The Letter-Bag of Lady Elizabeth Spencer-Stanhope Part 5

The next mention of Chancellor Ego which occurs in Mrs Stanhope's correspondence is not so complimentary:--

_June 3rd, 1806._

Your sisters are now well, and propose being very gay. To-morrow, in the morning, we attend the Drawingroom, after which your father dines at what is called Mr Pitt's Dinner, & where the attendance is expected to be very large. In the evening, I am to have a few friends, amongst them Lady C. Wortley and Mr Mercer, who sing together most beautifully; after which I shall go to Mr Hope's, the finest house in London, with respect to taste and _vertu_.

We have now fine weather. You would delight in Kensington Gardens, or perhaps you would prefer joining the impertinent Loungers who sit on Horseback, too lazy to join the walkers. The political world is at present in a strange situation. Should Lord Melville be acquitted he will probably take an active part in Indian affairs. There is a canva.s.s against him, but I trust British Peers are not to be influenced.

I hope our _Dancing Chancellor_ will act properly as far as he is concerned, but I believe he is now referred to the House of Peers. If the intelligence has not yet reached you, you will wonder at the expression "Dancing Chancellor." Know then that at Sheridan's ball the Lord High Chancellor of England [34] danced with Miss Drummond after having dined and sat too long with a party where was the Prime Minister, [35] the Chancellor of the Exchequer [36] and a greater Personage than any. They contrived to set Somerset House on fire _twice_, and, after dancing, the head of the Law amused himself with rowing on the Thames.--So much for the Rulers of this Land!

Thomas Hope of Deepdene, Surrey, and d.u.c.h.ess Street, Portland Place, who is mentioned in the above letter, was a member of an eminent commercial family, of Scottish descent, generally known as the Hopes of Amsterdam.

Having inherited an immense fortune at the age of eighteen, he became an early patron of literature and the arts. Flaxman owed much to his support, Thorwaldsen and Chantrey to his recognition of their genius early in life.

Crazy also about architecture, Mr Hope travelled all over the world, studying famous buildings and collecting, meanwhile, priceless treasures in pictures, statues, and furniture, so that on his return he reconstructed his home in London, and replenished it with beautiful possessions. In 1805 he published a handsome volume on Household Furniture, ill.u.s.trated by many drawings of the fine specimens in his own house. He afterwards wrote other works, but is most celebrated as the writer of a romance, _Anastasius_, the authors.h.i.+p of which was at one time attributed to Byron, and of a scientific work, _The Origin and Prospects of Man_, which may be considered the parent of the well-known _Vestiges of Creation_, and which formed the basis of one of Carlyle's most remarkable essays.

In 1806, he was, however, still looked upon as a mere superficial dilettante, though, on account of the _objets d'art_ which he owned, everyone was eager to gain access to his house. This desire was accentuated with regard to the party which he gave that year, it being the first for which he had issued invitations since his marriage, in the previous April, with Louisa, the youngest daughter of the Right Rev. Lord Decies, Archbishop of Tuam.

_Mrs Spencer-Stanhope to John Spencer-Stanhope._ _June 6th, 1806._

Had you been here on the Birthday night, you would have p.r.o.nounced us of the Wronghead Family, for we had nothing but _contretemps_ from the moment we set out for the Drawingroom till the next day rose upon us.

At three we set out in wind and rain for St James's, & drove down Grosvenor Street; but as there was a string of carriages from Oxford Street, to get in was impossible. We therefore turned about and tried Dover Street, but there we were not permitted to go. At last, after much whipping and much delay, we were admitted into the string in Albemarle Street, and in process of time reached St James's safely and proceeded as far as the Guard Room.--Further, we never arrived! All the people who came out of the Drawingroom looked expiring, and begged we would not attempt to go in, as they were almost dead, and many had fainted. Very soon we found the Queen had taken herself off, not having spoken to above one third of the Company. Notwithstanding that we had only our labour for our trouble, we were there till half past seven before we could get our carriage.

In the evening I expected Mr Mercer and Lady C. Wortley to sing, and the Eyres. All came but Mr Mercer, the songster,--another disappointment! They stayed with me till half past eleven, when we set out for Mr T. Hope's rout, but after waiting in the street _till near one_, we found to get in was impossible. Therefore very reluctantly we turned about and came home. Did you ever hear of such disappointments? However, we are all quite well, which probably would not have been the case had we done all we intended.

The Wit at the Drawingroom was to call it the _levee en ma.s.se_.

London does not abound in wit. The only things of the sort I have heard are what has been said about Mrs Fox's Ball. The first is given to Fox himself who was asked what it was like, and referred the inquirer to the 22nd Chapter of the First Book of Samuel at the second verse, [37] where is to be found a very just description of it, tho'

probably you would not have thought to have looked at your Bible for an account of Mrs Fox's Ball. The other was a _bon mot_ of your friend, Lyttleton [38] who said, "There was all the world, but little of his wife!"

Last night I was at Mrs Law's, a very pleasant a.s.sembly. Osborne Markham [39] was flirting with his intended, Lady Mary Thynne, a pretty-looking woman.

Mr Lyttleton, whose _bon mot_ respecting Mrs Fox's ball so pleased Mrs Stanhope, was a constant source of amus.e.m.e.nt to her and her daughters.

Earlier that same year, on March 4th, she had written:--

I suppose you saw the address which Mr Lyttleton made to the Freeholders of Worcesters.h.i.+re? It was very short & I think comprehended in these words:--"_Be a.s.sured that the Hon. William Henry Lyttleton will offer himself at the next county Meeting; if the Freeholders will be true to their interest & to the welfare of the country._"

This short address was posted in the corner of the newspaper. Now you must know that his father knows nothing about his offering himself; and this was printed in the corner of the newspaper that his sister might cut it out before his father saw it! I understand that he has the majority on the Poll at present & that he made a speech of above two hours in length.

In an undated letter she subsequently relates:--

Have you heard the latest story of our friend Lyttleton? It appears that at some large party he was seated at the card table next to Mrs Beaumont who expressed herself very dissatisfied with the smallness of the stakes. "In the great houses which I frequent," she explained grandly to Lyttleton, "we constantly play for _paper_." "Madam,"

said Lyttleton in a solemn whisper, "In the little houses which _I_ frequent, we play for note paper."

Meanwhile another event had been arranged to take place on that Birthday night which for Mrs Stanhope proved so unfortunate, and had been announced by her so early as May 30th previously:--

On the Birthday, all the friends of Mr Pitt have agreed to dine together instead of on _his_ birthday, which is just past. The first idea rose from the Opposition wis.h.i.+ng to dine together on the 4th, but many objected. They then determined to celebrate Mr Pitt's birthday on that day. Your father means to be there.

"Pitt dinners," as they were subsequently termed, forthwith became an annual inst.i.tution, and were held in all parts of the United Kingdom. John Stanhope, who, in 1806, was staying in Edinburgh, attended one in that city, and eight days later was invited to be present at another public banquet designed to be commemorative of a very different event.

Throughout the months of May and June, public attention had been absorbed by the famous trial of Lord Melville. So early as May 6th, Mrs Stanhope had written delightedly:--"You will be glad to hear that the cross- examination of Mr Trotter went in fayour of Lord Melville who looked perfectly composed the whole time." But not till the 12th did the end arrive.

_June 13th, 1806._

Your sisters both attended the trial and had the gratification of hearing Lord Melville acquitted. The Prince had the good sense not to vote. The Court was as full as possible & when the two youngest Peers voted on the first charge & said Guilty, there was something like a hiss from the House of Commons. I am glad it is over & I hope the country will not be put to the expense of any more trials of the same kind for many years. The Princes went and shook Lord Melville by the hand as soon as it was over.

Thus it was that eight days after the Pitt dinner, Edinburgh felt itself called upon to give another banquet, designed to celebrate the joyful event of Lord Melville's acquittal. It was likewise proposed to illuminate the city, but the Solicitor-General (Chief Magistrate in the absence of the Lord Advocate) prohibited such a demonstration. He was, in consequence, nicknamed, "The Extinguisher General," and the friends of Lord Melville, to the number of five hundred, consoled themselves by singing a song written by Walter Stanhope for the occasion, and ent.i.tled, "A Health to Lord Melville." Each of the eight verses of which it is composed proposes a toast that was staunchly drunk by all present; but perhaps those in honour of the volunteers and of the luckless Princess of Wales, afterwards Queen Caroline, are the most significant.

"Since here we are set in array round the table, Five hundred good fellows well met in a hall, Come listen, brave boys, and I'll sing as I'm able How innocence triumphed, and Pride got a fall; But push round the claret, Come, Stewards, don't spare it; With rapture you'll drink to the toasts that I give.

Here, Boys, Off with it merrily, Melville for ever and long may he live!

What _were_ the Whigs doing, when, boldly pursuing, Pitt banished Rebellion, gave treason a sting?

Why, they swore on their honour, for Arthur O'Connor And fought hard for Despard, 'gainst Country & King!

Well then, we knew, Boys, Pitt and Melville were true Boys, And tempest was raised by the friends of Reform.

Ah, woe!

Weep for his memory; Low lies the Pilot that weathered the storm. [40]

They would turn us adrift, tho', rely, Sir, upon it, Our own faithful Chronicles warrant us that The free Mountaineer, and his bonny brown bonnet Have oft gone as far as the Regular's hat.

We laugh at their taunting, For all we are wanting Is licence our life for our country to give; Off with it merrily, Horse, Foot and Artillery, Each loyal Volunteer--long may he live!

And then our Revenue, Lord knows how they viewed it, While each petty Statesman talked lofty and big, And the Beer tax was weak as if Windham had brewed it, And the Pig Iron Duty a shame to a pig; In vain is their boasting, Too surely there's wanting What judgment, experience and steadiness give; Come, Boys, Drink about merrily, Health to sage Melville, and long may he live!

Our King too,--our Princess--I dare not say more, Sir, May Providence watch them with mercy and might; While there's one Scottish arm that can wag a day more, Sir, They shall ne'er want a friend to stand up for their right.

Be d--d he that dare not, For my part I'll spare not To beauty afflicted a tribute to give!

Fill it up steadily, Drink it off readily, Here's to the Princess and long may she live!

And since we must not set Auld Reekie [41] in glory, And make her brown visage as light as her heart, Till each man illumine his own upper storey Nor _Law_ trash nor Lawyer shall force us to part.

In Grenville and Spencer And some few good men, Sir, High talents and honour slight difference forgive, But the Brewer we'll hoax; Tally ho! to the Fox; And drink Melville for ever as long as we live!"

CHAPTER II

1805-1810