[456] The “Coffee House” apparently adjoined the Rooms, as is
shown in the reproduction of Nixon’s original water-colour drawing
of such a scene as Mrs. Montagu describes, now in Mr. Broadley’s
valuable Bath Collection.
Her spirits reviving, Mrs. Montagu, writing to the duchess, says,
“Whisk and the noble game of E. O. employ the evening; three glasses
of water, a toasted roll, a Bath cake, and a cold walk the mornings,”
but the regimen agreed with her, and she accompanied Mr. Montagu to
Sandleford on May 1, leaving Sarah Robinson, who was suffering from
headache, with her friend, Miss Grinfield, at Bath. From this period
dates the extreme intimacy which grew up between Miss Robinson and Lady
Barbara Montagu, sister of George Montagu Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax,
who was then living at Bath, and invited Miss Robinson to stay with her.
The Hill Street house not being completed, Mrs. Knight,[457] a cousin
of the family, lent Mrs. Montagu her house in Golden Square, London.
Miss Grinfield, just mentioned, was just made a dresser to the
princesses, daughters of George II.
[457] _Née_ Robinson.
“Miss Grinfield is in waiting.... The place is enough to weary a
person of the strongest constitution; their Highnesses rise early
and go to bed late; are waited upon by the dressers at dinner.
Princess Caroline[458] has one to read to her continually; poor
Nancy is to have only the £100 per annum, and no cloathes till one
goes off.”
[458] Married 1766, to King Christian VII. of Denmark.
[Page heading: MISS M. ANSTEY]
In the same letter Mrs. Montagu mentions Miss M. Anstey[459] had been
staying with her, but her parents insisted on her returning to them to
help furnish Trumpington, near Cambridge, a property they had just come
into.
[459] Sister of the author of the “New Bath Guide.”
[Page heading: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY]
From the Middletons, Mrs. Montagu writes to Mrs. Donnellan--
“Cambridge, June 15.
“DEAR MADAM,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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