PART II.

1789.

CONTENTS.

Royal Visit to Lulworth Castle-A Provincial Audience-Rural Excursion-Description of Lulworth Castle-Mrs. Siddons in Mrs. Oakley Their Majesties at the Rooms - First Sight of Mr. Pitt--Lord Chatham, the Duke of Richmond, &c.Royal Tour-Arrival at Exeter-Dr. Buller-Saltram-MountEdgecumbe Plymouth Dock-Admiral La Forey-Anchormaking-A British Man-of-War-Lords Falmouth and Stopford-Lord Hood-Lord and Lady Mount-Edgecumbe-Lord Valletort-Miss Harriet Bowdler - Departure of the Royal Party from Weymouth-Royal Visits to Sherborne Castle and Longleat-Marquis of Bath - Mrs. Delany-Old Portraits— Royal Visit to Lord Aylesbury at Tottenham Park-Return to Windsor-Horrors of the French Revolution - Reminiscences -Queen Elizabeth's Virginal Book'-The Royal Family at the Theatre-Lord Mountmorr s-Enthusiastic Reception of the King-The Dramatist-The French Notables-John Wilkes-A New Acquaintance-Major Garth-The Bishop of Salisbury-Bishop Hurd-The Waldegraves.

PART II.

1789.

Gloucester House, Weymouth.

MONDAY, AUGUST 3RD.-The loyalty and obedient respect of the people here to their King are in a truly primitive style. The whole Royal party went to see Lulworth Castle, intending to be back to dinner, and go to the play at night, which their Majesties had ordered, with Mrs. Siddons to play Lady Townly. Dinner-time, however, came and passed, and they arrived not. They went by sea, and the wind proved contrary; and about seven o'clock a hobby groom was despatched hither by land, with intelligence that they had only reached Lulworth Castle at five o'clock. They meant to be certainly back by eight; but sent their commands that the farce might be performed first, and the play wait them.

The manager repeated this to the audience,—already waiting and wearied; but a loud applause testified their agreeability to whatever could be proposed.

The farce, however, was much sooner over than the passage from Lulworth Castle. It was ten o'clock when they landed! And all this time the audience-spectators rather-quietly waited!

They landed just by the theatre, and went to the house of Lady Pembroke, who is now here in attendance upon the Queen and there they sent home for the King's page, with a wig, &c.; and the Queen's wardrobewoman, with similar decorations; and a message to Miss Planta and me, that we might go at once to the theatre.

We obeyed; and soon after they appeared, and were received with the most violent gusts of joy and huzzas, even from the galleries over their heads, whose patience had not the reward of seeing them at last.

Is not this a charming trait of provincial popularity? Mrs. Siddons, in her looks, and the tragic part, was exquisite.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 4TH.-To-day all the Royals went to Sherborne Castle.

My day being perfectly at liberty, Mrs. Gwynn stayed and spent it with me.

The weather was beautiful; the sea-breezes here keep off intense heat in the warmest season. We walked first to see the shrubbery and plantation of a lady, Mrs. B—, who has a very pretty house about a mile and a half out of the town. Here we rested, and regaled ourselves with sweet flowers, and then proceeded to the old castle,—its ruins rather, which we most completely examined, not leaving one stone untrod, except such as must have precipitated us into the sea. This castle is built almost in the sea, upon a perpendicular rock, and its situation, therefore, is nobly bold and striking. It is little more now than walls, and a few little winding staircases at its four

corners.

I had not imagined my beautiful companion could have taken so much pleasure from an excursion so romantic and lonely; but she enjoyed it very much, clambered about as unaffectedly as if she had lived in rural scenes all her life, and left nothing unexamined.

We then prowled along the sands at the foot of the adjoining rocks, and picked up sea-weeds and shells; but I do not think they were such as to drive Sir Ashton Lever, or the Museum-keepers, to despair! We had the Queen's two little dogs, Badine and Phillis, for our

guards and associates. We returned home to a very late tea, thoroughly tired, but very much pleased. To me it was the only rural excursion I had taken for more than three years.

The Royal party came not home till past eleven o'clock. The Queen was much delighted with Sherborne Castle, which abounds with regal curiosities, honourably acquired by the family.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8TH.-To-day we went to Lulworth Castle; but not with Mrs. Gwynn. Her Majesty ordered our Royal coach and four, and directed me to take the two De Lucs.

Lulworth Castle is beautifully situated, with a near and noble view of the sea. It has a spacious and very fine park, and commands a great extent of prospect. It is the property of Mr. Weld, a Roman Catholic, whose eldest brother was first husband of Mrs. Fitzherbert. A singular circumstance, that their Majesties should visit a house in which, so few years ago, she might have received them.

There is in it a Roman Catholic chapel that is truly elegant, a Pantheon in miniature, and ornamented with immense expense and richness. The altar is all of finest variegated marbles, and precious stones are glittering from every angle. The priests' vestments, which are very superb, and all the sacerdotal array, were shown us as particular favours: and Colonel Goldsworthy comically said he doubted not they had incense and oblations for a week to come, by way of purification for our heretical curiosity. The castle is built with four turrets. It is not very ancient, and the inside is completely modern, and fitted up with great elegance. It abounds in pictures of priests, saints, monks, and nuns, and is decorated with crosses and Roman Catholic devices without end.