"9bre 29. 1823.
"This letter will be presented to you by Mr. Hamilton Browne, who
precedes or accompanies the Greek deputies. He is both capable and
desirous of rendering any service to the cause, and information to
the Committee. He has already been of considerable advantage to both,
of my own knowledge. Lord Archibald Hamilton, to whom he is related,
will add a weightier recommendation than mine.
"Corinth is taken, and a Turkish squadron said to be beaten in the
Archipelago. The public progress of the Greeks is considerable, but
their internal dissensions still continue. On arriving at the seat of
Government, I shall endeavour to mitigate or extinguish them--though
neither is an easy task. I have remained here till now, partly in
expectation of the squadron in relief of Missolonghi, partly of Mr.
Parry's detachment, and partly to receive from Malta or Zante the sum
of four thousand pounds sterling, which I have advanced for the
payment of the expected squadron. The bills are negotiating, and will
be cashed in a short time, as they would have been immediately in any
other mart; but the miserable Ionian merchants have little money, and
no great credit, and are besides _politically shy_ on this occasion;
for although I had letters of Messrs. Webb (one of the strongest
houses of the Mediterranean), and also of Messrs. Ransom, there is no
business to be done on _fair_ terms except through English merchants.
These, however, have proved both able and willing,--and upright as
usual.[1]
[Footnote 1: The English merchants whom he thus so justly describes,
are Messrs. Barff and Hancock, of Zante, whose conduct, not only in
the instance of Lord Byron, but throughout the whole Greek struggle,
has been uniformly most zealous and disinterested.]
"Colonel Stanhope has arrived, and will proceed immediately; he shall
have my co-operation in all his endeavours: but, from every thing
that I can learn, the formation of a brigade at present will be
extremely difficult, to say the least of it. With regard to the
reception of foreigners,--at least of foreign officers,--I refer you
to a passage in Prince Mavrocordato's recent letter, a copy of which
is enclosed in my packet sent to the Deputies. It is my intention to
proceed by sea to Napoli di Romania as soon as I have arranged this
business for the Greeks themselves--I mean the advance of two hundred
thousand piastres for their fleet.
"My time here has not been entirely lost,--as you will perceive by
some former documents that any advantage from my _then_ proceeding to
the Morea was doubtful. We have at last moved the Deputies, and I
have made a strong remonstrance on their divisions to Mavrocordato,
which, I understand, was forwarded by the Legislative to the Prince.
With a loan they _may_ do much, which is all that _I_, for particular
reasons, can say on the subject.
"I regret to hear from Colonel Stanhope that the Committee have
exhausted their funds. Is it supposed that a brigade can be formed
without them? or that three thousand pounds would be sufficient? It
is true that money will go farther in Greece than in most countries;
but the regular force must be rendered a _national concern_, and paid
from a national fund; and neither individuals nor committees, at
least with the usual means of such as now exist, will find the
experiment practicable.
"I beg once more to recommend my friend, Mr. Hamilton Browne, to whom
I have also personal obligations, for his exertions in the common
cause, and have the honour to be
"Yours very truly."
His remonstrance to Prince Mavrocordato, here mentioned, was
accompanied by another, addressed to the existing Government; and
Colonel Stanhope, who was about to proceed to Napoli and Argos, was
made the bearer of both. The wise and noble spirit that pervades
these two papers must, of itself, without any further comment, be
appreciated by all readers.[1]
[Footnote 1: The originals of both are in Italian.]