Coke, Lady Mary (Campbell)

(1726 - 1811), 5th dau. of 2nd D. of Argyll [S]; m. 1747 Edward, Vct. Coke (sep. 1749; he d. 1753).

1773 - 4 [dep. Vienna Nov. 1773] Venice (4 - 10 Nov. 1773), Parma (20 - 26 Nov.), Bologna (26 - 30 Nov.), Florence (30 Nov. 1773 - 20 Jan. 1774), Lerici (22 - 26 Jan.), Genoa (27 Jan.), Turin (by 31 Jan. - 4 Apr.) [England by Jun.]

Lady Mary Coke, 'a dainty widow',1 had become highly strung, suspicious and a little unstable by 1773 when she went abroad. She had a 'frenzy for royalty' and a particular admiration for Maria Theresa, but the coolness with which the Empress had treated her in Vienna in 1773, combined with a series of difficulties on the road from Vienna to Italy, convinced her that she had fallen victim to a plot, which she described in her Journal (a series of regular letters addressed to either Lady Dalkeith or Lady Strafford).2 She did not enjoy herself in Italy; apart from the troubles 'the Empress has prepared me in almost every place', she was harrassed by her servants and was constantly apprehensive of meeting the Duke of Cumberland, of whom she heartily disapproved.

Venice in November was wet, the gondolas were 'like so many Hearses' and 'the perpetual tolling of the Bells' was terrible. The pictures she saw were 'all damag'd, and several quite spoiled ... the damps here must be very great, and nothing is so destructive to painting'. She found the insides of Palladio's palaces 'so little corresponding with the buildings, which are so beautiful; the rooms ill distributed; no proportions regarded. Only a cast of the statue of Agrippina receiving the news of her Son's death seems to have pleased her. For ten days she sailed down the Po, 'the dirtiest and dullest River of all that I am acquainted with' to Parma. There the Correggios were 'very much hurt' and the country 'exceedingly disagreeable', but the Duke of Parma's children were charming. She admired the pictures in Bologna, but the palaces were dark principally because the windows were 'extremly small and the glass very bad'. She arrived in Florence on 30 November to stay for two months. The weather continued wet and cold, the Grand Duke and Duchess treated her coolly, but Horace Mann seemed 'very amiable', though in fact he was much exercised by 'the height and violence of her temper'. She was convinced Lord Huntingdon was persecuting her, and after a month she decided that it was impossible 'for anybody, who had not been brought up in [Italy], to think it agreeable. The Women have no education ... I cannot imagine how Lord Cowper can be so attach'd to this Country'. She visited the Tribuna and wanted the statues to be placed on black marble, instead of gilt pedestals. She left Florence with relief, being convinced that she was there 'under the continual persecution of the most cruel, unjust, & malicious enemies'. She travelled overland to Lerici and thence sailed to Genoa. 'I prefer this Town to all I have yet seen in Italy', she wrote, but when she reached Turin soon after she found that city 'tho small is so well built that I prefer it to all the others' [305]. The ballet at Turin was good, she was well received at Court, and the Van Dycks and Guido Renis in the Royal Palace were in 'perfect conservation'. Early in April she crossed Mont Cenis in snow and a high wind, causing her to reflect that she had 'never yet been fortunate in any circumstance of my life' [328].

1. Wal.Corr., 37:572. 2. Coke Letters, 4:252 - 329 (page refs. in brackets).