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The Life and Letters of John Gibson Lockhart
Chapter 21: 1842-50
John Gibson Lockhart to Charlotte Lockhart Hope, 2 February 1848
INTRODUCTION & INDEXES
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
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Vol. I. Preface
Vol. I Contents.
Chapter 1: 1794-1808
Chapter 2: 1808-13
Chapter 3: 1813-15
Chapter 4: 1815-17
Chapter 5: 1817-18
Chapter 6: 1817-19
Chapter 7: 1818-20
Chapter 8: 1819-20
Chapter 9: 1820-21
Chapter 10: 1821-24
Chapter 11: 1817-24
Chapter 12: 1821-25
Chapter 13: 1826
Vol. II Contents
Chapter 14: 1826-32
Chapter 15: 1828-32
Chapter 16: 1832-36
Chapter 17: 1837-39
Chapter 18: 1837-43
Chapter 19: 1828-48
Chapter 20: 1826-52
Chapter 21: 1842-50
Chapter 22: 1850-53
Chapter 23: 1853-54
Chapter 24: Conclusion
Vol. II Index
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“London, February 2, 1848.

“Dear Cha,—I have just come home after some very pleasant days at Lord Hardwicke’s, which is a place on the largest scale, and was illustrated by a very grand collection of Tory sages, viz.: Duke of Richmond, Marquess of Exeter and wife, Earl of Eglinton, ditto and Countess of Desart, Lords and Ladies Stanley and Ashburton,
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Lord George Bentinck, Croker the right honourable, and myself the only esquire; lots of honourables, but no baronet. I am entreated to, I suppose, a similar gathering next week at Burghley, but I won’t accept until I hear your day for arriving here. All were frank and jolly, but their political horizon is, I think, quite in obscuro. Lord George is not to lead in the Commons, nor could any of them guess who (if anybody) is to replace him. There were splendid games at billiards between Stanley and Eglinton, and Lady H. sang divinely; and we had (as Paul soon told me) the identical German cook that so nearly poisoned the Member for Carluke; but, luckily for me, there was turtle every day, and that even he could not contaminate; also capital pies, and cold beef and beer, worth all the champagne.

“I find a line from Walter, who is to dine and sleep here to-day, and start to-morrow, he says, for Bowhill. I had some hints lately that vexed me on his account. I fear last time he was in Scotland his chief fixture was at a place he never mentioned to any of us. Sir J. M’Neil is alarmed for his folly. I don’t know that I shall say very much, or perhaps anything, on the subject, but I think a little help might be lent by you and Hope. If he proceeds, it seems to be as like an insurance of worldly distress as anything one could fancy.

“You may, I believe, expect to hear in another post or so of the death of the Primate. At Wim-
314 LIFE OF J. G. LOCKHART.  
pole, opinion seemed to incline in favour of Bishop of Norwich, whom, by the way, I foregathered with at Cambridge; as also my love Catharine, who will have her nose further up at both Sedgwick and me if she becomes a Princess of Lambeth. At Wimpole my flame was Lady ——, who is rather under a cloud just at present, but I hope not so serious as Mayfair talk represents it.—Ever yours,

“J. G. Lockhart.”