mont has received the ring and letter by Mrs. Hubbard. Adieu! The sale of the Portland Museum ended on the 7th of June. The Barberini vase sold for 900 guineas; the Jupiter Serapis, cut out of green basaltes, for 165 guineas; the Augustus Cæsar, a cameo onyx, for 225 guineas; the works of Hollar in 13 folio volumes, 3851. ; and Henry VI.'s missal 2137. 3s. I did not purchase a single article, and indeed only longed for one, and for you. LETTER XLV. Prince's Court, Tuesday, July 11, 1786. WAS SO exceedingly hurried, my dearest Polly, the latter end of the last week, that I found it impossible to give you the detail of my turtle dinner. La Chevalière D'Eon was prevented coming from the reason you will find in her billet to me, which I sent to you hy the diligence. Mrs. Hastings was ill, and Rigby in the country; so that all our company consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Swinburne, Mr. Hastings, Major Scott, and Alderman Newnham. The dinner was complete, all dressed by Jey, with a little help of Newcombe and a maid, except the turtle; the bill of fare from the London Tavern-a dessert of ices, &c. &c. I went with D'Eon, and his French friends, and some English ladies, by the Prince's invitation, to see Carlton House. I was highly pleased, but none of the Prince's people had the attention to offer us fruit, or ices, or creams, or chocolate, although we were near four hours in the house and gardens. I was much struck and hurt at the omission of what would have been offered in almost every -nobleman's and gentleman's house in the kingdom. The Prince was at home, but did not appear. D'Eon's friends will tell this in France not to our advantage, and they will repeat with a sneer the famous words of Lord Bolingbroke, "c'est une famille si bourgeoise, que le trône méme ne la peut annoblir.” It is however chiefly the fault of Weltje*. * Whatsoever other charge, justly or unjustly, be whispered against the noble personage alluded to, that he possesses "l'esprit bourgeois," is that which can be made with least foundation-EDIT. Tattersall yesterday advertised all the Prince's horses, not only race-horses, but coach-horses, saddle-horses, &c. &c. Cagliostro lodges in Sloane Street, Brompton, at Swinton's, the author of the Courier de l'Europe. I have not yet seen him. Count Nesselrod is here in his way to Petersburgh, but stays a month or six weeks. The Countess is dead, and has left him only one boy. I am sorry to have lost her, and what is more, so is he. Many thanks for your two letters of the 4th and 6th, which I received together, and I sent yours to Mrs. Cosway. I understand that the Duke of Orleans comes to Brighthelmstone races, without coming to London, and that immediately on his return Mr. and Mrs. Cosway make a short tour to Paris; but I will soon let you know more. Mrs. is very indiscreet, and therefore I rejoice at the delay of her coming to France, not being interested about Mrs. Susan : some of my friends looked grave at all her talk of the idle boy minister—and even her husband. I have once seen Mr. Paice in a great hurry at Guildhall. He came to recommend a Hannah Noaks, a widow of sixty-nine, a second cousin of Sir Isaac Newton's, to the vacancy in Lady Dacre's alms-houses. He is well. I am very glad that you paid your compliments to the Maréchal de Biron, a great character, and the true pride of nobility, seeking to do generous, splen did actions. He stands almost alone in this respect in our age. I have read Cagliostro's Memoire contre Mad. Chesnon, et le Sieur de Launay; and I think it the clearest, the most convincing, and best-drawn piece, which has appeared since the beginning of the |
