[137] James, eighth Earl of Abercorn (1712-1789), carried his independence to a disconcerting bluntness. When he presented himself at St. James's, the King thanked him for his courtesy to the Queen, and said he feared his visit must have given him a good deal of trouble. "A good deal indeed," replied the Earl.
[138] Secret History of the Court of England.
[139] Lady Anne Hamilton: Secret History.
[140] The bridesmaids, dressed in white lustring with silver trimmings ornamented with pearls and diamonds, were chosen from the unmarried daughters of dukes and earls, and were ten in number: Lady Sarah Lennox, Lady Caroline Russell, Lady Anne Hamilton, Lady Elizabeth Kerr, Lady Harriet Bentinck, Lady Caroline Montague, Lady Elizabeth Keppel, Lady Louisa Greville, Lady Elizabeth Harcourt, and Lady Susan Fox Strangways.
[141] Galt: George III, His Family and Court.
[142] London Gazette, October 21, 1760.
[143] Nicholls: Literary Anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century; and other works.
It is generally believed that the Stuart Prince was present at the coronation either incognito as Mr. Brown among the spectators on the floor of the hall, or disguised in woman's attire in the gallery. Indeed, more than one person claims to have seen him, and Lord Marshal told David Hume how a friend of his, recognizing the Pretender, spoke to him: "Your Royal Highness is the last of all mortals I should have expected to see here." "It was curiosity that led me," replied the visitor, who had come from Flanders to see the coronation; "but I assure you that the person who is the object of all this pomp and magnificence is the man I envy the least."
[144] Nicholls: Recollections and Reflections.
[145] Ibid.