BC_1777_EMONTAGU_HR

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<Q A 1777 FN HR EMONTAGU>
<X ELIZABETH MONTAGU>
 [}ELIZABETH MONTAGU TO MATTHEW ROBINSON [JR]. JUNE 9 1777. BL ADD. 40663. F. 57}]
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Sandleford June 9=th= 1777 Dear Brother
   It would be with much greater pleasure I should take up my pen to tell you I am at Sandleford, if I could flatter myself with the hope of alluring you to it. You would find me in the character of a Farmeress. The meager condition of the soil forbids me to live in the State of a Shepherdess Queen which I look upon as the highest rural dignity. The plough the Harrow & the Spade remind us that the golden age is past, & subsistence depends on labour, prosperity on industrious application. A little of the day, of which you complain, would do us a great deal of good. I should be glad to take my Dominions here from the Goddess Ceres, to give them to the God Pan; & I think you will agree with me in that taste, for
[\whatever INTO whereever\]
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he presides, there Natures Republick is establish'd. the Ox in his Pasture, is as free, & as much at his ease, as the proprietor of the Soil, & the days of the first are not more shorten'd to feed the intemperance of others than the rich Landlords, by the indulgence of his own. I look upon the Goddess Ceres as a much less impartial, & universally kind Deity. The antients thought they did her honour by ascribing to her the invention of Laws; we must consider [\her/] also as the Mother of Lawsuits, & indeed of all the division & dissensions & distinctions among Mankind. Naturalists [\tells INTO tell\] us, all the Oaks that have ever been were contain'd in the first acorn, I believe we may affirm by the [\same mode of/] reasoning that all arts & sciences were contain'd in the first ear of Corn. To possess lasting [\treasure/] & exclusive property has been the great business & aim of Man. At Sandleford you will find us busy in the [\BLOT\] [\cares\] of Arable Land. By two little purchases Mr Montagu made here, my farm contains
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six hundred Acres. As I now consider it as Amazonian Land, I affect to consider the Women as capable of assisting in agriculture as much as the Men; they weed my corn, hoe my turnips, & set my Pottatoes, & by these means promote the prosperity of their families. A Landlord, whose (\le droit du Seigneur\) prevail'd, would not expose the complexions of his female Vassals to the Sun. I must confess my Amazons hardly deserve to be accounted of the fair Sex, & they have not the resources of pearl powder & rouge when the natural lillies & roses are faded.
   You are very polite in supposing my looks not so homely as I described them, but tho my health is good, the faded roses do not revive; & I assure you, I am always of the colour of (\la [\feuillemorte\] \) . My complexion has long fallen into the Sere & yellow leaf, and I assure you one is as much warned against using art by seeing the Ladies of Paris as the Spartan
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youths by observing the effect of intoxicating liquors on the Helots. The vast quantity of rouge worn there by the fine Ladies makes them hideous. As I always imagine one is less looked at by wearing the uniform of the Society one lives in, I allow'd my (\frizeuse\) to put on whatever rouge was usually worn, but a few years ago I believe my vanity could not have submitted to such a disfiguration. As soon as I got to Dover I returnd to my former complexion. I own I think I could make that complexion a little better, by putting on a little rouge; but at my age, any appearance of solicitude about complexion is absurd, & therefore I remain where age & former ill health has brought me; & rejoyce however that I enjoy the comforts of health, tho deprived of its pleasing looks.
   I am very glad to find my Neice has recover'd her health, I was much afraid of a Consumption for her. She seems to me to be a sensible amiable
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girl, & to have the disposition & qualities which render domestick life peaceable & chearfull. It is has [\SIC\] given me great pleasure to hear by many opportunities, that your health is pretty good; but if S=t= Anthonys fire should menace a return [\remember/] that his distemper as well as his temptation is most dangerous in a desart [\on\] Wilderness; & repair to the City of Bath. Tho I say this, I was never in my life more sensible of the [\FOLD\] [\charms\] of rural life, & the blessing of tranquillity, but at same time, I am sensible my relish for them is much quicken'd by having been for above a twelvemonth past in a very different mode of life. I regret very much that the Emperor did not come to Paris last Summer. Tho I suppose, amongst the french Nobility, I met with Men as polite, amongst the Academicians with men more learned, ingenious, & witty, yet as I am a Virtuoso in
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what relates to the human character, & love to see how it appears in various situations, I should have seen an Emperor as an Emperor is an unique in human society at present, & the Austrian family has also had a strongly marked Personal character. All my french correspondents assure me, that his Imperial Majesty veils his dignity, on all occasions, under the character of Count de Falkenstein. He sleeps at his Ambassadors, but dines with the two Noblemen of his Court who attend him, at (\une Hotel [\garrie?rne\] \). When he goes to Versailles to visit his Sister, he refuses to Lodge in the Palace, and lyes at a Bagnio. he goes sometimes to Versailles in his Coach, at others in a [\UNCLEAR\] , or walks. The french, who are much struck with every thing that is new, are full of wonder & respect [\&/] at the Publick Spectacles they give a thunder of applause whenever he appears. In private society his Majesty is easy & affable
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and by what I can understand, glad to shew he is more conversant in the common affairs of human life than Princes usually are. The objects of his curiosity, & the subjects of his discourse, are such as seem to indicate he is a man of sense, whether he has talents for Empire time must shew, without understanding the doctrine of chances as well as [\UNCLEAR\] one may pronounce; the chances are nearly infinite that he has not. I am glad however Princes begin to travel, one has a chance of meeting these Itinerant Monarchs somewhere, & they amuse at [\TEAR\] [{least{] as well as stuff'd Eagles or Lions in a [\TEAR\] [{Museum{] I was in great hopes that you would have had the curiosity to have come to Town to have heard L=d= Chatham in support of his Motion the other day, & when you had got so far towards Bath you might have proceeded, & I should have y=e= happiness in seeing you here. The Primate of Ireland & S=r= Will=m= Robinson were so good as to call on me in their way to London. they staid only three days. I believe the Primate will go to Tunbridge before he returns to
Ireland.
   I believe I shall not remove from hence till y=e= middle
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of next month when I propose to make a visit at Mount Edgecumbe. I am ashamed of this long letter. I have an opportunity of sending it to London this moment. I am Dear Brother with most affect=te= esteem
   y=rs= &c
   EMontagu
[\ADDRESS\] To / Matt: Robinson M: Esq=r= / Horton / near Hythe
/ Kent