L30/14/333/61

Letter from Fritz at Saltram to T. Robinson.

11 September 1770

From: 1770 To: 1770

"My Dear Brother We were much and most agreably surprizd yesterday at about noon by the arrival of Mr Parker & Sr Joshua Reynolds whom we did not expect till to night at soonest. you desird that I would tell you every thing & yet leave something for conversation at my return, the latter I do not despair of, but do not know how to set about the other. In the first place we all agree that you have seen nothing at Saltram, the house & place are so much improved indeed I did not think that there was room for so much. The house is painted inside & out, the hall the lightest green that ever was the ornaments white, the staircases a darker pea Green with capitals of the Columns white, the sky light gilt, the beautifull lanthorn which you never saw & the Candlesticks all make it the handsomest staircase I know the eating room is painted a light straw colour, nothing particular in the blue room. The Indian Paper room remains the same the Organ stands in it. The Bed Velvet Room the ground of the cieling lightest of Greens & the Cornice Pink they had painted the shutters & doors &c pink but not liking that they turned it to white & Therese with her usual taste ordered all the mouldings, & parts of the Capitals of the Columns to be Gilt, which makes the Room much chearfuller & handsommer. The Great Room is ready for the Damask though the Windows are not put in, the cieling is the most beautifull I ever saw Sr Joshua will have none but original pictures put up there he finds some exceeding good here. There is no describing the library, it is fitted up like a snuff box, they do not live in yet because of the noise of the workmen in the next room there are more books than I thought. Upstairs the rooms that are altered are much improved but their own apartment is not be known again. Thereses dressing room has a remarkable pretty colourd Green Paper & is hung with a great many drawings which Sr Joshua says are invaluable to conclude that we may get out of doors, I think it is a comfortable & as handsome a habitation as ever I saw in my life. The approach we have not seen as it was dark when we came in, the hill is certainly too steep, but I think altogether it has the advantage of Adam's idea as being longer it makes the whole place seem larger & the grounds in the bottom are very Parkish. The lawn is quite green the shrubbey very pretty & thrives wonderfully the Castle new painted & much improved, the seat upon the terrace is very prettily painted & now I have told you what we have seen I think I can fill the other side with what we have done. We found Therese quite alone with her Cat which by the bye is a most beautifule Cat, & Dolly though a great favorite with Mr P will not easily put her nose out of joint with Mrs P. Mr Montague is killing & crippling [?] in Cornwall. We set up till past 12 on Sunday & your must imagine did not chatter a little. Walkd round the house & down to the point on Monday Morning & were sitting in the Castle when Mr Parker came. I cannot imagine any two people more perfectly happy in one another nor with such just reason as Mr P & Therese seem to be. It was not a great addition to the pleasure were enjoying to hear that Mr & Mrs Edmund Bastard were to dine at Saltram as yesterday they came & Mr W Bastard with them, we walkd round the wood in the evening & were saluted at the Amphitheatre to the great terror of Mrs Ed Bastard came in drank tea playd at Quinze supped & went to bed. I got up this morning at seven o'clock & am just returned from the sea which was very delightfull. Therese has balld by the bye the bath is exceedingly pretty eleven times & whether it is owing to that or the air she looks as well & I think is just as fat as last year. If there is not room in my paper I am sure there is in my heart for all love to you & Duty to my Father...Therese & Mr P join with me ..."

item

Robinson, Frederick,
Reynolds, Joshua,
Parker, Theresa (1744-1775),
Bastard, Edmund,
Bastard, W,
Adam, Robert,
Parker, Montague Edmund

Saltram House, family correspondence