Chapter XI

The Bluestockings—Mrs. Chapone as Lady Racket in the
_Rambler_—The _Rambler_ Attacks Card-Playing—Sunday Night
Parties—Madame Du Bocage—Card-Parties at the Duke of
Richmond’s—A Breakfast at Mrs. Montagu’s—Frederick, Prince of
Wales—His Accomplishments—Breakfast Parties Yield to Evening
Coteries—Origin of “Bluestocking”—Mr. Stillingfleet—Eminent
Persons Who Met at the Assemblies of Mrs. Montagu, Mrs.
Vesey, and Mrs. Ord—The Club—Sir Joshua Reynolds—Doctor
Johnson—Hawkins—Beautiful Ceiling and Chimney-piece at Mrs.
Montagu’s—Lord Chesterfield’s New House—Dangers Surrounding
It in 1748—Doctor Johnson at Montagu House—Soame Jenyns’
Epitaph on Johnson—Mrs. Garrick—Manner of Her First Appearance
on the Stage—Lady Clermont’s Al Fresco Gatherings—Syllabubs
in Berkeley Square—Footpads on Hay Hill—Garrick Recites
from “Macbeth” at Lady Montagu’s—Lady Spencer’s Eyes—Doctor
Johnson at Mrs. Vesey’s—Contest of Gallantry with Mrs.
Buller—Miss Monkton, Afterward Lady Cork—Conversation
of Mrs. Montagu—Walpole on Bluestockings—Hannah More’s
Description of the _Bas-Bleu_ Meetings—The People Who
Attended the Bluestocking Assemblies—Johnson’s Quarrel
with Mrs. Montagu—His Life of Lyttelton—Horace Walpole—His
Criticism on Mrs. Montagu—“Château Portman”—The Parnassus
at Batheaston—Introduction of _Bouts-rimés_—Walpole’s
Satirical Account of the Parnassus Fair—Mrs. Montagu in
Montagu House—Mrs. Montagu as Vanessa, in _The Observer_—Miss
Siddons—Miss Mitford on the Batheaston Meetings 190

CHAPTER XII.

Queen Charlotte—Miss Burney—The New House in Portman
Square—Improvements in Her Property—Character of the French,
Dutch, and English—Lord Edward Bentinck—Miss Cumberland—Lord
Bristol—Mr. Brown’s Improvements at Sandleford—Bishop of
Durham—Madame de Genlis—Mrs. Montagu’s “New Palace”—The
Harcourts—Mrs. Montagu’s Advice to a Niece—Johnson’s “Lives of
the Poets”—Sir Richard Jebb—Mrs. Montagu Sets Up a New Sort of
Carriage by the Advice of Sir Richard Jebb—Miss Gregory—Letter
to Morris Robinson’s Widow—Air-Balloons—The Prince of Wales—Is
Hissed at the Theatre—The French Ambassador—French Bribery in
England—Doctor Johnson’s Testimony to Mrs. Montagu 218