Page:Mrs. Siddons (IA mrssiddons00kennrich).pdf/156

144 The following snarl was found among Horace Walpole's papers:—

For the Morning Chronicle. On the King commanding the Tragedy of The Grecian Daughter on Thursday the 2nd inst. Jan. 10th, 1783.

George III. admired her, he said, "for her repose," adding, "Garrick could never stand still; he was a great fidget." The Queen told her, in broken English, that the only resource was to turn away from the stage; the acting was, indeed, too "disagreeable." She was frequently summoned to read at the Palace, and to give lessons in elocution to the young Princesses.

In Mrs. Siddons's memoranda, we are given an account of one of these readings. She felt extremely awkward, she tells us, in the "sack" with "hoop and treble ruffles which it was considered necessary to put on, according to court etiquette." On her arrival she was led into an ante-chamber, where there were ladies