Saturday, April 17, 2010

22Dec1872, We Were All a Little Comatose

CHATSWORTH, December 22nd, 1872.
—The curtain dropt on our fine great drama ! Carriage and four with outriders bore off our P. and Prss., with the Duke and Cavsh. ; Lou and Emma also went with them to Chesterfd., where they were to receive an address. Later we heard by telegraph that, leaving Chesterfd. at 1.20, they got to London soon after 4—quick work for Xmas-time !

In spite of regrets at the breaking-up of a happy and successful time, there was peace when the swarm of guests, string of flies, and mountains of luggage filed away ! Nobody left but Duke, brothers and sisters-in-law, Madge, Freddy Howard, and May Lascelles. We were all a little comatose, and Lou vanished to bed at 9 o'clock.

20Dec1872, High Jinks and Thoughts on the Prince

CHATSWORTH, Friday, December 20th, 1872.
—Nothing daunted by the inveterate clammy fog and occasional actual rain, we went about 30 strong to luncheon at Haddon : P. and Pss. in an open carriage. Bakewell very enthusiastic and a little drunk. The luncheon a fine sight in the grand old hall ; band playing and spectators peering overhead in the gallery ; the Royal couple and a select few at a high table cross-wise with the two that ran down the hall ; all seated in old carved Haddon chairs. The loving-cup of spiced ale went round with all the honours.

At night, billiards, music, and a round game. Our Queen of Hearts was a sight never to be forgotten for grace and liveliness and fun as she whisked round the billiard-table like any dragon-fly, playing at "pockets" ; punishing the table when she missed, and finally breaking her mace across Ly. Cowper's back with a sudden little whack. Likewise at bed-time, high jinks with all the ladies in the corridors ; and yet through all one has a sense of perfect womanly dignity, and a certainty that no one cd ever go an inch too far with her. She can gather up her beautiful bright stateliness at any moment. 0, bless her for a vision of enchantment ! In the midst of the evening performances I managed to give her a really fine ode just sent me by Mr. Palgrave, the author thereof, on the Prince's recovery. I hope she will like it as much as I do. Of the said Prince I have less to say. He does not get on with me, nor indeed much with any but chaffy, fast people, though always kind and delightful in manner like most of 'em : he is amiable and truthful, and has sense and good feeling ; my conviction is that, when he succeeds to the Throne and has duties to do, he will do far better than now seems likely ; but the melancholy thing is that neither he nor the darling Prss. ever care to open a book.

19Dec1872, Another Mighty Dinner

CHATSWORTH, Thursday, December 19th, 1872.
—This was a really jolly day. The darling Prss. has got at her ease, and no words can express her perfect charm. It is not so much the loveliness of her face ; others may have as much of that, but smile, colouring, hair, contour of little head and neck, are delightful : her small slight figure is in perfect symmetry, and no one cd believe in the stiff joint of her knee except from a little pretty halt going up and down stairs. Lou drove her thro' the gardens, and to cheering, be-arched, bell-ringing Baslow, Ly. A. and I following, with Mr. Primrose (another witty spirit !). After the mighty dinner (44), which was a beautiful sight, came off a truly enchanting dance of only the houseful and the few dinner-guests. Delicious was the dining-room for this much of a ball, and everybody looked their best and thoroughly enjoyed life. Supper at various little tables in the big drawing-room, capitally managed. Ly. Macclesfield, Mr. Cockerell, and I made fun at our table, all the more comical from the dignified condescension of my neighbour, Ld. Cowper, Ly. George's silent laughter, and the poor dear Duke of Rutland's puzzled Manner-ish high-shouldered aspect thro' it all.

18Dec1872, Dinner in the Sculpture Gallery

CHATSWORTH, Wednesday, December 18th, 1872.
—The miserable dank fog goes on. The P. and Pss. breakfast tete-a-tete in the Red Velvet room ; and did not appear till 12 or so. I took her driving in the little carriage at 1, Ly. Cowper and Ly. A. following in t'other one, up to luncheon with the shooters in the Russian cottage. Here was sumptuous fare, but hitches occurred, viz., all the drinks were forgotten and had to be fetched, and we were presented with sugar instead of salt for our pie. Ly. A. and Ly. C. afterwds went a drive, but the Prss. and I, with Mr. Cockerell (a delightful wag is he) in the dickey, followed the shooters through New Pine Wood. Bewitching and unaffected and good-natured is the Princess. In the evening came off the rather ponderous and oppressive big County ball ; a great success for all the company, who were over the moon, but trying to the family and scrowgy for the Royal pair. Moreover, the room was hot and dusty. All went smooth, however, at and after supper, which was a lovely and peculiar sight in the Sculpture Gallery, carpeted with red cloth and adorned with great bananas, ferns, palms, etc. The great granite basin filled with green, a slender palm in the middle, and stiff white hyacinths blooming round the palm, reminded me somehow of the ancient pictures of the Virgin's tomb filled with flowers. The orangery lit with coloured lamps very pretty ; and the vista from that to the Hebe in the big drawing-room was! Before the ball illuminations of the fountains and cascade came off, but the fog quenched them fatally. Owing to Lou's mourning for Mr. H. Greville (whose death has carried Frank away, alack !) the Prince opened the ball with me ; Princess with Cavendish.

17Dec1872, A Royal Visit to Chatsworth

CHATSWORTH, Tuesday, December 17th, 1872.
—The Duke, Cavsh., and I went to Derby in the morning, and got there a little before the Royal train. Out stepped the lovely Prss. and the fat but apparently blooming Prince. Cheers, nosegay, red cloth, Mrs. Mayor in a wonderful bonnet and a crimson face. "God save the Queen." In spite of drizzle and cold, the Royal carriage was open most of the way as they processioned through the streets, which were really beautifully bedizened. The chief function was a prize-giving to the Grammar school-boys in the drill-hall, when an upper boy read an ode abt the Prince's recovery that was very good and gave one a lump in one's throat. Also we marched about the infirmary.

Getting to Rowsley after dark, Cavsh. and I went with the P. and Pr. (in a shut carriage, alas !) and saw as well as we could the illumination of the W. front and garden that burst forth as we got into the park and drove round by the opposite side of the river. The 1st minute was lovely—the house shining out clear ; but afterwards the smoke hung and hid everything. Lou and the Duke and most of the company received them in the hall, which was unluckily as full of sulphur as it might be after a siege from the fireworks, and set us coughing. Dinner very fine, with feathery cocos palm springing out of the table in the midst and overshadowing us. Whist and music in the evening.

16Dec1872, When is That Woman Going Away?

CHATSWORTH, Monday, December 16th, 1872.
—Arrived the avant-garde de la grande armeeLy. Ailesbury (Maria), who stalked into the room in a suit composed chiefly of a large chess-board check, black and grey, the garment going in a straight skimp line from her nape to her heels, the whole surmounted by the usual fuzz-ball of yellow curls, and a youthful hat. Fritz demanded privately after he had been introduced to this : "When is That Woman going away?" The Cowpers, with her sister Miss Compton, and the Listowels also came.

15Dec1872, Nevy a Social Animal

CHATSWORTH, December 15th, 1872. 3rd Sunday in Advent.
—A gt pleasure it is having old Nevy here. His Irish aide-de-camp life has brushed up his manners and made him a social animal, which one hardly hoped wd ever be the case.

14Dec1872, Everything in Place Cavendish Style

CHATSWORTH, Saturday, December 14th, 1872.
—The house is getting into order by dint of much marching about it of heads and hands : all is being pondered and prearranged in true deliberate Cavendish style ; and I quite expect that when once the whole machine is given a shove on Tuesday off it will go, everything in its proper place, from the Duke to the scullery-maid.

09Dec1872, Plans for Keble College Chapel

LONDON, Monday, December 9th, 1872.
—We dined at Portland Place, meeting the dear Keble couple, who showed off the plans of the Chapel, which are excellent. Mr. Gibbs is going to build out of his own pocket-£30,000. The plans are too odd (Butterfield) for me to be sure I altogether like them ; but there is to be a high-up row of windows with great space for mosaics below, which will have a capital effect.

07Dec1872, Little Wilfrid Ashley

LONDON, December 7th, 1872.
—Visited Sissy Ashley. Little Wilfrid [FN: Now the Rt. Hon. Wilfrid Ashley, Minister of Transport.] Ashley, a beautiful boykin, with great violet eyes.

05Dec1872, Uncle Wm. In High-Gee

LONDON, Thursday, December 5th, 1872.
Uncle W. still high-gee theology : he is reading a horrible new atheistic book of Strauss's, to Atie. P.'s great irritation ! But I am glad, and only hope he may be led to write something great in answer.

04Dec1872, Her Letter is Published

LONDON, Wednesday, December 4th, 1872.
—A letter of mine on the Ath. Creed signed A. H. P. appeared, to my great excitement.

01Dec1872, At St. Paul's With Dean Church

LONDON, Advent Sunday, December 1st, 1872.
—Walked after luncheon to the Deanery, S. Paul's, whence we went under the wing of the Dean and Mrs. Church into the Cathedral. Liddon preacht grandly, his wonderful voice gaining in power and penetration to the very end of his 50 minutes ; but he streamed with perspiration ! A mighty congn. and Luther's hymn sung by all at the end was glorious indeed.

29Nov1872, The Men-Servants Make Deadlocks

LONDON, Friday, November 29th, 1872.
—The Algy Wests, Trevelyans, Mr. Glyn, and Cavendish dined ; and the men-servants chose the occasion for making deadlocks all through dinner ; dealing out crashes with the lift, smashing a big dish, and sticking in the mud generally ; the worst of all being the omission of the oysters, which were brought up with great pomp and never handed round ! !

27Nov1872, Playgoing Dinner-Party

LONDON, Wednesday, November 27th, 1872.
—We had a little playgoing dinner-party of Willy and Harry Gladstone and Alfred Howard, and went to see "Charles I" at the Lyceum. Irving, who played the King, was sufficiently like him and acted with sufficient dignity and pathos to make much impression on one ; and I was a little niobe at the parting with the children.

26Nov1872, The Life of Cowper by Southey

LONDON, Tuesday, November 26th, 1872.
—Lately I have been reading for anything but the 1st time that pathetic thing, the Life of Cowper by Southey. It always interests and absorbs me strangely and I get such overflows of compassion for that sad soul as I can't describe. Even at this distance of 90 years, it is almost intolerable to think of all he endured, and yet one's faith is strengthened by it. For what but the Love of Christ which passeth knowledge could have upborne poor Cowper in his black darkness and misery, fulfilling in him to a degree never equalled the truth of those wonderful words, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him."

17Nov1872, Memoirs of Baron Stockmar

LONDON, 25th Sunday after Trinity. November 17th, 1872.
—The W. E. G.'s and Mr. Glyn dined with us. Uncle W. anxious to hear all about one Mr. Haweis, a clever preacher beginning to be famous ; and also full of a Memoir of Baron Stockmar which is just out, and which he thinks the most flagrantly indiscreet thing in the world ; it has aggravated the poor Queen inasmuch as it puts the Baron into such a position of chief adviser as rather sinks the Prince Consort into a second place.

14Nov1872, Wrong Time for London

LONDON, Thursday, November 14th, 1872.
—Came to London for the month of Cabinets because of F.'s Private Secretaryship. Utterly mad and odd this seems to me, who have never stayed in London this time of year.

12Nov1872, Sumner a Mighty Talker

CHATSWORTH, Tuesday, November 12th, 1872.
Mr. Sumner, who last saw Emma as well as me 13 years ago, seems to view us both in the light of "the girls he left behind him" and devoted himself to us all day. We took him over the garden, sat and talked with him, or rather sat and listened to him, for a mighty talker is he. Politics we avoided, as we were told he took an odious Yankee line about the Alabama claims, but topics did not fail him, what with old books, reminiscences of English friends, the Queen of Holland, Thiers, the Due d'Aumale, the Motleys, the Storeys, and various anecdotes anent these subjects.

11Nov1872, Sumner Describes Great Boston Fire

CHATSWORTH, Monday, November 11th, 1872.
Frank and Lou went on a visit to Newstead Abbey, to my grief : for I have no enjoyment of the headship of affairs at Chatsworth. Mr. Sumner, the American politician, came ; whom I saw last in '59 at Althorp, and remember well going into ecstasies over the library there. He was distressed at the horrible fire, almost on the Chicago scale, which is raging at Boston, and is said to have desolated 100 acres of ground in a fine, well-built quarter of the city.

Friday, April 16, 2010

28Oct1872, Building Eaton Hall

HAWARDEN, SS. Simon and Jude, Monday October 28th, 1872.
—F. and I rode to Eaton [FN: The Duke of Westminster was then building Eaton Hall.] to see the Westminsters who took us all over the house and grounds, still in chaos of scaffolding, levelling, building, and pulling down, but promising to be most successful, only on too enormous a scale, to my thinking.

21Oct1872, Year's Total is 14,475 Head

BOLTON, Monday, October 21st, 1872.
—Ld. Dandy [FN: I.e. Lord Berkeley Paget.] was an ower-true prophet. The weather relapsed into evil ways. They did not go out till 10.30, but then, as the rain slackened a little, the untiring Duke announced it wd be milksoppy to wait any longer, and off rode the luckless party. They came home drowned, but not till dark, the Duke having had no notion of giving up, tho' it never stopped raining all day, and poured after luncheon. Bag sadly small. This year's total, 14,475 head.

12Oct1872, Good Fat Princess Mary

HOLKER, October 12th, 1872.
Eddies returned from a do-ment at Lytham. The Tecks opened a park near Southport, and went to see Liverpool : great crowds and enthusiasm, which seems to have rather astonished and much delighted good fat Princess Mary . [FN: To this irreverent but not untruthful description of the Duchess of Teck, mother of Her present Majesty, it may be added that she must have grown accustomed to enthusiasm later : for in my recollection of the eighties and nineties she drew more cheers in the streets than any member of the Royal Family except the Queen and the Princess of Wales. Stoutness is somehow always popular, and it generally goes, as it did in this case, with obvious and hearty cheerfulness and good-humour, a still more popular quality.]

30Sep1872, Read Omnivorously

HOLKER, Monday, September 30th, 1872.
—Read rather omnivorously to-day. With F., Bryce's "Holy Roman Empire" and an Essay of De Quincey's ; with Emma, a Bampton Lecture, by Curteis ; to myself, a good deal of "Ann. Register" for 1815 (with some view to the old Letters [FN: I.e. of her grandmother, a volume of which she printed.]), Mozley's Bampton Lectures, Prof. Wilson's "Stories and Essays," Ld. Brougham's autobiography ; besides a little childish skimming ; a good bit of Christina Rossetti's delightful "Shadow of Dante" and some "Life of Bp. Torry."

19Sep1872, The Athanasian Creed Controversy

HOLKER, Thursday, September 19th, 1872.
—The Guardian full of the Athanasian Creed controversy, which rages as hot as ever. Pusey, Liddon, Malcolm MacColl, and, I believe, a large following of clergy, intend to give up their ministry in the Church if either the creed or the rubric attached to it are touched. Now I have come to the conviction that no one section of the Church is at liberty to alter or omit anything in the text of the Creed (except by way of re-translating) : that must wait for a General Council. But all the mass I have read on the subject impresses me more and more with the belief that for the ignorant, untheologic, ordinary run of people, it is quite unsuitable. The awful clauses are thoroughly misunderstood by them ; they firmly believe that the words mean, explicitly and unavoidably, "everyone, however ignorant, heathen as well as Christian, who does not believe every expression in this creed, will without doubt perish everlastingly."
This interpretation everybody who has at all learnt theology may perfectly see is absurd ; and to all such the Creed may ever be a precious and sacred heritage. But no one pretends that it is a creed in the same sense and of the same authority as the other two. Why, then —with this notorious fact of its being an acknowledged stumbling-block to so many—insist on its retention as a substitute for the 2 great Creeds? All the extreme non-possumites beg the question in assuming that it is proposed "to degrade" the Athan. Creed. I do maintain that to keep this solemn and profound exposition of the Faith for recital on great occasions by those whose duty it is to subscribe, to teach, and therefore to understand it—is the very reverse of a "degradation" of it. I would have it sung at all Ordinations and Consecrations, and perhaps also as a Canticle after the Apostles' Creed on Trinity Sunday only ; and instead of having it 13 times a year in the mouths of "plain men," I wd have the Clergy catechize upon it, teach and explain it as one of the bulwarks of the Faith. It is not adapted for these same "plain men" who misunderstand it : it is theology and theology is a science. The English laity, educated or not, are as a rule absolutely ignorant of theology. Let them be taught better. But till they are, the repetition of this Creed by ordinary congregations can only do them harm. If I am told that the Nicene Creed is also theology, I quite allow it ; but then it is a Creed —a Credo—of the highest authority, and as such to be recited by all Churchpeople. Moreover, no one can pretend it presents the same difficulties and stumbling-blocks.

15Sep1872, The Horrible Chapel

HOLKER, September 15th, 1872. 16th Sunday after Trinity.
—The horrible chapel sat upon me more than usual ; when once one has the Bible notion strong upon one that holy places are places of God's special Presence, that our first design in them should be to give Him glory and do Him worship ; when one's next desire is that people should be taught by all they see in church that we are all priests and people to fall down before One Throne, and that all our services culminate in the Holy Eucharist—then a mean conventicle is almost unbearable. It insults the Majesty of God, Who gives us richly all things, and to whose House we only bring what is base ; and it teaches the congrgn. disunion and solitariness in prayer each in his own selfish corner, while the only thing elevated as the centre of their devotion is the pulpit.

11Sep1872, The Times are Grim

HOLKER, Wednesday, September 11th, 1872.
—Terrible weather for the harvest abt. here ; the times are grim altogether ; meat and coals frightfully dear and bread threatening to be ; potato rot very general, and the agricultural labourers a good deal out on strike. I am glad the labourers have learnt to combine ; but what wisdom, judgment, and temper is wanted for both employers and employed ! There has been some savage grumbling at the clergy for not siding with the men ; but I think this accusation is very often unfair.

09Sep1872, Nobody Hurt After Shooting

HOLKER, Monday, September 9th, 1872.
—Rather a black Monday, for leaving Bolton is always grievous ; but it has been a long and happy holyday and one ought not to wish it lengthened. Nobody hurt—always a blessing at the end of a month's shooting. The Eddies went off to Madresfield.

04Sep1872, Out in a Thunderstorm

BOLTON, Wednesday, September 4th, 1872.
—Dingy weather, with a sharp thunderstorm, which caught Emma, Charlotte, and me in the Valley of Desolation just after sending the carriage away. Eddy, not shooting, was luckily with us, and we mounted the Queen of Ireland upon his pony, on which she arrived before us at the Aigill barn. No prettier picture can be imagined than the lovely creature, broom in hand, opening the little barn door to admit us ; she had been sweeping it out. We mopped up and dried ourselves as well as might be ; it cleared and we sat on a gate and a wall to wait for the shooters.

02Sep1872, The Lovely Charlotte Spencer

BOLTON, Monday, September 2nd, 1872.
—Dismal rain again : the poor gentlemen sat sadly abt the house until after luncheon, when it cleared and they set forth merrily. I had a nice little walk with my once and for ever Queen of Hearts, Charlotte Spencer. She is still the same lovely and delightful thing that first won my heart when I was 18.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

30Aug1872, Cheerful Patience

BOLTON, Friday, August 30th, 1872.
Lou. and I paid visits at Halton ; the dear old rheumatic man Jenkinson lost his wife in the winter ; she had been helpless for 11 years. They were always wonderful patterns of cheerful patience : more than any sermon to one.

21Aug1872, A Heavy Blow at Home Rule

BOLTON, Wednesday, August 21st, 1872.
—There are horrid Orange and Popish riots going on in Belfast, both parties tearing each other to pieces, and combining occasionally to fall upon the police. The list of maimed, wounded, and even dead is like civil war. What is to be done with such people? Folks say this to-do will deal a heavy blow at "Home Rule" cries.

15Aug1872, First Ballot Election

BOLTON, Thursday, August 15th, 1872.
—The 1st Ballot election has come off at Pontefract, Mr. Childers having vacated his seat by taking the Chancellorship of the Duchy ; a very doubtful candidate in the shape of Lord Pollington opposed him and was beaten by only 80 votes. Great numbers of electors seem not to have voted, and there was comical confusion and difficulty over the "illiterate voters" and their marks ; but of course peace and quiet and no drinking.

11Aug1872, Sweet-Briar Smell

BOLTON, Sunday, August 11th, 1872. 11th after Trinity.
—A dear Bolton Sunday, not to be spoilt even by pouring weather all the morning. Afterwds came a "clear shining after rain," and all the old delights of rushing waters, grey abbey, deep green and sweet-briar smell coming up to the window.

09Aug1872, With Sybella and Salkins

HAGLEY, Friday, August 9th, 1872.
—Drove with Sybella and Salkins [FN: Le. the two-year-old Sarah Lyttelton.(wife of the editor and author of the footnotes)] to Stourbridge, the dot full of puckish waggery.

05Aug1872, Interview with a Drunken Woman

LONDON, Monday, August 5th, 1872.
—My last E. End journey. I had an interview with a drunken woman (wife of a respectable old man in the Workhouse) who has been in prison for a fortnight and come out with a wish to reform. There is a laundry just opened on purpose to reclaim drunkards, and I have told her of it.