556 
Sandleford, Fune 9, 1777 
DEAR BROTHER, 
**¥t would be with much greater plea- 
sure I should take up my pen to tell you 
Tam at Sandleford, if I could flatter my- 
self with the hope of ailurmg you toit. 
You would find me in the character of a 
farnreress. The meagre condition of the 
soil forbids me to live in the state of a 
shepherdess queen, which I look upon 
to be the highest human dignity. The 
plough, the harrow, and the spade, re- 
mind us that the golden age is past, «and 
subsistence depends on labour; prospes 
rity on industrious application. A tittle 
of the clay of which you complain. wauld 
do us a great deal of good. Ishould be 
glad to take my dominions here from the 
goddess Ceres to give them to the god 
Pan; and I think you will agree with me 
in that taste; for wherever he presides, 
there Nature’s republic is established ; 
rhe ox in his pasture is as free and as 
much at his ease, as the proprietor of 
the soil; and the days of the first are not 
more shortened to feed the intemperance 
of others, than the rich landlord’s by the 
indulgence of hisawn. Llook upon the 
goddess Ceres as a much less impartial 
and kind deity. The ancients thought 
they did her honour by asertbing to her 
the invention of laws; we must con- 
sider her also as the mother of law-sutts ; 
and indeed of all the divisions and dis- 
sensions and distinctions among man- 
kind. Naturalists tell us, all the oaks 
that have ever been were conteimed in 
the first acorn: I believe we may affirm, 
hy the same mode of reasoning, that all 
‘arts and sciences were ‘contained in the 
first ear of corn. To possess lasting 
treasure and exclusive ' property, has 
been the great business and aim of man. 
At Sandleford you will find us busy in 
the care of arable land. By two litle 
purchases Mr, Montagu made here, my 
farm contains acres. As I now 
consider it as Amazonian Jand, I affect 
to consider the women as capable ef as- 
sisting in agriculture as much as the men; 
they weed my corn, hee my turnips, and 
get my pOtatoes; and by these means 
promote the prosperity of thei families, 
_A landlord, where /e droit du Seigneur 
prevailed, would’ net expose the com- 
plexion of his female vassals to the sun, 
I must confess my Amazons hardly de- 
serve to be accounted of the fair sex; 
and they have not the resources of pearl, 
powder, and rouge, when the nateral 
lilies and roses are faded. 
“ You are very polite in supposing my 
looks not so homely as I described them; 
A ; 
Memoirs of the late Lord Rokeby. 
[July 2, 
but though my health is good, the faded 
roses do bot revive; aud 1 assnre you, I 
am always of the colour of la feuille morte; 
my couplexion kas long fallen into the : 
sere and yellow leaf; and i assure you, 
one is as much wamed against using 
art by seeing the iadies of Waris, as the 
Spartan youths by observing the effect of 
intoxicating liquors on/tae Helots. The 
Vast quantity ef rouge worn there by the 
fine ladies makes them jhideous.. As I 
always imagine, one is less looked at by 
wearing the uniform of the society one 
lives in, [allowed my frizeur to put on 
whatever rouge,was usually worn ; but a 
few years ago I believe my vanity would 
not have submitted to such a disfigura- 
tion. As soon as I got to Dover, I re- 
turned to my former complexion. Lown 
I think I would make that complexion a 
little better by putting on a little rouge 5 
but at my age any. appearance of solici- 
tude. about complexion is absurd ; and 
therefore T remain where age and former 
il health has brought me; and rejoice how= 
ever that I enjoy the corforts of health, 
though deprived af its pleasing looks. 
“It has given me great pleasure to 
hear, by many opportunities, that your 
health is pretty good; but if St. Antho- 
ny’s fire should menace a return, remem- 
ber that his distemper as well as his 
temptation, ismost dangerous in a desert 
or wilderness, and repair to the city of 
R ‘ vy 
Bath. ‘Vbough T say this, I was never 
more sensible of the charms of rural lifes 
and the blessing of tranquillity; but at — 
the same time I am sensible my relish for 
them is much quickened by having been, 
for above a twelvemonth past, in avery 
different mode of life. poi i Se 
that the empera 
academicians with me wer Py 
ingenious, and witty, yet as 1 “i 
tuoso. in what relates to ti i 
racter, and love to see he ears 7 
in various situations, I should have see 
an emperor, as an emperor is an unigué x: 
in human society at present; and the — 
Austrian family has also had a: tronglye 
marked personal character, _ tds ae 
“ All my French correspondents assure 
me that his, imperial majesty veils his” 
dignity on allhoccasions under the ce ’ 
racter of Count de  Falkenstein. e- 
sleeps athis ambassador’s, but dines with 
the two noblemen of his court, who ate 
tend him at an hotel garni. Whenhe - 
goes to Versailles to visit his sister, he 
refuses to lodge in the palace, and lies at 
abagnio, 7 
