CHAPTER VI.

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The Prince goes to Brighton for his health—Description of Brighton in 1784—Royal visitors—The Prince takes a house—Weltje—Sam House—Fox and the Prince—Brighton in 1785.

IN 1784 the Prince of Wales had a somewhat serious illness, and we read in theMorning Heraldof July 16 that 'His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, having been advised by his Physicians to sea bathing, we are informed from good authority, that his Royal Highness will set out on Monday next for Brighthelmstone. Mr. Weltje, the Clerk of the Kitchen, and Mr. Gill, the Purveyor of the Stables, are now at Brighthelmstone, preparing everything for his Royal Highness's reception.'

He left London on the evening of July 22, and the following are some newspaper cuttings which describe his visit and the general gaieties of that season at Brighton:

'Brighthelmstonewill certainly prove the summer residence of thelovesandgraces, on account of the temporary residence there of the Heir apparent: nota cock loft but what is taken by someexpectant fair, who means to make aninnocent conquest, or anillicit sacrifice!—TheKnights of the Dice boxare collecting there from all quarters, hoping for a plentiful harvest in so singular a season for universalgul-as well ascul-libility! A pretty sprinkling of Princes of theGallic bloodis, likewise, hourly expected to complete the curiousdramatis personæ.'[30]

'Extract from a letter from Brighthelmstone, July 25.The Prince of Wales is here quite as a private gentleman, attended by Colonel Leigh, etc. He walks frequently upon the Steine, and behaves with great affability and politeness.'[31]

'Brighthelmstone Intelligence.Brighthelmstoneis the centerluminaryof thesystemof pleasure: Lymington, Southampton and all other places within thesphereof itsattraction, lose their gayest visitants, who fly to that resort:—the women, the pretty women, all hasten to see theParisof the day!—On Monday last, the Dukes ofChartresandLauzun, the Marquisde Conflans, the Comtede Seguir, and others, arrived to be present at the races. They came from France by the way of Dover, but had all their equipage sent over fromDieppe. The lively and engaging Comtessede Coniacwas to have met them by the latter route at Brighthelmstone; but some dæmon, unfriendly to gallantry, and to this place, interposed, and procured anarretto be expedited from the Queen of France's bedchamber, just as the sprightly belle was casting a longing eye fromDieppeover to the British coast, and preparing to step intothe pacquet. This is a prodigious disappointment to the company, and particularly to thePrince. His Highness gave an elegant dinner at his house on theSteine. TheDuc de Chartresand his friends were present: the meeting was festive and social. In the evening, this convivial party visited the Rooms: the company was genteel and numerous. The Prince danced with LadyElizabeth Conway, and was acknowledged the best performer present.

'On Tuesday, theBrighton Racesbegan, which afforded but very little sport. The Duke of Queensberry's was the favourite horse, but lost; and theDuc de Chartres, who betted him against the field, got rid of a good deal of money on the occasion. The sport was not better the next day, but rather worse, on account of the badness of the weather. All the Ladies attended both days, mostly in carriages. LadyCharlotte Bertiewas the Constellation, or superior luminary of the course.Micavit inter omnes, quantum inter ignes Luna minores.LadyLincoln, and her sister LadyBetty Conway, drove about in a phaeton, to the great annoyance of the beaux.

'The public entertainments at Brighthelmstone are, balls at the rooms twice a week, alternately at theShip, andCastle, and plays, the other four nights, at the theatre. The balls are on Monday and Thursday; and no dress is required except in those that dance minuets. The rooms are, besides, open all the other nights for card parties, and onSundayfor a promenade. The Prince has not yet missed the Play house once, when there has been a performance at it, since his arrival. The pleasurable daughters of the place, have at their head, Mrs.Smith, Mrs.Elliot, and Mrs.Walker; betweenwhom an equipoise of rivalship and jealousy prevails, and what one has in adimple, is counteracted by the lip, or the eye of the others.'[32]

'Lewes Races.ThePrince of Walesis so regardless of weather, that a shower of rain is never known to interrupt his excursions. His Highness's indifference on this head, reminds us of a remark ofHenry the Great, "that fate does not depend upon a sunbeam!"—The example of the British prince was followed by hisinsularfriends andParisianvisitors. The road from Brighthelmstone to Lewes, was crowded bygentlemen jockiesandjockey sharpers; carriages of various denominations, and a company of all descriptions. TheSteinewas depopulated of all save a fewliving caricatures, consisting of antique Females, andballoonifiedsquires from the City, too awkward and unwieldy to wear boots, or venture on horseback: to this class of beings, the ball room was relinquished.

'The Course ground continued, during the races, frequented by fashionable guests. Besides the English and French princes, were present the Ducde Lauzun, Marquisde Conflans, CountSeguir, the Russian minister, and several others from the Continent. The Duke of Queensberry, Lord Cholmondeley, Lord Foley, and many more of the Jockey Club were on the ground.

'The Bets were high, though the sport was indifferent; the Duke de Chartres, Duke of Queensberry and Sir Charles Bunbury, were principally engaged in the success of the day. TheGallic Dukewas in such spirits, that it was said his Highness would have mounted anAir balloonhad one been present.

'APedestrian Racewas, also, proposed between afat gentleman, and alean one: but the former complaining that the atmosphere was low, gave up the contest as he was fearful he should behard blowed!'[33]

The Prince being at Brighton made all the difference in the gaiety of the place, and his occasional absence in London is thus commented upon: 'Brighthelmstone, comparatively speaking, within these few days, has become almost a desert; scarce a person of fashion remains; the whole company now consists ofantiquated virgins,emaciated beaux, and wealthy citizens, with their wives and daughters; the latter of whom have someweightin continuing a few needy adventurers, who are as watchful as lynxes, for an opportunity of carrying off the golden prizes.'[34]

Note how this all changes when he returns. 'Extract from a Letter from Brighthelmstone, dated Sep. 5. We are all alive and merry here. Besides the honour of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales's company, we are favoured with those of the Duchess of Ancaster, Lady Charlotte Bertie, Lady Mary Brudenell, the Bishop of Winchester, Lord and Lady Beauchamp, the Right Hon. Mr. Fox, with many others; and, last night, the Right Hon. Mr. Pitt, accompanied by Mr. Steele, of the Treasury, arrived here.

'The Prince of Wales was, last night, at the Theatre, accompanied by the Hon. Mr. Erskine, and the Hon. Mr. Onslow, to see the Beggar's Opera, the principal parts of which were represented by gentlemen, and well represented they were. Captain Ash'sMacheathmuchexceeded many of the professional men on either of your London theatres. It was succeeded by a well-timed address, written and spoken by Mr. Bonner, craving the friendly attendance of the company to the future benefits of the several performers.'[35]

We also learn by a newspaper paragraph[36]that 'the house that the Prince of Wales has at Brighthelmstone, is that which formerly belonged to Lord Egremont's brother, Mr. Wyndham. The Duke of Cumberland had it last year. The house is, or ought to be, the best in the place.'

This is the house which we have seen was negotiated for the Prince by Weltje, his clerk of the kitchen; at least, this was his nominal title, but in reality he was the Prince's purveyor of his household, and was much mixed up in his financial matters. Louis Weltje was a German of obscure origin, and it is said, at one time, sold cakes in the streets. However, he must have had something in him, and must also have been thrifty, for in the newspapers of 1782 and 1783 we find several mentions of Weltje's Club, and he had a famous pastry-cook's shop and restaurant in St. James Street, and afterwards in Pall Mall. In the satirical prints in the British Museum for 1783, drawn by Captain Hays, is 'Mr. Weltjee's Fruit Shop, Pall Mall.' Madame Weltje, a large woman, is seated at a horseshoe counter, on which is a variety of fruit. In the window are displayed pines, grapes, bottles, and jars. A manuscript note says her shop was 'next door neighbour to Mr. Neville.' He served the Prince for some years,but was at last superseded. On his retirement he bought a large house at Hammersmith, formerly in the occupation of Lord Allington, the supporters of whose arms, two talbots, decorated the gate-posts. In this house, which he bequeathed to his brother Christopher, he died, probably of apoplexy, in 1810, and was buried in Hammersmith Churchyard. His name still exists in the neighbourhood in Weltje Road, which runs from the Upper Mall to King Street West, and consists of sixty-eight houses.

We have seen that Fox was at Brighton in 1784. Fox, who was the 'guide, philosopher, and friend' of Prince Florizel, was at this time a man of about thirty-five or thirty-six, having been born in 1749. By his birth, education, and talents he should have been a fitting companion for the Prince, but he was lax in his morals, an inveterate gambler, and a hard drinker, and a worse comrade for a young man could scarcely be found. Indeed, at the end of the Westminster election of 1784 Gillray caricatured him in a satirical print entitled 'Preceptor and Pupil' as a loathsome toad with a fox's brush, who is whispering into the ear of the sleeping (or drunken) Prince: 'Abjure thy country and thy parents, and I will give thee dominion over many powers. Better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven!'

Apropos of this election, which lasted forty days, and brought Fox in second at the poll, it is perhaps as famous as any in our electoral history. Much to the disgust of his parents, the Prince threw himself heart and soul into the fray, wearing a 'Fox cockade' at Ranelagh, and allowing members of his household to canvas for his boon companion. During the election, Gillrayproduced a satirical print (April 18, 1784) called 'Returning from Brooks's,' where the Prince, exceedingly drunk, and wearing the 'Fox cockade,' is being helped along by Fox and Sam House, a publican who kept a house, called The Intrepid Fox, at the corner of Peter Street and Wardour Street. 'Honest Sam House,' as he was called, was a violent politician and Whig, and during this election kept open house at his own expense. House figures in many caricatures of the time, and his fame was even enshrined in verse:

'See the brave Sammy House, he's as still as a mouse,And does canvas with prudence so clever;See what shoals with him flocks, to poll for brave Fox:Give thanks to Sam House, boys, for ever, for ever, for ever!Give thanks to Sam House, boys, for ever!'Brave bald-headed Sam, all must own, is the man,Who does canvas for brave Fox so clever:His aversion, I say, is tosmall beerandWray:[37]May his bald head be honour'd for ever, for ever, for ever!May his bald head be honour'd for ever!'

'See the brave Sammy House, he's as still as a mouse,

And does canvas with prudence so clever;

See what shoals with him flocks, to poll for brave Fox:

Give thanks to Sam House, boys, for ever, for ever, for ever!

Give thanks to Sam House, boys, for ever!

'Brave bald-headed Sam, all must own, is the man,Who does canvas for brave Fox so clever:His aversion, I say, is tosmall beerandWray:[37]May his bald head be honour'd for ever, for ever, for ever!May his bald head be honour'd for ever!'

'Brave bald-headed Sam, all must own, is the man,

Who does canvas for brave Fox so clever:

His aversion, I say, is tosmall beerandWray:[37]

May his bald head be honour'd for ever, for ever, for ever!

May his bald head be honour'd for ever!'

There is another satirical print, which is dated January, 1785, by an unknown artist, called 'Fox singing a Song to the P——e of W—l—s.' Fox and the Prince are playing cards and drinking. Fox sings:

'Tho' matters at present go cross in the realm,You will one day be K—g, Sir, and I at the helm;So let us be jovial, drink, gamble and sing,Nor regard it a straw, tho' we're not yet the thing.Tol de rol, tol, tol, tol de rol.

'Tho' matters at present go cross in the realm,

You will one day be K—g, Sir, and I at the helm;

So let us be jovial, drink, gamble and sing,

Nor regard it a straw, tho' we're not yet the thing.

Tol de rol, tol, tol, tol de rol.

'The proverb informs us, each dog has his day,So those that oppose us, this fate must obey;But time's on our side, Sir, and now on the wing,To make me a statesman, and you, Sir, the K—g.Tol de rol, etc.

'The proverb informs us, each dog has his day,

So those that oppose us, this fate must obey;

But time's on our side, Sir, and now on the wing,

To make me a statesman, and you, Sir, the K—g.

Tol de rol, etc.

'In vain are harangues, I as well may be dumb,And let motions alone, till our day, Sir, is come;Then Thurlow and Pitt from their state we will fling,They may go below stairs, Sir, so we are the thing.Tol de rol, etc.

'In vain are harangues, I as well may be dumb,

And let motions alone, till our day, Sir, is come;

Then Thurlow and Pitt from their state we will fling,

They may go below stairs, Sir, so we are the thing.

Tol de rol, etc.

'Thus seated in state, Sir, we'll fill all our soul,At the fountain of Venus, at Bacchus's bowl;In all that we please, Sir, we'll take a full swing,For who's to controul a Prime Statesman and K—g?Tol de rol, etc.'

'Thus seated in state, Sir, we'll fill all our soul,

At the fountain of Venus, at Bacchus's bowl;

In all that we please, Sir, we'll take a full swing,

For who's to controul a Prime Statesman and K—g?

Tol de rol, etc.'

The Prince remarks: 'Fox, are you not the shuffler?'

RETURNING FROM BROOKS'S.

'The Prince of Wales has again taken a house at Brighton for the season,' says theMorning Postof June 11, 1785, and he left London for his seaside residence on the 22nd of the same month. The same newspaper of June 28 reports that 'the visit of a certain gay, illustrious character at Brighton, has frightened away a number of old maids, who used constantly to frequent that place. The history of the gallantries of the last season, which is in constant circulation, has something in it so voluminous, and tremendous to boot, that the old tabbies shake in their shoes whenever his R——l H——ss is mentioned.'

'Lewes, July 2.—The Prince of Wales, on Monday last, at Brighthelmstone, amused himself for some time,in attempting to shoot doves with single balls, but with what success, we have not learnt; though we hear that his Royal Highness is esteemed a most excellent shot, and seldom presents his piece without doing some execution. The Prince, in the course of his diversion, either by design, or accident, lowered the tops of several of the chimnies of the Hon. Mr. Wyndham's house.'[38]

A few paragraphs from theMorning Postof this year will give us a good insight into the Brighton of the period.

July 6.—'TheBrighthelmstone intelligencehas no novelty to recommend it; merely a repetition of the old story;morning rides,champaigne,dissipation,noiseandnonsense: jumble these phrases together, and you have a complete account of all that's passing atBrighthelmstone!'

July 8.—'A correspondent says, Brighthelmstone is much altered from what it was last season. Neither money, nor any speculating jewellers who give goodtick, and discount upon agentle feeling. The —— has been tried and found wanting—all about him is not sterling—but one goodendorserin the whole set, and he abroad. Times are bad.

'Mrs. Johnson and Windsor have undertaken to provide for the necessities of Brighton this year. Thefemale adventurersof last season were totally ruined: evenBet Cox, who made as good a hand of it as any, swears she will not run the risk again, and that,though as howshe was with the Prince, one night when he was drunk, yet that did not compensate her for the wear and tear with his attendants. We have not yet heardMrs.Smith'sopinion on the subject; but, as she was nearer the fire, she could not well escape being scorched.'

August 4.—'Brighthelmstone is at present very thin of company, few females arriving there but thecorps d'amour. Women of virtue and character shun these scenes of debauchery and drunkenness, ever attendant on the spot which is the temporary residence of a ——.'

August 18.—'His Royal Highness the Prince is so attached to his bathing residence, Brighthelmstone—he has so many sea nymphs there, rising from Old Ocean every morning to greet him; that, in the true spirit of anEnglish Prince, his sole desire appears torule the waves: and, when he comes to Town, he is actually likea fish out of water.'

August 25.—'Plague upon theskippersthat they do not understand the navigation of their own coasts! for, surely, some of the Margate Hoys have blundered by both the North and South Foreland, and landed their cargoes on the Sussex Shore. Never were there such a set of curmudgeonly knaves and dowdies, before, in Brighton, say the conscientious keepers of the subscription books! The lodging-houses are full, the streets well frequented, and the Steyne crowded—but who bathes, who raffles, and who subscribes? They vow that they never had so little Gold in their Autumn crop, since they were obliged to content themselves with the profits of their fishing, to wash their smocks upon the beach, and to live on crabs and pickled herrings!

'In fact, the visitors of this place are either a wiser, or a poorer sort than formerly.Snugis the word with most of them; they give as little into amusements, dissipation and extra expences, as they can well avoid—hence, the obvious policy of the inhabitants to render the necessary ones as high and as productive as possible—they treat Londoners in their town as we treat Dutchmen and others, in our charge for lights and landmarks—make them come down handsomely, as it is to be done but seldom. The innkeepers here, are a kind of beasts of prey, whose rapacity is in proportion to their former abstinence: they are leeches, who think a plethora of the purse is no less dangerous than that of the body; and, though you come here only to have your constitution put to rights, they will, also, gladly take charge of your property.

'An Irish gentleman being asked, the other day, by a friend, which Inn he thought the best, observed that they were both bad enough; at one you wereimposed upon; at the other,cheated. The Rooms have been pretty well frequented on a Sunday, when it is the Vauxhall price of admission. The play house must, long since, have shut up, were it not for theextraordinary abilitiesandfertile resourcesof Mr.Fox,[39]and the patronage of the fair emigrants from Cleveland Row, Jermyn Street, and King's Place—there have been no gentlemen enactors, this year; so much the worse. With deference, be it said, to the judgement of certain titled ladies, who, adding to theirpurityby every successive plunge into the salt water, pronounced the mixture of gentlemen with professed actors, a perfect contamination. Better sense, however, and more extra liberality prevail at present; for ladies now ride to the Downs to see Earls and great folks play at cricket, with footmen and drivers, without having their delicacywounded, or their finer feelings deranged. That game has become the favourite amusement with the young men of fashion here. Mr.St. Johnis the best bowler; LordDarnleyandGeorge Hangerthe best bats;Bobthe postillion, the best stopper behind the wicket. As to his Royal Highness, he is but a young cricketer; the ladies, however, commend his agility; and, since MrsJ—n'ssquad arrived, he has been famous for catching and running.

'On Saturday last, theMarquis de Conflanstook his departure forDieppe. The Prince and his company went to see the Marquis embark, when a very extraordinary and humorous scene was presented. It being low water, the boat could not approach the shore—the Marquis was anxious to get on board, and stood, for some time, in suspence, when the Prince, to show him that persons of their rank should not have the propensities of cats, or the frippery ofpetits maîtres, taking one of his companions by the hand, rushed at once into the water. The Marquis,pour l'honneur de la France, could not do otherwise than follow him; the line advanced with resolution, but could not long withstand the force of the waves, which overset them; they then rolled like porpoises in the water, till they got the Marquis aboard the packet; when they despatched him, in a proper state, to pay his respects to theDauphin.Vive l'amour et l'allegresse, et bon voyage, M. le Marquis!'

September 10.—'The flux and reflux of company not being so great here as at some other places, there has been very little novelty since my last intelligence. The lodging-houses are, still, in general, full, though thereare some occasionally to be disposed of at the following reasonable rates: for a house upon the Steine, eight guineas a week, or the same faced with blue and buff,[40]for the trifling addition of two guineas (for which you may have the credit of being a member of that party).[41]Two beds, with a dining-room or parlour (the former, perhaps, being supplied with a goodlive stock) for three guineas; and, for a guinea per week, a single gentleman may be accommodated with an apartment, where, if he finds himself streightened for want of room, he may be gratified, at least, with a prospect of better things, and have the view of a large piece of water, commonly called the English Channel. Hence, too, he may form some idea of our naval grandeur, by contemplating the fleet, as it lies at anchor before the town, consisting, at least, of an hundred sail—of fishing smacks; or, he may indulge in a peep of the ladies dipping into the water, or bobbing at a wave in rough weather; for the Master of the Ceremonies has judiciously assigned them the place nearest to the houses, and has sent the gentlemen, fordecency's sake, two hundred yards further to the westward.

'If we may believethe printed list, half the fashionable persons, and about one-fourth of the w——s of London, have visited Brighton in the course of the summer; but, for those of the most consideration, who are to be seen in their shoes, as well as upon the List of the Company, take the following names: His RoyalHighness and suite, more respectable, though not as numerous as last year; the Earl and Dowager Countess of Darnley, with her family; Earl and Countess of Clermont; Lord and Lady Beauchamp; the Countess of Shaftesbury and family; Baron and Baroness Nolcken; Lord Belgrave; Lord Lucan, with his family; Lord and Lady Lisle; Lord Gage; Sir Sampson and Lady Gideon; Sir Eardley Wilmot; Earl and Countess of Sefton; Lord Herbert; Sir Godfrey Webster; Mr. Wyndham; Mr. T. Townsend; Mr. St. John. Some city beaux sport their gigs upon the downs, and their persons upon the Steine: they would fain be thought men of fashion, but their very best airs in the ballroom partake of Coachmaker's Hall; the City dancing-masters being ten years behindhand in the refinements of their profession. There is very little show of beauty in the Rooms. Among the young ladies of family,Miss Bingham, daughter of Lord Lucan, is almost the only one that deserves notice in that particular; and, however singular, in this place, it is a fact that one of the ladies who has been most distinguished for elegance, is a Miss I——s, fromCow Lane, West Smithfield!

'The Rooms, as I hinted before, have been almost deserted, except on particular nights. At the last ball but one, at theShip, only seven couple stood up, and the lady who took the lead, according to the etiquette established in pride and folly, wasproNUMMORUMatque hominum fidem credite!—no less a person than Mrs. Tr——d, daughter of the naval baronet, who, in his lifetime, gained many signal advantages over the tribes of Benjamin and Levi. TheCastlehas been somewhat more fortunate. But Fox, the manager, has been sosuccessful, as to excite the envy of his rivals, who have it in contemplation to set up a theatre in opposition to his. It was for this purpose thatSignor Grimaldi'sjourney was undertaken, which, by the newspaper accounts, proved so fatal to him; and, as he, with Mr.Spencer, the harlequin, is to have the principal concern, we may expect that the prime parts of the entertainment at the new Theatre, will be pantomime, withgrinningandjumpingin abundance. If Mr.Grimaldishould bring down his young pupils from the Circus, it will, perhaps, be necessary for Mr. Fox to engage the General Jackoo, or the Dancing Dogs. At present, he confines his attempts to Comic Opera, Comedy, and Farce; and, for these, it must be confessed, he has good materials. His company may be called a good one—for the country—though the greatest part are recruits, and want drilling. Yet, why forthe country, when there are so many London performers without engagements in the summer.

'The most extraordinary event that has happened lately, was a violent gale on Tuesday, which caused many sad accidents. The wind blew with prodigious force from the southward, and brought an uncommonly high tide with it. This rendered it necessary to draw up all the small craft, and the machines upon the Steine, where most of the Company, particularly the Londoners, assembled to gaze at a sea storm. The Prince's curiosity got him a ducking, and an old man and his ass were drowned under the Cliff.'

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