Page:Poems of Anne Countess of Winchilsea 1903.djvu/53

 INTRODUCTION xlix ���imperative demands on the time and thought of the new earl in the way of business management. The dates of births, marriages, and deaths in the families of various friends are also carefully noted. He sets down the day he was weighed and the " 16 stone and 12 Ibs." registered by the scales. We find that a "horse-hair peruque" costs 2, 10s. Among scattered financial transactions is a list of fees headed, "Given away at Marlborough House, Aug. 18, 1723." These fees range from a guinea each to seven of the more important servants down to 2s 6d for the " Kitchin-Boy ;" and aggregate 14 6s. 6d. An interesting list of " Books which I have Subscribed for" certainly shows, in spite of the incor- rect citation of titles, some learning and a catholic taste, for it includes such volumes as "Carmina Quadragesimila;" "Recuille des Piers antique graves;" "Monfaucons Supplim, 5 vol.;" "King of Sweden's Travels;" "Cardinal Wolsey's Life;" "Querels Testament;" "Sr. Ra. Winnwood's Let- ters;" "Rev. Lewis' Isle of Thanet;" "Mr. BrevaVs Book;" and "Dr. Barwictfs Life." If any room in the present house can be definitely associated with Ardelia it must be the stately library, where are doubtless still many of the books selected by Anne Finch and her husband, and perhaps also some of those illuminated by him. �Along with notes on books are jottings of another sort, as a record of the "large ripe scarlet strawberry s from Brook Gar- den," presented to Mr. Finch, October 8 ; or the account of "a Buck which, having been almost killed by another Buck in the Park, had been gott by the Keeper into the Green Garden" where "from being a very lean Buck after his recovery he grew so fatt that he cutt as deep as the length of this mark on the Haunches, viz. two inches and a half." �Through the pleasant intimacy of this little book we gain confirmations of the attractive impression already made by Mr. Finch through his wife's poems and his own letters, an ��� �