_Sunday, Aug. 6_--This morning, before church, Miss Planta was sent
to me by the queen, for some snuff, to be mixed as before: when I had
prepared it, I carried it, as directed, to her majesty's dressing-room.
I turned round the lock, for that, not rapping at the door, is the mode
of begging admission; and she called out to me to come in.
I found her reading, aloud, some religious book, but I could not
discover what, to the three eldest princesses. Miss Planta was in
waiting. She continued after my entrance, only motioning to me that the
snuff might be put into a box on the table.
I did not execute my task very expeditiously: for I was glad of this
opportunity of witnessing, the maternal piety with which she enforced,
in voice and expression, every sentence that contained any lesson that
might be useful to her royal daughters. She reads extremely well, with
great force, clearness, and meaning.
Just as I had slowly finished my commission, the king entered. She then
stopped, and rose; so instantly did the princesses. He had a letter in
his hand open: he said something to the queen in German, and they left
the room together but he turned round from the door, and first spoke to
me, with a good-humoured laugh, saying, “Miss Burney, I hear you cook
snuff very well!”
“Cook snuff!” repeated the Princess Augusta, laughing and coming up to
me the moment they left the room. “Pray, Miss Burney, let me have one
pinch!” The Princess Elizabeth ran up to me, also, exclaiming, “Miss
Burney, I hope you hate snuff? I hope you do, for I hate it of all
things in the world!”