In a week or two after the arrival of the new visitant, she was
surprised into the presence of the King, by a sudden, unannounced, and
unexpected entrance of his Majesty, one evening, into the drawing-room
of Mrs. Delany; where, however, the confusion occasioned by his
unlooked-for appearance speedily, nay blithely, subsided, from the
suavity of his manners, the impressive benevolence of his countenance,
and the cheering gaiety of his discourse. Fear could no more exist
where goodness of heart was so predominant, than respect could fail
where dignity of rank was so pre-eminent; and, ere many minutes had
elapsed, Mrs. Delany had the soft satisfaction not only of seeing the
first tremors of her favoured friend pass insensibly away, but of
observing them to be supplanted by ease, nay, delight, from the mild
yet lively graciousness with which she was drawn into conversation by
his Majesty.
The Queen, a few days later, made an entry with almost as little
preparation; save that the King, though he had not announced, had
preceded her; and that the chairman’s knock at the door had excited
some suspicion of her approach; while the King, who came on foot, and
quite alone, had only rung at the bell; each of them palpably showing
a condescending intention to avoid creating a panic in the new guest;
as well as to obviate, what repeatedly had happened when they arrived
without these precautions, a timid escape.
To describe what the Queen was in this interview, would be to pourtray
grace, sprightliness, sweetness, and spirit, embodied in one frame. And
each of these Sovereigns, while bestowing all their decided attentions
upon their venerable and admirable hostess, deigned to display the most
favourable disposition towards her new visitor; the whole of their
manner, and the whole tenor of their discourse denoting a curious
desire to develop, if traceable, the peculiarities which had impelled
that small person, almost whether she would or not, into public notice.
The pleasure with which Dr. Burney received the details now transmitted
to him, of the favour with which his daughter was viewed at Windsor,
made a marked period of parental satisfaction in his life: and these
accounts, with some others on a similar topic of a more recent date,
were placed amongst hoards to which he had the most frequent recourse
for recreation in his latter years.
The incidents, indeed, leading to this so honourable distinction
were singular almost to romance. This daughter, from a shyness of
disposition the most fearful, as well as from her native obscurity,
would have been the last, in the common course of things, to have had
the smallest chance of attracting royal notice; but the eccentricity of
her opening adventure into life had excited the very curiosity which
its scheme meant to render abortive; and these august personages
beheld her with an evident wish of making some acquaintance with her
character. They saw her, also, under the auspices of a lady whom they
had almost singled out from amongst womankind as an object worthy of
their private friendship; and whose animated regard for her, they knew,
had set aloof all distance of years, and all recency of intercourse.
These were circumstances to exile common form and royal
disciplinarianism from these great personages; and to give to them the
smiling front and unbent brow of their fair native, not majestically
acquired, physiognomies. And the impulsive effect of such urbanity was
facilitating their purpose to its happy, honoured object; who found
herself, as if by enchantment, in this august presence, without the
panic of being summoned, or the awe of being presented. Nothing was
chilled by ceremonial, nothing was stiffened by etiquette, nothing
belonging to the _formulæ_ of royalty kept up stately distance. No lady
in waiting exhibited the Queen; no equerry pointed out the King; the
reverence of the heart sufficed to impede any forgetfulness of their
rank; and the courtesy of their own unaffected hilarity diffused ease,
spirit, and pleasure all around.
The King, insatiably curious to become still more minutely master
of the history of the publication of Evelina, was pointed, though
sportive, in question to bring forth that result. The Queen, still more
desirous to develop the author than the book, was arch and intelligent
in converse, to draw out her general sentiments and opinions; and
both were so gently, yet so gaily, encouraging, that not to have met
their benignant openness with frank vivacity, must rather have been
insensibility than timidity.
They appeared themselves to enjoy the novelty of so domestic an evening
visit, which, it is believed, was unknown to their practice till they
had settled Mrs. Delany in a private house of their own presentation at
Windsor. Comfortably here they now took their tea, which was brought to
them by Miss Port; Mrs. Delany, to whom that office belonged, being too
infirm for its performance; and they stayed on, in lively, easy, and
pleasant conversation, abandoning cards, concert, and court circle, for
the whole evening. And still, when, very late, they made their exit,
they seemed reluctantly to depart.
Mrs. Delany was elevated with grateful pleasure; her devoted guest was
delighted, astonished, enchanted; and Dr. Burney, with the highest
vivacity, read her narrative of this visit; with other nearly similar
scenes that followed it, during a three weeks’ residence at Windsor; to
almost all his confidential friends.
* * * * *