literary judgment than any description could impart.

In the perusual of fictions her spirits were excited or depressed, according to the nature of the tale, more than can be easily conceived; and anything of the supernatural kind took such extraordinary hold on her vivid imagination, that her friends have passed many an unjust sentence against the cleverness of a tale, in order to prevent her from reading it, and losing the entire night's rest by its horrors.

In her summer rural excursions through different parts of the kingdom, the first demand of the duchess at the country inns was, whether they had any old magazines? and she would be rendered happy for the rest of the day by the production of a ragged regiment of "Ladies' Magazines," "Fashionable Miscellanies," "Polite Remembrancers," and such-like forgotten veterans of the last half century.

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Nothing delighted her so much as finding in these books an account of a drama, with the part of so-and-so by Miss Mellon." She would brighten up, though ever so ill, and relate to her friends the most piquant anecdotes con

nected with each representation, with all the various cross-readings and wrong-readings of inexperienced rehearsals.

In 1832, when the duchess visited Cheltenham for the purpose of erecting a second monument to the memory of her mother, a circumstance occurred shewing how upon occasions she could act when stung by those who endeavoured to bring her into ridicule; and which made her determine never again to visit that town.

It appears that previously an artist living at that time in Cheltenham, executed a group of several figures in lithography, being carricatures of well-known individuals, or those whose appearance might be striking to newly-arrived persons; and in this picture was a representation of the duchess, amounting to an outré exaggerated carricature of her rather portly figure at least so says report-for the stone and impressions are now altogether gone.

Some of the other parties in the group, who thought themselves designedly "misrepresented," resolved to misrepresent the artist's

design to the lady, and made her excessively indignant at their account of her "being caricatured all over the town."

The gentleman who was at that time master of the ceremonies, having discovered that the matter had been viewed seriously, (a very uncommon fate for one of this artist's designs,) advised that the circulation of the print should be restrained, as so many felt annoyed at being introduced into it. The artist instantly wrote to call in all that he had distributed for sale, and when these were returned he tore them into fragments, broke the stone on which he had drawn the group, and sent the whole broken remains to the duchess, with a note expressing his regret for having offended her and others, assuring her that he had not intended any disrespect, but as an atonement he sent all the impressions he could find, together with the stone destroyed by himself, so that no more could be printed.

The duchess, of course, was quite satisfied by such concession, and sent a most liberal compensation for the loss.

Unfortunately, some few copies which had

been sent to a distant place were not returned ; and during her visit as Duchess of St. Albans in the year 1832, when she thought the whole matter was at rest, some acquaintance found out these unlucky, forgotten pictures, and purchased one for her, she having always supposed there were none on sale.

The inference arising from this was, that the artist had deceived her; and that his apparent regret and good feeling had only been feigned to induce her to forget it, while the sale of the print was clandestinely continued. Having taken this view, (for which there really was conclusive, though erroneous, evidence,) she would not hear of the subject again; all attempts at apology being viewed by her as of the same nature as the first, which she now decided had been insincere.

Her resolution was then formed never to visit Cheltenham, notwithstanding her partiality for the town, while the artist in question resided there; and this resolution was never broken.

CHAPTER XVII.

Fêtes at Holly Lodge-Newspaper accounts of themLudicrous anecdote of a Staffordshire squire-Mode of subscribing to charities-Brighton-Flight of hawks there - Ingratitude - Misrepresentation-Proposed compliment by the citizens.

On the 16th of June the duchess always gave one of her celebrated fêtes at Holly Lodge, that being the anniversary of her marriage with the duke. This villa, since bequeathed to the Duke of St. Albans, is as perfectly quiet as though it were in the midst of the New Forest, or on Salisbury Plain. The following account of these admired fêtes is from a magazine published in 1837 :—

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About four o'clock the guests generally arrived, being obliged to fall into the line of carriages some distance from the entrance, and

VOL. II.

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