The Origins and Significance of Gossip about Princess Augusta and Lord Bute, 1755-1756

TheOriginsandSignificanceofGossip aboutPrincessAugustaandLordBute, 1755-1756 JOHN L. BULLION Wheretwoorthreegatherinfaith,St.Paulinformedus,thereisthe church.Whenmeninbusinessmeet,warnedAdamSmith,aconspiracy inrestraintoftradeisadistinctpossibility.Andwhenpoliticianscon- versedorcorrespondedineighteenth-centuryBritain,theyfrequently gossiped.1TheirobservationsonaspeechinParliament,ofasmileora frownfromroyaltyatadrawingroomorfromaministeratalevee,of businessandpleasureatcourt,ofmeetingsbetweenpeoplewhoshould (orshouldnot)havebeentogether,werethegristofagossipthatwas endlesslyfascinatingtothem.Moreover,theirinterpretationsofwhat theseobservationsmeantforthepresentandfutureseemedenormously significantatthetime.Thusgossipfillstheirpapers. Thephenomenonofgossiphasprovedtobeequallyfascinatingto scholarsinanumberofdiversedisciplines.2Ineighteenth-centurystud- ies,PatriciaMeyerSpacks,inparticular,hasdrawnuponthesefindings andherownwide-rangingandsensitiveknowledgeoftheliteratureof theperiodtoproducearemarkableandsuggestivestudy.3Historiansof eighteenth-centuryBritishpolitics,however,areexceptionstothisrule. Byandlarge,theyhavenotyeteitherexploredtheroleofgossipor investigatedparticularepisodesinwhichitplayedamajorpart.4Political gossipisapotentiallypromisingareaofinquiryforanumberofreasons. Thegossipofpoliticianscanyieldinterestinginsightsintothebehavior 245 246 / BULLION oftheirfellowsatcourtandinParliament.Itcanrevealthepersonalities andcharactersofthegossipsthemselves.Finally,themerefactthatsome peopleweregossipedaboutincertainwaysatspecificmomentscould changethehistoricaleventsoftheirtime. Inthisessay,Iwilldiscussoneofthemostimportantofthose moments.Iwillexaminetheoriginsofrumorsabouttherelationship betweentheearlofButeandAugusta,DowagerPrincessofWales.Then Iwillcallattentiontotheeffectthattherapidlyspreadingconvictionthat theywerelovershadonBritishpoliticsduringthe1750sand1760s. Bothofthesesubjectshavebeenhithertooverlookedbyhistorians.I thinktherearetwoexplanationsforthis.First,scholarshaveassumed thattherumorsaboutAugustaandButehadnorealhistoricalsignifi- canceduringthe1750s.Accordingtotheprevailingwisdom,ifthistalk aboutanaffairhadanyimportanceatall,itdidsobecauseitcontributed toBute'sunpopularityduringtheearlyyearsofGeorgeIll'sreign. Studyingthegossipduringthe175Osinmuchdetailthuswoulddivert one'sattentionfrommorecentralissues.Second,historianshavewithout exceptiondismissedtherumorsasalmostcertainlyfalse.Totheextent thattheyhaveexaminedthematall,theyhavebusiedthemselvesin amassingcircumstantialevidencethat—totheirmindsatleast— substantiatesthatassumption.5Thispreconceptionaboutthesignifi- canceofthegossipbeforeGeorgeIPsdeath,andthefocuson"proving" thatAugustaandButewerenotlovers,havecausedhistorianstoneglect otherareasofinquiry.Evenamatterasbasictohistoricalresearchas determiningthechronologyofaneventhasremainedunexplored.When didtherumorsabouttheprincessandherfriendbegin?Noonehasasyet pinpointedthattime.Itisnowonderthat,havingfailedtoinquireabout suchanobviouspoint,historianshavenotunderstoodoneofthemost importantconsequencesofthoserumors.Asweshallsee,establishing thattheybeganduringthelatesummerandearlyfallof1755raises interestingquestionsabouttheirorigins.Evenmoreimportant,ityieldsa crucialcluetotheirsignificancefortheintenseandmomentousfriend- shipbetweenButeandthefutureGeorgeIII. Historianshavealsofailedtorecognizethestrengthsandweaknesses ofthesourcesofthegossipaboutAugustaandBute,andtousethat knowledgetoinformananalysisofboththerumorsandtheirrelation- ship.Spacks'sshrewdcomments(65,101-13,153,181-82)aboutwhat madetheeighteenthcentury"agreatageofgossip"—theminuteattentiontodetailandthepenchantforinterpretingcharacteronthebasisof thoseobserveddetailsofbehavior—havenotinformedtheiranalyses.As aresult,scholarshavenotfullycreditedhowkeenlyandcarefully observanteighteenth-centurypoliticianswereofthewordsandactionsof PrincessAugustaandLordBute / 247 thosearoundthem.Twoexampleswillillustratethistraitandits significance. TheeditorsofthepoliticaljournalofGeorgeBubbDodingtonnote thathiswordsaretherecordsof"theday-to-dayworkofamanwhose objectandpoliticaltrainingitwastobeaccurateabouttheaffairsthat interestedhim."6WhatwastrueofDodingtonwastrueofothersaswell. MenwhohopedtoestablishtheircareersatWestminster,Whitehall,and particularlytheking'scourtatSt.Jamesortheprincess'satLeicester Housesoonlearnedthatitwascrucialtoobservethebehavioroftheir superiorscarefullyandtodescribeitaccurately.Theaccountsleftby manypoliticiansareoftenstrikinginthedensityandspecificityofphysi- calandconversationaldetailtheirdescriptionsprovide. AnexampleisPrincessAugusta'saccount,asrecordedbyherfriend Dodington,oftheflirtationofhersister-in-law,PrincessAmelia,withthe earlofChesterfield.AugustabeganbycriticizingAmelia'sgamblingfor highstakesinpublicatBath.WhenDodingtonaskedwithwhom,she seizedthechancetotellhim"Itwasprodigioustheworkshemadewith LordChesterfield.""WhenhewasinCourt,"sherecalled,Amelia"would hardlyspeaktohim;atleastaslittleaswaspossibletoamanofhisrank." Butnow,"shesenttoenquireofhiscomingbeforehearriv'd;whenhe camesenthercomplimentsandthatsheexpectedheshouldbeofallher partiesatplay;thatheshouldsitbyheralwaysinthepublicrooms,thathe mightbesureofawarmplace,etc."7NoticehowcloselyAugustaandher informantshadobservedAmeliaatSt.JamesandinBath,howcarefully theylistenedtoher,andhowquicklytheynoticeddifferencesinherbehav- iorvis-a-vistheearl.Whetherornotonebelieves,asAugustadid,thatthis flirtationwasimproperandmightwellindicatethepotential,ifnotthe actuality,ofanaffair,thedescriptionofAmeliaatplaywithgamesof chanceandChesterfieldisvividandconvincing. AnotherexampleisHoraceWalpole'saccountofawittellingajoke aboutButeandtheprincess."GeorgeSelwyn,"wroteWalpole,"hearing somepeopleatArthur'st'othernightlamentingthedistractedstateof thiscountryjoinedinthediscoursewiththewhitesofhiseyesandhis primmouth,andfetchingasigh,said,'Yes,tobesureitisterrible!There istheDukeofNewcastle'sfaction,andthereis[Henry]Fox'sfaction, andthereisLeicesterHouse!Betweentwofactionsandonefuction,we aretorntopieces!"8Thejokeitselfisfeeble;whatsticksinthemindis Walpole'ssketchfromlifeofSelwyn'smannerisms,timing,anddelivery. AswasthecasewithDodington'saccountofAugusta'scensureofAme- lia,thedescriptionoftheeventinquestionispersuasive,whateverone thinksabouttheprincipalmessageofthepassage.Aneyeforthetelling detail,andthecapacitytocommunicateiteffectively—theseabilities 248 / BULLION weresharedbythePrincess,Dodington,Walpole,andother contemporaries. Anunderstandingofwhytheywatchedsocloselyandwrotesocare- fullyrevealswhyhistoriansshouldrespecttheirdescriptionsofbehavior. Eighteenth-centurymenandwomenconstantlyobservedandcommuni- catedothers'actsbecausetheybelievedthatoutwardbehaviorprovided theonlyreliablecluestoinnerhumanmotives.Insodoing,theyadopted aremarkablylegalisticwayofassessingintent,anditisnotsurprising thatthemostprecisestatementsoftheircriterionofassessmentmaybe foundinopinionsfromthebench."Wemustjudgeofaman'smotives," declaredLordKenyon,"fromhisovertacts."Mr.JusticeWilliselaboratedonthispoint :"Whatpassesinthemindofmanisnotscrutableby anyhumantribunal;itisonlytobecollectedfromhisacts."9Thosewho tradedinpoliticalandsocialgossipusedthesamestandardofjudgment. ThismaybeclearlyseeninthefollowingdiscussionbyLordHerveyof therelationshipbetweenFrederick,thePrinceofWales,andLadyArchi- baldHamiltonduringthe1730s."Therearealwayssomepeople,"Her- veynoted,"whodoubtofthemostnotoriousintrigues."Sosome thought,orpretendedtothink,thatthe"commercebetweenLadyArchi- baldHamiltonandthePrincewasmerelyplatonic."But"strongersymp- tomsofanaffairefaiteneverappearedonanypairthanweretobeseen betweenthiscouple,"Harveyclaimsinrebuttalofsuchviews.Andhere istheevidence:Frederickoftensawheratherhouse;heoftenmetherat hersister's;hewalkedwithher"dayafterdayforhourstogethertête-Ãt êteinamorninginSt.JamesPark;andwhenevershewasatthe drawing-room(whichwasprettyfrequently),hisbehaviorwasso remarkablethathisnoseandherearwereinseparable,whilst,without discontinuing,hewouldtalktoherasifhehadratherbeenrelatingthan conversingfromthetimehecameintotheroomtothemomentheleftit, andthenseemedtoberatherinterruptedthantohavefinished."10To Hervey,thiswasproofpositivetheywerelovers. Isit,though?TheevidenceofhissenseswasenoughforHervey,but historiansneednotaccepthisconclusions.Infact,somehavedoubted thattherewasanysexualliaisonbetweentheprinceandLadyHamilton ."Wecannotbecertain,fortheaffair,iftherewasone,wasnot openlyacknowledgedbytheparticipants,aswastheliaisonbetween GeorgeIIandthecountessofYarmouth.Thebestruleofthumbfor assessingeighteenth-centurygossipistokeepthedistinctionbetween observationandinterpretationfirmlyinmind.Oneshouldregard descriptionsofobservedactsbypoliticianswhowerepracticedatwatch- ingthepeoplearoundthemasbasicallyaccurate,unless,ofcourse,there isfactualinformationthatcontradictstheirnarrativesofevents,orcon- PrincessAugustaandLordBute / 249 vincingreasonstobelievethatbiasesaboutthepeopleinvolvedorpre- conceptionsabouttheaudiencehearingthestorydistortedtheir accounts.Onemayalso,Ithink,relyonpeopleatcourttonoticeandto describecarefullybehaviorthatwasoutoftheordinaryinpoliticalor socialinteraction.Astheprecedingexamplesdemonstrate,contempo- rarieswerekeenlyalerttounusualdisplaysofinterestbetweenmenand women.Theirexplanationsofwhattheseactsrevealedismoreproblem- atical,however.Theywereobviouslyquickertoseelustinoperationand anaffairinprogressthantoviewanemotionalreactionbetweenaman andawomanasfriendship,affection,orsomesociallyacceptableform oflove.Historiansshouldnotrushtothesamejudgmentintheabsence ofcompellingsupportingevidence.Inmyanalysisofthegossipabout theprincessandBute,Ihavetriedtokeepobservationandinterpretation separate,andtogivetheformerthecredititdeserveswhilerecognizing thelimitationsofthelatter. I. Duringthesummerof1755,reportsbegantocirculateaboutAugusta's reactionstothecrisisinrelationswithFranceandherpoliticalintentions. Dodington,whopaidcloseattentiontothepoliticalgossipofLondon's coffeehouses,soonheardthem,andsharedwhathehaddiscoveredwith theprincessinearlyAugust.Sheexpressedsurprise,protestingthatshe wasnotinvolvedinanyschemestoopposethegovernment,andpointing outthatcertainly"nobodycouldstandclearerthanshe;thateveryone mustknoweverybodythatshesaw,andwhen."Dodingtonlaughedatthis, andjokedthathe"hadsomethoughtsofwritingherlifeandtransactions, asIpickthemup,andpresentingittoher,ofwhich,Iwaspersuaded,that sheknewnothingatall."Augusta"seem'dmightilypleas'dwiththeidea, andafterlaughing,tookseriouspainstoconvincemethatshehadnofix'd settlement,orconnexions,atall."12ItisunlikelythatDodingtonwould haveattemptedsuchajokeifhehadheardanyrumoraboutan"intrigue" betweentheprincessandButeatthattime;thepossibilityforembarrass- mentandlossofherfavorwouldhavebeentoogreat.Yetnomorethan sixweeksafterhisconversationwithher,thattalkhadbegun.Withina weekafterhisreturnfromHanoveron16September,GeorgeIIhad receivedfromEarlWaldegrave,thegovernorofthePrinceofWales, "thoroughinformation"aboutthepoliticalplansofLeicesterHouse.And, thoughWaldegravediscreetlyavoidedanydirectcommentonthissubject inhisMemoirs,itseemslikelyhealsoinformedthekingofhisconviction thatAugustaandButewerelovers.13CertainlybyearlyOctober,the 250 / BULLION countessofYarmouth,Newcastle,andNewcastle'sclosestfriend,theearl ofHardwicke,hadheardthestory.AUofthemapparentlybelievedit.14 Theydidnotremainaloneinthatbelief.Thenewspassedquicklythrough court,andthenontothewiderworldofLondon.Soonthestoryaboutan "intrigue"atLeicesterHousewaswidelyknownandcommonlybelieved. Whydidtheserumorsspreadsorapidly?Inpart,theydidbecausea liaisonwiththeprincesshelpedtoexplainBute'sroleinarrangingan alliancebetweenLeicesterHouseandWilliamPittinoppositiontothe government.15Forexample,thecountessofYarmouthdiscountedhopes thatAugustawouldremainalooffromoppositionpoliticsbyreminding Newcastlethattheprincess"'isinthehandsofthosewhowillnotpermit that'andthen[added]withasmile,'webothknowwhatwemean, thoughneitherofuswillspeak'"(NewcastletoHardwicke,2:251). Moreover,asSpackshasobserved,sexwasthemostpopularsubjectof gossipatthetime,withthepossibleexceptionofmoney(68).Reportsof sexualmisconductbyAugustaappealedtowhatSirHoraceMannsin- gledoutascharacteristicof"thegreatestgossips,""[they]arealways... fondofthemarvelous."16ThatthedowagerprincessofWaleswouldtake aloverfitSamuelJohnson'sdefinitionof"themarvelous"as"wonder- ful,"meaninga"surprisecausedbysomethingunusualorunexpected" (77jeDictionary).Herfriendsandenemiesunanimouslyregardedheras aprudentwoman,onewhowasdiscreetandcautious,whoweighed alternativescarefullyandhadtheabilitytodiscernandfollowthemost politicandprofitablecourseofaction.By1752,accordingtoDodington, she"hadestablish'dacharacterforprudence";in1755,Waldegrave recalledthatshe"wasreputedbythosewhoknewherimperfectlya WomanofexcellentSenseandextraordinaryPrudence."17Thusthepos- sibilitythatshewoulddiscardcaution,rejectmorality,andriskreputa- tionbyyieldingtoanillicitpassionfascinatedpeopleinthepoliticaland socialworldsthatorbitedaroundthecourt.Theirfascinationwiththe differencebetweenpublicreputationandprivatereality,plusthepoliti- calimportofthe"intrigue,"spedtherumorsontheirway. Whatweretheoriginsoftheserumors?Whatfirstarousedthesuspi- cionsofobserversatLeicesterHouse?Theanswermustbethatduring thesummerof1755Augusta'sbehaviortowardButedramatically changed.Shehadknowntheearlsincethelate1740s,andnoscandalhad beenattachedtotheirrelationship,eventhoughgossipslaterspeculated thatanaffairbetweenthemmighthavebegunthen.18Thechangesthat happenedin1755havebeendetailedbyWalpoleinhisMemoirsofthe ReignofKingGeorgeII.Drawinguponconversationswithhisfriend Waldegrave,herecalledthat"theeagernessofthepagesofthebackstairs toletherknowwheneverLordButearrived,amellownessinherGerman PrincessAugustaandLordBute / 251 accentasoftenasshespoketohim,andthatwasoftenandlong,anda morethanusualswimmingnessinhereyes,contributedtodispelthe ideasthathadbeenconceivedoftherigourofherwidowhood."19This wasclearlyconductwelloutoftheordinaryfortheusuallydiscreet, prudentAugusta.Anyobservantperson—andWaldegravecertainlywas one—couldnothavemissedit.Bute'sresponsesattractedhisnoticeas well."Thefavouredpersonage,"continuedWalpole,"naturallyostenta- tiousofhispersonandofhaughtycarriage,seemedbynomeansdesir- ousofconcealinghisconquest.Hisbowsgrewmoretheatric,hisgraces contractedsomemeaning,andthebeautyofhislegwasconstantlydis- playedintheeyesofthepoorcaptivatedPrincess."20 Asthesepassagesindicate,WaldegravebelievedthatthePrincess's obviousenchantmentwithButewastheoutwardmanifestationofa powerfulsexualattractiontohim.Hecouldthinkofnothingelse.The earlhadnorespectforBute'sintelligence,learning,orpoliticalacumen. Tothecontrary:hiscontactswith"thefavouredpersonage"atcourt causedhimtodismissButeasapompouslightweight,amandeservingto becalledBombastusVigorosusbymorediscerningpersons.Waldegrave conceded,however,thatButewasaphysicallystrikingman."Hewas abovethemiddlesize,hadbroadshoulders,greatmuscularstrength,and remarkablefinelegs.""Thosebodilyperfections...,"Waldegravelater observedwithbittersarcasm,"sometimesmayhaveattractedvulgarwidows "(163-64;229).In1755,hefeltnoanimustowardAugusta,and certainlydidnotregardherasa"vulgarwidow."Evenso,hewascertain duringthatsummerthatshewassusceptibletoBute'sphysicalgraceand beauty.Perhapsherecalled,asdidWalpole,that"theniceobserversof thecourtthermometer,whooftenforeseeachangeofweatherbeforeit actuallyhappens,hadlongthoughtherRoyalHighnesswaslikelyto chooseyoungerministersthan[hertwoadvisers,]thatformalpieceof emptymystery,[James]Cresset;orthematron-likedecorumofSir GeorgeLee."Afterall,"hereyeshadoftentwinkledintelligiblyenough athercountrymanPrinceLobkowitz"(Memoirs,2:151).Whetherornot Waldegraveheardandcreditedthesamegossip,heclearlybelievedthat herfriend'sappearanceandmannerismshadtransfixedthePrincess.To him,itwasobviousthatshewaseitherhelpless,ordidnottry,toconceal herpassionatefascination. Waldegravewasequallysurethatthetwowereactuallyhavingan affair.Thebasisforhisconfidencewashisknowledgethattheyhad createdampleopportunitiesforthemselvestoconsummateandcontinue asexualrelationship.Theearlevidentlyheardontheauthorityof"three...