When she complains to me of him, in his absence, I answer he is a mere schoolboy, for mischief, without serious design of displeasing: but she tells me she sees he means to do her some harm, and she will let the king know, if he goes on at that rate, for she does not choose such sort of familiarness.
Once she apologised suddenly for her English, and Colonel Manners said, "O, don"t mind that, ma"am, for I take no particular notice as to your language."
"But," says she, "Miss Berner might tell me, when I speak it sometimes not quite right, what you call."
"O dear no, ma"am!" exclaimed he; "Miss Burney is of too mild a disposition for that: she could not correct you strong enough to do you good."
"Oh!-ver well, sir!" she cried, confounded by his effrontery.
One day she lamented she had been absent when there was so much agreeable company in the house; "And now," she
Page 308 added, "now that I am comm back, here is n.o.body.--not one!--no society!" .
He protested this was not to be endured, and told her that to reckon all us n.o.body was so bad, he should resent it.
"What will you do, my good colonel?" she cried.
"O ma"am, do?--I will tell Dr. Davis."
"And who bin he?"
"Why, he"s the master of Eton school, ma"am," with a thundering bawl in her ears, that made her stop them.
"No, sir!" she cried, indignantly, "I thank you for that, I won"t have no Dr. schoolmaster, what you call! I bin too old for that."
"But, ma"am, he shall bring you a Latin oration upon this subject, and you must hear it!"
"O, "tis all the same! I shan"t not understand it, so I won"t not hear it."
"But you must, ma"am. If I write it, I shan"t let you off so:-- you must hear it!"
"No, I won"t!--Miss Berner might,--give it her."
"Does Miss Burney know Latin?" cried Mr. G. Villiers.
"Not one word," quoth I.
"I believe that cried she "but she might hear it the sam!"
THE SAILOR PRINCE.
On the 2nd of May I met Colonel Manners, waiting at the corner of a pa.s.sage leading towards the queen"s apartments. "Is the king, ma"am," he cried, "there? because Prince William(307) is come."
I had heard he was arrived in town,-and with much concern, since it was without leave of the king. It was in the illness, indeed, of the king he sailed to England, and when he had probably all the excuse of believing his royal father incapable of further governance. How did I grieve for the feelings of that royal father, in this idea! yet it certainly offers for Prince William his best apology.
In the evening, while Mrs. Schwellenberg, Mrs. Zachary and myself were sitting in the eating parlour, the door was suddenly opened by Mr. Alberts, the queen"s page, and "prince William" was announced.
He came to see Mrs. Schwellenberg. He is handsome, as
Page 309
are all the royal family, though he is not of a height to be called a good figure. He looked very hard at the two strangers, but made us all sit, very civilly, and drew a chair for himself, and began to discourse with the most unbounded openness and careless ease, of everything that Occurred to him.
Mrs. Schwellenberg said she had pitied him for the grief he must have felt at the news of the king"s illness : "Yes," cried he, "I was very sorry, for his majesty, very sorry indeed, -no man loves the king better ; of that be a.s.sured. but all sailors love their king. And I felt for the queen, too,--I did, faith.
I was horridly agitated when I saw the king first. I could hardly stand."
Then Mrs. Schwellenberg suddenly said, "Miss Berner, now you might see his royal highness; you wanted it so moch, and now you might do it. Your royal highness, that is Miss Berner."
He rose very civilly, and bowed, to this strange freak of an introduction; and, of course, I rose and Curtsied low, and waited his commands to sit again; which were given instantly, with great courtesy.
"Ma"am," cried he, "you have a brother in the service?" "Yes, sir," I answered, much pleased with this professional attention.
He had not, he civilly said, the pleasure to know him, but he had heard of him.
Then, turning suddenly to Mrs. Schwellenberg, "Pray," cried he, "
what is become of Mrs.--Mrs.--Mrs. Hogentot?"
"O, your royal highness!" cried she, stifling much offence, "do you mean the poor Haggerdorn?--O your royal highness! have you forgot her?"
"i have, upon my word!" cried he, plumply "upon my soul, I have!"
Then turning again to me, "I am very happy, ma"am," he cried, "to see you here; it gives me great pleasure the queen should appoint the sister of a sea-officer to so eligible a situation. As long as she has a brother in the service, ma"am,, cried he to Mrs.
Schwellenberg, "I look upon her as one of us. O, faith I do! I do indeed! she is one of the corps."
Then he said he had been making acquaintance with a new princess, one he did not know nor remember-Princess Amelia. "Mary, too,"-- he said, "I had quite forgot; and they did not tell me who she was; so I went up to her, and, without in the least recollecting her, she"s so monstrously grown, I said, "Pray, ma"am, are you one of the attendants?""
Princess Sophia is his professed favourite. "I have had the
Page 310
honour," he cried, "of about an hour"s conversation with that young lady, in the old style; though I have given up my mad frolics now. To be sure, I had a few in that style formerly; upon my word I am almost ashamed;--Ha! ha! ha!"
Then, recollecting particulars, he laughed vehemently; but Mrs.
Schwellenberg eagerly interrupted his communications. I fancy some of them might have related to our own sacred person!
"Augusta," he said "looks very well,--a good face and countenance,--she looks interesting,--she looks as if she knew more than she Would say; and I like that character."
He stayed a full hour, chatting in this good-humoured and familiar manner.
LOYAL RECEPTION OF THE KING IN THE NEW FOREST.
Thursday, June 25.-This morning I was called before five o"clock, though various packages and business had kept me up till near three.
The day was rainy, but the road was beautiful; Windsor great park, in particular, is charming. The crowds increased as we advanced, and at Winchester the town was one head. I saw Dr.
Warton, but could not stop the carriage. The king was everywhere received with acclamation. His popularity is greater than ever.
Compa.s.sion for his late sufferings seems to have endeared him now to all conditions of men.