Lady Cowper's Diaries December 1714

Hertfordshire Archives & Local Studies

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

1st December 1714  

I stay’d at home all day employ’d in my domestick affairs.  Monsieur Bernstorff came in the evening about business with my Lord.  When he was gone my Lord Halifax came in to see my Lord & desir’d him to tell me in answer to the letter I had wrote [sic] him that morning, that he had all the concern in the world that he could not do what I desir’d in relation to my brother Liddell for the comission had been long before the King but that he had so great a mind to serve me, that the Place of Treasurer of the Stamp Dutys (which was vacant by Mr Frankland’s dying the Sunday before) was at my service, to which my Lord answer’d that I should be infinitely oblig’d to him for it if he would be so good as to give it to me.  

I own I was never more overjoy’d in my life than with the thoughts of being able to do my sister this service, & it was to a degree of hindering my sleeping.  However I had a mind to share my satisfaction, & I wrote to my sister to tell it her & to know if I had her consent & my brothers for writing to my Lord Halifax to thank him, & accept it…    

2nd December 1714  

In the morning amidst my hurry my cousin Waite & my sister E. Clavering came to make me a visit.  This last brought a message from my sister Liddell to give me many thanks for the trouble I had taken about her spouses affair, but withall to tell me that there was a great security which must be given to the Government before that he could enter upon it, so that she was sorry he had accepted it; that he had done it by the advice of his Father & Mr Freeke, or she would not have suffered him to do it, for it was utterly against her consent.  I was a little nettled at this message but made no other answer, but that I thought Sir Harry & Mr Freeke had more wit than my sister…    

3rd December 1714  

I came into my new old house.  As I came into the door came a letter from my Lord Halifax to tell me, that the King by Monsieur Bernstorff had order’d him to put in another into the Place he had given my brother, that he had sent Robeton [Robethon] to expostulate & tell him it was given to me.  I seal’d the letter up & sent it to my sister, who did richly deserve this turn.  My brother wrote to me to make a great many expressions & to tell me he was asham’d to desire me to pursue it since I had had so much trouble already in it, but however said enough to let me know he was quite of another mind than his wife.    

4th December 1714  

Unpacking all morning.  In the evening Monsieur Bernstorff came to bring me my plea which the King refused to meddle with, as soon as he heard who it was for, saying Laissez la luy, je n’y veux pas toucher, elle l’aura, elle l’aura.*  Which obliging expression was much more than the thing itself, though I suppose my friends would have lik’d 10ll (£10) a year adition much better.    

* Let her [have] it, I don’t want to touch it, she shall have it, she shall have it.