By means of frequenting the dutchess of
B[edford]'s conversazione, while her grace was at Rome, Mrs
Baynard became acquainted with all the fashionable people of that
city, and was admitted to their assemblies without scruple -- Thus
favoured, she conceived too great an idea of her own importance,
and when the dutchess left Rome, resolved to have a conversazione
that should leave the Romans no room to regret her grace's
departure. She provided hands for a musical entertainment, and
sent biglietti of invitation to every person of distinction; but
not one Roman of the female sex appeared at her assembly -- She was
that night seized with a violent fit, and kept her bed three
days, at the expiration of which she declared that the air of
Italy would be the ruin of her constitution. In order to prevent
this catastrophe, she was speedily removed to Geneva, from whence
they returned to England by the way of Lyons and Paris. By the
time they arrived at Calais, she had purchased such a quantity of
silks, stuffs, and laces, that it was necessary to hire a vessel
to smuggle them over, and this vessel was taken by a custom-house
cutter; so that they lost the whole cargo, which had cost them
above eight hundred pounds.
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