In her letter of Monday, November 19th 1798, she recounts the events of the previous Friday.
'I went to dress & made ourselves very smart before half past seven, when we took ourselves off to Mrs Leman's party. I wore a beautiful wreath of white jasmine which Mrs Leigh gave me & looked remarkably well. We have uncommon good fun at our party, - & I have some choice stories in store for you, concerning Letitia and Mr Cobbe, - Do not you admire the idea Tish & me flourishing about tete-a-tete - she demeans herself very prettily as a chaperon - & is altogether much improved, in my opinion - Between eight and nine we left Mrs Lehman's & returned to Milsom Street - where we paid our compliments to Mrs Leigh & Mr Frere & told our comical adventures - then we took chair again & proceeded to the lower-rooms where Major Powlett was waiting for us. - It was too late for much dancing - my partner for the little time there was - was nothing extraordinary therefore I shall not introduce him - I had a flirtation with Captain Hill of the Guards - who was grieved at having engaged himself before my arrival, - Home at eleven, as usual - & our little supper party was very pleasant.'
The next day, Saturday evening.
'The Powletts & I went to the Play In the evening, We were to have had a number of gay folks In our party - Miss Newenham Miss Barry & Major Peacock but some unlucky accident or another obliged them all to make excuses & we were obliged to content ourselves with the Trio above-mentloned. "The Castle / Spectre," [by Matthew George ("Monk")] Lewis,with music by Michael Kelly was very well performed - & entertained / us very much indeed - and
what do you / think was the farce? Why the very thing I have heard you name of an hundred times - "The Old
'It was time to dress for Lady Trimlestown's where we had promised to pass the evening. It was nothing very brilliant - I sung a good deal & quite made an end of the heart of poor Captain Hill, of the Guards - who in consequence was forced to say so many tender things, that I was quite overpowered; and the end of the matter was my being under the necessity of promising to dance with him this evening. - Do you know Mrs L & they all row me so much for writing long letters.'
Mald" [by Alexander Murphyl - It answered my / expectations fully - so that the evening's amusement was complete. My Beau, Captaln Hill, as usual was In the way to hand me out.
'It was time to dress for Lady Trimlestown's where we had promised to pass the evening. It was nothing very brilliant - I sung a good deal & quite made an end of the heart of poor Captain Hill, of the Guards - who in consequence was forced to say so many tender things, that I was quite overpowered; and the end of the matter was my being under the necessity of promising to dance with him this evening. - Do you know Mrs L & they all row me so much for writing long letters.'
Mrs Legh was Elizabeth's aunt and host at Bath.
Mrs Leman was probably Frances (d. 1818), daughter and heiress of William Nind, barrister, and widow of Colonel Alexander Champion of Bath, who was married to Rev. Thomas Leman (29 March 1751 – 17 March 1826), an English antiquarian. The Lemans were prominent residents of Bath who lived in the Royal Crescent.
Captain Hill of the Guards, may have been the future Sir Robert Chambre Hill (1778-1860). He later became a distinguished cavalry officer, commanding the Royal Horse Guards at the Battle of Waterloo.
Lady Trimlestown was born Alicia Eustace, daughter of General Charles Eustace and Alice McAusland and the second wife of Nicholas Barnewall, 14th Baron Trimlestown (8 June 1726 – 16 April 1813) an Irish landowner in County Dublin, Ireland.
1. Bath Archive ref ALB. 2169 Autograph Letter Canning Afterwards Barnett
