L30/11/122/207

Typed transcript. Sent from Richmond (see also L30/11/122/389:

18 May 1779

From: 1779 To: 1779

Glad about Southill. Sister idle. Newest entertainment is giving breakfast - last till 4 o'clock, part of collation consists of cold meats. Began last summer. Devonshire House had one. Lady subscribers to concert taken turns, some more, some less public. Finally Bedford House, which I told you a fortnight ago we had been invited to and never have done justice I believe since to the entertainment. Coldest comfort I ever experienced. The morning ought to have been fine, and company were intended to walk in the gardens, to exemplify which design the great house door to the garden, exactly fronting the great hall and entrance from the court, was left open, though a wind entered it sufficient to blow you away. The weather very cold blustering showery morning. Not a fire through the house. The gallery seldom lived in was filled with the company and music, but not properly warmed by it, and tis said her Grace herself sat on a settee all the time in a double wadded cloak and a cushion under her feet, whilst the chimney was stuffed with greens (vulgo, bough pots, which had much better been set in a blaze),especially as there were not cushions provided for the company's feet. All the world was there, and between 2-3 p.m. they walked about the rest of the house, which was open to partake of the breakfasts. This being now expected to be in the style of cold collations, there were small tables, set in 2 rooms, for persons to make their way to through crowded door cases and sit or stand round as they could. There is nothing so famished neither upon these occasions as the finest fine world, and indeed I do believe they come out as soon as they are awake and a Jeun. If they did, alack for them. The covering of the tables was thinly spread and had exceedingly the appearance of the shadowy collation of a farce, as it consisted of oranges, apples, radishes, sea-biscuits, and a few scattered plates of Dutch beef, cold tongue and sandwiches. I willingly quitted my place in this crowd, or claim to anything it contained, and wished for some warmer fare, and at last did luckily meet with a tea-room, which indeed was the only comfortable spot, as in it there was necessarily a fire for the tea-kettles. But here neither the supply was not at all adequate to the demand, nor the apparatus conducted in the most elegant form and method. The deficiency of rolls and butter was thought to be great, and the want of cups, spoons etc. and confusion attending them, not less. The chocolate was in an old dirty copper pot, replenished out of a copper saucepan off the fire (a ceremony I really never saw before), and then slopped out unmilled into tea-cups or any sorts, filling half the saucers, and coffee ditto, ditto, ditto. (I was told indeed of vessels of different kinds in a corner with plates set upon them to cover them, but I did not see it and cannot give ocular testimony...) .After sufficiently feasting all the different senses, eyes, ears, or palate, the difficulties commenced of getting away, the court being crammed with coaches and the coachmen grown cold and cross and impatient, and striving with each other at the imminent hazard of carriages and horses. However by degrees the embarrassments lessened and we happily got home safe by ½ hour after 4. Sent Wedgwood impressions to be set for bracelets.

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food, meat, CORRESPONDENCE, oranges, apples, radishes, biscuits, tongue, chocolate, Josiah & Sons Limited Wedgwood, Bloomsbury Square Bedford House