have a general character of fudeur distinguishing them from all the rest. The costume is nearly the same in all, viz. a kind of crimson bodice very decent and formal, and a veil partly shading the hair and falling over the bust. AMELIA COUNTESS OF OSSORY.-She was the daughter of Louis de Nassau, Lord of Beverwaert, natural son of Prince Maurice.* History and scandal are silent upon the subject of this Lady Ossory, and silence is eloquent praise, if we consider the period in which she lived. We will therefore take it for granted that this lovely face and modest attire are characteristic of the gentle virtues of the original, and that the wife of the gallant Ossory was in all respects worthy of such a husband. She is represented in a pensive attitude, leaning on an urn. The features are exceedingly beautiful and delicate, and have a charming character of modesty and innocence. Lady Ossory was married very young to the eldest son of the great Duke of Ormond. As the son of such a father, "As many hopes hung on his noble head, As there hang blossoms on a bough in May." Before he was twenty-one he was already a popular and distinguished character; and Sir Robert Southwell thus describes him at that age: "He is a young man with a handsome face, a good head of hair, well set, very good-natured, rides the great horse very well, is a very good tennis player, fencer, and dancer, understands music, and plays on the guitar and lute, speaks French elegantly, reads Italian fluently, is a good historian, and so well versed in romances, that if a gallery be full of pictures and hangings, he will tell the stories of all that are there described. He shuts up his door at eight o'clock in the evening, and studies till midnight: he is temperate, courteous, and excellent in all his behaviour." This was the portrait of Lord Ossory at twentyone; he afterwards proved that he possessed personal courage, spirit, and patriotism, in addition to the courtly and mental accomplishments here enumerated, forming altogether one of the most perfect characters which history has handed down to us. He died in the prime of life, in 1680; and it was of him his noble father made the well-known reply, "That he would not exchange his dead son for any living son in Christendom.† As Lady Ossory is only interesting through the merits of her husband, these few particulars are not perhaps irrelevant to our present subject. MRS. LAWSON was probably the daughter (she looks too young and beautiful to have been the wife) of the celebrated Admiral Lawson, whose noble character is dwelt upon by Lord Clarendon, and who was * Her sister Isabella was the wife of Harry Bennet, Lord Arlington, one of the famous Cabal. + This is the same Lord Ossory who challenged the Duke of Buckingham, for saying in the House of Lords, that whoever opposed the bill then under discussion (the Irish cattle bill) "had either an Irish interest or an Irish understanding." Ossory called on the Duke to retract his words, which he considered as an unworthy reflection on the whole Irish nation, or meet him with his sword in his hand to maintain them. The whole adventure, in which Ossory behaved with such frankness and gallantry, and in which the Duke cut such a poor, or rather such an infamous figure, may be found in Clarendon's Life. killed, with so many other distinguished characters, in the sea-fight of Southwold-bay. MRS. NOTT, ought to be Lady Nott, if (as there is reason to presume) she was the wife of Sir Thomas Nott, Gentleman Usher of the Bedchamber to Charles the Second. He was as much admired for his courtly manners as he was esteemed for his learning, and was one of the first members of the Royal Society. None of the Beauties are more admired than this lovely Mrs. Nott. The face and features are perfectly exquisite, and have an expression of pensive sweetness, a tenderness and grace, which remind us of one of Carlo Dolce's Madonnas. The book which lies open on the fair lady's knee, we may suppose emblematical of her husband's learning, rather than her own; for there is nothing very studious or intellectual in this lovely and sentimental face. In the back-ground is a vase of flowers painted with a finished delicacy worthy of Verelst himself. Mrs. Nott is the last of the Windsor Beauties;-but are these, then, all? What has become of fifty other fair faces, so celebrated in the annals of beauty and gallantry? Lost-destroyed-scattered through various collections, from one end of the kingdom to the other! We will not quarrel with the absence of the notorious Lady Shrewsbury-because female frailty is one thing, and shameless depravity another. We can dispense with the insipid Miss Blague "aux blondes paupieres," and with her face" de la derniere fadeur;" and with Miss Bellenden, and Miss Bardou, and even the "languishing" Miss Boynton. Miss Wells might also be dispensed with, only we feel some curiosity to know what particular species of physiognomy De Grammont so ludicrously designates as "la physionomie d'un mouton qui reve." But we should like to see Lady Muskerry, provided she was "en Babylonienne," and feel an interest in that lively Mary Kirk*, who, albeit not surpassing in beauty, made a conquest of the gay De Grammont, and turned the head of Tom Killegrew's country-cousin; and who so nobly redeemed a first frailty, by making the best and most grateful of wives to the happiest and most adoring of husbands. We should like a peep at Nan Clarges, although it was not the beauty of her face which raised her from a blacksmith's daughter to be Duchess of Albemarle.† For a very different reason we could not pass over the lovely Mrs. Barry, Lord Rochester's pupil, and the "Miss Sara" of De Grammont's Memoires-all these, however, as well as Miss Hobart, Arabella Churchill, Mrs. Wettenhall, Lady Robarts, and even Lady Southesk, are missed without being regretted. But where is the Duchess of Portsmouth, the beautiful and imperious Louise de Querouailles, who for twelve years governed the court and the councils of Charles? Where is the beautiful Miss Bagot? Where is that laughter-loving, frolic-seeking gipsey, Miss Price? Where is that lovely coquette, Lady Chesterfield, whose guitar and green stockings ought to be hung up as relics in the Temple of Venus? Where is the fascinating Italian * See her story in the "Memoires de Grammont," where she is called Mademoiselle Warmestré. It is related in his happiest style. †The house in which the Duchess of Albemarle was born, is still standing in a court behind the New Church, in the Strand. It is at this day, and has been ever since, a blacksmith's forge. Hortense Mancini, Duchess of Mazarine, the accomplished mistress of St. Evremond*? Where is the fair and gentle-spirited Miss Temple? But, above all,-where-O where, in the name of all the loves and graces, is the brilliant, the elegant Frances Jennings? she who, at once giddy and discreet, sprightly and proud, robbed the men of their hearts and the women of their lovers-but never lost herself! Where is that transcendent form, which recalled the idea of a young Aurora newly stepped upon earth-the fair face, which eclipsed all that had yet appeared in this court of Beauties? Where is the mouth "qui n'etait pas la plus petite, mais la plus belle bouche du monde ?" Where is the exquisite little foot, which, peeping from beneath the serge petticoat, betrayed its fair owner, even under the disguise of an orange-girl? Fancy, for a moment, the sparkling Jennings in the presence-chamber, shaking the Duke of York's billets-doux out of her muff; and while they fall in showers at her feet, imagine her look of malicious surprise and simplicity imagine the looks of the courtiers! above all, imagine the looks of the Duke of York, and the looks of the poor Duchess, trying not to see what she dared not resent! Where is Nell Gwyn ?--A question to be asked! It has been said, and universally believed, that her portrait once existed in the gallery at Windsor: but either this is a mistake, or it must long ago have been removed. I have seen in my time at least fifty portraits of Nell Gwyn, of all sizes and complexions, black, brown, and fair, and bearing about as much resemblance to each other and the original, as Hecuba to Helen. It may be as well to inform the proprietors of these soidisant Nell Gwyns, that the real Nell Gwyn (and we know but of one) was a little, sprightly, fair-haired woman, with laughing blue eyes; a round, but beautiful face, and a small turned-up nose. I have met but with one portrait answering this description, and having, therefore, some pretensions to authenticity: it is in the possession of General Grosvenor, and is the original of the well-known print by Thane. There are some amusing notices of Nell Gwyn in "Pepys's Diary." The worthy secretary seems to have had a sneaking kindness for "pretty Nelly ;" and records her charms, and his admiration of them, with a sort of sly complacency. Burnet calls her "the indiscreetest and wildest creature that ever was in court." And speaking of the King's constant attachment to her, he adds, "but after all, he never treated her with the decencies of a mistress." This last observation, by the way, is "twisted into a phrase of some obscurity:" the truth is, that nothing can be added to the humorous and scandalous stories, of which she is the subject; but a few words may be ventured in her behalf. Nell Gwyn had a goodness of heart, which survived all her excesses. She was wild and extravagant, but not rapacious or selfish -frail, not vicious: she never meddled with politics, nor made herself the tool of ambitious courtiers: she was never known to have been unfaithful to the King from the time he first noticed her; "but," adds an author, who lived near her time, was as much distinguished by 66 * There is in the Stafford Gallery, an exquisite picture of the Duchess of Mazarine and St. Evremond, as Vertumnus and Pomona. Her late Majesty Queen Charlotte assured the writer of this note, that in her memory there had been no picture of Nell Gwyn at Windsor, nor any other Beauties than the fourteen which have been particularized. her personal attachment to Charles, as her rivals were by their titles and grandeur." These qualities, with reason, endeared her to the King, whose last thought was for her-" Let not poor Nelly starve !" This does not sound quite so well as "O my country!" but there are worse dying speeches upon record. Bishop Burnet is piously scandalized, that the King should have remembered such a creature" in such a moment. Some who are not bishops will, perhaps, consider this little trait among the few which redeem the sensual and worthless Charles from unqualified contempt and abhorrence. Nor should those who dwell on the flagitious life of Nell Gwyn forget to mention her exemplary death she died like a Magdalen, humble, contrite, and devout. Dr. Tenison, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, preached her funeral sermon; and when this was subsequently mentioned to Queen Mary, in the hope that it would injure him in her estimation, and be at bar to his preferment, " And what then?" answered she hastily—“ I have heard as much. This is a sign that the poor unfortunate woman died penitent: for, if I can read a man's heart through his looks, had she not made a pious and Christian end, the Doctor could never have been induced to speak well of her !"* We have done with these fascinating Beauties;-yet one word more. Horace Walpole, in speaking of this collection, says truly,-"The Beauties of Windsor are the Court of Paphos, and ought to be engraved to illustrate the memoirs of its charming historiographer, the Count Hamilton. Though it is fifty years since this was written, the Beau.. ties of Windsor have never been brought before the public in a collected form, Six of them were engraved in mezzotinto, on a large scale, by Watson; but in these, the beauty of the faces is not well preserved, and the charm of the colouring, of course, totally lost. A small set of heads was engraved to illustrate the quarto edition of De Grammont, published by Harding in 1793; but in poverty of execution, these are below contempt, and, in point of resemblance, absolute libels on the originals. The King, it is said, has refused permission to have the pictures again engraved; and, considering the wretched attempts hitherto made, it is scarcely matter of wonder that his Majesty's gallantry should be interested in behalf of injured beauty. But does this prohibition extend to the exquisite set of miniature copies, made by Mr. Murphy, for the late Princess Charlotte, and now, I believe, in the possession of Sir Gerard Noel? These, of course, are private property; and, from the known character of the proprietor, we may presume they are at the service of any liberal publisher of taste and spirit. A set of engravings of the Beauties of Windsor, with one or two additional portraits of striking beauty and interest, of a size to be bound up with the large edition of De Grammont, and tinted after the original pictures, would be one of the most splendid speculations ever undertaken, and could not fail of success and encouragement, both in England and in France. * Life of Archbishop Tenison. † Anecdotes of Painting. RECOLLECTIONS OF THE LIFE OF JOHN O'KEEFFE.* Written by himself. My second rub was this: Edwin took it into his queer head that I had written a better part for Quick than for him, who had hitherto carried all my affairs so famously. This threw him into such an ill humour with me, that, during the rehearsals, by Mr. Harris's advice I kept out of his sight as much as I could; and yet when Edwin did perform Tallyho, his success was so decisive, that he was the first to thank me for having written for him this flower of the turf. Wilson distinguished himself greatly in his character of Sir John Bull, as did Mrs. Webb in Lady Bull, and little Mrs. Wilson in Dolly Bull. Bull was afterwards most successfully acted by Mrs. Mattocks. witzer, who in Frenchmen was most complete, did Colonel Epaulette; and Mrs. Kennedy, as Mrs. Casey, was quite at home in her inn, the British Lion at Fontainebleau. The double equivoque of Colonel and Taylor exceeded every laughable hope. The next day I received the following anonymous letter: Dolly TO JOHN O'KEEFFE, ESQ. Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. "Sir,-It is a common circumstance for foreigners to ridicule our dressing and imitating of French character. They have now a fine opportunity of laughing at the dress of Wewitzer in Fontainebleau'-I mean his English dress. As I disapprove of the style of it, I will mention to you what perhaps will induce you to make him alter it. When I was at Paris, the rage for the English style of dress was at its height. Walking one morning in the Thuilleries, the Duc de C- (not de Chartrés) joined me: I was in boots. The Duke requested I would give him a pair of English boots; and this way he dressed the next time I met him. Hair dressed au dernier gout, with ear-rings, brown coat, broad green and white striped waistcoat, black velvet small-clothes, with my new neat low-topped English boots. This is fact. Or, if you dislike the above French idea of an English dress, any dress but the present of Wewitzer's; for which I would dismiss my groom for want of a proper taste. With every admiration of your wit and humour, "I am, with much cordiality, yours, "Bedford Coffee-house, 11 at Night." } &c. &c. &c. This being an anonymous letter, of course no notice was taken of it by either me or my friends. In the writing of this opera I had some idea of going over to Fontainebleau myself with my brother, and mentioned my intention to Mr. Harris, who advised me to stay where I was, and not think of groping my way on French ground. During the whole course of my thirty years' acquaintance with Mr. Harris, his judgment was of that sterling cast which mostly led to happy results. His industry was unwearied. After labouring through perhaps a three hours' rehearsal, his manner was to stand in the centre of the stage, put his hands into his coat pockets, and thus give out- "I am now going away-has any body any thing to say to me?" This invitation, fully addressed to performers, prompter, band, composer, carpenters, tailors, scene-men, lamp-men, scene-shifters, door-keepers, treasurer, and poet. And here I may mention John Ledger-the trusty, useful, and honest John • Continued from page 468. |