she was not less surprised than gratified at their occurrence, attesting the pleasure she received by the gracious smile with which she greeted the King upon his entrance, and the unusual cheerfulness of her manner towards all her numerous visitants. With a youthful vanity (which, however, he excused to himself by attributing it to respect towards his royal mistress), Jocelyn buckled to his side the splendid sword presented to him by the King of France, and took his station near the state-chair in which the Queen was seated, whence he contemplated the gay scene before him with the greater delight, as the numerous attendance seemed to be an act of homage from the Court, to which her Majesty had been but too little accustomed. The room was beginning to be thronged: glittering dresses, sparkling diamonds, and more brilliant eyes, all emblazoned by the profuse light of the silver chandeliers, flitted before him in dazzling confusion; when Killigrew hastened up, with a look of burlesque terror, exclaiming, "Sauve qui peut! fly for your ears! for hither comes the inexhaustible, the never-silent, the omniloquent Lady Babington, whose tongue has at last discovered the perpetual motion. Even gentle George* whom she caught by the button, cut himself from it with a penknife, and ran for his life. If she would only talk by the hourglass as the Puritans preached,† we might submit; but fly! I charge ye once more, all ye who would save your ears from being drenched with the torrent of her sempiternal silliness.” * A name by which Sir George Etherege was known. He was sometimes also called Easy Etherege. + In those more religious, or more patient times, the Puritan ministers generally preached an hour by the glass, which was either affixed to the pulpit, or to some conspicuous part of the church, and afforded many an apposite allusion to the preacher. The celebrated Hugh Peters," the religious buffoon," as he has been termed, after having completed the prescribed period in one of his sermons, exclaimed to his congregation-" As I see, my brethren, that you are all good fellows, I am sure you will not object to take another glass with me.” He turned it accordingly, and indulged them with a second hour. At first Jocelyn imagined that this was the introduction to some new mummery, such as he had witnessed in the King's party, and that the apparent terror with which the auditors fled at the announcement was but to give effect to the intended joke. But he was soon undeceived by the apparition of a tall, thin, eager-looking woman, whose long chin and lank jaws seemed to have been attenuated by their own incessant motion. Making up directly to her victim, she exclaimed in a sharp and rapid voice, “Ah! Mr. Compton, how do? saw a strange face, so asked who it was, and found you out. Knew Sir John many years ago; understand he has married a Dutch vrouw; how very odd! He! he!-La! I wonder I can laugh, having so lately lost my poor sister Fanny; only buried last Thursday week. Sir John has often played at ombre with her at Grinstead House. Dare say you think I'm very dull, but assure you I'm generally the life of the company. Heigho! isn't it shocking to wear black crape and bugles, when all the world's so gay in colours and diamonds. There's Lord Arlington with his staff of office. How do, Lord Arlington? well, I do think that frightful black patch upon his nose gets bigger and bigger.* Poor Fanny! it was only last month-there goes Lord Oxford! you have heard of course that he has taken the Roxalana off the stage. However, she had a handsome funeral, a much finer sight than the presentation of the Muscovy ambassadors at the Banqueting-house. She was always my favourite sis-La! what a splendid sword you have got! are they real diamonds? Ah, Sir Charles Sedley! how do, how do? Did you ever hear such a shocking affair as his and Lord Buckhurst's at Oxford Kate's? They fined him 500l. though, and made him give bond for 50007. for his future-Gemini ! what a delicious smell! Oh Count de Grammont! I could have sworn to the essence of your perriwig. Is it frangessan, or calembue, or * From an honourable wound received in the civil wars, he was always obliged to wear a black patch. ambrette? You promised me a fillagree casket of mille-fleurs, and to fill my silver flask with tuberose from Marechal's. Oh you traitor! to forget me! Only think, Mr. Compton ! 'tis but three weeks since poor Fanny and I-that's silly old Lord Chandois; I really wish he wouldn't sing psalms so horribly out of tune at Whitehall-chapel.-My dear Mrs. Wells! delighted to see you; how beautiful you 're looking! what sweet silk stockings with gold clocks and charming little diamond buckles! Allow me; one of your crêve-cœurs, or meurtrières as some call them,* have fallen a little too near the confidantes.+ What superb point-d'Espagne cornets! There, that will do nicely. Did you get any thing by Sir Arthur Slingsby's lottery at Whitehall? No more did I? What a hurry you are in; good bye.-Is it true, Mr. Compton, that the King has left her for Mrs. * Two small curled locks at the nape of the neck. † Small curls near the ears. Upper pinners falling about the cheeks. -? |