Lady Cowper's Diaries January 1715/1716

From the original portrait by Sir Godfrey Kneller

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6th January 1715

This was twelfth night and such a crowd I never saw in my life. My Mistress & the Duchess of Montague went halves at hazard & won 600l [£600]. Mr Archer came in great form to offer me a place at the table; but I laughed & said he did not know me if he thought that I was capable of venturing 200 guineas at play – for none sitt down to the table with less. In this great crowd one may easily imagine there was a world of shouldering and hunching people. The Venetian Ambassadress who I believe had been us’d to cry out to her husband when he beats her to take care of her face, met with a good deal of it, but her great care was her Visâge. “Prenez soin de mon visage. Prenez garde a mon vizâge” was her cry all night long, & so loud that at last the King heard her, and turning to somebody that stood behind him he said “Entendez vous l’Ambassadrice? Elle vous abandonne tout le reste du Corps pourveu que vous ayez soin du visage.”  

7th January 1715

In the morning I ask’d leave to be absent at night for the King sup’d at Montague House & [the Duchess] would not suffer me to deny being with her, no more than the Duchess of Marlborough would. Before I went out in the Evening I had a present from the King of 2 wild boars heads, one of which he had cut of & found it so very good, that he said it was the best he had ever eat of, & bid Mr Lowman send it to me, & say he had been my taster. This I presume is a great addition to the Present [and] puts me in mind of the King of France who always sups publickly, & when he has a mind to make a great compliment to any body he bites a bit of sweetmeat with his gums (for he has no teeth) & sends the residue to those he would oblige – but to return to our supper, the King was very grave. The Duchess of Shrewsbury, Madame Kielmansegge & I very sick & weary. A very short supper, & about 1 a clock the King went to see the house, & then the Duchess of Shrewsbury & I slip’d away.  

22nd January 1715

Johnson left me after having us’d me like a dog & for her sake I resolve never to let a servant stay an hour after they have given me warning, ‘tis to no purpose but to be the but of their malice & anger till they are out of your house.    

17th January 1716

This month us’d to be ushered in with new years gifts from the lawyers which us’d to come to near three thousand pounds to the Chancellour. The Original of this Custom was presents of wine & provisions which us’d to be sent to the Chancellour by the people who practic’d in his Court, but in process of time a covetous Chancellour intimated to them that gold would be more acceptable, so it was chang’d into gold & continued so till the first time my Lord had the seals, every body having blam’d it that ever had the seals, but none forbidding it. The Earl of Nottingham when Chancellour us’d to receive them standing by a table, & at the same time he took the money, to lay it upon the table, he us’d to cry out “Oh! Tyrant Cuthtom (for he lisp’d) my Lord forbid the bringing them.” Which my Lord Som[erset?] never heartily forgave him, he having always taken them whilst he was Chancellour, & thinking this was a tacit reproach upon him for having done it. I staid at home till the middle of this month & when I did go out was very weak.  

…The Earl of Seaforth had been in the battle of Dunblain with all his men, but finding the service very hot, had been one of the first that got into Perth as well as General Hamilton. Their friends never could endure either of them after. So the Earl of Marr sent Hamilton into France under the pretext of solliciting foreign succour, & the Earl of Seaforth after made a composition with the Earl of Southerland to remain quiet & peaceable at home, provided he might be assured of his life & fortune. I don’t know how long he’ll keep his word but ‘tis plain the secret motive of this agreement was the shame he had of doing so ill & the resentment his friends had express’d of it.