The Memoir then proceeds “to toss and gore” all the prominent public men
in succession. It tells us “that the Duke of Newcastle, who always
talked as his master talked,” echoed all the King’s “big words,” and
expatiated for ever on regaining Italy for the Emperor, chastising
Spain, and humbling the pride of France. Next comes the Duke of Grafton;
of whom it is said, that loving to make his court as well as the Duke of
Newcastle, he talked in the same strain, and for the same reason; but
“could never make any great compliment to the King and Queen of
embracing their opinions, as he never understood things enough to have
one of his own.” Next comes Lord Grantham. “He was a degree still lower,
and had the gift of reasoning in so small a proportion, that his
existence was barely distinguished from a vegetable.” Then follows Lord
Harrington. Of him it is said that, “with all his seeming phlegm, he was
as tenacious of an opinion, when his indolence suffered him to form one,
as any man living. His parts were of the common run of mankind. He was
well bred, a man of honour, and fortunate, loved pleasure, and was
infinitely lazy.” The Queen once in speaking of him said, “There is a
heavy insipid sloth about that man, that puts me out of all patience: he
must have six hours to dress, six more to dine, six more for his
intrigues, and six more to sleep; and there, for a minister, are the
four-and-twenty admirably disposed of; and if, now and then, he borrows
six of those hours, to do any thing relating to his office, it is for
something that might be done in six minutes, and ought to have been done
six days before.”
We have then another instance of the discomforts of Royalty in those
times. The day before the birthday, October 29, 1734, the court removed
from Kensington to London, and the Queen, “who had long been out of
order with a cough and a little lurking fever, notwithstanding she had
been twice blooded, grew every hour worse and worse. However, the King
forced her, the night she came from Kensington—the first of Farinelli’s
performances—to the Opera, and made her the next day go through all the
tiresome ceremonies of drawing-rooms and balls, the fatigues of heats
and crowds, and every other disagreeable appurtenance to the celebration
of a birthday.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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