A lady of the last century

Birth and Parentage of Mrs. Montagu—Long Tom Robinson—Dr. Conyers Middleton—Early Training of Mrs. Montagu—Funeral at York Cathedral—Mrs. Makin—Her System of Female Education—Sc...

Edward Montagu—Wedding Tour—Allerthorpe—Pursuits There—Lord Dupplin—Character of Mrs. Montagu’s Neighbours—Unwelcome Visitor—Habits of Mind—Lite in London—Birth of a Son—Little...

Visits London—George Lewis Scott—Marries Mrs. Montagu’s Sister—Their Separation—Death a Friend—Lady Hester Pitt—The Refugee, Bower—Lady Townshend’s Ball—Lady Essex—“Bluestocking...

Anecdote of the Young King—Lord Anson—Retirement of Mr. Speaker Onslow—Death of Beau Nash—Mr. Pitt—His Character—Lord Bute—Marriage of the King—Portrait of Queen Charlotte—Lord...

Retirement of the Duke of Newcastle—The King’s Purchase of Buckingham House—Violent Distemper in London—Death of the Duke of Portland and Mrs. Donellan—Lord Halifax—Death of Sir...

Critical State of Public Affairs—Voltaire’s Attack on Shakespeare—Mrs. Montagu’s Defence—Reception of Her Essay—Countess Gower’s Criticism—Doctor Johnson’s Opinion of It—Garrick...

The Duchess of Portland—Fineness of the Weather—Visit to Winchester—Smuggling—Visit to Mr. Burke at Beaconsfield—Character of Mr. Burke—Lord Temple—Lord Nuneham—Mrs. Montagu’s R...

Mrs. Montagu’s Attention to Her Affairs—Visits Sandleford and Denton—Visits Her Estate at Burniston—Entertains Her Tenants—Drought in 1775—Charitable Institutions—Visits Her Col...

Nuneham—Society There—The French Ambassador—The Taking of Ticonderoga—Morris Robinson’s Widow—Building of the Haymarket Theatre—Mrs. Montagu’s Heir—The Minuet—Family Affairs—Kin...

Character of Miss Coke—The New Singer at the Pantheon—Society at Tunbridge Wells—The Minuet Goes Out of Fashion—Decay of Mrs. Montagu’s Father—The Camp at Coxheath—Prosperity of...

The Bluestockings—Mrs. Chapone as Lady Racket in the _Rambler_—The _Rambler_ Attacks Card-Playing—Sunday Night Parties—Madame Du Bocage—Card-Parties at the Duke of Richmond’s—A...

Queen Charlotte—Miss Burney—The New House in Portman Square—Improvements in Her Property—Character of the French, Dutch, and English—Lord Edward Bentinck—Miss Cumberland—Lord Br...

Air-Balloons—Fire at Sandleford—Feather-Work—Mrs. Montagu at the Drawing-Rooms—Mr. Jerningham’s Lines on the Occasion of Her Fall There—Engagement of Her Heir and Nephew to Miss...

Elizabeth Robinson, who became so well known, subsequently, as Mrs. Montagu, belongs altogether to the eighteenth century. She was born at York, in October, 1720. She died in th...

Edward Montagu was the son of Charles, who was the fifth son of the first Earl of Sandwich. He was a well-endowed gentleman, both intellectually and materially, and he adopted t...

In October, Mrs. Montagu was in her town house, in Hill Street, receiving company. Guests of the present day will read, perhaps with a smile of wonder, the following illustratio...

The unpublished letters take up the glorious theme previous to the last incident named in the published correspondence. The earliest is from Mrs. Montagu’s sister, Mrs. Scott, t...

The first letter of Mrs. Montagu’s in the hitherto unpublished series is addressed “To Mr. Robinson,” the writer’s brother. It is dated from “London, 28th of May, 1762.” Mr. Rob...

In 1769, the critical state of public affairs drew from Mrs. Montagu the following reflection: “I hope I shall see all my friends safe and well at my return to town; but, indeed...

Mrs. William Robinson, who, with her husband and children, had been so long abroad, had now returned to England, and had visited Mr. and Mrs. Montagu. Late in the year, Mrs. Mon...

Mrs. Montagu respected her gentle husband’s memory in the way he would have approved—by attending to the business which his death left on her hands. She withdrew to Sandleford,...

“Sandleford, _September 26, 1778_.... Nuneham is a very fine place, and the owners of it are so amiable and agreable, that one passes one’s time very pleasantly. It sometimes re...

_December 20, 1778._ Mrs. Scott to Mrs. Robinson, Denton.—“... Miss Coke is a most extraordinary character, and, in my opinion, a most contemptible one, though I suppose she thi...

To Mrs. Montagu, Mrs. Vesey (a warm-hearted Irish lady), and Mrs. Ord (daughter of an eminent surgeon, named Dillingham, and subsequently a wealthy widow) is generally ascribed...

Returning to the year 1781, it is to be observed that after that year, the Bluestocking assemblies gradually died out. Cumberland’s caricature of them excited the displeasure of...

To Mrs. W. Robinson.—“_Sandleford, February 3, 1784._ ... The air-balloons, without a pun, may be said to rise higher and higher, by every experiment. Messrs. Roberts performed...