The event of yesterday for prudence calls—
’Tis dangerous treading where Minerva falls!”
Minerva’s sympathies were now aroused by a family incident, thus narrated to Mrs. Robinson: “March ye 15, 1785. ... I know my brother and you and your daughters will be glad to hear Montagu is going to be married, in a manner which is agreable to himself and to me. The young lady is so form’d and qualified as to please both the fancy and the judgment, and her fortune such as to content any reasonable wishes. She has £45,000 in present; £3,000 more is to remain in the funds to secure an annuity to a very old person during his life, and who has been sometime bedridden; so it will soon come into Miss Charlton. She has also an annuity of £300 a year on the life of a young prodigal; but the regular payment of this is not to be depended upon. She has also some other little contingencies; so that her fortune is not estimated at less than fifty thousand pounds by her guardians.
“From Montagu’s good character, those guardians and her relations are very desirous of the match, which will take place when the lawyers compleat the settlements—an affair which I fear will take up no small time, as they have no mercy on the impatience of lovers. She is a ward of Chancery, so many forms are necessary. You may imagine pretty large settlements in land, both present and future, will be required from me; but, as Montagu’s happiness and prosperity is my great object, I shall comply with every reasonable condition. Miss Charlton’s excellent understanding, and her gentle and unaffected manners, render her very agreable. She has a very pleasing countenance, and tho’ rather little, is finely made and remarkably genteel. She is an orphan, but is with her grandmother—a very sensible, well-bred woman, and who is almost as much in love with Montagu as her granddaughter is. It adds much to my satisfaction that those who were at Mrs. Terry’s boarding-school with Miss Charlton are very fond of her, and speak highly of her good temper; to which, indeed, her guardians and intimate acquaintance give ye strongest testimony. As good humour is the great ingredient of human happiness, it gives me much delight to find my dear Montagu will find it in his partner. His own temper is the happiest I ever knew. We dined yesterday at the Bishop of Salisbury’s. I was glad his lordship did not ask how many months in the year your caro sposo spent at Burfield.... Mr. Pitt is thought to gain ground daily, and the opposition babble is little attended to in the House. The town is very gay. The balls are protracted to seven in the morning. Montagu danced till that hour the other night at the Duchess of Bolton’s, but he yawned so horribly the next morning, I think when he is Benedict ye married man, he will not caper at that hour to please ye young ladies. He din’d to-day at ye young lady’s guardians, and is not come home, or would send his duty.”
“July ye 12th, 1785. ... You would know by various sources of intelligence how our matrimonial negotiations went forward, and the day on which they were happily compleated. So I will begin my history where your information ended,—our getting into our carriages at the door of Marybonne Church.
“Venus no longer sends her car and doves; but a post-chaise with four able horses and two brisk postillions do as well. At Salt Hill, we stopp’d to take some refreshment. I eat a good deal of cold ham and chicken. The lovers sigh’d and look’d, sigh’d and look’d, and sigh’d again, and piddled a little on a gooseberry tart. At Reading, we drunk tea, and there Lord Lansdowne, being also on the road, came to us and made his compliments, but with so much delicacy as not to bring ye maiden’s blush into ye cheeks of the bride. Indeed, for fear of distressing her, I did not present her to his lordship, so he only made her a low bow, accompanied by an emphatical look. To the bridegroom, he wished joy. At eight, we arrived at Sandleford. Our soup and bouillie had been ready for some hours; the rest was soon dress’d. We avoided passing through the town of Newbury; so the bells there, which were jangling on the happy occasion, did not give us any disturbance. The decent dignity of the bride’s behaviour and the delicacy of the bridegroom’s did them honour, and gave me great pleasure; and we are three as happy people as can be found in any part of the habitable globe.
“Mrs. Matthew Montagu is much pleased with Sandleford. It was always the favourite of her husband; and now he has got a fair Eve, it appears to him a Paradise. I am in perfect health and perfect content, which is enough for me. Joy and rapture are for youth.
“... The Bath is a dull place. Tunbridge has a pert character. The Pantile Walk in summer is pleasanter than the Pump Room at Bath in ye winter; and as anything original pleases more than a bad imitation, I must own I pass’d my time there with less ennui than in the city of Bath, where the London life is awkwardly imitated.
“... It is believed that Lady Sutherland will marry Lord Trentham; and some suppose Miss Pulteney will be bestow’d on Lord Morton. I am glad, for the credit of our sex, neither of these ladies make a scamper to Gretna Green.