Lady Cowper's Diaries March 1716

Audio footage of extracts from Lady Cowper's diary

Read by Caroline Churton

Watercolour drawing by Luppino, scenery painter at Covent Garden, late 18th century
Watercolour drawing by Luppino, scenery painter at Covent Garden, late 18th century

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

1st March 1716

The Princess’s birthday. I am ill but I must go to wish her many years of health & happiness, which I unfeignedly do for she’s a most charming delightful friend as well as Mistress. She tells me that Baron Bernstorff had been with the Prince to persuade him to agree to make Lord Cowper President of the Council, but the Prince absolutely denied giving in to it unless my Lord desired it and insisted on it, and she said that the Ministry should never draw them into, or force them to give consent to any thing that was against my Lord Cowper’s Inclination.. I gave the Princess a thousand thanks & desired a continuation of her favour, & said it was utterly against my Lord Cowper’s Inclination, who was ready to quit if they had any body better to put in his room, but would never change, that which he could acquit himself of with honour for what he could not perform at all…  

6th March 1716

After making a visit or two, at court, where I first heard of the light in the sky, described to me since by Doctor Clark who saw it in the beginning, to be like a black cloud from whence smoke & light issued out at once on every side, & then the cloud open’d & it was like a great body of pale fire that rowl’d up & down, & sent forth all sorts of colours like the Rainbow, on every side, but this did not last above 2 or 3 minutes. After that it was like pale Elementary Fire issuing out on all sides of the Horizon, but most especially at the north & northwest where it fix’d at last. The motion was extream swift & rapid, like clouds in their swiftest rack; sometimes it discontinued for a while, & other times it was but as streaks of light in the skys, but moving always with great swiftness. About one of the clock the Phenomena was so strong that the whole face of the heaven was intirely cover’d with it, moving as swiftly as before but extreamly low. It lasted till past four; but decreased till it was quite gone. At one the light was so great that I could out of my window see people walking cross Lincolns Inn Fields tho’ there was no moon. The consternation of the People, both Parties turn’d it on their Enemys. The Whigs said it was God’s judgement on the horrid rebellion, & the Torys that it came for the Whigs taking off the 2 Lords that were executed. I could hardly make my Chairmen come home with me they were so frightened & I was forc’d to lett my glass down & preach to them as I came along to comfort them. I’m sure that any body that had overheard the Dialogue would have laugh’d heartily. All the People were drawn out into the streets, which were so full one could hardly pass, & all frighted to death.  

[Note: These lights, later referred to as Lord Derwentwater’s Lights, appear to have been an unusually vivid display of the Aurora Borealis.]

7th March 1716

…The town full of lies of what was seen in the air last night. Papers printed & sold, that 2 armys were seen to fight in the air; that 2 men with flaming swords were seen to fight over Lincolns Inn Fields. The Mob that went to Mr Linets Burial last night sayd that they saw 2 men in the sky fight without heads…  

12th March 1716

Out of Order, but I went in the evening to take my leave of my Sister Cowper who was going the next day to Hertford. This day poor Madame Gouvernet whom I had seen well the night before at Mademoiselle Schutz was taken ill of a Palsie. Tis a thousand pittys, for she is the most charming & agreeable woman in the world, without any of the humours of 80, tho’ of those years.  

22nd March 1716

Dined with Mrs Clayton, Mrs Walope, Lady Herbert, Mrs Dives, Mrs Howard, Mademoiselle Schutz, Monsieur Schutz &c. Mrs Clayton came from waiting upon the Princess at dinner, in raptures about all the kind things the Prince had been saying of the English, that he thought them the best, the handsommest, the best shaped, the best natur’d, the lovingest People in the world, & that if any body would make their Court to him, it must be by telling him he was like an Englishman; which he thought was the greatest compliment could be made him. This did not at all please the foreigners at our table. They could not contain themselves but fell into the violentest, silliest, ill mannered invective against the English that ever was heard; & nothing could make Monsieur Schutz believe that there was one handsome woman in England.

This page was added on 29/11/2011.

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