he has still great hopes of recovery. He said this morning, ‘I hope
my recovery is not so desperate as peace.’ The news from Paris is
every day less favourable, so much that hints have been thrown out to
Ld. Yarmouth about the restitution of Pondicheri and Surinam, and the
other Dutch colonies in S. America, about the expulsion of the French
Princes from England, and a restraint upon the licence of the journals.
Ministers are much more discontented with Ld. Y. L. has been told in
the most explicit manner by the Cabinet, that if he finds anything in
Ld. Y.’s conduct to disapprove of, he has only to give a hint, and he
shall be recalled.
Bonaparte is elated beyond his usual tone of insolence since he
procured the Russian Treaty; he sent for the Austrian Chargé
d’Affaires, and ordered him to signify to his master that he must lay
aside the title of Emperor of Germany, and yield the precedence to
France, and that he must assent to and recommend the alterations in the
constitution of the Empire, which were proposed to be held at Frankfort
on the 10th August. The Chargé d’Affaires pleaded that he durst not
convey such a message to his Sovereign. ‘_Pourquoi votre maître ne
m’envoye-t’-il pas un ambassadeur, et pas un misérable parlementaire?_’
_29th._--Professor Dugald Stewart, who has just arrived from Edinburgh,
is to go with L. to Paris. Gaeta is taken, and Sr. Sidney has met with
some check in the kingdom of Naples.[220] L. had a conversation alone
with Mr. F., in which he opened himself freely. He said he wished to
retire from office till he got better, and to have Ld. H., whom he had
always destined ultimately to succeed him, appointed to fill his place
_pro tempore_, adding that he had been thinking of this for some time,
but that he had put it off in the hope of being able to sign the peace
before he retired. He bid L. ‘open the matter to Ld. Grenville,’ and
added that he ‘would talk further on the subject to Ld. Grenville in
8 or 10 days.’ In a conversation which L. had with Ld. Grenville some
time ago, during which they talked of Mr. Fox’s situation and of the
small prospect of any amendment in his health, Ld. Grenville said,
‘That he hoped his own conduct had been such as to satisfy Mr. Fox’s
friends since the period of their being connected together, and if that
disastrous calamity should happen, and most disastrous indeed would
it be for the country, he trusted, they would have no reason to be
dissatisfied with any future arrangements that might take place.’
Sheridan, who dined here to-day, begged to talk to me privately. He
said that it was the wish of many of Fox’s friends, whenever the state
of his health should make it impossible for him to attend to the duties
of his office, that Ld. H. should be appointed his successor; that such
an appointment would be regarded by them as a pledge that the Whig
Party was still to be kept up, and its principles maintained; that the
Prince was very eager to have them carried into effect; that he had
spoken to Windham, who seemed to listen with satisfaction. That he,
‘from delicacy, spoke to me instead of to Ld. H., and begged I would
communicate the substance of them to him,’ He told me that George
Byng and the second-rate sort of politicians were very eager upon the
subject.
Cline, the surgeon, has seen Mr. Fox, and declares himself ready to
perform the operation whenever the physicians shall judge it expedient,
as he does not see any reason to think the result more formidable to
Mr. F. than to any other person.
[Sidenote: A SUCCESSOR TO FOX]
Ld. Howick is full of plans for an Administration, in the event of
Mr. Fox’s retirement, or worse. He takes for granted that neither the
General or Ld. Fitzwilliam would choose to remain in office if F. were
away. He would, in that case, make Whitbread Secretary at War, himself
S. for the Home Department, Tom Grenville the Admiralty, Tierney the
Board of Control, Ld. H., of course, the Foreign Office; and, said I,
‘Pray where do you put Lauderdale, ye first, greatest, and best lord?’
_31st._--Lauderdale had an interview with Ld. Grenville, and repeated
the substance of his late conversation with Mr. F.; Ld. G. listened
with great attention, but made no reply. Just as L. went out, he called
him back to beg that he would say to Ld. H. that, ‘He had many times
abstained from going to Stable Yard, from an apprehension that if
Mr. Fox should know he was there, he might suppose he was come upon
business and make an effort to see him, which might do him harm; but
that if he followed the dictates of his own inclination, he should be
there every day,’ Tierney and Ld. Morpeth have both expressed to me
very strongly their wishes and the necessity that Ld. H. should be the
_locum tenens_ for his uncle.
_1st August._--Ld. Rosslyn has written a letter on the subject of
his Mission to Portugal, from which it appears he is not inclined to
undertake the services assigned to him. When Admiral Markham read it,
he observed upon it that, ‘Ld. St. Vincent, when he sees this, will say
the fellow has got dung at his heart.’ Not a very elegant or delicate
mode of expression!
It is said that Spain is disposed to a war with France, in consequence
of their having discovered that a plan of partitioning Spain is in
agitation, by which Estremadura and Galicia are to be annexed to
Portugal, and made into a kingdom for the Prince of the Peace,[221]
while the rest of Spain is to be given to one of B.’s brothers.
Mr. Goddard (Ld. Henry Spencer’s friend) arrived this evening from
Paris with passports for Lauderdale. When the passport was required,
Bonaparte exclaimed, ‘What! another passport! Have they not a blank one
already? But this is of a piece with the whole of their conduct during
the negotiation; delay, delay is their object.’ ‘But will you grant
them the passport?’ ‘Yes, and for twenty more if they choose.’
_2nd._--Lauderdale set off for Paris this evening, with Professor
Stewart, and Mr. Maddison from the Post Office. Ld. H. gave him a
letter to Serra and Prince Masserano.[222]
Mr. Fox better; Vaughan said this morning that there was a greater
assemblage of favourable symptoms than there had been any day since he
attended.
[Sidenote: SHERIDAN’S INTRIGUES]
Sheridan came here in the evening, and talked over his schemes. He
enlarged greatly upon the state in which the House of Commons would be
left if Mr. Fox were removed from it; deplored the unpopularity of Ld.
Howick, and seemed to insinuate that Petty had been tried and found
unfit for the task.[223] He has some project, all founded upon his
enmity to Ld. Howick and hereditary suspicion of Ld. Henry, to try and
rouse Ld. H.’s old partiality for Canning, and get him and Perceval
into the Administration.
_3rd._--Mr. Fox not quite so well.
_4th._--Mr. Fox in high spirits, and talks confidently of meeting
Parlt. in October; approves of an early session in time of war. He
has not the slightest expectation of peace, and expects Lauderdale’s
immediate return.
_5th._--When Bonaparte was told that L. was coming, he said, ‘Comment!
on m’envoye un ancien Jacobin.’ D’Oubril had been shut up for 14
hours with General Clarke, before he signed the Preliminaries. It is
a dexterous way of carrying a point, to weary out a man’s physical
strength, to tame him like a wild beast, to carry your purpose. The
pretext was to carry the business through rapidly.
Ali Pacha[224] of Janina has sent a letter which he received from
Bonaparte, all written in his own hand, inviting him to form a
connection with France. Ali observed he had never received such a mark
of respect and confidence from the English. Bonaparte is steady and
indefatigable in all his undertakings.
_6th._--Ld. Grenville has proposed to Ld. H. that he should be one
of the Commissioners for settling the points in dispute between this
country and the U. States of America.[225] Ld. Auckland, as President
of the Board of Trade, is to be the other Commissioner. The Americans
are Messrs. Monroe[226] and Pinckney.[227] Ld. Howick and others
consider this as a delicate opening on the part of Ld. G. to show his
readiness to comply with the intimation he had recently had from Mr. F.
through Lauderdale.
The operation is to be to-morrow.
_7th._--The operation was performed this morn.; Cline and Hawkins did
it. Sixteen quarts of amber-coloured water was drawn off; he bore
the operation perfectly well, his pulse very little affected, and no
disposition to faintness.
_8th._--Not so well from nausea and lowness.
Ld. H. has accepted the appointment of Commissioner. Mr. Eden is
the Secretary (by a shabby artifice of his father’s), Mr. Allen the
Assistant-Secretary.
It has been proposed to Tierney to go to Lisbon in the capacity in
which Ld. Rosslyn was to have gone. T.’s intimacy with Ld. St. Vincent
made him be thought of for the service. Ld. St. V. is to follow with
a squadron for carrying off, if necessary, the Portuguese fleet to
the Azores, and for transporting the Prince Regent and his friends to
Brazil. T. is disinclined, and has refused.
[Sidenote: LAUDERDALE’S MISSION]
_9th._--Ld. Grenville sent for Ld. Rosslyn late last night and renewed
his former proposal of sending him to Lisbon. Ld. R. has accepted, and
is to set off to-night. The Commissioners are Lds. Rosslyn, St. V., and
General Simcoe;[228] and, to my great satisfaction, Mr. Brougham.
_10th._--Mr. Fox continues very low; a great flow from ye wound, the
_anasarca_ diminishes fast.
_12th._--No messenger from Paris. It is suspected that some artifice is
used to delay the messengers, in order to prolong the negotiation, it
being a matter of importance to France to keep up the appearance of a
negotiation with England till the changes she meditates in Germany are
completed.
[Sidenote: NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE]
_14th._--Messengers in. Immediately on L.’s arrival he presented to the
F. Governt. a short recapitulation of what had already passed during
the negotiation, recalling to their recollection that the principle on
which the E. Governt. had consented to treat was the _uti possidetis_,
and reminding them how much this had been forgotten and departed from
in their late demands, and concluding with the alternative, either to
resume the uti possidetis as the principle of the Treaty, or to send
him passports to return to England.[229] Three days elapsed before
any answer was given to this note. General Clarke proposed that the
business should be carried on by conversations, and not by written
notes, which was refused. He also cavilled at some expressions in
L.’s note, but at length presented a note couched in rather a high
tone, complaining that when the Treaty was far advanced, and that Ld.
Yarmouth was on the point of signing, L. should have been sent over
to make inadmissible pretensions and to disappoint the hopes which
all Europe had conceived of peace. The _uti possidetis_ could not be
the basis of the Treaty, unless the Emperor were to be replaced in
the possession of Fiume, Treviso, and of all the conquests which he
had renounced by the Peace of Presburg. Upon this L. sent for his
passports. Three days were employed in sending from one office to
another to obtain them, without success. _M. de Lima_ (the Portuguese)
called upon him, and implored in the most earnest manner that he would
not break off the negotiation, as this would leave Portugal and Spain
exposed to certain and immediate destruction. No effect being produced
by this manœuvre, and L. persisting in his demand of passports, a 2nd
note was sent, expressed in much more civil and moderate language, and
tho’ _denying_ that the _uti possidetis_ had ever been admitted as the
basis of the Treaty, and declaring that without great modifications it
was inadmissible, but concluding with these words, ‘Mais l’Empereur
l’adopte puisqu’il le trouve.’ It is remarkable that in this note
the word _adopte_ was substituted in the Emperor’s own handwriting,
in place of _accepte_ or _admet_. And in the date, the 11th had been
inserted instead of the 7th, which had been the original date, so
that the note had been detained some days, in hopes of Lauderdale’s
yielding. On receiving this, L. addressed a note to the French
Governt., in which, without taking any notice of the contents of
theirs, he declared he could not go on with the negotiation, unless
he had an explicit assurance from them that he should have passports
at any time within half an hour, for himself or couriers, whenever he
should chance to demand them. This note produced a very civil answer
from Talleyrand, ascribing to accident entirely the blame of the
former delay, and assuring him that it was in no respect owing to any
want of civility to him. Lauderdale returned a second note, in answer
to the former one, that he could not negotiate further, unless the _uti
possidetis_[230] was distinctly admitted to be the basis of the Treaty,
and that every deviation from it should be considered as an exception
from the general basis of the peace. Things were in this state when
Basilico was sent away.
Ministers, especially Ld. Grenville, are extremely pleased with L.’s
conduct, particularly in his note on the subject of passports, after
he received the second note from General Clarke. A Council was held
immediately, in which it was determined to recall Ld. Yarmouth, and
Basilico was sent back in the evening with an order to that effect. The
reason for this measure:--1st, d’Oubril’s account and Ld. Yarmouth’s
of the conclusion of the Russian Treaty are in flat contradiction.
D’Oubril has written to Stroganoff that he signed the article with Ld.
Yarmouth’s knowledge and approbation. 2ndly, Ld. Yarmouth seems to
have spent some weeks at Talleyrand’s country house last autumn, tho’
he gave Ministry to understand that he was hardly acquainted with him.
3rdly, Ly. Yarmouth is very much connected with Monteron,[231] an agent
of Talleyrand’s, and employed in his office.
Favourable accounts of the disposition of the new Russian Governt.
towards this country; Stroganoff has received letters to that effect
from the new Prime Minister, _Budberg_,[232] in which he expresses
very strongly Alexander’s high opinion as well as his confidence
in Mr. Fox. Stroganoff thinks Russia will _not_ ratify d’Oubril’s
preliminaries.
Ld. Granville Leveson arrived this day from Petersburg, dined here,
and is looking handsomer than ever. I have not seen him these four
years.[233]
American Commissioners very amicable; disposed to settle the
differences, and to conclude a Treaty of Commerce between the two
countries.
_20th._--Ld. Howick dissatisfied with Sr. J. Borlase Warren, who lost
three days after he got orders to sail, and wasted three more at
Madeira, instead of going straight to ye W. Indies, by which Jerome
may escape.[234] Alderman Prinsep did not know how to open the Stock
Exchange.
Alas! Mr. Fox begins to fill again; they talk of another operation in
three weeks.
Lauderdale is abused at Paris, and represented as having deserted Fox.
Goldsmid is supposed to be Ld. Yarmouth’s agent in the Stock Exchange,
and to have transacted business for him to a great amount. Narbonne was
admonished not to visit L. so frequently, Fouché sent for him to that
purpose. Emperor gone to hunt, his Ministers rejoice at his absence
whilst in so violent a mood; they call him _bête féroce_.
[Sidenote: FOX’S HEALTH]
Second operation performed on Sunday. Bore the operation extremely
well; less water taken from him than on the former occasion, but he
was more completely emptied. Some pints of water which had remained
in ye abdomen were drawn off; fell soon after into a state of languor
and depression, but the physicians flattered themselves he had gained
strength in the interval between the operations, and that he would soon
be able to bear the course of medicines which they judged necessary
for his recovery, and in this hope they remained until Monday, the
7th September. Water had, in this interval, flowed repeatedly from
the wound in the abdomen, and the quantity of urine discharged had
augmented. They said there was a greater assemblage of favourable
symptoms than had appeared since they had been called in.
Sunday, ye 6th September, Vaughan thought that he felt some hardness
in the region of the liver, which made him speak much more doubtingly
to Ld. H. about Mr. Fox’s recovery than he had done the day before.
On Monday as he was led about the rooms at Chiswick[235] to look at
the pictures, a _gush_ of water burst from the wound, which had been
closed for some hours; he fell into a state of alarming weakness, and
continued so the whole of that and the succeeding day. A catch in his
breathing. We were sent for, and reached Chiswick by two, and found
him in this deplorable state. He was low, and never spoke willingly,
but every now and then got up in consequence of some irritation in his
bowels. He swallowed nothing but brandy, usquebaugh, and other strong
cordials; his senses and understanding never left him, tho’ he spoke
very little till Wednesday, when he reminded Ld. H. of a promise made
to him in Stable Yard, of telling him when he was in danger. It was a
painful duty, but he fulfilled it, and told him what the physicians
thought. He thanked him with his usual tenderness.
On Wednesday, about 4, he began to revive, and during the night, whilst
Ld. H. was sitting up with him, carried on a conversation in French,
that his servant, who was present, might not understand it, as it
regarded Mrs. Fox, &c. He had a few hours rest, and continued to get
better. In the course of the morning he was wheeled into an adjoining
room, and put on his spectacles to look at a caricature which Ld. L.
had sent from Paris. I went into the room, kissed his hand, and he
spoke kindly to me. During this amendment, he told Ld. H. he had never
been in such danger as the physicians had apprehended. He had said on
Tuesday night to Vaughan, ‘I have had a sad struggle for it, do you
think it will do?’
[Sidenote: FOX’S DEATH]
On Friday morning he became languid without any apparent cause, and
continued afterwards to sink without any interruption. His senses were
good, but he used the wrong word to express his meaning, and seemed
hurt that he could not find the right one. On Saturday death was fast
approaching; his pulse became every moment feebler, but still regular,
his breathing was deep, his strength gradually failing. Mrs. Fox sat
upon the bed, holding his hand; he looked upon her with that sweet
smile so expressive of all the benevolence and goodness of his heart.
He articulated distinctly, ‘I die happy’; his last words were, ‘Bless
you, I pity you.’ He died without a struggle or groan at ¼ before 6
o’clock, on Saturday, the 13th September, 1806.
The scene of unaffected grief was awful; every room contained a friend
who shed unfeigned bitter tears. Ld. Fitzwilliam was so overcome that,
for some time, it was feared he would follow the fate of his beloved
friend. Ld. Holland and General Fitzpatrick immediately went to Mrs.
Fox. A sad scene ensued. She wished the whole family should remain
as long as the body continued at Chiswick; accordingly ourselves and
the General continued until -- September. His body was examined by
Mr. Cline. Ld. Howick was at Chiswick, and sent off a messenger to
Windsor. The first account of Mr. Fox’s danger was communicated to
Ld. Grenville by Petty, on Monday night, the 8th Sept., and he was
very much affected on receiving the intelligence, which was quite
unexpected. When informed of his death by Ld. Howick, he inquired what
was proposed for his funeral, and when told that Ld. Holland had given
orders that he should be buried in the family vault at Foxley,[236] he
expressed his disappointment, and asked Ld. Howick what he thought fit.
Finding they were of the same opinion, he offered to recommend to the
King that a public funeral should be ordered. However, the private and
political friends thought it more consistent with the simplicity and
dignity of his character that he should be attended to the grave by
his friends, public and private, without the interference of Governt.,
and an application signed by many of the friends was addressed to Lord
H., begging that he might be interred in W. Abbey, and attended by his
friends.[237]
The answer of the King to Ld. Howick’s notification of Mr. Fox’s death
was in the coldest possible style, and did not express even sorrow for
the event. When Ld. Grenville told him that he had given the Seals
to Ld. Spencer, he approved of it, and added that there was no hurry
about disposing of them, and recommended Ld. Grenville to take his time
(considered as an intimation to take in the Pitts). He received Ld.
Howick very coldly, and made the inquiries about Mrs. Fox from ye other
Ministers.
A communication from Ld. Grenville through Ld. Howick to General
Fitzpatrick to take Ld. H. into the Cabinet. Ld. Howick acknowledged
Ld. Holland was the fittest to succeed in the Foreign Department,
but that he could not undertake to lead in the H. of Commons if he
remained at the Admiralty, the fatigue being too great. T. Grenville
grumbled at the Admiralty, as the public looked to Ld. Spencer if a
change were necessary, besides disliking the duties of the office.[238]
Ld. Grenville wanted Tom to lead the H. of Commons; and there was
a proposal of his being made Secretary for ye Home Department, and
Windham kicked upstairs by a peerage, in order that he might, when Ld.
Howick goes to the Lords, be considered as the head--impracticable from
T. Grenville’s coldness of character, and, I think, want of the right
stuff in his head.
[Sidenote: CABINET CHANGES]
The strongest reason which the Grenvilles have for proposing the Whigs
to the Opposition in forming a new Administration, is that they can
depend upon them in case of a quarrel with the King, which they could
not on such men as Hawkesbury and Castlereagh. They are out of humour
with Windham. On ye 19th September they proposed the peerage, and hoped
he might bite at it, to escape from the Norfolk election, which will be
strongly contested. Peace perhaps might be easier with Whigs, but tho’
Ld. Grenville is strenuous for peace, there seems to be very little
hopes of attaining it at present.
Prussia has offered to go to war with France, and, with the concurrence
of Russia, to guarantee Hanover to the King of England. Ld. Howick is
very warlike. Whitbread has been absurdly extravagant in his views and
demands; talks of the Cabinet!
Ld. Holland has agreed to accept the Privy Seal, with a full
understanding, however, with Ld. Howick, that his views are directed
to the Foreign Office, and that he only accepts this insignificant
charge to serve the party, and satisfy that part of his uncle’s party
who might suspect the Grenvilles, were he overlooked.[239] All this
was subject to the approbation of the Prince of Wales and his uncle’s
friends. He stipulated that in case of peace, he might resign in favour
of Lauderdale, and go, if he chose, to Paris. Ld. Grenville agreed
to his changing Privy Seal for Paris, and that Lauderdale might come
in; not otherwise, as retiring from office would be injurious to the
Governt.
An affectionate letter to Ld. H. from the Prince, expressing his wish
that Ld. H. might be successor to his uncle in the Seals.
_20th._--A letter of Murat to the King of Prussia, addressing him
by the style of ‘Mon Frère,’ is said to have been the origin of
these movements of the Prussians against France.[240] Another is
that Lucchesini has discovered, and communicated to his Court,
Bonaparte’s scheme of annexing the Prussian States in Westphalia to
Murat’s dominions. Some think Lucchesini is capable of having made
this communication on the suggestion of Bonaparte, who would be glad
of a pretext to reduce the Prussian power. The Prussians and Saxons
are 240,000 ready to take the field. The French 220,000 to oppose
them. Prince Louis,[241] son of Prince Ferdinand of Prussia, is the
person who has the most hostility against France, and who is eager for
military renown. Austria is determined to remain neutral.