DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1041#0032
zo History of the Society of Dilettanti
king at the battle of Dettingen. After serving
for some years in diplomacy lie became a Secretary
of State, and subsequently held important posts in
the household, acting as governor to the Prince of
Wales from 1771 to 1776. He had a house at Sion
Hill, Isleworth, where he entertained much society.
Horace Walpole says of him that his l talents were
not above mediocrity, but that he was taciturn and
dexterous enough, and most punctual in the execution
of his orders '; also, that * his passion for directing
operas and masquerades was rather thought a con-
tradiction to his gravity than below his understand-
ing, which was so very moderate that no relations of
his own exploits would, not a little since before, have
been sooner credited than his being a Secretary of
State.' Holdernesse married a Dutch lady, and died
in 1778.
other Among other and apparently less active members
members wno joined the Society before 17 yo, are not a few
tefore 1750. ^Qgg names rank high in the political and social
history of the country. Such were Thomas Coke,
the great collector, created Earl of Leicester in 1744 J
Evelyn Pierrepoint, Duke of Kingston, who is less
remembered on his own account than on that of his
wife, the beautiful and bigamous Elizabeth Chud-
leigh j William, second Earl Cowper, F.R.S.; Charles
Wyndham, afterwards second Earl of Egremontj
Lewis and Thomas Watson, afterwards respectively
second and third Earls of Rockingham; William
Wildman, second Viscount Barrington, afterwards
Secretary of War and Chancellor of the Exchequer;
George Montagu, Lord Sunbury, well known later as
Earl of Halifax and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland; Nor-
borne Berkeley, who successfully claimed the ancient
barony of Botetourt, and later obtained the governor-
king at the battle of Dettingen. After serving
for some years in diplomacy lie became a Secretary
of State, and subsequently held important posts in
the household, acting as governor to the Prince of
Wales from 1771 to 1776. He had a house at Sion
Hill, Isleworth, where he entertained much society.
Horace Walpole says of him that his l talents were
not above mediocrity, but that he was taciturn and
dexterous enough, and most punctual in the execution
of his orders '; also, that * his passion for directing
operas and masquerades was rather thought a con-
tradiction to his gravity than below his understand-
ing, which was so very moderate that no relations of
his own exploits would, not a little since before, have
been sooner credited than his being a Secretary of
State.' Holdernesse married a Dutch lady, and died
in 1778.
other Among other and apparently less active members
members wno joined the Society before 17 yo, are not a few
tefore 1750. ^Qgg names rank high in the political and social
history of the country. Such were Thomas Coke,
the great collector, created Earl of Leicester in 1744 J
Evelyn Pierrepoint, Duke of Kingston, who is less
remembered on his own account than on that of his
wife, the beautiful and bigamous Elizabeth Chud-
leigh j William, second Earl Cowper, F.R.S.; Charles
Wyndham, afterwards second Earl of Egremontj
Lewis and Thomas Watson, afterwards respectively
second and third Earls of Rockingham; William
Wildman, second Viscount Barrington, afterwards
Secretary of War and Chancellor of the Exchequer;
George Montagu, Lord Sunbury, well known later as
Earl of Halifax and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland; Nor-
borne Berkeley, who successfully claimed the ancient
barony of Botetourt, and later obtained the governor-