Volume 1

The Farington diary / edited by James Greig.

  • Joseph Farington
Date:
[1922?-1928]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Farington diary / edited by James Greig. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    About a month before Beckford was talked of Wyatt went to Font- hill with him. Beckford shewed him a copy of a Patent of Peerage then making out for him to be Lord Beckford of Fonthill. This was abt. the beginning of Pitts administration. The Peerage was quashed in consequence of the rumour. June 8.—The King means to repair the ruined end of St. Georges Chapel at Windsor and to make it a burying place for the Royal family. Room for one only is left in the burying place in Westminster Abbey. The King would have fitted up and lived in Windsor Castle but was told that it could not be made comfortably habitable,—which caused him to build the Queens Lodge.—He still thinks of making the Castle the Royal residence.—Wyatt says the Castle might be made complete agreeable to the original Idea. It could invade something upon the court yard. Wyatt shewed me a picture, a Landscape, painted by Rosalba [once famous for her pastel portraits]. She derided Zuccarelli & Wilson for becoming Landscape painters, & as a proof in how low esteem she held this branch of art desired Zuccarelli to lend her [a] picture to look at for the mere practise, and painted that which Wyatt has : the only one she ever did paint.—on seeing the picture I doubted the fact of its being the only one. A Fire happened at Oatlands yesterday which damaged some of the art buildings. The King had been there, and brought back a little dog belonging to the Duchess of York, who seemed more anxious abt. her animals than abt. the House. She has 18 dogs. The King observed that affection must rest on something. When there were no children animals were the objects of it [affection]. June 11.—Last night Sir Roger Curtis arrived at the Admiralty from Ld. Howe, announcing a great victory gained over the French fleet of 26 sail of the line, by the British fleet of 25. The Battle was fought on Sunday June 1st.—6 ships were taken and two sunk,—witht. the loss of one British ship. The papers this morning reported the news. [Here is the French version of the Battle] : June 24.—An acct. came to-day from Paris, stating Barrere’s report to the Convention of the Arrival of the victualling fleet from America consisting of 116 sail, which entirely removes all apprehension of famine from France.—He also gave an acct. of the late Naval engage¬ ment, which He called glorious for France. That the English had 14 sail of the line more than the French, yet left the scene of action to them. That the French had 7 sail dismasted, which He fears are lost.—But the English had Ten dismasted, which wd. have been taken but for the cowardice of certain French Captains, which are sent to Paris for trial. —So much for a specimen of French representation as a Republic.* [The Gloriou9 First of June.] * Soon after my Ordination war was declared to avenge the horrible murder of the French King by his subjects, the English Nation considering the example required retributive justice ; and my active mind being restless for employment and being anxious to become a citizen of the world, I was appointed on 27th April, 1793, chaplain of his Majesty’s ship Alfred, Captain John Bazeley, then at Blackstakes, near Chatham, which