Rambling Recollections
MACMILLAN AND CO., Limited
LONDON • BOMBAY • CALCUTTA
MELBOURNE
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
NEW YORK • BOSTON • CHICAGO
ATLANTA • SAN FRANCISCO
THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd.
TORONTO
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Rambling Recollections
BY
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
SIR HENRY DRUMMOND WOLFF
G.C.B., G.C.M.G.
LATE BRITISH AMBASSADOR IN SPAIN
Ut, quocunque loco fueris, vixisse libenter
Te dicas.
Hor. Epis. I. xi.
IN TWO VOLUMES
VOL. I
MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED
ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON
i 908
First Edition January 1908
Reprinted February 1908
LIBRARY
UNIVERSI1 CALIFORNIA
SANTA BARBARA
TO MY WIFE
LADY WOLFF
FOR SO MANY YEARS MY CONSTANT COMRADE
PREFACE
The title of this book conveys my meaning clearly.
It is not an autobiography, nor even a continuous
narrative. It is founded on no diary or record.
Whatever the contents of the book — whether
narrative or anecdotic — they are given just as
they come unbidden into my memory, which is
not a bad one, though possibly not so exact as I
could wish. I have not attempted to be strictly
accurate as to chronological order, though the
events described harmonise with the period in
connection with which they appear. By anticipa-
tion, therefore, I fully recognise the defects arising
from want of premeditation.
Any apologies that may be required of me, I
make at once. I am prepared to accept criticism
without remonstrance.
There are many points omitted. I have not
even alluded to the great change in English society
caused by the influx of American notables. I
believe that this peculiar feature of recent years
is likely to bring great improvement and advantage
Vll
viii RAMBLING RECOLLECTIONS
to both countries. Unfortunately, what are called
my declining years have not been overcrowded
with enjoyment ; but among my pleasanter recol-
lections are those of Americans like Consuelo,
Duchess of Manchester ; her sister, Lady Lister-
Kaye ; Mrs. Adair, and Lady Randolph Churchill.
These friends being still alive — let us hope for
many years to come — I venture neither to eulogise
nor to criticise.
I have also much to say of gratitude to the
family of the late Duke and Duchess of Marl-
borough, to Lord and Lady Londonderry, to
Lady Chesterfield, and to Mr. and Mrs. George
Bankes and their family, from all of whom I have
received many acts of kindness. I may say the
same of the late Duke of Wellington — a man
of extraordinary common sense and irresistible
humour. If it were my misfortune to write any
sequel to this book, I should have much to say
that space has now forced me to omit.
I feel under great obligations to Sir Edward
Grey and to other members of the Foreign Office
for the facilities they have given me in connection
with this work. My warm thanks are also due to
the Russian Ambassador and to the Persian charge
d'affaires.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
PAGE
Malta — Mr. Hookham Frere — Naval friends — Sir Frederick
Ponsonby — His family — Other acquaintances — Arrival of
Turkish ladies — Giraffes — Malta transferred to Europe by Act
of Parliament — Government — Summers in Malta . . 1-10
CHAPTER II
Naples — Leghorn — Geneva — Acquaintances in Switzerland — Dr.
Malan — Mr. Henry Drummond — Schools at Richmond
and Henley — Gas-lighting and lucifer matches — Postage —
Sir Francis Doyle — Rugby — Masters — Schoolfellows — Mr.
Matthew Arnold— Mr. Lowe . . . . .1 1-26
CHAPTER III
Bruges — Fellow -students — Holiday in the Ardennes — Friends in
Bruges — Amusements — Mr. Henry Drummond — Return to
England — Coaching for the Foreign Office — Musical studies
— Stage acquaintances — Recollections of theatres and plays
— Early Victorian young ladies and literature — Friends of my
youth — Society — How debtors evaded arrest . . . 27-45
CHAPTER IV
Lord Palmerston— Handwriting — Appointed to the Foreign Office
—Comparison between Foreign Office of 184fi and present day
—Clerks in Foreign Office— Mr. Mellish— Mr. Hammond- -
Other colleagues ....... 46-60
ix
RAMBLING RECOLLECTIONS
CHAPTER V
PAGE
Colleagues in the Foreign Office— Under-Secretaries of State — Life
at the Foreign Office — Hours of work — Private theatricals —
Holiday at Spa— Marriage of Lady Dorothy Nevill . . (il-70
CHAPTER VI
London friends — Sir John Burgoyne — Mr. Disraeli — Other acquaint-
ances — Mr. Hayward's anecdotes — Waterloo banquet — Foreign
Office stories — Places of amusement .... 71-8.5
CHAPTER VII
Alfred Club— Members of the Club— Tichborne Case— Ruin of the
Alfred — Anecdotes of Archbishop M'Gee — Mr. Brookfield —
London friends — Laurence Oliphant and Spiritualism — Other
acquaintances — Sheridan anecdotes .... 86-99
CHAPTER VIII
Winter society in London — Early acquaintances — Sir Charles
Wyke — The late Duke of Rutland— Mr. Thackeray — Mr.
Kinglake — Debates in the House of Commons — Members
of Parliament ...... 100-119
CHAPTER IX
Prince Louis Napoleon — The Spanish Marriages — Disturbances in
England — Dismissal of Sir Henry Bulwer by the Spanish
Government — Visit to Paris — La ProprUU c'est le Vol — Society
in Paris — Proclamation of Prince-President — Meetings with
Napoleon III. ..... 120-128
CHAPTER X
Holiday in Spain — Journey to Madrid — Bull-fight — Queen Isabella
— Spanish acquaintances — English friends in Spain — Spanish
titles — Funeral of the Prince of Asturias — Connection of Spain
with the East— Journey to England . . . 129-139
CONTENTS xi
CHAPTER XI
PAGE
Exhibition of 1851 — Visit to Baden — Lord Palmerston's fall —
Acquaintances in London — Change of Government — Appointed
attache at Florence — Mather Case . . . 140-148
CHAPTER XII
Florence— Colleagues — English residents — Russian acquaintances
— Italian society — English friends — Florentine families 149-157
CHAPTER XIII
Corps diplomatique at Florence — Acquaintances — English visitors —
Italian society — Effects of Austrian occupation — Sir Henry
Bulwer 's Mission to Rome — Diplomatic relations with the Papal
See — " Eglinton Clause" — Letter from Mr. Lytton— Murray
Case — Visit of British artists — Duty on English beer . 158-168
CHAPTER XIV
Madiai Case — Captain Walker — Sentence on the Madiai — Deputa-
tion — Protests against their sentence — Lord John Russell's
despatch— Release of the Madiai— Mr. and Mrs. Edmund
Phipps — Sir James Hudson — Lord Norman by Minister at
Florence— Mr. Scarlett ..... 169-177
CHAPTER XV
Sir Henry Bulwer — Commission to investigate Danubian Princi-
palities — Visit to Sir Henry Bulwer at Constantinople — His
maxims — Mr. Robert Lytton — Lord Lytton in India —
Marriage — Visits to Carrara and Florence . . 178-189
CHAPTER XVI
British Legation at Naples — Neapolitan society — English visitors
— Lord and Lady Holland — Letters — Anecdotes of Popes 190-199
CHAPTER XVII
Return to Florence — Journey to England — Prince Louis Lucien
Bonaparte — Chemical and philological studies — Family —
Mutual friends — Meetings with Prince Louis Lucien J00-205
xii RAMBLING RECOLLECTIONS
CHAPTER XVIII
PAGK
Return to Foreign Office — Changes — Foreign Office and House of
Commons — Hard work in connection with the Crimean War-
Entertainments — Friends in the diplomatic corps — Holland
House — Friends in London — Letter from Lord Lytton on
writing novels— Mr. Kinglake on Fiction . . 206-216
CHAPTER XIX
Holiday in Elba — Napoleon's exile — Maubreuil's design — Napoleon's
journey to Elba — Museum — Claude Holard — M. Larabit—
Souvenirs of the Emperor — His library — Expedition to Mar-
ciana — Visit of lady and child to Napoleon — Speculations as
to their identity .... . . 217-226
CHAPTER XX
Work at Foreign Office — Amateur pantomime — Treaty of Paris —
Visit to France — Parisian society — Terms of Treaty — Diplo-
matic acquaintances — Competitive examinations — Anecdotes —
Friends in London — The Times and Repeal of Corn Laws —
Other acquaintances ..... 227-238
CHAPTER XXI
Special Mission to Brussels — Reception of Lord Westmorland —
Preparations for the fetes — Audience of the King — Society in
Brussels — Royal visitors — Ceremony of congratulation — Enter-
tainments — Orderliness of the Belgians — Banquet and opera —
Illuminations — Cavalcade representing the towns of Belgium
— Visit to Bruges — King Leopold and Lord Westmorland —
Belgian Ministers — Interviews with King Leopold II. and the
Comte de Flandre — Despatch to Lord Clarendon . 239-251
CHAPTER XXII
Popular sympathy of House of Lords — Indian Mutiny — Fall of
Lord Palmerston's Government — Lord Derby's Administration
— Private Secretary to Lord Malmesbury — Sir Edward Lytton
— The new Government — Letter from Lamartine . 252-260
CONTENTS xiii
CHAPTER XXIII
PAGE
Fuad Pasha — Private Secretary to Sir Edward Lytton — Work at
Colonial Office — Heads of Departments — Sir Arthur Birch —
Tour in the Lake Country — Distinguished Colonists — Visitors
at Knebworth — Marriage of the Princess Royal — Peace with
Persia — Causes of the War — Three Canadian statesmen —
Marshal Pelissier — Foundation of British Columbia — Sir
Edward Lytton 's speech ..... 261-272
CHAPTER XXIV
Ionian Islands — Tenure of Islands — Sir Thomas Maitland's Consti-
tution — Ionian titles — The Three Constitutions — Desire for union
with Greece — Constant friction — Legislative anomalies — Con-
sular jurisdiction — Mr. Gladstone's Mission . . 273-281
CHAPTER XXV
Mr. Gladstone's qualifications — His departure for Ionian Islands
— Sir Henry Storks — Publication of secret despatches — Mr.
Wellington Guernsey — Letters from Mr. Gladstone — Mr.
Gladstone's proposed reforms — Refusal by Ionians — Mr.
Gladstone's return to England — Appointment of Sir Henry
Storks as Lord High Commissioner — Defeat of the Govern-
ment — Sir Edward Lytton's prophecy — Appointed Secretary
to Lord High Commissioner — Officials in Corfu 282-292
CHAPTER XXVI
Duties as Secretary — Financial Commission — Fiscal system in
Corfu — Visit to England — Marriage Act for Ionian Islands —
International Statistical Congress— Sir Edward Lytton's visit
to Corfu— His interest in the Occult— Geomancy— Method of
divination ....... 293-302
CHAPTER XXVII
Lord Lytton's Memorandum ..... 303-320
xiv RAMBLING RECOLLECTIONS
CHAPTER XXVIII
PAGE
Wheel of Pythagoras — Improved method of divination — Occult in
Egypt — Incident at Madrid — Mr. Sturges Bourne's experience 321-32!)
CHAPTER XXIX
Ionian Education Commission — University — Exhibition at Corfu —
Florence — London Exhibition of 1862 — Hughenden — Mr.
Babbage — Visit to a medium .... 330-337
CHAPTER XXX
Letter from General Garibaldi — His sufferings in 1862 — "A
Suppressed Despatch " . . . . 338-346
CHAPTER XXXI
Duties on tobacco — Letter from M. Michel Chevalier — Increase of
imports and receipts — Ionian Institute — Greek music . 347-355
CHAPTER XXXII
Visitors to the Ionian Islands — Princess Darinka of Montenegro-
Friends at Corfu ...... 356-367
CHAPTER XXXIII
Political agitation — Letters from the Lord High Commissioner —
Greek Revolution— Ionian Islands to be ceded to Greece 368-379
CHAPTER XXXIV
Sir George Dasent — Alleged plot in Corfu — Election of King of
Greece — Mr. Baillie Cochrane — Vote for union with Greece —
Relinquishment of Protectorate .... 380-391
CHAPTER XXXV
Visit to England — Duke of Newcastle — Sir Edward Lytton — Lord
Carlingford — Islands transferred to Greece . . 392-398
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Henry Drummond Wolff, jet. 13-L From a Drawing
by H. B. Ziegler ....
2. Henry Drummond Wolff, ^et. 4^ .
3. Louis Napoleon Bonaparte .
4. Florence. By Edward Lear .
5. The Sweet Waters of Asia. By Preziosi
6". Lady Wolff ......
7. Louis Lucien Bonaparte
8. Palaiokastritza, Corfu ....
Frontispiece
To face jxtge 8
126
150
181
188
203
290
xv
CHAPTER I
Malta — Mr. Hookham Frere — Naval friends — Sir Frederick Ponsonby
— His family — Other acquaintances — Arrival of Turkish ladies —
Giraffes — Malta transferred to Europe by Act of Parliament —
Government — Summers in Malta.
My first recollections began at Malta, in a large
garden at the Pieta. Here I used to play of a
morning, when a door would open in the wall from
another garden, admitting a gentleman in a skull-
cap, who said, " Good-morning, little boy." It was
Mr. Hookham Frere, the uncle of the first Sir
Bartle. He had retired to Malta after leaving the
Embassy in Spain, where he had some misunder-
standing with the Government of the day in
connection with the battle of Corunna and the
retreat of Sir John Moore. After leaving Spain
I do not think he was ever employed again. In
earlier life he had been the great friend and
associate of George Canning, and many anecdotes
are told of their powers of repartee. There is one,
I believe, well known, and which many years ago
I read in a book — I think Mr. Samuel Rogers'
Table-talk. Amongst other friends of Mr. Canning
and Mr. Frere was Dr. Legge, who was appointed
vol.. i i b
2 A REPARTEE ch.
Bishop of Oxford. He invited his two friends to
attend his first sermon, which they did accordingly.
Afterwards they went to have luncheon with him,
and he, full of his newly acquired dignity, asked
them what they thought of his sermon. Mr.
Canning replied, "You were short." The Bishop
rejoined, " I am glad you found me short, for I
was afraid of being tedious " ; whereupon Mr. Frere
remarked, "You were tedious."
Mr. Frere had a brother whom I knew after-
wards in London — Mr. Hatley Frere, who lived
in Poets' Corner. His daughter, I think, had
married Bishop Spencer. He wished to be very
kind, and asked me to dine at his house when I
chose. Unfortunately, he dined at four o'clock,
in those days not an unusual hour, but one during
which I was detained at the Foreign Office, and
I fear he was hurt at my constantly refusing his
invitations.
Mr. Hookham Frere was the author of a
poem called Whistlecraft — still almost a classic.
In Parliament he had been associated with Mr.
Canning and with Mr. Ellis, who was the first
among them to be put into office. This was at
the India Board, where he was made to suffer
many jokes on the part of his two friends.
They were in the habit of writing to him under
assumed names on subjects supposed to be con-
nected with his office. One joke, still remembered,
is a letter, purporting to have been written from
India by a lady who was born a French Canadian
i MR. FRERES HOUSEHOLD 3
and who claimed the intervention of the Home
Government. It was dated from a place, totally
invented by the writers, called the Negudda
Pelangs, where, the lady wrote, she had come with
her husband, " et oil il sest fait negre." Against
this grievance the lady appealed as a British
subject.
Mr. Frere had been married to the Dowager
Lady Erroll, and in his house there still lived a
niece of that lady, known as Miss Blake, after-
wards Lady Hamilton Chichester. I knew later
in London an aunt of hers, an old lady and a great
whist-player, who was irreverently known by the
name of Peggy Blake. On the death of Lady
Erroll, Mr. Frere's sister, Miss Susan Frere, whom
I recollect as a charming elderly lady, took the head
of his household. There was also a young Greek
lady whom Mr. Frere, when yachting in Greek
waters, had rescued as a baby from an island during
some massacre. She was known as Miss Statyra
Livedostro, and married Captain Hope, a son of
the Lord President of the Court of Session, and
grandson of the first Earl of Hopetoun. I still
have in my possession a little New Testament
which she gave me with her autograph. Captain
Hope, whom I also recollect as having been kind
to me in my infancy, was later appointed to some
important post at the Cape of Good Hope, and
there, I believe, he died.
Malta was then, as it is now, a great resort for
the Navy, and I recollect vaguely the great kind-
4 FRIENDS IN THE NAVY oh.
ness of the different naval officers 1 met. One
whom I knew to the end of his life was Sir
Rodney Mnndy. I met him subsequently at
Corfu and then in England, and always felt for
him a sincere regard. Amongst others was
Captain Halstead, afterwards Admiral Halstead,
Secretary at Lloyd's. Two cousins of mine — Sir
William Hoste and his brother, Theodore Hoste —
were constantly backwards and forwards as mid-
shipmen in the Navy. They were the sons of
the celebrated Sir William Hoste, well known as
the conqueror at the battle of Lissa and the
capture of Cattaro. Theodore Hoste died at
Malta.
Many of the anecdotes current in Maltese
society referred to the Navy. There was one
concerning an Admiral, a man of gruff disposition,
who had come to Malta with his wife, a lady of
great sentimentality. It was related that she
always addressed him as " My Heart," upon which
the Admiral used to rejoin, " Your what . ? "
One must have lived in foreign seaports to
realise the cause of the popularity of the British
Fleet. All ranks are so invariably sociable and
obliging. Many years later at Corfu, when British
ships were in the harbour, I used to see men of the
Fleet helping the inhabitants to dig their gardens
and playing with the children. During the last
scenes, when the Assembly had been dissolved on
the question of annexation to Greece, I found a
lot of sailors shouting and gesticulating in the
i SIR FREDERICK PONSONBY 5
town. When I asked the cause of this apparent
enthusiasm, the reply was, "We were told an
election was going on, and we thought we'd take
part in the fun."
The Governor of Malta was Sir Frederick
Ponsonby. His wife, Lady Emily Ponsonby, was
a daughter of Lord Bathurst. Colonel Seymour
Bathurst, grandfather of the present Lord, was
Military Secretary. His wife, later, as a widow,
had a house in Grosvenor Square, where she enter-
tained a great deal : it was the one now occupied
by Lord Haversham.
I knew the Ponsonby family well, and look
upon it as one of the most personally popular in
the kingdom. Through life I have met with much
kindness from them.
Sir Frederick had lost an arm at Waterloo, and
I recollect my astonishment at seeing his left
sleeve empty, sewn up to his coat. His sons were
very distinguished. One was General Sir Henry
Ponsonby, Private Secretary to Queen Victoria ;
and the other, Colonel Arthur Ponsonby, who,
having been aide-de-camp to Sir George Brown, and
afterwards holding a similar appointment with Sir
George Buller at Corfu, commanded a regiment,
and died when in that capacity. Both brothers
had, to a great degree, the family predilection for.
private theatricals and cricket.
They had an uncle, Lord de Mauley, who was
fond of telling the story of King William IV.
going to dissolve the Parliament which refused
6 LORD DE MAULEY ch.
to ratify the Reform Bill. He told me that
William IV. had found himself opposed by being
told that there was no time to prepare the royal
carriages, to which he replied, " Then I will go
down in a hackney coach."
I find in a letter of Lady Emily Ponsonby's
to my mother the following passage relative to
Lord de Mauley, who had even more than the
usual kindly nature of his family : —
I am very grateful to you for your sympathy. Poor
dear Lord M. — he is indeed a very great loss to me.
I miss him in all my thoughts. No incident ever occurred
to me and mine that I did not find him liking me to
communicate with him. Losing such a brother-in-law is
a most sorrowful event to me, and I am now the last as
belonging to them. His dear boy Ashley had only left
him forty- eight hours before for the Crimea. Lord M.
had been ill for three weeks, but was supposed to be getting
much better, and there were no apprehensions at all about
him, when in twenty minutes all was over. Most fortu-
nately his daughter and Lord Kinnaird were in the room
when his fainting came on, which ended in death. The
doctor considers it was suppressed feeling.
Lord de Mauley had been the owner of
Canford, now the property of Lord Wimborne.
When he sold it to Sir John Guest for £200,000,
it is said that the latter sent an ordinary cheque
for that amount to him by post.
Lady Emily Ponsonby, on returning to England,
was granted apartments in Hampton Court Palace,
and there for many years I was constantly invited.
I often met her sister there — Lady Georgiana
Bathurst — and one of her brothers, Mr. William
i 'KING TOM' 7
Bathurst, Clerk of the Council, who afterwards
became Lord Bathurst.
I have just seen a letter, written lately to a
friend by Lady Emily Ponsonby, which says that
Malta was associated in her memory with some of
her happiest days.
I can recollect the arrival in Malta of Dr. Davy,
brother of Sir Humphry Davy, and being very
much struck by the medal he wore, which was, in
fact, the Waterloo medal.
Amongst other people living at that time at
Malta was Mr. Locker, who had been, I think,
secretary to Lord Nelson. Mr. C. H. Smith was
his deputy in the Victualling Department. I also
remember a clergyman, named Le Mesurier, who
was afterwards appointed Archdeacon when the
Bishopric of Gibraltar and Malta was established.
The Chaplain was the Rev. Mr. Cleugh. I
met him and his daughter many years afterwards
on my way to Corfu, when I was appointed
Secretary.
There had always been considerable connection
between Malta and Corfu. Sir Thomas Maitland
was Governor of Malta and Lord High Commis-
sioner of the Ionian Islands at the same time, as
well as Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean.
I believe that he really started the policy, which I
see is now about to be adopted, of having the
Mediterranean as a basis. He is known in
Mediterranean history as " King Tom."
Among other residents was Miss Hamilton, a
8 GIRAFFES
CH.
truly charming old lady, whose sister was, I think,
the wife of Lord George Seymour, and who was
either aunt or great-aunt to Sir Hamilton Seymour.
General and Mrs. Wood, who afterwards inhabited
Bath, and General and Miss Forbes all lived at
Malta. Miss Forbes married a French gentleman,
and died at Mont-de-Marsan.
I have a vivid recollection, too, of Prince Puckler-
Muskau, who very properly snubbed me as a forward
child, and of Mr. Schlienz, a kind-hearted German
clergyman, the head of a missionary establishment,
which, I believe, printed books for circulation in
the East.
The only lessons I learnt were from a Sergeant
Kerby, who instructed me, as far as possible, in the
three R's. He had a son, named Jimmy, who used
to accompany me in my lessons.
Two incidents made a great impression on me.
One was the arrival at Malta of some Turkish
ladies, who had, for some reason, sought refuge
there. I was taken to see them, and, having heard
that Turkish ladies could only see persons of their
own sex, was much astonished at their receiving
me. They were, I recollect, very kind and generous
with sugar-plums. The other incident was the
arrival at Malta of four giraffes, the first that had
ever been seen in the West. They were taken to
England, and were for some years at the Zoological
Gardens. One, however, died shortly afterwards, and
the Gardens possessed only the three survivors.
In connection with the recent announcement of
ra
^w
-:^- :
L
II. D. W. jct. 4*.
i A GEOGRAPHICAL CHANGE 9
the birth of a giraffe at the Zoological Gardens, it
was stated that " most of the zoological gardens in
Europe have been supplied with giraffes in the
descendants of an original four which reached the
London Zoological Gardens from Kordofan in
1835."
Malta was at that time much less known to the
English than at present. Strange to say, it had
been transformed geographically through its acquisi-
tion by England. Previously it had been assigned
to Africa, to which it seems naturally to belong,
both from its topography and its language, really
a dialect of Arabic. Shortly after its annexation
by Great Britain, however, it appeared that troops
employed out of Europe were entitled to higher
pay than for European service. An Act of
Parliament was therefore passed declaring that,
for this purpose, Malta was to be considered in
Europe ; otherwise the garrison, in regard of pay,
would have been more privileged than the soldiers
in the Ionian Islands, who belonged to the same
command. It used to be said in joke that Malta
had become part of Europe by Act of Parliament —
a joke now admitted to be a reality.
The Governor of Malta in those days had only
the rank of Lieutenant-Governor, being, I suppose,
subordinate to the Lord High Commissioner of the
Ionian Islands. Of this, however, I am not quite
sure. In those days, and for many years after-
wards, the island was governed as a Crown Colony.
As will be seen, Sir Thomas Maitland had been
10 SUMMER IN MALTA ch. i
instructed to assimilate the Constitution of the
Ionian Islands, supposed to be quite free, to the
administration of a Crown Colony.
We used to spend the summer occasionally at
Gozo, and often went to Sant' Antonio, the summer
residence of the Governor, which was memorable
for its rich crop of Japan medlars. At Gozo we
were once or twice accompanied by Miss Frere
and Miss Statyra. The Deputy Governor or
Principal Administrator at Gozo was Major Bayley.
We lived near or at his house, and I well remember
the good-nature of the soldiers of the small garrison
in making rough toys for me, and teaching me
games.
CHAPTER II
Naples — Leghorn — Geneva — Acquaintances in Switzerland — Dr. Malan
— Mr. Henry Drummond — Schools at Richmond and Henley —
Gas-lighting and lucifer matches — Postage — Sir Francis Doyle —
Rugby — Masters — Schoolfellows — Mr. Matthew Arnold — Mr.
Lowe.
When I was between six and seven years old we
left Malta. I recollect the rather dirty Neapolitan
steamer on which we travelled. There was no
stewardess, but two good-natured Neapolitan
stewards, who made up for the want. They had
free access to the ladies' cabins, and used to assist
them in their toilet, even lacing their stays.
The first place we stopped at was Naples, which
made more impression on my mind than any other
town I have ever visited, owing doubtless to its
being the first place I had seen out of Malta. I
saw Herculaneum and Pompeii, and also Caserta,
where the King of Naples had his collection of wild
animals, and I remember being very much pleased
at chasing some kangaroos which jumped about
the garden.
From Naples we proceeded to Leghorn, where
Lady Harriet Hoste and her daughters were then
residing. We made several excursions, amongst
11
12 SCHOOL ch.
others to Pisa, and I had until lately an alabaster
presse-papier, given me at that time, on which was
engraved a picture of the Leaning Tower. Amongst
other things which I recollect very vividly was the
appearance of an elderly gentleman sitting on a
balcony near the Arno. He was pointed out as
being the brother of Napoleon. It was Louis,
ex-King of Holland, and the father of Emperor
Napoleon HI.
I also made the acquaintance of some relatives
of mine, Mr. and Mrs. Craufurd. They were the
parents of Mr. Craufurd, for some time Member
for the Ayr Burghs. There were four sons and
two daughters, the whole family being then, and
later, active sympathisers with the Liberal move-
ment in Italy. All spoke Italian in preference to
English. I recollect seeing at their house in
London many years afterwards, at different periods,
Mazzini, Orsini, and once a Garibaldian soldier in
a red shirt.
From Leghorn we had an uneventful journey to
Marseilles, and thence to Geneva, where we lived for
about a year, and where I began my first experience
of school.
Geneva I always look back upon as one of the
pleasantest towns I have seen, and on the Swiss as
a kindly and hospitable people. We used occasion-
ally to visit M. and Mme. Saladin de Cran, who
had a beautiful place some miles from Geneva, and
in whose town-house we had what is now called a
flat.
ii SWITZERLAND 13
At that time there was a great Evangelical
revival in Switzerland. I still recollect several of
the heads of that movement, amongst others M.
Merle d'Aubigne, the author of The History of the
Reformation, who lived at Lausanne, and at Geneva
itself, Mr. Gaussen, who had relations, I believe,
in England, and who had married a very amiable
English lady whose name was Milne. Their son was
my schoolfellow. Amongst my other schoolfellows
were two boys named Floyd, who were nephews
by marriage of Sir Robert Peel, and I believe,
though I am not certain, that the celebrated
French writer, Monsieur Cherbuliez, went to this
same school with us.
Switzerland has great attractions for children.
In the winter there was tobogganing, and, in the
summer, excursions on the lake and tours through-
out the country. At Berne, we saw Mr. David
Morier, the British Minister, father of Sir Robert
Morier, our late Ambassador at St. Petersburg.
Sir Robert was then a boy a few years older than
myself.
At Geneva there resided a Swiss clergyman of
very great celebrity — Dr. Malan — a gentleman of
some age, whose son subsequently entered the
Church of England, and had for many years a
living in Dorsetshire. Dr. Malan was a great
friend of Mr. Henry Drummond, my godfather,
whose acquaintance I made at Geneva when he
came on a visit to his friend. I recollect going to
two large meetings, one at Geneva and the other
14 RICHMOND ch.
at Lausanne, held for some religious purpose in
connection with the Evangelical movement. I
Avas much impressed also with the appearance of
the Swiss army when it came out once a year for
exercise. I then found peaceable tradesmen dressed
in uniform and with all the appearance of warriors.
We left Geneva somewhere about 1838, and I
made my first acquaintance with England. We
settled for some time at Richmond, where I had an
aunt living — a lady who was born blind. I recollect
being very much struck by the gas-lighting in the
streets and shops, then recently introduced and still
a matter of interest. The master of a lodging-
house taught me how gas was made by means
of a tobacco-pipe, the bowl of which he filled with
coal-dust, covering it over with putty and placing
it on the fire. In a short time, gas enough was
generated to be lit at the mouthpiece.
Lucifer matches at that time were quite a
novelty. All lighting had previously been done
by flint and steel. At first there was a complicated
arrangement by which the lucifer had to be held in
a bottle of some preparation, which lighted it.
Rubbing lucifers were of later date.
Whilst at Richmond, I attended two schools
successively. I have found through life that my
frequent change of schools has had a great influence
over me, and while I have collected a good deal of
information, yet, in consequence of these frequent
changes, none of my knowledge is in a systematic
shape. One of my schools at Richmond was kept
II
LADY SHAFTESBURY 15
by Mr. Delafosse, a clergyman of considerable
reputation, who had a large house on Richmond
Green. He was in some way or other favoured by
the father of the late Duke of Cambridge, who
used occasionally to dine with him ; but he left
Richmond for a diving at Shere in Surrey, near
Albury, which was the country residence of Mr.
Henry Drummond. There I met him frequently.
At Richmond, I constantly visited Lady Shaftes-
bury, the mother of the well-known philanthropist,
Lord Ashley. She was most kind and genial.
Macaws and parrots of every kind lived in her
conservatory, and she was also the owner of many
Persian cats. Through life I had constant proofs
of the kindly nature of Lord Ashley, later Lord
Shaftesbury, and the communication I frequently
enjoyed with his son, Mr. Evelyn Ashley, was one
of my chief pleasures in life. While writing I have
heard with deep sorrow of the death of my old and
much beloved friend.
I then left home for the first time and went to a
school at Henley-on-Thames, picturesquely situated
on the Fair Mile. It was kept by Mr. and Mrs.
Lamb. He, I believe, had been steward to Mr.
Childers in the north, and his wife a governess in
that family. It was a pleasant school, and as Mr.
Lamb, in addition to his scholastic labours, was a
farmer, we had twelve acres of fields as playground,
and were initiated into agriculture to a certain
extent. "Treading the mow" was one of our
occupations in summer. Amongst my school-
16 AN OLD STORY ch.
fellows there was Mr. Spencer Childers, who was
killed in the Crimean War, having entered the
Artillery. He was very amiable, and, though it is
so long ago, I recollect the sorrow with which all
his friends heard the news of his death. We
generally used to attend the fine old parish church
at Henley, but occasionally in the summer we
were taken to country churches in the neighbour-
hood. One of them was at Remenham, which now
belongs to Lady Hambleden. I remember very
well a gentleman preaching at Henley Church who
had been with Bishop Heber in India ; but naturally
our daily life exhibited no great features, though I
occasionally visited Oxford to see one or two friends
of mine there.
I consider nothing in my recollection irrelevant,
and I may therefore here quote an anecdote heard
many years ago. A gentleman having a fine place
on the Thames, near Henley, had arranged to hold
the funeral of an old servant at his house. As the
procession was about to leave, another servant
came to him and said, " If you please, sir, the
corpse's brother would like to say a word to
you."
During the period of my early school-life, I made
the acquaintance of the late Mr. Milnes Gaskell,
who gave me his last frank the day before the
privilege was abolished.
Postage up to then was a matter of great con-
sideration. Envelopes were not known, and letters
were folded up on the paper on which they were
ii LETTER-WRITING 17
written and directed on the outside. The cost of
postage was very heavy, amounting, if I recollect
rightly, sometimes to a shilling for inland letters.
It was considered discourteous to prepay your
letters. In consequence the recipients of letters
having a heavy postage sometimes declined to take
them in, and they were returned to the writers.
This was one of the reasons why, in the new Act,
letters, when not prepaid, were charged double to
the receiver. At first, instead of stamps, which
were a later invention, envelopes were sold with a
complicated allegorical design, which was much
laughed at. Cheap postage began, I think, at
fourpence a letter, but it was reduced after a
certain date to a penny. For a long time, however,
economy was observed, and I find from old corre-
spondence of fifty years ago, and later, that envelopes
were remarkably small — many of them not more
than four inches long by two wide.
In those days I made the acquaintance of Sir
Francis and Lady Doyle. Lady Doyle was a
sister of Mrs. Gaskell and a cousin of Sir Watkin
Wynn. I often met them in later life.
Sir Francis Doyle was a man of considerable
mark as Receiver-General of Customs, and a poet
of great merit. Talking of a lady who was in the
habit of abusing people with whom she quarrelled,
he told me that one of her methods of annoying
him was to send him letters to the Custom House
with offensive words on the cover. These were
naturally delivered to him by the office messengers.
vol. i c
18 RUGBY oh.
On one occasion she addressed him as " Receiver-
General of Customs, however infamous " ; but he
took all this very kindly, and afterwards the lady
was decided to be out of her senses. He was a
relation of Mr. Percy Doyle, a gentleman well
known in the Diplomatic Service, of Colonel North,
and of General Doyle, at one time Governor of
Portsmouth — three brothers.
It is needless to recall all the schools I attended.
After a move to the Grammar School at Wake-
field, I went to Rugby, under Dr. Tait, afterwards
Archbishop of Canterbury. I feel it a great honour
to have received condign punishment at his hands.
Dr. Tait had only been nominated Head Master
about six months before, having then succeeded
the celebrated Dr. Arnold. My name had been
put down in Dr. Arnold's time, and I was sent
to a house, near the Schoolhouse, under the
tuition of the Rev. Henry Highton, a special
favourite of Dr. Arnold. I see by the papers
that Mrs. Highton has only recently died at
an advanced age. Mr. Highton w r as better
fitted to be a tutor a few years later than at that
period. He was very much what is now called
" up-to-date," and paid considerable attention to
the scientific acquirements of his pupils. Unfortu-
nately, science in those days obtained no marks,
and the time consumed in this study told very little
on the examinations. The principal text-book was
Joyce's Dialogues.
Mr. Highton was a great electrician. A brother
ii SCHOOL FRIENDS 19
of his became one of the first electrical engineers,
and Mr. Highton himself was, I believe, the author
of some improvements in the electric telegraph, in
those days still undeveloped. I recollect seeing one
of the first models of the invention at work at the
Polytechnic Institute in London. Everything in
modern progress attracted Mr. Highton's sympathy,
and I remember when Mr. — later Sir Isaac — Pitman,
the author of a system of stenography, was on a tour
through England to advocate his invention, that he
gave a lecture to Mr. Highton's pupils at which
our tutor himself was present.
A well-known master at Rugby was a gentleman
named Anstey, commonly known as " Donnegan
Anstey," as the only punishment he ever gave was
to order a boy to write out so many pages of
Donnegan's Lexicon.
On the whole holiday which was given on what
was called Lawrence Sheriff's Day — Lawrence
Sheriff being the founder of the school — the boys
were allowed to be absent if any one invited them.
I used generally to go to Leamington by stage-
coach, passing Kenilworth and Warwick. I was
invited by Mrs. Hook, the mother of Dr. Hook,
afterwards Dean of Chichester, and a relative of
Theodore Hook.
One of my greatest friends at Rugby was the
late Sir Henry Wilmot, who obtained the Victoria
Cross in the Crimea, and who was subsequently in
the House of Commons at the same time as myself:
the other Avas Mr. Chaffey, who died young. He
20 LORD SALISBURY ch.
came from Martock, in Somersetshire, and certainly
was one of the most kind-hearted and good-natured
beings I ever came across. I cannot pass over his
name.
I also made the acquaintance of Lord Bangor
and his brothers, whom since then I have had the
good fortune to meet frequently.
There were some notable pupils at that time at
Rugby. I am not certain whether Lord Goschen
was there at the same time as myself, but I fancy
he came shortly after me. Lord Cross had been
there before me. M. Waddington, afterwards
Prime Minister in France, was there, and I re-
member that, before French lessons, he used to be
surrounded by a crowd of boys to whom he gave
a translation of the portion set out for the day.
French lessons were of a rather summary descrip-
tion, and very Anglican ; in fact, French was even
less cultivated in those days at public schools than
it is now. It may not be out of place here to
quote some words of Lord Salisbury's, written on
May 23, 1883, in reply to some remarks I made
on the necessity of foreign languages being more
carefully taught in our public schools.
I have been long of the opinion expressed in your letter.
The extreme uselessness of the education of the upper
classes is deplorable, and in this day of keen competition
handicaps them heavily. It is always humiliating to find
how well Germans of the upper class can talk both English
and French. But the difficulties in the way of a change are
very formidable. The men who manage our public school*
have won their distinction in classics and seldom know any-
II
'SHIRKING' 21
thing else ; and it is of little use to give a high position
there to masters of French or German extraction, for the
boys will not obey them. At Wellington College, which
ought to have been superior to mere traditions, the difficulty
of having foreign masters was found to be so great that they
gave the French mastership to the English mathematical
master — with what results you may imagine.
At Rugby, French was put on the same footing
as writing and arithmetic, which were supposed to
be acquired before boys joined the school. Arith-
metic was taught by an unhappy layman, who was
made rather a butt by his pupils. It was said of
him that he had asked leave of Dr. Arnold to wear
a cap and gown like the other masters, to which
Dr. Arnold replied, " That's as you like, Mr. Sale."
He then asked whether the boys ought not to
touch their hats to him and " shirk " him. To this
Dr. Arnold replied, "That's as they like, Mr. Sale."
It must here be said that "shirking" was an
almost classical term adopted in the school. Not
only the masters, but members of the Sixth Form,
called " praepostors," had the right of being shirked
— that is to say, lower boys, when walking out of
bounds, on seeing the approach of a praepostor
made a feint of running away. Thereupon the
Sixth Form man cried " On " ; but if the shirk-
ing were not properly executed he would cry
" Back."
These Sixth Form boys, who were approaching
manhood, had very peculiar privileges, amongst
others that of thrashing lower boys with a cane
which they always carried. The four praepostors
22 SIXTH-FORM DISCIPLINE oh.
of the week kept order whenever the school was
being called over. They had their own regular
forms of discipline, and on one occasion, when one
of their body dissented from an order they had
made affecting the lower boys, the Sixth Form held
a meeting and censured his conduct as " courting
popularity among the rabble fags."
I do not know whether these rules still exist,
as, strange to say, I have never been at Rugby
since I left the school. When there, I was most
lamentably undistinguished. Being very short-
sighted, I was unable to take part in any of the
games, and that was enough to ensure unpopularity.
I have met many Rugby boys since I left,
amongst others Sir Richard Temple, Mr. Lawley,
and the late Mr. St. Leger Glyn. The two latter
were really the show men of the school, and were
generally admired, Avhen walking together, for the
brilliant way in which they were dressed. There
were three boys at Rugby who were all interesting
— Mr. Caillard, Mr. Tycho Wynn, and Mr. Basevi.
All three were related to Lord Beaconsfield. Mr.
Caillard I met later in life, but I have not heard
of the others again.
Owing to my having been at Rugby, though
younger than himself, I knew Mr. Matthew
Arnold very well in later life, and had the greatest
possible regard and admiration for him. In 1869
a question arose which to me was very interesting,
and which I do not think I shall be indiscreet in
mentioning. A proposal had been made that the
ii MR. MATTHEW ARNOLD 23
Duke of Genoa should reside with Mr. Arnold,
while going through the school course at Harrow.
His parents did not wish him to go to an ordinary
boarding-house, and Mr. Matthew Arnold was at
that time residing at Harrow for the education of
his own sons. He did not himself like the task
of settling the terms on which the young Prince
was to live with him. Count Maffei, the Italian
charge d'affaires, wished to refer the question to
Lord Clarendon, or to Lord de Grey, then the
head of the Education Department. Neither, for
one reason or another, would interfere, but as both
Count Maffei and Mr. Arnold were friends of
mine, they left the decision to me. This I undertook
— I hope conscientiously— collecting such evidence
as I could of similar instances. I was told that
there was a case admirably in point. The Prince
de Conde, son of the Due d'Aumale, was put to
live in the house of one of the professors at
Edinburgh, while attending the academical classes.
My recommendation was based on this precedent,
and I am happy to say it succeeded admirably.
Mr. Arnold and his family were much pleased with
their inmate, and the royal family of Italy showed
great kindness to Mr. Arnold when he went to
that country, giving him a high decoration. About
that time I received the following letter from him,
written in Edinburgh : —
... I suggested that he ] should speak to you as I knew
he was acquainted with you, having seen him talking to you
1 Count .Maffei.
24 SARDONIC WIT ch.
at the Athenaeum. I have heard nothing from him, but see
him if you can. . . .
I tried much to see you last week, but you were away on
some of your sinister errands somewhere, and the Athenaeum
porter said your whereabouts were involved in utter mystery.
I hope you are now come back.
I am here to be made a doctor. In another hour the
fatal step will have been taken, and I shall be LL.D.
Tremble and adore !
The objection alleged against referring the
point to Lord de Grey was the circumstance of
his being Head of the Education Department, of
which Mr. Arnold was an Inspector.
When Mr. Lowe was Minister of Education,
he introduced what was known as the Revised
Code. This elicited vehement opposition in which
Mr. Arnold joined with a pamphlet or letter which
was conclusive. On some one asking Mr. Lowe
what he thought of Mr. Arnold's pamphlet, he
replied, " Had Zimri peace who slew his master ? "
Mr. Lowe had a very sardonic wit, and, though
rather out of place, I must here instance some
of his observations. We were once speaking
together of a friend of ours, Mr. Bailey, who, like
Mr. Lowe, had once been a writer in the Times,
with respect to an appointment he had just re-
ceived as Governor of the Bahamas. Mr. Lowe
observed, " That is the place where pineapples
flourish in such quantities." I asked, " Is it not
a good appointment ? ' Mr. Lowe replied, " Man
cannot live on pineapples alone." His jokes were
almost always of the same kind.
ii INSUFFICIENT COMPENSATION 25
The night before the defeat of the Government
of which he was a member, Mr. Lowe gave a
dinner to some friends, reciting, as a grace, the
words, "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow
we die."
He was very fond of riding a bicycle, and in the
neighbourhood of his country-house at Caterham
lie unfortunately once ran over a man. It was
agreed that he was to give a certain sum of money
as compensation, which he did. Shortly afterwards,
the man found that the sum was not sufficient for
the expenses incurred, and committed suicide.
He left a paper whereon was written, " This is
all along o' Boblo."
Mr. Lowe, though a Minister of State, at one
time had some difficulty in obtaining a seat. Lord
Lansdowne therefore recommended him to the
electors of Calne, a borough practically under the
domination of Lord Lansdowne, and where, for a
long time past, there had never been anything like
a contest. One day, Mr. Lowe's Committee drove
from Calne to Bowood, and said to Lord Lansdowne
that Mr. Lowe had told them they were a pack of
fools. Lord Lansdowne, when repeating the story,
said, " I am convinced that Lowe never made use
of any such term, but I am equally convinced that
he said something which made them think he had
done so."
The story is told of Mr. Lowe attending a
Royal wedding at Windsor. I rather think it was
that of Prince Leopold. On his return to London,
26 A GREAT LINGUIST ch. n
he travelled with his wife and several members of
the party in a saloon carriage. He inveighed
against the ceremonial and said that some parts of
it were absurd. When he married, he had to say,
" With all my worldly goods I thee endow," and,
he added, " I had not a brass farthing to give my
wife." Mrs. Lowe said, " Oh, but, my dear, you
forget there is your genius." He replied, " Well,
you cannot say that I endowed you with that."
Mr. Lowe was celebrated for his familiarity with
various languages. I do not know whether he
actually spoke them all, but he undoubtedly had a
profound knowledge of many. His friend Mr. —
afterwards Sir George — Dasent had penetrated him
with the beauty of Scandinavian poems, and Mr.
Lowe had studied Icelandic with a view to read-
ing some of them. 1 recollect being present at a
small dinner of Sir George Dasent's to meet Lord
Dufferin, after his return from Iceland. The talk
turned on Scandinavian literature, and Mr. Lowe
discussed some Icelandic poems, evidently knowing
them thoroughly and quoting them in the ver-
nacular. Of course I cannot answer for his pro-
nunciation. I have recently been told that, with
the object of reading some Jewish newspapers, he
set to work and studied Hebrew late in life, and
mastered that language, at all events sufficiently
for his purpose.
CHAPTER III
Bruges — Fellow-students — Holiday in the Ardennes — Friends in
Bruges — Amusements — Mr. Henry Drummond — Return to
England — Coaching for the Foreign Office — Musical studies —
Stage acquaintances — Recollections of theatres and plays — Early
Victorian young ladies and literature — Friends of my youth — ■
Society — How debtors evaded arrest.
Being intended for the Foreign Office, which I
was likely to enter early, I was taken away from
Rugby and placed with a tutor in Belgium. The
tutor was the Chaplain at Bruges — a very pleasant
man who had begun life at Worcester, where his
father had been, I think, a canon. His son was
also a canon of Manchester. My tutor had a very
strange reminiscence of his boyhood. On one
occasion, being very small, he had climbed to the
top of the Cathedral tower in company with some
officers in the Army. One of them took him by
the leg and held him suspended outside from the
top of the tower, a tremendous height. This
terrible experience had never left his mind, and it
imbued him through life with a dread of going to
a great height. Another recollection of his was
the opening of the coffin of King John, when the
whole of his body, on being exposed to the air,
27
28 A QUARRELSOME COUPLE ch.
though perfect for a few minutes, crumbled into dust.
Some one, he said, had taken the big toe of the
sovereign, and converted it into a tobacco-stopper.
In those days, the steamers from Ostend to
Dover took from eight to ten hours, and those
from Ostend to London, up the Thames, con-
siderably longer. In order to catch the latter, I
used to have to go to Ostend by a late train, as
the steamers generally left at about one in the
morning. I passed the intervening hours with a
gentleman who was in the employment of one of
the Steam Companies. I dined with him and his
wife, and they were most amiable to me ; but, if
my host happened to do anything which offended
the lady, she would pour out a volume of abuse at
him in the strongest language, whereupon he used
to address her as follows : " I wonder how you can
use such language to me. You know I am a
most desirable husband. I am young, good-
looking, agreeable, with splendid manners, accom-
plished, and highly educated ! You ought to be
on your knees all day thanking Heaven for giving
you such a husband. Instead of that, you make
use of this language before strangers ! " After I
had been at their house a few times I became
accustomed to this, and it no longer astonished
me, but it has always remained impressed on my
memory. On one occasion, when going from Dover
to Ostend, I was informed that the Comte de
Chambord was on board. I think he was then
generally known as the Due de Bordeaux.
in A CHEAP TOUR 29
The other pupils at this tutor's I have since
known very well. There were Mr. Trevanion, who
subsequently married Lady Frances Lyon, and Mr.
Thellusson, as well as the late Sir Hedworth
Williamson and his brother William, whose parents
took a house for a short time in Bruges, so as to
be near their sons. It is impossible to forget the
attractive and kindly presence of Lady Williamson.
In summer, we used to take walking tours.
1 recollect one which lasted three weeks, and
cost a most extraordinarily small sum. We
went to the Ardennes, where the hotel prices
seem scarcely credible now. They took us in,
gave us comfortable rooms and very good food,
consisting of the Ardennes mutton, very like
Welsh mutton, bilberry tart and cream, and the
trout which we ourselves caught in the river,
together with a light French vin ordinaire. For
this they charged us at Dinant two and a half
francs each per day. At Neupont the charge was
only two francs ; while at St. Hubert, which had
greater pretensions to being a town, we were
charged three francs. This included a pony for
me as the youngest of the party. We also went
to Luxembourg, to Arlon, and then arrived at the
Moselle, where we took boat, first to Coblentz,
and then on the Rhine to Cologne. We after-
wards joined some friends at Aix-la-Chapelle, and
thence home, the whole cost of the journey being
150 francs each.
The winter at Bruges for a youth of my age
30 MR. CHARLES LEVER ch.
was uncommonly pleasant. There were several
English families, established there either for
economical or educational purposes, who gave
frequent dances. One rich English gentleman,
Mr. Barron, had a large house, where he and his
wife were most hospitable. Mrs. Barron was a
sister of Sir Roger Palmer, and Mr. Barron came
of a commercial family domiciled in Mexico.
There also lived at Bruges, with his family, a
very remarkable man of great wit and versatile
disposition, whose name was Addison. He was
the author of several plays, and would have written
well had he taken a little more pains. Many of
the playwriters of the day were his friends ; so
also was Mr. Charles Lever, who, with his wife,
once came to stay with him at Bruges. Later,
I saw a great deal of Lever when in Florence,
and while he was Consul at Spezzia. He had
begun life as a medical man, and was for some
time Physician to the Legation at Brussels. Like
Colonel Addison, he was an Irishman, and gifted
with great intellectual powers. Charles Lever
and, in a lesser degree, Colonel Addison would
have been greater writers had they been less
inclined to amusement. Colonel Addison was
always turning up somewhere. At one time he
was a banker at Bruges ; at another he organised
in Ireland a political expedition to the Equator.
I believe that he really was the founder of a very
considerable bank in London, and he wrote one or
two books which were undoubtedly able, but spoilt
in PUNNING NAMES 31
by haste and carelessness. Colonel Addison was
very good company. His conversation was one
continuous flow of jokes — some good and some
bad — but all making an impression by the rapidity
of their conception. I heard some one telling him
that within a few days two foremost English
brewers had visited Bruges. One, I believe, was
Mr. Whitbread, and the other Mr. Barclay. With
an exaggerated English accent, Colonel Addison
replied, " Taut mieux" He was a most amiable
man, and was always treated in a friendly way by
Mr. Thackeray and the principal writers of the
day. As I am writing, I learn that his son, a
King's Counsel and County Court Judge, who was
for some time in Parliament, has just died.
At Bruges I made the acquaintance of Dr.
Forster, a very remarkable man and a naturalist,
but somewhat peculiar. He was a great lover of
animals, and was convinced that there was a future
state for dogs. His wife was very much liked.
She was Miss Angerstein by birth. On one
occasion, at dinner, the guests were discussing the
origin of names. Dr. Forster, who was rather fond
of hearing himself speak, declared that his name
was derived from the French. Colonel Addison,
who was present, broke in, saying, " Oh, certainly
it is : faut se taire."
Our principal amusement was boating. Bruges.
which is now being made a seaport, was surrounded
by canals. We used to go by water to a town
in Holland called Sluys, where they gave us a
32 A HEALTHY APPETITE ch.
luncheon consisting principally of brown bread and
butter, Dutch beer, and hard-boiled eggs. One of
our party had an enormous appetite. I recollect
on one occasion he ate fourteen eggs, but I cannot
remember how many glasses of beer he drank.
An unique experience of my lifetime occurred
while at Bruges. There had been great floods,
and all the canals overflowed. Afterwards a hard
frost set in, and all the country for miles around
was one mass of ice. We used to drive some
distance out of the town ; then, putting on our
skates, we spread our greatcoats, which served as
sails, and the wind would blow us rapidly along
the ice, sometimes for several miles, until we
reached the town. All we had to do was to stand
still on our skates, keeping our feet together.
While at Bruges, I was taken by a connection of
mine, General Craufurd, uncle of the late Member
for the Ayr Burghs, on a journey to Aix-la-
Chapelle, where we associated principally with the
family of Mrs. Beaumont, the mother of Mr.
Henry Beaumont who was not long ago Member
for one of the divisions of Yorkshire. With them
we took a short trip as far as Frankfort.
At Aix-la-Chapelle, I received the following
letter from Mr. Henry Drummond, whose real
kindness has never been sufficiently appreciated.
To me it was particularly striking.
October 12, 1844.
My dear Henry — This is your birthday, and I write you
a few lines to prove to you that you are not forgotten by
your godfather, and to inquire after your welfare. I do not
in MR. HENRY DRUMMOND 33
know whether your mother is at Rugby or not. Pray do
not forget, when you write, to remember me most kindly
to her.
Write to me a few lines, and believe me always, with
fervent wishes for many returns of this anniversary to you,
yours very affectionately, Henry Drummond.
I once stayed with him for a long time at
Albury, and well recollect the kindness with which
he treated me, teaching me to fish, and advising
me as to my studies. His daughters were also
kind friends. The only son, Arthur, was ill of
consumption, and died young.
It is said of the member of the Drummond
family who bought the place, built the house, and
began the various improvements that had been
carried out in the village, that on one occasion
he showed the place to the king — which king
I do not recollect. His Majesty asked him what
the estate produced. Mr. Drummond replied,
" Cheques on Charing Cross, sir."
In Bruges, I passed two very happy years, until
the time approached for me to enter the Foreign
Office. In those days there were no examina-
tions, and I went to the house of the Rev. Dr.
Worthington, rector of a church in Gray's Inn
Lane, where I remained six months to study
history and matters of that kind, so as not to be
quite ignorant of them. While I was there, I
developed a desire to learn music, which has not
been successful. In fact, my acquirements only
consist in being able to play the National Anthem
with the forefinger of my right hand. I have
VOL. I 1)
34 VAUXHALL
CH.
found even this useful, however, as a means of
giving tedious guests a delicate hint that they had
better go. For lessons, I had been introduced by-
Colonel Addison to Mr. Alexander Lee, a well-
known composer, who had written two songs very
much sung at that time : Come where the Aspens
quiver, and Td be a Butterfly. He was leader of
the orchestra at the Lyceum under the Keeleys'
management, and also leader of the orchestra at
Vauxhall. To the latter place I often accompanied
him, but at the end of the season of 1846 an
explosion took place, and the company exhibited
many grievances against the management. A
banquet was given to Mr. Lee by the orchestra
and the other persons engaged at the Gardens,
in order to present him with a watch, and this
banquet I attended. All classes of employes had
a grievance — even the low comedian related his
sufferings, by which, however, he moved us rather
to laughter than to tears.
Mr. Alexander Lee was married to a lady who
had been an actress, and had retired. Her name
was Mrs. Waylett. She had very interesting
reminiscences of the stage for many years. They
had a cottage in the middle of a nursery-garden
at Kennington, and there they were frequently
visited by actors of different kinds. In the absence
of many of my friends from London, I often visited
them and dined, taking with me a portion of
the dinner, such as game, or anything beyond their
usual fare.
in NURSERY LYRIC 35
Mrs. Waylett used to sing her husband's com-
positions, particularly the two I have mentioned,
and often gave us songs out of what would now
be called " comic operas." I recollect one stanza
taken from Theodore Hook's opera, called, I
believe, Teleki. It ran as follows : —
Adieu, my Floreski, for ever !
And welcome the sorrows I prove !
O Fate ! why delight' st thou to sever
Two bosoms united by love ?
A lady who often came to the Lees' house, but
whose name I forget, used to sing in what was
then called an " arch " manner. This did not go
well with her appearance, which was decidedly
middle-aged. There was also a very melancholy-
looking man who sang comic songs. The contrast
between these and the solemn appearance of the
singer was most ludicrous. On one occasion, after
a sentimental ballad from one of the ladies, he was
asked to favour us. Strangers anticipated a most
gloomy representation of some painful sentiment,
instead of which, with the gravest face, he gave us
a song beginning as follows : —
A little cock-sparrow he sat on a tree,
He chirped, and he chattered, so merry was he,
He chirped, and he chattered, so merry was he,
This little cock-sparrow that sat on a tree !
There came a little boy, with a bow and an arrow,
Determined to shoot this little cock-sparrow.
Determined to shoot this little cock-sparrow
Was this little boy, with his bow and his arrow.
I forget the rest of this lyric, but it was infinitely
36 THE STAGE SIXTY YEARS AGO ch.
ludicrous, sung by a man with so lugubrious a
physiognomy. If the song still exists in the
repertoire of children, it may be a satisfaction to
know that it dates from, at any rate, the beginning
of last century, for it was sung to me in my
childhood. I have, unfortunately, lost the words
and music, which were given me a great many
years ago by a lady, who, had she now been
alive, would be about 112 years old. She told
me that she could remember it being sung when
she was a child, and always in the same gloomy
manner.
In my youth there were a number of actors
who struck me as remarkably good, and of whom
I entertain a vivid recollection. First, Madame
Vestris, celebrated for her singing of a very foolish
song called Cherry Ripe. Then there was a
pretty actress, who was very popular, called Miss
Julia Bennett. She played at the Haymarket
with Miss Priscilla Horton, who subsequently
married Mr. German Reed.
At the Adelphi was a mixture of farce and
melodrama, and there was then a really remarkable
company, the theatre being owned, I believe, by
Mr. Webster. Madame Celeste acted the most
heartrending parts with a strong French accent,
and there was a celebrated man called Mr. Paul
Bedford who had made one phrase his own, and
it was repeated all over London. This was, " I
believe you, my boy," and he was the singer of a
song very celebrated in my youth, called Nix, my
in MR. AND MRS. KEELEY 37
dolly, pals, fake away. He was supported by one
of the most humorous comedians I think I ever
saw — Mr. Wright — and also by the most gloomy
melodramatic actor, who represented with gusto
and humour the part of an evil spirit, and who was
known as Mr. O. Smith. Mr. Wright, together
with Mr. Paul Bedford and Madame Celeste, made
the reputation of a piece which for a long time
was running on the stage, called Green Bushes.
At the Lyceum, Mr. and Mrs. Keeley used to
draw crowds by their wonderfully comic powers, and
I recollect a piece called To Parents and Guardians,
written by Mr. Tom Taylor, which had a most
extraordinary run. It represented a boys' school
in which Mrs. Keeley was practically the dictator
and Mr. Keeley the fag. Mr. Tom Taylor was a
most remarkable man and very popular in every
class of society. He had great humour, and was
a good official, being Secretary to some Board.
At the Lyceum was also Mr. Emery, a versatile
actor, whose descendants, I believe, are still on the
stage.
At that time the plays that were acted were
formed very much on the Georgian model, and in
the play-bills one used often to see " Mr. So-and-
So, with a song." The song was intruded in the
most irrelevant manner and had nothing to do
with the piece, but was a great attraction. The
walking gentlemen also were instructed to use
language very much like that of the fops in the old
plays. I recollect, when I had emerged from the
38 MRS. WAYLETTS GUESTS ch.
pupil-stage which had made me seek this society,
going one night to the theatre with some ladies
whose good opinion I was anxious to secure. One
of the walking gentlemen — a former acquaintance
— meeting me going away from the box of a
theatre with a lady on my arm, approached me
with the fashionable manners of the stage, and,
flipping me with his handkerchief, said, " Introduce
me, introduce me." I do not know what answer
I gave him. At any rate he rejoined, in the same
fashion as before, " 'Sdeath ! you kill me, or may I
be freckled I"
At Mrs. Waylett's cottage, one frequently met
not only theatrical celebrities, but also writers, and
occasionally — though very seldom — Mr. Planche,
the founder of a new school of burlesque. I often
met him subsequently at Sir John Burgoyne's, and
I recollect two of his remarkably graceful and
striking compositions. One was The Invisible
Prince, in which the chief character was repre-
sented by Miss Priscilla Horton, and another was
called The Fair One with the Golden Locks. In
this Mr. Planche introduced a charming parody
of the Italian serenade Com e gentil. It began
" Comb it genteelly." Another of Mrs. Waylett's
guests was Mr. Charles Dance, a rival of Planche.
I recollect many lines from his productions also :
they were excessively good, and at that time in
quite a new style. In one of Mr. Dance's burlesques,
a father, represented by Mr. Keeley, expatiated on
the virtues of his son, and ended thus : —
in PUNNING BURLESQUES 39
This hopeful offspring of a doting sire
Once chanced to thrust his finger in the fire,
And, finding that by far too hot to hold him,
He took it out again, though no one told him.
Mr. Talfourd, the son of Justice Talfourd, also
wrote some brilliant burlesques, and one pun of
his I always remember. Describing the life of
a man, he ended by saying : —
And like a detonator down he goes,
To pay the debt o' natur that he owes.
Amongst other writers was Mr. Albert Smith,
who, I think, afterwards married a daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Keeley. He, with a gentleman
called Angus Reach, started a little periodical
somewhat on the model of Punch. It was
called The Man in the Moon. In it, on one
occasion, they had a forecast of a burlesque likely
to be given in the winter. It was the story of
King Alfred baking the cakes. He was supposed
to have been left in the house of a Mr. and Mrs.
Smith to take charge of the baking, which he
neglected, and he said : —
There'll be a row when Mrs. Smith returns
To this, which seems the land of cakes and Burns.
Mr. Reach used to pronounce his name Re-ach,
so Mr. Thackeray, meeting him one day at dinner,
said, " Mr. Re-ach, would you give me a pe-ach ?"
I recollect at this time how very different were
the movements of young ladies from what they are
at the present day. None of a certain standing
40 YOUNG LADIES OF THE PERIOD ch.
were ever allowed to go out alone. If walking,
they were accompanied by a footman or their own
maid. They never went in cabs, or, indeed, in
any public conveyance. When travelling, they
accompanied their parents, either in their own
carriage, or in a post-chaise ; but they were cut off
from all general society by these exclusive habits.
I recollect very well when omnibuses were intro-
duced to go to Richmond and Hampton Court,
there were great debates among the inhabitants of
Hampton Court Palace whether or not they should
be made use of by persons of what is called
Society. The freedom which now exists, dates,
I think, from the development of railways, where
it is impossible to be exclusive, and where young
ladies sit near any one whom fortune may bring.
I also remember the High Church movement, and
then young ladies in Belgravia were allowed to go
to church in the morning and to walk about alone.
At the same time, the young gentlemen had also
taken very much to frequenting the churches at
the early services. A lady well known for her wit
was told that in that district young ladies walked
without a chaperon, and young gentlemen attended
the eight o'clock service. She replied, "Yes,
Belgravia is a country where all the women are
bold, and all the men are virtuous."
About this time, Gretna Green marriages were
still possible. A young couple, wishing to elope,
took a post-chaise to Gretna Green, the first town
accessible within Scotch territory. Here a marriage
Ill
GRETNA GREEN 41
could be performed — under the old Scotch law —
merely by a recognition before witnesses, on the
part of the two persons interested, that they con-
sidered each other as lawful husband and wife.
One young gentleman ran away with a lady of
some position, and, on his way back from Scotland,
met a relative of the bride, who had started to look
for him. The bridegroom said to this gentleman,
" I am afraid you look upon me as a sad villain."
The other replied, " Oh no ! Only a d — d fool ! "
There was one celebrated elopement affecting some
of the greatest families in England. On another
occasion, a gentleman very prominent in politics
went off with a lady ; but it was rumoured that in
this case even a Gretna Green wedding had been
dispensed with, notwithstanding which a slight in-
crease occurred in the population. These marriages
were celebrated by a blacksmith who knew all the
formalities of the law, and many jokes were made
about forging the chains. In the last instance to
which I have alluded there were no chains at all,
and great was the scandal that consequently ensued
in what the papers call "the upper circles." It
ruined the politician's career, and, in spite of the
condonation of old age, the collaboratrice never
regained a firm footing in the cream of the cream.
In those days the reaction was nearly complete
from fiction of what was called the Rosa-Matilda
school, and Mrs. Radcliffe's novels. I well remember
the stories of that class then bought by school-
boys — wonderful mysteries, the adventures of forlorn
42 MR. BORTHWICK ch.
and sentimental young ladies travelling with their
harps, and turning out to be the heiresses to
earldoms. One was called Fatherless Fanny, who
became Marchioness of Leamington ; another,
The Romance of the Forest. Soon after Sir Walter
Scott had made his appearance, a half-burlesque
novel was published, meant to ridicule the school in
question. It was entitled Hie Heroine. She was
the daughter of a farmer whom she repudiated as a
father, and whom she addressed as " Wilkinson "
till the Earl was to appear. I remember some
lines recited to her : —
Sweet sensibility ! Oh, la !
I heard a little lamb cry, Baa !
Says I, " So you have lost Mamma ! "
Ah!
The little lamb, as I said so,
Frisking about the field did go,
And, frisking, trod upon my toe.
Oh!
The Heroine was delighted.
At this time I made the acquaintance casually
of a gentleman to whom, throughout the rest of his
life, I was indebted for much kindness — the late
Mr. Peter Borthwick. He was then Member for
Evesham, and a Protectionist. At the election of
1845-46 he lost his seat, and Protection being then,
to all appearance, finally disposed of, he devoted
himself to the advocacy in the press of Lord
Palmerston's foreign policy. His son, Mr. Algernon
Borthwick, now Lord Glenesk, with whom I have
been since that date intimately acquainted, was at
in CHANGES IN SOCIETY 43
Paris, where in 1847-48 he enjoyed the friendship
and confidence of Louis Napoleon.
I also saw a good deal of Sir John and Lady
Michel, from whom and from whose family I have
always received the greatest cordiality. Sir John
Michel was afterwards Field-Marshal. His wife,
who was a Miss Churchill by birth, was my some-
what near cousin. His daughter is Viscountess
Frankfort.
The world at that time was very different from
what it is now. There were some large fortunes,
but nothing equal to those recently accumulated in
America and South Africa. Society was on a much
smaller scale, bounded, as I believe Svdnev Smith
said, by Oxford Street on the north and Pall Mall
on the south. Kensington and South Kensington
were entirely out of the metropolitan limits, and at
Brompton, which was considered " off the stones,"
the post was delivered on Sunday.
Society was very difficult of access to the
nouveaux riches. One gentleman, Mr. Hudson,
known as the Railway King, certainly achieved
for himself a considerable position during the
railway mania. He had a house in Albert Gate,
now in the occupation of the French Embassy ;
but the position he attained in Society was due
more to his activity in politics as a protectionist
than to his large fortune. I recollect his talking
of The Huguenots, which came out about that
time, as The Hook Nose.
During the season young men boasted as to how
44 IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT ch.
many balls they had been invited to in one night.
They would go on from one to another.
At that period debtors were liable to imprison-
ment, and many interesting stories were told of the
manner in which certain well-known debtors evaded
arrest. On one occasion, the sheriff's officers waited
the whole night in pursuit of a certain gentleman
of good family in London who was constantly in
debt. They had seen him enter Vauxhall Gardens.
Not wishing for a public exposure, they placed
members of their body at each door so as to arrest
him when leaving. But they stayed all night.
The Gardens were shut, and he had never appeared.
It turned out that his powers of persuasion were so
great that he had induced the aeronaut to take him
up in the balloon — which was one of the attractions
of Vauxhall — to drop him some miles from London
on the way to Dover, and to lend him sufficient
money to go to the Continent.
Another time this same gentleman, who was the
son of a well-known Member of Parliament, cele-
brated for his collection of antiquities and old
furniture, was traced by the sheriff's officers into
his father's house. They knocked at the door, and
found the father just going out. They told him
their errand. He said that his son was not in the
house, but that they were quite at liberty to
search it. This they did, but in vain. Some
days afterwards they found their prey, with whom
they were always on good terms, and asked him how
he had escaped from his father's house, as they had
Ill
A COOL HAND 45
traced him in at the door, and waited, and had also
searched the house. To this he replied, " Well, I
saw you," and he then explained that, in order to
escape them, he had dressed himself in an old suit of
knight's armour that stood in the hall, and while
they were searching the house he had glared at
them, holding the sword in his hand.
CHAPTER IV
Lord Palmerston — Handwriting — Appointed to the Foreign Office —
Comparison between Foreign Office of 1846 and present day —
Clerks in Foreign Office — Mr. Mellish — Mr. Hammond — Other
colleagues.
One day I received a letter desiring me to call
upon Lord Palmerston, which I naturally did in
great awe. He was at that time living at the house
of Lady de Clifford in Carlton House Terrace. I
well remember a picture in the dining-room, where
I was shown, representing St. Cecilia playing a
violoncello. My reception by Lord Palmerston
was kindly in the extreme. He asked me several
questions about my education, and, on hearing the
number of different places to which I had been, he
made a remark which was perfectly true — that I
had picked up what I could where I could, instead
of going through a settled course of education. He
desired me, however, to write him a letter giving
him my history, and to allow him to see my hand-
writing. About handwriting he was very particular,
and there are many stories told by Sir Edward
Hertslet and others of the severe comments he
used to make on agents of the Foreign Office
46
ch. iv CHARACTER IN HANDWRITING 47
who wrote indistinctly or in a small hand. At
that time a good handwriting was somewhat
uncommon, but at the Foreign j Office it was con-
sidered especially good. That of Mr. Spring-Rice
was held up as a model.
Since then, handwriting has made great strides,
and the system of telling character from it has
been much developed. In France, where it is
called gi^aphiologie, it is supposed to have led to
remarkable incidents. A French gentleman, whose
veracity I have no reason to doubt, told me the
following story.
A new prefet had come to a town where the
uncle of my informant was bishop. The bishop
requested the prefet to employ some one in whom
he felt an interest. The young man in question
went to the prefecture and told his story, but was
asked to make his application in writing.
Some days afterwards the bishop enquired if
anything had been done for his protege. The
prefet replied, " It is impossible : he is an assassin."
This he said he had discovered from the young
man's handwriting, and added that the assassina-
tion was not of long date. It turned out to be
the case.
Of course I cannot vouch for the truth of this
story, but I may say that more than one French
gentleman to whom I spoke of it cast no doubt on
its correctness.
To return to Lord Palmerston. No one, young
or old, could resist his charm of manner, which
48 AN AGREEABLE DECEPTION ch.
really betokened a very kind heart. When
appointed to the Foreign Office in 1845, on the
fall of Sir Robert Peel's Government, some of the
old employes had intended to resign, as during his
last tenure of office he had been somewhat harsh
and inconsiderate. On one occasion, he had kept
the Office at work for almost the whole night while
he was at the Opera, and while they were prepar-
ing for a special messenger whose despatches had to
be signed by the Secretary of State. On his return
to office in 1848 they were most agreeably dis-
appointed. A hint was given them that, having in
the interval married Lady Palmerston, his manner
had undergone a complete change. Ever after-
wards, under the influence of Lady Palmerston,
perhaps the most amiable grande dame who ever
existed, every one dependent upon him was most
devoted to his person and his interests. On October
22, 1846, ten days after completing my sixteenth
year, I was informed by Mr. Addington of my
appointment as Additional Clerk at the Foreign
Office, and on the 26th of the same month I
entered upon my duties.
The Foreign Office in those days was peculiarly
constituted, and had for many years undergone no
alteration. On the ordinary staff there was one
permanent Under - Secretary of State, and one
political. Now, in addition to these two officials,
there are three assistant Under-Secretaries. Two
Legal Advisers are now appointed to the Foreign
Office : in my time there were none. There were
iv THE FOREIGN OFFICE 49
twenty -eight clerks on the diplomatic establish-
ment, of whom seven were Heads of Departments :
at present there are forty-four clerks, of whom eight
are Heads of Departments. The Financial Depart-
ment, which in 1847 had only one clerk, has now
five. There are five also in the Librarian's Depart-
ment, which formerly had only two clerks. In
those days there was a Slave Trade Department,
appointed to carry out the provisions of the
various Slave Trade Treaties : that has now dis-
appeared. A registry has been established, which
did not exist then. In addition to all this extra
assistance, there are thirty-seven Second Division
clerks, as well as nine lady typists. The staff of
Foreign Service messengers has been diminished,
but that of the Home Service messengers increased.
Altogether, the force of the Foreign Office has been
augmented to an enormous extent, compared with
former times. A considerable increase took place
immediately after the Crimean War, when the staff
was very much overworked. I recollect on one
occasion during that period that, having worked
nearly all Sunday, I went to the Office on Monday
morning at ten, and remained till ten at night.
The next day I went at ten, and remained till four
o'clock the following morning. On the Wednes-
day I went at ten, and remained till one the next
morning. In addition to all this, I had cyphers at
my own house for use when necessary at night,
the number of resident clerks being limited to two.
They are now four.
vol. i e
50 LONG SERVICE ch.
Previously, at the beginning of the century, the
numbers were still smaller, and the clerks in the
Office worked personally with the Secretary of
State. Some of those I knew had worked with
Lord Dudley. They said that at a crisis he would
walk about their room as though in a fit of absent-
mindedness. He would then suddenly pick up
some scrap of paper off the floor and write out
a despatch. Everything now goes along an official
groove, and orders are conveyed through the
Un der- Secretaries.
The names of those who were in the Office at
the time of my joining recall almost the whole
history of the French Revolution and the Napo-
leonic Wars. Mr. John Bidwell, senior, had been
appointed in 1798. Mr. Thomas Bidwell resigned
in 1841 after fifty years' service. He had been
the clerk who opened nearly all the despatches
relative to the French Revolution, I believe includ-
ing the report of the royal executions. Mr. John
Bidwell accompanied Sir Robert Adair on his
Special Mission to Constantinople in July 1808,
and remained in the East till 1811. He was also
attached to Sir Charles Stewart on his Mission
to the King of Prussia in 1813, and on his visit
to the headquarters of the Allied Armies at various
places on the Continent.
There had been a clerk in the Office, Mr. Byng,
appointed in 1801. I recollect him well. He was
known in society for many years, and died only in
1871. He was commonly called " Poodle Byng,"
IV
-POODLE BYNG" 51
but I never knew the origin of the appellation.
Lord Torrington was a nephew of his.
In 1824, Mr. Byng had been appointed to attend
the King and Queen of the Sandwich Islands on
their visit to England, where they both died. Mr.
William Bathurst told me that, at the time of their
death, a speech supposed to have been made by
the king to Mr. Byng was published by Theodore
Hook in John Bull. It began, "Oh, Poodly
Woodly ! Me eatee, me drinkee, me die."
The Head of the Department in which I was at
first placed was Mr. Lenox-Conyngham. In his
youth some accident had deprived him of his leg,
and at times he underwent intense pain. This
made him a little captious ; but he was a man of
the kindest instincts. He had married the daughter
of Mr. Holmes, an Irish Q.C., who was very much
mixed up with what is now called the Nationalist
cause. By her he had two children, a son in the
Diplomatic Service, and a daughter who married
Lord Doneraile and died only recently. Her
husband was killed by the bite of a fox. Mr.
Conyngham's son was very ill out in Brazil, and
his father, wishing to go and see him, under-
went an operation from the effects of which he
died on November 2G, I860, less than a fortnight
after the death of his son.
I fear that, with Sir Spencer Ponsonby-Fane
and Mr. Wylde, 1 am now the only survivor of the
Foreign Office as it was in 1846-47. Amongst
others who were there at the time of my joining
52 A PUN ch„
was Mr. Oom, a man of great humour, who be-
longed to the Canterbury Theatrical Company,
which I will allude to hereafter : he was designated
the " Apologist." He was known in the Canter-
bury Bills as Adolphus K. On the occasion of an
election at Canterbury, during the Cricket Week,
the town was placarded thus : " Oom shall we
elect ? Adolphus K."
There were also Mr. Staveley, who had been
employed at Paris in 1814, and was secretary to a
Commission appointed under the Articles of the
Treaty of Peace with France ; and Mr. Thomas
Lawrence AVard, a cousin of Lord Bangor, and
whose brother was a Secretary of Legation. He
had joined the Foreign Office in 1817, and had
accompanied Lord Castlereagh to the Conference
at Aix-la-Chapelle in 1818. He also was with Sir
Robert Adair's Special Mission to Brussels in 1831.
Mr. Louis Hertslet, the librarian, so well known
for his works on Treaties, had been appointed to
the Foreign Office in 1801. I very well recollect
meeting Sir Robert Adair at Holland House,
where, when I first married, I often spent some
days. He came in leaning on the arm of Lord
Granville.
It was to Lord Holland that Prince Talleyrand
addressed one of his best -known mots. Lord
Holland, then Mr. Fox, had just been attached
to Sir Robert Adair's Mission to Brussels. At a
dinner at Holland House, on the eve of their
departure, Prince Talleyrand made an address to Sir
iv PRINCE TALLEYRAND S MAXIM 53
Robert Adair, and a separate one to Lord Holland,
treating the latter as if he were the Minister and
Sir Robert, the attache. In laying down several
maxims of diplomacy for Lord Holland, he ended
by saying, " Et surtout, point de zele" a maxim
which has been recognised as a fundamental rule
of diplomatic action.
One very marked member of the Foreign Office
was Mr. Mellish, who had been attached to the
Embassy at Constantinople in 1828 and 1830.
Formerly a Gentleman Usher to Queen Adelaide,
he had been sent by King William IV. to accom-
pany his sons, the FitzClarences, to the different
Courts of Germany. His father was one of the
old charges d'affaires at the Hanse towns, and his
mother was German, so that he really was more of
a German than an Englishman. He was a great
admirer of Mr. Canning, who had done much for
him, and of whom he had a store of anecdotes.
Mr. Mellish kept the correspondence relative to
the quaint and well-known cypher instructions sent
by Mr. Canning to Sir Charles Bagot, Ambassador
at the Hague. They ran as follows : —
In matters of commerce, the fault of the Dutch
Is giving too little, and asking too much.
The French are with equal advantage content,
So we'll clap on Dutch bottoms just twenty per cent.
Twenty per cent, twenty per cent,
( horus of French douaniers:
Vous frapperez Falcke just twenty per cent !
This was put into cypher by Mr. Mellish and sent
to the Hague. Some days afterwards a reply came
54 MR. CANNINGS GOOD-NATURE ch.
from Sir Charles Bagot, saying that his Embassy
did not possess the cypher in which this despatch
had been forwarded. The cypher was therefore
sent by the next messenger, together with a
despatch from Mr. Canning saying that the former
one had only contained remarks on the recent
commercial negotiations. There was a very amus-
ing answer from Sir Charles Bagot, to the effect
that the Secretary of Embassy, Mr. Snape Douglas
— who, by the way, was very much in the world
during my recollection — when reading the despatch,
had observed that he was almost certain the cypher
alluded to the commercial negotiations. The lines
in question are pretty well known, and I only men-
tion these circumstances as coming from what may
be considered the fountain-head.
Mr. Mellish was constantly repeating acts of
great good -nature on the part of Mr. Canning.
On one occasion a special messenger was sent to
the Continent, and, after he had gone, Mr. Mellish
found that he had omitted to put in the bag the
principal despatch. He at once went in to Mr.
Canning to tell him of the mishap, in fear and
trembling. Mr. Canning, without saying a word
of reproach, replied, " Ring for another messenger."
His kindness ensured the devotion of Mr. Mellish,
who was a most warm-hearted man.
At one time Mr. Mellish had applied to Lord
Aberdeen for an appointment in South America
as charge d'affaires. This had been refused him.
Shortly afterwards Mr. Mellish met the lady he
iv AMPLE COMPENSATION 55
subsequently married. No sooner had she accepted
him than he asked for an interview of Lord Aber-
deen, and thanked him for not having given him
the appointment for which he had applied, as he
had been so amply compensated.
Mr. Mellish was deeply versed in German
politics. Some one once asked Lord Palmerston
to explain to him the question of the Danish
Duchies. Lord Palmerston replied, " There are
only two people who understand the question —
myself and Mellish of the Foreign Office." The
other said that he thought Mr. Mellish was dead.
Lord Palmerston rejoined, " In that case, I am
the only person who understands the question."
After Mr. Mellish, who at that time was the only
decorated member of the Office, having received
the Order of the Guelph, came Mr. Hammond,
who played a considerable part in the history of
the Department. He was the son of a gentleman
who had also been Under-Secretarv of State for
Foreign Affairs. When I was first in the Foreign
Office, he was almost the junior of the senior
clerks. He had been attached to Sir Stratford
Cannings Special Mission to Turkey in 1831, and
to Spain in 1832, and was the Head of the Turkish
Department, which dealt with matters concerning
Russia, Turkey, Persia, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt,
and Siam. Mr. Hammond was a man of great
perseverance, and had made himself completely
master of affairs dealing with those countries, and,
indirectly, with the world in general. At that time.
56 MR. HAMMOND ch.
despatches of importance were circulated to the
Ambassadors in all important places. Consequently,
all Heads of Departments knew not only what
belonged to their particular branch, but indirectly
all that was going on elsewhere.
When the Crimean War broke out, Mr.
Addington, the Permanent Under-Secretary of
State, resigned his place after a most distinguished
career. It was felt that no one could succeed him
except Mr. Hammond. He, therefore, was practi-
cally charged with the continuity of the business of
the whole Office. In those days that business was
divided into two principal departments — one under
the Permanent, the other under the Parliamentary
Under-Secretary ; but all information of importance
was equally open to both those functionaries. It
would, therefore, scarcely have been possible to
overlook Mr. Hammond's claims to the succession
of Mr. Addington.
Mr. Hammond was a very curious mixture.
He might be designated, in the present day, as
bureaucratic, and certainly the interests of his
office were his first care ; but this did not prevent
great enlightenment, and his advice was constantly
followed by the Ministers of the day. While a
great stickler for discipline, and resenting errors
on the part of his subordinates, he was excessively
kind-hearted and just. No doubt, he had his likes
and dislikes, but these were never unnecessarily or
offensively put forward. He had great eccen-
tricities. When going with Lord John Russell
iv BRIDGES TAYLOR 57
on his Special Mission to Vienna in 185.5, the
other members were much amused at Mr. Ham-
mond's peculiarities. He insisted on passing the
whole night in his tall hat, and only assumed his
travelling-cap when he got out of the train for
refreshments. He retired in 1873, and was made
a peer some months later, this being the first
occasion, I believe, on which a Permanent Under-
Secretary had been raised to that dignity.
My closest friend was Mr. Bridges Taylor, a
universal favourite and the confidant of many
juniors. He was the nephew of two men who
had been very well known in their time — one,
Sir Herbert Taylor, Private Secretary to King
William IV., and the other, Sir Brook Taylor,
formerly of the Diplomatic Service. I believe he
had been appointed Minister at a small Court in
Germany when he was only twenty-three or twenty-
four years old.
Mr. Bridges Taylor, besides being in the Foreign
Office, had been allowed to hold the post — almost
a sinecure — of Deputy Clerk to the Signet for his
uncle, Sir Brook Taylor, who was Clerk to the
Signet, an office now abolished. Mr. Bridges
Taylor was at one time attached to the Legation
at Hanover, where he married the daughter of
Sir Hugh Halkett, the generalissimo of the
Hanoverian army. He had thus come into con-
tact with the Royal Family, by whom Mrs. Taylor
was affectionately treated, and he was also much
favoured by all of them. Owing to an impediment
58 FOREIGN OFFICE CLERKS ch.
in his handwriting from scrivener's palsy, he was
unable to work very hard, and he ended his days —
or, at all events, his official career — as Consul at
Elsinore, where he and Mrs. Bridges Taylor were
much beloved.
Mr. Huskisson was also a distinguished member
of the Office. He was the nephew of Mr. Huskis-
son, the President of the Board of Trade, and
Colonial Secretary, whose sad end is well known,
having been killed at the opening of the Manchester
Railway.
Later on the list followed Mr. George Canning
Backhouse, son of the Mr. Backhouse who had
been Under-Secretary of State. Then we come
to Mr. Wylde, son of the general so well known
in connection with Spanish politics, who had been
sent to Spain on missions connected, I think, with
the Carlist war.
Mr. Richard Wellesley was one of the most
amiable and popular members of the Office. He
was the grandson of Marquis Wellesley, and he
had an uncle who was the Principal of New Inn
Hall, Oxford.
Mr. Charles Spring- Rice was a son of the
celebrated Lord Monteagle, Chancellor of the
Exchequer. In the course of a speech in which
Lord Brougham was denouncing the Whig Govern-
ment, he asked whether the country was to be
governed entirely by Lord John This or Mr.
Spring That. Mr. Charles Spring-Rice, who was
among my great friends, was one of the most
iv USE OF A DINNER-BELL 59
useful members of the Foreign Office. Before the
end of his service he was made an Assistant Under-
Secretary of State. He certainly was one of the
ablest men I ever came across, and I have always
been astonished that he did not make a more
brilliant career. He was gifted with great humour,
and the story was told of him that, when at the
University, some one with rooms above him insisted
on practising the piano nearly all day. Mr. Spring-
Rice was musical, and this was enough to drive him
wild. After remonstrating several times uselessly
with his neighbour, he proceeded to purchase a
\'ery loud dinner-bell, and whenever the gentleman
upstairs began his scales, he used to go to the
bottom of the staircase and ring the bell as loudly
as he could. This brought his adversary to reason.
Mr. Alston — subsequently Sir Francis Alston —
was an exemplary public servant. He was the son
of Mr. Rowland Alston, a long time M.P. for
Hertfordshire. Before he left the Foreign Office
he became Chief Clerk and Head of the Financial
Department. He was a man of extraordinary
official ability, and many small reforms are due to
his orders and sagacity. He was also high up in
Freemasonry, in which he was an expert.
Then followed Mr. Spencer Ponsonby — now Sir
Spencer Ponsonby-Fane — who certainly deserved
better of his colleagues than any one else. Always
sympathetic and encouraging in his office of private
secretary, first to Lord Palmerston and then to
Lord Clarendon, he was ever ready to do what he
60 SIR SPENCER PONSONBY-FANE ch. iv
properly could for the sake of a colleague. Every
one had confidence in him and liked him. He
accompanied Lord Clarendon to the Congress of
Paris, and subsequently accepted the office of
Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's House-
hold, a place which suited him, 1 suppose, but
which, to my mind, was far below his claims.
His wife, whom he married early in life, showed
kindness to all, and enjoyed the same popularity
as her husband.
CHAPTER V
Colleagues in the Foreign Office — Under-Secretaries of State— Life at
the P'oreign Office — Hours of work — Private theatricals — Holiday
at Spa — Marriage of Lady Dorothy Nevill.
Mr. John Bidwell, junior, was the son of the Head
of the Consular Department. He was a man of
great wit, dramatic power, and physical agility, and
at an amateur pantomime given during the Crimean
War for the Patriotic Fund, at which the Queen
and the Prince Consort were present, he acted the
part of Harlequin in the most perfect manner.
Shortly after the performance he asked Lady
Waldegrave, who was a friend of his, to obtain
an invitation for him to a party at Lansdowne
House. Lord Lansdowne replied that he must
necessarily invite Mr. Bidwell, for, if he did not
come in at the door, he would probably come
through the window, or down the chimney. He
wrote light poetry, full of fun and brilliancy. I
recollect some lines that occurred in one of his
poems : —
With equal ale and equal stout
Fill high the pewter amphora !
If fickle Fortune frown or flout,
We will not care a d — for her !
61
62 GOOD-TEMPERED COLLEAGUES ch.
On one occasion Mr. Bidwell was having a
discussion with a colleague, whom he accused of
putting too much work upon his — Mr. Bid well's —
shoulders, and thus escaping the proper share.
He ended by saying, " I'll tell you what it is.
You're what the Latin grammar calls an injusta
novercal
After him came Mr. Greville Morier, the son of
Mr. Henry Morier, who had for a long time been
Minister in Persia, but whose reputation principally
depends on the book that he wrote, called Hqjji
Baba. Mr. Morier had much of his father's wit.
His mother, nee Greville, was still alive, and most
hospitable at her house in Charles Street to her
son's colleagues. Mr. Croker Pennell was a nephew
of the celebrated John Wilson Croker, Theodore
Hook's friend, and he certainly was the best-
tempered man I ever came across. Mr. Wood-
ford, the son of Sir Alexander Woodford, was the
valseur of the Office, and no ball in London was
complete without his presence. Lord Gifford's
son, Mr. Scott Gifford, was very popular for his
great good-temper, which almost equalled that
of Mr. Wellesley. Mr. Vivian, afterwards Lord
Vivian, was well known, having ended his days
as Ambassador at Rome.
Mr. Forster was one of the resident clerks, and
used to give dinners in his rooms. He was a man
very much respected and liked, having been many
years in the Office, and an old member of the
Travellers'. He was the brother of General Forster,
v OTHERS IN FOREIGN OFFICE 63
who for some time had held a permanent military post
in Dublin, but who more lately became Military
Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief. Mr. Forster
was very fond of fishing, and constantly used to
take a fishing at Christchurch, near Lord Malmes-
bury's house, Heron Court. I recollect a letter to
Lord Malmesbury, in which he signed himself
k ' Your humble Clerk/'
Mr. Blackburn was also a very well-known
member of the Office, rather celebrated for his wit
and repartees. I did not know him very well, as
for a great portion of the time I was in the Office
he was absent from ill-health.
On one occasion we were talking of a foreign
statesman who had married an Englishwoman
named Miss Birch. Mr. Blackburn said that he
understood she was the daughter of Birch, the
City pastry-cook of turtle fame. I replied that
such was not the case ; that she was of consider-
able birth, rather highly connected, and no relation
whatever to the pastry-cook. Thereupon Mr. Black-
burn said, " I had a soup^on that she was."
Working in the Foreign Office as an attache was
Mr. Ralph Anstruther Earle. He had distinguished
himself at Harrow, especially in English compo-
sition, and Lord Clarendon had in consequence
offered him an appointment in the Diplomatic
Service. Foreign affairs and Parliamentary life
formed his great preoccupation. I saw a great deal
of him and liked him very much, though he was
not generally popular on account of a reserved
64 A DETERMINED SECRETARY ch.
manner. Mr. and Mrs. Disraeli made his acquaint-
ance in Paris, and were much struck by him, and
when the Conservative party came into power
in 1858 Mr. Earle was appointed Mr. Disraelis
private secretary. In this capacity he lived very
much at his chief's house, and made himself useful
in Parliamentary matters, which he thoroughly
understood.
In 1866 Mr. Earle became a Member of
Parliament, and Mr. Disraeli, on acceding to office,
gave him the Secretaryship to the Poor Law Board,
a post no longer existing. Thinking that this
appointment, which entailed no great labour, was
given him so that he might combine his Secretarial
with his Parliamentary work, Mr. Earle used to go
daily to see his chief. Mr. Disraeli, however, having
appointed another private secretary — Lord Rowton
— wished to dispense with Mr. Earle' s services, and
did not welcome these continual visits. The result
was that Mr. Earle resigned his post, and in Parlia-
ment showed his resentment by voting and some-
times speaking against Mr. Disraeli. At length
he made an especially violent attack on the Prime
Minister, and this put an end to his career.
Mr. James Murray was also in the Foreign
Office, at the head of the Consular Department for
some time, and then Head of the German Depart-
ment. He subsequently became Assistant Under-
Secretary of State. Though born abroad, he was
of Scotch origin, and this he was fond of proclaim-
ing on every possible occasion. It was currently
v UNDER-SECRETARIES 65
reported in the Office that at a country place he
possessed somewhere near Uxbridge, he was to be
seen in the very early morning digging in his
garden, and dressed in a kilt.
During the time I was in the Foreign Office, I
naturally served under several Political Under-
Secretaries of State, all of them men of great
eminence. The first was Lord Stanley of Alderley,
at that time Mr. Stanley, and generally known in
the world — for what reason I do not know — as
Ben Stanley. Lord Kimberley I knew privately,
and he certainly, during the tenure of his office
as Under-Secretary, was most popular and made
for himself a great name. On this account
he was chosen by the Government to occupy
the post of Minister at St. Petersburg at the
time of the reconciliation after the Russian War.
He was followed, I think, by Lord Shelburne,
who had never taken a very active part in politics,
for which, however, he was highly qualified.
Mr. Layard was a man whose reputation is too
well known to need any tribute or discussion. Mr.
Seymour FitzGerald, who had for a long time been
a Member of Parliament, was the Conservative
Under-Secretary under Lord Malmesbury. He
was a man of great Parliamentary tact and know-
ledge. Later on he was made Governor of Bombay,
and on his return to England again entered Parlia-
ment, which he finally quitted on being appointed
a principal Charity Commissioner.
At that time the Foreign Office was more like
vol. r P
66 CONFIDENTIAL WORK ch.
a convent of Benedictines — men of intelligence, but
separated from the world by the nature of their
employment. The work they had to do was
essentially confidential, and therefore did not bring
them much into contact with other offices. In fact,
the humblest clerk in the Office was necessarily
entrusted with information to which scarcely any-
one could have access except a Cabinet Minister.
On one occasion the original of a Treaty had
been published in a morning paper, together with
the English translation. This produced great agita-
tion, for it seemed as though blame would be laid
on the Foreign Office. Lord Palmerston, however,
discovered the secret of its publication. When
a treaty is drawn up between several nations, each
is mentioned first in its own copy, and the others
are placed alphabetically. When Lord Palmer-
ston saw the published copy, he at once detected
the quarter whence it came by the name that
came first, the others being, as usual, in alphabetical
order. I believe that Lord Palmerston mentioned
this circumstance in the House of Commons, in
proof of the rigid secrecy kept by the Foreign
Office.
The hours of the Office were different from
ordinary official attendance. As the clerks had to
remain very late, in order to catch the last mail
which left about eight o'clock, they went late in the
morning, not much before one o'clock, and this dis-
organisation of the ordinary times of employment
threw them very much into each other's society.
v AN AWKWARD MISTAKE 67
They all lived together, especially in the old office
in Downing Street, which consisted of two houses,
15 and 16, the latter having been the Foreign
Office, and 15 the residence of the Foreign Secretary.
Mr. Canning had lived there, and one room at
the top of the house — used as a smoking-room —
was called "the nursery," having belonged to
Mr. Canning's children. It possessed a piano,
Mr. Wellesley, Mr. Woodford, and others being
good musicians.
When I was first at the Foreign Office, smoking
was tabooed, as it was distasteful to Lord Palmerston.
Subsequently, however, on the accession to office
of Lord Clarendon, who was himself a great smoker,
the prohibition of tobacco was relaxed, and smoking
became universal. It is said that one day, by mis-
take, a despatch-box, addressed to very high quarters,
was found to contain some of Lord Clarendon's
cigarettes.
Many of the members of the Office belonged
to the Travellers' Club, where they used to dine
together, members of other clubs doing the same ;
but during the dead season, when most clubs were
under repair, they used to dine in small parties,
often at the " Blue Posts " in Cork Street, well
known for its beef-steaks and port-wine, and in later
years at the " Wellington" in St. James's Street. In
those days there were few restaurants, and none,
except Yerrey's in Regent Street, where a lady
could dine. The St. James's Club, of which I am
an original member, was only founded, I think, in
68 PRIVATE THEATRICALS ch.
1859, and this provided a resort for all members of
the Foreign Office and the Diplomatic Service.
The work at the Foreign Office, as already
mentioned, was really hard ; but since the numbers
have been increased, and typists have been employed,
I scarcely think that such great pressure can still
exist.
Shortly before 1 joined the Office, it had been
the habit of some of the clerks, during the dead
season, to hire a cottage in the country, where they
lived, coming up for their work and going down in
the evening. But this I do not recollect. At one
time Mr. Spencer Ponsonby undertook the manage-
ment of the cottage. He showed me a bill addressed
to " Sponsonberry, Esq."
The principal amusement of the members of the
Foreign Office was private theatricals. A society
had been got up called the Canterbury Old Stagers.
An interesting history of this society is to be found
in a book called Amateur Clubs and Actors, edited
by W. G. Elliot. It was founded in 1841, I
believe, by Mr. Frederick Ponsonby, and Mr.
Spencer Ponsonby was always a foremost member.
The book to which I allude contains an illustration
representing Sir Spencer Ponsonby-Fane, Sir Henry
de Bathe, and Mr. Quintin Twiss as they acted in
Cox and Box.
Among the gentlemen who rather frequented
Foreign Office society was a young Guardsman,
whose principal quality was that of greediness.
One day at the Tower he was president of the mess,
v HOLIDAY AT SPA 69
and ordered some small cutlets of which he was
particularly fond. They were handed first to the
gentleman on his left. There were only three
cutlets left in the dish by the time it came round
to the president's right-hand neighbour, and that
gentleman took all three.
Two large tears were seen rolling down the
Guardsman's cheeks.
I generally used to spend my two months' holi-
day on a trip abroad. My first was taken in 1847,
when I accompanied Lord and Lady Pollington.
We had intended to go farther, but we found Spa
so pleasant that we remained there four or five
weeks. Our great amusement was riding out in
the day on little Spa ponies, while at night there
was a theatre, a dance, or the roulette. There I
made the acquaintance of Sir Henry and Lady
Bedingfeld, and of the Marquis and Marquise de
Belmont, who afterwards were attached to the
Emperor Napoleon's household, besides various
persons whose names I do not remember. There
were two or three English gentlemen : one of them,
who was very popular, underwent the somewhat
painful experience of being arrested for debt. He
was taken to the prison at Verviers, and for the rest
of our stay at Spa we used generally to breakfast at
the hotel at Verviers, and pay a visit to our friend.
In 184-7, Lady Dorothy Walpole was married
at Wolterton to Mr. Reginald Nevill, who was
already a distant cousin. There was a great gather-
ing, and the wedding-feast included, as is usual in
70 A FAT LIVING ch. v
Norfolk, a pea-hen and a gosling. The ceremony
was performed by the Reverend Thomas Walpole,
Rector of Alverstoke, the head of the family next
in succession after the present line. He was assisted
by the Reverend Algernon Peyton, who had married
a cousin of the family and who held the living
of Doddington, then the richest in England, being
worth about £7000 a year. As the Crown has the
right of nomination to any living vacated by the
incumbent being made a bishop, the Rector of
Doddington, on accepting the living, was bound to
sign an undertaking that he would never accept a
bishopric. The living has since been divided.
CHAPTER VI
London friends — Sir John Burgoyne — Mr. Disraeli — Other acquaint-
ances — Mr. Hayward's anecdotes — Waterloo banquet — Foreign
Office stories — Places of amusement.
Amongst other persons with whom I was acquainted,
and who was very much in the world, was Mr. Jesse,
the author of the History of England under the
House of Hanover. He was high up in the
Admiralty, and was the son of the author of a
natural history book called Jesse's Gleanings. A
great friend of his was Mr. John Wilson Croker,
the well-known Conservative statesman, about this
time engaged in an animated controversy with Lord
John Russell concerning the poet Moore. Mr.
Jesse had been well acquainted with Theodore
Hook, who Avas an habitual frequenter of Mr.
Croker's house, where, on one occasion, having in-
dulged a little freely at dinner, Mrs. Croker said to
him, while playing at whist, "We have known each
other so long that I am sure you will forgive me
for asking you to read this little pamphlet." It
was a tract.
Theodore Hook, stopping in his deal, took the
71
72 LINK WITH THE PAST ch.
pamphlet, and answered, " Oh yes ! I know this.
I've read it. I've reviewed it. ' Three words to
one who drinks.' It's ' Pass the bottle ' ! "
This anecdote was related to me by Mr. Jesse,
who had actually heard it. The story may be well
known, but I should never hesitate to relate anec-
dotes if told me by those who had learned them
first-hand.
I was very dull during my first winter in London
until my friends came up for the following season ;
but I constantly went to the house of the Chevalier
de Bunsen, in Carlton Terrace, not far from the
Foreign Office. He and his wife were always very
hospitable and good to me. She was the aunt of
M. Waddington, with whom I had been at Rugby,
and at her house I met other members of the family
— Lady Llanover, and many whose names I forget.
There I used very often to meet the family of Baron
Alderson, especially the eldest of his daughters, after-
wards Lady Salisbury. One of her sisters married
a friend of mine, Mr. Walter Cocks.
Another house that I constantly visited was
that of Lady Tankerville, with whose relative,
Mr. George Wrottesley — now General Wrottesley —
I was intimate. He was an officer in the Engineers,
and, as we lived very much together, he introduced
me to the house of Sir John Burgoyne, then In-
spector-General of Fortifications, son of General
Burgoyne of Saratoga. This brings us back to
October 1777, the date of the surrender of General
Burgoyne and his army. Wrottesley subsequently
vi TRUE HOSPITALITY 73
went as A.D.C. to Sir John in the Crimea, and
married his eldest daughter.
Mrs. Wrottesley had most remarkable gifts as an
actress, and, at her father's house in Fulham, theatri-
cals were frequently performed. She also used to
act sometimes at the house of Mr. Wolley, at Camp-
den Hill, where a regular theatre had been built.
It was a charming old house, which I recollected as
a young ladies' school where some cousins of mine
were educated. It was ultimately burnt down, and
the fire formed the subject of an action at law with
the insurance companies.
Sir John and Lady Burgoyne kept the most
hospitable house I recollect. Every one who was a
friend of the family had a general invitation to
dinner, and the society was most agreeable. I met
there Mr. Ashe, certainly one of the wittiest men
and cleverest actors I ever came across. He had
been employed in some civil capacity under Sir
John in Ireland, and was brought by him to
London. He had wonderful powers of comic
improvisation.
Sir John Burgoyne, as Inspector-General of
Fortifications, was Chief of the Royal Engineers.
In this capacity, he encouraged all the young men
of the corps to frequent his house. On one occa-
sion, the study of foreign languages was being dis-
cussed, and the conversation fell into French. A
lady present made some very acute remark on the
value of the language, so a young man, bursting
with ambition, replied, " Vou.s tics unc sagefemme /"
74 'YOURS VERY TRULY' ch.
The difficulty for those not familiar with French
to avoid literal translation is often ludicrous. I
knew an official of considerable rank who, when
writing to a foreigner, always subscribed himself
" Votre tr*es vraimcnt."
Unfortunately, a coolness had sprung up between
Sir John Burgoyne and the Duke of Wellington.
The latter had written to Sir John commenting on
the want of preparation for war. This letter,
through some unfortunate circumstance, had fallen
into the hands of a lady who lived near Sir
John Burgoyne at Fulham, and it came into the
possession of the press. The letter made a great
sensation at the time, and was the basis of a long
discussion. Notwithstanding Sir John's explana-
tions, the breach between the Duke and himself
was never repaired.
One of the daughters of the house married a
gentleman named Gretton, who received a consular
appointment in Hayti. On their arrival, they both
died of yellow fever, leaving one little baby quite
unprotected. Sir John Burgoyne had seven
daughters, I think, and one son, a promising
naval officer, who went down when the Captain
foundered.
At that time I also made the acquaintance of
Mr. and Mrs. Disraeli, who were great friends of
my uncle and aunt, Lord and Lady Orford, and
of their daughters, Lady Pollington and Lady
Dorothy Walpole — now Lady Dorothy Nevill.
Lord Pollington, who had been returned to
vi MR. DISRAELI 15
Parliament before he was of age, was a very
strong Conservative.
Mr. Disraeli used generally to walk home from
the House of Commons, usually in the society of
Lord Henry Lennox. One night, rather late, I
was in the neighbourhood of Whitehall, as the
House was breaking up, and I met Mr. Disraeli
alone. He asked me to accompany him, and we
canvassed the prospects of the Government. I
said to him, as there was some talk of the Govern-
ment resigning, " I suppose that some day, in
the ordinary course of things, you will be Prime
Minister." He answered, " In the extraordinary
course of things."
Between 1847 and 1852 I generally used to call
upon Mr. and Mrs. Disraeli every Sunday, and
sometimes had luncheon with them. On one
occasion I met M. and Mme. Adolphe Barrot. He
was a brother of M. Odillon Barrot, and at that
time, I think, French Agent in Egypt. I met him
frequently afterwards, first at Naples where he was
Minister, and then at Brussels. Madame Barrot
was English by birth.
At Mr. Disraeli's house, 1 also made the acquaint-
ance of Mr. James Disraeli and Mr. Ralph Disraeli.
Mr. James Disraeli was not married, though the
elder of the two ; but Mr. Ralph Disraeli had a son
by his marriage with Miss Trevor— Mr. Coningsby
Disraeli, who was until lately in Parliament.
About that time I became acquainted with the
celebrated Mr. Alfred Montgomery, remarkable
76 TAKING A LIBERTY ch.
for his popularity in all good society, and for his
wit. I used to dine with him and his sister at
their house in Chesterfield Street. His conversation
was most amusing, as he always gave some quaint
turn to everything he said. Once we were dis-
cussing a murder which had attracted a great deal
of attention, the murderer having assassinated his
victim when dining with him at his house. Mr.
Montgomery said to me, with the little stutter
which gave point to his observations, " I wonder
how you would begin murdering a man at his own
table. I should not know how to do so. It
would appear to me to be taking such a liberty."
I also knew very well Mr. Baillie Cochrane.
He had been one of the prominent members of
what was called the Young England Party, in
which he was associated with Lord John Manners,
Mr. George Smythe, Mr. Hope, and others. M em-
bers of this party were distinguished by wearing
white neckcloths at a time when they were not in
fashion. I saw a great deal later on of Mr. Baillie
Cochrane. He was raised to the peerage as Lord
Lamington, and was the father of the present peer,
a distinguished Colonial Governor.
Another acquaintance of mine was Mr. Stirling
of Keir, afterwards Sir John Stirling-Maxwell of
Keir, principally known for his books on Spanish
history. Many years later, when I was Ambassador
in Spain, his son came to present copies of his works
to the Historical Society at Madrid, of which his
father had been a member. He was received with
vi MARTIN FARQUHAR TUPPER 77
great cordiality by Senor Canovas del Castillo, the
President of the Society, who was assassinated not
long afterwards.
Among my particular friends was Mr. Hayward,
a man who just missed greatness. He was trusted
by many statesmen, and, in the palmy days of the
Morning Chronicle, had been made editor by the
Peelites who purchased it, among whom were
Mr. Sydney Herbert, Mr. Hope, and, I believe,
Mr. Gladstone. I may be excused for mentioning
Mr. Hayward more than once, and perhaps some-
what irrelevantly, as his conversation is constantly
recurring to my memory. It was always ex-
cessively entertaining, being full of anecdote.
He used to tell very characteristic stories of
Martin Farquhar Tupper, the author of Proverbial
Philosophy. Once, in America, he went to call at
a house where the servant made some mistake about
his name. Thereupon he said, "Announce the
author of Proverbial Philosophy ! "
On another occasion he was staying with the
owner of a Scotch island. In order to catch his boat
one morning, he had to walk for some miles, and
the young lady of the house offered to act as his
guide. He was carrying a small bag with him, and
asked the young lady if she would like to carry it.
She mildly replied that he had better do so himself.
He rejoined, " I thought you would like to be able
to say that you had carried Martin Farquhar
Tupper's bag for him ! "
Mr. Hayward and I had many friends in
78 A LITTLE WEAKNESS ch.
common, and after his death Mr. Kinglake and I
wrote a joint article about him in the Fortnightly
Review. His one weakness was his love of alluding
to persons of great rank.
To anticipate a little. At a time when I was fre-
quenting the Athenaeum a good deal, a Cingalese
gentleman, who had come to England to read
for the Bar, was recommended by Sir Roderick
Murchison to all his acquaintances. One day, find-
ing him dining alone, Mr. Hay ward and I invited
him to our table. Mr. Hayward wished to instruct
him as to the constitution of English society, and
said, " You will find in England that men of dis-
tinction, who belong neither to the aristocracy nor
to the richer classes, but have made a mark, either
in literature or by their conversational powers, are
always received in great houses on a footing of per-
fect equality. You never go to a great house but
you will see some distinguished literary man received
as one of the most highly honoured guests."
The Cingalese said, very naively, " But are these
not called sycophants ? "
There was complete silence.
Amongst Mr. Hayward's anecdotes was one
concerning the Queen of Holland, who had come to
England with the view of making the acquaintance
of the most distinguished persons in the country.
She had therefore sent for Sir Henry Rawlinson,
the well-known Eastern archaeological discoverer.
She asked him to assist her in solving a question
which had always been to her a great stumbling-
vi DRAMATIC PREACHING 79
block. Did he believe, or not, in the Tower of
Babel ? She had never been able to bring herself
to believe in it. A foreign lady, who had married
an Englishman of great distinction, on hearing this,
thought to improve the occasion, and said, with that
absence of the aspirate which often distinguishes
foreigners in their pronunciation of English, " 'E
ought to 'ave told 'er that it is for our comfort
and 'appiness to believe it."
Mr. Hay ward was also very fond of telling the
following anecdote of Mr. Montgomery, a popular
preacher, familiarly known as " Satan Mont-
gomery " from a poem he had written on that
subject. When in Edinburgh, he had been invited
to dinner by Bishop Terrot, who introduced him
to his friends. One lady, after the introduction,
asked the Bishop, " Is it Mr. Montgomery, the
poet?'' to which the Bishop replied, "No; Mr.
Montgomery, a poet."
Mr. Montgomery, both as poet and preacher,
was rather dramatic in his methods. It was said
that, in the manuscript of his sermons, he used to
introduce what in a play would be called "stage
directions." In one sermon of pathetic character
was inserted, every now and then, as a direction,
[tears].
One of the interesting anniversaries celebrated
every year was the day of the Battle of Waterloo,
when the Duke of Wellington gave a banquet.
There was a very quaint old gentleman, whom I
knew well — Mr. Bramley Moore — who made a bet
80 DEAFNESS AND DIPLOMACY ch.
that he would attend one of these dinners. He
did so, for he was acquainted with the confectioner
who contracted for the Waterloo banquet, and
obtained permission to personate one of the head-
waiters.
An anecdote connected with the Foreign Office
occurs to me, which I give as amusing, though not
perhaps relevant.
A Secretary of the Austrian Legation, Count
Potocki, was on very intimate terms with the Duke
of Devonshire of the day, who, by the way, was
rather deaf. The hospitalities at Devonshire House
formed what is now called a record. On one
occasion Count Potocki asked the Duke rather
earnestly to invite some lady of doubtful ante-
cedents to one of his parties. The Duke made
no reply. Count Potocki therefore renewed his
request, whereupon the Duke of Devonshire
answered, " My dear Potocki, it's a pity that I
am not a diplomatist and that you are not
deaf."
In those days I heard many diplomatic stories.
There was one of an Ambassador and his wife who
were known to be constantly quarrelling. One day
the Ambassador had to take his wife away from
some racecourse before she wished to go, as they
were engaged to dine with the Queen. During the
homeward drive the Ambassador sat on the box of
the barouche, turning round from time to time in
the endeavour to conjure away his wife's ill-temper
by pointing out objects of interest along the road.
vi LATE FOR DINNER 81
He said to her, "T r ois-tu, ma chere, ces jolies
vaches 1 "
" Non" she replied, "je ne vols rien que ton
vilain dos."
On arriving at home, the Ambassador at once
went to Buckingham Palace, and explained to
the Queen the reason for his wife's delay. Her
Majesty was much amused, and gave orders for
dinner to be postponed so as to give time for the
Ambassadress to appear.
On another occasion a lady was late for dinner at
the Palace, but hoped to escape observation, as she
was placed behind an epergne which she thought
would conceal her from the view of the Queen.
Her Majesty perceived her, however, and said, " I
suppose some accident occurred on the road ? '
The lady replied, " Yes, madam. The carriage."
Thereupon the Duke of Cambridge — father of
the late Duke — not letting the question drop,
asked what the accident had been.
The guest floundered, and said, " One of the
horses fell."
This did not satisfy the Duke, who said,
" Where was that ? "
The lady replied, " In Holies Street."
The Duke said, " And what did you do ? '
The lady said, " I went into a shop."
" What shop ? " he asked.
" A chemist's shop," said the guest.
" But there is no chemist's shop in Holies
Street," replied the Duke.
VOL. I G
82 LIARS ch.
At this point, the Queen, who was much enter-
tained, took pity on the lady and said to her uncle,
" You should not ask ladies questions. It confuses
them."
An anecdote used to be told of Lord Stratford
and the diplomatist whom he succeeded in the
United States. Every effort was made to prevent
their meeting, as both were known to possess very
violent tempers. It was, however, impossible to
avoid their being together for one evening, and
Lord Stratford dined with his predecessor. After
dinner, the host offered Lord Stratford a cup of
tea. Lord Stratford, beaming with conciliation,
said, " This tea is very good." Thereupon his host
rose up in fury and said, " I understand the taunt,
sir ! My father was a tea-merchant ! "
There used to be a diplomatist who had the
reputation of never speaking the truth. It was
said of him, " X est si menteur quon ne pent
pas meme croire le contraire de ce quil dit."
That reminds me of the story of a gentleman
in the Mediterranean, who was also known to
romance. On one occasion, he invited an American
naval officer to dine with him, and indulged in
one or two rather extraordinary flights. After
dinner they went into the next room to smoke,
and the host began a new story. The American
captain fixed his eye upon him steadily, so much
that the host rather boggled in his narrative.
Hereon the naval officer said, " Go on, sir, go on.
I've been a liar myself all my life ! "
vi NIGHT RESORTS 83
The person who told me this also related another
anecdote of a gentleman describing his journey to
England from America. He declared that when
they were nearing the English coast they saw a
small row-boat, with only one man, some hundred
miles from the shore. They offered to take him in
tow, but he replied that he had come alone in the
row-boat all the way from America, and that he
wished to complete the journey in the same
manner. An American present said to him, " Give
me your hand, my friend. You're my witness.
I was the man in the row-boat."
Amongst other reminiscences are those of places
of amusement frequented at that time by young
men. One was called the " Cider Cellars," in
Maiden Lane. Here men used to go in to supper,
and songs were sung, not always of the choicest
character, till a late hour at night. A similar
place was the " Coal Hole," where the same amuse-
ments were offered ; but there was another night
resort, which was certainly most clever, even if not
improving — namely, what was called the " Judge
and Jury," where every night a comic trial was
given. It took place at an inn called the " Garrick's
Head," in Bow Street, and the trials were conducted
under the presidency of a man who, I fancy, was
the proprietor of the inn. He represented the
Lord Chief Baron, and was generally known as
Lord Chief Baron Nicholson. He took his seat
with great pom]), dressed in appropriate costume,
and a table in front of him was surrounded by
84 BURLESQUE TRIALS ch.
young men dressed as barristers, most of them
being, I believe, attorneys' clerks. A great laugh
was always raised, when the Lord Chief Baron took
his seat, by his calling out " Waiter ! A cigar and
some brandy and water ! ' But this was the only
occasion when he derogated from his great dignity.
The trials were, of course, of a farcical description,
and were conducted by the barristers on either
side in the usual manner, but with great wit.
Occasionally the Lord Chief Baron interfered
with some pointed remark ; but the most amusing
feature of the representation was that of the
witnesses, who were dressed according to the parts
they represented. I never could find out whether
the wit we heard was spontaneous or not, but
certainly the questions of the counsel and the
answers of the witnesses were very humorous.
Five members of the audience were selected as
the jury, to return a verdict according to the
evidence.
Another place to which I only went once or
twice at most was called "Bob Croft's." It
was in the Haymarket, and very rough. It was
not licensed, and refreshments had to be ordered
under assumed appellations. For instance, brandy
and water was called "pale white." There were
some very uncouth customers who frequented this
place, and I am told that occasionally great violence
was shown. It did not require a license, I fancy,
as it did not sell liquors, which were bought
from neighbouring public-houses. At that time a
vi THIEVES' DINNER 85
public-house could be open from twelve o'clock on
Sunday night till twelve o'clock the next Saturday
night, there being some special regulations about
Sunday itself ; but a new Licensing Act regulating
public-houses brought to an end these subsidiary
establishments.
One amusement of which I never partook was
that of obtaining an escort from the police to visit
the haunts of criminals. I knew several people
who did this, and were much struck by the nature
of the scenes they visited. One clergyman, who
had a City living, used annually to give a dinner
to thieves, collected for him by some members
of the police force. He said they behaved very
well, and he was especially cautioned by the police
that all his guests expected to be treated as
gentlemen.
CHAPTER VII
Alfred Club — Members of the Club — Tichborne Case — Ruin of the
Alfred — Anecdotes of Archbishop M'Gee — Mr. Brookfield —
London friends — Laurence Oliphant and Spiritualism — Other
acquaintances — Sheridan anecdotes.
I was elected a member of the Alfred Club.
It was excessively comfortable, with beautiful
plate and an excellent library ; but it had been
neglected for many years because of a curious
story. Some endeavours were made to revive it
by allowing people to come in with a diminished
entrance-fee, and at the time of my election most
young men coming to London were made members
of the Alfred, so that they might have a club to
frequent until they were elected to one of the
superior ones. There were the two Seymours,
Henry and Alfred ; Mr. Chichester Fortescue —
afterwards Lord Carlingford ; Charles and Henry
Grenfell ; Mr. Baring, who became Lord North-
brook ; Mr. George Glyn — afterwards Lord
Wolverton ; Mr. Melville Portal, Mr. Henry
Erskine, Mr. Jacob, and Mr. Delaval Astley, to-
gether with many others, elected on that account.
The revival, however, did not last very long, and
86
chvii TICHBORNE CASE 87
at last the Alfred was amalgamated with the
Oriental Club in Hanover Square.
Amongst other people I met at the Alfred was
Mr. Tichborne, the original from whom the
" Claimant " was copied. He was a nephew of
my friends, Mr. Henry and Mr. Alfred Seymour,
and, having been abroad a good deal, was some-
what foreign in his ways. These two gentlemen
introduced him to their friends, and I must have
seen him frequently, the more so as I was asked to
support his election to the Club. I had no minute
recollection of him, however, and I was therefore
unable to give evidence at the trial, though asked
to do so. The Claimant had a peculiar way in
Court of raising; first one evebrow and then
another. Allusion was often made to this trick.
Some said that it was a characteristic of his family,
and Sir Hamilton Seymour declared that their
name originally was " Twitchborne," and taken
on this account. Mr. Alfred Seymour had the
same habit.
This, somewhat irrelevantly, reminds me of an
incident in the life of Sir Hamilton Seymour.
When Lord Hertford had left to Sir Richard
Wallace the bulk of his property, Sir Hamilton
Seymour contested the will, although Sir Richard
offered what were considered very handsome terms
of compromise. After passing through the inferior
courts, the action finally was brought before the
House of Lords. About this time, Sir Hamilton
Seymour, going to a Queen's ball, met Lord
88 THE UNKNOWN GUEST en.
Chelmsford, a member of the supreme tribunal.
Some allusion was made to the action then proceed-
ing, and Lord Chelmsford remarked, " I am always
thinking of the text, ' Agree with thine adversary
quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him.'
This struck Sir Hamilton Seymour so forcibly that
the next day he instructed his legal representatives
to accept the terms offered by Sir Richard Wallace.
The story to which I alluded above, as having
ruined the Alfred, was as follows : —
At one time, what are called coffee-room dinners
at clubs did not exist ; but there was a house dinner
at a certain hour every day, to which a limited
number of members were admitted, on writing
down their names beforehand. I believe at some
clubs the dinners were given gratuitously, but on
the understanding that a good deal of wine was
drunk. At the Alfred there was a house dinner
for twelve. On one occasion, as the company were
sitting down to dinner, a member came to the Club
and sent in a waiter, with the request to be allowed
to join the party though he was not in evening
dress, as he was going immediately into the
country. His request was admitted. During the
dinner he proved to be more agreeable to all the
members than any one they recollected meeting
before. On his leaving; for the countrv, thev
inquired of each other who he was, and none of
them knew. They then sent for the steward, and
he informed them that it was Mr. Canning.
Nearly all the members of the Alfred were so
vii AUTHENTIC ANECDOTES 89
much afraid of being taken for one of a party of
twelve or fourteen who did not know the Prime
Minister by sight, that they took their names off
the Club.
I was told by the late Sir Fleetwood Pellew,
who had been a member for many years, that at
one time the Club was so much sought after that
persons used to leave cards on their friends,
marking them " Candidate for the Alfred," in the
hopes of getting support. But the incident I
have related practically proved its ruin.
As I do not aspire to accuracy in dates, I may
as well here mention one or two anecdotes of
Archbishop M'Gee, whom I recollect very well.
Though they have perhaps been told before, yet I
know them to be authentic, and on this account I
repeat them.
The Archbishop used to relate a story that
once, finding many society people travelling first
and second class, and wishing to avoid them, he
entered a third-class carriage. There was no one
in it except a farmer, who said to the Bishop, " I
suppose you'd be something in the clergy line ?" to
which he assented. The farmer then said, "Is
your curacy in this neighbourhood ?" The Bishop
replied, " No, no. I am sorry to say I have no
curacy. I was a curate once, but am one no
longer.' 1 To which the fanner rejoined, " I
suppose it was the drink ?"
90 ARCHBISHOP M'GEE ch.
On another occasion, he was staving with a
gentleman in his diocese, and was invited by his
host and hostess to go to a picnic. The luncheon-
basket had been badly packed, and everything w r as
mixed. The gentleman of the house made use of
some very strong phrases, and his w r ife was anxious
as to the effect this would produce on the Bishop.
The latter said, " It was fortunate that we had
a layman here to make use of the appropriate
language."
Bishop M'Gee w r as once asked to marry a
gentleman who was a great whisky-manufacturer
in Dublin. The Bishop felt disinclined to do this,
being very much opposed to the trade ; but, as the
gentleman in question had a great reputation, and
was known to be very charitable, the Bishop did
not like to refuse.
After the ceremony, the bridegroom said, " I do
not know how to thank your Lordship. I wish I
could do something that might be pleasing to you.
All I can say is, ' The Lord be with you ! '
The Bishop replied, " And with thy spirit ! "
A Bishop who was about to celebrate his golden
wedding once discoursed on the subject at a dinner-
party to a French lady next to him. She said,
" I do not understand all this about your golden
wedding." The Bishop replied, " You see, we have
lived together for fifty years." The French lady
interrupted, " Oh, I see. You have lived together
fifty years, and now you are going to be married ! "
I have always found that bishops, like other
vii LIMERICKS 91
men of distinction, have a great sense of humour.
I knew one who composed what is now called a
Limerick. It ran as follows : —
There was a young lady of Cheadle,
Who one day sat down on a needle ;
But as from its head
There depended a thread,
It was promptly pulled out by the beadle.
The following seems also to have an ecclesiastical
touch : —
A learned young innocent curate
Vainly courted a damsel obdurate ;
Till he said with a sigh,
" Perhaps by and by
Your response will be more commensurate."
A gentleman who used to be quoted as a great
wit was Mr. Brookfield, who had the chapel of
John Street, Berkeley Square. He was said to
be the original of one of Thackeray's characters.
It was related that, in Mr. Brookfield's time at
Oxford, there was a very unpopular don whose
name was Thorpe, and some of the young men
were stimulated to write epitaphs on him. One
had been composed that consisted of twenty lines.
"No, 1 ' said Mr. Brookfield, "that's too long."
Somebody else wrote one of twelve lines, to which
Mr. Brookfield made the same objection. At last
a two-line epitaph was composed, but Mr. Brook-
field said, " That is still too long. Two words are
enough for him — ' Thorpe's corpse.'
In early life, I made the acquaintance of Sir
92 FRIENDS OF MY YOUTH ch.
John McNeil], who had been Minister in Persia for
many years. He had begun life in the Indian
Medical Service, and was appointed Physician to
the Legation at Tehran. Owing to his great
ability, he was named Minister in 1836. Subse-
quently, he acted as Commissioner in the enquiry
concerning military deficiencies in the Crimea
during the war, and his report, I believe, entailed
a great deal of unpopularity for him.
Amongst others of whom I saw a great deal at
the time were Mr. and Lady Elizabeth Stanhope ;
she was the daughter of the well-known Coke of
Holkham, for so many years the popular Member
for Norfolk, who was afterwards created Lord
Leicester. I also frequented the house of Mr.
and Mrs. Spencer Walpole. Another friend was
Captain Waldegrave, an old naval officer, whom I
had known for many years, and who afterwards
became Lord Waldegrave.
I knew Laurence Oliphant well, too, in those
days. He was charmingly accomplished and
bright. Whatever he undertook was well done.
He had many friends, and achieved great success
as a writer. Subsequently he took to spiritualism,
and ended his days as a devout professor of that
cult. I recollect his telling me, half in joke, what
had first attracted his attention to spiritualism.
When crossing to America, one night there
arose a very serious storm at which every one was
much alarmed, except one American gentleman
who remained perfectly calm. The next day, Mr.
VII
SPIRITUALISM 93
Oliphant said to him, " You appeared not to be
at all alarmed by the storm last night." The
American replied, "No, I guess I shall have a
good time of it t'other side Jordan. 1 '
This somewhat frivolous observation remained
in Mr. Oliphant's brain, and ended by bringing
him over to that peculiar profession of faith.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ford were very kind to
me in those days. Mr. Ford contributed con-
stantly to the Quarterly Reviezc, and had written
the Spanish Handbook, being a celebrated writer
on Spain, and the great authority on that country.
His method of bringing his mind to bear on what
he intended writing was a curious one. He kept
a squirrel in his room, and making the animal
turn round in its cage had the effect of bringing
his mind into focus for writing. Their son, whom
I also knew very well, was afterwards Sir Clare
Ford. He had been in the army for a short time,
but left it for diplomacy. He was a man of
remarkable geniality and intelligence. I met him
some years later at Naples, where he was attached
to Sir William Temple's Legation, and where he
married a very beautiful Neapolitan lady, Miss
Garofalo, who died comparatively young. I suc-
ceeded him as Ambassador at Madrid.
Mr. Ford's daughter married Mr. Oswald Craw-
furd, the novelist, whose father was the great
authority at the Geographical Society, and once
Governor of Singapore. His mother was the
daughter of the well-known proprietor of the
94 SUSANNA AND THE ELDERS ch.
Morning Chronicle, and sister to Sir Erskine
Perry.
Another acquaintance of mine was Mr. Monck-
ton Milnes, afterwards raised to the peerage as
Lord Houghton. He was a man of great literary
power and ready wit, but, though a strong personal
friend and zealous supporter of Lord Palmerston,
he did not succeed in active politics.
On one occasion, at dinner, a young lady was
seated between two elderly gentlemen. Mr.
Monckton Milnes' neighbour said to him, "Do
you know the name of that young lady opposite ?"
He replied, " Yes, her name is Susanna."
Sir Charles Trevelyan, whom 1 also knew,
though not well, was at that time Secretary of
the Treasury, where, with the best and most
conscientious intentions, he made himself rather
unpopular by the rigour of his decisions. His
first wife had been the sister of Macaulay, the
historian, and his son is Sir George Trevelyan.
Early in my life in London, Lady Palmerston
was good enough to take notice of me, and from
then till the end of her active career, whenever I
was in London, she never missed asking me to
whatever parties she gave. She had great charm
of manner, and, as I have mentioned before, she
exercised a very useful influence over Lord
Palmerston.
In those days there lived near me, in Mayfair,
Miss Mary and Miss Agnes Berry. They were
constantly inviting me to their house, and I now
vii THE MISSES BERRY 95
regret bitterly not having availed myself more often
of their kindness. In summer, Lord Lansdowne
often lent them his villa at Richmond.
Miss Mary Berry was supposed to have been
engaged to marry Horace Walpole. He died in
1797, being the son of Sir Robert Walpole by
Miss Shorter, the daughter of the Lord Mayor.
This Lord Mayor had not been elected in the
usual manner, but was appointed by order of
James II. Between myself, therefore, and the
age of James II. there are only two links, namely,
Miss Berry and Horace Walpole.
A lady who used to give a good many dinners
was also very kind to me — Lady Robert Seymour.
I think she was by birth Miss Chetwynd, and a
near relative of Miss Chetwynd-Stapleton, who
formed part of a wonderful group of unmarried
ladies with whom I was somewhat intimate. The
others were the Misses Lemon, who lived in a
small house in Upper Brook Street ; they were
sisters of Sir Charles Lemon, Member, I think,
for Cornwall, and also of an old lady — Lady de
Dunstanville. One peculiarity in this family was
that they never addressed each other by their
Christian names, but always spoke to each other as
" Brother " or " Sister."
The two Miss Sothebys — daughters of the cele-
brated poet — were friends of mine, as were also the
Misses Finch, whom I knew very well, and who
lived in Charles Street and gave dinners. There
I met Mr. Godley, so distinguished in Colonial
96 MR. SAMUEL ROGERS oh.
matters ; and at the bouse of Mrs. Butt — a lady
who lived very much in literary circles — I made
the acquaintance of Mrs. Marsh, author of Amelia
Wyndham, and of Miss Agnes Strickland, the
historian.
At Mrs. Butt's I also saw more than once
Mr. Samuel Rogers, the poet. I never, however,
had the opportunity of speaking to him. He had
a reputation for making caustic and unpleasant
remarks, which were commonly quoted. Those
which I heard, however, were not, as I thought,
marked with any particular wit or humour. The
person, I am told, who, more than any other, could
excite him to wrath was the late Mr. Henry
Grenfell.
I knew well a lady called Miss Smyth, who was
a relative of the Duchess of Grafton, and sister of
a well-known man named Smyth of Heath Hall,
Wakefield, near which town lived another friend
of mine, Mrs. Gaskell — the mother of Mr. Milnes-
Gaskell — and Mrs. Daniel Gaskell, his aunt. I
also knew Dr. and Lady Louisa Marsh — no rela-
tion to the lady lately mentioned. His son, by a
former marriage, was a clergyman of considerable
celebrity. He also had a daughter who wrote with
great success on religious matters, and was the
authoress of the Life of Hedley Vicars. 1 believe
she is still living.
Two other friends of mine were the Misses
Walpole, daughters of Colonel Lambert Walpole,
who was killed at the time of the Union of Ireland.
vii A BEAUTIFUL SPINSTER 97
Their mother had been the daughter of Lord
Clive. I also saw much of an aunt of theirs,
Miss Elizabeth Walpole, who had a house at
Twickenham, and was known by her relatives as
"Cousin Betsy." She retained all her faculties
to an advanced age, and her letters are full of
interest.
At the houses of some of these ladies, I frequently
met Miss Caldwell. She had been a great beauty
during the Regency, so much so that, when she
was going away from the Opera, crowds used to
draw up on either side of her path to admire her.
Notwithstanding her beauty, she remained Miss
Caldwell.
Above all was a dear and kind friend named
Miss Leigh, whose father had been well known
during the Regency as a writer of plays, and a
friend of the wits of the day. I had known her
since my early childhood, and looked upon her in
the light of a relative. Amongst her other
acquaintances in early life had been Professor
Smyth, who accompanied Mr. Tom Sheridan as
tutor to the University. He had given Miss Leigh
a very small book, privately printed, describing
his experiences with the Sheridans in general. I
recollect one or two of these anecdotes which
amused me a good deal.
As is generally known, Mr. Sheridan was verv
unpunctual in his payments. It so happened that
he had not, for some time, made any remittances
to Mr. Smyth for his expenses as tutor. After
VOL. i n
98 MR. SHERIDAN'S APOLOGY ch.
writing more than once to Mr. Sheridan, Mr.
Smyth addressed him a letter written in very
strong language. Almost immediately afterwards,
Mr. Smyth received an invitation to come with
Mr. Tom Sheridan and pay the father a visit.
Mr. Smyth, by this time, was rather ashamed of
the force of his language, and, after being very
courteously received by Mr. Sheridan, he said to
his host, " I am very sorry I wrote you that letter
the other day. I hope you will forgive me if it
was too strong."
Mr. Sheridan replied, "Don't say a word more
about it."
The next morning Mr. Smyth had occasion to
go into Mr. Sheridan's library. On the table were
lying many unopened letters, and he saw that none
of his own had ever had their seals broken.
This anecdote, which I found in Miss Leigh's
book, was also repeated to me by the late Lord
Holland.
About that time Mr. Tom Sheridan had been
reading the works of some German philosopher,
which impressed him a good deal. The philo-
sopher's theory was that nothing, however insigni-
ficant, could be done with indifference ; for instance,
a man touching a table, or his head, though
apparently involuntarily, did not really do it with
indifference. This theory Mr. Tom Sheridan
developed to his father, who, however, did not
seem to agree.
The son then asked, " Is there anything you
vii FATHER AND SON 99
can do with absolute, complete, and entire in-
difference ? "
Mr. Sheridan replied, " Yes, certainly."
His son rejoined, " What is it, then, that you
can do with utter, complete, absolute indifference?"
" Listen to you, Tom," was the reply.
CHAPTER VIII
Winter society in London — Early acquaintances — Sir Charles Wyke
The late Duke of Rutland — Mr. Thackeray — Mr. Kinglake—
Debates in the House of Commons — Members of Parliament.
There was a very agreeable little winter society
in London at that time. Small whist-parties were
constantly given, amongst others by Lady Tanker-
ville and Mr. and Mrs. Prideaux Brune. My
cousin, Sir William Hoste, with whom I lived
habitually when he was in London, subsequently
married one of the daughters of that house.
There were a good many others who were
generally in London in winter and joined this little
coterie — Lord John Fitzroy ; also Lady Isabella
Blachford, his sister, whose husband had been the
owner of Osborne, which was sold to Queen
Victoria ; Captain Gallwey, Sir Arthur Otway,
Sir Richard King, Lady Champagne, Colonel
Ferguson of Pitfour, Lady Poulett, and Mr.
Munro of Novar, the brother-in-law of Mr. Butler
Johnstone, senior, to whom the bulk of his pro-
perty went, while Novar passed to Mr. Munro-
Ferguson, who is known by the same territorial
appellation. There were also Mr. Williamson
100
chviii FRIENDS IN TOWN 101
Ramsay, Mr. Belward Ray, who had a very
pretty place at Edmonton, where lie occasionally
gave great morning parties, and Mr. Hook, a
brother, I think, of the Dean of Chichester. He
was married to Lady Cooke, the widow of Sir
Edward Cooke, who, early in the century, had
been Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
and was generally known by the nickname of
" Kangaroo Cooke/'
One lady, who was almost certain to be found
in town, was Mrs. Lane-Fox, a very remarkable
character, and the sister of General Buckley, a
much-trusted servant of the Court. Society was
constantly assembled at her house, either to call on
her in the morning, or to dine with her later. One
of her great friends was Mr. Charles Villiers, a
brother of Lord Clarendon, who had more than
once been in the Government, and who was singu-
larly gifted with a ready and joyous wit. One
instance of it I recollect.
A foreign lady came to London, and went very
much into society. She was of enormous size,
though quite young. Talking of her one day,
some one said, "Do you know Madame is
only eight-and-twenty ? "
Mr. Charles Villiers replied, " I suppose you
mean eight-and-twenty stone ! "
I saw a great deal of Lady Dormer and Miss
Dormer. Lady Dormer was by birth Miss Tich-
borne, nearly connected with the family affected
by the well-known Claimant. Miss Dormer was
102 THE SEYMOURS ch.
afterwards known as the Countess Dormer, having
been made a chanoinesse. Both were intimate
friends of Lady Pouletts, and very popular in
society. I also knew Mr. and Mrs. Seymour. He
was the father of Lady Tichborne, whose son,
Roger, was impersonated by the Claimant in the
great trial. He had been a detenu at Verdun.
Among my intimate friends, whom I have also
mentioned elsewhere, were Mr. Henry and Mr.
Alfred Seymour, both of them half-brothers of
Lady Tichborne. Mr. Henry Seymour had been
Under-Secretary of State for India, and both he
and his brother were in Parliament. They were
grandsons of the Mr. Seymour who was in his
youth, I believe, heir-presumptive to the Duke of
Somerset, and for many years lived almost habitu-
ally in France. Hence their French connections.
I travelled with them more than once on the Con-
tinent, and I recollect staying with Mr. Alfred
Seymour at Knoyle in Wiltshire, a comfortable and
quaint old house, built, I believe, by Sir Christopher
Wren, who was born in the village. A portion of
Mr. Seymour's property has been sold to Mr.
Percy Wyndham, who was also in Parliament for
a long time, and who erected on a well -chosen
site a house called Clouds, which I have never
seen.
I was acquainted, too, with Sir James and Lady
Hogg, who lived next door to the Seymours in
Upper Grosvenor Street. Their eldest son was
Colonel Hogg of the Life Guards, who was in
viii HOGG, GOG, AND MAGOG 103
Parliament, and for some time Chairman of the
Metropolitan Board of Works. On one occasion,
when the Board had to undertake some joint opera-
tion with the London municipality, it was said in
Punch that the three deities of the City were Hogg,
Gog, and Magog. Colonel Hogg was afterwards
Lord Magheramorne. Another acquaintance of
mine was Mr. Fleming, so well known in society.
He had been a great ally of Mr. Charles Buller,
and ended his davs as Secretary of the Poor Law
Board. His brother, Sir Valentine Fleming, was
a Judge in Australia.
Mrs. Gore, the well-known authoress, and her
daughter — afterwards Lady Edward Thynne — were
notabilities of society in those days. Miss Gore
had a most beautiful figure, while her mothers was
rather inclined to be over -opulent. They were
consequently known in the world as " Plenty and
No Waste."
Amongst my early habitual associates were
General Wrottesley, as already mentioned, Sir
Arthur Otway, and Mr. — later Sir Charles — Wyke.
His mother had been a lady in attendance on the
Duchess of Cumberland, and he himself had been
chosen by the King of Hanover, at the instance of
Dr. Jelf, to be the companion of Prince George in
his studies. He had originally been an officer in
the Royal Fusiliers. On the accession of the
Duke of Cumberland to the throne of Hanover,
Mr. Wyke had been appointed A.D.C. to the
King, and accompanied him to Hanover. Here
104 SIR CHARLES WYKE oh.
he did not find his position comfortable, as there
seemed to be a kind of jealousy of Englishmen.
He therefore begged the King to obtain for him a
post in the English Consular Service. This was
given to him by Lord Aberdeen, who wrote to the
King of Hanover to say that, as he was about to
leave office, this was the last post in his gift. The
appointment was that of Vice -Consul at Hayti.
Shortly after Mr. Wyke's arrival at his post, the
Consul-General went away, leaving Mr. Wyke to
act for him. At that time the revolution broke
out, which ended in the proclamation of Faustin
Soulouque as Emperor of Hayti. The new
sovereign desired to arrange his household on the
model of old European courts. Hearing that Mr.
Wyke had been in the household of the King of
Hanover, he applied to him for advice and assist-
ance in details, which Mr. Wyke was able to give
him, thereby acquiring a great influence with the
Emperor. This he used to a good purpose, prin-
cipally for obtaining the pardon of some opponents
of the Emperor, whom the latter wished to execute,
as was the habit in that country. Among other
rewards that he received was the Order of St.
Faustin, which the Emperor had founded.
Mr. Wyke's accounts of the rise of the Empire
of Hayti were most interesting, as the Haytians
did everything in their power to form themselves
on European models. They had been well
educated. Their language is French, and the
principal youths of the country are often sent to
VIII
THE HAYTIANS 105
study in Paris. The result is that they have
acquired great ease in French conversation, and,
except for their colour, would be taken for
Europeans. I have known several in different
parts of the world. When at Madrid, Made-
moiselle Judic came to act, and one night at
the theatre the French Ambassador invited me
to go with him behind the scenes and make her
acquaintance. To our great disappointment, we
were entirely eclipsed by a junior member of the
Haytian Embassy, perfectly black, but paying com-
pliments in the most choice French phraseology.
It is narrated of an American missionar}^ that
he visited Hayti, and was taken in some town to
be introduced to the Mayor. This functionary,
who was deep black, was dressed like a Parisian,
and spoke English as well as French. He asked
his visitor what he thought of the country. The
missionary replied : " It is a most beautiful country.
The vegetation is magnificent, the scenery attractive,
and the climate good. It is a pity that you should
all be so much set one against the other, and con-
stantly fighting instead of working for the good of
your nation."
The Mayor replied : " It is all very well for you
to speak in this way, as a cold-blooded Anglo-
Saxon ; but it is very different with us of the
Latin race."
The American gentleman, from whom I heard
this story, had many others about negroes. He
was a great writer and historian. He told me that,
106 THE FATTED CALF ch.
after the Civil War, Congress endeavoured to
reconcile the Southerners to their fate by giving
them more privileges than their numerical pro-
portion in the States really entitled them to enjoy.
This created some anger among the Northerners,
especially the negroes. One black clergyman
preached a sermon on the subject. He said it was
painful to see how Congress encouraged men who
had imbrued their hands in the blood of their
brethren. He recalled the story of the Prodigal
Son ; how, first, he lived with the swine, and ate
the husks ; but in the end, at any rate, he was
contrite, repented, went home and apologised to
his father. The father accepted the apology, and
killed the fatted calf in honour of the prodigal's
return. These Southerners, however, showed no
contrition, no repentance ; they made no apology.
They went to their father's house, knocked loudly,
and said, when the servant came to the door,
" Bring out that veal ! "
Mr. Wyke brought himself so favourably before
the notice of the Foreign Office that he was shortly
afterwards appointed Consul-General to the Central
States of America. Here again he acted with great
tact and discretion. He was made Minister in
Mexico at the time of the unfortunate expedition
of the Emperor Maximilian, and very cleverly
prevented England from being involved in the
hostilities undertaken by the French against the
Mexicans. Afterwards he was appointed Minister
at Hanover with his old schoolmate, the blind
vin LORD JOHN MANNERS 107
King. Here he remained till Hanover had dis-
appeared from the list of States, and then he was
appointed, first to Copenhagen, and afterwards to
Lisbon, at which place he retired from the service.
. Amongst other persons whose acquaintance I
made when I was very young was Lord John
Manners, later Duke of Rutland, father to the
present Duke. From him, through life, I received
undeviating kindness. I do not think that I ever
met with so noble and high-minded a character.
He displayed it in the smallest matters. One night
there was a very urgent division, and, though Lord
John had been in bed for some days, and his
temperature was 104°, he came down to the House,
and was drawn through the division -lobby in a
bath -chair.
At one time a movement was set on foot to
publish, for some charity, a volume by distinguished
writers, to which Lord John Manners was asked
to make a literary contribution. As the book
was never published, I think I shall not be in-
discreet in reproducing this composition, of which
I have the manuscript.
WORDS WRITTEN FOR "REMEMBER ME"
When 'mid the gay and thoughtless throng
That fills your Castle-hall,
You search for one to whom belong
Thoughts you would fain recall ;
When your bright eye has glanced all round,
And failed that one to see,
When all by thee are worthless found,
Then you'll remember me.
108 SKILFUL WHIPPING ch.
When sympathy in vain you strive
In worldly hearts to find,
And vainly bid pure Honor live
In pleasure's sordid mind ;
When 'mid those vanities you sigh
For Love unbought and free,
And Glory's guerdon, bright and high,
Oh, then remember me !
Wealth, and the power that wealth bestows,
Its luxuries and state,
I cannot give ; its pomps and shows
On others' brides may wait.
But should you scorn such low desires,
And loyal-hearted be,
Return these too long slighted fires,
And, love, remember me !
He enclosed it in a letter to the editor : —
Dear Sir — The above twaddle is all I have to offer you ;
if you think it worth printing, pray do so ; but I own it
seems to me on a par with the original — -Yours truly,
John Manners.
Belvoir Castle, January 12, 1850.
Lord John Manners' great devotion in coming
to the House, under such untoward circumstances,
reminds me of an anecdote of skilful whipping,
told me by General Forester, one of the oldest
Members of the House — if not the oldest — who
was generally liked and esteemed.
At the time of an important division, a Member
happened to be confined in a lunatic asylum.
Every vote was necessary. Arrangements were
therefore made to deliver him at the House at
the moment required, and he was received by the
Whip of his party, who induced him to walk
viii A BOND OF UNION 109
through the lobby by preceding him with a stick
of barley-sugar in his hand. This I believe to be
a perfectly true story.
About this time — though I cannot bind myself
to minute chronological accuracy — I made the
acquaintance of Mr. Thackeray. I used to dine
with him at his house in Young Street, Kensington,
his two daughters being then quite children. I
first met him at the house of Mr. Kinglake, the
author of Eothen, who asked me to stay with him
at his house in Taunton. Mr. Thackeray was
a great friend of Mr. Charles Buller's. Both
had had the bridge of their nose broken. Mr.
Thackeray wished to introduce a gentleman to
Mr. Buller, and, after expatiating on his virtues,
said, touching his nose, " He is one of us."
I recollect a very interesting conversation that
Mr. Thackeray and I had with a farmer, who was a
follower of what is now called the Agapemone.
In those days, individuals of that creed were called
Princeites, after Mr. Prince who had founded them.
They did not seem to have any fixed tenets, except
belief in Mr. Prince, and their chief form of worship
consisted in perpetual games of hockey. I believe
they still exist, their residence being somewhere
near Bridgewater, where I think Mr. Kinglake had
some property. Mr. Kinglake I had known in the
country. He was a great friend of Lord Polling-
ton, later Lord Mexborough, with whom he had
travelled, and who was the " Methley " frequently
mentioned in Kothen as Mr. Kinglake's travelling
110 MR KINGLAKE ch.
companion. Methley is the name of the Yorkshire
residence of Lord Mexborough.
Mr. Kinglake was a man of great humour, with
which he was very ready. This may be seen from
Eotlien, one of the most charming books of travels
ever written.
On one occasion, a young man, who was a friend
of both of us, came to the Athenaeum, in a very
perturbed state, asking us to get him out of a
scrape. He told us that he had been sitting with
a good-looking widow, of about middle age, whom
we both knew, and that some genius had tempted
him to kiss her. She, he told us, had worked herself
up into a great rage, said she had never been so much
insulted in her life, and desired him to leave the
house. He said to us, " What do you think she will
do ? " Kinglake replied, " Beware ! she will pursue
you through life with her unrelenting gratitude ! "
Mr. Kinglake and I had a friend, an old lady of
considerable rank, who, however, was constantly
deserted by her husband. She consulted Mr.
Kinglake on the subject. Her principal grievance
was that, when absent, her husband, who used to
travel with another lady to whom he gave her
name, would direct his letters to herself, " The
Dowager Marchioness of "
All Mr. Kinglake's relatives were persons of
great intellect and charming manner. He had
one brother, a banker at Taunton, and another,
Dr. Hamilton Kinglake, a celebrated physician in
Somersetshire. I knew both of them in my youth.
viii DEBATES 111
About this time, I also formed an acquaintance
with another Eastern traveller, a great friend of
Mr. Kinglake's, but rather a contrast to him. This
was Mr. Eliot Warburton, the author of a book
of Eastern travels, called The Crescent and the
Cross. Poor man, he was lost afterwards in the
destruction of the steamer Amazon, in which he
was going to Panama on some expedition. He was
very agreeable, and somewhat sentimental; while
Mr. Kinglake was also agreeable, but a little bit
cynical.
Together with these two travellers, I was also
well acquainted with Mr. Layard. In later life, I
had occasion to see a great deal of him, and to do
business with him on Oriental politics.
The occupation I liked best in those days was
attending debates in the House of Commons, and
this, owing to the good-nature of some Members of
Parliament who also belonged to the Alfred Club,
I was enabled to do very frequently, and thus
witnessed some interesting episodes.
On one occasion, I recollect Lord Dudley Stuart,
the great advocate of the Poles, made a complaint
against Lord Palmerston. He said :
During the last session, I asked the noble Lord to give me
some papers relative to Hungary, and he agreed to my un-
opposed motion. Later in the session, I asked him why the
papers had not been delivered, and he explained that he had
been too busy to go through them. Again I called on him
at the Foreign Office, and he expressed his great regret at
the delay, and pointed out two or three large boxes which
he said contained the papers, adding that, as soon as he
112 A USEFUL GUEST ch.
possibly could, he would go through them and have them
circulated. Now nearly a year has passed. I called upon
him again the other day, and he said to me, " I quite sym-
pathise with you, and if I were in your case I should be very
angry." I now ask the noble Lord if he intends shortly to
give me the papers.
Every one thought Lord Palmerston was placed
in a dilemma by this address from one of his
supporters, and he rose to answer. He said :
My noble friend is perfectly right in his narrative of
what has passed. I did promise him the papers, but I was
unfortunately unable to go through them. I did tell him I
thought he was very badly treated, and that, if I had been
treated in the same manner, I should feel very much aggrieved.
I did show him the boxes which contain the papers. All I
can do now is to repeat what I said before — that I think he
has been very badly treated ; that I should be very much
aggrieved if I were treated in such a manner myself ; that,
unfortunately, the papers are still in those boxes, but I really
will go through them as soon as I can.
The House laughed, and the matter ended, poor
Lord Dudley Stuart having gained very little by
his motion.
One of Lord Palmerstons colleagues in the
Cabinet — well known for his love of dining out —
asked him why a certain Ambassador was con-
stantly asking him to dinner. Lord Palmerston
replied, " Don't you know ? His Government
always pays for the dinner if a Cabinet Minister
is present. The Ambassador knows that in you
there is a sure find. In fact, you pay for nearly
half his dinners. The rest are distributed amongst
our other colleagues."
viii MR. DAVID URQUHART 113
There is an old saying that men reach distinction
as much by the heart as by the head, and this was
certainly the case with Lord Palmerston. It was
pleasant to see the geniality with which he elbowed
his way through the crowd of Members who were
going into the House of Lords at the opening or
closing of Parliament.
About this time, the beginning of my career,
a set attack was made upon him by Mr. David
Urquhart, who had been in the Diplomatic Service,
and had left it on account of a quarrel, I believe
with Lord Palmerston, whom he accused of receiv-
ing money from the Russian Government. It was
declared that £20,000 had been lent to him by a
lady known to be a great friend of his, the Princess
Lieven, wife of the Russian Minister, and that, in
consideration of this, Lord Palmerston had yielded
unnecessarily to some demand of the Russian
Government. Mr. Urquhart was supported in his
attack by Mr. Chisholm Anstey, a barrister of
enormous learning and research, though sometimes
rather prolix in his speeches. Of course, Lord
Palmerston easily disposed of these charges, and
made a long speech, going into all the circum-
stances. Subsequently Mr. Chisholm Anstey be-
came reconciled with Lord Palmerston, and was
invited to one of Lady Palmerston's parties. Mr.
Urquhart, complaining of his conduct, said, " He
sold me for a lemon ice ! "
Mr. Urquhart had many peculiarities. He con-
sidered that a Turkish bath was a panacea for all
vol. i I
114 THE TIMES AS A COSTUME ch.
ills. Once, I believe, he prescribed one for a child,
which made him very unpopular in his neighbour-
hood. He also had a mania that children should
be brought up without clothing of any kind. A
close disciple of his is said to have taken one of
his sons — no longer very young — entirely destitute
of clothing, into a train. The other passengers
objected to this absence of costume, whereupon
the father, declaring that it was only an absurd
prejudice, bought an uncut Times, and folded it
round the boy.
One day I happened to be dining in the coffee-
room of the House of Commons, which was then
only a temporary building, with very rough accom-
modation, and Mr. Chisholm Anstey was there.
At other tables were sitting Lord Palmerston and
Sir James Graham. Mr. Anstey went in a shy
way to Sir James Graham, who was reading a
newspaper, and said, " How do you do, Sir James
Graham ? " The latter looked up at him, and
saying, " How do you do, Mr. Anstey ? " resumed
his reading. Mr. Anstey then went to Lord
Palmerston, and said, " How do you do, Lord
Palmerston ? " Lord Palmerston looked at him
and said, " Oh, Anstey, how d'ye do ? Now sit
down. You have heard what this man has been
saying in the House. You know something about
it. Just sit down and let me know what you think
of his argument." Mr. Anstey was delighted with
his reception, and the contrast of the two manners
easily showed why Lord Palmerston was so popular,
vni MR. BERNAL OSBORNE 115
and Sir James Graham so much the reverse. As
Lord Carlingford used to say, the secret of Lord
Palmerston's popularity lay in the fact that he was
" understanded of the people."
I am not attempting to relate any of these
circumstances in chronological order, but merely
to group them together as well as I can, before
dismissing them.
Amongst other Members of Parliament who had
a great reputation for wit was Mr. Bernal Osborne.
He never rose in the House but to create a laugh.
I was told that at one time he was A.D.C. to
Lord Normanby, then Viceroy of Ireland, and
among others of the Viceregal staff was Mr. Frank
Sheridan, a brother of Lady Dufferin, the Duchess
of Somerset, and Mrs. Norton. Mr. Sheridan was
asked to stand for some constituency, but, though
a great wit, he was a poor speaker, and he did not
know how to address a meeting. The following
arrangement was therefore made between him and
Mr. Osborne. They went together to the town
where the meeting was to be held, Mr. Sheridan
going on the platform, while Mr. Osborne, dressed
in a smock-frock, stood in the crowd as one of the
electors. Mr. Sheridan then made a very short
speech, ending it by saying that he thought the
arrangement most satisfactory to the electors would
be that they should ask any questions they liked.
Thereupon Mr. Bernal Osborne, in his smock-frock,
asked him a pre-arranged series of questions, and,
having received answers, declared himself perfectly
116 AN APT QUOTATION ch.
satisfied, and moved a vote of confidence in the
candidate.
On another occasion, an elector in the hall
contradicted Mr. Osborne, in a manner rather
convincing to the audience. Mr. Osborne said :
" If the gentleman will only come on to the plat-
form, I can give him a satisfactory explanation."
Room being made, the interrupter moved with
difficulty to the platform, where Mr. Osborne was
seen speaking earnestly to him for a few minutes.
Then he came forward, saying, " The gentleman
has apologised." Tremendous cheering followed,
notwithstanding violent gesticulations of denial by
the elector, and the resolution — the last one — was
carried in Mr. Osborne's favour.
Once, when the Burials Bill was being discussed,
Mr. Lowe rather shocked public taste by saying
that he could not make out why so much fuss was
made about a lot of musty old bones. This was
taken up by Members who were offended at the
expression ; but Mr. Bernal Osborne, rising to
defend his friend, said that the House must recollect
the old adage, "De mortuis nil nisi bonum"
Mr. Bernal Osborne was very quick of repartee.
Once, at a party, a young lady whom he knew
well was passing near him, and he called her to
come to sit by him. She remonstrated, saying,
" You call me as you would a cab." He replied,
"At any rate, a Hansom cab."
There used to be more than one notable wit
in the Viceregal Court at Dublin. A gentleman
viii IRRELEVANT ANECDOTES 117
named Corry Connellan was renowned for his
brilliant sayings. He was a very bad sailor. On
one occasion, when crossing the Channel, he made
use of a hatbox he found near him on deck, in
connection with his illness. The owner of the hat-
box came up roughly, and said, " 1 say, sir, that's
not your hatbox." Mr. Connellan faintly replied,
" Obviously not."
The following anecdote, though irrelevant to
the general course of this book, is brought to my
mind by the story 1 have just told. A French
gentleman once said to my colleague, Mr. Thomas
Bruce, in allusion to sea-sickness : " Quant a moi,
quandje me sens sur le point de succomber, je pense
a une jolie femme — a Marie Stuart /"
Another amusing little passage that I remember
took place in the House of Commons. Mr. Wyld,
the map-maker, when attacking the Government,
made use of the expression, "During the recent
debate, some party observed . . ." Mr. Disraeli,
in his reply, said : " The honourable Member for
Bodmin has stated that during the recent debate
some ' party ' made certain observations. Sir, /
am the party."
Another original in the House of Commons in
those days was Mr. Grantley Berkeley. He was
a very powerful man in appearance, a great
sportsman, with much humour, and a strong
Gloucestershire accent. In Parliament at the
same time were Mr. Spooner, who represented tlie
Protestant party, and Mr. Hume, the economist.
118 APPEAL TO THE SPEAKER ch.
Mr. Hume had said something outside the House
which Mr. Spooner disliked. He consequently
invited Mr. Hume to come to the House at a
certain time for an explanation. 1 forget what
the subject was ; but both gentlemen, being very
elderly and evidently physically frail, seemed much
moved by the incident. After a mutual explana-
tion, Mr. Grantley Berkeley rose, and, appealing
to the Speaker, asked him to exact from these
two gentlemen an assurance that thev would not
commit a breach of the peace.
On another occasion, Mr. Grantley Berkeley,
who was never on good terms with Mr. Bright,
had some difference with him. Mr. Bright quoted
some friend of his as observing that if Mr. Berkeley
had not been born a gentleman, he would have
been a gamekeeper. To this Mr. Berkeley replied
that if Mr. Bright had not been born a Quaker, he
would have been a prize-fighter.
I recollect a debate in the House of Commons
in 18.50, when Mr. lloebuck brought in a motion
on the foreign policy of the Government concern-
ing Greece. Lord Palmerston made a long and
successful speech in reply. I am much pleased
still to possess a copy. He gave one to every
clerk in the Foreign Office, and in it were many
points that helped to render me familiar with the
various subjects that I came across when, years
afterwards, I was stationed in the Ionian Islands
myself, and took some part in the administration.
Amongst others connected with the House of
viii MEMBER FOR 'HARROGATE' 119
Commons was an eminent barrister, who, unfor-
tunately, was not very particular about the letter
H. In one speech he more than once repeated
his astonishment that the gentleman to whom he
was replying " should harrogate to himself" certain
qualities. The Member, in his answer, described the
distinguished lawyer as "the honourable Member
for Harrogate."
CHAPTER IX
Prince Louis Napoleon — The Spanish Marriages — Disturbances in
England — Dismissal of Sir Henry Bulwer by the Spanish Govern-
ment — Visit to Paris — La Propriete c'est le Vol — Society in Paris —
Proclamation of Prince-President — Meetings with Napoleon III.
On the 10th of April, 1848, I remember seeing
a detachment of special constables, among whom,
I was told, was Prince Louis Napoleon. Towards
the close of the same year, I was present at a party
given, I think, by Mrs. Mountjoy Martin, where
he was also a guest. Shortly afterwards he left
England for France.
In 1846-47 the incident known as the Spanish
Marriages had produced the greatest excitement
in France. M. Guizot acceded to office on the
resignation of Marechal Soult. The French people
fancied that they saw a determination on the
part of Louis Philippe to cultivate the goodwill
of Austria and other despotic powers, so as to
aggrandise his own family, with the prospect of
securing the Spanish Crown for one of his grand-
children. The unpopularity of Louis Philippe
became more marked in 1848, and the anger of
the people culminated at the prohibition of a
120
ch.ix TENTH OF APRIL RIOTS 121
Reform banquet by the Ministers. When M.
Odillon Barrot, on the 22nd of February, laid on
the table of the House of Deputies an Act of
Impeachment, great excitement was aroused, which
ended in the Revolution. The feeling extended to
other countries, even to England. The Chartists
made great demonstrations. I recollect on one
occasion, when driving down to the Foreign Office
in a cab, I was stopped by crowds in Charing
Cross, shouting seditious cries. They had got
hold of a phrase, much used in Paris at the time,
A has Guizot ! thinking it applicable to English
politics. I give extracts from a few letters I wrote
at the time, and which I only recently found among
the correspondence of a relative.
Foreign Office,
February 26, 1848.
I suppose you have heai'd of the deposition of Louis
Philippe, the sack of the Tuileries and the Palais Royal,
and the proclamation of the Provisional Government, all of
whom, except Odillon Barrot, insist on having a Republic.
There was a report last night that Louis Philippe was at
Mix-art's and was coming. I, however, with a friend, waited
till half-past one this morning in the hopes of seeing him ;
but he has not yet arrived. He was obliged to escape in a
brougham.
April 5.
I have just been sworn in as special constable, and have
been given my badge, staff, and warrant, and am conse-
quently empowered to do anything I like to anybody.
Admiral Bowles is my captain.
April 10.
Tremendous consternation is now prevailing. Every office
in London is armed except ours, and I believe that is to be.
Somerset House has a chevaux-de-frise, arms, hand-grenades,
122 SPECIAL CONSTABLES or.
a commissariat, and a hospital. All we have is our staves
as constables. We were ordered to be here at ten o'clock
this morning, and here we came. No work is done. A
dinner is laid out for us, and the windows are being barri-
caded. I am in charge of my room. There is a tremendous
row expected. The Post Office clerks are armed, provisioned,
and organised in bodies of ten. Colonel Maberley drills
them all. Every one in London is, I believe, a " special."
Really it is shocking the state London is in. in a
tremendous temper, swearing at evervbody and everything,
and everybody and everything swearing at him. The row
will not begin, I fancy, till the afternoon, when it will be
tremendous.
April 11.
I continue this to-day. We had muskets sent here, but
Feargus O'Connor having dispersed the crowd, we had our
dinner at four o'clock, at which everybody attended. After-
wards about thirty of us went into the nursery and smoked,
singing " God save the Queen." With trumpets also and
shawms we celebrated our victory. Some slept here. At
seven I went away and joined my own division at Half Moon
Street. Had command of two men. Patrolled till ten.
Took up a drunken man. As he would not walk, I com-
manded all Her Majesty's lieges, constables or not, to assist
me. We carried him up Bolton and Curzon Streets among
the hoots of the assembled crowd to our rendezvous in
Shepherd's Market, where we left him to sleep off his
drunkenness. So we had very good fun on the whole.
A circumstance which about this time occupied
the Foreign Office very much was the dismissal of
Sir Henry Bulwer by the Spanish Government.
Lord Palmerston on March 16, 1848, had
written a despatch to Sir Henry Bulwer, criticising
the state of politics in Spain. In this despatch he
counselled the Queen of Spain to strengthen her
executive government — having regard to the recent
downfall of the King of the French — and to call
ix STRONG LANGUAGE 123
to her counsels some of the men in whom the
Liberal party placed its confidence. This was
communicated by Sir Henry Bulwer to the Duke
of Sotomayor, and an answer was sent protesting
against Lord Palmerston's despatch. One or two
passages in the reply were singularly strong for a
diplomatic document. One was :
Your conduct in the execution of your important
mission has been reprobated by public opinion in England,
censured in the British press, and condemned in the British
Parliament. Her Catholic Majesty's Government cannot
defend it, and that of Her Britannic Majesty has not done so.
The conduct of the Spanish Government
was attributed to an allegation that Sir Henry
Bulwer, at the instigation of Lord Palmerston,
had been engaged in plots against the Govern-
ment. This, though never proved, obtained
unsubstantiated confirmation from the fact that
in some military disturbances at different points
in Spain, personal friends of Sir Henry Bulwer's
were said to have taken part. On the 19th
of March, 1848, therefore, Sir Henry Bulwer
received his passports, accompanied by a peremp-
tory notice to quit the kingdom within forty-
eight hours. He left Madrid, as was necessary
in those days, in a postchaise, having with him
one of his attaches, Mr. FitzPatrick Vernon, son
of the gentleman who was subsequently named
Lord Lyveden. Mr. Vernon declared that Sir
Henry Bulwer was writing incessantly during the
whole of the journey, giving him — Mr. Vernon —
124 A SHOCK TO VANITY ch.
his inkstand to hold. At last fatigue overtook
him, and he dropped the inkstand over Sir Henry
Bulwer, who, being very particular about his dress,
was excessively annoyed.
Towards the end of that December, accom-
panied by Mr. — now Sir Arthur — Otway, I paid a
visit to Paris, then abandoned by nearly all visitors
on account of the disordered state of politics. The
journey to Paris was not so easy then as it is now.
I recollect at a much later period than this when it
was a novelty for the journey to take only twelve
hours.
On this occasion we found it necessary to take
our places on a steamer at Dover, which enabled
us to reach Amiens the same night. There we
slept, and the next day we arrived in Paris. On
my journey I received a blow. An English lady
and gentleman were travelling in the same carriage.
I happened to fall asleep, and, when half awake, I
heard the lady say to her husband, pointing at me,
" Isn't he like Mr. Toots ?"
Paris, which, as already stated, was very little
frequented that winter, was exceptionally cheap.
Carriages could be hired for very little. Theatres
were only half full. There was a celebrated play,
or revue, called La Propriete cest le Vol, in
which the authors had sarcastically reviewed the
events of the year. The representation was sup-
posed to begin with the Creation, and the first
scene represented Adam and Eve. The serpent
then appeared, with the face and spectacles of
ix FRIENDS IN PARIS 125
Proudhon, the celebrated Socialist writer who had
been a leader in the Revolution, and had published
in 1840 a famous work entitled What is Property ?
He re-appeared through every section of the
play, always with the same face, until the time
arrived when Socialist principles entirely triumphed.
Money was abolished, and bargains could only be
established by barter. One great joke in the play
was a market to which a man came with a stuffed
crocodile on his shoulders, asking who would give
change for a stuffed crocodile. The change was
a small piece of furniture.
Among the few people who remained in Paris
was Lady Elgin, who had a house, I think, in the
Faubourg St. Honore, and who gave a party for
charity, at which were present the Duke and
Duchess of Calabritto, Mr. and Mrs. Butler (he
was a brother of Lord Dunboyne), Mr. and Mrs.
Montmorency, Sir William Massey Stanley, and
many others. I was very hospitably entertained
by Mr. Lyon, to whom I had letters, and who
lived in the Place Vendome. He was a relative
of Lord Kilmaine's, and well known in Paris for his
dinners. By him I was introduced to another
gentleman, also well known in Paris — Mr. Wallace
Greaves.
Lord Normanby was the Ambassador. The
"paid attaches," as they were then called, were
Mr. Edwardes — later Minister in Frankfort ; Sir
Augustus Paget, afterwards Ambassador at Rome
and Vienna, and Mr. — later Sir William — Stuart,
126 MADAME BLAZE DE BURY ch.
a brother of Lord Blantyre, who, after a very
successful diplomatic career, died comparatively
young.
Mr. Windsor Heneage was private secretary to
the Ambassador. He was very agreeable and
popular in society, to which he was much devoted.
It is alleged that on one occasion, late in the
morning, the Ambassador wished for the services
of his private secretary, and that the servant found
Mr. Heneage, on the staircase, returning from a
fancy bail in the costume of a devil.
Shortly before that time a lady created a great
sensation as an authoress. Her name was Madame
Blaze de Bury. Her husband was a well-known
writer in the Revue des Deux Mondes — if not the
editor. Before the rising against Louis Philippe,
Madame Blaze de Bury had written a novel called
Mildred Vernon, in which she was supposed to have
been assisted by Lord Brougham. It described the
excesses of Parisian society, particularly at a ball
given at the Opera, where a well-known lady
appeared masked, and attracted universal attention
by the skill with which she performed a popular
dance of a very free description.
At length came the day when Louis Napoleon
was proclaimed President. Sir Arthur Otway,
Colonel Gordon-Cumming and I went to the
review, piloted by an old soldier, then a cele-
brated bootmaker, who was a sergeant-major of
the National Guard, named Mausse or Mause,
who obtained places for us in the ranks of his
hmm mAimmm mmipamis
ne a Paris. lc 20 Avnl 1808
Elu le 20 X w i848
Oi^ ^^wC/^
ix THE PRINCE-PRESIDENT 127
corps. We were provided with muskets, and
there was nothing extraordinary in our plain
clothes, as many of the National Guard themselves
were without uniform.
It was a bright frosty morning, and all Paris
seemed in high spirits. Bands were playing gay
tunes, and, while waiting for the march past, many
of the National Guard danced fantastic quadrilles,
all evidently exhilarated by the termination of the
struggle. At length the signal was given, and the
Prince-President approached with his staff. My
friends and I, who were in the front rank, pre-
sented arms when he passed. Thus I witnessed
his official entry into France.
A foreign gentleman, who was in some busi-
ness and knew Sir Arthur Otway, afterwards
described the difficulty he had when meeting
the excited crowds that moved about the streets.
He said they were divided into two factions, one
the Tricolor and the other the Red. He had there-
fore a double-breasted coat, on one side of which
was the red cockade, on the other the tricolor,
and when he had ascertained to which party any
crowd that approached him belonged, he buttoned
his coat so as to show the proper cockade. Thus
he used to be cheered by the crowds on both
sides.
An odd thing occurred at that time which I
remember being related to me. A French gentle-
man, married to a very good-looking Englishwoman
— he himself not being a man of very strong
128 NAPOLEON III chix
intellect — was met by a friend walking a long-
distance outside one of the gates of Paris. This
friend asked him what he was doing in so out-of-
the-way a place. He replied that he had come to
buy some stamps at a little post-office there. His
friend said, " Postage-stamps are the same all over
the place. Why don't you buy them at an office
near your own house ?" The gentleman replied,
" My wife says there are no stamps like these, and
she will not use any others."
Later on I was presented to Napoleon III.,
when Emperor, at a ball at the Tuileries, and years
later again I had an audience of him concerning a
proposal for improving the communication between
Dover and Calais. The audience was given me at
the request of his early friend, Lord Malmesbury,
to whom I had been private secretary when at the
Foreign Office, and of Mr. Algernon Borthwick, both
of whom supported the project. The Emperor
was much interested, and invited me to return
later to discuss the plan ; but meanwhile other
circumstances intervened. It was not long before
the final catastrophe, and I never saw him again
until 1 870, immediately after Sedan. It was there-
fore my lot to see Napoleon III. first in exile ; then
on his official entry into France as President ; next,
in the height of his fortunes as Emperor ; and
last, at his final departure from France and his
return as a prisoner into exile. Scarcely any one
else, except those attached to him personally, can
have witnessed all these events in his life.
CHAPTER X
Holiday in Spain — Journey to Madrid — Bull-fight— Queen Isabella-
Spanish acquaintances — English friends in Spain— Spanish titles —
Funeral of the Prince of Asturias — Connection of Spain with the
East — Journey to England.
In 1850 I took my holiday by a journey to Spain.
I had' heard so much of the charms of that country
from my friend Captain Wrottesley, and from the
family of Sir John Burgoyne, that I longed to go
and see it.
Certainly, it then possessed much of the romance
of the Spain of Gil Bias. My holiday was taken
during the month of May, and I travelled in com-
pany with a gentleman of both French and English
origin. Though the weather was occasionally hot,
it gave us the best part of Southern life.
We travelled on the banquette of a diligence,
there being no railway farther than Tours. The
diligence, which we mounted at the Rue Notre
Dame des Victoires, was driven to the railway
station. There the whole body in its three
compartments, and with all its passengers and
luggage, was swung by a crane from its wheels and
placed on a truck. On arriving at Tours, it was
VOL. I 129 K
130 BORDEAUX oh.
again swung off and placed on wheels, on which it
remained as far as San Sebastian.
We stopped at about ten o'clock in the morning
at Chatelherault, celebrated for its cutlery, and an
hour later the long line of poplars began that
led into Poitiers. It is an avenue of a mile in
length, along a road cut out of the solid rock,
which, rugged and quarried, is seen overhanging
it. Below the beautiful river Ain completes the
picture. 1 long possessed a hat I bought there,
called in the slang of the day democ-soc, as being
the favourite headwear of the Democratic and
Socialist party. This was white, and later on I
found in Italy a hat of the same kind, but brown
in colour. This also had a revolutionary name.
Brown, being the colour of the dress of the
religious orders, was called color pazienza. It was
affected by the revolutionaries, as meaning that
they waited their time.
Bordeaux surprised me very much. For some
reason I had always expected it to be a some-
what dirty seaside town. I found it, though
not so large, superior to Paris, with wide streets,
splendid buildings, and lofty apartments. The
friend who was travelling with me — he was a con-
nection of Admiral Sir Harry Neill — here found
a friend or relative with whom we explored the
tower of St. Michel. Under it is a vault, having,
as Theophile Gautier expresses it, " the property
of mummifying the corpses placed there." My
friend was rather fond of good living, and had
x OLD SPAIN 131
spoken of the wonderful Bordeaux cookery,
which lie had not exaggerated. At Bordeaux,
Spain begins to make its appearance. The signs
of the shops are both Spanish and French, while
the Basque costume and the dark brunettes seem
more of the former than the latter nation. Cer-
tainly the old diligence-travelling made you better
acquainted with the countries you visited than do
the present railways.
Having crossed the frontier, we passed the Bay
of Pasages, near San Sebastian, a beautiful piece of
scenery, no longer to be seen from the train. At
San Sebastian we made acquaintance with the
Royal Alameda and public walk, and got down
at the Parador Real, having seen — for we counted
them — thirteen ladies in mantillas. Passing the
fonda, through a stable, we ascended a fine though
somewhat dirty staircase to the first floor of the
house, where we found dark lofty rooms and long
narrow passages. Though since then I have often
been at San Sebastian, 1 never found this hotel
again. It was very interesting — servants, gentle-
men, priests and heretics sat at the same board,
chaffing the pretty girl who waited. Dolores, the
maid of the inn, was very brilliant in this respect :
she laughed at my Spanish, boxed the young priest's
ears, and gave several proofs of a lively disposition.
Alas ! these days are gone. Everything was
thoroughly Spanish, and now that seems to have
nearly passed away.
The road from San Sebastian to Tolosa was very
132 BULL-FIGHTING ch.
beautiful. It is a pity that modern travel is
so little picturesque. At Medina del Ebro our
luggage was again examined, for, while free trade
reigned in the Basque Provinces, strict protective
duties were prevalent in Castile. Even at the
present day there is a different system in the
frontier provinces.
The inn at Madrid, to which we drove, has fallen
from its position as the best hotel, though giving
up some of its old peculiarities. It was called the
Fonda Peninsulares, and still exists in the Calle de
Alcala, near the Puerta del Sol. There we had our
first view of the Calle de Alcala and an experience
of a Madrid cafe. The Fonda Peninsulares was so
built that the diligences drove under a high arch
into an enclosed yard. A large staircase led up
to the first floor, where the bedroom doors opened
on a square gallery running round an open yard.
The perfume of stables was redolent throughout
the building.
One of our first visits was to a bull -fight,
but, except on this holiday, when I saw several, I
have never attended one. It was very gay and
amusing, but has been so often described that little
need be said about it. We saw two of the most
famous bull -fighters of Spain. One was the
celebrated Montes ; the other, his nephew, Jose
Redondo — known as the chiclanero, being a native
of the city of Chiclana. Queen Isabella was rather
fond of bull-fights, and this, no doubt, contributed
to her great personal popularity. Some time before
x QUEEN ISABELLA 133
our arrival, Montes had performed a feat unparalleled
even in his palmiest days, and Queen Isabella was
so delighted that she offered him whatever he might
require. Kneeling before the Royal canopy, he
begged Her Majesty to pardon one, more sinned
against than sinning, who was condemned to
execution. The prayer was granted, and the
rumour spread like wildfire among the spectators.
As in former years, they showered gold on the
generous bull-fighter. His cap was heavy with
these gifts, and, giving the whole amount to a
friend of the criminal, he said, " Give this to .
Tell him he will no longer want, and let him sin
no more/'
On returning home, we saw in a large
open barouche, drawn by eight cream-coloured
Andalusian horses, Queen Isabella herself, accom-
panied by her camarera mayor. Behind them, in
another carriage, were the King Consort and his
father. Queen Isabella was always popular. She
had great charm of manner — geniality blended with
dignity. She was thoroughly adapted to the tastes
of the Spanish people, being generous and fond of
amusement, and many of the churches throughout
Spain still possess the diamond necklaces which
she bestowed on the pictures of the Virgin in the
Cathedral.
I made the acquaintance of Don Pascual de
(xjiyangos, one of the most celebrated literary men
of Spain. He was a great Arabic scholar, and, I
think. Professor of the University of Alcala. He
134 PICNICS IN SPAIN ch.
invited me to stay with him at his country-house,
at a village called Pozuelo. Though the place was
only six miles from Madrid, in those days the post
only came to it twice a week. Here I enjoyed
real Spanish life. Don Pascual had married an
Englishwoman, and had one son and a daughter.
The latter married Serior Riano, a well-known
writer and Director-General of Public Instruction.
I met them later when in Spain ; but Madame
Riano, I regret to say, died recently. Not far
from Pozuelo was the chateau of Boadilla, which
then belonged to the Countess of Chinchon, the
daughter of Godoy. It was beautifully situated
and well wooded. Later, at Florence, I made the
acquaintance of the Marquis of Boadilla, Duke of
Sueca, who married Miss Martellini, daughter of
the lady who had long been confidential Lady
of Honour to the Grand Duchess.
We used to make picnics to various places in
the neighbourhood. The equivalent of " picnic "
in Spanish seems to be borricada, which means
to donkeys what a cavalcade means to horses.
At this time there was no British Legation at
Madrid, no Minister having been sent after the
expulsion of Sir Henry Bulwer. The Consulate
was occupied by Mr. Brackenbury, of the well-
known consular family, who was excessively amiable
and serviceable. I also happened to know M. de
Montherot, the first French Secretary, a nephew
of M. de Lamartine, who had given me a letter
for him. At his house I met the Baron de
x MADRID 135
Bourgoing, the French Ambassador. I was kept at
Madrid, as I had undertaken to make some inquiries
for Lord Howden, who had just been appointed
Minister, and these took rather more time than I
had anticipated. As I was going back to Paris, his
carriage passed the malle-poste in which I was
travelling. I had time, however, to see Aranjuez
and the Escorial. There I made the acquaintance
of one of the most celebrated writers and politicians
of the day — Serior Alcala de Galiano. He had
been Minister abroad as well as in Spain itself,
and was a relative of that distinguished diplomatist,
not long ago Ambassador in London, Count Casa
Valencia. He showed us all that was worth seeing
in the place, and gave us historical descriptions
which were most interesting and full of infor-
mation.
At Madrid, I met Mrs. Stopford, whose husband,
Colonel Stopford, had held some office in Spain, and
who kept an open and hospitable house. She was
the mother of Lady Charles Beauclerk. There were
also a few English gentlemen who had fought in the
Carlist wars and selected their domicile in Spain.
I made the acquaintance of Mr. O'Shea the banker,
who had become almost a Spaniard. One of his
daughters married the late Colonel Fane, and the
other the late Mr. George Vaughan, who was so
well known in London. His nephew, Mr. Robert
Owen, commonly known as " Don Roberto," was
exceedingly kind to us during our stay. Mr.
Q'Shea's son had married a lady possessing the
136 SPANISH TITLES ch.
title of Duchess of San Lucar, and he became, in
consequence, the Duke of San Lucar.
In Spain, husbands and wives confer on each
other their titles, that is to say, the Duchess of A.
marries Count B., and on her cards she inscribes
" Duchess of A., Countess B." The husband does
the converse. Spanish titles go in direct descent,
whether to sons or daughters, and many of the great
names of Spain have descended through females,
among others those of Alba and Medina Sidonia.
Most Spanish grandees have several titles, and these
they can confer on their sons and daughters, with
the exception of the principal title. The result is
that new great families are constantly created, as the
wives confer their titles on their husbands, whether
or not born noble. If the wife dies, the title goes
to her son, and her husband is called the Duque
Biudo, or the widowed Duke. Thus titles exist in
great numbers in Spain. There are more than one
hundred dukes, twelve hundred marquises, and
twelve hundred counts. The titles which are less
numerous are those of viscount and baron.
Some of the grandees have great plurality of
titles and several grandeeships. The Duke of
Albas principal title is Duke of Berwick. The
names of the late Duke combined, in an interesting
manner, his two nationalities. His Christian names
were Carlos Maria Stuart FitzJames Portocarrero
Palafox Vintimiglia. To these he added, as titles
inherited through women, the duchies of Alba di
Tonnes, of Liria, of Conde-Duque Olivarez and
x GRANDEESHIPS 137
of Periaranda. He had eleven marquisates, one of
them with a grandeeship ; fifteen countships, to
three of which a grandeeship was annexed, one
being the title of Count de Montijo, which he
inherited from his mother, sister of the Empress
of the French. His residence in Madrid is the
Palacio Liria. The late Duchess made an interest-
ing collection of archives and autograph MSS. of
distinguished people. She was remarkably intelli-
gent, and daughter of the Duke of Fernan-Nunez.
The Dukes of Medina Coeli, who were Counts
up to 1368, and have been Dukes since 1479,
enjoy eight dukedoms, sixteen marquisates, two
of them with grandeeships ; twelve countships, to
one of which a grandeeship is annexed ; and three
viscountcies.
The grandeeship has very peculiar qualities.
An ordinary gentleman or a person with any minor
title having a grandeeship takes precedence of
dukes whose grandeeship is junior. The only
exception is in the case of Court functionaries.
One event occurred during my stay at Madrid
which was excessively interesting, namely, the
funeral of the Prince of Asturias. Although he
had been born dead, there he lay in the palace,
on a four-post bed, embalmed and enclosed in a
glass coffin. The guards of the palace lined the
apartment, and priests in magnificent costumes
stood near the body of the Royal infant. The child
was a remarkably fine one and resembled his Royal
mother.
138 SHERRY ch.
It was with great regret that I left Madrid.
which to me had been quite a new world, full of
Oriental notions, where Arabic and Persian art
seems to have been the foundation of decoration.
In Persia, where I went subsequently, no wine is
manufactured for sale except at Shiraz. When
Persia was invaded by the Arabs, they took back
with them to Morocco the grapes of that district.
In Spain they wished to naturalise the new fruit,
and this they did at a place they called Xeres,
intended for Shiraz, there being no sound equivalent
to "sh" in Spanish. There they cultivated the
grape and made wine, which now returns to Europe
as " sherry," that word being a paraphrase of Shiraz.
Shiraz wine is very similar in taste to sherry.
I took leave of my friends one afternoon at the
Cafe Suizo. Amongst others was a young Spanish
gentleman who had been excessively amiable, and
who spoke English with a certain fluency, having,
however, only studied it from books. He said
he would come to England. I asked him whether
he intended to live at a hotel or to take lodgings.
He replied, " It is my intention to take apartments
in the most fashionable quarter of London — in
Holl-born." I am sorry to say I have never seen
him since.
At Bayonne I met Mr. William Eliot, an old
friend of mine. He had been appointed attache
to the Legation, and was about to proceed to
Madrid. I knew him very well in different parts
of the world. The last time I saw him he came
x EMPRESS EUGENIE 139
to stay with me at Corfu. In 1877, by the death
of his father and brother, he became Lord St.
Germans.
I have always regretted not going to see
Biarritz. In those days it contained only one or
two small houses in a wild fishing village, and
was much frequented by the Countess Eugenie
de Montijo — subsequently Empress of the French
— and her mother. Before I left Madrid, she was
expected from Andalusia, and among her party
was Major Andrew Cathcart, who, besides his
other good qualities, was much admired in Spain
for his riding. From Madrid they rode on to
Biarritz. I met Major Cathcart at Bayonne, and
subsequently in Paris.
CHAPTER XI
Exhibition of 1851 — Visit to Baden — Lord Palmerston's fall — Ac-
quaintances in London — Change of Government — Appointed
attache' at Florence — Mather Case.
I very well recollect the Exhibition of 1851. It
was the most beautiful thing I ever saw, both from
its delicacy and vastness. A large piece of Hyde
Park had been put under glass, including some
of the trees ; and the glass and galleries were
beautifully coloured by Mr. Owen Jones, whose
acquaintance I made subsequently. There were
naturally great crowds at the Exhibition, and
foreigners came in large numbers, who gave their
representatives a good deal of trouble. Questions
used to arise as to the costume which should be
worn on different occasions. One lady, not quite
knowing how to dress for a Court function, wrote
to her Ambassador, " Comment doit-on shabiUer ce
soir ? Petite exposition, ou grande exposition ? "
That year I paid another visit to Lord and
Lady Pollington, who were at Baden. There I
renewed my acquaintance with Lord Augustus
Loftus, who was Secretary to the Legation at
Stuttgart, but was then detached to Baden, where
he resided as charge d'affaires. I also met Mr.
140
oh. xi LORD PALMERSTONS FALL 141
Douglas Irvine, who was in the Diplomatic
Service, from which he retired in 1862. He died
a few years afterwards.
At the end of 1851, Napoleon III. made his
coup d'etat, and the discussion between Lord
Palmerston and Lord Normanby is well described
in Mr. Evelyn Ashley's attractive Life of Lord
Palmerston. The removal of the latter from
office by Lord John Russell, his old friend, created
great excitement throughout the country, and
much sympathy was felt for him by all classes of
society. This was manifested in a remarkable
way socially. On February 9, 1852, a party
was given by Lady Palmerston at her house in
Carlton Gardens (now Mr. Balfour's). It was
crowded. The Times headed the account with
the words, "The Expelled Minister." The Duke
of Wellington arrived early and stayed upwards of
an hour. The Liberals naturally attended, and
the Duchess of Bedford represented the Russell
faction ; but there was also a strong contingent of
Conservatives, among others Lord Salisbury, the
father of the late Prime Minister, Lord Douro,
Lord Malmesbury, Lord and Lady Mahon, Lady
Lyndhurst, and Mr. and Mrs. Disraeli. Mr. Glad-
stone and Mr. Sidney Herbert were also present.
During this period 1 used to see a great deal
of Mrs. Gurwood and her daughters. She was
the widow of Colonel Gurwood, the friend and
confidant of the Duke of Wellington, whose
despatches he had edited. Mrs. Gurwood was
142 LOLA MONTES ch.
French by birth, and had a daughter by a former
husband, Miss Eugenie Meyer, who afterwards
married Lord Esher.
My most remarkable acquaintance was Lola
Montes, whose adventures were then universally
discussed. She had had a liaison with the old
King of Bavaria, and had been created a Bavarian
Countess by the title of Countess de Lansfeldt.
The King's infatuation for this lady was the cause
of a revolution, and actually of his abdication.
He ordered her to leave the capital ; but she only
went a few miles out of Munich, and returned
dressed as a man. She was arrested, placed in a
postchaise, and sent to Switzerland. Thence she
came to England.
The Countess was a very handsome woman,
and being, I believe, English by birth, spoke the
language perfectly. At all events, her mother was
English, and she herself had married an English
officer, from whom she was divorced. She took a
house not far from my lodging in Half Moon Street,
where she used to receive of an evening. The
society was very mixed. There were several old
friends of hers — prominent men of the world —
and also some queer foreigners, evidently of a very
Bohemian order. She professed ultra- republican
opinions, and was always quoting the language of
a Mr. Hobbes, whom I never saw, but whose
name was well known in all revolutionary circles,
and who, I fancy, had been her adviser when in
Munich. The Countess's own opinions were those
xi TAGLIONI 143
of Mr. Hobbes, but she had little power of express-
ing them, and did so in a very superficial manner.
She had with her a very pretty little girl, whom
everybody believed to be her daughter, from the
great likeness between them. A short time ago
I saw in the papers the case of a clairvoyante,
who was brought before the police-courts, and
said to be the daughter of Lola Montes ; but I
never had an opportunity of ascertaining whether
or not it was the same person. If it is the
little girl I used to know, she must now be about
sixty-five.
The cause of Lola Montes' leaving London was
also singular. She was very fond of dogs, and
had been struck by the beauty of one she had seen
in the Park, driving in the phaeton of Mr. Heald,
an officer of the Life Guards. She sent to the
owner a message by another officer, Captain
Edwin Burnaby, asking him to bring the dog
to see her. This he did, and within a week she
was married to him. His family then routed up
some story of her divorce not having been legal,
and she was therefore accused of bigamy. I do
not recollect the issue of the case, but not long-
afterwards she left England, and I fancy she never
returned. Indeed, I have heard that she died in
America.
Many years later, I made the acquaintance of
another celebrated dancer, who was best known
as Mademoiselle Taglioni. I recollect seeing her
in my youth in the celebrated pas de quatre, which
144 APPOINTED ATTACHE ch.
consisted, I think, of herself, Cerito, Carlotta Grisi,
and Fanny Elssler. This latter lady was well
known at the time for her relations with the Due
de Reichstadt, the son and heir of Napoleon I.,
who had begun life with the title of King of
Rome. Madame Taglioni, as she was called late
in life, had married Comte Gilbert des Voisins ;
but afterwards she fell into poorer circumstances,
and gave dancing - lessons to young ladies in
London.
In 1852, Lord John Russell's Government was
defeated on a motion of Lord Palmerston's, and
Lord Derby succeeded him, making Lord Malmes-
bury Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. In
that year, while I was sitting at my desk in the
Foreign Office, a message came to me to go
upstairs and see Lord Malmesbury. He informed
me that I had been appointed attache to Sir
Henry Bulwer, recently named Minister at
Florence.
At that time the English Government was very
unpopular on the Continent. Rightly or wrongly,
Lord Palmerston had been accused of undue inter-
ference in the affairs of other countries, and of
stimulating revolutionary movements against con-
stituted Governments, and these were especially
annoyed at his having circulated, to the different
British Missions abroad, Mr. Gladstone's pamphlet
on the state of things in Naples. For these
reasons, all despotic Governments seemed to have
leagued against him. Tuscany was in the occupa-
xi THE MATHER CASE 145
tion of Austrian troops, under the command of
Prince Friedrich Liechtenstein, a general officer
of great distinction. The Tuscan Government in
one case sheltered itself under Austrian protection,
but Lord Palmerston refused to admit the inter-
ference of Austria in Tuscan affairs, and therefore
on both sides there was a great deal of irritation.
Mr. Erskine Mather, an English gentleman,
nineteen years of age — while listening to a regi-
mental band, with a brother about three years
younger — was struck by an Austrian officer with
the flat side of his sword. On turning round
to see who had thus assaulted him, he was cut
down. Such was the substance of a communi-
cation made by Mr. Wawn, Member for South
Shields, to Lord Granville. Complaint was made
to Mr. Scarlett, charge d'affaires. Mr. Charles
Lever, who at that time lived at Florence, called
on Mr. Mather in hospital and acted towards him
in a very friendly manner. Lord Granville, then
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, wrote
urgently to Mr. Scarlett, and in one of his
despatches the following passage occurs : —
I have to instruct you to state to the Tuscan Minister
that Her Majesty's Government deeply regret the necessity
of making repeated remonstrances to the Tuscan Govern-
ment on the subject of the outrages and vexations to which
British subjects in Tuscany are now exposed ; and you will
point out to his Excellency that more complaints reach Her
Majesty's Government of the misconduct of persons in
authority towards British subjects from Tuscany than from
all the other States in Europe.
vol.. i L
146 AUSTRIAN INTERVENTION oh.
It appears that Prince Liechtenstein received
Mr. Scarlett's remonstrances in a most conciliatory
spirit, yet he justified the act of his officer.
Lord Granville authorised the employment of a
well-known advocate, Sign or Salvagnoli, on behalf
of Mr. Mather, as the Tuscan Government agreed
to institute an enquiry. Lord Granville also wrote
on the subject to Lord Westmorland, then Minister
at Vienna. A long time elapsed, however, without
any reparation being made to Mr. Mather. Mean-
while Marshal Radetsky, who commanded in Lom-
bardy, approved the institution of an official enquiry,
and this perpetual reference to Austrian authority
aggravated the irritation in England. In fact, Prince
Schwarzenberg, while expressing his regret, gener-
ally declined to enter into details such as com-
pensation. The matter attracted the attention of
Parliament, and meanwhile the British Government
changed. Sir Henry Bulwer, who had been in
America, was appointed Minister at Florence.
In his instructions to Sir Henry Bulwer, Lord
Malmesbury desired him to make use of "firm but
temperate language, carefully avoiding an irritating
tone, but still not disguising that there is a limit
beyond which forbearance on the part of Her
Majesty's Government cannot be pushed ; and least
of all admitting in the case of Tuscany that the
presence of an Austrian military force can justify
or excuse the commission in Tuscany of wrong
towards a British subject, or can exempt the Tuscan
Government from the obligation to make redress.
xi BRITISH DEMANDS 147
For all acts done in Tuscany to the prejudice of
British subjects the British Government must hold
the Tuscan Government to be solely responsible."
Pending Sir Henry Bulwer's arrival, Mr. Barron,
a Secretary of the Legation, became charge d'affaires
owing to the serious illness of Mr. Scarlett. Mr.
Barron accepted the offer of the Tuscan Foreign
Office to give compensation — not of £5000, as had
been asked, but of 1000 francesconi (about £222) —
and allowed the case to be mixed up with another
which had nothing to do with the question. It
appears from Mr. Scarlett's despatches that this
sum was given as an act of generosity, and not as
admitting the responsibility of the Tuscan Govern-
ment. The Tuscan Foreign Office had, in fact,
said that it was necessary " to repeat in the name of
the Grand Ducal Government that the latter can
in no case admit its responsibility for the acts of
individuals who are not subject to its jurisdiction."
Sir Henry Bulwer was instructed on the 29th of
May to insist on the principle of Tuscan responsi-
bility being admitted, and he was told that, in case
the Tuscan Government refused to accede to his
demands, nothing would remain but for him to
make arrangements for quitting the Grand Ducal
Court.
Mr. Mather refused to receive any money com-
pensation, and the Tuscan Government finally re-
cognised its obligations to protect British subjects
" in all those cases mjwhich the ordinary tribunals
cannot be applied|to, including such as may arise
148 SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATIONS chxi
during the present arrangement with Austria
respecting the auxiliary troops of that Government
stationed in the Tuscan territory."
Sir Henry Bulwer thus brought to a satisfactory
conclusion his first negotiations with the Tuscan
Government. There were others of a much more
delicate character which he conducted to a suc-
cessful close, as will be related hereafter, the
settlement of which was due to the quality men-
tioned in a letter to him from the Duke of
Casigliano : —
Votre lettre est empreinte de ce tact exquis des conve-
nances qui vous caracterise.
CHAPTER XII
Fl orence — Colleagues — English residents — Russian acquaintances —
Italian society — English friends — Florentine families
At Florence I found Sir Henry Bulwer residing at
the Villa Salviati, out of the Porta San Gallo, after-
wards the residence of Mario and Grisi, and I stayed
at a hotel. I left this for a lodging in the Borgo
SS. Apostoli, a house with enormous rooms, but
very gloomy, where I established the Chancery.
One day I heard, at a great distance in the building,
cries in a man's voice, "Sautez, mademoiselle, sautez! "
Asking the people of the house what this meant,
I was told that a French professor of gymnastics
resided there, and that he undertook to turn young
ladies into young gentlemen. This was all I ever
heard of the matter.
While at this lodging, I was afterwards told
that I had vised a passport which appeared in order,
but which belonged to Mazzini under an assumed
name.
On the arrival in Florence of Mr. Robert Lytton,
later Earl of Lytton, I left these rooms, and
together we took a small house in the Via Larga,
now, I believe, called the Via Cavour.
149
150 SOCIETY IN FLORENCE ch.
My other colleague was Mr. Fenton, who had
been both in Spain and America with Sir Henry
Bulwer. He was a man of great but unostentatious
merit, who refused considerable promotion, and
continued to reside privately at the Hague, which
had been his last post as Secretary of Legation.
He has died quite recently.
There were many English and Russian ladies in
Florence, who formed the principal part of society.
Amongst the former were Lady Walpole and Lady
Catherine Fleming. Lady Walpole was possessed
of much humour as well as great learning. She
was very fond of animals, and maintained a kind of
hospital for invalid dogs. She herself possessed two
Mexican greyhounds which appeared to have no
hair. Her two daughters inherited her attractive
qualities. One married the Duca del Balzo, of
Naples, and the other Prince Palagonia, a Sicilian
who lived at Naples also, having a considerable
property there. She died young. Both Lady
Walpole and Lady Catherine Fleming lived habitu-
ally in Florence, and one, if not both, died there.
Among the principal Russians was the Countess
Bobrinska, a lady of great family, one of whose
daughters married the Marchese Pucci. She used
frequently to hold receptions. I also made the
acquaintance of two very interesting sisters — Russian
ladies from Odessa, named Kolontaiev. The elder
was a Maid of Honour to one of the Grand
Duchesses, and the other had great gifts as an
artist in pastels. They had been sent to Italy at
cs
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.
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V.
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xii SCOTCH IN RUSSIAN ARMY 151
the expense of the Imperial family, to enable this
lady to pursue her studies. She afterwards married
Admiral Makouhine. Years later I met her with
her husband at Sevastopol, where I stayed for a
few hours on my way from Batoum to Odessa.
The other married Count de Balmain, whose uncle
had been Russian Commissioner at St. Helena to
watch over Napoleon in his exile. Strange to say,
this family is of Scotch origin, and their name is
Ramsay of Balmain. I met this lady and her
husband again at Florence some years afterwards.
Later she devoted herself to religious and charit-
able pilgrimages to Jerusalem.
There are many Scotch names in the Russian
service. I recollect meeting, at Philippopolis,
officers named Hamilton and Leslie.
The Italian lady at Florence who held the largest
receptions was the Countess Nencini. She had
been a great friend of Napoleon I. Her palace, the
Casa Nencini, had been designed by Raphael him-
self, and was beautifully proportioned. Amongst
other ladies of very prominent position was the
Marchesa Ricci. She was born Poniatowski, sister
to Prince Charles and Prince Joseph Poniatowski,
botli very popular members of Florentine society.
They were great musicians. Prince Charles sang,
and his brother had composed some operas.
Prince Joseph Poniatowski was Minister for
Tuscany in Paris ; but during the Empire he was
naturalised a Frenchman, and became a member
of the Senate. Madame Ricci was twice married.
152 FLORENTINE BEAUTIES oh.
Her first husband was Count Bentivoglio ; they had
one daughter, who married Count Walewski, and
a son who was in French diplomacy, and much
assisted in his career by his relationship to his sister.
By Madame Ricci's second marriage she only had
one daughter, who married the Marchese Tolomei,
a member of the family of Pia de' Tolomei, men-
tioned by Dante.
The Marchesa Oldoini was a lady very much
beloved. She had been, and still was, strikingly
handsome. The most salient feature of her house-
hold was a beautiful daughter, then quite young,
afterwards the celebrated Countess Castiglione, one
of the great ladies of the Court of Napoleon III. I
think she was the most beautiful woman I ever saw.
A lady rather older, but who really rivalled the
Countess Castiglione, was Countess Ferrari. Hers
was not, however, a specimen of Italian beauty, for
she was the daughter of Count Moltke, who had
been Danish Minister at Florence. Her loveliness
was entirely of the northern cast, and at entertain-
ments and assemblies she used to look like a
Scandinavian dream.
There were also Count and Countess Orsini, who
occupied a very high place in Florentine society.
She was nee OrlofF. The Due de Talleyrand kept
a very hospitable house. He was the nephew of
Prince Talleyrand, and, I believe, the head of the
family. He had been known in early life as the
Due de Dino. One of his great friends, who was
also very hospitable, was Count Melianewsky.
xii A SISTER OF MERCY 153
As a proof of the sympathetic intimacy that
existed in Florentine society, I will extract a short
passage from a letter written to me by Mr. Lytton
on the 18th of February, 1853, when I was away : — -
Poor Melianewsky is dead. Died yesterday. He had
been for some time, I believe, suffering great pain, the bone
of the leg splintering in various places. Mortification en-
sued, and he died, I hear, quite quietly, leaving a large sum
of money for the repose of his soul. Lady Cath [Lady
Catherine Fleming] sat up with him all night, which, as his
room, they say, was sickening from the smell of putrefaction,
was really the part of a swur de charite.
Among distinguished professional Italians, I knew
very well Salvagnoli, an advocate and lawyer of extra-
ordinary power. His career, though a great one,
was checked by his strong Liberal views. The
same may be said of Professor Zanetti, a remark-
able surgeon and physician. Though taking no
a,ctive part in politics, he had been identified with
the Liberal cause, which impeded his professional
advancement, owing to the prejudice of the retro-
grade party. He was afterwards sent for to attend
Garibaldi.
Two of the most engaging persons in Florence
were Gordigiani and his daughter. He was a
celebrated composer of songs called stornelE, and
was also of a peculiarly ready wit. His daughter,
who afterwards married Count Fantoni, the head
of an illustrious family, partook of many of her
father's joyous characteristics.
A gentleman whom I knew well was the
Marquis Gualterio. He was an author of great
154 THE GLOOMY CHEVALIER ch.
merit, a moderate and constitutional Liberal,
who had recently written a book on the later
political movements in Italy, entitled Gli Ultimi
Rivolgimenti. His wife was a member of an old
Piedmontese family, and his house was frequented
by persons of all political colours, while he was
looked upon as the representative of the moderate
Liberals in Italy. In October 1853, after I had
left Florence, INI. Gualterio sent me a most interest-
ing memorandum, which I still possess. In this he
sketched out what he thought should be the ultimate
organisation of Italy. The document was submitted
to Lord Palmerston, who, I believe, paid a great
deal of attention to it, though he merely acknow-
ledged the receipt of the paper.
There were two or three especially interesting
figures in Florentine society at that time. One
was a gentleman commonly known as Piero
Dini, then in an advanced stage of life, but
universally popular. He was one of the most
obliging men I ever came across, and had no
enemies. The next was a very singular man
called the Chevalier d'Arlens, by birth a Swiss of
some property, who had been, I think, in the
French army, and, after having lost his fortune,
lived at Florence. He was a man of a most gloomy,
mournful appearance, which I am told he had worn
even at the height of his wealth and worldliness.
The Due de Talleyrand was a great friend of his ;
they pretty nearly lived together. It was very
much the fashion to invite the Chevalier, though
xii A CONVINCING WIG 155
the world laughed at his enormous appetite. One
of his accomplishments was a little singing, and he
occasionally composed a piece of music of mournful
character. Once I had not seen him for a long time,
and asked him what he had been doing. He re-
plied that he had composed a song which had
obtained some circulation. The name, he told me
with a strangely cavernous intonation, was " La
Tombe." This was most characteristic.
There was an Italian gentleman — whose name I
will not mention, as it would be ill-natured to do
so — who was of advanced age, and whose one desire
was always to appear young. For this purpose he
had many wigs. He would tell his friends one day
that he intended to have his hair cut, and then put
on a short wig which lengthened every day until
the end of the month, when he again would say
that he must have his hair cut. Another trick of
his was to ask his friends to an early breakfast, and
receive them in his bedroom, saying that he had
overslept himself. This was to give authenticity to
the wig.
A remarkable type found in those days at
Florence was Mr. Kirk up. He was much sought
after, especially by English travellers, on account
of his thorough knowledge of Italian art, being
himself an artist. He was very shrewd, and some-
times cutting in his observations. Among other
studies lie had endeavoured to master the secret
of the philosopher's stone. He declared that one
gentleman, who had been very poor and to whom he
156 FLORENTINE NOBLES ch.
explained the process, had died rich, and he was
convinced that this wealth had come from his
knowledge of the secret. I recollect an English
gentleman who was very intimate with Mr. Kirkup,
and who had separated from his wife, writing to ask
him, half in earnest and half in joke, to make a wax
figure of the lady into which he might stick pins.
Mrs. Macdonnell lived in a beautiful house called
the Casa Annalena. She had a large family, most
of whom became very distinguished. One of her
sons was the late Sir Hugh Macdonnell, Minister
at different places. Late in life she married the
Due de Talleyrand. One of her daughters became
Madame de las Marismas, a great lady of the
Empress Eugenie's Court. I believe another
married General Sir George Brown.
All the noble Florentine names still figured in
society — the Strozzi, Frescobaldi, Antinori, Torri-
giani, and Palagi. Amongst others who occasionally
visited Florence were the Marquis and Marquise
de Boissy. She had been a famous beauty when
Countess Guiccioli, Lord Byron's great love.
Mrs. Somerville — so well known as a mathe-
matician and astronomer — and her daughters lived
in Florence, and were much in request. There was
also Mr. T. Adolphus Trollope, whose daughter,
though very young, was a universal favourite from
her manners and intelligence. A very remarkable
Englishman, who lived in a villa in the neighbour-
hood, but whom I did not know, was Walter
Savage Landor.
xii A BON MOT 157
Mr. and Mrs. Browning were also living at
Florence, and there, I believe, their son was born.
To Lady Normanby was attributed the saying,
" Now there are not two incomprehensibles, but
three incomprehensibles."
CHAPTER XIII
Corps diplomatique at Florence — Acquaintances — English visitors^
Italian society — Effects of Austrian occupation — Sir Henry
Bulwer's Mission to Rome — Diplomatic relations with the Papal
See — " Eglinton Clause " — Letter from Mr. Lytton — Murray Case
— Visit of British artists — Duty on English beer.
On my journey to Florence I had fallen in with
the Vicomte de Gabriac, who was going there as
charge d'affaires of France, in the absence of the
Minister. The Minister came shortly afterwards ;
1 and my family were long intimate with him and
his wife — the Comte and Comtesse de Mont-
tessuy. She was a daughter of Prince Paul of
Wi'irtemberg.
The German charge d'affaires was Monsieur de
Reumont, a well-known historian. The Minister,
who lived at Rome, was Baron Usedom ; his wife
was an English lady by birth. Miss Malcolm. Count
Villa Marina was Sardinian Minister ; he afterwards
attended the Congress of Paris as Plenipotentiary.
The Spanish Minister, who only came rarely to
Florence, was Monsieur Curtois, one of whose
secretaries, Monsieur Conti, married a daughter
of Mrs. Macdonnell. Count Riario-Sforza was the
158
ch.xiii OFFICIAL FLORENCE 159
Neapolitan Minister ; during his absence the Duke
of Santo Paolo was in charge.
One of the most prominent diplomatists at
Florence was Baron Hiigel, the Austrian repre-
sentative. His wife was a beautiful English lady,
whose maiden name had been Farquharson. The
Baron's position was very powerful, owing to the
connection of the Grand Duke with the Austrian
Imperial family, and still more so on account of
the Austrian occupation. He had been, I believe,
Secretary to Prince Metternich, and had travelled
extensively in the East.
Near Florence, at the Villa San Donato, lived
Prince Demidoff, a well-known Russian magnate,
the husband of Princess Mathilde Bonaparte,
daughter of King Jerome, and sister of Prince
Napoleon, known otherwise as Plon-Plon. His
house was filled with every kind of object of art,
especially furniture ; he had tables, chimney-pieces,
and even steps made of slabs of malachite.
The principal Florentine officially was Signor
Baldasseroni, the Prime Minister. He went but
little into society. Next to him came the Duke
of Casigliano, Minister for Foreign Affairs. He
was the elder son of Prince Corsini, to whose title
he ultimately succeeded, and a man of peculiar
appearance, as he dressed oddly. In the evening he
wore a light blue coat, called a Chamberlain's coat,
covered with gilt buttons and with Grand Crosses
so numerous that the ribbons had to be crossed on
his breast. His brother, the Marchese de Lajaticho,
160 A LUCKY INVESTMENT oil
also occupied a leading place in society, and they
had a younger brother.
The Great Chamberlain was, if I recollect
aright, the Marchese Ginori, who was also pro-
fusely decorated. I do not know whether or not
he was actually the owner of the celebrated Ginori
porcelain works ; but his family, which was a very
great one, had by some circumstances, of which I
am ignorant, become the proprietors of that factory,,
which restored to them a portion of the fortune they
had lost.
Amongst other Italians whom I knew were
Prince and Princess Pio di Savoia, and their
daughter, Marchesa Fransoni. Madame Fransoni
was a most remarkable pianist, and people came
from all quarters to hear her. Her husband was a
nephew of Cardinal Fransoni. He was a man of
much literary taste, and had written a very re-
markable essay, comparing what he called the
alphabets of music and of words. Like his father-in-
law, he kept a most hospitable house in Florence.
Another daughter of Prince and Princess Pio
married Marchese Pitti, whose ancestor, the great
architect, built the Palazzo Pitti.
I was also acquainted with Mr. and Mrs. Sloane,.
who had been formerly employed, one as tutor and
the other as governess, by the family of Monsieur
and Madame Boutourline, Russians of great mark.
Having saved a little money, they married and
bought some copper mines in a place called La
Cava, which brought them enormous wealth.
xiii CHARLES LEVER 161
They purchased Careggi, the well-known villa,
where Lorenzo de' Medici was exhorted on his
deathbed by Savonarola. The house contained a
fine picture of the incident, painted by Watts.
Mr. and Mrs. Sloane were fervent Roman Catholics.
Both, I believe, were naturalised Tuscans, and
there was some talk, at one time, of appointing
him Tuscan Minister. Out of gratitude for the
past, they left all their property to the family of
Boutourline.
Mr. Charles Lever and his family lived at
Florence at that time. He was a man of great
wit, but was, at the same time, endowed with
much deeper knowledge and feeling than would
be gathered from his works.
An English lady, well known in Florentine
society, astounded her friends by marrying the
doctor of the police. On this subject, I recollect
Lever saying, " Mrs. has made a most illus-
trious match. She has married the last of the
Medici."
Amongst other residents at Florence — though
I did not know him well personally — was Mr.
Leader. He had been a foremost member of what
were called the Philosophical Radicals, of which Sir
William Molesworth was a leader, and Member, if
I am not wrong, for Westminster. I have since
then seen some letters of his relating stories of
mistakes made in a foreign language. He told
one of Sismondi, when travelling in England.
It is here perhaps better to say that trunks
VOL. I M
162 BRITISH TRAVELLERS ch.
in Italian are called bauli, pronounced in three
syllables. Sismondi, staying with friends in Devon-
shire, was heard to call out, " Will you bring up
my luggage and my small bowels ? " Mr. Leader
was the author of a very interesting account of the
old Venetian nobility.
Of course a great number of British travellers
passed through Florence, amongst them Sir Henry
Ponsonby, Private Secretary to Queen Victoria,
whom I had known from the time we were
children. A good many young Englishmen were
travelling with their tutors. One was Sir Courtenay
Honywood ; then came Lord Andover, and Mr.
Amyas Poulett, whose mother and brother I had
known for a long time. Lord Ebury, then Mr.
Grosvenor, also arrived with his tutor ; he is the
only survivor of these, all of whom I met subse-
quently at Naples.
Florence was very full, not only of strangers,
but of Italians who came from other parts of
Italy, and who contributed to the gaiety of the
place. It was cheaper than other Italian capitals,
and the society was most amusing on account of
the large number of foreigners who lived there.
About that time, however, its pleasures had been
much diminished by the presence of the Austrian
troops. All the Italian society was divided into
two sections — one, the smallest, which approved of
the appeal to Austria and represented the party
known as the Codini (pig- tails) or retrogrades ;
and the other, exactly the reverse. Some of the
xiii FRICTION WITH AUSTRIA 163
latter were very strong Liberals, but all of them
had Liberal tendencies and resented the occupa-
tion. The result was constant friction. Italian
ladies would not dance with Austrian officers, and
quarrels were frequent.
Before this time society at Florence had been
as one large family. On fine nights in summer,
every one used to turn out on the Lung' Arno,
young men taking with them their guitars. Small
aances were suddenly organised, and the Grand
Duke and Duchess walked calmly up and down,
receiving the salutations of their subjects. All
this, however, had changed before my time, and it
was difficult to have a predilection for one person
more than another, for fear of being compromised
politically. Anything like a political discussion
was unknown.
As has been said before, the Commander-in-
Chief of the Austrian army of occupation was
Prince Friedrich Liechtenstein, a member of the
royal family of that principality, and a very high-
minded man, who endeavoured, as far as possible,
to diminish the friction between his army and the
Tuscan people.
At that time Guerrazzi was in prison, and his
trial went on during my stay, which was somewhat
broken by occasional absences. For two months,
however, I was left in sole charge of the Legation,
as Sir Henry Bulwer had been sent to Rome on
two very delicate questions. The principal one
was that of the resumption of diplomatic relations
164 THE EGLINTON CLAUSE ch.
with the Papal See. This had been previously
discussed between Lord Minto and the Papal
authorities, and some hopes were entertained of
making it feasible to maintain regular diplomatic
relations with Rome. This was especially desired
at that moment, as a complete change was looked
for in the whole aspect of Italy, owing to the
supposed Liberal tendencies of Pius IX., who had
just succeeded to the Papacy. A Bill had been
introduced into Parliament to legitimise these
relations, and it was passed ; but a strong feeling
existed against the presence of a Roman ecclesiastic
as Papal Nuncio in England, and Lord Eglinton
had introduced into the Bill a clause prohibiting
any such appointment. On this account, the Pope
refused to send any Minister, and also declined to
receive an envoy from England on a unilateral
footing. This may be gathered from Mr. Evelyn
Ashley's Life of Lord Palmer ston, in which the
following passage occurs : —
The truth was that representations made to the Pope
from Ireland induced him to imagine that we were in such
a state in Ireland that we should be compelled to yield.
When Lord Minto asked whether he would on his part
receive as an English Minister one of our Archbishops, or
the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, in full canonicals,
he frankly owned that he would not.
Lord Palmerston was in favour of the Eglinton
clause, thinking that great embarrassments and
inconveniences would arise from a Roman priest,
invested with diplomatic privileges, holding his
xni NEGOTIATIONS WITH ROME 165
court in London, surrounded by English and Irish
Catholics ; but this clause proved fatal to the
success of the measure.
Up to that time, our business with the Papal
Government had been carried on in an informal
manner, a member of the Florence Legation, re-
siding at Rome, having been received unofficially
by the statesmen of the Pope. This was Mr.
Petre, a Roman Catholic.
In October 1852 I received a letter from Mr.
Lytton, who was then at Rome with his uncle, in
which he said : —
I hear Florence is filling. Rome still very dull. Nobody
here, and the ruins quite a take-in. I spend the greater
part of my time in the studios, and am making a head of
Antinous which is to adorn our Florentine mansion.
I think it still very uncertain how much longer we may
remain here, but I hope to get away by the end of the
month. They are difficult people to deal with, and the
Government here is just like the household of the Great
Lama. One never sets to the Great Lama himself— such
an atmosphere of mystification — the difficulty of all negotia-
tion being further increased by the fact that both Petre and
O , T the only ostensible mediums of communication
with the Pontifical Government, are both Roman Catholics,
if not, as I suspect, Jesuits. Petre is an extraordinarily
well-read fellow, with a scholar-like and cultivated mind,
stored with a good deal of solid learning, and improves
on acquaintance. He is more than middle-aged and greyish.
O is a younger man, good-looking and clever ; as full
of intrigue as an egg is of meat, and well versed in the
smaller arts of antechamber diplomacy. He has been in
Greece and the East, and it was he who got up the Greek
1 A gentleman privately employed by Sir Henry Bulwer.
166 MURRAY CASE ch.
Question against Palmerston, having been very much lie
with the Greek king, whom he calls " Otho." He is bold,
ambitious, and active, full of plans and schemes — many
of them wild, all of them clever. If you have ever read
Devereiioc, and remember the Jesuit in that novel, you will
be able to picture him when I say he is the type of that
cleric. He professes a great fancy for me, and has told the
Pope that I am on the eve of conversion !
Two other questions also occupied Sir Henry
Buhver's time — one was that of the Madiai, with
which I shall deal later on, and the other the case
of Mr. Murray, of which the following account
was transcribed in the Times from the Roman
Journal : —
"Edward Murray, born at Cephalonia, was
brought by his father to Italy, and, after being
engaged for some time in banking operations at
Rome, he removed to Ancona where he resided ten
years, and married Ursula Gabrieli, a native of
Loretto.
"During the catastrophes of 1848 and 1849, he
was appointed Inspector of Police at Ancona.
The state of the population at that period is well
known. According to the correspondence of Mr.
Moore, the English Consul, with Sir George
Hamilton (our Minister at Florence) —
"The greatest disorder prevails in the town, where an
infuriated rabble publicly stab, killing right and left all
those who chance to read the newspapers. These murders
were perpetrated at the rate of three per day. Many of the
assassins were well known ; but nobody dared to arrest
them, the police and national guards refusing to act.
xiii SETTLEMENT 167
" In a letter to Lord Palmerston, dated April
22, 1849, Sir George Hamilton calculated at
from six to eight the daily number of victims,
which on the previous Sunday amounted to
ten.
" A few days afterwards, an English ship of war
having arrived to protect the English Consul, who
appeared to be menaced, the Governor caused
several of the murderers to be arrested on the
night of the 27th of April. Amongst them was
Murray.
" To-day these facts are overlooked. Pity is
expressed, not for the victims of terror, but for
Murray who abetted it. His case has been brought
before one of the Parliaments of Europe, and,
accepting as true the assertion of a public news-
paper, it was alleged that pontifical tribunals were
slow and accessible to corruption."
This case was subsequently satisfactorily settled.
I recollect meeting some of Murray's relatives
later in the Ionian Islands, but I forget the nature
of their business with me.
About this time, Sir Digby Wyatt and Mr.
Owen Jones arrived at Florence on some artistic
mission connected with the Exhibition of 1851.
They were well received by the Tuscan authorities.
Meanwhile my own labours were very limited.
I had a little discussion with the Tuscan Govern-
ment concerning the duty on English beer, on
which I received a note from Sir Henry Bulwer at
Rome : —
168 BRITISH BEER ch.xiii
I have looked into the great Beer case, and enclose you
a note which you can address to the Duke of Casigliano in
my name. The note will be, in the first instance, semi-
official.
Sir Henry Bulwer was, as ever, very busy,
not only about the points he had to treat, but
in obtaining valuable information from various
sources.
CHAPTER XIV
Madiai Case— Captain Walker— Sentence on the Madiai— Deputation-
Protests against their sentence — Lord John Russell's despatch
— Release of the Madiai — Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Phipps — Sir
James Hudson — Lord Normanhy Minister at Florence — Mr.
Scarlett.
The third case with which Sir Henrv Bulwer had
to deal was that of the Madiai.
On the 17th of August 1851, an English gentle-
man named Walker was arrested. I knew him
well. He had retired from the Army. His family
had lived a great deal in Italy, two of his sisters
having married Italians, Count Baldelli and Mar-
quis Incontri. Another sister married Captain
Fleetwood Wilson, and was the mother of Sir
Guy Fleetwood Wilson, now Under-Secretary at
the War Office. I still recollect so well seeing
Mrs. Fleetwood Wilson, a lady of great attractions,
walking down the hill out of Florence, with her
two children in baskets on a pony. She has only
quite recently died in London.
Captain Walker was a man of strongly pro-
nounced religious tendencies, who occupied himself
a great deal with the Protestant movement. He
was arrested while visiting the Madiai, a man and
169
170 THE MADIAI ch.
his wife who had been courier and maid in English
families. An Italian Bible and other books were
afterwards removed by the police from the table
where the party had been sitting, and a small Bible,
which Captain Walker always carried with him,
was taken from his pocket. The Madiai were also
arrested.
The police accused Captain Walker of reading
and expounding the Protestant version of the Bible
to Tuscan Roman Catholics, and of attempting to
proselytise. In spite of his assertion that he was
an Englishman, and innocent, he was hurried off to
prison. Captain Fleetwood Wilson addressed him-
self at once to the police authorities, who, however,
refused at first to allow him to see Captain Walker ;
but through the intervention of Mr. Bligh, the
attach^, who had been instructed to intervene in
the matter by Mr. Scarlett — then at Pisa— Captain
Walker was liberated, though not till he had been
kept for twenty-one hours in the cell of a common
prison.
The two Madiai were convicted under a law of
1786 on the grounds of proselytism. The husband
was condemned to fifty-six months' reclusion in the
House of Forced Labour at Volterra, and the wife
to forty-six months' imprisonment in the Ergastolo.
An appeal was, however, made to the Courts of
Tuscany.
This case excited a great deal of interest.
During the period when I was alone in Florence,
a deputation arrived, consisting of Lord Roden,
xiv FOREIGN PROTESTS 171
Lord Cavan and Captain Trotter, accompanied by
some leading Swiss Protestants and delegates from
France, Holland, Wurtemberg and Prussia. On
the 27th of October, Lord Malmesbury instructed
Sir Henry Bulwer to repair to Florence — all fear
of capital punishment being executed on Murray
having been removed — in order to give this deputa-
tion, unofficially, every assistance, and to use all
the means in his power to procure for them an
audience of the Grand Duke. This was, however,
refused.
At the time of Sir Henry Bulwers arrival, the
Prussian Minister at Rome, Baron Usedom, also
accredited to Florence, came there, not avowedly
but in reality, to do what could be done in the
case of the Madiai. The Baron did not, how-
ever, mention the subject in his interview with the
Grand Duke, but wrote a letter to the Duke of
Casigliano stating the great interest his Sovereign
and nation took in the affair. Count Arnim, Grand
Seneschal at the Court of Prussia, brought an auto-
graph communication from his Sovereign to the
Grand Duke, pleading in favour of the unfortunate
persons in confinement ; but both the answer of
the Duke of Casigliano to Baron Usedom, and that
of the Grand Duke to Count Arnim, expressed the
same sentiment — namely, that the Tuscan Sovereign
requested to be left at liberty to act in a case
relative to his own subjects, under the laws of his
own nation, according to his own free will and
conscience.
172 GRAND DUKES SAYING ch.
On the 12th of November 1851, a letter on the
subject had been addressed to Lord Palmerston
by General Sir Henry dimming, the two Madiai
having been in the service of his family for a
long time. Rosa Madiai had been with them for
seventeen years, and had been very attentive to
his son - in - law, who was attache at Florence,
during his last illness ; she had also been in the
service of Lady Caroline Townley, and many
others. Lord Palmerston took up the case very
warmly, and addressed a despatch on the subject
to Mr. Scarlett on the 17th of November 1851,
only a few days before his leaving office. Several
English Corporations addressed petitions to the
Grand Duke ; but these the Duke of Casigliano
refused to receive, and both he and M. Baldas-
seroni informed Sir Henry Bulwer that further
demonstrations in favour of the Madiai would
only frustrate their own endeavours. About that
time the Grand Duchess had a child, and many
prisoners received the royal clemency, but this
was not extended to the Madiai.
In the midst of all these disputes, the following
story was told of the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
When he was driving through the streets of Lucca,
a tradesman threw something out of the window
into the Grand Duke's carriage. In a great fright,
he ran down to implore for pardon. His Highness
replied : " Never mind. It is lucky that it was not
an Englishman ; otherwise, by this time, I should
have had all the British Legation on my back."
xiv AN EMPHATIC DESPATCH 173
In January 1853, Lord John Russell acceded
to power. A report was circulated that Francesco
Madiai had died, in consequence of the hardships
he had undergone, and the Times published two
indignant leading articles on the subject. The
statement proved to be incorrect, though it was
true that the unfortunate man had suffered severely
both in mind and body. On the 18th of the same
month, Lord John Russell sent Sir Henry Bulwer
an emphatic despatch on the subject, a part of
which I quote : —
According to the last accounts received from you, the
Grand Duke of Tuscany still hesitates on the subject of the
Madiai. But this is a matter on which hesitation implies
capital punishment. It is the same thing, in effect, to con-
demn a man to trial by fire, like Savonarola, or to put him
to death by the slow torture of an unhealthy prison. It
seems to be imagined, indeed, by some Governments on the
Continent, that, if they avoid the spectacle of an execution
on the scaffold, they will escape the odium to themselves,
and the sympathy for their victims, which attends upon the
punishment of death for offences of a political or religious
character. But this is an error. It is now well understood
that the wasting of the body, the sinking of the spirits, the
weakening of the mind, are but additions to the capital
punishment which long and close confinement too often
involves.
If therefore, as has been lately reported, one of the
Madiai were to die in prison, the Grand Duke must expect
that throughout Europe he will be considered as having put
a human being to death for being a Protestant.
It will be said, no doubt, that the offence of Francesco
.Madiai was not that of being a Protestant, but that of
endeavouring to seduce others from the Roman Catholic
faith ; that the Tuscan Government had the most merciful
intentions . . . that such offences cannot be permitted to
174 MADIAI CASE CONCLUDED ch.
pass unpunished. But this . . . will avail very little.
Throughout the civilised world, the example of religious
persecution will excite abhorrence. . . .
You are therefore instructed to speak in the most serious
tone to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and to lay before
him all the considerations stated in this despatch. You will
do it in the most friendly tone, and take care to assure the
Government to which you are accredited, that none are more
sincere in their wishes for the independence and happiness
of Tuscany than the Queen of Great Britain. . . .
Sir Henry Bulwer, therefore, once more pressed
the question, and in so skilful a manner that M.
Baldasseroni thought it advisable to submit the
matter again to the Grand Duke. At the moment,
however, Sir Henry Bulwer was forced to leave
Florence on account of his health, and Mr. Erskine,
Secretary of Legation at Turin, was named charge'
d'affaires. On the 16th of March the Madiai
were hurried, with the greatest secrecy, on board
a vessel at Leghorn, and at Marseilles they were
set free, on condition of their never returning to
Tuscany.
During the rather hard work entailed by the
Madiai case, Charles Lever frequently called.
On one occasion he was left in the waiting-
room for some time, and occupied himself in
writing a parody on Hood's " Song of the Shirt."
It ran like this : —
Scratch, scratch, scratch,
Scratch for ever and aye,
I shall never be done with this d — d despatch
In the case of the Madiai.
xiv CAVOUR AND HUDSON 175
To think that bread should be so dear
And flesh and blood so cheap,
was altered by Lever as follows : —
To think that pen and ink 's so cheap
And brandy and water so dear !
Among the many people who took a great
interest in the Madiai case were Mr. and Mrs.
Edmund Phipps. He was the brother of Lord
Normanby, and a man of very devout views. He
came with his wife to spend some little time in
Florence, bringing their son, Constantine, who
since then has occupied several important posts in
the Diplomatic Service, and has now retired.
At Florence I also made the acquaintance of
Sir James Hudson, our very distinguished Minister
at Turin — a man lovable in every way, of great
charm of manner and good -nature. He was a
strong Liberal, and to him Italy was largely in-
debted for her ultimate liberation.
I was told by the late Sir James Lacaita that
Sir James Hudson lived on the most intimate terms
with Count Cavour, and, in the Italian manner,
called him by his Christian name. On one occasion,
though unfortunately I cannot remember which,
Cavour was hesitating as to the course he should
pursue, and Sir James Hudson said to him,
" Dunque hai paura, Camillo 1 " This decided the
forward course adopted by Cavour, which ended in
remarkable success.
After leaving Florence officially, I frequently
17f> LORD NORMANBY ch.
went to Italy to visit some relatives, and therefore
felt familiar with the whole country. When
passing Turin, I constantly saw Sir James Hudson,
with whom later on I had considerable corre-
spondence while I resided at Corfu. In fact, the
annexation of the Ionian Islands to Greece was
closely connected with the liberation of Italy.
My constant private visits to Florence have very
much mixed up my personal chronology as to that
country.
Subsequent to the time when Mr. Erskine was
temporarily in charge, Mr. Scarlett returned ; but
after some time Lord Normanby, who had been
Ambassador at Paris, was appointed Minister.
Lord Normanby had resided a great deal at
Florence during his youth. A villa which he
had formerly occupied was known as the Villa
Normanby, or, as it was sometimes called by the
peasants, " Lorbambi," and he looked forward with
great pleasure to revisiting the favourite resort of
his younger days. He and Lady Normanby were
much liked in Florentine society ; but, after his
differences with Lord Palmerston, he seemed rather
to veer from his early Liberalism, and gave strong
support to the Grand Ducal policy.
A Club had been formed at Florence, of
which I was an original member, and Lord
Normanby, on his arrival, was made President.
A young gentleman of a family with whom
Lord Normanby was friendly came to Florence,
and passed a great deal of time at the Club,
xiv 'ROBBED AT THE CLUB' 177
where he lost money at cards. Lord Normanby,
out of good -nature towards him, and out of
friendliness to his family, wrote a letter to the
relatives advising them to induce the young man
to leave the place, " as he was always being robbed
at the Club." This letter was forwarded to the
young gentleman, and was fastened by him to the
fireplace for every one to read. The incident,
to a certain extent, detracted from Lord Nor-
manby's popularity. He remained at Florence
from December 1854 until March 1858, when he
was recalled, on the accession of Lord Derby to
power. I believe it was considered impossible,
considering the active part he had taken in English
Liberal politics, for him to remain in an inferior
capacity under a party to which he had long been
hostile.
Mr. Scarlett, who for a long time had been in
Tuscany as Secretary of Legation, frequently act-
ing as charge d'affaires, was appointed Minister to
Brazil, and later came back to Florence in that
capacity.
VOL. I n
CHAPTER XV
Sir Henry Bulwer — Commission to investigate Danubian Principalities
—Visit to Sir Henry Bulwer at Constantinople — His maxims —
Mr. Kobert Lytton — Lord Lytton in India — Marriage — Visits to
Carrara and Florence.
It may be as well for me to say a few words
concerning Sir Henry Bulwer. He was a very kind
man, full of douceur — an expression of which he
was fond. He had a curious mania for having
more than one place of residence in the same town,
and also for appointing private secretaries. These
gentlemen he frequently employed instead of his
regular official subordinates, which often gave rise
to annoyance. He told me that he really did so
from good-nature, not liking to trouble his official
secretaries with work, which with him was con-
stant. One reason for this was his untidiness about
papers, which were always being lost, and his con-
stant corrections and re-corrections of his manu-
script despatches. Odd stories were told of him.
It was said that once, when he had engaged a
new secretary, he introduced him privately to some
friends, saying to them that he was a most accom-
plished man and very able, but adding confidentially
that it was desirable, when he came to the house,
178
chxv SIR HENRY BULWER 179
not to leave any small change lying about. I do
not believe in the truth of this story, but it used
to be cited as an instance of Sir Henry Bulwers
eccentricity. There is no doubt that he was a most
remarkable man, very popular with his friends, and
unpopular only with people who made no allowance
for eccentricity. There was a party for and a
party against him everywhere. He passed a most
brilliant career, and was much in the confidence of
Lord Palmerston, by whom he had been sent to his
first important post — that of Minister to the Queen
of Spain. Before that he had been to Berlin,
Vienna, the Hague, Paris and Brussels, and he was
Secretary of Embassy at one time at the Porte.
While there, owing to some difference of opinion
with the Ambassador, it was said that he refused to
reside at the Embassy, and lived in a tent which
he pitched in the neighbourhood. In America he
was most successful, and concluded the well-known
Clayton-Bulwer Treaty. It was currently reported
that he signed that Treaty with the American
plenipotentiary, smoking a cigar and over a glass
of punch. Florence was too small a place for
his active abilities. Consequently in 1855 he was
pensioned. He did not long remain unemployed,
but in 1856 was appointed Commissioner under
the 23rd Article of the Treaty of Paris to investi-
gate the state of the Principalities, and to propose
a basis for their organisation.
When Sir Henry Bulwer was at Bucarest, an
extraordinary political event occurred with regard
180 EUROPE CHECKMATED oh.
to Moldavia and Wallachia. The object of the
Commission was to create two separate States,
for each of which a constitution was laid down.
Although the people of the two Principalities
wished very much to be united, the tendency of
the Congress of Paris had been to keep them apart.
It had also been decided that the people were to
elect their own Prince. In doing so, they frustrated
the views of all Europe, as by some private and
secret understanding both principalities elected the
same candidate, Colonel Couza, henceforward called
Prince Couza. The two Principalities together
now take the name of the kingdom of Roumania.
The instructions given to Sir Henry Bulwer as
Commissioner by Lord Clarendon are interesting,
showing, as they do, the divergences existing
between the different Powers that signed the
Treaty of Paris. Austria and the Porte were
vehemently opposed to the union of the Provinces,
which France, on the other hand, as strongly
supported ; while Russia was known to be favour-
able, and expressed a desire to defer to the wishes
of the inhabitants.
It had been a matter of discussion whether
Prussia and Sardinia should be represented on this
Commission. The interests of those Powers in the
questions to be discussed were remote, and Lord
Palmerston's Cabinet considered that advantage
would have resulted from their not taking part,
as the chances of a divergence of opinion would
have proportionately diminished ; but the Prussian
O
'5
02
xv AN EASY BERTH 181
Government expressed an earnest desire to be
represented, and the Sardinian Government did
the same.
In 1858, Sir Henry Bulwer was appointed
Ambassador at Constantinople. There I paid
him a visit in 1864, when 1 was introduced to
Prince Couza, who had come to pay his respects
to the Sultan, and was then living in a palace
lent to him at the Sweet Waters of Asia. This
is rather anticipating matters, but I claim the right
of anachronism.
Most of the stories about Sir Henry Bulwer
were, no doubt, invented, but I myself, when at
Constantinople, was witness to one remarkable
choice of a secretary. I found with the Ambassa-
dor an old Irishman, considerably over seventy,
whom he had known in Paris in opulent circum-
stances. When this poor man was ruined, Sir
Henry Bulwer, as a last resort, offered to make
him his secretary, and he came to Constantinople,
where he was very much out of water. He con-
sulted me what should be done. " You know," he
said, " that Sir Henry Bulwer is kind enough to
make me his secretary. I have been here for some
time, but I do not recollect that he has ever
employed me. Oh yes," he added, " he did once.
He asked me to direct some anvelqpes."
Another incident illustrative of Sir Henry
Bulwer's peculiarities was his purchase of an island
called Plati, in the Sea of Marmora. He thought
it might be developed into an enormous market-
182 ECCENTRICITIES ch.
garden, and here he also intended to breed those
large white donkeys, which are especially used, I
think, by Armenians. Some are of great height,
standing as high as ponies, and costing often two
hundred pounds. This part of his project did not
succeed, as one day a special boat was sent to tell
him that the donkeys had created the most terrible
ravages, pulling down the fences and destroying the
shrubs. I believe that he subsequently sold the
island to the Khedive.
I merely mention these peculiarities to prove the
utter hollowness of the bitter opposition shown to
him by some inferior minds. Sir Henry Bulwer,
in addition to his great abilities, was a man of the
most obliging nature and affectionate disposition,
and wished to do well for every one. I have found
as regards other distinguished diplomatists that
there has always been a clique to run them down.
Such was the case with Lord Stratford and Sir
James Hudson, as well as Sir Henry Bulwer. I
do not believe anything more serious than such
eccentricities as I have mentioned could be alleged
against him, but I well recollect the bitterness
with which he was assailed.
When Sir Henry Bulwer was first appointed
Ambassador at Constantinople, it was decided that
Lord Stratford, who had so long been Ambassador
there, should return on a special mission to deliver
his letters of recall. Though outwardly on good
terms, it was generally known that great irritation
existed between them.
xv A DIPLOMATIC SERMON 183
One Sunday the two Ambassadors went to
church, and sat in the same pew. The chaplain —
not a man of remarkable tact — thought he would
reconcile them from the pulpit, and took for his
text 2 Cor. v. 10, " We are ambassadors . . ."
and proceeded as follows : —
There are heavenly ambassadors and earthly ambassa-
dors, and the earthly ambassadors are divided into classes.
There are ambassadors ordinary and ambassadors extra-
ordinary. There are ministers and there are charges
d'affaires. If any of you who are now listening to me belong
to those categories, let me recommend you earnestly, as a
heavenly ambassador, to live at peace one with the other.
No doubt the clergyman's recommendations were
fully appreciated by the two earthly Ambassadors.
This reminds me of a story of a former Am-
bassador at Constantinople, Lord Ponsonby. He
was once sent to some distant post on board a ship
commanded by a naval officer called Phillimore.
On one occasion they entered on some discussion,
in which Lord Ponsonby obtained rather the best
of the argument. Captain Phillimore thereupon
put the Ambassador under arrest.
This Captain Phillimore was well known for
the extraordinary nature of his correspondence.
In his time it was the custom for Lords of
the Admiralty, when writing despatches to
commanders of ships at vast distances, to sign
themselves " Your affectionate friends." It was
considered a kindness to show friendliness towards
them, and to show they were not forgotten. When
184 ' YOUR AFFECTIONATE FRIEND' ch.
Captain Phillimore obtained command of a ship,
lie answered a despatch from the Lords of the
Admiralty, signing himself "Your affectionate
friend." The Admiralty did not quite appreciate
this, and sent a despatch saying that, though the
Lords of the Admiralty wrote in this manner to a
captain at a distance from home, it was not con-
sidered necessary for the captain to answer with the
same formula. To this Captain Phillimore replied :
I have received your Lordships 1 despatch, and can
assure you that I will never again sign myself — Your
affectionate friend, Phillimore.
Sir Henry Bulwer's conversation was not only
agreeable but very instructive. He was continually
quoting aphorisms, and once gave me a collection
of maxims, written by himself, which I published
some years ago as an article in the Nineteenth
Century. Lamenting his age, he used to say it
reminded him of the Due de Richelieu, who, on
being told by a lady that he was not really old,
replied, " I know that I am old, for there is one
certain sign of it. When I was young, if I paid a
compliment to a lady, she took it for a declaration.
Now, if I make a declaration, she takes it for a
compliment."
In 1870, when travelling abroad, I received at
Vienna a message from Sir Henry Bulwer that
he was at Trieste, staying with Charles Lever,
whom we had both known so well at Florence. I
went to see him. He was on his way to Egypt for
xv ROBERT LYTTON 185
his health, and died on his journey home, I think
at Naples.
Mr. Robert Lytton, who afterwards obtained
such distinction as poet under the name of " Owen
Meredith," as Ambassador, and as Viceroy of India,
was the nephew of Sir Henry Bulwer, and son of
Sir Edward Lytton, the well-known novelist, orator
and statesman, whose friendship I also enjoyed,
thanks to my acquaintance with his brother and
son. By the way, I recollect hearing Sir Robert
Peel, in the House of Commons, characterise Sir
Edward Lytton and Mr. Disraeli as " two fashion-
able novelists."
Through life, Robert Lytton and I were very
intimate. He was best man at my wedding, and I
was trustee to his marriage settlement, and had a
considerable amount of business in connection with
the details of his marriage.
Mr. Lytton proved by his subsequent life that
eminent merit and ability which were universally
recognised. He had the same affectionate dis-
position as the rest of his family, and, in addition,
an extraordinary plasticity of accomplishment. I
have seen him at work on philosophical instruments
and on toys. He was equally capable of modelling
a piece of sculpture and of constructing a fire-
balloon.
He was a great favourite with Lord Beacons-
field, and also with Lord Salisbury. As I shall
not return to his Indian career, it will perhaps not
be out of place here to introduce an interesting
186 BEACONSFIELDS SUPPORT ch.
letter he wrote to me in October 1879, relative to
the Afghan War : —
I am extremely grateful for your verv kind and considerate
letter written after your visit to Hughenden. It is, of course,
an immense comfort and support to me to feel that I have
the continued confidence of the Chief in this new and very
trying phase of our Afghan difficulties. I feel most keenly
the cruel position in which the Ministry is placed by so
wholly unexpected and unmerited a blow. And you may
be sure that my utmost, endeavours will be directed, as they
have hitherto been, to strengthen the hands of the Prime
Minister, and enable him to meet Parliament in the strongest
position on this question that is compatible with due regard
to those paramount national interests which are systematic-
ally ignored by a thoroughly unscrupulous Opposition. I
am persuaded that a sacrifice of those interests would not
really strengthen the present position or future reputation
of the Government, and the task now before us is full of
difficulties. I am not yet in a position to indicate any
definite course of action. Such a course, to be safe and
sound, must be guided by a much fuller knowledge than
we yet possess of the circumstances of the massacres, and
the present condition of the Afghan Provinces ; but, what-
ever it may ultimately be, I feel confident that the final
result of it will be an accession of strength to the Empire
and of credit to Her Majesty's Government. "Thy servant
slew the lion and the bear, and who is this uncircumcised
Philistine that he should fear him ? 11
As soon as I am able to see my way more clearly to a
practical solution of the problem, I will gratefully avail myself
of your friendly offer, and furnish you with a full and early
explanation of all my plans and proposals, and all the facts
in reference to which they are formed.
Nothing that has occurred shakes my faith in the sound-
ness of the policy which resulted in the Gundamak Treaty.
In my mind the aims and principles of that policy remain
not only unchanged but confirmed by all that has happened ;
though I recognise the necessity of a considerable change in
xv AFGHANISTAN 187
some of its methods. It is no longer possible to leave
independent of our supervision and control the internal
administration of any Afghan Government whose existence
is dependent on our support, and, in the present condition
of the country, no stable Afghan Government could exist
without our support. Abuses must be reformed and griev-
ances redressed with a strong hand. The people will welcome
any authority that does this for them. I mean the real
people — not the scoundrelism just now collected at Kabul.
And to any future arrangement, of a formal or permanent
character, the Sirdars must certainly be interested and
recognised parties, in accordance with the policy which has
answered so well in Beluchistan.
Afghanistan has at all times been a thoroughly artificial
political unit. The natural tendency to disintegration is
now so strong that I think it cannot be wisely disregarded
or opposed ; but the control of it is in our hands. I was
always persuaded — and this I told the Ameer — that the
Treaty of Gundamak was the last chance left for the
integrity of the Afghan Kingdom. Meanwhile the value
of the new frontier secured by that Treaty has been con-
spicuously proved by the rapidity with which, I trust, we
shall have occupied Kabul before this letter reaches you,
notwithstanding the desperate defence of the city which is
going on while I write, and also by the ease with which we
have already reoccupied Kandahar, where our return is
welcomed, as that of a deliverer, by the whole population
of Western Afghanistan. The Ameer, his Sirdars and
Ministers, the Herati Colonels and the Kabul people, were
all convinced that it would be impossible for us to move
forward in any force before the spring of next year ; and
they have been quite bewildered by the failure of this
calculation, on which they had made all their plans. But
had the crisis found us confined to our old frontier, the
calculation would have been perfectly correct.
I will take the earliest practical opportunity of writing to
you fully on the whole situation ; and meanwhile believe
me, my dear Wolff, with renewed thanks for your kind and
encouraging letter — Yours very sincerely, Lytton.
188 MARRIAGE oh.
P.S. — I trust you left Lord Beaconsfield in good health.
Were he only twenty years younger I should feel much
greater confidence than I do now in the destinies not only
of the Government but of the country.
A Bengalee paper said of Sir George Campbell, M.P.,
" He thought himself the Cactus Grandiflora of Bengal, and
flouted the native gentlemen with contumelious lip ; but the
House of Commons soon stripped him to rags and tatters,
and exposed his cui bono in all its naked hideousness. r>
Pray remember me to Lady Wolff. L.
In 1891, when on my way to Bucarest where
I was Minister for a short time, I stayed in Paris
in order to see Lord Lytton. I had been ill for
many months, and had been obliged to leave Persia.
From a hotel in the Faubourg St. Honore, where I
was staying, I sent to ask when I could see the
Ambassador. I was told that he was not well,
and I was obliged to go on my journey. The
next day I heard that he had died suddenly while
writing.
When living in Florence I became engaged, and
we were married very quietly at the Consulate at
Leghorn. My best man, as I said before, was Mr.
Lytton. Sir Henry Bulwer gave away the bride,
and her bridesmaids were the two daughters of
Lady Walpole, Miss Du Boulay, and an Italian
lady. From Leghorn we went to Lucca for a
few days, and thence to Carrara. Nothing can
be more beautiful than its marble quarries : they
are at the top of a mountain. The road leading
there is on the border of a clear, rapid stream, and
strewn with fragments of white marble dropped
xv CARRARA 189
from the carts that carry it down to the sea. We
ascended this road on donkeys.
There was little to see at Carrara, except an
opera-house made of marble, where there was a
company of great merit. We stayed there with
the British Consul, Mr. Walton, a kind and
hospitable gentleman, full of good feeling and in-
telligence. His one peculiarity was that, though
between sixty and seventy, he was always dwelling
on the sad fact that he was an orphan. Whenever
we said anything in admiration of his attachment
to some relatives in England, he used to answer,
" We are all orphans."
On returning from Carrara, we stayed for a few
days at the villa of Mr. Spence, one of the " lions "
of Florence. He was a painter, an excellent com-
panion, and a man of great humour. He had been
married to an Italian lady, who had died, and his
house and children were governed by his sister-
in-law.
After this visit we took boat at Leghorn, and
proceeded to Naples, where we remained for some
time.
CHAPTER XVI
British Legation at Naples — Neapolitan society — English visitors —
Lord and Lady Holland — Letters — Anecdotes of Popes
At Naples we found a most agreeable and in-
teresting society. Sir William Temple, brother of
Lord Palmerston — to whom the latter was much
attached — was Minister, and maintained the credit
of his country with great dignity. His position
was a very difficult one in consequence of the
differences between Lord Palmerston and the
various absolute Governments, and on account of
the opposition of England to the oppressive policy
of the King of Naples, known as Bomba. Sir
William Temple was very different from his brother.
With all his bonhomie, he had a manner quite the
contrary of Lord Palmerston's. He was very
quiet — almost shy — and from a- long diplomatic
career had learnt to moderate the expression of
his political feeling. He was, however, much liked
at Naples by the great mass of the people, though
some were afraid to consort with him, knowing
that he was looked upon with disfavour by the
Neapolitan Court.
Besides the Minister, the British Legation
190
ch. xvi LEGATION AT NAPLES 191
consisted of Mr. William Lowther as Secretary, the
father of the present Speaker ; Mr. Clare Ford,
whom I had known in London, and who was
subsequently Ambassador at Madrid, Constan-
tinople, and Rome ; and Mr. Fagan, who had
long lived in Italy, and whose mother was an
Italian. In consequence of this, and the fact that
he spoke the language like a native, he was mis-
trusted by the authorities, and the following curious
incident occurred. I quote from a newspaper of
the day : —
A few evenings since Mr. Fagan, First Attache to the
British Legation at Naples, was charged by his Minister
with a commission to Prince Satriano, the Superintendent
of Theatres. To execute it he was obliged to go to the Teatro
del Fondo, the commission being simply to request a benefit
for Signora Paressa, an English lady now singing in Naples.
On his entering the Prince's box, the Director (Minister)
of Police, who was opposite, began to make signs of the
greatest anger and the most menacing gesticulations in that
direction, to the great astonishment of Prince Satriano, who
was unable to divine the reason of it. On the following day
the Director sent for Signor Attanasio, one of the employes
of the Superintendenza, and, heaping the lowest insults on
Prince Satriano for having received such a man as Signor
Fagan, who was stigmatised as a birbante assassmo, and an
enemy of the King, ordered him to inform the Prince that
he prohibited him from ever again receiving Mr. Fagan in
his box.
Another attache to the Legation was Mr.
Fletcher Norton, son of Mrs. Norton, the
authoress, poetess, and beauty, who was a sister
of the Duchess of Somerset and Lady Dufferin.
Mrs. Norton herself was in Naples, during the
192 THE EVIL EYE oh.
greater part of our stay, with her son Brinsley.
M. Barrot, whom I have mentioned already, was
the French Minister. There also resided at Naples
Mr. Augustus Craven, who had been in diplomacy.
He had a very pleasant and hospitable house,
where he gave not only dinners, but private
theatricals. His wife was by birth Mademoiselle
de la Ferronaye : she was much liked in all
European society.
The Russian Minister was a man well known in
the world — Count Chreptovitch. He had married
a daughter of Count Nesselrode, a very acute and
clever woman. Later on he was accredited to
London, but before long gave way to Baron
Briinnow, who had been Minister before the war.
A curious incident occurred while I was at a ball
at their house. The Russians have a sweetmeat
made of sugar, manipulated in a certain fashion
until it assumes the form of a reed- plant. Guests
break pieces off from the points of the leaves
to eat. On this particular occasion, there was
present a Neapolitan who had the character of
possessing la jettatura, or the evil eye, so that
anything he looked upon underwent some mis-
fortune. As I was standing near the imitation
reed, which formed the principal ornament of the
table, he came and, like every one else, broke off
the end of a leaf. As he touched it, the whole
thing came down with a crash. I had met this
gentleman at Florence, and knew of his reputation.
When this occurred I saw him turn perfectly
xvi ENGLISH IN NAPLES 193
white : he made some exclamation of annoyance,
and left the house.
We also made the acquaintance at Naples of
Count and Countess Bernstorff, whom we sub-
sequently knew very well in London, where he
succeeded Baron Bunsen. He was here for a long-
time, and was much liked. I still possess the
card inviting us to the great ball given by them at
Prussia House, at which the Queen and Prince
Albert were present, at the time of the Crimean
War.
Amongst the Italians of whom we saw a good
deal were the Marchese Caracciolo and his younger
brother, the Duke of St. Arpino. Both were sons
of the Duke of San Teodoro. Marchese Carac-
ciolo married the widow of Lord Burghersh.
He succeeded first to the title of his younger
brother, who died, and later on to that of his
father. Other Italians who lived very much
with the English and spoke our language were
the Duke of Forli and Prince Dentice. The
young men of Naples who had sympathy with
England all bought English bulldogs, whom they
used to address in such terms as, " G — d— you,
come here, bulldog ! "
The Court lived in great seclusion and gave no
entertainments. The only hospitality shown by
royalty was the reception of morning visits by the
Count and Countess de Trapani. She was a Tuscan
princess. There were also some very interesting
French plays given from time to time by the
vol. i o
194 LORD AND LADY HOLLAND ch.
Count of Syracuse, in which members of Nea-
politan society took part. I recollect that on one
occasion the celebrated French song "La corde
sensible" was excellently sung by Count Marcello
Gallo, said to be a descendant of Marcellus Gallus.
This brought the old world and the new somewhat
close together.
There were a great many travellers, some of
whom I have already mentioned, having known
them in Florence, amongst others Colonel West, a
son of Lord De La Warr. In Naples we met
Mr. and Lady Hermione Graham, who were
only just married. She was a niece of Mrs.
Norton, and we saw them constantly, as Sir
William Temples friends all lived in a little
clique, dining together almost every day. But
the great feature of society was the house of
Lord and Lady Holland, the Palazzo Rocella. In
their home was one continual round of enter-
tainment. Though Lord Holland was a strong
Liberal, and came of a staunch Liberal family, he
was acceptable to the whole of Neapolitan society.
Lord Holland was a relative of Lady Walpole, and
her trustee — Mr. Spencer Walpole also being a
member of the trust. Lady Holland was through
life a great friend of my wife's, and we still possess
many letters of hers giving the most interesting
social and political news.
I have many reasons for gratitude to Lord
Holland up to the time when I left England in
1859, the year he died. He had three houses
xvi LORD PALMERSTONS DEATH 195
besides the one already mentioned : Holland House
in London, St. Anne's Hill, Chertsey, and a house
in Paris, which they visited occasionally. All four
were made pleasant to the guests admitted to them,
and, wherever Lord and Lady Holland lived, there
was always to be found the cream of social success.
One of their great friends was a gentleman
named Ridgway, an old man with curly hair, who
was related, I believe, to the publishing firm. He
was very rich, giving constant dinners, and was
always making little presents to ladies. Two of
Lord Holland's special intimates were M. Masson
and the Comte de Pontois, who had been French
Ambassador at Constantinople. Like many of
their friends, M. Pontois was an Orleanist, while
M. Masson was also a politician of great modera-
tion. In a letter written to my wife by Lady
Holland, she says : —
I will transgress your orders and answer your kind line,
for this reason, that as you happen to mention M. Masson
and Count Pontois, I feel an itching to tell you that the
former has just been named Prefet du Dipartement du
Nord, and the other has been made happy by the restitution
of that part of his pension of retired Ambassador of which
he had been most iniquitously deprived.
Shortly after Lord Palmerston's death Lady
Holland wrote as follows : —
I am very unhappy about poor Palmerston. He is the
last of the set I remember at Holland House when I entered
it, and she has ever been a kind and true friend to me. I
have had a long letter from Fanny Jocelyn. She says her
mother is weak, but bears up and is calm and resigned —
196 THE COMMUNE oh.
happy that he went first, as she feels she was essential to
him, which is perfectly true.
Another time she writes : —
Poor Lord Dalling ! It has been a grief — a great
grief — to all of us. He had token a fancy to Mary, 1 and
their correspondence was regular and charming. It is a
heavy penalty for life, that of losing dear friends.
The following was written when Paris was
destroyed, during the Commune : —
You come to me for consolation ! Alas ! I am in the
depths of despondency. I regret to have lived to see such
horrors. Vandalism in the nineteenth century ! Oh, what
a people ! Voltaire says — where ? I forget — " singes et
tigres." I cannot forgive the sinners the faults they have
committed. J. Favre and Thiers are cause of all — not to
disarm, then going to Versailles, and taking two months
to collect an army which now will be one of the great
difficulties, leaving time for the perpetration of horrors. A
male population of upwards of a million supine while their
capital was being prepared for utter destruction ! You ask
me if any of my political habitues know where the country is
drifting. My habitues are few just now. Poor old Pontois
has received the last Sacrament at Boulogne-sur-Mer, but
has rallied since. Broglie is gone to look after his
wounded son. I have a letter from a friend just fresh from
Versailles. He says he can't find a solution for the present
difficulties, and adds: "Monsieur Thiers joue les monarchistes
blancs et tricolores. Les republicains jouent M. Thiers.
Les <F Orleans jouent les Bourbons, et il se pourrait qiiau
lendemain de la chute de Paris, les deux drapeaux serieux
fussent celui de la republique et celui de V Empire /" I don't
believe in either, but I feel no interest more. Paris de-
stroyed ! I care not for the destroyers or those who have
allowed the destruction.
Goodbye. I am too wretched. I cannot write.
1 Lady Holland's adopted daughter.
xvi LORD HOLLANDS LETTERS 197
Lord Holland wrote to me from Naples on
April 27, 1858, as follows : —
I send you a letter to put in the post, and write in
hopes of hearing from you, for I have nothing to tell you
interesting from here.
Dizzy's Budget seems to be a success. I am glad for
him. It always gives me pleasure to see talent successful
and triumph over humdrum.
I do not think the state of Europe is at all comfortable.
It seems to me that the Emperor at Paris has got into
trouble and difficulties foreign and domestic by his violent
terror since the crime of Orsini. He has been blowing hot
and cold, and lost his calm impassibility. I fear that to
divert ill-will at home, and to give other interests to foreign
nations and people, he will judge (perhaps not unwisely)
that war is the only game left to him to play. He grinds
his teeth at us, but I suspect he does not mean to strike at
us. He has no immediate point to gain. His blows, if he
does deal them, will be against others ; but, sooner than fall,
he will see all Europe up in arms and trust to his " Star,"'
which, though not so bright as it was, does not seem setting
yet, to get some material advantage somewhere in the
scramble. All Italy and, I believe, Vienna too are
trembling — some of the governed with hope — all that
govern, with fear. Pray write.
In another letter from Naples, he wrote : —
M. Brenier is here. The King ran away to a distant
and fictitious hunt in the country. The Foreign Minister
and several of the courtiers have taken to their beds to
avoid even the imputation of having spoken to him. He
has quietly observed that if the King does not fix a day he
shall go back and leave with His Majesty the responsibility
of having refused to receive him.
On October .'J, 1854, Lord Holland wrote me
the following letter from Paris : —
198 PAPAL WIT cm
Your friend, Mr. Lytton, dined with us yesterday, so
we have lost no time in trying to make acquaintance. Odo
Russell and also came. The latter is to succeed Odo at
the Embassy here, which I much regret, as Odo is very
agreeable, and 's intellect, I am willing to suppose, is
far beyond the comprehension of such prosaic beings as
myself. . . .
Hiibner's felicitations on the victory in the Crimea was
not from Austrian Minister to French Minister, but from
Emperor to Emperor. A friend of mine saw the original
despatch !
Lord Odo Russell was always a most popular
man. When at Rome, as unofficial agent, he
managed to obtain the good graces of the Pope,
Pius IX. One day, after an audience, His
Holiness expressed to a Cardinal, who was with
him, his liking for the English Agent.
The Cardinal said, "Forse qnalchc giorno sard
cattolico."
Pio Nono's reply is said to have been, " Non
mm cattolico, ma cattivissimo protest ante."
I know many other instances of the wit of
Popes, and hope the two following anecdotes have
not been related before.
Gregory XIV., who was much addicted to
taking snuff, offered a pinch to a country priest.
" No, mille grazie, Santita" was the reply.
" Non ho quel vizio."
The Pope said, " Se fosse un vizio, V avreste."
The late Pope, when a Cardinal, went a great
deal into society, where his wit and conversational
powers were much appreciated. Once, at a dinner-
party, he perceived that at one end of the table
xvi ABOUT BISHOPS 199
a snuff-box was being shown by one of the guests
to his neighbours, and also that precautions were
apparently being used to prevent the Cardinal
from seeing it. These were useless, and he
requested that the box might be sent up for him
to inspect. On the lid was the representation of
the nude figure of a woman. When the Cardinal
saw it, he said to the owner, " A very handsome
woman ! You are quite right always to travel
with a picture of your wife."
A story was once told me of the Bishop of
Agen. He had been married before he became a
priest, and his daughters did the honours of the
episcopal palace. A very devote French lady
called upon him, and was rather astonished when
a young man came into the room, whom the
Bishop introduced as " Mon fits." A few minutes
later another young man came in, whereupon the
Bishop said, "Mon second fils" The lady then
started up, saying, " Une fois passe. A tout peche
miser icorde. Mais deux fois — 6 monseigneur ! "
and she left the room.
CHAPTER XVII
Return to Florence — Journey to England — Prince Louis Lucien
Bonaparte — Chemical and philological studies — Family — Mutual
friends — Meetings with Prince Louis Lucien.
After our stay in Naples, we returned to Florence
and found Mr. Scarlett installed in lieu of Mr.
Erskine, who had returned to Turin. Mr. Scarlett
did not remain there very long, as he was appointed
Minister at Brussels, and Lord Normanby suc-
ceeded to the post he desired. This change, how-
ever, took place after I had returned to the Foreign
Office in London.
On our journey to England, we stayed in Paris
and saw Prince Louis Lucien Bonaparte, whom
we had both known for many years. With him
was an Italian officer, who had been in the French
army and was known as Commandant Cavagnari :
it was his son who was killed in Afghanistan.
Prince Louis Lucien was a very remarkable
man and a great student ; an eminent chemist,
as well as a great philologist. One of his special
studies in chemistry was that of poisons, and how
far they could be utilised for the benefit of
humanity. It was his idea that hydrophobia was
200
ch. xvii SUICIDE ABANDONED 201
caused by the circulation of the blood being over-
stimulated, and, as an antidote, he considered that
the poison of vipers would be beneficial, its effect
being to diminish rapidity of circulation. With
this object he used to collect vipers, and, having
put pressure on their throats, he held a watch-
glass, on which they would deposit two drops of
venom. This remedy was tried on a man in
the last stage of hydrophobia, and, though his life
was not saved, his violence was softened and
tranquillised.
On one occasion Prince Lucien was showing
his vipers to a young lady of sentimental disposi-
tion, who professed to wish to terminate her
existence. She asked him for a viper, so as to
carry out her object, and he, knowing that the
viper had been rendered innocuous some hours
before, gave her one immediately. The young lady
said, however, that her death would grieve her
mother too much, and so she relinquished the idea.
The Prince's linguistic studies were excessively
minute and careful, and he had begun a dictionary
in, I believe, fifty-two languages. He had also
erected a monument to the last woman known to
have spoken Cornish. He paid special attention
to English dialects, and, though not himself able
completely to formulate the pronunciation of
English words, he defined very clearly the rules
by which pronunciation should be guided. The
Song of Solomon was translated by his orders into
every English dialect.
202 PRINCE LOUIS I,. BONAPARTE ch.
The following is an instance of liis analytic
powers : —
Chary is an adjective which signifies not only " careful,
cautious,'' and sometimes even "sad," but also the French
adjective vunager, so that chary - woman means char-
woman, or, vulgarly, chare-woman. Chary, in effect, is, as
well as careful, the adjective of care. Spiers' French-English
and English - French dictionary gives menager as one of
the meanings of the English chary, and in the Ormulum,
i. 1274, one finds : For turtle ledeth chariz lif, " For the
turtle leads a mournful life." In the sense of " sad," chary
is rarely used, but in that of menager, menagere, it is the
synonym of char in char-woman, who, after all, is only a
care-xvoman.
Care and chare have also the sense of the French souci
and of the Italian cura.
The Anglo-Saxon root of care is caru, "sorrow, care,"
and that of chary is cear'ig, "full of care," which is itself
derived from cearu, the Anglo-Saxon synonym of caru.
Prince Louis Lucien was the son of Prince
Lucien Bonaparte, the brother of Napoleon I. who
refused a crown. He was the younger brother
of the Prince of Canino, who was of a far more
turbulent nature. Prince Louis Lucien was
high in the confidence of the Emperor Napoleon
III., and I believe was one of the guardians
appointed to the Prince Imperial. He was much
depressed by the death of the latter, and, though
he had always led a very secluded life, was still
more of a recluse afterwards. The downfall of the
Empire seriously injured his financial position,
though I believe he inherited some money from
his nephew, Mr. Stuart, the son of Lord Dudley
L^ '^in-<. 1
/^^^W^
xvii HIS LONDON HOME 203
Stuart, who had married his sister. Mr. Glad-
stone, who had a great respect for him on account
of his literary qualities, conferred on him an
English pension, being enabled to say with trutli
that he was a British subject, as he was born at
Thorngrove House, in Herefordshire.
In feature, the Prince presented a striking
resemblance to the Emperor Napoleon I. He had
discarded the strong Liberal principles professed
by his elder brother, the Prince of Canino, and
his younger brother, Prince Pierre. When about
sixteen, he had written a poem against the
Papacy, which later in life, however, he upheld
and reverenced. He was a perfect encyclopaedia
of learning, ancient and modern, and wrote English
idiomatically, as a result of much study. He had
two semi-detached houses in Westbourne Grove,
now called Norfolk Terrace, Bayswater. In one
of them he lived ; but he devoted the other to
science, forming a magnificent philological library,
and converting the cellars into a chemical labora-
tory. In his library there was the following
inscription : —
O beata solitudo,
O sola beatitudo !
He never interfered in politics. The early part of
his manhood was passed in a little villa called the
Villino Bonaparte, outside the Porta San Gallo
at Florence, on a rivulet, the Mugnone, not far
from the Villa Palmieri. Here he sought the
society of professors and philosophers. He also
204 ORSINI ch.
possessed a villa at Montughi, left to him by his
uncle, the Comte de St. Leu — Louis, ex-King of
Holland, brother of Napoleon I., and father of
Napoleon III.
In London, where I first knew him, Prince
Louis Lucien often went to the house of some
relatives of mine, who had lived on terms of great
intimacy with him at Florence. In London they
kept up the old Italian habit of receiving every
evening, and their house was quite cosmopolitan.
They were most hospitable and kind-hearted, and
had a large acquaintance of a miscellaneous
character ; but, being advanced Liberals of the
Continental type, they at times received the
principal revolutionary leaders, and were cognisant
of their plans and proceedings. Prince Louis
Lucien, who was a faithful friend, did not desist
from frequenting the house, though often deploring
the political tendencies of those he met there. He
made it a point of pride, when his fortunes were
prospering, not to abandon his early friends, and,
even as a first cousin of the Emperor Napoleon III.,
he was frequently constrained to meet at this house
persons whose political labour and methods were
distasteful and even hostile to him.
I recollect on one occasion, in 1856, the lion
of the evening was Orsini, who had recently
escaped from prison at Mantua. I did not speak
with him ; but I remember his face, the dominating
feature of which was a restless pair of black eyes.
Prince Louis Lucien drove me home that evening,
xvii SEEKING FOR NEWS 205
and I gathered from his manner how much
annoyed he had been at the meeting, and at the
conversation he had heard of the Italians present.
He scarcely spoke. His mood was one of sorrow
at meeting persons so hostile to the head of his
family, from whom he was receiving great benefits.
On leaving me at my door, he expressed a wish
to see me again soon, but added that thenceforth
it had better be at his own house. He did not
entirely abandon his old friends, but never went
to see them unless satisfied that there were no
strangers. After the attempt by Orsini, I fancy
he discontinued his visits altogether.
At the outset of the French disasters in 1870,
he came to me at the Athenaeum, of which we
were both members, and, curiously enough, took
me in his carriage with the Bonaparte liveries to
the door of the Prussian Embassy, where I
endeavoured to obtain some authentic news.
This occurred a few days before my going abroad
and visiting the seat of war. At the fall of the
Empire, the Prince naturally lost his allowance
as well as his pay as Senator, and, having made
some bad investments, he was at one time reduced
to considerable pecuniary straits. He would never,
however, at any time part with his library, which
contained some thousands of Bibles, or with his
collection of chemicals, including some very valu-
able metals which he intended at one time to leave
to the British Museum ; but he found some
technical difficulty in carrying out this wish.
CHAPTER XVIII
Return to Foreign Office — Changes — Foreign Office and House of
Commons — Hard work in connection with the Crimean War —
Entertainments — Friends in the diplomatic corps — Holland House
—Friends in London — Letter from Lord Lytton on writing novels
—Mr. Kinglake on Fiction.
When I got back to the Foreign Office, I found
considerable changes. Lord Aberdeen had become
head of the Government, and Lord Palmerston
Home Secretary. Lord Clarendon was at the
Foreign Office, with Lord Wodehouse as Under-
Secretary. Mr. Hammond had been appointed
Permanent Under-Secretary, and Mr. Spencer
Ponsonby was again private secretary to the
Secretary of State.
Since that time, I have been very much struck
by the necessity of the Foreign Office being repre-
sented in the House of Commons, either by the
Secretary of State or by the Under-Secretary. A
great deal of harm was done during Lord Palmer-
ston's administration, for neither Lord Clarendon
nor Lord Wodehouse had ever been in the House of
Commons. The result was that the whole burden
of defending our foreign policy fell upon Lord
Palmerston, who naturally could not give the same
206
ch. xviii DEFEAT OF PALMERSTON 207
attention to details as a younger man less over-
whelmed with business. The work of representa-
tives of a department in the House of Commons
lies not merely in debating, but in conversing in
the lobbies with other Members, and in ascertain-
ing the real spirit which pervades Parliament.
This clearly could not be done by a man of Lord
Palmerston's calibre. After all, the talks in the
lobbies, though merely a superior kind of gossip,
are most important as indicating the current of
public opinion.
The result was that, when Lord Palmerston's
Government was turned out, it was on a question
of foreign policy. He had successfully overcome
the opposition to the Chinese War, and had also
obtained the upper hand in the subsequent dissolu-
tion ; but on the Conspiracy Bill, which was the
means taken by the new Parliament to upset him,
he had no notion, it is said, until the division was
taken, that there was such strong feeling in the
House on the subject. Mr. Clive intended to move
the adjournment just before the division, but this
Lord Palmerston declined, knowing that a much
more disagreeable question, of a personal character,
would shortly be raised.
Lord Wodehouse was succeeded by Lord Shel-
burne, and thus the Foreign Office was again at
a disadvantage from having no representative in
the popular House.
I found that I had returned to really hard work,
for we were approaching the Crimean War. It is
208 THE CRIMEAN WAR oh.
difficult now to realise the great labour that fell
to our share in the Foreign Office, for several
countries were involved, both belligerent and non-
belligerent. Prussia, though non-belligerent, took
active steps in favour of Russia. Austria, though
also neutral, sympathised with the Allies, and
would have finally joined in the war had Russia
shown any reluctance to accept the peace when
offered. At the height of the war, the following
nations were concerned : England, France, and
Sardinia, as belligerents ; Austria and Prussia as
non-belligerents, and many minor countries were
similarly affected — Saxony amongst them, whose
Minister at Paris was very active in working for
peace. He was Count Seebach, who had married a
daughter of Count Nesselrode, Countess Chrepto-
vitch's sister.
The result of this was an enormous amount of
work. Of every despatch coming or going, in con-
nection with the war, at least seven or eight copies
had to be made for the information of the Missions
to the different Courts especially involved. In
addition to this, there was the ciphering and
deciphering of telegrams, fair records of which had
also to be sent whenever a Queen's Messenger
started with a bag.
I was placed in the Austrian and Prussian
Department, which was more burdened with work
than any other. Telegrams from Constantinople
were sent by telegraph to Adrianople, where
Queen's Messengers were waiting to carry them
xviii QUEENS MESSENGERS 209
to Belgrade, whence they were sent to Vienna,
then the nearest telegraph -station. Thus these
telegrams came under the Austrian Department.
The wonderful journeys of some Queen's Mes-
sengers on horseback were common topics of con-
versation. One of them told me that whenever he
had to change horses, it was impossible for him to
get off one horse or to mount the other. He used,
therefore, to be carried, saddle and all, to the relay
horse. The services of one Queen's Messenger,
Colonel Townley, were so valuable that Lord
Palmerston eulogised them in Parliament.
As for my own part in the business, I often
wonder how I got through it. Not only had I to
work at the Office in the day-time for many hours,
but, as there was no special telegraph service estab-
lished — it being then quite new — I had to keep the
ciphers at my own house, and used to be called up
at any hour to decipher despatches. When this
was done, I had to make four or five copies : one for
the Queen, one for the Secretary of State, one each
for the Leaders of the House of Lords and the
House of Commons, and one for general circulation
in the Cabinet. We all cudgelled our brains to
find some means of facilitating this work, and I
recollect later going with Lord Shelburne to one
or two places to examine inventions with this
object. Alas ! type -writing was unknown. It
would have spared some lives, and the health of
many, for the labour was really killing. But work,
and hard work, engenders the power of more work,
vol. i p
210 A GREAT BEAUTY oh.
and while all this was going on I also undertook
some literary employment.
There was a good deal of amusement, too, con-
sidering the general pressure. Lady Palmerston
and Lady Clarendon gave their usual receptions,
as did the other Ministers' wives. Two balls in
uniform were given about this time — for I can-
not tie myself down to exact dates — one by the
Turkish Ambassador, and one at the Prussian
Legation.
Count Walewski, the French Ambassador, who
married, as has already been stated, the daughter
of Marchesa Ricci, also gave numerous parties and
receptions. At one of these I recollect that Miss
de Rothschild, daughter of Baron Lionel de
Rothschild, made her first appearance, and was
much admired for her marvellous beauty. She
subsequently married her cousin, Baron Alphonse
de Rothschild, who has recently died.
Amongst my friends in the diplomatic corps,
the principal ones were Count Corti and Count
Gropello, of the Sardinian Legation, and Monsieur
Sarmiento, son of Baron Moncorvo, the Portuguese
Minister. Mademoiselle Sarmiento, his sister,
married, I believe, Mr. Sandeman. The whole
family were always very good-natured and cordial.
I also knew, though not so intimately as those
just mentioned, the Marquis d' Azeglio, Sardinian
Minister. He was the nephew of the great
Massimo d' Azeglio, whom I had also met more
than once at Florence, and with whom, on one
xviii HOLLAND HOUSE 211
occasion, 1 made the journey from Leghorn to
Genoa.
Lady Holland had been good enough to give to
my wife letters to her friends, who were very kind ;
and when they themselves came to London, we
were constantly at Holland House. Society there
was notably international, with a strong element of
old Italian. It was there that Madame Castisdione
made more than one appearance. I recollect that,
when going from Holland House to a party at
Lansdowne House, she met a lady who had known
her well during her childhood and youth in Italy,
and who said to her, " Come siete be/la ! " Madame
Castiglione replied, " Lo dicono, ma io non lo so."
Lord and Lady Holland consistently maintained
the reputation of the house. His mother had been
a very remarkable and eccentric woman, who kept
control of her dinner-table by placing near her
chair a page, named Harold, whom she sent with
messages to her guests. Mr. Macaulay was a con-
stant frequenter of her house. They say that his
defect was holding forth at too great length. He
was only checked by a message sent to him by
Lady Holland through Harold : " Her Ladyship's
compliments, and she hopes Mr. Macaulay will
change the conversation ! "
At the head of what may be called the Anglo-
Italian society was Sir Antonio Panizzi. He was,
I believe, Modenese by birth, and a man of great
literary ability, which led to his being made Chief
Librarian at the British Museum. He was fully
212 SIR ANTONIO PANIZZI oh.
trusted by the Whig party, and gave them advice
at a time when Italian politics were very much to
the fore. He had one quality of an extraordinary
character, namely, the knowledge of the backs of
books. If any one required a list of the authorities
on any given subject, Sir Antonio Panizzi would
sit down, and, without consulting any book of
reference, write a list of works that exhausted the
whole subject. The former librarian at Holland
House had been a gentleman who also had most
extensive knowledge : he was known as " Lady
Holland's Atheist," being an unobtrusive disbeliever
in all revealed religion.
In those days 1 had a very little house in
Berkeley Square, just opposite Lansdowne House,
where I met with much kindness both from Lord
Lansdowne and his son, Lord Shelburne, who after
the Peace was raised to the peerage, and became
Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
At the time of the renewal of relations with
Russia, Lord Wodehouse was appointed Minister at
St. Petersburg, having as his First Secretary Mr.
Julian Fane, a man of great accomplishments, who
was much beloved. They were both extraordinarily
young for the posts to which they were appointed.
In conjunction with Mr. Lytton, Mr. Julian Fane
later wrote a poem called Tannhauser, which had
a great popularity.
Amongst other letters that I brought to London
were two from Sir Henry Bulwer and Mr. Lytton
to their brother and father, Sir Edward Bulwer
xvm NOVEL-WRITING 213
Lytton. From that time, till the day of his death,
I was fortunate enough to have his confidence and
friendship, and I passed much of my time at Kneb-
worth. A short time previously, I had endeavoured
to write a novel, which, fortunately for me, is now
buried in oblivion ; but at Mr. Lytton's suggestion
I had sent a copy of it to his father, from whom I
received in return the following interesting letter
of advice : —
I have read your tale with much interest. It is marked
by freshness and originality, and gives great promise, if you
will do justice to that promise by deep and careful study of
those principles of narrative composition by which alone you
can adequately work out the results you would have in view.
A first work of this kind is generally struck off without
method from vivid impressions that would reproduce them-
selves spontaneously. But he who desires to become a master
in the art of fiction will afterwards learn how to concentre
his impressions and experience so as to have one clear and
strong conception of the leading ideas he would present, and
he will then pass from conception to execution with deliberate
forethought as to the most effective and skilful modes of im-
pressing the ideas upon the widest range of human minds. To
do this he will consider what scenes in his story he should
select for most effect, and consider how they are to be worked
up through passion or humour to their fitting grade in the
scale of feeling. There are three masterpieces in narration
which can never be too much studied — the (Edipus Tyrannus*
The Brule of ' .Lammermoor, and Tom Jones. — Yours truly,
E. B. L.
* The Drama differs in its laws from the Novel, but should be
carefully studied no less by the Novel-writer. Voltaire's plays instruct
much as to the art of telling a story and leading to a catastrophe — in
other words, to the sustainnient of interest.
Although I am anticipating by rather a long
214 MR. KINGLAKE ON FICTION ch.
period, I may perhaps couple with Lord Lytton's
letter another, on Fiction, written to me many years
later by Mr. Kinglake. I had been invited to
address a literary institution at Huddersfield. Mr.
Kinglake, like myself, was very fond of novel-
reading, and at that time a set had been made at
novels, which we considered pedantic and unfair.
The following is Mr. Kinglake's letter : —
In making a choice of books, I hope you will not overlook
the Novel. Of course, a great novel does not lecture or
preach, but for that very reason the more it governs the
heart of the reader. What the Iliad, what the acted drama
has been to mankind, the novel is at this day. It tells one
of Life — life freed from its humdrum details ; life, in short,
with the dull parts left out ; so that at one and the same
moment the happy reader can enjoy the independence of
solitude, and the charm of the most delightful society —
society caught and seized by the power of genius at its
fairest and brightest moments.
It is mainly, I think, by novels that a high ideal of human
excellence is maintained ; and — as though for the furtherance
of that very end — there is always a tacit convention between
the author of the novel and its reader. The author is under-
stood to engage that the " hero, - " whatever his faults, shall at
least be brave, honourable, generous, and that the "heroine'"
shall be a true, enchanting woman. With this understand-
ing, the readers — before even cutting the pages — vow and
promise a kind of allegiance ; my lady undertaking to
love, honour, and — theoretically — obey the yet unseen
" hero," who, because of the accepted " convention," is
almost sure to be worthy of her; and the man-reader fondly
betrothing himself to one who, because she is the " heroine,"
must needs be lovely and true. The author, on his part, does
not dare forget the " convention " — does not dare make the
" hero " a mean fellow, or the " heroine " unwomanly. If he
were to do so, the injured readers would fill heaven and
xviii NOVEL-READING 215
earth with their complaints, and this quite justly, because
in such case they would be dupes who had been led to
promise their affections to unworthy objects. So, from the
healthy relations thus established between the teacher and
the taught, it follows that a higher and higher ideal is always
being offered by the novel, and is always, too, being accepted
by the docile, grateful reader.
Hence it is that amongst us novel -readers there obtains
a conceptional elevation of the moral character which tends
to make us better than our neighbours — much better, for
instance, than you busy statesmen who blunt your souls
with blue-books.
I am only, of course, speaking of that single, though
great step towards excellence which consists in having a
high ideal ; and we must not forget the real examples
afforded us by sacred and profane history ; but still I must
own that to novels — good novels — I owe what approach
towards perfection I have hitherto been able to make.
I hope you will tell your hearers that, whenever they are
reading a really good novel, they may be sure that they are
holding converse with a mind of the highest order ; and the
lighter the touch, the greater in all probability is the
intellectual strength of the artist. I once read an article
in a magazine upon a grave, if not abstruse subject, and it
was written with so much power, with such judgment, with
such absolute command of the subject, and, besides, in such
sterling English, that I was led to ask the name of the
writer endowed with so much strength. The answer was,
" Mrs. Oliphant " ! I had long been under the charm of her
delightful novels, and had recognised, of course, the fertility
of her invention, her subtle knowledge of character, and her
faculty of keeping one interested at every page ; but that
answer taught me that a part of the spell, after all, was
a powerful intellect reinforcing that faculty of swift percep-
tion, which is peculiarly the woman's gift. — Always, my dear
Wolff, very truly yours, A. W. Kinglake.
p m S. — You now ask me to say which of Mrs. Oliphanfs
novels I like best ; but I could not well answer the question
216 MRS. OLIPHANT'S BOOKS ch. xvm
without having, as it were, a kind of remorse at the notion
of leaving any of them unpreferred. Still, for the sake of
one of the most charming characters she has created, I will
say that you might well counsel your young friends to read
The Three Brothers. The more they come to love the
" Padrona," the worthier jthey will be of this heart-stirring,
human existence, in which, after all, such a one as the
" Padrona " is possible.
CHAPTER XIX
Holiday in Elba — Napoleon's exile — Maubreuil's design — Napoleon's
journey to Elba — Museum — Claude Holard — M. Larabit -
Souvenirs of the Emperor — His library — Expedition to Marciana
— Visit of lady and child to Napoleon — Speculations as to their
identity.
As I have said before, I took frequent journeys
to Italy. I went there for my usual two months'
leave shortly after my return to England, and
again in 1854, when, in consequence of an attack
that affected my eyes, owing to writing late at
night, I was ordered complete rest. I therefore
went with my family to Elba, a place I had long
wished to visit as being one of the few, connected
with the history of Napoleon, which had not been
ransacked. It certainly contained, within its narrow
limits, a great variety of interesting features.
By the Treaty of Fontainebleau, Elba had been
allotted to Napoleon as a sovereignty, and it was
of his own choice, for Corfu and Corsica had also
been proposed to him. At Elba he found, as
Lamartine has said, "the horizon, the sky, the
air, the waves of his childhood." It was full of
historic associations, and it was here he elected to
217
218 MAUBREUIL ch.
stay with such of his followers as saw fit to remain
faithful to him.
On his way to the South, an incident occurred
which was an unhappy prelude to this period of
practical imprisonment. A man named Maubreuil,
one of the Household of the Queen of West-
phalia, was furnished with extraordinary powers
for an object suspected but never avowed. The
Minister of Police placed his services at the
command of Maubreuil, as did the Minister of
War, who gave similar orders to his troops, while
■Generals Sacken and Brockenhausen gave strict
directions that Maubreuil should be obeyed, and
in the manner he should require. There can be
little doubt that it was intended to make away
with the Emperor ; but he was saved by the fidelity
of some of the Commissioners attached to him.
Strange to say, at the time of the Congress of
Paris in 1856, an application was made by a man,
who signed himself Maubreuil, for pecuniary assist-
ance from the Allied Powers. He stated that the
circumstances of his secret mission in 1814 were
known to their respective Governments. The
existence of this application was communicated to
the representatives of those Powers ; but no notice
apparently was outwardly paid to it, though it was
generally believed that means were taken to satisfy
him.
On April 27, Napoleon arrived at Frejus with
his sister, the Princess Pauline, and embarked on
the Undaunted for his new dominion. On leaving;
xix CLAUDE HOLARD 219
France he observed, " II iiy a que les mo?~ts qui ne
reviennent pas." On the morning of the 1st of May,
the Undaunted fell in with two or three English
ships, detached to occupy Bastia and Calvi, and
the officers were astonished at the amount of
general knowledge which the Emperor displayed.
At Elba I found that many of the interesting
relics of Napoleon had been collected in a museum
at San Martino, belonging to Prince Demidoff,
the husband of the Princess Matilde Bonaparte. By
his orders, no strangers were allowed to visit the
museum, which had been the favourite residence
of the Emperor. It appeared that the Prince had
forbidden all access to the collection, on account of
some remarks made by the Independance Beige.
On our visit we came across M. Holard, who
had been gardener to the Emperor. He had sub-
mitted to Napoleon the sacrifices he had made
in his service, and was named gardener to the
Emperors sister, Princess Elise of Piombino, after-
wards Grand Duchess of Tuscany. In 1814, circum-
stances had forced him to leave that employment.
The Emperor then appointed him director of the
Imperial gardens, both at Porto Ferrajo and on the
neighbouring island of Pianosa. He was employed
at the palace of Malmaison during the Hundred
Days, and he and his wife both endeavoured to
follow the Emperor to St. Helena. Unable to do
this, they returned to Piombino to live on a small
property given them by the Princess. Holard was
recommended by the Duke of Wellington to Lord
220 DESERVING PENSIONER oh.
Burghersh, afterwards Minister at Florence. Un-
fortunately, he found his property had been con-
fiscated, and for some time was reduced to great
straits. Prince DemidofF, however, engaged him
as gardener at San Martino, where he would have
been happy but for the somewhat oppressive
character of Prince Demidoff's agent in the
island.
I had some correspondence with Claude Holard
after I left Elba, and I now have in my possession
four letters from him, which, however, are rather
difficult to read. I am happy to say that by the
representations I made to Count Walewski — then
Ambassador in London — I succeeded in bringing
M. Holard's case before the Emperor Napoleon
III., who gave him and his wife a pension for life.
I received from Count Walewski the two follow-
ing letters respecting poor Holard. The first is
dated March 2, 1855, from Albert Gate House : —
I thank you for having thought of sending me the por-
trait of the old gardener in the island of Elba. I shall
hasten to take the first opportunity of obtaining for him
the kindness of the Emperor. Your account of the island is
certainly of a nature to excite the interest of His Majesty in
favour of Claude Holard.
Another, of the 18th of June, is written from the
Foreign Office at Paris : —
I have just received the letter which you did me the
honour to write on the 12th of last month. I have had
great pleasure in helping to smooth the lot of Claude
Holard, and instructing the Consular Agent of France at
Porto Ferrajo to place pecuniary assistance at his disposal.
xix DISTINGUISHED COMPANION 221
Elba was full of souvenirs of the Emperor.
On the steamer going to Porto Ferrajo, we met
M. Larabit, a French senator. Forty years pre-
viously, he had passed ten months at Elba as the
only officer of Engineers attached to the miniature
army of Napoleon. During that period, he had
been entrusted with the construction of all the
works undertaken in the island, and, having accom-
panied the Emperor on his return, he had witnessed
most of the occurrences of the Hundred Days.
Since then he had risen to distinction. As a
Deputy under Louis Philippe, he was most active
in the preservation of all connected with the First
Empire, and under Napoleon III. his services had
been rewarded by his nomination to the dignity of
Senator. With these recollections, his journey to
the island created no slight sensation amongst his
fellow - passengers and on the island itself, and I
need not say how fortunate I was in finding so
valuable a companion.
In order to reach the Governor's house,
formerly the only palace of Napoleon, it is
necessary to ascend one of the streets of stairs,
similar to those for which Malta is celebrated.
The resemblance may have been intentional, as
Cosmo I., the founder of the city, had destined
the island for the residence of the Order of
St. Stephen, which existed in modern times as
the principal decoration of Tuscany, on the same
footing and with the same purposes as the Knights
of Malta. The house itself is a small building, the
222 THE EMPERORS RESIDENCE ch.
best perhaps in the town, but barely large enough
to contain the family of a gentleman of moderate
fortune. Here the Emperor resided with his sister,
whose bust is almost all that remains to recall the
illustrious inhabitants. In a garden at the back of
the house is the flagged walk, bordered by a small
parapet, where the Emperor used to take exercise,
walking rapidly up and down, or looking through
the telescope in hopes of some arrival. The room
then used as a sitting - room by the Governor
had been occupied by the Emperor as a bedroom,
and the spot where he was shaved was pointed
out. The marks of his horse's hoofs still remained
on some bituminous pavement where they were
made by a fall down two steps. The place where
the Emperor played with his favourite monkey
was also to be seen, and the words he used,
" Jenar, mon pauvi~e Jenar" were well remembered
and frequently quoted to visitors by the inhabitants
of Porto Ferrajo.
A small library of about eleven hundred volumes
had been left, consisting principally of military
and historical works, a set of Moniteurs bound up,
translations of Latin and Greek classic authors,
and occasionally some lighter productions ; amongst
others, elementary works on botany, mineralogy,
and other branches of natural philosophy, procured
evidently with a view to becoming acquainted with
the products of the island, which seems designed
from its extensive and even at times incongruous
collection for studies of this nature. Some of the
XIX
MARCIANA 223
volumes bore marginal notes in the Emperor's own
handwriting. He had also thought of studying
English, and requested Sir Neil Campbell to pro-
cure him a grammar. There were two French
grammars of English in coarse paper covers, labelled
with a rough cipher " N " pasted on the back ; but
the leaves were mostly uncut. The only volume
that he seems to have perused in this study was a
dull moral work, in which the original English was
placed side by side with the French translation.
The book bore two titles — The Hundred Thoughts
of a Young Lady and Cent Pensees d'une Jeune
Anglaise — and purported to have been written by
« Mistress Gillet."
One of our excursions was to a place called
Marciana, where, as usual, we were entertained
by a gentleman resident in a richly furnished
apartment, consisting of a sitting-room and bed-
room, such as is kept in every house at Marciana
for purposes of hospitality. We heard the story,
mentioned in all the memoirs, of the visit of a lady
with a child, supposed by the islanders to have
been the Empress. Our host related the circum-
stances of the visit, and also the reasons which led
him to believe that the lady in question was no
other than the Empress Marie-Louise.
In the beginning of August 1814, a Polish or
German colonel, whose name does not transpire,
arrived at Elba, and was immediately received by
the Emperor, then living at Marciana. Marie-
Louise was at that time residing at Aix, in Savoy.
224 MYSTERIOUS VISITORS oh.
The colonel remained only a few days, and then
went away. Not long after this a Genoese felucca,
the interior of which was fitted up in a luxurious
manner, arrived at Porto Ferrajo, bringing a lady,
a little boy, and the aforesaid colonel. In the
course of the day of their arrival, the Emperor,
accompanied by General Bertrand, Captain Baillon
and my informant, started on horseback as though
for San Martino. Arrived at the cross-roads to
San Martino and Marciana, the Emperor, con-
tinuing his route to the former place with General
Bertrand, ordered his two other followers to wait
at this spot for a carriage that would soon pass,
and to desire the coachman not to proceed farther
till His Majesty's return. On his leaving, Captain
Baillon said to his companion, " Voila, nous avons
I ' Imperatrice a Tile cTElbe ! "
They had not to wait long for the Emperor,
who, on riding up, entered the carriage, while
General Bertrand was observed to speak to the
lady with marks of extraordinary respect. On
arriving at Procchio, the party took boat for
Marciana Marina, whence they proceeded to the
Madonna of Marciana, a hermitage of celebrity,
situated on one of the highest granite peaks, where
tents were provided for their accommodation, the
Captain being desired by the Emperor to give
a bed in his own house to the Polish colonel —
a command with which he complied, no doubt
delighted at having an opportunity of displaying
his cordial hospitality.
xix A WRONG CONCLUSION 225
The following day, as the child was playing
about under the chestnut-trees, the Emperor came
up to Doctor Fourreau, who was in conversation
with the Captain, and asked him what he thought
of the child. The Doctor answered, " He appears
to be much grown since I had the honour of seeing
him at Fontainebleau." The Captain was not sure
whether he heard the words Sa Majeste applied
to the child ; but his answer was evidently dis-
pleasing to the Emperor, who answered abruptly,
" Qiiest-ce que nous chantez done?" and turned
away, leaving the poor Doctor almost in tears, and
in a state only to be understood by those attendants
who unfortunately fell under their masters dis-
pleasure. Turning round to the Captain, he said,
" How could I be expected to know that I was to
be secret ? A man has not the power of divination
of a God."
These circumstances naturally provoked specula-
tion, and the Captain asserted that the pictures he
had seen of the Empress and the King of Rome
resembled the lady and her son, and that the age
of the latter tallied with that of the King. He
was therefore induced to form the conclusion, which
nothing could alter. The Emperor, however, seeing
that the Captain had observed that the child called
him " Papa," asked him what the Elbans thought
of his visitors. The Captain answered, " They
think that Elba is honoured with the presence of
the Empress and of your Majesty's son." The
Emperor rejoined, " He may well be my son, and
vol. i Q
226 THE EMPEROR'S SON ch xix
yet not the King of Rome." After this the
Captain observed that the suite of the Emperor
avoided all conversation on the matter, no doubt
having received orders to that effect.
In opposition to this evidence, I must state that
a person who saw the child declared to me that he
was not the King of Rome, whom she had also
seen ; and that a gentleman stationed at Malta in
1814-15 informed me that it was from that island
that the lady, whoever she may have been, started
on her visit to the Emperor at Elba. I subse-
quently became acquainted with a distinguished
diplomatist who avowed to me indirectly that he
was the child in question.
CHAPTER XX
Work at Foreign Office — Amateur pantomime — Treaty of Paris — Visit
to France — Parisian society — Terms of Treaty — Diplomatic
acquaintances — Competitive examinations — Anecdotes — Friends
in London — The Time* and Repeal of Corn Laws — Other
acquaintances.
On my return to London I resumed my duties
at the Foreign Office. These were rather more
difficult, owing to the illness of certain of the elder
members who were completely upset by work.
At the beginning of 1855, the amateur panto-
mime, to which I have previously alluded, took
place. It would be interesting to introduce the
play-bill, but, unfortunately, I cannot find one. 1
have in my possession another play-bill, however,
of the same performance by the same company,
but given on another occasion. It was called
" Harlequin Guy Fawkes, or, A Match for a
King!" The Prologue promised to introduce "an
Original, Esoteric, ^Esthetic, Historical, Highly-
personal and Personally-dangerous, Intellectually-
physical, Musical, Acrobatic, Terpsichorean, Well-
meant but Exceedingly rash attempt to perform a
pantomime." I believe the Prologue was written
by Mr. Torn Taylor.
227
228 AMATEUR PANTOMIME oil
It was announced that the Capillary Attractions
were by Mr. Wilson.
The play-bill is too long to be introduced here,
but I may perhaps give the plot as summarised at
the beginning : —
First, how Catesby wished to save : Monteagle from an
airy grave. How, before their coming quarrels : Fawkes
and Catesby placed the barrels. (Not of the Lynn or Yar-
mouth school : but kindly lent by Mr. Rule), because Guy
Fawkes declared that century : should see the first Train
Parliamentary. How, whilst Fawkes sought his evening
beer : Monteagle came in feeble fear. And how by Catesby
being chidden : was by him 'neath the barrels hidden. How,
in a serious long palaver : Fawkes found that Catesby seem'd
to waver. How each determined, in a duel : the other should
procure his gruel : (A " Desperate Combat , " of the age :
when Hicks adoriVd the Surrey Stage). How beaten Fawkes
essay'd to bolt : but was restraint by Catesby's " Colt. 11
How Astaroth claimed Fawkes, and seized him : and how a
Fairy good releas'd him. And how, amidst recrimination :
they all came to the
TRANSFORMATION.
Lest they escape from Memory's cells : we name again these
active swells :
Harlequin — Signor Giovannini.
Columbine — Miss Rosina Wright.
Pantaloon — Mr. Hayward Heath.
Lover — Mr. Martin le Grand.
Clown — Little Hulme.
There were acrobats called the " Bounding
Bricks of Babylon," " engaged from the Arabian
Amphitheatre of Aleppo, at an unlimited expense.
Money has been no object with the proprietors of
xx AN ORIGINAL PLAY-BILL 229
this Exhibition to present an entertainment to
their patrons uniting Classical Beauty of Figure
with that Herculean Muscularity and Flibberti-
gibbet-like Flexibility only known to the Children
of the Desert." Their names were printed in
characters apparently Arabic.
The end of the play was described as a " Chorus
of Congratulation and Dance of Delight that it's
all over (which the Audience will, in all prob-
ability, reciprocate ; indeed, it will be unlike every
other Amateur Performance if they do not)."
A note at the foot of the play -bill remarked :
" As these Bills will not be sold until the Audience
is in the house, there is no occasion to state what
time the doors open; and as all the Tickets are
already paid for, information as to the price of the
places is equally superfluous."
Communications were to be addressed to
Edmund Yates, Arthur Smith, or William Hale,
Esqs., Fielding Club, Maiden Lane, Strand.
The principal characters were : —
Harlequin — John Bidwell.
Pantaloon — Arthur Smith.
Clo-ivn — Joe Robins.
Columbine — Rosina Wright.
Lover — Edmund Yates.
In the performance previous to the pantomime,
T. K. Holmes, Albert Smith, Billy Hale, lbbetson,
Langford, O'Dowd, and Morgan J. O'Connell took
part.
That same year, Lord John Russell was sent on
230 TREATY OF PARIS ch.
a Special Mission to Vienna, with the view, if
possible, of concerting with the Austrian Govern-
ment some means of securing peace. He was
accompanied by Mr. Hammond, but returned
without achieving the object of his mission.
Shortly afterwards the Queen and the Prince
Consort paid a visit to the Emperor and the
Empress of the French, during which, no doubt,
every method of promoting peace was seriously
discussed, as Her Majesty was accompanied by
Lord Clarendon. Whatever may have been the
conversation at the meeting, peace very soon loomed
in the near future. Austria stepped in, and it was
said that she was prepared to join the Allies, if
Russia rejected reasonable terms.
In 1856 the Conference was held at Paris, in
which Lord Clarendon took part, and the Treaty of
Peace was signed on the 30th of March in that year.
The news was made public by the following
announcements in the London Gazette Extra-
ordinary.
Foreign Office, March 31, 1856.
A despatch has been this morning received from the Earl
of Clarendon, Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs, dated Paris, March 30, announcing
the Signature of Peace, at two o'clock on that day, at the
Foreign Office, in Paris.
The Plenipotentiaries of Great Britain, of Austria, of
France, of Prussia, of Russia, of Sardinia, and of Turkey,
have affixed their signatures to the Treaty which puts an
end to the War ; and which, while definitively settling the
Eastern question, establishes the tranquillity of Europe on
solid and durable bases.
xx MADAME GOULD 231
The exchange of the ratifications will take place at Paris in
four weeks, or sooner if possible ; until that time the stipu-
lations of the Treaty cannot be made public.
Foreign Office, March 31, 1856.
The Honourable Spencer Ponsonby arrived at the Foreign
Office this morning from Paris, with the Definitive Treaty
for the Restoration of Peace, and for the maintenance of the
integrity and independence of the Ottoman Empire, which
was yesterday signed at Paris by the Plenipotentiaries of
Her Majesty, of the Emperor of the French, of the King
of Sardinia, and of the Sultan, and also of the Emperor of
Austria and of the King of Prussia, on the one part, and of
the Emperor of all the Russias on the other.
Shortly after the signature I went to Paris,
and stopped at the Louvre, where Mr. Spencer
Ponsonby and all the Mission sent to the Con-
gress were also staying.
I dined with Lord and Lady Holland, and there
met Count Cavour, the Sardinian Minister and
Plenipotentiary. He was a mild man, who wore
spectacles, and seemed anxious for information. I
also met a lady known as Madame Gould, the wife
of a Portuguese merchant, but an Englishwoman.
She had been, in early life, a friend of Madame
Montijo, and had chaperoned the Empress about
Paris before her marriage. It was said that it had
been by her advice that Napoleon III. was per-
suaded to propose to the Empress. The result was
that Madame Gould became one of the most
influential persons about the Court. She was a
very kind and amiable woman, the mother of two
or three sons, one of whom entered diplomacy and
ended by being Minister, I think, in Servia.
232 DETAILS OF THE TREATY ch.
At the same party I met Madame Montijo, the
Empress' mother, and with her I had a long con-
versation about Madrid. Narvaez was also there,
and the Duchess of Alba, grandmother of the
present Duke, and sister to Madame Montijo.
Miss Sneyd was there, too, a great beauty, who
had " come out " at Paris under the chaperonage
of Madame Gould. She afterwards married Mr.
— later Sir George — Petre.
About this time a very curious thing occurred,
in the sudden resignation of Mr. Henry Howard,
appointed Minister at Florence. He had been
married to Miss Mactavish, a well-known American
beauty. Both Mr. and Mrs. Howard had long
been known favourably in Parisian society.
It appeared in conversation that Lord Clarendon
was not satisfied with Count Walewski, the French
Plenipotentiary, nor with the Emperor of the
French, who was said to have partly opposed and
partly supported Count Walewski. Lord Clarendon
was supposed to have insisted on some wrong
points. When, however, he did insist, the
Emperor gave way. Napoleon III. wished to
yield on the question of the frontiers ; but the
British Plenipotentiary carried his point, as he did
those of the appointment of consuls, the Aland
Islands, and the neutralisation of the Black Sea.
No men-of-war of any nation were to be allowed
entrance, except those of the riverain powers. As
to Nicolaiev, it was not touched : there was only a
promise that ships of war should not be built there.
xx LORD LYTTON'S PUN 233
In fact, on looking over old papers regarding the
negotiations, I conclude that we had to fight very
hard for our position, and that we were chiefly
successful when Lord Palmerston himself took
questions in hand.
I had to go to Marseilles, and there I met
Mr. March, from the Librarian's Department of
the Foreign Office. He was a brother of the
gentleman so well known on the Continent as the
principino, a wonderful linguist. Mr. March told
me the following story of Sir Edward Bulwer
Lytton.
A lady one day remarked to him how odd it
was that a dove (colombe) should have been sent to
find the old world, and that Columbus {Colojnbe)
should have found the new. Sir Edward replied,
" Yes, and the one came from Noah ; the other
from Genoa."
The Peace created no great sensation. The
Sun, however, appeared witli black lines between
the columns, as a sign of mourning, and made a
violent attack on pacific measures.
About that time I saw a good deal of Sir
Edward Monson, who was rather my junior. He
had taken a First Class in Modern History at
Oxford, and had just been appointed attache at
Paris. I also met Mr. Dillon there : he is now
Lord Clonbrock. At the same time I saw a good
deal of a third young diplomatist, Mr. Wodehouse, a
brother of the Under- Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs. Mr. Wodehouse had just been appointed
234 COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS oh.
to Vienna, and Mr. Dillon to Washington. Mr.
Wodehouse died young.
Lord Palmerston was at that time given the
Garter. He was the first member of the House
of Commons who had received that honour since
Lord Castlereagh. It was said that this order
was the one ambition of the great Sir Robert
Peel. The simple title of knighthood for the
Garter was assumed the last time by Sir Robert
VValpole.
During the Crimean War, notice had been
called to several administrative failures. A great
stir was made about it in Parliament by Mr.
Layard, Sir Arthur Otway, and others, and a society
was created for the purpose of what was called
administrative reform. It was then that examina-
tions for the Civil Service were introduced, limited
at first in their requirements, yet the foundation
of the system which is now universal. The move-
ment was very general, and gave rise to public
meetings all over the country.
Amusing anecdotes were told of the first
examinations, which were naturally made easy,
as no preparation was possible for so new an in-
stitution, and as officers were urgently required
for the army.
A gentleman, who was the godson of Lord
Adolphus FitzClarence, was examined for one of
the regiments of Guards. One question asked him
was, " Who was the greatest military commander
of modern times?" to which he replied, "The
xx HIS OWN POINT OF VIEW 235
Duke of Wellington." This was naturally satis-
factory.
He was then asked, " Who was the greatest
naval commander of modern times ? ' To this
he replied, " Opinions differ, but in mine, my
godfather Dolly FitzClarence is as good as any
of them ! "
Though not sufficiently precise, the young man
got through.
About this time I met a gentleman who was a
great contractor for coals, and for some reason or
other — I suppose I had been civil to him abroad —
he asked me to dine at his club.
He told me that he was a great student of
prophecy, and that he believed the following would
shortly be fulfilled : —
And I will bring again the captivity of my people of
Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit
them ; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine
thereof; they also shall make gardens, and eat the fruit of
them.
He believed that Palestine would be emanci-
pated. " And," he added, " I am told that there
are some very valuable deposits of coal in the
Holy Land."
This reminds me of an incident which shows
how every one is inclined to look at things simply
from his own point of view.
In a town where I was at school a new clergy-
man had just arrived. The hairdresser came on a
certain day to cut the boys' hair, and was asked
236 NICKNAMES ch.
what he thought of the vicar. His only reply was,
" Very poor head o' hair, sir."
I remember a very popular gentleman who was
in the House of Commons at the same time as
myself. His popularity was proved by his always
being called by a nickname. This I believe to be
an infallible test. A man who is usually called
Tom, Dick, or Jack is invariably a favourite.
This gentleman — whose name, let us say, was
Jack Hillier — was very dangerously ill, and many
members of the House constantly enquired after
his health at his residence in the north of London.
One morning I happened to call upon one of our
AVhips, who asked, "Do you know how poor
Jack Hillier is ? "
I said, " I called last night. They told me he
was very bad."'
The Whip replied, " Poor Jack ! I am very
anxious about him. He only got in by seven
votes."
During the time I was in the Foreign Office, I
naturally made a great many acquaintances, many
of whom I have already mentioned ; but there
were some who became my friends as I went on in
experience, and whom I shall always recollect.
Mr. John Delane, the editor of the 7 y imes, was
exceedingly kind to me. I was introduced to him
by Sir John Burgoyne. He had a homelike, old-
fashioned, panelled house — 16 Serjeants' Inn. Here
he used to give most agreeable dinners, and there
came Mr. Bernal Osborne, Mr. Lowe, and the
xx REPEAL OF THE CORN LAWS 237
most amusing people in London. On one occasion
we were talking of a member of the Government
supposed to be a great failure. Some one said,
"They want to make him a peer." Mr. Lowe
retorted, "No, they want to make him disappear."
I had a friend much associated with Mr. Delane —
Mr. Bayley, the protagonist in an episode which is
still undecided. He was a writer in the Times, and
his articles were much appreciated. He told me
that one night, during the contest about the Repeal
of the Corn Laws, he had attended a meeting in
favour of the Repeal, and had been much struck
with the great enthusiasm shown by the Free
Trade section. Leaving the theatre where the
meeting was being held, he drove to the Times
office where he saw Mr. Delane, who was editor
at that time, the father of Mr. John Delane. Mr.
Bayley explained the reasons which made him
think it necessary to abandon the cause of Pro-
tection, which the Times had hitherto advocated,
and Mr. Delane instructed him to write an article
in the sense he pointed out.
There are other stories concerning the reason of
this change. Some say that a remarkable lady, in
the confidence of a Cabinet Minister, had heard
from him of the intention of Sir Robert Peel at
once to introduce a measure for repealing the
Corn Laws ; that she had driven down late to
inform Mr. Delane, and that this information,
immediately acted on, was the cause of the change.
Anyway, I believe Mr. Bayley was the writer
238 FRIENDS IN LONDON ch. xx
of the article. Later he became a Colonial
Governor.
I also knew Mr. Dasent, a brother-in-law of
Mr. Delane, a very able and acute writer, and
especially well known for his knowledge of Scandi-
navian literature.
Another brother - in - law was Mr. Mowbray
Morris, the business manager of the paper. By his
judicious selection of writers and correspondents,
he had contributed to achieve for the Times
the vast influence it has since possessed.
I was invited occasionally to the meetings of a
society in the Temple, called the Dodeka, at the
head of which was a writer of great eminence on
the Times, Mr. Wingrove Cook, with Mr. Hans
Busk, who took a very active part in the pro-
motion of the Rifle Volunteers, and Mr. Bates
Richards. The last had married a beautiful Italian
lady, generally known as Mrs. Gaggiotti Richards,
who came from Ancona, where I subsequently
met her.
A gentleman named Vaux, who was, I think,
employed at the British Museum, used also to
have regular weekly parties of literary men, and
attendance at these various gatherings was both
interesting and instructive.
CHAPTER XXI
Special Mission to Brussels — Reception of Lord Westmorland— Pre-
parations for the fetes — Audience of the King — Society in
Brussels — Royal visitors — Ceremony of congratulation — Enter-
tainments — Orderliness of the Belgians — Banquet and opera —
Illuminations — Cavalcade representing the towns of Belgium-
Visit to Bruges — King Leopold and Lord Westmorland — Belgian
Ministers — Interviews with King Leopold II. and the Comte de
Flandre — Despatch to Lord Clarendon.
In July 1856 I was appointed attache to a Special
Mission to Brussels. It was merely complimentary,
and sent to congratulate King Leopold on the
twenty -fifth anniversary of his accession to the
throne. The Envoy chosen was Lord Westmorland,
an old personal friend of the King, having been
with him, I believe, at Waterloo.
On the 19th of .Inly, Lord Westmorland was
received by the Vicomte Vilain XIIII. The
numeral was conferred on the Viscount's family as
a perpetual distinction by Louis XIV. His arms
are, I believe, fourteen castles, the capture of which
also earned him the distinction. Lord Westmor-
land, together with Lord Howard de Walden, Her
Majesty's Permanent Minister at Brussels, called
on the Belgian Cabinet Ministers and dined after-
wards witli Lord Howard. At the dinner were
239
240 MISSION TO BRUSSELS ch.
present : Viscount Vilain XIIIL, Baron de Brock-
hausen, the Prussian Envoy, also an old friend of
Lord Westmorland's, Mr. Barron and Mr. Johnston,
attaches to the Legation, and myself.
Preparations were on a very grand scale. Cars
were constructed for a great historical cortege, each
representing a separate province. They filled a
whole street, which had been covered in as a
coach-house for them. Triumphal arches were
erected everywhere, with flags, scutcheons, and
ornaments, and the whole town was illuminated.
Never was a king so popular, or a people so ready
to celebrate the virtues of their sovereign.
Lord Westmorland's son, Lord Burghersh, was
also attached to this Mission. He had only re-
cently returned from the Crimea, where he had
greatly distinguished himself.
On the 20th of July, Lord Westmorland re-
paired to the Palace in a royal coach to present
to the King his letters of credence. This he did,
accompanying the letter with a speech expressive of
the attachment and esteem in which the sovereign
and people of Belgium were held by the sovereign
and people of Great Britain. His Majesty appeared
deeply affected during the delivery of the address,
frequently interrupting Lord Westmorland with
remarks of pleasure and gratification. In reply,
His Majesty expressed his sense of acknowledg-
ment of the language in which Lord Westmorland
had conveyed the feelings of his sovereign and his
country. He declared his affection and admiration
xxi DISTINGUISHED VISITORS 241
for Great Britain, saying that there he had on
every occasion been treated with justice. He
concluded by welcoming Lord Westmorland cor-
dially and affectionately, alluding to the long
period of their acquaintance. Subsequently the
Special Mission dined with Lord Howard de
Walden, meeting M. and Mme. Van de Weyer,
Colonel White, and Mr. Harris. Colonel White
was a distinguished author, and had written a
novel called, if I recollect aright, Almack's Revisited.
He was generally known as " Huffy White," for
what reason I cannot tell. Mr. Harris, whom I had
known before, had been abroad for a long time,
and for a certain period had been a Chamberlain to
King Charles Albert. I also had the opportunity
of again seeing M. and Mme. Adolphe Barrot. He
was the brother of the celebrated Odillon Barrot,
and was French Minister at Brussels. I had met
him formerly in London at the house of Mr.
Disraeli, and again renewed my acquaintance with
him when he became French Minister at Naples.
During the whole of Lord Westmorland's stay,
the King treated him with the greatest distinc-
tion, not allowing him to join the ordinary corps
diplomatique, but giving him a place among the
Royal Princes who had come for the occasion
— amongst others, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and
Prince George of Saxony. During the week,
Queen Augusta of Prussia — afterwards the German
Empress — paid a visit to the King, and I had the
honour of being presented to her.
VOL. i u
242 TE BEUM ch.
The solemnities were magnificent. Opposite
the entrance to the Place St. Joseph was erected
a canopy for the King and the Royal Family,
reached by many steps, draped with red and
gold, and supported by columns formed of gigantic
figures. On the right of the Square was a church,
in front of which a large platform contained
hundreds of the clergy in white surplices. Opposite
was an altar for the celebration of the Mass. The
King, with his suite, dismounted at the entrance to
the Square and proceeded on foot to the gallery.
Then he advanced to a transverse street for the
purpose of receiving the Duchess of Brabant and
Princess Charlotte. Their beauty called forth the
most enthusiastic admiration. The King took his
seat in front of the canopy. On his right was
the Duchess of Brabant, on the left his daughter ;
near the Duchess, the Duke of Coburg ; near the
Princess, the Prince of Saxony ; at either end the
two Belgian Princes, The semicircle was com-
pleted on the right by Lord Westmorland, Count
Mensdorff, who was related to the King, and the
gentlemen of the foreign suites ; on the left by the
Belgian Household. Behind the King were the
members of the Diplomatic Body.
The Presidents of the Legislative Chambers
read addresses of congratulation, to which His
Majesty replied ; then followed a Te Deum, com-
posed for the occasion by the celebrated musician,
M. Fetis. After this, a procession defiled before
the throne of deputations from the regiments of
xxi FESTIVITIES 243
the Belgian army, from the clergy, the univer-
sities, schools, tribunals, and trades, and from all
the towns and villages in Belgium, screaming and
shouting, while the drums were beating and the
bands played the National Anthem.
This over, His Majesty descended, proceeding to
the Palace on foot, accompanied by his Court, and
halting for a few moments to confer with the
Cardinal.
The order was perfect, the public acclamations
spontaneous, and the weather splendid. The King
repaired to the Palace, where he was serenaded and
rapturously applauded when seen from the balcony
by the crowd ; but never more so than on one
occasion when seen standing between Lord West-
morland and Lord Burghersh.
In the evening a banquet was given by the
Chambers. The staircase was decorated with a
profusion of flowers, and the temporary saloon
displayed a brilliant appearance. After dinner the
King's health was proposed and received with
lively enthusiasm. The King then repaired to
some public gardens called Waux Hall, where
the crowd and the manner of his reception
were of the same nature as those already ex-
perienced.
During the day the weather was fine. On
Sunday it had been rainy and gloomy, and appre-
hensions were entertained that the state of the
weather would disturb the splendid and costly
arrangements. But the sun appeared when the
244 ORDER IN BELGIUM ch.
King entered the Place St. Joseph, and the weather
was fine, though cold, during the day.
On the 22nd, the festivities were begun by a
serenade, followed by a review. Lord Westmor-
land and his son accompanied the King on horse-
back. Bv the kindness of Count Marnix, the
Grand Marshal, I was placed in a window of the
Palace, together with M. and Mme. Van de
Weyer.
While conversing on the spirit of order per-
vading the Belgian populace and their respect for
the law, M. Van de Weyer related an illustrative
anecdote of some interest. On one occasion, at
the commencement of the Revolution, there was
some fighting going on in the Park. The Belgians
found themselves running short of powder. Orders
were immediately given for supplies, and some
barrels were sent round by a road in the rear of
the fighting. The Belgians from the town watched
earnestly for the arrival of their powder to assist
the belligerents, and became alarmed when some
time had elapsed without its appearance. At
length some of the leading men determined on
going round themselves with a party, in case an
attack had been made by the Dutch. On their
arrival, however, they found the convoy delayed
by one man with a white night-cap and the two
words "La barriered Thus 280 men were stop-
ping each to pay his two and a half sous before
proceeding to engage.
In the evening Lord Westmorland and his
xxi ILLUMINATIONS 245
Mission had the honour of dining with the King.
They sat at the King's table, there being two
other tables presided over by the Princes. The
dinner was given to the superior officers of the
Army.
As a proof of the great popularity of the King,
an officer related that in a detachment of his
regiment, garrisoned in Hainault, the men had
by their own spontaneous act subscribed 1500
francs towards illuminations.
The Mission afterwards accompanied the King
to the gala spectacle at the Opera. A cantata
was sung, together with acts selected from several
celebrated operas. Later on, the Court drove
through the town to see the illuminations. Along
the boulevards and the Allee Verte we passed
through long avenues of illuminated festoons ;
clusters of Turkish lamps hung suspended in the
middle, and throughout the town there was an
uniformity of decoration that testified to the
unanimity of feeling, as well as to the good taste
of the Commission to whom was confided the task
of arranging the fetes. Some of the public build-
ings presented a wonderful spectacle, especially the
Hotel de Mile, where the whole of its celebrated
architectural design was traced in lamps. In the
course of the evening, Viscount Yilain XI 1 1 1, in-
formed the Mission that the King had been pleased
to decorate them.
The 2.'3rd of July was the last day of the fetes.
The sun rose magnificently — a cause of great
246 HISTORICAL CAVALCADE oh.
rejoicing, as the festivities of this morning had for
some months occupied the attention and drawn
on the energies and generosity of the Belgian
people. At twelve o'clock the King received the
corps diplomatique, inviting them to stay to witness
the historical cavalcade that was to pass by the
windows of the Palace. This cavalcade consisted
of fifteen cars representing the different towns and
provinces of the kingdom. They were decorated
in a costly and even extravagant manner, but with
a taste so perfect that there was no appearance of
gewgaw or theatrical expedient. Some of the cars
were of enormous height, towering over the first-
floor windows of the Palace. It is impossible to
write a description of them in a rapid summary.
Each being distinguished by salient characteristics,
no comparison could be drawn. The cavalcade of
Bruges represented the First Chapter of the Golden
Fleece, and the industrial car of Liege, followed by
1200 Liegeois workmen, conveyed the most familiar
images to the English eye. One of these cars was
a complete battery, with guns in position and
cannon-balls stacked near them. There were also,
if I recollect aright, swords, pistols, and muskets.
In fact, it might have been a portion of a fortified
town. The general effect was equal to the care
bestowed on the detail.
From the balcony of the Palace the scene was
striking. The high green hedges and thick limes
of the Park, studded with flags and medallions
attached to gilt staves, formed a picturesque back-
xxi LAST DAY OF THE FETES 247
ground. The space in front was wide. Looking
to the right the long cortege and the magnificent
cars wound round the front of the Prince of
Orange's palace, which was covered with spectators.
On it came, to appearance interminable, blending
the bright colours of the different groups. The
cars halted for a moment before the King, while
their predecessors turned under the arch at the
entrance of the Palais Royal. The brightness of
the day — calling to mind a southern climate — the
whiteness of the buildings, the vivid tints of the
verdure, the enthusiasm of the crowd, the music of
the orchestras, combined to produce a scene which
will perhaps never be rivalled.
Here was collected in the capital the whole
loyalty and attachment, and the great proportion
of the population, of the entire kingdom. When
one remembers that, with the exception of the
remission of railway fares, the pageant, of which
the cost must have been enormous, was provided
without any assistance from the Government, some
estimate may be formed of the intensity of feeling
existing in a practical and naturally rather phleg-
matic nation.
The King, in his great friendship for Lord
Westmorland, invited the Mission to accompany
him in his progress through the kingdom ; but this
invitation it was considered wise to limit to Bruges.
In that historical town the fetes were well adapted
to its past, and the same enthusiasm, governed by
the same order, was prevalent.
248 THE HEIRESS OF BRUGES ch.
There was one beautiful ceremony which took
place in the Chapel of the Sacre Sang. The
illuminations were splendid, outlining the build-
ings, which, at Bruges, are very remarkable. My
former acquaintance with the town enabled me to
find an old circulating library, where I procured
a much -battered copy of G rattan's novel, The
Heiress of Bruges, a charming book. This I
obtained at the request of the Princess Charlotte
of Belgium, who was travelling with her father,
and whose later misfortunes as Empress of Mexico
constituted a great tragedy. We returned for a
day or two to Brussels, and then Lord Westmor-
land took leave of the King.
The conversations that took place between His
Majesty and Lord Westmorland were excessively
interesting, as both had been actors in the early
politics of the nineteenth century. Lord West-
morland had been nearly connected with the
Duke of Wellington, and all the incidents in
which the Duke took part were familiar to him.
In Chapter XIX. respecting Elba, it will have
been seen that Claude Holard was recommended
by the Duke to Lord Westmorland — then Lord
Burghersh — at that time Minister in Tuscany.
Lord Westmorland, who was a general in the
army as well as a diplomatist, was acquainted
with all the dramatis personce of the century,
and both the King and he spoke of them as
familiar friends.
1 had first known Lord Westmorland at Florence.
xxi KING OF THE BELGIANS 249
He came there from Vienna, to which Court he
was then accredited.
Amongst the Ministers with whom we travelled,
I saw a good deal of Monsieur Deschamps, the
head of the Clerical Party, whose brother was a
Cardinal and Archbishop of Malines. He was
Prime Minister at that time. I also knew well
Monsieur Nothomb, who held a portfolio in the
same Cabinet.
I had many occasions of conversing with His
Majesty, who was excessively kind and open with
me. I was much struck by the common sense and
depth of his remarks on subjects both great and
small, and easily understood the position which he
then occupied as counsellor of most of the Govern-
ments of Europe. Later I met him one day in the
garden of St. James's Park. He at once stopped
me and spoke for some time on subjects of great
interest.
Since that time I have had frequent oppor-
tunities of seeing the present King of the Belgians,
as well as the Comte de Flandre, who, until his
death, was always exceedingly kind to me, inviting
me to his house in Brussels. The last time I had
the honour of seeing the present King was at
Madrid. He summoned me to his hotel, where
lie was living in a species of half incognito.
The reason of his sending for me was to give
me a letter for Queen Victoria, to whom he
told me he was in the habit of writing every
Sunday.
250 ORDER OF LEOPOLD ch.
I think it may be interesting to add to this
summary the despatch addressed by Lord West-
morland at the time to Lord Clarendon : —
My Lord — I received a visit from Monsieur de Vilain
XIIIL, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who stated that he
was commissioned by His Majesty King Leopold to announce
to me that he had named me a Knight Grand Cross of the
Belgian Order of Leopold, and that he had appointed my
son, Lord Burghersh, and Mr. Wolff to different grades of
the same Order.
I replied to Monsieur de Vilain XIIII. by the expression
of my most grateful acknowledgments to the King for
this most distinguished mark of his considerate favour, but
I also stated that I was enabled only to accept it under the
reserve of Her Majesty's approval, which, being subject to
established regulations, might be refused to me. Monsieur
de Vilain XIIII. replied that His Majesty was perfectly
cognisant of those regulations, but that he conceived the
peculiar nature of my Mission would be an exception to
them ; that these regulations had been set aside in the case
of the Duke of Devonshire when he attended the Coronation
at Moscow, and that other exceptions had since been made ;
but he believed that, the special Mission upon which I was
now employed being from the Queen to her Uncle, and upon
an occasion such as the present which never could occur
again, Her Majesty would grant the leave to accept and
wear his Order, to obtain which he should himself make a
most special application.
The next day I received the insignia of the Order, and I
afterwards waited upon His Majesty and expressed to him
my most sincere obligations and my gratitude for the high
honour he had conferred upon me, and which (if permitted
by Her Majesty) I should wear with the pride which it
merited as a signal proof of his favour.
His Majesty, in the most gratifying language, assured me
of the pleasure which he felt on being able to confer upon
me this proof of his esteem and affection, and assured me
that he would write with so much interest to Her Majesty
xxi LADY JERSEY 251
the Queen for her permission that I might accept his
Order, that he felt satisfied he should obtain it.
Under these circumstances, I can only recommend myself
to Your Lordship's favour. In that recommendation I will
also beg to include my son, Lord Burghersh, and Mr.
Wolff, who are attached to my Mission.
After this Mission, Lord Westmorland intro-
duced me to his sister, Lady Jersey, who, like Lord
and Lady Westmorland, was always excessively
kind to me.
CHAPTER XXII
Popular sympathy of House of Lords — Indian Mutiny — Fall of Lord
Palmerston's Government — Lord Derby's Administration — Private
Secretary to Lord Malmesbury — Sir Edward Lytton — The new
Government — Letter from Lamartine.
The year 1857 was rather an eventful one. In all
my remarks I have avoided as much as possible
everything in the shape of political discussion. I
am writing, therefore, in a perfectly neutral spirit
when I point out that what happened in that year
gives evidence of the sympathy of the House of
Lords with popular feeling.
A great debate took place in the House of
Lords on Lord Derby's motion to censure Dr.
Bowring, Governor of Hong-Kong, and Pleni-
potentiary in China. The motion was rejected by
a majority of 36. Almost at the same time a
similar motion was introduced in the House of
Commons, and there carried against the Govern-
ment by 16 votes. I heard Mr. Gladstone's
wonderfully eloquent speech on that occasion, in
which the following passage occurred : —
The subordinate officers of England, in a remote
quarter of the globe, misconstrued the intentions of their
country. They acted in violation of their principles of
252
chxxii INDIAN MUTINY 253
right. The Executive Government failed to check them.
The appeal was next made to the House of Lords, and made
as such an appeal ought to be made, for the cause was
worthv of the eloquence, and the eloquence was worthy of
the cause. It was made to nobles, and it was made to
bishops, and it failed. But it does not rest with sub-
ordinate officials abroad, it does not rest with the Executive
Government, it does not rest with the House of Lords,
finally, and in the last resort, to say what shall be the policy
of England, and to what purpose shall her powers be
directed. Sir, that function lies within these walls. Every
member of the House of Commons is proudly conscious that
he belongs to an assembly which, in its collective capacity,
is the paramount power of the State. But if it is the
paramount power of the State, it can never separate from
the paramount power a similar and paramount responsibility.
The vote of the House of Lords will not acquit us. The
sentence of the Government will not acquit us. It is with
us to determine whether this wrong shall remain unchecked
and uncorrected.
Thereupon a dissolution took place ; but it
resulted in a triumph for the Government, and
they returned to office in April with an increased
majority. Parliament was prorogued on the 28th
of August by commission. Later in the year, how-
ever, it was again called together by a monetary
crisis of great severity, which required to be dealt
with immediately.
The year was remarkable for the breaking out
of the great Mutiny in India. The conduct of
the Government in suppressing it was commented
upon with much severity, as displaying want of
energy. By the end of the year, however, the
position in India, though still very critical, was
254 ORSINIS ATTEMPT ch.
considered to be assured. The East India Com-
pany's government of that country was abolished,
and India was transferred to the direct government
of the Crown. Meanwhile, the Indian question
was not the cause of the downfall of Lord
Palmerston's Government. No doubt, as Lord
Fitzmaurice has mentioned in his Life of Lord
Granville, "a variety of circumstances combined
to diminish the popularity of Lord Palmerston.
He was considered by some to be over-confident
and jaunty, and the immediate following of the
Prime Minister had shown unnecessary bitterness
to those who differed from them. Several un-
popular appointments had been made, one in
particular to a high office of State."
The attack of Orsini on the Emperor of the
French, on January 14, led to the introduction
of a Bill by the Government on February 20,
1858, known as the Foreign Conspiracy to Murder
Bill. There had been very violent articles in the
papers of both countries, and some addresses by
colonels to the French Emperor, published officially,
were supposed to be insulting to England. Lord
Clarendon, the Foreign Minister, for reasons which
were probably sound, had not answered a despatch
addressed to him by the French Ambassador before
the Foreign Conspiracy Bill had been introduced.
This may or may not have been an error of
judgment, but it was seized upon as being a mark
of the subserviency of Lord Clarendon to the
French Government.
xxii APPOINTMENT AS SECRETARY 255
Consequently, Mr. Milner Gibson brought
forward a vote of censure. Great doubts existed
at first as to whether the motion would be carried ;
but the different elements against the Premier,
and the causes already mentioned, were too strong.
The Government was defeated by a majority of
19. The Cabinet resigned, and Lord Derby was
entrusted with the formation of a new adminis-
tration. Lord Malmesbury was appointed Foreign
Secretary ; Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton was named
Secretary for the Colonies, and my relative, Mr.
Spencer Walpole, was named Home Secretary.
It was at first decided that I was to be Private
Secretary to Lord Malmesbury, with Mr. Dashwood
as precis - writer ; but Mr. Bidwell having put
in an official claim for the appointment, Lord
Malmesbury split the two appointments into three.
Mr. Bidwell was named Private Secretary, I be-
came assistant, and Mr. Dashwood precis-writer.
I was very glad to get out of the ordinary
routine of office life ; but my experience confirmed
the old proverb, " Two is company, three is none/'
The division was the cause of constant misunder-
standing, though for some time I remained Aery
happily with Lord Malmesbury, carrying out the
business he gave me, I hope, with success.
At that time I saw a great deal of Sir Edward
Bulwer Lytton, and stayed frequently at Kneb-
worth. He was good enough to consult me at
different times concerning the Ionian Islands, as I
had had occasion to study the question, both in
256 THE NEW GOVERNMENT ch.
the Foreign Office and during my various journeys
to the Mediterranean.
It may be considered interesting to reproduce
from a manuscript in my possession the opinions of
an unobtrusive but highly respected politician on
some members of the new Government : —
The Earl of Derby, K.G. — The second Earl of England
— a man of whom it was said by a foreigner, that he wants
nothing.
His position, as Captain of the Conservative Party, was
acquired at a period when that party, elevating a tax into
a principle, had quarrelled with a Chief who had sacrificed
his party by the mode rather than the substance of an
expedient.
In many respects Lord Derby is well qualified for
the lead of a powerful aristocratic phalanx. High-born,
eloquent, polished, and even dexterous, with a sense of
chivalry and of ridicule equally acute, his qualifications for
leadership are prominent in this brilliancy. But in some
qualities he is deficient. Confident in his natural station,,
he is, or affects to be, indifferent to the lure of office. To
this tendency the Conservative Party owes the fatal blunder
of 1855, the loss of the only chance of retrieval which has
occurred since 1846, or of official tenure to be counted by
years rather than months. He disdains the arts by which
office can alone be attained and kept in a Constitutional
State.
Though literary himself, he despises the fugitive press,
nor is he willing to lend a helping hand, or to extend his
social intimacy to any but those whose quarterings place
them on his own level. Besides this, he has one great
defect from which few men of talent are exempt. He
cannot perceive the dangers to which his popularity is
exposed by an irony which can neither be understood nor
appreciated by mediocrity, which seldom is humorous.
The Right Hon. B. Disraeli, Chancellor of the Exchequer,
is a man totally different in character and aspiration. Mr»
xxii MR. DISRAELI 257
Disraeli lives for politics. In them he breathes and has his
being. By them alone has he attained a leading position,
and without them every occupation is gone. Patient, long-
suffering, but of small gentleness, he has achieved a position
without precedent by a stony road which none before him
had trodden. Self-contained, taciturn, and by art, if not
by nature, unsociable, impatient of advice, he has earned the
respect of some, the hatred of many, and the devotion of a
few. He is the self-made Minister of a despotic state
turned loose in a Constitution which he uses without loving.
With some he is the hope, with others the despair, and with
all the necessity of his party. His career has been one of
will, unswerving in its intensity, based on the selfishness and
weakness of politicians, and the power of his own intellect,
rather than on the broad truths of human society. Seeking
for hidden motives where none exist, he glories in the
mystery which creates distrust and the reserve which repels
attachment. He has no love, no hatred, except as an
instrument. For him office or opposition are the sole
elements and objects of political life. His vast erudition
and considerable eloquence are the projectiles of polemic ;
his subtle vigilance its outworks. For him there is no
gradation between action and indolence. In office he
initiates no legislation. As Minister or Critic, he is merely
the champion, the pilot or the avenger of his party. But not
even bankruptcy could cancel the liabilities of the Con-
servative Party to Mr. Disraeli. They are as indelible as the
gratitude of a child towards its parent, of a drowning man
to his salvor, of the lion to Androcles. He found it dis-
persed, betrayed, without a refuge, with scarcely a wish.
He has nursed it with the fierce watchfulness of a tigress
defending her young. The party had dwindled into a
faction. Its numbers, like the Italian Legitimists, would
soon have rallied to new combinations, or fought singly like
the brigands of Southern Italy, till they were captured or
killed. Without veterans, and without recruits, its very
name would have died out from political combinations, had
not Mr. Disraeli made himself a career by restoring its own
broken columns.
VOL. 1 S
258 MR. SPENCER WALPOLE ch.
In one respect Lord Derby and Mr. Disraeli are alike.
They may command the fidelity of their party, and even the
support of Parliament. They can never fire the enthusiasm
of the country.
The Earl of Carnarvon, Secretary of State for the
Colonies, is not without experience in his Department, nor
devoid of Parliamentary tact. Under Lord Stanley and Sir
Edward Lytton, he acquired during Lord Derby's second
administration some knowledge of ministerial life, and, at
second hand, some insight into the feelings of the House of
Commons. A laborious student, and a finished scholar, his
acquirements, to a great extent, make up for his want of
originality, while a desire of success may compensate the
absence of any striking ability. On the whole, he is a good
average Minister, though his early succession to the peerage,
and a shy supercilious demeanour, will prevent his achieving
the foremost rank, or becoming a party leader.
The Right Hon. Spencer Walpole, Home Secretary, is
a man of whom no one can speak ill. A distinguished
scholar, a profound lawyer, with a considerable knowledge
of the world, and a judgment sound, if not powerful, he
will always command the respect and affection, if not the
implicit confidence, of those with whom he deals.
I think there must be some mistake in the
date of this paper, as Lord Carnarvon was at that
time, I think, only Under-Secretary of State. Mr.
Spencer Walpole I knew very well. He was one
of the most upright men I ever came across, and
everybody had confidence in him. He was trustee
for more people than I can recollect, and his death
was a great loss to many.
About this time misfortunes overtook M. de
Lamartine, and people in all countries endeavoured
to unite in assisting him. Sir Edward Lytton
wrote a letter to M. de Lamartine, which I regret
xxii LETTER FROM LAMARTINE 259
that I do not possess, but the reply to it is still in
my keeping, and I give it herewith : —
Monsieur et illustre ami ! — Votre lettre n'est pas de ce
siecle; elle devrait etre datee de l'antiquite ! Puisse la
posterite la lire ! Mais combien Tavenir rfaura-t-elle pas
a rabattre des termes dans lesquels vous parlez de ma vie !
Vous vous etes trop souvenu de eette maxime des bons
cceurs : Flattez les 7iiallieureiur !
Je suis tres malheureux en effet. Je ne cherche point
a le dissimuler a moi-meme ou aux autres. Quand une
souscription de eette nature n'est pas un eclatant honneur,
elle est une eclatante humiliation. Je sais bien que
Thumiliation n'est pas la honte, mais elle en est Papparence.
Elle fait baisser la tete devant les hommes, sinon devant
Dieu. II faut, croyez-moi, que j'aye des motifs bien obli-
gatoires, bien sacres, et bien superieurs a ceux qu'on
nfattribue pour ne pas retirer mon nom de tout ce bruit
autour d'un obole !
La France ne me doit rien. Je lui dis vingt fois, je n'ai
rien fait pour elle que ce que beaucoup d'autres out fait
avec moi, chacun dans leur role, et ce que tout autre a ma
place eut fait mieux que moi. Je me trompe cependant.
J'ai fait quelquechose. Je Tai passionnement aimee. Je
l'ai aimee non seulement dans sa grande individuality
nationale, mais je Tai aimee dans chacune de ses classes, et,
pour ainsi dire, dans chacun des individus dont eette
grande famille de la patrie se compose. Si Ton m'avait dit
alors que le premier ou le dernier de ses citoyens allait etre
chasse de son foyer (chateau ou chaumicre) faute de quel-
que million ou de quelque centime pour le racheter de
Impropriation, ce citoyen eut-il etc mon ennemi politique,
le ciel nfest temoin que je lui aurais adresse avec ma
respectueuse attendrissement la dime de mon cceur !
Des classes injustement hostiles en France n'ont ])as juge
a propos de faire pour moi, a la voix de mes amis, ce que
j'aurais fait pour elles; mais elles out paye Toccasion bonne
pour se venger apres dix ans du mal que je ne leur ai pas
fait. J'accepte. Elles me meprisent sans en avoir le
260 GRATITUDE TO ENGLAND ch. xxii
droit. La France scait bien cependant que la partie n'est
pas egale, car je lVaurai jamais a raon tour ni la volonte ni
le droit de mepriser mon pays !
Quant a l'etat, je me suis fait une loi de ne lui rien
devoir comme homme prive, sous tous les regimes, dans tout
le cours de ma vie. Je ne me departirai pas de cette loi a
la fin de ma carriere. Le gouvernement est intervenu dans
cette circonstance envers le comite de mes concitoyens de
Macon, en termes d'une excessive obligeance. Je pouvais les
sentir. Je ne devais pas y repondre. J'aurais admis ainsi
un caractere politique dans une souscription de cceur et non
d'opinion. Ce ne pouvait etre ni ma pensee, ni celle du
gouvernement. II ne me devait que sa neutralite.
J'apprends par vous qu'en Angleterre un comite, compose
d'hommes d'etat, d'orateurs, d'ecrivains illustres, veut bien
me temoigner un interet international. Exprimez-lui ma
reconnaissance. Je ne me trompe pas, comme quelques
publicistes franeais se trompent, sur la signification de ce
comite. Ce n'est pas un reproche. C'est un concours a
la France ; c'est Talliance des e'tats que TAngleterre veut
illustrer une fois de plus par Talliance des cceurs. La seuie
chose, en eflfet, que TAngleterre puisse avoir Tintention de
recompenser en moi, c^st le culte constant et avoue de cette
paix plus glorieuse pour les deux nations que leurs plus
belles victoires, car c'est la victoire de leur bon sens sur des
rivalites sm-annees qu'il faut laisser, sans les remuer, au fond
de Thistoire, comme la mauvaise lie des vieux terns !
Recevez, Monsieur et illustre ami, Tassurance de ma
haute consideration. Lamaiitine.
Paris, 14 juin, 1858,
43, rue ville l'Eveque.
CHAPTER XXIII
Fuad Pasha — Private Secretary to Sir Edward Lytton — Work at
Colonial Office — Heads of Departments — Sir Arthur Birch — Tour
in the Lake Country — Distinguished Colonists — Visitors at Kneh-
worth — Marriage of the Princess Royal — Peace with Persia — Causes
of the War — Three Canadian statesmen — Marshal Pe'lissier
Foundation of British Columbia — Sir Edward Lytton's speech.
During 1858, Fuad Pasha, who was at the time, I
think, Grand Vizier in Turkey, came to England.
Lord Malmesbury was in Scotland, in attendance
on the Queen ; but Lady Bulwer, who was in
England, the wife of Sir Henry Bulwer, then
Ambassador at the Porte, was anxious that he
should be well received. It was unfortunate that
Lord Malmesbury should be absent at such a time,
and Sir Edward Lytton therefore gave a party at
Knebworth, to which Fuad Pasha was invited, and
I was instructed by Lord Malmesbury and Sir
Edward Lytton to place myself at his disposal.
This led to an acquaintance which later circum-
stances proved very confidential.
During the Pasha's stay in England, he was in
the habit of visiting a lady whose husband was
much mixed up in Turkish matters, but who her-
self was not a woman of anv great tact. Site
261
262 SIR EDWARD LYTTON ch.
thought it witty to ask Fuad Pasha how many
wives he had. He generally evaded the answer ;
but on one occasion she repeated the question very
bluntly in the presence of others. Fuad Pasha
replied, " The same number as your husband — two.
The only difference is that he conceals one of his,
and I do not."
I recollect this same question being put to a
Turkish naval lieutenant, who commanded a launch
placed at my disposal at Constantinople by the
Sultan. He was asked by a young Secretary how
many wives he had, and replied, in English, " I
have only one. I find that quite enough ! "
Towards the end of 1858 there was a readjust-
ment of the office of Private Secretary, and it was
agreed between Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton and
Lord Malmesbury that I should become Private
Secretary to the former ; but that for special circum-
stances I should always give such assistance as was
in my power to the Foreign Secretary.
I found that the work of the Colonial Office was
extraordinarilv different from that of the Foreign
Office. In the latter, business requires quick
despatch ; in the former, great deliberation. There
are few sudden emergencies under the Colonial
Office, and the work is done very much according
to precedent, whereas in the Foreign Office unpre-
cedented events frequently occur. The Heads of
Departments in the Colonial Office, therefore, often
obtain much more influence and authority than in
the Foreign Office. At that time several men of
xxiii COLONIAL OFFICE 263
great capacity had charge of the Departments.
One was Sir George Barrow, whose father had been
Secretary to the Admiralty. Others were Mr.
Blackwood, a brother of Sir Francis Blackwood,
and related to Lord Dnfferin, and Mr. Cox, who
was always peculiarly dressed. In the morning he
used to wear a tail-coat, and a single glass in his
eye, to which no string was attached. Their work
was rather that of Ministers on a small scale than
of subordinates in a Department, and their decisions
were rarely altered, for they had all the circum-
stances at their fingers' ends. Mr. Herman
Merivale was Under-Secretary of State, a man of
great knowledge and experience, and well replaced,
when necessary, by Mr. — later Sir Frederick
— Elliot, the Assistant Under - Secretary of
State.
One of the foremost Heads of Departments was
Sir Henry Taylor, the poet, author of Philip van
Artevelde. He was also a great authority on
Colonial subjects. The ease with which the work
was done in those days is shown by the fact that
Sir Henry Taylor was allowed to live principally
out of town, his work being sent down to him
every day by post. I knew him at Bournemouth,
where he had a house, and where he carried on his
Colonial Office business. On more than one occa-
sion I believe he was offered an Under-Secretaryship
of State, but declined it for fear of his liberty being
restricted. He had married a daughter of Lord
Monteagle, a sister of Mr. Spring-Rice, whom I
204 DISTINGUISHED COLONISTS ch.
have mentioned elsewhere and who was a great
friend of mine in the Foreign Office.
Another prominent member of the Colonial
Office was Mr. Dealtry — a son of the celebrated
Archdeacon. He, for a long time, managed the
affairs of the Australian Department.
As Assistant Private Secretary I was fortunate
enough to obtain the services of Mr. Arthur Birch,
then a clerk in the Colonial Office. I had some
intimate friends in his family. He subsequently
held several important appointments in the Colonies,
for which he received the K.C.M.G. He is now
the West End representative of the Bank of
England.
One of my pleasantest recollections of the time
when I was Secretary to Sir Edward Lytton was
that of taking a tour with him through the Lake
Country. He was well versed in its history, and
in the poetry of the Lake School.
During my term of office as Secretary to Lord
Lytton, I naturally made the acquaintance of many
distinguished colonists. Amongst them was Sir
Charles Nicholson, who had settled in Australia as
a physician. He held office more than once, and,
when Queensland was established, he accompanied
the first Governor to that Colony, and was made
Speaker of the House of Assembly. Sir Charles
was the premier baronet of Australia.
I also made the acquaintance of Sir George
Macleay, who came of a scientific family. His
father was Colonial Secretary of New South Wales,
xxiii BUSH STORIES 265
and had founded the Linnsean Society. I believe
it was he who gave Botany Bay its name.
Sir George Macleay had some interesting
anecdotes respecting the Australian natives, whom
he described as very intelligent. He visited one
distant part of the Colony by steamer. There he
found that the inhabitants had recently been
instructed in the doctrines of Christianity ; but
they all believed that the history of the New
Testament was going on still and that the principal
persons were still alive. When the steamer came
to the landing-place, the natives came up and said
to the Captain, " How do, Captain ? All well at
Sydney ? How's the Governor ? And how's
'Postle Paul ? "
On one occasion, when riding, Sir George saw
in the distance some one who afterwards turned
out to be a clergyman. He asked his native guide
who the gentleman was, and received the reply,
" Him white man — belong to Sunday. Put his
shirt outside trouser and talk long corrobery 'bout
debble-debble."
It appears that the cattle browsing in the
Australian bush have a very keen scent for natives,
of whom they are afraid. One day, when Sir
George was riding with his guide, he saw in the
distance a drove running away for no apparent
reason. He said to his guide, "Why are those
cattle running away?" The native replied, w Me
"tinkee."
There was an Australian millionaire whose
266 AUSTRALIAN FORTUNES oh.
fortune was said to have been accumulated in the
following manner. Being in Australia at the time
of the discovery of gold in Victoria, he at once
went to live in the city, later on known as
Melbourne, and took a house next door to the
Bank, where all the gold was stored that came
from the mines. He proceeded to dig a tunnel
between his cellar and the cellars of the Bank
where the gold was stored, and at once accumulated
a very lame fortune.
Another man, G , a contractor, married a
remarkably able woman, who for a long time held
rather a prominent position in London, in certain
political and financial quarters. The origin of his
fortune was as follows. At the time of the gold
being found in Victoria, he went there with his
wife, after obtaining an ordinary letter of introduc-
tion from Messrs. Rothschild to some influential
persons at Melbourne. He observed that the
whole city, then becoming so important, was
unpaved. Presenting himself to the authorities,
who believed him to be an agent of Messrs.
Rothschild, he asked to be trusted with the con-
tract for paving the town at a certain price. The
authorities inquired where they should find the
money to pay him for the work. He said, " Leave
that to me," and the contract was signed. He
then found a contractor willing to execute the
works for a certain sum, less than that stipulated
for with the municipality.
His next step was to bring out a loan, to be
xxiii KNEBWORTH 267
repaid by the municipality out of the money
destined for the contract. This loan was eagerly
taken up by persons in Melbourne itself, who, at
that moment, had no means of investing their
savings, and G left Melbourne, within a fort-
night of his arrival, with a profit of about forty
thousand pounds.
Sir Edward Lytton used frequently to ask
Colonial visitors to stay with him. I remember
that one particular guest, who had never been in
England before, but was well versed in English
literature, turned out at the end of his visit to
be under the impression that Knebworth was
Kenil worth.
Amongst others whose acquaintance I made at
Sir Edward Lytton's house was Mr. Dallas, the
United States Minister, who, with his family, came
there frequently. Sir Edward Lytton was greatly
admired in America. He had a somewhat close
connection with that country from the fact that
his brother, Sir Henry Bulwer, had passed a long-
time as Minister at Washington. As has been
mentioned elsewhere, he was one of the authors
of the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty.
I once heard Mr. Dallas make an excellent
speech at an Agricultural Dinner at Stevenage.
Before that occasion, 1 had never heard any
American eloquence ; but it struck me, though
somewhat peculiar, as very forcible. Mr. Dallas
used to make a pause after every word, and,
after a certain time, this habit had the effect of
268 'A JOLLY OLD FELLOW ch.
emphasising to a marked degree the opinions he
wished to expound.
An American Secretary, a cheery and rather
rollicking young man, came to Knebworth at the
same time as a certain clergyman, remarkably self-
complacent, of the genus known as " squarson."
The contrast between the two guests was remark-
able. On one occasion, the squarson, standing
with his back to the fire, delivered himself of some
pompous remarks. " I was going through Paris, '
he said, "and I saw a placard announcing that a
gathering of Americans was to be held in the
neighbourhood. I attended the meeting, and,"
turning to the American, " you must acknowledge
that the occasion was one to draw forth all the
eloquence of American hearts. It was the death
of Webster." The American replied, "Yes, sir.
I agree with you. Mr. Webster was a very jolly
old fellow."
Another American gentleman, during this visit,
also gave me two specimens of his native humour.
Some people were travelling on a steamer in
America, and there was a man on board who
came from the West. My friend said that there
was always some joke about Westerners, and one
man — thinking himself humorous— went up to this
passenger and said, " You don't remember me ?
I come from your neighbourhood." The other
replied, " Oh, I remember you well. I recollect
when you was born. Your mother had twins —
a boy and a monkey. The boy died."
xxiii WHAT HELL REQUIRES 269
Another anecdote was of a public functionary
in high office who went to make enquiries about a
new settlement that was to be founded. He asked
the Head what was most wanted. The reply was,
" We require water, and a little good society."
The functionary answered, " That's what hell
requires."
During 1858 a marriage was arranged between
the eldest son of the King of Prussia and the
Princess Royal of England. This was the first
wedding that took place of any of the children of
the Queen, and the rejoicings in England were
great.
In March a Treaty of Peace was signed between
Great Britain and Persia, putting an end to the war
which had been going on for some time. It had
been brought about by the following letter from
the Shah, which, together with others written
by his Ministers, was considered offensive to the
British Minister.
December 1855.
Last night we read the paper written by the English
Minister Plenipotentiary, and were much surprised at the
rude, unmeaning, disgusting, and insolent tone and purport.
The letter which he before wrote was also impertinent. We
have also heard that, in his own house, he is constantly
speaking disrespectfully of us and of you, but we never
believed ; now, however, he has introduced it in an official
letter. We are, therefore, convinced that this man, Mr.
Murray, is stupid, ignorant, and insane, who has the audacity
and impudence to insult even kings! From the time of
Shah Sultan Hossein (when Persia was in its most disorganised
state, and during the last fourteen years of his life, when by
270 CANADIAN VISITORS ch.
serious illness he was incapacitated for business) up to the
present time, no disrespect towards the Sovereign has been
tolerated, either from the Government or its Agent. What
has happened now, that this foolish Minister Plenipotentiary
acts with such temerity ? It appears that our friendly Mis-
sions are not acquainted with the wording of that document ;
give it now to Meerza Abbas and Meerza Malcum, that they
may take and duly explain it to the French Minister and
Hyder Effendi, that they may see how improperly he has
written. Since last night till now our time has been passed
in vexation. We now command you, in order that you may
yourself know, and also acquaint the Missions, that until the
Queen of England herself makes us a suitable apology for the
insolence of her Envoy, we will never receive back this her
foolish Minister, who is a simpleton, nor accept from her
Government any other Minister.
Three Canadian statesmen came to England
in 1858 to study certain points. They were Mr.
C artier, Mr. Ross, and Mr. Gait, who was a son of
the celebrated author. All three had held high
office in Canada. They were invited to stay at
Knebworth, and, at a dinner given by Sir Edward
Lytton, they made most interesting speeches, in
which they laid claim to being the advisers of the
British Crown for Colonial affairs. Subsequently
to this, I think, Sir John Rose was named High
Commissioner for Canada. The rapid progress
made by that country may be said to have begun
with the visit of these Canadian statesmen.
The year 1858 was remarkable in the Diplomatic
Service through the appointment of Marshal
Pelissier as French Ambassador in London. The
period was also one of interest owing to the founda-
tion of British Columbia. An expedition of Royal
xxiii FAREWELL SPEECH 271
Engineers was organised to go there. On their
embarkation Sir Edward Lytton made a speech,
which has never till now been published, and
which, to my mind, was one of the best he ever
delivered : —
Soldiers ! I have just come to say to you a few kind
words of parting.
You are going to a distant country, not, I trust, to tight
against men, but to conquer nature ; not to besiege cities,
but to create them ; not to overthrow kingdoms, but to assist
in establishing new communities under the sceptre of your
own Queen.
For these noble objects, you, Soldiers of the Royal
Engineers, have been specially selected from the ranks of Her
Majesty's armies. Wherever you go, you carry with you not
only English valour and English loyalty, but English intelli-
gence and English skill. Wherever a difficulty is to be
encountered, which requires in the soldier not only courage
and discipline, but education and science, Sappers and Miners,
the Sovereign of England turns with confidence to vou.
If this were a service of danger and bloodshed, I know
that on every field, and against all odds, the honour of the
English arms would be safe from a stain in your hands ; but
in that distant region to which you depart, I hope that our
national flag will wave in peaceful triumph, on many a Roval
birthday, from walls and church-towers which you will have
assisted to raise from the wilderness, and will leave to remote
generations as the bloodless trophies of your renown.
Soldiers ! you will be exposed to temptation. You go
where gold is discovered — where avarice inflames all the
passions. But I know that the voice of duty and the love of
honour will keep you true to your officers, and worthy of the
trust which your Sovereign places in her Royal Engineers.
On my part, as one of the Queen's Ministers, I promise
that all which can conduce to vour comfort, and fairly reward
your labours, shall be thoughtfully considered. You have
heard from my distinguished friend, your commanding officer,
272 A GLORIOUS ENTERPRISE ch. xxrn
that every man amongst you who shall have served six years
in British Columbia, and receives at the end of that time a
certificate of good conduct, will be entitled — if he desire to
become a resident in the Colony — to thirty acres of land, aye,
and of fertile land, in that soil which you will have assisted
to bring into settlement and cultivation.
In the strange and wild district to which you are bound,
you will meet with men of all countries, of all characters and
kinds. You will aid in preserving peace and order, not by
your numbers, not by mere force, but by the respect which
is due to the arms of England, and the spectacle of your own
discipline and good conduct. You will carefully refrain from
(juarrel and brawl. You will scorn, I am sure, the vice which
degrades God's rational creature to the level of the brute —
I mean the vice of intoxication. I am told that is the vice
which most tempts common soldiers. I hope not, but I am
sure it is the vice which least tempts thoughtful, intelligent,
successful men. You are not common soldiers — you are to
be the pioneers of civilisation.
Nothing more counteracts the taste for drink than the
taste for instruction. And Colonel Moody will endeavour
to form for your amusement and profit, in hours of relaxa-
tion, a suitable collection of books. I beg to offer my
contribution to that object, and I offer it, not as a public
Minister, out of public monies, but in my private capacity
as a lover of literature myself, and your friend and well-
wisher.
Farewell ! Heaven speed and prosper you ! The enter-
prise before you is indeed glorious. Ages hence, industry
and commerce will crowd the roads that you will have made ;
travellers from all nations will halt on the bridges you will
have first flung over solitary rivers, and gaze on gardens and
cornfields that you will have first carved from the wilderness.
Christian races will dwell in the cities of which you will map
the sites and lay the foundations. You go not as the
enemies but as the benefactors of the land you visit, and
children unborn will, I believe, bless the hour when Queen
Victoria sent forth her Sappers and Miners to found a second
England on the shores of the Pacific.
CHAPTER XXIV
Ionian Islands — Tenure of Islands — Sir Thomas Maitland's Constitu-
tion — Ionian titles — The Three Constitutions — Desire for union
with Greece — Constant friction — Legislative anomalies — Consular
jurisdiction — Mr. Gladstone's Mission.
Great difficulties had arisen in the Ionian Islands,
owing to the anomalous character of our hold
upon them. When, by the Peace at the end of
the Napoleonic Wars, the Ionian States were
placed under the protection of Great Britain, it
was found very difficult to adjust conditions under
which the new system was to be carried on.
The tenure of the Islands by England was of a
most curious character, and made up of contra-
dictions. It was derived from the Treaty of Paris,
but in somewhat vague language, and did not give
to the British Government that absolute and direct
control exercised over the Colonies of England.
With the object, however, of assuming authority by
indirect means, Sir Thomas Maitland constructed a
constitution whereby the Lord High Commissioner
practically enjoyed a good deal of power. It was
a constitution which in his hands, and with his
skill, had produced good results.
VOL. I 273 T
274 'SHALL AND WILL DOCTOR' oh.
In a letter to Lord Bathurst, dated September
10, 1817, Sir Thomas Maitland said that the
Constitution would want what his brother, Lord
Lauderdale, called a "shall and will doctor," and
this was found in Sir Thomas Maitland himself.
He fully appreciated both the defects and the
virtues of the Ionians. In the Life of him, written
by Mr. Frewen Lord, Sir Charles Napier is reported
as saying of them at that time : —
The merry Greeks are worth all other nations put to-
gether. I like to see them, to hear them ; I like their fun,
their good -humour, their paddy ways. . . . All their bad
habits are Venetian ; their wit, their eloquence, their good-
nature are their own.
Sir Thomas Maitland borrowed from the policy
of the Venetians, when they held the Islands, of
appealing a good deal to the vanity of the subject
race. The Venetians had made a regulation
whereby it was possible to confer the degree of
Doctor on Ionians, without examination. This
was much appreciated, and, though the Venetians
took no titles themselves, the islanders were freely
raised to the rank of Count. Officials were entitled
to enjoy the most flattering adjectives, such as
" The Most Excellent," " The Most Illustrious,"
" The Most Honourable," according to their rank.
The President of the Senate was styled " His
Highness." When the Order of St. Michael and
St. George was founded, the first idea was to call
it the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, or of
St. Spiridion ; but its present name was adopted,
xxiv IONIAN GOVERNMENT 275
and the Order is now given to the King's Colonial
and Diplomatic servants.
I have a book called The Three Constitutions,
describing the government of the Ionian Islands.
The constitution under the Russians, in 1800,
which was, I believe, the work of Count Capo
d'Istria and Count Mocenigo, two Ionians in the
Russian Diplomatic Service, realised in its first
article the aspirations of the Ionians : —
La Repubblica delle Sette Isole Unite e una ed Aristo-
cratica.
The next constitution was drawn up on the
French occupation of the Islands in 1807, by
General Berthier, who was Governor-General and
Commander-in-Chief; and the third, which was
still in vigour in 1858, was promulgated by Sir
Thomas Maitland in January 1817. This con-
stitution presented the appearance of very wide
liberties, which were merely kept in check by
certain manipulations of the constituencies electing
to the Legislative Assembly ; but, as a fact, the
Lord High Commissioner exercised great control
over the electoral lists. This constitution had, no
doubt, effected great good by releasing the peasantry
from the arbitrary control of the old nobles. Certain
modifications were made by Lord Seaton in 1847.
His reforms, by cutting away the modifying pro-
visions, converted theoretical liberties into real
ones, and almost into license. The Ionians, however,
had never been reconciled to their subjection to
276 DIFFICULTIES oh.
England. At the time of the Greek Revolution,
they became very much excited when they thought
that the action of the British Government evinced
a tendency to support attacks against the Greeks.
Their leading idea was to become part of the
Greek kingdom, and nothing short of this would
in any way satisfy them. It was plain, therefore,
that, owing to constant friction with the Ionian
Legislature, the constitution required reform.
Great difficulties presented themselves on
financial questions, which could only be settled
with the good-will of the Assembly. Still further
questions arose as to the relations of the Ionian
Islands with foreign subjects ; for the Ionians did
not think they were in any way bound to further
the foreign policy of the British Government, or to
abstain from acts which might embroil England
with foreign countries.
The immediate cause of the difficulties in 1858
was the fact that the municipal authorities had
interfered to prevent the supply of provisions to
some Turkish troopships which had stopped in
the harbour. It is useless to go into the details
of this question, though it was evidently one
of extreme gravity, for the contention was that
this refusal on the part of the municipality
of Corfu could not be controlled by the Protecting
Power.
The dilemma seemed almost insoluble. It was
clear that the Ionian Islands stood in great need of
reform. Finances were getting into disorder, and
XXIV
ANOMALIES 277
constant slight collisions occurred between the
Protecting Power and the islanders.
There were some curious anomalies, too, in
Ionian legislation. The land laws required much
revision. The law of succession was very com-
plicated, and mortgages were the rule and not the
exception. Besides this there were certain rights,
which existed nowhere else, and which came down
from the times of the Venetians.
More than one Venetian noble among the
signori of the islands had rights to certain portions
of the lands or their produce ; some to a half, some
a third, some a fifth ; but all leading to complica-
tions. Thus, on occasions of death and succession,
the following anomalous position often presented
itself.
One srreat source of wealth in the island of
Corfu was oil. Sometimes a man would die
possessing the right of obtaining what he could
from certain olive-trees belonging to a landowner :
this right was probably mortgaged. There were
other persons who had a perpetual tenant right, who
were called coloni, and they might cultivate these
trees on paying a portion of the produce to their
owner. The coloni also had mortgages. Some-
times a tree, by the minute subdivision of property,
was found to belong to several persons, and this
would be the position. As a whole, the tree belonged
to A., and was mortgaged to 15., with perpetual
rights of cultivation belonging to C. A. had a
mortgage on the property, which belonged to him
278 < LOG-ROLLING ' ch.
from the payments of the coloni. The colono
had a mortgage, and there was a fourth party who
had the perpetual right of purchasing the fruit from
the colono, and this perpetual right was also mort-
gaged. At times ownership was limited to the
branch of a tree. It was impossible to clear up
these points, as the Legislature refused to interfere.
By the Constitution, the Legislature was
summoned of right every two years for three
months, during which time they were supposed to
produce a new budget ; but if the discussion was
not finished by the end of the three months, the
session terminated, and, by the existing rule, the
last budget was ipso facto re-enacted.
The great difficulty in obtaining the budget was
owing to the jealousy of the different islands.
Zante would say, " Cephalonia has this : why
should we not have that ? " and it very often ended
in what the Americans call " log-rolling " ; that is to
say, Zante would say, "We will vote for your having
an hospital, if you will vote for giving us a pier."
Matters were rather complicated by the reports
of many military officers who declared that the
Ionian Islands were of no great value strategically.
Enormous sums had been spent on the fortifications
of Corfu ; but it was said that by one approach no
enemy could be prevented from reaching the town.
Large sums were due to the Protecting Govern-
ment, and an annual sum of money devoted to
the payment of the British officials was gradually
dwindling away.
xxiv CONSULAR JURISDICTION 279
Questions had also arisen as to consular juris-
diction over Ionian subjects. As is well known,
differences between British subjects in Turkey, and
even crimes, are adjudicated upon by consuls, who
administer justice according to the laws of their
own country. The Ionians, hitherto, had been
subject to the same jurisdiction, namely, to that
of the British consuls, who adjudicated according
to the laws of England. A pretension, however,
had been recently put forward that British consuls
should administer justice to Ionian subjects accord-
ing to Ionian law. This they based on an article
of the Constitution which said, "British consuls
in all foreign states, without exception, shall be
considered to have the character of consuls and
vice-consuls of the United States of the Ionian
Islands, and the latter shall have the right to their
fullest protection." As by this article it appeared
that the British consuls did not administer justice
to Ionian citizens as British but as Ionian consuls,
the Ionians based on it their claim to be judged
by Ionian law. This right was subsequently
admitted, and here a curious circumstance occurred.
By the Constitution, the Lord High Commissioner
and the Senate — which consisted of five and their
President — were authorised, at a time when Parlia-
ment was not sitting, to enact laws called atti di
Governo — acts of Government — which had the
validity of law until the next meeting of Parlia-
ment. The discussion of the rights of the Ionians
lasted for a long time, and I once had to pay a visit
280 MR. GLADSTONES MISSION ch.
to Constantinople, where a complicated question
had arisen, owing to a decision given by a British
consul in the Principalities. At length it was
decided to publish an atto di Govemo to settle the
matter ; but this, unfortunately, was completed
only immediately before the annexation of the
Islands to Greece, and therefore was what is called
in French un coup cTepee donne dans lean.
When the crisis in the Ionian Islands arose in
August 1858, Sir Edward Lytton induced the
Cabinet to adopt the most conciliatory attitude
possible. It was the wish of the Government, he
wrote, " that the Ionian people should be, without
delay, convinced of the earnest desire of the
Government to see the genuine interests of the
Islands advanced by the removal of whatever
defects in their institutions might impair the
desired harmony between the Ionian Legislature
and the Protecting Power." It was therefore
considered advisable to invite Mr. Gladstone to
undertake a Mission to the Ionian Islands, with
a view to adjusting the differences, if possible,
between the Protecting Power and the people
protected. His appointment to assist Sir John
Young, the Lord High Commissioner, was
announced to the latter in a long and weighty
despatch from Sir Edward Lytton, of which the
following is an extract : —
In all these disputes I have failed to perceive anything
that the forbearance and good sense of authorities in office,
so dignified and responsible, might not readily adjust, while
xxiv HIS QUALIFICATIONS 281
there is much that any harsh or hasty action on the part
of the Protecting Government might aggravate into lasting
discords.
If, on the other hand, I am to take a more serious view
of the dissensions which have been submitted to my
judgment, I might inquire whether their origin may not be
traced to certain defects in the Ionian Constitution, which
the Constitution itself enables the Legislature to remove.
These are the general principles and sentiments enter-
tained by Her Majesty's Government with reference to the
pending questions which at present agitate the Ionian mind,
and which of course so materially augment your official
difficulties and responsibilities. With a view to assist you in
discharging the trust committed to you, and also to derive
the great advantage of a weighty opinion on Ionian affairs,
pronounced by a statesman who belongs to his country
rather than to any party in it, who has already occupied,
with marked distinction, the highest offices of the State,
whose mind has grasped foreign as well as domestic ques-
tions with equal vigour and success, and whose renown as a
Homeric scholar will justly commend him to the sympathies
of an Hellenic race, Her Majesty's Government have resolved
on despatching the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone as a Special
Commissioner to inquire into and report on the whole state
of government in the Ionian Islands, and on the political
relations between the Protecting Power and the people, so,
let me hope, as to lead to the equitable and constitutional
adjustment of every existing difficulty.
You will not fail to observe in the choice of Mr. Glad-
stone, a gentleman not unknown to you in public and private
life, the intention of Her Majesty's Government to place the
most generous interpretation upon the policy which you
have pursued, to strengthen your hands by every legitimate
means, and to manifest to the Ionian people that the
interests and welfare of their islands are in this case receiv-
ing that special consideration and investigation which have
been bestowed in somewhat similar political emergencies on
some of the most ancient and important dependencies of the
British Crown.
CHAPTER XXV
Mr. Gladstone's qualifications — His departure for the Ionian Islands — Sir
Henry Storks — Publication of secret despatches — Mr. Wellington
Guernsey — Letters from Mr. Gladstone — Mr. Gladstone's proposed
reforms — Refusal by Ionians — Mr. Gladstone's return to England
— Appointment of Sir Henry Storks as Lord High Commissioner
—Defeat of the Government — Sir Edward Lytton's prophecy —
Appointed Secretary to Lord High Commissioner — Officials in
Corfu.
Mr. Gladstone was well qualified for the mission
confided to him. He had a thorough knowledge
of Italian, the language commonly spoken in the
Ionian Islands, and his reputation as a statesman
and as a Hellenic scholar was very great. It
would have been impossible to find a representative
of England whose personal qualities were more
adapted to the nation with which he was about
to negotiate. He was appointed Lord High
Commissioner Extraordinary, and started early in
November, accompanied by Mrs. and Miss Glad-
stone. He had with him as Secretary to his
Mission Mr. — afterwards Sir James — Lacaita, a
Neapolitan gentleman well known in literature,
and a great friend of Sir Antonio Panizzi. Mr.
Gladstone was also accompanied by Mr. Arthur
Gordon — now Lord Stanmore — a son of Lord
282
ch. xxv VIOLATION OF CONFIDENCE 283
Aberdeen, the Premier under whom Mr. Gladstone
had served so long, and who himself has since
occupied, with great success, the highest Colonial
positions.
During the time of the preparations for the
Mission, I saw a good deal of Mr. Gladstone, as
he constantly came to my room at the Colonial
Office to meet persons who were invited to give
him information. Amongst others came Sir
Henry Storks. He had passed several years in
the Ionian Islands, when serving in the Army,
and having been, I believe, married to an Italian
lady, spoke that language with great ease and
fluency. He thought himself rather a conqueror,
and on one occasion he told Mr. Gladstone that
one could only deal with the Ionians through the
women. Mr. Gladstone answered that on that
account he would take with him some of the
ladies of his family.
Very shortly after the departure of the Mission,
an event occurred of the greatest possible incon-
venience, namely, the publication of two despatches
on the Ionian Islands, containing proposals made
by the Lord High Commissioner, Sir John Young.
This created much perturbation. They had been
printed for the use of the Cabinet, and a number
of copies were lying on the table of an official in
the Colonial Office, covered by a letter-weight.
A friend of this official happened to come and
see him, and, being left alone, abstracted a copy
from the heap of papers, his eye having been
284 SECRET PROPOSALS ch.
attracted by the words " Ionian Islands " and
" Secret and Confidential," which evidently indi-
cated matter of great interest on a subject very
much before the public.
The proposal contained in these despatches
from Corfu was that steps should be taken to
preserve for England, as a colony, the islands of
Corfu and Paxo, and to abandon the protectorate
of the southern islands. In answer to this recom-
mendation, Sir Edward Lytton had replied that
the British Government could not admit the
possibility of "an enforced abolition of the con-
stitution conferred by charter, without the consent
either of the Legislature, or that of the Powers
of Europe, to such a revisal of the Treaty as would
give the protecting sovereign rights which the
Treaty does not at present legally sanction."
This extraordinary violation of confidence gave
me a great deal of anxiety, as some persons ill-
naturedly insinuated that the publication had been
purposely effected by the Government with a view
to damaging a political opponent. I was in
consequence instructed to write the following
letter to the Times : —
I am directed to inform you that the recent publication
of two despatches from the Lord High Commissioner of the
Ionian Islands took place without the knowledge or sanction,
direct or indirect, of Her Majesty's Government, and that
from the time of their appearance strict inquiry has been in
progress into the manner in which they became public.
Mr. Strachey, precis -writer at the Colonial
xxv ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY 285
Office — a man of great ability, who had been in
India — and myself spent literally days and nights
in ascertaining how these papers had become
public.
We had almost given up the search in despair
when we at last learnt the truth, almost by
accident. One evening we went to the office of
the newspaper which had published the despatches
in question, and there we met a gentleman of
considerable importance. We explained to him
how hard it was that we should not be able to
obtain the information we required, as it caused
doubts to be entertained of persons who were quite
innocent. He thereupon gave us some clue as
to the names of the informant, which were
peculiar. He would not tell us the actual names,
but said he had done all he could by giving us
this intimation. The next day, on going to the
Colonial Office, we found that the official from
whose table the papers had been abstracted had
informed Mr. Elliot, the Under-Secretary of State,
that he suspected Mr. Wellington Guernsey, a
friend of his, who had been in his room the day
that the papers were lost. The name tallied with
the indications given us at the newspaper office,
and thus the mystery was cleared up.
The prosecution of Mr. Wellington Guernsey
ended in his acquittal, on the ground that the papers
and print had no intrinsic value. This view, put
forward by the defendant's counsel, was combated
by the Judge, Baron Martin, but adopted by the
286 A GREEK ARCHBISHOP oh.
jury. The counsel for the Crown were the
Attorney - General, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, and Mr.
Serjeant Ballantine. It was said that the jury
had resented the employment of so big a gun as
the Attorney- General.
A great part of my time was engaged in keep-
ing Mr. Gladstone informed of minute events that
occurred in conjunction with his visit to the Ionian
Islands. Much tittle-tattle was raised in England
on account of a report that Mr. Gladstone, follow-
ing the example of all the Greeks, had kissed
the hand of a Greek Archbishop. Disagreeable
innuendoes were made public, and Sir Edward
Lytton thought it advisable that, in my letters
of gossip, I should call Mr. Gladstone's attention
to these matters, in case they had been ex-
aggerated. He replied to me as follows on the
7th of February 1859, from Corfu : —
The charge against me in the second paragraph is true.
I hope, however, that Sir E. Lytton will not, in his con-
sideration for me, entangle himself in such a matter ; but, as
he knows nothing now, will continue to know nothing on the
matter of fact, and will say that the subject did not enter
into his instructions or my despatches, and that he presumes
I shall be at home in two or three more weeks to answer for
all my misdeeds. In this case you would, I presume, simply
keep to yourself my avowal.
On the 13th of January he had written to me as
follows : —
• Your letter was very acceptable, and I hope you will send
me another without any apology.
It contained important news connected with my Mission ;
xxv MR. GLADSTONE'S REFORMS 287
for if as you say the Cabinet met on the 10th (telegram said
12th) I may have Mr. St. John here next Monday with the
result, and may reply by our quick mail of Tuesday. We
have a messenger from Vienna come to-day, whom we shall
keep in pickle until then.
I have not got your Herald. I have written to Lord
Carnarvon about the telegrams.
From what you say, " Charles & George " will not make
a good dinner except for men with an appetite. I have no
means of knowing, at present, how that stands. But I
should think there would be no extreme keenness to prevent
the Government from playing its card, whatever it may be,
on Reform. It is a subject that yields few trumps or honours.
The deaths you mention are very touching, and they have
been accompanied with others of much interest to us.
Our winter is now become clear and cool. Mr. Lacaita
has, however, had a smart attack which his zeal has not
permitted him to nurse with sufficient care.
Though the telegram of Friday (7th) told us Sir J. Young
was recalled, he has not had any letter to-day to that effect.
Our letters are up to 5th.
Mr. Gladstone made a tour through the Ionian
Islands, and returned to Corfu on Christmas Day.
On the 5th of February he went in state to the
Senate, and in the course of his speech suggested a
number of reforms, while adding that Her Majesty
refused to abandon obligations to which she was
bound by the Treaty of Paris.
The Times wrote of " Mr. Gladstone's blandish-
ments, carried beyond the bounds of dignity and
common sense. He leaves Corfu, after throwing
down a heap of suggestions on the table of the
representative assembly." The Press, on the
whole, was very much opposed to Mr. Gladstone's
Mission. On his return he was offered the Grand
288 REFORMS REFUSED ch.
Cross of the Bath. Among his reasons for refusing
it he made use of the following quaint expression :
" I am an old bachelor of the commonalty."
The suggested reforms may be summed up as
follows : the improvement of Ionian institutions
by extending the sphere of the Ionian element, and
contracting the sphere of the British ; the establish-
ment of a ministry open to the influence of the
Chambers, combined with the effective appropria-
tion to the Assembly of what is termed the power
of the purse. It was also proposed that on a joint
address from the two Chambers, praying for the
removal of a Ministry, it should cease to hold
office ; that all acts of the Lord High Commis-
sioner should require counter-signing by a respon-
sible Minister ; that the Lord High Commissioner
should be responsible to Ionian authority ; and
that the Ionian Parliament should be permitted
to lodge complaints against the Lord High Com-
missioner.
Though these proposed reforms were of the
widest possible character, the Ionian Parliament
pronounced them inadmissible, and again demanded
freedom and union with Greece. Mr. Gladstone
had aimed at establishing a state of things similar
to that of a self-governing British colony; but
the conditions and the mutual relations between
Great Britain and the Ionian people had no prece-
dent. The Ionians were not bound by any natural
allegiance to the Protecting Power. They had
been handed over by the vote of a Conference,
xxv IONIAN VIEWS 289
held when the world was under very different
conditions, and before that, they had been under
the dominion of various other nations. It was
impossible for them to feel enthusiasm for the
British. Everywhere matters were progressing in
the sense of liberty and national consolidation.
Greece had been made free, and Italv was in a
state of insurrection. Either of these two countries
— particularly Greece — would have been more
congenial to the Ionian nature.
In refusing Mr. Gladstone's proposals, it was
evident that the last offer had been made and
rejected, and that nothing would satisfy the islanders
but complete liberty and union with Greece.
An Ionian gentleman once said to me : " How
can we be happy when the principal language
spoken in the island is a foreign one ? when we
have to look upon every British soldier as our
political master ? No doubt Great Britain has
given us a great many of the material appliances
of civilisation. She has made roads for us ; but we
do not want roads. We would rather have tracks
over which our horses and mules could convey our
produce. There is a great deal of society in the
island ; but we do not want society. We prefer
remaining in our homes in the country without
being obliged to dress for dinner. And those of
us who have ambitions, and require a higher
political and social atmosphere, would be better
contented if they could carry out their aspirations
in Greece, and belong to a nation which certainly
vol. i u
290 SIR EDWARD LYTTON ch.
has had a great past, and which may renew in the
future the traditions of its history. We consider
that the Ionian people are subject to an abnormal
state of things. We are obliged to accept the
orders of a foreign Government, and that simply
because it is the desire of the Powers of Europe
that we should not form part of the Greek
kingdom."
Mr. Gladstone left Corfu to return to England
on the 26th of February 1859, Sir Henry Storks,
the new Lord High Commissioner, having arrived
three days previously. It may be seen, from what
I have already said, how difficult was the task of
the administration of the Ionian Islands.
In 1859, the Government brought in and were
defeated on their Reform Bill. On April 1 of
that year, a Cabinet was held to decide whether
the Government should retire at once, or dissolve
previously. Sir Edward Lytton was for immediate
resignation ; but, at the Cabinet in question, he
was overruled, and it was determined to dissolve.
Sir Edward thereupon wrote a memorandum in
the following words. This he specially gave to
me, and is still in my possession : —
Downing Street, April 1, 1859.
Remember my words ! From this day dates a change
that in a few years will alter the whole face of England.
From this day, the extreme Liberals are united. The great
towns will be banded for democracy, and democracy in
England is as sure as that we are in this room. Nothing
like this day since Charles I. did much the same as we are
doing.
■■
o
N
H
5
H
CO
<
O
-1
Ch
xxv OFFICIALS AT CORFU 291
Previously to the defeat of Lord Derby's
Government, I had been named to succeed Sir
George Bowen as Secretary to the Lord High
Commissioner of the Ionian Islands. Sir George,
who was a great Greek scholar, had been appointed
Governor of the new colony, which, by the express
wish of Queen Victoria, had been called Queens-
land. On this occasion I received the following;
very kind letter from Mr. Gladstone : —
I congratulate you very sincerely on your appointment.
I am confident both that you will discharge exceedingly well
the direct duties of the office (you may, however, find some
difficulty at first with the modern Greek) and that you will
carry into them and into your whole course the spirit of
which it is so desirable that every Englishman in office
should set an example.
I presume you will not go out for some little time, and I
hope to have opportunities of seeing you before you go.
Sir Henry Storks brought with him to Corfu
two aides-de-camp : one was Major Peel, the son
of General Peel. He had been wounded in the
Crimea, and consequently at times suffered dread-
fully from rheumatic attacks. The other was a
young gentleman named Strahan, of the Artillery,
who had been chosen by Mr. Gladstone as his
A.D.C. from hearing an account of his proficiency
in Greek. On the departure of Major Peel, who
was promoted to a staff appointment in England,
Lieutenant Evelyn Baring was named his successor.
After a brilliant career he is now Lord Cromer.
Strangely enough, his first achievement in the
public service was of a financial character. When
292 OFFICIALS AT CORFU oh. xxv
he arrived at Corfu, as a subaltern of Artillery,
the accounts of the Artillery mess were found to
he in some disorder. Lieutenant Baring was asked
to undertake the management. He did this so
well as to pave the way to his administrative
reputation.
General Sir George Buller commanded at Corfu.
He was married to a daughter of Sir John
Macdonald, the Adjutant- General in London.
His military secretary was Colonel Leicester
Curzon, a man thoroughly honourable and amiable,
and a universal favourite. He ended his life as
General Leicester Smyth, having changed his
name, and at one time commanded the forces at
the Cape of Good Hope. General Buller's other
A.D.C. was Mr. Arthur Ponsonby, to whom I
have already alluded as being an old friend of mine,
and a member of a family witli which I had been
long acquainted.
Mr. — later Sir Henry — Bulwer, a nephew of
Sir Edward Lytton, was appointed Resident, first
at Paxo, and then at Cerigo, the ancient Cythasra.
Before that he had been Secretary to the Governor
of Prince Edward Island. On the annexation of
the Islands he received a Colonial appointment,
and was Governor, with great success, of several
important dependencies, the last of them being
Cyprus.
CHAPTER XXVI
Duties as Secretary — Financial Commission — Fiscal system in Corfu- —
Visit to England — Marriage Act for Ionian Islands — Inter-
national Statistical Congress — Sir Edward Lytton's visit to Corfu
— His interest in the Occult — Geomancy — Method of divination.
When I assumed my office in the Ionian Islands,
there were many questions, not strictly speaking
political, to which I was asked to turn my atten-
tion. Sir Henry Storks was fond of occupying
himself with detail, and he was anxious that I
should devote my studies, as far as possible, to
the development of those resources of the country
which were available, irrespective of conflicting
politics or current administration. With this object,
Sir Henry Storks issued several Commissions of
which I was a member.
In the first instance, on March 3, 1860, a Com-
mission was formed for enquiring into the financial
and fiscal system of the Ionian States, with the
view of preparing for submission to Parliament a
scheme for the more equal adjustment of the public
burdens. It ended in the preparation of a report
which might have been of value, had we continued
the occupation of the islands.
The fiscal system of the Ionian States had
293
294 FINANCIAL COMMISSION ch.
hitherto principally relied on import and export
duties. From these sources, together with some
revenue from the sale of stamps, the monopoly of
salt and gunpowder, post office, port and health
dues, the income of the country had been chiefly
derived.
The average revenue of the last twenty years,
general and municipal, had been £172,000, and
during the same period the expenditure had
amounted to £182,000. Debts owing by indi-
viduals to the Government amounted to no less
a sum than £200,000.
The collection of the rents from municipal
property in Corfu showed a deficit. That property
might have yielded a considerable sum ; but tenants
of municipal houses frequently declined to pay rent
until judicially forced to do so, and social ties, so
strong in a small community, generally deterred
the authorities from resorting to so stringent a
measure. The same might be said of the water.
Pure water was supplied to the town of Corfu
for a certain payment ; but receipts from this
source amounted barely to £700 a year, of which
some £400 was paid by the British garrison, or
about one-seventh of the population.
The gross debt of the State was £298,000, of
which £90,000 was arrears of the military con-
tribution due by the Ionians to the Protecting
Power.
It was thought that the duties on currants, one
of the staple products of the Islands, demanded
xxvi MARRIAGE ACT 295
reduction. The only country which competed with
the Ionian Islands in the production of currants
was Greece. Export duties in that country
amounted to twenty drachmas, or 14s. 2d. sterling,
per 1000 lbs.; and the Commission was of opinion
that, considering the superior quality of the Ionian
fruit, and the greater facilities for its conveyance,
the Ionian currant -duty might be assimilated to
that of Greece and be fixed at 14s. 2d. It was
also thought that duties might be levied on oil,
wine, sugar and tobacco. In fact, by an adjust-
ment of these different sources of revenue, it was
considered that the annual deficit might be met.
I was sent home in 1860 to submit to the
British Government the proposed changes sug-
gested by the Financial Commission, and also to
be of use in the passage through Parliament of a
Bill for legitimising British marriages in the Ionian
Islands.
When the occupation first took place, the
object had been to assimilate everything in the
Islands to the condition of a British Colony, and no
law had been passed regulating marriages between
British subjects. When in the Foreign Office,
I had been employed on the Consular Marriage
Act, passed in 1849, and I was struck with
the necessity for a similar Act for the Ionian
Islands. These Islands, not being a British pos-
session, were not subject to British law, and as
there was no consul or diplomatic representative
from England, there was no Act which regulated
•296 SIR EDWARD LYTTON oh.
such marriages. Although no question had been
raised as to the validity of past marriages, it was
considered desirable to establish a system, and to
acknowledge the validity of all marriages previously
contracted. One couple were most unfortunately
situated : they had married and, ascertaining that
the marriage was not valid, had separated and
married other persons. They displayed great
anxiety lest the Act should validate their first
marriage, and thus make them retrospectively
bigamists.
At the time of this visit of mine to England, I
was also appointed Delegate for the Ionian Islands
to the International Statistical Congress then held
in London, under the presidency of Prince Albert
and Lord Brougham. Lord Brougham I had
known previously at Holland House, where I met
him more than once ; but it was the only occasion
on which I had the honour of speaking with the
Prince.
On my return, I was accompanied by Sir
Edward Lytton, to whom Sir Henry Storks had
offered the use of his country house, called the
" Casino," as he very much wished to see the
Ionian Islands.
Sir Edward Lytton's conversation was extra-
ordinarily interesting, and his studies were most
varied. There seemed to be scarcely a subject of
which he had not some knowledge, and often a
profound one. There was one story that he had
read in some book which he never was able to
xxvi GREEK FORTUNE-TELLERS 297
find again. It was of a man who lived to an
advanced age. Wishing to be perfectly free, he
summoned his children and said, " I do not wish
to be troubled with you any longer. I shall
divide my property among you, reserving a certain
portion for myself. You need never expect that
share, as I shall leave it to the Church. All I
want is to be left alone." He then practised the
life that he thought conducive to longevity, and
finally attained the age of 150, when his teeth
and hair grew again. Elated by these circum-
stances, he married, but died almost immediately.
Sir Edward Lytton said he found this story in
an old book, and I recollect that he and I took
great pains to discover it. I wrote to Sir Antonio
Panizzi, who was one of the people most likely to
know ; but he did not recollect the story, and I
have never been able to find it.
Occult matters always interested Sir Edward
Lytton deeply, and through the instrumentality of
Sir Patrick Colquhoun, one of the Judges, who spoke
Greek fluently, he interviewed some fortune-tellers
who explained their methods of procedure. One
of these was to go at night into a shallow part of
the sea, where, strange to stay, they stated that
they were severely beaten by the Naiads. It is
curious how long this tradition survived in a Greek
community. The most popular book circulated in
Greece was the legendary history of Alexander
the Great. It attributed to him extraordinary and
sometimes supernatural adventures.
298 GEOMANCY ch.
Sir Edward Lytton's feeling for the occult may
be seen principally in his novel of Zanoni, as well
as in one or two others of his works, notably The
Strange Sto?*y. He had learnt very thoroughly
one of the four compartments of necromancy,
namely geomancy. These compartments are aero-
mancy, the signs of the air, which foretells the
future by the flight of birds ; pyromancy, whereby
the future is found in the position of burning
coals ; hydromancy, in the circles formed when
stones are thrown into water in a particular
manner ; and geomancy, the art most practised at
the present day, which refers to a forecast of the
future by means of dots made in the sand. It is
mentioned by many English writers — by Chaucer
and Dryden — and is at present largely practised
in China, in the Soudan and in Egypt, where
its practitioners may daily be seen making signs in
the dust at the corners of the streets. Instead of
making marks on the earth itself, it has been the
habit in Europe — one may say for centuries — for
the marks to be made by pen or pencil on a sheet
of paper. Sometimes, indeed, dice have been used,
but this is not a favourite method. Several books
on geomancy have been produced at different
periods. I am in possession of three. One,
which I think is the best known, is La Geomance
du Seigneur Christqfe de Cattan, Gentilhomme
Geneuois. Liure non moins plaisant et recreatif,
que dingenieuse inuention, pour spauoir toutes
choses, preseutes, passees, et a aduenir. Auec la
xxvi THE OCCULT 299
Roile de Pythagoras. Le tout mis en lumiere par
Gabriel du Preau ; et par luy dedie a monsieur
Nicot, Conseiller du Roy, et maistre des Requestes de
V hostel. It was published in 1567, under privilege
from the King, which is given in full. Another was
published in 1657 by the Sieur de Peruchio. I have
also a very curious one in manuscript. It was
written by the astrologer of Diane de Poitiers and
is in black-letter. On the outside of the book is
her device of three crossed crescents.
The great professors of the art assert for
geomancy the widest possible extension to all
subjects : —
Vita, lucrum, fratres, geniti, nati, valetudo,
Uxor, mors, pietas, regnum benefactaque, career.
These two hexameters give a name to each of
the twelve houses.
This was the distraction that Sir Edward Lytton
often sought in the intervals of business and study.
Seeing that I was very much interested in the
subject, he gave me at Corfu a summary of the art
whereby I was enabled to study the rudiments,
while waiting for the purchase of the principal
authorities on the subject. Whether true or not,
the study is very interesting. It may not be
inappropriate here to copy Sir Edward Lytton's
Memorandum, as it also gives a general knowledge
of the system. Before doing so, however, I think
it desirable shortly to explain, from the books I
have mentioned, the means by which this system
of divination is carried out.
300 MONSIEUR DE CATTAN ch.
" Geomancy," according to M. de Cattan, " is a
science and an art which consists of points and
lines representing the four elements and the stars
and planets of the sky. . . . The instruments
of this art are pen, ink and paper, or a small
stick, and earth, dust, or well-cleaned sand. This
method was used by the Chaldeans, Persians,
Hebrews, and Egyptians before ink and paper were
invented. The science therefore retains the name
of geomancy. At present the best system of
practising it is with pen, ink, and paper ; to use
one's fingers or beans or grain, as is done by the
women of Boulogne who want news of their
absent friends, and as is still done in Italy, does
not please me, nor is it certain in its method.
. . . When the questioner makes the dots to form
his figure, he must only think of the question for
which he makes that figure. First he must make
four lines of dots to resemble the first fingers of the
left hand, but without counting. Nevertheless he
must be sure that he has made at least fourteen
dots in each line. The first will be long, like the
first finger, called the ' index ' ; the second longer,
like the second finger, named the ' medius ' ; the
third shorter, in the manner of the third finger,
called ' medicus ' ; the fourth smaller than all the
others, like the little finger, called ' auricularis ' ;
and thus he must form sixteen lines divided into
four sets as above. He must not move his
hand from the paper, or from the table, earth, or
sand which he may be using, until he has finished
xxvi CONSTRUCTION OF FIGURE 301
the sixteen lines, keeping in his heart, while moving
his hand, the question for which the figure is
made." In each group, the first line is dedicated
to fire, the second to air, the third to water, and
the fourth to earth. When the figure is com-
plete, each group of four lines is dedicated in a
similar way to the four elements.
The figure is then constructed in the following
manner, and the explanation will be clearer if refer-
ence is made to Lord Lytton's experimental figure
(see p. 317). When the lines are made, the number
of dots in each line is to be added up, and if the
result is an odd number, one dot is to be placed at
the end of it ; if an even number, two dots. The
first figure on the right-hand side comes from the
first group of four lines, the second from the
second, the third from the third, and the fourth
from the fourth. In order to make the second
group of figures, take the dots laterally from right
to left of the first four figures, and repeat this pro-
cess by taking laterally the dots of the second, third,
and fourth lines. You thus obtain eight so-called
"Houses." To make the ninth and tenth, add
together the dots of the first and second, and of the
third and fourth houses respectively, marking odd
and even as before. To obtain the eleventh house,
add together the dots contained in the fifth and
sixth houses, and the twelfth house by adding the
dots contained in the seventh and eighth.
Having thus formed twelve " Houses," you
obtain two " Witnesses.' The witness on the right
302 WITNESSES AND JUDGE chxxvi
is formed by adding together the dots of the ninth
and tenth houses, and the witness on the left is in
a similar way produced by the eleventh and twelfth
houses. The " Judge " is formed by the combina-
tion of the two witnesses.
CHAPTER XXVII
Lord Lytton's Memorandum
GEOMANCY
The figures : —
Acquisitio Fortuna Major Fortuna Minor
• •
Dragon's Head Dragons Tail Lcctitia Tristitiu
• •
• •
Popidus
Via
Conjunctio
Puer
Puella
Career
Amissio
Albus
Rubens
303
16 Jig arcs.
304 SIGNIFICATION OF FIGURES ch.
The good figures generally are : —
6 figures.
The bad : —
4 figures.
though not bad, is a sign of Mars, and in
certain houses signifies quarrel.
The figures more indifferent are : —
Figures, however, vary in signification, first,
according to their House, next, according to con-
junctions and aspects, and each has a more peculiar
meaning according to the question asked.
There are twelve Houses made by the twelve
figures, besides the two Witnesses and Judge.
SIGNIFICATION OF HOUSES
1st House relates to the personnel of the questioner.
2nd House relates to his house, to things movable, to
what may shortly happen ; also indirectly to his
affections, wishes, etc.
3rd House relates to brothers, sisters, letters, short
journeys.
xxvii THE TWELVE HOUSES 305
4th House relates to parents, legacies, the end of life, and
the final result of things inquired into : generally
also to things secret and hidden. It is under
Saturn.
5th House relates to children, to pleasures,' to light loves,
to society, parties, etc. It is under Venus.
6th House relates to illness, to servants.
7th House relates to marriage, to wife or husband, to a
partner in any business or enterprise, and to the
special object asked, whatever that may be. For
instance, " Shall I see Mr. Jones soon ? " or " Is it
good to buy that estate ? " you would look to the
7th House as forming the direct object of the
question, though in connection with other Houses
more especially devoted to the nature of the
objects. The 7th House would thus denote Mr.
Jones, or the estate.
8th House relates to death, and advisers of married
people and partners ; also wars and public enemies.
9th House relates to clerical matters, clergy, all that
relates to religion, also to letters and to long
j ourneys.
10th House relates to honours, distinctions, etc.
11th House relates to friends.
12th House — a bad house — private enemies, perils, afflic-
tions ; also beasts, wild or tame ; injury or profit
by them, etc. You would look to this House
for the question, " Will the horse I have bought
turn out well ? "
Of these Houses, the strongest and most
influential are the 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th. These, in
fact, are the four fatal angles in astrology. The
Houses most weak are the 3rd, Gth, and 9th. The
importance of bad figures is increased when found
in the strong Houses ; also the importance of
good ones.
vol. i x
306 INTERPRETATION ch.
Some figures, however good, lose their nature
and become bad in certain Houses according to
certain questions, and vice versa. For instance,
Acquisitio, excellent in most Houses (especially 1st
and 2nd), when in the 8th House signifies Death,
if the question relate to a death (more especially if
the 6th and 10th Houses have bad figures). Thus,
" Shall I gain that property ?"
in the 1st House, repeated in 7th House (the House
of the object), you have every chance to gain it,
provided the other Houses and Judge do not
greatly contradict. But, " Will my poor gardener
die of this illness ? " Acquisitio in the 8th House
would denote "Yes." Suppose in the 6th House
(of sickness) there is
in the 7th House the object, that is the gardener,
in the 8th Acquisitio ; in the 10th
* •
' . ' (Albus)
the answer would be, " It appears to be dropsy or
xxvii PRACTICE ESSENTIAL 307
vitiated humours," Populus being the sign of the
moon direct, which indicates such diseases. It is
likely to be lingering, attended with confinement,
much weariness and distress, denoted by Career
in 7th House (House of object). He probably
will die of it, but, at last, peacefully and happily,
being in the 10th House, which being in
sextile to the 8th should be always consulted in
looking to the 8th House. Now Albus and
Acquisitio are in themselves good figures, yet here
they are the characters of doom. More on this
head I will say in describing each figure, but the
best way is to make several schemes, learning
the names of the figures as set down above and
the general properties, and then I will help to
construe them. Practice is essential, and experience
modifies mistakes.
In looking at my general figures, you look first
at the four angles, viz. 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th
Houses, which in much determine the general
nature and character of the scheme. For they are
very good. Their power counteracts what is bad
in the weaker Houses, and vice versa.
The next thing to consult is what astrologers
call "the conjunction." This in geomancy is
found in the immediate neighbour to the figure
asked, and the figure that is formed by summing
the two together. Thus, " Shall I admit that
Roman Catholic into my house ? '
308 CONJUNCTION ch.
2nd House 1st House
These two conjoined form 9th House, being
the sum of the two conjoined, and also House of
religious matters. Answer : " You have kind
motives in that notion. You yourself are frank,
easy and unsuspicious. The person you would
introduce will be treacherous and wily. You would
be involved in religious differences that would give
you vexation and annoyance, and might linger long
in effect." Such would be the answer unless the
other figures contradicted or softened it, and the
answer is given for these reasons.
The Dragon's Head, the signification of the
•
sun, is in your 1st House and relates to yourself.
It is frank, open, generous in its character. The
Dragons Tail in your 2nd House is the reverse.
The two conjoined make Career, which finds itself
in the House of Religion and denotes weariness,
cunning, hitch, and lengthened trouble.
Aspects. — You look next to Aspects, which
besides the four great angles — 1st, 4th, 7th and
10th — are formed by the figure twice removed
(next but one) from that in which the question
is asked. Example : " Will my sister's intrigue
xxvn ASPECTS 309
be found out, and will my father be angry ?"
Suppose Puer in the 3rd House (of brothers
and sisters), and you find in the 5th House, next
but one to it Dragon's Head, and in the
4th House (House of Parents) Rubens, the
answer would be, judging by the aspects in sextile,
viz. the 5th House : " The intrigue will be brought
to light and make great scandal. Your father will be
so furious that he could almost kill your sister." The
•
answer is given because the in the sister's
House, Mars indirect, shows illicit love, liable to
anger. The aspect in the 5th is the sign of the
House which, though usually good in itself, de-
notes publicity, and, in this question, so posited,
scandal. Rubens is in the father's House — a
sign of deadly wrath.
But a figure is generally told without much
necessity to look at the alternate aspects. The
main decision is formed by the four angular
Houses, the Judge, the Witnesses. The two
Witnesses signify — the first one to the right, things
within you, subjective; the second, things objective.
Sometimes they also signify, the one, the tilings
310 THE JUDGE ch.
for you, the other, the things against. These
varieties of construction depend on the general
experience and skill of the geomancer. The
Judge sums up, and is of immense importance in
deciding the figure, though if the four angles be
good his evil response is not necessarily fatal to
your wish. A good Judge, however, neutralises
much that is bad in the figure. Whenever the
Judge is an odd figure, such as
the scheme is torn up and rejected altogether, and
no one on the same subject should be made that
day, or, at all events, that hour. Better wait at
least a day. Whenever Rubens appears in the
1st House, the figure is not proceeded with, but
destroyed. The same rule for delay in making a
new one applies.
CHARACTERS OF FIGURES
Acquisitio, implies gain, both in money,
in schemes — in the object asked. It is good in
all Houses but the 8th.
Amissio, loss, is just the reverse, and not
• «
good even in the 8th House, though not, of itself,
xxvii GOOD FIGURES 311
fatal in that. It is, however, a tolerable sign, of
itself, in the 12th House (of enemies), implying
that enemies are not strong. But supposing it
were both in the 12th and the 2nd Houses, it
would imply that you have an enemy in your
own house or immediately about you from whom
you will suffer loss.
Dragons Head, is a sign of truth, of open-
ness and of gentleness, excellent in the 7th House, as
for marriage and the character of wife and husband.
In the 10th House (of honours) it signifies distinction,
fame, but not positive honours or worldly rank. For
instance, should be in the 10th of Spenser,
who had neither honours nor wealth, but who had
publicity and fame.
But ' Fortuna Major, signifies great good-
fortune, or great good-luck ; if in the 1st and 10th
Houses, and not otherwise contradicted, it shows a
brilliant and fortunate career. It is good of itself
in all Houses — Jove direct.
Fortuna Minor, is a movable, unsteady
sign. It is luck, but not permanent luck. In the
10th House it would show brief and flashy success
312 POPULUS ch.
or honours. In love and marriage, it denotes hot
flames but inconstant.
• •
is good, or bad, according to the figure next
it with which it forms conjunction — very good, for
instance, if next to Fortuna Major, very bad if next
to Rubens or Dragon's Tail. It generally denotes
a multitude. If the question be " Shall I marry
So-and-So ? " and is in the 7th House, " Yes."
• •
It is good for marriage, which is supposed to bring
people together. It is bad for a question of love
because it is the moon's signification and denotes
change. " Does that woman still love me ? "
• 8th House : ' £°pulus
• • 7th House
• • • •
The answer by Conjunctio and the figure on the
7th would be : " She is already changing ; there is
love, but unsteady and fickle." Populus is good
in the House of friends (11th), bad in enemies
(12th). It means, "You have a great many."
Good in the 10th, of honours, if other figures are
good.
Via, is also a signification of the Moon. It
is more uncertain than Populus. It nearly
always denotes a going or passing away. But
xxvn CARCER 313
in this going away there is some delay or
hitch. In the 3rd and 9th Houses (Houses of
journeys) it signifies a journey certainly, but per-
haps suspended or delayed on the road. It is
very bad in the 2nd House, indicating loss and
impoverishment ; bad in the 7th, whether the
question is on marriage or love ; good, according to
geomancers, generally in the 10th, where they con-
sider it denotes honours, but I have not observed
its effect in that House to be so good as alleged.
Career, bad in most Houses, vexation and
annoyance in 1st and 2nd, confinement and bring-
ing illness in 6th and 8th Houses ; disappointment
and weariness in society if in House 5 ; unsatis-
factory marriage and love in House 7 ; honours
intercepted and balked in House 8 ; in 12, foes
troublesome and wearing, but not powerful ; in
4th House, good for inheritance, and always good
for keeping a secret.
Puella, good for gaiety, love, amusement ;
in House 10, promotion or honours through female
influence.
Puer, good or bad according to the question :
trouble to hasty loves, and significant of hasty
anger. Good in war.
314 THE WORST FIGURE ch.
Rubens, the worst of all figures, except in
war and contention. Suppose the question were,
" Will war be the end of this negotiation, and if
so will the war be honourable to England or not ? "
Then, Rubens in the 4th House (the end or result
of the thing demanded), if conjoined in the 8th
House to the Dragon's Head,
4th 3rd
gives Fortuna Major in the 10th House of
Honour. Thus Rubens, so conjoined, becomes
of itself favourable. " There will be war and with
great honour to England," provided the 7th House
(the object demanded about, viz. England) be
good, and that of enemies weak. Suppose, for
instance, there were or in the 7th
House, and in the 12th ; but suppose in the
7th House were Via, and in the 12th Fortuna
Major, and (the same) is in the 10th, and
*
the Judge were bad, the answer would be : " There
xxvn WHEN CONJUNCTIO IS GOOD 315
will be war ; England will be defeated. She will
be put to flight (Via). The honours will be to
the enemy." Rubens is worst in the 2nd House.
He signifies violence, treachery, even murder if the
question relate to it.
Albus, is the signification of Mercury,
propitious. He is excellent in 1st and 2nd Houses,
good indeed in all ; in the 10th signifies honours
through literature, art, or oratory. He is mild
and a lover of peace.
Coiijunctio, bad in the 1st and 2nd Houses,
usually there denotes impoverishment ; but much
depends on the figure next him and in the 7th
and 10th Houses. He denotes the bringing people
and things together — reconciliation of friends and
enemies, recovery of things lost. In the 8th House
he is worse than even Acquisitio, and denotes
Death if the question relate to death ; but if to
marriage or partnership, not so. The 8th House
is that of advisers to married people or partners,
and if the question were, " Will my husband be
advised to be reconciled to me, or my partner to
forego litigation ? ' Conjunctio in the 8th House
would be good.
Dragons Tail, bad in all Houses, except in
316 GOOD FOR A LOVER ch.
questions of war, of success in illicit love, and in
getting out of some horrid scrape. It is hasty,
perfidious, secret, very bad in 1st and 2nd Houses.
Lcetitia, is a sign of content and pleasure,
• •
not very profound nor constant. In the 5th House
it is excellent, but if the question be, " Will the
woman I love be constant ? " it would be unfavour-
able, as it implies a certain cooling of affection.
It is the signification of Venus retrograde.
Tristitia, on the contrary, though a very
bad sign in most things, signifying melancholy and
disappointment, is the best of all signs to a lover
in answer to a question of constancy. If, for in-
stance, you ask, " Will my marriage with So-and-
so be happy ? " Tristitia in the 7th House would
reply, " No, wretched." But if you ask, " Is my
wife or sweetheart constant and true in my
absence ? " then Tristitia in that same 7th House
answers, " Yes, most constant, and miserable at
your absence." Thus the same figures in the same
Houses vary in signification according to questions
asked, as well as according to aspects and conjunc-
tions.
If the above be carefully studied and learned,
the Art is begun, and the rest depends much on
practice, and somewhat on a talent for generalising
and harmonising details. I say nothing of a peculiar
xxvii EXPERIMENTAL FIGURE
317
gift ; but some are naturally more lucky in con-
jecture than others.
EXPERIMENTAL FIGURE
Will England
go
to war with the
Emperor Napoleon
III. soon; or within
any reasonable time
deducible from
circumstances at
present in opera-
tion ?
318 LORD LYTTON'S DEDUCTION ch.
England is, and will be, for some little time
varying and fickle in her inclinations. But she will
before very long be much more peacefully disposed
towards the Emperor. Those immediately in her
counsels are for peace. Female influences will be
for peace, and religious influences not less. There
will be, nevertheless, many noisy and clamorous
opponents to a peaceful policy who will have
sympathy with the populace. They will fail. Some
causes are now at work to produce a much more
cheerful state of things and of feeling between
England and France than appears even possible
at this moment. Singularly enough some act of
violence or treachery on the part of some sub-
ordinate agent, whether public servant or other
subject in France, will conduce to a reaction of
kindly feeling between the two countries. The
Emperor himself is or will be more than ever
anxious to cement the alliance : his confidential
advisers will heartily agree with him. The alliance
will be confirmed. There is much more unsteadi-
ness in the sentiment of England towards friendship
with France than in that of the Emperor towards
cordiality with England. The Emperor is bent
upon it. With this renewed or re-strengthened
alliance there will come a something that will soothe
our national vanity, a something that will cause
demonstrations of rejoicing. But, in substance, the
alliance will inflict on us not actual discredit, but a
certain loss that will be felt hereafter. The peace
thus cemented will be imposed on us by the force
xxvii DESIRE FOR PEACE 319
of circumstances not now foreseen, and by the
pertinacious resolve of the French Emperor : its
necessity is so strongly implied that even if, in spite
of all signs to the contrary, the fickle irresolution or
fear of the English, and some popular bravado,
should cause sudden hostility, zve should be quickly
the lose?' and as quickly bent on reconciliation.
But apparently the people themselves, even when
most warlike in talk, are in heart peaceful, and
would be the first to denounce their rulers if
plunged into quarrel with France.
It will not be long before this change of feeling
will make itself known. If a Congress takes place
it will greatly tend to reconcile distrustful nations,
and either a Congress or some such proceeding will
take effect. There will be a great abandonment of
military preparations. Financial distress may con-
tribute to this. There will be peace, and a peace
policy established in England with all its con-
comitant measures for «;ood or for evil.
I suspect that the Emperor himself is resolved
to pacify Europe ; that he is alarmed at its present
aspect ; that he will find an auxiliary to some
scheme that may conduce to a general disarmament
in the pecuniary difficulties of other nations, and
their absolute necessity for retrenchment ; and that
in this scheme it is necessary for him to secure the
co-operation of England, and that he will secure it.
If peace be thus secured, and military preparations
thus abandoned, the enemy to England will become
her own popular or democratic party, and the end
320 THE JUDGES MEANING ch. xxvii
of all will be popular concessions of a nature
ultimately very injurious to the country. Such I
conjecture to be the loss or damage which "the
Judge" in the figure denotes as the result of
that peaceful policy which the scheme so notably
predicates.
This was written in the autumn of 1860.
CHAPTER XXVIII
Wheel of Pythagoras — Improved method of divination — Occult in
Egypt — Incident at Madrid — Mr. Sturges Bourne's experience
It may be as well here to mention the Wheel of
Pythagoras — a mode of divination which, in all the
authorities, follows the description of geomancy.
It is called the Wheel of Pythagoras or the Wheel
of Fortune, but its revelations are limited to one par-
ticular question, and do not give a general scheme
of life, as is done by geomancy. M. Peruchio gives
this example of a question to be asked : " Marie
demande u?i jour de lundi si Fhilandre I epousera"
and to this the Wheel of Pythagoras gives a reply.
The following is the formula given for asking
questions : —
(1) A number must be given by the enquirer.
(2) The number attaching to the first letter of
the name of the querist.
(3) The number of the planet of the day on
which the question is asked.
(4) The number of the day on which the question
is asked.
The whole must be divided by 30, and the re-
mainder gives the answer. If there be no remainder,
the answer is 30, which is bad.
VOL. I 321 y
322
WHEEL OF PYTHAGORAS
CH.
Subjoined is a copy of the Wheel, and of the
numbers belonging respectively to the planets and
to the days of the week.
P LAN ETTES
OP fyitir.
S^V Mars.
&*L USohl
VrlF
O Mercure.
LaLune.
7 I.
114.
lours de la Sepmmne.
leuJy. V-
A tardy. J*.
Drniancfie. 10S.
Veniiedy. 48.
Alercredj. joa-
LunJy. f~~
xxvm ELABORATED SYSTEM 323
The system, however, has been extended, and it
is said that the answers are positive and correct.
As the first number is optional, means have been
found of giving it a greater value. Arithmetic
being an exact science, a method has been devised
of converting into numerals words which when
written are ordinary characters of no specific value.
In figures, each figure has an independent value.
Letters have no independent value. For instance,
1 2 separately have an independent value ; together
12 have another value, a and b, however, separ-
ately have no signification any more than ab.
Therefore by converting a and b into 1 and 2 the
precise answer is given to the query proposed.
A system has been devised by which words and
sentences can be converted into figures. It is,
therefore, for each person who wishes to practise
this art, to form for himself a vocabulary in words
which can be converted into figures. To give an
instance : —
The question may be, " Shall 1 inherit a
legacy?" The enquirer, having chosen his own
code, proceeds to turn those words into figures.
For this purpose we will take Slater's Telegraphic
Code, which, if chosen by the enquirer, must be
rigidly adhered to.
Shall = 20520
I =11101
inherit = 11871
a = 00001
legacy = 13130
324 MEANING OF THE NUMBERS ch.
Add to this (1) the number of the initial letter of
the enquirers first name : this may be Katharine.
This, according to the Wheel, is represented by
16. Then add (2) the number of the day of the
week — say, Monday = 52. Add (3) the number of
the planet, in this case the Moon = 45. Add all
these together, and divide by 30. The number
remaining will be seen in the Wheel with its
signification.
20520
11101
11871
00001
13130
16
52
45
30) 56736
1891—6
The numbers on the left-hand side of the upper
part of the Wheel— 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14— are
good: on the lower part of the Wheel — 5, 6, 8, 12, 15,
19, 23 — are bad. Taking the right-hand side of the
Wheel, the upper part, the numbers 16, 17, 18, 20,
21, 24, 10, 26, 27 are good : on the lower part 22,
25, 28, 29, 30 are bad. Some authorities say that
the numbers on the left-hand side of the Wheel
are slow in execution, whether good or bad, while
those on the right side are quicker in operation.
xxviii AN ODD EXPERIENCE 325
Two instances have made a very strong
impression on my mind in reference to occult
influences.
In Egypt in 1886, at the time when Mr.
Gladstone brought in his Home Rule proposals,
I made the acquaintance of some Egyptians, who
are great students of the occult. They suggested
that a woman called the Sheikha, well known for
her powers of divination, should be brought from
Alexandria to see me. One evening I met her at
a friend's house. All the household was sitting
round a brazier filled with live coals. The Sheikha
then came in, wearing a very thick yashmak,
leaning dramatically on the shoulder of a little
female slave.
We all sat round the brazier, into which the
Sheikha threw a few perfumes — the general pre-
liminary, I find, in the East to all supernatural
matters.
I was told, if I wanted any information about
myself, to give her something that I had worn,
such as a glove or handkerchief. This I did, and
she certainly told me some remarkable things
about my past. I did not pay much attention to
this, however, as I was at that moment well known
in Egypt, and matters concerning me might have
become public.
I was then informed if I wanted to be told
about any one else to give the Sheikha a small
silver piece, and at the same time to think of the
person I had in view, without mentioning the
326 SECOND SIGHT ch.
name to any one. I gave her a two-piastre piece,
and inwardly thought of Mr. Gladstone.
The Sheikha said : " This is a man far over
the sea, and of great influence and power in the
Medjlis [Council]. He is now in office, but he
is very sad [sadfisss is the word always used in the
East to translate annoyance] because he feels that
he must soon leave office, and that by an act he
has just performed he has done injury both to
himself and to his friends."
I then gave her another coin, thinking of Lord
Salisbury.
She said : " This man is also far over the sea,
and very powerful in the Medjlis. He is not in
office now, but he soon will be in consequence of
the acts of the other man, who will have to retire.
He has been in power before, and he is coming
into much greater power now." A term was fixed
which proved correct.
After that, I gave her a third piece, and thought
of Lord Randolph Churchill.
The Sheikha said : " This man is also very
powerful in the Medjlis, and will be more so as he
is much younger than the others. He has already
occupied a great place, and will soon occupy a still
greater one."
I then pointed to the two coins representing
Mr. Gladstone and Lord Salisbury, and said :
" Which of those two is best affected to this young
man ? " In reply, she pointed to Mr. Gladstone's
coin.
xxviii INCIDENT AT MADRID 327
My belief is that there always was consider-
able sympathy between Mr. Gladstone and Lord
Randolph Churchill. The day after this in-
cident occurred, I wrote an account of it to the
latter.
The other incident of the occult which has
happened to me is as follows : —
While at Madrid I was very anxious about a
person in whom I felt great interest. One day,
when about to drive, I went down the staircase
of the Embassy. There was a door in the hall
leading to a short staircase into the street. As I
opened this door, a telegram was brought to me
from the solicitors of the person above alluded to,
asking me about a most urgent matter, and saying
that unless a reply was received at once some
very painful circumstances might occur. The tele-
graphic address, let us say, of these solicitors was
" Rehearsal," while that of my own solicitors we
will call "Annual" I went into a small room
near the door leading to the chancellery and wrote
a telegraphic reply, giving it to my English
servant to take at once to the telegraph -office.
This lie did. I then took my drive, came home
rather late, dined, and went to bed between eleven
and twelve o'clock.
That night 1 could not sleep — not with the
usual sensation of being unable to sleep, though
tired, but with a feeling of complete wakefulness.
This went on for some time. Then, all of a
sudden, I recollected a story I had heard years
328 WAKEFULNESS ch.
ago, relating to Mr. Sturges Bourne, who was
Home Secretary under Mr. Canning.
Mr. Bourne, who lived in the Birdcage Walk,
was one night affected with this same kind of
wakefulness. At last, becoming impatient, he got
up, dressed so as to take a walk, and went to the
Home Office. He had the key in his pocket, and
let himself in, proceeding to his own room. There,
on his desk, he found a pardon he had signed that
day to remit the punishment of a criminal who
was to be executed the very next morning at
Maidstone, I believe. In those days there were,
of course, no railways or telegraphs. He rang his
bell, and desired a messenger to take a postchaise
immediately and to drive down to Maidstone as
quickly as possible with the pardon. He arrived
just in time.
It struck me that something of the same kind
might have occurred with regard to the telegram
I had despatched.
I rang for my English servant and asked
him to whom I had addressed the telegram
he had taken the previous afternoon. He
said, "To * Annual." It should have been to
" Rehearsal."
I wrote another telegram, addressing it to
" Rehearsal," and desired my servant at once to go
down to the post-office in one of the cabs which
roam about the streets of Madrid at night, and,
as the Embassy had certain privileges, to ring up
the officials and have my message despatched. He
xxvm AN EMPHATIC TELEGRAM 329
came back with my original telegram addressed to
"Annual," and a further telegram from "Rehearsal,"
that had just arrived, urging me in the strongest
terms to answer immediately his communication
of the morning.
CHAPTER XXIX
Ionian Education Commission — University — Exhibition at Corfu —
Florence — London Exhibition of 1862 — Hughenden — Mr. Babbag-e
— Visit to a medium.
In 1861, a Commission was instituted to enquire
into the state of public education in the Ionian
Islands, with a view to suggesting changes in the
existing system. The whole question was one
with which the Ionians were well acquainted.
At the time when the Islands came under our
protection, Lord Guilford spent a large sum of
money on founding a University at Corfu, which
became the principal educational centre for Greeks.
It had at first been intended to build it in Ithaca ;
but, owing to the influence of Sir Thomas Mait-
land, the High Commissioner, in whose time the
scheme made but little progress, it was transferred
to Corfu. Lord Guilford for a long time took a
leading part in its management, and it received
considerable assistance from Sir Frederick Adam,
Sir Thomas Maitland's successor, whose adminis-
tration was most fortunate for the interest of the
Islands.
Some of the best-known writers in Greece had
ch.xxix CORFU UNIVERSITY 331
been educated at Corfu University — amongst others,
M. Tricoupis, the famous Greek historian, who was
afterwards Minister in London. I knew him well,
and his son, M. Charilaus Tricoupis, who also
became Minister in London, and subsequently
Minister for Foreign Affairs in Greece. There
were also some very distinguished writers, natives
of Corfu, one of whom, Sir Peter Braila, after-
wards went to London as Minister ; Sir Andrea
Mustoxidi, subsequently Archon, or Director of
Public Instruction, and Mr. Zambelli, who was
well known in Italy as a writer, and who was
much appreciated by Mr. Gladstone. He under-
stood English perfectly. Another gentleman,
much admired in Italv for his literarv skill, was
the Chevalier Tipaldo Pretenderi.
I may here incidentally mention the curious fact
that in Cephalonia there are only two surnames,
Tipaldo and Metaxa. One district is called
•• Metaxata." The Tipaldos boast descent from
the Crusaders. In order to distinguish people of
the same name, different families adopted what may
be called separate nicknames. There are Tipaldo
Pretenderi, Tipaldo Xidian, and many others.
Lord Guilford really conferred an enormous
benefit on the Ionian Islands by the foundation of
the University, on which it was said that he spent
1 1.5, 000 a year. He did all that was possible to
revive the Hellenic spirit. He used to wear
ancient Greek dress and sandals, in imitation of
Socrates.
332 VISIT TO FLORENCE oh.
A Commission was at this time also issued for
collecting and transmitting specimens of the pro-
duce of the Ionian Islands to the Exhibition to be
held in London in 1802. Of this I was Vice-
President, and I went through the Islands with a
view to establishing local committees to concur
with the Commission. Towards the end of 1861
an Exhibition was held at Corfu of the objects
which were to be forwarded to England, and this
created great enthusiasm. It was held in one of
the large rooms at the University. Juries, both of
English and Ionians, were appointed to report on
the merits of the various exhibits, and a medal was
struck in commemoration of the occasion.
Just before the Exhibition was held in London,
I paid a short visit to Florence in order to study
methods of exhibiting goods at the Italian Exhibi-
tion that was being held in that city. There I
again met Sir James Hudson, with whom I was in
constant correspondence, and I witnessed the open-
ing of the Exhibition by King Victor Emmanuel.
A great feature of this ceremony was the singing
of Madame Piccolomini.
I was delegated Commissioner to the London
Exhibition of 1862, together with Mr. Marcoran,
a son of one of the Judges of the Supreme Court.
The Ionian part, for which we were responsible,
astonished not only those who visited it, but even
the Ionians themselves, who were amazed to find
that 177 exhibits had been sent from the various
islands. They were very much gratified at the
xxix IONIAN EXHIBITS 333
number of medals and honourable mentions they
received.
Amongst other exhibits were pieces of em-
broidery. Ionians excel in this work. The dupli-
cate of a waist-band, which had been made for the
Empress of Austria when passing Corfu, was on view.
It measured exactly sixteen inches, and was said to
have been rather too large for Her Majesty. Em-
broidered tobacco-bags were also shown. Cereals
were exhibited, and many specimens of raw material,
stone, and timber. Amongst the jewellery were gold
hat-pins, such as the peasants wore, and rings with
the emblems of the Seven Islands. One especially
interesting exhibit was the mitre of a Greek bishop,
beautifully ornamented with gold. Cabinet-work
in jujube, acacia, and olive wood were also shown,
and tables of inlaid olive-wood, which the Ionians
were particularly skilful in making. Medals and
honourable mentions were gained for wine and
liqueurs. Oil and currants also obtained prizes, as
a public recognition of their established commercial
value. The honey of the Islands, especially that of
Cerigo, received the highest commendation, and the
wax, both of Corfu and Cephalonia, met with marked
success. One characteristic exhibit was a canoe, of
triangular shape, formed of bunches of the old
papyrus tied together. These boats are very much
used for fishing in the Ionian Islands, in the country
districts bordering the sea. I sent one of them to
the Kew Museum.
One article, though not prized, that attracted
334 DEATH OF PRINCE CONSORT oh.
considerable notice, was the lace made at Cepha-
lonia of the fibre of American aloes. All exhibits
manufactured of this substance were sold, and appli-
cation was made to procure more articles of the same
material. The Exhibition, in fact, created some
demand for productions from the Ionian Islands.
I have, however, naturally been unable closely to
follow the progress that has since been made.
The success of the whole undertaking, though
great, was much clouded by the unhappy death of
the Prince Consort — who really was the inventor
of exhibitions. The Queen appointed the Duke of
Cambridge as her representative on the international
body, which was composed of delegates from various
nations, to receive the awards of the juries, and after-
wards to distribute the prizes.
Many interesting incidents occurred at the time
— amongst others the dinner given by the Colonial
Commissioners to Dr. Lindley, whom the Govern-
ment had appointed Head of the Colonial Depart-
ment in the Exhibition. It was attended by Sir
Edward Lytton, and brought forward very promi-
nently the whole of the Colonial Question, which
is now assuming such great proportions. Wine
was exhibited by a German firm which tasted good,
but was said to hold no particle of the grape. On
Mr. Gladstone testing it, he observed that this was
the highest kind of adulteration. The Germans
responded, " We are not adulterers, only chymists."
One of the most amusing features of the Ex-
hibition was the extraordinary English of a certain
XXIX
MALAPROP 335
most useful person engaged in a subordinate
capacity. Once I asked him, in the presence of
friends, about some one who spoke with a foreign
accent, and who was also employed in the Exhi-
bition. He replied, " They say he is a 'Ungarian ;
but my belief is that he's a gallant, gay Lutheran."
He meant Lothario.
On another occasion, I asked him if he knew a
very peculiar-looking man, walking about the Ex-
hibition, whose face and hair were perfectly white,
with pink eyes. He replied, " I do not know him ;
but he's a regular Albanian."
Having sold a great many of the Ionian exhibits, I
organised a raffle for the remainder, and in this under-
taking I was greatly assisted by Lady Palmerston,
Mrs. Gladstone, and Lady Salisbury.
During the autumn of that year I received the
following kind letter from Lord Beaconsfield : —
Hughenden Manor, September 10, 1862.
Dear Commissioner — Assuming that your public duties
must, more or less, detain you in town, I would suggest that
you should, if disengaged, change the air a little for that of
the Chiltem Hills, which is invigorating. Would you give
us the pleasure of seeing you on Monday the 22nd, and
staying with us until the 25th, when Lord and Lady
Salisbury, whom you will meet, will unfortunately leave us.
I shall direct this to the International, where, I suppose,
it will reach you. — Yours faithfully, B. Disraeli.
U.S. V.P.
This was the first occasion on which 1 was a
guest at Hughenden, though later on, when I
336 A MEDIUM ch.
entered more active politics, I more than once had
the opportunity of going there. I recollect that
one of the favourite places where Lord Beaconsfield
used to take his guests was Dropmore, for which
he had a great admiration. Lord and Lady
Salisbury, whom I had long known in Hertford-
shire and elsewhere, I visited frequently at Hatfield.
I did not make the acquaintance of the late Lord
Salisbury until 1864, after I had left the Ionian
Islands.
During the year of the Exhibition I saw a good
deal of Mr. Babbage, the great calculator. He
was always known for his hostility to barrel-organs,
and his name constantly appeared in the papers as
prosecuting performers on that instrument. The
calculating machine, which he had invented, was
exhibited, and he used to explain it himself, until
one day he gave up his attendance. I innocently
asked him why he was no longer seen at the
Exhibition, and he replied that he had been in-
sulted by one of the public. I asked him in what
manner. He said that in the midst of his explana-
tion some one had asked him the origin of his
hostility to barrel-organs.
One or two houses were constantly open to
Mr. Babbage — amongst others that of the Dowager
Duchess of Somerset.
In this year I had practical experience of a
medium who was making some sensation in
London. Mr. Chichester Fortescue, Mr. Kinglake,
Mr. Hayward and myself arranged a meeting with
xxix AN UNCONVINCING SEANCE 337
him. I cannot say that he produced a great im-
pression on us, and what I recollect best is that he
would pronounce the word vase as though it rhymed
with face. I told Mr. Oliphant, then a professed
spiritualist, about this sitting, and said that we had
not been much struck with the medium. When
he heard who had been present he said, " What !
You four ! It really was not fair upon the
poor man. Two would have been quite enough ! "
VOL. I
CHAPTER XXX
Letter from General Garibaldi — His sufferings in 1862 — " A Suppressed
Despatch "
During my stay in London I received from Lord
Glenesk a most valuable present — the original letter
addressed to the People of England, from Vari-
gnano, by Garibaldi, after his being wounded at
Aspromonte, and when Dr. Partridge had been
sent from England to take care of him. This
letter, with a translation, was published at the
time in the Morning Post, but it may not be
uninteresting to reproduce it here.
ALLA NAZIONE INGLESE
Soffrente sotto raddoppiati colpi morali e fisici, V uomo
puo con ragione sentire piu squisitamente il bene e il male,
rigettare quindi alia maledizione i fautori del male, e con-
sacrare ai benefattori affetto e gratitudine senza limite.
Ed io ti devo gratitudine, o popolo Inglese, e la sento
quanto e capace di sentirla l 1 anima mia. Tu mi fosti amico
nella buona, e mi continui la preziosa tua amicizia nel-
P avversa fortuna.
Che Dio ti benedica ! La mia gratitudine poi e tanto
piu intensa, o buon popolo, eh' essa s' innalza debitamente al
di sopra del sentimento individuale e si sublima nel senti-
mento generate dei popoli, di cui tu rappresenti il progresso.
338
ch. xxx GARIBALDI 339
Si ! tu meriti la gratitudine del mondo, perche tu offri
un asilo sicuro alio infortunio, da qualunque parte ti giunga,
e tu t 1 identifichi colla sciagura altrui — la compatisci — la
sollevi. II proscritto francese o napolitano trova nel tuo
seno un rifugio contra la tirannide — trova simpatia — trova
aiuto perche proscritto — perche infelice. Gli Heynau — i
ferrei carnefici dello autocrate — non saranno sorretti dal
suolo della tua libera patria, e fugiranno impauriti lo sdegno
tirannicida dei generosi tuoi figli.
? E che sarremmo in Europa senza il tuo dignitoso
contegno ? L' Autocrazia colpisce i suoi proscritti nelle
altrui contrade ove la liberta e bastarda — ove la liberta e
menzogna ! Ma si vada a cercare sulla sacra terra d'Albione !
Io ! come tanti, vedendo la causa della giustizia conculcata
in tanti parti del mondo, propendo alia disperazione del
progresso umano. Ma rivolgendo a te il mio pensiero mi
tranquillo dal tranquillo, impavido tuo procedere verso la
meta ove sembra chiamata la razza umana dalla Providenza.
Prosegui il tuo cammino, o Nazione invitta, imperturbata,
e sii meno restia nel chiamare le sorelle nazioni sulla via
umanitaria.
Chiama la Nazione francese a co-operatrice tua ! Ambe
siete degne di marciare, dandovi la mano, alia vanguardia
dello incivilimento umano. Ma chiamala ! In tutti i tuoi
meet'mg risuoni la parola di concordia delle due grande sorelle.
Chiamala ! Chiamala pure in ogni modo, colla tua voce e
colla voce dei suoi grandi proscritti — del suo Vittore Hugo —
il Pontefice della fratellanza umana ! Dille che le conquiste
sono un 1 aberrazione del secolo — un emanazione di mente non
sana ! ? E perche dovremmo noi conquidere la terra altrui,
quando tutti dobbiamo esser fratelli ? Chiamala ! e non
curarti se dessa sia temporariamente padroneggiata dal
genio del male — essa rispondera debitamente — se non oggi
— domani ! se non domani — dopo ! alia parola tua generosa
e rigeneratrice.
Chiama, e subito, i forti figli della Elvezia, e stringili al
tuo seno indissolubilmente. I bellicosi figli delle Alpi — i
vestali del fuoco sacro di liberta nel continento europeo,
saranno teco. E che contingente !
340 THE MISSION OF ENGLAND ch.
Chiania la grande repubblica Americana. Essa finalmente
e tua figlia, sorta dal tuo grembo — ed essa — comunque sia —
si affatica oggi per l 1 abolizione della schiavitu da te generosa-
mente proclamata. Aiutala a sollevarsi dalla terribile lotta
che le suscitarono i mercanti di carne umana. Aiutala —
e poscia falla sedere al tuo lato nel gran consesso delle
Nazioni — opera finale della ragione umana.
Chiama a te quanti popoli hanno libero il volere — e non
tardare un sol giorno. La iniziativa che ti appartiene oggi
potrebbe non esser piu tua domani. Che Iddio non permetta
cotesto !
Chi piu gagliardamente aft'erro quella iniziativa quanto la
Francia del 1 89 ? Essa in quel punto solenne diede al mondo
la Dea Ragione, rovescio nella polve la tirannide, e consacro
tra le Nazioni la libera fratellanza. Dopo quasi un secolo
essa e ridotta a combattere la liberta dei popoli — proteggere
le tirannidi — sulle rovine del tempio dalla Ragione essa si
affatica a puntellare quella mostruosita nefanda-immorale
che si chiama Papato !
Sorgi dunque, o Britannia, e non perdere tempo. Sorgi
colla fronte alta ed addita alle Nazioni la via da percorrere.
Non piii guerra possibile ove un congresso mondiale possa
giudicare delle differenze insorte tra le Nazioni ! Non piu
eserciti stanziali con cui la liberta e impossibile. Che bombe !
Che corazze ! Vanghe e macchine da falciare ! Ed i milliardi
sprecati in apparati di distruzione vengano impiegati a fomen-
tare le industrie e a diminuire le miserie umane.
Comincia, o popolo inglese, e — per amor di Dio ! — co-
mincia la grande era del patto umano e benefica le presenti
generazioni con tanto dono. Oltre la Svizzera, il Belgio, &c,
che aderiranno subito al tuo invito, tu vedrai gli altri Stati —
spinti dal buon senso delle populazioni — accorrere alio am-
plesso tuo ed aggregarsi.
Sia Londra per ora la sede del Congresso che sara scelta
susseguentemente con mutuo intendimento e convenienza.
Io ti ripeto, che Dio ti benedica ! ! ! E a te possa rimeri-
tare i benefizi a me prodigati.
Con gratitudine ed affetto, tuo, G. Garibaldi.
xxx GARIBALDI'S SUFFERINGS 341
The following note appears at the end of the
letter : —
Mon cher Mr. Borthwick — Je vous adresse la lettre que le
General Garibaldi a ecrit au peuple anglais. Je vous prie de
la publier dans votre estimable journal et tres-repandu. II
va mieux. Par le rapport du Dr. Partridge vous saurez
comme cette forte constitution de lion a su gagner et vaincre
la gravite du mal.
Je vous serre la main affectueusement, et je vous prie
d'agreer mes sentiments les plus distingues.
C. Augusto Viechi.
Vabignano, Sept. 28, 1862.
At this passage of his life, Garibaldi writes in his
Autobiography with a certain amount of bitter-
ness as to the manner in which he was treated by
the Sardinian Government.
It is hateful to me to relate the miseries I had to endure ;
but enough were inflicted on me on that occasion to have
created disgust even in the mind of a scavenger. ... It is
true that they used those commonplace courtesies which are
customary even towards great criminals when led to the
scaffold ; but, for instance, instead of leaving me in a hospital
at Reggio or Messina, I was placed on board a frigate and
taken to Varignano, thus being forced to sail the whole length
of the Tyrrhene sea, with the greatest torture to the wound
in my right foot, which, though not mortal, was assuredly
one of a most painful character. . . . My sufferings were
great, and great also the kind care of my friends. It was
the illustrious Professor Zanetti, the doyen of Italian sur-
geons, who successfully achieved the operation of extracting
the ball.
I twice saw Garibaldi — but not to speak to him.
The first time was in England, and the second
342 A SUPPRESSED STATE PAPER ch.
while he was driving through the streets of
Florence, dressed in a red shirt.
In 1863, I received anonymously the following
curious paper, purporting to be a suppressed
despatch, the reply of Cardinal Antonelli to state-
ments appearing in the Blue-book, "The Corre-
spondence relative to the Affairs of Rome."
A Suppressed Despatch
" The Correspondence relative to the Affairs of Rome" pre-
sented to both Houses of Parliament, by command of Her
Majesty, containing no mention whatever of an important
State Paper, by Cardinal Antonelli, other and less regular
channels of publicity are unavoidably sought. In order
to mitigate, as far as possible, the inconvenience of a
separate publication, a few extracts are prefixed to the
Roman Despatch. They will be found to include a sum-
mary of Earl Russell's case, in his own written and official
words, together with some passages from Ministerial
speeches, which appear necessary to render the sequel
intelligible.
Extract from Earl RusselVs Despatch to Earl Cozdey,
dated Eoreign Office, January 19, 1863
That which happened was as follows : —
Mr. Russell, on the 9,5th July 1862, received unexpectedly
from the Vatican a written intimation that the Pope would
receive him at twelve o'clock on the next day. Mr. Russell,
accordingly, went to the Vatican on the 96th of July, and in
the course of a conversation of some length the Pope expressed
a wish to know whether, if any circumstances should at any
time lead him to desire to take refuge in England, he would
be well and hospitably received there. To this question Mr.
Russell could of course only give a general answer.
xxx MINISTERIAL SPEECHES 343
From this statement it will be seen that, instead of Mr.
Russell asking an audience of the Pope, and at that audience
making to the Pope an offer of an asylum at Malta, it was
the Pope who sent for Mr. Russell, and it was the Pope who
started the idea that he might, under certain circumstances,
wish to reside in British territory.
This conversation having been reported by Mr. Russell,
led to the despatch of the 9,5th of October, of which I send
your Excellency a copy, to be communicated to M. Drouyn
de Lhuys, together with some other parts of the correspond-
ence on this matter.
It is right that I should explain that Mr. Russell was not
called home from Rome, as the French Ambassador imagined,
in consequence of his interview with the Pope ; Mr. Russell
simply received a direction to absent himself from Rome on
account of his health during the unhealthy season in that
city.
Extract from Viscount Palmerstons Speech on the Address,
February 5, 1863
Well, Mr. Russell could not, of course, give any other
[answer] than that he had had no instructions, but that it
was the custom of the English nation to receive, and hospitably
to receive, all those who might from any circumstances feel
it desirable to take up their abode in this country.
Extract from Earl Russell's Speech on the Address,
February 5, 1863
The Pope spoke to Mr. Russell very much of Garibaldi
being in Sicily, and, appearing to have considerable appre-
hensions of the state of Italy, he asked the question whether,
if he sought an asylum in England, he might rely on our
hospitality. To this Mr. Russell replied that our hospitality
was well known, and that we gave asylum to all who sought
it. ... / zvas glad to have given that venerable man (the
Pope) the comfortable assurance that he might resort to the
hospitality of England.
344 ALLEGED OVERTURES ch.
The Suppressed Despatch
To the Editor of the " Standard "
Moxsieur le Redacteur — Pour peu que cela soit probable
que la depeche ci-jointe ne se trouve pas dans le recueil
presente au parlement, par le gouvernement de la Reine, j'ai
cru vous etre agreable en vous adressant une piece, qui ne
sera pas sans interet pour le publique Anglais. Je regrette
de n'avoir assez maitrise votre langue pour pouvoir vous en
envoyer la traduction.
Veuillez agreer, Monsieur, Tassurance de ma consideration
la plus distinguee,
GoRGIO BoRItOMEO,
Legat Apostolique en disponibilite.
Londres, le 7 fevrier, 1863.
Circular addressed to all the Pope's Nuncios Abroad
by the Cardinal Secretary of State
Rome, January 30, 1863.
Monseigneur — If overtures lately made to the Holy
Father, on the part of the Government of her Britannic
Majesty, had not found a place in an official communication
from the Emperor of the French to his Parliament, I should
not have entertained you with the subject. But that com-
munication, eliciting much discussion, and published on the
eve of the meeting of another Legislature, is likely, as we
have heard, to provoke counter-statements from the English
Ministers, which will have the deplorable effect of exhibiting
two friendly Governments at issue on questions of fact. We
have, therefore, decided that your Excellency shall no longer
be left uninformed as to the nature of the English proposi-
tion, although we should have been content to pass it over in
the silence with which we received it, and which I shall not
characterise here.
It might be enough for me to state that we adhere in
general to the account which your Excellency will have found
in the French despatches. But, if I be correctly informed, it
xxx CARDINAL ANTONELLI'S VIEW 345
is intended to oppose categorical contradictions to those
reports, and where particular assertions are advanced particular
answers are required.
In opposition, then, to the statements above referred to,
your Excellency must be prepared to hear it alleged that the
negotiation in question originated with ourselves, that the
Holy Father himself invited the visit of Mr. Russell, and that,
in presence of a civil war, of which Italy was last summer the
theatre, we recurred for a contingent refuge to the hospitality
of England.
I need hardly stop, Monseigneur, to point out the improb-
ability of such a narrative (pour relever Vinvraisernblance de
ce recti). If, in fact, we had thought it necessary, in the
emergency of a Garibaldian insurrection, to appeal to the
protection of England — if, in proposing Malta as a residence
for his Holiness, her Britannic Majesty's Government were
only obeying the generous instinct of their hospitality, how
is it that that proposal, which we are supposed to have pro-
voked in August, 1 was not made before November, and that
our appeal remained three months unnoticed, until after the
emergency was over and the danger past ? It was not,
certainly, after the defeat of the Southern rebellion, — after
Garibaldi himself was wounded and a prisoner, — after the
Emperor, by the dismissal of an able Minister, had given a
signal pledge of his fidelity to that policy of conservation
which he represents at Rome, — that we could be thought to
need the shelter of the British flag. If her Majesty's Govern-
ment had really intended to manifest their hospitality by reliev-
ing our necessities, at our urgent entreaty, I cannot do them
the injustice of supposing that, during our peril, they would
have withheld their proffered asylum, and then ostentatiously
pressed it upon us, when a happier day of safety and repose
had already dawned upon the Militant Church.
If, in extenuation of such conduct, the absence of Mr.
Russell from Rome be adduced, your Excellency will not fail
1 His Eminence, it must be observed, was answering statements of
which be had only been informed by rumour. It will be seen by the
extracts given above that Lord Russell assigns a still earlier date, that
of the 25th of July, to this alleged overture.
346 BRITISH HOSPITALITY oh. xxx
to recollect that any other channel of communication might
have been employed, without any greater breach of diplomatic
usage than is involved in the habitual communications of
that agent. And this leads me to state that the audience
which we are said to have initiated, was, in fact, accorded to
the express application of Mr. Russell. In admitting to his
presence the unaccredited correspondent of a foreign Govern-
ment, his Holiness was only giving a proof of that high
indulgence of which those who are privileged to approach
his person enjoy the daily spectacle, but which, certainly,
ought never to be used to impart a colour of truth to
imaginary propositions.
Our experience would lead us to anticipate that in
seeking to accredit their version of this incident, her
Britannic Majesty's Ministers may vaunt the hospitality of
their country. Should this be the case, without caring to
appreciate the taste of such language, which, in truth, may
be more becoming in the guests than in their hosts, your
Excellency will at any rate acknowledge its incontestable
opportunity. Inasmuch as the residence here of an unhappy
Prince, the sovereign ally of the Holy Father, has continually
excited the animadversion of the English Cabinet, it was
permitted to doubt whether England still vindicated for
herself the noble right which she appears to deny to others
— that of offering a refuge to misfortune. It is time that
the ancient policy of her Majesty's Government, in this
respect, should be formally re-asserted, and therefore, Mon-
seigneur, in the case supposed, and in spite of anything
inflated in the form, you will note with satisfaction the
substance (le fond) of such a declaration, and express the
hope that we may henceforth be allowed to receive the King
of the Two Sicilies at Rome, without exposing ourselves to
calumnious appreciation or incurring malevolent reproach.
You are at liberty to read this despatch to , and to
leave it with his Excellency, in copy. — I am, etc.,
(Signed) N. Caiidinal Antoxelli.
CHAPTER XXXI
Duties on tobacco — Letter from M. Michel Chevalier — Increase of
imports and receipts — Ionian Institute — Greek music
While in London in 1862, I contributed — I hope
usefully — to start an agitation for lowering the
duties on tobacco. I wrote some letters to the
Times, and thus called attention to the subject,
one of great importance to smokers, among whom
I ranked in those days.
The duty on cigars was, at that time, 10s. 6d.
or lis. 6d. per pound, while the lower duty of
5s. 6d. was levied on unmanufactured tobacco.
There were also various gradations of manufacture
which caused a good deal of confusion to the
importer. This difference of duty between manu-
factured and unmanufactured tobacco, while ad-
mitting foreign unmanufactured tobacco, placed a
heavy tax on cigars.
I consulted M. Michel Chevalier on the subject,
and, in reply, he wrote me the following interesting
letter : —
Paris, Palais dk i/Inpustrik,
le 2 nov. 1862.
Cheu Monsieur — Je vous fais passer le passage du rapport
du jury francais sur TExposition de 1862, qui concerne
le tabac, et le regime qui y est applique en Angleterre.
347
348 TOBACCO IN ENGLAND ch.
Ce rapport paraitra dans peu de jours ; mais il est bon
que vous en ayez la primeur.
Cette partie du rapport a ete redigee par M. Barral,
homme tres entendu.
Puisque vous avez le moyen de faire attaquer la question
par le Times, le moment est venu.
En qualite de President des jures franeais, j'ai fait une
introduction au rapport, ou j'ai touche a cette question du
regime douanier des tabacs en Angleterre. Cette intro-
duction paraitra avec le rapport, dans quelques jours. II
y en a eu un morceau dans la Revue des deux Mondes,
d'hier, l er novembre, mais dans le morceau il ny a pas
question des tabacs. — Mille amities,
Michel Chevalier.
Un autre fait singulier doit fixer Tattention.
En Angleterre, la culture seule est proscrite ; la fabrica-
tion et le commerce du tabac sont libres ; et cependant,
nulle part le tabac n'est aussi mauvais, meme quand on
achete les sortes les plus cheres. Faut-il s^n prendre a la
liberte, et Taccuser de produire des effets inferieurs a ceux
du monopole ? Heureusement, un examen plus attentif
montre que les doctrines de liberte ne sont pas responsables
du resultat que nous signalons.
Le regime qui regne en Angleterre est un debris du
regime prohibitif, c'est-a-dire du regime qui engendre
toujours les plus mauvais fruits. Voici, en effet, quels sont
les droits dont les tabacs sont frappes a leur entree en
Angleterre : les feuilles ecotees ou non ecotees paient
8 fr. 27 c. par kilogramme ; les cigares et les scaferlatis
(tabacs a fumer fabriques) paient 24 fr. 81 c. ; le tabac a
priser ou en poudre est prohibe.
Que resulte-t-il d'un tel regime? Cest que la con-
currence etrangere n'etant pas a craindre pour la poudre,
les fabricants anglais font des tabacs detestables, livrent au
commerce des dragues infames.
Les frais de fabrication n'etant inegaux pour aucune
sorte de tabacs, la difference entre les droits auxquels sont
soumises les feuilles et ceux qui frappent les cigares ou les
xxxi DUTIES LOWERED 349
scaferlatis introduits etant considerable, il y a la une prime
enorme pour le fabricant anglais, prime qui enleve tout
aiguillon a bien faire. Les feuilles ecotees ne payant que
8 fr. 27 c, il ne devrait exister qu'un meme droit sur les
cigares et sur les tabacs a fumer, car le fabricant ne peut
invoquer dans la fabrication aucun dechet donnant au tabac
etranger une faveur quelconque. Le tarif anglais est done
en complet disaccord avec les regies les plus elementaires
d'une bonne administration ; il semble etre une veritable
aberration.
I therefore proceeded with the agitation, and
had much correspondence with different persons
interested in the subject. The result was, to my
mind, most satisfactory, for the methods of taxing
tobacco were soon entirely altered. Some years
later, when in the House of Commons, I obtained
a return showing statements of the gross receipts
and net produce in respect of the duty on tobacco
and snuff for each year from 1841 to 1880, and
from this I learnt that, owing to the lowering of
the duty, the quantity of cigars imported in 1861
was 438,023 lbs., the net duties received on which
amounted to £140,316 ; while in 1880 the quantity
had risen to 1,497,341 lbs., and the net duties
received in that year amounted to £315,817.
Since the time of my arrival at Corfu, I had
been much occupied in the formation of an Ionian
Institute, for the examination of all questions
connected with the promotion of trade and educa-
tion. This Society flourished greatly, and con-
tributed largely to the promotion of the General
Exhibition. Even those Ionians who were dis-
350 IONIAN INSTITUTE ch.
contented, acted with cordiality in furthering the
objects of the Institute. When I first proposed
the formation of the Association, I received a most
cordial letter from M. Zambelli, which I think
may be considered interesting : —
Corfu, the 1th of Oct. 1859.
My dear Sir — I have read your paper with due attention.
On the whole your plan seems to me most judiciously con-
cocted. The accessories might perhaps require here and
there some little change. Therefore I risk the following
few remarks.
In article the 1st, containing the definition of the objects
of the Academy, and where it is stated that the duty of the
members should be to collect information of every kind
regarding these Islands, would it not be advisable to extend
the scope of their investigations, and say that the past
history, the physical resources, and the present condition of
the neighbouring Greek provinces should equally become
the object of their studies? My reasons for making this
suggestion are twofold.
1. Should the literary occupations of our Academy be
confined within the narrow boundaries fixed in the proposed
article — should it be satisfied with the examination of works
published in these islands only — its members, I am afraid,
would very seldom have any occasion to exert themselves,
and the Institution might well deserve one day the com-
pliment paid once by Voltaire to some such institution :
"Bonne et vertueuse jille ; elle rC a jamais fait parler (Telle.''"'
2. I consider it as a good policy, that all those who in
some way or another represent the protecting nation here,
should avail themselves of every opportunity to show that
in their endeavours to promote the advancement of civilisa-
tion in these Islands, they do never lose sight of the Greek
brethren of the Ionians ; and that they hold the national
ties which bind together the different Greek populations of
Eastern Europe as dear and holy, as have always been to
the different Governments of Germany those which connect
xxxi ZAMBELLI'S PROPOSALS 351
the separate German communities to each other. By such
a constant attention of showing yourselves Greeks in all
your tendencies and exertions here, you will soon prepare the
biassed minds of the Ionian people to understand clearly —
what very few now admit — that it is more conducive to the
promotion of the Greek element in the East, and to the
future grandeur of our nation (if God reserves us any), to
have two separate and distinct centres of civilisation in
Corfu and at Athens, rather than a single one, and that it
is a very happy condition, under the present circumstances,
for one of those centres to be sheltered under a generous
and no longer prejudiced protection. I hope you do not
believe there is any arriere-pensee in my hint. I speak only
out of a sincere sympathy for your nation, and out of a wish
to see an end to the shortcomings of the past policy of your
countrymen in these Islands. And when I mention my
sympathy, I take for granted that my motives for doing so
cannot be suspected, my only ambition in my present stage
of life, and my deliberate endeavour, being to sink into
utter insignificance.
Resuming my remarks, I am of opinion that, besides the
other objects of the Academy, one of them should be " to
suggest either the publication or the translation of works
intended to promote public education or the diffusion of
useful knowledge." There is a total want of all such works
in these Islands, and this want accounts, to a certain degree,
for the pitiful state of popular education here.
One of the sections into which the Academy is to be
divided, is styled that of Practical Science. What is, in
your country, the precise meaning of the word practical?
According to our notions, each science may be said to
contain two parts, the pure theoretical part, and the
practical one. Therefore if Practical Science is meant to
signify "Physical and Mathematical Science," or anything
else, some clearer and more appropriate epithet might be
found out.
At last the paragraph purporting that the L.H.C.
should be invited to inform foreign Governments and
learned Bodies of the establishment of the Ionian Academy,
352 PRINCE CONSORT AS PRESIDENT oh.
seems to me objectionable in its present form, the idea of
such an information being hardly consistent with that
humility which becomes an obscure Institution like ours.
Therefore it would be quite enough to say, "that the
L.H.C. should be invited to obtain for the Ionian Academy
from foreign Governments and learned Bodies the same
privileges as are accorded to other Institutions of a similar
character. 11
I submit to you these few remarks only to show how
much I feel concerned in the full success of your scheme,
and this will be my excuse both for the liberty I have
taken, and my English. — Believe me, dear Sir, most sincerely
yours, N. Zambelli.
To H. Drummond Wolff, Esq.,
Corfu.
I have in my possession a letter from Mr.
Gladstone, in which he said : —
I shall have much pleasure in accepting the honorary
office of Vice-President of the Ionian Association.
This post the Association had instructed me to
offer. Many persons in England, of all parties,
wishing to show their interest in the undertaking,
also accepted the honorary office of Vice-President.
The Prince Consort graciously accepted the Pre-
sidency. I received great encouragement, in parti-
cular, from Mr. Herman Merivale, then Permanent
Under-Secretary of State at the Colonial Office.
He wrote to me, in a letter dated March 7, 1860,
as follows : —
First let me say that I shall be really glad to accept the
office of honorary Vice-President of your new Society, and
feel myself very much flattered by the offer. If I can be
at any time of service to it, this will afford me no small
xxxi VICE-PRESIDENTS 353
pleasure. Time, unfortunately, is what I want most for
this, as well as other things. But I shall rely on you for
keeping me informed of any opening that occurs to you
for which I can be most serviceable.
It has struck me that you might possibly find advantage
in offering a vice-presidency to Sir Roderick Murchison, if
you have not done so. He is a cosmopolite — his Russian
leanings have made him a bit of a Greek — and he is one of
the few people who (besides being really flattered even by
small honours) have a real disposition to be useful to other
folks, and a good deal of resource in finding out how.
Panizzi might also be a good man to enlist in some
way, though perhaps hardly to the extent of a Vice-
Presidentship.
I received the following letter from Sir Edward
Lytton, while he was staying at Corfu : —
I accept with cordial thanks the honour proposed of
becoming one of the Vice-Presidents of your Association,
and enclose a trifling donation to its funds.
I think the object of the Association admirable, and I
trust that it may be vigorously carried out. The glance I
have taken of this island has sufficed to convince me of its
immense industrial resources, as yet but partially developed.
But even in countries like England itself, with abundant
capital and eager competition, innovations, however clear
may be their beneficial result, encounter many obstacles in
the inert force which belongs to prejudice and indifference,
to long-established custom and modes of action. There,
and still more in communities like that of Corfu, it is
only by the patient energy of a few enlightened minds that
improvements are gradually enforced upon the many. Such
few are the real benefactors of the State. An Association
such as yours is the best practical mode to unite their
intelligence and encourage their mutual efforts.
I shall feel a lively interest in hearing, from time to
time, of the progress made. Once commenced, I trust it
will not be disheartened by the difficulties and delays that
vol.. I 2 a
354 A TIMID SENATOR ch.
are inseparable from the career of improvement when it
does not depend on the will of an autocrat, but must
consult and, to a certain degree, humour the very prejudices
it is destined at last to conquer.
One of the first members of the Ionian Institute
was the Chevalier Manzaro, a great musical genius,
who lived at Corfu. He had composed the music
of the patriotic song adopted by the Greek
Revolutionaries. Count Salomos, a brother of the
Senator of Zante, who had written the words of
that song, was another of our original members.
The Senator, I remember, had a great horror of
the sea. When going on board the steamer for
Zante, he was always accompanied by some friends
who came to cheer him up. One day I went with
him, and asked what his sensations were.
He said, " Ho paura."
I remarked that the sea was perfectly calm, but
he said, " Anche quando e tranquillo ho paura."
Chevalier Manzaro was anxious to promote the
study of music in the Institute, in addition to
other arts and sciences. He undertook to organise
a system, with this purpose.
Greek popular melodies, like those of Italy, are
very melancholy. The following are the notes of
a sono; I used often to hear chanted in a low
tone : —
Shortly after our return to England, my wife
gave a concert at the house in Rutland Gate where
xxxi GREEK MUSIC 355
we then lived, exclusively of Greek music. It was
considered attractive. Several ladies came from the
Greek community living in London, amongst them
Miss Marie and Miss Christine Spartali. Both were
of artistic nature, and remarkably handsome. The
elder one is a great painter of the pre-Raphaelite
school ; but I fear that her sister, Christine, is
dead. She was a remarkable pianist. Their
father had a residence at Clapham, where he
occasionally gave artistic soirees.
CHAPTER XXXII
Visitors to the Ionian Islands — Princess Darinka of Montenegro —
Friends at Corfu
During my stay in Corfu, the island was visited
by many remarkable people, amongst others by
M. de Lesseps. Both from Trieste and Brindisi to
Egypt, Corfu was always a stopping-place.
I met M. de Lesseps very often after that
time, in Constantinople, Paris, and London. In
Paris I dined with him more than once. These
entertainments were most interesting, as nearly all
his children and grandchildren used to dine with
him. On one occasion I was dreadfully snubbed.
I was asked to take back with me to the Grand
Hotel, where I was stopping, a little American
boy. In order to make our drive pass pleasantly,
the child said to me, " Did you ever hear a little
boy say 'Twinkle, twinkle'?" He thereupon
repeated that poem to me word for word. When
we got to the hotel, I went upstairs with him to
his bedroom, where his grandmother was waiting
for him. We knocked at the door, and the little
boy said, "This man has brought me home."
356
ch. xxxii SNUBBED 357
Thereupon the old lady, without saying a word,
slammed the door in my face.
M. de Lesseps had an old friend in Corfu,
called M. Edouard Grasset, the French consul, a
most genial and friendly gentleman, who was
generally esteemed, and used constantly to smooth
down difficulties. He had been an officer in the
Greek Revolution, and spoke the language with
great facility. A favourite hobby of his was the
collection of antiquities : amongst other treasures
he possessed a beautiful necklace entirely composed
of gold Alexander coins. His anecdotes of the
Greek Revolution were excessively interesting.
Sir Rowland Errington, whose name will appear
later, wrote to me about him as follows : —
You do not mention dear M. Grasset. Do tell him from
me and mine that we shall ever preserve the most agreeable
and grateful recollection of all his kindness to us.
In 1860, His Royal Highness Prince Alfred
came to the Ionian Islands. I recollect that he
rode a pony of mine in a paper-chase. His visit
created a good deal of excitement, as a cry had
been raised that he should occupy the Greek
throne. Later on, His Majesty the King — then
Prince of Wales — also visited Corfu. Unfortu-
nately I was in deep mourning at the time, and
had no opportunity of paying my respects to His
Royal Highness.
The late Empress of Austria arrived at Corfu
from Madeira in the Queen's yacht Victoria and
Albert. The Lord High Commissioner, the
358 ROYAL VISITORS en.
President of the Senate, the aides-de-camp and
myself, went on board and were presented to Her
Majesty. She was tall, very imperial, winning
rather than handsome in appearance. She spoke
English very well to all of us ; asked me how long
I had been there, and seemed acquainted with the
beauties of the scenery. The Empress did not
land, but after visiting Govino in the yacht, she
left the next day, having stayed for about twelve
hours.
The Kins: of the Belgians also visited Corfu.
As I have already stated, I had had the honour of
making his acquaintance at Brussels.
At another time, Lord Elgin and his staff
passed through on their way back from the
Mission to China.
Towards the end of our stay, Mrs. Baring, the
mother of Sir Henry Storks' aide-de-camp, now
Lord Cromer, and one of her sons also came to
Corfu. Another visitor to the Islands was Mr.
Edward Lear. His water-colours of Oriental
scenery are well known, as well as his Book of
Nonsense, which, I think, was the original of
what are called " Limericks." Lord Carlingford
bought several of his pictures, and so did Sir
Thomas Fairbairn. I am also fortunate enough
to possess a few. One of the most beautiful
scenes he ever painted — Philse — will, I am afraid,
be destroyed by the engineering works. Mr. Lear
was an agreeable man, and very much liked by his
friends, but a little sensitive.
xxxn A REMARKABLE PRINCESS 359
Amongst other remarkable persons who visited
the Islands was the Princess Darinka of Montenegro,
whose husband, the Prince, had been assassinated
some years before. She came from Trieste. A
relative of hers — I believe her sister — had married
one of the Counts Roma, a great name in the
Ionian Islands.
I was much struck by the Princess' conversation,
by her considerable ability and the moderation of
her views. She spoke very freely of Montenegro,
and did not conceal her desire for the liberation
of the Slav race in Servia, Montenegro, and the
adjoining districts of Turkey. It was to this
portion of the Slav family that she limited her
wishes, being anxious not to interfere with the
Slav population of Austria, or to be in any way
subject to Russia. On this point she seemed
very firm. On one occasion I remember she
expressed her strong sympathy with the Poles,
and I asked her how she could reconcile this
feeling with her reputed desire for Russian
domination. She replied, " Plutdt les turcs / " She
went on to say that she was astonished, when
conversing with British consuls and others who
came to the country, to find how they were
penetrated before their arrival with the false
impression that Montenegro was entirely in the
interests of Russia.
The Princess told me that if her child had been
a son, she might have taken greater interest in
affairs. She did not deny taking an active part
360 POLITICS IN MONTENEGRO ch.
in political matters ; but, as they then stood, there
did not seem to be any one person with whose
fate that of her country could be associated. She
spoke very guardedly of the Prince, and expressed
regret at his having married an uneducated Monte-
negrin, and at his having as yet no children. The
absence of issue, she said, also stood in the way
of the Prince of Servia, and Princess Darinka
vaguely hinted that a grandson of Kara George,
then being educated in Paris, might afterwards
combine the claims of all sections.
The then Prince of Montenegro, as far as I
could gather from the Princess' conversation, was of
an obstinate character. His secretary and doctor,
a Frenchman, used to write his letters, but he
himself transacted all business, and allowed no
one to influence him.
Of the Turks, the Princess had the same kind of
horror I had observed in all the populations of the
opposite coast ; nor did she seem to have any
strong feeling for the Greeks, though she said the
Slavs' sympathy for them had been lately on the
increase.
The Princess was pleased with the removal of
the blockhouses, and hoped for the assistance
of England in obtaining access to the port of
Spizza.
I remarked that the English people were glad
to see the happiness of all races ; but that the
good-will of England could only be secured by
a peaceful attitude. I cited the offer, recently
xxxii POVERTY OF THE COUNTRY 361
made by Great Britain, to cede the Ionian
Islands, as a proof of her willingness to further
the fortunes of nations who gave promise of
a peaceful rather than of a turbulent future.
The Princess replied, " Out, les montenegrins sont
trop guerriers." But she went on to complain
of the barrenness and scarcity of cultivable land,
and of the difficulty in the way of her countrymen
obtaining subsistence by peaceful means. She
also lamented the want of education among the
Montenegrins, repeatedly saying that the wives
and daughters of the principal men, senators and
others, were mere peasants who could neither read
nor write. I suggested to the Princess that, as
a woman, this was exactly the region in which
she could be of use, and advised her, on her return
to Montenegro, where she was building a house,
to take a German or Swiss governess, and to
induce the Montenegrins to allow some of their
children to be brought up with her own daughter,
an interesting child of about four years old. The
Princess said that she had already thought of this,
and had even proposed something of the kind.
The richest, however, were so poor as to be forced
to set their children to work almost as soon as
they could walk, and their services could not be
spared.
The poverty of Montenegro was a constant
theme with Princess Darinka. She made no
secret of the pecuniary assistance given to the
country by foreign states. But for such help,
362 FRENCH HELP
CH.
she said, the people would be without bread.
France had lately given 60,000 francs, and Austria
30,000 florins. The latter gift she attributed to
the instigation of the Empress of the French,
who had said to Prince Metternich, " If your
Emperor wishes to do anything agreeable to me,
let him give something to Montenegro." The
Emperor of the French had also given permission
to Mr. Quequich, the Princess' brother, to hold
a lottery in France in favour of Montenegro,
by which she hoped to obtain four or five hundred
thousand francs. A portion of this, forty or fifty
thousand francs, had been remitted within the last
few days.
The Princess spoke of the journey to London
of the Princess of Servia, who had political con-
versations with Lord Palmerston, by which she
thought some good had been done. The Princess
of Servia, she said, had been much pleased with
her reception, though somewhat disappointed at
not being able to pay her respects to the Queen
without the intervention of the Turkish Ambas-
sador. This was the cause which prevented Prince
Danilo from going to London.
The moderation of the Princess' expressions
regarding Montenegro was remarkable. When
talking of a sketch of Cettigne, written by Miss
Irby and another lady, she complained of it as
too much couleur de rose, and regretted that the
country had not been described without exaggera-
tion in one sense or another.
xxxii PRINCESS DARINKA'S PLANS 363
The Princess had been carefully educated,
speaking French, German, and Italian, besides
Slav, and understanding English sufficiently for
study. She was well informed on all subjects ;
read a good deal ; was shrewd and guarded
in her conversation, and had great charm of
manner, but was somewhat weighed down by
affection for her family. Her character seemed
to be a mixture of real patriotism, personal
ambition, and disappointment at seeing no im-
mediate prospect by which the two could be
combined.
From Corfu she was going in the first instance
to Turin to meet her mother and sister, who lived
at Paris ; thence to Aix-les- Bains. Afterwards
she intended to go to some sea - bathing place
near Genoa, and to Paris. She expressed her-
self in very warm terms of the Emperor and
Empress of the French, who had personally been
very kind to her. She built much on the ultimate
assistance of Great Britain, and spoke of her
intention of visiting London shortly. I asked
her with what passport she travelled. She
answered, " With a Montenegrin one in Slav and
French," and she went on to say that all countries
looked on Montenegro as independent — even
Austria and Turkey. Recognition by England
was alone wanting.
In pursuance of a promise made at Bowood,
Lord and Lady Fortescue came and stayed at
Corfu. Lord Seymour paid me a visit too. I
364 A GREEK SCHOLAR ch.
had known him well in England. After staying
with me for some time he went to Albania, and
thence he was summoned back to England on
family business. Sir Seymour FitzGerald also
passed through the Ionian Islands : he had been
Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs in my time.
One winter, Corfu was fortunate enough to see
Sir Rowland Errington and his three daughters.
The eldest died not long after : she was very
beautiful. The second became Lord Cromer's first
wife, and was a guardian angel in Egypt ; and the
third married Lord Pollington, the son of the Lord
Pollington already mentioned.
Professor Ansted visited Corfu when I was
there, and, after a minute examination, wrote a
most interesting book on the geology of the
Islands. The Duchess of Montrose and her
daughter also came, as did Lady Strangford, and,
on another occasion, Lord Strangford. The latter
astonished the Ionians by his knowledge of Greek,
both critical and colloquial. Among other visitors
were Lord Beauchamp and Mr. Earle, the father of
Mr. Ralph Earle, with two of his other sons, one
of whom unfortunately died in Corfu.
On one occasion Mrs. Drummond, widow of
Sir Robert Peel's secretary, who was afterwards
Under - Secretary for Ireland, with her three
daughters, passed a winter in the Islands, where
their arrival was warmly welcomed. She was the
daughter of the well-known wit called " Conversa-
tion Sharpe." It was said that he first attained
xxxii 'CONVERSATION SHARPE' 365
celebrity by a remark made in the presence
of Lord Alvanley. The latter was criticising
Scripture history, and observed as to the Ten
Commandments that we took them from the
Egyptians. Mr. Sharpe, then a young man,
replied, " But your Lordship cannot say we kept
them."
Amongst our other visitors was Mr. William
Eliot, afterwards Lord St. Germans, whom I had
known for a long time, and who has been men-
tioned in a former part of this volume as having
been at Bayonne on my return from Madrid.
Another was Mr. Edward Herbert, a most amiable
and taking young man, who was murdered by
brigands in Greece. Later on came Lord Richard
Grosvenor — now Lord Stalbridge — and Mr. Stuart-
Wortley, of whom more will be heard later.
It would be ungrateful to omit from any
account of the Ionian Islands the great advantages
and gratification that every one received from the
constant visits of the British Fleet. Captain —
afterwards Admiral — Clifford, Captain — afterwards
Sir Henry — Chads, Admiral Yelverton, and Sir
Rodney Mundy, when employed in the Mediter-
ranean Squadron, came constantly to Corfu, and
were most successful in conciliating the good-will
of all classes.
I recollect a curious circumstance that occurred
with regard to Sir Sidney Dacres, when chosen
to command the British expedition sent to the
West Indies at the time of the differences with
366 VAGUE GEOGRAPHY ch.
the United States concerning the Trent. An
Ionian lady said to me that, at all events, we
should get news of him before they could do so
in England. I asked why. She replied, " During
the whole of the Indian Mutiny we got informa-
tion before it arrived in England. Why should
we not do so now ? "
There was one most interesting lady at Corfu
at that time — Countess Valsamachi. Her husband
was an Ionian Count, an extremely handsome man,
who had been very well received at Vienna at the
time of the Congress. She was the widow of
Bishop Heber, and a lady very much sought after
on account of her kindliness and dignified manner.
I believe she had been Miss Spencer by birth, and
was often mentioned in Bishop Heber's poems. By
her marriage with the Count she had one daughter,
who, I think, married a Roumanian.
My most constant companion at Corfu was Sir
Charles Sargent, a member of the Supreme Council
of Justice. We used to go out together every
day, generally taking that beautiful walk leading to
what was called the " One Gun Battery." He was
a cousin of the Bishop of Oxford, as was his wife,
Miss Unwin, who was Sir Charles's first cousin.
Lady Sargent had had a brother in the Colonial
Office when I was there, and she herself was
related to Mrs. Unwin, the close friend of the poet
Cowper. Sir Charles Sargent's colleague was Sir
Patrick Colquhoun, well known for some time as a
diplomatic representative of the Hanse Towns in
xxxii BARON DEVERTON 367
England, and also as a Greek scholar. He was
cousin to Mr. Colquhoun, our Agent and Consul-
Gen eral in Egypt.
Another remarkable man connected with the
Ionian Islands was Mr. Sebright, who generally
went by the name of Baron d'Everton. He had
originally been in the service of the Duke of Lucca,
who had conferred the title upon him.
CHAPTER XXXIII
Political agitation — Letters from the Lord High Commissioner — Greek
Revolution — Ionian Islands to be ceded to Greece
As stated before, there had been a great deal
of political agitation for some years past in the
Ionian Islands. This excitement had recently
been stimulated by the publication of a despatch
from Lord John Russell, dated August 16, 1859,
in which the following passage occurred : —
The people of Tuscany . . . have the right, which
belongs to the people of every independent State, to regulate
their own internal government.
Lord John Russell had explained why this
doctrine did not apply to the Ionian Islands, the
reason being that they were under a Protectorate ;
but nevertheless the excitement increased. The
effervescence in Italy continued, and an insur-
rectionary spirit of considerable force was making
itself felt in Greece itself. Though the Ionian
people were personally very civil and courteous to
the subjects of the Protecting Power, they gave it
clearly to be understood that their one object was
to be united with Greece, and that nothing would
deter them from pursuing that course, though
368
ch. xxxiii A CELEBRATED DESPATCH 369
they wished to do so by peaceful and legitimate
methods.
Excitement in the Islands was still further
increased by a famous despatch written by Lord
John Russell to Sir James Hudson on October
27, 1860. The Ionian Assembly adopted this
despatch as the text of a further demand for union
with Greece. It began as follows : —
It appears that the late proceedings of the King of
Sardinia have been strongly disapproved of by several of the
principal Courts of Europe. The Emperor of the French,
on hearing of the invasion of the Papal States by the
army of General Cialdini, withdrew his Minister from
Turin. . . .
The Emperor of Russia . . . declared in strong terms his
indignation at the entrance of the army of the King of Sardinia
into the Neapolitan territory, and has withdrawn his entire
mission from Turin. . . .
After these diplomatic acts, it would scarcely be just to
Italy, or respectful to the other Great Powers of Europe,
were the Government of Her Majesty any longer to withhold
the expression of their opinion.
Lord John Russell went on to say that they
did not wish to pass comments on the conduct of
the Powers. The questions which appeared to
the British Government to be at issue were
these : —
Were the people of Italy justified in asking the assist-
ance of the King of Sardinia to relieve them from Govern-
ments with which they were discontented ? and was the
King of Sardinia justified in furnishing the assistance of
his arms to the people of the Roman and Neapolitan
States ?
VOL. I 2 B
370 VATTEL ch.
The motives of the people of those States, said
the despatch, appeared to have been that the
government of the Pope and the King of the Two
Sicilies provided so ill for the administration of
justice, the protection of personal liberty, and the
general welfare of their people, that their subjects
looked forward to the overthrow of their rulers
as a necessary preliminary to any improvement in
their condition. The Italians required one strong
Government for the whole of Italy. According
to Lord John Russell, the struggle of Charles
Albert in 1848, and the sympathy shown by Victor
Emmanuel, naturally caused the association of his
name with the single authority under which the
Italians aspired to live.
The despatch continued as follows : —
Looking at the question in this view, Her Majesty's
Government must admit that the Italians themselves are the
best judges of their own interests.
Lord John Russell then quoted the maxim of
Vattel, " That when a people from good reasons
take up arms against an oppressor, it is but an act
of justice and generosity to assist brave men in the
defence of their liberties."
"Upon this grave matter," said the despatch,
" Her Majesty's Government hold that the people
in question are themselves the best judges of their
own affairs."
After a minute analysis of current Italian
politics, Lord John Russell ended this remarkable
despatch by saying : —
xxxiii APPEAL TO EUROPE 371
Her Majesty's Government can see no sufficient ground
for the severe censure with which Austria, France, Prussia,
and Russia have visited the acts of the King of Sardinia.
Her Majesty's Government will turn their eyes rather to the
gratifying prospect of a people building up the edifice of
their liberties, and consolidating the work of their independ-
ence, amid the sympathies and good wishes of Europe.
Sir James Hudson was instructed to give a copy
of this despatch to Count Cavour.
When the Tonian Legislative Assembly met, a
long paper was read by M. Baccomi on the subject
of union with Greece, and M. Lombardo presented
another document which was an appeal from the
"Representatives of the Seven Islands to the
Representatives of the Peoples, the Governments,
and the Philanthropists of Christian Europe."
Both papers were laid on the table. Sir Henry
Storks therefore sent the following message to the
Assembly : —
The Lord High Commissioner has perceived that two
documents have been laid on the table of the Most Noble
Legislative Assembly, and now stand on the order of the day
for discussion ; one inviting the Legislative Assembly to call
on the Ionian people to declare, by universal suffrage, the
national desire to be united to the kingdom of Greece ; the
other purporting to be an appeal from the Representatives
of the Seven Islands to the representatives of the peoples, to
the governments, and to the philanthropists of Christian
Europe.
The Lord High Commissioner is desirous of carrying for-
bearance to the utmost limits of his, duty, as the Repre-
sentative of the Sovereign Protectress of these states ; his
Excellency therefore warns the Legislative Assembly that
the proposals now standing in the order of the day are
372 PARLIAMENT PROROGUED ch.
clearly contrary to the constitution, and as such cannot be
entertained or discussed.
The Lord High Commissioner hopes that nothing will be
permitted to divert the Legislative Assembly from its true
functions of useful legislation for the good of the country ;
and having now informed that body that these proposals are
unconstitutional, his Excellency trusts to its prudence and
patriotism to remove them from the order of the day.
Given from the Palace of St. Michael and St. George,
Corfu, the 12th day of March 1861.
By order of His Excellency,
H. Drummond Wolff,
Secretary to the Lord High Commissioner.
In answer to this message, the representatives
of the Government in the House reported to Sir
Henry Storks that the proposals were not with-
drawn from the order of the day ; but, on the
contrary, that the Assembly was determined to
address a reply to his message, and retain the order
of the day as it stood. In consequence, Sir Henry
Storks reported that he had " reluctantly prorogued
the Parliament for six months," adding that the
most perfect tranquillity prevailed, and that he
saw no chance of it being disturbed ; although, if
the scene of disorder had been permitted to
continue, he did not know to what lengths public
feeling might have been stimulated. "The pro-
rogation," he said, " has been favourably received in
Corfu, and has created no sensation."
There had been a great deal of discussion mean-
while in England as to whether our Protectorate
xxxm IONIAN CHARACTER 373
over the Ionian Islands should be given up or
not. At this time I carried on a correspondence
about Ionian affairs with Mr. Chichester Fortescue,
the Under-Secretary of the Colonial Office, whom
I had known somewhat intimately. To him I
explained the reasons for and against our con-
tinuance of the Protectorate. On the 18th of
April 1861, I wrote to him as follows : —
I told you in my last letter that the Lord High Com-
missioner had deferred his journey to the Islands, and there
is now a probability of his not going till after the Queen's
Birthday. The delay is judicious, for a tour at present
would only create excitement. The word "excitement 1 ''
perhaps is misplaced. The nature of these people is not
inflammatory, like that of the French. They are the most
orderly people, except the Belgians, I ever came across,
respectful, courteous, and amenable to authority. I mean
excitement of mind, and a disposition to be doing something
political, which, in another condition, would be dormant.
Sir Henry Storks wishes me clearly to explain to you —
though I think I have already done so — the nature of public
feeling in these islands on the question of union. It is one
of Religion and Nationality, which responds when an appeal
is made to it, but which, without such appeal, is silent. In
stigmatising the popular leaders as demagogues, in the base
sense of the word, he wishes to define them as leaders who
are making the movement and not made by it. If I could
make myself clear to my own satisfaction, at the risk of being
diffuse I would deduce a hundred instances ; but it is difficult
to explain the real state of the case when supported only by
facts which cannot easily be brought forward.
If you were to appeal to the country on the cry " An-
nexation or Protection? 11 by universal suffrage and ballot,
the majority would be enormous in favour of annexation.
. . . The feeling for annexation here is, moreover, sufficiently
strong to prevent any one from publicly proclaiming his
374 ANNEXATION ca
opposition to it. At present, in Corfu, there are many in
all classes trembling at the thought of annexation, a rumour
of which is sedulously spread by those interested. Yet, put
the country to the vote, and not ten of these men would
declare their real opinion. All the upper classes, even those
who profess themselves in favour of it, would be the first to
vote against it, if they dared. One great inducement to the
peasants in favour of it is that they imagine it would deliver
them from their signwi. The priests, as a body, are in
favour of it. They contribute towards maintaining the feel-
ing amongst the people. The legislators find the feeling so
far predominant that an expression of it secures their return,
and they make political capital by agitating it.
In a period of tranquillity, therefore, you hear nothing of
annexation ; for the papers are not sufficiently read to keep
up the sentiment.
There are 1600 places in the Islands. So long as you
cannot give a place to every adult male, you will have an
opposition working up this cause, if not for office, at any
rate for re-election. Even amongst the employes there are
several intriguing with the Rhisospasts (Radicals).
An analogous feeling existed in many parts of Italy.
Peasants, and others of that class, lived very happily under
Grand Dukes ; but when the question was put to them,
" Will you be annexed to a national Italian Kingdom ? " they
voted in the affirmative, perhaps to their personal disadvan-
tage. One may therefore always bear in mind that universal
suffrage would carry annexation.
This letter makes it plain that the whole drift
of public feeling amongst the people was for
annexation to Greece.
During my stay in London in 1862, where I
was hard at work in connection with the Exhibi-
tion, I received a series of most interesting letters
from Sir Henry Storks, describing the agitation
going on in the Islands, from which I will quote a
xxxm LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 375
few extracts, as the letters are too long and too
numerous to be given in full : —
Palace, Corfu,
March 25, 1862.
. . . Thanks for your letter. I am very glad to find
that you had so fine a passage to Trieste. I send you some
letters.
Maiooran leaves to-day for London, and awaits a letter
from you, which he will look for at Paris.
Your people, Vassili and Co., left three days ago in the
Liverpoo. steamer, but have had to make a small detour
via Alexandria. I hope they will arrive in time.
The L. A. goes on much in the old way. Every sort of
insane proposal to catch popularity and to compromise me,
as they prooose reduction of duties, without providing sub-
stitutes, and boast that they know the Government will not
pass them; but, at any rate, they have proposed them.
Yesterday ctme on the discussion on the Address, and it is
likely to las: three or four days more. Padovan spoke in
his usual style, saying that the Protection was at an end, as
it only existed de facto — a pretty good proof of its existence,
by the way. As P.'s speech was an opening speech only, we
shall have him again. Zervo followed, and spoke for one
hour and a ialf. They tell me that his speech was most
moderate, advocating prudence and attention to the business
of the country, and leaving the " National Question " to
time, and the progress which it could not fail to make.
The Galleries applauded lustily, but the House was " mum."
The fact is, they are moving heaven and earth to make Z.
resign, in order that P. may gain his place and pocket the
i?300. I am sure of the wisdom of having confirmed his (Z.'s)
election as Fresident [of the Assembly] and of the appoint-
ment of Car iso as President [of the Senate]. The nomina-
tion of the latter in the Islands, and particularly in his own,
has given great satisfaction. I will send the Proces Ver-
baux, if they are worth it, but these fellows talk such
rubbish, so like children, that the account of their proceed-
ings is hardly worth reading.
376 GENERAL DISCONTENT ch.
Everything is perfectly quiet, and if we are let alone
everything will go well. They want to be prorogued, but
they shan't be, I am determined, unless they commit some
very gross act.
Don't forget the Consular Question, nor to endeavour to
obtain some small sum for me. ,£1000 a year, or even ^500,
would be of the greatest assistance.
I have no news to give you. I send you a letter for
Fairbairn, to whom give my " complimenti." Poor old
Carter dropped down dead yesterday morning from apoplexy,
or heart : he is to be buried to-day.
I read an article in the Post about Ionian politics. Pray
thank Algy Borthwick for his bo?i souvenir, with my kind
regards. It is very good indeed of him to give one a lift
in this way. Remember me also to Sir Edward, Delane,
Hayward, Rawlinson, and all friends.
I miss you very much, but am glad you are en the spot
to look after our Exhibition. I reckon on you to fight all
our battles for us. I write in great haste. You shall hear
from me again next week. Peel and Strahan send their love.
April 1, 1862.
I suppose ere this you have arrived in London. I hoped
to have heard from you by the mail which arrived yesterday.
I have little news to give you. The Assembly ire behaving
as ill as they generally do, and spend their time in idle dis-
cussions and in abusing each other. They have spent the
whole week in discussing a project of address presented by
Lascari, Condari, Tombro, and another, and after all this
debate they finished by throwing aside the project of the
Commission, and placing on the order of the day to be dis-
cussed to-day a project by Lombard o, which is nothing more
than a rechauffe of A. Valaoriti's address of last year, with a
considerable addition of red pepper. Both these projects are
objectionable — Lombardo's particularly so — but I make no
doubt it will pass by a large majority. Zervo has made a
great speech of the most moderate and sensible description,
considering his antecedents and opinions. He kas behaved
most prudently, and with great propriety ; but take them
xxxiii INDISCREET ADDRESS 377
for all in all, they are as bad a lot as I could have found,
and will give me a deal of trouble before I have done with
them. I am not yet certain what course I shall pursue.
They want to drive me to a prorogation which I am deter-
mined shall not be unless some extraordinary circumstances
arise, which I cannot foresee. They produce little impression
out of doors, and people go to the Assembly to hiss and
cheer as they go to the Opera.
I have no news to give you. Think of all our work in
London, and fight our battles for us if we are attacked.
. . . Peel and Strahan send their love, and I am always, my
dear Wolff, yours ever, H. K. S.
Kind regards to Sir Edward, Hayward, Rawlinson, Elliot,
and C. Fortescue, and all friends.
April 8, 1862.
I have received your letter dated Turin, March 28. I
cannot give any information about the municipal land for
an establishment, because, without knowing the exact spot
which would suit, who can say whether our Municipals
would make a concession ? I should think there would be
no difficulty about it, but with such a body as I have to deal
with, I cannot answer for anything. All I can promise is
to do the best I can. When Mr. Palmer arrives at Corfu
I will see him, and ascertain what can be done.
I send you two copies of the Address, and my answer to
it. I wish you would send one 'immediately to John Delane,
and the other to A. Borthwick. You might add a few
introductory remarks. They have taken a month to give
this answer to my most moderate speech, and probably a
more impudent and lying document was never penned. It
was not the project of the Commission which was rejected,
though that was bad enough. This is a progetto of Lom-
bardo's, being A. V.'s production of last year, but with more
abuse and more bile infused into it. The President behaved
very well on the occasion. He did not wish to come up
with it, and when he signed, he declared that he did so
because he was obliged, and that he dissented from its
contents. This is recorded in the Proces Verbal. It was
378 GREEK REVOLUTION ch.
supposed I should not receive it ; but I did not hesitate
because I thought it too good an opportunity to lose of
putting them in the wrong. My answer has produced a
very good impression and is universally approved. These
gentlemen want to be prorogued, for reasons which you
may guess, but they shall not be. I should be glad if this
document were published as soon as possible, because it is
sure to appear in the Nord and the French papers. You
know all about the proceeding, and can make such intro-
ductory remarks as you think suited for the occasion. A
worse lot I never had to deal with, but I will have the best
of it with them still.
I have no news to give you. Thank God nearly two
months have passed, and by the end of May I shall be
delivered from these worthies.
I have just received your letter from London. I am glad
to hear that you have arrived safely, and are satisfied about
the Exhibition space allotted to us. I have no news to give
you. I go battling on with these fellows, and shall be
sincerely glad when it is all over. I miss you very much,
but it was quite right you should go. If you hear it said
that I am going to resign or come away, pray give it the
strongest denial. I remain here till the latest moment I am
permitted to do so.
During the summer and autumn of 1862, matters
were going on rapidly in Greece, and, on October
23, King Otho was deposed. He fled from Athens
with his Queen, and arrived at Corfu three days
later. Sir Henry Storks paid his respects to them
in the harbour. He told me afterwards that the
Queen was in a great state of excitement, walking
up and down. When speaking about the causes
of the Revolution she said, " Everybody wants to
be a Minister, and everybody can't be a Minister.
Everybody wants a place, and everybody can't get
xxxm EXHIBITION LOTTERY 379
a place. Therefore there was constant discontent,
which we were unable to satisfy."
The following letter from the Lord High Com-
missioner may be considered interesting. It is
dated from Corfu, December 2, 1862 : —
I am not surprised at your having trouble about the
account, and in winding up the Exhibition. We have paid
the money advanced by the Ionian Bank, and I have desired
Boyd to acquaint you, which I believe he has done.
The Lottery is a good idea, and I think it is very kind
in Lady Palmerston to assist. Pray, if you have an oppor-
tunity, give my best compliments to her, and express my
thanks and the sense I entertain of her kindness.
When do you start ? and what are your plans ? I sup-
pose I shall not see you before January.
We enjoy perfect tranquillity here, although we take an
active interest in what is going on in Greece. Both there
and here the feeling in favour of Prince Alfred is at fever
point. There is little doubt of his being elected King of
Greece, for the public has declared itself in the strongest
manner about H.R.H. British policy here has contributed
considerably towards creating this feeling in favour of
England, her institutions, and her honesty.
The weather has been terrible — wind and heavy rain.
Before this letter was written, the British
Government had decided on annexing the Ionian
Islands to Greece, and was taking the necessary
steps by communicating with the other great
Powers.
CHAPTER XXXIV
Sir George Dasent — Alleged plot in Corfu — Election of King of Greece
— Mr. Baillie Cochrane — Vote for union with Greece — Relinquish-
ment of Protectorate.
I have many letters written to me at the time by
Mr. — afterwards Sir George — Dasent. He used
to give the most interesting accounts of what was
going on both in Denmark and England. His
views were generally correct, and the letters were
a pleasant miscellany of current politics and gossip.
The following is an extract from one of them : —
You will have seen, if the telegraph is not lazy, that the
cession of the Islands is settled so far as our Government is
concerned. All now depends upon Greece, who had better
get herself a King without delay.
No one is in town except Hay ward, just come from
Bowood, where a lady was so icy as to be very agreeable in
that summer weather [written on January 8]. Till to-day
the air has been a great deal milder than an ordinary English
summer.
What have you done with that delinquent ? I saw
during my visit that many of the prizes [the Ionian raffle]
had not been claimed. He seemed delightfully ignorant
about the whole matter. What a fool the man is to be
impertinent to me ! So great a fool that I must forgive
him as the Turks do naturals.
380
ch. xxxiv SIR GEORGE DASENT 381
I am very busy up to the eyes in Army examinations
which will last till well on in February. Borthwick I have
tried to see, but unsuccessfully. He is a good fellow,
though.
I am in a sad state of quarantine, for two brace of my
children have got the measles and five more persons in the
house have still to take them. You will be annexed and
back before I get a clean bill of health. That stupid
who has had the measles ever so many times is afraid to let
me go and see her. . . .
Gladstone is going to reduce, so as to get the income
tax to 7d. In that case he will defy Derby and all his
works. . . .
To-day I dined with the Royal Society. We had a very
bad dinner, in the course of which, finding that every one
round me was telling most terrific scientific lies, I was obliged
to draw on my invention for a lot of natural phenomena
observed in Iceland — every word of them untrue — which I
was asked to embody in a Paper. Catch me ! After dinner
we went to the Society itself, and heard a Paper read to
help our digestion "On the marked action of the gastric
juice on the coats of the stomach after death," illustrated by
diagrams of the stomachs of dogs and rabbits, as well as
those of seven persons who had died in a hospital of typhus,
stone, diphtheria, apoplexy, and all kinds of illness. This is
literally true.
There was another Paper " On the amatory instincts of
Canary Birds," but the gastric juice was as much as I could
digest, so I came here thanking God that I am not as other
men are, anatomists, geologists, chemists, astronomers, or
even as that publican who gave us the bad dinner.
About this time, there were rumours of a
conspiracy concocted at Rome for the restoration
of Francis II. to the throne of Naples. This
gave me perpetual correspondence with Sir James
Hudson. Letters also passed between us with
regard to the conveyance of the post to Corfu,
382 ALLEGED CONSPIRACY ch.
in consequence of the proposed extension of the
railway to Brindisi.
With regard to the former matter, I wrote to
him on the 1st of June 1863 as follows : —
I think it better to give you some details at length . . .
as the Italian Consul does not seem to have complete
information. Three days ago he was challenged by the
L.H.C. to produce proofs of the alleged conspiracy, but has
failed to do so.
As for Malta, of course I cannot answer. For this place,
I can safely assert that we are in neither apparent nor real
ignorance of anything that goes on.
The real fact of the case was that we had
done everything possible to prevent any conspiring
against the settled state of affairs in Italy ; and we
found that the Consul, who suspected treachery,
acted on very imperfect data. His informants
were notorious. One of them had assisted the
brothers Bandiera in their well-known expedition,
and had then denounced them. The Italian
Consul accused a certain tobacconist in the town,
whose wife was related to a supporter of the
Bourbons, of being an agent for that party ; but
there was no evidence whatever against them.
These matters made some stir at the time.
On June 9, Sir James Hudson wrote me a
letter in which he said :
There has been doubtless much coming and going,
whispering and plotting, on the part of a set of persons
who find their account in sucking the unhappy Francesco II.
quite dry at Rome.
A Government can, of course, only judge by the evidence
xxxiv SIR JAMES HUDSON 383
before it as to the value of the Conspiracy in a marketable
sense, and in the present case they [the Italian Government]
most certainly believed that there was something serious —
or rather more serious than usual — for not a week passes
but we have some bantling from that hatching -place of
plots, Rome.
You must therefore not be offended if much is said about
Corfu as a stepping-stone in the Conspiracy.
I have explained more than once that Her Majesty's
authorities cannot overstep the law to please anybody, or
serve any particular interest ; that we are just and equal to
all, and for all. . . .
I am of Sir H. Storks'* opinion as to this " Conspiracy "
or " Plot," or by whatever name it may be designated or
dignified.
I don't think it was ever more than a shadowy or seedy
affair ; for even supposing that there were 500 Bashi Bozuk
Albanians in the flesh, and armed to the teeth, what could
they do, seriously speaking, against Italy or for Francesco
II. ? Why, next to nothing. Morally speaking, they would
render Francesco's cause more odious, and physically and
practically they would be hunted down and shot, and there
would be an end of the great Malta-Corfu Conspiracy.
However, as prevention is better than cure, perhaps the
row that has been kicked up will be productive of much
good, more caution, and less zeal.
It may be interesting to state that, towards the
end of our stay in the Ionian Islands, amongst
the endeavours made to conciliate the inhabitants,
the British Government had determined to allow
Ionians to hold commissions in the British Army.
One was given, but without great success, for, on
the first occasion of a young Ionian officer being in
charge and ordering his soldiers to tell off in the
usual way, they gave the numerals in Greek.
The concluding period of England's tenure of
384 ELECTION OF KING oh.
those States was remarkable, as showing the record
of an almost unique political act. It may therefore
be of some interest to go into detail in describing
this unparalleled incident in history.
The Greeks had had the greatest difficulty in
obtaining a King. They were enthusiastic for our
Prince Alfred. But this was impossible. Several
Powers had been appealed to, but in vain. The
Charivari published a caricature of some Greeks
standing like armed brigands on a rock, one saying
to the other : " Tant pis pour lid. The first man
who passes, we'll make him King ! " It ended, how-
ever, in the choice of Prince William of Denmark,
who accepted the throne, and began to reign on
October 31, 1863, under the name of George I.,
King of the Hellenes. When his election was
announced in the previous June, the Archbishop
of Corfu ordered a Te Deum to be sung, at which
he invited the Lord High Commissioner to be
present. Sir Henry Storks made me his repre-
sentative, and I was accompanied by his aide-de-
camp, Lieutenant Baring. We were greeted with
cheers, and on our arrival at the church, " God
Save the Queen" was played. I was placed
between the Consuls of France and Russia. A
prayer was offered for the King of the Greeks, and
this was followed by the Danish National Air, and
cries of Z^reo. A prayer was next offered for Her
Majesty. " God Save the Queen " was again
played, and there was more shouting. Then came
a prayer for Union, and the Greek Hymn. Vast
xxxiv MR. BAILLIE COCHRANE 385
crowds, carrying Greek and English flags, marched
to the Palace, where the Lord High Commissioner
was warmly cheered ; and the town was afterwards
illuminated.
Just about then I received an interesting letter
from Mr. Baillie Cochrane, who had always been
an enthusiastic admirer of Greece. I quote it
here, as it shows the feeling in England at the
time : —
I suppose that you are all in a great state of excite-
ment now that we may consider the cession of the Ionian
Islands as almost a fait accompli. The strange thing is
that our front bench accept it so quietly, and I think the
session will end without a word of remonstrance.
You were quite right in your views of the Eastern
Question. Gregory's debate elicited strong opinions from
the House, and it must have had a great effect on the
Continent.
I assisted last Monday at the Te Deum in honour of
the young King, and a very grand affair it was. The
sermon concluded with an aspiration that the Cross might
soon be planted in St. Sophia, on which the whole con-
gregation exclaimed Z?;tw, but the Greeks must be careful
not to go too fast, or they will alarm even their well-
wishers. I had little doubt of their ultimate success, but
they must learn to gang warily.
Here we are in the middle of June and Palmerston still
sailing on in smooth waters, and I see nothing likely to
ruffle the surface. It is, as Lytton says, a question of
succession. Any attempt to remove him would be fatal to
our party. Meanwhile the young move away. Gordon of
Berwick died yesterday, and I am told that Earle is already
in the field. I hope he will succeed.
Please let me know the state of feeling in the Ionian
Islands. I daresay they begin to regret the transfer,
saddled as they will be with a goodly portion of the Greek
VOL. I 2 C
386 DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT oh.
debt. What do you think of the Greek bonds rising to
40, which were down at 13, and at one time, I believe, at
4 or 5.
The story is that Bulwer is to leave Constantinople and
be made a peer. I mentioned this last night to Lord S. de
Redcliffe, whose face glowed with excitement. ... I know
no man so miserable out of place and pay.
I hope we shall meet soon. It is not unlikely we shall
visit Corfu during the winter ; but by that time I suppose
you will have started.
During the spring of 1863, it had been decided
that there should be a special election of Repre-
sentatives, to ascertain the wishes of the Ionian
people with regard to union with Greece. The
Parliament then sitting was to be dissolved by an
Order in Council ; the new Parliament was to vote
on the question of annexation to Greece or British
Protection, and then to be prorogued.
On July 25, the Lord High Commissioner
published the following proclamation : —
His Excellency the Lord High Commissioner is pleased
to publish for general information the following Pro-
clamation by Her Majesty in Council, dissolving the
present Parliament of these States, which is consequently
dissolved from the present date.
The Lord High Commissioner has received Her Majesty's
Commands to call the solemn attention of the Ionian People
to the reasons which have induced Her Majesty to dissolve
the Twelfth Parliament of the Ionian States. Her Majesty
the Protecting Sovereign has declared Her readiness to
consent to the Union of the Ionian Islands with Greece ;
and it is with a view to consult in the most formal and
authentic manner the wishes of the inhabitants of the
Ionian Islands as to their future destiny, that Her Majesty
is pleased to dissolve the present Parliament.
xxxiv IONIAN ELECTIONS 387
The Ionian People will fully appreciate the responsibility
which rests on them in choosing their Representatives.
They are called upon to decide by this choice on the
momentous question now submitted to them, and the only
wish of Her Majesty is that they may be guided to a wise
decision, by which their happiness and prosperity may be
secured on a solid foundation.
By order of His Excellency, etc.
Shortly afterwards, I was instructed to send
the following notification to the residents of the
Islands : —
You are carefully to abstain from any interference, direct
or indirect, in favour of, or against any Candidates, either
before or during the forthcoming General Election, and you
will also give strict orders in the same sense to the Em-
ployes in the different Departments placed by the Con-
stitution under the special control of the Lord High
Commissioner, — further informing them that any infringe-
ment of His Excellency's injunctions on this point will be
attended with instant dismissal from the Public Service.
The foregoing instructions are not intended to restrict
any public Employe from the free exercise of the Elective
franchise ; but the Lord High Commissioner on this occasion
is determined to uphold the principle on which he has
hitherto acted, of securing the choice of the people from
all coercion on the part of the Executive.
By order of His Excellency, etc.
During August, M. Braestrup, an old Danish
statesman, supposed to have an acute knowledge
of character, came to Corfu to await the arrival
of the King.
The new Parliament assembled in September.
The Lord High Commissioner explained to them
the reason for their being summoned, and the
388 UNION WITH GREECE oh.
procedure that should be followed to record the
wishes of the Ionian people. Sir Henry Storks
ended his speech with these words :
I now leave you to your deliberations, and in so doing
will merely echo the wish expressed by Her Majesty that
you may be guided to a wise decision, and that the national
happiness and prosperity of the Ionian people may by your
suffrages be secured on a solid foundation.
To this speech the President of the Assembly
made the following reply : —
My Lord — If it were in my power at this moment to
express my own opinion, and that of my fellow-members, I
would give you a reply immediately, but prescribed forms
do not allow me. I shall therefore in due time request you
to hear the reply of the Assembly, and I can assure you
that the Assembly, on taking the subject into consideration,
will pronounce a decision consonant with their national
dignity, — and they reserve themselves to adopt, on that
occasion, measures adequate to afford a proof of their
sentiments towards Her Most Gracious Majesty and the
Protecting Powers.
The Assembly then met with closed doors.
The Archbishop was sent for, and mass was
celebrated in the body of the Assembly, after
which the Archbishop blessed the Legislators.
The Assembly then voted an Address to be
presented to the Lord High Commissioner, and
the President read a Decree announcing that the
Ionian Islands "are united with the Kingdom of
Greece, in order to form for ever its indissoluble
part in a single and indivisible State, under the
xxxiv GRATITUDE OF IONIANS 389
Constitutional Sceptre of His Majesty the King
of the Hellenes, George I., and His Successors."
On October 6, the President of the Legis-
lative Assembly, accompanied by all the Members,
attended at the Palace for the purpose of presenting
an Address to the Lord High Commissioner. It
ended with the following words : —
Excellency — The Assembly, amidst the inexpressible joy
which overflows the hearts of all, must express the gratitude
of the Ionian People to the Gracious Queen of Great Britain,
both for the generous decision She has taken, and Her kind
disposition towards the Greek Nation.
The same sentiment of gratitude the Assembly must also
declare towards the other Protecting Powers of Greece, both
for their co-operation and the realisation of the national
restoration of the Ionians, and their kind disposition towards
the Greek Nation.
Christian Europe, capable of appreciating the services
offered to mankind by the Greek race, will consent to assist
the Greek Nation in its full restoration, in the interests of
civilisation and the fulfilment of the Decrees of the Most
High.
In reply, the Lord High Commissioner announced
that he would communicate to the Legislative
Assembly, in due form, the detailed arrangements
necessary for the transfer of the Ionian States from
the Protectorate of Her Majesty the Queen to the
Kingdom of Greece. After this reply was read,
M. Curi, one of the Members for Corfu, advanced
and said in English, " God bless the Queen and the
magnanimous English Nation ! "
Rejoicings took place in Corfu for three days :
first, in honour of Union ; the second day, in honour
390 CESSATION OF PROTECTORATE ch.
of the Queen ; and the third, in honour of the other
Protecting Powers. A mass was celebrated at the
tomb of Count John Capo d' lstria, the original
author of Ionian independence.
A Treaty was signed at the Foreign Office
in London on March 29, 1864, between Great
Britain, France, and Russia on the one part, and
Greece on the other, for the Union of the Ionian
Islands to Greece. It was made a condition of
our surrender of those States, that all the fortifi-
cations should be destroyed. For some time,
therefore, before the annexation I witnessed this
destruction being carried out by the British
engineers. It had to be done against the protests
of the Ionian people. But it was a most absorbing
spectacle to witness.
The Greek Envoy, M. Zaimis, arrived in Corfu
on May 19, to arrange with the Lord High Com-
missioner as to the form and manner in which
the Ionian States were to be ceded to Greece.
On the 24th, a levee and review were held in
honour of the Queen's Birthday. Sir Henry
Storks' reception was numerously attended.
On May 27, the 13th Parliament was dissolved
in obedience to Her Majesty's Order in Council,
dated April 7.
On June 2, 1864, the actual relinquishment of
the Protectorate took place. The Greek troops
had arrived on the previous day, but none were
allowed to disembark, except the number required
to relieve the guards, until the British garrison
xxxiv DEPARTURE 391
should have sailed. Her Majesty's troops embarked
early on the morning of June 2. The Munici-
pality of Corfu presented them with an address,
ending with these words :
Farewell, brave sons of England ! Forget, as we do,
whatever may tend to mar our mutual love ! Love us, as
we love you, and desire that we may imitate your national
virtue !
Sir Robert Garrett, commanding the Forces, in
his reply, made use of the following expressions : —
In the name of the private soldiers, whom I have the
honour to command, I request you will be pleased to make
known to the inhabitants of the countrv round Corfu, and
to those of the town itself, how fully they have appreciated
the kindly feelings which they have unremittingly exercised
towards them.
Again repeating the assurances of our very best wishes
for the welfare of you all, I now, in the name of the British
garrison, bid you most heartily, Farewell !
After addressing a few words of farewell to the
friends assembled at the Palace to say good-bye,
Sir Henry Storks embarked on H.M.S. Marl-
borough under the usual salutes. The British
Colours were lowered, the Greek Flag run up on
the Forts, and the British Flags marched off and
embarked with Guards of Honour. The ships
then left for Malta, except the Marlborough, which
took Sir Henry Storks to Catacolo to meet the
King of the Hellenes.
Thus ended our connection with the Ionian
Islands.
CHAPTER XXXV
Visit to England — Duke of Newcastle — Sir Edward Lytton — Lord
Carliugford — Islands transferred to Greece
Towards the end of 1863, the Government had
telegraphed to Sir Henry Storks to send me home
to concert a method for giving up the Islands.
This business kept me in England for about four
months. I saw Lord Russell and the authorities
at the Foreign Office, to which I was referred by
the Duke of Newcastle. On the 1st of November
he wrote me the following letter : —
I am very sorry I cannot be in town before Tuesday week
(10th), but as regards Ionian business I hope my absence
will be of little importance, for I consider that all matters
of consequence connected with it have passed out of my
hands and now rest with your old Department — the Foreign
Office.
I think you should at once see Hammond and ascertain
from him whether you should call on Lord Russell.
I do not think the protest against demolition of the
fortifications very powerful, though I have no doubt it is
more sincere than most emanations from the Assembly.
This proved to be almost the end of my con-
nection with the Duke. He was very ill at the
time, and died the following year. He was a
392
ch. xxxv DUKE OF NEWCASTLE .393
most remarkable man, much beloved by those who
served under him. At one time I used to see a
good deal of him at the Athenaeum, where he
spent much of his leisure in the society of the
gentlemen mentioned in Sir Henry Storks' letters.
It may be considered interesting here to give
a few extracts from letters written to me while
I was in the Ionian Islands, which alluded to
various political matters. I will, first of all, quote
one from Sir Edward Lytton, dated January 25,
I860:—
Parliament has opened. The Commercial Treaty with
France is generally unpopular, and may not pass Parliament.
The Chinese papers I have looked over. I think the
Conservatives can make no handle of it.
I still think the Government will get through the Session,
but there are more breakers ahead for them than I foresaw ;
but their great advantage is that the Conservatives are not
ready to take office.
Walpole and Henley do not sit in the front row, but
three behind.
Further letters from Sir Edward Lytton show
how much interest was taken in what was con-
sidered a singular event — the cession of the Islands
to Greece. He wrote to me from Nice, on January
7, 1863, as follows :—
I begin to doubt whether Parliament will ratify the
Ionian Cession. The affair is much complicated by Elliot's
mission, and the request to Turkey to yield Thessaly and
Kpirus — much complicated also by the breakdown of Don
Ferdinand, and the uncertainty as to what Greece may do,
while, if she do not make a wise choice, to justify ceding the
isles, and dismembering Turkey, the blunder of Lord John
394 THE IONIAN QUESTION ch.
will be without excuse — the Islands most difficult to govern,
and yet equally difficult to get rid of. ... I see that some
of the old Whigs, such as Ellice, who is here, are very angry
with Russell and the whole affair. Lord Stratford denounces
them. Roebuck, too, I am told, says the Ministers can't
last after the meeting of Parliament, if Elliot's message be
truly reported. Of that last I think there is no doubt.
I shall stay here as long as I can, but I expect to be back
in time for any party discussions — Ionian or otherwise — and
these must come early.
Nick, February 3, 1863.
... I am asked by Dis to take up the Ionian Question.
I have agreed to speak on it, perhaps introduce ... I think
it bad for Greece, bad for the Islands, bad for Turkey, bad
for the British Empire. . . .
Judging by Storks 1 letter to me, he seems to favour the
cession, to disbelieve wholly about Thessaly and Epirus being
asked, and to go with the Government. . . .
What is to become of all the Protectorate party, the
Employes, etc. ? Is there any island besides Corfu where a
Jacquerie may be apprehended ? Qy. Cephalonia ? Are the
islands all of the same mind ? Are they all contented with
Athens for a capital, or do they look to Constantinople as
the Italians to Rome ?
On February 12 he wrote me the following
letter : —
I am still at Nice for two or three weeks more. At first
I was going back to initiate or join in a motion respecting
the Ionian Islands ; but Dis informs me that the renuncia-
tion of the Duke of Coburg leaves it, in the opinion of both
parties, so doubtful that the conditions for resigning the
Islands will be complied with, that there is not even a
plausible ground for any motion, and the cession of the
Islands certainly seems very doubtful after all — at all events,
indefinitely postponed. The absurd hash of the Government
will, no doubt, render it much more difficult to govern
them ; will have discouraged, I should think, the friends of
xxxv WICKED PRECIPITATION 395
the Protectorate, and alarmed all our officials. And it may
be only a question of time for cession ; but it is clear that a
good King of Greece must be found first.
Dis writes that nothing can equal the apathy of Parlia-
ment, and that I need be in no hurry to return. In fact, I
should think that, with the Prince's marriage, nothing will
get Members together much before Easter, and after then
the Government will be probably quite safe. The Ionian
Question would have been a bad party fight for us, and I am
glad we are spared it.
Robert is pleased with his transfer at Copenhagen, where
in Paget's absence he acts as charge d'affaires.
On March 11, Sir Edward Lytton wrote to me
again from Nice : —
... I conclude that the Ionian Question is suspended for
the moment, and I doubt whether the Islands will be ceded
for a long time.
Nothing can exceed the wicked precipitation of the
Government in an announcement which unsettled all things
in the Isles before anything was settled in Greece.
I hear on all sides from London that the political lull is
without parallel. Still there are indications of increased
weakness in the Government. I should not be surprised if
the Cabinet split into pieces at any moment. Lord Derby
seems, if he live, certain at all events for next year, though
perhaps not till after the Election.
Poland will prove a most difficult question to solve, and
may lead to wholly new combinations. But in England no
one thinks of Poles — only of the Royal Marriage. Robert
writes to me that he saw the Princess, and that all at Copen-
hagen bear testimony to the sweetness of her disposition.
The following; letter was written from Kneb-
worth on July 24, 18G3 :—
. . . Delays are inevitable, and not the Duke's fault,
though perhaps the Government's. 1st, Delay from the
new King and his Danish patrons ; 2nd, from the Great
396 SQUARING THE CIRCLE ch.
Powers. Till these hitches are over there cannot be formal
annexation and surrender.
At present I am more and more satisfied, from all I see of
the House of Commons, that no step was taken there, and I
am more sure of this from further observation of the Duke s
character. I see that any appearance of opposition makes
him obstinate and hostile. I observed this in a recent
instance.
A certain Governor had a most strong claim for a certain
thing. The Duke, at the outset, was well disposed to grant
it, but he is very slow. My Governor got impatient,
resolved to press his claim more urgently. I advised him
not. I said, "Wait, and you will have what you want —
perhaps in a year. That is better than not having it at all."
No ! he pressed his case, teased the Duke, and, as I foresaw,
the Duke turned round and refused the thing rudely, and
altogether taking the chose wholly en gi'ippe.
The two following letters were at that time
written to me by Lord Carlingford — then Mr.
Chichester Fortescue : —
March 24, 1861.
Many thanks for your letter. I was very glad to have
your graphic account of the scenes, which have not only
roused to excitement the calm of the Colonial Office, but
attracted much attention in Parliament and the Town. You
will see the notice taken of them in the two Houses by those
kindred spirits, Maguire and Normanby. " Official informa-
tion " is to be laid before Parliament, but we will be careful
what we produce. One of the provoking parts of this
provoking business is that we cannot produce all that Storks
writes, and all that we think of your precious patriots ; and
that Europe and Ireland will take them as the exponents
and champions of an oppressed nationality.
You talk of some means of satisfying these people, without
sacrificing the rights of the Protecting Power. Pray let
me have your ideas on the subject, because it sounds like
squaring the circle. I heartily wish we were well rid of
them. Maguire has moved for Gladstone's correspondence
xxxv PAINFUL SUSPENSE 397
and Papers since that time. It is a question whether to
give them, and the Duke and Cabinet have not yet decided.
At all events, he will get up a debate on Ionian affairs, for
the purpose of embarrassing the Government by comparisons
with their Italian policy — not because he loves any liberty
except his own, but because he loves the Pope and hates
England, especially certain Englishmen known by the names
of Palmerston and Russell.
I wish you would write me odds and ends of Ionian infor-
mation, and of your own views, which may be very useful in
case of debate. What would be the effect throughout the
Greeks of Turkey, Candia, etc., if the Ionian Islands were
handed over to Greece, merely on the principle of nationality?
Would it not do more to break up the Turkish establish-
ment than all our efforts have done to preserve it ? What
is thought about it in Greece, and by the Greek Govern-
ment ? What is likely to happen when the Parliament
meets again ? and when must the Dissolution take place ?
April 1G, 1861.
... I, for one, should feel bound to urge and assist in a
revision of the Ionian Constitution, if I could see my way to
it without passing through a coup cVHut on the threshold.
But I see no legal opening.
It will be seen from this correspondence how
much the question filled the thoughts of the
British Government, and how long a time was
spent in carrying out the measure of transferring
the Islands to Greece. The suspense was very
painful to all parties — to ourselves, whose future
movements were thus undecided, and to the
Greeks, amongst whom there was great divergence
of opinion. Some Greeks, especially those of the
landlord class, looked upon the annexation as fatal
to their interests, even, perhaps, to their lives.
398 NEW CORFU ch. xxxv
The prolonged suspense was on all sides a great
ordeal. At length, however, as has been seen, we
did leave the Islands, and a few days afterwards
I received, from a commissariat officer who had
been left to carry out some details, an interesting
account of Corfu : —
The change to us few remaining Britons is painful
enough ; but nothing can exceed the respect and courtesy
with which we are treated by all classes.
The Greek garrison in Corfu consists of 400 men, not ill-
dressed and fairly set up. The same number is scattered
over the Islands. They are amazed at the beauty and the
cleanliness of the barracks, and are already overcoming the
latter defect.
As I write, the King is entering the harbour : I hear he
will stay a week.
The Exodus went off capitally, and the people behaved
very well, and cheered louder than I thought they could have
done. Philadelphia is not a more complete city of Quakers,
and the Esplanade is the most formidable battery left.
Taylor's 1 signboard came down with the British Ensign
on the 2nd, and Courage's 2 receipts have amounted to
18/7d. !
1 The general shop. 2 A grocer.
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