Lady Cowper's Diaries April 1716

Audio footage of extracts from Lady Cowper's diary

Read by Caroline Churton

by Nikoretro https://www.flickr.com/photos/bellatrix6/with/167213961/ (Creative Commons)
by Nikoretro https://www.flickr.com/photos/bellatrix6/with/167213961/ (Creative Commons)

To listen to the audio clip, click play on the bar below the image on the right.

1st April 1716  

…In the afternoon came in Mrs Clayton, Lady Powles, Lord Harborough.  Fryday night Mr Mickelwaite was sett upon by 9 footpads who fired at his Postilion without bidding him stand, just at the End of Bedford Row in the road which goes there, from Pancras Church to Grays Inn Lane; his servants & he fired at them again, & the padds did the same till all the fire was spent, & then he rode through them towards the town to call for help, it being dark, which they seeing they could not prevent, ran away.  Near that Place under the dead wall of Grays Inn Garden, a gentlewoman coming home with her son about ½ an hour after ten of Saturday night, 2 men met them one of which strook [struck] the lanthorn out of the sons hand & ran away with his hat & wigg.  She cry’d out thieves, & they shot her immediately through the head – & are not yet discovered…  

4th April 1716  

…Countess of Buckenburgh said in a visit that the English women did not look like women of quality, but made themselves look as pittifully & sneakingly as they could, that they held their heads down, & look always in a fright whereas those that were foreigners held up their heads & held out their breasts, & made themselves look as great & stately as they can, & more nobly & like quality than the others, to which Lady Deloraine Reply’d, we show our quality by our Births & Titles, Madam, & not by thrusting out our bubbys…  

9th April 1716  

In the morning I went to Court & brought Mrs Clayton home to dine with me.  She & Lady Powlet & I went to the Play together for the benefit of Johnson, who is the best Comedian this day upon the stage & I believe as true, & good a Player as ever was in any Age for the parts that he plays.  The play was Love in a Tub, a Play that took so much in the Reign of King Charles that it was acted for 18 nights together.  Nothing gives one a livelier idea of the dissolution of that Court, than the relish for this Play, & I can’t conceive (that if things had the least resemblance of which is represented on stage, which must be, in a Play so lik’d) but that every widdow with tolerable sense or sobriety, might hang themselves to see the manner in which all the world treated them…  

12th April 1716  

Carryd my daughter to Hide [i.e. Hyde] Park – then to the Venetian Emb[assy].  News this morning that Tom Foster had got out of Newgate, the Keeper taken up, it appeard when he was examined before the Council that he was consenting to it.  

16th April 1716  

Mademoiselle Schutz is setting for her Picture to one Constantin a French Refugie.  Tis most horribly done, tho unfortunately so like that any body may know it, & yet the ugliest thing in the world.    

This page was added on 14/02/2012.

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