THE DUCHESS AND LADY SOPHIA THOMAS 75 



the floor, said : ' There, my good friends, I hope 

 never to see another coronation, so share them 

 amongst you.' In fact, she condescended to sit 

 down with her maids, and assisted in ripping the 

 point-lace, pearls, and other valuable ornaments from 

 the dress and train. 



The Duke and Duchess of Queensberry now found 

 themselves in high favour, on the accession of 

 George iii., to whom they had transferred their 

 allegiance, when Prince of Wales, over the Gay 

 affair. 



The Duchess's attention, with all her oddities, 

 was not given entirely to the demands of fashion- 

 able life, as she would often take a journey to 

 inform a friend of any little domestic hint. One 

 day she drove post to Parson's Green,^ where 

 Lady Sophia Thomas resided, on whom she called 

 to relate something of importance. ' What is it ? ' 

 asked her ladyship. 'Why, take a couple of beef- 

 steaks, chop them together as if they were for a 

 dumplmg, and eat them with pepper and salt; 

 it is the best thing you have ever tasted. I 

 could not help coming to tell you this ! ' After 

 narrating this ' matter of little importance,' this 

 'woman of some importance' posted back to 



1 Walpole Letters, edit. 1857. 



