HORACE WALPOLE

AND HIS WORLD

SELECT PASSAGES FROM HIS LETTERS

EDITED BY

L. B. SEELEY, M.A.
Sometime Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge

AUTHOR OF

"FANNY BURNEY AND HER FRIENDS"

NEW EDITION

LONDON

SEELEY AND CO. LIMITED

ESSEX STREET, Strand

1895

LIBRARY

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNICA
DAVIS

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Parliamentary Career-

-

Retirement

-

Introduction-Birth and Parentage-Education - Appoint-

ments - Travels

Fortune Strawberry Hill-Collections-Writings-Print-

ing Press-Accession to Title-Death--Character-Poli-

tical Conduct and Opinions-The Slave Trade-Strikes—

Views of Literature-Friendships-Charities-Chatterton—

Letters.

PAGE

CHAPTER II.

Country Life-Ranelagh Gardens-The Rebel Lords-The

Earthquake A Frolic at Vauxhall-Capture of a House-

breaker-Strawberry Hill-The Beautiful Gunnings-Sterne 33

CHAPTER III.

A new Reign-Funeral of the late King-Houghton revisited

-Election at Lynn-Marriage of George III.—His Coro-

nation

62

CHAPTER IV.

General Taste for Pleasure- Entertainments at Twickenham

and Esher-Miss Chudleigh's Ball-Masquerade at Rich-

mond House-The Gallery at Strawberry Hill-Balls-The

Duchess of Queensberry-Petition of the Periwig-makers-

Ladies' Head-gear-Almack's-" The Castle of Otranto "-

Plans for a Bower-A late Dinner-Walpole's Idle Life-

Social Usages

-

78

vi

Contents.

CHAPTER V.

-

The Gout Visits to Paris - Bath - John Wesley-Bad

Weather English Summers Quitting Parliament-

Madame du Deffand-Human Vanity-The Banks of the

Thames-A Subscription Masquerade-Extravagance of the

Age-The Pantheon-Visiting Stowe with Princess Amelia

-George Montagu-The Countess of Ossory-Powder-

Mills Blown up at Hounslow-Distractions of Business and

Pleasure

CHAPTER VI.

Lord Nuneham-Madame de Sévigné-Charles Fox-Mrs.

Clive and Cliveden-Goldsmith and Garrick-Dearth of

News-Madame de Trop-A Bunch of Grapes-General

Election-Perils by Land and Water-Sir Horace Mann—

Lord Clive-The History of Manners-A Traveller from

Lima-The Sçavoir Vivre Club-Reflections on Life-The

Pretender's Happiness-Paris Fashions-Madame du Def-

fand ill-Growth of London Sir Joshua Reynolds-

Change in Manners-Our Climate

CHAPTER VII.

FAGB

99

124

The American War-Irish Discontent-Want of Money-The

Houghton Pictures sold-Removal to Berkeley Square-Ill-

health-A Painting by Zoffani-The Rage for News-

The Duke of Gloucester-Wilkes--Fashions, Old and New-

Mackerel News-Pretty Stories-Madame de Sévigné's

Cabinet-Picture of his Waldegrave Nieces-The Gordon

Riots-Death of Madame du Deffand-The Blue Stockings 151

CHAPTER VIII.

Walpole in his Sixty-fourth Year-The Royal Academy-

Tonton-Charles Fox-William Pitt-Mrs. Hobart's Sans

Souci-Improvements at Florence-Walpole's Dancing

Feats-No Feathers at Court--Highwaymen-Loss of the

Royal George-Mrs. Siddons-Peace-Its Social Conse-

quences-The Coalition-The Rivals-Political Excitement

-The Westminster Election-Political Caricatures-Con-

way's Retirement-Lady Harrington-Balloons-Illness-

Recovery

. 188