Was by a mousing owl hawk’d at, and killed.
I went yesterday morning to see a milliner who is just arrived from Paris; she brings strange dresses and fashions, and some sumptuous, costly to a degree that she cannot get a purchaser. She complains that a Deputy’s wife at Paris spends more upon her attire than a duchess does here. She has veils that cost 50 guineas, morning head-dresses 20, and so on in proportion. She says Paris never was yet at such a pitch of luxury and recherche in dress as at present.
Saturday, 19th.—On Sunday last Mr. and Mrs. Stuart and Dr. Hager dined here. On Monday we went to the play with the Stuarts. On Tuesday Ld. Macartney, Calonne, James, and the Fish dined, very tolerably pleasant. On Wednesday I went to see Mr. James’s pretty room and fine books; he has given in to the luxury of splendid editions, broad paper, and sumptuous bindings. The collection is as complete as possible for the sort of thing, but the expense is enormous, and hardly answers in point of enjoyment, tho’ one is not sorry to see fine specimens of the various arts of printing, papermaking, bookbinding, etc., etc. He has contrived to spend 5000l. upon articles that lie in a very small compass.
The Bessboroughs, who have just returned from ye Isle of Thanet, dined with us; they brought Ld. Boringdon. There was besides Mr. Wm. Smith,[42] an Irish orator, who made a fine speech and wrote a good pamphlet in favour of the Union. He is uncommonly bashful, an infirmity not peculiar to his nation, but one which impedes his being reckoned as able as he is to common observers.
The whole Dutch expedition has failed, and the troops are coming back forthwith, tho’ there are great apprehensions entertained as to their being able to withdraw without immense loss; they calculate upon losing their rearguard of 3000 men.[43] Out of evil there is good: Lds. Morpeth and G. Leveson had offered their services, and were upon the point of going. Ld. G. is raising a regiment, and is appointed Lt.-Col. I am sorry he throws away very excellent abilities upon a profession where so little is required—at least, as it is practised in this country; and I believe as a good patriot one ought to hope it may for ever remain as insignificant as it has done hitherto. Parliament is adjourned until January. We went to the play, Tierney, Mr. Hoare, and Capt. Murray. Confirmation of the French accounts of the losses of the Allies in Switzerland, etc., etc.
PRICE OF SUGAR
Sunday, 20th, ’99.—The whole day I was confined to my own den by a most villainous cold. After we had finished our dinner Ld. Morpeth came to dine. He arrived in town only the preceding evening.
The immense price of sugar has defeated the avarice of the proprietors of it; various experiments have been made, first, to extract sugar from saccharine vegetables, and then to grow it in different climates. In Prussia they obtain 8 lbs. weight of good sugar from 100 lbs. of beet root. In America a settlement called the Notches, above the river Ohio, has grown a large quantity from the sugar cane. The price is only kept up by some commercial artifice winked at by the Government. The revenues of the West Indians will be considerably diminished, and tho’ I ultimately may suffer I confess I should feel very little sorrow if they had been at 0 for the last four years; then he would not have added another example to the many—that injustice thrives.
25th, Friday, Money Hill.—On Sunday, 20th, Curran[44] dined with us. He was intimidated at the sight of the tables as he passed through the room, and told Mr. Tierney he feared he should not be able to speak. He kept his word, as he did not utter three sentences during dinner. We had, besides, Mr. Grey, ye Bessbro’s, Mr. Weld, Mr. George Ponsonby[45] (the Irish orator), and the Duke of Bedford. On Monday Mr. Wm. Smith, the Irish Unionist, Mr. Hoare, whom I knew at Sherborne, and Calonne. Calonne slept. He gave us a most interesting narrative of the assembling of the Notables, and many particulars of the latter event during his Administration; if ever I have patience I believe I would detail the account. We went the next day to Money Hill, where we found the Smiths. They stayed till Thursday, on which day Ld. Bor. came. He went on Friday; we returned home on Saturday....
On Tuesday the Beauclerks went. She wished very much to stay, as her health required repose; the motion of the carriage disagrees with her always, and she was not recovered from the journey of the day before. This consideration, added to her being far advanced with child, had no effect upon Beau.; he was positive. I fear he is disposed to be peremptory in trifles. I do not like to give way to all my fears upon the score of his temper, but she is all sense and gentleness. Ld. Morpeth and Dumont dined, a very pleasant dinner. Ld. M. stayed, and cause’d late; Dumont slept. Ld. M. is very amiable in a small party, where he is quite at his ease.