The distinguished patronage I have from the first received at the hands of her Most Gracious Majesty, must surely convey to the minds of all, that I have a right to lay claim to artistic skill.
When I first commenced the agreeable occupation of imitating nature, I had not the slightest idea of ultimately making it a profession. My anxious desire, I may say, my ambition, was to produce something that might be considered worthy the notice of our most Gracious Queen, who at the period I allude to, 1837, had just ascended the throne.
A spirit of loyalty had been fostered in me from my earliest infancy; and a pardonable glow of pleasure always animates me, at the remembrance that I am the daughter of an old officer, who served as surgeon in the British army the long period of fifty years. The result of my wishes has been great success. Our beloved Sovereign, ever ready to encourage talent or industry in any form, condescended to permit a bouquet, which I designed and executed for her inspection (in token of my loyalty), to be placed as an ornament in one of the royal palaces. This was indeed an honour I had scarcely dared to anticipate. Two years after the period alluded to, the Queen became acquainted with the fact, that a change of circumstances had compelled me to make the art of wax flower modelling a source of profit. Her Majesty, unsolicited by any, spoke to the then Lord Chamberlain relative to a warrant of appointment being granted to me; and I forthwith received the Royal Letters Patent, being the first in this country who enjoyed the privilege of being styled "Artist in Wax Flowers to Her Majesty." I hope I may not be deemed prolix in giving these particulars; it is not from any feeling of vanity, but from gratitude due to the high power that encouraged my talent in its infancy. The auspicious patronage I received gave an impetus to my labours; and I have from that royal day taxed my energies to the utmost, to prove that my works deserved the high honour that had been conferred upon them.
As this work is intended for the perusal of the young, as well as the adult, I trust I may be pardoned for pausing a moment to dwell upon the all-wise dispensations of Providence. The talent which inspired me would have been useless, had not the "Giver of all good" discovered to me the knowledge that I possessed it; and I wish to impress upon the notice of my young friends and pupils, the advantage, I may say necessity, of embracing every opportunity of improving any talent committed to their charge; for my life has shown that what is acquired as an accomplishment or amusement, may one day become of vital importance to them.
It occurs to me, that it may not be uninteresting to many of my readers, to become acquainted with the period and by whom
THE ART OF MODELLING FLOWERS IN WAX WAS BROUGHT INTO ENGLAND.
I consequently subjoin an extract from Miss Strickland's Life of Mary Beatrice, second consort of James II., A.D. 1686.
"The beautiful imitations of natural flowers in wax which have lately afforded an attractive exercise for the taste and ingenuity of many of our youthful countrywomen, were first introduced into England by the mother of Mary Beatrice, as a present to her royal daughter; as we find by the following passage in a contemporary letter from a correspondent of the Lady Margaret Russell, which gives some information relative to the ornamental works then in vogue among ladies of rank, in the court of Mary Beatrice.
"'In gum flowers, Mrs. Booth tells me you and she is to doe something in that work, which I suppose must be extraordinary. I hope it will be as great perfection as the fine WAX WORK ye queen has, of nun's work, of fruit and flowers, that her mother did put up for her, and now she has 'em both for her chapel and her rooms. I do not know whether they be the four seasons of the year, but they say they are done so well, that they that see 'em can hardly think 'em other than the real.'"[A]
[A] In the collection of private family letters of the Duke of Devonshire, at Chiswick Lodge: copied by courteous permission of his Grace.