"October 10. 1823.
"Colonel Napier will present to you this letter. Of his military
character it were superfluous to speak: of his personal, I can say,
from my own knowledge, as well as from all public rumour or private
report, that it is as excellent as his military: in short, a better
or a braver man is not easily to be found. _He_ is our man to lead a
regular force, or to organise a national one for the Greeks. Ask the
army--ask any one. He is besides a personal friend of both Prince
Mavrocordato, Colonel Stanhope, and myself, and in such concord with
all three that we should all pull together--an indispensable, as well
as a rare point, especially in Greece at present.
"To enable a regular force to be properly organised, it will be
requisite for the loan-holders to set apart at least 50,000_l_.
sterling for that particular purpose--perhaps more; but by so doing
they will guarantee their own monies, 'and make assurance doubly
sure.' They can appoint commissioners to see that part property
expended--and I recommend a similar precaution for the whole.
"I hope that the deputies have arrived, as well as some of my various
despatches (chiefly addressed to Mr. Hobhouse) for the Committee.
Colonel Napier will tell you the recent special interposition of the
gods, in behalf of the Greeks--who seem to have no enemies in heaven
or on earth to be dreaded but their own tendency to discord amongst
themselves. But these, too, it is to be hoped, will be mitigated, and
then we can take the field on the offensive, instead of being reduced
to the _petite guerre_ of defending the same fortresses year after
year, and taking a few ships, and starving out a castle, and making
more fuss about them than Alexander in his cups, or Buonaparte in a
bulletin. Our friends have done something in the way of the
_Spartans_--(though not one tenth of what is told)--but have not yet
inherited _their_ style.
"Believe me yours," &c.