18th century Stories

July 16th 1720 To his most serene highness, Philip, Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duke of Mantua. Excellency, it was with profound pleasure and the utmost delight that I took possession this morning of your fine cottage. The rustic beauty, drama and tranquility of this house and the extensive woods with which it is surrounded, will, I feel certain, inspire in me the composition of music of the most profound beauty; a fitting...

St. Margaret’s Vicarage, Stratton-Over-Wye, Spring 1784 What bliss, thought Lucy Whitmore as she listened to the birdsong in the slightly unkempt vicarage garden. Even if she racked her brains, she couldn’t remember the last time she had a quiet minute to herself. What with a growing family and a clerical husband whose door was always open for the needy or just plain talkative, together with an eternally hopeless housekee...