animadversion upon this occasion, for though I think _myself_
that every person ought to show a readiness to resist innovation, to
which Mr. Fox seems disposed to incline, yet such a disposition would
be manifested with equal, if not _more_ effect by a disinterested
support of Ministers, than adding to that zeal the _encumbrance_
of office. Fox’s friends impute wholly to Sir Gilbert the rupture of
the Whig party, as he used the D. of Portland’s name in supporting an
opinion that went against Fox; from whence the schism sprung. The D. of
Portland assured Mr. Fox that Sir G. was not warranted by his consent
to quote what he did. Sir Gilbert, on the other hand, declares that
he was expressly desired to do so by the Duke. That there is a lie
somewhere is certain, but whether it is from the Duke or Sir Gilbert is
only known to themselves. Sir G.’s enemies say that it most probably
is in him, as the D. of Portland had his eldest son, Ld. Titchfield,
in the House, who had several times spoken the opinions of his father
from written instructions, and that in a point of so much importance he
would again have been employed in preference to Sir Gilbert, who had no
other connection with the D. of Portland than that of belonging to the
party as an adherent of Mr. Fox’s; and also that it was so advantageous
to Sir Gilbert to usurp the post of delegate from the D. of Portland,
as it gave him a weight in the House, and entitled him to a _grateful
recompense_ from Ministers, in being the first to announce the
disapprobation of the D. of Portland to the scanty Opposition, a point
very material to them towards obtaining the public opinion, both in and
out of doors. Thus has the celebrated Whig party ended to the ruin of
Mr. Fox, and probably to the disadvantage of the country.
[Sidenote: MR. GREY]
Grey is a man of violent temper and unbounded ambition. His
connections were Ministerial, but on his return from abroad both
parties entertained hopes of him. His uncle, Sir Harry, is a rich,
old, positive, singular man, leads a retired life, but was always
eager upon politics, particularly against the Coalition--an infamous
thing, by-the-bye. His father, Sir Charles Grey,[104] is attached to
Government as a military man, and is intimately connected with Col.
Barré and Ld. Lansdown, who at that time supported the Ministry. Grey
was elected whilst abroad, therefore not pledged to any particular
party. The fashion was to be in Opposition; the Prince of Wales
belonged to it, and he then was not disliked; all the beauty and wit
of London were on that side, and the seduction of Devonshire House
prevailed. Besides, Pitt’s manner displeased him on his first speech,
whereas Fox was all conciliation and encouragement. Grey’s talents were
never fairly tried till the question about the Regency; the speeches he
had made before were prepared declamations. He had shown his powers
of debating. Fox’s illness prevented him from attending so constantly
as he would otherwise have done, and Grey was frequently obliged to
enter the lists with Pitt, and on that occasion he showed the strength
of his understanding and his powers as a Parliamentary speaker.
Notwithstanding this great success, Grey was not generally popular; his
manner was supercilious, and like his rival Pitt, they both considered
their abilities so transcendent that they seemed to despise experience,
and treated their elders with contempt and sarcasm. Grey had often
shown his ambition and impatient temper; he grew every day more violent
against Pitt, and in 1791 he brought forward his plan of Parliamentary
reform, conceiving it to be a measure that would be more peculiarly
distressing to Pitt than any other he could bring forward.[105]
Grey had contracted a great friendship with Lord Lauderdale, who is one
of those active, bustling spirits that will rather engage in perils,
and even mischiefs, than remain in a state of insipid tranquillity.
At a dinner at Lord Lauderdale’s, after having drunk a considerable
quantity of wine, a sort of roll of enlistment was signed, by which
they pledged themselves to bring forward the reform of Parliament. Lord
Lauderdale, Grey, Maitland, Francis, Courtenay, Piggott, and others
were of the party. This was the origin of the _Friends of the People
or Association_. Two or three attempts had been made for a reform;
ye first was by Lord Auckland, but his apostacy put an end to it. This
society was previously formed upon the same plan as that in which Pitt
took such a conspicuous line in the beginning of his political life, at
the Thatched House.
Grey was to make the motion for reform in the House of Commons, and was
weak and sanguine enough to imagine he was to have the same success;
but the times were different. Ye Administration was strong and popular,
and the extravagance of French patriots had alarmed all English ones,
and Pitt became as popular in resisting Grey’s motion for reform as
he had been some years before in proposing one himself. Pitt, who
knows what is called the people of England--a very different thing
from knowing mankind--better than anybody, did not rest here, but
determined to crush his rival by sounding a general alarm and issuing a
proclamation, which indirectly was levelled at Grey and the _Friends
of the People_. Grey was alarmed and vexed at the failure of this
scheme and the loss of popularity. Fox was professedly kept out of all
concern in this wild project, under a false and foolish idea, that if
it failed he would not be involved in any disgrace that might attend
its failure. However, when the motion was made and the discussion
upon the Proclamation was brought forward, Grey and his friends were
so over-powered in the House, that they were obliged to fly to Fox
for protection, and some of them, particularly Erskine and Sheridan,
excused themselves from any bad intention by saying they had professed
no more than Fox had done on other occasions, and were unfair enough to
say that though he had not signed his name with them, he had done more,
for he had pledged himself to the public to support their principles.
These debates and those which followed upon the progress of the French
Revolution and its effects on the minds of men in England, increased
the schism in the Whig party, which Pitt endeavoured to take advantage
of by proposing a coalition. Ld. Loughborough and Dundas were the
principal negotiators.
[Sidenote: LEAVES ENGLAND]
William Wyndham, by dint of frequent applications to Ld. Egremont to
get him a foreign employment, is named to Florence, in lieu of Ld.
Hervey. Frederick Hervey[106] is very unhappy at the suddenness and
mystery of the proceedings, and has set off to travel by day and night
to Florence. He is with us at this moment, and to the full as impatient
for a change of wind. I left town on the 29th of November, on Friday.
Although I was going to my children, yet I own I felt some severe pangs
at leaving behind me many to whom I am most sincerely attached.
_30th._--Dined at Canterbury; Captain Thomas dined with us. Got
late to Dover. We hear so much of French privateers that we have sent
off an express to Admiral Peyton for a cutter to protect us.
Sailed on Monday, 2nd December, bad wind and bad day. Towards night the
sea grew rough and I grew frightened. After a blowing passage, we got
safe to Ostend in fifteen hours.
_Tuesday, 3rd December._--Tormented by the impertinence and
exactions of the people at the _Douane_. Set off at five in the
evening, a _winter night_, for Bruges, which we reached with
difficulty very late at night.
_Wednesday._--We dined at Ghent, arrived at Bruxelles at three
o’clock in the morning, cold and uncomfortable, and unnecessarily made
to travel at these hours. We could get no other accommodations but the
same bad ones we had before at the Belle Vue.
_Thursday._--This place is crowded with people of my acquaintance,
the Cholmondeleys, etc. She is in a low state, and really affected
by the death of the Duchess,[107] who died at Lausanne. I passed the
evening there. Lord Yarmouth gave us some curious details about the
French prisoners; 4000 are marched into Hungary to work in the mines.
He declaimed against the obstinacy of the French who will not accede to
any _cartel_, although the Austrians have offered three French in
exchange for one Austrian.
The hatred between the soldiery is so great that in the hospitals the
sick will not share their food, or lie in the same room. He thinks
Toulon quite untenable. I went to supper at Ld. Elgin’s. Nobody would
credit that W. Wyndham was appointed Minister to Florence; ‘Comment
donc, ce petit polisson, ce petit Jacobin.’ He passed last winter here,
and belonged to the Jacobin Club at Paris, and was very much slighted
here. Ld. Elgin frankly told me he doubted my story, it was impossible
that _such_ a man could be employed.
I had a long conversation with Ld. Malmesbury,[108] who is going to Ath
to meet the D. of York. I desired him to deliver my message, which was
from T. P., to say that he would obey his instructions in Parliament,
what to say about Dunkirk, etc. Ld. M.’s private opinion is that the
Duke’s friends ought to be silent, and leave Ministry to fight for
their own measures, as they alone can be responsible. Whether the
proposal originated with the Duke or at home is not material for his
public character. I saw Ld. Darnley,[109] he is less _farouche_
than he was. He has married Miss Bourke [_sic_]. I asked him how
the Dss. of G. let him escape her; he said he was naturally obstinate,
and the pains she took to prevent his marrying hastened it. He is going
to Berlin with Ld. M.
[Sidenote: LORD MALMESBURY’S MISSION]
Barnave is executed; I am disposed to be sorry, as he latterly showed
great humanity about the Queen. When condemned he spoke like a
philosopher, ‘Citoyens, la Revolution tue les hommes, mais la postérité
les jugera’; but he died like a coward, he scuffled when they tried
to fasten him to the fatal plank. Ld. Moira is sailed to take the
command of the army.[110] Lord Howe is out, and probably gone very far
to the westward, as a frigate was brought in that had been taken off
Ushant. Ld. Malmesbury thinks he shall not succeed in his attempts
to obtain La Fayette’s release. He _has no instructions whatever
from Ministry_, and all must be done through his own influence.
The Duchess of Devonshire suggested the measure to him: she did not
intend writing a letter herself to the Empress of Russia to beg her
interference on behalf of the poor captive, but all will be fruitless.
I went in the evening to the Baron de Breteuil’s.[111] He is in
excellent spirits, and very sanguine about Lord Moira’s expedition. He
praises d’Hervilly, who is the chief instigator of the scheme.
_Saturday._--I had a narrow escape of being burnt in my bed last
night. A very strong smell of burning made me uneasy, and I examined
the room; upon taking up some of the floor we discovered that the beams
near the hearth were burnt to cinders.
I dined at Ld. Elgin’s. Just as the dinner ended Ld. Malmesbury
returned from Ath with Lord Herbert.[112] I went and passed the evening
in Ld. M.’s apartments; I wrote by a messenger just going off. It
was odd enough that Ld. Herbert sat _tête-à-tête_ with me from 8
to 12. He joined with me in lamenting the Duke’s unpopularity, which
he ascribes partly to his ungracious manners, and partly to the bad
character of many who are about him. He is the first man I have yet
seen who seems to speak with candour about French armies, neither with
extravagant praise or censure: that they may be hated is fair, but no
military man can despise them.
_Sunday._--Wrote letters home and saw company; dined at the
Cholmondeleys--very dull. Saw Prince Coburg at the play--a heavy hero.
Supped at Mde. de Balbi’s.
_Monday._--Left Bruxelles. Slept the first night at St. Trond. Ld.
Darnley passed through and left me a letter from T. P.: there is no
official news of Lord Howe’s successes. The _pavé_ is intolerably
rough; I could not hold a book to read in the carriage.
_Saturday, 14th, Remagen._--Set off at 8 o’clock. Six hundred
Carmagnol prisoners had slept in the town, and quitted it about the
time we did. I never beheld more miserable objects; many of them were
boys of fifteen and sixteen years old, crying from cold and nakedness,
walking upon the hard flints barefooted; others, sick and wounded,
were huddled upon each other in small carts. I tried to convey them
some money, but the _impitoyable_ Austrian corporal took all for
himself. Reached Coblentz to dine; uncommonly well lodged at the Hôtel
de Trèves. This place, which was enlivened a year ago by the residence
of the Prince and all Versailles, is now tranquil, even to dulness. The
situation of the town is pretty, and the fortress of Ebrenstein[113] is
finely placed.
[Sidenote: A GERMAN ROAD]
_15th._--My early exertions seldom succeed: I was up in time to
rouse the lark. It was scarcely light when we got into the carriages,
but by the laziness of the people at the _pont volant_ we did
not leave the city until 9 o’clock. Unfortunately, in quitting the
town we took the road to Nassau. I verily believe since the Creation
no four-wheeled carriage ever went upon such a road, unless Pluto
conveyed his reluctant bride in his infernal car, for it seems to lead
to his dominions only. The country is ugly; the want of population,
so unlike every other part of Germany, is remarkable. Since I saw
the Sussex downs I have seen nothing more disconsolate. Upon a bare
hill an immense flock of sheep were feeding; they relieved the eye
from the hopeless sterility around. The breed of sheep is remarkably
small; they are even less than those in Wales, and it equals the
Welsh mutton in flavour. After many hairbreadth escapes we at length
re-entered the habitations of men: we descended a very steep hill upon
a narrow road, which was very slippery nor had it the protection of
a _garde-fou_, till we came to a smart little town, charmingly
situated upon the Lahn and surrounded by fantastically shaped hills
covered to the summit either with vines, or what in summer must form
thick foliage.
Just entering Nassau there are ruins of two such picturesque castles!
How I longed for a pencil to sketch their mouldering walls ere the
rude blast of winter shall destroy their antique forms! Perhaps they
may have been the residence of a haughty baron with a proud line of
ancestry enough to make Dan Prior say:--
Can Bourbon or Nassau go higher?
But, alas! with the heroes he commemorates they are gone by. Their
ruined walls scarcely afford a shelter to a wretched goatherd and his
shaggy flock.
The night of the 15th was spent at Neustadt, and from
thence the road lay by Schwalbach to Mayence.
_17th._--We determined to go on to Mannheim without resting, but
I believe the lot of rash determinations is to be controverted, for
before we reached Oppenheim, ye first post, the spring of my carriage
snapped, and I bumped into the town in that _delabré’d_ state.
That place is now the _Quartier-Général_ of some Prussian officer.
There are stores in abundance, and a bridge of pontoons across the
river for the facility of transporting the troops. We tied up the
springs and got to Worms.
_18th._--Reached Mannheim early in the day. The fortifications
are put in the most trim state, the embrasures cut sharp and neat, the
walls new-faced, and the ditches filled. The prettiest toy in grown
life is the whole apparatus of military preparations, and I am not
astonished at all young sovereigns liking war. If they have any sense,
the evil is soon manifested, and they get cured by it. The Palatines
have made an alteration in their dress: the _crinières_ to the
helmets were formerly white, but at the siege of Mayence when they
worked in the trenches at night the white betrayed them to the enemy.
Sir Benjamin[114] has certainly adopted many saving schemes in his
system, but he has dressed the Bavarian officers like paupers.
_19th._--So fatigued from the roughness of the roads that I lay
down till dinner. The news from Toulon (if true) is very bad. The
French beat the allies in a sortie, killed many English, and made
prisoners of General O’Hara[115] and the Spanish Lieut.-Colonel.
Poor O’Hara will end his merry life under the guillotine, as the
_savages_ will retaliate upon him the murder of one of the
deputies from the Convention or army commissioner taken in Toulon.
Ld. Moira and the emigrants are waiting at Jersey. It is yet a secret
where the descent is to be made in France. People are grumbling at Ld.
Howe’s inactivity. The garrison of Landau, so far from intending to
capitulate, replied to the summons, “Que les Français ne cèdent jamais.”
Met Mr. Nott, whom I formerly knew in Switzerland. He came with an
Irish Lord Longford; they are going to pass the winter at Neufchâtel.
_Brucksal, 21st._--The roads extremely bad from Heidelberg. It was
merely perverseness that made us come on them, for we knew the road to
Heilbronn to be good.
[Sidenote: THE ARMY OF CONDE]
_22nd._--Met 800 Austrians, fine strong men, though rather,
for Germans, undersized. The interesting and brave little army of
Condé have done wonders, but they are compelled to go into winter
cantonments. Three hundred gentlemen fell in the course of two
months, and nine out of one family are wounded. The Duc de Bourbon
distinguished himself, and his son, the Duc d’Enghien, proved himself
a worthy descendant of the _grand_ Condé. Alas, what strange
vicissitudes in their fortunes! Reached the post before Stuttgart early.
_23rd._--Detained at Stuttgart: the horses were all employed
with the army. The Duke of Würtemberg died since I was last here. His
successor[116] is wrangling with his excellent widow about jewels, etc.
The late Duke’s life would, if it were written, make an extraordinary
romance. His amours were numerous, and to make them notorious he made
the ladies who had received his _homage_ appear at his Court in
_blue shoes_. Mr. Stuart read me some letters he has received from
France. The situation of the English at Nancy is quite deplorable. They
were much frightened about a month ago; there was an alarm about the
French; the inhabitants ran off. The finest old hock might have been
purchased for four florins a bottle.
_23rd._--Left Stuttgart with the intention of reaching Ulm at
night; rather an arduous undertaking in December, without a moon, and
the distance of four and a half _German_ posts. We travelled on
prosperously until eleven o’clock, when I proposed stopping, as I
suffered much pain from my chest in consequence of a blow, and it was
sore from a blister Farquhar had put on. But the fates were adverse
and such good fortune as _rest_ was not my lot. Even though we
could not get post-horses, we set off with those belonging to some
peasants, poor wretched animals exhausted by the labour of the day; it
was really cruel to drag them out of their wretched shed, but it was as
hard almost upon me. The consequence was that they could hardly get on;
those to the servants’ carriage fell from weakness every five yards. At
the top of a bleak hill _l’essieu_ of our chaise, from a violent
jolt, was broken. All hopes of advancing were useless, so we adopted
the only method of getting on: we got into the servants’ carriage and
left Josephe with the broken vehicle, and got on with the other as well
as we could to Ulm. A smart frost came on, and the road, which was
before soft mud, became a hard incrustation of ice. Got to Ulm at seven
in the morning.
The twenty-fourth of December I passed in my bed; as I only got into it
at eight o’clock in the morning, I thought myself entitled to a full
twenty hours’ repose.
From Ulm they took the road to Memmingen, which they
reached on the evening of the 25th.
A very neat, pretty town; the inhabitants are free and rich. The
_aubergiste_ had lived seven years at Lyons. With tears in his
eyes he said upwards of forty of his friends had been guillotined.
[Sidenote: KEMPTEN]
The next night was passed at Kempten.
The town is odd and pretty, and I have a fancy that it resembles the
German towns in America and other colonies. Enclosures for cattle
between the houses like early settlers, and an air of frugality and
neatness throughout the whole. The houses in the neighbourhood are very
Swiss-like, being chiefly constructed of wood, with shingle roofs, on
which large stones are laid to prevent their being carried off by high
winds. So much wood grows in the country that the inhabitants employ it
in building their cottages and fencing their enclosures. The Bishop is
a Prince of the Empire, and assists at the Diet of Ratisbon. Flax grows
in the neighbourhood, and linen is manufactured. Much of what the soil
produces must be consumed by the inhabitants, as they have no navigable
rivers to transport their productions to a distance. Perhaps they are
happier without the facility of intercourse; for commerce introduces
luxuries, and they again create new wants, which to supply commerce
must be extended, and the love of gain soon destroys the love of ease.
This goes to the destruction of morality and that charming simplicity
of manners.
Passing Füssen, they entered the Tyrol, and reached
Innspruck on the 28th.
I have been very negligent in my journal; the intense cold benumbed
my faculties in the Tyrol. I was much shocked at Roveredo by hearing
rather suddenly of the death of the Duchesse de Polignac. She fell a
victim to her attachment to the Queen. Even her rivals--for enemies
she had none--admitted that her affection was most disinterested;
that she loved the person, not the dignity, of her unhappy friend.
The death of the King threw her into violent convulsions that brought
her into such a state of debility that three attempts to quit Vienna
were ineffectual. The murder of the Queen filled up the measure of
her grief: she sank under it, and only languished in horrible sorrow
a short time. She expired in the arms of Vaudreuil. At Vienna when I
saw her she gave me the idea of a person labouring under the weight of
woe, which she struggled to conceal that she might spare her friends
the anguish of seeing she suffered. She was lovely, features and
countenance perfect, figure short and not light; her manner simple and
serious, character rather grave. The brilliant situation her intimacy
with the Queen put her into was always repugnant to her inclinations,
and she oftentimes, and with sincerity, regretted that the difference
of rank prevented her the enjoyment of retired, unsuspected, and
unenvied friendship.
Upon the road we heard rumours of the capture of Toulon, but I could
not and would not credit them. However, at Trent it was confirmed with
many particulars. At Verona we found Ld. and Ly. Henry Fitzgerald;[117]
she was suddenly brought to bed there.
Hervey passed us in the night on his return; he carried back with him
the dispatches relating to the loss of Toulon. On the 18th the French
made a general attack; the outposts were abandoned, and the allies
forced to fly. In the evacuation 8000 of the inhabitants were saved and
conveyed to the combined fleets. Previous to their quitting the town a
train was laid to blow up the ships of war; many were destroyed, but
still many remain.
[Sidenote: CAPTURE OF TOULON]
Just beyond Mantua we met three English officers who had been at
Toulon, Messrs. Mathews, Wemyss, and Featherstone; they complained (as
all English officers do) of hard duty and bad commanders. They said,
what was likely to be true, that the retreat was ill-conducted, and
that not a fifth part of what might have been destroyed has perished.
O’Hara was taken prisoner from his own inactivity and despondency. He
was deceived in his expectations: everything at Toulon was represented
in the most favourable light--the valour, zeal, and unanimity of the
allies, the strength and excellence of the British forces, the loyalty
of the natives, etc. But how different was the truth! The allies all
quarrelling; the British army (if such a word is not a satire upon a
few hundreds) brave but refractory and headstrong, as they all are when
they have arms in their hands; the inhabitants so disaffected that at
every sortie great care was taken to prevent their shutting out the
allies whenever the Carmagnols gained an advantage; the peasantry equal
Republican; nor did the allies possess an inch beyond the glacis of the
town.