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SIR 
 
 F( 
 
 (V 
 
SIR WILLIAM GREGORY, K.C.M.G., 
 
 FORMERLY MEMBF.R OF PARLIAMENT AM) 
 
 SOMETIME GOVERNOR OF CEYLON. 
 
 AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 
 
 Edited i-.v LADY GRI'GORY. 
 
 WITH PORTRAIT. 
 
 LONDON: 
 JOHN MURRAY, ALBKAIARLE STREET. 
 
 1894. 
 

 LONDON : 
 ,,„,T,„„VU,U..AMC,.OWHSAN,.SONS. ...M.m,. 
 
 ■ STAMKOKU STKKKT AM. ' MAR.NO CKCSS. 
 
 M 
 
 li 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 -•o*- 
 
 The following memoirs were written during the last feu 
 years of my husband's life, from 1884 to 1891. They were 
 at first intended only for me and our bo}-, but he after- 
 wards showed them in [)art to one or two old and dear 
 friends. Jle never spoke of their publieation, and 
 probably would not iiave thought them worth b-inging 
 before the outer world. 1 think differentl> , and my hope 
 in publishing them is that his name, which was known, 
 and kindl>- known, in many countries beside his own, ma>- 
 be kept alive a little longer, and that for his sake a 
 friendly hand may sometimes in the future be held out to 
 his boy. 
 
 I have, of course, left out a good deal of what he had 
 written. Some detailed accounts of visits to Tunis and 
 ]^:<rypt, when those countries were less in the beaten track 
 than now, are no longer of general interest. In this age 
 of hurry, when there arc too many Parliamentary speeches 
 to be read from day to day, it would have been useless to 
 print those of half a century ago. And though he had 
 written nothing that could be called unkind or ill-natured. 
 
I'REFACE. 
 
 1 I have left o„t many passages that seemed too 
 
 he memory of the dead. This has een a ,ffieu, y.^^ 
 every passage so st™ck out lessened the ■"'--"•- 
 whole, but I have tried honestly to earry out a Rood 
 intention, and may say— 
 
 - What's done ye iiartly may compute, 
 Ve know not wliat's resisted." 
 
 AUGUSTA GREGORY. 
 
 Coc 
 
 Lor 
 
 A li 
 
 N 
 
 My 
 
 Loi 
 
 ■ 
 l<< 
 
 1,0 
 
 Ur 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PART I. 
 CllAl'TKR I. 
 
 Cock-li'^hlin-— My Krcat--i;uKiralhcr -My Kical-iimlc^ My 
 grandf.ithcr- Tlio Thfcnix Tark— My father— Macdonagh's 
 duel— A challciv^'C— Kaily (lays 
 
 CilArTlCK n. 
 Lord Wcilcslcy— My tirsl sclu.ol 1 1 arrow— Marrow successes 
 —Anthony 'i'rollope -Harrow tlfty years a-o — Modbury ... 
 
 CILM-'i'lCK 111. 
 A house party-C.alway revels-Oxford— The " Hattlc of Rude- 
 sheim"— Rome Civita Vccchia— An adventure— A card 
 ])arty — Coronation's Derby 
 
 CILM'TKR IV. 
 My lirst election— My i;randfathers Inist— Lord Moriieth - A 
 disclaimer— ()'Connell--I head the poll 
 
 CllAl'TKR V. 
 London society- The Jersey family - London salons— Crock- 
 ford's— A Cabinet secret— A prcsentiment-The ^'oun|^' 
 England p.irty— Disraeli— The Colonna Raffael ... 
 
 CllAl'TKR \I. 
 Lord George Bentinck— Sidney Smith -A feat of strength 
 
 CllAl'TKR VIl. 
 
 Unfortunate pledges— The IVLaynooth grant-A bal poiuhr — 
 Office refused— Resignation of Sir Robert I'ecl— Irish 
 questions— The " Gregory Clause •^--Defeat in Dublin ... 
 
 40 
 
 76 
 
 106 
 
 121 
 
\ 
 
 VI 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Lord Diinkcllin-I'.ilimind O'l'lahcity— A money-lender out- 
 witted— Missi)cnt years— " D.iniask"— A duel provoked 
 Results of the duel— A sale of land— Mr. Almond of 15olton 
 —A remorseless landlord 
 
 I'ACE 
 
 1.19 
 
 An 
 
 CllAl'Ti;U I\. 
 
 Canvassing (ialway— Returned for Galway— \'icws on religion — 
 Kairwan— French intrigues in Tunis— Speech on Indian 
 alTairs-lrisli foundlings-— The liritish Museum ... 
 
 160 
 
 Ni 
 
 ciiai'Ti:r .\. 
 
 Arrival in Canada -.\ canoe voyage— ISurial of John Head- -An 
 American "difliculty ''—Exiles of Erin— John llrown— .\ 
 shooting expedition— -" riug-uglies"—\Vashingloi-. An 
 abolitionist tarred and feathered— A narrow escape— 
 Matanzas — ^Return to England 
 
 R( 
 
 I So 
 
 CllAi'TER XI. 
 
 The British Museum- Representation of the I'cople liill — 
 Glasnevin (laraens—Atlunlic Packet Company — The case 
 for the South— Debate on the blockade— 'I'hc llritisii 
 Muscuni — Sunday opening' in Edinburgh — The Exhibition 
 buildings— Defeat of the Ciovernment — Anti-Turk jjolicy — 
 Through Spain 
 
 M 
 
 206 
 
 chai'T]:r XII. 
 
 The Ionian Islands — Work in Parliament— Portugal — Eon! 
 Palmerston — Capture of private goods by sea — Mr. Clad- 
 stone on tenant right — The Cave of Adullam 
 
 2M 
 
 CHAPTER XI 11. 
 
 Leases in Ireland — Death of Lord Dunkellin — Irish affairs — 
 Lady Waldegrave — The New Law Courts — Another Land 
 Bill— My last session— Farewell to Parliament ... ... 247 
 
 C( 
 
 R( 
 
 Ir 
 
} 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 vH 
 
 PART II.— ci-:ylon. 
 
 V) 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Arriv.ll .it (lallc — Our Sunday .it (lallc ( '.cm dealers -Colombo 
 
 Journey to Kandy — . andy — Temple of the Tooth — 
 
 I'eradeniya (lardcn-Mr. 'Ihwaites -The Kandian chiefs 2C}y 
 
 U> 
 
 CHAI'TKK XV. 
 
 Nuw.ir.a-iCliya — Medical Collej^c at Jaffna — A j;!impsc of India 
 — Irri^'ition works — Sinj,'in<,' (ish and mos(|uitoes — The 
 X'eddalis— A bail :it Kandy- 'ilirouj^h the junj^le — Anara- 
 dliapura .■• ••• ••■ •■• •■• ... 281J 
 
 Ho 
 
 CllAl'TJ-.K X\T. 
 
 Reclaiming a province — Inundations ;it Colombo — Temperance 
 Ic^jislation— The durl)ar instituted — My lit^dilinL; mon;^'0ose 
 — (lemming — Uuyiiij; a sapphire Prison reforms — The 
 .Southern Province — A rock statue —A soldier of ihe Cross 
 
 309 
 
 oh 
 
 IM 
 
 I 
 
 !47 
 
 CIIAPTKR X\1I. 
 
 Missionary efforts — A tempting; scheme A pearl-fishery — Im- 
 provements bc;4un and ))lanned — The lion's progress — 
 Arrival of the Prince of Wales — The Prince at Kandy — The 
 Prince in tlie jungle -Effect of the Prince's visit — Uurbar 
 at Calcutta — My mother's death 
 
 Conclusion 
 
 lktti:rs, 1875-1892. 
 
 Resignation of governorship — Impressions of Australia — Second 
 marriage — State of Ireland— Egypt— The Erench in Egypt — 
 Luxor — Sicily— Egyptian affairs— The Law Courts— Ceylon 
 revisited — .'\n elephant kraal— The National Gallery — 
 Success of work in Ceylon — Life at Coole— The Priests 
 7rrj//^ Parncll — Last letters 
 
 Index ... 
 
 333 
 
 3J7 
 
 401 
 
^ 
 
 ■'isS 
 
 i 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPIIV Or 
 
 rill': UIC.IIT llONOUKAltLK 
 
 ^ SIR WILLIAM GRLGORY, 
 
 K.C.M.G., I'.R.S. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 I FORCirr the name of the writer who said that the aiito- 
 bioc^raph)- of every man, if honestly p;iven, would be worth 
 havin^^ I therefore endeavour to ^ive an account of my 
 life for the benefit of m; son. Some portions of it may 
 be an encouragement, and some a w.irninL,' to him. But 
 before I turn to myself, I may as well tell the very little 
 that I know about my family. It is a subject in which 
 1 never took the smallest interest, and therefore my 
 knowledge is ver)- circumscribed. \Vc are dircctlj- 
 descended from the Gregory famil}', of Styvcchale Hull, 
 near Coventry, who acquired their property in the reign 
 of Stephen, in 1 162, and in whom there is the dormant 
 peerage of Marmion. All the title-deeds from that time, 
 and various charters and documents, arc preserved, showing 
 that the property, not a large one, has remair . without 
 any break in the hands of members of the Gregory family 
 till this date. The pedigree from 1162 to 1580 wr ; 
 completed by Glover, and is continued in the College of 
 
 R 
 
SIR WILLIAM GREGORY, 
 
 [Cn. 
 
 I.J 
 
 I 
 
 Anns until now. I was informed by my grandfather that 
 his ancestor, a younger son of this Warwickshire family, 
 came over with Cromwell, and settled in Ireland ; and 
 this is confirmed by Burke in his " Landed Gentry." The 
 names of the owners of Styvcchale Mall at that period 
 shew how strongly they had adopted the Puritan doctrines 
 and politics. "Love is God Gregory "died in 1654, and 
 was succeeded by his son, also named " Love is God ; " and 
 it is from one of them that the Cromwellian sprang. 
 
 [ distinctly remember having had in my hands — and 
 I believe it is still in my possession — a letter from Colonel 
 Gregory, the grandfather of the present owner of Styvc- 
 chale Hall, to my grandfather in which he remonstrates 
 with him for having substituted a griffin's head as crest 
 instead of the boar's head, and begs of him to return 
 to the boar's head, to which he had a right, and to 
 abjure the griffin's head, to which he had no right ; 
 mentioning, as if it were an undoubted fact, that the 
 L-ish Gregorys of Coolc were the undoubted descendants 
 of his family. I also recollect the consultation between 
 my grandfather and father ,, U< the change of crest on 
 the family carriages, livery, and plate, and that they both 
 c me to the conclusion— which was quickened by the 
 entrance of m.y grandmother, Lady Anne, who said she 
 would not listen to such nonsense— that it was as well to 
 leave the crests as they were ; and so they have continued 
 till this day. 
 
 My great-grandfather was the son of Henry Gregor\-. 
 who lived in Galwa)-. He seems to have been a man of 
 considerable vigour of character, for he ran away from 
 home, made his way to India, got into the employment 
 of the East Lidia Company, and therein made a very 
 large fortune. In those days die pagoda tree had not 
 •shed all its golden fruit, and my relative was undoubtedly 
 
[Cn. 
 
 I.] 
 
 COCK-l'IGIITING. 
 
 not behind his neighbours in gathering it. He married 
 in India — whom I do not know ; but I strongly suspect 
 the lady liad a good deal of native blood in her veins. 
 This surmise is grounded on the personal characteristics 
 of several of his descendants. lie had three sons in 
 India, Robert, Richard, and William ; and when he left 
 India finally, he placed the management of such funds as 
 he h.id not remitted home in the hands of his eldest son 
 Robert, who would naturally have been his heir, had 
 matters run smoothly. But they did not. This Robert 
 Gregory, junior, was passionately addicted to cock-fighting, 
 which, in those days, was as irresistibly seductive as 
 horse-racing is now. Some say that it is a better mode 
 of eambling, barring the cruelty, because the cock has 
 nol got a jockey on his back to play tricks with him. 
 Bill, the cock, like the horse, has got a trainer who can 
 manipulate his food, and if he has not got a jockey, 
 lie has a fighter who can disable him by a very easy 
 and effective squeezing. All these modes of manipulating 
 a c(xk-fight arc well known in India ; and Mr. Robert 
 Gregory, junior, had lost, before his father's departure, 
 very large sums, which were paid for him. 
 
 On leaving India, Robert Gregory, senior, informed 
 his son that if he ever heard of his being again engaged 
 in cock-fighting, he would disinherit him. And he was 
 as good as his word, for, going down the Strand some 
 time after his return, he saw a picture by Zoffany of the 
 great cock-match between the Nabob of Oudh and 
 Colonel Mordaunt. Mr. Gregory knew most of the 
 portraits in this picture, and among them he recognized 
 that of his son, holding under his arm a white cock, and 
 in a very prominent i)osition. He went into the shop, 
 examined the key to the picture, and found that his 
 surmise was correct. He made further inquiries in India, 
 
STR WILLIAM GRLGORV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 and ascertained that not on I}- \\as ho present at the fiL^ht, 
 but that he was a partner of Colonel Mordaunt's. He 
 immediately changed his will, and bequeathed his Irish 
 landed property to his son Ricliard ; thence it came to my 
 grandfather William, to my father, and myself ; and the 
 print of the cock-fight hangs over the fireplace in the 
 breakfast-room of Coole as a warning against gambling. 
 Jt was not hung up there, unfortunately, during the early 
 period of my life. I have never heard what became of 
 this relative, except that he died on the 6th of December, 
 in the year 1814, at Calcutta, in the East India Company's 
 service, having never returned to England. But it is 
 clear thai he must have led a respectable life on his [)a\-, 
 and whatever he was left by his fath.er ; for, a few years 
 since, a speculative attorney offered t .> reveal, upon certain 
 terms, the existence of a sum of mo-'C}- which had 
 devolved to the heirs of this Robert Gregory. The terms 
 were accepted, and it was found that a sum of ^^5000 had 
 been gradually accumulating since his death, and this 
 was eventually divided between the at inicy antl some 
 members of the Gregory family. 
 
 My great-grandfather, on his rel-.r.i from India, did 
 not sink down into the curry, mv.ligatawny, and indolence 
 of many other returned so-called Indian "nabobs." He 
 was a stt-enuous politician, a Liberal, the intimate personal 
 friend and supporter of Lord Rockingham, Charles Vox, 
 and Mr. Burke. He was returned member for Rochester 
 in i;74, at the head of the poll, against Admiral Sir 
 Thomas Bye and George Finch Ilatton. Esquire, of East- 
 well, rnd on the dissolution of Parliament in !;,So, he 
 .igain stood for the borough, and h td made himself so 
 popular there, that he was elected on one occasion while 
 he was eating a mutton chop at the hotel. I Ic was also 
 an active and influential member of the East India 
 
rcn 
 
 I.] 
 
 MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER. 
 
 5 
 
 Company's board, and was chairman for many years at 
 a time when that position was one of the most powerful 
 and influential in the kingdom. He resigned in the year 
 1783, on the ground that the work was too heavy for his 
 health. His expenditure in politics was very great. He 
 had purchased an estate in Essex, another in Cheshire, 
 a house in 15crners Street, London, then a fashionable 
 quarter, and a property in Ireland of over ^7000 a year. 
 Before his death he had sold the Essex and Cheshire 
 estates, but he reserved that of Galway. Erom the accounts 
 I have heard of him, he was a most kind and polished 
 old gentleman, living in very great state, and considering, 
 as old Indians used to do, that a huge retinue of servants 
 was necessary for existence. I have heard my grand- 
 mother O'Hara speak of the procession of carriages in 
 which he and his suite travelled from London to Coole ; 
 but what particularly struck her were the numbers of 
 servants who came to the door, and waited at dinner in 
 black silk stockings, black breeches, and gold garters. 
 I le was particularly courteous to young ladies, who had 
 good reason to remember their visits to Coole with 
 pleasure, as it was his habit to take them at their 
 departure to a drawer, in which were precious stones, 
 and let them fish out one of them without looking, taking 
 the chance of what it might turn out to be. One fortunate 
 maiden was mentioned to me— though I have forgotten 
 the name — who had the luck to pick up a very valu- 
 able ruby. He died at the age of eighty-three, Sep- 
 tember I, iSio, with all his faculties unimpaired, and 
 his hair scarcely tinged with grey. There is an excellent 
 portrait of him by Dance, and a bust by Nollekens, 
 at Coole. The bust was done when he was eighty-three 
 years of age. His last letter to my grandfather, dated 
 August 13, just a fortnight before his death, contains the 
 
 J 
 
SIR WILLIAM GRIICORV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 *1 
 
 I 
 
 following passage, ^vhich docs credit to his sagacit)- and 
 prescience : — 
 
 "In my opinion the whole of the European :uin> in India slioulil 
 be under his Majesty's orders. The native troops lo be coniniandecl 
 bv officers bred in his Majesty's service, when they understood the 
 language, and to be in the King's service a'so. This I suggested 
 many years ago ; the patronage was the matter against it ; no 
 Director will even hear of it with patience.'" 
 
 His two sons, Richai-d, my great-uncle, who succeeded, 
 and my grandfather William, were both educated at 
 Harrow, and went subsequently to Trinity College, Cam- 
 bridge. Richard went into the Guards, and was, by all 
 the accounts which I have heard, one of the most popular 
 young officers of his regiment. Suddenly a blight, as it 
 were, fell upon him. lie was accused of having shirked 
 active service on the plea of ill health, and of having 
 thereby shown the whitv. feather. The charge was entirely 
 disproved — whether judicially or not, I am unable to say 
 — but he left the army in disgust, a totally changed man. 
 He gave up general society altogether, only seeing a feu- 
 select friends. His marriage also affected his course of 
 life. The young lady was at a school when he met her ; 
 he contrived to take her away, and she lived with him in 
 man's clothes in the present steward's house at Cook- 
 till his father died. When the fear of offending lum was 
 removed, he immediately married the lady, who thenceforth 
 dropped the name by which she was known of "Jack- 
 the Sailor." I remember seeing her when a boy, and 
 being greatly struck by her profusion of black, well-oiled 
 curls. When we first came to Code we used to hear from 
 al quarters stories of her generosity and kindness to the 
 poor. These good qualities, however, and her blamelcs.s 
 life after marriage could not make amends in the eyes 
 of my grandmother Lady Anne for her early indiscretion. 
 
 t ■ 
 
1 
 
 I.] 
 
 MY (;ui;at-uncle. 
 
 It ; no 
 
 Having 
 
 She refused to acknowledge her, and thenceforth to the: 
 day of his death there was a total separation between 
 the two brothers, although at one time they were the 
 most attached friends. The bitter feeling on the part of 
 m)' uncle extended to the rest of the family, and it was 
 not till I had won honours at Harrow that he saw an)- 
 of us, and then only myself 
 
 When I gained the annual prize for Latin Lyrics in 
 1S35, I felt it my duty, as a matter of course without 
 in the least thinking that anything would come of it, to 
 apprise my uncle as the head of the family. I received 
 by return of post a cheque for £2^ in a letter of con- 
 gratulation, beginning " Sir," and ending " your obedient, 
 humble servant." When passing through London shortly 
 after, I asked permission to call, but my letter was not 
 noticed, and on knocking at the door of his house in 
 Hcrners Street, was -nformed that I could not be received. 
 
 Next year I won at Harrow the Peel Medal, the Latin 
 Hexameters, and the Scholarship, all of which I took care 
 to announce to my uncle, and for each, except the last, 
 1 duly received a letter with "Sir" and "your obedient, 
 humble servant," and with the cheque for £2':). The last 
 brought a letter with " D- r Sir" and the usual cheque, 
 and in it also was expressed a wish to see me. I saw 
 him several times, and he seemed at last, shortly before 
 his death, to be gradually warming into a strong feeling 
 of attachment. I really believe these cheques of £2^, 
 during my schoolboy life utterly demoralized my previous 
 steadiness and decorum. He had at a comparatively 
 early period of his life been afflicted with a most severe 
 paralytic stroke, which ruined his previous good looks 
 and twisted his head on one side. This affliction and 
 his marriage, and the famil)' separation in consequence 
 (if it, drove him, who had been the gayest of the gay 
 
^ 
 
 8 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 L] 
 
 and the plcasantcst of the pleasant, into complete 
 misanthropy. Me lived a cjood deal at Rome and at 
 I'lorence, where he imbibed a taste for i'crf/f, the results 
 of which are the very fine collection of books and the 
 marbles and bronzes at Coole. Shortly before his death, 
 and about a year or two after his first wife's death, he 
 married his wife's maid Christian ; but she, too, died 
 before him. 
 
 His death took place in 1839, and I attended his 
 funeral at Kensal Green, where he lies by the side of his 
 two wives. I remember being highly interested on that 
 occasion by the narrative of Carlo Lerandrei, the Italian 
 courier, of his successful efforts to keep out of the house a 
 certain young lady, a public singer, who charmed my poor 
 infirm uncle with her strains, and who was bent on marry- 
 ing him. As he was by no means averse, great were the 
 difficulties which Carlo had to encounter, antl the battle 
 went sore against him. ]?ut my uncle fell down and broke 
 his arm, and the courier won the victory, and kept the 
 hall door closed — as he said, on the chain — against the 
 invading fair one. Carlo professed to have so acted from 
 his regard for the family, being unwilling that they should 
 come into the property improperly charged with a lieavy 
 jointure, which, by the way, as the lady is alive, would be 
 still paid out of the estate (October, 1S83), forty-four years 
 after the settlement, if, indeed, the estate had not long 
 since been swamped by such a heavy additional burden. 
 
 We all accepted Carlo's exertions with much gratitude, 
 being perfectly aware, nevertheless, as the housekeeper, 
 who had a tiff with him, duly enlightened us, that he was 
 in much terror lest the new Mrs. Gregory should turn him 
 and all the existing ;vV/;w out-of-doors, and render the 
 large legacy he was looking forward to very insecure. 
 
 All the books, bronzes, marbles, a sapphire ring set in 
 
^ 
 
 [C... 
 
 I.] 
 
 .MY GRANDFATHER. 
 
 9 
 
 •omplcte 
 
 
 iuul at 
 
 
 : results 
 
 
 ;uh1 the 
 
 
 s death, 
 
 
 ?ath, he 
 
 
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 ded his 
 
 ■V.., 
 
 c of his 
 
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 on that 
 
 t i 
 
 Itah'an 
 
 '{ 
 
 house a 
 
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 ny poor 
 
 
 marry- 
 
 
 'cre tlie 
 
 
 E battle 
 
 
 d broke 
 
 
 cpt tlic 
 
 
 list the 
 
 
 :d from 
 
 
 should 
 
 
 heavy 
 
 
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 r years 
 
 
 Dt lonjr 
 
 
 *dcn. 
 
 
 ititude, 
 
 1 
 
 keeper, 
 
 ■1 
 
 he was 
 
 rn him 
 
 J 
 
 or the 
 
 -g 
 
 set in 
 
 diamonds, and a most vahiable emerald brooch, the only 
 survivors of his father's drawer full of gems, were left as 
 heirlooms by my uncle. A very valuable bequest was 
 made to Harrow .School, of books and of a scholarship of 
 ^^50 a }-car for four years — the richest scholarship at 
 Harrow — in remembrance of my successes, as he himself 
 told me ; while he left to mc his plate. This plate had 
 belonged to his father, and was very fine, as some of the 
 candlesticks which my mother bought from me testify ; 
 but in those days I was not impressed with the value of 
 early hallmarks, and the whole was forthwith sold to 
 Storr and Mortimer for a low price per ounce. To this 
 day I remember the tankards and salvers and dishes, and 
 bewail my errors. 
 
 The Coolc estate and two smail outlying properties, 
 Clooniffe in the barony of MoycuUcn, and Kiltiernan in 
 the barony of Dunkellin, which had previously been left 
 to my grandfather b)' his father, were now united. My 
 grandfather William only survived his brother a few 
 months. He died in Dublin, y\pril 13, 1840. 
 
 My grandfather, though not at all a brilliant man, pos- 
 sessed many high qualities — excellent judgment, sound 
 sense, attention to business, great clearness and accuracy 
 in his transaction of it. He had a frank, open manner, 
 and was straightforward, true, and just in all his dealings. 
 Vcw people have been more popular in Ireland during so 
 long a period of great power, and though he was a Tory 
 of the Tories, he was not disliked by those who differed 
 with him in politics. My grandfather was originally a 
 man of Liberal opinions ; but his connections, and the 
 influential persons by whom he was surrounded, made him 
 adopt the extreme Tory opinions of that day, though I 
 never recollect hearing a violent expression from his lips 
 as regards Catholics. It is not, however, wonderful that 
 
10 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGOKV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 O'Connell was bent on reniovin^^ all opponents of his 
 views from Dublin Castle, and in several of his letters he 
 lays the stron^^avst stress on clcarin.c^ out Grcffory, though 
 he subsequently ack-nowled-cs that " Gregory was turned 
 out, though, to do him justice, he had some Irish feelings." 
 He had not thrown away his time at Harrow and 
 Cambridge, for he was a very fair scholar, and used to 
 show mc, with well-justified pride, his early Latin verses, 
 which were by no means amiss. In 17S1 he was admitted 
 to the Temple, and was High Sheriff of the county of 
 Gcdway in 1799, following Giles l-:yro of Eyrccourt 
 
 Castle. 
 
 He married Miss Anne Trench, afterwards Lady Anne, 
 daughter of Lord Clancarty, and had tliree children, 
 Robert, Anne, and William. 
 
 In the year 1.S13 m)- grandfather was promoted to the 
 position of Under Secretary for Ireland, and he held it 
 for eighteen years, and in 1S14 a pension of i^soo a >'ear 
 was conferred on him and Lady Anne conjointly. The 
 situation which he held was called " Under Secretary to 
 the Lord Lieutenant in the Civil Department." There was 
 at that time a military secretary, and both offices remained 
 separate till 1819, when they were united in Mr. Gregory. 
 He was also ranger of the Pluenix Park. 
 
 During the long period that he held his office, he 
 secured the entire confidence of the successive Chief 
 Secretaries and Lord Lieutenants, and with some of them 
 established very deep ana lasting fricndshi[), especially Sir 
 Robert Peel, Lord Whitworth, the Duke of Richmond, 
 Lord Talbot, and Mr. Goulburn. His great knowledge of 
 the country and of Irish business gave him an amount of 
 power which, looking at the present position of the office 
 of Under Secretary, it is hard to understand. But it was 
 said, and with truth, that Gregory was the real Governor 
 
 f 
 
 5 
 
Cii 
 
 I.] 
 
 Tiir: I'lKi-MX rwuK. 
 
 II 
 
 of his 
 Iters he 
 tliou^jh 
 tunictl 
 Dclintjs." 
 ()\v and 
 used to 
 1 verses, 
 dinittcd 
 lunty of 
 yrecourt 
 
 }• Anne, 
 :hiKh'en, 
 
 d to the 
 lield it 
 ) a )'ear 
 y. The 
 ■''tar)' to 
 liere was 
 cmaincd 
 ji'ei^ory. 
 
 ffice, he 
 e Chief 
 of them 
 ialiy Sir 
 :hni(>nd, 
 ledt^e of 
 nount of 
 le office 
 t it was 
 rovernor 
 
 of Ireland, except, of course, where measures that had to 
 pass throuLjh I'arh'amcnt were concerned. I have an im- 
 mense amount of his correspondence, i)rivate and oflkial, 
 also, which is curious, the amounts of the secret service 
 money which went throui^h his hands. On runniuL;" m)- 
 eye hastil)' over the fi_cjurcs, I was surprised to fmd the 
 name of an editor, a L;reat patriot and supporter of 
 O'Conncll, who seems to have secured a regular yearly 
 stipend for some value received. In fact, while blustering 
 in his columns for Repeal of the Union, he was furnishing 
 the Castle with tiie fullest information of the intention of 
 the leaders of that movement. 
 
 Aly grandfather had two residences, one in the I'hujnix 
 Park, and the other in the Castle. It was at the former 
 that I was born on the 13th of July, 1817, and almost all 
 the recollections of my childhood arc connected with it." 
 It was a house devoted to hospitality. I can perfectly 
 remember seeing there at dinner old Lord Norbury, the 
 
 * "On the morniiiL; of the 31st of JamiiU), ib'^i, Sir Willi.im unci 
 I walked ;i\vay from 'Grillioii's,' ulicrc we liad l)ecn breakfastin.L^", 
 and wliere lie had had Mr. (dadslonc for his next neighbour. He 
 told me that Mr. (iladslone had asked him, in the course of con 
 versation, whether he remembered Lortl Melbourne. ' Yes,' he 
 replied. 'When 1 was a very little boy, ii^y grandfather, who was then 
 Under .Secretary for Irclaiul, took me to the Chief Secretary's room, 
 and formally introduced me to Lord .Melbourne.' ' Uiil ho swear 
 at you?' asked Mr. Cdadslonc. 'I do not remember that he did,' 
 rejoined .Sir William ; ' but, for that matter, every one swore in those 
 days. After I had been with him some time, however, he said, 
 "Now, my boy, is tlicre anything here you would like.-''' "Yes," I 
 answered, pointing to a very large stick of sealing-wax. ''That's 
 right," said Lord .Melbourne, pressmg on me a bundle of pens, " begin 
 life early. All these things belong to the public, and your business 
 must always be to get out of the jjublic as much as you can.'" No 
 one was less ready to put in practice this highly immoral doctrine, 
 which, in his usual spirit of banter, he was reatly to preach.'' — From 
 Sir M. }■:. ihnii/ Duff. 
 
12 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GRI'GORY. 
 
 [Cm 
 
 li.-inmn^ iud'^c, and Mr. Saiirin, Attorney-General, and 
 Chief Justices 15uslie and Duherty, and old Sneyd, the 
 wine merchant, always affectionate, but trebly S(i after a 
 i^ood pull at his own claret ; and there was no stint of the 
 pull at the Under Secretary's Lodge. It used to go by 
 the name of the Trench Hotel, a very excellent title, con- 
 sidering how many members of that branch of the family 
 were ever quartering themselves upon it. 
 
 In 1.S27 it was intimated to him that his successor 
 would be appointed, and he resigned his office with the 
 offer of a baronetcy, which, after consultation with my 
 fiather, he declined. The following correspondence passeil 
 between them : — 
 
 "Dublin, April 17, i''^-^?. 
 "Mv DKAk Roi;i;ki', 
 
 " I have rcsi.niK'd my ot'licc. Xotliini; could have been 
 more kind than the Lord Lieutenanl's (Lord AnLjlesey) expressions 
 of regret at the decision I had made. I spoke to him of you, and he 
 gave me every assurance tliat lie would fulfil my wishes if he remained 
 Lord Lieutenant ; if not, that he would mention to his successor what 
 were his intentions. He said it was his wis!) to recommend me to 
 be created a baronet and a I'rivy Councillor. I answered that, with 
 respect to the first, I had declined it many years since ; that it was 
 a matter more for your consideration than mine, and that I would 
 write to you on the subject. Therefore, weigh the matter seriously 
 before you decide, and I will act accordingly. I am to remain in 
 office till my successor is appointed, which probably will be some 
 time," etc., etc. 
 
 "W. Orkcoky.-' 
 
 My father answered this letter— 
 
 " I am fully aware that Lord Wctlesley some years ago proposed 
 to have you created a baronet, which you declined. If you have no 
 further wish upon the subject now than at that period, and would 
 now accept it merely on my account, I beg to assure you that 1 feel 
 perfectly indifferent upon the subject, and entreat that you will act 
 entirely upon your own opinion, as you have uniformly judged so well 
 for the interest of those belonging to vou." 
 
 1 
 
 i 
 
1 
 
 [Cn. 
 
 I.] 
 
 MV FATIIKR. 
 
 13 
 
 The baronctc}' was, therefore, refused ; Ijul the dis- 
 tinction of Privy Councillor was accepted. My ^grand- 
 father, after all, retained his place till iS3i,w]ien lie was 
 succeeded by Sir William Gossett. 
 
 I\Iy father was a Vv^hi, spare man, passionately fond 
 of hunting, and the fastest runner of his day at Oxford. 
 Mis mother. Lady Anne, was devoted to hini, but infmitely 
 more devoted to me, so that wc \\c\\ always welcome. 
 I doubt, however, if my mother was eciually so. She was 
 a very beautiful wcnnan, and so thoroughly eclipsed my 
 aunt Anne, though she too was comely, that to neither 
 mother nor daughter was the rival attraction agreeable. 
 She was also, in those days of Protestant ascendency 
 and ultra-Toryism, of very liberal tendencies, being a 
 strong advi;cale of Catholic JCmancipation. She was, 
 moreover, constantly visited by persons whose political 
 opinions caused them to be held in execration b)' the 
 female inmates of the Lodge and their Trench relations. 
 My poor grandfather, though a stout Protestant and a 
 stout Tor)', had no such aversions. In early life lie had 
 been a Whig, but was occasionally lashed into strong- 
 language, particularly after dinner, by his womankind. I 
 remember him so well at the mysteries of his toilette. 
 His shaving operations were to me a subject of great 
 awe, and I vividly recall the old grey dressing-gown in 
 which they were conducted. Sir Philip Crampton, the 
 pleasantest luhonieiir and brodciii\ used to t(;ll a story 
 of the extraordinary appearance which Mr. Gregory 
 presented in the park one morning in this dressing-gown. 
 A duel had been arranged between Sir Valentine IJlake 
 and Robert lUirke of St. Clerens, two Galway men, and 
 the spot selected was close to my grandfather's gate. lie 
 was engaged at his important shaving operation, when he 
 heard first one, and then, after an interval, a second double 
 
14 
 
 SIR WILLIAM (JULtiOKV, 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 I.] 
 
 shot, which he knew to be from pistols. lie liiil iK.t 
 hesitate a inomcnt, l)ut ran downstairs, bare-lc<,^ged as he 
 was. An orderly's horso was at the door ; he spran- on 
 it. and galloped to his i;atehouse. As he neared the 
 j,Mtc, he heard close at hand a third double shot, and just 
 outside he saw a gatherin^tj of spectators round the seconds, 
 who were discussing the subject of making a fourth sh(.t 
 effective. Just as he got to tin- ring, a huge fellow rode 
 . 1 and shouted out — 
 
 "Gentlemen, this is all chilli's play. Let's Hnish the 
 business properly. Let each second advance his man 
 two paces, and I'll engage they won't miss." 
 
 "Who arc you, sir?" cried my grandfather, dashing 
 his horse forward. " Who are you, sir, to give such bloody 
 coun.sel ? " 
 
 "Who am I, indeed ! " said the other man, looking at 
 the strange figure in a grey dressing-gown and bare legs. 
 "I'll have you to know, sir, I'm Mr. Hickman, the Clerk 
 of the Peace for the county of Clare ! " 
 
 "Then, Mr. Hickman," said my grandfather, very 
 quietly, " I arrest you and the principals and seconds of 
 this duel in the king's name, and I'll have you all taken 
 up before twelve o'clock." 
 
 After which, he rode home in his bare legs, chatting 
 very pleasantly to Sir Philip, who had been on the ground 
 acting professionally as surgeon for the belligerents. 
 
 Those who have read Sir J. Harrington's memoirs and 
 Charles Lever's novels get a correct idea of the wild 
 and reckless ferocity, mixcil up with a kind of Irish 
 drollery, during the days of duelling at the beginning of 
 the century. Lord Clanricarde had a fund of stories (jf 
 this character, which he told admirably, from the thorough 
 sense of enjoyment which they seemed to give him. One 
 day at Portumna he pointed out to mc a field on the other 
 
 4 
 
1 
 
 LCii, 
 
 I.] 
 
 MACnoNACIl's Dur.i.. 
 
 15 
 
 sick- of the Sluinnon, about half a milt; fn im the hiidL^c 
 whicli connects Gahvay with Tippcrary. \Vc had bicn 
 talking,' of Williajn l\Iacdona^'h, the well-known steeple- 
 chase rider, wlu) was a kind of scpiireen and lived in the 
 nrij^hbourhond. lie had recently shot himself throu;^!! 
 the head in a pistol ;^aller)' in Leicester Scpiare, where 
 Dimkellin and I went an hour afterwards to practise, and 
 there he was lylnc^ stark and stiff behind a screen. 
 
 "I rcmeinber," said T-ord Clanricarde, "secincj the poor 
 ft'llow fii:;ht his well-known duel in that field. He had 
 iiad a difference with some 'rip[)erary gentleman, and it 
 w.is decided that the duel shoidd take place with pistols 
 on the Tipperary side of the river. The decision as to 
 the side of the river where the affair should conic off was 
 ;i matter of life anil de.ilh, for the Tipi)erary man well 
 Icnew that if he was victorious on the Galway side, he 
 would be torn to pieces by the Galway mob, while the 
 Galway man knew that if he killed his anta_c^(jnist on 
 the Tipperary side, his chance of escape from the men of 
 Tipperary would be small indeed. On the morninjjj of 
 the duel there were at least two thousand [)crsons present, 
 ill Tipperary men, as the Galway peasants tlid not dare 
 to cross the b-ridf^c." 
 
 Lord Clanricarde went f)ver from Portumna, and Mac- 
 dona.c[h rode his horse to the scene of action, and gave it 
 to a man to hold close at hand. A regular lane was made, 
 lined by spectators on each side. When the signal wa.s 
 given, both fired, and Macdonagh not only shot his an- 
 tagonist dead, but also one of the peasantry who, in his 
 eagerness to see the sport, had pushed forward and 
 received the ball in his head. Macdonagh got to liis 
 horse and made for the bridge of Portumna. .After taking 
 one or two fences gallantly on the way, he found his 
 retreat cut off, and the Tipperary men in occupation of 
 
1 
 
 I! 
 
 l6 
 
 SIR ^VII.LIA^[ GRKGORV, 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 I.] 
 
 If 
 
 j 
 
 f: h 
 
 the bridge. Without a moment's liesitation, he put liis 
 horse at the Shannon, amid the execrations of his bafllct! 
 pursuers, and he reached the other bank in safety. 
 
 There is an excellent story, t:jiven by Lever, of a 
 yount^ subaltern having marched into a country town on 
 the evening of the races, and when the ordinary dinner 
 was going on at the hotel. He sat down, alone and 
 weary, to his boiled chicken and cauliflower in a private 
 room just over the public one. Suddenly a terrible row 
 took place, which was shortly followed by the bang of a 
 pistol, and then of another, while the cauliflower-dish 
 sprang from the table, knocked to pieces b)- a bullet. 
 The waiter rushed in immediately, crj-ing — 
 "Don't be alarmed, captain. Councillor Burke has 
 received Mr. Keogh's shot, and has, in the handsomest 
 manner, fired in the air." 
 
 This was a story of Lord Clanricarde's, appropriated 
 by Lever, who left out the last words of the waiter, " Jkit, 
 by dad, he has destroyed the cauliflower!" 'I'he story is 
 true, and Loughrca was the scene of action. 
 
 The first year (1841) that I came to live at Coole, I 
 rode one day into Gahvay. When I got to Merlin Park, 
 I asked a countryman the name of the place, and found 
 him, as one always finds Irish peasants, most agre(.cU)le 
 and communicative. 
 
 " I suppose you know all about that field ? " he said, 
 pointing to one opposite the wall of Merlin Park. 
 " No," said I ; " I am quite a stranger." 
 "Well, sir," he .said, "that's the i)lace where the 
 gentlemen of Gahvay used to fight their duels. Many's 
 the duel I saw there when I was young, for I live quite 
 convenient." 
 
 " Did you ever see a real good duel ? " I asked. 
 
 "To be sure I did ; and lots of them. 15ut the best 
 
 C- 
 
[Cii. 
 
 put his 
 l)aftlccl 
 
 I.] 
 
 A CHALLENGE. 
 
 17 
 
 I ever saw was between Councillor Browne and Dr. 
 Bodkin" (I have forgotten the real names). "It was a 
 beautiful morning, with a fine, bright sun. Young Lynch, 
 the attorney's son, of Oranmore, was Councillor Browne's 
 second, and won the toss. So he put the councillor with 
 his back to the sun, and the doctor's second never saw 
 what was going to happen till it was too late. The poor 
 doctor came up, winking and blinking, and at the very 
 first offer the councillor shot him dead. It was a grand 
 shot, }-our honour. The doctor sprang up three feet in 
 the air, and fell on his face and never spoke another 
 word. Faith ! young Lynch was a grand second that 
 day!" 
 
 While on the subject of duels, I may mention that 
 my grandfather told me a story of his introduction ''nto 
 Irish habits and customs, which was certainly not 
 agreeable. Me had just come over to Ireland, after 
 leaving Cambridge, and went to his first ball in Dublin, 
 at the Rotundo. At the opening dance a man stood 
 before him rather impolitely, but he attached no con- 
 sequence at the moment to this action. Shortly after 
 the dance was over, another man came up to him and 
 said — 
 
 " Young gentleman, I knew your father and liked 
 him, and am quite ready to do you a service. My name 
 is Harrison." 
 
 My grandfather, always courteous, professed to be 
 much obliged, but said he did not require any service at 
 present. 
 
 "1 suppose, sir," answered Mr. Harrison, "you have 
 settled who your seconds are to be." 
 
 " Seconds ! Why should I want seconds ? " exclaimed 
 my grandfather. 
 
 " Did you not see, sir, that that fellow, a notorious 
 
 
i8 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 dueller, insulted you on purpose ; and that to-morrow he 
 will boast all over Dublin that he had done so, and that 
 you took no notice ? You must let me at once put the 
 
 matter in hand for you." 
 
 " Very well," said my grandfather, " I suppose it must 
 
 be so." 
 
 "There is no supposition in tiic matter," said Mr. 
 
 Harrison, and went his way. 
 
 After some time he returned and apologized for the 
 delay, saying that the offender's manner had been im- 
 pertinent, and so he had made the affair his own, and 
 meant to deal with it himself He did so effectually, by 
 shooting him through the bod\-, in the Phoenix Park, 
 at six o'clock the next morning. Then my grandfather 
 learned who his friend was, a mighty man of valour in 
 the rolls of the ducili.its of that da)-, well known as 
 " Featherspring Harrison," from the good use he made of 
 that adjunct to correct shooting. 
 
 Another worthy was " Hero Keogh," another " Fight- 
 ing FitzGerald ; " but the most formidable and deadly of 
 this pestilent tribe of assassins was a fellow who went by 
 the soubriquet of " Nickety Oily," as his sole occupation 
 was the cleaning, oiling, and, clicking of his pistols. I 
 forget his real name. 
 
 Bnt to return to the park. I was, at that early period 
 of my life, subjected to the most thorough spoiling by 
 my two very dear grandmothers, the remembrance of each 
 of whom is most sweet even to this day. 13oth were to 
 me everything that was kind and gentle, both most 
 anxious that I should do precisely what I liked best, 
 and nothing else, which meant entire idleness. I^ut 
 my mother's nature, with all her intense love for me. 
 which she proved by the devotion of her life, was very 
 different. 
 
 l_- 
 
[Cir. 
 
 norrow he 
 , and that 
 c put th'j 
 
 ;c it must 
 
 said Mr. 
 
 :d for the 
 
 been im- 
 
 own, and 
 
 :tiiaily, by 
 
 nix Park, 
 
 •andfather 
 
 valour in 
 
 •cnown as 
 
 c made of 
 
 1- " Finrht- 
 
 deadly of 
 3 went by 
 )ccupation 
 pistols. I 
 
 rly period 
 )oiling by 
 ce of each 
 li were to 
 oth most 
 iked best, 
 :>ss. l^ut 
 c for me. 
 was very 
 
 i.] 
 
 EARLY DAYS. 
 
 19 
 
 She did her best to counteract the spoiliig i)rocess. 
 She insisted on my being taught modern languages, in 
 spite of many sneers of those who, during the war, had 
 not seen their advantages ; and by the time I was twelve 
 years old I was able to speak both French and Italian 
 with the greatest fluency. I had a I'rcnch governess, 
 "Old Ikownie " — in reality, Madame Le Urun, the 
 daughter of a refugee, who taught my mother and her 
 sisters French — and a very good instructress she was. 
 She also instillcti into my mind a love of gambling, by 
 teaching me how to play cards for comfit stakes, and her 
 lessons bore fruit in after days. 
 
 At that early period of my life most )f my time was 
 passed at the Secretary's Lodge, varied by a visit to my 
 grandmother O'liara at 15, jNIountjoy Square. How I 
 did enjoy those visits ! Both my grandmothers had been 
 handsome women, but I think my grandmother O'Hara's 
 was the gentlest, softest face I have ever seen, and yet in 
 early life she had been a woman of rather domineering 
 temper. Then there were my five handsome uncles, with 
 whom I was a spc^ ial favourite, and who amused them- 
 selves by noticing me. 
 
 Among the particular friends of my childhood days, no 
 one stands out so strongly as W. Wilkie, the gardener 
 at the Lodge, afterwards W. Wilkie, Esq., the undcr- 
 ranger of the park, but to me always known as " Daddy 
 Wilkie." He was a tall, gaunt Scotchman, with cavernous 
 eyes and a strong Doric accent. He had a considerable 
 amount of education and taught me many things. He 
 was a thoroughly good, conscientious man, loving his 
 garden and all that was in it, and perhaps loving me even 
 better than his garden. '\s a projf of this assertion, I 
 may mention that there were certain splendid peaches in 
 the greenhouses which he fondly hoped would gain the 
 
20 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORV. 
 
 [Cii, 1. 
 
 i 
 
 : J 
 
 prize at the Dublin Flower Show. In an unfortunate 
 moment I cjot into the peach-liousc. So ripe and ruddy 
 were the checks of the fruit, that I bci^^an t(.) kiss Iheni, 
 and then to bite them, until at last nothin^t,^ but their pale 
 backs remained. Daddy Wilkic shortly after arrived, and, 
 after seeing what had happened, merely remarked, but 
 with tears in his eyes, "Oh, j'ou cruel boy ! " I have neve*- 
 forgotten the look and the words. I suffered far more 
 from them than I should have done b}- ten Hoggings. 
 
 ! i 
 
 i ; 
 
 ii! 
 
 li 
 
[Cii. 1. 
 
 ( 21 ) 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 I MUST now mention how I came across one of the 
 greatest men of the present century, whose hifluence I 
 really think brought me to a love of classic literature, and 
 thereby tinged my whole after-life. 
 
 I well remember the occasion of my first meeting Lord 
 Wellcsley, although I was a very small boy at the time. 
 It was in the summer of 1S24, and I was busily engaged 
 in landing a large roach which I had hooked in the pond 
 of the Lord Lieutenant's Lodge in the Phccnix Park. 
 When the conflict between myself and the fish was over, 
 I became aware of the presence of a slight, short, elderly 
 gentleman, who seemed to take the deepest interest in my 
 doings. He asked me various questions about the fishing, 
 and so completely fascinated me by his pleasant manner, 
 that I told iiim there were several particular spots in the 
 pond where one was sure to catch roach and perhaps, if it 
 rained, a tench, and that if he would come out fishing with 
 me, I would show him these spots on the condition that 
 he was not to tell any one about them. He asked my 
 name and promised me very faithfully he would not reveal 
 my secrets. I was perfectly unaware of the greatness of 
 the personage whom I was addressing, but I distinctly 
 remember the impression he made on mc, and that I would 
 have gladly lent him my rod and line and have brought 
 him to all the best places, so bright and sunny was his 
 
SIR WILLIAM GREGORV, 
 
 [Ch. 
 
 Ill; 
 
 i 
 
 ■ I, 
 
 i 1 
 
 r 
 
 iiKinncr, and his interest in the mysteries of roach fishing 
 apparently so deep. In the eveninc; he informed my 
 mother of our meeting, and I then became aware that my 
 acquaintance was the Lord Lieutenant himself; and very 
 awcstrickcn was I in consequence. 
 
 A few days afterwards I was summoned to the Vicc- 
 ren-al Lodce. where I went with fear and trembling;. The 
 great man was in his study, and in a few minutes my alarm 
 departed. He spoke about fishing, and said he was afraid 
 he could not come to catch roach with me, but that he had 
 got a book for me which some day or another 1 was sure 
 to read with pleasure, lie then presented me with a 
 remarkably fine edition of Walton's '• Complcat Angler," 
 bound in Russia leather, with the ini;cription written on 
 the flyleaf — 
 
 "1S24 
 To the Complcat Ani,'lci 
 From his oljcclicnt Scholai 
 Wcllcslcy/' 
 
 I remember accep*;ing it with great pleasure ami with 
 the remark, which caused him much amusement, tliat " I 
 was afraid it had cost him too much." 
 
 After that first visit, he was good enough constantly to 
 send for me, and he insisted on my beginning my classical 
 studies immediately. I had to decline my nouns and 
 conjugate my verbs for him, and it was my greatest treat 
 to be put through my facings by him. I always felt, 
 although such a very little fellow, that I must do whatever 
 he told me, and that I could do it. It seemed impossible 
 that he should impose anything unreasonable. 
 
 Amongst the presents he gave mc from that time ui) 
 to 1827, when I was ten years old, were Ovid (J'llzcvir, 
 3 vols., duod.), Livy (3 vols., Elzevir, duod.), and Momer, 
 " Iliad " and " Odyssey '' (duod.), which I still retain. When 
 
 1 
 
 ii 
 
ICn 
 
 inccl my 
 
 that my 
 
 and vcrj' 
 
 the V'icc- 
 nL,^ The 
 Tiy ahirm 
 as afraid 
 It he had 
 was sure 
 : witli a 
 Aii-lcr," 
 rittcn on 
 
 II.] 
 
 LORD WELLESLKV. 
 
 23 
 
 and with 
 , that "I 
 
 tantly to 
 classical 
 uns and 
 est treat 
 ays felt, 
 vhatevcr 
 ipossiblc 
 
 time up 
 
 ^Jilzcvir, 
 
 Homer, 
 
 When 
 
 I went to a private school shortly afterwards, I found that 
 the grounding I had received in Latin gave me no small 
 standing among my fellows. 
 
 After this there was a gap of ::iany years ; but having 
 been successful in gaining the annual Latin prizes for com- 
 position at Harrow, I ventured to send a copy of my 
 composition to Lord Wellesley, recalling to his memory 
 the little fisherman of the PhcL'nix Park. I received the 
 following reply, far too complimentary, I am well aware, 
 as regards the merits of the composition, but showing the 
 warmth and affection of his character : — 
 
 " Hurlingluini House, near Fulham, Middlesex, 
 " Xo\ ember iS, 1835. 
 
 '' Mv T)r:.'R Fisherman, — 
 
 " For you must allow me to address you by llial name, 
 whi( h revives the memory of past good and pleasant times, and recalls 
 to my recollection the early lessons which I gave you, and which I 
 Ihitter myself have contributed to encourage you in that career of 
 honour where you now begin to shine with so much splendour. He 
 assured that i take the warmest interest in your success, and that I 
 liave read with sincere pleasure tlie compositions which you have 
 been so kind as to send to me. 
 
 " They luue all great merit. The two in prose are exceedingly 
 excellent, not merely in the language, but in the sentiment, which 
 affords abundant proof of a pure heart and sound mind, well groundeil 
 in every principle of \irtue and religion. \'our exhortation to )our 
 companions in study is truly admirable and indeed clocuient. The 
 model you have recommended to their emulation is, I sincerely 
 believe, the most perfect of these days, and if 1 were to select a 
 character which, above all others, 1 should wish nn own son to imitate, 
 1 should name the very person whom you have selected for your 
 imitation. You have described him most justly and accurately, and 
 with a full knowledge of him (which my political life has given to me) 
 I contirm your judgment and deliberately advise you to follow his 
 example. Your comparison of Cicero and .Augustus is conducted 
 with yrcat knowledge of the subject, and with very great judgment 
 and ability. Augustus was Father of the City of Rome, which he had 
 greatly embellished ; Cicero, of the Roman People, whom he had 
 saved more than once. Augustus, indeed, was not Father of Rome 
 in the sense that Nicolas is of Warsaw ; but while he adorned the 
 
I« 
 
 ■A 
 
 1 
 
 ! 
 
 J : 
 
 
 f ' 
 
 
 
 ' 
 
 
 ^' it 
 
 
 
 j:^ 
 
 i ' 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 i» 1 
 
 
 s ! 
 
 24 
 
 SIR WILLIAM CRKGOKV. 
 
 [Cii, 
 
 exterior of the city, he destroyed its liberties, or rather ronlirmcd 
 their destruction, for liberty li.ul perisJicd before Kome fell into his 
 
 hands. 
 
 " In the dedication to Oliver Croniwei! of a famous pamphlet 
 called ' Kilimg no Murder,' you will find a j,^ood burlcscjuc of the 
 phrase ' Fatli'cr of your Country ' : ' Vo'u- Ili-hness may be truly 
 called the Father of your Countrj. for while j'oi/ live we can call 
 notiiini,' (>i/r.\; and it is from your death that \vc hope for tlie posses- 
 sion of our iniicritances.' 
 
 "Perhaps Augustus had some claim on this ground. Nicolas has 
 certainly no other claim to the title of Father of Poland. Vour verses 
 are very good, and the whole poem displays great poetical talent antl 
 skill ; but before you write for the Lhiiversity prize at O.xford, I wish 
 you to study the majestic harmony of \'irgil more closely, and to 
 discard all imitation of any other Latin poet. 1 am far from disc.ird- 
 ing all other Latin poets absolutely — many arc entitled to high admira- 
 tion—but Virgil is the best model for imitation in liexamLter verse. 
 Vour lines on the ruins of Babylon are the best in your poem. 
 
 " In your prose you seem to keep 'a reverent eye' on Cicero ; he 
 is an excellent model, but still he is l'7///s iiiiital>iU. \'on should re.ul 
 the ' Dialogus de causis corrupta' I-^loc|ncnlia ' ascribed to Tacitus ; 
 it is very different from his quaint though forcible style, and truly 
 beautiful. Whenever I have the jjleasure of seeing you. I shall ofler 
 many other remarks which I trust may assist you in youi- progress 
 towards that eminence which I ha\e no doubt you will attain. 1 
 cannot more forcibly conclude than in )'()ur own words— 
 " • Parentibus ac patria mercetlem reddes ! 
 Tene hunc cursum Candisl tlrma cam 
 .Stirpem virtutis ex i|ua l.etissima gloria- 
 l''ructis gignantur — Ita Deus ( )ptimus Ma(inu> 
 Velit ! iia faxit I ' 
 
 '• ISelieve mc always, with true rcg.ard, 
 '• Voars sincerely, 
 
 "Wkm.k.si.kv. 
 " Pray write to me and give my bc^t regards to your father and 
 mother and to your excellent grandfather. I hope you are a complete 
 Grecian. .Study every word of Homer, Demosthenes, Plato and 
 Thucydides, and the Creek tragick writers. I observe you cpiote 
 /Eschylus. Is he not sometimes rather extravagant .?— W." 
 
 I may here mention that Sir Robert Peel wa.s the 
 person to when Lord VVcllcsley refers as havinc^ been 
 held up by me. in a Latin address read before the 
 
[Cii. 
 
 II.] 
 
 LORD WELLESLEY. 
 
 25 
 
 ronlirmcci 
 11 into his 
 
 p;imphlet 
 |iie of the 
 be truly 
 e can call 
 lie posses- 
 
 icolns lias 
 mr verses 
 talent and 
 111, I wisli 
 y, and to 
 in discard 
 ;h adniira- 
 Ltcr verse. 
 
 HI. 
 
 "icero ; he 
 loiild re, id 
 > Tacitus ; 
 i\m\ truly 
 sh.dl otTei 
 !■ progress 
 attain. I 
 
 ird, 
 
 SI.KV. 
 ither and 
 complete 
 I'latc and 
 f'ou uuote 
 
 was the 
 ng been 
 ore the 
 
 ,1 
 
 'rovcrnors of the school, as a bright example to be 
 followed. 
 
 Encouraged by the kindness with which I was received, 
 I continued the correspondence for about three years. It 
 was unfortunately burned in the Pantechnicon. 
 
 I well remember replying to the last observation in his 
 letter, " I observe you quote ylvschylus. Is he not some- 
 times rather extravagant?" and making the best battle I 
 could for him, whom I still consider the greatest of the 
 Greek tragedians. He combated this opinion, maintain- 
 ing with much force and eloquence the superiority of 
 Sophocles. There was a remarkably fine passage in one 
 of these letters, in which he compared the writings of the 
 true tragedians with the sculptures of Greece. yEschylus 
 represented early art before the time of Pericles, with 
 undoubted lines of great beauty, but on the whole 
 uncouth. Sophocles represented the work of Phidias, 
 with not less strength than yiZschylus, but with far more 
 beauty, sense of proportion, and self-restraint ; and he 
 added that the plays of luiripides might be coinpared 
 with the works of the sculptors of the period of Alexander. 
 It is natural enough that the occasional turgid uncouth- 
 ness of yl^lschylus should be regarded with almost aversion 
 by Lord VVellesley, whose elegance — if I may use such 
 a proscribed word — in dress, manner, conversation, and 
 composition, was pre-eminent. No advice could be more 
 excellent for a young inan, who, he saw clearly, was 
 rather disposed to admire what he considered to be 
 L-xtravagant ; and in almost every letter at that period, 
 I was urged to keep my eyes steadily on Virgil and on 
 Sophocles. It is a great loss to me, the destruction of 
 these letters. They were full of criticisms of a fine and 
 keen scholar, and of illustrations from modern writers ; 
 and in many he referred to incitlcnts in his own career. 
 
1 
 
 ( 
 
 ' I 
 
 H 
 
 
 ^ ' 
 
 26 
 
 SIR WILLIAM CRECOKY. 
 
 CCh. 
 
 I regret that the correspniidencc ceased during the time 
 I was at Oxford, and entirely throngh my own fault; 
 but when, shortly after leaving Oxford, I was returned 
 for the city of Dublin, I thought an account of the severe 
 contest which I fought with Lord Morpeth for the Irish 
 capital would please Lord Wellesl y, ami I sent him a 
 newspaper giving an account of our proceedings at the 
 hustings. I received the following ack-nowledgment :— 
 
 "Kingston House, Kniglitshridjie, January 28, 1S43 
 
 " MV WAR ('iKECOKV,— 
 
 " For, altliouLjh you might well be excused if you liad 
 forf^otten me, I cmnot expel from my heart my strong' feeling of 
 attachment to you, nor my ardent hopes formed in your most promising 
 childhood, and now so j^loriously fulfilled by the first dawn of your 
 public life. \'ery soon after my last let .r to you, I was seized with 
 an illness which threatened the worst consecjuences, but which under 
 I'rovidence has led to an improvement of my constitution ; and now, 
 in mind n. least, I think I am as well as I have ever been, and I am 
 assured t'.at I may hope for the best as the weather improves, I was 
 tjreatly olliged to you and to your amiable mother for callini,' on me. 
 but at that time 1 was quite unable to see you. 
 
 " I h.ivc observed your prcv^ress with the "greatest interest, and 
 with the most heartfelt delight. Your rising sun gives more than a 
 promise of a most bright and salutary cLay. I perceive by the initials 
 on the cover that the report of your s])eech at the nomination comes 
 from yourself. I am most grateful for this act of affection. .Nothing 
 can be more judicious (or, indeed, every way adniinible) than your 
 speech, which appears to ha\e wounded \ery sharply and deeply. 
 ' I'erge modo.' 1 think your appearance a great blessing to rwr cause, 
 to which I am most firmly attached. There is no other hope for this 
 noble Empire, and I uoa' rely most Hrmly and conlidently on this 
 hope. .Sir Robert I'eel and I .are well accjuainted, and my brother 
 Arthur and I are now indissolubly united. All virtue ami religion 
 are with us. If I can be of any service to you, cither here or in 
 Ireland, you may com' land me. God prosper you ! My kindest 
 regards to your amiable mother. 
 
 " P.elieve me always your much attached and faithful friend, 
 
 " Wellesi.ey. 
 " Let me know your address. I have no objection to the publica- 
 tion of my strongest wishes f(ir your success. — \V." 
 
fCif. 
 
 II.] 
 
 I.ORD WELLESLEV. 
 
 27 
 
 he time 
 n fault ; 
 returned 
 c severe 
 
 le Irish 
 t him a 
 at the 
 nt;— 
 
 s. 1X43 
 
 yon liad 
 
 fcelini; of 
 
 l)romisiiig 
 
 n of your 
 
 ci/.cd wiili 
 
 licli under 
 
 and now, 
 
 1 and I am 
 
 cs. I was 
 
 in.£^ on mo. 
 
 icrest, and 
 )re than a 
 lie initials 
 ion comes 
 Nothing; 
 tlian vour 
 id deeply, 
 ^'/c;' cause, 
 l)e for til is 
 iy on this 
 ly brother 
 d reli.Ljion 
 lerc or in 
 y kindest 
 
 end, 
 I.KSI.KY. 
 e puliiica- 
 
 Ou returning to London after the election, I had (;ne 
 interview, and one only, with Lord VVellcsley. Mc invited 
 me to luncheon, and afttT its announcement the servant 
 closed the door. We remained talking for some time, 
 until at length Lord Wcllesley rose and led the way, and 
 I ran forward to open the door for him. Lady Wellesley 
 was also present, but did not accompany us. As I was 
 leaving, she met me outside the door and said in a whisper, 
 pressing my hand — 
 
 "I came to thank y(Hi so much for opening the door, 
 as Lord Wellesley has not done such a thing for himself 
 for very many years." 
 
 Afterwards wc had a long conversation, which I shall 
 not easily forget. lie chiefly dwelt on the subject of 
 Mr. I'itt, for whom he professed the most unbounded 
 admiration. lie mentioned that on one occasion when 
 he was transacting business with Air. I'itt, the subject 
 tin-ncd on epidemics, and Mr. I'itt rose up and declaimed 
 with all his majesty the lines at the opening of the " Iliad'' 
 on the plague among the Greeks. And Lord Wellesley 
 followed his example. I Ic, too, stood up and declaimed 
 those magnificent lines with a majesty and strength which 
 (lin'te enthralled me. He then repeated the larnent of 
 Helen over the body of Hector, and the famous passage 
 in the "Antigone " of Sophocles, where Antigone confronts 
 Kreon and proclaims her intention to bury Polynices. 
 1 never saw Lord Wellesley again, but he was good 
 enough to send me a copy of his classical compositions, 
 containing a Latin Poem addressed to me on the occasion 
 of my election, and an English translation of it. I received 
 one more letter from him, dated the ist of May, 1843 :— 
 
 " Mv DKAK (;ki;(;ok\,— 
 
 " For I cannot write ' Dear .Sir,' and I do not wish to be 
 answered ' Deai Lord.' Find some words that will express affection, 
 
 M 
 
 4 
 
( 
 
 l; 
 
 28 
 
 SIK WILLIAM GUKGOkV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 fricMulship, ami cordial rc},Mrcl. Alas! I have been very ill. I kept 
 
 my Ijed almost the whole of last week, mkI I was in bed when yon 
 
 were so t'tx'd as to call. Vet Chambers, my excellent medical 
 
 attendant, says that my complaint is of no dan^'erous importance ; 
 
 bill iny r/>/i/\'-/:i'« complaints make a whole of some \vei;^dit. I am 
 
 certainly ^ettin;,' Ijctter, and 1 ardently hope to be able to receive 
 
 you and your dear mother (for whom I have and ever shall retain 
 
 the warmest admiration and allection) and other dear friends, the 
 
 comfort of life, without which, what is it? In the mean while, pray 
 
 see Alfred Mont;^omery, who well merits your friendship. I'ray 
 
 present my Ixst respects and re;;ards to Lord Francis hgerton. I 
 
 cannot give }ou a more just notion of my estimation of him than by 
 
 assuring you tliat I never received more pleasure in my life llian 
 
 when you informed mc that he had admitted you to the high ailv.uitagc 
 
 of his intimacy and friendship. Cultivate him, follow bis example ; 
 
 in that soil good plants thrive (but I do not admire his law of 
 
 marriage ! ! !). 
 
 "I hope to be able in a ' -'• days to have the high honour of 
 seeing him. I was very wel' accpiainted with his father and mother, 
 and greatly res])ected them both. 
 
 " I wrote this immediately on receiving your note, with some 
 difficulty ; but I would not permit you to suffer another disappoint- 
 ment. I'ray present my best wishes to your dear mother. 
 
 " Ever yours affectionately and truly, 
 
 "Wei.i.esi.ev." 
 
 On the iith the followiiiL; very .sad note, written in 
 his usual bold handwriting, wa.s i-eccivcd by my mother : — 
 
 "Kingston House, .May ii, 1842. 
 "iMv m;.\R Mr.s. Gke(;okv, 
 
 "Be assured that I always feel the same love aiul affection 
 for you and the dear Fisherman, but, alas ! the hour of final separation 
 approaches. I feel that I am dying ; the hand of death is ujjon me, 
 although my medical attendants say that I shall recover. I own 
 1 think otherwise. ]!ut the issues of life and death are in the hands 
 of God, and whatever w.ay His Almighty Will disposes, I submit. 
 If I should recover, I hope to see you here, and to show you the 
 most beautiful spot in the world, from which I send an luimljle 
 tribute. 
 
 " Ever most affectionately, 
 
 '■ N'our ilevoted 
 
 " Welles LEV." 
 
 1 
 
 J 
 
 th( 
 
 t 
 
[Ch. 
 
 11.] 
 
 MV FIRST SCHOOL. 
 
 29 
 
 1 Uc|it 
 ulien you 
 
 I nu'(li(:il 
 )()il,iiu c : 
 It, I am 
 
 to receive 
 I. ill rclaiii 
 icnds, llie 
 liilo, pray 
 |). I'lay 
 ;i;rt()n. I 
 
 II ilian by 
 life than 
 
 ulvanta;.^e 
 
 example ; 
 
 lis law ()( 
 
 honour of 
 il mother, 
 
 vith some 
 isappoint- 
 
 y. 
 
 ESI.F.Y." 
 
 rittcii in 
 other : — 
 
 I, 1.S42. 
 
 (1 aflcrtion 
 separation 
 
 upon me, 
 ;r. I own 
 the hands 
 
 I submit, 
 w you the 
 in humble 
 
 ESLEY." 
 
 On the 26tli of September, 1.S42. the L;Te;\t Miirquis 
 "qui super Garam.'intas et Iiulas protulit impcrium" 
 ceased to live. 
 
 I was about ten years old in the sprin.L,' of 1S27, when 
 I was first sent to school to Mr. Ward'.s, at Iver, 15iickinp;hani- 
 shirc. He had been chaplain on board Lord Gambier's .ship, 
 and was on the whole not a bad schoolmaster, thout,'h very 
 far from a good scholar. I had no particular love for him or 
 for his family during the four years I was with him ; rather 
 did I dislike thein. 1 le had one or two good ushers, and 
 I got on pretty well, though not nearly as well as I ought 
 to iiave done, had the tuition been better. Some of my 
 holidays were passed at Styvechale llall, antl some at 
 Ingcstre, at Lord Talbot's, who was my grandfather's very 
 dear friend. To run to and fro by the Holyhead mail to 
 Dublin was too serious a inatter in those ilays, and so 
 most of my short vacations were spent in I'^ngland. There 
 were two festivities annually at the school, which gave mc 
 extreme pleasure. The one was on the 5th of November, 
 when a boy was selected to have his face blackened and 
 painted, and to play the part of Guy Fawkes. lie was 
 carried in this guise on a chair into the presence of the 
 Miss Wards and other Iver ladies, and had his mouth and 
 nose tickled with a straw till he laughed and thus disclosed 
 who he was, which was, however, perfectly well known 
 before. We then had a glass of wine and a bonfu-e, and 
 greatly enjoyed our innocent dissipation. The second 
 festivity was a whole holida>- during the early summer, 
 which was spent with a [licnic at lilackwood, a place some 
 miles from Iver. It well deserved its name. It was a 
 very large wood of ilark pine trees, with a large pond and 
 small lake in the centre, and there we picnicked and caught 
 butterflies and hunted out caterpillars — for entoinology was 
 the fashion of the school — and returned in the cvcninu. 
 
 # 
 
f 
 
 ■ A 
 
 i 
 
 ii 1^ 
 
 If i 
 1^ 
 
 I r ] 
 
 1 ^ • 
 
 ^o 
 
 SIR WILLTAM GREGORY. 
 
 [C... 
 
 tired and as happy as little kings. The remembrances of 
 151ack\vood have always lingered so freshly in my memory 
 that a few years ago I made a pilgrimage to it, expecting 
 to see a very uninteresting place; but it was not so. 
 There was the old Chequers publichouse at the entrance 
 of the wood, and the old oak paling covered with lichen, 
 and the old pine trees and the high ferns and crisp carpet 
 of pine spikes, and even the lake looked a very respectable 
 and picturesque bit of v/atcr. I was rejoiced after nearly 
 half a century to see the old spot again, and to find, what 
 is, alas ! so rare, that I had not lost as regards it the illusions 
 of my boyhood. 
 
 In 183 1 i\Ir. Ward drove me over in a postchaisc to 
 Marrowy where I was placed in the house of Dr. Longlcy,* 
 afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury. I was put into 
 what is called " the shell," a kind of limbo between the 
 fourth and fifth forms, between the fagged and faggcrs. 
 It was divided into the lower and upper shell, and it was 
 in the former that I made my dc'/nef. The upper shell, 
 immediately above me, was composed of extremely big 
 and extremely ignorant boys, whereas ours were small 
 boys, but some very clever and well educated. Among 
 these was Wilson, son of Professor Wilson, the eminent 
 Sanskrit scholar; Tom Kent, stepson of the 15ishop of 
 London (Blomfield) ; Benjamin Brodic, afterwards Regius 
 Professor of Chemistry at Oxford ; Hugh Pearson, after- 
 wards Canon of Windsor, the dear friend of Dean Stanley ; 
 and Edward Bouverie, now Right Honourable, the only 
 one of these living at the time I write. Taking these boys 
 as a lot, there was, undoubtedly, a very high aggregate 
 of ability, rarely to be seen in the division of one remove. 
 After this observation it must seem conceited for mc to 
 
 * The late Lord Clonbrock told me that Dr. Longley said William 
 Gregory was the cleverest boy he ever had under him.— A. C. 
 
 Li^ 
 
[C. 
 
 II.] 
 
 HARROW. 
 
 31 
 
 branccs of 
 y memory 
 expecting 
 ls not so. 
 e entrance 
 ith lichen, 
 :isp carpet 
 cspectable 
 fter nearly 
 find, what 
 ic illusions 
 
 itchaisc to 
 Longley,* 
 ! put into 
 tween the 
 d faggcrs. 
 md it was 
 opcr shell, 
 emely big 
 ^ere small 
 . Among 
 c eminent 
 Bishop of 
 'ds Regius 
 •son, aftcr- 
 1 Stanley ; 
 , the only 
 these boys 
 aggregate 
 ic remove, 
 for me to 
 
 .aid William 
 
 mention that I almost immediately rose to the top lot of 
 mv remove. At the half-yearly examination it was always 
 Kent, Pearson, Gregory, or Pearson, Gregory, or Gregory, 
 Pearson, and so on. My two dear and special friends were 
 Pearson and Brodie, very different boys ; the one the most 
 "cntle and refined of human beings ; the other vigorous, 
 hard-headed, sarcastic, and already a Radical in politics, 
 but a young fellow of strong feelings, inflexible honesty, 
 and a deep love of poetry. His father. Sir Benjamin 
 Brodie, often invited me to his house, and impressed me 
 more than any man I ever met, except Lord Wellesley, 
 with the idea of concentrated power. I was fortunate 
 enough to have for my tutor that fine scholar, Benjamin 
 Kennedy, afterwards Mead Master of Shrewsbury School, 
 and now Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge and 
 Canon of Ely. He was one of those men who, if he saw 
 in a pupil an appreciation of his beloved Greek writers, 
 could never do enough for him. He thought he perceived 
 this in me, and he showed me his own trophies at Cam- 
 bridge, his admirable poems both in Greek and Latin. He 
 declaimed his favourite passages for my benefit. Nothing 
 is so contagious as enthusiasm. Fired by his energy, and 
 having my studies rendered easy by his constant readiness 
 to explain and illustrate every passage that barred my 
 way, I soon began to love my classics with all my heart.* 
 
 * These lints were written by Dr. Kennedy in iSSo, in return for 
 I pol of honey of llymettus we had brought him from Greece. — A. G. 
 
 I'.IJUITI l.NLUSTRI 
 GULIELMO GREGORY 
 
 C, RATI AS AGIT 
 MELLITUS ELIENSLS. 
 
 2u 1.1.0L (pl\ccs (5a>Kas 'A.TTiithf /.UXi ' 
 Aexou To'5' 'AttikI^ou e| ifiwv fXfKos. 
 
 Sweet Attic honey by your gift I 
 Accept from mo this Atticising strain. 
 
 ram 
 
■ K 
 
 ■!l 
 
 <t 
 
 ;: 
 
 
 ' •'»l' 
 
 V I'* 
 
 32 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Ch. 
 
 There were at that time very few i^rizcs at Harrow 
 compared with the number a-ul variety of them at present. 
 There were three annually for poetry, Latin Hexameters, 
 Latin Lyrics, and Greek Limbics, and one for Latin 
 prose, a gold medal given by Sir Robert Peel, a distinc- 
 tion greatly prized ; but the blue ribbon of Harrow was 
 the scholarship, of which some years there were two, and 
 some years only one. 
 
 Shortly after getting into the fifth form in the year 
 1833, Dr. Kennedy recommended me to try for the Latin 
 Lyrics. He said — 
 
 "Of course you won't get them, as you have all the 
 sixth form against you ; but you may as well try. It will 
 be good practice for you to have to do your very best." 
 
 I took his advice, wrote a very moderate set of Alcaics, 
 and sent them in. The subject was " The River Ganges." 
 About a month after, I met one of the monitors in the 
 street, who said — 
 
 " Dr. Longley wants to see you. I rather think you 
 have got the Lyrics." 
 
 11. TpT)yoplov -nffi^avTu^ io(7/ ti/iucu,-." dir' AOtivoii' 
 <tT}lxl rewu avtiwv &vdos, "tfitjTTi, \api7v. 
 Toiiri "yap t| 'Aaias o5e rpr]yopioiiriv ' o/uoios 
 Cls 7\u/{i' yeviTafid'oii 'Attikuv. o/5f. i^teAi, 
 Ol5i jxaQuv, ipihiuiv 5" ftp' e'/io! ipiKiuuTi TraA&if;? 
 Mvrjfia SiSaTKoAiTjs toi't' oTre'SwKt ydfOi. 
 
 From violet-crowned Athens OrcL^ory sends 
 
 Thy bec-'.vrought bloom, Hy melius, to his iriends. 
 
 Lil<e Asia's ("iregories,i he, with Ic.'u-ninL,^ <;niccd. 
 
 Knows well how sweet is Attic honey's taste. 
 
 And my old service of tutorial aid 
 
 With that sweet bloom his heart has well repaid. 
 
 K. 
 
 ' Gregorios dico, s;uculo p. C. n, (juarto nobiles, altcrum Nazianzi, 
 altcrum Nyssie episcopum; quorum Athenis doctrincu stucluisse ilium 
 scimus,hunc credimus,qui frater esset Basilii JMagni, et ipse rhctoriciu 
 peritus. 
 
 
 
 .IL. 
 
[Ch. 
 
 II.] 
 
 HARROW SUCCESSES. 
 
 33 
 
 Harrow 
 t present, 
 vc'imetcrs, 
 "or Latin 
 I distinc- 
 rrow was 
 two, and 
 
 the year 
 the Latin 
 
 c all the 
 . It will 
 best." 
 f Alcaics, 
 Ganges." 
 •rs in the 
 
 hink you 
 
 ig 
 
 K. 
 
 n Na/.ianzi, 
 liiissc illiiin 
 ic rhctoricic 
 
 It was true enough. Although the verses were nothing 
 to boast of, those of the other candidates were less so. 
 To this day I cannot forget the delight of my dear tutor, 
 Dr. Kennedy. 
 
 " Come along ; come along and see Mrs. Kennedy ! " 
 Mrs. Kennedy was a pretty and a very winning woman, 
 and apparently very much gratified also. Me walked up 
 and down the room with the tears in his eyes, repeating 
 aloud for the benefit of his wife, who did not understand 
 a word, the passages he most approved of in my prize 
 
 poem.* 
 
 Dr. Kennedy's enthusiasm and my own delight, and 
 the welcome present of ^"25 from my uncle, already 
 mentioned, converted me from being an idle boy into a 
 genuine hard-working student. The following year I again 
 o-ot the Latin Lyrics, and ran second for the Greek 
 Iambics. The subject of the Lyrics was " The Temple of 
 Jerusalem," and having just found a copy of them among 
 my grandfather's papers, I honestly think they were a 
 very creditable composition. But, unfortunately for me, 
 without in the least intending to take any advantage over 
 my competitors, I showed my verses to my tutor, Dr. 
 Kennedy, the day before I sent them in. There were no 
 alterations made by him — I believe he suggested the 
 
 * From thai clay till now, I have never been unt'ailhful to the 
 classic muse, liy land and by sea, at Newmarket and at Ceylon, 
 under the palms in the oases of the great desert, and under stephanotis 
 bowers in Cuba, I have never neglected my classics. Hardly a day, 
 or rather a night, has passed that I have not read some portion of 
 (Ireck or Latin literature. Unfortunately, my memory is defective 
 as regards retention. 1 can get up for the moment any amoimt of 
 matter, but after a time only a hazy remembrance remains. 
 
 About the year I mention I got a pri/.c for reiieating the whole of 
 the " Daccha;" of I-^uripides excepting the choruses, and a thousand 
 lines of CIaudian,at a stretch. Five years afterwards I could not have 
 rcjieatcd fifty lines of one or the other. 
 
 ^ 
 
M 
 
 34 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Ci 
 
 omission of some stanzas. There was no secret about 
 the matter, but it seems that some one made a representa- 
 tion to Dr. Longley on the subject. On his informing mc 
 that I had won the prize, he asked me if it was true that 
 my tuto.' had seen and corrected the Lyrics before they 
 were sent in. I said it was quite true he had seen, but 
 untrue that he had corrected them, beyond inducing me 
 to strike out some portions. Dr. Longley, with very great 
 grief, then told me it would be impossible to give me the 
 prize, and that it must go to Tearson, who was second. It 
 was a terrible blow to me, and for the time had a very bad 
 effect. I f^ave up my books and reading and got int(j 
 every kind of scrape, until it ended by my beings turned 
 to the bottom of my remove, one of the heaviest punisii- 
 ments that could be inflicted, in consequence of a scries 
 of consecutive offences, the culminating one having been 
 absence for a whole day. 1 was, however, only fishing. 
 At that time fishing and shooting were my constant 
 occupations, and there was not a field within miles of 
 Harrow in which I had not poached by day, or a pond 
 I had not dragged at night, with a celebrated loose 
 character, Billy Warner by name. I really cared very 
 little what I did or what became of me, so bitter and so 
 enduring was the disappointment. I think I should have 
 gone quite to the bad had I been under any master except 
 Dr. Longley. I loved him so very dearly, that when 
 I found him distant in his manner and yet at times 
 looking upon me so kindly and so sadly, and when I 
 could brmg myself to think dispassiti'iately upon his 
 decision and recognize its justice, the better principle 
 prevailed. I mended my ways, took to my books again, 
 and next year (i<S35'i got the Latin Hexameters, the Peel 
 Medal, and the scholarship, and wound up my career 
 by being head of the school for a considerable time. 
 
 tl 
 
 o 
 ill 
 
[Cii. 
 
 :t about 
 nx\scnta- 
 ning mc 
 ;riic that 
 J re they 
 iccii, but 
 icing me 
 ry great 
 tne the 
 :ond. It 
 \cry b;i(J 
 got into 
 g turned 
 t punisii- 
 a series 
 ing ljce!i 
 / fishing, 
 constant 
 miles of 
 • a pond 
 :d loose 
 red very 
 r and so 
 uld have 
 -•r except 
 at when 
 ;it times 
 when I 
 ipon his 
 principle 
 cs again, 
 the Pee! 
 y career 
 e. 
 
 II.] 
 
 ANTHONY TROLLOPK. 
 
 15 
 
 It was when I was turned down tliat I became intimate 
 with Anthony Trollopc, who sat next to me. He was a 
 big boy, older thi.n the rest of the form, and without 
 exception the most slovenly and dirty boy I ever met. 
 He was not only slovenly in person and in dre.«':, but his 
 work was equally dirty. His exercises were a mass of 
 blots and smudges. These peculiarities created a great 
 prejudice against him, and the poor fellow was generally 
 avoided. It is pitiable to read in his autobiography, just 
 published, how bitter were his feelings at that time, and 
 how he longed for the friendship and companionship of 
 his comrades, but in vain. There was a story afloat, 
 whether true or false I know not, that his father had 
 been outlawed, and every boy believed it was the duty 
 of a loyal subject of the crown to shoot or otherwise 
 destroy " old Trollope " if possible. Fortunately, he never 
 appeared among us. I had plenty of opportunities of 
 judging of Anthony, and I am bound to say, though my 
 heart smites me sorely for my unkindness, that I did not 
 dislike him. I avoided him, for he was rude and uncouth, 
 but I thought him an honest, brave fellow. He was no 
 sneak. His faults were external ; all the rest of him was 
 right enough. 15ut the faults were of that character for 
 which schoolboys would never make allowances, and so 
 poor Trollope was tabooed, and had not, so far as I 
 am aware, a single friend. He might have been a 
 thoroughly bad young fellow, and )-et have had plenty of 
 associates. He gave no sign of promise whatsoever, was 
 alwa)'s in the lowest part of the form, and was regarded 
 by masters and by boys as an incorrigible dunce. 
 
 At the end of the summer half, for so it was called, 
 of 1S35, I raced away from Harrow, as was our custom, 
 in one of Newman's postchaises, and was first past the 
 Marble Arch at Hyde Park for the last time; thanks, I 
 
36 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cm. 
 
 ,^ n 
 
 ; ': 
 
 ;• 'A 
 
 presume, to the heavy tip my uncle's successive presents 
 of £2S enabled me to make the post boy. How \vc 
 escaped brcakincj our necks and killii^cf Newman's horses 
 in these annual races from Harrow to London is to mc a 
 
 wonder, 
 
 I had been head of the school for a year, and hat! 
 gained every prize n'hich was to be obtained, except one- 
 Greek Iambics— and for that I ran second. It was strange 
 I did not get it, for I was a far better Greek than Latin 
 scholar, and I had over and over again beaten my com- 
 petitor in other examinptions. 
 
 Harrow was a fine, manl)- place. It was a little world 
 in itself, and boys were the arbiters of their own happiness 
 or unhappincss in it. A bold, bright boy was sure to be a 
 favourite, and even a studious, retiring boy was never 
 unkindlv treated ; but woe betided the sneak and the 
 snob. On the whole, there was but little bullying, and the 
 fagging was a salutary discipline for young gentlemen 
 who had been made much of at home. They were 
 brought to a level with their fellows, and it did them no 
 harm to lay their master's tablecloth, make his tea and 
 toast, and run messages. All the old rough work of 
 brushing boots had been done away with. I do not think 
 that even the coats were touched by fags. The only 
 hardship was cricket fagging, when the small boys had to 
 run after the cricket balls of their masters, whether they 
 liked the game of cricket or not. I hear that this duty 
 has been considerably modified since my time. I wish 1 
 could give the school a better character than I am fo-'ced 
 to do as regards its teaching. It used to be most 
 defective. The masters, with the exception of Dr. 
 Kennedy, were bad. The system was bad. I came 
 there, as I said before, with a considerable knowledge 
 of French and Italian : I left it having in a cn-eat 
 
[Cm. 
 
 H.l 
 
 HARROW FIFTV VKARS AGU. 
 
 37 
 
 presents 
 low we 
 's horses 
 to mc a 
 
 antl had 
 
 it one— 
 
 stranc;e 
 
 an Latin 
 
 my coni- 
 
 tlc world 
 lappincss 
 
 to be a 
 as never 
 
 and the 
 J, and the 
 ;cntlemen 
 hey were 
 
 them no 
 5 tea and 
 
 work of 
 not think 
 rhe only 
 y's had to 
 ther they 
 this duty 
 
 1 wish 1 
 ,m fo'-ced 
 be most 
 I of Dr. 
 
 I came 
 
 nowledge 
 
 a threat 
 
 measure fort,rotten both. I came thoroughly grounded 
 in arithmetic from Mr. Ward's ; I left it without the 
 power of doing a rule of three sum. Of Euclid and 
 algebra I was entirely ignorant. There was, it is true, a 
 I'^-ench and mathematical master, the same man perform- 
 ing the double function. But good-natured, laughing 
 I\I. I\Iarillier was a perfect Gallic as regards tuition. He 
 "cared for none of these things." He was quite willing 
 to help a boy who desired his help, but the nonfulfilment 
 of the task brought no evil consequences, and so no one 
 learned anything from him. My l^'rcnch was good 
 enough for a limping conversation, and with that he was 
 satisfied ; but French literature, and the grammatical 
 rendering of the French language were unknown to me. 
 In one word, our whole course of studies was thoroughly 
 bad. I learned, it is true, a good deal of Latin and Greek ; 
 but, except when with Dr. Kennedy, it was in a dry, 
 formal manner. A knowledge of Dawes's, Canon's, and 
 Parson's, and h^lmsby's rules and emendations was held 
 to be far more important than a genuine appreciation of 
 classic literature. I look over my commonplace books, 
 containing the i.otes of the masters on the various authois 
 we were studying, and nothing can be more dry, unat- 
 tractive, and useless. We were condemned to learn by 
 lieart the I^ton grammar, written in crabbed Latin, which 
 we only naif understood, and cordially detested. Our 
 time, both in and out of school, was wasted in writing 
 silly Latin verses. There was hardly any attempt to 
 make a boy think, A Latin essay or theme was written 
 once a week ; but far more attention was paid to the 
 grammatical accuracy than to the thoughtfulness of the 
 production. History was little more to us than a collection 
 of dry facts and dates ; it was anything but philosophy 
 teaching by example. We knew when Pericles lived and 
 
Mi 
 
 '. 
 
 '^'i 
 
 i!il 
 
 li 
 
 'i 
 
 ! i!M 
 
 I' hi 
 
 I 1. 
 
 38 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 died, when B.-asidas and Callicratidas fell, when J^panii- 
 nondas gained for his State the Ilcrjemony of Greece, 
 but we heard little of the social life, the political neces- 
 sities, the religious inHucnces, the artistic developments of 
 the different states ; in short, all that renders a knowledge 
 of early Greece and Rome invaluable. The husks of 
 history were thrown to us to digest as best we might, and 
 wc were punished if we did not digest them. It was not 
 likely it could have been otherwise, considering that our 
 textbook was the "History of Greece," of the " Library of 
 Useful Knowledge," in one thin volume. Nor were wc 
 more judiciously dealt with in regard to modern history. 
 Wc derived our notions of it from Hack's " Revolutions in 
 Europe," and those who have had to get up a jjortion of 
 it will not readily forget how intolerably dry and dis- 
 tasteful it i.s. We had no lectures or comments on iMiglish 
 history and literature — no essays on such subjects were 
 thought of Wc were not asked to think in our own 
 language, or to write it with vigour and correctness ; and 
 so much was this the case, that, when I went up to Oxford, 
 the very first thing my tutor — the present Dean Liddcll 
 of Christ Church — enjoined upon me, was to read Diydcn's 
 Prose Works, and to write English comi)osition twice a 
 week, for he said, " Except in the case of the Rugby boys, 
 slovenliness of style and incorrectness in writing' English 
 were the characteristics of public schoolbo)-s." It is hard 
 to speak thus of one's Alma Alater, but it is strictly the 
 truth. The only thing to be said is that, besides the advan- 
 tages of boyish public life, Harrow was just as good as 
 other schools at that time, always excepting Rugby, where 
 Dr. Arnold had revolutionized the whole discipline and 
 teaching system, and whence has proceeded that remark- 
 able and salutary change apnarent in all our scholastic 
 
 • • • * 
 
 mstitutions, though not yet carried as far as it should be. 
 
[Cii. 
 
 l"4);uiii- 
 Grcccc, 
 al ncces- 
 mcnts of 
 io\vlcdL,^c 
 lusks of 
 ight, and 
 : was not 
 that our 
 ibrary of 
 were wc 
 1 history, 
 utions in 
 )ortion of 
 and dis- 
 1 EngHsh 
 ccts were 
 our own 
 CSS ; and 
 ) Oxford, 
 1 Liddcll 
 Drydcn's 
 1 twice a 
 rhy boys, 
 ;• Enghsh 
 It is hard 
 :rictly the 
 he advan- 
 i good as 
 [by, where 
 plinc ami 
 t remark - 
 scholastic 
 ould be. 
 
 II.] 
 
 MODBURV. 
 
 39 
 
 
 IJcfore going up to reside at Oxford, I went for fc^ur 
 months to "the Rev. Nutcombe Oxenham, a fmc scholar 
 and charming gentleman, who had the parish of Modbury, 
 \n Devonshire! near Ivy liridge. I read as honestly as 
 he could wish, and improved my scholarship considerably 
 by his tuition. There was very little to interest one at 
 Modbury except the church, in which were buried many 
 members of the Champernowne family at a most remote 
 period I went in after years to see their old family 
 residence from Torquay. It is a long, straggling edifice, 
 the hall being of the time of King John, and the rest of the 
 building of various periods up to the time of Richard 
 the Third. The owners have there dwelt in peace and 
 quiet, none making them afraid, the eldest son being 
 squire and the younger parson from remote ages. I 
 carry away no otlier reminiscences of Modbury than of 
 this old family, of very hard reading, and great kindness. 
 
■^. 
 
 40 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Ch. 
 
 >: 
 
 iM 
 
 ! 
 
 h. i 
 
 Ml 
 
 CIIArTl'.R III. 
 
 L\ the winter of the year 1836, 1 pa.s.scd stjiiic time at 
 Garbally. At that time it was owned by Lord Clancarty, 
 the grandfather of the present lord,* who had been our 
 representative at the liayiic and Hrussels fi^r many years, 
 and at the Congress of Vienna, lie was a charming old 
 gentleman, extremely plain, most hosp'table and genial ; 
 and Lady Clancarty was one of the most high-bred women 
 I ever met. Garbally was it that time stiff, and the 
 general atmosphere was of the greatest propriety, from 
 which one person alone seemed anxious to break loose, 
 Lady Emily Trench, afterwards Cozzeres. She was a 
 peculiarly ill-favoured maiden, with the sweetest voice, 
 the kindest manner, and a very apparent desire for a little 
 dissipation. (When at Brussels she and some f(;reign 
 inamorato meditated flight, but her parents got an inkling 
 of what was going to take place, and she was stopped. 
 Her disposition was very docile, and she turned back 
 readily enough with her travelling kit, which consisted of 
 a pair of cuffs and a toothbrush.) 
 
 One day she informed me that an invitation had come 
 from a certain Mrs. Ilandcock of Carantrila to her, request- 
 ing her to make one of a party ; and I also, as being a 
 possible future Galway squire, was asked to accompany 
 her. How we obtained permission is still a myster>-. 
 I believe it was understood that we were to dine at 
 
 * Written in 1SS4. 
 
[Cm, 
 
 III.] 
 
 A HOUSE PARTY, 
 
 4J 
 
 c time at 
 ^lancarty, 
 been our 
 my years, 
 ■niing old 
 1(1 t;cnial ; 
 jd women 
 and the 
 ety, from 
 cak loose, 
 he was a 
 est voice, 
 "or a little 
 e f(jrciL,m 
 IP. inkling 
 ; stopped, 
 ned back 
 nsistcd of 
 
 had come 
 r, rcquest- 
 ,s being a 
 :company 
 mystery. 
 1 dine at 
 
 Carantrila, and after the ball that followed were to gcj on 
 to the Palace of Tuam, a dwcliini; of the very odour of 
 sanctify and of friz/dcd cgL,^s. \Vc made our journey in 
 one of the state yeP'..v Garbally carriages, and on arriving 
 at Carantrila (which is about six or seven miles from 
 Tuam) late in the evening, we found that not a soul of the 
 large party had been out that da}-, or, indeetl, for several 
 days. The ladies were mostly dancing in a large new 
 ballroom erected for the occasion, and the gentlemen 
 were, many of them, more drunk tiian sober. The party 
 consisted of Lord Clanricarde and a favourite satellite 
 of his, Tom Nolan, better known as Tom the Devil ; Sir 
 John and Lady Burke, then very handsome, and their 
 son Thomas, a young soldier in the Royals, looking like 
 a youthful Apollo with his beautiful comi)lexion and wavy 
 golden hair ; Mr. and Mrs, Persse, she my future mother- 
 in-law, a very pretty woman not long married, dressed 
 in white of an evening with pearl decorations ; Mr. and 
 
 Mrs. L , of County Clare, she clever and piquante ; a 
 
 Miss R , now Mrs. C in Galway, who was then lovel}- 
 
 with dark hair and eyes, and a r:ch complexion like a plum. 
 It was only the other day that I destroyed, among other 
 love tokens, a mitten she gave me, and which at the time 
 I greatly prized. There was Granby Calcraft, the brother 
 of Lady Burke, a London dandy and swell out at elbows ; 
 and one or two more of no great note. Ikit I must not 
 forget the daughters of our host and hostess. The girls 
 were just rising into womanhood, and nothing could have 
 been more captivating, such charming manners, sweet, 
 pretty, innocent ways, and a determination to make the 
 house pleasant. 
 
 On our arrival we proceeded to dance, and kept up 
 our afternoon ball with great spirit till nine o'clock, when 
 dinner was served, to which we sat down, about twenty- 
 
( 
 
 It * 
 
 1"^ 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cm. 
 
 ci-ht to thirty in iiuinbcr. Lord Clanricaiclc took the 
 licad of the tabic and did the honours. At about 
 eleven we adjourned to the drawing-room a-ul danced 
 ami flirted till one o'clock, when supper was announced. 
 After a decent interval the ladies retired to bed, and the 
 fun became fast and furious, and the drinkin- steady, 
 Lord Clanricarde. Sir John Hurke, Tom Burke, Mr. I'ersse, 
 and myself bchvr the only shirkers. It was my first 
 acquaintance with Lord Clanricarde, and he left an impres- 
 sion on me which I never forgot by the manner in which 
 he preserved his self-respect even in the midst of this 
 riotous license. Although full of the wildest fun, he 
 never allowed the slightest liberty to be taken with him, 
 or rather, never put himself in the position of having 
 familiarities reciprocated. It was about three o'clock in the 
 
 morning ; A. Z ,of C , had just drank off a tumbler 
 
 of almost raw whisky which I had given him, I believe 
 intentionally, and had dropped (vna his chair like a felled 
 ox ; Tom Nolan had placed his chair on the tabic, and 
 was singing some rollicking song, when the door was 
 
 suddenly thrown open, and l\Irs. Z , in her night-dress, 
 
 with her hair down her shoulders, and in naked feet, stood 
 
 in the doorway and surveyed the scene. A deep silence 
 
 ensued, Suddenly she ])erceivcd her prostrate husband, 
 
 and rushed to his assistance as he lay upon the floor. 
 " Get away ! " was all he could mutter. 
 " You wretches, you are murdering him ! " shrieked 
 
 Mrs. Z . " I arraign you as murderers. I arraign you. 
 
 Lord Clanricarde, as chief murderer." 
 
 "Easy, easy, ma'am," said his lordship ; "we will soon 
 
 bring A up to his bed all right enough. A drop of 
 
 whisky don't kill a man in this country." 
 
 So he took him by the head, and I took him by the 
 
 heels, and some other sober guest lent a hand, and, preceded 
 
Ill 
 
 CALWAV KL'Vr.LS. 
 
 43 
 
 hy Mrs. Z , u'c slowly and solemnly bore him ui)stair>, 
 
 and laid him on the matrimonial bed. 
 
 The next day when I awoke a.'d looked at my watch, 
 I found it was half-past twelve o'clock, so I dressed in all 
 liaste and came downstairs rather ashamed of myself. 
 On reachintjf the drawiii^-room, all was dark. I made m\' 
 way then to the dininj^'-room ;all was dark there also. At 
 last I heard a sound frcni the kitchen re;4ions, and saw a 
 cjlimmerin.L,' li.L^dit, which proceeded from a candle carried 
 by a very feeble olil woman, apparently for no purpose. 
 1 asked for news about breakfast, and she said — 
 
 " The divil a mouthful you'll L;et bef)re tliree o'clock, 
 so you hail much better t^'o to bed aj^ain." 
 
 I took her advice, and, as she escorted me throuijh the 
 dininj^-room, I f;azeil with adm."rati(jn at the long files of 
 claret bottles, the contents of which had been consumed at 
 dinner and at supi)cr. 
 
 At three o'clock I came down, and by degrees the 
 party dropped in to breakfast. 
 
 Such was the mode of proceeding during the next two 
 days. The only person who went out of doors during that 
 time was young Tom lUnke, the most abstemious man of the 
 whole party, who started forth with unshaken nerves, ami 
 supplied the table with snipe. Such was our life during 
 those three glorious days, and as we diove to the respect- 
 able Palace of Tuam, Emily Trench and I bound ourselves 
 by dreadful oaths to profound silence, and the archbishop 
 and my great-aunt Trench to the end of their lives believed 
 that the party at Carantrila was not only merry but wise. 
 
 I have gone at some length into this visit, as hardly 
 any scene narrated by Sir Joseph Jkirrington could be 
 more amusing. It was the dying-out flicker of old Irish 
 revelry, as told by him. 
 
 In the spring of 1S37 I went up to Christ Church, 
 
' * 
 
 
 (•^ 
 
 ' \ 
 
 ' i 
 
 i I 
 
 i i 
 
 44 
 
 SIR WlLLIAxM GREGORY. 
 
 [C'H. 
 
 Oxford, having some months previously matriculated to 
 the satisfaction of the dreaded Dr. Gaisford, known as the 
 " Learned Blacksmith," from his swarthy face and uncouth 
 manner. At the time of my matriculation, I remarked, 
 amon- the other students undergoing the ordeal, one in 
 particular, who struck me much. He seemed very old, 
 very ugly, very unclean, and very uncouth, and I wondered 
 what could have brought such a creature to such a smart 
 college as Christ Church. Shortly after my coming up 
 there were three exhibitions or scholarships for Christ 
 Church men alone. The)- were pleasant things to get, as 
 they about paid for the food ot the holder of them. I 
 went in, thought I had done a most successful examina- 
 tion, as many subjects were given with which I was 
 thoroughly conversant, and when the result was announced 
 it was Linwood first, Gregor\- second. 'Sly antiquated 
 and dirty companion at matriculation was the victor, and 
 by all accounts an ea^y v.:;-nc-r. It was hardly a crumb 
 of comfort to have ~;: the f:ond. A rumour pervaded 
 the college that he v.rrt-:- :h" fixty or eighty of the most 
 unimpeachable Greeh ;i.T.:!:5. '.vherea.- I felt rather elated 
 at having procucei it:.: f^^.er.t;.- iuring the same period 
 of two hours, ah ::' ..hi;- —trt r. ;t unimpeachable. 
 
 The same year .' f.rteftr: the Craven Scholarship, open 
 to all the Univer::ry l: e -_a::e I ::ur.i my old antagonist. 
 I had still great h:ce: I'^i: '. i.:. :_:h be able to turn the 
 tables on him. b.t a.a.- r. v i.i again Linwood first, 
 Gregory seccind. i hiia :ii..j --t iirren honour of being 
 the second best scbj;a: x -7 j-:-^-. It was truly unfor- 
 tunate my coming int.: :::kzicz -Mizh this remarkably 
 learned man, a kind ofmutitrt ? ir^oa in Greek, the author 
 of the profound 'Lejau-.n /I.-diyiaus," and the subse- 
 quent master of BirmiTina.-.t ;,:;:r.,;L : tor not only had 
 I to submit to the birtt-.-i;- -f defeat, but I became 
 
II 
 
 III.] 
 
 OXFORD. 
 
 45 
 
 disheartened and gradually estranged from the steady 
 reading set of men, with whom I had aHied myself at the 
 beginning of my Oxford career. Still, however, I continued 
 to read on, though in rather a desultory manner, and tlic 
 result was that, on going in for the Craven Scholarship the 
 following year, I again ran second, this time to Mr. Mar- 
 shall, a fellow-pupil of my tutor Henry Liddcll, now 
 Dr. Liddcll, Dean of Christ Church, whom he had assured 
 me I was sure to beat. He was, however, in thorough 
 good training, and I was not ; and such has been the case 
 in many a race. 
 
 A circumstance occurred about this time which exercised 
 a most fatal influence over my whole future life. I went, 
 for the Easter vacation in 1.S37, to pay a visit to some old 
 Harrow friends at Cambridge, and in their society I met 
 several undergraduates who were bitten with the love of 
 racing. They brought me over to Newmarket, showed me 
 all the favourite horses for the great events, introduced me 
 to one or two jockeys, minor stars, of course, and sent me 
 l)ack to Christ Church full of racing information. From 
 that out I deserted my old studious friends, and thought of 
 nothing but Epsom and Newmarket. Still I read on for 
 my degree by fits and by starts. I had two of the best 
 coaches in Oxford, Osborne Gordon for classical scholar- 
 ship, and Elder for logic and philosophy, and I kept myself 
 pretty fairly u[) to their re(|uirements. Gordon was famous 
 for a Greek epigram which he wrote during a splendid 
 examination for an Ireland scholarshiiD, which he won. 
 The subject was "the two children sculptured by Chantre)- 
 on a monument in Lichfield Cathedral." They are repre- 
 sented as sleeping in each other's arms. As well as I 
 recollect the words were — 
 
■ 
 
 h I 
 
 i 
 
 ■i, 
 
 46 
 
 SIR ^VILLIA^r gregorv. CCh- 
 
 aWa 5i;7 'A^^eiAio rhu d/jSta fxuOhutiKova- 
 
 PaffK Wi wayKoirav hs 'MSao Ujxw 
 K^ov 8' 3> Aa'iixov Tav KaWav &\eiSas hi""' 
 
 oil yap ras ifivx^i ovSe ra ffii-fxar tx*'^ 
 a<>^^ yap ^vxo.\ ^^ri^riffai fJ Otjpauop ^vpvv 
 
 (Tujuara 5' ev yala i>h5vuw vTrrof ex^ '• 
 
 I believe I am quoting correctly, though it is forty-six 
 years since I committed these lines to memory. I mention 
 them because, some thirty years after Osborne Gordon 
 and I parted, wc met in the British Museum, and looked 
 hard at one another. He said— 
 
 " I wonder if you remember who I am ? " 
 " I wonder," I replied, " if you remember a certain 
 Greek epigram." And I (luotcd the first of the lines 
 
 above. 
 
 I need hardly say how immensely gratified he was. 
 He had then subsided into a country parson, but was well 
 known as a man of great abilit)-, and was, moreover, to the 
 best of my belief, connected with the Times. 
 
 In 1838 I went abroad for the long vacation to Germany, 
 to read with Mr. Massey, fellow of Wadham, and subse- 
 quently head of Durham College. Mr. Edmund Oldfiekl, 
 afterwards of the British Museum, and the life and soul 
 of the Arundel Society from its birth to the present tiine, 
 was my companion. Mr. Massey was a most admirable 
 scholar and a capital companion. We first established 
 ourselves at the Gasthof of the Goldenen Krone, at the 
 little town of Nassau, about two miles and a half from 
 Ems, and there wc took long walks, read very hard, and 
 flirted with and learned German from our host's nieces in 
 the evening. At last, however, the temptation of the 
 gambling tables at Ems proved a greater attraction than 
 the German lessons and the Miidchens. and I hired a pony 
 from a miller and used to ride over of an evening in order 
 to enjoy a mild roulette or " trente et quarante." My tutor 
 
III.] 
 
 THE "BATTLE OF RUDESIIEIM." 
 
 47 
 
 made no objection so long as I returned with a good 
 number of silver pieces, but when luck turned, and I began 
 to fancy myself in love with a young lady from Hamburg, 
 and my work became neglected, he thou;^ht it high time 
 to decamp, and we proceeded to finish our vacation at 
 Rudesheim. Nothing could have been more delightful 
 than the time wc spent there, and the glorious long walks 
 we took in the Niederwald and on the other side of the 
 Rhine. We had one famous episode, the glory of which 
 is still green in my memory. 
 
 One night, as I and Mr. Oldfield were returning home 
 rather late, wc were assailed with abusive epithets from 
 four young fellows who had just emerged from a Gasthof, 
 full of wine and insolence. The epithets we bore, but 
 when they proceeded to emphasize them by throwing 
 gravel at us, the British lion was aroused, and we resolved 
 to try the hazard of battle ; and .so, having agreed to stand 
 back to back, I hit one of our assailants with closed fist 
 full in the face with all my strength. Well was it that 
 I had devoted some of my spare time in learning the art 
 of self-defence, and in being knocked about by Mr. Sambo 
 Sutton, the black prize-fighter, at Oxford. We had a 
 desperate encounter which lasted twenty minutes. Our 
 adversaries rushed in, boxing our ears with open hands, 
 while we struck their faces at each approach with the closed 
 fist. Fortunately, wc rei)elled these rushes, and thus won 
 the battle. Had we been thrown wc should have had a 
 sore bad time. At length they retreated, leaving a coat 
 behind. Wc erected this into a trophy in the most classical 
 manner, and had we been possessed of a trumpet, would 
 have sounded a triumphant fanfare. The next day wc 
 presented a sad appearance, our cars being swollen to the 
 most enormous size ; and wc were oppressed by the dread 
 of the appearance of a policeman to haul us off to a court 
 
 lii- 
 
 J 
 
' I 
 
 * 
 
 It 
 
 li 
 
 I 
 
 I ■; 
 
 i 
 
 
 i ' ''' ■ 
 
 
 XT 
 
 
 lE 
 
 f 
 
 i 
 
 f 
 
 ' if 
 
 H' 
 
 \ • 1 
 
 48 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY, 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 of justice on a charge of assault and battery. No such 
 misfortune happened, but on the third day our little maid 
 informed me that a baker from Assmanshauser requested 
 to see us, and announced that he had been desperately 
 beaten by us. We went down in much alarm, and found 
 the young baker with a lip split open and closed with 
 plaster, and with two terrible black eyes into the 
 bargain. But instead of meeting us with threats, he came 
 forward and shook hands, and said he came over to make 
 friends, as the fight was fair and free. We celebrated the 
 reconciliation with copious Rudesheim, and discovered that 
 one object he had was to be shown the English mode of 
 fisticuff, as he often got into quarrels and would soon settle 
 them if he could only serve his antagonists as he had been 
 served. We gave him a lesson, but found it hard to 
 convince him that I had not a stone in my hand on the 
 night of the fray. We parted capital friends, and so 
 ended the " 15attle of Rudesheim." 
 
 Next year was the time for m)- degree, and I had 
 every reason to expect getting my first class, the great 
 object of our Oxford ambition — the credentials, in fact, 
 for the start of an ambitious young man in life. I had 
 IcR Christ Church and had gone to New Inn Hall, not 
 in the least from any disapprobation of my conduct, but 
 because I had out-stayed the usual number of terms. 
 Unfortunately, at New Inn Hall no discipline was observed. 
 I lived in the town and could do just as I liked. The 
 consequence was that I went to the Newmarket spring 
 meetings, and afterwards signalized myself by riding from 
 Oxford to Epsom and back on relays of hacks, cantering 
 all the way. There I saw Bloomsbury win the Derby 
 during a snowstorm, and there I won .^300 on him, 
 which confirmed my fatal love of racing. On sitting 
 down to my work, I underwent a close examination from 
 
 /. 
 
Ill 
 
 ROME. 
 
 49 
 
 my :">ach, Mr. Elder. He pronounced me to be perfectly 
 safe as regards classics, but that I had a long leeway to 
 make up both in divinity and logic, two subjects of no 
 mean importance. I had, in fact, totally neglected them. 
 I had no long time for preparation, and I worked literally 
 night and day, until I felt almost dazed and stupid. 
 
 The day, or rather the night but one before the 
 examination arrived, and I was taken violently ill by a 
 rush of blood to the head. The doctor was sent for at 
 once, as I was perfectly prostrate. I was ordered to leave 
 Oxford at once, and not to open a book of study for 
 six months. At the end of the six months I tried to 
 begin work again, but it was useless and hopeless. I left 
 Oxford in broken spirits, and did not go in even for a 
 common degree. I had not the heart to do so, after 
 feeling confident that I should be on the first class list. 
 Such was the first result of my visit to Newmarket. 
 
 The winter that followed this unfortunate fiasco I 
 spent at Rome with my father and mother. Our journey 
 through Italy was very imposing — two carriages, two 
 maids, two manservants, and a courier, " cosi viaggino i 
 ricchi" as Byron says. We took apartments at Cerny's 
 Piazza d'Espagna, and practised on a liberal scale the 
 virtue of hospitality. Whether it was the badness of 
 the dinners or of the atmosphere, I cannot say ; but 
 shortly after the Christmas religious festivities, I was 
 taken ill with gastric fever, and for two or three weeks 
 la)- between life and death. At last, however, a good 
 constitution and the skill of Dr. Gloquc prevailed, and 
 I gradually recovered. At certain times one almost feels 
 it a comfort to have been ill, so rapturous is the return 
 to healtli again. How well I remember being taken out 
 day after day just to sit on a cushion propped up upon 
 the steps of St. John dc Lateran in the warm early spring. 
 
 I 
 
so 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY, 
 
 [Ci 
 
 I was too weak to speak, but not to look at and drink 
 in the soft outline of the Alban Hills, and the solemn 
 beauty which gives to "the mother of dead nations " that 
 indescribable fascination which ever holds captive those 
 who have once come under its influence. All the while 
 strength seemed to be pouring in, and I gradually was 
 strong enough to mount a horse and take a gallop with 
 the hounds on the Campagna. That same night the 
 enemy returned, and attacked my heart. I had pre- 
 viously been suffering tortures during my long illness, 
 but there was temporary relief. This time the agon}- 
 was dreadful ; it seemed as if my chest was bursting open, 
 and I prayed for death, so intolerable was the pain, Dr. 
 Gloque said it was impossible I could hold out much 
 longer, and he proposed that which was contrary to all 
 accepted practice, to bleed me, as the only chance left, 
 lie did so, and the effect was something quite extra- 
 ordinary. As the blood flowed out, so flowed out the 
 pain, and the next day J was well again. Dr. Gloque 
 recommended me to be most careful in avoiding sudden 
 chills for some years, as there was every probability of 
 gastric fever returning, and he was right in his warning. 
 Two years afterwards I was again attacked in Paris, and 
 all the painful symptoms had recommenced. I was 
 attended by Dr. MacLaughlin, a physician of much 
 eminence at the time. I told him what had occurred 
 at Rome, and begged of him to bleed me, which he 
 positively refused to do. At last, on giving him a written 
 paper taking all the responsibility on myself, he agreed 
 to be present while the bleeding was performed, though 
 not to do it himself. Again the same salutary effect was 
 produced. In one day the swelling of the joints had 
 subsided ; in three days I was able to walk about my 
 room, and at the end of the week I was about as usual. 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 ni 
 
 the 
 
 nil 
 
 IS a 
 
 a\- 
 
 Sh 
 
III.] 
 
 CIVITA VECCIIIA. 
 
 51 
 
 On the present occasion I did not recover strength 
 so soon ; but I felt myself obliged to return to England 
 well or ill, much to the consternation of my parents, as 
 I had backed Coronation, the favourite for the Derby, 
 to win a large sum of money, and it was necessary to 
 make financial arrangements in case he was beaten. I 
 therefore started off, though scarcely able to crawl, to 
 meet the l<>ench steamer at Civita Vccchia. Owing to 
 some delay on the road, I arrived at the port just in 
 time to sec the sinoke of the vessel making its way to 
 h^-ance, and so I had to spend a week at the little inn 
 of the place. To this day I recall with gratitude the 
 kindness of the people belonging to it ; but the one who 
 specially devoted herself to me was the daughter of the 
 host, Steffa by name. I was young, feeble, rather nice 
 looking, and she pitied me with the whole strength of 
 her warm, impulsive, Italian nature. She was a pretty, 
 gentle girl, about seventeen or eighteen, and every day 
 she took me out to a place overlooking the sea, and there, 
 in a sunny spot among lentils and broom, we watched 
 the classic antics of the goats and talked for hours. 
 Steamboats and railways, which were just beginning to 
 be generally constructed, were a great topic. They were 
 evidently, in her mind, under the patronage of the devil, 
 the " nemico di Dio," and she strongly urged me not to 
 [)lacc myself voluntarily under his influence. 
 
 " Why not go to England in a carrozza, or by the 
 diligence, of course } " 
 
 " Ikit still I should have to cross the sea, as England 
 is an island." 
 
 " Why not go there in a /ui/'ui with a sail, and so 
 a\oid all bad influences ? " 
 
 Ikit the main subject of conversation was religion. 
 She could not understand why I was a heretic, as 1 
 
 < ^ 
 
( i 
 
 pi; II 
 
 iif 
 
 '■^ 
 
 52 
 
 SIR ^V!I,1,IA.^^ GRKCOKV, 
 
 [Cm. 
 
 professed to believe in the Holy Virgin, St. Joseph, and 
 every other saint she mentioned, besides my namesake 
 Pope Gregory, to whom she was convincctl I was related. 
 At last she discovered to her satisfaction that I had only 
 two sacraments and she had "^cven. This was a sad blow, 
 and we talked it over very gravely one afternoon amid 
 many tears on her part. 
 
 The next day, wishing to comfort her, I said, " Stcffa. 
 I have been thinking during the night over these sacra- 
 ments, and I am quite ready to accept the seven." 
 
 " Do you really say so ? " she cried, seizing mc in her 
 arms. "Why, then you can stay here and marry me, 
 for you will be as good a Catholic as I am, and you will 
 soon be well," and so on. 
 
 I could not exactly explain my connection with 
 Coronation which compelled me to return to l^ngland. 
 I could only say that I had a father and mother who 
 had great objections to seven sacraments, and that I was 
 sure I never could overcome them. So it was agreed that 
 unless I wrote within a moderate space of time that there 
 were no obstacles — she should be quite free to marry whom 
 she pleased ; for she was an only child, and her father 
 wished much to have some one to keep the inn, which 
 would have to become very large when the devil should 
 bring the railway from Rome ; not that I need trouble 
 myself about its management ; she would do that, and I 
 could sit upstairs and write letters. 
 
 At length the Mcssageries boat arrived. It was on 
 some particular saint's day, and Stefifa presented herself 
 to me in full dress, with a white veil floating from her 
 head to the ground. As I had accepted the seven 
 sacraments, she insisted on my giving her my arm and 
 attending Mass with her. We made a fine show going 
 down the street, and, to my great shame and confusion 
 
 wr 
 
III.l 
 
 AN ADVENTURE. 
 
 53 
 
 of face, who should I sec watching us with much amuse- 
 ment but two younjT Enpflishmen with wnom I made 
 subsequent acquaintance, Captain Fitzliardins^e lierkeley 
 and Major Everett, well known afterwards at the vice- 
 regal court of Lord Morpeth. They had landed during 
 the stay of the vessel, and were seeing the sights of the 
 place. This confusion of face was still more increased 
 at my departure by the farewell of Steffa, by whom I 
 was bewailed and kissed in a frantic manner before all 
 beholders. The child of Nature utterly ignored even the 
 presence of my stolid English servant. 
 
 On our arrival at Marseilles, Captain Berkeley and 
 myself voted diligence travelling to be low and a bore 
 and slow, so wc hired p phaeton and posted to Paris. It 
 cost us each about three times as much as would have 
 done our places in the coupt^ and we arrived nine hours 
 after the diligence. The same evening we went to dine at 
 the Trois I'rcrcs Provencaux, and had rather an amusing 
 adventure. We had nearly finished our dinner when two 
 tall over-dressed men came swaggering in. Shortly after- 
 wards one of them got up and crossed the room to us. 
 
 " I see," said he, " you are two linglish gentlemen. 
 I dare say you can decide a bet between my friend and 
 mj-sclf as to whether Maclcod has been hung or not." 
 
 Macleod had been made prisoner by the Americans 
 as having taken a chief part in the burning of the Caroline, 
 a piratical steamer in Niagara river, when moored on the 
 American side and flying the American (lag. We replied 
 we were all abroad as regarded recent news, having only 
 just come from Italy. 
 
 "Now," said I to Captain Berkeley, "are you up to 
 a little amusement .'' I have not been on the turf for a 
 short time without having picked up some knowledge of 
 rogues and swir;dlers. These fellows are both one and 
 
 il! 
 
 M 
 
 ! ' i^ 
 
 ': i: 
 
 \\ 
 
 i] 
 
 1 ' 
 
54 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORV. 
 
 LCii. 
 
 the other. They arc sure to ask us to sup or dine, then 
 to introduce play, and to cheat us if tliey can. We know 
 no one in Paris, we are here only for three days ; why not 
 enjoy ourselves at their expense?" 
 
 " By all means," said Captain Berkeley, only too happy 
 for the adventure. 
 
 Presently the same man came back and said that, as 
 we had mentioned our beint,^ perfect strangers, perhaps 
 he and his friend miijht be of some service in showinpj 
 us the lions of Paris, about which we professed entire 
 itjnorance. He introduced himself as Mr. Reynolds and 
 his friend as Captain Elliott. I remembered all I had 
 heard about the pair. P^lliott had been concernetl in a 
 recent duel, in which he had shot a man under circuin- 
 stances which smacked of murder after a row in a most 
 disreputable night-house, the Piccadilly Saloon, now extinct. 
 The other, Reynolds, was a cheat and gambler, who lived 
 by fleecing- young men who were fools enough to play 
 with him. 
 
 We adjourned by invitation to the liutel Mirabcau, 
 where the party hr.d a very handsome suite of rooms, and 
 where we were presented to Madame Reynolds, a remark- 
 ably good-looking woman. Ilcr real name was l^mma 
 Kaye, and her relations with Mr. Reynolds were but of 
 a temporary nature, in which she served as a decoy duck. 
 We went first to a cafe chantant, and then returned to the 
 hotel, where we had a game of what they called "jcu 
 Napoleon," but which was neither more nor less than 151ind 
 Hookey. While we were so engaged, a gentlemanly man 
 came in who was introduced to us as Mr. liaring. He, 
 too, was a well-known character, and went by the name 
 of " Bruiser Baring " from his proficic.oy with his fists. In 
 the course of the evening some bets were made on our 
 ages, the loser to give a sumptuous dinner next day at 
 the Trois Freres, 
 
 w < 
 he I 
 (.fl 
 hai 
 
 ill 
 m< 
 
III.l 
 
 A CARD I'ARTY. 
 
 55 
 
 1 
 
 "This is the opcninf:f of the c.impaiijfn," said I to 
 Berkeley, as we walked Iiome. " They mean to <.nve us 
 a most bej^niiling dinner, to make us drink too much, and 
 then to pluck us." And I adjured liim by all his yods 
 to keep the mu/.zlc on. 
 
 Next day we did have a gorgeous dinner indeed, and 
 Emma Ka)-e, as Mrs. Reynolds, i)ut forth all her seduc- 
 tions to induce us to exceed, and to my horror I saw 
 Berkeley, not only making free with what was before him, 
 but suggesting that the most rare and expensive wines 
 should be called for. 
 
 " I saw," said he afterwards, in re[)l}' to my scolding 
 for his im[)rudence, " that you were taking suffic'ent care 
 for two of us, and so I determined to work them." And 
 work them no doubt he did, to a considerable tune. 
 
 After dinner we adjourned to their rooms, and cards 
 were proposed. After playing a short time for small sums, 
 Mr. Bruiser Baring proposed so to arrange the game that 
 any player might have power to raise the stakes to a 
 considerable amount. Captain lierkeley demurred, and 
 Baring replied in a very insolent manner, upon which 
 ("apt;. in IJerkeley rcmarketl in the coolest way — 
 
 " I'll see }'ou all d d first. I am not going to be 
 
 ' rooked ' by any of you." 
 
 A fierce uproar ensued, jiruiser liaring declared he 
 would instantl)' inllict chastisement upon my friend unless 
 he apologized ; but Captain Berkeley very calmly, in spite 
 of the Chateau d'Yquem and the Lafitte of 30 which he 
 had been imbibing copiously, replied — 
 
 " If }'ou raise )'(jur hand I will break every window 
 ill the room, and you will have the police on you, which 
 )-ou will hardly like." 
 
 Mr. Reynolds, who had preserved his head in order to 
 manipulate ti:e cards and io the cheating, now interfered 
 
i- : 
 
 Y i 
 
 - fi 
 
 I? i 
 
 ^\ 
 
 S<5 
 
 SIK WILLIAM GRKGORV. 
 
 rci. 
 
 aiifl tried to make up themisiiiulcrstaiulinj,' ; but l^arin^' and 
 I'llliott, who had both taken too much, and were determined 
 on a quarrel, insisted on blood and a meetinj^^ next day. 
 This was accepted, and we departed hii;hly dch'.L,ditcil with 
 our evening's entertainment. 
 
 On the morrow we were waited on by Mr. ICUiott, 
 dcmandinc,' a most ample apology. This I refused 
 peremptorily, so a meeting was arranged for that evening 
 in the liois dc Boulogne. 
 
 " Pistols," .said Mr. ICUiott. 
 
 "Pistols, of course !" said I. 
 
 Put the last card was still to be played. i\s I was 
 bowing him out — 
 
 "There is one matter of importance." 1 remarked with 
 much emphasis ; "you know nothing of us, wc arc strangers 
 to you and may be adventurers quite unfit for you to meet, 
 We, on the other hand, do not know you. 1 must there- 
 fore request of you to go with us to the Prilish lunbass}-, 
 where, of course, we shall all be known, and can be formall>- 
 presented to each other." 
 
 Mr. IClliott looked extremely dumfoundercd, merely 
 said, "Oh, of course! though wc are satisfied about you," 
 and departed. 
 
 In about half an hour in came Mr, Rc\-nolds, who said, 
 " I am thoroughly disgusted with this wretched business 
 caused by Paring's bad temper. He is very sorry for what 
 occurred since I spoke to him, and begs of you to think nc 
 more about it." 
 
 The reconciliation was scaled by an engagement for us 
 all to go to Chantilly races the next day ; but we had hati 
 enough of disreputable society, and departed to London 
 by the tidal train. 
 
 In about a month after I met Monsieur and Madame 
 Reynolds walking in Hyde Park. 
 
111. I 
 
 coronation's DKRin 
 
 57 
 
 "Ticns," said in.'ulamc ; "voila, Monsieur Grcffory." 
 
 "Oui, inadainc, c'cst bicii iiioi vt j'.'i rhoniKur ilc 
 voiis salucr ! " was my rc\)\y, and our last expression of 
 recognition. 
 
 The whole fjanc^ were subsequently arrested and ini- 
 j)risoned in Hel^'iuin for some t;ambliii!^ and [.^ross cheatin;^ 
 transaction. 
 
 One must be very youUL;' to enjf)y such ailventurcs. 
 
 Meanwhile tlu^ Derby was ap[)roachini^f and Coronation 
 becominij daily a ,i:;reater favourite. I still continued to 
 back him, even till he was saddled, so that when the time 
 came for the race mj' losses would have been very heavy 
 had he been beaten. However, he Wf)n in a canter, and 
 my Ljains were over /'5000, a larije sum at that time, before 
 the heav)- bettini,' beijan. 
 
 In the j-ear 1S77 I dined \vith the Prince at Marl- 
 borou^di House, and there met the late Lord Clanwilliam. 
 lie told me that he perfectly recollected, in the j-ear 1S41, 
 just after Coronation's Derby, standini; by a very j'oun;^' 
 man in the corner of the Jockey Club stand, who was 
 making up his book ; and that the youn_c^ man, after the 
 close of his calculations, said, in a soliloquy to himself — 
 
 "Well, I am sure I don't know how I shall spend all 
 this money ! " 
 
 And the youni; man was myself. 
 
 My father and mother were returninc^ at this time from 
 Ital}', and were dinini^ one day at the tcxblc cVJiotc at Frank- 
 f(M-t. The conversation turned on the Derby, which had 
 just been run, and one of tl. - convives remarked that he 
 heard that one of the heaviest winners was a young Irish- 
 man, who had hardly left Oxford, of the name of Gregory. 
 This was pleasar.t news wherewith to greet anxious pr.rents, 
 and fully explained my strange departure in such feeble 
 health from Rome. 
 
 H,' 
 
 J 
 
j 
 
 i 
 
 * 
 
 58 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cm. 
 
 CIIx\PTER IV. 
 
 In the .spring- of 1842 wc were pa}'inL,^ a visit t(j Gar- 
 bally, when the news arrived of the death of Mr. West, 
 the member for Dublin city, and there seemed to be some 
 difficulty in getting a suitable candidate. The late Lord 
 Clancarty suggested that on every ground I should stand ; 
 that my family was well kno\\-n in Dublin, where my 
 grandfather, the late Right Honourable W. Gregor>-, had 
 been very popular and much respected. He was, more- 
 over, the great personal friend of Sir Robert I'eel, the 
 Prime Minister ; and Sir Robert himself h.ad been very 
 complimentary to me when he attended Harrow speech 
 day, on the occasion of niy having won his gold medal for 
 Latin prose. Accordingly negotiations were entered into 
 with the political wire-pullers in Dublin, of whom Remmy 
 Sheehan, the editor of the B-iW/ii/^g-J/ai/, assumed the chief 
 importance. He was a funny looking little man, like a 
 peg-top, full of self-conceit and pomi)osit}-, but of con- 
 siderable ability and vigour. He had known my grand- 
 father, who, I believe, had done him some good turn, and 
 I am bound to say that throughout the election he behaved 
 towards me loyally, considerately, and like a true frientl. 
 Lord de Grey was then Lord Lieutenant, Lord VMot Chief 
 Secretary, and by them my candidature was accepted. 
 The Dublin people welcomed me very heartil)', and an 
 agreement was come to that I was to pay ^4000 down, 
 
 P 
 
 ac 
 
 wi 
 
 o 
 
 flu 
 
 re I 
 
 un 
 
 ,1 
 
IV.] 
 
 MY FIRST ELECTION. 
 
 ' 
 
 59 
 
 that the balance was to be made up somehow, and that I 
 was to have nothinc:^ to do with bribery. The election 
 ultimately cost about ^9000 ; where the balance came 
 from I know not, but amonij the vouchers in possession of 
 my committee was one which was afterwards placed in my 
 hands : " For 1 500 freemen, gratification, at ^3 per head, 
 
 The next thing was the issuing of an address, which at 
 that time was an absolutely impossible feat for me, for I 
 knew as little as I cared about politics. That difficulty 
 was surmounted by the Right Honourable Fred Shaw, the 
 Recorder and member for the College, who composed for 
 nic a grandiloquent proclamation, pledging me to a strong 
 Protestant programme. Then came the canvassing, which 
 I got through pretty well, thanks to the self-confidence 
 acquired at I larrow and Oxford. I am bound, however, 
 to confess that the speeches made by me to various bodies 
 during this canvass were not of that degree of excellence 
 which gave any hope: r^f the uprising of a rival to Grattan 
 and riunkett. They were, however, noisy, and did well 
 enough to get up the steam, as it was called, among the 
 i'rotcstant voters ; and they gave me confidence in the 
 sound of my own voice, and taught me to think on my legs. 
 
 Among the extreme partisans distinguished by the 
 virulence of their language and uncompromising hostility 
 to Roman Catholics as well as to their religion were a 
 Protestant clergyman, the Rev. Tresham Gregg, and 
 Professor lUitt, of Trinity College. They were both 
 admirable mob speakers, and the}' "got the steam up" 
 with a vcngean.:e. Tresham Gregg was a mighty man 
 of valour among the Protestant operatives. lie was a 
 fiuent, vigorous orator, with a voice of Stentor, and a 
 remarkably fine presence. He was supposed, perhaps 
 unjusti}', not to be quite trustworthy in money matters, 
 
 ii ' 1 
 
SIR WILLIAM r.REGORV 
 
 [Cm 
 
 and some difficulty arose because my committee refused 
 to entrust to him the handlinc^ of " gratifications " for the 
 freemen. He sulked, in consequence, for some days, and 
 refused to "get up the steam ;" but the committee made 
 it all right subsequently by a direct largesse, as I was 
 informed at the time. I doubt if he was sincere, but, at 
 all events, he was consistent, and that is more than I can 
 say for Butt, who was at that time the extreme of the 
 extremes in all religious and financial questions, the very 
 type of ultra-domineering, narrow-minded, Protestant as- 
 cendency. These two men did me much harm at the 
 time by hinting at my half-hcartedness, and by urging 
 me "to come out" against the Catholics at the various 
 meetings during my canvass. I resisted them as far as 
 I could, but I certainly entered Parliament burdened with 
 admissions which, had I known better, I never should 
 have made, and which were a millstone round my neck. 
 I was so aighly amused at the time with the account of 
 one of these meetings at Fishamble-street Theatre, where 
 I addressed a large gathering of freemen, that I preserved 
 it, and insert it here : — 
 
 "Tiij; ToRv Candida ri;—Iu.\rK.\()Rni\,\KV Sci;Nt:. 
 
 ' Tlie following report appears in the Fiii'/ii,ui's Journal of this 
 morning : — 
 
 '"The ruined theatre in Fishamble Street— which, for tlic last two 
 months, has been devoted exclusively to the domestic purposes of 
 mice, rats, and other vermin— was last night devoted tn a more 
 ignoble use, and was desecrated in being made the scene of the 
 insane caperings and tumblings of the " Trolcslant "operatives of the 
 city, who hired the mouldering edilice for a spree, and had " a regular 
 night of it." The house was crowded, not to the ceiling, for there is 
 none, but to the rafters, and the audience, the most plebeian we have 
 ever found ourself amongst, fooled themselves to the top of their 
 bent, fulminating anathemas against O'Connell, comniitting the I'ope 
 and Popery to the regions of Urcus, and siiouting, screaming, yellin<- 
 and hallooing till they grew black in the face (blacker, we should say,' 
 
 
 I I 
 
 J 
 
IV.] 
 
 MV C;R \NDFATIIERS BUSl". 
 
 Gi 
 
 tliiin they were on entcrint^), in approval of the lofty tumblings of the 
 various gentlemen who kindly consented to exhibit for their gratifica- 
 tion. In the orchestra a band of music was located, which ever antl 
 anon struck forth some party air, sucji as " Croppies lie Down," " Derry 
 Down,"' " Boync Water," " First of July," " Protestant Boys," etc., etc., 
 which were performed amidst the most vociferous exclamations of 
 wild delight, unmerciful thumpings of the mouldering timbers of the 
 edifice, and ubicpiitous wavings of orange and blue handkerchiefs, 
 filthily dirty. The meeting was called for seven o'clock, but a great 
 deal of delay took place, and the "operatives" would probably have 
 grown highly incensed at the want of punctuality in taking the chair, 
 were it not that various devices were had recourse to by accommodating 
 persons in various cpiarters of the house to Ijeguilc the wearisomcness 
 of delay. One gentleman especially, who was located in tlie dress 
 circles, and who consulted for the freedom and coolness of his person, 
 by omitting to wear a siiirt, was particularly successful in banisiiing 
 ciiiitii by his Tory skilful performance of various Orange songs, 
 which he gave with great gusto, the company joining in full chorus. 
 
 "'At h.ilf-jiast eight o'clock, on the motion of the ncver-to-bc-haif- 
 onough-honoured T. I), (iregg, tlie chair was taken by Mr. William 
 I'aisiy, amitl a hurricane of yells, indicative of applause. 
 
 "'The chairman advanced to the foot-lights, bearing in his arms 
 a huge bust made of plaster of I'aris, which he fondled to his breast, 
 evidently being at the lime under feelings of the deepest mental 
 (.-motion. Presently he took out an enormous pocket-handkerchief, 
 orange and blue, with wiiich, having affectionately kissed the nose 
 and upper features of the clay figure, he rubbed his own face with 
 infinite zeal and violence, amid thunders of applause. 
 
 "'This affecting ceremony evidently excited deep emotion in the 
 performer, nor ditl the witnessin:' of it produce a less powerful 
 effect upon tiie audience, for the tear of sympathy rose unbidden to 
 the eye of hundreds. The chairman then assumed the presidency, 
 and, having done so, he gave the meeting to understand that he was 
 the owner of the bust which they all admired so highly, and tiie pos- 
 session of which he looked upon as the source of the deej)est gratifi- 
 cation that tlie human heart could experience. Th.it bust was the 
 bust of the Right Honourable William (iregory, grandfather to the 
 gentleman who would be member for Dublin, and he would put it 
 uniler the table if they liked (shouts of " No, no ! "). 
 
 " ' Chairman : " .Shall I pul it on the table .' " 
 
 " ' A thous.ind voices ; " \'es, do." 
 
 "'Chairman : " \'ery well, let it sta)' there ; I'll now be quiet.'' 
 ((■rcat applause, in the midst of which one gentleman b.aving been 
 detected in the act of transferring another gentleman's handkerchief 
 
 
62 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 R I: f f ii 
 
 ' 'i: 
 
 from the owner's pocket to his own, was, rifter a loni; scuffle, given 
 into the custody of the policed 
 
 '"Order havin;; been at length restored, a Mr. M; rlow came 
 forward to propose the first resolution, whicii was to the effect that 
 the association pledged themselves to supi)ort Mr. C.rcgoiy at the 
 ensuir J election. The speaker made an interminable speech, in the 
 course of which he took a very extended view of society, and spoke 
 with great aptness on things in general. He spoke of what he termed 
 the "greeviances" of Ireland in particular, and said that the master 
 grievance of all was Hutton's Bread Bill. (This intelligence had 
 evidently all the charms of novelty, for the audience clapped their 
 hands in approval, until blisters of enormous si/e must have been 
 raised upon their palms). 
 
 " 'The name did not transpire of the gentleman who seconded this 
 resolution, but for the benefit of posterity be it recorded th.it he was 
 a tall athletic gentleman of unique aj)pearancc, who read his speech 
 out of his hat — 
 
 "And still he spoke, and still to wonder grew. 
 How one small hat could compass all he knew.'' 
 
 '" The speech was to us unintelligible. 
 
 " ' Mr. Gregory then came forward, and the operatises, as soon as 
 they caught a glimpse of his shadow, made heaven re-echo with their 
 vociferations. The trumpeters blew "See the Conquering Hero 
 comes " until they were black in the face, and the drummers whackeil 
 the implements of their vocation till they were sore again, to the same 
 tune. Ciregory then proceeded to address the meeting, and many 
 and wonderful were tlie things he said. He woidd support the 
 present (iO\ernment, because he considered it a conscientious one, 
 and one that would not bow the knee to an insolent and disappointed 
 faction (shouts). He did not like the manner in which the gr.mt was 
 made to Maynooth, and would try, with other members, to bring the 
 question to a solution (screams). He hated the system of national 
 education (yells) ; and he would endeavour to abolish it (indescribable 
 noises). He called upon the freemen to support him (shouts of "So 
 we will," from a dozen ragged men in the gallery; ; and he trusted 
 they would not be pre\'ented from doing so by the jorcL-ent corpora- 
 tion. The man who called himself the Liberator of Ireland (grunts , 
 thought that he was the only man in the world who was entitled to 
 use an Irish word, but this was a mistake. He (Mr, (iiegorx w.is a 
 Connaught man (immense cheering), and he would say .uihoc/dish * 
 
 *■ Humbug. 
 
 
 
IV.] 
 
 LORD MORrETII. 
 
 63 
 
 to whatever would fali from the lips of O'Conncll. They should not 
 mind O'Conncll at all, but they should come and f;ivc their votes to 
 him, and thus make him one of the units which made up the glorious 
 I'rotestant majority in the Plouse of Commons. The I'rotcstant 
 party had a nv.jority of ei;-,dity in the H.> .5e ; but that, after all, was 
 but a small majority, and mii;ht soon be reduced to nothing if they 
 were not energetic to the last. But triumph was sure (shouting, 
 bawling, screaming, yelling, and squeaking). Win they must. Faiig/i 
 (I balliV^lt ! That meant "clear the way" — clear the way to a great 
 moral \ictory (shouts of " More power to your elbow " — the right 
 elbow, it is to be presumed). Would they desert their post (vocifera- 
 tions of "No. no; we'd be blowed first;" and cries of "No sur- 
 render!")? If Dublin was lost, it would be the greatest blow ever 
 inflicted on the I'rotcstant party. Pnit they should all vote for him, 
 for his ))olitical and religious princii)les were the same as those held 
 by his forefathers. Mr. Gregory resumed his seat, amid a volley of 
 indescribable noises, wavings of ijocket-handkcrch-'efs, and various 
 other demonstrations of api)lause. 
 
 "'The Rev. T. 1). Gregg then bounced upon hi:, legs ; but the 
 scene which followed baffles all description, and, for this very potent 
 reason, we will not attempt to pourtray it. As for his speech, it was 
 the funniest thing ever listened to, but it is out of the question to 
 think of reporting it, for if we .attempted we should fall asimder 
 from force of laughter. The audience were in ecstacics. 
 
 "'Several distinguished tumblers followed, and threw such sum- 
 mersaults as astountlcd and delighted every spectator. It was 
 altogether a glorious night. Heavens ! when shall we look upon its 
 like again .' 
 
 " ' The fun was over at eleven o'clock.'" 
 
 In the meanwhile my opponents were not inactive. 
 They had .selected a most formidable adversary, Lord 
 Morpeth, recently Chief Secretary for Ireland. No one 
 was more generally respected, indeed, beloved. His most 
 bitter political enemies had not a word to say against him 
 personally. He was at this time travelling in America, 
 having lost his scat for the West Riding of Yorkshire, 
 and his farewell speech was so beautiful and touching, that 
 e\-ery one, friend and foe alike, felt that the absence of 
 such a man from the House of Commons was a national 
 
 lilf^ 
 
64 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY'. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 :' i 
 
 
 ( 
 
 •IM 
 
 i 
 
 loss. The scat for Dublin was one of no small importance. 
 The \Vhi<'-s felt that to win it from the Tories would be 
 indeed a triumph, and they were sanguine of success, 
 having such a candidate. But they had to deal with the 
 Macedonian phalanx of fifteen hundred frjemen voting 
 solid at £i a head. 
 
 At la':t came the nomination day. The Court House 
 was packed with the partisans of the two candidates. 
 The Honourable Mr. Caulficld proposed Lord ]\Iori)eth, 
 and Mr. O'Conncll, Lord Mayor of Dublin, seconded him. 
 In the course of his speech, which was severe but not 
 abusive in his reference to me, Mr. O'Conncll accused me 
 of having listened to and encouraged the cries of "To 
 hell with the Pope," which, he said, resounded through 
 the streets after the meeting at Fishamble-strcet Theatre, 
 to which I have just referred. He spoke of Lord Morpeth 
 with the highest though not exaggerated praise, as a 
 politician and as a nobleman of the most illustrious birth, 
 the lineal descendant of the famous belted Will Howard, 
 and he contrasted this mature statesman with the boy who 
 had the presumption to enter the lists with him, and to 
 seek the representation of such a constituency as Dublin. 
 
 My proposer and seconder were Sir John Kingston 
 James and George Ogle Moore, both of them highly 
 esteemed leaders of the Conservative party. When my 
 turn came to speak, I really made a first rate speech ; 
 part of it I had carefully conned over, part was cjuite 
 unprepared ; but I had most valuable hints given to me 
 as to the points which O'Conncll would most likely raise, 
 by my staunch friend Tom Shcehan, brother of Remmy, 
 and London correspondent of the Evening Mai/. These 
 hints served me greatly, and I was able to give back 
 pretty nearly as much as I received. To the eulogium 
 on Lord Morpeth and his lineage from Ik-lted J>ill, I 
 
 wc| 
 
 par 
 
 ap(i 
 
 as 
 
 exc 
 
 (jf 
 
 exi 
 
 rai.! 
 
 Gof 
 
 to 
 
 CXI 
 
 to 
 opij 
 
 f * 
 
rh 
 
 IV.] 
 
 A DISCLAIMER. 
 
 65 
 
 retorted that this compliment came strange from one who 
 had not long since denounced " the scoundrel aristocracy 
 of England," and as regards the charge that I had 
 identified mj-sclf with the cries of " To hell with the Pope," 
 I denied it with strong expressions of no simulated indig- 
 nation. " It has been," I said, " gravely asserted that my 
 voice had lately mingled in a cry of ' To hell with the 
 Pope and Popery.' I cannot bring myself to think that 
 a man occupying the high position of Lord Mayor of 
 Dublin, could have ever uttered these words, knowing 
 them to be false. I know well that he did not ; but I tell 
 him that he has been grossly and wilfully misinformed. 
 Were these the last words I ever were to utter, I should 
 declare as solemnly as I do now, that never did my voice 
 mingle in such a cry, that I never heard such an expres- 
 sion, and that, were I present and were such words made 
 use of before mc, I should manifest nothing but the most 
 unqualified disgust. I have passed too many happy and 
 peaceful days in the Eternal City, I have too much respect 
 for any prince or ruler, I have too much reverence for the 
 grey hairs of an aged and venerable man, how wide soever 
 wc may be sundered by differences of religion, ever to 
 participate in such a cry. But, as I said before, this is no 
 apology to soften the rancour of political animosity, but 
 as a mark of respect to many Roman Catholic friends, 
 excellent and upright men, who may derive their notion 
 of my words from a profligate partial press, I owe this 
 explanation. God forbid that my voice ever should be 
 raised in louder accents than those of expostulation ! 
 God forbid that my hand ever should be extended, except 
 
 to 
 
 meet 
 
 theirs 
 
 in 
 
 the 
 
 grasp 
 
 of friendship. 
 
 I 
 
 owe this 
 
 ex 
 
 planation. 
 
 not 
 
 to 
 
 Ro 
 
 man Catholics alone, 
 
 but 
 
 I 
 
 owe it 
 
 to 
 
 those 
 
 P. 
 
 •otes 
 
 tants ^ 
 
 ivhose 
 
 character I esteem. 
 
 whose 
 
 op 
 
 inion I 
 
 res 
 
 pect 
 
 >) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 F 
 
 
,? • 
 
 \i 
 
 66 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 I am ai diiic were some fjood f^rounds for O'Con- 
 ncU's statement th.:.. he offensive words were shouted, 
 thouf^h my conscience was clear cnout^li. I was much 
 rebuked for the violence of my disclaimer, and the Rev. 
 Tresham Gregg, in a speech next day to the Protestant 
 freemen, when alluding to these allegations said, " Xo, my 
 friends, we must not cry ' To hell with the Pojie ; ' wc 
 must cry 'To heaven with the Pope ; ' but all I can say is, 
 if ever he goes to that place, there will be but a Flemish 
 account of his Popish principles." 
 
 It will give some idea of the religious rancour which 
 prevailed in those days among the lower classes of Pro- 
 testants, that one of the first petitions I was requested to 
 present was a supplication to the House of Commons to 
 pass a measure to prevent the Roman Catholics from 
 using bells at their chapels, which, as being summonses to 
 idol worship, greatly distressed the ears of the petitioners. 
 Another was to refuse all further measures of relief to 
 "millions of factious idolaters." I need hardly say that, 
 with the concurrence of Sir Robert PccI, I refused to 
 present such documents, which did not increase my 
 popularity with the lowest class of Dublin voters. 
 
 I remember as a child, the horror and dread which 
 O'Connell's very name inspired in my young mind was 
 so great, that it became a superstitious terror, a kind of 
 Mumbo Jumbo, and the fear of him absolutely affected 
 my spirits. They were, however, restored to their natural 
 buoyancy, when one day our man-servant, who had been 
 in the Lancers, asked me why I was so downcast. 
 
 "Because," said I, "I hear O'Connell is going to have 
 emancipation and to kill us all." 
 
 "Don't be afraid. Master William," .said Sergeant 
 Lawson, "if O'Connell tries on that game, my regiment 
 will run him through with their lances." 
 
IV.] 
 
 O'CONNELL. 
 
 67 
 
 Mr. O'Coiincll was so pleased with my indignant pro- 
 test, and with the phicky way in which I stood up against 
 him, that at the conckision of the nomination, he .a"t 
 over and said to me — • 
 
 "May I shake you by the hand, young man' Yoji- 
 speech has gratified me so much, that if you ...II only 
 whisper t'^e little word 'repeal' — only i.^/iispcy it, nir.d 
 you — I will be the first to-morrow at the pollii ho-th to 
 vote for you." 
 
 From that day forth O'Connell was always most genial 
 and warm in his manner to me. Shortly after the election 
 was over, we crossed the channel in the same packet. 
 O'Connell was in the cabin when I came in, and I hesitated 
 about going to him from bashfulness rather than from 
 any other reason. But he at once called out — 
 
 " Come here, young man ! You are not ashamed to 
 come and sit by old Dan, are you ? " 
 
 Colonel Connolly, a most ultra-Tory politician, was 
 also in the cabin, and O'Connell, seeing him glaring at 
 me, said — 
 
 "Don't mind him; you're just in the proper place, 
 where you ought always to be — by my side." And we 
 talked away merrily and gravely for fully an hour. 
 
 lH)rty-seven years have since passed away, but the 
 impression is as vivid as ever of the charm of that hour. 
 Full of humour and pathos was his conversation. He spoke 
 much of the political condition of Ireland, and how hope- 
 less it was to obtain anything, in consequence of the 
 inveterate prejudices of Englishmen against Irishmen and 
 Roman Catholics. He said — 
 
 " I have heard a good account of your family as land- 
 lords, and they say your tenants are attached to you and 
 you to them .'' " 
 
 " How could I not be attached to them } " I exclaimed. 
 
I. 
 
 i 
 
 ■I 
 
 If? 
 
 !i 
 
 68 
 
 SIR WILLIAM C.RECOKV. 
 
 [Cm 
 
 " I think them the most lovable and lovin- people in the 
 
 world." 
 
 "Well," said he, "has it not often happened to you 
 to -see on a Sunday morning this lovable and loving 
 people kneeling outside a miserable cuai)el, while the 
 rain poured on them, there being no room within, and 
 they themselves being too poor to make it a commonl>- 
 decent house of God ? " 
 
 " I have seen such sights," I replied. 
 
 " And when you have gone to your own parish church 
 on a Sunday, have you found it crowded with worshippers, 
 and the rain coming through the roof, and no means of 
 making it decent? And do you think a population 
 treated with such unfairness in a matter that goes home 
 to their hearts is loved by those who rule it, and can be 
 loving to them ? Surely you will not fail mc in m>- 
 endeavours to redeem this great iniquity ? " 
 
 I could not help being deeply impressed by his eager, 
 earnest expostulations on that and other subjects ; and, 
 till 1869, when religious equality was obtained, at the 
 bottom of my heart there was always a recognition of 
 Jeremy Taylor's famous saying, that " a prosperous 
 iniquity was the most unprofitable condition in the world." 
 After this he used constantly to beckon to me to come 
 across the House of Commons and sit next him for a 
 chat; and he always, in his droll way, \vhen I got uj) 
 to depart in deference to the scandalized ,ooks of my Tory 
 friends, found some pretext to detain me. One evening 
 he said— 
 
 " If you could only see yourself in a glass, m)- dear boy, 
 how much better you look than over the way, you would 
 never go back to those fellows." 
 
 He constantly and urgently pressed me to pass some 
 time with him at Darrynane, but I said it could not be, 
 
IV.] 
 
 () CON NELL. 
 
 69 
 
 that I would cjivc anything to accept his invitation, but 
 that I could not wilfully throw away my scat and cause 
 hitter disappointment to the many friends who had worked 
 hard for me. " When you have turned mc out of Dublin," 
 I remarked laughinc^, " then I shall be free to pay you a 
 visit." 
 
 "And if I do," he rejoined, "it will be the best day's 
 work that ever was done for you." 
 
 I recall a conversation one niL,dit with him in the 
 House of Commons, lie had been descantinj^ on the 
 insult and injustice of the State Church, on the mode 
 in which Irish education was rct^arded, and other similar 
 topics. 
 
 " liut surely," said I, " Mr. O'Connell, a reform in these 
 abuses is possible without the extreme resort to the 
 repeal of the Union, to which the North is opposed, as 
 well as all the upper classes, landed and mercantile ? " 
 
 "Wc can never cjet perfect equality without it," he 
 replied. "The ICnglish elector regards 'them Ilirish,' as 
 he calls them, like pigs, and he thinks any concession 
 to them, no matter lu)w harmless and how just, is some- 
 thing taken away from his own superiority over us." 
 
 " lUit," I insisted, "let us suppose that it were feasible 
 to wipe these injustices and grievances off the slate, would 
 it then be impossible for you to forego demands which 
 will never be agreed to by such a large and influential 
 portion of your countrymen .' " 
 
 lie laughed and said, " I atn too old and too busy to 
 indulge in such dreams ; but let me recommend you to 
 read an account of what happened at Mallow in 1835, 
 when Lord Normanby paid that town a visit." 
 
 I have found, and copy, an account of Lord Normanby's 
 visit in the book called " Ireland and its Rulers," and I 
 believe it to be correct : — 
 
 II 
 
 I I ' 
 
 
70 
 
 SIR WILLIAM CULCOKV, 
 
 (Cn 
 
 "In tS]2 tlic Rcpe.ilcis of M.illow ejected Mr. Jiplisoii from 
 I'arliamcnt, and in iSj5, wlicii Lord N'onnaiiln- |)asscd tlir()ii;^di tlic 
 town, tlicy thus addressed liini : ' Wc stand Ijefore you In niinilicrs 
 aniounlin^' to over a hundrcil thousand, and tlie ^jrcatcr jjar; of us 
 avow ourselves as liavin;; hclon;.;ed to tlial political party in the 
 country who advocate the repeal of the Lej^islativc L'nion between 
 (Ireat IJritain and Ireland, in the eager pursuit of which wc disniissed 
 or aided to dismiss from the representation of this jjreat country and 
 borough in rarliament, individuals who on other public (|uoslions 
 were entitled to confidence and respect. 1' lom the expectation which 
 we entertain that the principles indicated by your Hxcellency's 
 (lovernmunt will be carried into ellect, namely of having' the inhabi- 
 tants of this country to r.ink in the eye of the law on terms of perfect 
 equality with the British pL'0|)le, we tender your Excellency our 
 solemn adjuration of the question of the repeal of the Le^'islativc 
 Union and of every other cpicstion calculated to produce an aliena- 
 tion of feeling between the inhabitants of (Jreat Dritain and those of 
 Ireland.'" 
 
 I had no opportunity of .ui^aiii referring,' to this episode 
 in Irish agitation. Oin* conversations were generally 
 short and merry enough, interspersed with extremely droll 
 allusions by him to the things said and tlic incn who were 
 saying them. 
 
 One evening he remarked a peculiarly listless and 
 lifeless English mcinber, whose api)earancc amused him, 
 and he said — 
 
 " He seems to have no more life in him than the dead 
 man in Tralcc." 
 
 He then told me the story, the details of which 1 hail 
 only indistinctly preserved, but which is so well recorded 
 in the " Correspondence," that I feel sure Mr. Fitzi)atrick 
 will forgive mc for borrowintr it : — 
 
 " One of O'Connell's earliest displays of forensic acutcness took 
 place at Tralce. The question in dispute touched the validity of a 
 will which had be. made almost ni artimlo mortis. The instrument 
 seemed drawn up in due form ; the witnesses gave ample coniirma- 
 tion that it had been legally executed. One of them was an old 
 servant. O'Connell coss-examined him, ,-md allowed him to speak 
 on m the hope that he might say too much. The witness had already 
 
I V.I 
 
 o'C()\Ni:i,i,. 
 
 71 
 
 sworn ili.u he liul ^ci, n the deceased sij,'n the will. ' Yes,' he went on, 
 ' I saw liiin si;,'ii it, and surely ♦here was life in him at the time.' 
 The expression, frc(iuently repeated, led O'Connell to susjjcct that 
 It h.ul a peculiar meaning,'. Fixini,' his eye on the old man, he said, 
 ' Vou have taken a solemn oath before ( iod and man to speak the 
 truth and the whole triitii ; the eye of (]od is on you, and the eyes of 
 your neighbours are tixcd on you too. Answer me, by \ irtue of that 
 sacred .ind sdlcinii oatii wliich has passed your lips, Was the testator 
 alive when he si;^'nLil thiit will?' Tiie witness (|uivered, his face 
 ^rew ashy pale, as he repeated, ' There was life in him.' The 
 ipiestion was reiterated, and at last O'Connell half compelled, half 
 cajoled him to admit that, after life was extinct, a pen had been put 
 into the tc-.talor's hand, that one of the party j,niided it to sij^n his 
 name, while, as a sabe fi)r tlic conscience of all concerned, a living 
 rly was put into the ile.ul man's moiuh to (piaiify the witnesses to 
 bear testimniiy th.it 'there w.is life in him' when he si;^med the will. 
 This f.ict ])rescrveil a ku j^'e projjcrty in a respectable and worthy family ; 
 and an incident in Miss lldj^e worth's ' Patronaj^'e ' was sug^^ested by 
 th.i:; occurrence.'' 
 
 0'C(Mincll alway.s exercised a strong fascination over 
 nic. His humour and his passion carried me away. I 
 always felt that he had led his countrymen out of the 
 house of bondac,rc and made tliem free men ; and if his 
 languac^' was at times violent, abusive, and odious, God 
 knows Ik was only givin;^ back what he cjot. i\s ro his 
 beint; the " 151;^ ]k\i;c:jarman," as he was called, never was 
 there a man more indifferent to money. He had great 
 expenses. He had given up his lucrative position at the 
 bar to carr\' out his i)olitical career ; and he accepted, 
 and ■va'^ jiistificd in accepting, a national tribute from a 
 grateful country. I had always a soft spot in my heart 
 for "old Dan," anil when he died I mourned him, liow- 
 evcr glad I inaj' have been at the dispersal of the con- 
 temptible satellites who surrounded hiin. In July, 1887, 
 I wrote to the Right Honourable G. Shaw-Lefevrc, who 
 had recently published his book on I'eel and O'Connell, 
 the following letter. It gives more fully my relations with 
 O'Connell and the opinions I held of him. 
 
 til 
 
 :! '■ 
 i' 
 
 m 
 
"7? 
 
 \t 
 
 
 
 
 
 r 
 f 
 t ■ 
 
 ^ 
 
 /-' 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 "Mv ni:.\R Li;ii;vRi;, 
 
 " 1 told you when we List met that I intended to brin^^ 
 ' O'Connell and Peel' with me to Irt .ind, where I could read it 
 carefully and (|uictly. I took it up with rather adverse preposses- 
 sions, as I differ from your views as regards Cdadstone's Home Rule 
 schemes. Ikit I am bound to say that I go with you ahnost entirely 
 in the opinions yoi; express as to the treatment which Ireland 
 experienced throughout the whole career of t)"Conncll, and specially 
 .as to the manner in which he was regarded and dealt with, I am 
 glad that a person in your position hr.s had the courage to treat his 
 career with justice. 
 
 "When I came into Parliament in 1S42 I was young in years, and 
 
 still more young in political knowledge. In fact, I knew but little, 
 
 and took my opinions from the men by whom I was surroundetl. 
 
 They were the representatives of the narrowest views, the most 
 
 staunch opponents of all change, the most violent advocates of 
 
 Protestant ascendency. I looked on O'Connell as a kind of wild 
 
 beast, or something worse, as influenccc! n his career by the most 
 
 sordid views, and as a would-be rebel, but refraining through cowardice 
 
 from trying to carry out his aims by action. When I stood for Dublin, 
 
 I had only been a short time in Ireland. It is true I was born there, 
 
 and had passed my early days at the Castle and in the Phcjcnix Park, 
 
 where I had known nothing but denunciation of Liberal policy, 
 
 distrust of Roman Catholics, and where as a child I was brought 
 
 down on the occasion of dinner-parties to stand on a chair and drink 
 
 the Glorious Memory. I then went to Harrow, Oxford, and abroad, 
 
 and it was not till 1841 that my fathci succeeded to his Irish estates, 
 
 occupied by Catholic tenants exclusively, and with Catholic gentry 
 
 around us. The only antidote to the impressions I then imbibed 
 
 came from my mother, who was an ardent supporter of Catholic 
 
 claims ; but she too was pervaded by a dislike of O'Connell. 
 
 "The constituency which I contested, that of Dublin, was one 
 of the most extreme in Ireland. ... I was urged to get what they 
 called ' the steam' up by making violent spi_>.jhes against the Roman 
 Catholics. All my feelings revolted against such a course, and I was 
 considered by no means up to the mark ; but no other candidate 
 could be got, and I was returned." (lierc follows the account already 
 given of friendly relation with O'Connell.) " I believe, in spite of all 
 personal ill-treatment and injustice to which he was subjected in 
 Kngland, that there was not a more loyal man in Ireland. He hated 
 revolutionists. Had he been treated with common justice, and had 
 not English narrow-minded prejudice prevented the reforn. o.^ gross 
 abuses, we should have heard very little of Repeal from hiuK A 
 
TV.l 
 
 OCONXELL. 
 
 73 
 
 I 
 
 national feelincj had not possession of the country. The Catholic 
 hierarchy had no sympathy with Repeal, always exccptin;^ Dr. 
 Macllale, thout^h the younger clergy had. It was the marvellous 
 power of O'Conncll over his countrymen which caused the feeling 
 of sentiment at that time, and even more so during the temporary 
 Young Ireland movement. After that, it completely died out, and 
 was the subject of joke. I do not believe when I stood for dalwa)', 
 in 1857, that I should have had twenty-five additional \otes by a 
 profession of Repeal, and yet a considerable number of votes in the 
 towns were perfectly independent. IMuch has been said of O'Connell's 
 virulence, bad language, and exaggeration. All that I admit readily 
 enough ; but first of all, he was an Irishman appealing to the pcr- 
 fcrvidiiii! i/i^ciii!i;ii of his countrymen, who saw and see nothing 
 ,'imiss in violent and abusive words, and who are generally (certainly, 
 if excited) incapable of a strict adherence to facts. And secondly, 
 there never w;is a man so grossly abused. Coward, rogue, beggar- 
 man, liar, were the ordinary expressions applied to him. Those who 
 recognized his great ])osition and his great qualities did not dare to 
 do justice to them. 
 
 "In England he was a kind of social and political leper, and no 
 wonder the scnut iiidi;^ii(ifi(i broke forth. I don't excuse him, but 
 1 should like to know how many of us, if similarly treated, would turn 
 our cheeks to the smiter. 
 
 " I do not think that O'Connell was ever a hearty redresser of the 
 tenants' wrongs. He did not feel their abject position. He spoke 
 out loudly when widespread destitution prevailed, but he never 
 brought his powerful intellect to bear in formulating measures for 
 the improvement of the condition of the Irish occupiers. His own 
 pro])erty was a model of everything that ought not to be. In fact. 
 Irishmen in those days lived in the hajipy-go-lucky state ; not a word 
 was said or thought of a landlord who evicted non-paying tenants. 
 It was the eviction of solvent men which caused outrages. American 
 sympathizers and American newspapers had not come over to stir up 
 the ]icasants by a recital of their wrongs, and I ;im certain that the 
 I'evon Commission exercised the ICnglish conscience far more than 
 the Irish, even the Irish liberal one. The clearing of estates left 
 behind it in every case where it was resorted to a burning sense of 
 wrong; and yet, bad and ruthless as it was, the country was improved 
 where it was resorted to, and the pca-^antry who are left arc in a 
 far better position than they were. On sonic estates the landlords 
 allowed unlimited subdivision and never ejected while rer-. was paid. 
 Such is the case with the property of Lord Dillon, who in former 
 days was blessed and prayed for as the most indulgent landlord by 
 
 
 m 
 
' ; 
 
 r :i 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cn. 
 
 his four tliou^and cabin holders, hut who now is cursed for asking 
 rent from such a nest of paupers. However, tlie short and the lonij 
 of the chief source of Ireland's troubles was tliis, that the wretched 
 position of the tenantry was never till within the last twenty years a 
 prominent plank of the Irish platform; .iiid that, had measures of 
 improvement been insisted on when O'Connell was in the zenith 
 of his power, a different system would have gradually sprung up, 
 especially if the privilege of seuing the good-will had been everywhere 
 confirmed with a limitation as to the raising of the rent, though, 
 indeed, I hardly believe it would have been possible, without a con- 
 \ulsion, to have passed such a measure through the House of Lords. 
 I am tiuite sure, moreover, that O'Connell would not have liked it." ■* 
 
 To conclude, however, the talc of the election. I took 
 the lead the iirst day, and kept it till the close of the poll, 
 
 * " I stood last January by the marble slab in the Church of .Santa 
 
 Agata at Rome, which contains the heart of O'Connell ; and I recalled 
 
 the notable description of him in 'Ireland and its Rulers.' 'Those 
 
 who have seen and heard him in committee fighting against the 
 
 Coercion Bill can never forget that huge, massive figure, staggering 
 
 with emotion — the face darkened with all the feelings of scorn and 
 
 rancour, while he vcngefully prophesied a future Irish rebellion, and 
 
 with gloomy smiles exulted in the troubles of England. Coarse, stern, 
 
 and real, he was a powerful rc])rescntative of the people in whose 
 
 name he spoke; the man was far grander and more imjiressive than 
 
 his matter. How much more would such a man have done for the 
 
 popular cause than a legion of Henry Warburtons and Joe Humes I 
 
 Mechanical utterers of first principles, dogt^ed calculators, who fancy 
 
 themselves public representatives because they prove popular wrongs 
 
 statistically, and tell the national agonies in £ s. d.' .And then 
 
 he came before nie as he used to stir the blood within nic while 
 
 sitting by him on the front bench of the floor of the House of 
 
 Commons, when he told me of Darrynane and of the great cliffs on 
 
 which the Atlantic thundered, and of the great sea in all its moods, 
 
 and of the music of his beagles, and his home happiness ; and I 
 
 wondered that the image of such a man could e\cr have grown fiint 
 
 iij the hearts of his countrymen, and that his name should ha\c 
 
 ceased to be a household word, as it has done ; and I thought, after 
 
 all, it was well that he should long since have been at peace, and 
 
 that his relic should be consigned to that (puct church. 
 
 '. . . ubi sava indignatio 
 
 Lacerare cor ulterius neuuit.'"' 
 
 \V. H. (",., in Xinctcciiili Century, Ajjril, 18S9. 
 
 
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 IV.] 
 
 I HEAD Tin: poll. 
 
 75 
 
 when the numbers declared were — Gregory, 3825; 
 Morpeth, 3435. Majority for Gregory, 390. It was a 
 well-fought, well-conducted, good-humoured election, 
 though there were a few rows and some window-breaking. 
 Only two Roman Catholics voted for me, one of them 
 being a solicitor, Mr. Keogh. It was said at the time that 
 he was recognized dressed as a shabby artisan, and busily 
 engaged in breaking his own windows. He undoubtedly 
 considered that he had a strong claim on the Government 
 by reason of his martyrdom, and pressed it incessantly. 
 Whenever a clerkship of the Crown fell due, it became 
 my duty to accompany " Mr. Conservative Keogh," as he 
 was called, to the Castle, to enumerate his sufferings, and 
 to impress on the Government *-he strong effect which 
 would be produced on the Catholic mind of Ireland by his 
 appointment. At length we were successful ; the county 
 of Kilkenny was entrusted to his jurisdiction, and I was 
 then relieved, to my great comfort, of Mr. Conservative 
 Keogh, who positively besieged me, and once was nearly 
 shot by mc at a shooting party at Coole, when he lay in 
 wait behind a thick brake of blackthorn. On receiving 
 his appointment, his native land knew him no more, as, 
 owing to his pecuniary difficulties, he retired to France, 
 and only appeared at the Assizes, when his person was 
 safe from his creditors. 
 
 Another of my supi)orters recjuested mc to procure 
 him a Government situation, on the ground of having voted 
 for me under thirteen different names. 
 
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 '/6 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY, 
 
 [Ch. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The great success of beating so prominent and popular 
 a statesman as Lord Morpeth, backed up by I\Ir. i')Con- 
 nell, and the very good speech 1 made at the hustings, 
 caused me to be something of a hero when I ♦ook my scat 
 in Parliament. I was loudly cheered on entcrin^]^ the House, 
 and was presented to the Speaker by Sir Robert Peel, who 
 erected me with much w?>:;TiUi.. and to the members of 
 the Cabinet, amovig whom no •^••,c was more glad to see 
 me than old Mr. Goulburn, the Chancellor of the 
 Exchequer, who had known me as a little fellow in the 
 Phoenix Park when he was Chief Secretary there. I used 
 to play with his two boys — Edward, now Colonel Goul- 
 burn, late of the Guards, and I'^redcrick, afterwards Sir 
 Frederick, and Chairman of the Customs, who died a few 
 years ago. He was in those days remarked for his 
 beautiful brown curly hair. One day when we were 
 having an amiable scuffle at play, the whole of the 
 beautiful brown hair came off into my hand, and nothing 
 remained of t. at handsome head but a gleaming white 
 skull. I was so horrified that I sprang out of the ground- 
 floor windu-,.-, wig in hand, and ran across the park to my 
 •nother, at the Under Secretary's Lodge, as fast as my 
 feet would carry me, crying out to her, " Oh, see ! I have 
 pulled off the top of Freddy's head, and what shall I ever 
 do!" In the meanwhile, poor Mrs. Goulburn was con- 
 sternated, as she thought I had carriecj off Freddy's wig 
 
 11 
 
 an 
 
 han( 
 
 addi 
 
 He 
 
 wher 
 
 cu.sto 
 
 tlie 
 
II ' ^ 
 
 v.] 
 
 LONDON SOCIKTV, 
 
 77 
 
 as a kind of scalp or var token, and she had no other. I 
 was at once forgiven, but I could not bear to go back to 
 my playmates ; and on the present occasion, when I 
 called to renew acquaintance, Mrs. Goulburn said, laugh- 
 ing, " Come as often as you like to sec us, and you need 
 not be afraid, as Freddy has got his own hair now." 
 
 Among the great ladies who took me up, and were 
 particularly civil, were Lady Ashburton, the predecessor 
 of the present Dowager Louisa, and the great friend of 
 Carlyle and Charles ikiUer, the rising light of Whiggery, 
 and the real author of Lord Durham's famous Report in 
 1839, on Canada. She was very clever, very impertinent, 
 and her drums at Bath House were most exclusive ; but 
 she was to the last particularly kind to me, and i was 
 always invited. Then there were Lady Londonderry, 
 equally exclusive, the mother of the living Dowager 
 Duchess of Marlborough ; and Lad)- Jersey, also exclusi^ c 
 to the last degree. Her house was always open to mc 1 
 dined there constantly, meeting the most eminent 1. > 11 
 and women of the day ; and at Middlcton, their country 
 place for several years, I met with the warmest reception. 
 To give some idea of her exclusiveness, I asked Ijrone 
 day if she knew Baron Lionel Rothschild, the head of the 
 firm in luigland. " I know him by name," she answered ; 
 " but as of course I could not receive him, I have not 
 ailowed him to be presented to me." 
 
 The old Lord Jersey of that day was the very type of 
 an English Grand Seigneur. Tall, slight, singu'nrly 
 handsome, nothing could be more captivating than his 
 address, and he was (juite as good antl kind as lie looked. 
 He was often president of tlic I'iooms at Newmarket, 
 where the racing c/i/e used to dine. It is, or was, the 
 custom of the president to drink Immediately after dinner 
 the health of the youngest member, and Lord Jerse)- 
 
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 7S 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Ch. 
 
 used always, during the time 1 was the junior, to address 
 me, as soon as the cloth was removed, with " Mr. Pope, we 
 drink your health, Mr. Pope." I was so named after Pope 
 Grcgor)', and the name still sticks to me among my old 
 Newmarket friends. There were never parents more 
 sorely afHictcd than Lord and Lady Jersey. I used 
 always in my mind to compare her with Niobc, for her 
 piiJe was equal, and h^r family misfortunes still greater. 
 They were the handsomest family I ever saw. The eldest 
 daughter, Sarah, married Princ^ Nicolas Estcrhazy, and 
 receivea the cold .shoulder from the aristocrats of Vienna 
 because her mother was a granddaughter and heiress of 
 Child the banker. This beautiful Princess Estcrhazy was 
 the first that her mother had to mourn, for she died 
 young in f \t3. Then died young Lady Clementina, in 
 185S. She was one of the most charming girls I ever 
 met, lovely And lovable. Her life was a very sad one. 
 Gentle, affectionate, and fond of quiet, she was dragged 
 through an incessant turmoil of London dissipation by 
 her imp'-iious mother, till her health broke down, and she 
 pai'^ed avv'ay without any particular disorder. Her mother 
 h;;d se!; h?r ht 'i,rt on her marrying some great magnate, at 
 one lime tJ.c Duke of Cambridge, at another the Duke 
 d'Ossu. Ncv(r was a g'.vl less of a flipt;>and yet Lady 
 Jersey uardec her with every possible restriction. 
 Knowing 'icr intimately well, I sent her some book she 
 wished to hive, together with a note. I received the 
 answer, a civil one, from Lady Jersey, thanking mc, but 
 informing me that she never allowed her daughter to 
 receive any letters except from her near relations. The 
 thiiJ daughter. Lady Adela, also very pretty, ran away 
 with a Captain Ibbetson, a man without (brtunc, and of 
 no position. She, too, died young, in 18C0, having only 
 obtained a formal forgiveness. Then, for the sons, there 
 
 •ii 
 
 ' I 
 

 v.] 
 
 THE lERSEY FAMILY. 
 
 79 
 
 was Jack, the second son, a fine young man, an admirable 
 rider, and very pleasant, who also died early, wastin.cj 
 away. The same decline carried off Fred Villicrs, a 
 singularly handsome, high-bred looking man, who mar- 
 ried Miss dc Gingle, the sister and heiress of Lord 
 Athlonc ; and I'Vank, the youngest, died also young, an 
 exile at Bilbao. He was one of the best-looking men 
 of his da\'. He had seen much of the world, and was, 
 when he pleased, remarljably agreeable. He had been 
 aide-de-camp to Sir Col'n Campbell, in Ceylon, and he 
 never tired of his vivid descriptions of that glorious island. 
 It was he who inspired me with the strong, permanent 
 desire to g(5 there as Governor — the great ambition and 
 object of my life. lie was member for Rochester, and 
 had ability to be anything, though he never si)oke in 
 Parliament. He was the favourite of father and mother. 
 Last of all I come to the first-born, who was no favourite 
 at home, Lord Villiers, " Old Willows," as we all called 
 him. lie had not the beauty of his race, nor its arrogance 
 and pride, and he was looked on in consequence with 
 compassion as a poor creature ; but he was one of the 
 very salt of the earth, honourable, high-minded, gentle, 
 the best of husbands, the best of fathers, and the best of 
 friends. He also died young, just a month or two after 
 succeeding to the title. Old Lady Jersey died in 1867, 
 having outlived all her family except Frederick. I 
 mention them particularly, as I lived greatly among them 
 for some years, till Lady Jersey chose to quarrel with me, 
 through no fault of mine, in consequence of my having, on 
 the recommendation of her own sons, Fred and Frank, 
 been brought to fight a duel in Osterley Park, which was 
 her property, with Captain Vaughan, of which more at the 
 proper time. 
 
 From the day I entered Parliament till his death I was 
 
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 1 1 
 
 H. 
 
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 SIR WILLIAM GREGORV. 
 
 [Cir. 
 
 treated almost as one of the family by Sir Robert I'eel. 
 " My good fellow," said he one day (he always called me 
 " my good fellow "), " come in and out of my house 
 whenever you like ; Lady Peel will always have a seat at 
 lunch for you. Jf you hear I am by myself, tap at the 
 library door, and 'f I am not busy we can have a talk." 
 I often availed myself of this permission, and he used to 
 speak to me in the most unguarded manner of his policy 
 and intentions, I am bound also to say that he often 
 wound up by a story of rather a free description, which 
 he told extremely well, and with fits of laughter. It was 
 a curious feature in the character of that statesman that, 
 ;Iiough cold and haughty to his superiors in rank and 
 equals in position, he was the most open and gayest of 
 men to his young official friends. George Smythe, after- 
 wards Lord Strangford, when Under Secretary for Foreign 
 Affairs, has told me repeatedly that he has been astonished 
 at the unreserved manner in which he discussed the various 
 c[uestions of the day with him when he called in the 
 morning for instructions, as well as with his perfect good 
 humour and merriment ; and Lord Normanton, then Lord 
 Somerton, who was also rather a favourite, lately remarked 
 to me the same characteristics of Sir Robert. 
 
 As a proof of his great good nature to me, I may 
 mention that when Lord Ashley (afterwards Lortl Shaftes- 
 bury) made one of his magnificent speeches in committee 
 on the Factory Bill, in 1844, to limit the period of labour 
 of young persons to ten hours daily, the House was in the 
 greatest excitement. Sir Robert Peel, backed up by 
 Cobden and Brighi and the political economists, opposed 
 the bill, and it was confidently predicted that if English 
 children were not to be allowed to work till th.y dropped, 
 our manufacturing supremacy would be endangered. Lord 
 Ashley stood forth the helper of the helpless, and fought 
 
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V.J 
 
 LONDON SALON'S. 
 
 8l 
 
 the battle of humanity. His frrand presence, his fine voice, 
 which ran^ through the House, his deep sincerity, and the 
 noble words of his peroration, caused a sensation such as 
 I have seldom seen equalled. The young members 
 deserted their leader and went with him. The division 
 appeared to be a close one, but when the tellers advanced 
 to the table, and the Clerk handed the numbers to Lord 
 y\shley, we who were supporting him knew he had won ; 
 and so he had, by a majority of nine against the Govern- 
 ment. The House broke out into cheer after cheer, and 1, 
 oblivious of all Parliamentary decorum, jumped ui) and 
 untninkingly waved my hat over Sir Robert's head, who 
 was sitting just below me. He turned to me whcu the 
 turmoil had subsided, and said, laughing, " My good fellow, 
 I shall give you a scolding if you wave your hat over ni)- 
 head whenever you beat me ; and the Speaker will give 
 you a scolding if you wave it at all." This was a lesson, 
 but it was administered in a pleasant way. 
 
 In those days — I speak of the time of the Ministry of 
 Sir Robert I'eel — there were four great salons to which it 
 was a distinction to be invited. Lady Ashburton's, chieily 
 political; Lady Londonderry's, where the heavy aristo- 
 cracy, great titles, and men of many acres resorted ; Lady 
 jersey's, also political, but of the strictest Tory type, with 
 an admixture of the haute diploinatid, chiefly Russian, 
 Austrian, and Prussian, as the French was too bonr- 
 geoisc ; and Chesterfield I louse, the most restricted and 
 the paradise of the expiring dandies who were in their 
 zenith about twenty years previously. It is difficult to 
 explain the (jualifications which were regarded as the 
 Open, Sesame ! " in this case. High birth, good looks, 
 {juickness of repartee, a stable of race-horses, a notorious 
 Unison with some dcminp halniutr, all these advantages 
 might obtain admission wliich would have been scornfully 
 
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 82 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GKKGOKV. 
 
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 refused to the lofty and ponderous ina.c[natcs of I loldcr- 
 nessc House (Lady Londonderry's). I used to be invited 
 there occasionally, and was always very glad to go, as the 
 society was sure to be light and merry, though extremely 
 ignorant and unprofitable. 1 am ashamed to say that I 
 lived much in that class of company, having all the time 
 the most supreme contempt for it. I find the following 
 passage in a Idnd of spasmodic diary which I then kept, 
 and which I much regret I did not carry on :— 
 
 " U'ri/z/cstftiy, July S, 1S4CJ.— Klcctcd member of tlic new club, 
 the Covenlry ; something pre-eminently iiiustiti/iii. The Ccnie dcs 
 Pn'h'itliciix, and I may atkl of many of tliem /m'licu.v ridicules, a 
 kind of expirinj,^ effort to lift old tottcrin;^ decrepit dandyism to a 
 pedestal. It is worth belonj:;ing to, besides the incomparable cuisine, 
 if only to watch the last death-struggle of these priests of that foolish 
 false god, before which simple and honest Englishmen so long sub- 
 mitted to bow down. There have been dynasties of rank and ancient 
 lineage, dynasties of wit, .md dynasties of wealtii ; but of ad dynastic.-i 
 that ever strutted its little day, the most contemptible was that dynasty 
 of exclusivism — an idol ideal with face of brass, but with feet of mire 
 and clay. One can understand the insolence and vulgarity of wealth 
 reigning supreme, one can rejoice in tiie domination of imellect giving 
 law to society, but that imbecile, ignorant, useless dandyism, without 
 the prestige of rank, the splendour and material enjoyments of wealth, 
 the fascination of genius, or the high desert of a great deed, should 
 have been tolerated so long as a domineering power, proves that in 
 the wisest of nations, as well as in the wisest of human beings, there 
 may be intervals of infatuation. So far as cither regard or respect for 
 such men goes, 1 would as socn be elei ted a member of some Chartist 
 lodge, among men rude indeed and prejudiced, but earnest, fresh, 
 and true." 
 
 The most fashionable club before the establishment of 
 the Coventry was Crockford's, and I was elected to it 
 immediately after being returned for Parliament. It was 
 admirably kept. FrancatcUi, the cook, was unequalled ; 
 there was a first-rate supper, gratis, with the best champagne 
 for those who hun^jred and thirsted after midnight; and 
 
' II 
 
 v.] 
 
 ("ROCK ford's. 
 
 83 
 
 in a little room off the supper-room was the f;amblinj^ 
 table, at which too many an ardent admirer of hazard had 
 lost all his fortune. We who played all knew one another 
 very well, and whatever may have been our run of luck, 
 we had no fear of foul play, either wi';h the dice or with 
 )ui fellow-players. Of course heavy sums were lost and 
 had to be obtained forthwith. There was a well-known 
 Jew of the time always ready to advance a loan, but 
 somehow he had never quite the amount required, so he 
 compelled the unfortunate borrower to take as part pay- 
 ment " a musical mouse," which scjueaked and ran about 
 on wheels, telliiig him that such a person, naming some 
 tradesman, would buy it from him. And so he did, at 
 half the price at which it was valued by the Jew. This 
 " musical mouse " was always brought to Crockford's and 
 made to run squeaking over the hazard table. The ques- 
 tion used to be asked, " Who has the mouse this evening?" 
 I was wont to try my luck very often, and began to feel 
 the love of play coming strongly over me ; but one night, 
 fortunately, Sir Sandford Graham and I accepted the wise 
 and kind suggestion of Lord Newport (now Lord 15radford), 
 wlu) recommended us to let him tic us up — that is, he gave 
 each of us a sovereign and we were bound to give him 
 each in return ^500, to be applied to charity, if we ever 
 lost more than ^5 on any one night at the club, and we 
 were on honour to inform against ourselves. Owing to 
 this salutary precaution and the determined steps taken 
 by Sir James Graham, when Home Secrctarj', to suppress 
 gambling, 1 was not a sufferer by my connection with this 
 famous club. 
 
 At the time of which I write, the state of London as 
 regards gambling was scandalous. There were copper 
 hells, silver hells, gold hells, where pence, shillings, 
 and pounds were played, scattered over the town, but 
 
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 SIR WILLIAM (;REG(»KN' 
 
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 especially in the region of St. James. They were nominally 
 illegal, but were carried on with perfect impunity, ruining 
 servants, tradesmen, and gentlemen alike. Sir James 
 Graham set to work with no half-measures ; the police 
 were ordered to break into every hell and bring the 
 keepers and the gamblers also before the magistrates, by 
 whom they were severely punished. Ikit that was not 
 all. In spite of the remonstrances of that class who, 
 while honestly disapproving of evil things, cannot bring 
 themselves to attempt their removal, in spite of prophecies 
 that the youth of England would betake themselves to 
 private play if they had not the vent of public play, 
 Sir James Graham sent word to I'agc, the manager of 
 the club who had succeeded " Old Crocky," that the 
 police had orders to enter it with as little ceremony, and 
 to arrest 'ts inmates, as if it were a coffee hell frequented 
 by costermongcrs. The consequence was that in a month 
 or two it was closed. No private play resulted from this 
 closing, and I and other members, not having the 
 temptation before us, never troubled our heads about 
 hazard playing again. 
 
 In 1872 I cited to the Legislative Council in Ceylon 
 this action of Sir James Graham as my justification for 
 a very large reduction of arrack taverns in that colony. 
 
 I have often wished I had the same power here that 
 I had in Ceylon, and Gort, with a population of fifteen 
 hundred, would not be cursed with twenty-eight public- 
 houses. 
 
 The political men of the day who were most civil to 
 me were members of Sir Robert Peel's Government, 
 Sidney Herbert, Lord Dalhousie, and Lord Lincoln, 
 afterwards Duke of Newcastle. Air. Gladstone I scarcely 
 knew. I had little notion in those days that the quiet, 
 reserved Lord Dalhousie was about U) be the mighty 
 
v.] 
 
 A CAlilNIiT SECRET. 
 
 85 
 
 pro-consul, the ovcrthrowcr of ancient dynasties in India, 
 and one of the most ambitious Governor-Generals that 
 ever swayed the destinies of Hindustan. I met him in 
 Cairo in 1S56, utterly broken down by overwork, and 
 coming liome to die. Among the very handsome, the 
 most rcfincdly handsome men of that time was Sidney 
 Ilcrbeit. No one told an improper story, and he cer- 
 tainly told many, especially when in conjpany with his 
 friend, Henry Corry (Lord Rowton's father), with more 
 grace and bashfulncss. He was a special favourite of 
 Sir Robert I'eel. who commended me to him. If ti\o 
 story I am about to narrate is true, and it was told to 
 me on such authority that I cannot doubt it, though 
 II ay ward refused to accept it. Sir Robert Peel on one 
 occasion provec' himself the truest friend that man often 
 finds in man. When Sir Robert Peel first made up his 
 mind that the Corn Laws were no longer tenable, he 
 consulted a portion (the majority) of the Cabinet, who 
 were in London in the autumn. To the best of my 
 recollection they were Sidney Herbert, Lord Lincoln, 
 Sir James Graham, Lord Aberdeen, and Mr. Goulburn. 
 
 They declared themselves in favour of the repeal of 
 the Corn Laws, but it was determined that the decision 
 should be the most profound secret until the whole of 
 the Cabinet had come together, and the course of action 
 been determined on for meeting the Protectionist majority. 
 The same evening after the council, Sidney Herbert dined 
 lite-a-tctc with Mrs. Norton, his well-known object of 
 attachment at the time. He was perfectly infatuated 
 with her beauty and cleverness, and before dinner was 
 over, she had wormed out of him the decision of the 
 Cabinet. After dinner she asked him to remain while 
 she went out to see a sick friend for a short time, and 
 in half an hour she returned. In the meanwhile she had 
 
 % 
 
 
 

 EM ' 
 
 it! 
 
 1 
 
 S6 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Ch. 
 
 taken a cab and driven down to the Tmcs office. There 
 she saw Barnes, the editor, and told him the Government 
 were going to repeal the Corn Laws. So little was this 
 decision expected, although there were rumours in the 
 air, that it seemed like lightning in a clear sky. Ikirncs 
 got up, took out his banker's book, and wrote a cheque. 
 He said to her, " If you have no proof of what you say, 
 I will not detain you longer. If you have proof which 
 satisfies me, you shall have this cheiiue for ^500." She 
 gave him chapter and verse, and returned to poor Sidney 
 Herbert with /^SOO in her pocket. The next day the 
 announcement was made in the 7'/Mes, in a powerful and 
 favourable leading article, that the Cabinet had met and 
 resolved on the repeal of the Corn Laws, an announce- 
 ment which astounded all luigland. This was on the 
 5th of December, 1845, and it was disbelieved by the 
 other papers. But it was true enough. Lord Derby and 
 the Duke of Richmond left the Government, and the 
 great Conservative party was convulsed with rage and 
 terror. Sidney Herbert at once knew that he was be- 
 trayed, and that he had betrayed his chief He went 
 and told him all. Sir Robert shook him warmly by the 
 hand, and ended the interview with the words, " \'ou must 
 cheer up and try to forget this business as readily as I 
 shall." 
 
 Of all the young lieutenants of Sir Robert Peel, the 
 one I knew best and liked the most was Lord Lincoln, 
 afterwards Duke of Newcastle. He was very pleasant, 
 very resolute, and not the least conceited, and thoroughly 
 liberal in his opinions. I have several letters of his, one 
 written on the death of my father in 1847, which is quite 
 affectionate in its tone. I knew Lady Lincoln, from 
 whom he was divorced on account of Lord Orford, and 
 I was astonished to meet a woman ot her rank and 
 
vo 
 
 A PRESENT I MKNT. 
 
 S7 
 
 position at ratlicr a free and easy kind of house, the 
 Riario Sforzas, NeapoHtans, where wc used to go to dance 
 the polka of an afternoon, during the time it was the rage. 
 She was very pretty, and evidently not only up to but 
 in quest of an adventure. One of her first lovers, possilily 
 the first, was young D , a Lifeguardsman, and remark- 
 ably handsome, who became quite infatuated about her, and 
 left for her sake another lady of high rank to whom he 
 had i)reviously been devoted. lie and I had been very 
 good friends, and I liketl him extremely, but we had a 
 misunderstanding, for which I dare say we were both 
 very sorr)-, ami we became mere nodding acquaintances. 
 Towards the end of the season of 184-, he came u[) to 
 me laughing, and said, " I can't bear to keep up this 
 ridiculous tiff, let us just be as we were. I am off to the 
 Isle of Lewis or of Skye to-morrow, and if you have 
 nothing better to do let us dine together." I wa:; very 
 plaCv.blc and much pleased to get rid of a silly quarrel 
 with a man for whom I had so much regard, and we 
 dined together. vXfter dinner, during which he was in 
 low spirits, he said, " I want to ask you a great favour. 
 Vou have a house in London where you can keep things 
 safely. I go to-morrow to Scotland, and I have an odd 
 kind of feeling that I shall not come back. Will you 
 kecj) a parcel of letters for me, and burn the parcel un- 
 opened in case of my tlcath } I am afraid to leave them 
 in barracks, as we shall be shifting to Windsor, and things 
 get constantly broken open during these transits. You 
 will naturally ask why I do not burn them. It is the 
 wish of the writer that I should preserve them, and I 
 cannot disobc}-," A very short time afterwards I heard 
 he was ill, and in a few d,i\-s his death was announced to 
 the unfeigned sorrow of all who knew him. 
 
 Among the other men of note with whom I was on 
 
 ■ > 
 
r 
 
 V 
 
 w \ 
 
 "i '^' 
 
 '■ ■ ' i 
 
 88 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cn. 
 
 intimate terms, duriiii^ my first Parliament, were George 
 Smytb', member for Canterbury (afterwards Lord Strang- 
 ford), Lord George Bcntinck, and Mr. LMsraeli. George 
 Smythe had recently come up from Cambridge with an 
 enormous reputation, not derived from anything he liad 
 done in the way of academic honours, but from a general 
 belief that he was the coming young man in politics. He 
 was quite the first speaker at the Cambridge Union, 
 though he never spoke without great preparation, and. 
 indeed, elaboration. He was the most brilliant talker I 
 ever heard, eloquent, imaginative, and paradoxical, and, 
 in consequence, although his appearance was unattractive, 
 small, and dingy, he exercised a fascination over women 
 which was quite remarkable. It was a bad day for every 
 one of those who listened to the voice of the charmer, 
 for he was as remorseless as he was capricious, and rolled 
 in the mud and destroyed the reputation of the woman 
 whom he had been adoring the day before. He com- 
 menced his career of Lothario by making love to Lady 
 
 , a most charming old lady of a great b'rench house, 
 
 who was old enough to be his grandmother. For a time, 
 never was there anything equal to his mad devotion, and, 
 after completely turning her head, compromising her, and 
 making her the talk of the whole town, he left her sud- 
 denly one day, and hardly recognized her afterwards. 
 He was not a successful debater, though he made one or 
 two fine prepared speeches. His maiden speech was, to 
 the horror of liis Cambridge friends, a decided failure ; he 
 broke down, and could never bear the slightest allusion 
 to it. But in 1843, on the INIaj-nooth debate, he did 
 better, and really made a fine speech, upon which he was 
 congratulated, not very felicitously, by Sir Robert I'cel, 
 who said, " It was impossible for me to listen to his" (G. 
 Smythc's) "speeches without great satisfaction at tlie 
 
v.] 
 
 THE VOUXC ENGLAND TARTY. 
 
 89 
 
 bnglit views tlicy indicate of great future eminence. I 
 remember having foretold to the honourable gentleman — 
 1 know not if he recollects it — when, through the em- 
 barrassment of youth, others thought he had failed, I 
 remember I tried to console him, and I told him my con- 
 viction was that he was destined for future eminence." 
 (ioorge Smythe did not like it, and on my congratulating 
 liini upon having been so " buttered up " by Sir Robert 
 Peel — "Yes," said lie, "with his usual dose of rancid 
 butter." Sir Robert made him Under Secretary for 
 I'^oreign Affairs, but he paid no attention to his work, 
 and was thought very little of at the h\:)reign Office. 
 
 He died young, worn out by dissipation, brandy 
 and water, and a delicate chest, lie published one book, 
 called " Historic I*"ancics," of which he gave me a copy, 
 now in Coolc Librarj-. Some of the short poems in it 
 are very remarkable, full of spirit and fiery declamation. 
 The prose essays arc also most graceful compositions. 
 It gives one the highest opinion of his talent and refined 
 taste. lie also left after him an unfinished novel, called 
 " .Angela Pisani," subsccjuently edited by Lady Strang- 
 ford, which is unequal, but contains passages of singular 
 brilliancy. These are all the remains of a man who en- 
 tered the world amid the acclaim of his contemporaries 
 as a second Praed or Canning, lie was selfish and heart- 
 less, but a most delightful, fascinating companion. It was 
 during the early period of his Parliamentary career that 
 the Young iMigland party, so called, of which he was the 
 leader, came into notoriety. It was chiefly composed of 
 men of his own standing at Cambridge, and he, Lord 
 John Manners, Baillie Cochrane (afterwards Lord Laming- 
 ton), Beresford-Mope, Peter Borthwick, were the prominent 
 inembers. It was a kind of Iligh-Church-divine-right-of- 
 kings-philanthropic band of brothers, in which the working 
 
 if 
 it 
 
 n 
 
 lil 
 
 
 ,' «| 
 
Oo 
 
 SIR WILLIA^r r.RKGORV. 
 
 [Ch 
 
 '>r 
 
 Hi. 
 
 fi 
 
 classes were to be looked after and elevated on the prin- 
 cipal of evcrythint,^ for the pc()i)lc, but nothin^Lj by the 
 people. It had, undoubtedly, hij,di and honest views, but 
 it died of ridicule, chiefly brought on it by the memorable 
 lines — 
 
 " Let kingdoms fiiclc, let art and commerce die, 
 Hut give us still our old nobility." 
 
 Mr. Disraeli was also a good deal connected with this 
 party, but he was far too intelligent to identify himself 
 very much with their unpractical views, though they were 
 constantly his guests, and George Smythe and Lord John 
 Manners were prominent characters in the novel, famous 
 at the time, of" Coningsby ;" in fact, George Smythe was 
 the hero Coningsby, and Lord John Manners figures as 
 Lord Henry Sydney. 
 
 In those days I lived at No. 14, Park Street, Grosvcnor 
 Square, not far from his house at Grosvenor Gate, and 
 we used constantly to walk home together from the 
 House of Commons. Hardly a week jjassed in which I 
 did not dine with him and Mrs. Disraeli. His dinners 
 were small, not over good, but always gay and amusing ; 
 not that he himself was at all brilliant in conversation ; 
 on the contrary, he was generally silent, unless there was 
 an opening for some epigrammatic or paradoxical or 
 startling observation. Though bitterly sarcastic if it 
 suited his purpose, he was very far from bcin; cynical 
 by nature. On the contrary, he was remarkably placable, 
 and, though he had few strong dislikes, he had many 
 strong friendships. He has been reproached with har- 
 bouring unrelenting vindictiveness, and with no just 
 reason, to Croker, and that in " Coningsby " he vented on 
 him. all the envy, hatred, and malice of a malignant 
 nature. It is undoubtedly true that in "Coningsby" he 
 employed all the vigour of his pen to crush the man 
 
v.] 
 
 IJISRAICM. 
 
 91 
 
 whom he had reason, and good reason, to believe never 
 missed an opi)ortuiiity of vihTyingr and ridiculini^ him. It 
 was war to the knife, and I am bound to say that, when 
 "Conint^sby" appeared, public opinion did not ret^ret 
 that (jne who had wielded his pen with such unscrui)ulous 
 ferocity, and had caused so much misery by his unfeeling 
 criticism, sjiould have met with an antagonist well able 
 to cope with him. Disraeli, too, looked on it as an act of 
 l)olic.y to make himself formidable — 
 
 "... Cct animal est daiv^'crcu\ 
 Oiiand on ratla(|uc, 11 se defend." 
 
 I am aware that it has been generally thought that he 
 had a bitter hatred of Peel, on account of not having 
 been offered office by him, or of having been refused 
 office. I knew he did not like him, for he missed no 
 opportunity for a jibe and a sarcasm upon him. Disap- 
 pointed at not receiving office at a time when a salary 
 would have been a godser>d, almost a salvation, had, 
 doubtless, some influence ; but his character was so 
 entirely the ojjposite to that of Sir Robert, as to be 
 certain to produce antagonistic feelings. Disraeli was 
 eminently Hoiiemian, imaginative, without a particle of 
 belief in anything, totally unprincipled— I do not use the 
 word in an (offensive sense, but as being devoid of all 
 principles of pulicy. Such a man was the very antipodes 
 to the prudent, cautious, unimaginative, and somewhat 
 pompous I'rime Minister, whose correctness was a re- 
 proach to Disraeli's Bohcmianism. As for the belief 
 that the fierce and dreadful attacks which he made on 
 Sir Robert when he proposed the repeal of the Corn 
 Laws originated from resentment alone, I much doubt 
 the correctness of it. With that ciuickness which pre- 
 eminently characterized him, he saw an opening for dis- 
 tinction, and seized on it at once. There decorous and 
 
 r 
 
9-' 
 
 SIR WnXIAM r.RKGOKV. 
 
 rcii. 
 
 i> ': 
 
 f 
 
 ordinarily forcible speeches would have been ineffectual. 
 Somethincj was re(iuircd to meet the resentment of the 
 infuriated Conservatives. Jle felt he coukl say all they 
 felt but could not express. A leader was wanted, and 
 at once he sprang into the place, ready to pander to the 
 one passion which animated the bulk of the Conservative 
 party— desire for revenge. Lord George licntinck had, 
 from the first, taken the lead in the secession, and was 
 looked up to as its mouthpiece ; the organization and 
 marshalling of his forces he was well competent to 
 manage, but he felt himself quite unable to do the speak- 
 ing part, and he knew that Disraeli could do it well, so 
 he forced him, as captain, into the front of the battle. 
 It was in vain that the squires and aristocracy kicked at 
 the supremacy of one whom they looked on as mounte- 
 bank ; in vain their gorges rose at being directed by a 
 Jew. Lord George overruled all this scjueamishness, 
 and convinced them they had onl>' the alternative of 
 falling to pieces, and having to come back like frowrrd 
 schoolboys to I'ccl, or else of heartily adopting as their 
 leader the man whom in their hearts they thoroughl)- 
 desjjiscd. Thcj* resisted for two years, but had at length 
 to yield. 
 
 Looking back on all that has since happened, how 
 different would events have been, and how much the 
 future of England would have been clianged, had Sir 
 Robert Peel recognized Dizzy's talent and given him 
 office. Of course he would have stood firm to that office 
 and his salary. The Conservative secedcrs, powerful in 
 numbers, powerless in debate and experience, would have 
 been as sheep without a shepherd, for Lord George 
 l^cntinck died early, and they would have accepted 
 the leadership of Mr. Gladstone, as it was nothing but 
 Mr. Disraeli's claim to lead the party prevented Mr. 
 
v.] 
 
 PISRAKLI. 
 
 93 
 
 Gl.'ulstonc from joininpf it in 1S52. All his instincts were 
 with it, he would have broupfht his friends with him ;ind 
 liavc cstablislied the fTfcat Tory party, in spite of all its 
 recalcitratinns, on ijrand principles of finance and of 
 enlightened, well-considered progress. Democracy wouKl 
 have been retarded b)- half a ccntur)-. 
 
 One remarkable and errand trait in ti.e character of 
 l^israeli was his noble demeanour to his wife. She was 
 the willow of Mr, Wyndham Lewis, his former coUeat^uc 
 for Shrewsbury. When he died. Mr. Disraeli was in 
 a most embarrassed state, on the very brink of ruin, lie 
 was intimate with Lady Ulessini^ton and Count D'Orsay, 
 and he consulted the latter as to the complete break- 
 down of all his ambitious hopes, owini^ to his fiwancial 
 difficulties. 
 
 " Why don't you marry your colleat^ue's widow? She 
 is very rich," said Count D'Orsay. 
 
 It was a happy thoui^ht, and accepted with alacritj-. 
 He proposed at once, was accepted, antl did marry the 
 widow. She relieved him from his distress, set him on 
 his le-^s, and verily she met with her reward. I''rcjm the 
 day of his marria;4e to the day of her death he treated 
 her with the deepest, most trusting affection ; indeed, 
 with a chivalrous devotion. And yet she was a most 
 repulsive woman : Oat, anijular, under-bred, with a harsh, 
 gratint; voice ; and though by no means a fool, yet 
 constantly sa)'ing stupid things, most fre([iicntly about 
 him, which tended to make him ritliculous ; as, for 
 instance, when the conversation turned on some man's 
 fine complexion — " Ah," said she, " I wish you could only 
 sec Dizzy in his bath, then you would know what a white 
 skin is." There was hardly any circumstance in their 
 domestic life which she did not take a pleasure in narrat- 
 ing in public, and marvellous were the stories daily afloat 
 
 I !l 
 
 Mi 
 
 1^1 
 
 •li 
 
) 
 
 f . 
 
 , ■ 1 
 
 IT' 
 
 i ' 
 
 94 
 
 SIU WII.MAM (;Ri;GOkV 
 
 rcir. 
 
 of her escapades, especially after her husband's -reat 
 position had considerably turned her head. One ni-ht 
 after dinner she said to her quests, three or four youn.cT 
 men, myself amonj; them, "Would you like to -o and 
 sec the room where Dizzy was brouijht to bed of Con- 
 in^^sby?" We all expressed much interest in the revered 
 spot, and were invited by her to <^n upstairs to the bed- 
 room floor, and to enter a certain door. Gcorj:c Smythc 
 took the lead in a rei^ular scamper, amid roars of lauLjhter, 
 upstairs ; he burst into the wroncj room, which was (juitc 
 dark. We heard a splash and a cry, and down came our 
 leader wet throu.^h and drippincr. He had fallen into 
 Dizzy's bath. He presented himself in a drenched 
 condition to Mrs. Disraeli, who asked him placidly if he 
 had seen the room where Conini^sby was born. " 1 know 
 nothint; of his place of birth," said Smythc, " but I know 
 I have been in the room where he was recently baptized." 
 It was ludicrous the tokens of affection and apparently 
 of admiration which he lavished on " .Marianne," as we 
 irreverently called her. One eveninL,^ on coinint,^ up from 
 dinner, he knelt before her, and as they say in novels, 
 devoured both her hands with kisses, sa}'in,c; at the same 
 time, in the most lackadaisical manner, " Is there anythini,^ 
 I can do for my dear little wife ? " i\nil )-et this uni^ainly, 
 rcpulsive-lookint^ woman was deserving of his afl'ection. 
 She had saved him from perdition and set him on hii^h 
 among the people. All her wealth was valued by her 
 only so far as it could assist his objects. She watched 
 him like a faithful dog, understood his ever}' fanc}', habit, 
 thought ; in fact, lived in him and ^br him. I know few 
 anecdotes of devotion finer than her conduct when one 
 afternoon she had driven him to the House of Commons. 
 Me was speaking to her at parting, and somehow she got 
 her finger inside the carriage door, which he shut forcibly. 
 
 rat 
 
v.i 
 
 DISRAKLI. 
 
 95 
 
 'riunii;h (Iix'.ulfully criishcil and in af;ony, she never even 
 i-xclainicd or nicntioncd the matter till he returned home, 
 lie was ^oin^ to make a g;rcat speech, and she thoiiijht if 
 she uttered the least cry, or iiad even f^'iven him to know 
 he had hurt her, his thou'dits mi^ht be distracted. Georcre 
 Sm)the allowed himself now and then, on the stren^jth of 
 their 'jjciit intimac)-, to make observations of wonder at 
 the warmth of Dizzy's attention to " Marianne," more 
 particularly on one occasion after she had told him, with 
 a grim L,Min intendeil for a simper, that he always treated 
 her more like a mistress than a wife. lUit he never attain 
 ventured on the libert)'. Disraeli looked at him straight 
 between the t'vo ej'es and said, "George, there is one 
 word in the ICnglish language of which you are ignorant." 
 " What is that? " asked Sinythc, somewhat taken aback by 
 his manner. " Ctratitmh', George," said Dizzy, in his deep, 
 solemn voice. George Sinythc felt the rebuke deepl)', 
 and accepted the lesson, but not the slightest coldness 
 ensued in consecjuence. Disraeli was never prone to take 
 offence, and was entirely devoid of touchiness. At the 
 end of 1856 or the beginning of 1S57, when the question 
 of the Lorcha "Arrow" and the impending war with 
 China were the topics of the day, lie was leading the 
 Opposition, and sent for a captain of the Royal Navy just 
 arrived from I long Kong to give him information. He 
 received him in the dining-room, and the officer, when 
 going away, took a look round the room. 
 
 " Ah ! " said he, " I remend)cr this room very well, and 
 those curtains. I dined here several times, many years 
 ago, with a rum old girl, a Mrs. Wyndham Lewis." 
 
 " \'es," said Dizzy, " the curtains certainly arc old and 
 rather fust)', in fact, we must do up the whole room 
 when our ship comes in." 
 
 My connection by marriage, James Cla)-, the Radical 
 
 ; 
 
 •;' 
 
 m 
 
 
g6 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Ch 
 
 
 member for Hull, was the man for whom of all others 
 Dizzy had the greatest affection, and the regard was 
 mutual. Clay, who was singularly adroit, and who had 
 the ear of the House of Commons, used constantly to do 
 him good turns when the Tory Government "-crc ver>- 
 hard pushed by the attacks of the Liberals. Often he- 
 got him out of a difficult position by building him a bridge 
 to pass over, and the movement was effected with such 
 judgment that no one supposed it was dictated by friend- 
 ship. They had been companions in early life, and had 
 travelled in their yacht through the Mediterranean, among 
 the Ionian and /Egean Islands, and thence to Constanti- 
 nople and Asia Minor. Clay told me that it would not 
 have been possible to have found a more easy, agreeable, 
 unaffected companion when they were by themselves, but 
 that when they got into society his coxcombry was 
 intolerable. At Corfu and Gibraltar he made himself so 
 hateful to the officers' mess, that, while they welcomed 
 Clay, they ceased to invite "that d- d bumptious Jew- 
 boy," as they called him. His appearance was certainl)- 
 against him ; long, hyacinthine curls, rings on Irs fingers, 
 gold chains, and velvet dresses of the most gorgeous 
 description. His convc sation, too, was of a most offensive 
 nature, calling in question every preconceived and revered 
 opinion, together with flights of sarcasm, against all 
 accepted maxims of the British Army. What rendered 
 matters worse was his great knowledge and memcMy, which 
 enabled h''^ to make short work of any bold soldier who 
 encountered him in argument. When I knew him, he had 
 given up his absurdities of dress, but he still retained the 
 love-locks and curls, and the Charlie on his chin. At the 
 time Lord Derby was forming his Ministry in 1S52, Lady 
 Jocelyn, who was nominally favourable to him, as Lord 
 Jocelyn was supposed to be Conservative, but who was 
 
[Cii 
 
 such 
 
 v.] 
 
 DISRAELI. 
 
 97 
 
 in her licart a thorough opponent, being the daughter of 
 Lady Pahncrston, came up at an evening party and, witli 
 every appearance of deep interest, asked him — 
 
 "Well, Lord Derby, how are you going on ? " 
 
 lie rephcd, "Will j-ou promise not to tell if I let jou 
 know an important matter in our favour? " 
 
 " Oh, of course I will promise ! " said Lady Jocelyn. 
 
 "Well." said Lord Derby, "Mr. Disraeli has just 
 announced to mc his readiness to allow himself to be 
 shaved and to have his hair cut in order to smooth all 
 difficulties." 
 
 He had always a dislike and distrust of Lord Jocelyn, 
 whom he looked on as a kind of emissary from Cambridge 
 House (Lord Palmcrston's), although professing to be one 
 of his followers. 
 
 One evening, when Lord Jocelyn was speaking in a 
 half-heartc -i manner, one of his friends sitting by his side 
 said — 
 
 "You don't seem to be paying much attention to 
 )-our noble friend } " 
 
 " No,'' replied Disraeli ; " I have no particular pleasure 
 in listening to a great Saracen's head creaking in the 
 wind." 
 
 No description could have better hit off Lord Jocel\-n, 
 who was a big handsome mar,, with a large round face 
 and a profusion of jet-black hair, and his manner of 
 speaking was exactly "creaking in the wind." To me, 
 long after our intimacy had cea.;ed, in C(jnsequence of his 
 attacks on .Sir Robert I'cel and my adherence to the 
 I'cclite part}", he was alwa}-s most friendly. One da)- in 
 1 80/ we met in St. James's Street, and he took my arm 
 as far as the Carlton. He spoke with much kind feeling 
 about old times, hoped th.it although I could not be his 
 political su].)porter, I would always continue out of the 
 
 11 
 
 III! 
 
 Y I 
 
 11 
 
 m 
 
 S' ' li 
 
Il 
 
 I 
 
 ft 
 
 ■4i 
 
 
 
 9S 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORV. 
 
 [Cn. 
 
 House our pleasant relations of former clays. I answered 
 that I thouj^ht he must be aware I liad not forgotten 
 them, for though on many occasions I IkkI made speeches 
 adverse to his polic\', I had carefully avoided ever saying 
 one word which could be personally disagreeable to him. 
 He said, "My dear Gregory, I should be blind if I had 
 not noticed your 'Uv'anable courtesy to me, and I have 
 been anxious to get ^he opportunity which has to-day 
 occurred, of renewing our old friendshi[) ; and now let 
 me ask you to do me a great favour. If during my term 
 of office I can serve you or yours in any wa}', of course 
 I don't mean politically, give me the pleasure of allowing 
 me to do so." Some months afterwards there wa. a 
 vacancy amongst the trustees of the National Galley, 
 and I said to Colonel Taylor, the v.hii) of tlic Tory party, 
 that I wished he would mention to Mr. ]3isracli ni}' 
 desire to be named to the vacancy. Taylor said he would 
 do so, but he feared I\Ir. Disraeli could not comply with 
 my wish, as he already had conveyed to him the desire 
 of several of his supporters, peers and AI.P.'s, for the 
 honoiu'able appointment. For all that, the next day 
 came a note oficring it to me in the handsomest terns. 
 This was pure disinterested friendship, as he knew I'cll 
 enough he would not gain an\' support from me by the 
 '^-.ii.'pliment, nor would it in any degree mitigate m\- 
 political opposition. (3n a later occasion, when I was 
 trustee, in the year 186;, Mr. Robinson, of the Kensington 
 Museum, reported that he had been shown at Madrid t'le 
 celebrated Colonna Raffael, which had always been kept 
 in the bedroom of the King of Naples and been carried 
 by him to Gacta. iJ^n Bcrmudez de Castro, Duke di 
 Ripalda, the Spanish Minister at Naples, and a great 
 friend of the king, had been presented with the picture 
 by his royal friend, and his brother mentioned that it 
 
v.] 
 
 THE COLONNA RAriAEL. 
 
 99 
 
 might possibly be for sale. Sir William Boxall, the 
 Director of the National Gallery, went to Madrid, saw 
 the picture, which was then in fme order, indeed, quite 
 intact, antl was anxious to obtain it. I went to see Mr, 
 Disraeli (in May. iS6cS), who was then in office, and told 
 him all about the picture. lie listened, and said, "Get 
 the picture." I remarked that I was certain it would 
 cost ^20,000 at leasi. " Get the picture," was all he 
 replied. On my saying; that I could not manage the 
 negotiation, he agreed to confide it to l^aron Rothschild, 
 who commissioned Mr. 15auer, his agent at Madrid, to buy 
 it. In the meanwhile, the knowledge that the picture was 
 in the market, and that ICngland was disposed to obtain 
 it, got uiiKl, and the French began to nibble at it. The 
 Duke di Riijalda (Hermudez de Castro) was a great friend 
 of the Empress luigenie, who was always ready to serve a 
 friend. ]'\jrt>' thousand pounds were asked for it, and the 
 J^'rench press was subsidized right and left to declare that 
 the honour of h^rancc was involved in the purchase, and 
 that it was cheap at the nuMiey. It was sent to Paris to 
 ]\l. Ivcizct, the Director of the Louvre, and I here trans- 
 cribe an account of what followed and which I wrote at 
 the time, Ma)-, icSjo, from Paris: — 
 
 " The Colonna RaiKiel was a few niontlis :ij;o one of tlie most 
 ])erfe(t and important jiictiircs of that master. In an evil moment 
 it lias hcen submitted to tlie cleaner, and a piteous spectacle it now 
 is in the eyes of ^'ods and men. It is said that on tlic old frame 
 bein^' removed, and the iron band which kept it to;4cther bein;^ 
 unscrewed, it fell to the ;.;round in three pieces. I believe there is 
 no tloubt as to the truth of the story, which is conllrmed by the 
 extraordinary winkin;^^ .anpc.uancc of the eye of one of the female 
 saints, throui^h which, unfortimately, one of the cracks runs, and 
 \vhi( ii, therefore, had to be repaired by a modern hand. I cannot 
 sav that I feel any great rapture about this picture. Very grand it 
 is, no doubt, in its whole arrangement, but the infants Jesus and St. 
 John arc uninteresting, and the ligurcs of St. I'aul and St. Peter, 
 
 III 
 
 !' II' 
 
 
 
 I' I 
 
i 
 
 I' 
 
 > 
 
 I) 
 
 } 
 
 100 
 
 SIR WILLIAM (;REG0R\. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 usually so miajcstic, arc squat and ihvarfy. At present it looks as if 
 it had undergone the fate of St. liailholomew and been tlioiou-hiy 
 flayed, so thai I hardly think even tiie great name of Ralfael or its 
 former reputation will induce a hold purchaser, public or private, to 
 give the sum demanded for it, nothing less tlian ^40,000. Over it 
 should be engraved the well-known epitaph, ' 1 wa> well ; I would be 
 better. Here I am.' " 
 
 And now to return to and l iicliulc with Mr. Disraeli. 
 I have ah-cady shown good reason for a strong personal 
 regard towards him, and tliis regard would naturally lead 
 me, if I could, to express respect for him as a statesman. 
 Truth prevents me from doing so. I willingl}' admit that 
 he was one of the most rcinarkablc i)ublic men that 
 Encrland has ever known. He has been called a man of 
 "•enius. If the definition of genius be true that " Genius 
 will do as it must, talent will do as it can," he was not 
 a man of genius, for I do not believe that he ever acted 
 from impulse or from the prompting of deep-seated 
 opinions, in spite of his assertion that " Man is never so 
 manly as when he feels deepl\-, acts boldly, and e.xprcsses 
 himself with frankness." lie had no deep-seated opinions ; 
 every subject was regarded by him as having reference 
 solely to the Parliamentary triumph of his part>', and 
 consequently the advancement of his own power. He 
 was ready to be free-trader or protectionist, liberal or 
 illiberal, on questions of land, religion, am' the franchise, 
 just as it suited the exigencies of the moment. That he 
 was really a most advanced Liberal in heart upon all ques- 
 tions of trade and religion I have not a doubt, but I doubt 
 if he at all trusted the people, though I have heard him a 
 hundred times in private proclaim his preference for the 
 working-man over the s'cek, narrow-minded, dissenting 
 rulers of the boroughs. His mind was essentially a mock- 
 ing one, and before those who knew him well he made 
 very little secret of the tendency to dissemble. 
 
V.J 
 
 DISRAKLI. 
 
 101 
 
 In the year iS6S, one day, in the lobby of the House 
 of Commons, Colonel Taylor, the whip of the Tory party, 
 told him that many of his friends were dissatisfied at the 
 distant manner in which he treated them. ^Ir. Disraeli 
 asked who the malcontents were. 
 
 " I lere is one of them," said Taylor, pointing to 
 Admiral , M.P. 
 
 "Pray introduce me at once," said Mr. Disraeli. 
 
 Accordingly he was introduced, and quite fascinated 
 the old sailor, who, on shaking hands, said — 
 
 "Air. Disraeli, I am extremely glad to make your 
 acquaintance. I am not a novel reader, but my daughters 
 are ; they have rcail all your novels and constantly ex- 
 press a high opinion of them." 
 
 " This is indeed fame ! " replied Mr. Disraeli, in a 
 solemn tone, but with an indescribable look at Colonel 
 Taylor. 
 
 At a somewhat later period, when in the fulness of 
 his greatness, he sat next at dinner to Mrs. Stonor, 
 daughter of the great Sir Robert Teel. lie immediately 
 began expatiating in a very fulsome manner on the 
 career of her father. She was one of the family who 
 had ne\/er forgi\cn the attacks, and she answered very 
 curtly that she presumed he had a diffcrct o[)inion of 
 her father's merits at the time he so bitterly assailed him. 
 
 "Oh, Mrs. Stonor," said Disraeli, "you should not 
 be angry with me about that. Have you not remarked 
 that little dogs always take delight in barking and snarl- 
 ing at great dogs ? I was a very small oog, and followed 
 the exami)le of other small dogs by attacking the great 
 dog of the day, although at the time I had the greatest 
 admiration for him." 
 
 It was, however, the clergy of the I'^stabHshed Church 
 on whom he chiefly lavished hi" blandishments. There 
 
 A '1 
 
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 li 
 
 r, 
 
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 [] 
 
 102 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GKECORV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 never was a minister who to the close of his h"fe retainetl 
 ecclesiastical confidence to the same deq;ree. It is perfectly 
 true that in his early writings, .such as " Conint^sby," he 
 had vented sarcasm upon sarcasm upon the Established 
 Church. " We cannot conceal from cjurselves," says 
 Coningsby, "that after nearly two centuries of Parlia- 
 mentary Government and Parliamentary Church, the first 
 has made Government detested, the second religion dis- 
 believed." "The only consequences of the present union 
 of Church and State are that on the side of the State there 
 is a perpetual interference in ecclesiastical government, 
 and on the side of the Church a sedulous avoidance of all 
 those principles on which alone Church government can 
 be established." " There is no society, however great its 
 resources, that could long resist the united influences of 
 chief magistrate, virtual represer.tation, and Church 
 establishment." The novel of " Coningsby," in which is 
 to be found the exposition of his political creed, teems 
 with denunciation of a Church establishment. It was 
 written in 1844, when he was still a political adventurer, 
 and had not foreseen the political uses to which the clergy 
 could be put ; but he had come to great power in 1S61, 
 and looked to the clergy in three-fourths of the parishes 
 of England as potent allies. Accordingly, at Aylesbury, 
 in 186 1, he addressed the following language as his 
 manifesto to the Church of England : — " 1 low can it be 
 denied that in this country the union of Church and State 
 is menaced and attacked ? It is attacked In the most 
 exalted place in the realm, in Parliament ; it is menaced 
 in an assembly in which the power of the Church would 
 be irresistible if Churchmen would combine together. IIcw 
 many bills were introduced in the last session of Parlia- 
 ment, all under different forms, having one sole end in 
 view, to undermine the Church and the most precious 
 
 1 
 ■ 
 
 [ 
 
v.i 
 
 nlSRAELI. 
 
 103 
 
 privileges of Ciuu'chnicn. Our motlc of distributini^ 
 charities is called in c[ue.stion ; our cemeteries threatened 
 with invasion ; our adversaries aim at changing our 
 marriage law, at facilitating our public worship as they 
 pretend, and in despoiling of its national character the 
 sound constitution of our Church. As to Church rates, 
 my opinion is well known. I believe their abolition would 
 be a terrible blow struck at the alliance between Church and 
 Slate, and that under no possible or imaginable circum- 
 stances should sucii a concession be made." A more 
 mischievous appeal to sacerdotal pride auu to religious 
 domination cannot be conceived. It is resistance to the 
 reform of our charitable bequests in which every species 
 of abuse and fraud was rampant ; it is resistance to dlow 
 a Nonconformist to lay his heretical carcase in the church- 
 yard of his fathers ; and as to Church rates, they have 
 passed away, and their abolition, like the reform of the 
 other abuses which he maintains, have immensely 
 strengthened and not weakened the Established Church. 
 On February 22, 1S61, writing to Lord Malmesbury, he 
 says, " The fact is, in internal politics there is only one 
 (luestion ncjw — the maintenance of the Church. There can 
 be no refraining or false liberalism on the subject." It 
 was just about this time that I asked him why he never 
 went to Ireland. " I have no taste to go to a country," 
 he said, "where i)eoplc ore always quarrelling about a 
 thing they call Religion," jerking out the last word with 
 a tone of supreme contempt. Later on, when walking 
 from the House of Lords with Lord Orford, after a 
 division on some question connected with religion, he 
 turned to him and said, " It is strange that you and I 
 should be walking out here together after an attempt to 
 prop up an exploded theology." Throughout all his con- 
 versation there ran a constant vein of scorn for any fixed 
 
 
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 104 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [C.I. 
 
 principle, and his actions were in harmony with his words. 
 In spite, however, of all hollowncss and flattery, yet to his 
 praise be it said he never faltered in his allegiance to his 
 own race, and invariably supported the emancipation of 
 the Jew- when the Tories to a man were rabidly opposed 
 
 to it. 
 
 There is no more flagrant instance of unscrupulousncss 
 in the annals of the public men of this century than his 
 conduct in 1S67 in respect to the Reform Bill. He and 
 his party had, with the aid of the .so-called "Cave of 
 Adullam," combated the Reform Bill of Lord Russell the 
 previous }'car. The " Cave " had on the motion of Lord 
 Dunkellin proposed the moderate restriction of a £6 ratinj; 
 instead of a rental franchise, and the whole Tory party, 
 led on by Mr. Disraeli, supported and carried the motion 
 by a majority of nine. The Liberal Government resigned, 
 and Lord Derby and die Tories came in. After a series 
 of childish and disreputable manceuvrcs, I\Ir. Disraeli 
 came down and proposed Household Suffrage, with the 
 view, as Lord Djrby with his usual levity called it, of 
 "dishing the Whigs." There was never a more profligate 
 act, or one which more lowered the character of the great 
 and respectable county part}-. ALany of the most 
 prominent members of it. Lord Salisbury, Lord Carnarvon, 
 and General I'eel at once seceded. 
 
 That I am not unjust will be manifest to any one who 
 tries to labour through Mr. Disraeli's speeches. Not one 
 of them indicates a policy or a conviction. They were 
 admirably adapted to the exigency of the moment, but 
 are now heavy, uninteresting reading, barring the occasional 
 brilliant jibes or turn of phrase which now and then lighten 
 their dulness. Most pathetic was his answer when he was 
 reproached for having done nothing during the Tory 
 Ministry of 1S5S. " What could we do," said lie, " crushed 
 
f 
 
 I 
 
 v.] 
 
 DISRAELI. 
 
 105 
 
 by ;ui civcrwliclniiny majority ? but U us ^ct ycjur majority 
 for a time, and sec if we will not do i^reat thiiif^s." The 
 Tory Government came into office in 1874 ; it was a 
 powerful majority ; I fully expected great measures to 
 follow, and yet what great or good measure was effected 
 by it either in England or in Ireland ? And as for the 
 colonies, his expressions were always those of contempt 
 and a contented impression that we should sooner or later 
 be rid of them. It is true that his party was leavened 
 by stupidity, inefficiency, inexperience, and prejudice ; but 
 his overwhelming [icrsonal influence could easily have 
 swept aside every obstacle, had he ever conceived any 
 important measure and been resolved on carrying it. He 
 ini;^ht have effected immense reforms in dealing with land, 
 which the s([uircs would have accepted from him, but his 
 Government did nothing except carry a law to permit 
 arrangements between landlord and tenant, if both were 
 consenting. No doubt towards the close of his life his 
 great object was Imperialism, the extension of EngUuid's 
 p(jwer, and her taking a more decided line in Continental 
 politics. As such he obtained for himself a great reputa- 
 tion throughout Europe, and unquestionably dissii)ated 
 for the time the growing belief of the decadence of 
 England. That he was a man of immense talent not 
 even his greatest enemy can deny; but even I, his 
 personal friend, must confess that from his entrance into 
 public life until his last hour he lived and died a 
 charlatan. 
 
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 1 06 
 
 SIR WII.I.IAM CREGOUV. 
 
 [Cm. 
 
 CllAPTKR VI. 
 
 Lord GliOROE BkntiNCK was of a very different nature. 
 Proud, overbearing, pe...^verin,i,\ brave as a h'on morally 
 as he was physically, once he took up a subject he never 
 let it drop to turn his thoughts to something else. He 
 thoroughly worked it out. Mis amazing and undaunted 
 energy made him almost invariably successful. His motto 
 eminently should have been " N// actum reputans si quid 
 siipcressct ngendum." He was the first man who ever put a 
 racehorse into a van, and when the blacklegs at Doncastcr 
 thought his famous horse Elis was safe on the Hampshire 
 Downs, and were betting against him as if he were dead, 
 he was trotting in his van into the town of Doncaster, to 
 win the St. Leger in a canter two days afterwards. It 
 was his vigour which inspired the Government to sanction 
 the passing of an Act of Parliament to stay all vexatious 
 proceedings in the case of the celebrated Qui Tam action, 
 which was the endeavour by a set of low attorneys to levy 
 enormous penalties in pursuance of an obsolete Act of 
 9th Anne for sums won by betting. His intelligence and 
 perseverance worked out the discovery of the infamous 
 fraud by which Running Rein, a four-year-old of falsified 
 pedigree, was enabled to compete with three-year-old colts 
 in 1844 and to win the Derby. But for him it wuuld 
 have succeeded, and enormous sums been won by a gang 
 of blacklegs. He thoroughly reformed the lurf regulations, 
 
VI. I 
 
 LORD ClEOUCr, lii:\ IIXCK. 
 
 107 
 
 in spite of tlic obstruction of Newmarket focjeyisni, and 
 he succecdetl in sternly enforcing,' at other race-courses 
 the enactments he first set on foot at (ioodwciotl for 
 expelh'n;^; from the precincts of the [rraiul stands the 
 welshers, levanters, touts, and ruffians wiio had previtnisly 
 infested them. The same determination he soon manifested 
 when he took to politics. lie was not a well-educated 
 man, and scarcely ever read a book, thoui^h he had been 
 private secretary for three years to iiis uncle Mr, Cannii.L,'. 
 In writinc^ to Mr. Croker in October, 1S47, he speaks thus 
 modestl)' of himself — 
 
 ''Virtually an iincdiK alcil man, never intiMuled or .ittnu-lcd by lastc 
 lor [xilitiial life, in tlic House of Commons only b)' a pure act itlen;, 
 intleed, l)y an inevitable and undesired chanj^e, I am well aware of 
 my own in(a[)acity to till the station I have Ijeen thrust into. My 
 sole ambition was to rally the Ijroken and dispirited forces of a 
 betrayed and insulted party, and to aven:^c the country ^^cntlcmen 
 and landed ari.->toiraty of Ijv^iand upon the minister wiio, presuming 
 on their wcakne-s, falsely llatlcred himbclf that they couKl be trami)lcd 
 on with impunity." 
 
 Over and over a;_;ain he spoke to me in that strain. I'or 
 eighteen years he had slejjt soundly upon the back benches 
 every niL;ht when not at a race, and when the House of 
 Commons was sittin;^, fcjr he rarcK' went into society. 
 lie ilined at White's rec^ularly, and then drove down to 
 the House. He always voted steadily with Sir Robert 
 I'eel, but when it became bruited abroad, in the autumn 
 of 1S45, that Sir Robert was disposed to repeal the Corn 
 Laws, his indi;^nati3n knew no bounds. He considered 
 that the Prime Minister had led his party into power on 
 the faith of Protection, that ever)- member of the great 
 Tory majority had pledged himself to it, and that to 
 violate such a pledge was fraught with dishonour. 
 
 In writing to me, in November, 1S45, from Welbeck, on 
 the subject of some experiments made for storing potatoes, 
 he sa}-s, " When the pits were oi)ened they were whitened 
 
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 11 
 
 lOS 
 
 SIU WILLIAM C.RKGOKY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 ■^qjulchrcs, and .stank ;is llic present ministers will stink- 
 in the nostrils of every honest man, if they try to earry 
 out the intentions attributed to them." When the 
 announcement appeared in the Times that the Cabinet 
 had resolved on Free Trade, he placet! himself at once at 
 the head of the kirj^c portion of the Tory party who were 
 resolved to resist the change. Racinl,^ so recently the 
 darliui; object of his life, his sole thought, became at once 
 a secondary consideration. To resist the (lovernment and 
 to punish them was henceforth his fi.xed idea. Never did 
 man work as he then worked. As he said to me, " I am 
 profoundly ignorant of political economy, and have to 
 learn the rudiments of it to understand and meet the 
 arguments of the l*"ree Traders ; I am unable as a speaker 
 to put two words together ; and, worse than all, the long 
 confirmed habit I have of sleeping after dinner causes me 
 the greatest misery while endeavouring to break it off." 
 ]Uit he gallantly persevered. It is cpiite true that he 
 never really understood Adam Smith, ami that he clung 
 desperately to every exploded economic fallacy, and 
 never became a Ouent speaker, but he was able to express 
 himself, and knew thoroughly what he was about, and he 
 never faltered or despaired. With signal pers^jicacit}' he 
 selected Mr. Disraeli, as I said before, as his lieutenant, 
 and then forced him on the party as their leailer. He 
 was totally devoid of personal ambition. 
 
 It was early in i<S46 that Lord George 15enlinck took 
 the field, and before the end of the session, to quote 
 Mr. Disraeli's words, he 
 
 '• had rallied a great party wliich Hccincd hopelessly routed, he hail 
 established a parliamentary disci|iline in their ranks which old 
 political connections led by cxjierienced statesmen have seldom 
 surpassed ; he had proved himself a master in detail, and in argument 
 of all the great cpiestions arising out of the reconstruction of our 
 commercial system. ' 
 
vi.i 
 
 I.OKD (IKORC.E UENTINCK. 
 
 109 
 
 He contimiccl to ;ict as leader of his part)' till the ciul t»f 
 1.S47, when he resij^ned. The cause of this formal rcsij^na- 
 tioii was his I'lavin^ spoken and voted for Lord J. Russell's 
 hill for the admission of Jews to I'arliamcnt. lie had 
 done so on two fonuer occasions, but on this one hr 
 received a letter from Major ]}eresfortl, one of the Con- 
 servative whi[)s, to the elTect that a considerable portion 
 of his party was dissatisfied with him. AlthouLjh Major 
 Heresford tried to reduce the offence by sayintj he was 
 only statiuLj his private opinion, Lord Geor^je's proud 
 spirit would not brook such an intimation, and he at once 
 resii^ned. I believe he was ^lad of the o[)portunit)- of 
 doin^ so, thou^^h evidently dee[)ly wounileu by the want 
 of confidence expressed. Whatever may have been his 
 heresies on currency and barking, on all reli;4ious matters 
 his early connection with Mr. Cannin:^' hail freed his mind 
 from bigotry, and lie was ready aiul anxious to concede 
 to the Catholic ami t(j the Jew alike the fullest equality. 
 "As for the Jews," he says, in one of his letters to Mr. 
 Crokcr, " I don't care two straws about them, and heartil\- 
 wish they were all back in the Holy Land;" but he 
 protests against leading a party based on such miserable 
 sectarian principles with all the scorn of his generous, 
 fiery s[)irit. He writes, December 19, 1S47, to Mr. 
 Croker — 
 
 "'riie,i,Mc;U Protectionist jiarty liiiviiv-jdcL^cncratcil intoa Xo-Popcrv, 
 \()-Jc\v party, I air. still more unlit than 1 was in 1S46 to lead it. .\ 
 party that ran muster a hundred and forty on .1 Jew i5il!, and cannot 
 nuistur uiuih above half those numbers on any tjucstion essentially 
 ( onnccteil with the j^'rcat interests of the IJnpirc, can only be led by 
 their antipathies, their hatreds, and their ])rejudiccs. ami I am the 
 unfittest man in the world to lead them. 1 think it very unfortunate 
 tliat lhin,L;s have been brout^ht to that pass, that I see no chance of the 
 party bein;,' kcjjt from meltinjx away except by the choice of a new 
 leatler, and he a No-l'opery man. I wrote this to Stanley ion;^^ a;^!). 1 
 have resigned with a good grace and in a tone of good feeling, and I 
 
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 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 hope tliat the result will he that the party will henrcAirth act with more 
 concord and ; ral, and may thus on the only subjects which concern 
 the Empire be led by their prejudices to muster more strouLjly than 
 they could bo by argument or reason so long as they were led by a 
 man who endeavoured to lead them by their understandings, but 
 knew not how to sympathize in or to pander to their religious 
 prejudices." 
 
 On the rcsi.cjnation of Lord Gcorf^c Bcntinck, Lord 
 Granby was selected to lead tb.c Protectionist party, but 
 refused this very questionable position ; and a triumvirate 
 coi:sisting of Mv. Disraeli, Lord Granby, and .Air. ] lorries 
 were appointed as "joint leaders in the House of Com- 
 mons ; " "an evident failure," wrote Lord Malmesbury at 
 the time, "the latter two beincj in the way of the first." 
 Lord ALalmcsbury had throuc,diout recognized the sagacity 
 of Lord George Eentinck in placing iMr. Disraeli in the 
 front, for shortly after Lord George's death he writes : 
 " No one but Disraeli can fill his place. Although of 
 perfectly different natures, they pulled together without 
 an}' difficulty. It will leave Disraeli without a rival, and 
 enable him to show the great genius he undoubtedly 
 possesses without any comparisons." 
 
 I Iiave recently heard persons declaiming on the 
 extraordinary astuteness of Disraeli in putting forward 
 Lord George IJentinck as a leader, knowing that he coidd 
 not possibly ho'd the post for long, but just loiv^ enough 
 to enable him to assimie the direction of and gain tlie 
 adhesion of the party. Jkit those who make such an 
 assertion I'ttle know Lord George's clearness of vision, 
 and that he was the very last man to be an instrument in 
 the hands of any one. They are entirely ignorant, more- 
 over, of what was then Disraeli's position ; that he was 
 spoken oi contemptuously as a somewhat ridiculous though 
 very clever adventurer, It is true that his great speeches 
 against Peel opened men's eyes to his abilit}-, but it 
 
VI.] 
 
 LORD (iliORGE I3ENTIXCK. 
 
 I I I 
 
 required all Lord Gcorpjc Ikntinck's strength of will, 
 tenacity of purpose, and hijjh rank to force him into the 
 prominence which culminated into leadership. Over and 
 over ac^ain did Lord George, before we were estranged, 
 speak with almost fury of the resistance of the squires to 
 
 the prominence of the " d d Jew," as they chose to call 
 
 the man whose memory they now adore with primroses in 
 their button-hole. To use what would have been Lord 
 George's racing language, " It was he who gave Dizzy the 
 mount, it was Dizzy's riding that won the race." 
 
 It was the custom of the Whigs and Peelites to sneer 
 at Lord George as an ignorant intruder in the political 
 area, and to proclaim that Newmarket alone was his 
 proper sphere, I entirely disagree with that view. I 
 regard him as a man of remarkable ability, unflinching 
 perseverance, of high moral as well as physical courage, 
 and believe that had he devoted himself in early life to 
 politics, he would have taken a prominent, perhaps the must 
 prominent, position in the history of the day. It is true 
 that he was unj'ielding and tenacious of his own opinion, 
 but that fault would have been modified by the exigencies 
 of office. He ne\-er would have been, like his friend 
 Disraeli, a man of e.xpcdients, but would have formed a 
 decided jiolicy, would have fashioned measures of great 
 importance in his miml, would have worked the details 
 to as near perfection as intelligence antl industry could 
 bring them, and would have influenced his i)arty in 
 support of them by the contagion of his own enthusiasm. 
 Witness his famous measure, at the time of the Irish 
 famine, for the prompt and profitable employment of the 
 people of Ireland, b\- lending a sum of sixteen millions to 
 railwa)' companies who were prepared to come forward 
 with half that amount and to open up the whole of Ireland. 
 This proposal was ridiculed and rejected by the Whig 
 
 V. 
 
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 If 
 
 
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1 12 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GRKGOKV, 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 > >i 
 
 Government vln'ch succeeded Sir Robert Peel ; but it was 
 a grand scheme, every detail worked out, every difficulty 
 met. It would have been the L^reatest blessing to the 
 country, and it would have provided a vast amount of 
 profitable relief to the suffering poor. It is calculated 
 ':hat employment to 110,000 able-bodied men would have 
 at once been given, whenMs under the Labour Rate Act 
 500,000 pf^rsons were employed idling, and doing in many 
 cases absolute mischief at a cost of ^700,000 month!}-. 
 I do not recollect one work of utility completed under 
 the Labour Rate Act, but I know too well, ana every 
 Irishman who takes a part in country business knows 
 that it has left an insatiable desire for public works, 
 because they bring with them reckless expenditure, jobbin", 
 and fraud. This labour, moreover, would have been honest 
 and reproductive, and unaccompanied by the demoraliza- 
 tion which the ineffectual system of relief adopted sowed 
 in the country, and which has become as it were in'n-aincd 
 in it. And now, after an expiration of thirty-seven years, 
 the Government is engaged in partially carrying out the 
 
 •cd d 
 
 own 
 
 views of Lord George Bentinck which were sneer 
 
 in the Hoi'se of Commons on February 4, 1S47, and with 
 
 vdiat loss to Ireland ! 
 
 My friendship u'ith Lord George Bentinck be 
 
 gan at a 
 
 very early period of my life, when I had just left Oxfurtl. 
 
 extremely civil to me and often invited me to 
 
 He 
 
 was 
 
 see 
 
 his horses. The following letter, writt 
 
 husti 
 
 ngs speech, shows the very friendly relat 
 
 en just after my 
 
 ions which 
 
 existed between us : — 
 
 " W clbcck, January 29. i>S42. 
 "The news of your majority on the fust day's poll -avc ••very 
 Conservative here, and especially nic, the j^ieatcst pleasure. I 
 sincerely congratulate you upon it, but still more do I con-ratulate 
 you upon the distinguished fight you made upon the hustings again 
 
 bt 
 
VI.] 
 
 LORD GEORGE I5ENTIXCK. 
 
 113 
 
 the great O'Connell at the nominatioi., and even the \Vhi;j;5 have 
 acknowledged their admiration of your speech. I need not say that 
 I anticipate no reverse upon the poll. I doubt not that you will 
 maintain and improve the strong lead you have taken, but should 
 it be otherwise still I could not but congratulate you upon the triumph 
 of talents evinced in your first day's battle upon the hustings. Verily 
 if Auckland '' (the first favourite for the Derby) '' has done as much 
 with the old ones in private as the 'tijjsy boy 'from the Curragh has 
 done with the great agitator in publick (s/c), there is no fear but that 
 he will win the Derby in a canter. With sincerest wishes for your 
 continued success, 
 
 " Believe mc always very truly yours, 
 
 "G. ]5i:XTIN-CK." 
 
 The reference to the " tipsy boy from the Curragh " 
 was to one of the amenities employed towards mc by tlic 
 Frcevian's Jounial din-ing the tiinc of the election. Thoi,;h 
 at that time I had never been at the Curragh, truth 
 compels me to admit that Rcmmy Sheehan, the editor 
 of the Dublin Evoiiiii:; Mail, had recently given a dinner- 
 party to myself and my chief supporters. \Vc were all in 
 high spirits, and the wine was excellent and our host 
 somewhat overprcssing, so much so that when Lord Jocclyn 
 and myself adjourned to a ball at Lord Eliott's it was 
 manifest, though only slightly tnanifest, that we had been 
 dining out. I need hardly say the Freeman made a 
 mountain out of this mole-hill. 
 
 I tiad constant letters from Lord George, on all manner 
 of subjects, till the break up of Sir R. Peel's Government, 
 when a coolness arose betv.'ecn us in consequence of his 
 employing the epithets of "janissaries" and "renegades " 
 to the I'celite I'ree-traders, and this lasted till within a 
 few days of his death, which occurred shortly after the 
 Doncaster Meeting of 1848. One day at Doncaster, when 
 the races were over, there were several men, whom he knew 
 well, standing together, and he said, " Will you come to 
 the [)addocks and see the marcs and foals } " and, turning 
 
 
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 i 
 
 114 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GRKGORV. 
 
 [Ch. 
 
 to mc, he added, " And I hope fou will come too." He 
 laid so much stress on the word "you" that I very 
 cordially accepted the invitation. After the inspection 
 of the young stock was over, he turned to me and said, 
 "We have plenty of time before dinner— suppose you and 
 I take a walk. It is long since we have had one." There 
 was not a word about our former coolness during the walk, 
 but he seemed to do his best to efface all memory of it. 
 In fact, he was for the time quite gentle and unlike himself 
 and the proud obdurate race to which he belonged. He 
 spoke a great deal about himself— how unfit he was to lead 
 a party, how much he regretted his deficient education, and 
 the absolute torture it was to him to give up his habit 
 of sleeping after dinner. I asked him if he did not at 
 times regret having sold his famous stud and his great 
 horse Surplice. Uc .said at times he longed for the 
 pleasant windy mornings on Newmarket Heath or Stock 
 bridge Downs, seeing his young horses gallop and trying 
 them, but, he said, " I have giver, up every thought of 
 racing. I know nothing of it. I have put my hand to the 
 plough and cannot turn back." When we parted it was 
 quite clear that wc were to be for the future on tlic 
 old footing. This walk and kind conversation wcri_ a 
 great satisfaction to me when a few daj's afterwards 1 
 heard thac he was [kicked up stone dead in a field near 
 Wei beck. 
 
 If ever a man killed himself by sheer hard labour and 
 privation, that man wa Lord George Bentinck. l\Ir, 
 Disraeli mentions that for some time before his death 
 he worked for eighteen hours a day, and he has told mc 
 repeatedly that he was in a state of inanition, because if 
 he tasted food till his day's work was over, he would 
 become liable to the drowsiness which only starvation 
 overcame. He died, it is supposed, of s^jasni in the heart, 
 
VI.] 
 
 LORD GEORGE BEXTINCK. 
 
 II 
 
 produced by over anxiety and toil, for he was perfectly 
 sound in every respect, and one of the finest and hand- 
 somest men I ever beheld. I mourned bis death at the 
 time deeply and unreservedly. I felt that a great English- 
 man had departed ; but subsequent reflection brought me 
 to the conclusion that his death was, so far as his reputa- 
 tion was concerned, not disadvantageous c'thcr to himself 
 or his country. In two years he had risen from the ranks 
 and become one of the most prominent men in England. 
 Had his early life been more disciplined, had he been 
 subjected to the chastening influence of office, and to the 
 responsibility of administration, he would have been more 
 pliant, more ready to look around him, more disposed to 
 listen to argument and to objection. This was not his 
 way — a strong difference from his views was tantamount 
 to a moral offence. It would have been impossible for 
 the Tory party ever to shake themselves clear of the 
 economic fallacies which he laid down as the basis of 
 faith with an Athanasian dogmatism. The slightest back- 
 sliding from what he considered the immutable principles 
 of right and wrong would have brought down even on his 
 best friends his unsparing denunciation, h^riendship or 
 party consideration were no shield against his wrath when 
 tlie fire burned hot within him. His anger was too often 
 unreasonable, as when he fell foul of Lord Derby, during 
 a political dinner at the Carlton, in consequence of Lord 
 I)erb\- expressing an opinion that it was unwise to persist 
 in denunciations of the followers of Sir Robert Peel who 
 might, perhaps, if gently handled, be induced to rejoin the 
 Tory party ; and again, when he assailed Lord Lyndhurst 
 for having jobbed his patronage, an accusation which was 
 proved to be altog.ther unfounded. These outbreaks were 
 the result of the want of discipline to which I have alluded, 
 and would undoubtedl)- have been attended with much 
 
 ! IT 
 
 i 1 1 
 
1 
 
 4 
 
 !! 
 
 ■I 
 
 II 
 
 ■till 
 
 iiC 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 unhappincss to himself and with the disruption of his party, 
 which the ability of Disraeli with difficulty kept together. 
 I cannot, therefore, regret his untimely death, though I 
 am by no means prepared to say that I should have 
 regretted the disruption of the Tory party. In that case 
 we might have formed a powerful, moderate, and enlight- 
 ened Government, with Mr. Gladstone as its leader. A 
 careful and progressive policy, with his great financial 
 skill, would have secured the confidence of the country, 
 and democracy, though irresistible, would have been 
 retarded for a quarter of a century, instead of being 
 fostered and egged on. 
 
 With the exception of my five and a half years' govern- 
 ment of Ceylon, these first five years in Parliament were the 
 happiest period of my life. I was young, strong in health, 
 well off through the generosity of my father, who never 
 denied me anything. I was popular, and welcome to the 
 best houses in London. I should qualify this by writing the 
 best Conservative houses in London, for party spirit ran 
 high, and there was but little love lost between Whigs 
 and Tories. I always have regretted that I never had 
 a chance of penetrating the charmed and charming circle 
 of literary society, which was even then expiring, but 
 there were still Rogers, Lockhart, Luttrcll, ALacaulay, 
 Hayward, Sidney Smith, and others. My acquaintance 
 with Sidney Smith was rather amusing. Shortly after 
 my election I was asked to dine with Lord and Lady 
 Clanricarde, at 2, Carlton-house Terrace. I arrived, as 
 I considered myself bound to do, at the very minute 
 indicated. On being shown into the drawing-room I 
 found there was one guest before me, a fat elderly i)arson, 
 whom I supposed to be the domestic chaplain, and with 
 whom, to set him at his ease, I entered at once into 
 conversation with the most condescending affabilit)'. To 
 
VI.] 
 
 SIDNEY SMITH. 
 
 117 
 
 my amazement my advances were met with somethincj 
 that was very like chaff, and in a few minutes I found 
 myself an object of the broadest banter by the old fat 
 parson. My dignity was a Httlc rubbed, but he was so 
 extremely droll that we were shortly in fits of laughter 
 and excellent friends. So I relaxed my self-importance 
 and said to him, " Let us make an arrangement. I am 
 sure I shall know no one of the great people who will 
 be here, and I dare say you will be in the same predica- 
 ment, so let us sit together, and we shall get on famously." 
 "That will just suit me," said he, and at that moment 
 in sailed Lady Clanricardc and introduced me to the 
 wittiest and best known man in England, the Canon of 
 St. Paul's. I almost sunk into my evening boots, but, as 
 we were going out to dinner, he said to Lady Clanrirarde, 
 *' I have made an engagement with my young friend here 
 to sit next to him. Pray put us next each other." This 
 she did, and, after a little temporary abasement, I passed 
 a most pleasant evening. I do not think I met him 
 again. I knew Thackeray at the time, and until his 
 death, extremely well. We made acquaintance at the 
 house of Thoby Prinsep, M.P. and East India Director, 
 where we both W()rshipi)ed at the shrine of the most 
 beautiful woman I have ever seen, the present Lady 
 Somers, then Virginia Pattlc, sister to Mrs. Prinsep. 
 There were many other worshippers. George Smythc, 
 Lord Lansdownc, Alfred Montgomery, and Watts the 
 painter. When Lord Somers came, in 1S50, and carried 
 off this lovely and most lovable girl, we were all very 
 sad. I saw her first at a Highland ball, in PLanover- 
 squarc Rooms, in 1S44. She and her sister, Mrs. Dal- 
 rymplc, also very beautiful at that time, were sitting 
 together covered with folds of white gauze. Every one 
 was looking at them with the greatest admiration, but 
 
 ';■ !!i 
 
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 fi 
 
 I -H-r 
 
 I -i'l 
 
ii8 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 i I 
 
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 ! 
 
 I!,l 
 
 if^ 
 
 Mfr, 
 
 no one knew who and whence they were. Goinj:^ out into 
 the passage, I met Lord Altamont, the present Lord 
 Sligo, and I said to him, " Come in here without losing 
 a moment, there are two angels who liave just iloatcd 
 into the ballroom through an open window, and if you 
 don't make haste they may fly out of it." " Why," said 
 he, "these are the Tattle girls, daughters of old Blazer 
 Pattle— I knew them well at Calcutta. Come and be 
 introduced ! " I came, was introduced, and was " burnt 
 up at once into kabobs," as the Persians say. To this 
 hour she retains some of her wonderful beauty, and in 
 goodness of lieart she remains, and ever will remain, 
 unchanged. 
 
 It was not, however, merely in London or in I'arlia- 
 ment that I took my pleasure. I regret to say that very 
 soon Newmarket and the great race meetings began to 
 exercise a far stronger attraction than politics or society, 
 and undoubtedly there was in those early times a fascina- 
 tion about Newmarket which was irresistible. The style 
 of racing was totally different from the present. There 
 was plenty of betting, no doubt, but the betting was on 
 the weight for age races, and on matches. Handicaps 
 of any importance were comparatively rare. The Derby 
 was the one great object then ; there were but few two- 
 year-old races to throw a light on it, and in the spring 
 meetings there were every day weight for age races for 
 three-year-old colts, many of these being of the deepest 
 interest as regards the great event. There was not the 
 system then of gigantic training stables ; many owners of 
 racehorses had their private stables, and in most cases 
 the trainers had only two or three employers. John Day 
 and John Scott, the great representatives of the Northern 
 and Southern stables, were the exceptions, both of them 
 training large studs. Nothing was more delightful than 
 
VI.] 
 
 A FEAT OF STRENCiTH. 
 
 119 
 
 to get up early in the morning, mount one's hack, and 
 watch all the champions for the great events taking their 
 gallops, and listen to the comments of the cognoscenti. 
 Never were eggs and bacon more punished than after our 
 return from the Heath. In the daytime we were all on 
 horseback — there were only about half a dozen races in 
 the year witnessed from a stand. A pleasant dinner, full 
 of fun, at the Rooms, matching horses after dinner, and a 
 rubber of moderate whist ended a healthy day. licsides 
 the old-established meetings there was one set on foot 
 by old Lord Verulain, father of the present lord, at 
 Gorhambury, which was very pleasant. I used to be a 
 guest at the house, where there was invariably a large 
 party of smart, good-looking women, and of fast young 
 men of o[)ulence. We kept late hours, had excellent fare. 
 The race-course, if not very good, was very pretty, antl 
 we always looked forward to the meeting. In the evening 
 all sorts of amusements prevailed, and I shall never, while 
 I live, forget the performances of Paul Alethuen, the present 
 lord, and what came of them. He was reputed to be one 
 of the strongest men in the army, and his strength must 
 have been prodigious, as he actually lifted frcnn the ground 
 by the waistband of his trousers the present Sir Watkin 
 W'ynn, then weighing certainly over fourteen stone, and 
 held him out with one hand. Unfoitunately the material 
 (){ the trousers was not equal to the strain. They gave 
 way — and I leave to the imagination the sight that met 
 the eye of all the ladies assembled in the great hall, and 
 (jf the maids above in the gallery. There was i> dead 
 silence for a moment, then every one broke out into a 
 roar ; the ladies ran into the drawing-room and hid their 
 faces in the cushions, and the gentlemen laughed till 
 they cried. 
 
 Although young and inexperienced I held my ov/n 
 
 > ;4 
 
 1 ;; 
 
120 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GKEGORV, 
 
 tCii. VI. 
 
 very fairly at those mcotinss. but I did not bet heavily 
 
 except on the Derby, when one had plenty of time to 
 
 look about and <j:ct advice. The year after my success 
 
 on Coronation I had a reverse on Attila, not so much 
 
 from what I lost on the horse himself as by reason of 
 
 some heavy defalcations. lUit in the following,' year, iS^3, 
 
 my i,^ood fortune was a.cfain in the ascendant. One mornin,t,^ 
 
 early in the session, Mr. Bowes, U.?. for Durham, a p[rcat 
 
 friend of mine, called on me and asked mc, in strict 
 
 confidence, to back his horse Cotherstone for the comin<,T 
 
 Derby, and I- ^ advised me to follow suit. Colherstonc 
 
 was an outsider in Scott's stable, little thouf^dit of, and 
 
 at forty to one in the bettin;^. Mr. liowcs Ljave mc plenty 
 
 of time to do the commission, which I returned to him 
 
 as ;{^22,000 to ;^iooo. The horse came to Newmarket in 
 
 April, won the two great races there, the J-iiddlesworth 
 
 and Two Thousand Guineas stake, for which I backed him 
 
 heavily. He then went to Epsom and won the Derby in ;i 
 
 canter, and I had the gratification of handing to Mr. liowcs 
 
 £22,000 on the Monday following, and of lodging ^5000 
 
 to my own credit at my bankers. Two years afterwards, 
 
 on the Sunday fortnight before the Derby, I made a very 
 
 remarkable bet. A large part)- was dining at Greenwich, 
 
 of whom Jack Mylton, the son of the celebrated Squire 
 
 of Ilalston, was one. He was offering to bet extravagant 
 
 odds against outsiders for the Derby, and I proposed to 
 
 take ^1000 to £^, ten times against each of two horses, 
 
 one an outsider in Scott's stable, and the other, called 
 
 *' Merry Monarch," trained by Foster, of whom I had 
 
 received a good account from a trustworthy source. He 
 
 won the Derby, and Mytton would have hi-.l to pay me 
 
 ;Cio,ooo, but I hedged oiTpi^Gooo with him before the race, 
 
 when he was warned the i.^rse was dangerous. As it was 
 
 his dinner cost him ^^4000. 
 
( 121 ) 
 
 • 
 
 CIIAPTRR VII. 
 
 I Ml'ST now mention some of my doings in Parliament. 
 I ha\c a few notes still remaining written at the time. It 
 is most unfortunate that I did not pursue the jiracticc 
 of keeping a record of the sayings and doings of the men 
 of mark with whom I came in contact, and of my own 
 lionest, unbiaseil view of the (juestions of the day. As 
 T became better educated in politics I fcnind that the 
 intimations — I will not call them pledges — which I gave 
 to my most intolerant constituents were serious impedi- 
 ments in my way. At the time when I canvassed the 
 constituency I was entirely, owing to my political ignorance, 
 in the iiands of others, of men who had fought to the bitter 
 end against Catholic iMnancipation, and I was recommended 
 by them to denounce the Maynooth Grant and the system 
 of National ICducation and to take the high Protestant 
 line. My early associations had been entirely free from 
 religious bigotry ; there was no animosity towards Roman 
 Catholics and their religion among the young men with 
 whom I lived at O.xford. I\Iy mother and the O'Maras 
 were decidedly Liberal in politics, and all of them enthusi- 
 astic advocates of Catholic Emancipation. My father, 
 though nominally a Tory, was totally free from the Trench 
 traditions and perfectly liberal in his religious opinions. 
 If he was not so in general politics it was because he was 
 timid and had not given much heed to them, rather than 
 from any force of conviction. 
 
 
 ■I 
 
 I i: 
 
 iu,: 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 % 
 
SIR WILLIAM r.REGORV. 
 
 [Cm 
 
 l! i! 
 
 nil 
 
 5' 
 
 When I went over to ICni^'land as a nicinbcr of I'arl la- 
 ment I found Enf^lish Conservative ()i)inion to be very 
 different from Irish. The former was desiroas of raisini; 
 up the Irish Cathoh'cs to an equality with the I'rotestants 
 and to do away with all disabilities and ineciualities ; the 
 latter was desirous of kccpin.;^^ down the Roman Catholies 
 and retaininjj every anomaly, every insultint; distinction, 
 and of preserving their own social sui)eriority. " Always 
 make a nii;c,a-r feel lie's a niL,^!;er, or else he'll .ijrow saucy," 
 says Sam Slick, and such was exactly the feelini,' (jf the 
 t,M-eat majority of middle-class I'rotcstants, and (jf a 
 considerable number of the higher class. I was seriousl)- 
 requested to bring before I'arlianient the conduct of the 
 Catholics in having and using chapel bells, and I i 'member 
 Lord W wanting me to join him in throwing over- 
 board the Dublin packet two tin cases belonging to some 
 fellow-travelling Roman Catholic prelate. I asked him 
 why we should do such a tiu'ng, and his answer was, 
 " Because he is a Catholic priest, antl of course a scoundrel." 
 I find in the diarj- to which I have alluded various entries 
 at this time, expressive of the intense disgust which 1 felt 
 at this intolerance and of the irksomeness of my own 
 position. I copy one made at an early i)eriod : — 
 
 "Occupied rill day about the Maynooth Cirant, wliich comes on 
 to-ni^dit. Read all the fuinicr debates on the subject weary work 
 enough. Hope we shall be spared havin;.,^ our opposition dis.nraced 
 by the abominable fanaticism of Messrs. I'lumtrc and Co. Tre-^hani 
 Gregj,^ and the operatives of Dublin arc sufficiently bitter pills without 
 havintj 'the Man of .Sin,' 'Antichrist,' 'Priests of IJaal,' and 'the 
 Scarlet Lady of Babylon,' crammed down our throats." 
 
 During the first session of 1842 I only made a few- 
 remarks in reply to some observations by Mr. Shiel, who 
 commented on my having attended a meeting of the 
 Protestant Operative Association at which the Rev. 
 Tresham Gregg presided, and having there declared 
 
VII.l 
 
 UNlUUTUXATi: ri.l'.DC.ICS. 
 
 1:53 
 
 myself acjaiiist Maynof)th and National ICducatlon ; Lord 
 Jocclyn, who was on the Lord Lieutenant's staff, was also 
 hauled over the coals for having accompanied me, and 
 aided me in my canvass. Lord ICliot, then Chief Secretary, 
 threw me over by rei^rettinc^ my lanj^uaj^e on the subject 
 of education. I said I was in favour of reli^nous education, 
 and that I would do all in my power ta obtain a system 
 foundetl on reli^i^ious i)rincii)les. 
 
 A few days afterwards Sir Robert Peel called me int(j 
 his room and said, " ]\Iy Ljood fellow, the days of extreme 
 relicjious opinions are over. I was sorry to hear you 
 itlentify yourself ^it all with the intolerant section of your 
 countrymen.'' I told him the whole truth, and with much 
 bitterness of heart. " Well," said he, " if you have unfortu- 
 nately j^ivcn any plcdcjcs you must stick t(i them or rcsiijn 
 your seat. At all events, take every opportunity of dis- 
 sociatinij yourself from those ultra men, who if they 
 had their way would create a fresh rebellion in Ireland." 
 
 As re.Ljards the views I held on National l'2ducation 
 I mitj[ht now boast that my object has been attained, as the 
 National lulucation system is virtually denominational, 
 and the hic;hcr education is becoming more so. I have 
 always held the opinion I expressed in 1S42, for I 
 am certain that the tics of rclitijion arc the only influences 
 which can beneficially affect the unruly wills and lawless- 
 ness of the Irish lower classes. 
 
 I felt the most unbounded admiration for the courage, 
 as well as political foresight, with which George Smythe, 
 a young man lil:c myself, treated Irish ([uestions, social 
 and religioua, although he represented the extreme Tory 
 and, indeed, retrograde element of a cathedral city (Canter- 
 bury). I chafed at the pledges or, as I called them in the 
 preceding page, " intimations " which I had given to my 
 Dublin constituents, and felt resolved to break my bonds 
 
 i M 
 
 i 
 
 m. 
 
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 f 
 
 V V 
 
 iH 
 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 'ill 
 
 1 1 
 
 124 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 ; 
 
 at the next election, and to tell the voters that, while 
 loyally supportin^^^ the Government of Sir Robert Peel, 
 I should speak my mind and act freely on all questions. 
 I took no other part in the House of Commons durin;^^ 
 
 1842. 
 
 In the following year I was equally silent, except that 
 I made two short speeches on " fishing piers " and " polling 
 places," but even then I had come to the conclusion that 
 food taxes were doomed, and, much to the indignation 
 of my Tory friends, I paired in favour of Mr. I lutt's motion 
 for the free importation of Australian corn, and was 
 thereby the first seceder from the Protectionist phalanx. 
 In 1844 I made a good, though somewhat laboured speech 
 on the Dublin State Trials, and the general condition 
 of Ireland. Mr. Macaulay told the oft-told and too true 
 tale of English misrule, I contended that it was useless 
 to go back, but it was our duty to go forward, and I was 
 applauded when I described Macaulay 's historical allusions 
 as " Hatchments over the memory of departed grievances, 
 with the word '/^(^-jv/r^^rw ' ostentatiously inscribed in the 
 most conspicuous characters." In the course of this 
 speech I used these words, wliich are not inapplicable 
 to the present state of things in Ireland: — " In ICngland 
 you may extend the elective franchise in the counties 
 if you will, property there will have its legitimate influence. 
 In Ireland, however, the case is different. The more 
 extensive the augmentation of the constituencies there, 
 the greater power you lodge, not in the friends of Ireland, 
 but in the hands of those who are the determined enemies 
 of liritish connection and of the establishment of tranquillity 
 in the country." I also spoke indignantly of the ill-treat- 
 ment of the poorer Irish tenants, who were encouraged 
 to multiply during the time of the forty-shilling franchise, 
 " but who, because they could no longer minister to the 
 
VII.] 
 
 THE MAYNOOTII GRANT. 
 
 125 
 
 political ambition of their master or the extortions of the 
 middleman, were driven out roofless and homeless on 
 the wide world, to swell the lists of those to whom any 
 change must be a godsend." 
 
 In April, 1845, Sir Robert Peel brought in his bill to 
 increase the Maynooth Grant. I made a moderate speech 
 on the introduction of the bill, not opposing it, as many 
 did, on the ground of its encouraging religious error, but 
 because the priests brought up at Maynooth had proved 
 themselves to be so essentially turbulent and disloyal. 
 On the 14th of April I again spoke against this grant, 
 and made a very bad, ill-argued speech. I so acted 
 l)artly because I had most unfortunately compromised 
 myself at the election that I would oppose the Maynooth 
 Grant, and, a fortiori, I was bound to oppose an increase 
 to it, but also because I had been constantly assailed by 
 the Dublin Tory press on account of my Laodicean lukc- 
 warmness. What were my real opinions at that time I 
 e.xpresscel in my diary, which, for many reasons, I never 
 intended that other eyes than my own should see. On 
 the 3rd of April I write — 
 
 " .Ml l.'isl nii:;lu at the House of Commons. Peel introduced his 
 measure for the incre.-xse of the grant to Maynooth Collej^e. I never 
 saw a man look more downhearted than he did durin;^ the time of 
 private business, when petitions against his bill poured in fr.);a every 
 village and hamlet, city and county, throughout the land. There 
 might be seen, with the same pile of earnest and sorrowful protests, 
 .Sir Robert Inglis ;ind Tom Duncombe, Church and Chartism, the 
 Anti-Corn League and Young England, Cobden and John .Manners, 
 IMuniptre, the man of devotion, and Disraeli, the man of sneers. All, 
 all are present, laden with the orthotlox terrors of the whole of 
 I'.ngland and .Scotland and half Ireland, lest the Roman Catholic 
 priesthood of the last-named wretched country should be elevated one 
 half-inch in the scale of humanity, lest the students of Maynooth 
 College should, through the liberality of Parliament, be enabled to 
 sleep two instead of three in a bed. 
 
 " And oh ! what a miserable falling off was there in our Premier's 
 
 » 'I 
 
 fetfi 
 
 

 ■) I) 
 
 '''!^ 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 126 
 
 SlTv WILLIAM GRECORV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 attitude and demeanour. Where was that jaunty air, tliat ponderous 
 jest, tliat emphatic thump on the red box, wiien, with coat thrown 
 liack in days of yore, he turned to drink in the enthusiastic cheers of 
 his workin- majority of ninety? All this had passed away. Like a 
 man accused of some great crime he took his stand, and pleaded his 
 cause slowly, painfully, dcspondingly. No turning round now behind 
 the Treasury Bench, not a cheer from thence." 
 
 It was in this year, on Jimc 6th, that her Majesty 
 rrave her celebrated Bal Poudre, to which I had the 
 honour of rcceivinj^ an invitation. The costume was 
 h'mitcd to the period between 1730 and 1750. ]\Iy dress 
 cost between £70 and ^80, so I may as well describe 
 it. High red-heeled shoes with diamond buckles ; white 
 silk stockings with gold clock ; cherry-coloured velvet 
 breeches ; a deep waistcoat with flaps of white satin, 
 embroidered with arabesques ; a turquoise-coloured velvet 
 coat with gold buttons, from whence emerged a sword ; 
 and on my head a small three-cornered hat trimmed 
 with ostrich feathers. The costuinc of the time required 
 a small bob-wig with a couple of side curls. Most of the 
 guests cut off their hair and invested in a horsehair wig. 
 I allowed mine to grow, and had it well curled and poma- 
 tumed and powdered just before starting. The dances 
 of the evening were minuets. Sir Roger dc Coverley, and 
 country dances. After her Majesty had danced her 
 minuet the other minuet parties came forward and danced 
 before her. I never saw so striking a sight as this ball. 
 ]3esides our own national attire, civil and military, we had 
 Hungarians, Venetians, Russians — in short, the inhabitants 
 of all Europe in the dress of the period ; and the ladies 
 looked superb in powder, rouge, and patches, especially 
 ladies in theautuinn of life, who, for that night at all events, 
 completely cut down the younger and more blooming 
 debutantes. I always wonder that ladies just in the descent 
 ■of the hill of life have not made the introduction of u' iire 
 
^•11.] 
 
 A l!AL rOUDRli. 
 
 12/ 
 
 and powder a sine qua iioii of the highest fashionable even- 
 ing attire. They have everything on their side, exper'ence, 
 a common bond of union, and desperation to enforce their 
 decree. Could they but succeed their attractions would 
 be extended and paramount for at least another five years. 
 Surely such an object is worth a struggle. 
 
 At about half-past two in the morning I felt a very 
 unpleasant laxity in the state of my curls, and found 
 that the heat of the atmosphere and my dancing exer- 
 tions were gradually relaxing them into straightncss, and 
 so I toc/k my departure. It was a lovely warm morning, 
 and the streets cpiitc deserted. I walked up to St. 
 James's Street on my way home, and found Crockford's 
 Club still open. On going upstairs, the supper-room 
 was full of ncn from the ball, and not one in ordinary 
 attire. It was an exact representation of Hogarth's 
 " Rake's Progress." The Rakes of 1.S45 were not drunk, 
 to be sure, but there they were as in 17S0, with their 
 legs up and their swonls thrown on the table or the 
 ground, their bob-wig either on the back of their heads or 
 altogether off. It was one of the most curious sights I 
 ever saw. I only wish I had had the power of Hogarth 
 to record it. I am not aware that any drawings were 
 made of the costumes, but well do I remember the extra- 
 ordinary beauty of I.ady Waterford, Lady Canning, and 
 Lady Douro (now Duchess of Wellington), and how 
 fascinating and picturescjuc Lady Villiers looked as a 
 I'rcp.ch marquise. I can still sec Lord Cardigan striding 
 ])n)udly through the rooms in the uniform of the nth 
 Dragoons at CuUoden. Mow strange my friend Robert 
 Curzon looked in a (piaint Venetian dress, how high bred 
 Lord Wilton and Lord .Alford, and how odd the guards- 
 men, in their long white infantry gaiters and old-fasbJoned 
 high-peakeil caps ! 
 
 !• It 
 
 I ^* 
 
 I J 
 
 ' m 
 
128 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Ch. 
 
 ■f 
 
 In 1846 came the great conversion. The Conserva- 
 tives deserted Protection in platoons, that is, almost all 
 the leaders, except Lord Derby, Lord George Bentinck, 
 Mr. Henley, Mr. Hcrries, and Mr. Disraeli, though the 
 last-named, at that time, had not emerged from the rank- 
 and-file. Sir Robert Peel, on the meeting of Parliament, 
 brought forward his motion for I'rec Trade. I took an 
 early opportunity of supporting .Sir Robert to the best of 
 my power. Early in P'cbruary I made a speech on the 
 abolition of import duties on corn, which was long, ex- 
 tremely dull, and received with attention, and nothing 
 more. 
 
 My speech was better thought of by Sir Robert Peel 
 than I thought of it myself, for, two days after it, 1 
 received a note from him, requesting me to call on him. 
 On my doing so, he asked me if I thought my seat was 
 safe, and, on my expressing my belief that it was so, he 
 went on to say that the L'ish Lordship of the Treasury 
 was vacant, and that he wished me to take it ; and not 
 only that, but, in consequence of the Chief Secretary for 
 Ireland, Lord Lincoln, having resigned his seat in Par- 
 liament, it was his intention to place the conduct of the 
 Irish business in the House of Commons in my hands. 
 
 I need hardly say that I was completely taken aback 
 by such an offer ; but I was more alarmed than pleased. 
 I remarked to Sir Robert Peel that it was imi)ossible for 
 me to make head against O'Connell and Shicl, I had not 
 the political knowledge or power of speaking to do so, 
 "You will do well enough," he answered, "after one or 
 two encounters ; and, moreover. Sir James Graham has 
 promised always to come to your assistance if you are 
 hard pressed." ]\Iost unfortunately for me, '^ly father and 
 mother were passing through London at tb.e time, and 1 
 asked permission to consult them. Peel concluded the 
 
VII.] 
 
 OFFICE REFUSED. 
 
 129 
 
 interview, during which he appeared to be in high spirits, 
 by saying, " Of course your father and mother will be very 
 glad that their son should get such an opening ; but 
 remember, my good fellow, that henceforth the days of 
 Newmarket are over. You will have to give up racing. 
 And now let me say one word. You are a young 
 politician, and, as you would say at Newmarket, a good 
 start is cvcrj'thing. It will be hereafter a matter of pride 
 to yon to be associated with measures of a wide and 
 generous character which may entirely change the aspect 
 of Ireland to England. Do not think the opposition of 
 last year to the increase of the Maynooth Grant indisposes 
 me in the least to go much further, and to endeavour to 
 place the Roman Catholic clergy in a position of comfort. 
 There arc other measures, too, indispensably necessary to 
 your country, in which I hope you will take a part." 
 
 I went home and found my father so averse to my 
 accepting the proffered office that I at once declined it. 
 My mother was unable to make up her mind. On the 
 one side was the brilliant position ; on the other was the 
 speech I made advocating protection at the hustings and 
 the imputations that would be poured out on my head by 
 the rabid Dublin press. ATy father was exceedingly 
 sensitive ; he could not bear that it should be said I had 
 spoken and voted in order to obtain office. He had not 
 the least objection to the line I had taken, and he con- 
 sidered that my refusal of office would justify the course 
 I adopted. To this day I bitterly regret that I refused 
 Sir Robert's offer. It would have put me fairly in the 
 political groove, and would have enrolled me in the corps 
 of those fnmous young men whom Sir Robert had 
 selected, and had shown his eminent sagacity in so doing 
 — Mr. Gladstone, Lord Dalhousie, Lord Elgin, Lord Can- 
 ning, Mr. Cardwell, Lord Lincoln, Sidney Herbert. It 
 
 ,1!' 
 
 1 1 
 
 I' if 'ii 
 
 I : I u. 
 
 
 iiii 
 
 'Si 
 
 i 
 
T 
 
 130 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cu. 
 
 W 
 
 might have been that, absorbed in poh'tics, I should have 
 weaned myself from racing, which was every day encir- 
 cHng mc more tightly in its noxious coil. I feel also that, 
 up to the day of his death, Sir Robert I'ccl was not the 
 .same to me. Me was as kind as ever, but he did not 
 show the interest he always took in my doings. lie 
 no doubt thought he had done his duty by his old friend, 
 my grandfather, in giving me a great chance, but as 
 wilful men must have their way he could do no more. As 
 it turned out, however, had I accepted oflice, my tenure 
 would have been but a short one. Within ^our months of 
 the circumstance I have narrated. Sir Robert Peel's 
 ministry was overthrown by a combination of the Whigs, 
 Radicals, and Protectionists, on the second reading of the 
 Protection of Life and Property 15111, Ireland. I find in 
 my journal the following entry : — 
 
 y/oic 27, 1846.^ — "More than a yi..i;';, l^lank in my journal, and wliat 
 strange events have liap])cned in the meanwhile. The saci iicyious hand 
 that touched the altar and remained unscathed has assailed the wheat- 
 sheaf and been withered up. A ])rotection House of Commons has, 
 by a m.ajority of seventy-three, defeated the minister who perished in 
 his endeavour to protect life and property in ireland. To think of 
 the farce of Lord ticorge IScntinck and IJankes and Major IJeresford 
 grounding their opposition to the bill on the plea that they could not 
 confide powers, beyond the constitution, to a minister in whom they 
 had no trust ! Vet if ever there was a minister scrupulously and 
 morbidly sensitive as to the slit,ditcst encroachment on the constitution 
 it is I'ecl. It is his great fault of want of nerve and daring that made 
 (leorge Sniythe, at Manchester, exclaim, ' Oh, for one hour of Cicorge 
 C,;...ing!"' 
 
 Well might I write this, recalling, as no doubt I did, 
 the action of Sir Robert Peel on the Coercion Hill of the 
 Whig Government in March, 1S33. Had he then chosen 
 to indulge in a party triumph, he might have rallied round 
 him all the Conservatives, all the Irishmen, and the 
 discontented Radicals. Put the safety of life and property 
 
l<:n. 
 
 VIL] 
 
 RESIGNATION OF SIR ROBERT PEEL. 
 
 \^l 
 
 in Ireland were his fn-st considerations, and he saved the 
 Government he miglit have undoubtedly ovcrtiirown. 
 Three days later I find the following passage : — 
 
 " Aucndcd the last speech and dying words of our departed 
 I'rcniier. ' Rci/ia'csLat in pace!' He seemed hajjpy enough, and sang 
 his death dirge witli the complacency of undoubted euthanasia. He 
 liad indeed much to sliow, and did show, for liis fi\e ycu^s' govern- 
 ment. Chartism extinct, manufacturing prosperity restored, decrease 
 of crime, alleviation of distress, monetary system placed on a secure 
 foundation — all but poor Ireland flourishing and happy ; and abroad. 
 Afghanistan reconquered and the captives restored, China humbled 
 and her ports opened to English commerce, Scinde annexed to 
 I5ritisli India, the victories of Fcrozeshah and vSobraon in the 
 I'unjaub, two difficult (juestions settled v/ithout hostility in America — 
 the North-east boundary and the Oregon — the matter, as Mr. I'ack- 
 enham states, arranged according to our own proposals, without the 
 addition or diminution of ;i single word ; the most pacific relations 
 with other European nations, and the ''entente eordidte' with France 
 almost tightened into a .Saddlers Wells' stage embrace ; Ireland and 
 New Zealand, the latter thanks to llie tutelage of Lord .Stanley, being 
 the only d.irk sjjots on the political horizon." 
 
 Dean Stanley, in a letter of the same date, writes under 
 (juitc the same impression as myself — 
 
 " reel's speech is to me the most aficciing public event I ever 
 remember ; no return of Cicero i.om exile, no triumphal procession 
 up to the temple of Capitoliuc Jove, no Appius Claudius in the Roman 
 Senate, no Chatham dying in the House of Lords, could have been a 
 truly grander sight than th.n great minister retiring from office, giving 
 to the whole world free trade with one hand and universal peace with 
 the other, and casting untier foot the miserable factions which had 
 dethroned him.' 
 
 There is, however, another passage in my journal, 
 written on the da)- which intervened between the vote in 
 the House of Commons and the resignation of Sir Robert 
 I'eel, wliich throws a light on the generous nature of Peel's 
 character, so little understood, owing to his reserved dis- 
 l)Osition, for with him the right hand knew not what the 
 left hand did. 
 
 . I'i' 
 
 jii 
 
 4 
 
 i 
 
 ' ^ ■ 
 
 m. 
 
 •r 
 
' 
 
 !> 
 
 i 
 
 ' 
 
 '3- 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 Sunday, June cS.— " Rc;ul the account of [lonr Haydon's suicide. 
 What a miserable gang of tradesmen wc arc ! We give testimonials 
 amountinf^ to thousands of pounds to a successful and bloated spccu-^ 
 lator, and the first ladies in the land jostle for the arm of Hudson, the 
 haberdasher of York, a vulgar brute : but he who adorns his country by 
 the creation of his genius is left to die by his own hand, crushed to the 
 earth by shame and penury. Poor Haydon ! and ponr Cliatlerton ! 
 How many other poor ones arc ye whose intellects should have borne 
 you up and yet who have been entombed beneath the avalanche of 
 want and woe which has overwhehned you in this wealthy country ? 
 What dreadful disappointments must have prompted a devoted 
 husband and a loving father to this fearful deed. He was found with 
 his head against his unfinished picture, his feet touching the portrait 
 of his wife, a most shocking sight. He appear^- to have committed 
 suicide literally from the shame of being dishonoured by not meeting 
 his liabilities. He had written to all the great men he had known for 
 a temporary assistance. He received one answer, from Sir Robert 
 Peel, enclosing a chccpie for ^50. The rest forsook him. The poor 
 man writes in his journals with profound gratitude, '.-Vnd yet they sa) 
 this man has no heart !' Cold and uninteresting as is Peel outwardly, 
 I believe his acts of unknown munificence and kindness to bo 
 unequalled, and, strange to say, in the conversations I have had with 
 him, I never met a more unreserved man. In this instance, the 
 appeal to him alone met with an instant reply and unhesitating aid. 
 From the midst of circumstances and controversies, under a pressure 
 of unexampled burdens, in the hour of ]ieril and in the day of defeat, 
 Sir Robert Peel found time for an act of charily, and if this should be 
 among the last acts of his official life, it will be more to his comfort in 
 his chamber that he cheered the last moments of a dying artist with 
 the means of leaving a little legacy to his desolate family, than if he 
 had carried all his measures over the heads of an exasperated House, 
 and crushed his combined fo^s, with the swoop of a conqueror, into a 
 helpless humiliated mass." 
 
 During the rest of the Parliament I was in nominal 
 opposition to the new Government of Lord John Russell, 
 but hardly so in reality, and the I'eelitc party gave it a 
 general support. The result of this uncertain position 
 was that I devoted myself to racing more than ever, and 
 was far too slack in my Parliamentary attendance. For 
 all that I think I made considerable way in the opinion 
 of the House in the following session. On the 2nd of 
 
 i>i 
 
VII.] 
 
 IRISH QUESTIONS. 
 
 133 
 
 1-^ 
 
 February, 1S47, 1 made a good speech, on which I received 
 many comph'ments, notably from Sir Robert Peel, on the 
 Labouring Poor, Ireland, Bill. I warmly defended Lord 
 George Bentinck's scheme for giving employment by 
 lending money for the institution of railways, which was 
 so much sneered at, and I commented strongly on the 
 doctrinarian policy of leaving the people in such an 
 unprecedented calamity to be fed by private enterprise — 
 considering that throughout a large proportion of Ireland 
 there was no one of capital and experience in the hast 
 degree equal to such an undertaking. Three days pre- 
 viously, I said, there was not a ton of Indian meal to be 
 purchased in Galway, though there were a thousand tons 
 in the stores of the Government at that place. Sir Robert 
 Peel said most solemnly and emphatically to me, " You 
 were quite right. The feeding of the people was the first 
 duty of the Government, and they could by Government 
 agency alone be fed in many parts of Ireland." 
 
 Shortly afterwards I spoke in support of Lord Lincoln's 
 motion for an address to her Majesty, praying that she 
 would take into consideration the means by which coloni- 
 zation may be made subsidiary to other measures for tiie 
 improvement of the social condition of Ireland, and by 
 which, consistently with full regard for the interests of the 
 colonies themselves, the comfort and prosperity of those 
 that emigrate may be effectually promoted, and Lord 
 Lincoln seemed pleased with my backing, for after this 
 date we became very intimate. I spoke also in March on 
 Poor Relief, Ireland, in answer to Powlett Scropes's ruinous 
 proposal to organize a general and continual system of 
 (Outdoor relief for the able-bodied, and I introduced and 
 carried two important clauses into the new Poor Law Bill. 
 These clauses have been explained and commented on 
 by ]\Ir. Oliver Burke, in the Dublin University JMagazine 
 
 
 w% 
 
 !"?! ' 
 
 1; 
 
n 
 
 m 
 
 h 
 
 I 
 
 t 
 
 I 
 
 i i 
 
 134 
 
 SIR WILLIAM CKFC.ORV. 
 
 [Cm 
 
 of Aut^aist, 1S76, ami I borrow an extract written by 
 
 him ; — 
 
 "The dreadful potato disease of \S4C^ civ^'agcd much of Mr. 
 Gregory's attention. Ireland, at that period, was chiefly peoplcti by 
 a peasantry in tlie wretciieil condition of squatters, whose miserable 
 holdings were (juite inadet|uale to afford more than a precarious 
 support to their occupiers. Comforts were out of the ([uestion, because 
 a worse than French ino>rcllci)!ciithM\ split ui) farms into mere scjuatter 
 holdings. The low standard of life thus caused amongst the agri- 
 cultural classes, and the ficility of obtaining that low standard so long 
 as the potatoes lasted, had encouraged the pernicious subdivision of 
 the land and stimulated such an increase of po]ndation as has never 
 elsewhere been witne.'-:sed in a country with a moist climate, and where 
 the pi ulation is utterly dependent, from the absence of manufactures, 
 on the produce of the soil. Here, then, were two difficulties for the 
 statesman, the one how to manage matters so that none but the 
 destitute should recei\e relief, and the other how to ])rovide an outlet 
 for the redunilant po|)ulation. 
 
 "Mr. Gregory was amongst those who devoteil their thoughts to 
 these twofold difllcultics. As to the latter, he pro])()sed to the House 
 that any tenant rated at a net value not exceeding ^5 should be 
 assistec' to emigrate by the Guardians of the I'nion, the landlord to 
 forego any claim for rent and to provide such fair and reasonable sum 
 as might be necessary for the emigration of such occupier, the guardians 
 being empowered to pay for the emigration of his family any sum not 
 exceeding half what the landlord should gi\e, the same to be levied 
 off the rates. 
 
 "This clause was agreetl to without opjiosilion. Of the humanity 
 which dictated it there can be no second opinion ; it was sureU 
 humane to try and provide an outlet for the famishing people. At 
 home there was want, at home there was a vast population ilepending 
 for food upon a soil which seemed to be excepted from the primeval 
 blessing that ' the earth should bring forth herbs and fruits according 
 to its kind.' I'evcr was at home, and, worse than all, despair as to the 
 future. I'nit a few days' sail away, across the Atlantic, there lay a land 
 with millions of unoccupied acres, teeming with natural riches. Why 
 not open a career in that New World for those who were willing to go 
 there, and thereljy diminish the pressure on the resources at home.^ 
 Surely such an effort would be humane, and that effort was made b\- 
 Mr. Gregory. l]ut there remained that other difficulty of which we 
 have spoken, namely, the absorption by undeserving persons of a large 
 portion of the public funds. How was this evil to be met ? If it were 
 not arrested, and that, too, spcceiily, the tax for the relief of the poor, 
 
[Cii 
 I)V 
 
 Mr. 
 ; l.y 
 
 ,ll)lc 
 
 VII. I 
 
 TIIK "GRKGORV CLAUSK; 
 
 135 
 
 already a fiiglufiil burden on the laml, would become intolerable. The 
 poor rate was already so heavy that in many cases it exceeded the 
 amoiiiit of liie yearly rent of the land. .Sometliiii:.; must be done, (>r 
 else the dream of I'liaraoii would again be realized, and the seven lean 
 kinc would devour the seven fat kinc, i*" indeed there would be then 
 remaininj,' any fat kine to be devoured I .Something must therefore 
 be done, but what ''. Mr. Cire^Mjry proposed that a test be applied to 
 insure that no undeservinj.^ person should get relief, and his test was 
 that the possessor of more than a cpiartcr of an acre of land should 
 not be entitled to assistance. This su^'^^cstion became law, and has 
 since been known as the ' (hegory Clause.' 
 
 " That this clause has been perverted to do evil no one can deny, 
 and those who only U)ok tv) one side of the question have often blamed 
 its author for some of the evils that were inllicted by its provisions ; 
 but such ineinnii;ht fairly be asked, was not some test then necessary? 
 and if so, what other effectual test could have been proposed.' Was 
 not the country in truth demoralized .•' and if the ' cjuarter acre clause ' 
 was made to operate oppressively, on whom should censure fall ? On 
 bin', who proposed and on them who su|)ported it, or on the peasants 
 who, without recpiirin^ it, became recipients of Lhc public charity, and 
 on those locally intlucntial ])crsons who were awaie of their deceit, 
 and either supported or did not o])pose it. 
 
 " it is very easy to prophesy after the c\ cut, but on the ni;,dit when 
 the ' Ciregory Clause ' passed the Committee of the House of Commons, 
 there were present in the House 125 members, many of them Irish 
 members, and of these 125 only 9 \oted ayainst the measure. Mr. 
 Morgan John O'Connell spoke strongly in its favop.-. The evil results 
 we have alluded to were not then f(n-eseen, certamly they were not 
 believed in by Mr. ("ircgory, whose advocacy of the emigration clause 
 is the best prt)of of his good motives to those who do not know the 
 humanity and the kindness which, then ami always, have marked 
 his dealings v.ith the tenants on his own estates."' 
 
 I may mcinion that in the minority of nine there were 
 only two Irish members, while there voted in favour of 
 the cKiu.sc, G. C. O'lirien, M. J. O'Conncll, O'Conor Don, 
 Archibald C. Lawless, Layard, Monaghan, Sir W. Somer- 
 ville. Sir Thos. Wyse, all staunch Liberals. There is no 
 doubt but that the immediate effect of the clause was 
 severe. Old Archbishop ]\IacHale never forgave me on 
 account of it. But it pulled up suddenly the country from 
 
 Hi 
 
 
 
 
I $6 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GULCOKV. 
 
 [Cm. 
 
 !i„ 
 
 falling,' into the oi-cn pit of paupciisin cii the verge of 
 which it stcotl. Though I got an evil reputation in con- 
 seciucnce, those who really understood the condition of the 
 country have always regarded this clause as its salvation. 
 
 In the month of August this )-car Tarliamcnt was 
 dissolved, and I again stood for Dublin. I have no doubt 
 that my hold on the constituency was not so strong as it 
 was in i8.|2. My vote in favour of free importation of 
 corn had alienated some, chiefly of the higher classes, and 
 it was pretty well known that I was determined for the 
 future to depart altogether from the bigoted cliijue which 
 exercised considerable influence over the lower class of 
 Protestant voters. On both these points my friend and 
 colleague, Mr. Grogan (now Sir Edward), entertained views 
 differing from me. Still he was on this occasion, as ( n 
 every other, honest, straightforward, and friendly. In 
 spite, however, of the differences alludctl to, my election 
 was considered perfectly safe, and so it was but for one 
 fatal obstacle. In writing of my former election 1 referred 
 to the widespread bribery of the Protestant freemen, 
 which up to that time had been recognized as a necessary 
 incident in every Dublin election. We determined to take 
 this favourable opportunity of abolishing it for ever. 
 There was no candidate in the field, there was every 
 appearance of a walk over, and so instead of minding 
 my business I went off to Goodwood races. On my 
 return I found that a local, noisy, and rather disreputable 
 fellow, John Reynolds by name, a great spouter at Repeal 
 meetings, but never recognized by O'Connell as a friend 
 or ally, had come forward and offered himself to the 
 electors. All my friends laughed at his pretensions, and 
 said he would never go to the poll, but he did go. Had 
 the electoral law continued unchanged since 1S42 I have 
 no doubt I should have won the battle easily enough, 
 
VIM 
 
 DKFEAT IN DUBLIN. 
 
 '37 
 
 but the luinibcr of polling days were reduced from five 
 to one, and the polling booths were largely increased. 
 The consequence was a general scene of confusion, no 
 proper accounts were kept of the polling, my agent lost 
 his head and got drunk ; one hundred and fifty freemen 
 offered at the last to vote if paii' chcir day's wages, but 
 were told to go to , and the poll closed. 
 
 11. < "inv^'aii 
 
 Reynolds 
 
 (lrc;^fory 
 
 Majority nf Reynolds over Grc^^ory 
 
 3353 
 3220 
 
 3125 
 95 
 
 When Parliament met in 1S4S there was a petition 
 trictl against the return of John Rt;ynolds. It cost me 
 much money and lasted a long time. The main point 
 turned on the invalidity of many of Reynolds's votes in 
 consequence of non-payment of taxes. To this principle 
 i\Ir. Bright, a member of the committee, was opposed, 
 and his strong will much influenced his colleagues in 
 requiring such an amount of proof and so many witnesses 
 that the contention was felt to be hopeless, and after 
 reducing the votes at great expense by a considerable 
 amount the petition was abandoned, and John Reynolds 
 declared duly elected. Curiously enough the same John 
 Reynolds, who had a small property in Galway, was 
 one of my most staunch supporters at the election of 1859, 
 and made some useful and " agitating " speeches in my 
 behalf. 
 
 The day after I was beaten in Dublin I betook myself 
 to Galway, and issued an address to the county, where the 
 election had not }-et begun. I was well enough received, 
 but the electoral list was in such a state that there were 
 not more than five or six hundred voters on it, and no one 
 knew anydiing about them. Captain Burke, my future 
 colleague and afterwards Sir Thomas Burke, and Mr. 
 
 I 
 
i3« 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORV. 
 
 [Cii. VI L 
 
 ^■ 
 
 I,! ) 
 
 
 I 
 
 St. George were elected. Mr. St. George was detested 
 by the popular party, but he had got his own voters and 
 the voters of the barony of ]3allinahinch in a stable, about 
 a hundred and twenty in number, and as there was no 
 use in courting a sectjul defeat, I resigned after being 
 nominated, and after inalring a very telling speech at the 
 court-house. After this I had nothing moic to do with 
 Parliamentary life for ten years, except that once when 
 I was abroad, T was put up for the borough of Dungarvon, 
 without mj' knowledge or wish, and was well beaten by 
 Mr. Maguirc. A petition was instituted against Maguire's 
 return, but altogether failed. He was, however, a very 
 good, placable, and clever fellow, and we became excellent 
 friends when I was subsequently returned to Parliament 
 in 1S57. 
 
 
 'I 
 
( 139 ) 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 I MUST now leave my political career and refer to the 
 events of 1847 as they affected my private life. In that 
 year, in April, my father died. He was one of the 
 victims of duty during that terrible time when fever 
 followed famine. Among the other landowners of my 
 country that perished from their intercourse with the sick, 
 were Lord Dunsandle and Thomas Martin owner of the 
 great IJallinahinch estate. From the moment that my 
 father saw the extent and nature of the catastrophe, he 
 and the priest of Kinvara, Father Ford, whose name 
 should be recorded, worked together incessantly to meet 
 the emergency. At last my father was stricken down, and 
 l*'ather Ford shortly after was added to the roll of victim.s. 
 I was in London in April and know nothing of my father's 
 illness till I received my mother's letter with the ominous 
 words, " Make haste or you may be too late." I was too 
 late. In those days there was no telegraph, nor was there 
 a railway to the west of Ireland. I had to post in a hired 
 carriage all the way from Dublin, and when I reached 
 my gatehouse I saw, by the faces of those who were 
 there, that I need ask no questions. I was one day too 
 late. There never was hope from the first day of the 
 seizure. I was quite overwhelmed, for I loved my father 
 very dearly and respected his honest, honourable qualities. 
 His great fault was too much kindness to me. Had he 
 
 I 
 
 IV « 
 
 ;;-'• 
 
 
 t 
 
 'lil 
 

 'h 
 
 ii 
 
 ; I: 
 
 140 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 tCH. 
 
 been a sterner parent I should probably now be narrating 
 past events of far more credit to me than I am bound to 
 do while professing to write the truth and nothing but the 
 truth. I found that he had left a considerable amount of 
 debt, which, together with my own liabilities, I should pro- 
 bably have soon reduced to small dimensions had I devoted 
 myself to my country duties, but I was one of those who 
 made haste to grow rich, and I preferred the prospect 
 of wiping off all liabilities by some stroke of good fortune 
 on the turf to steady economy and supervision. Moreover, 
 though at that time our rent roll had been a well paid one 
 of £7800 a year, still the poor rates and other charges 
 swallowed up everything. The rates on the division of 
 Kinvara were eighteen shillings in the pound, and that 
 a fictitious pound, for it was never paid. I did, however, 
 all I could to alleviate the dreadful distress and sickness 
 in our neighbourhood. I well remember poor wretches 
 being housed up against my demesne wall in wigwams 
 of fir branches. There was no place to which they could 
 be removed. The workhouse infirmary and sheds were 
 crowded. Fortunately these patients did better in the 
 pure open air than those who were packed together within 
 four walls. There was nothing that I ever saw so horrible 
 as the appearance of those who n-erc suffering from 
 starvation. The skin seemed drawn tight like a drum 
 to the face, which became covered with small light- 
 coloured hairs like a gooseberry. This, and their hollow 
 voices, I can never forget, and yet they behaved with 
 the greatest propriety. I believe a few sheep were stolen, 
 but in my neighbourhood at least there was a total absence 
 of crime. There seemed to be a general race to get out 
 of the country at all hazards ; farms were abandoned, oven 
 where no rent was asked, fences were brokci down, houses 
 unroofed ; in short, if an army of Huns and Vandals had 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
LCii. 
 
 i 
 
 VIII.] 
 
 LORD DUXKELLIX. 
 
 141 
 
 swept over the country they would hardly have created 
 greater terror, desolation, and despair, and yet within two 
 years all this gloom had passed away and Ireland seemed 
 brighter, richer, and more hopeful than before. But the 
 disastrous perversity of the Government in throwing the 
 feeding of a starving population on private enterprise 
 to be exercised for the first time to any such extent, has 
 never been forgotten or forgiven by those who remained 
 at home, and of those that went in those days the 
 'J^imcs wrote: "The Irish are pouring out of Ireland icith a 
 
 'cngeaucc. 
 
 It was about that time that I contracted two friend- 
 ships, that of Lord Dunkellin and of Mr. Edmund 
 O'Flaherty, of Knockbanc, near Galway. If I were asked 
 who was the most generous and honourable friend, the 
 wittiest and brightest comrade, the easiest and most 
 sweet-tempered companion I ever had, I should without 
 hesitating name Lord Dunkellin. I^>om the time when 
 I first met him, as an Eton boy at Roxborough, I con- 
 ceived the greatest affection for him, which endured 
 without check or shadow till the hour of his death, in 
 1S67. I have letters from him for a long period, during 
 the Crimean War, during the period of the Indian 
 Mutin}-, when he was aide-de-camp to his uncle Lord 
 Canning, during the Persian War, when he contracted the 
 seeds of the disease of which he died at last, and during 
 the years in which we sat together in Parliament, the latter 
 portion of whicli, from 1S65 to 1SG7, he was my colleague 
 for the count}' of Galway, having, on the retirement of my 
 former colleague Sir Thomas IJurke, exchanged the town 
 of Galway, which he had previously represented, for the 
 county. At the time of his death he had secured a con- 
 siderable Parliamentary reputation. Although he joined 
 the so-called " Cave of Adullam," and, by his successful 
 
 i^: 
 
 . 
 
 I ji! 
 
 j'ii 
 
142 
 
 SIR WILLIA>I GREGORY'. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 motion in favour of a rating as against a rental franchise, 
 overthrew the Government of which he had been previously 
 the supporter, he was still a staunch Liberal, and volun- 
 teered to propose a vote of confidence in the Government, 
 but the offer was rejected. His early death, when just 
 arrived at the fulness of his powers, was a catastrophe from 
 which our county has never recovered, as his sound judg- 
 ment and good sense would have been exerted against 
 the fatal contest of 1S72, which utterly annihilated the 
 political power of the landed gentry of Gahvay, and sowed 
 the seeds of bitterness between them and the priesthood, 
 which has grown a hateful crop. 
 
 Edmund O'Flahcrty made my acquaintance in 1S47, 
 when, after losing Dublin, I endeavoured to obtain a seat 
 for Galway county. He took up my cause with great 
 warmth, and though he had little influence, still his clever- 
 ness and quickness and inexhaustible resource would have 
 been of great use had there been any contest. I had a 
 high opinion of his dexterity and ability, and introduced 
 him to the Duke of Newcastle, who was anxious to secure 
 for the Pcelite party the alliance of the Irish members. 
 This was the more easy as the Peelites had to a man 
 opposed the I'^cclesiastic.al Titles 15il!, to which William 
 Keogh, a very dear friend of Edmund O'Flaherty, headed 
 the resistance. The duke invited O'l^'Iaherty to dine with 
 him, was immensely taken with him, constantly com- 
 municated with him, emplo}-cd him as an emissary, and 
 gave him a Commissionership of Income Ta.K in Ireland, 
 with a promise of something better, lie was one of the 
 plcasantest men I ever met, full of fun and si)irits and 
 singularly soft-hearted and kind. His lujspitality was 
 unbounded, and when I remarked on his large expenditure, 
 which my intimacy with him permitted me to do, he 
 always said that he was engaged with the Birmingham 
 
 i 
 
[Cii. 
 
 5 
 
 P 
 
 
 VIII. I 
 
 EDMUND O FLAHERTY. 
 
 143 
 
 Attwoods in iron peculations, which brought him in at 
 times good sums of money, and that, en attendant, he 
 had no scruple in running into debt. He was certainly 
 the most avowedly unscrupulous man I ever met, but he 
 was so open and candid about his laxity that I always 
 treated iL ns a jok". Not so, however, my mother and 
 Lord Dunkellin. Neither of them could bear him, and 
 both warned me over and over again that I should have 
 reason to regret the intimacy. To all this I turned a deaf 
 car. I know that he had a sincere affection for me, and to 
 this day I fully believe he would have suffered much 
 rather than have done mc any injury. My affairs, too, 
 were in a most embroiled state, and he constantly advised 
 me with great ability upon them, and rendered himself a 
 kind of William of Delorainc "good at need" by obtain- 
 ing loans for mc in all directions. This ultimately 
 continued for several years, till one morning, in the early 
 summer of 1S54, I met Keogh coming down the steps of 
 the Reform Club. He was evidently much discomposed, 
 and said, " Can you tell mc about Edmund O'Flaherty ? " 
 " What about him.''" said I. "Don't you know that he 
 has gone either abroad or to America, and that warrants 
 arc said to be out against him for extensive forgeries?" 
 was Kcogh's reply. I felt utterly overwhelmed, for I was 
 sure at once that the accusation was true. It was but too 
 true, lie had forged the names of Lord Bolingbrokc, 
 Lord Dunkellin, Bcrnal Osborne, Mr. Godlcy, and my 
 own upon bills, besides those of other persons I have 
 forgotten. An action was tried against me in Dublin on 
 two of these bills. It lasted two days, and the jury almost 
 immediately gave a verdict in my favour. The plaintiff 
 sought to prove two things — that I was so involved in 
 money matters with O'Flaherty that he was, as it were, 
 empowered to sign my name, and, secondly, that both I 
 
 m 
 
 "'I. 
 
 tm 
 
 rill 
 
144 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY 
 
 tCii. 
 
 k I 
 
 and my witnesses might be mistaken a^^ to my handwrit- 
 ing, and that the signatures were reall)' mine. A very 
 curious test was employed, which, Iiad I made the sh'ghtest 
 error in dealing with it, might have lost me the- case, but 
 which gained me the suit at once by the correctness of my 
 answer. Half a dozen closed envelopes were placed in 
 the hands of my witnesses, a small piece of the corner of 
 each of them was cut out, and in this open space there 
 appeared my signature, but to what document it was 
 affixed it was unknown. Some of my witnesses were very 
 doubtful as to the signatures, and refused to swear whether 
 they were mine or not. Some they thought were 
 decidedly not mine. When my cross-examination came 
 on these envelopes were, towards the close of it, produced. 
 I was asked the question about the signatures, and 1 
 declared, looking at them one after another, that they 
 were all mine. " Do you swear that ? " said FitzGibbon, 
 the counsel. " I do swear it," said I. "Give mc back the 
 envelopes," he replied in a sullen way. " No, my lord, I 
 claim to have these envelopes opened on the spot and 
 handed to the jury," cried I to the judge, looking up 
 steadily at the jury, and from whom I never took my eyes. 
 The document in each envelope was a letter of mine to 
 O'Flaherty of which only the signature appeared. I saw 
 in one second that my cause was won. 
 
 Among the many forgeries was one on Bcriial Osborne. 
 O'Flahcrty was dining one night in company with a naval 
 officer, who expatiated on the -eadincss with which a Jew 
 at Plymouth, named Marcus, lent money to officers, and he- 
 mentioned that Marcus had done business with sonic 
 admiral's official, who was supposed to have given him a 
 favourable contract in consequence. O'FIaherty said, "I am 
 going shortly to Plymouth, and, as I am doing up my 
 house in Dublin, I should like to borrow a small sum, even 
 
[Ci 
 
 VIII.] 
 
 A MONEY-LENDER OUTWITTED. 
 
 HS 
 
 ( 
 
 1 
 
 at usurious interest, in a remote place, for I don't wish to 
 apply to my bankers, and it would be all over the town if 
 I, a Commissioner of Income Tax, went to the house of 
 a London or Dublin lender." The officer offered him a 
 letter of introduction, in which he described him as a man 
 of position. Income Tax Commissioner, etc., etc. A few 
 days afterwards O' Flaherty presented himself to Mr. 
 Marcus with his introduction. He said he called on him 
 desiring to speak confidentially to him. The fact was that 
 Mr. Bernal Osborne, the Secretary to the Admiralty, had 
 been spoken to by the heads of the Government on account 
 of his want of hospitality, and that he was obliged to set 
 up an establishment and give dinners ; but he had, owing 
 to the bad times, drawn but little rent from Ireland, and 
 he wished to borrow ^1500 for six months. The Jew 
 hesitated. " Who told him about mc ?" said he. "Why, 
 Captain So-and-So," naming the captain who had given 
 him ihc letter, and adding that the letter was given in 
 order to carry out the transaction from Mr. Osborne. 
 Still hesitation on the part of Marcus. Then O'Flaherty 
 played his trump card. " By the way, Mr. Osborne 
 mentioned that I might say to you that certain contracts 
 would be shortly advertised." " Have you got the bills ? " 
 said Marcus. Two bills for ^1500 were produced, signed 
 by 15crnal Osborne. " I must have a second name on 
 them," said Marcus. " No," said O'Flaherty, " Mr. Osborne 
 will never allow it. He demands positive secrecy." " My 
 God ! " cried Marcus, " what can I do ! My father-in-law 
 won't give the money without two names. Why won't 
 you p"t your name, INIr. O'Flaherty, on the bills, to serve 
 your friend .'' " " I have never put my name to a bill in 
 my life," said O'Flaherty, very solemnly; "but I am 
 afraid I shall have to do so shortly for ;^300, as I want 
 to fit up my reception-rooms, and render them suitable to 
 
 Si 
 
 iji 
 
 
w 
 
 146 
 
 SIR WILLIAM r.r^IX.ORY. 
 
 ICii. 
 
 ;. 
 
 (II 
 
 i 
 
 my position. I must then <j,ct the money for Mr. Osborne 
 elsewhere ; and as for that navy contract, remember I 
 made no allusion to it. I treat you, Mr. Marcus, as a man 
 of honour." " Stop, stop, Mr. O'l' lalicrty," cried the Jew, 
 in an agony. "Why won't >-ou serve your friend by 
 giving liim your name ? You know he is quite safe, and, 
 though my father-in-law cashes the bills, I promise you no 
 one will ever hear a word about them, and let me lend you 
 the ;^ 300 you want." O'Flaherty consented with reluct- 
 ance, signed the bills, and returned to London, with about 
 £1700 in his pocket, just one week before his final 
 disappearance. Marcus told the whole story to several 
 persons as I have narrated it ; among others, to William 
 Keogh, who was my informant, and who repeated it often 
 in my company. 
 
 I was greatly grieved at this lamentable conclusion 
 of O'Flaherty 's career. The accompanj-ing letter from 
 John Robert Godlcy will show Ihpt I w;>s not the only 
 person who had formed a strong regard for hxlmund 
 O'Flaherty :— 
 
 "June 23, 1854. 
 "My dkar Gki'.corv, 
 
 "I am deeply sliockcd Ijv ihe cnnlents of your letter. 
 Though I was quite aware of poor O'Flahcrty's obvious faults, yet his 
 good nature and simplicity had cjuite won upon me, and I really fell 
 a strong sympathy for him. Of all the extravagant men I knew there 
 were few whom I should less ea:jily have suspected of a dishonourable 
 action, in the ordinar\' sense of the word, but I suppose he Ijecame 
 desperate from want. I would not judge him too harshly. His cha- 
 racter was utterly weak, and I am sure there was more weakness than 
 wickedness at the bottom of his crime. I pity you, my dear Gregory, 
 more than I can tell you. I used to think your attachment to him 
 unduj and exaggerated, yet I can imagine him being very loval)le, in 
 his .vay, before he became spoiled. Anyhow, you must indeed be 
 wretched now ; it is hard enough to lose a dear friend, but to have 
 him turn out unworthy is a blow for which there is no consolation to 
 be offered." 
 
' 
 
 viir.] 
 
 MISSPENT YEARS. 
 
 147 
 
 by 
 
 I always remember that he never did me any injury 
 intentionally, but would have f^ladly spent money, time, 
 and trouble to do mc a kindness. lie did not foresee that 
 his forcjcries on mc might have been ruinous. lie was 
 so versatile, so self-reliant, that he always looked to some 
 lucky chance or speculation or marriage to put him on 
 his legs again. He went to America, and there assumed 
 the name of Captain Stewart. lie began by writing for 
 one of the papers, made some money, and then took a 
 theatre, the Winter Garden, if I recollect aright. He was 
 at first very successful, and he rapidly rose to be one of 
 the most popular men in New York, famous for his 
 hospitality and little pleasant supper-parties. It was well 
 known there was som.ething again'^t him, but it was sup- 
 posed that he had left I'Lngland being unable to pay his 
 debts ; moreover, at New York, a high standard of morality 
 is not a requisite. Over and over again I have been sur- 
 prised at hearing from Englishmen of great position, on 
 their return from America, how they had been entertained 
 by the pleasantcst and wittiest of Irishmen, Captain 
 Stewart. When I went there, in 1859, ^^^- l^rewster, 
 afterwards Chancellor, warned me on no account to allow 
 old feelings of friendship to prevail and to renew my 
 former accjuaintancc ; that my character would be seriously 
 compromised were I to do so. I did meet him once in 
 the streets. We looked hard at each other and passed 
 on. I have heard that he spent the large income he was 
 making, and had fallen into poverty. In spite of all his 
 errors I have always kept a soft corner in my heart for 
 him. He dietl, 1S87, in great poverty. 
 
 There was ten j-ears' interregnum in my political life, 
 six of which I would fain have blotted out. These six 
 years were a time of struggle and humiliation, during 
 which I abandoned society and public life for the turf 
 
 • 'i 
 
 ) ■' ■■ 
 
 'i!',;. 
 
148 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 only, durinfj which I became deeply involved, chiefly 
 through liabilities for friends, and during which I was 
 forced to sell two-thirds of my ancestral estate. 15ut at 
 la.-t, by a strong effort, I turned over a new leaf, and, 
 though a poor man, became a free man, and once more 
 in my right mind. 
 
 If * * * * 
 
 The flight of O'Flaherty and the revelation of his 
 doings came upon ukj like a shock, and I felt that there 
 was only one course left to me, instantly to abandon the 
 turf altogether, to face all my l-'abilitics, to sell suiricient 
 land to pay off all charges on the estate, and to make the 
 best terms I could with usurious creditors, to whom I was 
 largely indebted, partly on account of myself, but chiefly 
 on account of friends who had taken their departure to 
 other lands and left me to bear the brunt. I was guided 
 in every step by Mr. Brewster, afterwards Lord Chancellor, 
 and by that advice I placed my affairs in the hands of 
 Mr. Bate, a Dublin solicitor, who proved himself to be an 
 able counsellor and a true friend. Most fortunate for mc 
 and for my property was the large jointure of my mother 
 and the arrears due on it, which protected the estate and 
 secured the most valuable part of it to mc, together with 
 the demesne of Coole. Most fortunate was I in having 
 such a mother, whr : whole life was one of devotion to me. 
 Under any circumstances it would have been necessary to 
 sell a large portion of the property to clear off the mort- 
 gages not of my creation ; but when the question arose 
 whether more should be sold, to pay off my mother's 
 arrears of jointure, there was considerable difference of 
 opinion. The object in doing so was to obtain a fund to 
 settle my private debts. Some of my friends urged Ub to 
 cling to the land, looking forw-ard to a great rise in value 
 of it hereafter ; but my mother took a differcni view, and 
 
vm.] 
 
 "DAMASK." 
 
 149 
 
 insisted on selling the outlyinj; portions of the estate up 
 to the full amount of the arrears due to her, in order to 
 relieve me, so far as it lay in her power, from the misery 
 and humiliation of debt, and every pound that came to 
 her was thus expended. How wise was her resolution 
 present events testuV. 
 
 I cannot recall duiing that period of six years a sinjrlc 
 event worth dwellintj upon, but as I had the misfortune 
 to fight a duel in 1851, and as the causes of this conflict 
 were but little understood, there being no society papers 
 in those days, I may as well explain to my son why I 
 was induced to commit an act so foolish, so wrong, and 
 so contrary to public opinion, even in those days. In 
 1S47 I bought, at Doncaster, a mare called Moss Rose, 
 with a colt foal at her foot, subsequently named Damask. 
 When he became two years old I tried him, found him so 
 slow that I did not think him worth training, but sold 
 liim to my trainer Trean, who insisted on it that the 
 horse was not so bad as we thought. The colt ran as a 
 two-year-old, and was beaten. In the year 1S50 he was 
 entered for the Ascot Stakes. His weight was very light, 
 and his owner, my trainer, thought he had an excellent 
 chance, and askcc me to borrow a horse to try him with. 
 I borrowed a horse called Wanota, from Lord Clifden, 
 which was also in the same race, and the two were tried 
 together, the result being that Damask won very easily 
 and Lortl Clifden and his friends, and I and my friends, 
 backed him heavily for the race. Suspicious circum ■ 
 stances soon occurred ; the more the hor^i.' was backed 
 the more ready were certain persons to bet against him, 
 and, to use a turf phrase, Damask was laid against as if 
 he were dead. 
 
 I traced the movement to a sporting blackleg baker 
 jiamed Glen, who lived in Regent Street, and also to the 
 
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 II 
 
 1(1 
 
 It 
 
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 1 14 
 
 ISO 
 
 SIR \vIL^rA^^ Gregory. 
 
 to. 
 
 Hon. Captain G.V.ui.c^'han, a fcllow-mcmbcr of the Turf Club. 
 I wrote to my trainer, who informed nie tlie horse was well 
 and sure to win, but the more he was backed the more 
 shaky was he in the bcttini;. On the Sunday before Ascot, 
 having heard that Trcan's horses had arrived there, I went 
 down and saw him. He then confessed to me that, in the 
 previous winter, being in great distress, he had sold the 
 horse to Glen for ^^"400, but that Glen had made him 
 promise secrecy, as the fact of his having racehorses would 
 interfere with his business. He said he had written to 
 Glen about all the present business, imploring him to 
 mention his intentions about the horse, and that Glen had 
 pronu'scd to let him run, and had stated that he iiad backed 
 him. On my return to London I went at once to Glen, 
 who did not deny having promised the trainer that the 
 horse should start, but said he had changed his mind and 
 was determined to scratch him for the race on the morrow, 
 and so he did, and thus Lord Clifdcn and his friends, and 
 I and my friends were audaciously robbed by this ruffian 
 and his associate the Hon. G. Vaughan. It was clear that 
 Damask would have won the race, as Wanota, the horse 
 with whom he had been tried, won it very easily. I nectl 
 hardly say that my anger burned hot within me, and I 
 and my fellow-sufferers cut the acquaintance of Captain 
 Vaughan, though I inwardly determined to take an oppor- 
 tunity of paying him out for his iniquity. This opportunity 
 did not present itself till next year. On the Saturday 
 after the Derby, at the Turf Club, in the afternoon, a rubber 
 of whist was proposed, and I sat down to the table. 
 Although Captain Vaughan saw that I was one of the 
 party he came up and joined it, as I thought, in a defiant 
 manner. Some discussion took place about some im- 
 material point, hot words passed, and I struck him across 
 the face with my glove, saying at the same time, most 
 
I'';l. 
 
 VIII. 1 
 
 A DUi.i. i'i;(nOKi:i). 
 
 151 
 
 unfortun.'itcly, " I have waited lon^f for this, but I have 
 got you at last!" Of course tiieie only remained one 
 thing to be done, and I placed myself in the hands of Lord 
 lU)lin;4broke ; while Ca[)tain Vaui^han dei)uted Captain 
 Campbell, of the 33nd Rei^iment, to act for him. Usually, 
 under such circumstances, the affair would have come off 
 tile following day. I'rovidtntially it did not, for pistol- 
 shooting had long been a favourite amusement of mine, 
 and I was a perfect master of that weapon, i had fully 
 determined, whatever might be the consecpiences on my 
 future life, not to spare my antagonist. The affair could 
 not come off on Sunday, and Monday and Tuesday follow- 
 ing were the settling days for the Derby at Tattersall's. 
 I had won ten thousand and fifteen pounds for myself and 
 some large sums for friends, and it was considered that 
 I was bound not to risk my life until after my account was 
 settled. The meeting was therefore fixed for the following 
 Wednesday. In the meanwhile, Lord Bolingbroke, finding 
 that the matter was a very seriou-s one, took fright at the 
 consc(iuences, and I was placed in an awkward situation 
 to find another second of good position resolutely deter- 
 mined to see the affair out to the bitter end. In this 
 emergency my old friend, the present Sir Robert Peel, 
 called on me and said, " I hear Bolingbroke has refused 
 to act ; here I am, quite prepared to take his place 
 and to see you through it." I need hardly say I was 
 deeply grateful, more especially as, when I told him that 
 his office was a dangerous one, lie replied, "Never mind, 
 you may rest confident that I shall not icave you in the 
 lurch." I again told him that I had provoked this duel 
 with the full intention of not sparing life, and he again 
 assured me of his determination to sec me through it. 
 Of course we met often during the intervening days, and 
 more than once he spoke of the dangerous position in 
 
 
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 a 
 
 : 
 
 1? 1 
 
 
 
 i! 
 
 ( 
 
 
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 1 
 
m 
 
 t\: 
 
 ; 
 
 
 ^'il 
 
 9i 
 
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 152 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 which wc both stood, more cspccitilly owing to my observa- 
 tion that I had long v -lited for the opportunity. "Of 
 course," he said, " if wc escape hanging, wc shall have to 
 live abroad for the rest of our lives," and he discussed our 
 future residence. He then discussed the cause of conflict, 
 and, while adroitly admitting that I had been grossly 
 offended, he asked me if I thought it was an offence 
 deserving of death, as he did not. By Tuesday morning 
 I was in a far more placable state of mind, and when, the 
 same afternoon, he told me he had seen Captain Campbell, 
 who had described the state of Captain Vaughan's family 
 as perfectly heartbroken, I relented completely, and gave 
 him my promise that, though I would make no apology 
 for the blow, yet that I would not fire at my antagonist, 
 but that, if he missed mc the first shot and asked for a 
 second, then I should undoubtedly do the best I could 
 to put him /wrs do combat for ever. 
 
 The place of rendezvous was Ostcrlcy Park, a i)lacc of 
 
 Lady Jersey's. It was a lovely spring morning, by no 
 
 means one for leaving the world, especially with ;{^ 10,000 
 
 in one's pocket. We were placed at twelve paces and 
 
 ordered to fire at the word of command. ]\Iy opponent's 
 
 bullet sung close to my car ; I raised my pistol, took 
 
 deliberate aim, by way of giving him a comfortable moment, 
 
 and then fired in the air. They said they did not require 
 
 a second shot, and so we went home on our way rejoicing. 
 
 When I look back, and think of the frightful consequences 
 
 which Sir Robert I'eel by his tact avoided, I cannot but 
 
 feel that I owe to him as deep a debt of gratitude as one 
 
 man can owe another. He offered his services as second 
 
 with the full determination of saving me, his old Harrow 
 
 friend, from committing a deed which would have been the 
 
 ruin of my life. The following year, when I lost heavily 
 
 on the Derby, he came to me and said, " I know )-ou have 
 
 i)1 
 
 % 
 
' 
 
 H 
 
 t-. 
 1)1 
 
 VIII.] 
 
 RESULTS OF THE DUEL. 
 
 153 
 
 lost heavily, I can't lend you the money, for I have not 
 i;ot it, but I can lend you my name, and you can borrow 
 what you want." I gladly accepted the offer, and did 
 what is lare on such occasions, and what I wish others had 
 done by me, repaid the money borrowed when it became 
 due. A few days after the duel I called on Lady Villiers 
 (the present Lady Jersey), and she told me, with much 
 amusement, that her children, who had been passing the 
 day at Osterley, came home highly delighted at having 
 seen from the terrace some gentlemen shooting at each 
 other in the park. The result of this duel v/as that old 
 Lady Jersey abjured my acquaintance, considering herself 
 insulted by my going to be shot at on her land without 
 asking her permission, though it was her own son, Fred 
 Villiers, who suggested the place, and though her other 
 son, my friend Lord Villiers, told her that I was not the 
 intruder, but was taken there by the seconds without having 
 had a word in the matter. We made it up at last, but our 
 old friendship was never restored. 
 
 It seems strange that in after years I should have met 
 Captain Vaughan on terms of good fellowship, if not of 
 friendship. lie sent me word that ne bitterly regretted 
 what he had done, that he well knew how ill he had 
 behaved, and hoped I would shake hands with him. The 
 burning of powder clears the air, and so it was in this 
 case. After the pistols were fired I had not a particle of 
 enmity left, though my opinion of the transaction remained 
 the same. 
 
 I have often since thought how strange are our hallu- 
 cinations. For a whole year my mind was bent on inflict- 
 ing the retribution of death on this man for the affront 
 and injury to which he had subjected me, and in one 
 minute all feeling for vengeance disappeared, and in 
 subsequent years wc inct pleasantly. I fear that in too 
 
 |i 
 
 m 
 
 M 
 
 II 
 
 I 1; 
 
 111 
 
 
154 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cn. 
 
 many of us, in spite of culture, education, refinement, 
 something of the tiger lingers in our blood. As regards 
 my old trainer Trean, I was obliged to take my horses 
 from him, in deference to public opinion, though he was 
 perfectly guiltless of everything except having told a lie, 
 and this he told to save his masters. It seems, as I before 
 mentioned, that he remonstrated with Glen for betting 
 against the horse, that he told him he would inform me 
 that it was no longer his property, but that he had sold 
 him to Glen. This scoundrel wrote back to say he had 
 only laid a small sum, to drive the horse down in the 
 betting, but that he was going to back him heavily, but 
 only in case the secret was kept, otherwise he would at 
 once withdraw him from the race. Poor Trean was as 
 much bamboozled as the rest of us ; and so ended this 
 rascally affair. 
 
 Considerable time elapsed before all the preliminaries 
 for the sale of a portion of my estate were completed, and 
 in the interim, during the spring and autumn of 1853, I 
 devoted myself with enthusiasm to the construction of a 
 pinetum in the nut-wood of Coole. I ransacked the 
 nursery grounds of Bristol, Liverpool, and Exeter, and 
 planted all the specimc. - that were invented and got up 
 by ingenious nurserymen for the benefit of Coniferomaniacs, 
 as we were then called. Judging from the amount of the 
 bills paid, and the little result which followed, the appella- 
 tion in my case was not misapplied. Half the conifers, 
 indeed more than half, which would flourish excecdinglv 
 on any soil but limestone, died forthwith with me, and only 
 a few seemed really to enjoy life. Among those who have 
 done pre-eminently well are the J^inus insigiiis, and the 
 giants in the nut-wood were only planted in 1855. They 
 are the fln^st I have ever seen of their age. 
 
 My pinetum being well launched, I (1S55) determined 
 
 4 
 
J 
 
 [Cn. 
 
 vriL] 
 
 A SALE OF LAND. 
 
 155 
 
 to pa}' a winter's visit to Egypt, and, on my return to 
 Code, I occupied niucli of my time in preparing a full 
 account of my journey, and of the various places I visited, 
 which included every spot of interest from Cairo l.o the 
 Second Cataract. This, together with a narrative of a tour 
 in 1857 with Sir Sandford Graham through Tunis, I had 
 printed, in 1S59, in two volumes. There was so much in 
 these volumes written carelessly and playfully that I 
 determined on not publishing them, but kept them for 
 private circulation only. They were all burnt in 1873, in 
 the Pantechnicon, except two volumes I still possess and 
 a (c\v I had given to friends. 
 
 The rest of the year 1856 I devoted to completing my 
 pinetum, and in preparing for the intending sale of my 
 estate. In order to have the carriage of the sale, it was 
 necessary to have a friendly creditor to place the property 
 in the Landed Estates Court. This friendly creditor was 
 f.y uncle, the Rev. William Gregory, who in every dealing 
 which I ever had with him showed invariable kindness 
 and consideration. On his recommendation, I appointed 
 Mr, Henry Harrison Briscoe to be my agent. He was 
 a man of high reputation, having been elected by the 
 Poor Law "oard to act as vice-guardian on several 
 occasions. I had previously been most umortunate in my 
 agents, but with Mr. Briscoe my troubles came to an end ; 
 he had every quality for an agent, especially at a critical 
 period for his employer — uprightness, temper, and judg- 
 ment. I fully believe that if he had been employed from 
 the first there would have been no necessity for the sale of 
 the estate, though, most fortunately, it was sold at good 
 l)rices, and the remainder cleared. 
 
 The sa'e was announced for the , and before 
 
 going into court I was warned by a very astute friend, 
 who had been through the same ordeal, that there was 
 
 I 
 
 
156 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGOkV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 great danger, in so large a sale, of nuny lots being knocked 
 down at an inadequate price, as well as of a combination 
 among buyers. He had got over this danger by means 
 of the assistance of friends who had bid for him. I 
 
 talked over the matter with ]\Ir. , afterwards M.P. 
 
 for , a well-known railway and dock contractor 
 
 in those days, with whom I was on intimate terms. 
 He said, " Trust to me, I will send you over an English- 
 man, a very clever fellow, who dresses the capitalist, and 
 has all the manner of one. Vou must give him a list of 
 the lots of the estate, with the lowest prices at which you 
 consider it advisable to let them go, and he v.-ill bid up to 
 that price. It will be impossible for the judge to put up 
 the lots again for sale under a year, and in the meantime 
 you can dispose of them. Of course the judge will be 
 furious, and if he can lay hold of my friend he will make 
 him acquainted with the interior of an Irish jail ; but there 
 is not much likelihood of that, and he will willingly run the 
 risk for a ten-pound note, which yoit will hand him after 
 the sale. He will present himself at Kildarc-strcct Club 
 the morning before the sale, and will present my card." 
 Sure enough the capitalist, calling himself Mr. Almond, of 
 Bolton, presented himself at the club in due time, and 
 looked all over a well-to-do Englishman — the very picture 
 of neatness; in short, rather Ouakerly was his attire, and 
 his whole aspect denoted wealth. The sale came on, and 
 Judge Ilargroves presided. The chief purchaser of the 
 Kinvara estate was a Mr. Comerford, who had been a 
 carpenter, and had made money ; but he bought, as the 
 tenants had reason to know, with borrowed capital. It 
 was only the Kinvara lots which went badly ; the land was 
 stony and poor, and by no means in general favour. Here 
 stepped in Mr. Almond, and was declared the purchaser 
 of the first lot which did not reach the price named. The 
 
[Cii. 
 
 VIII.] 
 
 MR. ALMOND OF BOLTON. 
 
 15; 
 
 judgc asked for his name. " Mr. Halmond, my lord, of 
 Bolton," was the answer. " Halmond," said the judge, 
 " do you write it with an H } " " No, my lord, with a Hay. 
 Halmonds and raisins, my lord," replied Mr Almond, 
 quite facetiously, and rubbing his hands. Several lots 
 were knocked down to him, apparently by the encourage- 
 ment of the judge, who urged him continually with, " Now, 
 one more bid, Mr. Almond." "Well, one more, my lord, 
 but I am afraid I shall get very little return for my 
 money," and so the acute Englishman just gave a bid 
 sufficient to cover my margin, and was either beaten by 
 Comerford or declared the purchaser. I could hardly 
 keep my countenance, so infinitely droll, and so perfect 
 was the manner of Mr. Almond. When the sale was ovur 
 I pressed a ten-pound note into his hand, and said I hopeo 
 he would leave me his address. He said, with a benevolent 
 smile, that for some time to come he was not likely to 
 have any fixed abode to which he would like to invite the 
 very civil Judge Hargroves, but that his services would be 
 
 always available if I wrote to Mr. , and so began and 
 
 ended my relations with Mr. Almond. I need hardly add 
 that Juci^ ' Hargroves was furious ; but his wrath was 
 of no avail. The sale on the whole was a fair one ; much 
 was disposed of at twenty-five years' purchase, and much 
 of the poor land at eighteen. The average was about 
 twenty years' purchase. Though I parted with it in 
 regret, I cannot now but regard this transaction as my 
 salvation. 
 
 I may here mention that the result of this sale had 
 a very strong influence afterwards in my political career, 
 aiid rendered me a very advanced politician on the tenants' 
 side, on the landlord and tenant question. Shortly 
 after my father's death I visited every holding on the 
 estate, and was struck with the results of the unflagging 
 
 M 
 
 
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 i 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 il 
 
 ri 
 
 t r. 
 
 i • • 
 ( 
 
 158 
 
 .SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Ch. 
 
 industry of the tenants who occupied the Hc;ht, stony land 
 about Kinvara. They had by their hibour, and with no 
 allowance from the landlord, cleared lari^e portions of 
 their farms, and the great monuments, as they called them, 
 of stones, attested their industry. From these clear 
 patches they had excellent barley crops, and were in 
 prosperity. Aly great-uncle and father were both just 
 men, and allowed them to enjoy the fruits of their toil for 
 many years without raising the rent. On the occasion of 
 my visit, when I was about to drive away, I said to these 
 tenants, who had assembled to greet m.e, that I was 
 surprised to see so much good land, and that I thought it 
 was capable of bearing a higher rent. Of course this 
 called forth a general protestation, and very sad were 
 their faces ; but they soon cleared up when I said to them, 
 "Were I to take one shilling out of your pockets on 
 account of the additional value you have given to my 
 property by your industry I should be a robber and 
 asliamed to look you in the face. You can go on in "-ood 
 heart with your work, and be assured that while I own 
 this property your rent shall never be raised on account 
 of your improvements." Such were my intentions, and 
 such was the confidence of those tenants that they never 
 asked for a lease, or I should have gladly given it to them. 
 When the sale came on I was so occupied with other 
 matters that I quite forgot their danger. Indeed it never 
 crossed my mind, for I had then heard of no particular 
 instanccs of rapacity on the part of new purchasers ; but 
 I very soon had a terrible account of my remissness in not 
 securing these poor folk. Mr. Comerford, to whom I have 
 referred, as soon as he was placed in possession of the lots 
 he had purchased on which those tenants dwelt, lost no 
 time in dealing with them in the most remorseless fashion. 
 The rents were raised so as to pay £s pcr cent, on the 
 
[Cir. 
 
 on 
 
 VIII.] 
 
 A KKMORSELESS LANDLORD. 
 
 159 
 
 borrowed capital, and a large income besides for himself. 
 They were almost invariably doubled, and in some cases 
 .^5 was charged where £2 had been the rate of the former 
 rent. But lie killed the goose for the golden egg, the 
 town of Kinvara was all but ruined, and the best tenants 
 ran away. I met one in Australia, at ]>allarat, and he 
 assured me he was well off when I was his landlord, but 
 a pauper three years after, when he emigrated. Such 
 were the proceedings of the man whom the excellent 
 parish priest, Father Arthur, never called by any other 
 name than Ilolofernes ; and it was such proceedings, which 
 I found were too common elsewhere, which made me a 
 tenant righter, and the advocate of measures which, in 
 a different state of society, I should have opposed. 
 
 i» 
 
 I » 
 
i6o 
 
 SIR WitlJA.i GREGORV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 t 
 
 On the 3rd of March, 1S57, occurred the event which 
 laid the foundation of what I may justly call the second 
 period of my life. Mr. Cobdcn's motion of censure on 
 the Government in regard to its dealings with China, in 
 the affair of the famous Lorcha " Arrow," was carried by 
 a majority of fourteen. Lord Palmerston accepted the 
 challenge by an immediate appeal to the country and a 
 dissolution, and on the 31st of March the general election 
 took place. 
 
 As soon as the news of the impending dissolution 
 reached my county I received many communications 
 inviting me to stand. I had serious misgivings. The 
 expense might be great, and I could little afford it. The 
 sitting members, Sir Thomas Burke and Captain Bellew, 
 were both personal friends of mine. The former was the 
 most popular man in the county, and I had not the power 
 or the wish to enter into the lists against him. With 
 regard to Captain Eellcw it was different. A more 
 honourable or more warm-hearted fellow did not exist, 
 but he had made himself extremely unpopular among his 
 friends and supporters by giving himself what they con- 
 sidered to be " airs ; " while several of his votes in Parlia- 
 ment, especially one in connection with the extension of 
 the income tax to Ireland, caused very general dissatis- 
 faction, and brought on him a public denunciation by 
 
IX.1 
 
 CANVASSING GALWAV. 
 
 I6i 
 
 John, Archbishop of Tuam, and his priests. I was 
 specially urj^fed to stand by J. Cowan and J. M. O'llara, 
 both men of considerable interest in the county. The 
 former had been sub-sheriff to my father, for whom he 
 entertained a genuine affection ; he was a man of remark- 
 able astuteness, knowing every person of any influence in 
 the count)', and he offered to conduct the election 
 gratuitously, and to ^ring my expenses within a very 
 moderate limit. J. M. O'llara was the acting sub-sheriff, 
 and he, too, had a general knowledge of the county. They 
 both assured me that my chances were excellent, and 
 that, if I could only secure some of the largest interests, 
 my return would be certain. The great voting interests 
 were those of Lord Clanricarde, Lord Clancarty, Lord 
 Clonbrock, and Lord Dunsandle. Lord Clonbrock at 
 once promised me his support, and Lord Clancarty fol- 
 lowed suit, as there was no Conservative in the field. 
 Lord Clanricarde hesitated at first, but, on my declaration 
 that, if elected, I should vote with Lord Palmerston, he 
 also came over, and with him a very large number of 
 the Liberal Catholic county gentlemen, who looked on 
 "the marquis" as their leader. Lord Dunsandle, pressed 
 by a strong letter from the Carlton Club, urging that I 
 was a much more dangerous opponent to their party than 
 l^ellew was, opposed me. But Sir George Shee, who 
 represented a powerful interest in the far off barony of 
 Dunmorc, where I was weak, was one of the most valued 
 accessions to my side. It now seems strange, so vast is 
 the revolution caused by the Land Bill and the ballot, so 
 absolute the inability of a landlord to secure a single vote, 
 to write of an election upon the results of which one could 
 reckon with certainty, by simply counting up on the 
 registration lists the names of the tenants of each landlord 
 who had promised or refused their adhesion. 
 
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 > ', 
 
 162 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Ch. 
 
 Lord Carlisle, whose support I had invoked, sent nio 
 the following very graceful letter, referring to my having 
 defeated him in Dublin, fifteen years previously : — 
 
 "Dear Mr. Ckkgorv, 
 
 " I have written in your beiialf to Sir Thomas Rcclinj,'ton, 
 Lord Campbell, Mr. OoiiLjh, .Sir CIcoryo Slice, and the Dean of Kil- 
 macduagh, in spite of his orthodox precedence. "\'oii know I am 
 bound to think hij,'h!>' of a candidate from whom I once sustained 
 sucli a licking, for which believe me 
 
 " Your very grateful servant, 
 
 " Carlisle." 
 
 At first everything seemed propitious ; the great pro- 
 portion of the landlords had promised me their votes, the 
 town voters, comparatively independent, were divided, and 
 the priests seemed disposed to take no part in the struggle. 
 Sir Thomas Redington, in view cf standing, had visited 
 Dr. Deny, the very able and influential Bishop of Clon- 
 fort, but had received a stern refusal of assistance from 
 him, and a like answer from Dr. Mcilalc, the great arch- 
 bishop of the west. It seemed as if I were about to win 
 in a canter. The tide, however, ebbed. Dr. Dcrry was 
 induced to intercede with Dr. McHale for Captain l^ellew, 
 who was again taken into favour. Mis Grace issued a 
 violent denunciation of "Quarter Acre Gregorj'," the cry 
 was taken up by several, though by no means all, of his 
 priesthood, and it was feared that, through their influence, 
 many of the voters would, in the dioceses of Tuam ard 
 Clonfort, refuse to come to the poll. In the two other 
 dioceses of Galway and Kilmacduagh, I had not only the 
 landlords on my side, but the Bishop of Kilmacduagh, 
 Dr. Fallon, was my most ardent adherent, lie Cvcn wrote 
 my letters for me when I was confined to my bed by a 
 severe cold. Dr. McEvilly had just been appointed Bishop 
 of Galway. He, too, was a st'iunch friend, and said to 
 
1 
 
 IX.l 
 
 CANVASSING GALWAY. 
 
 163 
 
 mc, 1 well remember his expression, " If tlic consecration 
 oil were not still moist upon mc, you would sec how I 
 would exert myself for you." He did exert himself, 
 nevertheless, andwc had thus the spectacle of two dioceses 
 arrayed on the side of 15cllew, and two on my side, and, 
 as for the mob, it was droll enough.* y\t Tuam, the 
 hussars were charcfinj; with drawn sabres to enable my 
 voters to come up, while in Gort and Galway popular 
 feeling was as demonstrative on my side, but the pre- 
 ponderance being all one way, matters went off com- 
 jmratively smoothly. Unfortunately, just as the election 
 was coming on I was taken extremely unwell from a 
 violent cough, but my lieutenants worked so admirably 
 and energetically that everything wont as well as if I 
 had been commanding in person. In the western baronies, 
 James Martin, of Ross, and George Burke, of Dancsfield, 
 took the lead in bringing up the voters. My dear old 
 friend Tom Joyce took charge of the district about 
 Craughwell, Andrew Comyn of that of Ballinasloe, while, 
 at l^yrecourt, John Kyre worked tlie baronies of Long- 
 ford and Lcitrim with unflagging zeal and energy, and 
 
 * " I can w rite with some confidence on this subject (De-Pro- 
 test.intizing Irclandi, as for fourteen years I represented the county 
 of Galway, in which the mass of tlie voters were Roman CathoHc, and 
 naturally much swayed by their cleri,^y. During the greater part of 
 that time I was in constant, indeed I may say in confidential relation 
 with the bishops and priests of the county. In this unrestrained inter- 
 course I never perceived the slightest symptom of hatred of Pro- 
 testants as such. I may, perhai)s, here refer to a somewhat ludicrous 
 incident which illustrates my contention. At a public meeting, in 
 which I was canvassing before an election, some one in the crowd 
 called out, ' lUit he's a Protestant!' Upon this the parish priest, 
 who was by my side, exclaimed, ' Who dares make such an observa- 
 tion ?' And, having discovered the offender, he sprung into the thick 
 of the throng, and then and the'-c, an. id general acclamation, adminis- 
 tered to him a sound castigation with a stick'' ^^Letter to the Ti/ites, 
 1S90). 
 
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 [I 
 
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 <y 
 
 164 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GRKGORY. 
 
 [Ci. 
 
 brought carriages and cars full of voters to Loughrca, 
 amid much noise, cheering, and enthusiasm. I was con- 
 fined to my bed on the nomination day, and unable to 
 appear at the court house of Galway, which was a great 
 drawback, but the tumult and disturbance which raged in 
 it would have rendered my eloquence of very little avail. 
 The polling days were fi.xcd for the Thursday before 
 Kaster and the Saturday following, April loth and 12th, 
 Good Friday being blank, but on the Thursday evening 
 the reports from the different polling stations showed such 
 an immense majority in my favour that Ikllcw, who was 
 in Galway, came to my uncle, William O'Hara, and said, 
 " I see I am beaten, and there is no use in prolonging the 
 contest. I do not wish to put Mr. Gregory to another 
 penny's expense, and will not poll a man on Saturday, 
 so give orders at once to your agents to stop all further 
 proceedings. He issued the following dignified and 
 kindly notice : — 
 
 "Gi;nti.f.men, 
 
 " Finding, from the result of Tiiiirsday's polling;, thai I 
 iiave not received tlic nmoiint of siip[)ort which i iuid been led to 
 behove would be L;ivcn to nic, I have determined no ioniser to pro- 
 lont,^ a contest wliich cannot terminate in my favour, and which could 
 now be only productive of inconvenience to many of the electors. 
 Although an unforeseen combination of circumstances and interests 
 has been il;c cause of my defeat, yet I feel convinced that, upon 
 cooler rctlection, this county will acknowledge the error of ilismissing 
 from it-^ representation one whose study it has been faithfully to rejjre- 
 sent the opinions on which he was elected. I have now only to 
 return my warmest thanks to those kind friends who have supported 
 me ; and to tho^c who have opposed me the regret consequent upon 
 their opposition is, I assure them, mingled with none but kindly 
 feelings. 
 
 "T. A. Bki.i.kw." 
 
 This action of Bellcw's was entirely in harmony with 
 his honourable and warm -hearted character. We had 
 
IX.] 
 
 ki:turned rou (jalway, 
 
 165 
 
 always been warm friends, and the election did not cool 
 our friendship in the slightest dejjrcc. lAy poor pockets 
 were then light cnouijh, but, tlianks to the admirable 
 management of J. Cowan, these two severe contests only 
 cost about X750 for the first, and £0^0 for the second, 
 and, what is still more strange, I had not one subsequent 
 a[)i)lication or claim for unsettled demands. Well, the 
 election was over, and I was proclaimed duly the knight 
 of the shire for the county of Galway. 
 
 On proceeding to London and taking my scat I was 
 received with cheers by the old friends who had still 
 retained their places in the House of Commons since I 
 was their comrade in 1.S47 ; but the changes during those 
 ten years were very great. I felt strange among the new 
 faces. It seemed to me, from the minute on which I 
 entered afresh the House of Commons and shook the 
 Speaker's hand, that my former life had been shifted as a 
 scene from the stage, and that I had become a totally 
 different man in character, and objects, and thought. I 
 liad cared very littli for politics during the time I sat 
 for Dublin ; I believLd Sir Robert Peel could not do 
 wrong, and that was enough for me. I had seen enough 
 of the old Tories to be utterly estranged from them, and 
 a process contrary to the usual one in the case of public 
 men, who enter life ardent and advanced Liberals and 
 end their days in v/.-.i-^t Conservatism, was going on in my 
 mind. I began by being Conservative, and every day 
 became more and more Liberal. I have already men- 
 tioned the causes which made me such an advanced 
 politician on the tenants' side. It was clearly conviction, 
 and not the mere desire of popularity, as to be a prominent 
 tenants' advocate was by no means the way to hold one's 
 own in a constituency controlled by landowners. As 
 regard? religious matters, again, there were few^ took more 
 
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 1 66 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 advanced views than myself. I was in favour of every 
 fair claim, alike of Catholics and Dissenters, being granted. 
 I had no objection to a State Church, both in England 
 and in Ireland, but I had the strongest objection to a 
 State Church of a minority. The time had not come for 
 the abolition of the Irish Church ; there were discussions 
 on it, but they were academic and nothing more. In my 
 heart I was thr strongest advocate of a total change in 
 our Irish ecclesiastical system ; the change I wished for 
 was not the subsequent levelling down measure, whereby 
 the religious endowments should be strictly applied to 
 religious purposes, and divided among the different 
 denominations. I held the claims of the Irish Roman 
 Catholic clergy to have confided to them the full education 
 of their flocks, in accordance with the wishes of these 
 flocks, to be well justified and sound. I believed then in 
 the arguments of the Roman Catholic prelates who said, 
 " Give us the education of our people, and when you have 
 done so, but not till then, hold us responsible for their 
 conduct." I thought of all religious teachings theirs was 
 best for the unruly wills and affections of Irish nature. 
 I thought Presbyterian teaching essentially suited to the 
 sturdy Scotch-descended population of the North, and I 
 thought the Church of Ireland, so-called, had, by rca.on 
 of its shortcomings in the face of overwhelming en- 
 couragement, the least claims to continued support. ITid 
 the English Church been the same pampered, rickct}- 
 establishment, kept up for the benefit of a rich and 
 comparatively small minority, I should liavc joined the 
 Church Liberation Society, and been among the foremost 
 to demand its overthrow. But the Church of ICngland is 
 the Church of the majority, it is the Church of the poor 
 essentially, far more than is any odicr denomination ; it 
 is not pampered, and it is not rickety, for it gives good 
 
[Cii. 
 
 ix.l 
 
 VIEWS ON RELIGION. 
 
 167 
 
 work for what it receives, and it is ever getting a stronger 
 hold on the confidence of the people. I therefore see no 
 reason for its overthrow. These were pretty much the 
 arguments I used with myself, and with the few friends to 
 whom I ventured to open my mind in those days. I was 
 reproached with being indifferent to religion, as I seemed 
 to draw no distinctions, and to treat all alike. To 
 dogmatic religion, I replied, I was comparatively in- 
 different, but to religion in general terms I considered 
 the State was bound in policy to afford every possible 
 encouragement and assistance. I never could look with 
 aversion or displeasure on a religion not my own. I 
 regarded it as having its particular merits, its special 
 adaptation to its followers, and, instead of searching to 
 explore its demerits, I was quite satisfied, seeing many 
 dwelling in it safely and content. I acknowledge myself 
 to be eminently latitudinarian. ]\Iy theory has always 
 been that we cannot feed the human mind with moral 
 sentences and ethical admonitions, and that, as Robespierre 
 said, " If there were not a religion it would be necessary 
 to invent one," and undoubtedly no religion has been, or 
 could be invented so thoroughly adapted to the wants of 
 modern society as the Christian. It insists on order, 
 obedience to laws, humanity and beneficence, love of God 
 and love of our neighbour. All the Christian denomina- 
 tions profess the same, and all should, therefore, be 
 encouraged and maintained. I have ever looked on the 
 Roman Catholic Church as the great central fortress of 
 law and order, resisting wild theories and destructive 
 innovations, and I have regarded other religious minor 
 denominations as auxiliary forts, having the same common 
 object, the defence of society. I have entered on this 
 lengthened disquisition because it is the 1. .ynote of many 
 a speech of mine, and of my policy during the fourteen 
 
 i 
 
1 68 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 years I was member for Galway county, and I maintained 
 the same policy, and with much success, in Ceylon, where 
 I had opportunities of putting it into execution. I have 
 not included the Jiastern Church among the Western 
 denominations, which I should regard with equal favour, 
 because, though I may form a wrong estimate of it, I 
 believe it to be, except in the great towns, a religion of 
 mere forms and superstitious practices, without the active 
 and beneficent piety of the West. It is quite true that in 
 Ireland, of late years, the Roman Cathonc prelates seem 
 to have abandoned the high standard of their Church, and 
 to have acquiesced in, if not encouraged, dishonest and 
 lawless combinations. ]kit the authoritative voice of 
 Rome has condemned such practices, and it must be 
 remembered that it has been misgovernment which has 
 placed the Irish hierarchy in the position of being 
 swayed, and even commanded, by its flocks. My object 
 during the time I was in Parliament was to sweeten the 
 relations of the heads of the Catholic body in Ireland with 
 the Government of the day, and to render them as 
 independent as possible of extraneous influences. 
 
 During the session of 1S57 I took no part in the 
 debates beyond moving and carrying a clause in the 
 Industrial School Bill, having for its object the prevention 
 of any tampering with the religion of a child by his being 
 sent to an industrial school, and not to any other. This 
 very fair clause wa^ suggested to me by iJr. Derry, and 
 gave satisfaction to my Roman Catholic clerical sup- 
 porters. 
 
 The extraordinary pleasure of my ICgyptian expedition 
 of the past year had sown the seeds of that constant 
 longing for travel which I have never to this day suc- 
 ceeded in appeasing. My old friend Sir S. Graham 
 volunteered his company, and we agreed to proceed in 
 
 Is 
 
IX.] 
 
 KAIRWAN. 
 
 169 
 
 i 
 
 1; 
 
 the autumn (1S56) to Tunis, and make our way thence to 
 Tripoli. An account of this was written in the volumes 
 before mentioned. 
 
 The following letter which appeared in the Times, 
 September 7, 18S1, gives a description of Kairwan, one 
 of the places visited on this journey : — 
 
 "Sir, 
 
 '' I sec l)y the letter of your correspondent from Tunis, 
 dated the ijtli of August, lliat an attack on Kairwan, either by the 
 forces of tlie Bey of Tunis or l)y the French, is imminent. If the 
 forces of the Bey succeed in putting down the insurrectionary move- 
 njent in that district not much difficulty will ensue. It will be merely the 
 case of Mahommcdan encountering Mahommcdan. But if the French 
 take the city it is imijossible to foresee what will be the effect of the 
 violation of a spot which, after Mecca, is the most holy in the eyes of 
 every believer in the I'rophct throughout Tunis, Algi.ria, Morocco, 
 and Tri])oli. I have not a doubt that it will arouse a feeling of the 
 l)ittercst hatrel which will last for years, and which nothing but 
 overwhelming force will suppress. I can speak with some authority 
 on this point, as I am one of the very few Christians who ever entered 
 its walls ; and I well remember the intense veneration with which it 
 was regarded Ijy the Tunisians, and the respect which greeted myself 
 and my friend when it became known, as wc proceeded on our journey, 
 that wc had penetrated the sacred precincts and dwelt there securely, 
 enjoying much courtesy and honour. 
 
 "A few lines taken from my notes written at the time of my visit 
 may at this moment be of some interest to your readers. In the year 
 I1S5S, in company with a friend, Sir Sandford draham, now no more, 
 I thoroughly explored the Regency of Tunis. Our start from Tunis 
 was first to Zaghouan ; thence due west to Kef; thence to the south to 
 Kissera, Sbaitla, with its temples and its tombs ; Fcriana. Katla the 
 treasury of Jugurtha ; to To/er aiul Nettah, the furthest of the oases of 
 the ("ireat Sahara ; then, striking due east across the salt lake, called 
 the Sea of Marks, the Lacus Tritonis of the ancients, to Cabcs, on the 
 seashores of the Lesser Syrtis. We thence proceeded northwards by 
 the coast of Sfax, the scene of the late bombardment by the French, 
 where wc were most courteously re::eived, and thence, striking inland 
 after a stay at El F jcm, famous for its magnificent amphitheatre, we 
 reached Kairwan. 
 
 '• I should mc ition that previous to starting on this expedition we 
 had an interview with the Bey, who furnished us with letters and an 
 
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 PI! 
 
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 iifc 
 
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 n 
 
 y 
 
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 170 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 escort. Nothing could h.avc been more kind tlian he was in granting 
 us every facility to visit his country. When the question arose as to 
 the possibility of our entering Kairwan, he made no difficulty about it, 
 provided his lieutenant on the spot could guarantee our safety, but 
 he remarked that he could not give us an order for admittance 
 to any mosque, as it would cause excitement and expose us to much 
 danger. 
 
 " I shall not readily forget the morning of the 20th of January, 
 185S, when we entered the famous city. The weather had previously 
 been dreadful, and we were a draggled £W-//i,v, our horses covered 
 with mud, and we ourselves not much more seemly ; but the sun 
 burst out as we approached the lofty white crenelated walls, which 
 rose up from the wide plain surrounding it and gave it the brightest 
 and gayest appearance, for there were no suburbs or a single house 
 about it, and so every e_\e was fixed on the sacred city, and on it 
 only, and its innun)erable minarets and domes. The fear of maraud- 
 ing Arabs kept the citizens within the safeguard of the defences, 
 which were strong enough and high enough to resist all attacks 
 without heavy artillery. We had sent forward before ('■".:. ,. 1 ' pahi, 
 to announce our coming to the Kehaya, or Governor, ,u'd wjic' within 
 sight of the town, we waited his return wiih no litiK; :.ii..)ety, not 
 feeling at all siu'e of the reception we were likely to obtain. We 
 were not long kept in suspense. The spahi soon appeared, galloping 
 back with joyful countenance, and he informed us that the head men 
 of the city were prepared to give us a warm greeting, about a mile 
 from the town, and to conduct us through it to the Bey's Palace, 
 which was placed at our disposal. We found the city sheikhs at the 
 places indicated, and, after a hearty reception, they marched before us 
 into the town. One portion proceeded in front and cleared the street 
 of every human being, while the other half remained behind and 
 block.' it up, allowing no one to enter it till we had passed through. 
 It recji'lc'.] t'je procession of Lady Godiva along the streets of 
 Coventry, ir :ne days ';." Peeping Tom. At last we reached a large 
 and exc'dlenc house intended for the use of the l!ey when he visited 
 Kai; v'.->:: 'ujiLie-- occupied the basem< U, and were of great extent, 
 supported ]>\ a "uiaber oi' white and red marble and porphyry 
 colunii.s, p.ic'ei/tly ;iie spoils of sonie ancient struclure. The house 
 was in -'.t.I tas.n; the flooring being chietly composed of encaustic 
 tiles, and ihc v.;"- 1'. ed with the same material. In summer it 
 would hav.: '. c.r:\ c ■ ' and comfortable, but at the time it was cold and 
 damp, and, a- ther-. nas n^-, outlet for the fumes, it was impossible to 
 bear the brazier in the room for mi>re than a short period. The 
 Kehaya, or Governor, called at once, accompanied by a uvAiVi-' of grave 
 
IX.] 
 
 KAIRWAN. 
 
 i;f 
 
 and bearded ciders. He was a singularly handsome man, magnificently 
 dressed, very civil, and very ill-informed, lie supplied us with the 
 best of everything-, and volunteered to show us the town next day, and 
 on my aslving if it would be possible to sec the mosque of the famous 
 saint Sidi S;ibi, he did not seem put out by the enormity of the 
 recpiest, but promised we should see the interior of it, though he 
 could not permit us to enter the sacred precincts. And he was as 
 good as his word, for when he rotle through the streets the next day, 
 he conducted us to the gates of the mosque, which had previously 
 been thrown open, and he bade us to look in with a reverential spirit. 
 Nor was this all, for we were brought to visit the famous well, 
 Baroota, which communicated with the still more sacred well, Zcm- 
 Zem, at Mecca, and is held equally sacred in consequence. It is 
 curious that they have here precisely the same story with regard to 
 their iioly well that the Cairones have with regard to theirs in the 
 Mosque of Amr. In both cases it is stated that a pilgrim, having 
 dropped his wooden drinking bowl into Zem-Zem, on returning to his 
 native city found the identical bowl floating on the surface of his own 
 fountain — a fact which, of course, proves the connection of the two 
 sources. The ciders professed much gratification on being informed 
 that v.'e had come from far to drink this celebrated water, and to do 
 honour to their saint Sidi Sabi, al^out whom they were curious to 
 hear if his name was known in luigland. Having read about him 
 when at home, I v.as able to answer these c[uestions very honestly in 
 the affirmative, and so they handed us water from the well, and bade 
 us cjualV it into our bodies, and with it Islam into our souls. They 
 also showed us a very seedy-looking old camel, who is perpetually 
 engaged in drawing water for the faithful, and who is exhibited to 
 tiiem on state occasions in n^agniticent velvet housings. This animal 
 they said was an object of great respect, and were rather amused 
 when I observed that I thought he would prefer a little more food 
 and a little less rcsjiect. lloth on this and the following day we were 
 conducted through the streets and round the walls, and were treated 
 with respect, and even cordiality, being invited on more than one 
 occasion to enter houses and have coffee. What struck me most was 
 the neatness of tiie town, its excellent jnivate iiouses, and the cleanli- 
 ness of the streets, in spite of tlie heavy rain which IkuI recently 
 fallen. It was a remarkable contrast in these respects to the many 
 other Moorish towns in which we had been sojourning. There was 
 little sign of any business going on, it was sleepy enough to all 
 intents, but its citizens seemed to attach importance to propriety and 
 neatness, it sctmed a kind of Maliomnieilan Dalh, or rather Oxford, 
 to which Tunis and Sfnx would play the part of Wapping. 1 
 
 I: 
 
l| ■! ' 
 
 172 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 attribute this to the fact of numbers of hi-hly religious :\Ioors, who, 
 findinj; themselves jostled elsewhere by Christians and Jews, de- 
 
 1 retire here 
 
 tcrniined to remove themselves from the contagion anl retire 
 live and die in the odour of sanctity. To dwell within its holy walls 
 is the very next thini(— indeed, an approximalio i-to being actually 
 in hca\en, so they informed ine, and so also r-ffirmed many Moors 
 elsewhere, lamenting that their poverty or avocations prevented them 
 from taking up their quarters in this abode of the blessed. We hail 
 large /''7;rs every evening of the chief persons, and much discourse 
 on religious matters, which Mahommedans are always eager to 
 discuss. They were also most desirous of understanding how a 
 powerful country like England could remain powerful or have any 
 taxes collected under a female sovereign. I endeavoured v, ascertain 
 if it were true that some of the old families who had taken refuge in 
 Kairvan from .Spain still preserved the keys of their houses in 
 Grenada and Cordova; but though they said there were many 
 families of the refugees from .Si)ain, they were not aware of their 
 having retained their keys. They told i'.;. that their present saint 
 was a female, and that the last marabout, who had recently died, was 
 a man of extraordinary sanctity, and a performc- of the most 
 wonderful miracles. Our landlord at Tunis, a Frenchman, told us 
 that when accompanying the IJey as cook to Kairwan, he had 
 the misfortune to lose his horse, and was in despair, as he could find 
 no one to sell him anotlier. In this emergency some one advised 
 him to consult this fan'ous inr.rabout. He accordingly went to his 
 abode, and as he w.is al",ut t.^ state his perplexities, before he had 
 time to open his lips, ihc holy man said to him, ' Return to your tent, 
 and you will there fiid \v'uit \ iu re. lire.' The saint then shut the 
 door in his face, but on io\ liost .I'Ti' u.'^ at his tent he found there a 
 man holding a horse, who handed him the bridle, and without a word 
 departed. Among othnr iui' i . latlon which we received from our 
 visitors we heard that the won u of Susa were famous for the beauiy 
 of their eyes, those <.f Tunis fo their good taste and knowledge of 
 the bi-coming in dress, while tu ,se of Kairwan bore away the palm 
 for the synimety of thtir legs. Aj in these matters we were pro- 
 foundly ill the dark, we had to take our informant's woid for the 
 accuracy of those characteristics. After three days' sojourn in 
 Kairwan v,e went on our way rejoicing, having had a most cordial 
 reception ; but throughout tlie whole of the Ueylik we experienced 
 hospitality and kindness, both from Moors and Arabs. The Tunisians 
 have always had a better repuiaMon than their Algerian neighbours, 
 and the fanatical and ignorant inhabitants of IMorocco. 
 
 " 1 have no doubt that much of the kind treatment we received 
 
 Mi 
 
 
 1 
 
IX.l 
 
 FRENCH INTRIGUES IX TIMS. 
 
 I 
 
 /J 
 
 was due to tlie strong feeling of reliance on England which was at 
 that time entertained by the ruling classes in Tunis, and mainly 
 inspired by the great ability and high character of our Consul, Sir 
 Richard Wood. Some remarks which I wrote in my journal in iiS5tS, 
 after an interview with the l^ey, are so apjilicable to the jjrcsent state 
 of affairs, that I ask leave to reproduce them precisely .is they were 
 written : — 
 
 "'The allusions made by the IJey to his friendly disposition 
 towards the English were not mere .compliments. lie is jierfectly ali\e 
 to the fact that France is only waiting for the propitious moment to 
 extend her African frontier to the borders of Tripoli. There is one fixed 
 idea innate and uppermost in the mind of every Frenchman, and that 
 is, that it is a necessity for the glory and dc tiny of France that tin; 
 Mediterranean shoukl be a French lake. The possession of Tunis is 
 essential for this project. Its fine secure bay, in a coast devoid of 
 good harbours from Morocco to Alexandria, would be in\aluable to 
 ilicir fleet. Its ]30sition would be a counterpoise to Malta ; its 
 inexhaustibly fertile plains and excellent climate would attract 
 population, and redeem the failure of Algerian colonization. Already, 
 quietly and silently, every preparation is being made. Two military 
 roads are in course of construction ; one from 15onar to the frontiers 
 of Tunis, near Kef, the other to the south of Tebissa. When these 
 arc completed, it only remains to march one column to Kef, and 
 thence to Tunis; while the other, penetrating the southern part of the 
 Regency, can traverse the country, and occupy without impediment the 
 towns along the shore of the Mediterranean and Ciulf of Tripoli. 
 Whatever Tunisian forces there are would thus be taken in the rear. 
 I'"rench olhcers in Algeria do not scruple to open their minds to you 
 upon the subject. With perfect ingenuousness they show you the 
 value of the conquest, both in a military and commercial point of \ iew, 
 and they tell you very frankly that Morocco, Algeria, Tripoli, and 
 Egypt will be a fair set-off to our empire in India. The position of 
 the IJey, however, as vassal of the I'orte, created some difticulty in 
 the way of the execution of these schemes of con(|uest, consecfuently 
 the policy of Fr.ince has been since the occupation of Algeria to 
 inll.ime the minds of successive IJeys with visions of independence. 
 Every inducement is held out to their vanity, and to their fears to 
 allure tliem to proclaim themselves sovereign princes. At one time 
 they were told that were I hey not mere feudatories they would be 
 admitted into the fraternity of the great European Towers. At 
 another they are alarmed by rumours that the Sultan is about to 
 assert a right of appointing, and of superseding his vassals, and of 
 converting Tunis into a I'ashalik, as Tripoli has been converted ; the 
 
 1 
 
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 !|{'! 
 
 ■I 
 
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 1/4 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 riovcrnmLiit of wliicb was at one time in much llic same position as 
 tiiat of Tunis. Anotlicr plan is, by intri;^nies, to disorganize the 
 country, and render the inhabitants ready for a change. The late 
 Bey was unwary enough to be dazzled with this scheme of inde- 
 pendence, and determined on paying Europe a visit, and obtaining 
 from the Western I'owers a recognition of that independence. Louis 
 Philippe gave him every encouragement, but, fortunately for Tunis, 
 there was one man who had the sagacity :o penetrate these projects, 
 and who had the firmness to prevent the foolish dupe from becoming 
 the victim of his short-sighted vanity. Lord Palmerston was then 
 Foreign Secretary. The Bey notified to him his intention of visiting 
 Her Majesty as a foreign prince. Lord I'almcrston replied that he 
 could only come as a vassal of the Sultan, and be presented by the 
 Turkish Ambassador, His Highness returned to Tunis in dudgeon, 
 complaining of the treatment he had received from his English 
 friends. But they were, if unpalatable friends, true, at all events ; for 
 it was clear that L» r.l Palmerston meant to maintain the Sultan's 
 territorial rights. Thus no excuse was sought to pick a quarrel with 
 Tunis in the days of the late Bey, who at last thoroughly understood 
 the wisdom of the course pursued by Lord Palmerston. On the 
 accession of the present Bey the same artifices were employed, and it 
 is said that he was disposed to lend too ready an ear to them, until, 
 from the instruction of our Consul-General, Mr. Wood, he became 
 thoroughly acquainted v.ith their object.' 
 
 "I cannot but feel regret for the evil times which have fallen on 
 the Tunisians, for personally I received much kindness in their 
 country, and undoubtedly they have some claims on England's good- 
 will. The last Bey but one was the first Mahommedan prince who 
 abolished the slave trade in his dominions. He did it at the risk of 
 his life and throne, and through the instigations of Sir Thomas Keid, 
 then our Consul. 1 lis peo])le were most indignant, but a noble example 
 was set, and travellers in Central Africa state that no heavier blow 
 was struck at the slave trade, and the horrible system of slave hunts 
 in the interior, than by this good act of the Bey of Tunis. He asked 
 for a slight recognition from this country, was refused, and on his 
 death-bed expressed his regret that he should die without an honour 
 from England. The late l)cy, on the breaking out of the Crimean 
 War, behaved admirably to the allies. Witb the greatest alacrity and 
 good will, he fitted out and sent 10,000 men, well disciplined and 
 appointed, to the seat of war. Services like these ought not to he 
 forgotten at the present crisis. 
 
 " I remain, sir. yours, etc., 
 
 "W. H. GREGORY." 
 
IX. 
 
 SPEECH ON INDIAN AFFAIRS. 
 
 1/5 
 
 ( 
 
 I did not return to England till February, and the only 
 speech which I made in the House of Commons of any 
 length was in seconding Lord Harry Vane's motion for 
 deferring all legislation for the transfer of India from the 
 Company to the Crown, which was proposed by the 
 Government. I am bound to say the speech was by no 
 means good ; it went against jniblic opinion, and was 
 badly received. Still there was something in it, though 
 I am now quite satisfied I took a wrong and needlessly 
 unpopular course. I thought it advisable there should be 
 an intermediate Government between India and the 
 Government of the day; that was the pivot-point on which 
 my arguments turned. There were strong objections to 
 the House of Commons ruling India. The East India 
 Directors were uninfluenced by the politics of the hour, 
 and while their jjosition was maintained there was no fear 
 of India becoming, like Ireland, a battle-field of party, 
 and disturbed by popular cries echoed by ignorant men. 
 Xo doubt all double governments are bad, like all dual 
 ownershi[)s of land, as we in Ireland know to our cost ; 
 but still the steady conservatism of the Directors had 
 many advantages, and doubtless moderated great ambi- 
 tions which the lioard of Control could not have done 
 alone. They were elected by middle-class voters, they 
 were not appointed or removable by the Minister of the 
 da\', a Ministerial crisis in no way affected their course of 
 action. The interference of Ministers in Indian appoint- 
 ments, and the danger of favouritism over-riding merit, 
 could not be lost sight of. The telegraphic " Take care 
 of iJow" in the Crimea gave warning of similar tele- 
 graphic messages to India. We had seen enough of 
 favouritism in the generals sent out by the 1 lorse Guards, 
 where to the lame, :'outy, paralyzed, and incompetent 
 pets of the powers tiUit be, were entrusted, as we had 
 
 
 1 
 
 : . * 
 
176 
 
 SIR WILLIAM r.RnCORV, 
 
 [Cii 
 
 known to our cost, military operations of the greatest 
 importance in India. The East India Company was not 
 guilty of having involved us in the annexation of Oude, 
 the Afghan War, and the unjust and violent attack on and 
 conquest of the Emirs of Scinde, all of which were causes 
 leading up to the Mutiny. Tiiey had steadily opposed all 
 those schemes and acts of aggrandisement. The Indian 
 Empire was founded by the middle class ; i)lacc it in the 
 hands of a Minister and it will soon become an appanage 
 of the Crown and aristocracy, and a dangerous instrument 
 from the enormous patronage which it might be made to 
 confer. Such were my views at the time, and there was 
 certainly a certain amount of force in them ; but Lord 
 Palmerston made short work of them, and the House 
 of Commons and country were in no mood for delay. 
 The terrible crisis we had passed through during the 
 Indian Mutiny was attributed by the majority to the 
 faulty system of dual government which had prevailed, 
 and a clean sweep was demanded, of such a drastic nature 
 that Sepoy mutineers should become impracticable. The 
 transfer, however, was not effected by Lord Palmerston, 
 but by Lord Derby, as, in February, 1858, Mr. Milner 
 Gibson carried his amendment against the Conspiracy 
 Bill of the Government by a majority of nineteen votes. 
 I voted with the Government with all my heart. I thought 
 their object a proper one, to enable them to prosecute the 
 foreign assassins who resorted to our shores to mature 
 their murderous designs or to escape the consequences of 
 them. It simply purported to make conspiracy to nmrder 
 a felony. But the country was in no mood for such a 
 measure. The menaces of France had thoroughly aroused 
 EngMsh pride, anrl though there was no doubt of the 
 co-operation of well-known refugees with the recent at- 
 tempt by Orsini, the Government ailed to carry their 
 
JX.] 
 
 IRISH FOUNDLINGS. 
 
 1/7 
 
 % 
 
 bill. It was a pr()[)cr bill. It would have gratified and 
 strengthened Louis Napoleon, supposed to be our special 
 friend, and it would have removed the accusation, too 
 justly made against us by every foreign power, of being 
 a refuge for the most atrocious criminals, if they could 
 only claim ^he privilege of political action. Lord Pal- 
 mcrston undoubtedly failed in his conduct of the bill, 
 and received a lesson he never forgot. And so India 
 was transferred from John Company to the Kmpress- 
 Oueen, .ind very properly, in spite of my reasons to the 
 contrary. 
 
 I had good fortune in the next session, 1S59, in bring- 
 ing in and carr)-ing a bill in relation to the religion in 
 which descrteil children should be registered in Irish 
 workhouses, and also providing for the outdoor main- 
 tenance of orphan and deserted children. Lord John 
 Browne, the member for Alayo, cordially assisted me, and 
 added his 1 ame to the bill. This bill was rendered 
 necessary by the decision of the I'oor Law Board that all 
 children in workhouses, whose religion could not be ascer- 
 tained, should be brought up as belonging to the Church 
 of England, and much dissatisfaction was the result, as 
 the probability was strongly in favour that these children 
 were the offspring of Catholic parents, considering the 
 numerical preponderance of the Catholics, and that 
 habitually these poor waifs and strays came from the 
 lowest classes of the community. Constant conflicts 
 between the guardians of the Poor Law Board were the 
 result, and rcligiou:- zeal wn« stirred up whenever any of 
 these children were introduced ; the Protestant guardians 
 insisting on the decision of the Poor Law Board being 
 maintained, the Catholic guardians sturdily resisting it 
 on the ;;i()und of its manifest unfairness. My bill set 
 this vexed question at rest, much lo the relief of the Poor 
 
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 SIR WILLIAM GRECORV, 
 
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 Law Board, and was received with general satisfaction b)' 
 the Roman Catholic clergy. 
 
 I took the important step in this scssicjn of moving 
 for a Committee of Inquiry into the Uritish Museum ; 
 rather a venturesome step for a member of no standing 
 and of small experience, but the necessity for inquiry 
 was so manifest that the Government acceded to my 
 motion. So far back as 1S54, Dr. Grey, the keeiier of 
 the Zoological Department, reported that the zoological 
 collection was almost inaccessible, and, if not transferred 
 to dryer quarters, would before long be destroyed. In 
 1857 Mr. Panizzi, the principal librarian, had renewed the 
 coniplaint, stating that no specimen could be examined 
 without removing two or three others ; that a vast number 
 of the most valuable objects were stowed a\va\- in the 
 basement ; that the Trustees were, from insufficient accom- 
 modation, unable to exhibit their prints and drawings ; 
 that the colonnade was defaced with a glass conserva- 
 tory, crammed with the marbles of Helicarnassus, and 
 that those from Carthage had been relegated to subter- 
 raneous regions of Nox and Erebus. I prc>posed various 
 heads of inquiry, chiefly as to the (luestion whether, in 
 order to relieve this scandalous state of things, resort 
 should be had to obtaining increased space in contiguity 
 with the present site, or to the removal of the natural 
 history collections elsewhere, and if so, where ; also as 
 to whether duplicates of books in the Library might not 
 be rendered available in loan to provincial libraries ; also 
 whether it would be advisable to appoint more men of 
 science on the Board of such a great scientific institution ; 
 also as to the mode of transacting business by the Boartl, 
 and as to the expediency of some kind of lecture or ex- 
 position being given by the officials, to illustrate the vast, 
 and to the great majority of visitors, incomprehensible 
 
IX.J 
 
 THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 
 
 179 
 
 treasures of the Museum. The statement was well re- 
 ceived by the House, and with acclaim by the heads of 
 departments in the Museum, with the exception of i\Ir. 
 Panizzi, who could not bear any interference with this 
 !^rcat establishment over which he ruled with absolute 
 authority, and was hic^hly exasperated at any changes 
 beinfj proi)osed which did not directly emanate from him. 
 
 The following evening I had to move, formally, the 
 appointment of the Committee, at the end of other public 
 business, when, to my astonishment, Mr. Gladstone got 
 up and, without notice, opposed it, at 1.30 a.m. There 
 were only twenty-one members in the House, and out of 
 them he got but one supporter. We divided, nineteen 
 to two, and that was the commencement of a continued 
 antagonism between Mr. Gladstone and myself on all 
 subjects connected with the l^ritish Museum. 
 
 Parliament was dissolved, and so my Committee fell 
 through for that year. 
 
 ^\t the earnest request of Captain Vivian, who had 
 taken office, I became his successor to a motion he in- 
 tended to bring before the House to inquire into the 
 grievances of Mr. Ryland, the Clerk of the Council in 
 Canada. I was met by Mr. Chichester Fortcscue, on the 
 part of the Government, and my motion was defeated, I 
 believe very properly, by a large majority. It had the 
 effect, .fiowever, of laying the foundation of much friend- 
 shij) with a charming family in Canada, that of Mr. 
 Ryland, from whom I received much kindness when I 
 visited the country. 
 
 !1 
 
 1 ifi 
 
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I So 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 When the session of 1859 was over I dcterinined on paying 
 a visit to Canada and the United States. I had often 
 received letters from my uncle, Colonel O'llara, who had 
 settled at Toronto, which had greatly impressed me by 
 their ability, and I had heard so much of the charm of 
 his society and of his family that I had long looked 
 forward to the tri[). Two days before starting I met 
 Geoffrey Browne, now Lord Oranmore, at Kildarc-street 
 Club, and, on my mentioning my plans, he proposed co 
 join me. I agreed ; he telegraphed to Liverpool and 
 obtained the vacant berth in my cabin. 
 
 We sailed in the Aiis^lo-Saxon on the ist o{ Sep- 
 tember. Wc were to have started the clay before, but the 
 hurricane which raged caused a delay. It was terrific. 
 Several ships had gone ashore in the Mersey, and the 
 sight of these wrecks was not a pleasant one as we made 
 our way by them. We got on board with great difficulty 
 and danger, and after a few had reached Vac Aii_i:;io-Saxo)is 
 deck at the risk of their lives, the tender was obliged to 
 sheer off till low water. Vox- eight days this tremendous 
 storm raged, and was the grandest and the most fearful 
 sight I ever witnessed. At one moment we were perched 
 on the summit of an enormous rolling wave, and then 
 descended into an abyss, with a wall of green water rising 
 right above us, but the ship went uj) bravely and easily. 
 
 
 ' i 
 
X.] 
 
 ARRIVAL IN CANADA. 
 
 I8l 
 
 I^'or a clay and a night \vc made but little way. It was 
 almost impossible to remain on deck except on all fours, 
 and, as the cabin was battened down, our time was not 
 spent agreeably. But not a rope or bolt gave way, the 
 engines did their work nobly, and the captain, a God- 
 fearing, hard-headed Scotchman, never once, during those 
 eight days of danger, took off his clothes, and inspired 
 general confidence, even among the ladies, by his un- 
 ceasing care and calmness. Once, however, he showed 
 what he thought of our danger. At dinner one day, a 
 young pert cockney said to him, in a chaffing manner, " I 
 say, captain, if the rudder-chains gave way, what would 
 you do ? " I shall not readily forget the captain's solemn 
 reply: "Young man, if j-ou knew how near you are to 
 meeting your Maker, you would not ask such questions." 
 
 One of our fellow-passengers was John Mead, the son 
 of the Governor of Canada, who was going out to join his 
 father, Sir E. Mead, and family. lie was a most charming 
 young fellow, full of originality, and evidently of a very 
 high order of ability. His mind was directed to scientific 
 studies, and he was to enter at Cambridge next term, 
 where every one prognosticated for him a distinguished 
 career. When we reached Quebec we received an invita- 
 tion from his father to join him at Montreal, antl to 
 proceed thence to Trois Rivieres, a town at the mouth 
 of the St. Lawrence river, from which we were to make 
 an excursion of four or five days into the wild country 
 on the banks of that river. We joyfully accepted the 
 invitation, and had a most amusing public dinner at Trois 
 Rivieres, where the jolly mayor gave the health of the 
 jolly Commander-in-Chief, Sir Fenwick Williams, of Kars, 
 who accompanied us from IMontreal. He wound up with 
 a musical outburst, accompanied with the beating of a big 
 drum, with a " bomm, bomm, bomm, and a boom, boom, 
 
 'i ■ H: 
 
 I 
 
 1^ 
 
• 
 
 1 1 
 
 !l 
 
 '^ 
 
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 182 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cm. 
 
 boom — our artillery general's health, ami boom, boom, 
 boom.." It was extremely comical, .so much so that we 
 all continued singing "boom, boom, boom," with the big 
 drum beating time, and the maj-or in the greatest fury 
 in vain endeavouring to lay the spirit he had let loose. 
 
 Next day we started in boats of birch bark manned 
 by half-breed Indians and employes of the Hudson's Bay 
 Company. Nothing could be more delightful ; the mar- 
 vellous tints of Canadian autumn had coloured the woods 
 in purple, orange, antl crimson of every shade. The 
 weather at first was perfect. When we came to rough 
 water on the river wc got out of our canoes and carried 
 them till the water was smooth again. Then we entered 
 a chain of lakes, and the scene was very pretty. We had 
 five or six boats, all rowing in procession ; each of the 
 rowers was clad in a red flannel jacket, and at a signal 
 the steersman of the foremost boat tossed up his paddle 
 and gave the sicinal for one of the old-fashioned Canadian 
 songs, this was taken up by the ne.xt boat, and so all along 
 the line, and the lake was full of music. I remember the 
 beginning of one song, the refrain of which was extremely- 
 pretty — 
 
 '■ l.c fils (111 roi il est nicchnnt, 
 11 a vole moil canard blanc." 
 
 Our first day's excursion was to the magnificent I"\alls 
 of Shawwcingan, the finest I had ever seen, not having 
 }'et visited Niagara. The great river comes tearing down 
 a gorge, and, turning suddenly, meets a huge rock in mid- 
 stream which bars its progress. It dashes itself high up 
 in the air with a crash and turmoil heard far away. We 
 bivouacked near it our first night. 
 
 Our party the first day consisted of Sir V.. and Lady, Miss 
 and John Head, Sir F'cnwick Williams, and some friends 
 from Trois Rivieres, G. Browne and myself and Monsieur 
 
 i 
 
I- 
 
 i. I 
 
 X.] 
 
 A CANOE VOVAGC. 
 
 IS3 
 
 Carticr, the Trimc Minster of Canada, once a rebel, and I 
 bi;licve out in tlie I'apillon rebellion, but now as loyal a 
 subject as her .Majesty ruled over, and a most dcliujhtful 
 companion, full of fun and with exuberant spirits. We halted 
 toward evening; near Shawweingan, where there was a house 
 wiiich the Governor and his party occupied, but we put up in 
 tents and slept most comfortably antl soundly on spruce 
 branches, after a merry dinner. The evening,' wound up 
 witii Canadian son^c^s and dancing, and M. Carticr, in the 
 fulness of high spirits, seized a fiddle from one of the 
 Toyagciirs, jumped on an empty barrel and kei)t us in 
 continual laughter b)- his songs and drolleries. I have 
 known all (nir Prime Ministers since 1840, but I hardly 
 think ail)- combination of circumstances would have made 
 any one of them gi\'e way to such, friskiness, not even 
 Lord I)L'rb\", in spite (jf his love for a practical joke. The 
 next day the cares of office carried off Monsieur Cartier, 
 to our universal regret ; but for two more days we had 
 delightful journeys through beautiiul woodland scenery 
 and by magnificent waterfalls, passing occasionally the 
 house of a settler, which was indicated by the smoke 
 curling through the forest. It was on the second day that 
 we arrived at the fine J'^alls of Grande Merc, and there we 
 were forced by rain to remain two days. The weather 
 clearing up we went on to the P^alls of Lcs Pcllcs, and 
 thence returned to our camp at Grande Merc. At dinner 
 there was a gcjod deal of banter at the expense of John 
 1 lead for not bathing as the rest of us did, and Sir Edmund 
 said laughingly to his son, "If you do not get up and 
 bathe to-morrow, I shall send the boatmen into your tent 
 to pull you out of bed and duck you," and I added, having 
 just had a swim before dinner in the river^ a strong warning 
 to all not to bathe from a very tempting spot, as the sand 
 was almost a ([uicksand, and that had I not been a good 
 
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1 
 
 '1 ( 
 
 K 
 
 1 84 
 
 SIR WILLIAM CRF.GORN. 
 
 [Cii, 
 
 swimmer, I should have run '^vcat risk. The foUowiiiLj 
 
 morning, at about nine o'clock. Sir K. Head had l^oiic out 
 
 fishing, the ladies had not yet appeared, the boatmen wore 
 
 all sitting on the bank, and G. 15ro\vne and myself 
 
 finished or were going to finish ou: breakfast in the cottage 
 
 close to the falls, when a cry arose from the river, and 
 
 there was a running to and fro of the boatmen in great 
 
 agitation. Presently Captain Kettallich, the aide-de-cami), 
 
 ran up and said, "John Mead is drowned." We ran down 
 
 immediately, a canoe was rapidly brought to the spot, and 
 
 the boatmen dived all around the place where John Head 
 
 had disappeared. He had run down from his tent, ami. 
 
 although quite unable to swim, he had entered the water 
 
 at exactly the spot against which I had warned him and 
 
 others. His feet slipped from under him, owing to the 
 
 impalpable sand on which he tried to make a footing. 
 
 Three times he rose above the surface, three times he sank 
 
 in the full view of the boatmen on the bank, they merely 
 
 remarking what a capital diver he was. It was not till 
 
 he sank for the last time that the alarm was given, but 
 
 the body had been nearly twenty minutes under water ere 
 
 it was reached. He was close to the shore, not more than 
 
 three or four yards, and apparently on all-fours, but there 
 
 were sixteen feet of water where he lay, and a strong 
 
 under-current. We set to work to endeavour to revive 
 
 him, and in a short time Sir K. Head, who had been 
 
 bathing and fishing, came and took the direction with 
 
 perfect calmness and self-command. For three hours we 
 
 rocked the body to and fro, and sometimes inspired b}- 
 
 hope from air-bubbles which came from the lips, but at 
 
 last the hopelessness of our task became apparent. Sir 
 
 Edmund looked me in the face and said, " It is hopeless." 
 
 I could only bow. He turned to his poor wife and 
 
 daughter, held up his hand.s. and fell flat on his face, 
 
 I 
 
x.l 
 
 I'.URIAL OK lOIIX HEAD. 
 
 IS:; 
 
 perfectly senseless, ;is, in the worels of Dante, " C;iddi C(ime 
 nil corpo inorte cade." One can readily iina^.^ine the 
 misery which had succeeded all our joyousncss. For two 
 days we had to make our way down the river w ilh the 
 body of the poor boy wrapped up in a blanket. It was 
 not till we reached Trois Rivieres that we obtained accffm. 
 Sir ICdmund was completely unnerved, and could do 
 nothing, but Lady Head bore up wonderfully, and I was 
 able to help them a good deal during that dreadful journc\-. 
 When we parted she took ni)' luuul in both of hers 
 said, " May God thank you for your kindness to us. Come 
 and sec me when you can ; it will be a relief to me to see 
 one whom I associate with the recollections of my dear 
 child." And Sir lulmund seemed also to be much gratified 
 when we expressed our intention to go down to Quebec 
 t(; be present at the funeral. The cemetery at Quebec 
 is a lovely spot overlooking the broad St. Lawrence. The 
 people flocked in from all quarters to the funeral, and their 
 conduct was admirable. There was no appearance of idle, 
 vulgar curiosity, but thc)- came as if their object were to 
 fulfil a melancholy dut>'. The maple in its gorgeous 
 beauty was waving over thc grave, and solemn ancient 
 pines added to the impressivcness of the scenery. I did 
 not think the i)oor parents could have had the courage 
 to face the cercmon\-, but they did. 
 
 JOHN IIL.XU, 
 
 Agi;i» I'j Years and 7 AIon.'iis. 
 /)/l-(/ Scf^tt'iiibi'i- 25, 1859. 
 
 This was the inscription on the coffin. I could not 
 help recalling the words of Tennyson, which seemed to 
 come home to my heart as we looked from Spencer Wood 
 and saw the ships with their white sails sweeping down the 
 St. Lawrence to Quebec — 
 
 t 
 
 :iiij 
 
 ^k 
 
 ; A 
 
 I ' 
 
 1 • 
 
 ■ f i; 
 
 
!( 
 
 if 
 
 i i 
 
 i i 
 
 lS6 SIR WILLIAM CRLGORV. [Cii. 
 
 " The stalely ^hips j^o clown 
 To the liavtn iimlcr llic liill ; 
 Hut () for the touch of a vanislicd hand, 
 And the sound of a voice tliat is still ! " 
 
 From Ottaw;' I wciU to I'ictoii, to pay my friend Mr. 
 Rylantl a visit, ami tlicncc to 'I'oronto, to my uncle 
 Walter, I had heard that the establishment was ex- 
 tremely ree-raw, but, on the contrary, everj-thint; was 
 orderly, very i:food living, and the warmest welcoine. I 
 was greatly taken with tliem all, but w as only able to staj' 
 with them a day or two, having; to g(j on to Niagara to 
 meet Ikowne, who had preceded me. I need say nothing 
 of Niagara, except that it was perhaps the only sight 
 of my life which exceeded my previous e.\i)ectations. 
 No picture can give an adecjuate idea of the wondrous 
 majestic calmness of that ceaseless fall, of its treacherous 
 slate-green water, and of the pools of foam below, l-'rom 
 Niagara I went to Chicago, and my letters are full of 
 admiration of this greal and ever-rising city, and from 
 Chicago I tra\erscd the State of Illinois to (Juincy, a 
 place of evil fame f r rowdyism. I attended a fair held 
 there, where there was a race between the ladies of Illinois 
 and of Missouri, which was extremely amusing. As the 
 IMissouri lady won I full}- expected there woulil be an 
 outburst among the Illinois citizens; but everj-thing was 
 orderly, though I heard in the hotel that a murder or two 
 was expected during the night, not premeditated, certainly, 
 but owing to difficulties arising among gentlemen from 
 transactions during the fair. 
 
 We left Ouincy and the rival female jockeys without 
 regret, and took steamer to Louisville, The steamer 
 was, as Mississippi steamers always are, of immense 
 proportions, with very comfortable cabins, excellent 
 living, and gorgeously fitted up. I had hitherto been 
 
 i\ 
 
A'm. 
 
 X.I 
 
 AN AMERICAN "DIFFICULTY." 
 
 1S7 
 
 under the impression tliat the Mississippi was a sluj^- 
 ;^Msh stream, llowin^' ihrou-h swamps and fever-haunted 
 morasses, but tliis higher part of it is extremely fme. 
 Tiiere are, for some miles ere reachint; Alton, in Illinois, 
 hit;h banks or bluffs, as they eall them, which were 
 of remarkable beauty, and at that time, October 13, 
 decked in all Jie maj^nificcnce of the American autumn. 
 At Hannibal, {[uile a new place, and the point of de- 
 parture for gold-di_Ljt,^crs to the west, we took on board 
 a lot of adventurers just returning; from the Rock\- 
 i\lountains to Pike's I'cak. Such a set of ruffians in 
 a]ipearance I never saw before ; but they were extremely 
 well behaved, and, thouc:;h in ral^^s and unkempt, very 
 excellent, fine fellows In the Western States at that 
 period, for this was thirty-nine }-ears iv^o, the disrcc^ard 
 for human life was rather a strikincj feature. An ICnglish- 
 nian on board tolil me he liad been at Ouincy only two 
 years, and that durin,i^ this time ei_i;ht men had been 
 pistolled or stabbed to death in (juarrels, to say nothini;' 
 of wounds, and }-et Ouincy was but a small place. While 
 we were discussinc^ this phase of society an iVmcrican 
 i;cntlcman, wishing; to do the honours of the customs of 
 these rccjions, rushed u[) and ur^jcd me to <^o forward at 
 once, if I desired to sec a difficulty. On proceeding; U) 
 the scene of action, I found the captain surrounded by a 
 crowd, and remonstrating; with a most ill-favoured, ragged 
 young scapegrace, who was threatening to make some 
 other man " smell hell." I asked a bystander what was 
 going on, and he replied coolly, sending forth a squirt of 
 tobacco juice, " W'al, I guess that 'ere gentleman wants to 
 let blood from that other gentleman ; " and so it was, the 
 youth had the sacrificial knife quite ready, and was only 
 calmed down Iiy the assurance of the captain that he 
 would put a bullet through him if he heard any more 
 
 ll 
 
 ,i 
 
 '!^ 
 
 11 
 
 I 
 
1 88 
 
 Sik WILLIAM (.UKCOkV. 
 
 [Cit. 
 
 nonsense. The youth believed the assurance and shuik 
 away, cursin.i; with reniarkably strange oatlis. Tlie wild 
 adventurers from L'ike's I'eak ami myself became fast 
 friends durinjj this voyaf:;e. l?y i;ood luck the 7'iiiits, of 
 which I had several recent numbers, had been f^ivini; very 
 intercstint,^ descriptions of i^'oUl-mininL; districts, and 
 among them was one, if I recollect right, of Tike's Teak ; 
 at all events they were highl)' pleased with the accounts, 
 and requested me to reail them aloud to them. This was 
 the cause of our friendship, ami most warm were the 
 invitations to Pike's I'cak. On u\y hinting at the in- 
 security of life and property in those remote diggings, one 
 of my friends replied, "I calculate, sir, )-our proi)erty is 
 safer than on board this boat ; if a man steals we jest 
 hang him \.\\y right off at once." .And so they did, and the 
 consecpiencc was that in no part of the L'nited States was 
 there more honesty than among these wiltl tlesperadocs. 
 I was highly amused at meeting ni)' friends the ilay 
 following our arrival at St. Louis ; the)- had discarded 
 mocassins and leather leggings, antl were arrayetl in 
 jjoHshcd boots, sticking-plaster waistcoats, black coats, 
 and chimne)'-pot hats, and seemed as conceited as butter- 
 flics just escaped from the chrysalis state. 
 
 From St. Louis, but recently the last stage of 
 civilization, just on the (Hitposts of savagedom, but now 
 a fine flourishing town in a flourishing ami settled district, 
 1 proceeded to Louisville, in Kentucky, partly to see that 
 State, and partly to see the ^Lunmoth Caves, which, 
 however, I was unable to reach. At Louisville I was 
 standing, in the evening, under the lamplight of the door 
 of the hotel, when a waggoner rushed from his car and 
 horses and almost embraced mc, crying out, " Oh, my 
 dear master, don't you remember me .' " I had not 
 forgotten him. lie was a tenant's son, and had crossed 
 
luiik 
 
 wild 
 
 fast 
 
 '.V, of 
 VLM'\' 
 
 and 
 'ak ; 
 lilts, 
 was 
 llu; 
 ill- 
 one 
 
 [y is 
 jest 
 
 1 the 
 was 
 
 X.I 
 
 t:\iLKS OK i;uix. 
 
 I Si; 
 
 the Atlantic to seek his fortune some years previously. 
 Ho told inc the wat^'j^'on and horses were his own, ami 
 that he was running, thoui,di (juite a young man, into 
 nuich money. The next day he brought a concourse of 
 former inhabitants of my property, and of the vicinity, 
 and wc had a long and pleasant chat on home matters, 
 and on their own affairs and prospects in America, which 
 were certainly very encouraging. 
 
 At Cincinnati, to which I next proceeded, I had more 
 gaietj'. The porter of my hotel discovered that he had 
 married a daughter (jf one of my tenants, a certain Mrs. 
 Regan, of Lissatunna, and invited me to visit his wife 
 that evening. She had been housemaid at Coole, a very 
 good-looking and remarkably clever girl. I found her 
 in snug rooms, well furnished, and full of friends from 
 Gort, and the region thereabout. Nothing could be 
 plcasanter than the evening whicli, with the help of tea, 
 and 1 am afraid not a little whisky punch, was prolonged 
 to a late hour. The whole assembly accompanied me 
 to the hotel, ami at parting iny hostess whispered some- 
 thing to hei husband, who with a smile said to me, " I 
 hope your honour won't bj offended with the request, but 
 my wife wishes )-our honour will, for the sake of okl 
 times, give her a kiss at i)arting." I willingly acceded, 
 and gave the asked for accolade, and the party broke up 
 with a cheer to celebrate it. 
 
 From Cincinnati 1 made my way to Cumberland, 
 Virginia, to Washington, to lialtimore, and finally to 
 New York. 
 
 I must mention Harper's Ferry. It is a small town at 
 the junction of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, but 
 of importance as being one of the r .lourics of the United 
 States. Three days before my arrival it had acquired a. 
 immense notoriety, and, from the 17th of October to th 
 
 k 
 
 H 
 
 I 
 
 t 
 it 
 
 fi,. 
 
 4 
 
IQO 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORV. 
 
 [Ci 
 
 19th, the main topic of conversation, through tiic length 
 and breadth of America, was "The Rcvohition of Harper's 
 Ferry." On that day a band of desperate men, inllamcd 
 bv reh'cfious fanaticism, and without a particle of sordid 
 motive, seized, and held for a whole day, this armoury of the 
 United States. This foiay was contrived by Commander 
 John Brown, a God-fearing man, deeply imbued with 
 religious convictions, and perfectly convinced that he had 
 received a Heaven-sent mission to act as a second Aloses, 
 and lead the slaves out of captivity. He seems to have 
 inherited from rcmctc ancestors a profound hatred of 
 injustice, coupled with strong religious convictions. He 
 was descended from John lirown, of i\.shford, who was 
 burned at the stake in his native village during the per- 
 secution of Henry VIH., and his more immediate ancestor 
 had left England to worship with freedom in America. 
 His early career was that t)f a tanner in Ohio, whence he 
 removed to Kansas, then the theatre almost of civil war 
 between the advocates of slavery and tln^ abolitionists. 
 There he made himself known and feared by his bloody 
 retaliation of the murders and spoliation of the slave- 
 holding party, and thence he removed to the .Mleghanies. 
 All this long period of his life he had ever before him, as 
 his paramount act of dut)-, the liberation of God's children, 
 as he called the negroes, by some signal insurrection. 
 Emerson, writing of him, says, " It was not a piece of 
 spite and revenge, a plot of two years, or of twenty years, 
 but the keeping of an oath made to heaven and earth 
 forty-seven years before." 
 
 For some time he had lived in the hills near the town, 
 had obtained arms, and had inspired with his enthusiasm 
 other fanatics like himself Their plans were well laid ; 
 the arms, being seized, were to be handed over to the 
 negroes, and emancipation proclaimed right and left. He 
 
 J 
 
[Ci 
 
 i 
 
 X.] 
 
 JOHN ^iRo^v^^ 
 
 191 
 
 conficlcntl)^ reckoned on a fierce and unanimous risini; of 
 the ncjjrocs, but, fortunately, lie was disappointed, for a 
 scene of bloodshed, robbery, and violation would have 
 ensued which would have laid waste some of the fairest 
 provinces of the Union. Not a negro stirred. He said in 
 his letter, " The true object to be sought is first of all to 
 destroy the money value of slave property, and that can 
 only be done by rendering slave property insecure." The 
 attacking party got possession of the arms and the stores, 
 took the chief persons and the Government workmen 
 pris jners, and then entrenched themselves in one of the 
 public buildings, expecting vainly the rising of the black 
 population. When the troops and volunteers arrived the 
 following day they refused to surrender, and f aight till 
 thirteen were killed, and the rest, except one, who con- 
 trived to escape, desperately wounded. During the fight 
 liis son was shot dead. He laid down his rifle for a 
 minute, and arranged his limbs decently, then took it 
 up again, merely remarking, " This is the third I have 
 lost in the cause." John Brown was made prisoner, and 
 was being taken to Washington either by the train in 
 which we were travelling or by the preceding one. He 
 was supposed to be dying of his wounds. The Governor 
 of Virginia, Henry Wise, one of the most fierce fire-eaters 
 of the South, got in at Harper's Ferry with some other 
 officials, and invited us to his carriage. Of course the 
 conversation was on the subject of recent events. Some 
 one of the [)arty applied to John Brown the opprobrious 
 name of " coward." " Sir," said Henry Wise, in a tone 
 the sternness of which I still remember, "you know not 
 him whom you are defaming. He is the bravest man I 
 ever saw." But he had fully made up his mind to hang 
 him, and did so very rightly. I Ic was hanged at Charleston, 
 and his dying words were of remarkable power and 
 
 % : Jl 
 
 -I 
 
 '4 
 
 1| 
 
 iu i 
 
.1 
 
 192 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY, 
 
 [C,.. 
 
 solemnity. lie spoke to time and to eternity, and even 
 at that moment, when the minds of his audience were 
 furious against him, they listened to him with respect, 
 almost with awe. These were his last words, noble and 
 sim.ple and fearless : " Now, if it is deemed necessary that 
 I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of 
 justice, and mingle my blood with the blood of my children, 
 and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose 
 rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enact- 
 ments, I submit. So let it be done." 
 
 His memory has been venerated in the North as that 
 of a martyr, and the " Marseillaise " of the Northern army, 
 as they crushed and trampled on the Southern chivalry, 
 was the refrain on the chant ( f his death — 
 
 "John Brown's body lies mouldcrin.; in the grave, 
 }lis soul is marching on." 
 
 Nothing could exceed the panic of the slave States 
 
 caused by this attempt. They fell; they were resting on 
 
 explosives, and when men are terrified they are cruel. An 
 
 English gentleman, Mr. Wynne, vas in the train that 
 
 arrived during the conflict ; the dead and dying were 
 
 lying on the grass. One c ' tlio unfortunate wretches, 
 
 dreadfully wounded and roll'ng in agony, called for water, 
 
 and Mr. Wynne asked permission to give him a cupful. 
 
 " If you do," said a volunteer, who was standing close by, 
 
 " I'll jest shoot you as I shot him. I guess he shall die 
 
 an uglier death than a dog or a horse." Had wc not 
 
 been delayed accidentally at Cincinnati wc should have 
 
 come into the fray, for tiic train by which we were to 
 
 have, travelled had its baggage-master shot dead, and the 
 
 guard's hat was perforated ere 'Jicy could retire out of 
 
 bullet range. The guard was so infuriated by the majesty 
 
 of his hat being outraged that he borrowed iMr. Wynne's 
 
[Ci 
 
 X.] 
 
 A SHOOTING EXPEDITION. 
 
 193 
 
 rifle, and, in the capacity of captain of militia, went "a 
 shootinV' as he called it, that is, he joined the fight. The 
 bullets of Mr. Wynne's rifle were conical, and one of 
 them blew open a poor fellow's breast in such a style that 
 the guard "traded" half a dozen bullets he had left at 
 hv\( a dollar a-picce, as he triumphantly informed his 
 audience. 
 
 After a very short stay at Baltimore I went on to 
 New York, and lodged at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, then 
 vaunted throughout all Christendom for its magnificence. 
 It put up a thousand beds, and fifteen hundred persons 
 could, and did at times, si:: down to dinner. This enor- 
 mous block of building was constructed of polished white 
 marble. The cuisine was excellent, and every possible 
 convenience an \ amusement were to be found in it. 
 Eleven shillings a day covered all expenses. It is now 
 considered old-fashioned, and its day has gone by. I had 
 excellent introductions in New York, and was inordinately 
 feasted during the few days I stayed there ; but I was 
 bound to shoot with the young Mr. Rylands in the Illinois 
 prairies, and started off, thinking nothing of the journey 
 of fifteen hundred miles. I passed by beautiful Lake 
 George and met my friends at Toronto, and, with them, 
 started forth to the Illinois prairies. I forget the name of 
 the station at which we were advised to stop. I remember 
 that we arrived there at night, and, on asking at a small 
 tavern, the only one in the hamlet, if we could have beds, 
 we were told there were none vacant ; however, they made 
 up something for my friends the Rylands, and offered me 
 llie choice of the kitchen table or to share the I'oom of 
 the "School Marm" upstairs. I preferred the kitchen 
 table. 
 
 Our shooting destination was about nine miles from 
 the station. We hired a kind of butcher's cart, and were 
 
 O 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 ^ii 
 
 • -jS in 
 
 liif 
 
 3 1 
 
 I 
 I 
 
 \'m\ 
 
 '(! 
 
I 
 
 
 -I 
 
 194 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [C.t. 
 
 told to drive straight to the "Lone Tree," and then to 
 keep straight on, and retain the cart as long as we liked. 
 We found the " Lone Tree " by the aid of a patent compass, 
 and reached our destination, which was a log house in a 
 grove of oaks. The master of the house had gone away, 
 but the maid made us welcome, and stowed us away in 
 her master's room and beds. When he returned he 
 insisted on our staying where we were. We had capital 
 butter and milk, fried pork for breakfast, and boiled beef 
 and tea for dinner. No fermented liquor was allowed. 
 The labouring men, about eight or ten, and ourselves all 
 dined together. They were rough fellows enough, but 
 most obliging. The weather was dreadful, antl but for 
 this we should have had the most marvellously fine 
 shooting. Wild ducks of all kinds, and wild geese and 
 prairie chickens were literally destroying acres of Indian 
 corn which lay between two lakes. There was no need of 
 a dog ; we walked to and fro among the corn and put 
 them up, or else shot them as rocketers fl}-ing over us. 
 We brought back to Toronto a prodigious quantity and 
 variety of game, which, being frozen, lasted our friends 
 there during the whole winter till the following Easter. 
 The owner came back the second day, a most excellent 
 man, the very salt of the earth, I should sa}-. He was 
 from New England, very grave, very slow, very honest, 
 and of strong religious views, and with a fine New Eng- 
 land nasal twang ; he was also well informed, and our 
 evenings were phasant enough in his society. It is usual 
 on such occasions to pay for one's board, and on my 
 proffering what would be the recognized amount for 
 myself, two friends, and horse, he said in his slow, sen- 
 tentious way, "Not a cent from you, sir. I am amply 
 paid by the company of a gentleman from the old 
 country. I don't forget my father was a Yorkshireman. 
 
[Cm 
 
 :d of 
 
 X.I 
 
 "PLUG-UGLIES." 
 
 195 
 
 If you wish to repay me, come again next year and 
 stay a good long time witli mc," Such was the fccHng 
 everywhere. 
 
 The same reception awaited me in Baltimore. I had 
 an old friend there, John Morris, a member of one of the 
 principal families, and every house was open to me, every 
 one anxious to make my stay pleasant. Well do I recall 
 the merry suppers of roast oysters at the club, and the 
 bright eyes of the pretty girls for which Baltimore is 
 famous. It has given us a duchess (of Leeds) and a 
 marchioness (Wellesley), and is about the most dangerous 
 place a susceptible man can enter, for not only are the 
 girls singularly beautiful, but they have the grace and 
 sunniness of the South. Lucky is the man who departs 
 heart whole! It is one of the most aristocratic towns in 
 the Union, and the society is refined and polished ; but, 
 politically speaking, it was, thirty years ago, one of the 
 most mob governed. The respectable portion of the 
 community had retired in despair from political life, and 
 violence and corruption carried the day. The judges, 
 magistrates, ay, even the constables, were elected by 
 universal suffrage ; criminals virtually did as they pleased, 
 under the ;tgis jf rowdyism ; and the decisions of the 
 legal tribunals »vcrc notoriously influenced by bribery, or 
 by a desire for popularity, as every four years the legal 
 functionaries were re-elected. Human life was of as little 
 value as that of a dog ; no election took place (and they 
 were constantly taking place) in which several persons 
 were not shot, and a gang of rowdies called "plug-uglies " 
 ruled the city. This association armed themselves with 
 gimlets, or awLs, which are fastened to the arm under the 
 coat by an indiarubbcr band. They consequently fly up 
 the sleeves when not held in the hand. These instruments 
 they were in the habit of thrusting into the body of any 
 

 \t- 
 
 ^ 
 
 I V 
 
 
 *A 
 
 ig6 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORV 
 
 [Cn. 
 
 voter whom they considered to be opposed to them, and 
 the result was to deter every timid person from the ballot- 
 box. I find the following comments in a letter to my 
 inothcr from this place : — 
 
 "As for the b.illot-box here it is a farce, every man's vote is 
 
 known, and corruption and intimidation arc ten times worse than witii 
 
 open votinj;. Matters arc just as I)ad at New York, and in many of 
 
 the other large cities. The mob have got tlie upper hand, judges are 
 
 elected by them, many of them arc notorious scamps, justice is a 
 
 mockery, all respectable men hold aloof from the jury box. It is now 
 
 occupied by professional jurymen, who attend for no other object 
 
 than bribes, and it was stated publicly to me before twenty persons 
 
 who all agreed that hardly a crime can be committed which may not 
 
 go unpunished if a proper distribution of money be made in the right 
 
 quarter. All this is the legitimate and inmiediate effect of universal 
 
 suffrage. I wish every member of our Parliament were forced to 
 
 travel through the United States, and to converse with men of all 
 
 classes in them, and, rely on it, he would modify many a democratic 
 
 opinion, and become apprehensive of extensive constitutional clianges 
 
 at home. I have travelled a good deal in my life, antl would rather 
 
 live under any of the despotic Kuropean (lOvernmcnts tl.an here. As 
 
 for liberty, it is nonsense to use such a word. There is no such 
 
 tyranny as mob tyranny '' (we have of late years seen its effect in 
 
 Ireland), " no such uncompromising and unrelenting master as the 
 
 party organization here. The greater proportion of the men of 
 
 refinement and sensitiveness in the Northern States have retired from 
 
 political life. The press is altogether different from ours. It is low, 
 
 abusive, vulgar, and declamatory, and not argumentative. No public 
 
 man is presumed to act on jnircly patriotic motives. We, at all 
 
 events, give both parties credit for occasional honesty. I have 
 
 touched on these topics briefly, perhaps crudely, but the rcnimc 
 
 is that I shall return to England with relief. lUit, having said this 
 
 much, I am bound to add that I have the strongest regard for 
 
 Americans, and always shall have. From them, high and low, I have 
 
 met with invariable civility ; as a general rule they are entirely free 
 
 from that inquisitive obtriisiveness of which they have been so 
 
 unjustly accused. Reserve and great self-possession is far more the 
 
 characteristic of every class. I have ex])erienced a warmth of 
 
 hoipitality and kindness from every one to whom I had introductions 
 
 which I never can forget, and, personally speaking, it is impossible 
 
 not to feel regard for such really fine fellows as these American 
 
 gentlemen. They are brave, off-hand, kind, cheerful, honourable 
 
 'I ! 
 
X.] 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 197 
 
 men, sensitive to a fault, but tliorou;^hly sincere. My fault-findin;^' is 
 not with tlicm, but with the tendency of the system under which they 
 live, which lowers the tone of society, of education, and of anil)ition."* 
 
 I have inserted this long extract as my experience of 
 America mainly influenced my course of conduct in 
 regard to the Reform 15ill, and, indeed, I may say, my 
 future political career. 
 
 I betook myself at length to Washington, where I 
 found everything in a perfect maelstrom of political 
 excitement. There had been bitter bad blood before 
 between the North and South ; now the feeling on the 
 part of the fouth had been roused to fury by the recent 
 foray of John I5rown on Harper's Ferry, and by the tone 
 of the Republican section of the Northern press comment- 
 ing on it. By Lord h ons I was presented to President 
 Buchanan — better known as "Old Buck" — and by General 
 I^reckcnridgc, the Vice-President, I had the honour 
 of being made free of the floor of the Senate, and 
 of taking a place and sitting, during the debate, among 
 those distinguished politicians. I confess I was not struck 
 with the debates, cither in the Senate or in the House 
 of Representatives. The fluency of the speakers was 
 remarkable, but the object of every speaker seemed to be 
 to play for the gallery, in other words, to speak for his 
 constituents, and them only, and very long, washy 
 orations the}- were. The city I thought detestable, and 
 the Capitol equally so. 
 
 The night before I left Washington I was dining at 
 the Southern mess, and a large party was invited of 
 Southern friends. After dinner Mr. jNIason, the Virginian 
 Senator, said in very grave tones, "You are now going 
 back to ICngland, Mr. Gregory, and you will tell your 
 friends that you arc able to announce to them the 
 
 * To Mrs. ("Iregory, October 25, 1859. 
 
 
 i'\\ 
 
 ij: i 
 
 I II 
 
 
 ii I 
 
 ^'^ ■':\ 
 
 
H 
 
 I 
 
 
 t: i: 
 
 i i 
 
 Si 
 
 198 
 
 STU WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 disruption of this great Republic." " Indeed, Mr. Mason," 
 I replied, " I shall do no such thing. I Kmiow well that 
 men, when excited, speak rashly and act rashly. But I 
 have great faith in American good sense and steadiness." 
 " Well, sir," said Mr. Mason, still more emphatically, 
 " what I say will turn out to be true." I then felt that 
 his lancruagc and demeanour were very serious, so I 
 turned to the company and said, " Now, gentlemen, may 
 I ask you, one after the other, if there were a document 
 lying at this moment in the Capitol embodying separation 
 from the North and the establishment of a Southern 
 Republic, would you sign it?" Each of them in turn, 
 except Mr. Hunter, said gravely, "I would!" Knowing 
 Mr. Hunter to be one of the most moderate, long-headed, 
 and universally respected of the Southern leaders, I turned 
 to him and remarked, "Mr. Hunter, you arc silent." 
 " Yes, I am silent," he answered ; " for though at present 
 I would not assume such a responsibility, yet, if a Re- 
 publican President were elected, and if the document was 
 in the Capitol, I should claim my right as the senior Senator 
 of Virginia, to be the first man to put my name to it." 
 
 I returned to my hotel most amazed by the gravity 
 of this conversation, and that same night I wrote the 
 account of what had happened to Lord Palmerston. 
 When I met him in England he thanked me for my 
 letter, but he added laughingly, " You pay more heed to 
 American tall talk than I am disposed to do." 
 
 I find in a letter to my mother from New Orleans, 
 the following results of my journey from Richmond to 
 that place : — 
 
 " It was a long one of fourteen hundred miles, during which 1 
 passed through Northland South Carolina to Montgomery, in Alabama, 
 and thence I made my way three days and two nights down the 
 Alabama river to Mobile. I witnessed on the journey one of the 
 
1 
 
 X.] AN ABOLITIONIST TARRED AND FEATIIFRED. I99 
 
 institutioiv of this free ami enlightened country, namely, iliat of 
 the tarrinji and feathering of an individual whose opinions were 
 obnoxious to the majority of his fcllow-citizcns. At Columl)ia, the 
 seat of government in South Carolina, a stonemason from I'liila- 
 dclphia, on the strength of his earnings, indulged in too many cock-tails, 
 and on tlic strength of them proclaimed his opinions to be in favour 
 of tlic abolition of slavery. The chivalrous spirit of his fellow-tipplers 
 would not stand any reflection on the ' peculiar institution,' and they 
 lialed him before the mayor. When sobriety returned he was ex- 
 amined by that functionary, and he denied all remembrance of having 
 said a word on tlic subject, but, being pressed if he was, in theory, 
 favourable to emancipation he replied, " Them's my sentiments, 
 sartainly," whereupon he was instantly iianded over to the Vigilance 
 Committee. They administered to him thirty-nine strokes of a cow- 
 hide at the hands of a nigger, then stripped him naked and tarred 
 and feathered him from head to foot. It was in this condition that 
 1 saw l)im. He had just arrived by the train in the hands of his 
 executioners, and he was exhibited to me with that consideration 
 wliich prompts them to exhibit to strangers every object calculated 
 to excite their admiration or wonder. Tlic man seemed in a dying 
 stale from ill usage, and is probably dead, but they seemed hurt at 
 my not cnj.iying I lie spectacle as much as the rest. I shall never 
 forget the dreadful appearance of this wretched man. He seemed 
 like a gigantic fowl covered with feathers .and clotted tar — 'put on 
 pretty hot, too, I can tell yer,' said one of his guardians. He was 
 crouched up in liie corner of the van, and was poked up by a 
 i)yslander"s stick tliat I might fully enjoy the sight." 
 
 No wonder this dreadful scene aroused my strongest 
 indignation, and 1 find the following in my next letter : — 
 
 '• I am sorry not to be able to remain longer at Xcw Orleans. 
 My Christmas dinner I cat to-day with Dr. Mercer, a planter of 
 great wealth, and a most agreeable, well-informed, polished old 
 gentleman. The character of this town is quite French — in dress, 
 appearance, everything. I have alrcaily made acquaintance with 
 some of tlie Creole young ladies, families of pure blood, but of French 
 and Spanish origin, and they are charming ; but it is a murderous, 
 blood-stained city, not a night passes without assassinations. Every 
 one goes armed to the teeth, and in the St. Charles Hotel, the best 
 here, where I am putting up, eight men have met with violent deaths 
 in the last four months. One man was shot down the night before 
 I arrived. Still I like New Orleans and the people. The weather 
 is warm and genial, and the citizens arc like the weather." 
 
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 200 
 
 SIR WILLIAM (JRIXORV. 
 
 ICii. 
 
 At the Christmas dinner of Dr. Mercer, to which I 
 have referred, I was introduced to a most agreeable, liand- 
 some, black-whiskered, middle-aged man, the judge of 
 Baton Rouge, the cai)ital of the State of Louisiana. Dr. 
 Mercer begged me to note him, and said he would tell 
 mo an anecdote of him after he had gone. This judge 
 was a very pleasant coiii'ivc, and as merry as a cricket, 
 and yet he had the recent blood of two men on his hands. 
 Only a short time previously he had considered it his 
 duty in court to speak in the strongest manner of the 
 dishonest}- of an attorney- practising before him. The 
 man was old, but had two grown-up sons who publicly 
 announced their intention of shooting down the judge 
 "at sicrht." This intention was notified in court to him. 
 and he was shown from the windows the two men wait- 
 ing for him. The waggons, or, as we should call them, 
 buggies of suitors were drawn up at the door of the court. 
 Directly the judge appeared one of the brothers drew 
 out his five-shooter, and they fired at each other as the\' 
 dodged between the waggons. The judge brought his 
 man down stone dead with the last shot. Then the other 
 brother, who had kept aloof while the bullets were flying, 
 rushed in full confidence at the judge, knowing he hatl 
 discharged his last shot ; but a provident friend stepped 
 in and handed him a shot-gun, with which he brought 
 the confiict to an end by killing his assailant. I hear 
 the acclamations of the citizens were tumultuous, remind- 
 ing one of ]5on Gaultier's ballad, " The Alabama Judge " — 
 
 "They raised him with triumphant cheers : in him each loafer saw 
 The b(.'aring bold that could uphold the majesty of law. 
 And raising him aloft they bore him homeward at his case, 
 That noble judge whose daring hand cnft)rced iiis own decrees." 
 
 I heard of a narrow escape of a man I knew very 
 well, a certain Captain Campbell, of the 32nd, supposed 
 
hail 
 
 X.1 
 
 A NARROW KSCAI'i:. 
 
 201 
 
 to be the best and craftiest bilHa -'-player in iCnc;laiul ; 
 in sh(jrt, no one ever knew how good he was. IJcIul; of 
 a predatory nature, and a clever man with;d, he won con- 
 siderable sums at billiards and play, and especially in 
 the United States, throuc;h which he made a tour. lie 
 came down to New Orleans, and was playinc^ one nij^ht 
 in a hui^c, rickety, but very fashionable, gamblin,cf saloon, 
 at the favourite Southern trame of montc. lie had won 
 a very lart];e sum, and had stowed away the notes, but 
 he had a ccjnsiderable i)ile of gold and silver on the table. 
 He looked up and saw, from the ;j;lances of the ruffians 
 about him, that he had not the slightest chance of getting 
 home alive with his spoils. Like a man of decision he 
 made uj) his mintl at once. He left his cash and his hat 
 on the table and asked his neighbour to look after them 
 while he, assigning some reason, went out for a minute. 
 He had hardly got tn the bottom of the stairs when the 
 gamblers suspected the ruse and in a body made after 
 him, but they had to catch the f^istest runner in England, 
 and he escaped with his life and his bank-notes to his 
 hotel. I asked him if the story was true. He said it 
 was, but that the best of it was omitted, namely, that 
 the gambling-room was upstairs, and supported by piles, 
 like many liouscs in New Orleans, resting on very in- 
 secure foundation. When the rush was made the stairs 
 and the saloon gave way, and the whole lot were pre- 
 cipitated to the bottom. There were a terrible amount 
 of contusions and broken limbs, and, he believed, some 
 deaths, which he regarded as a merciful dispensation of 
 a well-inclined Providence. 
 
 I left New Orleans with regret, though my heart was 
 always constant to l^altimore. It is amusing to read in 
 my home letters the dread I had of being forced to go 
 back from America by the Galway Line, and to encounter 
 
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 SIR WILLIAM cRnanKY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 
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 ■'■ I 
 
 bad fare, worse companj', and still worse ships ; but I 
 really think, had I started fa)iu the North, and not gone 
 home by one of these riekety vessels, I should have 
 incurred the lasting' disi)leasurc of Galway and of the 
 Rev. Teter Daly, so I determined to make my way by 
 Cuba, and found myself at Ilavannah early in the New 
 Year of iS6o. The hotel to which I was commetuled 
 was one of the most abominable that can be well con- 
 ceived — dirty and noisy and foul-sinclling. I paid a visit 
 to our Consul, Mr. Crawfurd, and was lamenting my hard 
 fate when a gentleman came into the room whom I 
 thought 1 had seen before ; and so I had, but not since 
 I had been at Harrow, where he was an upi)cr boy when 
 I was a new-comer. He was introduced to me as Mr- 
 Ryder; he was slave arbitrator, on a salary of jCiSoo 
 a year, one of the Harrowby family, and brother-in-law 
 of Sir George Grey. In the kindest manner he insisted 
 on being my host ; he said he had a nice house in the 
 Cerro, the most fashionable (juarter, that his cook was 
 not bad, and that he had a particular tap of claret which 
 he could confidently recommend, and he carried nic off 
 at once, bag and baggage, and fulfilled every inducement 
 he had held out. I liked a little of Havannah life. Thai 
 city was then in full swing of wealth and gaiety. My 
 great delight was to go to the Domenica, a famous 
 ice-shop, and see the Spanish beauties dashing in on 
 their vohiiitcs, the postillions vying with each other in 
 sumptuousness of uniform. The volantc is a pretty 
 vehicle, like a gentleman's private cab, thrown back with 
 very long shafts, and drawn by two horses, one of them 
 in the shafts, the other running by the side. Nothing 
 could be more gorgeous than the harness and accoutre- 
 ments — silver everywhere, winding up with massive silver 
 stirrups. Generally there were three ladies in each, 
 
•»l 
 
 \M 
 
 MATANZAS. 
 
 ^03 
 
 niiL- [)romint.iitly forward in bodkin, but all dexterously 
 inanaj,M'M;::j their fans, and prepared to flirt like fury. 
 
 I hail heard so much of the beauty of the interior 
 of Cuba that I took a trip to Matanzas one Saturday to 
 pass my Sunilay there. The beauty of the place is quite 
 remarkable, as is the fertility of the soil and the remark- 
 able produce of suj^ar. I visited one suijar plantation 
 which was worked by an American, and heard a ^rcat 
 deal of the characteristics of the Chinese, who were 
 employed in all work wherein accuracy and care are 
 necessary. The owner praised them hiijhly for intelli- 
 Ljence and industry, but complained bitterly of their habit 
 of forming; secret associations. If any grave offence was 
 committed on the estate, and any Chinaman was accused, 
 e.'.ch of his countrymen in turn came forward and con- 
 fessed the act was done by him ; if one was severely 
 inmished he hanc^cd himself, and thereby the owner of 
 the i)lantation incurred the loss of his advances and cost 
 of importation. He gave inany instances of their sturdy 
 independence and maintenance (jf their rights. In their 
 agreement their various duties were specified, and if a 
 Chinaman was desired to do anything not within the four 
 corners of the agreement he immediately pulled out his 
 book and asked his master wherein the performance of 
 that particular kind of work was specified. Still, on the 
 whole, he regarded them as most valuable and intelligent 
 servants, and easily led though impossible to drive. 
 IMatanzas is about thirty miles trom Ilavannah, and as 
 we approached it the stations were filled with ahk'a)ios, 
 peasant farmers, dressed in white, with white straw 
 hats, the very [)ink of dandyism. Every stopping place 
 resounded with the crowing of cocks, for every peasant 
 had. one either under his arm or tied to his leg. The 
 next day there was to be a solemn and grand cock-fight 
 
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 204 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORV. 
 
 K'li 
 
 at Matanzas, and all who could afford were to be in 
 attendance. I received a formal invitation from the 
 alcalde and aynntamcnto, the mayor and corporation, 
 to be present, and after IMass wc all walked in great state, 
 they in their robes, I in my Sunday best, to the cock-pit. 
 It was a most extraordinary sight. The cocks were not 
 armed with steel spurs, but fought with the weapons 
 nature had given them, which made each battle rather 
 long. The betting was very heavy in those fine large 
 pieces, the on::as, representing nearly ^4. During the 
 fight the cries and shouting were loud : " Ten ounces 
 to one on the Platero," the silver-coloured cock ; " Five 
 ounces to one on the Indian," the black cock, and so on — 
 and the bets were all taken by motion of the fingers. 
 When the fight was over there was a dead calm, and one 
 heard the clink of the large pieces of gold as they [)assed 
 from one to another. Some men had piles of them on 
 the rails before them, heaped up one on the other like 
 crumpets. The member of the corporation who sat by 
 me, said, " I am not a better on cock-figlits, though 
 I dehght in seeing them Now let us have a small bet 
 of a dollar on each fight. I will give you }-our choice 
 when the cocks are produced." I accepted the offer and 
 rose up the winner of one dollar, and highly elated at 
 my judgment having been correct. Thv. love of cock- 
 fighting in many countries seems extraordinary to us of 
 the present generation, but up to the end of last century 
 it excited the greatest possible interest in England, and old 
 pictures give the portraits of famous victorious cocks. 
 
 On my return to England, when stopping at St. Thomas, 
 young Mr. Crawfurd, the son of our Consul, was on boarti, 
 and he invited mc to mount the hill and pay a visit 
 to General Santa Anna, the old dictator of IMexico, a stout 
 soldier in his day, with one leg, the other lost in the war. 
 
[Cii. 
 
 X.] 
 
 RETURN TO ENGLAND. 
 
 205 
 
 He was in exile, but had a nice country place. All along 
 his avenue were dog-boxes, but the inmates were cocks, 
 not dogs, and they told us that any person who wished 
 for a fight at any time had only to come up and name 
 his stake. He was not kept a minute, for all other 
 business was set aside for the battle. He offered to fight 
 a main for our edification, but the steamer was pu'i'ing 
 below, so we refused the offer, and reached Southampton, 
 without any incident, just before the meeting of Parliament. 
 
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206 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 ICii 
 
 CI I AFTER XI. 
 
 p. ■' 
 
 The Committee on the l?riti.sh ]\Iiiscum was appointed in 
 i860, and the reference was to this effect : — 
 
 To inquire how far, and in what way it may be desirable 
 to find increased space for the extension and arrangement 
 of the various collections of ihc British Museum, and tlie 
 best means of rendering them available for the promotion 
 of science and art. 
 
 The Committee was a strong one, and I was appointed 
 chairman. This arrangenient imposed much labour on 
 me, as I was but imperfectly acquainted with many of the 
 questions which were to be considered, and had to learn 
 them as the inquiry proceeded. I had also to settle with 
 the witnesses the various topics on which they had to be 
 examined. Among the witnesses were Professors Owen, 
 Huxley, Bell, Sir Charles Eastlake, Sir Benjamin Brodic, 
 Mr. Layard ; and the members of it were Sir P. Egerton, 
 Sir G. Grey, Mr. Gathorne Hardy (now Lord Cranbrook), 
 Mr. Lowe, Mr. M. Milnes (Lord Houghton), Mr. Puller, 
 Lord Stanley, Mr, Stirling, Mr. Walpole, Lord Elcho. 
 
 The main point of the inquiry was whether the natural 
 history collections were to be removed elsewhere, or 
 whether additional space was to be found on the ground 
 contiguous to the present building. We commenced our 
 sittings on the 3rd of June, and did not conclude our 
 report till the loth of August. The arguments in favour 
 
[Cii 
 
 XI.] 
 
 THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 
 
 207 
 
 of removal were — that visitors were bewildered by the vast 
 extent and variety of the collections , thr.L in no age or 
 country were such multifarious collections kept together ; 
 that if all ihe houses proposed to be taken for the increase 
 of the Museum were to be applied to its wants, present 
 and immediately prospective, the space thus acquired 
 would soon be filled up and fresh demands be made 
 involving immense expense ; that an extension of the 
 present site would involve far greater cost than a new 
 building elsewhere. On the other hand, a memorial of 
 1 14 of the most eminent men of science was presented in 
 184S, strongly opposing a separation of the collections, 
 among whom was Professor Owen, who was supposed to 
 have written the memorial with his own hand, but who 
 now was one of the prominent Separatists. He grounded 
 his present advocacy of change on the necessity of having 
 a site of five acres if the new Natural History Museum 
 was to be of two stories, or of ten acres if of one, and he 
 actually advocated this preposterous proposal before the 
 Committee. 
 
 On the other hand, those whom I may call the 
 Unionists claimed for the present site the advantages 
 of its central position. They gave statistical proofs of the 
 far greater number of visitors resorting to the Natural 
 History Galleries than to the rest of the collections. 
 They liked the advantages of the connection with the 
 great library. They contended that though the cost of 
 the land at Kensington might be cheaper, yet that, con- 
 sidering the Museum must, under any circumstances, be 
 enlarged, this enlargement would suffice for the antiquities 
 as also for the natural history ; that a natural history 
 library would have to be purchased and kept up ; that the 
 expense of transfer would be very great ; and that the 
 opinions of the most eminent scientific men were in favour 
 
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 SIR WILLIAM (iREGORY. 
 
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 II. 
 
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 of typical, and not indiscriminate representation. These 
 opinions prevailed in the Committee, which reported in 
 favour of an enlargement of the present site, much to the 
 annoyance of the Government, who were anxious to have 
 Prince Albert's Kensington scheme carried out, and to tliat 
 of I'anizzi, who was bent on getting rid of the scientific 
 men, with whom he had no sympathy — of whom, indeed, 
 he had expressed himself with sovereign contempt. The 
 Committee made several other excellent recommendations 
 — that the drawings should be transferred to the National 
 Gallery whenever there was space for them in Trafalgar 
 Square ; that the ethnographical collections should be 
 removed elsewhere; and that lectures should, when prac- 
 ticable, be given on the IMuscum collections. Not one of 
 these recommendations was ever carried out, Mr. Gladstone 
 having made up his mind that, though he could not 
 oppose the appointment of the Committee, he could easily 
 set at naught iis report. I have been accused of being 
 an Obstructionist, because I pertinaciously resisted the 
 removal cf the natural historv collections ; but if I was 
 wrong I erred in company with the large n'aiority of 
 literary and scientific men of the time, and I certain!)' 
 may take the credit to ri.yself of hiving forced the 
 Government to provide a proper structure for them, 
 instead of stowing them away in the disused sheds of the 
 Exhibition of 1SC2, to which Mr. Gladstone endeavoured 
 to consign them. But I believe I never was adverse to a 
 separate Natural History T^iuseum. I had a grand idea of 
 turning the present British Museum into what would have 
 been the finest and most scientifically arranged Museum 
 in the world. When I sa>-, "I had the idea," I should 
 have said that I adopted the grr.nd idea of Mr. Layard to 
 have one great Central Hall for Antiquities. The visitor 
 would enter at the earliest period, the Egyptian, and then 
 
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 REI'RESEXTATION OF TIIK PKOPLK BILL. 
 
 209 
 
 proceed throui^h Assyria and Greece to Rome. In this 
 great hall the largest sculptures would be arranged, and 
 running out of it at right angles would have been rooms 
 for smaller objects. The large hall would have been the 
 vertebraj of the building, the smaller rooms the bones 
 connected with the vertebra:. The upper story would 
 have been exclvsivcly devoted to the lighter objects of 
 natural history. This grand idea might have been 
 carried out if extension on the present site had been 
 accepted by the Government. As it was not, the next 
 best thing has been done, namely, the erection of the 
 present sightly, but by no means farltless, museum at 
 South Kensington, which would have had a far more 
 imposing appearance had it been raised, instead of 
 being sunk in a gravel-pit ; but Mr. Ayrton, the then 
 First Commissioner of Works, for the sake of saving 
 jCiS,coo, allowed this great wrong on posterity to be 
 perpetrated. 
 
 In May of this year, 1S60, I made the first speech 
 which brought me to the front in Parliament. It was on 
 "The Representation of the People Bill." A new Reform 
 Bill had been introduced, in 1S52, by Lord J. Russell, more 
 from electioneering motives, as was at that time un- 
 charitably supposed, than from any desire of the country 
 for fresh constitutional changes. It was, however, revived, 
 and became, in spite of Lord Palmerston's ill-disguised 
 aversion to it, one of the "planks of the Liberal platform/' 
 to use an iVmcrican expression recently adopted. The 
 House of Commons was by no means well disposed to it, 
 and I, having recently returned from America, where I had 
 seen the evils of democracy, was as anxious as were the 
 majority, in their hearts, to delay the passing of the 
 measure, or, at all events, to 'nakc the change as little 
 violent as possible. .Much of my speech, which I had 
 
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 210 
 
 SIR ^VILL1A^[ CREC.ORV. 
 
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 carefully prepared, was illustrative of the evils res-jltins 
 from the preponderating power of the masses in the United 
 States. 
 
 iSOi. 
 
 I began the session with a short speech backing up 
 General Tecl in urging the Government to do all they 
 could to clear up the uncertainty which prevailed as to 
 the fate of Crptain Brabazon. lie was a young and most 
 promising officer who was taken prisoner by the Chinese 
 when we were advancing to Pekin. His father was a 
 friend of mine, and was broken-hearted for his son, who 
 was the pride of the family. Nothing authentic was ever 
 heard of him, but rumour, which I fear was true, had it 
 that he was first tortured and then decapitated by the 
 Chinese. I also spoke on art questions, and at some 
 length on the Ih-itish Museum, advocating Professor 
 Huxley's view of restricted exhibition against the scheme 
 of Professor Owen, demanding a building large enough to 
 cover ten acres. This speech was very well received. 
 
 I had the immense satisfaction of throwing open 
 Glasncvin Gardens to the public on Sundays. These 
 gardens were under the management and direction of the 
 Royal Dublin Society, which received from the Govern- 
 ment annually a sum of money for their susientation. The 
 members of the Royal Dublin Society availed themselves 
 of the pleasant privacy of these gardens on Sunday, and 
 thought it no sin to go there with their wives and their 
 little ones, but they protested most vehemently against 
 their being thrown open to the public, as a clear violation 
 of the sabbath. They said the citizens of Dublin had many 
 other pleasant walks, and specified the shady sides of the 
 canals. They insisted on it that the gardens would be a 
 scene of drunken riot, the flowers pulled up, and the fiower- 
 
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 XI.] 
 
 GLASNEVIN GARDENS. 
 
 II 
 
 beds trami)led down. 1 presented a pctititJii for opening; 
 from 16,500 persons, includini^ five judges, nine hundred 
 professional men, and 2740 voters. The corporation of 
 Dublin and the police magistrates were also favourable, 
 and I moved that the vote for Glasncvin .should be struck 
 out of the estimates. The House was clearly with mc, and 
 Mr. Lowe, to his credit be it said, on the part of the Govern- 
 ment, pledged himself not to propose any money grant 
 till the gardens were thrown open after divine service on 
 Sundays. The Dublin Society had to yield, and I had the 
 gratification of running over to see the effects of my motion 
 a few Sundays afterwards. There was an immense crowd, 
 but the greatest order and good humour prevailed, and I 
 did not see one drunken man. At the end of the year I 
 wrote to the curator, Dr. Moore, as to the conduct of the 
 Sunday visitors. He said the attendance was immense, 
 and the conduct of the visitors most exemplary. No 
 flowers were stolen, the beds were not trampled on, and 
 only one flower-pot was broken by the voluminous crino- 
 line of a young lady. I also wrote to the police magistrate 
 of the district, asking him if the predicted increase of 
 drunkenness had taken place. He replied, sending mc the 
 statistics of his court, showing that drunkenness had 
 greatly fallen off, and that the Dublin folks, instead of 
 resorting to the Glasnevin public-houses as they used to do, 
 ■went to the gardens and enjoyed themselves there together 
 with their families, and returned home in peace and quiet ; 
 and such, I am convinced, would be the tendency if all 
 our public museums and galleries were thrown open on 
 Sundays. 
 
 A matter arose in this session of much importance to 
 my constituents, and the part I took gave me general 
 popularitj/ of a very legitimate character in the county, 
 and unbounded popularity in the town of Galway. In 1859, 
 
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212 
 
 SIR WILLIAM CKEdORV, 
 
 [(•ir. 
 
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 under the regime of Lord ICg^linton, a contract was sanc- 
 tioned with the Atlantic Company, sub^idi/in,Lf a line of 
 steamships direct to America, I do not remember any 
 one act of any Government wliich was so well received. 
 Although a Tory, Lortl ]''glinton's name has always since 
 been held in honour in Ireland. It was considered, very 
 rightly, that this was an attempt to improve the condition 
 of the country, and to introduce capital, and that the 
 Government, by its action, had brouglit down on it the 
 wrath of Liverpool and Glasgow. Unfortunately, the 
 company was got up by men of straw, and its ostensible 
 principal was a ]\Ir. Lever, who, on the strength of it, was 
 elected member for Galway. The Gahvay constituency 
 has been roundly abused for electing such a man as its 
 member. I cannot join in that reproach. Gahvay was 
 led to believe that the establishment of a comi)an^.- com- 
 municating directly with America would be the means of 
 promoting extensive business and employment. They 
 saw the ships ; they believed Father Peter Daly's pane- 
 gyric on Mr. Lever, and, discarding abstract politics, they 
 very wisely and properly voted for the man who would, as 
 they thought, materially improve their condition ; and the 
 town of Galway has always had a strong Tory tendency 
 since Lord Kglinton's days. But, as I said before, the 
 contract had fallen into the hands of men of straw, who did 
 not possess the requisite capital. The ships were bad ; the 
 terms of the contract were not observed ; fine after fuie was 
 imposed by the Post Office for delay in transport of mails, 
 and at last Lord Stanley of Alderley, the Postmaster- 
 General of Lord Palmerston, closed the contract. 
 
 The outcry on the part of the Irish members was loud, 
 and Fatlicr Daly came over to London to rouse them to 
 action. The vote on the paper duties was about to be taken, 
 and it was supposed the division would be a close one. 
 
[I'll. 
 
 s loud, 
 icm to 
 taken, 
 -,c one. 
 
 XL] 
 
 ATLANTIC PACKET COMPANY. 
 
 213 
 
 With <^i-cat want of judc^Mncnt, and totally unauthorized, 
 leather I'etcr Daly menaced the Gc crnmcnt with the 
 opposition of their Irish Liberal supporters, unless the 
 subsidy to the Atlantic Company was restored. This took 
 place at an interview with Lord I'almerston, which Lord 
 Palmerston reported to Lord J. Russell, who in a speech 
 made use of expressions extremely offensive to the Irish 
 Liberal members. " better," said he, " that a hundred 
 ministries should be overthrown, better that a hundred 
 dissolutions should take place, rather than that any 
 Government should submit to such dictation." I made a 
 very vigorous speech in reply to this accusation, showing 
 that it was absolutely unfounded, that we had not made 
 any endeavour to extort a promise from the Prime Minister 
 in regard to a restoration of the subsidy, or, as it was 
 hinted, that we had opened any negotiations with the 
 Conservatives, and I appealed to Lord Naas, the previous 
 Irish Secretary, to confirm my statement, which he did, and 
 undoubtedly turned the tables on Lord J. Russell, whom I 
 accused of " simulated indignation." A little later on in 
 the session I moved for a Committee to inquire into the 
 circumstances which had led to the discontinuance of the 
 subsidy, in a speech on which I was warmly congratulated 
 by William I'^orster, Cobden, and Bright. I was well 
 backed up by the Irish members, and Lord Palmerston, 
 with his usual good sense, gave way and sanctioned the 
 Committee, much to the discomfiture of some of the 
 Scotch members, who were bitterly opposed to it. The 
 Committee, a very fair one, was appointed, and I was 
 the chairman. The result of the Committee was very 
 satisfactory to me. I carried my report, which, while it 
 justified the action of the Postmaster-General, also recorded 
 the opinion "that the Atlantic Packet Company was 
 deserving of the favourable consideration of her Majesty's 
 
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 214 
 
 SIR WILLIAM (iREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 Government." Upon this the subsidy was restored, and 
 another trial was ^Iven ; but so hopelessly insolvent was the 
 company that it soon broke down, and poor Galway's 
 last state was worse than the first. Still, the citizens were 
 ever very grateful to me for havint; foui,Hit a good battle in 
 their interest, and I am quite sure the mob would have 
 bro^xn the heads of any sup )orters of a rival candidate, 
 should any such have presented himself during my Parlia- 
 mentary career. 
 
 William Forster entered Parliament as member for 
 Bradford in the preceding year. He was a strangely 
 uncouth, large-limbed man, always reclining on his bench 
 in the most grotesque attitudes. His manners, too, were 
 as little cultivated as his appearance ; but for all that he 
 almost immediately made his way to the front. Though 
 his speeches were rugged, ar i at fu'st got out with hesita- 
 tion, one recogniz-ed at once their strengtii and the honesty 
 of his convictions. My friend Michael Morris, now Chief 
 Justice of Ireland, came one evening and sat under the 
 Gallery. " Look at that uncouth member," I said to him, 
 "with his limbs stretched out all over the floor. Alark my 
 words, he is going to be one of the foremost men ere long 
 in the House of Commons." He has often reminded me 
 of this prophecy. We were almost immediately in fierce 
 antagonism to each other. The one great feeling upper- 
 most in his mind was hatred of slavery. He had inherited 
 it from his father and his Quaker surroundings, and when 
 civil war broke out in America he threw himself heart and 
 soul into the cause of the Northern side, and undoubtedly 
 exercised a most potent influence in the House of 
 Commons in resisting the tendency that prevailed to aid 
 indirectly, if not directly, the Southern Confederacy. The 
 feeling of the upper classes undoubtedly preponderated in 
 favour of the South, so much so that when I said in a 
 
 1 
 
[Cm. 
 
 I 
 
 XI.] 
 
 Tin; cAsF, FOR Tin: sorrii. 
 
 215 
 
 speech that the adherents of the North in the House of 
 Commons niic^dit all be driven home in one omnibus, the 
 remark was received with much cheering. lUit, on the 
 other hanil, dislike t(i slavery, and an impression that 
 the South re[)rcsentcd an aristocracy, turned the balance 
 towards the North anionic the manufacturing classes, and 
 the Lancashire cotton-spinning operatives, though cxi)0scd 
 to terrible i)rivations, and though tempted by the prospect 
 of abundant cotton if the South prevailed, never faltered 
 on this question. I took up the Southern side warmly. 
 I firmly believed that if the Southern Republic were 
 established slavery must within n long period disappear. 
 To hold slaves within even a considerable distance of the 
 frontier would have been impossible. The territory would 
 become populated by free settlers, and so again the slave 
 zone would be thrown back. Slave tillage, moreover, had 
 been alwa)-s so careless and exhausting that fresh tracts 
 would have been constantly recjuired, but that expansion 
 would have been denied to the slave-holding States. 
 There was, therefore, the certainty that arrangements 
 must have been made for the gradual manumission of the 
 slaves, if the Southern Confederacy was established. On 
 the other hand, the Democratic party in the North always 
 stood up for slavery, and I found no more resolute 
 defenders of the system than the New York merchants. 
 Lincoln's celebrated saying is well known: "The Union 
 must be preserved — if without slavery, well and good ; if 
 with slavery, well and good also." It was not till a far 
 later period, when the North hoped to incite insurrection in 
 the South, that abolition was proclaimed. In short, had 
 a peace been made at the beginning of the war, slavery 
 would have been stereotyped in America without a hope 
 of future emancipation. This was the view taken by some 
 of the most humane men in England, Lord Shaftesbury 
 
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 SIR \\iLi.iA.\r (ikiicoin'. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 amonj^ them, No man was more eager tlian he was 
 for the success of the Soutli, ami on the sole account of 
 slavery. I have by me a slip of paper sent to me at Spa, 
 in the summer of 1862, by Lord Shaftesbury, in rclurn for 
 the Ti)ncs, givinj^ an account of one of Lee's great victories. 
 " What glorious news ! " is written on it. There were other 
 reasons, also, which influenced me. The Southerners were, 
 as producers of the raw material, devoted Free-traders, and 
 entirely opposed to the Northern protective S) stem. Their 
 ardent desire was to establish unrestrained intercourse 
 with England, and a magnificent market would thus have 
 been opened to us. Again, as we know to our cost, Irish 
 influence is so i)owerful in the North that we have been, 
 to secure the Irish v'ote, subjected to affronts which the 
 enormous power of ... United States enabled them to 
 inflict with impunity. IJut things would have been very 
 different with a Southern Republic on their frontier, 
 closely allied to us. There would have been no raids on 
 Canada, no filibustering seizure of islands like that of 
 St. Juan, no insolent dismissal of our Ministers. Such 
 were my reasons, and I never since have had a misgiving, 
 though I espoused the defeated cause, that I acted w rongly 
 
 in so doing. 
 
 1 86: 
 
 The seizure of ]\Iessrs. Mason and Slidell from the 
 British steam packet Trent occurred after I'arliament was 
 prorogued in the previous )-ear. It had caused consider- 
 able irritation in England, and had made the opinion (jf 
 the upper classes more than ever favourable to the South. 
 I thought the time was propitious to advert to the un- 
 doubted laxity of the blockade of the Southern ports. 
 The maxim of international law that "blockades to be 
 legitimate must be efficacious," was not, in my opinion, 
 
XL] 
 
 DKIJATK 0\ Tin; Itl.OCKADr.. 
 
 217 
 
 maintained. 1 ([uotoil a statement I had received from 
 the Southern dek\cjatcs tliat four hundred vessels had 
 successfully run the !)lncl<ado, and I cited M. de Hautvillc, 
 a well-know n l'"rencli writer who had recently denounced 
 the inefficiency of tiie blockade as beincj notorious, and who 
 informed his countrj'men that < ur tolerance of this in- 
 efficiency was due to our usual [)crfidious conduct, that we 
 mit;ht cite the laxit)- of this blockade if iiereafter wc were 
 involved in hostilities and had resorted to this mode of 
 warfare. The American view of blockades was (luitc as 
 stringent, and in my opinion the law as laid down by 
 Judge Kent exactly applied to this case. "The occasional 
 absence of a stpiadron tloes not suspend a blockade, but if 
 the blockade be raised by the enemy, or by the employment 
 t)f the naval force or part of it, though only for a time, to 
 other objects, or by the mere remissness of the cruisers, 
 the commerce of neutrals ought to go free." Judge Kent 
 described a state of things constantly occurring off the 
 Southern ports. William Forster greatly distinguished 
 himself by his reply. He fully admitted the correctness 
 of the general principles I had laid clown, but contended 
 that the lists of successful blockade-runners furnished to 
 me by the Southern delegates was entirely incorrect, and 
 that the blockade was (juite sufficiently stringent as to be 
 in accordance with the demands of international law. I 
 was supported b)* Lonl Robert Cecil, now Lord Salisbury, 
 and by other infiuential members, but it was not considered 
 advisable to [)ress the motion to a vote. 
 
 Later on I made a vehement speech on General Butler's 
 infamous proclamation at New Orleans, that " any women 
 calling themselves ladies in that city, and showing contempt 
 by word or movement for a Northern soldier, should be 
 held liable to be treated as a woman of the town pursuing 
 her avocation." This proclamation, which has gained for 
 
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 2l8 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 the general the well-dcscrvcd sobriquet of " Black Butler," 
 was denounced as heartily by Lord Palmerston as b)- 
 myself, and did not find one apologist in the House of 
 Commons, 
 
 Towards the close of the session the American question 
 again came on. ]\Ir. Lindsay, a large ship-owner, made a 
 speech in favour of offering mediation between the 
 Northern and Southern States. I spoke also at length, 
 and amused the House by opening my speech with the 
 remark that " Four months ago a prophet had arisen 
 among us and had prophesied that within ninety days the 
 Civil War would probably be at an end, and that the 
 prophet was the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Lord 
 J. Russell. This proved that it was better to prophesy 
 after events than before." It was clear the Government 
 had quite underrated the pertinacity of the conflict, and 
 they were bound to ascertain if no means of restoring 
 peace could be devised. France was disposed to act 
 cordially with us. She was suffering as much as we were 
 from the cotton famine, and she had the additional dis- 
 advantage that not a bale of cotton could be obtained by 
 her except from England. I then rather diverged to the 
 question of recognition of the Southern Confederacy. 1 
 showed that the American principle was always to recog- 
 nize any Government that had the semblance of stability. 
 Mr. Buchanan, when Minister of Foreign Affairs, boasted, 
 in 184S, that "so anxious were the United States to 
 recognize de facto Governments, that tlie Pope, the Fmperor 
 Nicholas, and President Jackson were the only authorities 
 on earth who recognized Don Miguel in Portugal." 
 
 In 1849 j\Ir. Clayton, Minister for Foreign Affairs at 
 Washington, sent an emissary to Hungary to take the 
 earliest opportunity of recognizing the insurgent Govern- 
 ment wherever it could be found, and, in reply to Austrian 
 
[Cii. 
 
 XL] 
 
 THK BRITISH MUSEUM. 
 
 219 
 
 reclamations, Daniel Webster wrote his celebrated letter 
 in which he declared American policy : " It is not to be 
 required by neutral powers that they should await the 
 recognition of the new Government by the parent State." 
 These words were a clear recognition of the right of 
 secession. I then cited our own action in the case of 
 Greece, Belgium, and the South American Republic, the 
 only difference being that there was no danger in recog- 
 nizing them, as they had seceded from weak States of 
 whose anger we had no fear. But the strongest case was 
 that of Texas. We were in amity with Mexico, but wc 
 did not hesitate to recognize the flag of the " Lone Star," 
 though Texas had only a population of 60,000. The 
 South, however, had a population of S,8oo,ooo, perfectly 
 consentient, an established government, and no hostile 
 force in tlieir territory. Lord I'almerston opposed the 
 motion by taking a very sensible view of the matter — that 
 the South had not asked for mediation, and that the 
 North would undoubtedly reject it with indignation — and 
 Mr. Lindsay withdrew his motion. 
 
 On the Science and Art estimates. Lord Henry Lennox 
 made a very able and well-considered speech on the 
 confusion which existed as regards the responsibility 
 attached to the administration of our Science and Art 
 institutions. The Secretary of the Treasury was answer- 
 able for some estimates, the Commissioner of Works for 
 others ; the British Museum estimates were moved by a 
 Trustee. The Trustees of the British Museum were a 
 curious and cumbrous Board, some elected, some hereditary, 
 some ex ojficio, I seconded the motion, advocating that 
 one member of the Government should be responsible for 
 all these institutions, and commented strongly on the 
 unsatisfactory state of things at the British Museum, 
 where the official Trustees, who had not taken the slightest 
 
 
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 220 
 
 SIR ^VILLIA^[ CREGORY. 
 
 ICii. 
 
 part in the management, came down and overrode without 
 scruple the committees of the Board, who liad carefully 
 studied and were perfectly cognizant of every question 
 brought before them. I had a very great triumph over the 
 Government shortly after this discussion. The Chancellor 
 of the Exchequer moved the transfer of the natural history 
 collection to Kensington, chiefly on the ground of econoni)-. 
 It will be remembered that the report of my Committee 
 was unfavourable to this transfer. I resisted the bill : 
 first, on the ground of the central position of the Museum ; 
 second, on the popularity of the natural history collections 
 among the working classes, and the difficulty of access to 
 them at Kensington ; third, that the change would only 
 result in the patchwork of the present building, instead of 
 in the acceptance of a complete and indelible plan for the 
 housing both of antiquities and of natural history collec- 
 tions ; and, lastly, I went closely into the calculations of 
 expense, and proved that no saving would be effected by 
 the proposed measure. The House went entirely with me, 
 and rejected the bill by the immense majority of ninety- 
 two. 
 
 I spoke also on the subject of iron-plated ships, and 
 on the lesson taught us by the recent encounter between 
 the Minotajir and Merrimac, and seconded a motion of Sir 
 F. Smith's against a large expenditure on fortifications 
 instead of on the far more useful defences of ironclad 
 vessels. I did not forget my own country. I spoke on 
 Irish distress, advocating loans for tramways and drainage, 
 but strongly deprecated almsgiving, which has always done 
 us serious mischief. In the Toor Relief V>\\\ I took the 
 opportunity of recommending that in all cases where it 
 was proposed to visit a Roman Catholic chai)lain with 
 reprehension or punishment an application should first be 
 made to the bishop of \v.\ diocese who had virtually 
 
! -'I. 
 
 XL] 
 
 SUNDAY OPENING IX KDINBIRGII. 
 
 !2I 
 
 appointed him. Nothing came of tlie proposal, but it 
 f^ave much satisfaction to my ecclesiastical supporters, and 
 I was really anxious for the recommendation being acted 
 on. Wc owec' somethint^ to them for the wanton affront 
 and indignity of the Ecclesiastical Titles Act ; it was 
 eminently for the good of the State that their relations 
 should, if possible, be made cordial with the Government. 
 
 lone 
 the 
 re it 
 with 
 ;t be 
 Lially 
 
 
 1863. 
 
 Ins[)ired by my success in obtaining the opening of the 
 Irish, I made a similar foray on the Edinburgh Botanical 
 Gardens, which was a far tougher job. I presented a 
 petition of 35,000 working men of Edinburgh in favour 
 of opening. Aly opponents produced a counter-petition 
 signed by 63,000 against opening. I was furnished with 
 statements that the mode of getting up this petition 
 was scandalous, children in schools were obliged to sign 
 it, and instances were sent to me of girls having been 
 dismissed from their schools because they refused to sign 
 in obedience to their parents. The Scottish clergy were 
 all in a blaze, and did not mince matters. The Rev. Dr. 
 l^cgg made a speech, saying, " It was a painful thing to 
 have the Scotch sabbath interfered with by the representa- 
 tive of an Irish Papist constituency, one of the most 
 degraded communities in the world." I quoted the good 
 effects of opening Glasnevin — the general happiness it gave, 
 the exemplary conduct of the visitors, and the statistics 
 that proved the diminution of drunkenness in a great 
 degree, and I was manfully supported by \Vm. Stirling 
 Maxwell and Mr. Grant Duff. Lord Palmerston stated 
 that personally he was in favour of my motion, so far as 
 its merits went ; bur, as he considered that the bulk of 
 Scotch feeling was opposed ro it, he could not support it, 
 and it was beaten by only sixteen. There was a Queen's 
 
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 11 
 
 
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 .- 
 
 SIR WILLIAM (JRKliORV. 
 
 [Cm. 
 
 ball that night, and on looking over the list of the members 
 present at it, I found that there were more than sixteen 
 who would have voted with me, for they told me so after- 
 wards, and there were none of the opposite opinion. 
 
 Our unfortunate Galway contract was again on the 
 tapis. Mr. Baxter, the member for M-mtrose, moved a 
 resolution against the renewal of it, which was rather 
 shamelessly seconded by Mr. llorsfall, the member for 
 Liverpool. I did my best for the unfortunate contract, 
 which had been granted a new lease of life in consequence 
 of the report of my Committee, and Lord Palmerston 
 opposed Mr. Baxter, whose motion was defeated by a 
 majority of sixty-three. 
 
 I advocated a grant towards the monument of Prince 
 Albert, and paid an ample, though not over-strained, 
 tribute to the memory of that excellent prince. I heard 
 that her Majesty expressed herself greatly pleased with 
 these very honest remarks. 
 
 I made a speech on Irish distress, on Colonel Dunne's 
 motion for a Committee of Inquiry into the subject, and 
 commented, somewhat to his annoyance, on ]\Ir. Glad- 
 stone's expression that the Government could not send 
 down a local shower of wealth on a particular part of the 
 community. " I did not ask for this," I said, " but I Jld 
 complain that Ireland, like the fleece in the Bible, remained 
 dry, while everj-thing else around was saturated with the 
 {\c\y of Government benevolence." 
 
 In this session Lord Palmerston made and carried a 
 propo..al which ultimately led to a terrible humiliation of 
 the Government, and to a perfect rebellion of the House 
 of Commons. It was to purchase from the Commissioners 
 of the Exhibition of 1S51 certain lands and buildings — 
 in fact, the site ot the Exhibition of 1862. I opposed 
 the vote, as it was clearly intended, if it were successful, 
 
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 i-s- 
 
 I 
 
 XL] 
 
 THE EXHIBITION BUILDINGS. 
 
 223 
 
 to purchase the whole of the buildings from the con- 
 tract( rs, and to patch up those hideous structures for 
 the reception of the natural history collections froni 
 ]51oomsbury. I gave a full account of the bad condition 
 of these buildings — their unfitness, unsightlincss, unsuita- 
 bilit)-, etc. — and I quoted, largely from the report of Mr. 
 Mallet, an extremely able civil engineer, a most unfavour- 
 able account of them. He showed that this part must 
 be pulled down and rebuilt, another part strengthened, 
 another added, and so on, and I excited much laughter 
 by saying, " Let us suppose I had a carriage of light and 
 delicate materials, for which some years ago I had given 
 /;200, and that I said to a friend, going to travel on the 
 Continent, ' Here is my carriage, it will just suit j-ou while 
 )-ou are abroad ; you can have it for £^0. It is the best 
 bargain in the world. It cost mc four times that sum.' 
 ]Uit my friend might say, ' I want something more sub- 
 stantial for my purpose,' and to that remark, if I should 
 reply, 'Well, even so, if you put a new body to it, and 
 new wheels and new springs, you will find the pole in 
 capital order, and to do all these repairs will only cost 
 /■150,' I think he would answer, 'It would be better for 
 mc to have a new carriage altogether ; ' and this would be 
 an exactly parallel case with these buildings." 
 
 Mr. Gladstone, in an angry speech, quite lost his 
 temper, abused Mr. Mallet, and denounced my opposition. 
 The House adopted Lord I'almerston's proposal, as the 
 bargain offered to the Governmetit of the land by the 
 Commissioners was really an excellent one. However, 
 my turn had to come, and it came with a vengeance. Lord 
 l^lcho and other members and myself determined to await 
 the proposals which must follow this purchase, and in July 
 Mr. Gladstone brought forward a motion that a sum, not 
 exceeding ^"105, 000, to purchase existing 'aiildings at 
 
 (I m 
 
 
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 11 
 
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 f. 
 
 i- 
 
 » k. 
 
 SIR WILLIAM CRKCORV 
 
 [Cii, 
 
 Kensington Gore from the contractors of the Exhibition 
 of 1862, and for repairing and altering and eventually 
 completing said buildings, be voted by the House of 
 Commons. He began by an attack on Mr. Mallet, whom 
 he not only made little of as a civil engineer, but whom 
 he ridiculed as having written a book on earthquakes, 
 and on having constructed a huge and useh;ss mortar gun. 
 He was unable to deny that a great part of the buildings 
 were for merely temporary purposes, and would have to 
 be entirely rebuilt. He made little of the Society of 
 Architects, who had protested against the monstrous 
 proposal of this huge range of ungainly stucco, and spoke 
 of Mr. Fergusson as not being any authority, but a mere 
 writer of an ingenious book on architecture. He then 
 proceeded, amid general murmurs, to argue that there was 
 no stipulation whatever, of a written or specific character, 
 whicli bound the contractors to remove the building within 
 a given time, or indeed to remove it at all. I vindicated 
 Mr. Mallet, and proved him not only from general reputa- 
 tion, but from his well-known works, to be an engineer of 
 authority. If he had written a work on earthciuakes, it 
 was one which by its ability had attracted general notice, 
 and I did not criticize Mr. Gladstone because he lad 
 written three volumes on Homeric studies, and because he 
 had delivered in Wales a lecture on the " Volunteer System 
 and Military Tactics." I inveighed strongly against the 
 use of stucco in our public buildings, as being mean and 
 disreputable, though it might be the Credo of the Ken- 
 sington School of Architecture. I then turned to Mr. 
 Gladstone's statement as to the power of the contractors 
 to leave the buildings on the land if they pleased. If the 
 Government were ignorant of the position of the contractors 
 when they recently purchased the land, great and culpable 
 was their ignorance ; if they were aware of it, they had 
 
 
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 XL] 
 
 DEFEAT OF THE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 225 
 
 practised in the House of Commons a palpable deception, 
 and, havincj begriled it into a bad bargain, they then turned 
 round and said, '"You have made your purchase and 
 cannot get out of it. The best thing you can now do is 
 to throw more good money after bad.' These arc the horns 
 of the dilemma on which I place the Right Honourable 
 gentleman, and I wish him joy of them." Then broke 
 loose the indignation of the House. Sir Stafford North- 
 cote, usually so popular with both sides, tried to come to 
 the aid of the Government, but could get no hearing. 
 Mr. Lowe was instantly cried down. Mr. Disraeli attempted 
 to allay the storm by proposing to submit the question to 
 a Select Committee, which evoked a fresh outburst of fury. 
 The Times thus describes what occurred : — 
 
 "The scene of confusion and uproar which followed Sir S. North- 
 cole and Mr. Lowe was almost unexampled in Farhamcntary experi- 
 ence. Mr. Disraeli rose to address the House and was received with 
 h)ud [groans and cries of ' Divide' from the Ojiposition, not less than 
 from the other side of the House. After endeavouring for two or three 
 minutes to mai^c himself heard, the Right Honourable gentleman 
 resumed his seat." 
 
 !>. Henley then got up, and was well received, for his 
 opening sentences showed that he was opposed to the 
 project, and his high character for independence and 
 sagacity carried great weight with it. He condemned it 
 sternly and emphatically. Mr. Gladstone wound up the 
 debate, evidently cowed, in a very feeble speech, and the 
 vote was then taken. Amid the most tumultuous cheering 
 the tellers aimounccd that the Government was beaten by 
 the immense inajority of i6G. Directly after the division 
 I went to the buffet in the lobby, and theie met Mr. Glad- 
 stone. 1 le was in a state of compressed fury, and said 
 to me, " I can tell you, you shall never have any other 
 Natural History Museum." I replied, "That is a matter 
 
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 226 
 
 SIR WILLIAM LJREGOKV. 
 
 tCii. 
 
 ■• 
 
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 f i. 
 
 i' 
 
 for the country. It docs not concern nic." But wc liavc 
 got a vciy fine one, and I take no small pride in the 
 prominent part I played in eventually securini; it. 
 
 In this session I be<;an the course of conduct which 
 I pursued unremittingly while in Tarliament, of endeavour- 
 ing to remove the Turkish yoke froin the Christian nation- 
 alities of Eastern Europe. I advocated the strengthening 
 of Greece, the union of the Roumanian principalities, the 
 departure of the Turkish garrisons from Servia.* I always 
 held, and rightly held, that the misgovernment of Turkey 
 was the cause of the influence of Russia among the 
 Eastern Slavs. Their only hope of escaping from the 
 bondage of the Turk was to throw themselves into the arms 
 of Russia. She was apparently their only friend. l''nglish 
 policy had been stereotyped by always supporting what 
 our diplomatists called our "old natural allies" the Turks, 
 and every effort of these nationalities in favour of self- 
 government was looked upon by our Foreign Office as the 
 effect of Russian intrigues or of dangerous revolutionists. 
 My theory was that Russian prci^onderance could only 
 be met by our encouraging these efforts, and by inducing 
 the nationalities to place confidence in our honest desire 
 to raise them from the abject condition into which they 
 had fallen by the infamous misgovernment of Turkey. 
 I said, Give them independence and you will find them the 
 best breastwork against Russian domination ; keep them 
 oppressed and miserable, and you will ever find them 
 zealous and powerful allies to Russia in her advance 
 towards Constantinople. As to Turkish promises of reform, 
 wc had had plenty of experience of their futilit\'. They 
 could not reform if they wished. They were ignorant, 
 
 "* In 1SS4 he received the Grand Cross of the Order of Tukovo 
 from the King of .Servia, as a mark of gratitude for lielp to that 
 country in bygone days. — A. ( ^ . 
 
 V 
 
iiiii 
 
 [Cn. 
 
 xio 
 
 ANTI-TUKK I'OLICY. 
 
 227 
 
 fanatical, corrupt to the heart's core, and their continuance 
 as a sovereign power in ICurope depended solely on the 
 mutual jealousies of the European States. But, I added, 
 it was not for us to prop up this siatc of rottenness by 
 keeping in bondage to it young nations from whose 
 energy and love of freedom we might expect fresh life 
 in those regions ; and I think all my prognostications .ind 
 the correctness of my views have been justified by the 
 prosperity of Greece and Servia and the astonishing 
 atlvance of lUilgaria. But I regret to say in these 
 opinions I found in Mr. Layard, the then Under Secretary 
 for Foreign Affairs, and a most able m xn, a most determined 
 antagonism, lie was for the Turks a tout prix. No 
 words could be more contemptuous than his as regards 
 these "mongrel" nationalities, as he called them. He 
 denied them any elements of stability, attributed their 
 discontent to agitators, and fearlessly maintained the 
 traditions, now happily exploded, of the Foreign Office. 
 The Turk was to be upheld, no matter at what cost, and 
 the api)cals of these suffering peoples were to be utterly 
 disregarded, as it was for our interests that they should 
 bear their oppressions without hope. In spite of our 
 warm conflicts in the House, I am glad to state 
 that there never arose a cloud over our intimate and 
 friendly relations, happily maintained unchanged until 
 this day. 
 
 Later on I made a very long speech on the condition 
 of Turkey, and on the fatal effect of our policy in 
 supporting its iniquitous government. The debate was 
 extremely interesting, and the views I expressed received 
 the cordial support of Mr. Cobden. When the debate was 
 over he waited outside and said to me, " You have done 
 well to open men's eyes to our unjust and dangerous 
 policy. Do not lose sight of the subject. Return to it 
 
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 ^1 
 
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 228 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cir. 
 
 again. Sooner or later the country will pjct hold of rij^jht 
 views. It may not be in my lifetime, but let my mantle 
 fall upon you." 
 
 The debate was well supported on my side by Grant 
 Duff, Alfred Seymour, Lord Henry Scott, and finally by 
 Cobden, who made a long antl very powerful speech, 
 chiefly going into the q'lestion of Ottoman finance, of the 
 soundness of which he drew very different conclusions 
 from those of Layard, and certainly far more correct. 
 The debate was wound up by Mr. Gladstone, in the 
 absence of Lord Palmerston, who had a fit of the gout, 
 in about as curious a speech as I ever heard. I knew 
 that in his heart he was favourable to everything I had 
 advanced, but the old stereotyped policy of successive 
 English Governments was upheld by the Cabinet, and he 
 was bound to do his best for it. I remember at the time 
 listening to his speech, of considerable length, with much 
 attention and not deriving one idea from it, and on reading 
 it over again now I will defy any one to discover any 
 definite opinion. 
 
 In the autumn of this year I determined to pay a visit 
 to Scrvia, where I was promised a warm reception from 
 the Prince, and I had made all preparations for winter and 
 rough weather, but, happening to meet Mr. J. C. Robinson 
 of the Kensington Museum, he earnestly recommended 
 me to change my plans and to accompany him to Spain, 
 through which he was commissioned to travel and to 
 procure objects of art for the Kensington Museum. lie 
 intended to visit every town of importance and thoroughly 
 to ransack each. I could not help closing with his 
 invitation, and we started for Spain. Our first experiences 
 began at Ikirgos, and were amusing enough. We could 
 neither of us at the time speak one word of Spanish, 
 and we had at first to employ the services of a girl, a 
 
! 
 
 XI.] 
 
 THROUGH SPAIN. 
 
 229 
 
 relation of the interpreter. She was a comely little lass, 
 and had been brought up at .-» nunnery in I'rance ; but, 
 as her company and good looks were somewhat com- 
 promt. .nig, we found a substitute in a Spanish smuggler 
 who spoke French and did his business with zeal and 
 efficiency. We went thence to Valladolid and on to 
 Madrid, where I fn'st learned to appreciate the unrivalled 
 grandeur of Vclasciuez, and where wc received unbounded 
 kindness and assistance from my old friend Sir John 
 Crampton. Wc thence went to Cordova, Seville, Cadiz, 
 Malaga, and Granada, and returned to Malaga, where I 
 took ship and went to Cartagena and on to Murcia ; Mr. 
 Robinson, who hated the sea, went by land — a difficult, 
 rough, and somewhat dangerous journey. From Murcia 
 we made our way to Valencia, liarcclona, Saragoza, and 
 again to Madrid ; and from Madrid we made a most 
 interesting journey to Salamanca, Astorga, Zamora, and 
 Leon, and thence '•cturned home. At Salamanca I saw 
 a great deal of the Irish College of young men being 
 educated as priests under a most polished and kind 
 superior. Dr. Mac lulay, and I had an opportunity of 
 settling down as proprietor of a large and thriving farm 
 which the family had held since the days of Ferdinand 
 and Isabella. Old Don Balthazar, the owner of it, a hale 
 and hearty and opulent old gentleman, had taken under 
 his special protection the Irish College, and loaded the 
 students with good things from his farm. He thought, 
 probably with reason, that there was no people to 'je 
 compared to the Irish, and took a particular fancy to me 
 when he heard I was from that country. One morning 
 Dr. Macaulay came to me with a grave face, full of 
 import. He said, " I have a proposal of marriage for you. 
 Don Balthazar desires me to offer you the hand of his 
 extremely pretty daughter Manuclita, and the reversion 
 
 ![l 
 
 m: 
 
 i-ii-- 
 
230 
 
 SIR WILLIAM (iUF.GORV. 
 
 LCu. XI. 
 
 of his farm with a hirijo accumulation of cash in '^o\i\ — 
 • be sure to say in gold.' " Dr. Macaulay objected that 
 I was a heretic. " Oh no," said Don Haltha/.ar, " no 
 Irishman is a heretic, and, even if he were, Manuel ita 
 will soon cure him of his heresy." Ikit I was obliged 
 to refuse. Poor old Don Balthazar said no more, but 
 clasped my hand with tears in his eyes when I was 
 departing. 
 
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I 
 
 Cii. XI. 
 
 ;olcl— 
 :1 that 
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 blitzed 
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 I was 
 
 J3I ) 
 
 CIIAI'IJ'-.R XII. 
 
 1864. 
 
 I HEC'iAN the session with ;i passa^jc of arms cncountci- 
 in;^ my tViciul Sir Robert I'ccI, then Secretary for Ireland. 
 I moved tor a report of Dr. Hroch'c, the Poor Law 
 Itispcctor, on the condition of the estates of the Law Life 
 Company in Connemara. This was refused by Sir 
 Robert I'eel, but on my threatening to state tlic contents 
 of the report, leavin!::^ my accuracy to be impuj^ned, Sir 
 George Grey, the Home Secretary, a director of the 
 society, gave way, and the papers were granted. I was 
 well acquainted with this part of the West of Ireland. 
 During the time it had belonged to the Martin family the 
 tenants on this vast estate had been treated with con- 
 sideration and kindness. It was greatly encumbered, but 
 still Mr. Martin had always dealt with his tenants as 
 if they were all members of the same family, and he and 
 his daughter and heiress were much beloved by them. 
 But when the famine times came on Mr. Martin was 
 unable to keep down the interest of the large sum he owed 
 the Law Life Society, and the whole estate, which had 
 devolved into the hands of I\Iiss Martin, was taken over 
 by the society for the debt, and Miss Martin was left 
 virtually a pauper. A new regime was established — the 
 rents raised ; the rights of pasture over large tracts of 
 mountain land were taken from the small tenants and 
 
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 232 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Ch. 
 
 handed over to large farmers. The sale of turf was 
 restricted by a rent being put upon the turbary, which had 
 previously been free. I never missed an opportunity of 
 attacking the management of these estates by the Law 
 Life Company, and I believe I was mainly instrumental 
 in forcing them at last to part with the property. But 
 the same agent was continued, the same svstem pursued, 
 though not so scandalously, and I much fear that the 
 tenants gained but little by the change. 
 
 Mr, Herbert, the painter, was dissatisfied with the 
 terms of payment for his celebrated picture of ]\Ioses 
 coming down from Mount Sinai. His original agreement 
 was to paint it in fresco, but, owing to the failures of other 
 frescoes in the Houses of Parliament, it was considered 
 advisable to try a new system, that of water glass, which 
 it was supposed would be durable. Mr. Herbert having 
 had his arrangements completely altered, and additional 
 labour imposed on him, applied for some extra remunera- 
 tion. After some discussion, which I brought on, and in 
 which I expressed opinions of my great admiration of 
 ]\Ir. Herbert's work, expressions which I would not now 
 repeat, Mr. Gladstone sanctioned a Commission to inquire 
 into the matter. They reported favourably to Mr. 
 Herbert, and he got his money. 
 
 In this session I moved for a Committee of Inquiry 
 into the condition of the scientific societies of Dublin. A 
 Treasury Committee had been appointed with the same 
 object, and its tendency was to merge all Irish scientific 
 institutions in the Royal Dublin Society. An extremely 
 angry feeling sprang up in Dublin in consequence. The 
 Royal Dublin Society was by no means popular ; it was 
 exclusive, and had done very little for science. The 
 Royal Irish Academy protested. Petitions from seven- 
 teen towns against the proposed change were received, 
 
[Cn. 
 
 XII.] 
 
 THE IONIAN ISLANDS. 
 
 233 
 
 Q 
 
 'i 
 
 and, when it was found that there was an intention that 
 the Museum of Irish Industry was to be handed over to 
 South Kensington, great indignation was felt. Sir Robert 
 Peel, as Chief Secretary, agreed in my representations. A 
 Committee was granted, of which I was chairman, and 
 which occupied my time nearly the whole of the session. 
 We completely defeated, by means of my report, the 
 ambitious designs of the Royal Dublin Society and South 
 Kensington, and the inquiry was of much benefit to our 
 Irish institutions. 
 
 We had a very animated debate on the destruction of 
 the fortress of Corfu, and I mooted the subject by moving 
 for all papers connected with the cession of the Ionian 
 Islands to Greece, and especially of those connected with 
 the demolition of the fortresses, 
 
 " If tberc was one spot,'" I said, " in all Europe where the name of 
 England was cherished before, it was in these Ionian Islands. Now 
 there are few places where it is regarded with greater distrust and 
 dislike. Had these ishmds belonged to us, and had we ceded them, 
 or parted company with them in any way, it would have been an evil 
 tiling to destroy their fortifications ; but we are actually blowing up 
 now that which never belonged to us, and against the destruction of 
 which the owners protest. These islands were always independent, 
 even when under our protection. The rights of the lonians to their 
 fortresses were recognized in the sixth article of the Congress of Vienna. 
 When Lord Malmesbury made a proposal, on the i6th of April, 1863, 
 that these islands should be neutralized, and their fortresses destroyed, 
 Lord Russell reiMnmanded him, saying that the Ionian Islands were 
 independent states, and that if they were united to (^reece it would be 
 for them to decide whether the fortresses of Corfu were to be kept up. 
 They have kept up these fortresses l^y heavy taxation since 1S25, though 
 I am quite ready to admit that tliey ha\e not paid up the full amount 
 of necessary contriljutions. The lonians were altogetlier ignorant of 
 the terms of the treaty of 1863, by which their fortresses were to be 
 destroyed. The whole affair arose from Austrian misgivings lest these 
 islands should l)e seized by the Italians, and used as a basis of hostile 
 operations ; but, if so, let Austria take on herself tlie discredit of this 
 act. Why should we be execrated, and our good faith impugned, to 
 allay Austria's apprehensions.' When, on the loth of December, the 
 
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 mm 
 
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 it 
 
 I 
 
 234 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 Acroccraiinian Mountains, opposite Corfu, were lit up with fires of joy- 
 in answer to the ilhnninations in the islands, they were as the li>,duinL; 
 up of hope in the breasts of the oppressed at the delivcranee of their 
 brethren, and the people ot the whole East believed in the generosity 
 and disinterestedness of England. But sad indeed was their subsequent 
 disappointment. If we had told them that there was no obstacle raised 
 by us to their being connected with (heece, but that Austria had 
 insisted on the destruction of their fortresses, they could then have 
 decided for themselves ; but even if they did accept Austria's de- 
 mands, let them blow up their own fortresses, and not regard us as 
 their executioners, and as bringing shame on the young king we 
 had been prominent in obtaining for them." 
 
 Seymour Fitzgerald and Lord John Manners both 
 made excellent speeches on my side, and Air. Layard 
 consented to give the papers I moved for, accusing me at 
 the same time of being the mouthpiece of all the dis- 
 content in Eastern Europe, and insisting on it that the 
 lonians did not want the fortresses, could not keep them 
 up, and had no reason to complain. 
 
 I -i 1.1 
 
 
 S 
 
 1865. 
 
 I opposed the second reading of the bill for lowering 
 the borough franchise, and also a motion brought forward 
 by Sir J. Pope Hennessy for the increase of public works 
 in Ireland. I also made a speech on the condition of 
 our Art and Science collections, which was much com- 
 mented on in the Press. 
 
 I spoke in favour of the Roman Catholic Oaths 
 Bill, to do avv'ay with the offensive oaths which every 
 Catholic had to take — " that he did not believe that 
 princes excommunicated by the Pope could be dethroned 
 and murdered by their subjects." This bill was carried 
 by a majority of sixty-seven, and this miserable and 
 insulting formula was thercb^/ abolished. 
 
h! 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 XII.] 
 
 WORK IN rARLIAMEXT. 
 
 235 
 
 1866. 
 
 This was a session in which I did a good deal of 
 work. I began by supporting the bill of James Clay, the 
 member for Hull, to extend the elective franchise by 
 conferring votes on all persons educated up to a certain 
 standard. Although I had very little faith in the pros- 
 pect of carrying the bill I allowed my name to be put 
 upon it, as a protest against the attack made upon me 
 for desiring to exclude the working classes from Parlia- 
 mentary influence. This bill would admit the elite of the 
 working classes, who were debarred from votes because 
 they lived in houses rented at less than £10 \ it would 
 also admit a most valuable class of voters, lawyers, 
 attorneys, clerks, etc. The proposals were eminently 
 liberal, and would add a large number of voters to the 
 suffrage, and they were endeavouring at that very time 
 to establish a similar system of franchise in the very 
 democratic colony of Victoria. As I foresaw, after a dull 
 debate, the bill was read a first time and then came to 
 nothing 
 
 In the autumn of this year I took another journey 
 through Spain and Portugal with Mr. J. C. Robinson. I 
 picked him up at Santiago, having travelled through 
 a lovely country, a land flowing with milk and honey, 
 very different from the grim, stern plains of Leon and 
 Castillo, which we had traversed. Mr. Robinson had 
 had his time well occupied in negotiating with the 
 cathedral authorities to have a cast taken of the famous 
 " Punta della Gloria," a magnificent work in granite of 
 the twelfth century, by a certain Master Matthias, of 
 whom we know nothing. This splendid example of early 
 sculpture has been set up at Kensington Museum. From 
 Santiago we proceeded to Tuy, and there crossed the 
 
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 !!!:-« J 
 
 V'\)i 
 
 \\\. 
 
2.^6 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 It I 
 
 li 
 
 Miiiho to Viana, where wc hired a small and most com- 
 fortable omnibus, at ten francs a day, paying nothing but 
 the keep when wc were out on a journey. It was to 
 accompany us all through Portugal, and the bargain was 
 faithfully kept. We had a good courier, a certain old 
 Don Mathias, who spoke English, having kept an hotel, 
 I believe at Gibraltar. We had found him at Madrid, 
 and employed him during our former trip. He was a 
 thoroughly honest man, but very grumpy and ill-tem- 
 pered. I must say, however, that he served us willingly 
 and faithfully, and insisted on our always speaking Spanish 
 to him in order that we might learn the language, and we 
 certainly picked up, through his agency, a good deal of 
 it, sufficient to get along and express our wants and 
 remonstrate vigorously against attempts to cheat. He 
 took an extraordinary interest in Robinson's acquisitions, 
 and, I believe, did a little business in hric-a-brac after we 
 left Spain. We enjoyed Braga much, in spite of the filthy 
 hotel, and still more enjoyed a clean, excellent hotel at 
 Oporto, after all the fleas wc had endured, and the un- 
 savoury food we had had to put up with in Gallicia. 
 From Oporto we went to Coimbra, a town full of interest, 
 rnd thence diverged to the old, stern town of Vizcu, which 
 had rarely been visited, but where we heard there were 
 some pictures of great merit, by i mysterious painter 
 called Gran Vasco. The merits of these pictures did not 
 belie their fame. Most of them had been ruined by the 
 injudicious restoration of an ignorant, silly local artist; but 
 one remained quite intact, St. Peter sitting in his chair, 
 with the papal triple crown on his head. It is a magnifi- 
 cent work, I'lcmish undoubtedly in its motive, but not 
 executed by a Flemish hand. PLvery archaic picture in 
 Portugal is attributed to the same Gran Vasco, whose 
 birth and parentage is absolutely unknown. I revisited 
 
[Cii. 
 
 XII.] 
 
 PORTUGAL. 
 
 237 
 
 Vi'zeu with my wife and an American crcntlcman of much 
 taste, Mr. Lee Childe, in 1885, and they were as much 
 amazed at this wonderful picture as Mr. Robinson and 
 myself. I am happy to say I prevailed on the 
 Arundel Society to send an Italian painter to copy it in 
 1887. He was also as much struck with it as we were, 
 and spoke of it as a " cosa stiipenda." * I was much 
 amused the first time I visited Vizeu by the extraordinary 
 cheapness of living there. On asking our host what 
 would be the cost of our daily sojourn, he mentioned some 
 thousands of reals per day. While I was converting these 
 huge numbers into English money the host thought I was 
 doubting the reasonableness of his charges, which came 
 to 3^'. C)d. a day each, comprising breakfast, lunch, dinner, 
 and beds, and he added quickly, " But I mean to give 
 you wax candles." " Well," said I, gravely, having just 
 finished my calculations, " if you give wax candles, I 
 accept the arrangement." In 1885 I found the boar-i per 
 diem had risen to 4^-. 5^/., on which I expressed my sur- 
 prise and grief "Ah," said the host, with a sigh, "the 
 railroad has advanced prices so terribly that I cannot 
 arrange with you for less." 
 
 Wc returned to Coimbra, passing by Busaco's battle- 
 field, and spent a very pleasant week or ten days at 
 Lisbon. I there was presented, by Mr. Lytton, who was 
 Secretary of Legation, to the King-Consort Ferdinand of 
 Coburg. lie was a very charming man, highly cultivated, 
 and an enthusiastic lover of art. He showed us his col- 
 lection of gorgeous old Portuguese plate, which I fear 
 since his death has been dispersed. He was extremely 
 grotesque in his manner of speaking, having apparently 
 no palate, so the words came up through his nose. There 
 is a story told of him that, at the Exhibition of Oporto, 
 "■ Tlie reproduction was published in 1S90 by the Arundel Society. 
 
 ' •<¥■■ 
 
 'W 
 
238 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY, 
 
 [Cm. 
 
 i I 
 
 <{ 
 
 he complimented a I'^-cnch exhibitor, who, hearing his 
 strange voice, stared in amazement. " Pourquoi done 
 regardez vous mon nez ? " said the King. " Pardon, sire,' 
 rciolicd the Frencliman, " je Tecoute." 
 
 I returned to ICnghmd, as I said before, by long sea 
 after a visit to Elvas with I\Ir. Robinson, and to Alcobaga 
 and Batalha with a clever witty Frenchman, M. de 15am- 
 ville, who was a well-known l>on vivant, and much aston- 
 ished the maritornes of the posades where wc slept by 
 cooking an excellent dinner. On board the shij) I found 
 the officers and crew of ,i steamer from Brazil, which had 
 been wrecked on an island, or rather sandbank, off their 
 coast. Thc}' were a ludicrous sight, having been decked 
 out in the clothes of the other passengers, some of the 
 ladies' dresses trailing on the ground, others reaching but 
 little below thc knees. They had had a terrible time, 
 having been nearly a fortnight on the sandbank, exposed 
 to the sun and weather. What they complained of most 
 were thc legions of crabs constantly crawling over them, 
 chiefly by night, and in fighting and crushing these 
 wretches their clothes, when they were taken on board 
 our ship, had become a nauseous spectacle. 
 
 In October of this year Lord Palmerston died, to the 
 deep regret of both parties, as much almost of the Con- 
 servatives as of the Liberals. He had governed firmly, 
 and with good sense. He left England flourishing, L"eland 
 perfectly tranquil and advancing in rapid strides of pros- 
 per' y. Abroad he was respected, and, though feared, 
 had quite overcome the feeling of dislike with which he 
 had been formerly regarded. As regards his Turkish 
 policy, I was opposed to it, but I never failed to recognize 
 that he had been the ardent supporter of the independence 
 of Greece, and that if he did not take thc same line which 
 I was constantly recommending, it was not from being 
 

 . 
 
 XII.] 
 
 LORD I'ALMERSTON. 
 
 239 
 
 )cing 
 
 blind to the iniquities of Turkish rule, and to the 
 grievances of the Christian nationalities, but because he 
 was always afraid of any movement in Eastern Europe 
 of which Russia, ever on the watch, might take advantage. 
 And yet Lord Palinerston, with all his good sense, was 
 mistaken. Time has proved that a more enlightened and 
 generous policy would have strengthened him in rcs'stancc 
 to Russian ambition. It gratifies me greatly to find how 
 entirely every speech of mine ha been confirmed by the 
 authority of Lord Stmtford dc Redclififc, who had ever 
 'lis hand, if I may use the expression, on the pulse of 
 Eastern Europe, and understood every throb. He saw 
 clearly that the only barrier to Russian aggrandizement 
 was in the formation of self-governed Christian states under 
 the suzerainty of the Sultan. In vol. ii., p. 462, of "The 
 Life of Stratford Canning," I find the following passage : — 
 
 "lie liad never 1:)cen a Turcophile, .IS people supposed, Ijut had 
 always looked forw.ird to a belt of practically autonomous Christian 
 states, under the suzerainty of the Sultan, as the surest barrier against 
 Russian a;^',i,^ression. lie would have welcomed the formation of a 
 Christian empire in the place of Turkey if he could have discovered 
 any I'.astern Christian lit to rule it. Failing this, he believed that 
 the supreme authority of the Sultan was necessary to counteract the 
 influence of Russia in the Christian provinces, and he hoped for a 
 regenerate Turkey worthy to take a place amongst civilized nations." 
 
 We soon found out tlic loss of the clear head, the solid 
 judgment, and the firm hand of Lord Palmcrston when 
 Lord Russell succeeded him, and Mr. Gladstone assumed 
 the leadership of the House of Commons. Hitherto Lord 
 Palmciston had always repressed Mr. Gladstone's exuber- 
 ances quietly but irresistibly. Since then, except for brief 
 intervals, ]\Ir. Gladstone has had a free hand, and Egypt 
 and Ireland can attest the consequences. A member of 
 Lord Palmerston's Cabinet gave me an amusing description 
 of their proceedings. At the beginning of the session, 
 
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 240 
 
 SIR WILLIAM CREGORY. 
 
 [Cm. 
 
 and after each holiday, Mr. Gladstone used to come in 
 charged to the muzzle with all sorts of schemes of all 
 sorts of reforms which were absolutely necessary in his 
 opinion to be immediately undertaken. Lord Palmerston 
 used to look fixedly at the paper before him, saying 
 nothing until there was a lull in Gladstone's outpouring. 
 He then rappea the table and said cheerfully, "Now, my 
 lords and gentlemen, let us go to business." 
 
 On Lord Russell becoming Prime IVIinister he ver}- 
 kindly sent a special messenger out to Nice, where I was 
 staying with my mother, offering me office as a Lord of 
 the Admiralty. I use the words "very kindly" as on 
 more than one occasion I had spoken very hastily of him, 
 for I am bound to say I had the most profound distrust 
 of him as a statesman. 
 
 I replied very courteously, declining the offered ap- 
 pointment on the ground of my mother's health, which 
 might necessitate absence, of more or less duration, from 
 my Admiralty duties. 
 
 Perhaps the most important speech In my Parlia- 
 ment.'' fy career was one which I made on the exemption 
 from capture of private goods by sea. I was not successful 
 in carrying my point, but every year has since convinced 
 me of the soundness of my views, and of the misfortune, 
 for I can use no other term, which prevented our having 
 this provision adopted as a maxim of international law at 
 that time. I doubt much, if we now mooted the question, 
 that we should obtain the adhesion of those countries 
 which were then favourable to such a proposal. 
 
 I stated that I was reproached personally for bringing 
 forward this motion in favour of exempting the capture of 
 all private property by sea. I was told that I was the last 
 person who should do so, as I had extolled the construc- 
 tion in England of cruisers for the purpose of destroying 
 
 '- 
 
 ^i 
 
[Cii. 
 
 i 
 
 XII.J 
 
 CAPTURK OF PRIVATE GOODS T,Y SEA. 
 
 241 
 
 American property during the war between North and 
 South. To this I replied th..t, though I had always pro- 
 claimed my sympathies with the South, I ncvv,r could bring 
 myself to vindicate a mode of warfare which was barbarous 
 as regards individuals, which increased the exasperation v s 
 the combatants, and which was perfectly useless as to 
 the great issue to be determined. I therefore had no 
 hesitation in moving an address to the Queen in the 
 following terms: — "That an humble address be presented 
 to Pier Majesty, praying that she will be graciously 
 pleased to use her influence with foreign powers for the 
 purpose of making the principle that private property 
 should be free from capture by sea a maxim of inter- 
 national law." 
 
 My object was thoroughly logical, for on the accept- 
 ance of the Declaration of Paris in 1S56, that the neutral 
 flag covers the belligerent's goods, it must follow as a 
 rational consequen'^e that all private property should be 
 exempt from capture by sea. This proposal had been 
 unanimously supported by a Committee of the House of 
 Commons on merchant shipping, one of the members 
 of which was the actual President of the Board of Trade 
 (Mr. Milncr Gibson). It was supported by memorials 
 from Chambers of Commerce of some of our greatest 
 commercial communities, and only the day before the 
 debate tho opinion of the Shipowners' Society was con- 
 veyed to ine officially. It referred to a resolution in 
 favour of the principle passed in 1S62, and said, "The 
 experience of the last five years has confirmed the Com- 
 mittee in the opinion then expressed, that it is essential 
 to the interests of British shipping that private property 
 at sea should be exempt from capture." Lord Palmerston 
 had, at a meeting in Liverpool in 1856, expressed his 
 hope "that the principles of war which were applied to 
 
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 24: 
 
 SIR WILLIAM C.REGORV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 hostilities by land initrht be extended without exception 
 to hostilities at sea, and that private property should no 
 longer be exposed to ajrgression on cither side." 
 
 During the period of the debates on Scrvia in 1S63 
 there arrived in London a very beautiful and accom- 
 plished woman, Julie Obrenovitch, the wife of Nicholas, 
 Prince of Servia. She was a Ihuv^arian by birth, of 
 the very ancient family of the Ilunyadi. We became 
 extremely intimate, and my friends conferred on me, in 
 consequence, the name of Gregorevitch ; but our intimacy 
 was purely political, and I derived the most valuable 
 information from her, for she was as intelligent as she 
 was handsome. I remember a charming i/iot of Lord 
 Palmerston one evening at a party at his own house. 
 The Princess of Scrvia was going out, and her dress 
 caught in the doorway. Lord Palmerston stooped and 
 loosened it, and then, bowing and laughing, said, " Vous 
 voycz, Princcsse, c'cst toujours la Porte qui vous in- 
 commode." 
 
 I have always said and felt that there was no question 
 connected with Ireland to be compared with the im- 
 portance of that of the position of the tenants. Tnc 
 perfect indifference with which it was regarded is curious. 
 Lord Palmerston dismissed it with the expression that 
 "tenant right was landlords' wrong." Mr. Gladstone 
 was equally indifferent to it, and yet no man acquainted 
 with Ireland but must have felt it as a burning question 
 ready at any moment to burst into conflagration. Agri- 
 cultural prosperity had retarded it, but I was convinced 
 that if bad times for the farmers came on there would be 
 a most serious, disastrous, and just agitation. Mow could 
 it be otherwise .-' The good landlords were no doubt 
 fair in their dealings, ar'^' considerate, but there was 
 a leaven of bad landlords to leaven the lump, and to 
 
[Cii. 
 
 xii.l 
 
 MR. GLADSTONE ON TENANT RIGHT. 
 
 243 
 
 produce feelings of general insecurity and general indigna- 
 tion. How could it be otherwise, with the fatal notice to quit 
 ever suspended over the peasants' heads ? These notices, 
 as Mr. Gladstone subsequently illustrated them, fell like 
 snowflakes. I quoted the proceedings of the largest 
 landowners in Ireland, the Law Life Insurance Company, 
 whereby a notice to quit was handed to every tenant, 
 together with the rcceii)t for the rent. Tenants' associa- 
 tions sprung into life, and they were very moderate in their 
 demands. They demanded some measure which would 
 guarantee increased stability of tenure. Sir Colman 
 O'Loughlin, the thoroughly liberal and far-sighted 
 member for Clare, took exactly the same view of the 
 state of public feeling and the justice of it, and we 
 determined to see if we could induce ParHamcnt to apply 
 a remedy. He framed a singularly moderate bill, of which 
 wc sent copies to the tenants' associations, and from all 
 of them, I believe, we received assurances of their com- 
 plete satisfaction with it. He brought it in on July 29, 
 and I made a statement of its objects. It proposed to 
 discourage annual lettings. Where there was no written 
 contract, a lease of twenty-one years was presumed. 
 Every discouragement, though no actual prohibition, was 
 thrown in the way of annual tenancies. In all such cases 
 the tenant was empowered to deduct county cess, and 
 distraint was forbidden. Compensation in case of eject- 
 ment of a yearly tenant was enacted, except in case of 
 non-payment of rent. These were tlic main provisions 
 which would havo resulted in the general granting of 
 leases, and wc should have had peace in the land for 
 twenty-one years. Before I introduced the bill I met 
 Mr. Gladstone going out of the House, and I besought 
 him to stay and hear what I had to say, and to help me 
 if he approved. He said, " Let mc look at your bill," and 
 
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 111 
 
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 244 
 
 SIR WILLIAM (iRKCJURV. 
 
 LCii. 
 
 he ran his eye over tlic headings of the clauses. " Why, 
 you want," said he, "to interfere with the nianaj^cment of 
 a man's own proijert}'. I will have nothin}; to do with it," 
 ejaculating these words with the greatest emphasis. We 
 failed in making any way with our bill. 
 
 In the course of this session I had another and rather 
 
 an amusing difference with Mr. Gladstone, which I write 
 
 down word foi word from the notes I t(Jol< at the time and 
 
 preserved. On the 21st of April Mr. Gladstone made his 
 
 magnificent speech on the second reading of the Reform 
 
 liill, and stii'matized that portion of the Liberal party who 
 
 were about to vote for Lord Grosvenor's amendment as 
 
 " depraved little men." " Yes," added he, laughingly, " and 
 
 ■mipdKtKitfifuva ('crooked ') also." The same evening, at Lady 
 
 Waldegrave's party, he came up to me and said, " It quite 
 
 gave me pleasure when we were dividing to think I had 
 
 in the other lobby a sympathizer in one respect, in love 
 
 and remembrance of Aristophanes." I replied, " I was so 
 
 pleased at hearing an old friend quoted, that I ditl not 
 
 mind the delincpiencies you imputed to us ; but I hardly 
 
 think the word iraimKiKn/i/uvn is well expressed by 'crooked,' 
 
 I believe it refers to coins ' badly struck.' " To this he 
 
 assented, but insisted that " crooked " conveyed the 
 
 meaning. On the following Monday, when coming out of 
 
 the House of Commons, the doorkeeper put into my hand 
 
 the following letter from Mr. Glatlstonc, written, be it 
 
 remembered, in the middle of great e.xcitemert, with the 
 
 Budget coming on immediately : — 
 
 " Ap il 30, '66. 
 •'Dear Mk. {".rkookv, 
 
 " 1 lliouyht a little about the projicr mode of rendering tlic 
 word irapaKfKonniva, and it appeared to me that the term best fitted to 
 convey the meaning was ' misbegotten,' corresponding closely as it 
 does with ' mis-struck ' or 'struck awry,' the meaning of the (ireck 
 word in its first intention. But such a translation was evidently 
 
|C„, 
 
 \ir.] 
 
 THE CAVE OF ADUI.LAM. 
 
 J45 
 
 inadmissible, so I adopted one wliii Ii was simple, and seemed near 
 cnoujih to the niiirk. I am open *.o your < ritirism, Ijiil I be^; you to 
 believe I diil not proceed in tlie matter li^'litly, and that 1 am aware 
 of the respf)nsibility of attempting; in any way to represent or render 
 Aristophanes. 
 
 " I'elieve mo very faithfully yours, 
 
 \V. K. GLADSTONE. 
 
 " I must thank you for the cxccedinp;ly kind terms of your speech, 
 liut for the extreme pressure of time I should have wished to refer to 
 it as one of those which mtirely (lci)rived us of the rij^lit to say that 
 all who supported the resolution (of Loril (Irosvenor) were enemies to 
 a real dealing with the ([uestion.'' 
 
 On the iSth of June of this year Lord Dunkclliii 
 defeated the Government on an amcndinent in the Com- 
 mittee on the Reform \V\\\ to substitute rating for renl •.(. 
 and Lord Russell resigned. We who voted in the rnajority 
 offered to move a vote of confidence in the Government, 
 hut all atonement was refused. The chief leaders in this 
 movement, to which Mr. l^right gave the name of " the 
 Cave of Adullam," were Mr. Lowe (afterwards Lord 
 Shcrbrooke), Lord Klcho (now Lord Weniyss), Lord 
 Grosvcnor, Lord Lansdowne, Lord DunkelHn, and I may 
 include myself, as I was always invited to the councils 
 held at Lansdowne House. When Lord Derby assumed 
 office he offered to place several of these " Cavemen," as 
 we called ourselves, in his Goveriimcni., and to me he 
 proposed the secretaryship of the Admiralty, a very 
 important and responsible office, from which I might 
 certainly have aspired to the Cabinet. 
 
 None of our " Cave" joined Lord Derby's Government, 
 but for the rest of the session we treated them with great 
 urbanity. Lord Naas was Irish Secretary, and I saw a 
 great deal of hi-n. I had previously a poor opinion of 
 him, but closer acquaintance altogether changed that view. 
 I found him clcar-hraded, able, and singularly liberal in 
 his views, but tied hand and foot, as he said to me, almost 
 
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 111 I 
 
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 ■ I 
 
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 H 
 
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 En I 
 
 ! ; : 
 
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 ! hi 
 
 246 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. XII. 
 
 with tears in his eyes, by the bigotry and obstinacy of the 
 northern Tory members, who stood in the way of every 
 advance. On more than one occasion he expressed him- 
 self very gratefully for the consideration I always showed 
 him. When his party had gone out, and he had received 
 the appointment of Governor-General of India, there was 
 a movement on our side to defeat the appointment, and 
 there was a strong desire to move an address to the 
 Queen to cancel it. I did all I could to prevent any such 
 step being taken, and I wrote to him to say that if 
 his appointment was attacked in the House of Commons 
 he might rely on me to take a part in the debate in his 
 behalf. Fortunately, for the credit of Mr. Gladstone's 
 Government, the intention was not persevered in, and 
 no opposition took place to the appointment of one 
 of the ablest and most active Viceroys who has ever 
 ruled India. It is a grateful recollection to recall the 
 course I then adopted, not only from personal regard, but 
 from belief in Lord Mayo's abilities, and I know that he 
 never forgot the incident. 
 
 The subject of the condition of Irish railroads had been 
 occupying mtch attention in Ireland. The report of the 
 Commission to inquire into them proved that they were in 
 a most unsatisfactory state, and that the universal com- 
 plaints were well founded. I was in hopes that a Tory 
 Government", which had always put forward its claim to be 
 an advocate of practical improvement in Ireland, would 
 be willing to deal with this matter, more especially as 
 Mr. Gladstone had indicated, not ambiguously, that he 
 considered it would be desirable to do so. I therefore 
 brought the subject before the House, having received 
 very valuable assistance from Lord Clanricardc, who 
 fully recognized the importance of it. 
 
I 
 
 ( 247 ) 
 
 'ill 
 
 CHArTER XIII. 
 
 During the session of 1S67 I made a speech advocating 
 liberaHty on the part of the Government to the Royal 
 Irish Academy. Since its foundation it had numbered 
 among its members ahiiost every Irishman distinguished 
 in science, archeology, and general literature. It had 
 illustrated the history and physical phenomena of Ireland 
 by works of originality and research. In the twentieth 
 volume of its transactions came out the famous treatise 
 of Dr. Petrie, which settled the question of the Round 
 Towers of Ireland. Its museum contains the most 
 important collection of Celtic antiquities in the world. 
 A catalogue was being formed by Sir William Wilde 
 of this collection, but was at a standstill for want of 
 funds to print it, though the manuscript was complete. 
 The members of the society had acted v/ith great 
 liberality. By private subscription they had bought 
 Dean Dawson's collection of antiquities for ^^1067. For 
 the Tara torques they had raised ^190 ; for Sir W. 
 Betham's Irish Manuscripts, £Goo ; for Hodge's and 
 Smith's Irish Manuscripts, ^723. The first requirement 
 was to rearrange the present building, which would enable 
 the museum to be properly exhibited. A responsible 
 curator and an attendant were also necessary. A clerk was 
 required for the library and assistance for the purchase of 
 books and binding of them. I mentioned some of the 
 
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 248 
 
 SIR \VILLIAM GRECORV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 treasures of the library — a copy of the Gospels, said to 
 be of the time of St. Patrick ; a copy of the Psalms, said 
 to have been the miraculous work of St. Colomba, who 
 transcribed them by stealth at night by the lights which 
 streamed from the tips of his fingers. There was the book 
 of Ballymote, sold in 15 12 for a hundred and fifty milch 
 cows. Another manuscript was of such value that it was 
 given in ransom for the chief of the O'Doghertics, and 
 to recover it O'Donel laid siege to Sligo in 1470. A 
 Parliamentary Committee had recommended that ^lOOO a 
 year should be granted in addition to the ^500 a year now- 
 received by the society. I also strongly recommended 
 the purchase of the collection of Dr. Petrie, then in the 
 market. The Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Hunt, gave a 
 favourable answer. The Petrie collection was bought, and 
 the structure of the Royal Irish Academy remodelled 
 internally and fitted for proper exhibition. I subsequently 
 took a prominent, indeed tho principal, part in tlie pur- 
 chase of the famous Tara brooch, one of the most mar- 
 vellous specimens of early enamelling in the world, and 
 an inestimable treasure. 
 
 Later on I made a vehement onslaught on the Chief 
 Commissioner of Works for the vacillations, delays, and 
 changes of purpose in connection with the enlargement of 
 the National Gallery. I also joined Sir Francis Goldsmid 
 in his remonstrances as to the manner in which the Jews 
 were treated by my friends the Servians. 
 
 The Irish Secretary, Lord Naas, in this session brought 
 forward a bill which was to settle the discontent of the 
 Irish tenants. I objected to it because it had three 
 cardinal defects. It was inapplicable to a great portion 
 of Irish tenancies, it utterly ignored the real causes of 
 discontent, and it needlessly violated the laws of property. 
 The main provisions were to allow tenants to borrow 
 
 
 / 
 I 
 
[Ch. 
 
 , 
 
 XIII.] 
 
 LEASES IN IRELAND. 
 
 249 
 
 money for the improvement of their farms, and to remove 
 their fixtures in case of failing to come to terms with the 
 landlord, or the incoming tenant refusing to remunerate 
 them for the outlay. There were great objections to lend 
 public money, unless in case of a lease. No bill could in 
 any way touch beneficially the existing state of things 
 which did not aim at remedying the condition of the 
 occupier, ninety-five out of every hundred of whom 
 existed on the soil solely at the will of the landlord. 
 There could be no attachment on the part of a peasantry 
 to the institutions of a country under such circumstances ; 
 compensation for improvements was mere moonshine. It 
 was the uncertain and precarious tenure which caused 
 discontent. It would not be inconsistent with con- 
 servative principles to try and remedy this evil. There 
 was nothing conservative in a tenancy at will. It was 
 essentially a revolutionary tenure. I did not ask to force 
 leases indiscriminately down on every tenant, but I di.l ask 
 that they should be encouraged, for, as Lord Dufferin 
 said, " the refusal of a lease to a solvent, industrious 
 tenant is nothing less than a crime. The prosperity of 
 agriculture depends on security of tenure, and the only 
 proper tenure is a liberal lease." There had been a great 
 growth of late in this tenant question, and it may be 
 attributed to the fact that at the beginning of the century, 
 and up to a comparatively recent time, leases were the 
 rule. On my own estate in 1840 almost every tenant had 
 a lease. Twenty years afterwards there was hardly a 
 lease remaining ; so it was elsewhere. For many reasons 
 the landlord had no particular desire to grant them ; they 
 were bound by their provisions, the tenants were not ; and 
 political power was more cfTfcctually exercised on tenants 
 at will than on leaseholders. Then came the Encumbered 
 Estates Act, and as a rule those who purchased under 
 
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 250 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY, 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 it looked on land as a mere investment, determined to 
 get as much interest as they could for their money ; 
 and the peasants found themselves in the hands of 
 harsh and unsympathetic landlords, who turned them 
 out without compunction if it suited their purposes. 
 But the extermination of the present landlords would not 
 mend matters. Far better to try a moderate remedial 
 measure, and none could be more moderate or effica- 
 cious in the opinion of the tenants themselves than to 
 devise a measure doing away as far as possible with the 
 present insecurity of tenure. I therefore moved, as an 
 amendment to Lord Naas's bill, " that no enactment for 
 the settlement of the landlord and tenant question in 
 Ireland can be deemed satisfactory which does not provide 
 for the increase of leases in that country." Moderate — 
 weak, indeed — as was this amendment, I failed to carry it 
 after the adjournment of the debate, not by a direct vote, 
 but by a side issue raised by Mr. Sandford, which saved 
 the Government from a defeat, for the House of Commons 
 would have gone with me. 
 
 On looking over my speeches during this session 1 
 find one on the case of the Tornado, a vessel whicli had 
 been fitted out during the exciting war between Spain and 
 Chili to become a war vessel of the last-named power. 
 There never was a more rascally transaction ; our laws 
 were evaded, every subterfuge resorted to, and, when the 
 Tornado was seized by the Spaniards, our Government was 
 besieged by those scamps who owned her and their friends, 
 who protested their innocence and loudly proclaimed the 
 liarmlessness of this peaceful vessel. I went into all the 
 details of the transaction, followed these worthies in f.hcir 
 tortuous courses, and proved to a certainty th; guilty 
 objects of their schemes. The affair was complicated 
 by the incredible stupidity of the Spaniards and their 
 
:.i . 
 
 [Cn. 
 
 XIII.] 
 
 DEATH OF LORD DUNKELLIN. 
 
 251 
 
 ignorance of the very rudiments of international law ; 
 but the Tornado was ultimately condemned, much to my 
 delight and to the confusion and pecuniary loss of those 
 rogues whose characlv-r I thoroughly exposed. I exempted 
 one person from the severe expressions I employed towards 
 the rest, and that was Commander McKillop, an officer in 
 the English navy, who had actually been appointed by the 
 Chilian Government to command the vessel when she 
 reached Valparaiso. He told the whole truth, like an 
 honest, frank sailor. 
 
 In August of this year one of the heaviest sorrows I 
 have ever felt came upon mc by the unexpected death of 
 my dear friend Lord DunkcUin. He had had severe fits 
 of gout, and was at last carried ...way by a complication of 
 disorders affecting the kidneys and the heart. He knew 
 that his health was enfeebled, but none of us had the least 
 fear of his being in a precarious state. Almost the last 
 words he said to me when I was leaving London for Ireland 
 were these : " I can't conceal from myself that I am not 
 the man I was, and I cannot go racketing about to Paris 
 and Les l'2aux as formerly. I should like much to pass my 
 autumn and winter quietly in Ireland, but my father and 
 mother will not be home till winter sets in, and to live 
 alone at Portumna without a soul to speak to would be 
 dreary work." I said, " Why don't you come to Coole .-' 1 
 shall be at home till Parliament meets. You can have 
 your own rooms reserved for you, and do precisely as you 
 please." " Do you really mean it ? " he answered. " Don't 
 you think I should inconvenience your mother ? " I 
 replied, "Of course I mean it ; and you could not possibly 
 give me greater pleasure than by closing with the offer. 
 As for my mother, I know no one whom she likes as 
 much as yourself, and she would greet your sojourn with 
 us as eagerly as I do," " Well, Greg," said he, " L'idee me 
 
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 \\\V- 
 
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 1! 
 
1 
 
 1 1 
 
 <u 
 
 i .i 
 
 !52 
 
 SIR WILLIAM CiRK(JOUV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 sourit cnormcmcnt. I will drop in on you in August, and 
 you can sec then if you can stand so much of my company." 
 On the loth of August I received a telegram announcing 
 his death, at the early age of forty. There was an enormous 
 concourse of the peasantry at his funeral, at the Abbey of 
 Athenry, and scarcely a dry eye. His poor father directed 
 the proceedings, and it was a piteous sight to sec him. He 
 appeared like a man dazed after a sunstroke. He never 
 recovered the shock. lie had every reason to be proud of 
 and attached to him, for he had always loved Dunkcllin, 
 and Dunkcllin loved him with the whole strength of his 
 loving nature. lie was proud, toe, of the position Dun- 
 kcllin had reached in public estimation ; for, had his health 
 permitted, he would rapidly have become one of our 
 foremost men. I, too, was perfectly stunned, and, though 
 more than twenty years have passed away, often and often 
 do I recall him who was more than a brother to mc. lie 
 was essentially open-hearted, open-minded, generous to a 
 degree, even to those whom he knew to be scarcely worthy 
 of his generosity, I never met a man of such extra- 
 ordinary sweetness of temper, and, when he did dislike a 
 man, he had always good cause for doing so. Had he 
 lived, not one of the troubles which have so broken up 
 our county would have befallen us. He would have dealt 
 with his tenantry, whom he well knew individually, not 
 merely justly, but generously; he would have resided at 
 home, the darling wish of his life ; would have encouraged 
 improvements, and made Loughrea a very different town 
 from its present declining, disreputable, and disaffected 
 condition. And yet, though the lower orders universally 
 mourned his death, both in the county and the town of 
 Galway, and though they were fully aware of his character, 
 yet it was actually necessary, within twelve years of his 
 death, for the Bishop of Galway to denounce those who 
 
[Cii. 
 
 XIII.] 
 
 IRISH AFFAIRS, 
 
 253 
 
 were plottin£T to destroy his statue by T'oley, in the town of 
 Galway, which had been erected with acclaim by the 
 subscription of all classes, landlords, shopkeepers, and 
 peasants ! 
 
 I moved, in a lon^ speech, for papers connected with 
 Servia and Crete. This was another duel with Mr. 
 Layard, the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs. 
 
 18G8. 
 
 The great feature in this session was the K form Bill, 
 on which I never could bring myself to speak, so great was 
 my indignation at the course resorted to by the Govern- 
 ment and resented by General Peel, Lord Cranborne 
 (afterwards Lord Salisbury), Lord Carnarvon, and others, 
 who resigned their places in the Ministry. 
 
 I spoke early in the session on Mr. Maguire's motion 
 on the state of Ireland. I advocated Mr. liright's plan in 
 favour of establishing peasant proprietors. I said that if 
 an Irish Parliament, composed of wise and moderate men 
 of all interests and classes, were called into existence, 
 it would undoubtedly demand a settlement of the land 
 (juestion, giving increased stability of tenure, denomina- 
 tional education, equality in the endowment of the 
 Churches, and would remove from the Statute Book the 
 needless and insulting Ecclesiastical Tithes Bill. It would 
 also insist on such practical measures as the purchase of 
 railways by the State, and the drainage of the Shannon. 
 The Legislature had hitherto treated Irish demands as 
 Bumble treated the paupers. He said, " I know what 
 they want, and when they come and ask for anything I 
 give them something else, and they don't come again." 
 It would be better to do nothing than to nibble at these 
 questions. Let the Government face them, and propose a 
 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 I hi 
 
 mm 
 
I 
 
 •54 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 J ill 
 
 I'm plan for dealing with them, and submit it to the House 
 ana t the constituencies. 
 
 Shori.ly afterwards, in hopes that a Tory Government 
 might b:; prevailed on to do more for the British Museum 
 than I had hitherto induced my Liberal friends to do, I made 
 a long statement about the condition of that institution. I 
 described the congested state of the collections for want of 
 room ; and stated that the antiquities recently acquired 
 had to be stored away in pent houses in front of the 
 building ; that most valuable objects were consigned to 
 the basement, in the regions of Nox and Erebus ; that the 
 insect rooms were so dark as to render it impossible to 
 inspect its specimens ; that the ligliting was defective ; the 
 composition of the trust too extensive and fluctuating ; that 
 the heads of departments were not allowed to be present 
 at the Board of Trustees, when the business of their depart- 
 ments was transacted ; that discontent, discouragement, 
 and want of efficiency was the result. I acquiesced in the 
 removal of the natural history collections to Kensington, 
 but recommended, in accordance with the report of the 
 Committee of i860, that the drawings of the old masters 
 should go to the National Gallery. Mr. Disraeli replied 
 in a most admirable speech, and perfectly astonished me 
 by his intimate knowledge of the details of every point 
 on which I had spoken. He did not agree in all my 
 views, especially those in reference to the Trustees, but in 
 other respects his answer was most favourable, and it 
 was made additionally palatable by many complimenis 
 he paid me, the first I had been greeted with from any 
 official mouth on this subject. But in all these matters he 
 took a high and enlightened view. Nothing was too good 
 for England's reputation. She ought to stand pre- 
 eminently forward in her art and science institutions ; 
 and he never shrank from expenditure, a:3 I have said 
 
 I 
 
I 
 
 ] 
 
 XIII.] 
 
 LADY WALDEGRAVE. 
 
 255 
 
 before, in forwarding this object, and was always cordially 
 supported by both sides of the House in so doing. 
 
 After the Reform Bill was passr ' Parliament was 
 dissolved, and Lord Burke and mysei. Wv • returned for 
 Galway county without opposition. 
 
 1S69, 
 
 Mr. Gladstone lost no time w c\ Parliament met in 
 cutting down the branches, as he termed them, of the upas 
 tree ; and immediately brought in a bill for the suppression 
 of the Irish State Church. I had always, being much 
 moved by O'Connell's conversations with me in early life, 
 looked on this institution as an intolerable grievance ; 
 but I am bound to say that I do not think the masses in 
 Ireland cared much about the matter. My views were that 
 the Irish Church as a State Church should be abolished, 
 but that the revenues should be applied equally to the 
 wants of the three great denominations. I had almost 
 made up my mind to move an amendment to the bill in 
 that direction, but I was dissuaded by Lady Waldegrave, 
 with whom for the last few years I had contracted a strong 
 friendship, and whose advice much influenced me in every 
 action of my life. She was a most remarkable woman, one 
 of the most remarkable I have ever known. She was very 
 pretty as a girl, and married first Mr. Waldegrave, who 
 soon died, and then his brother. Lord Waldegrave, who 
 was one of the most debauched, drunken rowdies of the 
 day. A year of her married life she passed with him in 
 Newgate, to which he was consigned for having been a 
 ringleader in a row which ended in the manslaughter of a 
 watchman. He shortly afterwards died of dissipation, 
 leaving her a title and fine income — in fact, everything he 
 had— and she married, thirdly, a very different man, Mr. 
 
 
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 nk \ 
 
 \§ 
 
2S6 
 
 SIR WILLIAM (iREGOKV, 
 
 [Cm. 
 
 Ill 
 
 Harcourt, who was all that was respectable. She was an 
 excellent wife to him, and neither diirini; her married life 
 with him, nor previously, in spite of the bad company into 
 which she was thrown, and the temptations to which she was 
 exposed, was there ever a v, hisper of disparai^cment on her 
 character. No [^rcat lady held her head hiLjher, or more 
 vigorously ruled her society. Her house was always gay, 
 and her parties at Nuneham were the liveliest of the time ; 
 but she never suffered the slighLcst indecorum, nor tolerated 
 improprieties. When Mr. Ilarcourt died she married 
 Fortescue, and was the idol of his life ; and no wonder, for 
 all her energy was centred in him. It was in 1867 when I 
 first began to know her well, and from that time till the day 
 of her death I was admitted into her unreserved friendship, 
 and received constant and unremitting kindness from her. 
 I often said to her how much I regretted I had not known 
 her well when I re-entered Parliament. Her admirable 
 judgment would have preserved me from many false steps, 
 and from the erratic course which I am well conscious I 
 took on more than one occasion. Towards the close of my 
 Parliamentary career I intimated to her that the darling 
 object of my life was the Government of Ccy'.on, and 
 she at once, and successfull}-, betook herself to obiain the 
 promise of it from Lord Granville, who conceded .•eadily 
 her request, on the jiroviso that the arrangement should 
 be kept perfectly confidential, as her Majesty objected 
 to any promise of such appointments being given with- 
 out her being first consulted ; and nearly two years 
 elapsed from the date of the promise being given to its 
 being fulfilled. 
 
 In the meanwhile I loyally and conscientiously 
 supported the Government and Mr. Gladstone in cutting 
 down the upas tree, and I have no reason to regret 
 having taken that course. His measures in regard to 
 
[Cm. 
 
 XI I I.J 
 
 THE NEW LAW COURTS. 
 
 !57 
 
 the Church and reform of the land laws I cordially 
 acquiesced in and still entirely approve. 
 
 It is sad enough nowadays (1S89) to see of what little 
 effect in Ireland have been this great measure of justice 
 and the "tenant charter," if I may so term it, which I\Ir. 
 Gladstone passed the following year. In my speech on 
 the Irish Church iV\\\, I quoted the salutary effects of 
 previous measures of conciliation — Catholic Emancipation, 
 abolition of tithes, etc. I thought these instances good 
 arguments, and so did the House of Commons. Jiut these 
 measures of Mr. Gladstone, so just and .-^o beneficent, were 
 received with thanklessness, suspicion, and upbraiding, 
 and were so many stepping-stones for the wildest demands, 
 culminating in that for the virtual separation of England 
 and Ireland, and the subsequent ruin of both countries. 
 
 In this session I brought forward the subject of 
 building the new Courts of Justice on the Thames 
 I'Lmbankment, the magnificent plan of Mr. Layard, Com- 
 missioner of Works, offering space and outlook for a grand 
 building. Sir RoundcU Palmer opposed, the debate was 
 adjourned, but subsequently tl:c Thames Embankment 
 was adopted. At a later period, however, the influence of 
 Sir Roundell Palmer prevailed against that of Mr. Layard 
 and of Mr. Lowe, Chancellor of the Exchequer, who 
 was also enthusiastically in favour of the Embankment. 
 A Committee was appointed, and the Strand was decided 
 on instead by one vote. VVc know what the result has 
 been — a frippery, broken-up, ill-arranged edifice, a discredit 
 to the Victorian era ; whereas it might have been, and 
 ought to have been, a glory to all time — if, indeed. Street 
 was architect of sufficient calibre for so great a work. 
 
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 258 
 
 SIR WILLIAM r.REC.ORV. 
 
 1 8 70. 
 
 rcii. 
 
 Mr. Gladstone proceeded at once to attack another 
 branch of the upas tree, and brouLjht forward in March his 
 Land liill for Ireland. The main object was to give 
 security to tenants in their holdings, and to enable them 
 to purchase them. The first object was to be secured by 
 giving compensation for disturbances, except in cases of 
 non-payment of rent ; the second, by means of the liright 
 Clauses. I objected to the stringency of these clauses, 
 which lent to the tenants to the extent of half or two- 
 thirds of the purchase money at six per cent, for twenty- 
 two years. I thought it would render the measure (piite 
 inoperative ; and so it turned out to be. A considerable 
 opposition to the bill was threatened by some of the Irish 
 members, on the grounds of its not going far enough ; 
 and a certain amount of agitation was raised against it in 
 Ireland for the same reason. I also thought that, if it 
 were to be the future tenant charter, it was inadequate, 
 and left many serious points, sure to be revived, unsettled. 
 I was, however, determined to support it loyally, knowing 
 the untoward fate which had beset previous land bills. 
 I thought the bill was intricate in its provisions, and yet 
 the subject demanded that it should be eminently simple, 
 clear of doubts and points of litigation. The judges of 
 the land complained that they were puzzled with its 
 intricacies ; even the Solicitor-General for Ireland was, in 
 his speech, in order to explain it, obliged to go backwards 
 and forwards, mitigating, expanding, and colouring one 
 clause by the aid of some other clause or clauses. I said 
 I was reminded of Dean Swift's famous house, which was 
 built on such fine mathematical principles of compensations 
 ana adjustments, that, when a sparrow perched on one of 
 the gables, he overthrew the equilibrium and brought the 
 
 \ ^ ^ 
 
fCii. 
 
 xm.l 
 
 ANOTHER LAND lUI-L 
 
 !59 
 
 whole (iihrr to the ;^rouiicl. It was important that the 
 House shoulil know the full extent of the demands of 
 the Irish tenant farmers. Their delegates had recently 
 met in London and they had a.L^reed that certain proposals 
 which I had formulated would be satisfactory, and, if 
 adopted, that the land cjuesticja would never be heard 
 of again ; that a Land Court should be adopted, the 
 present rents throu.i^hout Ireland should be accepted as 
 the basis of the scttleinent ; that the landlord mii^ht go 
 before the C'ourt and allege reasons as a ground for raising 
 these rents ; while the tenant might go before the same 
 Court to impugn rents as exorbitant. The last and most 
 impcjrtant proi)osal was this — that a tenant should have 
 power to sell his goodwill in all cases, whether of eviction 
 or of voluntary departure from the farm. 
 
 Lord Portsmouth had allowed this principle to be 
 established on iiis Wexford estates, and his agent statctl 
 that it had inspired with energy and confidence every 
 tenant in them. I had made this concession the rule of 
 my estate, and the consequence was u total absence of 
 complaint and friction when hopeless and insolvent tenants 
 had to leave. It would be said that it would be a great 
 injustice to a landlord to give to the tenant a property 
 in the estate without compensation, liut by the j^resent 
 bill every landlord became more or less an annuitant. l>y 
 the bill I proposed he would be at least m annuitant witi' 
 an annuity. I hoped that Irish landlord:> v/ould join in 
 asking for this final settlement, accepted by the tenant 
 delegates as final. It was far better to put down one's 
 foot and find bottom, than to flounder about amid con- 
 tinuous agitation, continued discontent, and continued 
 terrorism. I wound up my speech by strongly urging the 
 Government to render the Purchase Clauses more accept- 
 able and workable. It always seemed to me one of the 
 
 m 
 
26o 
 
 SIR WILLIAM (IREGORV. 
 
 [Cir. 
 
 !. , .J 
 
 Ki 
 
 greatest evils of Irish society that the great mass of the 
 agricultural population should be divorced from all owner 
 ship in the soil, if there was one thing more conservative 
 in its tendency than another, it was the possession of land 
 by a number of proprietors ; while, if there was one thing 
 more revolutionary than another, it was the concentration 
 of land in the hands of a few great proprietors. I 
 concluded by saying that, though I preferred my own way 
 of dealing with the land question, yet that I would un- 
 hesitatingly support the bill of the Government. 
 
 In Committee, Sir John Gray embodied my suggestions 
 in clauses, but was opjiosed on all of them by the Govern- 
 ment. On one of these clauses Mr. Gladstone, though 
 speaking unfavourabb' as regards our proposal, paid me 
 the compliment of saying "that I was well known as a 
 worthy representative of an admirable class of landlords." 
 
 It is curious enough that the second Land Bill of 
 Mr. Gladstone in 1880 was founded entirely on the plan 
 I suggested, but with many mischievous additions. It 
 would have been a great blessing had the Government 
 decided to legislate in 1871 on the basis of my suggestions. 
 The bill would have been received with gratitude and 
 acclamation ; it would have come direct and spontaneously 
 from the English Goverr ment, and not as extorted by the 
 Irish Nationalist leaders. The tenant right would have 
 been working quietly and successfully, and whatever 
 evictions there were wouid have been money transactions, 
 satisfactorily arranged between the out-going and in- 
 coming tenant, and without the scenes of bloodshed ami 
 disorganization which have since attended every fmal 
 disruption of a tenancy. But, as usual, every dealing 
 with Ireland is too late. 
 

 [Cir. 
 
 XIII.] 
 
 MV LAST SESSION. 
 
 187I. 
 
 261 
 
 As this was my last session in Parliament I might 
 have well sat quiet, and voted for the Government on all 
 occasions ; but I was to a certain degree pledged to a 
 measure for increasing the number of decent labourers' 
 dwellings, and giving inducements to landlords to build 
 them. In the previous year the Government had opposed 
 my proposals, not on their demerits, but on the plea that 
 the subject was too large to be tacked on to the Land Bill. 
 I regarded the improvement of the condition of the Irish 
 labourer to be the corollary and complement of the Land 
 Act. There was a report drawn up in the previous year by 
 the Irish Poor Law inspectors on the condition of the Irish 
 labourer. Their testimony was almost unanimous, and it 
 was to this effect — that discontent was general among that 
 class chiefly owing to the miserable habitations in which 
 they were compelled to dwell ; that the sense of their 
 degraded condition and their constant privations made 
 them hopeless, and in some cases reckless and desperate ; 
 that, without exception, they despaired of attaining decent 
 comfort in their own land ; and, consequently, that all 
 their thoughts were turned to America. On the other 
 hand, it was stated that when they held direct from the 
 landlord, they were generally cheerful and contented. 
 
 I held that the first provision of any bill should be to 
 encourage landlords to build cottages by liberal terms, in 
 lending money for that purpose. A small portion of 
 grazing land for a cow should be attached to the cottage. 
 All rent-paying cottages should be periodically inspected, 
 and no rent recoverable for any habitation unless it were 
 pronounced fit for a dwelling. 
 
 I exhorted the Government to take up the subject 
 on the terms I had indicated, or to appoint a small 
 
 
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262 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
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 \ 
 
 Committee of both parties to report on the lines which 
 should be made the basis of legislation. 
 
 There was a short but very interesting debate on the 
 purchase by the Government of the fiimous collection of 
 Dutch pictures from the present Sir Robert Peel for 
 ^75,000. There was a strong and unanimous feeling in 
 the House ,n favour of the purchase, and I was able to 
 pay a warm compliment to my old friend Sir Robert 
 Peel, w^ho had been offered ;^8o,ooo, but preferred to take 
 the sum proposed by the Government, in order that these 
 noble works, testifying to the taste and knowledge of his 
 great father, should become national property. The pur- 
 chase was however, clouded by the unfortunate condition 
 that for seven years the annual grant of/^io.oooto the 
 National Gallery should be suspended. There was, how- 
 ever, a promise on the part of the Treasury that any 
 applications during that period for the purchase of pictures 
 of special importance to the Gallery should be favourably 
 considered. Our director, Sir William Boxall, was highly 
 pleased with the arrangement, as it relieved him from 
 the responsibility, which he abhorred, of making any 
 purchase. The Treasury, however, showed no sign of 
 illiberality. It willingly acceded to the one application 
 made by Sir William Boxall, and bought at a high price 
 "The Triumph of Scipio," by INIantegna ; and in 1875 
 Mr. Disraeli placed ^,"20,000 at the disposition of Mr. 
 Burton, the new director, to make extensive purchases at 
 the Barker sale. I may mention in reference to the Peel 
 pictures, to show what an excellent bargain was made 
 by the Government, that in 18S4, when the Trustees of 
 the National Gallery were endeavouring to secure, but 
 alas ! in vain, some of the pre-eminently fine Rubenses 
 from the Duke of Marlborougli, Alfred Rothschild met 
 me in St. James's Street, and said, " If you think the 
 
XIII.] 
 
 FAREWELL TO PARLLVMENT. 
 
 263 
 
 if 
 
 Ml 
 
 Blenheim Rubcnscs arc more imp'^rtant than your iJutch 
 pictures to the Gallery, and that you cannot get the 
 money from the Government, I am prepared to give you 
 ^250,000 for the Peel pictures ; and I will hold good to 
 this offer till the day after to-morrow." 
 
 The time came at last, the session ended. I left the 
 House of Commons, of which I had been fourteen years 
 a member, and a popular member, both outside and within 
 its walls. I had worked hard and successfully, and had 
 taken a prominent place ; and when I quitted West- 
 minster Hall for the last time, it was not without certain 
 feelings of dejection. At the same time I felt that I 
 had acted wisely in resigning my seat. I was not blind 
 to the signs of ^hc times, and I clearly foresaw that I 
 could not long look forward to hold the county of Galwaj- 
 without giving pledges which no inducement would have 
 made me accept. 1 knew I was leaving my constituents 
 in the full blaze of popularity. I also knew well that, 
 before a year elapsed, my reception by them might be 
 of a very different description. And so I buried my dead, 
 and turned from the West to the glowing horizon of the 
 I'Last, and to Ceylon, the object of my ambition and my 
 day-dream for many a long year. 
 
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( 267 ) 
 
 1 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 In January, 1872, I married I'^lizabcth, third daughter 
 of Sir William Clay, ALP. for Tower Hamlets, and a 
 well-known public man in his day. She was the widow 
 of Mr. James Temple Bowdoin. She was a woman of 
 many accomplishments, a good linguist, extremely fond 
 of art, and remarkably well read. I had been deepl\- 
 attachcd to her for many years of trouble to her, and 
 she amply rewarded that attachment by her own. Through 
 her liberality I was freed at once from every liability, 
 and went out to Ceylon with a comfortable private 
 income besides my official salary. \Vc were married 
 by my dear old friend and schoolfellow Hugh Pearson, 
 at St. George's, Hanover Square, and set out at once 
 for Brindisi. 
 
 We reached Brindisi on the 22nd of January, and 
 Alexandria very prosperously on the 23rd. The Khedive 
 Ismail gave us a gracious reception ; a troop of Dragoons 
 escorted us to our hotel, where wc gave the gratified 
 captain a sovereign, and a special train conveyed us to 
 Cairo. There we tarried, greatly enjoying ourselves, for 
 over a fortnight. I found an old friend there. Professor 
 Huxley, and he was our constant comi^anion in the many 
 excursions wc made. I never met a man so complete) ,• 
 under a spell as Pluxley was with Egypt. Wc were often 
 
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 SIR WILLIAM C.RKGORV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 at Boulak Museum together, and he took the deepest 
 interest in it. 
 
 Ikforc I left iMigland, one of the cliief subjects dis- 
 cussed with me at the Colonial Office was that of improving 
 the harbour accommodation of Ceylon. There were two 
 plans to be considered — that of spending a considerable 
 sum on Galle, so as to render it more free from danger ; 
 the other that of making Colombo the port of call, in- 
 volving a very heavy expenditure. The issue was virtually 
 left to my decision. The official mind at Downing Street 
 was evidently in favour of the former plan, as involving 
 comparatively a small outlay, and there was but little 
 expectation of the extraordinary increase of shipping 
 which would result from a capacious and safe port of call. 
 The then Under Secretary for the Colonies, Mr. ]\Ionsell, 
 now Lord iMTily, in solemn tones adjured me not to lend 
 myself on any account to the wild scheme of constructing 
 a new harbour at Colombo, which was not required, would 
 probably not be resorted to, and the construction of which 
 would seriously embarrass the finances of the colony. 
 These sage admonitions had the effect of sending me 
 out a decided partisan for the maintenance and improve- 
 ment of the port of Galle. But this opinion was con- 
 siderably shaken by some conversations I had on board. 
 My informant, whose opinion I could depend on, expressed 
 his conviction that Galle could not be made safe, nor 
 sufficiently large, whatever might be the expenditure on 
 it ; that it was most dangerous to approach, and dangerous 
 when in it, from the nature of its rocky bottom, which 
 had no secure anchorage ; and that during the south- 
 western monsoon it was at the greatest risk that landing 
 could be affected, from the hea y rollers coming right 
 into it, and which no works could possibly keep out. 
 " I never enter it," he said, " without fear ; and I never 
 
XIV.] 
 
 ARRIVAL AT GAIJ.I'. 
 
 269 
 
 find myself out of it without a sense of deep relief." The 
 truth of one of his objections was soon brought home to 
 ine, for the fine new P. and O. ship, the Pcshaxoar, which 
 had brouc^ht out my carriages, arrived there a few days 
 after us, and bumped heavily against the rocky bottom, 
 h'ortunatcly, steam was up, and the captain got her out 
 at once in safety. As wc entered the port I was pointed 
 out the masts of a large vessel just above water, which 
 had lately foundered by striking on a rock in trying to 
 make the entrance. 
 
 I had subsccjuently good reason myself for appre- 
 ciating the remarks I had heard as to the heavy seas 
 which rolled into Galle during the "south-western," for, on 
 returning from England in August, 1874, I was nearly- 
 drowned in landing at Galle, and most of my boxes were 
 broken, and some of the contents injured. 
 
 I shall never forget that first entrance into Galle. The 
 morning was beautiful, and the scenery absolutely enchant- 
 ing. On our right were hills clothed with verdure ; on the 
 left was the fort of Galle, built by the Dutch, so neat and 
 pretty that it seemed ornamental v/ork ; and in the back- 
 ground was a deep grove of cocoanut palms, just issuing 
 from the water as from a bath, and bending lithely under 
 the morning breeze. The shore under the fort was covered 
 with the bright, pale yellow foliage of a tree I had never 
 seen before, and which rendered the appearance of my new 
 dominion singularly attreictive. We were immediately 
 greeted by the official world and by my secretary, j\Ir. 
 Cockburn Stewart, whom I had taken over from Sir 
 Hercules Robinson. He was an extremely handsome 
 man, with most pleasant manners, thoroughly acquainted 
 with his work ; and he informed me that, if 1 had no 
 objection, it was arranged that I should pass that day, 
 Saturday, and Sunday, at Galle, and make my official 
 
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 SIR WILLIAM (JRECIORV. 
 
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 entry into Colombo in the cool of the evening; on Momlay, 
 cooing there by the Colonial steamer, the Scrcndib. On 
 landinc^s amid a salvo of artillery, we were driven to the 
 Oiiccn's House at Gallc, a very comfortable dwelling, where 
 everything was pre[)ared for our rccc])tion, and where in 
 the evening I was visited by the elite of the town, civil 
 and military. What most struck me was the beauty of 
 the hibiscus flowers in the little garden attached, and the 
 enormous size of the State bed, handed down from the 
 Dutch, and which was large enough to allow at least half 
 a dozen folks to sleep in comfort. While on the subject 
 of this Oueen's House I may mention that it was the 
 subject of my first, and indeed only, quarrel with the 
 Colonial Office. On making inquiries as to its raisoii 
 d\'in\ I was informed that it was maintained, at the 
 expense of the colony, for the entertainment of illustrious 
 visitors with orders for their reception from the Colonial 
 Office, and for the occasional visits of the Governor ; that 
 the charge was exorbitant, and that, as there was a most 
 admirable hotel in the town, it was entirely unnecessary, 
 except to afford to the Downing Street officials the means 
 of exercising hospitality at the expense of Ceylon. I 
 registered a resolution that it should be short-lived, as a 
 Government institution, and I carried this resolution into 
 effect during the autumn by selling it for about ^1500, 
 and purchasing the present Queen's Cottage at Nuwara- 
 Eliya, with a good deal of wooded land at the back, for 
 about the same amount. I was warned by my Colonial 
 Secretary, Mr. Irving (now Sir Henry), that the Colonial 
 Office, tenacious of their privileges of exercising hospitality, 
 would refuse their sanction to any such proposal, so I 
 thought the best course was to act first — cosa fatto capo 
 Jia — and inform the Secretary of State when the deed 
 was c' ?\\Q. Great was the wrath in Downing Street, and 
 
 
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[Cii. 
 
 XI V.J 
 
 OUR SUNDAY AT GALLE. 
 
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 an anffry despatch was sent to me, statinj^ I was not 
 warranted in disposing of a public buildinj:jj of that kind. 
 I rcph'cd in a penitent, but somewhat sarcastic missive. 
 As matters turned out subsequently, I acted with much 
 prescience. When Galle was doomed as a port, the value 
 of Queen's Mouse fell to about a third what I j^ot for it, 
 wh':reas the house and t^rounds at Nuwara-Kliya have 
 immensely increased in value. 
 
 The next day wc attended church, and had an ex- 
 cellent sermon from a clert^yman of colour, the Rev. Mr. 
 Schradcr, of mixed Dutch and Sinhalese extraction. It 
 was the sermon of a scholar and a polished ij^cntlcman, 
 and I heard that he had taken his degree at Cambridge. 
 In the evening wc were driven out to a place called 
 Wakwalla, celebrated in the old days, when Gallc was in 
 its glory, for the extraordinary beauty of the surrounding 
 landscape, and for its being the rendezvous of the worst 
 rogues, who sold false jewellery to the very gullible 
 passengers who visited it. The landscape was enchanting 
 behind us, near the sea ; and in front, right over an un- 
 broken extent of foliage, the great ridge of Ceylon's 
 mountains. Wc returned home delighted, and our antici- 
 pations of the beauty of our new country were not dis- 
 appointed. On this occasion I saw, for the first and last 
 time during my sojourn in Ceylon of five years and a half, 
 a cobra. He crossed the road at large just in front of 
 me, and took refuge in a huge white ant hill. Good folks 
 at home are terribly frightened by stories of poisonous 
 snakes, but we English rarely are troubled by them. None 
 of them commence an attack, and, at the noise of our 
 boots, they slip quietly away. The grounds round the 
 Pavilion at Kandy had a very evil reputation for an 
 abundance of cobras, but I never saw one, although the 
 coolies often brought them in alive to do battle with a 
 
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 famous fighting mongoose belonging to me, of wliicli 
 valiant and island-famed animal more anon. 
 
 \Vc were not much pestered by the would-be vendors 
 of mock gems, because of the official presence ; but when 
 any of us wandered any distance from the ruck, we were 
 sure to be met by a native holding out a tempting sapphire 
 ring. I may here recall an amusing story I heard of the 
 doings of these worthies. On returning from the great 
 festivities at the opening of the Isthmus of Suez, I was 
 travelling from Marseilles to Nice in the carriage with a 
 gentleman whom I had met on the steamer. He was 
 wearing a very remarkable sapphire ring. I knew nothing 
 of gems at that time, but I was always attracted to them. 
 I suppose my eyes were fixed on the ring, for the gentle- 
 man said to me, " I see, sir, you are looking at my ring. 
 I bought it at Galle the other day. Pray look at it, and 
 tell me what you think is its value." I said I thought 
 it a very fine coloured and perfect stone, but that, not being 
 much of a lapidary, I could not put a value on it. " Well, 
 make a guess," said he. I remembered having had a 
 sapphire ring, an heirloom in our family, valued in 
 London, and, comparing the two, 1 came to the con- 
 clusion that this ring might be valued at ;^ioo, and said 
 so. "You are quite right, sir," said the gentleman ; "that 
 was exactly the price demanded for it ; but I got it more 
 reasonably. I was on deck when we were leaving Galle, 
 and a well-dressed native came up to me mystcriousl)-, 
 and said, * I have no false jewellery to offer you, sir, but I 
 have come aboard to sell a very fine ring, the property of 
 my brother, who, if he does not sell it to-day, will have to 
 go to jail.' With these words he asked me to step aside, 
 and then showed me this ring, after unrolling it from one 
 covering after another of rags. ' 1 want ^100 for it,' said 
 he, 'and it is cheap.' I said I could not give so much. 
 
XIV.] 
 
 GEM DEALERS. 
 
 73 
 
 He insisted on its cheapness. I said I would not give half 
 that price. Then, with sad tones, lie said he would take 
 ;^50 to save his brother. I said I would not give £SO; 
 and so we descended till we got to ^lO, when the screw 
 began to move, and the boatswain to cry ' All strangers 
 ashore ! ' He then turned to me, with a look of supplica- 
 tion, and said, ' Well, what will you give? ' ' I will give you 
 what I have in my hand,' said I ; and this was half a crown. 
 ' Take the ring,' said he. * May it relieve your brother 
 from going to prison,' was my valedictory salute, as he 
 hurried away. This is the story of the ring I wear, sir, 
 and I have found my friend was no loser by the trans- 
 action, as the supposed stone is glass, the supposed gold 
 setting brass, the whole being worth about 8^/. or io</." 
 
 On another occasion, when returning from Australia, 
 I met a lady who was very proud of the purchases she 
 had made at Gallc, amounting to about ^50. She showed 
 them to me with great exultation, and asked me to value 
 them. Although at that time I thoroughly understood 
 the value of gems, I was rather reluctant to do so, for, on 
 looking at them in the most careless manner, I saw they 
 were the veriest rubbish. The sapphires were opaque, 
 the cat's-eyes colourless, and I was obliged to say that 
 the whole lot was not worth £s \ >" ^'ict, no one would 
 buy them at any price. She said she heard the man 
 from whom she bought them praised as one of the best- 
 known jewellers in Galle, and she showed me the receipt. 
 I knew the man well, and I told the lady if she would 
 entrust her valuables to my aide-de-camp we might pro- 
 bably recover the money ; and so we did. The jeweller 
 blustered at first, but was told that he would be refused 
 entrance to every steam packet, and that, when a ship 
 arrived, a placard should be placed before his house, 
 
 warning passengers against entering his 
 
 shop. These 
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 74 
 
 SIR WILLIAM CRECOKV. 
 
 [Cm. 
 
 high-handed measures soon brouj^ht him to reason, and 
 we had the pleasure of forwarding to the injured lady the 
 full amount of which she had been cheated ; but I doubt 
 if this restitution made up for the humiliation of having 
 been so cheated, and of being proved to be so ignorant 
 of precious stones. 
 
 On IMonday morning we started betimes by the 
 Colonial steamer Scrouiib, and had a delightful journey. 
 The sea was calm, with a slight breeze. We steamed 
 along pretty close to the land, and reached Colombo 
 about four o'clock. We found the whole population in 
 anxious expectation, and in their best attire. The in- 
 numerable fishing-boats were adorned, and skimmed to 
 and fro like huge marine insects. Triumphal arches, in 
 the formation of which the Singalcsc show remarkable 
 taste, were erected at the landing-place. The battery 
 thundered its salute, and the garrison received us with the 
 clashing of firearms, and sackbut, psaltery, trumpets, and 
 all kinds of music. The distance from the landing-place 
 to Queen's House is short, but we were delayed by the 
 immense crowd, oblivious of a dark cloud, slowly but 
 surely coming up. The custom used to be for the new 
 Governor to dismount from his carriage, and, entering the 
 green in front of the official buildings, there to have his 
 commission read to him by the Government agent of the 
 province, and then adjourn to the council chamber and 
 be sworn in. Mr. Layard (now Sir Charles) performed 
 the ceremony ; but, as the commission was long and he 
 was slow, the cloud above opened on us, and down came 
 a tremendous shower. The wet smudged the ink, and 
 poor Mr. Layard was fairly nonplussed ; so I determined 
 to abandon all nonsense of etiquette, and made off, as hard 
 as I could run, to the neighbouring building. Every one 
 was aghast at such a harum-scarum breach of tradition, 
 
 ^ 
 
[Cii. 
 
 XIV.] 
 
 COLOMBO. 
 
 275 
 
 but all were delighted ; and I was sworn in dry and com- 
 fortable, instead of being wet to the skin. I may mention 
 that, in my commission, I was appointed, not only Com- 
 mander-in-Chief of the land force of Ceylon, but also 
 Lord High Admiral. I can't say I ever made use of 
 these great powers, but they served me on my return to 
 England. I desired to become a member of the Army 
 and Navy Co-operative Stores, but was met by the in- 
 quiry in what manner I could claim to belong to either 
 service. " By having been Commander-in-Chief in the 
 one, and Lord Iligli Admiral in the other," was my reply. 
 I need not say that the portals of the establishment were 
 at once thrown open. 
 
 I was surprised and elated by the size and grandeur of 
 the Government House when I reached it. The bedrooms 
 large and airy, each with its own bath, large enough to 
 swim in ; the drawing-room seventy-five feet long, look- 
 ing out on the sea and on a garden, in which were grow- 
 ing trees all decked out with flowers, some of them most 
 gorgeous, such as I had never seen before — Barringtonia, 
 with its grand leaves and showers of white flowers ; the 
 pandanus, a towering banian, and innumerable others. 
 In the stables I found an excellent pair of Australian 
 carriage horses and a Persian cob of great strength, all 
 purchased for me at Sir IL Robinson's sale. The cob 
 had belonged to Lord IVLayo, who sent him to Sir 
 Hercules. I rode him till I left the island, and he never 
 made a false step. He was extremely savage in the 
 stable, but I won him over to thorough gentleness by 
 always bringing him a banana, which he dearly loved. I 
 subsequently bought two ponies, another carriage horse, 
 and another riding horse, and this made up my stud. I 
 found everything on a very generous scale. The house 
 was lighted up and furnished at Government expense. 
 
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 276 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Ch. 
 
 Glass and crockery were also provided, on which I had 
 to pay five per cent, for the use. Besides the private 
 servants paid by my.self, there were twelve other servants 
 in uniform, kept up by the Government, as was also 
 the garden. The same arranp^cmcnts prevailed at 
 Kandy, and, subsequently, at Queen's Cottage, Nuwara- 
 Eliya. 
 
 One thing, however, gave me a start. Before I left 
 London I was requested by Mr. Robinson, of the Colonial 
 Office, to see him upon a financial matter connected with 
 Ceylon, and he said, in an off-hand manner, " By the way, 
 it is right to mention that your salary is counted in 
 rupees. You will get Rs. 70,000 instead of ;^70oo. It 
 makes no differcrce to you ; indeed, I believe you will gain 
 a fraction on each pound." In the softness of my heart I 
 said it was all very good ; but when I arrived at Galle 
 I found that the rupee had then fallen to is. lod., so I 
 was thus mulcted of 210,000 halfpennies at once, which, 
 according to Cocker, amount to £417 12s. The rupee 
 subsequently fell to \s. Sh^-' ^'^^s diminishing my income 
 by one-fourth. In the communication from the Colonial 
 Office announcing my appointment, my salary was stated 
 to be £7000 a year, and, though I was subsequetitly in- 
 formed it was to be changed to rupees, still I was at the 
 same time told that the change would probably be a gain 
 rather than a loss. I made no complaint, however, and 
 I need hardly say that the Colonial Office did not volun- 
 teer to relieve me ; but my successor, Sir James Longden, 
 was not so mealy-mouthed, and he got his salary raised 
 to Rs. So,ooo. I have always regretted I had any delicacy, 
 and I strongly recommend any dear friend or relative who 
 may read these garrulities, never to have the least com- 
 punction in exacting to the last penny whatever is fairly 
 due by the State. You can gain nothing, not even credit, 
 
[Ch. 
 
 XIV.] 
 
 JOURNEY TO KANDV. 
 
 77 
 
 by fine feeling, and }-ou lose your money and are 
 thougiit soft. 
 
 I had still more reason to complain of the curtail- 
 ment of my finances, by finding that the revenue was in 
 the most flourishing condition. As wc drove about 
 Colombo, during tliC next three days, I fully made up 
 my mind that many things might be done for its improve- 
 ment. On the whole, wc were much pleased with it, 
 except when we had to drive through native quarters, 
 which were most unsavoury in sight and smell. There arc 
 pretty drives about it in every direction, and the private 
 houses, with their compounds full of plants and flowers, 
 rendered the drives very pleasant, to say nothing of the 
 excellence of the roads, which were like a bowling-green. 
 
 It was settled we were to go up at once to Nuwara- 
 Eliya, the Ceylon sanatorium, about 6400 feet above the 
 sea. We remained, however, for a few days at Kandy, 
 to hold an official reception, and above all to make 
 acquaintance with the Kandian chiefs. This first railway 
 journey in Ceylon was immensely interesting, and even the 
 low, flat country which we traversed to the foot of the 
 hills, with its bare, paddy fields, clumps of trees, plants of 
 gigantic foliage, and herds of wallowing buffaloes, and 
 little humped cattle, uttering an extraordinary noise, more 
 resembling an eructation than the loud, bold lowing of 
 our domestic oxen, was not without enjoyment. The 
 distance from Colombo to Kandy was about seventy-four 
 miles, and at the station of Rambakkan we all at once 
 went up the ascent from the flat plain to the mountainous 
 region of the Kandy kingdom. The city of Kandy is 
 about 1700 feet above the sea-level, and we rose that 
 height in a few miles. The enrrine grunted and creaked 
 as it dragged us up over alarmingly sharp curves and 
 gradients between forty-five and fifty feet ; but the 
 
 
 
 
 1: 
 
 ■i 
 
 u 
 
2/8 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORN". 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 scenery was of cntrancin^c; beauty and ^M-andour. On each 
 side of us were bold peaks, clothed with vegetation almost 
 to the summit. Afar were other peaks, in the coffee- 
 planted country, one of them, the so-called "Duke's Nose," 
 resembling that well-known feature of the Duke of 
 Wellington. Another was a bold peak rising abruptly 
 with a square summit like a huge book, called the " Bible 
 Rock." ]5clow us we looked down to immense depths, with 
 only a foot or two between the rails and the precipice. 
 Terrible spots these were. One in particular, called 
 " Sensation Rock," was on a flat projection cut out of the 
 solid cliff; the rail was laid by workmen let down from 
 above by ropes. It is a fearful p\?zc for a nervous novice, 
 but no accident has ever happened at these dangerous- 
 looking spots, and so old ladies do not implore the guard 
 to let them get out to go on foot over these awful pas- 
 sages. If they were awful to look down, still they were 
 most beautiful, for, though in certain places the fall is 
 sheer and unbroken, still the mountain-side was generally 
 clothed with trees of remarkable beauty. Grand talipots, 
 the giants of the palms, stood up head and shoulders 
 above the rest, in all their glory of flowering. But these 
 grand and majestic crests are the symbols of death, and 
 after flowering, which is their last effort, these grand trees 
 decline and die. Then there were the brilliant scarlet 
 (so-called gold) mohur tree, and the Lagerstroemia, some 
 with fruit, some with purple blossoms ; .md many others, 
 of which I know not the names ; and parrots and strange 
 birds of many hues were darting among them to and fro, 
 and all about us huge and gorgeous butterflies, so that 
 there was not for an instant repose for the eyes. 
 
 Wc found a prodigious crowd awaiting our arrival, and 
 made our way in solemn procession to the Pavilion, the 
 Governor's residence, a short distance from the station. 
 
[Cii 
 
 XIV.] 
 
 KANDY. 
 
 279 
 
 This residence was built by tlie vigorous and enlightened 
 Sir Edward Barnes. It is Italian in style of architecture, 
 and it is said he traced it with his finger, dipped in claret, 
 on the dinner-table. 15c that as it may, it is a very 
 seemly edifice ; but it is only half finished, as, while it 
 was progressing, a hard-hearted commission was sent to 
 report on the finances of Ceylon, which were in a most 
 tangled condition, and one of their first recommendations 
 was that the portion of the Pavilion not finished should 
 be left uncompleted. Even as it is, it is imposing in 
 appearance, but sadly deficient in rooms, which prevents 
 (perhaps rather a blessing to the Governors) any profuse 
 irruption of visitors. The grounds are perfectly lovely 
 with numerous kinds of tropical plants treasured up with 
 infinite solicitude in our English greenhouses. The 
 dining-room was particularly handsome, with its white 
 chunam columns, in the construction of which report 
 said some millions of eggs were expended. My secretary 
 had his own house in the grounds, and my aide-de-camp 
 had another. The stables were spacious, and well 
 arranged, so that, on the whole, I was well satisfied with 
 the prospect of an annual four months' residence at 
 Kandy ; for the Governor's year was divided equally 
 between Colombo, Kandy, and Nuwara-Eliya. 
 
 In the afternoon the Kandian chiefs mustered in great 
 force, and in great magnificence. Their costumes were 
 very notable, quite different from anything I had ever 
 seen. They were men of stately presence, and of far more 
 character of countenance than the low country natives ; 
 but what struck me most was the prodigious expanse of 
 their stomachs, which was not to be wondered at, as round 
 them were rolled from thirty to forty yards of muslin 
 When our interview had lasted long enough, and compli- 
 ments and polite inquiries were pretty well exhausted, I 
 
 i* |:, 
 
 \ P 
 
 tip 
 
 iH 
 
 ^1 
 1 1 
 
 4j. 
 
 :<| 
 
 
Iti 
 
 \ii 
 
 I I 
 
 p ; 
 
 
 !8o 
 
 SIR \VILLIA>r GREGORV, 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 bid them c^ood evening. But \vc had not done with them, 
 for after dinner wc heard a prodigious disturbance outside, 
 and were informed that the chiefs desired to honour us 
 by what is called a " perehara," which is a procession of 
 elephants and " devil-dancers," 
 
 I have seen many pereharas since, but nothing that 
 approached this. The finest elephants in the island were 
 brought in by the chiefs and heads of the temples, who 
 always keep some of these animals for pomp and cere- 
 monies, even more than for utility. Each chief or head 
 man of the temple marched up the avenue at the head of 
 his band, playing the most awful instruments. Behind 
 the chiefs, painted and bedizened with brass ornaments 
 rattling and ringing, and throwing themselves into every 
 kind of contortion, followed the devil-dancers ; and then 
 slowly emerged from the profound darkness of the back- 
 ground, dimly shown by torches, the enormous, stately 
 elephants. It was indeed a weird sight. Had I been an 
 Arab, I should have imagined it was in honorr of Eblis, 
 prince of darkness, the prelimir.ary for some dreadful 
 nameless nocturnal sacrifice. However, nothing on thi.s 
 occasion was sacrificed, except some sugar-cane, which 
 was thankfully received and munched by the array of 
 elephants which environed the Pavilion, and behaved 
 in the most exemplary manner. 
 
 The next morning I was brought out at early dawn 
 for a constitutional round the hill, at the foot of which 
 stands the Pavilion ; and still higher rose my admiration 
 of the natural beauties of Ceylon. Never had I taken 
 such a walk. The morning mists were rolling up from 
 the valleys at the other side of the hill, the mountain 
 peaks had emerged, and gradually a vast extent of 
 country came into view. Below us roared the Mahawelli- 
 ganga, the largest river of the island, as it dashed along 
 
 « 
 
[Cii. 
 
 XIV.] 
 
 TEMPLI-: 01" THE TOOTH. 
 
 2Sl 
 
 its rock-cncumbcrcd channel, and the sides of the hill 
 down to it were clothed with trees all new to mc in 
 f()liai,'e. As we turned the hill homewards we came in 
 view of other mountain peaks, and below us was the 
 Tcmi)le of the Sacred Tooth of lUuldha,his most venerated 
 relic, which we were to visit in the evening. Beyond it 
 was the beautiful little Kandy Lake, and the town of 
 Kandy laid out at right angles, and the square, red-brick 
 tower of the ICnglish church, with creepers making their 
 way up it, and looking for all the world like one of our 
 home village churches, peaceable and unobtrusive, and 
 quite venerable. The walk is called after Lady Ilorton, 
 who had it constructed most skilfull}-, and, as it is a good 
 wide road, it is the favourite morning ride of the 
 European young ladies of Kandy, and a favourite flirting- 
 groutul for both pedestrians and equestrians. 
 
 In the evening we were conducted with much gravity 
 to the Temple of the Tooth, to sec this relic of Gautama 
 JUiddha, for which it is said a million of money was offered 
 by the King of Jkirmah. It is brought out and shown 
 to the multitude once or twice a yciu; but on other occa- 
 sions no one, unless of princely station, or a representative 
 of royalty, such as governors or ambassadors, are per- 
 mitted to behold it. We were led upstairs to a very small 
 room on the upper floor, full of yellow-robed priests. The 
 heat was terrible, and the odour of cocoanut oil and many 
 perspiring human beings was detestable. In a portion of 
 the room inside a glass case was a profusion of jewels, 
 chiefly rubies, and, so far as I could judge, very bad ones. 
 A huge silver-gilt dagoba * contained minor dagobas, it 
 
 * The dagoba is a bell-shapcci erection. The greater dagobas 
 are supposed to have some slight relic of Ikiddha in their foundations, 
 but there are innumerable small dagobas erected as a kind of pious 
 tribute of respect. 
 
 «■ , 
 
 I 
 
 t I 
 
 ! I t 
 
 ■ '.< 
 
282 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 CCii. 
 
 i.A 
 
 11' 
 
 is said of pure jjold.and within the last wastlic relic, which 
 appeared to mc like a crocodile's tooth. It was on a stand, 
 supported by a narrow gold band, so the whole of it was to 
 be seen. As to any human beint; ever havini; been able to 
 hold in his heatl such a monstrous tooth, two inches lonj; 
 at least, and proi)ortionately wide, it is simply impossible ; 
 but whether it be a carved piece of ivory or the tooth of 
 an animal, I cannot say, thouLjh I incline to the latter view 
 of the case. We were shown, besides all manner of jewels 
 and relics, amonj^ other things, a sitting image of lUiddha, 
 about three inches in height, said to be an emerald, but 
 there is no doubt of its being glass. We were heartily glad 
 to get out of the heat and smell, aiul walkeil foi a cup of 
 tea to the "Old Palace" which is quite close, formerly the 
 residence of the kings of Kandy, now inhabitcil by the 
 Government agents of the Central Province. It is rather 
 an interesting building, though of no great age, with its 
 distinctive Kandian features, its picturcscjuc, so-called 
 " broken - backed " roof — an architectural arrangement 
 peculiar to Kandian buildings — its thick walls with repre- 
 sentations on them in stucco. In short, it is a very curious 
 residence, though, we should imagine, very much restricted 
 in space for the accommodation of a monarch of such 
 greatness as the King of Kandy believed himself to be. 
 The Government agent then showed us the Hall of 
 Audience, only a few yards from the palace. The most 
 remarkable features about it are the roof and the wooden 
 pillars of jack wood of very beautiful design, and rich in 
 the colouring of age. Here the king sat, received foreign 
 envoys and his chiefs, and decided questions of importance. 
 I'ormerly there ran a moat from the lake in front of the 
 temple to the end of the king's palace, but a barbarous 
 Government agent, thinking it gave him rheumatism, not 
 only filled it up, but filled it with the beautiful old Kandian 
 
[Cii. 
 
 NIV.] 
 
 I'I'.RADKMVA CAKDKN. 
 
 383 
 
 wall which flanked it all alon^, and which he rulhlcssly 
 pulled ilown. Fortunately, a portion of it in front of the 
 temple remained intact, and I was thus enabled, year after 
 year, at {jreat expense, and with some ^M'umblin^ in the 
 Le{,M'sIative Council, to replace, not only these walls, but 
 all other walls, especially those alonjj the lake, which had 
 orij^'inally been built in the Kandian style of architecture. 
 The KiiiLj of Kandy, whom wc to(jk prisoner and expelled 
 in 1S15, a man of a thousand crimes, cruel and perfidious, 
 had still one redeemin^t^ (piality, he was a man of excellent 
 taste, and undoubtedly made the royal part of Kandy full 
 f architectural beauty, to say iiothini; of the charm of the 
 
 o 
 
 lake, which is due to him. I si)oak of the royal i)art of 
 Kandy, for such was the overweening pride of Kandian 
 kings that no house could be erected by any private 
 person, except of the most humble description and thatched 
 with mats. 
 
 The next day wc paid a visit to the famous botanic 
 garden of Pcradeniya, said to be the most beautiful in 
 the world. This garden is included in a bend of the 
 Mahawelli-ganga, which forms its boundary on three sides. 
 It is about three miles from Kandy, a very pretty drive, 
 and you enter it by a row of indiarubbcr trees of great 
 height and size. Their huge roots spread widely above 
 the ground, looking like the intertwined limbs of pre- 
 liistoric monsters, or uncanny tentacles of gigantic cuttle- 
 fish. 
 
 We drove down an avenue fringed on each side with 
 palms and diverse tropical trees At the end of it was a 
 circle of palms from various countries, some of them fierce, 
 thorny, dangerous productions, others graceful, slend . 
 wide-spreading, and in the midst, far above all, rose up a 
 magnificent talipot. Turning to the left, wc came to the 
 residence of Dr. Thwaitcs, or, as he much preferred being 
 
 :ii 
 
 ( , 
 
 
 
 
284 
 
 SIR \villia:\: gregorv. 
 
 [Cu. 
 
 ^nim 
 
 'A 
 
 called, Mr. Thwaites, a small, slight, elderly man, who 
 had i.?a and excellent bread and butter for us. He was 
 the author of a work of great celebrity on the plants of 
 Ceylon, " Flora Zeylanica," and held the highest reputation 
 in Europe as a scientific botanist. He took us over the 
 garden and showed us his magnificent clusters of gigantic 
 bamboos, growing by the river side, and the Aiiihcrstia 
 nobilis, a tree from Burmah, with the most beautiful 
 blossoms I had ever seen, and all kinds of other trees and 
 plants. A great deal of the garden was neglected and 
 in a state of jungle, and hanging on the trees, in a portion 
 of it, were clusters of innumerable flying-foxes, a kind of 
 huge fruit-eating bat, the pests of the neighbourhood, from 
 the ravages they committed on the garden. As we passed 
 near the trees we were assailed by a villainous sour smell 
 from the colony above us, and on my expressing my sur- 
 prise that he ha:i not extirpated these wretches, he made 
 some excuse for them, as also for the uncultured portion 
 of the demesne, for the reclaiming of which I in vain 
 offered him additional labour. I found out, when our 
 acquaintance had ripened into intimacy, ndced into great 
 friendship, that the working director had many fadn, 
 among them w .s the inviolabilty of the flying-foxes, the 
 retention of a portion of the garden in a scrubby, dis- 
 reputable state, and a determination not to label any of 
 the plants, in spite of the supplications of visitors and the 
 remonstrances of scientific men at home, specially Sir 
 Joseph Hooker, his friend and constant correspondent. 
 
 There were few persons who had more influence with 
 Mr. Thwaites than myself, but my constant hints at first 
 as to the expediency of getting rid of these drawbacks to 
 the beauty and usefulness of the garden had no effect 
 whatever, and, as they evidently caused him pain, I ceased 
 to interfere. There was no one with whom I lived on 
 
[Ch. 
 
 man, who 
 1. He was 
 : plants of 
 reputation 
 s over the 
 jf gigantic 
 A mhcrstia 
 
 beautiful 
 r trees and 
 lected and 
 1 a portion 
 a kind of 
 liood, from 
 we passed 
 sour smell 
 g my sur- 
 ;, he made 
 d portion 
 I in vain 
 when our 
 into great 
 any fad«, 
 foxes, the 
 Libby, dis- 
 pel any of 
 s and the 
 cially Sir 
 iident. 
 icnce with 
 ts at first 
 vbacks to 
 
 no effect 
 , I ceased 
 
 lived on 
 
 NIV, 
 
 MR. THWAITES. 
 
 ;85 
 
 such terms of extreme intimacy as with him, during the 
 whole period of my appointment. I learned much from 
 him, as he was a man of general information and of deep 
 research. I much wish I had attended to his wise admoni- 
 tions as to the instability of coffee. Year after year he 
 foretold its downfall, year after year he was subjected to 
 obloquy and ridicule for his disloyalty to the great King 
 Coffeu He argued that it was impossible that any plant 
 could long survive such weakening of its system as that 
 caused by leaf disease, a kind of fungus, by the attacks 
 of which the leaves fall off", and with them the coffee 
 berries, which the tree is unable to mature. He knew 
 no remedy, and laughed to scorn the various nostrums 
 which were to have exterminated the disease. He implored 
 of me not to lend any money on mortgage upon coffee 
 estates, telling me how he had called in all his own invest- 
 ments and had transferred them to land and houses in 
 Colombo. I should have been a much richer and less 
 worried man had I hearkened to his advice. I well 
 remember going through the thriving coffee districts in the 
 spring of 1877. The blossom was out, and they were as 
 white as a table-cloth. I saw Mr. Thwaites on my return, 
 and rather mocked him as a prophet of evil, since, although 
 there had been disease for several years, coffee had still 
 such a vigorous appearance. " Never mind," said he, 
 " what you saw. Coffee must go out, and that before 
 long." The following year the blow fell, and when in r8S3 
 I visited these valleys, the former splendid plantations 
 contained little more than dried sticks, except where tea 
 had begun to show itself. 
 
 Besides his great knowledge of botany, Mr. Thwaites 
 was deeply interested in entomology and in the special 
 branch of the Irpidoptcra, and under his auspices was 
 begun that fine work, " The Lcpidoptcra of Ceylon," 
 
 i w 
 
 'ijll 
 
 '^ 
 
 
 \% 
 
 
286 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORV, 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 ♦•Ki 
 
 i'l 
 
 published a few years ago by the colony at the expense of 
 ;6^I500. I took up the subject very warmly, and it gave 
 me a great deal of enjoyment, and it showed me how wise 
 it is to encourage young lads in pursuits which are too 
 often ridiculed — such as collecting insects, shells, minerals, 
 coins, etc. When a schoolboy, entomology was the 
 lashion of the school I was at. Most of us had collections 
 of butterflies, vhich we caught and impaled with infinite 
 gusto ; and, not only that, but we hunted out with keen 
 industry the abodes of caterpillars, and tended them with 
 care during their various stages. The result was that 
 when I came to Ceylon my early proclivities were re- 
 awakened, and my vis-ts to Mr. Thwaites, who had always 
 batches of fresh and very curious caterpillars to show mc, 
 which his botanical knowledge enabled him to nourish 
 with great effect, were full of interest. Mis quick-e/ed 
 coolies were well rewarded for all they brought in. These 
 caterpillars, in all their stages, and the plants on which 
 they fed, the chrysalis, and the full-formed butterfly or 
 moth, were drawn by one of his Singalcse assistants with 
 the strictest fidelity. This man had a brotucr almost as 
 perfect an artist as himself, and I employed him iu the 
 same work. It was an expensive affair, costing me 
 ^100, from beginning to erd, but I was enabled to lend 
 it to Dr. Moore, who edited from it " The Lepidoptera of 
 Ceylon," as the brother copy, done by the Government 
 draughtsman could not be spared from the island. The 
 amusement of forming butterfly collections was quite 
 general during my time in Ceylon ; elderly gentlemen and 
 young dashing officers being equally ardent, especially my 
 staff. I brought home a very fine collection, which 1 gave 
 to the Kildare-strcet Museum. 
 
 During my short stay at Kandy I had many State 
 visits from the great Kandian chiefs, and was much 
 
[Cii. 
 
 XIV.] 
 
 THE KANDIAN CHIEFS. 
 
 287 
 
 mc 
 
 pleased with their dignity and perfection of manner. Of 
 course their object was to please, and, if possible, to find 
 out my views before committing themselves. But, as I 
 determined to give them no lead, I obtained much 
 valuable instruction from them. My chief friend was 
 Dunawilla, the dcwa nillaws or guardian of the Sacred 
 Tooth of Buddha. lie often came in to have a talk in the 
 morning, and was always welcome, for he was full of 
 information and verj'- sensible, besides having a great deal 
 of humour. He was taxed one evening at dinner by 
 Captain Watt, a very old officer in the Department of 
 Works, with havin;.^*^ been a Christian in early days, and 
 with having relapsed into Buddhism in order to obtain the 
 important office -which he held. He denied the fact. 
 "But," said Captain Watt, "you have sat in my pew 
 often." " And I am perfectly ready to sit in it again any 
 Sunday, if you can find room for mc," replied Dunawilla. 
 " Our religion is not exclusive. We consider it no sin 
 to attend Christian worship. All that I heard at your 
 church was good. Probably I should go there often, but 
 I could not do so in my present position without incurring 
 the reproach from my countrymen, that I was a Christian 
 and not a Buddhist, and therefore unfit for my office." 
 
 I found there had been two policies as regards the 
 management of the Kandian province. By some it was 
 upheld that as far as possible it should be ruled by means 
 of the old Kandian families, that is, by appointing 
 efficient men, when they could be obtained, representatives 
 of these families. The Kandian population is intensely 
 aristocratic, and the influence of the chiefs very great. Of 
 course the Government had the power to carry out its 
 views without their co-operation, and even against their 
 wishes, but there was no doubt that matters went on far 
 more smoothly and efficiently when the native officers 
 
 I' I 
 
 
 ,\ 
 
 m 
 
 i '-^ii 
 
 ^1 
 
 » ii 
 
 
 m 
 
 
288 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. XIV. 
 
 '■ i 
 
 ■il 
 
 were selected from families of ancient lineage rather than 
 from men who, though of excellent character and of 
 experience, had risen from the ranks. There were others, 
 and chief among them Sir Charles, then I\Ir. Layard, who 
 adopted a totally different .system. He contended that 
 the Kandian chiefs acted tyrannically, that conceding 
 power to them was giving them illegitimate influence, and 
 that it was unjust to the lowly-born Kandian that he 
 should be prejudiced by reason of birth. He was a 
 thorough advocate of centralization in this, but the 
 refutation was in Mr. Layard's own district. He was 
 Government agent of the Western Province, in which 
 were included some Kandian districts of great extent. 
 To some of these he appointed as native heads, clerks 
 from his office in Colombo, well-trained officials, but they 
 were undoubted failures. The proud Kandians despised 
 them, and evaded, and unwillingly obeyed their orders. 
 My policy was the first named ; in all the Kandian 
 districts I tried to select men of illustrious birth, and was 
 well served by them, and I was able thereby to persuade 
 the Kandian chiefs to send their sons to English schools, 
 at Kandy and Colombo, and receive a thorough education. 
 I well remember the joy that was felt by my giving one 
 of these appointments to a member of the great Nuwara 
 Wewa family, at Anaradhapura, ^' lio can show unbroken 
 lineage and unchanged territory since the planting of the 
 bo tree, some centuries before Christ. The family pride 
 of these chieftains is very greai indeed, and in no way 
 did I more win their hearts, which I flatter myself I did 
 thoroughly, than by always receiving them, not with 
 condescending civility, but as if they were in every way 
 deserving of respect. 
 
( 289 ) 
 
 CHArXER XV. 
 
 We were all so enchanted with Kandy, with its rides 
 and walks, and Peradeniya Gardens, that it was difficult 
 to tear us away to our mountain residence, Nuwara-Eliya. 
 But the weather was at the hottest, and so we departed 
 and mounted to an elevation of 6400 feet, where we had 
 been lent a house by a kind friend, the Governor having 
 then no habitation in the Sanatorium. Every new- 
 excursion that we made enchanted us more and more with 
 the varied beauty of Ceylon scenery. The drive, from 
 Kandy to Nuwara-Eliya, of thirty-six miles was no 
 exception. The scenery was very beautiful among peaks 
 starting up boldly, some close, some at a distance. The 
 roarl was trying enough, from its narrowness and the 
 tremendous declivities along whir',, it ran. We had heard 
 of constant accidents from its being absolutely devoid 
 of all protection, while heaps of broken metal, instead of 
 being enclosed at proper spots, were heapec' up constantly 
 on the sides of the road, thereby narrowing it, and 
 rendering it more dangerous than ever. When we con- 
 sider that Ceylon seems to be the last resort of the 
 kickers, jobbers, bolters, halt, lame, and blind horses 
 which it is advisable to deport from Bombay and Aus- 
 tralia, it is no wonder that every week we read of accidents, 
 broken collar-bones and legs, and smashed vehicles along 
 these mountain roads. The roads themselves wore 
 
 U 
 
 r 
 
 ? ! 
 
 :'\ 
 
 1 1 
 
 ' ■ Ij 
 
 i I 
 
290 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY, 
 
 [C> 
 
 ^i 
 
 \i\ 
 
 I ev 
 
 admirable, but, for reasons of economy, far too narrow, 
 and one of my first resolves was to obtain a vote of 
 money to widen them, and erect protective embankments 
 in all dancjerous places throughout the island, and to 
 establish depots for the metal ; and many a blessini,^ 
 I received from those whose lot it was to travel over 
 them. 
 
 We halted at Rambodda, at the foot of the famous 
 
 pass, by which we ascended something over 3500 feet 
 
 in five miles, to reach the highest range of tableland 
 
 above it. It was a spot of extraordinary beauty ; from 
 
 the veranda of the rest-house we saw eleven cascades 
 
 tumbling from the mountain in every direction. Right 
 
 above us a stream plunged from a rocky height, and 
 
 became as it were a ribbon of mist as it fell. Tennyson's 
 
 beautiful line, " Slow-dropping veil of thinnest lawn," 
 
 exactly describes it. The ascent was one series of 
 
 zigzags, and through a primeval forest of a totally 
 
 different character from the tropical vegetation of the 
 
 lower country. It was stern, severe, and apparently of 
 
 immense extent, but, alas ! before I left Ceylon most 
 
 of it had fallen to the axe of the coffee-planter. At last 
 
 we reached the top, and looked down on the plain of 
 
 Nuwara-Eliya. It was then far from prepossessing, being 
 
 a long, extended, dismal swamp. Now a very different 
 
 sight presents itself to the few who come up the road wc 
 
 climbed, for the iron horse has reached Xuwara-Eliya 
 
 by another route. The first sight that now catches the 
 
 eye is a deep blue lake, called after me, which has 
 
 covered the ungainly swamp, and is about a mile in length 
 
 and half a mile in breadth. It was one of my early 
 
 undertakings, and this wonderful improvement was carried 
 
 out at a cost hardly exceeding ii"i200. A river ran 
 
 tortuously through this morass, to and fro in a constant 
 
 ! ■ 
 
i 'I 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 ) narrow, 
 vote of 
 
 Liikmcnts 
 
 and to 
 
 blcssini^ 
 
 ivcl over 
 
 : famous 
 1500 feet 
 tableland 
 y ; from 
 cascades 
 Right 
 ght, and 
 nnyson's 
 t lawn," 
 series of 
 , totally 
 1 of the 
 ■ently of 
 on most 
 
 At last 
 plain of 
 ig, being 
 different 
 
 road we 
 ira-Eliya 
 :ches the 
 lich has 
 in length 
 ay early 
 LS carried 
 river ran 
 constant 
 
 W.] 
 
 NUWARA-ELIVA. 
 
 IC,\ 
 
 : 
 
 scries of curves. Though the distance from where it 
 entered the morass to where it fell over a rocky barrier 
 into a valley below could not have been more than a 
 mile, it was calculated that the length of its windings 
 was over eight miles. Immediately on seeing it I sug- 
 gested to an engineer that, by erecting a stone embank- 
 ment at the point where the river left the plain, its water 
 could be arrested and regulated by sluices, and the whole 
 plain inundated to whatever depth was required. This 
 proposal of mine was assailed by carping criticisms of 
 all kinds in the newspapers, and letters appeared as thick 
 as blackberries with objections. This lake, if made, some 
 said, would change the climate of Nuwara-Eliya, and 
 render it too cold ; others declared it ■ 'ould breed fever, 
 and others mosquitoes ; while an engineering class of 
 objectors maintained that there would not be enough 
 fresh water coming into it to fill it during certain months ; 
 and another insisted that it would never hold water, 
 owing to fissures in the geological condition of the soil. 
 Even Mr. Bailey, the clever, long-headed local manager 
 of the I'cninsular and Oriental Company, declared he 
 would be prepared to walk across it as soon as it was 
 filled, so far as our constructive efforts would fill it. 
 However, the stone embankment w^as finishea, and the 
 rain came. I was telegraphed for to come and see the 
 wonderful effect. At the top of the pass I looked down 
 on a blue expanse of water, which we can raise or let fall 
 exactly as we wish. And now boats are on it, and a 
 beautiful drive of three or four miles runs round it, and 
 the climate is said to be much improved. I sent Mr. 
 Bailey an invitation to come up and perform the feat 
 of walking across it, which he declined. 
 
 \Vc all enjoyed the climate of Nuwara-Eliya after the 
 first few days, during which the rarity of the air was 
 
 !i 
 
 ! 
 
 
 U il 
 
 i'i 
 
 
 
I 
 
 292 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GkEGORW 
 
 [Cii 
 
 Ml. 
 
 
 !•■» 
 
 much felt, Afterwards \vc rejoiced in its briskness and 
 elasticity. We rode and ilrove, ;ind had long walks 
 through jungle, by the side of tumbling streams, where 
 we were liable to meet a leopard or an elephant at any 
 minute, and wc gave breakfast-parties on the top of 
 Pedrotallagalla, the highest mountain of Ceylon, some- 
 thing over eight thousand feet, which stood straight above 
 us, and the crest of which we reached by an easy riding- 
 path And oh, how cold it used to be ! and oh, how 
 good was the strong boiling coffee ! and how cold was 
 the night when wc made a picnic and slept at the bun- 
 galow of the Morton I'lains, a tableland one thousand 
 feet higher still than Nuwara-Eliya, and about fifteen 
 miles from it. It was a very pleasant time, interspersed 
 with little adventures. One morning a leopard was 
 espied in the fork of a tree within the precincts of our 
 bungalow, out he escaped before a rifle could be brought to 
 punish his intrusion. On another occasion we were visited 
 by an elephant, who, after eating whatever vegetables he 
 found in the garden, poked his nose, or trunk, through the 
 back window, in order, I presume, to see what was doing 
 inside. 
 
 The weather was lovely, and time flew ciuickly, until 
 the period arrived for me to commence a tour of inspec- 
 tion of my dominions. It was settled that I should go 
 down to Colombo, there take the C<jlonial steamer, the 
 Seyendib, and go to Jaffna, the extreme northern point 
 of the island ; thence to the coast of India, to see the 
 arrangements for the coolie immigration from the Madras 
 Presidency to Ceylon ; then round by sea to Batticaloa, 
 where I was to visit the irrigation works ; and return thence 
 by land, over the road, which was advancing to completion, 
 from Batticaloa to liadulla, a great work of my predecessor, 
 Sir Hercules Robinson. Wc had a very pleasant voyage 
 
 ■\ 
 
 '•> R 
 
[Cii 
 
 less and 
 rf walks 
 
 wlicrc 
 ; at any 
 top of 
 !i, somc- 
 ht above 
 / ridinc^- 
 oh, how 
 :old was 
 he bun- 
 housand 
 
 fifteen 
 rspcrsed 
 ard was 
 : of our 
 ought to 
 'c visited 
 ablcs he 
 3Ugli the 
 IS doing 
 
 ly, until 
 
 inspec- 
 
 lould go 
 
 ner, the 
 
 n point 
 
 see the 
 
 Madras 
 
 Ltticaloa, 
 
 II thence 
 
 ipletion, 
 
 Iccessor, 
 
 ; voyage 
 
 XV.J 
 
 MEDICAL COLLEGE AT JAFFNA. 
 
 293 
 
 . 
 
 to Jaffna, which I found most remarkable place. It is 
 inhabited by a Tamil i)opulation, which had crossed from 
 India many hundreds of years ago and driven out the 
 Singalese. It is virtually an island, being only joined to 
 the mainland b)- a causeway. I was greatly struck with 
 the civilization of this peninsula, and with the industry of 
 its inhabitants, which had made the waste places so many 
 gardens. They are a singularly intellectual and astute 
 race ; too astute, perhaps, for in all the island there are 
 not so many villainous conspiracies, supported by hard 
 swearing and consummate art, as in Jaffna. The spread of 
 education among them is great, end the Tamil doctors, 
 brought up and trained by an American, Dr. Green, arc 
 about the ablest in the island. There have also come 
 from Jaffna some eminent engineer officers, members of 
 the Department of Public Works. The story of the insti- 
 tution of the Medical College at Jaffna by Dr. Green is 
 very curious. Many years ago a number of pious folks 
 departed from America on missionary work intent, among 
 them Dr. Green, a very pious man, but very practical 
 withal, who thought that healing the heathen would add 
 much to the effects of preaching to them. They had 
 determined to land and settle somewhere in India, but 
 they were shipwrecked close to Jaffna. They accepted the 
 catastrophe as an interposition of Providence — Dieule vent. 
 There they were to stay, and there they established them- 
 selves, opened schools for boys and for girls, and were 
 received with open arms. What conversions they made 
 I cannot say, for when a Hindoo gives up his gods he 
 has a suspicion of our Trinity, and generally becomes 
 pure Unitarian. There are certainly, nevertheless, Jaffna 
 Christians, and it is not the fault of Roman Catholics, 
 Wesleyans, Presbyterians, Baptists, and English Church- 
 men that there are not more, for they are all working 
 
 r.ii 
 
 iiN 
 
I I 
 
 
 I ' 
 
 ■; 1 
 
 r 
 
 'i 
 
 n 
 
 ( i 
 
 294 
 
 SIR WILLIAM C.RECOUV. 
 
 [Ci. 
 
 away at h\<^\\ pressure, and if they do not convert, they 
 certainly civilize. Tlie effect of school teachinij on the 
 girls is very remarkable. When they marry they bec(jnie, 
 from their education, the head of the house, they keei) 
 the money, make up the accounts ; and, as the missionaries 
 insist on cleanliness being akin to godliness, the neatness 
 and tidiness of the cottages presided over by a school- 
 taught mistress were very not.ible. As I drove through 
 the peninsula with the Government agent, Mr. Twynam, 
 he called my attention to this very interesting fact ; and 
 I was, without difficulty, able to pronounce at sight, 
 whether th^ lady owner of the house we passed had 
 received a school education or not. I found Mr, Twynam 
 quite devoted to the place ; he had been there for several 
 years, and might have looked to obtain one of the highest 
 appointments in the colony, but he preferred staying 
 where he was exercising a valuable autocracy. This 
 district had enjoyed the singular advantage of having 
 had, as Mr. Twynam's predecessor, a Government agent 
 who had ruled it for, I believe, twenty years. Mr. IT. 
 Dyke was his name, a man of great ability, great force 
 of character, and thoroughly understanding the people 
 with whom he had to deal. He was incessant in stimu- 
 lating them to improvement, and in encouraging their 
 exertions, and had stamped, as it were, the industrial 
 character on them, for whicli they are now distinguished. 
 They seemed to regard him as a superior being, and " II. 
 Dyke, Esq.," as they always called him, was in every 
 one's mouth. 
 
 Wc occupied fine spacious rooms on the fort, but very 
 hot ; so much so that the following year I had a couple of 
 sleeping-rooms built on the ramparts, which had the advan- 
 tage of a free curr';:nt of air, and were a perfect godsend to 
 the judges and subsequent visitors. One evening at dinner 
 
 ' 
 
I 
 
 > 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 W.l 
 
 A GLIMrSE OF IN* IMA. 
 
 295 
 
 wc had a surprise. The subject of conversation was 
 snakes, and IMr. Tuynam mentioned that the hu;j[L- pymon 
 was not uncommon in the forests. I happened to say I 
 should like to sec one. "That is easily managed," he 
 said ; and gave an order to his servant, who brought in a 
 box, opened it, and out glided a monstrous snake, at 
 least sixteen feet long. Every one, and the party was 
 large, sprung on tabic and chairs, but Mr. Twynam 
 exhorted us to dismiss our fears as the rcpt.ic was harm- 
 less, indeed very friendly. lie amused himself by gliding 
 about the room till it was thought high time to get rid of 
 him, when a hen was brought in. lie did not seem to 
 notice it at first. At last he turned suddenly on it, threw 
 all his coils round it with the rapidity of lightning, and 
 extended it, by this squeezing process, to at least a yard 
 in length. He slowly, very slowly, began to swallow it, 
 and was carried off with two long legs sticking out of 
 his mouth. 
 
 From Jaffna wc crossed over to the mainland of India 
 to Deviapatam to obtain a thorough knowledge of the 
 working of the coolie system of immigration. We 
 touched at the island of Ramisseram, where stands the 
 finest of all Hindoo temples in the Madras Presidency ; 
 the length and size of its galleries arc wonderful and 
 unequalled. We were met at the landing-place by the 
 high priest and his attendants, among whom were some 
 very pretty bayaderes, the prettiest women I have ever 
 seen in India. Three of them walked backwards, tossing 
 gold balls as wc advanced, and preserving their gravity 
 with dignity, in spite of the admiring and significant 
 glances of my staff, the worst offenders of whom were 
 not the young men or the unmarried. We then proceeded 
 to Dcripatana, where we found elephants and horses and 
 all kinds of music awaiting us, and wc were conducted 
 
 \i 
 
 i :(! 
 
 ■ 'Ai 
 
 II 
 
I 
 
 \ ( 
 
 ii:|i : 
 
 i ■ 
 
 !1 
 
 n 
 
 ?96 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGOHV 
 
 [Cm 
 
 in great state to the residence of the Rajah of Ramnar, 
 who was awaitiiij,' us with an excellent luncheon. Ih 
 was a very gcod-lookini^, intellitj;cnt, and well-educated 
 young man, spcakinj; and writing English perfectly, lie 
 was extremely given to ph()tograi)hy, and presented nie 
 with a collection of his works, which was interesting. Ik- 
 very often wrote to mo, considering himself to be my 
 established friend, until his death about two years after 
 our meeting, some said by poison administered by his 
 women, other., by champagne and braiuly administered by 
 himself. 
 
 We steamed round the north of the island, and came 
 down its east coast till we reached Trincomalee. I had 
 heard much of this fine harbour, but I was astonished at 
 its capabilities. Deep water runs up close to the shore ; 
 there is ample space for navies ; it is perfectly land- 
 locked, and ought to be almost impregnable, unless 
 attacked by a land force. I was warned by Lord Tor- 
 rington, who had been Governor of Ceylon, on no account 
 to sleep ashore at Trincomalee, but always to return 
 to my ship, and that even then I should be lucky if I 
 escaped from a dangerous t}'pe of fever which was always 
 more or less prevalent. I found, however, a very airy, 
 spacious house, which appertained to the admiral of the 
 station, prepared for my ri^ccption, and the authorities at 
 Trincomalee were much .scandalized at the evil reputation 
 their district had received from Lord Torrington, for 
 they said, and proved by figures, that it was as free from 
 disease as any other district. It used to be, they said, 
 notorious for its malaria arising from a swamp to the 
 west of the town. The .swamji has been drained and 
 reclaimed, and sickness has (juitc ceased. They all, 
 however, acknowledged that the heat was tremendous, 
 and that there was some truth in the legend that 
 
[ri 
 
 \v.] 
 
 IKKIGATION WORKS. 
 
 297 
 
 I 
 
 Trincomalcc lay directly over the fires of the infernal 
 reLjions, with an extremely thin crust above them. All 
 the chvellcrs in the district bcsoufjlit me to put the main 
 road to Dambulu in order, in other words, to reconstruct 
 it, as it was only passable durini; ilry weather, bein;^ at 
 other times like a (juat^mire, and without any brid^i^es. 
 I promised to take this work in hand, and kept my word, 
 and now there is an excellent road to 'I'rincomalec from 
 Dambula, spanned by bridy;es, and rendered comfortable 
 by the establishment of rest-houses alon^c; it. l-'rom 
 Trincomalee we steered southwards to liatticaloa, the 
 capital of the ICastern I'rovince. It is a difficult and 
 somewhat dangerous [)lace to rc.ich, as one has to pass 
 over a bar leadinL,^ into a lon_^ inland laj^oon, by the side 
 of which the pretty neat town is situated. There is 
 t,fenerally a heavy surf runnincj over this bar, and many 
 have been the fatal accidents in consequence. I was 
 desirous of seciuir the trreat irric^alion works in this 
 province, which had been begun by Sir Henry Ward in 
 1S57, and carried on, after a long interruption, b}- Sir 
 Hercules Robinson. I was astonished with their remark- 
 able success. These works are of two kinds, either by the 
 storage of water in a large tank or artificial lake, which 
 is effected by taking advantage of the ground and embank- 
 ing a river, or by constructing what are called " annicuts," 
 namcl}', stone embankments across rivers, which, by being 
 blocked with closed sluices for a time, have their streams 
 diverted into canals which flow into various tanks where 
 the water is received and held for the cultivation of the 
 rice-fields. The word " tank " gives a very erroneous idea 
 of the si/e of these artificial lakes, which arc of great 
 extent, many of them being miles in circumference — that 
 of Kalawewa, for instance, now restored, the original dimen- 
 sions of which were over thirty-five miles in circumference. 
 
 ; 
 
 m 
 
I 
 
 r: 
 
 1. •• 
 .1 
 
 
 '>.' 
 
 )« 
 
 ^i 
 
 >? ; I 
 
 M. 
 
 'I^ 'i 
 
 ;J 
 
 298 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GKEGOKV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 and are not much less at present ; ;vhilc Padwil Colum, 
 in the Northern Province, constructed by the great 
 Singalcsc monarch Prakrana Baba, is said to be not less 
 than fifty-four miles. Of course these gigantic tanks 
 require gigantic embankments. That of Kalawewa is 
 eighty feet high, and would permit six carriages to be 
 driven abreast on the top of it. Many of the tanks have 
 spacious roads running on the top of their banks. These 
 that I now visited, being the first I had seen, greatl\- 
 surprised me by their size and solidity ; and the tanks 
 themselves were extremely beautiful, from the profusion 
 of aquatic plants on their surface. They were, moreover, 
 frequented by innumerable water birds of every kind, 
 whose weird cries made the scene still more striking, and 
 I was warned, when going out to shoot some teal, to 
 beware of the numerous and ferocious alligators with 
 which the tanks abounded. P'ormcrly the regions watered 
 by the tanks were the abode of a miserable half-starving 
 population. Now out of every village there rushed 
 swarms of plump children to see the Governor, and 
 the rice was being exported from it to other districts. 
 
 This grand lesson on the benefits of irrigation was 
 not lost upon me, and the work which I began and com- 
 pleted, and its results, in other parts of Ceylon, will be 
 narrated elsewhere. 
 
 ] before leaving Batticaloa I was brought out to see and 
 believe the great marvel of the place, namely, singing fish. 
 I have already mentioned that Batticaloa is situated on a 
 salt-water lagoon, and it is underneath its placid waters 
 that these concerts take place. I believe the fish only per- 
 form when the weather is fine. IMost undoubtedly I heard 
 them quite distinctly under our boat in one or two spots as 
 we drifted quietly along. I again heard them on a subse- 
 quent occasion, and almost every one who has visited 
 
[Cii 
 
 Colum, 
 le great 
 not less 
 c tanks 
 wcwa is 
 s to be 
 iiks have 
 These 
 greatl\- 
 e tanks 
 )rofusion 
 loreovcr, 
 1'}' kind, 
 ing, and 
 teal, to 
 )rs Avith 
 watered 
 starving 
 rushed 
 lor, and 
 cts. 
 
 ion was 
 id corn- 
 will be 
 
 sec and 
 ing fish. 
 ;ed on a 
 I waters 
 nly pcr- 
 I heard 
 spots as 
 I subse- 
 visitcd 
 
 XV.J 
 
 SINGING FISH AND MOSQUITOES. 
 
 299 
 
 Mm 
 
 liatticaloa has been present at these concerts. The sound 
 resembles an yKolian harp, rather plaintive, and perfectly 
 distinct. It goes on for a quarter of an hour or twenty 
 minutes, then ceases, and then goes on again. There is a 
 controversy whether it is caused by a swimming or a shell 
 fish, I was assured by the Government agent that the 
 musician was a shell, a kind of large volute, of which he 
 presented me a specimen, fished up from the spot where a 
 concert was being held. Sir Emerson Tennent, in his 
 most exhaustive, interesting, and accurate account of 
 Ceylon, has been, like poor Mungo Park, accused of 
 romancing, by stating that in this island fish sing, fish 
 climb trees, and spiders spin a single cord capable of 
 knocking a man's hat off Now I have heard the per- 
 formances of singing fish, I have often witnessed those 
 of climbing fish, who worked up, by means of their 
 scales, the rough bark of trees rising from the water in 
 order to catch sea-lice and other insects, and my private 
 secretary assured me that his helmet was knocked off 
 his head as he was riding swiftly through the jungle 
 near ]iadulla, that he turned back to pick it up, and 
 found it was a spider's single cord which extended across 
 the path. 
 
 At l^atticaloa we mounted our horses, which had been 
 sent down to meet us, and had a long ride for several days 
 before reaching Badulla. \Vc stayed a night at the great 
 tank of Rugam, and were nearly devoured by mosquitoes, 
 so much so that the venom actually got into my system, 
 and it was some weeks before I recovered from the effects 
 of the desperate biting I had endured. I sec in my 
 almanac a note of having ordered my London tailors to 
 send me out a pair of the thinnest chamois leather trousers 
 in order to withstand similar attacks, for against them 
 ordinary trousers were quite unavailing. One of our halts 
 
 t! 
 
 I 
 
 «. ' 
 
 n 
 
 
300 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Ci 
 
 ^1 
 
 i\t 
 
 was at a stage where a bridge was boing constructod over 
 ci liver which intersected the new road by which we were 
 travelling. There was a large force of pioneers employed 
 and two elephants. One wa3 a female of great size, 
 sagacity, and gentleness, who seemed able to do every- 
 thing but speak, and was a general favourite of the camp. 
 Of this elephant the officer in charge told me a curious 
 story. Some two or three years previously sh.c had 
 a young one — a very rare occurrence among elephants 
 in captivity. She was perfectly devoted to her calf, but 
 it died, and she was inconsolable, and from being the 
 gentlest creature she became irritable and even dangerous. 
 One morning it was announced to this officer that she had 
 broken the chain confining her, and liad c.:^aped into the 
 forest. Trackers were sent out in every direction, but as 
 wild elephants were numerous it v/as impossible to trace 
 her. The loss of such an animal was a heavy one, the 
 works Were much retarded, and there was general tribula- 
 tion in consequence. One night, about ten days after her 
 escape, the officer in question went out to lie In wait for 
 bears at a pond in the jungle some distance off. iVs he 
 and his native attendant were returning early in the 
 morning the native silently nudged him, and they saw in 
 the dim grey light an elephant with her calf making her 
 way along the newly-formed road towards the camp. 
 They both sprang behind trees, and when the elephant 
 passed the native insisted it was their old friend. They 
 moved back as fast as they could, and found the camp in 
 a ferment. Sure enough the truant had returned, and she 
 seemed quite as joyful as the rest of the assembly, going 
 from one to another and touching them with her trunk, as 
 if exhibiting her adopted child. There was a very pretty 
 little elephant in the camp which ran in and out of our 
 hut, and which was pressed on me in vain, and I believe it 
 
 11 
 
[c. 
 
 tf^d over 
 \vc were 
 mployed 
 oat size, 
 o cvcry- 
 ;ie camp, 
 curious 
 si:? had 
 pliants 
 calf, but 
 eing the 
 ingcrous. 
 she liad 
 into the 
 1, but as 
 to trace 
 one, the 
 I tribula- 
 after her 
 wait for 
 As he 
 in the 
 y saw in 
 cing her 
 e camp, 
 elephant 
 . They 
 camp in 
 and she 
 r, going 
 runk, as 
 / pretty 
 t of our 
 clicve it 
 
 XV.] 
 
 THE VEDDAIIS. 
 
 ?0I 
 
 \ 
 
 was the one she had begged, borrowed, or stolen during 
 her absence. Her good temper and docility had com- 
 pletely returned. 
 
 At a place called Bibilc, some marches onward, I saw, 
 for the first and only time, some of that wild race called 
 Veddahs, of whom so much has been written. They did 
 not show any particular sign of barbarity, except that 
 they went nearly naked and did not look clean. The 
 type of features was by no means a low one, and one of 
 the girls was decidedly pretty. It is said they never 
 laugh, but I am inclined to refuse to believe this pecu- 
 liarity. They are supposed to support themselves with 
 their bows and arrows, and possibly they do so, creeping 
 noiselessly through the jungle till close to their object, 
 but their bows are poor and weak, and they made by nc; 
 means good shots at a mark about fifty paces distant. 
 It is a very remarkable fact that the highest caste of 
 Singalese recognize these Veddahs as of a caste higher 
 than their own, and a proud Wellela, v.-ho would consider 
 himself lowered by taking one of the fisher or cinnamon- 
 peeler caste into his carriage, would feel rather proud of 
 having a Vcddah by his side. I asked a Kandian chief 
 the meaning of the recognized superior rank of these 
 savages. He said he did not know the origin of it, but 
 that the belief prevailed that when his countrymen 
 conquered Ceylon the Veddahs were kings and queens 
 of the country. This tradition, and, if I am not mistaken, 
 the structure of the Veddah language, has established the 
 belief that they were originally descendants of a \-cxy 
 remote Aryan immigration, and that they were swept 
 away before Wijayo and his invading army about 2400 
 years ago, and took refuge in the most inaccessible forests, 
 where they have become gradually but completely bar- 
 barized. That they were not so originally is clear from 
 
 f; ; 
 
 r 
 
 ! T 
 
 ' V 
 
 i. 
 
 . :\ 
 
SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [C. 
 
 ! i 
 
 the tradition that Wijayo the Conqueror married a Yakko 
 princess, and subseqticntly repudiated her ; and this Yakko 
 princess was, I have no doubt, of the same primitive race 
 as the Vcddahs. Tennent describes them as the lowest 
 specimens of humanity, and declares they have no languai^c, 
 only a few words ; but I cannot say I saw any remarkable 
 repulsiveness in them which soap and water would not 
 remove, and modern investigation has proved that they 
 have a language of their own, but whether it is connected 
 with Sanskrit and Pali I cannot say. Had Dr. Goldschmid 
 lived this point would have been cleared up, as he was 
 bent on exploring and mastering the Vcddah language. 
 On one point every one Is agreed, namely, in the perfect 
 harmlessness of this poor tribe, and of their capability of 
 improvement. 
 
 We at length reached Nuwara-Eiiya, and found all 
 things flourishing ; breakfasts on top of Pedro, picnics to 
 various romantic spots, and gemming afternoons in the 
 Moon Plains, which had no result whatever, as every inch 
 of the olain had long before been ransacked in the time of 
 the Kandian kings. Plenty of crystals of various sorts, 
 however, were found, and the gemming tea-parties were 
 very pleasant. I now completed my arrangements foi Mie 
 purchase of a residence at Nuwara-liliya, and bought from 
 Mr. Duff, the late manager of the Oriental Bank, a cottage 
 with a good deal of wood attached to it. My boundary 
 ran up to the top of the mountain, at its back, and besides 
 the chief residence there was another cottage, where my 
 staff were to be established. It v^-as all in a wretched 
 state of dilapidation — the roof in holes, the floor honey- 
 combed by rats ; in short, it would really have been cheaper 
 in the end to have pulled it down and built it up dc novo. 
 But the situation was beautiful, and I was additionally 
 tempted by the luxuriance of the flowers, old friends from 
 
 H 
 
 ! !' 
 
[Cii. 
 
 1 a Yakkn 
 
 his Yakko 
 
 nitivc race 
 
 the lowest 
 
 ) langiiac^e. 
 
 emarkablc 
 
 would not 
 
 that they 
 
 connected 
 
 oldschmid 
 
 IS he was 
 
 language. 
 
 he perfect 
 
 pability of 
 
 found all 
 
 picnics to 
 Dns in the 
 every inch 
 he time of 
 ious sorts, 
 rties were 
 nts foi Mie 
 ught from 
 , a cottage 
 
 boundary 
 id besides 
 where mv 
 
 wretched 
 or Iioncy- 
 ;n cheaper 
 p (/c novo. 
 ditionall}' 
 ends from 
 
 xv.l 
 
 A RALL AT KANDV. 
 
 303 
 
 luirope, which were growing in front of it in wild profusion, 
 though almost untended. 
 
 And now the terrible south-west monsoon was impend- 
 ing, when Nuwara-Kliya became intolerable for several 
 months from constant mist, rain, and gales. So intoler- 
 able is it that the military authorities had to give it up 
 as a permanent sanatorium ; f c ■ the soldiers actually 
 deserted and surrendered as prisoners, declaring they 
 would prefer to undergo any punishment rather than 
 endure such misery. 
 
 The Queen's birthday v/as also impending on the 24th 
 of May, when it was the time-honoured custom to give a 
 ball to the planters at Kandy, and to hold a levee there 
 and a reception of the Kandian chiefs. Our first ball was 
 a great success ; a prodigious amount of champagne was 
 drunk, but, on the whole, it was accompanied by fewer 
 exuberances than on former occasions. Several of the 
 Kandian chiefs were present, and added greatly to the 
 brilliancy of the entertainment by their costumes. The 
 evening after the ball the wives and female relatives of 
 the chiefs came to pay our ladies a visit. They were 
 gorgeously dressed with a profusion of jewels, but were 
 very shy and ill at ease. There was one exception, a 
 young lady of the great family of Nuwara Wewa, 
 near Anaradhapura, of the bluest blood in Ceylon, and 
 dating her pedigree in unbroken line for two thousand 
 }-ears. She had either just been married or was going 
 to be married to a high-born, handsome Kandian, Parana- 
 gama by name, whom I subsequently appointed a magis- 
 trate, and who behaved himself worthily of such a wife. 
 She came into the room, tall, erect, stately, and without the 
 slightest hiauvaisc Jionte. She was richly dressed, but 
 without a profusion of jewellery. Her head was admirably 
 set on, and I felt grieved at being unable to converse with 
 
 i , 
 
 ,..,.1 
 
 \-. 
 
 lis 
 
 II 
 
 
 d 
 
 i 
 
 1! 
 
 m 
 
 -; 
 
304 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORV. 
 
 [C. 
 
 S i 
 
 '». I 
 
 ■if 
 
 such a noble creature, more especially as she seemed 
 bright and intelliL^cnt and quite pleased at being addressed 
 by any of the gentlemen who understood Singalese. The 
 ladies all refused liqueurs and champagne, but stuffed 
 themselves with cakes, sweet things, and tea without 
 reluctance. I met, ten years afterwards, when revisiting 
 Ceylon, some of the same then young ladies upon whom 
 time had laid his fingers rather sternly, and they were 
 kind enough to send mj- wife a very handsome gold 
 bracelet as a remembrance of old days, but the hand- 
 some wife of Paranagama was no more when I last was in 
 Ceylon (1S90). 
 
 Our life at Kandy was very pleasant ; there were charm- 
 ing rides over a great extent of country, very good roads^ 
 and a variety of drives ; and then there were always the 
 beautiful Peradeniya Gardens, and old Mr. Thwaites readj^ 
 to greet us warmly, to show us some rare and beautiful 
 butterfly recently captured and being portrayed, and to 
 feed us with unrivalled bread and butter, and, what was 
 then a rarity, Ceylon tea. T'lnnigh this was the rainy 
 season still there were always fine hours in the morning 
 and evening, and everything went on smoothly and as 
 happily as any one could wish. In September I made 
 my first excursion to Anaradhapura, the once famous 
 capital of Ceylon. This city was a considerable place 
 when Wijayo, in the fifth century before Christ, the 
 William the Conqueror of Ceylon, came over from India 
 with his Aryan hordes and conquered the country. It 
 became the capital about a century afterwards. 
 
 Wc had a drive of extraordinary beauty from Kandy 
 to Dambulla, breakfasting at the very pretty town of 
 Matale on the way, and visiting the remarkable rock 
 temple of Alu Wckam, a short distance from the road 
 some miles beyond it. In the aircrnoon we reached 
 
 S M 
 
[Cii. 
 
 she seemed 
 ig addressed 
 jalesc. The 
 but stuffed 
 tea without 
 Dii rcvisitini^r 
 upon whom 
 d they were 
 dsome gold 
 it tlic hand- 
 I last was in 
 
 were charm - 
 good roads 
 ; always the 
 waites ready 
 nd beautiful 
 yed, and to 
 d, what was 
 IS the rainy 
 the morning 
 thly and as 
 iber I made 
 ince famous 
 arable place 
 Christ, the 
 from India 
 country. It 
 
 from Kandy 
 Lty town of 
 irkable rock 
 >m the road 
 we reached 
 
 XV.] 
 
 THROUGH THE JUNGLE. 
 
 305 
 
 Dambulla, which lies at the foot of an enormous round 
 mass of gneiss, said to be five hundred feet high. About 
 halfway up is an immense cavern, lined with statues of 
 Buddha, a most solemn and striking, partly natural and 
 partly artificial excavation. The walls and ceiling are 
 painted with scenes from the life of Buduha, and there 
 rises in it a well of the purest and coldest water, of which 
 we took an ample supply to the rest-house for our evening 
 meal. We had just light to clamber up to the top and thence 
 see a mass of foliage all around as far as the eye could 
 reach, and got down without any slips to our abode. Up 
 to this, about forty-seven miles from Kandy, the road was 
 very fairly good, but henceforward we were warned we 
 must not trust to wheels, as the so-called Great Northern 
 Road, extending to Jaffna, was a mere track running 
 through jungle and paddy fields, and without a single 
 l)ridge over the many, and at times dangerous, rivers which 
 intersected it. We accordingly mounted our horses, and 
 rode the rest of the way. Whenever we stopped the 
 villagers flocked in numbers to see the Governor. They 
 were all emaciated, miserable, half-starved, and dejected- 
 looking wretches. ]\Iany of them were terribly mutilated, 
 their faces nearly torn off by bears, which always go at 
 the head. Tlie same story was told by all, they were 
 dying out by disease and starvation ; the embankment 
 of their tanks had given way almost universally, and they 
 Iiad neither numbers nor co-operation nor vitality to 
 repair them properly. The consequence was that the rice 
 crops were most precarious, more often a failure than 
 otherwise, and the wretched people lived on roots or cut 
 down the forest, thereby doing enormous injury, burning 
 the trees, and obtaining a crop of what is called kourakan 
 or fine grain, by scraping the ashes and sowing the surface 
 of the ground. Vast forests have disappeared by this 
 
 
 I 
 
 1 ' 
 
 M', 
 
 ii ■ 
 
 
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 Ii 
 
 !i:^'^ 
 
 ' 
 
 ;i ■ V 
 
 I 
 
 i!«. 
 
3o6 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY, 
 
 [Cu. 
 
 I I 
 
 ,'■ I 
 
 1 m 
 
 it 
 
 ruinous mode of cultivation, in .s[)itc of severe punislmicnts 
 when the culprit was discovered ; but, as every one was 
 interested in kcepin;^ this destruction secret, in the greater 
 number of cases the ofl'enders escaped detection, and 
 indeed the autiiorities had hardly the heart to procecil 
 against breakers of the law who plcpded starvation as 
 their excuse, though in many, perhaps in the majority 
 of cases, this lazy mode of raising a crop had more 
 attraction than rice cultivation, which requires care and 
 labour. 
 
 Our journey was auspicious enough. We safely fordeil 
 the rivers, and, if rough enough, the track was drj'. 
 On the second day after leaving Danibulla we reached 
 Anaradhapura. I was immensely struck with its pic- 
 turesque appearance. The huge dagobas rose above the 
 forest, and as we advanced the remains of its former 
 magnificence were apparent. The ground was strewn 
 with broken pillars ; in some places the columns stood 
 erect, with richly carved capitals. The so-called Brazen 
 Palace of the great and chivalrous King Datugammenu, 
 who reigned about i6o B.C., was, according to the Maha- 
 wanso, supported by sixteen hundred columns of rock, and 
 these still stand, though shorn in number. Everywhere were 
 seen the entrances to private dwellings, decorated either 
 by dancing dwarfs graven on stone or by vases of flowers, 
 also graven. ICvcrywhere are gigantic stones forming 
 portions of these structures. The jungle, wherever one 
 penetrates, is full of these remains, and, in the thick of it, 
 where a clearance is made, appear here and there all alone 
 sitting statues of Ikiddha. \Yc were brought to sec the 
 bathing-places of the king and another of the queen, 
 lined with stone, and gigantic stone troughs in which the 
 royal elephants are said to have been given their rice, and 
 the stone couch in which the dying King Datugammenu 
 
 I 
 
[Cu. 
 
 Linisliments 
 y one was 
 the greater 
 ction, and 
 to proceed 
 irvation us 
 2 majority 
 had more 
 s care and 
 
 fely forded 
 was dry. 
 .•c reached 
 ;h its pic- 
 abovo the 
 its former 
 as strewn 
 mns stood 
 led Brazen 
 I gam menu, 
 the Maha- 
 rock, and 
 vlicre were 
 ilcd either 
 of flowers, 
 forming 
 ^rcver one 
 hick of it, 
 c all alone 
 to see the 
 he queen, 
 which the 
 r rice, and 
 
 Igammenu 
 
 XV.] 
 
 ANARADHAPURA. 
 
 307 
 
 lay watching for the completion of the great Ruanwelle 
 Dagoba, which, if finished, would render his end a ht.^;py 
 one, and last, not least, some small stone figures of animals 
 to which women, desirous of children and failing to be 
 blessed with thein, resorted. By sitting on them and 
 turning them round tliey were sure of obtaining their desire. 
 The village was much improved since 1848, when Sir K. 
 Tennent wrote his description of it. Large and extensive 
 cuttings had been made, by order of Sir Hercules Robin- 
 son, in the jungle from north-east to south-west, and the 
 jungle itself had been cleared in the immediate vicinity. 
 There were a few extremely bad houses of officials and 
 one small street of a few hovels. All the tanks and 
 washing-places were dry ; the tank of Bassawakulam. close 
 to the town, which should have supplied it with water, was 
 dry land, owing to its embankment having been breached, 
 and the fine tank of Tissawewa, about a mile off, the 
 overflow of which used to fill Bassawakulam, had itself 
 shrank by a large portion of its dimensions, owing to 
 the canal that fed it having been filled up. There was 
 a wretched hospital filled with miserable sufferers from 
 the disease called parangi, which no one had understood, 
 or properly suggested a cure for, till the present principal 
 medical officer, Dr. Kynsov, boldly pronounced it to be 
 simply disease by which the population was literally 
 rotting away, arising from bad food and bad water. 
 " You are the proper doctor," said he to me ; " give these 
 poor wretches good water, good air, by clearing the 
 jungle round the villages, and good food by abundant 
 rice crops, and you will perform a greater cure than all 
 the doctors and hospitals in Ceylon can ever effect." I 
 took his advice, and he was perfectly right. It was not 
 a kind of syphilitic form, as some medicos wrote treatises 
 to prove it to be, nor was it akin to the West Indian 
 
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 II 
 
 i 
 
 I: 
 
 
 «l 
 
 3OS 
 
 SIR WILLIAM flKl.GoKV. 
 
 [L'li. \V. 
 
 yams, as some other equally learned leeches maintained. 
 It derived it origin and virulence solely from the causes 
 indicated by Dr. Kynsey, and exactly as these causes 
 were removed so did the disease decline, until at present 
 (1S90) it is almost a thing of the i)ast, unless provoked by 
 the same causes. 
 
[L'li. W. 
 
 ( j09 ) 
 
 Kiintaiiicd. 
 the causes 
 L'sc causes 
 at present 
 ovoked by 
 
 
 ciiai'Ti:r XVI. 
 
 The threat sii^IU at Anaradhapura was, of course, the 
 celebrated bo tree, said to be an offshoot of t'^c Ficus 
 religiosa under which Gautama Buddha reclined just before 
 his death. If so, and there seems no reason to dis- 
 believe the story, it must, having been planted 288 B.C., 
 be now 2178 years old. It is regarded with the greatest 
 reverence ; to lop a twig would be sacrilege, even to pick 
 up a leaf is forbidden, as the priests make a good thing 
 of the sale of the sacred foliage. A part of the trunk is 
 gilt with gold leaf, and there are some healthy offshoots 
 from it. 
 
 Before leaving Anaradhapura I had thoroughly made 
 up my mind that the great Kandian district of Nuwara- 
 kalawiya, of which that village is the capital, and which 
 formed a large portion of the Northern Province, should 
 be removed from it and formed into a separate province. 
 I gave my reasons to the Secretary of State, Lord Kim- 
 berley — the wretched state of this huge extent of country ; 
 its totally neglected condition ; the impossibility of a 
 Government agent residing at Jaffna, the northern point of 
 the island, being able to supervise the immediate improve- 
 ments necessary ; and last, but not least, the fact that this 
 portion of the Northern Province was Kandian in its popu- 
 lation, whereas to the north it was Tamil, and generally 
 ruled by a Government agent who was more conversant 
 
 s 
 
 11 
 
 i,. 
 
■ i 
 
 ii 
 
 \ 
 
 
 i ? 
 
 
 
 310 
 
 SIR WILLIAM liKIiGOKV. 
 
 [Cii, 
 
 with Tamils than with Sinpjalcsc. Lord Kiinbcrlcy fjavc 
 his immediate sanction to the proposal, and I placeil Mr. 
 Dickson, a civil servant of hii^h stantlint:;, at the heatl of 
 the new province. I immediately set to work to carry out to 
 Anaradhapura the [)resent excellent roads, to build bridges 
 and culverts the wlu^le way to Jaffna, alone; what I may 
 call the chine of the island. I announced that I should 
 never be satisfied till I had driven a coach and four from 
 Colombo to Jaffna, and I was virtually as good as my 
 word, for I drove four horses from the railway station at 
 Matale to Jaffna, over what had been a mere unbridfjed 
 track. To Mr. Dickson I left the management of the 
 irrii;ation works which were to be immediately under- 
 taken. He was, like myself, a th >rou.i;h believer in the 
 efficacy of y;ood water, good air, anu good food to restore 
 this wretched decaying race to health and strength, and 
 to bring back wealth to this fine country. As regards the 
 large store tanks, some hundreds of acres of extent, they 
 were taken in hand by the Department of Works ; the 
 cost was not heavy, as generally their embankments only 
 required clearing and shaping and the filling up of some 
 breaches, which were occasionally formidable. Jiut the 
 restoration of the small village tanks, on which every- 
 thing immediately depended, was no light affair. For at 
 least two centuries these tanks, owing to apathy and 
 want of co-operation, had been gradually falling into 
 decay. The unfortunate villagers patched them up as 
 best they could, and badly was the best. Sickness and 
 constant failure of their crops had driven them to despair, 
 and there was very little desire on their part to join in 
 the work of restoration ; in fact, unless coercion were to 
 be resorted to, there was no hope of some thousands of 
 tanks being rendered available for cultivation. It was 
 absolutely necessary that each village should expend a 
 
[Cm. 
 
 I" ley jravG 
 iccil Mr. 
 head of 
 ry out to 
 J brid^Tcs 
 it I may 
 I should 
 )iir from 
 d as my 
 itation at 
 iibridt^cd 
 It of the 
 y uudcr- 
 :r in the 
 
 restore 
 it;th, and 
 jards the 
 eiit, they 
 rks ; the 
 ;nts only 
 
 of some 
 
 JJut the 
 
 h cvery- 
 
 J''or at 
 
 thy and 
 
 hv^ into 
 
 n up as 
 
 less and 
 
 despair, 
 
 1 join in 
 were to 
 
 iands of 
 
 It was 
 
 :pcnd a 
 
 \vi,| 
 
 KECLAIMIN(; A I'ROVIXCi:. 
 
 311 
 
 certain number of days' laljour in the year upon its tanks, 
 but the peasants were unwilling' to work, some to work at 
 all, others at the time judged most convenient by their 
 fellows. In former days the difficulty would have been 
 easily met by rcsortinj^ to rajicaria, or forced labour for 
 the rajah ; but that power was formerly abandoned by 
 our Government in, I think, the year iSjJ. Mr. Dickson 
 was, however, ecpial to the occasion. He established 
 village councils throughout the new [)rovince, and, as these 
 councils had power to enforce labour for the general good 
 of the community, he persuaded a large number of vil- 
 lages to enforce and to call out labourers on fine, in pro- 
 pc-rtion to their amount of land. They had then to labour 
 for a certain number of days, according to the instructions 
 of irrigation officers appointed by Government. In return 
 he promised that the cultivators should have a masonry- 
 sluice put into each tank, when a certain degree of restora- 
 tion was reached. A large number of villages set to 
 work, encouraged and stimulated by Mr. Dickson, and, as 
 well as I recollect, work was going on at some nine 
 hundred tanks within the first year. Never was a great 
 social experiment more si)ccdily and entirely successful. 
 Crops were obtained where they had failed for years. 
 The revenue rose immensely. Sickness gradually declined. 
 i\n eminently listless and lazy population, being com- 
 pelled to work, resumed habits of industry ; and on 
 occasions of my subsequent visits to this district, I was 
 supplicated by various villages to inspect their tanks and 
 see what good work they had done. I had not long been 
 ai work at my revival of this fine province before I per- 
 ceived that the restoration of the great tank of Kalawcwa 
 was the first point on which the success of the scheme 
 turned. It had been constructed by King Datu Sen, in 
 the year A.D. 459. I shall never forget my astonishment on 
 
 ^11! 
 
 I' 
 

 
 f > : i 
 
 tuii 
 
 1.1 
 
 ! ' 
 
 3i: 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 Visiting it 
 
 It was the great reservoir on which the whole 
 water-supply of that district depended. The river ran 
 into it, and was dammed up, forming an inland sea, thirty- 
 five miles in circumference. The bund was from sixty to 
 eighty feet, and was several miles long. From it there 
 used to run a canal, called the Yodi Ella, or Giant's 
 Canal, to Anaradhapura, about sixty miles in length. 
 This canal supplied all the great store tanks en route, and 
 supplied Anaradhapura and its bathing-places. It was 
 clear to me that this great work must be restored, if we 
 meant to be, for the future, throughout this extensive dis- 
 trict, free from periodical famines ; but careful surveying 
 was required, and the rough estimate for the repair of the 
 tank and of the Yodi Ella was about ^40,000, so I began 
 with the Yodi Ella, and had completed a good deal of it 
 when I left. My successor did nothing towards advancing 
 this useful work. I cannot blame him, as the financial 
 condition of the colony during his rule was a subject of 
 anxiety to him, and there was no margin for any but the 
 most necessary expenditure. Better days, however, came 
 with the next Governor, Sir A. Gordon, and I had the 
 gratification of driving over the completed bund in 1S90, 
 and visiting this magnificent work, this monument of real 
 kings, in perfect order. It is contemplated to raise the 
 spill five feet, and to divert another river into it. This 
 will enable it to hold up a vast body of water, amply 
 sufficient to supply the tanks beneath it as far as Anarad- 
 hapura, in times of exceptional drought. 
 
 In September we went down to Colombo to open the 
 Legislative Council, and to show what metal we were 
 made of in the way of entertainments ; and I must say 
 that, as regards our kitchen and cellar and general hos- 
 pitality, my conscience has nothing to reproach me. It 
 was said that, in the case of certain Governors, there 
 
[Cii. 
 
 the whole 
 
 river ran 
 
 ;ca, thirty- 
 
 in sixty to 
 
 1 it there 
 
 DV Giant's 
 
 in length. 
 
 rouie, and 
 
 1. It was 
 
 )red, if we 
 
 3nsive dis- 
 
 surveying 
 
 )air of the 
 
 o I becfan 
 
 deal of it 
 
 advancing 
 
 ; financial 
 
 uibject of 
 
 y but the 
 
 vcr, came 
 
 had the 
 
 in 1890, 
 
 nt of real 
 
 raise the 
 
 it. This 
 
 er, amply 
 
 Anarad - 
 
 open the 
 \ve were 
 must say 
 cral hos- 
 i me. it 
 )rs, there 
 
 
 
 \vi.] 
 
 INUNDATIONS AT COLOMBO. 
 
 3^3 
 
 was one kind of wine for his Excellency and another, 
 and a very bad one, for his guests. A propos to that, the 
 tradition of such proceedings seems to have lingered ; 
 for, on giving a large ball at Colombo, the following 
 amusing occurrence took place. I need hardly say 
 that on such occasions the consumption of champagne 
 was enormous, and I had written for a supply of fifty 
 dozen at 54i-. a dozen, exclusive of duty. I mention the 
 price to show that the wine should have been, and was, 
 good. It only arrived about half an hour before the ball 
 began, and so afraid was I that it might not be up to my 
 standard, that I ordered half a dozen to be at once placed 
 in ice and sent up to the supper-room. This wine, be it 
 noted, was covered with gold foil. In the meantime, 
 rather than run the least risk of giving bad champagne, I 
 ordered the finest of Cunningham's, at 84^-. a dozen, to be 
 supplied. This wine was covered with silver foil. Shortly 
 after I had tried the newly-arrived and comparatively 
 cheap wine, my butler came and said there were a number 
 of gentlemen very much dissatisfied with getting the 
 silver-covered champagne while his Excellency was drink- 
 ing the gold. I need hardly say I joyfully ordered the 
 more expensive silver-corked to be shut up, and gave 
 them as much of the gold foil as was good for them. 
 
 We had not been long in Colombo before we had very 
 serious troubles to encounter from inundations. A long 
 continuance of rain had flooded the eastern and lower 
 I'art of the city. The consequences were terrible. ]\Iost 
 of the houses were composed of mud and sunburnt bricks, 
 and they were swept away with all their contents. The 
 inhabitants were saved in boats. I felt it my duty, not 
 only to subscribe liberally for the relief of the sufferers, 
 and to sanction the purchase of food for the distressed, 
 but also to be on several occasions on the spot, almost. 
 
 (• i 
 
 \ 
 
 1, •■ 
 
 it 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 
 4 
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 '1 
 
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 '11 
 
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314 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 CCh. 
 
 as it were, directing the men engaged in the work of 
 relief. 
 
 In September the Legislative Council met, and my 
 speech was long and exhaustive ; in fact, more of an essay- 
 on all matters concerning the colony and of my intentions 
 rather than a dry enumeration of past events and of 
 future measures. It was much approved of, both by the 
 colony and Colonial Office. The flourishing condition 
 of the Exchequer enabled me to begin in good earnest 
 on the northern roads, and to construct two buildings 
 greatly wanted; the one, a new Custom House, the 
 other a INIuseum. They were both designed by the 
 Government architect, Mr. Smither, a man of great taste 
 and refinement, and they are both an honour to the 
 colony. The Museum is a singularly beautiful building 
 — liglit, bright, and well ventilated. It was strange that 
 nothing of the kind had been previously attempted, and 
 yet all our other colonies united could not furnish such 
 a collection of objects of such varied interest as Ceylon. 
 I may here quote a short passage of my address in 
 reference to this subject : — 
 
 ' 
 
 " The want of a museum, in which may be represented tlic natural 
 history, anticjuitics, and industrial products of the island, has been 
 forcibly uryed on me. Durin^^ the period when the revenue of the 
 island did not suffice for its most imperative wants, it would have 
 been inexpedient to have sanctioned an institution which it was better 
 to leave untouched rather than establish it on an inadeiiuate and 
 unsatisfactory footing. For a comparatively small sum, considering 
 the object in view, a museum may be constructed which shall not be 
 a mere random collection of miscellaneous objects, but a scientific, 
 teaching exhibition, which, while ministering to the amusement 
 of many, may convey instruction to all who seek it. 
 
 " I propose, in connection with this museum, to obtain reproduc- 
 tions of the inscriptions throughout the island, by means of photo- 
 graphy, casts, and liand-copying. These inscriptions, varying in 
 character and dialect, will be of deep interest tc the philologist, and 
 
[Cir. 
 le work of 
 
 t, and my 
 af an essay 
 
 intentions 
 its and of 
 oth by the 
 
 condition 
 od earnest 
 ) buildings 
 louse, the 
 d by the 
 jreat taste 
 •ur to the 
 d building 
 range that 
 npted, and 
 rnish such 
 IS Ceylon, 
 iddress in 
 
 I the naturat 
 d, has been 
 ,-cniic of llie 
 
 would liave 
 it was better 
 Iccjuate and 
 
 considcrin;^ 
 ihall not be 
 
 a scientific, 
 
 amusement 
 
 II leproduc- 
 is of photo- 
 varying in 
 
 lologist, and 
 
 XVI.] 
 
 TEMPERANCE LEGISLATION, 
 
 315 
 
 rll 
 
 ^ 
 
 throw light on the ancient usages, religious custom -, and eady history 
 of Ceylon. I purpose to affix a limit to our collections. They should 
 be strictly confined to the productions of Ceylon." 
 
 Considerable space within che Museum was devoted to 
 a library, open to all readers. A large accession of books 
 was obtained from the Royal Asiatic Society ; but it has 
 increased so rapidly that plans had been prepared, when 
 I was recently in Ceylon, for a large extension of the 
 building to house books and inscriptions which were 
 awaiting acceptance. 
 
 Another measure which will be imputed to me for 
 righteousness was vigorously and successfully urged by 
 me this year, namely, the reduction of drinking-shops. 
 I uring the whole of my government I never lost sight of 
 th.j object, and I quote the words of my first address to 
 the Legislative Council, which may be interesting to 
 advocates of temperance : — 
 
 " There is one subject more on which I cannot be silent, and that 
 ■^ the extension of drunkenness throughout the island. English rule 
 has given to Ceylon many blessings which the inhabitants are ever 
 ready to acknowledge — security of life and property, ec|uality before the 
 law, just tribunals, the abolition of serfdom, and excellent roads to 
 promote intercourse and facilitate the conveyance of produce ; but we 
 have at the same time extended a curse throughout the island which 
 weighs heavily in the other scale, namely, drunkenness. Some years 
 ago a drunken Kandian would have been disgraced in the eyes of 
 his fellows. Now the occurrence is so common that the disgrace has 
 passed away. Drunkenness is extending itself into villages where it 
 was before unheard of, and even the women are accustoming them- 
 selves to intoxicating drinks. I have had some remarkable petitions 
 on this subject, first from the Roman Catholics of Jaffna, and other 
 parts of the Northern Province, numerously signed by Europeans and 
 natives alike. Another petition was recently presented to me by the 
 Rev. Air. Scott, signed by no less than 33,396 persons ; 73S2 English, 
 16,419 Singalese, 8595 Tamils. These petitions are characterized by 
 moderation and good sense. They do not go the length of advocating 
 the total prohibition of the sale of spirituous liquors. The petitioners 
 are aware that such an attempt would be impossible. But they say. 
 
 \ 5 . 
 
 
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 .!' 
 
 Mil 
 
 
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 III 
 
 J6 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 CCh. 
 
 * Kcs/rut the places of sale, and tints discoin-as;c intoxication and 
 diniinisii tlie i^rcat moral and social evils ivhich flow front it.'' 
 
 "In these recommendations I warmly concurred. In rcstrictint^ 
 the sale of intoxicatinf,^ liquor, some diminution of revenue was to bo 
 expected ; but, in the words of the petitioners, any decrease under 
 that head would be more than compensated by an ini])rovement in 
 the general well-being of the community, and in the reduced cost of 
 establishments for the suppression and punishment of crime." 
 
 In order the more emphatically to enforce the policy 
 of my government in regard to the gradual reduction 
 of drinking-shops, I ordered a maj:) to be placed in the 
 Legislative Council room. On this map, in red crosses, 
 was marked every tavern in the island, and coloured 
 marks indicated suppressions and additions throughout 
 the year. Thus, at a glance, a Governor could sec if 
 his views were carried out in regard to suppression 
 of arrack taverns, in the rural districts at all events. 
 
 I was extremely glad, in the course of this session, 
 to be able to announce to the Legislative Council that Sir 
 John Coode, whom we had consulted as to the possibility 
 of constructing a breakwater at Colombo, had expressed 
 himself most favourably towards the project. He foresaw 
 no difficulty in the way of its completion for a sum not 
 exceeding ^630,000, which comprised the erection of two 
 jetties of a thousand feet long, and the dredging of the 
 bar. Sir Hercules Robinson, in his concluding address in 
 1871, said to the Legislative Council: — " The question of 
 improving harbour accommodation for Colombo has been 
 discussed with so much practical good sense that I trust 
 some definite move may now soon be made 'towards 
 supplying this great and pressing want." 1 can claim the 
 merit of taking this " definite move," which was left 
 to me to accept or refuse, and of pressing it on the Home 
 Government, of obtaining their consent, and of immediately 
 commencing the work. 
 
 I 
 
[Cm. 
 ication and 
 
 it: 
 
 restrictinj:' 
 e was to be 
 lease under 
 ovement in 
 .iced cost of 
 ic." 
 
 he policy- 
 reduction 
 cd in the 
 
 .1 Cl'OSSCS, 
 
 coloured 
 iroughout 
 Id sec if 
 ppression 
 ts. 
 s session, 
 
 that Sir 
 )os.sibility 
 expressed 
 e foresaw 
 
 sum not 
 m of two 
 \% of the 
 d dress in 
 estion of 
 has been 
 at I trust 
 
 'towards 
 
 claim the 
 
 was left 
 
 he Home 
 
 nediacely 
 
 XVI.] 
 
 THE DURHAR INSTITUTED. 
 
 317 
 
 It was during this summer that I instituted the custom 
 of an annual gathcrin ' of the Government agents as my 
 guests before the preparation of the estimates. This was 
 called the durbar and was productive of much satis- 
 faction and good temper among them. I had remarked, 
 in the course of my travels through the island, that a 
 great deal of soreness prevailed among these very intel- 
 ligent and zealous officials. They all seemed hurt at their 
 appeals being ignored, at works being conducted in their 
 provinces without their being consulted, and at their being 
 unable to bring their ideas and objects fairly before the 
 Governor, from the few opportunities they had of seeing 
 him. The durbar altered all this. Each agent was 
 enjoined to bring a list of the works he required, and each 
 had full time to give all necessary explanations, and to be 
 comforted if the future budget could not include all his 
 claims. After lunch we had a general meeting to discuss 
 various subjects of public interest on which the agents had 
 been invited to prepare themselves. These parties were 
 very pleasant and instructive, they were greatly appreciated 
 by the Government agents, and they gave the Governor 
 ample opportunity to judge of the resources of each man. 
 I believe they were omitted by Sir James Longden, but 
 Sir Arthur Gordon and Sir A. llavelock have wisely 
 continued them. 
 
 .Amongst our notable visitors this year were the two 
 Coburg princes, Augustus and Philip of Saxe- Weimar, 
 the latter the son-in-law of the iMnperor of lirazil. They 
 were both charming young men, very intelligent, easily 
 and greatly pleased, and I Hatter myself that they carried 
 away grateful recollections of the warm reception they 
 met with in Cejdon.* 
 
 * Our writing-set in crocodile skin and ivory, with their mono;Tram. 
 and coronet, was a present sent by them. 
 
 f ,: 
 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 1 f 
 
 ■:■'. 
 
 ^ 
 
 ' 
 
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 M .5 ] 
 
 II: 
 
 ^11 
 
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 31S 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GKLdORV. 
 
 Two things equally struck them — one the working of 
 elephants and their extraordinary sagacity, the other a 
 battle between a cobra and a mongoose. I had been given 
 a mongoose which Iiad been running about as a pet at 
 Galle Face Hotel, and, as cobras abounded in the grounds 
 of Kandy, I offered a reward of a rupee to the coolies for 
 every cobra brought in uninjured. I soon found my 
 Mungo, as I called liim, to be a desperate fighter, and 
 absolutely fearless, whereas an Indian companion of his, 
 which I bought from some jugglers, was extremely averse 
 to any battle with a snake, and would generally not face 
 <?ven one round. The battle-field was a small bedroom 
 inside my study. The snake was brought in noosed to 
 the end of a long bamboo. The noose was cut by a pen- 
 knife tied to the end of another bamboo, and then the 
 snake was free. He glided all round the room, raising 
 himself aloft and examining every part, but the moment 
 his antagonist appeared he used to draw himself up, with 
 hood expanded and ready to strike, in the open part of 
 the room, as if he were afraid of being attacked from 
 behind. The mongoose, too, adopted similar tactics. On 
 being brought in he always appeared unconscious of the 
 presence of his foe, except that every hair stood erect on 
 his body. He also ran round the room and examined 
 every corner. At last the battle began, and it was 
 intensely interesting. The attack of the mongoose w^as 
 a series of feints, evidently to wear out the snake, who 
 struck continual blows at him, but all fruitless. The 
 extraordinary activity of the mongoose saved him. He 
 kept his bright eyes constantly fixed on the dull, expres- 
 sionless eyes of the cobra, and seemed to get warnin<Ts 
 from them of the coming blow. As the snake grew 
 wearier the mongoose became more audacious, and would 
 actually stand up on his hind legs, with his head only a 
 
[Cii. 
 
 vorking of 
 ic otlier a 
 Dccii given 
 :-. a pet at 
 ic grounds 
 coolies for 
 found my 
 ghtcr, and 
 on of his, 
 icly averse 
 / not face 
 I bedroom 
 noosed to 
 by a pcn- 
 i then the 
 Dm, raising 
 ic moment 
 If up, with 
 en part of 
 :ked from 
 ctlcs. On 
 ous of the 
 ;1 erect on 
 examined 
 id it was 
 
 oose was 
 
 nakc, who 
 
 CSS. Tlic 
 
 him. lie 
 
 II, cxprcs- 
 
 warnings 
 lake grew 
 .nd would 
 ad only a 
 
 ii 
 
 XVI.] 
 
 MV FICIIITING MONGOOSE. 
 
 319 
 
 few inches from the cobra's, who in vain struck often and 
 fiercely. The end of the battle was now near. ]*"oam ran 
 down from the lips of Mungo, who showed at last a row 
 of snow white teeth as sharp as needles. In an instant 
 he seized the cobra, always by one spot, the side of the 
 mouth, and whisked him round and round till he had fairly 
 knocked the breath out of him. lie then laid himself 
 down by his side for rest, and when the snake gave signs 
 of returning animation he attacked and killed him, and 
 generally ate his head off as a trophy of victory. I never 
 saw a braver animal than " my Mungo, hero of a thousand 
 fights," as we called him, and with bravery was combined 
 consummate skill and patience, never attacking a toittraiice 
 until sure of success, lie was only beaten three times, 
 twice by cobras of remarkable endurance, which fairly wore 
 him out, and once by another terrible snake, a ticpolonga, 
 who curled himself tightly like a turban, and left no means 
 for the mongoose to attack him without coming to imme- 
 diate close quarters, involving sudden death. Owing to 
 his hind legs slipping on the smooth matting he was once 
 bitten by a cobra, and ran round the room on three legs, 
 lying down at last. I said in grief, " This is poor Alungo's 
 last battle." JJut after a time he rose up, and again 
 fought and conquered. He must have been engaged in 
 at least fifty single combats, and it is a curious fact that, 
 though generally very gentle and attached, he was abso- 
 lutely ferocious, even to those he loved best, for nearly 
 an hour after every fight. He then became as pleasant 
 as ever. IJesidcs his exploits with snakes he was an 
 extraordinary ratter, and I have seen him kill a dozen 
 rats let loose at the same time as quickly as any famous 
 terrier. I am glad to add that, unlike the generality of 
 pets, he died peaceably and happily in the fulness of years 
 and honours. When I left Ceylon I gave him to Lady 
 
 :■ ii 
 
 \\S 
 
 ii 
 
 I 
 
 ' •tii * 
 
 n 
 
 
 I- 
 
 i 
 
 % 
 
 \m 
 
..J. 
 
 
 IH 
 
 '^\ 
 
 i. 
 Ill 
 
 i 
 
 ' i 
 
 ! 
 
 f 
 
 tf 
 
 I ': 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GUKGOKV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 Elpliinstonc, who treated him with great kindness, appre- 
 ciated his fjood qualities and overlooked his love of 
 mischief, particularly his hatred of natives, whom he always 
 attacked. FIc was found dead one mornint,' in his cage, 
 having lived his full term of years. 
 
 The working of elephants also greatly excited their 
 Serene Highnesses. There were no elephants belonging 
 to the Department of Public Works at Kandy, where we 
 were staying, but the Guardian of the Temi)le lent a 
 couple belonging to it. I much regretted the absence 
 of my dear, affectionate liombera, who would have 
 astonished them by his sagacity ; but he was at work at 
 Nuwara-h^liya. These temple elephants, however, did 
 everything they were ordered to do with their usual 
 intelligence, carrying large stones wherever they were told 
 to place them, fixing the chains to the stones and unfixing 
 them. One of them, a tusker, on that occasion, performed 
 an act, apparently of his own accord, which greatly struck 
 all of us. He was carrying a long and very heavy stone 
 down a steep declivity. The stone was suspended from 
 his neck by a chain, and as the chain was too long the 
 stone struck his knee repeatedly. He stopped, made what 
 sailors call a bight of the chain, gave it a roll round his 
 tusk, and, having thus shortened it, carried the stone to 
 its dest! lation without further discomfort to his knees. 
 What the mahout said to him, or whether he said anything, 
 I do not know, but it is difficult to imagine that out of the 
 eighty p- iscs which a very highly-educated elephant is 
 supposeu to understand, there would have been one framed 
 to meet such an emergency as this, and if there was not, 
 it was the clearest exercise of the reasoning faculty, pure 
 and simple, which prompted this act. 
 
 In the course of this session I abolished the Ceylon 
 Rifles, and with very great regret. It was an exce'lent 
 
 
[CiJ. 
 
 CSS, apprc- 
 is love of 
 
 I he always 
 
 II his cage, 
 
 cited their 
 
 belonging;- 
 ', where we 
 pie lent a 
 le absence 
 oukl have 
 at work at 
 wcver, did 
 ;heir usual 
 y were told 
 id unfixing 
 
 performed 
 :atly struck 
 icavy stone 
 nded from 
 o long the 
 made what 
 
 round his 
 ic stone to 
 
 his knees, 
 d anything, 
 t out of the 
 elephant is 
 one framed 
 re was not, 
 acuity, pure 
 
 the Ceylon 
 n exce'lent 
 
 
 \VI.] 
 
 GEMMING. 
 
 321 
 
 regiment, in a high state of discipline, most creditable to 
 its officers, and had done excellent service during the so- 
 called rebellion of 184S. It was composed of Malays, 
 small, active, and extremely brave men, and would have 
 been quite sufficient to keep the colony free from any 
 internal disturbances, for the natives greatly feared them, 
 and remembered their ruthlessness at the time I mention. 
 But they had become a luxury and no longer useful for 
 any purpose, and lost the colony a large annual sum 
 which could be far better employed. It woul;' have been 
 dangerous to have left Ceylon without white troops, as 
 this Malay and Alahommedan regiment might Javc 
 revolted and made themselves masters of it. Still T 
 regretted being the author of the overthrow of an institu- 
 tion long connected with the colony, and of which it was 
 justly proud, and I regretted losing a team of such excel- 
 lent cricketers ; but we took over their admirable band, 
 trained by a first-rate German bandmaster, Hcrr Tape. 
 He was extremely irritable, and it was impossible to keep 
 one's countenance within earshot of his remarks. He 
 had a very great dislike to his musicians indulging in 
 betel-chewing during the performance, which wab natural 
 enough, and one night at Queen's House he was heard to 
 shout, " Oh, you Goddam rascals, you take your Goddam 
 beetles out of your mout." 
 
 Early next year I paid a visit to the gem-producing 
 district of Ceylon, in the neighbourhood of Ratnapura. I 
 was invited by one of the leading gem merchants to assist 
 at the opening of a pit from which he expected good 
 results. Deer-stalking and salmon-fishing are considered 
 highly exciting amusements, but I doubt if either of them 
 can be compared to gemming at a really good pit. You 
 are always in expectation, you have infinite variety, you 
 may light on a stone of extraordinary value or you may 
 
 Y 
 
 'Ml 
 
 i 
 
 w^ 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 »i 
 
 :ili'> 
 
 ■Id I 
 
 U 
 
i 
 
 if 
 
 it 
 
 mi 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 n 
 
 '4> <' 
 
 f 
 
 522 
 
 SIR WILLIAM CRF.GORV. 
 
 [Cl5 
 
 find — nothing. The region about Ratnai^ura abounds in 
 gems of many descriptions, but has no emeralds or 
 diamonds. Sap[)hires and star sapphires, rubies and star 
 rubies, amethysts, topazes, cat's-eyes, acjuamarines, are all 
 constantly being found. They have been worked fron: 
 their matrix in the mountains ages ago, and now lie at the 
 bottom of what once were streams, but which became filled 
 with sand and gravel. Over this sand and gravel has since 
 spread a fresh stratum of soil which has to be cleared 
 away before each vein can be reached. At si.x o'clock wc 
 were at our diggings. W'c found a nice square tent and 
 tea read)- for our reception. We sat at the mouth of the 
 tent with a glass of clear water on a table by our side in 
 which were cast all stones of any shade of colouring to 
 be examined afterwards. The workmen had cleared off 
 the surface soil, and had reached what is called the " illam," 
 a gemnifcrous stratum of gravel. There was plenty of 
 water in adjacent pits, and as soon as the workmen had 
 swept off superficial stones, and had washed away earthy 
 particles, the baskets full of gravel were handed up to us, 
 and we examined every grain. Nothing could be more 
 delightful ; at one moment a red glint denoted a ruby, at 
 another a gleam of blue indicated a sapphire. All these 
 were deposited in the tumbler, that the vivid tints should 
 be maintained by moisture, and when we had done our 
 work they were poured out on a sheet of blotting-paper. 
 My collection was miscellaneous, but of no great value, 
 though I willingly gave ;{;"io for it, which was the price 
 fixed by the owner of the pit. There were several nice 
 small sapphires, and a cat's-eye which I sold in London for 
 ;^iO, besides other stones of mineralogical interest. The 
 occupation was so delightful that, though wc began our 
 work at about 6.30, and intended to return to breakfast at 
 9.30, we could not tear ourselves away before twelve o'clock. 
 
[Cii 
 
 ibou litis in 
 Ticralds or 
 s and Stai- 
 nes, arc all 
 irkcd from 
 v lie at the 
 came fillccl 
 :1 has since 
 be cleared 
 o'clock we 
 e tent and 
 )iith of the 
 )ur side in 
 jlourint; to 
 cleared off 
 he " illam," 
 
 plenty of 
 •kmen had 
 vay earthy 
 1 up to us, 
 d be more 
 a ruby, at 
 
 All these 
 nts should 
 
 done our 
 ting-paper, 
 reat value, 
 
 the price 
 
 veral nice 
 ^ondon for 
 rest. The 
 began our 
 reakfast at 
 ve o'clock. 
 
 .WI.I 
 
 KUVING A S.M'I'IIIRi;. 
 
 32.? 
 
 I was invited the ne.\t day to the wedding of the only 
 child, a daughter, of Iddawalgoda, the great chief of the 
 district, and one of the most extensive and wealthiest of 
 the Kandian landed proprietors. His abode was about 
 twelve miles from Ratnapura, and we did the journey on 
 horseback. Aa I rode along I was accosted by a miserable- 
 looking man, ^vith scarcely anything on save a crupper. 
 Out of this crupper he pulled a rag, and out of the rag he 
 produced four uncut rough sapphires. I took up one of 
 them, and, as it appeared a fine colour, I asked how much 
 he wanted for it. lie said a hundred rupees. I said that was 
 an absurd price for an uncut stone, which might not be worth 
 a hundred cents. Me answered, "Yes, but it may be worth 
 five hundred rupees." I liked the look of the stone, ami 
 thought it i>(fra di^. of a Governor to bargain with the poor 
 creature, so I ordered the sum asked for to be paid, and 
 pocketed the sapphire. On returning to Colombo I had it 
 cut, and it turned out to be the most \ :;rfect stone as regards 
 colour that was found that year, so much so that my friends 
 the gem dealers used constantly to come to Queen's House 
 and ask permission to compare tlseir stones with it. I 
 eventually sold it to Mr. Hill, of Oxford Street, for .1^50, 
 at which price he took it eagerly, though it was a small 
 stone, about the size of the little finger-nail. 
 
 On going up to Nuwara-Eliya we found our cottage 
 done up, and fairly comfortable, though very different from 
 what it is at present. Nothing could be more brilliant and 
 genial than the weather. The place was crowded, and 
 there were walking parties in the forest and rides every- 
 where, and breakfasts on the top of Pedro, and races and 
 picnics. 
 
 But all these happy days were over at the latter end 
 of May. As usual we went down to Kandy, held our 
 Birthday Ball, and received the Government agents at the 
 
fl 
 
 li 
 
 1 
 
 
 .^1 
 
 i''i 
 
 I 
 
 4< 
 
 ,|» 
 
 t', 
 
 7 i 
 
 
 324 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GKLGORV 
 
 rc. 
 
 durbar. 1 had resolved 011 i);iyin-^ a visit to Anaradhapura 
 at this time, and on making a dcloitr homewards throuL;h 
 tlic North-eastern Province, to go over the track of a vcrj- 
 important road conncctinLj those towns, and to become 
 act[uainted with the nature of tl\c rivers that had to l)c 
 bridged. 
 
 And now came upon mc the greatest sorrow of my h"fc, 
 the death of my wife. On my return from my journey i 
 found her suffering from ilhiess brought on by too much 
 exposure to tlie heat of the sun. After a few days, fust 
 of anxious, tiicn of ho[)cless watching, she passed awa\-, 
 conscious to the hist. 
 
 " AnfaiiL;s wolll' icli fast vcivnircn 
 Unci icli ^laubl' icli tru^^' cs nif ; 
 Unci ich liab' cs doch gctrai^o , — 
 Al)cr fia.^t iiiicli mir niclit : wic ? "' 
 
 My h'fe was terrible for sonic time in the deserted, 
 mournful Queen's House at Colombo. My dear kind 
 friend Dr. Thwaitcs came down and stayed with mc for 
 some time, and was my companion in my daily walk. 
 Much do I owe to his tender .sympathy then, and to his 
 infinite tact when so little seemed to open the wound. 
 Work, however — incessant, slogging work, far harder than 
 I would otherwise have undertaken — restored my strength 
 of mind ; then various expeditions were necessary, and 
 then came the preparation of my address for the meeting 
 of the Legislative Council. 
 
 I was able to announce to the Council a most 
 flourishing revenue, and a large surplus to be employed 
 on useful public works, among them the northern road 
 and the road to Trincomalee, which were pushed on 
 with great vigour. One of my favourite projects was 
 a sea line of railway to Galle ultimately to be ex- 
 tended to Matara, a charming town in the south of tln^ 
 
laradluipiuM 
 
 rds throuL;Ii 
 
 :k of a vci)' 
 
 to become 
 
 had to be 
 
 V of my b'fc, 
 ly journey I 
 y too much 
 IV (hiys, first 
 ;isscd a\va\-, 
 
 Wl.l 
 
 rUISON R F.I OR MS. 
 
 325 
 
 c deserted, 
 dear kind 
 I'ith mc for 
 daily walk, 
 and to his 
 the wound, 
 harder than 
 ny strength 
 cssary, and 
 he meeting 
 
 :il a most 
 } employed 
 thern road 
 pushed on 
 'ojects was 
 to be ex- 
 )uth of the 
 
 I 
 
 island. This I proposed to construct solely out of surplus 
 revenue, without incurrinjj; any debt The chief item of 
 expense was the construction of a very wide bridge over 
 the broad river, the Kaloo•rJan^^a, and, as I anticipated 
 O[)position from the Colonial Office to my ambitious 
 project, I obtained firsL of all their consent to the bridge, 
 which I had so designetl ,is to be available for ordinary 
 traffic as well as for a railway. This being provided, the 
 remaining cost of the line was comparatively small, and 
 [ had the satisfaction of completing half of it. I regret 
 to say it has hung fire, and has only been exteiidcd some 
 twenty miles further by Sir A. Gordon, but I hear the 
 present Governor talks of finishing it. 
 
 My flourishing exchequer also enabled mc to devote 
 considerable sums to the improvement of jails, both in 
 regard to discii)linc and to their sanitary condition. 
 1 litherto, in most of the jails, the prisoners were herded 
 together at night, the worst characters with men convicted 
 of trivial offences. Of course each man went out taking 
 with him seven devils worse than himself. I assured the 
 Council that before the opening of next session the money 
 spent on jails since my assumption of the government, 
 and the attention paid to their improvement, would enable 
 the jails of Ceylon to stand comparison with those of any 
 one of her INIajcsty's possessions. I at once began five 
 new jails, and set on foot the work of improvement in all 
 the others. The pivot point on which everything turned 
 ^vas separation. My ultimate aim was that every prisoner 
 convicted of a crime should be segregated at night from 
 his fellows. One man, one cell, was my prison motto. 
 To carry out that object I largely increased cellular accom- 
 modation in the existing jails, and built the fine convict 
 prison at Kandy, ultimately intended to hold 500 con- 
 victs, I had the satisfaction, on resigning my appointment, 
 
 Hu 
 
 ijt! pi 
 
 ; ! ! 
 i I 
 
 i , 
 
 I ^i 
 
1 
 
 I 
 
 «|1 
 
 M 1 
 1 ( 
 
 ''ii 
 
 i^ 
 
 111' 
 
 .m 
 
 'M 
 
 I I 
 
 ji' ii 
 
 51' ' 
 
 J ill ; ' 
 
 t R' 
 
 326 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii 
 
 of informing the Secretary of State that, whereas the 
 annual prison population averaged 2200, I had provided 
 cellular accommodation, if the works laid out and actuall)- 
 begun were finished, for 1700 prisoners, which virtually 
 gave a -eparatc cell to every criminal, the balance being 
 made of debtors, road-defaulters, and women, very few of 
 whom, I am happy to say, enter prison precincts in Cey' m. 
 Nothing could have been better than our prison system 
 when I left Ceylon. A large number of long-sentenced 
 men were drafted into temporary prisons to work on the 
 breakwater, by no means a pleasant occupation, and the 
 strictest discipline was kept up in the jails, which became 
 by no means pleasant retreats for idleness and high feed- 
 ing. The civil servants were strictly forbidden to employ 
 prisoners about their compounds. They were only to be 
 employed, after the first penal stage was over, on public- 
 works. 
 
 Besides this improvement of the colonial prisons my 
 fine income allowed me to ex^^end a considerable amount 
 on the medical department, and with the most excellent 
 effect, in building, enlarging, and improving our hospitals, 
 so that I could in this respect have challenged competition 
 with the hospital system of any country in the world. On 
 my arrival I had, during my various and extensive journeys, 
 been painfully struck with the want of a proper system of 
 medical relief for the great bulk of the people. Most 
 liberal provision had been secured for the European 
 stations and the medical institutions connected with them, 
 but, as regards the mass of the population in outlying 
 stations, they were still at the mercy of ignorant quacks 
 and devil-dancers. This state of things reflected dis- 
 credit on our Government, more especially as it was well 
 known that the natives, formerly suspicious of luu'opean 
 treatment, were becoming anxious to avail themselves of 
 
[Cii. 
 
 Kvhcrcas the 
 ad provided 
 and actual I)- 
 ch virtually 
 ilancc bcint; 
 
 very few of 
 :s in Coy' m. 
 ison system 
 ig-scntenccd 
 vork on the 
 on, and the 
 lich became 
 1 high feed- 
 1 to employ 
 
 only to be 
 r, on publ it- 
 prisons my 
 iblc amount 
 it excellent 
 jr hospitals, 
 :ompetition 
 world. On 
 vc journeys, 
 r system of 
 )plc. IMost 
 
 European 
 
 with them, 
 in outlying 
 ■ant quacks 
 lected dis- 
 it was well 
 
 European 
 msclvcs of 
 
 XVI.] 
 
 THE SOUTHERN PROVINCE. 
 
 327 
 
 it, whenever they had the opportunity. To remedy this, I 
 went on the admirable lines of the Irish medical relief 
 system, the establishment of small dispensaries in rural 
 districts, where a doctor, connected with the central 
 hospital of the district, is bound to attend on certain days 
 of the week. 
 
 When recently in Ceylon 1 heard from the principal 
 medical officer that this dispensary system had been 
 working admirably, that it had gradually overcome native 
 suspicion, and one of the items of the budget involved 
 a considerable increase under the head of local dis- 
 pensaries. 
 
 In the autumn of this year I paid one of my inspection 
 visits to the Southern Province, and was greatly pleased 
 with its prosperity and the high character and position of 
 the native officials, well born and generally well to do. I 
 passed through the salt district of Ilambantota, and went 
 on to the ultima JJnile of civilization, Tissamaharama, 
 where arc the remains of one of the oldest cities in 
 Ceylon. It was from this place, in which his family had 
 taken refuge for many years, while foreign invaders ruled 
 at Anaradhapura, that the great and good Dutugaminu, 
 about 204 Ji.C, the King Arthur of Ceylon, started, in 
 spite of the remonstrances of his parents, to combat the 
 Tamil usurper, Elara, and to recover his lost kingdom. 
 He possessed not only bravery but vigour and foresight, 
 and having got round him large bodies of his countrymen, 
 and thoroughly trained them in martial exercises and 
 tactics, he made his great march right through the island 
 on his famous elephant Kandalu, fought several battles, 
 and the decisive one at Anaradhapura, in which he utterly 
 routed the forces of his opponent Elara, and killed him 
 in hand-to-hand fight. All the district seemed teeming 
 with remains of ancient civilization, but there was no 
 
 I' 
 
 !^l 
 
 ■ 
 
 
32S 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [C[(. 
 
 r 
 
 I: 
 
 i|< 
 
 I « 
 
 population except the priests of a temple, who guarded 
 a celebrated and fine dagoba of very early origin. The 
 stone pillar to which young Prince Dutugaminu used to 
 fasten his horse is still shown, and is probably authentic. 
 Sir Hercules Robinson had begun the somewhat expensive 
 repair of a very fine tank at this place ; but, as there was 
 no population to cultivate the lands to be watered by it, 
 the reflections of the local press became sli'l more adverse 
 when it was discovered that the water of the tank was not 
 nearly sufficient to irrigate the land sold. I\Iy visit was to 
 see how this difficulty could best be supplied, and it was 
 found easy enough to divert some of the water of the fine 
 river Magam into the tank by a channel, which involvetl 
 no great difficulty or expense. This has been done, antl 
 a most flourishing colony has been established on the 
 splendid land of this district, at the time of my visit 
 under the dominion of wild beasts. I may mention, in 
 illustration, that we remained quiet during the day which 
 followed my arrival, being Sunday. A small and very 
 rickety canoe belonging to the tank had been brought to 
 the Magam river, and we took an excursion of a few 
 miles, the first time it is supposed that a boat was ever on 
 it. In coming into a large reach of shallow, smooth 
 water we found it occupied by a herd of wild buffaloes, 
 which we thought would take to flight immediately. But 
 not a bit of it. They not only stood their ground but 
 advanced to attack, and we had not a chance. The water 
 was shallow, and we had not taken a gun. We threw 
 stones, which they received with tosses and snorts. 
 Matters were very serious, and escape was impossible ; 
 but fortunately there was no old bull among them, or I 
 
 should not be writing this account of t'.ieir doings. W 
 
 at last, 
 
 bolted, and we were saved. 
 
 three of us, raised a united howl and roar, the>' 
 
n 
 
 L'c, 
 
 ho guarded 
 n'gin. The 
 nu used to 
 y authentic, 
 t expensive 
 s there was 
 tercd by it, 
 ore adverse 
 nk was not 
 visit was to 
 and it was 
 of the fine 
 :h involved 
 I done, and 
 cd on the 
 f my visit 
 ncntion, in 
 day which 
 
 and very 
 brought to 
 
 of a {cw 
 'as ever on 
 IV, smooth 
 
 buffaloes, 
 •tcly. But 
 round but 
 The water 
 \Vc threw 
 id snorts, 
 npossible ; 
 :hem, or I 
 'ngs. We 
 roar, thc>' 
 
 XVI.J 
 
 A ROCK STATU i:. 
 
 329 
 
 In 1874 my brother-in-law, Major George Clay, came 
 out to mc as aide-de-camp. We took a tour through the 
 North Central Province to visit the famous tank, or rather 
 inland sea of Kalawewa. It was then the wildest jungle, and 
 I do not believe that half a dozen Europeans had visited 
 it. We encamped on the bund, which was from sixty to 
 eighty feet high, and, while I was exploring, George Clay 
 went forth to get some venison. I had returned in the 
 afternoon to our tent, when I heard a double shot, and 
 said, " I suppose we may put down venison on our bill of 
 fare this evening ; " but not so, for shortly after, George 
 Clay came galloping in, in the wildest excitement, the 
 reins on his pony's neck, and holding in each hand an 
 elephant's tail. He had shot two, right and left, the first 
 time he had ever seen them, an exploit worthy of the 
 oldest shikar. 
 
 We went through a wild country thence, and through 
 a wretched, half-starved, dying-out population, now, how- 
 ever, plump, well fed, sleek and healthy, and well to do. 
 from the spread of irrigation through this miserable dis- 
 trict. We passed the celebrated and remarkable image 
 of Buddha, of which Sir Emerson Tenncnt thus writes :— 
 
 "A few years previous ti) my tour through this part of Ceylon, a 
 gentleman who acconii)anied me on this jiart of my present journey 
 chanced to follow the track of a herd of wild elephants near the lank 
 of Kalawewa, when he suddenly found himself in front of a gigantic 
 statue in the forest, the existence of which had been previously 
 unknown to Europeans. He led us to the spot, and our surprise was 
 extreme on beholding a figure of Ikiddha, nearly fifty feet high, carved 
 from the ficc of a rock, and so detached that only two slender tics 
 had been left unhewn at the back to support the colossus by main- 
 taining its attachment with the living stone." 
 
 The scene was most remarkable. As usual, advan- 
 tage had been tak^n of a grouji of enormous rocks to 
 form temples and pansclas in the fissures between, and 
 
 1 1 
 
 
 i I 
 
 i*! -V' I. 
 

 ill I 
 
 I 
 
 ? 
 
 i 
 
 I i 
 
 i'> 
 
 jj^ 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cu. 
 
 prodigious labour had been expended in hewing steps, 
 hollowing niches, and excavating baths. There had 
 previously been a pandal to shelter the statue, and holes 
 still remain in the rock which had served for the insertion 
 of the columns which supported it. The place was 
 deserted and silent. Close by dwelt one solitary priest, 
 v.'ith no attendant save a neophyte, his pupil ; he told us 
 that the statue had been made by order of Prakrama 
 Baku, and that the temple in its prosperity was called 
 Magampeka Estane, but since it fell into ruins it has been 
 known as the Ankana Wihara. 
 
 I mounted the rock from which the image was carved, 
 and found it to be about three or four feet above the top 
 of the head of lii-, statue. I was told by Mr. Adams, 
 still living, a man remarkable for his extraordinary 
 activity and nerve, of a feat he had performed in regard 
 to this statue many years previously, when assistant agent 
 in that district. He actually took it into his head to jump 
 from the top of the rock to the head of the statue, on 
 which there would have been only the smallest standing- 
 ground, even if the head had been of ordinary con- 
 struction. But the legend of Ikiddha gives him a some- 
 what sloping head with a sharp top-knot. On this slope- 
 Mr. Adams alighted ; he had then to turn round without 
 any support, and to jump up two or three feet to reach the 
 rock again. He found his nerve failing, but at last made 
 a desperate effort, and just reached the ledge from which 
 he had sprung, when he w^is seized and pulled up by his 
 attendant. The very thought of such a desperate feat 
 makes me giddy. There is not the least doubt of the 
 truth of the story. 
 
 We went on to Anaradhapura, and thence to ^.lul- 
 laittivu, a station on the east coast, to the north of 
 Trincomalec, the most God-abandoned spot I had seen 
 
 I 
 
[Cu. 
 
 \VI.] 
 
 A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS. 
 
 jji 
 
 ving steps, 
 
 There had 
 
 ', and holes 
 
 ic insertion 
 
 place was 
 
 tary priest, 
 
 he told us 
 
 Prakrama 
 
 was called 
 
 it has been 
 
 ivas carved, 
 ove the top 
 Ir. Adams, 
 traordinary 
 1 in regard 
 stant agent 
 ad to jump 
 : statue, on 
 5t standing 
 inary con- 
 im a some- 
 1 this slope 
 nd without 
 o reach the 
 
 last made 
 from which 
 
 lip by his 
 pcrate feat 
 ubt of the 
 
 e to :\.rui- 
 
 : north of 
 [ had seen 
 
 \ 
 
 in the island. It was low and sandy, with only a few 
 scrubby trees, and with small, shallow lagoons and reaches 
 of swamp. On these were lying the most enormous 
 crocodiles in great numbers. They were shown to me 
 twenty feet long, and arc most ferocious and daring. At 
 the river, which runs past the town, I was warned not to 
 go too near the banks, where I was shown a house in 
 which a Tamil man and his wife and family had resided. 
 Unfortunately, a huge male and female crocodile also 
 took up their residence in the same spot. They gradually 
 carried off all the children, then the wife. The bereaved 
 husband still remained, and nothing would induce him to 
 leave, more especially as the female crocodile had been 
 shot. But the male still dwelt in the deep pool beneath 
 the hut, and one day the man was missing. The male 
 crocodile had avenged his mate, and the whole Tamil 
 family had been quietly devoured in some hole beneath 
 the bank. 
 
 We returned thence to the main northern road from 
 which we had struck off, and on reaching a place called 
 Chavacherri, the last halting-place before the end of my 
 journey at Jaffna, I was called on by the priest, a 
 Frenchman, the only luiropean in the district. lie was 
 a remarkably good-looking man of about forty, tall and 
 erect, and I was greatly struck by his well-bred manner 
 and conversation, I asked him to take a walk and to 
 tline, both which invitations he readily accepted. During 
 the walk he made use of some expression which caused 
 me to turn round, and, looking him full in the face, I 
 said, " Mon perc, vous avcz etc militaire ? " He coloured 
 and was silent, and then, after a long pause, as we walked 
 on, he said, " Yes, I have been a soldier, a French officer, 
 and I fought side by side with your countrymen through- 
 out the Crimea. I had a strong liking for them. Look 
 
 m 
 
 
 ; I 
 
 W 
 
 w 
 
 li 
 
1>1^ 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. XVI. 
 
 here, see what I wear, and shall wear till I die." And he 
 opened his soutane, and underneath, next to the skin, was 
 our Crimean medal. "What made you abandon the 
 military life ^ " I asked. " Ah ! " said he, " there are some 
 misfortunes that it is pleasant to recount, for there is 
 comfort in doing so, if one meets with sympathy. But 
 there are other misfortunes, too great to touch on." I 
 asked him if he was happy. " Perfectly so," he said. lie 
 had made himself the guide and friend and doctor of the 
 people about him, he never intended to leave them till it 
 was the will of God to take him. 1 asked him to come 
 and visit me in Colombo. No, he could not leave his 
 people, by whom I heard that he was perfectly adored 
 from his kindness and gentleness. The archbishop told 
 me recently that he had offered him advancement, but to 
 no purpose, and that he is now dead. lie would not 
 leave his solitary post, he held it to the last, a true 
 soldier of the Cros'^. I asked the archbishop if he knew 
 his history. He did not, but he believed his whole life 
 had been changed by some terrible event. 
 
 ( ! 
 
I I 
 
 .1 
 
 [Cii. XVI. 
 
 ." And he 
 lie skin, was 
 jandon the 
 re are some 
 or there is 
 athy. Hut 
 ch on." I 
 2 said. He 
 )ctor of the 
 them till it 
 im to come 
 t leave his 
 :tly adored 
 bishop told 
 lent, but to 
 
 would not 
 ast, a true 
 if he knew 
 
 whole life 
 
 JOJ 
 
 r.;' 
 
 . 
 
 CHAPTER XVH. 
 
 On returning to Colombo I made up my mind that I 
 could not recover my spirits if I remained in Ceylon. 
 Even my usual hard work became distasteful, and I 
 longed most earnestly for a complete change of every- 
 thing — men, scenery, thought, and associations. I had no 
 right to leave until after five years' residence abroad, but 
 Lord Carnarvon in the kindest manner gave me three 
 months' leave of absence to see my mother and some 
 friends I much valued, and my home. 
 
 On reaching Egypt we found we had four spare days, 
 so we made off for Cairo, and had a very pleasant time. 
 We visited the Pyramids, and witnessed that which I had 
 never, in all my experience of that country, witnessed 
 before, a simoon. Our driver foresaw it, and our horses 
 foresaw it also, for they strove with might and main to 
 reach shelter, and rushed to the opposite side of the 
 empty shed at the base of the Pyramids. The air was 
 filled with dust, a furious blast of wind was raging, a dim 
 circle of light showed where the sun was. At last it blew 
 over with a slight shower, and all was bright and cool. It 
 is an event worth recalling. 
 
 I found my mother wonderfully well at Coole, and 
 while there I gave a dinner and a dance to my tenants, 
 by whom I wa-- most cordially received. Coming 
 events had not then cast their shadows before. The 
 
 
 \ 
 
i|!| 
 
 
 f 
 
 % 
 
 i 
 
 I* 
 
 "! 
 
 ? f 
 
 It 
 
 334 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORN'. 
 
 rci 
 
 country was prosperous and rents were well paid, and 
 the general feeling of the peasantry was contented ami 
 peaceable. The Roman Catholic clergymen attended 
 the dinner, and were very complimentary ; and I took 
 occasion, in responding to the toast of my health, to 
 refer to the effects of the Land Act of I1S70, of which I 
 was a strong supporter. Although its piovisions had 
 effected a £Treat amelioration in the condition of the Irish 
 peasantry, I asked them if, in any single instance durini,^ 
 the time that Coole had been in my possession, the neces- 
 sity of the bill had been shown by my conduct as a 
 landlord, as had too often been the case on other pro- 
 perties. The spokesman of the tenants replied that no 
 such instance had ever occurred, that no one had a case 
 of injustice to allege, and we parted with exi)ressions, 
 which I believe to have been thoroughly sincere, of good 
 will and regret on both sides. 
 
 Nothing could exceed the civility of the Colonial 
 Office. They offered mc any more leave I might require ; 
 but I felt myself so revived and strengthened by the mere 
 sight of home and of old friends and of topics of interest, 
 till of late strange to mc, that I could not conscientiously 
 extend my departure ; so on the day three months from 
 the date of leaving Ceylon, the i6th of July, I embarked 
 at Southampton, aud after having enjoyed the Red Sea, 
 so pleasant was it, I reached Galle on the 14th, and was 
 nearly drowned in landing, owing to the tremendous sea 
 that was rolling into the harbour. I received thereby a 
 practical proof of my wisdom in abandoning Gallc and 
 forming a breakwater at Colombo, for no artificial works 
 could have given security to the former port during the 
 south-west monsoon. 
 
 In September I opened the Legislative Council, under 
 the most favourable auspices. I was able to congratulate 
 
re, 
 
 XVII.] 
 
 MISSIONARY EFFORTS. 
 
 335 
 
 f , 
 
 II paid, and 
 titcntcd and 
 :n attended 
 and I took 
 r health, to 
 , of which I 
 visions had 
 of the Irish 
 ance durin^j 
 1, the ncces- 
 )nduct as a 
 other pro- 
 icd that no 
 had a case 
 [expressions, 
 ;re, of c[ood 
 
 le Colonial 
 jht require ; 
 jy the mere 
 of interest, 
 scientiouslv 
 lonths from 
 I embarked 
 e Red Sea, 
 th, and was 
 lendous sea 
 i thereby a 
 \ Gallc and 
 ficial works 
 during the 
 
 uncii, under 
 ongratulate 
 
 \ 
 
 I 
 
 our members on the flourishing condition of the finances. 
 The revenue of the past year was the largest hitherto 
 received, and a very large excess of receipts over expendi- 
 ture was at my disposal. I had plenty of calls to dispose 
 of it — the construction of the seaside railway, and of 
 the great Kalutara bridge, and a splendid new gaol at 
 Kandy, with separate accommodation for five hundred 
 prisoners ; the pressing on of the great arterial roads to 
 Trincomalee and Jaffna ; irrigation in every province ; 
 increase of telegraphic communication ; the establishment 
 of fountains and pure water-supply to towns ; improve- 
 ments at Nuwara-Eliya, to render it attractive to all 
 comers ; forest preservation, where abuses and roguery 
 and wholesale destruction were rife, by which those vast 
 tracts, which should have been of immense value, had 
 been almost denuded of the most valuable trees. I took 
 the opportunity, in alluding to the increase of education 
 through the missionary schools, thus to express myself on 
 missionary efforts : — 
 
 " I need hardly assure you that I have received this announcement 
 of the vi^^our with whicli the missionaries are progressing witli un- 
 feigned satisfaction. I have visited the schools of various denomina- 
 tions, and have generally found them conducted with efficiency and 
 judgment. IJy judgment I mean that the object of the missionaries 
 is to give a sound education, so as to influence the reasoning powers 
 of their pupils, and thence to direct them to highest truths, rather 
 than to aim at *llling their register with lists of nominal conversions. 
 1 know cf no country where missionary work is doing better than 
 licre, or where there is less apparent odium t/teoiogiiim. All are 
 working with conscientious rivalry, and by the thoroughly impartial 
 action of the (Government, each denomination is made aware that, so 
 far as Government assistance is concerned, it is to be obtained solely 
 by results." 
 
 I may here quote another passage from my closing 
 address to the Legislative Council on a subject in which 
 I i:ook the greatest interest, and whicli had previously 
 
 .1;, ' 
 
 'i ' 
 i ' 
 
 /• .'• 
 
 ^ 
 
I 'I 
 
 \i 
 
 i 
 
 
 h 
 
 V 
 
 It 
 
 ■I 
 
 
 1 i 
 
 .8*1 
 
 I. i 
 
 f 
 
 .1 I 
 
 336 
 
 SIR WILLIAM (iRliGORY. 
 
 CCh. 
 
 Ijccn sadly nci^-lcctcd ; I iiilmii the preservation of the 
 ancient literature of the country, an.l the scientific ex- 
 ploration, copying,', and translation of tlie inscriptions uit.h 
 which, on rocks and slabs, Ceylon abounded : — 
 
 " I am contiilcnt you will .'v^rcc with mc that it is liiL;li!y cxpediciu 
 to make an effort to prcscrvo tlie ancient literature of Ceylon. It is 
 a duty which we owe, not merely to tlie !ar;4e and annually incrcasin;; 
 number of students of Oriental history and of Oriental phi!olo;,'y, but 
 to the natives of this island, niany of whom have already widely dis- 
 tin,i;uishcd themselves by anticiuarian research, many more of whom 
 will devote themselves to it if facilities for study be afforded. With 
 this object, for some time past the (lovernmcnt has annually spent 
 a small sum in procurin;^' copies of all books of interest which are 
 still in existence in the temple libraries, liut, in addition to this, 1 
 have thoui^ht it advisable to take immediate steps to obtain repro- 
 ductions of all the other records which arc to be found on rocks and 
 detached stones, and which are ^'radiially ])erishinL; by the action of 
 time and weather and the rava;^'es of man." 
 
 During; this year I had a most important correspond- 
 ence with the Duke of Buckin.c^ham, Governor of Madras. 
 The absence of all safe ports in the Presidency rendered 
 the shipment of goods precarious, and even dangerous ; 
 and he very wisely considered that the erection of a 
 breakwater at M:;uras would cost an enormous sum, and 
 probably turn out, as it has done, an enormous failure. 
 His proposal to me was that the Madras Government 
 should run a railway to the nearest point of junction with 
 Ceylon, and that the Ceylon Governrnent should then join 
 it by a railway, and, by that junction, Colombo would 
 become the port and great emporium of South India. 
 I was greatly taken with the proposal, and deeply regret 
 that I was unable to adopt measures to bring it to effect. 
 But, in the first place, I was hampered by the great 
 expense of the imminent extension of our then railwa>- 
 s}'stem into Elva, a ciuestion of a million of money, and 
 by consideration of the cost of constructing a railway over 
 
 , 
 
 
[Cm. 
 
 •ation of the 
 scientific cx- 
 iriptions wiUi 
 
 i^hly expedient 
 
 Ceylon. It is 
 
 ually increasing' 
 
 1 pliil()lo;,'y, but 
 
 !ady widely dis- 
 
 niorc of whoni 
 
 itVorded. With 
 
 annuidly spiiu 
 
 .'lost wliicli ;iri' 
 
 lition to this, I 
 
 [) obtain rcpiD- 
 
 d on rocks and 
 
 ly the action of 
 
 corrcspotul- 
 ir of Madras, 
 iicy rendered 
 
 dangerous ; 
 faction of a 
 us sum, and 
 nous failure. 
 Govern inent 
 unction with 
 dd then join 
 Dmbo would 
 )Outh India, 
 ecply regret 
 
 it to effect, 
 y the great 
 icn raihva)- 
 money, and 
 •ailway over 
 
 XVII.] 
 
 A TEMPTINC; .SCHEME. 
 
 337 
 
 
 I 
 
 Adam's Bridge, a work of great magnitude. This ridge 
 of rocks almost connects India with Ceylon, and is pas.sed 
 through by the Panuban Channel. Those rocks arc 
 erroneously supi)osed to be the rcinains of a junction 
 with India, .-ind to have been worn away by liie action 
 of the sea. (jcological investigation has, however, proved 
 that they are of a comparatively modern formation of 
 conglomerate and sandstone, which have been widened 
 and enlarged by deposits of sand. 
 
 The scheme of the Duke of Buckingham was looked 
 coldly on b>- the Government of India, and the local 
 opinion of Madras was in ftivour of the expenditure on 
 a home harbour, so that the matter fell through. Hut in 
 conversation, subsequently, with Mr. Kyle, the extremely 
 able engineer of our breakwater, he produced a plan, with 
 every detail carefully worked out, whereby the sea-passage 
 froin Colombo to India would be accomi)lishcd at a inere 
 trifle of expense. He proposed that the trains should be 
 run down into a long raft, and be ferried across by steam, 
 leaving the locomotive on each side, and picking up 
 another on landing. There would be no fear of the 
 perils of the sea, as Adam's Bridge served as a perfect 
 natural breakwater. It might be rough enough during 
 the south-west monsoon at the south of the bridge, but 
 it would be perfectly srnooth water to the nor«"h, and 
 r/tv versa ; during the north-east monsoon the raft would 
 travel by the south of the bridge. Had this sinple and 
 perfectly practical suggestion been ' ladc to me at the time 
 I cannot but think that something would have come out 
 of the Duke of Buckingham's proposal. It, at all events, 
 redounds to his credit, and will possibly be carried out 
 eventually. 
 
 In the course of this year we had the good fortune of a 
 pearl-fishery, ana I went in th Government steainer to see 
 
 1 
 
i ^ 
 
 3;vS 
 
 SIR WII.IIAM CRKGOKV. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 ' I i 
 
 .» 
 
 this remarkable sight. A pearl-fisher}- bein^; announced, 
 the clivers flocked in, most from India and some from 
 Ceylon, all Tamils, in their own sailing-boats. The number 
 of vessels, eacli manned by about six men, general!)' 
 averages a hundred and fifty. These are divided into 
 three fleets, each fleet being distinguished by a red, blue, 
 or white flag. The ground, or rather that i)art of the 
 sea, had been carefully mapped out by Captain Dounan, 
 the master attendant. He knew accurately where every 
 deposit of oysters was to be looked for. In tlie afternoon 
 this particular spot was marked b}- a Ijuoy, and in the 
 morning, at gun-fire, one of the detachments of the fleet 
 scudded off and took its moorings round the buoy. The 
 breeze blew from the land from an early hour, and later 
 from the sea, landward. When another gun was fired, 
 the vessels seemed to fl)' homewards. They cpiite ran 
 away from our steamer. We were up and about at 
 cockcrow, and round from one fishing-boat to another, 
 taking toll of one oyster from each. Out of the fifty 
 oysters thus obtained I did not secure even one pearl. 
 It was a ver)' amusing sight. The divers sat on the side 
 of the vessel like so many cormorants on a ledge of 
 rocks. When ready they went down with one foot in 
 the hollow of a heavy stone, something like a sugar-loaf, 
 and attachetl to a rope, and threw themselves on the 
 oysters, which they scrambled into a net fastened to the 
 waist. y\t one moment the surface of the sea was per- 
 fectly smooth, then, all at once, bob, bob, bob, would come 
 up a series of black heads, puffing and blowing. No one 
 remained under the water as long as a minute, and I was 
 informed that very few divers could exceed or even reach 
 that time. When the gun was again fired the sports of 
 the day were over, and the financial business began. On 
 landing, the crews of the various boats carried up their 
 
 I • I. 
 
[Cm. 
 
 announced, 
 some from 
 ["he niimher 
 !, .Ljenerall)' 
 ivitled into 
 a red, blue, 
 )art of the 
 in Dounan, 
 here every 
 e afternoon 
 and in the 
 3f the fleet 
 >uoy. The 
 •, and later 
 
 was fired, 
 ■ ciuite ran 
 1 about at 
 c) another, 
 )f the fifty 
 one pearl. 
 )n the .side 
 I ledije of 
 ne foot in 
 
 sugar-loaf, 
 •es on the 
 ned to the 
 a was per- 
 ,'ould cornc^ 
 ;. No one 
 and I was 
 even reach 
 : sports of 
 legan. On 
 d up their 
 
 .WII.] 
 
 A I'EAKL-riSIIKRY. 
 
 33'J 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 .spoils to the Government sheds. The oysters were then 
 divided into four heaps, and the crew were ordered to 
 tal<e their choice. This was their payment. It was a 
 tjamblinc; affair. Sometimes they got hi-.,'!! prices for 
 their lots, sometimes low ; but this gambling is a great 
 attraction. In former days there was a special heap 
 assigned to thr shark-charmer, who, by his incantati(jns, 
 was su[)poscd to banish these monsters. During the 
 latter fisheries this api)cndage was got rid of, much to 
 the terror of the divers, who now laugh at their super- 
 stition. The noise and si)lashing keep cff the sharks, 
 which arc numerous enough, and no accident has occurred 
 since the discontinuance of the charmer till this )-ear 
 I'liSfjo), when a diver was attacked and carried away 
 by one. 
 
 When the oysters were divided the Government agent 
 put them up to auction, and my aide-de-camp, Major 
 Chi)', and secretary, Mr. Stewart, each bought a thousand 
 at £^ \os. Mr. Stewart opened his on the way back, and 
 found nothing. Major Clay buried his in a barrel in 
 Queen's Mouse garden, and when he dug it up, two or 
 three months afterwards, lie got several good pearls, cer- 
 tainly worth .1^12. Such is the uncertainty. At Aripo 
 there were great fluctuations in price, froin ;{^io, and even 
 i^i2 per thousand, to £^, just as reports came in from 
 various deposits where the oysters were left to rot, and 
 where they impregnated the atmosphere with a stench 
 exceeding all other stenches wh'ch have ever affected my 
 nostrils. A number of speculators were in attendance at 
 the auction — merchants from India, from China, and many 
 from Colombo, who bought whohjsalc to retail unopened 
 with very high profits. All the coolies about the harbour, 
 and every loafer about the streets, who had a few pence 
 in his pocket, bought oysters. A little Tamil boy had 
 
 v\\\ 
 
340 
 
 SIR WILLIAM (IREGORV, 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 it I -ii 
 
 been given sixpence by some traveller. He ran down 
 and parted with it for one oyster, but in it was found a 
 pearl for which he was immediately given ;^io, and which 
 the purchaser sold the same day for ^50. The story of 
 such ventures spread like wildfire, and the oyster-sellers 
 drove a roaring trade. I refrained from any specula- 
 tion, remembering Mr. Hill's (the Oxford-street jeweller) 
 advice : " Never buy pearls ; you have always the Indian 
 rajahs to outbid you." 
 
 The beginning of this year was not signalized by any 
 remarkable events, except that 1 was as near killed as a 
 man could be by a fall from my horse when visiting the 
 North Central Province. I had made an excursion of some 
 distance from the northern road to visit some newly re- 
 stored village tanks, which the cultivators were very proud 
 of, and had begged me to inspect. I remained in the 
 village for a day, to please the people, and because of the 
 excellent snipe-shooting. On mounting my horse, a fine 
 grey Australian, belonging to one of the escort, he 
 plunged, and bolted along the very narrow jungle path, 
 twisting in and out through trees. Although I had onl\- 
 one foot in the stirrup I contrived to steer him some 
 short distance, when I was struck under the chin by a 
 branch of a tree and flung with the greatest violence to 
 the ground. I was not stunned, but grievously hurt, and 
 was carried on a bed to the station, some six miles off, 
 in desperate pain. There was, fortunatcl}-, an excellent 
 surgeon with us, who pronounced that no injuries, ex- 
 ternal and internal, were discoverable, and he was right ; 
 but the whole of my back became as black as my hat, 
 and, though I was able to finish the trip in a carriage, I 
 was unable for a month to mount my horse. 
 
 In September I opened the Legislative Assembly, and 
 had again the satisfaction of announcing an ever-increasing 
 
[Cii. 
 
 i ran down 
 /as found a 
 f, and which 
 'he story of 
 ystcr-scllers 
 ny spccula- 
 :ct jeweller) 
 the Indian 
 
 zed by any 
 ■ killed as a 
 visiting the 
 iion of some 
 :: newly re- 
 very proud 
 ined in the 
 ;ause of the 
 lorsc, a fine 
 escort, he 
 angle path, 
 I had only 
 him some 
 chin by a 
 violence to 
 y hurt, and 
 c miles off, 
 1 excellent 
 ijurics, ex- 
 was right ; 
 IS my hat, 
 carriage, I 
 
 cmbly, and 
 
 •nicreasnig 
 
 XVII.] IMPROVEMENTS P.ECIUN AND PLANNED. 
 
 341 
 
 revenue, leaving an excess of nearly a million and a 
 half of rupees over expenditure. Again I was able to 
 pour forth from my full cornucopia all manner of good 
 things. More improvements at Nuwara-Eliya, including 
 the construction of the beautiful road from the ]\Ioon 
 Plains to the Banack Plains, an esplanade which was to 
 be the fashionable walk of North Colombo, and which 
 was perfectly delightful tia it was entirely washed away 
 by the sea a few years later. Irrigation was continued 
 everywhere at high pressure, especially in the uncontested 
 benefit of repairing the village tanks. The breakwater 
 was begun under most favourable auspices. Tlic arterial 
 roads were bridged and nearly finished, which enabled me 
 to begin others, not so ambitious but of great usefulness. 
 I set going a scheme, which I longed to see executed, of 
 giving Colombo an ample supply of pure water. So far 
 back as 1862, in the days of Sir H. Robinson, the subject 
 was mooted, but nf^thing was done till 1866, when a 
 special committee was appointed to report on the water- 
 supply and drainage of the town. Nothing could have 
 been stronger than that report. The water was pro- 
 nounced insufficient and utterly unfit for use. It pro- 
 ceeded from wells, many of them close to cess-pits, hence 
 yielding impure and coloured water, often brackish. 
 They recommended a supply from the river Kelavi. 
 Various negotiations were then entered into with com- 
 panies, but they all broke down, and after eleven years' 
 procrastination I took up the matter in 1873, and re- 
 ferred the subject to Mr. Bateman, the well-known water 
 •engineer, who reported in 1874 there was nothing to 
 prevent it from being carried out. But first of all arose 
 delays at the Colonial Office as to the manner of pay- 
 ment ; then Mr. Bateman was taken ill and neglected the 
 business ; then he quarrelled with the Colonial Office 
 
 I 
 
 '■■\\ 
 
 m\ 
 
 ; I 
 
 I. 
 
 '' '■ I 
 
 I i- 
 
 ' II 
 
3'P 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii. 
 
 ^1! 111. 
 
 1, « 
 
 .!-l,> 
 
 ri 
 
 i 
 
 (i 
 
 authorities, so that this, my favourite project, lingered on 
 until a considerable time after my retirement, and my 
 successor had the credit and satisfaction of completing 
 this undertaking, which I had determined to culminate by 
 the erection of a magnificent fountain just opposite the 
 Town Hall, which should be a glory to Colombo, and a 
 monument of my good taste. 
 
 In 1879 it was determined not to make use of Kelavi 
 river, and the determination was a very proper one. In 
 1882 the works were begun, but not completed till 1889. 
 At a place called Labugama, about eight miles from 
 Colombo, and 360 feet above the sea-level, a mountain 
 river, flowing between two hills, has been blocked up and 
 converted into a lake about 80 feet deep. This is the 
 very purest water, coming from a perfectly uncontaminated 
 stream ; it is conveyed to Colombo in pipes, and every 
 drop passes through a screen of woven wire which inter- 
 cepts the s-.nallest extraneous substance. The supply of 
 water is so large that it is calculated even if not a droi> 
 of rain fell for 200 days, there would still be a sui)ply of 
 600,000,000 gallons, about 3,000,000 being the ordinary 
 consumption. This great reservoir is one of the most 
 lovely spots in Ceylon. It reminds one of Scottish 
 scenery, the wild woods coming tlown to the mountain 
 tarn, and the bright blue glittering water reflecting the 
 clear sky. There is a capital rest-house at the reservoir 
 which I am surprised is not more frequented by the 
 jeuiiessc dorcc of Colombo ; and also excellent boats, 
 though I believe the stern law which forbids access of all 
 domestic animals to the water is extended to tourists, 
 who cannot obtain boats without leave from the superin- 
 tendent. The only large animal which gets access to the 
 water is the elephant, a herd of wild ones being somewhere 
 in the neighbourhood, and paying it periodical visits. I 
 
LCh. 
 
 lingered on 
 It, and my 
 complctinj^- 
 aim in ate by 
 pposite the 
 nbo, and a 
 
 e of Kelavi 
 -r one. In 
 d till 1889. 
 miles Iron; 
 I mountain 
 :ed up and 
 This is the 
 ntaminatetl 
 and every 
 hich inter- 
 : supply of 
 not a drop 
 L supply of 
 ic ordinary 
 the most 
 »f Scottish 
 ; mountain 
 ecting the 
 c reservoir 
 d by the 
 ent boats, 
 cess of all 
 o tourists, 
 le superin- 
 ;ess to the 
 omewhcrc 
 visits. I 
 
 \VII.] 
 
 THE lion's progress. 
 
 lit 
 
 see by the Ceylon papers of September, 1890, that this 
 lierd is to be captured forthwith in a kraal. 
 
 I much regret I cannot lay my hand on the letter of 
 Mr. MacBride,* giving the account of the transport of a 
 famous Hon from its original site in the Council Hall of 
 King Nusanka INIalla, at Polannarua. This is the ruined 
 cit}- of greatest interest after Anaradhapura. It is of 
 much later origin. The lion in question is a fine object, 
 quite as spirited as his Cnidian brother in the British 
 Museum. There is an inscription on it to this effect : " On 
 this lion King Nusanka Alalia sat and administered 
 justice." A capital caricature was done of mc by a IMr. 
 Van Dort, a native. I was portrayed as King Nusanka, 
 dressed up in royal Kandian robes and seated on the 
 lion, with the title, " The modern Nusanka Malla.'' But 
 to return to the journey. Every mishap attended the 
 transfer of this huge stone beast. Its first dray fell to 
 pieces beneath its weight. On descending from the 
 elevated ground where it stood the two elephants attached 
 to it pulled over-vigorously, and the dray and the lion and 
 the elephants flew apart in different directions. It had 
 then to be drawn over a difficult jungle path, a distance of 
 fifteen miles from the main road ; but the elephants had 
 now learned their business, and these obstacles were 
 surmounted. But whe.i it reached the high road the 
 worst of all remained. The wooden bridges, constructed 
 to sustain a moderate load, were quite unable to bear the 
 combined weight of the lion and the dray, and the banks 
 of the river were precipitous and deep. But this, too, was 
 overcome by digging out a sloping passage to the bed 
 of the river, and another on the opposite side. The 
 elephants with their immense strength and sagacity 
 sustained the strain of letting down the lion, and easily 
 * Director of Public Works, Ceylon. 
 
 Ill 
 
 I 
 
344 
 
 SIR WILi^IAM GREGORY. 
 
 [C... 
 
 Ill 
 
 f 
 
 drew it up again. ]\Iucli of this took place in the 
 soh'tary jungle, but when the inhabited regions were 
 approached, the whole country turned out in amaze- 
 ment. MacBride on horseback in front, the procession 
 of elephants, the lion decked with wreaths and flowers, 
 was a magnificent sight. The tom-tommer from eacli 
 village joined the cortege. The head man of the district 
 asked permission for his little boy to ride the monster 
 into Matale, whence he was to be conveyed by rail to 
 Colombo. This gay, populous town was wild with ex- 
 citement and delight, and MacBride as elated as Pauhis 
 Emilius or Metellus, when they marched in triumpli 
 through Rome, and exhibited their spoils to the wonder- 
 ing citizens. No f"urther adventures occurred. The lion 
 now stands calmly in the Museum, and few know, or could 
 understand if told, all the cares it caused, and the ex- 
 citement it created. It is a most valuable arclu-eological 
 record, and would have been undoubtedly destroyed ere 
 this had it not been removed. How the artist who 
 carved this fierce majestic beast got the notion of him it 
 is difficult to say, as there is no record of there having 
 been lions in Ceylon at that period. 
 
 Among other measures which. I proposed to the 
 Legislative Council was one to provide a Widows' Fund, 
 and I quote the words of my address : — 
 
 " I liavo every cxpeclation of 1)cing able lo lay before )ou ,i 
 measure for making provision for ihe widows of public servants of all 
 classes in the colony. No one but members of the Executive Council 
 can form an idea of the sad cases, which perpetually come before 
 them, of widows of trustworthy and deserving public servants, who 
 have by their husband's death been left on the \ crge of destitution. 
 Sad, too, is the position of the (Government, which is obliged to 
 meet their appeals for assistance by refusal." 
 
 Here, again, I was fated to meet with disappointment. 
 It was coldly received by the Colonial Office, who had 
 
[Cii. 
 
 )Iacc in tin: 
 ■C!:,n'on.s were 
 ■ in amaze- 
 c procession 
 and flowers, 
 ' from each 
 the district 
 the monster 
 by rail to 
 Id with ex- 
 d as Paul us 
 in triumph 
 the wondcr- 
 Tiic h'on 
 3U', or could 
 nd the cx- 
 chc-eoloj^ncal 
 .stro>-cd crc 
 artist who 
 11 of him it 
 lerc haviiiM 
 
 !cd to the 
 ows' Inind, 
 
 )ef()rc you u 
 :i-\-ants of all 
 itivo Council 
 come before 
 ,rvants, who 
 ' clcstilution. 
 ; oblitrcd to 
 
 ^ointment. 
 , who had 
 
 XVII.] 
 
 ARRIVAL OF THE PRINCE OF WALES. 
 
 345 
 
 ! 
 
 some scheme of its own for a universal Colonial Widows' 
 I'und, an impossibility on the face of it. Whc could frame 
 a scale to meet the deadly climate of our West African 
 colonies, and of those which are Uv/tably healthy ? The 
 Legislative Council had returned a cordial reply of assent. 
 We were prepared to vote a liberal sum as the basis of the 
 scheme. At last the Colonial Ofificc, finding its own plan 
 impracticable, gave way. The Auditor-General, who was 
 going home, was commissioned to confer with competent 
 actuaries. This he did, but of course much delay ensued. 
 At last all was being got ready when he lost every paper 
 connected with the subject, and all had to be done again. 
 The scheme did not come into operation for several years 
 after I had first proposed it, and it grieved me .inch that 
 many cases, very sad ones, occurred which I jould not 
 relieve, and I am deeply sorry not to have seen in my 
 day the fulfdment of this most valuable boon to the 
 public servants of the colony. It should be sufficient to 
 me that it is now in full working order, and conferring 
 immense good. 
 
 Early in the spring rumour was rife that the Prince of 
 Wales was about to visit his Mother's Eastern possessions. 
 In the autumn I received the official announcement that 
 Ce)'lon was to be included. 
 
 On the morning of Peccmbcr i, the royal fleet 
 steamed into the roads at Colombo, and, in due time, I 
 had to go off in full dress to pay my respects. It was 
 rough and wet, and I had great difficulty in clamber- 
 ing into the Serapis with a sword between my legs, 
 much to the amusement of Lord Charles Beresford, 
 the commander. Nothing could be more gracious and 
 pleasant than the Prince. He seemed gratified with our 
 programme, the first part of which was to land, after his 
 luncheon, to drive through Colombo and admire the 
 
 1:11 
 
 yj 
 
 1 
 
 n 
 
 j 
 
 n 
 
 
346 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cii 
 
 !i|i| 
 
 4\ 
 
 arches and decoration' erected in his honour. The land- 
 ing was auspiciously conducted, and so was the drive, 
 except that, at starting, the two imported Australian 
 leaders were so fractious that they had to be removed. 
 The multitude thought this a bad omen, that the Prince 
 should have to take his round with two rather than four 
 horses. My Malay mounted body-guard was greatly 
 admired. 
 
 The following day the sun rose bright and clear, and 
 we made an early start for Kandy. The Prince rode on 
 the engine up the famous incline, and wc halted at llie 
 top of the pass to enable him to lunch and lo change his 
 dress, so as to enter Kandy in grand attire. On reaching 
 Kandy we drove very slowly to the Pavilion, and the 
 sight was very beautiful. All the population was out in 
 holiday costume ; the steep bank from the railway station 
 was a close mass of human beings, who rose simultane- 
 ously when the Prince's carriage reached them, and then 
 at once sat down again. It was a curious and brilliant 
 sight. 
 
 In the evening, after dinner, we had a pcrehara of the 
 finest elephants belonging to the temples, headed by 
 the Kandian chiefs, together with devil-dancers, torch- 
 bearers, and other appurtenances of these functions. l>ut 
 the most important of the Kandian ceremonies was 
 reserved till the following evening, when, after dinner, wc 
 adjourned to the Audience Hall, now the Hall of the 
 Supreme Court, formerly that of the Kandian kings. 
 Here were assembled all the great Kandian chiefs, each 
 of whom was introduced to the Prince, and received most 
 graciously. Moreover, the wives of these chiefs were also 
 assembled, in a blaze of jewellery. Among them was a 
 celebrated old lady, one of tiie largest landowners in 
 Ceylon. She was a woman of the highest rank and 
 
 I 
 
[Cii 
 
 XVII.] 
 
 THE PRINCE AT KANDY. 
 
 347 
 
 The land- 
 as the drive, 
 d Aiistrahan 
 be removed. 
 t tlie I'rincc 
 er than four 
 was greatly 
 
 id clear, and 
 ince rode on 
 lalted at the 
 J change his 
 On reachine 
 ion, and the 
 n was out in 
 ihvay station 
 ic simultanc- 
 m, and then 
 and brilh'ant 
 
 ■chara of the 
 headed by 
 ncers, torch- 
 ctions. ]5ut 
 monies was 
 r dinner, we 
 Hall of the 
 idian kings, 
 chiefs, each 
 ceived most 
 ifs were also 
 them was a 
 idowners in 
 t rank and 
 
 i 
 
 bluest blood, and had been lady-in-waiting to the Queen 
 of Kandy. To the memory of her ancient mistress she 
 had remained unswervingly faithful, stubbornly refusing 
 to pay her respects to the Governors or their wives — a 
 good, honest rebel in heart. She, however, had the 
 strongest regard for Mr. Parsons, the Government agent 
 of the Central I'rovincc, and placed the most unhesitating 
 confidence in him. lie had persuaded her that she could 
 not avoid, as a great landowner, paying her respects to 
 the son of her sovereign. Mr. Parsons pointed her out 
 to the Prince, and told him her story. He at once 
 descended from the raised dais, went to the old lady and 
 took her by the hand. He said, " I have heard of your 
 unshaken fidelity to your former mistress, and I admire 
 you for it. 15ut she is gone and dead. I ask you now to 
 show the same fidelity to my Mother and your Queen, 
 and to accept and wear this ornament,* which is one of 
 the oymbols of the English crown, in remembrance of 
 me." These few words were said with singular kindness. 
 The old lady was silent for a minute, and then burst into 
 tears. "I will always wear it," she said, "in memory of 
 you and your iNIother, who will henceforth have no more 
 devoted servant than myself." And a devoted loyalist 
 she became, and remained till the end of her life. 
 
 It was on this occasion that I was invested by the 
 Prince with the Order of St. Michael and St. George, 
 
 The weather all that afternoon was terrible, a continual 
 downpour. The temple was brilliantly lighted, so far as 
 it could be managed, but the rain soon extinguished the 
 illuminations. In the afternoon the Prince visited it, 
 inspected the tooth, and then went and showed himself to 
 the multitude from the octagon in front of it. The poor 
 multitude presented the appearance of a sea of umbrellas, 
 
 * A gold brooch representing tlic Tudor Rose. 
 
 i ' 
 
h\ 
 
 348 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GKi:GOIiV, 
 
 EC. 
 
 . el 
 
 iii 
 
 «'• 
 
 and w • ■!■ : ''•glily drenched. The morning had been 
 bright, aiiu wc > ' visited Pcradcniya Gardens ; and the 
 Prince was deh'ghtcd with Mr. Thwaites, who was not 
 equally delighted with him, for, on seeing the flying foxes, 
 the Prince cried aloud, " Oh, if I only had a gun ! " 1 
 remarked that there were two or three in one of the 
 carriages, together with ammunition, which I had with 
 forethought provided, feeling quite sure of a battiic, and 
 of the destruction of numbers of these odious beasts, the 
 special favourites of Mr. Thwaites. The party went to 
 work with a w'll, and poor old Thwaites retired groaning 
 and sighing when he saw the huge heap of the bodies of 
 these hitherto protected robbers. This was the first attack 
 in force on their fortress, and since then, I am glad to say, 
 they have been utterly banished. 
 
 The following morning the sun was bright, and tlic 
 appearance of the weather promising, so wc started on 
 our journey of about sixty miles to Ruanwellc. The 
 quantity of baggage carried by the party was incon- 
 ceivable. We had every cart and car we could press into 
 the service, but they were utterly inadequate, and a large 
 body of coolies was told off to carry the effects. 
 
 Part of the journey was effected by train, and we had 
 hardly entered our carriages when the rain, persistent and 
 remorseless, came down. The unfortunate coolies, wet 
 and cold, were unable to carry their heavy loads, so they 
 threw them down, and bolted into the jungle. Several 
 of the carts also came to grief, and some of the carriages 
 also broke down, from the terrible condition of the road. 
 These luckily contained the servants, and we colonists 
 were by no means sorry to sec such great magnificoes 
 crawling in, wet to the skin, and very sorry for themselves, 
 after walking several miles in the slush. However, wc 
 made the best of it, and had a very pleasant dinner, 
 
[Cii. 
 
 ig had been 
 :ns ; and the 
 vho was not 
 flyini,f foxes, 
 a gun ! " I 
 I one of tlie 
 I had with 
 a battue, and 
 IS beasts, the 
 irty went to 
 •cd groaning 
 :hc bodies of 
 c first attack- 
 glad to say, 
 
 jht, and the 
 c started on 
 wclle. The 
 was incon- 
 d press into 
 and a large 
 
 and we had 
 rsistent and 
 coolies, wet 
 ids, so they 
 le. Several 
 le carriages 
 of the road. 
 \'Q. colonists 
 inagnificoes 
 themselves, 
 owever, we 
 ant dinner, 
 
 xvil.l 
 
 THE I'RINCl-: IN THE JUNGLE. 
 
 349 
 
 enlivened by the extraordinary stories of ^Ir. , the 
 
 assistant agent, some of which Baron ^Munchausen mi'dit 
 have enrolled among his own. 
 
 Sunday the 5th we halted at Ruanwelle, and tl '^ 
 Prince, having due regard to sabbath observance, refra'.' jc\ 
 from all manner of sports. 
 
 Favourab! • reports arrived of the elephants hrving 
 been driven in at no great distance, and I detachc. , o 
 of our most famous hunters, Messrs. Varian and J'^ishcr, 
 to keep a watchful eye on the Prince, and not to scruple 
 to lose their own lives in saving his. I must confess I 
 watched him and his companions oft" the next morning 
 to the scene of action with unmitigated apprehension. 
 Telegram after telegram was being forwarded, that, under 
 no circumstance, was I to permit the Prince to incur 
 danger. But to try and stop him would have been as 
 futile as the Pope's bull against a comet. \Vc had pro- 
 vided against danger as far as we could, by placing the 
 guns on rocks above the jungle, and towards these points 
 the elephants were driven. But they absolutely refused 
 to advance in these directions ; they rushed madly about 
 in terror ; the jungle was about fifteen feet high, so that 
 only their motion could be seen. At last, after waiting 
 till their patience was exhausted, the sportsmen deter- 
 mined to leave their posts and go down into this jungle, 
 which was impassable, save by the elephant tracks. It 
 was a most reckless undertaking, and such as no ex- 
 perienced hunter would have dreamed of. Fortunate 
 was it for thcin that a notoriously fierce elephant, with 
 one tusk, had broken away from the herd the day before, 
 or there would have been some dreadful work. Mr. 
 Fisher described to me the scene in the evening. He 
 could not tell where the elephants were going, as he could 
 see nothing save the waving of the bamboos. All at 
 
 fl 
 
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 o:>^ 
 
 SIR WIILIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [Cm. 
 
 once one c;une rij^ht down upon, and. as it were, over llic 
 Prince, who was as cool as a cucnmber, and brouj^dit him 
 down, literally at his feet, lie shot another, and jumped 
 on his carcase in triumph to possess himself of his tail. 
 When this was effected they say tiiat the courtier-likc 
 elephant t^ot up and made his way to his friends tailless. 
 
 All's well that ends well. They t^ot out of the juni^lc 
 without injury, and, providentiall}', without fever after- 
 wards, which I much feared. We had shifted our quarters 
 some eighteen or twenty miles nearer Colombo, to Ramula, 
 during the (.lay ; and when the shooting was over the 
 royal party was driven there by a by-road, as fast as the 
 poor jaded liorscs could go. Lord Ajiesford was on 
 the box, and took- the reins from the Tamil coachman 
 and began to flog the horses, who, having had enough of 
 it already, swerved and upset the part)' into the ditch. 
 No one was hurt, and the Prince's sole care was not to 
 lose his elephants' tails. The Malay escort soon put tlu; 
 carriage to rights. Lord Aylesford was removed from the 
 box, and all was ready for a start, when Lord Charles 
 Beresford, pointing to the coachman who was mountin.,^ 
 to his seat, said to the ]\Lalay sergeant, in a solemn tone 
 of command, "Cut that man's liead off!" In an instant 
 out flashed the Malay's sword, and in an instant the 
 command would have been obeyed, for a ALalay is ever 
 ready and willing for a fierce deed ; but, fortunate!)', the 
 coachman understood luiglish, and sprang up on the other 
 side of the road to a ledge of rocks, where he was safe. 
 Lord Charles, seeing how nearly his joke had caused a 
 serious catastrophe, now called out in stately tones, " The 
 Prince has graciously pardoned him, let him. come down." 
 And so he descended, and, though frightened out of his 
 Avits, brought us safely to Colombo on the afternoon ol' 
 the Gth. Then came all sorts of doings — a levee, a ball, 
 
[Cm, 
 
 ,vcrc, over llic 
 
 brouL^ht liim 
 
 ■, and juiu|)cil 
 
 If of his tail. 
 
 courticr-likc 
 ids tailless, 
 of the jiiiii:;lc 
 
 fever aficr- 
 
 1 our rjuartLis 
 o, to Rainula, 
 /as over the 
 s fast as the 
 ford was on 
 111 coachman 
 ;id cnout;h of 
 to tlic ditcl). 
 
 2 was not to 
 soon put tJK; 
 c-cd from the 
 ,ord Charles 
 as mcHuitin;^' 
 solemn tone 
 n an instant 
 
 instant the 
 alay is ever 
 unatel)', the 
 on the other 
 he was safe. 
 id caused a 
 tones, " The 
 ;omc down." 
 d out of his 
 iftcrnoon ol' 
 cvee, a ball, 
 
 .WII.J 
 
 ErFlXT or THE rUINCliS VISIT. 
 
 351 
 
 insi)cction of the coffee-mills, the layinj^ the fir.st stone of 
 the breakwater, a visit to the celebrated enormous tortoise, 
 who is, by tradition, reputed to have been of ^M'eat size and 
 'j^ood a.Lje when the Dutch ceded the islaml, and him with 
 it, in i/QfJ- He is still alive (1.S90). He is said to have 
 been imi)orted from the Seychelles. Hi--- .>trenf,fth is pro- 
 (li<>-i()us, as he is able U) carry several persons on his back, 
 but he is very letharc,nc, and, to ([uicken his movements, 
 some inhuman ]:)erson has bored a hole throui,di his cara- 
 pace, wherein to insert a sharp stick ; but this amusement 
 is not sanctioned. 
 
 The ball was a most splenditl affair. A lari^c iron 
 buildin,!^ was erected on Galle Face, and most tastefully 
 decorated. In spite of all sinister forebodini^s, everythin^i^ 
 was completed, and the Prince and his suite danced till 
 all hours of the morning. 
 
 All thinL;s, however, have an end ; and it was with 
 the most heartfelt feelini;s of relief that I watched, the 
 following morning, the departure of the royal squadron, 
 anil telegraphed to her IMajcsty that all had passed off 
 well. 
 
 I cannot conclude this episode without stating that no 
 one could have been more kind, courteous, and considerate 
 than his Royal Highness, and I must pay the same 
 tribute to all his retinue. The effect of the visit was 
 certainly good among the I'^uropeans, among whom 
 loj-alty was a passion ; but even on the natives it has 
 had a strong effect. Hitherto their ideas of royalty had 
 been confined to the image and superscription of her 
 Majesty on their coin. Now they saw its visible repre- 
 sentation in the person of one who would in all probability 
 be their future king. 
 
 The I'rincc had expressed a strong wish that I should 
 follow him to Calcutta, and Lord Northbrook had sent 
 
 ?"ir 
 
 jr 
 
 1 
 
 1 ' 
 
 ' 
 
 1 ! 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 
 :,l ^■ 
 
 iti' 
 
352 
 
 SIR WILLIAM r.REGOKV. 
 
 [••i 
 
 Hi 
 
 mc a cordial invitation, so I tclcp;raplic(l for the necessary 
 leave of a month, which was immciliately accorded by 
 Lord Carnarvon. So, ten days after the departure of the 
 royal part)-, I proceeded, on the 20th, to Calcutta, visitinp; 
 for a few hours the Duke of Huckini^ham, at Mailras, and 
 arrived on the 27th at Calcutta, which was in a state of 
 ferment. All the L;;reat natives ^except the Ni/am) were 
 flockini; in, or had arrived, and the constant salutes of 
 cannon announced the arrival of each potentate. I was 
 duly introduced to all — the sullen and repulsive Ilolkar ; 
 the somewhat insolent Scindia ; Rewa, an excellent fellow 
 with a painted face, owincj to some eruption ; the dear, 
 kindly disposed Maharajah of 15cnares ; the little lietjum 
 of iihopal, who, bein^ in "purdah," as it is called, was 
 always veiled, but whose brit^ht eyes shone merrily 
 throut,di the veil when we shook hands ; the charming 
 Maharanee of Cooch Behar ; the Ikirmesc ambassadors ; 
 the brother of Juncj 15ehauder, of Ncpaul ; and lar.t, hut 
 not least, that most remarkable man, Sir Salar Jun^', the 
 powerful minister of the Nizam. Many of them visited 
 me, amon^c^ others Salar Juulj, who remained with inc 
 for over an hour, discussing ICnglish subjects and giving 
 mc most valuable information. From all I had most 
 pressing invitations to visit them. There were succes- 
 sions of ball.-, levees, native entertainments, races, tent- 
 pegging, and feats of swordmanship ; a delightful Sunday 
 at 15arrackpore, where Miss Baring (now Lady T^mma) 
 did the honours. 
 
 Ikit the durbar, at which all these famous people 
 attended, was the greatest s[)ectacle ever seen in India 
 since the days of liritish rule, if, indeed, even the great 
 Akbar had ever such a corti[i^y at Delhi. It is impossible 
 to describe the brillianc)' of colouring, the variety c)f 
 dresses of the great chiefs from Cape Comorin to the 
 
 . 
 
WII.] 
 
 DUKBAK AT CALCUTTA. 
 
 353 
 
 he necessary 
 nccordcd hy 
 .irturc of llic 
 iitta, visiting; 
 Madras, and 
 n a state of 
 Ni/.am) were 
 it salutes of 
 tatc. I was 
 live riolkar ; 
 client fellow 
 1 ; the dear, 
 ittle Bci,niin 
 1 culled, was 
 :inc incrril\- 
 ic charmim; 
 mbassadors ; 
 \u\ last, hut 
 ar Junj^^ the 
 :hcm visited 
 ed with me 
 
 and i^iviiiL,^ 
 [ had most 
 vcre succes- 
 
 accs, teiit- 
 itful Sunday 
 idy luTima) 
 
 lou.s people 
 en in India 
 Ml the great 
 > impossible 
 : variety of 
 lurin to the 
 
 Himalayas, and the magnificcti of the jewellery. Some 
 01 the Maharajahs seemed ()p[)rcssed by the weight of 
 diamonds, emeralds, and pearls which covered their 
 breasts and head-dresses. Eight f)f these great natives 
 were to be invested by the Prince with the highest Indian 
 Order, the Grand Cross of the Star of India. A large 
 piece of ground on the Maidan was enclosed, and from 
 the immense tent, which was occupied by the Prince, 
 Viceroy, and officials, myself included, in the place of 
 honour after the two first-named personages, a long strip 
 of red cloth was extended to the end of the enclosure. 
 On each side of it were four tents, one for each of the 
 knights, and up to each ran a narrower strip of red cloth. 
 Not a soul was in the enclosure, save two attendants with 
 silver trumpets. At the sound of these trumpets each 
 advanced to the royal tent, his long, sky-blue train being 
 held up by two boys in most brilliant attire. There he 
 was received by his Royal Highness with a few courteous 
 words, and the star was duly fastened on his breast. One 
 was almost ized with the gleam of the diamonds rf 
 these illustriouii persons ; but, at the last note of the 
 trumpet, the la>' tent opened, and a tall, commanding 
 figure, all in white, and absolutely devoid of ornament, 
 save one magnificent diamond in his turban, stalked 
 forth, and all rerognizcd the man of men. Sir Salar Jung. 
 
 y\t eaiiiesL morning, before the sun had risen, the 
 Duke of Sutherland and I used to visit all things which 
 did not usually attract visitors — the jails, hospitals, 
 sewerage system, jute factories, etc., and a capital com- 
 panion he was, from his knowledge and determination to 
 be fully informed. 
 
 We were much interested at Calcutta with the experi- 
 ments on the poison of serpents, instituted by Sir Joseph 
 Fayrcr, the author of the fine work on the Manotophidia 
 
 2 A 
 
 .1 ■ > 
 
 -I :: . 1 
 
 
 m 
 
354 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 [C, 
 
 :r > 
 
 I 
 
 4\ 
 
 ; 1 
 
 of India (the dcatli-brlnging snakes). \Vc were brou^^lu 
 to a house where a large "umber of various species of 
 these reptiles were confined. An extremely intelligent 
 young medical officer, the assistant of Sir J. Fayrcr, 
 attended, and explained to us the experiments which 
 were being conducted. He informed us that the most 
 deadly of all snakes was the cobra, and its gigantic 
 relative the hamadryad, whose food was small snakes of 
 other species. The next in order of virulence was the 
 Daboia cicgans, called in Ceylon, where it is common, 
 the " ticpolonga," a very beautiful reptile, whose bite 
 was nearly as deadly, the poison operating some minutes 
 more slowly. The Australian black snake and the rattle- 
 snake were far less deadly. T was much amused, but 
 rather alarmed, at the cool way in which the English 
 doctor and his native attendants thrust their hands into 
 the baskets and pulled out the reptiles for exhibition. 
 The doctor took out a large cobra, grey with age, I 
 presume, and, on my remarking the danger of their hand- 
 ling it, he remarked very coolly, " Oh, this is a very good 
 old fellow ; he never tries to bite." They were made to 
 bite a leaf placed in a spoon, and the venom was copious. 
 My alarm came to its height when two huge hamadryads, 
 about ten or twelve feet long, were taken out of their 
 boxes, and made to exhibit themselves on the fioor. 
 They sat up with expanded hood'= and I did not forget 
 that Sir J. Fayrer had mentioned in his book that these 
 were the fiercest of the serpent race, and that they alone 
 dia not scruple to attack, and, if enraged, to follow in 
 pursuit for a considerable distance. I was at the far end 
 of the small room, away from the door, and at their mercy, 
 as I must have passed close to them to escape. I was 
 assured that there was no danger, and they returned 
 peaceably into their boxes. It is strange that all these 
 
[Cu. 
 
 vcrc brouj:;]-!! 
 IS species of 
 y intelligent 
 r J. Fayrcr, 
 ncnts which 
 lat the inost 
 its gigantic 
 all snakes of 
 mce was the 
 is common, 
 , whose bite 
 omc minutes 
 nd the rattle- 
 amused, but 
 the English 
 ir hands into 
 •V exhibition, 
 with age, I 
 f their hand- 
 a very good 
 ^'crc made to 
 was copious, 
 hamadryads, 
 out of their 
 on the floor, 
 id not forget 
 ok that these 
 at they alone 
 to follow in 
 it the far end 
 t their mercy, 
 scape. I was 
 hey returned 
 that all these 
 
 XVII.] 
 
 MV .MOTHERS DEATH. 
 
 355 
 
 investigations and experiments have not had for their 
 lesult the discovery of any cure for snakebites. They 
 have found that the venom is akin to albumen, the white 
 of eggs, but nothing more. It is a reproach to science 
 that it has failed in its researches, and that there is abso- 
 lutely no remedy, save immediate cautery and excision 
 round the wound, and that twenty thousand persons 
 annually die of snakebites in Hindustan. 
 
 At last the revels came to an end, and we bade fare- 
 well to the Prince and his party, who, one and all, assured 
 me that they had been right well entertained in Ceylon, 
 and enjoyed their visit there. 
 
 The last days of my stay at Calcutta were clouded 
 over by sad affliction. I received a telegram to the effect 
 that my dear mother was in a precarious state at Coolc, 
 and two days afterwards another followed to say she had 
 died. She passed away without pain, aged seventy-six, 
 and in her hand was my telegram, just arrived, announcing 
 that all had gone well during the royal visit, and that I 
 had been invested with the Order of St. Michael and 
 St. George. 
 
 It was a terrible blow to me, for I had looked forward, 
 in spite of her failing health, to passing some years in 
 happiness with her at home. All her letters had breathed 
 that hope, and were full of joy and pride at the success 
 which was attending my government. This more than 
 made up to her, she constantly .'^aid, for all the sorrows 
 and disappointments which the follies of m)' early life 
 had caused her. I was indeed left lonel}-. 
 
 She was a woman full of affection, and of great natural 
 ability, well read, well educated, witty in conversation, of 
 high spirits, and essentially a lady. Few people had 
 more devoted friends, and t..c tenants and country 
 people adored her for her constant acts of kindness and 
 
 1 (, j 
 
 ] 1 
 
 
 !' : 
 
 
 
 ^\ 
 
 
 .1 
 
 'Ullt 
 
 li 
 
356 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 LCii. xvij. 
 
 IV ! 
 
 ... 
 
 generosity. In all her troubles, which, alas ! I had too 
 often caused her, she was sustained by a strong religious 
 belief, and by her confidence that her prayers would ulti- 
 mately be granted by God, in whose infinite mercy she had 
 unswerving trust. Deeply as religion coloured her life, 
 she never obtruded her thoughts and opinions on any 
 one, unless they dcoired the discussion, and I never knew 
 any one more free from unjust dislikes of other per- 
 suasions. If I was cast down by her death, I was cheered 
 by the thought that she died so happily and so com- 
 forted. She lies by my father's side in our burial-place 
 at Coolc. 
 
 I I 
 
 !'l 
 
 i ' 
 
Ml 
 
 [Cii. XVI], 
 
 ;! I had too 
 Dng religious 
 s would ulti- 
 lercy she had 
 urcd her life, 
 lions on any 
 I never knew 
 )f other per- 
 [ was cheered 
 and so corn- 
 r burial-place 
 
 ( 357 ) 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 Those who have been interested in the account of m)- 
 husband's life recorded in the preceding chapters will 
 like to know something of its last fifteen years. It 
 would have been a sad task for me, to whom his loss is 
 still so fresh, to write a sketch of these. Ikit it has been 
 spared me. His friend of many ycuiS, Sir Henry Layard, 
 has given me a number of his letters written during this 
 period, and I have chosen from them a passage here and 
 there, a thread of connection from one year to another till 
 the end. I am glad his own vivid words should tell of the 
 interests of these last years. It is pleasant also to be able 
 to witness, as it were, his happiness and pleasure at the 
 success of his work in Ceylon, and to be present with him 
 when he revisited his dear island. I will not give a list of 
 all the addresses he received there of gratitude for material 
 benefits, for encouragement of learning, for wide-minded 
 toleration. It is enough to say that all creeds and classes 
 joined to do him honour by putting up a statue to his 
 memory at Colombo. 
 
 lie has written so frankly and candidly of the errors 
 and mistakes of his youth, that it is only just that this 
 great success of his later days should be dwelt on. His 
 old friend Frank Lawley, writing of his early days on the 
 turf,* applies to him the saying, " On ne revient pas de si 
 loin pour peu de chose." 
 
 * " Racing Life of Lord George Bentinck."' 
 
 
 i . 
 
 inn- 
 
358 
 
 SIR WILLIAM CREGORY. 
 
 m,i 
 
 He went back to Ceylon three times as a visitor. The 
 account of the first visit is given in the letters to Sir Henry 
 Layard. The second time he took me, after a winter in 
 India, to see the wonderful beauty of his " old raj," and to 
 make the acquaintance of his many friends out there. He 
 went again, for a little time, in 1890, and said his farewells, 
 feeling that it was his last look at the East and hi.^, en- 
 chanted isle. I had been a little jealous for our own " dis- 
 consolate island," our poor Ireland, and was pleased when 
 he wrote at last, " much as I like Ceylon, and much as the 
 people like me, I have begun to yearn greatly for home." 
 
 The groundwork, if I may so call it, of ln's letters to 
 Sir H. Layard is of affairs connected wuh ihe National 
 Gallery, but in this there is so much of detail, and so much 
 that is confidential, that J ' : given but little of it. The 
 four pictures h.. bequeaiiicd i j the Gallery testify to the 
 great interest he, as one of the trustees, took in it to tlic 
 end. 
 
 Other subjects often dwelt on, and in which he took 
 a vigorous part, are the Arundel Society, the Hellenic 
 Society, and the exploration of Kgypt and of Cyprus. The 
 event that gave him the keenest pleasure of his last year 
 was witnessing the unveiling of the bust of Sir Henry 
 Layard in the Hall of the British Museum. 
 
 I was very glad to find among the letters so clear an 
 exposition of the part he had taken, and the views he 
 held, in Egy )tian affairs. These have been remembered 
 va;,yuely, and distorted through the haze of the war. He 
 kept up his warm friendship for the Egyptian exiles in 
 Ceylon to the last. 
 
 He took no part in Irish politics of late, but they 
 were none the less near his heart. He had been, when 
 in Parliament, so earnest and advanced an advocate of 
 the tenants that he grieved that at the end of li.fe, while 
 
i^ 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 359 
 
 isitor. The 
 to Sir Henry 
 ■ a winter in 
 1 raj," and to 
 t there, lie 
 his farewells, 
 
 and hly. cn- 
 ur owi', ''di.';- 
 jleased when 
 much as the 
 
 for liomc." 
 lis letters to 
 the National 
 and so much 
 e of it. The 
 testify to the 
 
 in it to tlic 
 
 hich he took 
 the Hellenic 
 Cyprus. The 
 his last year 
 )f Sir Henry 
 
 ; so clear an 
 the views he 
 remembered 
 lie war. He 
 ian c.\iles in 
 
 tc, but they 
 
 . been, when 
 
 advocate of 
 
 of life, while 
 
 I 
 
 their well-being was as warmly desired by him as before, 
 he was cut away from the possibility of serving them. 
 He felt that landlords ought not to live in a fool's paradise, 
 with their eyes shut, and not marking the signs of the 
 times, and was ready to welcome any reform which he 
 could recognize as such. Ikit he could not ally himself 
 with either " the rebel or the sacerdotal party," and he 
 was indignant at the long and demoralizing continuance 
 of unchecked crime. His real hope for Ireland lay in 
 the extension of land purchase, I may almost say in its 
 introduction, for he held and pressed the idea when others 
 had given it but little attention. His theory, founded 
 on experience, was, that every tenant who becomes the 
 owner of his holding, becomes as it were a special con- 
 stable sworn in on the side of law and order. He held 
 that once the majority of tenants had become landowners, 
 Home Rule might safely be given, if indeed it was still 
 desired. Practically, he wished Government to ad van 
 so much as a million for the purpose, allowing the lo; ts 
 as soon as repaid to be lent out again. He would in no 
 case have made it compulsory on the tenant to bu; , as 
 this might eventually be used as an excuse for repudia- 
 tion, but trusted to the gradual effect of cxampl . He 
 was anxious to put it into practice at Coole, but the 
 tenants, one and all, refused to make any alteration in 
 the relations between us. 
 
 He was very fond of his people. In a letter he wrote 
 me just before our marriage he says — 
 
 "I am very glad indeed that the country ]ieople are pi Jcd. 
 Whatever naughty deeds I may have done I always felt the 
 strongest sense of duty towards my tenants, and 1 have had a great 
 affection for them. They have never in a single instance caused me 
 displeasure, and I know you can and will do e\-eryihing in your 
 power to make ihem love and value us.'' 
 
 \Vc are too near the borders of Clare to have got 
 
 I 
 
 I 'i I 
 
 ii , 
 
 I ■ 
 
 i ; i. 
 
 1 
 
 -l^i^ 
 
 \^0 
 
$6o 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORV. 
 
 !■ 
 
 l\ 
 
 I i- 
 
 :i 
 
 • I 
 
 through the bad years quite free of trouble, but the 
 trouble was very little, and its memory had soon passed 
 away. We spent our summers and autumns very happily 
 at Coole. Though a NaHonalist farmer had been elected 
 in his place as Chairman of the Board of Guardians, Sir 
 William bore no malice. He attended whenever difficult 
 or important subjects arose, and would come back pleased 
 and surprised at the deference shown to his views, and 
 the welcome given him by the "frieze-coated men." They 
 would have been hard to win if they had not been won 
 by his courteous cordial manner and the " genius for 
 kindness" tl'at was his characteristic. 
 
 He was glad at the last to think that, having held the 
 estate through the old days of the Famine and the later 
 days of agitation, he had never once evicted a tenant. 
 
 Now that he has put his harness off I may boast this 
 on his behalf. And, in the upheaval and the changing 
 of old landmarks, of which we in Ireland have borne 
 the lirst brunt, I feel it worth boasting that amongst 
 the frst words of sympathy that reached me after his 
 death v/erc messages from the children of the National 
 School h.t Coole, from the Bishops and Priests of the 
 diocese, fr.-a Lh^ Board of Guardians, the workhouse, 
 the convent, and tlic townspeople of Gort. 
 
 Hi letter^ to Sir Henry Layard show that he saw 
 and icl not fear the apjiroach of death. He had no 
 dread f it, but a great dread of the infirmities of old 
 age, and 'tii-,.^e, in spite of his years, had not yet touched 
 him. His last acts were acts of kindness. His last 
 conscious words to me were the embodiment of his 
 religion — " We arc all God's children. We must do our 
 best to help one another." He dieil, in London, on the 
 6th of March, 1892. 
 
 He had always disliked the idea of the decking of 
 
 < ^' 
 
CONCLUSION. 
 
 •;6i 
 
 ble, but tlic 
 
 soon passci! 
 
 very happily 
 
 been elected 
 
 uardians, Sir 
 
 ever difficult 
 
 3ack pleased 
 
 s views, and 
 
 men." They 
 
 lot been won 
 
 '\qcniu.s for 
 
 ing held the 
 nd the later 
 
 tenant, 
 ly boast this 
 he chanoinj^ 
 
 have borne 
 lat amongst 
 me after his 
 ;he National 
 iests of the 
 
 workhouse, 
 
 that he saw 
 He had no 
 lities of old 
 yet touched 
 ;. His last 
 lent of his 
 nust do our 
 idon, on the 
 
 decking of 
 
 the dead with flowers, and I had told his near friends 
 of this. But just at the last three wreaths came that 
 I knew would have pleased him. One was from a poor 
 London parish, one from a Ceylon native, and the third 
 from the Greek community in England, in gratitude for 
 his help to their country many years ago. These went 
 with him to Coole, where his people laid him beside 
 his niother, who had devoted her life to him, and his 
 father, who had died in their service in the Famine years. 
 
 AUGUSTA GREGORY. 
 
 • h 
 
 :< 
 
 S! 
 
 t.^: 
 
3<J- 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 LETTERS, 1875-1892. 
 
 Chiefly to the Right Hon. Sir A. 
 Layard, G.C.B. 
 
 Henry 
 
 V t '. 1 7 
 
 ''October, 1S75. — I am pretty nearly as anxious to get 
 away from Ceylon as you are from Madrid, The loneliness 
 of my life is unbearable. When I have a piece of business it 
 is all very well, but as I know pretty well all about every 
 jDapcr before it comes up to me, the ordinary work I can 
 always despatch in a few hours. After that I turn to 
 Homer or Tacitus, and another hour or two of them go a 
 long way," 
 
 " July 4, 1876. — ]\Iy letter of resignation goes by this 
 mail, that is, resignation in I-'cbruary next. Herbert, the 
 Secretary, wrote to me a short time ago, to say that there 
 were rumours that I was not going to remain, and that he 
 hoped I should long continue Governor. This expectation 
 frightened me, so I am determined to give them plenty of 
 time, and no excuse for not having some one ready to step 
 into my shoes. i shall regret the glorious climate and 
 scenery and the occupation, but I cannot stay, nostalgia is 
 too strong for me. Besides, I have done my work ; I have 
 set on foot all the great material improvements on which 
 my heart was bent, and have thoroughly reor: \nized, or at 
 least shall have, every department. A man with new ideas 
 should now come, and ladies would do much to populari;^e 
 
 
 ii 
 
 Diy 
 
RESIGNATION OF GOVERNORSIIir. 
 
 juj 
 
 Hexrv 
 
 xious to get 
 lie loneliness 
 3f business it 
 
 about every 
 / \\-ork I can 
 It I turn to 
 )f them go a 
 
 joes by this 
 Herbert, tlic 
 y that there 
 and that he 
 cxj)ectation 
 m plenty of 
 ;ady to step 
 :liniatc and 
 nostalgia is 
 ork ; I have 
 ts on which 
 nizcd, or at 
 1 new ideas 
 l)opularizc 
 
 the government. I say to myself daily, when I struggle to 
 entertain, ' Tcinpiis olirc tibi,' but I hope to live and be 
 strong enough to come here once more, and see what my 
 successor has done at the close of his reign. I am a little 
 nervous about my estimated revenue, but I am creeping up 
 month by month, and, in spite of a very bad coffee year 
 and general depression at home, I am still in hopes of not 
 only fulfilling my budget expectations, but of closing my 
 government with a large surplus. Inshallah! " 
 
 ^' September 26, 1876. — All that I have done has been 
 approved of at home, and no Governor could have had a 
 more complimentary letter than the reply of Lord Carnarvon 
 to my resignation. They want me to stay on, but even if 
 1 had not other pressing reasons for returning, it would be 
 impossible for me to remain and maintain the position 
 of Governor, as it should be maintained, on ^5600 a year, 
 to which my income has fallen by the depreciation of the 
 rupee." 
 
 ''Oil board s.s. ' ^Issani,' April 10, 1877.— Your letter 
 of November 30 reached me the morning I was about to 
 embark for a three months' run through the Australian 
 colonies. I am now near Ceylon once again, and am able 
 to answer it in peace and quiet. 
 
 " I am so cheered and revived by my ' outing ' to 
 Australia that I now regret having resigned my appoint- 
 ment. I am sure I shall not be so happy, or in such health, 
 at home, nor shall I ever again have such work to do, with 
 ample means and no restraint. Latterly, however, I was so 
 dispirited by the loneliness of my life that I could bear it 
 no longer, and though I had well weighed the consequences 
 yet I felt I could not remain, and so I sent off my letter. 
 With a companion, a wife, a sister, or even a very intimate 
 friend, I should prefer the government of Ceylon to any- 
 thing: that could be offered to mc. It is such a comfort 
 
>C>4 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGOkV. 
 
 M 
 
 tm^^ 
 
 uh 
 
 ! >, 
 
 when you find things going wrong to be able to set thcin 
 right with the strong hand, and it is such a gratification to 
 see great public works begun and finished acccjrding td 
 your own plans, and not marred by vexatious interference. 
 The people, moreover, are pleasant to govern ; they are 
 ([uick witted and intellectual, and the higher classes 
 singularly well-bred and taking in their deportment. I 
 think, too, there are indications, in a faint way, no doubt, of 
 the quality of gratitude, in the existence of which, in the 
 East, I hatl long disbelieved. I am sure much may be 
 done with them by kindness, courtesy, and respectful 
 treatment. I have known some whom I would trust as 
 implicitly as I would Englishmen, and I am as confident as 
 one can ever be of human conduct, that if future rulers of 
 Ceylon will endeavour to induce the natives to trust them 
 and rely on them, much more of the administration of the 
 country may be vested in them. Weakness and moral and 
 physical timidity arc their main faults, and, as you well 
 know, cowardice is a difficult defect to cure. The way to 
 deal with such a race is to give them confidence and en- 
 couragement, to reward even ostentatiously good conduct, 
 fidelity, and strength, but to be down on offenders with 
 relentless severity. I have pursued this course, and without 
 egotism I can say that I believe no Governor ever before 
 succeeded in inspiring such a universal trust in his 
 motives. 
 
 " IMy trip to Australia has been one of great interest, 
 and I much wish that some of our most prominent public 
 men, such as \Vm. Forster, could visit these splendid 
 colonies. There they would see the working of democracy 
 in its most extreme form, for there is no controlling power 
 such as that which is vested in the President of the United 
 States. The Governor is a mere pageant, and the Secretary 
 of State absolutely -owerless. The whole power is in the 
 
 
m 
 
 IMPKESSIOXS OF AUSTRALIA. 
 
 3^5 
 
 ■o set thcin 
 ficatioii to 
 cordiiio- t(, 
 
 itcrfercncc. 
 
 ; they arc 
 <-'!• classes 
 rtincnt. I 
 > doubt, of 
 ich, in the 
 
 1 may be 
 
 respectful 
 l1 trust as 
 )nridcntas 
 - rulers of 
 rust them 
 ion of the 
 moral and 
 
 you well 
 he way to 
 c and en- 
 1 conduct, 
 ders with 
 d without 
 or before 
 t in his 
 
 interest, 
 lit public 
 splendid 
 ;mocracy 
 ig power 
 c United 
 iccretar}' 
 is in the 
 
 Assembly, elected by Universal Suffrage, and if half the 
 stories be true of the jobbing of public men, probity is 
 not of much account. Still the jobbing is of a far less 
 gross and palpable description than that in the United 
 States. I believe money bribery of and by ministers is 
 arc, it takes the form of granting of expenditure on 
 localities, the members of which support the Government, 
 while the opposition remains out in the cold. Appoint- 
 ments of value are also a constant ingredient in securing 
 party allegiance. On the whole I am inclined t<j think 
 that, in spite of faults and blunders, they have contrived 
 to manage thciv affairs well, and that no other form of 
 Government would have been equally successful. I thought 
 the speaking execrable ; voluble and weak and violent. I 
 expected strong untutored eloquence, but I only heard 
 one man above par, the present Prime Alinister of New 
 South Wales, Mr. Parkcs, who was excellent. One thing 
 •s very remarkable in these democracies, and that is their 
 extraordinary liberality in everything which conduces to 
 the health and improvement and recreation of the people. 
 Their hospitals for every disease are princely buildings, 
 so are their museums, public libraries, botanical gardens, 
 public parks, etc. This is especially the case in Victoria, 
 and the same prominent idea is seen uppermost in the 
 laying out of their smaller towns. Another striking feature 
 of Australian society is the extreme civility of every one 
 you speak to, no matter how low may be his occupation. 
 It is a manly, honest country, they respect themselves and 
 respect others, and education is universal. It is marvellous 
 to think that Melbourne, the fourth largest city of the 
 British dominions was an unexplored scrub when I was 
 a big boy at Harrow, and it is strange to meet many men 
 who remember the fires and corrobborces of the natives 
 in the grand streets now studded with palatial buildings. 
 
 , ! 
 
 I 
 
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 WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 
 
 (716) 872-4503 
 
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 3G6 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY 
 
 Free trade and protection arc the burning questions of thc 
 liour. New South Wales has flung off protection, and so 
 has South Australia, but Victoria, the most extreme of all 
 in its [)olitical views, still clings to it, antl remorselessly 
 piles duty on duty, avowedly not for re\enue, but for 
 protection. The evil results of this vicious system have 
 become already manifest, and the rapid advance of New 
 South Wales under her financial system has alarmed the 
 jealousy of her neighbour, and a change is confidently 
 expected. I know no place where the most interesting 
 social problems can be studied with more advantage than 
 in these colonies, and it is pleasant to think that you may 
 speak out your own opinion as frankly as you like without 
 e\er giving offence, which is far from being the ease in 
 America. As for loyalty, it is sim[)ly at fever heat, a 
 perfect passion, and the man who would nowadays i)ublicly 
 advocate a separation from England would be simply 
 ruined as a politician, and would probably receive rough 
 treatment into the bargain." 
 
 " Lo;/</o;i, September 27, 1877. — It is quite true, all that 
 Ilankey writes as to my intentions. I have no wish to 
 enter Parliament again, though no doubt I should enter 
 it with far greater authority and experience than when I 
 left it. Five years of despotic government have removed 
 all interest in our wretched Irish squabbles, into which, 
 however, I could not fail to be drawn." 
 
 "October 6, 1S7S. — I shall look out for a pleasant 
 companion, and I hope to pay you a visit in the spring 
 (at Constantinoi)le), seeing Athens, and probably Elis, 
 by the way. I have no particular desire to see Cyprus. 
 I entirely disapprove of our connection with it, as I do 
 emphatically of our Turkish obligations in all other 
 respects. The notion of our being able to induce the 
 Turks to establish decent government in any portion of 
 
SECOND MARUIACE. 
 
 3^7 
 
 
 tions of the 
 ;ioii, and so 
 tremc of all 
 :morselessIy 
 uc, l:)iit for 
 ystcni have 
 ncc of New 
 ilarmcd tlic 
 confidently 
 interesting,^ 
 antage than 
 at you may 
 like without 
 the case in 
 :vcr licat, a 
 lys publicly 
 be simply 
 'Ccive roui^^h 
 
 •ue, ail that 
 no wish to 
 hould enter 
 lian when I 
 /c removed 
 into which, 
 
 a pleasant 
 
 the si)rini; 
 
 bably Elis, 
 
 iec Cyprus. 
 
 it, as I do 
 
 all other 
 
 induce the 
 
 portion of 
 
 their dominions is too preposterous. It is, with this hope- 
 less and incurable race, the old story of trying to wash 
 the blackamoor white. I dare say that even you, with all 
 your energy and good will, have begun to despair of 
 effecting anything. I shall be curious to hear the discus- 
 sions at the beginning of next session, for already some 
 of the moct staunch Conservatives have not hesitated to 
 express their convictions to mc that they are not by any 
 means happy about our jjosition in the East, and that they 
 fear there has been a jood deal of charlatanism in the 
 
 bunkum of 'peace with honour' of Lord B . These 
 
 irreverent ideas are freely expressed, but I doubt if the 
 feeling has pervaded the low class of voters in the con- 
 stituencies, and if we should gain much by a dissolution." 
 
 '' Fcbniarr 15, i8So.--I am not yet off, as 1 am impeded 
 by lawyers, who are drawing up my marriage settlements. 
 I hope they will finish their task shortly, and that I shall 
 have changed my condition, and be, like Lars Porscna, 'on 
 liie way to Rome.' ... I think }-ou and Lady Layard 
 will like my wife, and I hope I do not ask too much in 
 requesting you to receive her as well as me at Constanti- 
 nople. 
 
 "I agree with you, and I think most persons of my 
 opinions would agree with j'ou, as to the excellence of the 
 Turkish population, but what can be done with such a 
 Government? And the worst of it all is that these sober, 
 hospitable, honest people instantly take seven devils to 
 themselves the moment they obtain situations and ad- 
 vancement." 
 
 '' j\Iarc/i, 9, 1880. — I received \'our most kind letter last 
 night, and I can assure you my wife actually jumped for 
 joy at the delightful prospect of nightingales, roses, and 
 boats on the Bosphorus. VVc shall certainly [)ay you a 
 visit when you go to Therapia. 
 
 Si'i; 
 
 I 
 
 W Ml 
 
 i I 
 
368 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 V r 
 
 n 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 f 
 
 " I am hardly recovered as yet from the surprise which 
 my marriage * has caused me. My wife, who was quite a 
 student, is now plunged among cJdffons and modistes, and 
 I am bound to admit that she bears the infliction with a 
 resignation which is rather alarming and ominous, excusing 
 her new-fangled interest in dress on the grounds of pleas- 
 ing me." 
 
 " Rome, April 5, 1S80. — I sec that the Tories are hope- 
 lessly routed, for which of course I am thankful, but two 
 things I dread in regard to the incomers arc, fust, the 
 domination of Gladstone, and second, a truckling to the 
 Home Rulers. I never can overlook Gladstone's wanton 
 and most unpatriotic speech about Austria. She has been 
 carrying out our policy, and has made herself a bulwark 
 against a Russian advance to Constantinople, and Glad- 
 stone denounces her for this. The mischief he has done 
 in Italy by his words is more than you ca conceive; it 
 has given strength to the disturbing clement of Italia 
 Irredenta, which is, in fact, the revolutionary element. 
 Even sober Italians are excited." 
 
 " Coolc, August 27, 1880. — We have been here now for 
 a month, and are likely to remain till the end of November, 
 after which time wc shall be free as air, and ready for 
 Eg}-pt or any other warm place. 
 
 " I have been doing my duty as a country gentleman — 
 attending petty sessions, presiding as chairman over our 
 Poor Law Union weekly meetings, and giving a dinner to 
 our tenants. I made them a speech, reprobating the evil 
 doings of agitators and communists, which was well 
 received. After the dinner the wives and daughters had 
 
 * " On the 4th of ALirch, at Si. M.-xttliias, Dublin, by the Rev. 
 Canon Wynne, the Rii,^ht Hon. Sir William Grci^ory to Augusta 
 youngest daughter of the lato Dudley I'crsse, Esq., D.L. of Rox- 
 borough, CO. Galway." 
 
urprisc which 
 o was quite a 
 
 viodisics, and 
 diction witli a 
 lous, cxcu.sin<,r 
 inds of plcas- 
 
 rics arc hopc- 
 
 ikful, but two 
 
 arc, first, the 
 
 cklinj; to the 
 
 tone's wanton 
 
 She has been 
 
 iclf a bulwark 
 
 Ic, and Glad- 
 
 hc has done 
 
 conceive ; it 
 
 lent of Itah'a 
 
 lary clement. 
 
 here now for 
 of November, 
 ind ready for 
 
 ' gentleman — 
 man over our 
 ig a dinner to 
 ating the evil 
 ich was well 
 laughters had 
 
 in, by llic Rev. 
 ory to Augusta 
 , D.L. of Ko.\- 
 
 111 1 1 t 
 
 STATE OF IRELAND. 
 
 369 
 
 tea. cake, and plurn-pudduig, and then they danced till 
 five in the morning. Nothing can be better than the 
 spirit apparently of the people about here, but I dread 
 that all inay be changed in a day by some of these violent 
 agitators, who lash the tenant classes into fury even 
 against the best landlords." 
 
 " Coolc, September 3, 18.S1. — \Yc have had a charming 
 
 tour. Fortunately Lady G is as fond of pictures and 
 
 architecture and works of art as myself. We have had a 
 week in Holland ; Cologne, with its Masters Stcphan and 
 VVilhelm ; Cassel, and its Rembrandts; Ikunswick, and 
 its Jan Stoens ; Ilildesheim, a delightful old-world place, 
 with a rose tree a thousand years old. What would your 
 roses of Therapia say to such a patriarch as that .' Would 
 they not burst out and blush? Then Berlin, Dresden, 
 Leipsic, l^russels, and the beautiful Aremberg Gallery, 
 and so home, without any contretemps, although having 
 eaten much veal and plum sauce." 
 
 ''London, October 10, 1 88 1. — I have very little to write 
 to you of interest, though it may be of interest to you to 
 know that as yet I am in the land of the living, albeit the 
 landlord shooting season has set in with great briskness 
 in my county. Personally I believe I am quite as safe at 
 Coole as I am here, but all around me there prevails an 
 absolute reign of terror. We rate the Turks and the 
 Italians for the insecurity of life and property which 
 prevails in their respective countries, but a state of things 
 is now prevalent in her Majesty's dominions, and within 
 sixteen hours of London, which would astonish the 
 dwellers in Sicily and even in Asia Minor. Besides assas- 
 sinations successful and assassinations incomplete, there 
 is cutting off ears, and desperate assaults, and mutilation 
 of cattle, and orders, which dare not be resisted, to 
 servants to leave their master's houses, and to shepherds 
 
 2 1! 
 
 m 
 
370 
 
 .MR WILLIAM (IREGORV. 
 
 t ■ 
 
 1 A 
 
 u. 
 
 ;..it 
 
 •i 
 
 and herds to leave their flcicks. Tenants are told to 
 abandon their holdings and restore t'lem to some one else, 
 and a single emissary of the Land League exercises more 
 terror and authority over a whole district than all the 
 magistrates, police, and pricats put together. The priests, 
 hitherto all-powerful, are utterly disregarded when they 
 inculcate obedience to the law, and one of them, a friend 
 of mine, who had refused to attend a Land League 
 meeting, nearly lost his life, as he returned from dining 
 
 with Col, , by the trunks of trees so placed as to 
 
 upset his car. The car was not upset, thanks to the 
 sagacity of the horse. The perpetrators were (luito 
 anxious that the priest's neck should be broken, though 
 they would not shoot him, or shed the blood of God's 
 anointed. But this is not all. Threatening notices of 
 murders arc flying like snowflakes, and in every house 
 you visit terror prevails, lest the corpse of one of its 
 inmates be brought back in the evening. Fcjr all this I 
 hold the Government responsible. 
 
 " I presume you have heard of the purchase of Lord 
 Suffolk's picture for ^,9000. It is a great acijuisition, but 
 you and Burton arc more competent than I am to form an 
 opinion whether it is worth the cost. As a general rule 1 
 am all for getting what ought to be got, regardless of 
 price, and I am well aware that the tlay has gone by 
 when one can get great pictures for small sums. I have 
 full confidence in Burton, and the more so because he 
 has the courage to buy cheap pictures at Christie's and 
 elsewhere which l^oxall had not, and I am sure he would 
 not give this great sum except for a very great picture." 
 
 " Coolc, December 5, 1S81. — Aly tenants have behaved 
 splendidly ; they have paid all their rents, and I have not 
 .;^ioo arrears. So I gave them back ten [ler cent. They 
 said they did not belong to the League, and would not 
 
 I M I 
 
'ill I 
 
 1 11 I I 
 
 EGYPT. 
 
 371 
 
 ts arc told to 
 
 some one else, 
 : exercises more 
 ct than all the 
 LT. The priests, 
 dcd when they 
 f them, a friend 
 
 Land Leat^nic 
 icd from (.liiiint,^ 
 sa placed as to 
 
 thanks to the 
 ors were (luite 
 
 broken, though 
 
 blood of God's 
 
 :nini; notices of 
 
 in every house 
 
 of one of its 
 
 For all this I 
 
 urchase of Lord 
 : acquisition, but 
 
 1 am to form an 
 a general rule I 
 )t, rei^ardless of 
 ay has gone by 
 1 sums. I have 
 : so because he 
 t Christie's and 
 1 sure he would 
 great picture." 
 
 s have behaved 
 
 !, and I have not 
 
 per cent. They 
 
 and would not 
 
 belong to it. Since then they have been so persecuted 
 and abused they have almost all joined within one week. 
 The combination is creeping on like lava, fdling every 
 cranny." 
 
 '' HclouaUy November 27, 18S1. — I caught a cold at 
 Alexandria, so have come on here for change of .-.ir, and 
 am now quite well again. This place is about fifteen miles 
 from Cairo, and quite in the desert. The air is most 
 enchanting. All we want are horses to have the most 
 famous galloping in the desert, so instead of horse we have 
 donkey exercise, and made a very long expedition, and a 
 
 very pleasant one, to Sakkara yesterday, and Lady G 
 
 talks of nothing since exce[)t Thothmes, and Rameses, and 
 Kne[)h, and Shoofoo. \Vc return on Tuesday to Cairo, 
 which is so spoilt that 1 detest it. It has become a tenth- 
 rate French provincial town. Old houses arc being dail\- 
 pulled down to make huge wide streets, and the charm of 
 the cool narrow thoroughfares and of the beautiful lattices 
 and stone-\vork is entirely disai)pearing. Most of the 
 lattices are sold to bric-a-brac dealers, and will be found in 
 various capacities in England, looking very dingy and out 
 of place. J'Acn the one thing you would have thought 
 unchangeable has changed for the worse, namely, the 
 climate. It rained three days out of the five we were there, 
 and is raining there now. It has become damp and very 
 treacherous. In former days a shower was a portent, now 
 heavy rain and long continuing is not unusual. Last week 
 it rained all night, and the mud was over your ankles, to 
 say nothing of the smell. 
 
 " Egyptian politics are extremely interesting at this 
 moment. There are several movements at work. First, 
 the Arab, headed by Arabi 15ey ; secondly, the Turkish ; 
 .md thirdly, that of Ismail, the late Khedive. His 
 operations may be summarily dismissed. He has no party 
 
 \\ 
 
 V 
 
372 
 
 SIR WILLIAM (.KLGORV. 
 
 '■ (. 
 
 ') 
 
 m ' ■' 
 
 '! \ \ 
 
 5 ! 
 
 except a few of the old ycgiuie, who profited by his c\ior. 
 tions, ami would wish to profit attain. iVrahi Iky, wiiDin 
 the Times treats with little ceremony, describing; him as ;i 
 ' hea\}- fellah,' and as the mere mouthpiece of a turbiilL-nt 
 soklier}-, is a very different man. lie has clearly defined 
 views, the main object beint; tlie rcigjn of law as at^ainst the 
 rei;^n of pure despotism, lie insists on it that his country- 
 men shall be taken by Turkish Governors before imiiartial 
 courts, and tried in the open day for their alleged offences, 
 and not sent off by mere word of mouth to Faza^h and the 
 White Nile, lie is reported to be a fanatic in reli_L,non, and 
 to aim at removing; all luiropeans from their i)osts. lie is 
 not a fanatic, but, like the y\rabs, a very liberal man in 
 matters of reli_L;ion. and he looks on the ICuropeans as the 
 friends and protectors of his countrymen against the Turks, 
 whom he hates with a just and holy hatretl. 
 
 " Lastly, there is the Turkish party, constantly rcceiviii;; 
 their instructions from Constantinople. They are the 
 ruling class, and they see their power and rascality kept in 
 check by Europeans on one sitle, and by the growing Arab 
 movement on the other, and they arc reviving everywhere 
 religious fanaticism. To this [)arty the Viceroy now 
 altogether inclines. The soldiers have behaved extremely 
 well, ami so have the colonels hitherto. They have got 
 their men in hand, and say they will guarantee to maintain 
 tranquil! t\', unless, indeed, an armed intervention occurs to 
 crush the Arab movement, and to maintain the despotism 
 of the Pashas, in which case they will not be answerable 
 for what may occur." 
 
 " Cairo, Jauiiary 2, 1S82. — I think you would be 
 deeply interested in all that is going on in this country. 
 So far as I can see, the National party arc proceeding with 
 great good sense and moderation. They are intent on 
 remedying abuses, and, God knows, they have a fine crop 
 
 H 
 
THE FRENCH IN EGYPT, 
 
 373 
 
 •il by Ill's cxior- 
 
 r.il)i Hey, whom 
 
 libiii^f him as a 
 
 cc of a turbulent 
 
 i clearly clefiiicd 
 
 w as ai^ainst the 
 
 hat ill's couiitry- 
 
 K'forc impariial 
 
 illej:jcd offences, 
 
 FazaLjh and ijic 
 
 c in reli^rlon, and 
 
 :ir i)Osts. He is 
 
 liberal man in 
 
 •ain)[)eans as the 
 
 gainst the Turks, 
 
 stantly receiving 
 
 They are the 
 
 rascality kept in 
 
 10 growin,!^ Aral) 
 ving everywhere 
 .' Viceroy now 
 laved extremely 
 They have j^^ot 
 iitee to maintain 
 en t ion occurs to 
 
 11 the despotism 
 t be answerable 
 
 you would be 
 in this country, 
 orocccding with 
 / arc intent on 
 ive a fine crop 
 
 
 to mow down ! Nothing can be more scandalous than the 
 privileges which the Europeans claim under the Capitula- 
 tions, I refer specially to immunity from taxation. The 
 unfortunate blue-shirted fellah pays, through the nose, 
 taxation for his house, while the Greek Jew, Levantine 
 usurer and extortioner, dwells in magnificent prlaccs 
 untaxed, and drives over flagged streets not one shilling 
 of the expense of which he contributes. I hear we arc 
 ready to abandon our rights on this point, but that nothing 
 of concession can be obtained from the French, who r 'n 
 all these countries the foremost agents in maintaininGf 
 every corruption, if they think its abolition can in any way 
 interfere with their gains and speculations. I remember 
 Tunis perfectly well in 1858. M. Roche was then Consul- 
 Gencral, notoriously corrupt, notoriously extracting presents 
 for his wife, notoriously wresting from the Bey concessions 
 for his countrymen in which he shared. In 1856 the same 
 game was going on here, and M. Sabatier was feathering 
 his nest at the exiicnse of Said Pasha, out of whom he 
 made a fortune by cards. The place is still swarming with 
 French adventurers, who used to amass fortunes by the 
 recklessness of the ladies of the different harems, who ran 
 up enormous debts, which were ultimately paid by the 
 Khedive. Now debts have run up fast and far enough, but 
 the Khedive has neither the inclination nor the means to 
 pa}-, and so all these freebooters arc united in the one 
 object of disturbing existing arrangeme its, and getting 
 rid of Europeaii frugality and control. The same spirit 
 prevails in many other quarters. The old vultures still 
 remember the happy days when they preyed on the land, 
 and the luiropean population have not forgotten the great 
 and glorious days of the Opi)enheims ct hoc genus oniiic, and 
 sigh for their return. All these classes are doing their best 
 to try and get the National party to make exorbitant 
 
 '1 ■ 
 
374 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GRLCOUY. 
 
 I ' 
 
 dcniancls, .'ind to kick up a row when they arc refused, in 
 hoi)es of Turkish intervention, and a return to the old state 
 of thini,'s and the t^overninent of liaksheesh and the kurbaj. 
 You will iiave read ere this my letter in the Tiiitcs. I 
 follow it up with another by next mail. I think you may 
 rely on the truth of what I write, as it all comes from 
 head-quarters, and / (nist ^Iral'i, pcrha[)s unwisely. 
 
 " I have not at all a bad opinion of the Khedive. 
 Iwery one abuses him on some ground. One says he is 
 stin[,fy ; another that he has no t][o in him ; a third, that 
 he is a coward ; a fourth, that he is a fanatic ; a fifth, that 
 he is a fool ; a sixth, that he is a deep intrii^uer. I believe, 
 as regards the first charge, that he is very hard pressed, 
 owing to the i:[(ispil/(ij^c of ICgyptian palaces, to make 
 both ends meet, but that he does so honestly, and is con- 
 sequently frugal. He has 'no go in him' because he is 
 an excellent husband, deei)ly attached to his pretty, fit 
 wife. Colvin describes him as being anything but a coward 
 on the Qth o*" December, and that lie was acting bravely 
 till his own i.idc-dc-camp told him all was up, and that he 
 must give way. He is certainly not fana'ical, judgin!:,^ 
 from his conversation, and we have no grounds for calliii':; 
 him either a fool or an intriguer. I have no doubt he is 
 in communication with Constantinople, and that he longs, 
 by means of Turkish troops, to regain the absolute power 
 of his predecessors, and probably to avenge the indignities 
 to which he has been subjected. This is natural enough, 
 more especially as he has no pledge or promise from us 
 or France against the army in case its insubordination 
 increases, but I think he will act loyally with the Control 
 and the European powers, if he can do so and they will 
 support him. He is a far better man to be on the throne 
 here at present, while the country is in tutelage, than a 
 man of strong will and determination, or than a desperate 
 
Hi 
 
 arc refused, in 
 to tlic old state 
 md the Icurbaj. 
 the Times. \ 
 hiiik you may 
 ill comes from 
 wisely. 
 
 the Khedive. 
 Jiie says in- is 
 1 ; .1 third, that 
 c ; ;i fifth, that 
 uer. I believe, 
 V hard i)ressed. 
 aces, to make 
 tl}', and is con- 
 bcc.iuse lie is 
 his pretty, fat 
 v^ but a coward 
 actinn; bravely 
 ip, and that he 
 a'ical, jud.i,dn,Lj 
 inds for callinij 
 io doubt he is 
 that he Ionics, 
 ;ibsolute i)o\vci- 
 the indii^mities 
 atural enough, 
 omise from us 
 nsubordination 
 th the Control 
 and they will 
 on tlic thnjiic 
 iteiage, than a 
 an a desperate 
 
 LUXOR. 
 
 375 
 
 intriguer like the Sultan. He has been busy cnout,di here, 
 but he has failed to Ljain the sli<jhtest support amon;.^ the 
 people. They know too well what the Turks are ; even 
 the religious bodies arc altogether opposed to his inlluencc 
 in this country. . . . Colvin is very able and far-seeing, 
 and, as far as I can judge, he views things as I do, and 
 thinks that . aich may be done by guiding and moderating 
 this movement. JJIunt is here, quite in tlie thick of it all, 
 and entirely in the confidence of the army and the sheikhs 
 of Azar, and he seems to have the fullest reliance on their 
 assurance of remaining quiet. This I always preach. 
 The burden of my song is, ' There can be only one 
 Governor. Parliamentary government, in the European 
 sense, is impossible at present. You have neither strength 
 enough nor etlucation enough for it. Your work is to do 
 away patiently and carefully the manifold abuses which 
 afflict you.' So much for h^gyptian politics." 
 
 " Cairo, February 6. — We have both been longing for 
 you and Lady Layard during the last three weeks at 
 Luxor. Nothing could have been plcasantcr, in spite of 
 the coldness of the weather. Fancy cold at Luxor ! But 
 so it was, and a deal of sneezing and coughing was the 
 result. On the other hand, the extreme coolness permitted 
 all kinds of long excursions to be constantly performed 
 without the least fatigue. We had agreeable society in 
 the evening, for there were a number of learned men, such 
 as Professor Sayce, M. ]\Lispcro, M. Rhone, M. de Naville, 
 Mr. Villiers Stuart, and, last but not least, a young German, 
 Dr. Wiederman, a perfect prodigy of learning, who charmed 
 every one b}- his modesty, gaiety, and good looks. All 
 these Egyptologists occupied their mornings in various 
 excursions, clearing up points of difference, copying inscrip- 
 tions, Egyptian, Coptic, and Greek, and in the evening 
 bringing back to the common stock accounts of their 
 
 m 
 
 r 
 
376 
 
 SIR WILLIAA! (■.RE(;OKV. 
 
 H; ! ■■ 
 
 ll 
 
 i 
 
 adventures. I think you wduUl have boon amused, and if 
 
 Lady L had taken to the purchase of bhie beads 
 
 with the avidity of Lady (» and her frieml Mrs. Lee 
 
 Childe (//(V De Tri(iueti), she would have had plenty of 
 occupation. These ladies were always runnint^ after thcsi- 
 objects, to make necklaces, I believe, aiul what with their 
 exertions and those of Laily Gal way last year, blue beads, 
 j)reviously a druL,', have risen to a fabulous price. I have 
 picked up two very curious objects, both from Karnak, 
 (jreck jjlass heads, very well done, one of I'an anil one of 
 Scrapis ; but my purchases have been few anil unobtrusive, 
 as I have only bouL,dit a few scarabaii, acknowledj^^cd 
 forgeries, to make bracelets for youn;^ ladies who will care 
 very little whether they were made in the days of Ramescs 
 or Thothmes, or in these of Sheikh A\\, the present 
 fabricator." 
 
 " Cairo, March 13. — I wrote recently to the Tiiiics abmii 
 the state of affairs here, but my letter was shamelessly 
 long, and I doubt if it will be inserted, considering the 
 great press of matter at present. 
 
 "lam (juite satisfied that our polic)- at present is to 
 support the present lvj[yi)tian Government. They are 
 trying their best to do what is right, and Arabi (now 
 Minister of War) is a thoroughl)' honest, i)atriotic man. 
 No doubt they are ignorant, but they are governing 
 according to the light that is in them, and everything is 
 going on very fairly, though in parts of the country the 
 inudirs are timid, being afraid to use energy lest they 
 may be attacked in the Asscmbl}', but all ihat will conic 
 right. 
 
 " Our position is this. The present Government hates 
 France, and is well-inclined to England. If we treat them 
 benevolently, they will cling to us and our counsels. 
 
 " It is impossible for us to have a clear and honest 
 
 1 ' 
 
SICILY. 
 
 377 
 
 iimisc'd, and if 
 "<" 1)1 no bc.uls 
 ■'^•ikI Airs. Lcc 
 liad plenty of 
 li'ik' after tiKs.- 
 Ii'd with their 
 'ar, blue beads, 
 priie. I Iiave 
 iVoni Karnak". 
 an anil one nf 
 1(1 nnobtrusivv, 
 acknowJeclLied 
 ' who will care 
 ys of Rameses 
 , the present 
 
 e Times about 
 •s shamelessly 
 ^nsidcring the 
 
 I)rcsent is to 
 t. TJiej- are 
 1 Arabi (now 
 patriotic man. 
 irc govern inj^ 
 
 everything; is 
 c country the 
 rjjy lest they 
 !iat will come 
 
 -rnment liates 
 
 wc treat them 
 
 unscls. 
 
 r and honest 
 
 undcrstandinf^ with I'rancc on the l-'f^yptian (lucstion. 
 Our i)olicy and our <»bjeets are different. Vou see iJe 
 I'reycinct claims to have ' preponderatin;^ ' inlluence in 
 l>'^ypt, which wc caiuiot admit. 
 
 "It Is inconvenient to admit the j^'rcat powers intt) the 
 |"L;yptian administration and to allow Russia any voice 
 in it. 
 
 " J:i\i:^o, try antl worlc on with the Iv^^j-ptian native 
 Government, and see if, by de^'rces, we canncjt make them 
 stand alone. 
 
 " I can see no better mode of proceeditii^ than, usIul; an 
 Irishism, to stand still and to abandon menaces and 
 misrepresentations." 
 
 "./<•/ AV(?/(', A/^ril \C), 1S.S2. — We have been for some 
 time on tiie east coast of Sicily. The first two daj-s were 
 cold and bleak at Catania, but since then the weather 
 has taken uj), and we have enjoyed our excursions 
 immensely. As for Taormina, it cannot be beaten for 
 beauty, and there is a most charminj^ hotel there, clean 
 and good, at eight francs per head per tla\- ! ! ! I think 
 I shall have to stay there when 1 get no rents either from 
 Ireland or from Ceylon. We went to Messina on puqjose 
 to see the Antonellos. They are hopelessly ruined, antl 
 it is melancholy to look on such wrecks, while the 
 Cartellino, with the beautiful neat writing of Antonello, 
 is intact." 
 
 " Palcniio, April 20. — We have arrived here after a 
 most pleasant excursion to Girgenti. I thought Taormina 
 must be unrivalled, but I was inclined to change my mind 
 on looking down, from the heights of Girgenti, on the 
 fine plain and the temples stand-ng so grandly above it. 
 The town, also, seems to be very prosperous, and it is 
 most pleasant to witness everywhere the efforts of 2 
 municipalities to estabh'sh museums for the various objeets 
 
 jli'lp 
 
1 I ■ 
 
 57S 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 ill 
 
 I i. 
 
 ilH 
 
 — Greek, Roman, Saracenic, and mediaeval — which arc 
 constantly being found. At Syracuse they are buildini,^ 
 a new and apparently a very pretty museum, and they 
 have many good things to be installed in it, among others, 
 a most beautiful Greek Venus, though, alas ! headless. 
 At Girgcnti they have also their museum, with a very 
 interesting collection of coins, only begun within the last 
 three years. The keeper of it said there were remarkably 
 fine and complete collections in the town, but the owners 
 would give nothing, and the municipality was hard set 
 to pay the price demanded for valuable articles. I think, 
 when I return to London. I shall ask Poole to get the 
 coins of Acragus electrotyped, and send them as a present, 
 with a neat and appropriate letter. 
 
 " We had a specimen of Sicilian doings on our nearing 
 Palermo the day before yesterday. A huge and excited 
 crowd surrounded the train at Termini, every one shouting 
 and weeping with joy, and patting the back of a respect- 
 able middle-aged man, who entered the compartment 
 next to ours. I asked a Sicilian gentleman who got into 
 our carriage what it was all about. He said, ' It is Signer 
 Notar Bartolo who has just returned.' I, imagining him 
 to be a Sicilian Parnell, or a relative of Garibaldi, requested 
 to know who he was, and my friend informed me that 
 he is a man of high position in Palermo — director, I think, 
 of the Sicilian l^ank — who, on returning a week ago from 
 his country house near Termini, was seized by brigands 
 and carried off. He had been released that morning, on 
 payment of fifty thousand francs, and was so weak from 
 starvation, or, rather, from bad food, stale bread and 
 cheese, that he could hardly walk. At each stage there 
 were the same demonstrations, and at Palermo the whole 
 town seemed to have turned out. Every one was kissing 
 the poor prisoner and each other, and the kisses were like 
 
 I !!'< 
 
EGYPTIAX AFFAIRS. 
 
 al — which arc 
 are buildincr 
 uni, and they 
 among others, 
 as ! headless, 
 , with a very 
 vithin the last 
 re remarkably 
 lit the owners 
 was hard set 
 cles. I think, 
 ole to get the 
 n as a present, 
 
 3n our nearin:^^ 
 c and excited 
 ,' one slioutin^ 
 ^ of a respect- 
 compartment 
 who got into 
 I, ' 1l is Signor 
 magining him 
 aldi, requested 
 ■med me that 
 •ector, I think, 
 cclv ago from 
 1 by brigands 
 t morning, on 
 50 weak from 
 le bread and 
 h stage there 
 no the whole 
 le was kissing 
 sscs were like 
 
 379 
 
 the popping of soda-water bottles. I never kissed any 
 one so loudly in all my life. The strange part of the 
 business was the mode of capture. Shortly after Notar 
 I'artolo left home, he saw on the road four bcrsaglieri and 
 a carabiniere. They advanced to him, and desired to see 
 the permits of his two servants, who were armed, and 
 who are said to have been in the plot. They made him 
 go into a near grove to examine the papers, and when 
 tlic-e they informed him that he was their prisoner. They 
 were admirably dressed, and are perfectly well known. 
 Another case has recently occurred at Caltanisetta. It 
 would be far safer to be under the lulc of Arabi Pasha, 
 ]3ut we Irishmen had best hold our tongues." 
 
 " Pa/cniio, Jl/aj' 4. — Now as to Egypt. I have given 
 the subject much thought. I had no preconceived ideas 
 when I reached land at /Mexandria. Like the rest 
 of the world, I regarded Arabi as a mutinous rascal, 
 who ought to be sent to the Soudan, though not blown 
 from a gun, according to the prescription of that blood- 
 thirsty old ass B . I looked on the so-called National 
 
 movement pretty much as we look on the Land League, 
 and I took for granted that intervention would be employed 
 with great propriety forthwith to maintain Sherif Pasha, 
 and to glorify Malct. But, a little experience, and, I trust, 
 an honest desire to reach the truth, proved to me that 
 I was completely on the wrong track. It seems to me 
 that my view of the character of the man is now 
 universally accepted — that he is honest, patriotic, indus- 
 trious, and intelligent, but without much education, and 
 with no experience of public affairs. As to the cock-and- 
 bull stories of his fierceness and threats, nothing can be 
 more unfounded. He has far too little of 'the brute' 
 in him. The danger lies much more in the gentleness 
 of his disposition, which is essentially that of the fellah. 
 
 3: 
 
 t!i 
 
 hi! I ' 
 
;8o 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 i;^ ■'■'.;»; ii 
 
 ij llli' 
 
 Whatever be his fortune, I believe hereafter it will be 
 allowed that I crave to Entilishinen a true insicfht into 
 the character of the man who was about to be the virtual 
 dictator of Egypt. I next asserted that there was a 
 National party. In this you do not agree, and it is much 
 disputed. I am quite ready to go thus far with you. 
 There is no National party of any strength, such as there 
 was, and is, in Scrvia and Greece, but there was a prevalent 
 desire for a change in the administration of the country. 
 That desire extended from the Cataracts to the IMcditcr- 
 ranean, and was entertained, from various reasons, by 
 every man of influence and education in the country and 
 in the villages, h was a mixed feeling. There were a 
 few of the best educated who wished for 'Egypt for the 
 Egyptians' — these were 'he National party pure and 
 simple — and to them were joined others in large numbers, 
 some hoping to get redres.. of grievances, some influenced 
 by envy at the salaries of Europeans, others chafing at 
 being under European supervision, believing themselves 
 to be as capable, others, again, and these the least 
 numerous, affectrd by religious feelings. It was difficult 
 to draw clear line^ among these persons, as the different 
 shades of opinion so ran into and tinted each other, it 
 is enough to say that the great mass of the people who 
 thought and read (and bear in mind that recently news- 
 papers are circulated throughout the length and breadth 
 of Egypt) were of one opinion. They wished to get the 
 government as miich as possible out of the grasp of 
 France and England, and to govern themselves according 
 to their own ideas. 
 
 " Now, I beg of you t.? acquit me of sentimental notions 
 m all I have said, done, and written. I have backed up 
 the present Egyptian Government all along, not from 
 thinking it the best that Egypt could get, for undoubtedly. 
 
 't 
 
EGYPTIAN x\FFAIRS. 
 
 381 
 
 tcr it will be 
 : in.si_c[ht into 
 be the virtual 
 
 there was a 
 id it is much 
 far with. you. 
 such as there 
 IS a prevalent 
 
 the country. 
 
 the Mcditer- 
 
 reasons, by 
 
 country and 
 'here were a 
 gypt for the 
 y pure and 
 rge numbers, 
 le influenced 
 ■s chafintj at 
 ^ themselves 
 >c the least 
 
 was difficult 
 the different 
 ;h other, it 
 
 people who 
 cently news- 
 and breadth 
 1 to j:jct the 
 le g-rasp of 
 cs according; 
 
 :ntal notions 
 : backed up 
 I:, not from 
 ndoubtedly, 
 
 so far as the material prosperity of the country is con- 
 cerned, it would have flourished far more in the hands 
 of the Control, but because I thought the Egyptians, how- 
 ever degraded they may be from centuries of oppression, 
 ought to have a voice as to the government of their 
 country ; and, secondly, because the interests of England 
 would be far better served by a National Government, if 
 it can be kept on its legs, than by a joint Government 
 of England and France. You concur with me in viewing 
 with extreme dissatisfaction all solidarity with France in 
 this matter, if it can be avoided. We are certain to sufft.- 
 in our ma'crial interests if we ally ourselves with them, 
 and to be tarred with the same brush, in the estimation 
 of Europe and of Egypt, for their misdeeds. But how 
 arc we to c .cape from this entanglement, except by the 
 success of Arabi and his government ? Surely the wise 
 step would have been for us to have recognized the 
 importance of the revolution that had occurred, to have 
 abstained from foolish menaces, which at first caused 
 panic, suspicion, and irritation, and afterwards contempt, 
 and to have endeavoured to get hold of Arabi by offering 
 him the hand of friendship, and the promise of support, 
 so long as he and his friends behaved with prudence. I 
 am confident he would have w^arnily accepted the hand 
 thus held out, and would have been ready to be guided 
 by us in all serious matters, if left to deal with minor 
 matters according to his own views. We could have, in 
 return, given him a great position, by taking the lead 
 in examining and helping him to remedy the flagrant 
 abuses which exist, and which will continue to exist 
 without European help— the inequality of taxation, and 
 the inordinate salaries and sinecures of foreign employees. 
 "Now, in the present emergency, if we had had in 
 Egypt a man of far-seeing views and strength of mind. 
 
 i '^ 
 
 11 
 
382 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 ; ', 
 
 :ii':' 
 
 'h 
 
 I feel confident lie would have recommended the Govern- 
 ment to let him deal with the present men in the most 
 cordial spirit. He would have seen that favourine^ inter- 
 vention was neither more nor less than tyinL,^ ourselves 
 to the car of France, and being dragged through the mud 
 in doing so. He would have seen that if he could prop 
 up these people and establish them he would gain time, 
 which is a great matter, and they have done absolutely 
 nothing as )-et which justifies intervention. He would 
 have seen that a Turkish descent on I'^gypt, if I'rance 
 would have allowed it, would be playing the Sultan's 
 most dangerous game. It is undoubtedly better than 
 luiropeaii intervention, but it is more easy to get the 
 Turk in than to get him out, and, besides, who is to pa}- 
 the expense of the expedition .' 
 
 " I view all these matters differently from Blunt, who 
 pushes things to first [)rinciplcs, but I think that Blunt 
 deserves great credit for the bold and indcfatiirable 
 manner in which he has fought this battle almost single- 
 handed. He has fought for Kg}'pt alone. I have fought 
 for England first, and for Egypt also. Looking back now 
 many }-ears, I can well remember how I stood alone, or 
 very much alone, in Parliament on many similar cases, 
 which were called my ' crazes ' — the union of the Rou- 
 manian provinces, the complete liberation of Scrvia, the 
 increase of Greek territory ; and I still think I was ri;^'ht 
 in iTi)- advocacy of the South against the North in 
 America, firstly, as regards English interests ; secondly, 
 as regards the interests and rights of the Southern St:'tcs." 
 ''London, October 12, 1SS2. — After having been the 
 cockshy of London society during the summer, and bcin 
 heartily abused on all sides, I find myself greeted as a 
 prophet. This will please you, as you always stuck to 
 me during evil report. Mvcn Chencry, whom I met in Paris, 
 
led the Govern- 
 ed in the most 
 avoun'nLi- intcr- 
 tyinc,^ ourselves 
 rough the mud 
 he could prop 
 mid gain time, 
 lone absolutelj- 
 3n. He would 
 rypt, if iM-ance 
 the Sultan's 
 ly better than 
 asy to get the 
 who is to pa}- 
 
 om Blunt, who 
 
 ink that lilunt 
 
 indefatigable 
 
 almost singlc- 
 
 I have fought 
 king back now 
 stood alone, or 
 ' similar cases, 
 n of the Rou- 
 
 of Servia, the 
 nk I was right 
 
 the North in 
 :sts ; secondly, 
 Lithcrn States." 
 k'ing been the 
 mer, and been 
 f greeted as a 
 ways stuck to 
 I met in Paris, 
 
 THE LAW COURTS. 
 
 
 told mc he thought I ought to be highly gratified at having 
 opened men's eyes to the iniquities perpetrated in Egypt 
 with our connivance." 
 
 '' Loudon, December G, 1882. — We went to the opening 
 of the Courts of Justice. It was a fine sight, and the 
 going there well arranged and easy. Not so the return ; 
 the confusion was frightful. The barriers all but gave 
 way to the surging mob, as no police kept them back. 
 A number of boys and girls got over, which added to the 
 desperate pressure inside. 
 
 " I am sorry to say that I fear these Law Courts will 
 nut add credit to the Victorian era. The great hall is 
 not a great hall at all, and it is hard that it should be 
 eclipsed by the hall of Rufus, built all but seven hundred 
 years ago, when England was very poor. It is, in fact, 
 a passage, a gallery, an arcade, rather than a great hall. 
 It could not be otherwise, with the stone roof which Street 
 insisted on. Had he condescended to a wooden roof, he 
 might have made a magnificent hall, and the effect of the 
 roof might also have been made very fine. 15ut no, he 
 must have a Erench stone roof, and a great opportunity 
 has been lost. We have had three great chances, beside; 
 the new Ilr iscs of Parliament, during our epoch, and 
 have failed in all — the Law Courts, the new Whitehall 
 blocks, by Scott, and the Natural History Museum — the 
 last the best." 
 
 ''Loudon, December 30, 18S2. — This day wc have been 
 to the O'd Masters. I was aghast when I first entered 
 the Rosetti room, with the strange-lipped, long-jawed, 
 weird, disconsolate women which met my eye, but I soon 
 passed from them among most remarkable [pictures, re- 
 markable from grandeur of conception and rich gorgeous 
 colouring. They are different from anything I have ever 
 seen, and, before I left the room, I was quite won over. 
 
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 384 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 I can think of nothing else, and now no longer wonder at 
 the inordinate admiration, approaching idolatry, of some 
 men for Rosctti's works, I shall go again on Monday, to 
 see if first impressions are correct. I wish we had a fine 
 specimen of him ; but there is Rosetti and Rosetti — the 
 one sublime, the other ridiculous, or, rather, appalling." 
 
 " January c, 1883. — X (a member of the Govern- 
 ment) said to me yesterday, ' There ought never to have 
 been a war. We all feel it now. It is clear that Arabi 
 had the whole country with him,' and it is equally clear to 
 me that he would have pulled as steadily with you, or with 
 Dufferin, as an old wheeler.* I have written to friends in 
 Ceylon to be kind to him, and I think they will be so, for 
 my sake, though they arc much exercised in their minds 
 whether he is ange on dcinon.'' 
 
 ''Loudon, September 21, 18S3. — I left A happy 
 
 enough with your godson, f who is in a state of beatitude 
 with the horse-chestnuts. It is a never- failing pleasure to 
 him to break the green husk and fish out the bright brown 
 nut inside. He returns home daily with his wheelbarrow 
 filled. I wish that in future years he may be able to take 
 out a patent for a cheap mode of divesting the horse- 
 chestnut of acidity, and making it wholesome human, or 
 even pig food. What a grand invention!" 
 
 " Coole, November 25, 1883. — I have been for the last 
 week sitting on a Committee in Dublin (very far from a 
 strong one), appointed by the Treasury, to report on the 
 designs for a new museum and library, to be built by 
 
 * " Alderinasfoii, Jiaie 2, 1S84. — I am ^'radually assuming all 
 the airs and impudence of a prophet, as every one now comes up 
 and says, ' Well, so it seems you were rii^lit after all.' I think I shall 
 write a fierce letter to the Times, such a one as Klijah would have 
 written, reproving the nation for its blindness and following of false 
 idols." 
 
 t William Robert Gregory, born 1881. 
 
CEYLON REVISITED. 
 
 385 
 
 njjcr wonder at 
 olatry, of some 
 on Monday, to 
 wc had a fine 
 id Rosctti — the 
 , appalHn;j[." 
 of the Govern- 
 never to have 
 Icar that Arabi 
 equally clear to 
 ith you, or with 
 :n to friends in 
 y will be so, for 
 in their minds 
 
 A happy 
 
 .te of beatitude 
 injj pleasure to 
 le brij^ht brown 
 lis wheelbarrow 
 be able to take 
 ing the horse- 
 onie human, or 
 
 :n for tlie last 
 
 ifery far from a 
 
 report on the 
 
 to be built by 
 
 \lly assuming; all 
 ic now comes up 
 I think I sli.iU 
 ^lijali would have 
 following of false 
 
 Government in Dublin. We were told to select five 
 dcsii^ns, and there were thirty-three competitors. One of 
 the desij:jns i.s of remarkable beauty,* in harmony with the 
 best architecture of Dublin, which is really very fnie, far 
 better than anything in London, excei)t the Banquetinpj 
 Mall. Some of the others arc t^ood per se, but arc 
 objectionable in many rcsi)ccts. I should i^reatly like you 
 to see the one 1 scj much approve of. Our fdrmcr 
 labours at the National Gallery, and the Committee on 
 the British Museum, and my own work in l)uiUlin.L:^ a 
 museum at Colombo, gave me a gooil ileal of practical 
 knowledge which was of use to my associates." 
 
 I'o ike Countess of Dartrev. 
 
 " Cooid, December, l<S83. — I have just road a most 
 delightful book, which I think every man, woman, and 
 child ought to be condemned to read twice a year — Dean 
 Bradley's " Recollections of Arthur Benrhyn Stanley." 
 The tone of it is most impressive, antl the luiglish very 
 beautiful. Moreover, the scope of Stanle)''s life so har- 
 monizes with all my own views on Church matters, that 
 I have felt this little book very tlccply, and thought much 
 of the enormous loss we have sustained by the untimel)' 
 death of such a brilliant example." 
 
 To Sir II. Lavard. 
 
 "' Aiiaradhapnra. Ceyloti, February 22, 1884. — My head 
 is so turned by the fuss the good people of this island 
 are making about me, both the English and the natives, 
 especially the latter, that if I write conceitedly and 
 egotistically, you will understand that it is only a tempo- 
 rary aberration, and that I shall subside very soon into my 
 habitual h.umility on returning to lingland. But you must 
 
 * That by Dcane, al'terwards adopted. 
 
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 386 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 bear with my coiiccM't in this letter. On my arrival at 
 Colombo the first thing I saw was fourteen large steamers, 
 all ridin;^- undisturbed within the magmTiccnt breakwater, 
 over four thousand feet in length, wliieh I began, and 
 which is now finished. Many a bad half hour has it given 
 me. Since I returned to l-^iigland I was told rcpeateilly 
 that I had saddled the colony with a debt approaching a 
 million for a work which would be forthwith washed awav, 
 and which would be but of little use. The result is, not a 
 stone has stirred during the worst gales, and the engineer 
 is willing to stake his life that not a stone will stir for the 
 next hundred years. So far from saddling the colony 
 with a debt, the harbour dues in the first )-ear have paid 
 all the interest and a part of the sinking fund, and it is 
 confidently expected that next }-ear it will pa}- a surplus to 
 the revenue, and in fifty years the colony will be free from 
 all debt on account (jf it, and have some X'50,000 a year 
 added to its income, besides an annual surplus all the time. 
 " I am at this moment at the old city of Anaradha[)ura, 
 the capital of the Kandian kings. The district round was, 
 about a thousand years ago, the granary of Cej-lon, all 
 owing to the magnificent system of irrigation maintained 
 by the native inonarchs. The district had fallen into 
 decay. When I came to Ceylon there were not sixty 
 thousand people in it, the rest had i)erished from starva- 
 tion and from a dreadful disease, called ' parangi,' by which 
 whole families and villages literally rotted away. All 
 their food dependeil on the very precarious chance of 
 storing whatever rain fell, and they had to cut the bunds 
 of their tanks to let the water into their fields. The result 
 was that, if ailditional rain fell, the [)art of the Inuul which 
 had been opened gave way, all the storeil water was lost, 
 and the cultivators starved, or burnt the fine Crown forest 
 to raise a crop of grain. There was no road to the centre 
 
)n my arrlv.-il at 
 :n lari,fc steamers, 
 Iccnt breakwater, 
 :h I began, and 
 
 hour has it given 
 s told repeatedly 
 bt approaching a 
 'ith washed away, 
 he result is, nut a 
 
 and the engineer 
 2 will stir for the 
 dling the colony 
 ;t }-ear have paid 
 ng fund, and it is 
 II pa)- a suri)lus to 
 ' will be free from 
 le /" 5 0,000 a year 
 irplus all the time, 
 
 of Anaradhapura, 
 listrict round was, 
 uy of Ceylon, all 
 Ration maintained 
 t had fallen into 
 ■e were not sixty 
 shed from starva- 
 parangi,' by which 
 otted away. All 
 ;arious chance of 
 
 to cut the bunds 
 fields. The result 
 [jf the l)und which 
 eil water was lost, 
 fine Crown forest 
 road to the centre 
 
 CEYLOiNT REVISITKD. 
 
 387 
 
 of the 'sland and to this city. The city Itself was hid in 
 jungle, and so pestilential that for several months it was 
 actually deserted. I at once made the huge district a 
 separate province. I made a series of magnificent roads, 
 connecting it to the east with Trincomalee, to the west 
 with I'uttalani, the salt emporium, and made a road 
 running by it from Kandy to Jaffna, 1S4 miles, the most 
 northern point of the island. Ycni could now drive a coach 
 and four from the extreme south t(j the extreme north 
 of the island. I then set to work to restore the tanks 
 and their feeders, and passed an ordinance, whereby the 
 villagers received, and had put in gratuitously, a masonry 
 sluice for eacli of their village tanks, on condition of their 
 all turning out and repairing their wretched broken-down 
 bunds. Thanks to the energy and tact of the officer, I\Ir 
 Dickson, to whom I entrusted the new province, the plan 
 succeeded. The villagers were inspired with confidence, 
 and have worked bravely at their tanks, some hundreds of 
 which have been, and "re being supplied with sluices, the 
 large catchment tanks h;ive been placed in thorough order, 
 and now Sir Arthur Gordon is so thoroughly impressed 
 with the astonishing results of what has been done, that 
 he is going to restore the huge inland tank, almost a sea, 
 which will render the district absolutely independent of 
 dearth. And what are th.e results ? The produce of the 
 last five years is five times greater than of the [)revious 
 five. Rice used to be five, six, and eight shillings a 
 bushel ; it is now one and eightpence. There is ample 
 food for every one, and now they are exporting large 
 quantities from the district. The hospitals, which had 
 been crammed with ' parangi ' patients, are almost deserted, 
 for the disease has generally given way to plentiful food 
 and good water. The revenue is paying hand over head 
 the expenditure, and the old city, once so deadly, is now 
 
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 38S 
 
 bIK WILLIAM GRLUOKV. 
 
 one of the most healthy in the ishintl. It is the loveliest 
 spot I have ever seen. The forest all round the town lias 
 been cleared, and it is now a beautiful park, full of ruins 
 of great interest, and the drives are lovely, some of them 
 constructed on the bunds of the large tanks, and lookin^^r 
 over the vast sheets of water below, one in particular 
 running round the town for several miles, and touching 
 every architectural monument of interest. How I do 
 wish we were all here together for, at least, a week ! You 
 would enjoy yourself beyond measure. I believe there is 
 nothing in India which can approach this place in antiipiily 
 and beauty combined ; and then we have the old native 
 history, giving the full account of the different monuments, 
 and written about the time when the fniest were con- 
 structed, between 300 r..C. and 150 A.D. 
 
 "Nothing can e(iual Sir A. Gordon's nobility of hos- 
 pitality — for that is the only word I can use — putting me 
 forward on all occasions, adopting my plans and policy, 
 ami treating me, and ordering me to be treated, as if I 
 were a second Governor. There are few men who could 
 have divested themselves so totally of all jealous)- of a 
 very popular predecessor." 
 
 '' N/izcara-IiiiyiL March 15, i8cS4. — I went to the 
 elephant kraal on the 5th, under the full impression that 
 the elephants were clcjse at hand, and sure to be tlriveii 
 in within a couple of days, but we waited there till the 
 following Wednesday. j\Iy patience and that of the 
 Governor were then exhausted, and my carriage was 
 actually at the door when the news arrived that a great 
 and combined effort had been made during the night, and 
 that the beasts were at the very mouth of the kraal ; and 
 so they were. So the horses were sent back, and up wc 
 went, and, amid a storm of shouts and volley of shots, in 
 they rushed, twenty-six in number, several of them of 
 
is the loveliest 
 
 (1 the town has 
 rk, full of ruins 
 
 some of thcni 
 cs, and lookiiiL; 
 V in particular 
 
 , and touchin;^ 
 How I do 
 
 a week ! You 
 believe there is 
 ace in anticiuily 
 
 the old native 
 :nt monuments, 
 lest were con- 
 
 lobility of hos- 
 se — putlinj:,^ n^. 
 
 uis and polic_\-, 
 treated, as if I 
 men who could 
 1 jealous)- of a 
 
 went to the 
 mpression that 
 e to be driven 
 1 there till the 
 I that of the 
 '• carriaj^e was 
 d that a p^rcat 
 
 the nii;ht, and 
 the kraal ; and 
 ick, and up wc 
 ley of shots, in 
 al of them of 
 
 AM liLKI'IIANT KRAAI. 
 
 larire size and some small calves. While this was 
 
 the tc 
 
 ;[)hant.'- 
 
 It 
 
 to beat dc 
 
 389 
 
 Roin-: 
 the 
 
 ame eie[juanis were seni ni to Dcat clown 
 juii;4le, about two acres in extent, and it was a curious 
 si;^'ht the cl ;ver way in which they worked, tramplin;^ down 
 everything, even good-sized trees. We were all in the 
 stand direclly over them, a large number of ladies present, 
 when a frightful scene occurred. An attendant of one of 
 the elei)hants was on foo' by his siile, and was handing 
 up to the mahout either a spear or a goad which he had 
 dropped, when the brute turned on him as quick as thought, 
 dashed him to the ground with his trunk, drove his tusk 
 through his body, and then absolutely kneadetl him with 
 his head and knees. Of course the poor wretch was dead 
 in a second, but it was horrible, as it all took place within 
 a few yards of us. They say the man had ill-treated the 
 elei)hant, who had three times before tried to kill him. 
 After the murder the elephani seemed to show no sign 
 of excitement or ferocity, but was driven by his rider quite 
 ([uictly out of the enclosure and was tied up. The animal 
 was notoriously in ' must,* and consequently very dangerous, 
 and f)ught never to have been allowed inside the stockade. 
 ICvery thing was suspended for an hour or two, and then 
 the noosing began. It was very exciting work, and the 
 bravery of the noosers was marvellous. When the tame 
 elephants had driven the wild ones into a lump, the noosers 
 actually crawled among the legs of the wild ones, and 
 before evening six were caught and tied up. The tame 
 elephants behaved like heroes, except just at the beginning 
 they never flinched, and when a wild cjnc was noosed they 
 dragged him by main force, one pulling the rope, and two 
 others pushing behind. They always placed themselves 
 in a position that the captives should not be able to strike 
 the men who were tying them up, and gave the ropes a 
 turn and a tug round the tree whenever it was necessary. 
 
 IP! 
 
 i \m 
 
 
( i'i 
 
 390 
 
 SIR WILLIAM c;RL(;()KV, 
 
 '1' 
 
 it 
 
 II 
 
 
 
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 There was one very fierce male solitary elephant who kept 
 away from the rest, and who made several demonstrations 
 of a char_c[c. At last he screwed up his couraj.;e, and made 
 at the foremost tame elephant, rather a small one, hut a 
 splendid worker, and ah ays to the front in a row. The 
 wild champion with a scream made at him, and struck 
 him a desperate blow with his trunk; the little fullnw 
 never moved at the blow, but met his antacjonist with hi-; 
 forehead and drove him ri_L,dit down a slii)i)ery hank, utterly 
 discomfited. lie never charged aj;ain. I left in the 
 cvenin.t:^ after six had been caught; the last was a very 
 large cow with a calf. She had been the /n'fr iioirr of 
 the drive, always charging back and fighting, but she 
 seemed quite resigned to her fate, and thinking on!)- of 
 her little child, who followed her very rpiietly into captivity. 
 The whole thing was a wonderful affair. It was got up in 
 the middle of a w ild jungle about two months ago, when 
 the driving began with .about two thousand beaters. 
 There had not been previously a living soul near the 
 spot, and when I arrived I drove through a wide street 
 of native shops, and up by a row of beautiful and spacious 
 bungalows, all made of cocoa-nut matting. The Governor 
 had declined going, but changed his mind, as Lady Gordon 
 wished to see the function, and a house was placed at his 
 disposition and mine by the Kandian chiefs, containing; 
 nine bedrooms, all of good size and very comfortable. 
 They had previously assigned it to me, requesting nie to 
 fill it with m}' friends, which fortunately 1 diil not do. 
 They were going to have supplied everything, but tlie 
 Governor relieved them of this very generous hospitality, 
 brought his own cook and champagne, and had dinner- 
 parties every evening. There were actuall)' between four 
 thousand and five thousand persons in Kraaltown, and not 
 a policeman I Next week the wild beasts will have the 
 
'M" ? 
 
 Tlir, NATIONAL GALLKUV. 
 
 391 
 
 pliant who kept 
 (Iciiiotistrations 
 iraj.,a\ and made 
 mall one, hut a 
 in a row. The 
 lini, anil struck 
 tlu; little felldu- 
 iLjonist with hi-; 
 cry hank, utterly 
 [ left in the 
 last was a very 
 he A7(' 110 i IT of 
 .H'litin;;, but she 
 hiid<iiii,f onlv (if 
 I)' into ca|)ti\ity, 
 It was ^rot up ill 
 onths at^o, w hen 
 ousand heaters, 
 :,' soul near the 
 ^h a wide street 
 iful and spacious 
 The Governor 
 as Lady Gordon 
 :is placed at his 
 licfs, containinf,' 
 ny comfortable. 
 :qucstin_q- ine to 
 ' I did not do. 
 /thin.!.,^ but the 
 •ous hospitality, 
 nd had dinner- 
 ly between four 
 altown, and not 
 s will have the 
 
 .soda-water buttles ami sardine tins to themselves. Before 
 leavin;-,' elephant talcs I must tell you a touching' story 
 of the former kraal, in I'cbruary, in the Western Province. 
 .\ calf was noosed and cau;;ht and tied up in a corner 
 of the enclosure, close to the threat crowd of s[)ectator.s. 
 The poor mother had done her best to save him, but in 
 vain. When she saw it was all over, and that no hope 
 remained of his escape, she (piietly left the main body of 
 her uncapturcd friends, walked down to tlu; tree where the 
 calf was tied, and remained with it there all day, comfort- 
 \\v^ it and caressincf it with lu-r trunk, and not takin;^' the 
 slightest notice of the crowd. 
 
 " And now for the National Gallery. I sincerely trust 
 that whatever be the result of our (lealin,L,'s as rej^ards the 
 Marlborout,di pieture.s, lUnton will not hesitate to buy the 
 Gauden/.io I'errari and the Paris Hordone, and I am very 
 glad he has got the Mattecj da Siena. As for the Luinis 
 I should be cast i{owii at the thought of losing such a 
 treasure as nine pictures b)' that master ; but if the 
 Government is to aid us we must try and aid them in 
 making their grant as small as possible to obtain the 
 Marlborough pictures. Of course the Raphael ought to be 
 secured at any price, but there are one or two Rubenscs 
 which are magnificent, I tliink unrivalled, but it is many 
 years since I saw them. 1 am afraid if we bought the 
 whole collection, took our pick, and sold them again, the 
 rejected pictures would fetch much less than their value. 
 Fancy, if we had picked out of the Hamilton lot our 
 thirteen, how much the; value of the others would have 
 sunk ! 
 
 "I do not think the House will sanction just yet the 
 nocturnal lighting of the Gallery. Fancy the electric 
 light striking work all of a sudden, and the mischief that 
 might be done by the soldiers and their ' Polls ' in the 
 
 h 
 
 I .1 
 
 1! 
 
 li 
 
 i: 
 
392 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 I i, 
 
 n,! 
 
 dark i If Gladstone resists, and I think Howard could 
 thoroughly inscnsc him, Cope would not have a chance of 
 carr}-ing the measure, and one defeat would set it at rest 
 for years. I think our course is clear to give our reasons 
 for objecting to the measure, and then to place the whole 
 responsibility on the Government. It would be most 
 unwise for Burton and the Trustees to resign, because if 
 we were to lie replaced by a set of ignorant toadies, God 
 help these fine collections, for which we have worked so 
 earnestly ! and we maj' be left power to enforce such 
 regulations as will render the measure as little dangerous 
 as possible. 
 
 " I came up here to cool inwself after the terrible heat 
 of the kraal. It is far too cold. I had a fire of huge logs 
 in a huge chimnex' last night in my bedroom. There never 
 was anything like tlie affection and kindness of the people ; 
 fancy their coming from the extreme north of the island, 
 two hundred and (.:ighty tiiiles off, a journey of man)- (la\-s, 
 merely to salaam liicir old Rajah and be off again !" * 
 
 i-^ 
 
 To Lady (iRKcouv. 
 
 '^ Colo}/il>o, Fchiit ,ry 14. — iXrabi has paid me a visit, 
 and I sat with him and Abd-el-al (a fine honest soldicrl 
 last night. \'ou have no idea 1k''\- ho is liked and re- 
 spected by every one. The ci 'onel in cornmantl here, and 
 his wife, a clever and charming woman, think him one (if 
 the finest, most modest, and truthful men they ha\e ever 
 met. Mr. Campbell the head of the police, who has ,1 
 good deal to say to him (more tluin Arabi thinks) speaks 
 of him in the highest possible terms. The same impression 
 
 * "A ,L(cntlcmrui told mc ill it, two days before my airivul, llie> old 
 nurse ill liis faniil)' at Xuwara-I'.lija asked lor her \v;i;j;cs and leave 
 to t;o to Coloinhi), a hundred and ilfteen miles aw.iy, to see Su' 
 Willi.im arrive, 'for,' said she, 'he is our God. Me is the (iod of 
 my people.'"' — Letter to Lady Grcj^oiy, March 22. 
 
Howard could 
 vc a chance of 
 1 set it at rest 
 vc our reasons 
 )lacc the whole 
 nultl be most 
 i'^n, because if 
 It toadies, God 
 ;ivc worketl so 
 enforce such 
 ttle danp^erous 
 
 - terrible heat 
 " of hun-e Ions 
 There nc\cr 
 C'f the people ; 
 of the islaiul. 
 of many ihu-s, 
 a train ! " * 
 
 d me a visit, 
 lonest soldier) 
 h'ked and re- 
 land here, and 
 ik him one u{ 
 hey lia\c' evei- 
 ■(.', who has ,1 
 hinks) speaks 
 me impression 
 
 )■ arrival, tlvj old 
 \agcs and leave 
 ^vay, to sec Sir 
 c is the Cod of 
 
 SUCCESS OF WORK IN CEYLON. 
 
 393 
 
 I find prevalent everywhere. ... I regret to say that some 
 thin^^s take place which must mar the contentment of the 
 exiles. They are subjected at every hour to intrusions, 
 without introductions, from all the vulgar riff-raff which 
 lands at Colombo, and which _c:^oes to see the lart^e tortoise, 
 and then to sec Arabi. While Lord Rosebery (whom I 
 had introduced to Avabi) was speaking very scri-^usly to 
 him, a Melbourne betting bookmaker forced himself in, 
 and hailed Arabi in the most familiar manner." 
 
 7'() Lady Gregory. 
 
 " Kaniiy, February 24. — There was not an hour of my 
 stay at Anaradha; ura in which I was not longing for you. 
 We did the journey with the greatest ease, starting at 
 first light in the morning. It was perfectly cool, and not 
 a inosquitu or tick to annoy one, and ample room for us 
 all, and you would have now been very proud of me. I 
 have never seen anything so beautiful as this child of mine 
 — this North Central Province. . . It is a splendid 
 success. I hope I may have merit put to my credit side 
 for having thus rescued tens of thousands of poor helpless 
 wretches from gradual extinction. Vou never saw any- 
 thing more grateful than they were. Kvcry soul came, if 
 only to sec their deliverer, as they said, once more. It is 
 balm of Gilead to me that Sir Arthur goes on gallantly 
 with this great and good work. I really think, whatever 
 ]ia[)pens henceforth, that my life will be serene, from my 
 present fulness of hapi)iness. Thank God I have seen this 
 great success, and ncnv I may depart in peace.' 
 
 To Sir II. Layard. 
 " Loo,L\ September 15, 1884.— Let me strongly press on 
 )'ou to read every word of Rosebery's address at the 
 Trades Union meeting, Aberdeen, on the great coming 
 
 i 
 
 K 
 
 I 
 
 
 W\\ 
 
 !ii 
 
 I 
 
p^ lif' 
 
 ■ '=;■ 
 
 ■i if 
 
 I 1^ ' 
 
 
 I ■; 
 
 III 
 
 i t 
 
 394 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 question of the day, the incorponUion of tlic colonics into 
 the imperial system. It is a subject in which I take the 
 very deepest interest. Of course you will naturally say 
 that the (juestion is so vast and so crude tliat it is still a 
 long way off. So it is ; but it is onterincj into the field of 
 practical [jolitics, and it has fortunately been taken up by 
 the foremost younij statesman of the day — a man of far- 
 seeing views, great industry and energy, combined with 
 caution. It is pretty clear to me that tb.e first step must 
 be the establishment of somethi'.'.g like an Imperial Con- 
 sultative Parliament, in which the representatives of great 
 colonies might attend, and cx[)rcss their opinions on 
 strictly defined questions of imperial policy. The mere 
 discussion of sucli subjects at present would be a material 
 strengthening of the link which bintl:^ the colonies to Ihc 
 mother ':"ountry. At a future period, when the cohmics 
 expand still further in wealth and population, it is i)ro- 
 bable they will claim something more th.m the mere 
 discussion of imperial policy ; but these things grow of 
 themselves, and mould fresh combinations wliich will have 
 to be dealt with by those who come after us. I do not 
 shrink from acknowledging the difficulties in the path, 
 and the objections which can be raised, but they will have 
 to be faced, discussed, and overcome. These speculations, 
 and the form which the movement will take at first, arc 
 entirely my own ; I have not seen them mooted elsewhere, 
 nor do I in the least insist on the correctness of my ideas. 
 Ikit it is clear, from the way the; whole press of l-jigland 
 has taken up Rosebery's speech, that r.ien's minds arc 
 rapidly awakening to the necessity of working out the 
 question. All I dread is that it may be m.atle the ' f;u! ' 
 of those who, disheartened l)y the bre:'k-dou'n of our 
 Parliamentary system at present, are for resorting to a 
 new s)stem of governing by local Parliaments, one for 
 
10 colonics into 
 hich I take the 
 
 11 naturally say 
 :Iiat it is still a 
 
 nto tlic ficltl of 
 :n taken ii[) by 
 -a man of far- 
 combined with 
 first step must 
 
 Imperial Con- 
 
 tativcs of i^rcat 
 ir opinions on 
 cy. The mere 
 d be a material 
 colonies to the 
 sn the colonics 
 ition, it is pro- 
 tli.tn the mere 
 thinc^-s g;vo\v of 
 wln'ch will have 
 us. I do not 
 ;s in the path, 
 they will have 
 sc speculations, 
 ike at first, arc 
 otcd elsewhere, 
 ss of my ideas, 
 ess of I'jii^laml 
 "n's minds arc 
 >rkin5j out the 
 nade the ' fad ' 
 c-down of our 
 rcsortinj^ to a 
 ncnts, one for 
 
 LIFE AT COOLE. 
 
 395 
 
 Ireland, one for Scotland, and probably one for Wales, 
 besides one for England, with a centad Parliament for 
 imperial questions. A brave and combined effort by both 
 parties to level all obstructions which impede our present 
 system, and to make this obstruction a personal affair, a 
 crime of ' Icsc-niajcstc' against Parliament, to be visited on 
 the offender by expulsion would be far better than to 
 lower the dignity of our country by turning Parliament 
 into a set of vestries, and to the same level of public 
 spirit." 
 
 ''London, December 4, 1886. — I beg of you to read my 
 article in the Nineteenth Century on our Indian INTussul- 
 mans. I think you will approve of it. My well-known 
 friendship with Arabi had reached India, and made his 
 co-religionists far more effusive and confidential than they 
 would otherwise have been." 
 
 '' Coole, October 20, 1890.— I send )'ou the Pall Mall 
 Garjctte, with an account of our recent acquisitions. The 
 cost of them makes me blush ^^■hcn I think of it. I have 
 had man\- letters from good judges, praising the Velasquez 
 portrait as one of his finest works, but no one says much 
 for the Moroni, l^'or the life of me I can't make out the 
 
 skull in the Holbein, though A says it is as plain 
 
 as the nose on ni)' face, and that is plain enough. 
 
 " We are all very flourishing. T am busy planting, 
 and the rabbits destroy during the night my work of the 
 day before, antl nearly drive me mad. The woods are 
 redolent of tar, with which we anoint the trees, and the 
 walks are dangerous from traps. I think I shall win in 
 the end, and exterminate my enemies, but how many of 
 my young trees will be alive this day year is another 
 matter. Robert is growing and learning. He gained 
 half a sovereign from me yesterday, by repeating the 
 twenty-two stanzas of Wilfrid Blunt's fine ballad of 
 
 ^!i' ! 
 
 m 
 
396 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY, 
 
 • ii 
 
 ' Sancho Sanchez ' without a fault. lie would do very 
 well if he would only think a little more. He is really 
 an excellent boy, full of go, but obedient and strictly 
 truthful 
 
 " I have nothing to tell you of our country. Generally 
 it is as orderly as Venice. The higher order of Roman 
 Catholic priests are undoubtedly serio'jsly alarmed by 
 the defiant attitude of the Parnellites towards them, and 
 are turning towards his Holiness. I have been fighting 
 for them in the Times, solel}- on one point — that they 
 do not hate Vroicstaiits. Of course they are bound to 
 hate Protestantism." 
 
 '' Lflndo)!, Dcconbci' 12, 1890. — I do not know if I 
 should inflict another letter on you so soon, but }'ou \\\i\y 
 like to hear m\' notions of the present astounding state 
 
 of affairs.* A thinks I'arnell will win, and she is 
 
 supported by the great authority of Lord , who was 
 
 here yesterday evening, ami discussed the situation with 
 much wit and good sense. They ri/iy on rarnell's ability, 
 audacity, and resolution, his power of the purse, his [)os- 
 session of the press, and the immen3^_ wave of [popular 
 enthusiasm, more especially among the young and formi'.l- 
 ablc portion of the population. 
 
 " I am quite of the contrary opinion. I believe, in 
 spite of his successes in Dublin and Cork, that he will he 
 beaten, and is beaten already. With all their folly, the 
 haters of England must see that the rift in their ranks 
 will infallibly defeat that separation wtiich they have at 
 heart, and are sure to gain, if they once get Home Rule. 
 Refiection will make this clear. 
 
 " Then, in every parish in Ireland you have i)owcrful 
 spiritual agencies at work. The Roman Catholic hierarchy 
 
 * Written after tlie O'Shea divorce case and the split in the Jiish 
 party. 
 
THE PRIESTS VEKSUS PARNELL. 
 
 397 
 
 /oiild do very 
 
 He is really 
 
 t and strictly 
 
 ly. Generally 
 der of Roman 
 / alarmed hy 
 rds them, and 
 been fi^htintr 
 nt— that they 
 arc bound to 
 
 )t know if I 
 but you ma)- 
 oundint,^ state 
 , and she is 
 — , who was 
 situation with 
 •n ell's ability, 
 Jrsc, Iiis pos- 
 c of popular 
 ; and formid- 
 
 I believe, in 
 It he will be 
 eir folly, the 
 I their ranks 
 hey ha\e at 
 Home Rule. 
 
 ive powerful 
 lie hierarchy 
 
 lit in the Iiibh 
 
 see that this is their supreme chance of regaining the 
 power that has been slipping from them. They know 
 that if Parncll wins this battle they arc virtually annihi- 
 lated, so far as their political and social influence uoes. 
 and they will bring to bear a solid mass of opposition 
 to him, whicli I am confident will crush him. 
 
 "I have, in i letter to , thus described the situa- 
 tion. ' Parncll suggests to me the idea of an avalanche, 
 which at first carries everything before it, and then melts 
 away. The Catholic hierarchy that of a gkiciei, which 
 slowly, imperceptibly almost, but irresistibly forces its waj', 
 by its enormous bulk and weight, and its steady, continuou'^ 
 motion.' 
 
 " I was sorry to hear of Drake's death. 1 am sorry 
 to hear of any death, even of an acquaintance. There are 
 too few leaves left on my old tree, and 1 grieve to sec 
 them falling one by one ; and I shall nf)t repine when 
 m\- time comes, except to leave my wife and child 
 unguarded." 
 
 ''London, March .i8, 1891. — You will have read, in 
 this da)''s Times, riunkct's extremely unsatisfactory reply 
 to Dr. Ivirquharson about the National Gallery. When 
 you return to England, the subject of space and danger 
 of fire should again be taken up by the Trustees ; in fact, 
 we are challenged by Plunket to do so. His argument, 
 that because wc had an increase of space given us in iScSj, 
 therefore wc do not require more in 1891, is pretty giuch 
 on a [)ar with my objections to give Robert fresh clothes, 
 he havincf irrown out of his last suit, which was too tight 
 when he got it. The expansion of the Gallery by the 
 accession of most notable works seems to be looked on 
 b)' the Treasury as a national calamity, and that we arc 
 a pestilent set of fellows." 
 
 ''Cook, September 8, 1891.— I am at present reading 
 
 It-' 
 
398 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGOUY. 
 
 Herodotus, whom I ]i;ivc not opened since Oxf )rd, ulici-c 
 I knew him well. I am reading- his work critically, that 
 is, as a Greek scholar, rather than as an inquirer into 
 history. I obtained a second-hand copy of Rawlinson's 
 edition, and am disappointed with the translation. Diffi- 
 culties of expression are evaded and slurred over in a 
 slovenly manner. I have just finished the first book, but 
 have not ventured on the lon^t^ and intricate lucubrations 
 concerning the Median, Assyrian, and Babylonian dj-nastics, 
 which, I dare say, have been modified ere this. The style 
 is very pleasing, the stories delightful, and the Greek 
 peculiarly easy. I mean, if I can summon up courage, 
 to tackle, during the winter, the recently discovered works 
 of llerodas, with new words, new grammatical inflections, 
 new everything. I shudder at the thought. 
 
 "Robert has not gone back yet. lie is anxious to get 
 on in Greek, to beat a bo}- above him, and to move over 
 him into the top class. lie is really beginning to master 
 the very great difficulties of Greek grammar, and I wish 
 I was as sure of Common winning the St. Le^^jr on 
 Wednesday as I am of Robert passing liis antagonist. 
 His outdoor thoughts are cricket and caterpillars, both 
 harmless and cheap amusements. 
 
 " We have had several visitors, among others .Sir A. 
 Lyall, a most delightful visitor. I believe Robert Meade 
 and his most taking daughter meditate coming here. I 
 hope so, as I like them both so inuch ; and when I like 
 guests I am an excellent and attentive host, when I don't 
 like them their departure is a relief." 
 
 "London, October i, i<S9i, — Congratulate me on a real 
 
 IroHvaillc. The picture* I bought at G. ]5entinck's sale 
 
 iox £\2 \os. has come out splcndidl}-, and is in first-rate 
 
 condition. Ikirton is greatly struck with it, and has no 
 
 * Now in Uic National (".allcry. 
 
Oxfji-d, where 
 critically, that 
 1 inquirer into 
 of Rauiinsf^n's 
 islation. iJini- 
 rrcd over in a 
 first book, hut 
 Lc lucubrations 
 Miiaii dynasties, 
 lis. The style 
 md the Greek 
 )n up courage, 
 ■^covered works 
 ical inflections, 
 
 anxious to get 
 to move over 
 
 ning to master 
 
 lar, and I wis): 
 St. Lcj^jr on 
 
 his antagonist. 
 
 :crpillars, both 
 
 others .Sir A. 
 Robert Meade 
 3ming here. I 
 id when I lilcc 
 t, when I don't 
 
 :; me on a real 
 
 iJentinck's sale 
 
 is in first-rate 
 
 it, and has no 
 
 LAST LETTERS. 
 
 399 
 
 doubt of its being by Savoldo, it having all his cha- 
 racteristics. The accessories and landscape have a great 
 charm. The subject, the 'Adoration of the Shepherds,' 
 seems to have been a favourite with the painter. It is a 
 wonderful bit of luck to have picked up so fine a picture 
 from among so many of the cognoscenti^ 
 
 ''London, N'ovcniber 23, 1S91. — I have seen no one, for I 
 am hardly able to get about, 1 must tell you, as my oldest 
 friend, the whole truth — I am extremely ill. As you are 
 aware, I suffered from what seemed to be palpitation of 
 the heart when I was with you in the summer, and I also 
 had a severe, almost dangerous, attack of bronchitis. Both 
 of these ailments have disappeared, but they have been 
 succeeded, ever since my return to England, by constantly 
 increasing diarrhoea. 1 am getting weaker and weaker, 
 and thinner and thinner, having lost seven pounds in 
 weight since September, and eleven i)ounds since June. 
 I have been under Andrew Clarke and my own village 
 /lisculapius (an exceedingly clever man), but the disease 
 beats them. To-morrow I am going to consult ]\Iaclacjan. 
 I have very little care for life, but I should like a few years 
 
 more, to help poor A and Robert, for those are critical 
 
 times for them." 
 
 '' London, January 10, 1S92. — I ha\'e [jlenty of time on 
 hand to intrude on your occupations, for I am, and have 
 been, a fast prisoner in my bedroom since Thursday. I 
 am a good deal cast down by this, for. although I knew 
 I had not conquered my disease, I thought I had so far sub- 
 dued it as to be on the way to convalescence ; and I must 
 try to live, for the sake of my boy and my dear good wife." 
 
 " I send you two letters — one referring to the Arundel, 
 the other to the National Gallery. . . . The great dc- 
 sidcratnin now is another Dutch room. It is, as we say 
 in Ireland. 'IMillia murther ' to see a number of charming 
 
 I' 
 
 V 
 itti 
 
 I 
 
 it 
 
 I 
 
400 
 
 SIR WILLIAM GREGORY. 
 
 I 
 
 Dutch pictures so huddled ;uul incoiif^ruously placed th;it 
 no justice can be done to our Dutch collection, now almost 
 unrivalled. If you had seen the delicate Ilabich pictures 
 brought near to the light before being placed in the 
 Octagon, you would be grieved, as I am, by the contrast." 
 
 '' ]yoHV)iC)th>u1li, January 29, 1S92. — 1 was vcr}' ill again 
 last week, and Maclagan bundled nie out of Loiulon. This 
 is a delightful place, ver)- mild, antl the hotel looking om 
 on the sea. I am now on different treatment, uiul am 
 certainly better, but, having been here onl)- two da>-s, it 
 would be premature to express an opinion. I know 1 take 
 a deal of the twenty-four hours in sleep, which is pleasant 
 and harmless. Robert is here for his Sunday, and has just 
 lodged a flotilla of paper boats in one of the garden basins. 
 I believe they arc to resist a Spanish Armada. " 
 
 ''London, Fcbrttary 15, 1892. — Although there were tjnly 
 Lord Ilardinge, Bufton, and mj-self at the lioard on 
 Tuesday, j-ct the matter was so im[)ortant that I must go 
 into it in full. I ought to have done so before, but I have 
 reall)- been too ill to give much thought to anything. 
 The subjects considered were — first, extension of space; 
 secondl}', finance; third!)-, the purchase of the 'Gates of 
 Calais.' ... 
 
 " I am about to present to the Gallery my two Velas- 
 quez — ' Sketch of a Duel in the Prado,' and ' Christ at the 
 House of Mary and Martha.' They are, at least such is the 
 judgment of cognoscenti, two excellent specimens of the 
 master at two extreme periods. I think I mentioned that 
 I meant to present my Jan Steen in monochrome, fiv 
 which the French dealer, M. Ganchez, offered me ^^250, the 
 day after I bought it for £2 is. I al.so give my Savoldo, a 
 very fine picture of large size. . . . 
 
 " We determined, ultimately, not to come to any decision 
 till you return, when MAY all of us meet again." 
 
sly placed that 
 on, now almost 
 labich pictures 
 placed in the 
 
 the contrast." 
 ; very ill a;j;aiii 
 London. This 
 :cl lookin_i; out 
 ment, and am 
 ly two (,la_\-s, ii 
 
 I know I take 
 u'ch i.s pleasant 
 y, antl has just 
 
 ijarden basins, 
 la." 
 
 here were only 
 the ]5oard on 
 that I must j^o 
 ore, but I have 
 to an}-thin_L;. 
 uon of space ; 
 
 the 'Gates of 
 
 uy two Vekis- 
 ' Christ at the 
 ;ast such is the 
 ciinens of the 
 nentioned that 
 nochromc, f(V 
 1 nic .^250, the 
 my Savoldo, a 
 
 o any decision 
 
 in." 
 
 I NDEX. 
 
 America, civil war in, 214-219. Sa- 
 
 United .States, Canada 
 Aral)i, 371-3^4. 392, 3'I3- -Va' KfiyiH 
 Aristophanes, .Mi-. (lladstone's (luota- 
 
 tion from. 244, 245 
 A>IiI)urton, Lady, 77, Si 
 Australia, tour in, 364-366 
 Ayrton, Mr., First Commissioner of 
 
 Works, 20') 
 
 llallinabinch estates, niana;^cnient of, 
 liy Law Life Society, 231, 232. See 
 Marl ill 
 llaltimore. stay at, 195, 196 
 ilariug, llruiser, cardsliarjier, 54-56 
 Baronetcy, olfer cjf, to L;rand father, 
 
 1^, 13 
 Hath House, 77 
 ISellew, Cantain, rival candidate fcjr 
 
 Galway in 1857, 160-165 
 i'.entinck. Lord (ieori^e, 106-I16 
 , Disraeli's relations with, loS, 
 
 110, III 
 
 , friendly relati(jns witli. 1 1 2-1 14 
 
 , Jewish emancipation, >upportei- 
 
 of, 109, no 
 Uerkeley, Captain ]''itzhardinge, 53-56 
 I'llake, Sir \'alentint', duel with Robert 
 
 liurke, 13, 14 
 IHockade, International Law <jf, I'ar- 
 
 lianicntary discussion on, 216, 217 
 Howdoin, Mrs., lirst wife, 267, 324 
 iJrahazon, Captain, taken prisoner by 
 
 Chinese 10 
 
 Hrewster. Mr., coun-ellor, afterwar.ls 
 
 Ch,ancell(jr, 147, 148 
 liribery at Dublin election.s, 5?;, 59, 
 
 '3^ 137 
 I'riti^h Museum, 17S, 179, 206-210, 
 
 219, 220, 254, 255. Sec Natural 
 
 History Museum 
 lirodie, schoolfellow at Harrow, 30, 
 
 31 
 lirown, John, Abolitionist Martyr, 
 
 1S9-192 
 I'uckint^ham, Duke of, 336, 337 
 lUnke, Geori^e, of Danesfn! I, 163 
 , Sir Thomas, 41-43, /37, 138, 
 
 141, 160 
 liuller, Ceneral, ])roclamation of, at 
 
 New Orleans, 21", 218 
 liuil, Professor, 59, do 
 
 C 
 
 Calcr.ift, Ch-anby, 41, 42 
 Canada, tour in, 1S0-186 
 Candidature for Dublin in 1842. 
 elected, 5S-66, 74, 75 
 
 , 1S47, defeated, 136, 137 
 
 for l)unL;arvon, defeated, 13S 
 
 for (Jalway in 1S47, defeated, 
 
 '37' 13S 
 
 , 1S57, elected, 160-165 
 
 , 1S6S, unopposed, 255 
 
 Carantrila. riotous party at, 40-43 
 Carlisle, Lord, previously Lord Mor- 
 peth, 63, 64, 162 
 Carlo Lerandrei, 8, 9 
 Carlicr, M., Prime Minister of Canada, 
 
 2 D 
 
 1 I 
 
 If 
 
* 
 
 402 
 
 ixi)i;x. 
 
 Cnlliolii; cniaiicipalion.O'CoiiiiLll on, 
 
 67, 68. .S(V Koiiiaii Catholics 
 Cave of Adull.iin, 104, 245 
 Ceylon, j;overi:or:,liii) ot, 1S72-1S77. 
 
 256, 267-35O, 302-364 
 
 , Aclan)'s lJri.!t;e, 336, 337 
 
 , llatticalio, 2<jS, 2ijij 
 
 , iiiulilha, temples of. 2S1, 2S2. 
 
 287, 306, 329, 330 
 
 , Colonihi), arrival at, 74-277 
 
 , ColVea in, 2S5 
 
 , dispensary s)>tcni. introiliiction 
 
 of, 326, 327 
 
 drunkcnnc 
 
 ,)'j' J 
 
 i(> 
 
 elephants, 300, 320, 349, 350, 
 
 38S-391 
 
 , entertainments, 303, 312, 313 
 
 , (jalle, arrival at, 209-271 
 
 , harbour, 26S, 269, 316 
 
 , Jal'lha, 292-295 
 
 .jewellery, 271-274, :y22, ^2;^, 
 
 337-340 
 
 , Kandy, 277-2S8 
 
 , leave of ab.scnee from, 323, 334 
 
 , lion, 343, 344 
 
 •, literature of, 336 
 
 , museum, 314, 315 
 
 , Nuwara Eliya, 2S9-292, 302, 
 
 303 
 
 pearl fishery, 337-340. .Siv 
 
 Jewellery 
 
 , I'rince of Wales' visit to, 345- 
 
 351 
 prisons, 325. 326 
 
 — , railw.ays in, 324, 325 
 
 • Killes, 320, 321 
 
 schools, 335 
 
 snakes, 271, 272, 295, 354, 355 
 
 tanks, 291, 297, 298, 305, 310- 
 
 312. 323, 387, 388 
 
 - — , Trineomalee, 296-29S 
 , Veddahs, 301, 302 
 
 , visits to, subse(|uently, 358, 
 
 3^5-393 
 Champ, .-nowne, family of, 39 
 (Jhesteriield House, 81, S2 
 Christ Church, undergraduate of, 
 
 1837, 43-48 
 Civiti Vecchia, stay at, 51-53 
 
 Clancarky, i.or.l. 40. 58 
 Clanricardc, Lord, I4 10, 41. 42, no, 
 
 117.252 
 Clanwilliam, Lord, 57 
 Classical studies, 22 25. 32 34. 244. 
 
 245 
 Clay, ( I'Or^e, brnthe'-in law ami 
 
 A.l).( ..329 
 , J.imes. friend of Disraeli, <)5. 
 
 y'>, 235 
 
 . .Sir William, father-indaw, 267 
 
 Cockliglitini,', 203-205 
 Colombo, arrival at, 274-277 
 
 breakwater, 316 
 
 water supply, 341, 342 
 
 Colonial federation, 393 395 
 
 OfTice, relations with, 26S, 270, 
 
 271, 27''. 334 
 Comerford, Mr., purchaser of Kin- 
 
 vara estate, 156-159 
 Co\entry Club, elected menUier of, Si 
 Crampton, Sir I'liilip, i;reat surgeon, 
 
 13. 14 
 
 Craven scliolar>liip, contests for, 
 
 44. 45 
 Crockford's Club, elected mciniicr of, 
 
 82-84 
 Cul)a, stay in, 202-205 
 
 I) 
 
 Daley, the Rev. Peter, 202, 212, 213 
 J)alhousie, Lord, 84, 85 
 Damask, affair of, 149-154 
 Dandyism, 81, 82 
 Derby, Lord, 1 15, 176, 245 
 Derby, the bettini; on, 51, 57, 120 
 Disestablishment, lOO, 167 
 Dl>raeli, l!enj,\min, 90-105 
 
 , Bentinck, LordCeorge, alliance 
 
 with, 92, loS, no, 111 
 , IJritish Museum, .action regard- 
 
 i'lk', 254. 25s 
 , Church alliance with, loi-ioj 
 
 , Clay, Jame>, friemlshii) with, 
 
 95. 96 
 
 , Conint^sby, 90, 91 
 
 , Ireland, opinion about, lOj 
 
JO. sS 
 
 14 10, 41. 42, IK,, 
 
 ^2 25. .52 J4. 244. 
 
 ri)thi.'r-in-l,uv ami 
 
 111 of Disraeli, i)^. 
 
 falltci-iiilaw, 2(fj 
 -205 
 
 t, 274-277 
 516 
 
 341. 342 
 I. 303 395 
 ms with, 26S, 270, 
 
 !4 
 
 purduiMcr of Kin- 
 
 -'59 
 
 .led mciiii)cr of, S2 
 
 lip, ^'rcat surgeon, 
 
 ip, coiUehts fur, 
 
 -■lected niLinljcr of, 
 
 -205 
 
 Jter, 202, 212, 21 J 
 
 4, 85 
 
 149-154 
 
 176, 245 
 
 on, 51, 57, 120 
 166, 167 
 , 90-105 
 
 riUIeori^c, allianci.' 
 [Q, III 
 
 inn, aeliou rej^ard- 
 
 ice with, loi-ioj 
 , friend.-,hi[) willi, 
 
 o, 91 
 
 iun about, 103 
 
 INDEX, 
 
 40.? 
 
 lii-^racli, iKiiianiiii. kindness df, 07, l'''irstcr, William, 21 217 
 
 9^ [''raiichise, speeches on, 209, 210, 
 
 , marriage of, (jj-qs 234, 235 
 
 -, no li\('(l conviclinns, lOO, 103- I'"ree Trade, -up[iorls, 12S 
 
 105 /■'i\.i/i,ii/'s Joiinuil, account by, of 
 
 ■, I'eel, Sir IviJKrt, antv^onisni, Dublin election, ^-63, 113 
 
 01, 92, 101 
 
 Pulilin, defeated at, iS;;, 136, 137 
 
 ■ elected fur, in 1S42, 5S-()6, 74, q 
 
 , l')\(iiian''< Jotinuil, account of <'ainsfonl, Dr., 44 
 
 election, 60 -r)3 I'.alle, 2()S~27I 
 
 nithHit l-'.rntin;:; Mail, 5S, 64, 113 Calway, defeated for, 1S47, 137, 13S 
 
 lUul with Captain N'auL^lian at 
 
 Osterley, 79. "49" '54 
 
 oldies of, ill Ireland, 1 ;-iS 
 
 I iuni;aiV(;n, defeated for, 13S 
 Dimkellin, l.ord, 104, 141-143,245 
 
 , death of, 251-253 
 
 I luUNandle, Lnrd, cK .uli of, 131) 
 
 -, elected for, 1S37, 160-165 
 
 , , I SOS, 255 
 
 I'acket Line. 201, 202, 211-214, 
 
 ( lamliling hells, S2-S4 
 
 tiarbally, visits to, 40, 5S 
 
 (nrniaiiy, vacation tour in, 4G-48 
 
 < lladstone, 92, 93. iiO 
 
 , Aristoplianes, ipiotation of, 244, 
 
 ! 245 
 
 — , Ilritish Mu>eum, action about, 
 
 I 79, 20S, 223 -22() 
 — , rahnersion, Lord, in Cabinet 
 
 of, 239, 240 
 — , |)olicy of, 255-257 
 
 -, tenant riL,'hts, on, 243, 244 
 
 L.i-l India ('oni|iany, i75^'77 
 I'llinburLjli I lotanicaltiardens, Sunday 
 
 cipep.ini^ of, 221, 222 
 I ducation, relij^ious, in Ireland. 12I- 
 
 125, !()() 1()S 
 
 l',;^!inton, Lord, 212 
 
 Liiyjit, tour in, and opinion about 
 
 national niovenicnl, 371-3S4 
 l.'.der, coach at Oxford, 45, 4S, 49 
 I'.lection, Dublin, for, 1S42, 26, 27, 
 
 58-06, 74, 75 
 , (lalway, 1S57, i()0 105 
 
 - , , 186S, 255 . - 
 
 Llephants, 300, 320, 349, 350, 3SS- <'■'•^•!.'k^ ''^^'v. 'I'reslia.n, 50, 60, O3, 06 
 
 (ircL^ory, family, oritjin ol, I-O 
 
 (jlasuevin Gardens, o[)enini; of, on 
 
 Sunday, 210, 211 
 ( iodley, John Robert, 14O 
 ( lordon, Osborne, coach at Oxford, 
 
 44. 45 
 tioulburn. Chancellor of llxchequer, 
 
 friencLhip with, 10, 76, 77, 85 
 
 391 
 iillinlt, card^haiper, 54-50 
 V'.verett, Major, 53 
 
 F 
 
 Henry, i;reat - threat - t;rand- 
 father, 2 
 
 , Richard, great-uncle, 3, 0-8 
 
 , Roliert, i;reat-t;rand father, 2-O 
 
 — , Robert, junior, great-uncle, 3,4 
 
 famine, 140, 141 , Robert, son of Sir W. Gregory, 
 
 '• Leathcrspring Harrison," 17, iS 3S4, 395, 396, 398, 400 
 
 Fight, pugilistic, at Rudesheim, 47, , William, grandfather, 3, 4, 9-20 
 
 ^S " , Sir William, America, tour in. 
 
 I'ord, Father, I'ricst of Kinvara, 139 lSo-205 
 
 I'nrgery by O'Flaherty, 143-146 , ancestry, 1-20 
 
404 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 I ; I I : I 
 
 lil 
 
 GrcRory, Sir Willi.iin, Aiahi, opinion (■.ri';,'ory, Sir William. I'rincc of 
 
 "f. 371-3^4. 392. y)i W.ilcs, 57, J4S-35S 
 
 , Australia luiir, j(.4-36r, j , radnjj, 45, 4S, 51, 57, 1 i8-,2o, 
 
 , linh, July ij, iSi;, n 1 ur;, i p, 147-151 
 
 , Jliiwiluiii, Mrs., inarria^je with, ' . SLiinoI-.Jays, 2ij-jS 
 
 2<'7 I , tenants, rclatii)ns wiili, 1;,,), 
 
 , t'an.ida, tour in, iSo-iSG 157, 15S, i.S.S, iSi), 24.', j tj, .'4,^, 
 
 •, Ceylon, governorship of, 1872- .53.5, .534, 358-360, 30S-371 
 
 1S77, 267-35r), .S'<v ( 'eylnn . I'liiti'il Slates, lour in, iSd 2u.: 
 
 1 1 visits to, sul)se(|iieiiliy, 
 
 35S. 3SS-393 
 
 , ilc.ith, 300, 361, 3()f), 400 
 
 II 
 
 — , l)ui)liii, eieetiun lor, 5S-l)(), 74, 
 
 75 
 
 — , duel witii Captain Vaui^haii. 
 
 «4<) 154 
 
 Ilanilcoek of (,'arantrila, visit to, 40- 
 
 43 
 Harper's Kerry, affair of, iS<j-ii)j 
 Harrison, Feathersprin^', 17, iS 
 
 -I I'K'yi't. tour in, and opinion H,u row, sciiool-days at, 30 3.S 
 
 ai.out, 37I-3S4 
 
 Havannali, slay al, 20J, 20 { 
 
 -.election, Dul.lui, for, 1S42, 58- Haydon, death of, and kindiic- of 
 
 I 'eel to, i;,^ 
 Head, Sir Mdnunid, iNt 1S5 
 Herbert, Mr., tin.' ]iaintir, 232 
 
 Sidney, slateMiian, Sj So, |i() 
 
 ^^, 74i 7.>- 
 
 ICS 
 
 .vay, for, 1S57, 160- 
 
 , fathvr, 13, i.M, uS, uy, 139, 
 
 140 
 , franchise, speetdies on, 20<;, 210, 
 
 234. 235 
 , Galway, elected for, 1857, 100- 
 
 I''--, 
 
 -, Harrow, school-days al, 30 38 
 
 I leidilotus, 3y.S 
 
 Hickman, Mr., Clerk of the I'e.ico hn 
 
 Clare, 14 
 Huxley, I'rof., nieetiiiL; with, 2(17,268 
 
 I 
 
 — , niarna^e, llrst. wilh Mr.. l,„lia, ^ovcrnn.ent of, l,y ( ompanv, 
 
 ll'iwdoni, 1872, 267 
 , . second, with Miss i'ersse, 
 
 1,^80, 367, 3GS 
 
 i7S-«77 
 — , I'rniceof Wales' tour in, 351 
 
 , Maynooth * irant, o]>po^ition to, 1 i" ,-t 1 r . 1 i- 1 
 
 ■' ' '' ' Indi Cliurcli, disestahhshnient 
 
 121 125 
 
 , mother, 14S, 149, 240, 355, 356 
 
 , National Callcrv, appointcil »,., , ,,, . ,,■,, ,, ^ ., ,. 
 
 -' '' Act, Land I, ill, Koman Catholics, 
 
 ol, 
 
 235 2.1/ 
 
 — ilemands, 253. 254. .S',',' j.air 
 
 trustee of, <>S. S:v National ( lallery Tenanis 
 — , Newmarket, racin- at, 45, i iS, labourers, 26,, 2U2 
 
 "^ railw.ays. Ill, uj, 246 
 
 -— , oflicc, oiler of, 12S, 129, 240, n,;,^,, i„^„. |.„.^,^ ^,^ ,_, 
 
 ~45 
 
 , Oxford, residence at, 43 49 
 
 , rarliamentary career, 1842- J 
 
 1847, 76-13S ; 1857-1872, 160-179, Jersey, Lord and Lady, received hy, 
 
 20C-263 77-79, Si, 153 
 , J'er.sse, Miss, marriai^e with, Jewish emancipation, 104, 109, 110 
 
 367, 368 ; Jocelyn, Lady, 96, 97 
 , I'ortuyal, tour in, 235-238 ' , Lord, 90, 97, 113, 123 
 
'illiaiii. I'lincc of 
 
 -.555 
 
 »S, 51,57, I 18-130, 
 
 . 29 -jS 
 
 ilatidiis wiili, 151), 
 
 1S9. 24-'. 24 J, .'4,,, 
 
 ,60, ,?0S-37i 
 
 cs, idur ill, iS(j joi 
 
 uitiila, vir>il lo, 40- 
 
 iTair i)f, iSijKjj 
 ■s|irin-, 17, iS 
 '^y^ '^l| 30 .5.S 
 I, 20 J, 20.J 
 r, aii'i kiiiilnL'>> ■}{ 
 
 .1, iSr i,S5 
 paiiilLT, 2\2 
 I'Miiaii, S \ Si), 1 1() 
 
 crl; i)f till.' \\\v\- t",ii 
 
 ctini,' with, 2()7, 26S 
 
 r 
 
 t I if, liy (■iimpany, 
 
 k'alc-.' tiiur ill, J51 
 
 iscslaltlisIiiuciU ol, 
 
 ,^ 254. .St\' l.aii ; 
 Roman Catholics, 
 
 )1, 2h2 
 
 , II-', 246 
 4'J 53 
 
 J 
 
 Laily, icccivcii liy, 
 
 (in, 104, 109, no 
 . 97 
 
 '. II.;. 12.) 
 
 INDKX. 
 
 405 
 
 K 
 
 Kairwan holy city, visit to, 169 172 
 isaiuly, 277 2SS 
 
 Kiiinciiy, tiilor at Ilaiinw, 51 jj 
 i\cnt, scliooltiiiows at Harrow, .50, 51 
 KL'iit;h, Mr., Conservative, 75 
 
 L 
 
 i.aii.l Act, 242 244,24s 250,257 2fii 
 
 Law Courts, New, 257, .583 
 
 l.ayanl. Sir Henry, 20^;, 227, 22S, 
 
 234. 25.5, 257, J57, 3£S, 300, 3O2- 
 
 400 
 
 , lillst of, 35S 
 
 , corrcspoutkiRi.' uiiji, 35S, 3C0, 
 
 362 4aT 
 
 , fricmishiii with, 227 
 
 , Turkey, anihassaiior to, ^07 
 
 , , suiijiurter of, 227, 22S 
 
 l,iliiT,ili/ini; tciiiicncy, 1(15 
 
 l.iiMili, Dr., Tutor ai Cliristcluirch, 
 
 allcrw arils 1 )can, 3S, 45 
 Liiifoln, Lady, .Sd, 1S7 
 , l.oril, aftorwarils Dukr of 
 
 Xewcastic, S4 S6, 1 2S, 129, 13.? 
 l^inwooii, eonijirlilor lor Craven 
 
 scholarslii]), 44 
 l,onilon, lirst entry of life in, "(>-9o 
 Lonilondeiry, Laily, reeeivcil by, 77> 
 
 Si. .S2 
 l.yall, Sir Alfreil, 39S 
 
 M 
 
 .Mcl)onaL;h, William, stce[)lechasc 
 
 rider, duel of, 14 i(j 
 McMvilly, IJislio]) of (lalway, sup- 
 
 ])orter, I(»2, 163 
 McHale, Archbishop of Taani, 
 
 opponent, 135, 162 
 .Mai;uire, member for Dunj^arvoii, 13S, 
 
 Martin, Thomas, of liallinahinch, 139, 
 
 231. 232 
 
 Massey, vacation tutor, 46, 47 
 Maynooth CJr.ant, 121-125, 129 
 
 Mayo, Lord, Tn-.t Lord N'aas, 245, 
 
 246, 24S 250 
 Melbourne, Loid, nieetini; with, uhen 
 
 child, 1 1 iio/r 
 Merlin I'ark, duels in, (O, 17 
 .Modbury, private tuition at, 39 
 .Moii;^oose, li^hl with .su ike, 31s 320 
 .Moipelh, Lord, subseciuenlly Lord 
 
 Carlisle, 63, O4, 162 
 Mother, 14S, i4<), 2 |o, 355, 35() 
 Museum, liritish, 17S, 179, 206-210, 
 
 219, 220, 254, 255. .S'lV N.atur.il 
 
 llistoiy .Museum 
 
 N 
 
 Xaas, Lord,sulise'|ueiilly Lord Mayo, 
 
 245, 246. 24S 25U 
 National (lallery, a|ipoiiite'd trustee 
 
 of, 9S 
 , niana_t;cmcnl of, oS, 99, 2()2, 
 
 263. 37". 3')'. 392, 395, 397-400 
 N'atural llistoiy .Museum, 207, 2oS, 
 
 220 222 22(j 
 
 Naval Warfare, exemption o( jirivate 
 |irnperly from capture in, 240 242 
 
 .Newcastle, Duke, formerly Lord 
 Lincoln, S4 S(), 12S, 129, 133 
 
 New Inn Hall, removal to, 4S 
 
 .Newmarket, visits to, 45, iiS, 119 
 
 New O'lcans, (ieneral Hu'dei's \'m- 
 clamation, 217, 21S 
 
 , stay at, 193 
 
 Norton, lion. .Mis., S5, SI) 
 
 O 
 
 ( (brenovitcli, Julie, I'rincc" of Sci via, 
 
 242 
 (TCoiinell, 64-74 
 OlVice, offer of, by Lord Derby, 245 
 
 , , l,y Lord Russell, 240 
 
 , , by Sir Robert I'eel, 12S, 
 
 129 
 O'Flaherty, Kduuuul, 142-14S 
 Osborne, Hernal, 144, 145 
 Oxenham, private tutor, 39 
 Oxford, residence as undergraduate 
 
 at, 43-49 
 
 i 
 i 
 
 I 
 
Ilit 1 1 
 
 406 
 
 INDEX, 
 
 in i- 
 
 I ' 
 
 i. '1 
 
 V 
 
 l'aliiui>tiiii. L(Ji(l, 174, 177. 20(). 213, 
 
 221, 222, 23S-24O 
 
 I'nris card party, adventure at. 33 57 
 I'arncllism. 263, 333. 334, 35S 3()0. 
 
 3OS. 3O1). y)(\ 397. .Si:' Land Act. 
 
 Roman Catholic Tenants 
 I'aupcr children, Kunian ( 'athnlie, 
 
 177, 17'"^ 
 Pear^tin. old schoolfellow at Harrow. 
 
 30, 31. 267 
 i'cel. Sir Rolierl. 24. 5S. 70. 80, S4-S6. 
 
 <;i,92. loi. 123-133, 105 
 
 . (lancaiiy. Lord, friend of. 5S 
 
 , Harrow, adilrc^s at. api)ro\al 
 
 of, 24. 58 
 
 •, Ilaydon, kindness to. 132 
 
 . kindness of, to Sir \V. (ircLjory. 
 
 So. Si 
 
 , office, offer of. by, 12S, 129 
 
 , jiresents Sir \V. (Irej^ory to 
 
 Speaker, 76 
 
 , rebuke, friendly. So. Si 
 
 . resij^nalion of, 130. 131 
 
 , welcomes Sir \\'. (ircL'orv lo 
 
 House of Commons. 79. So 
 
 , the youns^er, 151. 152, 233 
 
 I'er^se. Miss, marriai^e willi, 3()7, 30S 
 
 , Mrs., mother-in-law. 41 
 
 I'inetuni planting :i', Coole. 154. 153 
 i'itt. Lord \\\ lie-ley's recollection of, 
 
 27 
 i'ocjr Law I'.ill. 133 136 
 " I'ope, To hell will).'' cry of, 65. ltd 
 rortugal. tour in. 235 23S 
 Prince of Wales, dinner with. 37 
 tour in Cc'vloii and India. 343 
 
 J3J 
 
 R 
 
 Kacini,', 43, 4S, 51. 37, iiS 120. 129. 
 
 130, 147-131 
 Raffael, Colonna, picture. 9S-100 
 Repeal, O'Connell on, 69. 70 
 Reynolds, cardshai'iier. 34-37 
 Robinson, W. J. C.. 4S, 22S, 235, 23S 
 Roman Catholic Oaths IJill, 234 
 
 Roman Catholic pauper children. 
 
 177. 17S 
 Catholicism, 163, 166-168, 391J, 
 
 397 
 i\oscl>ery. Lord, on C ilonial l-"edera- 
 
 li^>". .393 395 
 Rossetti, 3S3, 3S4 
 Royal Dublin Society, 232. 233 
 Royal Iri>h Academy, 247, 24S 
 Rudesheim. liL,'lU witll lists at. 47, 4S 
 Russell, Loril John, subsecpiently Lord 
 
 Rus-ell, 132, 209, 213, 21S. 231), 
 
 240, 243 
 
 , oflice, offer of, by. 240 
 
 Ryland. Mr., clerk of the Council in 
 
 Canada, 179 
 
 .S 
 
 St. Cieor^ie, Ml'., elected for Calway, 
 
 137. 13^ 
 
 Salamanca, Iri-h ('olle;;e at, 229, 230 
 Servia, 226-22S, 242. 253 
 Shaftesbury, Lord, So, Si, 213. 216 
 Shaw-Lefevre. letter to, about O'l'mi- 
 
 nell, 71-74 
 Sheehan. Remmy, >upporler at Dublin 
 
 election, 3S, 1 13 
 Smith, the Rev. Sidne}'. nieeliiiL; 
 
 with, 1 1(), 1 17 
 Smythe, Geort^e, afterwards l/inl 
 
 Strangford, So. S7-90. 94, 95. 123 
 Son, Robert, 384, 395, 396, 39S, 400 
 Spain, tour through, in 1S63, 22S- 
 
 230 
 S])eeches. emigration of h'isli. 133 
 
 . feeding Irish. 133 
 
 , Iiiilia, (loVfMimeiil of, 173-177 
 
 . I'oor Law Rill, 133 i ]i) 
 
 , Reform Hill, 209. 210 
 
 Steffa. 31 33 
 
 Strangford. Lord. 80, 87 90. 94. 95. 
 
 123 
 .Siyvechale Hall, original seat of 
 
 Gregory family, i, 2, 29 
 Sunday opening of botanical gardens 
 in Dublin and Kdinburgli, 210,211, 
 221 222 
 
pauper cliildren. 
 163, 166-168, 391 ), 
 1 Colonial l'"c(lera- 
 
 cty, 232. 233 
 my, 247, 24S 
 villi lists at, 47, 48 
 , subsequently Lord 
 )9, 213, 218, 239, 
 
 f, by, 240 
 
 iif the Council in 
 
 Icctotl for Ciahvay, 
 
 o11cl;o at, 22y, 2 ;o 
 
 80, Si, 215, 216 
 t U), about 0'(.!i)ii- 
 
 upporlcr at Dublin 
 
 SicliK')'. nifi-tiiiL; 
 
 afterwards l/ird 
 
 '7 90. 94. 95- '23 
 595' 390, 39S, 400 
 gb, in 1S63, 22S- 
 
 )n of Iri^li, 133 
 
 1-1 -» 
 
 nmcnt of, 1 75- 177 
 209, 210 
 
 So, 87-90, 94, 95, 
 ()riL;inal seat of 
 
 I, 3, 29 
 
 botanical i^ardciis 
 linburijh, 210, 211. 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 407 
 
 Tarrint; and featberini;, 199 
 Taylor, Colonel, T(jry \\'lii;i, 9S 
 Tenant right, 242-244, 248-250, 258, 
 
 260 
 Tenants of Sir W. (Iret^ory, 139, 1 58, 
 
 333. 334. SS^^^SC'O. jC^Q 37 1 
 , emii^rated, meeting, in America. 
 
 18S, 1 89 
 Thackeray, 'Sir., meeting witb, 117 
 Tliwaites, Mr., chief of botanical 
 
 gardens in Ceylon, 2S3-2S6, 324 
 Tornado, seizure of, 250, 251 
 Trend), Lady Lmily. 40 43 
 Trincomalee. 296-298 
 TroUope, Mr. Anthony, schoolfellow 
 
 at Harrow, 35 
 Tuam, visit to I'alace of, 41 43 
 Tunis, travel in, 169-174 
 Turkey, miogovernment of, 226-228, 
 
 ^}^, 239 
 
 U 
 
 United States, civil war in, 214-219 
 , rowdyism and mob rule in. 192, 
 
 195-197. 199 
 , tour in, 1S6-202 
 
 Va' ghan. Captain, duel with, 79, 
 
 150-154 
 \'illiers. Lady, 153 
 , Lord, 79, 153 
 
 W 
 Ward, Mr., Ilrst schoolmaster, 20, 30 
 Washington, stay at, 197, 19S 
 Welleslej, Marquis, 21-29 
 Wilkie, gardener, 19, 20 
 Wilson, schoolfellow at Harrow, 30 
 
 \- 
 
 Young England party, 89, 90 
 
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Mr. Murray's List of New and Recent Works, i, 
 
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 A First Introduction to the Study of 
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 Life in Parliament. 
 
 A RECORD OF Till; DAILY EXPERIENCES OF 
 
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 LADY GERTRUDE SLOANE STANLEY. 
 1818— 1S3S. 
 
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1. 
 
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 1 6 Mr. Murray's List of New and Recent Works. 
 
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 EPISODES IN THE LIFE OF A SCOTTISH VILLAGE. 
 
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 Mr. Murray's List of New and Recent Works. 17 
 
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 SIR WILLIAM SMITH'S 
 
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 1 8 Mr. Murray's List of New and Recent Works. 
 
 Kirkes' Handbook of Physiology. 
 
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 VINCEXT DORMER HARRIS, M.D. Lond., 
 
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 WORKS BY THE REV. CHARLES GORE. 
 
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 The Mission of the 
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 FOUR LECTURES DELIVERED 
 
 IN THE CATIIEDR.VL UF 
 
 ST. ASAI'IL 
 
 Cro'vn Zvo, zs. GJ. 
 
 The Incarnation of the 
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 THE HAMPTON LECTURES 
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 11 Mr. Murray's well- 
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 Mr. Murray's List of New and Recent Works, 19 
 
 TWO DISTINGUISHED LADIES. 
 
 The Letters of Lady Burghersh 
 
 (Al'TKKWARDS COUNTKSS OK WkSTMORLA.SD) 
 
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 20 Air, Murray's List of Nav and Recent IVorh. 
 
 Italian Painters. 
 
 CRITICAL STUDIES OF THEIR WORKS. 
 
 By GIOVANNI MORELLI (Ivan Lermolieff). 
 
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IForl' 
 
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 Mr, Murray s List of Nczv and Recent Works. 2 i 
 
 RKS. 
 eflf). 
 
 S. 
 
 GALLERIES 
 
 SfARD, G.C.D. 
 
 iuk intcrcstiiij:. No 
 
 DRESDEN. 
 
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 W'V, TIIK 
 '-liUILDKRS, 
 
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 ilci:i.s ; iMiMiil'cr of lliu 
 f the Nonli-i^.ist Coa.-.l 
 Arcliitectiire. 
 
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 u rocomiiiciick'il as a 
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 can toacli llii'iii."— 
 
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 A Revised, Enla»-ged and Cheaper Edition of 
 
 SIR WILLIAM SMITH'S 
 
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 BY VARIOUS IV R ITERS. 
 
 Edited by Sir WH.LLUI SMITH, D.C.L., LL.D., 
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 *>■ 
 
2 2 Mr. Murray's List of Ncio and Recent Works, 
 
 li u H 
 
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Mr. Murray s List of Neio and Recent Works. 23 
 
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1 
 
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 ' 1 
 
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 'l 
 
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 i ■ 
 
 11 
 
 ii 
 
 24 Mr, Murray s List of New and Recent Works. 
 
 The Chronolooy of Medieval and 
 Renaissance Architecture. 
 
 A DATE HOOK OF AKCIIITKCTUUAL ART, FUOM TIIK rOUNDIXCi 
 
 OF TIIK IJASILK-A OF ST. I'KTFK, KOMF, 1!V CONSTAN'TINF, 
 
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 I'Ol'l-: UKMAN VIII. 
 
 Forinin;^ a Companion Volume lo Fkuousson's "History of Akciiitecturf." 
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 U'il/i Illiistiations. Sro. i6j-. 
 
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 A/r. Murray s List of JVt'2v ana Recent JVorks. 25 
 
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 MADAME JENNY LIND-GOLDSCHMIDT. 
 1S20 — 1S51. 
 
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26 Mr. Murray's List of New and Recent Works, 
 
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 Mr. Murray s List of Neiv and Recent Works. 27 
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2 8 Mr. jMiirrays List of fNeiv and Recent Works. 
 
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