1829.
LADY HESTER STANHOPE--HER ECCENTRICITIES--PARLIAMENT AND THE JEWS.
On his return to Park Lane from the House of Lords he found that Mr
Pope (Upper Marylebone) had brought letters from the Holy City for him
and Lord Stanhope, the purport of which was to endeavour to recover a
debt against Lady Hester Stanhope, of Djouni, or "The Tower of
Lebanon," as it is generally called, near Zidon in the Holy Land.
I had the privilege of spending several very pleasant days with Lady
Hester Stanhope in that Tower. My visit to her has been mentioned in a
book entitled "The Memoirs of Lady Hester Stanhope, as related by
herself in conversation with her Physician, &c.," pp. 233 and 238.
I may therefore be justified in expressing an opinion on the merits of
her case.
Lady Hester Stanhope, the niece of Mr Pitt, Chancellor of the
Exchequer in 1782, undertook the self-imposed and benevolent task of
educating the Maronite, Druze, and Mahommedan children. It was her
pleasing endeavour to help, according to her means, every distressed
person requiring relief, to disseminate feelings of humanity among
husbands, who in the East treated their wives like slaves, and even to
expostulate with Emirs and Pachas if they happened to disregard the
laws of justice in the performance of their duties. She reprimanded
Abdallah Pasha for his cruel treatment of his household, and
particularly for having caused one of his wives to be brutally
disfigured for some wrong which he thought she had done him.
For these her good qualities she was held in high regard by all
classes of society, not only in Syria, but also among all the nomadic
tribes of the desert. Any traveller wishing to proceed to Palmyra
unmolested by the marauding Bedouins of the desert, had only to
provide himself with a tezkeree (kind of passport) from Lady Hester
Stanhope, and he was not only at liberty to move about safely in any
direction he pleased, but was welcomed with the utmost cordiality by
every chief on the road.
Lady Hester was very fond of Biblical studies, and of entering into
discussions on these matters, although very few of those who visited
her were competent to guide her in these studies. In consequence of
this she imbibed some strange notions, among others, the belief that
there existed only three correct Bible manuscripts in the world;
unfortunately of the three she believed in, one is of doubtful
authenticity, and one contains only the New Testament. She was greatly
astonished when I told her that many correct Bible manuscripts exist,
and on hearing my description of the celebrated Farkhi Bible
manuscript at Damascus, which has been valued at L1000, she became
quite excited, and declared her intention of going as soon as possible
to Damascus to inspect this treasure. When conversing with her on
religious subjects, her ideas at first appeared peculiar, but on
hearing the reasons she gave for them, one could not but appreciate
her noble intentions. She abhorred the idea of cruelty to any dumb
creature. Having convinced herself that the Jewish mode of
slaughtering animals for consumption is less cruel than any other, and
that the examination of the meat prescribed by the Jewish law is most
beneficial from a sanitary point of view, she adopted both, and kept
for the purpose a person at Djouni, competent to perform these duties
in her household.
One day she invited me to accompany her to her stables; here two
beautiful horses, one grey, and the other chestnut, came towards her,
and laid their heads on her shoulder. She called my attention to the
peculiar formation of their backs, which showed a tendency to rise in
two places at a slight distance from each other, leaving room for the
rider to sit between them as in a Turkish saddle. According to the
certificate she held from the person who sold them, they were
descended from a famous sire in a stud belonging to one of the
Kaleefahs. "One of these," she said, "might well be suitable for such
a man (referring to the much hoped for emissary of peace) when
entering the city known by the name of the 'City of Peace,' on his
mission of humanity, and the other for myself, when co-operating with
him in the work of establishing tranquillity and happiness among the
inhabitants of Syria."
She complained of her words being often misinterpreted by strangers
who came to visit her, hence her great reluctance to admit travellers
into her presence.
Mr Montefiore, Mr Hope, and Lord Stanhope would have done all in their
power to satisfy the party who sent the letters to England, as well as
to co-operate with Lady Hester Stanhope in all her benevolent
exertions, but it had been suggested to them to communicate first with
the Consul at Beyrout, before taking any decisive steps in the matter,
and the letters from the Holy Land had to be laid aside for a time.
Returning again to Mr Montefiore's exertions for emancipation, it
should be mentioned that he went to a dinner given by Mr I. L.
Goldsmid to meet Lords Lansdowne, Suffield, and Auckland, the Dutch
Minister, the American Minister, Daniel O'Connell and his son, P.
Mahony, the O'Gorman Mahon, Thos. Wyse, Tooke, Fowell Buxton, &c. He
spoke to all of them on the subject he had so much at heart. The
O'Gorman was very sociable; he wished to see the Portuguese Synagogue,
also to have the opportunity of presenting the Jews' petition to
Parliament.
On the 1st of April, Mr Montefiore accompanied Mr N. M. Rothschild to
the House of Lords. On their entry they were informed that the Lord
Chancellor had just sent word that he would not come down to the House
that day. Lowdham however promised them to make an appointment for the
following Monday. On his return from the House Mr Montefiore repaired
to the city, to attend the anniversary dinner of the Jews' Hospital at
the City of London Tavern. Mr Bing, the Member for Middlesex, took the
chair. J. Alexander, T. A. Curtis, and J. M. Pearce were present, and
made excellent speeches in favour of civil and religious liberty.
A few days later he went again with Mr N. M. Rothschild to the House
of Lords to see Lord Lyndhurst, but it being five o'clock, his
Lordship was obliged to go into the House immediately, promising
however, to see them on the following Wednesday.
They saw the Duke of Wellington, who said he wished to see Mr
Rothschild on Wednesday, on his own private affairs.
On the appointed day they again went to the House of Lords to see the
Lord Chancellor. He said they were at the time so occupied with the
Catholic business, they could attend to nothing else. He advised them
to remain quiet till this was settled, but if they thought it more to
their own interest to bring the matter forward immediately, to set
Lord Holland to do so, and he would support him, as he considered it
right that the Jews should be relieved from their present
disabilities; at the same time they must be guided by public opinion.
They assured the Lord Chancellor they would be entirely guided by his
advice, and would do nothing for the present. He said he would consult
the Duke of Wellington, and would write to Mr Rothschild what had best
be done.
On leaving the House, Mr Montefiore called on Mr I. L. Goldsmid to
tell him what had passed.
The 13th of April was one of those days which he spent in attending to
his Companies and Associations. He then called on Messrs Garry &
Curtis to solicit a presentation to Christ's Hospital for Captain
Anderson's boy. Attended the Irish Bank, and in the evening was
present, together with Mrs Montefiore, at a dinner given by Mr Fairlie
of York Terrace. They found there "a most splendid party and elegant
entertainment." They met Lord Fife, Sir Herbert and Lady Taylor, Sir
Thomas Clark, Sir John Ogleby, Mr Towncan, Mr P. and his wife, Mr J.
Pearce, bank director, Colonel Blackburn and his wife, Sir James Shaw,
and Sir Thomas, an Indian General, who had been confined in irons for
three years and four months at Seringapatam. They had the opportunity
of hearing the opinion of most of the party on the subject of civil
and religious liberty, and it proved in every case highly
satisfactory.
What occupied Mr Montefiore's mind this day more than other subjects
was his intended presentation to the King at the approaching levee.
Mr Edward Blount said he believed it would be sufficient if the Duke
of Norfolk merely sent his card with Mr Montefiore's to the Lord
Chancellor's office, but he would enquire further of the Duke. Mr
Montefiore, however, differed from him, and did not wish to be
introduced at the levee in that way, unless Mr Blount was so convinced
of its propriety as to be introduced in the same way with him.
The next day Mr Blount showed him a note he had received from Sir
George Naylor of the Herald's office, who said that any gentleman
introduced at the levee by a peer who has the privilege of the
_entree_, has his name announced by the Lord-in-Waiting in the usual
manner, the peer standing at the same time near the King. In this way
Mr Blount was to be introduced, and Mr Montefiore was to accompany
him. The Duke of Norfolk, Mr Blount said, would send Mr Montefiore's
card with his own to the Lord Chamberlain's office.
There is an incident of a touching nature recorded in his diary about
this time. "On the 15th April I called on Mrs Zaccaria Laurence at
Bury Court, and gave her the receipt for the further share of the
residue of the estate of my much respected grandmother, Esther Hannah
Montefiore. With gratitude I recall to my mind her words to me on her
deathbed. She lamented not having left me more in her will, and added,
'God bless you, and God will bless you.' Peace be to her memory. O
that I may follow her excellent and most exemplary conduct, and may my
deathbed be as happy as it pleased Providence to make hers. Amen."
On April 16th, accompanied by Mr N. M. Rothschild, he attended a
meeting of the Deputies at Mr M. Samuels' house, 19 Leman Street.
There were present Messrs Moses Mocatta, Joseph Cohen, Michells,
Van-Oven, Goodman, Levy Salamon, David and Joseph Brandon, Moses
Montefiore, I. L. Goldsmid, S. Samuel, and John M. Pearce.
After a long debate it was resolved that Pearce should prepare a
petition, and that they should then meet again. A few days later he
called with Mr Moses Mocatta on Mr Pearce, to read and make
alterations in the proposed petition of the Jews to Parliament.
The Feast of the Passover was now approaching. Those who know the
distance from Park Lane to Bevis Marks in the city, will appreciate Mr
and Mrs Montefiore's zeal which led them to walk from their own home
in all weather to the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in Bevis Marks.
As they always desired to be in their places even before the prayers
commenced, they were obliged to leave home at a very early hour of the
morning. After the conclusion of the service, which lasted about two
hours and a half, they breakfasted with one of the officers of the
Synagogue, and then proceeded to pay visits to all their friends in
the vicinity. It was often nearly four o'clock when they again walked
back to Park Lane, where in the evening they entertained the members
of their family and several friends at dinner.
The second day of the Festival was passed in the same manner. Few
would now willingly undergo such fatigue, but Mr and Mrs Montefiore's
religious fervour and warm attachment to their friends would not allow
them to plead weariness as an excuse either for not joining their
community in the House of Prayer, or for neglecting their friends.
They continued this practice until their advanced age and uncertain
state of health no longer permitted it.