Letter from Caroline Powys to Mrs. ——, 13–14 January 1777

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

189

text excerpt

The play over, we wondered not to hear the coaches call’d up, but were soon inform’d there was to be a dance. This, as there seem’d no performers, we all wonder’d at, but the curtain drawing up, three characters only appear’d. Those, tho’ disguised, we soon found were Tessier, Churchill, and Englefield. The first an excellent figure as an old woman playing on the violin, the second, a girl with a brandy bottle, looking rather delicate, as Churchill is a pretty young man exceedingly fair, she and her pero danc’d the fricassée, a most robust performance, an excellent burlesque on fine stage dances. Tessier who is a fine hand on the violin, play’d to them, and afterwards came forward, and in broken English said he knew not our language well enough to sing in that, but would with our leave give us a little French song made by himself since dinner, which he did in a most droll manner, sings well, and the thought was clever, the whole turning in compliment on the Grandison family and their neighbourhood, showing so splendid an audience as that he address’d. Everybody was much pleas’d, particularly as none but the three concerned knew of it till the instant.

excerpt from 'Letter from Caroline Powys to Mrs. ——, 13–14 January 1777' pp. 189 (224 words)

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1516741468592