| Mrs. Montagu | [Frontispiece] |
| From the engraved portrait by C. Townley, after Frances Reynolds,in the possession of Mr. A. M. Broadley. (Photogravure.) | |
| TO FACE PAGE | |
| Tea and Coffee in the Bath-room | [38] |
| From the drawing by John Nixon, in the possession of Mr. A. M. Broadley. | |
| The Circus, at Bath | [40] |
| From a drawing by Thomas Malton, in the possession of Mr. A. M.Broadley. | |
| The King’s Bath, at Bath | [60] |
| From a drawing by Thomas Rowlandson, in the possession of Mr.A. M. Broadley. | |
| Philip, Fourth Earl of Chesterfield | [64] |
| From the picture by William Hoare, R.A., in the National PortraitGallery. (Photogravure.) | |
| David and Mrs. Garrick | [82] |
| From the picture by William Hogarth, in the possession of His MajestyThe King. (Photogravure.) | |
| George, Lord Lyttelton | [96] |
| From a picture by (unknown), in the National Portrait Gallery. | |
| Mrs. Mary Delany | [106] |
| From the picture by John Opie, R.A., in the National Portrait Gallery. | |
| Allerthorpe Hall, Yorkshire | [120] |
| Conyers Middleton | [120] |
| From the mezzotint by Faber, after the picture by Eccardt, 1746.(Photogravure.) | |
| Benjamin Stillingfleet | [128] |
| From an engraving by V. Green, after Zoffany. | |
| Mrs. Elizabeth Carter | [160] |
| From the picture by Sir Thomas Lawrence, P.R.A. | |
| Dr. Samuel Johnson | [164] |
| From the picture painted for Topham Beauclerk by Sir Joshua Reynolds,P.R.A., in the possession of Mr. A. H. Hallam Murray. | |
| Edmund Burke | [170] |
| From the picture by Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A., in the NationalPortrait Gallery. | |
| Dr. Edward Young | [256] |
| From the picture by (unknown), in the National Portrait Gallery. | |
| William Pulteney, First Earl of Bath | [258] |
| From a picture by Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A., 1761, in the NationalPortrait Gallery. (Photogravure.) | |
| Laurence Sterne | [272] |
| After the picture by Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A., in the possession ofThe Marquess of Lansdowne. (Photogravure.) | |
ELIZABETH MONTAGU
THE QUEEN OF THE BLUE-STOCKINGS
CHAPTER I.
1752–1754 — CHIEFLY AT TUNBRIDGE WELLS, SANDLEFORD, AND HAYES — BEGINNING OF FRIENDSHIP WITH PITT — CORRESPONDENCE WITH GILBERT WEST.
1752
“PEREGRINE PICKLE”
[1]January 1, 1752, an interchange of letters and compliments from the Wests and Mrs. Montagu take place. Mrs. West sends a huge turkey and ham pie, half for Mrs. Montagu, half for Temple West, Gilbert’s brother. Mr. Pitt, Lady Cobham, and Berenger were expected. In a letter to her sister, Sarah Scott, Mrs. Montagu mentions—