348 



Notes on the Border of Wilts and Rants. 



and in high spirits, but our joy is now turned to sorrow, for this morning, at 5, 

 a fire broke out in the new building at Winterslow House and entirely consumed 

 that and also the old house, except the kitchen and laundry. Though the house 

 was full of company, fortunately no life was lost. It was discovered by some 

 Salisbury chairmen, who, for want of a bed, were deposited on a carpet under the 

 great stairs ; they alarmed the house, and probably saved some lives. Lady 

 Pembroke, Lady Mary Fox and her children were carried to the King's house : 

 Miss Herbert, Mrs. Hodges, and the other ladies staid in the laundry : 

 all the gentlemen stood by. As they had no engines, and little or no water 

 but violent rain, they in a manner gave up all hope of the house : but their object 

 was to save the furniture in which they have succeeded, though 'tis greatly 

 damaged by dirt and rain. 'Tis thought, but not certain, that the fire was owing 

 to some timber near a chimney in the new building. This new building you have 

 never seen : it consisted of three magnificent rooms below, which made six good 

 ones above, and were furnished very elegantly and expensively. I think of the 

 contrast : we left that house this morning between twelve and one, all mirth and 

 jollity, and by seven it was consumed : it really hurts me, when I think how 

 many agreeable days I have spent in those rooms. Mr. Fox, Lady Mary, and 

 their two children are gone to Wilton House. Tuesday they go to the Bath to 

 Lord and Lady Holland. I fear they will not build on the same site again, so 

 we shall lose a most agreeable neighbour. The play was to have been again to- 

 morrow and a bail afterwards . . . Some say that during the flames Stephen, 

 Charles Fox and Fitzpatrick got to a proper distance and laid bets as to which 

 beam would fall in first. The friends of that house who resort to Almack's and 

 White's say they are sorry they were not at Winterslow that night as they might 

 have had an opportunity of seeing the family in a new light." 



In some book where this story is told I have seen it stated that 

 during the fire the celebrated Charles James Fox (afterwards the 

 famous rival of William Pitt), being then an infant, was carried 

 out in his nurse's arms in a blanket, and that England had a narrow 

 escape from losing one of its eminent orators. This is very touching; 

 but, unfortunately, the said Charles James Fox, instead of being an 

 infant in his nurse's arms, was not only at this time a young man 

 of 26 years of age, but he had just been acting the part of Horatio : 

 and not only that : but, from what we know of that gentleman's 

 propensities, it is much to be feared that he was one of those who 

 stood watching the fire, laying bets as to which beam of the family 

 mansion would fall first. 



Exeter Mail attacked by Lioness. 



The next event connected with Winterslow is one which I am 



