1821.} 



Memoirs of Lady Reade. 



tics ; and some remarkably large myrtle 

 trees, which the jjardener said were 

 considerably more than a century old ; 

 the buildings all looked old and de- 

 cayed. But those beautiful lawns, 

 where the family and visitors, in other 

 days, used to promenade, were now, 

 and for thirty or forty years liad been 

 covered over with wooden frames, 

 roofed over head, (he sides made of 

 large strong wire work, in wliich vast 

 cages, an immense assemblage of birds, 

 chiefly foreign, were kept. Amongst 

 (he specimens then exhibited, the most 

 beautiful as to form, and tiie most 

 splendid as to plumage, were different 

 species of gold and silver pheasants. 



The rooms aboimded with fine family 

 portraits, but that which was by far the 

 most captivating, was the jwrtrait of 

 the Lady Dowiiger, Jane Reade, painted 

 by Sir Joshua Reynolds, tiie subject 

 of these observations. The features 

 were fine, the physiognomy benevolent ; 

 and es(eemed one of the happiest 

 efforts of that great artist. As I stood 

 admiring this beautifnl work of ait, 

 and drew with my mind's eye the 

 present features and figure of this lady, 

 now between eighty and ninety years 

 of age, I could not trace the slightest 

 resemblance ; not a vestige remaining 

 of that beauty so eminent in her youth- 

 ful days. 



The history of this lady affords an 

 eventful illustration of the folly of 

 affecting too much delicacy, and of 

 making rash vows. When young, she 

 is represented as having been proud and 

 high-spirited ; but her husband hoped 

 that time and reflection would soften 

 and ameliorate these her only failings. 

 They lived very happily, till, unfor- 

 tunately for both, she was delivered of 

 twins. From that hour a ridiculous 

 idea of the indelicacy of having twins, 

 filled her mind with such phantasies, 

 tliat the advice of her dearest friends 

 were not powerful enough to induce her 

 to reside with her husband ; and a se- 

 paration took place. 



The effect her rash vow had upon 

 her future happiness, was, liowever, 

 strikingly lamentable; and she that 

 had been the admirati(m of the coun- 

 try for the beauty of her person, and 

 the elegance of her manners, re- 

 tire<l in disgust from the polished 

 circle of society in which she had been 

 reared ; from this poiod a marked 

 change in her temper, manner, and 

 Iiabits, was observed. She became 

 attached to birds and monkies, and 



Monthly Mag. No. 355. 



533 



from purchasing a few, she went on 

 collecting, resolved to possess the finest 

 collection of birds in England, and 

 being unsparing of money, she rea- 

 lized her intention, and formed a 

 most magnificent aviary ; having ob- 

 tained, sometimes as presents, but 

 more frequently by purchase, speci- 

 mens of the most beautiful or scarce 

 birds from every quarter of the world, 

 from the largest to the minutest ; and 

 to keep alive the gaudy natives of the 

 tropics, she had stoves constructed that 

 kept the air of the rooms at a proper 

 degree of heat. She is said to have 

 frequently given a hundred and fifty 

 guineas for a single bird. 



I went through the apartments where 

 the poor prisoners were confined : the 

 noise of the different species of macaws, 

 cockatoos, paroquets, and parrots, was 

 absolutely deafening : and the air was 

 so foul, notwithstanding eveiy thing 

 that care and regularity in cleaning 

 their cages could effect, that it was quite 

 noxious. The pale cheeks and dim 

 eye of the " bird-maid,'''' as the female 

 was called who exhibited the collection 

 to strangers, sufficiently proved the ill 

 effects of the effluvia they occasioned. 

 Several, years prior to my visit to Ship- 

 ton, a fire happened through a defect 

 in one of the stoves, and a great number 

 of her collection of birds were burned, 

 and more were suffocated : the latter 

 were embalmed, if the expression is 

 allowable ; and having died in the full 

 brilliancy of feather, they looked al- 

 most as well as when living, and formed 

 a study whence many of our artists are 

 said to have borrowed specimens to 

 copy in their paintings. These were 

 exhibited on the principal floor, leading 

 from the great stair<;ase to the drawing- 

 room. 



As Lady Reade advanced in years, 

 this attachment grew stronger and 

 stronger; she neglected her person, 

 paid no regard to fashion, intermixed 

 but little with the world, and by imper- 

 ceptible degrees, lost every trait, not 

 only of female beauty, but of feminine 

 reserve and delicacy ; as if she regretted 

 her sex, and wished to conceal it. 



Lady Reade was never a vicious wo- 

 man ; she had not disgraced her cha- 

 racter ; but her eccentricities in dress 

 and manners being talked of far around, 

 she was followed by crowds whenever 

 she appeared in public; which imitat- 

 ing and offending the pride of wealth 

 and birth, it helped to put an end to 

 the influence of native benevolence, 

 3 X and 



