A Book for a Rainy Day; or, Recollections of the Events of the Years 1766-1833Smith, John Thomas
History
A Book for a Rainy Day; or, Recollections of the Events of the Years 1766-1833
Smith, John Thomas
Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 18th century; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
During the Races on Runnymede, I have often seen their late Majesties
George the Third and Queen Charlotte driving about in an open
four-wheeled chaise, enjoying the pleasures of the course on equal
terms with the visitors. I remember to have been spoken to three times
by his Majesty; once on a very foggy morning at a stile near Clewer,
when I stepped back to give a gentleman, who had nearly approached it
in the adjoining field, the preference of coming over first; but upon
his saying, “Come over, come over,” I knew the voice to be the King’s,
consequently I took off my hat, and obeyed. His Majesty observed in his
quick manner, when getting over, “A thick fog, thick fog.” Another time,
when I was drawing an old oak in Windsor Park, the King and Queen drove
very near me in their chaise, and one of his Majesty’s horses shied at my
paper; upon which the King called out to me, “Shut your book, sir, shut
your book!”
The last time I was noticed by the King, I must say his Majesty appeared
to be a little startled, as well he might. It was under the following
circumstances. Wishing to make a drawing of one of the original stalls
in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, before they were finally taken down,
a shilling prevailed upon one of the workmen to lock me in during his
dinner-hour. However, it so happened that his Majesty, who frequently
let himself into the Chapel at that time to look at the progress of the
works, did not perceive me, as I stood in a corner, but on his return
from the altar, he asked, “Who are you, sir? Oh! you startled my horse in
the park the other day. What are you about?” I then held up my drawing;
and his Majesty, who must have noticed my embarrassment, did me the
honour to say, “Very correct; I believe you are at Mr. Wyatt’s,--a very
good man;--I have a high regard for him and all his family.”
During the time I was studying the scenery of Windsor Park, Mr. Thomas
Sandby, who was busily engaged in placing the numerous stones to form
the representation of rocks and caverns at the head of the Virginia
Water, in Windsor Park, frequently dug for stones in Bagshot Heath.
Fortunately he discovered one of an immense size, which he thought would
afford him a massive breadth in his composition, but it was so large he
was under the necessity of breaking it with gunpowder; however, fortune
favoured his design by blowing it into two nearly equal parts, so that
he was enabled to join them on their destined spot to great advantage as
to general effect. This was Mr. Thomas Sandby’s second attempt at the
water-head;[183] he had in the first instance failed by using only sand
and clay, for which failure that worthy man was not only nicknamed “Tommy
Sandbank,” but roughly scourged by the throng of Huddesford, who composed
a song upon the occasion, from which I have selected the following
verses:--
1.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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