to open the chaise pinched half my finger off, said he would call the housekeeper: but a groom of the chambers insisted on my visiting their graces; and as I vowed I did not know them, he said they were in the great apartment, all the rest was in disorder and altering, and would let me see nothing. This was the reward of my first lie. I returned to my inn, or alehouse, and instantly received a message from the duke to invite me to the castle. I was quite undressed; and dirty with my journey, and unacquainted with the duchess-yet was forced to go. Thank the god of dust, his grace was dirtier than me. He was extremely civil, and detected me to the groom of the chambersasked me if I had dined. I said yes-lie the second. He pressed me to take a bed there. I hate to be criticised at a formal supper by a circle of stranger-footmen, and protested I was to meet a gentleman at Huntingdon to-night. The duchess and lady Caroline came in from walking; and to disguise my not having dined, for it was past six, I drank tea with them. The duchess is much altered, and has a bad short cough. I pity Catherine of Arragon for living at Kimbolton.3 I never saw an uglier spot. The fronts are not so bad as I expected, by not being so French as I expected, but have no pretensions to beauty, nor even to comely ancient ugliness. The great apartment is truly noble, and almost all the portraits good, of what I saw; for many are not hung up, and half of those that are, my lord duke does not know. The earl of Warwick is delightful; the lady Mandeville, attiring herself in her wedding garb, delicious. The Prometheus is a glorious picture, the eagle as fine as my statue. Is not it by Vandyck? The duke told me that Mr. Spence found out it was by Titian-but critics in poetry I see are none in painting. This was all I was shown, for I was not even carried into the chapel. The walls round the house are levelling, and I saw nothing without doors that tempted me to taste. So I made my bow, hurried to my inn, snapped up my dinner, lest I should again be detected, and came hither, where I am writing by a great fire, and give up my friend the east wind, which I have long been partial to for the south-east's sake, and in contradiction to the west, for Lady Caroline Montagu, sister of the duke of Manchester. [Ed.] Queen Catharine of Arragon, after her divorce from Henry VIII., resided some time in this castle, where she died, January 8th 1536. [Ed.] blowing perpetually and bending all one's plantations. To morrow I see Hinchinbrook*—and London. Memento, I promised the duke that you should come and write on all his portraits. Do, as you honour the blood of Montagu! Who is the man in the picture with sir Charles Goring, where a page is tying the latter's scarf? And who are the ladies in the double halflengths? Arlington-street, May 31. WELL! I saw Hinchinbrook this morning. Considering it is in Huntingdonshire, the situation is not so ugly or melancholy as I expected; but I do not conceive what provoked so many of your ancestors to pitch their tents in that triste country, unless the Capulets loved fine prospects. The house of Hinchinbrook is most comfortable, and just what I like; old, spacious, irregular, yet not vast or forlorn. I believe much has been done since you saw it-it now only wants an apartment, for in no part of it are there above two chambers together. The furniture has much simplicity, not to say too much; some portraits tolerable, none I think fine. When this lord gave Blackwood the head of the admiral' that I have now, he left himself not one so good. The head he kept is very bad: the whole length is fine, except the face of it. There is another of the duke of Cumberland, by Reynolds; the colours of which are as much changed as the original is to the proprietor. The garden is wondrous small, the park almost smaller, and no appearance of territory. The whole has a quiet decency that seems adapted to the admiral after his retirement, or to Cromwell after his exaltation. I returned time enough for the opera, observing all the way I came the proof of the duration of this east wind, 4 Hinchinbroke, the seat of the earl of Sandwich, to whose eldest son the village of Hinchinbroke gives the title of viscount. [Ed.] As opposing in every thing the Montagus. [Or.] 6 Admiral Montagu, earl of Sandwich, by sir P. Lely. [Or.] The first earl of Sandwich, distinguished in early life as a military commander under the parliamentary banner, and subsequently joint high admiral of England, in which capacity, having had sufficient influence to induce the whole fleet to acknowledge the restored monarchy, he received the peerage as his reward. His lordship, who, after the restoration, attained the highest renown as a naval officer, fell in the great sea fight with the Dutch, off Southwoldbay, 28th May 1672. [Ed.] for on the west side the blossoms were so covered with dust one could not distinguish them; on the eastern hand the hedges were white in all the pride of May. Good night! Wednesday, June 1. My letter is a perfect diary. There has been a sad alarm in the kingdom of white satin and muslin. The duke of Richmond was seized last night with a sore throat and fever; and though he is much better to-day, the masquerade of to-morrow night is put off till Monday. Many a queen of Scots, from sixty to sixteen, has been ready to die of the fright. Adieu once more! I think I can have nothing more to say before the post goes out to-morrow. Yours ever. To GEORGE MONTAGU, Esq. Strawberry-hill, June 16, 1763. I Do not like your putting off your visit hither for so long. Indeed, by September the gallery will probably have all its fine clothes on, and by what have been tried, I think it will look very well. The fashion of the garments to be sure will be ancient, but I have given them an air that is very becoming. Princess Amelia was here last night while I was abroad; and if Margaret is not too much prejudiced by the guinea left, or by natural partiality to what servants call our house, I think was pleased, particularly with the chapel. As Mountain-George will not come to Mahomet-me, Mahomet-I must come to Greatworth. Mr. Chute and I think of visiting you about the seventeenth of July, if you shall be at home, and nothing happens to derange our scheme; possibly we may call at Horton; we certainly shall proceed to Drayton, Burleigh, Fotheringay, Peterborough, and Ely; and shall like much of your company, all, or part of the tour. The only present proviso I have to make is the health of my niece, who is at present much out of order, we think not breeding, and who was taken so ill on Monday, that I was forced to carry her suddenly to town, where I yesterday left her better, at her father's. There has been a report that the new ford Holland' was dead at Paris, but I believe it is not true. I was very indifferent about it: eight months ago it had been lucky. I saw his jackall t'other night in the meadows, the secretary at war, so emptilyimportant, and distilling paragraphs of old news with such solemnity, that I did not know whether it was a man or the Utrecht gazette. Yours ever. To GEORGE MONTAGU, Esq. Strawberry-hill, July 1, 1763. MR. CHUTE and I intend to be with you on the seventeenth or eighteenth, but, as we are wandering swains, we do not drive one nail into one day of the almanack irremovably. Our first stage is to Bleckley, the parsonage of venerable Cole, the antiquarian of Cambridge. Bleckley lies by Fenny Stratford; now can you direct us how to make Horton' in our way from Stratford to Greatworth? If this meander engrosses more time than we propose, do not be disappointed, and think we shall not come, for we shall. The journey you must accept as a great sacrifice either to you or to my promise, for I quit the gallery almost in the critical minute of consummation. Gilders, carvers, upholsterers, and picture-cleaners are labouring at their several forges, and I do not love to trust a hammer or a brush without my own supervisal. This will make my stay very short, but it is a greater compliment than a month would be at another season; and yet I am not profuse of months. Well, but I begin to be ashamed of my magnificence; Strawberry is growing sumptuous in its latter day; it will scarce be any longer like the fruit of its name, or the modesty of its ancient demeanor, 1 Mr. Fox, created, 16th April 1763, baron Holland of Foxley, county Wilts; his lady Georgina Carolina Lenox, eldest daughter of Charles second duke of Richmond, having been previously created baroness of Holland, in the county of Lincoln, in May 1762. This report of his death proved to be unfounded, that event not having taken place until the 1st July 1774. [Ed.] 2 Welbore Ellis, esq., who was elevated to the peerage on the 13th August 1774, as baron Mendip, of Mendip, in the county of Somerset. He was grand uncle to the late viscount Clifden. [Ed.] 1 The seat of the earl of Halifax. [Or.] both which seem to have been in Spencer's prophetic eye, when he sung of the blushing strawberries Which lurk, close-shrouded from high-looking eyes, Shewing that sweetness low and hidden lies. In truth, my collection was too great already to be lodged humbly; it has extended my walls, and pomp followed. It was a neat, small house; it now will be a comfortable one, and, except one fine apartment, does not deviate from its simplicity. Adieu! I know nothing about the world, and am only Strawberry's and Yours sincerely. DEAR SIR, To THE REV. MR. COLE. Strawberry-hill, July 1, 1763. As you have given me leave, I propose to pass a day with you, on my way to Mr. Montagu's. If you have no engagement, I will be with you on the 16th of this month, and if it is not inconvenient, and you will tell me truly whether it is or not, I shall bring my friend Mr. Chute with me, who is destined to the same place. I will beg you, too, to let me know how far it is to Bleckley, and what road I must take: that is, how far from London, or how far from Twickenham, and the road from each, as I am uncertain yet from which I shall set out. If any part of this proposal does not suit you, I trust you will own it, and I will take some other opportunity of calling on you, being most truly, Dear sir, Your much obliged and obedient servant. DEAR SIR, TO THE REV. MR. COLE. Strawberry-hill, July 12, 1763. Upon consulting maps and roads, and the knowing, I find it will be my best way to call on Mr. Montagu first, before I |