Eighteenth Century High Life

Press, Volume C, Issue 29524, 27 May 1961, Page 3

Eighteenth Century High Life

Children of the Mist. By Elizabeth Foster. Hutchinson. 224 pp. The heroine of this book is a historical figure, who has already been the subject of a full-scale biography by the English historian, Dorothy Margaret Stuart. She was Lady Elizabeth Foster, g daughter of the Bishop of Derry, who was also a peer —he was the fourth Earl of Bristol—in his own right. When “Children of the Mist” opens in the year 1782. Elizabeth Foster was in Bath with her sister. Lady Erne. Their situation was unusual, for they had both recently left their husbands and in consequence were objects of curiosity. To begin with they were hard up. and their father’s contributions to their support were small and irregular. Young women of position living alone were open to all kinds of impertinent speculation in those days. “No-one could believe

that a young, attractive woman could live alone in lodgings without some ulterior motive; there must be a young blood—or two or three—paying for said lodgings. for services rendered.”

No wonder their scepticism in the Bath Assembly Rooms was cold to the point of hostility. It was at this point that' the other actors in Elizabeth Foster’s odd story intervened. The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, all powerful in society and in Whig political circles, took her under their protection. The Duchess, the eccentric, extravagant Georgiana, found in Elizabeth a confidant and lavished upon her all the resources of her bountiful kindness. A home at Chatsworth was made for .her and various posts created to give her occupation. At one stage she looked after the Duke’s illegitimate daughter. Charlotte William, who was being brought up in France and Italy.

A complication ensued, however, when the Duke.; who had never cared greatly; for his wife, fell in love with; Elizabeth. The Duchess unwittingly furthered the affair, for she had noticed that the Duke was much more amiable to everyone when Elizabeth was about. He even ceased to be cold towards his wife. At first the affair between the two was a secret, and a very well kept one. Even when a child was born at; Vietri. this was known only to a few discreet members; of the household, whose lips; were sealed. Nevertheless, it was inevit-j able that in time there should be some gossip. The Duchess alone had no suspicions of anything untoward.’ All the same, when Eliza- 1 beth found she was going to have another child, it really did seem necessary to let Lady Devonshire know; what had been going on. The revelation was duly made. Although somewhat shaken by the duplicity of those so; dear to her. Georgiana took it very well. Nothing drastic was done, and it was accepted as an established fact from then on that the Duke would be perfectly happy if he and Elizabeth Foster "could talk to each other, alone, in a quiet room, holding each other’s hands.” After the beginning of the revolution in France, the two children of this union. Clifford and Caroline St. Jules.’ were brought to England in the guise of emigres and settled down with the Devonshire children at; Devonshire House. The latter part of “Children of the Mist” is a chronicle of domestic life for three, with nothing very remarkable about it after all. When, Georgiana died. Elizabeth in her turn became Duchess of. Devonshire, as was no doubt right and proper. The author of the book is impressed by the strangeness of the story; but readers of Debrett’s Illustrated Peerage may perhaps conclude that not for nothing does the; Cavendish family, of which the Duke of Devonshire is the head, bear the motto, "Cavendo Tutus" (secure by caution).

tj “The Times,” in a re- ’ cent educational supplement, printed without comment a ; news item reporting that > students at the University of 1 Notre Dame, angered by eight ■ straight football defeats. I demonstrated against their “ president, the Rev. Theodore i Hesburgh. who is noted for I his emphasis on academic ( excellence. The students car- ' ried placards saying: “Down , With Excellence.”