Some Old Time Beauties

Some Old Time Beauties

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Title: Some Old Time Beauties After Portraits by the English Masters,
with Embellishment and Comment
Author: Thomson Willing

Release Date: June 16, 2005 [eBook #16079]
Language: en
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SOME OLD TIME BEAUTIES
After Portraits by the English Masters, with Embellishment and
Comment
by
THOMSON WILLING

Boston Joseph Knight Company
MDCCCXCV

CONTENTS
GEORGIANA, DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE Portrait by Thomas
Gainsborough
MARY, HONORABLE MRS. GRAHAM Portrait by Thomas
Gainsborough.
EMMA, LADY HAMILTON Portrait by George Romney.
MRS. SHERIDAN Portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds.
MARGUERITE, COUNTESS BLESSINGTON Portrait by Sir Thomas
Lawrence.
MARY ISABELLA, DUCHESS OF RUTLAND Portrait by Sir Joshua
Reynolds.
LAVINIA, COUNTESS SPENCER Portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds.
ELIZABETH, DUCHESS OF HAMILTON Portrait by Catharine
Read.
MARIA, COUNTESS OF COVENTRY Portrait by Gavin Hamilton.
ELIZABETH, COUNTESS GROSVENOR Portrait by Sir Thomas
Lawrence.

[Illustration: GEORGIANA, DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE by
GAINSBOROUGH]
HER GRACE OF DEVONSHIRE
The Dashing Duchess,--the impulsive, ebullient beauty whose smile
swayed ministers, and for whose favor princes were beggars! A
loveliness of manner, as of feature, such seductive color,--glowing
carnations,--and such golden-brown hair, with a fine figure, made up an
opulent personality, than which no more consummate type of beauty
has been preserved to us by painter or poet.
Georgiana Spencer was the daughter of Lord Spencer, afterwards first
Earl Spencer; but her impulsiveness, her waywardness, and
improvidence were a legacy from her grandfather, "Jack" Spencer, the
grandson and special favorite of the beautiful Sarah, Duchess of
Marlborough. Her "Torismond," she called him. His was a career of
profligacy, a course of error and extravagance. His mother was Lady

Sunderland, known in society as "the little Whig," from her small
stature and her persistent politics. Her party badge was always
worn,--the black patch on the left side of the face, as distinguished from
the Tory fashion of wearing it on the right side. So Georgiana came
legitimately by her beauty, her Whiggish politics, and her versatile
vivacity of manner, as well as her improvidence and indiscretion.
But her mother's strong character was a potent influence. She was the
daughter of the Right Honorable Stephen Poyntz, and was of high
repute for generosity, for sensibility, for charity, and for courteous
dignity of demeanor. We hear of Georgiana being a beautiful child; and
Reynolds as well as Gainsborough, both made painted record of that
childish beauty. Her brightness of mind gave her an interest in art, in
music, and in literature; and, though not proficient in the practice of
either, she had more than the society woman's knowledge of them. At
seventeen, she married William, fifth Duke of Devonshire, ten years
her senior. His was a temperament antipathetic to hers,--unsympathetic,
unimpressionable, and taciturn, yet withal of the Cavendish
characteristic persistency of purpose and honest intent.
The Duchess at once became a queen of society in the Carlton House
Court. Devonshire House was an assembly place for the Whigs; and its
lovely mistress was the hostess of many a statesman exalted by his wit,
as of many a politician with following by virtue of his station. Like all
radical companies, it was a motley mixture that found welcome there.
The Prince of Wales was a devotee. The then shining Sheridan was a
frequenter; but with the name of Fox has that of the Duchess been more
associated than of aught other. Her supremacy among these
companions was not in the manner of the French Salon leaders,--while
wit, knowledge, and tact were hers, she lived not by learning, but by
her liveliness and jollity. She was not the scholar in politics, but the
politician among scholars out of school.
It was a roystering, revelling company; and political as well as personal
penury became the portion of many as the result of these improvident
and profligate days. The episode of the Duchess's career which is most
known, is her purchase, by a kiss, of a vote for Fox when she was
championing his cause in an election, and canvassing for votes in
company with her sister, Lady Duncannon. It was said, "never before
had two such lovely portraits appeared on a canvass." A butcher

bargained for his vote by asking