DUTCHESS of KBMSTON. •■*<*"' i«ii£y«u>if«->/<^""* a/fn.yit,Jj!jf.U£*<^jr'f'' <'**•*• CJn^nft: A N AUTHENTIC DETAIL 0 F PARTICULARS RELATIVE TO THE LATE DUCHESS of KINGSTON. A NEW EDITION. L ON DON: Johnson's Printed for G. K E A R S L E Y, at Heap, Street. No. 46, Fleet MDCCLXXXV1II. Price Three Shillings and Six Pence. HALL. ENTERED AT STATIONER'S Prefatory Obfervations. 1HE demife of the DUCHESS OF KINGSTON being authentic cated in England, the public prints contained various anecdotes refpect- ing that lady, which were either wholly conjectural, or partially un true. Obferving this, the Author of the following DETAIL tranf- mitted to the prefs fome particulars, which he knew to be facts ; intend ing them only as contributing, for a time, to diurnal amufement. He was folicited, however, to colleft, and print them, in a different form ; with a continuation, and fuch [ ii 1 fucn anecdotes as he could furnifh from authenticity. The publica tion in this friape, is now fub- mitted to the world—The time ne- ceffary to obtain, and bring from Paris, an attefted copy of the WILL of the Duchefs, is humbly offered as an apology •, and its be ing fo truly an original, will, it is hoped, abundantly atone for the procraftination. The rap:Jfale of thefi'ft ImpreJJion, is ajlrong prefinnpiive proof, that the faffs which are here inconji- Jul,mited to the Public, have afforded no derable foare of entertainment. ME- M E M O I R S, &c. &c. -/x S the deaths of thofe who have eminently figured on the ftage of Being, always occafion pofthumous animadverfion, the demife of fo extraordinary a character as the late Duchess of Kingston will, there is not a doubt, give rife to a variety of details refpedting her life and conduct. This is an age wheu the prying eye of curiofity penetrates the privacy of every diftinguifhed perfon ; neither the living nor the dead eicape. The moft trivial purfuits of the one, and the former table-talk of the other, are expofed and narrated, with all the pomp of importance, by fome officious hand, engaged to furnifh anecdote for the world. The author of the fubfequent account profeffeth a departure B from [ » ] from the cuftomary mode of detailing puerilities of thought, expreffion, or habit. Such pueri lities are but too prevalent, even where intel lectual greatnefs moft abounds ; and it furely is becoming the office of candour to veil, ra ther than exemplify, the weakneffes of our nature. Elizabeth Chudleigh was well defcended, from an ancient family, fituated in Devonfhire. One of her male anceftors had a naval com mand in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and gallantly acquitted himfelf in the memorable defeat of the SpaniJh Armada. She was born in the year 1720, and her father was a Colonel in the army, and had apoft in Chelfea college; but, dying when me was at an early age, his relict had the care of a daughter devolved on her, with little more than the ufual penfion al lotted the widow of an officer, for their mutual fubfiftence. Thus narrowed in fortune, Mrs. Chudleigh prudently availed herfelf of the beft fubftitute for money—good connections. Thefe the rank, fituation, and habits of her hufband, had placed within her power. She hired an houfe fit, at that lefs refined period of time, for a fafhionable town refidence; and fhe accom modated an inmate, for the purpofe of adding to the fcaniinels of her income. Her daughter Eliza- C 3 3 Elizabeth was foon diflinguimed for a bril liancy of repartee, and for other qualities highly recommendatory, becaufe extremely pleafing. An opportunity for the difplay of them, to every advantage the poffeffor could reafonably defire, offered at a moment when fortune was benignantly difpofed. The father of our pre- fent Sovereign had his court at Leicefter Houfe. Mr. Pulteney, who then blazed as a meteor in the hemifphere of oppofition, was honoured with the particular regard of the Prince of Wales. Mifs ChudleiGh was introduced to Mr. Pueteney; and he obtained her, at the age of about eighteen, the appointment of a Maid of Honour to the Princefs of Wales. Mr. Pulteney did more than thus place her in an elevated ftation ; he endeavoured to cultivate her underftanding. To him Mifs Chudleigh with' read ; and him, when feparated by dis tance, fhe literally correfponded. Some im provement fhe obtained by this advantage, but the extreme vivacity of her nature prevented any confiderable acquirements. Her maxim, on every fubject, was, according to her own " furprifing." expreffion, to be fhort, clear, and A voluminous author was, conlequently, her averfion ; and a prolix ftory, however intereft- ing, difgufted her, merely from the circum- iiance of prolixity. With fuch a pupil, Mr. B 2 Pulte- [ 4 ] Pulteney could laugh, and,, in defpair of his im- literary inftru&ion making any deep preffion op the mind of his adopted fair one, he changed the fcene, and endeavoured to initiate her in the fcience of ceconomy, inftead of books. The value of a penny he had ftudied to a nicety; one of his practical theorems was, that a man with the price of a pot of porter in his pocket, fhould purchafe only a pint, how ever extreme his thirft. This was the GREAT William Pulteney, who, like other patriots, without principle, degenerated into a Peer, without honour, and died without the veftige of regard for his memory being found in any breaft that exifted at the time of his depar ture. The ftation to which Mifs Chudleigh was advanced, combined with many attrac tions, produced a number of admirers ; fome of actual, others of expectant titles. Among the former, was his Grace the Duke of Ha had afterwards milton, whom Mifs Qunning the good fprtune to obtain for a confort. The Duke was pafliopately fopdof Mifs Chudleigh,, and the ardour with which he preffed his iuit, attained the epd he then wiihed to accomplish, which was, a folemp engagement on the part of Mifs Chudleigh, that on his return from making [ 5 ] making a tour, for which he was preparing, Ihe would become his,wife. There were rea- fons why this event fhould not immediately take place ; that the engagement would be ful filled at the fpecified time, both parties coh- fidered as a moral certainty. A mutual pledge was given and accepted ; the Duke commenced his propofed tour, and the parting condition was, that he fhould write by every opportunity. Mifs Chudleigh, of courfe, was reciprocally bounden to anfwer his Grace's Ovidiaq epiftles. Thus the arrangement of fortune feemed to, have united a pair, who poflibly might have, experienced much happinefs in the union ; for between the Duke of Hamilton and Mifs Chud leigh, there was a fimilarity of difpofition. They were pot, however, to be joined. Dif- truft was to take place of unbounded confidence; and they were mutually to be diffatisfied with each other, without either being culpable. Mifs Chudleigh had an aunt whofe name was Hanmer ; at her houfe Captain Hervey, the late Earl of Briftol, vifited. To this gentle man Mrs. Hanmer became fo exceedingly par- rial, that fhe favoured his views on her niece, and engaged her efforts to effect, if ppffible, a matrimonial connection. There were two dif ficulties which would have been infurmountable, jf not oppofed by the fertile genius of a female. Mifs t 6 ] Mifs Chudleigh difliked Captain Hervey, and fhe was betrothed to the Duke of Hamilton. To render the laft nugatory, the letters of his Grace were intercepted by Mrs. Hanmer, and his fuppofed filence giving offence to her niece, ftie worked {o fuccefsfully on her pride, as to induce her to abandon all thoughts of the lo^ Vtr, whofe paffion fhe had cheriflied with de light. A conduct the reverfe of that imputed to the Duke, was obferved by Captain Hervey. He was all which affidnity could dictate, or at tention perform. He had daily accefs to Mifs Chudleigh, and each interview was artfully im proved by the aunt, to the promotion of her own views. The letters of his Grace of Ha milton, which regularly arrived, were as regu larly fuppreffed ; until piqued beyond longer endurance, Mifs Chudleigh was prevailed on lo accept the hand of Captain Hervey, and, by a private marriage, to enfure a participation of his future honours and fortune. The cere mony was performed in a private chapel adjoin ing the country manfion of Mr. Merrill. The only furviving witnefs is a woman confiderably advanced in years, who was a fervant in the family *. On * This marriage was folemnized in the year 1744) at aparifh in which Lair./'oi), in the county of Southampton ; there L 7 J On a review of life, every reflecting mind may eafily trace the predominant good, or evil experienced, to fame wilful error, or injudici ous miftake, which operated as a determinate caufe, and gave the colour to our fate. This was the cafe with Mifs Chudleigh ; for, the hour in which fhe became united with Captain Hervey, proved to her the origin of every fub- fequent unhappinefs. There is a compliment to the dead, exacted by ufage ; conformably to which, we treat their names with reverence, whofe deeds deferve the fevereft reproach. On this principle it can only be faid, that the con nubial rites were attended with confequences, injurious to health, as well as unproductive of fecundity ; and that, from the night following the day on which the marriage was folemnized, Mils Chudleigh refolved never to have farther connection with her hufband.