Identifier: aedesalthorpiana01spen (find matches)
Title: Aedes Althorpianae; or, Account of the mansion, books, and pictures, at Althorp; the residence of George John, earl Spencer, K.G. To which is added a supplement to the Bibliotheca Spenceriana
Year: 1822 (1820s)
Authors: Spencer, George John Spencer, Earl, 1758-1834 Dibdin, Thomas Frognall, 1776-1847
Subjects: Althorp (Northampton, Northamptonshire) Rare books Incunabula
Publisher: London : Printed by W. Nicol, Shakespeare Press (etc.)
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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incredible value. Memoirs, vol. i. p. 480. Again,at p. 539, Evelyn describes an entertainment given to the Am-bassador of Morocco at the Dutchesse of Portsmouths glo-rious apartments at Wliitehall. In the company, he describesLady Lichfield and Sussex, the Duchess of Portsmouth, Nelly,&c. concubines, and cattell of that sort, as splendid as Jewellsand excess of bravery could make them. The foreigners tookeleave with this compliment, that God would blesse the Duchesseof Portsmouth and y Prince her Sonn, meaning the little Dukeof Richmond ; p. 539. This took place in 1682. These apartments (says Evelyn) had been pulled down andrebuilt three times to please the Duchess: but in 1691 weredestroyed by fire, which consumed other lodgings of such lewdcreatures, who debauched both King Cha. 2, and others, andwere his destruction. Granger says (apparently ujion the au-thority of Voltaires Steele de Louis XIV.) that her beauty,which was not of the most delicate kind, seemed to be very little
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THE PICTURE GALLERY. 24« impaired at seventy years of age.* Charles, on his death-bed,particularly recommended her and her son to the protection ofhis successor. She herself died as late as the year 1734, in theeighty-ninth of her age. To return to the portrait; of which sobeautifully an engraved copy embellishes these pages. TheDuchess is dressed in an orange-coloured gown. The mantle islight blue. Her right hand holds a sprig, or some leaves, whichare offered to a lamb—here obliged to be omitted for want ofroom. The colouring and expression of the face are perfect;and, on the whole, this fine original picture merits every thingsaid of the painter by Walpole, in his Works, vol. iii. p. 27. Theback-ground is among the happiest specimens of the master;and the back-grounds of Leiy appear occasionally to have beensuccessfully imitated by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Penelope Wriothesley, Second Lady Spencer, by Van-dyke.—A Spencer by Vandyke is a treasure : as was the ladyherself to her hus

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