Annotation:Earl of Fife's Birth Day (The)
X:1 T:Earl of Fife's Birth Day, The C:James Taylor M:C L:1/16 R:Strathspey B:James Taylor – A Collection of Strathspeys & Reels, together with a Set of Scots Quadrilles (Elgin, c. 1835, p. 16) N:”Most respectfully dedicated to Lady Dunbar of Northfield.” Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Amin B2|A3(AA2B2) c3de2f2|g3ed2c2 BG3 ~G4|A(A3A2B2) c3de2g2|agfe g3B A4A2:| g2|e(a3a2g2) e3aa2b2|g3ag2e2 dcBA GB3|e(a3a2g2) e2aa2b2|agfe gB3 A4 A2g2| e(a3a2g2) e3aa2b2|g3ag2e2 dcBA GB3|(3A2B2c2 (3B2c2d2 (3c2d2e2 (3d2e2g2|agfe g2B2 A4 A2||
Duff also had a penchant for the opera, and particularly young female dancers:
...he had lavished much money and attention on Mademoiselle Noble, who 'gave so much satisfaction to the habitues of the pit', and whom he had taken under his wing in Paris after the war. 'Fife combined moral laxity and financial extravagance with seriousness of mind and concern for the welfare of the tenants and labourers on his extensive estates in north-east Scotland. . . According to Captain Gronow's doubtless embroidered account, he 'spent a fortune upon her; his presents in jewels, furniture, articles of dress, and money, exceeded 40,000 pounds. In return for all this generosity Lord Fife asked nothing more than the lady's flattery and professions of affection. . . On his return to London, the old roue would amuse George IV with a minute description of the lady's legs, and her skill in using them. Horses' legs are frequently the cause of the ruin of members of our aristocracy, but in the case of Lord Fife, the beautiful shape of the supporters of Mlle Noblet had such an effect upon the perfervidum ingenium Scoti, that he from first to last spent nearly 80,000 pounds on this fair daughter of Terpsichore[1].
His birthday was on October 6th.