May 6.—This being the last Pantheon, I put in my long intended claim; and it was greatly facilitated by the circumstance of a new singer, Madame Benda, making her first appearance. My dearest father fetched me from the Queen’s house. Esther and Marianne kept me places between them. Marianne never looked so pretty; I saw not a face there I thought equally lovely. And, oh, how Pacchierotti sung!—How-with what exquisite feeling, what penetrating pathos! I could almost have cried the whole time, that this one short song was all I should be able to hear!
At the beginning of the second act I was obliged to decamp. James, who had just found me out, was my esquire. “Well,” he cried, in our way to the chair, “will there be war with Spain?” I assured him I thought not.
“So I am afraid!” answered the true English tar. “However, if there is, I should be glad of a frigate of thirty-two guns. Now, if you ask for it, don’t say a frigate, and get me one of twenty-eight!”
Good heaven!—poor innocent James!—
And just as I reached the chair—“But how shall you feel,” he cried, “when I ask you to desire a guard-ship for me, in about two years’ time?”
I could make no precise answer to that! He then added that he intended coming to Court! Very much frightened, I besought him first to come and drink tea with me—which he promised.
In my way home, as I went ruminating upon this apparently but just, though really impracticable demand, I weighed well certain thoughts long revolving, and of late nearly bursting forth and the result was this—to try all, while yet there is time. Reproach else may aver, when too late, greater courage would have had greater success. This idea settled my resolutions, and they all bent to one point, risking all risks. May 10.—This evening, by appointment came our good James and his wife, and soon afterwards, to my great pleasure, Captain Phillips joined us. I take it, therefore, for granted, he will have told all that passed in the business way. I was very anxious to gather more intelligibly the wishes and requests of poor James, and to put a stop to his coming to Court without taking such previous steps as are customary. I prevailed, and promised, in return, to make known his pretensions.
You may believe, my dear friends, this promise was the result of the same wish of experiment, and sense of claim upon me of my family to make it while I may, that I have mentioned. I did—this very evening. I did it gaily, and in relating such anecdotes as were amusingly characteristic of a sailor’s honest but singular notions of things: yet I have done it completely; his wishes and his claims are now laid open—Heaven knows to what effect! The Court scheme I have also told; and my royal mistress very graciously informed me, that if presented by some superior officer there could be no objection; but otherwise, unless he had some promotion, it was not quite usual.