Part 13 (1/2)
About this tientleman of merit, as succeeded by Durfort, afterwards Earl of Fevershauards Miss Price having tenderly loved hiulf of despair; but the inventory of his effects had almost deprived her of her senses: there was in it a certain little box sealed up on all sides: it was addressed in the deceased's own handwriting to Miss Price; but instead of receiving it, she had not even the courage to look upon it The governess thought it became her in prudence to receive it, on Miss Price's refusal, and her duty to deliver it to the duchess herself, supposing it was filled with many curious and precious coe
Though the duchess was not altogether of the same opinion, she had the curiosity to see as contained in a box sealed up in a manner so particularly careful, and therefore caused it to be opened in the presence of some ladies, who happened then to be in her closet
All kinds of love trinkets were found in it; and all these favours, it appeared, came from the tender-hearted Miss Price It was difficult to coreat a collection; for, besides counting the pictures, there was hair of all descriptions, wrought into bracelets, lockets, and into a thousand other different devices, wonderful to see After these were three or four packets of letters, of so tender a nature, and so full of raptures and languors so naturally expressed, that the duchess could not endure the reading of any hness was sorry that she had caused the box to be opened in such good coed it was impossible to stifle this adventure; and, at the saer such a maid of honour, Miss Price had her valuables restored to her, with orders to go and finish her lamentations, or to console herself for the loss of her lover, in some other place
Miss Hobart's character was at that tiular, in a country where, to be young, and not to be in soood shape, rather a bold air, and a great deal of hich ell cultivated, without having reat deal of vivacity, with an irregular fancy: there was a great deal of fire in her eyes, which, however, produced no effect upon the beholders and she had a tender heart, whose sensibility some pretended was alone in favour of the fair sex
Miss Bagot was the first that gained her tenderness and affection, which she returned at first with equal war that all her friendshi+p was insufficient to repay that of Miss Hobart, she yielded the conquest to the governess's niece, who thought herself as ed by the care she took of the young girl
It was not long before the report, whether true or false, of this singularity, spread through the whole court, where people, being yet so uncivilized as never to have heard of that kind of refineined that the illustrious Hobart, who seemed so particularly attached to the fair sex, was in reality so an to compliment her upon these new attributes; and upon the insinuations that were therein overness, alarer to which her niece was exposed
She could not have applied to a fitter person: he immediately advised her to take her niece out of the hands of Miss Hobart; and contrived matters so well that she fell into his own The duchess, who had too enerosity not to treat as visionary as imputed to Miss Hobart, and too much justice to condemn her upon the faith of lampoons, removed her from the society of the maids of honour, to be an attendant upon her own person
Miss Bagot was the only one as really possessed of virtue and beauty aular features, and that sort of brown complexion, which, when in perfection, is so particularly fascinating, and land, where it is uncommon There was an involuntary blush al to blush for Lord Falmouth cast his eyes upon her: his addresses were better received than those of Miss Hobart, and some time after Cupid raised her from the post of ht have been envied by all the young ladies in England
The duchess of York, in order to for persons that offered theard to recommendations, to choose none but the handsomest
At the head of this new asses and Miss Temple; and indeed they so entirely eclipsed the other two, that we shall speak of the treasures of youth, had the fairest and brightest complexion that ever was seen: her hair was of aparticularly lively and animated in her countenance, which preserved her from that insipidity which is frequently an attendant on a complexion so extremely fair
Her mouth was not the smallest, but it was the handsomest mouth in the world Nature had endowed her with all those chariven the finishi+ng stroke to the neck was as fair and as bright as her face In a word, her person gave the idea of Aurora, or the Goddess of the spring, ”such as youthful poets fancy when they love” But as it would have been unjust that a single person should have engrossed all the treasures of beauty without any defect, there was so in her hands and arms to render theant, and her eyes gave some relief, whilst her mouth and her other charms pierced the heart with a thousand darts
With this ahtliness, and all her actions and motions were unaffected and easy: her conversation was bewitching, when she had aand delicate when disposed to raillery; but as her ian to speak frequently before she had done thinking, her expressions did not always convey what she wished; so short of her ideas
Miss Tee, was brown couishi+ng, eyes, a fresh coreeable smile, and a lively air Such was the outward form; but it would be difficult to describe the rest; for she was simple and vain, credulous and suspicious, coquettish and prudent, very self-sufficient and very silly
As soon as these new stars appeared at the duchess's court, all eyes were fixed upon then upon one or other of them, some with honourable, and others with dishonest intentions
Miss Jennings soon distinguished herself, and left her companions no other admirers but such as remained constant from hopes of success: her brilliant charht, and the charms of her wit secured her conquests
The Duke of York having persuaded himself that she was part of his property, resolved to pursue his claim by the same title whereby his brother had appropriated to himself the favours of Miss Wells; but he did not find her inclined to enter into his service, though she had engaged in that of the duchess She would not pay any attention to the perpetual ogling hich he at first attacked her Her eyes were alandering on other objects, when those of his royal highness were looking for thelance, she did not even blush Thisproved ineffectual, he took an opportunity to speak to her; and this was still worse I know not in what strain he told his case; but it is certain the oratory of the tongue was notthan the eloquence of his eyes
Miss Jennings had both virtue and pride, and the proposals of the duke were consistent with neither the one nor the other Although froht suppose that she was not capable of much reflection, yet she had furnished herself with so person of her age The first was, that a lady ought to be young to enter the court with advantage, and not old to leave it with a good grace: that she could not lorious resistance, or by illustrious foibles and that, in so dangerous a situation, she ought to use her utave her hand
Entertaining such sentiments, she had far less trouble to resist the duke's tee herself from his perseverance: she was deaf to all treaties for a settlement, hich her ambition was sounded: and all offers of presents succeeded still worse What was then to be done to conquer an extravagant virtue that would not hearken to reason? He was ashairl to escape, whose inclinations ought in some manner to correspond with the vivacity that shone forth in all her actions, and who nevertheless thought proper to be serious when no such thing as seriousness was required of her
After he had attentively considered her obstinate behaviour, he thought that writing , speeches, and e, but it unfortunately happened that she would not receive the paper Every day billets, containing the tenderest expressions, and nificent promises, were slipped into her pockets, or into her muff: this, however, could not be done unperceived; and the ipsy took care that those who saw them slip in, should likewise see them fall out, unperused and unopened; she only shook her muff, or pulled out her handkerchief; as soon as ever his back was turned, his billets fell about her like hail-stones, and whoever pleased ht take them up The duchess was frequently a witness of this conduct, but could not find in her heart to chide her for her want of respect to the duke After this, the chars were the only subjects of conversation in the two courts: the courtiers could not coht directly from the country to court, should so soon become its ornament by her attractions, and its exa was of opinion that those who had attacked her had ill-concerted their ht it unnatural that she should neither be teained by importunity: she, especially, who in all probability had not imbibed such severe precepts fro more delicious than the plu resolved to try her hireat novelty that appeared in the turn of her wit, and in the charms of her person; and curiosity, which at first induced hied into a desire of succeeding in the experiht have been the consequence, for he greatly excelled in wit, and besides he was king: two qualities of no ss were commendable, and very judicious; but yet she onderfully pleased it; and royalperson, is very persuasive Miss Stewart, however, would not consent to the king's project
She immediately took the alarm, and desired his majesty to leave to the duke, his brother, the care of tutoring the duchess's ement of his own flock, unless his majesty would in return allow her to listen to certain proposals of a settleeous Thisobeyed; and Miss Jennings had all the additional honour which arose from this adventure: it both added to her reputation, and increased the number of her admirers Thus she continued to triu her own: her hour was not yet come, but it was not far distant; the particulars of which we shall relate as soon as we have given soh Miss Te, it was nevertheless eclipsed by that of Miss Jennings; but she was still more excelled by the other's superior mental acco, had the gift been communicable, undertook at the same time to rob her of the little she really possessed: these were Lord Rochester and Miss Hobart: the first began toto her all his coe of theht proper to flatter her upon her personal accomplishments; but told her that if heaven had made him susceptible of the impressions of beauty, it would not have been possible for hi, thank God, affected with anything but wit, he had the happiness of enjoying theany risk After so sincere a confession he either presented to her a copy of verses, or a new song, in which whoever dared to come in competition in any respect with Miss Temple was laid prostrate before her char insinuations so completely turned her head that it was a pity to see her
The duchess took notice of it, and well knowing the extent of both their geniuses, she saw the precipice into which the poor girl was running headlong without perceiving it; but as it is no less dangerous to forbid a connection that is not yet thought of, than it is difficult to put an end to one that is already well established, Miss Hobart was charged to take care, with all possible discretion, that these frequent and long conversations erous consequences: with pleasure she accepted the coreatly flattered herself with success
She had already ain possession of her confidence and friendshi+p; and Miss Temple, less suspicious of her than of Lord Rochester, reedy of praise, and loved all manner of sweetmeats, as ratified in both these respects Miss Hobart having the superintendence of the duchess's baths, her apartment joined them, in which there was a closet stored with all sorts of sweetmeats and liqueurs: the closet suited Miss Teratified Miss Hobart's inclination, to have so now returned, brought back with it the pleasures and diversions that are its inseparable attendants One day, when the ladies had been taking the air on horseback, Miss Tehted at Miss Hobart's, in order to recover her fatigue at the expense of the sweetmeats, which she kneere there at her service; but before she began she desired Miss Hobart's pere her linen in her apartment; which request was i to propose it to you,”
said Miss Hobart, ”not but that you are as char so co at one's ease: you cannot i her, ”how e me by thus free unceremonious conduct; but, above all, I am enchanted with your particular attention to cleanliness: how greatly you differ in this, as in s! Have you remarked how all our court fops admire her for her brilliant complexion, which perhaps, after all, is not wholly her own; and for blunders, which are truly original, and which they are such fools as to h to perceive in what her wit consists; but of this I areat matter What stories have I heard of her sluttishness! No cat ever dreaded water so much as she does: fie upon her! Never to wash for her own comfort, and only to attend to those parts which must necessarily be seen, such as the neck and hands”