GARDENS OF CELEBRITIES 



of any distinction. She retained the confidence of the Whig 

 leaders to the end of her life, and while the Duke haunted 

 " Brooks's," the Duchess entertained at Devonshire House and 

 Chiswick House, in every way seeking to advance the interests of 

 her party. In this connection I may repeat a story told of the 

 manner in which, aided by others, she manoeuvred to secure the 

 election of Sheridan into " Brooks's," when he entered the House 

 of Commons in 1789. Membership of that famous Whig club 

 was a passport to the great Whig houses, also to Carlton House, 

 where the Prince of Wales estranged from his father held inde- 

 pendent court. At the ballot, one black ball was sufficient to 

 exclude, and George Selwyn, the wit, and the Earl of Bessborough, 

 were determined to keep out Sheridan. In order to upset their 

 plans it was necessary to secure their absence on the day of elec- 

 tion. Therefore urgent messages, inventing the alarming illness of 

 a relative, were sent to each of the two members who had intended 

 to keep out the brilliant dramatist, and orator. The ruse succeeded, 

 for each trusted to the other being present to black-ball and 

 Sheridan was elected. 



When Fox was seeking the suffrages of the electors of West- 

 minster Georgiana personally canvassed the slums, and purchased 

 a vote from a burly butcher, with a kiss. 



Her Grace was an inveterate card-player, and lost heavily, 

 but the Duke paid her debts two years before her death. Of him 

 it may be said that his fame was somewhat overshadowed by that 

 of his brilliant wife, of whom it is hinted he had soon grown tired : 

 he does not seem to have been a man of lively parts, and he was 

 chiefly remarkable as being the husband, in succession, of two 

 charming and distinguished women, his second Duchess, the Lady 

 Elizabeth Foster, a great friend of Georgiana, who had declined 

 the hand of Gibbon, possessing mental gifts above the average. 



It was owing, I believe, to Georgiana, that the wings to 

 Chiswick House, designed by the architect Wyatt, afterwards 

 President of the Royal Academy, were added in 1788, at a risk 

 of destroying the symmetry of the Palladian house, that the 

 result has amply justified. But although such an ardent Whig, 

 the beautiful Duchess was patriotic enough to lament the death 

 of Pitt, and to entertain Dr. Johnson hardened old Tory as he 

 was at Chatsworth ; there is no record to my knowledge of his 



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