minimised the latter, while it crushed with despair the dying heart of
Pitt. As we have seen, that year dawned darkly which was to witness the
death of two of England's foremost statesmen, the great Tory in January,
the great Whig in September; but while, big with import, history traced
the tale of such giant upheavals in the national life, in strange contrast
comes the quiet ripple of contemporary gossip.

"The Prince," wrote Mrs Stanhope from Yorkshire in the middle of
September, "returns to attend Fox's funeral & then has said he will
immediately come back to make his promised visits to Wentworth, Raby and
Castle Howard." On the 20th of September Marianne wrote to her brother an
account of H.R.H. attending Doncaster Races.


Doncaster Races were not near so splendid as they were expected to
have been, few south country people, none of distinction.

The Prince of Wales looked wretchedly; he is thought to be in a bad
state of health and was to be cupped last Monday. He arrived at
Doncaster about _two_ in the morning, and the yeomanry commanded by Mr
Wortley met by order to escort him into the town at _nine the next
morning_, so that was _manque_. The ball was very ill-managed, the
Prince arrived at the rooms before they were lighted, neither of the
stewards there to receive him--quite scandalous, I think.


_The Same._
_Nov. 16th._

The Royal visitors at Wentworth were magnificently received. Lord