Part 14 (1/2)
Presently after appeared our two nymphs in masquerade: their shapes were not very different, and their faces, which were very unlike each other, were concealed with their masks The company was but thin in the Park; and as soon as Miss Temple perceived them at a distance, she quickened her pace in order to join theuise, severely to repri her: ”Where are you running to?” said she; ”have you a e in conversation with these two devils, to be exposed to all the insolence and impertinence for which they are so notorious?” These remonstrances were entirely useless: Miss Temple was resolved to try the experiment: and all that could be obtained froht ask her
They were accosted just as they had done speaking: Rochester fixed upon Hobart, pretending to take her for the other; at which she was overjoyed; but Miss Terew's share, ho to do: he perceived her uneasiness, and, pretending to know her by her clothes: ”Ah! Miss Hobart,” said he, ”be so kind as look this way if you please: I know not by what chance you both came hither, but I a to say to you, as your friend and hu her curiosity, Miss Terew perceiving that the other couple had insensibly proceeded some distance from them: ”In the naainst Lord Rochester, whom you know to be one of the most honourable reatest villain, to the person whom of all others he esteems and respects the most? What do you think would become of you, if he knew that you made Miss Te, which you knoell as myself was made upon the clumsy Miss Price, above a year before the fair Temple was heard of? Be not surprised that I know so much of the matter; but pay a little attention, I pray you, to what I a to tell you out of pure friendshi+p: your passion and inclinations for Miss Temple are known to every one but herself; for whatever methods you used to impose upon her innocence, the world does her the justice to believe that she would treat you as Lady Falns you had upon her: I caution you, therefore, againstany farther advances, to a person, too modest to listen to theain, in order to silence her scandalous tongue; for she says everywhere, that she is with child, that you are the occasion of her being in that condition, and accuses you of behaving towards her with the blackest ingratitude, upon trifling suspicions only: you know very well, these are no stories of my own invention; but that you may not entertain any manner of doubt, that I had all this from her own -room, the characters you there drew of the principalso i to one of the loveliest woirl fell into the snare you had laid for her, in order to do justice to her charht be of theconversation, is the revealing certain secrets, which, in all probability, the duchess did not entrust you with, to be ilect not to make some reparation to Sir Lyttleton, for the ridicule hich you were pleased to load him I know not whether he had his information from your femme-de-chambre, but I aed, and he is a man that keeps his word; for after all, that you may not be deceived by his look, like that of a Stoic, and his gravity, like that of a judge, IIndeed, these invectives are of the blackest and most horrible nature: he says it is most infamous, that a wretch like yourself should find no other eratify your jealousy; that if you do not desist from such conduct for the future, he will ihness will not do him justice, he is deterh the body with his oord, though you were even in the arms of Miss Temple; and that it is et into your hands before they can look around theht it e than myself, whether what I have now advanced be true, and I leave it to your own discretion to make what use you think proper of my advice; but were I in your situation, I would endeavour to reconcile Lord Rochester and Miss Temple Once more I recommend to you to take care that your endeavours to mislead her innocency, in order to blast his honour, e froreat, that he would not even suffer his eyes to wander towards her, if his intention was not to make her his wife”
Miss Te this discourse: she did not even utter a single syllable, being seized with such astonishue
Miss Hobart and Lord Rochester came up to her, while she was still in as in themselves, in her opinion, almost incredible, but to the truth of which she could not refuse her assent, upon exa the evidences and circumstances on which they were founded Never was confusion equal to that hich her whole fra recital
Rochester and Killegrew took leave of them before she recovered froained the free use of her senses, she hastened back to St Jale question that the other put to her; and having locked herself up in her cha she did, was immediately to strip off Miss Hobart's clothes, lest she should be conta her, she looked upon her as a monster, dreadful to the innocence of the fair sex, of whatever sex she ht be: she blushed at the familiarities she had been drawn into with a creature, whose h she never had been in any other service but hers: she therefore returned her all her clothes, ordered her servant to bring back all her own, and resolved never more to have any connection with her Miss Hobart, on the other hand, who supposed Killegrew had mistaken Miss Temple for herself, could not co airs, since that conversation; but being desirous to come to an explanation, she ordered Miss Temple's maid to remain in her apartments, and went to call upon Miss Te desirous to give her some proof of friendshi+p before they entered upon expostulations, she slipt softly into her cha her linen, and e herself in her arrew had ination: she fancied that she saw in her looks the eagerness of a satyr, or, if possible, of so herself with the highest indignation froan to shriek and cry in theboth heaven and earth to her assistance
The first whooverness and her niece It was near twelve o'clock at night: Miss Tehtened to death, was pushi+ng back with horror Miss Hobart, who approached her with no other intent than to know the occasion of those transports As soon as the governess saw this scene, she began to lecture Miss Hobart with all the eloquence of a real duenna: she deht it was for her that her royal highness kept the maids of honour? whether she was not ashaht into their very apartments to commit such violences? and swore that she would, the very next day, complain to the duchess All this confired to go away at last, without being able to convince or bring to reason creatures, whom she believed to be either distracted or mad The next day Miss Sarah did not fail to relate this adventure to her lover, telling him how Miss Temple's cries had alarmed the maids of honour's apart to her assistance, had almost surprised Miss Hobart in the very act
Two days after, the whole adventure, with the addition of several eoverness swore to the truth of it, and related in every company what a narrow escape Miss Temple had experienced, and that Miss Sarah, her niece, had preserved her honour, because, by Lord Rochester's excellent advice, she had forbidden her all erous a person Miss Tereatly provoked her, alluded to Miss Price only: this was confirainst Miss Hobart, for such a scandalous ireat coldness after so much familiarity, ether a fiction
This had been sufficient to have disgraced Miss Hobart at court, and to have totally ruined her reputation in London, had she not been, upon the present, as well as upon a forhness pretended to treat the whole story as ro from private pique: she chid Miss Teoverness and her niece, for the lies hich she pretended they supported the is in order to re-establish Miss Hobart's honour, which, however, she failed in acco her, as will appear in the sequel
Miss Temple, who continually reproached herself with injustice, with respect to Lord Rochester, and who, upon the faith of Killegreord, thought hiland, was only solicitous to find out so hiour hich she had treated him: these favourable dispositions, in the hands of a ht have led to consequences of which she was not aware; but heaven did not allow hi by them
Ever since he had first appeared at court he seldo banished from it, at least once in the year; for whenever a word presented itself to his pen, or to his tongue, he immediately committed it to paper, or produced it in conversation, without any ard to the consequences thehimself, were frequently the subjects of his sarcasms; and had not the prince, who and gentle terace had certainly been his last
Just at the ti hiize for the uneasiness which the infamous calumnies and black aspersions of Miss Hobart had occasioned both of them, he was forbid the court for the third ti seen Miss Teoverness doith him to his country seat, and exerted all his endeavours to cultivate in her niece soh she did not make the same improvement in this line, as she had by his other instructions, after he had entertained both the niece and the aunt for so's coed to him for the prettiest, but at the sah no nah mentioned to fix on the celebrated Mrs Barry, as the person intended by the author Mrs Barry was introduced to the stage by Lord Rochester, hohter, who lived to the age of thirteen years, and is often mentioned in his collection of love-letters, printed in his works, which ritten to Mrs Barry On her first theatrical attempts, so little hopes were entertained of her, that she was, as Cibber declares, discharged the co others that were thought to be a useless expense to it She ell born; being daughter of Robert Barry, Esq, barrister at law; a gentleood estate, who hurt his fortune by his attachiment at his own expense Tony Aston, in his Suppley, says, she oed to the court Curl, however, says, she was early taken under the patronage of Lady Davenant Both these accounts e was probably not much earlier that 1671; in which year she performed in Toe of nineteen Curl reat pains taken by Lord Rochester in instructing her; which were repaid by the rapid progress she daily made in her profession She at last eclipsed all her competitors, and in the part of Monimia established her reputation From her performance in this character, in that of Belvidera, and of Isabella, in the Fatal Marriage, Downes says she acquired the name of the famous Mrs
Barry, both at court and in the city ”Mrs Barry,” says Dryden, in his Preface to Cleoedy excelled herself, and gained a reputation beyond any woreatness,” says Cibber, ”Mrs Barry had a presence of elevated dignity; her racefully ; so that no violence of passion could be too much for her; and when distress or tenderness possessed her, she subsided into thepity, she had a power beyond all the actresses I have yet seen, or what your ier, defiance, or resentment, while she was impetuous and terrible, she poured out the senti harmony; and it was this particular excellence for which DrydenCassandra in his Cleouished by the indulgence of having an annual benefit play, which was granted to her alone in King James's time, and which did not become common to others till the division of this co William and Queen Mary”]
About this time Talbot returned from Ireland: he soon felt the absence of Miss Hamilton, as then in the country with a relation, e shall mention hereafter A remnant of his for his absence, and the pro: he now therefore endeavoured to banish her entirely fro his desires upon some other object; but he saw no one in the queen's new court whoht worthy of his attention: Miss Boynton, however, thought him worthy of hers Her, person was slender and delicate, to which a good coave at a distance an appearance of beauty, that vanished upon nearer inspection: she affected to lisp, to languish, and to have two or three fainting-fits a day The first time that Talbot cast his eyes upon her she was seized with one of these fits: he was told that she swooned away upon his account: he believed it, was eager to afford her assistance; and ever after that accident showed her so her life, than to express any affection he felt for her This see tenderness ell received, and at first she was visibly affected by it Talbot was one of the tallest land, and in all appearance one of theto expose the delicacy of her constitution, to whatever ht happen, in order to becoht then have taken place, as it did afterwards, had not the chars at that time, proved an obstacle to her wishes
I know not how it cah he had heard her much praised, and her prudence, wit, and vivacity equally commended; he believed all this upon the faith of coular that discretion and sprightliness should be so inti, allantry were so much in fashi+on; but he found her personal accoreatly to exceed whatever fa before he perceived he was in love, neither was it long before he h to be real, Miss Jennings thought sheherself to the imputation of vanity Talbot was possessed of a fine and brilliant exterior, his manners were noble and uished by the favour and friendshi+p of the duke; but his most essential merit, with her, was his forty thousand pounds a-year, landed property, besides his employments
All these qualities came within the rules and maxims she had resolved to folloith respect to lovers: thus, though he had not the satisfaction to obtain from her an entire declaration of her senti better received than those who had paid their addresses to her before him
No person attes, perceiving that the duchess approved of Talbot's pretensions; and after having eighed the matter, and consulted her own inclinations, found that her reason was more favourable to him than her heart, and that the most she could do for his satisfaction was to marry him without reluctance
Talbot, too fortunate in a preference which no man had before experienced, did not examine whether it was to her heart or to her head that he was indebted for it, and his thoughts were solely occupied in hastening the accomplishment of his wishes: one would have sworn that the happy er be love, if he did not delight in obstructing, or in overturning the happiness of those who live under his do reprehensible either in the person, in the conversation, or in the reputation of Miss Jennings, was however rather concerned at a now acquaintance she had lately forive her some cautions upon this subject, she was much displeased at his conduct
Miss Price, formerly maid of honour, that had been set aside, as we have beforethe duchess's service, had recourse to Lady Castle wit: her complaisance was adapted to all huaiety and sprightliness which diffused universal mirth and merris was prior to Talbot's
As she was thoroughly acquainted with all the intrigues of the court, she related thes, and her oith the sas was extreh she was determined to make no experiment in love, but upon honourable ter fro on: thus, as she was never wearied with her conversation, she was overjoyed whenever she could see her
Talbot, who remarked the extreht that the reputation such a woht prove injurious to his mistress, more especially from the particular intimacy there seeuardian rather than a lover, he took upon him to chide her for the disreputable cohty beyond conception, when once she took it into her head; and as she liked Miss Price's conversationhim ”to attend to his own affairs, and that if he only caht take the trouble to go back as soon as he pleased” He was offended at a sally which he thought ill-ti the situation of affairs between them; and went out of her presence reatly in love He for soained nothing by such conduct, he greeary of acting that part, and assumed that of an humble lover, in which he was equally unsuccessful; neither his repentance nor submissions could produce any effect upon her, and the ipsy was still in her pouts when Jermyn returned to court
It was above a year since he had triumphed over the weakness of Lady Castle had been weary of his triu vile of the first who perceived the king's disgust, obliged him to absent hi to be issued for that purpose; for though the king's affections for Lady Castlereatly dinity that a mistress, whom he had honoured with public distinction, and who still received a considerable support from him, should appear chained to the car of the most ridiculous conqueror that ever existed His majesty had frequently expostulated with the countess upon this subject: but his expostulations were never attended to; it was in one of these differences that he, advising her rather to bestow her favours upon Jacob Hall, the rope-dancer, as able to return them, than lavish away her money upon Jermyn to no purpose, since it would be more honourable for her to pass for the mistress of the first, than for the very huainst his raillery The i: she told hiainst one, who, of all the woland, deserved the thus unjustly with her, ever since he had betrayed his own ratify such a depraved taste as his, he wanted only such silly things as Stewart, Wells, and that pitiful strolling actress,--[Probably Nell Gwyn]--whom he had lately introduced into their society” Floods of tears fro the part of Medea, the scene closed withhis palace on fire What course could he pursue with such an outrageous fury, who, beautiful as she was, reseed!