Diary Illustrative of the Times of George the Fourth, Interspersed with Letters from Queen Caroline and Other Persons [By Lady C.S.M. Bury] (Ed. by J. Galt). (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1838 Excerpt: ... manque: the figures hard and ungraceful, and no sense of awe is inspired in beholding it. These rooms have all painted ceilings. If not by the first masters, they are very tolerably executed, and give a richness to the general effect of an apartment. In those called the Four Seasons, there are magnificent frames to the mirrors, carved in various rare woods, in the most exquisite manner--birds, and insects, and flowers, and fruits, and hanging foliage, after the manner of our Gibbon. In the Camera detta del Inverno there hangs a large picture, reckoned fine, by Paolo Da Verona: the subject, Judith cutting off Holofernes' head. A black slave holds the sack in which she is depositing it. The only remarkable circumstance I observed in this picture was, the exact resemblance I saw in its colouring to that of Sir Joshua Reynolds. Tuesday, 11th of April, 1815.--I went to call on the Princess Grassalkovich. I like her and her Prince vastly. I found it difficult, however, to twist the state of things into anything like respectability, and they ended by saying Lady Glenbervie and Lady C. C l were very good, to remain in their situations. This, alas is the melancholy account I hear of my royal friend. They detained me so long I was nearly too late to be in waiting to receive the King of Sardinia's chamberlain, who paid his master's respects very politely to Her Royal Highness. He had a long conference with her: so also had the King of Prussia's chamberlain, Monsieur De Raudel. These persons were telling her the public news when I entered, and I evidently saw it did not please her. They said it was impossible for Murat to pass the Po; and I am sadly afraid the Princess has some foolish mad scheme in her head about him; which frightens me more than the rest of her doings.