JOURNAL CONTINUED.
July 4th, 1816.—The weather so cold and uncomfortable that I was obliged to have a fire. London is still full, but growing thinner. The state of the country is rather alarming, owing to the riots and the general discontent.
5th.—There has been a great bankruptcy in London. Ministers have sent to stop deputations from Manchester and Birmingham which were coming to the Regent. He has a levee to-day. In the evening I wrote a note to Princess Charlotte to inform her of my arrival in England, and to inquire when I might see her. I had a kind answer in return, desiring to see me next day between one and two.
6th.—I went to Princess Charlotte’s,[[73]] whom I found sitting to Hayter, the miniature painter. He remained during the whole of the time I was there, which was an hour and a half, as he was told that Prince Leopold wished to see him before he left. She appeared agitated, but was friendly as usual. Prince Leopold came in to look at the picture, and announced the weather being fine and the curricle ready, on which I took my leave. He was civil.
11th.—A person called on me who has the means of knowing many things relative to the affairs of Princess Charlotte, and told me the Regent and the Queen had opened their eyes with respect to myself, and were now persuaded that my conduct had been such as they could not think injurious to themselves. It is probable they knew who was the mischief-maker.
12th.—In the morning I saw Princess Charlotte, who gave me a print of Prince Leopold. She was very cordial, but, I believe, sees very few people. Hayter was there, and Prince Leopold came in to sit for his picture. Not having been very well, she is not going to the grand ball given by the Regent this evening.
13th.—The Duke of Sussex called on me early, as he was going to Sheridan’s funeral.[[74]] He said the Prince Regent was moving everything to get a divorce. This I had heard from various people, as also that Lord Exmouth was to be an informer.
22nd.—Having received accounts of the death of Vittoria Ruffo, eldest daughter of Prince Castelcicala, I returned to town from Rochetts for the purpose of seeing her afflicted parents. She was accomplished and sensible, and most useful in her own family, and her loss must be felt by all who knew her. When I arrived, I found they were not yet in Town, as she is not to be buried till to-morrow morning.
At nine in the evening the guns fired for Princess Mary’s marriage with the Duke of Gloucester.
25th.—I saw Princess Charlotte; her husband, and Hayter, the painter, were with her. She told me she had Claremont, and seemed pleased with it.
30th.—I called to take leave of Princess Charlotte, but could not see her, as Prince Leopold was suffering from a pain in his face. She wrote me a very affectionate note afterwards to apologise. I left my name at Carlton House.
August 6th.—I went with Miss Jervis and the Countess de F—— to New Hall, a large house built by Henry VIII. at a little distance from Chelmsford, now occupied by a convent of English nuns, who, after various wanderings, in consequence of being driven from their home at Liége by the French, have been settled here about seventeen years.[[75]] The superior, lately elected, is an agreeable woman, sister of Sir William Gerard, of Lancashire. Lady Frances Browne, a daughter of Lord Kenmare, is there, and a sister of Lord Stourton has professed. There are thirty-six nuns and sixty-five boarders, the latter chiefly daughters of Roman Catholics of fashion. They are not rich, but appear well-behaved women, and are very hospitable. The young ladies were dancing when we went into the hall, and performed three quadrilles with great propriety. Henry VIII. was staying here when Anne Boleyn was beheaded, and there is a sign, at a short distance on the road, which has his portrait on one side and a headless woman on the other.
29th.—Arrived at Buckden.[[76]] The Bishop of Lincoln has inhabited this palace thirty years. It is not known when it was built, but it is mentioned in the reign of King Stephen. The tower which I inhabit, with four turrets at the angles, was once the residence of Katharine of Aragon, after her divorce from Henry, before she went to Kimbolton. That place, belonging to the Duke of Manchester, is not many miles distant from hence. Buckden Palace is not large, but very curious as a specimen of the architecture of many ages. The grounds are laid out so as to agree perfectly with the style of building. Over the second gateway in entering the palace is the episcopal library, not very large, but interesting from the antiquity of some of the books. The Bishop has his private library in a room he built for the purpose. The appearance of the entire building gives the idea of great strength. The Bishop has all Mr. Pitt’s papers, and is writing his life.
August 9th.—Quitted Buckden, after passing my time there very pleasantly, owing to the interesting conversation of the Bishop[[77]] and Mrs. Tomline, whose sister, Mrs. Maltby, was staying with them.
23rd.—Went to see an old tree in Thorndon Park,[[78]] called “the Riven Oak.” It must be of extraordinary age, as it is mentioned in papers belonging to Lord Petrie’s family in the reign of Henry VIII. as “the old oak.” Lord St. Vincent told me it served as a boundary in the reign of Henry VII. It is of considerable dimensions, and in good foliage as far as the trunk goes, which seems to be about one-third of its former height. The several coats of bark, which grow whiter as they advance in age, are very curious.
September 18th.—Called on Lady Loudon, who has lately returned to England, on account of her children. She goes back to Lord Moira in a few months.
23rd.—Went with Lady Charleville to see the cast which was taken from the first monument erected to the memory of Shakspeare by his son-in-law. The original figure, which is a sort of half length, with hands, was, it seems, painted to represent dress and drapery. It cannot, therefore, be expected that the features should be correct or the drawing good; but traditionally we learn that the likeness was perfect. The forehead is beautiful. Indeed, all the features are good, but there is more of benevolence than of any other expression in the countenance.
[In the spring of 1817, Miss Knight left England on a tour through France and Italy, and did not return to England until the latter end of May, 1819. The rough notes of her wanderings do not, however, contain anything of general interest, though she is mentioned in Mrs. Piozzi’s correspondence as acting the part of cicerone to the friends with whom she travelled.[[79]] At Rome, Miss Knight received intelligence of the death, on the 6th of November, 1817, of the Princess Charlotte. The entry in her diary, on this afflicting subject, is brief and inexpressive. “The Count de Blacas, Ambassador from France,” she writes in her journal at the end of November, “and several of my former Roman acquaintances, have been very kind. The Duke of Devonshire, the Marquis of Douglas, and many English, very obliging—particularly on the melancholy event of the Princess Charlotte’s death, the news of which arrived on the 22nd, but I did not hear of it till the 23rd.”[[80]]