A New Farce in High Life: Principle Characters–The Duke, by Mr. St. Albans, The Duchess by Miss Melon, The Dandy Barber by Mr. Frisby, The Dukes Mistress by Fanny Wagtail; Between the Acts, Mr. St. Alban will dance the Highgate Hornpipe
Not on view
This satire, presented as a play, centers on the recent marriage of the 9th Duke of St. Albans to the wealthy Harriot Beaufort (widow of the banker Thomas Coutts). Their alliance of 1827, when the lady was fifty and her husband twenty-six, brought Harriot a title and the duke some greatly needed funds. He here hands a purse to a barber-servant and instructa him to refurnish the house. At left, the duke's young mistress sits at left in a curtained alcove and wonders when he will arrive. The duchess meanwhile enters at right with her coronet, and says: "Poor Boy! I will allow him to indulge his Fancy, the Title is all I wanted, indeed it is all he could do for me. however he must mind his P.'s, & Q's—or I'll Cut him off with a shilling. I wonder what keeps my dear! dear! Captain D— so long? I must send my Toad-eater after him Heigh! Oh!"
