“Your nephew is really a droll fellow. Mr. Carter is half bewitched
with him, at the first salutation ‘Old Trusty’[335] had tears of
joy, he cries out ‘Bonnie Bairn, ye are a fine one, weel worth it,
weel worth it, I warrant hee’s think of me when I be dead and
gone, I’se make all t’improvements I can for him. Thank God he’s
have a bonnie estate when all comes in; God send him to live to an
ould man: oh my lady he’s brave company. God’s blessing light on
him,’ thus he ran on for an hour. The child grew immediately fond
of him, cries after him, and will beat away even the nurse, if she
takes him away from Mr. Carter.”
[335] A nickname of Mr. Carter’s.
[Page heading: ORANGE TREES]
The Duchess of Portland had promised to give a dozen orange trees
from Bullstrode to Mrs. Montagu, which she was most anxious to have.
These trees were to be sent to the Red Lyon at Slough, where the
Newbury carrier was to take them up. They arrived, after the following
vicissitudes, safely:--
“The poor waggoner who was to have brought them was unhappily
killed some days ago by a loaded waggon falling on him; his servant
foolishly left the orange trees because he said he had no room for
them, and at 9 o’clock at night they brought us word the orange
trees were left at Slough. We immediately sent servants with a
cart who travelled almost all night, and brought the trees safe,
the next day. They have not received the least damage, they are
blooming, full of fragrance,” says Mrs. Montagu in her letter of
thanks. She also asks for Mr. Achard to instruct her as to their
culture, “whether they should be nailed to the wall, without
pruning their heads, and thirdly what size the tubs should be for
those that are to be kept in that manner.”
Mr. Achard’s instructions were sent, but alas! are lost.
Mr. Montagu being obliged to go to the North to attend to business of
his own, and as trustee to Mr. Rogers, Mrs. Montagu had determined on
accompanying him and taking “Punch” and her sister Sarah with them.
It was with some difficulty she obtained leave of her parents for her
sister’s company, as they considered she had been so much away from
them. Sarah was desired not to come in the stage-coach from Horton, but
by a post-chaise or chariot at Mrs. Montagu’s expense, and
“ask Matt to lend you his footman to ride by the chaise. You know
it will only cost you 3_d._ a mile more.
“Your nephew has just had his pink sattin coat tryed on, and he was
so fond of it, he scolded and fought every one who approached him,
lest they should deprive him of his new cloaths. He has just learnt
to make a bow with a good grace, and he is very lavish of it.”
[Page heading: ADMIRAL ANSON]
Mrs. Donnellan writes from Hampstead, where she has taken lodgings for
her health, on July 4, and she describes Admiral Anson’s[336] booty
being taken to the bank thus--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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