Chapter I: Front Matter

HORACE WALPOLE AND HIS WORLD

_Horace Walpole._]

HORACE WALPOLE
AND HIS WORLD

_SELECT PASSAGES FROM HIS LETTERS_

EDITED BY
L. B. SEELEY, M.A.
_Late Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge_

_WITH EIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS AFTER_
SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS AND SIR THOMAS LAWRENCE

LONDON
SEELEY, JACKSON, AND HALLIDAY, 54, FLEET STREET
1884

CONTENTS.

PAGE

CHAPTER I.

Introduction--Birth and
Parentage--Education--Appointments--Travels--Parliamentary
Career--Retirement--Fortune--Strawberry
Hill--Collections--Writings--Printing Press--Accession
to Title--Death--Character--Political Conduct
and Opinions--The Slave Trade--Strikes--Views of
Literature--Friendships--Charities--Chatterton--Letters 1

CHAPTER II.

Country Life--Ranelagh Gardens--The Rebel Lords--The
Earthquake--A Frolic at Vauxhall--Capture of a
Housebreaker--Strawberry Hill--The Beautiful Gunnings--Sterne 33

CHAPTER III.

A new Reign--Funeral of the late King--Houghton
revisited--Election at Lynn--Marriage of George III.--His
Coronation 62

CHAPTER IV.

General Taste for Pleasure--Entertainments at Twickenham
and Esher--Miss Chudleigh’s Ball--Masquerade at Richmond
House--The Gallery at Strawberry Hill--Balls--The Duchess
of Queensberry--Petition of the Periwig-makers--Ladies’
Head-gear--Almack’s--“The Castle of Otranto”--Plans for a
Bower--A late Dinner--Walpole’s Idle Life--Social Usages 78

CHAPTER V.

The Gout--Visits to Paris--Bath--John Wesley--Bad
Weather--English Summers--Quitting Parliament--Madame du
Deffand--Human Vanity--The Banks of the Thames--A Subscription
Masquerade--Extravagance of the Age--The Pantheon--Visiting
Stowe with Princess Amelia--George Montagu--The Countess of
Ossory--Powder-Mills Blown up at Hounslow--Distractions of
Business and Pleasure 99

CHAPTER VI.

Lord Nuneham--Madame de Sévigné--Charles Fox--Mrs. Clive and
Cliveden--Goldsmith and Garrick--Dearth of News--Madame de
Trop--A Bunch of Grapes--General Election--Perils by Land and
Water--Sir Horace Mann--Lord Clive--The History of Manners--A
Traveller from Lima--The Sçavoir Vivre Club--Reflections on
Life--The Pretender’s Happiness--Paris Fashions--Madame du
Deffand ill--Growth of London--Sir Joshua Reynolds--Change in
Manners--Our Climate 124

CHAPTER VII.

The American War--Irish Discontent--Want of Money--The Houghton
Pictures sold--Removal to Berkeley Square--Ill-health--A
Painting by Zoffani--The Rage for News--The Duke of
Gloucester--Wilkes--Fashions, Old and New--Mackerel
News--Pretty Stories--Madame de Sévigné’s Cabinet--Picture of
his Waldegrave Nieces--The Gordon Riots--Death of Madame du
Deffand--The Blue Stockings 151

CHAPTER VIII.

Walpole in his Sixty-fourth Year--The Royal
Academy--Tonton--Charles Fox--William Pitt--Mrs. Hobart’s
_Sans Souci_--Improvements at Florence--Walpole’s Dancing
Feats--No Feathers at Court--Highwaymen--Loss of the _Royal
George_--Mrs. Siddons--Peace--Its Social Consequences--The
Coalition--The Rivals--Political Excitement--The Westminster
Election--Political Caricatures--Conway’s Retirement--Lady
Harrington--Balloons--Illness--Recovery 188

CHAPTER IX.

Lady Correspondents--Madame de Genlis--Miss Burney and
Hannah More--Deaths of Mrs. Clive and Sir Horace Mann--Story
of Madame de Choiseul--Richmond--Queensberry House--Warren
Hastings--Genteel Comedy--St. Swithin--Riverside Conceits--Lord
North--The Theatre again--Gibbon’s History--Sheridan--Conway’s
comedy--A Turkish War--Society Newspapers--The Misses
Berry--Bonner’s Ghost--The Arabian Nights--King’s College
Chapel--Richmond Society--New Arrivals--The Berrys visit
Italy--A Farewell Letter 221

CHAPTER X.

Walpole’s Love of English Scenery--Richmond Hill--Burke on
the French Revolution--The Berrys at Florence--Death of
George Selwyn--London Solitude--Repairs at Cliveden--Burke
and Fox--The Countess of Albany--Journal of a Day--Mrs.
Hobart’s Party--Ancient Trade with India--Lady Hamilton--A
Boat Race--Return of the Berrys--Horace succeeds to
the Peerage--Epitaphium Vivi Auctoris--His Wives--Mary
Berry--Closing Years--Love of Moving Objects--Visit from Queen
Charlotte--Death of Conway--Final Illness of Horace--His last