(f.a.n.n.y Burney to Dr. Burney.) Gloucester Rowe, Weymouth, July 13, 1789.
My dearest padre"s kind letter was most truly welcome to me.
When I am so distant, the term of absence or of silence seems always doubly long to me.
The bay here is most beautiful; the sea never rough, generally calm and gentle, and the sands perfectly smooth and pleasant. I have not bathed, for I have had a cold in my head, which I caught at Lyndhurst, and which makes me fear beginning; but I have hopes to be well enough to-morrow, and thenceforward to ail nothing more. It is my intention to cast away all superfluous complaints into the main ocean, which I think quite sufficiently capacious to hold them ; and really my little frame will find enough to carry and manage without them. . . .
His majesty is in delightful health, and much-improved spirits.
All agree he never looked better. The loyalty of all this place is excessive; they have dressed out every street with labels of "G.o.d save the king:" all the shops have it over the doors: all the children wear it in their caps, all the labourers in their hats, and all the sailors in their voices, for they never approach the house without shouting it aloud, nor see the king, or his shadow, without beginning to huzza, and going on to three cheers.
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The bathing-machines make it their motto over the windows; and those bathers that belong to the royal dippers wear it in bandeaus on their bonnets, to go into the sea; and have it again, in large letters, round their waists, to encounter the waves.
Flannel dresses, tucked up, and no shoes nor stockings, with bandeaus and girdles, have a most singular appearance, and when first I surveyed these loyal nymphs it was with some difficulty I kept my features in order. Nor is this all. Think but Of the Surprise of his majesty when, the first time of his bathing, he had no sooner popped his royal head under water than a band of music, concealed in a neighbouring machine, struck up "G.o.d save great George our king."
One thing, however, was a little unlucky ,--when the mayor and burgesses came with the address, they requested leave to kiss hands: this was graciously accorded; but, the mayor advancing, in a common way, to take the queen"s hand, as he might that of any lady mayoress, Colonel Gwynn, who stood by, whispered, "You must kneel, sir!" He found, however, that he took no notice of this hint, but kissed the queen"s hand erect. As he pa.s.sed him, in his way back, the colonel Said, "You should have knelt, Sir!"
"Sir," answered the poor mayor, "I cannot."
"Everybody does, sir."
"Sir,--I have a wooden leg!"
Poor man! "twas such a surprise! and such an excuse as no one could dispute. But the absurdity of the matter followed--all the rest did the same; taking the same privilege, by the example, without the same or any cause!
ROYAL DOINGS IN AND ABOUT WEYMOUTH.
July 15.-The Magnificent, a man-of-war Of 74 guns, commanded by an old captain of James"s (Onslow), is now stationed at the entrance of the bay, for the security at once and pleasure of the king; and a fine frigate, the Southampton, Captain Douglas, is nearer in, and brought for the king to cruise about. Captain Douglas is nephew to Sir Andrew Snape Hammond, who married a cousin of our Mr. Crisp. The king and royal party have been to visit the frigate. Miss Planta and myself went to see the ceremony from a place called the Look-out,--a beautiful spot.
But I have not much taste for sea receptions and honours: the firing a salute is SO strange a mode of hospitality and politeness. . . .
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Mrs. Gwynn(308) is arrived, and means to spend the royal season here. She lodges at the hotel just by, and we have met several times. She is very soft and pleasing, and still as beautiful as an angel. We have had two or three long tete-?- tetes and talked over, with great pleasure, anecdotes Of Our former mutual acquaintances--Dr. Johnson, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Mrs. Thrale, Baretti, Miss Reynolds, Miss Palmer, and her old admirer, Dr. Goldsmith, of whom she relates--as who does not?--a thousand ridiculous traits.
The queen is reading Mrs. Piozzi"s tour(309) to me, instead of my reading it to her. She loves reading aloud, and in this work finds me an able commentator. How like herself, how characteristic is every line--Wild, entertaining, flighty, inconsistent, and clever!
July 16.-Yesterday we all wen to the theatre. The king has taken the centre front box for himself, family, and attendants. The side boxes are too small. The queen ordered places for Miss Planta and me, which are in the front row of a box next but one to the royals. Thus, in this case, Our want of rank to be in their public suite gives us better seats than those high enough to stand behind them,
Lady Sydney, Lady Courtown"s sister, and Miss Townshend, her daughter, are in the intermediate box, and were very sociable. I have met them here occasionally, and like them very well.
"Tis a pretty little theatre: but its entertainment was quite in the barn style a mere medley,--songs, dances, imitations,- and all very bad. But Lord Chesterfield, who is here, and who seems chief director, promises all will be better.
This morning the royal party went to Dorchester, and I strolled upon the sands with Mrs. Gwynn. We overtook a lady, of a very majestic port and demeanour, who solemnly returned Mrs. Gwynn"s salutation, and then addressed herself to me with similar gravity. I saw a face I knew, and of very uncommon beauty; but did not immediately recollect it was Mrs.
Siddons. She is come here, she says, solely for her health : she has spent some days with Mrs. Gwynn, at General Harcourt"s. Her husband was with her, and a sweet child. I wished to have tried if her solemnity would have worn away
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But my dearest Fredy"s opinion, joined to that of my Sister Esther, satisfies me I was a loser by this necessary forbearance.
Sunday, July 26.-Yesterday we wen again to the play, and saw "The Midnight Hour" and "The Commissary." The latter from the "Bourgeois Gentilhomme," is comic to convulsion and the burlesque of Quick and Mrs. Wells united made ne laugh quite immoderately.(310)
July 29.-We went to the play, and saw Mrs. Siddons in Rosalind.
She looked beautifully, but too large for that shepherd"s dress; and her gaiety sits not naturally upon her,--it seems more like disguised gravity. I must own my admiration for her confined to her tragic powers; and there it is raised so high that I feel mortified, in a degree, to see her so much fainter attempts and success in comedy.
A PATIENT AUDIENCE.
Monday, Aug. 3.-The whole royal party went to see Lulworth Castle, intending to be back to dinner, and go to the play at night, which their majesties had ordered, with Mrs. Siddons to play Lady Townly.(311) Dinner-time, however, came and pa.s.sed, and they arrived not. They went by sea, and the wind proved contrary; and about seven o"clock a hobby groom was despatched thither by land, with intelligence that they had only reached Lulworth Castle at five o"clock. They meant to be certainly back by eight ; but sent their commands that the farce might be performed first, and the play wait them.
The manager repeated this to the audience,--already waiting and wearied but a loud applause testified their agreeability to whatever could be proposed. The farce, however, was much sooner over than the pa.s.sage from Lulworth Castle. It was ten o"clock when they landed! And all this time the audience--spectators rather--quietly waited!
They landed, just by the theatre, and went to the house of Lady Pembroke, who is now here in attendance upon the queen : and there they Sent home for the king"s page, with
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a wig, etc.; and the queen"s wardrobe woman, with similar decorations; and a message to Miss Planta and me, that we might go at once to the theatre.
We obeyed; and soon after they appeared, and were received with the most violent gusts of joy and huzzas, even from the galleries over their heads, whose patience had not the reward of seeing them at last. Is not this a charming trait of provincial popularity?
Mrs. Siddons, in her looks, and the tragic part, was exquisite.
A FATIGUING BUT PLEASANT DAY.
Aug. 4.-To-day all the royals went to Sherborne Castle. My day being perfectly at liberty, Mrs. Gwynn stayed and spent it with me. The weather was beautiful; the sea-breezes here keep off intense heat in the warmest season. We walked first to see the shrubbery and plantation of a lady, Mrs. B--, who has a very pretty house about a mile and a half out of the town. Here we rested, and regaled ourselves with sweet flowers, and then proceeded to the old castle,-its ruins rather,- which we most completely examined, not leaving one stone" untrod, except such as must have precipitated us into the sea. This castle is built almost in the sea, upon a perpendicular rock, and its situation, therefore, is n.o.bly bold and striking. It is little more now than walls, and a few little winding staircases at its four corners.
I had not imagined my beautiful companion could have taken so much pleasure from an excursion so romantic and ,lonely ; but she enjoyed it very much, clambered about as unaffectedly as if she had lived in rural scenes all her life, and left nothing unexamined.
We then prowled along the sands at the foot of the adjoining rocks, and picked up sea-weeds and sh.e.l.ls - but I do not think they were such as to drive Sir Ashton Lever,(312) or the Museum keepers, to despair! We had the queen"s two little dogs, Badine and Phillis, for our guards and a.s.sociates. We returned home to a very late tea, thoroughly tired, but very much pleased. To me it was the only rural excursion I had taken for more than three years.
Page 320 The royal party came not home till past eleven o"clock. The queen was much delighted with Sherborne Castle, which abounds with regal curiosities, honourably acquired by the family.
LULWORTH CASTLE.
Aug. 8.--To-day we went to Lulworth Castle; but not with Mrs.
Gwynn. Her majesty ordered our royal coach and four, and directed me to take the two De Lucs.
Lulworth Castle is beautifully situated, with a near and n.o.ble view of the sea, It has a s.p.a.cious and very fine park, and commands a great extent of prospect. It is the property of Mr.
Weld, a Roman Catholic, whose eldest brother was first husband of Mrs. Fitzherbert.(313) A singular circ.u.mstance, that their majesties should visit a house in which, so few years ago, she might have received them.
There is in it a Roman Catholic chapel that is truly elegant,--a Pantheon in miniature,--and ornamented with immense expense and richness. The altar is all of finest variegated marbles, and precious stones are glittering from every angle. The priests"
vestments, which are very superb, and all the sacerdotal array, were shown us as particular favours: and Colonel Goldsworthy comically said he doubted not they had incense and oblations for a week to come, by way of purification for our heretical curiosity.
The castle is built with four turrets. It is not very ancient, and the inside is completely modern, and fitted up with great elegance. It abounds in pictures of priests, saints, monks, and nuns, and is decorated with crosses and Roman Catholic devices without end. They show one room in which two of our kings have slept; Charles II. and poor James II.