17th.—Ly. Melbourne came.
18th, Tuesday.—Set off and resolved to go as far as we could, as Ld. H. was to be at Nottingham to a great dinner on Wednesday. The roads were in a very bad condition owing to the great fall of rain; however, we reached Stamford and slept.
19th.—Ld. H. set off alone to Nottingham. Mr. Allen, Charles, and I went to see Burleigh, a stately edifice, not improved by the bad taste of the last proprietor. A few good pictures, and several beautiful portraits of Mde. de la Vallière after her profession, in the dress of the Order. Ascertained that the story of Ld. Exeter having made a bonfire, in the courtyard, of Voltaire, Rousseau, &c., was true. This was done to edify the people at Stamford during the alarm, to teach them to shun the doctrines of those apostates from religion, morality, &c. From thence we went to Grantham, where I resolved to take up my abode till Ld. H. returned.
20th.—Went to see Belvoir, which is undergoing a thorough reparation and improvement by Wyatt. It commands a staring, ugly view of the Vale of Belvoir. The antique baronial costume of the castle is destroyed by the introduction of modern fortifications and of artillery mounted upon the walls. The collection of pictures is very good. The famous ‘Sacraments’ of Poussin, and a pretty Murillo with three Virgins in white, exactly in the style of those in the famous ‘Transito de Santa Clara,’ in the convent at Seville. We sent for novels to the circulating library, and sat up reading the trash it furnished half the night.
21st.—Ld. H. returned pleased with the reception he had met with from his fellow Burgesses, and we got on to Stilton, a bad, dismal inn.
CAMBRIDGE
22nd.—We went to Cambridge, to show Mr. A. the colleges, &c. Got there by daylight. Dr. Davy,[337] the Master of Caius College, made us dine with him; a good-natured, trifling, insignificant man. Lord Percy, Dukes of Rutland and Gloster are to be the candidates for the Chancellorship, whenever the D. of Grafton will die and give them an opportunity of trying their popularity.
23rd.—A fall of snow which rendered the walking across the Quadrangle unpleasant. The Library at Trinity is very handsome, but the books are the least to be praised in it. A good bust of Newton. The chapel contains a statue of Newton; the countenance is full of expression and genius, but the sculpture is very moderate, altho’ considered by them as a chef-d’œuvre. Went to the chapel of King’s College. Glad that my recollection of Batalha was so fresh that it enabled me to compare the architectural styles and beauties. That of Batalha[338] is generally superior in execution, the taste of King’s chapel perhaps is more chaste and simple, but it does not possess one specimen of exquisite delicacy of sculpture; the roses and portcullis are coarsely carved.
Passed through Eaton and Bedford. Reached Ampthill to a late dinner. Waters very much out.
24th, Ampthill.—Ld. Ossory as usual kind and very pleasant. Capt. Waldegrave, a cousin, and son of Lady Waldegrave. Our old shipmate, Sr. John Sinclair, Dr. Hunt, &c. A contagious fever at Southill prevents our visit; Lady Elizabeth ill. Mr. Whitbread came over to see us, much offended and irritated at the anonymous circular; ascribes all as intended offences from Grey and Tierney to him. Reached Brocket on the 27th.