ix HIS LATER LIFE AND CHARACTER 95 



nursed the young princes until their recovery, and that 

 they called her their English mamma. On the way 

 home a visit was paid to the Emperor Joseph II. at 

 Vienna. 



After his first visit to Russia Dimsdale entered on 

 banking in London in conjunction with his sons, founding 

 the well-known house which still bears his name. In 

 1784, having declined all medical practice except for the 

 relief of the poor, he was returned to parliament as Tory 

 member for Hertford, retiring in 1790 in favour of his 

 son Baron Nathaniel. After passing some winters at 

 Bath, he died at Hertford in 1800, at the age of eighty- 

 eight yeare. He was buried, by his own request, in the 

 Friends' ground at Bishop Stortford, though he had long 

 ceased to be a member of that Society, having been 

 " disowned " in 1741 for " marrying out " ; yet he styled 

 himself in 1796 a " zealous Friend." About seventeen 

 years before his death he was operated on by Wenzel for 

 cataract and his sight restored. 



Baron Dimsdale was a practitioner of high ability, 

 and seems to have cultivated medicine in a scientific 

 spirit. As a man, he was kindly and philanthropic : 

 a gentleman, urbane and tactful, his tranquil disposition 

 carried him through many varied experiences to extreme 

 old age. A fine miniature of Dimsdale was painted by 

 Andrew Plimer in 1790, but was unfortunately stolen 

 from the National Portrait Gallery, London, in 1904, 

 and never recovered. 1 He printed privately in 1783 

 a Tribute, appreciative if inaccurate in detail, to the 



de me temoigner depuis que j'ai le satisfaction de la conoitre, aussi peut il 

 etre assure de ma tres sincere seconnoissance. Je n'oublierai jamais qu'il 

 a delivre du fleau de la petite verole naturelle moi, mon fils, et mes petits nls." 

 He brought from Russia miniature portraits and other tokens, including two 

 coats that belonged to Catherine's grandchildren, profusely ornamented with 

 gold, etc. ; these are still treasured in the family. The Baroness, who long 

 survived her husband, living on, crippled by rheumatism, at Hertford, used 

 to tell anecdotes of her imperial charges. One day, Alexander, aged about 

 six years, " feeling ill, ordered his attendant to go and fetch his purse. This 

 being done, he took out two pieces of money, told the Baroness he should die, 

 and gave them to her to keep for his sake." The other boy, more boisterous 

 in disposition, followed suit. MS. Journal of Margaret Woods, Fds. Ref. Lib. 

 1 A good copy of this miniature by Henry Bone is in the hands of the 

 family, and a photograph is at the Gallery, besides engraved portraits. 



