John Ashton

“ Like the epic, a rump of beef has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The palate of an experienced beef steaker can discern all its progressive varieties, from the first cut to the last; and he is a mere tyro in the business, who does not know, that towards the middle, there lurks a fifth essence, the perfect ideal of tenderness and flavour. Epicurism itself, in its fanciful combinations of culinary excellence, never dreamed of anything surpassing it. For this cut, the Duke had wisely tarried, and, for this, he re-collected his forces. ”

“ Indeed, Florizel was ever attentive to his own comfort, vide the following account of his new travelling-carriage:
August 22-24.—'The Prince of Wales has just built a long carriage for travelling—it is so constructed, that, in a few moments, it forms a neat chamber, with a handsome bed, and every other convenience for passing the night in it, on the road, or in a camp.'
It is all very nice to have travelling-carriages and marquees, and whatever one's soul desires, but if the income is a fixed one, albeit over £70,000 a year, there must be a limit to expenditure. ”

“ All the rooms open into the beautiful gallery, which is terminated at both extremities by the lightest and prettiest Chinese staircases you can imagine, and illuminated by the gayest lanterns. There are mandarins and pagodas in abundance, and plenty of Japanese and Chinese sofas. In the centre of the gallery is a skylight. Each staircase opens into a large room, one of these communicating with the Queen's suite of rooms, and the other with that of the Princess and mine. The effect of the central room is very good. ”

“ His style was so low that, alluding to the Principality of Wales, the Duke called his nephew Taffy. The Prince was offended at such indecent familiarity, and begged it might not be repeated—but in vain. Soon after, Mr. Legge, one of the Prince's gentlemen, and second son of the Earl of Dartmouth, growing a favourite, inflamed the Prince's disgusts; and the coolness increasing, the Duke of Cumberland endeavoured to counteract the prejudice by calling Legge to the Prince "Your Governor"—but as the Governor had sense, and the uncle none, Legge's arrows took place, the others did not. ”

“ In Gillray's caricatures, and amongst Fox's jolly associates, there figures a great nobleman, the Duke of Norfolk, called Jockey of Norfolk in his time, and celebrated for his table exploits. He had quarrelled with the Prince, like the rest of the Whigs; but a sort of reconciliation had taken place; and now, being a very old man, the Prince invited him to dine and sleep at the Pavilion, and the old Duke drove over from his Castle of Arundel with his famous equipage of grey horses, still remembered in Sussex. ”

“ In vain the Prince attempted to urge them on with his pole, to which a bit of red cloth was attached: in vain George Hanger dislodged one from its roosting-place, before he saw three or four others comfortably perching among the branches—in vain was barley strewn upon the road; no art, no stratagem, no compulsion, could prevent them taking to their roosting-place! whilst, in the meantime, the geese came waddling on, and in a short time passed the turkey party, who were all busy in the trees, dislodging their obstinate birds ”

“ Indeed, at the end of the Westminster election of 1784 Gillray caricatured him in a satirical print entitled 'Preceptor and Pupil' as a loathsome toad with a fox's brush, who is whispering into the ear of the sleeping (or drunken) Prince: 'Abjure thy country and thy parents, and I will give thee dominion over many powers. Better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven!'
Apropos of this election, which lasted forty days, and brought Fox in second at the poll, it is perhaps as famous as any in our electoral history. ”

“ Lee tells us that about 1736 the delightful situation of Brighthelmstone began to attract some visitors of distinction as early in the summer as the deep miry Sussex roads were in some way passable. Hunting, horse-racing, and water-parties were then the chief, or sole, attractions; and a few indifferent inns their only places of accommodation. ”

“ The Queen's room is fitted up, in every respect, with the same grandeur as to materials and gilding. The descent to the State rooms is by a superb mahogany winding staircase, the balustrades richly carved and gilt; the sides panelled with mahogany and gold. The ceilings and doors to the State rooms are of the finest mahogany, in panels, with carved borders, richly gilt. The doors in the centre cabin are covered with mirrors. The chairs and sofas are of crimson damask, in mahogany frames, gilt. ”

“ When he awoke that morning he was in bed at the Prince's hideous house at Brighton. You may see the place now for sixpence: they have fiddlers there every day; and, sometimes, buffoons and mountebanks hire the Riding House, and do their tricks and tumbling there. The trees are still there, and the gravel walks round which the poor old sinner was trotted. I can fancy the flushed faces of the royal princes as they support themselves at the portico pillars, and look on at old Norfolk's disgrace ”

“ The Cupola springs from a boldly projecting cornice, composed of various mouldings, apparently, of massive gold, crowned by a running ornament of flowers, and pendent bells. The ceiling represents a lightly clouded sky (the sun being dimly seen) ; in the centre of which is a gorgeous bird, in full relief, with wings of flowered gold and silver, enwreathed with serpents, resplendently coloured crimson and green. This sustains one of the most elaborate and finely devised lustres, of cut glass, that was ever [Pg 282] executed. ”

“ Between the windows are two very large pier glasses, reaching nearly from the ground to the cornice; and other large glasses surmount the entrance doorways; all the framework is of an elegantly conceived pattern, designed from the lotus leaf; and every frame has a rich canopy, springing from dragons' heads. On the west side is a sumptuous chimney piece of statuary marble, with enrichments of ormolu; and, in each jamb, within a niche, stands a Chinese figure ”

“ Fitzherbert, who has been reading 'The Reign of Queen Mary,' is seated at a table with a monk, who is making a hearty meal of roast beef and port wine. She says: 'Oh, Father, they want to rob me of my charge, I will not part with her; entrusted to my care, I have the will and the power to make her as mine own, and save one Heretic, at least. I know my power, and will exert it for our cause.' Says the monk: 'Dear Child! the labours of the faithful claim their due regard. ”

“ Whether in London, or at Wargrave, 'twas all the same, always in high spirits, thinking of what fun he should have during the day. I shall begin with London. Seated, after dinner, at eleven [Pg 144] o'clock, on one of the hottest evenings in July, he proposed that the whole party should go to Vauxhall. The carriage being ordered, it was directly filled inside; and the others, outside, with more wine than wit, made no little noise through the streets. We had not been long at Vauxhall, when Lord Barrymore called out to a young clergyman, some little distance from us ”

“ The lovely idol knew that an object which is easily gained, is seldom esteemed or prized: the Prince, indeed, from his peculiar situation as Heir apparent, could not follow her, although it is stated, in an anonymous letter preserved in the British Museum, that his Royal Highness did once travel to Paris incog. and that he had, there, an interview with Mrs. Fitzherbert, the consequence of which was, her immediate return to England. ”

“ Fox appears as "nobody," and a cat is seen escaping from a bag. The Whig chief, with whom, as the occasional companion of the young Prince's excesses, the public were not slow to connect the transaction, is encouraging Florizel to "leap over the broomstick" with Mrs. Fitzherbert. The ex favourites, in a second apartment, surmounted by the Prince's crest, tranquilly regard the coming change. "All I desire of mortal man is to love whilst he can," says Perdita. ”

“ We can scarcely, nowadays, when the judicial separation of man and wife is an everyday occurrence, and divorce is rendered as easy as possible, properly conceive Mrs. Fitzherbert's feelings in this matter of reconciliation. We must, however, remember that she was a strict Catholic, that her Church teaches that marriage is indissoluble, except by death, and that she invoked and followed the highest ecclesiastical authorities for guidance. Let us hear a modern opinion of her conduct. ”

“ The chimney piece, which is of brown coloured marble, is elegantly designed; at the angles are small columns, and within a niche in each jamb is a Chinese figure. On the mantel shelf is a handsome dial, by Vulliamy, with ornamental accessories, including Chinese figures of white china, in draperies enriched with gold. Among the furniture are Buhl tables, with grotesque borderings, beautifully inlaid. On the side and end tables are many jars and vases of Asiatic and Sèvres porcelain; several of which are of a pale sea green colour, elegantly wrought with flowers, butterflies, and other forms. ”

“ Among the other subjects represented are, a lady playing on a guitar, with a much pleased child, kneeling at her side, and listening; a lady, with a peacock fan, receiving fruit from a boy; a lady and child tending flowers; and a child amusing itself with a tame snake, in the presence of its parents. These paintings are executed with a precision and delicacy equal to miniature, and the colouring is extremely brilliant: the figures are nearly the size of life; and the dresses are richly embroidered. They are all inclosed within painted framings of trellis work, edged by narrow gold mouldings. ”

“ The Castle has been somewhat more fortunate. But Fox, the manager, has been so [Pg 80] successful, as to excite the envy of his rivals, who have it in contemplation to set up a theatre in opposition to his. It was for this purpose that Signor Grimaldi's journey was undertaken, which, by the newspaper accounts, proved so fatal to him; and, as he, with Mr. Spencer, the harlequin, is to have the principal concern, we may expect that the prime parts of the entertainment at the new Theatre, will be pantomime, with grinning and jumping in abundance. ”

“ Business is totally given up, and pleasure is the standing order of the day. At ten o'clock a.m., the Otter sloop of war, decorated with the colours of all nations, hoisted the Royal Standard at the main, and announced the event by a discharge of her guns. The Gallant and Calypso, armed brigs, and Earl Craven's yacht, were, also, dressed out with colours. ”

“ A waiter passing by at the time, Lord Barrymore said, "You know me; let that gentleman have whatever he calls for:" when he told the parson to fall to, and call for as much arrack punch as he pleased. "Thank ye, my Lord," said he, "for I begins to be hungry, and I don't care how soon I pecks a bit."
'Lord Barrymore had, that morning, unknown to us, contrived to dress Tom Hooper, the tin man, (one of the first pugilists at that time) , as a clergyman, to be in waiting at Vauxhall, in case we should get into any dispute. ”

“ The grouped subjects are eleven in number, and there are four others of single figures, holding screens of peacock's feathers. The ground of these masterly productions is an imitation of inlaid pearl, richly and ingeniously wrought with all the varied forms of the mythology of China; yet so delicately executed as scarcely to intrude upon the eye. The central picture on the west side represents the conveyance home of a Chinese bride. She is seated in a palanquin, under a parasol canopy, with a peacock by her side, and carried by six bearers in rich habits. ”

“ Emancipation is at hand, and all depends on thee.'
But the best print is 'The Guardian Angel. The print taken from the Rev. Mr. Peter's sublime Idea of an Angel conducting the Soul of a Child to Heaven.' Mrs. Fitzherbert, with an apron full of 'play things,' such as rosaries, monstrances, thuribles, service-books, etc., is the angel, who, ascending from the Pavilion at Brighton, with Miss Seymour in her arms, points to an altar surrounded by lighted candles, flowers, etc., and surmounted by a Virgin and Child. All round are cherubs—Fox, Sheridan, Earl of Derby, etc., all friends of the Prince. ”

“ His name still exists in the neighbourhood in Weltje Road, which runs from the Upper Mall to King Street West, and consists of sixty-eight houses.
We have seen that Fox was at Brighton in 1784. Fox, who was the 'guide, philosopher, and friend' of Prince Florizel, was at this time a man of about thirty-five or thirty-six, having been born in 1749. By his birth, education, and talents he should have been a fitting companion for the Prince, but he was lax in his morals, an inveterate gambler, and a hard drinker, and a worse comrade for a young man could scarcely be found. ”

“ Her Majesty's next visit to the Pavilion was in the following year, arriving on December 18, and keeping Christmas there. The Queen married in 1840, but did not visit Brighton until February 10, 1842, when she and Prince Albert, together with the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal, paid a visit to the Pavilion. A notice of this visit, in the Brighton Herald of February 12, says:
'In the third carriage came the infant Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal, for whose failing health, it is said, this journey has been made: and never has it been our lot to witness a more interesting scene. ”