ROBERT FIELDING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19734, 31 December 1926, Page 13 (Supplement)

ROBERT FIELDING

HANDSOME AND CONCEITED A MAGNIFICENT BEAU TOURING an age of moral ease, Robert Fielding, son of a Suffolk squire, enjoyed a good deal of notoriety. He claimed relationship with the Hapsburgs, and in justice it must be admitted that his claim was founded on fact—he was about 500 times removed! So Fielding and the emperors both claimed the common honour of being descended from the Hapsburgs, and this pleased him hugely. At an early age' his genial but not wealthy father despatched the young hopeful to the Temple, where it was designed he should study laws which, as it transpired, he was only capable of breaking. He was exceedingly handsome and exceedingly conceited. His face was his fortune, so he thought, and although occasionally it served him well at times, at others it caused him a great amount of trouble. King Charles noticed the elegantly formed Robert Fielding in his finely cut doublet, and soon the beau was elevated to the honourable position of a justice of the peace. He had no other degree or diploma by virtue of his intellectual excellence. With such fine straight legs and splendid arms what could not this herculean beau achieve? He was the cynosure of all female eyes, and when at the theatre he would favour the masked ladies with the rudest jests. Delighted with the dandy’s attentions, ‘the virgins smiled at what they blushed before,” and some were so forward as to reply to Fielding in like strain. In those days a man did not cloak his vices, bragging was really part of the complete gentleman’s make-up. Drinking deep and long, swearing and swaggering tremendously, he was able to count, most of the officers and gay lads about the town among his boon companions. They would often lift their glasses to this complete gentleman, and for a female to be noticed by him was a kind of honour. Such was the outlook of the times.

But such high living and plain thinking was an expensive matter. Beaus have indeed expensive parts to play, and Fielding was not as fortunate as the bold Beau Nash, who had the happy knack of being able to double his fortune at the gaming table. Such a celebrated dresser could not long remain immune from the tailor who had made him. Other beaus have made their tailors, but Fielding shared this in common with them—he did not pay the tailors’ bills. It was then that his fine legs stood him in good stead; he frequently was able to outstrip the eorpulant bailiffs’ officers in a straight run for cover. However debts do not extinguish themselves, and the beau decided to turn his beautiful person to account, a kind of set-off against the debts. Had he not cracked innumerable hearts'? Had not the reigning beauties of Whitehall wallowed before him passionately, but not prudently? Well, then why not sacrifice himself on the altar of Hymen to the glory of his creditors? A widow well dowered! Brillitnt idea. Ho would, could, and did. and got himself into a lamentable dilemma. With care he selected his prey —a lady as fair as she was fat, and of doubtful age. However, he had not the pleasure of the widow’s acquaintance, so he laid elaborate plans. Tha object of his delicate desires was a Mrs Deleau, who lived at Whaddon, in Surrey and had a fine town house at Copthall Court, London. She had £60,000. He arranged with the ladys hairdresser, Mrs Villars, for an introduction on the understanding that if the deal was finalised she should receive a substantial commission. But it was clearly understood that if there was no sale there would be no commission. It was arranged that the beau should adopt an alias and meet the widow in the most unpremeditated manner. So, on a bright summer’s day, he casually called at the widow’s house, and was granted permission to view the luxuriant gardens. Whilst thus viewing Nature, he espied a female seated at tho upper window, and, guessing her to be the object of his visit he favoured her with a shattering majestic bow, and departed under the delusion that he had made a conquest at once.

However, the wearer of weeds was perhaps wiser than such ladies are reputed to be, or perhaps the hairdresser agent had no power in the matter, for the meeting proper was never held. Naturally, the hairdresser had no intention of losing the tempting commission, so she decided to obtain someone else to play the part of “wealthy widow.”

One day while Fielding was lounging in his rooms wonderfully arrayed in an embroidered dressing gown two ladies violated his privacy. Having been warned of this visit, he was quite ready to come to terms with the blushing widow, who seemed much distressed at the trying position in which she found herself. She was attractive, and apparently modest. The fortunehunting beau just flung his elegant body at her neat feet, swore she was excellence personified, sang love melodies to her, and made great progress generally. Her visits were repeated, and Fielding was simply in heavenly bliss all the time she graced his rooms. Splendid suppers, supplied regardless of cost by obligingly credulous tradesmen, were indulged in by the amorous couple. Ho weighed her down with a cargo of precious gems. Marriage was agreed to, and, at the lady’s request, the ceremony was privately performed by a priest.

The morning after the wedding the widow left her lord’s lodgings on the pretext that it would be injudicious for her wealthy relatives to know of the marriao-e at that time. She came often, and dined sumptuously with him, and he began to refer delicately to ways and means. He simply itched for a cheque book at the heiress’s bankers. Mrs Villars, the hairdresser, pressed for her commission, tradesmen sent in their accounts, and still he hoped. Unfortunately, however, he had become intimate with a wretched adventuress named Mary Wadsworth, who had no future, but a terrible past. Fielding was infuriated, and ho cast about for remedial measures. His next love was the Duchess of Cleveland. Originally Mrs Palmer by name, this woman at an early age had become the absolute ruler of the kingdom by virtue of her power over Charles 11. Wicked and beautiful, she easily ruled Charles, who, in spite of her awful viciousness, was her abject slave. To maintain her position as King’s mistress, her low-minded husband accepted a peerage, and then it was no longer Mr and Mrs Palmer, but the Earl and Countess of •Castlemaine. This impudent and imperious woman forced the King to settle on her an immense fortune, which she squandered at the gaming tables, frequently losing- £15,000 at one sitting. Vicious to the core, Lady Castlemaine courted the young gallants at the court, and when Charles remonstrated she would threaten to burn down Whitehall and rip her numerous children of doubtful parentage to pieces. After every angry scene her ladyship would force the reprobate King to grant her a new pension, and after one degrading row Charles had to make amends by giving her the patent of the Duchy of Cleveland. She behaved outrageously, and the Duchess of Cleveland was a worse harlot than tho Countess of Castlemaine. In time .Charles abandoned her, and she consoled herself for the loss of a real King by attaching herself to a stage one. She lived for a time with an actor named Goodman —sad misnomer—who was one of the vilest scoundrels alive. So on till, at the age of 30, the once magnificently beautiful Mrs Palmer slunk to Paris where she became even more depraved. More and more intrigues followed, and she crowned all her follies by falling frantically in love with Fielding, when she had lived through 65 winters.

Three weeks after he had been united in the holy bonds of matrimony to Mary Wadsworth he married the antiquated Cleveland. Then things moved quickly. Mary compared notes with the duchess. The duchess had been horribly treated by her handsome beau, and she offered Mary a pension of £lOO per year and £2OO down if she would prove tho previous marriage. Fielding now had the groat honour of playing the leading part in a famous State trial. With characteristic impudence, he defended himself, and concocted a story to prove that Mary had been married at the time of his marriage to her. His pica failed, and ho was sentenced to be burnt in the hand. Such an ignominious punishment was overpowering, and Fielding did all in his power to obtain a reprieve, which was granted. Beaus rarely die gloriously. We see Brummcll stretched out in the most awful slovenly penury; we see poor Nash contemptuously jeered at by everybody. Fielding vanished in obscurity after the trial, and there is as much known concerning his death as of that of the Wandering Jew. What a termination to a life commenced so splendidly as the world then regarded things. ,