LETTER LIV.
SIR,London, May 4, 1733.
The last brought us to the Royal Family, and what relates to the Court. The latter is more numerous than brilliant, if it be certain that Pleasures form the Splendor of a Court. Of these their Majesties don’t seem to be fond, at least of those noisy Pleasures, that instead of unbending the Mind, which ought to be the Aim of all Pleasures, only serve to fatigue it.
’Tis very easy to obtain the Honour of being introduced to their Majesties, and the Royal Family, nothing more being necessary, than to send in one’s Name to the Duke of Grafton, his Majesty’s Lord Chamberlain, and my Lord Grantham, the Queen’s Master of the Horse. People go to the King’s Levee, and the Queen’s Drawing-Room, as they do in France. Their Majesties dine in Public only upon Sundays, when none eat with ’em but their Children. The Table is in Form of an oblong Square, in the Middle of which sit the King and Queen, with the Prince of Wales on the Right, and the three eldest Princesses on the Left. The Service here is performed in the same Manner as it is in France. The Table is plac’d in the midst of a Hall, surrounded with Benches to the very Cieling, which are fill’d with an infinite Number of Spectators. The same Room serves also for the Balls, when there are any at Court.
Three times a Week there’s an Apartment here, called the Drawing-Room, which is open’d at Ten o’Clock at Night. About this Hour the Ladies repair to the said Apartment, which consists of three great Salons, made by the Direction of Queen Anne, which are the only tolerable Rooms in all St. James’s Palace. The King comes to it attended not only by the Queen, who is led by the Prince of Wales, but by the Princesses her Daughters. Their Majesties converse there for a few Moments with such Persons as they are pleased to distinguish; after which the Queen makes a profound Curtsy to the King, and goes to play for about an Hour with the Princess-Royal, and two Ladies, whom her Majesty singles out of the Company, and a little before Midnight their Majesties retire. Upon those Days that there’s no Drawing-Room, the King and Queen are generally at the Opera, or the Play-house. In fine Weather they take the Air in St. James’s Park, or the Suburbs of London. In Summer-time their Majesties are for the most part at Kensington, Windsor, or Hampton-Court, the two last of which Palaces are beautiful. The first of these was built by the famous Cardinal Wolsey, the Favourite of King Henry VIII. and before Lewis XIV. began to build; was reckon’d the finest Palace in Europe.
The King does not hunt much, but employs most of his Time with his Ministers, consulting the Welfare of his Dominions. Of these Sir Robert Walpole is the Principal, and he is the only Commoner in Great Britain that is honoured with the Order of the Garter. This Minister, who is not less applauded by the Court Party, than he is censured by the contrary Faction, has the general Veneration and Esteem of all the Courts of Europe; where ’tis confess’d to be owing to his Direction that the Cabinet of St. James’s gives Motion at this Time to all
Europe, and that he is the Soul of all Councils, all Deliberations, and all Resolutions. Sir Robert Walpole seems, in my Opinion, to be attended with the Fate of my Lord Duke of Marlborough, who, tho’ admir’d by the whole World, and even by those to whom he did most Mischief, was hardly valued in his own Country, which he crown’d with Glory and Prosperity. I shall say nothing to you at present of this Gentleman’s private Character, because I am not yet well enough acquainted with it. As I have no Business with him, I see him pass along; and that’s all. I want some Neutral Man (that is to say, one who is neither for nor against this Minister) that knows him well, and will let me into the Knowledge of him too. If I am so fortunate as to find out such a Person, I will impart to you such Lights as he shall give me. Mean time I hear him talk’d of in Public as one that understands the Constitution of the Kingdom better than any Man in it, who thoroughly knows the Strength and Weakness of the State, and one whom nothing terrifies, nothing astonishes: And I may add, there’s no Man more bold and enterprizing. He perfectly knows his Countrymen, and has the true Art of Government: And no Body speaks with more Eloquence in Parliament; where whatever he proposes seldom fails of being pass’d; and the Lower-house is, as one may say, determined by him.