‘You see what you have brought upon yourself, my dear
Mr. Rogers, by a letter so
acceptable as that I received two days ago, and the contents of which reassured
me as to your recovery, though I had not seen the alarming part of the notices
so ably collected by our friend in St. Paul’s, and which play with the
feelings of the reader by the sudden changes and reverses they exhibit, and end
by so useful a caution against ginger beer.
| THE DUCHESS OF SUTHERLAND | 135 |
‘I see we quite agree about young Canning. They are both very amiable people, and were proceeding with zeal on the most tiresome tour you can conceive, of twenty miles a-day, towards the North Sea, when some letters of business induced him to turn towards the south. Since the meeting of the council of Trent, I have continued in my usual society, which I like much, and in the mornings I am occupied much to my satisfaction. My buildings go on well. That here will be indebted entirely to Mr. Westmacott for turning out as it does. My larger work of a church also owes much to his good taste, and will be very handsome. It is to be restored in as far as possible to what it was when built by Saint Bar in 1100. The then Earl of Caithness attacked and “herried” it, took St. Bar, made him into soup, boiled and eat him at his Castle of Girnigo; for many years afterwards it was frequently attacked and destroyed by the same family, but is now in a way completely to recover. I have remarked to its clergyman, that though the new Earl of Caithness is living quietly at Edinburgh and does not come here, still, from the uncertain state of things, he must not be too sure of not being “grillé,” which I trust will keep him in a good and quiet frame of mind.
‘I think the Duke of Somerset’s domestic happiness is likely to be very much improved by the new step he has taken,1 though I do not know the lady, and I hear he has behaved very handsomely to his daughters in making
1 The Duke of Somerset had married, on the 28th of July, his second wife. He had been a widower for rather more than eight years. |
| 136 | ROGERS AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES |
‘I ought not to bore you with all my nonsense, but your letter, and the gratitude I feel for it, made it irresistible. I hear that Lord Dunmore has had some attack, but I cannot learn any particulars; if true, it is much to be regretted. I can only hear of him here by those who talk of his purchase of what is called the Long Island, which is said to be a very good one, though one should not in one’s ignorance have supposed it to be so.
‘What weather! It is now better. I see the D. of Rutland has been nearly drowned—I hate those yachts.
