DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.67417#0151
THE DAYS OF THE GEORGES 113
miniscences ” of Walpole, while a host of contem-
porary diaries and letters help ns to fill in the
outline. The chief personages of the circle are all
familiar to us. There was the Prince—“ dapper
George,” as the wits called him—short, ugly, and
ill-tempered, low in his tastes and coarse in his
language, talking broken English and railing at
everything that was English, and paying court to
Mrs. Howard and Mary Bellenden before his wife’s
eyes. There was the Princess—cette diablesse Madame
la Princesse, as the King termed his daughter-in-law
—cold, handsome, and clear-sighted, a loyal wife
herself, but ready to accept each new mistress
whom her husband adopted, contriving at once to
retain her own influence over him and to play a
leading part in politics. There was Mrs. Howard,
the Woman of the Bedchamber, who won the
Prince’s affections without losing his wife’s friend-
ship—“ that wonderful creature, a woman of reason,
never grave out of pride, never gay out of season,”
the friend of Pope and Swift, of Gay and Young,
of Walpole and Chesterfield, to whom the Twicken-
ham poet addressed his charming verses:—
“ I know a thing that’s most uncommon,
Envy, be silent and attend !
I know a reasonable woman,
Handsome and witty, yet a friend.”
There were Henrietta Howard’s charming com-
panions, the two fair maids-of-honour, Mary Bel-
lenden and Molly Lepell. “ Above all for universal
admiration,” writes Horace Walpole, “ was Miss
Bellenden. Her face and person were charming-
miniscences ” of Walpole, while a host of contem-
porary diaries and letters help ns to fill in the
outline. The chief personages of the circle are all
familiar to us. There was the Prince—“ dapper
George,” as the wits called him—short, ugly, and
ill-tempered, low in his tastes and coarse in his
language, talking broken English and railing at
everything that was English, and paying court to
Mrs. Howard and Mary Bellenden before his wife’s
eyes. There was the Princess—cette diablesse Madame
la Princesse, as the King termed his daughter-in-law
—cold, handsome, and clear-sighted, a loyal wife
herself, but ready to accept each new mistress
whom her husband adopted, contriving at once to
retain her own influence over him and to play a
leading part in politics. There was Mrs. Howard,
the Woman of the Bedchamber, who won the
Prince’s affections without losing his wife’s friend-
ship—“ that wonderful creature, a woman of reason,
never grave out of pride, never gay out of season,”
the friend of Pope and Swift, of Gay and Young,
of Walpole and Chesterfield, to whom the Twicken-
ham poet addressed his charming verses:—
“ I know a thing that’s most uncommon,
Envy, be silent and attend !
I know a reasonable woman,
Handsome and witty, yet a friend.”
There were Henrietta Howard’s charming com-
panions, the two fair maids-of-honour, Mary Bel-
lenden and Molly Lepell. “ Above all for universal
admiration,” writes Horace Walpole, “ was Miss
Bellenden. Her face and person were charming-