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NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s. VIL FEB. 9, 1901.
Mrs. Fitzherbert. Wraxall in his 'Remini
sconces' (ed. 1884, vol. v. p. 370) writes thus
of Lady Melbourne's brief reign :
"The Prince.... transferred his affections to Lady Melbourne, no longer in her first youth when she became the object of his admiration. She might, nevertheless, well challenge such a preference. A commanding figure, exceeding the middle height full of grace and dignity, an animated countenance intelligent features, captivating manners and con versation : all these, and many other attractions, enlivened by coquetry, met in Lady Melbourne."
From Horace Walpole's designation of Lady Melbourne as " Diane de Poitiers of the next reign" it is clear that the dinner at Strawberry Hill took place while the Prince of Wales was under the influence of Lady Melbourne's attractions. It will be noticed that Madame de Cambis, who was " not yet deep in the Chronique Scandaleuse," men- tions among the persons already seen by her one whose name is left blank by Walpole : " J'ai vu le de ." This mysterious per- sonage was evidently "le Prince de Galles." The Prince of Wales, then just upon twenty- one, might well be described as being " fort beau," and he might equally have been a trying subject of conversation in the pre- sence of "Diane de Poitiers of the next reign."
" Diane de Poitiers " is also described as having been " a little embarrassed with sit- ting over against a picture that cost me more than three hundred shillings." This remark is connected with a chapter of Horace Walpole's family history. In 1780 his great- niece Lady Maria Waldegrave (daughter of the Duchess of Gloucester by her first hus- band, Earl Waldegrave) received a pro- posal of marriage from the Earl of Egremont, one of the richest noblemen of the day. ' The match was publicly announced and the settle- ments were prepared. Lord Egremont's conduct, however, gave so little satisfaction to his intended wife that she broke off the engagement. Horace Walpole writes thus to Mann on 24 July, 1780 (Cunningham's ed. vol. vii. pp. 421-2) :
"I must notify the rupture of our great match, which I announced in my last. Lord Egremont, who proves a most worthless young fellow, and is as weak as irresolute, has behaved with so much neglect and want of attention, that Lady Maria heroically took the resolution of writing to the Duchess [of Gloucester], who was in the country to desire her leave to break off the match. The Duchess who had disliked the conduct of her future son-in- law, but could not refuse her consent to so advan- tageous a match, gladly assented ; but the foolish boy, by new indiscretion, has drawn universal odium on himself. He instantly published the rupture but said nothing of Lady Maria's having been the' first to declare off; and thus everybody thinks he broke
off the match, and condemns him ten times more
than would have been the case if he had told the
truth, though he was guilty enough in giving the
provocation."
Walpole states in his 'Last Journals' (vol. ii. p. 448), though not in his * Letters,' that Lady Melbourne was directly responsible for the rupture of Lord Egremont's match with Lady Maria Waldegrave.
Two years before the Con way letter (in 1781) Sir Joshua Reynolds's group of the three Ladies Waldegrave (in which Lady Maria is the figure represented holding the skein) was exhibited at the Royal Academy. This picture of his three great-nieces was executed as a commission for Horace Wal- pole. According to the 'Description of Strawberry Hill,' it hung " over against the chimney " in the " refectory " at Strawberry Hill. In this room, no doubt, Walpole enter- tained his guests at dinner on the occasion in question. Lady Melbourne might well be embarrassed at finding herself opposite to the portrait of the lady whom she had been the means of depriving of a brilliant match. It is thus possible (1) to assign to Horace Walpole's letter to Con way its right date (27 July, 1783) and its right place in the series of his ' Letters ' (between Nos. 2,256 and 2,257 in vol. viii. of Cunningham's ed.) ; (2) to give the key to Horace Walpole's enigmatical description of his dinner party at Strawberry HELEN TOYNBEE.
(To be continued.)
SUPERSTITIOUS CURES FOR DISEASE. In
Colombia (South America) I collected the
following :
Cure for leprosy. The leper must get laked inside the hide of a freshly killed ox.
Throat complaints are cured by a live pigeon split and placed on the throat. The same application is made to the head for brain rever.
Rheumatism is benefited by a diet of roast hens having black skins. These are bred and sold on purpose for remedies.
Erysipelas is cured by the comb of a black- ikinned hen freshly cut off and rubbed over -he place.
Stye in eye Wax out of the human ear, >r the inside of a common house-fly, placed on >he navel. Styes are said to be caused by wallowing the dust from moths' wings. As here is no glass in the windows, plenty of hese insects find their way into cups of jofiee and chocolate after dusk.
Vultures are cooked, and also eaten raw, by villagers (I have known an instance of
