appeared.  We then sat down to a table for fourteen covers; but instead of substantials, there was nothing but a profusion of plates striped red, green, and yellow, gilt plate, blacks and uniforms!  My Lady Finlater, who had never seen these embroidered dinners, nor dined after three, was famished.  The first course stayed as long as possible, in hopes of the lords:  so did the second.  The dessert at last arrived, and the middle dish was actually set on when Lord Finlater and Mr. Mackay(791) arrived!—­would you believe it?—­the dessert was remanded, and the whole first course brought back again!—­Stay, I have not done:—­just as this second first course had done its duty, Lord Northumberland, Lord Strafford, and Mekinsy came in, and the whole began a third time!  Then the second course, and the dessert!  I thought we should have dropped from our chairs with fatigue and fumes!  When the clock struck eleven, we were asked to return to the drawing-room, and drink tea and coffee, but I said I was engaged to supper, and came home to bed.  My dear lord, think of four hours and a half in a circle of mixed company, and three great dinners, one after another, without interruption;—­no, it exceeded our day at Lord Archer’s!  Mrs. Armiger,(792) and Mrs. Southwell,(793) Lady Gower’s(794) niece, are dead, and old Dr. Young, the poet.(795) Good night!

(782) “In April 1765,” says the Quarterly Review for June 1840, “his Majesty had a serious illness:  its particular character was then unknown, but we have the best authority for believing that it was of the nature of those which thrice after afflicted his Majesty, and finally incapacitated him for the duties of government."-E.

(783) The French express this thought very dramatically; “Monseigneur est malade—­Monscigneur est mieux—­Monseigneur est mort!"-C.

(784) See ant`e, p. 296, letter 194.-E.

(785) Of Lord Byron.

(786) Thomas Gilbert, Esq.  At this time member for Newcastle-under-Line, and comptroller of the King’s wardrobe.-E.

(787) Lady Mary Murray, daughter of John first Duke of Athol, and wife of James sixth Earl of Finlater:  her son, afterwards seventh Earl, was born in 1750.-E.

(788) Probably Thomas Worseley, Esq. member for Oxford, and surveyor-general of the board of works.-C.

(789) This was probably the hour of extreme fashion at this time.-C.

(790) Afterwards Sir Andrew Mitchell, K. B. He was at this time our minister at Berlin, and also member for the burghs of Elgin, etc.-E.

(791) Probably J. Ross Mackie, member for Kirkcudbright, treasurer of the ordnance.-C.

(792) The lady of Major-General Robert Armiger, who had been aide-de-camp to George ii.-E.

(793) Catherine, heiress of Edward Watson, Viscount Sondes, by Lady Catherine Tufton, coheiress of the sixth Earl of Thanet, the son of Lady margaret Sackville, the heiress of the De Cliffords:  she was the mother of Edward Southwell, Esq., member for Gloucestershire, who, on the death of the great-aunt, Margaret Tufton, Baroness de Clifford, was confirmed in that barony.-C.