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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/5414.txt b/5414.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b2d53c0 --- /dev/null +++ b/5414.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2062 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Memoirs of Count Grammont, Volume 6 +by Anthony Hamilton + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere 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 + + +Title: The Memoirs of Count Grammont, Volume 6 + +Author: Anthony Hamilton + +Release Date: December 4, 2004 [EBook #5414] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COUNT GRAMMONT *** + + + + +Produced by David Widger + + + + + + MEMOIRS OF COUNT GRAMMONT, VOLUME 6. + + By Anthony Hamilton + + EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY SIR WALTER SCOTT + + + + + CHAPTER TENTH. + + OTHER LOVE INTRIGUES AT THE ENGLISH COURT. + + +The conversation before related was agreeable only to Miss Hobart; for if +Miss Temple was entertained with its commencement, she was so much the +more irritated by its conclusion this indignation was succeeded by the +curiosity of knowing the reason why, if Sidney had a real esteem for her, +she should not be allowed to pay some attention to him. + +As soon as they retired from the closet, Miss Sarah came out of the bath, +where during all this conversation, she had been almost perished with +cold, without daring to complain. This little gipsy had, it seems, +obtained leave of Miss Hobart's woman to bathe herself unknown to her +mistress; and having, I know not how, found means to fill one of the +baths with cold water, Miss Sarah had just got into it, when they were +both alarmed with the arrival of the other two. A glass partition +enclosed the room where the baths were, and Indian silk curtains, which +drew on the inside, screened those that were bathing. Miss Hobart's +chamber-maid had only just time to draw these curtains, that the girl +might not be seen to lock the partition door, and to take away the key, +before her mistress and Miss Temple came in. + +These two sat down on a couch placed along the partition, and Miss Sarah, +notwithstanding her alarms, had distinctly heard, and perfectly retained +the whole conversation. As the little girl was at all this trouble to +make herself clean, only on Lord Rochester's account, as soon as ever she +could make her escape she regained her garret; where Rochester, having +repaired thither at the appointed hour, was fully informed of all that +had passed in the bathing room. He was astonished at the audacious +temerity of Hobart, in daring to put such a trick upon him; but, though +he rightly judged that love and jealousy were the real motives, he would +not excuse her. Little Sarah desired to know whether he had a real +affection for Miss Temple, as Miss Hobart said she supposed that was the +case. "Can you doubt it," replied he, "since that oracle of sincerity +has affirmed it? But then you know that I am not now capable of +profiting by my perfidy, were I even to gain Miss Temple's compliance, +since my debauches and the street-walkers have brought me to order." + +This answer made Miss Sarah very easy, for she concluded that the first +article was not true, since she knew from experience that the latter was +false. Lord Rochester was resolved that very evening to attend the +duchess's court, to see what reception he would meet with after the fine +portrait Miss Hobart had been so kind as to draw of him. Miss Temple +did not fail to be there likewise, with the intention of looking on him +with the most contemptuous disdain possible, though she had taken care to +dress herself as well as she could. As she supposed that the lampoon +Miss Hobart had sung to her was in everybody's possession, she was under +great embarrassment lest all those whom she met should think her such a +monster as Lord Rochester had described her. In the mean time, Miss +Hobart, who had not much confidence in her promises never more to speak +to him, narrowly watched her. Miss Temple never in her life appeared so +handsome every person complimented her upon it; but she received all the +civilities with such an air, that every one thought she was mad; for when +they commended her shape, her fresh complexion, and the brilliancy of her +eyes: "Pshaw," said she, "it is very well known that I am but a monster, +and formed in no respect like other women: all is not gold that glisters; +and though I may receive some compliments in public, it signifies +nothing." All Miss Hobart's endeavours to stop her tongue were +ineffectual; and continuing to rail at herself ironically, the whole +court was puzzled to comprehend her meaning. + +When Lord Rochester came in, she first blushed, then turned pale, made a +motion to go towards him, drew back again, pulled her gloves one after +the other up to the elbow; and after having three times violently flirted +her fan, she waited until he paid his compliments to her as usual, and as +soon as he began to bow, the fair one immediately turned her back upon +him. Rochester only smiled, and being resolved that her resentment +should be still more remarked, he turned round and posting himself face +to face: "Madam," said he, "nothing can be so glorious as to look so +charming as you do, after such a fatiguing day: to support a ride of +three long hours, and Miss Hobart afterwards, without being tired, +shows indeed a very strong constitution." + +Miss Temple had naturally a tender look, but she was transported with +such a violent passion at his having the audacity to speak to her, that +her eyes appeared like two fireballs when she turned them upon him. +Hobart pinched her arm, as she perceived that this look was likely to be +followed by a torrent of reproaches and invectives. + +Lord Rochester did not wait for them, and delaying until another +opportunity the acknowledgments he owed Miss Hobart, he quietly retired. +The latter, who could not imagine that he knew anything of their +conversation at the bath, was, however, much alarmed at what he had said; +but Miss Temple, almost choked with the reproaches with which she thought +herself able to confound him and which she had not time to give vent +to, vowed to ease her mind of them upon the first opportunity, +notwithstanding the promise she had made; but never more to speak +to him afterwards. + +Lord Rochester had a faithful spy near these nymphs: this was Miss Sarah, +who, by his advice, and with her aunt's consent, was reconciled with Miss +Hobart, the more effectually to betray her: he was informed by this spy, +that Miss Hobart's maid, being suspected of having listened to them in +the closet, had been turned away; that she had taken another, whom in all +probability, she would not keep long, because, in the first place, she +was ugly, and, in the second, she eat the sweetmeats that were prepared +for Miss Temple. Although this intelligence was not very material, Sarah +was nevertheless praised for her punctuality and attention; and a few +days afterwards she brought him news of real importance. + +Rochester was by her informed, that Miss Hobart and her new favourite +designed, about nine o'clock in the evening to walk in the Mall, in the +Park; that they were to change clothes with each other, to put on scarfs, +and wear black-masks: she added, that Miss Hobart had strongly opposed +this project, but that she was obliged to give way at last, Miss Temple +having resolved to indulge her fancy. + +Upon the strength of this intelligence, Rochester concerted his measures: +he went to Killegrew, complained to him of the trick which Miss Hobart +had played him, and desired his assistance in order to be revenged: this +was readily granted, and having acquainted him with the measures he +intended to pursue, and given him the part he was to act in this +adventure, they went to the Mall. + +Presently after appeared our two nymphs in masquerade: their shapes were +not very different, and their faces, which were very unlike each other, +were concealed with their masks. The company was but thin in the Park; +and as soon as Miss Temple perceived them at a distance, she quickened +her pace in order to join them, with the design, under her disguise, +severely to reprimand the perfidious Rochester; when Miss Hobart stopping +her: "Where are you running to?" said she; "have you a mind to engage in +conversation with these two devils, to be exposed to all the insolence +and impertinence for which they are so notorious?" These remonstrances +were entirely useless: Miss Temple was resolved to try the experiment: +and all that could be obtained from her, was, not to answer any of the +questions Rochester might ask her. + +They were accosted just as they had done speaking: Rochester fixed upon +Hobart, pretending to take her for the other; at which she was overjoyed; +but Miss Temple was extremely sorry she fell to Killegrew's share, with +whom she had nothing to do: he perceived her uneasiness, and, pretending +to know her by her clothes: "Ah! Miss Hobart," said he, "be so kind as +look this way if you please: I know not by what chance you both came +hither, but I am sure it is very apropos for you, since I have something +to say to you, as your friend and humble servant." + +This beginning raising her curiosity, Miss Temple appeared more inclined +to attend him; and Killegrew perceiving that the other couple had +insensibly proceeded some distance from them: "In the name of God," said +he: "what do you mean by railing so against Lord Rochester, whom you know +to be one of the most honourable men at court, and whom you nevertheless +described as the greatest villain, to the person whom of all others he +esteems and respects the most? What do you think would become of you, if +he knew that you made Miss Temple believe she is the person alluded to in +a certain song, which you know as well as myself was made upon the clumsy +Miss Price, above a year before the fair Temple was heard of? Be not +surprised that I know so much of the matter; but pay a little attention, +I pray you, to what I am now going to tell you out of pure friendship: +your passion and inclinations for Miss Temple are known to every one but +herself; for whatever methods you used to impose upon her innocence, the +world does her the justice to believe that she would treat you as Lady +Falmouth did, if the poor girl knew the wicked designs you had upon her: +I caution you, therefore, against making any farther advances, to a +person, too modest to listen to them: I advise you likewise to take back +your maid again, in order to silence her scandalous tongue; for she says +everywhere, that she is with child, that you are the occasion of her +being in that condition, and accuses you of behaving towards her with the +blackest ingratitude, upon trifling suspicions only: you know very well, +these are no stories of my own invention; but that you may not entertain +any manner of doubt, that I had all this from her own mouth, she has told +me your conversation in the bathing-room, the characters you there drew +of the principal men at court, your artful malice in applying so +improperly a scandalous song to one of the loveliest women in all +England; and in what manner the innocent girl fell into the snare you had +laid for her, in order to do justice to her charms. But that which might +be of the most fatal consequences to you in that long conversation, is +the revealing certain secrets, which, in all probability, the duchess did +not entrust you with, to be imparted to the maids of honour: reflect upon +this, and neglect not to make some reparation to Sir Lyttleton, for the +ridicule with which you were pleased to load him. I know not whether he +had his information from your femme-de-chambre, but I am very certain +that he has sworn he will be revenged, and he is a man that keeps his +word; for after all, that you may not be deceived by his look, like that +of a Stoic, and his gravity, like that of a judge, I must acquaint you, +that he is the most passionate man living. Indeed, these invectives are +of the blackest and most horrible nature: he says it is most infamous, +that a wretch like yourself should find no other employment than to +blacken the characters of gentlemen, to gratify your jealousy; that if +you do not desist from such conduct for the future, he will immediately +complain of you; and that if her royal highness will not do him justice, +he is determined to do himself justice, and to run you through the body +with his own sword, though you were even in the arms of Miss Temple; and +that it is most scandalous that all the maids of honour should get into +your hands before they can look around them. + +"These things, madam, I thought it my duty to acquaint you with: you are +better able to judge than myself, whether what I have now advanced be +true, and I leave it to your own discretion to make what use you think +proper of my advice; but were I in your situation, I would endeavour to +reconcile Lord Rochester and Miss Temple. Once more I recommend to you +to take care that your endeavours to mislead her innocency, in order to +blast his honour, may not come to his knowledge; and do not estrange from +her a man who tenderly loves her, and whose probity is so great, that he +would not even suffer his eyes to wander towards her, if his intention +was not to make her his wife." + +Miss Temple observed her promise most faithfully during this discourse: +she did not even utter a single syllable, being seized with such +astonishment and confusion, that she quite lost the use of her tongue. + +Miss Hobart and Lord Rochester came up to her, while she was still in +amazement at the wonderful discoveries she had made; things in +themselves, in her opinion, almost incredible, but to the truth of which +she could not refuse her assent, upon examining the evidences and +circumstances on which they were founded. Never was confusion equal to +that with which her whole frame was seized by the foregoing recital. + +Rochester and Killegrew took leave of them before she recovered from her +surprise; but as soon as she had regained the free use of her senses, she +hastened back to St. James, without answering a single question that the +other put to her; and having locked herself up in her chamber, the fast +thing she did, was immediately to strip off Miss Hobart's clothes, lest +she should be contaminated by them; for after what she had been told +concerning her, she looked upon her as a monster, dreadful to the +innocence of the fair sex, of whatever sex she might be: she blushed at +the familiarities she had been drawn into with a creature, whose maid was +with child, though she never had been in any other service but hers: she +therefore returned her all her clothes, ordered her servant to bring back +all her own, and resolved never more to have any connection with her. +Miss Hobart, on the other hand, who supposed Killegrew had mistaken Miss +Temple for herself, could not comprehend what could induce her to give +herself such surprising airs, since that conversation; but being desirous +to come to an explanation, she ordered Miss Temple's maid to remain in +her apartments, and went to call upon Miss Temple herself, instead of +sending back her clothes; and being desirous to give her some proof of +friendship before they entered upon expostulations, she slipt softly into +her chamber, when she was in the very act of changing her linen, and +embraced her. Miss Temple finding herself in her arms before she had +taken notice of her, everything that Killegrew had mentioned, appeared +to her imagination: she fancied that she saw in her looks the eagerness +of a satyr, or, if possible, of some monster still more odious; and +disengaging herself with the highest indignation from her arms, she began +to shriek and cry in the most terrible manner, calling both heaven and +earth to her assistance. + +The first whom her cries raised were the governess and her niece. It was +near twelve o'clock at night: Miss Temple in her shift, almost frightened +to death, was pushing back with horror Miss Hobart, who approached her +with no other intent than to know the occasion of those transports. As +soon as the governess saw this scene, she began to lecture Miss Hobart +with all the eloquence of a real duenna: she demanded of her, whether she +thought it was for her that her royal highness kept the maids of honour? +whether she was not ashamed to come at such an unseasonable time of night +into their very apartments to commit such violences? and swore that she +would, the very next day, complain to the duchess. All this confirmed +Miss Temple in her mistaken notions: and Hobart was obliged to go away at +last, without being able to convince or bring to reason creatures, whom +she believed to be either distracted or mad. The next day Miss Sarah did +not fail to relate this adventure to her lover, telling him how Miss +Temple's cries had alarmed the maids of honour's apartment, and how +herself and her aunt, running to her assistance, had almost surprised +Miss Hobart in the very act. + +Two days after, the whole adventure, with the addition of several +embellishments, was made public: the governess swore to the truth of it, +and related in every company what a narrow escape Miss Temple had +experienced, and that Miss Sarah, her niece, had preserved her honour, +because, by Lord Rochester's excellent advice, she had forbidden her +all manner of connection with so dangerous a person. Miss Temple was +afterwards informed, that the song that had so greatly provoked her, +alluded to Miss Price only: this was confirmed to her by every person, +with additional execrations against Miss Hobart, for such a scandalous +imposition. Such great coldness after so much familiarity, made many +believe, that this adventure was not altogether a fiction. + +This had been sufficient to have disgraced Miss Hobart at court, and to +have totally ruined her reputation in London, had she not been, upon the +present, as well as upon a former occasion, supported by the duchess: +her royal highness pretended to treat the whole story as romantic and +visionary, or as solely arising from private pique: she chid Miss Temple, +for her impertinent credulity: turned away the governess and her niece, +for the lies with which she pretended they supported the imposture; and +did many improper things in order to re-establish Miss Hobart's honour, +which, however, she failed in accomplishing. She had her reasons for not +entirely abandoning her, as will appear in the sequel. + +Miss Temple, who continually reproached herself with injustice, with +respect to Lord Rochester, and who, upon the faith of Killegrew's word, +thought him the most Honourable man in England, was only solicitous to +find out some opportunity of easing her mind, by making him some +reparation for the rigour with which she had treated him: these +favourable dispositions, in the hands of a man of his character, might +have led to consequences of which she was not aware; but heaven did not +allow him an opportunity of profiting by them. + +Ever since he had first appeared at court he seldom failed being banished +from it, at least once in the year; for whenever a word presented itself +to his pen, or to his tongue, he immediately committed it to paper, or +produced it in conversation, without any manner of regard to the +consequences the ministers, the mistresses, and even the king himself, +were frequently the subjects of his sarcasms; and had not the prince, +whom he thus treated, been possessed of one of the most forgiving and +gentle tempers, his first disgrace had certainly been his last. + +Just at the time that Miss Temple was desirous of seeing him, in order to +apologize for the uneasiness which the infamous calumnies and black +aspersions of Miss Hobart had occasioned both of them, he was forbid the +court for the third time: he departed without having seen Miss Temple, +carried the disgraced governess down with him to his country seat, and +exerted all his endeavours to cultivate in her niece some dispositions +which she had for the stage; but though she did not make the same +improvement in this line, as she had by his other instructions, after he +had entertained both the niece and the aunt for some months in the +country, he got her entered in the king's company of comedians the next +winter; and the public was obliged to him for the prettiest, but at the +same time, the worst actress in the kingdom. + + [Though no name is given to this lady, there are circumstances + enough mentioned to fix on the celebrated Mrs. Barry, as the person + intended by the author. Mrs. Barry was introduced to the stage by + Lord Rochester, with whom she had an intrigue, the fruit of which + was a daughter, who lived to the age of thirteen years, and is often + mentioned in his collection of love-letters, printed in his works, + which were written to Mrs. Barry. On her first theatrical attempts, + so little hopes were entertained of her, that she was, as Cibber + declares, discharged the company at the end of the first year, among + others that were thought to be a useless expense to it. She was + well born; being daughter of Robert Barry, Esq., barrister at law; a + gentleman of an ancient family and good estate, who hurt his fortune + by his attachment to Charles I.; for whom he raised a regiment at + his own expense. Tony Aston, in his Supplement to Cibber's Apology, + says, she was woman to lady Shelton of Norfolk, who might have + belonged to the court. Curl, however, says, she was early taken + under the patronage of Lady Davenant. Both these accounts may be + true. The time of her appearance on the stage was probably not much + earlier that 1671; in which year she performed in Tom Essence, and + was, it may be conjectured, about the age of nineteen. Curl + mentions the great pains taken by Lord Rochester in instructing her; + which were repaid by the rapid progress she daily made in her + profession. She at last eclipsed all her competitors, and in the + part of Monimia established her reputation. From her performance in + this character, in that of Belvidera, and of Isabella, in the Fatal + Marriage, Downes says she acquired the name of the famous Mrs. + Barry, both at court and in the city. "Mrs. Barry," says Dryden, in + his Preface to Cleomenes, "always excellent, has in this tragedy + excelled herself, and gained a reputation beyond any woman I have + ever seen on the theatre." "In characters of greatness," says + Cibber, "Mrs. Barry had a presence of elevated dignity; her mien + and motion superb, and gracefully majestic; her voice full, clear, + and strong; so that no violence of passion could be too much for + her; and when distress or tenderness possessed her, she subsided + into the most affecting melody and softness. In the art of exciting + pity, she had a power beyond all the actresses I have yet seen, or + what your imagination can conceive. In scenes of anger, defiance, + or resentment, while she was impetuous and terrible, she poured out + the sentiment with an enchanting harmony; and it was this particular + excellence for which Dryden made her the above-recited compliment, + upon her acting Cassandra in his Cleomenes. She was the first + person whose merit was distinguished by the indulgence of having an + annual benefit play, which was granted to her alone in King James's + time, and which did not become common to others till the division of + this company, after the death of King William and Queen Mary."] + +About this time Talbot returned from Ireland: he soon felt the absence of +Miss Hamilton, who was then in the country with a relation, whom we shall +mention hereafter. A remnant of his former tenderness still subsisted in +his heart, notwithstanding his absence, and the promises he had given the +Chevalier de Grammont at parting: he now therefore endeavoured to banish +her entirely from his thoughts, by fixing his desires upon some other +object; but he saw no one in the queen's new court whom he thought worthy +of his attention: Miss Boynton, however, thought him worthy of hers. +Her, person was slender and delicate, to which a good complexion and +large motionless eyes gave at a distance an appearance of beauty, that +vanished upon nearer inspection: she affected to lisp, to languish, and +to have two or three fainting-fits a day. The first time that Talbot +cast his eyes upon her she was seized with one of these fits: he was told +that she swooned away upon his account: he believed it, was eager to +afford her assistance; and ever after that accident showed her some +kindness, more with the intention of saving her life, than to express any +affection he felt for her. This seeming tenderness was well received, +and at first she was visibly affected by it. Talbot was one of the +tallest men in England, and in all appearance one of the most robust; yet +she showed sufficiently that she was willing to expose the delicacy of +her constitution, to whatever might happen, in order to become his wife; +which event perhaps might then have taken place, as it did afterwards, +had not the charms of the fair Jennings at that time, proved an obstacle +to her wishes. + +I know not how it came to pass that he had not yet seen her; though he +had heard her much praised, and her prudence, wit, and vivacity equally +commended; he believed all this upon the faith of common report. He +thought it very singular that discretion and sprightliness should be so +intimately united in a person so young, more particularly in the midst of +a court where love and gallantry were so much in fashion; but he found +her personal accomplishments greatly to exceed whatever fame had reported +of them. + +As it was not long before he perceived he was in love, neither was it +long before he made a declaration of it: as his passion was likely enough +to be real, Miss Jennings thought she might believe him, without exposing +herself to the imputation of vanity. Talbot was possessed of a fine and +brilliant exterior, his manners were noble and majestic: besides this, he +was particularly distinguished by the favour and friendship of the duke; +but his most essential merit, with her, was his forty thousand pounds +a-year, landed property, besides his employments. All these qualities +came within the rules and maxims she had resolved to follow with respect +to lovers: thus, though he had not the satisfaction to obtain from her an +entire declaration of her sentiments, he had at least the pleasure of +being better received than those who had paid their addresses to her +before him. + +No person attempted to interrupt his happiness; and Miss Jennings, +perceiving that the duchess approved of Talbot's pretensions; and after +having well weighed the matter, and consulted her own inclinations, found +that her reason was more favourable to him than her heart, and that the +most she could do for his satisfaction was to marry him without +reluctance. + +Talbot, too fortunate in a preference which no man had before +experienced, did not examine whether it was to her heart or to her head +that he was indebted for it, and his thoughts were solely occupied in +hastening the accomplishment of his wishes: one would have sworn that the +happy minute was at hand; but love would no longer be love, if he did not +delight in obstructing, or in overturning the happiness of those who live +under his dominion. + +Talbot, who found nothing reprehensible either in the person, in the +conversation, or in the reputation of Miss Jennings, was however rather +concerned at a now acquaintance she had lately formed; and having taken +upon him to give her some cautions upon this subject, she was much +displeased at his conduct. + +Miss Price, formerly maid of honour, that had been set aside, as we have +before mentioned, upon her leaving the duchess's service, had recourse to +Lady Castlemaine's protection: she had a very entertaining wit: her +complaisance was adapted to all humours, and her own humour was possessed +of a fund of gaiety and sprightliness which diffused universal mirth and +merriment wherever she came. Her acquaintance with Miss Jennings was +prior to Talbot's. + +As she was thoroughly acquainted with all the intrigues of the court, she +related them without any manner of reserve to Miss Jennings, and her own +with the same frankness as the others: Miss Jennings was extremely well +pleased with her stories; for though she was determined to make no +experiment in love, but upon honourable terms, she however was desirous +of knowing from her recitals, all the different intrigues that were +carrying on: thus, as she was never wearied with her conversation, she +was overjoyed whenever she could see her. + +Talbot, who remarked the extreme relish she had for Miss Price's company, +thought that the reputation such a woman had in the world might prove +injurious to his mistress, more especially from the particular intimacy +there seemed to exist between them: whereupon, in the tone of a guardian +rather than a lover, he took upon him to chide her for the disreputable +company she kept. Miss Jennings was haughty beyond conception, when once +she took it into her head; and as she liked Miss Price's conversation +much better than Talbot's, she took the liberty of desiring him "to +attend to his own affairs, and that if he only came from Ireland to read +lectures about her conduct, he might take the trouble to go back as soon +as he pleased." He was offended at a sally which he thought ill-timed, +considering the situation of affairs between them; and went out of her +presence more abruptly than became the respect due from a man greatly in +love. He for some time appeared offended; but perceiving that he gained +nothing by such conduct, he grew weary of acting that part, and assumed +that of an humble lover, in which he was equally unsuccessful; neither +his repentance nor submissions could produce any effect upon her, and the +mutinous little gipsy was still in her pouts when Jermyn returned to +court. + +It was above a year since he had triumphed over the weakness of Lady +Castlemaine, and above two since the king had been weary of his triumphs: +his uncle, being vile of the first who perceived the king's disgust, +obliged him to absent himself from court, at the very time that orders +were going to be issued for that purpose; for though the king's +affections for Lady Castlemaine were now greatly diminished, yet he did +not think it consistent with his dignity that a mistress, whom he had +honoured with public distinction, and who still received a considerable +support from him, should appear chained to the car of the most ridiculous +conqueror that ever existed. His majesty had frequently expostulated +with the countess upon this subject: but his expostulations were never +attended to; it was in one of these differences that he, advising her +rather to bestow her favours upon Jacob Hall, the rope-dancer, who was +able to return them, than lavish away her money upon Jermyn to no +purpose, since it would be more honourable for her to pass for the +mistress of the first, than for the very humble servant of the other, she +was not proof against his raillery. The impetuosity of her temper broke +forth like lightning: she told him "that it very ill became him to throw +out such reproaches against one, who, of all the women in England, +deserved them the least; that he had never ceased quarrelling thus +unjustly with her, ever since he had betrayed his own mean low +inclinations; that to gratify such a depraved taste as his, he wanted +only such silly things as Stewart, Wells, and that pitiful strolling +actress,--[Probably Nell Gwyn.]--whom he had lately introduced into their +society." Floods of tears from rage, generally attended these storms; +after which, resuming the part of Medea, the scene closed with menaces of +tearing her children in pieces, and setting his palace on fire. What +course could he pursue with such an outrageous fury, who, beautiful as +she was, resembled Medea less than her dragons, when she was thus +enraged! + +The indulgent monarch loved peace; and as he seldom contended for it on +these occasions without paying something to obtain it, he was obliged to +be at great expense, in order to reconcile this last rupture: as they +could not agree of themselves, and both parties equally complained, the +Chevalier de Grammont was chosen, by mutual consent, mediator of the +treaty. The grievances and pretensions on each side were communicated to +him, and what is very extraordinary, he managed so as to please them +both. Here follow the articles of peace, which they agreed to: + +"That Lady Castlemaine should for ever abandon Jermyn; that as a proof of +her sincerity, and the reality of his disgrace, she should consent to his +being sent, for some time, into the country; that she should not rail any +more against Miss Wells, nor storm any more against Miss Stewart; and +this without any restraint on the king's behaviour towards her that in +consideration of these condescensions, his majesty should immediately +give her the title of duchess, with all the honours and privileges +thereunto belonging, and an addition to her pension, in order to enable +her to support the dignity." + + [The title of Duchess of Cleveland was conferred on her 3rd August, + 22 Charles II., 1670.] + +As soon as this peace was proclaimed, the political critics, who, in all +nations, never fail to censure all state proceedings, pretended that the +mediator of this treaty, being every day at play with Lady Castlemaine, +and never losing, had, for his own sake, insisted a little too strongly +upon this last article. + +Some days after, she was created Duchess of Cleveland, and little Jermyn +repaired to his country-seat: however, it was in his power to have +returned in a fortnight; for the Chevalier de Grammont, having procured +the king's permission, carried it to the Earl of St. Alban's: this +revived the good old man; but it was to little purpose he transmitted it +to his nephew; for whether he wished to make the London beauties deplore +and lament his absence, or whether he wished them to declaim against the +injustice of the age, or rail against the tyranny of the prince, he +continued above half a year in the country, setting up for a little +philosopher, under the eyes of the sportsmen in the neighbourhood, who +regarded him as an extraordinary instance of the caprice of fortune. He +thought the part he acted so glorious, that he would have continued there +much longer had he not heard of Miss Jennings: he did not, however, pay +much attention to what his friends wrote to him concerning her charms, +being persuaded he had seen equally as great in others: what was related +to him of her pride and resistance, appeared to him of far greater +consequence; and to subdue the last, he even looked upon as an action +worthy of his prowess; and quitting his retreat for this purpose, he +arrived in London at the time that Talbot, who was really in love, had +quarrelled, in his opinion, so unjustly with Miss Jennings. + +She had heard Jermyn spoken of as a hero in affairs of love and +gallantry. Miss Price, in the recital of those of the Duchess of +Cleveland, had often mentioned him, without in any respect diminishing +the insignificancy with which fame insinuated he had conducted himself in +those amorous encounters: she nevertheless had the greatest curiosity to +see a man, whose entire person, she thought, must be a moving trophy, and +monument of the favours and freedoms of the fair sex. + +Thus Jermyn arrived at the right time to satisfy her curiosity by his +presence; and though his brilliancy appeared a little tarnished by his +residence in the country; though his head was larger, and his legs more +slender than usual, yet the giddy girl thought she had never seen any man +so perfect; and yielding to her destiny, she fell in love with him, a +thousand times more unaccountably than all the others had done before +her. Everybody remarked this change of conduct in her with surprise; for +they expected something more from the delicacy of a person who, till this +time, had behaved with so much propriety in all her actions. + +Jermyn was not in the least surprised at this conquest, though not a +little proud of it; for his heart had very soon as great a share in it as +his vanity. Talbot, who saw with amazement the rapidity of this triumph, +and the disgrace of his own defeat, was ready to die with jealousy and +spite; yet he thought it would be more to his credit to die than to vent +those passions unprofitably; and shielding himself under a feigned +indifference, he kept at a distance to view how far such an extravagant +prepossession would proceed. + +In the mean time Jermyn quietly enjoyed the happiness of seeing the +inclinations of the prettiest and most extraordinary creature in England +declared in his favour. The duchess, who had taken her under her +protection ever since she had declined placing herself under that of the +duke, sounded Jermyn's intentions towards her, and was satisfied with the +assurances she received from a man, whose probity infinitely exceeded his +merit in love: he therefore let all the court see that he was willing to +marry her, though, at the same time, he did not appear particularly +desirous of hastening the consummation. Every person now complimented +Miss Jennings upon having reduced to this situation the terror of +husbands, and the plague of lovers: the court was in full expectation of +this miracle, and Miss Jennings of a near approaching happy settlement: +but in this world one must have fortune in one's favour, before one can +calculate with certainty upon happiness. + +The king did not use to let Lord Rochester remain so long in exile: he +grew weary of it, and being displeased that he was forgotten, he posted +up to London to wait till it might be his majesty's pleasure to recall +him. + +He first took up his habitation in the city, among the capital tradesmen +and rich merchants, where politeness indeed is not so much cultivated as +at court; but where pleasure, luxury, and abundance reign with less +confusion, and more sincerity. His first design was only to be initiated +into the mysteries of those fortunate and happy inhabitants: that is to +say, by changing his name and dress, to gain admittance to their feasts +and entertainments; and, as occasion offered, to those of their loving +spouses; as he was able to adapt himself to all capacities and humours, +he soon deeply insinuated himself into the esteem of the substantial +wealthy aldermen, and into he affections of their more delicate, +magnificent, and tender ladies: he made one in all their feasts, and at +all their assemblies; and, whilst in the company of the husbands, he +declaimed against the faults and mistakes of government, he joined their +wives in railing against the profligacy of the court ladies, and in +inveighing against the king's mistresses: he agreed with them, that the +industrious poor were to pay for these cursed extravagances; that the +city beauties were not inferior to those of the other end of the town, +and yet a sober husband in this quarter of the town was satisfied with +one wife; after which, to out-do their murmurings, he said, that he +wondered Whitehall was not yet consumed by fire from heaven, since such +rakes as Rochester, Killegrew, and Sidney were suffered there, who had +the impudence to assert that all married men in the city were cuckolds, +and all their wives painted. This conduct endeared him so much to the +cits, and made him so welcome at their clubs, that at last he grew sick +of their cramming and endless invitations. + +But, instead of approaching nearer the court, he retreated into one of +the most obscure corners of the city: where, again changing both his name +and his dress, in order to act a new part, he caused bills to be +dispersed, giving notice of "The recent arrival of a famous German +doctor, who, by long application and experience, had found out wonderful +secrets, and infallible remedies." + + [Bishop Burnet confirms this account.--"Being under an unlucky + accident, which obliged him to keep out of the way, he disguised + himself so, that his nearest friends could not have known him, and + set up in Tower Street for an Italian mountebank, where he practised + physic for some weeks, not without success. In his latter years he + read books of history more. He took pleasure to disguise himself as + a porter, or as a beggar; sometimes to follow some mean amours, + which, for the variety of them, he affected. At other times, merely + for diversion, he would go about in odd shapes; in which he acted + his part so naturally, that even those who were in the secret, and + saw him in these shapes, could perceive nothing by which he might be + discovered."--Burnet's Life of Rochester, ed. 1774, p. 14.] + +His secrets consisted in knowing what was past, and foretelling what was +to come, by the assistance of astrology: and the virtue of his remedies +principally consisted in giving present relief to unfortunate young women +in all manner of diseases, and all kinds of accidents incident to the +fair sex, either from too unbounded charity to their neighbours, or too +great indulgence to themselves. + +His first practice being confined to his neighbourhood, was not very +considerable; but his reputation soon extending to the other end of the +town, there presently flocked to him the women attending on the court, +next, the chamber-maids of ladies of quality, who, upon the wonders they +related concerning the German doctor, were soon followed by some of their +mistresses. + +Among all the compositions of a ludicrous and satirical kind, there never +existed any that could be compared to those of Lord Rochester, either for +humour, fire, or wit; but, of all his works, the most ingenious and +entertaining is that which contains a detail of the intrigues and +adventures in which he was engaged while he professed medicine and +astrology in the suburbs of London. + +The fair Jennings was very near getting a place in this collection; but +the adventure that prevented her from it, did not, however, conceal from +the public her intention of paying a visit to the German doctor. + +The first chamber-maids that consulted him were only those of the maids +of honour; who had numberless questions to ask, and not a few doubts to +be resolved, both upon their own and their mistresses' accounts. +Notwithstanding their disguise, he recognised some of them, particularly +Miss Temple's and Miss Price's maids, and her whom Miss Hobart had lately +discarded: these creatures all returned either filled with wonder and +amazement, or petrified with terror and fear. Miss Temple's chamber-maid +deposed that he assured her she would have the small-pox, and her +mistress the great, within two months at farthest, if her aforesaid +mistress did not guard against a man in woman's clothes. Miss Price's +woman affirmed that, without knowing her, and only looking in her hand, +he told her at first sight that, according to the course of the stars, he +perceived that she was in the service of some good-natured lady, who had +no other fault than loving wine and men. In short, every one of them, +struck with some particular circumstance relating to their own private +affairs, had either alarmed or diverted their mistresses with the +account, not failing, according to custom, to embellish the truth, in +order to enhance the wonder. + +Miss Price, relating these circumstances one day to her new friend, the +devil immediately tempted her to go in person, and see what sort of a +creature this new magician was. This enterprise was certainly very rash; +but nothing was too rash for Miss Jennings, who was of opinion that a +woman might despise appearances, provided she was in reality virtuous. +Miss Price was all compliance, and thus having fixed upon this glorious +resolution, they only thought of the proper means of putting it into +execution. + +It was very difficult for Miss Jennings to disguise herself, on account +of her excessive fair and bright complexion, and of something particular +in her air and manner: however, after having well considered the matter +the best disguise they could think of was to dress themselves like orange +girls. + + [These frolics appear to have been not unfrequent with persons of + high rank at this period. In a letter from Mr. Henshaw to Sir + Robert Paston, afterwards Earl of Yarmouth, dated October 13, 1670, + we have the following account: "Last week, there being a faire + neare Audley-end, the queen, the Dutchess of Richmond, and the + Dutchess of Buckingham, had a frolick to disguise themselves like + country lasses, to red petticoats, wastcotes, &c., and so goe see + the faire. Sir Barnard Gascoign, on a cart jade, rode before the + queen; another stranger before the Dutchess of Buckingham; and Mr. + Roper before Richmond. They had all so overdone it in their + disguise, and looked so much more like antiques than country volk, + that, as soon as they came to the faire, the people began to goe + after them; but the queen going to a booth, to buy a pair of yellow + stockings for her sweet hart, and Sir Bernard asking for a pair of + gloves sticht with blew, for his sweet hart, they were soon, by + their gebrish, found to be strangers, which drew a bigger flock + about them. One amongst them had seen the queen at dinner, knew + her, and was proud of her knowledge. This soon brought all the + faire into a crowd to stare at the queen. Being thus discovered, + they, as soon as they could, got to their horses; but as many of the + faire as had horses got up, with their wives, children, sweet harts, + or neighbours, behind them, to get as much gape as they could, till + they brought them to the court gate. Thus, by ill conduct, was a + merry frolick turned into a penance."--I've's Select Papers, p. 39. + + Bishop Burnet says, "at this time, (1668) the court fell into much + extravagance in masquerading: both the king and queen, all the + court, went about masked, and came into houses unknown, and danced + there, with a great deal of wild frolic. In all this people were so + disguised, that, without being in the secret, none could distinguish + them. They were carried about in hackney chairs. Once the queen's + chairmen, not knowing who she was, went from her. So she was alone, + and was much disturbed, and came to Whitehall in a hackney coach; + some say in a cart."--Burnet's History, vol. i., p. 368.] + +This was no sooner resolved upon, but it was put in execution they +attired themselves alike, and, taking each a basket of oranges under +their arms, they embarked in a hackney coach, and committed themselves to +fortune, without any other escort than their own caprice and +indiscretion. + +The duchess was gone to the play with her sister: Miss Jennings had +excused herself under pretence of indisposition she was overjoyed at the +happy commencement of their adventure; for they had disguised themselves, +had crossed the Park, and taken their hackney coach at Whitehall gate, +without the least accident. They mutually congratulated each other upon +it, and Miss Price, taking a beginning so prosperous as a good omen of +their success, asked her companion what they were to do at the +fortune-teller's, and what they should propose to him. + +Miss Jennings told her that, for her part, curiosity was her principal +inducement for going thither; that, however, she was resolved to ask him, +without naming any person, why a man, who was in love with a handsome +young lady, was not urgent to marry her, since this was in his power to +do, and by so doing he would have an opportunity of gratifying his +desires. Miss Price told her, smiling, that, without going to the +astrologer, nothing was more easy than to explain the enigma, as she +herself had almost given her a solution of it in the narrative of the +Duchess of Cleveland's adventures. + +Having by this time nearly arrived at the playhouse, Miss Price, after a +moment's reflection, said, that since fortune favoured them, a fair +opportunity was now offered to signalize their courage, which was to go +and sell oranges in the very playhouse, in the sight of the duchess and +the whole court. The proposal being worthy of the sentiments of the one, +and of the vivacity of the other, they immediately alighted, paid off +their hack, and, running through the midst of an immense number of +coaches, with great difficulty they reached the playhouse door. Sidney, +more handsome than the beautiful Adonis, and dressed more gay than usual, +alighted just then from his coach: Miss Price went boldly up to him, as +he was adjusting his curls; but he was too much occupied with his own +dear self to attend to anything else, and so passed on without deigning +to give her an answer. Killegrew came next, and the fair Jennings, +partly encouraged by the other's pertness, advanced towards him, and +offered him her basket, whilst Price, more used to the language, desired +him to buy her fine oranges. "Not now," said he, looking at them with +attention; "but if thou wilt to-morrow morning bring this young girl to +my lodgings, I will make it worth all the oranges in London to thee" and +while he thus spoke to the one he chucked the other under the chin, +examining her bosom. These familiarities making little Jennings forget +the part she was acting, after having pushed him away with all the +violence she was able, she told him with indignation that it was very +insolent to dare--"Ha! ha!" said he, "here's a rarity indeed! a young +w----, who, the better to sell her goods, sets up for virtue, and +pretends innocence!" + +Price immediately perceived that nothing could be gained by continuing +any longer in so dangerous a place; and, taking her companion under the +arm, she dragged her away, while she was still in emotion at the insult +that had been offered to her. + +Miss Jennings, resolving to sell no more oranges on these terms, was +tempted to return, without accomplishing the other adventure; but Price +having represented to her the disgrace of such cowardly behaviour, more +particularly after having before manifested so much resolution, she +consented to go and pay the astrologer a short visit, so as they might be +enabled to regain the palace before the play was ended. + +They had one of the doctor's bills for a direction, but there was no +occasion for it; for the driver of the coach they had taken told them he +knew very well the place they wanted, for he had already carried above an +hundred persons to the German doctor's: they were within half a street of +his house, when fortune thought proper to play them a trick. + +Brounker had dined by chance with a merchant in that part of the city, +and just as he was going away they ordered their coach to stop, as +ill-luck would have it, just opposite to him. Two orange girls in a +hackney coach, one of whom appeared to have a very pretty face, +immediately drew his attention; besides, he had a natural curiosity for +such objects. + + [Gentleman of the chamber to the Duke of York, and brother to Lord + Viscount Brounker, president of the royal society. Lord Clarendon + imputes to him the cause of the great sea-fight, in 1665, not being + so well improved as it might have been, and adds, "nor did the duke + come to hear of it till some years after, when Mr. Brounker's ill + course of life, and his abominable nature, had rendered him so + odious, that it was taken notice of in parliament, and, upon + examination, found to be true, as is here related; upon which he was + expelled the house of commons, whereof he was a; member, as an + infamous person, though his friend Coventry adhered to him, and used + many indirect acts to have protected him, and afterwards procured + him to have more countenance from the king than most men thought he + deserved; being a person, throughout his whole life, never notorious + for anything but the highest degree of impudence, and stooping to + the most infamous offices, and playing very well at chess, which + preferred him more than the most virtuous qualities could have + done."--Continuation of Clarendon's Life, p. 270.] + +Of all the men at court, he had the least regard for the fair sex, and +the least attention to their reputation: he was not young, nor was his +person agreeable; however, with a great deal of wit he had a violent +passion for women. He did himself justice respecting his own merit; and, +being persuaded that he could only succeed with those who were desirous +of having his money, he was at open war with all the rest. He had a +little country-house four or five miles from London always well stocked +with girls: in other respects he was a very honest man, and the best +chess-player in England. + +Price, alarmed at being thus closely examined by the most dangerous enemy +they could encounter, turned her head the other way, bid her companion do +the same, and told the coachman to drive on. Brounker followed them +unperceived on foot; and the coach having stopped twenty or thirty yards +farther up the street, they alighted. He was just behind them, and +formed the same judgment of them which a man much more charitable to the +sex must unavoidably have done, concluding that Miss Jennings was a young +courtesan upon the look-out, and that Miss Price was the mother-abbess. +He was, however, surprised to see them have much better shoes and +stockings than women of that rank generally wear, and that the little +orange girl, in getting out of a very high coach, showed one of the +handsomest legs he had ever seen: but as all this was no obstruction to +his designs, he resolved to purchase her at any rate, in order to place +her in his seraglio. + +He came up to them, as they were giving their baskets in guard to the +coachman, with orders to wait for them exactly in that place. Brounker +immediately pushed in between them: as soon as they saw him, they gave +themselves up for lost; but he, without taking the least notice of their +surprise, took Price aside with one hand, and his purse with the other, +and began immediately to enter upon business, but was astonished to +perceive that she turned away her face, without either answering or +looking at him: As this conduct appeared to him unnatural, he stared her +full in the face, notwithstanding all her endeavours to prevent him: he +did the same to the other: and immediately recognised them, but +determined to conceal his discovery. + +The old fox possessed a wonderful command of temper on such occasions, +and having teazed them a little longer to remove all suspicions he +quitted them, telling Price; "That she was a great fool to refuse his +offers, and that her girl would not, perhaps, get so much in a year, as +she might with him in one day; that the times were greatly changed, since +the queen's and the duchess's maids of honour forestalled the market, and +were to be had cheaper than the town ladies." Upon this he went back to +his coach, whilst they blessed themselves, returning heaven their most +hearty thanks for having escaped this danger without being discovered. + +Brounker, on the other hand, would not have taken a thousand guineas for +this rencounter: he blessed the Lord that he had not alarmed them to such +a degree as to frustrate their intention; for he made no doubt but Miss +Price had managed some intrigue for Miss Jennings: he therefore +immediately concluded, that at present it would be improper to make known +his discovery, which would have answered no other end but to have +overwhelmed them with confusion. + +Upon this account, although Jermyn was one of his best friends, he felt a +secret joy in not having prevented his being made a cuckold, before his +marriage; and the apprehension he was in of preserving him from that +accident, was his sole reason for quitting them with the precautions +aforementioned. + +Whilst they were under these alarms, their coachman was engaged in a +squabble with some blackguard boys, who had gathered round his coach in +order to steal the oranges: from words they came to blows: the two nymphs +saw the commencement of the fray as they were returning to the coach, +after having abandoned the design of going to the fortuneteller's. Their +coachman being a man of spirit, it was with great difficulty they could +persuade him to leave their oranges to the mob, that they might get off +without any further disturbance: having thus regained their hack, after a +thousand frights, and after having received an abundant share of the most +low and infamous abuse applied to them during the fracas, they at length +reached St. James's, vowing never more to go after fortune-tellers, +through so many dangers, terrors, and alarms, as they had lately +undergone. + +Brounker, who, from the indifferent opinion he entertained of the fair +sex, would have staked his life that Miss Jennings did not return from +this expedition in the same condition she went, kept his thoughts, +however, a profound secret; since it would have afforded him the highest +satisfaction to have seen the all-fortunate Jermyn marry a little +street-walker, who pretended to pass for a pattern of chastity, that he +might, the day after his marriage, congratulate him upon his virtuous +spouse; but heaven was not disposed to afford him that satisfaction, as +will appear in the sequel of these memoirs. + +Miss Hamilton was in the country, as we before mentioned, at a +relation's: the Chevalier de Grammont bore this short absence of hers +with great uneasiness, since she would not allow him permission to visit +her there, upon any pretence whatever; but play, which was favourable to +him, was no small relief to his extreme impatience. + +Miss Hamilton, however, at last returned. Mrs. Wetenhall (for that was +the name of her relation) would by all means wait upon her to London, in +appearance out of politeness; for ceremony, carried beyond all bearing, +is the grand characteristic of country gentry: yet this mark of civility +was only a pretence, to obtain a peevish husband's consent to his wife's +journey to town. Perhaps he would have done himself the honour of +conducting Miss Hamilton up to London, had he not been employed in +writing some remarks upon the ecclesiastical history, a work in which he +had long been engaged: the ladies were more civil than to interrupt him +in his undertaking, and besides, it would entirely have disconcerted all +Mrs. Wetenhall's schemes. + +This lady was what may be properly called a beauty, entirely English, +made up of lilies and roses, of snow and milk, as to colour; and of wax, +with respect to the arms, hands, neck, and feet, but all this without +either animation or air; her face was uncommonly pretty; but there was no +variety, no change of countenance in it: one would have thought she took +it in the morning out of a case, in order to put it up again at night, +without using it in the smallest degree in the daytime. What can I say +of her! nature had formed her a baby from her infancy, and a baby +remained till death the fair Mrs. Wetenhall. Her husband had been +destined for the church; but his elder brother dying just at the time he +had gone through his studies of divinity, instead of taking orders, he +came to England, and took to wife Miss Bedingfield, the lady of whom we +are now speaking. + +His person was not disagreeable, but he had a serious contemplative air, +very apt to occasion disgust: as for the rest, she might boast of having +one of the greatest theologists in the kingdom for her husband: he was +all day poring over his books, and went to bed soon, in order to rise +early; so that his wife found him snoring when she came to bed, and when +he arose he left her there sound asleep: his conversation at table would +have been very brisk, if Mrs. Wetenhall had been as great a proficient +in divinity, or as great a lover of controversy, as he was; but being +neither learned in the former, nor desirous of the latter, silence +reigned at their table, as absolutely as at a refectory. + +She had often expressed a great desire to see London; but though they +were only distant a very short day's journey from it, she had never been +able to satisfy her curiosity: it was not therefore without reason, that +she grew weary of the life she was forced to lead at Peckham. The +melancholy retired situation of the place was to her insupportable; and +as she had the folly, incident to many other women, of believing +sterility to be a kind of reproach, she was very much hurt to see that +she might fall under that suspicion; for she was persuaded, that although +heaven had denied her children, she nevertheless had all the necessary +requisites on her part, if it had been the will of the Lord. This had +occasioned her to make some reflections, and then to reason upon those +reflections; as for instance, that since her husband chose rather to +devote himself to his studies, than to the duties of matrimony, to turn +over musty old books, rather than attend to the attractions of beauty, +and to gratify his own pleasures, rather than those of his wife, it might +be permitted her to relieve some necessitous lover, in neighbourly +charity, provided she could do it conscientiously, and to direct her +inclinations in so just a, manner, that the evil spirit should have no +concern in it. Mr. Wetenhall, a zealous partisan for the doctrine of the +casuists, would not perhaps have approved of these decisions; but he was +not consulted. + +The greatest misfortune was, that neither solitary Peckham nor its +sterile neighbourhood, presented any expedients, either for the execution +of the afore-mentioned design, or for the relief of poor Mrs. Wetenhall: +she was visibly pining away, when, through fear of dying either with +solitude or of want, she had recourse to Miss Hamilton's commiseration. + +Their first acquaintance was formed at Paris, whither Mr. Wetenhall had +taken his wife half a year after they were married, on a journey thither +to buy books: Miss Hamilton, who from that very time greatly pitied her, +consented to pass some time in the country with her, in hopes by that +visit to deliver her, for a short time at least, out of her captivity; +which project succeeded according to her wish. + +The Chevalier de Grammont, being informed of the day on which they were +to arrive, borne on the wings of love and impatience, had engaged George +Hamilton to go with him, and meet them some miles out of London. The +equipage he had prepared for the purpose, corresponded with his usual +magnificence; and on such an occasion, we may reasonably suppose he had +not neglected his person: however, with all his impatience, he checked +the ardour of the coachman, through fear of accidents, rightly judging +that upon a road prudence is preferable to eagerness. The ladies at +length appeared, and Miss Hamilton, being in his eyes, ten or twelve +times more handsome than before her departure from London, he would have +purchased with his life so kind a reception as she gave her brother. + +Mrs. Wetenhall had her share of the praises, which at this interview +were liberally bestowed upon her beauty, for which her beauty was very +thankful to those who did it so much honour; and as Hamilton regarded +her with a tender attention, she regarded Hamilton as a man very well +qualified for putting in execution the little projects she had concerted +with her conscience. + +As soon as she was in London, her head was almost turned, through an +excess of contentment and felicity: everything appeared like enchantment +to her in this superb city; more particularly, as in Paris she had never +seen anything farther than the Rue Saint Jacques, and a few booksellers' +shops. Miss Hamilton entertained her at her own house, and she was +presented, admired, and well received at both courts. + +The Chevalier de Grammont, whose gallantry and magnificence were +inexhaustible, taking occasion, from this fair stranger's arrival, to +exhibit his grandeur, nothing was to be seen but balls, concerts, plays, +excursions by land and by water, splendid collations and sumptuous +entertainments: Mrs. Wetenhall was transported with pleasures, of which +the greatest part were entirely new to her; she was greatly delighted +with all, except now and then at a play, when tragedy was acted, which +she confessed she thought rather wearisome: she agreed, however, that the +show was very interesting, when there were many people killed upon the +stage, but thought the players were very fine handsome fellows, who were +much better alive than dead. + +Hamilton, upon the whole, was pretty well treated by her, if a man in +love, who is never satisfied until the completion of his wishes, could +confine himself within the bounds of moderation and reason: he used all +his endeavours to determine her to put in execution the projects she had +formed at Peckham: Mrs. Wetenhall, on the other hand, was much pleased +with him. This is the Hamilton who served in the French army with +distinction; he was both agreeable and handsome. All imaginable +opportunities conspired to favour the establishment of an intimacy, whose +commencement had been so brisk, that in all probability it would not +languish for a conclusion; but the more he pressed her to it, the more +her resolution began to fail, and regard for some scruples, which she had +not well weighed, kept her in suspense: there was reason to believe that +a little perseverance would have removed these obstacles; yet this at the +present time was not attempted. Hamilton, not able to conceive what +could prevent her from completing his happiness, since in his opinion the +first and greatest difficulties of an amour were already overcome, with +respect to the public, resolved to abandon her to her irresolutions, +instead of endeavouring to conquer them by a more vigorous attack. It +was not consistent with reason, to desist from an enterprise, where so +many prospects of success presented themselves, for such inconsiderable +obstacles; but he suffered himself to be intoxicated with chimeras and +visions, which unseasonably cooled the vigour of his pursuit, and led him +astray in another unprofitable undertaking. + + [I apprehend he is the same George Hamilton already described, who + married Miss Jennings, and not the author of this work, as Lord + Orford supposes. In a letter from Arlington to Sir William + Godolphin, dated September 7, 1671, it is said, "the Conde de Molina + complains to us of certain levies Sir George Hamilton hath made in + Ireland. The king hath always told him he had no express license + for it; and I have told the Conde he must not find it strange that a + gentleman who had been bred the king's page abroad, and losing his + employment at home, for being a Roman Catholic, should have some + more than ordinary connivance towards the making his fortune abroad + by the countenance of his friends and relations in Ireland: and yet + take the matter in the worst sense he could give, it would not + amount to the breach of any article betwixt the king my master and + the court of Spain."--Arlington's letters, vol. ii., p. 332. In + a letter from the same nobleman to Lord Sandwich, written about + October, 1667, we find the cause of Sir George Hamilton's entering + into the French service "Concerning the reformadoes of, the guards + of horse, his majesty thought fit, the other day, to have them + dismissed, according to his promise, made to the parliament at the + last session. Mr. Hamilton had a secret overture made him, that he, + with those men, should be welcome into the French service; his + majesty, at their dismissal, having declared they should have leave + to go abroad whither they pleased. They accepted of Mr. Hamilton's + offer to carry them into France. "Arlington's Letters," vol. i., p. + 185. Lodge, in his Peerage of Ireland, says, Sir George Hamilton + died in 1667, which, from the first extract above, appears to be + erroneous. He has evidently confounded the father and son; the + former of whom was the person who died in 1667.] + +I know not whether poor Wetenhall took the blame upon herself; but it is +certain, she was extremely mortified upon it. Soon after being obliged +to return to her cabbages and turkeys at Peckham, she had almost gone +distracted: that residence appeared a thousand times more dreadful to +her, since she had been initiated into the amusements of London; but as +the queen was to set out within a month for Tunbridge Wells, she was +obliged to yield to necessity, and return to the philosopher, Wetenhall, +with the consolation of having engaged Miss Hamilton to come and live at +her house, which was within ten or twelve miles of Tunbridge, as long as +the court remained there. + +Miss Hamilton promised not to abandon her in her retirement, and further +engaged to bring the Chevalier de Grammont along with her, whose humour +and conversation extremely delighted her. The Chevalier de Grammont, who +on all occasions started agreeable raillery, engaged on his part to bring +George Hamilton, which words overwhelmed her with blushes. The court set +out soon after to pass about two months in the place of all Europe the +most rural and simple, and yet, at the same time, the most entertaining +and agreeable. Tunbridge is the same distance from London, that +Fontainebleau is from Paris, and is, at the season, the general +rendezvous of all the gay and handsome of both sexes. The company, +though always numerous, is always select: since those who repair thither +for diversion, ever exceed the number of those who go thither for health. +Everything there breathes mirth and pleasure: constraint is banished, +familiarity is established upon the first acquaintance, and joy and +pleasure are the sole sovereigns of the place. + +The company are accommodated with lodgings in little, clean, and +convenient habitations, that lie straggling and separated from each +other, a mile and a half all round the Wells, where the company meet in +the morning: this place consists of a long walk, shaded by spreading +trees, under which they walk while they are drinking the waters: on one +side of this walk is a long row of shops, plentifully stocked with all +manner of toys, lace, gloves, stockings, and where there is raffling, as +at Paris, in the Foire de Saint Germain: on the other side of the walk is +the market; and, as it is the custom here for every person to buy their +own provisions, care is taken that nothing offensive appears on the +stalls. Here young, fair, fresh-coloured country girls, with clean +linen, small straw hats, and neat shoes and stockings, sell game, +vegetables, flowers and fruit: here one may live as one pleases: here is, +likewise, deep play, and no want of amorous intrigues. As soon as the +evening comes, every one quits his little palace to assemble at the +bowling-green, where, in the open air, those who choose, dance upon a +turf more soft and smooth than the finest carpet in the world, + +Lord Muskerry had, within two or three short miles of Tunbridge, a very +handsome seat called Summer-hill: Miss Hamilton, after having spent eight +or ten days at Peckham, could not excuse herself from passing the +remainder of the season at his house; and, having obtained leave of Mr. +Wetenhall, that his lady should accompany her, they left the melancholy +residence of Peckham, and its tiresome master, and fixed their little +court at Summer-hill. + +They went every day to court, or the court came to them. The queen +even surpassed her usual attentions in inventing and supporting +entertainments: she endeavoured to increase the natural ease and freedom +of Tunbridge, by dispensing with, rather than requiring, those ceremonies +that were due to her presence; and, confining in the bottom of her heart +that grief and uneasiness she could not overcome, she saw Miss Stewart +triumphantly possess the affections of the king without manifesting the +least uneasiness. + +Never did love see his empire in a more flourishing condition than on +this spot: those who were smitten before they came to it, felt a mighty +augmentation of their flame; and those who seemed the least susceptible +of love, laid aside their natural ferocity, to act in a new character. +For the truth of the latter, we shall only relate the change which soon +appeared in the conduct of Prince Rupert. + + [Lord Orford's contrast to this character of Prince Rupert is too + just to be here omitted. "Born with the taste of an uncle whom his + sword was not fortunate in defending, Prince Rupert was fond of + those sciences which soften and adorn a hero's private hours, and + knew how to mix them with his minutes of amusement, without + dedicating his life to their pursuit, like us, who, wanting capacity + for momentous views, make serious study of what is only the + transitory occupation of a genius. Had the court of the first + Charles been peaceful, how agreeably had the prince's congenial + propensity flattered and confirmed the inclination of his uncle! + How the muse of arts would have repaid the patronage of the monarch, + when, for his first artist, she would have presented him with his + nephew! How different a figure did the same prince make in a reign + of dissimilar complexion! The philosophic warrior, who could relax + himself into the ornament of a refined court, was thought a savage + mechanic, when courtiers were only voluptuous wits. Let me + transcribe a picture of Prince Rupert, drawn by a man who was far + from having the least portion of wit in that age, who was superior + to its indelicacy, and who yet was so overborne by its prejudices, + that he had the complaisance to ridicule virtue, merit, talents. + --But Prince Rupert, alas! was an awkward lover!" Lord Orford here + inserts the character in the text, and then adds, "What pity that + we, who wish to transmit this prince's resemblance to posterity on a + fairer canvas, have none of these inimitable colours to efface the + harsher likeness! We can but oppose facts to wit, truth to satire. + --How unequal the pencils! yet what these lines cannot do they may + suggest: they may induce the reader to reflect, that if the prince + was defective in the transient varnish of a court, he at least was + adorned by the arts with that polish which alone can make a court + attract the attention of subsequent ages."--Catalogue of Engravers, + p 135, 8vo ed.] + +He was brave and courageous, even to rashness; but cross-grained and +incorrigibly obstinate: his genius was fertile in mathematical +experiments, and he possessed some knowledge of chemistry: he was polite +even to excess, unseasonably; but haughty, and even brutal, when he ought +to have been gentle and courteous: he was tall, and his manners were +ungracious: he had a dry hard-favoured visage, and a stern look, even +when he wished to please; but, when he was out of humour, he was the true +picture of reproof. + +The queen had sent for the players, either that there might be no +intermission in the diversions of the place, or, perhaps, to retort upon +Miss Stewart, by the presence of Nell Gwyn, part of the uneasiness she +felt from hers. Prince Rupert found charms in the person of another +player called Hughes, who brought down and greatly subdued his natural +fierceness. + + [Mrs. Hughes was one of the actresses belonging to the king's + company, and one of the earliest female performers. According to + Downs, she commenced her theatrical career after the opening of + Drury lane theatre, in 1663. She appears to have been the first + female representative of Desdemona. By Prince Rupert she had a + daughter, named Ruperta, married to Lieutenant-general Howe, who + survived her husband many years, dying at Somerset house, about the + year 1740.] + +From this time, adieu alembics, crucibles, furnaces, and all the black +furniture of the forges: a complete farewell to all mathematical +instruments and chemical speculations: sweet powder and essences were now +the only ingredients that occupied any share of his attention. The +impertinent gipsy chose to be attacked in form; and proudly refusing +money, that, in the end she might sell her favours at a dearer rate, she +caused the poor prince to act a part so unnatural, that he no longer +appeared like the same person. The king was greatly pleased with this +event, for which great rejoicings were made at Tunbridge; but nobody was +bold enough to make it the subject of satire, though the same constraint +was not observed with other ridiculous personages. + +There was dancing every day at the queen's apartments, because the +physicians recommended it, and no person thought it amiss: for even those +who cared least for it, chose that exercise to digest the waters rather +than walking. Lord Muskerry thought himself secure against his lady's +rage for dancing; for, although he was ashamed of it, the princess of +Babylon was, by the grace of God, six or seven months advanced in +pregnancy; and, to complete her misfortune, the child had fallen all +on one side, so that even Euclid would have been puzzled to say what +her figure was. The disconsolate lady, seeing Miss Hamilton and Mrs. +Wetenhall set out every morning, sometimes on horseback and sometimes in +a coach, but ever attended by a gallant troop to conduct them to court, +and to convey them back, she fancied a thousand times more delights at +Tunbridge than in reality there were, and she did not cease in her +imagination, to dance over at Summer-hill all the country dances which +she thought had been danced at Tunbridge. She could no longer support +the racking torments which disturbed her mind, when relenting heaven, +out of pity to her pains and sufferings, caused Lord Muskerry to repair +to London, and kept him there two whole days: as soon as ever he had +turned his back, the Babylonian princess declared her resolution to make +a trip to court. + +She had a domestic chaplain who did not want sense, and Lord Muskerry, +for fear of accidents, had recommended her to the wholesome counsels and +good prayers of this prudent divine; but in vain were all his preachings +and exhortations to stay at home; in vain did he set before her eyes her +husband's commands, and the dangers to which she would expose herself in +her present condition; he likewise added that her pregnancy, being a +particular blessing from heaven, she ought therefore to be so much the +more careful for its preservation, since it cost her husband, perhaps, +more trouble than she was aware of, to obtain it. These remonstrances +were altogether ineffectual: Miss Hamilton and her cousin Wetenhall, +having the complaisance to confirm her in her resolution, they assisted +in dressing her the next morning, and set out along with her all their +skill and dexterity were requisite to reduce her shape into some kind of +symmetry; but, having at last pinned a small cushion under her petticoat +on the right side, to counteract the untoward appearance the little +infant occasioned by throwing itself on the left, they almost split their +sides with laughter, assuring her at the same time that she looked +perfectly charming. + +As soon as she appeared, it was generally believed that she had dressed +herself in a farthingale, in order to make her court to the queen; but +every person was pleased at her arrival: those who were unacquainted with +the circumstances assured her in earnest that she was pregnant with +twins; and the queen, who envied her condition, notwithstanding the +ridiculous appearance she then made, being made acquainted with the +motive of her journey, was determined to gratify her inclinations. + +As soon as the hour for country dances arrived, her cousin Hamilton was +appointed her partner: she made some faint excuses at first on account of +the inconvenient situation she was then in: but soon suffered them to be +overcome, in order, as she said, to show her duty to the queen; and never +did a woman in this world enjoy such complete satisfaction. + +We have already observed, that the greatest prosperity is liable to the +greatest change: Lady Muskerry, trussed up as she was, seemed to feel no +manner of uneasiness from the motion in dancing; on the contrary, being +only apprehensive of the presence of her husband, which would have +destroyed all her happiness, she danced with uncommon briskness, lest her +ill stars should bring him back before she had fully satisfied herself +with it. In the midst, therefore, of her capering in this indiscreet +manner, her cushion came loose, without her perceiving it, and fell to +the ground in the very middle of the first round. The Duke of +Buckingham, who watched her, took it up instantly, wrapped it up in his +coat, and, mimicking the cries of a new-born infant, he went about +inquiring for a nurse for the young Muskerry among the maids of honour. + +This buffoonery, joined to the strange figure of the poor lady, had +almost thrown Miss Stewart into hysterics; for the princess of Babylon, +after this accident, was quite flat on one side, and immoderately +protuberant on the other. All those who had before suppressed their +inclinations to laugh, now gave themselves free scope, when they saw that +Miss Stewart was ready to split her sides. The poor lady was greatly +disconcerted: every person was officious to console her; but the queen, +who inwardly laughed more heartily than any, pretended to disapprove of +their taking such liberties. + +Whilst Miss Hamilton and Mrs. Wetenhall endeavoured to refit Lady +Muskerry in another room, the Duke of Buckingham told the king that, +if the physicians would permit a little exercise immediately after a +delivery, the best way to recover Lady Muskerry was to renew the dance +as soon as ever her infant was replaced; this advice was approved, and +accordingly put in execution. The queen proposed, as soon as she +appeared, a second round of country-dances; and Lady Muskerry accepting +the offer, the remedy had its desired effect, and entirely removed every +remembrance of her late mishap. + +Whilst these things were passing at the king's court, that of the Duke of +York took a journey on the other side of London; the pretence of this +journey was to visit the county whose name he bore; but love was the real +motive. The duchess, since her elevation, had conducted herself with +such prudence and circumspection, as could not be sufficiently admired: +such were her manners, and such the general estimation in which she was +held, that she appeared to have found out the secret of pleasing every +one; a secret yet more rare than the grandeur to which she had been +raised: but, after having gained universal esteem, she was desirous of +being more particularly beloved; or, more properly speaking, malicious +Cupid assaulted her heart, in spite of the discretion, prudence, and +reason, with which she had fortified it. + +In vain had she said to herself a hundred times, that if the duke had +been so kind as to do her justice by falling in love with her, he had +done her too much honour by making her his wife; that with respect to his +inconstant disposition, which estranged him from her, she ought to bear +it with patience, until it pleased heaven to produce a change in his +conduct; that the frailties on his part, which might to her appear +injurious, would never justify in her the least deviation from her duty; +and, as resentment was still less allowable, she ought to endeavour to +regain him by a conduct entirely opposite to his own. In vain was it, as +we have said before, that she had long resisted Love and his emissaries +by the help of these maxims: how solid soever reason, and however +obstinate wisdom and virtue may be, there are yet certain attacks which +tire by their length, and, in the end, subdue both reason and virtue +itself. + +The Duchess of York was one of the highest feeders in England: as this +was an unforbidden pleasure she indulged herself in it, as an +indemnification for other self-denials. It was really an edifying sight +to see her at table. The duke, on the contrary, being incessantly in the +hurry of new fancies, exhausted himself by his inconstancy, and was +gradually wasting away; whilst the poor princess, gratifying her good +appetite, grew so fat and plump that it was a blessing to see her. +It is not easy to determine how long things would have continued in this +situation, if Love, who was resolved to have satisfaction for her late +conduct, so opposite to the former, had not employed artifice as well as +force, to disturb her repose. + +He at first let loose upon her resentment and jealousy two mortal enemies +to all tranquillity and happiness. A tall creature, pale-faced, and +nothing but skin and bone, named Churchill, whom she had taken for a maid +of honour, became the object of her jealousy, because she was then the +object of the duke's affection. The court was not able to comprehend +how, after having been in love with Lady Chesterfield, Miss Hamilton, and +Miss Jennings, he could have any inclination for such a creature; but +they soon perceived that something more than unaccountable variety had a +great share in effecting this conquest. + + [Miss Arabella Churchill, daughter of Sir Winston Churchill of + Wotton Basset, in the county of Wilts, and sister to the celebrated + John, Duke of Marlborough. She was born 1648.] + +The duchess beheld with indignation a choice which seemed to debase her +own merit in a much greater degree than any of the former; at the very +instant that indignation and jealousy began to provoke her spleen, +perfidious Cupid threw in the way of her passions and resentments the +amiable, handsome Sidney; and, whilst he kept her eyes fixed upon his +personal perfections, diverted her attention from perceiving the +deficiency of his mental accomplishments: she was wounded before she was +aware of her danger; but the good opinion Sidney had of his own merit did +not suffer him long to be ignorant of such a glorious conquest; and, in +order more effectually to secure it, his eyes rashly answered everything +which those of her royal highness had the kindness to tell him, whilst +his personal accomplishments were carefully heightened by all the +advantages of dress and show. + +The duchess, foreseeing the consequences of such an engagement, strongly +combated the inclination that hurried her away; but Miss Hobart, siding +with that inclination, argued the matter with her scruples, and, in the +end, really vanquished them. This girl had insinuated herself into her +royal highness's confidence by a fund of news with which she was provided +the whole year round: the court and the city supplied her; nor was it +very material to her whether her stories were true or false, her chief +care being that they should prove agreeable to her mistress: she knew, +likewise, how to gratify her palate, and constantly provided a variety of +those dishes and liquors which she liked best. These qualifications had +rendered her necessary; but, desirous of being still more so, and having +perceived both the airs that Sidney gave himself, and what was passing in +the heart of her mistress, the cunning Hobart took the liberty of telling +her royal highness that this unfortunate youth was pining away solely on +her account; that it was a thousand pities a man of his figure should +lose the respect for her which was most certainly her due, merely because +she had reduced him to such a state that he could no longer preserve it; +that he was gradually dying away on her account, in the sight of the +whole court; that his situation would soon be generally remarked, except +she made use of the proper means to prevent it; that, in her opinion, her +royal highness ought to pity the miserable situation into which her +charms had reduced him, and to endeavour to alleviate his pain in some +way or other. The duchess asked her what she meant by "endeavouring to +alleviate his pain in some way or other." "I mean, madam," answered Miss +Hobart, "that, if either his person be disagreeable, or his passion +troublesome, you will give him his discharge; or, if you choose to retain +him in your service, as all the princesses in the world would do in your +place, you will permit me to give him directions from you for his future +conduct, mixed with a few grains of hope, to prevent his entirely losing +his senses, until you find a proper occasion yourself to acquaint him +with your wishes." "What!" said the duchess, "would you advise me, +Hobart--you, who really love me--to engage in an affair of this nature, +at the expense of my honour, and the hazard of a thousand inconveniences! +If such frailties are sometimes excusable, they certainly are not so in +the high station in which I am placed; and it would be an ill-requital on +my part for his goodness who raised me to the rank I now fill to----" +"All this is very fine," interrupted Miss Hobart: "but is it not very +well known that he only married you because he was importuned so to do? +Since that I refer to yourself whether he has ever restrained his +inclination a single moment, giving you the most convincing proofs of +the change that has taken place in his heart, by a thousand provoking +infidelities? Is it still your intention to persevere in a state of +indolence and humility, whilst the duke, after having received the +favours, or suffered the repulses, of all the coquettes in England, pays +his addresses to the maids of honour, one after the other, and at present +places his whole ambition and desires in the conquest of that ugly +skeleton, Churchill? What! Madam, must then your prime of life be spent +in a sort of widowhood in deploring your misfortunes, without ever being +permitted to make use of any remedy that may offer? A woman must be +endowed with insuperable patience, or with an inexhaustible degree of +resignation, to bear this. Can a husband, who disregards you both night +and day, really suppose, because his wife eats and drinks heartily, as, +God be thanked, your royal highness does, that she wants nothing else +than to sleep well too? Faith, such conduct is too bad: I therefore once +more repeat that there is not a princess in the universe who would refuse +the homage of a man like Sidney, when a husband pays his addresses +elsewhere." + +These reasons were certainly not morally good; but had they been still +worse the duchess would have yielded to them, so much did her heart act +in concert with Miss Hobart, to overthrow her discretion and prudence. + +This intrigue began at the very time that Miss Hobart advised Miss Temple +not to give any encouragement to the addresses of the handsome Sidney. +As for him, no sooner was he informed by the confidant Hobart that +the goddess accepted his adoration than he immediately began to be +particularly reserved and circumspect in his behaviour, in order to +divert the attention of the public; but the public is not so easily +deceived as some people imagine. + +As there were too many spies, too many inquisitive people and critics, in +a numerous court, residing in the midst of a populous city, the duchess +to avoid exposing the inclinations of her heart to the scrutiny of so +many inquisitors, engaged the Duke of York to undertake the journey +before mentioned, whilst the queen and her court were at Tunbridge. + +This conduct was prudent; and, if agreeable to her, was far from +displeasing to any of her court, except Miss Jennings: Jermyn was not of +the party; and, in her opinion, every party was insipid in which he was +not one of the company. He had engaged himself in an enterprise above +his strength, in laying a wager which the Chevalier de Grammont had laid +before, and lost. He betted five hundred guineas that he would ride +twenty miles in one hour upon the same horse, in the high road. The day +he had fixed upon for this race was the very same in which Miss Jennings +went to the fortune-teller's. + +Jermyn was more fortunate than her in this undertaking he came off +victorious; but as his courage had far exceeded the strength of his +constitution in this exertion to win the wager, he got a violent fever +into the bargain, which brought him very low. Miss Jennings inquired +after his health; but that was all she dared to do. In modern romances, +a princess need only pay a visit to some hero, abandoned by his +physicians, a perfect cure would be wrought in three days; but since Miss +Jennings had not been the cause of Jermyn's fever, she was not certain of +relieving him from it, although she had been sure that a charitable visit +would not have been censured in a malicious court. Without therefore +paying any attention to the uneasiness she might feel upon the occasion, +the court set out without him: she had, however, the gratification to +testify her ill-humour throughout the whole journey, by appearing +displeased with everything which seemed to afford satisfaction to +all the rest of the company. + +Talbot made one of the company; and flattering himself that the absence +of a dangerous rival might produce some change in his favour, he was +attentive to all the actions, motions, and even gestures, of his former +mistress. There was certainly enough fully to employ his attention: it +was contrary to her disposition to remain long in a serious humour. Her +natural vivacity hurried her away, from being seemingly lost in thought, +into sallies of wit, which afforded him hopes that she would soon forget +Jermyn, and remember that his own passion was the first she had +encouraged. However, he kept his distance, notwithstanding his love and +his hopes, being of opinion that it ill became an injured lover to betray +either the least weakness, or the smallest return of affection, for an +ungrateful mistress, who had deserted him. + +Miss Jennings was so far from thinking of his resentments, that she +did not even recollect he had ever paid his addresses to her; and her +thoughts being wholly occupied upon the poor sick man, she conducted +herself towards Talbot as if they never had had anything to say to each +other. It was to him that she most usually gave her hand, either in +getting into or out of the coach; she conversed more readily with him +than any other person, and, without intending it, did everything to make +the court believe she was cured of her passion for Jermyn in favour of +her former lover. + +Of this he seemed likewise convinced, as well as the rest; and thinking +it now proper to act another part, in order to let her know that his +sentiments with respect to her were still the same, he had resolved to +address her in the most tender and affectionate manner upon this subject. +Fortune seemed to have favoured him, and to have smoothed the way for +this intended harangue: he was alone with her in her chamber; and, what +was still better, she was rallying him concerning Miss Boynton; saying, +"that they were undoubtedly much obliged to him for attending them on +their journey, whilst poor Miss Boynton had fainting fits at Tunbridge, +at least twice every day, for love of him." Upon this discourse, Talbot +thought it right to begin the recital of his sufferings and fidelity, +when Miss Temple, with a paper in her hand, entered the room. This was a +letter in verse, which Lord Rochester had written some time before, upon +the intrigues of the two courts; wherein, upon the subject of Miss +Jennings, he said: "that Talbot had struck terror among the people of +God, by his gigantic stature; but that Jermyn, like a little David, had +vanquished the great Goliath." Jennings, delighted with this allusion, +read it over two or three times, thought it more entertaining than +Talbot's conversation, at first heartily laughed at it, but soon after, +with a tender air, "Poor little David!" said she, with a deep sigh, and +turning her head on one side during this short reverie, she shed a few +tears, which assuredly did not flow for the defeat of the giant. This +stung Talbot to the quick; and, seeing himself so ridiculously deceived +in his hopes, he went abruptly out of the room, vowing never to think any +more of a giddy girl, whose conduct was regulated neither by sense nor +reason; but he did not keep his resolution. + +The other votaries of love, who were numerous in this court, were more +successful, the journey being undertaken solely on that account. There +were continual balls and entertainments upon the road; hunting, and all +other diversions, wherever the court halted in its progress. The tender +lovers flattered themselves with the thought of being able to crown their +happiness as they proceeded in their journey; and the beauties who +governed their destiny did not forbid them to hope. Sidney paid his +court with wonderful assiduity: the duchess made the duke take notice of +his late perfect devotion to his service: his royal highness observed it, +and agreed that he ought to be remembered upon the first opportunity, +which happened soon after. + +Montagu, as before mentioned, was master of the horse to the duchess: +he was possessed of a great deal of wit, had much penetration, and loved +mischief. How could she bear such a man near her person, in the present +situation of her heart? This greatly embarrassed her; but Montagu's +elder brother having, very a-propos, got himself killed where he had no +business, the duke obtained for Montagu the post of master of the horse +to the queen, which the deceased enjoyed; and the handsome Sidney was +appointed to succeed him in the same employment to the duchess. All this +happened according to her wish; and the duke was highly pleased that he +had found means to promote these two gentlemen at once, without being at +the least expense. + +Miss Hobart greatly applauded these promotions: she had frequent and long +conversations with Sidney, which, being remarked, some did her the honour +to believe it was upon her own account; and the compliments that were +made her upon the occasion she most willingly received. The duke, who +believed it at first, observed to the duchess the unaccountable taste of +certain persons, and how the handsomest young fellow in England was +infatuated with such a frightful creature. + +The duchess confessed that taste was very arbitrary; the truth whereof he +himself seemed to be convinced of, since he had fixed upon the beauteous +Helen for his mistress. I know not whether this raillery caused him to +reflect for what reasons he had made his choice; but it is certain he +began to cool in his affections for Miss Churchill; and perhaps he would +entirely have abandoned this pursuit, had not an accident taken place, +which raised in him an entirely new inclination for her. + +The court having halted for a few days in a fine open country, the +duchess was desirous of seeing a greyhound course. This diversion is +practised in England upon large downs, where the turf, eaten by the +sheep, is particularly green, and wonderfully even. She was in her +coach, and all the ladies on horseback, every one of them being attended +by her squire; it therefore was but reasonable that the mistress should +likewise have her squire. He accordingly was at the side of her coach, +and seemed to compensate for his deficiencies in conversation, by the +uncommon beauty of his mien and figure. + +The duke attended Miss Churchill, not for the sake of besieging her with +soft flattering tales of love, but, on the contrary, to chide her for +sitting so ill on horseback: She was one of the most indolent creatures +in the world; and although the maids of honour are generally the worst +mounted of the whole court, yet, in order to distinguish her, on account +of the favour she enjoyed, they had given her a very pretty, though +rather a high-spirited horse; a distinction she would very willingly +have excused them. + +The embarrassment and fear she was under had added to her natural +paleness. In this situation, her countenance had almost completed the +duke's disgust, when her horse, desirous of keeping pace with the others, +set off in a gallop, notwithstanding her greatest efforts to prevent it; +and her endeavours to hold him in, firing his mettle, he at length set +off at full speed, as if he was running a race against the duke's horse. + +Miss Churchill lost her seat, screamed out, and fell from her horse. +A fall in so quick a pace must have been violent; and yet it proved +favourable to her in every respect; for, without receiving any hurt, she +gave the lie to all the unfavourable suppositions that had been formed of +her person, in judging from her face. The duke alighted, in order to +help her: she was so greatly stunned, that her thoughts were otherwise +employed than about decency on the present occasion; and those who first +crowded around her found her rather in a negligent posture: they could +hardly believe that limbs of such exquisite beauty could belong to Miss +Churchill's face. After this accident, it was remarked that the duke's +tenderness and affection for her increased every day; and, towards the +end of the winter, it appeared that she had not tyrannized over his +passion, nor made him languish with impatience. + +The two courts returned to London much about the same time, equally +satisfied with their respective excursions; though the queen was +disappointed in the hopes she had entertained of the good effects +of the Tunbridge waters. + +It was about this time that the Chevalier de Grammont received a letter +from the Marchioness de Saint-Chaumont, his sister, acquainting him, that +he might return when he thought proper, the king having given him leave. +He would have received this news with joy at any other time, whatever had +been the charms of the English court; but, in the present situation of +his heart, he could not resolve to quit it. + +He had returned from Tunbridge a thousand times deeper in love than +ever; for, during this agreeable excursion, he had every day seen Miss +Hamilton, either in the marshes of melancholy Peckham, or in the +delicious walks of cheerful Summerhill, or in the daily diversions and +entertainments of the queen's court; and whether he saw her on horseback, +heard her conversation, or observed her in the dance, still he was +persuaded that Heaven had never formed an object in every respect more +worthy of the love, and more deserving of the affection, of a man of +sense and delicacy. How then was it possible for him to bear the +thoughts of leaving her? This appeared to him absolutely impracticable; +however, as he was desirous of making a merit with her, of the +determination he had made to neglect his fortune, rather than to be +separated from her charms, he showed her his sister's letter: but this +confidence had not the success he expected. + +Miss Hamilton, in the first place, congratulated him upon his recall: +She returned him many thanks for the sacrifice he intended to make her; +but as this testimony of affection greatly exceeded the bounds of mere +gallantry, however sensibly she might feel this mark of his tenderness, +she was, however, determined not to abuse it. In vain did he protest +that he would rather meet death than part from her irresistible charms; +and her irresistible charms protested that he should never see them more, +unless he departed immediately. Thus was he forced to obey. However, +he was allowed to flatter himself, that these positive orders, how harsh +soever they might appear, did not flow from indifference; that she would +always be more pleased with his return than with his departure, for which +she was now so urgent; and having generously given him assurances that, +so far as depended upon herself, he would find, upon his return, no +variation in her sentiments during his absence, he took leave of his +friends, thinking of nothing but his return, at the very time he was +making preparations for his departure. + + + + +ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS: + +All day poring over his books, and went to bed soon +Devote himself to his studies, than to the duties of matrimony +Embellish the truth, in order to enhance the wonder +Grew so fat and plump that it was a blessing to see her +Not disagreeable, but he had a serious contemplative air +Public is not so easily deceived as some people imagine + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Memoirs of Count Grammont, Volume 6 +by Anthony Hamilton + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COUNT GRAMMONT *** + +***** This file should be named 5414.txt or 5414.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/1/5414/ + +Produced by David Widger + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions 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 can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**EBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These EBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers***** + + +Title: The Memoirs of Count Grammont, Volume 6. + +Author: Anthony Hamilton (Edited by Sir Walter Scott) + +Release Date: April, 2004 [EBook #5414] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on July 12, 2002] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + + + + + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS OF GRAMMONT, V6, BY HAMILTON *** + + + +This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net> + + + +[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the +file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an +entire meal of them. D.W.] + + + + + + MEMOIRS OF COUNT GRAMMONT, VOLUME 6. + + By Anthony Hamilton + + EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY SIR WALTER SCOTT + + + + + CHAPTER TENTH. + + OTHER LOVE INTRIGUES AT THE ENGLISH COURT. + + +The conversation before related was agreeable only to Miss Hobart; for if +Miss Temple was entertained with its commencement, she was so much the +more irritated by its conclusion this indignation was succeeded by the +curiosity of knowing the reason why, if Sidney had a real esteem for her, +she should not be allowed to pay some attention to him. + + [There is not a single prior reference to a "Sidney"--DW] + +As soon as they retired from the closet, Miss Sarah came out of the bath, +where during all this conversation, she had been almost perished with +cold, without daring to complain. This little gipsy had, it seems, +obtained leave of Miss Hobart's woman to bathe herself unknown to her +mistress; and having, I know not how, found means to fill one of the +baths with cold water, Miss Sarah had just got into it, when they were +both alarmed with the arrival of the other two. A glass partition +enclosed the room where the baths were, and Indian silk curtains, which +drew on the inside, screened those that were bathing. Miss Hobart's +chamber-maid had only just time to draw these curtains, that the girl +might not be seen to lock the partition door, and to take away the key, +before her mistress and Miss Temple came in. + +These two sat down on a couch placed along the partition, and Miss Sarah, +notwithstanding her alarms, had distinctly heard, and perfectly retained +the whole conversation. As the little girl was at all this trouble to +make herself clean, only on Lord Rochester's account, as soon as ever she +could make her escape she regained her garret; where Rochester, having +repaired thither at the appointed hour, was fully informed of all that +had passed in the bathing room. He was astonished at the audacious +temerity of Hobart, in daring to put such a trick upon him; but, though +he rightly judged that love and jealousy were the real motives, he would +not excuse her. Little Sarah desired to know whether he had a real +affection for Miss Temple, as Miss Hobart said she supposed that was the +case. "Can you doubt it," replied he, "since that oracle of sincerity +has affirmed it? But then you know that I am not now capable of +profiting by my perfidy, were I even to gain Miss Temple's compliance, +since my debauches and the street-walkers have brought me to order." + +This answer made Miss Sarah very easy, for she concluded that the first +article was not true, since she knew from experience that the latter was +false. Lord Rochester was resolved that very evening to attend the +duchess's court, to see what reception he would meet with after the fine +portrait Miss Hobart had been so kind as to draw of him. Miss Temple +did not fail to be there likewise, with the intention of looking on him +with the most contemptuous disdain possible, though she had taken care to +dress herself as well as she could. As she supposed that the lampoon +Miss Hobart had sung to her was in everybody's possession, she was under +great embarrassment lest all those whom she met should think her such a +monster as Lord Rochester had described her. In the mean time, Miss +Hobart, who had not much confidence in her promises never more to speak +to him, narrowly watched her. Miss Temple never in her life appeared so +handsome every person complimented her upon it; but she received all the +civilities with such an air, that every one thought she was mad; for when +they commended her shape, her fresh complexion, and the brilliancy of her +eyes: "Pshaw," said she, "it is very well known that I am but a monster, +and formed in no respect like other women: all is not gold that glisters; +and though I may receive some compliments in public, it signifies +nothing." All Miss Hobart's endeavours to stop her tongue were +ineffectual; and continuing to rail at herself ironically, the whole +court was puzzled to comprehend her meaning. + +When Lord Rochester came in, she first blushed, then turned pale, made a +motion to go towards him, drew back again, pulled her gloves one after +the other up to the elbow; and after having three times violently flirted +her fan, she waited until he paid his compliments to her as usual, and as +soon as he began to bow, the fair one immediately turned her back upon +him. Rochester only smiled, and being resolved that her resentment +should be still more remarked, he turned round and posting himself face +to face: "Madam," said he, "nothing can be so glorious as to look so +charming as you do, after such a fatiguing day: to support a ride of +three long hours, and Miss Hobart afterwards, without being tired, +shows indeed a very strong constitution." + +Miss Temple had naturally a tender look, but she was transported with +such a violent passion at his having the audacity to speak to her, that +her eyes appeared like two fireballs when she turned them upon him. +Hobart pinched her arm, as she perceived that this look was likely to be +followed by a torrent of reproaches and invectives. + +Lord Rochester did not wait for them, and delaying until another +opportunity the acknowledgments he owed Miss Hobart, he quietly retired. +The latter, who could not imagine that he knew anything of their +conversation at the bath, was, however, much alarmed at what he had said; +but Miss Temple, almost choked with the reproaches with which she thought +herself able to confound him and which she had not time to give vent +to, vowed to ease her mind of them upon the first opportunity, +notwithstanding the promise she had made; but never more to speak +to him afterwards. + +Lord Rochester had a faithful spy near these nymphs: this was Miss Sarah, +who, by his advice, and with her aunt's consent, was reconciled with Miss +Hobart, the more effectually to betray her: he was informed by this spy, +that Miss Hobart's maid, being suspected of having listened to them in +the closet, had been turned away; that she had taken another, whom in all +probability, she would not keep long, because, in the first place, she +was ugly, and, in the second, she eat the sweetmeats that were prepared +for Miss Temple. Although this intelligence was not very material, Sarah +was nevertheless praised for her punctuality and attention; and a few +days afterwards she brought him news of real importance. + +Rochester was by her informed, that Miss Hobart and her new favourite +designed, about nine o'clock in the evening to walk in the Mall, in the +Park; that they were to change clothes with each other, to put on scarfs, +and wear black-masks: she added, that Miss Hobart had strongly opposed +this project, but that she was obliged to give way at last, Miss Temple +having resolved to indulge her fancy. + +Upon the strength of this intelligence, Rochester concerted his measures: +he went to Killegrew, complained to him of the trick which Miss Hobart +had played him, and desired his assistance in order to be revenged: this +was readily granted, and having acquainted him with the measures he +intended to pursue, and given him the part he was to act in this +adventure, they went to the Mall. + +Presently after appeared our two nymphs in masquerade: their shapes were +not very different, and their faces, which were very unlike each other, +were concealed with their masks. The company was but thin in the Park; +and as soon as Miss Temple perceived them at a distance, she quickened +her pace in order to join them, with the design, under her disguise, +severely to reprimand the perfidious Rochester; when Miss Hobart stopping +her: "Where are you running to?" said she; "have you a mind to engage in +conversation with these two devils, to be exposed to all the insolence +and impertinence for which they are so notorious?" These remonstrances +were entirely useless: Miss Temple was resolved to try the experiment: +and all that could be obtained from her, was, not to answer any of the +questions Rochester might ask her. + +They were accosted just as they had done speaking: Rochester fixed upon +Hobart, pretending to take her for the other; at which she was overjoyed; +but Miss Temple was extremely sorry she fell to Killegrew's share, with +whom she had nothing to do: he perceived her uneasiness, and, pretending +to know her by her clothes: "Ah! Miss Hobart," said he, "be so kind as +look this way if you please: I know not by what chance you both came +hither, but I am sure it is very apropos for you, since I have something +to say to you, as your friend and humble servant." + +This beginning raising her curiosity, Miss Temple appeared more inclined +to attend him; and Killegrew perceiving that the other couple had +insensibly proceeded some distance from them: "In the name of God," said +he: "what do you mean by railing so against Lord Rochester, whom you know +to be one of the most honourable men at court, and whom you nevertheless +described as the greatest villain, to the person whom of all others he +esteems and respects the most? What do you think would become of you, if +he knew that you made Miss Temple believe she is the person alluded to in +a certain song, which you know as well as myself was made upon the clumsy +Miss Price, above a year before the fair Temple was heard of? Be not +surprised that I know so much of the matter; but pay a little attention, +I pray you, to what I am now going to tell you out of pure friendship: +your passion and inclinations for Miss Temple are known to every one but +herself; for whatever methods you used to impose upon her innocence, the +world does her the justice to believe that she would treat you as Lady +Falmouth did, if the poor girl knew the wicked designs you had upon her: +I caution you, therefore, against making any farther advances, to a +person, too modest to listen to them: I advise you likewise to take back +your maid again, in order to silence her scandalous tongue; for she says +everywhere, that she is with child, that you are the occasion of her +being in that condition, and accuses you of behaving towards her with the +blackest ingratitude, upon trifling suspicions only: you know very well, +these are no stories of my own invention; but that you may not entertain +any manner of doubt, that I had all this from her own mouth, she has told +me your conversation in the bathing-room, the characters you there drew +of the principal men at court, your artful malice in applying so +improperly a scandalous song to one of the loveliest women in all +England; and in what manner the innocent girl fell into the snare you had +laid for her, in order to do justice to her charms. But that which might +be of the most fatal consequences to you in that long conversation, is +the revealing certain secrets, which, in all probability, the duchess did +not entrust you with, to be imparted to the maids of honour: reflect upon +this, and neglect not to make some reparation to Sir Lyttleton, for the +ridicule with which you were pleased to load him. I know not whether he +had his information from your femme-de-chambre, but I am very certain +that he has sworn he will be revenged, and he is a man that keeps his +word; for after all, that you may not be deceived by his look, like that +of a Stoic, and his gravity, like that of a judge, I must acquaint you, +that he is the most passionate man living. Indeed, these invectives are +of the blackest and most horrible nature: he says it is most infamous, +that a wretch like yourself should find no other employment than to +blacken the characters of gentlemen, to gratify your jealousy; that if +you do not desist from such conduct for the future, he will immediately +complain of you; and that if her royal highness will not do him justice, +he is determined to do himself justice, and to run you through the body +with his own sword, though you were even in the arms of Miss Temple; and +that it is most scandalous that all the maids of honour should get into +your hands before they can look around them. + +"These things, madam, I thought it my duty to acquaint you with: you are +better able to judge than myself, whether what I have now advanced be +true, and I leave it to your own discretion to make what use you think +proper of my advice; but were I in your situation, I would endeavour to +reconcile Lord Rochester and Miss Temple. Once more I recommend to you +to take care that your endeavours to mislead her innocency, in order to +blast his honour, may not come to his knowledge; and do not estrange from +her a man who tenderly loves her, and whose probity is so great, that he +would not even suffer his eyes to wander towards her, if his intention +was not to make her his wife." + +Miss Temple observed her promise most faithfully during this discourse: +she did not even utter a single syllable, being seized with such +astonishment and confusion, that she quite lost the use of her tongue. + +Miss Hobart and Lord Rochester came up to her, while she was still in +amazement at the wonderful discoveries she had made; things in +themselves, in her opinion, almost incredible, but to the truth of which +she could not refuse her assent, upon examining the evidences and +circumstances on which they were founded. Never was confusion equal to +that with which her whole frame was seized by the foregoing recital. + +Rochester and Killegrew took leave of them before she recovered from her +surprise; but as soon as she had regained the free use of her senses, she +hastened back to St. James, without answering a single question that the +other put to her; and having locked herself up in her chamber, the fast +thing she did, was immediately to strip off Miss Hobart's clothes, lest +she should be contaminated by them; for after what she had been told +concerning her, she looked upon her as a monster, dreadful to the +innocence of the fair sex, of whatever sex she might be: she blushed at +the familiarities she had been drawn into with a creature, whose maid was +with child, though she never had been in any other service but hers: she +therefore returned her all her clothes, ordered her servant to bring back +all her own, and resolved never more to have any connection with her. +Miss Hobart, on the other hand, who supposed Killegrew had mistaken Miss +Temple for herself, could not comprehend what could induce her to give +herself such surprising airs, since that conversation; but being desirous +to come to an explanation, she ordered Miss Temple's maid to remain in +her apartments, and went to call upon Miss Temple herself, instead of +sending back her clothes; and being desirous to give her some proof of +friendship before they entered upon expostulations, she slipt softly into +her chamber, when she was in the very act of changing her linen, and +embraced her. Miss Temple finding herself in her arms before she had +taken notice of her, everything that Killegrew had mentioned, appeared +to her imagination: she fancied that she saw in her looks the eagerness +of a satyr, or, if possible, of some monster still more odious; and +disengaging herself with the highest indignation from her arms, she began +to shriek and cry in the most terrible manner, calling both heaven and +earth to her assistance. + +The first whom her cries raised were the governess and her niece. It was +near twelve o'clock at night: Miss Temple in her shift, almost frightened +to death, was pushing back with horror Miss Hobart, who approached her +with no other intent than to know the occasion of those transports. As +soon as the governess saw this scene, she began to lecture Miss Hobart +with all the eloquence of a real duenna: she demanded of her, whether she +thought it was for her that her royal highness kept the maids of honour? +whether she was not ashamed to come at such an unseasonable time of night +into their very apartments to commit such violences? and swore that she +would, the very next day, complain to the duchess. All this confirmed +Miss Temple in her mistaken notions: and Hobart was obliged to go away at +last, without being able to convince or bring to reason creatures, whom +she believed to be either distracted or mad. The next day Miss Sarah did +not fail to relate this adventure to her lover, telling him how Miss +Temple's cries had alarmed the maids of honour's apartment, and how +herself and her aunt, running to her assistance, had almost surprised +Miss Hobart in the very act. + +Two days after, the whole adventure, with the addition of several +embellishments, was made public: the governess swore to the truth of it, +and related in every company what a narrow escape Miss Temple had +experienced, and that Miss Sarah, her niece, had preserved her honour, +because, by Lord Rochester's excellent advice, she had forbidden her +all manner of connection with so dangerous a person. Miss Temple was +afterwards informed, that the song that had so greatly provoked her, +alluded to Miss Price only: this was confirmed to her by every person, +with additional execrations against Miss Hobart, for such a scandalous +imposition. Such great coldness after so much familiarity, made many +believe, that this adventure was not altogether a fiction. + +This had been sufficient to have disgraced Miss Hobart at court, and to +have totally ruined her reputation in London, had she not been, upon the +present, as well as upon a former occasion, supported by the duchess: +her royal highness pretended to treat the whole story as romantic and +visionary, or as solely arising from private pique: she chid Miss Temple, +for her impertinent credulity: turned away the governess and her niece, +for the lies with which she pretended they supported the imposture; and +did many improper things in order to re-establish Miss Hobart's honour, +which, however, she failed in accomplishing. She had her reasons for not +entirely abandoning her, as will appear in the sequel. + +Miss Temple, who continually reproached herself with injustice, with +respect to Lord Rochester, and who, upon the faith of Killegrew's word, +thought him the most Honourable man in England, was only solicitous to +find out some opportunity of easing her mind, by making him some +reparation for the rigour with which she had treated him: these +favourable dispositions, in the hands of a man of his character, might +have led to consequences of which she was not aware; but heaven did not +allow him an opportunity of profiting by them. + +Ever since he had first appeared at court he seldom failed being banished +from it, at least once in the year; for whenever a word presented itself +to his pen, or to his tongue, he immediately committed it to paper, or +produced it in conversation, without any manner of regard to the +consequences the ministers, the mistresses, and even the king himself, +were frequently the subjects of his sarcasms; and had not the prince, +whom he thus treated, been possessed of one of the most forgiving and +gentle tempers, his first disgrace had certainly been his last. + +Just at the time that Miss Temple was desirous of seeing him, in order to +apologize for the uneasiness which the infamous calumnies and black +aspersions of Miss Hobart had occasioned both of them, he was forbid the +court for the third time: he departed without having seen Miss Temple, +carried the disgraced governess down with him to his country seat, and +exerted all his endeavours to cultivate in her niece some dispositions +which she had for the stage; but though she did not make the same +improvement in this line, as she had by his other instructions, after he +had entertained both the niece and the aunt for some months in the +country, he got her entered in the king's company of comedians the next +winter; and the public was obliged to him for the prettiest, but at the +same time, the worst actress in the kingdom. + + [Though no name is given to this lady, there are circumstances + enough mentioned to fix on the celebrated Mrs. Barry, as the person + intended by the author. Mrs. Barry was introduced to the stage by + Lord Rochester, with whom she had an intrigue, the fruit of which + was a daughter, who lived to the age of thirteen years, and is often + mentioned in his collection of love-letters, printed in his works, + which were written to Mrs. Barry. On her first theatrical attempts, + so little hopes were entertained of her, that she was, as Cibber + declares, discharged the company at the end of the first year, among + others that were thought to be a useless expense to it. She was + well born; being daughter of Robert Barry, Esq., barrister at law; a + gentleman of an ancient family and good estate, who hurt his fortune + by his attachment to Charles I.; for whom he raised a regiment at + his own expense. Tony Aston, in his Supplement to Cibber's Apology, + says, she was woman to lady Shelton of Norfolk, who might have + belonged to the court. Curl, however, says, she was early taken + under the patronage of Lady Davenant. Both these accounts may be + true. The time of her appearance on the stage was probably not much + earlier that 1671; in which year she performed in Tom Essence, and + was, it may be conjectured, about the age of nineteen. Curl + mentions the great pains taken by Lord Rochester in instructing her; + which were repaid by the rapid progress she daily made in her + profession. She at last eclipsed all her competitors, and in the + part of Monimia established her reputation. From her performance in + this character, in that of Belvidera, and of Isabella, in the Fatal + Marriage, Downes says she acquired the name of the famous Mrs. + Barry, both at court and in the city. "Mrs. Barry," says Dryden, in + his Preface to Cleomenes, "always excellent, has in this tragedy + excelled herself, and gained a reputation beyond any woman I have + ever seen on the theatre." "In characters of greatness," says + Cibber, "Mrs. Barry had a presence of elevated dignity; her mien + and motion superb, and gracefully majestic; her voice full, clear, + and strong; so that no violence of passion could be too much for + her; and when distress or tenderness possessed her, she subsided + into the most affecting melody and softness. In the art of exciting + pity, she had a power beyond all the actresses I have yet seen, or + what your imagination can conceive. In scenes of anger, defiance, + or resentment, while she was impetuous and terrible, she poured out + the sentiment with an enchanting harmony; and it was this particular + excellence for which Dryden made her the above-recited compliment, + upon her acting Cassandra in his Cleomenes. She was the first + person whose merit was distinguished by the indulgence of having an + annual benefit play, which was granted to her alone in King James's + time, and which did not become common to others till the division of + this company, after the death of King William and Queen Mary."] + +About this time Talbot returned from Ireland: he soon felt the absence of +Miss Hamilton, who was then in the country with a relation, whom we shall +mention hereafter. A remnant of his former tenderness still subsisted in +his heart, notwithstanding his absence, and the promises he had given the +Chevalier de Grammont at parting: he now therefore endeavoured to banish +her entirely from his thoughts, by fixing his desires upon some other +object; but he saw no one in the queen's new court whom he thought worthy +of his attention: Miss Boynton, however, thought him worthy of hers. +Her, person was slender and delicate, to which a good complexion and +large motionless eyes gave at a distance an appearance of beauty, that +vanished upon nearer inspection: she affected to lisp, to languish, and +to have two or three fainting-fits a day. The first time that Talbot +cast his eyes upon her she was seized with one of these fits: he was told +that she swooned away upon his account: he believed it, was eager to +afford her assistance; and ever after that accident showed her some +kindness, more with the intention of saving her life, than to express any +affection he felt for her. This seeming tenderness was well received, +and at first she was visibly affected by it. Talbot was one of the +tallest men in England, and in all appearance one of the most robust; yet +she showed sufficiently that she was willing to expose the delicacy of +her constitution, to whatever might happen, in order to become his wife; +which event perhaps might then have taken place, as it did afterwards, +had not the charms of the fair Jennings at that time, proved an obstacle +to her wishes. + +I know not how it came to pass that he had not yet seen her; though he +had heard her much praised, and her prudence, wit, and vivacity equally +commended; he believed all this upon the faith of common report. He +thought it very singular that discretion and sprightliness should be so +intimately united in a person so young, more particularly in the midst of +a court where love and gallantry were so much in fashion; but he found +her personal accomplishments greatly to exceed whatever fame had reported +of them. + +As it was not long before he perceived he was in love, neither was it +long before he made a declaration of it: as his passion was likely enough +to be real, Miss Jennings thought she might believe him, without exposing +herself to the imputation of vanity. Talbot was possessed of a fine and +brilliant exterior, his manners were noble and majestic: besides this, he +was particularly distinguished by the favour and friendship of the duke; +but his most essential merit, with her, was his forty thousand pounds +a-year, landed property, besides his employments. All these qualities +came within the rules and maxims she had resolved to follow with respect +to lovers: thus, though he had not the satisfaction to obtain from her an +entire declaration of her sentiments, he had at least the pleasure of +being better received than those who had paid their addresses to her +before him. + +No person attempted to interrupt his happiness; and Miss Jennings, +perceiving that the duchess approved of Talbot's pretensions; and after +having well weighed the matter, and consulted her own inclinations, found +that her reason was more favourable to him than her heart, and that the +most she could do for his satisfaction was to marry him without +reluctance. + +Talbot, too fortunate in a preference which no man had before +experienced, did not examine whether it was to her heart or to her head +that he was indebted for it, and his thoughts were solely occupied in +hastening the accomplishment of his wishes: one would have sworn that the +happy minute was at hand; but love would no longer be love, if he did not +delight in obstructing, or in overturning the happiness of those who live +under his dominion. + +Talbot, who found nothing reprehensible either in the person, in the +conversation, or in the reputation of Miss Jennings, was however rather +concerned at a now acquaintance she had lately formed; and having taken +upon him to give her some cautions upon this subject, she was much +displeased at his conduct. + +Miss Price, formerly maid of honour, that had been set aside, as we have +before mentioned, upon her leaving the duchess's service, had recourse to +Lady Castlemaine's protection: she had a very entertaining wit: her +complaisance was adapted to all humours, and her own humour was possessed +of a fund of gaiety and sprightliness which diffused universal mirth and +merriment wherever she came. Her acquaintance with Miss Jennings was +prior to Talbot's. + +As she was thoroughly acquainted with all the intrigues of the court, she +related them without any manner of reserve to Miss Jennings, and her own +with the same frankness as the others: Miss Jennings was extremely well +pleased with her stories; for though she was determined to make no +experiment in love, but upon honourable terms, she however was desirous +of knowing from her recitals, all the different intrigues that were +carrying on: thus, as she was never wearied with her conversation, she +was overjoyed whenever she could see her. + +Talbot, who remarked the extreme relish she had for Miss Price's company, +thought that the reputation such a woman had in the world might prove +injurious to his mistress, more especially from the particular intimacy +there seemed to exist between them: whereupon, in the tone of a guardian +rather than a lover, he took upon him to chide her for the disreputable +company she kept. Miss Jennings was haughty beyond conception, when once +she took it into her head; and as she liked Miss Price's conversation +much better than Talbot's, she took the liberty of desiring him "to +attend to his own affairs, and that if he only came from Ireland to read +lectures about her conduct, he might take the trouble to go back as soon +as he pleased." He was offended at a sally which he thought ill-timed, +considering the situation of affairs between them; and went out of her +presence more abruptly than became the respect due from a man greatly in +love. He for some time appeared offended; but perceiving that he gained +nothing by such conduct, he grew weary of acting that part, and assumed +that of an humble lover, in which he was equally unsuccessful; neither +his repentance nor submissions could produce any effect upon her, and the +mutinous little gipsy was still in her pouts when Jermyn returned to +court. + +It was above a year since he had triumphed over the weakness of Lady +Castlemaine, and above two since the king had been weary of his triumphs: +his uncle, being vile of the first who perceived the king's disgust, +obliged him to absent himself from court, at the very time that orders +were going to be issued for that purpose; for though the king's +affections for Lady Castlemaine were now greatly diminished, yet he did +not think it consistent with his dignity that a mistress, whom he had +honoured with public distinction, and who still received a considerable +support from him, should appear chained to the car of the most ridiculous +conqueror that ever existed. His majesty had frequently expostulated +with the countess upon this subject: but his expostulations were never +attended to; it was in one of these differences that he, advising her +rather to bestow her favours upon Jacob Hall, the rope-dancer, who was +able to return them, than lavish away her money upon Jermyn to no +purpose, since it would be more honourable for her to pass for the +mistress of the first, than for the very humble servant of the other, she +was not proof against his raillery. The impetuosity of her temper broke +forth like lightning: she told him "that it very ill became him to throw +out such reproaches against one, who, of all the women in England, +deserved them the least; that he had never ceased quarrelling thus +unjustly with her, ever since he had betrayed his own mean low +inclinations; that to gratify such a depraved taste as his, he wanted +only such silly things as Stewart, Wells, and that pitiful strolling +actress,--[Probably Nell Gwyn.]--whom he had lately introduced into their +society." Floods of tears from rage, generally attended these storms; +after which, resuming the part of Medea, the scene closed with menaces of +tearing her children in pieces, and setting his palace on fire. What +course could he pursue with such an outrageous fury, who, beautiful as +she was, resembled Medea less than her dragons, when she was thus +enraged! + +The indulgent monarch loved peace; and as he seldom contended for it on +these occasions without paying something to obtain it, he was obliged to +be at great expense, in order to reconcile this last rupture: as they +could not agree of themselves, and both parties equally complained, the +Chevalier de Grammont was chosen, by mutual consent, mediator of the +treaty. The grievances and pretensions on each side were communicated to +him, and what is very extraordinary, he managed so as to please them +both. Here follow the articles of peace, which they agreed to: + +"That Lady Castlemaine should for ever abandon Jermyn; that as a proof of +her sincerity, and the reality of his disgrace, she should consent to his +being sent, for some time, into the country; that she should not rail any +more against Miss Wells, nor storm any more against Miss Stewart; and +this without any restraint on the king's behaviour towards her that in +consideration of these condescensions, his majesty should immediately +give her the title of duchess, with all the honours and privileges +thereunto belonging, and an addition to her pension, in order to enable +her to support the dignity." + + [The title of Duchess of Cleveland was conferred on her 3rd August, + 22 Charles II., 1670.] + +As soon as this peace was proclaimed, the political critics, who, in all +nations, never fail to censure all state proceedings, pretended that the +mediator of this treaty, being every day at play with Lady Castlemaine, +and never losing, had, for his own sake, insisted a little too strongly +upon this last article. + +Some days after, she was created Duchess of Cleveland, and little Jermyn +repaired to his country-seat: however, it was in his power to have +returned in a fortnight; for the Chevalier de Grammont, having procured +the king's permission, carried it to the Earl of St. Alban's: this +revived the good old man; but it was to little purpose he transmitted it +to his nephew; for whether he wished to make the London beauties deplore +and lament his absence, or whether he wished them to declaim against the +injustice of the age, or rail against the tyranny of the prince, he +continued above half a year in the country, setting up for a little +philosopher, under the eyes of the sportsmen in the neighbourhood, who +regarded him as an extraordinary instance of the caprice of fortune. He +thought the part he acted so glorious, that he would have continued there +much longer had he not heard of Miss Jennings: he did not, however, pay +much attention to what his friends wrote to him concerning her charms, +being persuaded he had seen equally as great in others: what was related +to him of her pride and resistance, appeared to him of far greater +consequence; and to subdue the last, he even looked upon as an action +worthy of his prowess; and quitting his retreat for this purpose, he +arrived in London at the time that Talbot, who was really in love, had +quarrelled, in his opinion, so unjustly with Miss Jennings. + +She had heard Jermyn spoken of as a hero in affairs of love and +gallantry. Miss Price, in the recital of those of the Duchess of +Cleveland, had often mentioned him, without in any respect diminishing +the insignificancy with which fame insinuated he had conducted himself in +those amorous encounters: she nevertheless had the greatest curiosity to +see a man, whose entire person, she thought, must be a moving trophy, and +monument of the favours and freedoms of the fair sex. + +Thus Jermyn arrived at the right time to satisfy her curiosity by his +presence; and though his brilliancy appeared a little tarnished by his +residence in the country; though his head was larger, and his legs more +slender than usual, yet the giddy girl thought she had never seen any man +so perfect; and yielding to her destiny, she fell in love with him, a +thousand times more unaccountably than all the others had done before +her. Everybody remarked this change of conduct in her with surprise; for +they expected something more from the delicacy of a person who, till this +time, had behaved with so much propriety in all her actions. + +Jermyn was not in the least surprised at this conquest, though not a +little proud of it; for his heart had very soon as great a share in it as +his vanity. Talbot, who saw with amazement the rapidity of this triumph, +and the disgrace of his own defeat, was ready to die with jealousy and +spite; yet he thought it would be more to his credit to die than to vent +those passions unprofitably; and shielding himself under a feigned +indifference, he kept at a distance to view how far such an extravagant +prepossession would proceed. + +In the mean time Jermyn quietly enjoyed the happiness of seeing the +inclinations of the prettiest and most extraordinary creature in England +declared in his favour. The duchess, who had taken her under her +protection ever since she had declined placing herself under that of the +duke, sounded Jermyn's intentions towards her, and was satisfied with the +assurances she received from a man, whose probity infinitely exceeded his +merit in love: he therefore let all the court see that he was willing to +marry her, though, at the same time, he did not appear particularly +desirous of hastening the consummation. Every person now complimented +Miss Jennings upon having reduced to this situation the terror of +husbands, and the plague of lovers: the court was in full expectation of +this miracle, and Miss Jennings of a near approaching happy settlement: +but in this world one must have fortune in one's favour, before one can +calculate with certainty upon happiness. + +The king did not use to let Lord Rochester remain so long in exile: he +grew weary of it, and being displeased that he was forgotten, he posted +up to London to wait till it might be his majesty's pleasure to recall +him. + +He first took up his habitation in the city, among the capital tradesmen +and rich merchants, where politeness indeed is not so much cultivated as +at court; but where pleasure, luxury, and abundance reign with less +confusion, and more sincerity. His first design was only to be initiated +into the mysteries of those fortunate and happy inhabitants: that is to +say, by changing his name and dress, to gain admittance to their feasts +and entertainments; and, as occasion offered, to those of their loving +spouses; as he was able to adapt himself to all capacities and humours, +he soon deeply insinuated himself into the esteem of the substantial +wealthy aldermen, and into he affections of their more delicate, +magnificent, and tender ladies: he made one in all their feasts, and at +all their assemblies; and, whilst in the company of the husbands, he +declaimed against the faults and mistakes of government, he joined their +wives in railing against the profligacy of the court ladies, and in +inveighing against the king's mistresses: he agreed with them, that the +industrious poor were to pay for these cursed extravagances; that the +city beauties were not inferior to those of the other end of the town, +and yet a sober husband in this quarter of the town was satisfied with +one wife; after which, to out-do their murmurings, he said, that he +wondered Whitehall was not yet consumed by fire from heaven, since such +rakes as Rochester, Killegrew, and Sidney were suffered there, who had +the impudence to assert that all married men in the city were cuckolds, +and all their wives painted. This conduct endeared him so much to the +cits, and made him so welcome at their clubs, that at last he grew sick +of their cramming and endless invitations. + +But, instead of approaching nearer the court, he retreated into one of +the most obscure corners of the city: where, again changing both his name +and his dress, in order to act a new part, he caused bills to be +dispersed, giving notice of "The recent arrival of a famous German +doctor, who, by long application and experience, had found out wonderful +secrets, and infallible remedies." + + [Bishop Burnet confirms this account.-" Being under an unlucky + accident, which obliged him to keep out of the way, he disguised + himself so, that his nearest friends could not have known him, and + set up in Tower Street for an Italian mountebank, where he practised + physic for some weeks, not without success. In his latter years he + read books of history more. He took pleasure to disguise himself as + a porter, or as a beggar; sometimes to follow some mean amours, + which, for the variety of them, he affected. At other times, merely + for diversion, he would go about in odd shapes; in which he acted + his part so naturally, that even those who were in the secret, and + saw him in these shapes, could perceive nothing by which he might he + discovered."--Burnet's Life of Rochester, ed. 1774, p. 14.] + +His secrets consisted in knowing what was past, and foretelling what was +to come, by the assistance of astrology: and the virtue of his remedies +principally consisted in giving present relief to unfortunate young women +in all manner of diseases, and all kinds of accidents incident to the +fair sex, either from too unbounded charity to their neighbours, or too +great indulgence to themselves. + +His first practice being confined to his neighbourhood, was not very +considerable; but his reputation soon extending to the other end of the +town, there presently flocked to him the women attending on the court, +next, the chamber-maids of ladies of quality, who, upon the wonders they +related concerning the German doctor, were soon followed by some of their +mistresses. + +Among all the compositions of a ludicrous and satirical kind, there never +existed any that could be compared to those of Lord Rochester, either for +humour, fire, or wit; but, of all his works, the most ingenious and +entertaining is that which contains a detail of the intrigues and +adventures in which he was engaged while he professed medicine and +astrology in the suburbs of London. + +The fair Jennings was very near getting a place in this collection; but +the adventure that prevented her from it, did not, however, conceal from +the public her intention of paying a visit to the German doctor. + +The first chamber-maids that consulted him were only those of the maids +of honour; who had numberless questions to ask, and not a few doubts to +be resolved, both upon their own and their mistresses' accounts. +Notwithstanding their disguise, he recognised some of them, particularly +Miss Temple's and Miss Price's maids, and her whom Miss Hobart had lately +discarded: these creatures all returned either filled with wonder and +amazement, or petrified with terror and fear. Miss Temple's chamber-maid +deposed that he assured her she would have the small-pox, and her +mistress the great, within two months at farthest, if her aforesaid +mistress did not guard against a man in woman's clothes. Miss Price's +woman affirmed that, without knowing her, and only looking in her hand, +he told her at first sight that, according to the course of the stars, he +perceived that she was in the service of some good-natured lady, who had +no other fault than loving wine and men. In short, every one of them, +struck with some particular circumstance relating to their own private +affairs, had either alarmed or diverted their mistresses with the +account, not failing, according to custom, to embellish the truth, in +order to enhance the wonder. + +Miss Price, relating these circumstances one day to her new friend, the +devil immediately tempted her to go in person, and see what sort of a +creature this new magician was. This enterprise was certainly very rash; +but nothing was too rash for Miss Jennings, who was of opinion that a +woman might despise appearances, provided she was in reality virtuous. +Miss Price was all compliance, and thus having fixed upon this glorious +resolution, they only thought of the proper means of putting it into +execution. + +It was very difficult for Miss Jennings to disguise herself, on account +of her excessive fair and bright complexion, and of something particular +in her air and manner: however, after having well considered the matter +the best disguise they could think of was to dress themselves like orange +girls. + + [These frolics appear to have been not unfrequent with persons of + high rank at this period. In a letter from Mr. Henshaw to Sir + Robert Paston, afterwards Earl of Yarmouth, dated October 13, 1670, + we have the following account: "Last week, there being a faire + neare Audley-end, the queen, the Dutchess of Richmond, and the + Dutchess of Buckingham, had a frolick to disguise themselves like + country lasses, to red petticoats, wastcotes, &c., and so goe see + the faire. Sir Barnard Gascoign, on a cart jade, rode before the + queen; another stranger before the Dutchess of Buckingham; and Mr. + Roper before Richmond. They had all so overdone it in their + disguise, and looked so much more like antiques than country volk, + that, as soon as they came to the faire, the people began to goe + after them; but the queen going to a booth, to buy a pair of yellow + stockings for her sweet hart, and Sir Bernard asking for a pair of + gloves sticht with blew, for his sweet hart, they were soon, by + their gebrish, found to be strangers, which drew a bigger flock + about them. One amongst them had seen the queen at dinner, knew + her, and was proud of her knowledge. This soon brought all the + faire into a crowd to stare at the queen. Being thus discovered, + they, as soon as they could, got to their horses; but as many of the + faire as had horses got up, with their wives, children, sweet harts, + or neighbours, behind them, to get as much gape as they could, till + they brought them to the court gate. Thus, by ill conduct, was a + merry frolick turned into a penance."--I've's Select Papers, p. 39. + + Bishop Burnet says, "at this time, (1668) the court fell into much + extravagance in masquerading: both the king and queen, all the + court, went about masked, and came into houses unknown, and danced + there, with a great deal of wild frolic. In all this people were so + disguised, that, without being in the secret, none could distinguish + them. They were carried about in hackney chairs. Once the queen's + chairmen, not knowing who she was, went from her. So she was alone, + and was much disturbed, and came to Whitehall in a hackney coach; + some say in a cart."--Burnet's History, vol. i., p. 368.] + +This was no sooner resolved upon, but it was put in execution they +attired themselves alike, and, taking each a basket of oranges under +their arms, they embarked in a hackney coach, and committed themselves to +fortune, without any other escort than their own caprice and +indiscretion. + +The duchess was gone to the play with her sister: Miss Jennings had +excused herself under pretence of indisposition she was overjoyed at the +happy commencement of their adventure; for they had disguised themselves, +had crossed the Park, and taken their hackney coach at Whitehall gate, +without the least accident. They mutually congratulated each other upon +it, and Miss Price, taking a beginning so prosperous as a good omen of +their success, asked her companion what they were to do at the fortune- +teller's, and what they should propose to him. + +Miss Jennings told her that, for her part, curiosity was her principal +inducement for going thither; that, however, she was resolved to ask him, +without naming any person, why a man, who was in love with a handsome +young lady, was not urgent to marry her, since this was in his power to +do, and by so doing he would have an opportunity of gratifying his +desires. Miss Price told her, smiling, that, without going to the +astrologer, nothing was more easy than to explain the enigma, as she +herself had almost given her a solution of it in the narrative of the +Duchess of Cleveland's adventures. + +Having by this time nearly arrived at the playhouse, Miss Price, after a +moment's reflection, said, that since fortune favoured them, a fair +opportunity was now offered to signalize their courage, which was to go +and sell oranges in the very playhouse, in the sight of the duchess and +the whole court. The proposal being worthy of the sentiments of the one, +and of the vivacity of the other, they immediately alighted, paid off +their hack, and, running through the midst of an immense number of +coaches, with great difficulty they reached the playhouse door. Sidney, +more handsome than the beautiful Adonis, and dressed more gay than usual, +alighted just then from his coach: Miss Price went boldly up to him, as +he was adjusting his curls; but he was too much occupied with his own +dear self to attend to anything else, and so passed on without deigning +to give her an answer. Killegrew came next, and the fair Jennings, +partly encouraged by the other's pertness, advanced towards him, and +offered him her basket, whilst Price, more used to the language, desired +him to buy her fine oranges. "Not now," said he, looking at them with +attention; "but if thou wilt to-morrow morning bring this young girl to +my lodgings, I will make it worth all the oranges in London to thee" and +while he thus spoke to the one he chucked the other under the chin, +examining her bosom. These familiarities making little Jennings forget +the part she was acting, after having pushed him away with all the +violence she was able, she told him with indignation that it was very +insolent to dare--"Ha! ha!" said he, "here's a rarity indeed! a young +w----, who, the better to sell her goods, sets up for virtue, and +pretends innocence!" + +Price immediately perceived that nothing could be gained by continuing +any longer in so dangerous a place; and, taking her companion under the +arm, she dragged her away, while she was still in emotion at the insult +that had been offered to her. + +Miss Jennings, resolving to sell no more oranges on these terms, was +tempted to return, without accomplishing the other adventure; but Price +having represented to her the disgrace of such cowardly behaviour, more +particularly after having before manifested so much resolution, she +consented to go and pay the astrologer a short visit, so as they might be +enabled to regain the palace before the play was ended. + +They had one of the doctor's bills for a direction, but there was no +occasion for it; for the driver of the coach they had taken told them he +knew very well the place they wanted, for he had already carried above an +hundred persons to the German doctor's: they were within half a street of +his house, when fortune thought proper to play them a trick. + +Brounker had dined by chance with a merchant in that part of the city, +and just as he was going away they ordered their coach to stop, as ill- +luck would have it, just opposite to him. Two orange girls in a hackney +coach, one of whom appeared to have a very pretty face, immediately drew +his attention; besides, he had a natural curiosity for such objects. + + [Gentleman of the chamber to the Duke of York, and brother to Lord + Viscount Brounker, president of the royal society. Lord Clarendon + imputes to him the cause of the great sea-fight, in 1665, not being + so well improved as it might have been, and adds, "nor did the duke + come to hear of it till some years after, when Mr. Brounker's ill + course of life, and his abominable nature, had rendered him so + odious, that it was taken notice of in parliament, and, upon + examination, found to be true, as is here related; upon which he was + expelled the house of commons, whereof he was a; member, as an + infamous person, though his friend Coventry adhered to him, and used + many indirect acts to have protected him, and afterwards procured + him to have more countenance from the king than most men thought he + deserved; being a person, throughout his whole life, never notorious + for anything but the highest degree of impudence, and stooping to + the most infamous offices, and playing very well at chess, which + preferred him more than the most virtuous qualities could have + done."--Continuation of Clarendon's Life, p. 270.] + +Of all the men at court, he had the least regard for the fair sex, and +the least attention to their reputation: he was not young, nor was his +person agreeable; however, with a great deal of wit he had a violent +passion for women. He did himself justice respecting his own merit; and, +being persuaded that he could only succeed with those who were desirous +of having his money, he was at open war with all the rest. He had a +little country-house four or five miles from London always well stocked +with girls: in other respects he was a very honest man, and the best +chess-player in England. + +Price, alarmed at being thus closely examined by the most dangerous enemy +they could encounter, turned her head the other way, bid her companion do +the same, and told the coachman to drive on. Brounker followed them +unperceived on foot; and the coach having stopped twenty or thirty yards +farther up the street, they alighted. He was just behind them, and +formed the same judgment of them which a man much more charitable to the +sex must unavoidably have done, concluding that Miss Jennings was a young +courtesan upon the look-out, and that Miss Price was the mother-abbess. +He was, however, surprised to see them have much better shoes and +stockings than women of that rank generally wear, and that the little +orange girl, in getting out of a very high coach, showed one of the +handsomest legs he had ever seen: but as all this was no obstruction to +his designs, he resolved to purchase her at any rate, in order to place +her in his seraglio. + +He came up to them, as they were giving their baskets in guard to the +coachman, with orders to wait for them exactly in that place. Brounker +immediately pushed in between them: as soon as they saw him, they gave +themselves up for lost; but he, without taking the least notice of their +surprise, took Price aside with one hand, and his purse with the other, +and began immediately to enter upon business, but was astonished to +perceive that she turned away her face, without either answering or +looking at him: As this conduct appeared to him unnatural, he stared her +full in the face, notwithstanding all her endeavours to prevent him: he +did the same to the other: and immediately recognised them, but +determined to conceal his discovery. + +The old fox possessed a wonderful command of temper on such occasions, +and having teazed them a little longer to remove all suspicions he +quitted them, telling Price; "That she was a great fool to refuse his +offers, and that her girl would not, perhaps, get so much in a year, as +she might with him in one day; that the times were greatly changed, since +the queen's and the duchess's maids of honour forestalled the market, and +were to be had cheaper than the town ladies." Upon this he went back to +his coach, whilst they blessed themselves, returning heaven their most +hearty thanks for having escaped this danger without being discovered. + +Brounker, on the other hand, would not have taken a thousand guineas for +this rencounter: he blessed the Lord that he had not alarmed them to such +a degree as to frustrate their intention; for he made no doubt but Miss +Price had managed some intrigue for Miss Jennings: he therefore +immediately concluded, that at present it would be improper to make known +his discovery, which would have answered no other end but to have +overwhelmed them with confusion. + +Upon this account, although Jermyn was one of his best friends, he felt a +secret joy in not having prevented his being made a cuckold, before his +marriage; and the apprehension he was in of preserving him from that +accident, was his sole reason for quitting them with the precautions +aforementioned. + +Whilst they were under these alarms, their coachman was engaged in a +squabble with some blackguard boys, who had gathered round his coach in +order to steal the oranges: from words they came to blows: the two nymphs +saw the commencement of the fray as they were returning to the coach, +after having abandoned the design of going to the fortuneteller's. Their +coachman being a man of spirit, it was with great difficulty they could +persuade him to leave their oranges to the mob, that they might get off +without any further disturbance: having thus regained their hack, after a +thousand frights, and after having received an abundant share of the most +low and infamous abuse applied to them during the fracas, they at length +reached St. James's, vowing never more to go after fortune-tellers, +through so many dangers, terrors, and alarms, as they had lately +undergone. + +Brounker, who, from the indifferent opinion he entertained of the fair +sex, would have staked his life that Miss Jennings did not return from +this expedition in the same condition she went, kept his thoughts, +however, a profound secret; since it would have afforded him the highest +satisfaction to have seen the all-fortunate Jermyn marry a little street- +walker, who pretended to pass for a pattern of chastity, that he might, +the day after his marriage, congratulate him upon his virtuous spouse; +but heaven was not disposed to afford him that satisfaction, as will +appear in the sequel of these memoirs. + +Miss Hamilton was in the country, as we before mentioned, at a +relation's: the Chevalier de Grammont bore this short absence of hers +with great uneasiness, since she would not allow him permission to visit +her there, upon any pretence whatever; but play, which was favourable to +him, was no small relief to his extreme impatience. + +Miss Hamilton, however, at last returned. Mrs. Wetenhall (for that was +the name of her relation) would by all means wait upon her to London, in +appearance out of politeness; for ceremony, carried beyond all bearing, +is the grand characteristic of country gentry: yet this mark of civility +was only a pretence, to obtain a peevish husband's consent to his wife's +journey to town. Perhaps he would have done himself the honour of +conducting Miss Hamilton up to London, had he not been employed in +writing some remarks upon the ecclesiastical history, a work in which he +had long been engaged: the ladies were more civil than to interrupt him +in his undertaking, and besides, it would entirely have disconcerted all +Mrs. Wetenhall's schemes. + +This lady was what may be properly called a beauty, entirely English, +made up of lilies and roses, of snow and milk, as to colour; and of wax, +with respect to the arms, hands, neck, and feet, but all this without +either animation or air; her face was uncommonly pretty; but there was no +variety, no change of countenance in it: one would have thought she took +it in the morning out of a case, in order to put it up again at night, +without using it in the smallest degree in the daytime. What can I say +of her! nature had formed her a baby from her infancy, and a baby +remained till death the fair Mrs. Wetenhall. Her husband had been +destined for the church; but his elder brother dying just at the time he +had gone through his studies of divinity, instead of taking orders, he +came to England, and took to wife Miss Bedingfield, the lady of whom we +are now speaking. + +His person was not disagreeable, but he had a serious contemplative air, +very apt to occasion disgust: as for the rest, she might boast of having +one of the greatest theologists in the kingdom for her husband: he was +all day poring over his books, and went to bed soon, in order to rise +early; so that his wife found him snoring when she came to bed, and when +he arose he left her there sound asleep: his conversation at table would +have been very brisk, if Mrs. Wetenhall had been as great a proficient +in divinity, or as great a lover of controversy, as he was; but being +neither learned in the former, nor desirous of the latter, silence +reigned at their table, as absolutely as at a refectory. + +She had often expressed a great desire to see London; but though they +were only distant a very short day's journey from it, she had never been +able to satisfy her curiosity: it was not therefore without reason, that +she grew weary of the life she was forced to lead at Peckham. The +melancholy retired situation of the place was to her insupportable; and +as she had the folly, incident to many other women, of believing +sterility to be a kind of reproach, she was very much hurt to see that +she might fall under that suspicion; for she was persuaded, that although +heaven had denied her children, she nevertheless had all the necessary +requisites on her part, if it had been the will of the Lord. This had +occasioned her to make some reflections, and then to reason upon those +reflections; as for instance, that since her husband chose rather to +devote himself to his studies, than to the duties of matrimony, to turn +over musty old books, rather than attend to the attractions of beauty, +and to gratify his own pleasures, rather than those of his wife, it might +be permitted her to relieve some necessitous lover, in neighbourly +charity, provided she could do it conscientiously, and to direct her +inclinations in so just a, manner, that the evil spirit should have no +concern in it. Mr. Wetenhall, a zealous partisan for the doctrine of the +casuists, would not perhaps have approved of these decisions; but he was +not consulted. + +The greatest misfortune was, that neither solitary Peckham nor its +sterile neighbourhood, presented any expedients, either for the execution +of the afore-mentioned design, or for the relief of poor Mrs. Wetenhall: +she was visibly pining away, when, through fear of dying either with +solitude or of want, she had recourse to Miss Hamilton's commiseration. + +Their first acquaintance was formed at Paris, whither Mr. Wetenhall had +taken his wife half a year after they were married, on a journey thither +to buy books: Miss Hamilton, who from that very time greatly pitied her, +consented to pass some time in the country with her, in hopes by that +visit to deliver her, for a short time at least, out of her captivity; +which project succeeded according to her wish. + +The Chevalier de Grammont, being informed of the day on which they were +to arrive, borne on the wings of love and impatience, had engaged George +Hamilton to go with him, and meet them some miles out of London. The +equipage he had prepared for the purpose, corresponded with his usual +magnificence; and on such an occasion, we may reasonably suppose he had +not neglected his person: however, with all his impatience, he checked +the ardour of the coachman, through fear of accidents, rightly judging +that upon a road prudence is preferable to eagerness. The ladies at +length appeared, and Miss Hamilton, being in his eyes, ten or twelve +times more handsome than before her departure from London, he would have +purchased with his life so kind a reception as she gave her brother. + +Mrs. Wetenhall had her share of the praises, which at this interview +were liberally bestowed upon her beauty, for which her beauty was very +thankful to those who did it so much honour; and as Hamilton regarded +her with a tender attention, she regarded Hamilton as a man very well +qualified for putting in execution the little projects she had concerted +with her conscience. + +As soon as she was in London, her head was almost turned, through an +excess of contentment and felicity: everything appeared like enchantment +to her in this superb city; more particularly, as in Paris she had never +seen anything farther than the Rue Saint Jacques, and a few booksellers' +shops. Miss Hamilton entertained her at her own house, and she was +presented, admired, and well received at both courts. + +The Chevalier de Grammont, whose gallantry and magnificence were +inexhaustible, taking occasion, from this fair stranger's arrival, to +exhibit his grandeur, nothing was to be seen but balls, concerts, plays, +excursions by land and by water, splendid collations and sumptuous +entertainments: Mrs. Wetenhall was transported with pleasures, of which +the greatest part were entirely new to her; she was greatly delighted +with all, except now and then at a play, when tragedy was acted, which +she confessed she thought rather wearisome: she agreed, however, that the +show was very interesting, when there were many people killed upon the +stage, but thought the players were very fine handsome fellows, who were +much better alive than dead. + +Hamilton, upon the whole, was pretty well treated by her, if a man in +love, who is never satisfied until the completion of his wishes, could +confine himself within the bounds of moderation and reason: he used all +his endeavours to determine her to put in execution the projects she had +formed at Peckham: Mrs. Wetenhall, on the other hand, was much pleased +with him. This is the Hamilton who served in the French army with +distinction; he was both agreeable and handsome. All imaginable +opportunities conspired to favour the establishment of an intimacy, whose +commencement had been so brisk, that in all probability it would not +languish for a conclusion; but the more he pressed her to it, the more +her resolution began to fail, and regard for some scruples, which she had +not well weighed, kept her in suspense: there was reason to believe that +a little perseverance would have removed these obstacles; yet this at the +present time was not attempted. Hamilton, not able to conceive what +could prevent her from completing his happiness, since in his opinion the +first and greatest difficulties of an amour were already overcome, with +respect to the public, resolved to abandon her to her irresolutions, +instead of endeavouring to conquer them by a more vigorous attack. It +was not consistent with reason, to desist from an enterprise, where so +many prospects of success presented themselves, for such inconsiderable +obstacles; but he suffered himself to be intoxicated with chimeras and +visions, which unseasonably cooled the vigour of his pursuit, and led him +astray in another unprofitable undertaking. + + [I apprehend he is the same George Hamilton already described, who + married Miss Jennings, and not the author of this work, as Lord + Orford supposes. In a letter from Arlington to Sir William + Godolphin, dated September 7, 1671, it is said, "the Conde de Molina + complains to us of certain levies Sir George Hamilton hath made in + Ireland. The king hath always told him he had no express license + for it; and I have told the Conde he must not find it strange that a + gentleman who had been bred the king's page abroad, and losing his + employment at home, for being a Roman Catholic, should have some + more than ordinary connivance towards the making his fortune abroad + by the countenance of his friends and relations in Ireland: and yet + take the matter in the worst sense he could give, it would not + amount to the breach of any article betwixt the king my master and + the court of Spain."--Arlington's letters, vol. ii., p. 332. In + a letter from the same nobleman to Lord Sandwich, written about + October, 1667, we find the cause of Sir George Hamilton's entering + into the French service "Concerning the reformadoes of, the guards + of horse, his majesty thought fit, the other day, to have them + dismissed, according to his promise, made to the parliament at the + last session. Mr. Hamilton had a secret overture made him, that he, + with those men, should be welcome into the French service; his + majesty, at their dismissal, having declared they should have leave + to go abroad whither they pleased. They accepted of Mr. Hamilton's + offer to carry them into France. "Arlington's Letters, vol. i., p. + 185. Lodge, in his Peerage of Ireland, says, Sir George Hamilton + died in 1667, which, from the first extract above, appears to be + erroneous. He has evidently confounded the father and son; the + former of whom was the person who died in 1667.] + +I know not whether poor Wetenhall took the blame upon herself; but it is +certain, she was extremely mortified upon it. Soon after being obliged +to return to her cabbages and turkeys at Peckham, she had almost gone +distracted: that residence appeared a thousand times more dreadful to +her, since she had been initiated into the amusements of London; but as +the queen was to set out within a month for Tunbridge Wells, she was +obliged to yield to necessity, and return to the philosopher, Wetenhall, +with the consolation of having engaged Miss Hamilton to come and live at +her house, which was within ten or twelve miles of Tunbridge, as long as +the court remained there. + +Miss Hamilton promised not to abandon her in her retirement, and further +engaged to bring the Chevalier de Grammont along with her, whose humour +and conversation extremely delighted her. The Chevalier de Grammont, who +on all occasions started agreeable raillery, engaged on his part to bring +George Hamilton, which words overwhelmed her with blushes. The court set +out soon after to pass about two months in the place of all Europe the +most rural and simple, and yet, at the same time, the most entertaining +and agreeable. Tunbridge is the same distance from London, that +Fontainebleau is from Paris, and is, at the season, the general +rendezvous of all the gay and handsome of both sexes. The company, +though always numerous, is always select: since those who repair thither +for diversion, ever exceed the number of those who go thither for health. +Everything there breathes mirth and pleasure: constraint is banished, +familiarity is established upon the first acquaintance, and joy and +pleasure are the sole sovereigns of the place. + +The company are accommodated with lodgings in little, clean, and +convenient habitations, that lie straggling and separated from each +other, a mile and a half all round the Wells, where the company meet in +the morning: this place consists of a long walk, shaded by spreading +trees, under which they walk while they are drinking the waters: on one +side of this walk is a long row of shops, plentifully stocked with all +manner of toys, lace, gloves, stockings, and where there is raffling, as +at Paris, in the Foire de Saint Germain: on the other side of the walk is +the market; and, as it is the custom here for every person to buy their +own provisions, care is taken that nothing offensive appears on the +stalls. Here young, fair, fresh-coloured country girls, with clean +linen, small straw hats, and neat shoes and stockings, sell game, +vegetables, flowers and fruit: here one may live as one pleases: here is, +likewise, deep play, and no want of amorous intrigues. As soon as the +evening comes, every one quits his little palace to assemble at the +bowling-green, where, in the open air, those who choose, dance upon a +turf more soft and smooth than the finest carpet in the world, + +Lord Muskerry had, within two or three short miles of Tunbridge, a very +handsome seat called Summer-hill: Miss Hamilton, after having spent eight +or ten days at Peckham, could not excuse herself from passing the +remainder of the season at his house; and, having obtained leave of Mr. +Wetenhall, that his lady should accompany her, they left the melancholy +residence of Peckham, and its tiresome master, and fixed their little +court at Summer-hill. + +They went every day to court, or the court came to them. The queen +even surpassed her usual attentions in inventing and supporting +entertainments: she endeavoured to increase the natural ease and freedom +of Tunbridge, by dispensing with, rather than requiring, those ceremonies +that were due to her presence; and, confining in the bottom of her heart +that grief and uneasiness she could not overcome, she saw Miss Stewart +triumphantly possess the affections of the king without manifesting the +least uneasiness. + +Never did love see his empire in a more flourishing condition than on +this spot: those who were smitten before they came to it, felt a mighty +augmentation of their flame; and those who seemed the least susceptible +of love, laid aside their natural ferocity, to act in a new character. +For the truth of the latter, we shall only relate the change which soon +appeared in the conduct of Prince Rupert. + + [Lord Orford's contrast to this character of Prince Rupert is too + just to be here omitted. "Born with the taste of an uncle whom his + sword was not fortunate in defending, Prince Rupert was fond of + those sciences which soften and adorn a hero's private hours, and + knew how to mix them with his minutes of amusement, without + dedicating his life to their pursuit, like us, who, wanting capacity + for momentous views, make serious study of what is only the + transitory occupation of a genius. Had the court of the first + Charles been peaceful, how agreeably had the prince's congenial + propensity flattered and confirmed the inclination of his uncle! + How the muse of arts would have repaid the patronage of the monarch, + when, for his first artist, she would have presented him with his + nephew! How different a figure did the same prince make in a reign + of dissimilar complexion! The philosophic warrior, who could relax + himself into the ornament of a refined court, was thought a savage + mechanic, when courtiers were only voluptuous wits. Let me + transcribe a picture of Prince Rupert, drawn by a man who was far + from having the least portion of wit in that age, who was superior + to its indelicacy, and who yet was so overborne by its prejudices, + that he had the complaisance to ridicule virtue, merit, talents.-- + But Prince Rupert, alas! was an awkward lover!" Lord Orford here + inserts the character in the text, and then adds, "What pity that + we, who wish to transmit this prince's resemblance to posterity on a + fairer canvas, have none of these inimitable colours to efface the + harsher likeness! We can but oppose facts to wit, truth to satire. + --How unequal the pencils! yet what these lines cannot do they may + suggest: they may induce the reader to reflect, that if the prince + was defective in the transient varnish of a court, he at least was + adorned by the arts with that polish which alone can make a court + attract the attention of subsequent ages."--Catalogue of Engravers, + p 135, 8vo ed.] + +He was brave and courageous, even to rashness; but cross-grained and +incorrigibly obstinate: his genius was fertile in mathematical +experiments, and he possessed some knowledge of chemistry: he was polite +even to excess, unseasonably; but haughty, and even brutal, when he ought +to have been gentle and courteous: he was tall, and his manners were +ungracious: he had a dry hard-favoured visage, and a stern look, even +when he wished to please; but, when he was out of humour, he was the true +picture of reproof. + +The queen had sent for the players, either that there might be no +intermission in the diversions of the place, or, perhaps, to retort upon +Miss Stewart, by the presence of Nell Gwyn, part of the uneasiness she +felt from hers. Prince Rupert found charms in the person of another +player called Hughes, who brought down and greatly subdued his natural +fierceness. + + [Mrs. Hughes was one of the actresses belonging to the king's + company, and one of the earliest female performers. According to + Downs, she commenced her theatrical career after the opening of + Drury lane theatre, in 1663. She appears to have been the first + female representative of Desdemona. By Prince Rupert she had a + daughter, named Ruperta, married to Lieutenant-general Howe, who + survived her husband many years, dying at Somerset house, about the + year 1740.] + +From this time, adieu alembics, crucibles, furnaces, and all the black +furniture of the forges: a complete farewell to all mathematical +instruments and chemical speculations: sweet powder and essences were now +the only ingredients that occupied any share of his attention. The +impertinent gipsy chose to be attacked in form; and proudly refusing +money, that, in the end she might sell her favours at a dearer rate, she +caused the poor prince to act a part so unnatural, that he no longer +appeared like the same person. The king was greatly pleased with this +event, for which great rejoicings were made at Tunbridge; but nobody was +bold enough to make it the subject of satire, though the same constraint +was not observed with other ridiculous personages. + +There was dancing every day at the queen's apartments, because the +physicians recommended it, and no person thought it amiss: for even those +who cared least for it, chose that exercise to digest the waters rather +than walking. Lord Muskerry thought himself secure against his lady's +rage for dancing; for, although he was ashamed of it, the princess of +Babylon was, by the grace of God, six or seven months advanced in +pregnancy; and, to complete her misfortune, the child had fallen all +on one side, so that even Euclid would have been puzzled to say what +her figure was. The disconsolate lady, seeing Miss Hamilton and Mrs. +Wetenhall set out every morning, sometimes on horseback and sometimes in +a coach, but ever attended by a gallant troop to conduct them to court, +and to convey them back, she fancied a thousand times more delights at +Tunbridge than in reality there were, and she did not cease in her +imagination, to dance over at Summer-hill all the country dances which +she thought had been danced at Tunbridge. She could no longer support +the racking torments which disturbed her mind, when relenting heaven, +out of pity to her pains and sufferings, caused Lord Muskerry to repair +to London, and kept him there two whole days: as soon as ever he had +turned his back, the Babylonian princess declared her resolution to make +a trip to court. + +She had a domestic chaplain who did not want sense, and Lord Muskerry, +for fear of accidents, had recommended her to the wholesome counsels and +good prayers of this prudent divine; but in vain were all his preachings +and exhortations to stay at home; in vain did he set before her eyes her +husband's commands, and the dangers to which she would expose herself in +her present condition; he likewise added that her pregnancy, being a +particular blessing from heaven, she ought therefore to be so much the +more careful for its preservation, since it cost her husband, perhaps, +more trouble than she was aware of, to obtain it. These remonstrances +were altogether ineffectual: Miss Hamilton and her cousin Wetenhall, +having the complaisance to confirm her in her resolution, they assisted +in dressing her the next morning, and set out along with her all their +skill and dexterity were requisite to reduce her shape into some kind of +symmetry; but, having at last pinned a small cushion under her petticoat +on the right side, to counteract the untoward appearance the little +infant occasioned by throwing itself on the left, they almost split their +sides with laughter, assuring her at the same time that she looked +perfectly charming. + +As soon as she appeared, it was generally believed that she had dressed +herself in a farthingale, in order to make her court to the queen; but +every person was pleased at her arrival: those who were unacquainted with +the circumstances assured her in earnest that she was pregnant with +twins; and the queen, who envied her condition, notwithstanding the +ridiculous appearance she then made, being made acquainted with the +motive of her journey, was determined to gratify her inclinations. + +As soon as the hour for country dances arrived, her cousin Hamilton was +appointed her partner: she made some faint excuses at first on account of +the inconvenient situation she was then in: but soon suffered them to be +overcome, in order, as she said, to show her duty to the queen; and never +did a woman in this world enjoy such complete satisfaction. + +We have already observed, that the greatest prosperity is liable to the +greatest change: Lady Muskerry, trussed up as she was, seemed to feel no +manner of uneasiness from the motion in dancing; on the contrary, being +only apprehensive of the presence of her husband, which would have +destroyed all her happiness, she danced with uncommon briskness, lest her +ill stars should bring him back before she had fully satisfied herself +with it. In the midst, therefore, of her capering in this indiscreet +manner, her cushion came loose, without her perceiving it, and fell to +the ground in the very middle of the first round. The Duke of +Buckingham, who watched her, took it up instantly, wrapped it up in his +coat, and, mimicking the cries of a new-born infant, he went about +inquiring for a nurse for the young Muskerry among the maids of honour. + +This buffoonery, joined to the strange figure of the poor lady, had +almost thrown Miss Stewart into hysterics; for the princess of Babylon, +after this accident, was quite flat on one side, and immoderately +protuberant on the other. All those who had before suppressed their +inclinations to laugh, now gave themselves free scope, when they saw that +Miss Stewart was ready to split her sides. The poor lady was greatly +disconcerted: every person was officious to console her; but the queen, +who inwardly laughed more heartily than any, pretended to disapprove of +their taking such liberties. + +Whilst Miss Hamilton and Mrs. Wetenhall endeavoured to refit Lady +Muskerry in another room, the Duke of Buckingham told the king that, +if the physicians would permit a little exercise immediately after a +delivery, the best way to recover Lady Muskerry was to renew the dance +as soon as ever her infant was replaced; this advice was approved, and +accordingly put in execution. The queen proposed, as soon as she +appeared, a second round of country-dances; and Lady Muskerry accepting +the offer, the remedy had its desired effect, and entirely removed every +remembrance of her late mishap. + +Whilst these things were passing at the king's court, that of the Duke of +York took a journey on the other side of London; the pretence of this +journey was to visit the county whose name he bore; but love was the real +motive. The duchess, since her elevation, had conducted herself with +such prudence and circumspection, as could not be sufficiently admired: +such were her manners, and such the general estimation in which she was +held, that she appeared to have found out the secret of pleasing every +one; a secret yet more rare than the grandeur to which she had been +raised: but, after having gained universal esteem, she was desirous of +being more particularly beloved; or, more properly speaking, malicious +Cupid assaulted her heart, in spite of the discretion, prudence, and +reason, with which she had fortified it. + +In vain had she said to herself a hundred times, that if the duke had +been so kind as to do her justice by falling in love with her, he had +done her too much honour by making her his wife; that with respect to his +inconstant disposition, which estranged him from her, she ought to bear +it with patience, until it pleased heaven to produce a change in his +conduct; that the frailties on his part, which might to her appear +injurious, would never justify in her the least deviation from her duty; +and, as resentment was still less allowable, she ought to endeavour to +regain him by a conduct entirely opposite to his own. In vain was it, as +we have said before, that she had long resisted Love and his emissaries +by the help of these maxims: how solid soever reason, and however +obstinate wisdom and virtue may be, there are yet certain attacks which +tire by their length, and, in the end, subdue both reason and virtue +itself. + +The Duchess of York was one of the highest feeders in England: as this +was an unforbidden pleasure she indulged herself in it, as an +indemnification for other self-denials. It was really an edifying sight +to see her at table. The duke, on the contrary, being incessantly in the +hurry of new fancies, exhausted himself by his inconstancy, and was +gradually wasting away; whilst the poor princess, gratifying her good +appetite, grew so fat and plump that it was a blessing to see her. +It is not easy to determine how long things would have continued in this +situation, if Love, who was resolved to have satisfaction for her late +conduct, so opposite to the former, had not employed artifice as well as +force, to disturb her repose. + +He at first let loose upon her resentment and jealousy two mortal enemies +to all tranquillity and happiness. A tall creature, pale-faced, and +nothing but skin and bone, named Churchill, whom she had taken for a maid +of honour, became the object of her jealousy, because she was then the +object of the duke's affection. The court was not able to comprehend +how, after having been in love with Lady Chesterfield, Miss Hamilton, and +Miss Jennings, he could have any inclination for such a creature; but +they soon perceived that something more than unaccountable variety had a +great share in effecting this conquest. + + [Miss Arabella Churchill, daughter of Sir Winston Churchill of + Wotton Basset, in the county of Wilts, and sister to the celebrated + John, Duke of Marlborough. She was born 1648.] + +The duchess beheld with indignation a choice which seemed to debase her +own merit in a much greater degree than any of the former; at the very +instant that indignation and jealousy began to provoke her spleen, +perfidious Cupid threw in the way of her passions and resentments the +amiable, handsome Sidney; and, whilst he kept her eyes fixed upon his +personal perfections, diverted her attention from perceiving the +deficiency of his mental accomplishments: she was wounded before she was +aware of her danger; but the good opinion Sidney had of his own merit did +not suffer him long to be ignorant of such a glorious conquest; and, in +order more effectually to secure it, his eyes rashly answered everything +which those of her royal highness had the kindness to tell him, whilst +his personal accomplishments were carefully heightened by all the +advantages of dress and show. + +The duchess, foreseeing the consequences of such an engagement, strongly +combated the inclination that hurried her away; but Miss Hobart, siding +with that inclination, argued the matter with her scruples, and, in the +end, really vanquished them. This girl had insinuated herself into her +royal highness's confidence by a fund of news with which she was provided +the whole year round: the court and the city supplied her; nor was it +very material to her whether her stories were true or false, her chief +care being that they should prove agreeable to her mistress: she knew, +likewise, how to gratify her palate, and constantly provided a variety of +those dishes and liquors which she liked best. These qualifications had +rendered her necessary; but, desirous of being still more so, and having +perceived both the airs that Sidney gave himself, and what was passing in +the heart of her mistress, the cunning Hobart took the liberty of telling +her royal highness that this unfortunate youth was pining away solely on +her account; that it was a thousand pities a man of his figure should +lose the respect for her which was most certainly her due, merely because +she had reduced him to such a state that he could no longer preserve it; +that he was gradually dying away on her account, in the sight of the +whole court; that his situation would soon be generally remarked, except +she made use of the proper means to prevent it; that, in her opinion, her +royal highness ought to pity the miserable situation into which her +charms had reduced him, and to endeavour to alleviate his pain in some +way or other. The duchess asked her what she meant by "endeavouring to +alleviate his pain in some way or other." "I mean, madam," answered Miss +Hobart, "that, if either his person be disagreeable, or his passion +troublesome, you will give him his discharge; or, if you choose to retain +him in your service, as all the princesses in the world would do in your +place, you will permit me to give him directions from you for his future +conduct, mixed with a few grains of hope, to prevent his entirely losing +his senses, until you find a proper occasion yourself to acquaint him +with your wishes." "What!" said the duchess, "would you advise me, +Hobart--you, who really love me--to engage in an affair of this nature, +at the expense of my honour, and the hazard of a thousand inconveniences! +If such frailties are sometimes excusable, they certainly are not so in +the high station in which I am placed; and it would be an ill-requital on +my part for his goodness who raised me to the rank I now fill to----" +"All this is very fine," interrupted Miss Hobart: "but is it not very +well known that he only married you because he was importuned so to do? +Since that I refer to yourself whether he has ever restrained his +inclination a single moment, giving you the most convincing proofs of +the change that has taken place in his heart, by a thousand provoking +infidelities? Is it still your intention to persevere in a state of +indolence and humility, whilst the duke, after having received the +favours, or suffered the repulses, of all the coquettes in England, pays +his addresses to the maids of honour, one after the other, and at present +places his whole ambition and desires in the conquest of that ugly +skeleton, Churchill? What! Madam, must then your prime of life be spent +in a sort of widowhood in deploring your misfortunes, without ever being +permitted to make use of any remedy that may offer? A woman must be +endowed with insuperable patience, or with an inexhaustible degree of +resignation, to bear this. Can a husband, who disregards you both night +and day, really suppose, because his wife eats and drinks heartily, as, +God be thanked, your royal highness does, that she wants nothing else +than to sleep well too? Faith, such conduct is too bad: I therefore once +more repeat that there is not a princess in the universe who would refuse +the homage of a man like Sidney, when a husband pays his addresses +elsewhere." + +These reasons were certainly not morally good; but had they been still +worse the duchess would have yielded to them, so much did her heart act +in concert with Miss Hobart, to overthrow her discretion and prudence. + +This intrigue began at the very time that Miss Hobart advised Miss Temple +not to give any encouragement to the addresses of the handsome Sidney. +As for him, no sooner was he informed by the confidant Hobart that +the goddess accepted his adoration than he immediately began to be +particularly reserved and circumspect in his behaviour, in order to +divert the attention of the public; but the public is not so easily +deceived as some people imagine. + +As there were too many spies, too many inquisitive people and critics, in +a numerous court, residing in the midst of a populous city, the duchess +to avoid exposing the inclinations of her heart to the scrutiny of so +many inquisitors, engaged the Duke of York to undertake the journey +before mentioned, whilst the queen and her court were at Tunbridge. + +This conduct was prudent; and, if agreeable to her, was far from +displeasing to any of her court, except Miss Jennings: Jermyn was not of +the party; and, in her opinion, every party was insipid in which he was +not one of the company. He had engaged himself in an enterprise above +his strength, in laying a wager which the Chevalier de Grammont had laid +before, and lost. He betted five hundred guineas that he would ride +twenty miles in one hour upon the same horse, in the high road. The day +he had fixed upon for this race was the very same in which Miss Jennings +went to the fortune-teller's. + +Jermyn was more fortunate than her in this undertaking he came off +victorious; but as his courage had far exceeded the strength of his +constitution in this exertion to win the wager, he got a violent fever +into the bargain, which brought him very low. Miss Jennings inquired +after his health; but that was all she dared to do. In modern romances, +a princess need only pay a visit to some hero, abandoned by his +physicians, a perfect cure would be wrought in three days; but since Miss +Jennings had not been the cause of Jermyn's fever, she was not certain of +relieving him from it, although she had been sure that a charitable visit +would not have been censured in a malicious court. Without therefore +paying any attention to the uneasiness she might feel upon the occasion, +the court set out without him: she had, however, the gratification to +testify her ill-humour throughout the whole journey, by appearing +displeased with everything which seemed to afford satisfaction to +all the rest of the company. + +Talbot made one of the company; and flattering himself that the absence +of a dangerous rival might produce some change in his favour, he was +attentive to all the actions, motions, and even gestures, of his former +mistress. There was certainly enough fully to employ his attention: it +was contrary to her disposition to remain long in a serious humour. Her +natural vivacity hurried her away, from being seemingly lost in thought, +into sallies of wit, which afforded him hopes that she would soon forget +Jermyn, and remember that his own passion was the first she had +encouraged. However, he kept his distance, notwithstanding his love and +his hopes, being of opinion that it ill became an injured lover to betray +either the least weakness, or the smallest return of affection, for an +ungrateful mistress, who had deserted him. + +Miss Jennings was so far from thinking of his resentments, that she +did not even recollect he had ever paid his addresses to her; and her +thoughts being wholly occupied upon the poor sick man, she conducted +herself towards Talbot as if they never had had anything to say to each +other. It was to him that she most usually gave her hand, either in +getting into or out of the coach; she conversed more readily with him +than any other person, and, without intending it, did everything to make +the court believe she was cured of her passion for Jermyn in favour of +her former lover. + +Of this he seemed likewise convinced, as well as the rest; and thinking +it now proper to act another part, in order to let her know that his +sentiments with respect to her were still the same, he had resolved to +address her in the most tender and affectionate manner upon this subject. +Fortune seemed to have favoured him, and to have smoothed the way for +this intended harangue: he was alone with her in her chamber; and, what +was still better, she was rallying him concerning Miss Boynton; saying, +"that they were undoubtedly much obliged to him for attending them on +their journey, whilst poor Miss Boynton had fainting fits at Tunbridge, +at least twice every day, for love of him." Upon this discourse, Talbot +thought it right to begin the recital of his sufferings and fidelity, +when Miss Temple, with a paper in her hand, entered the room. This was a +letter in verse, which Lord Rochester had written some time before, upon +the intrigues of the two courts; wherein, upon the subject of Miss +Jennings, he said: "that Talbot had struck terror among the people of +God, by his gigantic stature; but that Jermyn, like a little David, had +vanquished the great Goliath." Jennings, delighted with this allusion, +read it over two or three times, thought it more entertaining than +Talbot's conversation, at first heartily laughed at it, but soon after, +with a tender air, "Poor little David!" said she, with a deep sigh, and +turning her head on one side during this short reverie, she shed a few +tears, which assuredly did not flow for the defeat of the giant. This +stung Talbot to the quick; and, seeing himself so ridiculously deceived +in his hopes, he went abruptly out of the room, vowing never to think any +more of a giddy girl, whose conduct was regulated neither by sense nor +reason; but he did not keep his resolution. + +The other votaries of love, who were numerous in this court, were more +successful, the journey being undertaken solely on that account. There +were continual balls and entertainments upon the road; hunting, and all +other diversions, wherever the court halted in its progress. The tender +lovers flattered themselves with the thought of being able to crown their +happiness as they proceeded in their journey; and the beauties who +governed their destiny did not forbid them to hope. Sidney paid his +court with wonderful assiduity: the duchess made the duke take notice of +his late perfect devotion to his service: his royal highness observed it, +and agreed that he ought to be remembered upon the first opportunity, +which happened soon after. + +Montagu, as before mentioned, was master of the horse to the duchess: +he was possessed of a great deal of wit, had much penetration, and loved +mischief. How could she bear such a man near her person, in the present +situation of her heart? This greatly embarrassed her; but Montagu's +elder brother having, very a-propos, got himself killed where he had no +business, the duke obtained for Montagu the post of master of the horse +to the queen, which the deceased enjoyed; and the handsome Sidney was +appointed to succeed him in the same employment to the duchess. All this +happened according to her wish; and the duke was highly pleased that he +had found means to promote these two gentlemen at once, without being at +the least expense. + +Miss Hobart greatly applauded these promotions: she had frequent and long +conversations with Sidney, which, being remarked, some did her the honour +to believe it was upon her own account; and the compliments that were +made her upon the occasion she most willingly received. The duke, who +believed it at first, observed to the duchess the unaccountable taste of +certain persons, and how the handsomest young fellow in England was +infatuated with such a frightful creature. + +The duchess confessed that taste was very arbitrary; the truth whereof he +himself seemed to be convinced of, since he had fixed upon the beauteous +Helen for his mistress. I know not whether this raillery caused him to +reflect for what reasons he had made his choice; but it is certain he +began to cool in his affections for Miss Churchill; and perhaps he would +entirely have abandoned this pursuit, had not an accident taken place, +which raised in him an entirely new inclination for her. + +The court having halted for a few days in a fine open country, the +duchess was desirous of seeing a greyhound course. This diversion is +practised in England upon large downs, where the turf, eaten by the +sheep, is particularly green, and wonderfully even. She was in her +coach, and all the ladies on horseback, every one of them being attended +by her squire; it therefore was but reasonable that the mistress should +likewise have her squire. He accordingly was at the side of her coach, +and seemed to compensate for his deficiencies in conversation, by the +uncommon beauty of his mien and figure. + +The duke attended Miss Churchill, not for the sake of besieging her with +soft flattering tales of love, but, on the contrary, to chide her for +sitting so ill on horseback: She was one of the most indolent creatures +in the world; and although the maids of honour are generally the worst +mounted of the whole court, yet, in order to distinguish her, on account +of the favour she enjoyed, they had given her a very pretty, though +rather a high-spirited horse; a distinction she would very willingly +have excused them. + +The embarrassment and fear she was under had added to her natural +paleness. In this situation, her countenance had almost completed the +duke's disgust, when her horse, desirous of keeping pace with the others, +set off in a gallop, notwithstanding her greatest efforts to prevent it; +and her endeavours to hold him in, firing his mettle, he at length set +off at full speed, as if he was running a race against the duke's horse. + +Miss Churchill lost her seat, screamed out, and fell from her horse. +A fall in so quick a pace must have been violent; and yet it proved +favourable to her in every respect; for, without receiving any hurt, she +gave the lie to all the unfavourable suppositions that had been formed of +her person, in judging from her face. The duke alighted, in order to +help her: she was so greatly stunned, that her thoughts were otherwise +employed than about decency on the present occasion; and those who first +crowded around her found her rather in a negligent posture: they could +hardly believe that limbs of such exquisite beauty could belong to Miss +Churchill's face. After this accident, it was remarked that the duke's +tenderness and affection for her increased every day; and, towards the +end of the winter, it appeared that she had not tyrannized over his +passion, nor made him languish with impatience. + +The two courts returned to London much about the same time, equally +satisfied with their respective excursions; though the queen was +disappointed in the hopes she had entertained of the good effects +of the Tunbridge waters. + +It was about this time that the Chevalier de Grammont received a letter +from the Marchioness de Saint-Chaumont, his sister, acquainting him, that +he might return when he thought proper, the king having given him leave. +He would have received this news with joy at any other time, whatever had +been the charms of the English court; but, in the present situation of +his heart, he could not resolve to quit it. + +He had returned from Tunbridge a thousand times deeper in love than +ever; for, during this agreeable excursion, he had every day seen Miss +Hamilton, either in the marshes of melancholy Peckham, or in the +delicious walks of cheerful Summerhill, or in the daily diversions and +entertainments of the queen's court; and whether he saw her on horseback, +heard her conversation, or observed her in the dance, still he was +persuaded that Heaven had never formed an object in every respect more +worthy of the love, and more deserving of the affection, of a man of +sense and delicacy. How then was it possible for him to bear the +thoughts of leaving her? This appeared to him absolutely impracticable; +however, as he was desirous of making a merit with her, of the +determination he had made to neglect his fortune, rather than to be +separated from her charms, he showed her his sister's letter: but this +confidence had not the success he expected. + +Miss Hamilton, in the first place, congratulated him upon his recall: +She returned him many thanks for the sacrifice he intended to make her; +but as this testimony of affection greatly exceeded the bounds of mere +gallantry, however sensibly she might feel this mark of his tenderness, +she was, however, determined not to abuse it. In vain did he protest +that he would rather meet death than part from her irresistible charms; +and her irresistible charms protested that he should never see them more, +unless he departed immediately. Thus was he forced to obey. However, +he was allowed to flatter himself, that these positive orders, how harsh +soever they might appear, did not flow from indifference; that she would +always be more pleased with his return than with his departure, for which +she was now so urgent; and having generously given him assurances that, +so far as depended upon herself, he would find, upon his return, no +variation in her sentiments during his absence, he took leave of his +friends, thinking of nothing but his return, at the very time he was +making preparations for his departure. + + + + +ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS: + +All day poring over his books, and went to bed soon +Devote himself to his studies, than to the duties of matrimony +Embellish the truth, in order to enhance the wonder +Grew so fat and plump that it was a blessing to see her +Not disagreeable, but he had a serious contemplative air +Public is not so easily deceived as some people imagine + + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS OF GRAMMONT, V6, BY HAMILTON *** + +************* This file should be named mcg6w10.txt or mcg6w10.zip ************ + +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks get a new NUMBER, mcg6w11.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, mcg6w10a.txt + +This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net> + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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