In July Mrs. Morris Robinson had presented her husband with a son
and heir, who was christened Morris, after his father, and became
eventually 3rd Baron Rokeby. “Morris’ little boy goes on well.... Mr.
Potter made a fine harangue to the Bath Corporation on Mr. Pitt’s
Election. The circus,[164] I am told, is but little nearer finish’d
than when we were here.”
[164] The circus at Bath.
In the next letter, after comments on the beauties of things at Weston,
she writes--
“Yesterday morning Mrs. Southwell and I got into her postchaise
early, and went to the passage of the Severn, got into the Ferry
boat and cross’d over to Chepstow in Monmouthshire, and from
Chepstow we went to Mr. Morris’ called Piercefield, a place so far
exceeding any thing I ever saw or expect to see, I must reserve
the description till I see you. A reach of the Severn of forty
miles is one of the most inconsiderable advantages of the place,
every beauty of land, sea, rocks, verdure, cultivation, old ruins,
villages, churches are there in the highest perfection; the river
Wye forms a most beautiful half island in one part as the Severn
Sea adorns the other.”
[Page heading: WORTLEY MONTAGU]
Mr. Montagu replies--
“On Tuesday night, as I was at Supper about 10 o’clock, who should
come in to me but my cousin Wortley,[165] he had been making a
visit to somebody near Wallingford ... he missed his way, the roads
were so bad and rough that two of the glasses of his new chaize
were broken and he could not get any reparation at Newbury.” In
commenting on political subjects, he adds, “I suppose now everybody
will be sensible of the folly we have been guilty of in so long
suffering the Wild Boar of Germany to enter and destroy our
vineyard.”
[165] Mr. Wortley Montagu, senior, husband of Lady Mary Wortley
Montagu, first cousin to Mr. Edward Montagu.
Mrs. Montagu answers--
“I assure you it is with a melancholy pleasure I often look on this
charming country, perhaps this is the last summer I may ever be
an idle traveller thro’ a peaceable country; however, I have one
comfort, that as you are innocent of the evils that may overwhelm
us, you will the better support yourself and me under them, and
that the best we can hope is to be tributary vassals to France,
perhaps they will invade and conquer us, but God forbid.”
[Page heading: ELIZABETH WILMOT]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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