From the ‘Gentleman's Magazine’ April 1801, pl. I, p. 28. On 20 March 1801 William Beckford entertained Lord Nelson, Sir William and Lady Hamilton at Fonthill. They were cheered as they travelled down to the Mansion House at Fonthill. After a meal in the evening they were entertained to a variety of vocal pieces ‘executed by Lady Hamilton in her expressive and triumphant manner’. For the next two days they spent the afternoons and evenings dining and playing cards, and the mornings seeing the house, the paintings and library and walking out of doors. On Tuesday March 23 they transferred from Fonthill Splendens to the Abbey. They arrived in the evening by coach and the ‘Gentleman’s Magazine’ records that ‘after having entered the great wall which incloses the abbey-woods the procession passed a noble Gothic arch’. The account states that as they travelled through the wood, the way was brightly illuminated by innumerable lamps hung in the trees and by flambeaux moving with the carriages and a militia volunteer band playing. The magazine wrote:

‘what impression at this dark hour, the blaze of lights, partly stationary and partly moving, as reflected from the windows of the carriages or gleaming on the military armour, together with music echoing though the woods… this ensemble of light, sound, and motion, must have made on those who could quietly contemplate it all at a distance, may be left to imagination without any attempt to describe it... The company on arrival at the Abbey could not fail to be struck with the increasing splendour of lights and their effects contrasted with the deep shades which fell on the walls, battlements and turrets, of the different groups of the edifice.’

Once there they sat down in groined Gothic hall to a superb dinner on silver dishes.

‘Lady Hamilton appeared in the character of Agrippina bearing the ashes of Germanicus in a golden urn and as presenting herself before the Roman people with the design of exciting them to revenge the death of her husband… Lady Hamilton displayed with truth and energy every gesture, attitude and expression of countenance. The company left at 11 pm to sup at the Mansion House. The stars were out and it was described as waking from a dream.’