Letter from Jemima Yorke to Mary Gregory, 28^th April 1749

We went early to L.d Sundon's to avoid the mob we supposed would fill the Streets , & for two Hours before it was dark enough for the Fire-works to begin, sat much at our ease with only the Bishop's Family & two or three more Folks in the Room, to admire from his Windows in a charming Evening that most beautiful Building raised exactly before us, the large Area between us & it & all around it quite free & empty, with only some People scatter'd about the Green that belonged to the Works, & the finest fine Ladies & Gem'men of the King's Party in the Library walking under our Windows for our Amusement: the Inclosure lined with Soldiers, & such a Concourse of People beyond as entirely hid the Ground: – Musick playing at proper Intervals to enliven us: – Can you imagine a gayer or a finer Scene? –– Yet this Crowd before One's Eyes was as painful as it was a great Sight, from the Notion of the many Mischiefs that might happen to them before they parted: – but when the Fireworks began my Fears were dispell'd by seeing the Regularity with which they went on, & no Appearance of Danger. – For about an Hour they succeeded literally speaking A Merveille; for the number, the Sizes & various Forms of the Rockets were quite surprising, one Explosion particularly which they say was of Six-Thousand was beyond all Imagination, & excepting to poor M.rs Talbot who was frighted out of all her Wits (for it was not indeed a very quiet Amusement) they were no less Beautiful. –– But after about an Hour's Applause from the Spectators & Triumph in the Performers & Directors, one End Pavilion to the Building unluckily took Fire & spoilt the Show. It raised some Alarm you may be sure in the Fear of its spreading to the Rest, & it took up so many hands in putting it out or rather in preventing its gaining on (as it burnt down that Single Piece) that the Firework was at a Stand, & what was let off after that was Irregular & in Confusion. The Illumination too which should have been done all at Once was performed but by Bits at a Time which quite spoilt the Effect, & when lighted it was not at last so pretty as an Opera-Scene. So that the whole Diversion was as Miss Talbot described it last Night, an Irregular Incompleat Whole consisting of several very Beautiful Parts. I could not help being concern'd last Night as a good English-Woman, that these Rejoicings we have made such a Rout with, which were to outdo those of all Other Nations, & that so many Foreigners were present at; which have lost so much Time & cost so much Money (they say 15000 £) should have failed in any Degree: but I was heartily thankful we all escaped so well from them. I believe you hardly envy me my Diversion though it was certainly a fine One.