We are going at two o'clock, and it is now half-past one, to a private
view of Sir John Swinburne's pictures, and we are to dine nine miles out
of town, at Flasket House, with Mrs. Fry.
Barry Fox came yesterday to Grove House, and looked much like a
gentleman, as he is, and seemed pleased with his cousins, as well he
might be.
I wish, my dearest mother, you would write a note to Dr. Holland in your
next; he has been so kind and sympathising. [Footnote: On the death of
Miss Edgeworth's beloved "aunt", Mrs. Charlotte Sneyd of
Edgeworthstown.] Miss Bessy Holland has come to stay some weeks with her
brother--good for her, and for us; she is very amiable. I find a card
from Jeffrey was left here while we were at Grove House.
Just returned from water--colour pictures; some of Prout's of old towns
abroad, like Chester; met there--not at Chester--Lord Grey, Wilkie,
Mulready, Lord Radstock, and the Miss Waldegraves, and Lady Stafford,
who has more ready and good five minutes' conversation than anybody I
know. She says the French have lost all their national recollections; in
travelling through France she asked for various places famous in
history, of which they had lost all memory.
Carriage at the door, and I have not begun to dress!
_April 24._
The day before yesterday we saw Mrs. Tuite at Lady Sunderlin's. They
have an admirable house. Miss Kitty Malone sees, and is most grateful
for it.
Mrs. Fry's place at Flasket is beautiful, and she is delightful at home
or at Newgate.
Paid a visit to Lady Derby; full as agreeable as when we saw her, half
as fat, and twice as old; asked most kindly for you, and received your
daughters with gracious grace.
Monday, went with Mr. Cohen and Mr. Cockerell to St. Paul's; he showed
us his renovations done in excellent taste. Dined at Miss White's with
Mr. Luttrell, Mr. Hallam, Mr. Sharpe, and Mr. and Mrs. Stewart
Nicholson; she is Lady Davy's half-sister. Most agreeable conversation;
no dinners more agreeable than Lydia White's. Poor creature! how she can
go through it I cannot imagine, she is dying. It is dreadful to look at
her!
In the evening at Miss Stable's, Anna's friend; met there Mrs. Cunliffe,
who was Miss Crewe, very agreeable and, though not regularly handsome,
very pleasing in countenance and person.
Tuesday, spent a happy hour at the Museum. We dined at Mrs. Marcet's,
with only herself and children. Then to an "at home," at Mrs. Ricardo's,
merely for ten minutes to see the famous Mr. Hume. Don't like him much;
attacks all things and persons, never listens, has no judgment.
_May 3._
Since Harriet last wrote we have been to Harrow to hear the speeches of
the first class of boys, our future orators. It was a very interesting
scene, attended by many ladies, as well as gentlemen. Two of the
speeches were from _Henry IV.,_ one the crown tried on, well repeated.
The situation of the school is beautiful, the lawn laid out with great
taste; the master, Dr. Butler, a very well-informed agreeable man, with
a picturesque head. We had a very elegant collation, and I sat beside a
very agreeable thin old nobleman of the old school, Lord Clarendon. Upon
the whole, after hearing the speeches and recitations of these youths, I
said to myself, how much better my father taught to read and recite than
any of these masters can.
_May 10._
The sudden death of the Primate [Footnote: Hon. William Stuart,
Archbishop of Armagh, fifth son of the third Earl of Bute; he married
Sophia, daughter of Thomas Penn of Stoke Poges.] and the horrible
circumstances attending it have incapacitated me from any more
home-writing at this moment. Mrs. Stuart gave him the medicine; he had
twice asked for his draught, and when she saw the servant come in she
ran down, seized the bottle and poured it out without looking at the
label, which was most distinct "for external application." When dying,
and when struggling under the power of the opium, he called for a pencil
and wrote these words for a comfort to his wife: "I could not have lived
long, my dear love, at all events."
_May 22._
I enclose a note from Lady Louisa Stuart, the Primate's sister; it is
most touching, especially the account of the feelings of his
parishioners.
We have been at the Caledonian ball--Harriet has written a description
of it to Pakenham; and also to a very pleasant dance at Mrs. Shaw
Lefevre's, [Footnote: Daughter of Lady Elizabeth Whitbread, married to
Charles Shaw Lefevre, afterwards Viscount Eversley.] where Fanny and
Harriet had good partners.
I have subscribed £10 to the Irish poor subscription. Spring Rice, whom
I very much like, tells me he has been touched to the heart by the
generous eagerness with which the English merchants and city people have
contributed to this fund. A very large sum is already at his disposal,
and he has wisely considered that if this money be not judiciously
applied it will do more harm than good. He has done me the honour to
consult me about his plan, of which I enclose a copy.
At Captain Kater's breakfast yesterday we met Greenough, Captain
Beaufort, Warburton, and young Herschel, a man of great
abilities,[Footnote: Afterwards Sir John Herschel, the famous astronomer
and philosopher.] to whom Sir Humphry Davy paid an elegant compliment
the other day in a speech as President to the Royal Society. "His father
must rejoice in such a son, who secures to him a double immortality."
Just received yours of the 17th. Curious that you should have been
saying to me the same thing I was saying to you about the Irish
subscriptions. Poor Peggy Mulheeran! her letter is most pathetic. Fanny
and Harriet are at this moment dining at dear Mrs. Lushington's, and I
am going alone to a dinner at _Lydia's,_ to meet Sidney Smith--_they_
come in the evening. We met Lady Byron lately at Mrs. Lushington's.
Dinner at Lord and Lady Darnley's--all manner of attention. Greenough
has been most kind; admirable collection of fossils--taking out all his
thousand drawers for us. Bellman.
_May 28._
In the hurried life we have led for some weeks past, and among the great
variety of illustrious and foolish people we have seen pass in rapid
panoramas before us, some remain for ever fixed in the memory, and some
few touch the heart. We have just breakfasted with Spring Rice and Lady
Theodosia. She has a placid, amiable, and winning countenance--pretty
curly-haired children, such as you or Sir Joshua would paint.
At this breakfast were Mr. Rice's sister, Lady Hunt, a charming woman.
Mr. Grant, our late secretary, with sense, goodness, and indolence in
his countenance, and Mr. Randolph, the American, very tall and thin, as
if a stick instead of shoulders stretched out his coat; his hair tied
behind with a black ribbon, but not pigtailed, it flows from the ribbon,
like old Steele's, with a curl at the end, mixed brown and gray; his
face wrinkled like a peach-stone, but all pliable, muscles moving with
every sensation of a feeling soul and lively imagination; quick dark
eyes, with an indefinable expression of acquired habitual sedateness, in
despite of nature; his tone of voice mild and repressed, yet in this
voice he speaks thoughts that breathe and words that burn; he is one of
the most eloquent men I ever heard speak, and there is a novelty in his
view of things, and in his new world of allusions, in art and nature,
which is highly interesting.
Besides the pleasure we should naturally have taken in his conversation,
we have been doubly pleased by his gratifying attention to ourselves,
and, my dearest mother, still more by the manner in which he
distinguished your Francis,[Footnote: Her half-brother, son of Mrs.
Edgeworth.] who was with us. Spring Rice told us that Mr. Abercromby,
who had met him at Joanna Baillie's, told him he was one of the finest
and most promising boys he had ever seen.
Do, for heaven's sake, some good soul or body, write forthwith to Black
Castle, and learn whether Aunt Ruxton likes the gown I sent her--gray
cloth. If not, I will get her another.