“Venus no longer sends her car and doves; but a post-chaise with four able horses and two brisk postillions do as well. At Salt Hill, we stopp’d to take some refreshment. I eat a good deal of cold ham and chicken. The lovers sigh’d and look’d, sigh’d and look’d, and sigh’d again, and piddled a little on a gooseberry tart. At Reading, we drunk tea, and there Lord Lansdowne, being also on the road, came to us and made his compliments, but with so much delicacy as not to bring ye maiden’s blush into ye cheeks of the bride. Indeed, for fear of distressing her, I did not present her to his lordship, so he only made her a low bow, accompanied by an emphatical look. To the bridegroom, he wished joy. At eight, we arrived at Sandleford. Our soup and bouillie had been ready for some hours; the rest was soon dress’d. We avoided passing through the town of Newbury; so the bells there, which were jangling on the happy occasion, did not give us any disturbance. The decent dignity of the bride’s behaviour and the delicacy of the bridegroom’s did them honour, and gave me great pleasure; and we are three as happy people as can be found in any part of the habitable globe. “Mrs. Matthew Montagu is much pleased with Sandleford. It was always the favourite of her husband; and now he has got a fair Eve, it appears to him a Paradise. I am in perfect health and perfect content, which is enough for me. Joy and rapture are for youth. “... The Bath is a dull place. Tunbridge has a pert character. The Pantile Walk in summer is pleasanter than the Pump Room at Bath in ye winter; and as anything original pleases more than a bad imitation, I must own I pass’d my time there with less _ennui_ than in the city of Bath, where the London life is awkwardly imitated. “... It is believed that Lady Sutherland will marry Lord Trentham; and some suppose Miss Pulteney will be bestow’d on Lord Morton. I am glad, for the credit of our sex, neither of these ladies make a scamper to Gretna Green. “... Our brother, the Recorder, has acted in a very friendly and generous manner towards us,—bestow’d without favour or reward much patience and skill on the voluminous settlements, which the mercenary spirit of the lawyers employ’d to draw them had extended over as many acres of parchment as, converted into green land, would make a pretty little farm; and for which, I suppose, they will charge as much as would purchase a tolerably good one. To effect this, they were so tedious in their proceedings; for my proposals were immediately and perfectly approved both by the Lord Chancellor and Master in Chancery. “... The bride and bridegroom beg you all to accept their proper respect.” The following descriptive letter, addressed to Mrs. Robinson, Castle Street, Reading, was franked by Mr. Matthew Montagu, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, September 22, 1786: