Part 8

Ld. Henry Petty unites to a sound, strong understanding a pleasant vein of cheerful humour, with talents and advantages far beyond his years. His simplicity and unassuming manner is the most winning of his qualifications. His character is very like Ld. H.’s, only he has less playfulness of imagination, and less vivacity; his turn of mind is rather serious, but in temper, artlessness, and integrity they are more nearly allied even than by blood. Ld. Lansdown idolises him, and with pleasure I perceive that his tenderness is bestowed upon an object that will reward him with interest; poor old man, he wants filial comfort.[122]

Bonaparte in his passage through Switzerland went to Coppet to see Necker; some imagine that he proposed to him to accept the post of Minister of Finance. Madame de Staël greeted the hero, and made a political tirade for full twenty minutes; when she ceased she expected a complimentary eulogism, all he said was, ‘Madame, a-t-elle nourri ses enfants?’ A cutting rebuke.[123]

Dumont one evening read to us Rousseau’s description, in his _Promenades solitaires_, of the Isle de St. Pierre, in which he describes the felicity he enjoyed and his regrets at having quitted his delicious retirement. Ld. H., who is no admirer of Rousseau in any way, grew tired, and wrote this:--

Rousseau was so charmed in his island St. Pierre With walking and rowing about; I agree with him heartily when he was there ’Twas a pity he ever came out.

Ld. H. told me this morning a piece of slyness of the Jacobinical party towards him. About two years ago a man of the name of Gurney, a solicitor, on behalf of the manufacturers entreated Ld. H. to speak against a Bill, which involved their interests, then brought before Parliament. It was entitled, a Bill to prevent unlawful combination among the workmen. He spoke, and distinguished himself; his speech was printed at Manchester and Liverpool, and distributed among the manufacturers. It seems Burdett and Ld. Stanhope[124] grew jealous of his popularity among _their_ friends, and have now contrived to get the petitions given to them, and have, now that resistance to it is become a little popular, espoused the cause. Ld. Stanhope told Ld. H. that he had made himself ‘many friends among the most valuable part of the community.’ Ld. H. of course does not care a straw upon the occasion one way or the other; it only makes him laugh.

Ld. Thanet quitted his captivity on Monday last; he is delighted at regaining his freedom, but a little annoyed at walking the streets where he is shown as a sight, ‘There he goes: aye, that is him.’ He says all rooms appear immense, his eye having been so long accustomed to the straitened little apartment he occupied. Madame Bonawitz latterly shared his confinement: she is reckoned clever, she writes _English_ verses.

Our planet must have got out of its orbit and flown off further from the sun, as the cold is very remarkable. Fires are indispensable, and I, who have within these four years said the only place where a fire was useful was the kitchen, am perishing. This is the 11th June, and the servants continue fires, which is the more singular, as they in general lay more stress upon the calendar than upon their feelings. Bread is 17½_d._ the quartern loaf, butcher’s meat from one shilling to 14_d._ pr. lb.; poultry, enormously dear; and every other article of consumption in proportion. How the labouring poor subsist and suffer their hardships patiently, are both problems.

[Sidenote: 1800 LORD ELLENBOROUGH]

Burke observed upon Mrs. Hastings’s[125] reception at Court, that the Queen had but one vice, avarice, and but one virtue, decorum; but when accident had brought them to contend, the vice had proved the stronger.

I dined with the Smiths on Saturday, where I met Serjeant Law,[126] a man whose abilities are rated high in his profession, but who by a singular piece of misfortune, has never yet had a fair opportunity of distinguishing himself. He has a brief, clear way of expressing himself, with a portion of causticity: he puts me in mind of Mr. Wm. Fawkener. He dined here the next day. Our party consisted of almost all the rising talents at the Bar, Bobus Smith, Mackintosh, Mr. Scarlett, Sturges, Mr. Brand who, tho’ only an amateur, yet studies the law. Fergusson, who is just liberated from the captivity of a year, called so near the moment of dinner that it was impossible, with the most adverse dispositions towards him, not to invite him. He accordingly accepted the proposal. His beauty is much praised, I did not admire him; about his mouth he has a mean expression. My _accueil_ was not flattering or warm; as a guest he had my civility, otherwise a particle of notice would not have been bestowed. I neither like the man nor his cause. On Sunday the Beauclerks came to stay a day or two _only_.

I made, through my mother, to Mr. Frogatt a proposal to be laid before the guardians who may be appointed for my children by Chancery, the substance of which is an offer to take upon myself the whole expense of the maintenance and education of Harriet, that her fortune, which is but five thousand pounds, may be allowed to accumulate until she marries or is of age. I also wrote to him myself, adding that what I asked was solely for the girl’s benefit, and that she would be equally under the superintendence and control of her guardians. To this offer I this day received an answer, merely to signify to me, that Mr. Chaplin, in pursuance of the _earnest_ desire of ye late Sir G. Webster, had applied to Chancery for the guardianship of the children: a very improbable story, because if Sir G. Webster had recommended his children to Chaplin, there would have existed a suspicion of his intention of destroying himself; and, on the other hand, if it had been his steady wish, he would at least have made a will in case of a death as sudden and more unexpected. Sir Gilbert Affleck called upon Chaplin yesterday, to propose to join in the application for the guardianship, but Chaplin rejected the offer in a manner that Sir Gilbert told me it was a force upon his feelings not to resent as it merited.

[Sidenote: GUARDIANSHIP OF THE CHILDREN]

Whilst Webby was at Petworth with Ld. Egremont, I wrote him a letter under cover to Ld. E., in which, after inquiring how he was, I conveyed my sense of Ld. E.’s kindness, adding that it was such that it claimed the gratitude of all his family. Before this letter reached Petworth Ld. E. had brought him to town to his grandmother’s and the Chaplins, and I have not received a word of acknowledgment, which seems unnecessarily harsh. This behaviour in Chaplin is the more remarkable, as _he_ has uniformly assured me that he would use his utmost endeavours to persuade Sir G. to let me see the children. This assurance I have under his hand and signature. Besides, he was quite cordial when I married Ld. H., wished me joy, and wound up his congratulatory sentence with a sort of prophecy that I should be happy, as my disposition was of a domestic turn, and that I had never hitherto had a fair opportunity of showing the real goodness of my heart. He visited Ld. H. and me, the year after, when he came to town, and, in short, rather affected a sort of intimacy of intercourse. I shall set every engine to work to counteract these unjust projects.

A few days ago I asked Ld. Stair[127] just to mention, the first occasion he could find naturally, to Ld. Egremont how grateful I felt for his tenderness to my child. He did, and brought back a civil reply. I consulted Ld. S. about asking Ld. E. to do something towards getting me the facility of seeing my children. He told me he was a real good-hearted man, but one who was habitually indolent and to a degree timid as to meddling in other people’s concerns, but that tho’ he would do nothing for me, yet he was incapable of doing anything against. However, yesterday, to my great delight, Ld. Stair told me he had _de son chef_ had a conversation with Ld. E., who not only was not averse to me, but offered to call and explain all he knew about my children’s concerns, and would undertake to advise Chaplin to be more tractable. Ld. Stair advised me to write a letter of acknowledgment to Ld. E., which I did last night. Thus I have the sanction of one of the most respectable and worthy persons in my favour.

Sheridan dined with us last Friday; Mrs. S.[128] was to have come, but she was ill from having sung too much. He was in a very playful vein of humour, and, without any marked _trait_ of wit, all he said was pleasant. Lewis was a self-invited guest, to prove to me that he and William Lamb were cordial friends, who he knew dined with us; but he failed in that attempt, as Lamb complained that he followed him like his shadow, and bored him insufferably. Sheridan told a story of a sale of plants near his house. The trees were ticketed with their names. Two country gentlemen read a ‘Dacious cypress,’ ‘This must be wrong,’ said one, ‘there is no such word: I will make it right,’ and with his pencil he wrote ‘_Au_dacious.’ When the little, puny deciduous cypress appeared with such a tremendous name, the whole auction room shouted with laughter. He said formerly the managers of the two theatres used to send people to hiss and disturb the actors at new plays. One night an actor complained to Garrick that the new tragedy was interrupted and would get damned, as a Covent Garden man was in the pit laughing. ‘Never mind,’ said Garrick, ‘I shall be revenged, for I have a man fast asleep at their new comedy.’

Bedford House is pulling down, and the Duke is building a new square.[129] He has some idea of erecting a statue of Ld. Russell; I advised him to get Mr. Fox to write the prose inscription, Fitzpatrick the verse, and Dr. Parr the Latin. If he should raise the monument he will adopt my hint. Serjeant Lens surprised me by saying that should this statue be erected, the populace would in all probability pull it down. If so, public opinion has undergone a strange revolution, as he was a martyr whom patriots worshipped,--‘That cause for which Russell and Sidney bled.’

_19th June._--I went yesterday to Hampton Court, where I slept. Ld. H. rode over to St. Anne’s, and joined me at night. In a small corner of the Palace erected by William now lives the Stadtholder[130] and the Princess of Orange, fugitives from those dominions their ancestor quitted to govern these: a reflection that must be accompanied with pangs of regret and mortification.

On the 19th, I went by water to Kingston Bridge, where I found my mother, Sir Gilbert, Henry,[131] and Mr. Francis. In the evening we all went to the Opera.

[Sidenote: STATE OF THE WAR]

Genoa is taken, Melas seems to have changed positions with Masséna. Bonaparte is beyond Milan and restoring the Cisalpine Governts.

Francis says whilst the French armies are performing prodigies of valour, traversing impossible mts., dragging artillery over steep crags, disposing of empires, extending conquests, etc., we hear our own exploits, performed by an immense fleet sailing up and down the Channel, to be a descent upon France, and the victor’s spoil ‘_three pieces of iron cannon and twenty-five cows_.’ Maitland[132] commands the expedition which has been directed again against Quiberon; the most he can do will be to singe here and there the coast of France.

On Thursday, ye 10th July, we quitted home to make an excursion for two or three months upon the Continent. Our party consists of Ld. Duncannon,[133] Mr. Marsh, Dr. Drew, Charles, Hortense, Charles, 4 maids, and five men. We manage to stuff all into a coach and postchaise. We set off at five o’clock in the afternoon, slept at Epping Place; began our journey the next day at 7. At Newmarket I saw D. of Queensberry: he wanted us to dine with him. He was violent at the continuance of the war, and spoke roundly against Ministers. He told Ld. H., upon the Dutch business, that if he had not made a determination never to vote against Government he would have voted with him upon that question. Mr. Vernon also came and sat by me whilst I eat: he envied my stomach that could digest and relish cold meat and porter. We stopped at Thetford. The D. of Bedford thought our coming so uncertain, that he did not hear even of our arrival until 10, and it was then too late to join us at supper, for we went to bed at ½ past nine. This morning we were up at 4 o’clock, off at 6, and passed through Norwich (where Ld. D. overtook us), and got here (Yarmouth) at about 2. Ld. Spencer wrote to order a convoy, but there is some difficulty about getting a better than a cutter. The Admiral (Dickson) has just been with me; he promises _two_ cutters, but the lugger in port is better.

We were landed upon _terra firma_ within fifty hours after we had sailed from Yarmouth, a surprisingly quiet passage. Met on our way from the _jettée_ at Cuxhaven, Mr. Arbuthnot; he now is attached to Prince Augustus. I knew him formerly at Naples when he travelled with Ld. Digby.

The party set off that day, and slept at Basbeck, where there was no inn. ‘Ld. H. and self lay upon the ground in the room we supped in; the gentlemen, Charles, and the maids lay in a large room together.’ They took the road to Hamburg by Cranz, crossing the Elbe at Blankenese. ‘The wind rose and the water was rough; we were about forty minutes in the passage.’

[Sidenote: HAMBURG]

We came through Altona to this place (Hamburg) where we are very tolerably lodged at Kaysershoff. Mr. Berchemeyer, a great merchant, called to offer us every civility, as did Mr. Parish, the son of the late American Consul; he belongs to a great house of commerce. In the evening of the 18th we drove about the ramparts, and went to the French comedy, a neat theatre with a tolerable _troupe_.

During our stay at Hamburg we received much hospitality and civility. On the Sunday after our arrival we dined with Mrs. Parish at their country house upon the banks of ye Elbe. She is a sensible, voluble Scotchwoman. The party consisted chiefly of merchants; Symons, his wife and sisters, Flemings and relations of the famous coachbuilder of that name at Bruxelles. The ladies were recently returned from Paris, but their attire was such as Bonaparte would have corrected. We returned early, as the gates shut always at nine, the only one which is left open until eleven is only attainable by crossing the Alster, a sort of lake.

Bourgoing,[134] the traveller and author, on his way to his mission to Copenhagen, demanded of the Senate of Hamburg two French emigrants, who are conductors of a journal called the _Censeur_, in which Bonaparte is virulently and clumsily abused. Paul’s Minister, on behalf of his master, claimed them, and the business is not settled. This is merely a pendant to our claiming Napper Tandy, for one injustice begets another.[135] Dumouriez is extremely out of spirits, indeed well may he be from the absurdity and inconsistency of his conduct. All that are busy and idle assemble at Hamburg, merchants and sharpers--Major Semple,[136] Mr. Holcroft,[137] Dr. Maclean,[138] etc. On Wednesday we dined at Monsr. Mathison’s[139]; he is a wealthy merchant married to Henriette, one of Mde. Genlis’s _élèves_, and in consequence of her connection with Ly. Edward[140] is become one of her most cordial and useful friends. Ly. Ed. lives in his house.

[Sidenote: MADAME DE GENLIS]

Mde. Genlis was just arrived from Berlin; I felt great curiosity to see a woman so justly celebrated for cleverness. Her countenance denotes talent and mischief; more of the latter than real vice. She has just published a new novel, _Les Mères Rivales_; there are some good things in it, but it is rather tedious from its length. She gives her political and religious creed, which are curious from the novelty of her having any. Bourbon monarchy and Papal Catholicism she now holds to be indispensable to the benefit and salvation of mankind. Permission has been granted for her return; her own account is that Bonaparte has ordered her into France from regret that so great an ornament should seek repose in a foreign country.

On Thursday Dumouriez and Berchemeyer dined with us. In the morning we went to see Klopstock, the father and founder of German poetry. He is now near 90 years of age, full of vivacity and as strong in intellect as he probably ever was. His writings are known throughout Germany, but are difficult to translate, as they are in the sublime, incomprehensible style. His _Messiah_ is his greatest work. He talked to us of English literature, especially of Pope’s Homer.

In the evening we went with Mrs. Parish to the Syndic Dormanne’s house in the country. It was a day of festivity, being an annual commemoration of a charitable institution. We laughed at Marsh, who endeavoured to make a compliment to the Syndic about his house, and began praising it as a town house, whereas the Syndic had been pointing out to us the _champêtre_ appearance and the _point de vue pittoresque_ which it enjoyed. But Marsh persisted in his original idea, and dwelt upon its excellence considering it was in a populous town. The truth is the house, tho’ two miles from the city, is one in a sort of row upon the Alster.

They left Hamburg on July 24, to go by Hanover to Berlin, crossing the Elbe at Tollenspicker. ‘The carriage came over in the regular ferry boat, which is of a singular construction considering that the waves are sometimes high; the ends are both open. Marsh and Duncannon bought a horse between them, which keeps up with German travelling, a proof of its rapidity!’ They slept the first night at Lüneburg. The road to Zell lay through a stretch of forest land, but sparsely inhabited, ‘not more than three villages sprinkled over an extent of thirty miles.’ Lady Holland says, ‘On the whole it is the worst country I ever saw, and naturally so incapable of improvement that it would baffle the agricultural skill of our English improvers.’

From Zell to Hanover two posts: we were eight hours. Saw nothing but forests of diminutive firs, deep sands, and barren wastes. In fifty years there may perhaps be a tolerable road; at present all that appears is that probability. The _chaussée_ is marked out, trees were planted, and even in some places stones are collected in heaps, but only here and there for about a hundred yards are any laid on the road; and where there is that small portion of _pavé_, it seems merely to be a pretext for a heavy toll. Well may these Hanoverian surveyors boast, as did one of the French patriots, that they labour for posterity!

Arrived at Hanover ye 27th July, 1800.

_28th._--The King’s stables, or rather stud, are very fine. It is from hence he is supplied with the white and cream-coloured horses which draw his state coach; they are beautiful animals, but have a diseased, unhealthy look, especially about the eyes, which have a reddish hue. The breed of horses and men are alike, and I could trace a likeness to my liege Lord and Sovereign among his coach horses. They breed good-sized mules from Italian asses. I was surprised at finding them so good in this cold climate, for tho’ as hot as Italy now, the cold in winter is insufferable. The riding house is large and grand; one or two riding masters were busy _dresser_ these _manège_ horses. It is a graceful action, a man on a well-dressed horse, and it is much to the loss of our young men that the slouching fashion of riding gets the better of the _manège_ method. The boys hoot at Duncannon and Marsh, and abuse them for their ignorance of riding, calling out jeeringly ‘Englan_der_.’

[Sidenote: HANOVER]

Saw a beautiful palace built by the D. of York, sold by him to one Eckhart, an army commissary, and repurchased by the King; and now occupied by Prince Adolphus.[141] It is exactly like a Paris hotel; the whole was executed under the direction of a French architect, and the furniture and decorations brought from Paris and Lyons. The Electoral Palace is old, irregular, and vast. One of the inner courts was destroyed by fire, and rebuilt by George II. In his private apartment they showed us the altar he commonly used, which had been rescued from the flames; it was very much scorched. His common walking cane the _concierge_ kissed with veneration, adding, ‘_He_ loved us, _he_ lived among us.’ The Hanoverians are short-sighted enough to regret not having their Sovereign among them; they long for the splendour of a Court, without taking into account that his residence would entail taxes, burthens of various sorts, and perhaps wars.

A dark passage between the ball-room and the Electress’s private apartments is shown as the spot where Königsmark was murdered. He had slipped out from the festive scene to indulge in the softer delights of love in the arms of the Electress; on his return he was rushed upon by the guards with their halberds, and dispatched. Various stories were invented, some that he was put into an oven and suffocated, another that he was thrust into a reservoir and drowned, another that the Elector (George I.) kept him to enjoy ye sight of his torture, etc. True it was that he disappeared, and that the Electress was banished her husband’s presence and exiled to a castle at _All_ or Aller.[142] She was never permitted to go to England, or assume the title of Queen. Some time afterwards B. Hoadly to satisfy the royal suspicions wrote the play of _The Suspicious Husband_, which proves that a gentleman may be in a lady’s bedroom at night most innocently. Königsmark was but a _mauvais sujet_; he had run off from England for murder. He shot Mr. Thynne in Hyde Park to prevent his marrying an heiress he had designs upon.[143]

In the evening we went to drink tea with P. Adolphus at Montbrilliant. He is remarkably handsome and pleasing in his manner, and since the decline of the Prince’s beauty, is certainly the best looking of the Royal Family. He complains of being exiled. He left England when he was 12 years old, and since that time has only been there for four months. I renewed my acquaintance with Count Münster and Tatter, two Hanoverians whom I had formerly known at Rome when they were attached to Prince Augustus.

When we arrived at Brunswick we found the inns filled with Jews and infidels on account of the Fair, which is a great epoch in German festivity. We, however, obtained a tolerable lodging. Mr. Kinnaird is living in a _Swiss_ pension, imbibing Genevan principles; these upon a Scotch _fond_ will produce a useful man to _himself_ and family.

[Sidenote: BRUNSWICK]