ROYAL DOINGS IN AND ABOUT WEYMOUTH.
July 15.—The Magnificent, a man-of-war Of 74 guns, commanded by an old captain of James’s (Onslow), is now stationed at the entrance of the bay, for the security at once and pleasure of the king; and a fine frigate, the Southampton, Captain Douglas, is nearer in, and brought for the king to cruise about. Captain Douglas is nephew to Sir Andrew Snape Hammond, who married a cousin of our Mr. Crisp. The king and royal party have been to visit the frigate. Miss Planta and myself went to see the ceremony from a place called the Look-out,—a beautiful spot. But I have not much taste for sea receptions and honours: the firing a salute is SO strange a mode of hospitality and politeness.... Mrs. Gwynn[308] is arrived, and means to spend the royal season here. She lodges at the hotel just by, and we have met several times. She is very soft and pleasing, and still as beautiful as an angel. We have had two or three long tête-a-têtes and talked over, with great pleasure, anecdotes Of Our former mutual acquaintances—Dr. Johnson, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Mrs. Thrale, Baretti, Miss Reynolds, Miss Palmer, and her old admirer, Dr. Goldsmith, of whom she relates—as who does not?—a thousand ridiculous traits.
The queen is reading Mrs. Piozzi’s tour[309] to me, instead of my reading it to her. She loves reading aloud, and in this work finds me an able commentator. How like herself, how characteristic is every line—Wild, entertaining, flighty, inconsistent, and clever!
July 16.—Yesterday we all went to the theatre. The king has taken the centre front box for himself, family, and attendants. The side boxes are too small. The queen ordered places for Miss Planta and me, which are in the front row of a box next but one to the royals. Thus, in this case, Our want of rank to be in their public suite gives us better seats than those high enough to stand behind them.
Lady Sydney, Lady Courtown’s sister, and Miss Townshend, her daughter, are in the intermediate box, and were very sociable. I have met them here occasionally, and like them very well.
‘Tis a pretty little theatre: but its entertainment was quite in the barn style a mere medley,—songs, dances, imitations, and all very bad. But Lord Chesterfield, who is here, and who seems chief director, promises all will be better.
This morning the royal party went to Dorchester, and I strolled upon the sands with Mrs. Gwynn. We overtook a lady, of a very majestic port and demeanour, who solemnly returned Mrs. Gwynn’s salutation, and then addressed herself to me with similar gravity. I saw a face I knew, and of very uncommon beauty; but did not immediately recollect it was Mrs. Siddons. She is come here, she says, solely for her health: she has spent some days with Mrs. Gwynn, at General Harcourt’s. Her husband was with her, and a sweet child. I wished to have tried if her solemnity would have worn away by length of conversation; but I was obliged to hasten home. But my dearest Fredy’s opinion, joined to that of my Sister Esther, satisfies me I was a loser by this necessary forbearance.
Sunday, July 26.—Yesterday we went again to the play, and saw “The Midnight Hour” and “The Commissary.” The latter from the “Bourgeois Gentilhomme,” is comic to convulsion and the burlesque of Quick and Mrs. Wells united made me laugh quite immoderately.[310]
July 29.—We went to the play, and saw Mrs. Siddons in Rosalind. She looked beautifully, but too large for that shepherd’s dress; and her gaiety sits not naturally upon her,—it seems more like disguised gravity. I must own my admiration for her confined to her tragic powers; and there it is raised so high that I feel mortified, in a degree, to see her so much fainter attempts and success in comedy.