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late hour in the morning. One thing I must not omit to mention; that night His Royal Highness was observed for the first time without buckles to his shoes: he had laid them aside for the evening, and substituted ties for the sake of the ease he would experience in dancing. I heard the company express their admiration of the precaution, but was most surprised when, before the end of a fortnight, almost every waiter at every inn in London was seen skipping about in shoe-ties, and that very ball, thus curiously got up, was like a death-blow to the poor buckle makers.

As the Prince had been liberal of his invitations we had a very numerous company, and no small stir took place in the brief space of time intervening to prepare the necessary supper. The Duchess ordered me to send off to Welsh's, a celebrated tavern which the Prince often made use of, for their head waiter, and when he came he was to give the directions; yet during the evening, I had orders also to do every thing just as I used to do at the castle. This I thought very strange. The latter message was brought me by Lady Mary Gordon. I told her ladyship that I could not think of it, as her Grace had sent for a waiter on purpose. When my refusal was delivered, she again dispatched to me Lady Charlotte, afterwards Duchess of Richmond. I still saw it my duty to refuse, saying that "I thought myself highly honoured, but as her Grace had already put the management in other hands, I could not, on such terms, take it out again; but that, if she thought I was capable of doing the work

better, she could easily, for the time to come, leave it with me;" which she ever did in future.

For reasons well known to such as are acquainted with the history of the Prince of Wales, his Royal Highness had at this time given up Carlton House as well as dismissed many of his servants, and was living more privately at Brighton; yet his ideas of economy did not prevent him keeping his birth-day, which took place soon after our arrival in town, in a sufficient style of magnificence. The entertainments were held at the Castle Tavern, and our Duchess was invited among the rest. I was much gratified to have the honour of waiting behind her Grace, as she sat at table, exactly opposite to his Royal Highness, and his favourite, the celebrated Mrs. Fitzherbert. This lady was certainly a most handsome woman, and remarkably pleasant in company. The conversation flowed in an uninterrupted stream of gaiety; and although the dinner lasted two hours and a half, I should have been pleased had it lasted till midnight.

Next day cards were sent to all the Prince's chief tradespeople, as well as all the upper servants in those households where his Royal Highness was in the habit of visiting, inviting us to a ball, which was to be given in the Prince's own ball-room. We, of the Duke of Gordon's establishment, were, of course, not overlooked. When the invitation was mentioned to the Duchess, as it was by her daughter, Lady Charlotte, she expressed great pleasure, adding, "And they shall have the use of my carriage." And when we were dressed, we were all

desired to come in and show ourselves together to the Duchess before we started. For myself, I luckily happened to have a new suit which she had never seen, and to give an idea of my profuseness in the line of dress, I may mention, that the forepart of my waistcoat cost me six guineas, and the other parts of my dress in proportion.

The entrance to the Prince's ball room, as well as the interior, was, to myself, who had seen a little of gaiety, inexpressibly grand. Being admitted, any one would have acknowledged that the apartments were worthy indeed of a Prince. I will forbear attempting to describe them, as the effort would only shew my inability. I need not say we had a profusion of gratification. About twelve o'clock three large tables were spread with the choicest dainties which London itself could afford. The manner in which these tables were presented to our view, and the materials with which they were covered, made the scene appear more like the work of enchantment, than that of a passage in real life.

The Prince and Mrs. Fitzherbert had announced their intention of coming to see the entertainment before its close: Mrs. Fitzherbert did so; but the Prince was, I believe, prevented by indisposition.

It was in this kind of way we passed our time while in London; and as I was always of an aspiring imagination, no other sort of life that I know of would have suited me so well. I have often thought it singularly coincident, that in my youthful days I was remarkably fond of forestalling fortune by

conjuring up scenes and circumstances which I thought would produce happiness; and I do not know that I ever indulged in one of these reveries of imagination, but something in my future life corresponded with my juvenile visions of expected bliss.

As I do not intend to write a connected history of events which occurred alternately at London and at Gordon Castle during the ten years I was in the service of this noble family, and particularly as I did not take any memorandums at the time, my readers will still excuse my not referring to particular dates. I give this account entirely from memory; but while I am ready to vouch for the truth of the facts related, I cannot be so sure that they happened in the exact order in which they are here recorded.

CHAP. XIII.

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MAGNIFICENT entertainments of the Duchess of Gordon.-
Prince of Wales, Mrs. Fitzherbert, and the Duke of
Orleans. Her Grace's apt reply to the Prince.-
Administration Dinners.
Amusing Repartee.
Duke of Bedford.-Duchess of Gordon's political
influence.-Leader of fashions.-Jocularity of Mr.
Pitt and Lady Charlotte Gordon.-Anecdotes of Lady
Susan Gordon. -My own progress in life.-Expected
visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs at Gordon
Castle.-Disappointment and arrival of a King's
Messenger.-Pleasant railery thereupon.-Newspaper
mistakes on State Affairs.

It was a scene in every part,
Like those in fable feign',

And seem'd by some magician's art,
Created and sustain'd."

COWPER.

THE balls and entertainments given at our house in London were truly in a prince-like style of magnificence. I have frequently known us have not less than five or six hundred individuals in the house at once, comprehending, of course, the most fashionable and gay of all the nobility and gentry about town. I believe it was not long after the date of

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