BC_1739_EMONTAGU_MB
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<Q A 1739? TC MB EMONTAGU> <X ELIZABETH MONTAGU> [}ELIZABETH ROBINSON TO THE DUCHESS OF PORTLAND. 1739 DECEMBER [14-]15. MO 286. BATH}] <P1> [\ADDED Dec 27 1739\] Friday Bath Madam After four days journey in very bad roads I arrived here a good deal tired, if Scaron had not been very facetious my countenance had not received the impression of a Smile since I left Whitehall till my Arrival at Bath, I read most part of the way, but was sometimes taken off (\Le petit\) Ragotins disasters to fear those that might happen to (\la petite\) Fidget, a violent jolt or an undue biass of the Coach gave frequent & untimely periods to a Sentence at last I got to the end of a tiresome journey to a place no less tiresome, if happiness as is said is comparison, how miserable must I be after having left your Grace, & those agreable friends by which you are always surrounded, to come here to the Assembly <P2> Of Invalids, the morning after I came to Bath I went to the Ladies Coffee House, where I hear'd of nothing but the Rheumatism in the Shoulder, the Sciatica in the hip, & the Gout in the toe, after these complaints which ran round the Room I began to fancy my self in the Hospital or infirmary, I never saw such an Assembly of disorders, I dare say Gay wrote his fable of the Court of death from this place, after drinking the waters I go to Breakfast, & about twelve I drink another glass of waters, & then dress for dinner, visits employ the afternoon, & we Saunter away the Evening in great Stupidity, I think no place can be less agreable, how d'you do is all one hears in the morning, & what is trumps in the afternoon; I hope I shall live three months longer for coming here, or I shall be a loser by the bargain, for I think the time I have dedicated to Bath will be lost as to pleasure, but I hope it <P3> will be improved as to Health, I shall bring a towardly disposition of mind & body for the diversions of London after nursing my self here, what most grieves me is that the only pleasure your Graces absence affords, which is writing to you, is difficult here, from the constant employment of drinking the waters, I am ashamed I have not wrote to your Grace before, but we have had a great deal of company every afternoon, & some in the most vacant part of the morning from the waters, so that I have not had a pen in my hand till just now. Lady Berkshire did us the honour of a visit on wednesday, but we were just gone to the Rooms, where she no sooner saw me than she came to me to enquire after your health; Lord Berkshire is litterally speaking laid by the leg, which the Gout has usurp'd, for it has ever been a distemper of very great quality, & runs in the best blood, & consequently in the blood of the H-ds; M=rs= Howard and M=r= Tom Howard L=d= Berkshire's youngest son are here, as are likewise M=rs= <P4> Grevile & her Daughter, who (having seen me with your Grace) enquired with great concern after you, I think if one could put the whole World in anxiety as you have done for being sick one might be content [\to be ill/], but for us of small consequence who unlamented dye, & not a stone tells where we lie, it is proper to come to Bath to renew a bad constitution, there is a good many people here, but not many of such as are known to your Grace, those who are most likely to be so are as follow Lady Hereford Lady Susan [\Panter DELETED\] I think it is Lady Susan (but I don't know so well as her Godmother) Lady Fanny Shirley, [\Lady Ann Furnese/] Lady Anne Finch, Lady Widdrington, Miss Windsors, Miss Gage, & I should first have said the Dowager Dutchess of Norfolk, & M=rs= Howard Brigadier General Howards Wife, a Lady who accompanys her pedigree with a narrative as well as Lord Percival, for the other day in the coffee House I hear'd her delivering her Genealogy to a Gentleman with great particularity, as I remember she proved Noahs third Son was call'd [\Howard\] , she said she believed Tubal Cain (a man of great ingenuity <P5> If your Grace remembers him in the Book once in fashion) was the first inventor of Surnames, & that he called himself Tubal Cain Ho-d, but as that was but conjecture she woud not insist upon it, however she was sure Babel was to have been call'd Howard Castle if in the general confusion it had not been changed for syllables of inferior fashion, as for the men except Lord Noel Somerset they are altogether abominable, there is not one good, no not one, so I will say nothing of them, as I can say nothing for them, however such as they are I must dress for them, but I will leave my letter that I may write a supplement to it to morrow, if I had not made sure of a Partner before to day I could not have wrote so much, for one is forced to look ones handsomest 'till one has got a Partner, least one should be left forsaken & forlorn. PS Madam you know the Spectator says a Woman never speaks her mind but in the Postscript, if so this letter will be very sincere, for I am now setting forward to send you a sheet of Postscript if I can find <P6> Any thing to fill it. Last night produced nothing but some bad dancing except M=r= Southell, who was overwhelm'd with congratulatory compliments, in one day he was chose Member, made father to a little Daughter, and got a =L=500 prize in the lottery, he seem'd in great spirits, & bow'd popularly low to all his acquaintance, Amongst the rest I had a salutation from him with as great civility as if I had been Mayoress of Bristol, or had sent a patriot voice in screaming against the Excise or convention, I was much pleased at the sight of a Person who was so happy, the delight of his countenance & joy of his heart communicated it self to me, & put me in good humour for the whole night. I hear Lady Bab & M=r= Mansal are come down, but they have not been in the Rooms yet, I believe there is a great circulation of company for the Bells are always ringing for some Body come, or tolling for somebody gone, I think there are several [\decreased\] in the Burials of this week; here are many people who <P7> I have known [\& seen/] before, but very few who I care whether I ever see them again, one Person who I like extreamly, loves her husband so much better than she does me that I can't persuade her to come out; I believe your Grace has often hear'd me speak of M=rs= Freind, who is not at all like her Brother S=r= Tommy, tho' she happens to be so nearly related to him, what makes me like [\her/] still better is her great contempt for Mattadors, I don't believe she ever dreamt of Spadille in her life, tho' most peop[{le{] [\TEAR\] this place [\TEAR\] prefer its company to that of their bes[{t{] [\TEAR\] friends. I [\TEAR\] [{beg{] your Grace to my compliments to my Lord Duke, & Lady Wallingford, to whom[\e?\] I will write very soon, I hope her Ladyship is well, I desire likewise my humble Service to M=r= Achard. I must go & drink a glass of water in which I will drink your health, & perhaps it may do you as much good as it will me, for I don't yet know what service they will be of to me, but they agree with me very well, & civilly permit me to dance. Please to direct to direct to me at M=r= Andertons in the Grove it <P8> Will be very charitable to write me a line, but I know you have better diversions than writing, I have no pleasure any where so great as that of assuring your Grace that I am Madam Your most Obedient & most Oblig Humble Servant Eliza- Saturday Dec y=e= 15=th= [\ADDRESS\] To / Her Grace / The Dutchess of Portland [\SEALED\]