_Wednesday, 2._--This morning, for the first time, I made a little sort
of acquaintance with the two younger princesses. I was coming from the
queen's room, very early, when I met the Princess Mary, just arrived
from the lower Lodge: she was capering upstairs to her elder sisters,
but instantly stopped at sight of me, and then coming up to me, inquired
how I did, with all the elegant composure of a woman of maturest age.
Amazingly well are all these children brought up. The readiness and
the grace of their civilities, even in the midst of their happiest
wildnesses and freedom, are at once a surprise and a charm to all who
see them.
The queen, when she goes to early prayers, often leaves me the charge of
her little favourite dog, Badine. To-day, after her return, she sent her
page for him; and presently after, I had a rap again at the door, and
the little Princess Sophia entered. “Miss Burney,” cried she, curtseying
and colouring, “Mamma has sent me for the little dog's basket.”
I begged her permission to carry it to the queen's room but she would
not suffer me, and insisted upon taking it herself, with a mingled
modesty and good breeding extremely striking in one so young.
About half an hour after she returned again, accompanying the princess
royal. The queen had given me a new collection of German books, just
sent over, to cut open for her; and she employed the princess royal
to label them. She came most smilingly to the occupation, and said
she would write down their names, “if I pleased,” in my room. You may
believe I was not much displeased. I gave her a pencil, and she seized
a piece of whity-brown paper, inquiring “if she might have it?”--I would
fain have got her better, but she began writing immediately, stooping to
the table.
I was now in a momentary doubt whether or not it would be proper, or too
great a liberty, to ask her royal highness to be seated; but, after a
moment's hesitation, I thought it best to place her a chair, and say
nothing.
I did; and she turned about to me with a most graceful curtsey, and
immediately accepted it, with a most condescending apology for my
trouble. I then, thus encouraged, put another chair for the little
Princess Sophia, who took it as sweetly.
“Pray sit down too,” cried the princess royal: “I beg you will, Miss
Burney!”
I resisted a little while; but she would not hear me, insisting, with
the most obliging earnestness, upon carrying her point.
She writes German with as much facility as I do English and therefore,
the whole time she was taking down the titles of the books, she kept up
a conversation, Mrs. Delany her well and kindly chosen subject. When
she had done her task, she quitted me with the same sweetness, and the
Princess Mary ran in for her little sister.
The princess royal, not long after, again returned:--“There is no end
to me, you will think, this morning,” cried she, on entering; and then
desired to have all the books I had cut open; nor would she suffer me to
carry one for her, though they were incommodious, from their quantity,
for herself.
Such has been the singular condescension of the queen, that every little
commission with which she has yet intrusted me she has contrived to
render highly honourable, by giving the princesses some share in them.