M 316

"Song for Carleton House". Dating: (1) It could hardly have been written before 1790. In May 1789 JB had moved the Address to the Prince of Wales from Ayrshire. It was to be presented to the Prince by Ld Eglinton attended by such other Justices as might be in London at the time. The Earl was rather delinquent, but in July it finally got presented and acknowledged. JB was in Scotland at the time, following Mrs. Boswell's death, so could not attend. Ld Eglinton in his letter 13 July 1789 (C 1184) said "Next Winter, if youl give me leave, I shall be happy to wait upon you to Carlton house where I'm sure youl be well received."

(2) it is connected with the MS. M 54 and M 194, which bears the date 26 March 1790, both as to the type of paper and by an allusion to a dinner at Carleton House. Notice that Eglinton is named in the poem as among those present at the dinner.

(3) the tone of the heading: cf. JB's comment on his "Fortification Ballad" (M 9:5), on "Favras" (M 84); and some phrases which also appear in the MS. of No Abolition of Slavery.

(4) "Cheer up old Q neer mind their lickings!": cf. JB's "Loyalty of Ayrshire Asserted" (M 13) and L 1093.

(5) cf. the verse "Milksops who to drink an't able" with the item in (continued)

M 316

Card 2

the Gen. Eve. Post, Sat. 27 Feb 1790: "The dinner which was given by the P---- of W---- to the Duke of Portland, Mrss. Fox, Burke, Sheridan, &c. last week was marked with much pleasantry and convivial table talk. The Prince particularly rallied the Duke of Portland for not drinking wine, and reminded him of what Mr. Savile, in Charles II's time, said upon a similar occasion, 'That no man in England should keep him company without drinking but Ned Waller'".

(~~Last week~~) would place the dinner between Mon. Feb 15th and Fri. the 20th.) I incline to think that JB was present on this occasion. The Journal shows him engaged at dinners on the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th of Feb. This leaves Feb 19th and 20th (no Journal) as dates when JB could have been at Carleton House.

Notes on allusions in the poem:

"Phantom": (Fitzgerald's Life of George IV). Pitt would not trust the Prince, proposed a regency with restrictions, one being that the Chancellor should affix the great seal. In Burke's speech against this, 22 Dec. 1788, he quoted Macbeth: If the unfortunate Monarch knew this, he said, he would cry out "Restore me to my former state. Let me not behold a black-browed phantom on my throne". Pitt's side won and the bill passed. The "Phantom" became a sort of

(continued)

M 316

Card 3

by-word.

"Payne": Rear Admiral John Willett Payne. While at Rome in a tour through France and Italy he had received civilities from Cardinal York. In 1788 he insulted the Queen.

"Hanger": George Hanger, later 4th Baron Coleraine. An eccentric Colonel.

"Morris": Charles Morris (1745-1838), songwriter. - Beefsteak Club- associate of Fox, against Pitt -- at Carleton House "Sun of the Table".

Wettye was the Prince of Wales's cook.

The name which has been written over "Payne" in the last line of the first stanza on p.2 is _Tynte_ (see _St. James's Chron._ 15/17 Nov 1791, p.3, col. 1). --"Chorus my Conways - Tynte, do try it"