin would be again propitious. I amused my friend -Mr Irving[10] by telling him one day that I had been brought up in the -stage-box at his theatre, which was then the property of our cousin, -Lord Exeter. Yes, it was there I first saw dear Charles Young in _The -Stranger_, and cried so bitterly that my red and swollen eyes prevented -my appearing at the ball to which I had been looking forward for weeks; -it was then that I made acquaintance with Power, one of the best -Irishmen that ever trod or tripped the stage. I say this, not excepting -the inimitable Boucicault himself, or my true friend and fellow-actor, -Charles Lever. But I must pull up, or my dramatic hobby will take the -bit in his mouth, and convert every theatre into Astley’s. Adorable -Astley’s!—what a treat you were to me, and how I loved Mazeppa and his -horse, the friends of so many years, who continued to urge on his wild -career far beyond the allotted span of an equine life; how often have I -watched the dear old beast swimming across the mighty rushing river -after the tempting bin of corn, visible to my eyes from a side-box. - -Footnote 10: - - Now Sir Henry Irving. - -I am perhaps a little more fastidious now, but the dramatic passion -exists in all its fervour, and will till the curtain drops and the -lights are extinguished. - -But to turn once more to real life. The neighbourhood of Somerset House -had other advantages beside those of the theatres, for the Royal Academy -still existed under its roof, and almost every Monday morning during the -Exhibition, we young ones used to go with our governess to pay the -pictures a visit immediately on the opening of the doors, when the rooms -were empty, swept and garnished, before the crowd and its accompanying -dust had arrived. Then there was a walk with father in the early morning -to Covent Garden, when the alleys were all watered, the flowers all -fresh and fragrant, and the market uncrowded. - -Cavendish and I had several governesses before the Miss Richardson of -whom I have spoken elsewhere, but the sad time arrived when my darling -companion was to betake himself to the Charterhouse, which our brother -Charles had lately left in the proud character of orator, a dignity -which was afterwards reached in the next generation by another -member[11] of our family. On the night ordained for Cavendish’s -departure, an upper boy came to our house, who was to be his master at -school. At that moment I half disliked good John Horner, because he -carried off my beloved brother; but the transient dislike soon changed -into a tender friendship, which lasted many years. To break the fall, as -it were, my father allowed me to accompany him and the two boys to the -old Carthusian edifice, and I proceeded thither with the heaviest of -hearts, my position rendered all the more cruel, because I had been -forbidden to shed one tear, and was desired to sit far back in the -carriage and not show myself. For the school-boy that was to be, assured -me that the fellows always chaffed a new arrival about his sister. This -was a terrible wound, but in the course of time I became a frequent -visitor at Charterhouse, was allowed to go on the green (cruel misnomer -for the black patch where they played cricket), and, if the truth be -told, made close friendships with some of the “fellows.” Alfred -Montgomery, Frank Sheridan, and John Horner often came to our house with -Cavendish from Saturday till Sunday night, to my inexpressible delight! -There are none left now to talk over old Charterhouse days with me! - -Footnote 11: - - The Editor of these Memoirs, Sir Courtenay Edmund Boyle, K.C.B. - -[Sidenote: CORONATION OF GEORGE IV.] - -As I have said in my preface, I have not a good head for dates, and I -may as well make a clean breast of it at once, and add, for figures of -any kind. It may be from want of practice, as far as pounds, shillings, -and pence are concerned, for I have never had much experience in -counting up thousands on my own account. In respect of dates, then -(which, I hope the reader will agree with me, are not of much importance -in a narrative of this kind), I do not pretend to the strict order of -succession, but I know it was in the year 1821 that George IV. was -crowned, and I can well remember the excitement I experienced in seeing -my father, mother and sister set off for the coronation. I looked from -the window with longing eyes, deeply regretting I was not allowed to be -of the party. My father was the most punctual of men—indeed he would -have come under the category of those who overdid the virtue. The Duke -of Wellington, it will be remembered, upon the Queen saying to him: “You -see how punctual I am, Duke, I am even before my time,” replied with -blunt veracity, “That, Your Majesty, is not punctuality.” My sister did -not inherit this trait in her father’s character. She was late, and in -answer to his vociferous summons from the carriage, ran downstairs, in -her hurry, without her white satin shoes, which were thrown after her -from the window. My father’s extreme anxiety to be early on the scene -may, however, be accounted for by the fact that he was to form part of -the procession, as train-bearer, or page of the coronation robes of his -brother, Lord Cork. His dress was not picturesque, being a scarlet and -gold frock-coat, or tunic, bound round the waist with a blue silk sash, -and I am free to confess that I did not consider his age, stature, or -costume in any way calculated to fulfil my ideal of a page; but then the -page of my imagination was naturally of a dramatic sort. I do not know -that I have yet recovered from the sorrow caused by my missing that -magnificent sight. It is true that I have assisted since, at two other -coronations, but in both of these there was no banquet, and worse than -all, no Champion! The rest of the pageant was doubtless splendid in -every sense of the word, but the idea of the Champion was so historical, -so romantic, and was I not the most romantic of small human beings? -Besides the description of the challenger, who flung down his gauntlet -in Westminster Hall, and dared any one to hazard a doubt on the claim of -the Sovereign to the throne, was there not a description, I say, of this -remnant of chivalry in the pages of Walter Scott’s “Red Gauntlet?” -Walter Scott! the god of my literary idolatry, with whose heroes I had -fallen in love, in succession—whose heroines I had envied and admired -one after another, encouraged thereto by our governess, who judged -rightly that children could scarcely be too young to appreciate the -beauties of that incomparable novelist. I must confess that several -alleviations were offered to my regret at not witnessing that -coronation. I had a beautiful toy given me of a kind which is now, I -believe, obsolete—a small wooden case containing a roll of a coloured -representation of the procession, several yards long, and commencing -with the figures of Miss “Herb Strewer Fellowes”—for so the lady was -designated on her visiting-card—and her maidens, and ending, as Royal -processions do, with the most exalted Personage. This was my delight, -and I was never tired of drawing it out and gazing at it; but better -than all, I went to the theatre with my father, and saw as near a -resemblance as could be produced on the stage, to the glories of that -day. I can perfectly recall the bow with which Elliston the actor gave -the very facsimile of that of His Majesty George IV., which was -universally upheld for its surpassing grace. Then, oh joy! There was the -Champion in complete armour, on a horse richly caparisoned, whose hoofs -sounded on the wooden floor of the stage with a hollow, almost terrible, -reverberation, as he backed—backed, and piaffed and caracoled and -curvetted, according to all the strict regulations of the _haute école_. - -[Sidenote: CORONATION OF GEORGE IV.] - -Dear reader, it was no idle boast about royal residences, for when it -came to pass that my father left his post at Somerset House, and, -preferring to live in London, took up his abode in Upper Berkeley -Street, where we often visited him, my mother and the rest of the family -settled at Hampton Court. This proved to be the home of the longest -standing I can remember, as with occasional, I may say frequent, -flittings, we remained there till 1840. The grant of apartments in those -days was in the gift of the Lord Chamberlain, and Lord John Thynne -(afterwards Lord Carteret) had bestowed a set of rooms, some years -before, on his friend and connection, Mrs Courtenay Boyle. Things -altogether were at that time on a very different footing to what they -are now, for the palace had gained the name of the Quality Alms House, -and, as regarded the quality part of the title, it was well named, -seeing that the inhabitants counted Seymours, Montagus, Pagets, -Walpoles, Ponsonbys, and other names connected with the Upper House, -many of them far from being bedesmen and bedeswomen, and for the most -part better off than the present inmates of the palace. Then, too, such -a minor detail as a husband did not disqualify a lady from being an -occupant. Things are entirely on a different footing now. Now the grant -of rooms is solely in the hands of the sovereign, and our beloved -Queen,[12] who cares for the fatherless, and befriends the cause of the -widow, takes more into consideration the needs of the candidates, and -the services and merits of the husband or relative they survive, than -any recommendation of family or of rank. - -Footnote 12: - - Her late Majesty Queen Victoria. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER V - - LIFE AT HAMPTON COURT - - -Our apartments were situated in the older, or Wolseyan, portion of the -building, not in the square edifice which Sir Christopher Wren built for -Dutch William. The architect’s monogram may still be found over a small -door in Fountain Court, to mark where he lodged. Our windows looked out -on the Chapel Court on one side, and Tennis Court Lane on the other; and -under those windows I often listened of a summer’s night, with mingled -pride and rapture, to a quartette of serenaders, who sang there in -Mary’s honour. Those beautiful boyish voices which still echo in my -ears, and make sweet, sad music in my memory! Frank and Charlie -Sheridan, Cavendish Boyle and Alfred Montgomery.[13] Alas! only one of -that little band now remains to whom I can say, “Do you remember?” And -alas! once more, those dear old rooms, the scene of so many happy days; -they were totally destroyed by fire, through the wanton carelessness of -a housemaid, in 1886. The Sheridans were our dearest friends, and as -some of their windows faced some of ours, we invented a code of signals -for our own convenience. How many assignations were made, how many -fishing parties, how many boating expeditions, how many rehearsals! Yes, -I “have had playmates, I have had companions; all—all are gone, the old -familiar faces,” the forms have vanished and their voices hushed before -their time. One of that dear company passed away but a few short years -ago; she wrote to me just before her death, to say, “She felt as if the -daisy quiet were slowly stealing over her.” I am speaking now of -Georgina, Duchess of Somerset, in whose limpid blue eyes and matchless -smile I could trace, lingering to the last, the charms of the “Queen of -Love and Beauty,”[14] and wonder that her undoubted claim to that proud -title were ever questioned. Alas! of all the members of that generation -of two loving families, I alone remain! - -Footnote 13: - - Alas! to say, Alfred Montgomery—most genial of critics as of - playmates—died in 1896. - -Footnote 14: - - Jane Georgina, daughter of Thomas Sheridan, married, in 1830, Edward, - twelfth Duke of Somerset, and died in 1884. As Lady St Maur she was - the “Queen of Beauty” at the Eglinton tournament in 1839. - -It was in the cloisters, coming out of chapel, that I first saw, in a -little brown frock, the future Governor-General of Canada and Viceroy of -India, now (1888) the Marquis of Dufferin and Ava, and since that time -every day of our re-meeting has been marked with a red-letter in my -calendar. - -[Sidenote: QUEEN MARY’S GARDEN] - -What a difference between the Hampton Court of those and these days. In -the gardens, when I first remember them, the beds were decked with the -sickly Michaelmas Daisy, and the flaunting Golden Rod, which made -unsightly and straggling borders—a pitiable contrast to the perfumed and -variegated flora of the present day. Yet I confess to a lingering regret -for the rich clusters of the Lilac, mingling with the golden drop of the -Laburnum, which then showed from out the gloomy, fantastic yews, and -made a charming group in early Spring. Queen Mary’s, or the Private -Garden, as it used to be called, now scarcely deserves that name, when -crowds of holiday folk flock to see the celebrated vine. - -Not very long ago, I was enquiring of a porter at the railway station if -those gentry were not difficult to cope with. “Well, ma’am,” said he, in -a meek voice, “last Easter Monday there were twenty thousand of them, -and to be sure I was knocked down four times” (he was a man of inches -too); “but I don’t suppose they did it a’ purpose.” - -In old days the visitors used to arrive in vans; but what we were wont -to call the incursions of the Vandals bore small proportion to the -numbers that now come down, like “wolves on the sheep-fold.” The gardens -were indeed most lovely, particularly during the season when the -Lime-trees were in blossom, and their perfume perceptible as far off as -the old Clock Court. Dearly did I love to sit by my mother’s side and -watch the moon rising slowly over the lofty elms in the Home Park, which -skirts the gardens. How often have I sat there since, with another dear -relative and inhabitant of the palace! How sweet it was to rest on the -old wooden bench in the spot irreverently called “Purr Corner.” How soft -was the chime of the church bells, as it came across the river from -Thames Ditton, recalling Byron’s melodious lines of “Music o’er the -waters.” - -Hampton Court, in my childish days, had its peculiar characters. There -was an old Dutchman, who had come over with the Stadtholder,[15] and had -long survived his royal master. He was a source of great amusement to us -children, from his quaint, old-fashioned appearance, but our chief -delight was to hear him speak of his wife, whom he invariably designated -as his “loaf.” There were two old women, of a most shrivelled -appearance, christened by my sister “Annie Winnie” and “Ailsie Gourley” -(after Walter Scott), who used to sit on hassocks, with a basket between -them, the while they, in lack of male gardeners, weeded the broad -terrace walk. I blush to confess that my youngest brother and I found it -a cherished pastime to dash headlong between these two guardians of the -terrace, as in an impetuous race, upsetting the basket and scattering -the contents far and wide. This proceeding entailed a severe reprimand -from the poor old ladies, whose work had all to begin again, and -terrible were the threats made use of on the occasion, that they would -write immediately and complain of us to His Majesty. - -Footnote 15: - - This is evidently an error on the part of the Authoress. - -Another juvenile enormity in which we indulged was to warn the tourists, -whom we saw approaching the precincts of the labyrinth or maze, _not_ to -follow the directions of the gardener, whose aim it was to mislead them, -but to listen to our advice, and take the course we prescribed for them. -Our delight was unmingled when we heard the gardener, raised aloft on a -high seat, feebly attempting to arrest their steps, while our misguided -victims steadily pursued the road which led to obstruction. - -[Sidenote: MR BEER] - -At that period, the office of Housekeeper was a very important one in -the palace—in fact, two privileged persons enjoyed this title. One was a -lady, almost invariably a member of the aristocracy, who occupied the -apartments, or rather house, now inhabited by H.R.H. Princess Frederica -of Hanover.[16] This lady had the appointment of the Under-Housekeeper, -a certain Mrs Beer, whose husband, indeed, was a very great official, -and, if I might be excused a vulgarism, thought anything but _small_ -beer of himself; he was a dignitary, in every sense of the word, and one -of the last of the pig-tails. Between this illustrious character and -myself there existed some rivalry and a slight feeling of irritation. I -think I may assert without vain-glory, that I knew more about the -pictures, their subjects, and their painters, than the presiding spirit; -but I am prone to confess that I was one of that troublesome class, a -child of an enquiring mind, and I was very fond of “knowing all about -it.” Unlike most children, and even many uneducated people, I was a -great admirer and lover of the cartoons of Raphael. Of these, Mr Beer -never varied in his daily description. He would stand opposite the -“Death of Ananias and Sapphira,” and, pointing to the picture, exclaim -in a strident voice: “Observe—horror! remorse! fear! drapery!” as an -incentive to admiration of what he considered the salient points. When -he described the “Charge to Peter,” in tones which he did not intend to -be irreverent, but which were undoubtedly threatening, he would cry: -“Feed my sheep, feed my lambs,” the terror-inspiring voice according but -ill with the sublime calm of the speaker. - -Footnote 16: - - Now Viscountess Wolseley’s apartments. - -Perhaps my favourite of the collection was that of “Paul and Barnabas,” -when the people propose to offer them sacrifice as Jupiter and Mercury. -There were some figures in this group that puzzled my young wits; and -one day, going round at the same time as a very large party, I addressed -Mr Beer before them all. - -“Will you please tell me,” I said, in what I hoped was a very -conciliatory voice, “who are those men behind the Apostles, in blue and -red mantles?” - -Never shall I forget the tones of thunder with which Mr Beer turned upon -me. That anything so small and insignificant should arrest him in his -career of graphic description, and ask him a question which, if the -truth be spoken, he was as unable to answer as I was, was unpardonable. -With a glance which I ought never to have survived, he exclaimed: -“_Sirs, we be not gods but men_.” The reply was far from satisfactory, -but it was Gospel truth, and as such I was obliged to receive it. - -Another incident connected with my early days at Hampton Court appears -to me to deserve a place here. It is a little romance, of which the hero -is a butcher boy. In those bygone times, the butcher formed a prominent -feature in the annals of the palace. There was very little competition -in trade, and the butcher in particular was usually bound to make a -rapid fortune. - -One day I went with my mother (who by the way was an excellent -housewife) to speak to the butcher, who had just arrived and set up -shop. After a few preliminary arrangements as to future custom, my -mother looked at the man for some time in a scrutinising manner, and -then said to him: “It is very extraordinary, but I have an impression -that I have seen your face before, and yet I cannot recall to mind where -and when.” “I think you must be mistaken, madam,” he replied, “for I -seldom forget a face; and yet, now you mention it, I have a sort of -misty recollection that your features are familiar to me”; and so the -lady and the butcher looked at each other for some time, but without -clearing up the mystery. - -[Sidenote: THE HEROIC BUTCHER’S BOY] - -A day or two afterwards, my mother paid Mr Ives a second visit, and this -time she was accompanied by my sister. “I am come,” she said, “to ask -you one or two questions. Did you ever, many years ago—say ten or -twelve—stop the carriage of a lady, in Oxford Street, when her horses -ran away and the coachman was thrown off the box?” “Certainly,” answered -the butcher; “I remember it all as if it were yesterday. I was but a lad -then, and was sauntering along, with my tray on my shoulder, when I -heard a great hallooing and screaming, and people rushing about. I -turned round and saw a yellow chariot, drawn by a splendid pair of young -black roans, dashing down the street at a furious pace, and at the -window a beautiful lady with a little girl, calling distractedly for -help. Nobody seemed inclined to make any effort to assist them. I was so -sorry for the poor things, and I thought I would try my best, so I ran -forward, and thrusting my tray before the horses’ eyes, made them stop -quite suddenly.” “Quite right, quite right,” said my mother, “and here -are the two ladies whose lives you saved. I was a witness of your brave -action, and the moment I recovered myself I looked round for my -preserver, but you were gone. I enquired of some of the bystanders what -had become of you, but they could not tell me; you had disappeared, and -in spite of all my endeavours to discover you, we never met again till -the day before yesterday.” - -The man smiled. “Well, ma’am,” he said, “there was no more for me to do; -there were plenty of people too ready to help you, and I should only -have been in the way.” He then finished his speech with no mean -compliment to the beautiful girl who stood before him (the little child -of that eventful day). “And what a pity it would have been, to be sure, -if she had not lived!”—which conversation and conduct go to prove, in my -opinion, that the butcher was not only a hero, but a gentleman. - -My mother told the story right and left, and secured her friend, not -only the custom, but visits from many of the inmates of the palace, and -she related the incident so graphically to the Duke and Duchess of -Clarence, that the custom of Bushey House, where H.R.H. resided as -Ranger of the Park, was assured to him. So that in fact this early act -of heroism helped to make the fortune of John Ives and of his son after -him. - -I naturally make frequent allusions to friends of all kinds and classes, -and am therefore tempted to insert an anecdote about a feathered -acquaintance of mine, which will not try the reader’s patience long. - -[Sidenote: “JOHN ANDERSON” AND THE THRUSH] - -One day during our residence in the palace, I was walking with my mother -over Molesey Bridge, when we were attracted to a small, poor-looking -cottage, in aspect like an Irish cabin, by the exquisite singing of a -thrush. The spot is now covered by houses and shops, but at that time -the cottage of which I speak was isolated. It contained but one room, -and was inhabited by an aged pair, I might well say, of lovers, for, -with the exception of their garb, they were the most complete -representatives of “John Anderson” and his wife. They were very poor, -and their richest possession was the thrush which hung outside the door -in a wicker cage, and sent forth a perfect burst of melody. In the -wilderness connected with the palace gardens there were choirs of -thrushes, blackbirds, and others, but not one of those free warblers -could be compared in fulness of song to that captive bird. - -We remained listening for some moments, and then my mother entered the -cottage, made acquaintance with the old couple, and asked if they would -be willing to part with the thrush to her. At first rather a blank look -came over the old man’s countenance, but he was poor and ailing, and was -persuaded by the arguments of the “Missus,” who was doubtless thinking -the price of their favourite would enable her to get some little dainty -for her good man. So the bargain began, a sum was named, the double of -which was paid by my mother, who sent a servant the next morning to -claim her purchase. Then resulted a disappointment. The cage was placed -in a large and cheerful window in our drawing-room, but not a sound, not -a note, came from the melancholy bird, who drooped and hung its head as -if moulting; we fed, we coaxed, we whistled, but it remained silent, -motionless, and moping. My mother felt as much indignation as was -consistent with her gentle nature. She had not pressed the old people to -sell the bird, she had only asked the question, “Were they willing to do -so?” She had given them double the sum they asked, and now—it was not in -her nature to be suspicious—but it looked as if another bird had been -palmed off upon her, in place of the magnificent songster. She gave the -thrush several days’ trial, but at length her patience was exhausted, -and she sent for its late owner to expostulate. - -The door opened and in he came, hat in hand, and my mother advanced to -meet him, armed with some mild rebuke. But neither of them was allowed -to speak, for no sooner did the old man make his appearance in the room -than the bird leaped down from its perch, spread its wings, and broke -out into so triumphant a song of joy, that it seemed as if the whole -room vibrated with that burst of melody. - -“What, pretty Speckledy,” said the man, approaching the cage, “you know -me then, do you?” and the thrush kept flapping his wings, and moving -from side to side, one might almost say, dancing with joy. - -There was no doubt about it; it was the same bird that had charmed our -ears in the lane at Molesey, but, like the Hebrew captives, it could not -sing its songs in a strange land. - -“Take it back,” my mother said, “I would not part such friends for all -the world,” and off together went that loving pair, “Pretty Speckledy” -still in full song, which he continued all the way down our turret -stairs. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VI - - OUR EXTRA HOMES - - -I must now make a break in the regular line of narrative, to interpolate -a chapter, without specifying any particular dates, as the visits of -which this portion of my story treats were spread over a large space of -time, and intersected many of the different passages of the life I have -hitherto recorded. - -To begin with Marston, the property of my uncle Lord Cork, and the early -home of my dear father. Marston Bigot was a pretty place and had been -purchased by our direct ancestor, Richard Boyle (surnamed the “great -Earl of Cork”) from Sir John Ippisley, the representative of an old -Somersetshire family in the neighbourhood. This ancestor of ours had a -very large family, of whom four were sons, and every one created a peer, -with the exception of the youngest, Robert, who declined the honour, and -whose name is immortalised as the “Divine Philosopher of the World.” To -Roger Boyle, his second son, Lord Cork gave an estate in Somersetshire; -this gallant soldier and loyalist was first created Baron Broghill and -afterwards Earl of Orrery. He was much attached to the royal cause, but -during the Protectorate, Oliver Cromwell, who had a great admiration for -his military genius, sent for him one day and placed two alternatives -before him, namely, the command of an expedition against the Irish -rebels, or a lodging in the Tower of London. “The choice is open to -you,” he said; “in serving in this campaign you will be acting the part -of a patriot, but if you prefer the walls of a prison, I have no more to -say.” - -A long discussion ensued. Lord Broghill demurred, Cromwell insisted, and -at length the former acquiesced in the Protector’s offer, with the -proviso that he would never be called upon to lift his sword against his -sovereign master. It is a matter of history what a distinguished part -Lord Broghill played in this Irish campaign. - -In the pleasure ground not far from Marston there stood a quaint little -cottage, one room of which had been fitted up by my uncle for his -favourite daughter, Louisa, a beautiful, blooming girl, and my chosen -friend, who was cut off by smallpox a few years later, at the early age -of nineteen. The little cot served as a summer, or pleasure, house; we -children were allowed to have tea in it, and to dig and delve in the -small garden before it to our heart’s content. There was an historical -interest connected with this small dwelling which enhanced its merit in -my eyes. - -[Illustration: - - HONBLE. EDMUND BOYLE, AFTERWARDS EIGHTH EARL OF CORK, BORN 1787. - HONBLE. RICHARD BOYLE, ELDER BROTHER OF ABOVE, DIED YOUNG. - HONBLE. COURTENAY BOYLE, BORN 1770, AFTERWARDS VICE-ADMIRAL, K.C.B. -] - -On quitting the service of the Parliament, Lord Orrery, as he then was, -retired to his seat at Marston Bigot, and went on Sunday, as was his -custom, to the small church adjoining the house. There he sat for some -time awaiting the arrival of the usual clergyman, and his patience being -exhausted, he rose to return home. His steward, who was in the -congregation, told him there was a minister present who offered his -services both as reader and preacher. Lord Orrery expressed his -gratitude, “and was never more edified than he was on that day by the -sense, learning and piety of the discourse.” He waylaid the clergyman, -complimented him on his sermon, and invited him to dinner at the house. -When seated at table, his lordship enquired of his new friend every -particular of his life and fortune. - -[Sidenote: THE ROMANCE OF A COTTAGE] - -“My lord,” was the reply, “my name is Asberry. I am a clergyman of the -Church of England, and a devoted subject to the king. I and my son have -lived for a long time within a few paces of your lordship’s house, in -fact, under the garden wall, in a poor cottage. I have a little money, -and some few books, and my boy and I dig and read by turns, submitting -ourselves cheerfully to the will of Providence.” - -Lord Orrery was much pleased with the conversation and manner of this -learned and worthy man, and obtained for him a small annual income -without the obligation of taking the Covenant, and was in other ways -beneficial to him. Mr Asberry lived for some years longer at Marston, -and died, worthily lamented. It is easy to believe that this historical -incident made Asberry Cottage doubly interesting to our young -imaginations. Marston, which has been much enlarged and improved by the -present owner, did not lay claim to the title of a fine house and -property, more especially when placed in contrast with the “most august -house in England”—for Longleat[17] could be seen from the windows, and -is within a walk. The park also is but small, though, in my eyes, -remarkable for containing a Glastonbury Thorn. The legend is well -known—that Joseph of Arimathæa (how he came to England it would be -difficult to imagine) planted the staff which he held in his hand in the -soil (ever afterwards considered sacred) of Glastonbury, and the staff -blossomed. Certain it is that when every other tree in the surrounding -woods is bare at Christmas, the hawthorn at the entrance of Marston park -is oftentime in flower! I have seen it with my own eyes, and always -looked upon it as a real miracle. The house is charmingly situated on a -slope, and commands a beautiful view, with hills in the distance, and -the tower of Stourhead, where King Alfred unfurled his standard against -the Danes. Stourhead was once the property of the ancient family of the -Stourtons, who bear as their coat-of-arms six fountains, in remembrance -of the six springs which rise thereabouts in the valley of the Stour—a -fact in heraldry that I doubt not is well known to the head of that -noble house. - -Footnote 17: - - Residence of the Marquis of Bath. - -The house at Marston is a perfect sun-trap, and although the building -could lay no claim to architectural beauty, yet as the birthplace of my -father and of many of my ancestors, whose portraits adorn the walls, I -dearly loved the place, where so many of our Christmasses were spent -with innumerable cousins of different ages. Cousins we were indeed, for -the master and mistress of that house were cousins themselves, and my -father’s brother had married my mother’s sister. - -[Illustration: - - LONGLEAT. -] - -The country round Marston affords a charming type of home English -scenery, being almost entirely pasture land, embellished with very -pretty woodlands and several country seats of great beauty, especially -Longleat and Mells Park. Walks, rides, and drives are all varied in -their character, and the road to Bath (in those days there was no -short-cut by rail) was essentially picturesque, and as full of ups and -downs as life itself! - -[Sidenote: LORD JOHN TOWNSHEND] - -Another house[18] was in Hertfordshire, close, indeed, to the town of -Hertford itself. It is a quaint, old, red brick building with charming -rooms, and a gallery that in my early childhood I considered -interminable as to length; it was the property of my uncle by marriage, -Lord John Townshend. He was indeed a link with the past, having been the -friend of Fox and Sheridan, and having sat to Sir Joshua Reynolds. His -wife[19] was my mother’s sister (her elder by nearly twenty years), who -retained till an advanced age the traces of that beauty which was -immortalised by Hoppner in one of his most delightful portraits, still -hanging on the walls in the dear old dwelling. When very young, she had -united herself to a man whose cruelty and immorality made her life -miserable. The marriage was dissolved, and Lord John Townshend, as her -second husband, did all in his power to make her forget the sorrows -which had clouded her early years. But long before I knew of this sad -passage in her history, I had observed the shade of melancholy and -mystery which hung over my dear aunt’s aspect and manner. - -Footnote 18: - - Balls Park. - -Footnote 19: - - Georgiana Anne, daughter of William Poyntz, Esq. - -Balls Park was a typical English house, birds, bees, butterflies, -honeysuckle, roses. Our visits there were almost always in the “sweete -season that budde and blossom brings,” and my remembrance of the place -is invariably connected with summer. Here were cousins too, and many of -them to whom I was very much attached, though they were greatly my -seniors; no one ever was so rich in cousins. I remember once meeting the -late Lord Carlisle at dinner at Charles Dickens’. “Mary Boyle is a -cousin of mine,” said Lord Carlisle. “I suppose so,” replied Dickens; “I -have never yet met any one who was _not_ her cousin.” - -[Sidenote: TAMING A WOLF-DOG] - -Another house was Wigan Rectory, in Lancashire, a very different -locality indeed. A frightful, black, manufacturing town, but we loved to -go there, for my uncle George Bridgeman and his wife were most indulgent -to us children.[20] Mr Bridgeman had first married my father’s, and -after her death my mother’s, sister, and both husband and wife were our -kind playfellows, taking an interest in all our little pastimes, and -rich in that quality, so dear to childish hearts, of genuine fun. My -aunt Louisa was devoted to gardening, and although her pleasure grounds -were circumscribed, she took the greatest delight therein. I fear I -wounded her horticultural nature on one occasion, when I complained that -the rose I had just picked smelt of soot, and blacked my nose when -raised thereto! In the backyard of the Rectory a magnificent wolf-dog -lived in the kennel, the object of universal terror among the servants -and gardeners. But I believed in and trusted dogs, and my firm -conviction was that Lupus was misunderstood. I bribed the servants to -let me feed him, which I did first at a respectful distance, advancing -nearer and nearer each day as I presented him with his dinner. At length -I deemed him tamed, and, not without slight trepidation, I approached, -let slip his collar, and opened the garden gate. Never shall I forget -the consternation which the apparition of girl and dog caused in my -aunt’s little sitting-room which opened on the lawn. She was talking to -my mother in this sanctum when she saw Lupus bounding over the grass, -and standing on the threshold of her boudoir. With a loud cry the -Rector’s wife jumped upon the chair, gathering her skirts around her, -and summoning her juvenile protectress to call off the dog! But Lupus -did no harm; he was only elated by his new-born freedom, and he became -from that day the constant companion of the daily walks I took with my -youngest brother and our nurse. - -Footnote 20: - - Rev. George Bridgeman married, in 1792, Lady Lucy Boyle, only daughter - of Edmund, seventh Earl of Cork. She died in 1801, and he married in - 1809, Charlotte Louisa, daughter of William Poyntz of Midgham. - -But the most beautiful and the favourite of our many homes was Cowdray -Park, close to Midhurst in Sussex, which had come into possession of my -mother’s only surviving brother, William Poyntz, by his marriage with -Elizabeth Browne, sister and sole heiress of Viscount Montague of that -name. Respecting this family and property, there is a most tragical -history. To the best of my belief, it was the father of Mrs Poyntz, -_née_ Browne, who seceded from the Roman Catholic Church, and was in -consequence excommunicated. The ban included fire and water, and the -fulfilment was most terrible. My aunt’s brother—of whom I have spoken as -the last Lord Montague—was travelling on the Continent with his friend -Major Burdett, when the two travellers meditated the mad scheme of -shooting the falls of Schaffhausen. In vain did Lord Montague’s old -servant expostulate and implore; in vain did the innkeeper assure the -English gentlemen that the enterprise would be one of simple insanity; -in vain was every obstacle thrown in their way by boatmen in the -neighbourhood, none of whom cared to venture his life in so wild an -undertaking. Obstinate and persevering, they secured the services of two -boatmen, and achieved the result anticipated by all. The boat capsized, -and all the men were drowned. The catastrophe happened in 1800, and I -believe it to have been the next day, or at least within the space of a -very few days afterwards, that an express arrived from England, stating -that Lord Montague’s magnificent house of Cowdray was almost entirely -destroyed by fire. This fine structure was a splendid example of -Elizabethan architecture. Even now, partially covered as it is by ivy, -the ruins present a most picturesque aspect, and attract numbers of -visitors in the summer season from all quarters of the county. - -[Sidenote: COWDRAY—THE POYNTZ FAMILY] - -My uncle and aunt lived about a mile from the ruins, in a house which -had originally been the gamekeeper’s lodge, with low, small rooms in the -cottage style, but constant additions and improvements had converted it -into a pretty dwelling-house. A beautiful wood, with winding paths and -natural terraces, skirted the lodge on one side. In my eye that wood was -a primeval forest, and in the summer and autumn, when the leaves were -still on the trees, I used to snatch a fearful joy by losing myself in -its depths. In those, as it appeared to me, vast recesses, was pointed -out the “Priest’s Walk,” named after that stern ecclesiastic who, -according to tradition, had been instrumental in bringing about the -curse pronounced upon the family. There is, indeed, an earlier tradition -of a curse overhanging the fortunes of the possessors of Cowdray, on -which I never laid much stress, as the malediction never appeared to -have been carried out until after the secession from the Roman Catholic -faith of the last Lord Montague but one. On the other side of the house -the park stretched away for many miles with broken ground, swelling -uplands and large clumps of timber trees of all kinds, one of the most -beautiful parks in England. Close to the ruined house are some Spanish -chestnuts, among the loftiest I have ever seen, and I believe they were -the first that were planted in this country. - -Mr and Mrs Poyntz had originally a family of five children, but in the -year 1815 the catastrophe occurred which carried out to the full the -anathema already alluded to. - -The family were spending some time at Bognor, during the bathing season, -and one fatal day Mr Poyntz, accompanied by his two sons, two young lady -visitors, and three boatmen, went out in a so-called pleasure boat, -leaving the youngest daughter, Isabella Poyntz,[21] in tears because she -was not permitted to accompany them. From the windows, which gave upon -the beach, the agonised mother saw that boat capsize, and as far as I -remember what I have been told, one boatman and my uncle were the only -survivors. The latter was brought to shore in an insensible state, and -it was some time before he recovered consciousness. By these two -accidents of drowning, both families of Browne-Montague and Poyntz -became extinct in the male line. - -Footnote 21: - - Afterwards wife of second Marquess of Exeter. - -The tragedy occurred when I was a child, and while we were yet at -Sheerness, but I can still recall my mother’s piercing shriek when the -awful intelligence was broken to her. By this means Mr Poyntz’s -daughters became co-heiresses, and at the death of their father his -property and estates were sold, and Cowdray passed into the hands of -strangers. - -I cannot refrain from mentioning a circumstance which interested me at -the time very much, having always entertained a great predilection for -“ghost stories.” I had a pretty, quaint, low-roofed room at Cowdray, -opening into the common passage on one side, and to a narrow little -winding staircase, leading to the garden, on the other. I was constantly -attracted by knocks at that door, and in the frequent practice of saying -“Come in” to some imaginary person. I had not the slightest fear, but -was, of course, laughed at for my ridiculous fancies. I therefore found -some consolation (although I was very wrong to do so) when informed that -on certain improvements being made, and the little staircase done away -with, the skeleton of a child was discovered lying at the bottom of the -steps leading from my room; but who does not love to exclaim “I told you -so!” - -[Sidenote: COWDRAY—THE POYNTZ FAMILY] - -Beautiful Cowdray! How many happy days rise before me as I write the -name! How many delightful walks in that enchanted wood, especially when -escorted by “Courage,” the gigantic St Bernard. Him I was allowed to -take with me in my walks abroad, on condition that I led him by a chain, -as he was a decidedly sporting character. Well do I remember one such -walk with him. I had fastened his chain round my waist, to leave my -hands free, when lo! the game was afoot, and off started Courage, -carrying me with him in a wild and impetuous course. Every moment I -expected to be dashed to pieces against a root, or to be thrown down and -dragged at his heels; but gathering up my strength, and calling up all -the presence of mind that was left me, I encircled the trunk of one of -the smaller trees in a frenzied embrace, and contrived to arrest the -headlong career of Courage, in time to avoid a catastrophe to both of -us. - -I revelled in the gallops in the park with my uncle (whom I simply -adored), my sister, and our cousins, for we one and all loved horses and -rode well, and to some extent justified an answer made to me by a -farmer’s wife, when I asked her one day for the loan of her horse for a -ride. - -“Certainly, Miss Mary,” she said, “with great pleasure. The farmer will -always lend you or your sister his best horse, for he well knows what -capital _horse-ladies_ you are.” - -I would fain make my readers acquainted with some of the characteristics -of a beloved member of our family, who exercised a wonderful influence -on all who surrounded him. Yet when I say that my uncle Poyntz was of a -genial humour, a man of the world, a citizen of the world popular among -all classes, all ages and both sexes, ever welcome abroad and adored at -home, I am but too well aware that I fail in conveying any idea of his -especial individuality. - -[Sidenote: POLITICS] - -Possessed with deep feeling and deep thought, there was a constant -ripple on the surface. What in those days was called “persiflage,” and -bears but a faint resemblance to the modern “chaff,” was in him a -science, and no way like the constrained attempt at wit, from which -every _point_ is excluded, that but too often makes the “fun” of the -practised joker. How often he put the respect and reticence of his -servants to the test. I have seen them compelled to busy themselves with -the plate on the sideboard, turning their backs on the dinner-table, -while their shoulders shook with uncontrollable laughter. For us young -ones there was usually a challenge for some playful encounter, and we -were obliged to keep our wits sharpened in order to meet the attack and -reply to the sally. He was a Liberal in politics, as were all the men of -our family on both sides. The term Liberal was then accepted in its -literal sense, and did not mean blind devotion to a revolutionary ideal. -My father’s views, as far as I can remember them, were inclined to be -ultra, but I am grateful to record that in so burning a question as that -of Catholic Emancipation, both my uncles and my father strongly -advocated the redress of grievances which had long been a blot on our -nation. For myself, I scarcely troubled my little head about politics, -and when election time came round, I always voted in my heart for the -man who was my friend, and up to a very late period in my existence, -“men and not measures,” was my shibboleth. But, like many others, in my -late years “J’ai changé tout cela,” and the man I love best in the -world, whomsoever that might be, would carry my worst wishes with him to -the poll, if he assisted the Gladstonians in undermining the -constitution of England and imperilling the safety of the throne; for I -can never forget that in the times of the Civil Wars my great ancestor, -Lord Cork, with his four sons fought at the battle of Bandon Bridge, on -the side of the Cavaliers, and that one of the gallant brothers sealed -his loyalty with his blood and left his life upon the field. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VII - - MY GRANDMOTHER’S MAID - - -I must now devote a short chapter to a record of a faithful friend and -retainer of my mother’s family, whose sterling worth and amusing -peculiarities deserve especial mention. - -When my uncle, Mr Poyntz, married, he went to live at his wife’s -beautiful estate of Cowdray Park, and his ancestral home of Midgham was -let to strangers. It had not been long in the family. Anna Maria -Mordaunt, first cousin to the “great Earl of Peterborough,” was maid of -honour to Queen Caroline, wife of George II., who is said to have made -Midgham, with the adjacent park and grounds, a wedding present to the -said Maid of Honour on her marriage with Stephen Poyntz, a distinguished -diplomatist, and minister at Stockholm and other foreign courts. There -was a whisper that Her Majesty’s kind intention was never fulfilled in a -pecuniary point of view, and that the purchase money came out of the -bridegroom’s pocket. But whether this be a fact or not, I am unable to -state. It is certain, however, that the Queen retained a great -friendship for Mrs Poyntz, whom she appointed governess (as it was -termed) to her son, William, Duke of Cumberland. A very large painting -recorded this event, and was a great object of interest to me in my -young days. I do not know the name of the artist, but well remember the -peculiar group of three personages—Queen Caroline, in regal purple and -ermine, presenting her eight-year-old son, in square cut coat, short -breeches, and dainty silk stockings, to my great-grandmother, who -figured as Minerva in full panoply. - -[Sidenote: MRS POYNTZ] - -Mrs Poyntz was an amiable and gentle-hearted woman, as her letters -testify, and can in no way be considered responsible for the subsequent -career of the Royal Duke. I have in my possession a most interesting and -touching letter from Lady Cromartie, whose husband was under sentence of -death, in 1715, as a Jacobite, in which she makes a most earnest appeal -to Mrs Poyntz to intercede with the Queen in behalf of the prisoner, -and, to the best of my belief, the intercession was of some avail. At -all events, Lord Cromartie’s life was spared, although his title was -attainted, and was only revived in 1861, in the person of the late -Duchess of Sutherland.[22] The Duke of Cumberland was a frequent visitor -at Midgham, and there was a suite of apartments called by his name. The -house, as I have said before, was constantly let during my uncle’s life, -but in a small, quaint cottage on the skirts of the park, lived, at the -time of which I am speaking, an old lady, who had been in the service of -my grandmother as lady’s maid, and still occupied a place of trust in -that of my uncle. We occasionally visited this dear old retainer of our -family, and one summer I accompanied my mother and my brother Charles to -Midgham Cottage. - -Footnote 22: - - Anne Hay McKenzie, married to third Duke of Sutherland, died 1889. - -To me that visit was a real holiday. We all loved Illidge (for that was -her name) dearly, and were much amused by her eccentricities, while the -life in a real _bonâ fide_ cottage seemed to me like a page out of some -rural novel. - -Illidge was a short, rather thick-set woman, with silver hair, bushy -eyebrows, bright eyes, and a most determined expression. She wore the -dress which was in vogue in the last generation: a short plain, scanty -gown of fawn-coloured silk, low in the neck and short in the sleeves, a -white muslin fichu, and apron and black mittens. There is a picture at -Drumlanrig Castle of the Duchess of Queensberry in exactly the same -costume, which I saw years afterwards when on a visit to the Duke and -Duchess of Buccleuch. - -Illidge had very aristocratic notions, and nothing ruffled her dignity -more than when we—my brother or myself—marched into the kitchen and -called to Sarah, the sole indoor domestic of the little household, -asking her for what we wanted, instead of ringing the bell in the -parlour, although the parlour and kitchen were next door to each other. - -“Just as you please, my dear,” said Illidge, looking extremely angry, -“but I’ve always been accustomed to gentlepeople ringing the bell, and -not coming into the kitchen at all hours, and making so free with the -under-servants!” - -She had an inveterate hatred for the occupants of Midgham House. She was -quite aware that her master was always glad when the house was let and -warmed and kept in repair by being lived in, but if the angel Gabriel -had come down from heaven to become the tenant of Midgham House, Illidge -would have hated and despised him. - -On one occasion I composed a grandiloquent poem, having for its theme -the courtship and marriage of Anna Maria Mordaunt and Stephen Poyntz, -which I wrote out in my best hand, and presented to Illidge, who agreed -with me in considering it a very fine epic. - -[Sidenote: VISIT TO ILLIDGE] - -My mother, who loved her early home dearly, did not share Illidge’s -views respecting the tenants, or visit with her wrath those who liked -the place well enough to hire it. So one day, in spite of frowns and -angry looks from our hostess, she called on me to go with her to pay our -respects to the tenants in question. - -“Will you lend me the poem,” I asked in a very conciliatory voice, “to -take with me to the house? I think Mrs —— would very much like to see -it.” “That she never shall,” said Illidge, in a tone of such defiant -exasperation that I was indeed very sorry I had spoken. - -Before I go any further, I cannot refrain from telling a story I heard -from Illidge’s own lips—indeed I published it in “Notes and Queries,” -and more than once imparted it to literary friends. Very little credence -has been awarded to this anecdote, but for my own part, I cannot doubt -the authority whence it was derived. - -The heroine of the little romance I am about to relate was no less a -personage than Mrs Garrick, the wife of the eminent tragedian. In the -year 1746 the play-going public were thrown into a state of great -excitement in consequence of the appearance of a young and beautiful -dancer named La Violette. She hailed from Vienna, and had been -introduced by the _Maître de Ballet_ at that court with other young -ladies, to dance with the children of the Empress Maria Theresa. Her -Majesty took a great fancy to the girl, whose family name was Veigel, -which in Austrian patois signifies violet, and the Empress gave her the -name of Mademoiselle Violette. It is not mentioned in the life of -Garrick that she ever appeared on the public stage at Vienna, but she -came over to England and made her _début_ as a dancer at Drury Lane on -the 3rd December 1746. - -[Sidenote: ROMANCE OF MRS GARRICK’S LIFE] - -Horace Walpole in his amusing and gossiping letters, in which he minds -everybody else’s business, tells us how the London world, especially the -fashionable portion, went mad after Mademoiselle Violette, and how, in -particular, the Countesses of Burlington and Talbot rivalled each other -in seeking her society and showing her favour; the former having her -portrait taken, and carrying her off to Chiswick, and chaperoning her on -many occasions. Lord Burlington[23] shared in his wife’s predilection -for the lovely young Austrian. Lady Burlington, indeed, often played the -part of mother to La Violette (attending her to the theatre, and -throwing a warm pelisse over her, when she came out), and at length her -noble friends invited her to take up her abode at Burlington House. One -day as Lord Burlington was passing La Violette’s open door, he was -attracted by her singing, and stopped to speak and compliment her on her -sweet voice. As he did so, his eyes fell upon a picture, whether -miniature or not, I am unable to say, and in an agitated tone he -enquired whose portrait it was. La Violette replied that it was her -mother’s. Explanations followed, dates were examined, small relics in -the girl’s possession inspected, and, if I may be excused a vulgarism, -two and two were put together, and it was proved to Lord Burlington’s -entire conviction that La Violette was no other than his own -daughter—her mother being a beautiful artiste, with whom he had had a -_liaison_ on the Continent, but after a violent quarrel, a separation -had taken place, and they never met again. - -Footnote 23: - - Richard, fourth Earl of Cork and third Earl of Burlington, K.G., born - 1695, died 1753; married Dorothy Saville, daughter of William, Marquis - of Halifax. - -Of the particulars of her mother’s connection with Lord Burlington, I am -entirely ignorant; I merely give the story as it was related to me, with -the only details I can recall, by Illidge, who had it from the lips of a -niece of Lord Burlington’s housekeeper. The latter, being in his service -at the time of the incident, but having secrecy enjoined on her, kept -silence till many years after. - -On La Violette’s marriage with David Garrick, in 1749, Lord Burlington -bestowed on her a dowry of £6,000, and one of the biographers of the -great actor says that this generosity on his lordship’s part gave rise -to the conjecture that she was his own child, going on, however, to -argue, by dates and diaries, that the English nobleman had not been on -the Continent at the time specified, and that the girl was the daughter -of Viennese parents of the name of Viegel. - -It would be useless and tedious to enter into all the minutiæ of that -bygone history. I merely mention the facts as related to me by one who -thought it necessary to speak of it in a confidential manner, although -everybody connected with the little romance had long passed away. The -Garrick union was a very happy one, and for thirty years the husband and -wife were inseparable. The widow survived him for a long period, and it -was my good fortune to see her when I was quite a child. We encountered -her in the lobby of a theatre, as she was making her way out between two -female attendants, and my father said to me: “That is Mrs Garrick, Mary; -some day you will be glad to think that you have seen her.” She wore a -strange costume of quilted white silk, somewhat resembling a -dressing-gown, and a large mob cap, and though very aged, bore undoubted -traces of former beauty. I believe it was shortly before her death. She -died at Hampton, having nearly attained her hundredth year, at a house -which her husband bequeathed to her, and which still bears the name, if -I am not mistaken, of “Garrick’s Villa.” - -To return to Illidge. The dear old soul continued to live on in her -lowly cot, with two companions, a “gal” to do the housework, and an -octogenarian, between her and whom a tender friendship existed, he -having been in old days the gardener at the Great House. She became -blind, but, old as she was, retained her activity and impetuosity of -nature. - -[Sidenote: ILLIDGE AND THE ROBBER] - -On one occasion she had been driven in to Newbury, to collect some -“monies” (whether for rent or not I am unable to say) belonging to her -master, and that night she went to bed as usual, with the key of the -escritoire, in which she had deposited the money, in her ample pockets -under her pillow. She was startled, although not alarmed (for nothing -could alarm her undaunted spirit) by hearing footsteps on the stairs, -and the opening of her bedroom door. A man’s gruff voice was heard at -her bedside, and the faint sound of the poor maid in hysterics above -stairs, for the burglar had locked in the two other inmates of the -cottage, though, alas! there was little help to be expected from either -of them. - -“Now, then,” said the robber, “hand us over that money that you got -to-day in Newbury, every penny of it.” - -She started up in bed, and turning her sightless eyes on the intruder, -exclaimed, in her most strident tones: “_No, I won’t, you villain! -What’s yer name?_” - -It may easily be believed that her nocturnal visitor was not -communicative in this particular, neither did the courage of the old -lady influence his conduct. He went on to prove to her that “he would -stand no nonsense,” and when at length she had unwillingly produced the -keys in question, he insisted on her accompanying him downstairs, to -show him the spot where the treasure lay hid. So up she got, and, -guarding against the cold by putting on some of the multifarious -petticoats which she always wore, the blind old heroine groped her way -downstairs, all the time heaping imprecations on the head of her -persecutor, and foretelling for him that retribution he deserved. She -had a wonderful knack of finding her way by remembering the positions of -the pieces of furniture in her small sitting-room, and Illidge’s -prediction came true. The burglar, besides appropriating the money in -question, took a fancy to some trinkets in the drawer, and some -months—if I mistake not, a year afterwards—one of them was found in a -pawnbroker’s shop in Newbury, and identified by a person who had seen it -in Illidge’s possession. There was no doubt about it, for it was a -mourning ring, with a date and inscription, which rendered the -identification conclusive. The pawnbroker remembered the woman who had -brought it, who turned out to be an accomplice of the burglar’s, and in -this manner he was tracked and convicted. - -And so ends all the adventures that I can recall of one of the most -attached and zealous retainers of which any family could boast. Illidge, -like the more celebrated personage with whom I have connected her name, -nearly attained her hundredth year, before she departed from this -sublunary scene. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - - OUR HOUSEHOLD - - -After treating of the worthy member of the household of a former -generation, I am now desirous to make some mention of two or three -personages who occupied different grades in my mother’s family, and the -recollection of whom is intimately connected with different periods of -my life. - -In my youth, it was the custom for servants to remain much longer in -families than it is at present; and my mother was so kind and gentle a -mistress that her domestics did not consider they would be likely to -“better themselves” (that most ambiguous expression!) by mere change of -situation. - -First in love and consideration came the nurse, Brooks, or “Brookey,” -who had already spent many years under my parents’ roof before I was -born. She was the idol of the nursery, a beautiful, dignified old lady, -full of quaint sayings and original notions, rendered still more racy by -frequent lapses into “Malapropisms,” for “she was no scholard, my dear,” -and would call Albemarle Street “Foldemol Street,” and assured us all -that her “nevvy” who lived at “Brummerzer” (Bermondsey) was very clever -in “edicating” young men, and teaching them “’Mathics,” (mathematics). -When told of the marriage of one of our cousins, she inquired if there -were “no chance of any gentleman paying his ‘distresses’ to her sister”? -Brookey could never forget that she had been a beauty, and when on the -wrong side of seventy she sat for her portrait, to a friend of mine, I -found she was not well pleased with the execution, but it was some time -before I could discern the reason. At last, however, it became evident -that she objected to a stick which the artist had placed in her hand. - -“Just as you please, my dear, but I should have thought a rose would -have looked nicer!” - -Dear old soul! my youngest brother and I shed bitter tears at parting -from her, but we never lost sight of her until her death, as she paid us -frequent visits both in London and at Hampton Court. - -Another prominent person in “Our Household” was Rachel Day, the lady’s -maid, a most consequential and important character in her own eyes, even -before she was advanced to the rank of a courtier, by leaving my -mother’s service for that of my sister, the Maid of Honour. During a -visit we paid at Longleat, Day was found on one occasion by the head -housemaid, wandering about the corridors. - -“Can I be of any use?” said the housemaid, in a patronising tone; “I -daresay you feel lost in such a large house.” - -“Oh dear no,” replied the Abigail, with an air of offended dignity, “we -live in a much larger one at home.” - -The housemaid was bewildered and humiliated, but - -Day had reason, as our French cousins would say, for that “home” was the -Palace of Hampton Court. When my sister became Maid of Honour to Queen -Adelaide, Day assumed, as in duty bound, an extra dignity and -courtliness of manner, and invariably talked of when “We go to Windsor,” -when “Our waiting begins,” and the like, and indeed to the end of her -life she considered herself one of the pillars of the throne. - -[Sidenote: ETIQUETTE BELOW STAIRS] - -At the same time she was a stickler for etiquette, and very strict as to -the rules of precedence in the “room,” as it is now called—in those -benighted days, the “house-keeper’s room.” - -One evening she came to my mother to propound the following weighty -question: “Do I follow or precede the Honourable Mrs Spalding’s maid? -for I do not know if a Viscount’s daughter goes before the wife of the -younger son of an earl.” - -Poor Day! she lost rank, but even that was preferable to proving her -ignorance. She was very apt at assuming, or perhaps I had better say -aping, the tastes of her employers, and during a prolonged sojourn at -Florence, had imbibed a great predilection for the Mediæval era, as far -as the sound went, for I do not think the epithet Middle Ages conveyed -any definite idea to her mind. She married late in life a Court official -in a small line, who occupied the post of a clerk, or what-not, attached -to the Palace of Hampton Court, and I well remember, in the gorgeous -description she gave me of her own wedding, that she mentioned with -pride, “my friend, Mrs Chapman, wore quite a Middle Age satin.” - -The name of Henry Mansell frequently comes back to my memory as -intimately connected with the fortunes of our family. He served one or -another member thereof for a period of more than half a century, -emulating in his affection and loyalty to the name of Boyle, the -characteristic devotion of a Caleb Balderstone. His peculiarities made -him a prominent character in our annals, and he was so well known among -our literary friends as to figure in the pages of a novel, which was -published at the time, anonymously, by an eminent writer of the day. In -the volume, entitled “De Lunatico Inquirendo,” if still in print, may be -found the portrait of our faithful and eccentric dependent. - -Henry was very fond of travelling, and took great delight in lionising -different cities which we visited; but in one respect he was a staunch -John Bull—no power on earth could persuade him that when he resided in -Florence he could possibly be called a foreigner. “No, ma’am,” he used -to say, “the Italians are foreigners, but I am an Englishman!” Yet he -liked Italy and the Italians, and during a summer we passed at Munich -busied himself, with an Italian grammar and dictionary, in preparation -for his journey to Rome. The language of Goethe and Schiller had no -charm for him, and by means of his Italian studies and his own quick -intelligence he contrived to make himself understood, although in a -somewhat unidiomatic and ungrammatical way. - -[Sidenote: “HENRY’S” ITALIAN] - -For instance, one morning when starting from the door of the hotel where -we had passed the night, the large Berline in which we were travelling -was surrounded by a host of beggars. My mother had caused some -“largesse” to be distributed, especially to the woman in charge of the -blind beggar, who invariably figures in the group, when, to Henry’s -indignation, she repeated her demands, and was bold enough to ask for -more. Then he turned upon her in all the eloquent indignation of his -newly-acquired language, “Volete, prendete tutto, prendete carozza e -cavalli!” Poor Henry! He knew “Volete” was right, and “prendete” was -right—how could he imagine the combination could be wrong? I well knew -that nothing pleased him more than to be trusted with messages or -directions to the Italian servants. Therefore, one day when driving in -Florence, I said to him, “Henry, pray tell the coachman that the -carriage window is broken.” “Ehe, cocchiere, il bicchiere é rotto.” But -he invariably contrived to make himself understood, and was a great -favourite with the Italians, from his easy good humour and willingness -to help on all occasions. - -In addition to his other talents, Henry was an adept with his needle, an -excellent cook, and an incomparable waiter. He was slow of hearing, -which perhaps sharpened his powers of vision, and we got into a habit of -communicating with him by signs. He identified himself with our family -in rather a comical manner sometimes. “It is getting quite late in -September, Henry,” said my sister-in-law to him one day, “and we have -had no game sent us yet; it is very odd.” “Very true, Ma’am, very true,” -was the sympathetic reply; “I think it is too bad. Why, there is Lord -Cork, the nearest relation we have, to think he should not send us a -single partridge!” - -Henry was in his way a moralist, and came to me once in great -indignation after reading a paragraph in some scandalous paper, with the -sapient remark that he thought “Every lady was getting as bad as one -another.” - -Poor, good, faithful fellow, his death was an untimely one! After -retiring from service he had taken a small cottage at Weedon, in -Northamptonshire, and was often employed as waiter or to carry errands -for the neighbouring gentry, who knew and respected him. One day he was -missed at home, and was sought, and found near a rickety bridge where he -had slipped and fallen head foremost into a small stream. Life was -already extinct, and on the bank, watching over that prostrate form, sat -his faithful little dog, with that despairing, wistful gaze, so well -known to every true lover of the canine species. - -[Sidenote: HERO-WORSHIP] - -Before concluding this chapter, I must make mention of our governess, -the last, and by far the favourite, for she had two or three -predecessors. Miss Richardson, or “Lizzie Dickey,” as we children fondly -called her, was the daughter of Joseph Richardson, a literary man, who, -if I mistake not, had been a co-lessee with the celebrated Richard -Brinsley Sheridan, of one of the principal London theatres. Lizzie was, -in consequence, dramatically inclined, and fostered my early taste for -the stage, as well as that for romantic fiction. How delightful were the -afternoons that my brother Cavendish and I passed with this genial -companion beneath the shade of the spreading ilex or flowering chestnuts -in Bushey Park, sometimes armed with a small luncheon basket and a -precious volume of Walter Scott. I could easily point out the spot now -where I became convinced in my own mind that I could never be happy -again, for Lizzie had just read aloud to us the passage in “Old -Mortality” where Lord Evandale dropped lifeless from his horse. We were -expecting the return of my father and mother that same evening, an event -to which I had been looking forward for some time, yet what did it -matter now? What consolation could I possibly find since the hero of my -idolatry was “no more!” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER IX - - BRIGHTON—SCHOOLDAYS - - -Brighton was a favourite resort of my dear mother, both before and after -I went to school there; not only on account of its healthy and -invigorating air, but more especially because it was the home of her -elder sister, Lady John Townshend, Lord John being the proprietor of two -houses in the King’s Road, called Little and Great Bush. The smaller of -the two was often lent to my mother for the winter months: there was a -door of communication between the two houses, and the members of our -family were as often in the one as in the other, both at meal and at -other times. - -We considered it great fun to be allowed to carry our dishes and plates -into Great Bush at dinner time, and to turn that usually solemn banquet -into a species of picnic, although the dinner in question could not -always be considered solemn. - -My uncle Lord John, who was already advanced in years when I first -remember him, was a very peculiar person. As I have before said, he had -been the friend of Fox, and was a Whig of the whiggest, a man of talent -and education, a poet and a scholar. He was what of yore was called “a -testy old gentleman,” but the children entertained a great affection for -him, combined with a certain degree of dread. He approved of my love -(now genuine) of Shakespeare, and liked to hear me read or recite -passages, on which he would enlarge, criticising and correcting my -pronunciation of classical terms. - -Lord John was a gourmet, and very particular in the matter of cuisine. -He would often call to the footman, in the middle of dinner, and say in -a querulous tone: “Tell the cook to come to me this moment,” which -occasioned rather an awkward pause. Then, on the entrance of the poor -_artiste_, with very red face from the combined effects of the kitchen -fire and mental confusion, he would address her in a voice of thunder: -“Pray have the goodness to taste that dish, and tell me if you do not -agree with me that it is beastly.” - -[Sidenote: TOWNSHENDS, AND MRS FITZHERBERT] - -In spite of all these eccentricities, I was very fond of my uncle, and -used to sit for hours talking to him by the side of his chair, for he -was a martyr to gout. Mrs Fitzherbert was a friend of the Townshends, -and lived at Brighton at the same time; she gave many parties, and when -charades and tableaux were the order of the day, or rather night, I was -allowed to be of the party, while still a child. - -One of the most shining lights of the dramatic company was Lady Anna -Maria Elliot, daughter of Lord Minto, afterwards the wife of Sir Rufane -Donkin. She was as kind-hearted as she was witty, a great friend of my -mother’s, and the idol of us children. One evening the word acted was -“champagne.” In the first syllable, “sham,” Lady Anna Maria out-did -herself, and being a thorough artist, sacrificed all considerations of -personal vanity to the requirements of her _rôle_. Never shall I forget -her impersonation of Miss Rosina Falballa, returning from the ball—an -elderly spinster, with a flaxen wig crowned by a wreath of roses and -otherwise youthfully accoutred, calling her maid hastily, retiring into -an adjoining room, leaving the door ajar, and from her hidingplace, -handing out to the attendant abigail all those mysterious appendages of -the toilet which gave the title to the first scene of the charade, sham -of all kinds; the wig, the ratelier, the paddings, culminating in what -is now familiarly termed a “dress improver,” but in those less genteel -days, “a bustle.” It would be difficult to imagine the screams of -laughter; suffice it to say her ladyship brought down the house. - -[Sidenote: TABLEAUX AT BRIGHTON] - -To my great delight, my services were enlisted when the tableaux began, -and I appeared as Ishmael drinking water from the hand of Hagar (if I -remember rightly, Mrs Dawson Damer); but more delightful still, because -dramatic and historical, in the parting of Lord Russell with his wife -and children. The representative of the patriot lord was one of the -handsomest men of his time, Frederick Seymour, whose beauty proved -hereditary in the case of his daughters, Lady Clifden and Lady Spencer. -I was not a bad little historian, and had already shed early tears over -the fate of the gentle Rachel’s husband; and when I was placed in the -proper position, clinging round the knee of the parent from whom I was -about to be separated for ever, I thought to myself, William Lord -Russell must have really looked like that handsome and noble -representative, so I called up my best look of sorrow and pathos, and -threw an upward glance, such as I was sure would have been the -expression of little Katey Russell on that melancholy occasion. - -How wounded was I in my histrionic feelings when Mr Seymour exclaimed: -“Oh, if you look at me in that ridiculous manner, I shall die of -laughing.” - -“Ridiculous!” Was that an epithet to apply to my highly conceived and, I -believed, wonderfully carried out embodiment of filial anguish? It was -most mortifying, and so I was condemned to throw all the concentrated -expression on the calf of my father’s leg. - -Only one more of that evening’s tableaux can I call to mind. It was that -of the kneeling infant Samuel, personated by Miss Morier, afterwards Mrs -Edward Grimston, then a lovely child. Mrs Fitzherbert, our hostess, -though of course at that time far advanced in years, had a fresh, fair -complexion and fine aquiline features, and had great remains of the -beauty and charm which had captivated the fancy, although it could not -ensure the constancy, of the fickle-hearted monarch, George IV. - -In the course of time our favourite governess, as I have -before-mentioned, left us, and my father announced his determination not -to appoint a successor. Here was a dilemma, for my mother had pledged -her word to me that I should never go to school, a resolution which she -would not alter without my consent; but during her stay at Brighton, she -had heard of an exceptional establishment, kept by a certain Miss Poggi, -the daughter of an Italian emigrant. I was a student by nature, and -loved learning for its own sake, so I easily acquiesced in my mother’s -project, and I took up my abode at No. 10 Regency Square. But I did not -calculate on the terrible home-sickness which would ensue, or the -miserable first night I should pass under that roof; my pillow was -literally deluged with my tears, and my sobbing brought the English -teacher to my bedside, who did all in her power to comfort me, and -became from that moment my tried and trusty friend. Poor Ellen!—she was -very kind and very handsome, and long after I left school she was -permitted, at my request, to come and pass some of her holidays with me -at Hampton Court. - -[Sidenote: DISLIKE OF ARITHMETIC] - -I spent nearly four years under the care of Miss Poggi, with whom I -became an especial favourite, perhaps because I feared her less than all -the rest of the pupils. She was a most exemplary woman, but strict even -to severity, and I can well remember the sudden hush which invariably -announced her appearance in the schoolroom. The French teacher was also -greatly feared by her scholars, but the gentle Ellen and the dear old -lady who taught us Italian were beloved by all. In our plan of -education, different days were apportioned for different lessons, and I -still have a lingering love (the result of association) for Tuesdays and -Thursdays, when dancing, poetry and parsing (which I always liked) were -the order of the day; while Mondays and Fridays still convey a dreary -idea to my mind of detested copy-books and smudged slates. Why did those -dreadful pence, I asked myself, present a different total every time I -added them up, and why, when I tried to prove a sum, did I only prove it -was wrong? Then such groans and scrapings of the slate pencils, the -whole aspect of things rendered more confused by the occasional dropping -of a large tear. Very nearly the same was the story of my music lessons. - -Pause, gentle reader!—do not accuse me hastily of having no music in my -soul, and consequently being fit for “treasons, stratagems and spoils.” -I loved music, but had no talent, and though I had sufficient ear to -detect what was wrong, I found it most difficult to _practise_ what was -right—no uncommon case in matters of morality. - -In our competition for prizes, the greater number of “extremely well” -depended more on industry than proficiency, and I was diligent and -laboured at my oar; so one Prize Day the Silver Medal for Music was -awarded to me. When I look back on this startling incident, I blush to -confess that I attribute this decoration to the over-indulgence of our -little music mistress; but like many other _décorées_ I felt very proud -of the unmerited honour. - -My dancing mistress, Madame Michau, had (if I may be allowed to say so) -better reason to be satisfied with me; for, with the exception of my -dear friend and namesake, Mary Broadwood, I was the best dancer in the -school, and my teacher was never tired of instructing her two model -pupils in boleros, cachucas, tambourine dances and the like, At that -time, dancing in Society was reckoned an accomplishment, and upheld as -an art, and it was not the fashion to slope and lounge through what is -termed in modern slang, “Square Dances.” - -I can scarcely imagine a prettier sight than that presented by those -frequent children’s balls, given by the King and Queen at the Pavilion -at Brighton. The building, as we all know, was a ridiculous Cockney -erection of a Russo-Chinese character, still, few scenes could have been -prettier than the interior of the principal room when filled by groups -of gaily-dressed and, for the most part, lovely children; for I agree -with an R.A. of my acquaintance who said that there is nothing on earth -to compare with the beauty of a little “English Swell.” - -Now, while I am treating of Monsieur and Madame Michau, I cannot omit to -insert an anecdote of the former. Some years after I had left school, -during a short stay in Brighton, I paid a visit to the dear old couple, -from whom I received an enthusiastic welcome. “Enchanté!” said Monsieur, -“de vous revoir, Mademoiselle—c’est à dire, sans doute, Madame?” I -replied in a tone of mock melancholy: “Hélas non! Monsieur Michau, -toujours Mademoiselle.” The good old man gazed at me with pity bordering -on contempt, then, shrugging his shoulders, exclaimed in a dejected, -though somewhat sarcastic, tone, “Ah! Mademoiselle, si ce n’était que -votre danse....” - -[Sidenote: “HAVE THE HONOUR OF DANCING WITH ME?”] - -While yet a school-girl, during the Christmas holidays there was a great -deal of juvenile dissipation in the way of balls, and so forth, the most -delightful of all, in my opinion, being those given by Dr Everard at his -celebrated establishment for young gentlemen, familiarly called the -“Young House of Lords,” from the aristocracy of the pupils. My partners -here were legion, including the late and the present Lords -Northampton,[24] Mr Frederick Leveson Gower,[25] and my cousins, the -sons of Sir Augustus Clifford. Willy Clifford, afterwards Admiral Sir -William Clifford, caused great laughter among his school-fellows, who -overheard him one night asking me to dance as follows: “Mary, will you -have the honour of dancing with me?” Many men, I doubt not—if they spake -their thoughts—might address a young lady in the same terms, but it is -decidedly not the custom: which reminds me of a quaint reply I received -once at a servants’ ball from a Somersetshire farmer, when in -consideration of the difference of our social position I asked him to -dance Sir Roger de Coverley with me. “Well, Miss Mary,” said honest -Farmer Ashby, “I can’t say as I see any objection.” - -Footnote 24: - - Charles, third Marquess of Northampton, died in 1877. William, fourth - Marquess, born in 1818, died in 1897. - -Footnote 25: - - Hon. Frederick Leveson Gower, second son of first Earl Granville. - -I need not enlarge here on the subject of Dr Everard’s school, for every -reader of “Dombey and Son” must be intimately acquainted with the -interior of that establishment, where, as is recorded in the delightful -book just mentioned, the whole of the afternoon preceding the ball their -house was pervaded by a strong smell of singed hair and curling-tongs. -In those days, curly locks were considered an indispensable accessory to -full dress. Yes, I did enjoy those merry dances at Dr Everard’s, and I -was proud of my popularity among my school-boy friends; yet—and this -belongs surely to confessions of which I ought to be ashamed—the -eventful night came, still at Brighton, when I was to make my _début_, -as a grown-up young lady, at a real grown-up ball. There was rapture in -the idea, and yet, after the fashion of most earthly pleasures, there -was a drawback. I never had any secrets from my mother, and to her I -carried my fears and apprehensions. - -“Dearest,” I said, “you see I am very small, and, I am afraid, look -dreadfully young (a fear that does not long survive in the female mind), -and now you know, although to-night is a grown-up ball, I have no doubt -some of these horrid boys will be coming up asking me to dance” (false -and fickle ingrate!). “I shall feel so dreadfully ashamed, and shall not -know what to do.” My mother, who ought, I think, to have read me a -homily, laughed outright, and promised to tell the lady of the house -that she was not to judge from appearances, for that I was really -“_out_.” The hostess was worthy of the confidence placed in her by the -mother of the _débutante_, for the first man she introduced to me was an -officer, quartered in the town, whose height was six feet six. Then did -I feel a certain degree of doubt, mingled with a natural feeling of -elation. Could I reach up to his shoulder, or he down to my waist, in -the waltz that was just beginning? I believe it was the first time I had -ever danced with a regular soldier, but in the course of my Hampton -Court life, where the only dancing men belonged to the regiments -stationed there, and at Hounslow, I have always maintained that I have -danced with the whole of the Army List, or at least with the Cavalry -portion thereof. In some localities the female community are in the -minority, and I remember a midshipman writing home from the West Indies: -“We went ashore last night to a very pleasant dance, to which they were -obliged to ask every girl in the place without distinction, or how else -could we have _manned_ our ball?” - -[Sidenote: TWO FRENCH “LADIES”] - -But I am anticipating events, for I have not yet left school. If all had -gone well with the studies, the pupils were permitted to celebrate their -birthdays by some festivity, and my favourite namesake, Mary Broadwood, -and I had for the last two years kept ours together, as they were within -a few days of each other. So we set to work, she and I, and made a very -free translation from the Italian of one of Alberto Nota’s celebrated -comedies, and having cast the company in our own minds, we gained Miss -Poggi’s permission to give a dramatic representation of _The Bachelor -Philosopher_, in which the two authors were to perform the two principal -male characters. My namesake appeared in what our German neighbours call -the “title-role,” and looked very bonnie in a dainty court dress, which -showed off her beautiful leg and foot to perfection. And here I must -pause to observe that Miss Poggi withstood the request which Madame -Michau made, that her husband might accompany her on the night of the -performance. “For, you see,” said Miss Poggi, “all our actors are -ladies.” But on the evening in question, Madame Michau arrived in -company with her _belle-mère_, a lady of rather a masculine appearance, -whose chin had a suspiciously blue colouring; but no questions were -asked, and the two French _ladies_ took the places reserved for them. - -The character I had selected for myself was that of an Italian nobleman, -whose whole soul was entwined around his genealogical tree. My costume -consisted of—oh! pride and rapture!—a yellow tunic and blue satin cloak, -all glittering with spangles, and a _bonâ fide_ page’s dress, borrowed -from the wardrobe of Drury Lane Theatre, by the influence of Elizabeth -Richardson; while my fair locks were duly powdered and combed and put -into a black satin bag, so that I flattered myself I presented a manly -and venerable appearance. - -The prettiest girl in the school, Emily Elves by name, was our _jeune -première_, while an elderly spinster was very well impersonated by -another member of the community. When the curtain dropped, dancing -began, and, in respect of my “noble birth and ancestral tendencies,” I -was permitted to lead out the charming daughter[26] of the reigning Duke -of Bedford. I wonder if she can recall that night as vividly as I can, -but if she should ever honour these pages by reading them so far, let me -take this opportunity of assuring her that I consider her one of the -most delightful partners I ever had, and I have had many since that day. - -Footnote 26: - - Lady Louisa Russell, afterwards wife of James, first Duke of Abercorn. - -[Sidenote: SMUGGLERS AND COASTGUARD] - -I have omitted to mention that our school, which was originally situated -in Regency Square, had been removed to the extreme end of Brunswick -Terrace. Indeed, Miss Poggi was one of the first to go so far away from -the frequented part of Brighton. I well remember once, in the dead of -night, being roused by hearing shots fired immediately under my window, -followed by shouts and cries. The next morning the mystery was solved. -There had been an encounter between smugglers and the coastguard; one -man had been severely wounded, and had only escaped death by hiding in -some miraculous manner. Then one of the officers of the coastguard -called upon Miss Poggi, and complained that to the best of his belief -the offender had been secreted in her house by one of the maidservants. -The reply to that complaint was a natural one: “I have not inquired into -the matter, but I should think it most probable that if a woman saw any -man flying for his life, she would do her best to save him, without -stopping to inquire into the cause of his flight.” - -In those days, be it remembered, “smuggling” was considered but a venial -crime, and many, especially amongst the gentler sex, were found willing -to wink at it. - -So wayward is human nature, that I believe I shed as many tears at -leaving school as I did on my first arrival, overjoyed though I was at -the prospect of returning home for good. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER X - - VISITS IN CUMBERLAND AND LEICESTERSHIRE[27] - ACCESSION OF WILLIAM IV. - - -Footnote 27: - - I have made some endeavours, but without success, to fix the date of - this visit. It was after 1826, and must have been before 1829, in - which year Isabella Howard, one of the four sisters, married Lord - Suffolk. Lord Henry Howard had died in 1824, so his widow was living - in the house of her son Henry, on whom Greystoke had been entailed by - Charles, tenth Duke of Norfolk. Mr Crackenthorpe was born in either - 1788 or 1789, for he told my sister-in-law, Lady Rachel Howard, that - his first recollection of a political event was the French Revolution, - when he was four years old. He lived to nominate Mr Stafford Howard - twice for Parliament, and died in 1886. Mr Howard of Corby was - descended from a second son of Lord Carlisle. Adela, or Adeliza, was - his youngest daughter, and, as are all her family, a Roman Catholic. - - The visit must have been after 1826, for in February of that year - Charles, third Lord Southampton, married Harriet, daughter of the Hon. - Fitzroy Stanhope, and my aunt, in describing her visit to his house, - makes no reference to a recent marriage. The brother-in-law must have - been Captain Robert Stanhope, who married, in 1830, Miss Ward. - -There were few happier beings than myself, the morning I started with -my mother, my brother and sister, for Greystoke Castle in -Cumberland—Cumberland, which appeared in those days a journey of -delightful adventure, not unattended by that vague sense of peril -which enhanced the charm of so long and wild an expedition. If our -destination had been the Rocky Mountains, or even the Steppes of -Tartary, I do not think my anticipations could have been of a wilder -and more romantic nature. Was I not going to the far away and scarcely -civilised district of the Borderland, so near to Walter Scott’s own -country, along the great North road, with its recollections of Meg -Merrilies and Jeannie Deans, and the names of the different towns at -which we were to sleep, suggesting well-known events in history and -fiction? I am speaking of a journey which is now accomplished between -breakfast and dinner. - -[Sidenote: GREYSTOKE CASTLE] - -Our destination, as I said before, was the picturesque domain of -Greystoke, where Lady Henry Howard,[28] my mother’s fast friend, lived -with her son Henry, and her four daughters.[29] Happy family, genial -companions! Every day spent in that enchanting spot seemed to me like a -page torn out of some favourite romance; and when I look back upon those -past years, I feel my beloved friend Lady Suffolk will agree with me, in -the new-fashioned language of the day, that that time was one of the -very best of good times. We were a happy band, with the same pleasures, -the same tastes, the same pursuits. As for me, my spirit was armed and -ready for adventures of all kinds, though occasionally I was -disappointed in my Quixotic anticipations. - -Footnote 28: - - Elizabeth Long married Mr, afterwards Lord, Henry Howard, brother of - Bernard, twelfth Duke of Norfolk. - -Footnote 29: - - Henrietta Anna married Henry, third Earl of Carnarvon; Isabella - Catharine married Charles, seventeenth Earl of Suffolk; Charlotte - married James Buller, father of Sir Redvers Buller; Juliene married - Sir John Ogilvay. - -[Sidenote: NAME OF CRACKENTHORPE] - -Soon after my arrival, I had gone out alone into the wild park of -Gobarrow, on a small mountain pony rejoicing in the classic name of -“Pacolet,” and very diminutive. Like Mazeppa, I “urged on my wild -career,” and naturally, the ground being quite new to me, lost my way: -so far so good, just what a heroine of romance ought to do; so on I -went, snatching a fearful joy, until I came to a large grip, which -Pacolet prudently refused. I was trying to persuade him to clear the -obstacle, when I perceived a man approaching, who promptly came to my -rescue, a gentleman, not remarkable for youth or beauty, but at least -chivalrous in his offer of assistance. I told him I was anxious to find -my way back to Greystoke Castle. My new acquaintance offered to escort -me, being bound for the same hospitable dwelling; this offer I -gratefully declined, as it would have entailed a foot’s pace, and I -preferred a hand-gallop. Pacolet was comforted when he found the grip -might be dispensed with, for I was turning my back on home; so following -the directions given me, and with the help of a few landmarks, I reached -Greystoke in safety, and on coming down to dinner, after a hurried -toilette, encountered my friend. Our recognition occasioned much -chaffing and bantering, and no small curiosity was manifested as to how -I could have possibly made his acquaintance. He was a middle-aged, -respectable-looking man, but for all that, the incident of our meeting -seemed invested with interest, and when dinner was over, I enquired the -name of the stranger, with the secret hope that he might be something in -the belted Will Howard line. I hope I shall be forgiven for having been -disappointed when I learned that he bore the time-honoured name of -Crackenthorpe. - -“Oh those merry days when we were young”—those happy days at Greystoke! -What rides, what stag hunts by beautiful Ulleswater, on foot, on -horseback, in boat, up the fells, and on the lake. Untiring, strong, in -all the pride of youth and joyous spirits, with those beloved friends, -what wonder that I described myself to a distant correspondent on one -occasion as having “the courage of a lion, the strength of an elephant, -and the appetite of a wolf.” Our feats of horsemanship would have done -no discredit to a circus, and our palfreys were so well trained, that we -used to dance quadrilles, or waltz in the most approved fashion, and I -stoutly maintained that my chestnut, named Montilla, after the Cid’s -renowned steed, bore away the palm. - -The castle contained, among many delights, a nice little theatre, and -our performances were frequent. The dramas were for the most part -home-made, but we thought them very fine, and, at all events, the -comedies were “genteel.” The Howards were all good actresses, and -enjoyed acting, and I was in my element. I have a small sketch, done by -one of the guests, of myself in the character of “Daffodil the Dandy,” -in a pea-green surtout, with a grand Brutus wig and waxed moustaches, a -youth who was much taken up with his own charms and accomplishments. - -One of the Howards as a stiff-starched old maid, and another as a -bachelor of the same sort, renewing a bygone flirtation, were deservedly -admired. Sometimes our performances took a tragic turn, and one evening -when I was kneeling before a cruel tyrant, who menaced my life with -up-lifted sword, a growl of thunder was heard, and our Scotch terrier, -“Boch Dhu,” who was in the audience, darted over the footlights, and -flew at the murderer’s throat, gaining for herself the honours of the -evening. - -I quitted Greystoke with a heavy heart, but before leaving Cumberland we -paid a visit to Corby Castle, a beautiful spot, the house situated on an -eminence overhanging the rushing river Eden, which was owned by another -member of the noble family of Howard. The house had an especial interest -for me (possessed as I have always been with a passion for ghost -stories) on account of being haunted. To sleep in the celebrated chamber -was the object of my ardent desire, and I gained rather an unwilling -consent from Mrs Howard and my mother; the latter indeed insisted that -my sister should be my bedfellow, lest I might become alarmed in the -lone watches of the night. I laughed this idea to scorn, as the -apparition, if it were visible, was that of the “radiant boy,” the -murdered Lord Thomas Howard, a lovely child in glistening white -garments, his golden hair crowned with flowers and surmounted by a -brilliant light. - -[Sidenote: GHOST OF LORD THOMAS HOWARD] - -No sooner were Caddy and I in the haunted chamber, than a knock came at -the door. Who could it be? We thought every body else had retired for -the night. The door opened—lo! it was Adela, the daughter of the house, -who came to confess that for long she had been devoured by the wish to -sleep in that room, and the bed was of such enormous dimensions, that -she should not inconvenience us, if we would admit her. I, for my part -did not like the idea. I felt I was too much acquainted with the -exclusive and retiring nature of the brotherhood of ghosts to entertain -the faintest hope of a successful apparition to a trio of friends. We -conversed, I think, most of the night, which was out of character with -the whole proceedings; but as the clock struck the witching hour of -midnight, there was a dead silence for a few moments, only broken by -Adela’s prayer, which her Church enjoins at the striking of each hour: -“Lord, make me to love Thee in time and eternity!” an ejaculation that -so took my fancy, that ever since that long, long ago I have always -repeated those words in the watches of the night, and thereby often -scared away many a sad and gloomy thought. - -Alas, for the failure, which I had anticipated! Little Lord Thomas -Howard disdained to make his appearance, and no one else, on practical -joke intent, disturbed the sleepers, or rather watchers. (To be sure we -had announced beforehand that the sword of Fergus M’Ivor, which was a -relic in the family, was to lie unsheathed by the bedside). This was a -great disappointment, and I had to wait for many years afterwards, in -another country, and under other circumstances, to behold a ghost. - -On leaving Cumberland, we paid a visit of quite another character, -namely, to the Master of the Quorn Hounds, whose wife had been a -school-fellow and contemporary of my sister. Here, too, we enjoyed -ourselves much, being splendidly mounted, a beautiful little snow-white -pony falling to my share. “Billy” was very fast and well trained, and -would answer like a dog to his name. It was a great delight to Lord -Southampton to gallop on in front for some distance as hard as he could, -and then to turn round and call, “Billy, Billy,” and off would set the -little snowball at furious speed until he rejoined his beloved master. I -must here recall an incident which impressed itself deeply on my memory. - -There was a large party in the house, chiefly composed of hunting men, -and one evening we were playing a round game, and making merry over it, -when the conversation turned on Fanny Kemble, who had lately made her -_début_ in London, and was at the moment the centre of attraction and -the theme of conversation. - -“What a pity we are not nearer London” (we were in Leicester at the -time, and no railroads then, be it remembered), said the lady of the -house; “I would give anything in the world to see her. I hear she is -perfectly wonderful!” Her sentiments were echoed by many, especially my -brother and sister; I listened in breathless awe. - -“Well, why should you not go?” said the brother-in-law; “I see no reason -against it. There will be no hunting for some days, not a chance—the -frost is a great deal too hard; we might go up for a couple of days, -sleep at a hotel, writing beforehand for a box.” - -[Sidenote: MIDNIGHT CONSPIRACY] - -The idea smiled on our adventurous hostess, some of the company thought -the scheme a mad one, and my dear mother tried to argue that it would -never do, for if the master of the house, who was absent, came back the -next day, and found his wife and guests flown without a word, he would -be much displeased. But imprudence had the upper hand. The -brother-in-law rang the bell, ordered a post-chaise and four, went to -put on his warm travelling garments, and proceeded then and there on his -road to London. The rest of the party were to start early next morning, -and they would find relays of posters ordered at all the different -stages, so as to avoid delay. - -Then came the burning question, Was I to go? No!—for once my mother was -inflexible, and I prayed and supplicated in vain. My brother and sister, -happy beings! were to be of the party, and poor Mary left crying at -home. I really do consider that of all the tributes paid to the talent -of my dear friend Fanny Kemble, or rather I should say the combined -talents of her and her incomparable father, few could be greater than -that midnight conspiracy, and the manner in which it was carried out. -Fortune favoured the travellers, for their return preceded that of the -master of the house, and my mother was saved the task of mediation, -which had been imposed upon her. Indeed I think, on the whole, Lord -Southampton rather admired the spirit of adventure which had animated -his wife and her guests, for he listened laughingly, and I -disconsolately, to the rapturous praises and enthusiastic encomiums -bestowed on the young _débutante_ by the playgoers. - -Although I have already complained of a bad memory for dates, yet there -are some which are of sufficient importance to be remembered, such as -the accession of William IV. in 1830. The news caused great excitement -in our little household, and was indeed calculated in a great measure to -change the tenor of our lives. My sister had for a long time been the -chosen friend and associate of the Duke of Clarence’s beautiful -daughters—I mean by Mrs Jordan the celebrated actress—and I must pause -in my narrative to give some description of them. - -The eldest, Lady de Lisle, had undoubted claims to good looks, but much -less so than her sisters. Eliza, Countess of Erroll, was remarkable for -her unusual colouring; she had auburn hair, with eyes of hazel brown to -match. Augusta Kennedy Erskine, afterwards Lady Frederick Gordon, was a -blonde, very graceful in demeanour, and playful in manner. On one -occasion when, as a young girl, Augusta came into the room hastily, and -made a little curtsey (for curtsies were not then obsolete), my -governess, Miss Richardson, told me that she was a perfect likeness of -her mother. Lady Mary Fox was more comely than strictly beautiful, but -she had a captivating smile, and a voice whose tones were sufficiently -musical, I should conjecture, to rival those of Mrs Jordan herself. The -youngest was my sister’s greatest friend, Amelia, afterwards Lady -Falkland, who might have passed for a Spaniard, for her hair was indeed -raven black, an epithet so often misapplied; but Amelia’s dancing -ringlets had a shade over them like the bloom on the feathers of that -bird, and her eyes were soft liquid black. I remember seeing her in her -wedding-dress (my sister was her bridesmaid), crowned with flowering -myrtle, placed there by Queen Adelaide’s own hand—the bridal chaplet in -Germany. But I have made a long digression, and must return to the first -days of the reign of King William IV. - -[Sidenote: “CADDY” MAID OF HONOUR] - -Amelia Fitzclarence went to the Queen and asked her as a favour to -appoint Caroline, or as she was always called, “Caddy” Boyle to be one -of her maids of honour, upon which her Majesty replied, with a kiss, -that she had already determined on that appointment, and that she had -caused Caddy to be informed that she was the first chosen on the list. - -It may easily be believed that this appointment occasioned great -excitement in our family, and the salary of the maid of honour appeared -in my eyes as a sum of fabulous riches, and my sister to have become -suddenly a personage of great importance, for she had now a limited -“Household” of her own. - -About this time my mother hired a small house in Curzon Street, and I -began to go out into society in good earnest, which I enjoyed very much, -especially the Court balls, which lasted longer, and were, if I may be -allowed to say so, in many respects less formal than those of a later -period. I was an inveterate dancer, and the interval which elapsed -between my stepping out of the carriage, getting off my cloak, and -reaching the ball-room, appeared to me interminable. - -Respecting the latter part of this year, 1830, the year 1831, and the -early portion of 1832, I have nothing very remarkable to record; our -time was chiefly spent between Hampton Court and London, with occasional -visits to friends and relations in the country. We suffered great alarm -indeed at one time, on account of the serious illness of my dear father, -an incident which I should not mention, seeing his life was mercifully -spared, but for one circumstance which made a great impression on my -mind. The invalid was attended by two eminent physicians, who left the -house, saying it was not in their power to do any more for him, and that -there was not the faintest hope of his recovery; yet, by the devoted and -affectionate skill of a naval surgeon, Dr Mitchell, who was much -attached to him, my father’s life was saved, and of the two other -doctors, he survived the one eleven, and the other fourteen years. My -sister was in constant attendance at Court, yet in the autumn of 1832 -she gained leave of absence, and was allowed to accompany her mother on -a foreign tour. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XI - - FIRST CONTINENTAL TRAVELS—TURIN AND GENOA - - -It was on the 11th September, 1832, that, in company with my mother, my -sister Caddy, and eldest brother Courtenay, I started for Turin, where -Charles had preceded us. It would be difficult to imagine the delightful -anticipations I had formed of that journey to the South, and yet, like -all earthly pleasures, they had a drawback; for, on that blissful -morning, I shed many tears at parting from my youngest brother -Cavendish, as he stood with a great friend of ours at the door of our -apartments in Hampton Court Palace to wish us God-speed. - -Arrangements had been made that we were to be met at Boulogne by a -_voiturier_ with a team of horses, which he would attach to our heavy -berline, and therein convey us to Turin, _via_ the Jura and Switzerland. -We found him a rough and ready individual, with a strong will of his -own, and a great inclination to overrule the opinions of others, but -never forgetting an especial deference _pour cette bonne Miladi_. We was -a worthy man, but headstrong by nature, and the only name we ever knew -him by was Henri Hutin, which I always believe to have been a _nom de -guerre_, or rather _de route_. We had fitted up our carriage very -comfortably with a small table in the middle, forming a cupboard, which -contained materials for tea-making, a luncheon basket, and other -luxuries. We had each of us layers of brown holland packets for our own -especial books, writing, and drawing materials. - -The front box, on which we took it by turns to take an airing and see -the country, had also receptacles for different treasures of travel, -while the rumble behind was occupied by the faithful Henry. In this -manner we proceeded leisurely, but comfortably, on our roads, pausing in -the middle of the day to bait our horses and to feed ourselves, and -sleeping at little wayside inns of most unpromising exterior, where we -were always sure, in passing through France at least, of an appetising -supper and snow-white beds. I often wonder if any other girl in the -world ever enjoyed herself so much, or revelled so completely in the -beauty of the scenery, the novelty of every incident of travel or the -delights of the gay and brilliant society with which we mixed in all the -principal Italian towns. - -[Sidenote: SOCIETY IN GENOA] - -We found Charles happily established in the post of _attaché_ at the -English Legation, with his friends Sir Augustus and Lady Albinia Foster, -who treated him with all the kindness and consideration which they -bestowed on their own sons. After spending what our American friends -call “a good time,” at Turin, we went to Genoa, that proud and beautiful -city, where we remained until the following summer. We became acquainted -with all the leading members of society, the names of most of whom -recall many an interesting page in the annals of Genoese history, such -as Pallavicini, Durazzo, Balbi, Doria, and the like; but the family with -whom we were most intimate, and on whose memory I dwell with most -affection, was that of the Marchesa Brignole, her sister and her two -daughters, with the latter of whom I had constant intercourse. The -eldest was married, and at the house of Madame Ferrai (the late Marchesa -Galliera) we used to spend the most delightful evenings; it was here -also I became acquainted with Lord and Lady Holland,[30] then newly -married, both of whom were most agreeable companions. - -Footnote 30: - - Henry Edward, fourth Baron Holland; married, 9th May 1833, Lady Mary - Coventry. - -Genoa does not afford much scope or variety for those who love riding, -but where there was a horse, and a side-saddle to put on it, my sister -and I could not be kept from mounting, and by degrees most of the -Genoese gentlemen whom we met in society joined our riding parties, -until our cavalcade lengthened out to enormous proportions, and many -were the pleasant gallops we had along the coast. Alas! that most of -those gay cavaliers have long since been numbered with the dead. One in -particular I recall with sincere affection. He was the Chevalier Pietro -de Boyl, brother of the Marchese of the same name. He was a Sardinian by -birth, and at this time a Captain in the Engineers. He was remarkable -for his extreme beauty and high courage, which he proved afterwards by -distinguishing himself greatly as A.D.C. to King Charles Albert in -several battles. He was subsequently Governor of his native island of -Sardinia, but, at the time of which I am speaking, he was merely a young -officer, one of my favourite partners, and a constant visitor at our -house. He sang well to the guitar, and his other charms were enhanced in -my eyes by his devotion to _cara miladi_, as he alway called my dear -mother. - -It was during our sojourn at Genoa that King William IV. bestowed on my -father the Guelphic and Hanoverian Order, which his Majesty was very -fond of dispensing. When the news of the decoration reached Genoa, we -received visits of congratulation from all our friends, and at the same -time letters and notes offering sympathy to my mother upon what was -considered a very questionable elevation. - -How grieved I was when the time came to leave beautiful Genoa! The -Carnival had been so enjoyable, the fun so “fast and furious,” and the -opera season so delightful. We had been almost every night to the -theatre, having a box placed at our disposal by one or other of our -Genoese friends. Visits were paid from one box to another by all the -gentlemen of our acquaintance, and the society thus enjoyed was on an -easy and agreeable footing. The _prima donna_ at the time I am speaking -of was, strange as it may appear, a German by birth, and Madame Ungher -was, in my opinion, the finest actress I have ever seen, scarcely -excepting Rachel or Ristori. She was not remarkable for beauty, but had -a noble presence, was graceful in her movements, and her singing was -replete with expression, dignity and pathos. In the opera of the -_Pirata_, I shall never forget the scene in which she implores her child -to intercede with his father in her behalf. I was forcibly reminded of -this incident the other day, in witnessing Miss Mary Anderson’s -beautiful impersonation of Hermione in the _Winter’s Tale_, and the -touching dialogue between her and the little Prince, when she showed the -same tenderness, the same winning grace, but enhanced by an extreme -loveliness with which Madame Ungher was not endowed. - -[Sidenote: “BALLETS D’ACTION”] - -At that period _ballets d’action_ were in great repute. They generally -occurred between the middle acts of the opera and were, as I considered, -an unreasonable interruption, in every sense of the word. Besides, I -wearied of the constant repetition of the same insipid pantomime; and -the invariable story of the “Two Rivals” was commonplace in the highest -degree. - -One evening I turned to a gentleman who sat beside me, and expressed my -impatience, finding fault in rather an irritable tone with the _prima -ballerina_ for killing herself, and, “Why does she not rather kill her -rival?” I asked of him. - -My companion was a matter-of-fact personage, and after gazing at me for -some time with an expression of disapprobation: “Comment, Mademoiselle,” -he exclaimed, “sous une chevelure ainsi blonde vous cachez des passions -ainsi violentes?” I have often thought that we blondes labour under a -great responsibility, as we are generally supposed (in fiction at least) -to be mild and virtuous, calm and placable. - -I can recall most vividly an amusing evening spent at the Veglione. My -eldest brother tried to persuade us to go to the masquerade that night, -but we (my mother, my sister and myself) were very deceitful, complained -of sleepiness and disinclination for the task to which he was looking -forward. In the meantime we had surreptitiously made assignations with -three of our friends to meet us at the door of the theatre and be our -escort for the night. Our hotel was situated on the port, and we had, -therefore, to pass through several of the narrow streets _en route_ for -San Carlo, which could only be traversed by sedan chairs. - -During the many years I have passed in Italy, I have never seen above -three instances of drunkenness in the streets, but this evening I was -unfortunate. My chair swayed about from side to side, as if I were in a -steamboat, and at last came to a dead stop, and our faithful servant -Henry, who was walking by my side, lifting up the top and opening the -door, informed me of the reason, while turning to the chairmen he heaped -upon them in his very best Italian a storm of indignant invectives, at -the same time sending back the more sober of the two to the hotel, to -summon another pair of bearers. Issuing from the sedan, in all the -splendour and magnificence of a Turkish Sultana with an entire mask, I -began to add my indignant rebukes to those of Henry, when the -ludicrousness of the position came home so forcibly to me that I stopped -in my harangue. Glittering with gold and silver and false jewels, and of -the commanding stature of five foot nothing, I must have greatly -impressed those guilty men. Remembering, however, that my “paper face,” -as the Italians call an entire mask, was expressive of inane good humour -and the blandest of smiles, I came down from my pinnacle of sublime -virtue, and retreated into my chair until the appearance of my new -bearers. Arrived at the theatre, and joined by our cavaliers, we mixed -in the motley throng on mischief bent. - -[Sidenote: A MASQUERADE] - -My companion, being one of the leaders of society, who knew all about -everybody and everything in that society, was of the greatest use in -prompting my sallies and in enlightening me when I was at a loss. - -“Do you see,” I said, “that officer who is following us, and who looks -at me every now and then in the most threatening manner? I do not know -him, and he evidently takes me for somebody else.” - -“Yes,” replied Count Camille, “I think I can explain it? He is very much -attached to a French lady, who is about your size, and I think he has -mistaken you for her. She is a clever little women and writes poetry.” - -On this hint, I spake. With a rashness which perhaps I should have -feared to exercise after a longer acquaintance with Italy and the -Italians, I determined to tease my follower. I had resolved from the -beginning to speak only Italian, or very broken English, so as not to be -found out as a foreigner in too many languages, so I began to -expostulate with my officer on his dogging my steps. I made Camille, who -was very tall, bend down earnestly and talk to me in a whisper, about -nothing or anything. I told my pursuer that I had been too busy to think -of him lately, as I had been occupied writing sonnets to the moon, with -other wise speeches of an exasperating quality. I then told him I was -going to valse, and should not be able to do so if he stuck so close to -me. I think I was rather courageous to bear the brunt of the furious -looks he cast upon me. He still followed, and after two rounds I came -back to the place where he was standing, upbraided him for his jealousy, -and raising my mask for a moment, relieved him from all his suspicions -by showing the face of an utter stranger. He was not what would be -called a handsome man, but it required a southern face and a southern -nature to express the delight and relief that he experienced at that -moment. His bad quarter of an hour was over, and he was good-humoured -enough to enter into the fun and mischief of the mask who had deceived -him; his eyes literally beamed with pleasure, and with an arch smile and -a low bow he hoped, in the charming Italian form of speech, that we -should soon meet again. - -I next attacked a Marchese of our acquaintance, who was very ill of -Anglomania, and extremely proud of speaking the language, which he did -very well for a Genoese, for they are not remarkable for being good -linguists. To him I spoke in English, and excited as much jealousy in -his breast, though of a different nature, as I had already done in that -of my officer. I was careful to break my English and to translate from -Italian idioms. When asked where I lived and whence I came, I told him -that I resided somewhere between the Acqua Sola (the promenade on the -north side of the city) and the Lantern, meaning the Lanterna or -lighthouse. He then asked me if I had ever been in England, and I told -him that I had spent six months in that country. Beckoning to a member -of the American Legation, he whispered to him that he should engage in -conversation with me, and I had the satisfaction of hearing the referee -inform him that I certainly was no Englishwoman. - -[Sidenote: A BUNCH OF VIOLETS] - -So far my efforts had been successful at puzzling and misleading, but a -higher triumph was in store for me. I sought out my brother, chaffed him -mercilessly about his flirtations, his favourite partners and the like, -paid especial court to him, flattered him in the way I knew would most -please him, and made a resistless attack on his vanity! I asked him to -take one _tour de valse_ with me, and finally ended by presenting him -with a large bunch of violets. It is always said that the best way to -detect a mask is to examine the hands and feet, but here I was a match -for my brother. With an entire disregard of vanity I had encased my -hands in ill-fitting gloves, and over my usual evening shoes had drawn a -pair of Turkish slippers. I joined my mother and my sister, and we all -three went home to the hotel, and were sound asleep before the return of -my brother. The next morning I went into his room before he was up, and -in the most innocent manner asked him to tell me all about the _bal -masqué_, whether it was amusing, whether he advised us to go next time, -whom he had seen and recognised, etc. Then, turning round and seeing my -violets carefully placed in water by his bedside, I pounced upon them, -saying, “How deliciously sweet! where did you get them?” - -“Pray leave my violets alone,” he said in a sharper tone than usual; -“I’ve a particular reason for not wishing to part with them”; and this -was uttered mysteriously, mingled with a certain degree of -self-complacency which made me quite dread the inevitable moment when I -must confess to poor Courtenay that those violets were the gift of his -sister! What a terrible anti-climax to the romantic episode of the -foregoing evening, as he had evidently believed the donor to be one of -the beautiful Genoese ladies who were the brilliant ornaments of that -brilliant society. - -There is a proverb connected with the proud city, that “Its sea has no -fish and its fair citizens no souls.” To this I demur, and at all events -there were few towns, even in Italy, where the women of the three -different classes were more beautiful. In Rome, for instance, the -aristocracy, with some splendid exceptions, were not famous for their -personal charms, but the lower orders, especially the Trasteverini (or -the inhabitants from the other side of the Tiber), were for the most -part magnificent specimens of womanhood, tall, fully developed, majestic -in their bearing, with not infrequently a defiant expression. My -sweeping description of the Romans of the lower orders used to be, that -all the women looked as if they would stab you if they could, and all -the men did. - -The fashion of veils and chintz head-dresses in Genoa was going out as -early as 1833, but a few years before, the noble ladies were -distinguished by wearing lace veils, similar to the mantilla of the -Spaniards, but chiefly white; the burghers’ wives, white muslin; while -the lower classes, whether country or townswomen, wore on their heads -the chintz covering, which is now almost obsolete, even in Genoa, but -has of late years been copied in the Manchester manufactories, and sold -for bed-quilts in many of our London shops. - -[Sidenote: MAZZINI AND CAMILLE DE CAVOUR] - -The year of which I am speaking was very eventful, and great political -excitement was felt throughout all Italy, especially in the north. -Mazzini was at work, and had made his influence widely felt, while that -true patriot, Camille de Cavour, preached the doctrines of real reform, -and was preparing the way for better days in the land he loved so well. -Intrigues of all kinds were being carried on, of a complicated -character; frequent arrests were made, and spies were in every house, -reporting the conversations that took place at private dinner-tables. I -believe there is little doubt that our head-waiter, old Pietro, was one -of the most officious of these eavesdroppers. I heard it afterwards with -regret, for he was a favourite of mine, and often joined in an easy and -pleasant manner in our conversation. On one occasion I was quoting a -short poem of Metastasio’s that I admired greatly, and I had got as far -as - - “Cosi non torna fido, Quell’ angioletto al nido ...” - -and there I stuck fast, when Pietro, stepping lightly forward, came to -my rescue, and, in a sonorous and theatrical voice, exclaimed: - - “La pargoletta prole, al cibo a ravvivai.” - -Picture to yourself a waiter at a London hotel volunteering to finish -for you the last lines of a sonnet by Milton, or of a speech by -Shakespeare! - -The history of that time will be found recorded in the story called -“Lorenzo Benoni,” by Ruffini,[31] the author of that most charming -little book “Doctor Antonio,” a wonderful literary triumph, when you -remember that the two volumes were written in English by an Italian. - -Footnote 31: - - Giovanni Ruffini, an Anglo-Italian writer of novels and sketches, who - lived from 1807 to 1881. - -But now the time came for our departure, and how deeply grieved I was to -bid adieu to Genoa and the Genoese. My brother and sister went to -England to attend their duties at Court, as they were both in the -Household, and my mother and I set out for the baths of Lucca, where we -had been advised to spend the summer. We took up our abode in a nice -little house at the Bagni della Villa, being shortly after rejoined by -my brother Courtenay. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XII - - SUMMER AT THE BATHS OF LUCCA - - -We were all delighted with the Baths at Lucca, and the picturesque -environs. The surrounding hills were covered with Spanish chestnut -trees, which retained their fresh spring green during the whole of the -summer, and the cool, refreshing river Lima, which runs through the -valley, tempered and mitigated the heat of those months, that to some of -our compatriots appeared excessive. My brother and I hired ponies, and -in the company of two Englishmen, his friends, we rode every day, making -excursions into all the beautiful little towns which crowned the -neighbouring mountains, a pleasure which was heightened by the fact that -our dear mother was sometimes able to join us in these pilgrimages, -being carried in a chair by the sure-footed peasants of the country, who -made no difficulty in ascending the hill-sides, however steep. - -As the spring came on, the wild-flowers were a constant source of -delight to us, although our botany was of no scientific nature. There is -a thistle there which grew by the roadside and in the fields, that I -have never seen elsewhere, though perhaps I prove my ignorance in -thinking it to be a rare specimen; in shape it resembles a small -sunflower, but the centre is violet, and the small and numerous petals -shine like mother-of-pearl or glistening opal. I was very fond of -wearing it in my hair, in those days when it was the fashion to dress -the head with natural flowers, in a country where even men, especially -fishermen, were frequently seen with a rose, a carnation, or some sweet -flower fixed behind one ear. - -One day as we were riding along, about five miles from the Baths, my -brother and I were surprised at being accosted by a peasant in very good -English. We slackened our pace and entered into conversation with him, -enquiring how it was that he spoke our language so well. He told us that -he had been many years in England, carrying about a tray of -plaster-casts on his head through the streets. This is a custom which -has become less frequent, but when I was a child, nothing tempted my -scanty store of pocket-money more than one of what I called those “white -images,” and I well remember the delight I felt in the possession of a -young Apollo. When I saw the original in after years I hailed it as an -old acquaintance. The man told us that most of the people in that line -of trade came from the village through which we were at that moment -riding, and that those who were successful in their business usually -returned to end their days, small blame to them, in their beautiful -country. - -[Sidenote: THE BODDINGTONS] - -We occupied the ground floor in our house at the Villa, while the _primo -piano_ was inhabited by an English family, consisting of a middle-aged -lady, a gentleman, and two daughters. My mother, as a rule, kept aloof -from the companionship of her compatriots while on the continent, unless -they were old friends, and preferred the society of the natives; but I -had a secret hankering after the acquaintance of the English girls above -us. The eldest in particular took my fancy; she was tall and well -formed, with a profusion of dark brown hair, and although her face could -not be called beautiful, it was wonderfully expressive. I had heard of -her proficiency in drawing, and had often passed her as she sat -sketching under her large umbrella, and I knew she was a charming -musician, for I could hear her beautiful touch on the pianoforte, and -her melodious singing in many languages, as clearly as if we had been in -the same room; but time wore on, and we did not become acquainted. - -One day I was busy reading in our little sitting-room when I heard the -most piercing shrieks, accompanied with a stamping of feet and other -signs of distress. Without a moment’s hesitation, I flung down my book -and, heedless of _les convenances_, rushed upstairs, and dashed into the -room, where I found the two girls ministering to their mother’s maid, -who for some unreasonable reason or other had gone off into violent -hysterics. That was the strange fashion in which we made the -acquaintance of the excellent Boddingtons, whose companionship and -friendship cheered many years of the lives of both generations. From -that moment the two mothers became inseparable, and both the girls -endeared themselves to my heart, so much so that the elder and I were -subsequently known amongst our friends at Rome and Florence as “Rosalind -and Celia.” - -While we were at the baths of Lucca, a ball was given by the couriers -and upper servants of the families passing the summer there, which was -to take place in the little theatre where dramatic performances were -occasionally given. To this ball the “quality” were bidden, and places -assigned to them in the boxes, while the pit and stage were boarded over -for the dancers. - -We spent a most amusing evening in watching the arrival of the guests, -who were received at the entrance by the stewards, according to the rank -of their masters and mistresses. Thus the lady’s maid to the Duchess of -Lucca was received with royal honours, everybody curtseying and bowing -as she passed along, and great clapping of hands as she made her way to -the principal seat. I cannot say her temporary Highness looked very -royal, or her toilette very well chosen, but she was determined, as it -appeared to me, to do honour to her high position by putting on a small -portion of every “chiffon” she possessed. Her gown was of as many -colours as Joseph’s coat. Filigree trinkets from Genoa, and, I should -imagine, from several _bijoutiers en faux_ in the Palais Royal adorned -her neck, ears, and hands, while on her head she wore flowers, feathers, -and more false hair than was then consistent with the fashion even of -that day. Her airs and graces were in keeping with her attire, and I -could not help contrasting her whole appearance with that of her Royal -mistress. - -[Sidenote: HIGH LIFE BELOW STAIRS] - -It was easy to detect the nationality of the different households: the -severe simplicity of the English, the light and airy ball-dresses of the -French, and the different modes of dancing which characterised the -different countries. The little flirtations that passed, the extreme -_galanterie_ of the men, especially the couriers, the awkward “footing -it” of some, and the very graceful dancing of others, were all most -amusing to witness. It was _High Life Below Stairs_ acted on a real -stage by real characters, and far less exaggerated than the famous droll -old farce. - -During our sojourn at the Baths we made a delightful excursion to the -town of Lucca, and here we became acquainted with the reigning Duke and -Duchess. They were reckoned the handsomest couple in Europe. The Duchess -was a daughter of the King of Sardinia, and as good as she was -beautiful; the description of her would pass for that of many an Italian -beauty, but I have seldom seen her equal. She was tall and majestic, -with a noble presence and lustrous eyes, but she had the saddest -expression I almost ever beheld, and so I observed to one of her ladies, -who became a great friend of mine, and she told me that it was not -without cause. Almost the same description might be given of the Duke’s -personal appearance, with the exception of the sad expression, for there -was no melancholy in the beaming, smiling countenance of Charles de -Bourbon. He had a sweet voice and a winning tongue, was a graceful -dancer, and the admired of all who saw him; but he was unworthy the love -of so noble a woman, and was vain and inconstant by nature. It was told -of him that one day a friend presumed to ask him how it was possible he -could treat his beautiful wife with so little consideration. - -“Tiens, tiens,” he said, “elle est très bonne, elle est très belle, mais -elle ne me contrarie jamais. C’est si fade.” - -I mention this circumstance as a warning to wives who are too forgiving -and forbearing. - -About this time there took place a great religious festival in Lucca. -According to a legend, one day in far distant times a ship came to—I -forget what part of the coast, or what harbour—bearing a sacred image of -our Lord, which was at once appropriated by the Luccees.[32] As far as I -can remember, it was a rough, ill-modelled effigy, with a black face, -but it was held in high veneration by the citizens, and on one night in -every year it was carried through the town in a long procession, -consisting of the Court, the nobles, the Guilds, and principal burghers -of the place. I can recall the scene as the moonlight streamed down on -the Duke and Duchess and their attendants, the Duke in full uniform, the -Duchess a perfect dream of beauty in soft pale blue, crowned with a -heavy tiara of diamonds, and with diamonds studding her whole dress, and -glittering and sparkling in the moonlight with a softer brilliancy than -can ever be seen in the interior of a room. The ladies and gentlemen of -the retinue alike in full dress, and the priests bearing candles and -chanting as they went, made a sight never to be forgotten. - -Footnote 32: - - According to the tradition, the Volto Santo was carried by Nicodemus, - who, after the Crucifixion, was bidden by an angel to make an image of - our Lord; but leaving it unfinished, he found the Face had been - miraculously completed. It is said to have found its way to the coast - of Italy in an open boat, and to have been brought to Lucca in 782. - -[Sidenote: DUKE AND DUCHESS DE BOURBON] - -One morning, after a ball at the ducal palace, the lady in waiting, to -whom I have already referred, told me that the Duchess was suffering -from a violent headache, arising from the weight of the diadem, which -she had not worn for some time. This struck me as a symbol, and the next -morning I wrote the following lines, which I gave to the Marchesa:— - - “Once more, oh joy! once more alone, - The pageant’s at an end - And all the crowded train are gone, - The courtier, flatterer, friend. - All, all is hushed and silent now, - I tear the diadem from my brow, - Each glittering fillet rend. - Oh would I thus my heart could free, - And lift its load of misery! - - “I am alone, oh joy untold! - My splendid task is o’er, - My heart of griefs I may unfold, - And swell the grievous store. - I need not face the hollow smile, - With a weeping bosom all the while, - My tears may freely pour. - I need not speak of trivial things, - When every word fresh torture brings. - - “Oh, well can I recall the day - I left my mother’s care, - When, decked in royal bride array, - Each voice proclaimed me fair. - That morn I drank in hope’s bright dream, - The fount of joy and nectar’s stream, - And breathed a magic air. - The sun, the sky, the earth, the sea, - That day had new-born charms for me. - - “A ducal crown was not the thought - That fired my soul with pride, - Sardinia’s daughter might be sought - For many a throne beside. - - - But rapture’s cup was flowing o’er, - The morn I left Liguria’s shore, - As Charles de Bourbon’s bride. - Sole Empress of his heart of bliss— - What were my sister’s realms to this? - - “They call me haughty, proud, and cold, - But little do they know—— - Who can through Hecla’s snows behold - The flames that lurk below? - O Charles, my sovereign, husband, guide, - My heart’s best, earliest, dearest pride, - Yet source of all my pain, - Give me the love of bygone years, - To turn the current of my tears - In smiles of hope again.” - -The Marchesa read the lines with tears, and said how much she wished she -could show them to her royal mistress; but, alas! in some cases, -sympathy is an insult. - -Before taking leave of the Baths of Lucca altogether, I think I may as -well allude here to a second visit which we paid some years later to -this charming spot, when we found the only son of the Duke and Duchess -established at the Royal Villa, and were invited, shortly after our -arrival, to a ball which they gave. - -[Sidenote: “FILTHY LUCRE”] - -The Prince had married the only sister of the Comte de Chambord. She was -a pretty blonde, fair of complexion, and short of stature, with golden -hair and blue eyes _à fleur de tête_. Her manners were winning and -gracious, and she altogether formed a striking contrast to her husband, -who was vulgar and unrefined. Indeed, in a subsequent visit to England, -he gained for himself the name of “Filthy Lucre.” One of his gentlemen -told me that the greatest ambition of His Highness was to be taken for -an English groom, upon which I retorted that in that case, he must -contrive to have a better seat on horseback. But to return to the ball. - -I remember both my mother and myself being extremely scandalised by the -fact of His Highness holding, what some of the gentlemen called, _un -estaminet_, next door to the ball-room, where, during the greater part -of the evening, he and his chosen friends smoked very bad tobacco. This -incident will not surprise the readers of the present day; the only -difference lies in the better quality of the tobacco, for what was then -considered an innovation in the manners and customs of society, is now -sanctioned by the highest authority. - -The career of this ill-fated Prince was a miserable one. On the death of -Maria Louisa, the Duchy of Lucca became annexed to that of Tuscany, -while that of Parma fell to the share of Charles de Bourbon, Duke of -Lucca. He disliked the change, retired into private life, and abdicated -in favour of his son, who assumed the title of Charles III. - -Now began a reign of misrule and anarchy; the new sovereign was hated by -his subjects, as was his Prime Minister, Baron Ward. This man, who was a -Yorkshire jockey, first entered the Duke’s service as groom, and by -degrees became his political adviser, confidant, and companion. After a -short and disastrous reign, Charles III. was assassinated in the open -street, and as some say, in a common tavern, by the hand of a man of the -lower orders, prompted, it was supposed, by hatred and jealousy. - -The incidents connected with this event were kept as secret as possible. -It took place in the year 1854, when the Duchess became regent for her -infant son, and these chronicles belong to the time when Italy was not -united. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XIII - - SHORT SOJOURN IN FLORENCE - - -From the baths of Lucca we went by _vetturino_, a charming drive, to -Florence. The chief part of the way I travelled with my eldest brother -on the box of our large berline, enjoying thus a perfect view of the -country through which we passed. - -A trifling incident occasioned us much merriment the day we passed the -frontier of the little Duchy and entered that of Tuscany. Underneath the -carriage was slung a hamper, in which nestled our favourite Scotch -terrier, “Boch-Dhu,” so named on account of her black muzzle, together -with a small family with which she had lately increased our caravan. My -brother had walked on for a stretch, as he often did, and left me in -possession of some money to be delicately handed to the custom-house -officer, bidding me at the same time to address the official with great -civility. Accordingly, when we arrived at the Dogana, out came a little -bustling man, whose chief characteristic was a pair of enormous -moustaches. I acted up to my orders, and slid the _buona mano_ in his -hand. He did not disdain the bribe, but thought to hedge with his -conscience by asking in rather a peremptory tone of voice what that -curious-looking basket contained, implying that it was his painful duty -to be informed on so important a matter. I could not resist the -temptation of playing him a little practical joke, so in a meek and -obsequious manner I replied that I was not quite sure if the contents -were contraband, and requested him to satisfy his scruples by lifting -the lid. As he did so my expectations were realised, for the infuriated -mother made a dart at his nose, and he incontinently dropped the lid -with all haste. I must do the functionary the justice of saying that he -was good-humoured enough to bear me no malice. He laughed outright, and -the carriage drove on while he was shaking his fist at me in mock anger. - -On our arrival in Florence we took up our abode on what I have since -called the wrong side of the Arno, although the autumn was not -sufficiently advanced for us to find our quarters too cold. The house -was situated near the south end of one of the bridges, and we had for -fellow-lodgers a French family, consisting of a mother, two daughters -and a son, who became ere long our cherished friends and companions. - -The youngest daughter was a most remarkable person, and one who was well -known in Florence for many years. She had lived a life of romantic -adventure, and it was my hope and intention, at one time, to have -written a slight sketch of her life, as she described it to me. - -The mother, Madame de Fauveau, was a typical Frenchwoman of the _ancien -régime_, whose family had suffered during the Reign of Terror. Her own -mother had been a prisoner for some time in the “_Conciergerie_,” and I -was much interested by an incident which my friend related to me of -those terrible days. - -[Sidenote: “ROBESPIERRE EST MORT!”] - -It seems that the room which Madame de Fauveau’s mother shared with -several other lady prisoners had but one window, heavily barred, through -which you could see, only by climbing up on a ledge, and straining your -neck to look out; but here so slight a communication with the outer -world was eagerly sought after by the poor captives, who would daily -take it in turn to mount the window-seat. One day it was the turn of -Madame de Fauveau’s mother, and her attention was attracted by seeing an -old woman in the street make her all sorts of mysterious signs; it was -evident she had something of importance to impart. She first made -manifold gestures and gesticulations, then taking up her own gown in her -hands, and shaking it and pointing to it several times, she proceeded to -pick up a stone from the ground, deliberately drew her hand across her -throat, and bowed her head, as if to designate the guillotine. Can you -not believe with what alacrity the happy prisoner jumped down from the -window, and communicated the joyful news to her fellow-captives, in a -cautious whisper, however, “Robespierre est mort!” which meant for all -in that room life and freedom? - -Madame de Fauveau was a witty, kind-hearted woman, and a -hero-worshipper, and the hero, or rather heroine, she worshipped was her -own daughter, Félicie, who was well worthy of all the incense offered -her. - -Félicie, some years before I knew her, had attached herself to the -fortunes of the Duchesse de Berri, and had been the fast friend and -comrade-in-arms of the brave and noble Madame de la Roche-Jacquelin, -Princesse de Talmont. This lady had emulated the example of her -ancestor, in the first rising of la Vendée, by animating her retainers, -and raising, as far as I remember, a regiment, which she herself -commanded, to uphold the fortunes of their legitimate King, Henri V., in -the same locality, so much so that, with a similarity of name and -country, the heroines of the two risings have frequently been -confounded, and the dates and heroines confused. - -As I only heard the account of this short campaign from Félicie herself, -my allusion to it is naturally vague, but I know that those two friends -endured great hardships and dangers in each other’s company, and when -the little band of loyalists was dispersed, and the cause lost, they -wandered about, suffering from hunger and fatigue, often hiding -themselves in dry ditches by day, and continuing their flight by night, -till at length they were compelled to separate for a better chance of -safety. Félicie was taken, and the tattered colours of the Vendéens -found under her uniform. She was imprisoned, her captors believing that -they had arrested Madame de la Roche-Jacquelin, an error which the -faithful friend did not contradict. - -On coming out from captivity, Félicie was banished from France, together -with her mother and the whole family. The little fortune they possessed -was confiscated, and thus it came about that they settled in Florence. - -[Sidenote: FELICIE DE FAUVEAU] - -What was to be done to gain a livelihood, for the de Fauveaus were too -proud to accept pecuniary aid from people whose political sentiments -they did not share? Félicie was energetic. She became a sculptress, she -worked in marble, in alabaster, and in silver, in many branches, -brooches, clasps, and wings, which would have done no discredit to -Benvenuto Cellini. All her tastes, all her talent turned to the -expounding of the genius of the Middle Ages, and all her works breathed -the spirit of mediæval art. One of her chief productions was a group of -Francesca di Rimini, chosen at the moment when Paolo falls at her feet, -and the fatal book lies on her lap— - - “Quel giorno più non vi leggemmo avante.” - -Another very beautiful statuette she executed for the Duchesse de Berri; -it represented St Elizabeth, at the moment when, upbraided by her -husband for carrying provisions to the poor in time of scarcity, she -draws aside the cloth which covers her basket, and lo! a miracle, the -contents were turned to flowers. I saw this beautiful little statue in -the Duchesse de Berri’s palace at Venice, holding fresh white roses, the -emblem at once of the Royal Saint and the badge of the Royal owner. - -Félicie de Fauveau was an excellent scholar as far as reading went, -being well acquainted with our literature, but she never could master -the language sufficiently to talk in society, and it was amusing to hear -the dialogues between her and my mother, each in her native tongue. - -Our stay at Florence was not long. We made a preliminary acquaintance -with all the treasures of painting and sculpture contained in that -beautiful city, and went on our road to Rome, sleeping one night in the -Pontine Marshes, when we had for supper a _fricassée_ of frogs such as I -had heard of all my life and never beheld before or since. - -We had had apartments taken for us in the Via della Croce leading out of -the Via Babuino, where on our arrival my mother found a letter from her -old friend Madame de Bunsen, begging her to come to tea that very -evening at the Prussian Legation, situated on the Campidoglio or -Capitoline Hill. Accordingly, having divested ourselves of our dusty -garments, we proceeded thither in all haste. That was a red-letter day -in my calendar, and one that while my life lasts can never be forgotten. - -Our repast over, Madame de Bunsen said: “It is a most beautiful night, -and I think you and your girl would like to take your first impression -of Rome from the window of our balcony.” - -So saying she led us out, and lo! in all the silver radiance of a -southern moonlight, Rome lay sleeping before us—Rome with its classical -ruins, the Coliseum, the Forums of Campo Vaccino and that of Trajan, the -Tarpeian Rock, with gorgeous palaces of the Middle Ages, and the towers -of manifold periods, while St Peter’s and the Vatican, with the Castle -of St Angelo, were visible on the further bank of the yellow Tiber, now, -glittering in the moonlight, transmuted into silver; and that was our -first sight of Rome the eternal, Rome the beautiful, Rome the -sublime—the pilgrims to whose shrine never failed to drink of the magic -waters of the fountain of Trevi, in the fond hope that this charm will -insure their return. - -[Sidenote: FIRST IMPRESSION OF ROME] - -I shall say very little about my Roman experiences on this occasion, as, -making allowances for the different degrees of enthusiasm, the same -story would be more or less told by every traveller; suffice it to say, -that my cup of happiness seemed overflowing, when I drove with my -mother, and walked or rode in the Campagna with my brother and numerous -friends, when each day our eyes were gladdened, and our intellects -brightened, by some new revelation of beauty in art or nature. - -Very shortly after our arrival we went with a large party to see the -principal statues in the Vatican by torchlight, an expensive amusement -which is generally accomplished by collecting many friends together, -each of whom pays a torch-bearer. The effect is most wonderful, for the -men who carry the torches are instructed to make the light travel over -the marble features until they assume a living aspect, with all the -change and expression of breathing humanity. - -We mixed frequently this winter in artistic circles, visiting both at -the homes and studios of the principal painters and sculptors of the -day. To Horace Vernet, in particular, we often paid our respects; at his -house one of the most prominent and interesting figures was the -venerable Thorwaldsen, whose magnificent work of our Lord and the Twelve -Apostles was then on exhibition in his studio, the same which now forms -one of the glories of his native city of Copenhagen. He himself was of a -commanding presence, with long locks of silver lying on his shoulders, -and of the gentlest and most genial countenance I ever beheld. - -One evening the French painter invited his guests to come in costume, -and I remember the characteristic appearance which he made as a Bedouin, -and very like one of his own equestrian pictures, while his lovely -daughter, in a splendid dress of gold and coloured brocade, looked as if -she had walked out of a Paul Veronese frame. I thought then of the verse -in the Psalms of the description of the King’s daughter—“All glorious -within, her clothing of wrought gold, brought unto the King in raiment -of needlework.” She was indeed, on that evening especially, a vision of -delight. No wonder she drove poor Leopold Robert to madness, and -captivated the heart of her noble countryman, Paul de la Roche. - -With Overbeck we also made acquaintance, and the fine work on which he -was then engaged, the “Life of Our Lord,” with regard to which he told -us that he had changed the Protestant religion for that of Rome, as he -believed none but a Catholic could paint sacred subjects. - -Pinelli was also still alive, and we found him at work on one of those -terra-cotta groups of Roman peasantry, which were even more admirable -than his drawings. He was very handsome, a typical Roman, with gold -earrings in his ears, and his hair in small ringlets, such as in old -days might commonly be seen among our English sailors. I think he -admired himself as much as we did, and it was easy to see that he had -taken himself as the model for most of the principal figures in his -charming groups. - -Another interesting personage was the German painter Reinhardt, a man of -very advanced age, who was called at that time the father of the -artists. - -But this book is not intended as a mere catalogue. - -Through the kindness of a friend whose acquaintance we made at Lucca, we -had ingress afforded us to many of the religious ceremonies in the -Sistine and elsewhere, from which the generality of travellers were -usually excluded, and letters of introduction also formed passports to -the palaces of the chief Roman nobility, so that the Carnival that year -was one continued round of gaiety and festivity for me and mine. - -[Sidenote: LEAVE ROME FOR NAPLES] - -After some delightful Spring days passed in the neighbourhood with the -Boddingtons, at Tivoli and Albano, we travelled to Naples, where those -dear friends soon rejoined us. Here we took up our abode, in a very -pretty apartment on the ground floor of the Palazzo Calabritti, just -opposite the entrance to the delightful gardens of the Villa Reale. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XIV - - SUMMER AT NAPLES - - -We made rather a sad entrance into our new abode, for we had not been -settled above two days when the portress appeared to me with a very -troubled face, and asked me to come and see her Giulia, who, she feared, -was dying. The poor woman was in dreadful grief, having lost another -daughter not many months before. I accompanied her to the sick room, -where I found a very pretty girl, by whose bedside I took my place. With -that trustfulness which is a leading characteristic in young Italians, -she took my hand, and addressed me as if I had been an old friend. I -tried to speak cheerfully to her, but there was something so spiritual -and far away in the look of her pleading eyes that it failed me to hold -out to her any hope of recovery. - -She had only lately fallen ill, she told me, but knew that she was -dying, for her sister’s last words to her were “Tornero per te.”[33] She -scarcely knew at the time what was meant by these ominous words. - -Footnote 33: - - “I will return for thee.” - -“But two nights ago, signorina,” she said, “I looked up and saw Anna by -my bedside; she had fulfilled her promise and came back for me.” - -Poor Giulia! I only saw her once again, and that was on the morrow, when -she was carried past our windows on the way to the Campo Santo. -According to the custom of those days (I do not know if it still -continues), she lay with her face exposed on a bier of magnificent -crimson velvet, embroidered with gold, attended by a long procession of -priests and mourners for the dead. Her beautiful long hair crowned with -fresh roses, her gala dress thrown loosely over her, to be removed when -the funeral reached the cemetery, and the fair young creature to be -thrown headlong into one of those noisome holes which were opened daily -for the interment of the dead. - -[Sidenote: RIDING PARTIES AT NIGHT] - -With the exception of two attacks of illness which befell me and my -sister, and which were productive of a good result in the friendship we -formed with the chief physician of the place, our summer at Naples was -most enjoyable. As usual, we had our cavalcades, in which we were always -joined by the two Boddington sisters and a compatriot of ours, Hugh -Cholmondeley, afterwards Lord Delamere; so that with my two brothers, my -sister and myself we formed no insignificant troop of horses. But summer -was at its height, and our rides were nocturnal. The horses were ordered -at 10 P.M., and we rode till one and two in the morning, for, as I heard -a passer-by once say under my window:— - - “A Napoli non e mai notte.” - -How beautiful were those moonlight rides along the coast towards -Posillippo, with the Mediterranean glittering and sparkling, and -occasionally dotted by fishing-boats, with their flickering lights, -while Vesuvius at intervals threw up volleys of flame and columns of -smoke. - -What a happy band we were!—alas! there are but two survivors! What -delightful excursions we had (the pleasure enhanced by the presence of -our respective parents) to Pompeii, to Sorrento and Amalfi and Paestum, -and what delicious evenings we spent in the little garden of Villa -Craven which overhung the sea! What a trip to the island of Ischia, -where the Boddingtons and I danced tarantellas on the terrace of the -pretty inn under the tuition of a dark-eyed young Ischiate. How -enchanting was the scenery of that sweet little island, the pleasure -only marred to our friends’ English maid by the fact that we had to -cross the sea to get there. - -Harvey (for that was her name), the hysterical friend of Lucca days, -expostulated with her mistress on the inconvenience of coming in an open -boat— - -“Lord and Lady Sydney, ma’m,” she said, “preferred coming by land, and -found it much more comfortable.” - -Poor Harvey! she was one of those people who remain faithful to their -first idea. It was in vain her young ladies explained to her that it was -very difficult, they might say impossible, to reach an island by land! -Harvey maintained stoutly that Lord and Lady Sydney had achieved this -feat, for she had it from the best authority, that of the lady’s maid; -and in that belief Harvey went down to her grave. - -Vesuvius vouchsafed three separate eruptions to us during our sojourn at -Naples, and we made a pilgrimage up the mountain while the fire-stones -were falling and the lava flowing in all directions, much to the -consternation and disgust of our guides. - -[Sidenote: OUR DOCTOR RECITES DANTE] - -But to return from Nature to human nature, and to speak first of our -beloved physician. - -Michael Giardano was the son of an Italian by an English woman, and -combined in his own person the best characteristics of both nations. He -was eminently handsome, well skilled in his profession, a scholar, a -sportsman, and an artist. He nursed me and my sister, and our faithful -Henry, through bad attacks of fever, and as far as I was concerned, -assisted in my recovery by the opiates he administered in the form of -long recitals from favourite passages in Dante as he sat by my bedside. - -Poetry is a medicine which I have always found efficacious in my own -case, either to a body or mind diseased, and I was reminded of my -Neapolitan friend not long ago, when another distinguished member of the -same profession, and another valued friend of my own, administered the -same remedy, only then the tonic was Goethe instead of Dante. - -Giardano was a favourite with man, woman, child, and dog, for he set the -paw of our Scotch terrier when run over by the carriage. “Boch-Dhu” was -very much pleased with the care he bestowed on her, and, I grieve to -say, showed some dissimulation in order to attract his notice. Long -after she had become sound, the instant the door opened, and the Doctor -appeared, this deceitful individual would limp to the chair and, sitting -beside her medical attendant, offer him her paw! - -Poor Michael Giardano! Many years afterwards I picked some violets from -his grave in the Protestant cemetery at Rome, where an elaborate tomb -had been erected to his memory by an English lady, who became his wife, -not long after we had bidden him adieu at Naples. There could be no -doubt of the admiration and affection in which she held this gifted man, -whose epitaph she wrote, detailing his many virtues and talents, while -the sculptured sides of the monument symbolised the many pursuits in -which he was proficient. - -One evening, riding with my eldest brother, we resolved to go up to the -castle of Sant’ Elmo (then the Chelsea Hospital of Naples) in order to -view the sunset from the summit of the hill. When we arrived at the -gates of the fortress, we found that we were too late to be admitted, -but I looked so disappointed, and pleaded so piteously to be allowed to -pass, that a soldier who was standing by offered to go in and ask the -Commandant for his permission. The request was readily granted. We -dismounted from our horses, and made our way on to the terrace, where we -were welcomed by the good old general, who was enjoying his coffee, and -kindly asked us to join him. He was already long past middle age, with a -military bearing, for he had seen much good service, and with a kind, -genial manner, which warmed into enthusiasm when he found we spoke his -language with fluency. He did the honours of the place and of the pretty -garden which embellished the grim old castle, and the magnificent view -it commanded; for Naples lay beneath us, the blue Mediterranean dotted -with islands, the country towards Baiæ on one side, Pompeii on the -other, stretching out into the distance, the Villa Reale, enlivened by -numerous groups of gay pedestrians, and the fire and smoke of Vesuvius -in the back-ground. - -[Sidenote: CASTLE OF SANT’ ELMO] - -We lingered on the terrace a long time, until the moon rose over the -bay, and then, bidding our new friend good-night, gratefully accepted -his invitation to return there again, and, above all, to bring my sister -and my brother Charles, who were shortly expected from England, to enjoy -that beautiful prospect. - -Dear old General Ruberti! May I be forgiven if I boast of so decided a -conquest. From that time till we left Naples, he would send me constant -presents of sweet nosegays, of delicious fruits, and of different kinds -of dried fish, and any other especial Neapolitan delicacy, the packets -usually tied up with coloured ribbons, and invariably accompanied by a -large square letter directed: - - “_Aa sua eccellenza, - La nobil donzella, - Donna Marietta Boyle, - Palazzo Calabritti_,” - -which bore very little resemblance to a _billet-doux_, either outside or -in. Yet the contents were usually of a tender and complimentary nature, -and surely never were love-letters more peculiar in their character. -They were written by proxy in the large, full round hand of a secretary, -very eloquent and very flowery, with a most affectionate yet respectful -heading and ending, while at the bottom of the paper, in a little -cramped and rather trembling hand, came the signature of my devoted -admirer, - - “_Ruberti, Generale Commandante di Sant’ Elmo_.” - -Natural as was the pride I felt in the conquest of so elevated an -adorer, it was nothing to the glory which awaited me. One evening I was -bidden with my mother and the whole of the family to dinner, and a most -excellent repast was served to us on the beautiful terrace, and when the -purple shades of night deepened in the sky, the grim old Castle of Sant’ -Elmo burst forth into brilliant illuminations—and all this in honour of -Donna Marietta. I have never since gazed on a picture or drawing of -Naples the beautiful, crowned with the old castle, without remembering -that proud night in my life. Dear, noble old general! - -When King Bomba issued his commands that the Commandante should fire -upon his countrymen from the heights above the town, the patriot -refused, and, in spite of his previous services and advanced age, was -cast into prison. A tribute is paid to this noble rebel in Ruffini’s -pathetic tale of “Dr Antonio.” - -He outlived his captivity, and shortly before his death (which, I think, -took place at Turin) sent me a letter with a string of coral beads, to -entwine, as he expressed himself, in my golden hair, by that lover of -Italian freedom, the Countess Belgiojoto, a connection, by the way, of -our Poet-Laureate.[34] - -Footnote 34: - - Alfred Lord Tennyson. - -[Sidenote: FEAST OF MADONNA DELL’ ARCO] - -Naples, justly called the beautiful, appeared to us on another occasion -under what might well be termed a miraculous aspect. It was the feast of -the Madonna dell’ Arco, When the Neapolitans leave the city to purchase -in some neighbouring district rural utensils of husbandry, such as -rakes, pitchforks, baskets of various shapes, etc., - -they return at evening into the city with these implements crowned with -flowers and decked with coloured ribbons a species of triumphal -procession, which formed the subject many years ago for a charming -little picture by the Italian painter, “Urvins,” which decorates one of -the small rooms in Lord Lansdowne’s splendid collection at Bowood. - -But let it not be supposed that the mirthful Neapolitans marched -stiffly, or walked sedately into the city at the close of the festival. -Oh, no! the whole procession danced into the town with all the varying -steps of the tarantella, the men wheeling and circling round the women, -and shaking and striking the tambourines above their heads; and on the -glorious afternoon in question, the Madonna was propitious, and across -the whole city was thrown a rainbow of immense magnitude and brilliant -colours, framing with its prismatic arch one of the most glorious -pictures that can be imagined, and promising to the happy citizens a -fertile and beautiful season. - -The arrangement of the hours of the day at Naples during the summer was -a source of great amusement to us. The belfry of a neighbouring church -tolled the hours, but only as far as six, so that when, according to our -English reckoning, it was 7 P.M., the clock struck one, and the hour was -called twenty-four. - -One more curious experience befell me at Naples—Naples the delight of -her citizens, as the old carbonari song says, which strangers are -enjoined to see before they die. I slept in a corner room opening into -those of my mother and my sister, the two doors being in an angle close -to each other, and, of course, always open during the summer months -(they were all passage rooms). I had not slept there very long, before I -came to the conclusion that my apartment was haunted. Every night there -passed through from one door to the other the figure of a woman, so -hastily, so softly, that I was only aware of the movement and the -scarcely perceptible flutter of a garment. At first I supposed it was my -sister, and called out, but received no answer. I said very little—I am -not sure, but I believe I kept silence altogether on the subject; the -servants would have been terrified, the rest of the family sceptical, so -I and my ghost kept our own counsel. I had not the slightest fear, or -feeling even bordering on excitement, but I was curious, and determined -to test myself whether the vision was a fancy of my own; so I used to -look up and think, “Now I shall see it,” but that did not succeed, and -afterwards when I was thinking of something else there she was, or -rather there she went, her movements being visible to me by the glimmer -of outside _cafés_, etc., which were never extinguished till dawn, and -my curtains were closed. - -[Sidenote: THE PALAZZO CALABRITTI GHOST] - -My visitor was very faithful, but was not regular in her hours. She -never made her presence known by any audible sound, unless the piercing -shriek that I heard one night, some hours after I had gone to bed, had -any connection with my ghostly friend. I was roused from my slumber by a -scream which appeared to me to come from our drawing-room, which was -three rooms off from mine. I dashed out of bed and found my sister, who -had sat up late, calmly writing letters to England, and she naturally -took me for a ghost, as I made my sudden appearance in my night attire. - -I sometimes also heard my name called when no one was by, but that was -all I ever saw or knew of the ghost of the Palazzo Calabritti. Neither -could I in any way account for the apparition, unless the question could -be solved by our Neapolitan housemaid saying to me one day: - -“Ah! a poor young lady from your country died in that bed, for the love -of the Prince of Capua.” - -I think the poor girl must have had the most susceptible heart, for that -royal prince had little to recommend him, either in looks or in -character, although he shortly afterwards married an English wife. We -heard sad stories of him while we were at Naples, and how he persecuted -a beautiful young Englishwoman by his attentions, and in revenge for the -slight she put upon him, endeavoured to compromise her by causing his -empty carriage to stand almost every night at her door. In order to -defeat his wicked design, this fair creature would walk up and down the -pavement before her own house, sometimes for hours together, until -fatigue drove her in. Yet I must confess we were indebted to this -reprobate prince for a delightful sail to the island of Capri, he having -lent my sailor brother the small yacht in which he made frequent -cruises. - -It was a glaring hot July day, and going below, to escape the heat of -the sun, I was most unpleasantly impressed by the gaudy colouring of the -cabin and its fittings. Why on earth, thought I, should a Neapolitan -prince sport the Royal Stuart tartan, which, however dear to loyal eyes, -looked tawdry and incongruous in such a position. It was some time -before I discovered the meaning of the sentiments or the allusions to -“Prince Charlie,” as the Prince of Capua bore that name. - -Now while we are on the subject of the Bay of Naples, and the yacht is -in the harbour, I must mention that the skipper of Lord Anglesey’s -charming craft, the _Pearl_, was an Irishman, but of so refined and -educated a class that, avoiding all temptations to brogue, he invariably -called the crater of Mount Vesuvius “the creature.” - -Bidding adieu to beautiful Naples, we embarked on a French steamer for -Leghorn, and had so fine a passage that we were able to sleep both -nights on deck, “under the roof of blue _Italian_ weather,” and make our -way to Pisa, _en route_ for Florence. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XV - - PISA AND FLORENCE - - -These two cities have always appeared to me to bear a strong family -likeness to each other, the same river running through the principal -streets, although the buildings on the quays are very different. They -are like two sisters: Pisa, the elder, the more sedate, the graver of -the two, while Florence, the younger, is all smiles and gladness. But in -one respect we were very fortunate, for we saw Pisa under a most -cheerful aspect. There is, or was (for I do not know if it continues), a -triennial festival in honour of her patron saint, St Ranieri, on which -occasion the whole town is illuminated, not, after the fashion of an -English illumination, with crowns and stars and badges and devices, but -by the marking out of the architecture of palaces, churches, and bridges -with lines of light, so that the city bears the appearance of being -built in fire. Beautiful as this effect would be in almost all cities, -it is doubly so in Pisa, more especially on account of that noble group -of buildings, the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and the Leaning Tower. The -last edifice, in particular, presents a most singular and beautiful -aspect with the spiral lines of light, which define so vividly the -peculiar and fantastic form of the erection. - -We walked about the streets during the greater part of the night, amid -the most amiable and good-humoured crowd with which it was ever my lot -to mingle. - -I cannot help recording here a curious story which was told me by an -English lady at Pisa. A countrywoman of hers, a young girl, said to her -one day when they were standing together in the Baptistery, admiring the -celebrated pulpit, which is supported on the backs of four lions: - -“That reminds me of such a curious dream I had last night. I thought I -was standing here where we are now, and that I put my hand into the -lion’s open mouth, when he bit it off.” Suiting the action to the word, -the girl thrust her hand into the marble creature’s jaws, uttered a cry -of agony, and pulled it out hurriedly. The lion’s mouth contained a nest -of scorpions, one of which had stung her so severely as to necessitate -immediate measures to ensure the safety of her injured hand. - -[Sidenote: ACTORS AND ACTRESSES] - -Our winter season[35] at Florence was as brilliant as that at Rome, and, -to me, more delightful in one respect, as I obtained a theatrical -engagement. On the walls of Florence stood a large and commodious house -(I know not if it still exists). It then belonged to Mr Rowland -Standish, and was called by his name; it had a large garden and a very -pretty theatre. The mistress—the lessee, the manageress, the friend of -all who came near her, whether professionally or socially—was Lady Lucy -Standish,[36] beneath whose auspices the little theatre became the -resort of a happy company, both before and behind the curtain. - -Footnote 35: - - The winter season of the early months of 1834; see subsequent notes. - -Footnote 36: - - Lady Lucy Perry, third daughter of Edmund Henry, first Earl of - Limerick; married 1816 to Rowland Stephenson, who took the name of - Standish in 1834. - -How excellent were some of our actors and actresses! Ah! I fear very few -survive to read this feeble tribute. Among other performances, we gave -an ambitious representation of the old comedy, _A Cure for the -Heartache_, in which the Secretary of our Legation, Mr George -Edgcumbe,[37] especially distinguished himself as the “yokel” of the -piece. He had lately become engaged to Miss Shelley, a fair friend and -countrywoman of mine, but however preoccupied his heart may have been, -it did not interfere with the rare skill with which he played a -difficult, and some would have considered ungrateful, _rôle_. The -villain of the play, who had designs on the sister of the ploughman, -lays a scheme by which to get the latter into his power. He places a -purse full of money (one of those large elongated purses with which in -old melodramas the wicked peer always tempted the virtuous peasant) -within the grasp of the poverty-stricken brother, when summoned on some -pretext to the great house. After a short soliloquy, lamenting his -penury and the like, the ploughman looks round, sees the golden bait, -and chinks the guineas. Then follows a silent pause. The temptation at -first appears irresistible; you see the struggles which are passing in -the poor fellow’s mind, the difficulty of resistance, the final victory -over himself, and the well-expressed air of reproach and indignation -with which he hands the purse to his tempter on his entering the room. - -Footnote 37: - - The Honourable George Edgcumbe, second son of Richard, second Earl of - Mount Edgcumbe; married 19th May 1834 Fanny Lucy, eldest daughter of - Sir John Shelley, sixth Baronet. - -May I be forgiven for adding a little incident concerning my own -performance? I played the rich heiress whose betrothed lover throws her -over at the end of the piece, in favour of her penniless rival. I -thought it would be neat and appropriate at such a juncture to make my -exit in violent hysterics, and in that state I repaired to my -dressing-room, where I was calmly employed in changing my dress for the -after piece, when the door burst open and my sister rushed in, -terror-stricken. - -“O Mary,” she said, “you will kill yourself; this dreadful excitement is -too much for you!” - -I looked up and she looked down. I was certainly the calmer of the two, -but my vanity had received a most flattering compliment. - -How well I remember the night of our first rehearsal. At its -termination, the gentleman who had kindly undertaken the onerous office -of prompter thus addressed us from his hooded seat on the stage:-“Ladies -and gentlemen, I am most anxious to give you all satisfaction, and in -order to do so, I have taken down every separate direction given me by -each member of the company, as to the especial manner in which he or she -wishes me to prompt, such as, When I look at you, not before. Will you -run on in a low voice the whole time?” “Never mind if I substitute one -small word for another,” etc. - -He then read each order, with the name of the giver, and summed up the -total. There were twenty-two entirely different, most specific orders! - -[Sidenote: OFFICE OF PROMPTER] - -“May I enquire,” he continued, “what I am to do to content you all?” - -His harangue was received with a burst of laughter, and the resolution -was carried _nem. con._ that we must all be “letter perfect.” We very -often beat for recruits when we heard of any new English arrival in -Florence, and as we were about to cast a play of which one of the -characters was a decided plunger, I was deputed to ask a certain gallant -hussar, when I next danced with him, if he would help us. I did so, he -gladly accepted, and I made an appointment with him to come to Casa -Standish the next evening at rehearsal hour, when his part would be read -for him. When he arrived, I repeated mine, which contained many tender -passages with my Plunger; but each time I approached him he gazed at me -in a more and more threatening manner, till at last I fancied that he -was more likely to strike than to caress me. The effect was peculiar—the -prompter reading declarations in the most affectionate and insinuating -terms, while the lover looked daggers, not to say swords and pistols, at -the unoffending _jeune première_. At length the crisis came. I had to -recline gracefully on his shoulder (he was six feet two), and to confess -how entirely I reciprocated his ardent love. - -He bent over me, and in a stage whisper, with a look of thunder that -might have shattered nerves less strong than mine, said:— - -“If you keep me to my promise, I leave Florence to-night.” - -This was the second time I had been thrown over, but this time if I had -become hysterical, it would have been through laughter. The Inamorato -did not explain why he broke his engagement, but he had never trod the -stage till then, and I suppose the prompter’s box, the footlights and -the whole dramatic apparatus produced an unmitigated stage fright. - -Neither will I omit to make mention of a favourite member of our troupe, -who distinguished himself in more ways than one: this was the clever -pony belonging to the son of the house, whose stable was in the garden. -Often in the intervals of our day rehearsal it was the delight of the -then schoolboys to mount me on “Hotspur’s” back, and slipping the rein, -he would dash off at the word of command, taking the bit in his mouth, -and making the circuit of the garden at the fullest of all speeds. I -well knew that those boys fondly hoped that the day would come when they -would see their playfellow (myself) dismounted from her exalted -position, but I am proud to think I disappointed them. - -On one occasion a magnificent _ballet d’action_ was in preparation. The -daughter of General de Courcy, a leading member of the Anglo-Florentine -society, was to represent “Fatima” in a gorgeous Eastern costume, which -became her beauty well, while I took the scarcely less responsible -_rôle_ of “Sister Anne.” - -[Sidenote: PONY ON THE STAGE] - -Standishes of all ages and both sexes took part in this brilliant -spectacle, while the part of “Selim,”,the rescuer of the lovely Fatima, -was acted by the young Marquis Talleyrand de Perigord, eldest son of the -Duc de Dinon, who had lately become a resident in Florence. We were very -glad to secure the services of the young Marquis, who was handsome, -accomplished and agreeable, and who, moreover, was not likely to be -unwilling to enact the part of rescuer to the fair Fatima, seeing he -appeared in no way insensible to the charms of our _prima ballerina_. I -was the originator of the noble idea of introducing an equestrian -element into the _ballet_, and mounting the gallant soldier on young -Standish’s favourite pony. The effect was thrilling. The clattering of -the hoofs on the stage recalled visions of international circuses. The -final _tableau_, with the equine element in the back-ground, could not -be surpassed for grandeur or originality; but—alas for the vanity of -earthly ambition!—no power on earth could induce the pony to leave the -stage—him to whom the slightest wish of his master was usually law. -Threats, blows, caresses, all were in vain—he stood perfectly -still—stock still, though, as grooms say, a little “handy with his -heels.” Here was a _contretemps_. I had to answer for the proposition, -everybody was cross, supper waiting—that delightful banquet which we had -honestly gained. I felt my honour was at stake. I entreated to be left -alone with the rebellious charger, and my patience was put to no small -test. I bandaged Hotspur’s eyes, I led him round and round, and -backwards and forwards, patting and coaxing him all the time, till my -efforts were crowned with success, and I backed him off the stage. The -horse had evidently had an attack of stage fright, as severe as that of -the hussar. A long discussion ensued between all the members of the -company, as to the advisability of repeating the experiment on the next -evening, when the public were to be admitted; but I pleaded so hard, -taking for my text, “nothing hazard, nothing have,” that the pony made -“his first appearance on any stage,” and despite the thunders of -applause which rewarded his efforts, walked off when required to do so, -as quietly as a lamb! - -Ah! those were merry days at Casa Standish, and the boys and girls of -that bygone time are still affectionately remembered by me, and that -dear mother, Lady Lucy Standish, who presided over all our revels. I -trust that any members of the family who may chance to read these lines, -will not be displeased by this slight allusion to those happy days. - -It was about this time, at Florence, that I first made the acquaintance -and formed the friendship of the celebrated novelist of the day, G. P. -R. James, whose historical romances were then in the highest favour with -the reading public. I was one of his great admirers, and was delighted -to be made known to him, but it was reserved for me in future days to -fathom the depths of that high and generous nature, and that warm and -noble heart. He had hired a beautiful villa in the environs of the city, -which afterwards became the property of the Countess of Crawford, Villa -Palmieri, and which has been occupied by our beloved Queen Victoria. It -was on one of Florence’s golden afternoons that my mother and I drove -out to dine with Mr and Mrs James, and I pressed for the first time -those hands which were ever afterwards stretched out to me in kindness -and hospitality. - -[Sidenote: CAROLINE BONAPARTE] - -Amongst the residents at this season in Tuscany’s fair capital was -Caroline Bonaparte, the widow of Joachim Murat, the favourite sister of -the Emperor Napoleon I., whom he described as having the head of a great -man on the shoulders of a pretty woman. Ex-Queen of Naples, she was -living at that time on the Lung’arno, under the anagrammatic title of -Countess Lipona (Napoli), and supposed, with little doubt, to be the -wife of Marshal Macdonald. I think the epithet “captivating” might well -be applied to her; she was small and fair, and, although advanced in -years, bore the traces of great comeliness. I found in her a strange -resemblance to our dear Princess Mary of England, Duchess of Gloucester, -and she was in no wise displeased when I told her so. - -Countess Lipona was much beloved and respected at Florence, and had a -great liking and admiration for Félicie de Fauveau, in spite of their -political antagonism, and it was owing to the last-mentioned friend that -I had the privilege and delight of making her acquaintance. I always -approached her as a royal personage, remembering what she had been, and -made what I considered a conscientious compromise by using the title of -_altesse_. On one occasion, at a masquerade, where I personated a -“Marchande de Cœurs,” and carried a basket full of hearts, dramatic, -poetical, diplomatic, and the like, I constructed a gigantic golden -heart inscribed “Cœur de Caroline,” on which I paid an honest tribute to -the extraordinary courage and equanimity with which she had borne the -vicissitudes of a cruel destiny. This golden heart had no price; it was -to be given up to the august Caroline for the value of a single smile, -and kneeling at the feet of the Princess I so much admired, I presented -her there and then with the greatest treasure in my basket. I can -remember her appearance well; she was dressed in a domino of light green -silk, trimmed with costly lace, green and white, the colours of the -Legitimist party, and she laughingly called on Félicie de Fauveau to -account for her selection of that combination. Now, Félicie was a -genuine woman, and was never at a loss for an answer, and this was her -gracious and loyal reply: - -“Madame,” she said, “c’est pour nous les faire aimer de toutes les -manières.” - -How well I recall that night. Some of the English and Scotch guests -arranged to dance a reel, and I had the good fortune to perform my part -immediately before the spot where Countess Lipona was sitting. At the -termination of the dance, she beckoned to me, and, with a kind kiss, -presented me with her fan, “as a reward,” she said, “for the manner in -which I had danced the _écossaise_.” - -It may well be imagined how dearly I cherish this relic of bygone days, -and even more so the small bracelet of hair which she sent me the -ensuing year by my cousin, Lady Clinton, who was travelling in Italy -shortly after her second marriage with Sir Horace Seymour. By the way, -the coupling of these two names, I was assured, caused some -animadversions among the society of a city where you would not have -expected the inhabitants to be extra strait-laced. But our peculiar -English custom of widows retaining the rank of the first husband, if -superior to that of the second, is very perplexing to the mind of a -foreigner, as in other European countries the wife is naturally expected -to bear the name of the suitor whom she accepts. - -The last visit I paid to Caroline Bonaparte was deeply interesting to -me. She showed me the portrait of her brother Napoleon, when quite -young, a calm and gentle countenance, with fair complexion and golden -hair. How different from the well-known picture painted in later days by -David, of the dark, menacing warrior of the passage of the Alps. Then -Madame Lipona pointed out to me another portrait, that of her husband -Joachim Murat, answering to the description that I had heard and read of -him—what we should call in England a “fine specimen,” with a perfect -mane of dark hair and flashing eyes, broad-shouldered, with an imperious -aspect, in full and gorgeous uniform, grand in his way, but lacking -refinement. His wife spoke of him with tenderness, and then said to me: - -[Sidenote: MURAT’S MILITARY WEAPONS] - -“I have a treat in store for you. Go into the next room, and there, -scattered all around, you will find arms of all sorts and kinds, which -were once the property of the King of Naples.” - -I obeyed her, and gazed with delight and interest on the accumulated -treasures which met my eye. I had often heard that Murat had an especial -taste for military weapons of all kinds, and that in the days of his -prosperity those potentates or authorities who thought it advisable to -win his favour, usually selected some ornamental implement of warfare as -a stepping-stone thereto. Here were pistols richly set with precious -stones, which sparkled as I held them in my hand, muskets with the butts -inlaid in particoloured wood, and swords and sabres, the gorgeous -mountings of their scabbards out-done by the delicate flexibility of -their Damascus blades. But what riveted my attention most, was a sword -lying on the ground beside the Marshal’s _bâton_ of black velvet _sémé_ -with golden eagles, for the sword in question, hilt and scabbord, bore -small and well-painted miniatures of the wife and children Murat loved -so dearly. As I held the weapon reverently in my hand, I recalled the -last pathetic scene of the ex-king’s life, how, when about to receive -his death wound, he bade his executioners pause for one instant, while -he drew a locket from his bosom, and, raising the image of his beloved -Caroline to his lips, gave the order to fire, in as steady a voice as he -would have bade his cavalry charge. - -That was the last time I saw that kind and gracious princess—now upwards -of half a century ago—but still, in the secret recesses of an old box, I -have a faded rose which one day bloomed on her table, and was given to -me by a devoted admirer of us both. - -Another friend, of a widely opposed class and calling, was Geppina, the -flower-girl of Florence, a well-known character for many succeeding -years in the beautiful city. When I first knew her, she too, was young, -and from a peculiar waywardness and eccentricity in her manner, had -obtained the nickname of _pazzina_, which would answer to the Scotch -appellation of “daft.” There were also some strange stories afloat -respecting her being a Court spy, a rumour to which I disdained to give -credit, for Geppina and I became great friends, and the origin of that -friendship I will describe, as I did at the time, in verse:— - -[Sidenote: THE FLOWER-GIRL OF FLORENCE] - - “It was a bright, gay morning; in the square - Of Holy Trinity, there passed a pair - On horseback; gloomily they went— - Their wit, or sympathy, perhaps was spent. - Sudden, above the woman’s head there flew - A flower, a lily-bell of spotless hue, - Too pure, too modest—if the truth I tell— - Too spotless for the hand on which it fell. - Disdaining to look round, she reared her head, - And with the bold, proud look of those ill-bred - And nurtured, did she cast the flower - Down on the ground—beneath her horse’s feet, - Down on the muddy pavement of the street; - While poor Geppina there, aghast, amazed, - Upon her scouted offering sadly gazed— - When one stood by her. With an eager bound, - Which indignation in itself expressed, - She raised the sullied lily from the ground, - And placed it, soiled and drooping, on her breast. - And from that day the mad girl’s choicest flowers - Fell round the English maiden’s path in showers; - At home, abroad, at morning, eve and night, - Fresh fragrant garlands blossomed in her sight: - And sweet indeed are those fair Florence weaves - In early spring—the Tyrian violet, - Snowy camellia with the burnished leaves, - Cassia, whose perfume wakes a fond regret, - Myrtle, carnation, and the first young rose, - With almond-scented jessamine that throws - A sweet, faint perfume as the buds unclose.” - -Of Geppina, I shall have more to say in future pages. Our connection and -friendship were by no means confined to my first visit to Florence. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XVI - - RETURN TO ENGLAND—ACCESSION OF QUEEN VICTORIA—HER CORONATION - - -In the year 1836 my eldest brother was married to Miss Ogle, in my -opinion the most beautiful bride I have ever seen, before or since. They -came to reside with us for a time, but the arrangement did not last -long, and they went abroad and settled in Paris. The year 1837 was one -of great sorrow for my sister, and indeed for all of us, as the health -of her dear kind master, William the Fourth, began to fail. - -In the month of May I went with my mother to pay a visit of a few days -to Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, at her house in Park Lane. We -had been more than once the guests of this dear and kind Princess, at -her delightful residence at Bagshot Park, but this was the first time I -had slept under her hospitable roof in London. She was a most gracious -lady, and full of delightful old-world anecdotes of her father’s court, -and ever ready to appreciate and to promulgate a joke or a good story. - -[Sidenote: MRS JORDAN] - -I would sit and listen with gratitude to all she had to tell me of old -days. I had a great admiration (what in the modern vernacular is called -a “cult”) for the talent of Mrs Jordan, although it was only inspired by -hearsay, as she was before my time. My mother had often told me that she -would have considered it worth her while to go to the theatre, merely to -hear the silvery ringing laugh of that actress behind the scenes, even -if she had not waited for the performance of the play. I spoke of Mrs -Jordan to the Duchess, and she told me she quite concurred in my -mother’s opinion. She also gave me a very interesting account of -accompanying her royal parents to the play one night, when the actress -in question was to perform one of her favourite characters. “I was much -excited, my dear Mary,” said the Duchess, “at the prospect of seeing the -woman in whom I knew my brother William was deeply interested; but that -evening was destined to be one of terrible excitement.” - -It was the occasion on which the king’s life was attempted in the -theatre. His escape was miraculous, and as he was most popular with his -subjects, the alarm and consternation, with the subsequent enthusiasm -and rejoicing of the audience, baffled all description. The performance -was interrupted, the National Anthem loudly demanded, and the king -vociferously called for, having to bow his thanks from the front of the -Royal Box. When Mrs Jordan made her appearance her reception was warmer -than usual, and, connected as she was with the interests of the Royal -family, her excitement and agitation were such that she fairly broke -down, and burst into a fit of hysterical sobbing, which did not help to -calm down the general ferment of the evening. It was during our visit at -Gloucester House that William the Fourth’s health failed, and, his days -being numbered, all eyes were fixed on his young successor, Princess -Victoria. - -“To-night,” said the Duchess to my mother, “I am dining with the Duke of -Cambridge, and you and little Mary can either dine at home, or I will -order my carriage earlier, and send you to dine with a friend.” - -The latter alternative was chosen, and we entered the Royal carriage in -state, with the coachman and foot-men resplendent in scarlet and gold. -It was Derby Day, and as we proceeded down Grosvenor Place, what wonder -that the lowly occupants of that coach should be mistaken for the -highest personages in the land. As we moved along, all heads were bowed, -all hats raised. I took advantage of the occasion. I was about the same -size, and of the same fair complexion and the same coloured hair as -Princess Victoria, and I knew in a moment for whom I had the honour to -be mistaken; so I imitated the courtesy which I felt sure Her Royal -Highness would have evinced in the same circumstances, and I bowed -repeatedly, first from one and then the other window, but that with such -deceitful haste that the imposture could not be detected. My mother -expostulated with me on my effrontery, but to no purpose; I was so much -pleased with my own joke that I continued it the whole length of -Grosvenor Place. How well I remember how entirely I sympathised, even -while I deplored the death of our good kind king, in the love and -enthusiasm which that young, blue-eyed, golden-haired, girlish Sovereign -excited. There was something so picturesque, so romantic, to me, so like -some fairy-tale of old, in the fair creature who reigned over this -mighty Empire! I saw her one night at the Opera House, where she went in -state, and a brilliant reception awaited her. I do not think I had ever -seen her since two or three years before, when at the opening of -Parliament she mounted the steps of the throne, and kissed the hand of -her uncle, William the Fourth, while the dear old king, in his sailor’s -uniform, surrounded by royal robes, stooped down and embraced the little -princess, who was so soon to succeed him. - -[Sidenote: CORONATION OF QUEEN VICTORIA] - -In recalling that night at the Opera, I remember how, later in the -evening, the door of the Royal Box opened to admit the Duke of -Wellington, who naturally shared in the honours of the evening. It was -to me a touching, beautiful sight, to see the young Queen give her hand -to the old warrior and lead him forward to the front to obtain a -reception from the audience, scarcely second in enthusiasm to her own. - -Another time I saw her, in circumstances indelibly impressed on my -memory. It was on her Coronation day, and the splendour and brilliancy -of that scene, the gorgeous dresses, the magnificent solemnity of the -whole ceremony, do not recur so often to my recollection as the time -when, seated on her Regal chair, she received the homage of the Peers of -England. One of the eldest among them, Lord Rolle, who had passed the -allotted span of life, in approaching to do her honour, tottered, and -nearly fell to the ground, while she, with a gracious and merciful -impulse, rose with outstretched arms to save him from what might have -been a painful fall. I was just above the spot in question, and well -remember the sort of buzz or whisper that spread far and near among -those who witnessed this touching incident. - -I have nothing of interest to record in the events of the next two or -three years. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XVII - - MILLARD’S HILL—TENBY—CHARLES YOUNG AND A COURT BALL - - -In the year 1840, my mother gave up the apartments she had so long -occupied at Hampton Court Palace—the place having become intolerable to -her since the death of her beloved and only brother, Mr Poyntz, who had -died suddenly at his house on the Green. This bereavement determined her -to accept the offer of her brother-in-law, Lord Cork, to take possession -of a small house on his property in Somersetshire, called Millard’s -Hill, an unostentatious building, in a very picturesque part of the -county. We took great delight in furnishing and decorating the empty -rooms with our pictures and china and “treasures from many lands”—in -fact, in storing our household gods, without which, no house can ever be -a home. Uncomely as was the exterior of the building, the situation and -surroundings were very pretty—a perfect specimen of English field and -woodland, and the neighbouring walks, rides and drives were delightful. -Added to these, there was another charm in my eyes, the possibility -(which was very difficult for us at Hampton Court) of having domestic -pets—ponies, dogs—of many different kinds, and last, though not least, a -beautiful peacock of gorgeous plumage, the present of my dear friend and -close neighbour, the Duchess of Somerset. “Narcissus” was as proud and -jealous as he was beautiful, but very tame, and would come in at the -open window, of a summer’s morning, while we were at breakfast, and eat -out of my hand. On one occasion, finding my Scotch terrier sitting -beside me, he flew spitefully at the interloper, and pecked him so -furiously as to drive him from the field. “Chaillach,” my trusty -Skye,—whom I once described as something between Lord Rochester’s wig -and a door-mat; who was never out of temper, and never out of -mischief—the dauntless Chaillach, whose spirit never quailed before a -mastiff or a blood-hound—to be put to confusion by a mere bird! - -[Illustration: - - MILLARD’S HILL WITH “NARCISSUS” IN THE FOREGROUND. - _From a Drawing by E. V. B._ -] - -Of Millard’s Hill and the days we passed there, I shall have to say more -in a future page.[38] In 1842 I accompanied my mother, my two younger -brothers, and my sister to the prettiest sea-side town I know—Tenby, in -South Wales, rich in beetling cliffs, venerable old castles, picturesque -manor houses, the fields and woods of which boasted of a flora of such -varied character as to attract the notice and admiration of botanists as -unscientific as ourselves. Here we were joined, to the enhancement of -every pleasure, by a beautiful girl and fast friend, who shared in all -our pursuits inside the house and all our excursions abroad, whom I will -designate here by the name of Fanny. I used to call her my damask-rose, -on account of her brilliant colouring; she was at that time in the full -bloom of early youth, and endowed with a high spirit, but scarcely seven -years had passed from that time, ere I was called to shed bitter tears -over her tragical and untimely end. - -Footnote 38: - - See Chapter XXV. - -In one of our excursions from Tenby, we visited Stackpole, a charming -residence of the Earl of Cawdor, where many years later I became a -guest, to assist at the marriage of a dear nephew with one of the fair -daughters of that noble house, and to contract a real friendship with -the kind and genial representative of Shakespeare’s Thane. - -[Sidenote: “BAL COSTUMÉ”] - -Much as we all enjoyed our seaside walks and hair-breadth “‘scapes” from -the sudden influx of the tide, a temptation to absent ourselves for a -while came, at least to the two youngest members of the family, in the -shape of an invitation (rather should I say a command) to a Court Ball. -It certainly appeared a long way to go to a ball, even for me, with my -dancing propensities, but, this was a _bal costumé_, and therefore -doubly attractive in my eyes. - -I must confess I never regretted the effort my brother Cavendish and I -made on that occasion, for the memory of that night’s scene is one from -which I should be loth to part. - -I was to be escorted to the palace by two gentlemen of the time of -William III., dressed in the garb which is so well-known in the pictures -of the Prince of Orange’s landing in England. Their long square-cut -coats, their costly lace cravats, and their long flowing wigs, made the -two cousins (who bore a near resemblance to each other) look like twins, -while I had selected the character, in nowise analogous, of “Sweet Anne -Page.” The amusement found in arranging our costumes was greatly -heightened by the assistance we derived from Charles Young, and the -constant visits he paid us in consequence. - -This eminent tragedian and delightful man, with winning voice, beautiful -smile, and captivating manner, was ever most kind to me, whom he called -his “wild child,” and did he not on that very night lend me his own -magnificent pair of diamond shoe-buckles (the present of some great -potentate) to “glitter and sparkle,” as he said, “on my little feet”? - -The ball was given at St James’s,[39] and caused great excitement in -London, festivities of that kind having long fallen into disuse. It was -a beautiful and deeply interesting scene, and, in my eyes, the most -beautiful personage in the whole pageant was the Prince Consort! He had -chosen the character of Edward III., wearing a surcoat richly -embroidered with the arms of France and England, over a complete suit of -armour, his open vizor and perfect profile surmounted by a kingly crown; -he looked, indeed, as Tennyson has it, “A very perfect knight.” - -Footnote 39: - - (?) Buckingham Palace. - -By his side stood his faithful and loving wife, Philippa, in queenly -robes, also rich in heraldic blazonry, displaying in her whole costume -that adherence to historical correctness which did my dramatic heart -good. The dress was rather a heavy one for our fair young Sovereign, but -she bore it bravely, and her dignified and graceful dancing was the -theme of universal praise. - -I can vividly recall many of the different characters which were assumed -for that night only. How well my dear cousin, Lady Exeter,[40] looked as -Queen Elizabeth of York; how Lord Cardigan, in a magnificent suit of -elaborate armour, presented a very grand representation of the brave -Bayard, the chevalier (who was at least, _sans peur_), and my eccentric -friend, Lord Houghton, showed his poetical taste by appearing as the -great Chaucer. But why enumerate a list of names, the greater part of -which, alas! belong no more to the living. - -Footnote 40: - - Isabella Poyntz married to Brownlow, second Marquis of Exeter. - -[Sidenote: CHARLES YOUNG] - -Having connected Charles Young with the commencement of this chapter, I -wish to make mention of some further circumstances which recur to my -memory regarding him. It was during my stay in London at this period -that the celebrated German actor, Emil Devrient, whose beauty rivalled -his talent, was acting in London. I was anxious to study the manner in -which Devrient would render some of the principal scenes, and I -accordingly carried with me my well-thumbed and dog’s-eared volume of -Goethe’s “Faust.” I did not intend, as many of my compatriots do, to -concentrate my attention the whole evening on my book, but merely to -observe the manner in which he gave some favourite passages; but my dear -old friend would not allow of my doing so, in patience. He seized the -volume, and in a tone of irritation unusual to him, exclaimed: “My dear -child, do put down that dead book and look at that blessed man!” Charles -Young was already old when I first knew him, but singularly handsome, -looking like a hero of romance. Indeed his early life had a decidedly -romantic colouring. - -The heroine of his story was a beautiful Italian girl, of a noble -family, which had given more than one Doge to Venice. She had come with -her father at a time of political trouble to England, and, like many -other Italian emigrants, they had supported themselves by teaching their -beautiful language. - -[Sidenote: GIULIA YOUNG] - -The daughter, indeed, had become a resident governess in the family of -an English nobleman, where she was deservedly a favourite—so much so, -indeed, as to make a deep impression on the susceptible heart of the -young heir-apparent of the title. Amiable and accomplished as was the -fair Venetian, the union was not calculated to obtain the parents’ -approbation; and Giulia was not one to repay kindness by causing strife -in the family. The young Englishman would have braved his father’s -displeasure on this point, but the noble girl withstood the temptation -which presented itself, and with a sad heart left the house where she -had spent many happy days. Pondering how best to make use of her -talents, which were considerable, and to gain a subsistence for herself, -Giulia determined to go upon the stage, and it was in her capacity as an -actress that she became acquainted with Charles Young, who was at that -time playing the part of first lover (if I mistake not) in some -provincial theatre. It was love at first sight, with the lover in -question, and a beautiful young couple they must have been in those -far-off days; but alas! within the year she died in giving birth to a -son, named Julian, after his mother. During the time that I lived at -Hampton Court, Julian Young was appointed Chaplain to the Palace, and he -became the husband of my friend, Annie Willis. This favourite companion -was a distinguished member of our dramatic corps, and shared in the -laurels which the Sheridans, my two brothers and self, acquired in our -amateur theatricals. She was deservedly admired, and I well remember -Lord Normanby (the ambassador) whispering to me the night her engagement -was announced: “What a pretty little edition of Young’s ‘Night -Thoughts.’” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII - - 1844. TRIP TO THE CHANNEL ISLANDS - - -It was during the summer of 1844 that my dear father, who had been in -failing health for some time, breathed his last at the small wayside -hotel at Salt-Hill, near Slough. It has since been burned down, but was -well known in former years as the resort of the Eton scholars, at the -time of Montem. My father had gone thither for change of air, in company -with his life-long friend and favourite messmate, Sir Willoughby Lake, -who did not long survive him. - -[Sidenote: SIR WILLIAM NAPIER] - -In the first days of that beautiful autumn I embarked at Southampton -with my cousin, Richard Boyle,[41] and my brothers Charles and -Cavendish, to pay visits to the Governors of Guernsey and Alderney. -After a prosperous but rather rough voyage towards those “iron-bound” -coasts, we arrived at Havilland Hall, the Government House of Guernsey, -then inhabited by Sir William Napier (one of the chief heroes of the -Peninsular War, and also the historian of it) with his delightful wife -and beautiful daughters. Cavendish, indeed, did not remain with us long, -for, much as he esteemed the Napier family, his regiment, the 48th, -being quartered in Guernsey, yet at that moment the less fertile and -picturesque island of Alderney possessed greater attractions for him. - -Footnote 41: - - The Reverend the Honourable Richard Boyle, youngest son of Edmund, - eighth Earl of Cork and Orrery; married, 1845, Eleanor Vere, daughter - of Alexander Gordon, Esq., of Ellon, N.B. - -It was, indeed, a very good time that we passed under the roof of -Havilland Hall. We were a happy band of friends, and our daily rides, -pleasant excursions, and joyous evenings will long be remembered. - -It was a fair group that clustered round the magnificent old -“warrior”—that was the name he bore among us—to whose remarkable beauty -a portrait in my possession, painted expressly for me by Sir William -Boxall, R.A., bears undoubted testimony, as does a painting by that -eminent artist, George Watts, taken during the General’s last illness, -of which I have a splendid engraving. Sir William Napier was tall and -commanding of stature, a soldier every inch of him, with black eyebrows -and snowy hair, which grew as hair used to grow in Classic times, with -eyes all alive and full of fire, with an eager, penetrating look, and -though, alas! for some time before his death he could not move quickly, -yet it was easy to perceive that in youth quickness of all kinds must -have been his especial characteristic. You felt sure that in earlier -days his movements must have kept pace with the eager flashing of his -eye and the varied intonations of his powerful but melodious voice. To -his proficiency in military tactics, and his splendid style in -literature (I used to tell him that his descriptions of battles read as -if cut into the pages with a naked sword) Sir William added the gentler -arts of painting and poesie; neither did he disdain the science of -Nonsense in its higher branches. Without this common link, could we have -sympathised, so profoundly? Had he not descended from his high estate, -to tread this neutral ground, how could he have found time or -inclination to sport with his “tamed fairy”?—the name by which he ever -called me. - -On the occasion of my visit to Guernsey, I made a slight attempt to -describe the hero’s leading characteristics in verse. - - - SIR WILLIAM NAPIER - - “O’er the forehead’s high expanse, - Waves the silver crown of hair, - And the keen eyes’ eagle glance, - Eyes to love and eyes to dare— - Beaming now in playful wit, - Flashing now in scornful fit. - From their jet-black brows in turn, - Fierce or tender, gentle, stern, - See the nostrils’ eager line, - Nose of purest aquiline, - And the mouth that scarce concealed— - Though the beard be dark and long - (Forms so marked must be revealed)— - High resolve and purpose strong, - With a spirit bold and free - To impetuosity! - Aye, without that corselet bright, - Or the good sword by his side, - You would read him for a knight, - For a soldier brave and tried; - You would know that form to be - A lingering light of chivalry.” - -[Sidenote: MR AND MRS KEAN] - -During our visit at Guernsey, the Charles Keans came over with a -Dramatic Company, and gave several performances at the theatre, at each -of which the Governor, his family and suite, regularly attended. - -The plays selected were for the most part genteel comedies, in which -branch of the Drama I, for one, considered that these two clever -_artistes_ shone most conspicuously. They were our constant guests at -dinner, the hour of which our courteous host always arranged with a view -to the convenience of Mr and Mrs Kean. - -They were cheerful and delightful companions, and from that day we -contracted habits of friendship which ended only with their lives. I had -an especial admiration for Mrs Kean, and took a deep interest in her -love story—of how she and her husband had trodden the same stage in her -early youth, when, as he himself informed me, she was the most beautiful -girl he had ever seen; of how he flirted, and she loved; of how they -parted, and did not meet again for many years; of how destiny once more -brought them together in the respective characters of the hero and -heroine of _The Honeymoon_. Was not that a prophetic title? The joy, the -uncertainty, the excitement, the brilliant acting on both sides, in -which nature was so closely entwined with art, all combined to throw -Ellen Tree into a state of nervous agitation, and brought on an attack -of brain-fever, so that her life was despaired of. But she recovered, -and while still in the first stage of convalescence, the one most deeply -interested in her restoration to health came to assist in that work. - -During the course of their conversation he told her playfully that she -was one of the best friends he had ever had, and as such he had come to -ask her advice, with regard to a subject whereon his whole future -happiness depended. “Do you consider,” he said, “that if I could gain -her consent, Ellen Tree would make me a good wife?” “I know,” was the -reply, “that she has long loved you better than any one else in the -world, and I do not believe that any one else could love you better.” -And so it was settled, and a happier or more suitable union could -scarcely be imagined. They were helpmeets for each other, in -professional, in domestic, and in social life, and this is the verdict -of one, who never lost any opportunity she had of enjoying their -society, whether at their pleasant little home in Hampshire, or in any -part of the world where it was possible to meet them. - -But I must return from a long digression to report our further -movements. In a flying visit to the queer little island of Sark, we -explored its curious caves, and were shown the churchyard, “where the -women and children were all buried.” “And the men?” I enquired. “Ah! -mademoiselle, they are always drowned.” Added to this encouraging -intelligence, I was assured that the “Seigneur of Sark” (the chief man -in the island bears this title) would consider it a degradation to die -in his bed, as it was looked upon as a hereditary privilege to find a -grave in the ocean; and certainly on those terrible coasts, with their -perpendicular cliffs, shoals and quicksands, such a contingency was not -to be wondered at. - -We then proceeded to Alderney, where we were received, on disembarking, -by the Lieutenant-Governor, Captain Alexander, and his daughter Rose, -the betrothed of my brother Cavendish. He placed my hand in hers, and -since that day, now so many years ago, she and I have walked -hand-in-hand through many a chequered path of life, through gloom and -sunshine, and, blessed be God, at this present time of which I am -writing, are still spared to speak together of the days that are no -more. The projected marriage was one that could give nothing but -satisfaction to the members of both families, with the single drawback -of slender means. In circumstances of this nature, there arises usually -much discussion as to _pros_ and _cons_, even among outsiders, and we -often hear the question asked “What will they make up?” On this point -Cavendish was beforehand with the world, when he said to me one day: “If -any one asks you what _we_ make up, be so good as to say, we have made -up—our minds,” and I can safely affirm that, from the day of their -marriage, no one who loved either had ever cause to regret the step. - -Moreover, between Cavendish and his father-in-law there existed a great -similarity of tastes, pursuits, and moral qualities—both soldiers in -heart, as well as calling, both men of cultivated and refined taste, -with a keen appreciation of all that was good, beautiful, and humorous -in life. - -[Sidenote: COLONEL ALEXANDER] - -Captain, afterwards Colonel, Alexander amused me one day with an -anecdote he told me of himself. He was in Paris with his wife and -children at the time of the Revolution in 1830, when the English were -very unpopular among the lower classes. Captain Alexander had occasion -one day to pass a guard-house, round which some ill-conditioned soldiers -were lounging and idling; the passer-by attracted their attention. One -of the men said to the others in an irritable and irritating tone: -“Voilà Monsieur Goddam.” “Qui s’en va,” retorted our Englishman, “Au -diable,” says another soldier. Captain Alexander turned round, and -taking off his hat with a sweeping bow, said “Donc, Monsieur, au plaisir -de vous revoir!” - -The Channel Islands appeared to me to be peopled with lovers. One of Sir -William Napier’s beautiful daughters had just married that gallant -soldier, Colonel MacDougall. At Guernsey, I had left the General’s only -son engaging himself to pretty Bessie Alexander, whom we called the -“white-heart cherry,” on account of her pink and white, rarely-blent -complexion, and here, at Alderney, I found her sister preparing to -become mine. We spent a short but pleasant time with Captain Alexander -and his wife. Before leaving Alderney, let me say a complimentary word -in favour of the garden which surrounded the house, and confess that, -even at the interval of forty years, the recollection of its peaches, -apricots, and, above all, its pears, makes the “mouth of my memory” -water. - -[Sidenote: ELEANOR’S WELL] - -Rose became an inmate of Millard’s Hill, paying occasional visits to the -pretty Rectory of our cousin, Richard Boyle, the Incumbent of Marston, -whose unbounded hospitality became a proverb with all who knew him. The -year after Cavendish’s marriage this favourite cousin of ours followed -the example thus set him, and gave a charming mistress to his charming -home. Eleanor Gordon, known in the literary and artistic world as E. V. -B., was young, lovely, and loveable. Her great talent for drawing had -already attracted much admiration whilst she was still a girl, and, -after her marriage, the beautiful illustrations which she designed of -“Nursery Rhymes,” “A Children’s Summer,” “The Story Without an End,” and -many others too numerous to mention, acquired for her the fame she -deserved. She put out her talents, indeed, to interest in a good cause, -realising by the sale of her works sufficient sums to enable her to do -good work in the parish. “Eleanor’s Well,” for that was the grateful -name bestowed on it, supplied the “water,” of which the villagers had -long stood in need; while two beautiful windows—designed by -herself—embellished her husband’s lately-restored church, without -mentioning the complete new roofing and a new set of Sacramental -Plate—all were the proceeds of her labour. It is not often that talents -are turned to so good and so unselfish account. - -The erection of the little “Well” was commemorated by a friend and -neighbour in the following graceful lines:— - - - ELEANOR’S WELL - - “Fair fields were ours, touched with a mellow glow - From gorgeous clouds at rise, at set of sun, - And shadowing trees, but no glad spring had run - Beside our homes, to bless the day and night. - But see! the water flows with gentle might, - In metal highway thro’ green pastures led; - And o’er the sculptured basin see it shed - A silver stream, a fall of sparkling light! - Thus with wise heart a gentle fancy wed, - Long summer morns, hath for our solace wrought; - So noble work succeeds to noble thought, - So the hand justifies the heart and head, - So the child’s play to earnest close is brought - So piety to poetry is wed.” - By W. M. W. CALL. - -Eleanor is now the inmate of another home in a distant county, but her -name is still cherished and remembered, in connection with that of the -husband she mourns, among the survivors of the rural population of -Marston Bigot. - -The poet in question was a near neighbour, and became a constant visitor -both at the Rectory and Millard’s Hill. On the marriage of my brother -Charles, and the prolonged absence of Cavendish and his wife in the West -Indies, this friend, whom we named “Alastor,” on account of his -predilection for solitude, became the almost daily companion in my long -walks. In the summer time we would usually take a volume of some -favourite author with us, Shelley, Goethe, or Jean Paul being often -selected; of the latter we were both ardent admirers. Then, choosing -some grassy knoll in one of the pretty fields which surrounded us, or -some tempting shade in one of our numerous wayside woods, we would rest -and read awhile. We had tastes and thoughts in common, and many were the -pleasant hours thus beguiled, which are, I am well assured, forgotten by -neither of us. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XIX - - WHITTLEBURY - - -In passing in review before my mind the different country houses which I -have frequented at different periods of my life, I am forcibly struck by -the difference in the characteristics of each. I will devote this -chapter to Whittlebury Lodge in Northamptonshire, situated on the skirts -of the beautiful forest of the same name, where, for many months at a -time, I was the guest of kind friends to whom I have alluded in an -earlier chapter. - -Lord Southampton[42] was the Master of the Hounds, in which capacity he -had succeeded his aged kinsman, the Duke of Grafton. Sport, therefore, -was the chief characteristic and the ruling passion at Whittlebury, and -I, in my small way, was one of its most zealous votaries. - -Footnote 42: - - Charles, third Lord Southampton; born 1804; married, 1826, Harriet, - daughter of Hon. Henry Fitzroy Stanhope. - -During the whole of the winter our noble master kept open house, and -although, as I have said before, sport and sporting men formed the chief -components of that society, yet there was scarcely a leading member of -the London World who was not represented at the hunting-lodge. There I -met and became acquainted with the well-known Count D’Orsay, the witty -Lord Alvanley, and the eccentric Colonel Leigh, brother-in-law to Lord -Byron, and many others. I was an especial favourite of the last-named, -and he on his side was a source of great amusement to me. I used -sometimes to say to him: “So-and-So have invited me to their house in -the country,” and his retort courteous was, “Did they name the day?” If -I remarked that such a person had a most agreeable house, he would ask: -“What sort of a cook?” If I complained that the Whittlebury servants had -made an enormous fire, he would rejoin: “May I ask, do you pay for the -coals?” One day he insisted on my walking round the garden with him, and -begged me to tell him the name of every flower as we passed. I am no -botanist, and my only knowledge of flowers consists in knowing when they -are sweet and beautiful; but that morning I was bent on mischief, and, -one after another, I invented in succession what appeared to me the most -plausible names with Latinised terminations. So far my deceit prospered, -but a trial was in store for me. - -The next day I was sitting at my little open window, which looked out on -a picturesque portion of forest scenery, with a magnificent oak in the -foreground, when my old friend came under the window and called out to -me to come downstairs, a summons which I immediately obeyed. When I -stepped out on the lawn, he presented his friend, Mr Elwes, to me, who -had a splendid garden of his own on the other side of the county. - -[Sidenote: “YOU SCORED”] - -“We will show you over the grounds,” said Colonel Leigh, “together. As -you well know, I am a perfect ignoramus where flowers are concerned, but -Miss Boyle will tell you the names of every one in the whole garden.” - -Here was a dilemma, but I was not unequal to the occasion. - -“My dear Colonel,” I said, “it is all very well when I pronounce the -names in your hearing, but I am not going to show off my bad Latin -before so great a connoisseur as your friend.” - -The next day I confessed my crime, and received absolution because the -trick had been successful; failure of any kind was unpardonable in the -eyes of Colonel Leigh. “You scored,” he said, “so I forgive you.” - -Poor Colonel Leigh! I was very sorry when I heard of his death, and very -grateful to him for the present he made me of the last riding-whip which -Byron had used at Missolonghi. - -A fellow-guest of mine was Lady S——, a woman nobly born, and of -exceeding beauty, hair, complexion, eyes, features, in every way -remarkable, and although not unusually tall, of stature naturally far -exceeding mine. She went up to Colonel Leigh one day and reproached him -for never paying her a single compliment (which she might well have felt -her due), “yet you are always saying flattering things to Miss Boyle!” - -Colonel Leigh was not in a very good humour that morning. Looking at the -beautiful speaker with a supercilious expression, he hit the only blot -he could find in that fair apparition: “No, no,” he said, “it won’t do; -you sit too high and stand too low.” - -Lord Southampton, the M.F.H., was most kind and generous to me in -respect to “mounts,” and would apportion to me a fast hack or an easy -jumper, frequently giving me a place in his phaeton, or letting me ride -beside him to the place of meeting. Dear old friend! For how many days -of intense enjoyment, of healthful exercise, of genial companionship, -have I not been indebted to you! - -He laughed when I told him that I considered it one of the proudest -moments of my life when, riding quietly with him and another young lady, -who complained that her horse was too fresh, he came up to me and asked -the question, “How does Blanco carry you?” - -“Like a lamb,” I replied. - -“Then jump off directly, and I will change the saddles,” a compliment -very flattering to my powers of horsemanship. - -My ambition was always to be in the first flight, and the means I took -to attain this end was as follows— - -[Sidenote: A SPORTING ECCLESIASTIC] - -At the first whimper of the first hound breaking the covert, I looked to -see who rode beside me. I knew which were the best men, and one of those -I chose as my guide, following as near as I could on his horse’s -steps—most frequently Lord Charles Fitzroy, or the Reverend William -Smith, rector of the parish—a sporting parson indeed, but one who never -allowed his love for the chase to interfere with the fulfilment of more -serious duties, or the constant care he bestowed on the poor and -suffering. A very different personage was the Reverend Mr D—— E—— who -had a living on the other side of the county, but who hunted with us one -day. Both he and his curate were in the field, and coming to a blind -bullfinch, at which several horsemen came to a dead stop, the curate in -question gallantly offered to go and make a gap in the fence. His Rector -called after him in his usual loud voice, “Hallo, I say, if you break -your neck, who is to preach my second sermon next Sunday?” - -Another sporting ecclesiastic who frequented our meets was the Reverend -Loraine Smith. He hunted in a purple coat, alleging as his reason that -it was an episcopal colour—but I cannot tell what authority he could -adduce for wearing bright yellow gloves embroidered in every tint. His -Reverence was always well mounted, and was a keen sportsman. He had a -pretty living and a good church in the neighbourhood, but he surprised -his parishioners very much by altering the whole disposition of the -tombstones; he thought they looked awkward and untidy in their actual -position, so he had them all taken up and re-arranged according to his -fancy in lines, crosses, squares, etc. One Sunday morning, a very cold -winter’s day, he had performed the service to a scanty congregation, and -on going up into the pulpit, instead of opening his sermon book, he -pronounced the following address: - -“My dear friends, if you require it, I will preach you the sermon which -I have brought with me, but if you are as cold and hungry as I am, I -think you will prefer going with me to the Rectory, where you will find -some cold beef and some good ale.” - -I leave the result of his hearers’ decision to the imagination of the -reader. - -One of our favourite places of meeting, although one of the most -distant, was Cowper’s Oak, on the confines of Salcey Forest. There, one -proud day, I proceeded on a small hack, which I exchanged for a splendid -black hunter glorying in the name of “Midnight,” and thence, after a -quick find, we had a magnificent run extending almost to the town of -Higham Ferrers. - -How many years have passed since that eventful day, eventful at least in -my annals, when Lord Alford, beside whom I rode, invited me to luncheon -at Castle Ashby, and offered himself as my guide across country. - -I gladly accepted with my two companions, Lord Charles Fitzroy and Mr -Smith, and then for the first time I saw that beautiful house whose -golden gates have so often since that day been opened to afford me a -hearty welcome. My beloved friend, Lady Marian Alford, was then doing -the honours of her father’s home, and many and many a laugh have we had -in later days, respecting the wild and dishevelled appearance which a -very high wind and very strong exercise had wrought in my person. Nay, I -remember well that she made on the spot a slight sketch of the scanty -portion of my habit which I had been able to rescue from the -encroachments of numerous fences. We were twenty-two miles from home, -and my kind hosts pressed the loan of their brougham upon me, an offer -which I indignantly and ungratefully refused, scorning to abandon my two -fellow-sportsmen on their homeward journey. The next day we three traced -our long ride on the ordnance maps, and some amusement was excited in -the household when it was announced that the groom, whom Lord -Southampton had lent me for the occasion, sent word to enquire, the next -morning, after the small lady who had ridden sixty-seven miles between -breakfast and dinner. - -[Sidenote: MUSICAL EVENINGS] - -Before concluding this slight sketch of the happy days I passed at -Whittlebury Lodge, which extended over many years, I am tempted to -insert a short anecdote, proving how easily fame may be established in -some cases. My maid told me that the housekeeper had informed her that -Mr Jones, the valet, was so excellent a musician that he was constantly -sent for into the drawing-room to perform before the company. His -proficiency consisted in pumping the organ for the lady of the house, -who was a very good performer on that instrument. We had indeed some -excellent musicians and superior vocalists in our society, and the -following is a slight record of the way we passed our time— - - - SONG - - “Call back the days that fled too fast - In mellow autumn’s prime, - Like our own light skiff they glided past - Upon the waves of time. - - “Call back the hours, those gladsome hours, - The song, the jest, the glee, - The perfume of the lingering flowers, - Sweet summer’s legacy. - - “The hunter’s horn at early morn, - Proclaimed its welcome sound, - And each forest glade an answer made, - With joyous echo round. - - “And when the shades of evening fell, - And day’s glad toil was o’er, - Then music with its genial spell, - The senses captive bore. - - “While every breast the charm confessed, - That bound the willing ear, - And eyes now bright in beauty’s light - Were glistening with a tear. - - “Call back those hours, thou hast the art, - Thy melody can raise, - And for a time beguile the heart - With thoughts of other days.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XX - - MUNICH—SECOND VISIT TO ITALY - - -We passed the summer of 1846 at Munich, we—that is my mother, my brother -Charles, and my sister—having taken a clean and comfortable lodging kept -by a Frenchman in the Promenade Gasse. Our life here was most enjoyable; -the inseparable companionship of my brother Charles was to me a source -of untold delight. Our pursuits and pleasures were all in common; we -studied the German language together under the tuition of a well-read -and accomplished master, and gained great proficiency by our almost -daily visits to the theatre. I say daily, because the performance began -at an early hour, and often ended before the daylight had waned, leaving -us at liberty to accompany my mother in her evening drive, or to spend -some hours at a friend’s house before retiring to rest. The dramatic -performances—which comprised many of the masterpieces of Schiller, -Kotzebue and Iffland, and other eminent writers—were very well given, -and the principal actor and actress of the day were a very handsome and -talented couple of the name of Dahl. He took the leading part in such -characters as Karl von Moor, in _The Robbers_, and the like, while his -pretty wife showed to great advantage in the heroines of the same -pieces, and was very much admired, especially by the king, Ludwig of -Bavaria, on whom the charms of female beauty were never thrown away. - -The tragedies and comedies at the theatres were alternated with opera by -both German and Italian composers, and Charles and I seldom missed an -evening in the box which was kindly placed at our disposal by the -Sardinian Minister. - -We became also zealous students of art in our daily visits to the -painting and sculpture galleries of that city of treasures, known by the -names of Pinacothek and Glyptothek. We passed most of our mornings in -these two museums, where the paintings are well arranged to mark the -progress of the art, and where every facility is afforded for the study -of the different schools and different periods. I think, before I left -Munich I knew every statue and picture by heart. - -Whatever King Louis’ failings may have been, he was certainly a -benefactor to his capital, encouraging art and artists of all degrees, -painters, architects, musicians—a builder of palaces, of churches, a -patron of the coloured glass for which Munich was so distinguished in -his day, and to which was due a revived taste for painted windows in -every part of Europe. - -[Sidenote: LOUIS OF BAVARIA] - -The king’s own palace was decorated by frescoes representing scenes from -the “Niebelungen Lied,” and other subjects both of history and fiction -by such well-known artists as Cornelius and Kaulbach, while two rooms -were set apart for the portraits of contemporary beauties. Not a few of -these were rather of a shady reputation, but then there was a sprinkling -of homely-featured Royalties and other exemplary members of society, -designed to lend a respectable colouring to the whole. - -An amusing story was told of His Majesty, with respect to this gallery. -King Louis was partial to the society of foreigners, and invariably -included the English in all invitations to his receptions. A lady was -presented to him one evening, and being very much struck with her -personal appearance, he requested her to be so good as to give the Court -portrait painter a sitting a few days hence, as he was desirous of -having her portrait in his collection. The lady smiled and hesitated, -but we all know what comes of hesitation. Half flattered, half alarmed, -not quite convinced of the prudence of the acquiescence, she demurred -for a few moments, when vanity prevailed, and our countrywoman gave her -consent. The next day the king—walking as was his wont unattended -through the streets of his capital—encountered the lady, who was bent on -a sight-seeing expedition. He paused, took off his hat, and made some -casual remark, which gave him time to examine the beauty of the -preceding evening. After an earnest scrutiny of her countenance, His -Majesty stammered out a species of apology to the effect that he would -not trouble her to give a sitting to his painter in ordinary. Alas! for -the disillusion which daylight had brought about with regard to the -candle-light beauty! - -There were no end of stories extant about Louis of Bavaria. I was -assured that on the morning of his silver wedding, after presenting his -wife with the usual offerings of flowers, jewels, and what not, after -joining in the religious ceremony, which is very touching and impressive -in the German Church, the devoted husband gave the wife so black an eye -that it was a question if she could possibly appear at the evening -reception. - -During the summer most of the society are absent from the capital, and -reside at their country estates, so that there were not many houses -which “received,” as the phrase was, during the hot season, but the one -which we constantly frequented made up to us for the absence of any -other. It was that of the Sardinian Minister, whose acquaintance we had -already made at Genoa. The Marchese Fabio Pallavicini and his wife -Marinetta, with their two sons, formed in themselves a most attractive -foundation for the agreeable reunions which were at this time swelled by -the officers of the neighbouring camp at Augsburg, and a frequent -contingent of travellers passing through on their way to the South. - -Andri and Cesari, the two sons, had been my frequent partners and -members of our Genoese cavalcade, and it was a source of great pleasure -to meet them again, and to make an expedition, as we did one day, in -their company to see the review which the king was to hold at Augsberg. - -The street of that town, which has so often been described as one of the -most picturesque in Europe, was beautifully decorated on that occasion, -for the houses actually looked as if they had been built in flowers. We -lingered on till late in the night, and escorted by some military -friends—one of whom, the noble and handsome Count Karl von Oetting, -still lives in my memory—we visited the whole camp and listened to the -beautiful part-singing of the troops as they sat at the doors of their -tents beneath the glorious moonlight of a July evening. - -I, for one, was very sorry when that peaceful summer came to an end—and -yet how could I say so when our next destination was Rome! And what a -journey that was! never to be forgotten, in its beauty, its brilliancy. - -Pope Gregory XVI. had just died, and was succeeded by the popular and -liberal Pontiff, Pius the Ninth, on whose accession all prison doors -flew open, all political offenders were released, and a festival of -three days was announced through every town in the Papal dominions. - -Our journey from Munich lay by the twin lakes of Tegern and Aachen, -small but beautiful, their banks studded with a profusion of -wild-flowers, and the waters of the last-mentioned of a very peculiar -hue—what in old days was called mazarine blue or green—and the light -caught by the water gave the lake the appearance of a gem—a chrysolite -for instance. - -[Sidenote: VINTAGE TIME] - -When we reached the Italian frontier, our progress assumed an aspect of -triumph, for it was vintage time, and we were constantly encountering -peasants in the gayest dresses, driving wine-carts with casks and skins -full of ruddy liquor, the drivers carrying branches of vine and ivy, as -if Bacchus held high revelry. On our arrival at Ravenna, besides the -magnificence of the churches and basilica, with their wealth of mosaic -and their pride of tradition, there was the interest of a pilgrimage to -the tomb of Dante, and it would have been impossible to see Ravenna -under a more bewitching aspect, for it was the three-days’ festival. -Every house in the principal street had its balcony adorned with rich -silks, tapestry, and velvet, not unfrequently embroidered with gold, -while all the citizens were in gala dress, and the women, remarkable for -personal beauty and dignity of bearing, had donned their richest garb -and displayed their choicest ornaments of gold and silver, their -magnificent hair transfixed by bodkins, or spadini (of the sword and -target shape), many of them wearing innumerable rows of pearls round -their stately throats. Even in those days the national costume had been -much tampered with, but nothing was too good to do honour to their -beloved Pontiff, and the jewel-boxes of every household had been -ransacked for the occasion. All along our road the same scene presented -itself, making allowance, of course, for the difference of locality. - -[Sidenote: RAVENNA] - -We spent a morning of exquisite delight in the pine-forest in the -neighbourhood of Ravenna. Alas! I hear with deep concern that the chief -part of those magnificent trees is mouldering to decay. I remember -sitting at my mother’s feet for several hours, drinking in the calm and -beauty of the scene, while Shelley’s lines rose to my lips in his -description of another Pineta, the one at Pisa— - - “How calm it was! The silence there - By such a chain was bound, - That even the busy Woodpecker - Made stiller by her sound - The unviolable quietness; - The breath of peace we drew, - With its soft motion made not less - The calm that round us grew.” - -There was a distant sound of the Adriatic, which mingled with the -whisper of the wind among the stone pines, and produced a weird music, -forming a species of scale, caused by the trees being all of the same -form, though of different altitudes. Numbers of wild-flowers studded the -ground, and moths and butterflies of variegated colours skimmed and -floated around us. How often did my mother and myself talk over that -delicious morning, when - - “Banished from those Southern climes, - We thought and spake of other times.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXI - - ARRIVAL IN ROME, 1846—OCTOBER FESTIVALS AND “POSSESSO” - - -But let me hasten on to Rome, where, on our arrival, we took up our -abode in a charming apartment in Palazzetto Torlonia, at the corner of -the Piazza di Venezia, than which a more excellent situation could -scarcely be found, with the full prospect of enjoyment of every kind, -social and intellectual. Our hopes brought no disappointment in their -train. October in Rome is a season of great beauty, especially when the -citizens look forward to the Festivals. - -[Sidenote: SALTARELLO] - -We crossed the Tiber on a glorious day in October, and arrived at the -iron gates of the Queen of Villas, over the entrance of which the Eagle -of the Dorias surmounted the Lily of the Pamfili. What a gay, smiling -scene was before us in that garden, enlightened by fountains, rich in -shady woods and plantations, and crowned by the Palace with its spacious -terraces! What sounds of joy, what shouts of laughter on all sides! -Groups of young girls, dressed chiefly in white, with coloured ribbons -flaunting gaily, their dark hair plaited and braided in a manner purely -classical, and crowned with fantastic wreaths of natural ivy and -wild-flowers, sang in chorus as they walked hand-in-hand, or tripped -backwards and forwards, with one arm thrown round the waist of a -companion, and the other flourishing the jingling tambourine high above -their heads. Occasionally when two groups met they challenged each -other, and then, with many expressions of civility, a circle would be -formed, and, after much pressing, and many modest refusals, the two best -performers would begin dancing, and setting and wheeling round each -other with that occasional bound in the air which gives the name of -_saltarello_ to their dance. - -There were few men in proportion, and those chiefly kept aloof, although -a gayer jacket than usual, or even a feather in the hat, showed that all -the _minenti_ had not arrived without an escort. Staid matrons might be -seen looking on—women, not unfrequently, of majestic beauty (beauties of -a proud, stern character)—their luxuriant hair confined by nets of rich -and variegated colour, or broad loose ribbons, forming a most -picturesque kind of coronet. - -There seems little doubt that the origin of these Festivals can be -traced to the Bacchanalia of Classical Rome, and the Trasteverini girls -(for most of the dancers came from the further side of the Tiber) bore -no little resemblance to the Mænads of old, with their dishevelled hair -crowned by the emblematic ivy and vine leaf. With their proverbial pride -they considered no title high enough to content them but _eminente_ (or -_minente_.) - -It would be difficult to describe the excitement which prevailed in the -Eternal City pending the eventful moment when Rome’s beloved Pontiff was -to take possession of the Church of S. John Lateran, a function which -answers to the Sacre of the French monarch, or the Coronation of the -English. Pio Nono was at that moment the most popular sovereign in -Europe, and he commenced his reign in a most auspicious manner. Liberal -in his views, patriotic in aspirations for his beloved country, -practically religious as became a priest, he had brought golden opinions -with him from the See of Imola, where he had been Bishop. Of courteous -and winning manners, witty and agreeable in conversation, a delightful -companion, a charitable patron, His Holiness seemed calculated to -become, as was indeed the case, a favourite with all sorts and -conditions of men. Every morning brought some fresh story of wisdom or -of kindness, and as we had a friend at the Papal Court, we were kept _au -courant_ of what, to us, were interesting details. Once when a certain -man on his death-bed had disinherited his wife and children, with whom -he was on bad terms, and had left a large sum to the priest who should -celebrate his black Mass, the Pope elected to officiate himself. He -carried out his plan, and, supplementing the legacy by an addition from -his own treasury, he caused an assignment of it to be made to the poor -widow, who stood in great need of assistance. - -[Sidenote: PIO NONO] - -His witty sayings were often quoted, and it was universally believed -that many of the answers to the frequent pasquinades which were -promulgated at that time were actually prompted by the Pope. Alas! for -the bright prospects of those early days and the short-lived popularity -which could not be expected to outlast the influence of evil -counsellors, who baffled and thwarted him on every occasion! Faltering -and vacillating in the noble path on which he had entered, he -disappointed the hopes of those who had hailed his accession with joy. -Not only in the grand procession, but on several occasions, and under -important and interesting circumstances, had I the joy of seeing him. -Once it was on his name-day of San Giovanni, when the Court of the -Quirinal was entirely thronged with his subjects, calling out his name, -and pleading that he should appear before them. When he did so, and -bowed and waved his hands in benediction over the heads of the assembled -multitude, how imposing and beautiful the spectacle! Again, at a -midnight festival in Santa Maria Maggiore, when he was carried on high, -in his crimson chair of state, between the two traditional fans of -peacocks’ feathers, the sight nearly cost me my life, so dense was the -crowd and so imminent the danger to myself and my sister. A third time -on the night of Easter Sunday, when the illumination of the whole -building of St Peter’s, bursting forth into light at one moment, seemed -a miracle, for gas was still unfamiliar, and electric light unknown. How -well I can recall the scene under the roof of “blue Italian weather” -deepening into purple, and studded with stars that glistened and -sparkled in the fountains. The magnificent court-yard, encircled with -colonnades, peopled by an innumerable concourse who dropped -simultaneously on their knees, with an indescribable surging sound, as -to the sound of cannon the Pope appeared on the balcony. - -But I am anticipating events, and must return to the taking possession -of the Lateran, or the “Possesso,” as it was called, to which I have -before alluded, and the procession which we saw to perfection from the -_secondo piano_ of our quarters at Palazzetto Torlonia, happily situated -for the purpose. Pio Nono, who had a great taste for all that was -picturesque and historical, had conceived the idea of restoring all the -splendour of a pageant of the Middle Ages, and being himself a skilful -horseman, proposed that carriages should be banished from the -procession, which should be entirely composed of horse and foot-men. -This unconventional whim, as it was considered, created a great turmoil -in the minds of the ecclesiastical dignitaries. The idea of a Pope on -horseback shocked the critics of the age, and as many of the Cardinals -were well stricken in years, and had probably even in their youth been -unaccustomed to mount a horse, the obstacles to the design of His -Holiness appeared insurmountable. After manifold _pourparlers_, a -compromise was arrived at. The Pope relinquishing his cherished notion -of appearing on horseback, was firm in his resolve that his state -carriage should be the only one to be found in the procession. Much to -their disgust, the whole conclave of Cardinals was appointed to meet the -Holy Father, in their respective carriages, at the gates of S. John -Lateran. - -Never did I see a more orderly, a more picturesque, or a more -enthusiastic crowd, than that which lined the Corso, and filled the -Piazza di Venezia on the day in question. Although the national costume -was even then becoming scarce in the South of Italy, yet on that great -day all the citizens on both sides of the Tiber and all the country -people from the neighbouring districts, appeared in their holiday -clothes of bright and variegated colours. The red bodice, the floating -ribbons, the blue petticoat and white _panno_, well became the majestic -beauty of noble-looking women, while the conical hat and coloured sashes -of the men recalled the early drawings of Pinelli. One striking -personage in the crowd I well remember—a peasant from the district of -Nettuno, whose costume had something essentially Oriental in its -character. She was a woman of extreme beauty, and of a tall and -commanding presence. She wore a garment of crimson silk, in the form of -a Turkish pelisse, over a bright gold-coloured robe of the same -material; she was evidently the beauty of her native town, and was sent -to Rome as its representative. - -[Sidenote: THE “POSSESSO”] - -Soon that mingled murmuring sound which is so well expressed in the -Italian language as _bisbiglio_ is heard down the length of the Corso, -and heralds the approach of the procession. On it comes in all the -correct costumes of the Middle Ages, of the exact period which His -Holiness has chosen; horsemen in rich doublets of cut velvet and mantles -clasped with jewels, the bridle-rein of each held by an attendant, the -costliness of whose dress is scarcely inferior to that of the rider. And -now, as the crucifer who immediately precedes the carriage of the Holy -Father appears in sight, the whole populace fall on their knees. To my -mind, the most imposing personage in the whole pageant is the crucifer, -a tall and magnificent-looking man, with a long silken beard, carrying a -ponderous cross, of such gigantic dimensions that few arms could have -been found capable of bearing it, mounted on a splendid white mule, to -find which the whole of Italy had been searched. A magnificent spectacle -which I shall never forget. - -The delights of our winter in Rome were greatly enhanced to my brother -Charles and myself by the presence of our dear friend, Adelaide -Sartoris, at whose house in the Via Gregoriana we met all that was -agreeable and intellectual in the society of Rome. With her and her -sister, Fanny Kemble, we took almost daily rides in the Campagna. What -enchanting hours of companionship, what exhilarating hours of exercise -over that beautiful tract of country, does the mere allusion to those -bygone days recall! How swiftly the days passed in the Eternal City! The -constant contemplation of the treasures of painting, sculpture and -architecture seemed to enrich while it gladdened our minds. All around -us beauty—beauty of art, beauty of nature, beauty of sound, of music -both sacred and secular! Then the Carnival with its fun and frolic, and -the Moccoli, whose twinkling stars still live in the twilight of memory. -Rome the beautiful—Rome the eternal—’twas sad to say farewell! - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXII - - SUMMER OF 1847—FLORENCE, VILLA CAREGGI - - -On our arrival in Florence, we took up our abode on the north side of -the Arno, in the same house with our friends the de Fauveaus, and many a -delightful hour did I pass in Félicie’s studio, watching her beautiful -work with deep interest, and sometimes reading aloud to her the works of -our best authors, for she was as good an English scholar as I was, -although she could not often be tempted to converse in our language. But -we did not stay long under the same roof, for it had been arranged that -our summer should be spent in Villeggiatura. - -Lord Holland, who then possessed the beautiful villa of Careggi de -Medici, in the immediate neighbourhood of Florence, kindly placed it at -my mother’s disposition for the summer months of the year 1847, and when -I look back upon the time we passed there, a dream of beauty, peace and -happiness rises up before me, surrounded by the golden haze of memory -and regret. The villa, which is in itself a palace, is situated in a -charming garden, and the interior contains spacious and lofty -apartments, and, at the time of which I am speaking, had just been -embellished by frescoes from the master hand of our countryman George -Watts, the illustrious Academician. One in particular, at the entrance -of the villa, attracted especial notice. It represented the attack made -by the servants of Lorenzo the Magnificent on the physician who attended -their beloved master in his last hours, and whom they suspected of -wilful neglect, or culpable designs on the life of the august prince. -The moment chosen by the painter was that in which the retainers seized -upon the medical attendant and ruthlessly cast him into the well, which -then still existed in the court of the villa. The artist in question, a -friend of Lord Holland, was a resident of Careggi when we arrived and -most unwillingly drove him away. Assuredly there was room for us all, -and many more, in that large and spacious house, but our painter had -that love for solitude and that distaste for the society of strangers so -frequently to be found in the artistic nature. He had betaken himself to -a pavilion in the garden, and courteously but firmly withstood for a -time all our advances at nearer companionship. I well remember writing -what I considered a coaxing note, asking him to dine with us on Ash -Wednesday, as I knew it was more to his taste to fast than to feast. -Slowly and gradually we won our way towards his friendship, and, as I -once afterwards told him laughingly, how proud I felt when by degrees he -grew tame and would eat out of my hand. From that time we have been -friends, and I watched with pride and pleasure his rising fame, and -gazed with increasing admiration of years on his splendid creations. Our -household was a curious medley. Our family consisted of my mother, my -sister, my brother Charles and myself, with our three English -servants—the faithful Henry and the two lady’s-maids. The domestics we -found in the villa were as follows: the porter (an old soldier) and the -gardener and his family, the _babbo_, the _mama_, the son and two -daughters good, excellent people—the eldest girl Amalia a little -hump-back, or _gobbina_, with a tender heart and loving eyes, her sister -Violante—always selected on the occasion of any _festa_ or procession to -take the principal part therein, on account of her extreme beauty. - -[Sidenote: LIFE AT VILLA CAREGGI] - -The two mothers became great friends, notwithstanding their respective -ignorance of each other’s language, but it was touching to see them -sitting side by side in the garden, teaching each other Italian and -English names for the different flowers, which the _mama_ brought in -handfuls and deposited on the lap of the “cara e buona miladi.” - -The old gardener, with gentle manners and calm exterior, who rented the -garden, but would never let us pay a _soldo_ for the beautiful nosegays -he showered on us, was a real Italian at heart. On one occasion, the -gardener of a neighbouring villa, Salviati, had brought a large present -of choice flowers to my mother, from our friend Mrs Vansittart. This -circumstance so raised the ire of the rival functionary at Careggi, that -it was with great difficulty that our English servant interposed to -appease the _babbo_, for, as he told me afterwards, he saw the moment -when knives were likely to be drawn. The porter, old Pietro, had been, -as I said before, a soldier, and was a great character in his way. He -would sometimes pace the terrace with me, and not only discuss, but -quote long extracts from Dante. Like many other scholars and students of -the divine poet, he found the greatest delight in the story of Francesca -di Rimini, and he delivered it as his emphatic opinion that her -punishment was immeasurably too severe for her fault. I think I should -have to wait some time before an English hall-porter, or domestic -servant of any class, would be likely to discuss with me the -characteristics of one of Shakespeare’s heroines. - -This reminds me of an incident related by my dear friend, Lady Marian -Alford. She was coming out of the Cathedral at Siena, and talking of the -lines in Dante which commemorate the sad fate of “La Pia.” She had got -as far as “Siena mi fè,” when she paused and hesitated, being unable to -remember the rest of the line, when a little street Arab, or _gamin_, -came to her assistance and completed the sentence, “disfeci mi Maremma,” -to the satisfaction of both. But we must not wander from Careggi and the -golden summer we passed there. - -The windows were scrupulously closed during the intense heat of the day, -but between the hours of four and five they were flung wide open to -admit the refreshing air, and then we would sit in the garden, or walk, -or drive, interchanging visits, and offering or accepting invitations -from the neighbouring villas, or sometimes from dwellers in the city. - -From the _loggia_ at Careggi, where we used to spend a great part of our -evenings, watching the lights which starred the city, inhaling the -perfumes of the orange flowers, and delighting in the erratic flights of -those embodied stars, the fire-flies, we commanded the windows of the -Villa Quarto, inhabited by our Swedish friend, the Comtesse Pipa and her -nephew, Eric Baker, with whom we had invented a code of signals, and by -displaying some scarlet or yellow drapery, understood at once if an -invitation to dinner was refused or accepted. - -[Sidenote: “BALLET D’ACTION”] - -On the opposite side, but at a greater distance, stood the Villa -Salviati, inhabited by a beautiful countrywoman of ours, Mrs Vansittart -before-mentioned, the tall and stately chatelaine of that magnificent -house afterwards purchased by Mario and Grisi, and which, I believe, -still bears the name of the former. Many delightful evenings were spent -beneath Mrs Vansittart’s roof, where Charles and I were frequent guests. -I remember once when he and I had done our best to amuse our hosts with -a _ballet d’action_ on a small scale, at the conclusion of which I was -nearly smothered by the profusion of flowers which were lavished upon me -from that fertile garden. Oh yes, and I remember only too vividly the -homeward walk with that beloved companion, across a short cut, all -hedged and fringed with cypress and ilex, glistening and sparkling in -the silver radiance of a Tuscan moonlight. - -That was an eventful period in the lives of both, for, during that -summer Charles’s destiny became entwined with that of a young English -lady whose acquaintance he had made the previous winter at Rome, and who -with her widowed mother was a constant visitor at the Villa Careggi. -Indeed, before the end of the summer, my dear brother was engaged to be -married to Miss Moore, the daughter of General Sir Lorenzo Moore, late -Governor of the Ionian Islands, in commemoration of which office he had -bestowed on his daughter the somewhat strange though musical name of -Zacyntha. The lovers were separated for the winter, but on their return -to England, in the year 1849, they were united, and my brother gained a -devoted and faithful wife, even to his life’s end, and she became the -mother of a large family of noble and beautiful children. - -During our stay at Careggi we kept open house. Numerous friends and -acquaintances, _en route_ for Florence or Rome, flocked from all parts -to find a hearty welcome from the English occupants of that historical -palace, so intimately bound up with memories of the palmy days of -Florence and her merchant princes; while the neighbours from the villas -before-mentioned often frequented our charming gardens of an evening. -Amongst our visitors was Prince Anatole Demidoff (so well known in -Florence as one of the chief leaders of society), afterwards the husband -of Princess Mathilde, the sister of Prince Napoleon, who gave splendid -receptions at his own villa of San Donato. - -I was much amused by an anecdote which was related to me as having -happened some years before the time of which I am speaking. Prince -Demidoff was very hospitable to foreigners, and an English lady having -received an invitation to a _soirée_ at this villa, arrayed herself in -the best ornaments contained in her jewel-box, which were not of a very -costly description. It was at a time when, in England at least, -malachite was very much used, not only for table ornaments, such as -ink-stands and paper-weights, but also occasionally for brooches, -earrings, and the like, or what then were called _sevignés_. Thus -decorated, our countrywoman took her way to Prince Demidoff’s reception, -but her consternation was great when, on entering the noble suite of -apartments, she found that the chimney-pieces, the consoles, and the -very doors themselves were constructed of the identical material which -formed her _parure_. - -During our stay at Careggi, I had provided myself with an independent -little vehicle in which I drove occasionally into Florence, to pay a -visit to Félicie de Fauveau. I was invariably stopped at the gate of the -city, and interrogated by a pompous official as to whether I had -anything contraband to declare. “Oh dear yes,” said I one day, impatient -at being delayed, “two apricots and a book,” which reply made my driver -laugh aloud. My coachman was a bright young fellow who rejoiced in the -classical name of Œdipus. He had been educated at a Jesuit school, and -spoke his native language with great purity, and even eloquence. It is -certainly remarkable to listen to the choice selection of words used by -the lower classes in Tuscany. The common saying of “lingua Toscana in -bocca Romana,” is strikingly true, for the guttural pronunciation of the -Florentines—inherited doubtless from the Spaniards—contrasts -disadvantageously with the soft, so to speak, languishing, cadence of -the Roman dialect. - -[Sidenote: BATHS OF CASCIANO] - -I made a delightful little expedition in my own _carretella_ to the -Baths of Casciano, near Pisa, to pay a visit of two days to Félicie de -Fauveau and her mother. It was a whole day’s journey, and we halted -half-way, if I remember right, at the picturesque, fortified old town, -to bait our little stout Calabrian pony. I found Œdipus a delightful -travelling companion, for he knew the history and the legends of the -country through which we passed, and I was quite sorry to bid him -good-bye, for it was settled I should return with my friends. - -Casciano is a picturesque spot, whose baths were at one time in great -repute, and the legend connected with the discovery of its boiling -springs interested me not a little. The Empress Matilda, it would -appear, who was devoted to the sport of hawking, possessed a falcon of -uncommon skill and beauty, whose constant perch was on the Imperial -wrist. Suddenly the favourite began to droop and shed its feathers, and -to show signs of some malady more severe than the usual moulting of -birds. Unable to carry on its vocation or to join in its beloved -mistress’s cherished sport, the poor falcon hung its head, disfigured -and ashamed. One morning the bird was missing, and could not be traced, -and much surprise was expressed that the diminished pinions should have -had sufficient strength to ensure its flight. Time passed, and the -“tasset gentle” was supplanted but not replaced in the heart of the -royal sportswoman. But one day, when on a grand hawking expedition, the -Empress had just let fly her falcon in search of its quarry—lo! a -miracle: perching on her wrist, pluming itself, and nodding and bowing, -with all the grace of which a bird can be capable, and all the loyalty -of a devoted subject, was the long lost one. A recurrence of the -falcon’s indisposition, and a restlessness which seemed to foretell an -inclination to absent itself once more, caused the Empress to issue her -commands that the bird should be watched. It seems difficult to imagine -how her wishes were carried out, but we must suppose that the will of -that Imperial lady was omnipotent. At all events, the story goes (and -who would question so romantic a legend) that the winged invalid was -found bathing in the warm springs of Casciano, and after this voluntary -cure, found its way back in renovated health and plumage to the Court of -its noble mistress, thereby laying claim to being the founder and patron -of the baths in question. - -[Sidenote: LEGEND OF THE FALCON] - -Oh! it is hard, even in retrospective thought, to tear one’s self away -from those blissful days which were prolonged late into the autumn, when -the Apennines so often assume that rich colouring of Imperial purple, -illumined by golden sunlight, which adds fresh lustre to the environs of -Florence. To that city we made our next move, and took up our abode in a -house in the Santa Croce quarter, between which and the Casa Fenzi, in -Piazza Santa Maria Novella, where Lady Moore and her daughter were now -located, there was constant intercourse, until the _sposa_ and her -mother left for Rome, and my brother Charles took his departure for -England. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII - - RESIDENCE IN FLORENCE—CHARLES LEVER—REVOLUTION, AND THE BROWNINGS - - -Our new residence in Florence consisted of a very pretty apartment on -the ground floor of the Casa Lagerschwerd, opening on a bright little -garden, which was a perfect sun-trap, and where, even on cold days, my -dear mother could bask in safety. We had not been there very long ere I -received a letter from our friend G. P. R. James, recommending his -friend, the bearer, Charles Lever, to our especial notice. - -Him he thus describes:-“One of the most genial spirits I ever met; his -conversation is like summer lightning—brilliant, sparkling, but -harmless. In his wildest sallies I never heard him give utterance to an -unkind thought.” - -The old advice, “If you like his works, do not make acquaintance with -the author,” would have been misplaced as regards him. He essentially -resembled his works, and whichever you preferred, that one was most like -Charles Lever. He was the complete type and model of an -Irishman—warm-hearted, witty, rollicking, of many metres in his pen, but -never unrefined, imprudent and often blind to his own interests—adored -by his friends, the play-fellow of his children and of the gigantic -boar-hound he had brought from Tyrol. - -[Sidenote: LEVER’S ENTRY INTO FLORENCE] - -I well remember his first visit, his chivalrous, deferential manner to -my mother, and the hearty, cordial way in which he claimed my -friendship. He gave me a most amusing description of his entry into -Florence, with his three children, two girls and a boy, with whom he had -performed the journey from the Tyrol on horseback. They had spent the -summer among hardy mountaineers, and had imbibed many of the tastes, and -had adopted the greater part of the costume of the Tyrolese—such as the -conical-shaped hat with its golden cord and peacocks’ feathers. -Altogether, his appearance, with that of his young companions, followed -by their brindled boar-hound, attracted great attention as they passed -slowly through the Porto San Gallo. The crowd which gathered round them -were impressed by the belief that they formed part of a company of a -circus or hippodrome, and Charles Lever, in great glee, even assured me -that he had been accosted on his road with a view to an engagement. Our -first interview, on the whole, was most satisfactory, and all the more -so when my new friend informed me that he had rented Casa Standish for -the winter, and that he counted upon me to resume the post of _prima -donna_, which he had heard, so ran his courteous words, “I had already -filled with so much honour.” - -It did not take Charles Lever long to be installed as tenant of Casa -Standish, manager and lessee of the little theatre; and then began a -series of rehearsals and dramatic representations, the frequent reunion -of kindred spirits, the merry suppers and joyous dances in which my soul -delighted. Our company was excellent, and foremost in the troupe, and in -my recollection, since we generally played the two leading characters of -the “Juvenile Caste,” was Captain Elliott, who, with his charming wife, -was located for the time in an apartment in Piazzi Pitti. Good-looking, -graceful in deportment, courteous in manner, with great flexibility of -countenance, Captain Elliott was well qualified to play first lover, -although he occasionally condescended to take a part in low comedy. We -shared some bright laurels on several occasions, especially in two or -three detached scenes from the _School for Scandal_, particularly in the -famous Screen scene; Captain Elliott distinguished himself as “Joseph -Surface,” while our host and lessee gave a decided and Irish colouring -to the reckless humour of his namesake “Charles.” But the latter was -still more in his element in the then favourite farce of _The Irish -Tutor_, a part lately rendered famous by the impersonation of Tyrone -Power, the best “Irishman” that ever walked, or rather tripped, the -stage—he whose untimely fate made so deep an impression on the lovers of -the drama, when all hope was relinquished of the safety of that vessel -in which he had been a joyous passenger. Charles Lever was no unworthy -rival in the character of “Doctor O’Toole,” and the jig which we danced -together laid good claim to be called an “Everlasting,” its duration -being so prolonged by repeated plaudits of the audience. - -Dear old friend! We met twice again after a separation of many years, -once, as a glad surprise, when arriving rather late for dinner, I turned -round and found him as my neighbour at one of those delightful banquets -at Charles Dickens’ table, where all that was eminent in Literature and -Art, or endowed with social and intellectual gifts, was sure to find a -place and a welcome. - -[Sidenote: I ENTERTAIN LEVER IN 1870] - -In the year 1870, during the first Viceroyalty of Earl Spencer in -Ireland, Lever paid a visit to Dublin,[43] where he made friends with my -nephew Courtenay Boyle, and was a frequent and welcome visitor at the -Castle and Viceregal Lodge. From Ireland he came to London, and I had -the pleasure of entertaining him at my little house in South Audley -Street, where Lady Spencer gladly agreed to meet him. On the table lay a -volume of Bret Harte’s parodies[44] of popular novelists, and I, -volunteering to read a passage aloud, asked if he could recognise the -authorship. It was the narrative of a cavalry officer who, in the heat -of an engagement, took a flying, but unwilling, leap over a horseman in -a dark cloak, cocked hat and white feathers. As far as I can remember -the words-“My horse cleared the obstacle well, I lifted my eyes, and -found myself for the first time in the presence of Field-Marshal The -Duke of Wellington!” - -Footnote 43: - - I well remember this visit and the many chats we had about his novel, - “Lord Kilgobbin,” then on the stocks. - -Footnote 44: - - The parody was “Terence Deuville”-“Putting spurs to my horse I rode at - him boldly, and with one bound cleared him, horse and all. A shout of - indignation arose from the assembled staff. I wheeled suddenly, with - the intention of apologising, but my mare misunderstood me, and again - dashing forward, once more vaulted over the head of the officer, this - time, unfortunately, uncovering him by a vicious kick of her hoof. - ‘Seize him!’ roared the entire army. I was seized. As the soldiers led - me away, I asked the name of the gray-haired officer. ‘That?—why - that’s the Duke of Wellington!’ I fainted.” - - A somewhat similar episode is recorded in another parody, the fighting - “Onet y Oneth,” by W. M. Thackeray, written many years before Bret - Harte (who, I am sure, was no plagiarist) wrote “Terence Deuville.” - -Never shall I forget Lever’s burst of laughter, which seemed to flood -the whole room with sunshine. “Upon me soul, I believe it’s meself; it’s -uncommonly like me.” That was the last time we ever met. The wife to -whom he was deeply attached died shortly afterwards, and Charles Lever -did not long survive her. - -That was an eventful time for Florence, for Italy, for the whole of -Europe. The spirit of revolution was abroad, and France had set a -startling example to other nations. In the month of February, 1848, the -Carnival was at its height, and the youth, beauty and fashion of -Florence were assembled in a splendid ball-room in one of her principal -palaces. I was sitting beside my dear friend Félicie de Fauveau, who had -been rebuking me for dancing with _cette canaille_—for so she designated -Baron Ward, Prime Minister and ex-groom of the Duke of Parma—and I had -excused myself on the ground that it amused me to become acquainted with -celebrities—perhaps, in this case, I had better have said -notorieties—when we were all startled by the rapid entrance of a -stranger. There was a pause, a hush, and then he became the centre of a -little crowd that gathered round him, evidently the bearer of some -strange intelligence. Félicie and I rose together to inquire the cause. -It was soon told—a Revolution in France, and Louis Philippe and his -whole family driven from the capital. To my companion, the news was of -deep interest, for was she not devoted heart and soul to the cause of -Henri Cinq? In that assembly, which contained many nationalities among -the company, the intelligence was listened to with varying degrees of -excitement, pleasure or indifference, while to the younger portion of -the community, who cared little for the destiny of kings and -governments, the paramount thought was that the _bal masqué_ at the -French Embassy would not take place. - -[Sidenote: I PLAY THE PART OF CONSPIRATOR] - -The downfall of the Orleans dynasty naturally led to a renewal of hope -among the more devoted and sanguine of the Legitimists, which proved, -however, but short-lived. One morning, soon after the ball already -alluded to, Félicie de Fauveau called upon me and asked if I could -undertake a commission for her. Any messenger she could send, she -explained to me—indeed, any Frenchman or Frenchwoman who was the bearer -of a letter to the Duchesse de Berri—would be an object of suspicion. -“Have you any fellow-countryman whom you could safely trust to carry a -communication from me to that Princess?” Most fortunately, a friend of -ours, an Englishman, had the day previously expatiated to me on his -delight at the prospect of seeing Venice for the first time. I summoned -him to our assistance, entrusted Félicie’s packet to his care, enjoined -prudence and secrecy, and thus, for the first and last time in my life, -played the part of conspirator, though, sooth to say, with no important -or successful result. - -In Florence, where people did not take life _au grand sérieux_, there -was no end of chaffing and jesting on the subject, which could not be -said to be a jest to Paris and the Parisians. All the princes and -princesses, all the counts and countesses, sometimes good-humouredly, -sometimes spitefully, were addressed as _Citoyens_ and _Citoyennes_. I -heard of an incident at the club, which only just escaped having an -unpleasant termination. - -A Russian nobleman, who, for some reason or another, was not on good -terms with a Frenchman of decided Legitimist tendencies, approached him -and, in rather a provocative tone, said, “Bon jour, Citoyen.” The -Frenchman looked at him with some disdain, and turning on his heel, -exclaimed, “Adieu, esclave,” which retort elected a laugh from the -bystanders. - -Meanwhile, as we jested and acted and danced, the Tuscan Revolution was -proceeding slowly on its course. The Grand Duke[45] whose reign had been -marked by a mild paternal sway, and who was as popular as an Austrian -well could be in those anti-Austrian days, endeavoured at first to make -a compromise with the Tuscans by granting them a charter for the Civic -Guards. This was made an occasion of great rejoicing in the city, and -the Italians, who always turn a festivity into a pageant, organised a -procession, which defiled for the space of three hours beneath the -windows of the Palazzo Pitti, where, on the balcony, Leopold II. -appeared, surrounded by his family. It was not to be expected that he -should wear a very cheerful aspect, for although the air rang with -_vivas_, in recognition of his Civic grant, and although he affected to -advocate the cause of United Italy, yet it was easy to know that the -compact between the Prince and the people was hollow and fragile, and -that “Leopoldo essendo straniero,” must sooner or later come under the -cry for the expulsion of the foreigner. - -Footnote 45: - - Leopold II., died at Rome, 1870. - -[Sidenote: CASA GUIDI] - -On the morning appointed for the procession in question, I went, -accompanied by my sister and my future sister-in-law, to a house in the -Piazza Pitti, the name of which has now become classical; for the walls -of Casa Guidi bear a tributary inscription to the memory of Elizabeth -Barrett Browning, who, with the “heart of a woman, the knowledge of a -professor, and the spirit of a poet, formed a link between Italy and -England.” These are Florence’s grateful words to our English poetess, -and well did she deserve the tribute, for no one ever participated more -cordially in the aspirations of Italy’s future, or gave utterance to -those aspirations in so musical a form. - -I would gladly transcribe _verbatim_ the lines in which that noble -spirit described the scene I witnessed, in her dear company, and that of -her husband, from Casa Guidi windows; for how cold and colourless must -my words appear compared with her surpassing eloquence. But space will -not allow of the whole transcript, and I therefore unwillingly confine -myself to fragments— - - “The day was such a day - As Florence owes the sun. The sky above, - Its weight upon the mountains seemed to lay, - And palpitate in glory, like a dove - Who has flown too fast, full-hearted—take away - The image! for the heart of man beat higher - That day in Florence, flooding all her streets - And piazzas with a tumult and desire. - How we gazed - From Casa Guidi windows while, in trains - Of orderly procession, banners raised, - And intermittent bursts of martial strains - ... they passed on! - The Magistracy, with insignia, passed, ... - And all the people shouted in the sun, - And all the thousand windows which had cast - A ripple of silks in blue and scarlet down - (As if the houses overflowed at last), - Seemed growing larger with fair heads and eyes. - The Lawyers passed ... - The Priesthood passed.... Next were viewed - The Artists; next, the Trades; and after came - The People.... - And very loud the shout was for that same - Motto, ‘Il popolo’—‘IL POPOLO.’ - And next, with banners, each in his degree, - Deputed representatives a-row, - Of every separate State of Tuscany: - Siena’s she-wolf, bristling on the fold - Of the first flag, preceded Pisa’s hare, - And Massa’s lion floated calm in gold, - Pienza’s following with his silver stare, - Arezzo’s steed pranced clear from bridle-hold?” - -Then followed a concourse of foreigners of all nations, lovers of Italy— - - “Oh heaven, I think that day had noble use - Among God’s days!” - -And so it had, for that day was a forerunner of better days to come, -though many a reverse was in store for the House of Savoie, and many a -check was to be given to the brave Sardinians in the battle-field. -Still, that day, commemorated by our English poetess, shadowed forth the -time when the King of Sardinia became the King of Italy, and Imperial -Rome the capital of his kingdom. - -And now that I have had occasion to speak of that poet pair, the -Brownings, let me recall the hours of enchantment which I passed beneath -their roof. I was the bearer of a letter from a common friend, and well -do I remember knocking at the door, which was opened to me by the poet -in person. How kindly they received me! how truly they welcomed me, -stranger as I was, whose very name was unknown to them. How one-sided -seemed the advantages of that acquaintance; for I had known and loved -them long, and when I went up to the sofa where the poetess lay, half -bird, half spirit, as a loving hand described her, I felt inclined to -address her by the name of “Bar,” the pet name of her own sweet poem, -which her brother gave her - - “When we were children ’twain, - When names acquired baptismally - Were hard to utter as to see - That life had any pain.” - -[Sidenote: “FLUSH”] - -And there on her lap was her dog “Flush,” with whom I was so well -acquainted in verse. The pale, thin hand of his mistress resting on the -glossy head of that “gentle fellow-creature” like a benediction. - -All seemed familiar to me from the first moment, and all became truly -familiar to me soon, and now remains a sacred memory. I have never in -the course of my life seen a more spiritual face, or one in which the -soul looked more clearly from the windows; clusters of long curls, in a -fashion now obsolete, framed in her small delicate face, and even -shrouded its outline, and her form was so fragile as to appear but an -ethereal covering. - -I had looked forward eagerly to the moment when I should lay these pages -of affectionate remembrance before my friend Robert Browning, when, -alas! the news came from Venice of his unexpected death, and baulked me -of the pleasure of doing so—a disappointment which added to the -poignancy of my regret at his loss. - -My visits to Casa Guidi were daily, or rather nightly, for my mother’s -health at this time compelled her to retire early to rest; and the -moment I had bidden her good-night, I would fly to Casa Guidi and spend -the early evening, or _prima sera_, as the Italians call it, with my -poets. How delightful were those moments—how swiftly did they pass! how -rich was the wit, the wisdom, the knowledge, the fancy, in which I -revelled with those dear companions! And then a ring would come at the -bell just at the proper moment to save my sweet hostess from fatigue, -and I would go downstairs to greet another friend who had kindly allowed -me to go into society under her wing. Madame de Manny, to all the -vivacity and charm of a Frenchwoman, added some of the dignity and -steadiness of the English nature—a rare and valuable combination amid -the frivolity and laxity of manners then prevalent in the Florentine -capital. The name of de Manny also had a charm for me in the historical -associations connected with Froissart and the Carthusian Monastery, for -my friend’s husband was a lineal descendant of Sir Walter de Manny, or -Many, in those famous chronicles. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV - - LAST DAYS AT FLORENCE—RETURN TO ENGLAND—MILLARD’S HILL, LONDON 1848. - - -While we were at Florence the popular mind had become so excited by -passing events, by the Revolution in France, and by the outbreaks in the -north of Italy, that disturbances on a modified scale were of almost -daily occurrence in the streets or on the walls of the city. I was -amused one day at a comic manifestation of the Florentine horror of the -Austrian by overhearing a peasant who was beating his donkey, cry out to -him in a tone of objurgation: “Oh, Maiter Nick-ee—oh, Maiter Nick-ee.” I -could not but intercede for the poor beast, and represent to his master -that he could not well be called a foreigner. - -Another time, as I was returning from a drive to a neighbouring villa -with my mother, our carriage was stopped and surrounded by some men, who -desired us to alight and proceed on foot, as we had no more right to go -in a carriage than they had. Their words were menacing, but their looks -were by no means threatening, and trusting to the Italian’s love of a -jest, I told them that it was out of the question for my mother to walk, -for she was not strong, and that for myself I did not care how many -miles I walked, but I had on a pair of beautiful new thin boots (in -those days we wore a dainty _chaussure_ called _brodequins_), and it -would break my heart to spoil them in the muddy road. Oh those -good-humoured Tuscans! They laughed, shook their heads, bade the -coachman drive on, and showed no ill-will to the little foreigner who -had turned aside their wrath with a joke. - -But on a future day the populace showed itself more violent. I was -unwell, and had not left the house, when my brother came back with the -news that there had been a riot in the streets, and that on the -appearance of my friend Beppa, the florist, the old cry had been raised -of “A spy!—a Court spy!” and the poor woman had been hunted down several -streets, and was flying in terror for her very life; then came to her -rescue, rising as they ever did, as if by magic, in the hour of need, -the noble band of the “Misericordia,” bound to succour and to protect -the sick and the sorrowful. Clad in their black robes, their faces -shrouded by their black hoods, they interposed between the pursuers and -their victim, and claimed the right, which none durst question, of -taking possession of the fugitive. Beppa was sick, she was near her -confinement, therefore she came within the jurisdiction of the -“Misericordia,” who, placing her on the litter they always carry with -them, bore her off, not to the hospital, as is usual in such cases, but -to a place of safety and secrecy. - -[Sidenote: “BEPPA” THE FLORIST] - -I was very much distressed when I heard of the danger my favourite had -run, and longed to hear some news of her, which I did a few days later, -in rather dramatic manner. I was walking on the Lung’arno when a little -boy approached me. He attracted my attention in a mysterious manner, -“’St, ’st, Signorina,” he said; “listen to me, but take no notice of me. -Beppa salutes you tenderly. She has a beautiful boy; she sends you these -flowers,” which he smuggled into my hand, “and hopes to see you soon.” - -Accordingly, in the course of time, our faithful Henry ushered a muffled -figure, whose face was completely hidden by the hood of a long cloak, -into the drawing-room of Casa Lagerschward. It was Beppa, my Beppa! She -flung off her disguise as she clasped me in her arms; she wept, she -laughed, she went into rapture over her baby, over her husband-“Che mi -vuole un ben di paradiso.”[46] It was a spectacle to astonish an -undemonstrative Northerner. When the time came for us to leave Florence, -Beppa was one of the humble friends whom I regretted most; but oh! how I -grieved to say farewell to that beautiful city! - -Footnote 46: - - “Who loves me with the love of heaven,” is the only translation I can - render of these untranslatable words. - - “Oh! rightly, justly named the fair, - There is a magic in thine air, - A gladness in thine atmosphere, - Where floating particles of joy, - With hidden hope the spirits buoy, - And every feeling cheer. - - “Fair city of the myriad towers, - How oft my heart will yearn - Towards thee and thine and those dear hours - Which never can return. - No more for me thy suns shall shine, - No more, no more thy flowerets twine - A garland for my brow!” - -The gardener’s family from Careggi came to bid us farewell, and it was -only by a violent effort I could wrench myself away from the two weeping -sisters, who loaded me with caresses. The separation between the two -mothers was more affecting still, for they were both well stricken in -years, and knew they could not meet again on this side of the grave. I -shall never forget the faithful Italian’s tender look as she pressed my -mother’s hand for the last time to her lips, and exclaimed: “A rivederla -in Paradiso.” Then there was dear Félicie de Fauveau, of whom to take a -sad, and, as it turned out, a lasting farewell, and the good Levers, our -friend Charles and his excellent little wife. - -Although in the early part of 1848 the whole of Europe was in a state of -political turmoil, our travel homeward was unattended by any excitement -or adventure. We fell in with no fighting, although we followed closely -on its track, and in Milan and many other towns through which we passed -we found all inscriptions and insignia in any way connected with -Austria, effaced and defaced, while in several streets and thoroughfares -were collected groups of citizens, for the most part in fantastic -dresses (for Italians generally love to throw a Carnival colouring over -all their doings), singing the Italian hymn of _Viva Italia!_ and _Viva -Pio Nono!_ for the name of the Pontiff was still beloved, as he had not -repudiated his first principles, or taken his flight to Gaeta yet, -neither had his name been superseded in the popular cries by _Viva -Garibaldi!_ - -For myself I was in constant correspondence with one of Charles Albert’s -most distinguished and confidential officers, the Cavaliere Pietro de -Boÿl, of whom I have already spoken in my chapter on Genoa. He well knew -how my brother Charles and I sympathised with his patriotic views for -Italy’s future, and he would write to me from Turin, or the camp, -according to where he was stationed, to enquire news of what was passing -in Tuscany, or farther south. - -[Sidenote: DOWN THE RHINE] - -In our passage down the Rhine our steamers carried troops, and I shall -never forget the intense delight with which I listened to the beautiful -part-singing of those good soldiers. I had just received a treasure from -England—it was the novel of “Jane Eyre,” at that moment making a great -noise in the literary world, and my recollections of that book have been -invariably intertwined with the strains of the excellent music to which -I listened during its perusal. - -When we arrived in London we found it in a ferment of Chartists and -special constables; but in spite of the turmoil, we took our quiet way -to our little woodland house in Somersetshire, suffering, at least I -speak for myself, from the _mal du pays_, for I had got to love and -consider Italy as my home. - -In the year 1849, my brother Charles and his wife, after a short sojourn -with us, embarked for the Cape of Good Hope, where he had obtained an -appointment; but there were still “good times in store for me,” for, -when the season was at its height, I went to London to pay a most -delightful visit to my friend Adelaide Sartoris.[47] Her comparatively -small drawing-rooms in Park Place were the resort of all that was -remarkable and superior in Society, whether as to talent or position. -The best _artistes_ in music, painting, sculpture, or histrionic -celebrity, were her frequent and welcome guests, enlivened, as the -Society papers would say, by a “sprinkling of beauty, rank and fashion.” -Here, for the first time, I heard the noble voice of Charles Santley, -which I always likened to three-piled crimson velvet, and from that -moment I have never met him without pleasure, or listened to him without -delight. - -Footnote 47: - - Younger daughter of Charles Kemble, and sister of Frances Anne Butler. - -[Sidenote: VISIT TO MRS SARTORIS] - -Charles Hallé, too, was there, with his exquisite rendering of -Mendelssohn, Beethoven, etc., whom I have often told that his playing -made me feel good and happy for at least a week; and his kindly, -friendly wife, and occasionally, though not at that time out in the -world, their eldest daughter, with whom it is still a pleasure to talk -of those old days, and who, never forgetting my admiration for her -father’s talent, includes me in many a kind invitation to profit by it. -Here, too, I often met Lord Dufferin, Lord Fordwich,[48] and Frederick -Leighton, the tried and trusty friend of the Sartorises, who sang duets -with Adelaide in songs of many nations, and whose fame as a painter, -although still young, was so firmly established, that his future honours -as P.R.A. caused no wonder to his friends or to the public. Here also -was an Italian singer, whose simple-minded remark on one occasion caused -us great merriment. Ciabatti was a man of great personal beauty, and I -overheard him one evening complaining to Mrs Sartoris that this “dowry,” -like unto Italia’s, had been fatal to him. “I seldom get an engagement,” -he said, “for the moment the mammas see me, they will not run the risk -of the daughters falling in love with me, for, you know, _cara_, I am so -very, very handsome!” No idle boast, but the plain unvarnished truth. - -Footnote 48: - - Francis, sixth Earl Cowper; born 1834; married, 1870, Lady Katrine - Compton, daughter of William, fourth Marquess of Northampton. - -During that visit I was in my element—concerts at home and abroad, -operas, theatres and dramatic entertainments, in which my hostess and I -took part. The Alfred Wigans were our common friends, and it was -arranged on one occasion that a representation should be given in the -little theatre at Store Street, for the benefit of the above-named -distinguished actor. The piece chosen was _The Merry Monarch_, and the -caste was as follows:— - - CHARLES II. MR HENRY GREVILLE - - EARL of ROCHESTER MR ALFRED WIGAN - - CAPTAIN COPP MR EDWARD SARTORIS - - HONBLE. GEORGE - BYNG[49] - - LADY CLARA MRS SARTORIS - - MARY COPP MISS MARY BOYLE - -the evening concluding with Alfred Wigan’s _chef-d’œuvre_ of _The First -Night_. How well I recall the happy meetings which the rehearsals -entailed. - -Footnote 49: - - Afterwards third Earl of Strafford. - -It was a brilliant success financially and socially. The Sartorises at -that time had no country house of their own, but it was their habit to -hire one, during the summer and autumn months, in different parts of -England, where I often visited them, and spent hours of happy -intercourse with dear Adelaide and her sister Fanny, enjoying the -delight of intellectual conversation and genial sympathy. - -At Henry Greville’s house in Queen Street, where his small and select -reunions had all the characteristics of a French _salon_, all the best -musicians of the day lent their talents to make the evening attractive -in the highest degree; while it was a standing jest among the female -friends of our dear host, that their newest toilettes and brightest -diamonds were to be worn in his honour. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXV - - ROCKINGHAM CASTLE—CHARLES DICKENS. - - -The autumn of 1850 marks, indeed, a memorable era in my heart’s -calendar, for it was then I spoke for the first time with Charles -Dickens. He had been my familiar friend, as a writer, for years—since -his publication of “Sketches by Boz”—but the day that my conquest was -complete was while on a visit to Burghley. My brother Cavendish had -secured an odd number of “Pickwick,” and coming up to my favourite -little room (“Queen Elizabeth’s China Closet”), he told me he had a -treat in store for me, and then and there read aloud to my enraptured -ears a scene where the runaway couple were tracked through the medium of -“Sam Weller,” who, in his capacity of “Boots” at the hotel, had blacked -Mr Jingle’s Wellingtons and Miss Wardle’s shoes in No. 17. How we -laughed! How many interruptions were caused by our frequent shouts! -Suffice it to say that from that day forward no page of our beloved -author was left unread by either brother or sister, though the time was -far distant ere he became the fast friend of both. - -Mrs Watson,[50] one of my dear, though not very near, cousins, had -married the possessor of the grand old castle of Rockingham, situated on -one of the few eminences which are to be found in Northamptonshire, the -Midlandest of England’s counties. That stately old building had -originally been a Royal hunting-lodge, and a surrounding domain, still -diversified and picturesque in the extreme, had once been forest-land. -Some portion of the house itself was of very early date, and the grand -entrance, or gate-house, consisting of two massive circular towers, -dated as far back as the reign of Stephen. - -Footnote 50: - - Lavinia, daughter of Lord George Quin by Lady Georgiana Spencer; - married Hon. Richard Watson, fourth son of second Lord Sondes. - -The interior of Rockingham, the large entrance hall, the gallery and the -dining-room, in particular, were especially remarkable for their -old-world appearance. In the first of these apartments I loved to read -the inscription on the beams of the ceiling— - - “Thys House shall be preserved and never shall decaye - While Almighty God is honoured and served daye by daye”— - -while the dining-room, with its oak-panelled walls, decorated with -innumerable shields of relations and neighbours, blazoned in proper -heraldic colours, has a lasting claim on my memory as the scene of our -dramatic performances. - -The “Chatelaine,” to whom I have already alluded, was a daughter of Lord -George Quin, with whom I claim cousinship, as her mother was a Spencer. -The master of Rockingham was the brother of Lord Sondes, who changed his -patronymic of Milles for the name of Watson, on succeeding to the -Northamptonshire estate. At Lausanne they had made the acquaintance of -the Charles Dickens’ family, and, knowing how devout a hero-worshipper I -was, had promised to include me among their invitations the next time -that “Boz” became their guest. So one day, to my great delight, I -received a letter from Mrs Watson, begging me to come down by rail on a -certain day, and to look out at Euston for the Dickens family, who would -be my fellow-travellers. Either they were too early, or I was late, and -to my great disappointment I missed the pleasure of their company for -many stations. - -[Sidenote: FIRST MEETING WITH DICKENS] - -I believe I had proceeded as far as Wolverton, when the guard (who, by -the way, was a friend of mine) threw open the door, with the air of a -Master of the Ceremonies, and said to me: “This is Mr Charles Dickens, -who is enquiring for Miss Boyle!” A hand was held out to help me from -the carriage, a hand that for twenty successive years was ever held out -to help me in joy or sorrow, that was ever ready to grasp mine in tender -friendship or cordial companionship, and whose pressure still thrills my -memory. I got into the carriage whence he had descended, where I found -his wife and her sister, Georgina Hogarth—alas! the only one of the -three who will read this record of our first meeting, and of those -delightful days which I passed at Rockingham, in London, and at Gad’s -Hill, in the company of one whose loss we still devoutly mourn—having -the chief part of the whole civilised world to share our grief. - -It was difficult for two such lovers of the Drama as Charles Dickens and -myself to meet under the same roof, without some dramatic plotting; and -so, during that visit, we trod for the first time the same boards -together in a hastily-concocted scene from “Nicholas Nickleby”—that in -which the mad neighbour, from the top of the garden wall, makes a -passionate declaration to Mrs Nickleby. My shabby-genteel costume, with -the widow’s cap of the period, attracted universal admiration from its -appropriate fitness, while the amorous outbursts of my adorer were given -in a manner worthy of the actor-author. - -How well I remember going into a cheap shop in Oxford Street to buy that -identical widow’s cap, of the close, stiff form then in vogue, and -purposely selecting one of the commonest, I enquired the price. -“Tenpence,” said the man, with a tinge of indignation in his tone, which -conveyed an undoubted reproach. “I think, ma’am,” he said, “that if you -are going to make a present of the cap, we have some at eighteenpence -that will be more suitable.” I so entirely sympathised with his view of -the case, or should have done so in ordinary circumstances, that I -condescended to explain my professional reasons for selecting so common -an article. - -This short and impromptu entertainment was only the prelude to -theatrical performances on a larger and grander scale. - -I may truly say, and I think be forgiven for so saying that the 20th of -September, 1850, was a very proud day in my small annals. The morning’s -post brought me the subjoined letter from the great novelist of the -day:— - - - “Sir E. Bulwer Lytton presents his compliments to Miss Boyle, - and hears with great delight from Mr Dickens, that she is kind - enough to take a part in the Theatricals at Knebworth, which it - is at present proposed should take place October 30th. - - “Sir Edward therefore requests to know on what previous day he - may calculate on the honour of receiving Miss Boyle’s obliging - visit. - - “KNEBWORTH, STEVENAGE, - - “HERTS, _16th September 1850_.” - - -[Sidenote: A FLATTERING PROPOSAL] - -It was not till after the death of my beloved friend Charles Dickens -that I became aware, through the publication of his letters, that it was -at his suggestion Sir Edward had made this flattering proposal. In a -letter from Broadstairs to Knebworth, he speaks of me in these terms: - - - “Do you know Mary Boyle, daughter of the old Admiral?—because - she is the very best actress I ever saw off the stage, and - immeasurably better than a great many I have seen on it. I have - acted with her in a country house in Northamptonshire, and am - going to do so again next November. If you know her, I think she - would be more than pleased to play, and by giving her something - good in a farce, we could get her to do “Mrs Kitely.” In that - case, my little sister-in-law would ‘go on’ for the second lady, - and you could do without actresses, besides giving the thing a - particular grace and interest. If we could get Mary Boyle, we - would do _Used Up_, which is a delightful piece, as the farce. - But maybe you know nothing about the said Mary, and in that - case, I should like to know what you would think of doing.” - - -These negotiations resulted in the engagement, which I gladly accepted, -to go down to Knebworth and tread the same stage with such distinguished -writers as “Boz” himself, John Forster, Mark Lemon (the editor of -_Punch_), Douglas Jerrold, and such well-known artists as Frank Stone, -John Leech, and Augustus Egg; while for my _confidante_ and companion I -was promised the society of dear Georgina Hogarth. I was in the seventh -heaven, for, as I have always said, theatrical business was the only -business I liked, theatrical properties the only property I possessed. -Then the interesting correspondence with the manager, the only despot I -ever tolerated, the meetings for rehearsal, the conferences on the -costume. I found myself indeed in my real element, but—when are there no -buts to any bright prospects?—all of a sudden the conviction forced -itself upon me that so great a delight was not in store, that some -sorrow or mishap, or unforeseen obstacle, was hanging over my head, to -prevent the consummation of this cherished scheme. - -I have often had presentiments, and they have usually been realised; but -this was more than a presentiment: it was a certainty that interfered -with all my preparations, surrounding them with a feeling of -apprehension. I gave orders for the making of the costume, which I was -convinced I should never wear; I set myself drearily to learn the part -of “Dame Kitely,” which I _knew_ I was never destined to recite. My -foreboding was but too sadly fulfilled. My sister-in-law came into the -room one day and broke to me as tenderly as possible the death, in -circumstances of a most distressing nature, of that dear and beautiful -friend to whom I have alluded by the name of Fanny. If any words could -have afforded me consolation at so terrible a moment, they would have -been such tender and sympathetic lines as those which I received from -the kind manager of our company, when he said: - -[Sidenote: LETTER FROM CHARLES DICKENS] - - - “We are all extremely concerned and distressed to lose you, but - we feel that it cannot be otherwise, and we do not in our own - expectation of amusement, forget the sad cause of your absence. - Bulwer was here yesterday, and if I were to tell you how - earnestly he and all the other friends whom you don’t know have - looked forward to the projected association with you, and in - what a friendly spirit they all express their disappointment, - you would be quite moved by it, I think.” - - -In November, 1851, Charles Dickens and his family went to live in -Tavistock House, Tavistock Square, where they remained until the year -1857. The very sound of the name is replete to me with memories of -innumerable evenings passed in the most congenial and delightful -intercourse; dinners, where the guests vied with each other in brilliant -conversation, whether intellectual, witty, or sparkling—evenings devoted -to music or theatricals. First and foremost of that magic circle was the -host himself, always “one of us,” who invariably drew out what was best -and most characteristic in others, who used the monosyllable “we” much -more frequently than that of “I,” and who made use of his superiority to -charm and quicken the society around him, but never to crush or -overpower it with a sense of their inferiority. The most diffident girl -was encouraged to express her modest opinion to the great man, and in -him the youngest child ever found a ready play-fellow. - -I can never forget one evening, shortly after the arrival at Tavistock -House, when we danced in the New Year. It seemed like a page cut out of -the “Christmas Carol,” as far, at least, as fun and frolic went: -authors, actors, friends from near and far, formed the avenues of two -long English country dances, in one of which I had the honour of going -up and down the middle, almost “interminably” as it seemed, with Charles -Dickens for my partner. - -The Keeleys were there, husband and wife, the former declining to dance; -but when Sir Roger de Coverley struck up, he was loudly called upon to -do so, and a vehement dispute began between the two sets, which should -secure him in their ranks. That inimitable comedian showed so much fun -in the apparent hesitation of his choice as to elicit roars of laughter, -which were followed by thunders of applause, when the winning side -claimed Keeley as their own. - -In those days, before the guests went into dinner at Tavistock House, -the children of the family were admitted into the drawing-room, and -seldom have I seen more lovely boys, or sweeter or more graceful little -girls; and it is still a pleasure to me to talk over that happy past -with Kate Perugini and her sister, with Harry Dickens and his pretty -wife, who venerates the memory of the father-in-law she never knew, and -brings up her beautiful children to do the same. - -In 1853, the Dickens family were settled at Boulogne-sur-Mer, having -rented a charming house on the hill just outside the town, called Villa -des Moulineaux, which name it derived from some neighbouring -water-mills. It was well situated, and the house, which you approached -through (I might almost say) an avenue of splendid hollyhocks, was built -against the side of the hill, so that you reached the _rez-de-chaussée_ -by a flight of steps, and stepped out of the top floor into a -garden-path. It commanded an extensive view of Boulogne, old and new, -and its picturesque harbour, while on the heights the Napoleon Column -was visible, which commemmorated Napoleon the First’s intended invasion -of England. - -[Sidenote: DOUGLAS JERROLD] - -Charles Dickens in his invitation that I should come and visit him for -some weeks, provided me with an escort, in the person of the late Mr -Peter Cunningham, the agreeable editor of Horace Walpole’s -correspondence, and in his company I performed the voyage. Many and -pleasant were my fellow-guests in that happy summer. Douglas Jerrold, -with his flow of conversation, which elicited so rich a return in that -of his host; if I might make use of a homely simile, I would say, that -brace of talkers reminded me of Bryant & May’s matches “on a superior -scale.” It was here also I learned to know and value Wilkie Collins, the -popular writer of fiction. - -Charles Dickens was an indefatigable pedestrian, and took most extensive -walks in the neighbourhood, and it was amusing to find that the friends -who on the first days after their arrival gladly agreed to accompany -him, mostly slackened by degrees in their readiness to do so, and had -such urgent demands for correspondence or literary work as to detain -them at home. He was thus often reduced to the society of his -sister-in-law and myself, who, from so constantly sharing in his walks, -had got into excellent condition. - -During the time I was at Boulogne there was a fair, and a camp, and a -theatre, and many minor excitements, but these halycon days were -suddenly clouded over by the outbreak of that dreadful epidemic, -diphtheria, which was at first called the “Boulogne sore-throat.” It -caused a panic in our little household; mother and children were shipped -off at a moment’s notice, and the rest quickly followed, with no small -regret at the breaking up of so good a time. - -It was in the year 1857 that Charles Dickens took possession of the -little house of Gad’s Hill, within a walk of Rochester. I thought the -dwelling characteristic of the man, for it was situated on the high -road, frequented by all sorts and conditions of men—the tramp and -vagrant in their tatters, the well-dressed and joyous holiday-makers, -emigrants travelling to the sea-coast, military men changing quarters, -pedestrians, equestrians. From the opposite garden of the wayside inn, -which bore the traditional sign of the “Falstaff,” came the sound of the -bowling of skittles, with an old-fashioned ring in its merriment. The -smooth lawn with its flower-beds, the hay-fields beyond, and the -beautiful woods of Cobham Park in the distance, represented to my fancy -the tenderness of Charles Dickens’ sentiment, and the freshness and the -delicacy of his imagination. - -[Illustration: - - GAD’S HILL. -] - -[Sidenote: GAD’S HILL] - -Many were the summer days I passed under the roof of that little -dwelling, many the hours I sat with Georgina Hogarth in the garden, or -in one of the glades of a small wood which, in the sweet season, formed -a charming resting-place, all hung with garlands of eglantine, with long -strings of blue convolvulus, and the sweet-scented honeysuckle. These -were the hours during which “Boz” was left to his work, in what I called -his “lair,” for few of us would have risked disturbing him, when he had -taken up his position for the morning’s labour, in the _châlet_, which -his friend Fechter, the tragedian, had brought him from Paris. In the -setting-up of the said _châlet_, after the manner of a child’s -architectural toy, Charles had found the greatest amusement, for he was -indeed one of those who find - - “A child’s keen delight in little things,” - -and the hanging of his pictures, the arranging his furniture, the -annexation of a tiny conservatory, and the construction of an -underground tunnel, which connected the area round the house with a -small plantation of lofty cedars, under the shade of which he had -erected his _châlet_, were all sources to him of intense interest. - -In the afternoon he sought relaxation, and then the other inmates of the -house came in for their share of his enviable society, and the -basket-carriage was brought to the door, drawn by the “sober Newman -Noggs,” the harness adorned with musical bells, which his friend Mr -Lehmann had brought him from Norway, and we would take long drives all -around this picturesque neighbourhood. Sometimes we would alight at a -distant point, to return home on foot; sometimes we would wend our way -through green hop-gardens on one side, and golden cornfields on the -other for a distance of many miles; yet we were never wearied. I -remember once Georgina Hogarth and I had accompanied him to a new spot -of interest which he had lately discovered. He walked at his usual -swinging rate, and we had proudly kept up with him. Only five minutes -had been allowed for refreshment, as he called it, otherwise rest, -between reaching the goal and arriving at home. How pleased his -fellow-pedestrians were to receive the following tribute: “Well -done!—ten miles in two hours and a half!” I sit in my armchair now, and -look back on that feat as almost miraculous. - -Charles Dickens, himself a hero, was a hero-worshipper, and in all of my -experience I never knew a man so utterly exempt from the slightest tinge -of professional jealousy. - -One day I went with his two daughters, Mary and Katie (Mrs Charles -Collins, who, with her husband, spent most of the summer under the -paternal roof) and their aunt to meet him at the station. Lifting up the -hand-bag which he always carried, he exclaimed: “Here, girls, I have a -treat for you—Tennyson’s magnificent poem of ‘The Idylls of the King.’ -Is it not glorious to think, that after having written for so many -years, a man should now bring forth, perhaps, the noblest of his works.” -What enchanting hours of summer sunshine were passed in reading for the -first time those magical pages, which since that moment have been pored -over and conned to my heart’s content. - -Among our visitors at Gad’s Hill were Fechter, the distinguished actor, -Edmund Yates, Marcus Stone, and many others. I mention these three names -in conjunction, for a special reason. Fechter, for whose talent I had an -unbounded admiration, rather disappointed me as a companion. He had a -limited scope in conversation, but as a mimic, he was unrivalled. It was -not only that with the exact tone and inflexion of voice he assumed the -gait and gesture, but he actually brought his features into so close a -resemblance with the original he intended to copy, that when he walked -into the room and advanced to greet me, I never failed to say, “How do -you do, Mr Yates?” “I am glad to see you, Marcus,” and so on to others -of my acquaintance. - -[Sidenote: “MICKETTY” AND “VENERABLE”] - -Charles Dickens, junior, had married early in life, what one might well -call a juvenile bride, and their two eldest children, Charles the third, -and his sister, who went by the pet name of “Micketty” in the family, -often came down for fresh air to their grandfather’s country house. -“Micketty” always called him “Venerable,” and one day she made me laugh -heartily, when, coming into the little study, she found me busy at the -book-shelves. - -“Oh, Miss Boyle,” she said confidentially, “you take care; if -‘Venerable’ sees you at his books, you’ll catch it”—and verily, if that -had been true, I should often have “caught it,” for I was “always at his -books.” - -Another time she was talking to her aunt and myself about what she -intended to do when she grew up, “For then you know, of course, poor -mamma will be dead.” Now her hearers did not see any reason to fear such -a contingency, for she was one of the youngest mothers we knew, and we -told her daughter so, but she would not be convinced, saying, “Oh, no! -she’s very old indeed; do remember how long I have had her.” - -But I must pause in recalling these trifling anecdotes, which naturally -recur to my mind as I indite these family records. - -In November, 1868, a terrible blow awaited me in the death of my beloved -brother, Cavendish, after two days’ illness. Between him and Charles -Dickens there existed a close and tender friendship, and the letter of -condolence I received from Gad’s Hill on that occasion touched me -deeply, and all the more that it spoke in high terms of him whose loss -had plunged me into such poignant grief. But all Charles Dickens’ -letters which he addressed to mourners were remarkable for the delicate -manner in which he expressed his sympathy, being free from the usually -conventional and matter-of-fact manner of offering consolation. The two -friends were shortly to be re-united. - -The year following my brother’s death, I went to Rome for the winter, -and on my return to England I visited Charles Dickens in London. It was -in the evening, and he was just going out to dinner at Lord Houghton’s. -He said he did not feel very well and would gladly have sent an excuse, -but his old friend Milnes had made him promise to meet the Prince of -Wales. “Have you seen Lord Clarendon,” he said, “since you came back to -England? I never saw any one look so ill, he is quite changed.” - -I had not seen him, but told him I was engaged to luncheon with Lord and -Lady Clarendon the next day. He bade me good-night, assured me he -counted on seeing me very soon at “Gads,” and the door closed behind -him. The following afternoon I realised the truth of what he had said of -Lord Clarendon’s ill-looks—and that day fortnight both those great and -good men, and dear friends of mine, had passed away, leaving me, as well -as the world, impoverished by their loss. - -[Sidenote: DEATH OF CHARLES DICKENS] - -On the 9th June, 1870, I had been attending the marriage of my little -favourite, Florence, Lady Hastings, with Sir George Chetwynd. It was a -pretty wedding and gay scene, and the bride, who always “looks lovely” -in the newspapers, on this occasion truly merited the epithet. I came -home, and on my table lay the fatal letter, announcing that Charles -Dickens had had a stroke of paralysis, and little hopes were entertained -of his recovery. I lost no time in changing my wedding garment, and -dashing off for Charing Cross, took the rail for Gravesend, and drove in -a fly to the scene of so many past delights, my heart beating with fear -all the way I went. - -I had for my companion, my trusty and attached maid, Louisa Simons, who -loved Gad’s Hill and its owners almost as much as I did, and her society -and sympathy upheld me in my suspense. - -I got down at the door of the stable-yard, and crawling rather than -walking across the yard, where the two faithful dogs knew and greeted -me, and passing through a little well-known side gate, gained the -entrance, and flung myself down, half-fainting, on a seat, in that spot -hallowed by the remembrance of so many happy summer evenings. The door -was open, but I did not dare enter, or ring, or move, lest I should -break the silence which was profound, save, indeed, for the voices of -the choirs of birds, who were singing his requiem in the garden he -loved. - -A short time passed, when his eldest son Charles came into the porch to -breathe the fresh air for a few moments, and I think he was touched with -my deep distress, and my participation in his own grief. He led me into -the little study and brought his aunt to speak to me. It was a comfort -to be clasped for an instant in her arms, but my place was no longer -there, and I left the little house for ever. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXVI - - PROTECTIONIST PARTY AT BURGHLEY[51]. - - -Footnote 51: - - My Aunt’s visits to Burghley extended over many years. Lord and Lady - Exeter were extremely hospitable, and continued their hospitality - until his death in January 1867. As an Oxford undergraduate, I was - more than once invited to one of the younger parties, and the stately - but courteous manners of the house impressed my mind indelibly. It was - one of the last great houses in which ceremonial at breakfast was - maintained. We were always expected to appear in frock-coats and - faultless garb for the morning meal, to which we went in pairs as - strictly arranged as for dinner. Smoking was absolutely taboo, and I - was never sure whether the action of a younger son of the house in - luring a few adventurous spirits after midnight to the depths of the - servants’ hall was quite approved by his sire. We used to don our - shooting things after having formally conducted the ladies from - breakfast, and we were taken to the _rendez-vous_ on ponies with - impossible mouths. I was always a bad rider, and was invariably run - away with, but generally arrived at the meet somehow. But I well - remember how a gallant guardsman, owner of a historic name, was taken - by his incontrollable steed right through Stamford town, and with - difficulty parried, on a not very triumphant return, a charge of - furious riding. Our mishaps were the source of no little kindly chaff - from the Lord Burghley of those days; but he, like his father and - mother, seemed to have no other object whatever than to make the - hospitality of the grand old place a source of unalloyed pleasure and - enjoyment to the guests. - -[Illustration: - - BURGHLEY. -] - -[Sidenote: ISABELLA, LADY EXETER] - -One of the most interesting places which I frequented after my return to -England was “Burghley[52] house by Stamford town.” Here lived one of the -best and kindest of women, the daughter of that beloved uncle, Mr -Poyntz[53] to whom I have so often alluded. Lady Exeter had been before -her marriage one of the most admired and courted of London beauties, and -the suitors for her hand were as numerous as those usually attributed to -a princess of fairyland. Indeed it was a family jest at the morning -meal, when the letters were laid on the breakfast table, “Where is -Isabella’s proposal?” Rather a laughable tribute was once paid her in -later times by a retainer of Burghley, which was called forth by my -mother’s remark to the bailiff: “How noble and good is Lady Exeter!” -“Yes,” returned the man with enthusiasm, “I never look at her ladyship -without saying to myself, ‘that is a fallen angel!’” - -Footnote 52: - - Lord Tennyson writes of “Burleigh House by Stamford town,” but the - spelling given in the text has been adopted by many generations. - -Footnote 53: - - Brownlow, second Marquess of Exeter; married, 1824, Isabella, daughter - of William Stephen Poyntz, of Cowdray, and was consequently my aunt’s - first cousin. - -It was at Burghley that I first made acquaintance with Mr Stafford -O’Brien, who afterwards became my colleague and fellow-actor in many a -joyous revel and dramatic entertainment at Rockingham, Drayton and -Farming Woods, names, each of which recall many a fond memory and tender -regret. A housekeeper whom I knew at Burghley, and who was what is -ambiguously termed a retired gentlewoman, and was constantly referring -to better days, told me once, that she found a real consolation for all -her troubles when gazing on that magnificent building “especially, Miss -Boyle, the quadrangle by moonlight”; and certainly it was a “sight for -sair e’en,” as it recurs most frequently to my mind one brilliant -winter’s day, rising out of a plain of snow, with its golden gates -resplendent in the sunshine. - -I usually occupied the very small apartment called “Queen Elizabeth’s -China Closet,” in which was a portrait by Domenichino far more lovely in -my sight than that of the renowned Cenci, which in some measure it -resembled. To my mother was allotted a room close at hand, and I used to -laugh at her nightly search in manifold hidingplaces, behind the -tapestry, in the turret, etc., lest some one should lie there concealed. - -A picture by Sir Thomas Lawrence—one of his earliest, while still imbued -with admiration for the works of Sir Joshua—represents the heroine of -the Laureate’s beautiful ballad,[54] with her husband and “three fair -children,”-“the village maiden” who, in her unexpected transition from -obscurity to splendour— - - “Shaped her heart with woman’s meekness - To all duties of her rank—” - -was such— - - “That she grew a noble lady - And the people loved her much.” - -Footnote 54: - - Henry, tenth Earl and first Marquess of Exeter, married, _en secondes - noces_, Sarah, daughter of Mr Thomas Hoggins of Bolas, in Shropshire. - He was raised to the Marquisate in 1801, and married, as third wife, - Elizabeth, Dowager Duchess of Hamilton. The phrase - - “Not a lord in all the county - Is so great a lord as he,” - - is open to comment, save as a poetic licence. The fair children were - 1, Brownlow, second Marquess, the husband of my cousin; 2, Lord - Thomas, who married, in 1838, Lady Sophia Lennox; and 3, Lady Sophia, - who married, in 1818, Right Honourable Henry Pierrepont. Lady Sophia - Pierrepont was grandmother of the present Duke of Wellington. - -[Sidenote: LORD DERBY—THE CORN LAWS] - -Amongst my frequent visits to my cousins Lord and Lady Exeter, at this -magnificent old dwelling, to which I have alluded in a former chapter, -the one most worthy of being remembered was that paid in the year 1850, -when the strife of parties respecting the Corn Laws was still raging. In -fact it immediately preceded the short period of Lord Derby’s -administration, and the house party included the greater part of those -who were destined to become the principal members of his Government. It -was in this manner that I became acquainted with that great -Protectionist leader, and the man who eventually succeeded him as the -head of the Conservative Party, Benjamin Disraeli. Lord Derby was then -in the vigour of physical and intellectual strength, and in the mornings -which he passed with his supporters and colleagues in private Cabinet -councils, his whole time and thoughts were naturally absorbed in the -great question of the day, and in the formation of a system of policy to -be carried out, when, as appeared probable, he would become Prime -Minister. From such important discussions the ladies of the house were -excluded, as a matter of course; for the day had not arrived when women -loudly clamoured for entrance into public life, neither had the gentler -sex the ambition or the spirit of their sisters of the present day, who -demand a right to sit at the official board with the lords of creation, -and share their titles, after a somewhat Hibernian fashion, of -“Alder-_men_ and Council-_men_.” - -How delightful, how captivating, was Lord Derby when work gave place to -leisure, how enviable was the position of her who sat beside him at -luncheon or dinner, how ringing his laugh, how brilliant his nonsense, -how irresistible the good-humoured chaff in which he engaged with his -worshipper, Mr Disraeli, who offered an ever-contented front to many a -keen, though not envenomed dart; what a playfellow he was in -conversation, full of mischief and sparkle! In my own mind I always -considered him a perennial school-boy. It appeared to me that the wand -of some enchanter had arrested the beats of his heart and the flow of -his spirits at boyhood point. No wonder he died before old age crept on -him; the very idea appeared incongruous in connection with him. - -[Sidenote: DISRAELI] - -One evening we had a large ball, to which the town of Stamford and the -surrounding neighbourhood had been invited, and I was much amused by -overhearing a conversation between two Stamfordians: “Do you know which -is Dizzy?” “Well, naturally, because I see _Punch_ every week.” For even -at that remote period, the peculiar features and singular appearance of -the future Lord Beaconsfield had already become familiar to the world -through the cartoons of our London _Figaro_. There was scarcely ever a -man who changed so little in aspect; his face grew thinner, his youthful -locks became sparse and tinged with grey in later years, but he was the -same man grown older, and a portrait of him between the ages of twenty -and thirty might easily be recognised at fifty or sixty. He was, indeed, -a godsend to the portrait-painter, or caricaturist, and I think it -speaks much to his credit that he always gazed on his own effigy in -_Punch_ or elsewhere, however comic it might be, with intense and -unalloyed amusement. In those days, and in the presence of his Chief, as -we used to call Lord Derby, Dizzy did not take so prominent a part in -social conversation as he naturally did in after years; but there was -something which bespoke concentrated power and resolute ambition, at -least to the readers of physiognomy. His demeanour towards his wife was -through life a theme of commendation amongst those who knew him little -or well. The delicate tact with which he warded off the occasional -sallies that her eccentricities provoked, and the manner in which he, so -to speak, shielded her from ridicule, were conspicuous by their -affectionate diplomacy. - -Mrs Disraeli, the farmer’s pretty daughter and the widow of a -millionaire, was a hero-worshipper by profession, and laid herself and -her dowry at the feet of the handsome and talented Benjamin. She was a -happy woman, a happy wife, and a happy member of Society, which she -enjoyed to the full. To few people could the epithet _naïve_ be better -applied. She rather lent herself to than resented the laugh which her -unexpected observations would often raise. To me she was especially -amiable, and I confess to having found untold amusement in her -conversation. - -At the time of which I am speaking, the interior of Burghley presented -an appearance of more than usual brilliancy. The spacious rooms, whose -walls were decorated by the paintings of old Italian masters, profusely -lighted, the groups of gaily-dressed and richly-jewelled ladies, -enlivened by a sprinkling of Knights of the Bath and Garter, and last, -but not least, as far as the pageant went, the numbers of male -attendants in the traditional garb of the retainers of the house of -Cecil, in their sky-blue livery, resplendent with frogs and aiguillettes -of silver. The whole scene was calculated to impress the spectator as -one of no common splendour. - -Mrs Disraeli had been describing to me the distinguished manner in which -she and her husband had been received at the Court of Louis Philippe, -and at that of the President, when she paused, and looking round -complacently, exclaimed: “But I do assure you, dear Miss Boyle, I like -this sort of thing a great deal better.” The speech reminded me in some -measure of that of Caractacus of Rome, yet I could scarcely say that -Burghley House reminded me of a humble cottage in Britain. - -[Illustration: - - BOWOOD. -] - -[Sidenote: BOWOOD] - -Entirely unconnected with the preceding pages, either as to dates, -locality, or personages, is the slight sketch, which I cannot refrain -from subjoining, of the constant visits I paid to Bowood. My first -acquaintance with Lord Lansdowne[55] was made while I was staying with -Mrs Sartoris, of whom he was a warm and zealous admirer, and our -friendship ripened so quickly, that I could scarcely imagine that I had -not known that dear, kind old man all my life. He was a frequent visitor -at my little house in London, and a frequent inviter when anything -especially agreeable presented itself in the way of a party at Lansdowne -House or Bowood. Agreeable indeed must the intercourse with those two -houses have ever been to me, for his daughter-in-law who did the honours -of both, rivalled my host in kindness, and I rejoice to think that we -still meet to talk over those happy days of long ago. All that were -remarkable in Politics, Art, and Literature, were constantly grouped -round the hospitable board of the Master of Bowood, in that spacious -dining-room, illuminated in every sense of the word by the shaded lights -round the walls cast on the beautiful _chef-d’œuvres_ of Clarkson -Stanfield. It is the only instance I have ever seen of an apartment thus -lighted, and the effect is as charming as it is singular. The house is -full of Art treasures, of painting and sculpture, all collected by the -Lord Lansdowne of whom I am writing,[56] who told me himself that when -he first succeeded to the estate, and went to inspect the house at -Bowood, the principal furniture consisted of two or three chairs and a -looking-glass or so in the bedrooms. Now what luxury, what beauty at -every step. As one descends the stairs from the drawing-room leading to -the dining-room a magnificent caste of Michel Angelo’s Pensiero[57] -arrests attention in a lofty niche, while priceless paintings of -Murillo, Rembrandt, Salvator Rosa, etc., decorate the walls; and the -lovely features of Mrs Sheridan, as Saint Cecilia, smile upon one from -Sir Joshua’s canvas. - -Footnote 55: - - Third Marquess of Lansdowne, first known in the political world as - Lord Henry Petty. - -Footnote 56: - - 1889. - -Footnote 57: - - The statue of Lorenzo de Medici. - -Our host was a great patron and connoisseur of the drama, and encouraged -private theatricals; and I remember a successful evening in which Tom -Taylor, and my friend Gowran Vernon[58] assisted me. Lord Shelburne[59] -had lately brought with him from Paris a collection of those monster -heads which are so often introduced into pantomimes, and we were bent on -utilising these valuable properties. - -Footnote 58: - - Hon. Gowran Vernon, second son of Robert, first Lord Lyveden. - -Footnote 59: - - The late and fourth Lord Lansdowne. - -It chanced that evening that among the guests, both gentlemen and -ladies, there were three or four more than commonly tall, and we -therefore imagined the representation of a scene in the land of -Brobdingnag, each performer wearing one of the pantomime heads. To me -the smallest was allotted, wearing as it did a simpering expression of -innocence, bordering on imbecility, as in a juvenile costume I assumed -the character of the youthful Glumdalclitch. - -The eldest hope of the house, then a lovely little boy, dressed in a -sailor’s suit, was supposed (by a stretch of imagination) to have been -washed on shore, as the diminutive Gulliver. He was presented to me by -my gigantic parent as a plaything. Does His Excellency, the -Governor-General of India,[60] remember that evening when he cast upon -me the most captivating glances of anger and indignation, while I knelt -down to caress and admire my newly-acquired flotsam? His anger has long -passed away, but not my admiration, for in the little Gulliver of those -days I honour the independent Politician, and the high-minded statesman -of these. - -Footnote 60: - - Henry, present Marquess of Lansdowne, was Governor-General of India - from 1888 to 1894. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXVII - - ALTHORP - - -In speaking of Althorp, the home of my dear cousin, Lord Spencer, I -place no dates at head of the chapter, as my constant visits there -embraced the period of many years, and I am grateful to say that, even -at this present writing, I am still welcome in that resort of former -happy days. It is a place of so much interest as to claim some -description from my pen. Althorp has been the home of the Spencer family -since the reign of Henry VIII. The Library consisted of seven rooms, the -very walls composed of books, 50,000 in number, one room containing the -rarest editions—Block books, the first book ever printed in movable -type, the largest collection of Caxton and his pupils, and the early -Venetian printers, the famous Boccaccio, which produced at the sale of -the Duke of Roxburgh, in 1812, the largest sum which had ever been paid -for a single book up to that date. The competitors for this prize were -the Marquess of Blandford, and George John, second Earl Spencer; it was -knocked down to the former for £2,260, but being in difficulties some -time afterwards, he was fain to sell it to the owner of the Althorp -Library for the comparative small sum of £750. The mention of this -volume reminds me of an incident which occurred to me at Ferrara while -travelling with my dear mother, when we paid a visit to the Public -Library in that town. The _custode_ showed me a rare edition of -Ariosto’s “Orlando Furioso,” telling me at the same time that there was -a duplicate in the possession of an English Count; and I can well recall -the pride with which I informed him that that Count was my cousin. -During the remainder of my visit, which lasted another ten minutes, I -was treated with increased respect as the kinswoman of the Count in -question. - -But to return to Althorp. The staircase occupying the centre of the -house, originally an open court, is supposed to have been enclosed by -the first Countess of Sunderland (Sacharissa). The avenues were planted -by Le Notre, who laid out Versailles for Louis XIV. The heronry was -planted in the year of the Spanish Armada, as is shown by the date -carved on the memorial stone. From the heronry Whyte Melville, in his -charming novel of “Holmby House” (Holdenby), describes the hawking party -galloping across the park, past the Hawking Tower, a small lodge with -open galleries, in which the ladies sat to observe the sport. This -lodge, now modernised in aspect and inhabited by the keeper, was built -to commemorate the visit of Queen Anne of Denmark and her son on their -road from Scotland, when Ben Jonson’s masque was played, the poet being -an intimate friend of the Lord Spencer of the time. - -[Illustration: - - ALTHORP. -] - -[Sidenote: SARAH, DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH] - -The Portrait Gallery is very remarkable, running nearly the whole length -of the house, and honourable mention is made of the contents by Evelyn -in his Diary, while the later treasures contributed by Sir Joshua -Reynolds and Gainsborough have been frequently eulogised by more modern -chroniclers. John Spencer, the second son of the third Earl of -Sunderland, inherited the estate of Althorp on the succession of his -elder brother to the Dukedom of Marlborough. John, or Jack, as he was -familiarly called, was the scapegrace of the family, in spite, or -perhaps on account of which, he was the favourite of his maternal -grandmother, Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough. He was always in debt, or in -some scrape or another, and many were the lovers’ quarrels which passed -between them. On one occasion “Jack” was in such disgrace with Her Grace -that she ordered him out of the room, and desired him never to darken -her doors again. The first part of her command was obeyed, but the room -being on the ground floor, and the window open at the time, scarcely -five minutes had elapsed before the culprit had jumped in again and, -kneeling humbly at his grandmother’s feet, easily obtained the pardon -which he had so often forfeited. After the death of the third Earl -Spencer, better known under his ministerial appellation of Viscount -Althorp, the title and estates devolved on his brother, the Honourable -Frederic Spencer, my second cousin by birth, my first cousin by -marriage, his wife being Elizabeth Poyntz. From that time my family and -I became frequent guests at this Northamptonshire home. - -Lord Spencer, who was known to his contemporaries as “Fritz,” was in the -Navy, and distinguished himself at the Battle of Navarino. He was a -sailor every inch of him, with a downright and almost abrupt manner, -contrasting with his kind and sympathetic nature, after a fashion by no -means displeasing to those who knew him intimately. “There he goes,” was -the description given of him one day, “with his rough bear’s coat -buttoned lightly over his tender heart.” The speaker was my brother -Cavendish, whose appointment as Governor of the Military Prison at -Weedon (only six miles from Althorp) brought him into the neighbourhood, -and, what was better, into constant contact with a man whom he admired -and loved, and of whom he became the frequent and confidential -companion. Thus it came about that we were intimately connected with the -joys and sorrows of the Spencer household. How many hours of -intellectual and social delight have I passed under Althorp’s hospitable -roof! During the course of the visits here alluded to, which spread over -several years, many were the festivities and pleasant gatherings we -enjoyed at the time-honoured old house. - -[Sidenote: TABLEAUX VIVANTS] - -One evening we gave a theatrical performance consisting of the pretty -little comedietta of “The Rough Diamond,” in which Frederic -Ponsonby,[61] Cavendish, and I took the principal parts, and another -time we arranged some _tableaux vivants_, which were among the best I -have ever seen. We took two or three of the Sir Joshua’s which -embellished the walls; one, a picture of his grandfather, was -impersonated by the present lord, whose likeness to the original -painting was most striking. Another most beautiful _tableau_ was that of -Lady Waldegrave and her two sisters, from the famous group at Strawberry -Hill. Lady Spencer and her two sisters[62] represented the three ladies -in this exquisite portrait; and once more the family likeness they bore -to the picture in question made it appear rather a replica than a living -representation. The magnificent Vandyke of the two brothers-in-law, -Lords Bristol and Bedford, which have been the glory of many later -exhibitions, formed another successful specimen of our skill, and was -entered in the programme as a miniature copy. The two noblemen above -mentioned were personated by Horace Seymour[63] and Courtenay Boyle, the -one dark, the other fair, but both comely youths at the time of which I -am speaking. In this slight record of the annals of Althorp during my -time, I cannot resist making some allusions to more than one member of -the household whose doings and sayings caused us no slight amusement. - -Footnote 61: - - Brother to Sir Henry Ponsonby, afterwards in Holy Orders. - -Footnote 62: - - The late Lady Clifden and the late Lady Charles Bruce. - -Footnote 63: - - Brother to Charlotte, Countess Spencer. - -Prominent among these was the house-steward, Thorpe, a man of great -importance in his own estimation, as well as in that of others. His -tastes were ultra-aristocratic, his manners in accordance with his -tastes, and his language choice, very flowery, and sometimes quite -original. One day, soon after his return from Cambridge, Lord Althorp -thus addressed the worthy major-domo: “I think you understand that I -wish my servant, Lennard, to go out of livery and become an upper -servant.” “My lord,” was the pompous reply, “I have already given him -his _statu quo_.” - -One afternoon when the reception-rooms were being decorated for a ball, -to which the whole neighbourhood was invited, Lady Spencer (the present) -asked Thorpe if the gardener had finished arranging the ornamental -monogram over the door. “Well, my Lady,” was the reply, in a hesitating -tone of voice, “I believe he has done so, but I wish your Ladyship would -cast an eye over it.” Lady Spencer saw by the speaker’s manner that -there was something he found fault with. “I am very busy,” she said; “is -it not all right?” “I am sorry to say, my Lady,” the words pronounced in -a tone of deep regret, “they have placed over your Ladyship’s monogram a -paltry baron’s coronet.” - -[Sidenote: THE CHOULERS] - -Another remarkable member of the community was Mrs Chouler, the wife of -the aged gamekeeper, whose conjugal indignation was aroused one evening -by the following incident. The order of the day, or rather night, had -been charades, and finding that the hour was not late, we determined to -eke out our performance with a word which had a local and limited -interest. The day had been memorable to the family circle, on account of -our young lord having made his first appearance in full and regular -costume of the Pytchley Hunt. To commemorate so auspicious an event, we -chose the word “Althorp.” First scene—the whole of the Dramatic Company -assembled on the stage. Second scene—the great “Thorpe,” the stately -house-steward before mentioned in solitary splendour. Third -scene—Viscount Althorp in full hunting garb. The curtain fell amid -deafening plaudits. Next day we called on Mrs Chouler, in her pretty -house at the end of the avenue, and inquired her opinion of last night’s -performance. “Well, Miss Mary,” she said, “of course if my lord thought -proper, it was all right, but I think it struck most people as very odd -that Thorpe should be bowing and scraping on the stage, when Chouler has -lived in the family years and years before him.” Our expostulations were -useless, it was in vain we tried to point out that “_all Chouler_” would -not have answered, and I feel that to her dying day the memory of that -evening’s festivity rankled in the mind of that faithful retainer. - -Another time I paid Mrs Chouler a visit in company with what she used to -call “The two Captains,” my brother Cavendish, and Captain Quin, R.N., -Lord Spencer’s nephew. Says the latter: “You have a very good memory—can -you tell me the name of the vessel my uncle Bob[64] had, in such and -such a year? Neither Lord Spencer nor I can remember?” After a little -discussion on the subject, Captain Quin suddenly exclaimed: “Oh, yes, -by-the-by, I know now; it was the _Owen Glendower_.” “To be sure, sir, -to be sure, that is it; I knew it was something of a sea-nymph.” - -Footnote 64: - - The Honourable Robert Spencer R.N. - -The Choulers were an estimable couple, the old husband survived his wife -many years, and when I last saw him, shortly before his death, still -wearing his velveteen shooting-coat, with his long white hair falling on -his shoulders, he looked like a figure out of one of Rembrandt’s -beautiful pictures which had stepped out of its frame. He lived to the -age of ninety-six. - -Lord Spencer was very fond of frequenting his well-filled stables and -conversing with his stud-groom as to the names and qualifications of -their inmates. One day he remarked to him: “I have been thinking over -the selection of a name for the new mare, but I cannot please myself -yet.” “Well, my lord,” was the answer, “you bought her on the 29th of -May; why not call her the ‘Merry Monarch?’” “Well,” said his master, -striving to conceal a smile, “I think that will scarcely do; perhaps we -had better call her ‘Empress,’ in honour of the Empress Eugénie.” “Very -good, my lord, then I shall have nothing to do but to change the tablet -over Emperor’s stall by adding an ‘s’ to it!” What an easy solution to a -difficulty. - -The library was also rich in characters. One of its keepers, Mr Jakeman, -knew the position of every single book in its seven rooms. He was an -excellent and eccentric-looking man, whom we named “Dominie Sampson.” -His predecessor was a short, thick-set little man, who complained once -to my brother that the then Lord Spencer did not keep up the honour of -the library sufficiently, as he had discontinued some of the principal -works. “Well, now, Captain,” he would say, “for instance, my lord has -never taken in the last numbers of the ‘Newgate Calendar.’” Read was his -name, but not his nature; he was very deaf, and even I, who flattered -myself I knew how to make the deaf hear, found a difficulty in his case. -He told us that some years before, he had had a heavy cold and it had -fallen on his hearing; it must indeed have been very heavy. - -[Sidenote: DEATH OF FREDERIC, EARL SPENCER] - -It was in the Christmas of the year 1857 that a large party was -assembled at Althorp, including my brother Cavendish, his wife, their -eldest boy and myself; but alas! the chief part of the guests were -obliged to disperse, and the happy season was turned into mourning by -the sudden death of our noble host, Frederic, Lord Spencer, leaving a -whole household, a large tenantry, and a wide circle of friends to mourn -his premature death. We remained on for some days to share in the common -grief of his widow and children. But his successor never slackened in -kindness and hospitality to the inmates of the Weedon prison, and the -“Gaoler,” as he was familiarly called, was still welcome in the old -home, and still continued the charge he had undertaken of the precious -Library, finding in Sarah Spencer[65] an invaluable colleague in this -labour of love. - -Footnote 65: - - Sister of the present Earl Spencer. - -I trust I have not been led into too long a digression in this record of -the days which are no more, bound up as they are with fond memories of -beloved companions, concerning whom it is a sad delight to converse with -the dear cousin to whom I have dedicated these pages. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER - - ------- - - - WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR - -It was at the house of G. P. R. James that we first became -acquainted—that mutual friend of whom Landor thus speaks in one of his -earliest letters to me:— - - - “You cannot overvalue James. There is not on God’s earth (I like - this expression, vulgar or not) any better creature of His hand, - any one more devoted to His high service—the office of improving - us through our passions.” - - -The close friendship between these two men was to me inexpressively -touching, inasmuch as it would be almost impossible to conceive a more -striking contrast than they presented in every respect. Mr James, -although a man of romance and sentiment, and by nature of an ardent -temperament, had a quiet and staid demeanour, self-disciplined and -self-contained; whereas all those who peruse any records of Landor must -be well aware that none of the above epithets can in any way be -applicable to him—such records, for instance, as Forster’s Life, the -admirable sketch given by Mr Lowell of his first and only visit to that -remarkable man at Bath, or the almost miraculous likeness of his moral -portraiture by Mr Sidney Colvin, which caused me to ask the biographer -if Landor had ever visited him in dreams. The pet name which I and my -sister had for him was the “gentle savage.” Gentle and loving he was to -those he loved, especially to women, both young and old; so much so -indeed, as sometimes to be blinded in his discrimination of their worth, -and which was unfortunately proved in his declining years when he became -the dupe for a time of two designing women. The story is a well-known -and most distressing one, for, when his eyes were opened, he did indeed -become “savage,” and poured out the vials of his wrath in such violent -and uncompromising language as legally to entitle his persecutors to -heavy damages. - -Gentle and pitiful he was to animals of all kinds, but dogs were his -constant companions, and a large greyhound belonging to my sister was -one of his special favourites. He told me once, quite in confidence, his -discovery that dogs, whatever their nationality, understood Italian -better than any other language; and in that soft tongue he always -addressed a new canine acquaintance. In some letters written to me, -which have been published in the _Century Magazine_, he thus speaks of -“Pomero,” a dear little Pomeranian Spitz, and a great chum of my own -when I used to go and pass a couple of days or so at Bath in a room hung -with doubtful paintings of angels by Beato or Granacci, as he used -laughingly to say, “an angel among angels”:[66]— - -Footnote 66: - - “Un Anguletto fra Anguli.” - - - “Alas, I have lost my poor dear Pomero! He died after a long - illness, apparently from a kick he received during my absence. - The whole house grieved for him. I buried him in a coffin in the - garden. I would rather have lost everything else I possessed in - the world. Seven years we lived together in more than amity. He - loved me with all his heart; and what a heart it was! mine beats - audibly while I write about him. Pray for me and Pomero; some - people are so wicked as to believe we shall never meet again.” - - -Charles Dickens was one of Landor’s warmest admirers; he loved him -dearly, and, as the saying goes, “all round.” He understood, and was -even amused, by his outbursts of eloquent vituperation, and the -character he has drawn of Boythorn in “Bleak House” is true to the very -life. - -A school-fellow thus describes him: “In those days he was the most -impetuous of schoolboys, _now_ he is the most impetuous of men; _then_ -the loudest boy in the world, _now_ the loudest of men; _then_ the -sturdiest boy in the world, _now_ the sturdiest man; _then_ the -heartiest boy in the world, _now_ the heartiest man. Talking or laughing -he makes the very house shake. But it is the inside of the man, the warm -heart of the man, the passion of the man, the fresh blood of the man. -His language is as astounding as his voice. He is always in extremes, -frequently in the superlative degree. He talks sometimes like an ogre, -which some people believe him to be. No one could be more aware of his -irascibility than Landor himself, who told me, amid shouts of laughter, -how he had overheard a peasant at his own Florentine villa describing -him in these terms: ‘Oh, he’s a capital good fellow, but—— he’s a real -devil when the fit’s upon him.’”[67] - -Footnote 67: - - “Il signor è un vero Galant uomo, ma è un vero diavolo quando la - piglia.” - -Dear “gentle savage,” our whole household loved him—mother, son, -daughters, and every dog in the house and yard. He would often come over -to see us from Bath at our little woodland home at Millard’s Hill, and -he erected at his own expense a large stone cross on the banks of -Marston lake (the estate of my uncle, Lord Cork). The pedestal bore the -inscription: “This symbol of safety was intended to mark the spot where -Carolina Boyle[68] fell into the water, whence her sister’s courage -rescued her.” Sooth to say, my exertions were rather a sign of strength -than courage, for, walking by the side of the lake, I heard the terrible -cry, “Help!” and coming up to the place, I leaped into the boat, and -succeeded with much difficulty in lifting “Caddy”[69] into the same. I -say with difficulty, as she was much bigger and taller than myself, and -her clothes were entirely full of water, hanging for more than half an -hour by the frail support of a willow branch, by which she was enabled -to keep her head above water; the time was marked by the chimes of the -clock at Marston House, which were distinctly audible on the lake. I -have learned since, to my surprise and regret, that this interesting -relic, namely the cross, has been removed. - -Footnote 68: - - The Honourable Carolina Boyle, daughter of Admiral the Honourable Sir - Courtenay Boyle, K.C.B. - -Footnote 69: - - _Ibid._ - -Dear “gentle savage!” It is true that his voice was powerful enough to -shake the house, but how tender, how musical, when he chose to modulate -it! There is nothing I love more than to hear a poet read his own poems -aloud, a favour in which the dear Laureate[70] has often indulged me. -One day I brought two books to Landor, accompanied by a petition for the -same boon. Two precious volumes, inasmuch as they were the respective -gifts of our friend, G. P. R. James, and himself. In “Pericles and -Aspasia” I requested him to read me the touching letter beginning “There -is a gloom in deep love as in deep water,” which has ever struck me as -one of the most exquisite passages in English prose, and in the -“Pentameron” the book opened of itself at “Boccaccio’s Dream,” when he -is blessed by the lovely vision of his lost “Fiammietta.” - -Footnote 70: - - Alfred, first Lord Tennyson. - -More than half a century has passed away since that lecture under the -shade of the sycamore in our little garden, but the tones of that voice -that is gone still vibrate in my memory. - - ------- - - - VISCOUNT STRATFORD DE REDCLIFFE[71] - -Footnote 71: - - Stratford Canning, Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe; born 1786; died - 1880. - -My first acquaintance with this eminent man, who was known to his -contemporaries as the great “Elchee,” was during his residence at -Westbrook Hayes, within a few miles’ distance of Ashridge where I was -then staying, and while there, and on his return to his house in -Grosvenor Square, I always met with great kindness, and was encouraged -to be a constant visitor; that, not only by the great “Elchee” himself, -but by the gentle and courteous Lady Stratford,[72] whose rare fate it -had been to be a wife and an ambassadress at twenty. Between their -second daughter and myself there sprung up a close intimacy, and our -meetings were frequent beneath the roof of dear Lady Marian Alford, -where both in London and at Ashridge we were often fellow-guests, and -earnestly did I share the grief of her two surviving sisters, when dear -“Catty”[73] passed away. - -Footnote 72: - - Elizabeth Charlotte, daughter of James Alexander, Esq. She died in - 1882. - -Footnote 73: - - Honourable Catharine Canning, daughter of above; born 1835; died 1884. - -Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, even in his advanced years, was a man of -magnificent presence, extreme personal beauty, with features which would -kindle at a moment’s notice from deep calm to an expression of varied -excitement. I have seldom seen a face that answered more faithfully to -the feelings within, and although in his conversations with me he was -ever kind and gentle, I could well imagine that it would be in no way -difficult to rouse that British lion. - -I was much amused by an anecdote I heard respecting him, at a time when -the Eastern question was the universal theme of conversation. - -One day a visitor, calling at his door, met Gladstone coming out. “How -did you find Lord Stratford?” was the question addressed to the G.O.M. -“Wonderfully well,” was the reply, “but quite cracked on the subject of -Turkey.” The visitor entered. “I have just met Gladstone on the -doorstep,” he said. “Yes,” answered Lord Stratford, “he is in great -force and most agreeable, but, between ourselves, the Eastern question -has sent him off his head.” - - * * * * * - -I hope I may be excused in concluding this short sketch, if I insert the -following lines which he one day addressed to me, on my asking him for -his autograph. - - “To meet your wish I fain would write, - But doubtful how to please, - My words are flat, my notions trite, - In short, I’m ill at ease. - - “What may be done in such a fix - Your wit alone can tell; - Do you find straw to make the bricks, - Be sure I’ll not rebel. - - “I ask not wheat, I won’t take chaff, - Between them lies an art - Whereby to make the gravest laugh, - Yet somehow touch the heart. - - “If one there be who has the skill, - To hit so nice a law, - ’Tis she who prompts the tuneful quill, - And gives the golden straw.” - - STRATFORD DE REDCLIFFE. - - _23rd September 1865._ - - ------- - - - CARLYLE - -It was on the death of his wife that Carlyle’s attached friend, Louisa, -Lady Ashburton,[74] knowing the state of grief into which he was plunged -by the sudden blow, persuaded him to come out to Mentone to pass some -weeks with her in a charming villa not far from the hotel, La Grande -Bretagne, where I was staying with Lady Marian Alford, and her son, the -late Lord Brownlow. During the early part of the winter there had been -daily intercourse between the Villa and the Hotel, and Lady Ashburton, -anxious to distract the mourner’s mind, and give a new turn to his -thoughts, induced him with herself to become a constant associate in our -walks and drives, and to dine and pass the evening very frequently at -the Hotel, and while away the hours in delightful conversation with the -mother and son to whom I have before alluded. It was thus I learned to -know and love Carlyle, of whose genius I had so long been an ardent -admirer, that it was an easy transition from mere acquaintance to -intimate friendship. - -Footnote 74: - - Louisa Caroline, daughter of the Right Honourable James A. - Stewart-Mackenzie; married William, second Lord Ashburton. - -Our visit to Mentone came to a sad and abrupt close through the sudden -death of Lord Brownlow, one of the most gifted, single-minded, unselfish -beings it was ever my privilege to meet. On the day previous to his -death he rode, as was his wont, his favourite cob through the pretty -woods of Cap St Martin, accompanied by myself, two other lady friends, -and Carlyle, on foot. It was a beautiful scene, and a beautiful calm -evening, and Carlyle wrote a most touching account of that last ride, -which he said was a beautiful close to a beautiful life. - -I met him afterwards in more than one country house in England, and when -we were together in London I was in the constant habit of knocking at -the door in Cheyne Row at the hour when I knew I should have the chance -of enjoying the society which I prized so highly. - -In one respect, and one alone, he reminded me of Walter Savage Landor, -and that was the violent invectives in which he not infrequently -indulged against persons, places, and opinions—a habit with which the -readers of his life have become alas! too familiar. I say alas! because -I think the injudicious publication of such exaggerated expressions -through the cold medium of printed words, conveys a most erroneous -impression of the man himself. It is true that, even while talking with -me, Carlyle would launch forth into the most unwarrantable philippics, -but then he would break off suddenly, and all the venom and bitterness -be drowned in a burst of ringing laughter, and his handsome, though -naturally grim, face would ripple all over with good-humoured smiles, so -that no one who saw or heard him could doubt for a moment the kindly -nature and the tender heart. - -In the printed pages no friendly look is there, no tones of genial -laughter, to counteract and soften down the words that look hard and -uncompromising in black and white; and as I read the interesting record -of his life, I earnestly desired that many passages might have been -omitted. - - ------- - - - THE GROVE[75] - -Footnote 75: - - The seat of the Earl of Clarendon. - -At this charming Hertfordshire home I was a constant guest, and I look -back with gratitude and pleasure to the “many good times” and varied -social enjoyments which the very name of The Grove awakens in my mind. - -It seems almost presumptuous in me to speak of the late Lord -Clarendon,[76] whose fame was European, yet it is impossible for me to -refrain from paying a tribute, however humble, to a man I have had every -reason to love and honour. - -Footnote 76: - - George William Frederick, fourth Earl, K.G.; born 1800; died 1870. - -As a statesman and a diplomatist his character belongs to the annals of -his country; but I can speak of him as I knew him at home, where he -reigned supreme in the hearts of his wife and children, his friends, his -guests, and his household. As a host he was perhaps the most genial I -ever knew. In conversation I have never found any one to surpass him in -brilliancy and playfulness of wit, and all without effort, without -self-consciousness, and withal skilled in the profound art of nonsense. -Neither did he reserve his bright sallies or his more serious views for -the learned and superior, or for such men as the erudite Sir George -Cornwall Lewis,[77] his brother-in-law, or his own brother, Charles -Villiers,[78] although they met him on more equal grounds than the -majority of his companions. Lord Clarendon, in fact, did not demand to -be tried by his social peers, for in the society of the women who -surrounded him—his own wife, his own daughters, and nieces, and, I may -add, of myself—he shone as brightly, and took as great a delight in -captivating his listeners as he could possibly have done had his -audience been one of the largest and most distinguished, as it certainly -was the most loving, in the world. How sociable (to use a common but -expressive epithet), how snug were those domestic evenings, when one of -his daughters, making herself the mouthpiece of the little circle, -entreated him to read aloud to us! and how appreciative were the -listeners who clustered round him as he read some scenes of Molière or -some pages by Macaulay! And what a laugh he had!—what a ringing, silvery -laugh, which we all, the actresses of the Grove Theatre, considered our -highest guerdon, to whosesoever share it fell on the night of a dramatic -performance. - -Footnote 77: - - Sir George Cornwall Lewis married Lady Theresa Lister, daughter of - third Earl of Clarendon, and widow of Thomas Henry Lister, Esq. - -Footnote 78: - - The Right Hon. Charles Pelham Villiers; born 1802; died 1898; - represented Wolverhampton from 1825 till his death. - -His sister, Lady Theresa Lewis, resembled Lord Clarendon in many points; -in intellectual gifts, in character and disposition, they were as nearly -allied as in blood, and no two human beings surely ever understood each -other better. Lady Theresa had been very beautiful in her youth, and in -more advanced years still retained a charming smile and an expression in -her blue eyes which in her earlier days might have been called “playful -mischief.” By nature she had the most joyous spirits, a perfectly sunny -temperament such, as was once remarked to me, “God generally gave to -those for whom great sorrows were in store:” and assuredly such a fate -was hers in the premature death of the husband and brother she adored. I -remember that dear friend once saying to me, “happiness is so natural to -me, I cannot live without it, and if grief comes, either I shall kill it -or it will kill me.” Alas! that brave spirit was in the end forced to -yield. - -[Illustration: - - THE GROVE. -] - -Before the marriage of Lord Clarendon’s daughters[79] and nieces,[80] -who were more like sisters than cousins, we had frequent theatrical -performances, and were very rich in _jeunes premières_ and _ingénues_, -while I generally took the part of the _soubrette_, “maid-of-all-work,” -or lower comedian. Lord Skelmersdale[81] was stage manager as well as -actor, Sir Spencer Ponsonby Fane[82] the leading comedian, and Sir -Villiers Lister[83] most versatile in the parts of first lover, -principal juvenile and special artist, whether as scene-painter, -drop-painter, or the more delicate _metier_ of make-up-artist to the -_corps dramatique_. He and Lord Sefton[84] distinguished themselves one -night in a splendid _pas-de-deux_, a tarantella in Neapolitan costume, -Lord Sefton figuring as the _ballerina_ on the occasion, with very short -petticoats. One of the _costumiers_ who had come down on duty suggested -to his lordship the advisability of having a “female turned leg,” -offering him the tempting option of models of the calves and ankles of -those two world-renowned dancers, Cerito and Elsler. - -Footnote 79: - - The daughters—afterwards the Countess of Lathom, the Countess of - Derby, and Lady Ampthill. - -Footnote 80: - - The nieces—twin sisters, Lady Loch, wife of the late Lord Loch, and - the Countess of Lytton, Mrs Earle and the late Lady Glenesk. - -Footnote 81: - - The late Earl of Lathom. - -Footnote 82: - - The Hon. Sir Spencer Ponsonby Fane, G.C.B., late Comptroller of - Accounts in the Lord Chamberlain’s Office, son of the fourth Earl of - Bessborough. - -Footnote 83: - - Sir Villiers Lister, K.C.M.G., son of Lady Theresa Villiers by her - first husband, Mr Lister. - -Footnote 84: - - The late Earl Sefton. - -The present Lord Clarendon and his two brothers[85] had also their names -almost nightly in our bills. - -Footnote 85: - - Lieut.-Col. the Hon. George Villiers, Grenadier Guards; born 1847; - died 1892. Hon. Francis Villiers, Under-Secretary to the Foreign - Office; born 1852. - -In these theatrical sports we often had by-days, when the drama assumed -a most illegitimate form, and one night the late Mr Bidwell,[86] so well -known as an eminent amateur, appeared in an acrobatic costume as the -manager of a strolling company, whose varied talents he utilised as “the -strong man,” “the dancer on the tight rope” (a rather broad but very -elastic deal plank), “a rapid act on a hobby-horse,” with clown and -riding-master in the true circus fashion, etc., all of which fantastic -tricks appeared to amuse the audience as much as they did the actors, -which was all that could be expected. - -Footnote 86: - - Mr George Bidwell of the Foreign Office. - -From the walls of the principal apartments, which served us in our -festive hours for ball- or supper-rooms, looked down upon us many a -cavalier immortalised by Vandyck, and at the upper end of the -dining-room one of that great Fleming’s _chef-d’œuvres_. This was the -splendid portrait of the famous Earl of Derby and his heroic Countess, -Charlotte de-la-Tremouille. It was strange and interesting to think that -of two of Lord Clarendon’s daughters, who feasted and danced beneath -that picture, one[87] was destined to bear the title and inhabit the -house which the lady above their heads had so gallantly defended, and -the other[88] to become the wife of that noble pair’s lineal descendant. - -Footnote 87: - - Alice, Countess of Lathom. - -Footnote 88: - - Constance, wife of the fifteenth Earl of Derby. - -And thus ends the record of those happy days, which I hope will not -prove distasteful to any of the dear companions whose eyes may fall on -these pages. Happy days they were, and varied in enjoyment. For in -winter there were torch dances and skating on the water; in summer -paper-chases all over the beautiful woods, with rides and walks in sweet -Cassiobury Park and its environs, with joyous balls and merry suppers, -with young, blooming life and cheerful companionship. - -[Illustration: - - HINCHINGBROOKE. -] - - ------- - - - HINCHINGBROOKE - -The name had been familiar to me from my earliest childhood as the home -of my mother’s uncle and that of her contemporaries and favourite -companions, George[89] and Mary[90]; but it was not till after my dear -mother’s death that I became a frequent guest at the house she loved so -well. For in the days of which I am speaking, the master[91] and -mistress[92] were both friends of my own, and I had known them both -before their marriage, and the cordial welcome they jointly gave me was -gladly accepted and appreciated, particularly when the schoolboys came -home for the holidays, for of schoolboys, I am proud to say, I have ever -been a chum and crony. - -Footnote 89: - - George, afterwards sixth Earl of Sandwich. - -Footnote 90: - - Mary, afterwards Viscountess Templeton. - -Footnote 91: - - Seventh Earl of Sandwich. - -Footnote 92: - - Lady Mary Paget, second daughter of the Earl of Anglesey by his second - marriage with Lady Charlotte Cadogan. - -Hinchingbrooke is an interesting old house, and was originally a -nunnery; some parts of the religious building are still standing. It was -at one time the property of the Cromwell family, and was purchased by -Sir Sydney Montagu, grandfather of the first Earl of Sandwich, from the -uncle of the Protector. - -There is a tradition of Oliver having met King Charles I., when they -were both boys, in the garden of Hinchingbrooke, when the two who were -destined to be future foes engaged in a juvenile encounter, but the -story requires proof. - -The present structure is irregular and picturesque, having been altered -and added to at intervals during the last two hundred years by -succeeding owners. The entrance is through the archway of a fine -gate-house, where it is said the third Earl of Sandwich, a man of feeble -intellect, was confined for some time by his unscrupulous wife, the -daughter of the witty but unprincipled Earl of Rochester. It is -surrounded by pretty grounds rich in evergreens, situated in a small -park, and presents a very imposing aspect to the railway traveller as he -passes the town of Huntingdon. - -The ancestors of few families however noble appear to me to have more -interest for outsiders than the house of Montagu. Edward, the first Earl -of Sandwich, who was so instrumental in the restoration of Charles II., -is familiar to all readers of Pepys’s Diary, being the god of that -amusing gossip’s idolatry. Samuel prided himself on his relationship and -intimacy with Lord and Lady Hinchingbrooke, of whom he was certainly the -confidant and adviser. Indeed, he lived hard by in a little cottage at -Brampton, within a stone’s throw of his patron’s house, where he would -often go and confer with him or “with my Lady Countess” in her husband’s -absence. That noble housewife was often “put to it” to make two ends -meet, in consequence of her lord’s open-handedness and the too frequent -card-playing with His Majesty and the Castle men. Brave, generous, -noble-hearted and affectionate, we cannot but share in his kinsman -Pepys’s partiality for a man whose faults and shortcomings may in some -measure be condoned by the times he lived in and the society he -frequented. As an Admiral his sailors adored him; as a courtier he was -reckoned good—perhaps too good—company, and at home he was tenderly -loved by his wife and children and dependants. We know that his lordship -was comely in feature and of a commanding presence, and there is little -doubt that he himself agreed in the universal opinion, as we have -innumerable portraits of him at all ages. He died a hero’s death at the -engagement at Southwolds Bay in 1672, a Dutch fire-ship having set his -own vessel in a blaze. The gallant Admiral, after sending off his -surviving officers and crew in the boats, remained on his own -quarter-deck until his good ship, _The Royal James_, burned to the -water’s edge. There is a splendid painting of this desperate fight by -Vanderweldt in what is fondly called the “ship room” at Hinchingbrooke, -and on the opposite wall hangs a frame containing two fine miniatures by -Cooper of the first Earl and Countess, together with a small pocket -compass and a piece of the blue ribbon of the garter, discoloured by -sea-water, which were found on the Admiral’s body when it floated into -Harwich Harbour. - -Another prominent figure in the annals of the house and its portrait -gallery is John, fourth Earl, a contrast in every way to the ancestor of -whom we have been treating, yet a celebrity whose name is very -conspicuous in the records of George III.’s reign. He was a man of -eccentric habits but undoubted talent. An amusing anecdote is told of -him when acting as plenipotentiary at Aix-la-Chapelle in 1746. It was at -this time, during an international dinner when toasts were passing, that -the different envoys became poetical as well as loyal in their -phraseology. For instance, the Frenchman gave “His Royal master, the -Sun, who illuminates the whole world;” the Spaniard “His master, the -Moon, scarcely inferior in brilliancy or influence,” when Lord Sandwich -rose, doubtless with the twinkle in his eye and the laughing curl round -the corners of his mouth we see in most of his portraits, and toasted -with all the honours “His master Joshua, who made both the sun and moon -to stand still.” - -This remarkable man was known in social circles by the nickname of -“Jemmy Twitcher,” from the following incident. He had at one time been -intimate with the notorious Wilkes, the so-called champion of liberty, -but disgusted by a scurrilous and disloyal poem which his quondam friend -had written, Sandwich read it aloud in the House of Lords, thus gaining -for it deserved obloquy. A few nights afterwards, at the representation -of _The Beggar’s Opera_, then much in vogue, Macheath exclaimed: “But -that Jemmy Twitcher should preach I own surprises me.” The greater part -of the audience, who were partisans of “Wilkes and Liberty,” burst into -a round of applause, applying the passage to Lord Sandwich, who never -afterwards lost the _sobriquet_. - -There is a charming picture by Gainsborough[93] of the unfortunate Miss -Ray, whose romantic story tempts me into a further digression. She was -serving in a haberdasher’s shop in Covent Garden when she first -attracted the notice of Lord Sandwich, who was so smitten by her charms, -that he took her under his protection, and she resided with him for many -years both in London and the country, where her gentle, unassuming -manners and remarkable talent for singing made her a great favourite. -One evening Lord Sandwich brought home with him to dinner a Captain -Hackman, who was on a recruiting party at the time at Huntingdon; he -fell in love with Miss Ray, and proposed to her several times, until -Lord Sandwich with judicious kindness secured him an appointment in -Ireland, thinking it safest to place St George’s channel between him and -the object of his admiration. But Hackman’s passion was strong and -lasting; he left the army, entered holy orders, repaired to London where -Lord Sandwich and Miss Ray then were, frequently waylaid the latter, -renewed his offers of marriage, and even promised to adopt the children -she had by Lord Sandwich. The refusal he received to this proposition -was so decided and uncompromising as to drive him to the verge of -madness. He watched Margaret Ray enter Covent Garden with some musical -friends, rushed out, bought a brace of loaded pistols, and returned to -the door of the theatre to await the appearance of his victim. Her coach -was called in the name of Lady Sandwich, and while proceeding to it on -the arm of a gentleman Hackman aimed one pistol at her and the other at -himself; she fell dead, he fell wounded, and they were both conveyed to -the Shakespeare Tavern. Lord Sandwich was deeply distressed at the -tragic end of his fair friend; yet he wrote a letter to the murderer in -Newgate, offering to intercede on his behalf, signing himself, “the man -you have most injured.” But Hackman’s reply, couched in grateful terms, -assured his “lordship that his only wish was to die,” and he met his -death with firmness and courage. - -Footnote 93: - - Bought for a comparatively small sum by the late Earl. - -But to return to more modern times. Many were the delightful social -gatherings, many the gay dances, _tableaux vivants_, private -theatricals, and other festive doings in which I took a willing part. -How well I remember the night of the 8th of September, 1855! We had had -an unusually merry evening; our theatricals had gone off brilliantly, -and we had danced ourselves in to the next morning, when Lord Sandwich -proposed that all his guests staying in the house should adjourn to the -smoking-room to finish up what we had already made “a night of.” We -presented a most motley appearance, most of the actors, male and female, -having retained their dramatic costumes, some of which were especially -grotesque. The ladies were laughing and talking, the gentlemen smoking -and sipping, when we were all alike startled by the sound of the -door-bell at that unearthly hour. Lord Sandwich rose, and said he would -answer the summons himself, and a moment of suspense, not unmingled with -fear, ensued. The door re-opened, our host re-entered, his handsome face -illuminated with joy and triumph. Glorious news! Sevastopol was taken! -the war was at an end! How we all shouted, while some clapped their -hands, and leaped on chairs, and one and all drank to the health of our -brave soldiers, and to their safe return. - -It was in January 1859 that a very large party was assembled at -Hinchingbrooke in honour of the visit of H.R.H. the Duchess of -Cambridge[94] and Princess Mary Adelaide.[95] One evening, in hopes of -amusing the company, I imagined to array myself in the costume of a -hundred years before, and stepping from a frame which had been set up -for that purpose, I spoke an address in the character of the Countess of -Sandwich of 1759, which concluded with the following tribute to our -much-loved Royal guests: - -Footnote 94: - - The late Duchess of Cambridge. - -Footnote 95: - - The late Duchess of Teck. - - “It does rejoice my heart the time was mine - To come among you all in Fifty-nine, - To see with living eyes the fair array - Of noble, gentle company to-day; - It proves you keep the spirit of your race, - When guests like these our ancient dwelling grace. - Those who esteem the will beyond the deed, - Who no stiff forms or rigid customs need, - Who claim respect, yet kindle love the while, - Reward the smallest service with a smile, - Meet all half-way, accept each proffered part, - And draw the court we pay them from the heart.” - -This was a feeble but honest expression of the affection we all bore to -that noble lady whose loss we are mourning in this present year of 1889, -and who, although she had outlived by far the generally allotted span, -was so much beloved that England was unwilling to spare her. - -Often after this time I saw a great deal of the Duchess of Cambridge in -different country houses, and on different occasions, and the unceasing -kindness I have met with for years from Princess Mary is repaid by all I -have to offer, “the grateful homage of a loving heart.” I took the -deepest interest in her marriage with the Duke of Teck, to whom at that -period we gave the name of “Prince Charming.” But I am once more -wandering from my subject and indulging in the flittings of a butterfly. - -The party to which I have alluded, as I said before, was in the opening -of the New Year of 1859, but alas! the good wishes and happy auguries -which that merry company had interchanged were not destined to be -fulfilled. Before the month of March was over Hinchingbrooke was hung -with black, and the sudden death of Lady Sandwich plunged us all in the -deepest mourning. Her bright blue eyes were closed, the tones of her -bird-like voice were hushed, and in her I lost one of the truest and -most indulgent of friends. But my visits to that dear old house were not -discontinued, for, on Lord Sandwich’s second marriage to Lady Blanche -Egerton[96] I found one willing to keep up the old traditions and retain -the old friendships of the family, and ever ready to reinstate me in the -place I had so long looked upon as a home. Nor is my case altered with -passing years and changed circumstances, for the present owner,[97] whom -I have known and loved since he was an Eton boy, is continually -reminding me that the doors of Hinchingbrooke are ever open to his own -and his mother’s friend. - -Footnote 96: - - Daughter of the first Earl of Ellesmere. - -Footnote 97: - - Edward, eighth Earl of Sandwich. - - ------- - - - OSSINGTON - -It had been a long promise that I should pay a summer visit to Ossington -in Nottinghamshire, the residence of my good friends, Evelyn Denison, -Speaker of the House of Commons, and his wife, Lady Charlotte, _née_ -Bentinck.[98] Shortly after my return from Madeira, I proceeded on my -way thither with the delightful prospect of meeting Lady Waterford,[99] -the Duc and Duchesse d’Aumale, their son,[100] and my old friend -Wilberforce, Bishop of Oxford. - -Footnote 98: - - Daughter of the fourth Duke of Portland. - -Footnote 99: - - Louisa, daughter of Lord Stuart de Rothesay, widow of the third - Marquis of Waterford. - -Footnote 100: - - Prince de Condé. - -It was proposed that this should essentially be a riding party, and the -chief aim and object of our excursions was devoted to showing their -Royal Highnesses the sylvan beauties of Sherwood. Accordingly, one -morning after breakfast, we repaired, in a carriage and four, equipped -for riding, to a wayside inn, on the precincts of the forest, and -mounting our horses, took our way through the beautiful glades, where -Robin Hood disported himself of old. My especial cavalier on that -occasion was the Prince de Condé, a youth of rare promise, of -intellectual gifts and gentle courtesy, whom I dubbed my _preux -chevalier_, and whose untimely death we were all ere long called upon to -mourn. The Duke and Duchess rode chiefly with our host, while Lord -Stanley[101] and the Bishop joined first one and then the other group of -our cavalcade. We halted at the door of Earl Manvers, and did ample -justice to the mid-day banquet, which he and his amiable Countess had -prepared for the visitors from Ossington. Then remounting, we prosecuted -our pilgrimage through the forest to all the haunts (according to -legendary law) of the noble outlaw; during the whole of our ride, having -galloped over a wide expanse of turf, we had scarcely heard the sound of -our horses hoofs, as the dear Speaker proudly remarked to us, till we -once more reached the inn and re-entered our carriage. - -Footnote 101: - - The fifteenth Earl of Derby. - -Will the Duc d’Aumale, if ever he honours these pages with a perusal, -accept this lowly acknowledgment of one, on whose memory the delights of -his conversation and the graciousness of his manner are indelibly -impressed; and who recalls with gratitude the time of waiting at that -wayside inn, which was whiled away by pleasant narratives from the lips -of the good Duchess. - - ------- - - - ASHRIDGE - -Ashridge is one of the finest parks in England, rich in magnificent -timber trees, more especially tall and stately beech, which are the -glory of the surrounding country. The estate originally belonged to the -Duke of Bridgwater, and was brought into the possession of the Cust -family by the paternal grandmother of the present owner, the daughter -and heiress of Sir Abraham Home. It was nearly passing out of the family -some years ago, when a complicated lawsuit took place, and would almost -inevitably have done so, had it not been for the untiring zeal, clear -head and sound judgment of the young Earl’s mother,[102] who supplied -all the leading lawyers of the day with the requisite information in a -most puzzling and entangled case. - -Footnote 102: - - Lady Marian Alford, eldest daughter of the second Marquis of - Northampton. - -It was on the occasion of her brother’s[103] marriage with the beautiful -Theodosia Vyner,[104] that Lady Marian, who presided as hostess during -her son’s minority, threw open the gardens, pleasure-grounds and park to -a large and numerous assemblage of friends and acquaintance, consisting -for the most part of the _élite_ of London society. It was a beautiful -summer’s day, and at the two then equi-distant stations of Berkhampstead -and Tring innumerable conveyances were in waiting to convey the guests -to the scene of festivity. My brother Cavendish[105] and I chose Tring -as our halting-place, and were fortunate in so doing, as the entrance -from that side is perhaps the more picturesque of the two. - -Footnote 103: - - Charles, third Marquis of Northampton; born 1816; died 1859. - -Footnote 104: - - He married Theodosia Vyner, daughter of Henry Vyner, Esq., and Lady - Mary de Gray. She died in 1864. - -Footnote 105: - - Cavendish Spencer Boyle; born 1814; died 1868. - -[Illustration: - - ASHRIDGE. -] - -The description of most garden parties is likely to bear much -similarity, but certainly this was a most brilliant scene, for London -was in the height of the season, though not sufficiently advanced to -interfere with the freshness and fashion of the ladies’ toilettes. There -was a great preponderance of beauty, amongst whom little Florence -Paget[106] looked especially lovely, flitting in and out among the -flower-beds, whose brightness she seemed to have borrowed in the hues of -her costume and the brilliancy of her whole aspect. That was my first -introduction to stately Ashridge, which was henceforth destined to -become a real home to me. - -Footnote 106: - - Lady Florence Paget, daughter of Henry, second Marquess of Anglesey; - married first the fourth Marquis of Hastings, and secondly Sir George - Chetwynd, Bart. - -I know not how, at this moment, when my loss is so recent, to attempt -the slightest record of the friend[107]—the word is an old-fashioned -one, but is there another to supersede it?—the benefactress, the -_confidante_, of so long a period. She was undoubtedly one of the most -gifted beings I ever encountered. “What she did still bettered what was -done....” - -Footnote 107: - - Lady Marian Alford, died 1888. - - ------- - - - WREST PARK - -This magnificent dwelling, now in possession of Earl Cowper, K.G., but -at the time of which I am writing, was the residence of his mother,[108] -who inherited it from Earl de Grey,[109] her father. The estate of -Wrest, together with the fine mansion in St James’s Square, London, -devolved on the above-mentioned nobleman on the death of his aunt, -Countess de Grey. This house of Wrest in Bedfordshire he pulled down and -rebuilt according to his own designs in the style of a French chateau. -The pictures which adorn the walls were painted expressly for him; the -tapestry which lends so rich a colouring to the interior of Wrest was -woven under Lord de Grey’s immediate direction in the _atéliers_ of the -Gobelins; while the rich gilding, cornices, and ceilings were all -executed under his supervision, and do the greatest credit to his taste -and ingenuity. He also supplemented the plans and enlarged the -ornamentation of the already beautiful gardens and pleasure-grounds -which surround the house. It was also from the ingenious design of Lord -de Grey that the charming little theatre was constructed, the stage of -which rolled backwards and forwards at will, while two splendid -portraits by Sir Joshua Reynolds ornamented the proscenium. - -Footnote 108: - - Anne Florence, daughter of Thomas, second Earl de Grey; born 1806; - died 1880. - -Footnote 109: - - Thomas Philip, second Earl de Grey, who inherited Wrest from his aunt, - Amabel, Countess de Grey. - -It was my good fortune on several occasions at Wrest to form one of a -pleasant company, both dramatic and social. Our hostess was one of the -most agreeable and distinguished members of society, and I scarcely -think I can do better than transcribe her moral portraiture, traced by -the hand of one who knew her and loved her well. - -“I think I can sum up Lady Cowper’s leading attributes in three -words—wit, wisdom, and goodness. In the relationship of daughter, wife, -and mother, she left nothing to be desired; as a hostess she was -pre-eminently agreeable, being a most delightful companion; she had -lived with all that was politically and socially distinguished in her -day, and had read all that was worth reading in modern literature. She -derived keen enjoyment from the ‘give and take’ of discussion; her -opinions were decided, and their expression fresh and spontaneous; into -whatever well it was lowered the bucket invariably came up full.” In her -later days, even under the pressure of failing health, her -conversational powers never flagged; she was most brilliant in the -freshness of morning, and shone conspicuously at the breakfast table, -thereby rendering that repast far more animated than is usually the -case. Her sallies, though never ill-natured, were often unexpected and -startling, which added a zest to her conversation. - -For two or three years running we had theatrical performances, our -_dramatis personæ_ including Mr Henry Greville,[110] Mr and Mrs -Sartoris,[111] Lady Alice Egerton,[112] Mrs Leslie,[113] Lord -Hamilton[114] and others. - -Footnote 110: - - Henry Greville, son of Mr Charles and Lady Charlotte Greville. - -Footnote 111: - - Adelaide Kemble and her husband. - -Footnote 112: - - Now Alice, Countess of Strafford, widow of the third Earl of - Strafford. - -Footnote 113: - - Now Lady Constance Leslie, wife of Sir John Leslie, and sister of the - fourth Earl of Portarlington. - -Footnote 114: - - Present Duke of Abercorn. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - INDEX - - - Aachen, lake of, 191 - - Abercorn, Duke of, 90_n_, 282_n_ - - Adelaide, Queen, 29; - appoints Caroline Boyle maid of honour, 101 - - Albano, 133 - - Alderney, island of, 171, 174 - - Alexander, Captain, Lieutenant-Governor of Alderney, 4_n_, 174; - —— his anecdote, 175 - —— Elizabeth Charlotte, 176, 265_n_ - —— James, 265_n_ - —— Rose, 4_n_, 174; - her marriage, 175 - - Alford, Lady Marian, 184, 204, 266, 267, 280 - —— Lord, 184 - - Althorp, 253; - library, 253; - staircase, 254; - heronry, 254; - Portrait Gallery, 254 - - Alvanley, Lord, 180 - - Amalfi, 136 - - Ampthill, Lady, 270_n_ - - Anderson, Miss Mary, 106 - - Anglesey, Earl of, 272_n_; - skipper of his craft, 144 - - “Annie Winnie,” 44 - - Asberry, Mr, 53 - - Ashburton, Louisa, Lady, 267 - - Ashby, Castle, 184 - —— Farmer, 87 - - Ashridge, 279 - - Astley’s theatre, 35 - - Ausberg, review at, 190 - - Aumale, Duc and Duchesse d’, at Ossington, 278 - - Autolycus, lines from, 2 - - - _Bachelor Philosopher, The_ 89 - - Baiæ, 138 - - Baker, Eric, 205 - - _Bal Costumé_, 165-167 - - Balbi, 104 - - _Ballets d’action_, 107 - - Balls, Park, 3, 55 - - Bath, Marquis of, 53_n_ - - Bavaria, King Louis of, 188; - stories of, 189 - - Bedford, Duke of, 90 - - Beer, Mr 45 - —— Mrs, Under-Housekeeper at Hampton Court, 45 - - Belgiojoto, Countess, 140 - - Bentinck, Lady Charlotte, 278 - - Beppa, the florist, 222 - - Berri, Duchesse de, 127 - - Bessborough, Earl of, 271_n_ - - Bidwell, Mr George, 271 - - “Billy,” 98 - - “Black Taffy,” 16 - - “Boch Dhu,” 96, 125, 137 - - Boddingtons, the, 117 - - Bognor, bathing fatality at, 59 - - Bomba, King, 140 - - Bonaparte, Caroline, 152; - her appearance, 153 - - Boucicault, 35 - - Boulogne-sur-Mer, 236; - outbreak of diphtheria, 237 - - Bourbon, Charles de, 119 - - Bowood, 250 - - Boxall, Sir William, his portrait of Sir William Napier, 171 - - Boyl, Cavaliere Pietro de, 105, 225; - Governor of Sardinia, 105 - - Boyle, Mrs Carolina Amelia, her appearance, 10; - appointed bed-chamber woman to Queen Charlotte, 30 - —— Caroline, 3, 4_n_; - her appearance, 11; - appointed maid of honour to Queen Adelaide, 101 - —— Cavendish Spencer, his birth, 4; - at Charterhouse, 36; - his engagement, 175; - in the West Indies, 178; - death, 241; - appointed Governor of the Militia Prison at Weedon, 256; - at Ashridge, 280 - —— Charles John, 3, 4_n_; - his appearance, 11; - sketches of him, 12; - _attaché_ at the English Legation, Turin, 104; - at Munich, 187; - engagement, 205; - marriage, 206; - appointment at the Cape of Good Hope, 225 - —— Charlotte, 3; - her death, 12; - burial-place, 13; - epitaph, 13 - —— Vice-Admiral The Hon. Sir Courtenay, 4; - enters the Navy, 5; - letter from Lord Nelson, 6; - shipwrecked in Egypt, 7; - taken prisoner by the French, 7; - letter to his wife, 8; - return, 9; - Commissioner at Sheerness Dockyard, 15; - appointment at the Navy Board, 30; - punctuality, 37; - illness, 101; - decorated with the Guelphic and Hanoverian Order, 106; - death, 170 - —— Sir Courtenay Edmund, 36_n_ - —— Courtenay Edmund William, 3, 4_n_; - his first cruise, 10; - character, 10; - marriage, 11, 158 - —— Courtenay, 213, 257 - —— Lady Lucy, 56_n_ - —— Mary Louisa, her birth, 1, 3, 4_n_; - appearance and height, 2; - light-heartedness, 2; - brothers and sisters, 3, 10-13; - parents, 4; - love of heraldry, 4; - ancestry, 5; - life at Sheerness, 15-30; - feats of horsemanship, 16, 61, 95, 182; - retainers, 16-19; - juvenile flirtations, 19-22; - fondness for Shakespeare’s plays, 22; - on the one-legged race, 23; - her first Play, 25-28; - at Somerset House, 30-39; - early dramatic recollections, 33-35; - visits to the Royal Academy, 35; - to the Charterhouse, 36; - on the coronation of George IV., 37-39; - fondness for Sir W. Scott’s books, 38, 78; - life at Hampton Court, 39-50; - on the officials, 44-46; - heroic butcher boy, 46-48; - the thrush, 48-50; - at Marston Bigot, 51; - Balls Park, 55; - number of cousins, 56; - Wigan Rectory, 56; - taming a wolf-dog, 56; - Cowdray Park, 57; - the bathing fatality, 59; - “ghost story,” 60; - walk with “Courage,” 61; - political views, 62; - Midgham House, 64; - Cottage, 65; - on the eccentricities of Illidge, 66, 70-72; - on Mrs Garrick 67-70; - members of the household, 73-79; - at Brighton, 80; - _tableaux_, 82, 256; - at school, 84; - music and dancing lessons, 85; - dances at Dr Everard’s school, 87; - début, 88; - dramatic representation, 89; - leaves school, 91; - at Greystoke Castle, 92-96; - theatricals, 95, 147-152, 212, 227, 232, 251, 256, 271; - at Corby Castle, 96; - the haunted chamber, 96; - visit to Lord Southampton, 97; - on the conspiracy to see Fanny Kemble, 98; - accession of William IV., 99; - illness of her father, 101; - arrangements for travelling, 103; - at Turin, 104; - Genoa, 104-114; - riding parties, 105; - the Masquerade, 107-112; - at the Baths of Lucca, 114-124; - the Boddingtons, 117; - the servants’ ball, 118; - the Duke and Duchess of Lucca, 119; - on the religious festival at Lucca, 120; - lines on the Duchess, 121; - at Florence, 125-129, 146, 201, 209-224; - on the de Fauveaus, 126; - first impression of Rome, 130; - painters and sculptors, 131; - at Naples, 133; - Moonlight rides, 135; - excursions, 136; - at the castle of Sant’ Elmo, 138; - the feast of the Madonna dell’ Arco, 140; - haunted apartments, 141-143; - at Pisa, 145; - her acting, 148; - on the office of prompter, 148; - friendship for G. P. R. James, 152; - on Caroline Bonaparte, 153-156; - Geppina, the flower-girl, 156; - lines on, 156; - visit to the Duchess of Gloucester, 158; - mistaken for Princess Victoria, 160; - on her coronation, 161; - at Millard’s Hill, 163; - Tenby, 164; - _bal costumé_, 165; - on Charles Young, 166-169; - death of her father, 170; - at Havilland Hall, 170; - lines on Sir William Napier, 172; - on Mr and Mrs Kean, 173; - at the Island of Sark, 174; - Alderney, 174; - Whittlebury Lodge, 179-186; - on Colonel Leigh, 180; - sporting ecclesiastics, 182, 183; - musical evenings, 185; - at Munich, 187-191; - on the dramatic performances, 187; - King Louis of Bavaria, 188-190; - at Ravenna, 191-193; - Rome, 194-200, 242; - on Pope Pius IX., 195; - the “Possesso,” 197-199; - life at Villa Careggi, 201-207; - at the Baths of Casciano, 207; - legend of the falcon, 208; - on Charles Lever, 210-214; - the French Revolution, 214; - the Tuscan Revolution, 216; - on the Brownings, 217-220; - the disturbances in Italy, 221; - Beppa, the florist, 222; - farewells at Florence, 224; - in London, 225; - visit to Adelaide Sartoris, 225-227; - fondness for Charles Dickens’ books, 229; - first meeting with him, 231; - letter from Sir E. Bulwer Lytton, 232; - from Charles Dickens, 234; - death of her friend Fanny, 234; - at Boulogne, 237; - Gad’s Hill, 238-241; - death of her brother Cavendish, 241; - of Charles Dickens and Lord Clarendon, 242; - at Burghley House, 244; - on Lord Derby, 247; - Disraeli, 248; - at Bowood, 250; - Althorp, 253; - members of the household, 257-260; - death of Frederic, Lord Spencer, 261; - on Landor, 262-265; - Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, 265-267; - Carlyle, 267; - The Grove, 269; - on Lord Clarendon, 269-272; - Hinchingbrooke, 272; - Earls of Sandwich, 273-278; - Duchess of Cambridge, 277; - Ossington, 278; - Ashridge, 279-281; - Wrest Park, 281; - on Lady Cowper, 282 - —— Richard, 51 - —— The Rev. the Hon. Richard, 170; - his marriage, 176 - —— Robert, “Divine Philosopher of the World,” 5, 51 - —— Roger, 51 - - Bridgeman, Rev. George, 56 - - Bridgwater, Duke of, 279 - - Brighton, 80 - - Brignole, Marchesa, 105 - - Broadwood, Mary, 85, 89 - - Broghill, Baron, 51 - - Brooks, 73 - - Browne, Elizabeth, 57 - - Browning, Elizabeth Barrett, lines on a procession, 217; - appearance, 219 - —— Robert, 219; - his death, 220 - - Brownlow, Lord, 267; - his death, 268 - - Bruce, Lady Charles, 256_n_ - - Buller, James, 93_n_ - —— Sir Redvers, 93_n_ - - Bunsen, Madame de, 130 - - Burdett, Major, 58 - - Burghley House, 244 - - Burlington, Countess of, her predilection for Mdlle. Violette, 68 - —— Lord, his connection with Mdlle. Violette, 68; - dowry on her marriage, 69 - - Butler, Frances Anne, 225_n_ - - Byng, Hon. George, 227 - - - Cadogan, Lady Charlotte, 272_n_ - - Calabritti, Palazzo, 133; - the ghost of, 141-143 - - Call, W. M. W., lines on “Eleanor’s Well,” 177 - - Cambridge, Duchess of, at Hinchingbrooke, 276 - - Camille, Count de, 109, 113 - - Canning, Hon. Catharine, 266_n_ - - Capri, island of, 143 - - Capua, Prince of, 143 - - Cardigan, Lord, at the _bal costumé_, 167 - - Careggi, Villa, 201; - frescoes, 201; - servants, 203 - - Carlisle, Lord, 56 - - Carlyle, 267; - at Mentone, 267; - character, 268 - - Carnarvon, Henry, Earl of, 93_n_ - - Caroline, Queen, 64 - - Carteret, Lord, 40 - - Casciano, Baths of, 207; - legend of the discovery, 208 - - Cassiobury Park, 272 - - Cawdor, Earl of, 165 - - “Chaillach,” 164 - - Chambord, Comte de, 122 - - Channel Islands, trip to the, 170-176 - - Charles III. of Parma, assumes the title, 123; - assassinated, 123 - - Charlotte, Queen, 30 - - Charterhouse, 36 - - _Chatham_, 29 - - Chetwynd, Sir George, 280_n_; - his marriage, 242 - - Cholmondeley, Hugh, 135 - - Chouler, Mr, 259 - —— Mrs, 258 - - Ciabatti, 226 - - Clarence, Duchess of, 29, 31 - - Clarence, Duke of, 29; - his daughters, 100 - - Clarendon, Lord, 269; - his death, 242; - character and gifts, 269; - laugh, 270 - - Clifden, Lady, 82, 256_n_ - - Clifford, Sir Augustus, 87 - —— Rosamund, 5 - —— Admiral Sir William, 87 - - Clinton, Frances, Lady, 11_n_, 154 - - Collins, Mrs Charles, 240 - —— Wilkie, 237 - - Compton, Lady Katrine, 226_n_ - - Condé, Prince de, at Ossington, 279 - - Consort, Prince, 166; - at the _bal costumé_, 166 - - Convicts, 17 - - Corby Castle, haunted chamber, 96 - - Cork and Orrery, Earl of, 4, 51, 163; - letter from Lord Nelson, 6 - - Corn Laws, 247 - - Cornelius, 188 - - _Cornish Miners_, 34 - - “Courage,” the St Bernard, 61 - - Courcy, General de, 150 - - Covent Garden, 36 - - Coventry, Lady Mary, 105_n_ - - Cowdray Park, 57; - destroyed by fire, 58 - - Cowper, Francis, Earl, 226_n_, 281 - —— Lady, her leading attributes, 282 - - Cowper’s Oak, 183 - - Crackenthorpe, Mr, 92_n_ - - Crawford, Countess of, 152 - - Cromartie, Lord, under sentence of death, 65 - - Cromwell, Oliver, 51 - - Cumberland, William, Duke of, 65; - at Midgham, 65 - - Cunningham, Mr Peter, 237 - - _Cure for the Heartache_, 147 - - - Damer, Mrs Dawson, 82 - - “Danny Man,” 31 - - Dante, tomb of, 191 - - Day, Rachel, 74 - - Delamere, Lord, 135 - - Demidoff, Prince Anatole, 206; - anecdote of, 206 - - Denison, Evelyn, 278 - - Denmark, Queen Anne of, her visit to Althorp, 254 - - Derby, Countess of, 270_n_, 272 - —— Lord, 247 - - Devonshire, Duke of, 33 - - Devrient, Emil, his acting, 167 - - Dickens, Charles, 13, 56, 229; - first meeting with Mary Boyle, 231; - on her acting, 233; - letter from, 234; - his social evenings, 235; - children, 236; - at Boulogne, 236; - extensive walks, 237; - at Gad’s Hill, 238; - his _châlet_, 239; - drives and walks, 239; - visitors, 240; - letters of sympathy, 242; - stroke of paralysis, 243; - death, 243 - —— Charles, his children, 241 - —— Harry, 236 - —— Katie, 240 - —— Mary, 240 - —— Mayne, 5 - —— “Micketty,” 241 - - Dinon, Duc de, 150 - - Diphtheria, outbreak of, 237 - - Disraeli, Benjamin, 248 - —— Mrs, 249 - - Donkin, Sir Rufane, 81 - - Doria, 104 - - D’Orsay, Count, 180 - - Drumlanrig Castle, 66 - - Dufferin and Ava, Marquis of, 42, 226 - - Durazzo, 104 - - - Earle, Mrs, 270_n_ - - Edgcumbe, Hon. George, 147; - his acting, 147 - - Egerton, Lady Alice, 282 - - Egerton, Lady Blanche, 278 - - Egg, Augustus, 233 - - Ellesmere, Earl of, 278_n_ - - Elliot, Lady Anna Maria, 81; - her acting, 82 - —— Captain, 212 - - Elmo, Sant’, Castle of, 138 - - Elves, Emily, 90 - - Elwes, Mr, 180 - - Erroll, Eliza, Countess of, 100 - - Erskine, Augusta Kennedy, 100 - - Everard, Dr, his school, 86; - dances at, 87 - - Exeter, Isabella, Lady, 11_n_, 244_n_; - at the _bal costumé_, 167; - appearance and number of suitors, 245 - —— Lord, 35; - his hospitality, 244_n_; - marriages, 246_n_; - children, 246_n_ - - - Falcon, legend of the, 208 - - Falkland, Lady, 100 - - Fane, Hon. Sir Spencer Ponsonby, 271 - - Fauveau, Madame, de, 126 - —— Félicie, de, 127, 153, 201, 207, 215; - banished from France, 128; - her works, 129 - - Fechter, 239, 240 - - Ferrai, Madame, 105 - - _First Night, The_, 227 - - Fitzclarence, Amelia, 100 - - Fitzherbert, Mrs, her parties, 81; - appearance, 83 - - Fitzroy, Lord Charles, 182 - - Florence, 125, 201 - - “Flush,” 219 - - Fordwich, Lord, 226 - - Forster, John, 233 - - Foster, Sir Augustus and Lady Albinia, 104 - - Fox, Lady Mary, 100 - - France, revolution in, 214 - - _Freischütz, Der_, 34 - - - Gad’s Hill, 238 - - Galliera, Marchesa, 105 - - Garrick, David, his marriage, 69 - —— Mrs, her début, 68; - connection with Lord Burlington, 69; - marriage, 69; - death, 70 - - Genoa, 104; - masquerade in, 107-112; - fashion of head-dresses, 112 - - George III., his death, 30 - - George IV., his coronation, 37 - - Geppina, the flower-girl of Florence, 156; - lines on, 156 - - Giardano, Michael, 137 - - Glastonbury Thorn, 54 - - Glenesk, Lady, 270_n_ - - Gloucester, Princess Mary, Duchess of, 153, 158 - - Gobarrow, wild park of, 94 - - Gordon, Alexander, 170_n_ - —— Eleanor Vere, 170_n_, her marriage, 176; - talent for drawing, 176; - result of her works, 177 - —— Lady Frederick, 100 - —— Sir James, 23 - - “Gourley Ailsie,” 44 - - Gower, Hon. Frederick Leveson, 87 - - Grafton, Duke of, 179 - - Gray, Lady Mary de, 280_n_ - - Gregory XVI., Pope, his death, 191 - - Greville, Mr Charles and Lady Charlotte, 282_n_ - —— Mr Henry, 227, 282; - his reunions, 228 - - Grey, Countess de, 281 - —— Earl de, 281 - - Greystoke Castle, Cumberland, 92 - - Grimston, Mrs Edward, 83 - - Grove, The, 269 - - Guernsey, island of, 170 - - Guidi, Casa, 217 - - - Hackman, Captain, 275 - - Halifax, William, Marquis of, 68_n_ - - Hallé, Charles, 226 - - Hamilton, Elizabeth, Dow.-Duchess of, 246_n_ - —— Lord, 282 - - Hampton Court, 31, 39; - gardens, 42; - number of visitors, 43; - maze, 44; - pictures, 45 - - Hanover, H.R.H. Princess Frederica of, 45 - - Harte, Bret, extract from his parodies, 213 - - Hastings, Florence, Lady, her marriage, 242 - —— Marq. of, 280_n_ - - Havilland Hall, 170 - - Hayter, Sir George, 12 - —— John, his sketch of Charles Boyle, 12 - - Higham Ferrers, 184 - - Hinchingbrooke, 272 - - Hogarth, Georgina, 231, 234 - - Hoggins, Sarah, 246_n_ - —— Mr Thomas, 246_n_ - - Holland, Lady, 105 - —— Henry Edward, Lord, 105, 201 - - Home, Sir Abraham, 280 - - Horner, John, 36 - - “Hotspur,” 150; - his appearance on the stage, 151 - - Houghton, Lord, 242; - at the _bal costumé_, 167 - - Howard, Charlotte, 93_n_ - —— Henrietta Anna, 93_n_ - —— Lady Henry, 93 - —— Lord Henry, 92_n_ - —— Isabella Catharine, 92_n_, 93_n_ - —— Juliene, 93_n_ - —— Miss, 34 - —— Lady Rachel, 92_n_ - —— Mr Stafford, 92_n_ - —— Lord Thomas, the ghost of, 96 - - Hutin, Henri, 103 - - - Illidge, her eccentricities, 66; - appearance and dress, 66; - story of Mrs Garrick, 67-70; - adventure with a burglar, 70-72 - - Ippisley, Sir John, 51 - - Irving, Sir Henry, 35 - - - Ischia, island of, 136 - - Italy, disturbances in, 221 - - Ives, John, his act of heroism, 46-48 - - - Jakeman, Mr, 260 - - James, G. P. R., friendship for Mary Boyle, 152; - for Landor, 262; - character, 262 - - Jerrold, Douglas, 233, 237 - - Jones, Mr, 185 - - Jordan, Mrs, 100, 159 - - Joseph, of Arimathæa, legend of, 54 - - - Kaulbach, 188 - - Kean, Mr and Mrs, their love story, 173 - - Keeley, Mr and Mrs, 34, 236 - - Kemble, Adelaide, 282_n_ - —— Charles, 225_n_ - —— Fanny, 98, 200 - - Kléber, Marshal, Governor of Cairo, 7; - his treatment of Captain C. Boyle, 7; - assassinated, 8 - - - Lagerschwerd, Casa, 210 - - Lake, Sir Willoughby, 170 - - Landor, Walter Savage, 262; - friendship with G. P. R. James, 262; - his character, 262, 264; - fondness for dogs, 263; - inscription on the rescue of Caroline Boyle, 264; - tone of his voice, 265 - - Lansdowne, Lord, 250; - his collection of art treasures, 251 - —— Henry, Marq. of, 252 - - Lathom, Countess of, 270_n_, 272_n_ - —— Earl of, 270_n_ - - Lawrence, Sir Thomas, 246 - - Leech, John, 233 - - Lehmann, Mr, 239 - - Leigh, Colonel, 180 - - Leighton, Frederick, 226 - - Lemon, Mark, 233 - - Lennox, Lady Sophia, 246_n_ - - Leopold II., Grand Duke of Tuscany, his Civic grant, 216 - - Leslie, Lady Constance, 282_n_ - —— Sir John, 282_n_ - - Lever, Charles, 35, 210; - his entry into Florence, 211; - tenant of Casa Standish, 211; - his acting, 212 - - Lewis, Sir George Cornwall, 269 - —— Lady Theresa, 270 - - Lima, River, 115 - - Limerick, Edmund Henry, Earl of, 146_n_ - - Lipona, Countess, 153 - - Lisle, Lady de, 100 - - Lister, Lady Theresa, 269_n_ - —— Thomas Henry, 269_n_ - —— Sir Villiers, 271 - - Loch, Lord, 270_n_ - —— Lady, 270_n_ - - Long, Elizabeth, 93_n_ - - “Long George,” 17 - - Longleat, 53, 55 - - Lowe, 17 - - Lucca, baths of, 114; - ball at, 118; - religious festival, 120 - —— Duchy of, 123 - —— Duchess of, 119; - lines on, 121 - —— Duke of, 119 - - Lupus, taming of, 57 - - Lytton, Countess of, 270_n_ - —— Sir E. Bulwer, letter to Mary Boyle, 232 - - Lyveden, Lord, 251_n_ - - - Macdonald, Marshal, 153 - - MacDougall, Colonel, 176 - - Manny, Madame de, 220 - - Mansell, Henry, 76; - peculiarities, 76; - fondness for travelling, 76; - talents, 77; - death, 78 - - Manvers, Earl, 279 - - Maria Theresa, Empress, 68 - - Marlborough, Sarah, Duchess of, 255 - - Marston Bigot, 51 - - Masquerade, 107-112 - - Mayoress, Lady, anecdote of, 32 - - Mazzini, 112 - - McKenzie, Anne Hay, 65_n_ - - _Meander_, 10 - - Mells Park, 55 - - Melville, Whyte, 254 - - _Merry Monarch, The_, 227 - - Metastasio, lines from, 113 - - Michau, Madame, 85 - —— M., anecdote of, 86 - - Midgham Cottage, 66; - burglary at, 70-72 - —— House, Berkshire, 4, 64 - - Milan, 224 - - Millard’s Hill, 163 - - Minto, Lord, 81 - - Mitchell, Dr, 102 - - Montagu, Sir Sydney, 273 - - Montague, Viscount, 57; - drowned, 58 - - Montgomery, Alfred, 37, 41 - - Moore, General Sir Lorenzo, 4_n_, 205 - —— Miss Zacyntha, 4_n_, 205; - her marriage, 206 - - Mordaunt, Anna Maria, maid of honour to Queen Caroline, 64; - her marriage, 64; - appointed Governess to the Duke of Cumberland, 65 - - Morier, Miss, 83 - - Moulineaux, Villa des, 236 - - Mount Edgcumbe, Richard, Earl of, 147_n_ - - Munich, 187; - dramatic performances at, 187 - - Murat, Joachim, 152; - his portrait, 155; - military weapons, 155 - - - Napier, Sir William, 170; - appearance and characteristics, 171; - lines on, 172 - - Naples, 133; - feast of Madonna dell’ Arco, 140 - - Napoleon I., 152; - his portrait, 155 - - “Narcissus,” 164 - - Nelson, Lord, his letters, 6 - - Norfolk, Bernard, Duke of, 93_n_ - —— Charles, Duke of, 92_n_ - - Normanby, Lord, 169 - - Northampton, Charles, 3rd Marq. of, 87; - his marriage, 280 - —— William, Marq. of, 87, 226_n_ - - - O’Brien, Mr Stafford, 245 - - Oetting, Count Karl von, 191 - - Ogilvay, Sir John, 93_n_ - - Ogle, Miss Mary, 4_n_; - her marriage, 158 - - Ogle, W. Wallace, 4_n_ - - Orleans dynasty, downfall, 214 - - Orper, 19 - - Orrery, Earl of, 51 - - Ossington, 278 - - Overbeck, 132 - - Oxford, Wilberforce, Bishop of, 278 - - “Pacolet,” 94 - - Paestum, 136 - - Paget, Lady Florence, 280 - —— Lady Mary, 272_n_ - - Pallavicini, Marchese Fabio, 104, 190 - - Parma, Duchy of, 123 - - _Pearl_, The, 144 - - Pell, Sir Watkin, 23 - - Perry, Lady Lucy, 146_n_ - - Perugini, Kate, 236 - - Peterborough, Earl of, 64 - - Petty, Lord Henry, 250 - - Pierrepont, Rt. Hon. Henry, 246_n_ - - Pinelli, 132 - - Pipa, Comtesse, 204 - - Pisa, 145; - festival of St Ranieri, 145 - - Pius IX., Pope, his accession, 191 - popularity, 196; - witty sayings, 196; - the “Possesso,” 197-199 - - Play, the first, 25-29 - - Poggi, Miss, 84 - - Pompeii, 136 - - Ponsonby, Frederic, 256 - —— Sir Henry, 256_n_ - - Portarlington, Earl of, 282_n_ - - Portland, Duke of, 278_n_ - - Posillippo, 135 - - Powder-Monkey Bay, 17 - - Power, 35 - - Poyntz, Carolina Amelia, 4 - —— Charlotte Louisa, 56_n_ - —— Elizabeth, 255 - —— Georgiana Anne, 55 - —— Isabella, 59 - —— Stephen, 64 - —— Mrs Stephen, appointed governess to the Duke of Cumberland, 65; - intercedes for Lord Cromartie’s life, 65 - —— William, 4, 55_n_, 56_n_, 245; - loss of his sons, 59; - character, 61; - political views, 62; - death, 163 - - - Quarto, Villa, 204 - - Queensberry, Duchess of, 66 - - Quin, Captain, 259 - —— Lord George, 229_n_, 230 - - Quorn Hounds, Master of the, 97 - - - Race, one-legged, 23 - - Ravenna, 191; - pine-forest, 192 - - Ray, Miss, her romantic story, 275; - tragic death, 276 - - Reinhardt, 132 - - Reynolds, Samuel, his painting of Charles Boyle, 12 - - Richardson, Joseph, 78 - —— Miss, 36, 78, 90 - - Roche-Jacquelin, Madame de la, 128 - - Rochester, Earl of, 273 - - Rockingham Castle, 230 - - Rolle, Lord, at the coronation of Queen Victoria, 161 - - Rome, 129, 194; - first impression of, 130 - - Rosetta, 7 - - Rothesay, Lord Stuart de, 278_n_ - - _Rough Diamond, The_, 256 - - Royal Academy, 35 - - Ruberti, General, Commandant of Sant’ Elmo, 138 - - Ruffini, Giovanni, “Lorenzo Benoni,” 113 - - Russell, Lady Louisa, 90 - - - Salcey Forest, 184 - - Salt-Hill, 170 - - _Saltarello_, dance, 195 - - Salviati, Villa, 205 - - Sandwich, Edward, 1st Earl of, 273; - his character, 274 - —— 3rd Earl of, 273 - —— John, 4th Earl of, 274; - anecdote of, 274; - nickname, 275 - —— George, 6th Earl of, 272 - —— 7th Earl of, 272_n_; - his second marriage, 278 - —— Edward, 8th Earl of, 278_n_ - —— Lady, her death, 278 - - Santley, Charles, 226 - - Sark, Island of, 174 - - Sartoris, Adelaide, 200, 225, 282 - - Sartoris, Mr Edward, 227, 282 - - Saville, Dorothy, 68_n_ - - Schaffhausen, Falls of, 58 - - Sefton, Lord, 271 - - Sevastopol, news of the taking, 276 - - Seymour, Frederick, 82 - —— Sir Horace, 154 - - Seymour, Horace, 257 - - Sheerness, Dockyard, 15; - members of the boats’ crew, 16; - convicts, 17-19 - - Shelburne, Lord, 251 - - Shelley, Miss Fanny Lucy, 147 - —— Sir John, 147_n_ - —— lines from, 192 - - Sheridan, Charlie, 41 - —— Frank, 37, 41 - —— Thomas, 42_n_ - - Sherwood Forest, 278 - - Simons, Louisa, 243 - - Skelmersdale, Lord, 270 - - Smith, Rev. Loraine, 183 - —— Admiral Sir Sidney, 9 - —— Rev. William, 182 - - Smugglers, encounter with, 91 - - Somerset, Edward, Duke of, 42_n_ - —— Georgina, Duchess of, 42 - —— House, 30 - - Sondes, Lord, 229_n_, 230 - - Sorrento, 136 - - Southampton, Charles, Lord, 92_n_, 98, 179 - - Spencer, Earl, 213 - —— Elizabeth, Countess, 11_n_ - —— Hon. Frederic, 255; - character, 255; - death, 261 - —— Lady Georgiana, 229_n_ - —— John, 255 - —— Lady, 82, 256, 257 - —— Hon. Robert, 259 - —— Sarah, 261 - - Stackpole, 165 - - Standish, Lady Lucy, 146; - her theatre, 146; - actors and actresses, 147-151 - —— Mr Rowland, 146 - - Stanfield, Clarkson, his _chef-d’œuvres_, 251 - - Stanhope, Hon. Fitzroy, 92_n_ - —— Harriet, 92_n_, 179_n_ - —— Hon. Henry Fitzroy, 179_n_ - —— Captain Robert, 92_n_ - - Stanley, Lord, 279 - - Stephenson, Rowland, 146_n_ - - Stewart-Mackenzie, Rt. Hon. James A 267_n_ - - Stone, Frank, 233 - —— Marcus, 240 - - Stourhead, 54 - - Strafford, Alice, Countess of, 282_n_ - —— Earl of, 227_n_ - - _Stranger, The_, 35 - - Stratford, Lady, 266 - - Stratford de Redcliffe, Lord, 265; - appearance, 266; - anecdote of, 266; - lines on Mary Boyle, 266 - - Suffolk, Lady, 93 - —— Lord, 92_n_, 93_n_ - - Sunderland, 3rd Earl of, 255 - - Sutherland, Duchess of, 65 - - - _Tableaux Vivants_, 82, 256 - - Talbot, Countess of, 68 - - Talleyrand de Perigord, Marq., 150 - - Talmont, Princesse de, 128 - - Tavistock House, 235 - - Taylor, Tom, 251 - - Teck, Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of, at Hinchingbrooke, 276 - - Tegern, lake of, 191 - - Templeton, Viscountess of, 272 - - Tenby, 164 - - Tennyson, Lord, 140 - - Thackeray, W. M., “Onet y Oneth,” 213_n_ - - Thistle, 115 - - Thorpe, house-steward at Althorp, 257 - - Thorwaldsen, 131 - - Thrush, anecdote of a, 48-50 - - Thynne, Lord John, 40 - - “Tidy Dick,” 18 - - Tivoli, 133 - - Townshend, Lady John, 80 - —— Lord John, 3, 55; - his epitaph on Charlotte Boyle, 13; - eccentricities, 80 - - Tree, Ellen, 173 - - Turin, 104 - - Tuscan revolution, 216 - - - Ungher, Madame, 106 - - Urvins, his picture, 141 - - - Vansittart, Mrs, 203, 205 - - Vernet, Horace, 131 - - Vernon, Hon. Gowran, 251 - - Vestris, Madame, 34 - - Vesuvius, eruptions of, 136 - - Victoria, Queen, 40, 160; - reception at the Opera House, 161; - coronation, 161; - at the _bal costumé_, 166 - - Villiers, Rt. Hon. Charles Pelham, 269 - —— Hon. Francis, 271_n_ - —— Lieut.-Col. the Hon. George, 271_n_ - —— Lady Theresa, 271_n_ - - Violette, Mdlle., her début at Drury Lane, 68 - - Vyner, Henry, 280_n_ - —— Theodosia, her marriage, 280 - - - Walpole, Horace, on Mdlle. Violette, 68 - - Ward, Baron, 123, 214 - —— Miss, 92_n_ - - Waterford, Lady, 278 - - Watson, Mrs, 229, 231 - —— Hon. Richard, 229_n_ - - Watts, George, his drawing of Charles Boyle, 12; - painting of Sir William - - - Napier, 171; - at the Villa Careggi, 202 - - Weedon, 78 - - Wellington, Duke of, 37, 161, 246_n_ - - Westbrook Hayes, 265 - - Westminster Abbey, 31 - - Whittlebury Lodge, 179 - - Wigan, Alfred, 227 - - Wigan Rectory, 56 - - William IV., his accession, 99; - failing health, 158; - attempt on his life, 159 - - Williams, Sir Thomas, 21 - - Willis, Annie, 168 - - Wolf-dog, taming a, 56 - - Wrest Park, 281 - - - Yates, Edmund, 240 - - Young, Charles, 35, 166; - his romantic story, 167 - —— Giulia, 168 - —— Julian, Chaplain to Hampton Court Palace, 168 - - - PRINTED AT THE EDINBURGH PRESS, 9 AND 11 YOUNG STREET - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - ● Transcriber’s Notes: - ○ Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected. - ○ Typographical errors were silently corrected. - ○ Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only - when a predominant form was found in this book. - ○ Text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Mary Boyle--Her Book, by Mary Louisa Boyle - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARY BOYLE--HER BOOK *** - -***** This file should be named 63748-0.txt or 63748-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/3/7/4/63748/ - -Produced by Fay Dunn, Barry Abrahamsen, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Mary Boyle--Her Book - -Author: Mary Louisa Boyle - -Editor: Courtenay Edmund Boyle - Muriel S. Boyle - -Release Date: November 14, 2020 [EBook #63748] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARY BOYLE--HER BOOK *** - - - - -Produced by Fay Dunn, Barry Abrahamsen, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/cover.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'>The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div> - <h1 class='c001'>MARY BOYLE<br /> <br />HER BOOK</h1> -</div> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div id='frontis' class='figcenter id002'> -<img src='images/frontis.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'>SVB SOLE VANITAS</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c003'> - <div><span class='xxlarge'>MARY BOYLE</span></div> - <div class='c000'><span class='xlarge'>HER BOOK</span></div> - <div class='c004'><span class='large'><span class='sc'>Edited by</span> SIR COURTENAY BOYLE, K.C.B.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='figcenter id003'> -<img src='images/publogo.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div><span class='large'>LONDON</span></div> - <div><span class='large'>JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W.</span></div> - <div>1901</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div><span class='pageno' id='Page_I'>I</span>TO</div> - <div class='c000'>MY TWO WELL-BELOVED COUSINS</div> - <div class='c000'>GERTRUDE (COUNTESS OF KENMARE)</div> - <div class='c000'>AND</div> - <div class='c000'>LADY SARAH SPENCER</div> - <div class='c000'>WHOSE HEARTS, HANDS AND HOMES ARE EVER OPEN TO ME,</div> - <div class='c000'>THESE PAGES ARE AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED</div> - <div class='c000'>BY</div> - <div class='c000'>MARY BOYLE</div> - <div class='c000'>(“VANESSA”)</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_ix'>ix</span> - <h2 class='c005'>EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION</h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>These sketches of my dear aunt’s life were begun by -her only a few years before she died. The discretion as -to their publication was left to those on whose judgment -she relied, and at their request I have undertaken to -prepare the sketches for presentation to the public, and -to add to them here and there a few explanatory notes -of my own.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I have left her chapters almost exactly as she wrote -them. They are well described in her Preface, and are -very characteristic of herself. Like a light-winged butterfly -she flits from flower to flower, resting long on none, -nor caring to return to what she had apparently only -quitted for a moment. As is natural to one writing -after a lapse of years, she refers within the space of a -page or two to events which happened at wide intervals -of time.</p> - -<p class='c007'>She dwells with pardonable pride on her love for the -drama and the dance. Those who knew well her proficiency -in these will prefer to let their memory rest on -the brilliant wit and imperturbable good nature which -made her a welcome guest in many societies. As a -girl she had many opportunities of sharing in the Court -<span class='pageno' id='Page_x'>x</span>life of her own country and more than one continental -state. Later she became intimate with literary men of -the highest position. All through her life she had the -<i>entrée</i> to many pleasant country houses, in which were -gathered men of influence in affairs, and clever and amusing -women full of knowledge of the events of the society -in which they moved. She was everywhere popular, and -this was not a little due to the fact that she hated scandal -and eschewed gossip. She could not be ill-natured if -she chose. Probably the severest thing she ever uttered -was said of a young man who, seeking a greater prominence -than he deserved, had somehow trodden on her toes. -“Well, but, Mary, you must at any rate admit that he -is a good mimic.” “Is he? then I wish he would always -imitate some one else.” I have reason to believe she -even repented this.</p> - -<p class='c007'>In my father’s house there was ever a room allotted -to her and known by her name. It was occasionally -my privilege to occupy it, and to read her collection of -volumes of many sorts and many styles. It was there -that I read much of Landor, Browning and Mrs Browning, -and all, or nearly all, the novels of G. P. R. James, whom -she called her literary godfather, and whose influence is -traceable in her novels of “A State Prisoner” and “The -Foresters.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>With my father’s children, when we were children, -she was the object of the keenest admiration and the -warmest love. She joyed in our joys, and soothed our -sorrows with unfailing tact. In later years it was a -source of no little regret to us that her roving life and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xi'>xi</span>somewhat restless disposition deprived us of some opportunities -of returning the care she lavished on us when -we were young.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I am probably not alone in wishing that she had -written more than she did. The two novels to which -I have referred have nothing to lose in comparison with -those of later writers, who have had a far wider circulation -than she. Graceful and graphic, they are marked by a -purity of plot and a delicacy of taste which make no -attempt to season pleasure with offence. She was not -of those who consider it impossible to interest or amuse -without the introduction if not of that which is unclean, -at least of that which is bizarre. Later in life she produced -a short sketch of character called “Tangled Weft,” -which probably would have been more widely read had -it been less refined.<a id='r1' /><a href='#f1' class='c008'><sup>[1]</sup></a></p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f1'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r1'>1</a>. </span>She also wrote a small volume of Poems, “My Portrait Gallery -and other Poems.” Dedicated to Walter Savage Landor. Privately -printed in London, 1849.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>A kindly critic in the <i>Athenæum</i> of April 1890, immediately -after her death, described her conversation as -having a charm that was indescribable and perhaps -unique. This was probably so. In her, judgment and -good sense were as solid as her shafts of wit were keen. -She never was the victim, happily for her, of the unreasoning -adulation, which so cruelly affected the last -years of the life of the most humorous as well as the -wittiest Irishman whom it has ever been my good fortune -to meet. I knew Father Healy when his life was spent -among his friends. I knew him also when he was the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xii'>xii</span>idol of a flattering throng, who knew not what they -worshipped. Often have I seen him crushed into silence -by the persistence of admirers who would never let him -utter three words on any subject without beginning to -laugh before he could get out with the fourth. Mary Boyle, -perhaps because she frequented the society of only those -who were friends, was not expected to drop pearls whenever -she spoke.</p> - -<p class='c007'>In her letters it is possible that an equal charm might -be found. But it would require some patience in seeking; -for her handwriting had undoubted peculiarities. “We -had a committee on your letter, dear Mary,” once wrote -an intimate friend. “We placed it on a table and sat -round it, and by dint of looking at it from every point -of view we really made out a good deal.” Notwithstanding -the difficulty, however, some of those who, like Charles -Dickens, Lord Tennyson, and Browning, loved to correspond -with her, kept up an exchange of letters which -ended only with death.</p> - -<p class='c007'>If my aunt had lived to finish these chapters, the -title she desired to apply to them might have been -appropriate. As it is, they can scarcely be considered -an autobiography. There are lacking, too, references to -several houses<a id='r2' /><a href='#f2' class='c008'><sup>[2]</sup></a> where she was a frequent guest, and to -many circles of friends whose gatherings she helped to -make merry. I miss, especially, allusions to Ireland, and -above all to that happy shore, “washed by the farthest” -lake, where to my knowledge she spent many days of -unalloyed enjoyment. Her close friendship with Lady -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xiii'>xiii</span>Marian Alford, the “your Marian” of Lord Tennyson’s -verses, is not mentioned.<a id='r3' /><a href='#f3' class='c008'><sup>[3]</sup></a> But of the society which Lady -Marian loved to gather around her Mary Boyle was a -welcome member. It was at Ashridge that some years -before the present Bishop of Ely put on Lawn there -flashed forth one of those keen answers with which she -often delighted her hearers. They were discussing some -important point of High Church—Low Church—Moderate -Church. As luncheon was announced a prudent critic of -the discussion said, “Well, after all, it is very true that -<i>via media securum iter</i>.” “You don’t know what that -means, Mary?” “Oh, yes, I do! that is what Lord -Alwynne says, ‘caution is the way to secure a -mitre.’”</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f2'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r2'>2</a>. </span><i>See</i> Supplementary Chapter.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f3'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r3'>3</a>. </span><i>See</i> Supplementary Chapter.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>After my father’s death in 1868 Mary Boyle established -herself in a small house in South Audley Street. James -Russell Lowell, one of the many brilliant men who both -got and gave pleasure by a visit to her tiny rooms, says -of it: “No knock could surprise the modest door of -what she called her <i>bonbonnière</i>, for it opened and still -opens to let in as many distinguished persons, and what -is better, as many devoted friends as any in London.” -This was written in 1888, the last year of her occupancy, -and two years before her death. “Miss Mary Boyle,” -he goes on to say, “bears no discoverable relation to dates. -As nobody ever knew how old the Countess of Desmond -was, so nobody can tell how young Miss Mary Boyle is. -However long she may live, hers can never be that most -dismal of fates to outlive her friends while cheerfulness, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xiv'>xiv</span>kindliness, cleverness, and all the other good nesses have -anything to do with the making of them.” She certainly -had the faculty, a somewhat rare one, of making as well -as keeping friends. I have met in the wee chamber, -which she was wont to call a drawing-room, men of three -generations all coming within the category to which -Mr Lowell refers.</p> - -<div id='i014' class='figcenter id004'> -<img src='images/i014.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'>“THE BONBONNIÈRE”, 22 SOUTH AUDLEY STREET.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>Nor were her guests all of one sex. Neither her cleverness -nor her kindliness alone would have sufficed to keep -the friendship of the many women who loved her till her -death. Together they did. So her rooms were filled with -those who were lovely and brilliant as well as those who -were learned and clever. The friendship which Mary -Boyle maintained with men of distinction in many spheres -of life lasted for a long period of years. Mr Lowell in the -passage I have quoted was preparing for publication some -letters which were written to her by Walter Savage -Landor.<a id='r4' /><a href='#f4' class='c008'><sup>[4]</sup></a> Those who wish to read these letters in full may -find them in the <i>Century Magazine</i> for February 1888. -“They are most interesting,” says Lowell, “and have more -clearly the stamp of the writer’s character than many of -Goethe’s to the Frau von Stein. They give an amiable -picture of him without his armour and in an undress, though -never a careless or slovenly one.” They are too long to be -set out at length here, but I may cite a few brief passages. -The opening sentence of the first especially commends -itself to me. Lowell thinks it was written in 1842:</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Your letter is a most delightful ramble. I believe -I must come and be your writing-master. Certainly if I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xv'>xv</span>did nothing else by drilling, I should make rank and -file stand closer.”... “You ask me if I have ever seen -Burleigh? Yes, nearly half a century ago. Nevertheless -I have not forgotten its magnificence. No place ever struck -me so forcibly. And then the grounds!”...</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f4'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r4'>4</a>. </span><i>See</i> Supplementary Chapter.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>“And so, Carissima, you want to know whether I shall be -<i>glad</i> to see you or <i>sorry</i> to see you on the twentieth. Well -then—sorry—to <i>have</i> seen you, glad, exultingly glad, to see -you. And now I am resolved not to tell you which I love -best, Melcha or Mora.<a id='r5' /><a href='#f5' class='c008'><sup>[5]</sup></a> Melcha colpisce fortemente—Mora -piu ancora s’innamora: I have broken my word to myself -all through you.”... “You see I have learnt to write -from you—only I can sometimes get three or four words -into a line—which you can never do for the life of you. -But there are several in which I find two entire ones. I -do not like to spoil the context, otherwise I would order -them to be glazed and framed in gold.”...</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f5'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r5'>5</a>. </span>Names of two characters in a poetical drama, which she wrote, -called the <i>Bridal of Melcha</i>.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>“It is only this evening that I received the <i>Bridal of -Melcha</i>. I do not like to be an echo, but I am certain that -I must be one in expressing my admiration of it. To-night -is our Fancy Ball. You should be at it crowned with -myrtle and bay. If I had opened the volume, but at the -very hour of meeting my friends there, I could not have -refrained from reading it through before I set out. It is -indeed already late enough, and I suspect past the post-office -hour, adieu, Musa Grazia! and call me in future anything -but Dottissimo. Remember, you have a choice of -Issimi.”...</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_xvi'>xvi</span>“It would grieve me to see religion and education taken -out of the hands of gentlemen and turned altogether, as it -is in part, into those of the uneducated and vulgar. I -would rather see my own house pulled down than a -Cathedral. But if Bishops are to sit in the House of Lords -as Barons, voting against no corruption, against no cruelty, -not even the slave-trade, the people ere long will knock -them on the head. Conservative I am, but no less am I an -<i>aristocratic radical</i> like yourself. I would eradicate all that -vitiates our constitution in Church and State, making room -for the gradual growth of what altering times require, but -preserving the due ranks and orders of society, and even to -a much greater degree than most of the violent Tories are -doing.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>... She was associated with Tennyson, Wordsworth, -and Landor in a small miscellany which Lord Northampton -encouraged and edited in aid of the surviving family of -Edward Smedley. Her contribution, “My Father’s at the -Helm,” attracted a considerable amount of attention, and -achieved some popularity. Better judges than myself -encourage me to reproduce it:</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“The hurricane was at its worst,</div> - <div class='line in2'>The waves dashed mountains high,</div> - <div class='line in1'>When from a gallant ship there burst</div> - <div class='line in2'>A loud despairing cry.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in1'>The Captain’s son sat on the deck,</div> - <div class='line in3'>A young and lovely child,</div> - <div class='line in1'>And when the crew foreboded wreck,</div> - <div class='line in3'>He shook his head and smiled.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'><span class='pageno' id='Page_xvii'>xvii</span>’Mid groans of care and deep despair</div> - <div class='line in3'>And manhood’s bitter tear,</div> - <div class='line in1'>That gentle boy, all hope and joy,</div> - <div class='line in3'>Betrayed no signs of fear.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in1'>A mariner, who strove in vain</div> - <div class='line in3'>To nerve his troubled soul,</div> - <div class='line in1'>Thought of his wife and babes with pain,</div> - <div class='line in3'>Nor could his fears control—</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in1'>Approached the boy and with a loud</div> - <div class='line in3'>And rough defiant tone,</div> - <div class='line in1'>‘Tell me, and art thou then endowed</div> - <div class='line in3'>With courage all thine own?</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in1'>Dar’st thou defy or doubt the sky</div> - <div class='line in3'>Hath power to overwhelm?’</div> - <div class='line in1'>The gentle child looked up and smiled</div> - <div class='line in3'>‘My father’s at the helm.’</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in1'>Oh, could we think as that blest child,</div> - <div class='line in3'>Whilst wandering here below,</div> - <div class='line in1'>We should not dread the tempest wild,</div> - <div class='line in3'>The storm of human woe!</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in1'>The waves of misery might dash</div> - <div class='line in3'>Above our little bark,</div> - <div class='line in1'>And human wrath like lightning flash</div> - <div class='line in3'>Then leave our life track dark!</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in1'>His soul all calm, no thoughts of harm</div> - <div class='line in3'>The Christian overwhelm,</div> - <div class='line in1'>Firm in the thought with safety fraught</div> - <div class='line in3'>His Father’s at the helm.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'>Later in life she printed, for a limited circulation only, -Historical and Biographical Catalogues of the Pictures at -Longleat, Hinchingbrooke, Panshanger and Westonbirt, to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xviii'>xviii</span>which Lowell was probably right in attributing a serious -value.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Of all her writings it may be said that their chief charm -consists in their reproduction of herself. Standing alone -they would have stood strongly. They were meant for -her friends, and to her friends, who were many, they -conveyed a pleasure which was largely due to connection -easily traceable between what was written and her who -wrote.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The marriage in 1884 of her niece Audrey, the only -daughter of my uncle Charles, with Hallam Tennyson, -increased the already keen friendship between her and -our last great poet. How intimate it was and how -much he valued it, may be gathered even by him who -runs, from the stanzas which he sent to her with one of -his latest poems. She received them in the spring of -1888 when still mourning the death of her friend Lady -Marian Alford.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c003'> - <div>SPRING-FLOWERS.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“While you still delay to take</div> - <div class='line in4'>Your leave of town,</div> - <div class='line in1'>Our elm tree’s ruddy-hearted blossom-flake</div> - <div class='line in4'>Is fluttering down.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in1'>Be truer to your promise. There! I heard</div> - <div class='line in4'>One cuckoo call.</div> - <div class='line in1'>Be needle to the magnet of your word,</div> - <div class='line in4'>Nor wait, till all</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in1'>Our vernal bloom from every vale and plain</div> - <div class='line in4'>And garden pass,</div> - <div class='line in1'>And all the gold from each laburnum chain</div> - <div class='line in4'>Drop to the grass.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in1'><span class='pageno' id='Page_xix'>xix</span>Is memory with your Marian gone to rest,</div> - <div class='line in4'>Dead with the dead?</div> - <div class='line in1'>For ere she left us, when we met, you prest</div> - <div class='line in4'>My hand, and said</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in1'>‘I come with your spring-flowers!’ You came not, friend;</div> - <div class='line in4'>My birds would sing,</div> - <div class='line in1'>You heard not. Take then this spring-flower I send,</div> - <div class='line in4'>This song of spring.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'> * * *</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in1'>And you that now are lonely, and with grief</div> - <div class='line in4'>Sit face to face,</div> - <div class='line in1'>Might find a flickering glimmer of relief</div> - <div class='line in4'>In change of place.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in1'>What use to brood? This mingled life of pains</div> - <div class='line in4'>And joys to me,</div> - <div class='line in1'>Despite of every Faith and Creed, remains</div> - <div class='line in4'>The Mystery.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'> * * *</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in1'>The silver year should cease to mourn and sigh—</div> - <div class='line in4'>Not long to wait—</div> - <div class='line in1'>So close are we, dear Mary, you and I</div> - <div class='line in4'>To that dim gate.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'>Close indeed were they both “to that dim gate.” She -died in April 1890—and in 1892 the great writer, and the -still more kindly man, answered the “one clear call,” and -embarked to “meet his Pilot face to face.”</p> - -<hr class='c013' /> - -<p class='c007'>Thus far Sir Courtenay Boyle had written his Introduction -to the Memoirs when to him also came the “one -clear call,” and he too embarked to “meet his Pilot face to -face.”<a id='r6' /><a href='#f6' class='c008'><sup>[6]</sup></a></p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f6'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r6'>6</a>. </span>Sir Courtenay Boyle died 19th May 1901.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_xx'>xx</span>The papers which now form the Supplementary -Chapter arrived too late. It was his intention to have -incorporated them in the book, and they would doubtless -have necessitated some slight modification in his Introduction. -I have preferred to leave his work as he left -it, and keep the supplementary papers separate.</p> -<div class='c014'>MURIEL S. BOYLE.</div> - -<p class='c007'><i>September 1901.</i></p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div id='i020' class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/i020.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'><i>J. Russell & Sons, photo.</i><br /><i>Courtenay Boyle</i></span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_xxi'>xxi</span> - <h2 class='c005'>PREFACE</h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>I hope my readers, whether gentle or simple, will do -me the favour to read this Preface, as I wish to explain -a little, perhaps apologise a little, after the usual fashion -of people who write their reminiscences. According to -custom, I had better begin by stating that it was at the -instigation of many personal friends, some of them men -of literary tastes and distinction, that I overcame my -cowardice to embark on what appeared to me a most -hazardous enterprise; but one in which I have found -so much pleasure and relaxation—during hours of failing -health and growing blindness—that I have often been -tempted to say, “Oh that these pages might amuse the -reader half as much as they have done the writer.” -The choice of a title, which, as Mr Motley in one of -his delightful letters says, ought to be “selling and telling” -occupied me for a very short time, as far as I myself was -concerned. The name of “Vanessa” was endeared to -me by old recollections, for I had gained that <i>sobriquet</i> -on one occasion, when a goodly troop of friends and -relations was assembled in the country house of a dear -cousin.</p> - -<p class='c007'>These companions “who did converse and waste the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xxii'>xxii</span>time together,” enrolled themselves into a band and gave -each other fanciful, and as they considered at the time, appropriate -names, or nicknames, what the Italians might -call Ottias. For instance, a much-loved member of my -family, “who looked well to the ways of her household,” and -“ate not the bread of idleness,” was christened “Melissa,” -or the working-bee; another, whose short-sight was one -of his only shortcomings, was dubbed “Belisarius,” while -I was unanimously hailed as “Vanessa,” or the Butterfly.</p> - -<p class='c007'>This circumstance, coupled with the love I had for -all that was bright, variegated, motley, for bright colours, -bright flowers, bright scenes, bright sunshine, made me -resolve on the “Autobiography of a Butterfly.” More -than one friend argued against my choice, saying it -conveyed a wrong impression of my character and ways -of thinking, inasmuch as it sounded frivolous and superficial, -but I do not think so; it appears to me that the -joyous flittings of a butterfly through a summer garden -give rather a suitable notion of a wandering, chequered -life, replete with light and happiness, or to make use -of another metaphor, broken up into bits like an ancient -mosaic pavement containing many particles of gold, with -an incomplete pattern, so I have stood by my original title -and chosen for my emblem a butterfly on the gnomon -of that dial, “which only counts the hours that are serene”; -for although in recording the days of a long life, the -shadow of sorrow and bereavement must necessarily fall -on some of the pages, yet it has been my earnest desire -to dwell on the brighter side of things—to interest and -amuse, rather than to sadden or depress.</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_xxiii'>xxiii</span>In this my chronicle I have striven as far as in me -lies to avoid tedium, for is not tedium, either in writing -or conversing, “the unpardonable sin”?—likewise the two -faults which I have so often detected in the autobiography -of others, viz. the pride that “apes humility,” and all -the while calls out to the reader (if I may be allowed -the vulgarism) “Am I not a fine fellow?” and the more -palpable self-conceit and egotism that asserts the fact -boldly. Another lesson I have learned in the writings -of some of my predecessors, is to refrain from saying -bitter things of those who can no longer take me to -task for so doing, and from wounding the feelings of -survivors who loved them.</p> - -<p class='c007'>One of the chief pleas which was urged on me, and -which encouraged me to write the following pages, was the -fact that I had been on terms of close and tender friendship -with many great men, any mention of whom would -be welcome to my readers. But it is one thing to appreciate -and remember the delightful companionship of such -eminent friends as I may enumerate in these pages, and -another to convey to others the faintest idea of their -individuality.</p> - -<p class='c007'>During the course of writing I have hit upon what -appeared to me a novel expedient. After carrying on -my narrative to a certain point, I have inserted detached -chapters, treating of people and places which are calculated -in my opinion to interest the general reader, and that -without much reference to dates; indeed, as far as those -terrible stumbling-blocks are concerned, I plead guilty -in many cases to inaccuracy, offering as my excuse that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_xxiv'>xxiv</span>I have never kept a continuous journal, but rather have -written a few spasmodic pages at intervals. One more -excuse, and I have done. In my blindness, I have been -helped by more than one kind and patient secretary, but -I have sadly missed the power of myself looking over the -manuscript and detecting fault in style or frequent tautology. -For all these shortcomings I humbly beg pardon, -and earnestly desire to be forgiven.</p> -<div class='c014'>“VANESSA.”</div> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_xxv'>xxv</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CONTENTS</h2> -</div> -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c015'> </td> - <td class='c016'><span class='small'>PAGE</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'>EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_ix'>ix</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'>PREFACE</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_xxi'>xxi</a></td> - </tr> -</table> -<table class='table1' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='17%' /> -<col width='69%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><span class='small'>CHAP.</span></td> - <td class='c015'> </td> - <td class='c016'> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>I.</td> - <td class='c015'>BIRTH, PARENTAGE AND FAMILY</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_1'>1</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>II.</td> - <td class='c015'>LIFE IN A DOCKYARD—FRIENDS, FAVOURITES AND RETAINERS</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_15'>15</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>III.</td> - <td class='c015'>MY FIRST PLAY—MARRIAGE OF THE DUKE OF CLARENCE—DEPARTURE FOR SHEERNESS</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_25'>25</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>IV.</td> - <td class='c015'>EARLY DRAMATIC RECOLLECTIONS—RESIDENCE AT HAMPTON COURT</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_33'>33</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>V.</td> - <td class='c015'>LIFE AT HAMPTON COURT</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_41'>41</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>VI.</td> - <td class='c015'>OUR EXTRA HOMES</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_51'>51</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>VII.</td> - <td class='c015'>MY GRANDMOTHER’S MAID</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_64'>64</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>VIII.</td> - <td class='c015'>OUR HOUSEHOLD</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_73'>73</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>IX.</td> - <td class='c015'>BRIGHTON—SCHOOLDAYS</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_80'>80</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>X.</td> - <td class='c015'>VISITS IN CUMBERLAND AND LEICESTERSHIRE—ACCESSION OF WILLIAM IV.</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_92'>92</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>XI.</td> - <td class='c015'>FIRST CONTINENTAL TRAVELS—TURIN AND GENOA</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_103'>103</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>XII.</td> - <td class='c015'>SUMMER AT THE BATHS OF LUCCA</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_115'>115</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>XIII.</td> - <td class='c015'>SHORT SOJOURN IN FLORENCE</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_125'>125</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>XIV.</td> - <td class='c015'>SUMMER AT NAPLES</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_134'>134</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><span class='pageno' id='Page_xxvi'>xxvi</span>XV.</td> - <td class='c015'>PISA AND FLORENCE</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_145'>145</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>XVI.</td> - <td class='c015'>RETURN TO ENGLAND—ACCESSION OF QUEEN VICTORIA—HER CORONATION</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_158'>158</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>XVII.</td> - <td class='c015'>MILLARD’S HILL—TENBY—CHARLES YOUNG AND A COURT BALL</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_163'>163</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>XVIII.</td> - <td class='c015'>1844. TRIP TO THE CHANNEL ISLANDS</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_170'>170</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>XIX.</td> - <td class='c015'>WHITTLEBURY</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_179'>179</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>XX.</td> - <td class='c015'>MUNICH—SECOND VISIT TO ITALY</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_187'>187</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>XXI.</td> - <td class='c015'>ARRIVAL IN ROME, 1846—OCTOBER FESTIVALS AND “POSSESSO”</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_194'>194</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>XXII.</td> - <td class='c015'>SUMMER OF 1847—FLORENCE, VILLA CAREGGI</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_201'>201</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>XXIII.</td> - <td class='c015'>RESIDENCE IN FLORENCE—CHARLES LEVER—REVOLUTION, AND THE BROWNINGS</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_210'>210</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>XXIV.</td> - <td class='c015'>LAST DAYS AT FLORENCE—RETURN TO ENGLAND—MILLARD’S HILL, LONDON, 1848</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_221'>221</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>XXV.</td> - <td class='c015'>ROCKINGHAM CASTLE—CHARLES DICKENS</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_229'>229</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>XXVI.</td> - <td class='c015'>PROTECTIONIST PARTY AT BURGHLEY</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_244'>244</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'>XXVII.</td> - <td class='c015'>ALTHORP</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_253'>253</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c003'> - <div>SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER</div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table1' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c018'>WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_262'>262</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c018'>VISCOUNT STRATFORD DE REDCLIFFE</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_265'>265</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c018'>CARLYLE</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_267'>267</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c018'>THE GROVE</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_269'>269</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c018'>HINCHINGBROOKE</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_272'>272</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c018'>OSSINGTON</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_278'>278</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c018'>ASHRIDGE</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_279'>279</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c018'>WREST PARK</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#Page_281'>281</a></td> - </tr> -</table> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_xxvii'>xxvii</span> - <h2 class='c005'>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> -</div> -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='86%' /> -<col width='13%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><i>SUB SOLE VANITAS, from a drawing by E. V. B.</i></td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#frontis'><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'>“THE BONBONNIÈRE,” 22 SOUTH AUDLEY STREET</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#i014'>xiv</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'>SIR COURTENAY BOYLE, <i>from a photograph by J. Russell & Sons</i></td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#i020'>xx</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'>MARY BOYLE, <i>from a picture by Madame Perugini</i></td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#i002'>2</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'>VICE-ADMIRAL THE HON. SIR COURTENAY BOYLE AND THE HON. LADY BOYLE</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#i008a'>8</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'>HON. EDMUND BOYLE, AFTERWARDS EIGHTH EARL OF CORK, BORN 1787; HON. RICHARD BOYLE, ELDER BROTHER OF ABOVE, DIED YOUNG; HON. COURTENAY BOYLE, BORN 1770, AFTERWARDS VICE-ADMIRAL, K.C.B.</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#i052'>52</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'>LONGLEAT</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#i054'>54</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'>MILLARD’S HILL, WITH “NARCISSUS” IN THE FOREGROUND, <i>from a drawing by E. V. B.</i></td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#i164'>164</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'>GAD’S HILL</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#i238'>238</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'>BURGHLEY</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#i244'>244</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'>BOWOOD</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#i250'>250</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'>ALTHORP</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#i254'>254</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'>THE GROVE</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#i270'>270</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'>HINCHINGBROOKE</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#i272'>272</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'>ASHRIDGE</td> - <td class='c016'><a href='#i280'>280</a></td> - </tr> -</table> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c003'> - <div><span class='pageno' id='Page_1'>1</span><span class='xlarge'>MARY BOYLE</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER I<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>BIRTH, PARENTAGE AND FAMILY</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>The nineteenth century was still in its teens when I -first saw the light. Let me pause, lest I make an inaccurate -assertion, for I was born on the 12th November, -the month of fogs, in Margaret Street, Cavendish Square, -London, the home of fogs. It was under the sign -Sagittarius, whose patronage, combined with the tastes -inherited from two grandfathers, both masters of hounds, -made me a “mighty huntress.” “Tuesday’s child,” says -the old adage, “is full of grace,” hence my vocation for, -and proficiency in, dancing. The motto of my natal -month is “fidelity in friendship”; my patron plant, the -ivy, which almost invariably clings to things nobler and -loftier than itself. And truly in this respect I have been -more than commonly blessed, for, through many adverse -circumstances, the coffers of my heart have overflowed -with the treasures of friendship, and good measure pressed -down and running over has been cast into my bosom. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_2'>2</span>It is usual, at the commencement of a story, to give the -description of the heroine, but a few words will suffice in -the present instance. In complexion and colouring I -am very fair, and have often flippantly remarked—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Angels were painted fair to look like me.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c020'>Indeed, blondes have a great responsibility placed upon -them, as in the old story-books the fair women are very -good and the brunettes very bad, though I have not -always found the distinction to be carried out in real life. -The other chief characteristic of my exterior is that I am -very diminutive, a subject on which I have been “chaffed” -my life long. I have often been induced to complain -that as “Greenwich is the standard for longitude, so Mary -is the standard for shortitude.” In spite of which, it has -been a cherished vanity of mine that I have very long -legs in proportion to my height, and five feet and eight -heads (<i>Anglice</i>) in drawing, was the strange description I -gave of myself to a friend, whose natural rejoinder was, -“What a very remarkable animal!”</p> -<p class='c007'>One of my chief moral attributes was light-heartedness, -and, as Autolycus says:</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“A merry heart goes many a league,</div> - <div class='line'>Your sad one tires in a mile”—</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c020'>which is perhaps the reason of my having been an -indefatigable walker. From my earliest childhood I have -had a decided predilection—I might almost say passion—for -all that is bright and brilliant, in garments, furniture, -decorations. The “sick turned up with sad” which a few -<span class='pageno' id='Page_3'>3</span>years ago held such universal sway in fashion, and which -I devoutly hope is now in the wane, never had any -charms for me. Firmly believing as I do that the colouring -of our native island is not sufficiently cheering of itself -to dispense with cheerful adjuncts, I have wooed external -brightness, which does not seem unnatural to the tastes of -a “Butterfly.” But let me proceed with my narrative.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div id='i002' class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/i002.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'><i>M Boyle</i></span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<div class='c003'></div> -<div class='sidenote'>A NATIVE OF LONDON</div> - -<p class='c010'>Being a native of London, I am an undoubted Cockney, -a circumstance which embittered many of my childish years, -and although by no means of an envious disposition, I -assuredly envied my sister the privilege of being born in -a delightful old Queen Anne’s mansion, in a pretty room, -overhanging a broad gravel terrace, the windows of which -were embowered with roses, jasmine, and honeysuckle—Balls -Park, the home of my uncle, Lord John Townshend—and -I have often upbraided my mother for not having -selected so delightful a spot for my entrance into the -world.<a id='r7' /><a href='#f7' class='c008'><sup>[7]</sup></a></p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f7'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r7'>7</a>. </span>Mary Louisa Boyle, born November 1810, died April 1890.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>At the time of my birth, we were in family three -girls and two boys—Courtenay, Caroline (Caddy as she was -always called), Charles, Charlotte, and myself. But one -day, when I was between three and four, my mother -asked me if I should not like a live doll to play with? -Oh, rapture! Dolls were my passion, but a live doll!—the -idea was ecstasy! How well I can recall my first sight of -my youngest brother, seated on his nurse’s knee, crowned -with one of those quilted contrivances of white satin and -rosy pink, that seemed a link between a baby hat of the -period and a pudding or bourlet of the olden time. Oh! -<span class='pageno' id='Page_4'>4</span>how I then and there loved my live doll, my brother -Cavendish—the little Benjamin of the family!—how I did -love him with the love of more than half a century. How -I love him still, though we no longer tread the earth -together, and how fondly I cling to the hope of a reunion -in that region—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Where those who left us dwell in joy sublime;</div> - <div class='line'>And those we leave will come in God’s good time.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'>But to return to the members of our family.<a id='r8' /><a href='#f8' class='c008'><sup>[8]</sup></a> My parents -were Captain (afterwards Admiral) Sir Courtenay Boyle, -second surviving son of Edmund, seventh Earl of Cork and -Orrery, and Carolina Amelia, daughter of William Poyntz, -of Midgham House, Berkshire.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f8'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r8'>8</a>. </span>Vice-Admiral The Hon. Sir Courtenay Boyle, born 1770; married -1799 Carolina Amelia, daughter of William Poyntz, Esq., of Midgham, -Co. Berks; died May 1844.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Issue of above</span>:</p> - -<p class='c010'>Courtenay Edmund William, Capt. R.N., born 1800; married 1836 -Mary, daughter of W. Wallace Ogle, Esq.; died 1859.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Charles John, born 1806, died 1885; married 1849 Zacyntha Moore, -daughter of General Sir Lorenzo Moore.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Cavendish Spencer, born 1814; married 1844 Rose Susan, daughter -of Captain C. Alexander, Royal Engineers; died 1868.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Carolina, born 1803, died 1883.</p> - -<p class='c010'>Mary Louisa, born 1810, died 1890.</p> -</div> -<div class='c003'></div> -<div class='sidenote'>“THE DIVINE PHILOSOPHER”</div> - -<p class='c007'>As this is a book of confessions as well as of reminiscences, -I may as well make a clean breast of it at once, and -own that I take a pride in ancestry, and love Heraldry -and History, and many of the “ries,” even as scientific -people love the “ologies.” I am proud of my descent -<span class='pageno' id='Page_5'>5</span>because my forefathers were many of them great and good -men; and I once boasted that I could find five of them in -Biographical Dictionaries, inclusive of Robert Boyle, “the -Divine Philosopher of the World,” who has been described -in one of the aforesaid books as “the Father of Chemistry -and the brother of the Earl of Cork.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>I certainly admit, “that it is better to have a glory of -your own, not borrowed of your fathers;” but surely it is -better to have that than “none at all.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>“I do not care about ancestry,” said my dear friend, -Mayne Dickens, to me one day.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Well,” said I, “you are better off than any of us in -that respect, for your great ancestor is still alive; but will -not his children’s children glory in his name?”</p> - -<p class='c007'>On my mother’s side I claim collateral relationship with -Rosamund Clifford. Now this involves a moral question. -May I be pardoned for feeling any pride on that account? -It is so romantic, so pathetic a tale, the scandal, if there -were any, dates so many centuries back! The damsel was -so fair. Besides, has not our beloved “Laureate” of late -wiped the blot from fair Rosamund’s escutcheon?</p> - -<p class='c007'>My father had served with great distinction in the Navy, -into which he had entered at the very early age of ten, and -had been midshipman on board Lord Nelson’s ship, with -whom he was a great favourite. I have in my possession -two autograph letters of the Hero’s, one written with -the right, the other with the left hand, which I will insert -here. The first is addressed to Lord Cork; the second to -my father.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c003'> - <div><span class='pageno' id='Page_6'>6</span><i>Lord Nelson to Lord Cork, written by the Right Hand.</i></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='c021'><span class='sc'>Portsmouth</span>, <i>22nd July 1787</i>.</div> - -<p class='c022'><span class='sc'>My Lord</span>,—I have received your letter of the 17th -wherein you seem to think that my advice in regard to -Courtenay may be of service to him. I wish it may, therefore -will give it. In the first place, it is necessary he should -be made complete in his navigation—and if this war -continues, French is absolutely necessary. Drawing is -an accomplishment that possibly a sea-officer may want. -You will see almost the necessity of it when employed -in foreign countries. Indeed the honour of the nation -is so often entrusted to sea-officers, that there is no accomplishment -that will not shine with peculiar lustre in -them. He must nearly have served his time, therefore -he cannot be so well employed as gaining knowledge. -If I can at any time be of service to him, he may always -call upon me. His charming disposition will ever make -him Friends, and he may as well join the ship when his -brother goes to the Continent.—I have the honour to be, -my Lord,—Your most obedient humble servant,</p> -<div class='c023'><span class='sc'>Horatio Nelson</span>,</div> -<p class='c024'><span class='sc'>Earl Cork.</span></p> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c003'> - <div><i>Nelson with the Left Hand.</i></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='c021'>“<span class='sc'>Victory</span>,” <i>18th August 1803</i>.</div> - -<p class='c022'><span class='sc'>My Dear Boyle</span>,—I am very happy to have you in so -fine a frigate under my command, for I am ever yours most -faithfully,</p> -<div class='c023'><span class='sc'>Nelson</span> and <span class='sc'>Bronte</span>.</div> -<p class='c025'>Honble. <span class='sc'>C. Boyle</span>,</p> -<p class='c026'>H.M.S. <i>Seahorse</i>,</p> -<p class='c027'>Malta.</p> -<div class='c003'></div> -<div class='sidenote'>MY FATHER SHIPWRECKED</div> - -<p class='c007'>During the war with France in the year 1800, my father -<span class='pageno' id='Page_7'>7</span>suffered shipwreck on the coast of Egypt, and narrowly -escaped with his life. He sent all his crew ashore before -he himself left the sinking vessel, headed by an officer with -a flag of truce, to make terms with a detachment of French -soldiers (the country being then in the occupation of -Napoleon’s army), and these soldiers stood on the beach, -calmly watching the dangers and struggles of the shipwrecked -mariners, as they endeavoured to gain the shore -on hastily-constructed rafts, through surf which threatened -to swamp them. The sea was running very high, and -many of their provisions and possessions were floated -off and lost to them for ever. The locality was near -Rosetta, and the Frenchmen, in spite of promises of -assistance and protection—which men of any chivalrous -feeling would surely have afforded to an enemy in such -straits—plundered the English sailors, ill-treated them, and -threw them into prison, a fate which also befell their -commanding officer on landing.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The history of that portion of my father’s life is a long, -and to me, interesting one. Suffice it to say, that from all -the officials with whom he had to deal, both he and his men -met with the harshest and most unjust treatment. Many -of his crew succumbed under the hardships to which they -were exposed in their dreary and noisome prison-houses. -The bright exception to these hard-hearted functionaries -was Marshal Kléber, one of Napoleon’s most distinguished -generals, a man of high courage, proverbial generosity, and -great personal beauty. He was Governor of Cairo at the -time, and showed my father especial favour, allowing him -out of prison, “on parole,” and courting his society on -<span class='pageno' id='Page_8'>8</span>every occasion. He also presented him with a sword, -which I grieve to say did not become an heirloom in the -family as my father made it an offering to the Prince -Regent.</p> - -<p class='c007'>There were many among those who surrounded the -Governor, to whom my father was an object of dislike and -jealousy, and when General Kléber was assassinated by a -fanatic, my father was accused of being an accomplice of -the assassin, and condemned to death. His only companion -and comforter in those terrible hours being his favourite -pointer, “Malta,” who kept him warm by lying on his chest -at night, and scaring away the rats and scorpions which -infested the cell. While awaiting the completion of his -sentence, the prisoner wrote a most pathetic and eloquent -farewell to his wife in England, then expecting her confinement. -I subjoin the letter, in order that my readers -may judge if the epithets I have bestowed on it be ill-chosen. -I have read it over and over again, at many -periods of my life, and every time</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“It did beguile me of my tears.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div id='i008a' class='figcenter id005'> -<img src='images/i008a.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'>VICE-ADMIRAL THE HON. SIR COURTENAY BOYLE.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<div class='figcenter id006'> -<img src='images/i008b.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'>THE HON. LADY BOYLE.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<div class='c000'></div> -<div class='sidenote'>LETTER OF CAPT. COURTENAY BOYLE</div> - -<div class='c021'><span class='sc'>From my Prison in the Citadel of Cairo</span>,</div> -<div class='c023'><i>19th June 1800</i>.</div> - -<p class='c022'>Should this ever come to the hands of my beloved wife, -I shall be no more. Torn from this world by a cruel -enemy, I have been bound to answer for the safety of -another captive, a French prisoner in the hands of the -Turks, our allies. Should I, however, innocent of the -crime imputed to me, suffer this unmerited death, I trust in -God that I shall possess sufficient fortitude to die as -a man, and sufficient religion to die as becomes a Christian.</p> - -<p class='c022'>My last prayer will be for the happiness and comfort of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_9'>9</span>my beloved wife, and of her child, should it have pleased -God that she has survived her lying-in. So high an -opinion have I of her devout mind and excellent heart, -that I shall only recommend her to instil into this dear -infant its mother’s principles and virtue.</p> - -<p class='c022'>Assure our friends, my loved Carolina, and particularly -our dear mother, that my soul—which will pray to -God to receive it during the last moments that it lingers -here—will quit this world with emotions of gratitude for -kindness to us both, and with a conviction of its continuance -to you and to our child.... I cannot write more in -the wretched prison where I am confined.</p> - -<p class='c022'>Summon, dear Carolina, your utmost fortitude, and -endeavour by prayer to console yourself in this world of -trial.</p> - -<p class='c022'>This is the tribute I ask to be paid to the memory of a -husband, who wished only to live to promote your happiness. -Let my just debts be paid; and give to John -Stephens, an old and trusty servant of my father, fifty -pounds. Prove this my last will—leaving and bequeathing -everything I possess to my beloved wife, Carolina Amelia -Boyle.</p> - -<p class='c022'>Wrote in prison, in the citadel of Cairo, after having -had an audience with the French general-in-chief, Menou, -who informed me that he had determined on my death, -and that no application should make him move from his -determination.</p> - -<p class='c022'>Adieu, for ever! My much-loved and esteemed wife, -adieu!</p> -<div class='c023'><span class='sc'>Courtenay Boyle.</span></div> - -<p class='c006'>The cruel sentence would assuredly have been carried -into execution, but for the timely arrival in those waters -of the gallant Admiral, Sir Sydney Smith, whose influence -effected an interchange of prisoners; and so Captain -Courtenay Boyle, with his faithful dog, “Malta,” returned -in safety to his native land.</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_10'>10</span>My mother was one of the most beautiful women I -have ever seen, in form, feature and complexion, and -remained so till old age, and even after death. My eldest -brother bore the name “Courtenay,” and, following the -profession of his father, he also went to sea when quite -a boy. I can well remember our sorrow at his departure, -and how, shortly after, there was some vague dread and -anxiety respecting him, which I did not quite understand -at the time, till on his sudden re-appearance the mystery -was solved. He had gone on his first cruise in the (not -good) ship <i>Meander</i>, which proved unseaworthy, and -narrowly escaped foundering. My brother was asleep in -his berth at the moment of extreme peril, and one of -the officers forbade that he should be disturbed. “Leave -the poor little chap in peace,” he said, “and let him awake -in Heaven.”... But our middy came back in safety and -lived to be an admiral. He brought home with him -specimens of the <i>Meander</i>’s timber, which would have -made Mr Plimsoll’s hair stand on end, for they crumbled -away in our hands like so much touchwood.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Courtenay’s first cruise I commemorated in rather a -peculiar manner, by giving the name of “Meander” to my -little bay mare, the first palfrey I ever mounted; and I am -glad to say the name brought no ill-luck either to pony or -rider. Courtenay was the very moral of a sailor—frank, light-hearted, -open-handed, impulsive, of a most impressionable -and susceptible heart, which he was in the constant habit -of losing to every pretty girl he met. He was frequently -engaged (perhaps I had better say entangled) before he -had attained Post rank. His promotion came to him -<span class='pageno' id='Page_11'>11</span>early. One day he arrived at Hampton Court (before -the days that railroads made the old Palace little more -than a suburb of London), when his appearance in a yellow -“po chay” called forth astonishment and upbraidings at -his extravagance. “How else,” was the proud reply, -“should a Post-captain travel?” After passing through -many vicissitudes in respect of affairs of the heart, -Courtenay married one whose remarkable personal -charms were her chief recommendation.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>CAROLINE AND CHARLES BOYLE</div> - -<p class='c007'>Next in succession came my sister Caroline (Caddy), -who was often absent from home, going abroad with our -Uncle and Aunt Poyntz, whose three daughters<a id='r9' /><a href='#f9' class='c008'><sup>[9]</sup></a> were -nearer her age and more fitted to be her companions -than myself, her junior by several years. Wherever she -went, Caddy was much admired. Her colouring was exceptionally -bright, and even in her eightieth year, her eyes -literally sparkled, and her complexion was of that red -and white, so softly blent that it might have become an -infant in the cradle. Yet the real, surpassing gift of -beauty was reserved for my brother Charles. Ah! what -a store of love and memory is connected with that dear -name, and how well did the Greek epithet “Kalos” -become him, which implies in its melodious sound both -moral and physical beauty. The term beautiful does not -appear, perhaps, often applicable to a man, but it certainly -was to Charles. In feature, colouring and expression he -was the counterpart of our mother, the same soft brown -hair, the same sapphire blue eyes, the same faultless outline -<span class='pageno' id='Page_12'>12</span>of profile. I have a very fine painting of him by -Samuel Reynolds, the son of the celebrated engraver. I -have also a sketch of his head, a crayon drawing of great -beauty, which is doubly valuable to me, as the work and -precious gift of our dear friend and world-famed painter, -George Watts.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f9'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r9'>9</a>. </span>Frances, Lady Clinton; Elizabeth, Countess Spencer; Isabella, -Marchioness of Exeter.</p> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Blest be the hand, whose touch can give</div> - <div class='line'>The looks that last, the smiles that live!</div> - <div class='line'>Blest be the hand that gives us back</div> - <div class='line'>The looks we miss, the smiles we lack,</div> - <div class='line'>‘Mid time and absence, distance, space,</div> - <div class='line'>Recalls the one familiar face</div> - <div class='line'>With us to dwell, with us abide,</div> - <div class='line'>Which our own tears alone can hide!”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'>An earlier friend, John Hayter, brother of Sir George -Hayter, some time President of the Royal Academy, also -made an equestrian sketch in coloured crayons of Charles -in a gorgeous Albanian costume, which he brought with -him from Greece, on his return from a cruise with our -sailor brother. I shall never forget the sensation caused -at the fancy ball at Brighton, when our young Albanian -appeared with his sister Caroline, also arrayed in a genuine -Greek costume. They were indeed a most beautiful pair, -and looked the very embodiment of the hero and heroine -of one of Byron’s Eastern poems.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Fourth in succession came a little blue-eyed, fair-haired -sister, Charlotte by name, who died when only six years -old. In what high relief do such early records stand out -on the tablet of a child’s memory. Never shall I forget -the tone of deep melancholy in which my mother would -<span class='pageno' id='Page_13'>13</span>exclaim: “No one knows what real sorrow is till they -have lost a child.”</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>EPITAPH ON CHARLOTTE BOYLE</div> - -<p class='c007'>Charlotte’s burial-place is at Preston, in Kent, not far -from Sheerness, where we were then living, and was chosen -not alone on account of proximity. The church contains -an elaborate monument erected by our ancestor, the first -Earl of Cork, after he had made his fortune, to the memory -of his parents, both natives of Kent. This monument has, -I grieve to say, been suffered to fall into decay, although I -have frequently raised my feeble voice in expostulation on -the subject. My uncle, Lord John Townshend, wrote my -little sister’s epitaph, which is inscribed on a marble tablet -in Preston church. To me the lines have ever appeared -pathetic, although penned in the old-fashioned style of -those days. After recording the dates of her birth and -death, they go on to say:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Scarce yet had smiled thy early dawn of day,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Youth’s roseate buds just opening into bloom,</div> - <div class='line'>When wintry winds, that chilled thy lovely May,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Shed all thy with’ring blossoms on the tomb.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“But blest, fair child, blest far above thy years,</div> - <div class='line in2'>With filial piety and duteous love,</div> - <div class='line'>Thy sure reward restrains our selfish tears</div> - <div class='line in2'>And lifts our hearts to Charlotte’s bliss above.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'>Some years ago, when on a visit to my dear friend, -Charles Dickens, I made a pilgrimage to the tombs of -my ancestors, and that of my little sister. Knocking -boldly at the door of the Rectory, I told my errand to -the clergyman, asking him at the same time for the key -of the church. He discreetly allowed me to remain alone -<span class='pageno' id='Page_14'>14</span>for some time, and when he followed me, naturally enquired -to whom he was speaking. Now, I flatter myself, -that my mode of self-introduction was rather original. -Pointing to a portion of the monument in question, recording -the early demise of a certain Mary Boyle, who -had died at least two hundred years before, “That is -my name,” I said, “and I am very much obliged to you -for your kindness.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>I came between Charlotte and Cavendish, and of the -latter I shall make constant mention, as being closely -bound up with my life and heartstrings.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_15'>15</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER II<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>LIFE IN A DOCKYARD—FRIENDS, FAVOURITES AND RETAINERS</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>Few people have had more homes than I, and few have -resided in those homes for, comparatively speaking, so -short a consecutive time. I have often said during a -long life that I might lay claim in some measure to -the character of a gipsy; but then, in the language of -the profession to which I always boast that I belong -by taste and inclination, I most assuredly never “looked -the part.” The first home I recollect is that of Sheerness -Dockyard, when my father was Commissioner, and where, -with occasional flittings, we remained until I had attained -my eighth year. Remote as that period appears in retrospect, -Sheerness and its environs are indelibly impressed -on my memory—the frightful town, the hideous chapel, -the bustling dockyard with its numerous shipping, the -comfortable house, where I can still walk in recollection -through every room, the pleasant garden, and the pretty -conservatory with a large aviary at the end, which contained -our favourite birds.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Alas! how well I remember one day as I went in to -pay a visit to my feathered friends, I found that the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_16'>16</span>mousetrap which had been set for the robber of bird-seed, -had caught and beheaded one of our prettiest bull-finches.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The life we led at Sheerness was very peculiar, and I -question whether in those bygone days the Viceroy of India, -or Ireland, or any other representative potentate, could have -been held in higher consideration than the Commissioner -of a Dockyard. I am speaking, of course, of our circumscribed -official circle. As to the Commissioner’s children, -they were looked upon as little else than princes and -princesses on a small scale, and to our numerous retainers -the slightest wish of the youngest member of -the family was as law. This remark held good more -particularly with the boat’s crew, who were the most -devoted and loyal of our subjects. Two of these men -were told off as running grooms to Cavendish and -myself, and accompanied us in our daily rides to one -of the few green spots in the neighbourhood, called the -Major’s March. Here, slipping the reins by which they -had led us for safety through the town, they would gaze -with admiration on our juvenile feats of horsemanship—our -wild careering over what then appeared to us a -vast tract of country. Cavendish’s hack was a small -Welsh pony, “Black Taffy,” the present of a clerk in -my father’s office, who had imported the little charger -from his native hills of Cambria. “Meander,” my pony, -was a bright golden bay, and many were the races and -wild gallops that pretty little pair of ponies afforded us.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Besides our nautical stablemen, the coxswain, a -small but most efficient seaman, was a great favourite -with us all; and once, during the absence of the men-servants, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_17'>17</span>Lowe, as he was by name and stature, did -not disdain to wait in the nursery. One day he caused -us great merriment by stopping in the act of carrying -in the children’s dinner, and placing the wooden tray -on the ground with a bang, exclaiming in a stentorian -voice: “God bless my soul, I’ve forgot the beer!”—the -leg of mutton being left to cool on the carpet, while -Lowe descended to the cellar to fetch what he doubtless -considered the most important item in the repast.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>“LONG GEORGE”</div> - -<p class='c007'>Another remarkable member of the crew was “Long -George,” a handsome giant, but decidedly a <i>mauvais sujet</i>, -who was in constant scrapes and periodical danger of dismissal. -When so placed, he would invariably steal up -to the nursery, and with a timid knock, and in a coaxing -tone, ask if “Miss Mary would be so very good as to beg -Commissioner to let him off this once”; and downstairs -would little Mary fly with a beating heart, to knock -at the door of father’s office. After being kept in -suspense for a few moments, which seemed to her as -many hours, she would scamper back to her “ne’er-do-weel” -with the joyful intelligence that he was forgiven, -but it was positively for the very last time. Some last -times are of frequent recurrence.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Another class of men who came frequently under our -notice were the convicts employed in various ways in the -dockyard. Our nursery windows commanded a view of a -spot where important works were carried on—wharfage, -transport, and the like. It rejoiced in the name of Powder-Monkey -Bay, a title that did not convey a very clear -meaning to our young minds, savouring as it did of a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_18'>18</span>semi-zoological character. In those days criminals convicted -of the worst offences wore round the waist an iron -belt, from which were suspended heavy chains, fastened at -each ankle, such as we see in Hogarth’s painting of -“Macheath,” and other unworthies. From our windows, we -often saw two boys thus accoutred at work, and never did -so without a shudder; they were brothers, about fifteen or -sixteen years of age, who had murdered their mother. A -mother!—in our sight the most sacred, the most beloved of -human beings. But there were different characters and -various moral grades among these men, and perseverance -in good conduct often shortened the period of their imprisonment. -Those who had been artizans were allowed to -carry on and dispose of their work while on board the -hulks; and one of the convicts, who went by the name of -“Tidy Dick,” was permitted to make shoes for the -Commissioner’s children. We were very fond of him, and -participated in his delight when he came to tell us he had -obtained his release. We even added the mite of our -small allowances to the subscription which our father and -mother, the Admiral, and other dignitaries of the dockyard, -had raised to fit out “Tidy Dick” with a new suit of -clothes, in which he came to bid us good-bye. The word -was not invented in those days, but there is no doubt about -it, Dick was a regular “swell.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Another member of the community caused much amusement -to my father, who on one occasion went into his -garden and found a convict at work after the hour that the -warder and the other prisoners had left off for the day.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>“OH! I AM FOR BIGAMY”</div> - -<p class='c007'>“What are you here for?” was the question asked in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_19'>19</span>tones of surprise. The man jumped up hastily from his -kneeling position, and pulling his forelock, answered in -the most cheerful and unconcerned tones: “Oh! I am for -bigamy, Commissioner.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Another convict was a skilful tailor, and was permitted -the privilege of making costumes for our dramatic company -on the occasion of our first play—a subject of great importance, -of which I shall treat hereafter.</p> - -<p class='c007'>But while writing of our friends and retainers, I should -be ungrateful to omit the mention of a warder endowed with -the unusual name of Orper. This man had in our childish -eyes attained the very summit of high art, and if in those -early times we had ever heard of Michel Angelo, we -should have placed Orper on a level with that great man. -It must be confessed his genius was not as versatile, neither -did he even attempt the modelling of the human form -divine; but then his birds! It must also be allowed that his -young patrons displayed much discrimination in classing -and naming the peculiar ornithological representations -which he carved in wood for our delight. These works of -art were more especially objects of our admiration and -desire, when slightly coloured or tinted. In this respect -Orper had an illustrious follower in the celebrated John -Gibson, although we are fain to believe that that eminent -sculptor had never heard of his predecessor.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I have now come to a portion of my narrative which -entails delicate handling, but I have promised that these -pages shall contain confessions, and I will therefore lose no -time in owning frankly that I was ever a flirt, and will -candidly enter on the subject of my juvenile flirtations.</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_20'>20</span>My first love was naturally much older than myself -(being nearly fourteen), and very tall, a very handsome -black-eyed fellow, the son of my father’s dear friend and -colleague, the Port Admiral. He was by fits and starts -very good and condescending to me, and accepted my -devotion in rather a patronizing manner. In fact, he was -the one <i>qui tendait la joue</i>. I blush to acknowledge that -on the Sunday of my first appearance in church (I was -then not much more than five years old) I spent nearly the -whole of the sermon weighing in my own mind the probability -of walking home with George. My wildest hope -was fulfilled, little as I deserved it. Hand-in-hand we -returned from church, where I had been an inattentive -worshipper. My love often passed our nursery windows, -of which there were four—two looking round the respective -corners—and I invariably ran from one to the other, about -the hour I expected his appearance, to watch that beloved, -and to me gigantic, form, and follow it with my eyes out of -sight. But my attachment though ardent, was not of very -long duration; in my juvenile, if fickle, heart, George was -ere long supplanted by no less a personage than the -Commanding Officer of the Depôt. A man of his years, a -soldier, a hero, who wore a Waterloo Medal and a brilliant -uniform—a lover full of compliments—for</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“A winning tongue had he,”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='c000'></div> -<div class='sidenote'>CHILDISH FLIRTATIONS</div> -<p class='c010'>what chance had poor George the school-boy with such a -rival? I used to walk with my sweetheart on the ramparts -to hear the band play, and was often allowed to choose the -air. To this very day I am not quite sure whether -<span class='pageno' id='Page_21'>21</span>gratified vanity or real affection preponderated in my -childish breast. I am inclined, at this distance of time, to -decide in favour of the first-named feeling, for I was most -decidedly puffed up and elated by my military conquest. -He often assured me he could never part from me, and -would ask my father to give me to him, and that he would -place me under a glass case on the chimney-piece of his -barrack-room in whatever quarters he found himself, with -divers similar compliments of the kind, which, I doubt not, -he had addressed before and since to other ears. I listened -with intense delight to his declarations, for I had a very -low opinion of my own personal appearance, as the other -members of my family surpassed me greatly in comeliness. -He also presented me with frequent gifts, two of which I yet -possess, and I still remember him after the lapse of more than -half a century, with feelings of real regard. I never saw him -again, but I read of his death, which occurred at a very -advanced age, with some emotion, and rejoiced at the -encomiums which were passed on him as a man and a -soldier. I had also an adorer of quite another stamp, age, -and profession. He was a contemporary of my father’s, -and a full admiral. I tolerated his attentions, and I am -bound to say accepted many gifts, which was scarcely -honourable in one whose heart was pledged to another. -Sir Thomas Williams (for he was a baronet) gave me one -day a pigeon of most beautiful plumage, who was so tame -as to eat out of my hand, while I on my part, or rather my -father for me, made him the more substantial offering of a -cow. The pigeon was called “Tom,” the cow received the -name of “Mary,” and the exchange was the cause of much -<span class='pageno' id='Page_22'>22</span>bantering on both sides. He was a very benevolent man, -and was the original founder or instigator of that excellent -establishment “The Naval Female School,” to which, out -of regard for my friend’s memory, I became a subscriber -when shillings were even scarcer than they are now, and I -still continue to take a deep interest in the charity.</p> -<div class='sidenote'>EARLY LOVE OF SHAKESPEARE</div> - -<p class='c007'>I am afraid some of these revelations are not calculated -to raise me in the estimation of my readers, yet I must -make another, for I have pledged myself to tell the truth, -and the truth I will tell, I cannot remember how it came -about. I suppose I must have overheard my mother or -my governess (who, by the way, was a most beautiful -young woman) reading Shakespeare, but I took a most -extraordinary (at least so it appeared to my elders) taste—I -may say passion—for the plays of our immortal poet. I -found out where these volumes were placed on the bookshelf, -and, one after another, would take them down and -devour them with my eyes—the <i>Midsummer Night’s -Dream</i>, with its enchanting scenes of fairyland, being my -especial favourite. So far, no harm was done; but alas! -for the unfortunate day when I overheard (with the proverbially -sharp ears of a little pitcher) my father enlarging -to a friend of his on my wonderful taste in literature. The -two men agreed that such a predilection and such a precocious -power of appreciation showed undoubted promise -of future talent. Alas! for the little eavesdropper, who -had hitherto enjoyed her Shakespeare on her own account -in a simple and single-minded manner. Now, for the first -(do I boast, if I say for the last?) time in my life, I posed. -When company came to dinner and I was allowed to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_23'>23</span>appear in the drawing-room for the brief and dreary period -which intervenes between the arrival of the guests and -the announcement that “they are served,” I brought in my -favourite volume, and was usually found by my father’s -friends in an attitude of deep absorption, poring over the -pages, and fondly hoping that the company would think -me very clever indeed, for I knew father did. I little -guessed at the time that I should look back upon myself -as I do now, and have for many, many years past, as a -revolting little prig. The poses are over, the audiences are -not needed, and I love my Shakespeare for himself, and -myself, without any ulterior consideration. On the -occasion of these, usually official, banquets, I made profound -reflections on the law of precedence, as I saw it -carried out in one Commissioner’s house, and I came to the -conclusion that I did not wish to be a lady of the first -standing, as they never had a chance of going in to dinner -with the Middies.</p> - -<p class='c007'>One more incident I must recall which was the cause -of the greatest amusement and delight to us children, and -was indeed planned entirely for our delectation. Two -admirals, both well-known and honoured in later years, -came to dinner rather early one evening. One was Sir -James Gordon, afterwards Governor of Greenwich -Hospital, a tall and handsome man, with only one -leg, having replaced the other (which he lost, I believe, -in action) by what was then called a “Greenwich -pensioner”—an ordinary wooden substitute, such as was -used by common seamen. The other was Sir Watkin -Pell, and he also had but one leg, but, being more of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_24'>24</span>a dandy in such matters, he had provided himself with -a shapely cork leg and foot, with its smart silk stocking -and jaunty pump. Sir James Gordon, on whose knee -I was sitting at the moment, asked if the children would -not like to see a race between the two one-leggers. The -dining-room was divided from the drawing-room by a long -and somewhat spacious hall. This he proposed as their -race-course, and, amid the clapping of big and small -hands, the cheering on and the backing of Sir James -Gordon (who was our idol) by the younger ones, the two -admirals started, and the Scotchman won in a canter, to -our infinite delight.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I now come to a most important episode in my -existence, namely my first appearance on what I still -fondly call the right side of the footlights, a circumstance -most deeply interesting to myself, in which I shall -endeavour to enlist the sympathy of my readers.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_25'>25</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER III<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>MY FIRST PLAY—MARRIAGE OF THE DUKE OF CLARENCE—DEPARTURE FOR SHEERNESS</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>A subject of such deep and vital interest, to a mind so -dramatically constituted as mine, demands a separate -chapter. My brother Charles came home for the holidays, -from Charterhouse, just in time to celebrate the fourth -anniversary of Cavendish’s birthday, and this we proposed -to do on a scale of unprecedented magnificence. For we -entertained the astounding idea of writing and performing -a Tragedy, in which the company, though consisting only of -three persons, were to enact seven characters, the principal -<i>rôle</i> being undertaken by the authoress, as well as the stage -management, decorations, costumes, properties and business.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The plot was of a most thrilling and sensational character, -for the better understanding of which I subjoin a -Bill of the Play—not as it was, but as it ought to have been.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>BY EXPRESS COMMAND AND UNDER THE ESPECIAL PATRONAGE</div> - <div class='c000'>OF THE</div> - <div class='c000'>COMMISSIONER OF THE DOCKYARD</div> - <div class='c000'>WILL BE</div> - <div class='c000'><i>Performed for the first time on the 12th May 18—</i></div> - <div class='c000'>THE ROMANTIC AND TRAGICAL DRAMA</div> - <div class='c000'>OF</div> - <div class='c000'>“THE KING AND THE USURPER”</div> - <div class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_26'>26</span><i>DRAMATIS PERSONÆ</i></div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table2' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='28%' /> -<col width='43%' /> -<col width='28%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c028'>CAVENDISH,</td> - <td class='blt c029'><i>King of Little Britain, a Crusader, a Hero and a Lover.</i>,</td> - <td class='blt c028'><span class='sc'>Cavendish Boyle.</span></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c028'>OSMAN,</td> - <td class='blt c029'><i>An Ex-Slave, a Rebel, and a Usurper,</i></td> - <td class='blt c028'><span class='sc'>Charles Boyle.</span></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c028'>THEODORE,</td> - <td class='blt c029'><i>The Brother-in-Arms and Confidant of the King</i>,</td> - <td class='blt c028'><span class='sc'>Mary Boyle.</span></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c028'>SELIM</td> - <td class='blt c029'><i>Confidant of Osman</i>,</td> - <td class='blt c028'><span class='sc'>Mary Boyle.</span></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c028'>HIGH PRIEST,</td> - <td class='blt c029'> </td> - <td class='blt c028'><span class='sc'>Charles Boyle.</span></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c028'>IRENE,</td> - <td class='blt c029'><i>A Converted Slave, betrothed to the King</i>,</td> - <td class='blt c028'><span class='sc'>Mary Boyle.</span></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c028'>ZAYDAH,</td> - <td class='blt c029'><i>Her Countrywoman and Confidante</i></td> - <td class='blt c028'><span class='sc'>Charles Boyle.</span></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><span class='sc'>Locality.</span>—<i>The Capital of Little Britain.</i></div> - <div><span class='sc'>Period.</span>—<i>Any time during the Crusades and in the very Dark Ages.</i></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>The name of Little Britain was given out of compliment -to the tender years of its monarch, and had no -special geographical significance. The curtain drew up -on a scene in the palace, where Zaydah announces to -her mistress that Osman, the would-be usurper of the -throne, desires an audience in the absence of the King, -he being deeply smitten with the charms of his lovely -fellow-countrywoman. The idea is revolting to the mind -of the beautiful Irene. She will not listen for one moment -to one word from the lips of this monster of ingratitude, -who, not content with endeavouring to supplant his master -on the throne, would now attempt to do so in the affections -of his beloved. But the rebel is not to be so easily dismissed, -and with what a burst of virtuous indignation is he -received by the Prima Donna, in whose lofty breast love for -one man and hatred for another are now waging war! The -words forbidding Osman to lift her hand to his lips—lest -<span class='pageno' id='Page_27'>27</span>it should not be “worth her King’s acceptance” when -soiled by his barbarous touch—were given in manner -worthy of Mrs Siddons, and fairly brought down the -house; while the swift transitions of dress and character -would have done honour to Mr Irving’s <i>Lyons Mail</i>, -had that eminent actor lived at the time. You had -scarcely lost sight of the turban, trousers, and scimitar of -the rebel, when your eyes were riveted by the charming -<i>confidante</i>, Zaydah, like her lovely mistress, a convert to -the Christian faith—for the play it may be seen had a -decidedly religious as well as moral tendency.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>I APPEAR AS A SOLDIER</div> - -<p class='c007'>A tender love-scene had no sooner passed between His -Sacred Majesty and his betrothed wife, than he was to be -seen in earnest conversation with his friend and brother-in-arms, -the noble Theodore. In the character of this gallant -soldier, Mary was universally allowed to show a masculine -vigour and a warlike deportment scarcely to be expected -from an actress, however talented. I can well remember -how the pride of wearing a hat of unequivocally modern -aspect, and flourishing a naked sword, much bigger than -myself, made the moment of my appearance as Theodore -one of the proudest of my life! In a drama of this -nature, virtue was of course triumphant, vice and ingratitude -defeated. A terrible scene ensued, in which -Osman appeared on the stage flying before an unseen -enemy, a victim to remorse, disappointed love and ambition, -and commenced, before the audience, to commit -that suicide which was supposed to be completed behind -the scenes, whither he had repaired to change his dress. -Here was our sister Caroline, who, not sharing to the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_28'>28</span>full our dramatic enthusiasm, had refused to appear on -the stage, but nevertheless “had kindly consented” -(after the fashion of Mr Sims Reeves) to take the part -of the “Insurrection,” in which character she was much -admired in her spasmodic performance on the kettledrum.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The last scene was the Celebration of the Nuptials of -King Cavendish and the lovely Irene, their hands being -joined by a religious functionary of a most venerable -aspect, a snow-white beard descending to his girdle, but -of somewhat equivocal denomination. If any fault should -be found with an inexperienced though talented author, -in respect of calling the minister who performed the -marriage ceremony a high priest, and dressing him in -Judaical rather than Christian vestments, she would offer -as an excuse the observation which a lady, famous for -her lisp, once made when speaking of the late Lord -Lytton: “We mutht make allowantheth for the ecthentrithiteh -of geniuth.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>So fell the curtain on three first appearances, amidst -the deafening and enthusiastic applause of an audience -composed of very different ingredients; for the Admiral -was there and his family, the clergyman and doctor with -their wives, the Officer in Command of the garrison, and -many other members of the highest importance and standing -in the dockyard, as well as minor officials, warders, -boat’s crew, and domestic servants, etc.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The whole community rang with the praises of the -manner in which the great Dramatic Entertainment had -been carried out. Indeed I never can forget the pride -with which we listened to the verdict of the head-gardener, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_29'>29</span>who was a man of culture (in every sense I emphasize -the word), when he assured us that the latter part of -the play was the finest thing he had ever seen in all -his life. The tailor (a convict) who made the gentlemen’s -costumes, also participated in the success, and I remember -the delight with which my mother heard, on the day -following the representation, how little Cavendish had -thanked the <i>costumier</i> most graciously for making the -royal robes so well. Let me pause to say they were -indeed gorgeous, being constructed out of some old -scarlet moreen curtains, bound with yellow cotton ferret, -the kingly cap surmounted by a splendid brass ornament, -which had fallen off one of the old chairs. “I wish I -was really a king,” said the little four-year-old monarch to -the convict, “and then I would set you free at once.”</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>WELCOME TO THE DUKE</div> - -<p class='c007'>Before taking leave of our life at Sheerness, I must -mention that my father and mother were appointed to -meet and welcome the Duke and Duchess of Clarence, -when the Duchess first came to England as a bride. -I am not sure where the meeting took place, but I have -a vague idea that it must have been at Gravesend, -and that my parents went there in the yacht, called the -<i>Chatham</i>, which was always at the Commissioner’s disposal, -and in which we often went to London, a voyage -of exquisite delight to us children. At all events, I know -that Queen Adelaide always said that my mother was -her first English friend, while the Duke of Clarence had -already shown great favour to my father, and had stood -godfather to my poor little lost sister. The last incident -that I can remember at Sheerness is being taken to the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_30'>30</span>Ramparts, to see the flags of all the ships stationed in -the harbour hoisted half-mast high, in consequence of -the death of King George III. I have but a dim recollection -of the circumstances of our departure, but I know -it cost Cavendish and myself bitter tears to part from -our humble friends, the boat’s crew, the warders, and the -convicts, all of whom participated in our regret.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>SOMERSET HOUSE</div> - -<p class='c007'>Thus it will be seen I have lived in the reigns of four -sovereigns, and without myself having been attached -to a Court, I have seen much at different times of a Court -life, as both my father and mother, my eldest brother and -sister, were all members of royal households. Moreover, -our lines fell in royal residences. My mother in her -capacity of bed-chamber woman to Queen Charlotte, had -a small set of apartments apportioned to her in the -intervals of waiting (and even after the Queen’s death) in -St James’ Palace; and she subsequently became the -occupant of an excellent suite of rooms in the Palace -of Hampton Court. Again, my father who—on leaving -the dockyard of Sheerness had an appointment at the -Navy Board—came into possession of a very good house -attached to that office, in Somerset House, which, likewise, -comes under the category of royal residences, or at least -did so at one time. In the days of which I am now -speaking, there were no buildings on the opposite side -of Wellington Street, or, at all events, not sufficient to -obstruct the pretty view of the river as far as Westminster -Abbey from our windows. Here, as at Sheerness, we -children enjoyed great privileges. The terrace overhanging -the Thames was a pleasant and favourite resort, and there -<span class='pageno' id='Page_31'>31</span>was always a boat at the disposal of the governess and the -schoolroom, and two boatmen of our own, successors in -our regard to the Sheerness crew. One of them in -particular, an intelligent little hunchback, won our esteem, -although he, shortly after our arrival, obtained the name of -“Danny Man,” from his unworthy prototype in the celebrated -novel of the “Collegians,” a book which made -so much noise at the time of its publication.</p> - -<p class='c007'>It was our great delight to go by water on Sunday -afternoon to Westminster Abbey, and there is no doubt we -occasionally cut a grand figure on the river; for when my -father went out he had a splendid barge, rowed by -boatmen clad entirely in scarlet, with black jockey caps, -such as in those picturesque old days formed part of that -beautiful river procession in honour of the Lord Mayor, on -the 9th of November, over the disappearance of which -pageant I have often mourned. We occasionally had -picnics, and went down to Greenwich or elsewhere in our -splendid barge; and I well remember one day when I had -the honour (for so it appeared to me) of dancing a reel -with one of our scarlet boatmen and a blue jacket, a -regular salt, who was one of the family.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Whilst we are on river topics, I cannot refrain from -recalling an incident which amused every one very much -including the royal personage who figures in it. One day -at Hampton Court when the City barge came down, we -went to see her as she arrived in front of the water-gallery -at the end of the terrace in the royal gardens. Here the -Duchess of Clarence was to embark for luncheon, and, -when the feast was ready, naturally walked first towards -<span class='pageno' id='Page_32'>32</span>the companion, which was narrow and did not admit of -two abreast. Suddenly, quick as a flash of lightning, came -the Lady Mayoress, and, brushing past her royal guest, -exclaimed: “Beg pardon, your Royal Highness, I take -precedence here.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>And no doubt she had the <i>pas</i>, for the Lady Mayoress -is queen of the river to within a certain distance of Temple -Bar; but the good lady little knew of how much merriment -she was the occasion.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_33'>33</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER IV<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>EARLY DRAMATIC RECOLLECTIONS—RESIDENCE AT HAMPTON COURT</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>Some of our more fashionable friends in London complained -of Somerset House “being a long way off,” that -ambiguous term which, I suppose in those days, meant -a long way from exclusive Mayfair. So indeed it was, -but it was not far from the theatres, which, in my estimation, -represented Elysium. We had two cousins, both -influential in regard to position and fortune, but whose -grandeur came home to me as being part proprietors of -Drury Lane and the Lyceum. My father was a great -lover of the drama, and would often apply for one or other -of our kinsmen’s boxes. I can still recall the thrill of joy -with which I used to see, on our return from a walk or -drive, the large silver ticket, looking more like some -official badge, which the Duke of Devonshire had sent us, -lying on the hall table, promising a night of rapture—for -my father generally stipulated that little Mary should be of -the party. I well believe that if I gave myself a little -trouble I could bring back to my mind the names of -almost every play, and every actor and actress I ever -<span class='pageno' id='Page_34'>34</span>saw in those schoolroom days. One piece in particular -captivated my girlish fancy: it was called <i>The Cornish -Miners</i>, and it is worth my while to remember it, for in -that play I first saw those matchless <i>artistes</i>, the Keeleys -(hear it, ye gods!) before their marriage. Yes, Mrs Keeley, -I venture to hope you will honour this poor tribute with a -perusal. It was there I saw Miss Howard, as the boy hero -who volunteered to go down the shaft and rescue his -comrades, from what peril, and in what manner, I cannot -say. My father predicted the future success of the charming -young actress, and I can recall even now the delightful -comedian who ere long became her husband, with his -laughter-provoking face, and lackadaisical air, carrying a -lighted candle in the band of his miner’s cap.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>YOUNG, POWER, AND LEVER</div> - -<p class='c007'>Of how many years of entertainment and genial amusement -to me was that night the forerunner. I can also -remember one of the first performances of the <i>Freischütz</i>, -or, as it was then popularly called, the <i>Der Freischütz</i>, in -London. Likewise some kind of musical burlesque, in -which Madame Vestris sang all the favourite airs of that -charming opera, showing how the nurse lulled her bantling -to sleep, how the footman blacked the shoes, and how the -housemaid trundled the mop, to the soft strains of the -various choruses of Weber’s beautiful masterpiece. In -those far-off days there was no elaborately-painted drop to -give a cheerful termination to the end of the entertainment, -but a gloomy, dark-green baize curtain, with which my -spirits fell at the same moment, betokening a termination -to that night’s joy; and who could tell when the delight-giving -cousin would be again propitious. I amused my -<span class='pageno' id='Page_35'>35</span>friend Mr Irving<a id='r10' /><a href='#f10' class='c008'><sup>[10]</sup></a> by telling him one day that I had been -brought up in the stage-box at his theatre, which was then -the property of our cousin, Lord Exeter. Yes, it was -there I first saw dear Charles Young in <i>The Stranger</i>, -and cried so bitterly that my red and swollen eyes prevented -my appearing at the ball to which I had been -looking forward for weeks; it was then that I made -acquaintance with Power, one of the best Irishmen that -ever trod or tripped the stage. I say this, not excepting -the inimitable Boucicault himself, or my true friend and -fellow-actor, Charles Lever. But I must pull up, or my -dramatic hobby will take the bit in his mouth, and convert -every theatre into Astley’s. Adorable Astley’s!—what a -treat you were to me, and how I loved Mazeppa and his -horse, the friends of so many years, who continued to urge -on his wild career far beyond the allotted span of an equine -life; how often have I watched the dear old beast -swimming across the mighty rushing river after the -tempting bin of corn, visible to my eyes from a -side-box.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f10'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r10'>10</a>. </span>Now Sir Henry Irving.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>I am perhaps a little more fastidious now, but the -dramatic passion exists in all its fervour, and will till the -curtain drops and the lights are extinguished.</p> - -<p class='c007'>But to turn once more to real life. The neighbourhood -of Somerset House had other advantages beside those of -the theatres, for the Royal Academy still existed under its -roof, and almost every Monday morning during the -Exhibition, we young ones used to go with our governess to -pay the pictures a visit immediately on the opening of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_36'>36</span>doors, when the rooms were empty, swept and garnished, -before the crowd and its accompanying dust had arrived. -Then there was a walk with father in the early morning -to Covent Garden, when the alleys were all watered, the -flowers all fresh and fragrant, and the market uncrowded.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Cavendish and I had several governesses before the -Miss Richardson of whom I have spoken elsewhere, but -the sad time arrived when my darling companion was -to betake himself to the Charterhouse, which our brother -Charles had lately left in the proud character of orator, -a dignity which was afterwards reached in the next -generation by another member<a id='r11' /><a href='#f11' class='c008'><sup>[11]</sup></a> of our family. On the -night ordained for Cavendish’s departure, an upper boy -came to our house, who was to be his master at school. -At that moment I half disliked good John Horner, because -he carried off my beloved brother; but the transient -dislike soon changed into a tender friendship, which -lasted many years. To break the fall, as it were, my -father allowed me to accompany him and the two boys -to the old Carthusian edifice, and I proceeded thither with -the heaviest of hearts, my position rendered all the more -cruel, because I had been forbidden to shed one tear, and -was desired to sit far back in the carriage and not show -myself. For the school-boy that was to be, assured me -that the fellows always chaffed a new arrival about his -sister. This was a terrible wound, but in the course of -time I became a frequent visitor at Charterhouse, was -allowed to go on the green (cruel misnomer for the black -<span class='pageno' id='Page_37'>37</span>patch where they played cricket), and, if the truth be -told, made close friendships with some of the “fellows.” -Alfred Montgomery, Frank Sheridan, and John Horner -often came to our house with Cavendish from Saturday -till Sunday night, to my inexpressible delight! There -are none left now to talk over old Charterhouse days -with me!</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f11'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r11'>11</a>. </span>The Editor of these Memoirs, Sir Courtenay Edmund Boyle, -K.C.B.</p> -</div> - -<div class='sidenote'>CORONATION OF GEORGE IV.</div> - -<p class='c007'>As I have said in my preface, I have not a good head -for dates, and I may as well make a clean breast of it at -once, and add, for figures of any kind. It may be from -want of practice, as far as pounds, shillings, and pence are -concerned, for I have never had much experience in counting -up thousands on my own account. In respect of dates, -then (which, I hope the reader will agree with me, are not -of much importance in a narrative of this kind), I do not -pretend to the strict order of succession, but I know it was -in the year 1821 that George IV. was crowned, and I can -well remember the excitement I experienced in seeing -my father, mother and sister set off for the coronation. -I looked from the window with longing eyes, deeply regretting -I was not allowed to be of the party. My father -was the most punctual of men—indeed he would have -come under the category of those who overdid the virtue. -The Duke of Wellington, it will be remembered, upon -the Queen saying to him: “You see how punctual I am, -Duke, I am even before my time,” replied with blunt -veracity, “That, Your Majesty, is not punctuality.” My -sister did not inherit this trait in her father’s character. -She was late, and in answer to his vociferous summons -from the carriage, ran downstairs, in her hurry, without -<span class='pageno' id='Page_38'>38</span>her white satin shoes, which were thrown after her from the -window. My father’s extreme anxiety to be early on -the scene may, however, be accounted for by the fact -that he was to form part of the procession, as train-bearer, -or page of the coronation robes of his brother, Lord -Cork. His dress was not picturesque, being a scarlet and -gold frock-coat, or tunic, bound round the waist with a -blue silk sash, and I am free to confess that I did not -consider his age, stature, or costume in any way calculated -to fulfil my ideal of a page; but then the page -of my imagination was naturally of a dramatic sort. I -do not know that I have yet recovered from the sorrow -caused by my missing that magnificent sight. It is true -that I have assisted since, at two other coronations, but -in both of these there was no banquet, and worse than all, no -Champion! The rest of the pageant was doubtless splendid -in every sense of the word, but the idea of the Champion -was so historical, so romantic, and was I not the most -romantic of small human beings? Besides the description -of the challenger, who flung down his gauntlet in Westminster -Hall, and dared any one to hazard a doubt on -the claim of the Sovereign to the throne, was there not -a description, I say, of this remnant of chivalry in the -pages of Walter Scott’s “Red Gauntlet?” Walter Scott! -the god of my literary idolatry, with whose heroes I had -fallen in love, in succession—whose heroines I had envied -and admired one after another, encouraged thereto -by our governess, who judged rightly that children -could scarcely be too young to appreciate the beauties -of that incomparable novelist. I must confess that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_39'>39</span>several alleviations were offered to my regret at not -witnessing that coronation. I had a beautiful toy given -me of a kind which is now, I believe, obsolete—a small -wooden case containing a roll of a coloured representation -of the procession, several yards long, and commencing -with the figures of Miss “Herb Strewer Fellowes”—for -so the lady was designated on her visiting-card—and -her maidens, and ending, as Royal processions do, with -the most exalted Personage. This was my delight, and -I was never tired of drawing it out and gazing at it; but -better than all, I went to the theatre with my father, and -saw as near a resemblance as could be produced on the -stage, to the glories of that day. I can perfectly recall -the bow with which Elliston the actor gave the very -facsimile of that of His Majesty George IV., which was -universally upheld for its surpassing grace. Then, oh -joy! There was the Champion in complete armour, on -a horse richly caparisoned, whose hoofs sounded on the -wooden floor of the stage with a hollow, almost terrible, -reverberation, as he backed—backed, and piaffed and caracoled -and curvetted, according to all the strict regulations -of the <i>haute école</i>.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>CORONATION OF GEORGE IV.</div> - -<p class='c007'>Dear reader, it was no idle boast about royal residences, -for when it came to pass that my father left his post at -Somerset House, and, preferring to live in London, took up -his abode in Upper Berkeley Street, where we often visited -him, my mother and the rest of the family settled at -Hampton Court. This proved to be the home of the -longest standing I can remember, as with occasional, I -may say frequent, flittings, we remained there till 1840. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_40'>40</span>The grant of apartments in those days was in the gift of -the Lord Chamberlain, and Lord John Thynne (afterwards -Lord Carteret) had bestowed a set of rooms, some years -before, on his friend and connection, Mrs Courtenay Boyle. -Things altogether were at that time on a very different -footing to what they are now, for the palace had gained -the name of the Quality Alms House, and, as regarded the -quality part of the title, it was well named, seeing that the -inhabitants counted Seymours, Montagus, Pagets, Walpoles, -Ponsonbys, and other names connected with the Upper -House, many of them far from being bedesmen and bedeswomen, -and for the most part better off than the present -inmates of the palace. Then, too, such a minor detail as a -husband did not disqualify a lady from being an occupant. -Things are entirely on a different footing now. Now the -grant of rooms is solely in the hands of the sovereign, -and our beloved Queen,<a id='r12' /><a href='#f12' class='c008'><sup>[12]</sup></a> who cares for the fatherless, and -befriends the cause of the widow, takes more into consideration -the needs of the candidates, and the services and -merits of the husband or relative they survive, than any -recommendation of family or of rank.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f12'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r12'>12</a>. </span>Her late Majesty Queen Victoria.</p> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_41'>41</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER V<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>LIFE AT HAMPTON COURT</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>Our apartments were situated in the older, or Wolseyan, -portion of the building, not in the square edifice which Sir -Christopher Wren built for Dutch William. The architect’s -monogram may still be found over a small door in -Fountain Court, to mark where he lodged. Our windows -looked out on the Chapel Court on one side, and Tennis -Court Lane on the other; and under those windows I often -listened of a summer’s night, with mingled pride and -rapture, to a quartette of serenaders, who sang there in -Mary’s honour. Those beautiful boyish voices which -still echo in my ears, and make sweet, sad music in my -memory! Frank and Charlie Sheridan, Cavendish Boyle and -Alfred Montgomery.<a id='r13' /><a href='#f13' class='c008'><sup>[13]</sup></a> Alas! only one of that little band -now remains to whom I can say, “Do you remember?” And -alas! once more, those dear old rooms, the scene of so many -happy days; they were totally destroyed by fire, through -the wanton carelessness of a housemaid, in 1886. The -Sheridans were our dearest friends, and as some of their -windows faced some of ours, we invented a code of signals -<span class='pageno' id='Page_42'>42</span>for our own convenience. How many assignations were -made, how many fishing parties, how many boating expeditions, -how many rehearsals! Yes, I “have had playmates, -I have had companions; all—all are gone, the old -familiar faces,” the forms have vanished and their voices -hushed before their time. One of that dear company -passed away but a few short years ago; she wrote to me -just before her death, to say, “She felt as if the daisy -quiet were slowly stealing over her.” I am speaking now -of Georgina, Duchess of Somerset, in whose limpid blue -eyes and matchless smile I could trace, lingering to the -last, the charms of the “Queen of Love and Beauty,”<a id='r14' /><a href='#f14' class='c008'><sup>[14]</sup></a> and -wonder that her undoubted claim to that proud title were -ever questioned. Alas! of all the members of that generation -of two loving families, I alone remain!</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f13'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r13'>13</a>. </span>Alas! to say, Alfred Montgomery—most genial of critics as of -playmates—died in 1896.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f14'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r14'>14</a>. </span>Jane Georgina, daughter of Thomas Sheridan, married, in 1830, -Edward, twelfth Duke of Somerset, and died in 1884. As Lady St -Maur she was the “Queen of Beauty” at the Eglinton tournament in -1839.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>It was in the cloisters, coming out of chapel, that I first -saw, in a little brown frock, the future Governor-General of -Canada and Viceroy of India, now (1888) the Marquis of -Dufferin and Ava, and since that time every day of our -re-meeting has been marked with a red-letter in my -calendar.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>QUEEN MARY’S GARDEN</div> - -<p class='c007'>What a difference between the Hampton Court of -those and these days. In the gardens, when I first -remember them, the beds were decked with the sickly -Michaelmas Daisy, and the flaunting Golden Rod, which -made unsightly and straggling borders—a pitiable contrast -<span class='pageno' id='Page_43'>43</span>to the perfumed and variegated flora of the present day. -Yet I confess to a lingering regret for the rich clusters of -the Lilac, mingling with the golden drop of the Laburnum, -which then showed from out the gloomy, fantastic yews, -and made a charming group in early Spring. Queen -Mary’s, or the Private Garden, as it used to be called, now -scarcely deserves that name, when crowds of holiday folk -flock to see the celebrated vine.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Not very long ago, I was enquiring of a porter at the -railway station if those gentry were not difficult to cope -with. “Well, ma’am,” said he, in a meek voice, “last -Easter Monday there were twenty thousand of them, and -to be sure I was knocked down four times” (he was a man -of inches too); “but I don’t suppose they did it a’ purpose.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>In old days the visitors used to arrive in vans; but -what we were wont to call the incursions of the Vandals -bore small proportion to the numbers that now come down, -like “wolves on the sheep-fold.” The gardens were indeed -most lovely, particularly during the season when the Lime-trees -were in blossom, and their perfume perceptible as far -off as the old Clock Court. Dearly did I love to sit by my -mother’s side and watch the moon rising slowly over the -lofty elms in the Home Park, which skirts the gardens. -How often have I sat there since, with another dear relative -and inhabitant of the palace! How sweet it was to rest -on the old wooden bench in the spot irreverently called -“Purr Corner.” How soft was the chime of the church -bells, as it came across the river from Thames Ditton, -recalling Byron’s melodious lines of “Music o’er the -waters.”</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_44'>44</span>Hampton Court, in my childish days, had its peculiar -characters. There was an old Dutchman, who had come -over with the Stadtholder,<a id='r15' /><a href='#f15' class='c008'><sup>[15]</sup></a> and had long survived his royal -master. He was a source of great amusement to us -children, from his quaint, old-fashioned appearance, but -our chief delight was to hear him speak of his wife, whom -he invariably designated as his “loaf.” There were two -old women, of a most shrivelled appearance, christened by -my sister “Annie Winnie” and “Ailsie Gourley” (after -Walter Scott), who used to sit on hassocks, with a basket -between them, the while they, in lack of male gardeners, -weeded the broad terrace walk. I blush to confess -that my youngest brother and I found it a cherished pastime -to dash headlong between these two guardians of -the terrace, as in an impetuous race, upsetting the basket -and scattering the contents far and wide. This proceeding -entailed a severe reprimand from the poor old ladies, -whose work had all to begin again, and terrible were the -threats made use of on the occasion, that they would -write immediately and complain of us to His Majesty.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f15'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r15'>15</a>. </span>This is evidently an error on the part of the Authoress.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>Another juvenile enormity in which we indulged was -to warn the tourists, whom we saw approaching the -precincts of the labyrinth or maze, <i>not</i> to follow the -directions of the gardener, whose aim it was to mislead -them, but to listen to our advice, and take the course -we prescribed for them. Our delight was unmingled when -we heard the gardener, raised aloft on a high seat, feebly -attempting to arrest their steps, while our misguided -victims steadily pursued the road which led to obstruction.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>MR BEER</div> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_45'>45</span>At that period, the office of Housekeeper was a very important -one in the palace—in fact, two privileged persons -enjoyed this title. One was a lady, almost invariably -a member of the aristocracy, who occupied the apartments, -or rather house, now inhabited by H.R.H. Princess Frederica -of Hanover.<a id='r16' /><a href='#f16' class='c008'><sup>[16]</sup></a> This lady had the appointment of the -Under-Housekeeper, a certain Mrs Beer, whose husband, -indeed, was a very great official, and, if I might be excused -a vulgarism, thought anything but <i>small</i> beer of himself; -he was a dignitary, in every sense of the word, and one -of the last of the pig-tails. Between this illustrious -character and myself there existed some rivalry and a -slight feeling of irritation. I think I may assert without -vain-glory, that I knew more about the pictures, their -subjects, and their painters, than the presiding spirit; -but I am prone to confess that I was one of that troublesome -class, a child of an enquiring mind, and I was -very fond of “knowing all about it.” Unlike most -children, and even many uneducated people, I was -a great admirer and lover of the cartoons of Raphael. -Of these, Mr Beer never varied in his daily description. -He would stand opposite the “Death of Ananias and -Sapphira,” and, pointing to the picture, exclaim in a -strident voice: “Observe—horror! remorse! fear! drapery!” -as an incentive to admiration of what he considered the -salient points. When he described the “Charge to Peter,” -in tones which he did not intend to be irreverent, but -which were undoubtedly threatening, he would cry: -“Feed my sheep, feed my lambs,” the terror-inspiring -<span class='pageno' id='Page_46'>46</span>voice according but ill with the sublime calm of the -speaker.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f16'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r16'>16</a>. </span>Now Viscountess Wolseley’s apartments.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>Perhaps my favourite of the collection was that of -“Paul and Barnabas,” when the people propose to offer -them sacrifice as Jupiter and Mercury. There were some -figures in this group that puzzled my young wits; and -one day, going round at the same time as a very large -party, I addressed Mr Beer before them all.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Will you please tell me,” I said, in what I hoped -was a very conciliatory voice, “who are those men -behind the Apostles, in blue and red mantles?”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Never shall I forget the tones of thunder with which -Mr Beer turned upon me. That anything so small and -insignificant should arrest him in his career of graphic -description, and ask him a question which, if the truth -be spoken, he was as unable to answer as I was, was -unpardonable. With a glance which I ought never to -have survived, he exclaimed: “<i>Sirs, we be not gods but -men</i>.” The reply was far from satisfactory, but it was -Gospel truth, and as such I was obliged to receive it.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Another incident connected with my early days at -Hampton Court appears to me to deserve a place here. -It is a little romance, of which the hero is a butcher boy. -In those bygone times, the butcher formed a prominent -feature in the annals of the palace. There was very little -competition in trade, and the butcher in particular was -usually bound to make a rapid fortune.</p> - -<p class='c007'>One day I went with my mother (who by the way was -an excellent housewife) to speak to the butcher, who had -just arrived and set up shop. After a few preliminary -<span class='pageno' id='Page_47'>47</span>arrangements as to future custom, my mother looked at -the man for some time in a scrutinising manner, and then -said to him: “It is very extraordinary, but I have an -impression that I have seen your face before, and yet I -cannot recall to mind where and when.” “I think you -must be mistaken, madam,” he replied, “for I seldom -forget a face; and yet, now you mention it, I have a -sort of misty recollection that your features are familiar -to me”; and so the lady and the butcher looked at -each other for some time, but without clearing up the -mystery.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>THE HEROIC BUTCHER’S BOY</div> - -<p class='c007'>A day or two afterwards, my mother paid Mr Ives a -second visit, and this time she was accompanied by my -sister. “I am come,” she said, “to ask you one or two -questions. Did you ever, many years ago—say ten or -twelve—stop the carriage of a lady, in Oxford Street, when -her horses ran away and the coachman was thrown off -the box?” “Certainly,” answered the butcher; “I remember -it all as if it were yesterday. I was but a lad -then, and was sauntering along, with my tray on my -shoulder, when I heard a great hallooing and screaming, -and people rushing about. I turned round and saw a -yellow chariot, drawn by a splendid pair of young black -roans, dashing down the street at a furious pace, and at -the window a beautiful lady with a little girl, calling distractedly -for help. Nobody seemed inclined to make any -effort to assist them. I was so sorry for the poor things, -and I thought I would try my best, so I ran forward, and -thrusting my tray before the horses’ eyes, made them stop -quite suddenly.” “Quite right, quite right,” said my -<span class='pageno' id='Page_48'>48</span>mother, “and here are the two ladies whose lives you -saved. I was a witness of your brave action, and the -moment I recovered myself I looked round for my -preserver, but you were gone. I enquired of some of the -bystanders what had become of you, but they could not -tell me; you had disappeared, and in spite of all my -endeavours to discover you, we never met again till the -day before yesterday.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>The man smiled. “Well, ma’am,” he said, “there was -no more for me to do; there were plenty of people too -ready to help you, and I should only have been in the -way.” He then finished his speech with no mean compliment -to the beautiful girl who stood before him (the -little child of that eventful day). “And what a pity it -would have been, to be sure, if she had not lived!”—which -conversation and conduct go to prove, in my opinion, -that the butcher was not only a hero, but a gentleman.</p> - -<p class='c007'>My mother told the story right and left, and secured -her friend, not only the custom, but visits from many of -the inmates of the palace, and she related the incident so -graphically to the Duke and Duchess of Clarence, that the -custom of Bushey House, where H.R.H. resided as Ranger -of the Park, was assured to him. So that in fact this early -act of heroism helped to make the fortune of John Ives -and of his son after him.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I naturally make frequent allusions to friends of all -kinds and classes, and am therefore tempted to insert an -anecdote about a feathered acquaintance of mine, which -will not try the reader’s patience long.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>“JOHN ANDERSON” AND THE THRUSH</div> - -<p class='c007'>One day during our residence in the palace, I was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_49'>49</span>walking with my mother over Molesey Bridge, when we -were attracted to a small, poor-looking cottage, in aspect -like an Irish cabin, by the exquisite singing of a thrush. -The spot is now covered by houses and shops, but at that -time the cottage of which I speak was isolated. It contained -but one room, and was inhabited by an aged pair, -I might well say, of lovers, for, with the exception of -their garb, they were the most complete representatives -of “John Anderson” and his wife. They were very poor, -and their richest possession was the thrush which hung -outside the door in a wicker cage, and sent forth a perfect -burst of melody. In the wilderness connected with the -palace gardens there were choirs of thrushes, blackbirds, -and others, but not one of those free warblers could be -compared in fulness of song to that captive bird.</p> - -<p class='c007'>We remained listening for some moments, and then -my mother entered the cottage, made acquaintance with -the old couple, and asked if they would be willing to -part with the thrush to her. At first rather a blank -look came over the old man’s countenance, but he was -poor and ailing, and was persuaded by the arguments -of the “Missus,” who was doubtless thinking the price of -their favourite would enable her to get some little dainty -for her good man. So the bargain began, a sum was -named, the double of which was paid by my mother, who -sent a servant the next morning to claim her purchase. -Then resulted a disappointment. The cage was placed in -a large and cheerful window in our drawing-room, but not -a sound, not a note, came from the melancholy bird, who -drooped and hung its head as if moulting; we fed, we -<span class='pageno' id='Page_50'>50</span>coaxed, we whistled, but it remained silent, motionless, and -moping. My mother felt as much indignation as was consistent -with her gentle nature. She had not pressed the -old people to sell the bird, she had only asked the question, -“Were they willing to do so?” She had given them -double the sum they asked, and now—it was not in her -nature to be suspicious—but it looked as if another bird -had been palmed off upon her, in place of the magnificent -songster. She gave the thrush several days’ trial, but at -length her patience was exhausted, and she sent for its late -owner to expostulate.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The door opened and in he came, hat in hand, and my -mother advanced to meet him, armed with some mild -rebuke. But neither of them was allowed to speak, for no -sooner did the old man make his appearance in the room -than the bird leaped down from its perch, spread its -wings, and broke out into so triumphant a song of joy, -that it seemed as if the whole room vibrated with that -burst of melody.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“What, pretty Speckledy,” said the man, approaching -the cage, “you know me then, do you?” and the thrush -kept flapping his wings, and moving from side to side, -one might almost say, dancing with joy.</p> - -<p class='c007'>There was no doubt about it; it was the same bird -that had charmed our ears in the lane at Molesey, but, -like the Hebrew captives, it could not sing its songs in a -strange land.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Take it back,” my mother said, “I would not part -such friends for all the world,” and off together went -that loving pair, “Pretty Speckledy” still in full song, -which he continued all the way down our turret stairs.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_51'>51</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER VI<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>OUR EXTRA HOMES</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>I must now make a break in the regular line of narrative, -to interpolate a chapter, without specifying any particular -dates, as the visits of which this portion of my story treats -were spread over a large space of time, and intersected -many of the different passages of the life I have hitherto -recorded.</p> - -<p class='c007'>To begin with Marston, the property of my uncle Lord -Cork, and the early home of my dear father. Marston -Bigot was a pretty place and had been purchased by our -direct ancestor, Richard Boyle (surnamed the “great Earl of -Cork”) from Sir John Ippisley, the representative of an old -Somersetshire family in the neighbourhood. This ancestor -of ours had a very large family, of whom four were sons, -and every one created a peer, with the exception of the -youngest, Robert, who declined the honour, and whose -name is immortalised as the “Divine Philosopher of the -World.” To Roger Boyle, his second son, Lord Cork gave -an estate in Somersetshire; this gallant soldier and loyalist -was first created Baron Broghill and afterwards Earl of -Orrery. He was much attached to the royal cause, but -during the Protectorate, Oliver Cromwell, who had a great -<span class='pageno' id='Page_52'>52</span>admiration for his military genius, sent for him one day -and placed two alternatives before him, namely, the -command of an expedition against the Irish rebels, or a -lodging in the Tower of London. “The choice is open to -you,” he said; “in serving in this campaign you will be -acting the part of a patriot, but if you prefer the walls of a -prison, I have no more to say.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>A long discussion ensued. Lord Broghill demurred, -Cromwell insisted, and at length the former acquiesced in -the Protector’s offer, with the proviso that he would never -be called upon to lift his sword against his sovereign master. -It is a matter of history what a distinguished part Lord -Broghill played in this Irish campaign.</p> - -<p class='c007'>In the pleasure ground not far from Marston there stood -a quaint little cottage, one room of which had been fitted -up by my uncle for his favourite daughter, Louisa, a -beautiful, blooming girl, and my chosen friend, who was cut -off by smallpox a few years later, at the early age of -nineteen. The little cot served as a summer, or pleasure, -house; we children were allowed to have tea in it, and to -dig and delve in the small garden before it to our heart’s -content. There was an historical interest connected with -this small dwelling which enhanced its merit in my eyes.</p> - -<div id='i052' class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/i052.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'>HONBLE. EDMUND BOYLE, AFTERWARDS EIGHTH EARL OF CORK, BORN 1787.<br />HONBLE. RICHARD BOYLE, ELDER BROTHER OF ABOVE, DIED YOUNG.<br />HONBLE. COURTENAY BOYLE, BORN 1770, AFTERWARDS VICE-ADMIRAL, K.C.B.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>On quitting the service of the Parliament, Lord Orrery, -as he then was, retired to his seat at Marston Bigot, and -went on Sunday, as was his custom, to the small church adjoining -the house. There he sat for some time awaiting the -arrival of the usual clergyman, and his patience being -exhausted, he rose to return home. His steward, who was -in the congregation, told him there was a minister present -<span class='pageno' id='Page_53'>53</span>who offered his services both as reader and preacher. Lord -Orrery expressed his gratitude, “and was never more -edified than he was on that day by the sense, learning and -piety of the discourse.” He waylaid the clergyman, complimented -him on his sermon, and invited him to dinner at -the house. When seated at table, his lordship enquired of -his new friend every particular of his life and fortune.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>THE ROMANCE OF A COTTAGE</div> - -<p class='c007'>“My lord,” was the reply, “my name is Asberry. I -am a clergyman of the Church of England, and a devoted -subject to the king. I and my son have lived for a long time -within a few paces of your lordship’s house, in fact, under -the garden wall, in a poor cottage. I have a little money, -and some few books, and my boy and I dig and read by -turns, submitting ourselves cheerfully to the will of -Providence.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Lord Orrery was much pleased with the conversation -and manner of this learned and worthy man, and obtained -for him a small annual income without the obligation of -taking the Covenant, and was in other ways beneficial to -him. Mr Asberry lived for some years longer at Marston, -and died, worthily lamented. It is easy to believe that -this historical incident made Asberry Cottage doubly interesting -to our young imaginations. Marston, which has -been much enlarged and improved by the present owner, -did not lay claim to the title of a fine house and property, -more especially when placed in contrast with the “most -august house in England”—for Longleat<a id='r17' /><a href='#f17' class='c008'><sup>[17]</sup></a> could be seen -from the windows, and is within a walk. The park also is -but small, though, in my eyes, remarkable for containing -<span class='pageno' id='Page_54'>54</span>a Glastonbury Thorn. The legend is well known—that -Joseph of Arimathæa (how he came to England it -would be difficult to imagine) planted the staff which he -held in his hand in the soil (ever afterwards considered -sacred) of Glastonbury, and the staff blossomed. Certain -it is that when every other tree in the surrounding woods -is bare at Christmas, the hawthorn at the entrance of -Marston park is oftentime in flower! I have seen it with -my own eyes, and always looked upon it as a real miracle. -The house is charmingly situated on a slope, and commands -a beautiful view, with hills in the distance, and the -tower of Stourhead, where King Alfred unfurled his -standard against the Danes. Stourhead was once the -property of the ancient family of the Stourtons, who bear -as their coat-of-arms six fountains, in remembrance of the -six springs which rise thereabouts in the valley of the -Stour—a fact in heraldry that I doubt not is well known -to the head of that noble house.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f17'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r17'>17</a>. </span>Residence of the Marquis of Bath.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>The house at Marston is a perfect sun-trap, and -although the building could lay no claim to architectural -beauty, yet as the birthplace of my father and of many -of my ancestors, whose portraits adorn the walls, I dearly -loved the place, where so many of our Christmasses were -spent with innumerable cousins of different ages. Cousins -we were indeed, for the master and mistress of that house -were cousins themselves, and my father’s brother had -married my mother’s sister.</p> - -<div id='i054' class='figcenter id007'> -<img src='images/i054.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'>LONGLEAT.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>The country round Marston affords a charming type of -home English scenery, being almost entirely pasture land, -embellished with very pretty woodlands and several -<span class='pageno' id='Page_55'>55</span>country seats of great beauty, especially Longleat and -Mells Park. Walks, rides, and drives are all varied in -their character, and the road to Bath (in those days there -was no short-cut by rail) was essentially picturesque, and -as full of ups and downs as life itself!</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>LORD JOHN TOWNSHEND</div> - -<p class='c007'>Another house<a id='r18' /><a href='#f18' class='c008'><sup>[18]</sup></a> was in Hertfordshire, close, indeed, to -the town of Hertford itself. It is a quaint, old, red brick -building with charming rooms, and a gallery that in my -early childhood I considered interminable as to length; -it was the property of my uncle by marriage, Lord John -Townshend. He was indeed a link with the past, having -been the friend of Fox and Sheridan, and having sat to -Sir Joshua Reynolds. His wife<a id='r19' /><a href='#f19' class='c008'><sup>[19]</sup></a> was my mother’s sister -(her elder by nearly twenty years), who retained till an -advanced age the traces of that beauty which was immortalised -by Hoppner in one of his most delightful -portraits, still hanging on the walls in the dear old -dwelling. When very young, she had united herself to -a man whose cruelty and immorality made her life -miserable. The marriage was dissolved, and Lord John -Townshend, as her second husband, did all in his power -to make her forget the sorrows which had clouded her -early years. But long before I knew of this sad passage -in her history, I had observed the shade of melancholy -and mystery which hung over my dear aunt’s aspect and -manner.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f18'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r18'>18</a>. </span>Balls Park.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f19'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r19'>19</a>. </span>Georgiana Anne, daughter of William Poyntz, Esq.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>Balls Park was a typical English house, birds, bees, -butterflies, honeysuckle, roses. Our visits there were almost -<span class='pageno' id='Page_56'>56</span>always in the “sweete season that budde and -blossom brings,” and my remembrance of the place is -invariably connected with summer. Here were cousins -too, and many of them to whom I was very much -attached, though they were greatly my seniors; no one -ever was so rich in cousins. I remember once meeting -the late Lord Carlisle at dinner at Charles Dickens’. -“Mary Boyle is a cousin of mine,” said Lord Carlisle. -“I suppose so,” replied Dickens; “I have never yet met -any one who was <i>not</i> her cousin.”</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>TAMING A WOLF-DOG</div> - -<p class='c007'>Another house was Wigan Rectory, in Lancashire, a -very different locality indeed. A frightful, black, manufacturing -town, but we loved to go there, for my uncle -George Bridgeman and his wife were most indulgent to -us children.<a id='r20' /><a href='#f20' class='c008'><sup>[20]</sup></a> Mr Bridgeman had first married my father’s, -and after her death my mother’s, sister, and both husband -and wife were our kind playfellows, taking an interest -in all our little pastimes, and rich in that quality, so dear -to childish hearts, of genuine fun. My aunt Louisa -was devoted to gardening, and although her pleasure -grounds were circumscribed, she took the greatest delight -therein. I fear I wounded her horticultural nature on -one occasion, when I complained that the rose I had -just picked smelt of soot, and blacked my nose when -raised thereto! In the backyard of the Rectory a magnificent -wolf-dog lived in the kennel, the object of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_57'>57</span>universal terror among the servants and gardeners. But -I believed in and trusted dogs, and my firm conviction -was that Lupus was misunderstood. I bribed the servants -to let me feed him, which I did first at a respectful -distance, advancing nearer and nearer each day as I -presented him with his dinner. At length I deemed -him tamed, and, not without slight trepidation, I approached, -let slip his collar, and opened the garden gate. -Never shall I forget the consternation which the apparition -of girl and dog caused in my aunt’s little sitting-room -which opened on the lawn. She was talking to my -mother in this sanctum when she saw Lupus bounding -over the grass, and standing on the threshold of her -boudoir. With a loud cry the Rector’s wife jumped upon -the chair, gathering her skirts around her, and summoning -her juvenile protectress to call off the dog! But Lupus -did no harm; he was only elated by his new-born freedom, -and he became from that day the constant companion of -the daily walks I took with my youngest brother and our -nurse.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f20'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r20'>20</a>. </span>Rev. George Bridgeman married, in 1792, Lady Lucy Boyle, only -daughter of Edmund, seventh Earl of Cork. She died in 1801, and he -married in 1809, Charlotte Louisa, daughter of William Poyntz of -Midgham.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>But the most beautiful and the favourite of our many -homes was Cowdray Park, close to Midhurst in Sussex, -which had come into possession of my mother’s only -surviving brother, William Poyntz, by his marriage with -Elizabeth Browne, sister and sole heiress of Viscount -Montague of that name. Respecting this family and -property, there is a most tragical history. To the best -of my belief, it was the father of Mrs Poyntz, <i>née</i> -Browne, who seceded from the Roman Catholic Church, -and was in consequence excommunicated. The ban included -<span class='pageno' id='Page_58'>58</span>fire and water, and the fulfilment was most terrible. -My aunt’s brother—of whom I have spoken as the last -Lord Montague—was travelling on the Continent with his -friend Major Burdett, when the two travellers meditated -the mad scheme of shooting the falls of Schaffhausen. In -vain did Lord Montague’s old servant expostulate and -implore; in vain did the innkeeper assure the English -gentlemen that the enterprise would be one of simple -insanity; in vain was every obstacle thrown in their way -by boatmen in the neighbourhood, none of whom cared to -venture his life in so wild an undertaking. Obstinate and -persevering, they secured the services of two boatmen, and -achieved the result anticipated by all. The boat capsized, -and all the men were drowned. The catastrophe happened -in 1800, and I believe it to have been the next day, or -at least within the space of a very few days afterwards, -that an express arrived from England, stating that -Lord Montague’s magnificent house of Cowdray was -almost entirely destroyed by fire. This fine structure was -a splendid example of Elizabethan architecture. Even -now, partially covered as it is by ivy, the ruins present a -most picturesque aspect, and attract numbers of visitors in -the summer season from all quarters of the county.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>COWDRAY—THE POYNTZ FAMILY</div> - -<p class='c007'>My uncle and aunt lived about a mile from the ruins, -in a house which had originally been the gamekeeper’s -lodge, with low, small rooms in the cottage style, but -constant additions and improvements had converted it into -a pretty dwelling-house. A beautiful wood, with winding -paths and natural terraces, skirted the lodge on one side. -In my eye that wood was a primeval forest, and in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_59'>59</span>summer and autumn, when the leaves were still on the -trees, I used to snatch a fearful joy by losing myself in its -depths. In those, as it appeared to me, vast recesses, was -pointed out the “Priest’s Walk,” named after that stern -ecclesiastic who, according to tradition, had been instrumental -in bringing about the curse pronounced upon the -family. There is, indeed, an earlier tradition of a curse -overhanging the fortunes of the possessors of Cowdray, on -which I never laid much stress, as the malediction never -appeared to have been carried out until after the secession -from the Roman Catholic faith of the last Lord Montague -but one. On the other side of the house the park stretched -away for many miles with broken ground, swelling uplands -and large clumps of timber trees of all kinds, one of the -most beautiful parks in England. Close to the ruined -house are some Spanish chestnuts, among the loftiest I -have ever seen, and I believe they were the first that were -planted in this country.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Mr and Mrs Poyntz had originally a family of five -children, but in the year 1815 the catastrophe occurred which -carried out to the full the anathema already alluded to.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The family were spending some time at Bognor, -during the bathing season, and one fatal day Mr Poyntz, -accompanied by his two sons, two young lady visitors, and -three boatmen, went out in a so-called pleasure boat, -leaving the youngest daughter, Isabella Poyntz,<a id='r21' /><a href='#f21' class='c008'><sup>[21]</sup></a> in tears -because she was not permitted to accompany them. From -the windows, which gave upon the beach, the agonised -mother saw that boat capsize, and as far as I remember -<span class='pageno' id='Page_60'>60</span>what I have been told, one boatman and my uncle were -the only survivors. The latter was brought to shore in an -insensible state, and it was some time before he recovered -consciousness. By these two accidents of drowning, both -families of Browne-Montague and Poyntz became extinct -in the male line.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f21'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r21'>21</a>. </span>Afterwards wife of second Marquess of Exeter.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>The tragedy occurred when I was a child, and while we -were yet at Sheerness, but I can still recall my mother’s -piercing shriek when the awful intelligence was broken to -her. By this means Mr Poyntz’s daughters became co-heiresses, -and at the death of their father his property and -estates were sold, and Cowdray passed into the hands of -strangers.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I cannot refrain from mentioning a circumstance -which interested me at the time very much, having -always entertained a great predilection for “ghost stories.” -I had a pretty, quaint, low-roofed room at Cowdray, -opening into the common passage on one side, and to a -narrow little winding staircase, leading to the garden, on -the other. I was constantly attracted by knocks at that -door, and in the frequent practice of saying “Come in” to -some imaginary person. I had not the slightest fear, but -was, of course, laughed at for my ridiculous fancies. I -therefore found some consolation (although I was very -wrong to do so) when informed that on certain improvements -being made, and the little staircase done away with, -the skeleton of a child was discovered lying at the bottom -of the steps leading from my room; but who does not love -to exclaim “I told you so!”</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>COWDRAY—THE POYNTZ FAMILY</div> - -<p class='c007'>Beautiful Cowdray! How many happy days rise before -<span class='pageno' id='Page_61'>61</span>me as I write the name! How many delightful walks in -that enchanted wood, especially when escorted by -“Courage,” the gigantic St Bernard. Him I was allowed -to take with me in my walks abroad, on condition that I -led him by a chain, as he was a decidedly sporting character. -Well do I remember one such walk with him. I had -fastened his chain round my waist, to leave my hands free, -when lo! the game was afoot, and off started Courage, -carrying me with him in a wild and impetuous course. -Every moment I expected to be dashed to pieces against -a root, or to be thrown down and dragged at his heels; but -gathering up my strength, and calling up all the presence of -mind that was left me, I encircled the trunk of one of the -smaller trees in a frenzied embrace, and contrived to arrest -the headlong career of Courage, in time to avoid a -catastrophe to both of us.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I revelled in the gallops in the park with my -uncle (whom I simply adored), my sister, and our cousins, -for we one and all loved horses and rode well, and to some -extent justified an answer made to me by a farmer’s wife, -when I asked her one day for the loan of her horse for -a ride.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Certainly, Miss Mary,” she said, “with great pleasure. -The farmer will always lend you or your sister his best horse, -for he well knows what capital <i>horse-ladies</i> you are.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>I would fain make my readers acquainted with some of -the characteristics of a beloved member of our family, -who exercised a wonderful influence on all who surrounded -him. Yet when I say that my uncle Poyntz was of a genial -humour, a man of the world, a citizen of the world -<span class='pageno' id='Page_62'>62</span>popular among all classes, all ages and both sexes, ever -welcome abroad and adored at home, I am but too well -aware that I fail in conveying any idea of his especial -individuality.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>POLITICS</div> - -<p class='c007'>Possessed with deep feeling and deep thought, there -was a constant ripple on the surface. What in those -days was called “persiflage,” and bears but a faint resemblance -to the modern “chaff,” was in him a science, and -no way like the constrained attempt at wit, from which -every <i>point</i> is excluded, that but too often makes the -“fun” of the practised joker. How often he put the respect -and reticence of his servants to the test. I have seen -them compelled to busy themselves with the plate on -the sideboard, turning their backs on the dinner-table, -while their shoulders shook with uncontrollable laughter. -For us young ones there was usually a challenge for -some playful encounter, and we were obliged to keep -our wits sharpened in order to meet the attack and -reply to the sally. He was a Liberal in politics, as were -all the men of our family on both sides. The term -Liberal was then accepted in its literal sense, and did -not mean blind devotion to a revolutionary ideal. My -father’s views, as far as I can remember them, were -inclined to be ultra, but I am grateful to record that in so -burning a question as that of Catholic Emancipation, -both my uncles and my father strongly advocated the -redress of grievances which had long been a blot on our -nation. For myself, I scarcely troubled my little head about -politics, and when election time came round, I always -voted in my heart for the man who was my friend, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_63'>63</span>up to a very late period in my existence, “men and not -measures,” was my shibboleth. But, like many others, in my -late years “J’ai changé tout cela,” and the man I love best -in the world, whomsoever that might be, would carry my -worst wishes with him to the poll, if he assisted the -Gladstonians in undermining the constitution of England -and imperilling the safety of the throne; for I can never -forget that in the times of the Civil Wars my great -ancestor, Lord Cork, with his four sons fought at the battle -of Bandon Bridge, on the side of the Cavaliers, and that -one of the gallant brothers sealed his loyalty with his blood -and left his life upon the field.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_64'>64</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER VII<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>MY GRANDMOTHER’S MAID</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>I must now devote a short chapter to a record of a -faithful friend and retainer of my mother’s family, whose -sterling worth and amusing peculiarities deserve especial -mention.</p> - -<p class='c007'>When my uncle, Mr Poyntz, married, he went to live at -his wife’s beautiful estate of Cowdray Park, and his ancestral -home of Midgham was let to strangers. It had not -been long in the family. Anna Maria Mordaunt, first -cousin to the “great Earl of Peterborough,” was maid of -honour to Queen Caroline, wife of George II., who is -said to have made Midgham, with the adjacent park and -grounds, a wedding present to the said Maid of Honour -on her marriage with Stephen Poyntz, a distinguished -diplomatist, and minister at Stockholm and other foreign -courts. There was a whisper that Her Majesty’s kind -intention was never fulfilled in a pecuniary point of -view, and that the purchase money came out of the -bridegroom’s pocket. But whether this be a fact or not, -I am unable to state. It is certain, however, that the -Queen retained a great friendship for Mrs Poyntz, whom -she appointed governess (as it was termed) to her son, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_65'>65</span>William, Duke of Cumberland. A very large painting -recorded this event, and was a great object of interest -to me in my young days. I do not know the name -of the artist, but well remember the peculiar group of -three personages—Queen Caroline, in regal purple and -ermine, presenting her eight-year-old son, in square cut -coat, short breeches, and dainty silk stockings, to my -great-grandmother, who figured as Minerva in full -panoply.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>MRS POYNTZ</div> - -<p class='c007'>Mrs Poyntz was an amiable and gentle-hearted woman, -as her letters testify, and can in no way be considered -responsible for the subsequent career of the Royal -Duke. I have in my possession a most interesting and -touching letter from Lady Cromartie, whose husband was -under sentence of death, in 1715, as a Jacobite, in which -she makes a most earnest appeal to Mrs Poyntz to -intercede with the Queen in behalf of the prisoner, and, -to the best of my belief, the intercession was of some avail. -At all events, Lord Cromartie’s life was spared, although -his title was attainted, and was only revived in 1861, in -the person of the late Duchess of Sutherland.<a id='r22' /><a href='#f22' class='c008'><sup>[22]</sup></a> The Duke -of Cumberland was a frequent visitor at Midgham, and -there was a suite of apartments called by his name. -The house, as I have said before, was constantly let -during my uncle’s life, but in a small, quaint cottage on -the skirts of the park, lived, at the time of which I am -speaking, an old lady, who had been in the service of -my grandmother as lady’s maid, and still occupied a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_66'>66</span>place of trust in that of my uncle. We occasionally -visited this dear old retainer of our family, and one -summer I accompanied my mother and my brother -Charles to Midgham Cottage.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f22'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r22'>22</a>. </span>Anne Hay McKenzie, married to third Duke of Sutherland, died -1889.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>To me that visit was a real holiday. We all loved -Illidge (for that was her name) dearly, and were much -amused by her eccentricities, while the life in a real <i>bonâ fide</i> -cottage seemed to me like a page out of some rural novel.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Illidge was a short, rather thick-set woman, with silver -hair, bushy eyebrows, bright eyes, and a most determined -expression. She wore the dress which was in vogue in -the last generation: a short plain, scanty gown of fawn-coloured -silk, low in the neck and short in the sleeves, -a white muslin fichu, and apron and black mittens. -There is a picture at Drumlanrig Castle of the Duchess -of Queensberry in exactly the same costume, which I -saw years afterwards when on a visit to the Duke and -Duchess of Buccleuch.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Illidge had very aristocratic notions, and nothing ruffled -her dignity more than when we—my brother or myself—marched -into the kitchen and called to Sarah, the sole -indoor domestic of the little household, asking her for -what we wanted, instead of ringing the bell in the parlour, -although the parlour and kitchen were next door to each -other.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Just as you please, my dear,” said Illidge, looking -extremely angry, “but I’ve always been accustomed to -gentlepeople ringing the bell, and not coming into the -kitchen at all hours, and making so free with the under-servants!”</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_67'>67</span>She had an inveterate hatred for the occupants of -Midgham House. She was quite aware that her master -was always glad when the house was let and warmed -and kept in repair by being lived in, but if the angel -Gabriel had come down from heaven to become the -tenant of Midgham House, Illidge would have hated -and despised him.</p> - -<p class='c007'>On one occasion I composed a grandiloquent poem, -having for its theme the courtship and marriage of Anna -Maria Mordaunt and Stephen Poyntz, which I wrote out -in my best hand, and presented to Illidge, who agreed -with me in considering it a very fine epic.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>VISIT TO ILLIDGE</div> - -<p class='c007'>My mother, who loved her early home dearly, did not -share Illidge’s views respecting the tenants, or visit with -her wrath those who liked the place well enough to hire -it. So one day, in spite of frowns and angry looks from -our hostess, she called on me to go with her to pay our -respects to the tenants in question.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Will you lend me the poem,” I asked in a very conciliatory -voice, “to take with me to the house? I think -Mrs —— would very much like to see it.” “That she -never shall,” said Illidge, in a tone of such defiant exasperation -that I was indeed very sorry I had spoken.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Before I go any further, I cannot refrain from telling -a story I heard from Illidge’s own lips—indeed I published -it in “Notes and Queries,” and more than once imparted -it to literary friends. Very little credence has been -awarded to this anecdote, but for my own part, I cannot -doubt the authority whence it was derived.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The heroine of the little romance I am about to relate -<span class='pageno' id='Page_68'>68</span>was no less a personage than Mrs Garrick, the wife of the -eminent tragedian. In the year 1746 the play-going -public were thrown into a state of great excitement in -consequence of the appearance of a young and beautiful -dancer named La Violette. She hailed from Vienna, and -had been introduced by the <i>Maître de Ballet</i> at that court -with other young ladies, to dance with the children of -the Empress Maria Theresa. Her Majesty took a great -fancy to the girl, whose family name was Veigel, which in -Austrian patois signifies violet, and the Empress gave her -the name of Mademoiselle Violette. It is not mentioned -in the life of Garrick that she ever appeared on the public -stage at Vienna, but she came over to England and made -her <i>début</i> as a dancer at Drury Lane on the 3rd December -1746.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>ROMANCE OF MRS GARRICK’S LIFE</div> - -<p class='c007'>Horace Walpole in his amusing and gossiping letters, -in which he minds everybody else’s business, tells us how -the London world, especially the fashionable portion, went -mad after Mademoiselle Violette, and how, in particular, the -Countesses of Burlington and Talbot rivalled each other in -seeking her society and showing her favour; the former -having her portrait taken, and carrying her off to Chiswick, -and chaperoning her on many occasions. Lord -Burlington<a id='r23' /><a href='#f23' class='c008'><sup>[23]</sup></a> shared in his wife’s predilection for the lovely -young Austrian. Lady Burlington, indeed, often played the -part of mother to La Violette (attending her to the theatre, -and throwing a warm pelisse over her, when she came out), -<span class='pageno' id='Page_69'>69</span>and at length her noble friends invited her to take up her -abode at Burlington House. One day as Lord Burlington -was passing La Violette’s open door, he was attracted by -her singing, and stopped to speak and compliment her on -her sweet voice. As he did so, his eyes fell upon a picture, -whether miniature or not, I am unable to say, and in an -agitated tone he enquired whose portrait it was. La -Violette replied that it was her mother’s. Explanations -followed, dates were examined, small relics in the girl’s -possession inspected, and, if I may be excused a vulgarism, -two and two were put together, and it was proved to Lord -Burlington’s entire conviction that La Violette was no -other than his own daughter—her mother being a beautiful -artiste, with whom he had had a <i>liaison</i> on the Continent, -but after a violent quarrel, a separation had taken place, -and they never met again.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f23'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r23'>23</a>. </span>Richard, fourth Earl of Cork and third Earl of Burlington, K.G., -born 1695, died 1753; married Dorothy Saville, daughter of William, -Marquis of Halifax.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>Of the particulars of her mother’s connection with Lord -Burlington, I am entirely ignorant; I merely give the story -as it was related to me, with the only details I can recall, -by Illidge, who had it from the lips of a niece of Lord -Burlington’s housekeeper. The latter, being in his service -at the time of the incident, but having secrecy enjoined on -her, kept silence till many years after.</p> - -<p class='c007'>On La Violette’s marriage with David Garrick, in -1749, Lord Burlington bestowed on her a dowry of -£6,000, and one of the biographers of the great actor -says that this generosity on his lordship’s part gave -rise to the conjecture that she was his own child, going -on, however, to argue, by dates and diaries, that the -English nobleman had not been on the Continent at the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_70'>70</span>time specified, and that the girl was the daughter of -Viennese parents of the name of Viegel.</p> - -<p class='c007'>It would be useless and tedious to enter into all the -minutiæ of that bygone history. I merely mention the -facts as related to me by one who thought it necessary to -speak of it in a confidential manner, although everybody -connected with the little romance had long passed away. -The Garrick union was a very happy one, and for thirty -years the husband and wife were inseparable. The widow -survived him for a long period, and it was my good fortune -to see her when I was quite a child. We encountered her -in the lobby of a theatre, as she was making her way -out between two female attendants, and my father said to -me: “That is Mrs Garrick, Mary; some day you will be -glad to think that you have seen her.” She wore a -strange costume of quilted white silk, somewhat resembling -a dressing-gown, and a large mob cap, and though -very aged, bore undoubted traces of former beauty. I -believe it was shortly before her death. She died at -Hampton, having nearly attained her hundredth year, at a -house which her husband bequeathed to her, and which still -bears the name, if I am not mistaken, of “Garrick’s Villa.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>To return to Illidge. The dear old soul continued to -live on in her lowly cot, with two companions, a “gal” to -do the housework, and an octogenarian, between her and -whom a tender friendship existed, he having been in old -days the gardener at the Great House. She became blind, -but, old as she was, retained her activity and impetuosity of -nature.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>ILLIDGE AND THE ROBBER</div> - -<p class='c007'>On one occasion she had been driven in to Newbury, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_71'>71</span>to collect some “monies” (whether for rent or not -I am unable to say) belonging to her master, and that -night she went to bed as usual, with the key of the escritoire, -in which she had deposited the money, in her ample -pockets under her pillow. She was startled, although not -alarmed (for nothing could alarm her undaunted spirit) -by hearing footsteps on the stairs, and the opening of her -bedroom door. A man’s gruff voice was heard at her -bedside, and the faint sound of the poor maid in hysterics -above stairs, for the burglar had locked in the two other -inmates of the cottage, though, alas! there was little help -to be expected from either of them.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Now, then,” said the robber, “hand us over that money -that you got to-day in Newbury, every penny of it.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>She started up in bed, and turning her sightless eyes on -the intruder, exclaimed, in her most strident tones: “<i>No, -I won’t, you villain! What’s yer name?</i>”</p> - -<p class='c007'>It may easily be believed that her nocturnal visitor was -not communicative in this particular, neither did the courage -of the old lady influence his conduct. He went on to prove -to her that “he would stand no nonsense,” and when at -length she had unwillingly produced the keys in question, -he insisted on her accompanying him downstairs, to show -him the spot where the treasure lay hid. So up she got, -and, guarding against the cold by putting on some of the -multifarious petticoats which she always wore, the blind -old heroine groped her way downstairs, all the time heaping -imprecations on the head of her persecutor, and foretelling -for him that retribution he deserved. She had a wonderful -knack of finding her way by remembering the positions of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_72'>72</span>the pieces of furniture in her small sitting-room, and -Illidge’s prediction came true. The burglar, besides appropriating -the money in question, took a fancy to some -trinkets in the drawer, and some months—if I mistake not, -a year afterwards—one of them was found in a pawnbroker’s -shop in Newbury, and identified by a person who -had seen it in Illidge’s possession. There was no doubt -about it, for it was a mourning ring, with a date and inscription, -which rendered the identification conclusive. The -pawnbroker remembered the woman who had brought it, -who turned out to be an accomplice of the burglar’s, and -in this manner he was tracked and convicted.</p> - -<p class='c007'>And so ends all the adventures that I can recall of one -of the most attached and zealous retainers of which any -family could boast. Illidge, like the more celebrated -personage with whom I have connected her name, nearly -attained her hundredth year, before she departed from this -sublunary scene.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_73'>73</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER VIII<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>OUR HOUSEHOLD</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>After treating of the worthy member of the household of -a former generation, I am now desirous to make some -mention of two or three personages who occupied -different grades in my mother’s family, and the recollection -of whom is intimately connected with different periods of -my life.</p> - -<p class='c007'>In my youth, it was the custom for servants to remain -much longer in families than it is at present; and my -mother was so kind and gentle a mistress that her -domestics did not consider they would be likely to “better -themselves” (that most ambiguous expression!) by mere -change of situation.</p> - -<p class='c007'>First in love and consideration came the nurse, Brooks, -or “Brookey,” who had already spent many years under my -parents’ roof before I was born. She was the idol of the -nursery, a beautiful, dignified old lady, full of quaint -sayings and original notions, rendered still more racy by -frequent lapses into “Malapropisms,” for “she was no -scholard, my dear,” and would call Albemarle Street -“Foldemol Street,” and assured us all that her “nevvy” -who lived at “Brummerzer” (Bermondsey) was very clever -<span class='pageno' id='Page_74'>74</span>in “edicating” young men, and teaching them “’Mathics,” -(mathematics). When told of the marriage of one of our -cousins, she inquired if there were “no chance of any -gentleman paying his ‘distresses’ to her sister”? Brookey -could never forget that she had been a beauty, and when -on the wrong side of seventy she sat for her portrait, to a -friend of mine, I found she was not well pleased with the -execution, but it was some time before I could discern the -reason. At last, however, it became evident that she -objected to a stick which the artist had placed in her -hand.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Just as you please, my dear, but I should have thought -a rose would have looked nicer!”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Dear old soul! my youngest brother and I shed bitter -tears at parting from her, but we never lost sight of her -until her death, as she paid us frequent visits both in -London and at Hampton Court.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Another prominent person in “Our Household” was -Rachel Day, the lady’s maid, a most consequential and -important character in her own eyes, even before she was -advanced to the rank of a courtier, by leaving my mother’s -service for that of my sister, the Maid of Honour. During -a visit we paid at Longleat, Day was found on one occasion -by the head housemaid, wandering about the corridors.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Can I be of any use?” said the housemaid, in a -patronising tone; “I daresay you feel lost in such a large -house.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Oh dear no,” replied the Abigail, with an air of -offended dignity, “we live in a much larger one at home.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>The housemaid was bewildered and humiliated, but</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_75'>75</span>Day had reason, as our French cousins would say, for that -“home” was the Palace of Hampton Court. When my -sister became Maid of Honour to Queen Adelaide, Day -assumed, as in duty bound, an extra dignity and courtliness -of manner, and invariably talked of when “We go -to Windsor,” when “Our waiting begins,” and the like, and -indeed to the end of her life she considered herself one of -the pillars of the throne.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>ETIQUETTE BELOW STAIRS</div> - -<p class='c007'>At the same time she was a stickler for etiquette, and -very strict as to the rules of precedence in the “room,” -as it is now called—in those benighted days, the “house-keeper’s -room.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>One evening she came to my mother to propound the -following weighty question: “Do I follow or precede the -Honourable Mrs Spalding’s maid? for I do not know -if a Viscount’s daughter goes before the wife of the -younger son of an earl.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Poor Day! she lost rank, but even that was preferable -to proving her ignorance. She was very apt at -assuming, or perhaps I had better say aping, the tastes of -her employers, and during a prolonged sojourn at Florence, -had imbibed a great predilection for the Mediæval era, as -far as the sound went, for I do not think the epithet -Middle Ages conveyed any definite idea to her mind. She -married late in life a Court official in a small line, who -occupied the post of a clerk, or what-not, attached to the -Palace of Hampton Court, and I well remember, in the -gorgeous description she gave me of her own wedding, that -she mentioned with pride, “my friend, Mrs Chapman, wore -quite a Middle Age satin.”</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_76'>76</span>The name of Henry Mansell frequently comes back to -my memory as intimately connected with the fortunes of -our family. He served one or another member thereof for -a period of more than half a century, emulating in his -affection and loyalty to the name of Boyle, the characteristic -devotion of a Caleb Balderstone. His peculiarities -made him a prominent character in our annals, and he was -so well known among our literary friends as to figure in the -pages of a novel, which was published at the time, anonymously, -by an eminent writer of the day. In the volume, -entitled “De Lunatico Inquirendo,” if still in print, may be -found the portrait of our faithful and eccentric dependent.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Henry was very fond of travelling, and took great -delight in lionising different cities which we visited; but in -one respect he was a staunch John Bull—no power on earth -could persuade him that when he resided in Florence he -could possibly be called a foreigner. “No, ma’am,” he -used to say, “the Italians are foreigners, but I am an -Englishman!” Yet he liked Italy and the Italians, and -during a summer we passed at Munich busied himself, with -an Italian grammar and dictionary, in preparation for his -journey to Rome. The language of Goethe and Schiller -had no charm for him, and by means of his Italian studies -and his own quick intelligence he contrived to make himself -understood, although in a somewhat unidiomatic and -ungrammatical way.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>“HENRY’S” ITALIAN</div> - -<p class='c007'>For instance, one morning when starting from the door -of the hotel where we had passed the night, the large -Berline in which we were travelling was surrounded by a -host of beggars. My mother had caused some “largesse” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_77'>77</span>to be distributed, especially to the woman in charge of the -blind beggar, who invariably figures in the group, when, to -Henry’s indignation, she repeated her demands, and was -bold enough to ask for more. Then he turned upon her -in all the eloquent indignation of his newly-acquired -language, “Volete, prendete tutto, prendete carozza e -cavalli!” Poor Henry! He knew “Volete” was right, -and “prendete” was right—how could he imagine the -combination could be wrong? I well knew that nothing -pleased him more than to be trusted with messages -or directions to the Italian servants. Therefore, one day -when driving in Florence, I said to him, “Henry, pray tell -the coachman that the carriage window is broken.” “Ehe, -cocchiere, il bicchiere é rotto.” But he invariably contrived -to make himself understood, and was a great favourite with -the Italians, from his easy good humour and willingness -to help on all occasions.</p> - -<p class='c007'>In addition to his other talents, Henry was an adept -with his needle, an excellent cook, and an incomparable -waiter. He was slow of hearing, which perhaps sharpened -his powers of vision, and we got into a habit of communicating -with him by signs. He identified himself with -our family in rather a comical manner sometimes. “It is -getting quite late in September, Henry,” said my sister-in-law -to him one day, “and we have had no game sent us -yet; it is very odd.” “Very true, Ma’am, very true,” was -the sympathetic reply; “I think it is too bad. Why, there is -Lord Cork, the nearest relation we have, to think he should -not send us a single partridge!”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Henry was in his way a moralist, and came to me once -<span class='pageno' id='Page_78'>78</span>in great indignation after reading a paragraph in some -scandalous paper, with the sapient remark that he thought -“Every lady was getting as bad as one another.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Poor, good, faithful fellow, his death was an untimely -one! After retiring from service he had taken a small -cottage at Weedon, in Northamptonshire, and was often -employed as waiter or to carry errands for the neighbouring -gentry, who knew and respected him. One day he -was missed at home, and was sought, and found near a -rickety bridge where he had slipped and fallen head foremost -into a small stream. Life was already extinct, and -on the bank, watching over that prostrate form, sat his -faithful little dog, with that despairing, wistful gaze, so well -known to every true lover of the canine species.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>HERO-WORSHIP</div> - -<p class='c007'>Before concluding this chapter, I must make mention -of our governess, the last, and by far the favourite, for she -had two or three predecessors. Miss Richardson, or “Lizzie -Dickey,” as we children fondly called her, was the daughter -of Joseph Richardson, a literary man, who, if I mistake -not, had been a co-lessee with the celebrated Richard -Brinsley Sheridan, of one of the principal London theatres. -Lizzie was, in consequence, dramatically inclined, and -fostered my early taste for the stage, as well as that for -romantic fiction. How delightful were the afternoons that -my brother Cavendish and I passed with this genial companion -beneath the shade of the spreading ilex or flowering -chestnuts in Bushey Park, sometimes armed with -a small luncheon basket and a precious volume of Walter -Scott. I could easily point out the spot now where I -became convinced in my own mind that I could never be -<span class='pageno' id='Page_79'>79</span>happy again, for Lizzie had just read aloud to us the -passage in “Old Mortality” where Lord Evandale dropped -lifeless from his horse. We were expecting the return of -my father and mother that same evening, an event to -which I had been looking forward for some time, yet what -did it matter now? What consolation could I possibly find -since the hero of my idolatry was “no more!”</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_80'>80</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER IX<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>BRIGHTON—SCHOOLDAYS</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>Brighton was a favourite resort of my dear mother, both -before and after I went to school there; not only on -account of its healthy and invigorating air, but more -especially because it was the home of her elder sister, -Lady John Townshend, Lord John being the proprietor -of two houses in the King’s Road, called Little and Great -Bush. The smaller of the two was often lent to my mother -for the winter months: there was a door of communication -between the two houses, and the members of our family -were as often in the one as in the other, both at meal and -at other times.</p> - -<p class='c007'>We considered it great fun to be allowed to carry our -dishes and plates into Great Bush at dinner time, and to -turn that usually solemn banquet into a species of picnic, -although the dinner in question could not always be -considered solemn.</p> - -<p class='c007'>My uncle Lord John, who was already advanced -in years when I first remember him, was a very peculiar -person. As I have before said, he had been the friend of -Fox, and was a Whig of the whiggest, a man of talent -and education, a poet and a scholar. He was what of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_81'>81</span>yore was called “a testy old gentleman,” but the children -entertained a great affection for him, combined with a -certain degree of dread. He approved of my love (now -genuine) of Shakespeare, and liked to hear me read -or recite passages, on which he would enlarge, criticising -and correcting my pronunciation of classical terms.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Lord John was a gourmet, and very particular in the -matter of cuisine. He would often call to the footman, in -the middle of dinner, and say in a querulous tone: “Tell -the cook to come to me this moment,” which occasioned -rather an awkward pause. Then, on the entrance of the -poor <i>artiste</i>, with very red face from the combined effects -of the kitchen fire and mental confusion, he would address -her in a voice of thunder: “Pray have the goodness to -taste that dish, and tell me if you do not agree with me -that it is beastly.”</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>TOWNSHENDS, AND MRS FITZHERBERT</div> - -<p class='c007'>In spite of all these eccentricities, I was very fond of -my uncle, and used to sit for hours talking to him by -the side of his chair, for he was a martyr to gout. -Mrs Fitzherbert was a friend of the Townshends, and -lived at Brighton at the same time; she gave many -parties, and when charades and tableaux were the order -of the day, or rather night, I was allowed to be of the -party, while still a child.</p> - -<p class='c007'>One of the most shining lights of the dramatic company -was Lady Anna Maria Elliot, daughter of Lord -Minto, afterwards the wife of Sir Rufane Donkin. She -was as kind-hearted as she was witty, a great friend of -my mother’s, and the idol of us children. One evening -the word acted was “champagne.” In the first syllable, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_82'>82</span>“sham,” Lady Anna Maria out-did herself, and being a -thorough artist, sacrificed all considerations of personal -vanity to the requirements of her <i>rôle</i>. Never shall I -forget her impersonation of Miss Rosina Falballa, returning -from the ball—an elderly spinster, with a flaxen wig -crowned by a wreath of roses and otherwise youthfully -accoutred, calling her maid hastily, retiring into an adjoining -room, leaving the door ajar, and from her hidingplace, -handing out to the attendant abigail all those -mysterious appendages of the toilet which gave the title -to the first scene of the charade, sham of all kinds; the -wig, the ratelier, the paddings, culminating in what is now -familiarly termed a “dress improver,” but in those less -genteel days, “a bustle.” It would be difficult to imagine -the screams of laughter; suffice it to say her ladyship -brought down the house.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>TABLEAUX AT BRIGHTON</div> - -<p class='c007'>To my great delight, my services were enlisted when -the tableaux began, and I appeared as Ishmael drinking -water from the hand of Hagar (if I remember -rightly, Mrs Dawson Damer); but more delightful still, -because dramatic and historical, in the parting of Lord -Russell with his wife and children. The representative -of the patriot lord was one of the handsomest men of his -time, Frederick Seymour, whose beauty proved hereditary -in the case of his daughters, Lady Clifden and Lady -Spencer. I was not a bad little historian, and had -already shed early tears over the fate of the gentle -Rachel’s husband; and when I was placed in the proper -position, clinging round the knee of the parent from -whom I was about to be separated for ever, I thought -<span class='pageno' id='Page_83'>83</span>to myself, William Lord Russell must have really -looked like that handsome and noble representative, -so I called up my best look of sorrow and pathos, and -threw an upward glance, such as I was sure would have -been the expression of little Katey Russell on that -melancholy occasion.</p> - -<p class='c007'>How wounded was I in my histrionic feelings when -Mr Seymour exclaimed: “Oh, if you look at me in that -ridiculous manner, I shall die of laughing.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Ridiculous!” Was that an epithet to apply to my -highly conceived and, I believed, wonderfully carried out -embodiment of filial anguish? It was most mortifying, -and so I was condemned to throw all the concentrated expression -on the calf of my father’s leg.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Only one more of that evening’s tableaux can I call -to mind. It was that of the kneeling infant Samuel, -personated by Miss Morier, afterwards Mrs Edward -Grimston, then a lovely child. Mrs Fitzherbert, our -hostess, though of course at that time far advanced in -years, had a fresh, fair complexion and fine aquiline -features, and had great remains of the beauty and charm -which had captivated the fancy, although it could not -ensure the constancy, of the fickle-hearted monarch, -George IV.</p> - -<p class='c007'>In the course of time our favourite governess, as I have -before-mentioned, left us, and my father announced his -determination not to appoint a successor. Here was a -dilemma, for my mother had pledged her word to me that -I should never go to school, a resolution which she would -not alter without my consent; but during her stay at -<span class='pageno' id='Page_84'>84</span>Brighton, she had heard of an exceptional establishment, -kept by a certain Miss Poggi, the daughter of an Italian -emigrant. I was a student by nature, and loved learning -for its own sake, so I easily acquiesced in my mother’s -project, and I took up my abode at No. 10 Regency Square. -But I did not calculate on the terrible home-sickness which -would ensue, or the miserable first night I should pass -under that roof; my pillow was literally deluged with my -tears, and my sobbing brought the English teacher to my -bedside, who did all in her power to comfort me, and -became from that moment my tried and trusty friend. -Poor Ellen!—she was very kind and very handsome, and -long after I left school she was permitted, at my request, -to come and pass some of her holidays with me at -Hampton Court.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>DISLIKE OF ARITHMETIC</div> - -<p class='c007'>I spent nearly four years under the care of Miss Poggi, -with whom I became an especial favourite, perhaps because -I feared her less than all the rest of the pupils. She was -a most exemplary woman, but strict even to severity, and -I can well remember the sudden hush which invariably -announced her appearance in the schoolroom. The French -teacher was also greatly feared by her scholars, but the -gentle Ellen and the dear old lady who taught us Italian -were beloved by all. In our plan of education, different -days were apportioned for different lessons, and I still have -a lingering love (the result of association) for Tuesdays -and Thursdays, when dancing, poetry and parsing (which -I always liked) were the order of the day; while Mondays -and Fridays still convey a dreary idea to my mind of -detested copy-books and smudged slates. Why did those -<span class='pageno' id='Page_85'>85</span>dreadful pence, I asked myself, present a different total -every time I added them up, and why, when I tried to -prove a sum, did I only prove it was wrong? Then such -groans and scrapings of the slate pencils, the whole aspect -of things rendered more confused by the occasional dropping -of a large tear. Very nearly the same was the story -of my music lessons.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Pause, gentle reader!—do not accuse me hastily of -having no music in my soul, and consequently being fit -for “treasons, stratagems and spoils.” I loved music, -but had no talent, and though I had sufficient ear to -detect what was wrong, I found it most difficult to -<i>practise</i> what was right—no uncommon case in matters -of morality.</p> - -<p class='c007'>In our competition for prizes, the greater number -of “extremely well” depended more on industry than -proficiency, and I was diligent and laboured at my oar; -so one Prize Day the Silver Medal for Music was -awarded to me. When I look back on this startling -incident, I blush to confess that I attribute this decoration -to the over-indulgence of our little music mistress; but -like many other <i>décorées</i> I felt very proud of the unmerited -honour.</p> - -<p class='c007'>My dancing mistress, Madame Michau, had (if I may -be allowed to say so) better reason to be satisfied with me; -for, with the exception of my dear friend and namesake, -Mary Broadwood, I was the best dancer in the school, and -my teacher was never tired of instructing her two model -pupils in boleros, cachucas, tambourine dances and the like, -At that time, dancing in Society was reckoned an accomplishment, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_86'>86</span>and upheld as an art, and it was not the fashion -to slope and lounge through what is termed in modern slang, -“Square Dances.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>I can scarcely imagine a prettier sight than that -presented by those frequent children’s balls, given by -the King and Queen at the Pavilion at Brighton. The -building, as we all know, was a ridiculous Cockney erection -of a Russo-Chinese character, still, few scenes could have -been prettier than the interior of the principal room when -filled by groups of gaily-dressed and, for the most part, -lovely children; for I agree with an R.A. of my acquaintance -who said that there is nothing on earth to compare -with the beauty of a little “English Swell.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Now, while I am treating of Monsieur and Madame -Michau, I cannot omit to insert an anecdote of the former. -Some years after I had left school, during a short stay in -Brighton, I paid a visit to the dear old couple, from -whom I received an enthusiastic welcome. “Enchanté!” -said Monsieur, “de vous revoir, Mademoiselle—c’est à dire, -sans doute, Madame?” I replied in a tone of mock -melancholy: “Hélas non! Monsieur Michau, toujours -Mademoiselle.” The good old man gazed at me with -pity bordering on contempt, then, shrugging his shoulders, -exclaimed in a dejected, though somewhat sarcastic, tone, -“Ah! Mademoiselle, si ce n’était que votre danse....”</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>“HAVE THE HONOUR OF DANCING WITH ME?”</div> - -<p class='c007'>While yet a school-girl, during the Christmas holidays -there was a great deal of juvenile dissipation in the way of -balls, and so forth, the most delightful of all, in my opinion, -being those given by Dr Everard at his celebrated establishment -for young gentlemen, familiarly called the “Young -<span class='pageno' id='Page_87'>87</span>House of Lords,” from the aristocracy of the pupils. My -partners here were legion, including the late and the present -Lords Northampton,<a id='r24' /><a href='#f24' class='c008'><sup>[24]</sup></a> Mr Frederick Leveson Gower,<a id='r25' /><a href='#f25' class='c008'><sup>[25]</sup></a> and -my cousins, the sons of Sir Augustus Clifford. Willy -Clifford, afterwards Admiral Sir William Clifford, caused -great laughter among his school-fellows, who overheard him -one night asking me to dance as follows: “Mary, will you -have the honour of dancing with me?” Many men, I -doubt not—if they spake their thoughts—might address a -young lady in the same terms, but it is decidedly not the -custom: which reminds me of a quaint reply I received -once at a servants’ ball from a Somersetshire farmer, when -in consideration of the difference of our social position I -asked him to dance Sir Roger de Coverley with me. -“Well, Miss Mary,” said honest Farmer Ashby, “I can’t -say as I see any objection.”</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f24'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r24'>24</a>. </span>Charles, third Marquess of Northampton, died in 1877. William, -fourth Marquess, born in 1818, died in 1897.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f25'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r25'>25</a>. </span>Hon. Frederick Leveson Gower, second son of first Earl Granville.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>I need not enlarge here on the subject of Dr Everard’s -school, for every reader of “Dombey and Son” must be -intimately acquainted with the interior of that establishment, -where, as is recorded in the delightful book just -mentioned, the whole of the afternoon preceding the ball -their house was pervaded by a strong smell of singed -hair and curling-tongs. In those days, curly locks were -considered an indispensable accessory to full dress. Yes, -I did enjoy those merry dances at Dr Everard’s, and I -was proud of my popularity among my school-boy friends; -yet—and this belongs surely to confessions of which I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_88'>88</span>ought to be ashamed—the eventful night came, still at -Brighton, when I was to make my <i>début</i>, as a grown-up -young lady, at a real grown-up ball. There was rapture -in the idea, and yet, after the fashion of most earthly -pleasures, there was a drawback. I never had any secrets -from my mother, and to her I carried my fears and apprehensions.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Dearest,” I said, “you see I am very small, and, I -am afraid, look dreadfully young (a fear that does not -long survive in the female mind), and now you know, -although to-night is a grown-up ball, I have no doubt -some of these horrid boys will be coming up asking -me to dance” (false and fickle ingrate!). “I shall feel so -dreadfully ashamed, and shall not know what to do.” -My mother, who ought, I think, to have read me a homily, -laughed outright, and promised to tell the lady of the house -that she was not to judge from appearances, for that I was -really “<i>out</i>.” The hostess was worthy of the confidence -placed in her by the mother of the <i>débutante</i>, for the first -man she introduced to me was an officer, quartered in the -town, whose height was six feet six. Then did I feel a -certain degree of doubt, mingled with a natural feeling of -elation. Could I reach up to his shoulder, or he down to -my waist, in the waltz that was just beginning? I believe -it was the first time I had ever danced with a regular -soldier, but in the course of my Hampton Court life, where -the only dancing men belonged to the regiments stationed -there, and at Hounslow, I have always maintained that I -have danced with the whole of the Army List, or at least -with the Cavalry portion thereof. In some localities the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_89'>89</span>female community are in the minority, and I remember a -midshipman writing home from the West Indies: “We -went ashore last night to a very pleasant dance, to which -they were obliged to ask every girl in the place without -distinction, or how else could we have <i>manned</i> our ball?”</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>TWO FRENCH “LADIES”</div> - -<p class='c007'>But I am anticipating events, for I have not yet left -school. If all had gone well with the studies, the pupils -were permitted to celebrate their birthdays by some festivity, -and my favourite namesake, Mary Broadwood, and -I had for the last two years kept ours together, as they -were within a few days of each other. So we set to work, -she and I, and made a very free translation from the -Italian of one of Alberto Nota’s celebrated comedies, and -having cast the company in our own minds, we gained -Miss Poggi’s permission to give a dramatic representation -of <i>The Bachelor Philosopher</i>, in which the two authors -were to perform the two principal male characters. My -namesake appeared in what our German neighbours call -the “title-role,” and looked very bonnie in a dainty court -dress, which showed off her beautiful leg and foot to perfection. -And here I must pause to observe that Miss -Poggi withstood the request which Madame Michau made, -that her husband might accompany her on the night of the -performance. “For, you see,” said Miss Poggi, “all our -actors are ladies.” But on the evening in question, -Madame Michau arrived in company with her <i>belle-mère</i>, -a lady of rather a masculine appearance, whose chin -had a suspiciously blue colouring; but no questions were -asked, and the two French <i>ladies</i> took the places reserved -for them.</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_90'>90</span>The character I had selected for myself was that of -an Italian nobleman, whose whole soul was entwined -around his genealogical tree. My costume consisted of—oh! -pride and rapture!—a yellow tunic and blue satin -cloak, all glittering with spangles, and a <i>bonâ fide</i> page’s -dress, borrowed from the wardrobe of Drury Lane Theatre, -by the influence of Elizabeth Richardson; while my fair -locks were duly powdered and combed and put into a -black satin bag, so that I flattered myself I presented a -manly and venerable appearance.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The prettiest girl in the school, Emily Elves by name, -was our <i>jeune première</i>, while an elderly spinster was -very well impersonated by another member of the community. -When the curtain dropped, dancing began, and, -in respect of my “noble birth and ancestral tendencies,” -I was permitted to lead out the charming daughter<a id='r26' /><a href='#f26' class='c008'><sup>[26]</sup></a> of -the reigning Duke of Bedford. I wonder if she can -recall that night as vividly as I can, but if she should -ever honour these pages by reading them so far, let me -take this opportunity of assuring her that I consider her -one of the most delightful partners I ever had, and I -have had many since that day.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f26'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r26'>26</a>. </span>Lady Louisa Russell, afterwards wife of James, first Duke of -Abercorn.</p> -</div> - -<div class='sidenote'>SMUGGLERS AND COASTGUARD</div> - -<p class='c007'>I have omitted to mention that our school, which was -originally situated in Regency Square, had been removed -to the extreme end of Brunswick Terrace. Indeed, Miss -Poggi was one of the first to go so far away from the -frequented part of Brighton. I well remember once, in -the dead of night, being roused by hearing shots fired -<span class='pageno' id='Page_91'>91</span>immediately under my window, followed by shouts and -cries. The next morning the mystery was solved. There -had been an encounter between smugglers and the coastguard; -one man had been severely wounded, and had -only escaped death by hiding in some miraculous manner. -Then one of the officers of the coastguard called upon -Miss Poggi, and complained that to the best of his belief -the offender had been secreted in her house by one of -the maidservants. The reply to that complaint was a -natural one: “I have not inquired into the matter, but I -should think it most probable that if a woman saw any man -flying for his life, she would do her best to save him, without -stopping to inquire into the cause of his flight.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>In those days, be it remembered, “smuggling” was -considered but a venial crime, and many, especially -amongst the gentler sex, were found willing to wink at it.</p> - -<p class='c007'>So wayward is human nature, that I believe I shed as -many tears at leaving school as I did on my first arrival, -overjoyed though I was at the prospect of returning home -for good.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_92'>92</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER X<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>VISITS IN CUMBERLAND AND LEICESTERSHIRE<a id='r27' /><a href='#f27' class='c008'><sup>[27]</sup></a><br />ACCESSION OF WILLIAM IV.</span></h2> -</div> -<div class='footnote c030' id='f27'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r27'>27</a>. </span>I have made some endeavours, but without success, to fix the -date of this visit. It was after 1826, and must have been before 1829, -in which year Isabella Howard, one of the four sisters, married Lord -Suffolk. Lord Henry Howard had died in 1824, so his widow was -living in the house of her son Henry, on whom Greystoke had been -entailed by Charles, tenth Duke of Norfolk. Mr Crackenthorpe was -born in either 1788 or 1789, for he told my sister-in-law, Lady Rachel -Howard, that his first recollection of a political event was the French -Revolution, when he was four years old. He lived to nominate Mr -Stafford Howard twice for Parliament, and died in 1886. Mr Howard -of Corby was descended from a second son of Lord Carlisle. Adela, -or Adeliza, was his youngest daughter, and, as are all her family, a -Roman Catholic.</p> - -<p class='c010'>The visit must have been after 1826, for in February of that year -Charles, third Lord Southampton, married Harriet, daughter of the -Hon. Fitzroy Stanhope, and my aunt, in describing her visit to his -house, makes no reference to a recent marriage. The brother-in-law -must have been Captain Robert Stanhope, who married, in 1830, Miss -Ward.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>There were few happier beings than myself, the morning -I started with my mother, my brother and sister, for -Greystoke Castle in Cumberland—Cumberland, which -appeared in those days a journey of delightful adventure, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_93'>93</span>not unattended by that vague sense of peril which enhanced -the charm of so long and wild an expedition. If -our destination had been the Rocky Mountains, or even -the Steppes of Tartary, I do not think my anticipations -could have been of a wilder and more romantic nature. -Was I not going to the far away and scarcely civilised -district of the Borderland, so near to Walter Scott’s own -country, along the great North road, with its recollections -of Meg Merrilies and Jeannie Deans, and the names of -the different towns at which we were to sleep, suggesting -well-known events in history and fiction? I am speaking -of a journey which is now accomplished between breakfast -and dinner.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>GREYSTOKE CASTLE</div> - -<p class='c007'>Our destination, as I said before, was the picturesque -domain of Greystoke, where Lady Henry Howard,<a id='r28' /><a href='#f28' class='c008'><sup>[28]</sup></a> my -mother’s fast friend, lived with her son Henry, and her -four daughters.<a id='r29' /><a href='#f29' class='c008'><sup>[29]</sup></a> Happy family, genial companions! -Every day spent in that enchanting spot seemed to me -like a page torn out of some favourite romance; and -when I look back upon those past years, I feel my -beloved friend Lady Suffolk will agree with me, in the -new-fashioned language of the day, that that time was -one of the very best of good times. We were a happy -band, with the same pleasures, the same tastes, the same -pursuits. As for me, my spirit was armed and ready for -<span class='pageno' id='Page_94'>94</span>adventures of all kinds, though occasionally I was disappointed -in my Quixotic anticipations.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f28'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r28'>28</a>. </span>Elizabeth Long married Mr, afterwards Lord, Henry Howard, -brother of Bernard, twelfth Duke of Norfolk.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f29'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r29'>29</a>. </span>Henrietta Anna married Henry, third Earl of Carnarvon; Isabella -Catharine married Charles, seventeenth Earl of Suffolk; Charlotte -married James Buller, father of Sir Redvers Buller; Juliene married -Sir John Ogilvay.</p> -</div> - -<div class='sidenote'>NAME OF CRACKENTHORPE</div> - -<p class='c007'>Soon after my arrival, I had gone out alone into the -wild park of Gobarrow, on a small mountain pony rejoicing -in the classic name of “Pacolet,” and very diminutive. -Like Mazeppa, I “urged on my wild career,” and naturally, -the ground being quite new to me, lost my way: so -far so good, just what a heroine of romance ought to -do; so on I went, snatching a fearful joy, until I came -to a large grip, which Pacolet prudently refused. I was -trying to persuade him to clear the obstacle, when I perceived -a man approaching, who promptly came to my -rescue, a gentleman, not remarkable for youth or beauty, -but at least chivalrous in his offer of assistance. I told -him I was anxious to find my way back to Greystoke -Castle. My new acquaintance offered to escort me, being -bound for the same hospitable dwelling; this offer I -gratefully declined, as it would have entailed a foot’s -pace, and I preferred a hand-gallop. Pacolet was comforted -when he found the grip might be dispensed with, -for I was turning my back on home; so following the -directions given me, and with the help of a few landmarks, -I reached Greystoke in safety, and on coming -down to dinner, after a hurried toilette, encountered my -friend. Our recognition occasioned much chaffing and -bantering, and no small curiosity was manifested as to -how I could have possibly made his acquaintance. He -was a middle-aged, respectable-looking man, but for all -that, the incident of our meeting seemed invested with -interest, and when dinner was over, I enquired the name -<span class='pageno' id='Page_95'>95</span>of the stranger, with the secret hope that he might be -something in the belted Will Howard line. I hope I shall -be forgiven for having been disappointed when I learned -that he bore the time-honoured name of Crackenthorpe.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Oh those merry days when we were young”—those -happy days at Greystoke! What rides, what stag hunts by -beautiful Ulleswater, on foot, on horseback, in boat, up -the fells, and on the lake. Untiring, strong, in all the -pride of youth and joyous spirits, with those beloved -friends, what wonder that I described myself to a distant -correspondent on one occasion as having “the courage -of a lion, the strength of an elephant, and the appetite of -a wolf.” Our feats of horsemanship would have done no -discredit to a circus, and our palfreys were so well trained, -that we used to dance quadrilles, or waltz in the most -approved fashion, and I stoutly maintained that my chestnut, -named Montilla, after the Cid’s renowned steed, bore -away the palm.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The castle contained, among many delights, a nice little -theatre, and our performances were frequent. The dramas -were for the most part home-made, but we thought them very -fine, and, at all events, the comedies were “genteel.” The -Howards were all good actresses, and enjoyed acting, and -I was in my element. I have a small sketch, done by one -of the guests, of myself in the character of “Daffodil the -Dandy,” in a pea-green surtout, with a grand Brutus wig -and waxed moustaches, a youth who was much taken up -with his own charms and accomplishments.</p> - -<p class='c007'>One of the Howards as a stiff-starched old maid, -and another as a bachelor of the same sort, renewing a bygone -<span class='pageno' id='Page_96'>96</span>flirtation, were deservedly admired. Sometimes our -performances took a tragic turn, and one evening when I -was kneeling before a cruel tyrant, who menaced my life -with up-lifted sword, a growl of thunder was heard, and -our Scotch terrier, “Boch Dhu,” who was in the audience, -darted over the footlights, and flew at the murderer’s throat, -gaining for herself the honours of the evening.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I quitted Greystoke with a heavy heart, but before -leaving Cumberland we paid a visit to Corby Castle, a -beautiful spot, the house situated on an eminence overhanging -the rushing river Eden, which was owned by another -member of the noble family of Howard. The house had -an especial interest for me (possessed as I have always been -with a passion for ghost stories) on account of being -haunted. To sleep in the celebrated chamber was the -object of my ardent desire, and I gained rather an unwilling -consent from Mrs Howard and my mother; the -latter indeed insisted that my sister should be my bedfellow, -lest I might become alarmed in the lone watches -of the night. I laughed this idea to scorn, as the apparition, -if it were visible, was that of the “radiant boy,” the -murdered Lord Thomas Howard, a lovely child in -glistening white garments, his golden hair crowned with -flowers and surmounted by a brilliant light.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>GHOST OF LORD THOMAS HOWARD</div> - -<p class='c007'>No sooner were Caddy and I in the haunted chamber, -than a knock came at the door. Who could it be? We -thought every body else had retired for the night. The -door opened—lo! it was Adela, the daughter of the house, -who came to confess that for long she had been devoured -by the wish to sleep in that room, and the bed was of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_97'>97</span>such enormous dimensions, that she should not inconvenience -us, if we would admit her. I, for my part did not -like the idea. I felt I was too much acquainted with the -exclusive and retiring nature of the brotherhood of ghosts -to entertain the faintest hope of a successful apparition to -a trio of friends. We conversed, I think, most of the -night, which was out of character with the whole proceedings; -but as the clock struck the witching hour of -midnight, there was a dead silence for a few moments, -only broken by Adela’s prayer, which her Church enjoins -at the striking of each hour: “Lord, make me to love Thee -in time and eternity!” an ejaculation that so took my -fancy, that ever since that long, long ago I have always -repeated those words in the watches of the night, and -thereby often scared away many a sad and gloomy -thought.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Alas, for the failure, which I had anticipated! -Little Lord Thomas Howard disdained to make his -appearance, and no one else, on practical joke intent, -disturbed the sleepers, or rather watchers. (To be sure we -had announced beforehand that the sword of Fergus -M’Ivor, which was a relic in the family, was to lie unsheathed -by the bedside). This was a great disappointment, -and I had to wait for many years afterwards, in another -country, and under other circumstances, to behold a ghost.</p> - -<p class='c007'>On leaving Cumberland, we paid a visit of quite another -character, namely, to the Master of the Quorn Hounds, -whose wife had been a school-fellow and contemporary of -my sister. Here, too, we enjoyed ourselves much, being -splendidly mounted, a beautiful little snow-white pony -<span class='pageno' id='Page_98'>98</span>falling to my share. “Billy” was very fast and well trained, -and would answer like a dog to his name. It was a great -delight to Lord Southampton to gallop on in front for -some distance as hard as he could, and then to turn round -and call, “Billy, Billy,” and off would set the little snowball -at furious speed until he rejoined his beloved master. -I must here recall an incident which impressed itself -deeply on my memory.</p> - -<p class='c007'>There was a large party in the house, chiefly composed -of hunting men, and one evening we were playing a round -game, and making merry over it, when the conversation -turned on Fanny Kemble, who had lately made her <i>début</i> -in London, and was at the moment the centre of attraction -and the theme of conversation.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“What a pity we are not nearer London” (we were -in Leicester at the time, and no railroads then, be it -remembered), said the lady of the house; “I would give -anything in the world to see her. I hear she is perfectly -wonderful!” Her sentiments were echoed by many, -especially my brother and sister; I listened in breathless -awe.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Well, why should you not go?” said the brother-in-law; -“I see no reason against it. There will be no hunting -for some days, not a chance—the frost is a great deal too -hard; we might go up for a couple of days, sleep at a -hotel, writing beforehand for a box.”</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>MIDNIGHT CONSPIRACY</div> - -<p class='c007'>The idea smiled on our adventurous hostess, some of -the company thought the scheme a mad one, and my dear -mother tried to argue that it would never do, for if the -master of the house, who was absent, came back the next -<span class='pageno' id='Page_99'>99</span>day, and found his wife and guests flown without a word, -he would be much displeased. But imprudence had the -upper hand. The brother-in-law rang the bell, ordered a -post-chaise and four, went to put on his warm travelling -garments, and proceeded then and there on his road to -London. The rest of the party were to start early next -morning, and they would find relays of posters ordered -at all the different stages, so as to avoid delay.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Then came the burning question, Was I to go? No!—for -once my mother was inflexible, and I prayed and -supplicated in vain. My brother and sister, happy beings! -were to be of the party, and poor Mary left crying at -home. I really do consider that of all the tributes paid -to the talent of my dear friend Fanny Kemble, or rather -I should say the combined talents of her and her incomparable -father, few could be greater than that midnight -conspiracy, and the manner in which it was carried out. -Fortune favoured the travellers, for their return preceded -that of the master of the house, and my mother was saved -the task of mediation, which had been imposed upon her. -Indeed I think, on the whole, Lord Southampton rather -admired the spirit of adventure which had animated his -wife and her guests, for he listened laughingly, and I -disconsolately, to the rapturous praises and enthusiastic -encomiums bestowed on the young <i>débutante</i> by the -playgoers.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Although I have already complained of a bad memory -for dates, yet there are some which are of sufficient importance -to be remembered, such as the accession of William -IV. in 1830. The news caused great excitement in our -<span class='pageno' id='Page_100'>100</span>little household, and was indeed calculated in a great -measure to change the tenor of our lives. My sister had -for a long time been the chosen friend and associate of the -Duke of Clarence’s beautiful daughters—I mean by Mrs -Jordan the celebrated actress—and I must pause in my -narrative to give some description of them.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The eldest, Lady de Lisle, had undoubted claims to -good looks, but much less so than her sisters. Eliza, -Countess of Erroll, was remarkable for her unusual -colouring; she had auburn hair, with eyes of hazel brown -to match. Augusta Kennedy Erskine, afterwards Lady -Frederick Gordon, was a blonde, very graceful in demeanour, -and playful in manner. On one occasion when, -as a young girl, Augusta came into the room hastily, and -made a little curtsey (for curtsies were not then obsolete), -my governess, Miss Richardson, told me that she was a -perfect likeness of her mother. Lady Mary Fox was -more comely than strictly beautiful, but she had a captivating -smile, and a voice whose tones were sufficiently -musical, I should conjecture, to rival those of Mrs Jordan -herself. The youngest was my sister’s greatest friend, -Amelia, afterwards Lady Falkland, who might have -passed for a Spaniard, for her hair was indeed raven -black, an epithet so often misapplied; but Amelia’s dancing -ringlets had a shade over them like the bloom on the -feathers of that bird, and her eyes were soft liquid black. -I remember seeing her in her wedding-dress (my sister -was her bridesmaid), crowned with flowering myrtle, placed -there by Queen Adelaide’s own hand—the bridal chaplet -in Germany. But I have made a long digression, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_101'>101</span>must return to the first days of the reign of King -William IV.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>“CADDY” MAID OF HONOUR</div> - -<p class='c007'>Amelia Fitzclarence went to the Queen and asked her -as a favour to appoint Caroline, or as she was always called, -“Caddy” Boyle to be one of her maids of honour, upon -which her Majesty replied, with a kiss, that she had already -determined on that appointment, and that she had caused -Caddy to be informed that she was the first chosen on the -list.</p> - -<p class='c007'>It may easily be believed that this appointment -occasioned great excitement in our family, and the -salary of the maid of honour appeared in my eyes as a -sum of fabulous riches, and my sister to have become -suddenly a personage of great importance, for she had -now a limited “Household” of her own.</p> - -<p class='c007'>About this time my mother hired a small house in -Curzon Street, and I began to go out into society in -good earnest, which I enjoyed very much, especially -the Court balls, which lasted longer, and were, if I may be -allowed to say so, in many respects less formal than those -of a later period. I was an inveterate dancer, and the -interval which elapsed between my stepping out of the -carriage, getting off my cloak, and reaching the ball-room, -appeared to me interminable.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Respecting the latter part of this year, 1830, the year -1831, and the early portion of 1832, I have nothing very -remarkable to record; our time was chiefly spent between -Hampton Court and London, with occasional visits to -friends and relations in the country. We suffered great -alarm indeed at one time, on account of the serious illness -<span class='pageno' id='Page_102'>102</span>of my dear father, an incident which I should not mention, -seeing his life was mercifully spared, but for one circumstance -which made a great impression on my mind. The -invalid was attended by two eminent physicians, who left -the house, saying it was not in their power to do any -more for him, and that there was not the faintest hope of -his recovery; yet, by the devoted and affectionate skill of -a naval surgeon, Dr Mitchell, who was much attached to -him, my father’s life was saved, and of the two other -doctors, he survived the one eleven, and the other fourteen -years. My sister was in constant attendance at Court, -yet in the autumn of 1832 she gained leave of absence, -and was allowed to accompany her mother on a foreign -tour.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_103'>103</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER XI<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>FIRST CONTINENTAL TRAVELS—TURIN AND GENOA</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>It was on the 11th September, 1832, that, in company with -my mother, my sister Caddy, and eldest brother Courtenay, -I started for Turin, where Charles had preceded us. It -would be difficult to imagine the delightful anticipations I -had formed of that journey to the South, and yet, like all -earthly pleasures, they had a drawback; for, on that blissful -morning, I shed many tears at parting from my youngest -brother Cavendish, as he stood with a great friend of ours -at the door of our apartments in Hampton Court Palace to -wish us God-speed.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Arrangements had been made that we were to be met -at Boulogne by a <i>voiturier</i> with a team of horses, which he -would attach to our heavy berline, and therein convey us -to Turin, <i>via</i> the Jura and Switzerland. We found him a -rough and ready individual, with a strong will of his own, -and a great inclination to overrule the opinions of others, -but never forgetting an especial deference <i>pour cette bonne -Miladi</i>. We was a worthy man, but headstrong by nature, -and the only name we ever knew him by was Henri Hutin, -which I always believe to have been a <i>nom de guerre</i>, or -rather <i>de route</i>. We had fitted up our carriage very comfortably -<span class='pageno' id='Page_104'>104</span>with a small table in the middle, forming a cupboard, -which contained materials for tea-making, a -luncheon basket, and other luxuries. We had each of us -layers of brown holland packets for our own especial books, -writing, and drawing materials.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The front box, on which we took it by turns to take an -airing and see the country, had also receptacles for different -treasures of travel, while the rumble behind was occupied -by the faithful Henry. In this manner we proceeded -leisurely, but comfortably, on our roads, pausing in the -middle of the day to bait our horses and to feed ourselves, -and sleeping at little wayside inns of most unpromising -exterior, where we were always sure, in passing through -France at least, of an appetising supper and snow-white -beds. I often wonder if any other girl in the world ever -enjoyed herself so much, or revelled so completely in the -beauty of the scenery, the novelty of every incident of -travel or the delights of the gay and brilliant society with -which we mixed in all the principal Italian towns.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>SOCIETY IN GENOA</div> - -<p class='c007'>We found Charles happily established in the post of -<i>attaché</i> at the English Legation, with his friends Sir -Augustus and Lady Albinia Foster, who treated him with -all the kindness and consideration which they bestowed on -their own sons. After spending what our American -friends call “a good time,” at Turin, we went to Genoa, -that proud and beautiful city, where we remained until the -following summer. We became acquainted with all the -leading members of society, the names of most of whom -recall many an interesting page in the annals of Genoese -history, such as Pallavicini, Durazzo, Balbi, Doria, and the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_105'>105</span>like; but the family with whom we were most intimate, and -on whose memory I dwell with most affection, was that of -the Marchesa Brignole, her sister and her two daughters, -with the latter of whom I had constant intercourse. The -eldest was married, and at the house of Madame Ferrai -(the late Marchesa Galliera) we used to spend the most -delightful evenings; it was here also I became -acquainted with Lord and Lady Holland,<a id='r30' /><a href='#f30' class='c008'><sup>[30]</sup></a> then newly -married, both of whom were most agreeable companions.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f30'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r30'>30</a>. </span>Henry Edward, fourth Baron Holland; married, 9th May 1833, -Lady Mary Coventry.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>Genoa does not afford much scope or variety for those -who love riding, but where there was a horse, and a side-saddle -to put on it, my sister and I could not be kept from -mounting, and by degrees most of the Genoese gentlemen -whom we met in society joined our riding parties, until our -cavalcade lengthened out to enormous proportions, and -many were the pleasant gallops we had along the coast. -Alas! that most of those gay cavaliers have long since -been numbered with the dead. One in particular I recall -with sincere affection. He was the Chevalier Pietro de -Boyl, brother of the Marchese of the same name. He was -a Sardinian by birth, and at this time a Captain in the -Engineers. He was remarkable for his extreme beauty -and high courage, which he proved afterwards by distinguishing -himself greatly as A.D.C. to King Charles -Albert in several battles. He was subsequently Governor -of his native island of Sardinia, but, at the time of which I -am speaking, he was merely a young officer, one of my -favourite partners, and a constant visitor at our house. He -<span class='pageno' id='Page_106'>106</span>sang well to the guitar, and his other charms were enhanced -in my eyes by his devotion to <i>cara miladi</i>, as he -alway called my dear mother.</p> - -<p class='c007'>It was during our sojourn at Genoa that King William -IV. bestowed on my father the Guelphic and Hanoverian -Order, which his Majesty was very fond of dispensing. -When the news of the decoration reached Genoa, we -received visits of congratulation from all our friends, and at -the same time letters and notes offering sympathy to my -mother upon what was considered a very questionable -elevation.</p> - -<p class='c007'>How grieved I was when the time came to leave -beautiful Genoa! The Carnival had been so enjoyable, the -fun so “fast and furious,” and the opera season so -delightful. We had been almost every night to the -theatre, having a box placed at our disposal by one or -other of our Genoese friends. Visits were paid from one -box to another by all the gentlemen of our acquaintance, -and the society thus enjoyed was on an easy and agreeable -footing. The <i>prima donna</i> at the time I am speaking of -was, strange as it may appear, a German by birth, and -Madame Ungher was, in my opinion, the finest actress I -have ever seen, scarcely excepting Rachel or Ristori. She -was not remarkable for beauty, but had a noble presence, -was graceful in her movements, and her singing was replete -with expression, dignity and pathos. In the opera of the -<i>Pirata</i>, I shall never forget the scene in which she -implores her child to intercede with his father in her behalf. -I was forcibly reminded of this incident the other day, in -witnessing Miss Mary Anderson’s beautiful impersonation -<span class='pageno' id='Page_107'>107</span>of Hermione in the <i>Winter’s Tale</i>, and the touching -dialogue between her and the little Prince, when she -showed the same tenderness, the same winning grace, but -enhanced by an extreme loveliness with which Madame -Ungher was not endowed.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>“BALLETS D’ACTION”</div> - -<p class='c007'>At that period <i>ballets d’action</i> were in great repute. -They generally occurred between the middle acts of the -opera and were, as I considered, an unreasonable interruption, -in every sense of the word. Besides, I wearied of the -constant repetition of the same insipid pantomime; and -the invariable story of the “Two Rivals” was commonplace -in the highest degree.</p> - -<p class='c007'>One evening I turned to a gentleman who sat beside -me, and expressed my impatience, finding fault in rather an -irritable tone with the <i>prima ballerina</i> for killing herself, and, -“Why does she not rather kill her rival?” I asked of him.</p> - -<p class='c007'>My companion was a matter-of-fact personage, and -after gazing at me for some time with an expression of -disapprobation: “Comment, Mademoiselle,” he exclaimed, -“sous une chevelure ainsi blonde vous cachez des passions -ainsi violentes?” I have often thought that we blondes -labour under a great responsibility, as we are generally -supposed (in fiction at least) to be mild and virtuous, -calm and placable.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I can recall most vividly an amusing evening spent -at the Veglione. My eldest brother tried to persuade us -to go to the masquerade that night, but we (my mother, -my sister and myself) were very deceitful, complained of -sleepiness and disinclination for the task to which he was -looking forward. In the meantime we had surreptitiously -<span class='pageno' id='Page_108'>108</span>made assignations with three of our friends to meet us at -the door of the theatre and be our escort for the night. -Our hotel was situated on the port, and we had, therefore, -to pass through several of the narrow streets <i>en route</i> for -San Carlo, which could only be traversed by sedan chairs.</p> - -<p class='c007'>During the many years I have passed in Italy, I have -never seen above three instances of drunkenness in the -streets, but this evening I was unfortunate. My chair -swayed about from side to side, as if I were in a steamboat, -and at last came to a dead stop, and our faithful servant -Henry, who was walking by my side, lifting up the top and -opening the door, informed me of the reason, while turning -to the chairmen he heaped upon them in his very best Italian -a storm of indignant invectives, at the same time sending -back the more sober of the two to the hotel, to summon -another pair of bearers. Issuing from the sedan, in all the -splendour and magnificence of a Turkish Sultana with an -entire mask, I began to add my indignant rebukes to those -of Henry, when the ludicrousness of the position came -home so forcibly to me that I stopped in my harangue. -Glittering with gold and silver and false jewels, and of the -commanding stature of five foot nothing, I must have -greatly impressed those guilty men. Remembering, -however, that my “paper face,” as the Italians call an -entire mask, was expressive of inane good humour and the -blandest of smiles, I came down from my pinnacle of -sublime virtue, and retreated into my chair until the -appearance of my new bearers. Arrived at the theatre, -and joined by our cavaliers, we mixed in the motley -throng on mischief bent.</p> -<div class='sidenote'>A MASQUERADE</div> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_109'>109</span>My companion, being one of the leaders of society, who -knew all about everybody and everything in that society, -was of the greatest use in prompting my sallies and in -enlightening me when I was at a loss.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Do you see,” I said, “that officer who is following us, -and who looks at me every now and then in the most -threatening manner? I do not know him, and he -evidently takes me for somebody else.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Yes,” replied Count Camille, “I think I can explain -it? He is very much attached to a French lady, who is -about your size, and I think he has mistaken you for her. -She is a clever little women and writes poetry.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>On this hint, I spake. With a rashness which perhaps I -should have feared to exercise after a longer acquaintance -with Italy and the Italians, I determined to tease my -follower. I had resolved from the beginning to speak -only Italian, or very broken English, so as not to be found -out as a foreigner in too many languages, so I began to -expostulate with my officer on his dogging my steps. I -made Camille, who was very tall, bend down earnestly and -talk to me in a whisper, about nothing or anything. I -told my pursuer that I had been too busy to think of him -lately, as I had been occupied writing sonnets to the moon, -with other wise speeches of an exasperating quality. I -then told him I was going to valse, and should not be able -to do so if he stuck so close to me. I think I was rather -courageous to bear the brunt of the furious looks he cast -upon me. He still followed, and after two rounds I came -back to the place where he was standing, upbraided him -for his jealousy, and raising my mask for a moment, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_110'>110</span>relieved him from all his suspicions by showing the face of -an utter stranger. He was not what would be called a -handsome man, but it required a southern face and a -southern nature to express the delight and relief that he -experienced at that moment. His bad quarter of an hour -was over, and he was good-humoured enough to enter into -the fun and mischief of the mask who had deceived him; -his eyes literally beamed with pleasure, and with an arch -smile and a low bow he hoped, in the charming Italian -form of speech, that we should soon meet again.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I next attacked a Marchese of our acquaintance, who -was very ill of Anglomania, and extremely proud of speaking -the language, which he did very well for a Genoese, for -they are not remarkable for being good linguists. To him -I spoke in English, and excited as much jealousy in his -breast, though of a different nature, as I had already done -in that of my officer. I was careful to break my English -and to translate from Italian idioms. When asked where -I lived and whence I came, I told him that I resided somewhere -between the Acqua Sola (the promenade on the north -side of the city) and the Lantern, meaning the Lanterna -or lighthouse. He then asked me if I had ever been in -England, and I told him that I had spent six months in -that country. Beckoning to a member of the American -Legation, he whispered to him that he should engage in -conversation with me, and I had the satisfaction of hearing -the referee inform him that I certainly was no Englishwoman.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>A BUNCH OF VIOLETS</div> - -<p class='c007'>So far my efforts had been successful at puzzling and -misleading, but a higher triumph was in store for me. I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_111'>111</span>sought out my brother, chaffed him mercilessly about his -flirtations, his favourite partners and the like, paid especial -court to him, flattered him in the way I knew would most -please him, and made a resistless attack on his vanity! I -asked him to take one <i>tour de valse</i> with me, and finally -ended by presenting him with a large bunch of violets. It -is always said that the best way to detect a mask is to -examine the hands and feet, but here I was a match for -my brother. With an entire disregard of vanity I had -encased my hands in ill-fitting gloves, and over my usual -evening shoes had drawn a pair of Turkish slippers. I -joined my mother and my sister, and we all three went -home to the hotel, and were sound asleep before the return -of my brother. The next morning I went into his room -before he was up, and in the most innocent manner asked -him to tell me all about the <i>bal masqué</i>, whether it was -amusing, whether he advised us to go next time, whom he -had seen and recognised, etc. Then, turning round and -seeing my violets carefully placed in water by his bedside, -I pounced upon them, saying, “How deliciously sweet! -where did you get them?”</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Pray leave my violets alone,” he said in a sharper tone -than usual; “I’ve a particular reason for not wishing to -part with them”; and this was uttered mysteriously, -mingled with a certain degree of self-complacency which -made me quite dread the inevitable moment when I must -confess to poor Courtenay that those violets were the gift -of his sister! What a terrible anti-climax to the romantic -episode of the foregoing evening, as he had evidently -believed the donor to be one of the beautiful Genoese -<span class='pageno' id='Page_112'>112</span>ladies who were the brilliant ornaments of that brilliant -society.</p> - -<p class='c007'>There is a proverb connected with the proud city, that -“Its sea has no fish and its fair citizens no souls.” To this -I demur, and at all events there were few towns, even in -Italy, where the women of the three different classes were -more beautiful. In Rome, for instance, the aristocracy, -with some splendid exceptions, were not famous for their -personal charms, but the lower orders, especially the -Trasteverini (or the inhabitants from the other side of the -Tiber), were for the most part magnificent specimens of -womanhood, tall, fully developed, majestic in their bearing, -with not infrequently a defiant expression. My sweeping -description of the Romans of the lower orders used to be, -that all the women looked as if they would stab you if -they could, and all the men did.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The fashion of veils and chintz head-dresses in Genoa -was going out as early as 1833, but a few years before, the -noble ladies were distinguished by wearing lace veils, -similar to the mantilla of the Spaniards, but chiefly white; -the burghers’ wives, white muslin; while the lower classes, -whether country or townswomen, wore on their heads the -chintz covering, which is now almost obsolete, even in -Genoa, but has of late years been copied in the Manchester -manufactories, and sold for bed-quilts in many of our -London shops.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>MAZZINI AND CAMILLE DE CAVOUR</div> - -<p class='c007'>The year of which I am speaking was very eventful, -and great political excitement was felt throughout all -Italy, especially in the north. Mazzini was at work, -and had made his influence widely felt, while that true -<span class='pageno' id='Page_113'>113</span>patriot, Camille de Cavour, preached the doctrines of real -reform, and was preparing the way for better days in the -land he loved so well. Intrigues of all kinds were being -carried on, of a complicated character; frequent arrests -were made, and spies were in every house, reporting the -conversations that took place at private dinner-tables. I -believe there is little doubt that our head-waiter, old Pietro, -was one of the most officious of these eavesdroppers. I -heard it afterwards with regret, for he was a favourite of -mine, and often joined in an easy and pleasant manner in -our conversation. On one occasion I was quoting a short -poem of Metastasio’s that I admired greatly, and I had got -as far as</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Cosi non torna fido, Quell’ angioletto al nido ...”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c020'>and there I stuck fast, when Pietro, stepping lightly -forward, came to my rescue, and, in a sonorous and -theatrical voice, exclaimed:</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“La pargoletta prole, al cibo a ravvivai.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'>Picture to yourself a waiter at a London hotel volunteering -to finish for you the last lines of a sonnet by Milton, -or of a speech by Shakespeare!</p> - -<p class='c007'>The history of that time will be found recorded in the -story called “Lorenzo Benoni,” by Ruffini,<a id='r31' /><a href='#f31' class='c008'><sup>[31]</sup></a> the author of -that most charming little book “Doctor Antonio,” a -wonderful literary triumph, when you remember that -the two volumes were written in English by an Italian.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f31'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r31'>31</a>. </span>Giovanni Ruffini, an Anglo-Italian writer of novels and sketches, -who lived from 1807 to 1881.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>But now the time came for our departure, and how -<span class='pageno' id='Page_114'>114</span>deeply grieved I was to bid adieu to Genoa and the -Genoese. My brother and sister went to England to -attend their duties at Court, as they were both in the -Household, and my mother and I set out for the baths of -Lucca, where we had been advised to spend the summer. -We took up our abode in a nice little house at the -Bagni della Villa, being shortly after rejoined by my -brother Courtenay.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_115'>115</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER XII<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>SUMMER AT THE BATHS OF LUCCA</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>We were all delighted with the Baths at Lucca, and the -picturesque environs. The surrounding hills were covered -with Spanish chestnut trees, which retained their fresh -spring green during the whole of the summer, and the -cool, refreshing river Lima, which runs through the valley, -tempered and mitigated the heat of those months, that to -some of our compatriots appeared excessive. My brother -and I hired ponies, and in the company of two Englishmen, -his friends, we rode every day, making excursions into -all the beautiful little towns which crowned the neighbouring -mountains, a pleasure which was heightened by the fact -that our dear mother was sometimes able to join us in -these pilgrimages, being carried in a chair by the sure-footed -peasants of the country, who made no difficulty in -ascending the hill-sides, however steep.</p> - -<p class='c007'>As the spring came on, the wild-flowers were a constant -source of delight to us, although our botany was of no -scientific nature. There is a thistle there which grew by -the roadside and in the fields, that I have never seen -elsewhere, though perhaps I prove my ignorance in thinking -it to be a rare specimen; in shape it resembles a small -<span class='pageno' id='Page_116'>116</span>sunflower, but the centre is violet, and the small and -numerous petals shine like mother-of-pearl or glistening -opal. I was very fond of wearing it in my hair, in those -days when it was the fashion to dress the head with -natural flowers, in a country where even men, especially -fishermen, were frequently seen with a rose, a carnation, or -some sweet flower fixed behind one ear.</p> - -<p class='c007'>One day as we were riding along, about five miles from -the Baths, my brother and I were surprised at being -accosted by a peasant in very good English. We -slackened our pace and entered into conversation with him, -enquiring how it was that he spoke our language so -well. He told us that he had been many years in -England, carrying about a tray of plaster-casts on his -head through the streets. This is a custom which has -become less frequent, but when I was a child, nothing -tempted my scanty store of pocket-money more than -one of what I called those “white images,” and I well -remember the delight I felt in the possession of a -young Apollo. When I saw the original in after years I -hailed it as an old acquaintance. The man told us that -most of the people in that line of trade came from the -village through which we were at that moment riding, and -that those who were successful in their business usually -returned to end their days, small blame to them, in their -beautiful country.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>THE BODDINGTONS</div> - -<p class='c007'>We occupied the ground floor in our house at the Villa, -while the <i>primo piano</i> was inhabited by an English family, -consisting of a middle-aged lady, a gentleman, and two -daughters. My mother, as a rule, kept aloof from the companionship -<span class='pageno' id='Page_117'>117</span>of her compatriots while on the continent, -unless they were old friends, and preferred the society of -the natives; but I had a secret hankering after the acquaintance -of the English girls above us. The eldest in -particular took my fancy; she was tall and well formed, -with a profusion of dark brown hair, and although her -face could not be called beautiful, it was wonderfully -expressive. I had heard of her proficiency in drawing, -and had often passed her as she sat sketching under her -large umbrella, and I knew she was a charming musician, -for I could hear her beautiful touch on the pianoforte, and -her melodious singing in many languages, as clearly -as if we had been in the same room; but time wore -on, and we did not become acquainted.</p> - -<p class='c007'>One day I was busy reading in our little sitting-room -when I heard the most piercing shrieks, accompanied with -a stamping of feet and other signs of distress. Without a -moment’s hesitation, I flung down my book and, heedless -of <i>les convenances</i>, rushed upstairs, and dashed into the -room, where I found the two girls ministering to their -mother’s maid, who for some unreasonable reason or other -had gone off into violent hysterics. That was the strange -fashion in which we made the acquaintance of the excellent -Boddingtons, whose companionship and friendship cheered -many years of the lives of both generations. From that -moment the two mothers became inseparable, and both the -girls endeared themselves to my heart, so much so that the -elder and I were subsequently known amongst our friends -at Rome and Florence as “Rosalind and Celia.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>While we were at the baths of Lucca, a ball was given -<span class='pageno' id='Page_118'>118</span>by the couriers and upper servants of the families passing -the summer there, which was to take place in the little -theatre where dramatic performances were occasionally -given. To this ball the “quality” were bidden, and places -assigned to them in the boxes, while the pit and stage were -boarded over for the dancers.</p> - -<p class='c007'>We spent a most amusing evening in watching the -arrival of the guests, who were received at the entrance -by the stewards, according to the rank of their masters -and mistresses. Thus the lady’s maid to the Duchess of -Lucca was received with royal honours, everybody -curtseying and bowing as she passed along, and great -clapping of hands as she made her way to the principal -seat. I cannot say her temporary Highness looked very -royal, or her toilette very well chosen, but she was -determined, as it appeared to me, to do honour to her -high position by putting on a small portion of every -“chiffon” she possessed. Her gown was of as many -colours as Joseph’s coat. Filigree trinkets from Genoa, -and, I should imagine, from several <i>bijoutiers en faux</i> -in the Palais Royal adorned her neck, ears, and hands, -while on her head she wore flowers, feathers, and more -false hair than was then consistent with the fashion even of -that day. Her airs and graces were in keeping with her -attire, and I could not help contrasting her whole appearance -with that of her Royal mistress.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>HIGH LIFE BELOW STAIRS</div> - -<p class='c007'>It was easy to detect the nationality of the different -households: the severe simplicity of the English, the light -and airy ball-dresses of the French, and the different modes -of dancing which characterised the different countries. The -<span class='pageno' id='Page_119'>119</span>little flirtations that passed, the extreme <i>galanterie</i> of the -men, especially the couriers, the awkward “footing it” of -some, and the very graceful dancing of others, were all -most amusing to witness. It was <i>High Life Below Stairs</i> -acted on a real stage by real characters, and far less exaggerated -than the famous droll old farce.</p> - -<p class='c007'>During our sojourn at the Baths we made a delightful -excursion to the town of Lucca, and here we became -acquainted with the reigning Duke and Duchess. They -were reckoned the handsomest couple in Europe. The -Duchess was a daughter of the King of Sardinia, and as -good as she was beautiful; the description of her would -pass for that of many an Italian beauty, but I have seldom -seen her equal. She was tall and majestic, with a noble -presence and lustrous eyes, but she had the saddest -expression I almost ever beheld, and so I observed to one -of her ladies, who became a great friend of mine, and she -told me that it was not without cause. Almost the same -description might be given of the Duke’s personal appearance, -with the exception of the sad expression, for there -was no melancholy in the beaming, smiling countenance of -Charles de Bourbon. He had a sweet voice and a winning -tongue, was a graceful dancer, and the admired of all who -saw him; but he was unworthy the love of so noble a -woman, and was vain and inconstant by nature. It was -told of him that one day a friend presumed to ask him how -it was possible he could treat his beautiful wife with so -little consideration.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Tiens, tiens,” he said, “elle est très bonne, elle est -très belle, mais elle ne me contrarie jamais. C’est si fade.”</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_120'>120</span>I mention this circumstance as a warning to wives who -are too forgiving and forbearing.</p> - -<p class='c007'>About this time there took place a great religious -festival in Lucca. According to a legend, one day in far -distant times a ship came to—I forget what part of the -coast, or what harbour—bearing a sacred image of our Lord, -which was at once appropriated by the Luccees.<a id='r32' /><a href='#f32' class='c008'><sup>[32]</sup></a> As far -as I can remember, it was a rough, ill-modelled effigy, with -a black face, but it was held in high veneration by the -citizens, and on one night in every year it was carried -through the town in a long procession, consisting of the -Court, the nobles, the Guilds, and principal burghers of the -place. I can recall the scene as the moonlight streamed -down on the Duke and Duchess and their attendants, the -Duke in full uniform, the Duchess a perfect dream of -beauty in soft pale blue, crowned with a heavy tiara of -diamonds, and with diamonds studding her whole dress, -and glittering and sparkling in the moonlight with a softer -brilliancy than can ever be seen in the interior of a room. -The ladies and gentlemen of the retinue alike in full dress, -and the priests bearing candles and chanting as they went, -made a sight never to be forgotten.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f32'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r32'>32</a>. </span>According to the tradition, the Volto Santo was carried by -Nicodemus, who, after the Crucifixion, was bidden by an angel to -make an image of our Lord; but leaving it unfinished, he found the -Face had been miraculously completed. It is said to have found its -way to the coast of Italy in an open boat, and to have been brought -to Lucca in 782.</p> -</div> - -<div class='sidenote'>DUKE AND DUCHESS DE BOURBON</div> - -<p class='c007'>One morning, after a ball at the ducal palace, the lady -in waiting, to whom I have already referred, told me that -the Duchess was suffering from a violent headache, arising -<span class='pageno' id='Page_121'>121</span>from the weight of the diadem, which she had not worn for -some time. This struck me as a symbol, and the next -morning I wrote the following lines, which I gave to the -Marchesa:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Once more, oh joy! once more alone,</div> - <div class='line in2'>The pageant’s at an end</div> - <div class='line'>And all the crowded train are gone,</div> - <div class='line in2'>The courtier, flatterer, friend.</div> - <div class='line'>All, all is hushed and silent now,</div> - <div class='line'>I tear the diadem from my brow,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Each glittering fillet rend.</div> - <div class='line'>Oh would I thus my heart could free,</div> - <div class='line'>And lift its load of misery!</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“I am alone, oh joy untold!</div> - <div class='line in2'>My splendid task is o’er,</div> - <div class='line'>My heart of griefs I may unfold,</div> - <div class='line in2'>And swell the grievous store.</div> - <div class='line'>I need not face the hollow smile,</div> - <div class='line'>With a weeping bosom all the while,</div> - <div class='line in2'>My tears may freely pour.</div> - <div class='line'>I need not speak of trivial things,</div> - <div class='line'>When every word fresh torture brings.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Oh, well can I recall the day</div> - <div class='line in2'>I left my mother’s care,</div> - <div class='line'>When, decked in royal bride array,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Each voice proclaimed me fair.</div> - <div class='line'>That morn I drank in hope’s bright dream,</div> - <div class='line'>The fount of joy and nectar’s stream,</div> - <div class='line in2'>And breathed a magic air.</div> - <div class='line'>The sun, the sky, the earth, the sea,</div> - <div class='line'>That day had new-born charms for me.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“A ducal crown was not the thought</div> - <div class='line in2'>That fired my soul with pride,</div> - <div class='line'>Sardinia’s daughter might be sought</div> - <div class='line in2'>For many a throne beside.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line c003'><span class='pageno' id='Page_122'>122</span>But rapture’s cup was flowing o’er,</div> - <div class='line'>The morn I left Liguria’s shore,</div> - <div class='line in2'>As Charles de Bourbon’s bride.</div> - <div class='line'>Sole Empress of his heart of bliss—</div> - <div class='line'>What were my sister’s realms to this?</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“They call me haughty, proud, and cold,</div> - <div class='line in2'>But little do they know——</div> - <div class='line'>Who can through Hecla’s snows behold</div> - <div class='line in2'>The flames that lurk below?</div> - <div class='line'>O Charles, my sovereign, husband, guide,</div> - <div class='line'>My heart’s best, earliest, dearest pride,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Yet source of all my pain,</div> - <div class='line'>Give me the love of bygone years,</div> - <div class='line'>To turn the current of my tears</div> - <div class='line in2'>In smiles of hope again.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'>The Marchesa read the lines with tears, and said how -much she wished she could show them to her royal -mistress; but, alas! in some cases, sympathy is an -insult.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Before taking leave of the Baths of Lucca altogether, I -think I may as well allude here to a second visit which we -paid some years later to this charming spot, when we -found the only son of the Duke and Duchess established -at the Royal Villa, and were invited, shortly after our -arrival, to a ball which they gave.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>“FILTHY LUCRE”</div> - -<p class='c007'>The Prince had married the only sister of the Comte de -Chambord. She was a pretty blonde, fair of complexion, -and short of stature, with golden hair and blue eyes <i>à fleur -de tête</i>. Her manners were winning and gracious, and she -altogether formed a striking contrast to her husband, who -was vulgar and unrefined. Indeed, in a subsequent visit to -England, he gained for himself the name of “Filthy Lucre.” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_123'>123</span>One of his gentlemen told me that the greatest ambition -of His Highness was to be taken for an English groom, -upon which I retorted that in that case, he must contrive -to have a better seat on horseback. But to return to the -ball.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I remember both my mother and myself being extremely -scandalised by the fact of His Highness holding, -what some of the gentlemen called, <i>un estaminet</i>, next door -to the ball-room, where, during the greater part of the -evening, he and his chosen friends smoked very bad -tobacco. This incident will not surprise the readers of the -present day; the only difference lies in the better quality -of the tobacco, for what was then considered an innovation -in the manners and customs of society, is now sanctioned -by the highest authority.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The career of this ill-fated Prince was a miserable one. -On the death of Maria Louisa, the Duchy of Lucca became -annexed to that of Tuscany, while that of Parma -fell to the share of Charles de Bourbon, Duke of Lucca. -He disliked the change, retired into private life, and -abdicated in favour of his son, who assumed the title of -Charles III.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Now began a reign of misrule and anarchy; the new -sovereign was hated by his subjects, as was his Prime -Minister, Baron Ward. This man, who was a Yorkshire -jockey, first entered the Duke’s service as groom, and -by degrees became his political adviser, confidant, and -companion. After a short and disastrous reign, Charles -III. was assassinated in the open street, and as some -say, in a common tavern, by the hand of a man of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_124'>124</span>lower orders, prompted, it was supposed, by hatred and -jealousy.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The incidents connected with this event were kept as -secret as possible. It took place in the year 1854, when -the Duchess became regent for her infant son, and these -chronicles belong to the time when Italy was not united.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_125'>125</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER XIII<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>SHORT SOJOURN IN FLORENCE</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>From the baths of Lucca we went by <i>vetturino</i>, a charming -drive, to Florence. The chief part of the way I -travelled with my eldest brother on the box of our large -berline, enjoying thus a perfect view of the country through -which we passed.</p> - -<p class='c007'>A trifling incident occasioned us much merriment the -day we passed the frontier of the little Duchy and entered -that of Tuscany. Underneath the carriage was slung a -hamper, in which nestled our favourite Scotch terrier, -“Boch-Dhu,” so named on account of her black muzzle, -together with a small family with which she had lately -increased our caravan. My brother had walked on for a -stretch, as he often did, and left me in possession of some -money to be delicately handed to the custom-house officer, -bidding me at the same time to address the official with -great civility. Accordingly, when we arrived at the -Dogana, out came a little bustling man, whose chief -characteristic was a pair of enormous moustaches. I -acted up to my orders, and slid the <i>buona mano</i> in his -hand. He did not disdain the bribe, but thought to hedge -with his conscience by asking in rather a peremptory tone -<span class='pageno' id='Page_126'>126</span>of voice what that curious-looking basket contained, implying -that it was his painful duty to be informed on so -important a matter. I could not resist the temptation of -playing him a little practical joke, so in a meek and -obsequious manner I replied that I was not quite sure if -the contents were contraband, and requested him to satisfy -his scruples by lifting the lid. As he did so my expectations -were realised, for the infuriated mother made a dart -at his nose, and he incontinently dropped the lid with all -haste. I must do the functionary the justice of saying that -he was good-humoured enough to bear me no malice. He -laughed outright, and the carriage drove on while he was -shaking his fist at me in mock anger.</p> - -<p class='c007'>On our arrival in Florence we took up our abode on -what I have since called the wrong side of the Arno, -although the autumn was not sufficiently advanced for us -to find our quarters too cold. The house was situated near -the south end of one of the bridges, and we had for fellow-lodgers -a French family, consisting of a mother, two -daughters and a son, who became ere long our cherished -friends and companions.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The youngest daughter was a most remarkable person, -and one who was well known in Florence for many years. -She had lived a life of romantic adventure, and it was my -hope and intention, at one time, to have written a slight -sketch of her life, as she described it to me.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The mother, Madame de Fauveau, was a typical -Frenchwoman of the <i>ancien régime</i>, whose family had -suffered during the Reign of Terror. Her own mother -had been a prisoner for some time in the “<i>Conciergerie</i>,” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_127'>127</span>and I was much interested by an incident which my friend -related to me of those terrible days.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>“ROBESPIERRE EST MORT!”</div> - -<p class='c007'>It seems that the room which Madame de Fauveau’s -mother shared with several other lady prisoners had but -one window, heavily barred, through which you could see, -only by climbing up on a ledge, and straining your neck to -look out; but here so slight a communication with the -outer world was eagerly sought after by the poor captives, -who would daily take it in turn to mount the window-seat. -One day it was the turn of Madame de Fauveau’s mother, -and her attention was attracted by seeing an old woman in -the street make her all sorts of mysterious signs; it was -evident she had something of importance to impart. She -first made manifold gestures and gesticulations, then taking -up her own gown in her hands, and shaking it and pointing -to it several times, she proceeded to pick up a stone from the -ground, deliberately drew her hand across her throat, and -bowed her head, as if to designate the guillotine. Can you -not believe with what alacrity the happy prisoner jumped -down from the window, and communicated the joyful news -to her fellow-captives, in a cautious whisper, however, -“Robespierre est mort!” which meant for all in that room -life and freedom?</p> - -<p class='c007'>Madame de Fauveau was a witty, kind-hearted woman, -and a hero-worshipper, and the hero, or rather heroine, she -worshipped was her own daughter, Félicie, who was well -worthy of all the incense offered her.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Félicie, some years before I knew her, had attached -herself to the fortunes of the Duchesse de Berri, and had -been the fast friend and comrade-in-arms of the brave -<span class='pageno' id='Page_128'>128</span>and noble Madame de la Roche-Jacquelin, Princesse de -Talmont. This lady had emulated the example of her -ancestor, in the first rising of la Vendée, by animating -her retainers, and raising, as far as I remember, a regiment, -which she herself commanded, to uphold the fortunes of -their legitimate King, Henri V., in the same locality, so -much so that, with a similarity of name and country, the -heroines of the two risings have frequently been confounded, -and the dates and heroines confused.</p> - -<p class='c007'>As I only heard the account of this short campaign -from Félicie herself, my allusion to it is naturally vague, -but I know that those two friends endured great hardships -and dangers in each other’s company, and when the little -band of loyalists was dispersed, and the cause lost, they -wandered about, suffering from hunger and fatigue, often -hiding themselves in dry ditches by day, and continuing -their flight by night, till at length they were compelled to -separate for a better chance of safety. Félicie was taken, -and the tattered colours of the Vendéens found under her -uniform. She was imprisoned, her captors believing that -they had arrested Madame de la Roche-Jacquelin, an error -which the faithful friend did not contradict.</p> - -<p class='c007'>On coming out from captivity, Félicie was banished -from France, together with her mother and the whole -family. The little fortune they possessed was confiscated, -and thus it came about that they settled in Florence.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>FELICIE DE FAUVEAU</div> - -<p class='c007'>What was to be done to gain a livelihood, for the de -Fauveaus were too proud to accept pecuniary aid from -people whose political sentiments they did not share? -Félicie was energetic. She became a sculptress, she worked -<span class='pageno' id='Page_129'>129</span>in marble, in alabaster, and in silver, in many branches, -brooches, clasps, and wings, which would have done no -discredit to Benvenuto Cellini. All her tastes, all her -talent turned to the expounding of the genius of the -Middle Ages, and all her works breathed the spirit of -mediæval art. One of her chief productions was a group -of Francesca di Rimini, chosen at the moment when Paolo -falls at her feet, and the fatal book lies on her lap—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Quel giorno più non vi leggemmo avante.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'>Another very beautiful statuette she executed for the -Duchesse de Berri; it represented St Elizabeth, at the -moment when, upbraided by her husband for carrying -provisions to the poor in time of scarcity, she draws aside -the cloth which covers her basket, and lo! a miracle, the -contents were turned to flowers. I saw this beautiful little -statue in the Duchesse de Berri’s palace at Venice, holding -fresh white roses, the emblem at once of the Royal Saint -and the badge of the Royal owner.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Félicie de Fauveau was an excellent scholar as far as -reading went, being well acquainted with our literature, but -she never could master the language sufficiently to talk in -society, and it was amusing to hear the dialogues between -her and my mother, each in her native tongue.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Our stay at Florence was not long. We made a preliminary -acquaintance with all the treasures of painting and -sculpture contained in that beautiful city, and went on our -road to Rome, sleeping one night in the Pontine Marshes, -when we had for supper a <i>fricassée</i> of frogs such as I had -heard of all my life and never beheld before or since.</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_130'>130</span>We had had apartments taken for us in the Via della -Croce leading out of the Via Babuino, where on our arrival -my mother found a letter from her old friend Madame de -Bunsen, begging her to come to tea that very evening at -the Prussian Legation, situated on the Campidoglio or -Capitoline Hill. Accordingly, having divested ourselves of -our dusty garments, we proceeded thither in all haste. -That was a red-letter day in my calendar, and one that -while my life lasts can never be forgotten.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Our repast over, Madame de Bunsen said: “It is a -most beautiful night, and I think you and your girl -would like to take your first impression of Rome from -the window of our balcony.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>So saying she led us out, and lo! in all the silver -radiance of a southern moonlight, Rome lay sleeping -before us—Rome with its classical ruins, the Coliseum, the -Forums of Campo Vaccino and that of Trajan, the -Tarpeian Rock, with gorgeous palaces of the Middle Ages, -and the towers of manifold periods, while St Peter’s and -the Vatican, with the Castle of St Angelo, were visible on -the further bank of the yellow Tiber, now, glittering in the -moonlight, transmuted into silver; and that was our first -sight of Rome the eternal, Rome the beautiful, Rome the -sublime—the pilgrims to whose shrine never failed to -drink of the magic waters of the fountain of Trevi, in the -fond hope that this charm will insure their return.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>FIRST IMPRESSION OF ROME</div> - -<p class='c007'>I shall say very little about my Roman experiences on -this occasion, as, making allowances for the different -degrees of enthusiasm, the same story would be more or -less told by every traveller; suffice it to say, that my cup -<span class='pageno' id='Page_131'>131</span>of happiness seemed overflowing, when I drove with my -mother, and walked or rode in the Campagna with my -brother and numerous friends, when each day our eyes -were gladdened, and our intellects brightened, by some -new revelation of beauty in art or nature.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Very shortly after our arrival we went with a large -party to see the principal statues in the Vatican by torchlight, -an expensive amusement which is generally accomplished -by collecting many friends together, each of whom -pays a torch-bearer. The effect is most wonderful, for the -men who carry the torches are instructed to make the light -travel over the marble features until they assume a living -aspect, with all the change and expression of breathing -humanity.</p> - -<p class='c007'>We mixed frequently this winter in artistic circles, -visiting both at the homes and studios of the principal -painters and sculptors of the day. To Horace Vernet, in -particular, we often paid our respects; at his house one -of the most prominent and interesting figures was the -venerable Thorwaldsen, whose magnificent work of our -Lord and the Twelve Apostles was then on exhibition in -his studio, the same which now forms one of the glories of -his native city of Copenhagen. He himself was of a -commanding presence, with long locks of silver lying on -his shoulders, and of the gentlest and most genial -countenance I ever beheld.</p> - -<p class='c007'>One evening the French painter invited his guests to -come in costume, and I remember the characteristic -appearance which he made as a Bedouin, and very like one -of his own equestrian pictures, while his lovely daughter, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_132'>132</span>in a splendid dress of gold and coloured brocade, looked as -if she had walked out of a Paul Veronese frame. I thought -then of the verse in the Psalms of the description of the -King’s daughter—“All glorious within, her clothing of -wrought gold, brought unto the King in raiment of needlework.” -She was indeed, on that evening especially, a -vision of delight. No wonder she drove poor Leopold -Robert to madness, and captivated the heart of her noble -countryman, Paul de la Roche.</p> - -<p class='c007'>With Overbeck we also made acquaintance, and the -fine work on which he was then engaged, the “Life of Our -Lord,” with regard to which he told us that he had changed -the Protestant religion for that of Rome, as he believed -none but a Catholic could paint sacred subjects.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Pinelli was also still alive, and we found him at work -on one of those terra-cotta groups of Roman peasantry, -which were even more admirable than his drawings. He -was very handsome, a typical Roman, with gold earrings -in his ears, and his hair in small ringlets, such as in old -days might commonly be seen among our English sailors. -I think he admired himself as much as we did, and it was -easy to see that he had taken himself as the model for -most of the principal figures in his charming groups.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Another interesting personage was the German painter -Reinhardt, a man of very advanced age, who was called at -that time the father of the artists.</p> - -<p class='c007'>But this book is not intended as a mere catalogue.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Through the kindness of a friend whose acquaintance -we made at Lucca, we had ingress afforded us to many of -the religious ceremonies in the Sistine and elsewhere, from -<span class='pageno' id='Page_133'>133</span>which the generality of travellers were usually excluded, -and letters of introduction also formed passports to the -palaces of the chief Roman nobility, so that the Carnival -that year was one continued round of gaiety and festivity -for me and mine.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>LEAVE ROME FOR NAPLES</div> - -<p class='c007'>After some delightful Spring days passed in the neighbourhood -with the Boddingtons, at Tivoli and Albano, we -travelled to Naples, where those dear friends soon rejoined -us. Here we took up our abode, in a very pretty apartment -on the ground floor of the Palazzo Calabritti, just -opposite the entrance to the delightful gardens of the -Villa Reale.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_134'>134</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER XIV<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>SUMMER AT NAPLES</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>We made rather a sad entrance into our new abode, for we -had not been settled above two days when the portress -appeared to me with a very troubled face, and asked me to -come and see her Giulia, who, she feared, was dying. The -poor woman was in dreadful grief, having lost another -daughter not many months before. I accompanied her to -the sick room, where I found a very pretty girl, by whose -bedside I took my place. With that trustfulness which is -a leading characteristic in young Italians, she took my -hand, and addressed me as if I had been an old friend. -I tried to speak cheerfully to her, but there was something -so spiritual and far away in the look of her pleading eyes -that it failed me to hold out to her any hope of recovery.</p> - -<p class='c007'>She had only lately fallen ill, she told me, but knew -that she was dying, for her sister’s last words to her were -“Tornero per te.”<a id='r33' /><a href='#f33' class='c008'><sup>[33]</sup></a> She scarcely knew at the time what was -meant by these ominous words.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f33'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r33'>33</a>. </span>“I will return for thee.”</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>“But two nights ago, signorina,” she said, “I looked up -and saw Anna by my bedside; she had fulfilled her promise -and came back for me.”</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_135'>135</span>Poor Giulia! I only saw her once again, and that was on -the morrow, when she was carried past our windows on the -way to the Campo Santo. According to the custom of -those days (I do not know if it still continues), she lay with -her face exposed on a bier of magnificent crimson velvet, -embroidered with gold, attended by a long procession of -priests and mourners for the dead. Her beautiful long -hair crowned with fresh roses, her gala dress thrown -loosely over her, to be removed when the funeral reached -the cemetery, and the fair young creature to be thrown -headlong into one of those noisome holes which were -opened daily for the interment of the dead.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>RIDING PARTIES AT NIGHT</div> - -<p class='c007'>With the exception of two attacks of illness which -befell me and my sister, and which were productive of a -good result in the friendship we formed with the chief -physician of the place, our summer at Naples was most -enjoyable. As usual, we had our cavalcades, in which we -were always joined by the two Boddington sisters and a -compatriot of ours, Hugh Cholmondeley, afterwards Lord -Delamere; so that with my two brothers, my sister and -myself we formed no insignificant troop of horses. But -summer was at its height, and our rides were nocturnal. -The horses were ordered at 10 <span class='fss'>P.M.</span>, and we rode till one and -two in the morning, for, as I heard a passer-by once say -under my window:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“A Napoli non e mai notte.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'>How beautiful were those moonlight rides along the -coast towards Posillippo, with the Mediterranean glittering -and sparkling, and occasionally dotted by fishing-boats, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_136'>136</span>with their flickering lights, while Vesuvius at intervals -threw up volleys of flame and columns of smoke.</p> - -<p class='c007'>What a happy band we were!—alas! there are but -two survivors! What delightful excursions we had (the -pleasure enhanced by the presence of our respective -parents) to Pompeii, to Sorrento and Amalfi and Paestum, -and what delicious evenings we spent in the little garden -of Villa Craven which overhung the sea! What a trip to -the island of Ischia, where the Boddingtons and I danced -tarantellas on the terrace of the pretty inn under the -tuition of a dark-eyed young Ischiate. How enchanting -was the scenery of that sweet little island, the pleasure -only marred to our friends’ English maid by the fact that -we had to cross the sea to get there.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Harvey (for that was her name), the hysterical friend of -Lucca days, expostulated with her mistress on the inconvenience -of coming in an open boat—</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Lord and Lady Sydney, ma’m,” she said, “preferred -coming by land, and found it much more comfortable.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Poor Harvey! she was one of those people who remain -faithful to their first idea. It was in vain her young ladies -explained to her that it was very difficult, they might say -impossible, to reach an island by land! Harvey maintained -stoutly that Lord and Lady Sydney had achieved -this feat, for she had it from the best authority, that of the -lady’s maid; and in that belief Harvey went down to her -grave.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Vesuvius vouchsafed three separate eruptions to us -during our sojourn at Naples, and we made a pilgrimage -up the mountain while the fire-stones were falling and the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_137'>137</span>lava flowing in all directions, much to the consternation -and disgust of our guides.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>OUR DOCTOR RECITES DANTE</div> - -<p class='c007'>But to return from Nature to human nature, and to -speak first of our beloved physician.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Michael Giardano was the son of an Italian by an -English woman, and combined in his own person the -best characteristics of both nations. He was eminently -handsome, well skilled in his profession, a scholar, a -sportsman, and an artist. He nursed me and my sister, -and our faithful Henry, through bad attacks of fever, and -as far as I was concerned, assisted in my recovery by the -opiates he administered in the form of long recitals from -favourite passages in Dante as he sat by my bedside.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Poetry is a medicine which I have always found -efficacious in my own case, either to a body or mind -diseased, and I was reminded of my Neapolitan friend -not long ago, when another distinguished member of the -same profession, and another valued friend of my own, -administered the same remedy, only then the tonic was -Goethe instead of Dante.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Giardano was a favourite with man, woman, child, and -dog, for he set the paw of our Scotch terrier when run -over by the carriage. “Boch-Dhu” was very much pleased -with the care he bestowed on her, and, I grieve to say, -showed some dissimulation in order to attract his notice. -Long after she had become sound, the instant the door -opened, and the Doctor appeared, this deceitful individual -would limp to the chair and, sitting beside her medical -attendant, offer him her paw!</p> - -<p class='c007'>Poor Michael Giardano! Many years afterwards I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_138'>138</span>picked some violets from his grave in the Protestant -cemetery at Rome, where an elaborate tomb had been -erected to his memory by an English lady, who became -his wife, not long after we had bidden him adieu at Naples. -There could be no doubt of the admiration and affection in -which she held this gifted man, whose epitaph she wrote, -detailing his many virtues and talents, while the sculptured -sides of the monument symbolised the many pursuits in -which he was proficient.</p> - -<p class='c007'>One evening, riding with my eldest brother, we resolved -to go up to the castle of Sant’ Elmo (then the -Chelsea Hospital of Naples) in order to view the sunset -from the summit of the hill. When we arrived at the -gates of the fortress, we found that we were too late to be -admitted, but I looked so disappointed, and pleaded so -piteously to be allowed to pass, that a soldier who was -standing by offered to go in and ask the Commandant for -his permission. The request was readily granted. We dismounted -from our horses, and made our way on to the -terrace, where we were welcomed by the good old general, -who was enjoying his coffee, and kindly asked us to join -him. He was already long past middle age, with a military -bearing, for he had seen much good service, and with a -kind, genial manner, which warmed into enthusiasm when -he found we spoke his language with fluency. He did the -honours of the place and of the pretty garden which embellished -the grim old castle, and the magnificent view it -commanded; for Naples lay beneath us, the blue Mediterranean -dotted with islands, the country towards Baiæ on -one side, Pompeii on the other, stretching out into the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_139'>139</span>distance, the Villa Reale, enlivened by numerous groups -of gay pedestrians, and the fire and smoke of Vesuvius in -the back-ground.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>CASTLE OF SANT’ ELMO</div> - -<p class='c007'>We lingered on the terrace a long time, until the moon -rose over the bay, and then, bidding our new friend good-night, -gratefully accepted his invitation to return there -again, and, above all, to bring my sister and my brother -Charles, who were shortly expected from England, to enjoy -that beautiful prospect.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Dear old General Ruberti! May I be forgiven if I -boast of so decided a conquest. From that time till we -left Naples, he would send me constant presents of sweet -nosegays, of delicious fruits, and of different kinds of dried -fish, and any other especial Neapolitan delicacy, the packets -usually tied up with coloured ribbons, and invariably accompanied -by a large square letter directed:</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“<i>Aa sua eccellenza,</i></div> - <div class='line'><i>La nobil donzella,</i></div> - <div class='line'><i>Donna Marietta Boyle,</i></div> - <div class='line'><i>Palazzo Calabritti</i>,”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c020'>which bore very little resemblance to a <i>billet-doux</i>, either -outside or in. Yet the contents were usually of a tender -and complimentary nature, and surely never were love-letters -more peculiar in their character. They were written -by proxy in the large, full round hand of a secretary, very -eloquent and very flowery, with a most affectionate yet -respectful heading and ending, while at the bottom of the -paper, in a little cramped and rather trembling hand, came -the signature of my devoted admirer,</p> -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“<i>Ruberti, Generale Commandante di Sant’ Elmo</i>.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'><span class='pageno' id='Page_140'>140</span>Natural as was the pride I felt in the conquest of so elevated -an adorer, it was nothing to the glory which awaited -me. One evening I was bidden with my mother and the -whole of the family to dinner, and a most excellent repast -was served to us on the beautiful terrace, and when the -purple shades of night deepened in the sky, the grim old -Castle of Sant’ Elmo burst forth into brilliant illuminations—and -all this in honour of Donna Marietta. I have never -since gazed on a picture or drawing of Naples the beautiful, -crowned with the old castle, without remembering that -proud night in my life. Dear, noble old general!</p> - -<p class='c007'>When King Bomba issued his commands that the -Commandante should fire upon his countrymen from the -heights above the town, the patriot refused, and, in spite of -his previous services and advanced age, was cast into -prison. A tribute is paid to this noble rebel in Ruffini’s -pathetic tale of “Dr Antonio.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>He outlived his captivity, and shortly before his death -(which, I think, took place at Turin) sent me a letter with -a string of coral beads, to entwine, as he expressed himself, -in my golden hair, by that lover of Italian freedom, the -Countess Belgiojoto, a connection, by the way, of our -Poet-Laureate.<a id='r34' /><a href='#f34' class='c008'><sup>[34]</sup></a></p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f34'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r34'>34</a>. </span>Alfred Lord Tennyson.</p> -</div> - -<div class='sidenote'>FEAST OF MADONNA DELL’ ARCO</div> - -<p class='c007'>Naples, justly called the beautiful, appeared to us on -another occasion under what might well be termed a -miraculous aspect. It was the feast of the Madonna dell’ -Arco, When the Neapolitans leave the city to purchase in -some neighbouring district rural utensils of husbandry, -such as rakes, pitchforks, baskets of various shapes, etc.,</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_141'>141</span>they return at evening into the city with these implements -crowned with flowers and decked with coloured ribbons -a species of triumphal procession, which formed the -subject many years ago for a charming little picture by the -Italian painter, “Urvins,” which decorates one of the small -rooms in Lord Lansdowne’s splendid collection at -Bowood.</p> - -<p class='c007'>But let it not be supposed that the mirthful Neapolitans -marched stiffly, or walked sedately into the city at the -close of the festival. Oh, no! the whole procession danced -into the town with all the varying steps of the tarantella, -the men wheeling and circling round the women, and -shaking and striking the tambourines above their heads; -and on the glorious afternoon in question, the Madonna -was propitious, and across the whole city was thrown a -rainbow of immense magnitude and brilliant colours, framing -with its prismatic arch one of the most glorious pictures -that can be imagined, and promising to the happy citizens -a fertile and beautiful season.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The arrangement of the hours of the day at Naples -during the summer was a source of great amusement to us. -The belfry of a neighbouring church tolled the hours, but -only as far as six, so that when, according to our English -reckoning, it was 7 <span class='fss'>P.M.</span>, the clock struck one, and the -hour was called twenty-four.</p> - -<p class='c007'>One more curious experience befell me at Naples—Naples -the delight of her citizens, as the old carbonari -song says, which strangers are enjoined to see before they -die. I slept in a corner room opening into those of my -mother and my sister, the two doors being in an angle -<span class='pageno' id='Page_142'>142</span>close to each other, and, of course, always open during the -summer months (they were all passage rooms). I had not -slept there very long, before I came to the conclusion that -my apartment was haunted. Every night there passed -through from one door to the other the figure of a woman, -so hastily, so softly, that I was only aware of the movement -and the scarcely perceptible flutter of a garment. At first I -supposed it was my sister, and called out, but received no -answer. I said very little—I am not sure, but I believe I -kept silence altogether on the subject; the servants -would have been terrified, the rest of the family sceptical, -so I and my ghost kept our own counsel. I had not the -slightest fear, or feeling even bordering on excitement, -but I was curious, and determined to test myself whether -the vision was a fancy of my own; so I used to look up -and think, “Now I shall see it,” but that did not succeed, -and afterwards when I was thinking of something else -there she was, or rather there she went, her movements -being visible to me by the glimmer of outside <i>cafés</i>, etc., -which were never extinguished till dawn, and my curtains -were closed.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>THE PALAZZO CALABRITTI GHOST</div> - -<p class='c007'>My visitor was very faithful, but was not regular in -her hours. She never made her presence known by any -audible sound, unless the piercing shriek that I heard -one night, some hours after I had gone to bed, had any -connection with my ghostly friend. I was roused from -my slumber by a scream which appeared to me to come -from our drawing-room, which was three rooms off from -mine. I dashed out of bed and found my sister, who had -sat up late, calmly writing letters to England, and she -<span class='pageno' id='Page_143'>143</span>naturally took me for a ghost, as I made my sudden -appearance in my night attire.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I sometimes also heard my name called when no one -was by, but that was all I ever saw or knew of the ghost -of the Palazzo Calabritti. Neither could I in any way -account for the apparition, unless the question could -be solved by our Neapolitan housemaid saying to me one -day:</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Ah! a poor young lady from your country died in -that bed, for the love of the Prince of Capua.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>I think the poor girl must have had the most susceptible -heart, for that royal prince had little to recommend -him, either in looks or in character, although -he shortly afterwards married an English wife. We heard -sad stories of him while we were at Naples, and how -he persecuted a beautiful young Englishwoman by his -attentions, and in revenge for the slight she put upon him, -endeavoured to compromise her by causing his empty -carriage to stand almost every night at her door. In order -to defeat his wicked design, this fair creature would walk -up and down the pavement before her own house, sometimes -for hours together, until fatigue drove her in. Yet I -must confess we were indebted to this reprobate prince for -a delightful sail to the island of Capri, he having lent my -sailor brother the small yacht in which he made frequent -cruises.</p> - -<p class='c007'>It was a glaring hot July day, and going below, to -escape the heat of the sun, I was most unpleasantly impressed -by the gaudy colouring of the cabin and its fittings. -Why on earth, thought I, should a Neapolitan prince sport -<span class='pageno' id='Page_144'>144</span>the Royal Stuart tartan, which, however dear to loyal -eyes, looked tawdry and incongruous in such a position. -It was some time before I discovered the meaning of -the sentiments or the allusions to “Prince Charlie,” as -the Prince of Capua bore that name.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Now while we are on the subject of the Bay of Naples, -and the yacht is in the harbour, I must mention that the -skipper of Lord Anglesey’s charming craft, the <i>Pearl</i>, was -an Irishman, but of so refined and educated a class that, -avoiding all temptations to brogue, he invariably called the -crater of Mount Vesuvius “the creature.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Bidding adieu to beautiful Naples, we embarked on a -French steamer for Leghorn, and had so fine a passage that -we were able to sleep both nights on deck, “under the roof -of blue <i>Italian</i> weather,” and make our way to Pisa, <i>en route</i> -for Florence.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_145'>145</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER XV<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>PISA AND FLORENCE</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>These two cities have always appeared to me to bear a -strong family likeness to each other, the same river running -through the principal streets, although the buildings on the -quays are very different. They are like two sisters: -Pisa, the elder, the more sedate, the graver of the two, -while Florence, the younger, is all smiles and gladness. -But in one respect we were very fortunate, for we saw -Pisa under a most cheerful aspect. There is, or was (for I -do not know if it continues), a triennial festival in honour -of her patron saint, St Ranieri, on which occasion the whole -town is illuminated, not, after the fashion of an English -illumination, with crowns and stars and badges and -devices, but by the marking out of the architecture of -palaces, churches, and bridges with lines of light, so that -the city bears the appearance of being built in fire. -Beautiful as this effect would be in almost all cities, it is -doubly so in Pisa, more especially on account of that noble -group of buildings, the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and the -Leaning Tower. The last edifice, in particular, presents a -most singular and beautiful aspect with the spiral lines of -light, which define so vividly the peculiar and fantastic -form of the erection.</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_146'>146</span>We walked about the streets during the greater part of -the night, amid the most amiable and good-humoured -crowd with which it was ever my lot to mingle.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I cannot help recording here a curious story which was -told me by an English lady at Pisa. A countrywoman of -hers, a young girl, said to her one day when they were -standing together in the Baptistery, admiring the celebrated -pulpit, which is supported on the backs of four lions:</p> - -<p class='c007'>“That reminds me of such a curious dream I had last -night. I thought I was standing here where we are now, -and that I put my hand into the lion’s open mouth, when -he bit it off.” Suiting the action to the word, the girl -thrust her hand into the marble creature’s jaws, uttered a -cry of agony, and pulled it out hurriedly. The lion’s -mouth contained a nest of scorpions, one of which had -stung her so severely as to necessitate immediate measures -to ensure the safety of her injured hand.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>ACTORS AND ACTRESSES</div> - -<p class='c007'>Our winter season<a id='r35' /><a href='#f35' class='c008'><sup>[35]</sup></a> at Florence was as brilliant as that -at Rome, and, to me, more delightful in one respect, as I -obtained a theatrical engagement. On the walls of Florence -stood a large and commodious house (I know not if it -still exists). It then belonged to Mr Rowland Standish, -and was called by his name; it had a large garden and -a very pretty theatre. The mistress—the lessee, the -manageress, the friend of all who came near her, whether -professionally or socially—was Lady Lucy Standish,<a id='r36' /><a href='#f36' class='c008'><sup>[36]</sup></a> -<span class='pageno' id='Page_147'>147</span>beneath whose auspices the little theatre became the -resort of a happy company, both before and behind the -curtain.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f35'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r35'>35</a>. </span>The winter season of the early months of 1834; see subsequent -notes.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f36'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r36'>36</a>. </span>Lady Lucy Perry, third daughter of Edmund Henry, first Earl of -Limerick; married 1816 to Rowland Stephenson, who took the name -of Standish in 1834.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>How excellent were some of our actors and actresses! -Ah! I fear very few survive to read this feeble tribute. -Among other performances, we gave an ambitious representation -of the old comedy, <i>A Cure for the Heartache</i>, -in which the Secretary of our Legation, Mr George -Edgcumbe,<a id='r37' /><a href='#f37' class='c008'><sup>[37]</sup></a> especially distinguished himself as the “yokel” -of the piece. He had lately become engaged to Miss Shelley, -a fair friend and countrywoman of mine, but however preoccupied -his heart may have been, it did not interfere with -the rare skill with which he played a difficult, and some -would have considered ungrateful, <i>rôle</i>. The villain of the -play, who had designs on the sister of the ploughman, -lays a scheme by which to get the latter into his power. -He places a purse full of money (one of those large elongated -purses with which in old melodramas the wicked -peer always tempted the virtuous peasant) within the grasp -of the poverty-stricken brother, when summoned on some -pretext to the great house. After a short soliloquy, -lamenting his penury and the like, the ploughman looks -round, sees the golden bait, and chinks the guineas. Then -follows a silent pause. The temptation at first appears -irresistible; you see the struggles which are passing in the -poor fellow’s mind, the difficulty of resistance, the final -victory over himself, and the well-expressed air of reproach -<span class='pageno' id='Page_148'>148</span>and indignation with which he hands the purse to his -tempter on his entering the room.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f37'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r37'>37</a>. </span>The Honourable George Edgcumbe, second son of Richard, -second Earl of Mount Edgcumbe; married 19th May 1834 Fanny -Lucy, eldest daughter of Sir John Shelley, sixth Baronet.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>May I be forgiven for adding a little incident concerning -my own performance? I played the rich heiress whose -betrothed lover throws her over at the end of the piece, in -favour of her penniless rival. I thought it would be neat -and appropriate at such a juncture to make my exit in -violent hysterics, and in that state I repaired to my -dressing-room, where I was calmly employed in changing -my dress for the after piece, when the door burst open and -my sister rushed in, terror-stricken.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“O Mary,” she said, “you will kill yourself; this -dreadful excitement is too much for you!”</p> - -<p class='c007'>I looked up and she looked down. I was certainly the -calmer of the two, but my vanity had received a most -flattering compliment.</p> - -<p class='c007'>How well I remember the night of our first rehearsal. -At its termination, the gentleman who had kindly undertaken -the onerous office of prompter thus addressed us -from his hooded seat on the stage:-“Ladies and gentlemen, -I am most anxious to give you all satisfaction, and in -order to do so, I have taken down every separate direction -given me by each member of the company, as to the -especial manner in which he or she wishes me to prompt, -such as, When I look at you, not before. Will you -run on in a low voice the whole time?” “Never mind if -I substitute one small word for another,” etc.</p> - -<p class='c007'>He then read each order, with the name of the giver, -and summed up the total. There were twenty-two entirely -different, most specific orders!</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>OFFICE OF PROMPTER</div> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_149'>149</span>“May I enquire,” he continued, “what I am to do to -content you all?”</p> - -<p class='c007'>His harangue was received with a burst of laughter, -and the resolution was carried <i>nem. con.</i> that we must all be -“letter perfect.” We very often beat for recruits when we -heard of any new English arrival in Florence, and as we were -about to cast a play of which one of the characters was -a decided plunger, I was deputed to ask a certain gallant -hussar, when I next danced with him, if he would help us. -I did so, he gladly accepted, and I made an appointment -with him to come to Casa Standish the next evening at rehearsal -hour, when his part would be read for him. When -he arrived, I repeated mine, which contained many tender -passages with my Plunger; but each time I approached -him he gazed at me in a more and more threatening -manner, till at last I fancied that he was more likely to -strike than to caress me. The effect was peculiar—the -prompter reading declarations in the most affectionate and -insinuating terms, while the lover looked daggers, not to -say swords and pistols, at the unoffending <i>jeune première</i>. -At length the crisis came. I had to recline gracefully on -his shoulder (he was six feet two), and to confess how -entirely I reciprocated his ardent love.</p> - -<p class='c007'>He bent over me, and in a stage whisper, with a look -of thunder that might have shattered nerves less strong -than mine, said:—</p> - -<p class='c007'>“If you keep me to my promise, I leave Florence to-night.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>This was the second time I had been thrown over, but -this time if I had become hysterical, it would have been -<span class='pageno' id='Page_150'>150</span>through laughter. The Inamorato did not explain why -he broke his engagement, but he had never trod the stage -till then, and I suppose the prompter’s box, the footlights -and the whole dramatic apparatus produced an unmitigated -stage fright.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Neither will I omit to make mention of a favourite -member of our troupe, who distinguished himself in more -ways than one: this was the clever pony belonging to the -son of the house, whose stable was in the garden. Often -in the intervals of our day rehearsal it was the delight of -the then schoolboys to mount me on “Hotspur’s” back, and -slipping the rein, he would dash off at the word of command, -taking the bit in his mouth, and making the circuit -of the garden at the fullest of all speeds. I well knew -that those boys fondly hoped that the day would come -when they would see their playfellow (myself) dismounted -from her exalted position, but I am proud to think I disappointed -them.</p> - -<p class='c007'>On one occasion a magnificent <i>ballet d’action</i> was in -preparation. The daughter of General de Courcy, a leading -member of the Anglo-Florentine society, was to represent -“Fatima” in a gorgeous Eastern costume, which became -her beauty well, while I took the scarcely less responsible -<i>rôle</i> of “Sister Anne.”</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>PONY ON THE STAGE</div> - -<p class='c007'>Standishes of all ages and both sexes took part in this -brilliant spectacle, while the part of “Selim,”,the rescuer of -the lovely Fatima, was acted by the young Marquis -Talleyrand de Perigord, eldest son of the Duc de Dinon, -who had lately become a resident in Florence. We were -very glad to secure the services of the young Marquis, who -<span class='pageno' id='Page_151'>151</span>was handsome, accomplished and agreeable, and who, -moreover, was not likely to be unwilling to enact the part -of rescuer to the fair Fatima, seeing he appeared in no way -insensible to the charms of our <i>prima ballerina</i>. I was -the originator of the noble idea of introducing an -equestrian element into the <i>ballet</i>, and mounting the -gallant soldier on young Standish’s favourite pony. The -effect was thrilling. The clattering of the hoofs on the -stage recalled visions of international circuses. The final -<i>tableau</i>, with the equine element in the back-ground, could -not be surpassed for grandeur or originality; but—alas for -the vanity of earthly ambition!—no power on earth could -induce the pony to leave the stage—him to whom the -slightest wish of his master was usually law. Threats, -blows, caresses, all were in vain—he stood perfectly still—stock -still, though, as grooms say, a little “handy with -his heels.” Here was a <i>contretemps</i>. I had to answer for -the proposition, everybody was cross, supper waiting—that -delightful banquet which we had honestly gained. I felt -my honour was at stake. I entreated to be left alone with -the rebellious charger, and my patience was put to no -small test. I bandaged Hotspur’s eyes, I led him round and -round, and backwards and forwards, patting and coaxing -him all the time, till my efforts were crowned with success, -and I backed him off the stage. The horse had evidently -had an attack of stage fright, as severe as that of the hussar. -A long discussion ensued between all the members of the -company, as to the advisability of repeating the experiment -on the next evening, when the public were to be -admitted; but I pleaded so hard, taking for my text, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_152'>152</span>“nothing hazard, nothing have,” that the pony made “his -first appearance on any stage,” and despite the thunders of -applause which rewarded his efforts, walked off when -required to do so, as quietly as a lamb!</p> - -<p class='c007'>Ah! those were merry days at Casa Standish, and the -boys and girls of that bygone time are still affectionately -remembered by me, and that dear mother, Lady Lucy -Standish, who presided over all our revels. I trust that -any members of the family who may chance to read these -lines, will not be displeased by this slight allusion to those -happy days.</p> - -<p class='c007'>It was about this time, at Florence, that I first made the -acquaintance and formed the friendship of the celebrated -novelist of the day, G. P. R. James, whose historical -romances were then in the highest favour with the reading -public. I was one of his great admirers, and was delighted -to be made known to him, but it was reserved for me in -future days to fathom the depths of that high and generous -nature, and that warm and noble heart. He had hired a -beautiful villa in the environs of the city, which afterwards -became the property of the Countess of Crawford, Villa -Palmieri, and which has been occupied by our beloved -Queen Victoria. It was on one of Florence’s golden -afternoons that my mother and I drove out to dine with -Mr and Mrs James, and I pressed for the first time those -hands which were ever afterwards stretched out to me in -kindness and hospitality.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>CAROLINE BONAPARTE</div> - -<p class='c007'>Amongst the residents at this season in Tuscany’s fair -capital was Caroline Bonaparte, the widow of Joachim -Murat, the favourite sister of the Emperor Napoleon I., -<span class='pageno' id='Page_153'>153</span>whom he described as having the head of a great man on -the shoulders of a pretty woman. Ex-Queen of Naples, -she was living at that time on the Lung’arno, under the -anagrammatic title of Countess Lipona (Napoli), and -supposed, with little doubt, to be the wife of Marshal -Macdonald. I think the epithet “captivating” might well -be applied to her; she was small and fair, and, although -advanced in years, bore the traces of great comeliness. I -found in her a strange resemblance to our dear Princess -Mary of England, Duchess of Gloucester, and she was in -no wise displeased when I told her so.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Countess Lipona was much beloved and respected at -Florence, and had a great liking and admiration for Félicie -de Fauveau, in spite of their political antagonism, and it -was owing to the last-mentioned friend that I had the -privilege and delight of making her acquaintance. I always -approached her as a royal personage, remembering what she -had been, and made what I considered a conscientious compromise -by using the title of <i>altesse</i>. On one occasion, at -a masquerade, where I personated a “Marchande de Cœurs,” -and carried a basket full of hearts, dramatic, poetical, -diplomatic, and the like, I constructed a gigantic golden -heart inscribed “Cœur de Caroline,” on which I paid an -honest tribute to the extraordinary courage and equanimity -with which she had borne the vicissitudes of a cruel destiny. -This golden heart had no price; it was to be given up to -the august Caroline for the value of a single smile, and -kneeling at the feet of the Princess I so much admired, I -presented her there and then with the greatest treasure in -my basket. I can remember her appearance well; she was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_154'>154</span>dressed in a domino of light green silk, trimmed with -costly lace, green and white, the colours of the Legitimist -party, and she laughingly called on Félicie de Fauveau to -account for her selection of that combination. Now, Félicie -was a genuine woman, and was never at a loss for an -answer, and this was her gracious and loyal reply:</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Madame,” she said, “c’est pour nous les faire aimer de -toutes les manières.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>How well I recall that night. Some of the English and -Scotch guests arranged to dance a reel, and I had the good -fortune to perform my part immediately before the spot -where Countess Lipona was sitting. At the termination of -the dance, she beckoned to me, and, with a kind kiss, -presented me with her fan, “as a reward,” she said, “for the -manner in which I had danced the <i>écossaise</i>.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>It may well be imagined how dearly I cherish this relic -of bygone days, and even more so the small bracelet of -hair which she sent me the ensuing year by my cousin, -Lady Clinton, who was travelling in Italy shortly after her -second marriage with Sir Horace Seymour. By the way, -the coupling of these two names, I was assured, caused -some animadversions among the society of a city where -you would not have expected the inhabitants to be extra -strait-laced. But our peculiar English custom of widows -retaining the rank of the first husband, if superior to that -of the second, is very perplexing to the mind of a foreigner, -as in other European countries the wife is naturally -expected to bear the name of the suitor whom she accepts.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The last visit I paid to Caroline Bonaparte was deeply -interesting to me. She showed me the portrait of her -<span class='pageno' id='Page_155'>155</span>brother Napoleon, when quite young, a calm and gentle -countenance, with fair complexion and golden hair. How -different from the well-known picture painted in later days -by David, of the dark, menacing warrior of the passage of -the Alps. Then Madame Lipona pointed out to me -another portrait, that of her husband Joachim Murat, -answering to the description that I had heard and read of -him—what we should call in England a “fine specimen,” -with a perfect mane of dark hair and flashing eyes, broad-shouldered, -with an imperious aspect, in full and gorgeous -uniform, grand in his way, but lacking refinement. His -wife spoke of him with tenderness, and then said to -me:</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>MURAT’S MILITARY WEAPONS</div> - -<p class='c007'>“I have a treat in store for you. Go into the next room, -and there, scattered all around, you will find arms of -all sorts and kinds, which were once the property of -the King of Naples.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>I obeyed her, and gazed with delight and interest on -the accumulated treasures which met my eye. I had -often heard that Murat had an especial taste for military -weapons of all kinds, and that in the days of his -prosperity those potentates or authorities who thought -it advisable to win his favour, usually selected some -ornamental implement of warfare as a stepping-stone -thereto. Here were pistols richly set with precious stones, -which sparkled as I held them in my hand, muskets -with the butts inlaid in particoloured wood, and swords -and sabres, the gorgeous mountings of their scabbards -out-done by the delicate flexibility of their Damascus -blades. But what riveted my attention most, was a sword -<span class='pageno' id='Page_156'>156</span>lying on the ground beside the Marshal’s <i>bâton</i> of black -velvet <i>sémé</i> with golden eagles, for the sword in question, -hilt and scabbord, bore small and well-painted miniatures -of the wife and children Murat loved so dearly. As -I held the weapon reverently in my hand, I recalled -the last pathetic scene of the ex-king’s life, how, when -about to receive his death wound, he bade his executioners -pause for one instant, while he drew a locket from his -bosom, and, raising the image of his beloved Caroline -to his lips, gave the order to fire, in as steady a voice as -he would have bade his cavalry charge.</p> - -<p class='c007'>That was the last time I saw that kind and gracious -princess—now upwards of half a century ago—but still, in -the secret recesses of an old box, I have a faded rose -which one day bloomed on her table, and was given to -me by a devoted admirer of us both.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Another friend, of a widely opposed class and calling, -was Geppina, the flower-girl of Florence, a well-known -character for many succeeding years in the beautiful city. -When I first knew her, she too, was young, and from -a peculiar waywardness and eccentricity in her manner, -had obtained the nickname of <i>pazzina</i>, which would -answer to the Scotch appellation of “daft.” There were -also some strange stories afloat respecting her being a -Court spy, a rumour to which I disdained to give credit, -for Geppina and I became great friends, and the origin -of that friendship I will describe, as I did at the time, -in verse:—</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>THE FLOWER-GIRL OF FLORENCE</div> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“It was a bright, gay morning; in the square</div> - <div class='line'>Of Holy Trinity, there passed a pair</div> - <div class='line'><span class='pageno' id='Page_157'>157</span>On horseback; gloomily they went—</div> - <div class='line'>Their wit, or sympathy, perhaps was spent.</div> - <div class='line'>Sudden, above the woman’s head there flew</div> - <div class='line'>A flower, a lily-bell of spotless hue,</div> - <div class='line'>Too pure, too modest—if the truth I tell—</div> - <div class='line'>Too spotless for the hand on which it fell.</div> - <div class='line'>Disdaining to look round, she reared her head,</div> - <div class='line'>And with the bold, proud look of those ill-bred</div> - <div class='line'>And nurtured, did she cast the flower</div> - <div class='line'>Down on the ground—beneath her horse’s feet,</div> - <div class='line'>Down on the muddy pavement of the street;</div> - <div class='line'>While poor Geppina there, aghast, amazed,</div> - <div class='line'>Upon her scouted offering sadly gazed—</div> - <div class='line'>When one stood by her. With an eager bound,</div> - <div class='line'>Which indignation in itself expressed,</div> - <div class='line'>She raised the sullied lily from the ground,</div> - <div class='line'>And placed it, soiled and drooping, on her breast.</div> - <div class='line'>And from that day the mad girl’s choicest flowers</div> - <div class='line'>Fell round the English maiden’s path in showers;</div> - <div class='line'>At home, abroad, at morning, eve and night,</div> - <div class='line'>Fresh fragrant garlands blossomed in her sight:</div> - <div class='line'>And sweet indeed are those fair Florence weaves</div> - <div class='line'>In early spring—the Tyrian violet,</div> - <div class='line'>Snowy camellia with the burnished leaves,</div> - <div class='line'>Cassia, whose perfume wakes a fond regret,</div> - <div class='line'>Myrtle, carnation, and the first young rose,</div> - <div class='line'>With almond-scented jessamine that throws</div> - <div class='line'>A sweet, faint perfume as the buds unclose.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'>Of Geppina, I shall have more to say in future pages. -Our connection and friendship were by no means confined -to my first visit to Florence.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_158'>158</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER XVI<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>RETURN TO ENGLAND—ACCESSION OF QUEEN VICTORIA—HER CORONATION</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>In the year 1836 my eldest brother was married to Miss -Ogle, in my opinion the most beautiful bride I have ever -seen, before or since. They came to reside with us for a -time, but the arrangement did not last long, and they went -abroad and settled in Paris. The year 1837 was one of -great sorrow for my sister, and indeed for all of us, as the -health of her dear kind master, William the Fourth, began -to fail.</p> - -<p class='c007'>In the month of May I went with my mother to -pay a visit of a few days to Princess Mary, Duchess -of Gloucester, at her house in Park Lane. We had been -more than once the guests of this dear and kind Princess, -at her delightful residence at Bagshot Park, but this was -the first time I had slept under her hospitable roof in -London. She was a most gracious lady, and full of -delightful old-world anecdotes of her father’s court, and -ever ready to appreciate and to promulgate a joke or a -good story.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>MRS JORDAN</div> - -<p class='c007'>I would sit and listen with gratitude to all she had -to tell me of old days. I had a great admiration (what in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_159'>159</span>the modern vernacular is called a “cult”) for the talent of -Mrs Jordan, although it was only inspired by hearsay, as -she was before my time. My mother had often told me that -she would have considered it worth her while to go to the -theatre, merely to hear the silvery ringing laugh of that -actress behind the scenes, even if she had not waited for -the performance of the play. I spoke of Mrs Jordan to -the Duchess, and she told me she quite concurred in my -mother’s opinion. She also gave me a very interesting -account of accompanying her royal parents to the play one -night, when the actress in question was to perform one of -her favourite characters. “I was much excited, my dear -Mary,” said the Duchess, “at the prospect of seeing the -woman in whom I knew my brother William was deeply -interested; but that evening was destined to be one of -terrible excitement.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>It was the occasion on which the king’s life was attempted -in the theatre. His escape was miraculous, and -as he was most popular with his subjects, the alarm and -consternation, with the subsequent enthusiasm and rejoicing -of the audience, baffled all description. The performance -was interrupted, the National Anthem loudly -demanded, and the king vociferously called for, having -to bow his thanks from the front of the Royal Box. When -Mrs Jordan made her appearance her reception was warmer -than usual, and, connected as she was with the interests of -the Royal family, her excitement and agitation were such -that she fairly broke down, and burst into a fit of hysterical -sobbing, which did not help to calm down the general -ferment of the evening. It was during our visit at -<span class='pageno' id='Page_160'>160</span>Gloucester House that William the Fourth’s health failed, -and, his days being numbered, all eyes were fixed on his -young successor, Princess Victoria.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“To-night,” said the Duchess to my mother, “I am -dining with the Duke of Cambridge, and you and little -Mary can either dine at home, or I will order my carriage -earlier, and send you to dine with a friend.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>The latter alternative was chosen, and we entered the -Royal carriage in state, with the coachman and foot-men -resplendent in scarlet and gold. It was Derby Day, and -as we proceeded down Grosvenor Place, what wonder that -the lowly occupants of that coach should be mistaken for -the highest personages in the land. As we moved along, -all heads were bowed, all hats raised. I took advantage of -the occasion. I was about the same size, and of the same -fair complexion and the same coloured hair as Princess -Victoria, and I knew in a moment for whom I had the -honour to be mistaken; so I imitated the courtesy which I -felt sure Her Royal Highness would have evinced in the -same circumstances, and I bowed repeatedly, first from one -and then the other window, but that with such deceitful -haste that the imposture could not be detected. My -mother expostulated with me on my effrontery, but to no -purpose; I was so much pleased with my own joke that I -continued it the whole length of Grosvenor Place. How -well I remember how entirely I sympathised, even while I -deplored the death of our good kind king, in the love and -enthusiasm which that young, blue-eyed, golden-haired, -girlish Sovereign excited. There was something so picturesque, -so romantic, to me, so like some fairy-tale of old, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_161'>161</span>in the fair creature who reigned over this mighty Empire! -I saw her one night at the Opera House, where she went -in state, and a brilliant reception awaited her. I do -not think I had ever seen her since two or three years -before, when at the opening of Parliament she mounted -the steps of the throne, and kissed the hand of her -uncle, William the Fourth, while the dear old king, in his -sailor’s uniform, surrounded by royal robes, stooped down -and embraced the little princess, who was so soon to -succeed him.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>CORONATION OF QUEEN VICTORIA</div> - -<p class='c007'>In recalling that night at the Opera, I remember how, -later in the evening, the door of the Royal Box opened -to admit the Duke of Wellington, who naturally shared in -the honours of the evening. It was to me a touching, -beautiful sight, to see the young Queen give her hand to -the old warrior and lead him forward to the front to obtain -a reception from the audience, scarcely second in enthusiasm -to her own.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Another time I saw her, in circumstances indelibly -impressed on my memory. It was on her Coronation day, -and the splendour and brilliancy of that scene, the gorgeous -dresses, the magnificent solemnity of the whole ceremony, -do not recur so often to my recollection as the time when, -seated on her Regal chair, she received the homage of the -Peers of England. One of the eldest among them, Lord -Rolle, who had passed the allotted span of life, in approaching -to do her honour, tottered, and nearly fell to the ground, -while she, with a gracious and merciful impulse, rose with -outstretched arms to save him from what might have been -a painful fall. I was just above the spot in question, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_162'>162</span>well remember the sort of buzz or whisper that spread far -and near among those who witnessed this touching -incident.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I have nothing of interest to record in the events of -the next two or three years.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_163'>163</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER XVII<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>MILLARD’S HILL—TENBY—CHARLES YOUNG AND A COURT BALL</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>In the year 1840, my mother gave up the apartments she -had so long occupied at Hampton Court Palace—the place -having become intolerable to her since the death of her -beloved and only brother, Mr Poyntz, who had died -suddenly at his house on the Green. This bereavement -determined her to accept the offer of her brother-in-law, -Lord Cork, to take possession of a small house on his -property in Somersetshire, called Millard’s Hill, an unostentatious -building, in a very picturesque part of the -county. We took great delight in furnishing and decorating -the empty rooms with our pictures and china and -“treasures from many lands”—in fact, in storing our household -gods, without which, no house can ever be a home. -Uncomely as was the exterior of the building, the situation -and surroundings were very pretty—a perfect specimen of -English field and woodland, and the neighbouring walks, -rides and drives were delightful. Added to these, there -was another charm in my eyes, the possibility (which was -very difficult for us at Hampton Court) of having domestic -pets—ponies, dogs—of many different kinds, and last, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_164'>164</span>though not least, a beautiful peacock of gorgeous plumage, -the present of my dear friend and close neighbour, the -Duchess of Somerset. “Narcissus” was as proud and -jealous as he was beautiful, but very tame, and would come -in at the open window, of a summer’s morning, while we -were at breakfast, and eat out of my hand. On one -occasion, finding my Scotch terrier sitting beside me, he -flew spitefully at the interloper, and pecked him so furiously -as to drive him from the field. “Chaillach,” my trusty Skye,—whom -I once described as something between Lord -Rochester’s wig and a door-mat; who was never out of -temper, and never out of mischief—the dauntless Chaillach, -whose spirit never quailed before a mastiff or a blood-hound—to -be put to confusion by a mere bird!</p> - -<div id='i164' class='figcenter id008'> -<img src='images/i164.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'>MILLARD’S HILL WITH “NARCISSUS” IN THE FOREGROUND.<br /><i>From a Drawing by E. V. B.</i></span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>Of Millard’s Hill and the days we passed there, I shall -have to say more in a future page.<a id='r38' /><a href='#f38' class='c008'><sup>[38]</sup></a> In 1842 I accompanied -my mother, my two younger brothers, and my -sister to the prettiest sea-side town I know—Tenby, in -South Wales, rich in beetling cliffs, venerable old castles, -picturesque manor houses, the fields and woods of which -boasted of a flora of such varied character as to attract the -notice and admiration of botanists as unscientific as -ourselves. Here we were joined, to the enhancement of -every pleasure, by a beautiful girl and fast friend, who -shared in all our pursuits inside the house and all our -excursions abroad, whom I will designate here by the -name of Fanny. I used to call her my damask-rose, on -account of her brilliant colouring; she was at that time in -the full bloom of early youth, and endowed with a high -<span class='pageno' id='Page_165'>165</span>spirit, but scarcely seven years had passed from that time, -ere I was called to shed bitter tears over her tragical and -untimely end.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f38'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r38'>38</a>. </span>See Chapter XXV.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>In one of our excursions from Tenby, we visited Stackpole, -a charming residence of the Earl of Cawdor, where -many years later I became a guest, to assist at the -marriage of a dear nephew with one of the fair daughters -of that noble house, and to contract a real friendship with -the kind and genial representative of Shakespeare’s Thane.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>“BAL COSTUMÉ”</div> - -<p class='c007'>Much as we all enjoyed our seaside walks and hair-breadth -“‘scapes” from the sudden influx of the tide, a -temptation to absent ourselves for a while came, at least -to the two youngest members of the family, in the shape -of an invitation (rather should I say a command) to a -Court Ball. It certainly appeared a long way to go to a -ball, even for me, with my dancing propensities, but, this -was a <i>bal costumé</i>, and therefore doubly attractive in my -eyes.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I must confess I never regretted the effort my brother -Cavendish and I made on that occasion, for the memory -of that night’s scene is one from which I should be loth -to part.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I was to be escorted to the palace by two gentlemen of -the time of William III., dressed in the garb which is so -well-known in the pictures of the Prince of Orange’s landing -in England. Their long square-cut coats, their costly -lace cravats, and their long flowing wigs, made the two -cousins (who bore a near resemblance to each other) look -like twins, while I had selected the character, in nowise -analogous, of “Sweet Anne Page.” The amusement found -<span class='pageno' id='Page_166'>166</span>in arranging our costumes was greatly heightened by the -assistance we derived from Charles Young, and the constant -visits he paid us in consequence.</p> - -<p class='c007'>This eminent tragedian and delightful man, with -winning voice, beautiful smile, and captivating manner, -was ever most kind to me, whom he called his “wild child,” -and did he not on that very night lend me his own -magnificent pair of diamond shoe-buckles (the present -of some great potentate) to “glitter and sparkle,” as he -said, “on my little feet”?</p> - -<p class='c007'>The ball was given at St James’s,<a id='r39' /><a href='#f39' class='c008'><sup>[39]</sup></a> and caused great -excitement in London, festivities of that kind having long -fallen into disuse. It was a beautiful and deeply interesting -scene, and, in my eyes, the most beautiful personage -in the whole pageant was the Prince Consort! He had -chosen the character of Edward III., wearing a surcoat -richly embroidered with the arms of France and England, -over a complete suit of armour, his open vizor and perfect -profile surmounted by a kingly crown; he looked, indeed, -as Tennyson has it, “A very perfect knight.”</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f39'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r39'>39</a>. </span>(?) Buckingham Palace.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>By his side stood his faithful and loving wife, Philippa, -in queenly robes, also rich in heraldic blazonry, displaying -in her whole costume that adherence to historical correctness -which did my dramatic heart good. The dress was -rather a heavy one for our fair young Sovereign, but she -bore it bravely, and her dignified and graceful dancing -was the theme of universal praise.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I can vividly recall many of the different characters -which were assumed for that night only. How well my -<span class='pageno' id='Page_167'>167</span>dear cousin, Lady Exeter,<a id='r40' /><a href='#f40' class='c008'><sup>[40]</sup></a> looked as Queen Elizabeth -of York; how Lord Cardigan, in a magnificent suit of -elaborate armour, presented a very grand representation -of the brave Bayard, the chevalier (who was at least, -<i>sans peur</i>), and my eccentric friend, Lord Houghton, -showed his poetical taste by appearing as the great -Chaucer. But why enumerate a list of names, the greater -part of which, alas! belong no more to the living.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f40'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r40'>40</a>. </span>Isabella Poyntz married to Brownlow, second Marquis of Exeter.</p> -</div> - -<div class='sidenote'>CHARLES YOUNG</div> - -<p class='c007'>Having connected Charles Young with the commencement -of this chapter, I wish to make mention of some -further circumstances which recur to my memory regarding -him. It was during my stay in London at this -period that the celebrated German actor, Emil Devrient, -whose beauty rivalled his talent, was acting in London. -I was anxious to study the manner in which Devrient -would render some of the principal scenes, and I accordingly -carried with me my well-thumbed and dog’s-eared -volume of Goethe’s “Faust.” I did not intend, as -many of my compatriots do, to concentrate my attention -the whole evening on my book, but merely to observe the -manner in which he gave some favourite passages; but -my dear old friend would not allow of my doing so, -in patience. He seized the volume, and in a tone of -irritation unusual to him, exclaimed: “My dear child, do -put down that dead book and look at that blessed man!” -Charles Young was already old when I first knew him, -but singularly handsome, looking like a hero of romance. -Indeed his early life had a decidedly romantic colouring.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The heroine of his story was a beautiful Italian girl, of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_168'>168</span>a noble family, which had given more than one Doge -to Venice. She had come with her father at a time of -political trouble to England, and, like many other Italian -emigrants, they had supported themselves by teaching -their beautiful language.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>GIULIA YOUNG</div> - -<p class='c007'>The daughter, indeed, had become a resident governess -in the family of an English nobleman, where she was -deservedly a favourite—so much so, indeed, as to make -a deep impression on the susceptible heart of the young -heir-apparent of the title. Amiable and accomplished -as was the fair Venetian, the union was not calculated -to obtain the parents’ approbation; and Giulia was not -one to repay kindness by causing strife in the family. -The young Englishman would have braved his father’s -displeasure on this point, but the noble girl withstood -the temptation which presented itself, and with a sad -heart left the house where she had spent many happy -days. Pondering how best to make use of her talents, -which were considerable, and to gain a subsistence for -herself, Giulia determined to go upon the stage, and it was -in her capacity as an actress that she became acquainted -with Charles Young, who was at that time playing the -part of first lover (if I mistake not) in some provincial -theatre. It was love at first sight, with the lover in -question, and a beautiful young couple they must have -been in those far-off days; but alas! within the year she -died in giving birth to a son, named Julian, after his -mother. During the time that I lived at Hampton Court, -Julian Young was appointed Chaplain to the Palace, -and he became the husband of my friend, Annie Willis. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_169'>169</span>This favourite companion was a distinguished member -of our dramatic corps, and shared in the laurels which -the Sheridans, my two brothers and self, acquired in our -amateur theatricals. She was deservedly admired, and -I well remember Lord Normanby (the ambassador) -whispering to me the night her engagement was announced: -“What a pretty little edition of Young’s ‘Night -Thoughts.’”</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_170'>170</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER XVIII<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>1844. TRIP TO THE CHANNEL ISLANDS</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>It was during the summer of 1844 that my dear father, -who had been in failing health for some time, breathed his -last at the small wayside hotel at Salt-Hill, near Slough. -It has since been burned down, but was well known in -former years as the resort of the Eton scholars, at the time -of Montem. My father had gone thither for change of air, -in company with his life-long friend and favourite messmate, -Sir Willoughby Lake, who did not long survive -him.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>SIR WILLIAM NAPIER</div> - -<p class='c007'>In the first days of that beautiful autumn I embarked -at Southampton with my cousin, Richard Boyle,<a id='r41' /><a href='#f41' class='c008'><sup>[41]</sup></a> and my -brothers Charles and Cavendish, to pay visits to the -Governors of Guernsey and Alderney. After a prosperous -but rather rough voyage towards those “iron-bound” -coasts, we arrived at Havilland Hall, the Government House -of Guernsey, then inhabited by Sir William Napier (one -of the chief heroes of the Peninsular War, and also -the historian of it) with his delightful wife and beautiful -daughters. Cavendish, indeed, did not remain with -us long, for, much as he esteemed the Napier family, -his regiment, the 48th, being quartered in Guernsey, -yet at that moment the less fertile and picturesque -island of Alderney possessed greater attractions for -him.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f41'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r41'>41</a>. </span>The Reverend the Honourable Richard Boyle, youngest son of -Edmund, eighth Earl of Cork and Orrery; married, 1845, Eleanor -Vere, daughter of Alexander Gordon, Esq., of Ellon, N.B.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_171'>171</span>It was, indeed, a very good time that we passed under -the roof of Havilland Hall. We were a happy band of -friends, and our daily rides, pleasant excursions, and joyous -evenings will long be remembered.</p> - -<p class='c007'>It was a fair group that clustered round the magnificent -old “warrior”—that was the name he bore among us—to -whose remarkable beauty a portrait in my possession, -painted expressly for me by Sir William Boxall, R.A., -bears undoubted testimony, as does a painting by that -eminent artist, George Watts, taken during the General’s -last illness, of which I have a splendid engraving. Sir -William Napier was tall and commanding of stature, a -soldier every inch of him, with black eyebrows and snowy -hair, which grew as hair used to grow in Classic times, with -eyes all alive and full of fire, with an eager, penetrating -look, and though, alas! for some time before his death he -could not move quickly, yet it was easy to perceive that in -youth quickness of all kinds must have been his especial -characteristic. You felt sure that in earlier days his movements -must have kept pace with the eager flashing of his -eye and the varied intonations of his powerful but -melodious voice. To his proficiency in military tactics, -and his splendid style in literature (I used to tell him that -his descriptions of battles read as if cut into the pages with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_172'>172</span>a naked sword) Sir William added the gentler arts of -painting and poesie; neither did he disdain the science of -Nonsense in its higher branches. Without this common -link, could we have sympathised, so profoundly? Had he -not descended from his high estate, to tread this neutral -ground, how could he have found time or inclination to -sport with his “tamed fairy”?—the name by which he ever -called me.</p> - -<p class='c007'>On the occasion of my visit to Guernsey, I made a -slight attempt to describe the hero’s leading characteristics -in verse.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c003'> - <div>SIR WILLIAM NAPIER</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“O’er the forehead’s high expanse,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Waves the silver crown of hair,</div> - <div class='line'>And the keen eyes’ eagle glance,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Eyes to love and eyes to dare—</div> - <div class='line'>Beaming now in playful wit,</div> - <div class='line'>Flashing now in scornful fit.</div> - <div class='line'>From their jet-black brows in turn,</div> - <div class='line'>Fierce or tender, gentle, stern,</div> - <div class='line'>See the nostrils’ eager line,</div> - <div class='line'>Nose of purest aquiline,</div> - <div class='line'>And the mouth that scarce concealed—</div> - <div class='line in2'>Though the beard be dark and long</div> - <div class='line'>(Forms so marked must be revealed)—</div> - <div class='line in2'>High resolve and purpose strong,</div> - <div class='line'>With a spirit bold and free</div> - <div class='line'>To impetuosity!</div> - <div class='line'>Aye, without that corselet bright,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Or the good sword by his side,</div> - <div class='line'>You would read him for a knight,</div> - <div class='line in2'>For a soldier brave and tried;</div> - <div class='line'>You would know that form to be</div> - <div class='line'>A lingering light of chivalry.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='c000'></div> -<div class='sidenote'>MR AND MRS KEAN</div> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_173'>173</span>During our visit at Guernsey, the Charles Keans came -over with a Dramatic Company, and gave several performances -at the theatre, at each of which the Governor, his -family and suite, regularly attended.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The plays selected were for the most part genteel -comedies, in which branch of the Drama I, for one, considered -that these two clever <i>artistes</i> shone most conspicuously. -They were our constant guests at dinner, the -hour of which our courteous host always arranged with a -view to the convenience of Mr and Mrs Kean.</p> - -<p class='c007'>They were cheerful and delightful companions, and -from that day we contracted habits of friendship which -ended only with their lives. I had an especial admiration -for Mrs Kean, and took a deep interest in her love story—of -how she and her husband had trodden the same stage -in her early youth, when, as he himself informed me, she -was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen; of how he -flirted, and she loved; of how they parted, and did not -meet again for many years; of how destiny once more -brought them together in the respective characters of the -hero and heroine of <i>The Honeymoon</i>. Was not that a -prophetic title? The joy, the uncertainty, the excitement, -the brilliant acting on both sides, in which nature was so -closely entwined with art, all combined to throw Ellen -Tree into a state of nervous agitation, and brought on an -attack of brain-fever, so that her life was despaired of. -But she recovered, and while still in the first stage of convalescence, -the one most deeply interested in her restoration -to health came to assist in that work.</p> - -<p class='c007'>During the course of their conversation he told her playfully -<span class='pageno' id='Page_174'>174</span>that she was one of the best friends he had ever had, -and as such he had come to ask her advice, with regard to -a subject whereon his whole future happiness depended. -“Do you consider,” he said, “that if I could gain her consent, -Ellen Tree would make me a good wife?” “I know,” -was the reply, “that she has long loved you better than any -one else in the world, and I do not believe that any one else -could love you better.” And so it was settled, and a happier -or more suitable union could scarcely be imagined. They -were helpmeets for each other, in professional, in domestic, -and in social life, and this is the verdict of one, who never -lost any opportunity she had of enjoying their society, -whether at their pleasant little home in Hampshire, or in -any part of the world where it was possible to meet them.</p> - -<p class='c007'>But I must return from a long digression to report -our further movements. In a flying visit to the queer little -island of Sark, we explored its curious caves, and were -shown the churchyard, “where the women and children -were all buried.” “And the men?” I enquired. “Ah! -mademoiselle, they are always drowned.” Added to this -encouraging intelligence, I was assured that the “Seigneur -of Sark” (the chief man in the island bears this title) -would consider it a degradation to die in his bed, as it was -looked upon as a hereditary privilege to find a grave in the -ocean; and certainly on those terrible coasts, with their -perpendicular cliffs, shoals and quicksands, such a contingency -was not to be wondered at.</p> - -<p class='c007'>We then proceeded to Alderney, where we were -received, on disembarking, by the Lieutenant-Governor, -Captain Alexander, and his daughter Rose, the betrothed of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_175'>175</span>my brother Cavendish. He placed my hand in hers, and -since that day, now so many years ago, she and I have -walked hand-in-hand through many a chequered path of -life, through gloom and sunshine, and, blessed be God, at -this present time of which I am writing, are still spared to -speak together of the days that are no more. The projected -marriage was one that could give nothing but satisfaction to -the members of both families, with the single drawback of -slender means. In circumstances of this nature, there -arises usually much discussion as to <i>pros</i> and <i>cons</i>, even -among outsiders, and we often hear the question asked -“What will they make up?” On this point Cavendish was -beforehand with the world, when he said to me one day: -“If any one asks you what <i>we</i> make up, be so good as to -say, we have made up—our minds,” and I can safely -affirm that, from the day of their marriage, no one who -loved either had ever cause to regret the step.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Moreover, between Cavendish and his father-in-law -there existed a great similarity of tastes, pursuits, and -moral qualities—both soldiers in heart, as well as calling, -both men of cultivated and refined taste, with a keen -appreciation of all that was good, beautiful, and humorous -in life.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>COLONEL ALEXANDER</div> - -<p class='c007'>Captain, afterwards Colonel, Alexander amused me one -day with an anecdote he told me of himself. He was in -Paris with his wife and children at the time of the Revolution -in 1830, when the English were very unpopular among -the lower classes. Captain Alexander had occasion one -day to pass a guard-house, round which some ill-conditioned -soldiers were lounging and idling; the passer-by attracted -<span class='pageno' id='Page_176'>176</span>their attention. One of the men said to the others in an -irritable and irritating tone: “Voilà Monsieur Goddam.” -“Qui s’en va,” retorted our Englishman, “Au diable,” says -another soldier. Captain Alexander turned round, and -taking off his hat with a sweeping bow, said “Donc, Monsieur, -au plaisir de vous revoir!”</p> - -<p class='c007'>The Channel Islands appeared to me to be peopled -with lovers. One of Sir William Napier’s beautiful daughters -had just married that gallant soldier, Colonel MacDougall. -At Guernsey, I had left the General’s only son engaging -himself to pretty Bessie Alexander, whom we called the -“white-heart cherry,” on account of her pink and white, -rarely-blent complexion, and here, at Alderney, I found -her sister preparing to become mine. We spent a short -but pleasant time with Captain Alexander and his wife. -Before leaving Alderney, let me say a complimentary word -in favour of the garden which surrounded the house, and -confess that, even at the interval of forty years, the recollection -of its peaches, apricots, and, above all, its pears, makes -the “mouth of my memory” water.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>ELEANOR’S WELL</div> - -<p class='c007'>Rose became an inmate of Millard’s Hill, paying occasional -visits to the pretty Rectory of our cousin, Richard -Boyle, the Incumbent of Marston, whose unbounded -hospitality became a proverb with all who knew him. The -year after Cavendish’s marriage this favourite cousin of -ours followed the example thus set him, and gave a -charming mistress to his charming home. Eleanor Gordon, -known in the literary and artistic world as E. V. B., was -young, lovely, and loveable. Her great talent for drawing -had already attracted much admiration whilst she was still -<span class='pageno' id='Page_177'>177</span>a girl, and, after her marriage, the beautiful illustrations -which she designed of “Nursery Rhymes,” “A Children’s -Summer,” “The Story Without an End,” and many others -too numerous to mention, acquired for her the fame she -deserved. She put out her talents, indeed, to interest in a -good cause, realising by the sale of her works sufficient -sums to enable her to do good work in the parish. -“Eleanor’s Well,” for that was the grateful name bestowed -on it, supplied the “water,” of which the villagers had long -stood in need; while two beautiful windows—designed by -herself—embellished her husband’s lately-restored church, -without mentioning the complete new roofing and a new -set of Sacramental Plate—all were the proceeds of her -labour. It is not often that talents are turned to so good -and so unselfish account.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The erection of the little “Well” was commemorated by -a friend and neighbour in the following graceful lines:—</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c003'> - <div>ELEANOR’S WELL</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Fair fields were ours, touched with a mellow glow</div> - <div class='line'>From gorgeous clouds at rise, at set of sun,</div> - <div class='line'>And shadowing trees, but no glad spring had run</div> - <div class='line'>Beside our homes, to bless the day and night.</div> - <div class='line'>But see! the water flows with gentle might,</div> - <div class='line'>In metal highway thro’ green pastures led;</div> - <div class='line'>And o’er the sculptured basin see it shed</div> - <div class='line'>A silver stream, a fall of sparkling light!</div> - <div class='line'>Thus with wise heart a gentle fancy wed,</div> - <div class='line'>Long summer morns, hath for our solace wrought;</div> - <div class='line'>So noble work succeeds to noble thought,</div> - <div class='line'>So the hand justifies the heart and head,</div> - <div class='line'>So the child’s play to earnest close is brought</div> - <div class='line'>So piety to poetry is wed.”</div> - <div class='line in36'>By <span class='sc'>W. M. W. Call</span>.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'><span class='pageno' id='Page_178'>178</span>Eleanor is now the inmate of another home in a distant -county, but her name is still cherished and remembered, in -connection with that of the husband she mourns, among -the survivors of the rural population of Marston Bigot.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The poet in question was a near neighbour, and became -a constant visitor both at the Rectory and Millard’s Hill. -On the marriage of my brother Charles, and the prolonged -absence of Cavendish and his wife in the West Indies, this -friend, whom we named “Alastor,” on account of his -predilection for solitude, became the almost daily companion -in my long walks. In the summer time we would -usually take a volume of some favourite author with us, -Shelley, Goethe, or Jean Paul being often selected; of the -latter we were both ardent admirers. Then, choosing some -grassy knoll in one of the pretty fields which surrounded -us, or some tempting shade in one of our numerous wayside -woods, we would rest and read awhile. We had tastes -and thoughts in common, and many were the pleasant -hours thus beguiled, which are, I am well assured, forgotten -by neither of us.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_179'>179</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER XIX<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>WHITTLEBURY</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>In passing in review before my mind the different country -houses which I have frequented at different periods of my -life, I am forcibly struck by the difference in the characteristics -of each. I will devote this chapter to Whittlebury -Lodge in Northamptonshire, situated on the skirts of the -beautiful forest of the same name, where, for many months -at a time, I was the guest of kind friends to whom I -have alluded in an earlier chapter.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Lord Southampton<a id='r42' /><a href='#f42' class='c008'><sup>[42]</sup></a> was the Master of the Hounds, in -which capacity he had succeeded his aged kinsman, the -Duke of Grafton. Sport, therefore, was the chief characteristic -and the ruling passion at Whittlebury, and I, in my -small way, was one of its most zealous votaries.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f42'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r42'>42</a>. </span>Charles, third Lord Southampton; born 1804; married, 1826, -Harriet, daughter of Hon. Henry Fitzroy Stanhope.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>During the whole of the winter our noble master kept -open house, and although, as I have said before, sport and -sporting men formed the chief components of that society, -yet there was scarcely a leading member of the London -World who was not represented at the hunting-lodge. -There I met and became acquainted with the well-known -<span class='pageno' id='Page_180'>180</span>Count D’Orsay, the witty Lord Alvanley, and the -eccentric Colonel Leigh, brother-in-law to Lord Byron, -and many others. I was an especial favourite of the -last-named, and he on his side was a source of great -amusement to me. I used sometimes to say to him: -“So-and-So have invited me to their house in the country,” -and his retort courteous was, “Did they name the day?” -If I remarked that such a person had a most agreeable -house, he would ask: “What sort of a cook?” If I -complained that the Whittlebury servants had made an -enormous fire, he would rejoin: “May I ask, do you pay -for the coals?” One day he insisted on my walking round -the garden with him, and begged me to tell him the name -of every flower as we passed. I am no botanist, and my -only knowledge of flowers consists in knowing when they -are sweet and beautiful; but that morning I was bent on -mischief, and, one after another, I invented in succession -what appeared to me the most plausible names with -Latinised terminations. So far my deceit prospered, but -a trial was in store for me.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The next day I was sitting at my little open window, -which looked out on a picturesque portion of forest scenery, -with a magnificent oak in the foreground, when my old -friend came under the window and called out to me to -come downstairs, a summons which I immediately obeyed. -When I stepped out on the lawn, he presented his friend, -Mr Elwes, to me, who had a splendid garden of his own -on the other side of the county.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>“YOU SCORED”</div> - -<p class='c007'>“We will show you over the grounds,” said Colonel -Leigh, “together. As you well know, I am a perfect -<span class='pageno' id='Page_181'>181</span>ignoramus where flowers are concerned, but Miss Boyle -will tell you the names of every one in the whole garden.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Here was a dilemma, but I was not unequal to the -occasion.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“My dear Colonel,” I said, “it is all very well when I -pronounce the names in your hearing, but I am not going -to show off my bad Latin before so great a connoisseur -as your friend.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>The next day I confessed my crime, and received absolution -because the trick had been successful; failure of -any kind was unpardonable in the eyes of Colonel Leigh. -“You scored,” he said, “so I forgive you.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Poor Colonel Leigh! I was very sorry when I heard -of his death, and very grateful to him for the present he -made me of the last riding-whip which Byron had used -at Missolonghi.</p> - -<p class='c007'>A fellow-guest of mine was Lady S——, a woman -nobly born, and of exceeding beauty, hair, complexion, eyes, -features, in every way remarkable, and although not unusually -tall, of stature naturally far exceeding mine. She -went up to Colonel Leigh one day and reproached him -for never paying her a single compliment (which she -might well have felt her due), “yet you are always saying -flattering things to Miss Boyle!”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Colonel Leigh was not in a very good humour that -morning. Looking at the beautiful speaker with a supercilious -expression, he hit the only blot he could find in -that fair apparition: “No, no,” he said, “it won’t do; you -sit too high and stand too low.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Lord Southampton, the M.F.H., was most kind and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_182'>182</span>generous to me in respect to “mounts,” and would apportion -to me a fast hack or an easy jumper, frequently giving me -a place in his phaeton, or letting me ride beside him to -the place of meeting. Dear old friend! For how many -days of intense enjoyment, of healthful exercise, of genial -companionship, have I not been indebted to you!</p> - -<p class='c007'>He laughed when I told him that I considered it one -of the proudest moments of my life when, riding quietly -with him and another young lady, who complained that -her horse was too fresh, he came up to me and asked -the question, “How does Blanco carry you?”</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Like a lamb,” I replied.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Then jump off directly, and I will change the saddles,” -a compliment very flattering to my powers of horsemanship.</p> - -<p class='c007'>My ambition was always to be in the first flight, and -the means I took to attain this end was as follows—</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>A SPORTING ECCLESIASTIC</div> - -<p class='c007'>At the first whimper of the first hound breaking the -covert, I looked to see who rode beside me. I knew which -were the best men, and one of those I chose as my guide, -following as near as I could on his horse’s steps—most -frequently Lord Charles Fitzroy, or the Reverend William -Smith, rector of the parish—a sporting parson indeed, but -one who never allowed his love for the chase to interfere -with the fulfilment of more serious duties, or the constant -care he bestowed on the poor and suffering. A very -different personage was the Reverend Mr D—— E—— -who had a living on the other side of the county, but who -hunted with us one day. Both he and his curate were in -the field, and coming to a blind bullfinch, at which several -<span class='pageno' id='Page_183'>183</span>horsemen came to a dead stop, the curate in question -gallantly offered to go and make a gap in the fence. His -Rector called after him in his usual loud voice, “Hallo, I -say, if you break your neck, who is to preach my second -sermon next Sunday?”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Another sporting ecclesiastic who frequented our -meets was the Reverend Loraine Smith. He hunted in a -purple coat, alleging as his reason that it was an episcopal -colour—but I cannot tell what authority he could adduce -for wearing bright yellow gloves embroidered in every tint. -His Reverence was always well mounted, and was a keen -sportsman. He had a pretty living and a good church in -the neighbourhood, but he surprised his parishioners very -much by altering the whole disposition of the tombstones; -he thought they looked awkward and untidy in their -actual position, so he had them all taken up and re-arranged -according to his fancy in lines, crosses, squares, -etc. One Sunday morning, a very cold winter’s day, he -had performed the service to a scanty congregation, and on -going up into the pulpit, instead of opening his sermon -book, he pronounced the following address:</p> - -<p class='c007'>“My dear friends, if you require it, I will preach you -the sermon which I have brought with me, but if you are -as cold and hungry as I am, I think you will prefer going -with me to the Rectory, where you will find some cold beef -and some good ale.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>I leave the result of his hearers’ decision to the imagination -of the reader.</p> - -<p class='c007'>One of our favourite places of meeting, although one of -the most distant, was Cowper’s Oak, on the confines of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_184'>184</span>Salcey Forest. There, one proud day, I proceeded on a -small hack, which I exchanged for a splendid black hunter -glorying in the name of “Midnight,” and thence, after a -quick find, we had a magnificent run extending almost -to the town of Higham Ferrers.</p> - -<p class='c007'>How many years have passed since that eventful day, -eventful at least in my annals, when Lord Alford, beside -whom I rode, invited me to luncheon at Castle Ashby, and -offered himself as my guide across country.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I gladly accepted with my two companions, Lord -Charles Fitzroy and Mr Smith, and then for the first time -I saw that beautiful house whose golden gates have so -often since that day been opened to afford me a hearty -welcome. My beloved friend, Lady Marian Alford, was -then doing the honours of her father’s home, and many and -many a laugh have we had in later days, respecting the -wild and dishevelled appearance which a very high wind -and very strong exercise had wrought in my person. -Nay, I remember well that she made on the spot a -slight sketch of the scanty portion of my habit which I -had been able to rescue from the encroachments of -numerous fences. We were twenty-two miles from home, -and my kind hosts pressed the loan of their brougham -upon me, an offer which I indignantly and ungratefully -refused, scorning to abandon my two fellow-sportsmen on -their homeward journey. The next day we three traced -our long ride on the ordnance maps, and some amusement -was excited in the household when it was announced that -the groom, whom Lord Southampton had lent me for the -occasion, sent word to enquire, the next morning, after the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_185'>185</span>small lady who had ridden sixty-seven miles between -breakfast and dinner.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>MUSICAL EVENINGS</div> - -<p class='c007'>Before concluding this slight sketch of the happy days -I passed at Whittlebury Lodge, which extended over many -years, I am tempted to insert a short anecdote, proving -how easily fame may be established in some cases. My -maid told me that the housekeeper had informed her that -Mr Jones, the valet, was so excellent a musician that he -was constantly sent for into the drawing-room to perform -before the company. His proficiency consisted in pumping -the organ for the lady of the house, who was a very -good performer on that instrument. We had indeed some -excellent musicians and superior vocalists in our society, -and the following is a slight record of the way we passed -our time—</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c003'> - <div>SONG</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Call back the days that fled too fast</div> - <div class='line in2'>In mellow autumn’s prime,</div> - <div class='line in1'>Like our own light skiff they glided past</div> - <div class='line in2'>Upon the waves of time.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Call back the hours, those gladsome hours,</div> - <div class='line in2'>The song, the jest, the glee,</div> - <div class='line in1'>The perfume of the lingering flowers,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Sweet summer’s legacy.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“The hunter’s horn at early morn,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Proclaimed its welcome sound,</div> - <div class='line in1'>And each forest glade an answer made,</div> - <div class='line in2'>With joyous echo round.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“And when the shades of evening fell,</div> - <div class='line in2'>And day’s glad toil was o’er,</div> - <div class='line in1'>Then music with its genial spell,</div> - <div class='line in2'>The senses captive bore.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'><span class='pageno' id='Page_186'>186</span>“While every breast the charm confessed,</div> - <div class='line in2'>That bound the willing ear,</div> - <div class='line in1'>And eyes now bright in beauty’s light</div> - <div class='line in2'>Were glistening with a tear.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Call back those hours, thou hast the art,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Thy melody can raise,</div> - <div class='line in1'>And for a time beguile the heart</div> - <div class='line in2'>With thoughts of other days.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_187'>187</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER XX<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>MUNICH—SECOND VISIT TO ITALY</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>We passed the summer of 1846 at Munich, we—that -is my mother, my brother Charles, and my sister—having -taken a clean and comfortable lodging kept by a Frenchman -in the Promenade Gasse. Our life here was most -enjoyable; the inseparable companionship of my brother -Charles was to me a source of untold delight. Our -pursuits and pleasures were all in common; we studied -the German language together under the tuition of a -well-read and accomplished master, and gained great -proficiency by our almost daily visits to the theatre. -I say daily, because the performance began at an early -hour, and often ended before the daylight had waned, -leaving us at liberty to accompany my mother in her -evening drive, or to spend some hours at a friend’s house -before retiring to rest. The dramatic performances—which -comprised many of the masterpieces of Schiller, Kotzebue -and Iffland, and other eminent writers—were very well -given, and the principal actor and actress of the day were -a very handsome and talented couple of the name of -Dahl. He took the leading part in such characters as -Karl von Moor, in <i>The Robbers</i>, and the like, while -<span class='pageno' id='Page_188'>188</span>his pretty wife showed to great advantage in the heroines -of the same pieces, and was very much admired, especially -by the king, Ludwig of Bavaria, on whom the charms -of female beauty were never thrown away.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The tragedies and comedies at the theatres were -alternated with opera by both German and Italian -composers, and Charles and I seldom missed an evening -in the box which was kindly placed at our disposal by -the Sardinian Minister.</p> - -<p class='c007'>We became also zealous students of art in our daily -visits to the painting and sculpture galleries of that city -of treasures, known by the names of Pinacothek and -Glyptothek. We passed most of our mornings in these -two museums, where the paintings are well arranged -to mark the progress of the art, and where every facility -is afforded for the study of the different schools and -different periods. I think, before I left Munich I knew -every statue and picture by heart.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Whatever King Louis’ failings may have been, he was -certainly a benefactor to his capital, encouraging art and -artists of all degrees, painters, architects, musicians—a -builder of palaces, of churches, a patron of the coloured -glass for which Munich was so distinguished in his day, -and to which was due a revived taste for painted windows -in every part of Europe.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>LOUIS OF BAVARIA</div> - -<p class='c007'>The king’s own palace was decorated by frescoes representing -scenes from the “Niebelungen Lied,” and other -subjects both of history and fiction by such well-known -artists as Cornelius and Kaulbach, while two rooms were -set apart for the portraits of contemporary beauties. Not -<span class='pageno' id='Page_189'>189</span>a few of these were rather of a shady reputation, but -then there was a sprinkling of homely-featured Royalties -and other exemplary members of society, designed to -lend a respectable colouring to the whole.</p> - -<p class='c007'>An amusing story was told of His Majesty, with respect -to this gallery. King Louis was partial to the society -of foreigners, and invariably included the English in all -invitations to his receptions. A lady was presented to -him one evening, and being very much struck with her -personal appearance, he requested her to be so good as -to give the Court portrait painter a sitting a few days -hence, as he was desirous of having her portrait in his -collection. The lady smiled and hesitated, but we all -know what comes of hesitation. Half flattered, half -alarmed, not quite convinced of the prudence of the -acquiescence, she demurred for a few moments, when -vanity prevailed, and our countrywoman gave her consent. -The next day the king—walking as was his wont -unattended through the streets of his capital—encountered -the lady, who was bent on a sight-seeing expedition. -He paused, took off his hat, and made some casual -remark, which gave him time to examine the beauty -of the preceding evening. After an earnest scrutiny of -her countenance, His Majesty stammered out a species -of apology to the effect that he would not trouble her -to give a sitting to his painter in ordinary. Alas! for -the disillusion which daylight had brought about with -regard to the candle-light beauty!</p> - -<p class='c007'>There were no end of stories extant about Louis of -Bavaria. I was assured that on the morning of his silver -<span class='pageno' id='Page_190'>190</span>wedding, after presenting his wife with the usual offerings -of flowers, jewels, and what not, after joining in the religious -ceremony, which is very touching and impressive -in the German Church, the devoted husband gave the wife -so black an eye that it was a question if she could possibly -appear at the evening reception.</p> - -<p class='c007'>During the summer most of the society are absent from -the capital, and reside at their country estates, so that -there were not many houses which “received,” as the -phrase was, during the hot season, but the one which we -constantly frequented made up to us for the absence of -any other. It was that of the Sardinian Minister, whose -acquaintance we had already made at Genoa. The -Marchese Fabio Pallavicini and his wife Marinetta, with -their two sons, formed in themselves a most attractive -foundation for the agreeable reunions which were at this -time swelled by the officers of the neighbouring camp -at Augsburg, and a frequent contingent of travellers -passing through on their way to the South.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Andri and Cesari, the two sons, had been my frequent -partners and members of our Genoese cavalcade, and it -was a source of great pleasure to meet them again, and to -make an expedition, as we did one day, in their company -to see the review which the king was to hold at Augsberg.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The street of that town, which has so often been -described as one of the most picturesque in Europe, was -beautifully decorated on that occasion, for the houses -actually looked as if they had been built in flowers. We -lingered on till late in the night, and escorted by some -military friends—one of whom, the noble and handsome -<span class='pageno' id='Page_191'>191</span>Count Karl von Oetting, still lives in my memory—we -visited the whole camp and listened to the beautiful part-singing -of the troops as they sat at the doors of their tents -beneath the glorious moonlight of a July evening.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I, for one, was very sorry when that peaceful summer -came to an end—and yet how could I say so when our next -destination was Rome! And what a journey that was! -never to be forgotten, in its beauty, its brilliancy.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Pope Gregory XVI. had just died, and was succeeded -by the popular and liberal Pontiff, Pius the Ninth, on -whose accession all prison doors flew open, all political -offenders were released, and a festival of three days was -announced through every town in the Papal dominions.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Our journey from Munich lay by the twin lakes of Tegern -and Aachen, small but beautiful, their banks studded with -a profusion of wild-flowers, and the waters of the last-mentioned -of a very peculiar hue—what in old days was -called mazarine blue or green—and the light caught by the -water gave the lake the appearance of a gem—a chrysolite -for instance.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>VINTAGE TIME</div> - -<p class='c007'>When we reached the Italian frontier, our progress -assumed an aspect of triumph, for it was vintage time, and -we were constantly encountering peasants in the gayest -dresses, driving wine-carts with casks and skins full of -ruddy liquor, the drivers carrying branches of vine and ivy, -as if Bacchus held high revelry. On our arrival at Ravenna, -besides the magnificence of the churches and basilica, with -their wealth of mosaic and their pride of tradition, there -was the interest of a pilgrimage to the tomb of Dante, and -it would have been impossible to see Ravenna under a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_192'>192</span>more bewitching aspect, for it was the three-days’ festival. -Every house in the principal street had its balcony adorned -with rich silks, tapestry, and velvet, not unfrequently embroidered -with gold, while all the citizens were in gala -dress, and the women, remarkable for personal beauty and -dignity of bearing, had donned their richest garb and -displayed their choicest ornaments of gold and silver, their -magnificent hair transfixed by bodkins, or spadini (of the -sword and target shape), many of them wearing innumerable -rows of pearls round their stately throats. Even in -those days the national costume had been much tampered -with, but nothing was too good to do honour to their -beloved Pontiff, and the jewel-boxes of every household -had been ransacked for the occasion. All along our road -the same scene presented itself, making allowance, of -course, for the difference of locality.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>RAVENNA</div> - -<p class='c007'>We spent a morning of exquisite delight in the pine-forest -in the neighbourhood of Ravenna. Alas! I hear -with deep concern that the chief part of those magnificent -trees is mouldering to decay. I remember sitting at my -mother’s feet for several hours, drinking in the calm and -beauty of the scene, while Shelley’s lines rose to my lips -in his description of another Pineta, the one at Pisa—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“How calm it was! The silence there</div> - <div class='line in1'>By such a chain was bound,</div> - <div class='line in1'>That even the busy Woodpecker</div> - <div class='line in1'>Made stiller by her sound</div> - <div class='line in1'>The unviolable quietness;</div> - <div class='line in1'>The breath of peace we drew,</div> - <div class='line in1'>With its soft motion made not less</div> - <div class='line in1'>The calm that round us grew.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c020'><span class='pageno' id='Page_193'>193</span>There was a distant sound of the Adriatic, which mingled -with the whisper of the wind among the stone pines, and -produced a weird music, forming a species of scale, caused -by the trees being all of the same form, though of different -altitudes. Numbers of wild-flowers studded the ground, -and moths and butterflies of variegated colours skimmed -and floated around us. How often did my mother and -myself talk over that delicious morning, when</p> -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Banished from those Southern climes,</div> - <div class='line in1'>We thought and spake of other times.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_194'>194</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER XXI<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>ARRIVAL IN ROME, 1846—OCTOBER FESTIVALS AND “POSSESSO”</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>But let me hasten on to Rome, where, on our arrival, we -took up our abode in a charming apartment in Palazzetto -Torlonia, at the corner of the Piazza di Venezia, than -which a more excellent situation could scarcely be found, -with the full prospect of enjoyment of every kind, social -and intellectual. Our hopes brought no disappointment in -their train. October in Rome is a season of great beauty, -especially when the citizens look forward to the Festivals.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>SALTARELLO</div> - -<p class='c007'>We crossed the Tiber on a glorious day in October, and -arrived at the iron gates of the Queen of Villas, over the -entrance of which the Eagle of the Dorias surmounted the -Lily of the Pamfili. What a gay, smiling scene was before -us in that garden, enlightened by fountains, rich in shady -woods and plantations, and crowned by the Palace with its -spacious terraces! What sounds of joy, what shouts of -laughter on all sides! Groups of young girls, dressed -chiefly in white, with coloured ribbons flaunting gaily, their -dark hair plaited and braided in a manner purely classical, -and crowned with fantastic wreaths of natural ivy and wild-flowers, -sang in chorus as they walked hand-in-hand, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_195'>195</span>or tripped backwards and forwards, with one arm thrown -round the waist of a companion, and the other flourishing -the jingling tambourine high above their heads. Occasionally -when two groups met they challenged each other, and -then, with many expressions of civility, a circle would be -formed, and, after much pressing, and many modest -refusals, the two best performers would begin dancing, and -setting and wheeling round each other with that occasional -bound in the air which gives the name of <i>saltarello</i> to -their dance.</p> - -<p class='c007'>There were few men in proportion, and those chiefly -kept aloof, although a gayer jacket than usual, or even a -feather in the hat, showed that all the <i>minenti</i> had not -arrived without an escort. Staid matrons might be seen -looking on—women, not unfrequently, of majestic beauty -(beauties of a proud, stern character)—their luxuriant hair -confined by nets of rich and variegated colour, or broad -loose ribbons, forming a most picturesque kind of coronet.</p> - -<p class='c007'>There seems little doubt that the origin of these -Festivals can be traced to the Bacchanalia of Classical -Rome, and the Trasteverini girls (for most of the dancers -came from the further side of the Tiber) bore no little -resemblance to the Mænads of old, with their dishevelled -hair crowned by the emblematic ivy and vine leaf. With -their proverbial pride they considered no title high enough -to content them but <i>eminente</i> (or <i>minente</i>.)</p> - -<p class='c007'>It would be difficult to describe the excitement which -prevailed in the Eternal City pending the eventful moment -when Rome’s beloved Pontiff was to take possession of the -Church of S. John Lateran, a function which answers to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_196'>196</span>the Sacre of the French monarch, or the Coronation of the -English. Pio Nono was at that moment the most popular -sovereign in Europe, and he commenced his reign in a most -auspicious manner. Liberal in his views, patriotic in aspirations -for his beloved country, practically religious as became -a priest, he had brought golden opinions with him from the -See of Imola, where he had been Bishop. Of courteous -and winning manners, witty and agreeable in conversation, -a delightful companion, a charitable patron, His Holiness -seemed calculated to become, as was indeed the case, a -favourite with all sorts and conditions of men. Every -morning brought some fresh story of wisdom or of kindness, -and as we had a friend at the Papal Court, we were -kept <i>au courant</i> of what, to us, were interesting details. -Once when a certain man on his death-bed had disinherited -his wife and children, with whom he was on bad terms, and -had left a large sum to the priest who should celebrate his -black Mass, the Pope elected to officiate himself. He -carried out his plan, and, supplementing the legacy by an -addition from his own treasury, he caused an assignment of -it to be made to the poor widow, who stood in great need -of assistance.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>PIO NONO</div> - -<p class='c007'>His witty sayings were often quoted, and it was -universally believed that many of the answers to the -frequent pasquinades which were promulgated at that -time were actually prompted by the Pope. Alas! for the -bright prospects of those early days and the short-lived -popularity which could not be expected to outlast the -influence of evil counsellors, who baffled and thwarted him -on every occasion! Faltering and vacillating in the noble -<span class='pageno' id='Page_197'>197</span>path on which he had entered, he disappointed the hopes -of those who had hailed his accession with joy. Not only -in the grand procession, but on several occasions, and -under important and interesting circumstances, had I the -joy of seeing him. Once it was on his name-day of San -Giovanni, when the Court of the Quirinal was entirely -thronged with his subjects, calling out his name, and pleading -that he should appear before them. When he did so, -and bowed and waved his hands in benediction over the -heads of the assembled multitude, how imposing and -beautiful the spectacle! Again, at a midnight festival in -Santa Maria Maggiore, when he was carried on high, in -his crimson chair of state, between the two traditional fans -of peacocks’ feathers, the sight nearly cost me my life, so -dense was the crowd and so imminent the danger to myself -and my sister. A third time on the night of Easter -Sunday, when the illumination of the whole building of St -Peter’s, bursting forth into light at one moment, seemed a -miracle, for gas was still unfamiliar, and electric light -unknown. How well I can recall the scene under the roof -of “blue Italian weather” deepening into purple, and -studded with stars that glistened and sparkled in the -fountains. The magnificent court-yard, encircled with -colonnades, peopled by an innumerable concourse who -dropped simultaneously on their knees, with an indescribable -surging sound, as to the sound of cannon the -Pope appeared on the balcony.</p> - -<p class='c007'>But I am anticipating events, and must return to the -taking possession of the Lateran, or the “Possesso,” as it was -called, to which I have before alluded, and the procession -<span class='pageno' id='Page_198'>198</span>which we saw to perfection from the <i>secondo piano</i> of our -quarters at Palazzetto Torlonia, happily situated for the -purpose. Pio Nono, who had a great taste for all that -was picturesque and historical, had conceived the idea of -restoring all the splendour of a pageant of the Middle -Ages, and being himself a skilful horseman, proposed that -carriages should be banished from the procession, which -should be entirely composed of horse and foot-men. This -unconventional whim, as it was considered, created a great -turmoil in the minds of the ecclesiastical dignitaries. The -idea of a Pope on horseback shocked the critics of the age, -and as many of the Cardinals were well stricken in years, -and had probably even in their youth been unaccustomed -to mount a horse, the obstacles to the design of His -Holiness appeared insurmountable. After manifold -<i>pourparlers</i>, a compromise was arrived at. The Pope -relinquishing his cherished notion of appearing on horseback, -was firm in his resolve that his state carriage should -be the only one to be found in the procession. Much to -their disgust, the whole conclave of Cardinals was appointed -to meet the Holy Father, in their respective carriages, at -the gates of S. John Lateran.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Never did I see a more orderly, a more picturesque, or -a more enthusiastic crowd, than that which lined the -Corso, and filled the Piazza di Venezia on the day in -question. Although the national costume was even then -becoming scarce in the South of Italy, yet on that great -day all the citizens on both sides of the Tiber and all the -country people from the neighbouring districts, appeared -in their holiday clothes of bright and variegated colours. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_199'>199</span>The red bodice, the floating ribbons, the blue petticoat -and white <i>panno</i>, well became the majestic beauty of -noble-looking women, while the conical hat and coloured -sashes of the men recalled the early drawings of Pinelli. -One striking personage in the crowd I well remember—a -peasant from the district of Nettuno, whose costume had -something essentially Oriental in its character. She was -a woman of extreme beauty, and of a tall and commanding -presence. She wore a garment of crimson silk, in the form -of a Turkish pelisse, over a bright gold-coloured robe of -the same material; she was evidently the beauty of her -native town, and was sent to Rome as its representative.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>THE “POSSESSO”</div> - -<p class='c007'>Soon that mingled murmuring sound which is so well -expressed in the Italian language as <i>bisbiglio</i> is heard -down the length of the Corso, and heralds the approach -of the procession. On it comes in all the correct costumes -of the Middle Ages, of the exact period which His Holiness -has chosen; horsemen in rich doublets of cut velvet and -mantles clasped with jewels, the bridle-rein of each held -by an attendant, the costliness of whose dress is scarcely -inferior to that of the rider. And now, as the crucifer who -immediately precedes the carriage of the Holy Father -appears in sight, the whole populace fall on their knees. -To my mind, the most imposing personage in the whole -pageant is the crucifer, a tall and magnificent-looking -man, with a long silken beard, carrying a ponderous cross, -of such gigantic dimensions that few arms could have been -found capable of bearing it, mounted on a splendid white -mule, to find which the whole of Italy had been searched. -A magnificent spectacle which I shall never forget.</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_200'>200</span>The delights of our winter in Rome were greatly enhanced -to my brother Charles and myself by the presence -of our dear friend, Adelaide Sartoris, at whose house in -the Via Gregoriana we met all that was agreeable and -intellectual in the society of Rome. With her and her -sister, Fanny Kemble, we took almost daily rides in the -Campagna. What enchanting hours of companionship, -what exhilarating hours of exercise over that beautiful -tract of country, does the mere allusion to those bygone -days recall! How swiftly the days passed in the Eternal -City! The constant contemplation of the treasures of -painting, sculpture and architecture seemed to enrich -while it gladdened our minds. All around us beauty—beauty -of art, beauty of nature, beauty of sound, of music -both sacred and secular! Then the Carnival with its fun -and frolic, and the Moccoli, whose twinkling stars still live -in the twilight of memory. Rome the beautiful—Rome -the eternal—’twas sad to say farewell!</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_201'>201</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER XXII<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>SUMMER OF 1847—FLORENCE, VILLA CAREGGI</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>On our arrival in Florence, we took up our abode on the -north side of the Arno, in the same house with our friends -the de Fauveaus, and many a delightful hour did I pass in -Félicie’s studio, watching her beautiful work with deep -interest, and sometimes reading aloud to her the works of -our best authors, for she was as good an English scholar -as I was, although she could not often be tempted to converse -in our language. But we did not stay long under -the same roof, for it had been arranged that our summer -should be spent in Villeggiatura.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Lord Holland, who then possessed the beautiful villa -of Careggi de Medici, in the immediate neighbourhood of -Florence, kindly placed it at my mother’s disposition for -the summer months of the year 1847, and when I look -back upon the time we passed there, a dream of beauty, -peace and happiness rises up before me, surrounded by -the golden haze of memory and regret. The villa, which -is in itself a palace, is situated in a charming garden, and -the interior contains spacious and lofty apartments, and, at -the time of which I am speaking, had just been embellished -by frescoes from the master hand of our countryman -<span class='pageno' id='Page_202'>202</span>George Watts, the illustrious Academician. One in -particular, at the entrance of the villa, attracted especial -notice. It represented the attack made by the servants of -Lorenzo the Magnificent on the physician who attended -their beloved master in his last hours, and whom they -suspected of wilful neglect, or culpable designs on the life -of the august prince. The moment chosen by the painter -was that in which the retainers seized upon the medical -attendant and ruthlessly cast him into the well, which -then still existed in the court of the villa. The artist -in question, a friend of Lord Holland, was a resident of -Careggi when we arrived and most unwillingly drove him -away. Assuredly there was room for us all, and many -more, in that large and spacious house, but our painter -had that love for solitude and that distaste for the society -of strangers so frequently to be found in the artistic nature. -He had betaken himself to a pavilion in the garden, and -courteously but firmly withstood for a time all our -advances at nearer companionship. I well remember -writing what I considered a coaxing note, asking him to -dine with us on Ash Wednesday, as I knew it was more -to his taste to fast than to feast. Slowly and gradually -we won our way towards his friendship, and, as I once -afterwards told him laughingly, how proud I felt when by -degrees he grew tame and would eat out of my hand. -From that time we have been friends, and I watched with -pride and pleasure his rising fame, and gazed with increasing -admiration of years on his splendid creations. Our -household was a curious medley. Our family consisted of -my mother, my sister, my brother Charles and myself, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_203'>203</span>with our three English servants—the faithful Henry and the -two lady’s-maids. The domestics we found in the villa -were as follows: the porter (an old soldier) and the -gardener and his family, the <i>babbo</i>, the <i>mama</i>, the son and -two daughters good, excellent people—the eldest girl -Amalia a little hump-back, or <i>gobbina</i>, with a tender heart -and loving eyes, her sister Violante—always selected on the -occasion of any <i>festa</i> or procession to take the principal -part therein, on account of her extreme beauty.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>LIFE AT VILLA CAREGGI</div> - -<p class='c007'>The two mothers became great friends, notwithstanding -their respective ignorance of each other’s language, but it -was touching to see them sitting side by side in the -garden, teaching each other Italian and English names for -the different flowers, which the <i>mama</i> brought in handfuls -and deposited on the lap of the “cara e buona miladi.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>The old gardener, with gentle manners and calm exterior, -who rented the garden, but would never let us pay a <i>soldo</i> -for the beautiful nosegays he showered on us, was a real -Italian at heart. On one occasion, the gardener of a -neighbouring villa, Salviati, had brought a large present of -choice flowers to my mother, from our friend Mrs -Vansittart. This circumstance so raised the ire of the -rival functionary at Careggi, that it was with great difficulty -that our English servant interposed to appease the -<i>babbo</i>, for, as he told me afterwards, he saw the moment -when knives were likely to be drawn. The porter, old -Pietro, had been, as I said before, a soldier, and was a -great character in his way. He would sometimes pace the -terrace with me, and not only discuss, but quote long -extracts from Dante. Like many other scholars and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_204'>204</span>students of the divine poet, he found the greatest delight -in the story of Francesca di Rimini, and he delivered it as -his emphatic opinion that her punishment was immeasurably -too severe for her fault. I think I should have to -wait some time before an English hall-porter, or domestic -servant of any class, would be likely to discuss with me -the characteristics of one of Shakespeare’s heroines.</p> - -<p class='c007'>This reminds me of an incident related by my dear -friend, Lady Marian Alford. She was coming out of the -Cathedral at Siena, and talking of the lines in Dante which -commemorate the sad fate of “La Pia.” She had got as far -as “Siena mi fè,” when she paused and hesitated, being -unable to remember the rest of the line, when a little street -Arab, or <i>gamin</i>, came to her assistance and completed the -sentence, “disfeci mi Maremma,” to the satisfaction of -both. But we must not wander from Careggi and the -golden summer we passed there.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The windows were scrupulously closed during the -intense heat of the day, but between the hours of four and -five they were flung wide open to admit the refreshing air, -and then we would sit in the garden, or walk, or drive, -interchanging visits, and offering or accepting invitations -from the neighbouring villas, or sometimes from dwellers -in the city.</p> - -<p class='c007'>From the <i>loggia</i> at Careggi, where we used to spend a -great part of our evenings, watching the lights which starred -the city, inhaling the perfumes of the orange flowers, and -delighting in the erratic flights of those embodied stars, the -fire-flies, we commanded the windows of the Villa Quarto, -inhabited by our Swedish friend, the Comtesse Pipa and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_205'>205</span>her nephew, Eric Baker, with whom we had invented a -code of signals, and by displaying some scarlet or yellow -drapery, understood at once if an invitation to dinner was -refused or accepted.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>“BALLET D’ACTION”</div> - -<p class='c007'>On the opposite side, but at a greater distance, stood -the Villa Salviati, inhabited by a beautiful countrywoman -of ours, Mrs Vansittart before-mentioned, the tall and -stately chatelaine of that magnificent house afterwards -purchased by Mario and Grisi, and which, I believe, still -bears the name of the former. Many delightful evenings -were spent beneath Mrs Vansittart’s roof, where Charles -and I were frequent guests. I remember once when he -and I had done our best to amuse our hosts with a <i>ballet -d’action</i> on a small scale, at the conclusion of which I was -nearly smothered by the profusion of flowers which were -lavished upon me from that fertile garden. Oh yes, and I -remember only too vividly the homeward walk with that -beloved companion, across a short cut, all hedged and -fringed with cypress and ilex, glistening and sparkling in -the silver radiance of a Tuscan moonlight.</p> - -<p class='c007'>That was an eventful period in the lives of both, for, -during that summer Charles’s destiny became entwined with -that of a young English lady whose acquaintance he had -made the previous winter at Rome, and who with her -widowed mother was a constant visitor at the Villa Careggi. -Indeed, before the end of the summer, my dear brother -was engaged to be married to Miss Moore, the daughter of -General Sir Lorenzo Moore, late Governor of the Ionian -Islands, in commemoration of which office he had -bestowed on his daughter the somewhat strange though -<span class='pageno' id='Page_206'>206</span>musical name of Zacyntha. The lovers were separated for -the winter, but on their return to England, in the year -1849, they were united, and my brother gained a devoted -and faithful wife, even to his life’s end, and she became the -mother of a large family of noble and beautiful children.</p> - -<p class='c007'>During our stay at Careggi we kept open house. -Numerous friends and acquaintances, <i>en route</i> for Florence -or Rome, flocked from all parts to find a hearty welcome -from the English occupants of that historical palace, so -intimately bound up with memories of the palmy days of -Florence and her merchant princes; while the neighbours -from the villas before-mentioned often frequented our -charming gardens of an evening. Amongst our visitors -was Prince Anatole Demidoff (so well known in Florence -as one of the chief leaders of society), afterwards the -husband of Princess Mathilde, the sister of Prince -Napoleon, who gave splendid receptions at his own villa -of San Donato.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I was much amused by an anecdote which was related -to me as having happened some years before the time of -which I am speaking. Prince Demidoff was very hospitable -to foreigners, and an English lady having received an -invitation to a <i>soirée</i> at this villa, arrayed herself in the -best ornaments contained in her jewel-box, which were not -of a very costly description. It was at a time when, in -England at least, malachite was very much used, not only -for table ornaments, such as ink-stands and paper-weights, -but also occasionally for brooches, earrings, and the like, or -what then were called <i>sevignés</i>. Thus decorated, our -countrywoman took her way to Prince Demidoff’s reception, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_207'>207</span>but her consternation was great when, on entering the -noble suite of apartments, she found that the chimney-pieces, -the consoles, and the very doors themselves were -constructed of the identical material which formed her -<i>parure</i>.</p> - -<p class='c007'>During our stay at Careggi, I had provided myself with -an independent little vehicle in which I drove occasionally -into Florence, to pay a visit to Félicie de Fauveau. I was -invariably stopped at the gate of the city, and interrogated -by a pompous official as to whether I had anything contraband -to declare. “Oh dear yes,” said I one day, impatient -at being delayed, “two apricots and a book,” which reply -made my driver laugh aloud. My coachman was a bright -young fellow who rejoiced in the classical name of Œdipus. -He had been educated at a Jesuit school, and spoke his -native language with great purity, and even eloquence. It -is certainly remarkable to listen to the choice selection of -words used by the lower classes in Tuscany. The common -saying of “lingua Toscana in bocca Romana,” is strikingly -true, for the guttural pronunciation of the Florentines—inherited -doubtless from the Spaniards—contrasts disadvantageously -with the soft, so to speak, languishing, cadence -of the Roman dialect.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>BATHS OF CASCIANO</div> - -<p class='c007'>I made a delightful little expedition in my own <i>carretella</i> -to the Baths of Casciano, near Pisa, to pay a visit of -two days to Félicie de Fauveau and her mother. It was a -whole day’s journey, and we halted half-way, if I remember -right, at the picturesque, fortified old town, to bait our little -stout Calabrian pony. I found Œdipus a delightful -travelling companion, for he knew the history and the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_208'>208</span>legends of the country through which we passed, and I -was quite sorry to bid him good-bye, for it was settled -I should return with my friends.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Casciano is a picturesque spot, whose baths were at one -time in great repute, and the legend connected with the -discovery of its boiling springs interested me not a little. -The Empress Matilda, it would appear, who was devoted -to the sport of hawking, possessed a falcon of uncommon -skill and beauty, whose constant perch was on the -Imperial wrist. Suddenly the favourite began to droop -and shed its feathers, and to show signs of some -malady more severe than the usual moulting of birds. -Unable to carry on its vocation or to join in its beloved -mistress’s cherished sport, the poor falcon hung its head, -disfigured and ashamed. One morning the bird was -missing, and could not be traced, and much surprise was -expressed that the diminished pinions should have had -sufficient strength to ensure its flight. Time passed, and -the “tasset gentle” was supplanted but not replaced in the -heart of the royal sportswoman. But one day, when on a -grand hawking expedition, the Empress had just let fly her -falcon in search of its quarry—lo! a miracle: perching on her -wrist, pluming itself, and nodding and bowing, with all the -grace of which a bird can be capable, and all the loyalty of -a devoted subject, was the long lost one. A recurrence of -the falcon’s indisposition, and a restlessness which seemed -to foretell an inclination to absent itself once more, caused -the Empress to issue her commands that the bird should -be watched. It seems difficult to imagine how her wishes -were carried out, but we must suppose that the will of that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_209'>209</span>Imperial lady was omnipotent. At all events, the story -goes (and who would question so romantic a legend) that -the winged invalid was found bathing in the warm springs -of Casciano, and after this voluntary cure, found its way -back in renovated health and plumage to the Court of its -noble mistress, thereby laying claim to being the founder -and patron of the baths in question.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>LEGEND OF THE FALCON</div> - -<p class='c007'>Oh! it is hard, even in retrospective thought, to tear one’s -self away from those blissful days which were prolonged -late into the autumn, when the Apennines so often assume -that rich colouring of Imperial purple, illumined by -golden sunlight, which adds fresh lustre to the environs of -Florence. To that city we made our next move, and took -up our abode in a house in the Santa Croce quarter, -between which and the Casa Fenzi, in Piazza Santa Maria -Novella, where Lady Moore and her daughter were now -located, there was constant intercourse, until the <i>sposa</i> and -her mother left for Rome, and my brother Charles took his -departure for England.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_210'>210</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER XXIII<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>RESIDENCE IN FLORENCE—CHARLES LEVER—REVOLUTION, AND THE BROWNINGS</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>Our new residence in Florence consisted of a very pretty -apartment on the ground floor of the Casa Lagerschwerd, -opening on a bright little garden, which was a perfect -sun-trap, and where, even on cold days, my dear mother -could bask in safety. We had not been there very long -ere I received a letter from our friend G. P. R. James, -recommending his friend, the bearer, Charles Lever, to -our especial notice.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Him he thus describes:-“One of the most genial -spirits I ever met; his conversation is like summer lightning—brilliant, -sparkling, but harmless. In his wildest -sallies I never heard him give utterance to an unkind -thought.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>The old advice, “If you like his works, do not make -acquaintance with the author,” would have been misplaced -as regards him. He essentially resembled his works, and -whichever you preferred, that one was most like Charles -Lever. He was the complete type and model of an -Irishman—warm-hearted, witty, rollicking, of many metres -in his pen, but never unrefined, imprudent and often blind -<span class='pageno' id='Page_211'>211</span>to his own interests—adored by his friends, the play-fellow -of his children and of the gigantic boar-hound he -had brought from Tyrol.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>LEVER’S ENTRY INTO FLORENCE</div> - -<p class='c007'>I well remember his first visit, his chivalrous, deferential -manner to my mother, and the hearty, cordial way in which -he claimed my friendship. He gave me a most amusing -description of his entry into Florence, with his three -children, two girls and a boy, with whom he had performed -the journey from the Tyrol on horseback. They -had spent the summer among hardy mountaineers, and -had imbibed many of the tastes, and had adopted the -greater part of the costume of the Tyrolese—such as the -conical-shaped hat with its golden cord and peacocks’ -feathers. Altogether, his appearance, with that of his -young companions, followed by their brindled boar-hound, -attracted great attention as they passed slowly -through the Porto San Gallo. The crowd which gathered -round them were impressed by the belief that they formed -part of a company of a circus or hippodrome, and Charles -Lever, in great glee, even assured me that he had been -accosted on his road with a view to an engagement. Our -first interview, on the whole, was most satisfactory, and -all the more so when my new friend informed me that -he had rented Casa Standish for the winter, and that -he counted upon me to resume the post of <i>prima donna</i>, -which he had heard, so ran his courteous words, “I had -already filled with so much honour.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>It did not take Charles Lever long to be installed as -tenant of Casa Standish, manager and lessee of the -little theatre; and then began a series of rehearsals -<span class='pageno' id='Page_212'>212</span>and dramatic representations, the frequent reunion of -kindred spirits, the merry suppers and joyous dances in -which my soul delighted. Our company was excellent, -and foremost in the troupe, and in my recollection, since -we generally played the two leading characters of the -“Juvenile Caste,” was Captain Elliott, who, with his charming -wife, was located for the time in an apartment in -Piazzi Pitti. Good-looking, graceful in deportment, -courteous in manner, with great flexibility of countenance, -Captain Elliott was well qualified to play first lover, -although he occasionally condescended to take a part -in low comedy. We shared some bright laurels on several -occasions, especially in two or three detached scenes -from the <i>School for Scandal</i>, particularly in the famous -Screen scene; Captain Elliott distinguished himself as -“Joseph Surface,” while our host and lessee gave a decided -and Irish colouring to the reckless humour of his namesake -“Charles.” But the latter was still more in his element -in the then favourite farce of <i>The Irish Tutor</i>, a part -lately rendered famous by the impersonation of Tyrone -Power, the best “Irishman” that ever walked, or rather -tripped, the stage—he whose untimely fate made so deep -an impression on the lovers of the drama, when all hope -was relinquished of the safety of that vessel in which he -had been a joyous passenger. Charles Lever was no -unworthy rival in the character of “Doctor O’Toole,” and -the jig which we danced together laid good claim to be -called an “Everlasting,” its duration being so prolonged -by repeated plaudits of the audience.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Dear old friend! We met twice again after a separation -<span class='pageno' id='Page_213'>213</span>of many years, once, as a glad surprise, when -arriving rather late for dinner, I turned round and found -him as my neighbour at one of those delightful banquets -at Charles Dickens’ table, where all that was eminent in -Literature and Art, or endowed with social and intellectual -gifts, was sure to find a place and a welcome.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>I ENTERTAIN LEVER IN 1870</div> - -<p class='c007'>In the year 1870, during the first Viceroyalty of Earl -Spencer in Ireland, Lever paid a visit to Dublin,<a id='r43' /><a href='#f43' class='c008'><sup>[43]</sup></a> where he -made friends with my nephew Courtenay Boyle, and was -a frequent and welcome visitor at the Castle and Viceregal -Lodge. From Ireland he came to London, and I had the -pleasure of entertaining him at my little house in South -Audley Street, where Lady Spencer gladly agreed to meet -him. On the table lay a volume of Bret Harte’s parodies<a id='r44' /><a href='#f44' class='c008'><sup>[44]</sup></a> -of popular novelists, and I, volunteering to read a passage -aloud, asked if he could recognise the authorship. It was -the narrative of a cavalry officer who, in the heat of an -engagement, took a flying, but unwilling, leap over a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_214'>214</span>horseman in a dark cloak, cocked hat and white feathers. -As far as I can remember the words-“My horse cleared -the obstacle well, I lifted my eyes, and found myself for -the first time in the presence of Field-Marshal The Duke -of Wellington!”</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f43'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r43'>43</a>. </span>I well remember this visit and the many chats we had about his -novel, “Lord Kilgobbin,” then on the stocks.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f44'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r44'>44</a>. </span>The parody was “Terence Deuville”-“Putting spurs to my horse -I rode at him boldly, and with one bound cleared him, horse and all. -A shout of indignation arose from the assembled staff. I wheeled -suddenly, with the intention of apologising, but my mare misunderstood -me, and again dashing forward, once more vaulted over the head -of the officer, this time, unfortunately, uncovering him by a vicious -kick of her hoof. ‘Seize him!’ roared the entire army. I was seized. -As the soldiers led me away, I asked the name of the gray-haired -officer. ‘That?—why that’s the Duke of Wellington!’ I fainted.”</p> - -<p class='c010'>A somewhat similar episode is recorded in another parody, the -fighting “Onet y Oneth,” by W. M. Thackeray, written many years -before Bret Harte (who, I am sure, was no plagiarist) wrote “Terence -Deuville.”</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>Never shall I forget Lever’s burst of laughter, which -seemed to flood the whole room with sunshine. “Upon -me soul, I believe it’s meself; it’s uncommonly like me.” -That was the last time we ever met. The wife to whom -he was deeply attached died shortly afterwards, and -Charles Lever did not long survive her.</p> - -<p class='c007'>That was an eventful time for Florence, for Italy, for -the whole of Europe. The spirit of revolution was abroad, -and France had set a startling example to other nations. -In the month of February, 1848, the Carnival was at its -height, and the youth, beauty and fashion of Florence -were assembled in a splendid ball-room in one of her -principal palaces. I was sitting beside my dear friend -Félicie de Fauveau, who had been rebuking me for dancing -with <i>cette canaille</i>—for so she designated Baron -Ward, Prime Minister and ex-groom of the Duke of Parma—and -I had excused myself on the ground that it amused -me to become acquainted with celebrities—perhaps, -in this case, I had better have said notorieties—when we -were all startled by the rapid entrance of a stranger. -There was a pause, a hush, and then he became the centre -of a little crowd that gathered round him, evidently the -bearer of some strange intelligence. Félicie and I rose -together to inquire the cause. It was soon told—a Revolution -in France, and Louis Philippe and his whole -<span class='pageno' id='Page_215'>215</span>family driven from the capital. To my companion, the -news was of deep interest, for was she not devoted heart -and soul to the cause of Henri Cinq? In that assembly, -which contained many nationalities among the company, -the intelligence was listened to with varying degrees of -excitement, pleasure or indifference, while to the younger -portion of the community, who cared little for the destiny -of kings and governments, the paramount thought was -that the <i>bal masqué</i> at the French Embassy would not -take place.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>I PLAY THE PART OF CONSPIRATOR</div> - -<p class='c007'>The downfall of the Orleans dynasty naturally led to a -renewal of hope among the more devoted and sanguine of -the Legitimists, which proved, however, but short-lived. -One morning, soon after the ball already alluded to, -Félicie de Fauveau called upon me and asked if I could -undertake a commission for her. Any messenger she could -send, she explained to me—indeed, any Frenchman or -Frenchwoman who was the bearer of a letter to the -Duchesse de Berri—would be an object of suspicion. -“Have you any fellow-countryman whom you could safely -trust to carry a communication from me to that Princess?” -Most fortunately, a friend of ours, an Englishman, had the -day previously expatiated to me on his delight at the -prospect of seeing Venice for the first time. I summoned -him to our assistance, entrusted Félicie’s packet to his -care, enjoined prudence and secrecy, and thus, for the first -and last time in my life, played the part of conspirator, -though, sooth to say, with no important or successful result.</p> - -<p class='c007'>In Florence, where people did not take life <i>au grand -sérieux</i>, there was no end of chaffing and jesting on the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_216'>216</span>subject, which could not be said to be a jest to Paris and -the Parisians. All the princes and princesses, all the -counts and countesses, sometimes good-humouredly, -sometimes spitefully, were addressed as <i>Citoyens</i> and -<i>Citoyennes</i>. I heard of an incident at the club, which -only just escaped having an unpleasant termination.</p> - -<p class='c007'>A Russian nobleman, who, for some reason or another, -was not on good terms with a Frenchman of decided -Legitimist tendencies, approached him and, in rather a provocative -tone, said, “Bon jour, Citoyen.” The Frenchman -looked at him with some disdain, and turning on his heel, -exclaimed, “Adieu, esclave,” which retort elected a laugh -from the bystanders.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Meanwhile, as we jested and acted and danced, the -Tuscan Revolution was proceeding slowly on its course. -The Grand Duke<a id='r45' /><a href='#f45' class='c008'><sup>[45]</sup></a> whose reign had been marked by a -mild paternal sway, and who was as popular as an -Austrian well could be in those anti-Austrian days, endeavoured -at first to make a compromise with the Tuscans -by granting them a charter for the Civic Guards. This -was made an occasion of great rejoicing in the city, and -the Italians, who always turn a festivity into a pageant, -organised a procession, which defiled for the space of three -hours beneath the windows of the Palazzo Pitti, where, on -the balcony, Leopold II. appeared, surrounded by his -family. It was not to be expected that he should wear a -very cheerful aspect, for although the air rang with <i>vivas</i>, -in recognition of his Civic grant, and although he affected -to advocate the cause of United Italy, yet it was easy to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_217'>217</span>know that the compact between the Prince and the people -was hollow and fragile, and that “Leopoldo essendo -straniero,” must sooner or later come under the cry for -the expulsion of the foreigner.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f45'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r45'>45</a>. </span>Leopold II., died at Rome, 1870.</p> -</div> - -<div class='sidenote'>CASA GUIDI</div> - -<p class='c007'>On the morning appointed for the procession in -question, I went, accompanied by my sister and my -future sister-in-law, to a house in the Piazza Pitti, the name -of which has now become classical; for the walls of Casa -Guidi bear a tributary inscription to the memory of -Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who, with the “heart of a -woman, the knowledge of a professor, and the spirit of a -poet, formed a link between Italy and England.” These -are Florence’s grateful words to our English poetess, and -well did she deserve the tribute, for no one ever participated -more cordially in the aspirations of Italy’s future, -or gave utterance to those aspirations in so musical a form.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I would gladly transcribe <i>verbatim</i> the lines in which -that noble spirit described the scene I witnessed, in her -dear company, and that of her husband, from Casa Guidi -windows; for how cold and colourless must my words -appear compared with her surpassing eloquence. But -space will not allow of the whole transcript, and I therefore -unwillingly confine myself to fragments—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in16'>“The day was such a day</div> - <div class='line'>As Florence owes the sun. The sky above,</div> - <div class='line'>Its weight upon the mountains seemed to lay,</div> - <div class='line'>And palpitate in glory, like a dove</div> - <div class='line'>Who has flown too fast, full-hearted—take away</div> - <div class='line'>The image! for the heart of man beat higher</div> - <div class='line'>That day in Florence, flooding all her streets</div> - <div class='line'>And piazzas with a tumult and desire.</div> - <div class='line in26'><span class='pageno' id='Page_218'>218</span>How we gazed</div> - <div class='line'>From Casa Guidi windows while, in trains</div> - <div class='line'>Of orderly procession, banners raised,</div> - <div class='line'>And intermittent bursts of martial strains</div> - <div class='line in20'>... they passed on!</div> - <div class='line'>The Magistracy, with insignia, passed, ...</div> - <div class='line'>And all the people shouted in the sun,</div> - <div class='line'>And all the thousand windows which had cast</div> - <div class='line'>A ripple of silks in blue and scarlet down</div> - <div class='line'>(As if the houses overflowed at last),</div> - <div class='line'>Seemed growing larger with fair heads and eyes.</div> - <div class='line in24'>The Lawyers passed ...</div> - <div class='line'>The Priesthood passed.... Next were viewed</div> - <div class='line'>The Artists; next, the Trades; and after came</div> - <div class='line in24'>The People....</div> - <div class='line'>And very loud the shout was for that same</div> - <div class='line'>Motto, ‘Il popolo’—‘<span class='fss'>IL POPOLO</span>.’</div> - <div class='line'>And next, with banners, each in his degree,</div> - <div class='line'>Deputed representatives a-row,</div> - <div class='line'>Of every separate State of Tuscany:</div> - <div class='line'>Siena’s she-wolf, bristling on the fold</div> - <div class='line'>Of the first flag, preceded Pisa’s hare,</div> - <div class='line'>And Massa’s lion floated calm in gold,</div> - <div class='line'>Pienza’s following with his silver stare,</div> - <div class='line'>Arezzo’s steed pranced clear from bridle-hold?”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c020'>Then followed a concourse of foreigners of all nations, -lovers of Italy—</p> -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Oh heaven, I think that day had noble use</div> - <div class='line in8'>Among God’s days!”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'>And so it had, for that day was a forerunner of better -days to come, though many a reverse was in store for the -House of Savoie, and many a check was to be given to -the brave Sardinians in the battle-field. Still, that day, -commemorated by our English poetess, shadowed forth -<span class='pageno' id='Page_219'>219</span>the time when the King of Sardinia became the King -of Italy, and Imperial Rome the capital of his kingdom.</p> - -<p class='c007'>And now that I have had occasion to speak of that -poet pair, the Brownings, let me recall the hours of enchantment -which I passed beneath their roof. I was the -bearer of a letter from a common friend, and well do I -remember knocking at the door, which was opened to -me by the poet in person. How kindly they received me! -how truly they welcomed me, stranger as I was, whose -very name was unknown to them. How one-sided seemed -the advantages of that acquaintance; for I had known -and loved them long, and when I went up to the sofa -where the poetess lay, half bird, half spirit, as a loving -hand described her, I felt inclined to address her by the -name of “Bar,” the pet name of her own sweet poem, -which her brother gave her</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“When we were children ’twain,</div> - <div class='line in1'>When names acquired baptismally</div> - <div class='line in1'>Were hard to utter as to see</div> - <div class='line in1'>That life had any pain.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='c000'></div> -<div class='sidenote'>“FLUSH”</div> -<p class='c010'>And there on her lap was her dog “Flush,” with whom -I was so well acquainted in verse. The pale, thin hand -of his mistress resting on the glossy head of that “gentle -fellow-creature” like a benediction.</p> -<p class='c007'>All seemed familiar to me from the first moment, and -all became truly familiar to me soon, and now remains -a sacred memory. I have never in the course of my -life seen a more spiritual face, or one in which the soul -looked more clearly from the windows; clusters of long -curls, in a fashion now obsolete, framed in her small -<span class='pageno' id='Page_220'>220</span>delicate face, and even shrouded its outline, and her form -was so fragile as to appear but an ethereal covering.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I had looked forward eagerly to the moment when I -should lay these pages of affectionate remembrance before -my friend Robert Browning, when, alas! the news came -from Venice of his unexpected death, and baulked me of -the pleasure of doing so—a disappointment which added to -the poignancy of my regret at his loss.</p> - -<p class='c007'>My visits to Casa Guidi were daily, or rather nightly, -for my mother’s health at this time compelled her to retire -early to rest; and the moment I had bidden her good-night, -I would fly to Casa Guidi and spend the early -evening, or <i>prima sera</i>, as the Italians call it, with my poets. -How delightful were those moments—how swiftly did they -pass! how rich was the wit, the wisdom, the knowledge, -the fancy, in which I revelled with those dear companions! -And then a ring would come at the bell just at the proper -moment to save my sweet hostess from fatigue, and I -would go downstairs to greet another friend who had -kindly allowed me to go into society under her wing. -Madame de Manny, to all the vivacity and charm of a -Frenchwoman, added some of the dignity and steadiness -of the English nature—a rare and valuable combination -amid the frivolity and laxity of manners then prevalent in -the Florentine capital. The name of de Manny also had -a charm for me in the historical associations connected -with Froissart and the Carthusian Monastery, for my -friend’s husband was a lineal descendant of Sir Walter de -Manny, or Many, in those famous chronicles.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_221'>221</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER XXIV<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>LAST DAYS AT FLORENCE—RETURN TO ENGLAND—MILLARD’S HILL, LONDON 1848.</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>While we were at Florence the popular mind had become -so excited by passing events, by the Revolution in France, -and by the outbreaks in the north of Italy, that disturbances -on a modified scale were of almost daily occurrence -in the streets or on the walls of the city. I was amused -one day at a comic manifestation of the Florentine horror -of the Austrian by overhearing a peasant who was beating -his donkey, cry out to him in a tone of objurgation: “Oh, -Maiter Nick-ee—oh, Maiter Nick-ee.” I could not but -intercede for the poor beast, and represent to his master -that he could not well be called a foreigner.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Another time, as I was returning from a drive to a -neighbouring villa with my mother, our carriage was -stopped and surrounded by some men, who desired us -to alight and proceed on foot, as we had no more right -to go in a carriage than they had. Their words were -menacing, but their looks were by no means threatening, -and trusting to the Italian’s love of a jest, I told them -that it was out of the question for my mother to walk, -for she was not strong, and that for myself I did not -<span class='pageno' id='Page_222'>222</span>care how many miles I walked, but I had on a pair of -beautiful new thin boots (in those days we wore a dainty -<i>chaussure</i> called <i>brodequins</i>), and it would break my -heart to spoil them in the muddy road. Oh those good-humoured -Tuscans! They laughed, shook their heads, -bade the coachman drive on, and showed no ill-will to -the little foreigner who had turned aside their wrath -with a joke.</p> - -<p class='c007'>But on a future day the populace showed itself more -violent. I was unwell, and had not left the house, when -my brother came back with the news that there had been -a riot in the streets, and that on the appearance of my -friend Beppa, the florist, the old cry had been raised of -“A spy!—a Court spy!” and the poor woman had been -hunted down several streets, and was flying in terror for -her very life; then came to her rescue, rising as they ever -did, as if by magic, in the hour of need, the noble band of -the “Misericordia,” bound to succour and to protect the -sick and the sorrowful. Clad in their black robes, their -faces shrouded by their black hoods, they interposed -between the pursuers and their victim, and claimed the -right, which none durst question, of taking possession of -the fugitive. Beppa was sick, she was near her confinement, -therefore she came within the jurisdiction of the -“Misericordia,” who, placing her on the litter they always -carry with them, bore her off, not to the hospital, as is usual -in such cases, but to a place of safety and secrecy.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>“BEPPA” THE FLORIST</div> - -<p class='c007'>I was very much distressed when I heard of the danger -my favourite had run, and longed to hear some news of her, -which I did a few days later, in rather dramatic manner. I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_223'>223</span>was walking on the Lung’arno when a little boy approached -me. He attracted my attention in a mysterious manner, -“’St, ’st, Signorina,” he said; “listen to me, but take no -notice of me. Beppa salutes you tenderly. She has a -beautiful boy; she sends you these flowers,” which he -smuggled into my hand, “and hopes to see you soon.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Accordingly, in the course of time, our faithful Henry -ushered a muffled figure, whose face was completely hidden -by the hood of a long cloak, into the drawing-room of -Casa Lagerschward. It was Beppa, my Beppa! She flung -off her disguise as she clasped me in her arms; she wept, -she laughed, she went into rapture over her baby, over her -husband-“Che mi vuole un ben di paradiso.”<a id='r46' /><a href='#f46' class='c008'><sup>[46]</sup></a> It was a -spectacle to astonish an undemonstrative Northerner. -When the time came for us to leave Florence, Beppa was -one of the humble friends whom I regretted most; but oh! -how I grieved to say farewell to that beautiful city!</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f46'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r46'>46</a>. </span>“Who loves me with the love of heaven,” is the only translation I -can render of these untranslatable words.</p> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Oh! rightly, justly named the fair,</div> - <div class='line in1'>There is a magic in thine air,</div> - <div class='line in1'>A gladness in thine atmosphere,</div> - <div class='line in1'>Where floating particles of joy,</div> - <div class='line in1'>With hidden hope the spirits buoy,</div> - <div class='line in1'>And every feeling cheer.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Fair city of the myriad towers,</div> - <div class='line in1'>How oft my heart will yearn</div> - <div class='line in1'>Towards thee and thine and those dear hours</div> - <div class='line in1'>Which never can return.</div> - <div class='line in1'>No more for me thy suns shall shine,</div> - <div class='line in1'>No more, no more thy flowerets twine</div> - <div class='line in1'>A garland for my brow!”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'><span class='pageno' id='Page_224'>224</span>The gardener’s family from Careggi came to bid us -farewell, and it was only by a violent effort I could wrench -myself away from the two weeping sisters, who loaded me -with caresses. The separation between the two mothers -was more affecting still, for they were both well stricken in -years, and knew they could not meet again on this side of -the grave. I shall never forget the faithful Italian’s tender -look as she pressed my mother’s hand for the last time to -her lips, and exclaimed: “A rivederla in Paradiso.” Then -there was dear Félicie de Fauveau, of whom to take a sad, -and, as it turned out, a lasting farewell, and the good -Levers, our friend Charles and his excellent little -wife.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Although in the early part of 1848 the whole of Europe -was in a state of political turmoil, our travel homeward was -unattended by any excitement or adventure. We fell in -with no fighting, although we followed closely on its track, -and in Milan and many other towns through which we -passed we found all inscriptions and insignia in any way -connected with Austria, effaced and defaced, while in -several streets and thoroughfares were collected groups of -citizens, for the most part in fantastic dresses (for Italians -generally love to throw a Carnival colouring over all their -doings), singing the Italian hymn of <i>Viva Italia!</i> and -<i>Viva Pio Nono!</i> for the name of the Pontiff was still -beloved, as he had not repudiated his first principles, or -taken his flight to Gaeta yet, neither had his name been -superseded in the popular cries by <i>Viva Garibaldi!</i></p> - -<p class='c007'>For myself I was in constant correspondence with one of -Charles Albert’s most distinguished and confidential officers, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_225'>225</span>the Cavaliere Pietro de Boÿl, of whom I have already -spoken in my chapter on Genoa. He well knew how my -brother Charles and I sympathised with his patriotic -views for Italy’s future, and he would write to me from -Turin, or the camp, according to where he was stationed, -to enquire news of what was passing in Tuscany, or farther -south.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>DOWN THE RHINE</div> - -<p class='c007'>In our passage down the Rhine our steamers carried -troops, and I shall never forget the intense delight with -which I listened to the beautiful part-singing of those -good soldiers. I had just received a treasure from England—it -was the novel of “Jane Eyre,” at that moment making -a great noise in the literary world, and my recollections of -that book have been invariably intertwined with the strains -of the excellent music to which I listened during its -perusal.</p> - -<p class='c007'>When we arrived in London we found it in a ferment -of Chartists and special constables; but in spite of the -turmoil, we took our quiet way to our little woodland house -in Somersetshire, suffering, at least I speak for myself, -from the <i>mal du pays</i>, for I had got to love and consider -Italy as my home.</p> - -<p class='c007'>In the year 1849, my brother Charles and his wife, after -a short sojourn with us, embarked for the Cape of Good -Hope, where he had obtained an appointment; but there -were still “good times in store for me,” for, when the -season was at its height, I went to London to pay a most -delightful visit to my friend Adelaide Sartoris.<a id='r47' /><a href='#f47' class='c008'><sup>[47]</sup></a> Her comparatively -<span class='pageno' id='Page_226'>226</span>small drawing-rooms in Park Place were the -resort of all that was remarkable and superior in Society, -whether as to talent or position. The best <i>artistes</i> in -music, painting, sculpture, or histrionic celebrity, were her -frequent and welcome guests, enlivened, as the Society -papers would say, by a “sprinkling of beauty, rank and -fashion.” Here, for the first time, I heard the noble voice -of Charles Santley, which I always likened to three-piled -crimson velvet, and from that moment I have never met -him without pleasure, or listened to him without delight.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f47'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r47'>47</a>. </span>Younger daughter of Charles Kemble, and sister of Frances -Anne Butler.</p> -</div> - -<div class='sidenote'>VISIT TO MRS SARTORIS</div> - -<p class='c007'>Charles Hallé, too, was there, with his exquisite rendering -of Mendelssohn, Beethoven, etc., whom I have often -told that his playing made me feel good and happy for at -least a week; and his kindly, friendly wife, and occasionally, -though not at that time out in the world, their eldest -daughter, with whom it is still a pleasure to talk of those -old days, and who, never forgetting my admiration for her -father’s talent, includes me in many a kind invitation to -profit by it. Here, too, I often met Lord Dufferin, Lord -Fordwich,<a id='r48' /><a href='#f48' class='c008'><sup>[48]</sup></a> and Frederick Leighton, the tried and trusty -friend of the Sartorises, who sang duets with Adelaide in -songs of many nations, and whose fame as a painter, -although still young, was so firmly established, that his -future honours as P.R.A. caused no wonder to his friends -or to the public. Here also was an Italian singer, whose -simple-minded remark on one occasion caused us great -merriment. Ciabatti was a man of great personal beauty, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_227'>227</span>and I overheard him one evening complaining to Mrs -Sartoris that this “dowry,” like unto Italia’s, had been fatal -to him. “I seldom get an engagement,” he said, “for the -moment the mammas see me, they will not run the risk of -the daughters falling in love with me, for, you know, <i>cara</i>, -I am so very, very handsome!” No idle boast, but the -plain unvarnished truth.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f48'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r48'>48</a>. </span>Francis, sixth Earl Cowper; born 1834; married, 1870, Lady -Katrine Compton, daughter of William, fourth Marquess of Northampton.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>During that visit I was in my element—concerts at -home and abroad, operas, theatres and dramatic entertainments, -in which my hostess and I took part. The Alfred -Wigans were our common friends, and it was arranged -on one occasion that a representation should be given in -the little theatre at Store Street, for the benefit of the -above-named distinguished actor. The piece chosen was -<i>The Merry Monarch</i>, and the caste was as follows:—</p> - -<table class='table3' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='50%' /> -<col width='50%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c018'>CHARLES II.</td> - <td class='c031'><span class='sc'>Mr Henry Greville</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c018'>EARL of ROCHESTER</td> - <td class='c031'><span class='sc'>Mr Alfred Wigan</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c018'>CAPTAIN COPP</td> - <td class='c031'><span class='sc'>Mr Edward Sartoris</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c018'> </td> - <td class='c031'><span class='sc'>Honble. George Byng</span><a id='r49' /><a href='#f49' class='c008'><sup>[49]</sup></a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c018'>LADY CLARA</td> - <td class='c031'><span class='sc'>Mrs Sartoris</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c018'>MARY COPP</td> - <td class='c031'><span class='sc'>Miss Mary Boyle</span></td> - </tr> -</table> -<p class='c010'>the evening concluding with Alfred Wigan’s <i>chef-d’œuvre</i> -of <i>The First Night</i>. How well I recall the happy meetings -which the rehearsals entailed.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f49'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r49'>49</a>. </span>Afterwards third Earl of Strafford.</p> -</div> -<p class='c007'>It was a brilliant success financially and socially. -The Sartorises at that time had no country house of their -own, but it was their habit to hire one, during the summer -and autumn months, in different parts of England, where I -often visited them, and spent hours of happy intercourse -<span class='pageno' id='Page_228'>228</span>with dear Adelaide and her sister Fanny, enjoying the -delight of intellectual conversation and genial sympathy.</p> - -<p class='c007'>At Henry Greville’s house in Queen Street, where his -small and select reunions had all the characteristics of a -French <i>salon</i>, all the best musicians of the day lent their -talents to make the evening attractive in the highest -degree; while it was a standing jest among the female -friends of our dear host, that their newest toilettes and -brightest diamonds were to be worn in his honour.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_229'>229</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER XXV<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>ROCKINGHAM CASTLE—CHARLES DICKENS.</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>The autumn of 1850 marks, indeed, a memorable era in -my heart’s calendar, for it was then I spoke for the first -time with Charles Dickens. He had been my familiar -friend, as a writer, for years—since his publication of -“Sketches by Boz”—but the day that my conquest was -complete was while on a visit to Burghley. My brother -Cavendish had secured an odd number of “Pickwick,” and -coming up to my favourite little room (“Queen Elizabeth’s -China Closet”), he told me he had a treat in store for me, -and then and there read aloud to my enraptured ears a -scene where the runaway couple were tracked through the -medium of “Sam Weller,” who, in his capacity of “Boots” -at the hotel, had blacked Mr Jingle’s Wellingtons and -Miss Wardle’s shoes in No. 17. How we laughed! How -many interruptions were caused by our frequent shouts! -Suffice it to say that from that day forward no page of our -beloved author was left unread by either brother or sister, -though the time was far distant ere he became the fast -friend of both.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Mrs Watson,<a id='r50' /><a href='#f50' class='c008'><sup>[50]</sup></a> one of my dear, though not very near, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_230'>230</span>cousins, had married the possessor of the grand old castle -of Rockingham, situated on one of the few eminences -which are to be found in Northamptonshire, the Midlandest -of England’s counties. That stately old building -had originally been a Royal hunting-lodge, and a surrounding -domain, still diversified and picturesque in the extreme, -had once been forest-land. Some portion of the house -itself was of very early date, and the grand entrance, or -gate-house, consisting of two massive circular towers, dated -as far back as the reign of Stephen.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f50'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r50'>50</a>. </span>Lavinia, daughter of Lord George Quin by Lady Georgiana Spencer; -married Hon. Richard Watson, fourth son of second Lord Sondes.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>The interior of Rockingham, the large entrance hall, -the gallery and the dining-room, in particular, were especially -remarkable for their old-world appearance. In the -first of these apartments I loved to read the inscription on -the beams of the ceiling—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Thys House shall be preserved and never shall decaye</div> - <div class='line'>While Almighty God is honoured and served daye by daye”—</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c020'>while the dining-room, with its oak-panelled walls, decorated -with innumerable shields of relations and neighbours, -blazoned in proper heraldic colours, has a lasting claim on -my memory as the scene of our dramatic performances.</p> -<p class='c007'>The “Chatelaine,” to whom I have already alluded, -was a daughter of Lord George Quin, with whom I claim -cousinship, as her mother was a Spencer. The master -of Rockingham was the brother of Lord Sondes, who -changed his patronymic of Milles for the name of -Watson, on succeeding to the Northamptonshire estate. -At Lausanne they had made the acquaintance of the -Charles Dickens’ family, and, knowing how devout a -hero-worshipper I was, had promised to include me among -<span class='pageno' id='Page_231'>231</span>their invitations the next time that “Boz” became their -guest. So one day, to my great delight, I received a -letter from Mrs Watson, begging me to come down by -rail on a certain day, and to look out at Euston for the -Dickens family, who would be my fellow-travellers. Either -they were too early, or I was late, and to my great disappointment -I missed the pleasure of their company for -many stations.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>FIRST MEETING WITH DICKENS</div> - -<p class='c007'>I believe I had proceeded as far as Wolverton, -when the guard (who, by the way, was a friend of mine) -threw open the door, with the air of a Master of the -Ceremonies, and said to me: “This is Mr Charles -Dickens, who is enquiring for Miss Boyle!” A hand -was held out to help me from the carriage, a hand that -for twenty successive years was ever held out to help -me in joy or sorrow, that was ever ready to grasp mine -in tender friendship or cordial companionship, and whose -pressure still thrills my memory. I got into the carriage -whence he had descended, where I found his wife and -her sister, Georgina Hogarth—alas! the only one of the -three who will read this record of our first meeting, and -of those delightful days which I passed at Rockingham, -in London, and at Gad’s Hill, in the company of one -whose loss we still devoutly mourn—having the chief -part of the whole civilised world to share our grief.</p> - -<p class='c007'>It was difficult for two such lovers of the Drama as -Charles Dickens and myself to meet under the same -roof, without some dramatic plotting; and so, during that -visit, we trod for the first time the same boards together in -a hastily-concocted scene from “Nicholas Nickleby”—that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_232'>232</span>in which the mad neighbour, from the top of the garden -wall, makes a passionate declaration to Mrs Nickleby. -My shabby-genteel costume, with the widow’s cap of the -period, attracted universal admiration from its appropriate -fitness, while the amorous outbursts of my adorer were -given in a manner worthy of the actor-author.</p> - -<p class='c007'>How well I remember going into a cheap shop in -Oxford Street to buy that identical widow’s cap, of the -close, stiff form then in vogue, and purposely selecting one -of the commonest, I enquired the price. “Tenpence,” said -the man, with a tinge of indignation in his tone, which -conveyed an undoubted reproach. “I think, ma’am,” he -said, “that if you are going to make a present of the -cap, we have some at eighteenpence that will be more -suitable.” I so entirely sympathised with his view of -the case, or should have done so in ordinary circumstances, -that I condescended to explain my professional reasons -for selecting so common an article.</p> - -<p class='c007'>This short and impromptu entertainment was only the -prelude to theatrical performances on a larger and -grander scale.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I may truly say, and I think be forgiven for so saying -that the 20th of September, 1850, was a very proud day -in my small annals. The morning’s post brought me the -subjoined letter from the great novelist of the day:—</p> - -<p class='c032'>“Sir E. Bulwer Lytton presents his compliments to Miss -Boyle, and hears with great delight from Mr Dickens, -that she is kind enough to take a part in the Theatricals -at Knebworth, which it is at present proposed should take -place October 30th.</p> - -<p class='c022'><span class='pageno' id='Page_233'>233</span>“Sir Edward therefore requests to know on what -previous day he may calculate on the honour of receiving -Miss Boyle’s obliging visit.</p> -<p class='c033'>“<span class='sc'>Knebworth, Stevenage</span>,</p> -<p class='c034'>“<span class='sc'>Herts</span>, <i>16th September 1850</i>.”</p> - -<div class='c003'></div> -<div class='sidenote'>A FLATTERING PROPOSAL</div> - -<p class='c007'>It was not till after the death of my beloved friend -Charles Dickens that I became aware, through the publication -of his letters, that it was at his suggestion Sir -Edward had made this flattering proposal. In a letter -from Broadstairs to Knebworth, he speaks of me in these -terms:</p> - -<p class='c032'>“Do you know Mary Boyle, daughter of the old -Admiral?—because she is the very best actress I ever saw -off the stage, and immeasurably better than a great many -I have seen on it. I have acted with her in a country -house in Northamptonshire, and am going to do so again -next November. If you know her, I think she would -be more than pleased to play, and by giving her something -good in a farce, we could get her to do “Mrs Kitely.” -In that case, my little sister-in-law would ‘go on’ for the -second lady, and you could do without actresses, besides -giving the thing a particular grace and interest. If we -could get Mary Boyle, we would do <i>Used Up</i>, which is -a delightful piece, as the farce. But maybe you know -nothing about the said Mary, and in that case, I should -like to know what you would think of doing.”</p> - -<p class='c006'>These negotiations resulted in the engagement, which I -gladly accepted, to go down to Knebworth and tread the -same stage with such distinguished writers as “Boz” himself, -John Forster, Mark Lemon (the editor of <i>Punch</i>), Douglas -Jerrold, and such well-known artists as Frank Stone, John -Leech, and Augustus Egg; while for my <i>confidante</i> and -companion I was promised the society of dear Georgina -<span class='pageno' id='Page_234'>234</span>Hogarth. I was in the seventh heaven, for, as I have -always said, theatrical business was the only business I -liked, theatrical properties the only property I possessed. -Then the interesting correspondence with the manager, the -only despot I ever tolerated, the meetings for rehearsal, -the conferences on the costume. I found myself indeed in -my real element, but—when are there no buts to any bright -prospects?—all of a sudden the conviction forced itself -upon me that so great a delight was not in store, that some -sorrow or mishap, or unforeseen obstacle, was hanging over -my head, to prevent the consummation of this cherished -scheme.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I have often had presentiments, and they have usually -been realised; but this was more than a presentiment: -it was a certainty that interfered with all my preparations, -surrounding them with a feeling of apprehension. I -gave orders for the making of the costume, which I was -convinced I should never wear; I set myself drearily to -learn the part of “Dame Kitely,” which I <i>knew</i> I was never -destined to recite. My foreboding was but too sadly fulfilled. -My sister-in-law came into the room one day and -broke to me as tenderly as possible the death, in circumstances -of a most distressing nature, of that dear and -beautiful friend to whom I have alluded by the name of -Fanny. If any words could have afforded me consolation -at so terrible a moment, they would have been such tender -and sympathetic lines as those which I received from the -kind manager of our company, when he said:</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>LETTER FROM CHARLES DICKENS</div> - -<p class='c032'>“We are all extremely concerned and distressed to lose -you, but we feel that it cannot be otherwise, and we do not -<span class='pageno' id='Page_235'>235</span>in our own expectation of amusement, forget the sad cause -of your absence. Bulwer was here yesterday, and if I were -to tell you how earnestly he and all the other friends whom -you don’t know have looked forward to the projected -association with you, and in what a friendly spirit they all -express their disappointment, you would be quite moved -by it, I think.”</p> - -<p class='c006'>In November, 1851, Charles Dickens and his family -went to live in Tavistock House, Tavistock Square, where -they remained until the year 1857. The very sound of -the name is replete to me with memories of innumerable -evenings passed in the most congenial and delightful intercourse; -dinners, where the guests vied with each other in -brilliant conversation, whether intellectual, witty, or sparkling—evenings -devoted to music or theatricals. First and -foremost of that magic circle was the host himself, always -“one of us,” who invariably drew out what was best and -most characteristic in others, who used the monosyllable -“we” much more frequently than that of “I,” and who -made use of his superiority to charm and quicken the -society around him, but never to crush or overpower it with -a sense of their inferiority. The most diffident girl was -encouraged to express her modest opinion to the great man, -and in him the youngest child ever found a ready play-fellow.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I can never forget one evening, shortly after the -arrival at Tavistock House, when we danced in the New -Year. It seemed like a page cut out of the “Christmas -Carol,” as far, at least, as fun and frolic went: authors, -actors, friends from near and far, formed the avenues of -two long English country dances, in one of which I had -<span class='pageno' id='Page_236'>236</span>the honour of going up and down the middle, almost -“interminably” as it seemed, with Charles Dickens for my -partner.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The Keeleys were there, husband and wife, the former -declining to dance; but when Sir Roger de Coverley -struck up, he was loudly called upon to do so, and a -vehement dispute began between the two sets, which should -secure him in their ranks. That inimitable comedian -showed so much fun in the apparent hesitation of his -choice as to elicit roars of laughter, which were followed by -thunders of applause, when the winning side claimed -Keeley as their own.</p> - -<p class='c007'>In those days, before the guests went into dinner at -Tavistock House, the children of the family were admitted -into the drawing-room, and seldom have I seen more -lovely boys, or sweeter or more graceful little girls; and -it is still a pleasure to me to talk over that happy past -with Kate Perugini and her sister, with Harry Dickens -and his pretty wife, who venerates the memory of the -father-in-law she never knew, and brings up her beautiful -children to do the same.</p> - -<p class='c007'>In 1853, the Dickens family were settled at Boulogne-sur-Mer, -having rented a charming house on the hill just -outside the town, called Villa des Moulineaux, which name -it derived from some neighbouring water-mills. It was -well situated, and the house, which you approached through -(I might almost say) an avenue of splendid hollyhocks, was -built against the side of the hill, so that you reached the -<i>rez-de-chaussée</i> by a flight of steps, and stepped out of the -top floor into a garden-path. It commanded an extensive -<span class='pageno' id='Page_237'>237</span>view of Boulogne, old and new, and its picturesque harbour, -while on the heights the Napoleon Column was visible, -which commemmorated Napoleon the First’s intended -invasion of England.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>DOUGLAS JERROLD</div> - -<p class='c007'>Charles Dickens in his invitation that I should come and -visit him for some weeks, provided me with an escort, in -the person of the late Mr Peter Cunningham, the agreeable -editor of Horace Walpole’s correspondence, and in his -company I performed the voyage. Many and pleasant -were my fellow-guests in that happy summer. Douglas -Jerrold, with his flow of conversation, which elicited so rich -a return in that of his host; if I might make use of a -homely simile, I would say, that brace of talkers reminded -me of Bryant & May’s matches “on a superior scale.” It -was here also I learned to know and value Wilkie Collins, -the popular writer of fiction.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Charles Dickens was an indefatigable pedestrian, and -took most extensive walks in the neighbourhood, and it -was amusing to find that the friends who on the first days -after their arrival gladly agreed to accompany him, mostly -slackened by degrees in their readiness to do so, and -had such urgent demands for correspondence or literary -work as to detain them at home. He was thus often -reduced to the society of his sister-in-law and myself, -who, from so constantly sharing in his walks, had got -into excellent condition.</p> - -<p class='c007'>During the time I was at Boulogne there was a fair, -and a camp, and a theatre, and many minor excitements, -but these halycon days were suddenly clouded over by -the outbreak of that dreadful epidemic, diphtheria, which -<span class='pageno' id='Page_238'>238</span>was at first called the “Boulogne sore-throat.” It caused -a panic in our little household; mother and children -were shipped off at a moment’s notice, and the rest -quickly followed, with no small regret at the breaking up -of so good a time.</p> - -<p class='c007'>It was in the year 1857 that Charles Dickens took -possession of the little house of Gad’s Hill, within a walk -of Rochester. I thought the dwelling characteristic of the -man, for it was situated on the high road, frequented by -all sorts and conditions of men—the tramp and vagrant in -their tatters, the well-dressed and joyous holiday-makers, -emigrants travelling to the sea-coast, military men changing -quarters, pedestrians, equestrians. From the opposite -garden of the wayside inn, which bore the traditional sign -of the “Falstaff,” came the sound of the bowling of skittles, -with an old-fashioned ring in its merriment. The smooth -lawn with its flower-beds, the hay-fields beyond, and the -beautiful woods of Cobham Park in the distance, represented -to my fancy the tenderness of Charles Dickens’ -sentiment, and the freshness and the delicacy of his -imagination.</p> - -<div id='i238' class='figcenter id009'> -<img src='images/i238.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'>GAD’S HILL.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<div class='sidenote'>GAD’S HILL</div> - -<p class='c007'>Many were the summer days I passed under the -roof of that little dwelling, many the hours I sat with -Georgina Hogarth in the garden, or in one of the glades -of a small wood which, in the sweet season, formed a -charming resting-place, all hung with garlands of eglantine, -with long strings of blue convolvulus, and the sweet-scented -honeysuckle. These were the hours during which “Boz” -was left to his work, in what I called his “lair,” for few of us -would have risked disturbing him, when he had taken up -<span class='pageno' id='Page_239'>239</span>his position for the morning’s labour, in the <i>châlet</i>, which -his friend Fechter, the tragedian, had brought him from -Paris. In the setting-up of the said <i>châlet</i>, after the manner -of a child’s architectural toy, Charles had found the greatest -amusement, for he was indeed one of those who find</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“A child’s keen delight in little things,”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c020'>and the hanging of his pictures, the arranging his furniture, -the annexation of a tiny conservatory, and the construction -of an underground tunnel, which connected the area round -the house with a small plantation of lofty cedars, under the -shade of which he had erected his <i>châlet</i>, were all sources -to him of intense interest.</p> -<p class='c007'>In the afternoon he sought relaxation, and then the -other inmates of the house came in for their share of -his enviable society, and the basket-carriage was brought -to the door, drawn by the “sober Newman Noggs,” the -harness adorned with musical bells, which his friend Mr -Lehmann had brought him from Norway, and we would -take long drives all around this picturesque neighbourhood. -Sometimes we would alight at a distant point, to -return home on foot; sometimes we would wend our way -through green hop-gardens on one side, and golden cornfields -on the other for a distance of many miles; yet we -were never wearied. I remember once Georgina Hogarth -and I had accompanied him to a new spot of interest -which he had lately discovered. He walked at his usual -swinging rate, and we had proudly kept up with him. -Only five minutes had been allowed for refreshment, as he -called it, otherwise rest, between reaching the goal and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_240'>240</span>arriving at home. How pleased his fellow-pedestrians -were to receive the following tribute: “Well done!—ten -miles in two hours and a half!” I sit in my armchair -now, and look back on that feat as almost miraculous.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Charles Dickens, himself a hero, was a hero-worshipper, -and in all of my experience I never knew a man so utterly -exempt from the slightest tinge of professional jealousy.</p> - -<p class='c007'>One day I went with his two daughters, Mary and -Katie (Mrs Charles Collins, who, with her husband, spent -most of the summer under the paternal roof) and their -aunt to meet him at the station. Lifting up the hand-bag -which he always carried, he exclaimed: “Here, girls, I have -a treat for you—Tennyson’s magnificent poem of ‘The -Idylls of the King.’ Is it not glorious to think, that after -having written for so many years, a man should now bring -forth, perhaps, the noblest of his works.” What enchanting -hours of summer sunshine were passed in reading for the -first time those magical pages, which since that moment -have been pored over and conned to my heart’s content.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Among our visitors at Gad’s Hill were Fechter, the distinguished -actor, Edmund Yates, Marcus Stone, and many -others. I mention these three names in conjunction, for a -special reason. Fechter, for whose talent I had an unbounded -admiration, rather disappointed me as a companion. -He had a limited scope in conversation, but as a mimic, he -was unrivalled. It was not only that with the exact tone -and inflexion of voice he assumed the gait and gesture, but -he actually brought his features into so close a resemblance -with the original he intended to copy, that when he walked -into the room and advanced to greet me, I never failed to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_241'>241</span>say, “How do you do, Mr Yates?” “I am glad to see -you, Marcus,” and so on to others of my acquaintance.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>“MICKETTY” AND “VENERABLE”</div> - -<p class='c007'>Charles Dickens, junior, had married early in life, what -one might well call a juvenile bride, and their two eldest -children, Charles the third, and his sister, who went by the -pet name of “Micketty” in the family, often came -down for fresh air to their grandfather’s country house. -“Micketty” always called him “Venerable,” and one day -she made me laugh heartily, when, coming into the little -study, she found me busy at the book-shelves.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“Oh, Miss Boyle,” she said confidentially, “you take -care; if ‘Venerable’ sees you at his books, you’ll catch it”—and -verily, if that had been true, I should often have -“caught it,” for I was “always at his books.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>Another time she was talking to her aunt and myself -about what she intended to do when she grew up, “For -then you know, of course, poor mamma will be dead.” Now -her hearers did not see any reason to fear such a contingency, -for she was one of the youngest mothers we knew, -and we told her daughter so, but she would not be convinced, -saying, “Oh, no! she’s very old indeed; do -remember how long I have had her.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>But I must pause in recalling these trifling anecdotes, -which naturally recur to my mind as I indite these family -records.</p> - -<p class='c007'>In November, 1868, a terrible blow awaited me in the -death of my beloved brother, Cavendish, after two days’ -illness. Between him and Charles Dickens there existed -a close and tender friendship, and the letter of condolence -I received from Gad’s Hill on that occasion touched me -<span class='pageno' id='Page_242'>242</span>deeply, and all the more that it spoke in high terms of him -whose loss had plunged me into such poignant grief. But -all Charles Dickens’ letters which he addressed to -mourners were remarkable for the delicate manner in -which he expressed his sympathy, being free from the -usually conventional and matter-of-fact manner of offering -consolation. The two friends were shortly to be re-united.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The year following my brother’s death, I went to Rome for -the winter, and on my return to England I visited Charles -Dickens in London. It was in the evening, and he was just -going out to dinner at Lord Houghton’s. He said he did -not feel very well and would gladly have sent an -excuse, but his old friend Milnes had made him promise -to meet the Prince of Wales. “Have you seen Lord -Clarendon,” he said, “since you came back to England? -I never saw any one look so ill, he is quite changed.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>I had not seen him, but told him I was engaged to -luncheon with Lord and Lady Clarendon the next day. He -bade me good-night, assured me he counted on seeing me -very soon at “Gads,” and the door closed behind him. The -following afternoon I realised the truth of what he had said -of Lord Clarendon’s ill-looks—and that day fortnight both -those great and good men, and dear friends of mine, had -passed away, leaving me, as well as the world, impoverished -by their loss.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>DEATH OF CHARLES DICKENS</div> - -<p class='c007'>On the 9th June, 1870, I had been attending the -marriage of my little favourite, Florence, Lady Hastings, -with Sir George Chetwynd. It was a pretty wedding and -gay scene, and the bride, who always “looks lovely” in the -newspapers, on this occasion truly merited the epithet. I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_243'>243</span>came home, and on my table lay the fatal letter, announcing -that Charles Dickens had had a stroke of paralysis, -and little hopes were entertained of his recovery. I lost -no time in changing my wedding garment, and dashing off -for Charing Cross, took the rail for Gravesend, and drove -in a fly to the scene of so many past delights, my heart -beating with fear all the way I went.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I had for my companion, my trusty and attached maid, -Louisa Simons, who loved Gad’s Hill and its owners almost -as much as I did, and her society and sympathy upheld me -in my suspense.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I got down at the door of the stable-yard, and -crawling rather than walking across the yard, where the -two faithful dogs knew and greeted me, and passing -through a little well-known side gate, gained the entrance, -and flung myself down, half-fainting, on a seat, in that spot -hallowed by the remembrance of so many happy summer -evenings. The door was open, but I did not dare enter, or -ring, or move, lest I should break the silence which was -profound, save, indeed, for the voices of the choirs of birds, -who were singing his requiem in the garden he loved.</p> - -<p class='c007'>A short time passed, when his eldest son Charles came -into the porch to breathe the fresh air for a few moments, -and I think he was touched with my deep distress, and my -participation in his own grief. He led me into the little -study and brought his aunt to speak to me. It was a comfort -to be clasped for an instant in her arms, but my place -was no longer there, and I left the little house for ever.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_244'>244</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER XXVI<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>PROTECTIONIST PARTY AT BURGHLEY<a id='r51' /><a href='#f51' class='c008'><sup>[51]</sup></a>.</span></h2> -</div> -<div class='footnote c030' id='f51'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r51'>51</a>. </span>My Aunt’s visits to Burghley extended over many years. Lord -and Lady Exeter were extremely hospitable, and continued their -hospitality until his death in January 1867. As an Oxford undergraduate, -I was more than once invited to one of the younger parties, -and the stately but courteous manners of the house impressed my -mind indelibly. It was one of the last great houses in which ceremonial -at breakfast was maintained. We were always expected to -appear in frock-coats and faultless garb for the morning meal, to -which we went in pairs as strictly arranged as for dinner. Smoking -was absolutely taboo, and I was never sure whether the action of -a younger son of the house in luring a few adventurous spirits after -midnight to the depths of the servants’ hall was quite approved by his -sire. We used to don our shooting things after having formally -conducted the ladies from breakfast, and we were taken to the <i>rendez-vous</i> -on ponies with impossible mouths. I was always a bad rider, and -was invariably run away with, but generally arrived at the meet -somehow. But I well remember how a gallant guardsman, owner -of a historic name, was taken by his incontrollable steed right through -Stamford town, and with difficulty parried, on a not very triumphant -return, a charge of furious riding. Our mishaps were the source of no -little kindly chaff from the Lord Burghley of those days; but he, like -his father and mother, seemed to have no other object whatever than -to make the hospitality of the grand old place a source of unalloyed -pleasure and enjoyment to the guests.</p> -</div> - -<div id='i244' class='figcenter id010'> -<img src='images/i244.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'>BURGHLEY.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<div class='sidenote'>ISABELLA, LADY EXETER</div> - -<p class='c007'>One of the most interesting places which I frequented -after my return to England was “Burghley<a id='r52' /><a href='#f52' class='c008'><sup>[52]</sup></a> house by -<span class='pageno' id='Page_245'>245</span>Stamford town.” Here lived one of the best and kindest -of women, the daughter of that beloved uncle, Mr Poyntz<a id='r53' /><a href='#f53' class='c008'><sup>[53]</sup></a> -to whom I have so often alluded. Lady Exeter had been -before her marriage one of the most admired and courted -of London beauties, and the suitors for her hand were -as numerous as those usually attributed to a princess -of fairyland. Indeed it was a family jest at the morning -meal, when the letters were laid on the breakfast table, -“Where is Isabella’s proposal?” Rather a laughable -tribute was once paid her in later times by a retainer -of Burghley, which was called forth by my mother’s -remark to the bailiff: “How noble and good is Lady -Exeter!” “Yes,” returned the man with enthusiasm, -“I never look at her ladyship without saying to myself, -‘that is a fallen angel!’”</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f52'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r52'>52</a>. </span>Lord Tennyson writes of “Burleigh House by Stamford town,” -but the spelling given in the text has been adopted by many -generations.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f53'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r53'>53</a>. </span>Brownlow, second Marquess of Exeter; married, 1824, Isabella, -daughter of William Stephen Poyntz, of Cowdray, and was consequently -my aunt’s first cousin.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>It was at Burghley that I first made acquaintance with -Mr Stafford O’Brien, who afterwards became my colleague -and fellow-actor in many a joyous revel and dramatic -entertainment at Rockingham, Drayton and Farming -Woods, names, each of which recall many a fond memory -and tender regret. A housekeeper whom I knew at -Burghley, and who was what is ambiguously termed a -retired gentlewoman, and was constantly referring to better -days, told me once, that she found a real consolation for -all her troubles when gazing on that magnificent building -“especially, Miss Boyle, the quadrangle by moonlight”; -and certainly it was a “sight for sair e’en,” as it recurs -<span class='pageno' id='Page_246'>246</span>most frequently to my mind one brilliant winter’s day, -rising out of a plain of snow, with its golden gates resplendent -in the sunshine.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I usually occupied the very small apartment called -“Queen Elizabeth’s China Closet,” in which was a portrait -by Domenichino far more lovely in my sight than that of -the renowned Cenci, which in some measure it resembled. -To my mother was allotted a room close at hand, and I -used to laugh at her nightly search in manifold hidingplaces, -behind the tapestry, in the turret, etc., lest some one -should lie there concealed.</p> - -<p class='c007'>A picture by Sir Thomas Lawrence—one of his -earliest, while still imbued with admiration for the works -of Sir Joshua—represents the heroine of the Laureate’s -beautiful ballad,<a id='r54' /><a href='#f54' class='c008'><sup>[54]</sup></a> with her husband and “three fair -children,”-“the village maiden” who, in her unexpected -transition from obscurity to splendour—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Shaped her heart with woman’s meekness</div> - <div class='line'>To all duties of her rank—”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c020'>was such—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“That she grew a noble lady</div> - <div class='line'>And the people loved her much.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c035' id='f54'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r54'>54</a>. </span>Henry, tenth Earl and first Marquess of Exeter, married, <i>en -secondes noces</i>, Sarah, daughter of Mr Thomas Hoggins of Bolas, in -Shropshire. He was raised to the Marquisate in 1801, and married, -as third wife, Elizabeth, Dowager Duchess of Hamilton. The phrase</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Not a lord in all the county</div> - <div class='line'>Is so great a lord as he,”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c020'>is open to comment, save as a poetic licence. The fair children were -1, Brownlow, second Marquess, the husband of my cousin; 2, Lord -Thomas, who married, in 1838, Lady Sophia Lennox; and 3, Lady -Sophia, who married, in 1818, Right Honourable Henry Pierrepont. -Lady Sophia Pierrepont was grandmother of the present Duke of -Wellington.</p> -</div> - -<div class='sidenote'>LORD DERBY—THE CORN LAWS</div> -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_247'>247</span>Amongst my frequent visits to my cousins Lord and -Lady Exeter, at this magnificent old dwelling, to which I -have alluded in a former chapter, the one most worthy of -being remembered was that paid in the year 1850, when -the strife of parties respecting the Corn Laws was still -raging. In fact it immediately preceded the short period -of Lord Derby’s administration, and the house party -included the greater part of those who were destined to become -the principal members of his Government. It was in -this manner that I became acquainted with that great Protectionist -leader, and the man who eventually succeeded him -as the head of the Conservative Party, Benjamin Disraeli. -Lord Derby was then in the vigour of physical and intellectual -strength, and in the mornings which he passed -with his supporters and colleagues in private Cabinet -councils, his whole time and thoughts were naturally -absorbed in the great question of the day, and in the -formation of a system of policy to be carried out, when, as -appeared probable, he would become Prime Minister. -From such important discussions the ladies of the house -were excluded, as a matter of course; for the day had not -arrived when women loudly clamoured for entrance into -public life, neither had the gentler sex the ambition or the -spirit of their sisters of the present day, who demand a -right to sit at the official board with the lords of creation, -and share their titles, after a somewhat Hibernian fashion, -of “Alder-<i>men</i> and Council-<i>men</i>.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>How delightful, how captivating, was Lord Derby when -work gave place to leisure, how enviable was the position -of her who sat beside him at luncheon or dinner, how -<span class='pageno' id='Page_248'>248</span>ringing his laugh, how brilliant his nonsense, how irresistible -the good-humoured chaff in which he engaged with -his worshipper, Mr Disraeli, who offered an ever-contented -front to many a keen, though not envenomed dart; what a -playfellow he was in conversation, full of mischief and -sparkle! In my own mind I always considered him a -perennial school-boy. It appeared to me that the wand of -some enchanter had arrested the beats of his heart and the -flow of his spirits at boyhood point. No wonder he died -before old age crept on him; the very idea appeared incongruous -in connection with him.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>DISRAELI</div> - -<p class='c007'>One evening we had a large ball, to which the town of -Stamford and the surrounding neighbourhood had been -invited, and I was much amused by overhearing a conversation -between two Stamfordians: “Do you know which -is Dizzy?” “Well, naturally, because I see <i>Punch</i> every -week.” For even at that remote period, the peculiar -features and singular appearance of the future Lord -Beaconsfield had already become familiar to the world -through the cartoons of our London <i>Figaro</i>. There was -scarcely ever a man who changed so little in aspect; his -face grew thinner, his youthful locks became sparse and -tinged with grey in later years, but he was the same man -grown older, and a portrait of him between the ages of -twenty and thirty might easily be recognised at fifty or -sixty. He was, indeed, a godsend to the portrait-painter, -or caricaturist, and I think it speaks much to his credit -that he always gazed on his own effigy in <i>Punch</i> or elsewhere, -however comic it might be, with intense and unalloyed -amusement. In those days, and in the presence of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_249'>249</span>his Chief, as we used to call Lord Derby, Dizzy did not -take so prominent a part in social conversation as he -naturally did in after years; but there was something -which bespoke concentrated power and resolute ambition, -at least to the readers of physiognomy. His demeanour -towards his wife was through life a theme of commendation -amongst those who knew him little or well. The delicate -tact with which he warded off the occasional sallies that -her eccentricities provoked, and the manner in which he, -so to speak, shielded her from ridicule, were conspicuous -by their affectionate diplomacy.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Mrs Disraeli, the farmer’s pretty daughter and the -widow of a millionaire, was a hero-worshipper by profession, -and laid herself and her dowry at the feet of the handsome -and talented Benjamin. She was a happy woman, a happy -wife, and a happy member of Society, which she enjoyed -to the full. To few people could the epithet <i>naïve</i> be -better applied. She rather lent herself to than resented -the laugh which her unexpected observations would often -raise. To me she was especially amiable, and I confess to -having found untold amusement in her conversation.</p> - -<p class='c007'>At the time of which I am speaking, the interior of -Burghley presented an appearance of more than usual -brilliancy. The spacious rooms, whose walls were decorated -by the paintings of old Italian masters, profusely -lighted, the groups of gaily-dressed and richly-jewelled -ladies, enlivened by a sprinkling of Knights of the -Bath and Garter, and last, but not least, as far as the -pageant went, the numbers of male attendants in the -traditional garb of the retainers of the house of Cecil, in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_250'>250</span>their sky-blue livery, resplendent with frogs and aiguillettes -of silver. The whole scene was calculated to impress the -spectator as one of no common splendour.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Mrs Disraeli had been describing to me the distinguished -manner in which she and her husband had been -received at the Court of Louis Philippe, and at that of the -President, when she paused, and looking round complacently, -exclaimed: “But I do assure you, dear Miss -Boyle, I like this sort of thing a great deal better.” The -speech reminded me in some measure of that of Caractacus -of Rome, yet I could scarcely say that Burghley House -reminded me of a humble cottage in Britain.</p> - -<div id='i250' class='figcenter id011'> -<img src='images/i250.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'>BOWOOD.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<div class='sidenote'>BOWOOD</div> - -<p class='c007'>Entirely unconnected with the preceding pages, either -as to dates, locality, or personages, is the slight sketch, -which I cannot refrain from subjoining, of the constant -visits I paid to Bowood. My first acquaintance with Lord -Lansdowne<a id='r55' /><a href='#f55' class='c008'><sup>[55]</sup></a> was made while I was staying with Mrs -Sartoris, of whom he was a warm and zealous admirer, -and our friendship ripened so quickly, that I could scarcely -imagine that I had not known that dear, kind old man all -my life. He was a frequent visitor at my little house in -London, and a frequent inviter when anything especially -agreeable presented itself in the way of a party at -Lansdowne House or Bowood. Agreeable indeed must -the intercourse with those two houses have ever been to -me, for his daughter-in-law who did the honours of both, -rivalled my host in kindness, and I rejoice to think that -we still meet to talk over those happy days of long ago. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_251'>251</span>All that were remarkable in Politics, Art, and Literature, -were constantly grouped round the hospitable board of -the Master of Bowood, in that spacious dining-room, -illuminated in every sense of the word by the shaded -lights round the walls cast on the beautiful <i>chef-d’œuvres</i> -of Clarkson Stanfield. It is the only instance I have -ever seen of an apartment thus lighted, and the effect -is as charming as it is singular. The house is full of -Art treasures, of painting and sculpture, all collected by -the Lord Lansdowne of whom I am writing,<a id='r56' /><a href='#f56' class='c008'><sup>[56]</sup></a> who told -me himself that when he first succeeded to the estate, -and went to inspect the house at Bowood, the principal -furniture consisted of two or three chairs and a looking-glass -or so in the bedrooms. Now what luxury, what -beauty at every step. As one descends the stairs from -the drawing-room leading to the dining-room a magnificent -caste of Michel Angelo’s Pensiero<a id='r57' /><a href='#f57' class='c008'><sup>[57]</sup></a> arrests attention -in a lofty niche, while priceless paintings of Murillo, -Rembrandt, Salvator Rosa, etc., decorate the walls; and -the lovely features of Mrs Sheridan, as Saint Cecilia, smile -upon one from Sir Joshua’s canvas.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f55'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r55'>55</a>. </span>Third Marquess of Lansdowne, first known in the political world -as Lord Henry Petty.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f56'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r56'>56</a>. </span>1889.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f57'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r57'>57</a>. </span>The statue of Lorenzo de Medici.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>Our host was a great patron and connoisseur of the -drama, and encouraged private theatricals; and I remember -a successful evening in which Tom Taylor, and my friend -Gowran Vernon<a id='r58' /><a href='#f58' class='c008'><sup>[58]</sup></a> assisted me. Lord Shelburne<a id='r59' /><a href='#f59' class='c008'><sup>[59]</sup></a> had lately -brought with him from Paris a collection of those monster -<span class='pageno' id='Page_252'>252</span>heads which are so often introduced into pantomimes, and -we were bent on utilising these valuable properties.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f58'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r58'>58</a>. </span>Hon. Gowran Vernon, second son of Robert, first Lord Lyveden.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f59'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r59'>59</a>. </span>The late and fourth Lord Lansdowne.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>It chanced that evening that among the guests, both -gentlemen and ladies, there were three or four more than -commonly tall, and we therefore imagined the representation -of a scene in the land of Brobdingnag, each performer -wearing one of the pantomime heads. To me the smallest -was allotted, wearing as it did a simpering expression of -innocence, bordering on imbecility, as in a juvenile costume -I assumed the character of the youthful Glumdalclitch.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The eldest hope of the house, then a lovely little boy, -dressed in a sailor’s suit, was supposed (by a stretch of -imagination) to have been washed on shore, as the -diminutive Gulliver. He was presented to me by my -gigantic parent as a plaything. Does His Excellency, the -Governor-General of India,<a id='r60' /><a href='#f60' class='c008'><sup>[60]</sup></a> remember that evening when -he cast upon me the most captivating glances of anger -and indignation, while I knelt down to caress and admire -my newly-acquired flotsam? His anger has long passed -away, but not my admiration, for in the little Gulliver of -those days I honour the independent Politician, and the -high-minded statesman of these.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f60'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r60'>60</a>. </span>Henry, present Marquess of Lansdowne, was Governor-General -of India from 1888 to 1894.</p> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_253'>253</span> - <h2 class='c005'>CHAPTER XXVII<br /> <br /><span class='c019'>ALTHORP</span></h2> -</div> -<p class='c006'>In speaking of Althorp, the home of my dear cousin, Lord -Spencer, I place no dates at head of the chapter, as my -constant visits there embraced the period of many years, -and I am grateful to say that, even at this present writing, -I am still welcome in that resort of former happy days. -It is a place of so much interest as to claim some description -from my pen. Althorp has been the home of the -Spencer family since the reign of Henry VIII. The -Library consisted of seven rooms, the very walls composed -of books, 50,000 in number, one room containing the rarest -editions—Block books, the first book ever printed in movable -type, the largest collection of Caxton and his pupils, -and the early Venetian printers, the famous Boccaccio, -which produced at the sale of the Duke of Roxburgh, in -1812, the largest sum which had ever been paid for a single -book up to that date. The competitors for this prize were -the Marquess of Blandford, and George John, second Earl -Spencer; it was knocked down to the former for £2,260, -but being in difficulties some time afterwards, he was fain -to sell it to the owner of the Althorp Library for the comparative -small sum of £750. The mention of this volume -<span class='pageno' id='Page_254'>254</span>reminds me of an incident which occurred to me at Ferrara -while travelling with my dear mother, when we paid a visit -to the Public Library in that town. The <i>custode</i> showed -me a rare edition of Ariosto’s “Orlando Furioso,” telling -me at the same time that there was a duplicate in the possession -of an English Count; and I can well recall the pride -with which I informed him that that Count was my cousin. -During the remainder of my visit, which lasted another ten -minutes, I was treated with increased respect as the kinswoman -of the Count in question.</p> - -<p class='c007'>But to return to Althorp. The staircase occupying the -centre of the house, originally an open court, is supposed to -have been enclosed by the first Countess of Sunderland -(Sacharissa). The avenues were planted by Le Notre, who -laid out Versailles for Louis XIV. The heronry was -planted in the year of the Spanish Armada, as is shown by -the date carved on the memorial stone. From the heronry -Whyte Melville, in his charming novel of “Holmby House” -(Holdenby), describes the hawking party galloping across -the park, past the Hawking Tower, a small lodge with -open galleries, in which the ladies sat to observe the sport. -This lodge, now modernised in aspect and inhabited by -the keeper, was built to commemorate the visit of Queen -Anne of Denmark and her son on their road from Scotland, -when Ben Jonson’s masque was played, the poet being -an intimate friend of the Lord Spencer of the time.</p> - -<div id='i254' class='figcenter id012'> -<img src='images/i254.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'>ALTHORP.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<div class='sidenote'>SARAH, DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH</div> - -<p class='c007'>The Portrait Gallery is very remarkable, running nearly -the whole length of the house, and honourable mention -is made of the contents by Evelyn in his Diary, while the -later treasures contributed by Sir Joshua Reynolds and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_255'>255</span>Gainsborough have been frequently eulogised by more -modern chroniclers. John Spencer, the second son of the -third Earl of Sunderland, inherited the estate of Althorp -on the succession of his elder brother to the Dukedom of -Marlborough. John, or Jack, as he was familiarly called, -was the scapegrace of the family, in spite, or perhaps on -account of which, he was the favourite of his maternal -grandmother, Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough. He was -always in debt, or in some scrape or another, and many -were the lovers’ quarrels which passed between them. On -one occasion “Jack” was in such disgrace with Her Grace -that she ordered him out of the room, and desired him -never to darken her doors again. The first part of her -command was obeyed, but the room being on the ground -floor, and the window open at the time, scarcely five -minutes had elapsed before the culprit had jumped in again -and, kneeling humbly at his grandmother’s feet, easily -obtained the pardon which he had so often forfeited. After -the death of the third Earl Spencer, better known under -his ministerial appellation of Viscount Althorp, the title -and estates devolved on his brother, the Honourable -Frederic Spencer, my second cousin by birth, my first -cousin by marriage, his wife being Elizabeth Poyntz. From -that time my family and I became frequent guests at this -Northamptonshire home.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Lord Spencer, who was known to his contemporaries as -“Fritz,” was in the Navy, and distinguished himself at the -Battle of Navarino. He was a sailor every inch of him, -with a downright and almost abrupt manner, contrasting -with his kind and sympathetic nature, after a fashion by no -<span class='pageno' id='Page_256'>256</span>means displeasing to those who knew him intimately. -“There he goes,” was the description given of him one day, -“with his rough bear’s coat buttoned lightly over his tender -heart.” The speaker was my brother Cavendish, whose -appointment as Governor of the Military Prison at Weedon -(only six miles from Althorp) brought him into the neighbourhood, -and, what was better, into constant contact with -a man whom he admired and loved, and of whom he -became the frequent and confidential companion. Thus it -came about that we were intimately connected with the -joys and sorrows of the Spencer household. How many -hours of intellectual and social delight have I passed under -Althorp’s hospitable roof! During the course of the visits -here alluded to, which spread over several years, many -were the festivities and pleasant gatherings we enjoyed at -the time-honoured old house.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>TABLEAUX VIVANTS</div> - -<p class='c007'>One evening we gave a theatrical performance consisting -of the pretty little comedietta of “The Rough -Diamond,” in which Frederic Ponsonby,<a id='r61' /><a href='#f61' class='c008'><sup>[61]</sup></a> Cavendish, and I -took the principal parts, and another time we arranged -some <i>tableaux vivants</i>, which were among the best I have -ever seen. We took two or three of the Sir Joshua’s which -embellished the walls; one, a picture of his grandfather, was -impersonated by the present lord, whose likeness to the -original painting was most striking. Another most beautiful -<i>tableau</i> was that of Lady Waldegrave and her two -sisters, from the famous group at Strawberry Hill. Lady -Spencer and her two sisters<a id='r62' /><a href='#f62' class='c008'><sup>[62]</sup></a> represented the three ladies -<span class='pageno' id='Page_257'>257</span>in this exquisite portrait; and once more the family likeness -they bore to the picture in question made it appear -rather a replica than a living representation. The magnificent -Vandyke of the two brothers-in-law, Lords Bristol and -Bedford, which have been the glory of many later exhibitions, -formed another successful specimen of our skill, and -was entered in the programme as a miniature copy. The -two noblemen above mentioned were personated by Horace -Seymour<a id='r63' /><a href='#f63' class='c008'><sup>[63]</sup></a> and Courtenay Boyle, the one dark, the other -fair, but both comely youths at the time of which I am -speaking. In this slight record of the annals of Althorp -during my time, I cannot resist making some allusions to -more than one member of the household whose doings and -sayings caused us no slight amusement.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f61'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r61'>61</a>. </span>Brother to Sir Henry Ponsonby, afterwards in Holy Orders.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f62'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r62'>62</a>. </span>The late Lady Clifden and the late Lady Charles Bruce.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f63'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r63'>63</a>. </span>Brother to Charlotte, Countess Spencer.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>Prominent among these was the house-steward, Thorpe, -a man of great importance in his own estimation, as well as -in that of others. His tastes were ultra-aristocratic, his -manners in accordance with his tastes, and his language -choice, very flowery, and sometimes quite original. One -day, soon after his return from Cambridge, Lord Althorp -thus addressed the worthy major-domo: “I think you -understand that I wish my servant, Lennard, to go out of -livery and become an upper servant.” “My lord,” was -the pompous reply, “I have already given him his <i>statu -quo</i>.”</p> - -<p class='c007'>One afternoon when the reception-rooms were being -decorated for a ball, to which the whole neighbourhood -was invited, Lady Spencer (the present) asked Thorpe if -the gardener had finished arranging the ornamental monogram -<span class='pageno' id='Page_258'>258</span>over the door. “Well, my Lady,” was the reply, -in a hesitating tone of voice, “I believe he has done so, -but I wish your Ladyship would cast an eye over it.” -Lady Spencer saw by the speaker’s manner that there -was something he found fault with. “I am very busy,” -she said; “is it not all right?” “I am sorry to say, my -Lady,” the words pronounced in a tone of deep regret, -“they have placed over your Ladyship’s monogram a -paltry baron’s coronet.”</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>THE CHOULERS</div> - -<p class='c007'>Another remarkable member of the community was -Mrs Chouler, the wife of the aged gamekeeper, whose -conjugal indignation was aroused one evening by the -following incident. The order of the day, or rather night, -had been charades, and finding that the hour was not -late, we determined to eke out our performance with a -word which had a local and limited interest. The day -had been memorable to the family circle, on account -of our young lord having made his first appearance in -full and regular costume of the Pytchley Hunt. To commemorate -so auspicious an event, we chose the word -“Althorp.” First scene—the whole of the Dramatic -Company assembled on the stage. Second scene—the -great “Thorpe,” the stately house-steward before -mentioned in solitary splendour. Third scene—Viscount -Althorp in full hunting garb. The curtain fell amid -deafening plaudits. Next day we called on Mrs Chouler, -in her pretty house at the end of the avenue, and inquired -her opinion of last night’s performance. “Well, Miss -Mary,” she said, “of course if my lord thought proper, -it was all right, but I think it struck most people as very -<span class='pageno' id='Page_259'>259</span>odd that Thorpe should be bowing and scraping on the -stage, when Chouler has lived in the family years and -years before him.” Our expostulations were useless, it -was in vain we tried to point out that “<i>all Chouler</i>” would -not have answered, and I feel that to her dying day the -memory of that evening’s festivity rankled in the mind of -that faithful retainer.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Another time I paid Mrs Chouler a visit in company -with what she used to call “The two Captains,” my brother -Cavendish, and Captain Quin, R.N., Lord Spencer’s -nephew. Says the latter: “You have a very good memory—can -you tell me the name of the vessel my uncle Bob<a id='r64' /><a href='#f64' class='c008'><sup>[64]</sup></a> -had, in such and such a year? Neither Lord Spencer -nor I can remember?” After a little discussion on the -subject, Captain Quin suddenly exclaimed: “Oh, yes, -by-the-by, I know now; it was the <i>Owen Glendower</i>.” -“To be sure, sir, to be sure, that is it; I knew it was something -of a sea-nymph.”</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f64'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r64'>64</a>. </span>The Honourable Robert Spencer R.N.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>The Choulers were an estimable couple, the old -husband survived his wife many years, and when I last -saw him, shortly before his death, still wearing his -velveteen shooting-coat, with his long white hair falling -on his shoulders, he looked like a figure out of one of -Rembrandt’s beautiful pictures which had stepped out of its -frame. He lived to the age of ninety-six.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Lord Spencer was very fond of frequenting his well-filled -stables and conversing with his stud-groom as to -the names and qualifications of their inmates. One day -he remarked to him: “I have been thinking over the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_260'>260</span>selection of a name for the new mare, but I cannot please -myself yet.” “Well, my lord,” was the answer, “you -bought her on the 29th of May; why not call her the -‘Merry Monarch?’” “Well,” said his master, striving to -conceal a smile, “I think that will scarcely do; perhaps -we had better call her ‘Empress,’ in honour of the Empress -Eugénie.” “Very good, my lord, then I shall have -nothing to do but to change the tablet over Emperor’s -stall by adding an ‘s’ to it!” What an easy solution to a -difficulty.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The library was also rich in characters. One of its -keepers, Mr Jakeman, knew the position of every single -book in its seven rooms. He was an excellent and -eccentric-looking man, whom we named “Dominie -Sampson.” His predecessor was a short, thick-set little -man, who complained once to my brother that the then -Lord Spencer did not keep up the honour of the library -sufficiently, as he had discontinued some of the principal -works. “Well, now, Captain,” he would say, “for instance, -my lord has never taken in the last numbers of the -‘Newgate Calendar.’” Read was his name, but not his -nature; he was very deaf, and even I, who flattered myself -I knew how to make the deaf hear, found a difficulty in -his case. He told us that some years before, he had had -a heavy cold and it had fallen on his hearing; it must -indeed have been very heavy.</p> - -<div class='sidenote'>DEATH OF FREDERIC, EARL SPENCER</div> - -<p class='c007'>It was in the Christmas of the year 1857 that a large -party was assembled at Althorp, including my brother -Cavendish, his wife, their eldest boy and myself; but -alas! the chief part of the guests were obliged to disperse, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_261'>261</span>and the happy season was turned into mourning by the -sudden death of our noble host, Frederic, Lord Spencer, -leaving a whole household, a large tenantry, and a wide -circle of friends to mourn his premature death. We remained -on for some days to share in the common grief -of his widow and children. But his successor never -slackened in kindness and hospitality to the inmates of -the Weedon prison, and the “Gaoler,” as he was familiarly -called, was still welcome in the old home, and still continued -the charge he had undertaken of the precious -Library, finding in Sarah Spencer<a id='r65' /><a href='#f65' class='c008'><sup>[65]</sup></a> an invaluable colleague -in this labour of love.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f65'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r65'>65</a>. </span>Sister of the present Earl Spencer.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>I trust I have not been led into too long a digression -in this record of the days which are no more, bound up -as they are with fond memories of beloved companions, -concerning whom it is a sad delight to converse with the -dear cousin to whom I have dedicated these pages.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_262'>262</span> - <h2 class='c005'>SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER</h2> -</div> -<hr class='c036' /> -<h3 class='c037'>WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR</h3> - -<p class='c012'>It was at the house of G. P. R. James that we first became -acquainted—that mutual friend of whom Landor thus speaks in -one of his earliest letters to me:—</p> - -<p class='c032'>“You cannot overvalue James. There is not on God’s earth -(I like this expression, vulgar or not) any better creature of His -hand, any one more devoted to His high service—the office of -improving us through our passions.”</p> - -<p class='c006'>The close friendship between these two men was to me inexpressively -touching, inasmuch as it would be almost impossible -to conceive a more striking contrast than they presented in every -respect. Mr James, although a man of romance and sentiment, -and by nature of an ardent temperament, had a quiet and staid -demeanour, self-disciplined and self-contained; whereas all those -who peruse any records of Landor must be well aware that none -of the above epithets can in any way be applicable to him—such -records, for instance, as Forster’s Life, the admirable sketch given -by Mr Lowell of his first and only visit to that remarkable man at -Bath, or the almost miraculous likeness of his moral portraiture -by Mr Sidney Colvin, which caused me to ask the biographer if -Landor had ever visited him in dreams. The pet name which I -and my sister had for him was the “gentle savage.” Gentle and -loving he was to those he loved, especially to women, both young -and old; so much so indeed, as sometimes to be blinded in his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_263'>263</span>discrimination of their worth, and which was unfortunately proved -in his declining years when he became the dupe for a time of two -designing women. The story is a well-known and most distressing -one, for, when his eyes were opened, he did indeed become -“savage,” and poured out the vials of his wrath in such violent -and uncompromising language as legally to entitle his persecutors -to heavy damages.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Gentle and pitiful he was to animals of all kinds, but dogs -were his constant companions, and a large greyhound belonging -to my sister was one of his special favourites. He told me once, -quite in confidence, his discovery that dogs, whatever their nationality, -understood Italian better than any other language; and in -that soft tongue he always addressed a new canine acquaintance. -In some letters written to me, which have been published in the -<i>Century Magazine</i>, he thus speaks of “Pomero,” a dear little -Pomeranian Spitz, and a great chum of my own when I used to -go and pass a couple of days or so at Bath in a room hung with -doubtful paintings of angels by Beato or Granacci, as he used -laughingly to say, “an angel among angels”:<a id='r66' /><a href='#f66' class='c008'><sup>[66]</sup></a>—</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f66'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r66'>66</a>. </span>“Un Anguletto fra Anguli.”</p> -</div> - -<p class='c032'>“Alas, I have lost my poor dear Pomero! He died after a -long illness, apparently from a kick he received during my absence. -The whole house grieved for him. I buried him in a coffin in -the garden. I would rather have lost everything else I possessed -in the world. Seven years we lived together in more than amity. -He loved me with all his heart; and what a heart it was! mine -beats audibly while I write about him. Pray for me and Pomero; -some people are so wicked as to believe we shall never meet -again.”</p> - -<p class='c006'>Charles Dickens was one of Landor’s warmest admirers; he -loved him dearly, and, as the saying goes, “all round.” He -understood, and was even amused, by his outbursts of eloquent -vituperation, and the character he has drawn of Boythorn in -“Bleak House” is true to the very life.</p> - -<p class='c007'>A school-fellow thus describes him: “In those days he was -the most impetuous of schoolboys, <i>now</i> he is the most impetuous -<span class='pageno' id='Page_264'>264</span>of men; <i>then</i> the loudest boy in the world, <i>now</i> the loudest of -men; <i>then</i> the sturdiest boy in the world, <i>now</i> the sturdiest man; -<i>then</i> the heartiest boy in the world, <i>now</i> the heartiest man. Talking -or laughing he makes the very house shake. But it is the -inside of the man, the warm heart of the man, the passion of the -man, the fresh blood of the man. His language is as astounding -as his voice. He is always in extremes, frequently in the superlative -degree. He talks sometimes like an ogre, which some people -believe him to be. No one could be more aware of his irascibility -than Landor himself, who told me, amid shouts of laughter, -how he had overheard a peasant at his own Florentine villa describing -him in these terms: ‘Oh, he’s a capital good fellow, -but—— he’s a real devil when the fit’s upon him.’”<a id='r67' /><a href='#f67' class='c008'><sup>[67]</sup></a></p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f67'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r67'>67</a>. </span>“Il signor è un vero Galant uomo, ma è un vero diavolo quando la -piglia.”</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>Dear “gentle savage,” our whole household loved him—mother, -son, daughters, and every dog in the house and yard. -He would often come over to see us from Bath at our little -woodland home at Millard’s Hill, and he erected at his own -expense a large stone cross on the banks of Marston lake (the -estate of my uncle, Lord Cork). The pedestal bore the inscription: -“This symbol of safety was intended to mark the spot -where Carolina Boyle<a id='r68' /><a href='#f68' class='c008'><sup>[68]</sup></a> fell into the water, whence her sister’s -courage rescued her.” Sooth to say, my exertions were rather a -sign of strength than courage, for, walking by the side of the -lake, I heard the terrible cry, “Help!” and coming up to the -place, I leaped into the boat, and succeeded with much difficulty -in lifting “Caddy”<a id='r69' /><a href='#f69' class='c008'><sup>[69]</sup></a> into the same. I say with difficulty, as she -was much bigger and taller than myself, and her clothes were -entirely full of water, hanging for more than half an hour by the -frail support of a willow branch, by which she was enabled to -keep her head above water; the time was marked by the chimes -of the clock at Marston House, which were distinctly audible -<span class='pageno' id='Page_265'>265</span>on the lake. I have learned since, to my surprise and regret, -that this interesting relic, namely the cross, has been removed.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f68'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r68'>68</a>. </span>The Honourable Carolina Boyle, daughter of Admiral the Honourable -Sir Courtenay Boyle, K.C.B.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f69'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r69'>69</a>. </span><i>Ibid.</i></p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>Dear “gentle savage!” It is true that his voice was powerful -enough to shake the house, but how tender, how musical, when -he chose to modulate it! There is nothing I love more than to -hear a poet read his own poems aloud, a favour in which the -dear Laureate<a id='r70' /><a href='#f70' class='c008'><sup>[70]</sup></a> has often indulged me. One day I brought two -books to Landor, accompanied by a petition for the same boon. -Two precious volumes, inasmuch as they were the respective gifts -of our friend, G. P. R. James, and himself. In “Pericles and -Aspasia” I requested him to read me the touching letter beginning -“There is a gloom in deep love as in deep water,” which -has ever struck me as one of the most exquisite passages in -English prose, and in the “Pentameron” the book opened of -itself at “Boccaccio’s Dream,” when he is blessed by the lovely -vision of his lost “Fiammietta.”</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f70'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r70'>70</a>. </span>Alfred, first Lord Tennyson.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>More than half a century has passed away since that lecture -under the shade of the sycamore in our little garden, but the -tones of that voice that is gone still vibrate in my memory.</p> -<hr class='c038' /> -<h3 class='c037'>VISCOUNT STRATFORD DE REDCLIFFE<a id='r71' /><a href='#f71' class='c008'><sup>[71]</sup></a></h3> - -<div class='footnote c035' id='f71'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r71'>71</a>. </span>Stratford Canning, Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe; born 1786; died 1880.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>My first acquaintance with this eminent man, who was known to -his contemporaries as the great “Elchee,” was during his residence -at Westbrook Hayes, within a few miles’ distance of Ashridge -where I was then staying, and while there, and on his return to -his house in Grosvenor Square, I always met with great kindness, -and was encouraged to be a constant visitor; that, not only by -the great “Elchee” himself, but by the gentle and courteous -Lady Stratford,<a id='r72' /><a href='#f72' class='c008'><sup>[72]</sup></a> whose rare fate it had been to be a wife and an -<span class='pageno' id='Page_266'>266</span>ambassadress at twenty. Between their second daughter and -myself there sprung up a close intimacy, and our meetings were -frequent beneath the roof of dear Lady Marian Alford, where -both in London and at Ashridge we were often fellow-guests, and -earnestly did I share the grief of her two surviving sisters, when -dear “Catty”<a id='r73' /><a href='#f73' class='c008'><sup>[73]</sup></a> passed away.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f72'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r72'>72</a>. </span>Elizabeth Charlotte, daughter of James Alexander, Esq. She died in 1882.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f73'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r73'>73</a>. </span>Honourable Catharine Canning, daughter of above; born 1835; died -1884.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, even in his advanced years, was a -man of magnificent presence, extreme personal beauty, with -features which would kindle at a moment’s notice from deep -calm to an expression of varied excitement. I have seldom seen -a face that answered more faithfully to the feelings within, and -although in his conversations with me he was ever kind and -gentle, I could well imagine that it would be in no way difficult -to rouse that British lion.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I was much amused by an anecdote I heard respecting him, -at a time when the Eastern question was the universal theme of -conversation.</p> - -<p class='c007'>One day a visitor, calling at his door, met Gladstone coming -out. “How did you find Lord Stratford?” was the question -addressed to the G.O.M. “Wonderfully well,” was the reply, -“but quite cracked on the subject of Turkey.” The visitor -entered. “I have just met Gladstone on the doorstep,” he said. -“Yes,” answered Lord Stratford, “he is in great force and most -agreeable, but, between ourselves, the Eastern question has sent -him off his head.”</p> - -<hr class='c013' /> - -<p class='c007'>I hope I may be excused in concluding this short sketch, if I -insert the following lines which he one day addressed to me, on -my asking him for his autograph.</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“To meet your wish I fain would write,</div> - <div class='line in2'>But doubtful how to please,</div> - <div class='line in1'>My words are flat, my notions trite,</div> - <div class='line in2'>In short, I’m ill at ease.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'><span class='pageno' id='Page_267'>267</span>“What may be done in such a fix</div> - <div class='line in2'>Your wit alone can tell;</div> - <div class='line in1'>Do you find straw to make the bricks,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Be sure I’ll not rebel.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“I ask not wheat, I won’t take chaff,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Between them lies an art</div> - <div class='line in1'>Whereby to make the gravest laugh,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Yet somehow touch the heart.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“If one there be who has the skill,</div> - <div class='line in2'>To hit so nice a law,</div> - <div class='line in1'>’Tis she who prompts the tuneful quill,</div> - <div class='line in2'>And gives the golden straw.”</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'><span class='sc'>Stratford de Redcliffe.</span></div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'><i>23rd September 1865.</i></div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class='c039' /> -<h3 class='c037'>CARLYLE</h3> - -<p class='c012'>It was on the death of his wife that Carlyle’s attached friend, -Louisa, Lady Ashburton,<a id='r74' /><a href='#f74' class='c008'><sup>[74]</sup></a> knowing the state of grief into which -he was plunged by the sudden blow, persuaded him to come out -to Mentone to pass some weeks with her in a charming villa not -far from the hotel, La Grande Bretagne, where I was staying with -Lady Marian Alford, and her son, the late Lord Brownlow. -During the early part of the winter there had been daily intercourse -between the Villa and the Hotel, and Lady Ashburton, -anxious to distract the mourner’s mind, and give a new turn to -his thoughts, induced him with herself to become a constant -associate in our walks and drives, and to dine and pass the -evening very frequently at the Hotel, and while away the hours -in delightful conversation with the mother and son to whom I -have before alluded. It was thus I learned to know and love -<span class='pageno' id='Page_268'>268</span>Carlyle, of whose genius I had so long been an ardent admirer, -that it was an easy transition from mere acquaintance to intimate -friendship.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f74'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r74'>74</a>. </span>Louisa Caroline, daughter of the Right -Honourable James A. Stewart-Mackenzie; married William, -second Lord Ashburton.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>Our visit to Mentone came to a sad and abrupt close through -the sudden death of Lord Brownlow, one of the most gifted, -single-minded, unselfish beings it was ever my privilege to meet. -On the day previous to his death he rode, as was his wont, his -favourite cob through the pretty woods of Cap St Martin, accompanied -by myself, two other lady friends, and Carlyle, on foot. It -was a beautiful scene, and a beautiful calm evening, and Carlyle -wrote a most touching account of that last ride, which he said -was a beautiful close to a beautiful life.</p> - -<p class='c007'>I met him afterwards in more than one country house in -England, and when we were together in London I was in the -constant habit of knocking at the door in Cheyne Row at the -hour when I knew I should have the chance of enjoying the -society which I prized so highly.</p> - -<p class='c007'>In one respect, and one alone, he reminded me of Walter -Savage Landor, and that was the violent invectives in which he -not infrequently indulged against persons, places, and opinions—a -habit with which the readers of his life have become alas! too -familiar. I say alas! because I think the injudicious publication -of such exaggerated expressions through the cold medium of -printed words, conveys a most erroneous impression of the man -himself. It is true that, even while talking with me, Carlyle -would launch forth into the most unwarrantable philippics, but -then he would break off suddenly, and all the venom and -bitterness be drowned in a burst of ringing laughter, and his -handsome, though naturally grim, face would ripple all over with -good-humoured smiles, so that no one who saw or heard him -could doubt for a moment the kindly nature and the tender heart.</p> - -<p class='c007'>In the printed pages no friendly look is there, no tones of -genial laughter, to counteract and soften down the words that look -hard and uncompromising in black and white; and as I read the -interesting record of his life, I earnestly desired that many -passages might have been omitted.</p> -<hr class='c038' /> -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_269'>269</span> - <h3 class='c037'>THE GROVE<a id='r75' /><a href='#f75' class='c008'><sup>[75]</sup></a></h3> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c035' id='f75'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r75'>75</a>. </span>The seat of the Earl of Clarendon.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>At this charming Hertfordshire home I was a constant guest, -and I look back with gratitude and pleasure to the “many good -times” and varied social enjoyments which the very name of The -Grove awakens in my mind.</p> - -<p class='c007'>It seems almost presumptuous in me to speak of the late -Lord Clarendon,<a id='r76' /><a href='#f76' class='c008'><sup>[76]</sup></a> whose fame was European, yet it is impossible -for me to refrain from paying a tribute, however humble, to a -man I have had every reason to love and honour.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f76'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r76'>76</a>. </span>George William Frederick, fourth Earl, K.G.; born 1800; died 1870.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>As a statesman and a diplomatist his character belongs to the -annals of his country; but I can speak of him as I knew him at -home, where he reigned supreme in the hearts of his wife and -children, his friends, his guests, and his household. As a host -he was perhaps the most genial I ever knew. In conversation I -have never found any one to surpass him in brilliancy and playfulness -of wit, and all without effort, without self-consciousness, -and withal skilled in the profound art of nonsense. Neither did -he reserve his bright sallies or his more serious views for the -learned and superior, or for such men as the erudite Sir George -Cornwall Lewis,<a id='r77' /><a href='#f77' class='c008'><sup>[77]</sup></a> his brother-in-law, or his own brother, Charles -Villiers,<a id='r78' /><a href='#f78' class='c008'><sup>[78]</sup></a> although they met him on more equal grounds than the -majority of his companions. Lord Clarendon, in fact, did not -demand to be tried by his social peers, for in the society of the -women who surrounded him—his own wife, his own daughters, -and nieces, and, I may add, of myself—he shone as brightly, and -took as great a delight in captivating his listeners as he could -possibly have done had his audience been one of the largest and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_270'>270</span>most distinguished, as it certainly was the most loving, in the -world. How sociable (to use a common but expressive epithet), -how snug were those domestic evenings, when one of his daughters, -making herself the mouthpiece of the little circle, entreated him -to read aloud to us! and how appreciative were the listeners who -clustered round him as he read some scenes of Molière or some -pages by Macaulay! And what a laugh he had!—what a ringing, -silvery laugh, which we all, the actresses of the Grove Theatre, -considered our highest guerdon, to whosesoever share it fell on the -night of a dramatic performance.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f77'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r77'>77</a>. </span>Sir George Cornwall Lewis married Lady Theresa Lister, daughter of -third Earl of Clarendon, and widow of Thomas Henry Lister, Esq.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f78'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r78'>78</a>. </span>The Right Hon. Charles Pelham Villiers; born 1802; died 1898; represented -Wolverhampton from 1825 till his death.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>His sister, Lady Theresa Lewis, resembled Lord Clarendon in -many points; in intellectual gifts, in character and disposition, -they were as nearly allied as in blood, and no two human beings -surely ever understood each other better. Lady Theresa had -been very beautiful in her youth, and in more advanced years still -retained a charming smile and an expression in her blue eyes -which in her earlier days might have been called “playful mischief.” -By nature she had the most joyous spirits, a perfectly -sunny temperament such, as was once remarked to me, “God -generally gave to those for whom great sorrows were in store:” -and assuredly such a fate was hers in the premature death of the -husband and brother she adored. I remember that dear friend -once saying to me, “happiness is so natural to me, I cannot live -without it, and if grief comes, either I shall kill it or it will -kill me.” Alas! that brave spirit was in the end forced to -yield.</p> - -<div id='i270' class='figcenter id013'> -<img src='images/i270.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'>THE GROVE.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>Before the marriage of Lord Clarendon’s daughters<a id='r79' /><a href='#f79' class='c008'><sup>[79]</sup></a> and -nieces,<a id='r80' /><a href='#f80' class='c008'><sup>[80]</sup></a> who were more like sisters than cousins, we had frequent -theatrical performances, and were very rich in <i>jeunes premières</i> -and <i>ingénues</i>, while I generally took the part of the <i>soubrette</i>, -“maid-of-all-work,” or lower comedian. Lord Skelmersdale<a id='r81' /><a href='#f81' class='c008'><sup>[81]</sup></a> was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_271'>271</span>stage manager as well as actor, Sir Spencer Ponsonby Fane<a id='r82' /><a href='#f82' class='c008'><sup>[82]</sup></a> the -leading comedian, and Sir Villiers Lister<a id='r83' /><a href='#f83' class='c008'><sup>[83]</sup></a> most versatile in the -parts of first lover, principal juvenile and special artist, whether -as scene-painter, drop-painter, or the more delicate <i>metier</i> of -make-up-artist to the <i>corps dramatique</i>. He and Lord Sefton<a id='r84' /><a href='#f84' class='c008'><sup>[84]</sup></a> -distinguished themselves one night in a splendid <i>pas-de-deux</i>, a -tarantella in Neapolitan costume, Lord Sefton figuring as the -<i>ballerina</i> on the occasion, with very short petticoats. One of the -<i>costumiers</i> who had come down on duty suggested to his lordship -the advisability of having a “female turned leg,” offering him -the tempting option of models of the calves and ankles of those -two world-renowned dancers, Cerito and Elsler.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f79'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r79'>79</a>. </span>The daughters—afterwards the Countess of Lathom, the Countess of -Derby, and Lady Ampthill.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f80'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r80'>80</a>. </span>The nieces—twin sisters, Lady Loch, wife of the late Lord Loch, and -the Countess of Lytton, Mrs Earle and the late Lady Glenesk.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f81'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r81'>81</a>. </span>The late Earl of Lathom.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f82'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r82'>82</a>. </span>The Hon. Sir Spencer Ponsonby Fane, G.C.B., late Comptroller of -Accounts in the Lord Chamberlain’s Office, son of the fourth Earl of Bessborough.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f83'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r83'>83</a>. </span>Sir Villiers Lister, K.C.M.G., son of Lady Theresa Villiers by her first -husband, Mr Lister.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f84'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r84'>84</a>. </span>The late Earl Sefton.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>The present Lord Clarendon and his two brothers<a id='r85' /><a href='#f85' class='c008'><sup>[85]</sup></a> had also -their names almost nightly in our bills.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f85'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r85'>85</a>. </span>Lieut.-Col. the Hon. George Villiers, Grenadier Guards; born 1847; died -1892. Hon. Francis Villiers, Under-Secretary to the Foreign Office; born 1852.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>In these theatrical sports we often had by-days, when the -drama assumed a most illegitimate form, and one night the late -Mr Bidwell,<a id='r86' /><a href='#f86' class='c008'><sup>[86]</sup></a> so well known as an eminent amateur, appeared in -an acrobatic costume as the manager of a strolling company, -whose varied talents he utilised as “the strong man,” “the -dancer on the tight rope” (a rather broad but very elastic deal -plank), “a rapid act on a hobby-horse,” with clown and riding-master -in the true circus fashion, etc., all of which fantastic -tricks appeared to amuse the audience as much as they did -the actors, which was all that could be expected.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f86'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r86'>86</a>. </span>Mr George Bidwell of the Foreign Office.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>From the walls of the principal apartments, which served us -in our festive hours for ball- or supper-rooms, looked down upon -us many a cavalier immortalised by Vandyck, and at the upper -end of the dining-room one of that great Fleming’s <i>chef-d’œuvres</i>. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_272'>272</span>This was the splendid portrait of the famous Earl of Derby and -his heroic Countess, Charlotte de-la-Tremouille. It was strange -and interesting to think that of two of Lord Clarendon’s daughters, -who feasted and danced beneath that picture, one<a id='r87' /><a href='#f87' class='c008'><sup>[87]</sup></a> was destined -to bear the title and inhabit the house which the lady above their -heads had so gallantly defended, and the other<a id='r88' /><a href='#f88' class='c008'><sup>[88]</sup></a> to become the -wife of that noble pair’s lineal descendant.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f87'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r87'>87</a>. </span>Alice, Countess of Lathom.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f88'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r88'>88</a>. </span>Constance, wife of the fifteenth Earl of Derby.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>And thus ends the record of those happy days, which I hope -will not prove distasteful to any of the dear companions whose -eyes may fall on these pages. Happy days they were, and varied -in enjoyment. For in winter there were torch dances and skating -on the water; in summer paper-chases all over the beautiful woods, -with rides and walks in sweet Cassiobury Park and its environs, -with joyous balls and merry suppers, with young, blooming life -and cheerful companionship.</p> - -<div id='i272' class='figcenter id014'> -<img src='images/i272.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'>HINCHINGBROOKE.</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<hr class='c038' /> -<h3 class='c037'>HINCHINGBROOKE</h3> - -<p class='c012'>The name had been familiar to me from my earliest childhood as -the home of my mother’s uncle and that of her contemporaries -and favourite companions, George<a id='r89' /><a href='#f89' class='c008'><sup>[89]</sup></a> and Mary<a id='r90' /><a href='#f90' class='c008'><sup>[90]</sup></a>; but it was not -till after my dear mother’s death that I became a frequent guest -at the house she loved so well. For in the days of which I am -speaking, the master<a id='r91' /><a href='#f91' class='c008'><sup>[91]</sup></a> and mistress<a id='r92' /><a href='#f92' class='c008'><sup>[92]</sup></a> were both friends of my own, -and I had known them both before their marriage, and the cordial -welcome they jointly gave me was gladly accepted and appreciated, -particularly when the schoolboys came home for the holidays, for -<span class='pageno' id='Page_273'>273</span>of schoolboys, I am proud to say, I have ever been a chum and -crony.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f89'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r89'>89</a>. </span>George, afterwards sixth Earl of Sandwich.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f90'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r90'>90</a>. </span>Mary, afterwards Viscountess Templeton.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f91'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r91'>91</a>. </span>Seventh Earl of Sandwich.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f92'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r92'>92</a>. </span>Lady Mary Paget, second daughter of the Earl of Anglesey by his second -marriage with Lady Charlotte Cadogan.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>Hinchingbrooke is an interesting old house, and was originally -a nunnery; some parts of the religious building are still standing. -It was at one time the property of the Cromwell family, and was -purchased by Sir Sydney Montagu, grandfather of the first Earl -of Sandwich, from the uncle of the Protector.</p> - -<p class='c007'>There is a tradition of Oliver having met King Charles I., -when they were both boys, in the garden of Hinchingbrooke, -when the two who were destined to be future foes engaged in a -juvenile encounter, but the story requires proof.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The present structure is irregular and picturesque, having been -altered and added to at intervals during the last two hundred -years by succeeding owners. The entrance is through the archway -of a fine gate-house, where it is said the third Earl of -Sandwich, a man of feeble intellect, was confined for some time -by his unscrupulous wife, the daughter of the witty but unprincipled -Earl of Rochester. It is surrounded by pretty grounds -rich in evergreens, situated in a small park, and presents a very -imposing aspect to the railway traveller as he passes the town of -Huntingdon.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The ancestors of few families however noble appear to me to -have more interest for outsiders than the house of Montagu. -Edward, the first Earl of Sandwich, who was so instrumental in -the restoration of Charles II., is familiar to all readers of Pepys’s -Diary, being the god of that amusing gossip’s idolatry. Samuel -prided himself on his relationship and intimacy with Lord and -Lady Hinchingbrooke, of whom he was certainly the confidant -and adviser. Indeed, he lived hard by in a little cottage at -Brampton, within a stone’s throw of his patron’s house, where he -would often go and confer with him or “with my Lady Countess” -in her husband’s absence. That noble housewife was often “put -to it” to make two ends meet, in consequence of her lord’s open-handedness -and the too frequent card-playing with His Majesty -and the Castle men. Brave, generous, noble-hearted and affectionate, -we cannot but share in his kinsman Pepys’s partiality for -<span class='pageno' id='Page_274'>274</span>a man whose faults and shortcomings may in some measure be -condoned by the times he lived in and the society he frequented. -As an Admiral his sailors adored him; as a courtier he was reckoned -good—perhaps too good—company, and at home he was tenderly -loved by his wife and children and dependants. We know that -his lordship was comely in feature and of a commanding presence, -and there is little doubt that he himself agreed in the universal -opinion, as we have innumerable portraits of him at all ages. -He died a hero’s death at the engagement at Southwolds Bay in -1672, a Dutch fire-ship having set his own vessel in a blaze. -The gallant Admiral, after sending off his surviving officers and -crew in the boats, remained on his own quarter-deck until his -good ship, <i>The Royal James</i>, burned to the water’s edge. There -is a splendid painting of this desperate fight by Vanderweldt in -what is fondly called the “ship room” at Hinchingbrooke, and -on the opposite wall hangs a frame containing two fine miniatures -by Cooper of the first Earl and Countess, together with a small -pocket compass and a piece of the blue ribbon of the garter, -discoloured by sea-water, which were found on the Admiral’s body -when it floated into Harwich Harbour.</p> - -<p class='c007'>Another prominent figure in the annals of the house and its -portrait gallery is John, fourth Earl, a contrast in every way to -the ancestor of whom we have been treating, yet a celebrity whose -name is very conspicuous in the records of George III.’s reign. -He was a man of eccentric habits but undoubted talent. An -amusing anecdote is told of him when acting as plenipotentiary -at Aix-la-Chapelle in 1746. It was at this time, during an international -dinner when toasts were passing, that the different envoys -became poetical as well as loyal in their phraseology. For instance, -the Frenchman gave “His Royal master, the Sun, who illuminates -the whole world;” the Spaniard “His master, the Moon, scarcely -inferior in brilliancy or influence,” when Lord Sandwich rose, -doubtless with the twinkle in his eye and the laughing curl round -the corners of his mouth we see in most of his portraits, and -toasted with all the honours “His master Joshua, who made both -the sun and moon to stand still.”</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_275'>275</span>This remarkable man was known in social circles by the -nickname of “Jemmy Twitcher,” from the following incident. -He had at one time been intimate with the notorious Wilkes, -the so-called champion of liberty, but disgusted by a scurrilous -and disloyal poem which his quondam friend had written, Sandwich -read it aloud in the House of Lords, thus gaining for it deserved -obloquy. A few nights afterwards, at the representation of <i>The -Beggar’s Opera</i>, then much in vogue, Macheath exclaimed: “But -that Jemmy Twitcher should preach I own surprises me.” The -greater part of the audience, who were partisans of “Wilkes and -Liberty,” burst into a round of applause, applying the passage to -Lord Sandwich, who never afterwards lost the <i>sobriquet</i>.</p> - -<p class='c007'>There is a charming picture by Gainsborough<a id='r93' /><a href='#f93' class='c008'><sup>[93]</sup></a> of the unfortunate -Miss Ray, whose romantic story tempts me into a further -digression. She was serving in a haberdasher’s shop in Covent -Garden when she first attracted the notice of Lord Sandwich, -who was so smitten by her charms, that he took her under his -protection, and she resided with him for many years both in -London and the country, where her gentle, unassuming manners -and remarkable talent for singing made her a great favourite. -One evening Lord Sandwich brought home with him to dinner a -Captain Hackman, who was on a recruiting party at the time at -Huntingdon; he fell in love with Miss Ray, and proposed to her -several times, until Lord Sandwich with judicious kindness -secured him an appointment in Ireland, thinking it safest to place -St George’s channel between him and the object of his admiration. -But Hackman’s passion was strong and lasting; he left -the army, entered holy orders, repaired to London where Lord -Sandwich and Miss Ray then were, frequently waylaid the latter, -renewed his offers of marriage, and even promised to adopt the -children she had by Lord Sandwich. The refusal he received to -this proposition was so decided and uncompromising as to drive -him to the verge of madness. He watched Margaret Ray enter -Covent Garden with some musical friends, rushed out, bought a -brace of loaded pistols, and returned to the door of the theatre -<span class='pageno' id='Page_276'>276</span>to await the appearance of his victim. Her coach was called in -the name of Lady Sandwich, and while proceeding to it on the -arm of a gentleman Hackman aimed one pistol at her and the -other at himself; she fell dead, he fell wounded, and they were -both conveyed to the Shakespeare Tavern. Lord Sandwich was -deeply distressed at the tragic end of his fair friend; yet he wrote -a letter to the murderer in Newgate, offering to intercede on his -behalf, signing himself, “the man you have most injured.” But -Hackman’s reply, couched in grateful terms, assured his “lordship -that his only wish was to die,” and he met his death with -firmness and courage.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f93'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r93'>93</a>. </span>Bought for a comparatively small sum by the late Earl.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>But to return to more modern times. Many were the delightful -social gatherings, many the gay dances, <i>tableaux vivants</i>, private -theatricals, and other festive doings in which I took a willing part. -How well I remember the night of the 8th of September, 1855! -We had had an unusually merry evening; our theatricals had -gone off brilliantly, and we had danced ourselves in to the next -morning, when Lord Sandwich proposed that all his guests staying -in the house should adjourn to the smoking-room to finish up -what we had already made “a night of.” We presented a most -motley appearance, most of the actors, male and female, having -retained their dramatic costumes, some of which were especially -grotesque. The ladies were laughing and talking, the gentlemen -smoking and sipping, when we were all alike startled by the sound -of the door-bell at that unearthly hour. Lord Sandwich rose, and -said he would answer the summons himself, and a moment of -suspense, not unmingled with fear, ensued. The door re-opened, -our host re-entered, his handsome face illuminated with joy and -triumph. Glorious news! Sevastopol was taken! the war was at -an end! How we all shouted, while some clapped their hands, -and leaped on chairs, and one and all drank to the health of our -brave soldiers, and to their safe return.</p> - -<p class='c007'>It was in January 1859 that a very large party was assembled -at Hinchingbrooke in honour of the visit of H.R.H. the Duchess -of Cambridge<a id='r94' /><a href='#f94' class='c008'><sup>[94]</sup></a> and Princess Mary Adelaide.<a id='r95' /><a href='#f95' class='c008'><sup>[95]</sup></a> One evening, in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_277'>277</span>hopes of amusing the company, I imagined to array myself in the -costume of a hundred years before, and stepping from a frame -which had been set up for that purpose, I spoke an address in -the character of the Countess of Sandwich of 1759, which concluded -with the following tribute to our much-loved Royal guests:</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f94'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r94'>94</a>. </span>The late Duchess of Cambridge.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f95'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r95'>95</a>. </span>The late Duchess of Teck.</p> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“It does rejoice my heart the time was mine</div> - <div class='line in1'>To come among you all in Fifty-nine,</div> - <div class='line in1'>To see with living eyes the fair array</div> - <div class='line in1'>Of noble, gentle company to-day;</div> - <div class='line in1'>It proves you keep the spirit of your race,</div> - <div class='line in1'>When guests like these our ancient dwelling grace.</div> - <div class='line in1'>Those who esteem the will beyond the deed,</div> - <div class='line in1'>Who no stiff forms or rigid customs need,</div> - <div class='line in1'>Who claim respect, yet kindle love the while,</div> - <div class='line in1'>Reward the smallest service with a smile,</div> - <div class='line in1'>Meet all half-way, accept each proffered part,</div> - <div class='line in1'>And draw the court we pay them from the heart.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c020'>This was a feeble but honest expression of the affection we all -bore to that noble lady whose loss we are mourning in this present -year of 1889, and who, although she had outlived by far the -generally allotted span, was so much beloved that England was -unwilling to spare her.</p> -<p class='c007'>Often after this time I saw a great deal of the Duchess of -Cambridge in different country houses, and on different occasions, -and the unceasing kindness I have met with for years from -Princess Mary is repaid by all I have to offer, “the grateful -homage of a loving heart.” I took the deepest interest in her -marriage with the Duke of Teck, to whom at that period we gave -the name of “Prince Charming.” But I am once more wandering -from my subject and indulging in the flittings of a butterfly.</p> - -<p class='c007'>The party to which I have alluded, as I said before, was in the -opening of the New Year of 1859, but alas! the good wishes and -happy auguries which that merry company had interchanged were -not destined to be fulfilled. Before the month of March was -over Hinchingbrooke was hung with black, and the sudden death -<span class='pageno' id='Page_278'>278</span>of Lady Sandwich plunged us all in the deepest mourning. Her -bright blue eyes were closed, the tones of her bird-like voice were -hushed, and in her I lost one of the truest and most indulgent of -friends. But my visits to that dear old house were not discontinued, -for, on Lord Sandwich’s second marriage to Lady Blanche -Egerton<a id='r96' /><a href='#f96' class='c008'><sup>[96]</sup></a> I found one willing to keep up the old traditions and -retain the old friendships of the family, and ever ready to reinstate -me in the place I had so long looked upon as a home. Nor is -my case altered with passing years and changed circumstances, -for the present owner,<a id='r97' /><a href='#f97' class='c008'><sup>[97]</sup></a> whom I have known and loved since he -was an Eton boy, is continually reminding me that the doors of -Hinchingbrooke are ever open to his own and his mother’s -friend.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f96'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r96'>96</a>. </span>Daughter of the first Earl of Ellesmere.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f97'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r97'>97</a>. </span>Edward, eighth Earl of Sandwich.</p> -</div> -<hr class='c038' /> -<h3 class='c037'>OSSINGTON</h3> - -<p class='c012'>It had been a long promise that I should pay a summer visit to -Ossington in Nottinghamshire, the residence of my good friends, -Evelyn Denison, Speaker of the House of Commons, and his wife, -Lady Charlotte, <i>née</i> Bentinck.<a id='r98' /><a href='#f98' class='c008'><sup>[98]</sup></a> Shortly after my return from -Madeira, I proceeded on my way thither with the delightful -prospect of meeting Lady Waterford,<a id='r99' /><a href='#f99' class='c008'><sup>[99]</sup></a> the Duc and Duchesse -d’Aumale, their son,<a id='r100' /><a href='#f100' class='c008'><sup>[100]</sup></a> and my old friend Wilberforce, Bishop of -Oxford.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f98'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r98'>98</a>. </span>Daughter of the fourth Duke of Portland.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f99'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r99'>99</a>. </span>Louisa, daughter of Lord Stuart de Rothesay, widow of the third -Marquis of Waterford.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f100'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r100'>100</a>. </span>Prince de Condé.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>It was proposed that this should essentially be a riding party, -and the chief aim and object of our excursions was devoted to -showing their Royal Highnesses the sylvan beauties of Sherwood. -Accordingly, one morning after breakfast, we repaired, in a -carriage and four, equipped for riding, to a wayside inn, on the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_279'>279</span>precincts of the forest, and mounting our horses, took our way -through the beautiful glades, where Robin Hood disported -himself of old. My especial cavalier on that occasion was the -Prince de Condé, a youth of rare promise, of intellectual gifts -and gentle courtesy, whom I dubbed my <i>preux chevalier</i>, and -whose untimely death we were all ere long called upon to mourn. -The Duke and Duchess rode chiefly with our host, while Lord -Stanley<a id='r101' /><a href='#f101' class='c008'><sup>[101]</sup></a> and the Bishop joined first one and then the other -group of our cavalcade. We halted at the door of Earl Manvers, -and did ample justice to the mid-day banquet, which he and his -amiable Countess had prepared for the visitors from Ossington. -Then remounting, we prosecuted our pilgrimage through the -forest to all the haunts (according to legendary law) of the noble -outlaw; during the whole of our ride, having galloped over a wide -expanse of turf, we had scarcely heard the sound of our horses -hoofs, as the dear Speaker proudly remarked to us, till we once -more reached the inn and re-entered our carriage.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f101'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r101'>101</a>. </span>The fifteenth Earl of Derby.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>Will the Duc d’Aumale, if ever he honours these pages with a -perusal, accept this lowly acknowledgment of one, on whose -memory the delights of his conversation and the graciousness of -his manner are indelibly impressed; and who recalls with -gratitude the time of waiting at that wayside inn, which was -whiled away by pleasant narratives from the lips of the good -Duchess.</p> -<hr class='c038' /> -<h3 class='c037'>ASHRIDGE</h3> - -<p class='c012'>Ashridge is one of the finest parks in England, rich in magnificent -timber trees, more especially tall and stately beech, which -are the glory of the surrounding country. The estate originally -belonged to the Duke of Bridgwater, and was brought into the -possession of the Cust family by the paternal grandmother of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_280'>280</span>present owner, the daughter and heiress of Sir Abraham Home. -It was nearly passing out of the family some years ago, when a -complicated lawsuit took place, and would almost inevitably -have done so, had it not been for the untiring zeal, clear head -and sound judgment of the young Earl’s mother,<a id='r102' /><a href='#f102' class='c008'><sup>[102]</sup></a> who supplied -all the leading lawyers of the day with the requisite information -in a most puzzling and entangled case.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f102'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r102'>102</a>. </span>Lady Marian Alford, eldest daughter of the second Marquis of -Northampton.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>It was on the occasion of her brother’s<a id='r103' /><a href='#f103' class='c008'><sup>[103]</sup></a> marriage with the -beautiful Theodosia Vyner,<a id='r104' /><a href='#f104' class='c008'><sup>[104]</sup></a> that Lady Marian, who presided as -hostess during her son’s minority, threw open the gardens, -pleasure-grounds and park to a large and numerous assemblage -of friends and acquaintance, consisting for the most part of the -<i>élite</i> of London society. It was a beautiful summer’s day, and -at the two then equi-distant stations of Berkhampstead and Tring -innumerable conveyances were in waiting to convey the guests to -the scene of festivity. My brother Cavendish<a id='r105' /><a href='#f105' class='c008'><sup>[105]</sup></a> and I chose -Tring as our halting-place, and were fortunate in so doing, as the -entrance from that side is perhaps the more picturesque of the -two.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f103'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r103'>103</a>. </span>Charles, third Marquis of Northampton; born 1816; died 1859.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f104'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r104'>104</a>. </span>He married Theodosia Vyner, daughter of Henry Vyner, Esq., and -Lady Mary de Gray. She died in 1864.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f105'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r105'>105</a>. </span>Cavendish Spencer Boyle; born 1814; died 1868.</p> -</div> - -<div id='i280' class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/i280.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic001'> -<p><span class='small'>ASHRIDGE.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>The description of most garden parties is likely to bear -much similarity, but certainly this was a most brilliant scene, for -London was in the height of the season, though not sufficiently -advanced to interfere with the freshness and fashion of -the ladies’ toilettes. There was a great preponderance of -beauty, amongst whom little Florence Paget<a id='r106' /><a href='#f106' class='c008'><sup>[106]</sup></a> looked especially -lovely, flitting in and out among the flower-beds, whose brightness -she seemed to have borrowed in the hues of her costume and the -brilliancy of her whole aspect. That was my first introduction to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_281'>281</span>stately Ashridge, which was henceforth destined to become a -real home to me.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f106'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r106'>106</a>. </span>Lady Florence Paget, daughter of Henry, second Marquess of Anglesey; -married first the fourth Marquis of Hastings, and secondly Sir George -Chetwynd, Bart.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>I know not how, at this moment, when my loss is so recent, -to attempt the slightest record of the friend<a id='r107' /><a href='#f107' class='c008'><sup>[107]</sup></a>—the word is an -old-fashioned one, but is there another to supersede it?—the -benefactress, the <i>confidante</i>, of so long a period. She was undoubtedly -one of the most gifted beings I ever encountered. -“What she did still bettered what was done....”</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f107'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r107'>107</a>. </span>Lady Marian Alford, died 1888.</p> -</div> -<hr class='c038' /> -<h3 class='c037'>WREST PARK</h3> - -<p class='c012'>This magnificent dwelling, now in possession of Earl Cowper, -K.G., but at the time of which I am writing, was the residence of -his mother,<a id='r108' /><a href='#f108' class='c008'><sup>[108]</sup></a> who inherited it from Earl de Grey,<a id='r109' /><a href='#f109' class='c008'><sup>[109]</sup></a> her father. -The estate of Wrest, together with the fine mansion in St -James’s Square, London, devolved on the above-mentioned -nobleman on the death of his aunt, Countess de Grey. This -house of Wrest in Bedfordshire he pulled down and rebuilt -according to his own designs in the style of a French chateau. -The pictures which adorn the walls were painted expressly for -him; the tapestry which lends so rich a colouring to the interior -of Wrest was woven under Lord de Grey’s immediate direction in -the <i>atéliers</i> of the Gobelins; while the rich gilding, cornices, and -ceilings were all executed under his supervision, and do the -greatest credit to his taste and ingenuity. He also supplemented -the plans and enlarged the ornamentation of the already beautiful -gardens and pleasure-grounds which surround the house. It was -also from the ingenious design of Lord de Grey that the charming -<span class='pageno' id='Page_282'>282</span>little theatre was constructed, the stage of which rolled -backwards and forwards at will, while two splendid portraits by -Sir Joshua Reynolds ornamented the proscenium.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f108'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r108'>108</a>. </span>Anne Florence, daughter of Thomas, second Earl de Grey; born 1806; -died 1880.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f109'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r109'>109</a>. </span>Thomas Philip, second Earl de Grey, who inherited Wrest from his aunt, -Amabel, Countess de Grey.</p> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>It was my good fortune on several occasions at Wrest to form -one of a pleasant company, both dramatic and social. Our -hostess was one of the most agreeable and distinguished members -of society, and I scarcely think I can do better than transcribe her -moral portraiture, traced by the hand of one who knew her and -loved her well.</p> - -<p class='c007'>“I think I can sum up Lady Cowper’s leading attributes in -three words—wit, wisdom, and goodness. In the relationship of -daughter, wife, and mother, she left nothing to be desired; as a -hostess she was pre-eminently agreeable, being a most delightful -companion; she had lived with all that was politically and -socially distinguished in her day, and had read all that was -worth reading in modern literature. She derived keen enjoyment -from the ‘give and take’ of discussion; her opinions were -decided, and their expression fresh and spontaneous; into -whatever well it was lowered the bucket invariably came up full.” -In her later days, even under the pressure of failing health, her -conversational powers never flagged; she was most brilliant in -the freshness of morning, and shone conspicuously at the -breakfast table, thereby rendering that repast far more animated -than is usually the case. Her sallies, though never ill-natured, -were often unexpected and startling, which added a zest to her -conversation.</p> - -<p class='c007'>For two or three years running we had theatrical performances, -our <i>dramatis personæ</i> including Mr Henry Greville,<a id='r110' /><a href='#f110' class='c008'><sup>[110]</sup></a> Mr and Mrs -Sartoris,<a id='r111' /><a href='#f111' class='c008'><sup>[111]</sup></a> Lady Alice Egerton,<a id='r112' /><a href='#f112' class='c008'><sup>[112]</sup></a> Mrs Leslie,<a id='r113' /><a href='#f113' class='c008'><sup>[113]</sup></a> Lord Hamilton<a id='r114' /><a href='#f114' class='c008'><sup>[114]</sup></a> and -others.</p> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f110'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r110'>110</a>. </span>Henry Greville, son of Mr Charles and Lady Charlotte Greville.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f111'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r111'>111</a>. </span>Adelaide Kemble and her husband.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f112'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r112'>112</a>. </span>Now Alice, Countess of Strafford, widow of the third Earl of Strafford.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f113'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r113'>113</a>. </span>Now Lady Constance Leslie, wife of Sir John Leslie, and sister of the -fourth Earl of Portarlington.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote c009' id='f114'> -<p class='c010'><span class='label'><a href='#r114'>114</a>. </span>Present Duke of Abercorn.</p> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_283'>283</span> - <h2 class='c005'>INDEX</h2> -</div> -<ul class='index c003'> - <li class='c040'>Aachen, lake of, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Abercorn, Duke of, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_282'>282</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Adelaide, Queen, <a href='#Page_29'>29</a>; - <ul> - <li>appoints Caroline Boyle maid of honour, <a href='#Page_101'>101</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Albano, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Alderney, island of, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a>, <a href='#Page_174'>174</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Alexander, Captain, Lieutenant-Governor of Alderney, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_174'>174</a>;</li> - <li class='c040'>—— his anecdote, <a href='#Page_175'>175</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Elizabeth Charlotte, <a href='#Page_176'>176</a>, <a href='#Page_265'>265</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— James, <a href='#Page_265'>265</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Rose, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_174'>174</a>; - <ul> - <li>her marriage, <a href='#Page_175'>175</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Alford, Lady Marian, <a href='#Page_184'>184</a>, <a href='#Page_204'>204</a>, <a href='#Page_266'>266</a>, <a href='#Page_267'>267</a>, <a href='#Page_280'>280</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lord, <a href='#Page_184'>184</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Althorp, <a href='#Page_253'>253</a>; - <ul> - <li>library, <a href='#Page_253'>253</a>;</li> - <li>staircase, <a href='#Page_254'>254</a>;</li> - <li>heronry, <a href='#Page_254'>254</a>;</li> - <li>Portrait Gallery, <a href='#Page_254'>254</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Alvanley, Lord, <a href='#Page_180'>180</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Amalfi, <a href='#Page_136'>136</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Ampthill, Lady, <a href='#Page_270'>270</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Anderson, Miss Mary, <a href='#Page_106'>106</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Anglesey, Earl of, <a href='#Page_272'>272</a><i>n</i>; - <ul> - <li>skipper of his craft, <a href='#Page_144'>144</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>“Annie Winnie,” <a href='#Page_44'>44</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Asberry, Mr, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Ashburton, Louisa, Lady, <a href='#Page_267'>267</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Ashby, Castle, <a href='#Page_184'>184</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Farmer, <a href='#Page_87'>87</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Ashridge, <a href='#Page_279'>279</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Astley’s theatre, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Ausberg, review at, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Aumale, Duc and Duchesse d’, at Ossington, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Autolycus, lines from, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a></li> - <li class='c003'><span class='pageno' id='Page_284'>284</span><i>Bachelor Philosopher, The</i> <a href='#Page_89'>89</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Baiæ, <a href='#Page_138'>138</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Baker, Eric, <a href='#Page_205'>205</a></li> - <li class='c040'><i>Bal Costumé</i>, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a>-<a href='#Page_167'>167</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Balbi, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a></li> - <li class='c040'><i>Ballets d’action</i>, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Balls, Park, <a href='#Page_3'>3</a>, <a href='#Page_55'>55</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Bath, Marquis of, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Bavaria, King Louis of, <a href='#Page_188'>188</a>; - <ul> - <li>stories of, <a href='#Page_189'>189</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Bedford, Duke of, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Beer, Mr <a href='#Page_45'>45</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Mrs, Under-Housekeeper at Hampton Court, <a href='#Page_45'>45</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Belgiojoto, Countess, <a href='#Page_140'>140</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Bentinck, Lady Charlotte, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Beppa, the florist, <a href='#Page_222'>222</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Berri, Duchesse de, <a href='#Page_127'>127</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Bessborough, Earl of, <a href='#Page_271'>271</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Bidwell, Mr George, <a href='#Page_271'>271</a></li> - <li class='c040'>“Billy,” <a href='#Page_98'>98</a></li> - <li class='c040'>“Black Taffy,” <a href='#Page_16'>16</a></li> - <li class='c040'>“Boch Dhu,” <a href='#Page_96'>96</a>, <a href='#Page_125'>125</a>, <a href='#Page_137'>137</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Boddingtons, the, <a href='#Page_117'>117</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Bognor, bathing fatality at, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Bomba, King, <a href='#Page_140'>140</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Bonaparte, Caroline, <a href='#Page_152'>152</a>; - <ul> - <li>her appearance, <a href='#Page_153'>153</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Boucicault, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Boulogne-sur-Mer, <a href='#Page_236'>236</a>; - <ul> - <li>outbreak of diphtheria, <a href='#Page_237'>237</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Bourbon, Charles de, <a href='#Page_119'>119</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Bowood, <a href='#Page_250'>250</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Boxall, Sir William, his portrait of Sir William Napier, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Boyl, Cavaliere Pietro de, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a>, <a href='#Page_225'>225</a>; - <ul> - <li>Governor of Sardinia, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'><span class='pageno' id='Page_285'>285</span>Boyle, Mrs Carolina Amelia, her appearance, <a href='#Page_10'>10</a>; - <ul> - <li>appointed bed-chamber woman to Queen Charlotte, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Caroline, <a href='#Page_3'>3</a>, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a><i>n</i>; - <ul> - <li>her appearance, <a href='#Page_11'>11</a>;</li> - <li>appointed maid of honour to Queen Adelaide, <a href='#Page_101'>101</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Cavendish Spencer, his birth, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a>; - <ul> - <li>at Charterhouse, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a>;</li> - <li>his engagement, <a href='#Page_175'>175</a>;</li> - <li>in the West Indies, <a href='#Page_178'>178</a>;</li> - <li>death, <a href='#Page_241'>241</a>;</li> - <li>appointed Governor of the Militia Prison at Weedon, <a href='#Page_256'>256</a>;</li> - <li>at Ashridge, <a href='#Page_280'>280</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Charles John, <a href='#Page_3'>3</a>, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a><i>n</i>; - <ul> - <li>his appearance, <a href='#Page_11'>11</a>;</li> - <li>sketches of him, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a>;</li> - <li><i>attaché</i> at the English Legation, Turin, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a>;</li> - <li>at Munich, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>;</li> - <li>engagement, <a href='#Page_205'>205</a>;</li> - <li>marriage, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a>;</li> - <li>appointment at the Cape of Good Hope, <a href='#Page_225'>225</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Charlotte, <a href='#Page_3'>3</a>; - <ul> - <li>her death, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a>;</li> - <li>burial-place, <a href='#Page_13'>13</a>;</li> - <li>epitaph, <a href='#Page_13'>13</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Vice-Admiral The Hon. Sir Courtenay, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a>; - <ul> - <li>enters the Navy, <a href='#Page_5'>5</a>;</li> - <li>letter from Lord Nelson, <a href='#Page_6'>6</a>;</li> - <li>shipwrecked in Egypt, <a href='#Page_7'>7</a>;</li> - <li>taken prisoner by the French, <a href='#Page_7'>7</a>;</li> - <li>letter to his wife, <a href='#Page_8'>8</a>;</li> - <li>return, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a>;</li> - <li>Commissioner at Sheerness Dockyard, <a href='#Page_15'>15</a>;</li> - <li>appointment at the Navy Board, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a>;</li> - <li>punctuality, <a href='#Page_37'>37</a>;</li> - <li>illness, <a href='#Page_101'>101</a>;</li> - <li>decorated with the Guelphic and Hanoverian Order, <a href='#Page_106'>106</a>;</li> - <li>death, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Sir Courtenay Edmund, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Courtenay Edmund William, <a href='#Page_3'>3</a>, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a><i>n</i>; - <ul> - <li>his first cruise, <a href='#Page_10'>10</a>;</li> - <li>character, <a href='#Page_10'>10</a>;</li> - <li>marriage, <a href='#Page_11'>11</a>, <a href='#Page_158'>158</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Courtenay, <a href='#Page_213'>213</a>, <a href='#Page_257'>257</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lady Lucy, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Mary Louisa, her birth, <a href='#Page_1'>1</a>, <a href='#Page_3'>3</a>, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a><i>n</i>; - <ul> - <li>appearance and height, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a>;</li> - <li>light-heartedness, <a href='#Page_2'>2</a>;</li> - <li>brothers and sisters, <a href='#Page_3'>3</a>, <a href='#Page_10'>10</a>-<a href='#Page_13'>13</a>;</li> - <li>parents, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a>;</li> - <li>love of heraldry, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a>;</li> - <li>ancestry, <a href='#Page_5'>5</a>;</li> - <li>life at Sheerness, <a href='#Page_15'>15</a>-<a href='#Page_30'>30</a>;</li> - <li>feats of horsemanship, <a href='#Page_16'>16</a>, <a href='#Page_61'>61</a>, <a href='#Page_95'>95</a>, <a href='#Page_182'>182</a>;</li> - <li>retainers, <a href='#Page_16'>16</a>-<a href='#Page_19'>19</a>;</li> - <li>juvenile flirtations, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>-<a href='#Page_22'>22</a>;</li> - <li>fondness for Shakespeare’s plays, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a>;</li> - <li>on the one-legged race, <a href='#Page_23'>23</a>;</li> - <li>her first Play, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>-<a href='#Page_28'>28</a>;</li> - <li>at Somerset House, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a>-<a href='#Page_39'>39</a>;</li> - <li>early dramatic recollections, <a href='#Page_33'>33</a>-<a href='#Page_35'>35</a>;</li> - <li><span class='pageno' id='Page_286'>286</span>visits to the Royal Academy, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>;</li> - <li>to the Charterhouse, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a>;</li> - <li>on the coronation of George IV., <a href='#Page_37'>37</a>-<a href='#Page_39'>39</a>;</li> - <li>fondness for Sir W. Scott’s books, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a>, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a>;</li> - <li>life at Hampton Court, <a href='#Page_39'>39</a>-<a href='#Page_50'>50</a>;</li> - <li>on the officials, <a href='#Page_44'>44</a>-<a href='#Page_46'>46</a>;</li> - <li>heroic butcher boy, <a href='#Page_46'>46</a>-<a href='#Page_48'>48</a>;</li> - <li>the thrush, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a>-<a href='#Page_50'>50</a>;</li> - <li>at Marston Bigot, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a>;</li> - <li>Balls Park, <a href='#Page_55'>55</a>;</li> - <li>number of cousins, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a>;</li> - <li>Wigan Rectory, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a>;</li> - <li>taming a wolf-dog, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a>;</li> - <li>Cowdray Park, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>;</li> - <li>the bathing fatality, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a>;</li> - <li>“ghost story,” <a href='#Page_60'>60</a>;</li> - <li>walk with “Courage,” <a href='#Page_61'>61</a>;</li> - <li>political views, <a href='#Page_62'>62</a>;</li> - <li>Midgham House, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a>;</li> - <li>Cottage, <a href='#Page_65'>65</a>;</li> - <li>on the eccentricities of Illidge, <a href='#Page_66'>66</a>, <a href='#Page_70'>70</a>-<a href='#Page_72'>72</a>;</li> - <li>on Mrs Garrick <a href='#Page_67'>67</a>-<a href='#Page_70'>70</a>;</li> - <li>members of the household, <a href='#Page_73'>73</a>-<a href='#Page_79'>79</a>;</li> - <li>at Brighton, <a href='#Page_80'>80</a>;</li> - <li><i>tableaux</i>, <a href='#Page_82'>82</a>, <a href='#Page_256'>256</a>;</li> - <li>at school, <a href='#Page_84'>84</a>;</li> - <li>music and dancing lessons, <a href='#Page_85'>85</a>;</li> - <li>dances at Dr Everard’s school, <a href='#Page_87'>87</a>;</li> - <li>début, <a href='#Page_88'>88</a>;</li> - <li>dramatic representation, <a href='#Page_89'>89</a>;</li> - <li>leaves school, <a href='#Page_91'>91</a>;</li> - <li>at Greystoke Castle, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>-<a href='#Page_96'>96</a>;</li> - <li>theatricals, <a href='#Page_95'>95</a>, <a href='#Page_147'>147</a>-<a href='#Page_152'>152</a>, <a href='#Page_212'>212</a>, <a href='#Page_227'>227</a>, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>, <a href='#Page_251'>251</a>, <a href='#Page_256'>256</a>, <a href='#Page_271'>271</a>;</li> - <li>at Corby Castle, <a href='#Page_96'>96</a>;</li> - <li>the haunted chamber, <a href='#Page_96'>96</a>;</li> - <li>visit to Lord Southampton, <a href='#Page_97'>97</a>;</li> - <li>on the conspiracy to see Fanny Kemble, <a href='#Page_98'>98</a>;</li> - <li>accession of William IV., <a href='#Page_99'>99</a>;</li> - <li>illness of her father, <a href='#Page_101'>101</a>;</li> - <li>arrangements for travelling, <a href='#Page_103'>103</a>;</li> - <li>at Turin, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a>;</li> - <li>Genoa, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a>-<a href='#Page_114'>114</a>;</li> - <li>riding parties, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a>;</li> - <li>the Masquerade, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a>-<a href='#Page_112'>112</a>;</li> - <li>at the Baths of Lucca, <a href='#Page_114'>114</a>-<a href='#Page_124'>124</a>;</li> - <li>the Boddingtons, <a href='#Page_117'>117</a>;</li> - <li>the servants’ ball, <a href='#Page_118'>118</a>;</li> - <li>the Duke and Duchess of Lucca, <a href='#Page_119'>119</a>;</li> - <li>on the religious festival at Lucca, <a href='#Page_120'>120</a>;</li> - <li>lines on the Duchess, <a href='#Page_121'>121</a>;</li> - <li>at Florence, <a href='#Page_125'>125</a>-<a href='#Page_129'>129</a>, <a href='#Page_146'>146</a>, <a href='#Page_201'>201</a>, <a href='#Page_209'>209</a>-<a href='#Page_224'>224</a>;</li> - <li>on the de Fauveaus, <a href='#Page_126'>126</a>;</li> - <li>first impression of Rome, <a href='#Page_130'>130</a>;</li> - <li>painters and sculptors, <a href='#Page_131'>131</a>;</li> - <li>at Naples, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a>;</li> - <li>Moonlight rides, <a href='#Page_135'>135</a>;</li> - <li>excursions, <a href='#Page_136'>136</a>;</li> - <li>at the castle of Sant’ Elmo, <a href='#Page_138'>138</a>;</li> - <li>the feast of the Madonna dell’ Arco, <a href='#Page_140'>140</a>;</li> - <li>haunted apartments, <a href='#Page_141'>141</a>-<a href='#Page_143'>143</a>;</li> - <li>at Pisa, <a href='#Page_145'>145</a>;</li> - <li>her acting, <a href='#Page_148'>148</a>;</li> - <li>on the office of prompter, <a href='#Page_148'>148</a>;</li> - <li>friendship for G. P. R. James, <a href='#Page_152'>152</a>;</li> - <li><span class='pageno' id='Page_287'>287</span>on Caroline Bonaparte, <a href='#Page_153'>153</a>-<a href='#Page_156'>156</a>;</li> - <li>Geppina, the flower-girl, <a href='#Page_156'>156</a>;</li> - <li>lines on, <a href='#Page_156'>156</a>;</li> - <li>visit to the Duchess of Gloucester, <a href='#Page_158'>158</a>;</li> - <li>mistaken for Princess Victoria, <a href='#Page_160'>160</a>;</li> - <li>on her coronation, <a href='#Page_161'>161</a>;</li> - <li>at Millard’s Hill, <a href='#Page_163'>163</a>;</li> - <li>Tenby, <a href='#Page_164'>164</a>;</li> - <li><i>bal costumé</i>, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a>;</li> - <li>on Charles Young, <a href='#Page_166'>166</a>-<a href='#Page_169'>169</a>;</li> - <li>death of her father, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>;</li> - <li>at Havilland Hall, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>;</li> - <li>lines on Sir William Napier, <a href='#Page_172'>172</a>;</li> - <li>on Mr and Mrs Kean, <a href='#Page_173'>173</a>;</li> - <li>at the Island of Sark, <a href='#Page_174'>174</a>;</li> - <li>Alderney, <a href='#Page_174'>174</a>;</li> - <li>Whittlebury Lodge, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a>-<a href='#Page_186'>186</a>;</li> - <li>on Colonel Leigh, <a href='#Page_180'>180</a>;</li> - <li>sporting ecclesiastics, <a href='#Page_182'>182</a>, <a href='#Page_183'>183</a>;</li> - <li>musical evenings, <a href='#Page_185'>185</a>;</li> - <li>at Munich, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>-<a href='#Page_191'>191</a>;</li> - <li>on the dramatic performances, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>;</li> - <li>King Louis of Bavaria, <a href='#Page_188'>188</a>-<a href='#Page_190'>190</a>;</li> - <li>at Ravenna, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a>-<a href='#Page_193'>193</a>;</li> - <li>Rome, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a>-<a href='#Page_200'>200</a>, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a>;</li> - <li>on Pope Pius IX., <a href='#Page_195'>195</a>;</li> - <li>the “Possesso,” <a href='#Page_197'>197</a>-<a href='#Page_199'>199</a>;</li> - <li>life at Villa Careggi, <a href='#Page_201'>201</a>-<a href='#Page_207'>207</a>;</li> - <li>at the Baths of Casciano, <a href='#Page_207'>207</a>;</li> - <li>legend of the falcon, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>;</li> - <li>on Charles Lever, <a href='#Page_210'>210</a>-<a href='#Page_214'>214</a>;</li> - <li>the French Revolution, <a href='#Page_214'>214</a>;</li> - <li>the Tuscan Revolution, <a href='#Page_216'>216</a>;</li> - <li>on the Brownings, <a href='#Page_217'>217</a>-<a href='#Page_220'>220</a>;</li> - <li>the disturbances in Italy, <a href='#Page_221'>221</a>;</li> - <li>Beppa, the florist, <a href='#Page_222'>222</a>;</li> - <li>farewells at Florence, <a href='#Page_224'>224</a>;</li> - <li>in London, <a href='#Page_225'>225</a>;</li> - <li>visit to Adelaide Sartoris, <a href='#Page_225'>225</a>-<a href='#Page_227'>227</a>;</li> - <li>fondness for Charles Dickens’ books, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a>;</li> - <li>first meeting with him, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>;</li> - <li>letter from Sir E. Bulwer Lytton, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>;</li> - <li>from Charles Dickens, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>;</li> - <li>death of her friend Fanny, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>;</li> - <li>at Boulogne, <a href='#Page_237'>237</a>;</li> - <li>Gad’s Hill, <a href='#Page_238'>238</a>-<a href='#Page_241'>241</a>;</li> - <li>death of her brother Cavendish, <a href='#Page_241'>241</a>;</li> - <li>of Charles Dickens and Lord Clarendon, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a>;</li> - <li>at Burghley House, <a href='#Page_244'>244</a>;</li> - <li>on Lord Derby, <a href='#Page_247'>247</a>;</li> - <li>Disraeli, <a href='#Page_248'>248</a>;</li> - <li>at Bowood, <a href='#Page_250'>250</a>;</li> - <li>Althorp, <a href='#Page_253'>253</a>;</li> - <li>members of the household, <a href='#Page_257'>257</a>-<a href='#Page_260'>260</a>;</li> - <li>death of Frederic, Lord Spencer, <a href='#Page_261'>261</a>;</li> - <li>on Landor, <a href='#Page_262'>262</a>-<a href='#Page_265'>265</a>;</li> - <li>Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, <a href='#Page_265'>265</a>-<a href='#Page_267'>267</a>;</li> - <li>Carlyle, <a href='#Page_267'>267</a>;</li> - <li>The Grove, <a href='#Page_269'>269</a>;</li> - <li>on Lord Clarendon, <a href='#Page_269'>269</a>-<a href='#Page_272'>272</a>;</li> - <li><span class='pageno' id='Page_288'>288</span>Hinchingbrooke, <a href='#Page_272'>272</a>;</li> - <li>Earls of Sandwich, <a href='#Page_273'>273</a>-<a href='#Page_278'>278</a>;</li> - <li>Duchess of Cambridge, <a href='#Page_277'>277</a>;</li> - <li>Ossington, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a>;</li> - <li>Ashridge, <a href='#Page_279'>279</a>-<a href='#Page_281'>281</a>;</li> - <li>Wrest Park, <a href='#Page_281'>281</a>;</li> - <li>on Lady Cowper, <a href='#Page_282'>282</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Richard, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— The Rev. the Hon. Richard, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>; - <ul> - <li>his marriage, <a href='#Page_176'>176</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Robert, “Divine Philosopher of the World,” <a href='#Page_5'>5</a>, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Roger, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Bridgeman, Rev. George, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Bridgwater, Duke of, <a href='#Page_279'>279</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Brighton, <a href='#Page_80'>80</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Brignole, Marchesa, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Broadwood, Mary, <a href='#Page_85'>85</a>, <a href='#Page_89'>89</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Broghill, Baron, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Brooks, <a href='#Page_73'>73</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Browne, Elizabeth, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Browning, Elizabeth Barrett, lines on a procession, <a href='#Page_217'>217</a>; - <ul> - <li>appearance, <a href='#Page_219'>219</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Robert, <a href='#Page_219'>219</a>; - <ul> - <li>his death, <a href='#Page_220'>220</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Brownlow, Lord, <a href='#Page_267'>267</a>; - <ul> - <li>his death, <a href='#Page_268'>268</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Bruce, Lady Charles, <a href='#Page_256'>256</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Buller, James, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Sir Redvers, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Bunsen, Madame de, <a href='#Page_130'>130</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Burdett, Major, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Burghley House, <a href='#Page_244'>244</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Burlington, Countess of, her predilection for Mdlle. Violette, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lord, his connection with Mdlle. Violette, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a>; - <ul> - <li>dowry on her marriage, <a href='#Page_69'>69</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Butler, Frances Anne, <a href='#Page_225'>225</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Byng, Hon. George, <a href='#Page_227'>227</a></li> - <li class='c003'>Cadogan, Lady Charlotte, <a href='#Page_272'>272</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Calabritti, Palazzo, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a>; - <ul> - <li>the ghost of, <a href='#Page_141'>141</a>-<a href='#Page_143'>143</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Call, W. M. W., lines on “Eleanor’s Well,” <a href='#Page_177'>177</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Cambridge, Duchess of, at Hinchingbrooke, <a href='#Page_276'>276</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Camille, Count de, <a href='#Page_109'>109</a>, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Canning, Hon. Catharine, <a href='#Page_266'>266</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Capri, island of, <a href='#Page_143'>143</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Capua, Prince of, <a href='#Page_143'>143</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Cardigan, Lord, at the <i>bal costumé</i>, <a href='#Page_167'>167</a></li> - <li class='c040'><span class='pageno' id='Page_289'>289</span>Careggi, Villa, <a href='#Page_201'>201</a>; - <ul> - <li>frescoes, <a href='#Page_201'>201</a>;</li> - <li>servants, <a href='#Page_203'>203</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Carlisle, Lord, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Carlyle, <a href='#Page_267'>267</a>; - <ul> - <li>at Mentone, <a href='#Page_267'>267</a>;</li> - <li>character, <a href='#Page_268'>268</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Carnarvon, Henry, Earl of, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Caroline, Queen, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Carteret, Lord, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Casciano, Baths of, <a href='#Page_207'>207</a>; - <ul> - <li>legend of the discovery, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Cassiobury Park, <a href='#Page_272'>272</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Cawdor, Earl of, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a></li> - <li class='c040'>“Chaillach,” <a href='#Page_164'>164</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Chambord, Comte de, <a href='#Page_122'>122</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Channel Islands, trip to the, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>-<a href='#Page_176'>176</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Charles III. of Parma, assumes the title, <a href='#Page_123'>123</a>; - <ul> - <li>assassinated, <a href='#Page_123'>123</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Charlotte, Queen, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Charterhouse, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a></li> - <li class='c040'><i>Chatham</i>, <a href='#Page_29'>29</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Chetwynd, Sir George, <a href='#Page_280'>280</a><i>n</i>; - <ul> - <li>his marriage, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Cholmondeley, Hugh, <a href='#Page_135'>135</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Chouler, Mr, <a href='#Page_259'>259</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Mrs, <a href='#Page_258'>258</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Ciabatti, <a href='#Page_226'>226</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Clarence, Duchess of, <a href='#Page_29'>29</a>, <a href='#Page_31'>31</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Clarence, Duke of, <a href='#Page_29'>29</a>; - <ul> - <li>his daughters, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Clarendon, Lord, <a href='#Page_269'>269</a>; - <ul> - <li>his death, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a>;</li> - <li>character and gifts, <a href='#Page_269'>269</a>;</li> - <li>laugh, <a href='#Page_270'>270</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Clifden, Lady, <a href='#Page_82'>82</a>, <a href='#Page_256'>256</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Clifford, Sir Augustus, <a href='#Page_87'>87</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Rosamund, <a href='#Page_5'>5</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Admiral Sir William, <a href='#Page_87'>87</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Clinton, Frances, Lady, <a href='#Page_11'>11</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_154'>154</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Collins, Mrs Charles, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Wilkie, <a href='#Page_237'>237</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Compton, Lady Katrine, <a href='#Page_226'>226</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Condé, Prince de, at Ossington, <a href='#Page_279'>279</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Consort, Prince, <a href='#Page_166'>166</a>; - <ul> - <li>at the <i>bal costumé</i>, <a href='#Page_166'>166</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Convicts, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Corby Castle, haunted chamber, <a href='#Page_96'>96</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Cork and Orrery, Earl of, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a>, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a>, <a href='#Page_163'>163</a>; - <ul> - <li>letter from Lord Nelson, <a href='#Page_6'>6</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Corn Laws, <a href='#Page_247'>247</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Cornelius, <a href='#Page_188'>188</a></li> - <li class='c040'><i>Cornish Miners</i>, <a href='#Page_34'>34</a></li> - <li class='c040'>“Courage,” the St Bernard, <a href='#Page_61'>61</a></li> - <li class='c040'><span class='pageno' id='Page_290'>290</span>Courcy, General de, <a href='#Page_150'>150</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Covent Garden, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Coventry, Lady Mary, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Cowdray Park, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>; - <ul> - <li>destroyed by fire, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Cowper, Francis, Earl, <a href='#Page_226'>226</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_281'>281</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lady, her leading attributes, <a href='#Page_282'>282</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Cowper’s Oak, <a href='#Page_183'>183</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Crackenthorpe, Mr, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Crawford, Countess of, <a href='#Page_152'>152</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Cromartie, Lord, under sentence of death, <a href='#Page_65'>65</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Cromwell, Oliver, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Cumberland, William, Duke of, <a href='#Page_65'>65</a>; - <ul> - <li>at Midgham, <a href='#Page_65'>65</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Cunningham, Mr Peter, <a href='#Page_237'>237</a></li> - <li class='c040'><i>Cure for the Heartache</i>, <a href='#Page_147'>147</a></li> - <li class='c003'>Damer, Mrs Dawson, <a href='#Page_82'>82</a></li> - <li class='c040'>“Danny Man,” <a href='#Page_31'>31</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Dante, tomb of, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Day, Rachel, <a href='#Page_74'>74</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Delamere, Lord, <a href='#Page_135'>135</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Demidoff, Prince Anatole, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a>; - <ul> - <li>anecdote of, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Denison, Evelyn, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Denmark, Queen Anne of, her visit to Althorp, <a href='#Page_254'>254</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Derby, Countess of, <a href='#Page_270'>270</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_272'>272</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lord, <a href='#Page_247'>247</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Devonshire, Duke of, <a href='#Page_33'>33</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Devrient, Emil, his acting, <a href='#Page_167'>167</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Dickens, Charles, <a href='#Page_13'>13</a>, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a>, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a>; - <ul> - <li>first meeting with Mary Boyle, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>;</li> - <li>on her acting, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a>;</li> - <li>letter from, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>;</li> - <li>his social evenings, <a href='#Page_235'>235</a>;</li> - <li>children, <a href='#Page_236'>236</a>;</li> - <li>at Boulogne, <a href='#Page_236'>236</a>;</li> - <li>extensive walks, <a href='#Page_237'>237</a>;</li> - <li>at Gad’s Hill, <a href='#Page_238'>238</a>;</li> - <li>his <i>châlet</i>, <a href='#Page_239'>239</a>;</li> - <li>drives and walks, <a href='#Page_239'>239</a>;</li> - <li>visitors, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a>;</li> - <li>letters of sympathy, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a>;</li> - <li>stroke of paralysis, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a>;</li> - <li>death, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Charles, his children, <a href='#Page_241'>241</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Harry, <a href='#Page_236'>236</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Katie, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Mary, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Mayne, <a href='#Page_5'>5</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— “Micketty,” <a href='#Page_241'>241</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Dinon, Duc de, <a href='#Page_150'>150</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Diphtheria, outbreak of, <a href='#Page_237'>237</a></li> - <li class='c040'><span class='pageno' id='Page_291'>291</span>Disraeli, Benjamin, <a href='#Page_248'>248</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Mrs, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Donkin, Sir Rufane, <a href='#Page_81'>81</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Doria, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a></li> - <li class='c040'>D’Orsay, Count, <a href='#Page_180'>180</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Drumlanrig Castle, <a href='#Page_66'>66</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Dufferin and Ava, Marquis of, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a>, <a href='#Page_226'>226</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Durazzo, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a></li> - <li class='c003'>Earle, Mrs, <a href='#Page_270'>270</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Edgcumbe, Hon. George, <a href='#Page_147'>147</a>; - <ul> - <li>his acting, <a href='#Page_147'>147</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Egerton, Lady Alice, <a href='#Page_282'>282</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Egerton, Lady Blanche, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Egg, Augustus, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Ellesmere, Earl of, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Elliot, Lady Anna Maria, <a href='#Page_81'>81</a>; - <ul> - <li>her acting, <a href='#Page_82'>82</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Captain, <a href='#Page_212'>212</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Elmo, Sant’, Castle of, <a href='#Page_138'>138</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Elves, Emily, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Elwes, Mr, <a href='#Page_180'>180</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Erroll, Eliza, Countess of, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Erskine, Augusta Kennedy, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Everard, Dr, his school, <a href='#Page_86'>86</a>; - <ul> - <li>dances at, <a href='#Page_87'>87</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Exeter, Isabella, Lady, <a href='#Page_11'>11</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_244'>244</a><i>n</i>; - <ul> - <li>at the <i>bal costumé</i>, <a href='#Page_167'>167</a>;</li> - <li>appearance and number of suitors, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lord, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>; - <ul> - <li>his hospitality, <a href='#Page_244'>244</a><i>n</i>;</li> - <li>marriages, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a><i>n</i>;</li> - <li>children, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a><i>n</i></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c003'>Falcon, legend of the, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Falkland, Lady, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Fane, Hon. Sir Spencer Ponsonby, <a href='#Page_271'>271</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Fauveau, Madame, de, <a href='#Page_126'>126</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Félicie, de, <a href='#Page_127'>127</a>, <a href='#Page_153'>153</a>, <a href='#Page_201'>201</a>, <a href='#Page_207'>207</a>, <a href='#Page_215'>215</a>; - <ul> - <li>banished from France, <a href='#Page_128'>128</a>;</li> - <li>her works, <a href='#Page_129'>129</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Fechter, <a href='#Page_239'>239</a>, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Ferrai, Madame, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a></li> - <li class='c040'><i>First Night, The</i>, <a href='#Page_227'>227</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Fitzclarence, Amelia, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Fitzherbert, Mrs, her parties, <a href='#Page_81'>81</a>; - <ul> - <li>appearance, <a href='#Page_83'>83</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Fitzroy, Lord Charles, <a href='#Page_182'>182</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Florence, <a href='#Page_125'>125</a>, <a href='#Page_201'>201</a></li> - <li class='c040'>“Flush,” <a href='#Page_219'>219</a></li> - <li class='c040'><span class='pageno' id='Page_292'>292</span>Fordwich, Lord, <a href='#Page_226'>226</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Forster, John, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Foster, Sir Augustus and Lady Albinia, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Fox, Lady Mary, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a></li> - <li class='c040'>France, revolution in, <a href='#Page_214'>214</a></li> - <li class='c040'><i>Freischütz, Der</i>, <a href='#Page_34'>34</a></li> - <li class='c003'>Gad’s Hill, <a href='#Page_238'>238</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Galliera, Marchesa, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Garrick, David, his marriage, <a href='#Page_69'>69</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Mrs, her début, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a>; - <ul> - <li>connection with Lord Burlington, <a href='#Page_69'>69</a>;</li> - <li>marriage, <a href='#Page_69'>69</a>;</li> - <li>death, <a href='#Page_70'>70</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Genoa, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a>; - <ul> - <li>masquerade in, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a>-<a href='#Page_112'>112</a>;</li> - <li>fashion of head-dresses, <a href='#Page_112'>112</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>George III., his death, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a></li> - <li class='c040'>George IV., his coronation, <a href='#Page_37'>37</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Geppina, the flower-girl of Florence, <a href='#Page_156'>156</a>; - <ul> - <li>lines on, <a href='#Page_156'>156</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Giardano, Michael, <a href='#Page_137'>137</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Glastonbury Thorn, <a href='#Page_54'>54</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Glenesk, Lady, <a href='#Page_270'>270</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Gloucester, Princess Mary, Duchess of, <a href='#Page_153'>153</a>, <a href='#Page_158'>158</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Gobarrow, wild park of, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Gordon, Alexander, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Eleanor Vere, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a><i>n</i>, her marriage, <a href='#Page_176'>176</a>; - <ul> - <li>talent for drawing, <a href='#Page_176'>176</a>;</li> - <li>result of her works, <a href='#Page_177'>177</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lady Frederick, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Sir James, <a href='#Page_23'>23</a></li> - <li class='c040'>“Gourley Ailsie,” <a href='#Page_44'>44</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Gower, Hon. Frederick Leveson, <a href='#Page_87'>87</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Grafton, Duke of, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Gray, Lady Mary de, <a href='#Page_280'>280</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Gregory XVI., Pope, his death, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Greville, Mr Charles and Lady Charlotte, <a href='#Page_282'>282</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Mr Henry, <a href='#Page_227'>227</a>, <a href='#Page_282'>282</a>; - <ul> - <li>his reunions, <a href='#Page_228'>228</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Grey, Countess de, <a href='#Page_281'>281</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Earl de, <a href='#Page_281'>281</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Greystoke Castle, Cumberland, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Grimston, Mrs Edward, <a href='#Page_83'>83</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Grove, The, <a href='#Page_269'>269</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Guernsey, island of, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Guidi, Casa, <a href='#Page_217'>217</a></li> - <li class='c003'>Hackman, Captain, <a href='#Page_275'>275</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Halifax, William, Marquis of, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'><span class='pageno' id='Page_293'>293</span>Hallé, Charles, <a href='#Page_226'>226</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Hamilton, Elizabeth, Dow.-Duchess of, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lord, <a href='#Page_282'>282</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Hampton Court, <a href='#Page_31'>31</a>, <a href='#Page_39'>39</a>; - <ul> - <li>gardens, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a>;</li> - <li>number of visitors, <a href='#Page_43'>43</a>;</li> - <li>maze, <a href='#Page_44'>44</a>;</li> - <li>pictures, <a href='#Page_45'>45</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Hanover, H.R.H. Princess Frederica of, <a href='#Page_45'>45</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Harte, Bret, extract from his parodies, <a href='#Page_213'>213</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Hastings, Florence, Lady, her marriage, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Marq. of, <a href='#Page_280'>280</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Havilland Hall, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Hayter, Sir George, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— John, his sketch of Charles Boyle, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Higham Ferrers, <a href='#Page_184'>184</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Hinchingbrooke, <a href='#Page_272'>272</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Hogarth, Georgina, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Hoggins, Sarah, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Mr Thomas, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Holland, Lady, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Henry Edward, Lord, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a>, <a href='#Page_201'>201</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Home, Sir Abraham, <a href='#Page_280'>280</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Horner, John, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a></li> - <li class='c040'>“Hotspur,” <a href='#Page_150'>150</a>; - <ul> - <li>his appearance on the stage, <a href='#Page_151'>151</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Houghton, Lord, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a>; - <ul> - <li>at the <i>bal costumé</i>, <a href='#Page_167'>167</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Howard, Charlotte, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Henrietta Anna, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lady Henry, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lord Henry, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Isabella Catharine, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Juliene, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Miss, <a href='#Page_34'>34</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lady Rachel, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Mr Stafford, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lord Thomas, the ghost of, <a href='#Page_96'>96</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Hutin, Henri, <a href='#Page_103'>103</a></li> - <li class='c003'>Illidge, her eccentricities, <a href='#Page_66'>66</a>; - <ul> - <li>appearance and dress, <a href='#Page_66'>66</a>;</li> - <li>story of Mrs Garrick, <a href='#Page_67'>67</a>-<a href='#Page_70'>70</a>;</li> - <li>adventure with a burglar, <a href='#Page_70'>70</a>-<a href='#Page_72'>72</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Ippisley, Sir John, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Irving, Sir Henry, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a></li> - <li class='c003'><span class='pageno' id='Page_294'>294</span>Ischia, island of, <a href='#Page_136'>136</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Italy, disturbances in, <a href='#Page_221'>221</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Ives, John, his act of heroism, <a href='#Page_46'>46</a>-<a href='#Page_48'>48</a></li> - <li class='c003'>Jakeman, Mr, <a href='#Page_260'>260</a></li> - <li class='c040'>James, G. P. R., friendship for Mary Boyle, <a href='#Page_152'>152</a>; - <ul> - <li>for Landor, <a href='#Page_262'>262</a>;</li> - <li>character, <a href='#Page_262'>262</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Jerrold, Douglas, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a>, <a href='#Page_237'>237</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Jones, Mr, <a href='#Page_185'>185</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Jordan, Mrs, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a>, <a href='#Page_159'>159</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Joseph, of Arimathæa, legend of, <a href='#Page_54'>54</a></li> - <li class='c003'>Kaulbach, <a href='#Page_188'>188</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Kean, Mr and Mrs, their love story, <a href='#Page_173'>173</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Keeley, Mr and Mrs, <a href='#Page_34'>34</a>, <a href='#Page_236'>236</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Kemble, Adelaide, <a href='#Page_282'>282</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Charles, <a href='#Page_225'>225</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Fanny, <a href='#Page_98'>98</a>, <a href='#Page_200'>200</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Kléber, Marshal, Governor of Cairo, <a href='#Page_7'>7</a>; - <ul> - <li>his treatment of Captain C. Boyle, <a href='#Page_7'>7</a>;</li> - <li>assassinated, <a href='#Page_8'>8</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c003'>Lagerschwerd, Casa, <a href='#Page_210'>210</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Lake, Sir Willoughby, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Landor, Walter Savage, <a href='#Page_262'>262</a>; - <ul> - <li>friendship with G. P. R. James, <a href='#Page_262'>262</a>;</li> - <li>his character, <a href='#Page_262'>262</a>, <a href='#Page_264'>264</a>;</li> - <li>fondness for dogs, <a href='#Page_263'>263</a>;</li> - <li>inscription on the rescue of Caroline Boyle, <a href='#Page_264'>264</a>;</li> - <li>tone of his voice, <a href='#Page_265'>265</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Lansdowne, Lord, <a href='#Page_250'>250</a>; - <ul> - <li>his collection of art treasures, <a href='#Page_251'>251</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Henry, Marq. of, <a href='#Page_252'>252</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Lathom, Countess of, <a href='#Page_270'>270</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_272'>272</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Earl of, <a href='#Page_270'>270</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Lawrence, Sir Thomas, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Leech, John, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Lehmann, Mr, <a href='#Page_239'>239</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Leigh, Colonel, <a href='#Page_180'>180</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Leighton, Frederick, <a href='#Page_226'>226</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Lemon, Mark, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Lennox, Lady Sophia, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Leopold II., Grand Duke of Tuscany, his Civic grant, <a href='#Page_216'>216</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Leslie, Lady Constance, <a href='#Page_282'>282</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Sir John, <a href='#Page_282'>282</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Lever, Charles, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>, <a href='#Page_210'>210</a>; - <ul> - <li>his entry into Florence, <a href='#Page_211'>211</a>;</li> - <li>tenant of Casa Standish, <a href='#Page_211'>211</a>;</li> - <li>his acting, <a href='#Page_212'>212</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'><span class='pageno' id='Page_295'>295</span>Lewis, Sir George Cornwall, <a href='#Page_269'>269</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lady Theresa, <a href='#Page_270'>270</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Lima, River, <a href='#Page_115'>115</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Limerick, Edmund Henry, Earl of, <a href='#Page_146'>146</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Lipona, Countess, <a href='#Page_153'>153</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Lisle, Lady de, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Lister, Lady Theresa, <a href='#Page_269'>269</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Thomas Henry, <a href='#Page_269'>269</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Sir Villiers, <a href='#Page_271'>271</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Loch, Lord, <a href='#Page_270'>270</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lady, <a href='#Page_270'>270</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Long, Elizabeth, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>“Long George,” <a href='#Page_17'>17</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Longleat, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a>, <a href='#Page_55'>55</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Lowe, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Lucca, baths of, <a href='#Page_114'>114</a>; - <ul> - <li>ball at, <a href='#Page_118'>118</a>;</li> - <li>religious festival, <a href='#Page_120'>120</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Duchy of, <a href='#Page_123'>123</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Duchess of, <a href='#Page_119'>119</a>; - <ul> - <li>lines on, <a href='#Page_121'>121</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Duke of, <a href='#Page_119'>119</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Lupus, taming of, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Lytton, Countess of, <a href='#Page_270'>270</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Sir E. Bulwer, letter to Mary Boyle, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Lyveden, Lord, <a href='#Page_251'>251</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c003'>Macdonald, Marshal, <a href='#Page_153'>153</a></li> - <li class='c040'>MacDougall, Colonel, <a href='#Page_176'>176</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Manny, Madame de, <a href='#Page_220'>220</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Mansell, Henry, <a href='#Page_76'>76</a>; - <ul> - <li>peculiarities, <a href='#Page_76'>76</a>;</li> - <li>fondness for travelling, <a href='#Page_76'>76</a>;</li> - <li>talents, <a href='#Page_77'>77</a>;</li> - <li>death, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Manvers, Earl, <a href='#Page_279'>279</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Maria Theresa, Empress, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Marlborough, Sarah, Duchess of, <a href='#Page_255'>255</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Marston Bigot, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Masquerade, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a>-<a href='#Page_112'>112</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Mayoress, Lady, anecdote of, <a href='#Page_32'>32</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Mazzini, <a href='#Page_112'>112</a></li> - <li class='c040'>McKenzie, Anne Hay, <a href='#Page_65'>65</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'><i>Meander</i>, <a href='#Page_10'>10</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Mells Park, <a href='#Page_55'>55</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Melville, Whyte, <a href='#Page_254'>254</a></li> - <li class='c040'><i>Merry Monarch, The</i>, <a href='#Page_227'>227</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Metastasio, lines from, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Michau, Madame, <a href='#Page_85'>85</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— M., anecdote of, <a href='#Page_86'>86</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Midgham Cottage, <a href='#Page_66'>66</a>; - <ul> - <li>burglary at, <a href='#Page_70'>70</a>-<a href='#Page_72'>72</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— House, Berkshire, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a>, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a></li> - <li class='c040'><span class='pageno' id='Page_296'>296</span>Milan, <a href='#Page_224'>224</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Millard’s Hill, <a href='#Page_163'>163</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Minto, Lord, <a href='#Page_81'>81</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Mitchell, Dr, <a href='#Page_102'>102</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Montagu, Sir Sydney, <a href='#Page_273'>273</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Montague, Viscount, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>; - <ul> - <li>drowned, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Montgomery, Alfred, <a href='#Page_37'>37</a>, <a href='#Page_41'>41</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Moore, General Sir Lorenzo, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_205'>205</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Miss Zacyntha, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_205'>205</a>; - <ul> - <li>her marriage, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Mordaunt, Anna Maria, maid of honour to Queen Caroline, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a>; - <ul> - <li>her marriage, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a>;</li> - <li>appointed Governess to the Duke of Cumberland, <a href='#Page_65'>65</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Morier, Miss, <a href='#Page_83'>83</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Moulineaux, Villa des, <a href='#Page_236'>236</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Mount Edgcumbe, Richard, Earl of, <a href='#Page_147'>147</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Munich, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>; - <ul> - <li>dramatic performances at, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Murat, Joachim, <a href='#Page_152'>152</a>; - <ul> - <li>his portrait, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a>;</li> - <li>military weapons, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c003'>Napier, Sir William, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>; - <ul> - <li>appearance and characteristics, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a>;</li> - <li>lines on, <a href='#Page_172'>172</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Naples, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a>; - <ul> - <li>feast of Madonna dell’ Arco, <a href='#Page_140'>140</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Napoleon I., <a href='#Page_152'>152</a>; - <ul> - <li>his portrait, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>“Narcissus,” <a href='#Page_164'>164</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Nelson, Lord, his letters, <a href='#Page_6'>6</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Norfolk, Bernard, Duke of, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Charles, Duke of, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Normanby, Lord, <a href='#Page_169'>169</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Northampton, Charles, 3rd Marq. of, <a href='#Page_87'>87</a>; - <ul> - <li>his marriage, <a href='#Page_280'>280</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— William, Marq. of, <a href='#Page_87'>87</a>, <a href='#Page_226'>226</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c003'>O’Brien, Mr Stafford, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Oetting, Count Karl von, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Ogilvay, Sir John, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Ogle, Miss Mary, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a><i>n</i>; - <ul> - <li>her marriage, <a href='#Page_158'>158</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Ogle, W. Wallace, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Orleans dynasty, downfall, <a href='#Page_214'>214</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Orper, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Orrery, Earl of, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Ossington, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Overbeck, <a href='#Page_132'>132</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Oxford, Wilberforce, Bishop of, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a></li> - <li class='c040'><span class='pageno' id='Page_297'>297</span>“Pacolet,” <a href='#Page_94'>94</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Paestum, <a href='#Page_136'>136</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Paget, Lady Florence, <a href='#Page_280'>280</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lady Mary, <a href='#Page_272'>272</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Pallavicini, Marchese Fabio, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a>, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Parma, Duchy of, <a href='#Page_123'>123</a></li> - <li class='c040'><i>Pearl</i>, The, <a href='#Page_144'>144</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Pell, Sir Watkin, <a href='#Page_23'>23</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Perry, Lady Lucy, <a href='#Page_146'>146</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Perugini, Kate, <a href='#Page_236'>236</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Peterborough, Earl of, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Petty, Lord Henry, <a href='#Page_250'>250</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Pierrepont, Rt. Hon. Henry, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Pinelli, <a href='#Page_132'>132</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Pipa, Comtesse, <a href='#Page_204'>204</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Pisa, <a href='#Page_145'>145</a>; - <ul> - <li>festival of St Ranieri, <a href='#Page_145'>145</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Pius IX., Pope, his accession, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a> - <ul> - <li>popularity, <a href='#Page_196'>196</a>;</li> - <li>witty sayings, <a href='#Page_196'>196</a>;</li> - <li>the “Possesso,” <a href='#Page_197'>197</a>-<a href='#Page_199'>199</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Play, the first, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>-<a href='#Page_29'>29</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Poggi, Miss, <a href='#Page_84'>84</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Pompeii, <a href='#Page_136'>136</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Ponsonby, Frederic, <a href='#Page_256'>256</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Sir Henry, <a href='#Page_256'>256</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Portarlington, Earl of, <a href='#Page_282'>282</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Portland, Duke of, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Posillippo, <a href='#Page_135'>135</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Powder-Monkey Bay, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Power, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Poyntz, Carolina Amelia, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Charlotte Louisa, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Elizabeth, <a href='#Page_255'>255</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Georgiana Anne, <a href='#Page_55'>55</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Isabella, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Stephen, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Mrs Stephen, appointed governess to the Duke of Cumberland, <a href='#Page_65'>65</a>; - <ul> - <li>intercedes for Lord Cromartie’s life, <a href='#Page_65'>65</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— William, <a href='#Page_4'>4</a>, <a href='#Page_55'>55</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a>; - <ul> - <li>loss of his sons, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a>;</li> - <li>character, <a href='#Page_61'>61</a>;</li> - <li>political views, <a href='#Page_62'>62</a>;</li> - <li>death, <a href='#Page_163'>163</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c003'>Quarto, Villa, <a href='#Page_204'>204</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Queensberry, Duchess of, <a href='#Page_66'>66</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Quin, Captain, <a href='#Page_259'>259</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lord George, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_230'>230</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Quorn Hounds, Master of the, <a href='#Page_97'>97</a></li> - <li class='c003'><span class='pageno' id='Page_298'>298</span>Race, one-legged, <a href='#Page_23'>23</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Ravenna, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a>; - <ul> - <li>pine-forest, <a href='#Page_192'>192</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Ray, Miss, her romantic story, <a href='#Page_275'>275</a>; - <ul> - <li>tragic death, <a href='#Page_276'>276</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Reinhardt, <a href='#Page_132'>132</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Reynolds, Samuel, his painting of Charles Boyle, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Richardson, Joseph, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Miss, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a>, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a>, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Roche-Jacquelin, Madame de la, <a href='#Page_128'>128</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Rochester, Earl of, <a href='#Page_273'>273</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Rockingham Castle, <a href='#Page_230'>230</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Rolle, Lord, at the coronation of Queen Victoria, <a href='#Page_161'>161</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Rome, <a href='#Page_129'>129</a>, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a>; - <ul> - <li>first impression of, <a href='#Page_130'>130</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Rosetta, <a href='#Page_7'>7</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Rothesay, Lord Stuart de, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'><i>Rough Diamond, The</i>, <a href='#Page_256'>256</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Royal Academy, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Ruberti, General, Commandant of Sant’ Elmo, <a href='#Page_138'>138</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Ruffini, Giovanni, “Lorenzo Benoni,” <a href='#Page_113'>113</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Russell, Lady Louisa, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a></li> - <li class='c003'>Salcey Forest, <a href='#Page_184'>184</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Salt-Hill, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a></li> - <li class='c040'><i>Saltarello</i>, dance, <a href='#Page_195'>195</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Salviati, Villa, <a href='#Page_205'>205</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Sandwich, Edward, 1st Earl of, <a href='#Page_273'>273</a>; - <ul> - <li>his character, <a href='#Page_274'>274</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— 3rd Earl of, <a href='#Page_273'>273</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— John, 4th Earl of, <a href='#Page_274'>274</a>; - <ul> - <li>anecdote of, <a href='#Page_274'>274</a>;</li> - <li>nickname, <a href='#Page_275'>275</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— George, 6th Earl of, <a href='#Page_272'>272</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— 7th Earl of, <a href='#Page_272'>272</a><i>n</i>; - <ul> - <li>his second marriage, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Edward, 8th Earl of, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lady, her death, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Santley, Charles, <a href='#Page_226'>226</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Sark, Island of, <a href='#Page_174'>174</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Sartoris, Adelaide, <a href='#Page_200'>200</a>, <a href='#Page_225'>225</a>, <a href='#Page_282'>282</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Sartoris, Mr Edward, <a href='#Page_227'>227</a>, <a href='#Page_282'>282</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Saville, Dorothy, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Schaffhausen, Falls of, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Sefton, Lord, <a href='#Page_271'>271</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Sevastopol, news of the taking, <a href='#Page_276'>276</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Seymour, Frederick, <a href='#Page_82'>82</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Sir Horace, <a href='#Page_154'>154</a></li> - <li class='c040'><span class='pageno' id='Page_299'>299</span>Seymour, Horace, <a href='#Page_257'>257</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Sheerness, Dockyard, <a href='#Page_15'>15</a>; - <ul> - <li>members of the boats’ crew, <a href='#Page_16'>16</a>;</li> - <li>convicts, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>-<a href='#Page_19'>19</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Shelburne, Lord, <a href='#Page_251'>251</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Shelley, Miss Fanny Lucy, <a href='#Page_147'>147</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Sir John, <a href='#Page_147'>147</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— lines from, <a href='#Page_192'>192</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Sheridan, Charlie, <a href='#Page_41'>41</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Frank, <a href='#Page_37'>37</a>, <a href='#Page_41'>41</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Thomas, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Sherwood Forest, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Simons, Louisa, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Skelmersdale, Lord, <a href='#Page_270'>270</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Smith, Rev. Loraine, <a href='#Page_183'>183</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Admiral Sir Sidney, <a href='#Page_9'>9</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Rev. William, <a href='#Page_182'>182</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Smugglers, encounter with, <a href='#Page_91'>91</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Somerset, Edward, Duke of, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Georgina, Duchess of, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— House, <a href='#Page_30'>30</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Sondes, Lord, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_230'>230</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Sorrento, <a href='#Page_136'>136</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Southampton, Charles, Lord, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_98'>98</a>, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Spencer, Earl, <a href='#Page_213'>213</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Elizabeth, Countess, <a href='#Page_11'>11</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Hon. Frederic, <a href='#Page_255'>255</a>; - <ul> - <li>character, <a href='#Page_255'>255</a>;</li> - <li>death, <a href='#Page_261'>261</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lady Georgiana, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— John, <a href='#Page_255'>255</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lady, <a href='#Page_82'>82</a>, <a href='#Page_256'>256</a>, <a href='#Page_257'>257</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Hon. Robert, <a href='#Page_259'>259</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Sarah, <a href='#Page_261'>261</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Stackpole, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Standish, Lady Lucy, <a href='#Page_146'>146</a>; - <ul> - <li>her theatre, <a href='#Page_146'>146</a>;</li> - <li>actors and actresses, <a href='#Page_147'>147</a>-<a href='#Page_151'>151</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Mr Rowland, <a href='#Page_146'>146</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Stanfield, Clarkson, his <i>chef-d’œuvres</i>, <a href='#Page_251'>251</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Stanhope, Hon. Fitzroy, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Harriet, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Hon. Henry Fitzroy, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Captain Robert, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Stanley, Lord, <a href='#Page_279'>279</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Stephenson, Rowland, <a href='#Page_146'>146</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Stewart-Mackenzie, Rt. Hon. James A <a href='#Page_267'>267</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Stone, Frank, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Marcus, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a></li> - <li class='c040'><span class='pageno' id='Page_300'>300</span>Stourhead, <a href='#Page_54'>54</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Strafford, Alice, Countess of, <a href='#Page_282'>282</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Earl of, <a href='#Page_227'>227</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'><i>Stranger, The</i>, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Stratford, Lady, <a href='#Page_266'>266</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Stratford de Redcliffe, Lord, <a href='#Page_265'>265</a>; - <ul> - <li>appearance, <a href='#Page_266'>266</a>;</li> - <li>anecdote of, <a href='#Page_266'>266</a>;</li> - <li>lines on Mary Boyle, <a href='#Page_266'>266</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Suffolk, Lady, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lord, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a><i>n</i>, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Sunderland, 3rd Earl of, <a href='#Page_255'>255</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Sutherland, Duchess of, <a href='#Page_65'>65</a></li> - <li class='c003'><i>Tableaux Vivants</i>, <a href='#Page_82'>82</a>, <a href='#Page_256'>256</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Talbot, Countess of, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Talleyrand de Perigord, Marq., <a href='#Page_150'>150</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Talmont, Princesse de, <a href='#Page_128'>128</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Tavistock House, <a href='#Page_235'>235</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Taylor, Tom, <a href='#Page_251'>251</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Teck, Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of, at Hinchingbrooke, <a href='#Page_276'>276</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Tegern, lake of, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Templeton, Viscountess of, <a href='#Page_272'>272</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Tenby, <a href='#Page_164'>164</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Tennyson, Lord, <a href='#Page_140'>140</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Thackeray, W. M., “Onet y Oneth,” <a href='#Page_213'>213</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Thistle, <a href='#Page_115'>115</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Thorpe, house-steward at Althorp, <a href='#Page_257'>257</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Thorwaldsen, <a href='#Page_131'>131</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Thrush, anecdote of a, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a>-<a href='#Page_50'>50</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Thynne, Lord John, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a></li> - <li class='c040'>“Tidy Dick,” <a href='#Page_18'>18</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Tivoli, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Townshend, Lady John, <a href='#Page_80'>80</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lord John, <a href='#Page_3'>3</a>, <a href='#Page_55'>55</a>; - <ul> - <li>his epitaph on Charlotte Boyle, <a href='#Page_13'>13</a>;</li> - <li>eccentricities, <a href='#Page_80'>80</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Tree, Ellen, <a href='#Page_173'>173</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Turin, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Tuscan revolution, <a href='#Page_216'>216</a></li> - <li class='c003'>Ungher, Madame, <a href='#Page_106'>106</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Urvins, his picture, <a href='#Page_141'>141</a></li> - <li class='c003'>Vansittart, Mrs, <a href='#Page_203'>203</a>, <a href='#Page_205'>205</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Vernet, Horace, <a href='#Page_131'>131</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Vernon, Hon. Gowran, <a href='#Page_251'>251</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Vestris, Madame, <a href='#Page_34'>34</a></li> - <li class='c040'><span class='pageno' id='Page_301'>301</span>Vesuvius, eruptions of, <a href='#Page_136'>136</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Victoria, Queen, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a>, <a href='#Page_160'>160</a>; - <ul> - <li>reception at the Opera House, <a href='#Page_161'>161</a>;</li> - <li>coronation, <a href='#Page_161'>161</a>;</li> - <li>at the <i>bal costumé</i>, <a href='#Page_166'>166</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Villiers, Rt. Hon. Charles Pelham, <a href='#Page_269'>269</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Hon. Francis, <a href='#Page_271'>271</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lieut.-Col. the Hon. George, <a href='#Page_271'>271</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Lady Theresa, <a href='#Page_271'>271</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Violette, Mdlle., her début at Drury Lane, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Vyner, Henry, <a href='#Page_280'>280</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Theodosia, her marriage, <a href='#Page_280'>280</a></li> - <li class='c003'>Walpole, Horace, on Mdlle. Violette, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Ward, Baron, <a href='#Page_123'>123</a>, <a href='#Page_214'>214</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Miss, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Waterford, Lady, <a href='#Page_278'>278</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Watson, Mrs, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a>, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Hon. Richard, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Watts, George, his drawing of Charles Boyle, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a>; - <ul> - <li>painting of Sir William</li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c003'><span class='pageno' id='Page_302'>302</span>Napier, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a>; - <ul> - <li>at the Villa Careggi, <a href='#Page_202'>202</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Weedon, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Wellington, Duke of, <a href='#Page_37'>37</a>, <a href='#Page_161'>161</a>, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a><i>n</i></li> - <li class='c040'>Westbrook Hayes, <a href='#Page_265'>265</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Westminster Abbey, <a href='#Page_31'>31</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Whittlebury Lodge, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Wigan, Alfred, <a href='#Page_227'>227</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Wigan Rectory, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a></li> - <li class='c040'>William IV., his accession, <a href='#Page_99'>99</a>; - <ul> - <li>failing health, <a href='#Page_158'>158</a>;</li> - <li>attempt on his life, <a href='#Page_159'>159</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>Williams, Sir Thomas, <a href='#Page_21'>21</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Willis, Annie, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Wolf-dog, taming a, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Wrest Park, <a href='#Page_281'>281</a></li> - <li class='c003'>Yates, Edmund, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a></li> - <li class='c040'>Young, Charles, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>, <a href='#Page_166'>166</a>; - <ul> - <li>his romantic story, <a href='#Page_167'>167</a></li> - </ul> - </li> - <li class='c040'>—— Giulia, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a></li> - <li class='c040'>—— Julian, Chaplain to Hampton Court Palace, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a></li> -</ul> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c003'> - <div>PRINTED AT THE EDINBURGH PRESS, 9 AND 11 YOUNG STREET</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c003' /> -</div> -<p class='c007'> </p> -<div class='tnbox'> - - <ul class='ul_1 c003'> - <li>Transcriber’s Notes: - <ul class='ul_2'> - <li>Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected. - </li> - <li>Typographical errors were silently corrected. - </li> - <li>Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when a predominant - form was found in this book. - </li> - </ul> - </li> - </ul> - -</div> -<p class='c007'> </p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Mary Boyle--Her Book, by Mary Louisa Boyle - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARY BOYLE--HER BOOK *** - -***** This file should be named 63748-h.htm or 63748-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/3/7/4/63748/ - -Produced by Fay Dunn, Barry Abrahamsen, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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