the 28th. ‘I saw French proclamations posted up in the
villages, signed _Augereau_.’ They slept that night at
Montabaur.
We got off early on ye 29th. Woods to Coblentz. Met a French general,
escorted by cavalry. Wood chiefly copse, country much inferior in
beauty to that we quitted. Ehrenbreitstein repairing; the village
under the fortress quite ruined, churches and convents unroofed and
demolished, but the peasants are active in repairing their habitations.
Ld. H. showed his passport and had a pass given for persons and horses
to cross the Rhine. Crossed in the _pont-volant_: all of us and our
baggage stopped at the Custom House. I went to the inn with Charles.
Ld. H. went to the banker; some difficulty in arranging about money
for Bruxelles. Mr. Lorentz rather in fault. Ld. H. showed passport in
the evening to the _Préfet_, Boucqueau, who was remarkably well-bred
and civil. Banker’s name Botsgeissen; married to a Leeds woman.
The Electoral Palace in the town is converted into a hospital. The
inhabitants pay great contributions; it falls hardest on landholders.
The German play driven out by a French _troupe_, who have established
a French _spectacle_. The establishment of juries seemingly popular.
Heard of a famous robber towards Trêves, who maintained banditti,
bribed peasants, and gave passports, and who is particularly inveterate
against the Jews. Country cultivated, and provisions, at least bread,
very cheap. Very different accounts of the French, but all agreeing in
the improvement since Bonaparte, and in wishes for peace. The people
are allowed great freedom of speech; they paid more for having given
an asylum to the emigrants, which seemed very unjust upon them. All
religion tolerated and none interfered with; monks as usual, but I saw
none. The inn excellent, quite new; not the same as the one I used to
go to....
I laughed heartily at the sight of a monk with a French cockade in his
hat. To the left, about a mile from Bonn, there is a fine castle upon
an eminence. The modern _châteaux_ of the nobility are deserted, and
many totally destroyed from being unroofed and _gutted_. The Elector’s
country palace was magnificent; it is now converted into a hospital.
Bonn is a clean, well-built town, the Palace immense, now inhabited
in parts by officers and magistrates, but chiefly falling to decay.
The Tree of Liberty decorated with the tricolour flag. I was surprised
instead of finding the old inn, which was very good, to find a new one
just built upon a most magnificent scale. The road from Coblentz to
Bonn is good; from Bonn to Cologne sandy and deep, country flat, but
rich and well cultivated.
A mile or two before Cologne a bend of the river extremely beautiful.
Wrote our names at the gates; one of the guard was a drunken Irishman,
who with the rest of the vagrant scum of Europe composed the _Polish
legion_. Cologne is a large, gloomy town, overrun with monks and
beggars. The inn was excellent; it had just been repaired and newly
furnished. We were surprised that, considering the interruption there
must have been to travelling, accommodations and post horses should
have been so good and abundant. We went to the play, which was bad
enough, but like all foreign theatres well attended. The _gendarmes_
and hussars very handsome; we agreed that the French officers were
better looking than formerly. The reason, I suppose, is that under the
_ancien régime_ the officers were chiefly noble; now a man is taken out
of the ranks and dubbed General....
[Sidenote: STEPHEN’S DEATH]
_Sunday, Jan. 25, 1801, Staines Inn._--The complaint in my eyes and
alarm about my poor child prevented me from enjoying myself during the
last two months of my foreign excursion. After passing many watchful
nights, and latterly for 8 together, by the side of my dear boy, he was
snatched from me, alas, for ever.[153] He died on the day devoted to
mirth, his dear father’s birthday. On ye 22nd early, we quitted H. H.,
and took up our residence at Ld. B.’s in Cavendish Square during their
absence at Chatsworth. I was broken-hearted and dispirited for many
weeks.
Soon after, Charles caught the measles, and luckily for my peace of
mind had them most favourably. His little endearing qualities, and
Ld. H.’s affection, the kindness of friends, and the hope of having
more children, have to a degree soothed my feelings, but oh! my God,
what anguish can equal the pang a mother feels who sees her infant
struggling against death. What I have endured worlds should not bribe
me to undergo again. Beauclerk, as soon as he heard of our distress,
came to town to see us, and with real heartfelt interest entered into
our sorrows. Mrs. Smith showed herself affectionate and tender: and
the D. of Bedford continued in town, and stayed as much with us as
possible; indeed, day after day he devoted to being in our company.
We had taken a mere nutshell, a _pied-à-terre_, in Stratton Street;
my spirits have been so low that the small and varying society that I
got of evenings from those that drop in amuses and cheers me. I write
at this moment at Staines, where I am with Charles and Ld. H., partly
that the first may be shown to his uncle, and partly that Ld. H. may
see _his_ uncle, and endeavour, with Grey, to prevail upon him to
resume his parliamentary functions.
_Stratton Street, 30th Jan., 1801._--A rumpus in the Cabinet, supposed
about the Catholics. The opening of the Imperial Parliament[154] has
been delayed already three times, and the day for which it is fixed
at present is not the one it will, according to all expectation, meet
upon. Various reasons are assigned for the delay, and the wise-heads
are full of strange and curious speculations upon the occasion. Some
imagine Ministers are negotiating, not to obtain peace, but to get a
reply from Bonaparte declaring his intention of maintaining the demand
of the Northern Confederacy with respect to neutral bottoms, by which
they will succeed in making the Northern war popular with the country.
Others, that great concessions have been made to Russia to withdraw her
from the confederacy, even to the sacrifice of Hanover. Others, that
the King is more in want of Dr. Willis[155] than of his Lords Temporal
and Spiritual assembled in High Parliament.
It is a curious circumstance to reflect upon, that in the course of
a very few years France, whom we expected to crush and entered into
a league against with half the powers of Europe, should now have so
completely turned the tables upon us as to head triumphantly the most
formidable combination that was ever undertaken. If the King of Prussia
marches to Hamburg (which unquestionably is his object), and the French
compel the Portuguese to renounce our alliance, we shall not have a
friendly port from the North Pole to Africa.
[Sidenote: SECESSION ABANDONED]
Opposition mean to attend actively this session. Grey has renounced
the errors of secession, and tho’ Fox still hangs back, I think a few
strong divisions will be irresistible and make him return to the career
in which he has outstripped every competitor. Ld. Darnley has attached
himself with warmth to Opposition, and intends to bring on a motion
upon the State of the Nation. To-day has brought another convert, Ld.
Fitzwilliam,[156] who has expressed a wish of moving the amendment, one
very hostile to Ministers and, strange to say, full of pacific wishes.
His respectability, high name, and integrity of character carries
great weight, and will add much to the slender forces of a disjointed,
disbanded Opposition. The D. of Bedford pledges himself to nothing,
but his inclination leads him to attend and would conquer, but for Ld.
Lauderdale’s jokes, who is always telling him he delights in making a
long prose to the House of Lords, for which he never indulges himself
on any question but on those that would make Cicero or Fox prose,
_scarcity_, poor laws, enclosures, etc., etc.
Ld. Wycombe, who obtained passports to go through France in his way to
Florence to get witnesses, was at Paris during the explosion of the
_infernal car_, and within 220 paces of it at the moment of its blowing
up.[157]
_11th Feb., 1801. Stratton Street._--During the Rebellion in Ireland
made by the United Irishmen, it used to be the phrase, when a
disturbance broke out in a town, to say, ‘They have got the Union among
them.’ That cant saying might now be applied to a higher sphere, as
since the Union of the Kingdoms the Cabinet has been divided, and at
this juncture broken up. Reports and opinions are so different and
various that I can collect nothing that gives me a very distinct idea.
At present all that can be depended upon is that Pitt, Grenville,
Dundas, Windham, Lds. Camden and Spencer, have resigned their
places, and are virtually out of office, altho’ the former remains
in until he has made the loan and opened the Budget. The occasion of
this extraordinary breaking up of the Administration is the King’s
peremptory refusal of assenting to the Emancipation of the Catholics,
a measure Ministers consider themselves as pledged to, and a promise
of which was one of ye instruments of conciliation to all parties to
obtain the Union.
[Sidenote: PITT’S RESIGNATION]
It now appears that the King was all along against the Union,
foreseeing that this question would be the price of it. It appears
incredible that Ministers should esteem themselves so irrevocably
bound to the Catholics, when the opinion of the King has uniformly
been against complying with that measure, which they must have known
at the time they held out the promise to the Irish. The King believes,
and the belief so inculcated is sedulously maintained in his mind
by the Bishops (especially by ye Archbishop of Canterbury and Dr.
Stuart,[158] the Primate of Ireland), that any such relaxation towards
the Catholics is incompatible with his Coronation oath. It was owing
to these differences that the meeting of Parlt. was delayed on account
of the tenor of the Speech. Pitt wanted it to breathe toleration and
indulgence in the true spirit of amity; the King absolutely rejected
all such promises. During the week in which the Speech was adjusting,
there were many rumours of a change of Administration; indeed, one
day they were so current that I believed enough to be tempted to
send to Lansdown House to ascertain whether its noble owner had been
sent for from Bath. Several tradesmen distributed their commodities
gratis, so great was the joy; but on the Saturday previous to the
meeting of Parlt. all was supposed to be amicably settled owing to the
interposition of the Speaker, who was closeted with the King several
hours during the Queen’s concert. However this honourable friend was
occupied in a different negotiation than that designed for him by
his munificent patron and employer--in one no less surprising and
despicable than of tripping up his heels and offering his services
to replace him. This huge and monstrous act of ingratitude was known
publicly last Saturday, and Pitt on Monday, in his place, announced
his resignation, and Ld. Grenville last night in the House of Lords
spoke to the same effect. Nothing is yet known certainly as to the new
Ministry; many of the places cannot be filled, and the opinion is they
cannot hold together a month. Ld. Carlisle refused; at least he was
sounded. Ld. Macartney refused. Jekyll said an Administration, formed
out of the dregs of the old one and leaving Pitt out, was like getting
up _The Beggar’s Opera_ without the character of Macheath.
_14th Feb., 1801._--Yesterday was a political fast ordered by
Parliament during the continuance of the war. Jekyll wrote _ex
tempore_:--
Why on this day the lot d’ye cast
To mortify the _British_ nation,
When every day’s a general fast
And every hour’s humiliation?
(_British_ added by Lewis to make the metre.)
Some person asked Jekyll why he did not put the Administration into
verse, upon which he said it was already _inverse_.
_Feb. 26, 1801._--The first laugh over, people begin to think this
Administration may last, and if they commence a negotiation they will
even become popular. Pitt, however, is regretted, and there are those
who think the whole a juggle, that he is, in fact, Minister behind the
curtain; but these are refinements. He certainly solicits persons to
take office, and his own friends to hold those they have; but this is
but a shallow artifice to prevent the odious cry of his deserting the
King. The new Ministers like to let it appear that Pitt is cordial to
them, and account for the resignations by saying those who resign are
chiefly of Canning’s faction, and that Pitt has reprimanded Canning for
his intemperate language.
Lady Buckingham[159] (the Marchioness), the first drawing room after
these changes, went to give thanks for her peerage (Baroness Nugent,
with remainder to her second son); she is a bigoted Catholic, and gave
great scandal during her husband’s government in Ireland by attending
the R. C. Chapel openly. When she stood in the circle to be spoken to,
the King came up to her and began a conversation, in the midst of which
she turned upon her heel and said aloud to the person next to her, ‘I
think I have treated him coldly enough.’ His Majesty heard her, and
in an irritated tone said, ‘I don’t mind women’s politics.’ Those who
are for Catholic Emancipation affect to believe that the discontents
upon its rejection will break out, and an invasion from France will be
successful.
This opinion produced a _bon mot_ from a man who never made one before.
A person asked Lord Brome[160] who was to succeed his father (Ld.
Cornwallis) in Ireland. ‘Most probably _Bonaparte_,’ replied the youth.
Lady Clare began abusing Ld. Cornwallis furiously before the Duchess of
Gordon, who coolly answered that she ‘had never heard him abused but
for two things, one was the not putting the town of Seringapatam to
the sword, the other, that in Ireland he never whipped nor tortured.’
The retort was keen, as Lord Clare[161] made a speech in favour of the
enormities committed by the Orangemen, which is called and known by the
name of ‘The torture speech.’
[Sidenote: THE KING’S ILLNESS]
_8th March, 1801._--The King is recovering as fast as he can, say the
courtiers; Pitt’s people cautiously say he may amend, but it must
be slowly; Opposition declare he is as mad as the winds. Upon the
first signal of madness the Prince notified to Ld. Fitzwilliam that
circumstances were similar to those in ’88–’89 and that it was his
intention to consult those who had been his friends at that period, and
he wished Ld. F. to discuss it over with those with whom he had acted
at that period. Ld. F., rather precipitately, sent off an express to
St. Anne’s to fetch up Fox, who came early the next morning. Ld. Moira
saw Grey and the D. of Bedford (separately) and proposed to each the
formation of an Administration in case of a Regency, without either
Fox or Pitt. This they declined, and unequivocally declared they would
never take office unless Fox was the efficient man in the Cabinet. Ld.
Moira had a private interview afterwards with Fox, in which nothing
very material passed. The Chancellor begged to see Fox that they might
refer back to their joint proceedings in ’88: Fox was astonished at the
C.’s want of memory. He did not think his forgetfulness was wilful.
In the course of their meeting, Loughborough gave him to understand
that he was authorised to express Pitt’s wishes for an accommodation
in private, and his disposition to adjust their differences of opinion
upon the question of right, but Fox declined the interview on hearing
the arguments, adding that the House of Commons was the proper place
for political opponents to debate in.
Pitt is still Minister. The King’s illness occurred on Saturday, and
the patent to admit Addington was to have been signed on Thursday:
thus Addington has given up an immense place of £7000 pr. ann., and
undergone the expense of his election, for the bare honour of having
been thought worthy of His Majesty’s confidence.[162] Windham says he
is one of the gentlemen who are _shut in_. Those only who are fairly
out are Lord Spencer and Ld. Grenville.
The first act of Ld. St. Vincent’s Administration[163] was a pretty
hard rap at Ld. Spencer’s; he gave the command of the Channel fleet to
Ad. Cornwallis,[164] a man whom Ld. S. had brought to a Court martial
and in a manner laid aside and disgraced.
Ly. Spencer[165] cannot reconcile herself to the insignificance
of being out of power; she is carrying on an intrigue with Mrs.
Fitzherbert thro’ Jack Payne to reinstate Mr. Pitt, by making him
acceptable to the Prince. Ly. S. is the greatest prude alive, and
yet because it is her interest she passes many hours daily with Mrs.
F.[166] The latter is rancorous against Fox; she has never pardoned
his compliance with the Prince’s orders in the last Regency, when he
declared that no marriage had taken place between them.
_9th March._--A person said to the Duchess of Gordon that Pitt, now
he was out of office, would have leisure to amuse himself and indulge
in his favourite recreations. Among the latter _Pope Joan_ was named.
‘Aye,’ said the Dss., ‘I wish he would think more of _Joan_ and less of
the Pope’--more of the ladies and less of the Catholics.
[Sidenote: MR. GEORGE PONSONBY]
George Ponsonby, distinguished in Ireland as a pleader and orator, has
carried the election for the County of Wicklow. During the poll a man
upon the hustings assigned for reason of his voting against him that
_common report_ said he had been connected with the United Irishmen.
‘_Common report_ is known to be a liar,’ said Ponsonby, ‘and so, I
think, are its trumpeters.’ More is expected from him in the Imperial
Parlt., than from all the Irish put together; his talents are supposed
to be well adapted to the English style of debate, and his language
good without being too florid, the common defect of Irish eloquence. He
is cautious, and will not hastily risk impairing the reputation he has
already acquired. Mr. Fox has not the highest opinion of his political
honesty, but Grey, who loves with fervour every person connected
with him, is jealous at the suspicion.[167] We must wait to see how
opportunity may tempt and time mature his propensities.
Horne Tooke has at length got into Parlt. for the rotten borough of Old
Sarum, through the patronage of Lord Camelford. Ld. Temple has given
notice of a motion to investigate into his eligibility; the question is
whether he can sit in Parlt. after having taken priest’s orders. He has
already spoken frequently, but his wit suits the mob at the hustings
better than the genteel mob of Parlt. He is too fond of talking of
himself, and his jokes are trite. He made formerly a very satirical
good joke in a toast, and it was so well disguised that what is very
Jacobinical appears extremely loyal--‘_The brave followers of the Duke
of York_,’ meaning the _French_, who pursued him when his army was put
to flight in Holland. It will be a good expulsion for ye Opposition, as
he is very mischievous, and would overset any little popularity they
might acquire if they could conduct themselves with tolerable prudence.
_11th March._--Lord Morpeth is to be married in a few days to Lady
Georgina Cavendish, a suitable match in every respect. Without
possessing great beauty she has many charms, and is so well disposed
that _il a beau jeu_ before him, if he will renounce _le gros jeu_, but
it unfortunately happens that love only suspends that passion when it
has taken deep root. However, he has so good an understanding and such
right feelings, that what a man can do to conquer a vicious habit he
will do.
[Sidenote: A MOTHER’S SORROWS]
The loss of my child sits heavily upon me, my heart is oftentimes
overflowing, and my health very much impaired. The system that
Sr. Walter Farquhar[168] has put me upon is calculated to rouse my
constitution, but grief and a certain natural morbid tendency may
baffle all his endeavours. My Charles is delicate, and has frequent
and severe attacks: anxiety for him and regrets for my poor Ste. make
the hours of reflection and solitude pass sorrowfully over. There is a
sensation in a mother’s breast at the loss of an infant that partakes
of the feeling of instinct. It is a species of savage despair. Alas! to
lose my pretty infant, just beginning to prattle his little innocent
wishes, and imagination so busily aids my grief by tracing what he
might have been. In those dreary nights whilst I sat watching his
disturbed sleep, I knelt down and poured out to God a fervent prayer
for his recovery, and swore that if he were spared me the remainder of
my life should be devoted to the exercise of religious duties; that I
should believe in the mercy of a God who could listen to and alleviate
my woe. Had he lived I should have been a pious enthusiast. I have no
superstition in my nature, but from what I then felt it is obvious how
the mind may be worked upon when weakened and perplexed by contending
passions of fear, hope, and terror.
Ah! my child, perhaps if I had not left you in the summer, but stayed
and watched with maternal care all your little ailments, I might have
had you still; but the disease was inveterate. He was opened, and his
fatal malady ascertained--two tubercles upon his lung, and a pint of
water upon his chest. The surgeon and medical men who attended thought
the disease was inherent, and that nothing could have saved him, but
even in the most inveterate hereditary diseases life is prolonged
to a very advanced period by care. But it is over, and regret is now
superfluous.
An interesting play, taken from the French, is now acting with success
at Drury Lane.[169] The story is of a deaf and dumb boy found in the
streets of Paris, who became from his infirmities a pupil of the
celebrated Abbé d’Epée, who discovers great intelligence in the boy,
and from various circumstances suspects he is of high origin, but
abandoned from motives of interest by his family. This he infers from
his distress at the meanness of his clothes, his expressions of delight
at seeing a Chief Magistrate, whom he gives his patron to understand
resembles in dress one who used to caress him. From a variety of
incidents the Abbé at length traces that he is the orphan of a great
magistrate, defrauded of his rights by a false guardian. I only mention
the piece to show the spirit of the times.
The first night it was played, Theodore, the orphan, to show his
talents, is asked to give his opinion who is the greatest genius France
has produced. He replied, in writing, ‘For science, D’Alembert, wit,
Voltaire, sentiment, Rousseau.’ This was deemed Jacobinical, and it
is now strangely transposed, ‘For science, Pascal, wit, Boileau, and
_sentiment_, _Montesquieu_.’ This is absurd, but, much as it is so, the
fury of the times is very much abated within these few years, or rather
year.
[Sidenote: LADY OXFORD]
Lady Oxford passed a few days here with her daughter and sisters, and
by a harmless _supercherie_ she contrived that Sir Francis Burdett
should be invited, a scheme I disliked, as she is so gentle and good
that it pains me to see her a prey to him. Knight was here also. To
use a vulgar phrase, he has corrupted her mind by filling her head
with innumerable vain conceits, and teaching her to exclaim against
institutions, especially that of marriage, to which she says she has
been a helpless victim. If I were to see much of her she might perhaps
be benefited, for as nobody can do more mischief to a woman than a
woman, so perhaps might one reverse the maxim and say nobody can do
more good. A little mild reproof and disapprobation of some of her
doctrines might possibly rescue her from the gulf.