Fanny Burney and Her Friends: Select Passages from Her Diary and Other WritingsBurney, Fanny
General
Fanny Burney and Her Friends: Select Passages from Her Diary and Other Writings
Burney, Fanny
Burney, Fanny, 1752-1840 -- Friends and associates
“Miss Planta and I were to go as soon as the packages could be ready,
with some of the Queen’s things. Mrs. Schwellenberg was to remain
behind, for one day, in order to make arrangements about the
jewels....
“In what confusion was the house! Princes, Equerries, physicians,
pages—all conferring, whispering, plotting, and caballing, how to
induce the King to set off!
“At length we found an opportunity to glide through the passage to the
coach; Miss Planta and myself, with her maid and Goter....
“We were almost wholly silent all the way.
“When we arrived at Kew, we found the suspense with which the King was
awaited truly terrible. Her Majesty had determined to return to
Windsor at night, if he came not. We were all to forbear unpacking in
the meanwhile....
“Dinner went on, and still no King. We now began to grow very anxious,
when Miss Planta exclaimed that she thought she heard a carriage. We
all listened. ‘I hope!’ I cried.... The sound came nearer, and
presently a carriage drove into the front court. I could see nothing,
it was so dark; but I presently heard the much-respected voice of the
dear unhappy King, speaking rapidly to the porter, as he alighted from
the coach....
“The poor King had been prevailed upon to quit Windsor with the utmost
difficulty: he was accompanied by General Harcourt, his aide-de-camp,
and Colonels Goldsworthy and Welbred—no one else! He had passed all
the rest with apparent composure, to come to his carriage, for they
lined the passage, eager to see him once more! and almost all Windsor
was collected round the rails, etc., to witness the mournful spectacle
of his departure, which left them in the deepest despondence, with
scarce a ray of hope ever to see him again.
“The bribery, however, which brought, was denied him!—he was by no
means to see the Queen!...
“I could not sleep all night—I thought I heard the poor King. He was
under the same range of apartments, though far distant, but his
indignant disappointment haunted me. The Queen, too, was very angry at
having promises made in her name which could not be kept. What a day
altogether was this!
“SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH.—Here, in all its dread colours, dark as its
darkest prognostics, began the Kew campaign. I went to my poor Queen
at seven o’clock: the Princess Augusta arose and went away to dress,
and I received her Majesty’s commands to go down for inquiries. She
had herself passed a wretched night, and already lamented leaving
Windsor.
“I waited very long in the cold dark passages below, before I could
find anyone of whom to ask intelligence. The parlours were without
fires, and washing. I gave directions afterwards to have a fire in one
of them by seven o’clock every morning.
“At length I procured the speech of one of the pages, and heard that
the night had been the most violently bad of any yet passed!—and no
wonder!
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