MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE OF HENRY REEVE, C. B. , D. C. L BY JOHN KNOX LAUGHTON, M. A. HONORARY FELLOW OF GONVILLE AND CAIUS COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE PROFESSOR OFMODERN HISTORY IN KING'S COLLEGE, LONDON IN TWO VOLUMES VOL. II. CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME PORTRAIT OF HENRY REEVE AET. 68. _From a Photograph taken by_ RUPERT POTTER, Esq. XIII. THE WAR IN ITALY (1859-60) XIV. LITERATURE AND POLITICS (1860-3) XV. LAW AND LITERATURE (1863-7) XVI. CHURCH POLITICS (1868-9) XVII. THE FRANCO-GERMAN WAR (1869-71) XVIII. THE GREVILLE MEMOIRS (1871-4) XIX. FOXHOLES (1874-9) XX. OUTRAGE AND DISLOYALTY (1880-2) XXI. THE FRENCH ROYALISTS (1883-5) XXII. RETIREMENT (1886-9) XXIII. THE ONE MORE CHANGE (1890-5) LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE OF HENRY REEVE CHAPTER XIII THE WAR IN ITALY How far the murderous attempt of Orsini, on January 14th, 1858, wasconnected with the political relations of France and Italy it is as yetimpossible to say. It was, and still is, very commonly believed that inhis youth Louis Napoleon had been affiliated to one or other of the secretsocieties of Italy, that he was still pledged to this, was bound to obeyits orders, and that Orsini was an agent to remind him that the attainmentof high rank, far from releasing him from the bond, rendered it morestringent, as giving him greater power and facility for carrying out theorders he received. The independence of Italy was aimed at; and it hadbeen intimated to the Emperor that Orsini's was only the first of similarmessages which, if action was not taken, would be followed by a second, with greater care to ensure its delivery. All this may or may not have been mere gossip. What is certain is that, during the latter months of 1858, secret negotiations had been going onbetween the Emperor and Victor Emanuel, the King of Sardinia, or rather hisminister, Cavour; and that an agreement had been come to that Austria wasto be attacked and driven out of Italy. Accordingly, on January 1st, 1859, at his New Year's reception of the foreign ministers, Louis Napoleon tookthe opportunity of addressing some remarks to the Austrian Ambassadorwhich, to France and to all Europe, appeared threatening. Similarly, at Turin, it was allowed to appear that war was intended; and onboth sides preparations were hurried on. In France, as in Austria, thesewere on a very extensive scale. A large fleet of transports was collectedat Marseilles; troops were massed on the frontier of Savoy; and, on thepart of the Austrians, 200, 000 men were assembled in readiness for action. On April 23rd Francis Joseph, without--it was said--the knowledge of hisresponsible ministers, sent an ultimatum to Turin, requiring an answerwithin three days: at the expiration of that time the Austrians would crossthe frontier. The allies utilised the delay to complete their preparations;and before the three days had ended the advance of the Franco-Sardinianarmy had begun. The campaign proved disastrous to the Austrians, whose half-drilled andbadly-fed troops and obsolete artillery were commanded by an utterlyincompetent general. They were defeated at Palestro on May 31st; at Magentaon June 4th; and again at Solferino on June 24th. Nothing, it appeared tothe Italians and the lookers-on, could prevent the successful and decisiveissue; the Austrians would be compelled to quit Italy. Suddenly LouisNapoleon announced that he had come to an agreement with the Emperor ofAustria and that peace was agreed on. The disappointment and rage of theItalians were very great; but, as Louis Napoleon was resolved, and asVictor Emanuel could not continue the war without his assistance, he wasobliged to consent, and peace was concluded at Villafranca on July 11th. For the next eighteen months much of the correspondence refers to theinception and result of this short war, mixed, of course, with morepersonal matters, and at the beginning, with news as to the state ofTocqueville's health, which was giving his friends the liveliest anxiety. The Journal for the year opens with:-- _January 6th_. --We went to Bowood. It was the first time Christine wentthere. The party consisted of the Flahaults, Cheneys, Strzelecki, theClarendons, Twisletons, [Footnote: The Hon. Edward Twisleton, chiefcommissioner of the poor laws in Ireland. He married, in 1852, Ellen, daughter of the Hon. Edward Dwight, of Massachusetts, U. S. A. ; and died, atthe age of sixty-five, in 1874. ] and Leslies. What agreeable people! For awonder we shot there on the 10th, and killed 140 head. _January 12th_. --We had a dinner at home--Trevelyan, just appointedgovernor of Madras, Phinn, Baron Martin, Huddleston, W. Harcourt, Merivale, and Henry Brougham. _From Lord Brougham_ _Cannes, January 3rd_. --I grieve to say Tocqueville has been worse. Hisdoctor dined here t'other day and T. 's brother came for him at ten o'clock. I have as bad an opinion of the case as possible. _Cannes, January 9th_. The Italian affair is very naturally cause ofanxiety, but I feel assured this, for the present, will pass away. I findthere is a strong feeling getting up of the Austrian army being as good asthe finances are bad, but the French finances are not likely to be verymuch better. However, though the present alarm will pass away, what a sadthing for the peace of the world to depend, not on the general opinionand feeling, but on the caprice, or the jobbing, or the blunders of afew individuals! Who can be quite sure that Morny's stockjobbing has hadnothing to do with the late most silly conversation? [Footnote: Presumably, the sinister remark addressed to the Austrian Ambassador on New Year'sDay. ] L. N. Himself is quite clear of all such blame. He tries all he canto prevent M. And others from their pillaging, but he never can succeed. However, it is to the risk of more blunders that I look as placing peace ingreatest jeopardy. I don't believe L. N. Or any one of them would, _if theyknew it_, run the risk of a general war (and the least war means a generalwar); but they may any day get into a scrape without intending it, for theyhave not the security of free discussion to warn them. _From Lord Hatherton_ _Teddesley, January 12th_. --Do me the kindness to write me one line to tellme what you know of the state of M. De Tocqueville. Is it dangerous? Thereis no man out of this kingdom who possesses so much of my admiration andregard. This general lull after the late Reform agitation is very natural. Thereare four parties waiting each other's moves; three, at least, exclusive ofBright's, which is the least. There are the present Government, the lateGovernment, and the country--which, as I read it, has little in common withany of them, but is at present without a leader. Any very powerful man, whohad been living by, would now have had a great field before him. I attended the day before yesterday a very remarkable meeting of theBirmingham and Midland Institute at Birmingham. Lord Ward [Footnote:Created Earl of Dudley in 1860. ] in the chair. The report, and all theofficials and speakers, especially those from the town, complained of theindifference of the artisans, mechanics, and labourers of that town toinstruction and education generally. It seems, on the showing of Bright'sfriends, that these fellows, the noisiest of their class about Reform, arethe most ignorant and the least desirous of improving themselves. Such isthe report of Bright's own friends. Mr. Ryland, the vice-president andreal manager of the institution, who is also Bright's friend there, is theloudest in his complaints of this body. Ryland further told me thathe believed there was not a workman in the town who, if consultedindividually, would express his approval of all Bright's principles. Mr. Ryland is a solicitor. I am all anxiety to see your January number. _To the Marquis of Lansdowne_ 62 Rutland Gate, January 25th. My dear Lord Lansdowne, --I have omitted, but not from forgetfulness, toexpress to you the very high gratification Mrs. Reeve and myself derivedfrom your most kind reception of us at Bowood, and I am sure we shallalways retain the liveliest recollection of this most agreeable visit. But, in truth, I waited till something should occur which might have the goodfortune to interest you, and I think the accounts I continue to receivefrom France, on the present threatening aspect of affairs, may be of thatnature. M. Guizot says to me, in a letter of the 23rd inst. :-- 'Jusqu'à ces jours derniers je n'y voulais pas croire. J'essaye encore d'endouter; mais c'est difficile. Ce sera un exemple de plus des guerres faitespar embarras de ne pas les faire bien plus que par volonté de les faire. Je suis porté à croire que l'Empereur Napoléon serait charmé de ne plusentendre parler de l'Italie; mais pour cela il faudrait qu'il n'y eût plusd'assassins italiens, plus de Roi de Sardaigne, plus de cousins à marier, plus de brouillons révolutionnaires à contenter. Aujourd'hui, et malgrétoutes les paroles contraires, il me paraît probable que ces causes deguerre prévaudront sur la modération naturelle, sur le goût du reposvoluptueux, sur l'avis des conseillers officiels, et sur le sentimentévident du public. Que fera l'Allemagne? Le tiendra-t-elle unie? Là est laquestion. L'Angleterre y peut certainement beaucoup. Je ne vois plus que làune chance pour le maintien de la paix. ' These words are so remarkable, coming from a man whose disposition is everso much more sanguine than desponding, that I have quoted them at length. We have all been greatly touched by the close of Mr. Hallam's mosthonourable, useful, and I may say illustrious life. [Footnote: He died onJanuary 21st, 1859. ] It so chanced that my sister-in-law, Helen Richardson, who has been to him a second daughter for the last few years, came up fromScotland on Thursday [January 20th]. On Friday she went down with Mrs. Cator to see him. He perfectly knew her, and seemed charmed to see heragain; but before she left his bed-side the light flickered in the socket, and he expired a short time afterwards in their presence, conscious andwithout pain to the last. I thought the notice of him in the 'Times' ofMonday very pleasing, and was inclined to attribute it to David Dundas, butI know not whether I am right. .. . I remain always Your obliged and faithful H. REEVE. _From Lord Clarendon_ _The Grove, January 26th_. --I am much obliged to you for M. Guizot'sletter, [Footnote: Apparently that of January 23rd, quoted in the previousletter to Lord Lansdowne. ] which Miladi and I have read with interest, asone always does everything he writes. I showed it to G. Lewis and C. C. G. , feeling sure you would have no objection. It is impossible not to agree inhis gloomy view of things. It must be owned that the position the Emperorhas made for himself is one of extreme difficulty. His _idée dominante_has been how to pacify Italian conspirators by bringing away his armyfrom Rome, without having the Pope's throat cut or letting in an Austriangarrison there; and he determined that driving the Austrians out of Italywas the indispensable preliminary step. He was urged to do this and tothink it easy both by Russia and Sardinia; and we may be sure that theSardinians would not have committed themselves as they have done, andincurred such inconvenient expense, if they had not received promises ofactive support. How would it be possible then for L. N. To recede? Cavourwould show him up, and fresh daggers and grenades would be prepared forhim. I look upon war, therefore, as certain. We have only to hope thatAustria may continue to act prudently, and not furnish the cause of quarrelwhich her enemies are looking for, and which might turn against her thosewho, for decency's sake, wish to remain neutral; and next, that Germany maybe united by a sense of common danger. This may tend to limit the area ofthe war; but altogether it is a deplorable _gâchis_, out of which L. N. Canno more see his way than anyone else. _From Lord Brougham_ _Cannes, January 26th_. --I must throw myself and the cause of law amendmenton your kindness, under a great evil which has befallen us. The 'QuarterlyReview, ' under Mr. Elwin, was so favourably disposed to law reform as toresolve upon inserting a full discussion of the subject on the occasionof Sir E. Wilmot's volume on my 'Acts and Bills;' and Bellenden Ker hadundertaken it, and was, as a law reformer and as, under Cranworth, inoffice as consolidation commissioner, certainly well qualified to dothe article. But he made such a mess of it; in fact, treating Eldon, Ellenborough, &c. , and other obstacles to law reform not introductory, but, as I understand, making a whole article upon that. The consequence has beenthat the whole has failed, and this most valuable opportunity been lost ofhaving the Tory journal's adhesion to law reform now. It is barely possiblethey may take it up hereafter. But surely the natural place for thisstatement is the 'Edinburgh Review, ' and I should feel great comfort forthe good cause if I thought you would thus help us. The matter in Sir E. 'sbook renders it very easy to show what has been done of late years. Poor Tocqueville is one day a little better, another a little worse; but Ihave little or no hope of his getting through it. Shortly after this Lord Brougham made a flying visit to London. A note inthe Journal is:-- _February 26th_. --I dined at Lord Brougham's, and met Dr. Lushington, LordGlenelg, Lord Broughton; all--with our host--over 80. But the state of Tocqueville's health continued, for Reeve, the mostengrossing personal consideration, and just at this time the deadly maladytook a favourable though delusive turn. Tocqueville--says M. De Beaumont[Footnote: Gustave de Beaumont: _Oeuvres et Correspondance inéditesd'Alexis de Tocqueville_ (1861), tome i. P. 116. ]--hoped for the best. 'How could he do otherwise when all around him was bursting into life? andso he kept on his regular habits, his schemes, his work. He read, andwas read to; he wrote a great many letters, and devoured those which hereceived in great numbers. There was not one of his friends who did notreceive at least one letter from him during the last month of his life. 'The following is his last letter to Reeve. The writing is painfully bad, the letters often half formed, or crowded one on top of another; even theorthography is imperfect; but the words and ideas flow in full volume. Cannes. Le 25 février. Cher Reeve, --Il y a un siècle que je ne vous ai écrit. Je n'étais pas librede le faire. Le mois de janvier tout entier s'est passé au milieu de lacrise la plus douloureuse. Je ne crois pas qu'il y ait aucun mois de mavie qui mérite mieux que celui-là d'être marqué d'une croix noire dansl'histoire de mon existence privée. Jetons dans l'oubli, s'il est possible, des jours et surtout des nuits si cruels, et bornons-nous à demander à Dieude n'envoyer rien de semblable désormais, soit à moi, soit à mes amis. Depuis trois semaines j'occupe février à réparer les méfaits de janvier. Jevais aussi bien que possible: mes forces sont en grande partie revenues. Les bronches semblent en voie de guérison rapide. Ainsi n'en parlons plus. I have just been reading an excellent article on the Catacombs, in the'Edinburgh Review. ' It is a subject which has always interested me, butvery likely I should not have begun with this particular article if I hadnot known it was by you. Circourt wrote to me about it, and so deprived meof the pleasure of finding it out for myself, which I think I could havedone. But, in any case, the article is exceedingly interesting . .. Though Ihave been enjoying myself in following you underground, what is now goingon on the earth's surface calls for close attention. I am here hard by oneof the old military roads which have led into Italy from time immemorial, as at this day. I hear that great preparations are being made all alongthe valley of the Rhone and the neighbouring country. What I am sure of, because it is taking place under my very eyes, is, that the railway fromMarseilles to Toulon is being pushed forward at an unheard of rate. It isthe only link wanting to complete the chain of communication between Brest, Cherbourg, Paris, and Toulon. There was no expectation of this railwaybeing finished before the middle of summer; but now it is understood thatit will be ready within a few days--an instance of doing the impossible. Such efforts presuppose some great object which it is desired to accomplishat once. I am told, perhaps incorrectly, that Prussia has decided to remainneutral--at first, at any rate; and, by the same authority, that Russiawill be neutral, but in a spirit friendly to France. This would be veryserious; for Russia gives nothing for nothing. If it is so, the Emperor'sproject would appear less silly. It would explain how an ambitious prince, whose throne is tottering, who is bound to excite the admiration of Franceand to gratify the national vanity, [Footnote: Fleury, one of the mostfaithful and attached of the Emperor's followers wrote in words almostidentical (_Souvenirs_, tom. I. P. 330): 'C'était par une série de faitsgrandioses par des spectacles flattant l'orgueil et les instincts du pays, que Napoleon III allait, pendant de longues années, non seulement occuper, réjouir la France, mais encore fixer l'attention, l'étonnement et biensouvent l'admiration du monde. '] who is stopped by no scruples, might findit an excellent opportunity for bringing on a personal war--if I may sayso; for driving the Germans across the Alps and naming himself the Dictatorof Italy. It is true that no great material advantage can result from it;but L. N. Is sufficiently well acquainted with France to know that theglitter of such a course would probably content her. All this would be easyto understand if Maria Theresa reigned at Vienna, Frederic at Berlin, andMme. De Pompadour at Versailles; in a word, if we were in the eighteenthinstead of the nineteenth century. But being, as we are, in the nineteenthcentury, the designs which are ascribed to the Emperor are to be condemnedas in the highest degree treasonable to humanity and to France. Kings canno longer claim to be guided only by their personal interests and passions;and now--when it is agreed that England cannot remain neutral in a warbetween France and a great Continental Power; when it is admitted thata Continental war, however short, would surely awaken the hatred of allprinces and all neighbouring people, and would end in a coalition againstFrance--now, I say, to plunge into such an adventure would be not only themost silly, but the most wicked thing which a Frenchman could do. La longueur un peu désordonnée de cette lettre, mon cher ami, vous prouveramieux que tout ce que je pourrais dire les progrès de ma santé. Je vaisécrire à Mme Grote. Rappelez-nous, je vous prie, tout particulièrement ausouvenir de Lady Theresa et de Sir C. Lewis. J'espère que Lord Hathertonne m'a pas oublié. Mille et mille amitiés à tous les Senior. Je n'ai pasbesoin d'en dire autant pour Mme et Mile Reeve. Tout à vous de coeur, A. T. Reeve replied immediately:-- _62 Rutland Gate, 1 mars_. --Votre lettre me fait le plus sensible plaisir. Les nouvelles indirectes de votre santé qui me sont parvenues de temps entemps m'avaient excessivement préoccupé. J'ai su que le mois de janvieravait été mauvais, et quoique j'eusse bien des fois l'envie de prendre laplume, elle m'est tombée des mains lorsque j'ai réfléchi que j'ignoraismalheureusement dans quel état de corps et d'esprit ma lettre pourraitvous trouver. Pendant tout l'hiver j'ai reçu par lettre et de bouche uneinfinité de demandes sur votre état. Vous ne sauriez croire à quel pointtous vos amis d'Angleterre, qui sont encore plus nombreux que ceux dontvous avez une connaissance personnelle, m'ont témoigné pour vous d'intérêt, de considération et d'affection. Aussi votre convalescence est une bonnenouvelle pour nous tous--les Lewis, les Hatherton, les Grote, Knight-Bruceet tant d'autres. Je me permets cependant de dire que le sentiment que j'aieu toutes les fois que je me suis transporté par la pensée à votre chambrede malade est bien autrement profond. Mon amitié pour vous est une desaffections les plus vives qu'il m'ait été donné de conserver. Je n'ai riende plus cher. Et l'idée que vous souffriez tant de mal, sans qu'il mefût possible de vous offrir le moindre soulagement, m'à été extremementpénible. Pour un malade la lecture de mes 'Catacombes' ne me paraît pasexcessivement gai, mais je reconnais là votre aimable souvenir de l'auteur. Bref, vous êtes en convalescence. Le soleil printanier, même dans nosclimats, luit d'un éclat extraordinaire. Déjà au mois de février lesarbustes poussaient des feuilles. Dieu veuille que cette douce chaleur del'année vous rende bientôt à la santé et à la Normandie. There is no doubt that the state of public affairs is more serious than ithas been since 1851. [Footnote: _Sc. _ in France, before the _Coup d'état_. ]The meaning of what has lately been going on in public, and of the secretplots which have been hatching for a long time, is very clear. As toFrance, I say nothing; for, after all, she has the chances of success, which will smooth away many apparent difficulties. But the peace of Europedepends on Germany and on England. Shall we succeed in maintaining it? Theattitude of England is, I think, good. Without any hostile demonstration, she has shown very clearly that she will be no party to any breach of thetreaties. Lord Cowley's mission to Vienna has been arranged between himand the Emperor, but I have no faith in it. It is merely a device to makepeople think he is acting in agreement with the English Cabinet, and soconceal a scheme to which the English Cabinet is totally opposed. Opinionhere is unanimous against French intervention in Italy. Unfortunately, weare in a very bad position at home. The Cabinet is deplorably weak, and ithas just lost two of its principal members. The Reform Bill, brought inyesterday, raises more questions than it answers; but it will probablyserve to give prominence to the dissensions in the Liberal party. 'Tisa real misfortune; for a disunited party cannot assert any influence inEurope. Lord Brougham is returning to Cannes, though with little inclination tostay among such grave causes of anxiety. So long as France is free to actby sea, the road to Italy does not lie through Var, but in the ports ofToulon and Marseilles. Shall you soon be hearing the guns of the secondMarengo? The action of England at this important crisis was curious, butcharacteristic. The destinies of Europe were shaking in the balance; thefortunes of France, of Italy, of Austria, probably also of Prussia, andvery possibly of Russia, were at stake; so the English Government thoughtit a suitable opportunity to tinker the constitution and introduce a ReformBill--which nobody seems to have wanted--mainly, it would seem, to 'dish'the Whigs. It was, however, they themselves who were dished. Mr. Henley, the President of the Board of Trade, resigned on January 27th. So also didMr. S. H. Walpole, [Footnote: Mr. Walpole died, at the age of 92, on May22nd, 1898. ] the Home Secretary, who wrote to Lord Derby: 'I cannot helpsaying that the measure which the Cabinet are prepared to recommend is onewhich we should all of us have stoutly opposed if either Lord Palmerstonor Lord John Russell had ventured to bring it forward. ' None the less, the Bill was introduced on February 28th. On the second reading it wasnegatived; a dissolution and a general election followed; and on themeeting of Parliament, in June the Ministry were defeated on an amendmentto the Address, and resigned. But though the want of confidence appeared to be based on the question ofthe Reform Bill, there is no doubt that there was a widespread mistrust ofthe foreign policy of the Government. For some years past, perhaps eversince Mr. Gladstone's celebrated Neapolitan letters in 1851, successivewaves of sentiment in favour of Italian independence and unity had passedover the country; and Lord Derby, or Lord Malmesbury, had perhaps fanciedthat this sentiment might be invoked in their defence. They had not, indeed, taken any overt action, but there was a general idea that they wereinclined to favour the designs of Italy and of France. Now, to favour thecause of Italian independence was one thing; to favour the ambitious andgrasping schemes of France was another; and the leaders of the Liberalparty were not slow to denounce the Government, which--as they alleged--wasready to plunge the country into war for the sake of currying favour withthe master of the insolent colonels of 1858. Reeve's own view of the questions at issue may be gathered from the letterswhich he wrote to the 'Times, ' [Footnote: January 19th, _The Policy ofFrance in Italy_; April 28th, _The Policy of France_, both under thesignature of 'Senex. '] and more fully, more carefully expressed in thearticle 'Austria, France, and Italy' in the 'Edinburgh Review' of April. In this he distinctly combats 'what is termed the principle of"nationalities"' as unhistorical. The theory is, he says, 'of modern growthand uncertain application;' and he goes on to show in detail that it is notapplicable to any one of the Great Powers of Europe. 'Of all the sovereigns now filling a throne, Queen Victoria is undoubtedlythe ruler of the largest number of subject races, alien populations, anddiscordant tongues. In the vast circumference of her dominions every formof religion is professed, every code of law is administered, and her empireis tesselated with every variety of the human species. .. . But above andaround them all stands that majestic edifice, raised by the valour andauthority of England, which connects these scattered dependencies with onegreat Whole infinitely more powerful, more civilised, and more free thanany separate fragment could be; and it is to the subordination of nationalor provincial independence that the true citizenship of these realms owesits existence. .. . It is the glory of England to have constituted such anempire, and to govern it, in the main, on just and tolerant principles, aslong as her imperial rights are not assailed; when they are assailed, thepeople of England have never shown much forbearance in the defence of them. Such being the fact, it is utterly repugnant to the first principles of ourown policy, and to every page in our history, to lend encouragement to thatseparation of nationalities from other empires which we fiercely resistwhen it threatens to dismember our own. ' He then goes on to speak of the administration of such nationalities, andcontinues:--'The spirit of the Austrian Government in the Italian provinceswe heartily deplore. All things considered, it would have been better forAustria herself if England and the other Powers had not insisted in 1815on her resuming the government of Lombardy, or if the Lombardo-Venetiankingdom had been erected into a distinct State; but that consideration isutterly insufficient to justify a deliberate breach of the public law ofEurope. ' And he adds a note:--'We believe that we are strictly correct in statingthat the Emperor Francis, foreseeing the difficulties his Government wouldhave to encounter in Lombardy, and anxious to avoid causes of futuredissension with France, expressed his strong disinclination to resume thatprovince; but it was pressed upon him by the other Powers, and especiallyby the Prince Regent of England, as the only effectual mode of excludingthe influence of France from Northern Italy. ' The argument, throughout, is that the attack on Austria about to be made byFrance and Sardinia was an unprovoked aggression, a violation of Europeantreaties; on the part of Sardinia, for lust of territory, and on the partof France, for a desire to remodel the map of Europe, to annex Savoy--which was to be the price of her assistance--and to carry out the ideas'conceived at the time of his early connexion with the Italian patriots inthe movement of 1831. ' _From Lord Hatherton_ _Teddesley, March 5th. _--I have been from home two days. .. . Pray excuse mynot having thanked you before for your kind announcement of Tocqueville'sconvalescence. But the same day brought me a letter from a friend ofTocqueville's brother, . .. Telling me the accounts were very unpromising. Ihope and believe yours is the more reliable account. I have not a doubt that L. Napoleon means war, and will not be baulked ofit. It is a disagreeable thing for England to know that, if he succeed, he will have acquired some valuable experience in the embarkation anddisembarkation of an armament of 45, 000 men, with as many more to followit; and that if they are not wanted in the Mediterranean, they may beused elsewhere, while we are totally unprepared; and I fear, through theweakness of our Government, from the nature of our institutions, forpurposes of defence in times of peace, are likely to remain so. _From Count Zamoyski_ Paris, March 29th. My dear friend, I am not surprised at your regret; my own is very keen. Throughout his whole life Sigismond Krasinski was obliged to conceal histrue self. Out of regard for his father, who was always a pitiful courtierof success, he denied himself the liberty of saying what he thought, acknowledging what he wrote, or showing to whom he was attached. I was oneof those whom he supported by his zealous co-operation. You knew him as apoet; he had become a politician, and seemed destined to exercise agreat influence. His loss is irreparable. To me he was a friend and abrother-in-arms. His widow, his two sons--of twelve and thirteen, and his daughter, ofseven, are here. She is occupied in collecting all her husband's writings, with the intention of publishing all that is of value. She thinks, andrightly, that a judicious selection of his letters would be especiallyinteresting as containing the secret of his life--a secret which he guardedso carefully. If, therefore, you will send me what you have, or bring themwhen you come here in a month's time, you will oblige both his widow andfriends. His sons had never been separated from him--which will assure youthat their early education has been well cared for. Their mother proposesthat they should continue their studies here, attending a college, andhaving lessons in Polish history and literature, which can be had herebetter than in Poland. So it is settled that we are to have a congress! But what will it do? Whatcan be done in such a matter in so short a time? The 'Moniteur' has rightlypointed out that it is necessary to 'study the questions. ' For that, timeis especially wanted. It would need something like a council sittingthrough years, reigns, wars, to bring about salutary and lasting results. I am told that nowadays everything must go by steam--this, as well as therest. To which, I answer that the result will be nothing but water mixedwith blood. .. . I am sorry to see the English Press more and more unjust to the EmperorNapoleon. It is really silly to keep on schooling France--not theEmperor--for preferring an imperial to a parliamentary government. Ifthe English had the institutions which in France seem to be but theconcomitants of despotism, they would educe from them a large amount ofpolitical liberty. But if the French--like the woman in Molière preferbeing governed, it would be wise for the English peers to accept the fact;and instead of sneering at and irritating France whenever she wishes todo some good, to get out of the beaten track, to conquer hearts, notterritories, it would be better honestly to co-operate with her, and thusattain valuable results--a profitable success, and the deliveranceof France from the fatal support of Russia, which she accepts as a_pis-aller_, but which in the long run can only be to her hurt. More thanall others, the English Press, which is so proud--which has good reason tobe proud--should assist in the 'study of the questions;' should anticipatethe negotiations; should elevate and elucidate them by judicioussuggestions, basing everything on a firm alliance of the Western Powers. But alas! where is the English statesman, where is even the great writer orthe newspaper capable of inaugurating such a policy? For lack of these, wesee England vying with France in courtesy to Russia--in anxiety to pleaseher. But to this the Emperor Napoleon does at least add his theory ofnationalities, which is sufficient to reassure us on the score of hisflirtation with Russia; does the English Government or the English press doanything of a similar nature? Alas! Alas! England is certainly great, but it is selfishly for herself. Will she never be able to offer othernations--whatever the circumstances may be--anything but insults, or herown institutions as patterns. Pardon de ce bavardage et mille amitiés--avec tous mes compliments pourMesdames Reeve. L. ZAMOYSKI. Je joins un mot de la Ctsse. K. Pour vous, reçu à l'instant. _From the Countess Krasinska_ _Paris, 29 mars. _--Le Comte Zamoyski a bien voulu me communiquer votrelettre, monsieur, et j'ai été bien sincèrement touchée du souvenird'affection que vous conservez à un ami qui n'a cessé non plus, je puisvous le garantir, de vous porter un sentiment inaltérable et sincère. Biensouvent, en me parlant des jours de sa jeunesse, mon mari me parlait decette amitié qui vous unissait et qui en a été un des meilleurs rayons. Ilm'avait aussi parlé des manuscrits que vous aurez, et je vous avoue quevous allez au-devant de mes désirs et de ma prière en voulant bien lescommuniquer. Je tiens infiniment à recueillir tout ce qui a échappé à cegrand coeur et à cette vaillante plume, et je commence un travail qui nesera sans doute complet que dans quelques années. Je vous serai donc on nepeut plus reconnaissante si vous vouliez bien confier entre mes mains ceque vous possédez, soit en copie, soit original, comme vous le voudrez, m'engageant à vous remettre ce précieux dépôt dès que nous en aurons faitusage, et dès que vous le réclamerez. J'espère lorsque vous viendrez à Paris que je pourrai vous présenter, monsieur, les deux fils de Sigismond et sa petite fille, et vous demanderpour les enfants un peu de ce coeur que vous aviez pour le père. _From Lord Brougham_ _Cannes, April 9th_. --I fear I have but a bad account to give of poorTocqueville; he has been worse again, and to-day he received the Communion. Dr. Maure has just told me he hardly thought he could live over the month, but he (Dr. M. ) has always been much more desponding than the otherphysician. One great evil has befallen him. Beaumont, who had really beena nurse to him these three weeks, is suddenly called away to Paris bythe telegraph, owing to some illness in his own family, and this is anirreparable loss to Tocqueville. We are all here in great anxiety about peace and war. Cavour, whoseconduct--and that of his master--is as bad as possible, has no doubtreceived strong assurances of support from L. N. And his vile cousin; andthe war party at Turin are exulting, considering that the Congress can donothing to prevent the outbreak with Austria, upon which they reckon forcertain, and, I fear, with some reason. The utter want of good faith in L. N. Becomes daily more manifest. .. . Yet, though even the military men arecrying out against the war, and all other parties, without any exception, are against him, one sees nothing that can effectually shake him, unless hewere to be defeated in the war he has been endeavouring to bring about. Thewhole prospects are as gloomy as possible for the friends of freedom and ofpeace. _From Lord Brougham_ _Cannes, April 10th_. --Many thanks for your letter, which gives meinformation much beyond what my other letters give, but far from agreeableeither as to home or foreign affairs. This destruction (I fear I must callit) of the Liberal party by the personal vanity, which they call by thehigher name of ambition, of two persons is truly deplorable; and theconduct of the Government in dissolving is such as can hardly be exceededin folly. We shall have an increased split, I fear, of the Liberals, and aweaker Government than ever. I grieve to say that matters look as illfor peace in this country and Italy as ever. The conduct of Cavour isabominable. I grieve to give you a worse account than ever of Tocqueville. Dr. Maurehad condemned him from the first, but Dr. Sève had sanguine hopes, atleast, of a long time being given. But I have just seen him, and he nowsays it is an affair of days. So all is nearly over. Mme. T. Is also veryill, and Beaumont being forced to leave them is most vexatious. _From Lord Clarendon_ _G. C. , April 10th_. --Do you chance to have a proof-sheet of that part ofyour article which treats of the rights of Austria to Lombardy and Veniceand her reversionary rights to the other States, and, if so, will you lendit to me? You have made the whole case so clear that I should like to readit over again, as it may be necessary to say something on the subject inthe House of Lords when Malmesbury makes his statement, and I see thatthe 'Edinburgh Review' will not be out till Friday, otherwise I would nottrouble you. _G. C. , April 13th_. --Many thanks for the proof-sheets, and Schwarzenberg'sdespatch and Duvergier's letter, which I enclose. I was kept at home by aslight attack of gout yesterday, and did not see Malmesbury, but on Mondayhe told me that he had hopes of being able to announce a disarming of thethree would-be belligerent Powers. Until he makes that statement I shallnot believe in its probability. Palmerston and Lord John seem well awarethat any encouragement to war would be most unpopular at home, and I don'texpect that there will be much discussion on Friday. _From the Duc d'Aumale_ Orleans House, April 11th. On my return from Claremont I find your letter. With my brothers I had justbeen deploring the great loss sustained by the Liberal party. [Footnote:The death of Tocqueville was prematurely announced a week before itactually took place. ] Of all the men of mark in our deliberativeassemblies, M. De Tocqueville was certainly the most stainless. He had therare advantage of not being obnoxious to any of the parties existing inFrance, by which I mean all self-respecting parties, such as will be takeninto account on the day when France shall become herself again. He wouldcertainly have been one of the most important members of the first freegovernment in our country. Even as things are, he was one of our publiccharacters whose voice carried most weight, and who was best fitted toenlighten the minds of others. God has taken him from us before his time. Forgive me for retaining so much selfishness and party spirit before thecoffin of so good and amiable a man; for regretting his public more thanhis private virtues. _From M. Guizot_ _Paris, April 15th_. --. .. France does not understand, approve, or wishfor an Italian war now any more than she did six months ago. I persist inthinking that in his inmost soul, and of his own judgement, the EmperorNapoleon would also be glad to be rid of it, provided it should be quiteclear that it is not of his free will that he backs out of his promise, andthat, in remaining at peace, he is yielding to imperious necessity, to theinterest, will, and influence of Europe. On Europe, therefore, the matterdepends; and, in this, Europe is England, for Prussia will follow England. It is, therefore, towards you that all of us who are friends of peace andgood sense now turn our eyes. Do not fall a prey to the disease which hasmastered all the politicians of the time. Do not be afraid to take theinitiative, to incur the responsibility; decide and act according to yourown opinion, instead of waiting for circumstances to decide and act foryou. On this condition alone the peace of Europe will be saved; withoutit, it will not. And of this be sure: that if war does break out, we shallfeel, no doubt, that you have been wanting in the foresight and resolutionwhich would have prevented it. .. . _From Lord Brougham_ [_Cannes_] _April 17th_. --Poor Tocqueville died this morning, not atHyères, as the papers which announced his death a week ago say, but at ahouse a mile from Cannes. His two brothers were with him; and his poor wifeis so ill that she will not long survive him. People in high quarters in England seem bent on believing that the Congresswill do wonders. I don't expect it. There is such bad faith in the manon whom it really all turns, and he is in such a state, by the universalopinion of France and of Europe being against him, that I should not besurprised at any desperate act to regain the place he has lost. You maynaturally suppose the preparations which, chiefly naval, are going on mustmean something, and he seems resolved that no restraint on them shall beimposed when others agree to disarm. Why should he not agree to stop, andnot to add to his means--as everyone that comes from Marseilles tells us heis doing, though gradually? The reason he will suffer no restriction to beimposed is that the army would regard this as a concession, and he won'trisk any offence in that quarter. The worst of it is that they--theofficers--though just as averse to an Austrian war as the country at large, would by no means dislike a dash at England, and I cannot get out of mymind the risk there is of his making that attempt when we are unprepared. The perfidy would be overlooked in the success, though temporary. And inthe midst of all this we have Malmesbury at the F. O. And Derby premier! _From Lord Clarendon_ _G. G. , April 19th_. I am delighted you approved of what I said lastnight, [Footnote: In the House of Lords. ] and much obliged to you forletting me know it. I thought Derby's speech excellent, though perhaps atrifle too bellicose in the latter part for John Bull, who always wants alittle preparation before he is taken over rough ground. He is under thestrict neutrality delusion just now, and has not yet thought of realisinghis rôle in a European war. Your article is attracting great attention, and seems to be working a greatdeal of good. Where did you get the information contained in the note to p. 566? [Footnote: See _ante_, p. 13. ] I meant to have used it, and to haveappealed to Aberdeen to confirm the statement, but thought it prudent toask him beforehand whether he agreed. The article on 'Austria, France, and Italy, ' in the April number of theReview brought Reeve the following letter from Mr. Edward Cheney, till thena mere acquaintance, though between the two a friendship quickly sprang upwhich was broken only by death. Mr. Cheney had lived for several years inItaly, and his letters--always interesting, frequently amusing--commonlyrelate to Italian affairs; but he was a well-read, accomplished, andlarge-minded man, and in his judgement on literary questions Reeve hadgreat confidence. Audley Square, April 20th. My dear sir, --At the risk of appearing intrusive, and perhaps impertinent, I cannot resist my strong inclination to express the great satisfactionwith which I have read the article in the last number of the 'EdinburghReview' on the Italian question. I do not presume to attribute theauthorship to yourself, though the clearness of the style, the closeness ofthe reasoning, and the candour of the deductions would naturally lead meto that conclusion; but, in truth, its merits are far beyond its technicalexcellencies, and I rejoice peculiarly on its appearance at a moment whenpublic attention is concentrated on the affairs of the Italian peninsula, and when the public, too, has so much need of enlightenment. A man whowrites as the author of that article has done confers an incalculablebenefit on his countrymen; and, as one not altogether incompetent to form ajudgement on the subject, I beg to offer him my congratulations. I have lived many years in Italy, am minutely acquainted with every partof it. I have many friends and intimates amongst its natives. I admire thecountry, and like its people; and, while doing justice to many of theirexcellent and amiable qualities, I cannot be blind to the fact that most ofthe misfortunes which have befallen them are attributable mainly totheir want of constancy, their want of ambition, and--the word must bespoken--their want of courage. They are now on the eve of another and moreserious revolution; they are rushing with reckless indifference upon adanger the extent of which they cannot realise to themselves, but whichmust inevitably overwhelm them. A European war must be the consequence, awar in which England must ultimately take a part; and the man who calmlyand dispassionately endeavours to open the eyes of his countrymen to thetruth, and who, regardless of passing obloquy, dares to assert it, is theirreal benefactor; and though, at the first moment, he may share the fateof those who tell unwelcome truths, justice will ultimately be done him, though not, perhaps, till the cry of regret is raised that his warning andadvice were both neglected. I would conclude my letter with another apologyfor having thus far intruded on your valuable time; but you yourself willbe able to suggest my best excuse in the deep interest which we both takein the subject. Believe me, my dear Sir, Very sincerely yours, EDWARD CHENEY. _From M. Guizot_ _Paris, April 21st_. --J'ai reçu et lu votre article il y a déjà plusieursjours, et je l'ai trouvé excellent. Il est impossible de mieux résumer lesfaits, de mieux établir les droits et de faire mieux pressentir la bonnepolitique. Lord Derby et Lord Clarendon vous ont donné pleinement raison. Ils ont gardé, l'un et l'autre, chacun dans sa position, une juste mesure, tout en parlant avec une grande franchise. L'effet est grand ici. The question is how to get clear of this imbroglio, the handiwork of alot of mischief-makers, who are at once timid and rash, obstinate andunenterprising, conscious of their weakness, yet persisting in their folly. We are waiting impatiently for the decisive answers from Turin and Vienna;and then the congress; and then your elections; and then--what? I havepassed the best part of my life in doing, and am not yet accustomed towaiting without knowing what for. .. . _From Lord Brougham_ [_Cannes_] _April 21st_. --I am extremely obliged to you for sending thearticle, which I have read with the greatest satisfaction. There are one ortwo things of minor importance on which I differ. The matter of Genoa asconnected with Piedmont, I need not say, is not one of these. Indeed, itmight have been put stronger, and without reference to Lord W. Bentinck;for, if I rightly recollect, when I, in 1817, attacked Castlereagh on themisdeeds of the congress in 1815, I put the surrender of Genoa to Piedmontin the very front of the charges against the congress--independent of LordW. B. 's proclamation, and on the ground of the Genoese hatred of Piedmont. I again referred to this the first night of the session. I broke through my rule of never attending funerals yesterday. The lasttime I broke it was my dear friend Follett; this time it was Tocqueville. Ishould have been the only member of the Institute, but Ampere had set outfrom Rome on receiving T. 's letter, and arrived the day after his death. Heis carried to Tocqueville--near Cherbourg, as you know; one of his brothersand a nephew accompany it. Mme. T. Is not nearly so ill as was believed. Itis bronchitis, not lungs; so she expects to go by slow journeys in a fewdays. _April 22nd_. --Since I wrote yesterday I have received an account which, whether true or not, shows the opinion they have in Italy of our greatally. A man who had stood his friend and prevented the King of Holland fromdisinheriting him, has lately been at Paris, and was kindly received byhim. So far is certain, and his kindness to those who befriended himformerly is a good quality he really possesses. But it is added that hetold him to tell his nation not to be disheartened by the congress, becausecare would be taken to make proposals which must be rejected, and that hewas as ready as ever. I really believe there is nothing too base in theway of perfidy he would scruple to do, if his resolution was fixed and itappeared clearly to be his interest. There has, however, been a change inhim of late, as to determination. He is more easily swayed by others thanhe was, and he falters more when left alone. Altogether, it is a cruelcalamity for the world to have such a person to depend upon. I wish someonewould show how much he appeals to the multitude--the mere _mob_. He isstill a socialist in practice; and if anyone will read the Robespierrepapers, he will see that there is a deliberate design to make the poor--thepersons without property--rule. One man whom I afterwards knew (Julien deParis), and who had been a philanthropist _exalté_, states, in one of hisreports to the Committee of Public Safety, that those who have no propertyare the great majority, and therefore must govern. There could be nogreater service to France than a full exposition of these principles--theones which L. N. Adopts; and at the same time a full account of theabominable character of the first Napoleon, of which the materials areabundant in the correspondence with Joseph, [Footnote: _Mémoires etCorrespondance politique et militaire du roi Joseph_ (6 tom. 8vo. 1854). ] and also in the printed, but unpublished, vols. Of his wholecorrespondence. [_Cannes_] _May 4th_--I suppose some folks will now have discovered whatreliance there is to be placed on a capricious and absolute man. It wasclear from the first that he had resolved upon this Italian speculation, and that as soon as he could mitigate the universal feeling and opinionagainst him, he would have his way. The congress, whether suggested by himthrough Russia or not, was only one means of delay till all was ready, andone way of putting Austria in the wrong, or making an outcry against heras if she was--for really, except in the clumsy way of doing it, I can seenothing to blame in her refusal. She is treated as the aggressor. Now allshe has done, or could do, was in her own defence, and nothing in the worldcan be more absurd than pretending that she is the cause of the war. Ifshe beat the allies ever so much, she does not gain one inch of territory, while their real object is to strip her. As for L. N. Considering himselfaggrieved by her breaking off the negotiation and beginning to defendherself, it can only be on the supposition that he has a right to interfereon behalf of the Italians. Indeed, the same thing may be said of Sardinia. It is considered that she is aggrieved if the other Italian States areaggrieved; and now comes this rising in Tuscany and the smaller duchies toembarrass one party and so far help the other. But there is no reason tobelieve that any rising in Lombardy will take place. The unaccountable part of it is the Austrians delaying their attack. Itseemed clear that their plan would be to march upon Turin before the Frenchcould get up, and yet they have suffered 40, 000 men to be landed at Genoa, and a considerable force to cross by Mont Cenis, without doing anything. Can it be that the sudden notice to Piedmont was an act of the Emperorwithout his ministers being consulted, and that they are less prepared thanwas supposed? Bunsen's son, who is in the Prussian mission at Turin, wroteten days ago that the Government was ready to remove to Genoa, expectingthe Austrians to come before the French arrived, and knowing Turin to beindefensible. It now seems that there must be a battle before Turin canbe taken. All the road from Paris to Marseilles has been encumbered withtroops, and all the steamers have been taken by the Government, andmore men will be sent if wanted. The usual effect of a war hasbeen perceived--namely, making the multitude rally round theGovernment--consequently there is less outcry against the war than therewas, except amongst thinking people and those who are suffering from thesuspension of all trade. The Emperor himself will probably join the armywhen they are prepared for an advantageous movement. He is playing a gamethat may be desperate. This Russian alliance is denied, but substantiallyit is true, and I have little doubt that some undertaking is effected togive leave to Russia in Turkey, on condition that she does something forPoland (one of L. N. 's hobbies) and helps some Italian arrangement for thecousin. The next letter is endorsed by Reeve--'An affectionate record of a longfriendship. I have inserted it in the copy of his Journals. ' _From Mr. C. C. Greville_ _May 6th_. --I will not delay to thank you warmly for your kind note. Youraccession to the P. C. Office gave me a friendship which I need not sayhow much I have valued through so many years of happy intercourse, which Irejoice at knowing has never been for an instant clouded or interrupted, and which will, I hope, last the same as long as I last myself. It isalways painful to do anything for the last time, and I cannot withoutemotion take leave of an office where I have experienced for so many yearsso much kindness, consideration, and goodwill. I have told Hamilton thatI hope still to be considered as _amicus curiae_, and to be applied to onevery occasion when I can be of use to the office, or my personal servicescan be employed to promote the interest of any member of it. Between youand me there has been, I think, as much as possible between any twopeople, the 'idem velle, idem nolle et idem sentire de republicâ, ' and inconsequence the 'firma amicitia. ' God bless you, and believe me always, Yours most sincerely and faithfully, C. C. G. _From Lord Brougham_ [_Cannes_] _May 18th_. --I really begin to feel anxious about the peace ofEurope, and not without some alarm as to our own position. There can beno doubt that for the present (if not more permanently) this man [theEmperor], working on the French feeling, has got the mob, military andcivil, with him. The war has ceased to be unpopular, and all reckon uponvictory. If they succeed, he will, for a while, be satisfied with thegratification of his vanity and the strengthening of his power; but soonafter he will be pushed by his unruly supporters, and will try a deepergame. Of this they are as much convinced in Germany as of his existence, and even Prussia will not persist holding back. If she does, and if theRussian alliance continues, she will be destroyed as soon as Austria isweakened. I, therefore, expect to see Prussia take timely precautions. Theyare prepared at Frankfort to split with her if she does not. I am now satisfied that the Austrians intended only a _razzia_ toTurin, and then to carry on only a defensive contest; and having beenprevented--partly by the floods, and partly by our untimely intermeddling, and partly by their old error of having one head at Vienna, and anotherwith the army--they have now given up the _razzia_, and will act on thedefensive. This will not prevent them taking advantage of any opportunityof attacking, should they be able to do so with a certainty of success; butfor any such dash I look rather to the French than to them. Certainly theMan is in a great difficulty if the Austrians steadily pursue this plan;for the expectations are wound up to a high pitch in France--especially inParis and the great towns--of his doing something speedily, and the Frenchnature is not to wait with calmness and patience. Even in this remotequarter, the thousands of fine troops passing raises a great feeling forthe war. _To Lord Brougham C. O. , May 21st_. --To the very best of my belief, the Queen's Speech willnot be delivered till June 7th, but I speak without authority. .. . I havethe greatest doubt whether it will be possible to unite all those sectionsof the H. Of C. Which are not to be regarded as Lord Derby's supporters, ina direct adverse vote--on the address or otherwise; and if the attempt ismade--as it probably will be I think it will fail. [Footnote: The attemptwas made, and did not fail. The Ministry was defeated on the amendment tothe address by 323 to 310. ] The Government say they have 307 men on whomthey can rely, and a fair chance that fifteen or twenty more men will notconsent to take part in an active, offensive campaign. Indeed the countrygentlemen say pretty generally that they will not attempt to turn theGovernment out, until they are satisfied that a more stable Government canbe formed. But how is this possible when the numbers are--on one side acompact body of more than 300, and--on the other side, a divided body of350? What we hope, therefore, is this: that John Russell and the Radicalswill take a course on the subject of Reform which will be resisted bythe moderate Liberals; and that the result will be a fusion between themoderate Liberals and the large Conservative phalanx. For it is clear thatwithout some degree of support from the Conservatives, no other governmentcan be carried on. As for any lasting or sincere union between LordPalmerston and Lord John, it is quite hopeless, [Footnote: The eventfalsified this forecast. In the Ministry which Palmerston now formed LordJohn was Foreign Secretary, and continued so till Palmerston's death in1865. ] and the desire to keep the latter out of office is so general andintense, that it is probable he would fail to make a Cabinet, even ifthe Queen sent for him--which she will certainly not do until the lastextremity. On the other hand, there is the great objection to Palmerstonthat he holds language about the Italians and the French--to whom he isentirely devoted--which is quite at variance with the convictions of everyman of sense in the country. There can be very little doubt that thewar will spread. The whole of Germany is burning with ardour to supportAustria; and if the French gain a battle on the Po, nothing will preventthe whole strength of Germany from coming to the rescue. [Footnote: LouisNapoleon's fear of this is a sufficient explanation of his ambiguous policyafter Solferino. ] The position of France is, in reality, most critical, forall her best troops are in Italy, and she would have great difficulty inplacing 100, 000 men on the Rhine, where she may have to confront half amillion of combatants. Hortensius' [Footnote: William Forsyth, Q. C. , for many years standingcounsel to the India Office. As the author, among other works, of_Hortensius_, and residing, as he still resides, at 61 Rutland Gate, Lord Brougham, in writing to Reeve, invariably refers to him as either'Hortensius' or 'your neighbour. ' In 1872 he published _Letters fromLord Brougham to William Forsyth_, with some facsimiles to show his'extraordinary hand. ' 'I think, ' wrote Mr. Forsyth, 'the hieroglyphics willpuzzle most readers;' but the samples he has given are as copper-platecompared with some of the letters to Reeve of about the same date. ]appointment was, I believe, purely an act of Lord Stanley's, and I dare sayyour kindness in mentioning his name had due effect. Hortensius applied, byletter, for the appointment, and about three weeks after came a letter tosay he was appointed. _From Lord Brougham_ [_Cannes_] _May 24th_. I have been reading over again your excellentarticle on the subject of the day, and I may say of the place; and the moreI reflect on it, I come the nearer to your view in all respects. Really themore we consider this abominable man's conduct (and his accomplice Cavouris quite as bad, though not so foolish), the greater indignation we feelat the unprovoked breach of the peace. The audacity of the pretence from adespot and usurper exceeds precedent. What can be said too of Russia, whichkeeps her hold of Poland only ten years longer than the settlement of1815! It really would be important, now that the attempt has been made torepresent [the first] Napoleon as the friend of oppressed nationalities, that we should direct men's attention a little more to the enormitiesin that man's whole history. Party motives arising out of our Englishdivisions to a certain degree prevented the real truth from being generallyfelt respecting him. There was the usual exaggeration on both sides. Oneparty painted the devil blacker than he was, crediting to him crimes whichhe never committed. The other, because their adversaries thus painted him, would allow nothing against him, and exaggerated his merits--though it weredifficult to overrate his capacity, and his military genius especially. Butthe more his moral guilt is examined the blacker it will appear, and thelate publication, which you call candid, I believe has been true and fullowing to careless superintendence. When I say publication I mean printing, for it is not really published, though copies are freely given. Thepublication of Joseph's memoirs is also full of important matter. Now from these and the existing materials, a full and plain account of theman ought to be prepared, [Footnote: This is what M. Lanfrey began to do, and was going on with at the time of his lamented death, at the age offorty-nine, in 1877. ] and you may rely on it that great effect against thepresent man would be produced; for he ostentatiously connects his policywith the former one's, and there is the greatest care taken to suppressattacks on Napoleon I. In the periodical publications--at least in thenewspapers. But if the English and German and Belgian press are full of thefacts, and repeatedly lay them before the world, no policy of the Frenchpress can long keep the truth from reaching the public. However, I am drawnaway from what I had intended to mention--the present state of the publicmind on the war question in this country. The giddy and warlike nature ofthe people, and his going to the army, has produced an effect not only inremoving the unpopularity of the war, but in raising a warlike spirit--atleast for the present. If victory comes, this will be increased. It isprobable he may for the present be satisfied with the strength which hewill derive from it; but the army will probably join with the mob inwishing for further proceedings, and then we shall find that Germany willbe attacked, and I must even say that we shall do well to be prepared inEngland. I believe, however, that the Austrians in Italy will make it alingering affair by defensive operations, and this will exhaust the Frenchpatience. The lies of the Sardinian press, and indeed official accounts, make it impossible to tell how far they have at the beginning suffered acheck. But I plainly perceive that, if something brilliant is not done, L. N. Will be shaken. * * * * * _From Count Zamoyski_ _Paris, May 28th_. May is passing and your plans are not yet realised; westill await your arrival. Mme. Krasinska is leaving Paris for Warsaw, andhas charged me to forward you the enclosed, in which she gives you theaddress of the person here who is ready to receive the papers you havepromised her, which both she and the friends of the deceased await withlively interest. Having written thus much on the matter in hand, Zamoyski turned again topolitics and the discussion at some length of the situation in Italy, outof which many of the Poles fondly hoped their freedom was to come. TheEnglish mistrust of Napoleon, he argued, was as injudicious as unfounded, and could do nothing but harm by forcing France into the arms of Russia. One of the many wild suggestions afloat at the time amounted to little lessthan a complete remodelling of the map of Europe. Austria, deprived of herItalian provinces, was to be compensated on the lower Danube; as a balanceto which, Russia was to occupy Constantinople, and, to mark her friendshipto France--who was entering on the war for an _idée_--would restorefreedom to Poland. And there were some who believed it. Zamoyski wasclearer-headed; but his mind also was warped by sense of wrong, and hisfancy was as wild as the other. If England, he urged, will not act inconcert with France, let her at least emulate the noble example France issetting. She is preparing to free Italy; let England, as her part in thegenerous rivalry, free Poland. Russia is still England's enemy. This isEngland's opportunity. And he seems to have persuaded himself that, ifshe did not avail herself of it, she would be a recreant to the cause ofliberty and humanity. It is very curious. _From the Countess Krasinska_ _Paris, 26 mai_. --Je vous remercie infiniment, Monsieur, de votre bonnelettre et de tout ce que vous voulez bien me dire de celui que nous necesserons pas de regretter, et qui m'a bien et bien souvent parlé de vouset des années de jeunesse passées avec vous dans une étroite et sincèreamitié. Ce souvenir a été constant dans son coeur! Je regrette infinimentaussi que les évènements politiques vous aient empêché de venir à Paris, comme vous vous le proposiez. Je suis obligée de partir pour Varsovie, etcrains de vous manquer si vous venez bientôt ici. Dans tous les cas, sivous vouliez bien confier vos précieux manuscrits [Footnote: If sent toM. Okrynski, the letters were returned; for they were afterwards given toSigismond's grandson, the present Count Adam Krasinski (_see post_. P. 389). ] à M. Victor Okrynski, Rue de la Pépinière 66, je vous en serai bienreconnaissante. C'est chez lui que je laisse en dépôt ce que nous avonsrassemblé jusqu'ici. It would seem from the following note that Lord Macaulay had spoken toReeve of Dr. Thomas Campbell's "Diary of a Visit to England in 1775; byan Irishman;" a small book--little more than a pamphlet--which had beenpublished at Sydney in 1854. It had struck Reeve that such a "Diary"might be the text for an interesting article in the "Review;" and thecorrespondence respecting it derives a peculiar value from its nearapproach to the close of Macaulay's labours. _From Lord Macaulay_ Holly Lodge, Kensington, June 1st. Dear Reeve, --Before you determine anything about Dr. T. Campbell's Diary, you had better read it. I have lent my copy, which is probably the onlycopy in England, and do not expect to get it back till next week. When itcomes, I will send it to you, and we will then talk further. Ever yourstruly, MACAULAY. _From M. Guizot_ _Val Richer, June 11th_. --. .. On the Continent, it seems to me, there isnow only one question--Will Austria remain obstinate? If she does, if sheis determined to fight on, although beaten; not to give up her Italianpossessions, although she has lost them in Italy, and to impose onthe conquerors of Milan the necessity of being also the conquerors ofVienna--in that case the actual beginning of the war is a trifle; we areadvancing towards a general war and European chaos. The mere continuance ofthe struggle will be quite sufficient to make it impossible for anyone--forLord Derby as much as for Lord Palmerston--to stop it or to foreseewhere it will lead. Has Austria the will and the strength to prolong thestruggle? Or will she be alarmed and intimidated by her first defeats, andbe persuaded to make such concessions as will give, if not Italy herself, at least her patrons for the time being, a decent pretext to declarethemselves satisfied, and to retreat in triumph? I repeat this seems to methe only question. If I were to judge by the reports that reach me fromGermany, no doubt is there felt. Austria, both emperor and country, aresaid to be perfectly determined to fight to the last extremity, beingconvinced that in their extreme peril, and when, in their persons, Europeanorder is endangered, they will find allies and a chance of safety. But Ido not put much faith in rumours which promise a somewhat heroic firmness. Great things are apt to come to nothing nowadays, and it may well be thatthe Italian question will fall through, and all this noise end in sometransaction which will be neither a true nor lasting solution. Italy haslong been the scene of events that end thus. .. . _From Lord Clarendon_ _G. C. , June 13th_. --You have always taken such a kind and friendly concernin my affairs that I think you will like to know how I stand. Palmerston, by the Queen's desire, insisted on my returning to the F. O. , and I feltthat, though most unwilling to accept the offer, I had no sufficient pleafor declining it. But when Palmerston very properly placed any office atthe disposal of Lord John, he claimed the F. O. As his right. I gladlyrecognised that right and the superiority of his claims to my own. I was most warmly pressed by Palmerston and my former colleagues to takeany other office; but for that I saw no necessity, and I was sure I shouldbest consult the public taste by making way for some one who had not beenin Palmerston's former Government. The Queen sent for me, and very kindlytried to shake my determination; but it had not been lightly taken, and shedid not succeed. So I am still free, and great is my happiness thereat. _From Lord Macaulay_ _June 27th_. --If I were to renew my connexion with the "Edinburgh Review"after an interval of fifteen years, I should wish my first article to berather more striking than an article on Campbell's Diary can easily be. Youwill, no doubt, do the thing as well as it can be done. Some other hand, therefore, supplied the article on "A Visit to England in1775" which appeared in the October number of the "Review. " _To Madame de Tocqueville_ 62 Rutland Gate, June 30th. Dear Madame de Tocqueville, [Footnote: Mme. De Tocqueville was anEnglishwoman, and the correspondence was naturally in English. ] I reproachmyself exceedingly for having delayed so long to express to you, or, rather, to endeavour to express to you, how strongly Mrs. Reeve and myselfparticipate in that sympathy and sorrow which your irreparable losshas inspired to the whole world, but most of all to those to whom thefriendship of your husband was one of the blessings of life. I cannotaccustom myself to the thought that the intercourse I had the happiness tomaintain with him for twenty-five years is really at an end; and thatthe events of the world in which he took so constant and enlightened aninterest are still rolling onwards, while his pure intelligence has passedto some higher and nobler sphere. We now look back, indeed, with a pleasurethat heightens our regret, to those delightful days we spent at Tocquevillein 1856, and to his visit to England in 1857. Nothing, indeed, was wanting, either to his fame or to the love he inspired those who knew him; and toboth these sacred recollections our thoughts will be directed as long as wesurvive. What, then, must be the loss and the void to you, who lived, asit were, _in_ that light? I dare not think of it, were it not that yourthoughts will rise to that source which has consolation for all earthlysorrows. I have heard of you, and seen your admirable letters to Mrs. Groteand Mrs. Merivale, which assure me of the resignation and piety that stillsupport you. Mrs. Reeve and Hopie desire to join in the cordial expressionof their affectionate regard; and I remain Your most faithful servant, H. REEVE. The Journal here notes:-- In August I left town for Ambleside and Abington, to shoot. Thence I wentto the George R. Smiths', at Relugas; near Forres. Shot there, and thencrossed the Moray Firth to Skibo and Uppat. Then I went on to Langwell, inCaithness, which the Duke of Portland had lent the Speaker (E. Denison), and spent some days with him. Returned to town by sea from Aberdeen. Shooting in September at Chorleywood and Stetchworth--the latterfirst-rate; then to Roxburghshire; afterwards to Raith. _To Lord Brougham_ _Relugas, near Forres, August 26th. _--Your very kind note of the 23rd hasfollowed me here, where I am spending a few days on my way to Sutherland. Towards the latter end of October I shall be returning to England, withMrs. Reeve and my daughter, and if you are still at Brougham at that time, and disposed to receive us for a day or two in this patriarchal fashion, itwill give us the greatest pleasure to come. Louis Napoleon's amnesty appears to me to be the most judicious act of hisreign, and, if he would only follow it up by giving a more legal characterto his administration, I think he would soon rally many persons to himself. All that the French seem at this time to require is that the Governmentshould observe the laws it enforces on other people--a very moderaterequest. I will endeavour to find out about the Chancery Evidence Commission. Itis a monstrous absurdity that your name should not appear in a commissiondestined, if anything, to give effect to the principles you have so longand constantly advocated. _C. O. , September 26th_. --I sincerely hope that, whatever day the Edinburghbanquet takes place, I may have the honour of attending it. I shallprobably be at Raith at the time. Considering what you have been, for morethan half a century, to the "Edinburgh Review, " and the connexion which wasthus so long maintained between yourself and Edinburgh, I am most anxious, as the humble representative of that journal at the present time, todo anything in my power to contribute to a mark of respect paid you inEdinburgh; and I should have gladly attended the dinner, even if I had notbeen, as I probably shall be, within easy reach of it. _From Lord Brougham_ _Brougham, September 27th_. --Many thanks for your great kindness aboutthe Edinburgh dinner, which I look forward to with some dismay; for therequisition, which was signed by the heads of all parties, and in verykind terms, makes it impossible not to attend, and, beside the plaguesincidental to all such proceedings, I have the excessive suffering fromthe blanks by which I shall be surrounded. To go no further than what youallude to, it may possibly be October 25th, and certainly not later than26th; and that is the anniversary of the "Edinburgh Review" fifty-sevenyears ago. Then Jeffrey, Horner, Smith, Allen, Murray, Playfair, Thomson--all gone; and of later years, Cockburn, your father, Eyre. Itis really a sad thing. And then, beside our set, there were A. Thomson, Moncreiff, T. Campbell, Cranstoun, Clerk, D. Stewart, W. Scott--all, exceptHorner, Playfair, and Scott, D. Stewart and A. Thomson, T. Campbell, alivein 1834, when I was last in Edinburgh. I must struggle the best I can, butthis feeling nearly overpowers me. I send you by this post a Paris paper I have just received, evidently senton account of the article marked, which is so far gratifying that it is bya very eminent man, who signs it; but I chiefly value it on account ofthe attack upon England for not having raised a monument, [footnote: LordBrougham was at this time greatly interested, and indeed excited, about aproposed monument to Sir Isaac Newton. His letters frequently allude toit. ] and on account, also, of the statement that he was the greatest of allmen--which will not be very agreeable to our friends of the Institute. The Journal records:-- Lord Brougham was elected Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh. Iattended a banquet given him there on October 26th. I then went from Raithto Brougham and Appleby, High Legh, and Teddesley, shooting at allthese places, and at Crewe likewise, where I began to shoot with a newbreech-loading gun. I must have shot thirty-five or forty days this year, and paid a great number of visits in country houses. We did not go abroad. Lord Macaulay had meantime received some further particulars as to the MS. Of the 'Visit to England, ' and sent them to Reeve with the following:-- Holly Lodge, November 11th. My dear sir, --I have just received the enclosed letter, which may, perhaps, interest you. It might be worth while to put a short note at the end of thenext number of the 'Edinburgh Review. ' Very truly yours, MACAULAY. _Endorsed_--Lord Macaulay. His last note to me. He died December 27th[really 28th]. The note referred to appeared in the number for January 1860, with thesympathetic remark: 'This very note was, in fact, his last contribution tothese pages, made within a short time of his death. ' _To Lord Brougham_ 62 _Rutland Gate, December 29th. _--I communicated to Mrs. Austin your verykind intention of writing some notice of Mr. Austin in the 'Law Review, 'and she has sent me the enclosed paper--very striking, I think it, especially considering the state of physical exhaustion and mental grief inwhich she lies. Nothing can equal her devotion to his memory. She has, Ithink, omitted to state that one portion of the lectures delivered by Mr. Austin at the London University were published by Murray in 1832, under thetitle of 'The Province of Jurisprudence Determined' You are aware thatthis book retains a very high position, and, as John Austin never wouldrepublish it in his lifetime, copies of the volume fetch seven or eightguineas. I hope now it will appear again, with additions, as all the draftsof his lectures are in existence, most carefully elaborated by himself. Hortensius has written a very nice article for the 'Edinburgh' on theprogress of legal reform and on your bills. I hope you will like it. TheReview will be out on January 14th. I forgot to say just now that, as Mrs. Austin and I have no copy of theenclosed paper about her husband, we should be much obliged to you topreserve and return it to us. The pamphlet 'Le Pape et le Congrès' has certainly astonished the world. MyCatholic friends call it the pamphlet of the Emperor Julian; and certainly, considering what the Pope has done for him, and he has done for the Pope, it is an act of apostasy. To engage in a contest with Rome is, however, still no small enterprise, and I question if the Emperor has strength ofpurpose to carry it through. The Popes protested, in their day, against theTreaty of Westphalia and the Treaty of Vienna; _multo magis_, will theyprotest against the decisions of the Congress of Paris? It must beacknowledged that matters look more favourably than they did for our ownpolicy and influence in the Congress. _From Lord Brougham Cannes, January 1st_, 1860. --First of all accept for yourself and Mrs. R. All the good wishes of the season from all here. Next, let me say howgratified I am with the very interesting, and, in the circumstances, extraordinary communication of Mrs. A. It is of the utmost importance, andconfirms me in the design I had newly formed, of making my account followthis. It could be made for the next number of the 'Law Review;' in thepresent number giving a short notice, lamenting the great loss, andannouncing a full article for next number. I had intimated the probabilityof this to Francis--the editor--and what I have received this morningfrom you strongly confirms me. There will, therefore, be only a generalstatement this time. Really I feel the deepest interest in the subject, when I regard the strong and stern virtues of the man, beside his greattalents and learning. Poor Macaulay, I would give as a foil--of course, only to yourself, privately. He had great abilities; and though I widely differed with him inhis views of history--which I, being of the science school, thought shouldbe different from an anecdote book, yet I admit the great merits of hiswork, and especially of his essays. But I much objected to his running awayfrom our death-struggle in 1834, though his defence was that his sisterswould have to go out in the world as milliners if he stayed to fight withus. I had myself made such sacrifices that I felt entitled to complain. However, I pass over that on the ground he gave. But, then, what is to besaid of two sessions in the House of Lords without one word of help to theLiberal cause, or indeed to any cause? What but that it was owing to thefear of making a speech which would be thought a failure--that is, wouldbe injurious to his former speeches. Now, such a consideration as this J. Austin was wholly incapable of allowing even to cross his mind. He acted onwhat he conceived were just principles, and sacrificed to them all regardfor himself. How differently did those men act of whose set Macaulaywas!--his father, Stephen, H. Thornton, &c. However, his loss is a verymelancholy one, because he goes out of the world in full possession of hisfaculties, and in more than just appreciation of his merits. The Journal for 1860 begins:-- The new year opened at Chevening on a visit to Lord Stanhope. The partyconsisted of the Morleys, Hayward, Goldwin Smith, and afterwards theGrotes. I went to Chevening again in 1862; and for a third time, with Christine, in1885; the host changed, but the same hospitality. We sent a round-robin to the Dean of Westminster, begging that Macaulaymight be buried in the Abbey. He was buried there on January 9th. I wasthere. The same day we started for Paris by Southampton. Saw the Circourts, Rauzans, Guizots, &c. Charles Greville had introduced me to Fould, then minister of finance. OnSunday, January 15th, Fould told me of the conclusion of the treaty ofcommerce with England, and the same evening we all dined at M. Chevalier's, with Cobden, Lavergne, Passy, Parieu, and Wolowski--the promoters andauthors of the treaty. The next day (16th) I dined with Fould at a statedinner; Metternichs, Bassanos, Auber, Ste. -Beuve, Bourqueney. I took downMrs. Baring. Lord Brougham was also in Paris. Albert Pourtalès, my old fellow-pupil at Geneva, was now Prussianambassador; saw a good deal of him. This was a very interesting visit toParis. In some very rough notes, Reeve jotted down the particulars he learned atthis time. They amount to this: That between January 16th and 21st, 1859, a treaty was signed between France and Sardinia, by the 5th, 6th, and 7tharticles of which Savoy was to be ceded to France when Lombardy and Venetiawere conquered and given to Piedmont. Nice was to be ceded when Piedmontgot the rest--of what, is not stated--presumably, of Italy. This treatywas known only to the Emperor, Niel, and Pietri, in France, and in Sardiniato the King and Cavour. It was afterwards made known to Villa-Marina, oncondition that he should seem to know nothing about it. On July 8th, 1859, when the Emperor returned to Valeggio from Villafranca, he told the King of Sardinia that peace was made. The King said he wouldnot accept it, and would continue the war on his own account. The Emperorshrugged his shoulders and said 'Vous êtes fou. ' Afterwards, however, intelling the story to the Queen of Holland, he declared that he only said'Vous êtes absurde. ' It appears to have been in conversation with Pourtalès, on January 17th, that Reeve picked up this curious story. During the past few years manyState papers at Berlin had been stolen: amongst others, a letter from theTsar to the King of Prussia, written in the summer of 1855, to the effectthat Sebastopol could not hold out another month. This was sent to Parisby Moustier just in time to revive the drooping spirits of the FrenchGovernment, after the repulse of June 18th. Supposing this to be true--as Reeve certainly believed it to be--it wasonly paying off Prussia in her own coin; for at least under FrederickII. --the Prussian agents had shown a remarkable skill in obtaining secretintelligence, either by purchase or by theft. In one case, in 1755, tenimportant papers and the key of the cipher were stolen from the Count deBroglie, the French ambassador, by his colleague and intimate friend, CountMaltzahn, the Prussian ambassador, who obtained access to his rooms in hisabsence. 'There is no doubt, ' wrote De Broglie, 'that we are indebted forthis to the King of Prussia. I am quite sure that Maltzahn would not havedone it without an express order. ' [Footnote: Le Secret du Roi, par le Ducde Broglie, tom. I. , p. 131] _From Mr. C. C. Greville January 15. _--I am very glad to hear that Fould has responded with suchalacrity, and I shall be most anxious to hear from you again after yourinterview and dinner with him. I told him in my letter that you had beenacquainted with the Emperor when he resided in England, and I hope he willreport your arrival to H. M. , and that you will be summoned to the imperialpresence; it would be very interesting to have a conversation with thegreat man himself, and you might enlighten his mind, and correct someof the erroneous impressions he is likely to have formed from Cobden'sconversation. So far as I understand the line taken by our Cabinet, they are actingproperly enough. I suppose France will want our support for the annexationof Savoy, and Palmerston will be for giving that, or doing anything else toobtain the transference of the revolted states and provinces to Piedmont;the aggrandisement of Sardinia and the humiliation of Austria being hisdarling objects, for which he will sacrifice every other consideration, unless he is kept in check, and baffled by the majority of the Cabinet. Inthe beginning of this week there was very near being a split amongst them, which might have broken up the Government; but I conclude matters wereadjusted, though I do not know exactly how. P. , J. R. , and Gladstone gotogether, and are for going much further in Italian affairs than themajority of the Cabinet will consent to; and, as the latter know very wellthat their views will be supported by public opinion, I trust they will getthe better of this triple alliance. As Austria appears to have admitted herinability to draw the sword again, the Pope seems to be left without anyresource; but it does not follow that Austria will consent to such anaggrandisement of the King of Sardinia as France may be willing to consentto, and, as we shall, I suppose, earnestly advocate. She would probablymore easily consent to the promotion of a new North Italian kingdom; and Imuch doubt if Tuscany really wishes for annexation to Piedmont. She wouldprobably much prefer the promotion of a fresh state, of which Florencewould be the capital, and Tuscany the most influential member. Howimpossible it is to form any opinion as to the tortuous, ever-shiftingpolicy of L. N. ! The only thing we ought never to lose sight of is to keepquite clear of him, and to be always on our guard. If the natural limitsof France are to be extended again to the Alps, how long will it be beforethey are extended to the Rhine also? I went to see Mrs. Austin yesterday, and found her very well and in veryfair spirits; very anxious to talk about him, and much gratified at theletters she has received from various friends, bearing testimony to hisgreat merits and high qualities, particularly one from Sir William Erle. Brougham is writing a notice of him for the 'Law Magazine. ' She seems veryunsettled in her plans, and says she changes her mind continually. LadyGordon is better, and Mrs. Austin is going to Ventnor, to her, in a shorttime. She means to be much occupied with the papers he has left, whichappear to be all about law, and it is very doubtful whether they will, ifpublished, be very interesting to the world in general. The Journal notes:-- We returned to London on January 23rd. Parliament opened next day. Londondinners began. Dined at Thackeray's, Milman's, Galton's, Lansdowne House. _From Lord Clarendon_ _The Grove, February 2nd. _--I am much obliged to you for De la Rive's_brochure_ [Footnote: Le Droit de la Suisse, by William de la Rive, son ofthe celebrated physicist, Auguste] which is written with great force andspirit; he makes out an excellent European case for the slice of Savoy heclaims for Switzerland, and he manages to gives an agreeable impression ofthose unpleasant people, the Swiss. It is a valuable work at this moment;for the annexation of Savoy to France is a serious affair, not only becauseit makes Italy French, but because it is the first step towards the_remaniement de la carte_. When we made our first convention with France, on going to war togetherwith Russia, I thought it would be prudent to put in a clause that neitherPower should get any benefit for itself from the war. The Emperor acceptedthe proposal cheerfully; said it was a grand precedent, &c. &c. ; but when Iread over the convention with Walewski, prior to signature, the clause wasomitted, and I had it restored. In the case of Savoy, we must admit thatour policy makes objection on our part not only difficult but absurd. Wehave been telling the Italians that they were justified in expelling theirrulers and electing a new sovereign, and that treaties could not bepleaded against accomplished facts; and how can we remonstrate against theannexation of Savoy to France, if V. Emanuel releases the Savoyards fromtheir allegiance, and they elect L. Nap. For their sovereign? _To Lord Brougham_ 62 _Rutland Gate, March 5th. _ Since my visit to Paris I have never had adoubt that Louis Napoleon was pursuing, and pursuing actively, a scheme forthe annexation of Savoy, and that nothing which this country can say--fordoing is out of the question--will have any effect in preventing it. TheKing of Sardinia is the dog and the shadow. He drops his bone to clutch aphantom of Italian empire, which will dissolve as he approaches it. Themost amusing part of it is that the policy of his imprudent friends here(J. R. And so on) has urged him on to pursue the shadow without rememberingwhat it would cost in substance. The Reform Bill is considered so very mild a production that I begin, forthe first time, to think it will pass. Even the Tories could conceivenothing so moderate, and they had better close with the bargain. I haveno doubt it will be rather favourable to the Conservatives than to theRadicals. For example, where there are to be three seats, in the largetowns, the Conservative minority will probably carry one out of the three. _March 14th. _--Your volume of scientific tracts arrived just after I hadsent off my last letter. I am very much indebted to you for it, and I shallprobably have occasion to refer to your learned paper on the cells of beesin the review I am going to publish of Mr. Darwin's book. As for Newton, Ishould be glad to give my vote in favour of a monument whenever a suitableopportunity occurs. It is very embarrassing to know where to placemonuments to men illustrious in letters and science. Westminster Abbeyis crowded, and can take no more statues. We are going to put up a muralmonument to Hallam there; and, by the way, if you had been in England, youwere invited to be on the committee; I still hope you will give your name. Events have taken a prodigiously lucky turn for the Government, and I thinkit is long since we had any administration so strong as Lord Palmerston nowis. Gladstone's triumph is complete on all points, and people are so wearyof J. R. And his Reform Bill that I think all parties are ready to swallowthis last dose, _de guerre lasse_. Then will follow the dissolution in theautumn, and we may expect a strong Liberal majority. The affair of Savoy will pass off quietly enough if he leaves theneutralised territories to Switzerland; but if not, it will become seriousenough, for it is expressly provided by the final act of the Congress ofVienna that, if Sardinia evacuates those districts, no other Powerbut Switzerland shall move troops into them, and this arrangement wassubsequently confirmed by a very formal declaration of all the Powers. .. . Mrs. Austin is making arrangements for a new edition of her husband'slectures, with considerable additions. The Journal has here:-- _March 15th. _--Dinner at home. The Due d'Aumale, Lavradio, Lady Stanhope, Lady Molesworth, Lady William and Arthur Russell, Lord Kingsdown, the LordAdvocate, Professor Owen, Colonel Hamilton, and Colonel Greathed. _From Lord Clarendon_ _[Sunday] March 18th. _--If you happen to be passing Grosvenor Crescent wayon Tuesday or Wednesday, about twelve o'clock, will you look in upon me, and we will have a talk about the awful fix in which Europe in general andEngland in particular are now placed? By reason of his connexion with Geneva, Reeve had all along necessarilyfelt the keenest interest in the negotiations between France and Sardinia, which he had discussed in an article on 'France, Savoy, and Switzerland'for the April number of the 'Edinburgh Review. ' He had possibly alreadyintended to visit the 'debateable land' as soon as the Review was sent topress, or very possibly the advisability of doing so was suggested in thisinterview with Lord Clarendon. At any rate, on April 4th he started forParis, and, after seeing his friend Pourtales, went on to Geneva in companywith Sir Robert and Lady Emily Peel. By the 12th he was back in Paris, where, on the 15th, he had long interviews with Fould and Thouvenel, the minister of foreign affairs, the minutes of which he wrote out atconsiderable length, and two days afterwards read them to Lord Palmerston. He reported to Palmerston that Thouvenel was willing to make 'a reasonableadjustment of the Swiss frontier, ' which he believed meant 'an extensionof the Swiss territory to the Fort de l'Ecluse and Saleve. ' Palmerston, however, refused the overture, saying, 'We shall shame them out of it. ''So, ' added Reeve, in relating the affair, 'neither he nor the Swiss gotanything at all. ' _From Lord Brougham_ _Cannes, April 20th. _--I hope my account of J. Austin will appear in the'Law Magazine and Review. ' It is written _con amore_, though very far fromsuch an article as I could have wished to make it. The letter of Mrs. Austin was invaluable, and I inserted her very words in more instances thanone; but your mention of the effect produced by the publication now outof print was still more valuable. I only trust that it may all be printedcorrectly, for it must be too late for me to have proofs. The roguery of L. N. And Cavour exceeds all belief; but they have cheatedone another, and have probably overreached themselves. The _lies_ theytell about the Nice vote are unheard of even in the time of Napoleon I. Webelieve here that thousands of Piedmontese having no residence were sent tovote. However, there is a real majority, though nothing like the unanimitypretended. In Savoy there is entire unanimity. I suppose Normanby believesthe Tuscans have not voted for their annexation; but he believes whateveranybody writes to him from Florence. _To Lord Brougham_ _C. O. , May 16th. _--I cannot remember any passage in Macaulay's writingswhich can be called an attack on Henry V. In the Introduction to the'History of England' there is a passage in which he speaks of the Frenchwars of the English kings, and speculates on the results which might haveensued if the conquests of Henry V. Had not been lost by Henry VI. Perhapsthis is what Lord Glenelg meant; but I am writing from the office, where Ihave not the books to refer to. I don't know what sort of monument the Lord Chief Baron proposes to erect. To put Macaulay on a level with Newton and Bacon would be absurd. His mindwas essentially what the geologists would call 'a tertiary formation;'theirs were 'protogenic. ' But I think some monument to Macaulay may veryfitly be placed in Trinity Chapel. We meet on Tuesday to consider what isto be done for Hallam in Westminster Abbey; but there will certainly be nostatue, probably a slab and bust only. I hope you are coming up for the debate in the Lords on Monday, [Footnote:On the repeal of the paper duty, a Government measure, which was rejectedby the Lords. ] which will be one of great interest. I cannot think there isanything solid in the so-called constitutional objection--which is to beurged on behalf of the Government--to the interference of the House ofLords with a bill of this nature. _From Lord Clarendon_ _Grosvenor Crescent, May 16th. _--Many thanks for your letter and opinion ofAix-la-Chapelle waters, which seem exactly to fit my case, but I should bevery reluctant to go there just now, as the inconvenience of it would begreat. I shall try change of air next week, and, if that won't do, why_alors, comme alors, _ as the life I am now leading is intolerable. The goutcame again very sharply last night, but not, I am sure, owing to your mostagreeable dinner, which could only do good. I have not passed three suchpleasant hours for a long while. I have seen one or two peers to-day sorely puzzled as to the vote theyshall give on Monday. My only doubt is about the damage it may do the Houseof Lords; and I can't quite go Lyndhurst's [Footnote: In a closely reasonedspeech, rightly considered remarkable from a man of eighty-eight, LordLyndhurst maintained that it was no unusual thing for the Lords to vetobills for repealing taxes as well as bills for inflicting them, and quotednumerous precedents. The bill was thrown out by 193 to 104. ] length, who says that if there is no precedent it is high time, and the properopportunity, to make one. The Journal here records:-- Mr. Greville resigned the clerkship of the council in May; as Mr. Bathurstcould not carry on the business, he had to resign too [Footnote: This iswritten on the blank page of the 'Chronology, ' apparently from memory, andthe dates are somewhat confused. Greville resigned in May 1859. It was thensettled that there should be but one clerk; Bathurst acted by himself for atwelvemonth, and resigned in May 1860. ]. It was settled that there shouldbe but one clerk of the council. Lord Granville, I believe, wished toappoint me, but some obstacle stood in the way. I never exactly knew what;but if it was the Court, it is singular that I should have been so wellreceived at Balmoral. What I desired was that the registrarship of the P. C. Should become the second clerkship of the council, I offering to do myshare of the general business; but this they declined. On June 9th ArthurHelps was appointed clerk of the council. I felt great irritation at themanner in which I had been treated; but it certainly turned out very wellfor me in the end, as I continued to hold an easier office, and eventuallyobtained the same income, without the annoyance of attending the Court atBalmoral, or Osborne, or elsewhere. On May 15th we had to dinner Lord Clarendon, Prince Dolgoroukow (theone who wrote the book [Footnote: _La Verité sur la Russie_, 1860. Cf. _Edinburgh Review_, July 1860, p. 175. ] on Russia), Lord Stanley, Sir R. And Lady E. Peel, Hodgson, and Cornewall Legh. On August 4th we made an expedition from Farnborough, with the Longmans, toSelborne. Lunch with T. Bell. [Footnote: The editor of White's _Selborne_]Walked to the Lithe and the Hanger. A charming day. _From Lord Brougham_ _Brougham, August 5th. _--I have been reading the last 'E. R. , ' which is amost excellent number. The ballot article [Footnote: 'Secret Voting andParliamentary Reform. '] is admirable, and will prove useful. I may sendyou a few remarks on the G. Rose article. [Footnote: 'Diaries andCorrespondence of George Rose. '] But I am delighted with the showing upof Miss Assing, [Footnote: 'Correspondence of Humboldt and Varnhagen vonEnse. ' In editing this, Miss Assing had shown--according to the _Review_--asingular want of taste and discretion. ] only I don't think it is as much asshe deserves. _To Lord Brougham_ _C. O. , August 7th. _--I have been making short country visits at severalplaces near London since the termination of my Judicial Committee labours, or I should certainly have called to see you before you left GraftonStreet. Now I am starting on Saturday next for Aix-la-Chapelle, where Ipropose to take a few baths. I return on the 25th, and shall proceed toAberdeenshire at the end of the month. .. . The victory of the Government last night was very decisive;[Footnote: Onthe motion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the reduction of the dutyon paper. ] and I am heartily glad of it, for the protectionist cry of thepaper-makers took one back before the Deluge. I saw Mrs. Austin yesterday at Weybridge, and was glad to find her so well. She desired to be remembered to you. She is very busy with J. Austin'sMSS. ; but, in fact, they are in perfect order, and might be sent at once tothe press. And then the Journal-- Later in August went to Aix. I went over to Bonn to see Bunsen, who wasdying, but full of enthusiasm for Italy. Came home on August 27th. CHAPTER XIV LITERATURE AND POLITICS Early in August Mrs. Henry Reeve had gone on a visit into Dorsetshire, andat the time of her husband's return from Aix was in Cornwall--at Pencarrow, near Bodmin--on a visit to her old friend, Lady Molesworth. Reeve, thusleft to himself, started almost immediately for Scotland on a visit to SirJames Clark, who, with Lady Clark and his son--the present baronet--wasthen living up Dee-side at Birk Hall, lent him by the Queen. The Journal's scanty notices of a very interesting visit can be happilyreplaced by extracts from the letters which he wrote almost daily to hiswife at Pencarrow. _To Mrs. Henry Reeve_ Birk Hall, Ballater, September 1st. My dearest wife, --Matters have turned out here very pleasantly. I proceededto Aboyne by rail, and then posted along the Dee-side to this place--theStrath most beautiful; a lovely mixture of wood, water, and heather, withmountains beyond. I got here just before six, and found the Clarks and Vande Weyers sitting down to an early dinner in order to go to the Gillies'Ball at Balmoral, in honour of the Prince's birthday, to which I foundmyself also invited. We drove up to the Castle, which is eight miles off, through a fine wooded glen, in the moonlight. The old house of Balmoral hasquite disappeared, and the Castle is now a very fine edifice, decorated inexcellent taste. On arriving, we waited in the library, where arrived LadyJohn Russell and her boys, the Farquharsons of Invercauld, young Peel[Footnote: Robert Kennedy Peel; son of Lady Alice and Colonel Peel, who hadbeen Secretary of State for War in the Derby Ministry of 1858-9. ] (LadyA. 's son), the William Russells, the Duke of Argyll--and then the Court. Nobody was in mourning, as it was a birthday; the Queen in white, with afloating sash of Royal Stuart tartan from her shoulders: about half the menin kilts. The Queen made a circle, and then we went into the ball-room, where about a hundred and fifty of the tenants, servants, &c. , with theirwives and daughters, were assembled. Reels then began, which were dancedwith great energy, and also jigs--very droll. Prince Arthur danced likemad; and Princess Alice was 'weel ta'en out' by the gamekeeper. I stoodin a corner talking with the Duke of Argyll, &c. At last the Prince cameround, and conversed very courteously for ten minutes. He had heard Ihad been in Germany lately, so we soon got into the heart of German andAustrian questions. All this lasted two hours, and then the Queen withdrewinto the supper-room, where there were sandwiches and champagne. She wentround again, and talked to Lord Melville, behind whom I was standing, andthen made me a very gracious bow, but without saying anything to myself. Soon afterwards we drove home, and got back here at half-past one. To-daywe are going up to Balmoral again to write our names and see the Castle;and to-morrow the Queen is coming here to call on Mme. Van de Weyer. I amrather amused, after divers recent occurrences, to find myself in so muchroyalty, and I had not anticipated any civility from them. But I seethe Clarks are very kind about it, having had Helps here last week, andprobably are desirous to remove any misconception which may have existed. So that, in fact, nothing can turn out better, and I have certainly noreason to be dissatisfied with my reception. Ever yours most affectionately, H. REEVE. _Birk Hall, September 4th_. --At last we have got a beautiful day, quitewarm and bright. Nothing can be more lovely than this Strath of theDee, with its birch woods and pine-covered mountains. We went up a hillyesterday--the Coyle--and looked across the glen to the broad snow fieldswhich still encircle the black cliffs of Lochnagar. To-day we are going upto Alt na Ghuissac, and shall lunch at the Queen's hut. H. M. Called hereon Sunday, and was remarkably pleasant and jolly. P. Albert drove, with P. Leiningen on the box; the Queen, Princess Alice, and Princess Leiningen inthe carriage, and one man on a seat behind. Nothing can be more simple, courteous, and even droll, than she is, seen in this way, eating Scotchcakes, and asking for the 'prescription' to make them, and making Leiningentaste the birch wine--which is not bad. To-day they are gone on a wildexpedition over the hills, and are to sleep in some little inn on thebrae-side, where the people are supposed not to know who they are. TheQueen will be seven hours on her pony. She rides through all weathers andover all places, and chaffs everybody for not taking exercise enough. I shall leave this on Friday for Braemar--else I should have to appearat another Balmoral ball--and on Saturday proceed to Keir, where I spendSunday with Stirling, who is very sorry you are not of the party. On MondayI go on to the Moncreiffs, at Alva (near Stirling), and on Thursday toKirklands, making some calls in Edinburgh as I go through. _Birk Hall, September 5th_. --The day kept its promise, and was fair tothe end. We drove up this glen, which is Glen Muich, to the loch whichterminates it, about six miles off. There stands the Queen's hut, with afew fir-trees about it. It deserves its name--a small Highland cottage, with a room on each side the door and two rooms behind; a little plainwooden furniture and a Kidderminster carpet. There are two or three otherwooden cottages about for the attendants. Here we lunched--for everybodylunches in this royal region; and then mountain ponies to go up to the DhuLoch, about 1, 200 feet higher--very wild, grand scenery, and a very rough, boggy path, on which Van de Weyer's contortions were very droll. Madamestayed under the royal honeysuckles below. I suppose Hopie and I shall go to Raith on the 15th, if they can take usin. At any rate, we shall leave Kirklands on that day; but our movementscannot be quite fixed till we hear. _Braemar, September 7th_. --Very fortunately I have had magnificent weatherjust when I wanted it. Clark gave me two good days of shooting on the hillon Wednesday and yesterday; we got about ten brace each day, and I had afamous hard walk. This morning I came on here by the Queen's private roadthrough Balmoral and Invercauld. The scenery is wonderfully beautiful; and, if it were not for my love of the sea, I should admit that Braemar is thefinest thing in Scotland. I have been up the glen this afternoon, past MarLodge, to the Linn of Dee--a fine cascade through rocks; the water is soclear that you can see the rocks under it, and wild blasted pines growingall round. I was sorry to leave Birk Hall. The Clarks are admirable hosts, and made their house most agreeable. .. . You will have lamented, as I do, the untimely cutting off of our poor friend, the late Lord High--I meanWard. [Footnote: See _ante_, vol. I. P. 314. ] There seems to be a fatalityabout Madras. _Somme toute_, the more I see of the chances of life, themore I am persuaded that, as my lot has been cast on such small but easycushions, I ought to be perfectly content. The Queen came back on Wednesday night in high glee with her lark over thehills to Grantown. [Footnote: The Queen's account of this 'lark over thehills' is in _Leaves from the Journal of Our Life in the Highlands_ (8vo. 1868), pp. 189-203. ] They slept at a very little Highland inn, and werewaited on by the maid only. The beds were awful, for they could not standthe feather bed, and, that being thrown aside, nothing soft remainedbeneath. General Grey found it so hard that he got up and put on hisclothes to lie in. However, they were in high glee, and were not found outtill they went away in the morning, when the man of the house said, 'GinI'd known it was the Queen, I'd hae put on my Sunday claiths and waited onher mysel'. ' They gave the Highland lassie a 5 £. Note, at which she nearlyfainted. I hope by this time to-morrow I shall be at Keir. I am here at a littleHighland inn for to-night, but not so ill off as H. M. I shall have to postto Blairgowrie to-morrow to get there in time for the train. _Keir, near Dunblane, September 9th_. --I left Braemar yesterday morningat 6 A. M. ; posted across the Grampians by a very wild pass; reached therailroad at Blairgowrie, and came on here in the afternoon. The firstperson I found in the hall was Motley. His wife and Lily arrived in theevening. Mrs. Norton, the Wyses, and Sir James Campbell also here. A mostpleasant party to fall into, and your absence very much regretted. Keir ismore beautiful than ever, and glorious in this fine weather which floodsthe Carse of Stirling with light. It really does seem as if the harvestwould pick itself up after all. I shall proceed to Alva to-morrow, and to Kirklands on Wednesday. I don'tyet know whether the Fergusons can receive us on the 15th. If they can, we shall go to Raith on that day, and return to London from Edinburgh bysea. .. . At any rate, I expect to be in London either on Friday, 21st, orMonday, 24th--I'm not quite sure which. I suppose, if you don't go toSaltram, you will come up about the same time. There will be a good manythings to look after and think of for the Spanish expedition. I am up to myneck here in Stirling's Spanish books. P. S. --I am a year older to-day than I was yesterday. The Journal records that he returned to London on September 22nd. _From Lord Clarendon_ _Wiesbaden, September 14th. _--I have been idle and absent at Baden, or Ishould sooner have answered your letter and told you with what pleasure wewill execute your commission. [Footnote: See _post_, p. 54. ] I was verysorry to have missed you here, though it would have been but a glimpse, asyou were going next morning. I shall hope to see you before you start onyour enviable Spanish tour, as I mean to go home as soon as my cureis complete, for Lady C. Feels Alice's absence, [Footnote: Lady AliceVilliers, married on August 16th, 1860, to Lord Skelmersdale, created Earlof Lathom in 1880. She was accidentally killed by the overturning of hercarriage on November 23rd, 1897. ] and is lonely with only two children outof six. I passed two very pleasant days at Baden with the Aug. Loftuses and thePrincess of Prussia, who is domiciled there, and we returned last night. _The Grove, September 30th_. --I returned here last night without touchingat Grosvenor Crescent. If I had gone there, I should have been at home tenminutes within the twenty hours from Paris, which is a fair rate of speedwhen one remembers that in pre-railway days one travelled hard and gotshaken much to arrive at Paris in three days; and in pre-steamer times Iwas once eighteen hours in getting from Calais to Dover. Yet people are notsatisfied; and Rothschild told me he was bullied by everybody about theslowness of the Ligne du Nord. I am afraid I shall not have the pleasure of seeing you, as I cannot go toLondon to-morrow, and from Tuesday till Friday we are engaged to theJohn Thynnes. In the improbable event of your charming expedition beingpostponed, we should be quite delighted if you and Mrs. And Miss Reevewould come here on Saturday. As it is now nearly twenty-two years since I left Spain (how time flies!), new generations have sprung up of whom I know nothing. There are twopersons--Mme. De Montijo and Olozaga [Footnote: Reeve had known him as theSpanish ambassador in Paris fifteen years. ]--who I should have liked youto see as social and political _ciceroni_; but the former is at Paris, inthe deepest affliction at the death of her daughter, and the latter is justgone to Italy, as I heard two days ago from Howden. Of course you know thatclever, agreeable little fellow Comyn, who was _chargé d'affaires_ here, and is now under-secretary at the F. O. In Madrid? If not, I will send you aletter to him. I wound up at Wiesbaden by a severe attack of gout, which seemed to pleasemy Esculapius more than it did me; for when I showed him my misshapenscarlet claw of a foot, he rubbed his hands and said, 'Oh dat is abeautiful manifest podagra. ' It came just at the same time as theSkelmersdales, and prevented my going about with them. Wasn't that justlike the gout? I never doubted that as soon as the guerillero business was over and civilorganisation began, Garibaldi would prove a mischievous, spoiled child. .. . The French Government and their friends want the Pope to remain at Rome, thinking that _la France Catholique_ would resent his evasion, as a proofof mistrust of the Emperor; but the Emperor wants him to go; as he wouldthen withdraw his garrison and let Rome take its chance, which he thinkswould close his accounts with the followers of Orsini; and he dislikeshaving to reinforce his garrison, which he must do if the Pope decides onremaining. I have brought the amethyst beads you desired to have for Mme. Van deWeyer, and I dare say somebody will be going up to-morrow or next day bywhom I can send them to you. The man wanted rather more than 5 £ for them, but on my walking away from his shop, he, of course, gave them for thatsum. _From Lord Brougham_ _Brougham, October 1st_. --We have all here been greatly disappointed at nothaving seen you and our kinswoman, [Footnote: Miss Reeve, Brougham's secondcousin twice removed. Through the Robertsons, Brougham and John Richardsonwere second cousins. ] and I believe we have little chance now, as youtalked of going abroad as soon as your quarterly labours were over. Weshall be here the whole month; then take our southward flight. .. . If you can find an opportunity of noticing my volume on the Constitutionwhich is to appear in November, it would be very serviceable to thepublisher. It is only a reprint of that part of the 'Political Philosophy, 'and lays down true and sound principles--at this time necessary to be welllearnt. _To Lord Brougham_ _62 Rutland Gate, October 2nd_. --I am extremely obliged to you for the copyof your Glasgow address, which in some degree consoles me for not havingheard it, and for having lost the pleasure of seeing you this year atBrougham. Nothing can be more felicitous than some of the illustrations youhave introduced, and the occasion of a mere scientific meeting has beenturned to the best political purpose. No doubt in that region the absenceof party gives a broader and a nobler aim to the exertions of your society, and it is gratifying to see how heartily men meet to combine, in thesedays, without party badges. But if this opinion were to be expressed by the'Edinburgh Review, ' we should be told by John Russell & Co. That we haveno business to wear blue and buff, which is the final cause of reviews andeditors. The political article which I have just sent to the press is on the UnitedStates under Mr. Buchanan--a great show-up of that scandalous scene ofcorruption, slave-trading, and anarchy. I am afraid it is now too late tointroduce an allusion to your discourse. As to home politics, there islittle to be said; as to Continental affairs, there is too much. Themountebanks in Southern Italy have now very nearly upset the coach, and thequestion is whether the Sardinians or the French are to march to Naples. Ihope it will be the former, but it is quite clear Louis Napoleon means tosupport the Pope in Rome. Lord Clarendon is just come back from Wiesbaden. We start on Saturday forMadrid, _via_ Valencia, and shall be about six weeks in Spain and Portugal. And so they started--Reeve, his wife, and daughter--Reeve, as usual, noting merely the stages of the tour, trusting to his wife to fill inthe details. Extracts from Mrs. Reeve's Journal are here given in squarebrackets. _Journal_ _October 8th_. --We started for Spain by Paris, Lyons, and Marseilles. Sailed in the 'Céphise' for Valencia on the 10th. _11th_. --[Hopie and I came on deck soon after eight. We spent the day lyingdown, and only caught glimpses of the coast of Spain when a roll of the'Céphise' brought land and sea above the line of her sides. ] _12th_. --[About 4 A. M. The wind changed, and we were able to use sail, which steadied the vessel, besides assisting her progress. I went on deckat nine, found the Mediterranean more like my 'Caire' experience, and wastold that we should probably be at Grao by twelve. .. . Henry has set up anacquaintance with a Mexican who knows a little of England and English, andis going to pass the winter at Valencia. About one o'clock we were in theharbour of Grao. We landed in boats, and found ourselves surrounded bya crowd of clamorous porters and _tartana_ drivers--one of the scenescharacteristic of landing in a country where police regulations do notexist ensued. However, Henry's Mexican acquaintance came to his rescue, andtwo courteous Gauls to mine. They were taking the French despatches intoValencia, and offered Hopie and me seats in their _tartana_--a covered cartnot on springs, which is the cab of the country. We joyfully accepted, leaving Henry to struggle through custom-house and other difficulties asbest he could. The drive (into Valencia) is about two miles, part shaded byan avenue and carefully watered by men stationed at intervals, who ladledthe water in buckets out of the runlets on each side of the road. We tookup our quarters at the Fonda de Paris, and congratulated each other onhaving arrived in Spain. ] _13th_. --[We went out at eight o'clock. Our first point was the market, which we found in full activity. Such supplies of fruit and vegetables canonly be found in a city surrounded by leagues of _huerta_. .. . We went tothe _plateria_, but found the shops poor, and the articles displayed werecoarse and ill-wrought. We visited the churches of St. Martin, St. John, and the cathedral, and ascended the tower _del Miguelete_. The churches areso dark that it is quite impossible to distinguish the pictures, much lessto judge of their beauty. The panorama from the tower is most beautiful:the city and plain of Valencia, the Mediterranean and the encirclingmountains, the fertile _huerta_, and the glorious sky of deepest blueabove. .. . Placards of a bull-fight on the morrow caught our eyes; and Hopie and I, taking the bull by the horns, declared our intention of going to it, andsuggested that places should be taken. After a very feeble resistance, Henry consented, and our _valet-de-place_ was directed to ascertain theprice of a box. ] _14th_. --[The price asked for a box being too high, we took reserved seats, and at two o'clock started on foot. .. . The Plaza de Toros at Valencia is anew building, only completed this year; it holds twenty thousand persons, and is the largest in Spain. .. . 'El Tato' is the second _matador_ of Spain:he is a well-looking and remarkably well-grown young man, and a well-grownfigure is set off to great advantage by the dress. The horses used are onlyfit for the knacker's yard; they are contracted for at about six poundseach; on this occasion thirteen or fourteen were killed. As regards thehorses, it is a cruel and disgusting sight; but as between the bull and the_matador_, the display of courage, eye and presence of mind, as well as ofskill and agility, is most interesting and exciting. ] We saw 'El Tato' killsix bulls. .. . [At dinner our conversation turned on the sight of the day. 'Tableau de moeurs espagnoles, ' said a Frenchman, raising his shoulders. 'In Peru, where I have seen many bull-fights, ' he went on, 'they usehigh-spirited and valuable horses, and the _picador_ would be for everdisgraced if he allowed the bull to touch his horse. '] _15th_. [From Valencia to Madrid is 308 miles; the time from 4 P. M. To 6. 20A. M. , and our train was pretty punctual. ] _16th_. --Saw Isabella and her Court enter Madrid. She was shot at [by afoolish, half-witted lad, who did not know how to load his pistol, and hadno motive for the crime, or rather attempt]. Delighted with the gallery. [There are a few seats and no visitors; and the wisest thing travellers cando, and by far the pleasantest, is to spend all the hours of all thedays they are in Madrid that the gallery is open in contemplating itstreasures. ] _17th_. --[Immediately after breakfast, Hopie and I went to the Museum. Henry joined us presently, and we remained till four o'clock. ] _18th, Thursday_. --[We had intended to make the Toledo excursion to-day, but an undoubted attack of gout confines Henry to the sofa. Hopie and Iwalked before breakfast to the Church of the Atocha, where we were shown. .. In a wardrobe in the vestry, the crimson velvet robe which Isabella hadon when the Curé Merino stabbed her. [Footnote: On her way to the church, February 2nd, 1852. The priest, a Franciscan, was garotted in due course. ]It has the stain of blood on the lining; the massive embroidery in goldsaved her life by turning aside the knife. .. . After breakfast we took awalk through the unfashionable parts of the town: narrow streets, noisyand crowded, where open stores with bright-coloured scarfs and petticoatscollected round them men in the peasant dress--short jackets, breeches, andgaiters partly open. These were picturesque, but the streets and houseswere uninteresting enough. There can be no doubt that Madrid is the least interesting capital inEurope, and that it is only worth the traveller's while to go there for thesake of the pictures. .. . It is settled that we leave Madrid on Saturdayevening, and Henry has therefore consented to our going to Toledo tomorrowwithout him. ] _19th_, --[Excursion to Toledo, fifty-six miles by rail. ] _20th, Saturday_. --[After dinner started for Granada, where, afterthirty-six hours (rail and diligence), we arrived on Monday morning. ] _27th, Saturday_. --[At 6 P. M. We stow ourselves in the interior of thediligence, and pound along the dusty road towards Santa Fé. It is duskbefore we get there, and dark after. ] _28th, Sunday_. --[From Granada to Malaga is seventy-six miles. Guardsare not only stationed along the road, but two or three are taken on thediligence. The roads were not good; we seemed to be crossing a series ofsierras, and when day dawned, after a fresh, almost cold night, we foundourselves amid ghaut-like hills, and wondered when the topmost point wouldbe gained and the descent to Malaga begun. I think it is at Fuente de laReina that the magnificent view of the Mediterranean, the port and cityof Malaga, and the long perspective of zigzags down spurs of mountains isseen. Neither the French nor English Handbook speaks of this view withthe enthusiasm it deserves. It is far finer than the view on the heightslooking down on Trieste and the Adriatic. .. . We entered Malaga about 10A. M. ; the descent had taken about two hours. ] _29th_. --[Very early it was announced that an unexpected boat had come in, and was going on to Cadiz. .. . At 2 P. M. We went on board. .. But she did notsteam till six. We should have been very irate at the delay but for theremarkably good dinner they gave us. .. . We made a détour and went very slowat starting, to avoid a vessel sunk in the harbour, on which a provisionalpharo is placed. This vessel, the 'Genova, ' had on board shells and powderfor the Morocco war, when it was discovered that spontaneous combustion hadbroken out in the coal--a defect of Spanish coal--and, fearing she wouldnot only blow up herself but also the city of Malaga, they determined tosink her; and, after a deal of bad practice by the guns of fort and fleet, she went under water, and there she has been eight months. ] _30th_. --[Cadiz. On the 31st crossed over to Puerto Santa Maria; and onNovember 1st to Seville by rail. ] _November 2nd_. --[Henry has again a threatening of gout, and must haverecourse to rest and remedial measures. He sent us out to buy the works of'Fernan Caballero;' but only one volume was to be had, and no explanationwas given us of the strange fact that the writings of the most popularnovelist in Spain are not to be obtained in the capital of Andalusia, where she lives, and whence all her characters and scenery are taken. No satisfactory map or guide-book of Seville could be found. I took acatalogue of the books that the shop contained back to Henry. They werechiefly of a religious character. Hopie and I took an exploring walk as faras the Plaza and Church of San Lorenzo, stopping now and then to peep intothe cool _patios_ filled with flowers, and a murmuring fountain often inthe middle, which you see through the corridor, sometimes with a door ofiron trellis, sometimes open. All the windows of the basement have irongratings and wooden shutters; and the courting and sweethearting is carriedon with the lady inside and the lover outside the railing. Not that we sawanything of the kind as it takes place of an evening; but the constructionof the houses explains the descriptions as given in these charming tales of'Fernan Caballero. '] _3rd_. --[Hopie and I set out to 'do churches'. .. After breakfast to theMuseum. .. . We then joined Henry, who was better, and had been to call atthe Palace, and drove to Alfarache, about four miles' distance. ] _4th_. --[In the afternoon to Cordova (eighty-one miles), returning toSeville on the evening of the 5th. ] _6th_. --[A decidedly grey day, unfortunately for our plans ofpicture-seeing. We did a little shopping. .. And then went to the Museum;but, alas! there was not more light than you would have in TrafalgarSquare; and those Murillos at a distance from the window were scarcelyvisible. We were so vexed on Henry's account. We spent the afternoon inwriting letters, bathing our faces with milk, and hoping the mosquitobites, which have driven us well-nigh distracted, will be less conspicuousto-morrow, when we are to spend the morning at the Palace, and be presentedto the Infanta. ] _7th_. --[Nine o'clock was the hour named by the Duke, and a few minutesafter we were at the Palace of San Telmo (in bonnets and our tidiestdresses). We were shown into a room on the ground floor, and in a fewseconds the Duc de Montpensier [Footnote: For the circumstances of the Ducde Montpensier's marriage, see _ante_, vol. I. P. 181. ] came in attended byan A. D. C. He received us very graciously, asked if we would drive or walkround the grounds, and said he thought we had better see the gardens first, and then the house and pictures. .. . Our promenade, with an occasional rest, took nearly two hours; and then, returning to the Palace, H. R. H. Showed usthe state rooms and the pictures, many of great beauty and merit, all veryinteresting; and then, suggesting we should like to take off our bonnets, desired the A. D. C. To show us rooms. .. . A servant waiting outside the doorshowed us into a drawing-room upstairs, where we found two ladies of theInfanta's suite, and an old marquis, whose gold key showed he was thechamberlain. In a few minutes the double doors of a larger room were thrownopen, and 'los Duques' and the four Infantas, their daughters, came in. .. . When the _dejeuner dinatoire_ was announced, the Duke told Henry to offerhis arm to the Duchess, then he advanced towards me, the chamberlain tookHopie, the children and the suite followed. We were eighteen at table. . .. Servants stood behind us with paper flappers, whisking away the flies, whoswarmed round the sweet dishes on the table; and H. R. H. Complaining of _lesmouches_, I ventured to complain of _les moustiques_. He smiled, and said, 'I noticed that you had been victimised. ' Breakfast was very gay andagreeable; the Duke has the family talent for conversation, and the Duchessis very amiable, and of course speaks French. She wore a high, plain silkdress of the prevailing colour, and a black chenille net. The Infantas hadblack silk skirts with a broad piece of black velvet at the bottom, andwhite piqué shirts. We left the table in the same order as before, and, after a few minutes in the salon, the Duke took Henry into his privateroom. The Duchess requested us to be seated, and asked us questions aboutour tour, &c. .. . And then, rising, she said Adieu, and left the room. TheDuke took us to the large library on the ground floor, to show us thealbums and other things of interest. .. . There was an interesting portraitof an elderly lady in a black dress and mantilla, which H. R. H. Pointed outas being that of the lady who writes under the name of 'Fernan Caballero;'and on Henry's mentioning that we had tried in vain to purchase her novels, he desired the librarian to see whether there were duplicate copies, and, on hearing there were, gave us a set, as well as a coloured lithograph ofthe Palace and photographs of the Duchess, himself, and the princesses. .. . It was altogether a most interesting and agreeable morning, and we cameaway charmed with the courtesy and kindness of 'los Duques. '] _9th_. --Back to Cadiz; very stormy voyage to Lisbon. Home to Southampton, November 22nd. _From Lord Clarendon_ _The Grove, December 6th_. --I was glad to get your letter, as I thought youmust be due about this time, and I had not heard of your arrival. I canimagine no change for the worse equal to that of coming from the blue skyand thermometer of Andalusia to the fogs and hydrometer of London, and yourimpaired respiratory organs must make that change peculiarly pleasant. I am very glad your impressions of Spain are the same as Granville's. He raves of the things he has seen, and of the good hotels and generalcivility; and says he tasted no garlic since he dined at the Maison Doréeat Paris. Spain must indeed be changed since my time! We returned from Ashridge [Footnote: The seat of Lord Brownlow. ] thisafternoon, and are off again next week. Paterfamilias is obliged to drinkthe cup of gaiety to the dregs, which is almost worse than being in office. Pray remember us very kindly to Mrs. Reeve. As soon as we are free agents, we shall hope for the pleasure of seeing you here. _To Lord Brougham_ _C. O. , December 10th_. I have not the slightest intention of plunging atpresent into the turbid waters of Indian finance, still less of engaging inthe personal controversy of Trevelyan's merits or grievances. .. . I am notsure that his view of extensive reduction is not, in reality, more rationaland possible than Wilson's view of extensive taxation. Probably, however, both will be needed before we have done. But I suspend my judgement on thequestion, and I shall not venture to discuss it in the 'Review' at present. We returned from Spain and Portugal a few days after you had the kindnessto call in Rutland Gate. I proceeded immediately to call on you in GraftonStreet, but you had already gone north. Since then I have been unceasinglyoccupied at the Judicial Committee. Our journey was very successful andagreeable. We coasted round the whole peninsula, and went up to Madrid, Grenada, Seville, Cordova, &c. The changes taking place in France are (if sincere) most remarkable. Myfriends think that one of L. N. 's objects is to have a debate on hisforeign policy and his relations with Italy, which--as he well knows--willbe extremely adverse to the Italian cause, and afford him a pretext forabandoning Victor Emanuel. There is some idea that when Francis II. Evacuates Gaëta, he will surrender it, not to Victor Emanuel, but toFrance. I expect this affair in Southern Italy to end by a Muratistdemonstration; in other words, the Neapolitans will place themselves underthe protection of France to escape from the Piedmontese. .. . Thank God, yournamesake and my friend, Henry Brougham Loch, [Footnote: Now Lord Loch, then secretary to Lord Elgin, in China. He and Harry Parkes had beentreacherously seized by the Chinese on September 18th, and kept in vilestdurance and imminent danger of being put to death till October 8th, when, after the capture of the Summer Palace, both the prisoners were released. ]is safe. We have been very uneasy about him, and not without cause. TheChina war is a slough of despond: the further we advance the more we shallflounder, until we are half ruined by our successes. _62 Rutland Gate, December 24th_. --I have shut myself up for some days, totry to get rid of an irritation in the larynx, which has troubled me forsome time past; but in this weather one's library is the most secureretreat. _62 Rutland Gate, January 3rd_. --I see the Court of Queen's Bench in Canadahas decided in favour of the extradition of the fugitive slave who turnedand slew his pursuer. This surprises me; for surely, by our law, such anact is not murder. What, however, interests me most is to know whether thecase can be brought up to the Privy Council by way of appeal. I do notknow what form the proceedings in Canada have taken; but I apprehend theproceedings are civil, not criminal, and therefore appealable. If it doescome here, it will be a matter of great interest. The reference is to the celebrated case of John Anderson--or Jack--a negroof Missouri, who, in 1853, had been met by one Diggs, a white man, thirtymiles away from his home. In accordance with the laws of the State, Diggsattempted to seize him. Anderson killed Diggs, and--by 'the undergroundrailway'--made good his escape to Canada, where he had lived ever since. In 1860 he had been recognised, and, on formal application for hisextradition, he had been arrested. The Court of Queen's Bench in Canadaaccepted the argument that they had to decide only as to the evidence ofthe commission of the crime, not as to the nature of it, and remanded theprisoner. In England the excitement was very great. The Secretary of Statesent out an order that Anderson was not to be given up without instructionsfrom him; and the Court of Queen's Bench sent out a writ of _habeascorpus_, directing the man to be brought before it. But meanwhile anapplication for a writ of _habeas corpus_ had been made to the Courtof Common Pleas in Canada, and the prisoner had been discharged on thetechnical ground that he was not charged with any crime included in theExtradition Treaty, as, for instance, murder; for the indictment was thathe did 'wilfully, maliciously and feloniously stab and kill, &c. , ' wordswhich meant, inferentially, manslaughter; and manslaughter was notrecognised by the treaty. [Footnote: See _Annual Register_, 1831, part ii. P. 520. ] The Journal here mentions the awfully sudden death of a friend of manyyears' standing:-- _January 8th_. --The Frederick Elliots and Marochettis dined with us. Therewas a frost, and torches on the Serpentine. Mrs. F. Elliot drove round tosee it, and went home and died in the night [of a spasm of the heart. Thenews reached Reeve by a note from Mr. Elliot, dated seven o'clock in themorning]. _From Mr. E. Twisleton_ Bonchurch, January 24th. My dear Reeve, --I am much obliged to you for your letter of the 18thinstant, which has been forwarded to me here. I am sorry to say that Ihave so much on my hands at present that I could not undertake to write anarticle on American affairs; though I am equally obliged to you for theproposal. I lament what has taken place in the United States. Although, in a narrowpolitical sense, a disruption may be useful to England, in another point ofview it is a misfortune, inasmuch as the maintenance of one confederationduring seventy-two years, over such a vast extent of territory, with nocivil war, and only two foreign wars, is the greatest thing which theEnglish race has done out of England, and its dissolution is sure to beviewed with pleasure by all who in their hearts hate free institutions andthe English race. Since Brown's attempt to excite an insurrection of the slaves in Virginia, I have thought it impossible to avoid a civil war, if the anti-slaveryfeeling in the North went on increasing in intensity, as I have known itto increase during the last ten years; but I had not the most distant ideathat Lincoln's election would lead to immediate secession on the part ofeven a single state. In the north of the Union they have been absolutelytaken by surprise, and have hardly yet made up their minds as to the coursethey will pursue. If Congress had merely to deal with South Carolina, itcould easily checkmate that one state; but the difficulty arises from the_number_ of states, which either side with South Carolina or will not actagainst her. I have the highest respect for Tocqueville's opinion; but I do not happento remember what he has written respecting secession. I well understand thedifficulty for a confederation if any one state has a settled permanentdetermination to secede from it. But, under the constitution, Congress hasample powers to levy the federal revenue and maintain the laws of theUnion in South Carolina--and to pass all laws necessary for this purpose. Moreover, everyone in the Union who levies war against the United StatesGovernment is guilty of treason, and there is no recognition in theconstitution of any right in any state to secede from the Union. Underthese circumstances, everyone in South Carolina caught in arms against thefederal Government is liable to be hanged. With such laws and powers, anunited Congress and a resolute president, like General Jackson, would soonreduce South Carolina to submission; and my belief is that the same mightbe the case if there were a league against the Union of the cotton statesalone. For a time Congress would baffle such a league quite as effectuallyas the Swiss Confederation put down the Sonderbund. Pray give my kind regards to Mrs. Reeve. I expect to be in London at theend of next week, and I shall be happy to communicate and receive ideas onAmerican politics. The critical point at present is the course which willbe pursued by Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. Yours very truly, EDWARD TWISLETON. The Journal notes:-- _February 26th_. --Dined with the Apponyis, now Austrian ambassador; Duchessof Wellington, Clarendon, Lewis, Lady Westmorland, and Mme. De Bury, whowas in great favour at Vienna. _To Lord Brougham_ _62 Rutland Gate, March 1st_. --Never was a session opened with so littleinterest. I believe it is quite true that the Tories are resolved to_ménager_ Palmerston as much as possible, and to enter into no hostilecombinations against him with the Radicals. In fact, Palmerston is gainingground with the Conservatives, and losing it with some sections of theLiberals. He has exasperated the Irish Catholics to the last degree; andfor my own part, I think his language and conduct about Mr. Turnbull'sresignation highly discreditable. It is another specimen of the unhappyinfluence of Shaftesbury's ignorance and bigotry. However, the practicalresult is that the Government have lost Cork by a large majority, and thatat the next election there will hardly be a ministerial candidate returnedin Ireland. It is impossible not to see that the general tendency of the public mind inthis country is rather towards conservatism than reform. Even the reformersare compelled to haul down their bill; and if the Tories had better men tofill the offices, I think they would, in two or three years, have a fairchance of regaining power and keeping it. At the present moment, the bishops seem to be the most eager combatants; inFrance they are denouncing the Emperor [Footnote: In January 1860 Reeve wastold in Paris that the Pope spoke of him as the beast of the Apocalypse. ]as Pontius Pilate; in England they are thirsting for the blood of a fewheterodox parsons. Nothing is talked of here but 'Essays and Reviews. ' Inmy humble opinion they by no means deserve the importance attached to them, either in point of style or in point of substance. Keep my secret, but I have in preparation a regular mine under EtonCollege. There has been of late a good deal of discussion about it, withvery little knowledge. Fortunately, I have lighted upon the evidence takenby you before your celebrated committee in 1818, all which is still quiteapplicable. Eton is very little improved, and the depredations of theFellows go on with shameless audacity. I mention this to you because yourcommittee has been of so much use to us; but I wish to keep the thing veryquiet till the next number of the 'Review' makes its appearance. _From Lord Brougham_ _Cannes, March 4th_. --It is very odd that for two or three days I had beenreading and discussing with one or two Eton men here the subject on whichyou propose to do infinite service, but of course I shall not even dropthe most remote allusion to your plan. The conduct at Eton is perfectlyscandalous; our two boys never cost less than 200 £. A year while they werethere; and I believe the case is understated, and not overstated, in the'Cornhill Magazine, ' and other places. One of the men who spoke to me aboutit said it was no fault of mine, but of Eldon, that it had not all been setright forty years ago--alluding to the Education Commission to which yourefer. I recollect being reluctantly forced to insert the exemption in theAct and in the commission of inquiry. He had opposed the whole bill, andwe defeated him in the Lords when he attempted to throw it out--a veryextraordinary event in those days. But Rosslyn, Holland, and others who hadcharge of the bill, were apprehensive of being beaten on a further stage ifwe held out on the exemptions. In 1819 (the year after) I endeavoured toremove the exemptions in the Extensions Act to all charities, and this gaverise to Peel's very shabby attack on the whole inquiry when I was veryunwell, and wholly unprepared, and to my defence in the speech which I haveoften said I could not now make if I would, and would not if I could. Iventure to refer to it, however, as the most remarkable I ever made in allrespects. When you have sprung your mine, I hope and trust the 'Quarterly' willfollow your example. If Elwin was still in command I feel confident hewould, for he has always joined against Eldon & Co. I highly approve yourkeeping it quite secret on every account. Here the Journal has:-- _April 9th_. --I was elected a member of 'The Club, ' in place of LordAberdeen--proposed by Lord Stanhope; the greatest social distinction I everreceived. This was the literary club founded in 1764 by Reynolds and Johnson, which, in the course of years, had dropped all extraneous title, and become simplyThe Club. 'It still continues the most famous of the dining societies ofLondon, and in the 133 years of its existence has perhaps seen at itstables more men of note than any other society. '[Footnote: _EdinburghReview_, April 1897, p. 291. ] Gibbon, who became a member of it in 1774, had suggested the form in which a new member was to be apprised of thedistinction conferred on him. This has continued in use to the presentday, and on April 9th, 1861, a copy of it was sent to Reeve, signed by thepresident of the evening:-- Sir, --I have the pleasure to inform you that you have this evening had thehonour of being elected a member of The Club. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, GEORGE RICHMOND. This was followed, a week later, by another letter from the same writer:-- 10 York Street, Portman Square, April 16th. My dear Mr. Reeve, --I have just returned to town and found your note of the10th inst. , and I lose not a minute in writing to say that the electionwhich I had so much pleasure in announcing to you, I announced as presidentfor the night, and in the form of words prescribed by Gibbon. The moment Ihad written it I began a note to you in my own proper person, but I did notknow whether it would be quite regular to send it, and I had to leave townon the following morning. The 'Sir, ' and 'I am, Sir, ' which anything butexpress what I feel, I most gladly exchange now, if you will allow it, fora very different greeting, and I beg to remain, my dear Mr. Reeve, Very faithfully yours, GEORGE RICHMOND. The Bishop of London was elected on the same night with you, and it mayinterest you to know that the members present were:-- Lord Lansdowne. Lord Clarendon. Sir H. Holland. Sir David Dundas. The Dean of St. Paul's. Sir Charles Eastlake. Lord Stanley. Lord Cranworth. Lord Stanhope. Duke of Argyll. _To Madame de Tocqueville_ 62 Rutland Gate, April 17th. My dear Madame de Tocqueville, --I have just published, in the 'EdinburghReview, ' a short notice of that book and that life which are to you thedearest things in the world, and to all of us, his friends, among thedearest. A few separate copies have been struck off, and I send one to youby this post, which will, I hope, reach you with this letter. It was amatter of sincere regret to me that I found it impossible to executemy intention of translating the two volumes, [Footnote: Oeuvres etCorrespondance inédites d'Alexis de Tocqueville, publiées et précédéesd'une notice par Gustave de Beaumont. ] partly because I found that I wastoo prominently noticed in them, and partly because our friends, theSeniors, were much bent on the undertaking. I therefore relinquished it intheir favour. But I always intended to express in my own manner my deepaffection for the memory of your husband, and my estimate of his geniusas a man of letters and a statesman. This I have attempted to do in thisarticle, and though I am sensible that it falls far short of the subject ofit, yet you will discover in it traces and reminiscences of that whichwas one of the greatest happinesses and honours of my life--our mutualfriendship. _From Lord Brougham_ _Cannes, April 24th_. --I have read the Eton article with greatsatisfaction, and I really think it must have the best effect. But Ker, towhom I lent my copy of the number, is not quite satisfied; but he takesextreme views. He also thinks you have not ascribed enough to the EducationCommittee of 1818, or rather to the effect of our being thwarted by Eldon, Peel, &c. But he was very deep in that controversy at the time, havingdefended the committee in a pamphlet, and I believe also in the 'EdinburghReview, ' and may be apt, therefore, to take an exaggerated view of thesubject. I am still cruelly hurt at the Newton monument being for ever cushioned. IfElwin had remained editor of the 'Quarterly' it would have been taken up, and on right grounds. Indeed, a learned professor had actually prepared ascientific and popular article on the subject; but Elwin retired, and the'Quarterly Review' will now do nothing. Altogether I believe there neverwill be a monument to the greatest man that England ever had, or will have. I am anxious to read the rest of the number, but have only just got it, andI sent it to Ker after I had read the Eton; and I am unwilling to delaythanking you for that. The Journal notes:-- Went down to Weymouth alone for a few days in May, Read Buckle's secondvolume on the way. _June 17th_. --Dinner at Lansdowne House to the Comte de Paris and the Duede Chartres; Elgins, Holfords, Bishop of Oxford, Grotes, &c. _From Lord Clarendon_ _G. G. , June 28th_. --I did not expect that any answer to the Eton articlewould be attempted, for it was unanswerable; the facts were real facts, andthe moderation with which they were stated made them all the more telling. The commission is the proper corollary to it; and so many parents ofill-educated boys appear to think. _To Mr. G. Dempster_ _62 Rutland Gate, August 5th_. --In spite of Sir H. Holland's drugs, I seemy fate is sealed; and as I cannot even now put on a shoe, it is vain tohope that I shall be able to walk for some time; and, indeed, to avoidrelapses, I must undergo a regular cure of Vichy water. Therefore, withextreme regret, I make up my mind to turn my face south, instead of north, as soon as I can move. .. . I fear that, having lost the present month, thereis little hope of our reaching Scotland at all this year. Accordingly, the Journal has:-- Bad fit of gout in July and August. Went to Vichy on August 10th. The heatwas extreme, and the waters made me worse. Thence to Clermont, Pontgibaud, Gergovia. Home on the 31st. _September 1st_. --To Torry Hill [Lord Kingsdown's]--first time; shot there. Farnborough; Atherstone; Torry Hill again on the 21st. Stetchworth-goodshooting. _From Lord Clarendon_ _Harpton Court, September 22nd_. --I would have gladly escaped the Prussianmission, [Footnote: For the coronation of the King. ] which is not much tomy taste, but the Queen insisted, and the Viscount [Footnote: LordPalmerston. ] and the Earl [Footnote: Lord John, created Earl Russell onJuly 30th, 1861. ] attached political importance to it, so I yielded, andLady C. And Constance and Emily are, also on royal recommendation, toaccompany me. The two latter are of an age to like a lark, which is morethan their respected parents do. I need not say that my hope of doing anygood by a flying visit in the midst of a carousal is exceedingly small; butI know the King well, and shall have no difficulty in telling him what Ibelieve to be the truth concerning his interests. I am sorry to hear that you have been worried by gout, and that Vichy didyou no good. I am inclined to speak well of Wiesbaden, for the gloriousweather I had there (94° in the shade always) made the waters effective, and somehow I felt younger; but that pleasant sensation is now rather onthe decline. _From M. Guizot_ Val Richer, 7 Octobre. My dear Sir, --Votre tante, Madame Austin, qui est ici depuis quinze jours, a fait hier, en se promenant dans une petite voiture traînée par un âne, etqu'elle menait elle-même, une chute dans laquelle elle s'est fait, au coudedu bras droit, une luxation qui nous a fait craindre d'abord une fracturegrave. Mon médecin de Lisieux, que j'ai envoyé chercher sur le champ, a réduit la luxation, c'est-à-dire ramené les os du coude dans leuremboîtement naturel. Petite opération fort douloureuse, mais simple et sansgravité au fond. Madame Austin en sera quitte pour deux ou trois semainesde repos et d'immobilité absolue de son bras, qui est contenu dans deséclisses. Au premier moment, elle a été fort ébranlée par cet accident. Mon médecin une fois arrivé, elle s'est remise; elle a eu un peu de fièvrecette nuit; mais elle a dormi, et elle est assez bien ce matin, presquesans souffrance de son bras. J'espère qu'elle se remettra promptement; maisje n'ai pas voulu que vous ignorassiez la cause de la prolongation de sonabsence. Ma fille Henriette écrit à Sir Alexander Gordon. Avec la santé deMadame Austin, tout accident peut être grave; mais je crois que vous pouvezêtre sans inquiétude sur les conséquences de celui-ci. Mon médecin estun homme habile qui soignera très bien votre tante, et mes filles luiépargneront un mal très pénible, l'ennui de l'immobilité. Je ne vous parle pas aujourd'hui d'autre chose. Si vous étiez là, nouscauserions. De loin, il n'y a rien qui vaille la peine d'être écrit. Tout àvous, my dear Sir, GUIZOT. The gout was still threatening; so, according to the Journal:-- To Aix in October; back by Paris. Went to stay with Lord and Lady Cowley atChantilly; they had hired the _chasse_ and the _château_. Shooting there, November 11th. Home on the 16th. At this time Lord Brougham was preparing the autobiography which waspublished shortly after his death. Early in November his brother, Mr. Brougham, wrote to Reeve, begging him to bring his influence to bear, andinduce Lord Brougham to make this biography interesting and amusing. Hewrote:-- _From Mr. W. Brougham_ _Paris, November 14th_. --Mind you dwell on books of biography which havefailed for lack of personal matter and anecdotes, and use this argument, which (for reasons I need not trouble you with) will, I know, have moreweight than anything you can urge--that, irrespective of any questionof his own fame or reputation, if he wishes the book to be eminentlysuccessful in a commercial point of view, he must give as much as possibleevery detail, no matter how minute, and tell everything connected with hisown history and doings. That circumstances he may consider trivial all havethe greatest interest with the general public, who are the buyers he mustlook to; that people don't want to read history in such a book as hisautobiography; what they want is his life, and not a history of histimes--anecdotes or peculiarities of his Bar and Bench friends; how heworked as a boy to make himself mathematician and orator; how he workedfor the English Bar; his early associates in Edinburgh, both at school andcollege, and all connected with the beginnings of the 'Edinburgh Review;'his early associates in London before he came into Parliament in 1809, andfor years afterwards; all he did at Birmingham in '90, '91, and '92, whenhe lived there with his tutor; all he can recollect of his mother andgrandmother-paternal, but more especially maternal. In short, everypersonal thing, no matter how trifling, will be the making, as the omissionwill be the marring, of the book. I am persuaded that a good strong letter from you will have immense effect;and don't be afraid of making it too long; the more topics like those Ihave hastily put down above you can give him to think over, now he isquietly at Cannes, the more chance we have of his digging into his mind andearly recollections, and producing what we want. Don't forget to quote Guizot; also tell him that Lord Malmesbury's heavybook was saved solely by the gossip in the third and fourth volumes. Thefirst two are heavy historical matter that would have sunk a 74. The letter which Reeve wrote in consequence of this has unfortunatelynot been preserved, but it is evident from Lord Brougham's reply that itclosely followed the lines suggested by his brother. _From Lord Brougham_ _Cannes, November 17th_. --I have not words to express how grateful I feelfor your most kind letter, which arrived this morning. I fear I must admitall you say on the necessity of much personal matter. However, I reallyfeel certain that, with the political and general, there will be a numberof personal anecdotes interspersed. Thus in the Queen's trial, numberlesssingular anecdotes, professional and other; and on the changes ofgovernment and the unity of our administration, strange things ofindividuals: e. G. Lord Grey having, six months before taking office in1830, positively declared to Lansdowne that he had resolved never to takeoffice; and in 1822, to me, that unless I would consent to take office, andbe leader in the Commons, nothing should induce him to take part in anyadministration--there being then an expectation of an offer to us; inanswer to which I positively refused leaving the progressives. I give theseas examples of what the correspondence contains. I quite feel, however, that something personal and in early life will be desiderated. If you lookat my 'Life of Robertson' you will see all you refer to about his being atBrougham, and about the translation of 'Florus, ' and other anecdotes, anda good deal about my grandmother. Indeed, in that Life, and in mycontributions to the 'Law Review, ' there are numberless anecdotes ofinterest. I cannot conclude on this subject without expressing how grieved I am tosee what you say of my old and dear friend Richardson. He wrote in verygood spirits last spring, and I fear he has had some severe illness since. Pray let me know how this is. The mention of him reminds me of an instance that matters which derivetheir whole interest from connexion with myself are thus very hateful toset down. He had given me a sermon and a hymn, written by the Principal'sfather--my great-grandfather. When I attended the Glasgow congress lastyear, the hymn was by mere accident sung in the church where we were on themorning after our arrival: Let not your hearts with anxious thoughts Be troubled and dismayed, &c. I believe I was the only person in Glasgow who knew that the old ministerwas the author, or who knew of his existence. [Footnote: Cf. _Life andTimes of Lord Brougham_, i. 30. ] Now such things would make the narrativea tissue of mere egotism. However, I feel the force of your remarksexceedingly. Certainly when Guizot's book came out, and I was asked myopinion of it, and some defects were pointed out, I could not avoid sayingthere was a worse defect than all they mentioned; there would be a defectof readers. And so it has proved; I have, with all my respect for him, anddesire to read, been unable to get through a volume. I must set about digging in my published works for anecdotes; and, as inthe case of Robertson's Life, I may find a great number which, apart frompersonality, may be interesting in their connexion with events. Againrepeating my gratitude, believe me, most sincerely yours, H. BROUGHAM. _To Madame de Tocqueville_ Paris, November 15th. My dear Madame De Tocqueville, --Although on the point of leaving Paris, I must write two lines to express to you my gratitude for allowing M. DeBeaumont to return to me some of my own letters, which derive some value inmy eyes from their connexion with my ever-lamented and illustrious friend. I have had a melancholy satisfaction here in seeing the bust which M. Salaman has made. It surpasses my expectations, especially as regardsthe mouth and forehead, and I trust that even you will not be entirelydisappointed in it. _From Lord Clarendon_ _The Grove, November 19th_. --I have only a minute for writing, as we havehad Princess Alice here all day, and I, of course, could do nothing but thevery easy task of entertaining her. I was very glad to get your letter, as I thought you were still abroad, andI only hope you are as glad to find yourself at home again as I am, thoughI am not sorry to have been to Berlin. I rather envy you being at Parisduring the late crisis, and getting the first impressions upon it. .. . Ihave no doubt the deficit is about what Senex [Footnote: Reeve was at thistime writing occasional letters in the _Times_ under the signature of'Senex. ' Lord Clarendon seems to have known this. Other correspondents didnot; notably Lord Kingsdown, some of whose letters innocently comment onthe opinions expressed by Senex. ] puts it at. I read your admirable letterwith great pleasure, and thought it must be yours, though I did notunderstand whence it was written. I should very much like to have a talk with you. If you are not engaged, why shouldn't you and Mrs. And Miss Reeve come here on Saturday? We haveasked Granville and C. C. G. ; and I believe Lewis is coming. Miladi wouldwrite to propose this to Mrs. Reeve, but thinks she will consider twoletters unnecessary. _From Lord Brougham_ _Cannes, December 8th_. There is a new complication of the American case, and I fear, though I don't join in what I find the universal feeling inEngland, that the Government of Washington will hold out. But even if theygive in, this hesitation, and their manifest fear of the mob, is the mostcomplete confirmation of all I have been so long and so often preaching, of the extreme mischief of mob-government. They are in the hands of themob--and one of the worst mobs in the world. You see they even are underthis dominion as to their military operations; for their disaster at Bull'sRun was owing to the clamour forcing their comrades to advance and dosomething; and now no one can have the least doubt that, if Lincoln andSeward were left to themselves, a war with England would be the thing theymost dreaded; yet it is very possible they may feel unable to resist themob-clamour, and may bring on that calamity. The mob of Paris threw Franceinto all the horrors of the reign of terror (1793-4), which have left suchindelible disgrace on the French, and which stopped all improvement both inFrance and in Europe for a quarter of a century, and which even now createsuch a force in favour of despotism--as they did in the first Napoleon'stime. But I don't think the evils of mob-government--that is, of thesupreme power being in persons not individually responsible--can be moreclearly manifested, though they may not lead to such atrocious crimes, thanin the States of America--and the southern as well as the northern--forthe mob governs in both. My opinion will be the same, even if, contrary toprobability, the Washington men are stout enough to resist the mob; forthis hesitation and this struggle against the insanity of war could only beoccasioned by the mob tyranny. Prince Albert died on December 14th. It was impossible to allow an event soimportant in the political as well as in the social history of the reign topass without a notice in the 'Edinburgh Review, ' and that on the earliestoccasion; though, in the middle of December, some special arrangement hadto be made for it. It was, in fact, brought into the concluding pages ofthe article on 'May's Constitutional History of England. ' But the subjectwas one which called for exceeding care and delicacy in the handling. Theservices of Prince Albert to the Crown had been many and great; but by thecountry at large they were still looked on with jealousy and suspicion. Aprofound sympathy was everywhere felt for the death of the Queen's husband;the death of a man regarded by an ignorant prejudice as the embodiment ofGerman influence in the Cabinet might easily be considered as no greatloss. Reeve seems to have consulted Lord Clarendon as to how much or howlittle it was prudent to say; in answer to which Lord Clarendon wrote:-- _The Grove, December 31st_. --I feel, as you do, that the events of the lastmonth are too vast in themselves and in their consequences for discussionby letter, though I should much like to have a day's talk over them withyou. I am very glad that you mean to undertake the task--a labour of love--ofdoing honour to the Prince, as I am sure it will be admirably performed;but I would suggest to you not to be too precise as to the manner in whichhe exercised his political influence. .. . There is a vague belief that hisinfluence was great and useful; but there is a very dim perception of the_modus operandi_. .. . Peel certainly took the Prince into council much morethan Melbourne, who had his own established position with the Queen beforethe Prince came to this country; but I cannot tell you whether it was Peelwho first gave him a cabinet key. My impression is that Lord Duncannon, during the short time he was Home Secretary, sent the Prince a key when theQueen was confined, and the contents of the boxes had to be read or signedby her. The concluding sentence in the next letter from Lord Clarendon refers tothe feeling which had been roused in Canada by the threat of war betweenEngland and the United States. The Canadians showed an exemplary loyalty;and great numbers of Irish--many of whom (like O'Reilly) had been known athome as turbulent characters--now not only pressed forward to be enrolledin the militia, but formed themselves into special regiments. _The Grove, January 21st_. --I cannot help telling you how excellent I thinkyour article on the Prince. You have said the right thing in the right way, and have so hit the happy medium between justice to him and no flatteryor exaggeration, that I am sure the article will be read with pleasure byeverybody, because it exactly reflects the public feeling. The Belligerent and Neutral article is also very good, and I expectthat the temperate and sensible way in which the author recommends theabandonment of rights we can never again exercise will have some usefulresults. The loyalty of Canada is far greater than I expected; but that the Frenchand Irish there should come out so strong for the Crown against Democracyis indeed a surprise. That Captain Eugene O'Reilly was a tremendous patriotin '48; and if I had not put him in prison for a little time to cool, hewould have made a greater donkey of himself than he did. The next letter from Lord Clarendon relates to a point on which widelydifferent opinions have been and will be held, till it is decided in theonly practical way. It would be foreign to our present purpose to argueit here; but it is interesting to see the opinion of the man who, more distinctly than any other, was responsible for the great changetheoretically introduced into our maritime code by the Declaration ofParis. _The Grove, January 28th_. --With respect to alterations in our maritime lawand usages, I don't know what Russell's opinion may be, but I know thatPalmerston does, or did, think the time come for relinquishing rights thatwe can no longer exercise. He readily assented to the doctrines laid downat Paris in '56, and was so entirely of my opinion about going further thathe tried it on at Liverpool some time afterwards; but that part of hisspeech was so ill received, and he received so many remonstrances againstgiving up the _palladium_, &c. &c. , that he told me when he returned toLondon that the pear was not ripe, and that we must give public opinion alittle more time to become reasonable. On January 9th Charles Sumner had spoken at great length in the UnitedStates Senate, proving, very much to his own satisfaction and that of hisfellow-citizens, that the surrender of Mason and Slidell was a great moralvictory, confirming the principles of maritime law for which they hadalways contended, and which the English now admitted. A short telegraphicsummary of this had caught the mail at Halifax, and been published in the'Times' of the 20th; but it was not till the 27th that the United Statespapers, with the full report, reached England. Of this the 'Times'--on itsown part--took no further notice; but on February 1st it published a longand most scathing criticism of it by 'Historicus' (Mr. , now Sir, WilliamHarcourt). _From Lord Clarendon_ _The Grove, January 30th_. --When you can spare it, I shall be very glad tosee Sumner's speech. .. . Russell was, of course, guided in his despatches by the law officers, andit is no wonder, therefore, that they should resemble the papers that hadpreviously appeared--many of which were written by lawyers--or that theyshould be a reproduction of them; as a government could not, without riskof failure in its peaceful object, express itself with the vigour of Senexor the 'Edinburgh Review. ' The most important despatch of all, however, andthe one upon which everything hung--viz. The demand for reparation--waswell conceived and executed, and did its work effectually. _From Lord Brougham_ _Cannes, February 16th_. --I yesterday met Miss Courtenay, who gave me thevery pleasing information that Mrs. Austin had excellent accounts of LadyDuff Gordon, and was quite easy about her. I trust you will confirm thisaccount, and also add to it a general good account of Mrs. Austin herself. I hope there is a good article on the Amendment Cases in the 'E. R. ' Theyhave stupidly omitted to send it from Grafton Street. The 'Quarterly' came, and a better article than our friend your neighbour's never was written. Iadmired it so much that I wrote to him about it. Pray tell him my opinionof it, in case my letter should have miscarried, and that I admired it farmore than I did the very spiteful article of someone inspired by a personalenmity against myself, and who has not the common sense and fairness, whenrelying on the wholly immaterial circumstance of my mis-stating the day ofthe Westminster election (the night of Princess Charlotte's running away), to see that Dundonald [Footnote: _Autobiography of a Seaman_, ii. 892. Ithas, however, been recently shown (Atlay's _Trial of Lord Cochrane_, pp. 330 _et seq. _) that Lord Dundonald had very little to do with it. ] makesthe Duke of Sussex fall into the very same mistake. _Cannes_ [_February_]. --I am much obliged to you for your kind letter, andrejoice to hear of the good intelligence [Footnote: As to the health ofLady Duff Gordon. ] from the Cape which will be such a relief to my valuedfriend, her mother. The American news is a good deal more favourable, but still they arenot out of the wood, or anything like it; and, even if they beat theSoutherners in the field, the re-union is as far off as ever. Their onlysafe course is to regard the whole campaign as a kind of drawn battle, andboth sides to negotiate as to terms of separation. I have no doubt that a certain most intriguing ambassadress is at thebottom of the spiteful attack in the 'Quarterly, ' and she will find her ownletters rise up in judgement against her. She never will forgive my havingbeen at the dancing school with her, because that makes her near eighty, and she pretends only to be seventy-four. I am in constant expectation of a paper from a great mathematician, towhich will be added, by B. Ker, artistic matter on monuments. It will beall sent to you, in the hope that it may assist whoever you have put on themonument question. _Cannes, March 17th. _--I am extremely sorry to find that, after all, Icannot finish you the Cambridge article on Newton, to be used at yourdiscretion, or that of your contributor; for Mr. Routh has no less thanfive wranglers, including the senior, as his pupils, and this has entirelyoccupied him, to the exclusion of all other work. I trust it will notprevent the article. In truth, my discourse at Grantham contains all thelearning on the subject, and it may be used without any acknowledgementwhatever, and I shall never complain of the plagiarism. The Journal records:-- _April 4th. _--Breakfast to the Philobiblon at home. There came the Dued'Aumale, Van de Weyer, Milman, Lord Taunton. _To Mr. Dempster_ _Exeter, April 25th_. --If that providence which shapes our ends will butfinish those I rough-hew, I trust that the second week in October, orperhaps a few days earlier, will see us at Skibo. We hope to start straightfor the far North as soon as ever my autumnal egg is laid. .. . We have hit on an Easter ramble, original and agreeable. I sent down myhorses to my father's-in-law, in Dorset, and for the last week Christineand I have been riding gently along the coast of South Devon. Yesterday wewent to see Sir John Coleridge's place at Ottery St. Mary, and he droveus also round the neighbourhood. To-day we have been at Lady Rolle's, atBicton, on our way from Sidmouth, to see her gardens and arboretum, whichare really marvels of beauty and growth. To-morrow we shall saunter on toDawlish, and so at last reach Plymouth, I believe. I want to get out of theway of the Exhibition opening, which bores me. At Torquay we expect to findthe Fergusons of Raith and the Scotts of Ancrum. I hear that other literary entrepreneurs have been as much struck as I amby the power and judgement there is in all that is written by a certainyoung author of our acquaintance. [Footnote: See ante, vol. I. P. 374. ]To write as well as that is a gift; but it is more for it cannot be donewithout infinite practice, labour, and good sense. At Devonport they saw Mount Edgcumbe and the ironclad frigate 'Warrior'then still a novelty, and unquestionably the most powerful ship of warafloat. The Journal adds: 'Back to town on May 3rd. ' _From Lord Brougham_ _Cannes, April 22nd_. --I have just got the new number, and hasten to sayhow much I am pleased with the only article I have had time to read withcare, the Alison. [Footnote: 'Alison's Lives of Lord Castlereagh and Sir C. Stewart, ' April 1862. ]Nothing can be more able or more triumphant, andit is quite fair and candid towards Castlereagh, and much more than fairtowards Ch. Stewart, Indeed, if the letter to me deserves half what is saidin its praise, [Footnote: _Sc_. ' one of the most caustic and successfulpamphlets that have appeared in defence of an unpopular cause. '] he nevercould have written it himself; and his gross stupidity in construing whatI have said of his brother, and affixing a meaning which none but himselfever did, or could, was at the time admitted by his friends, whom he hadconsulted, and in spite of whom he had published--among others, Strangford, from whom I heard what had passed. I have a copy of my own, which I shouldlike the author of the article to see, and shall send it through you when Ireturn, for it is out of print. One of the blockhead's follies was the notperceiving how great a panegyric I had bestowed on his brother's speakingin the H. Of Commons, after fully stating its defects. In fact, he had muchgreater weight as leader than Canning, who, by the way, is too much praisedin the article. Such a book as Alison's is almost incredible for itsbadness of all kinds; but the author (on p. 521, line six from foot) giveshim a pull or two as to style by 'ineligible for election'--though that isa trifle. The care with which the whole subject is treated, and the grosserrors--partly from ignorance, partly from adulation--exposed is quiteadmirable. I have naturally been attracted to the Monument article, but have not hadtime fully to profit by it; only I am greatly indebted to the learnedauthor for what he says of my Grantham address. [Footnote: 'PublicMonuments, ' April 1862, p. 550. ] However, I should have been far betterpleased had he left me out altogether, and dwelt at more length on thedisgrace of the country never having erected a monument to the greatest manshe ever produced--indeed, the greatest [that has] ever been. He seemsnot to be aware of the one in Westminster Abbey having been raised by hisniece's family, and not by the public. _Cannes, April 27th_. --I have a complaint to make of the 'E. R. ' lastnumber. In the learned and able article on 'Jesse's Richard III. , ' at p. 307, Lingard is referred to as having quoted the commission of the HighConstable. I have scanned every line and every word of Lingard and find nosuch commission. But in a note to the third volume of Hume, note R, thecommission is given verbatim from Rymer. Jock Campbell used to hold that afalse reference was an offence that ought to be made penal. I don't goso far, but the evil is very great. I have lost three or four hours inconsequence. Therefore, pray have inquiry made of your contributor whetheror not I am right; and if not, where in Lingard the quotation is. Reeve referred the 'complaint' to Hayward, the writer of the article, whoreplied:-- I believe B. Is right, for when I corrected the proof I looked in vain inLingard, although I was firmly convinced that he had quoted the document. But pray remind his lordship that, when Campbell spoke of a falsereference, he meant one with volume and page. Lord Brougham's answer to this defence is not given, but it is impossibleto allow it to pass without protest; for, whatever Campbell may have meant, it is very certain that a false reference, with volume and page cited, by which the falsehood is at once made manifest, is a venial offence incomparison with a false reference given vaguely, which may keep the victimhunting for it for hours, as this one actually did keep Lord Brougham. _From Lord Brougham_ _Cannes, May 7th_. --I wish to suggest to you the positive duty of takingcare that justice is done upon the trumpery, and one-sided, and altogetherinsignificant Life of Pitt by Stanhope. Murray having published it, ofcourse the 'Quarterly' has puffed it, and done so with an entire ignoranceof the subject which is hardly conceivable. Therefore take great carebefore you commit the subject to any unsafe hands. _To Lord Brougham_ _62 Rutland Gate, May 11th_. --As I have lived for many years on termsof personal friendship, and indeed intimacy, with Lord Stanhope, and amindebted to him for many acts of kindness, it would be quite impossible forme to attack his book, even if I thought as ill of it as you do. I shall, therefore, content myself with recording the very different view which Ientertain of the success of Mr. Pitt's administration. I think it may beshown that both in peace and in war he was one of the most unsuccessfulministers who ever exercised great power. On these lines Reeve himself wrote the article, which was published in the'Review' of July, and brought him the following:-- _From Lord Stanhope_ Grosvenor Place, July 17th. My dear Mr. Reeve, --Allow me to say how very much I have been gratifiedin reading the article on my 'Life of Pitt' in the new number of the'Edinburgh. ' Had the criticism been hostile I assure you that I should nothave felt that I had the smallest reason to complain; nor should I haveinquired or even wished to know the writer's name. But as the matterstands, I would ask to convey to him through you my acknowledgement for hisvery indulgent appreciation of myself, as well as for the perfect fairnessand honourable candour with which the public questions at issue between usare discussed. It would be a pleasure to me if either now or at some timehereafter he would permit me to become acquainted with the name of a criticwho is evidently so accomplished as to render the praise of no slight ormean account. Believe me, Very faithfully yours, STANHOPE. It does not appear that Lord Stanhope ever knew who the writer was. Meantime the Journal notes:-- This was the year of the second Great Exhibition. _May 15th_. --The Binets came to see us. On the 21st the Duc d'Aumale's_fête_ to the Fine Arts Club; took Binet there. Went to the Derby withBinet and Stewart Hodgson. Xavier Raymond came. _July 22nd_. --Dined at the Clarendon with the Comtes de Paris and Chartres, on their return from the American war. Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar and theDue d'Aumale were there. _July 31st_. --Left London for Germany. By Ostend and Cologne to Wiesbaden, where the Boothbys and Hathertons were. Then to Nuremberg, Munich, Salzburg, and through the Tyrol to Venice. Stayed there till the 24th. _August 25th_. --Went to Arquà to see Petrarch's house and tomb. Milan;Italian lakes. Back over the St. Gothard, Lucerne, Paris. Home, September9th. _To Lord Brougham_ _C. O. , September 11th_. --Your very kind letter of last month wouldcertainly not have remained so long unanswered if I had been in England. But we have been travelling for the last five weeks in the Tyrol and thenorth of Italy; my letters were not forwarded, and I only received thatwhich you had been good enough to address to me on my return to Londonyesterday. There is probably no living opinion upon the character andadministration of Mr. Pitt so enlightened and valuable as your own, and Iam gratified in the highest degree to find that my attempt to place theleading acts of his administration in a somewhat new light meets with yourapproval. The chief defect in Lord Stanhope's book is, in my opinion, thatit does not present any connected view of Mr. Pitt as a statesman at all;and this the reader of the article may infer from every page of it. I beganto write with a disposition to place Mr. Pitt rather higher than he hadbeen placed before in the 'Review;' but upon a careful survey of hisconduct on each of these questions, I found the ground crumble away underme. As to the state of the army from 1783 to 1803, it was deplorable. Did youever see Sir Frederick Adam's notes on what the army was when, at the ageof 14, he entered it. [Footnote: In 1795. These notes do not seem to havebeen published. ] When the Duke of Wellington first went to the Peninsula, he gives a wretched account of the forces--ignorant officers and rascallymen. One of the grandest services the Duke rendered to his country wasthat he raised the character of the army and made it a most admirableinstrument. But that was long after the days of Pitt. The present Duke of Wellington tells me he is very well pleased with thearticle on his father's supplementary despatches in the last number ofthe 'Review, ' and I think it is fairly done. They are a mass of mostinteresting and instructive materials, but very few persons will masterthem, whilst the trash that Thiers calls history circulates broadcast inEurope. I heard in Paris on Sunday that 65, 000 copies of his 20th volumeare already sold. _To Mr. Dempster_ _C. O. , September 12th_. --We returned to England on Tuesday, after apleasant tour, but the weather drove us from the mountains to the plains, and instead of preparing ourselves to graduate in the Alpine Club, weloitered in the galleries of Munich, Venice, and Milan, or amongst theremains of Padua and Verona. On the Lago Maggiore we met the Speaker[Footnote: Mr. Denison, afterwards Lord Ossington. ] and Lady Charlotte, andwith them crossed the St. Gothard to Lucerne. .. . We still hope, if it suitsyou, to come down to you when I have got quit of the 'Review. ' I shall beengaged in London till October 7th, and then we are going for a few days toRaith. .. But I hope about the 12th or 13th we may reach the far North. _From Lord Brougham_ _Brougham, September 14th_. --I can well believe that Wellington issatisfied with the review [Footnote: "Wellington's SupplementaryDespatches, " July 1862. ] of his father's correspondence. It is very ablyand very fairly done. But I wish it had reprimanded the Duke for makingthe publication nearly useless by giving no table of contents. When Icomplained of this, he said it had been considered, and that an index wouldhave been hardly possible. My answer was that I did not want an index, butonly a dozen of pages giving the dates and the titles of the letters insuccession. As it is, one can find no letter without turning over the wholeof a volume. Well, what shall we now say of the Disunited States? My last letter fromJ. Parkes, [Footnote: Probably Joseph Parkes, the well-known agent of theLiberal party. He died August 11th, 1865, but none of the obituary noticesmention his wife. ] who is married to a Yankee, and in correspondence withmany men of note in the North, represents the feeling to be growing formediation, but mediation on the ground of a re-uniting of the South, which means no mediation at all. But he says that the real feeling of theAmericans, both N. And S. , is of great respect for England, and pride intheir descent from and connexion with us. The tone of the press, however, shows that this feeling dares not be shown, and that the popularclamour--that is, the mob-cry--is t'other way. The Journal has:-- _September 12th_. --To Torry Hill; shooting for ten days. _22nd_. --Rode over to Leeds Castle with Lord Kingsdown. Farnborough, Stetchworth, Chorleywood (W. Longman's). _October 8th_. --To Raith, with Christine and Hopie. Mrs. Norton there. Then by Elgin and Burgh Head to Skibo. Shooting there. To Novar; back toEdinburgh and Kirklands, October 26th. Then to Abington on the 29th, andto Brougham--amusing visit. I was asked to read Lord B. 's Memoirs, anddissuade him from publishing them. To Ambleside to see Harriet Martineau. Thence to Badger Hall [Cheney's], November 8th. Went over Old Park ironworks. Home on November 11th. _December 17th_. --We went to Chevening, and met there the Grotes, Milman, Lord Stanley, Scharf, and Hayward. Lewis came on the 19th. Most agreeableparty. _22nd_. --Shooting at Stetchworth. _31st_. --To the Duke of Newcastle's at Clumber. Sir F. Rogers [afterwardsLord Blachford] there. _1863_. --The year opened at Clumber. The Webbes of Newstead, theManners-Suttons, Venables, and Herbert came there. Shooting good; caughtthree pike; rode with the Duke to Thoresby and Welbeck, through SherwoodForest. _January 6th_. --To the Speaker's at Ossington. _12th_. --I was made treasurer of the Literary Club [Footnote: This must notbe confused with The Club (see _post_, 133), which had long since droppedthe 'Literary. '] (Walpole's) on Adolphus' death. _February 25th_. --Prince of Wales' first levee. _March 7th_. --The Princess of Wales entered London on her marriage. I sawit from the Board of Trade rooms on London Bridge. Took the Dempstersthere. _27th_. --The Duke of Newcastle, Baron Gros (French ambassador), LordStanley, Mr. Adam, Lady Molesworth, Lord Kingsdown, and the Heads dinedwith us. It appears by the next letter, from Lord Clarendon, that Reeve had askedhim to review the first two volumes of Kinglake's 'Invasion of the Crimea, 'then on the point of publication. _The Grove, January 11th_. Some time ago I desired my booksellers to sendme the first copy they could procure of Kinglake's book, and I shall readit most carefully. .. . There are many reasons why I should not like toreview the work; but I am equally obliged to you for the offer, and Ishall, of course, communicate to you unreservedly my opinions upon it. With this promise of help at first hand, Reeve undertook the reviewhimself; but the letters which follow show that, though the hand was thehand of Reeve, the voice was the voice of Clarendon--a collaboration thatgives the article a very singular interest. _From Lord Clarendon_ _The Grove, January 23rd_. --Although I'm sure it is unnecessary, yet itoccurs to me to ask you not to quote my opinion of Kinglake's book; as, forthe present, and for a variety of reasons, I should prefer its not reachinghim in an indirect manner. I long for a quiet talk with you, and am sorrythat it must be postponed for a few days; but in the meanwhile Imay perhaps be able to refresh my memory by referring to my privatecorrespondence, which is in London. Let me have a line to say whatimpression the book makes in the world, as far as you have yet been ableto observe. I shall look with curiosity and some anxiety for the effect itproduces at Paris. _January 25th_. --Hayward has written to ask my opinion of the book. He isat Broadlands, and says that Palmerston is, on the whole, well pleased withthe portrait of himself, and that Lady P. Is enchanted. I think as you do of the second volume; there is nothing finer, that I knowof, in the English language than those successive battle pictures. He beatsNapier out of the field. The 'Times' does not seem to like the portrait ofitself. I thought the article yesterday ingenious. I shall hear shortlywhat effect the book produces at Paris. Persigny will, of course, prohibitits entrance, but he will not be able to shut out all the papers thatcontain extracts. _The Grove, February 8th_. --I fear that my notes would not be legible orintelligible to anyone but myself, and I should much like to have a littletalk with you on the book. Could you come here on Saturday next and staytill Monday? or if you should chance to be engaged on Saturday, would youcome down by the ten o'clock train on Sunday morning? I do not proposeSaturday morning, as I must myself be in London at the Schools Commissionon that day. _G. C. , February 25th_. --I shall be very glad to see the article in print. I am sure it will make a great sensation. Kinglake would induce people tobelieve that the Emperor was under an urgent necessity to turn away theattention of his subjects from his action at home, and that he thereforedragged us into the war fourteen or fifteen months after the _coup d'état_. It would, I think, be worth while to get some facts respecting his statusin France at that time. If I am not mistaken, he was in no trouble ordanger at all; for the nation had accepted him as a sort of deliverer fromthe _rouges_, the fear of whom had been terrifying people out of theirsenses. _G. C. , March 4th_. --The article quite comes up to my expectations, and Ilike it very much. I cannot think it obnoxious to the charge of dulness;but on that point I may not be an impartial judge, as the diplomaticdetails are to me intensely interesting. I have hardly any observations to make that would be worth your attendingto, but I will mention one or two things that have occurred to me. And this he did at considerable length, suggesting several confirmations, modifications, or additions. So long as this article was to be considered as an ordinary contributionto the 'Edinburgh Review, ' it bore merely the authority of the 'Review, 'which, however great, was in no sense official; but now that the shareof Lord Clarendon in its authorship is revealed, it assumes an extremeimportance, as an original, though necessarily partial, account of whattook place, and may be held as definitely settling the fate of some of theextraordinary misstatements which--foisted on the credulity of the publicby the literary skill, the brilliant language, and the unblushing audacityof Mr. Kinglake--have been accepted as history, and have passed intocurrent belief. Perhaps nothing concerning the Russian war is more commonlyrepeated than the statement that we were tricked into it by the Emperor ofthe French for his own selfish ends, and in his desire to be received intothe brotherhood of sovereigns; that our ministers were blindly followingthe lead of Louis Napoleon, and were guilty of a very gross blunder. It isunnecessary and would be out of place to enter here on the examination anddemolition of all this, as given in the pages of the 'Edinburgh Review;'and equally would it be out of place to discuss the question--as unknown toKinglake or to Reeve in 1863 as it was to Palmerston or Clarendon ten yearsearlier--whether we were not then, whether we have not been ever since, 'putting our money on the wrong horse. ' If we were, if we have been--athing which many among us are still unwilling to believe--it is at leastcertain that in 1853, as in 1840, it was all but universally held in thiscountry that it would be prejudicial and dangerous to our most importantinterests for either Russia or France to obtain sovereign control over theOttoman dominions, and that all the resources of diplomacy or of war oughtto be exerted to prevent it. In the joint article before us, the conditionof affairs in 1853 is thus stated in a few words:--'Russia had formed thedesign to extort from Turkey, in one form or another, a right of protectionover the Christians. She never abandoned that design. She thought she couldenforce it. The Western Powers interposed and the strife began. .. . Englandhas no call to throw off the responsibility of the measures taken on anyother Power. Those measures were taken because they were demanded by herown conception of the duty she had to perform; and by far the largest shareof that responsibility rests with this country. We see no reason to denyit; and if the case occurred again, we should see no reason to act withless determination. ' And again as to the prosecution of the war afterthe raising of the siege of Silistria--which, according to Kinglake, wasunnecessary; or the invasion of the Crimea--which was unjustifiable, to beaccounted for, not by any large views of politics or of war, but by paltrypersonal passions and influences of the most contemptible kind:--Englandand France declared by their despatches of July 22nd, that the sacrificesalready imposed on them were too great, and the cause they had taken inhand too important, for them to desist, unless they obtained from Russiaadequate securities against the renewal of hostilities. They thereforedemanded:--l. That the protectorate claimed by Russia over thePrincipalities by virtue of former treaties now abrogated, should cease. 2. That the navigation of the mouths of the Danube should be free. 3. That thetreaty of July 13th, 1841, should be revised in the sense of a restrictionof the naval power of Russia in the Black Sea. 4. That no Power shouldclaim an official protectorate over the Christian subjects of the Porte. OnAugust 8th, Austria entirely adopted these principles, and on the 10th sheurged Russia to accede to these demands. On the 26th Russia positivelyrejected these terms. Had they been accepted, it is needless to add thatthe Crimean expedition would not have taken place. Here, then, is the clearand precise ground on which the war assumed an offensive character againstRussia--viz. To compel her to submit to terms of peace, which England andFrance held to be necessary to the future safety of Turkey, and whichAustria had fully adopted. This is the political explanation of the war, and it was fully justified, as each preceding step of the allies had beenjustified, by a fresh refusal on the part of Russia to agree to the termsproposed by the allies. It is unnecessary to carry this examinationfurther. It has been introduced here merely as an illustration and a proofof the historical importance of the article now that Lord Clarendon'sshare in it is understood, and we are made acquainted with the peculiaropportunities which Reeve possessed--not only as Clarendon's friend, but asin actual, confidential conversation with Lord Stratford when he ordered upthe fleets. [Footnote: See _ante_, vol. I. P. 312. ] The fine old motto of the 'Edinburgh Review, ' _Judex damnatur cum nocensabsolvitur_, is, when reduced to practice, apt to strain the relationsbetween the 'judex' and the 'nocens;' and in this case the very outspokenreview, published under Reeve's sanction, caused a coolness between the twomen, the editor and the author, who had previously been on friendly terms. It is, in fact, easily conceivable that, in earlier years or in otherlands, powder would have burnt or small swords flashed. Being when andwhere they were, they dropped out of each other's circle. And thiscontinued for upwards of three years, when a chance meeting opened the doorto reconciliation. _From Mr. Kinglake_ 9 St. George's Terrace, Marble Arch, November 14th, 1866. Dear Reeve, --I think I perceived yesterday that my malice--malice founded, I believe, on a couple of words, and now of some three years' standing--hadnot engendered any corresponding anger in you; and if my impression was aright one, I trust we may meet for the future upon our old terms. Shall itbe so? Faithfully yours, A. W. KINGLAKE. CHAPTER XV LAW AND LITERATURE By what must seem a curious coincidence, in 1863 and the two yearsimmediately following, death carried off all who had been mainlyinstrumental in forming Reeve's career. Greville, who introduced him to the'Times, ' died in 1865; his mother died in 1864; in 1863, his early patronand assured friend, the Marquis of Lansdowne, died on January 31st, at theripe age of 82; his uncle, John Taylor, the head of the Taylor family, aman of singular ability as a mining engineer, died on April 5th; and SirGeorge Lewis, whose retirement from the editorship of the 'EdinburghReview' had paved the way for Reeve's succession, died on April 13th. Much of Reeve's correspondence with Lord Clarendon--Lewis'sbrother-in-law--refers to the wish of the widow, the Lady Theresa Lewis, that a collected edition of her husband's contributions to the 'Review'should be published. The wish was only partially carried into effect; sevenof the articles were collected in a volume published in 1864 under thetitle of 'Essays on the Administrations of Great Britain from 1783 to1830;' and Lewis's brother, Sir Gilbert Lewis, who succeeded to thebaronetcy, published his letters in 1870. The following letter fromLord Clarendon refers to the death (on January 31st) of Lewis'sstepdaughter--Lady Theresa's daughter by a former marriage--and wife ofMr. , now Sir, William Harcourt:-- _G. C. , February 3rd_. --I came up early yesterday morning, and onlyreceived this evening your most kind letter directed to The Grove, or Ishould have thanked you for it sooner. A great misfortune has befallen us, and we are all very sad, but derivesome comfort from the calmness and resignation with which my sister isbearing up against her grief. To William Harcourt it is, indeed, as yousay, a wreck of all happiness and hope; but no man under such tryingcircumstances could have displayed more fortitude, or more tender concernfor others. I meet him to-morrow at Nuneham for the last sad office. I grieve for Lord Lansdowne, and yet it is impossible not to feel that, at his age, and with rapidly increasing infirmities, a prolongationof existence was not to be desired. He was a rare combination of highqualities, and we shall not look upon his like again. The next letter, also from Lord Clarendon, refers to the 'AlbertMemorial':-- _The Grove, March 29th_. --I knew you would approve of the Cross. I myselfshould prefer it to any other form of memorial, if it was in the centre ofconverging roads, or of a great place surrounded by buildings more or lessharmonising with it; but placed in Hyde Park, with no local assistancebeyond its imaginary connexion with the Exhibitions of '51 and '62, I havemy fears that it will be thought unmeaning. I forget at this moment the exact height of the design, but I do not thinkit is to be 300 feet; and Mr. Scott is to consider whether the proportionsmay not generally be reduced. He may wish to build the largest cross in theworld, but neither the Queen nor her committee have any such desire. .. . I don't think that a grant by the representatives of the people, as asupplement to their voluntary contributions, and aided by the subscriptionof the Queen, would destroy the feeling of the monument. There mightperhaps be less sentiment, but the whole would be more national. From the Journal:-- _May 4th_. --Lord Hatherton died at Teddesley. His illness had been long. When we parted at Wiesbaden in August last, I knew we should not meetagain. Never was there a kinder and more active friend. The confidence heshowed me was unbounded; insomuch that in November he placed in my handsthe original correspondence of the ministers with himself in June and July, 1834, on the Irish Coercion Bill, which led to the breaking up of EarlGrey's Cabinet. These I have power to publish; but, if not published, Imean eventually to return them to the Littleton family. This I did in July 1864. The volume was published in 1872. _To Mr. Dempster_ _C. O. , July 10th_. --I am rather like a boy to whom some benevolent geniusoffers a basket of peaches, and who feels rather shy of taking the biggestof them; but, on the other hand, it would be a shabby return for greatkindness to keep you in suspense. I, therefore, answer that, _sauf causemajeure_, we hope to be with you on the evening of Tuesday, August 11th. Weshall probably go down to Aberdeen by sea, starting on Saturday, the 8th, if decent berths can be obtained, and I have sent to take them. If thisfails we should start on Sunday evening by rail. I cannot express to youhow delightful to me is the thought of the kind welcome of Skibo, and thefresh air of your hills, after a very long and laborious season. But I havestill a month in the mill, and a huge list of causes to be disposed of. The 'Edinburgh' will be out on Thursday. You will find it very Scotch. The Journal notes:-- We went to Chichester, on a visit to Dr. McCarogher; and from there toGoodwood races. _August 8th_. --To Scotland by sea. Beached Skibo on the 11th. Shooting onthe 12th with Sir Kenneth Mackenzie, Seaforth, and Dempster. _25th_. --To Brahan. Little old General Kmety there; very good fun; but hedoes not look a hero. _To Mr. Dempster_ _Brahan Castle, August 26th_. --We performed our pleasant but slow journeyvery well, and arrived at five P. M. The weather yesterday was the worst Ihave seen this year in Scotland. I declined to face the woods, but we gota walk by the Conan in a gleam of sunshine. However, the house and itscollections, and their most amusing and hospitable owner, afforded us ampleamusement. I am sorry, for my own sake, that this country is constantlygaining stronger claims on my affection and regard; for am I not born adweller by our inglorious southern streams and downs? If, however, there besuch a thing as transmigration hereafter, let me hope that I shall come outat last as a Highland laird. The Journal continues:-- _August 28th_. --To Invergarry, where we lunched with Mr. Peabody; and toGlenquoich--Ed. Ellice's. The Elchos, Sir F. And Lady Grey, and Lowe there. _31st_. --Excursion from Glenquoich to Loch Hourn. Then by Oban to Glasgow. Visit to the Belhavens at Wishaw, September 4th, and to Abington. Home onthe 10th. _September 15th_. --Torry Hill. Shooting there for some days. _17th_. --Mr. Ellice died suddenly [Footnote: Of heart disease andeighty-two years. He was found dead in his bed. ] at Ardochy, only afortnight after we left his house. That excursion to Loch Hourn was hislast. _To Mr. Dempster_ _Torry Hill, September 21st_. --What a sudden and painful loss is thisabrupt termination of the life of our kind friend at Glenquoich! It isscarcely three weeks since we left him in his usual health and spirits, and now--as Evelyn says--all is in the dust. .. . I have had an unpleasantaccident, though--thank God!--not a serious one. Turning round verysuddenly to shoot a partridge behind me, without seeing that Lord Kingsdownwas on his pony about fifty yards off, a pellet of shot from my gun hithim in the cheek, and another hit his pony in the eye. Conceive my horror!Fortunately, the wound was very slight, and, indeed, was well in half anhour; but if it had hit him in the eye I never should have forgiven myself. _From Lord Clarendon_ _The Grove, October 4th_. --I was very glad to hear from you this morning, but very sorry to learn that you have cause for deep anxiety respectingyour mother, and I fear, from what you say, that she is hopelessly ill andsuffering much. I sympathise with you sincerely. I joined my people atLathom a month ago, and we returned last week from our peregrinations, all well, except myself, who can't shake off the gout, which is adisappointment after having taken the trouble of a Wiesbaden cure. On the day of my last bath there I received an urgent request from ourForeign Secretary that I should proceed to Frankfort and observe theconference. I did so, and was interested and amused. It was an opportunitythat may never occur again of meeting the sovereigns of Germany, great andsmall. .. . The impression made upon me by the E. Of Austria was very agreeable. He hadnone of the proud manner of which at one time we heard so much, but, on thecontrary, he was frank and gentlemanlike, and told me the difficulties inwhich Germany was placed by such an effete institution as the Diet, and theadvances making by Democracy, which, for the first time, were dangerous, because the people had reason and justice on their side. He told me, also, all the steps he had taken to secure the co-operation of the K. Of Prussia, which were straightforward and deferential; and he complained, thoughwithout bitterness, of the manner in which they had been misrepresented. .. . It may be that some good will come, perhaps before the close of the presentcentury, from a public avowal by congregated sovereigns that their subjectshad grievances of magnitude, and that delay in redressing them was full ofdynastic danger. One can conceive no more complete diplomatic fiasco than the three greatPowers of Europe giving a triumph to Gortschakoff. The mistake originallymade was thinking that Russia was weak and in trouble, and would thereforeyield to menace. Several months ago I took the liberty of suggesting that, although Russia was powerless for an aggressive war, she would be found asstrong and formidable as ever in resisting any attack from without, andthat foreign dictation would probably have the effect of uniting all theparties into which Russia was divided. I don't mean to deny, however, thatintervention of some kind was inevitable; but the difficulties attending itwere either overlooked or not foreseen, and the mode of dealing with themhas consequently been unskilful. Continuing the Journal:-- _October 5th_. --To Aiupthill. On the 17th to the Grove; Odo Russell there. 24th, to Torry Hill, with Christine and Hopie. Met the Roger Leighs there;also the Heads and Sir Lawrence Peel. High jinks on Hopie's twenty-firstbirthday. _November 19th_. --To Shoeburyness, to see the trial of Sir WilliamArmstrong's 600-pounder gun. My mother was exceedingly ill during the autumn, and it became apparentthat her illness was mortal. She was attended with great assiduity by Dr. Fyfe. For this reason we remained within reach of London. _From Lord Westbury_ [Footnote: At this time Lord Chancellor. ] _Basingstoke, November 28th_. --I shall be much obliged to you if, by theapplication of the whip to the printer, you can get him to strike off afew copies of the notes of my opinion on the appeals in the matter of the'Essays and Reviews' by Tuesday afternoon, so that a copy may, on theevening of Tuesday, be sent to Lords Cranworth, Chelmsford, and Kingsdown. The notes are not long, but I am anxious that they should be, as soon aspossible, in the hands of the three noble lords I have named. I hope weshall be able to give judgement about December 15th. Lord Brougham's next letter refers to one of the few unpleasant passages inReeve's life. In October 1863 the 'Edinburgh Review' had an article on J. G. Phillimore's 'Reign of George III. , ' in which the book was somewhatroughly handled. That the comment was honest is quite certain; that it wasjust would probably be the opinion of most historical students; but Mr. Phillimore thought that it was neither one nor the other, and being--as the'Saturday Review' described him--one whose 'normal position was that ofa belligerent, ' he replied to the review by a studiously offensive andpersonal pamphlet, [Footnote: This sensitiveness to literary criticism was, perhaps, a family failing. Some forty years before, Phillimore's uncle, SirJohn Phillimore, was fined 100£. For bludgeoning James, the author of the_Naval History_, for some unflattering remarks on the discipline of the'Eurotas' whilst under his command. ] bearing the title 'Reply to theMisrepresentations of the "Edinburgh Review. "' According to this, thearticle was a spiteful attack made by 'Mr. Reeve' himself; it was mainlynoticeable for its ignorance, its malice, its time-serving toadyism of LordStanhope, and should be contrasted with another article in the same numberof the 'Review' on 'Austin on Jurisprudence, ' which was outrageouslybelauded because Austin was 'Mr. Reeve's' uncle. In point of fact, thearticle on Phillimore was written by the present Judge O'Connor Morris, andthat on Austin by John Stuart Mill, neither of whom was an intimate friendof the editor's. Phillimore did not notice, or was not sufficientlyacquainted with Reeve's family history to appraise yet another article on'Tara: a Mahratta Tale, ' by Captain Meadows Taylor--Reeve's cousin. If hehad, he would certainly have made it the subject of some more scurrilities. _Cannes, January 7th_. --I have only a moment before the post goes to write, and it may be too late another day. Pray allude to Phillimore's pamphlet, and give some explanation on certain parts of it. I have not read the wholeof it, but friends here who borrowed it of me have, and they tell me thatsome explanation is required. They are a good deal prejudiced, however, owing to your having praised Stanhope's book, of which they have a verybad opinion. I myself rather agree with them, though not going to the samelength. Of Phillimore, I only know that he did good service in the Commonsfor a public prosecutor, and was very shabbily supported by the friends ofLaw Amendment. But I had a very poor opinion of the book, though he is avery clever man, and the Yankees considered him the first man in the Houseof Commons. Reeve's letters for several months had been leading up to the next sadentry in the Journal. For a woman of seventy-five, a serious and prolongedillness could scarcely have any other issue. My mother's illness was approaching its melancholy end. On January 8th Isat up all night at Brompton. On the 9th she was speechless. On Sunday, the 10th, at 3 P. M. , she died. On the 16th she was buried in the BromptonCemetery. Edward James Reeve read the service. Arthur Taylor, John, Richard, John Edward, and Fairfax Taylor, Sir A, Gordon, P. Worsley, W. Wallace, J. P. Simpson, R. Lane, Dr. Fyfe, and John Cox attended. On the 17th I went to Essex Street Chapel, where Madge preached her funeralsermon. He had preached my father's funeral sermon just fifty years before. My mother survived my father nearly fifty years. This is not the place tocomment on her singular virtues! We went to Boulogne on the 18th for the first period of mourning, andvisited Amiens and Abbéville. Home on the 25th. _To Mr. Dempster_ 62 _Rutland Gate, January 11th_. --Your long kindness and friendship tellme how much I may rely on your sympathy. My dear mother expired yesterdayafternoon, in perfect serenity. However long one may have anticipated sucha stroke and, as I told you in July, I knew it was impending--one cannotrealise it till it falls. As Gray said to Mason, 'A man has but onemother;' it is a blank that cannot be filled up. But I have the consolatorythought that my dear mother's life was complete in its usefulness, itsenergy, its unquenchable zeal for the good of others, its Christianendurance of sorrow and of pain; and no one ever lived in this world morefitted to enter upon another. Christine was with her to the last. _From the Duc d'Aumale_ _Orleans House_, 11 _Janvier_. --Hélas! cher Monsieur; je n'ai pas deconsolation à vous offrir; je ne puis que vous assurer de ma profondesympathie. Je juge de ce que vous devez souffrir par ce que je ressentiraisà votre place. Mon coeur est avec le vôtre. H. D'ORLÉANS. _From Lord Clarendon_ January 11th. My Dear Reeve, --I heard to my great regret a little while ago that theday of your affliction was fast approaching, and I knew at once by yourenvelope this afternoon that the hour had come. I thank you for your kindthought of not allowing me to hear by public report an event that so deeplyaffects your happiness; and I know from my own sad experience how to feelfor you in this trial--the loss of a mother's never-failing love andsympathy, and of one's own daily occupation, that real labour of love, inministering to her comfort and soothing the ills of declining years. Youhave the consolation, and it is one to be grateful for, my dear Reeve, thatyour last impressions are of a calm and painless passage from this life, such as you would have most desired for her whom you have so loved and cannever forget. Lady Clarendon and my daughters desire me to send you theirkind regards and the expression of their sincerest sympathy. Believe me, my dear Reeve, Ever yours truly, CLARENDON. _To Madame de Tocqueville_ Boulogne-sur-mer, January 20th. My dear Madame de Tocqueville, --One's own sorrows bring back with increasedvivacity the sorrows of others and the melancholy recollections of otheryears, for at each successive blow a great gap is made in life, and onefeels that another record of the past is closed. We have come to this placefor a few days to regain a little health and spirits after the long andanxious year we have passed by my dear mother's sick bed. All our careshave unhappily been vain, and about ten days ago she breathed her last. Icannot express how great a loss this is to me, or how deeply I feel it. Your dear and ever-lamented husband was one of those who appreciated theexquisite simplicity and energy of my mother's character, and the words helet fall from time to time about her are very precious to me. To any one who now reads the book, [Footnote: See _ante_, vol. Ii. P. 66. ]and considers the later course of the lives of its authors, it is difficultto conceive the excitement which was raised about the case referred to inthe next note from the Journal. The remembrance of it seems to throw adoubt on the reality or immutability of 'first principles. ' _February 8th_. --Judgement was given by the Judicial Committee on the greatecclesiastical cause of 'Essays and Reviews. ' It was drawn with great careby Lord Westbury, who read it all over with me before it was submitted tothe committee. _From Lord Brougham_ _Cannes, February 13th_. --I received your melancholy letter [Footnote:Announcing the death of his mother. ] some time ago, but I did not answerit because I felt that your excuse for not taking notice of Phillimore'sattack was too good, and I had no comfort to offer you. I suffered mostseverely myself by the same loss, and I have not, after above twentyyears, learnt to forget it. Your letter brought it back strongly to mymind, as it also did the memory of my excellent friend your father. I find my opinion, and those I cited in support of it, is confirmed bythe articles in the journals--such as the 'Saturday Review' [Footnote:February 6th, 1864. ]--which, though attacking Phillimore in someparticulars, yet show that some answer to him, or explanation of matterswhich he represents, was wanted. But I dare say his attacks will beforgotten, and you may be right in doing nothing that can help to keepthem in people's recollection. [Footnote: Reeve, who was always aversefrom any controversy of this nature, took no public notice of thepamphlet, and Phillimore died early the next year. ] I have just got your new number and not read a page of it, as the'Quarterly' came with it, and I was anxious to read the review of ourfriend your neighbour's book, [Footnote: _The Life of Marcus TulliusCicero_. ] which is learnedly and most justly praised, and the value ofthe praise not impaired, like that of the 'Saturday Review, ' [Footnote:February 6th, 1864. ] by praising Houghton's (Dick Milnes') poems inanother article. The Journal has:-- _February 20th_. --Went to Farnborough. The Longmans just installed in theirnew house. To Ampthill at Easter. On April 1st to Paris, with Christine and theDempsters. I had the gout all the time. _April 3rd_. --Races at Vincennes. Embassy ball on the 5th. Persignys andMorny there. Breakfast at Vaux with Marochettis on the 6th. Met SigismondKrasinski's son Ladislas at his mother's. _From Lord Clarendon_ _G. C. , April 6th_. --As five years of freedom had augmented my inveteratedislike of office, you may suppose that I made a gallant resistance--quite_à la Danoise_; but at last I could not help taking an oar with old friendsin a boat which they believed to be sinking, and in which they fancied Imight be of some use. If the Government had been as clear of some of theworst shoals a fortnight ago as it is now, nothing would have induced me tosay 'Yes. ' I hope that Stansfeld's exit and Palmerston's speech, and, more importantstill, the feeling throughout the country upon the Mazzini affair, willmend our relations with France by showing Frenchmen of all classes andcolours that the alliance is here estimated at its real value; indeed, nothing will go well in Europe if England and France are supposed to bepulling different ways; and if they had been acting together, instead ofbeing _en froid_ six months ago, the Dano-German difficulty would neverhave attained its present developement. Some soreness was natural at ournot agreeing to the congress; but too much has been made of the tone of J. R. 's answer, and offence ought not to be taken where none was intended, butquite the reverse, as I can certify from the conversations I had at thetime with the writer. .. . It was this letter which suggested to Reeve to propose to Lord Clarendonthe advisability of coming over to Paris himself 'to see the Emperor andendeavour to settle joint action on the Danish question. ' He wrote also tothe same effect to Lord Granville. _From Lord Granville_ London, April 9th. My dear Reeve, --Many thanks for your note, and for the suggestion itcontains. I [had] already had some talk with Clarendon and Russell on thesubject. The first thought that it was too late now, and urged some minorobjections, but in my opinion he is wrong, and I hope the matter will bearranged. Yours sincerely, GRANVILLE. _From Lord Clarendon_ _London, April 9th. _--Your letter is very important. It has been settled atthe Cabinet that I shall go over on Tuesday. It is particularly troublesomeand inconvenient to me; but I shan't mind that, if any good is to be doneand that the friendly motive of my going is appreciated. _From M. Fould_ Dimanche [April 10th]. Mon cher Monsieuer, --Je me suis empressé de transmettre à l'empereur lanouvelle que vous voulez bien me donner et qui me fait grand plaisir. Mille compliments bien désirés, ACHILLE FOULD. The visit led to no result, as the French refused to act. The Journalcontinues:-- _April 20th_. --Interesting day at Versailles with Feuillet de Conches andSoulié; took the Dempsters and Hamiltons of Dalziel. My father's old friend Dr. De Roches died at Geneva on April 18th. On the23rd, Christine and I went to Geneva on a visit to the Binets. Saw Mme. De Roches, who also died a few days afterwards. Returned by Lausanne andNeufchatel to Paris, and home on May 1st. _From Lord Brougham_ _Paris, May 15th_. --I have been reading the new number of the 'E. R. , ' andhave been greatly interested in it. The review [Footnote: Sc. Of Renan's_Life of Jesus_. ] is most ably and learnedly done, though in one or twoplaces a little obscure. But the subject was most difficult to handle, andI think no one can complain of Renan being unfairly treated; indeed he islavishly praised, though he is rejected--but rejected most candidly. I have also read the first article, [Footnote: _Diaries of a Lady ofQuality. _] on Miss Wynn's book. I am convinced that the facts must be takenwith large allowance; some of them are to my personal knowledge erroneouslygiven--from no intention to deceive, but from hasty belief. But there isone story which on the face of it is not only untrue, but impossible; whichshe appears to have had from a Mrs. Kemble, and to have swallowed whole. How could any being believe in Lord Loughborough's telling such a tale?Mrs. K. May have, from ignorance, supposed that a prisoner on trial for hislife can be examined by the prosecutor's counsel; but can anyone supposethat such a story as Davison's murder of his old companion could havehappened, and no one even heard of it, or of his being hanged, as he musthave been, on his own confession? I knew intimately those friends of MissBaillie who are said to have been present, and I never heard a word of itfrom them--probably because they regarded the story as ridiculous. _From the Comte de Paris_ Claremont, le 23 mai. Mon cher Monsieur Reeve, --N'ayant pas eu le plaisir de vous rencontrerdepuis mon retour d'Espagne, j'ai passé samedi chez vous pour vous parlerd'une affaire que j'aurais préféré traiter de vive voix. Ne vous ayantpas trouvé, il me faut aujourd'hui avoir recours à la plume, car le tempspresse. Je voulais vous dire que mon mariage avec ma cousine Isabellesera décidément célébré lundi prochain, le 30 mai. Je n'ai pas _issued_d'invitations pour assister à cette cérémonie, mais il y a certainespersonnes dont la présence serait pour moi une grande satisfaction à causedes anciennes relations qui ont existé entre elles et ma famille. Je n'aipas besoin de vous dire que vous êtes de ce nombre, mon cher MonsieurReeve, et surtout après la lettre si aimable que vous m'avez écrite àpropos de mon mariage je ne puis me refuser le plaisir de vous avertir desa célébration, afin que, si vous le pouvez, vous veniez y assister. Sij'avais pu vous en parler de vive voix, je vous aurais mieux dit que jen'ai adressé à personne d'invitation formelle, qu'en vous faisant cetteproposition je ne veux vous imposer aucune gêne, mais que par cela mêmevotre présence n'aurait que plus de prix à mes yeux. Vous m'excuserez de n'avoir cherché ce matin qu'à vous expliquer ma penséeaussi brièvement que possible. En ce temps-ci tous mes moments sontcomptés. La cérémonie aura lieu à la chapelle catholique de Kingston à 10-1/2h. A. M. Le train qui part de Waterloo Station à 9h. 40 pour Surbiton arrive à temps. Votre bien affectionné, LOUIS PHILIPPE D'ORLÉANS. As to which the Journal says:-- _May 23rd_--The Raymonds and Mlle. Lebreton came. _24th_. --Dined with Raymond at Claremont. Great royal dinner; fifty-twopersons; was presented to the Infanta Isabella. _30th_. --Marriage of the Comte de Paris. Banquet at Claremont. Ball at theDuc de Chartres'--Ham House. I drove Chartres from Claremont to the ball. _June 7th_. --The centenary dinner of The Club; twenty-five members present;Milman in the chair. Lord Brougham was there. I sat between the Bishop ofLondon (Tait) and Eastlake. There was at this time much sentimental sympathy with Denmark in herunequal struggle against the combined forces of Prussia and Austria; but asFrance, Russia, and Sweden, which, equally with England, were partiesto the treaty of 1852, refused to give Denmark any active support, thepractical feeling was that English interests were not involved to such anextent as to render it advisable to assert them by force of arms. _From Lord Clarendon_ _G. C. , June 24th_. --As far as I can make out there is no real war feelingin the country, though a great disposition in the H. Of C. To turn outthe Government, whether it decides upon being pacific or bellicose; and Iexpect that a vote of censure, or want of confidence, will be successful. If you hear anything reliable on the subject, pray let me know. _June 26th_. --The island-occupation plan is very well devised, and if ourcat was jumping that way, it would be worthy of very serious consideration;but it won't do to embark single-handed in such operations. .. . The peacefeeling at home becomes stronger every day, except for mere party purposes, and I don't believe that sending the fleet to the Baltic even would meetwith support, as we are under no obligation to do so; though if Germanoperations were to extend beyond the peninsula, and Copenhagen was menaced, a different policy must, of course, be adopted. The Journal goes on:-- _July 20th_. --The Duc d'Aumale's ball to the Prince of Wales; beautifulnight. _21st_. --To Ongar, to see my uncle, Edward Reeve. _24th_. --Went to Aix by Rotterdam, with W. Wallace; met the James Watneysat Aix. Back by Ostend, August 3rd. _August 9th_. --Joined Christine and Hopie at Perth, and proceeded to Skibo. Marochetti and Seaforth there. Shot with Marochetti. On the 25th leftSkibo. Thence to Brahan. On the 31st, pic-nic to the Falls of Rogie, withLord Blandford playing on the bugle. _September 1st_. --To Raith. 7th, to Arniston. 10th, to Ancrum, Kirklands. 16th, to see Harriet Martineau at Ambleside. 18th. --Home. _September 22nd_. --Torry Hill. 23rd, excursion to Margate races, with LordKingsdown. Shooting at Torry Hill. Mr. Richardson died at Kirklands on October 4th. Attended the funeral atAncrum on the 10th. Mr. Liddell read the English service at the grave. ToBrougham on my way back. _October 13th_. --Left London on a visit to the Marochettis at Vaux. _23rd_. --Visit to the Guizots at Val Richer. 27th, to Caen. 28th, toAngers. 30th, to Saumur. _November 1st_. --Amboise. 2nd, Loches. 4th, Paris. _7th_. --Home. _8th_. --Dinner at Lord Granville's. _23rd_. --Munro of Novar died very suddenly. He was buried at Kensal Greenon December 1st. _To Mr. Dempster_ _C. O. , November 24th_. You may conceive with how much surprise and concernI received this morning a telegram from the factor at Novar, to announcethe sudden death last night of my old and much-valued friend, the Lairdof Novar, for whom, in spite of his singularities, I had a most sincereregard. I have telegraphed to Butler Johnstone, in Dumfriesshire, andto his son at Rokeby, and urged them to go down immediately; but it hasoccurred to me that perhaps you would take the train and go over yourself, as there is no one there to give any directions, and the factor is a newman. I have also telegraphed to Raith at Cannes. .. . Let me know if you hearany particulars. I wonder whether he left a will; very probably none. _C. O. , November 28th_. --We felt so much alike in our regard for Novar, that I was confident that we should feel exactly alike in this most suddenand terrible catastrophe. I could well have spared many a better man, and, in spite of his peculiarities, there are few persons for whom I could feela more sincere and painful regret. For more than twenty years I have sharedwith Novar many of the pleasantest hours of life; and although we were inmany respects very dissimilar, there are few persons for whom I felt agreater sympathy. I have no doubt you decided rightly as to not going toNovar. My telegram, fortunately, reached Butler Johnstone and his son, bothof whom were in the country, and they speedily got down to Novar. I am toldthey have decided to inter our poor friend in London--a decision I shouldnot have taken myself, but which I bow to, as it is their wish. Mrs. Butler Johnstone was so much agitated by this event--for she waspassionately attached to her brother--and so entirely solitary--for therewas no one with her but young Theobald Butler--that my wife thought it herduty to go down to Brighton with her on Saturday, to endeavour to calm andcomfort her until Harry can come back to his mother, which I hope will beto-morrow. .. . I have heard from Ferguson, who little expected to survive his cousin andinherit Novar. _C. O. , December 1st_. --I am just returned from the funeral of our poorfriend at Kensal Green. It was as quiet as possible. .. . There is no willat all; but every paper and letter of Novar's is carefully preserved, andaccurately docketed, so that the whole state of his affairs and accountsmay be seen in a moment. The personal property is enormous; he cannothave had much less than 24, 000 £ a year. Ferguson's share of the entailedestates is about 5, 000 £ gross rental; everything else goes to the B. J. 's. I am very much pleased with the spirit in which B. J. Takes all this--agreat desire to do whatever is right to those who may have any claim onNovar, and no brag or ostentation. He and Harry immediately determined, asmoney is no object to them, they would allow nothing to be sold, but wouldkeep together the gallery of pictures and everything else Novar collected. The quantities of things are incalculable. .. . I thought these details wouldinterest you. For my part, I feel that I have lost one of the persons inthe world with whom I had spent the most pleasant hours, and for whom I hadan extreme regard. The Journal mentions:-- Shooting at Haslemere and Farnborough to the end of the year. _January 2nd_, 1865. --Went to Strawberry Hill. A large party in the house;Clarendon, Duc d'Aumale, Lady Hislop, Perrys, &c. On the 5th to Torry Hill. 12th, to Ampthill. 13th, down to Woburn with Lord Wensleydale and Froude. 14th, to the Grove. When at Torry Hill I got a note from Charles Greville asking me to come upto see him. I did so on the 10th. It was then he asked me to take charge ofhis journals. Some further conversation took place between us. On the17th I was with him till half-past seven, and in the same night he died. [Footnote: See _post_, p. 230. ] _From M. Guizot_ Paris, 1 février. My dear sir, --Je regrette Charles Greville. C'etait l'un des spectateurspolitiques les plus clairvoyants, les plus fins et les plus équitables quej'aie rencontrés en ma vie; et un ami fidèle sans se donner tout entier àpersonne. Vous devez regretter beaucoup son amitié et sa société. Sesmémoires seront bien curieux. Je suis charmé qu'il vous les ait légués. Personne ne saura mieux choisir ce qu'il en faut publier, et le momentopportun pour les publier. Quand vous prendrez une résolution à cet égard, je vous prie de m'en avertir; vous en désirerez, ce me semble, une éditionfrançaise. .. . The Journal here gives a remarkable contribution to the history of theFrench Revolution of 1830, the substance of which Reeve afterwardspublished in the 'Edinburgh Review, ' in an article on 'Circourt' (October1881). _March 14th_. --The Club elected the Duc d'Aumale and Tennyson. _19th_. --Mrs. Gollop [Mrs. Reeve's mother] died. I joined Christine atStrode, and attended the funeral at Lillington. _April 5th_. --M. De Circourt has been staying with us for three weeks;inexhaustible in memory, anecdote, and conversation. I first knew him atGeneva in 1830, where he took refuge after the storm of the Revolution, andwhere he soon afterwards married Anastasia de Klustine. I asked him the other day what he knew of the 'Ordonnances' of July. Hewas at that time, with Bois-le-Comte and Vieil-Castel, one of the chiefemployés of Prince Polignac, in the Office of Foreign Affairs; and from hiswonderful memory and facility, Polignac used often to send him to CharlesX. , to relate the substance of the despatches from foreign Courts. But, although he was thus versed in foreign affairs, he knew very little of whatwas passing in the interior of France, though from the violence of theconflict between the Court and the Chamber he foreboded a catastrophe. Polignac told him nothing of the Ordinances, nor had he told the Princess, his wife; for Circourt dined with them on the day they were signed--it wasSunday, July 25th, 1830. The minister was _distrait_. The Princess got C. Aside to the piano after dinner, and said to him: 'Il se passe quelquechose;--do you know what it is?' Neither of them knew. C. Thinks, however, that Bois-le-Comte was in Polignac's confidence. In consequence of the absence of Marshal Bourmont on the Algerianexpedition, Polignac was minister of war _ad interim_ [as well asminister of foreign affairs]; but he had not made the smallest militarypreparations, or even inquiries, as to the possibility of putting downa popular tumult. On that Sunday, for the first time, he sent for theofficers in command of the troops. A dispute arose between them, whichPolignac had to settle. It then turned out that in the whole of the firstmilitary division, which included not only Paris, but Orleans and Rouen andall the intermediate places, there were not 12, 000 men. In Paris itselfabout 3, 400 at that moment, including the _gendarmerie_. The reason of this was a political and military combination which theGovernment had formed, but which I never before heard mentioned by anyone. Polignac had for some time been intriguing to detach Belgium from theKing of Holland's dominions--chiefly from a fanatical desire to release aCatholic population from their Protestant connexion, but in part, also, from a notion that a military demonstration on the side of Belgium would bepopular in France, and would disarm the Opposition. So that the movementwhich took place at Brussels shortly after the Revolution of July, and wasattributed to the example of that democratic explosion, had, in fact, beenprepared by Polignac himself. This is strange enough; but what is stillmore strange is that the very means taken to promote this lawless objectproved to be the ruin of Charles X. And his minister. With a view to the occupation of Belgium, or at least of a demonstration onthe frontier, they had assembled two large camps at Luneville and St. -Omer;and in these camps the bulk of the available forces of the kingdomwere collected, especially as Bourmont had with him a considerable andwell-appointed army in Africa. So that at the very moment when troops weremost needed in Paris, one portion of the King's army was beyond the seas, and another out of reach on the Belgian frontier. Bourmont was perfectly aware that some such scheme as that of theOrdinances was hatching, and the King had given him special orders toterminate the campaign in Algeria, to carry off the treasure from theKasbah, and bring the troops back to France, as soon as possible. Abouta month before the Revolution, a ciphered despatch came from Bourmont--which, I think, Circourt said he was told to transcribe--in which themarshal earnestly entreated the King to take no important step till hisreturn; adding that he hoped in a few weeks to terminate the Africanexpedition, and to prove to the King what he was capable of in hisMajesty's service. He had calculated that by the month of September hecould bring the greater part of the army hack to Paris, and that thesuccess they had recently had in Africa had attached the troops to himself, as their commander, so that he would be in a condition to crush allresistance; and had this plan been pursued, it is by no means impossiblethat the _coup d'état_ might have succeeded, as we have seen on somesubsequent occasions. But Bourmont's despatch in cipher had exactly the opposite effect from thatcontemplated by the marshal. It produced in the mind of Polignac a violentjealousy of his military colleague, and the determination to act inBourmont's absence, so as to have all the credit to himself, and remain atthe head of the King's Government. On the day the Ordinances were signed, Polignac said to Circourt: 'From this day the King begins to reign, whichhe has not done before. ' These were the motives which precipitated theblow, and caused it to overwhelm its authors with ruin and confusion. _April 8th_. --I was elected a corresponding member of the Académie desSciences Morales et Politiques, in France. _14th_. --Went to Paris, and on the 22nd took my seat at the Institute. _From Lord Clarendon_ _The Grove, April 23rd_. --Fould is not reasonable about Mexico; for he wellknows that it is we who had to complain of France, and not France of us, inthe original convention, and that ever since we got out of it, so far fromthwarting French designs, we have done what was in our power to supportthem; our Government can't help to float a bad loan, but I am sure we havedone the French no harm at Washington. It will be good policy on the partof Maximilian to encourage Confederate soldiers, provided they don't comeand squat in too great numbers. I understand that the French army is not tobe withdrawn until it is no longer wanted by Maximilian, but that will notbe till the day of judgement--if then. The journey to Algeria is an inscrutable business. McMahon, I am told, hasinsisted strongly upon it, and says that the Imperial presence isindispensable to _relever_ the tone of the colony; but that is hardlyreason enough for such a _grosse affaire_ as absenting himself from Parisfor six weeks; but if he wishes to create alarm and make people feel howmuch he and social order are bound up together, and that they want himmore than he them, then the expedition has a motive, and may have a greatsuccess. Palmerston had the gout all last week, and was unable to attend the Cabinetyesterday, but he is expected in town tomorrow, so I hope it is a slightattack. The uneasiness on one side and excitement on the other, whenever heis ailing, are curious to observe; for it is pretty generally understoodthat until he dies there will be no real shuffle of cards. Last autumn theTories talked tall about the majority that the general election was to givethem, but of late they have come down very much, and the best informedamong them now say that things will remain pretty much as they are. The Journal continues:-- _April 27th_. --Excursion to Port Royal and Dampierre, where we werereceived by order of the Duc de Luynes. Circourt was with us. 28th, toFontainebleau. Met William Stirling and Lady Anna there; they were justmarried. 30th, races in Bois de Boulogne. Took Mrs. Henry Baring there. Dined at the Embassy. _May 3rd_. --Excursion to Reims with Circourt and Belvèze. [Footnote: TheComte de Belvèze, an intimate friend of the Circourts, a man, Reeve wrote, 'of great wit and discernment. ' In 1873 he had printed, for privatecirculation, a small volume of _Pensées, Maximes et Reflèxions_, a copy ofwhich he gave Reeve, who 'highly valued it for its intrinsic merit and itsrarity. '] Back to London by Lille and Laon. _13th_. --My uncle, Tom Reeve, the rector, died. I attended the funeral, andwent on to Thorpe Abbotts. _June 10th_. --Party given by the Hudson's Bay Company to see their ships atGravesend. Dined there. Went to Bracknell and Ascot. _From Lord Clarendon_ _The Grove, June 11th_. I make you my sincere compliment upon the article, [Footnote: 'Dissolution of Parliament, ' by Reeve. It appeared in the Julynumber of the _Review_. ] and thank you for giving me an early read of it. It is by far the ablest defence I have yet seen for the donothingness ofthe Government about Reform; and you have most skilfully brought all thedifferent schemes face to face, in order to knock their heads together, atthe same time that you show yourself, as the organ of the Whig party, to beliberal and progressive, and not only ready, but anxious, to adopt anyplan of Reform that will really effect that which reasonable men unite indesiring. I think the article will do great good; and I only wish that itcould be circulated among classes rather lower than the ordinary readers ofthe 'Edinburgh Review. ' Might you not in the last page enlarge a little more upon the oppositionwhich the Tories, for party purposes, or from shortsightedness, have alwaysmade to Liberal measures? For that in reality is the strong case againstthem; and in judging of their fitness for power, the electors shouldconsider how the country would have stood if their persistent oppositionhad been successful; how we should have passed through the political crisisof '48 if the Corn Laws had been unrepealed; or the cotton famine, ifFree-trade had not been established. The electors should also well considerwhether they will accept, as governors and guides, men who predicted evilsof the worst kind from measures which have produced the happiest results. All these points are well alluded to in the last page, but they seem to meto want a few grains of salt; and we may be sure that Lord Robert Cecil[Footnote: The present Marquis of Salisbury. His elder brother, ViscountCranborne, died three days after the date of this letter, June 14th. ] inthe 'Quarterly' will pepper the Whigs abundantly. The Journal at this time has:-- Gout in July. Went to Aix on the 25th. The Aumales, Alcocks, and Lord St. Germans there. Home on August 17th. _August 9th_. --To Scotland. We went again to Skibo. Harry Butler Johnstonethere. Stayed at Skibo till the 30th. Then to Brahan. Found the Fergusonsat Novar. Lord Kingsdown had taken Holme House, near Nairn. Went to see himthere. Cawdor Castle. Then to Pitcorthie [James Moncreiff's] [Footnote: Atthis time Lord Advocate. Created a baronet in 1871, and a peer, as LordMoncreiff, in 1874. ] and Raith and Abington. _September 23rd_. --Dined with Lord Granville to meet Castalia Campbell andLady Acton. Lord G. Was married on the 26th [to Miss Campbell]. To Torry Hill in October; also to Badger Hall and High Legh, and Loseley(then rented by Thomson Hankey). _November 15th_. --Went down to Woodnorton [near Evesham], to see theAumales at their farm. Shot there. But the great topic of the latter part of the year, the subject which wasin everyone's mind, was the cattle plague--the rinderpest--which threatenedto become a matter of extreme national importance. When, at the time thatnow is, people are inclined to grumble at the precautionary measuresadopted by Government, they should look back to the records of 1865 andread of the very serious alarm then felt. Writing to Dempster, himself ahigh authority on agricultural questions, Reeve naturally spoke of this, and the correspondence is largely filled with such sentences as:-- _September 22nd_. --A nearer acquaintance with the cattle disease is a verydisagreeable addition to one's knowledge. They are afraid it will last formany years, and sweep off a great portion of the cattle in the kingdom. .. . You'll think I have got the rinderpest myself to write about nothing butthese brutes. _September 28th_. --The disease has now spread to sheep, and I verilybelieve we shall have a meat famine. _October 12th_. --The ravages of the disease increase. We were to have goneto pay two visits in Essex this week, but our hosts are so distracted bythe loss of their kine and the absence of dairy produce that they broke uptheir party and put us off. _October 18th_. --The opinion of the Cattle Commission is that nothing canbe done to stay the plague without putting a stop to all transport ormovement of live cattle; and I expect this will be done. But how are we tobe fed? _November 23rd_. --The Lords of the Council have at last resolved to giveall local authorities in Britain the power of stopping the entry of cattleinto their own district, and all beasts brought to the Metropolitan Marketare to be killed there. And thus this plague, the illness and death of Lord Palmerston, and--morepersonal--the alarming illness and slow, lingering convalescence of MissCharlotte Dempster--'my fair contributor, ' as Reeve used to call her--fillthe correspondence of the year. One note only, an account of Reeve's visitto Woodnorton, has a more particular interest. _To Mr. Dempster_ _C. O. , November 23rd_. --My last campaign has been in Worcestershire, whereI went to see a barnful of princes and princesses in a house much more likea very wild Highland shooting quarter than an Englishman's hunting-box. However, this only made the whole party more jolly; and as the stables arevery superior to the house, I shall entreat them, the next time I go, togive me a loose box instead of a bedroom. Cutbush is supposed to have slepton a dresser in the servants' hall; and a stray Frenchman who arrived oneevening was laid up in the smoking-room, on a sofa. And, according to the Journal, the year closed with-- Visits to Farnborough, Denbigh (Haslemere), and Timsbury [Ralph Dutton's, near Romsey]. Between Reeve and the Duttons there was a friendship of many years'standing, and they were there, wrote Mrs. Reeve, 'a pleasant little partyof ten, only Henry has had a very bad fit of gout and could not join theshooters, or even the dinner-table some days: too provoking!' They remainedat Timsbury for a week, and then:-- _January 10th_. --A pleasant party at Torry Hill, with Sir E. Head and Kit. Pemberton. Shooting in the snow, which was heavy. _18th_. --Sir C. Eastlake was buried. One day at a dinner party of Royal Academicians at Eastlake's, they werediscussing the merits of Solomon the painter and praising him. 'Yes, ' saidValentine Prinsep, 'but Solomon in all his glory is not R. A. Ed like one ofthese. ' _24th_. We were invited rather late in the morning to the christeningof Sir Robert and Lady Emily Peel's infant daughter, and to a banquetafterwards. Christine came down to my office at two o'clock, and we wentacross to Whitehall Chapel. Sir Robert stood _rayonnant_ at the door; LadyEmily looked the picture of maternal beauty; and in the chapel we found asmall but remarkable party--Duke and Duchess of Wellington, Lord and LadyRussell, the Gladstones, Lady Ely, the Dufferins, &c. , about fifty in all. Lord Russell said he had never been inside that building [Footnote: Now theMuseum of the Royal United Service Institution. ] before. Gladstone was verycordial, and we joined our enthusiasm about the roof of the building andthe Rubenses. The Queen stood Godmother. After the ceremony we all adjourned to Whitehall Gardens. I was unluckilyobliged to go away, but Christine stayed for the luncheon, which wassuperb. Gladstone proposed the health of the infant. _25th_. --Dinner at Orleans House, on Condé's departure for his journey tothe East; Murchison and Trevelyan there. The Prince de Condé [Footnote: Theeldest son of the Duc d'Aumale, born in 1845, died at Sydney on May 24th, 1866. The Duke's second and third sons lived only a few weeks; the fourth, the Duc de Guise, born in 1854, died in 1872. ] reached Sydney, but caught afever there and died. His poor mother never recovered the shock. _27th_. --John Edward Taylor, my oldest friend, [Footnote: A first cousin, elder son of Edward Taylor; see _ante_, vol. I. P. 167. ] died. A couple of months later Mr. Taylor's daughter, Lucy, was married toWilliam Markby, going out to Calcutta as a judge on a salary of 4, 000 £a year. 'She is a very lucky girl' wrote Mrs. Reeve, 'her face her solefortune, to win the love of a man so clear-headed and warm-hearted. ' Circourt came on a visit to us in March. We went together to Lincoln. Ispent Easter at Lord Wharncliffe's at Wortley, with the Samuel Bakers (theAfrican traveller) and the Tankervilles, and rejoined Circourt at Frystone(R. M. Milnes'). Thence to Ampthill, also with Circourt. _From Lord Westbury_ _March 1st_. --I send you the proof of the judgement in Edwards _v_. Moss, corrected and purged of some of its colloquial pleonastic forms ofexpression. It is very difficult to reduce a speech to the accuracy of awritten composition. In doing so, the merit of the speech is lost, and the'redacted' elements form a very bad paper. Old Tommy Townshend, when heheard of a good speech being printed, used to ask 'How does it read?--forif it reads well, it was not a good speech. ' A judgement orally deliveredextempore may be satisfactory to the ear, but when reduced to paper, thesentences become involved and jejune. The diction of a good composition is [Greek: lexis katestrammeon], the diction of a speech is [Greek: lexis eiromeon]. I cannot understandhow the senators or the Roman plebs could follow or endure the elaborateperiods of Cicero, if they were delivered as written. I am sure with thefuneral oration of Pericles, a common audience would have sat with mouthsopen, incapable of following a single sentence. So also with the orationsof Livy. In fact, if the speeches delivered in the Roman Senate or theAthenian Forum were anything like the speeches reported, to listen to themmust have been a great strain upon the mind and attention of the hearer. I am writing to you whilst a learned counsel is arguing, but whose wordsand meaning are so obscure and involved that I am much in the condition ofmy supposed [Greek: aplous hakroataes] of the funeral oration. The Journal goes on to speak of a subject of peculiar literary andhistorical interest. _April 11th_. --Started with Christine and Circourt for Paris _viâ_ Havre, and at Rouen paid a visit to the Cardinal-Archbishop (Bonnechose). The publication in 1864 of three volumes of the letters of MarieAntoinette, under the title 'Louis XVI. , Marie Antoinette et MadameElisabeth. Lettres et Documents inédits;' publiés par F. Feuillet deConches, and of another volume--' Correspondance inédite de MarieAntoinette. Publiée sur les Documents originaux;' par le Comte Paul Vogtd'Hunolstein--had excited a keen controversy, in which one party, led byProfessor von Sybel, the historian of the Revolution, maintained that theletters were forgeries. On the other hand, Reeve wrote an article forthe 'Edinburgh Review' of April 1866, on the 'Correspondence of MarieAntoinette' in which he argued that the letters edited by M. D'Hunolsteinwere of very doubtful authenticity, but that those of the larger work ofM. Feuillet de Conches were genuine. His visit to Paris gave him theopportunity to make a further examination, of which, and his interview withSybel, he wrote a curious account. _Sunday, April 15th_. --I called on M. Feuillet de Conches, the editorof the Marie Antoinette letters, whose authenticity is impugned, and onleaving his house I called on Lavergne, where I met M. De Sybel, the Germanprofessor, by whom these charges have been most actively brought anddisseminated. I found that M. De Sybel, though in Paris, had not seenanything of Feuillet's collection, though he had publicly stated that hewas going to Paris to clear up the whole story. Upon this I assured him(as was the fact) that I knew Feuillet would receive him with the utmostcourtesy, if he would call upon him, and would show him anything andeverything in his collections bearing on this matter; and as he appearedto hesitate, I offered myself to conduct and introduce him. Upon this hehesitated still more, and at last said that the fact was that his mind wasso fully made up on the subject, and his conviction that these documentsare forged is so complete, that no amount of ocular evidence would shakeit, and he should only conclude that the author of these fabrications was avery skilful fellow. Upon this I desisted from any further attempt to bring M. De Sybelacquainted with M. Feuillet's collection, but I made this note of theconversation (which took place in the presence of M. De Lavergne) to showhow strong M. De Sybel's prepossessions are. I have myself again examinedthe documents, and though I have doubts as to one or two of them, said toproceed from the Abbé Vermond's papers, I see no reason to disbelieve thegenuineness of the vast majority of the letters of the Queen which Feuilletpossesses. Home on April 26th. _May_. --Dr. Watson said, dining at the Literary Club, that he had beenpresent at the death of Lord Palmerston. He retained his usual courtesy andcheerfulness in his last illness, and when Lady Palmerston came into theroom he kissed his hand to her. The immediate cause of his death was histaking a walk on the terrace at Brocket without his hat. The apothecaryremonstrated--upon which he said: 'Oh! it's only what the bathers calltaking a "header. "' As the hour of dissolution approached he losthis consciousness, but still spoke occasionally. His last words were(apparently as if his mind was at work on a treaty) 'That's articleninety-eight; now go on to the next. ' Very characteristic end. _From M. Guizot_ _Val Richer, June 9th_. --I had little doubt of the war, and I now considerit as begun. With the exception of the Italians and M. De Bismarck, everyone is entering on it with regret and uneasiness. I have never knownFrance so unanimous in the desire for peace; but notwithstanding theinjury to our interests and the shock to our opinions, the country has noconfidence in its right to resist, and has lost the habit of it. Therewill be grumblings and prophecies of misfortune, but there will be noopposition; and if there should be any military success, followed byterritorial aggrandisement, people will forget their ill humour, and willeven applaud a little, but always without confidence. It is impossible tostray with impunity from the path of sound policy; as soon as we leave it, we enter on the wrong path and advance by that. In this life it is notpossible to remain stationary. I understand your political attitude. There is no reason why you shouldtake part in the struggle; but what I do not understand, what I regret, isthe manifest uncertainty of your opinions. Not only do you do nothing, butyou seem as if you did not know what to believe. As lookers-on you areundecided, as actors you are inert. In the state of trouble and weaknessin which the intelligence of Europe is now plunged, you, simply by lettingyour opinions be clearly seen, by the directness of your language, mighthave an enormous influence on the course of events. But in England, aseverywhere else, the idea of moral force seems lost. It is true that suchidea requires a knowledge of what one thinks, and of what one desires. Itis possible not to give material support to a cause, but it is necessary tohave one. In any case, I am extremely glad that Lord Clarendon remains at the ForeignOffice. He will, perhaps, see more clearly, will act with less want offoresight than others. Is it true that, on account of the state of affairson the Continent, there is in England a tacit suspension of hostilitiesbetween the two parties, and that the Cabinet is no longer seriouslyattacked?. .. Je suis charmé que le second volume de mes 'Meditations' vous aitintéressé. Je ne sais pas le nom de la personne qui fait, dans 'l'EdinburghReview, ' un article sur le premier volume. Dites-moi si elle aurait quelqueenvie de parler du second, et si vous voulez que je vous en fasse envoyer, pour elle, un exemplaire. Most cordially yours, GUIZOT. War broke out between Prussia and Austria in June. _June 9th_. --Party down to Gravesend by water to see the Hudson's BayCompany's ships. Dinner at Gravesend. _July 13th_. --To Aix-la-Chapelle by way of Paris. Heard Mignet read hisnotice of Tocqueville at the Institute. Spent a fortnight at Aix, andvisited Bruges in our way home. _August 11th_. --Went to Novar, by Perth. Thence to Braban, to Ardross, andto Foss, where Lord Kingsdown had taken a moor. Then to Dunnichen; calledat Glamis and Kinnaird Castle. Then to Eaith, and to Lord Belhaven's atWishaw; the Warwicks and Sir A. Alison there. Home on September 17th. _To Mr. Dempster_ _Dunnichen, September 10th_. --Your kind letter from Paris reached me atNovar, at the precise moment when I was about to take the field with thenew laird on August 13th. It gave me real pleasure to have something ofyour company on that day; and when we had reached the back of Fyrish, andcould command the Dornoch Firth and the hills beyond it, even to Dunrobin, I looked with affectionate eyes to the woods of Skibo. The season has been favourable. Raith and I--neither of us a first-classwalker--killed seventy brace on the Monday, and I got thirty brace alone onseveral succeeding days. From Novar we went to Brahan, where everythingis as lively as usual, and Seaforth in great force, . .. I then joined LordKingsdown at Foss, on Loch Tummel, a delightful place in the centre of thePerthshire Highlands, where you see all Scotland at your feet, from BenNevis to Lochnagar. By this time the grouse were becoming wild, and we haddescended to fifteen or sixteen brace a day, but we had a splendid drive ofblue hares, and slew 367 of them. I then came on here, where I find amost comfortable house, a most kind reception, and a most sociableneighbourhood. .. . All in short is extremely pleasant, and it is mostagreeable to see George so perfectly in his place, and at the head of awell-managed estate. .. . _From Lord Westbury_ _September 5th_. --I am anxious, before I leave for the Continent, to knowif I can be of any service at the sittings of the Judicial Committee. Mypresent purpose is to go to Biarritz, and thence to Italy. But if I can beof utility, and am really wanted, I would return from Biarritz by November1st, and could devote the whole of November to diligent attendance onthe Judicial Committee. I am sorry that I cannot offer to attend duringDecember, as matters of a pressing nature will then require my presence inItaly. It is, I think, very desirable that the sittings of the Judicial Committeeshould be certain and continuous at and during a considerable portion ofthe year; and I should be glad to see the practice adopted of its beginningto sit on November 1st in every year, and continuing its sittings untilChristmas if required. You will know whether the state of business atpresent renders this desirable. .. . Lord Justice Knight Bruce is a great invalid, and it is hardly fair toexpect that, after a laborious term, the Lords Justices should at oncecommence sitting at the Privy Council. These considerations induce me towrite to you. But you will fully understand that, if it is possible to dowithout further aid, I shall be much obliged to you not to accept my offer. I shall not write to the President or the Lord Chancellor until I haveheard from you. _To Lord Westbury_ _C. O. , September 28th_. --Under the peculiar circumstances of the presentyear and the state of business in the Court, the Lord Chancellor thinksit right to acquiesce in your lordship's suggestion that the JudicialCommittee should sit one month earlier than usual in order to dispose ofthe existing arrear of causes. The Lord Chancellor is, however, of opinionthat this sitting in Michaelmas term should be regarded as exceptional andnot to be drawn into a precedent, and that it will be expedient hereafterto adhere to the established practice and to the order in Council whichdirects the sittings to be held after each term. For many years thesittings have been invariably so held in December, February, and June andJuly; and at each sitting the whole of the business ready for hearing hasbeen disposed of. The only exception to this order occurred last summer inconsequence of the illness of Sir James Colvile; and the consequence isthat (for the first time for many years) there is now an arrear to bedisposed of. Your lordship's timely assistance will, however, enable thecourt to clear off this arrear by this extraordinary sitting; and it is notto be anticipated that the same necessity will occur again, although itundoubtedly exists at the present time. When November 1st approaches, Ishall have the honour to send the printed cases and the usual summons toyour lordship's residence in London, and I shall give ample notice to theparties that the Judicial Committee will meet for the despatch of businesson that day. _From Lord Chelmsford_[Footnote: At this time Lord Chancellor. ] 7 Eaton Square, October 3rd. Dear Reeve, --Lord Westbury's letter is satisfactory. Your communication tohim, which was highly judicious, has contributed mainly to put things onthe right footing. Knight Bruce's state of health, following upon what I should think musthave been for some time his felt incapacity for work, ought to be a warningto him to terminate a life of useful labour by an honourable retirement. Ifthe hint is lost upon him, he will be a great impediment to the efficiencyof the Judicial Committee. I suppose the temporary assistance of Lord Westbury will not dispense withthe necessity of providing some permanent addition to the strength of thetribunal. Your suggestion as to Vice-Chancellor Kindersley quite met myviews, and I suppose might still be carried out with advantage. Of course Ican do nothing of this sort without Lord Derby's sanction, and therefore Ishould like to have your confirmation of my opinion that this is the bestplan that can be resorted to for the present, before I communicate with himon the subject. A letter sent to my house will be forwarded in my box whichI receive daily. Yours sincerely, CHELMSFORD. The Journal notes:-- Visits to Sparrow's Herne and to Shendish (Charles Longman's), Parnboroughand Torry Hill. The Judicial Committee sat early-November 1st. _November 8th_. --Lord Westbury, Froude, Lecky, Mrs. Norton, Bayleys, Simpson, and Longman dined with us. It was very amusing. [Mrs. Reeve wroteof it as 'brilliant;' and of Lord Westbury as resembling Falstaff and LordBacon rolled into one. ] The earliest critical notice of the battle of Lissa, fought on July 20th, appeared in the 'Revue des deux Mondes' of November 15th. It was at thetime, and has been ever since, generally attributed to the Prince deJoinville; an error which gives the following letter a more especialinterest, though it may be thought doubtful whether the suggestion offeredby the Prince was correct:-- _From the Prince de Joinville_ Woodnorton, 22 novembre. Mon cher Monsieur Reeve, --Mon frère Aumale vient de me communiquer votreaimable lettre, à laquelle je m'empresse de répondre. Les éloges que vousdonnez à l'auteur de l'article sur Lissa sont très-mérités, car letravail est très-intéressant; mais ils ne sont pas pour moi, car je suis_complètement_ étranger à la paternité de ce remarquable morceau, auquel jene reproche qu'une chose--la sevérité de ses jugements sur un homme dans laposition de Persano. J'ignore absolument le nom de l'auteur; mais le style élégant, la précisiondes informations et quelques détails d'opinion que je ne partage pasm'avaient fait supposer que nous devions attribuer à Jurien de la Gravièrele travail en question. En tous cas, quelque soit l'auteur, je demandeà tous mes amis de lui renvoyer le mérite et la responsabilité qui luiappartiennent. Croyez toujours, Monsieur, à mes sentiments d'amitié. FR. D'ORLÉANS. _To Lord Westbury_ _G. O. , November 28th_. --I received the revised judgements yesterday, andhave sent them to the printers for correction. I will take care that youremendations are carefully made, and I will again look them all carefullyover. Unless I hear again from you to the contrary, I do not understandthat you wish to see another revise of them (as it is termed) before theyare issued. In spite of your own preference for the 'wild freshness of morning' and allthe dewdrops hanging on the roses, I must be allowed to assure you that, inmy poor judgement, they are improved by this severe revision, and that thejudicial style is, like Musidora, when 'unadorned adorned the most. ' Ofthat style I think these judgements will be quoted hereafter as masterlyspecimens. _From Lord Kingsdown_ Torry Hill, Sittingbourne: January 7th, 1867. My dear Reeve, --I have read your paper, and have no hesitation in sayingthat I think the smallness of your salary quite a scandal and a disgraceto the Court of which you are so important an officer. Knowing as I do thepast services which, during a period of more than twenty years, you haverendered to the board, whilst its position has been gradually settling, I should say that 2, 000 £. A year would be not at all more than a fairremuneration to you during the remainder of your term of office. If thecountry could be certain, by the same salary, of securing an equallyefficient successor, I should think it money well laid out. Your dutiesare of a very peculiar character; and often require, in addition to thequalities required for the discharge of the ordinary routine duties of aregistrar, others of a much rarer description. The correspondence with thedifferent tribunals whose decisions are reviewed, and with the differentdepartments of the Government, which are sometimes disposed to shift to theJudicial Committee the determination of matters not properly belonging toit, demand not unfrequently the exercise of great tact, discretion, anddelicacy. But unfortunately a large salary does not always secure servicesof corresponding value, and sometimes, I am afraid, rather has an oppositetendency, and operates as a temptation to jobbery. On the whole, I shouldsay that 1, 500 £. A year would be a fair offer to a new man; but I thinkthat the Treasury should have the power to increase it to any amountnot exceeding 2, 000 £. After ten or fifteen years' service, on therecommendation of the committee. The next letter, from Lord Wensleydale, is interesting as a piece of verbalcriticism; showing, also, how a pilot in avoiding Scylla may easily runhis bark into Charybdis, or how a writer, whilst objecting to a harmless'firstly, ' may perpetrate an atrocious 'differ with. ' Ampthill Park, January 31st. My dear Reeve, --I was much pleased to hear that 'firstly' was an error. Ihope you will take some course to indicate your judgement--'a very bestauthority'--and to prevent the 'Edinburgh Review' giving the word its highauthority. I have taken every opportunity to amend Acts of Parliament whenI find the error in Dom. Proc. I have a sort of mania on the subject. I have not had an opportunity of looking at the Bishop of Oxford's case. I differ with him entirely about the Banns case, and, between ourselves, think he is oily and saponaceous. --Yours ever sincerely, WENSLEYDALE. The following, from Professor--afterwards Sir Richard--Owen, seems to referto a proposed review of the Duke of Argyll's 'Reign of Law, ' and possibly, also, of the Rev. Edwin Sidney's 'Conversations on the Bible and Science. 'Whether Owen was too drastic in his methods or not does not certainlyappear; but, for some reason, the article was either not written or notpublished, though the friendly relations between Owen and Reeve remainedunaffected. Sheen Lodge, Richmond Park, March 9th. My dear Reeve, --The end and aim of the 'Reign of Law' is to exalt ourconceptions of its head, and to destroy pretenders to the throne. The Dukehas shown, as you observe, caution in avoiding the latter application. Butthe old 'Edinburgh' was once eminently iconoclastic, and its reputationstill floats on the brave work of its youth. I fear, too we should havelost some best bits and hits of dear old Sydney had his editor been tooprecise in defining a personality. As to the other old Sidney, I, too, knowhim well; his libellus _is_ small game, but it is the type of a class doingmuch mischief. You think I have been too outspoken. Believe me, it is onlya question of time; and _you_ will speak out quite as plainly when the'Forlorn' has made the breach safe. But one would wish to see the 'Blue andYellow' in the post of honour. I had misgivings at the first that I might be unfit for your want. My timedraws on, and, under a sense of responsibility for its use, I cannot writeplatitudes. Sincerely yours, RICHD. OWEN. The Journal for 1867 begins with-- Usual engagements in the early part of the year. Circourt came in April, and we went together to Norwich. To Paris in April. Met Mrs. Grote and Hayward on the road. Morny gave me acard to see the Great Exhibition before it opened. A great banquet at theEmbassy on the 25th. On the 30th with Chevalier to Lemaire's fabrique. Hegave me my aluminium binocle. Ball at the Marine. Dined at Julian Fane's. [Footnote: The secretary of the embassy. ] Binet came to Paris from Geneva. May 6th, went to see Thiers on the last evening. May 7th, dined with Mon, the Spanish ambassador. Home on the 8th. _May 11th_. --Some of the Novar pictures were sold. I bought my Cuyp, smallClaude, P. Veronese, Watts, Rubens' drawing, Palma Vecchio, and some smallones. Visit to Torry Hill in June, but Lord Kingsdown was dying. [Footnote: Hedied on October 7th. ] I took De Mussy down to see him. I went there againin July. _From Lord Kingsdown_ _Torry Hill, June 26th_. --It is most kind in you to write to me as often asyou do, and always whenever you have anything agreeable to tell me. Bothyour last letters are full of such matter. It is inexpressibly pleasing tome to receive so many marks as I do of the kindness and affection of myfriends; and if any or all of those who professed a disposition to come andsee me would do so, I should be delighted to receive them, collectivelyor individually. I have a letter from Cranworth this morning, most kindlyoffering to come down here on Saturday next. If you could look up and senddown anybody as a companion to him, it would be more agreeable to him andto me. Possibly Peel [Footnote: Sir Lawrence Peel. ] might be induced tocome. I have not, of course, the face to ask you to come down on Saturday, but Ihold you to your promise to see me again here before you go to the North. I am, truly and gratefully yours, KINGSDOWN. The Journal mentions some of the functions of the season. _June 27th_. --Dinner at home to the F. Stanleys, [Footnote: The presentEarl and Countess of Derby. ] Mme. Mohl, Seaforth, Lecky, Blumenthal, T. Bruces, Fords remarkably pleasant. _29th_. --Dinner at the Duc de Chartres', at Ham. The Russells, Clarendons, Saxe-Weimars, Waldegraves, A. Kinnaird. _July 10th_. --Holland House garden party. Lady Derby's party to the Pashaof Egypt. On the 19th, grand ball, at the India Office, to the Sultan. _From Lord Cairns_ 5 Cromwell Houses, South Kensington, July 17th. Dear Reeve, --I enclose the Indian judgement, revised, and also the 'Agra'judgement [Footnote: A case of collision in the Channel between the ship'Agra' and a bark, 'Elizabeth Jenkins. ' The judgement was delivered on the20th by Sir William Erle. ] with a few verbal alterations. I am sorry Icannot deliver the latter; but the state of our work in Chancery is suchthat the sittings cannot be well curtailed, even for an hour. I trust somemember of the board, with a strong nautical twang, will be so good as todeliver it; and if the speaker could but adopt that hitch of the trouserwhich made Lord Clarence Paget so effective in the House of Commons, itwould, I have no doubt, add much to the effect of a composition otherwiseso tame. Yours faithfully, CAIRNS. _From Lord Kingsdown_ _Torry Hill, July 30th_. --I hear you are starting for Scotland the end ofthis week, and I cannot let you go without repeating to you once more myearnest and most cordial thanks for the great kindness which you have shownto me during my long sickness, both in constantly writing to me and in manyother ways. I wish I had a letter from you this morning, for the upshot ofwhat passed last night in the House of Lords far passes my comprehension. If you should find occasionally a leisure half-hour, and will employ it ininforming me of your proceedings on the moors, I shall be very grateful. I think it not impossible that in the course of your wanderings you mayfall in with Jowett. If you do, pray explain to him how very sensible I wasof his friendship in offering to come down here to see me, and how verymuch I was mortified at being obliged to decline his offer. In my presentcondition, it is absurd even to suppose plans for the future; but I do not_quite_ despair of seeing you here during this next partridge or pheasantseason. The Journal mentions that-- Gladstone agreed to write the political article for the 'Edinburgh' inOctober. It was called 'Sequel to the Session. ' Curious conversation withhim about the Irish Church. _August 3rd_. --Went down to Weybridge to see Mrs. Austin. It was the lasttime, for she died on the 8th, when I was at sea, on my way to Scotland. Wearrived at Aberdeen on the 9th, and learned it there. To Novar and Ardross, where good shooting. Then to Uppat, boating and fishing with the Duke ofSutherland, George Loch, and Forsyth. We went from Uppat to Brahan; then to Dunnichen and Springfield, a placenear Roslyn the Dempsters had taken. Then to Abington and home. _From M. Guizot_ Val Richer, 15 Août. My dear Sir, --Sir Alexander Gordon m'avait annoncé la perte que nousvenons de faire. Je dis nous, car Madame Austin était pour moi une vraieet intime amie. Je l'ai connue dans mes joies et mes tristesses, dans messuccès et mes revers. Je l'ai trouvée toujours la même, la même élévationd'esprit, le même coeur sympathique et dévoué. Je n'espérais plus larevoir; je le lui disais dans la dernière lettre que je lui ai écrite, eten me répondant il y a un mois, elle me disait presque adieu. Mais ladistance est grande entre l'adieu annoncé et l'adieu réel. Sa mort estpour moi un vrai chagrin. Et pour mes filles aussi, à qui elle a temoignétant d'affection et de bonté. J'ai prié Sir Alexander de m'envoyer la meilleure gravure en photographiequi existe d'elle. Envoyez moi aussi, je vous prie, ce qui sera publié surson compte, et ajoutez y tous les détails que vous recueillerez. Sadly and sincerely yours, GUIZOT. CHAPTER XVI CHURCH POLITICS Early in October, Reeve, with his wife--Miss Reeve--was staying inScotland--set out for Geneva, and, travelling by easy stages throughAntwerp, Luxembourg, Metz--'a very pretty, attractive town, ' not yetbrought into vulgar repute by its siege and surrender in the Franco-Germanwar--Nancy, Strasbourg, and Bale, arrived on the 12th. The weather wascold and wintry; and, after a short stay at Geneva, they went on toMarseilles, where Reeve's uncle, Philip Taylor, the founder of the 'Forgeset Chantiers, ' was still living, a hale old man of eighty, with his wife, 'some seven years younger, and not at all old in figure, look, and voice. 'Then to Cannes, which was coming fast into note--'building going on withgreat activity, and ground fetching higher prices every year'; and, afteran excursion to Nice and Mentone, they turned northwards, were at Paris onNovember 6th, and reached home on the 10th. The Journal adds:-- _January 6th, 1868_. --Went on a visit to Loseley Park, then occupied by theThomson Hankeys--the old seat of Sir Thomas More. Mlle. Ernestine declaimedthere. _From Lord Westbury_ _January 14th_. --Pray, if you can, give us a paper with some variety, andnot wholly composed of dreary Indian appeals, the hearing of which alwaysreminded me of the toil of Pharaoh's charioteers, when they drave heavilytheir wheelless chariots in the deep sands of the Red Sea. Who is it that has dug so deep into the Talmud, and written that remarkablepaper, [Footnote: 'The Talmud, ' _Quarterly Review, _ October 1867. ] forwhich, a century ago, he would have been the subject of a writ _Dehaeretico comburendo_? _Hinton St. George, January 16th_. --Your arrangement is a very good one, but, for fear of accident, I will certainly leave this place on Monday, February 3rd, so that you may count on me for Tuesday if required. Thegorge rises at the thought of being fed on curry, rice, and chutnee saucefor three weeks; I shall certainly contract a disease of the liver. If youcan send us occasionally to sea on an Admiralty case, it will be a littlerelief. I have observed that petitions for prolongation of patentsfrequently occupy an (apparently) undue time. If there are any such, Ithink we may despatch them. I hope Lord Justice Cairns will use the days hegains for reducing the arrears in Chancery. I am much obliged to him forhis kind expressions. The best advice that his friends can give Rolt [Footnote: Sir John Roltresigned in February 1868, and died in June 1871. ] is to resign. It is theonly chance of long life. Let him not be afraid of ennui from idleness. He has a great love of the country and country pursuits, and that isall-sufficient. Age cannot wither it, nor custom stale its infinitevariety. And it is so much better to be a looker-on than an actor in life. Aristotle, in the last chapter of his 'Nicomachean Ethics, ' sets himselfto consider what can be the happiness of the gods; and he finds nothing inwhich he can put it but in contemplation. And it might be so, if it werestill true. 'And God saw (contemplated) all that He had made, and behold itwas very good. ' I thought it was an 'Ebrew Jew' that wrote the article entitled 'Talmud. ' Ihave only read a few extracts. It is quite in keeping with the times thatit should be in a Tory journal. The Conservatives have begun by beingavowed reformers, and next they will be declared free-thinkers. This is thefirst step to their confession. Their great schoolmaster, Dizzy, gets hiscompatriot to publish this article. I am glad to hear from you that it isshallow; but novelty and originality now are nothing but the reproductionof forgotten things; and, to speak seriously, I thought it seemed a thinglikely to lead many to some form or other of Arian opinions. The following refers to a work recently published by Longmans. Mr. Longmanhad apparently suggested it as a fit subject for an article in the 'Review':-- _To Mr. T. Longman_ _C. O. , January 31st_. --I have read Rudd's translation of Aristophanes witha good deal of interest. It is as good as it can possibly be without theslightest gleam of fun or genius. Frere's translations are blazing withboth, and that constitutes their charm. Rudd is evidently a worthy, dullman, who administers the Aristophanic champagne as if it were mere brownstout. It is for this reason that I have felt a difficulty about reviewinghim, and the more so as I am overladen with all kinds of articles. But if afavourable opportunity occurs, I will not forget it. I am deeply grieved at the loss of poor Head. [Footnote: Sir Edmund Headdied suddenly on January 28th. ] He was one of the best and pleasantestcompanions I have ever known, and latterly we have lived very much indeedtogether. It is frightful to think how very many are already gone of thosewho made life agreeable; and gone, most of them, suddenly and prematurely. The Journal records:-- _February 11th_--I was elected to be treasurer of The Club in place ofSir Edmund Head [deceased]. I proposed Lord Cranborne, afterwards LordSalisbury, at The Club. For many years from this time The Club was such an important factor inReeve's social life, and enters so largely into both his Journal and hiscorrespondence, that a list of its members, as it stood in 1867, has astrong personal interest. _The Club_ March, 1867 Date of Election 1 Lord Brougham March 9th, 1830. 2 Earl Stanhope May 14th, 1833. 3 The Dean of St. Paul's February 23rd, 1836. 4 Sir Henry Holland February 18th, 1840. 5 Mr. Charles Austin March 7th, 1843. 6 Lord Kingsdown February 25th, 1845. 7 Earl of Clarendon May 20th, 1845. 8 Professor Owen May 20th, 1845. 9 Monsieur Van de Weyer February 9th, 1847. 10 Sir David Dundas February 23rd, 1847. 11 The Duke of Cleveland June 5th, 1849. 12 The Bishop of Oxford June 5th, 1849. 13 Lord Overstone June 25th, 1850. 14 The Duke of Argyll June 17th, 1851. 15 Lord Cranworth June 17th, 1851. 16 Sir Wm. Stirling Maxwell February 21st, 1854. 17 Mr. Gladstone March 10th, 1857. 18 Earl Russell April 21st, 1857. 19 Mr. George Grote March 9th, 1858. 20 Lord Stanley February 14th, 1860. 21 Sir W. Page Wood February 14th, 1860. 22 Mr. George Richmond February 14th, 1860. 23 The Bishop of London April 9th, 1861. 24 Mr. Henry Reeve April 9th, 1861. 25 Sir Roderick I. Murchison June 18th, 1861. 26 Sir Edmund Head February 25th, 1862. 27 Mr. Robert Lowe May 12th, 1863. 28 Mr. Spencer Walpole March 8th, 1864. 29 The Dean of Westminster February 28th, 1865. 30 Mr. J. A. Froude February 28th, 1865. 31 The Duc d'Anmale March 14th, 1865. 32 Mr. Alfred Tennyson March 14th, 1865. 33 Lord Cairns February 27th, 1866. 34 Mr. Edward Twisleton April 24th, 1866. _From Lord Clarendon_ _Rome, February 2nd_. --I cannot let an old friend like yourself hear bycommon report an event most interesting to us, and which will therefore, Iam sure, not be without interest to you. Emily [Footnote: Lord Clarendon'syoungest daughter. The marriage took place on May 5th. ] is to marry OdoRussell. [Footnote: Afterwards Lord Ampthill. ] It has been an attachment ofsome standing on his part, and as she has become very certain of its depthand sincerity, they came to an understanding two days ago. His worldlygoods are not superabundant, but he is very rich in all the qualitieslikely to make a woman happy; he is very clever and accomplished, and Ispeak with a knowledge of him for many years when I say that he is one ofthe best-tempered and kindest-hearted men I ever was acquainted with. Sucha son as he has always been must make a good husband. In short, we are allvery happy. .. . How I should like to have a talk with you upon home and foreign affairs, and how I should like to think that you viewed them less gloomily than Ido! There is great expectation at Rome that Italy will break up, and thatthe Holy Father will recover his provinces. Italy, mishandled as she hasbeen by quacks, is doubtless very sick; but she is still proud of theunion, and will fight for it against all comers. Things look black, andare, to my mind, getting blacker, every day in France. That _pariesproximus_ concerns us, in our present uneasy condition, more than one likesto think of. _From Lord Chelmsford_ _7 Eaton Square, February 10th, 11 P. M. _--Your letter, just received, hascaused me the greatest perplexity. To provide you help on the sudden isimpossible; and, agreeing with you that it is desirable to supply LordKingsdown's place with a strong man, I ask, Where is the judicial Samsonto be found? I think it highly improbable that Mellish would abandon hisprofessional profits for the barren honour of a right honourable title anda seat at the board. Besides, there is no knowing what the Commission, which is inquiring into all the superior Courts, both original andappellate, may recommend; and I hear of very sweeping suggestions beingmade. I therefore feel that, at present, I am fettered in my attempts toadd strength to the Judicial Committee. In your difficulties, I hardly knowwhat to advise; but could you not take the Admiralty cases and postpone theothers, getting Phillimore to join you till Kindersley can return? This isthe only possible escape from the necessity of closing your sittings thatoccurs to me at the present moment. The Journal here notes:-- _February 12th_--The Duc d'Aumale dined with us, to meet Lady Minto, G. Lefevre, and E. Cheney. A spy got hold of this little dinner, and itwas reported to the French Government as a conspiracy. Mon [the SpanishAmbassador in Paris] told Raymond of it afterwards. _14th_--I dined with the Joinvilles; and on the 16th with the Duc deNemours at Bushey. Xavier Raymond was staying with us. _February 23rd_--I walked back from the Temple Church with Lord ChancellorChelmsford. Two days afterwards he was turned out of office by Disraeli. _From Mr. Robert Lytton_ [Footnote: At this time secretary of legation atLisbon, and known in the world of letters as 'Owen Meredith. ' AfterwardsEarl Lytton. ] Lisbon, February 22nd. My dear Mr. Reeve, --I am ashamed of having left so long unanswered yourlast very kind letter. But for the last three weeks I have had littleleisure, and less health to enjoy it. Indeed, this is really my first freemoment since your letter reached me. Your excellent and welcome news ofEmily's engagement [Footnote: Lady Emily Villiers. See _ante_. ] to OdoRussell was confirmed by the same post in a line from Emily to Edith, [Footnote: Mrs. Lytton, the Lady Emily's first cousin. ] and has given usthe greatest pleasure--me especially; for I have a great regard for Odo, and any other settlement of this particular Roman question [Footnote: OdoRussell was at this time, and had been for the last ten years, living atRome, practically--though not formally--ambassador to the Vatican. ] wouldhave much disappointed my hopes. Emily, in her letter to my wife, spoke ofremaining at Rome for another month or more (the marriage not being fixedto take place before May, at the Grove); but I see by the papers that LordClarendon is already on his way homeward, and I am much _intrigué_ by thatarticle in the 'Times, ' which has, I see, been re-echoed by other papers, suggesting some modification in the present Cabinet on account of LordDerby's health. The present Portuguese Government does not seem to be at all favourablydisposed towards Mr. Flores, or to think more highly of him than you do. But in this country one can never be quite sure what the pressure ofpolitical opposition or support may wring from a weak Government in the wayof concession to any _intriguant;_ and, if Flores can command votes, he maybe listened to; otherwise not, I fancy. The monthly F. O. Bag has just brought me the January 'Edinburgh, ' forwhich a thousand thanks. I have not yet had time to cut the leaves of it. Pray accept my best thanks for the cheque mentioned in your letter. I amall the more grateful to you for the good will on behalf of 'Chronicles andCharacters, ' to which you so kindly and generously give renewed expression, because I have just seen what I cannot but think a very unjust notice ofthe book in the 'Athenaeum. ' In endeavouring to illustrate a continuousstrain of thought passing over a wide range of subject, one of my chiefaims was diversity of form and variety of style; but there can be no doubtthat versatility is always in danger of running into imitation. Play alwayson the Jew's harp, and no one will accuse you of imitating the tone of anyother instrument. I do not pretend that my own instrument is an organ: butI would rather it should be the smallest harmonicum than the strongest andshrillest Jew's harp. _From Mr. S. H. Walpole_ Ealing, March 29th. My dear Mr. Reeve, --I am quite ashamed of myself for not having thanked youbefore for your valuable hints about the effect and ultimate consequencesof Gladstone's motion. [Footnote: March 30th, for the Disestablishment ofthe Irish Church, of which notice was given on March 23rd. ] I have longthought that his aim and object has been for years to separate the Churchfrom the State, and so set up an episcopal and sacerdotal power, whichwould endeavour to exercise an unbounded control over the consciences, actions, and private judgement of men. The only check upon this is thesupremacy of the civil power in the external government of the Church, andthe obligation of the clergy to submit and subscribe to the doctrineand liturgy which, once for all, the Church and State have concurred inprescribing. All ritualism, all tractarianism, and much high-churchism isin secret, if not in avowed, rebellion against such a supremacy; and if it[Footnote: _Sc_. The supremacy of the civil power. ] could only be struckdown in Ireland, it would not be long before an attack on it was made inEngland. What may happen to-morrow I cannot regard with much satisfaction. Gladstone's motion is the most impudent assault on the Crown which anyex-minister ever made; and Stanley's amendment is an illogical surrenderof our best defence. He ought to have ended in plain words, by saying that'the House is of opinion that the disestablishment and disendowment of theChurch in Ireland would be contrary to, and in direct violation of, thefundamental and essential articles of the Treaty of Union. ' The countrywould have then understood what we were about; it can hardly understand itnow. I am out of heart and have many misgivings when ex-ministers of the Crown, and the actual minister of the Crown, assail or abandon the Crown'sprerogative for the value of place and power. Yours always very sincerely, S. H. WALPOLE. Walpole's interpretation of Gladstone's 'aim and object' may now appearstrained. It was, however, certainly held, at the time, by many who arguedthat Gladstone's character was itself a direct contradiction to the chargeof his proposed measure being one of spoliation and robbery. [Footnote: See_post_. ] It is, perhaps, more probable that he was greatly influenced bythe Utopian sentimentalism which so powerfully influenced his later career, and led him to the extreme courses so bitterly condemned by many of his oldcolleagues and adherents. At the same time it must be remembered that when, nearly thirty years later, a Radical measure was brought forward for thedisestablishment of the Church in Wales, with the avowed intention ofadvancing by it to the disestablishment of the Church of England, althoughthe great body of the Church, clergy and laity, vehemently denounced it asantagonistic to the best interests of the Church and the country, therewere many of the extreme ritualistic section who openly favoured andsupported it, with freedom on their tongues and sacerdotalism in theirhearts. The Journal here has:-- Went to St. Leonard's with the Watneys for Good Friday (April 10th). OnEaster Sunday to Holland, with Circourt. Dined with Baudin, [Footnote:The son of Charles Baudin, the distinguished admiral. Cf. _Les GloiresMaritimes de France_, par Jurien de la Gravière. ] the French minister atthe Hague. _April 13th_. --Spent the evening with the Queen of Holland at the OldPalace. 14th, evening with the Queen. 16th, went on, by Utrecht, to Aix, where Circourt and I remained ten days. Came home by Antwerp. _From Mr. Robert Lytton_ Madrid, April 29th. Dear Mr. Reeve, --I must apologise for not having sooner thanked you foryour very kind letter of the 8th, which reached me just as I was starting(paperless and penless) for Madrid. The cares of this world (in the shapeof house-hunting), quite unaccompanied by the deceitfulness of riches, have, I am sorry to say, eaten up every hour of my time not otherwiseabsorbed by official visits and presentations, &c. , since we reached--aweek ago--this pretty, busy, but horribly hot and dear, town. I am really pained to think that your kind intention on behalf of my bookshould already have been the occasion of so much trouble to you, dear Mr. Reeve; and I can only say that I am all the more grateful to you for nothaving altogether abandoned it. A notice in the 'Edinburgh' will at alltimes be most valuable; and the more touches there may be in it from yourpen, the more valuable it will be. The notice in the 'Times' was indeedvery kindly written, and very kindly inserted, and I doubt not that it willbe very advantageous to the book in many ways. I am greatly and agreeably struck by the animation and showiness ofMadrid--after Lisbon, which is one of the dullest towns I ever saw. Lifeat Lisbon is _en robe de chambre_; here it is all _en toilette_. Madrid islike a pretty provincial who has been to Paris, and come back _mise à lamode_, and with a decided taste for spending more money than she has ather bankers'. The beauty of the women's faces, too, as you see them in thestreets, the Prado, and at the opera (for I have not yet seen the _beaumonde_ at home), is very agreeable. Pretty faces seem to be as plentifulhere as gold nuggets in the streets of Eldorado, when Candide saw them. The day after we got to Madrid, Narvaes died, and till yesterday he hasbeen lying in state and receiving the visits of a grateful public at allhours of the day. Yesterday his body, _empaillé_, was removed with duehonours to be buried in Andalusia. The story goes about the town that onhis deathbed his confessor, having told him to forgive his enemies, hereplied: 'I have none. ' 'Impossible! A man who has been governing Spain solong must have many. ' 'But I assure you there is no man alive whom I evensuspect to be my enemy. ' 'No enemies?' 'None; I have shot them all!' I sincerely hope that you will be able to visit Spain in the autumn. Aboutthat time, if still here, I shall try to see Seville and the South. But myplans are entirely dependent on Crampton's [Footnote: Sir John Crampton, minister plenipotentiary at Madrid, retired from the public service onJuly 1st, 1869. ] movements; and I fear we shall have to pass the summer atMadrid, which I rather dread on account of the children, who have alreadycaught feverish colds. With my wife's affectionate greetings, and my ownrespects, to Mrs. Reeve, pray believe me to be yours very faithfully, R. LYTTON. The Journal records:-- _May 6th_. --Disraeli was in the chair at the Literary Fund dinner. [Hespoke--wrote Mrs. Reeve--with grace, and had a brilliant reception. I neverheard such cheering at any previous dinner. He has stormy nights in theHouse of Commons, and how it will end is still uncertain; but hiswonderful tact and control of feature, voice, and language give him markedadvantage. ] _From the Comte de Paris_ York House, Twickenham, le 20 mai. Mon cher Monsieur Reeve, --Je ne puis résister au désir d'appeler votrebienveillante attention sur le dernier numéro de la 'Revue des deuxMondes, ' que je ne vous envoie pas, sachant que vous la recevez, où notreexcellent ami X. Raymond a traité la question de l'église d'Irlande. Je veux en même temps réclamer votre indulgence pour son travail, et vousdemander de ne pas vous étonner si vous n'y retrouvez ni la clarté destyle ni la variété de connaissances qui distinguent votre ami. Ne le luireprochez pas trop sévèrement, car, s'il est coupable, ce n'est pas decela. Élevé dans le respect de la loi, je ne puis vous en dire davantage, et jeme bornerai à vous rappeler qu'il y a actuellement dans la loi françaisedeux articles, l'un interdisant aux exilés d'écrire dans les journaux, qui ne me permet pas de me présenter comme collaborateur de la 'Revue;'l'autre, punissant les journaux qui publient des articles sous dessignatures autres que celle de l'auteur, qui ne me permet pas de vous endire davantage. Je termine en vous priant de me croire toujours Votre bien affectionné, LOUIS-PHILIPPE D'ORLÉANS. _From the Dean of St. Paul's_ Deanery, St. Paul's, June 19th. My Dear Reeve, --Your article [Footnote: 'The National Church, ' whichappeared in the _Edinburgh Review_ of July. ] I think admirable. I haveventured to make one or two verbal suggestions, but on the main of yourargument I am fully with you. There are only two points which I shouldpropose for your reconsideration. I do not quite see the bearing of yourargument about the Cardross case, and do not quite understand the decisionof the Scotch judges. [Footnote: The Free Church minister of Cardross hadbeen deposed by the Church Courts for drunkenness. He applied to the civilcourt for redress, and was thereupon summarily ejected from the FreeChurch. The Court of Session decided that the defenders--the ChurchCourts--'are invested with no jurisdiction whatever, ecclesiastical orcivil. '] Surely every corporation, or, indeed, every club, has, and musthave, the power of excluding--excommunicating is only the theologian's termfor the same thing--any member who flagrantly violates its rules and firstprinciples. If a member of the Athenaeum were to get roaring drunk anddisturb the place, and endanger the character of the club, the committee ora general meeting might eject him, though he would have some plea in hisvested right in the property of the club--the house, library, &c. If themistake in the Cardross case was that the culprit was ejected withouttrial, that, I think, should be distinctly stated. If the flaw is that itwas done by the Church officers, without the general consent or sanction ofthe Kirk, this also should be made clear. I rather demur to the divisionof the ecclesiastical property now held by the Irish Church, accordingstrictly to the proportion of its members to the rest of the population. Possession, and possession for three centuries, ought, I think, to be takeninto account. But this is a question rather of detail than of principle. But the real difficulty you have stated fairly and clearly: On what terms, and under what character, is the Protestant Church, when disestablished, to hold the property--the churches, parsonages, &c. --which is to remain toher? The Church must have a constitution--I do not see why not ratified byAct of Parliament--by which the trustees which represent her will legallyhold that property. She must not be exposed in a few years to a LadyHewley's charity case. [Footnote: Sarah, Lady Hewley, at her death, in1710, left landed property in trust for the support of 'poor and godlypreachers of Christ's holy Gospel. ' The original trustees were allPresbyterians; but in the course of a hundred years the trust had got intothe hands of Unitarians, and the case was brought to the notice of theCharity Commissioners. After a prolonged litigation, it was finally decidedby the House of Lords (August 5th, 1842) that, by the terms of the bequest, Unitarians were excluded from participating in the charity. ] I suggestedto the Archbishop of Armagh--a good-natured, but not a very powerful, man--that the Irish Church, when in one sense free, should yet retain, ofits own will, the advantages of the supremacy of the Crown and of the law. She should take, as the fundamental tenet of her constitution, conformityto the Articles and Formularies of the Church of England, which themajority of the English hold, in their meaning and interpretation. Onthis principle she might retain a jurisdiction, amenable to law, over hermembers; her members be protected against episcopal tyranny, against thatwhich is now the great danger, parsonocracy, which I rejoice to find thatyou repudiate as strongly as I or Stanley. Ever very truly yours, H. H. MILMAN. _From Lord Cairns_ _July 23rd_. --Many thanks for the copy of your article on the NationalChurch. I had begun to read it with great interest in the 'EdinburghReview, ' not knowing that it was directly from your pen, and I shall nowcontinue the perusal with increased pleasure. .. . I will enclose with this, in exchange for your paper, a copy of my speech on the Irish Church--aDiomedean exchange; the value of ten oxen for a hundred. During all this spring Reeve had suffered a great deal from gout, so, bythe advice of Sir Henry Holland, who spoke strongly of the necessity ofchange of air and of rest from all work and effort, he and his wife startedfor the Continent on July 24th. Passing through Paris, and staying a fewdays at Fontainebleau, they went on to Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne, andto Royat, then newly come into vogue as a health resort. After about threeweeks of the baths and the mountain air, Reeve was so far recovered as tobe able to walk a little; and on August 18th they passed on to Geneva, where they were joined by their friends the Watneys, with whom they wenton to Evian, and thence by the Valais to the Bel Alp, an hotel 7, 000 feetabove the sea-level, commanding magnificent views. 'Christine, ' wrote Reevein his Journal, 'went up the Sparrenhorn with Binet, ' whilst, accordingto Mrs. Reeve, 'Henry and Mrs. Watney, not being moveable bodies, sat atwindows and pooh-poohed the energetic use of legs. ' From the Bel Alp, Reeve, still very much of a cripple, 'was carried'--the expression is hisown--to Brieg. Thence, by the Furca, to Hospenthal and to Zurich, the fallsof the Rhine, Bâle, and Paris, where they stayed a few days, and returnedto London on September 10th. _From the Comte de Paris_ _York House, July 26th_. --I had already seen the remarkable article whichyou have just published in the 'Edinburgh Review, ' when I received the copyyou so kindly thought of sending me, and which I shall keep as a souvenirof the author. I hasten to thank you, and to tell you with what interestI have read this study, so full of curious facts and remarkableappreciations. If I was called on to decide the question in its entirety, I should decline, in the first place as a Catholic. Indeed I cannot placemyself at the Protestant point of view so as to judge what services theunion of Church and State has rendered to the religious principles whichare the basis of the Protestant faith. And the lay system of the officialChurch of England is so foreign to our ideas of religious authority that itis difficult for us to be impartial towards it. Those who do not belong tothe Anglican Church are naturally tempted to attribute to this subjectioneverything in her which, in their eyes, is error or change. I should alsodecline as a Frenchman, for I confess that what troubles me most at thepresent time is the relation between the Catholic Church and the State, a relation which has been equally prejudicial to both, when founded on apolitical union. But without trying to judge such a delicate question, which will be asubject of controversy as long as the world is given up to the disputes ofman, I have found a real pleasure in seeing this clear explanation of theprinciples which form the basis of a system whose adherents are so many andso distinguished. .. . _From Lord Clarendon_ _The Grove, August 2nd. _--Lord Russell does not much like some parts of thearticle on the Irish Church, and wishes to write five or six pages on thesubject for the November [Footnote: _Sic_ for October. ] number; butnot feeling sure whether you would accept them, he has asked me toinquire--which I hereby do. If you have not set out for Russia, [Footnote:_Sc. _ or other out-of-the-way place. It has been seen that, at the time, Reeve was at Royal. ] perhaps you will write him a line yourself, as I startfor Wiesbaden on Tuesday. As no note from Lord Russell appeared in the October number, it would seemprobable that Reeve did not encourage the idea. His own relations to LordRussell were not such as to prompt him to any undue complacence, and he wasat all times extremely averse from anything like a controversy either inor about the 'Review. ' It has happened to the present writer to havestatements or opinions put forward in his contributions to the 'Review'called in question in the daily or weekly papers, and to have beenpointedly requested by the editor to take no notice of the hostile lettersor criticisms. As the articles were strictly anonymous, the responsibility, of course, rested with the editor, who, probably for that very reason, wasstrongly opposed to an early revelation of a writer's personality. The Journal notes visits to Farnborough and Denbigh, and some shooting atTorry Hill; but the gout was still troublesome, and in October Reeve andhis wife went into Cornwall, where, after a week's visit to Lady Molesworthat Pencarrow, they went to Penzance, to the Land's End and the LoganStone--on to which Mrs. Reeve clambered--and thence to Falmouth andTorquay, where they met the Queen of Holland and Prince Napoleon, with whomthey spent two evenings. 'Her Majesty, ' wrote Mrs. Reeve on November4th, 'is a clever, original woman, speaking four tongues perfectly well, conversant with literature and politics, and finding in them consolationfor an uncongenial family. ' The sittings of the Judicial Committee, whichbegan on November 10th, called Reeve back to town, where, on the 27th, hehad the sad news of the death of his old friend Colonel Ferguson of Raith, and, for the last three years, of Novar. _From Lord Clarendon_ Grosvenor Crescent, November 13th. My dear Reeve, --The Queen of Holland has proposed to dine here in theunfurnished cupboard where we have our frugal repasts, on Monday next ateight. We have no servants, plate, or usual appurtenances, and only six canbe crammed into the locale. Will you be one of them? and will Mrs. Reeveexcuse us for asking you alone on account of our no room? Please let mehave an answer as soon as you can. Ever yours truly, CLARENDON. _Endorsed_--The dinner consisted of the Queen, Cockburn, Seymour, and self. From the Bishop of Lincoln [Footnote: Christopher Wordsworth. Cf. _ante, _vol. I. Pp. 31, 68. VOL. II. ] November 21st. My dear Reeve, --It is very good of you to write as you do concerning mypromotion. I should indeed have been well content to remain in the peacefulharbour of Westminster for the remainder of my days, instead of putting outto sea in a rather weather-beaten bark in stormy weather. But such kindwords as yours encourage me to hope that, if I am wrecked in the storm, Imay be picked up by some friendly vessel and brought to land again. I have, my dear friend, your congratulations, and let me have also your prayers. Iam, my dear Reeve, Yours sincerely, CHR. WORDSWORTH. [Footnote: He had not yet adopted the episcopalsignature. ] I send you three pamphlets. Do not think me troublesome, but you oughtreally to take up (pardon me for saying so) the question of the approachinggreat Roman Council, which will probably affirm the personal infallibilityof the Pope, and be fraught with the most important results to Europe, political as well as ecclesiastical. _From Lord Cairns_ Windsor Castle, November 29th. My dear Reeve, --I send you in a separate cover my notes of a judgement inRugg _v. _ Bishop of W. For printing and circulation; and I enclose in thisa letter which I have had from Lord Westbury, which is in accordance withthe judgement as it stands, but which it would perhaps be best to put inprint and circulate along with the judgement. I hope in a week or ten daysto have Mackonochie ready--that is, if I am not smothered in the meantimeby the books and pamphlets which the Ritualists daily shower upon me. Yours faithfully, CAIRNS. As the general election had left his party in a minority of about 130, Disraeli resigned on December 4th, and Mr. Gladstone, who had put thedisestablishment of the Irish Church prominently before the electors, formed a ministry which was from the beginning pledged to the measure. Itwas known that this would meet with no support from Lord Westbury, so thathe was necessarily 'left out in the cold, ' not without some misgivings asto what a man so cunning in fence might say or write when his opinions weresharpened by a sense of personal injury. To Lord Westbury, however, the slight was lost in his wrath at the barefaced avowal of a plan ofspoliation; and, without taking the trouble to date his letter, he wrote:-- _From Lord Westbury_ [_December_]. --These written judgements are a great bore. I imagine(no doubt from vanity) that, at the end of the argument, I could havepronounced _viva voce_ a much more effective and convincing judgement thanthat which I have written. The _vis animi_ evaporates during the slowprocess of writing; the conception fades and the expression becomes feeble. What we shall do with the other case of Mackonochie I dread to think. Iwish we had knocked it off while the iron was hot, as we used to dothe running down cases. There is no chance of a decision this side ofChristmas. I have come up to town on some private matters, and have not the leastnotion of mingling in any political matters. In fact, I gave my people tounderstand so clearly last session that I would reject with abhorrenceany measure that embodied these two wicked things--l. Stripping the IrishChurch of its property to convert it to secular uses, which is robbery; 2. Destroying episcopacy in, and the Queen's supremacy over, the EstablishedChurch in Ireland, which is a wanton, unnecessary, and most mischievousact--that of course I could not expect any communication from them. The weakness of the Government in its legal staff in the House of Commonswill be very great, but the opposition will be weaker. It cannot beexpected that Palmer [Footnote: Sir Roundell Palmer, afterwards Earl ofSelborne, had been successively Solicitor--and Attorney-General during thewhole of the Liberal Administration 1859-66; but on the formation of Mr. Gladstone's Government declined the Great Seal with a peerage, on accountof his disapproval of the proposed disestablishment and disendowment of theIrish Church. Notwithstanding Lord Westbury's forecast, he did speak verystrongly against the Bill on the second reading (March 22nd, 1869), votedwith the minority against it, and took an active part against it in theCommittee. ] will take a very active part in opposition. Then what lawyerhave they? But in the House of Lords I hope the principles of English lawand of political expediency will be abundantly illustrated and explained, and shown to be in direct opposition to the Government's destructive andrevolutionary measure; and if this be done, as the people of England are alaw-loving and law-abiding people, there may be a great reaction in publicfeeling. And what will Wood be able to do against those opposed to him? What a Cabinet! 'Misery, ' says Trinculo, 'makes one acquainted with strangebedfellows'--so, it seems, does unlooked-for prosperity. Only fancyGranville, Clarendon, and the rest, pigging heads and tails with JohnBright in the same truckle bed! I am very thankful that I have anopportunity of conversing in quiet with philosophers and poets at Hinton. The following, written in a feminine hand on a half-sheet of note-paper, belongs to this time. It is endorsed by Reeve--'Lord Derby's acrostic onGladstone;' but it does not appear whether the attributing it to Lord Derbywas on positive knowledge or on mere current gossip. The name of the authorwas certainly not generally known. G was a Genius and mountain of mind; L a Logician expert and refined; A an Adept at rhetorical art; D was the Dark spot that lurked in his heart; S was the Subtlety that led him astray; T was the Truth that he bartered away; O was the Cypher his conscience became; N was the New-light that lit up the same; E was the Evil-One shouting for joy, -- 'Down with it! down with it! Gladstone, my boy! [Footnote: Another, slightly different, edition of this acrostic, with theanswer to it from the Radical point of view, is given in Sir M. E. GrantDuff's _Notes from a Diary, _ 1873-81, vol. I. P. 126. ] _From Lord Cairns_ _December 7th_--Putting aside the well-regulated party feeling which weought all to endeavour to cultivate, the sensation of a period of reposeafter twenty-five years of hardish work is, to me, so novel and agreeablethat I fear I do not look on my exit from office [Footnote: On the fall ofDisraeli's ministry. ] with the solicitude that I ought. But I do not theless appreciate the kind sentiments in your note, and I can safely say thatupon the Judicial Committee, whether as Chancellor or as Lord Justice, it has been a very great pleasure to me to co-operate with anyone whoseanxiety and efforts for the efficiency of the tribunal, and whose abilityto contribute to that end, are as great as yours. I am most desirous that the two ecclesiastical judgements should be givenbefore Christmas, as I may be absent for some weeks after that day. I hopeto send you my draft in Mackonochie on Wednesday, and I will beg you toprint and circulate it as soon as possible. I wish I could have done itsooner; but it is _magnum opus et difficile_, and I have had judgements inchancery and other work on hand, and in this I felt obliged to trust to noamanuensis. The following letter is from the widow of Sir James Smith, the botanist(_d_. 1828), and at this time in her ninety-sixth year. By her maiden nameshe was Pleasance Reeve, an old family friend, but not a relation ofher namesake. Her letters are not less remarkable for the clearness andstrength of the writing, than they are for the vigour of the thought andthe lucidity of the expression. Five years later, just as she had completedher one hundredth year, Reeve and his daughter paid her a visit atLowestoft, which is recorded on a later page. [Footnote: See _post_, p. 215. ] _Lowestoft, December 16th_--Surely, dear Mr. Reeve, this is not the firsttime you have inquired of me concerning Lowestoft china? Either you, or Dr. Hooker it might be; whichever it was, I sent him all that I knew about it, and that all is very little, for I am one of the sceptics, and have beenfilled with doubt and surprise at the reports I have heard. But I am toldI am quite mistaken, and that it surely had arrived at a great state ofperfection; that foreign artists had been employed; and that, if what isshown is not Lowestoft china, what other is it? For there is a peculiarityin it which those acquainted with [it] know at first sight, and whichis totally different from Chelsea, or Derby, or Worcestershire, orStaffordshire. This I admit. One peculiarity Mr. S. Martin observed. Thebottoms of the saucers have very slight undulations, looking, as he said, like a ribbon that requires ironing to be perfectly flat and smooth. This, when he showed me, I also noticed; and, I must add, I have seen the same inreal Chinese china; but he told me he could distinguish better, and that itwas not the same. Also, there is a uniformity in certain little flowersand roses which is seen in no others. The shapes are good, and as themanufacture advanced the painting was improved; armorial bearings wererepresented, and gilding. S. Martin, who could send you a much more perfect account than I can, always calls on an old woman--the widow of Rose, a painter--who recollectstheir melting guineas for gold to gild with. She, perhaps, is dead now, forwhen he last called she was bedrid, and nearly insensible. I recommend youto ask of Mr. S. Martin, Liverpool, who, I am sure, would give you muchinformation I cannot. What I do know I will tell as well as I can--That in my early youth therewas a manufactory; that I often went and _saw_ Mr. Allen dab a piece ofwhite clay on a wheel, and, with his foot turning the wheel, with hisright hand he formed a handsome basin or cup in a minute or two. The chinabasins, cups, saucers, pots, jugs--everything was made here, painted here, by poor sickly looking boys and girls, for it was a very unwholesometrade--baked here; and they had a shop in London, which, I suppose, took off the bulk of their manufactured articles. I remember the greatwater-wheel which ground the clay--a fearful monster, sublime, I must say, for it 'hid its limits in its greatness;' but the beautiful lake thatsupplied it with water, and was covered with water-lilies, was one of myfavourite resorts. Gillingwater [Footnote: _Historical Account of the Ancient Town ofLowestoft_ (1790). ] tells us that Mr. Hewling Luson found the clay on hisestate in 1756, made experiments, was defeated; other persons took it up, and were also hindered through jealousy; another trial proved unsuccessful, but repeated efforts succeeded, and the manufacture began, and went on tillabout the end of the century, or early in 1800, when my brother bought afew articles at the final sale by way of remembrance, but these, thoughpretty, are by no means the choicest specimens. A man in the town has awhole dinner service, with, I think, ducal bearings; and only last summerMr. Bohn [Footnote: Henry George Bohn, the well-known publisher, and almostequally well-known collector of articles of vertu. ] gave 5 £ to an oldman for one little cup, which the poor fellow intended as a legacy to hisdaughter, and he unwillingly sold it; but 5 £ bribed him--or it might bemore; the original price was probably 4_d_. Or 6_d_. At most. Pray, dear Mr. Reeve, take no trouble to correct the name in Mrs. Palliser's book of pottery. I never was a patroness of the Lowestoft china, know but little about it, and do not wish my name to appear as being inany other way connected with it than as being an inhabitant of the sametown. --I am, dear Mr. Reeve, yours faithfully, P. SMITH. And the Journal winds up the year with-- _December 31st_--To Hinton St. George, on a visit to Lord Westbury. 1869. The year opened at Hinton, shooting with Lord Westbury. MontagueSmith was there. Nothing ever amused me more than Lord Westbury's society, and I became intimate with him. He was a strange mixture of intellectualpower and moral weakness, and his peculiar mode of speaking was at onceprecise, pertinent, and comical. He had hired Hinton from Lord Paulet, andlived there with a host of children and grandchildren. On Sundays all dinedtogether--I think, thirty-two of them. _From the Duc d'Aumale_ _Woodnorton_, 16 _janvier_. --. .. Nous aurons une passable chasse à tir lejour sacramental du lr février. Voulez-vous en être? L'ennui est quec'est un lundi, et que le train du dimanche est d'une lenteur fabuleuse. Voulez-vous venir dîner et coucher ici samedi 30, ou dimanche 31? H. D'O. From a later note of the Duke's, it appears that Reeve was unable to acceptthe invitation to the _passable chasse, _ which he would have enjoyed, especially as after four years there was no longer a question of the 'loosebox' or the 'kitchen dresser. ' The next letter, from Lord Westbury, is in evident answer to one fromReeve about Lord Campbell's 'Lives of Lyndhurst and Brougham, ' then newlypublished, of which a very severe--not, it was thought, too severe--articleappeared in the 'Review' for April. The article was not by Reeve; but wemay fairly suppose that he--to some extent, at least--inspired it; andthat--also to some extent--the inspiration was supplied by Lord Westbury. _Hinton St. George, January 24th_--I wish you were here for two or threedays' shooting before the season closes, as the weather is so mild andbeautiful, and I hear that in London it is miserably cold. So tell Mrs. Reeve that her Zomerzet is a favoured county after all. As to what you say about the book, I remember a celebrated dinner at theTemple, to which I invited Lyndhurst, Brougham, Campbell, and CharlieWetherell, when the latter warned Lyndhurst and Brougham of Campbell'sdesign, in terms almost prophetic of what has occurred. 'My biographicalfriend will excel in exhibiting every little foible; _Hunc tu Romanecaveto_. ' I cannot describe the whole scene to you, but will some day _vivâvoce_. _From the Duc d'Aumale_ Woodnorton, January 31st. My dear Mr. Reeve, --An absence at Badminton, where I struggled for a fewhours' sport, first with the frost and then with hurricanes, has preventedme from sooner answering your letter of the 26th. I have searched the archives at Monte Cassino very minutely; I do not knowthose of La Cava, which have the reputation of being very curious, butmore local and of less general interest than those of Monte Cassino. The Cassinesi had a printing press, to which we owe many beautifulpublications, some unpublished sermons of St. Augustine's, several works bythe eloquent and learned Father Tosti, &c. They had prepared an edition ofan unpublished Commentary on Dante, and also of the valuable correspondenceof Mabillon, Montfaucon, and other clerics of the Congregation of St. Maur, when, in consequence of the events of 1848, their printing presses weresequestrated. At that time they were suspected of Liberalism. Now, whensecularisation has replaced sequestration, it seems to me that the ItalianGovernment ought to continue the literary and archaeological work of themonks, as it has substituted itself in their proprietary rights; just as, after the French Revolution, the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles Lettrescarried on the immense work of the clerics of the Congrégation de St. -Maur. This is my first impulse on reading M. De Circourt's letter. However, wewill speak of it further when I have the pleasure of seeing you again, which I hope will be soon. _Mille amitiés. _ H. D'ORLÉANS The Journal notes:-- In London the usual dinners. Dined at Mr. Gladstone's on February 1st. Thiswas the first dinner he gave after becoming Prime Minister. There werepresent Lord Lansdowne, Clarendon, Hammond, Northbrook, Helps, Kinnaird, Doyle, Hamilton, and Salomons [Footnote: Created a baronet on October 26thof the same year. ]--an odd party. He received us in the hall. _April 9th_--To Paris. 10th, at the Institute; saw Guizot, Mignet, St. -Hilaire, Wolowski, Chevalier, &c. , there. 18th, Chapel at theTuileries; saw the Emperor there--I think for the last time. 20th, went toLa Celle, [Footnote: La Celle St. -Cloud, about four miles from Versailles, where M. De Circourt lived throughout the evening of his life. ] and spentsome days there with Circourt. ['Henry, ' wrote Mrs. Reeve, 'enjoyed hisdays in the country with M. De Circourt vastly. We thought it unreasonableto go all three, and a maid, to his small house; so Hopie and I careeredabout the streets, went to a play, and to a dance at the ChineseEmbassy!--not very Chinese, as the minister is American, so also is hiswife, and the guests were mostly his country-folk. '] _23rd--Dined at M. Guizot's. 25th_--Dined with Thiers, and met Mignet, St. -Hilaire, Duvergier, and Rémusat. The Royal Academy Exhibition took place for the first time in BurlingtonHouse. I dined with the R. A. S at Pender's. _From M. Guizot_ _Val Richer, May 13th_--I took up my summer quarters here a week ago, leaving the fifth volume of my 'Mémoires' in Paris, ready printed and onthe eve of publication. You will receive it next week. It deals entirelywith my embassy to England in 1840. I am anxious to know what will besaid of it in England; it will be very kind of you to supply me with theinformation. You know that I love and honour England sufficiently alwaysto say what I think of her; and what she thinks of me concerns me closely, whether our opinions are or are not the same. I have found many letters and conversations of yours for 1840. But it wasmore especially after this, and during the first year of my ministry, that you helped me so effectively in preserving peace and re-establishingfriendly relations between our two countries. I hope you will not object tomy saying so. .. . The Journal mentions:-- _May 22nd. _--Visit to Tom Baring's, at Norman Court. [Mr. Baring--wroteMrs. Reeve--is the head of the house of Baring Brothers; an elderlygentleman and a bachelor, very simple, but very kindly. The house is notlarge for the park and property, which is, all together, about 7, 000 acres;but pictures and china are renowned; so is the cooking; and, with suchwealth as is at our host's command, all the details are in perfection. In the park there are many fine beech and other trees, and the yew growswonderfully, contrasting its dark tint with the soft, white may. On theslope of the hill, about three miles off, grow service-trees and juniper;and, from the ridge, one sees across the New Forest to the Solent and theIsle of Wight. ] _June 4th_--Went to Windsor to see Mr. Woodward and the Queen's library. Then to Farnborough for the Ascot week. _July 2nd. _--Watney's water-party to Medmenham Abbey, where we were allphotographed. _13th_--Lucy Duff Gordon died at Cairo. Alexander asked me to write anepitaph, which was put up there. _From M. Guizot_ _Val Richer, July 14th_--When your letter of the 8th arrived I was on thepoint of writing to ask you to tell me what is the best History of Englandfrom the accession of Queen Anne to that of Queen Victoria. I have the'Pictorial History of England, ' Lord Stanhope's 'Eighteenth Century, ' andMr. Alison's big volumes on the recent revolutionary times. These do notsatisfy me; I do not want political or moral appreciations. What I shouldlike would be a book in which all the events of any importance are relatedin chronological order. I particularly hold to knowing the correct dates. It is only on this condition that history can be materially known andmorally understood. It will be very kind of you to give me the informationI want. I amuse myself by relating to my grandchildren, at one time, thehistory of France, at another, the history of England. They take greatinterest in it. I want them to know both correctly, and understand themwell. The Journal continues:-- _July 16th_. --Met the Duke of Leinster at Robartes' at dinner. He had madea capital speech in the House of Lords a few days before, which I heard. Itlasted only three minutes; but it stated these facts:--That he had givenland and houses, with complete success, to priests, Presbyterians, andEpiscopalians; that all were grateful, and they lived happily together. He afterwards told me, at this dinner, that he had not given the houses andglebes to any ecclesiastical persons, but to certain lay members of eachcongregation, in trust for their respective ministers. This was exactlywhat I had suggested some little time before. The Duke said that, havingcalled one day to inquire for a very old Catholic priest living in oneof these houses, while he was sitting by his bedside, the Episcopalianclergyman came into the room for the same purpose. _Sunday, 18th_. --Dinner at Lord Granville's. I had not dined with him forsome years--since his marriage. The room was rather dark when I went in. Lord Granville said something, as I understood, about a foreign countess towhom he presented me, but I did not catch her name, and concluded she wassome Italian relative of the Marochettis. Lady Granville did not appear, being unwell; and Lady Ailesbury, the only other lady present, did thehonours. The party consisted of the Duc de Richelieu (whom I had met thenight before at the Clarendons'), the Duca di Ripalta, Lord Clanwilliam, Lord Tankerville, Baron Brunnow, Count Strogonoff, Chief Justice Cockburn, and myself. Upon sitting down at table I found myself between the Duc de Richelieu andLord Clanwilliam, and one removed from the foreign lady, who turned outto be H. I. H. The Grand Duchess Marie of Russia. Strogonoff is the man shemarried three years after her first husband's death--but she had to waittill Nicholas died too. When Nicholas first observed his daughter'spreference for the young officer, he took him by the arm and pointed outfrom the window the view of Fort George. Strogonoff thought the Emperor'smanner strange, but did not take the hint till his brother officersreminded him that Fort George is a State prison; so there was no morelove-making till after the Tsar's death. The Princess is at this time fifty, still extremely handsome, with a longstring of enormous pearls round her neck. Nothing could be more lively andagreeable. She first carried on a contest with my neighbour, the Duc, aboutthe Emperor Napoleon; said he was only _trop bon_, and lauded him to theskies. The Duc came out as the pure Legitimist, though he said his ownparty had not a shadow of a chance; that the Emperor had been going downever since the fatal Italian campaign; that there were no Orleanists inFrance, and that the Duc d'Aumale was conspiring against the Comte deParis, &c. &c. --a tissue of absurdity. Then, _sotto voce_ to me, 'Jevoudrais bien jouir davantage de votre société, mais vous voyez commeje suis placé' (i. E. Next the Princess). 'Très conservative dans mesprincipes, je n'aime pas les princes. Il faut vivre avec ses égaux. ' Hesaid this twice. The second time I replied, 'Monsieur, cela est bon pourles ducs--mais nous autres?' 'Ah! sous ce rapport je ne fais aucune distinction. Hors des princes, toutest égal. ' A good deal of conversation about the Irish Church Bill which is just nowin the crisis of the Lords' amendments. H. I. H. Asked me my opinion. Ireplied that they were now disputing about nothing at all--i. E. Theapplication of a surplus which will not exist for many years. Brunnow saidhe was of the same opinion. Lord Clanwilliam and I had a great deal of talk. He had been with LordCastlereagh at the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1818. Spoke a good dealof Metternich, justly. When M. Met Guizot in London after 1848, hewas struck by the motto G. Had adopted--_via recta brevissima_. LordClanwilliam said that the shortest way was also the best. 'Yes, ' addedMetternich, 'and it has also the advantage that on that path you don't meetanybody'--'auf diesen Weg wird niemand begegnet. ' Sitting upstairs after this dinner I had a curious conversation withBrunnow and Lord Granville on the causes of the Crimean War. They agreedthat had either Aberdeen or Palmerston been in power alone, the war wouldhave been prevented; but that the combination of the two rendered itinevitable. Brunnow said that there was, at one moment, a period of about ten daysduring which the war might have been prevented, if Lord Granville had beensent off on a special mission to St. Petersburg, but the Cabinet refused;and then came Sinope. He declared that he had always told the Emperor thatAberdeen, though averse to war, had not the power to prevent it; and inproof of his own sincerity he caused a million of Russian money which wasin the Bank of England to be removed, as early as September 1853, thoughthis was against the opinion of Nesselrode. After his return to England on the peace, Lord Aberdeen said to him, with great emotion, 'I never deceived you, my dear Brunnow. ' To which B. Replied: 'No; my dear lord, you never did. ' He said that at Paris in 1856Walewski had at once told him that the Emperor Napoleon was resolved tohave peace. It was a most pleasant and curious evening, and everyone went away in goodhumour. _25th_--Went to Aix with Helen Richardson. Over to Cologne and Kreuznachwith the Watneys and Boothbys. Dined with Goldsmid at Bonn. Saw ProfessorSybel there. The following letter, on a subject in which Mrs. Oliphant took muchinterest, was addressed to Reeve rather in his editorial than his personalcapacity. The two were very well acquainted, but do not seem to havecorresponded in ordinary course. Dunkerque, August 14th. Dear Sir, --You will, I have no doubt, think it extremely womanish andunreasonable on my part to have proposed writing a paper on such amuch-discussed subject as Mr. Mill's book, without indicating the manner inwhich I should treat it; but my object was, first, to know whether it wasopen, and if you would be disposed, other things harmonising, to entrust itto me. I will not say, as was my first impulse, that your own intention oftaking up the subject is quite sufficient answer for me; for, of course, you are the best judge in that respect, and I am really anxious to havean opportunity of saying my say, with gravity and pains, on a matter soimportant. I entirely agree with you in your opinion of Mr. Mill's theory of marriageand the relations between men and women. I think it is not only fallacious, but a strangely superficial way of regarding a question which is madeonly the more serious by the fact that a great deal of suffering and muchinjustice result, not from arbitrary and removable causes, but from natureherself, and those fundamental laws which no agitation can abrogate. My own idea is that woman is neither lesser man, nor the rival of man, buta creature with her share of work so well defined and so untransferable, asto make it impossible for her, whatsoever might be her gifts and training, to compete with him on perfectly fair terms. There may or may not begeneral inferiority of intellect--I have no theory on the subject; butintellect, in my opinion, is not the matter in question. Could the burdensof maternity be transferred, or could a class of female celibates beinstituted, legislation might be able to do everything for them. But beyondthis, I do not see how we can go, except in the case of such measures asthose you refer to for the protection of the property of married women, which has already been anticipated by ordinary good sense and prudence, andthus been proved as practicable as it is evidently needful. I am disposed to accept gratefully such safeguards of practical justice, and also every possibility of improved education, though I put no greatfaith in the results of the latter; the great difficulty in the case ofevery female student being, in my opinion, not the want of power, orperseverance, or energy, but the simple yet much more inexorable fact thatshe is a woman, and liable, the moment she marries, to interruptionsand breaks in her life, which must infallibly weaken all her chances ofsuccess. This is the line I should take in any paper on the subject; andas few people could speak more fully from experience, I think perhaps mycontribution to the discussion--from within, as it were, and not fromwithout--might be worth having. Believe me, truly yours, M. O. W. OLIPHANT. And, on the lines here indicated, Mrs. Oliphant wrote the article on 'Milland the Subjection of Women' in the October number of the 'Review. ' On August 24th, Reeve with his wife started for Scotland; but the grousehad been nearly exterminated by the disease, the shooting was everywherevery indifferent, and a month was passed in a number of friendly visits, ofwhich little trace is left beyond the bare names. On September 21st theyreturned to London, where, in preparing for a contemplated journey toPortugal, he had to arrange for the sittings of the Judicial Committeeimmediately after his return. The following shows the kind of difficulty hehad to contend with:-- _From Lord Cairns_ _September 27th_--I am very sorry that I shall be unable to take part inyour sittings after Michaelmas Term. I have arranged to give up November tothat dreadful arbitration of the London, Chatham, and Dover, which, in aweak moment, Salisbury and I undertook; and, after that, I go to Mentone, where I have taken a house for the winter. .. . I should regret very much todissever myself from the sittings of the Judicial Committee, which Ihave always found agreeable, both from the interesting character of thebusiness, and from the pleasant composition of the tribunal; and I hope innext year to be able to afford more service than I have in this; but forthe next sitting I must not be reckoned on. I hope you will enjoy your runto Portugal. This contemplated tour was, no doubt, mainly for the pleasure and interestof visiting a country still unknown to him, but with a slight pretext ofbusiness, as chairman of the Lusitanian Mining Company. A few days beforehis departure he received the following from Lord Clarendon:-- _The Grove, October 3rd_--You will not find Murray at Lisbon, as he ison leave; but a letter shall be written, and to Doria, the _chargéd'affaires_, to render you any service in his power. Do you want one to theconsul at Oporto? I am glad you approved what I said at Watford. I never dreamt of the speechmaking a sensation, but it has; and as there was nothing remarkable in it, it is a proof that people were looking for an assurance from somebody thata policy of spoliation was not meditated. I can't say I got much good from Wiesbaden, where mental torpor, and not adozen red boxes per day, is required. * * * * * And so, accompanied by his wife and daughter, and armed with these lettersof introduction and 'a Foreign Office bag, more, ' wrote Mrs. Reeve, 'togive us importance, I suspect, than to convey despatches, ' Reeve started assoon as his work was cleared off and the October number of the 'Review' wasfairly out of his hands. CHAPTER XVII THE FRANCO-GERMAN WAR For some reason best known to himself, Portugal is not a favouritehunting-ground of the tourist; and the country--though almost at our door, though bound to us by alliance in war and friendship in peace for more thantwo hundred years, though possessing beautiful scenery and the grandest ofhistorical associations--remains comparatively unknown. So far as he wasconcerned, Reeve had long wished to dispel this darkness, and the fact ofhis being Chairman of the Lusitanian Mining Company gave him the desiredopportunity. His Journal of the tour is here, as on former occasions, elaborated by extracts (in square brackets) from Mrs. Reeve's. _October 9th_--Started for Portugal on board the 'Douro' from Southampton. Fine passage. Landed at Lisbon on October 13th. Hôtel Bragança. Kindlyreceived by Pinto Basto. Excursion to Cintra on the 14th. _15th_. --Dined with Pinto Basto and met Fonseca. 16th, to Caldas. 17th, to Alcobaça; then drove on to Batalha, and slept at Leiria. These greatmonasteries, now deserted, with their architecture and their tombs, are ofthe highest interest. _18th_. --From Leiria to Pombal, and thence by rail to Coimbra [armed withletters of introduction from Count Lavradio, including one to the 'RectorMagnificus, ' described as 'homme aimable et fort instruit, surtout dans lessciences physiques. '] [The buildings of the University are not remarkable either way. The Rectorreceived us very courteously; showed us himself the splendid view from thetower, the Salle where degrees are conferred, and allowed us to peep intoa gallery and through a window to see the lecture-rooms; then, making hisbow, sent us with an attendant to the chapel, where we were joined by theProfessor of German, Herr Dürzen, clad in the ample cape or cloak and withthe black jelly-bag cap which is the academic costume. He took us to thelibrary, a large and striking saloon with carved and gilt pilasters andgalleries. .. . There are about 900 students, of whom a large proportioncomes from the Brazils. They look very picturesque in their floatingdrapery and hanging headgear; but the cape must be always impeding the freeuse of arms and legs, and the cap--now that its original use as a beggingpurse has ceased--might well be exchanged for a 'sombrero. ' Herr Dürzenaccompanied us to the Botanic Gardens, where his friend and countryman, Götze, showed us a splendid magnolia, Australian pines, and a great varietyof eucalypti. .. . We then drove to the entrance of the footway leading tothe Penedo da Saudade, a walk much affected by the Coimbrese. Then to theQuinta da Santa Cruz, the summer residence of the monks. Truly they hadmade them lordly pleasure-grounds, orange groves, hedges like tall wallsof arbor-vitae, terraces leading to fountains and cascades, azulejo-linedbenches surrounding marble floors, shaded by grand old laurels. .. . TheQuinta now belongs to a rich butter factor, who lets everything ornamentalgo to wreck and ruin, or just clears it off for farm purposes. .. . Thebutter factor's dogs came out barking and biting as we left the garden. Henry made a timely retreat; the professor showed fight, and came offsecond best, with his mantle torn. Then to the Church of Santa Cruz and tothe monastic buildings attached. .. . ] _20th_. --Coimbra to Mealhada, then to Luso, and walked to Busaco. Conventof Busaco. Scene of battle. Rail to Estarreja [which we reached at 6 P. M. A splendid full moon lighted our drive to Palhal. Mr. Cruikshank met us atthe station, and drove Henry in his dog-cart; Hopie and I, with our bags, went in the _char-à-banc_ which had been procured from Aveiro. The distanceis about eight miles, seven of which are a gentle ascent, and then a steeppitch down of one mile. Flags were flying in honour of the arrival ofthe chairman of the 'Lusitanian Company, ' and after dinner a display offireworks. Mr. And Mrs. Cruikshank are a pleasing and intelligent youngScotch couple. Three of their children are at Granja, a little bathingvillage two or three stations further, and Mrs. Cruikshank and her eldestlittle girl came back to receive us. ] _21st_. --[The mine at Palhal yields copper ore; that of Carvalhal lead ore. The Pinto Basto family have the concession of the mines, and own muchof the surface. From five to eight hundred persons are employed--allPortuguese, except the three mining captains, the dresser of the ores, acarpenter, and a blacksmith. The English colony consists of about thirtysouls; there is a school for the children, and on Sundays they meet forDivine worship after the manner of Wesleyans. The wages of these Cornishmenare eight, ten, twelve pounds a month, and there are very tidy houseson the property, with a large cottage, or house, for the agent--Mr. Cruikshank. The works are in the ravine below the house, and the Caimafurnishes ample water power. .. . Many women and girls are employed preparingthe ores, some of them remarkably good-looking. .. . Their wages are from twoto three shillings a week. The scenery--pine-clad hills, streams on thehill-side, ravines, and burns--reminded one of Scotland; but oranges andcamellias in the gardens, arbutus, myrtle, laurustinus, cistus, all wild, tell of a different climate. .. . We explored Palhal on Thursday, andCarvalhal on Friday; Henry and Mr. Cruikshank going into details at theworks, whilst we went, with Mrs. Cruikshank, to call on the wives, visitthe school, &c. .. . On Friday evening we took the train at Estarreja, and soto Oporto. ] _25th_. --Adolph Pinto Basto [a nephew of our Lisbon friends] gave us anentertainment in a boat on the Douro, and a collation at Avintes. Dinner atthe Crystal Palace, Oporto. _26th_. --Drove to Carvalho with Elles. _27th_. --Drove to Leça do Balio with Oswald Crawford, the consul. Interesting Templars' church. _28th-30th_. --By rail from Oporto to Madrid, thirty-six hours by Badajos, Merida, Alcazar. _31st_. --Madrid. Gallery. Bull-fight for the benefit of 'El Tato. ' [Wehad seen him at Valencia, nine years ago, in the pride and bloom of hiscareer--a career cut short not so much by the fury of the bull as bythe ignorance of the surgeon. Presently the chief door of the arena wasunbarred, and an open carriage, with three men in the dress of matadors and'El Tato' in the 'plain clothes' of a peasant drove round. Great was thesensation. The men shouted, the women wept, the old lady at my elbow shedfloods of tears; cigars and hats were flung to him; he bowed, kissed hishand, wiped his eyes. Then the regular work of the day commenced. ] Verycold. _November 2nd_. --Left Madrid for Avila, passing the Escorial. _3rd_. --Avila and then on to Burgos. _4th_. --Burgos. Cathedral. Monuments. _5th_. --Reached Biarritz at 10 P. M. , and so to Paris. _8th_. --Paris. Saw Désclès in 'Frou-frou. ' Great actress. Home on the 9th. A well-spent month. _From the Comte de Paris_ York House, le 11 novembre. Mon cher Monsieur Reeve, --Mon oncle Aumale et moi nous vous remercions despaquets que vous nous avez envoyés ce matin; mon oncle me charge de vousdire qu'il n'a pu vous écrire aujourd'hui, étant fort occupé des soins àdonner à la Duchesse d'Aumale, qui est toujours dans un état assez grave, mais que vous lui ferez grand plaisir si vous voulez venir passer auWoodnorton la semaine du 22 au 29 novembre; il y aura quelques chasses àtir. Je viens de mon côté vous demander de nous faire le plaisir de venir, avecMadame et Mademoiselle Reeve, déjeuner ici dimanche prochain à midi etdemie; c'est le seul jour où je puisse vous voir, car je pars lundi matinpour le Worcestershire. Veuillez me croire votre bien affectionné, LOUIS-PHILIPPE D'ORLÉANS. As to which the Journal has:-- _November 14th_. --Breakfasted at York House. The Duc d'Aumale came, but theDuchesse was ill, and on December 6th she died. The Comte de Paris telegraphed the news to Reeve the same evening, andwrote the next day asking him to charge himself with sending a littlenotice of it to the principal newspapers--a thing Reeve readily undertookto do. Before receiving the request, he had already written expressinghis wish to attend the funeral, and the Comte de Paris acknowledged bothletters at the same time. _From the Comte de Paris_ York House, le 7 décembre. Mon cher Monsieur Reeve, --Je m'empresse de vous remercier de vos deuxlettres et de la manière dont vous avez répondu à ma demande. Mon oncle Aumale est bien touché de l'intention que vous exprimez de venirvous associer à sa douleur le jour des funérailles de ma tante. Elles sonfixées à vendredi prochain. La première cérémonie aura lieu à Orléans Houseà 9-1/2h du matin, après quoi nous conduirons le corps à Weybridge, pour ledéposer dans le caveau de famille. Nous y serons vers midi, ou peut-être unpeu plus tard, car il est difficile de calculer très exactement l'arrivéede ce triste convoi. Ce ne sera en tous cas pas avant midi. Je termine en vous priant de me croire Votre bien affectionné, LOUIS-PHILIPPE D'ORLÉANS 'I attended her funeral on the 10th'--Reeve noted in his Journal--'and wentin an immense procession from Twickenham to Weybridge. ' _From M. Guizot_ _Val Richer, November 21st_. --I never had any taste for travelling. I wouldwillingly go a hundred miles for an hour's conversation with such or such aperson; but the miles themselves have little interest for me. However, your tour in Portugal, as you describe it, would have tempted me. I like acountry which is different from all others. Still, I am quite sure that, after having amused yourself in Portugal, you are very glad to be back inEngland. .. . Lord Clarendon may be quite easy; no difficulty affecting his departmentwill come from here. Country and Government are equally inclined to peace. As to our home affairs, which alone have any interest just now, I am alittle sad, but not uneasy. We are returning--quietly, ignorantly, and withtottering steps--into the right path, the parliamentary system. The countryis coming back to it. The Emperor does not, and will not, offer any seriousresistance to it. We shall make blunders, both in our procedure anddebates, but shall, nevertheless, make sensible progress. What we are inwant of is the men. _From Lord Westbury_ _Hinton St. George, November 25th. _--Mrs. Reeve, when I had the pleasure ofseeing her at Hinton, gave me an assurance that I should not be troubledthis year with any request to attend the Privy Council. Your letter, therefore, is an act of _gross domestic insubordination_--a kind of pettytreason. Formerly it was the act of the husband that bound the wife; _maisnous avons changé tout cela_; the act of the wife binds the husband. Iappeal unto Caesar. It is very easy for Lord Chelmsford and yourself, whohave your town houses in order, your servants, horses, carriages, and wholeestablishments, not omitting the _placens uxor_, to talk of the 'patrioticduty' of attending the Privy Council--having nothing else to do, andwanting amusement; but my house is thoroughly dismantled, having been underrepair; I have not a room to sit down in with comfort, nor servants toattend to me, nor a cook to cook my dinner, nor any of those _solatia_ or_solamina_ which you have in profusion. Yet you, with great unconcern, desire me to quit my family, and all my amusements and enjoyments, that Imay come to town to endure complete wretchedness, and have a bad dinnerand an indigestion everyday, _ut plebi placeam et declamatio fiam_. Ifyou think this reasonable and right, I am sure you have left all sense ofreasonableness in Lusitania. Besides, have you not a plethora of judicialwealth and power? Have you not the Lord Justice, who has little else to do;and the Admiralty Judge; and that great Adminiculum, the learned and piousman whom, _honoris causâ_, I call Holy Joe? [Footnote: Probably sir JosephNapier, nominated to a place on the Judicial Committee by Disraeli in March1868. ] But to speak more gravely. Had I had the least conception that Ishould have been wanted--that is, _really_ wanted--I would have made otherarrangements than I have done. .. . We shall now have a house full of peopleuntil December 20th, and I cannot, without much offence, relieve myselffrom these deferred engagements. A little while ago I was thrown out of myshooting-cart; I injured my arm, which has brought on rheumatism, and I amnot in a condition to come up to a solitary and dismantled house in Londonwithout anything requisite for the comfort of an old man. On January 20th, until the beginning of appeals in the Lords, I will, if you need it, sitand dispose of all the colonial and admiralty appeals. When will you comedown and shoot? _To Lord Derby_ 62 Rutland Gate, December 19th. My dear Lord Derby, [Footnote: For some years Reeve had known him as LordStanley. He had succeeded to the title on October 23rd. ]--I cannot withoutemotion address you by your present name. Although I never had the honourof much personal acquaintance with your father, he has been, for the lastthirty years, an object of familiar interest even to those with whom he wasnot familiar. His high spirit, his splendid eloquence, his public services, have endeared him to thousands whom he hardly knew, and caused them toshare the feelings with which you, in a far higher degree, must regard thisgreat loss. I have no doubt, however, that you will support and increasethe honour of a name so illustrious, and I know no one more fit to bearit. .. . Mrs. Reeve begs to join with me in again presenting to you our verysincere regards, and I remain, Very faithfully yours, HENRY REEVE. Of social engagements, the Journal mentions-- To Farnborough for Christmas, and thence to Timsbury till the end of theyear. I called at Broadlands, now occupied by the Cowper Temples. _January 5th_, 1870. --To Hinton. Vice-Chancellor Stuart there. LordWestbury very amusing. Shooting every day. In Cudworth covers killed 192head. The following letter from M. Guizot refers to an incident which caused atremendous sensation at the time, and--judged by the later events--maybe considered as a portent of the downfall of the Empire. Prince PierreBonaparte had challenged M. Henri Rochefort, the editor of a violentRepublican journal which had published a scurrilous and abusive article. M. Grousset, the writer of the article, took the responsibility, and, onJanuary 10th, sent his friends, Victor Noir and Ulric Fonvielle, to wait onthe Prince at his house in the Rue d'Auteuil. The Prince said his challengewas to M. Rochefort; to M. Grousset he had nothing to say. A quarrel and afree fight followed. Each man drew his revolver, and Victor Noir, mortallywounded, broke out of the room, staggered into the street, and fell dead. Fonvielle escaped uninjured. He and the Prince were the only witnesses ofwhat took place, and their stories directly contradicted each other. ThePrince was tried on a charge of murder, but was acquitted. On a civil trialhe was sentenced to pay 1, 000 £ damages to the father of Victor Noir, ascompensation for the loss of his son's services. _Val Richer, January 12th_. --I do not yet rightly understand the tragicincident at Auteuil. I am inclined to think that Prince Pierre Bonapartewas threatened and assaulted before using his revolver; the probabilitiesare that he acted in self-defence. The trial will be curious. In any case, it is a great misfortune for the Imperial Government, more so than for thenew Cabinet, which will certainly not be wanting in courage, and will besupported by whoever is anxious to practise 'economy of revolution, ' as afriend of mine says. I have friends in this Cabinet, honourable, liberal-minded, and sensiblemen. Will a leader be found among them? We shall see. Hitherto organisationhas been everywhere wanting; in the Legislative Body, as in the Cabinet. Isee no reason to change the opinion I formed some time since, and perhapsalready mentioned to you; I am sad, rather than uneasy, for the future ofmy country. She will not fall into the abyss; but, for want of politicalforesight and firmness, will allow herself to be dragged along the edge ofit. Men's minds and characters are narrowed rather than corrupted. In connexion with which the Journal has:-- _January 16th_. --Dined at Lord Granville's, with Lavalette, the new Frenchambassador. The Emperor had just formed a more liberal ministry, with Daruand Ollivier, which soon broke down owing to Buffet's _entêtement_. _26th_. --Dinner at Clarendon's, to meet the Queen of Holland. _From M. Guizot_ _Paris, January 31st_. --I have just read the article on Calvin with a realand lively satisfaction, complete, so far as I am concerned; I am verygrateful to Mr. Cunningham (I think that is the author's name) for his kindwords, and for his sympathy with my description of Calvin and his time. Beso good as to thank him for me; it is a pleasure to be so well understoodand set forth. As to Calvin, Mr. Cunningham does full justice to hismerits; I ask a little more indulgence for his faults, which belonged tothe time quite as much as to the man. Very few, even among superior men, admitted the rights of conscience and liberty. Marnix de Ste. -Aldegondebitterly reproached the hero of the Reformation, William the Silent, withtolerating Catholics in Holland. Melanchthon unreservedly approved ofthe burning of Servetus. Catholic Europe was covered with stakes for theProtestants, and, if Servetus had had the upper hand, I doubt if Calvinwould have received from him any better treatment than he received fromCalvin. I do not on that account detest the burning of Servetus any theless; but I do not count it as a fault personal and peculiar to Calvin. Inevery-day life and in systematic theology he ignored the rights of freedom. The twofold error was enormous; but his policy and philosophy were equallysincere, and, of all the eminent despots of history, he was, I think, oneof the least ambitious and most disinterested. He was almost forced intopower against his will, and he wielded it harshly, tyrannically, butwithout seeking any personal gain, and he was still more severe to himselfthan to those whom he treated so severely. .. . The Journal goes on:-- _March 5th_. --Visit to the Watneys, at Leamington, and toStratford-upon-Avon. Beautiful effect in the church, the organ playing'Rest in the Lord. ' _12th_. --Evening at Lady Cowley's, for Queen of Holland. Went to Isle of Wight with W. Wallace at Easter. The Bishop of Winchesterpreached in Ventnor Church on April 24th (first Sunday after Easter). _From M. Gulzot_ _Paris, April 7th_. --. .. It is curious to watch France, and I am alsocurious as to the possible consequences of what is happening in England. France has never been so liberal and so anti-revolutionary at the sametime. England is making a thoroughly liberal reform in Ireland, and at thesame time a severe law of repression for the defence of order. I wish andhope for your success in both. I also hope that our attempt at quiet andliberal reform will not fall through. But both for you and for us thereare rugged paths yet to traverse; the future is still darkly clouded. Evenafter the success of our respective undertakings, Ireland will not bepacified, and political liberty will not be established in France. Thereis no need to be discouraged, the best of human works are incomplete andinsufficient; but there is need to beware of illusions, to be prepared fordisappointments, to be always ready to begin again. I moralise on politics. Good sense is the law of politics, and what I have learnt from history, above all, is that good sense is essentially moral. You will, therefore, not be surprised that I mix morals and politics. .. . _From Lord Westbury_ _April 13th_. --How shall I thank you for your inspiriting letter, which wasas the sound of the trumpet to the aged war-horse! I fear my contemporarieshave taken a more accurate measurement of my power, and that I shall neverfulfil any such glorious destiny as you hold before my eyes. It is true ofmany men that _possunt quia posse videntur_; and that they accomplish manythings simply because they are not fastidious. I should never do anything, simply because I should tear up one day what I had written the preceding. It would be Penelope's web. Our education is too aesthetical. Unless acultivated taste be overpowered by personal vanity, it is very difficultto complete any composition. I can most truly say that I have never doneanything, speaking or writing, of which I could say, on the review, _mihiplaudo_. We have a great difference of opinion in the members of the DigestCommission. Many think that the work should be handed over to two or threevery able men (not judges or Emeriti Chancellors), who should be well paid;and that to them, with a staff of subordinates, all the work should becommitted. Others think that there should be added to this establishmentsome presiding power, consisting of one, two, or three distinguishedjudges, to whom all questions should be referred, and whose duty itshould be to give an _imprimatur_ to the work. So we cannot agree on arecommendation to the Government; and when we shall do so, but littleweight will attach to it. The Journal here notes:-- _May 6th_. --Mansfield came back from India. At the time of the Russian war, Reeve and Mansfield had been on terms ofintimacy, and, in fact, it was largely through Reeve's interest with LordClarendon that Mansfield had been sent to Constantinople in 1855, asmilitary adviser to Lord Stratford de Redcliffe. Since then the intimacyhad been interrupted by Mansfield's absence in India, where he had servedwith distinction during the Mutiny, and afterwards in command of the Bombayarmy and as commander-in-chief since 1865. In the following year he wasraised to the peerage as Lord Sandhurst. The Journal notes:-- _May 26th_. --The King of Portugal made me a Commander of the Order ofChrist; but this was solely as chairman of the Lusitanian Mining Company. The Duc d'Aumale, Mansfield, Lord Dunsany, Lord Northbrook, StirlingMaxwell, Lady Molesworth dined with us. _From the Marquis of Salisbury_ 40 Dover Street, June 1st. Dear Mr. Reeve, --It is my pleasing duty to inform you that the Universityof Oxford wish to express their sense of your literary services andattainments by conferring on you an honorary degree at the approachingcommemoration. I trust that it will not be disagreeable to you to accedeto their wishes in this matter, and that you will be able withoutinconvenience to attend at Oxford to receive the degree. The day on whichthey will be conferred will be on Tuesday, the 21st inst. Believe me, yours very truly, SALISBURY. The Journal notes:-- _June 3rd_. --Excursion to Malvern, Hereford, and Worcester. Xavier Raymondcame to Bushey [Duc de Nemours']. I breakfasted there on the 10th. [On the11th the Duke wrote]:-- Cher Monsieur Reeve, --Je lis ce matin en tête des colonnes du journal le'Times, ' un charmant premier article sur mon fils aîné, et portant même sonnom pour titre. Cet article inspiré par un bienveillant sentiment enverslui et ma famille en général, met dans un brillant relief les services quemon fils vient de rendre à son pays d'adoption. Cela a donc été pour moiune extrême satisfaction que de le voir placé en première ligne dans lejournal le plus répandu du monde. Je sais qu'il n'est pas permis de s'enquérir du nom de ceux qui écriventdans la presse anglaise. Mais si à vous le nom de l'auteur était connu, dans ce cas-ci, cher Monsieur Reeve, et si vous appreniez aussi à qui estdue l'insertion de cet article, je vous serais très reconnaissant (dans lecas toutefois où vous le jugerez convenable) de faire connaître à l'une età l'autre de ces personnes combien j'en ai été heureux et touché. Plein du bon souvenir de votre visite d'hier, je vous renouvelle ici, cherMonsieur Reeve, l'assurance de mes bien affectueux sentiments. LOUIS D'ORLÉANS. _From Mr. Delane_ _June 13th_. --I return the Duke's letter with many thanks. The story ofthe Brazilian article is curious enough to be worth telling. At theRothschilds' ball on Wednesday last I was by an inadvertence placed atsupper next but one to the Duc de Nemours, and next to a beautiful younglady. I had long been honoured by the Duc d'Aumale's acquaintance, but hadnever before met his brother, and I only slowly became aware who were myneighbours. Then, actually at the supper, among ortolans and peaches, itoccurred to me that the Comte d'Eu, of whose exploits I had been readingthat morning, and whom I had stupidly regarded as merely a Braziliangeneral, must be the brother of the beautiful young lady next me, andtherefore a personage in whom the European public would take a verydifferent sort of interest from any that Marshal Coxios could command, that, in short, as an Orleans prince, he would be worth an article, thoughno one would have cared for a mere Brazilian general. _From the Due de Nemours_ _Bushey Park, 15 juin_. --J'ai à la fois des remercîments et desfélicitations à vous adresser pour avoir pris la peine de chercher de quiémanait l'aimable article du 'Times' sur mon fils aîné, et pour l'avoir sibien découvert. Le compliment est assurément de très bon goût, et j'y suistrès sensible. Il augmente seulement encore mon regret de n'avoir pu, moiaussi, faire à ce même bal la connaissance de l'auteur de cette aimableattention. _From Lord Westbury_ _June 17th_. --I read with 'perfect horror' last night the return ofbusiness before the Judicial Committee which you were so good as to sendme. There are 350 appeals in all, of which 248 are from India. I do notthink less than two days can be allotted to each of these Indian appeals, taking the average; that will require 496 days of sitting, being more thantwo years; for you cannot, if the committee sat every day the Court ofChancery does, exceed more than 210 days in the year. Now if to this amountof duty for the Indian appeals be added the time required for the remaining102 appeals, you cannot attribute to them less than 102 days, making in all598 days, being at least three years' work for a committee sitting everyday. Whilst these arrears are being disposed of, a new crop of appeals to atleast the same amount, will be mature. What shall we do? 'Hills over hillsand Alps on Alps arise. ' I shall mention the subject to-night. Pray, sendme this morning any suggestions that occur to you. _June 18th_. --I am engaged to leave town for a short cruise at sea, to-morrow early. I shall remain until Sunday evening. But it is for thebest that I cannot see you to-morrow, because I hope to 'interview' you onWednesday, after your return, with that renovation of genius and accretionof knowledge which will accompany you on your return from Parnassus, afterhaving bathed in the fountain of the Muses. You must bring Mrs. Reeve afaithful copy of the eulogistic speech of the public orator, and I willtranslate it to her. My notice is for Thursday. I shall propose the immediate creation of threejudges, the giving Colvile and Peel fitting remuneration--2, 000 £. A yeareach--and a large addition to the salary of the registrar. The Journal then has:-- _June 20th_. --To Oxford, to stay with the Dean of Christchurch, on theaccession of Lord Salisbury. Went down with Sir E. Landseer. _21st_. --Received the degree of D. C. L. From the University, in theSheldonian Theatre. Lord Salisbury greeted me as 'Vir potentissime inrepublicâ literarum, ' at which I looked up and laughed. Dined afterwards inAll Souls' library with the Vice-Chancellor. * * * * * Among the other distinguished persons who received the honorary D. C. L. Atthe same time were Admirals Sir Henry Keppel and Sir John Hay, Sir WilliamMansfield, and Sir Francis Grant, the President of the Royal Academy. Mansfield gave the 'Gallery' some amusement by wearing a cocked hat andfeathers with his red doctor's gown, instead of the regulation academiccap. _From Lord Westbury_ _June 22nd_. --O vir doctissime et in republicâ literarum potentissime! Sosaid or sung the Chancellor of the University of Oxford, in violation ofall the traditions of the place; for Oxford never used before the phrase'respublica literarum' which words and the thing signified she has everrepudiated and abhorred; and to be _potentissimus in republicâ_ are jarringand incoherent things. But let this hypercriticism pass, and when I seeMrs. Reeve I shall tell her that the words were chosen with singularfelicity, and that they are not more remarkable for their truth and justicethan they are for their elegant latinity; but I will not say that you are adoctor only _honoris causâ_, which are most emphatic words, and are cruellymade to accompany the dignity; for, when translated, they mean: 'Oh, doctor, do not presume to teach by virtue of this _semiplena graduatio_, for it is only _honoris causâ_, or merely complimentary; and do not boastthis title as evidence of skill or erudition in laws, for they aresounding words that signify nothing. How easy it is for envy and malice todepreciate! I hope Mrs. Reeve and your daughter were there, because it is something fitand able to give genuine pleasure; and if I had been there I would haveanswered with stentorian voice to the well-known question: 'Placetne vobis, Domini Doctores? placetne vobis, Magistri?' 'Placet, imo valde placet. '. .. It is difficult to tell the Government what ought to be done; for, first, there should be great alteration in the Courts in the East Indies, and, secondly, it is clear that the colonists and Indians will not be satisfiedunless the Privy Council is presided over by a first-chop man; and I amassured that transferring three puisne judges from the Common Law Courtswould not be satisfactory. Can you call at my room in the House of Lordsto-morrow, at a few minutes after four? Yours sincerely, and with deeper respect than ever, WESTBURY. I don't suppose you will now miss a single bird. _From Senhor D. Jose Ferreira Pinto Basto_ _Lisbon, June 18th_. --The Portuguese Government do not present those onwhom the orders of knighthood are conferred with the decorations they areentitled to wear. These consist, for a commander, in a placard, which isworn on the coat over the left side of the breast; a large cross hangingfrom a wide ribbon fastened round the neck; and a small cross, fastened bya narrow ribbon to the upper button-hole, on the left side of the coat. The crosses corresponding to the degree of commander are, for the Order ofChrist, the same as those allowed to simple chevaliers, but having a heartover them for distinction, and the ribbons are red. The large pendant crossis scarcely ever worn, unless it be on a very solemn Court day, and eventhen not generally; and the small cross, which was formerly in constantuse, when the pendant one was not worn, is now out of fashion, and eitherentirely left off or, at the most, substituted by a small ribbon on thecoat buttonhole, when no other decoration is worn. What is generally wornon ceremonial occasions is simply the placard, such as I now send you; if, however, you should wish to have the other insignia, please to let me knowit, that I may send them. These insignia are, of course, made more costlywith diamonds and rubies, to be worn on great festivities; but even then, and for general use, they are usually in silver and enamel, as the placardnow forwarded. I don't think there is any need of your directly expressing to anyone hereyour thanks for the distinction conferred upon you; the more so since youhave already expressed them through the Portuguese Minister in London. It is here that the Journal mentions the death of the friend whose lettershave occupied such a prominent place in these pages:-- _June 22nd_. --Fête at Strawberry Hill. Lord Clarendon was there, lookingvery ill, and on the 27th he died--'Multis ille flebilis occidit, nulliflebilior quam mihi. ' To 'Fraser's Magazine' for August Reeve contributed a graceful article, 'InMemory of George Villiers, Earl of Clarendon, ' in which, recording his manypublic services, he especially dwelt on the very important service he hadrendered to his country during the period of his being Lord-Lieutenant ofIreland, and on the fact that this service had had the singular honour ofbeing directly referred to in the Queen's Speech on proroguing Parliamenton September 5th, 1848, which concluded, 'The energy and decision shown bythe Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland deserve my warmest approbation. ' Reeve wastold by Lady Clarendon that her husband 'regarded these emphatic words asthe most enviable distinction of his life. ' At the same time another article, 'In Memoriam, ' appeared in 'Macmillan'sMagazine. ' This was by Reeve's colleague at the Privy Council Office, Mr. Arthur Helps, whose acquaintance with Lord Clarendon had been by no meansso intimate. His appreciation was thus written from general repute ratherthan from personal knowledge, but it contains one remarkable passage thatmay be repeated in order to emphasise it:-- 'He--Lord Clarendon--was a man who indulged, notwithstanding his publiclabours, in an immense private correspondence. There were some persons towhom, I believe, he wrote daily; and perhaps in after years we shall befavoured--those of us who live to see it--with a correspondence which willenlighten us as to many of the principal topics of our own period. ' Whether Reeve was one of the persons Helps alluded to must remain doubtful. In the strict sense of the words, Lord Clarendon did not write to himdaily; but at times he wrote not only daily, but three times a day, [Footnote: See _ante_, vol. I. Pp. 296-7. ] and the letters, or extracts ofletters, now printed, form but a very small portion of the great numberwhich Reeve preserved. The Journal then mentions:-- _July 3rd_. --Breakfasted at Orleans House with Prince Philip of Würtemberg. Matters looked threatening abroad, and on the 14th the rupture took placebetween Franco and Prussia. On the 18th war was declared. On the 25th wedined at York House. I said to the Comte de Paris, 'How is the Emperor toattack Germany?' Nobody thought at first that the war would be in France;but we were soon undeceived, and I speedily discovered the danger. TheDuc d'Aumale wrote to me, 'Vous avez deviné ma pensée de Français et desoldat. ' I had hired a small moor at Ballachulish from Cameron, the innkeeper there. Maclean of Ardgour, to whom it belonged, lent me a keeper and some dogs. The hills were steep, the shooting bad; but the life there most agreeable. I went down on August 3rd. W. Wallace was with us; and on the 5th we wereinstalled at Ballachulish for six weeks. They were spent in shooting, sea-fishing, boating, &c. Fairfax Taylor [Footnote: Son of John EdwardTaylor; see _ante_, p. 117. ] came, and Longman. The Trevelyans Fyfes, andForsters were at the hotel on the other side of the ferry. We were thereforty-five days. I went back to town by Greenock on September 21st. Meanwhile the course of the war was most eventful. On August 6th the battleof Wörth was won by the Prussians, followed by a series of French defeats. On September 2nd Macmahon and the Emperor capitulated at Sedan. WilliamForster was at Ballachulish, and, as despatches were sent from the F. O. Tocabinet ministers, we learnt the fact from him at 8. 30 P. M. On September3rd. Gladstone, though prime minister, volunteered to write an article inthe 'Review' on the war, which he did. I kept the secret, but it leakedout through the 'Daily News' on November 3rd, and made a great noise. The'silver streak' was in that article. _From M. Guizot_ _Val Richer, July 29th_. --Among the many bad actions described in history, there is one which is very rare; it is the artifice of a tempter who throwsthe blame of his attempt at seduction upon the person who rejected it, perhaps after listening to it. But this is what Bismarck has done. You haveprobably not forgotten what happened in 1868, and what I wrote about it atthe time, in the 'Revue des deux Mondes' of September 15th. I take pleasurein here quoting my own words:-- 'It is said that M. De Bismarck attempted to engage France on the side ofPrussia; and, in order to tempt the Imperial Government, offered to remodelEurope as well as Germany, and to give France a large share in thisredistribution of nations. I do not know how much truth there was in theserumours, which so deeply moved Belgium and Holland, amongst others; I willnot stop to discuss reports and suppositions. However this may be, if suchoffers were really made, Napoleon III. Did wisely in refusing them; he didnot raise himself to the throne as a victorious warrior, and France has nolonger a passion for conquest. But did he, in refusing, do all he could tostop or restrain Prussia in the ambitious course into which M. De Bismarckwas forcing her, and to influence the reorganisation of Germany accordingto the legitimate interests of France? I do not think so; but I put thisquestion also on one side, ' &c. &c. I need not say that I did not lightly credit the rumours of the overturesmade by Bismarck to the French Government; they were not only widespreadand believed by those who had the best information, but my friends inHolland sent me precise details, and I immediately got the 'Journal desDébats' to publish an article which treated this attempted temptation as itdeserved, and pointed out the honourable and pacific policy which Franceought to follow on this occasion. I have reason to think that men of goodsense in the French Government, who were trying to make the policy of lawand peace prevail, congratulated themselves on being thus loudly upheld andencouraged. Never forget, 'my dear sir, ' what the position of the friends of law andpeace is in our general policy. You must some time have read Bürger'sballad of the 'Wild Huntsman, ' founded on the legend of a certain nobleman, on the banks of the Rhine, a great hunter, who, if I mistake not, couldnever mount his horse for the chase without being accompanied, on eitherside, by a good and a bad angel, one urging him to follow the beaten track, and respect the rights of property, the other urging him to rush across thefields, trampling down harvest, gardens, and passers-by, careless of whatinjury he inflicted. For a long time France, both as to her Government and her people, has beenin the position of this hunter, always accompanied by the two angels; allthat has happened in France and in Europe during the last eighty years hasput us in that position, and it is sometimes the good angel, sometimes thebad, which has made itself heard, and has seemed on the point of becomingthe hunter's master. There is not a right-minded and sensible man in Europewho has not endeavoured to help the good angel and defeat the efforts ofthe wicked tempter. In my opinion, the Imperial Government was wrong in not accepting thewithdrawal of the candidateship of the Prince of Hohenzollern; a withdrawalannounced by the Prince himself, accepted by the King of Prussia, andaccepted and officially communicated to France by the Spanish Government. This was held to be insufficient satisfaction for France, though I thinkneither necessity nor prudence called for a second demand, which offendedthe pride of all parties; and the manner in which it was rejected hasdestroyed the last chance of peace. Till that moment, the good angel hadprevailed; but now the bad angel is speaking. But if there is one man inEurope who cannot avail himself of this blunder to rid himself of theresponsibility of war, that man is surely the tempter of 1868. .. . _To Mr. Dempster_ _Ballachulish, August 14th_. --As it is entirely to you that we owe ourresidence in this enchanting place, it would be very ungrateful not to tellyou how much we are enjoying it. I think it is by far the most picturesquespot in all Scotland; and ever since we arrived, ten days ago, the sea hasbeen as blue as the Aegean, and the hills as clear as the isles of Greece. Not one cloud or shower in ten days, but the heat so great that we findshooting arduous work. There is not much game, but I am better off thanmost of my neighbours, who complain loudly. I think I can insure any dayfive or six brace. It certainly is not a good year, nor is this a grousecountry. .. . I think, whatever else this war may bring about, it hasfinished the Empire and the Emperor, and so far I rejoice; but I confess Ihave no sympathy at all with the Prussians. _From M. Guizot_ _Val Richer, September 10th_. --I am just up, my dear Sir, having been inbed for a fortnight. Grief and indignation are unhealthy at eighty-three. Iam better, and only wish I was as sure of the convalescence of France as ofmy own. It is true that France has before her more time for recovery than Ihave. I will say nothing of the fallen Empire. I should say more than is seemlyand less than is true. Never was fall more deserved, more necessary, andmore absolute. Neither will I say anything of the new Government. It is what it professesto be, a power pledged to defend the country. A national constituentAssembly has just been convoked, and meanwhile everything will be done topreserve the honour and integrity of France. This, for the present, is theone idea and the one passion of the whole country, especially of Paris. Ihope that the deeds will correspond to the passion. There are two points on which, in spite of my present weakness, I wishto give you my opinion at once, so as to awaken your interest, and theinterest of all the friends of European order and of France now in England. There is much to be regretted in the general policy of Europe since 1815. Many faults have been committed which might have been avoided, manyimprovements which might have been made have been miscalculated or havepassed as dreams. But throughout this age, and for more than half acentury, rising above all faults and blunders, royal or popular, diplomatic or parliamentary, one great and novel fact has dominated thepolicy of Europe--there has been no question of a war of ambition and ofconquest; no State has attempted to aggrandise itself by force at theexpense of other States; [Footnote: Guizot's enthusiasm or patriotism hereled him into a somewhat reckless assertion. In point of fact, there wasnot one of the great Continental Powers which, during the previous fiftyyears, had not 'attempted to aggrandise itself by force, ' and, necessarily, 'at the expense of other States. ' With the exception ofAustria, they had done more than 'attempt'--they had effected theaggrandisement. ] respect for peace and the law of nations has become aruling maxim of international policy. When internal revolution in anyState has rendered territorial changes necessary, these changes have beenrecognised and accepted only after the examination and consent of Europe. Belgium and Greece have taken rank as European States only by the puttingon one side all the yearnings of French, Russian, or English ambition. Andwhen, in 1844 and 1848, the Emperor Nicholas, in his familiar interviewswith your ambassador at St. Petersburg, proposed that Russia and Englandshould act in concert, and by joint conquest, as he said, put an end tothe decrepitude of the Ottoman Empire, two English ministers, LordAberdeen and Lord John Russell, to their great honour, rejected any suchidea, as an outrage on the law of nations, and the peace of Europe. I have no hesitation in affirming, my dear Sir, that this is the greatestand most salutary feature of the first half of this century, and hascontributed more than anything else to the revival of principles of equityand justice in the relations between governments and their people, tothe increased prosperity of different nations, and to the progress ofcivilisation in the world. And, new as its rule yet is, this fact has beensufficient to stop, or at least to check in their evil developements, thenoxious germs of an ambitious and violent policy, revivified in Europeby the revolutionary crises of 1848. Temptations have certainly not beenwanting to governments and parties since that date. But in 1848 the FrenchRepublic respected the peace of Europe and the law of nations; in 1852 theFrench Empire hastened to declare that it was peace; and when, leavingthat, she threw herself into the Italian war, is it credible that she wouldhave been contented with Nice and Savoy as the price of the support shegave to the Italians if she had not been restrained by the good modernprinciple of European policy, the condemnation of the spirit of ambitionand conquest? [Footnote: Not to speak of the chance of having to deal withPrussia. Cf. _ante_, p. 27. ] It is this legitimate and guiding principle which is at present ignored, attacked, and in great danger. I have no intention of entering here uponthe question of German unity, or of inquiring how far the consequences ofSadowa are to be attributed to the real and spontaneous effort of nationalsentiment amongst the Germans. I waive all discussion on this point. I do not suppose anyone will say that in this great German event Prussianambition had no share, or that force and conquest did not act side by sidewith the impulse of national sentiment. But I do not now meddle with whathas been done in Germany; that has nothing in common with the presentpretensions of Prussia to Alsace and Lorraine. Have these provinces givenany manifestation, any appearance, of a desire to be included in the Germanunity? Is not the Prussian policy in this openly and exclusively a policyof ambition and of conquest, such as would have been followed, from more orless specious motives of royal or national selfishness, by Louis XIV. Inthe seventeenth, by Frederick II. In the eighteenth, by Napoleon I. In thenineteenth century? such as the modern publicists and moralists have sooften condemned and fought against? such, in fine, as all nations, in allages--and especially Europe in our own times--have so cruelly sufferedfrom? I say no more. I should be ashamed to insist upon what is so clear. I have nothing to do with Utopian ideas. I do not believe in perpetualpeace, nor in the absolute rule of the law of nations as affecting therivalries of governments and the facts of history. I know that ambitiousintrigue and violent enterprise will always have a part in the destinies ofnations. I only ask that ambition and force shall not be permitted to takethat part, controlled only by their own will. At least they ought to berecognised for what they are, and called by their right names; theirclaims, and the results of them, ought to be placed face to face with thepolicy of peace and the law of nations; and, lastly, it ought not to beforgotten that this, the only durable and good policy, has prevailed inEurope for half a century, and that it would be shameful and unfortunate toallow it to fall undefended before the first success of the old policy ofambition and conquest. In the severe and dangerous trial which she is now undergoing, France maystrengthen herself with the thought that her present and personal policyis in exact agreement with the European policy of peace and the law ofnations. France has no ambition, no remote designs or secret aim; she asksfor nothing; she is defending her rights, her honour, and her territory. Will the Powers, who have hitherto proclaimed their neutrality, assisther by assisting to maintain the European policy of peace and the law ofnations? I shall be surprised if they do not, the more so as they coulddo it without seriously compromising themselves. If their intervention byforce of arms were necessary, it would undoubtedly be at once effective;but any such necessity is quite out of the question; the neutral Powers arestronger than they themselves are perhaps aware, and their moral strengthis amply sufficient. Let them plainly assert their disapproval of thisattack on the territorial integrity of France; and in support of theirdisapproval, let them declare that, in any case, they will not recogniseany change in the territory of France which France herself will not accept. It is my deep and firm conviction that this would be sufficient to put anend to any such attempt, and to check the policy of ambition and conquest, without which the peace of Europe cannot be re-established. Is France to beleft alone to sustain this great and good cause at all risks? or will theneutral Powers, without any great risk to themselves, give her such supportas will ensure her triumph? It is for the Powers to answer this question. Iam very old to be surprised at anything; and yet I should be surprised ifEngland did not see the greatness of the part she is called upon to playunder existing circumstances. For many years she sustained in Europe, bywar, the policy of respect for the laws of nations; will she not uphold itto-day by peace? Adieu, my dear Sir, je suis fatigué. Je vais me coucher, et tout à vous, GUIZOT. Should you think proper to make any use of this letter, either by privatelyshowing it to anyone, or by giving it a wider publicity, I have noobjection. I leave the question of fitness and opportunity in England toyou. For my part, my only wish is that my opinions and sentiments in thisimportant crisis should be well known both in France and England. The following note is endorsed by Reeve 'Due d'Aumale on the capitulationof Sedan, ' which took place on September 2nd. It is, however, impossible tosuppose that the Due d'Aumale did not hear of an event so astounding tillthree weeks after it had happened, and the note probably refers moreimmediately to the occupation of Versailles by the Prussians under theCrown Prince, on September 20th, or the reported arrival on the 23rd ofGeneral Bourbaki at Chislehurst, to consult with the Empress about thesurrender of Metz. The endorsement was most likely written some timeafterwards, and in momentary forgetfulness of the date. _From the Due d'Aumale_ Orleans House, 23 septembre. Cher Monsieur, ---Jamais je n'aurais cru que je vivrais assez pour voir unpareil jour. Vous devinez tout ce que mon coeur éprouve. Vous êtes du bien petit nombre de ceux avec qui il m'est possible de causeren ce moment, et vous me ferez du bien si vous venez déjeuner ici dimancheprochain, 25, à midi 1/2. Mille amitiés, H. D'ORLÉANS. _From Lord Granville_ Walmer Castle, October 2nd. My dear Reeve, --I was very sorry to miss an opportunity of seeing you twicelast week. Our hours are late, while you adopt the judicious maxim ofCharles Lamb. I thought the article [Footnote: Gladstone's article (see_ante_, p. 178) which was published in the October number of the _Review_. Lord Granville saw the proof slips. ] excellent and very instructive; notalways quite judicial. It will be read with immense pleasure on its ownmerits. As far as we have gone we have surely adhered to the declaration made toParliament--'Neutrality, with as friendly relations as is compatible withimpartiality; exercise of the duties and maintenance of our rights, asneutrals. ' We have protected Belgium with minimum risk to ourselves. Wehave given advice when it was acceptable and effective, such as that whichled to the meeting of Favre and Bismarck. We have not obtruded advice whenit would have been impotent excepting for harm. We hae reserved completeliberty of action for any contingency. All the neutral nations have beenat our feet, anxious to know what we would do, professing to be ready tofollow our example. One of the belligerents has already come to us forassistance. Those who think we have done nothing of course consider it aneasy and inglorious task; but it requires a little firmness to resist notonly the complaints of belligerents and the cajoleries of neutrals, butalso the changeable gusts of public opinion at home. Yours sincerely, GRANVILLE. _From M. Guizot_ _Val Richer, October 2nd. _--I understand you, my dear Sir; 'you' meaningyour Cabinet. You want to see if France will defend herself energeticallyenough, obstinately enough, to warrant the neutral Powers saying tothe Prussians, 'What you attempt is impossible; you are stirring up aninterminable contest, which is becoming an evil and a peril for Europe. 'Until that moment comes, your Cabinet does not think that the interventionof the neutral Powers in favour of peace could be effective. Many reasons, some good, some plausible, may be adduced in support ofa waiting policy. But take care! it often aggravates the questions itpostpones. Consider what is actually taking place at the present moment. Prussia puts forward her claims more and more distinctly; France isexasperated and rejects them more and more positively. You can have noidea of the effect produced throughout France by the conversation of M. DeBismarck with M. Jules Favre. Bismarck, indeed, seems to have somenotion of it, for he attempts to extenuate what he said or allowed to beunderstood. Evidently the result of this interview has been to leave thebelligerents mutually more embittered than they were before; and theintervention of the neutral Powers at the present time is thus renderedmore difficult. I now put this incident on one side, and am going to the root of thematter. You want to see if France will defend herself energeticallyand obstinately. Look at what she has done already. The Prussians havecertainly obtained great successes. They have beaten two of our regulararmies. At this moment they are before Paris. Is Paris terror-struck?Do the Prussians enter it? I am not trusting to child's talk and vulgarboasting. My son William, and my son-in-law Cornelis de Witt, are nowboth in Paris, both in the National Guard, both clever, sensible men, notcredulous, not given to boasting, and good judges of what is going onaround them. They both write that Paris is able and determined to defenditself obstinately. And among the most cautious of my friends, those whodoubted it at first are now of the same opinion as my sons. By the lastballoon from Paris I received a letter, dated September 21st, from asimple, obscure citizen. He writes:--'Our Paris, bristling with bayonets, is a splendid sight; perfect order, glowing patriotism, and a resolve tofight to the death. The insolence of Bismarck's reply to Jules Favre hasenraged and electrified all hearts. The Prussians will pay dearly for theirblunder in condemning us to heroism or despair. Yesterday was a good day;in two places, Villejuif and St. Denis, we attacked the Prussians anddefeated them. ' I do not know if this degree of ardour and confidence is to be acceptedas general. I quote it as an illustration of the feeling in Paris onthe seventh day of the siege. The fighting is at present round thefortifications; later on it will be on the ramparts, and then in thestreets. First the detached forts; then the _enceinte_; then thebarricades. And when it comes to these--if it ever gets so far--independentof the organised forces of all kinds, there will be the populace, the Parismob, intelligent and bold men, who fight well on the barricades for thevery fun of it. How long will this defence of Paris last? I do not know, and am not goingto prophesy. But what I do know, what I hear from all sides, is that itwill last long enough to excite a patriotic and warlike sentiment throughthe whole land. France is not peopled with heroes; there are the bold andthe timid, as in every other country; but there are heroes enough--andothers will arise--to keep the nation in a state of fever, and consequentlyEurope in a state of alarm inconsistent with true peace, with theprosperity of the nations and the security of European order. The Prussians, and, as I am told, Bismarck himself, have reckoned, and areperhaps still reckoning, on our internal dissensions and quarrels, keptalive by the traditions and the hopes of the old parties. It is a naturalerror, but made in complete ignorance of the actual state of things. National sentiment has overcome the old discord. One sole, universal andabsorbing passion dominates all parties--the passion of defending thesoil and honour of France. Two of the most illustrious Vendéens, MM. DeCathelineau et Stofflet, have asked for and received from the Governmentan authorisation to assist them against the Prussians. MM. Rochefort andGustave Flourens, formerly the most ardent democrats, have joined thegovernment of General Trochu, and are preparing barricades, to maintain afierce struggle against the besiegers at the gates and in the streets ofParis, if it should ever be necessary. 7 P. M. --My letter was interrupted by the arrival of the evening papers, and a letter from my daughter Pauline, dated September 25th, brought by aballoon. I copy the following, _verbatim_:-- 'After being on guard the day before yesterday, for twenty-six hours, without anything worse than repeated alarms, my husband and son returnedand are somewhat rested. Yesterday we went to Montmartre--a very populousand stirring quarter. I cannot tell you often enough how well Paris isbehaving; enthusiasm and unanimity prevail everywhere; the good and thewise have silenced the fools. This will raise up France; it is a balm formany sorrows. I can assure you the country is not demoralised. I do notknow how long the trial will last, but we shall be the better for it. ' Admit that if this conduct is maintained, if Paris--which in June 1848suppressed the revolutionary anarchy in her own bosom--in 1870 stops aforeign invasion, and holds it at bay before her ramparts, it will be agreat deed, worthy of esteem and sympathy. If in presence of such a fact, your neutrality should continue cold and inert, the friends of Europeanpeace and of the good understanding between France and England would havegreat cause for astonishment. It is for this reason that I conjure Englandand her Government to give the matter their serious consideration. The Journal here gives a short sketch of a month's holiday:-- October 12th. --Started for Ireland. Crossed in a gale. To Dunsany on the14th. 15th, drove with Lord Dunsany to Trim; saw the castle; Larachor, Swift's living; Dangan, now quite ruined; and back by Lord Longford's. 17th, to Dartrey. Met the Verulams there, and Lady Meath. 21st, drove toCoote Hill fair. 24th, to Belfast and Clandeboye. Some days with LordDufferin at Clandeboye. Professor Andrews came over from Belfast. 30th, back to Dublin to stay with Mansfield, who was now commander-in-chiefin Ireland. Saw Lord Spencer--lord-lieutenant. November 1st, crossed toHolyhead and went to Teddesley, where Christine joined me. Back to town onthe 5th. _From Lord Stanhope_ _Chevening, October 11th_. --I have been reading with much interest thearticle on Queen Anne in the 'Edinburgh, ' and I hope you will allow me toexpress to you how much I am gratified at the favourable view which ittakes of my performance. The reviewer and I, as I am glad to find, often agree in our views of men and things; and whenever we differ, ourdifference is expressed in terms that cannot but give great pleasure to anyauthor. The reviewer, in this case, has certainly one main advantage over some ofmy other critics. They seem to have no knowledge of Queen Anne's reignexcept what my book imparted to them, and they therefore criticised my bookon its own merits or demerits alone. Here, on the contrary, the writer is, I see, most deeply versed in all the memoirs and published records of thosetimes, which he can bring to bear with great effect upon any passage thathe desires either to controvert or to confirm. It strikes me very forcibly, from my acquaintance with your style, that thewriter of this article is no other than yourself. [Footnote: The articlewas by Herman Merivale (d. 1874). ] If so, pray accept my sincere thanks; ifnot, pray convey them from me to the critic unknown. Lady Stanhope and I have been to North Wales and Devonshire, but settled atChevening ten or twelve days ago. From here we went without delay to callupon the Empress at Chislehurst; as indeed we were bound to do, having informer years received great kindness from them, and been their guests fora week at Compiègne. Nothing could be more touching and gracious than hermanner. She had tears in her eyes all the while we were with her, and hervoice was often choked by emotion; yet she did not let fall a single wordof invective or personal reproach against her enemies in France. She toldme that her first wish on reaching England had been to proceed with herson to the Emperor at Wilhelmshöhe; but on applying to the Prussianauthorities, she could obtain no assurance that she and her son should notbe treated as prisoners of war; and under these circumstances the Emperorforbade her to come. Poor, poor Paris! when shall you and I ever see it again? _From Lord Westbury_ _Hinton, November 11th_. I kept myself free from engagements during thefirst three weeks of November, thinking I might be called on to do suit andservice at the Judicial Committee; but I have not made any provision forDecember, as I thought it was fully understood (certainly by me) at the endof last session, that, from the end of Michaelmas term until Christmas, theLords Justices would have charge of the Judicial Committee for the wholeof each week, or certainly four days in every week. We calculated that themost important business on the appeal side in Chancery would be so reducedby the two courts of appeal during Michaelmas term that the Lord Chancelloralone would suffice for all necessities during December. I have thereforepostponed every engagement here until December. My house will be full; Icannot therefore give you any aid; but I am not sorry for it, for if thearrears were at all reduced, _nothing would be done_ in the appointmentof a permanent tribunal, with a proper staff of judges. You must still beAtlas staggering under the weight of your huge _Orbis Causarum_. Aroundyour feet must be millions of Hindoos, crying aloud for justice. It is onlythis spectacle for gods and men that will move the Government to do itsduty. It would be easy for me to attend if my establishment and family werein town. But if I promised you a fortnight in December, I must put offnumerous engagements and remove my servants, horses, &c. , to London, onlyto bring them down again here for Christmas; or, at the risk of being illas well as wretched, I must go to London alone, into a cold deserted house, with the attendance at most of two female servants. No; you must get asmuch as you can out of the Lords Justices, who must begin the task oflearning Hindoo and Mahomedan law. Besides, if I disposed of twenty Indianappeals in December (a most unlikely thing), it would be the signal foradding forty more to the list, and so you would be more encumbered thanever. It is useless to make these poor spasmodic efforts. The thing must bedone effectually. You are hopelessly bankrupt, and the driblets of aid yousolicit will not enable you to stave off ruin. An article by Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen on the 'Business of the House ofCommons, ' published in the 'Edinburgh Review' for January 1871, wassubmitted in proof to the Speaker, Mr. Denison, whose comments drew fromthe writer the following reply:-- _From Mr. E. H. Knatchbull-Hugessen_ [Footnote: At this timeunder-secretary of state for the Home Department: created Lord Brabourne in1880; died in 1893. ] _Smeeth, November 23rd_. --The Speaker knows more than I do, if he knowsthat it is an understood thing 'that a committee shall next session beappointed to consider the present mode of conducting the public business. 'It is not generally known; and I doubt the policy of alluding, in anarticle which may be read by the public generally, to that which is onlyknown to a privileged few. You, however, must be the best judge, and ofcourse I have no objection to insert a sentence or two of allusion to thisfact (?) [Footnote: The (?) is Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen's. ] if you wish it;but if pressing business--or war--postpones this committee, the 'Review'will look rather foolish. When you say the article is 'rather too multifarious, ' I quite agree thatit might be condensed and curtailed. But even had I time to go through itagain with this intention, I frankly own that I should doubt the expediencyof doing so. I wrote it _currente calamo_, and my object was to attack theexisting system upon many points at once, in order to carry some--just asan army besieging a town may make half a dozen attacks, of which three, being feints, give a better chance of success to the other three. Youwill observe that I do sum up the four prominent points: 1, _clôture_; 2, limitations of motions for adjournment; 3, public bill revision committee;4, restrictions upon counts-out. I quite agree with what the Speaker writes about our 'absurdly late hours. 'I have no strong feeling upon the Wednesday question, and perhaps theSpeaker is right, although I think the point is alluded to in a manner nottoo strong nor too 'disparaging' to the fixed hour, as I only recommendthat a division, instead of an adjournment, either upon main question oradjournment, should take place compulsorily at the fixed hour. I return you the Speaker's letter. I don't know whether you couldconveniently run down here on Saturday and spend a quiet Sunday. You wouldfind my wife and me alone, excepting Godfrey Lushington, who is coming todiscuss highway bills. We could have a talk over the matter then. If youcannot manage it, write me word how you wish the article altered, and Iwill do it. I confess, however, that I think, as a preliminary attackupon abuses which will require closer and more detailed grappling withhereafter, it had better not be much altered. _From the Queen of Holland_ Hague, December 26th. My dear Mr. Reeve, [Footnote: The Queen of Holland seems to have laid downa somewhat curious rule in regard to her correspondence with Reeve: whenshe was in Holland, she wrote to him in English; when she was in England, she wrote in French. ]--Your most interesting letter reached me a few daysago. Ever since, I have been trying to get some of the papers relating tothe Luxembourg question; however, the one enclosed is the only one I havebeen able to obtain. Such is the fear of the kingdom of the Netherlandsto be involved in any of the impending Luxembourg difficulties, thateverything relating to that part of the world is scrupulously ignored; andif the papers are not claimed at Luxembourg, where the most jealous of men, Prince Henry, governs, you cannot obtain the real truth. The fact is, Mr. De Bismarck _a cherché une querelle d'Allemand_, first to obtain a freepassage through the Luxembourg railroads; in the future, to annex thelittle grand duchy, to close the frontier on that side entirely. This, however, is still kept for a few months hence, as Mr. De B. Would notbe put quite on the same line with Prince Gortschakoff, though they areperfectly of the same opinion. It is a sad time, a very bad symptom, when principles, engagements, treaties, are all _à la merci_ of two or three unscrupulous men. Forgive the haste in which I am compelled to write, this time of the yearbeing particularly busy. Remember me kindly to Mrs. Reeve, and believe me, dear Mr. Reeve, very sincerely yours, SOPHIA. The Journal here has:-- The French artists being driven over by the war, Millais gave a dinner, onDecember 20th, to Gérôme and Heilbuth--interesting. I took Gérôme to seeHerbert's Moses in the House of Lords, but it was invisible from a fog. We all dined with Lady Molesworth on Christmas Day, and ended the year withthe Van de Weyers at New Lodge. January 3rd, 1871. --We had a small dinner to Sir William Mansfield and LordElcho. On the 5th to Aldermaston (Higford Burr), with Bruce, [Footnote:Afterwards Lord Aberdare. ] Colvile, [Frank Buckland], &c. Professor Sybel was not one of Reeve's frequent correspondents, and thefollowing extract is from the only letter of his which has been preserved, probably the only one ever written. The primary cause of it was sometrifling business connected with the exchange of publications--the'Edinburgh Review' and Sybel's 'Historische Zeitschrift;' but, havingsettled that, the course of events tempted him, as a German and anhistorian, to continue. _From Professor von Sybel_ Bonn, January 9th. Hochgeehrter Herr, --. .. What a change in our circumstances since I had lastthe pleasure of seeing you! To us, Germans, it would often appear as adream, did not our sacrifices and our efforts bring the reality vividlybefore us. The desire for a speedy conclusion of the war is general; but, Iam proud to say, no less general is the determination to fight and to bleedtill we have brought it to a satisfactory issue. We are resolved not to beattacked again as we were in July, and on that account we will move ourfrontier to the Vosges. We will fight until the French acknowledge us ashaving rights and position equal to their own, till the organs of theirGovernment cease from their New Year animadversion, such as the 'Siècle'has published, and we will crush everyone who calls in question our placeas one of the Great Powers of Europe; and in thus rooting out this boast ofsupremacy, we believe we are earning the gratitude of all Europe. Hochachtungsvoll und ergebenst H. V. SYBEL. _From M. Guizot_ _Val Richer, January 16th. _--I received the 'Edinburgh Review' yesterday, and read your article at once. It is excellent--the language of a profoundobserver, and of a true friend of France. There are pages I should likeall my countrymen at all able to understand them to learn by heart, amongothers from these words (p. 22): 'The life of man is so short, ' to these:'the collective strength of a nation may be sensibly diminished by it. ' Youhave here laid your finger on the great evil of our democracy: 'It readilysacrifices the past and the future to what is supposed to be the interestof the present. ' If I were in Paris, I should like to have a translation ofnearly the whole article [Footnote: 'France, ' in the _Review_ for January1871. The article was republished in _Royal and Revolutionary France_, withthe title 'France in 1871. '] published in our newspapers. But I am notthere; the Prussian shells go in my stead. I am told that the opening of your Parliament is fixed for February 8th. Iwill wait until you can let me know this with certainty, and will then sendyou the letter I mentioned. But I must beg you not to forward it to itsaddress till my translator--Miss Martin--reports to you that it is ready. It seems to me very desirable that the translation should be published assoon as the letter itself has been delivered. I understand that, on thiscondition, the 'Times' will give the whole of it, which will ensure itthe widest possible publicity in England, where its publicity is the mostimportant. The French edition will not appear till after the translationhas been published in the 'Times. ' _From the Queen of Holland_ Hague, January 17th. Dear Mr. Reeve, --I have received your letter. I have received the'Edinburgh Review. ' I did not glance over the pages, I read and re-readthem; and I thank you for the real enjoyment they have afforded me. True inthought, admirable in expression, there can be but one judgement on bothyour articles, and I will certainly endeavour to have them translated intoDutch, to spread the truth. Allow me only to regret the great severity withwhich you treat the fallen Empire. I put aside every personal feeling, butI remain convinced that posterity will be more lenient in judgement thanthe present in the raging storm. There were faults in the system, inherentand inherited. As to the head of the system, few men have been morenaturally kind and good. He had the weakness of these natures--wishing tocontent everyone. No question of principle seemed to him worthy of theinestimable enjoyment of peace. Avec les différents partis il se laissaitaller à des paroles, à des engagements contradictoires; de là une apparencede dissimulation, bien éloignée de sa nature. The prisoner of Wilhelmshöhebelongs to the past. To those that have known and loved him falls the taskof obtaining justice for him. I cannot talk of the present events, of thedestruction of Paris. I bow my head and I hope in God's justice. Will you remember me kindly to Mrs. Reeve? and believe me, with realgratitude, truly and sincerely yours, SOPHIA. _From M. Guizot_ _Val Richer, February 7th. _--I have received from Mr. Gladstone a letterdated January 30th, as friendly as possible towards myself, but vague andevasive in respect to the policy of the Cabinet in the present situation. Not only does he postpone every measure, every indication of his intentionstill after the election and the opening of the National Assembly, which isvery natural, but he gives no hint as to how far his Government will insistrespecting the conditions of peace. It is, of course, impossible for me toargue the point with him--such a discussion would be unbecoming both onhis part and mine. I understand his reserve, but I can neither accept thereasons for it nor its results. It is therefore to you that I address myfurther observations in support of my letter of January 18th, begging youto communicate them to Mr. Gladstone, who will quite understand why I donot address them to himself. I should also be glad to know if he wouldobject to the publication of his letter of January 30th, and of that whichI am now sending you? For my part I wish this publicity, in both Englandand France; but I will not authorise it without his approval. If this should be agreed on, pray let me know your opinion as to publishingit in the 'Times. ' I am sure that, in this case, Miss Martin wouldundertake the translation. The Journal notes:-- _February 18th_--Pleasant dinner at Mansfields', though Mansfield himselfwas carried off by the Prince of Wales. _26th_. --Dinner at Lord Granville's, to meet the Duc de Broglie, who cameas ambassador. _From M. Guizot_ _Val Richer, March 4th_. --Your sad predictions were well founded; thepainful abscission has been made; we bore it at least with good sense anddignity. Without discussion or delay, the National Assembly has acceptedthe peace imposed upon it; and the population of Paris left the Prussiancorps to parade through one single quarter of the town in solitude andsilence. The Prussians have not seen Paris, and Paris did not go to see thePrussians. Their triumph had no spectators. Their present policy is onemore example, after so many others, of the insolent and blind folly ofvictors who sow the seeds of war at the moment they are making peace. Youcan have no idea of the passionate sentiment of sorrow and anger whichfills the soul of France, in all classes and in every part of the country. It is impossible to say when and under what form the future will mark thisfeeling, but it is written. One cannot tire of repeating the last words ofthe Chancellor Oxenstiern to his son when starting for the tour throughEurope: 'Ito mi fili et inspice quam parvâ sapientiâ mundus regitur' . .. The Journal continues:-- _March 16th_. --Dinner at home to the Duc de Broglie, the Dartreys, Mintos, Houghton, and Lady Molesworth. _April 1st_. --Went to Draycott on a visit to the Cowleys. The Lavalettesthere and the old Duchess of Cleveland. Went on to Bath to try the watersthere. Bath, however, did no good to the gout, of which I had, all thisspring, repeated attacks. Saw Wells Cathedral, Glastonbury, and Longleat. Over to Bristol, and then back to town on April 15th. No sooner was the siege of Paris ended and peace signed, than the frightfulinsurrection of the Commune broke out in Paris; the city was for manyweeks in complete possession of the mob; Thiers and the army retired onVersailles, and recommenced the siege of Paris by French troops. TheArchbishop and other hostages were murdered, and at last the city was seton fire. Nothing even in the First Revolution equalled the madness of thisperiod. What a curious contrast to the even tenour of London life! I findin my diaries no trace of these tremendous catastrophes. _May 1st_. --International Art Exhibition opened. I went in my doctor'srobes and orders; the only time I ever wore them. _From M. Guizot_ Val Richer, 4 juin. My dear Sir, --La destruction a atteint son terme, l'oeuvre dereconstruction commence. Elle sera très difficile, mais je n'en désespèrepas, et j'y prendrai quelque part sans sortir de ma cellule. Quelle vie quela mienne! Mon plus ancien souvenir politique est d'avoir vu de loin, duhaut d'une terrasse de la petite maison de campagne où ma mère s'étaitréfugiée pendant la Terreur, en 1794, les Jacobins poursuivis et assomméspar la réaction contre Robespierre au 9 thermidor. La scène se passait surles boulevards de Nismes. J'assiste en 1871, de la campagne aussi, à lachûte des nouveaux Jacobins, vrais héritiers et élèves de la Terreur. Etque n'ai-je pas vu, en fait d'événement, dans cet intervalle de 77 ans! Sur ce je vous dis adieu. Je me porte assez bien, malgré mes 83 ans et cesspectacles Shakspeariens. La France est, depuis 1789, une immense tragediede Shakspeare. Tout à vous, GUIZOT. Reverting to the Journal:-- Mr. Grote died on June 18th. I attended the funeral in Westminster Abbey onthe 24th. John Mill and Overstone were among the pall-bearers. At The Club dinner, on June 20th, the Duc d'Aumale took leave of us beforereturning to France. There were present: the Lord Chancellor (Hatherley), Master of the Rolls [Romilly], Duke of Cleveland, Lord Salisbury, LordDerby, Sir H. Holland, Dean Stanley, W. Smith, and self. About this time I was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath. LordRipon, then Lord President, had asked them to make me a K. C. B. , butGladstone wrote me word that it was a rule that men should pass through thethird grade to arrive at the second. [Footnote: That there was such a rulehas been very fully proved by numerous exceptions. ] Arthur Helps andWilliam Stephenson were made C. B. 's at the same time, and afterwardsK. C. B. 's. I was gazetted a C. B. On June 30th. The following from Lord Granville refers to a conversation in the House ofLords on the constitution of the Appellate Court of the Judicial Committee. The Marquis of Salisbury had said that in his opinion it should be a courtof fixed constitution. At present it was often difficult to discover who were the judges in theparticular case. He believed the President of the Council in every caseappointed the judges; but, as he understood, it was practically done bya gentleman for whom all had the greatest respect, Mr. Henry Reeve, theRegistrar. This did not seem a satisfactory state of things for a tribunaldealing with matters which excited people's passions and feelings tothe highest degree, and on which parties were angrily divided. Nobodyconversant with the matter could harbour the unworthy suspicion thatthe Court was ever packed for the trial of a particular case--he had noapprehensions on that score; but it was because the action and constitutionof the Court should be above all suspicion that he would urge the noble andlearned lord on the woolsack to provide some fixed constitution, so thatthe Court should not be constituted afresh for each particular case it hadto consider. Lord Granville replied in the sense of his letter to Reeve, except that hesaid 'Mr. Reeve invariably consulted _the Lord President_, who, on someoccasions, called a Cabinet Council. ' The Lord President at that time wasthe Marquis of Ripon. Granville was followed by Lord Cairns, who said:-- He could testify from considerable experience to the way in which Mr. Reeveperformed his duties. The fact was that there was a great unwillingnessto attend, and undergo the great labour and responsibility of hearingimportant cases. Mr. Reeve, knowing this, and having an earnest desireto perform the duties of his office effectively--no public officer coulddischarge them better--was in the habit of making himself acquainted withthe arrangements of those who might be expected to attend, with a view--notto decide who ought to attend to hear particular cases--but as to whoseservices were obtainable, in order that some kind of Court might beconstituted. .. . It ought to be understood that no person had any power ofselecting some and excluding others, and that the Registrar's endeavour toprocure the attendance of individuals had merely arisen from anxiety lestthere should be no quorum. [Footnote: Hansard, 1871, June 22nd, cols. 389-91. ] _From Lord Granville_ 16 _Bruton Street, June 23rd_. --I see the report in the 'Times' isdefective. I stated that the Lord President was undoubtedly responsible forall that you did. I paid a high tribute to your services to the JudicialCommittee (which was cheered by the law lords); I said the difficulty wasoften great to collect sufficient members to attend; that you took greatpains, by ascertaining the wishes and possible dates, to ensure this; thatfor ordinary meetings of the Court you acted on your own judgement; butthat in all cases where there was a possibility of party or personalfeeling being made a cause of want of confidence in the composition of theCourt, you had always consulted me; and I had, on some occasions, not onlyconsulted the Home Office, but the Cabinet, in order to do that which wouldensure public confidence. I should not be sorry if you could show that Iwas not in the wrong. I was delighted to hear of your C. B. None could bemore deserved. The Journal records:-- _July 7th_. --I dined with Mrs. Grote; one of the first persons she sawafter Grote's death. _8th_. --A banquet was given at the Crystal Palace to the members of theComédie Française, who had been driven over to London by the siege of Parisand the Commune. This 'banquet' was of the nature of a lunch, beginning at two o'clock. Lord Dufferin was in the chair, supported by Lords Granville, Stanhope, Powerscourt, Lytton, Houghton, Mr. Disraeli, Tennyson, Macready, andothers. When 'the desire of eating was taken away, ' the chairman, speakingin French, proposed the health of the guests. M. Got responded. HoraceWigan, too, spoke; and Lord Granville, 'whose fluent command of extemporeFrench excited general admiration, ' gave 'The Health of the Chairman, ' and, with a neat reference to the 'Letters from High Latitudes, ' then 14, not41 years old, said: 'L'accueil que vous avez donné à son discours doitrassurer Lord Dufferin et lui faire même oublier les succès oratoiresque--Latiniste incomparable, et voué au purisme Cicéronien--il a obtenusdans les régions plus septentrionales. ' To this chaff Lord Dufferin repliedin English: 'Lord Granville has been good enough to allude to what he ispleased to describe as an oratorical triumph in a distant country; and Iwould venture to remind you--and you may take the word of an experiencedperson in confirmation of what I am about to say--that when anybody wishesto make a speech in a foreign language, he will find it much more easy todo so after dinner than at an early hour in the morning. ' For Reeve this wound up the season. A few days later, July 23rd, he, withhis wife, started for Germany. CHAPTER XVIII THE GREVILLE MEMOIRS Dr. De Mussy had recommended Reeve to drink the water at Carlsbad, so toCarlsbad they went, and stayed there twenty-four days. The manner of lifeat Carlsbad may be very wholesome, but no one has ever ventured to speakof it as jovial. The Reeves thought it 'dull enough, ' and left it with afeeling of release, on August 23rd. On the 24th they were at Dresden, and reached home on September 3rd. And then came a curious reaction; adisagreeable experience of the Carlsbad treatment. 'Henry, ' wrote Mrs. Reeve a few days later, 'who had been quite well and quite free from goutall the time, had a tendency thereto on leaving Hamburg, which, on landingat Gravesend, was a sharp attack in the right hand. He cannot hold apen. .. . His doctor and some fellow-patients all say that after Carlsbadwaters such attacks are frequent, and that they in no way imply that thewaters did not suit. ' The Journal goes on:-- _September 16th_. --To Gorhambury [Lord Verulam's] with Christine. Onleaving the house on the 18th to go to the station, the horse in the flyran away. We were overturned near the park gates, and had a narrow escape. Nobody was hurt, and we drove on [in another fly] to Lord Ebury's at MoorPark. _October 2nd_. --To Scotland on a visit to Moncreiff at Cultoquhey; thenceto Minard (Mr. Pender's) on Loch Fyne; thence to Edinburgh; Ormiston onthe 21st; the John Stanleys there and Lord Neaves. [Footnote: A lord ofjusticiary, one of the foremost authorities on criminal law in Scotland, and for more than forty years a regular contributor of prose and verse to_Blackwood's Magazine_. ] Lady Ruthven to dinner. _26th_. --To Auchin, and home on the 28th. A bill had passed at the close of the last session for the appointment offour paid members of the Privy Council. They were Sir James Colvile, SirBarnes Peacock, Sir Montague Smith, and Sir Robert Collier. These judgesbegan to sit on November 6th of this year. The Court, from that time, satcontinuously. I obtained an additional clerk, and also an addition of 300 £a year to my own salary, which was fixed at 1, 500 £. Pleasant visit to New Lodge (Van de Weyer's) in November. Shooting at LitheHill in December. The Prince of Wales's serious illness. He very nearly died on December 6th. _December 20th_. --The Broglies dined with us, to meet Beust and theForesters. _22nd_. --Mrs. Forester asked us, at my desire, to meet Disraeli and LadyBeaconsfield, at a small party. There was nobody else there but Lord andLady Colville. It was very interesting and agreeable. 1872. --The year opened in Paris, where I had gone after Christmas; thefirst time I had been there since the war. M. Thiers was President of theRepublic. I went to Versailles to see him on January 3rd, and found him inthe Préfecture--the room that had been occupied just before by the GermanEmperor. M. Lesseps was there that evening, and we returned to Paristogether. He and his friends were apparently very anxious to sell the SuezCanal. I dined with Thiers on the 6th also. M. Thiers's conversation on the war, the Commune and the siege was veryinteresting. He said to me: 'Certainement je suis pour la République! Sansla République qu'est-ce que je serais, moi?--bourgeois, Adolphe Thiers. ' Hedescribed the withdrawal of the troops from Paris, which was his own act. Then the siege, which he claims to have directed, the battery of MoutonTout, adding, 'Nous avons enterré, en entrant à Paris, vingt millecadavres. ' Dined at Mme. Mohl's on the 5th with M. De Loménie and M. Chevreuil, who isabout eighty-five. The Duc d'Aumale had opened his house in the Faubourg St. -Honoré; receptionthere. _January 8th_. --Dined with the Economists to meet the Emperor of Brazil. Iwas presented to him, and made a speech in French on the maintenance of thecommercial treaty, which was applauded. Back to London on the 9th. Reeve had already proposed to Mr. Longman to publish a volume of hisarticles from the 'Edinburgh Review. ' He now wrote to him:-- _C. O. , January 11th_. --I find that the French articles I wish to collectand publish amount to _twelve_. I enclose a list of them. They make about380 pages of the 'Edinburgh Review' form. How much will that make ifprinted in a smaller form? The title of the volume is an important matter. I have thought of 'Royal and Republican France, ' or 'A Cycle of FrenchHistory;' but I may think of something better. If you will make thearrangements, I shall be able to supply copy very soon. The introductioncan be printed afterwards, I suppose? I conclude you will publish on the half-profit plan, though my pastexperience of that system does not lead me to regard it as the road tofortune. Of our military volume about 650 copies were sold, and Chesney andI made 2 £. 3_s_. 0_d_. Apiece! To this Mr. Longman replied:-- _From Mr. T. Longman_ _January 14th_. --I will have the calculation made of the articles youmention. I conclude you would wish to print in the usual demy 8vo. Form, like Macaulay's Essays and all the other reprints from the 'E. R. ' The plan of a division of profits has been usual in such republications;and it seems peculiarly adapted to them, as neither the contributor northe publisher can republish separately without the consent of the other. Whether that plan of publication may be a road to fortune or not depends onthe demand for the book. I had once the satisfaction of paying 20, 000 £ onone year's account, on that principle, to Lord Macaulay. I certainly hadno expectation of a fortune from the republication which produced you 2 £3_s_. 0_d_. ; but had I purchased the right of separate publication for 100£, I hardly think you would have been satisfied that fortune should have sofavoured you at my expense. It seems to be the fashion to decry that modeof publication; but there will always be books that can be published on noother terms, unless at the cost and risk of the author. _From Lord Westbury_ _Hinton St. George, January 12th. _--I am glad to find that you havereturned in safety from Paris with your oratorical honours [Footnote: Ofthe French speech in Paris on the 8th. ] rich upon you. I do not think thateven Cicero ventured on making an oration in Greek, in Athens; but you havecharmed fastidious Paris with your pure accent and your classic French. Iwas in despair when I found your eloquence imputed to another name; but Iheard the error was so generally corrected that you may count on your famedescending unchallenged to posterity. I should agree with you that Franco was to be despaired of, if France wereto be considered as subject to ordinary rules. But she is, and has everbeen, so anomalous, that ordinary moral reasoning from history is whollyinapplicable to her. At present, one would think she had reached the lowestdepth of moral degradation. She might be usefully touched to the quick, if she could only believe that she is becoming ridiculous in the eyes ofEurope. Not that _we_ can expect a much better fate. When the Treaty of Washingtonwas published, I strove to awaken in the minds of several leading men afull sense of its folly, and of the calamitous consequences that would besure to follow from such an act of foolish, gratuitous submission; but Imade no impression; not even as to the absurdity of introducing newand ill-considered rules, and giving them a retrospective operation. Isucceeded with no one. I therefore concluded I must be in the wrong. Now, however, the American indictment bears testimony to the accuracy of myforebodings. I entreated Lord Granville not to permit the arbitration to goon upon such a basis, which it was never intended that the reference shouldcover or include. It is a fraudulent attempt to extend the reference mostunwarrantably; and if the arbitration is permitted to proceed on such aclaim, the consequences will be most disastrous. It is a sad spectacle tosee a once gallant and high-spirited nation submitting tamely to be thusbullied. If not firmly protested against, and resisted _in limine_, youwill have an award which England will repudiate with indignation; and war, the fear of which has made us submit to these indignities, will be sure tofollow. The relative attitudes of England and the United States in 1896 and 1897have not materially differed from those of 1872. The policy which has beenpersistently followed by this country has not yet resulted in war, but itseems to many now, as it did to Lord Westbury then, extremely likely to doso. Peace between two such countries can only be assured when it rests onmutual respect and a community of interests. We may persuade ourselvesthat, in the main, our true interests are identical; but the recentdiplomatic correspondence from the States does not tell of much respect. But as to the point at issue in 1872, Reeve wrote in reply to LordWestbury, about January 15th:-- I agree very much with what you say of the Treaty of Washington, and havenever been able to prevail on myself to say a word in its favour. Theresult is that the fate and honour of this country are placed in the handsof a Swiss and a Brazilian referee, neither of whom knows a word of theEnglish language! Lord Lyons told me so last week in Paris. The Journal notes:-- _January 22nd_. --Visit to the Archbishop of Canterbury atAddington--pleasant; but in going up from Croydon on the 23rd, I was nearlykilled by a runaway _hearse_, which struck my cab and knocked it over. Iwas not hurt, but two accidents in a year made me nervous. [Footnote: Seeante, p. 201. ] _From Mr. H. F. Chorley_ 18 Eaton Place West, February 8th. My dear Reeve, --I send you what I have done _in re_ Hawthorne. I offer acharacter rather than a review, proved by extracts; since had I gone on _inextenso_ I don't know where I should have stopped. Nothing but my strongwish to get my subject before the public could have made me carry out myarticle, poor as it is, seeing that I have written it half a leaf at atime, and with a weak, weary hand, the end of which will not impossibly bepalsy. But I think as a character, when duly corrected, my work may notcome out amiss. Ever yours faithfully, HENRY F. CHORLEY. _Endorsed_--Chorley's last note. He died about a week afterwards [suddenlyon February 16th. The article had apparently not been finished, and was notpublished]. From the Journal:-- _January 24th_. --Went to see the Sandhursts at Brighton, but gout came onworse, and I was ill for some weeks. I presided at The Club, however, onthe 27th, the Thanksgiving Day for the recovery of the Prince of Wales, andproposed his health. _March 14th_. --I published a collection of my articles on French historyand affairs under the title of 'Royal and Republican France. ' _From Lord Derby_ 23 _St. James's Square, March 15th_. --Many thanks for your book on France. Most of the articles were familiar to me, but all will bear reading again. You here show up the weakness of French public life and the faults ofFrench parties as no one else has done; and I do not recollect to have seenanywhere else pointed out the intimate connexion between the social stateof modern France--with every old tradition destroyed, and the continuanceof a family, as we understand the word here, rendered impossible--and thepolitical condition, in which every public man is either fighting forhis own personal interest and nothing else, or for the triumph of hisparticular theory of politics, which, if successful, is to be enforceddespotically by all the power of a centralised administration. I have neverthought so badly of the French future as now--no energy except among theReds, no power of united action; general apathy even as to the present, andutter indifference to the future. The Journal continues:-- _March 31st_. --Came down to Bournemouth for the first time with Hopie andthe horses. _April 8th_. --Rode to Hengistbury Head and saw for the first time theSouthbourne estate. Dined with Lord Cairns. Back to town on the 9th. _17th_. --Dined at Lord Derby's. Sat next Lady Clanricarde, who, _à propos_of Sir H. Holland's 'Past Life, ' talked about her father [Footnote: GeorgeCanning, _d_. 1827. ] and his last illness. She said that in truth Hollandsaw Canning very little at Chiswick, and that it was Sir Matthew Tierneywho really attended him; and then she told me the following story ofTierney:--News came from Clumber that the Duke of Newcastle was dangerouslyill with typhus fever. Tierney was sent down as fast as post-horses couldcarry him. It was about 1823, in the pre-railway days; and when he arrivedhe was informed that the Duke had been dead about two hours. Shocked atthis intelligence, he desired to see the corpse, which was already laidout. At his first glance he thought he was dead. At the second he doubtedit. At the third he cried out, 'Bring me up a bucket of brandy!' They torethe clothes off the body and swathed it in a sheet imbibed with brandy, andthen resorted to friction with brandy. In rather more than an hour symptomsof life began to manifest themselves, and in two hours the Duke was able toswallow. He recovered, and lived twenty-five years afterwards. Certainlythis triumph over death beats even Dr. Gull's nursing of the Prince ofWales. It is the myth of Hercules and Alcestis. _May 4th_. --Visit to Drummond Wolff at Boscombe. A further look atSouthbourne. I chose the site I afterwards purchased. _8th_. --The King of the Belgians presided at the Literary Fund dinner. Disraeli made a capital speech. _18th_. --Visit to Mrs. Grote at Sheire. Called at Albury. Many Londondinners. The Bennett case was heard at this time by the Judicial Committee. Longdeliberation on the judgement at the Chancellor's on June 1st. It wasdelivered on June 8th. [Footnote: See 'The Bennett Judgement' in _EdinburghReview_, October 1872. ] _From Lord Westbury_ _June 1st_, --I am going to Oxford, and fear I may be late at the committee. There are very important subjects in which we wish to examine you;especially the danger, if not the illegality, of attempting by newlegislation to create a new Appellate Jurisdiction for the Colonies. _From Mr. E. Twisleton_ 3 Rutland Gate, June 6th Dear Reeve, --I send you herewith Francis's translation of Pinto on Credit, together with the original French work of Pinto. The attack on Pombal is inFrancis's concluding observations. Some of the notes are very interesting, as illustrating the feeling of national superiority among the English, andof national depression among the French, between 1763 and the American Warof Independence--see pp. 52, 66, 166. My impression is that the French feltmore humiliated during that period than during an equal number of yearsafter 1814. The loss of Canada and their expulsion from America woundedtheir national feelings of pride _then_ nearly as much as the loss ofAlsace and part of Lorraine wounds those feelings now. A hundred years agothere were very exaggerated ideas, both in England and in France, as to thestrength which a nation derived from colonies. Yours very truly, EDWARD TWISLETON. P. S. --In Francis's Fragment of Autobiography he speaks of this translationas his own; and says that upon accepting his appointment to India hesurrendered all his papers to Stephen Baggs, 'in whose name the translationhad been published. ' See 'Memoir of Sir P. F. ' vol. I. P. 366. The Journal notes:-- _June 28th_. --Assembly at Grosvenor House. July 2nd, assembly at LansdowneHouse. July 3rd, Queen's ball--a very brilliant season. _From Lady Smith_ Lowestoft, July 9th. Dear Mr. Reeve, --In one of your friendly letters to me, after the deceaseof our valued friend Emily Taylor, you kindly hinted that you wouldoccasionally favour me with a note; but, knowing the demands upon your pen, I should not have reminded you of this kindness but for an incident whichoccurred last evening when my niece, Ina Reeve, came in to me, saying shehad read such a severe and bitter review of your late publication as quitesurprised her. As she brought the 'Saturday Review' with her, she read itto me, and perhaps, dear friend, you may have read it, and perhaps guessits author. To me it seems he is not so angry with your books as withyourself. Mr. Reeve floats uppermost in almost every line, and 'tis you hehates. I perceive he cannot endure you, and makes use of your books onlyto insult you. I hope you will take care how you come in his way, for I amsure he will do you a mischief. Beware of the evil eye! He talks of yourignorance of the New Testament. I could not help thinking how little he isacquainted with its spirit. I also read with much concern of the treatment by Mr. Ayrton of thatadmirable Curator at the Kew Gardens--Dr. Hooker. Cruel it will be toscience and the public if he is driven from the position he is so competentto fill with good results. I have read at present only a part of your first volume, which I muchenjoyed. Sir James was in Paris about two or three years before the GreatRevolution began, but the fermentation was beginning. 'Tis time to relieveyou from my imperfect writing, for my sight is not very perfect, and bycandlelight I can neither see to read or write. About two months go Icompleted my ninety-ninth year; but I have health and a new source ofhappiness in my nephew James and his dear daughter, who are come to resideat Lowestoft. _She_ is a daily friend to me, a second self; as our taste inliterature, in poetry, and in morals agree. Only think, the Dean of Norwichsent me his defence of St. Athanasius' Creed! I am your dear friend, P. SMITH. The next entry in the Journal introduces us to the place--a site on theSouthbourne estate already spoken of--where, two years afterwards, Reevebuilt the house in which so much of the last twenty years of his life waspassed. It will be seen that for some time he hesitated between this andthe neighbourhood of Ascot where, in the autumn, he inherited a smallproperty. _July 13th_. --To Christchurch, with Parker and Cockerell, [Footnote:Frederick Pepys Cockerell, one of a family of distinguished architects, andhimself of a high reputation. He died at the age of 45, in 1878. ] about thehouse at Foxholes. _17th_. --Dined at Duke of Argyll's. 20th, three days at Strawberry Hill. 27th, party at Aldermaston: Otway, Layards, H. Bruce. Having taken Loch Gair House for the season, went there by Greenock onAugust 2nd. I paid about twelve guineas a week. [Loch Gair--wrote Mrs. Reeve--is a tiny, land-locked bay on the west shore of Loch Fyne. Park-likegrounds, with a pretty burn rushing down, skirt this loch. There is asmall kitchen garden, and a dairy of six cows. The best fishing is in LochClasken, about a mile and a half west. There is a boat on the loch. Thehouse is a square structure, three stories high, and with undergroundlarders, dairy, &c. And attics for servants, so that there is ampleaccommodation. I think Henry will enjoy the serene beauty of the place, thebalmy air and fragrant odours, and idleness, delicious because earned byhard work. ] The Penders being at Minard, we had the benefit of their society and hisyacht. Roland Richardson, Frank Hawkins, Mr. Dempster, the Worsleys, EdmundWallace, Fairfax Taylor, Sir A. Grant, the Colebrookes, came to staywith us; and Colvile. The Derbys and Sir W. Thomson, [Footnote: Now LordKelvin. ] Rawlinson, Massey, C. Villiers and the Lowes, staying at Minard. [Of this time Mrs. Reeve wrote:--The sun is again ruling the day and themoon the night, to the very great glory of Loch Gair. On Sunday (August18th) the whole Minard party, seventeen in number, came over to tea, muchto the amusement of Mr. Dempster, to whom we talked of seclusion, and whodid not expect a cabinet minister, a very 'swell' admiral, and sundry fineladies. Mr. Dempster's was but a short visit, to our regret; and on MondayI took him in the dog-cart to meet the 'Iona' at Ardrishaig. ] _October 2nd_. --Left Loch Gair. Visit to Orde's at Kilmory; then toInvergarry (E. Ellice's) by the Caledonian Canal. Deer shooting. 11th, to Keir; 16th, to Ormiston; then to Abington--shooting there. To town onOctober 26th. Miss Handley died in October. She left me the Winkfield portion of theBracknell estate, which was afterwards confirmed by a decree of the Masterof the Rolls. _November 13th_. --Dined at Sandbach's with the Queen of Holland, PrinceEdward of Saxe-Weimar, Lady Eastlake, and Bishop Wilberforce. A few otherdinners. _Monday, 25th_. --I have been down to the Van de Weyers at New Lodge, Windsor Forest, from Saturday till Monday, a thing I have frequently doneof late. Van de Weyer is almost the last survivor of the brilliant Londonsociety of thirty or forty years ago, and to his great literary and socialexperience he unites an unequalled knowledge of the politics of Europe. During the whole of his reign King Leopold was his own foreign minister;and he succeeded, by his connexion with the Queen of England, and withLouis-Philippe, and with Germany, in creating a most influential positionin the world, which he did not impart to his Belgian ministers. But Van deWeyer was the exception. He was the constant channel of communication withthe Court of England. The King wrote to him two or three times a week, andhe to the King. Their correspondence must be a complete history of thetimes. Baron Stockmar was to an equal degree in his King's confidence; butStockmar never had the political position of Van de Weyer, nor do I thinkhe was so able a man. I had hinted, in my review of Stockmar's Life, [Footnote: _Edinburgh Review_, October 1872. ] that his oracular powers hadbeen somewhat exaggerated, and that he was rather more attached to theinterests of the House of Coburg than to those of England; for which I donot blame him. However, Van de Weyer and some others of Stockmar's friends(including the Queen) dispute this, and probably think I have not done himjustice. For instance, Van de Weyer asserts that when the marriage of the Queen ofSpain was on the _tapis_, Leopold and Queen Victoria had it in their powerto bring about the Coburg marriage, but that they deliberately refused todo so from respect to their engagements with France. And they acted in thiswith the full concurrence of Stockmar. The Queen of Spain had established, by private means, a correspondence with Queen Victoria. The letters passedthrough the hands of Mr. Huth, the merchant, and from him to Van de Weyer, who delivered them. Isabella complained in these letters of her desperateand forlorn condition; said she was bullied and threatened by the French, and expressed her abhorrence of the marriage Bresson was urging upon her. She declared that if Leopold and Queen Victoria would sanction the Coburgmarriage, she would throw the French over, and marry Prince Leopold thenext day. The King and our Queen held a solemn conference and deliberation on thesubject. Palmerston was informed of the transaction; but the ministers seemto have had no great voice in the matter, for the Queen considered theengagement she had entered into at Eu as a personal promise, and Englandhad consistently declared that 'she had no candidate. ' To put forwardLeopold at the last hour would have been to forfeit this pledge, which, onthe contrary, was most strictly and honourably maintained. It was the knowledge of this, and the consciousness that a lessconscientious policy might have rescued the Queen of Spain from a dreadfulfate, that rendered the Queen of England and Stockmar so indignant when itturned out that the French Government had been far less scrupulous, and hadnot only forced on the marriage of the Queen to a man she detested, but hadalso married the other Infanta to Montpensier. This communication of Queen Isabella to Queen Victoria is to this daywholly unrevealed. With regard to Leopold's annuity (which I explained in the 'EdinburghReview'), it was not only secured by act of Parliament, but by treaty; forthere was a regular treaty of marriage concluded between Prince Leopold andthe Crown of England on his marriage with the Princess Charlotte. The intrigues going on with reference to Belgium, both in France and inHolland, during the Polignac Ministry have been alluded to in a formerpage. [Footnote: _Ante_, pp. 111-12. ] But it is less generally known thatat this same time, the Prince of Orange, afterwards William II. , wasintriguing to form a party to place him on the throne of France in theevent of the overthrow of the Bourbons. He spent thirty or forty millions of francs in bribing officers of the armyand others, which was the cause of his subsequent embarrassment and debts. The French found the plot out, and demanded of the King of Holland thatthe Prince should be signally punished. He was accordingly deprived of hiscommand and of his rank in the army, and even for a time arrested and putin confinement. He then found out that his French adherents had only beendeluding him to get his money. _December 4th_. --To Teddesley. Shooting there. Thence to Crewe, to meetLady Egerton of Tatton. _12th_. --Henry Greville died. To Farnborough. I determined to publish theGreville Journals. To Bracknell to see the Winkfield land; and to Timsbury for Christmas. 1873. --At Bournemouth early in January, about the house. To London onJanuary 11th. _January 25th_. --Lord Lytton's funeral in Westminster Abbey. _February 14th_. --Dined at Harvie Farquhar's. He was one of C. Greville'sexecutors, and was curious about the Journals. _To Mr. W. Longman_ _C. O. , March 4th_. --Mr. Morris [Footnote: Edward E. Morris, editor of_Epochs of Modern History_. ] writes under a complete delusion. I could notpossibly write anything for him in less than two years; and I had rathernot enter into any agreement. On reflection, I am satisfied that it wouldnot answer my purpose to write a popular 'History of the French Revolution'for 100 £, and to surrender the copyright. An author never ought tosurrender a copyright unless he is compelled to do so. If I wrote a Historyof the French Revolution which became a school book or an educational book, it might become a property of some little value. But the truth is that the 'Review' suffers when I am too busy to write init; and I have in my hands and before me literary work and materials of afar more remunerative character, which will suffice to fill the remainderof my life. It would be unwise in me to undertake a fresh task, which couldnot possibly pay me. Therefore, upon the whole, I think you had better putit in other hands. [Footnote: Eventually the work was written by Mrs. S. R. Gardiner, though from a point of view very different, we may believe, fromthat which Reeve would have taken. ] O'Connor Morris would do it very well. I am sorry to alter my mind. My first impulse was to accept from a wish tooblige you, and from interest in the subject; but further considerationsays 'NO!' The Journal notes:-- _March 19th_. --Dined at Goschen's at the Admiralty. Mme. Novikoff there, anactive Russian agent. Mr. Gladstone's Government was beaten by a majority of three. Most of thecasual elections this year went against the Government. Gladstone resignedon this occasion, but came in again, which he had better not have done. _March 31st_. --Dined with Charles Austin--very old and infirm; his lasteffort. Lord Belper was there. To Bracknell at Easter, in Miss Handley's house. Took the horses; went tomeet of Queen's Hounds; stayed there till April 19th. _To Mr. W. Longman_ Old Bracknell House, April 13th. My dear William, --I am glad you have been to see my scrap of land. I havetaken a great fancy to the spot, and should be very well contented to endmy days there, gazing on that magnificent view of the coast and the sea. Atpresent I am spending this vacation in Berkshire, and only suffering fromthe excessive cold. I am reading with the greatest interest Baron Hübner's 'Promenade autour duMonde, ' which was reviewed in the 'Times' two or three days ago. It is awork of extraordinary merit and importance. I shall review it in the next'Edinburgh, ' and I strongly recommend you to publish a translation of it, if you can. I have seldom read so wonderful a book. Ever yours faithfully, HENRY REEVE. The Journal goes on to speak of perhaps the most remarkable 'centenarian'of the nineteenth century:-- _May 23rd_. --Dined at Lord Stanhope's with the Antiquaries. Dean Stanleyproposed Lady Smith's health. She was just 100. Pleasance Reeve, Lady Smith, widow of Sir James Smith, the botanist andfounder of the Linnaean Society, was born on May 11, 1773, and christenedon the following day at Lowestoft, where her baptismal register stillexists. On May 13, 1873, having just completed her hundredth year, shecaused a dinner to be given to the hundred oldest persons in Lowestoft, whose joint ages averaged seventy-seven years, and public rejoicings wereheld in the town. On May 24th I went down with my daughter to see her, andspent the best part of three days with her. Married in 1795 to Dr. Smith, afterwards Sir James, she had been the intimate friend, in Norwich, of mygrandfather and grandmother. On my father's marriage in 1807, he took ahouse in Surrey Street, next door to the Smiths, and their intercourse wasperpetual. I have myself no earlier recollection than that of her kindnessto me and attachment to my mother. We used to sit in their pew at theOctagon Chapel, Norwich; and the first evening party I can remember was ather house, when Mrs. Opie and William Taylor were present--the latter Ithink rather drunk! We found Lady Smith at Lowestoft on this 24th of May, sitting in her chair, looking extremely well, though shrunk; her voice was firm and unchanged; nodeafness; no dulness of sight; and when they served a little collation shehad ordered for us, she got up, moved to the table, and did the honours. She complained, however, that the excitement of the last two or three weekshad impaired her strength and taken away her appetite, I told her that theevening before, when I was dining at Lord Stanhope's with the Antiquaries, her health had been proposed in a graceful speech by the Dean ofWestminster. The venerable Society drank the most venerable lady. Thisaffected her, and she exclaimed, 'You must not tell me such things asthese. They drive me mad. I find it harder to support the many marks ofkindness and distinction I have received than to bear the burden of ahundred years. ' I asked her what was the first thing she remembered. She said she wasconfident she remembered being taken to her aunt's at Saxmundham as aninfant of nine months old, and still saw her eyes, the crocuses in theborder, and the flutter of the fringe on her own robe. Of political eventsshe thought the first in her memory was the taking of the Bastille, and sheenlarged on the extraordinary enthusiasm excited by the French Revolution. I said the American war came before the Revolution of 1789; and she replied'Yes, no doubt I remember hearing the American war talked about;' and thenquoted the lines (Dr. Aikins' she said):-- See the justice of Heaven! America cries; George loses his senses, North loses his eyes. When first they provoked me, all Europe could find That the Monarch was mad and the Minister blind. But the date of this epigram must be somewhat later. Lord North becameblind in 1787 [and the King's insanity was not publicly known till November1788]. She remembered Mr. Windham as one of the most graceful and fascinatingof men. Lady Morley [Footnote: Frances, daughter of Thomas Talbot, ofWymondham, Norfolk, married Lord Boringdon, afterwards Earl of Morley, in1809. ] (the present Earl's grandmother) was staying with the Smiths whenshe came out, and was equally remarkable for her wit, her beauty, and herfine hair. Her mother, Mrs. Talbot, was very ugly. We then talked over allthe old Norwich families, Gower, Taylors, Aldersons, Bathurst, &c. She saidshe thought my mother a much finer character than Mrs. Austin, and, sheadded, a fine understanding too. Her interest in all the events of the day--the last spider discoveredby Dr. Carpenter at the bottom of the ocean and the last improvement atBurlington House--is as keen as the recollection of the past. 'Punch' andthe 'Illustrated News' and the other newspapers bring it all before her. _May 28th_. --Gladstone presided at the Literary Fund dinner. I took MeadowsTaylor, who was staying with us. _From Lady Smith_ _Lowestoft, May 31st_. --Many thanks, dear Mr. Reeve, for sending me thehandsome present of turtle soup, which came on Thursday evening and madethe best part of my dinner on Friday. My intellectual treat has been thespeeches by the Premier and others at the Literary Fund dinner, and I muchadmire the eloquence of the several talented gentlemen. I write so badlyI will spare you, and only send my affectionate regards to Mrs. Reeve anddear Hopie, and to yourself. I am very sincerely yours, P. SMITH. Continuing the Journal:-- To Bracknell again on June 1st. Attended Ascot for the last time. The Shahof Persia was in London this year, and was received in state. The Queenlent him Buckingham Palace. _June 25th_. --Goschen's fête to the Shah of Persia at Greenwich Hospital. Fine sight. We steamed through the docks after the Shah. _29th_. --Met M. De Laveleye at Van de Weyer's. _July 14th_. --Dined at Merchant Taylors' Hall; made a speech. _17th_. --Dined at Lambeth, to talk over the Judicature Bill with theArchbishop. Met Bishop Wilberforce as I was driving down Constitution Hill. He was killed two days afterwards (on the 19th) by a fall from his horse, riding with Lord Granville. Count Münster came as German ambassador. I dined with him at Beust's and atHoughton's. Lord Westbury died in London on July 20th, 1873; a man whose bitter tonguemade him many enemies, and procured for him a reputation as of one withoutrespect or regard for aught human or divine. Those who knew him well tolda different tale. He has been described by them as having a most kind andfeeling nature. 'He did not make many professions, but had the good of hisfellow-creatures at heart. He always found time to give advice and help. 'Reeve, who had been thrown into frequent and familiar intercourse with him, was in the habit of speaking of him as one whose real character was verydifferent indeed from that assigned him by popular repute; and the letterof sympathy which he wrote to Lord Westbury's daughter, the Hon. AugustaBethell, [Footnote: Afterwards Mrs. Parker, and, by a second marriage, Mrs. Nash. ] merely expressed his honest opinion. Rutland Gate, July 23rd. Dear Miss Bethell, --I should have written sooner if I had had the use ofmy hand, to express to you my profound sorrow and sympathy in the loss youhave sustained. I look back with unmixed satisfaction on the relations I maintained forso many years with your father. He honoured me with his confidence andfriendship. I have the profoundest admiration, not only for his qualitiesas a lawyer, but for his just and enlarged mind, his vast reading, hismemory, and the inexhaustible kindness of his heart. He was one of thegreatest men I have known, and one of those whose loss to us all is mostirreparable. How much more so to you! Mrs. Reeve begs to unite her condolences to mine; and we remain always Your much attached friends, HENRY REEVE. The Journal notes a six weeks' tour with Mrs. Reeve in Switzerland andGermany:-- _August 1st_. --To Paris and Geneva, _viâ_ Dieppe. Saw Thiers in Paris. Hehad been turned out of office on May 4th. On August 4th reached Binet's_campagne_. Family dinners, &c. , at Geneva. 12th, called at Blumenthal's_chalet_, near Vevey. 14th, to Berne, Grindelwald, and Ragaz, by Zurich. Took baths at Ragaz. Longmans came there on the 22nd. Pleasant excursionto Glarus. 26th, to Syrgenstein [near the Lake of Constance--wrote Mrs. Reeve--where some cousins of ours, the Whittles, bought an old schlosswith some 300 acres, and settled about fifteen years ago]. 31st, by Ulm toBaden-Baden, Bonn, Aix, Antwerp; home on September 8th. _September 10th_. --Sir Henry Holland dined with us. He had just been toNijni Novgorod, and was starting for Naples. He died as soon as he gotback, on October 27th. This was the last time I saw him. He was theneighty-five. To Bracknell in September. _September 27th_. --To Christchurch. Ordered fences for Foxholes. _October 3rd_. --To Cultoquhey (Lord Moncreiff's). 6th, fishing at Battleby(Maxtone Graham's), in the Tay. We killed seven fish; I, one of 19 lbs. ;Hopie, two, one of 25 lbs. Thence to the Colviles', at Craigflower, and onthe 11th to Minto. 14th, drove to Ancrum and Kirklands. Beautiful day. We went from Minto to Dartrey, co. Monaghan, by Carlisle and Stranraer;crossed to Larne, but had to sleep at Dundalk, on the 17th. At Dartreyfound the Ilchesters, Mr. Herbert, and others. Lady Craven and theHeadforts came later. Returned to England on the 27th by Greenore andHolyhead. For the October number of the 'Review, ' Reeve had written an article onthe Ashantee War, in which he would seem to have been assisted by LordKimberley, then Colonial Secretary. On its appearance, Mr. Pope Hennessy, at this time Governor of the Bahamas, but who, in the preceding year, hadbeen Governor of the Gold Coast, wrote to 'The Editor of the "EdinburghReview, "' objecting to some of the statements regarding his own conduct, which, he declared, were inaccurate. And, having given utterance to hisobjections, he continued:-- _November 28th_. --As I have ventured on fault-finding about one article, Imust not deprive myself of the pleasure of congratulating you heartilyon another. Since October 1802 no article on foreign affairs has been soapropos as your Cuban one of last October. Here it has been read withavidity and universal satisfaction, and I believe it will do much to guideinfluential opinion in England at this crisis. I hope to see you return tothe subject in January. Remember that your January number, as far as theinstruction of M. P. S is concerned, is always an important political one. Inview of your dealing with the subject again, I give you a few facts thatmay perhaps add special interest once more to the 'Edinburgh's' mode ofdealing with it. England is directly concerned in Cuba by its close proximity to theBahamas. Cay Lobos (British territory) is but fourteen miles from CayConfites (Cuban territory). That leaves but eight miles of high seas inwidth. The people of the Bahamas have made frequent complaint to thegovernor about the conduct of the Spanish authorities in Cuba. InAugust this year the Governor of the Bahamas sent a memorial to theCaptain-General of Cuba about the impediments to the Bahama sponging tradecaused by the arbitrary acts of the Spaniards. No notice has been taken ofthis. It has not even been acknowledged. In 1870 complaints were made toSir James Walker (my predecessor) that James Fraser and three other Britishsubjects were captured in a Bahama schooner, taken ashore to Cuba, andthere shot. The Spaniards justified this by saying that the ship wasconveying supplies to the insurgents, and they (the Spaniards) executedFraser and the others as pirates. In the same year a man named Williamscomplained that sixty or seventy Spanish soldiers landed at Berry Island (apart of the Bahama colony), chasing Cuban refugees, firing off their guns, and threatening to hang Williams if he did not aid them in their search. Subsequently the Spanish admiral, Melcampo, made a sort of apology forthis; but the Captain-General of Cuba, on the other hand, wrote to SirJames Walker, complaining that the British lighthouse-keepers on BerryIsland had refused to aid the Spaniards in pursuit of 'pirates' on Britishsoil. Lord Granville took up the matter in a proper spirit. He sentenergetic remonstrances to Madrid. He got the Admiralty to telegraph to SirRodney Mundy, at Halifax, to despatch ships of war to aid the Governor ofthe Bahamas in protecting the colony from the raids of the Spaniards. As tothe seizing of ships on the high seas under neutral flags, he telegraphedto Sir John Crampton, at Madrid, to say that it would be 'a glaringviolation of the law of nations. ' The Madrid Government promised to get theCaptain-General's proclamation revoked; but my predecessor reported thatGeneral Dulce had not revoked it, and he returned to Spain without doingso. The half-and-half revocation that took place left 'exceptionalcases' at the discretion of the Spanish cruisers. Hence the case of the'Virginius. ' The excitement here about the recent executions is intense. Twenty-nine ofthose shot resided at Nassau. The public feeling is now so strong that itdeprives me of power (especially as all British troops are withdrawn) tostop expeditions against the Spaniard, though I am doing my best to allayit and to be strictly neutral. Indeed, in the interest of the peace andwell-being of the Bahamas, I have had to write to Lord Kimberley, askinghim to use his influence in getting some law-abiding government substitutedin Cuba for the present lawless rule of the volunteers. Your article willdo much to support H. M. Government in a decided course now. Believe me, yours faithfully, J. POPE HENNESSY. The Journal records here:-- _December 8th_. --We went to Knowsley, with Lord Cairns. There were thereLord C. Hamilton, Henry Cowper, &c. Lord Sefton shot with us. We killed827 head on the 9th, 784 head on the 10th, 366 head on the 11th. Went toLiverpool with Lord Cairns on the 12th, and home next day. _To Lord Derby_ _C. O. , December 15th_. --The last edition of my translation ofTocqueville's book on France has probably not yet found its way toKnowsley's library, and I shall be much gratified if you will allow me toplace a copy there. This edition has the advantage of containing fourteenposthumous chapters not to be found in any other, and these certainly arenot the least remarkable part of the work. I was moved to translate thempartly by your saying to me one day, 'Can't you give us any more ofTocqueville?' The Journal goes on:-- To Paris for Christmas. Saw M. Guizot; dined at the Embassy. Dined withMme. Faucher on Christmas Day; with M. Guizot on the 27th; Camille Roussetand Taine there. On the 28th dined at the Duc de Broglie's, then homeminister; Apponys, Prince Orloff, Lord Lyons, Lambert de Sainte-Croixthere. Dined on the 29th with the Lyttons at Mme. Gavard's; and on the 30thwith the Comte de Paris at De Mussy's. 1874. --The year opened at Paris. Called on M. Guizot and dined with theRaymonds on New Year's Day. Breakfasted with the Duc d'Aumale at Chantillyon the 2nd; first time I had seen him there. Dined at Mohl's withHaussonville, the Lyttons, and Tourguéneff. Renewed my acquaintance with Drouyn de Lhuys, who related to me the affairsof 1866. Very curious. Dined at the Political Economy Club on the 5th; andat Lytton's on the 6th. Back to London on the 7th. _January 24th_. --To Aldermaston, with Lord Aberdare, the Samuel Bakers, Herbert Spencer, Franks and others. Pleasant and interesting; but I had thegout and was laid up for a month. This was the day Gladstone published hisfatal address to the electors at Greenwich. Parliament was dissolved on the26th. We all told Lord Aberdare that the party would be smashed, and so itwas. Disraeli's Government came in on February 21st. _21st_. --The Master of the Rolls gave judgement in the Handley suit, whichgave me the Winkfield property. The case was shortly described by Mrs. Reeve:-- 'There were two wills, one of Edwin Handley, the other that of his twosurviving sisters. His will was good as to devise of money, bad as to land;therefore the land passed to the sisters, and their bequests of land comeinto effect. The property in Winkfield which comes to Henry is a littlemore than 30 acres. Of course the agricultural value is not very great; butwe hope, as building and accommodation land, to make a good thing of it. ' It appears, indeed, that the advisability of settling on it themselves wasconsidered; but there was no house on the property; so that as in eithercase a house had to be built, the Christchurch site was preferred. In JuneReeve sold this Winkfield property for nearly 6, 000 £. , which--he added toa note of the sale--'enabled me to build Foxholes. ' The following is endorsed:--'M. Guizot on the death of [his daughter]Pauline. The last letter he wrote me with his own hand. ' 8 _mars_. --Je vous remercie de votre sympathie, my dear Sir. J'y comptais. Vous êtes un des anciens témoins de ma vie et de mon bonheur. Il a étégrand; mais le bonheur se paye. Je me soumets douloureusement mais sansmurmure. La vie est ainsi faite. C'est pour mon gendre Cornélis de Witt queje ressens une pitié profonde. Il a joui pendant vingt-cinq ans de ce quej'ai moi-même appelé le bonheur parfait, l'amour dans le mariage. Il resteseul avec ses sept enfants. Ils viendront tous vivre avec moi, sous lesyeux de ma fille Henriette, [Footnote: Mme. Guizot de Witt. ] une vraie mère. Revenez nous voir. Je n'ai pas le coeur à vous parler d'autre chose. Je n'ai pas encore reçu'l'Edinburgh Review' des mois d'octobre et janvier dernier. Je les faisdemander. Je vis aussi en Angleterre. C'est beaucoup d'avoir deux vies etpresque deux patries. Mr. Burton a-t-il publié l'article qu'il projetaitsur mon Histoire de France? Je vous envoie quelques pages que je viensd'écrire sur mon excellent ami, M. Vitet. [Footnote: Louis Vitet, 'del'Académie française, ' _d_. June 1873. This is presumably the 'notice'prefixed to Vitet's _Etudes philosophiques et littéraires_ (8vo. 1875). ]Encore un profond regret. Adieu, my dear Sir. Tenez-moi un peu au courant de ce qui se passe chezvous et de ce que vous en pensez. Nous végétons ici dans les ténèbres, en attendant un mieux qui viendra, je ne sais quand ni comment. Mais jepersiste à y croire. Tout à vous, GUIZOT. The Journal here has:-- _March 10th_. --The Duc d'Aumale dined at The Club dinner. _18th_. --Met Disraeli at Lady Derby's first party. A day or two beforethis, at Windsor, Lord Granville was chaffing Lady John Manners andsaid--referring to the Prime Minister's birth--'You must acknowledge thatyour chief's nose is very queer. ' 'At all events, ' was Lady John's readyrejoinder, 'it is not out of joint. ' _28th_. --Took the Duc de Rochefoucault (the French Ambassador) to the boatrace at Mortlake. _April 2nd_. --To Christchurch. On the 4th, in torrents of rain, we fixed, with Cockerell, the exact site of Foxholes House. _May 8th_. --Ball to the Prince of Wales at the French Embassy. Duchess ofEdinburgh there. Lord Hertford, the Tory Lord Chamberlain, omitted me from the Court ballthis year, for the first time since 1847. This was before the publicationof the 'Greville Memoirs, ' and not on account of it. To Aix in the end of May. Longman was with me. Home on June 4th. _From M. Guizot_ Val Richer, ce 22 juillet. My Dear Sir, --Je réponds à votre aimable lettre du 14 juillet, et jecommence par supprimer mon écriture. J'en avais autrefois un qu'on trouvaittrès jolie, mais, depuis quelques mois, ma main est devenue si tremblanteque j'ai renoncé à écrire moi-même. Je ne veux cependant pas tarderdavantage à vous dire avec quel plaisir j'ai lu l'article de Mr. Burtonsur mon Histoire de France que je viens de trouver dans le numéro 285 de'l'Edinburgh Review. ' C'est excellent; il est impossible de serrer de plusprès les diverses parties de mon ouvrage en les analysant d'une manièreplus claire et plus frappante. Les liens de l'histoire de France avecl'État, la Couronne, l'Église et les moeurs publiques y sont résumésdans toute leur vérité. Je ne pourrais dans ce moment-ci, avec ma maintremblante, en remercier moi-même Mr. Burton comme je le voudrais faire. Je me promets d'y revenir plus tard. En attendant, je vous prie de leremercier pour moi, en lui disant tout ce que je pense de son parfaitrésumé. Vous me pardonnerez d'être si bref; je suis encore assez souffrantet fatigué. Je reprends pourtant dans ce moment même la publicationpériodique des livraisons de mon histoire; elles seront envoyées chaquesemaine à Mr. Burton comme à vous, et je serai bienheureux si vous me ditesqu'elles vous intéressent autant que les précédents volumes. Pardon, mydear Sir, de ne pas vous en dire davantage. Je suis au Val Richer jusqu'àla fin de l'année. Ecrivez-moi quelquefois, je vous prie, et croyez-moiaffectueusement tout à vous, GUIZOT. P. S. --C'est ma fille Henriette qui me sert de secrétaire pour macorrespondance comme pour mon histoire. Je n'en retrouverais nulle part unpareil. This letter, written by Mme. Guizot de Witt, was the last Reeve receivedfrom his old friend, who died at Val Richer on September 12th, in his 87thyear. A month later he received the following:-- _From Mme. Guizot de Witt_ Val Richer, ce 20 octobre. Mon cher Monsieur, --Je savais bien ce que vous senteriez pour nous et aussipour vous-même. Mon père avait pour vous beaucoup d'amitié. En rangeant sespapiers, au milieu de toutes vos lettres, je trouve une foule de minutes deses réponses; quelques-unes sont bien belles. Je ne vous parle pas du videaffreux de ma vie et de mon âme. Je sais que Dieu me donnera la force de lesupporter en travaillant encore pour ceux qui m'ont quittée. Et le jour durevoir viendra. Mon père est parti tout entier, lui-même jusqu'au bout, dans la possession de son esprit et de son âme, plein de confiance en Dieu, nous recommandant de servir le pays qu'il avait suprêmement aimé et dontles malheurs ont d'abord ébranlé sa santé. Ma Pauline aussi ne s'étaitjamais relevée de la guerre. Us sont ensemble et en paix. Adieu, mon cherMonsieur. Vous viendrez certainement à Paris cet hiver, et nous vousverrons. Je compte aller dans six semaines retrouver tout mon monde quiy est déjà. Remerciez pour moi Mrs. Reeve et Hope, et croyez à tous mesmeilleurs sentiments. GUIZOT DE WITT. _Journal_ _July_. --The building Foxholes was now going on. To Scotland, July 31st, having again taken Loch Gair. Also hired a 16-ton yacht--the 'Foam. ' Gotthere on August 1st. John Binet came to Loch Gair, straight from Geneva. Mrs. Reeve wrote of him:--'It is his first visit to North Britain, and hisenthusiasm--at 62--is quite delightful to witness. He travelled here fromParis without stopping, and though a good deal tired and half-starved, wasready for a walk that afternoon and for climbing hills the next morning. ' I was engaged all the autumn at Loch Gair in revising the press of 'TheGreville Memoirs' and in preparing a new edition of the 'Democracy inAmerica. ' We left Loch Gair on October 8th: and after visits to Abington, Ormistonand Minto, returned to London on the 26th. The publication of the first part of 'The Greville Memoirs' took place onOctober 17th. It excited far greater interest than I had expected, and thefirst edition sold very rapidly. Five editions were published in less thansix months; the two first of 2, 500 each, and the three last of 1, 000; sothat about 8, 000 copies were sold. The Press, in the main, was highly favourable. On the 28th theQueen--though I believe she had not yet read the book, but only newspaperextracts--sent me a message by Helps to express her disapproval of it, onthese grounds 1. It was disparaging to her family. 2. It tended to weakenthe monarchy. 3. It proceeded from official persons. I begged Helps toreply, with my humble duty, that the book showed that, if the monarchyhad really been endangered, it was by the depravity of George IV. And theabsurdities of William IV. ; but that under Her Majesty's reign it hadbecome stronger than ever. It may, however, be believed that the Queen, who was, not unnaturally, muchoffended, never quite forgave the publication; and it is at least probablethat the annoyance she had felt was the principal reason for Reeve's neverreceiving the K. G. B. , to which his long service at the Council Office wouldseem to have, in a measure, entitled him. I saw the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg the same day, October 28th, but Idon't think the Cambridges were very angry. The old Duchess was having thebook read to her, and frequently added amusing recollections to it. This publication was one of the most important incidents in Reeve'sliterary life; one which was warmly discussed at the time and has been muchcommented on since. It is probably as the editor of this remarkable bookthat Reeve will be best known to future generations, and it is thereforewell to relate the story in a clear and detailed manner. From the first, Reeve was fully alive to the responsibility he was undertaking; and thefollowing memorandum was apparently drawn up at the time of Greville'sdeath. _Memorandum on 'The Greville Memoirs, ' and on the death of CharlesGreville_, 1865 On January 7th, 1865, I received from Mr. Greville, I being at Torry Hill, a note requesting me to call on him for a matter, as he expressed it, not very important, but partly of a personal and partly of a literarycharacter. I answered directly that being out of town I could not callimmediately, but would not fail to do so as soon as I returned to London. I returned to London on the afternoon of Monday, the 9th, and called inBruton Street about 11 A. M. On Tuesday the 10th. I thought Mr. Grevillelooked thin, but not ill, and he was free from gout. He said, however, thathe was seriously unwell in other ways. The truth was (although he did notthen tell me so) that he had an effusion of water on the heart. I knownot how long it had been coming on; but in the preceding week he had beenstaying at the Grenfells' at Taplow, where Lady Colvile had the scarlatina. From Taplow he proceeded to Savernake; but Lady Ailesbury had so violent afear of the infection that she sent a servant to stop Greville's fly on theway from the station to the house, on the ground that she could not receivehim. He was therefore compelled to go to sleep at the inn at Marlborough, where, besides being excessively annoyed, he caught a bad cold. The nextday he returned to Taplow, saying to Grenfell, 'I come back here because noone will receive me!' and he soon afterwards came back to Bruton Street. This was the history of the malady of which he died; but whether it wasbrought on by the cold he caught, or by any other cause, I do not know. When I saw him on the 10th he was in no pain, and apparently not seriouslyill. He began by talking about Privy Council affairs; he then gave me anaccount of the Windham papers, which Mrs. Henry Baring is preparing forpublication; but I saw that these were not the subjects on which he wishedto see me, and there was evidently a nervousness in his manner as heapproached it. At last, sitting down in his easy-chair, he said--'And nowI want to speak to you about my own affairs. Reeve, I am getting devilishold, and I think in all probability I have not long to live. I havetherefore been considering what I ought to do with the journals I have kepton all important occasions for so many years of my life. They amount, Ithink, to ninety volumes [Footnote: These are now in the British Museum. ], and extend over nearly fifty years. I left off writing them two years ago, finding that since I withdrew from the office I knew less of the course ofevents. Let us look at them. ' He then opened the lower part of a bookcasein which I saw these volumes in a row. He then added, 'Now, will you takecharge of them? I have been thinking a great deal of what I can do withthem. They contain a good deal of curious matter, as you know, which maybe of interest hereafter. I can do nothing better than leave them in yourhands. You will be the judge whether any part of them, and what, can bepublished. ' To this I replied, that I was very much touched by so great a mark of hisconfidence and friendship; that as for the journals, he was quite right insupposing that I should set as much store by them as he did himself, andthat in whatever I did with them hereafter, I should conform to whatI might suppose to be his wishes; that it appeared to me that a broaddistinction exists between the earlier half, including the reigns ofGeorge IV. And William IV. , and the latter half, subsequent to the Queen'saccession, and that if the former part might to a certain extent bepublished soon, the other part could not. That the person I shouldnaturally consult in such a trust would be Lord Clarendon; but that atpresent it was not necessary to take any steps, as I hoped he would stillbe with us some years; that I would read the journals through, with hispermission, and tell him what I thought. To all this he assented. He said, 'They are all full of Clarendon, whohas always been so intimate with me. I will bring you down a dozen of thevolumes the first day I go out in my carriage; and if my life should bespared a few years, we will talk them over. ' He then spoke of his letters, particularly of his own letters to the lateDuke of Bedford, which had been recently sent back to him. He said he wouldread them over; that some of them might serve to fill up and completepassages in the journals. To this I remarked, 'Do you mean, then, these letters are to go with the journals?' He replied, 'That requiresconsideration. ' He did not therefore give me any power over the letters. I was going that day (January 10th) to Ampthill, to see Lord Wensleydale;and on the 14th to the Grove. This led me to say, 'Am I at liberty tomention to Lord Clarendon what has passed on this subject?' He answered'No. I had rather it should be entirely confidential. ' I therefore ofcourse said nothing to anyone. On Monday, the 16th, I returned to town from the Grove, and went in theevening, about five, to Bruton Street. Lady Sydney and Lady Enfield werewith him. He looked somewhat weaker, and complained of total loss ofappetite. As soon as the ladies were gone, he resumed the subject of thejournals, and immediately said, 'Now you are come back to town, youcan take some of them. ' He rang for his servant to hold a light to thebookcase, and by his directions I took vols. V. , vi. , vii. , and viii. , andcarried them home with me. He said he had lent the first four vols. To hisbrother Henry, but that I should have them soon. He then again said, 'Whenyou have read these, you will see what you think can be published; but asyou advance they become more interesting. ' I read these volumes nearlythrough the same evening, beginning from the death of Lord Liverpool. On Tuesday, January 17th, I returned to Bruton Street about six. He wasalone. Another volume of the journals was on the table by him, which hegave me, saying, 'You will find this more interesting'--but this was as Iwas going away. I told him that I had read the former volumes greedily, andthat he had treated George IV. With great severity. He replied, 'What Ihave said of him is not flattering; but that is what he was. ' I then askedhim about the passages in cipher. He said he had invented this cipherhimself for the purpose of his journal; that he could read it, but nobodyelse. That he would read to me the passages in cipher if I would bring themto him; but he added, 'For that matter, the truth is the greater part ofthem had better be omitted, as they relate to things which are betterforgotten. ' He then mentioned that he had told Henry Greville that 'I wasto have the journals. ' And I afterwards found that he had intimated hisintention to Mr. Baring and I think to Lord Granville. He said that Meryon (his doctor) thought him better to-day-that the daybefore had been a very bad one; but he had still no appetite, though he wasgoing to try to eat a piece of woodcock for his dinner. It was then nearseven o'clock, and I left him, taking the volume with me, but with nopresentiment that we were parting for ever. He said, as I wished him goodnight, 'Come again to-morrow if you are near me. ' I promised to come, andto come often, and left the room. He can scarcely have seen anyone afterwards; for the evening was advancing, and between nine and ten he went to bed. His servant proposed to sleepnear him. He said, 'No; I don't want that, unless I am very ill. ' He fellasleep, and seems never to have waked, for when he was found in the morninghe lay with his finger resting on his pillow in his accustomed attitude, like a child asleep. On January 27th I received a letter from Henry Greville, stating thatCharles had informed him of his intention, but that there was nothing aboutthe journals or letters in the will or codicil. I answered this letterthe same day, by giving him an abridged copy or version of the precedingstatement. I ought to have stated that, in the conversation of January 10th, Mr. Greville said that he thought it better not to fix any stated timewithin which the journals might or might not be published. Part might bepublished, but it was a mere question of discretion and propriety what andwhen. I observed to him that in selecting me as his literary executor, the onlyquestion was whether some member of his own family might not more properlybe selected. To this he replied that he had considered that, and preferredthat I should have them. I have since found that, prior to the death ofSir George Lewis, he had been selected by Greville for this trust. He thenhesitated for some time whom he should appoint, and then chose me. Having made up his mind that the time was ripe for the publication of theearlier volumes of the journals, Reeve--as has been said--gave them to theworld on October 17th, fully prepared to take all the responsibility of hisact. And indeed he was quickly called on to do so; for some of Greville'srelations, uneasy--it would appear--at the hostile attitude of the Court, called on him to make a public declaration that they had nothing to do withit, whilst others were disposed to question Reeve's legal right. Of this, however, he had plenty of evidence; amongst others, that of Mr. T. Longman, who wrote:-- _Farnborough Hill, November 7th. _--. .. In the interview I had with Mr. Harvie Farquhar, I stated that Mr. Greville consulted me some time beforehis death as to whom he should leave his journals to, and that Mr. Grevilleconcurred in my suggestion that he should leave them to you. As Mr. Greville acted on this some time after our conference, it became obvious toMr. H. Farquhar that, as between gentlemen, the main question that had beenraised, as to your right of possession, fell to the ground. After this the matter was settled in a perfectly amicable manner in ameeting between Reeve and Mr. Harvie Farquhar, representing the timorouskinsfolk, and together they wrote the following letter, which waspublished, under Reeve's signature, in the 'Times, ' 'Pall Mall Gazette, 'and some other papers, on November 7th. Finding that statements are current that Mr. Charles Greville's and Mr. Henry Greville's executors had been consulted as to the publication of Mr. Charles Greville's Journals of the Reigns of George IV. And William IV. , I think it right to say that they were in no way consulted by me, norwas their assent asked for, because I believed it to be the wish ofMr. Greville that his family and executors should be relieved from allresponsibility in the matter. The journals were not left to Mr. Henry Greville, nor did they pass tohis executors, having been given to me by Mr. Greville himself beforehis death, as stated by me in the preface, for the purpose of eventualpublication, but the time and manner of publication were left to my solediscretion. I am, therefore, alone responsible for the production of thisportion of the journals at the present time, and any beneficial interestin them is a matter entirely between my publisher and myself. Beneficialinterest in the publication had not, however, the slightest influence onthe course I thought it right to pursue, and I take this opportunity ofstating that, in my opinion, many years must elapse before the more recentportions of these journals can with propriety be published. On the actual publication he received many encouraging letters, a few ofwhich are here given, together with a remarkable expression of opinion fromLord Russell, one of the few public men then living who could speak of theregency and the reign of George IV. From personal knowledge. _From Mr. Delane_ October 22nd. Dear Reeve, --I am glad you are pleased with the first notice of Greville'sJournals. There are at least two more to come, which will, I hope, beequally gratifying to you. Certainly you did not publish too soon. Theworld moves too quickly for long intervals of suppressed publication. Isuppose the book is not really published, as I have only seen it in sheets. Yours ever faithfully, J. T. DELANE. _From Lord Derby_ Knowsley, October 31st. Dear Reeve, --The Greville papers are quite the most interesting and amusingwork of the year; and, considering the extreme difficulty of editing such awork without spoiling it--on the one hand, by too much suppression, or byleaving in it passages which would give reasonable cause of offence toprivate persons--I think you have been singularly judicious. .. . As to thejournalist's criticisms on public men, they seem to me to be the harshjudgements of a man trying to be impartial, though inclined to beacrimonious. There is certainly nothing in them which you could havethe slightest scruple about publishing, or which the relatives of thoseconcerned can resent. Very sincerely yours, DERBY. _From Mr. E. Cheney_ St. Anne's Hill, Chertsey, October 31st. My dear Reeve, --. .. I have been reading Charles Greville with much interestand entertainment. I think you are quite right in publishing now, and notwaiting for a generation 'who knew not Joseph. ' There is always a clamouragainst those who tell the truth. Charles Greville may very likely [havebeen], and certainly was, very often wrong; but he believed he told thetruth, and he certainly uttered his genuine sentiments. These journalsthrow a strong light on contemporary events, and will be very valuable tothe future historians of the period. Ch. G. Was a man who felt much andexpressed himself strongly; and had you attempted to soften his languageyou would have injured the effect and destroyed the _couleur locale_. He was a man naturally of a quick and irritable temper, and he had been aspoilt child all his life. His original education was defective. He livedwith the selfish and the self-indulgent, and naturally became selfish andself-indulgent himself. At six years old an old friend of his mother'sfound him crying at dinner because he had not got the liver wing of thechicken; and to the last he would have wanted 'the liver wing. ' But he hadnaturally a kind heart, and a just perception; and he admired what wasnoble and generous, if he did not always practise it. He suffered greatlyin health, and he was too self-indulgent, even with the certainty of painbefore his eyes, to moderate his appetite. His last years were unhappy. Theindulgence of his temper made his company often disagreeable, and he verykeenly felt the neglect of his old friends. With a better educationhe would have been a most valuable man, for his natural powers wereconsiderable. Like so many other London men, he thought the whole world wasbounded by Oxford Street, Pall Mall, the Parks, and the City; and he tookhis opinions from the clubs in St. James's Street and Pall-Mall, and, asthose opinions varied, so we find his judgements in these journals vary. But he himself was convinced, and he uttered the genuine sentiments of themoment. .. . I hope you will publish the rest of the four vols. Before long, and that you will preserve exactly the same plan you have done in these. .. . Yours very sincerely, E. C. _From Mr. Harvie Farquhar_ 16 St. James's Street, November 28th. The yeast of society ferments easily, and--at present--C. G. 's manes arethe best abused in or out of Hades; but all will settle down soon, and whenpeople have done throwing stones, and the water is placid enough to enablethem to see below the surface, they will better appreciate what lies at thebottom. Whether abused or not, the book will be in every library--on itsmerits. _From the Queen of Holland_ The Hague, Monday, November 30th. My dear Mr. Reeve, --Saturday night, November 28th, the books arrived. Iam afraid, after Sunday church, more of my time than ought to have beenSunday's occupation was given to these three volumes. Of course, I have not_read_ them; I _rushed_ through, and am now going to read page by page. The interest is an immense one. Not only that I have _known many_ of thepersons named, but I have _heard_ from all, and they seem to me likeshadows reviving, returning to light and life. Dear Lord Clarendon's namestruck me several times; and I remember, when Mr. Greville died, LordClarendon wrote me 'his papers had been given to the person most able tojudge them. ' At that time I did not know Mr. Reeve; but I recollect thewords perfectly. Pray give my best compliments to Mrs. Reeve, and believeme very sincerely yours, SOPHIE. _From Lord Russell to Mr. T. Norton Longman_ _December 9th_. --I was much interested in C. Greville's Memoirs. He is nota bit too severe on George IV. A worse man has not lived in our time. On the other hand, many of the papers criticised the work in a hostile andviolent manner. It was, they said, a breach of official confidence for aman in Greville's position to keep a journal at all. Greville--whose nameit was fatally easy to rhyme to Devil--was described as a man delighting inlistening at keyholes, and habitually misrepresenting the only half-heardsecrets. Here is a specimen; one epigram out of many, all to the sameeffect, and all ending with the same rhyme:-- For fifty years he listened at the door, And heard some secrets, and invented more; These he wrote down, and statesmen, queens and kings, Are all degraded into common things. Though most have passed away, some still remain To whom such scandal gives a needless pain; And though they smile, and say 'Tis only Greville, ' They wish him, Reeve, and Longman at the devil. The 'Quarterly Review, ' too, in a peculiarly venomous article, comparedthe relative positions of Greville and Reeve with those of Bolingbroke andMallet, as painted by Dr. Johnson. Bolingbroke, he had said, was a cowardlyblackguard, who loaded a gun which he was afraid to fire off himself, andleft a shilling to a beggarly Scotchman to pull the trigger after hisdeath. The inference was inevitable; and though Reeve was neither aScotchman nor a beggar, he unquestionably felt the sting, coming, as itdid, from a friend of more than forty years' standing, Abraham Hayward[Footnote: See _ante_, vol. I. Pp. 12, 34. ]. The friendship was notunnaturally broken, nor does the old intimacy appear to have been everrenewed. Of course the gravamen of this charge, made not only by the 'QuarterlyReview, ' but by other less distinguished journals, was that Reeve had beenmainly, if not solely, influenced by the idea of making a good thing out ofit. The sale of the work--they said--was very great. Commercially, it hadbeen a brilliant success. Reeve's trained insight into literary affairs hadshown him that it must be so, and, tempted by the _auri sacra fames_, hehad yielded, maugre the counsels of his better part. Never was charge moreunjust, more untrue. Reeve, though not a wealthy man, was now in easycircumstances, with a sufficient and assured income. Prudent in themanagement of his property and in his expenditure he seems to have alwaysbeen; but as far removed, both by temperament and education, from parsimonyas from extravagance. Money he valued only for what it could give him; andboth in fact and in sentiment he was in a position to say with the poet-- mihi parva rura et Spiritum Graias tenuem Camoenae Parca non mendax dedit, et malignum Spernere vulgus. Still, the charge was made at the time, was currently repeated, andhas been believed by many. It happens, however, that the most completecontradiction of it remains in the shape of Reeve's letters to Mr. T. Longman, some of which we can now read. _C. O. , November 7th_. --Nothing could end better for me than the amicablediscussion with H. Farquhar, and I am exceedingly glad to have had anopportunity of writing the letter which appears in the 'Times' and 'Post'to-day. I have never desired to make this book a source of profit to myself, beyonda reasonable remuneration for the time and labour I have spent on it. The returns have already exceeded my expectation and desire. It is not, therefore, my wish or intention to press or urge the sale of the book. Ihave no doubt the second edition will go off fast enough--indeed a goodpart of it is already bespoken. But I have not at all made up my mind toproceed to a third edition if the second is exhausted. I am inclined tothink I shall hold my hand. I have no wish to make more money out of thebook, or to make it a very common popular work; and my feeling is that Ishould best consult my own dignity by leaving matters as they are, at anyrate for the present. However, it is needless to decide this now, as the demand for a thirdedition may never arise. But I think it right to let you know my view ofthe matter, because you are by no means called upon to advertise largely, or make efforts to extend the sale--at least, not more than you thinknecessary to cover your own interests. But I believe you would be sure tosell this second edition without any advertising at all. I certainly do notwish to have any puffing advertisements. I had rather that the book were tobecome scarce and dear than that you should sell ten thousand copies. _November 9th_. --There is a good deal of truth in what you say about notpublishing a third edition if the second is sold off. People would probablyattribute it to the wrong motive, and say I had been stopped in someway, or was afraid; and nobody gets any credit for disinterestedness. Fortunately the first edition was a very small one, for you could have sold5, 000 as easily as 2, 500, and this has given a check to the sale, which Ido not regret. If necessary, I suppose these editions must go on as long asthere is a demand for the book. But the desire to get hold of new books isa short-lived passion, and is soon turned aside by some other novelty. Ishall not wish to publish the book at all in a cheaper form, and I think itwill require very little outlay in advertising. Reeve would, however, have been more than human if the continued successof the book had not greatly modified his views, and reconciled him to thesteady sale; and some months later he wrote again:-- _January 25th_, 1875. --The general impression seems to be that Hayward'sarticle is a fiasco. It has done me no harm, and his clients have no reasonto thank him. The fourth edition of Greville will contain a good manyimprovements and corrections, and will be the best edition to keep. Ibelieve they are printing 1, 000. I wish they had made it 1, 500, for thismultiplication of editions is troublesome, and I have no doubt that 1, 500will ultimately be sold. The book has struck root below the stratum of thecirculating libraries. _April 15th_, 1875. --Nothing seems to be wanting to the indirectadvertisement of Greville's Journals, though the usual advertisements wereby my desire restricted. I do not recollect another instance of a bookbeing made the subject of a hostile motion in the House of Commons. CHAPTER XIX FOXHOLES Anyone whose memory needs refreshing will find in the 'Edinburgh Reviews'of the next five years sufficient indication of the interest which Reevecontinued to take in the great questions of the day, whether at home orabroad; but his private correspondence at this time is mainly devoted tosocial or literary topics. The death of Lord Clarendon in England, of M. Guizot in France, had deprived him of the living keys to the dark problemsof policy, and there was no one with equal knowledge and opportunitiesto take their place. He was, too, in opposition. In form, at least, theprinciples of the 'Edinburgh Review' differed widely from those ofthe Government; and though many things even then told of a probable_rapprochement_ of moderate Whigs and moderate Conservatives, it was stillheld by most to be an extravagant dream. But even had it been otherwise, the personal element was wanting. With Disraeli, Reeve's acquaintance waslimited; with Lord Salisbury, though on friendly terms, he had never beenintimate; his intimacy with Lord Derby was of a later date. From ourforeign embassies and from India, his communications were on a morefamiliar footing; but many of these took the form of articles for the'Review, ' and of the rest, in view of the delicacy of the subjectsdiscussed, the frankness with which they were discussed, and thecomparatively recent date, it has seemed unadvisable to publish much. Theresult of all which is that during this peculiarly busy, exciting andimportant time, Reeve's available correspondence is more purely personalthan at any other period of his working life. The Journal is seldomanything else. It records here:-- _October, 1874_. --M. De Jarnac was now French Ambassador, to my greatdelight, as he was a very old and valued friend. The first planting atFoxholes was done in the course of this autumn, but the garden was not madetill the following spring. _November 17th_. --Dined at Lord Derby's with several of the ministers, andwas introduced to Count Schouvaloff. _20th_. --Dinner at home to the Jarnacs, Lady Derby, Lady Cowley, LadyMolesworth, Chief Justice Cockburn and A. Elliot. Several pleasant dinnersthrough the winter. _December 22nd_. --To Paris, with Christine and Hopie. Cold. On the 26thbreakfasted with the Due d'Aumale, and went with him to the Institute. Evening, Duchesse de Chartres. 27th, dined at Versailles with Thiers;Mignet, Barthelémy St. -Hilaire and Vacherot. It was on this occasion thatThiers related the story of the Duc d'Enghien. _January 1st_, 1875. --We dined at the Embassy for the _Jour de l'an_. Whilethere rain fell and the streets were covered with _verglas_. I walked withgreat difficulty to Thiers's at the Hôtel Bagration, three doors off, wherethe scene was burlesque. Not a carriage could move; not a horse couldstand; and the company walked home with napkins tied round their feet. [ButMrs. Reeve, who was at the dinner, wrote: Our _fiacre_ managed to crawlhome with Hopie and me. Henry, who had gone to the Thiers's, returnedsafely on his feet tied up in dusters. M. Thiers suggested dusters on thehands also, so as to go _à quatre pattes_; but Henry did not become aquadruped. I was horribly uneasy till he came in, but his was the ludicrousside of the question; of the tragic, I heard next day plenty of instances. ] _January 3rd_. --Dined with the Duc de Nemours, and went to the DuchesseDecazes's reception. Home on the 7th. _From the Rev. G. W. Cox_ [Footnote: Now Sir George Cox, Bart. ] _February 5th_. --Nothing but lack of leisure has prevented me fromexpressing sooner the very hearty satisfaction and delight with which Ihave read and re-read your article on Mill's Essays. I suppose it is thisarticle which has sent the 'Edinburgh' into a second edition. I am rejoicedto think that it is so. The ground which you take is, I feel sure, impregnable; but the force of your whole argument, which is much what Ihave tried to work out for years past, only makes me lament the morethe folly of the line taken by most of the writers who shrink from thematerialistic and atheistic philosophy of Mill and Tyndall--for the latterseems to put himself into the same boat. I believe that the thought ofEngland is, on this subject, taking, or is likely to take, a very healthyturn, which such an article as yours must greatly promote. _From M. B. St. -Hilaire_ Paris, February 5th. My dear Reeve, --I have received your article on Mr. Stuart Mill, for whichI thank you. I read it with the greatest interest, and congratulate you onyour vigorous refutation of that supercilious and hollow materialism. I amglad, too, to see that you have profited by M. Dumas's last discourse on M. De la Rive. You have done well to record these declarations of a permanentsecretary of the Academy of Sciences. Unfortunately, M. Dumas's characterhas not the moral authority which is desirable in such serious matters. His taking part in public business, far from increasing his credit, haslessened it; even his scientific standing has suffered; people doubt hissincerity; and his interested flattery of the Empire does not show thatgreatness and purity of soul which inspire confidence. He is, however, everywhere recognised as a man of great ability, and I am truly glad thathe should be counted among the partisans of spiritualism. I believe theother permanent secretary of the Academy of Sciences is far from sharingthese opinions; and it is, therefore, all the more important that M. Dumasshould profess them publicly. With you, materialism is an exception andan eccentricity. With us, on the contrary, it is almost the rule of thelearned world; and the Catholic clergy, given up to superstition andultramontanism, do not in any way help us to combat it. It was an honour tothe 'Edinburgh Review' to adhere so stoutly to the principles you uphold;and for this, it is indebted to you. Agréez, mon cher Reeve, mes salutations bien cordiales, que je présenteaussi à toute votre famille. Votre bien dévoué, B. ST. -HILAIRE. The Journal continues:-- _March 6th_--Sir Arthur Helps died. [He caught a chill at the levee on theMonday, and died on the Saturday. ] Charles Peel was appointed Clerk of the Council. _22nd_. --Jarnac died--a great loss. I drove down with Lord Derby to thefuneral. _April 1st_. --Saw Salvini in 'Othello' at Drury Lane. Very fine. _2nd_. --To Christchurch. Roof on house at Foxholes. Garden beginning to bemade. On the 6th, lunched with the Lord Chancellor at Bournemouth. Boughtadditional strip of land. _From Professor Owen_ British Museum, May 13th. My dear Reeve, --Two portraits would be famous and instructive and repletewith interest to all ages; to wit: the one of Miss Reeve (?) [Footnote:Lady Smith. The (?) presumably is whether the portrait was taken before orafter her marriage. ] by Opie, showing the 'human face divine' in afemale of the highest race of mankind, at her prime of beauty; and thesecond--could it but be got--by Millais, of Lady Smith, giving thecharacteristics of the same face, of the same individual, at a stage ofhuman life never again likely to be a subject for art, under the samecircumstances. For the 'Natural History of the Human Species, ' such apair of portraits would be notable in every work thereon, as well as incountless collateral works; and that to all time. The present opportunityis worth every exertion to availment; if lost, it is most improbable thatit may ever again occur. Can you enlist your sympathy and aid in bringingthis about? [Footnote: Sir Richard Owen succeeded in obtaining a pair ofphotographs, taken from the Ople and the life. His grandson, the Rev. Richard Owen, has them now. ] Yours always truly, RICHARD OWEN. _From Lady Smith_ _Lowestoft, May 14th_. --Dear Mr. Reeve, --As we know not what the morningmail may bring forth, I look with impatient curiosity when I see letterson my breakfast table; so yesterday had the great pleasure of perceivingyours, knowing I should have something pleasant to hear, but littleanticipating what followed--the news of Arthur Stanley. To be rememberedkindly by the Dean of Westminster, anywhere, is honour; but to be [so] inso distinguished a manner and in a place dedicated to [such] a name as Foxis an honour never to be forgotten. Besides the domestic blessings I enjoy, I also reckon that of living to witness the progress of a new Reformation, in which the Dean of Westminster is the brightest light; and who, likeShakespeare among the poets, stood on a higher pedestal than they--exaltedand good men as they are. I always rejoice that the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, and Stanley are good friends and worthy of each other. If I couldwrite better, I would tell you what my friend Mr. Leson Smith said of theGreville Memoirs, , quite approving all of it. In a second letter he turnsthe shafts aimed at yourself upon the calumniator. The Dean of Oxfordalso approves. I am in better health than I was two years since, and havenothing to complain of but a failing sight, which hinders my expressions ofgratitude to you for your friendship to Pleasance Smith. Oh that you were here to see the wild beauty of the heath and dunes--acloth of gold far as the eye can reach!--what was the Field of Cloth ofGold to this! Continuing the Journal:-- _May 20th_. --Went to Holland, by Harwich, to see the Queen. Dined with HerMajesty at the House in the Wood. On the 24th, breakfasted with the Queenin the boudoir at the end of the Gallery in the Wood. Charming springmorning. Went on to Aix. Home by Ostend on the 31st. _June 15th_. --Helen Richardson was married to Sir Edward Blackett atOttershaw. We went down the day before. _22nd_. --The Queen of Holland came to London. Dined with Her Majesty at theSandbachs' on July 1st. She came to see the statue of Lord Clarendon at theForeign Office on July 2nd. _July 6th. _--I took the Queen of Holland to see the Novar pictures. MeadowsTaylor stayed with us. Christine went to take the waters of St. -Honoré inFrance. Robert Lemon [Footnote: Son of Robert Lemon, a clerk in the State PaperOffice, and editor of some of the Calendars of State Papers, who died in1867. ], my clerk for thirty-three years, died in a fit. Reeve deeply felt the loss of one who had been for so long associated withhim; but, independently of this, Mr. Lemon's death at this particular timehad an important influence on Reeve's immediate future. For some months hehad been contemplating retiring from the office, which he had now held forclose on forty years, in the view of devoting himself more exclusively toliterary work--apparently to a task of some magnitude. He had also been incorrespondence with Mr. Longman on a proposal from the firm that he shouldact as their literary adviser; and thus, after long consideration he had, on July 5th, mentioned, in a semi-official manner, his wish to retire inOctober. On July 6th he wrote to Mr. Longman, provisionally accepting theoffer of the firm; but the next day had to write again-- What a world is this! On Monday I told the Duke [of Richmond] I wouldresign on October 25th. Yesterday evening, my chief clerk, Robert Lemon, had an apoplectic fit, and he died in the course of last night. He was amost excellent and valuable assistant to me, and I looked forward to himto drill in my successor. It may now become impossible for me to leave theoffice as soon as I meant to do, for poor Lemon and myself are the only twomen who know the detail of the business, and I can't leave the departmentderelict. It is a most melancholy and distressing occurrence. _July 14th_. --It is clear that the vacancy which has occurred in thisoffice will detain me here six months, and perhaps a year longer thanI wished or intended. This being so, our arrangements must remain inabeyance, with entire liberty to you to renew or withdraw your offer. Atthis distance of time it is superfluous to discuss details, but if I acceptthe duties you propose to me, I should of course adapt my movements andresidence to the exigency of the case. At present, I find my work herevastly increased, because I have to look more to the detail of thebusiness. The contemplated arrangement was thus postponed for the time, and was notagain taken up in that form. Reeve continued--as he had long done--to actas confidential adviser to the firm; but he remained at the Council Officefor another twelve years, and when he ultimately retired, it was not withthe view of undertaking any heavy additional work. The Journal goes on:-- _August 2nd_. --To Paris. Met Christine at Dijon on the 3rd. Then by Dole toVevay. Binet came. Met the Wodehouses. Visit to the Blumenthals at their_chalet_. 13th, to the Gorges du Trient, and so to Chamonix, with Binetand Christine. Splendid weather at Chamonix. 16th, St. Martin's; full moonrising behind Mont Blanc. 17th, to Chambéry, St. Laurent du Pont, and theGrande Chartreuse--very interesting. Geneva on the 20th, and back to Vevayon the 21st. Thence to Besançon, Belfort, and Nancy. 27th, Metz. Droveround the fields of battle of Gravelotte and St. Privat. To Brussels, byLuxembourg. Bought furniture at Brussels for Foxholes. Home by Antwerp onSeptember 1st. _October 7th_. --To Bournemouth, to look over Foxholes. 26th, Timsbury. _November 20th_. --House nearly finished. Christmas at Farnborough. Theworkmen left Foxholes on December 28th. The Government bought the Khedive's shares in the Suez Canal. I attackedthe bargain in the 'Edinburgh Review. ' But from the earliest inception of the Suez Canal, Reeve had stronglyopposed it. He held, and in fact all history warranted him in holding, that the opening of a water-way through the isthmus would be more thanprejudicial, would be destructive, to English interests. He was very farfrom being alone in this opinion; it was one which he shared with severalof the most able and experienced men of the day, quite irrespective ofparty. France, on her side, indulged in golden dreams. The wealth andgrandeur of mediaeval Venice was to find its counterpart in the commercialprosperity of Marseilles; and it is permitted us to believe that much ofthe enthusiasm which the scheme excited was due to the hope that it wouldirretrievably damage England. Hence, too, the ill will rising out of thedisappointment, out of the conviction forced on the people of France that, far from injuring us, it has turned out altogether to our advantage. Frenchskill constructed the canal, French capital paid for it. England stoodaloof till success was achieved, and then hastened to reap the profit;then, by buying up the shares, doubled that profit; and since then, by theoccupation of Egypt, has usurped the control of the whole. Never has therebeen such a case of the _Sic vos non vobis_; and the French are veryangry. Reeve's constant and familiar intercourse with French society hadnecessarily taught him the opinions so universally held in France, and hadpersuaded him that the only safe plan for England was to have nothing to dowith the pestilent thing. Disraeli, on the other hand, with a wider graspof the situation, understood that, in this, at any rate, inactivity wasnot masterly, and that by boldness the enemy would be hoist with their ownpetard. _From Lady Smith_ Lowestoft, December 5th. Dear Mr. Reeve, --It gave me pleasure to see your handwriting again, andsome surprise. In the first place, I must mention that I think you wouldprefer Opie's original portrait to that which I possess, which, though byOpie, is the copy of my portrait. When I last saw the original picture itwas in the Royal Academy; where it is now, I do not know; but [that] mayperhaps be ascertained. I must add that from its long residence inLondon it looked very dingy, and required a refreshment from some goodpicture-mender, and fresh varnish. If this picture is not come-at-able, Ishall be happy to send that I have here, of which you will acquaint me, andsend particular directions of the place and time it may be expected. I am glad to hear you, and Mrs. Reeve, and my amiable young friend yourdaughter are well. I hear you are building a superb mansion at Bournemouth;a charming place, I have no doubt. My kind regards to you and them, fromyour attached friend, PLEASANCE SMITH. Very sorry am I to hear of Lady Augusta Stanley's hopeless illness, andhappy am I to observe the Dean's perpetual vigour. Long may he continue toillume the realm of mist in that Temple of Reconciliation where his lightshines in so brilliant a lustre. In what a remarkable period do we live! The picture by Opie was exhibited from Mr. Botfield's [Footnote: BeriahBotfield, of Deckel's Hill, Shiffnal, Shropshire, and Grosvenor Square;died 1863. ] collection (at one of the Old Masters' Exhibitions) about nineor ten years ago. The Journal notes:-- _January 1876_. --I meant to go to Paris, but gout came on, and I gave itup. _March 28th_. --Sent down furniture, &c. By vans to Foxholes. _April 2nd_. --Took possession of Foxholes; cold and windy, and I gouty. _To Mr. T. Longman_ _Foxholes, April 19th_. --Lady Holland has written me a note quite asamiable as her brother, and all the family seem to be satisfied with myarticle. The little crack of the whip just nicked the fly on Abraham's ear. A touch is often more keenly felt than a blow, when dealt in the rightplace. The only fault to be found with living here is that life glides away toorapidly, and I feel as if I should hardly have time to read over again theworks of the Immortals, before I go to join them. We have just got a splendid billiard table, and Hopie and I interspersecannons and winning hazards with literature. And the Journal:-- _April 27th_. --Returned to town. Very bad fit of gout. This was the yearof my grand climacteric (sixty-three), and I was uncommonly ill. I went toAix, May 30th; but was worse there, and came back, June 19th. _July 7th_. --Garden party at Holland House; the only thing I was able to goto this year from incessant gout. _12th_. --Came down to Foxholes. Great heat; no rain from April till August. _To Lord Derby_ 62 Rutland Gate, April 28th. My Dear Lord Derby, --I cannot forbear to express to you our very greatand cordial sympathy in the great loss you have sustained. [Footnote: TheDowager Countess of Derby died on April 26th, 1876. ] It was Gray, I think, who said that a man can have but one mother, and in losing her one losesthe only real witness of the tenderest part of the growth of life. Nobodyelse has any memory for infancy, childhood and youth, and no one else hasthe same claims to dutiful affection. The loss is irreparable. I find it somyself every day. Lady Derby had the happiness to see you combine with themost affectionate regard for her the public duties and honours which arealmost hereditary in your family. Few women have seen life played out on anobler scale. She was the link between two generations of statesmen, and lived in the entire intimacy and affection of both. But theseconsiderations cannot alleviate sorrow! With every assurance of sincere regard to yourself and Lady Derby from Mrs. Reeve and myself, believe me, always faithfully yours, H. Reeve. Continuing the Journal:-- _August 12th_. --Disraeli made Earl Beaconsfield. _14th_. --From Southampton to Havre and Rouen with Christine and Hopie. Dined with the Cardinal de Bonnechose; Circourt joined us there. _17th_. --To the Château d'Eu; found there the Duc de Montpensier andInfanta Christine, Duc and Duchesse de Chartres, Mme. De Rainneville andLambert de Sainte-Croix. Drive in forest; very hot. _21st_. --Celebrated our silver wedding at Eu. To Dieppe and back by Havreon the 24th. William Longman came to Foxholes. Saw Lady Charlotte Bacon[Footnote: See _ante_, vol. I. P. 88. ] again. Mrs. Reeve gave 'Ianthe, ' whom they met at a luncheon party at Bournemouth, a fuller notice. She wrote, 'A bad husband and narrow means kept her out ofEngland for thirty-five years or so, and she is now a corpulent matron ofseventy, with no trace of those charms sung by the poet. ' All this autumn an immense agitation was kept up, chiefly by Gladstone, on the 'Bulgarian Atrocities. ' Meetings were held all over the kingdom. Ipublished an article in the 'Review' in October, which Lord Derby said wasthe first thing that turned the tide. It soon turned altogether; and in afew months the people were as anxious to attack the Russians as they hadbeen to coerce the Turks. To Mr. Dempster _Foxholes, October 17th. _--Can you, who know all the genealogies ofScotland better than the Red Lion himself, tell me what relation CountessPurgstall was to Dugald Stewart? [Footnote: She was his wife's sister. ] Iknow she was a Cranstoun; but was she related to the great Professor? Whenmy father was in Vienna in 1805, she received him very kindly, because hehad known Dugald Stewart, and followed his lectures in Edinburgh. I enjoy my life here above all things. Four months have slipped away inthis Olympian calm, between the sea and the sky, and I fancy that the NewForest is the Highlands; but it is time to be up and doing, and next week Ireturn to London, with a large stock of health and good spirits. Matters look very black in the East. I am afraid it is a deep-laid Russianplot, which Gladstone has done not a little to promote and encourage. Youwill see that I have held to my own line in the Blue and Yellow. To Mr. T. Longman _Rutland Gate, November 1st. _--I have a great dislike to the proposal ofreprinting an article of my own in a cheap form. It seems to me to bedescending to the level of Mr. Gladstone's sixpenny agitation. Moreover, the political situation is now considerably altered. Many things whichwere said hypothetically on October 12th have assumed a different shape onNovember 1st. But if any arrangement can be made to supply the Mayor ofBristol with one hundred copies of the 'Review, ' at a cheap rate, I shallbe very glad of it. The cheap republication of the attractive article wouldbe just as injurious to booksellers who have copies of the 'Review' on handas the distribution of copies of the 'Review. ' Both measures interfere withthe regular course of sale, and are therefore mischievous. The Journal notes:-- _January 23rd_, 1877. --The Folkestone (Ritualist) case [Footnote: Ridsdale_v. _ Clifton and others. See _Times_, January 24th and following days. Judgement, _Times_, July 19th. ] heard by the Judicial Committee, by elevenprivy councillors, and five bishops. It lasted nearly a fortnight. _January 24th_. --Christine and I went to pay a visit to the Duke andDuchess of Cleveland at Battle Abbey. It was singularly interesting andagreeable. Nothing could exceed the vivacity of the Duchess, or herattention to her guests. The party consisted of Maud Stanley, CharlesNewton, Banks-Stanhope, Raglan Somerset, and the Mercer Hendersons. I have known the Duke these forty years, having first met him at theDuchesse de Mailly's, in Paris, about the year 1836. He is the onlyEnglishman I ever knew who is perfectly at home in the best French society, and as Lord Harry Vane he was extremely popular in Paris. There is nownobody living who has known so many of my oldest and best friends--most ofwhom are now no more--both in Paris, Geneva, and London; and our talk ofthese old times was most abundant. Battle Abbey is certainly one of the most curious and beautiful remains inEngland, and as it was built on the morrow of the Conquest (1067), itis astonishing how much remains. The present drawing-room is a long, low-arched room, with Gothic arches springing from columns of Purbeckmarble. Much of the great refectory and part of the cloisters stillremains. This is part of the original building of William the Conqueror. The great gateway and outer wall is of the time of Edward III. The greathall is about two hundred years old. The Abbey was given by Henry VIII. ToSir Anthony Browne, and afterwards purchased in 1722 by the Websters, fromwhom the Duke of Cleveland bought it a few years ago. The Duchess drove us over to call at Ashburnham, about three miles on theother side of Battle. There we saw a most beautiful Sir Joshua of Lady St. Asaph (the present Earl's grandmother) and the shirt King Charles wore onthe day of his execution. Lady Ashburnham told us that old women had, in our time, asked for leave to spread the cloth which is with it overchildren to cure the King's evil. Lord Ashburnham [Footnote: He died in June 1878, in his eighty-firstyear. ] is himself a sight--a man of eighty, in high boots, very deaf, verycaustic, and clever; possessing under lock and key most wonderful literarytreasures and curiosities. He gave 3, 000 £ for a manuscript bible, but thatwe did not see. _February 3rd_--Lady Smith died at Lowestoft, aged 103 and 9 months. _March 13th_--Tennyson dined at The Club; Archbishop and Chancellor there. _16th_--To Foxholes. April 14th, back to town. It was about this time that Miss Agnes Clerke--who has since come into theforemost rank as a popular exponent of science and as the biographer ofits votaries--was making her _début_ in literature, and contributed twoarticles to the 'Edinburgh Review, ' the one in April on 'Brigandage inSicily, ' and the other, which appeared in July, on 'Copernicus in Italy, 'subjects which her residence in Italy had brought more immediately underher notice. Just before the publication of the first of these Reeve wroteto her, introducing M. De Circourt, who was then at Florence where MissClerke was. A fortnight later he wrote again in answer to her reply. Rutland Gate, April 19th. My Dear Miss Clerke, --It gives me very sincere pleasure to have contributedto introduce you to your first literary success. I hope it may be theprelude to many more. I can hardly venture to recommend to you the coursein which you should steer your bark. On scientific subjects I am veryignorant, but there has been an article in the 'Review' on SpectrumAnalysis, by Professor Roscoe, and another on the Transit of Venus lastyear. You have the advantage of seeing before your eyes the intellectual_renaissance_ of Italy, and it has already supplied you with two very goodsubjects. It is probable that before October something else may turn up. If not, Iwill send you a book from England to review--for instance, Miss Wynne'sLetters and Journals, which are being printed, and will come out inOctober. Miss Wynne was a delightful person, who lived in the society ofParis, when it was most agreeable. M. De Circourt is the last survivor ofit--unless I may be reckoned a survivor too. I am glad you appreciate him. He was private secretary to M. De Polignac in 1830, and married in 1832 anincomparable Russian--Mlle. De Klustine. They used to say that she knewseventeen languages and he eighteen. She died some years ago from aburn, and Circourt now passes his life chiefly with Mme. D'Affry and herdaughter, the Duchess Colonna. I have another cousin (besides Mrs. Ross) who passes her winters inFlorence, or near it--Mrs. James Whittle. She is a great invalid, and nevergoes out. But she is now returning to a Schloss (Syrgenstein) they have inBavaria. . .. You are right. I have left my hill, which overlooks the greatseaway between the Needles and Hengistbury Head, and come to London for thenext three months; but I had much rather stay in my hermitage. London is asdisagreeable as an east wind can make it. Believe me, Yours faithfully, H. REEVE. The Journal here notes:-- _April 25th_--Lord Derby gave a great dinner at the F. O. I sat betweenStirling-Maxwell and Pender. _May 9th_--Lord Derby presided at the Literary Fund dinner. I proposed thehealth of the Chinese Ambassador. I retired this year from the council ofthe Literary Fund. _18th_--Went to Paris alone. 20th, long interview with the Duc Decazes. Dined at the Embassy. Thiers in the evening. _May 22nd_--Dinner at Laugel's. [Footnote: The Duc d'Aumale's secretary. ]Duc de Broglie, Duc Decazes, Chabaud-Latour and the Haussonvilles. The'_coup d'état_ of the Marshal, ' as it was called, when Macmahon turned outJules Simon and the Radicals, took place on May 16th, just before I reachedParis. Hence the agitation was extreme; and at this dinner at Laugel's Ihad to encounter the dukes, who wanted to know why we disapproved theirmeasure. _23rd_. --Dined with Thiers, who was depressed. I had, however, severalimportant conversations with him during this visit, of which I took a note. He expected to become president again. If that had happened, much wouldhave been altered, but he died on September 3rd. _28th_. --Back to London. Related to Lord Derby what Thiers said. _31st_. --Severe gale. To Foxholes for a day on June 2nd. _June 12th_. --The Duc d'Aumale came over to dine with The Club. _19th_. --Mrs. Oliphant's party to Maga at Runnymead [to celebrate her 25thyear of alliance with 'Blackwood's Magazine. ' A lovely day, and an amusingparty of littérateurs, publishers, writers, &c. ] _July 19th_. --Came down to Foxholes. _October 18th_. --London to Durham, with Hopie. Durham Cathedral. 19th, to Matfen (Sir E. Blackett's); 24th, to Yester (Lord Tweeddale's) byEdinburgh; 29th, to Ormiston; and 31st to Minto. Back to town on November3rd. Some London dinners. _To Mr. T. Longman_ _C. O. , November 8th_. --There ought to be, in the January number, anarticle on the Organisation of the Liberal Party. I have asked severalleading politicians of the party to undertake it, but in vain. The truthis, that it is a very thankless and hopeless subject; and the recentdiscussion of the county franchise by Lowe and Gladstone renders it stillmore difficult. I put my own opinions wholly out of the question, andshould give _carte blanche_ to any competent and accredited writer to treatthe subject. I think I shall ask Lord Hartington what he wishes to be done. My own opinion is that this county franchise move is suicidal to theLiberal party, and I clearly perceive that the Tories are preparing--whensomewhat hard pressed--to take up and carry some such measure, accompaniedby a redistribution of seats that will swamp a great many Liberal boroughs. They say, If the thing is to be done, we had better do it. .. . It is generally supposed that Gladstone published his article, which pointsto universal suffrage, in order to cut the ground from under Hartington'sfeet at the Scotch meetings. Hitherto Whig principles and the whole Whigparty have been decidedly opposed to an unrestricted franchise. _C. O. , November 15th_--Lord Granville is so cautious and reserved a manthat it is impossible to extract any definite opinion or advice from him. I have tried repeatedly, and I never got so much as a hint from him worthanything How different from Lord Clarendon or Lord Aberdeen! The truth isthat Granville is always waiting upon fortune; ready to take any coursethat may turn up, but utterly incapable of taking a strong resolution basedon principle and conviction. .. . I dare say May's book will have success. It is very well written; but itis not what I expected. It is an historical survey of the politicalinstitutions of all nations, 'from China to Peru, ' executed with care andgreat reading; but there are no traces of original thought, and it leavesyou exactly where you were before in relation to the democratic element insociety. Bagehot's books have ten times as much _thought_ in them. A most excellent book, which I am reading with great delight, is Mr. Gardiner's 'Reign of Charles I. Before the Rebellion. ' It is, to me, asinteresting as Macaulay, and singularly impartial. And the Journal winds up the year with:-- _December 12th_--To Foxholes. Christmas at Farnborough. [Mrs. Reeve wroteon December 24th: We start this morning for Farnborough Hill. It is noweighteen years that we have spent Christmas with the Longmans. ] Back toFoxholes. 1878. --We spent the first week of the New Year at Foxholes, the weathercharming, and returned to London on January 11th. _To Mr. T. Longman_ _Foxholes, January 7th. _--I know the authoress of the Russian letters verywell. She is one of the boldest and keenest Russian agents in Europe, whowas sent here three or four years ago to endeavour to prepare Englishsociety for the coming war, and she has returned here every winter. She hasmade repeated attempts to capture me, though, as you may suppose, withoutsuccess. But on politicians of a sentimental cast her influence has beenconsiderable, especially on Gladstone, who is singularly amenable to femaleflattery, and a perfect child in the hands of a clever _intrigante_ of thiskind. But I am certainly sorry that Froude should have attached his name to herletters. To suppose that this great and dreadful war has been undertakenfor the sole purpose of 'liberating' the Southern Slavs, and that theRussians hate the Turks because the Tartars conquered Russia some centuriesback, are assumptions which can hardly impose on the most credulous of men. This is a war of conquest, and the spirit of the Crusades has been evokedto stimulate an ignorant and enthusiastic people. One of the points of the Russian party in England is to denounce andmisrepresent the Crimean war. That war was carried on in defence of greatprinciples of European law--not for the sake of the Turks--by the statesmento whom we are particularly attached--Palmerston, Clarendon, Russell, Lewis, Panmure, &c. Mr. Carlyle, Froude, Freeman, Goldwin Smith, Bright, and at last Gladstone, were opposed to it. I adhere to the views of thestatesmen, which the 'Review' defended in 1854 and 1855. I am, therefore, extremely glad, and think it highly proper and necessary that the Queenshould defend the course taken by her ministers and by the nation at thattime; and it would be the excess of inconsistency in the 'Review' not tomaintain, as a matter of history, the same principles for which we haveinvariably contended. _C. O. , January 12th_. --One of the first persons I met on coming to Londonyesterday was Lord Granville, and I had a long talk with him. He was lessreserved than usual. I don't know that there is any difference in our viewof the foreign question, except that he thinks the Government should havesaid and done even less than they have done. But the disposition of manyof the moderate Whigs, such as Lord Morley, Duke of Bedford, Duke ofCleveland, &c. , is to support the foreign policy of the Government. TheDuke of Sutherland is to dine at Disraeli's dinner, out of hatred ofGladstone. I believe Dizzy is to have the Garter! Lord Granville said, 'I saw that the last article in the last number of the"E. Review" was _not_ Reeve. It might have been written by a contributor tothe "Daily Telegraph. "' To this I replied: 'It was written, in fact, by avery intimate friend of your own, who was, I think, staying at Walmer lastsummer; a man of great experience in political writing, not for the "D. T. "but for the "Times;" and, although I don't think it a good article, anddiffer from many things in it, I thought myself pretty safe in the hands ofSir George Dasent. ' It was amusing to see G. 's look of astonishment. Politically, the topic of 1878 was the settlement of the Russo-Turkish war. The fall of Plevna in the previous December, and the subsequent collapse ofTurkey, led to the advance of the Russians to San Stefano and the treatyof March 3rd, which seemed a direct step towards the seizure ofConstantinople, and the swallowing up of the Turkish Empire. In Englandpublic feeling ran very high, but, unfortunately, in opposing currents. The Government was resolved, at all risks, to prevent the extreme resultforeshadowed by the Treaty of San Stefano, and to do so by acting on the_si vis pacem, para bellum_ principle. In the East, the Mediterranean fleetwas ordered to pass the Dardanelles and to anchor in the Sea of Marmora;whilst at home, a vote of credit to the amount of 6, 000, 000£. Was rapidlypassed through Parliament, the navy was strengthened, the army reserveswere called out, and the initial preparations were made for the despatch ofan expeditionary force. And at this time what threatened to be a seriousblow to the Ministry, in reality strengthened it. Lord Derby, the foreignsecretary, resigned, possibly influenced, it was said, by personal intimacywith Count Schouvaloff, and in any case disapproving of the measures of theGovernment. He was succeeded by the Marquis of Salisbury, who, in June, accompanied Lord Beaconsfield to Berlin to attend the Congress, from whichthey returned on July 16th, bringing back, in Beaconsfield's now classicalwords, 'Peace with honour. ' _From Mr. Richard Doyle_ 7 Finborough Road, January 15th. My Dear Reeve, --When at Foxholes, in August last, I began a sketch of theview from your house. It was my intention to ask you to accept the drawingwhen complete. In the presence, however, of the very attractive original, I, on leaving, was so little satisfied with my copy that I had not theheart to say anything about it. But, after an interval, and a little morework upon it, I begin to think that, after all, when in town, it perhapsmay remind you imperfectly of the fresh skies and blue waters left outof town. So I return to my original intention, and herewith send you thelittle drawing for your acceptance. With best remembrance to Mrs. And MissReeve, yours very sincerely, Richard Doyle. _From Mr. Theodore Martin_ 31 Onslow Square, January 16th. Dear Mr. Reeve, --I have been much gratified by reading the review of mythird volume in the 'Edinburgh Review, ' which my publishers have just sentme. It brings out with admirable effect the passages which bear on thepresent crisis--passages which I inserted in the volume from a strongfeeling that there would be occasion to strengthen the sound view of theEastern Question by the emphatic language of the Prince Consort. God grantthey may not have come too late! With reference, especially, to what you say at the top of page 151, I mustdisabuse you of what seems to be the prevailing impression that things inthis book have been written by the direct inspiration of the Queen. Not oneword of it, from beginning to end, was prompted by Her Majesty, who hasleft me, from the first, unfettered, to draw my own conclusions, to selectthe documents to be made public, and to state my own convictions in my ownway. What I have selected and what I have written has, when printed, beensubmitted, of course, for Her Majesty's approval, which, I am happy to say, I have always had. In regard to the third volume, it was written almostentirely last summer and autumn, at my country house, where I had noopportunity of even consulting Her Majesty. Your conjecture, therefore, as to the note you cite on page 151 is a mistaken one. That note onlyexpresses a conviction which I have strongly felt for many years. You will, on reflection, I think, see that I could not with propriety refer to thecircumstances alluded to in the note on the same page of the 'Review. ' Itis one of hundreds of cases where reticence seemed to myself, as, in somesense, representing Her Majesty, to be prescribed to me. When my book iscomplete, an abridged 'Life' will be published. I am sure this articlemust do good by being in the hands of the public before the meeting ofParliament. Believe me, very truly yours, THEODORE MARTIN. _January 19th_. --I have no doubt the Queen will be much pleased with the'E. R. ' article. Believe me, Her Majesty's mind is far too candid andsincere to take any umbrage at what you say about the Prince's _Germanism_. She may not think it went so far as you do; but she has always franklyacknowledged its existence, seeing, with her usual good sense, both thegood and bad effects of any extreme views. If there be any one person morethan another to whom the artificial language commonly addressed to royalpersonages is distasteful, it is the Queen herself. Such at least is myexperience. I am delighted to see that the opinions of the Queen and Princebrought forward in this volume are causing some stir in the Parisianjournals. They are being used to stimulate an active interest in theEastern Question; and this, I venture to think, may produce results notunimportant at the present crisis. The Journal here notes:-- _January 25th_. --Huxley lectured on Harvey. _February 7th_. --Dinner at Dicey's, to meet Mr. Welch, the U. S. Minister. John Bright, Hayward, Chandos Leigh, Mme. Van de Weyer there. _8th_. --To Foxholes, for three days only. _13th_. --The fleet went up the Sea of Marmora, the Russians havingapproached Constantinople. _28th_. --Marriage of Ellinor Locker to Lionel Tennyson in WestminsterAbbey. All the literary world there. Imposing aspect of Alfred Tennyson, who looked round the Abbey as if he felt the Immortals were his compeers. The Journal mentions:-- _March 28th_. --Lord Derby resigned the Foreign Office. _From Lord Derby_ _March 29th_. --What has happened is disagreeable, as all politicalseparations are; but it did not seem to me that there was any choice. As todiscussion in Parliament, I suppose I cannot altogether help myself; but itwill be a business unwillingly gone into, and not at all unless there seemssome chance of being of use. And the Journal:-- _April 3rd_. --Dinner at Longman's. Froude, Trevelyan, Walpoles, Quain. Thiswas the last of the pleasant literary dinners which Longman used to give. _4th_. --Great sale of the Novar collection. Fetched over 70, 000£. KirkmanHodgson gave 20, 000£. For three Turners. _April 13th_. --To Foxholes. From Lord Lytton [Footnote: Governor-General of India. ] Government House, Simla, April 29th. My dear Mr. Reeve, --I think you in nowise overestimate the value of MeadowsTaylor's life and work in India, and I cordially recognise the exceptionalclaims of the two ladies, on whose behalf you have written to me, to thegrant which I regret to hear they require. Their case is rather a difficultone to deal with, owing to the fact that nearly the whole work of MeadowsTaylor's life was performed, not in the service of the Government of India, but in that of the Nizam's Government; and we are precluded, by rules asinflexible as the laws of the Medes and Persians, from granting publicmoney to the distressed survivors of our own public servants on purelycompassionate grounds. In my own opinion, however, the claim of theseladies may be fairly admitted on other grounds furnished by their father'seminence, not only as a literary man, but also as an administrator, and thefact that his work, though not performed in the service of the Governmentof India, has been, and is, in various ways, unquestionably beneficial toIndia. I am glad to say that I have obtained the concurrence of my councilin this view of the case, and we propose to grant 100£. A year to each ofthese ladies from the Indian revenues. Our proposal, however, cannot beacted on without the sanction of the Secretary of State, to whom it willprobably be submitted by this mail; and, as it is of a financial character, I think Lord Staplehurst [Footnote: Viscount Cranbrook is meant. The patentof his peerage was not dated till May 4th; but it had been previouslyunderstood, and telegraphed to India, that he would take his title fromStaplehurst. ] cannot deal with it except through his council. It istherefore fortunate that you have secured their suffrages, for at presentit seems to be the invariable practice of the 'wise men of the East' atthe India Office to reject every proposal, however trivial or howeverimportant, which emanates from the Government of India. Yours, my dear Mr. Reeve, very faithfully, LYTTON. _Endorsed_--The pension was granted on June 30th. _From the Comte de Paris_ Château d'Eu, May 11th. . .. I am glad to see that the hope of peace is stronger. A war betweenEngland and Russia would be the greatest catastrophe that could fallupon the world at present; it would be the cause of incalculable ruineverywhere. Since the wars of 1866 and 1870 the maintenance of the peaceof Europe depends solely upon the relations between England and Russia. ToFrance the preservation of peace is of the deepest interest, for the day itis broken she may expect to see her own frontiers threatened by Germany, either directly or by the moral subjection of Holland, Switzerland, andBelgium. We wish no evil either to England or to Russia; but, above allthings, we wish that these two Powers should live in harmony. Here the Journal has:-- _May 13th_. --Returned to town. _May 28th_. --Gladstone dined at The Club. Six present; interesting. _June 3rd_. --Excursion to Greenwich to see the telegraph works. Greatdinner at the Ship afterwards. _8th_. --All to Norwich, to stay with Dean Goulburn at the Deanery. I hadscarcely been there for fifty years. Dr. Jessop, Canon Heaviside, and CanonRobinson to dinner--very pleasant. _9th_. --Communion in Norwich Cathedral. 10th, drove to Costessy (LordStafford's); 11th, to Spixworth; 12th, to Ely, on a visit to Dean Merivale;13th, to Peterborough; 14th, back to town. _June_. --Very hot weather. 26th, dinner of the Antiquaries at LordCarnarvon's. _July 5th_. --Lady Northcote's garden party. Helen Blackett there, lookingill. I never saw her again. [Footnote: See _post_. P. 265. ] _July 13th_. --To Foxholes. Gout prevented me from going to Paris, where theexhibition was going on, and to La Celle. _To Mr. T. Longman_ _Foxholes, July 15th_. --I send just a line to say that _no part_ of thearticle on 'The Constitution and the Crown' is written by me. I thoughtit due to the writer to leave it untouched, and I don't think it is toosevere. The article in the 'Quarterly' was certainly not written by Dr. Smith, andI have reason to know that he is a good deal ashamed of it. Nobody seems toknow who wrote it. I do not expect they will reply upon us; but nothing ismore beneficial to the two Reviews than a little controversy, especiallywhen serious principles are concerned. This question is precisely the_crux_ or test of Whig and Tory principles; it is the old fight ofparliamentary power against prerogative. There has not been in England, fora hundred years, a minister so indifferent to Parliament and so subservientto the Court as Lord Beaconsfield. _Foxholes, July 16th_. --Dizzy's fireworks will soon burn out; and whenpeople come to reflect on these transactions, and their consequences, they will be found to be some of the most questionable in modern Englishhistory. He has the merit of presenting a bold front to Europe and ofavoiding war; but the cost will be great and the ulterior consequencesformidable. I suppose they are going to give him a Roman triumph thisafternoon from Charing Cross to Downing Street. Sed quid Turba Remi?. .. . .. .. . Idem populus. .. . .. Hac ipsa Sejanum diceret hora Augustum. To my old eyes all this is a sham--a scene out of 'Tancred' and 'Lothair. 'Depend upon it, the article on the 'Constitution and the Crown' will beread. _Foxholes, August 10th_. --I never in my life read a better article thanthis of Froude on Copyright. It is incomparably good in force of argument, vigour of style, point, and truth, and, I think, will go far to settle theassailants of copyright. I confess I enjoy the smashing of the sages ofthe Board of Trade and old Trevelyan. They will see that if they attackliterature, literature is able to defend itself. _From Mr. T. Longman_ _Farnborough Hill, August 14th_. --. .. I entirely agree with you in theexcellence of Froude's article [on Copyright]. . .. I see that he thinksthat copyright may be in danger, and that the tendency of writing willflow into periodical literature. That I know has long been XIXth CenturyKnowles's opinion. He says he cares nothing for any copyright, and neverasks for it. Like the 'Times, ' he does not, in fact, need it. His writersare highly paid, and he and they are satisfied. _To Mr. T Longman_ _Foxholes, August 15th_. --. .. No doubt any restriction of copyright inpermanent works would have the effect of inducing literary men to writemore and more in periodicals, which are not permanent but well paid. Thisargument is very important. I am not sure that Froude has laid sufficientstress upon it. Good and solid literature already suffers considerably fromthe fact that fugitive literature is far better paid, and that a literaryman can rarely afford to write a large and substantial book requiring yearsof labour. Herbert Spencer's evidence is very interesting; but few men havethe courage to risk their all in labouring for the future. I shall make Froude's article the first in the next number, as I think itwill attract great attention. _August 24th_. --Froude's article will make nearly fifty pages of theReview, which is more than I like; but I don't know what to leave out, itis all so good and amusing to literary people, so I think we must swallowit whole. A note from the Journal:-- _August 23rd_. --Visit to Highclere (Lord Carnarvon's). A good deal of goutin October. To Farnborough on the 30th. Back to town on November 4th. _To Mr. T. Longman_ _Foxholes, October 10th_. --I see the 'Quarterly' announces an article on my'Petrarch. ' Unless Smith is the falsest of men, it will be a civil article, for he was enthusiastic in his praises of the book to me personally. But Ishall not be surprised if it is another flourish of Hayward's stiletto. _October 19th_. --The article in the 'Quarterly' on my 'Petrarch' is verycourteous, and certainly _not_ by Abraham. _C. O. , December 2nd_. --This day's post brings me the melancholyintelligence that our friend Kirkman is so ill he is not expected tosurvive, and that dear old Mrs. Grote is in much the same condition. To me, by far the most painful part of advancing years is the loss of those whomade life delightful. It is the only thing I regret. These friendships offorty or fifty years are quite irreparable. The Journal notes:-- _December 5th_. --Parliament met. 9th, first dinner of the Club. 24th, toOttershaw Park for Christmas. 28th, to Farnborough--last time. 29th, Mrs. Grote died. 31st, returned to town. _To Mr. E. Cheney_ _December 13th_. --I brought up two volumes of the MS. Journals for you toread when you come to town. But I perceive the further you proceed the lesscan you publish. I dismiss all thoughts of that from my mind, and bequeaththe task to posterity. The debate in the Commons has been very dull, [Footnote: On a motion tocondemn the policy of the Government in Afghanistan. It was defeated by amajority of 101 in a House of 555. ] but the Government will have a verylarge majority. They tell me Dizzy is negotiating another little purchaseof Seleucia and Scanderoon. Jerusalem is in the next lot. I gave the 'Secret du Roi' to an Irishman to review, and the wretch hasdisappointed me. I am afraid it is now too late, or I would do it myself. [Footnote: It was reviewed in the April number (1879), but neither byReeve nor the Irishman. ] Read M. De Lomenie's book, 'Les Mirabeau'--a veryamiable family. _Rutland Gate, January 4th_, 1879. --This Christmas has been marked beyondall others by the most tragical events. To me, Mrs. Grote and LordTweeddale are deplorable losses, and I could add a catalogue of names ofless note, besides those of public interest. What irony to call it theseason of mirth and gaiety! Mrs. Grote has very kindly left Hayward l, 000£. I am glad of it, for itwill make him more comfortable, and, I hope, less cross. The Journal then has:-- _January 7th_. --Dined at Sir P. Shelley's; Spedding, Browning. _To Mr. E. Cheney_ _January 18th_. --I fully intended to come to see you to-day, and to bringyou the MS. Volumes of C. C. G. ; but I am very lame with rheumatism in myknee, and the weather is so infernal that I cannot use the carriage, and Iam afraid to make the expedition in a cab. I must therefore defer my calltill I can move better. On such a day as this one can only burrow like therabbits. I think the Cenci article in the new 'Ed. Rev. ' will interest you. _January 22nd_. --I send you Vols. III. And IV. Of the mystic record. Praykeep it locked up. In the 'True Tale of the Cenci, ' by T. Adolphus Trollope, there was muchthat Mr. Cheney dissented from, and he wrote a long letter on the subject, which Reeve in due course forwarded to Trollope. This led to a reply, withwhich, as far as Reeve's correspondence shows, the discussion dropped. Ifit was continued further, it was without Reeve's assistance. _To Mr. E. Cheney_ _January 23rd_. --I saw Lady Shelley to-day, and, as I told her you couldnot call on her, she very obligingly said she would be happy to call onyou and bring you the enlarged photograph of the poet to look at. Thesephotographs are done on porcelain. There are only three copies of them, which Lady S. Has got. The negative is destroyed. . .. She says the drawingis the image of Shelley's sister, Helen Shelley. _January 31st_. --Many thanks for your prompt return of the volumes. I amglad they have amused you, and you can give evidence that they are not verywicked. I am afraid I cannot supply any more until I have been down toFoxholes, as I find I have locked up part of the MS. There; and I must nowhave the whole of it bound. _February 3rd_. --I send you Trelawny's book on Shelley, and I also enclosean interesting letter from Mr. Trollope in answer to your remarks on theCenci article. You will see he has taken pains with the subject. I didnot mention your name to him in connexion with the remarks, but only withreference to the Philobiblon notes. He therefore does not know that you areas well acquainted with the Italians as he is. _To Mr. Dempster_ _C. O. , February 26th_. --I hope this will not arrive too late tocongratulate you on having achieved in health and good spiritsthree-quarters of the road to our centenary. Unluckily, the last quarter isthe most difficult. But _sursum corda_! When I look back and about me, Iam astonished to have got so far. The great pleasure of advancing yearsis retrospection. One sees such groups and groups of pleasant people. Theprospective eyes of youth see nothing so real or charming. I fancy I amsitting with you on a flowery bank of heather in the Highlands, aboutAugust 15th, talking of these things. There are a dozen brace of deadgrouse in the bag. Donald is at the well. Don't remind me that it isFebruary, 1 in London, the wind in the northeast. Here the Journal records:-- _February 27th_. --My sister-in-law, Helen Blackett, died at Matfen. _March 4th_. --Charles Newton and Sir J. Hooker elected by The Club. _April 28th_. --I was named Vice-President of the Society of Antiquaries forfour years. _From Lord Kimberley_ _35 Lowndes Square, May 3rd_. --There is a savage article in the 'Quarterly'(by Froude, I believe), many of the statements in which arise from mereignorance. Whatever chance of success Carnarvon's scheme of confederationhad--it was in any case small--was destroyed by Froude's blundering, whichwas caused mainly by his knowing nothing whatever about the politicalhistory and literature of the colony. But, for all that, his article isworthy of attention. Like you, I am very apprehensive about the Zulu war;but this is too long a story for a short note. I should very much like totalk the matter over with you. The Journal again:-- _May 15th_. --Presided at Antiquaries as V. -P. _June 11th_. --Great party at Count Münster's for the golden wedding ofEmperor Wilhelm. _From Mr. E. Cheney_ _Audley Square, July 1st_. --I have an impression of Shelley's portrait, which Colnaghi has just engraved. Sir Percy wishes it not to be re-copied, and he entertains no doubt of its authenticity. He says it is extremelylike a maiden aunt of his--the only survivor of the past generation of theShelleys. I beg your acceptance of an impression. _To Mr. E. Cheney_ _July 1st_. --I am uncommonly obliged to you for the exquisite engraving ofthe drawing of Shelley. I shall cherish it alike in memory of him, and of abetter man--yourself, and for the strange legend about it. I am sorry to hear that ------ has taken offence at the mention of herfather in the 'Greville Memoirs. ' I was wholly unconscious of the offence, and indeed had forgotten that he was mentioned in them at all. .. . I shouldlike, with great simplicity, to say to these eminent persons that I valuethe honour of being the Editor of Charles Greville's Journals infinitelymore than any distinction that Queens or Duchesses could bestow on me. ButI esteem the talents and good qualities of ------ and certainly I neverdreamed she was offended. And then the Journal:-- _July 5th_. --Lady Waldegrave died. The news came while we were attendingLord Lawrence's funeral in Westminster Abbey. _26th_. --To Foxholes. _August 16th_. --Visit to Weymouth; 18th, drove toAbbotsbury. _August 30th_. --Tom Longman died at Farnborough--seventy-five. _September 3rd_. --His funeral. _5th_. --To St. Malo with Christine and Hopie; 6th, to Dinard and on toDinan; 8th, to Guingamp; 9th, to Lannion, seeing Chateau de Tonguebec onthe way; 10th, to Louannec--fine rocky coast; 11th, Morlaix--drove toSt. Pol de Léon; 12th, Brest, but it rained; 13th, to Auray; 14th, expedition to Carnac; 15th, expedition to Locmaria-quer; 16th, Auray to St. Malo; 18th, home again--a pleasant tour. _24th_. --To Stratton, to see Lord Northbrook about article on Affghan War. Read him the article. _October 21st_. --Lord Northbrook at Foxholes. _30th_. --Left Foxholes. Visit to Pember's [at Lymington], Beaulieu Abbey. To town on November 1st. Frequent mention has been made of M. De Circourt's letters, the writing ofwhich occupied a great part of his time. In a short memoir, or, rather, anappreciation, which Reeve contributed to the 'Edinburgh Review' of October1881, he wrote: 'It was his pleasure and his desire to live and diecomparatively unknown. With an insatiable curiosity and love of knowledge, with an extraordinary facility in mastering languages, and a universallove of literature; with a memory so precise and so inexhaustible that itretained without effort all he had acquired, he found in the mere exerciseof these singular gifts a sufficient employment for a long and not inactivelife. .. . He possessed and enjoyed the friendship of an extraordinary numberof men of the highest distinction, not only in France, but in all lands. The correspondence he carried on with his friends in Germany, Italy, England, Switzerland, America, and Russia was inconceivably voluminous. Toeach of them he wrote in their own respective language, equally vehementand profuse in every tongue. ' The bulk of his letters to Reeve alone is truly formidable. But these, andpresumably most others, were to a very great extent political or literarypamphlets, which, though not given to the press, were--there can be littledoubt--intended to be circulated among a select public such as he delightedin addressing. Two of the latest of these, written very shortly before hisdeath, are here given:-- _From M. De Circourt_ La Celle, October 27th. My dear Reeve, --I don't know whether the article 'Germany since thePeace of Frankfort' has done in Great Britain so much noise as the'Affghanistan, ' which has been, over here, an event in the literary-politicworld. But the first one is quite equal to the second, and gives career toendless (alas! useless, too!) reflections. It is a sombre picture, quite inthe style of Rembrandt, with a _chiaroscuro_ much akin to darkness. It canbe objected that the lights are sacrificed to the shades. But, exceptingthe strong constitution of the Imperial army, and the perfection to which, according to competent judges, the preparations for an offensive anddefensive war have been pushed, I cannot see anything, in the condition offinances, industry, husbandry, and, above all, public morals, which is notthreatening, if not absolutely disheartening. No traveller comes back fromGermany without a tale of woe. _Savior armis Luxuria incubuit, victamqueulciscitur Galliam_. And while the rancour and the thirst for vengeance arestill, in France, what they were in 1871, the whole of power, riches, and fashion in Germany crowding to Paris, give it a sort of transientpopularity, and suffers itself to be led by what is among us mostfrivolous, most immoral, and even less French, in the old and legitimatesense of that word. It is very curious to observe how the strangers flockto Paris in order to enjoy the spectacle of themselves, reckoning theFrench for nothing save the ministers of their pleasures, _et improbi turbaimpia vici_. If, in the midst of these brilliant saturnalia, the _pares_were to rise, and another Commune spring from the kennel to the day, howmany of the lords of the Philistines would be buried under the ruins of thetemple of Dagon? But to revert to Germany, or, rather, to her ruler. Prince Bismarck, I apprehend, has lived too long. He begins to feel thefickleness of fortune. He has never had any friends; he begins to beburdensome to his associates. I don't know whether he could have managed aParliament elected after the actual method on the Continent; I am certainthat he did not, and never was able to, uphold a consistent and honourablesystem whatever. He is no financier, no economist; and as he does alwaysact upon the interests of the present hour, without regard to pastengagements, he can have with him but those who superstitiously deem hima prophet, or those who choose to _servir à tout prix_. He is rude, suspicious, and vindictive. The only great minister with whom he can becompared, Richelieu, was at least frank and open towards friend and foe. Bismarck has never negotiated with any man, nor charged any man with animportant measure, without becoming their ruin, or changed them intoimplacable enemies--Savigny, Usedom, Arnim, Gortschakoff. The good geniusof his country has protected Moltke against his insidious praises andbitter censures. It is easy to prove that, during the late war, all thegood advice given to the King came from Moltke; all hurried, or lame, orimprovident, or perfidiously cruel measures came from the Chancellor. Whydid he leave half of the forts round Paris in the power, not of ourarmy, but of the armed rabble, to which he left the possession of 1, 500field-pieces and 300, 000 guns, while he disarmed the regulars to the lastman? To his calculations we owe the Commune; posterity will hold himresponsible for that incalculable calamity, which it was at every hour inhis power to avert, or to crush instantly. Presently his tenure of officeis very precarious. The Emperor is eighty-two, and has never likedBismarck; he has given recently some signs that he feels galled by thechain. The Crown Prince may make use of him, and sacrify his personalfeelings to the advantage not to upset suddenly the system of government;but, under Friedrich Wilhelm V. , it is more than probable that Bismarckshall have to choose between retire or obey. Even in the presentoccurrence, considering that France is wholly taken up with her internaldissensions, which are not likely to become soon better, and that Russiahas need of time for recruiting her exhausted resources, it was certainlynot sound policy to blow the trumpet of a coalition which was, presently, dreamed of by nobody, and shall, in the future, result from the necessityof things. The article upon the Code of Criminal Law is an excellent treatise of_Criminalison_; we, too, want a _refonte_ of our criminal law. What iscalled civilisation has gorged our society with an infinity of malpracticesunknown to our ruder but better fathers; and we suffer from the bane ofmodern civilisation, that idiot charity towards the refuse of mankind, coupled to a perfect indifference for the honest people they assail orbring to ruin. To that endemic disease of the mind no penal statute canafford a remedy. MacMahon was as weak as a school-girl on such occasions;Grévy is scarce better; at least he does not call weakness Christiancharity. 'The Impressions of Theophrastus Such' are little intelligible to me, merely because I have read so few books of the authoress. Doudan [Footnote:Ximenes Doudan (1800-72) was in early life a tutor in the family of theDue de Broglie, and remained attached to him. His critical judgement andsparkling conversation made him a special feature of the Duchess's _salon_. He was well known in literary society, and was compared by Reeve (_Ed. Rev. _, July 1878) with John Allen of Holland House. Like Allen, hisreputation was based almost entirely on his conversation and encyclopaedicknowledge. After his death, his few essays and numerous letters werecollected and edited by the Comte d'Haussonville, under the title of_Mélanges et Lettres_(4 tomn. 8vo. 1876). ] wrote that he could never bequite unhappy while he had _des romans anglais à lire_; I confess that, when they are not first-rate, they seem to me to belong rather to thedepartment of industry than to that of literature. The article upon thecivil engineers of Britain is an admirable compilation of much that'suseful to know and easy to understand; the magnificence of the _tableau_strikes the fancy and weighs upon the mind. But, after all, is humanitybecome grander, or better, or happier by so many performances of theinquisitive and constructive genius? _That's the question_. With tremblinghope I'll answer Yes! Life is less dark, a little longer, and betterprovided against the material plagues of nature: but farther? I am pent up with a severe cold, and losing the last day of a capriciousautumn. Mme. D'Affry has promised me a visit. What of the parliamentary strife between Disraeli and his rivals? At least, it is _Diomedes cum Glauco_, statesman pitched against statesman. But inour camp: _non melius compositus cum Bitho Bacchius_. Yours truly, A. C. The letter that follows is endorsed by Reeve 'M. De Circourt's last letterto me. He was struck with apoplexy on the 15th, and died on the 17th ofNovember. The last token of fifty years' friendship':-- _From the Comte de Circourt_ La Celle, November 12th. My dear Sir, --Many thanks for your kind letter of the 6th. I am still aninvalid, _conjuguant_ in all its tenses the verb _grippe_, with itsnear relation bronchitis. However, I am recovering by-and-by, and theweather--not fine, still very mild--helps me towards recovering my libertyof locomotion. I am the more sorry for my _réclusion_ that I had begun someplantations in my garden. Fancy what it is to plant trees by half-dozensand to buy land by wheelbarrows! We are in a state of partial fermentation and general disgust. ThePresident _videt meliora probatque, deteriora sequitur_; he is absolutelysunken in the opinions, but tolerated, because he lets every party atfreedom to plot and to hope. Waddington does not fare better, but JulesSimon has presently no chance of replacing him. The sympathy which Ferryhas proclaimed for the Reformed Church [Footnote: See _Times_, November8th. ]--very natural in itself--may be mischievous for them; our nation hasnever any sympathy for minorities. The leaders of the Clerical party havelowered their teaching and their practices to the level of the most obtuseintellects and the most childish enthusiasms; they make conquests bymyriads; and as, in our present state of society, numbers are accounted foreverything, the Government and ruling party have already encountered, andshall encounter more and more, a formidable opposition, which, if itdoes not drag the country into civil war, cannot fail to accelerate andprecipitate the fate of the Republican Government. As the Duc d'Aumaleseems resolved never to put himself forward, the conjectures hover betweenGalliffet [Footnote: General de Galliffet was more especially known for thestern justice he had meted out to the Communards of 1871. ] and severalothers, all men of action, although none of them has the prestige whichmade, in 1799, the task of Bonaparte so wonderfully easy. The 'GreatUnknown' will be revealed to us by some sudden stroke; our people isperfectly disposed to acknowledge a master, and prays only that 'nous ayonsun bon tyran, ' since we must have one. Lord Beaconsfield's speech [Footnote: At the Mansion House on the 10th. See_Times_, November 11th. ] shall not put an end to the embarrassments ofour Exchange, shaken to its foundations by the curiously tragical episode[Footnote: 'Gigantic swindle' would more correctly designate it. See_Times_, November 7th. Philippart, having made away with some 100, 000, 000francs, had judiciously vanished. ] of Philippart. _Imperium et Libertas_, i. E. 'Domination abroad and Freedom at home, ' is a proud legacy of 'themost high and palmy days of Rome'; but it will be difficult to force thesubmission to that maxim upon all the powers of the world. If the Turks hadstudied the history of classical times, they would believe that the days of_Civis Romanus sum_ and the _Reges clientes Populi Romani_ are come againfor the East; and what immense space does this name design, since theexclusive and dominating influence claimed by the Premier begins at theAdriatic and ends--nowhere; for the whole of Affghanistan being broughtunder British control, and Turkish Asia on the other side being claimed asa protected and indirectly governed country, it will become necessarythat the intermediate region, Persia, be assimilated to the rest of thedependencies of an Empire which, at the farthest end, shall soon becontiguous to China. The task of the Russian people is very different. The stern decrees ofProvidence have made of it the antagonist and hereditary foe of the Asiaticbarbarics, which it has faced under the walls of Kief and Moscow, andpressed, by dint of repeated battles and immense sacrifices, to the footof the Himalaya range and the course of the Upper Oxus. Sooner or later, atremendous shock must happen between the two gigantic Empires which meetupon that debateable ground. I hope I may never witness it; but I doregret much the disparition of the ample neutral ground, which till latelystretched from the Indus to the Yaxartes. .. . Many wishes for your health and occupations. Yours very truly, A. CIRCOURT. The Journal gives the chronicle of the last weeks of the year:-- _November 22nd_. --Visit to Chatsworth. Delane died. _23rd_. --Chatsworth. Long talk with Lord Hartington. _29th_. --Delane's funeral at Easthampstead. Went down with Barlow andStebbing; then across by Woking to Lithe Hill (Haslemere); very cold. At Christmas severe illness came on--gout and violent bleeding of the nose. I was totally laid up for two months. The year had been a sad one, and had marked its progress by the death ofmany of Reeve's dearest and oldest friends--Lady Blackett (to whom he hadalways been tenderly attached), Longman, Circourt, and Delane. CHAPTER XX OUTRAGE AND DISLOYALTY The very serious illness which ushered in the year 1880, and which confinedReeve to his room till near the end of January, formed a very important erain his life. Though it passed away, so that, after a fortnight at Brighton, he was able, by the middle of February, to attend to his official duties atthe Council Office, the bad effects remained. He was no longer a young man, but he had carried his years well. He had travelled, he had occasionallyshot, and always with a keen sense of enjoyment. Now, the full weight ofhis age told at once. His illness left him ten years older; unable toundergo the fatigue of field sports, and feeling that of travel sometimesirksome. And Foxholes afforded him a tempting excuse. From this time, instead ofgoing for his holiday to Scotland, to France, or to Geneva, it seemed somuch easier to go to Foxholes, so much more comfortable to spend it there. And for the next fifteen years a large part of his time was passed atFoxholes, where, in the most delightful climate known in this country, surrounded by beautiful scenery and with a commanding view of the sea, amid the comforts of home and in the company of his books and his chosenfriends, he could say, from both the material and moral point of view: Suave, mari magno turbantibus aequora ventis, E terra magnum alterius spectare laborem. Of course, his duties at the Council Office required him to be in townduring the season and while the Court was sitting; and in the April of thisyear he noted a breakfast at Lord Houghton's, to meet Renan, and presidingas a Vice-President at a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries. Otherwisethe Journal is almost a blank, containing little beyond the dates of goingto Foxholes or returning to town. But though thus in a measure withdrawing from the swirl of society in whichso much of his life had been passed, he in no sense lost touch with themovements of the day, and in none of these did he take a more livelyinterest than in those which affected the state of France. And that seemedparticularly unsettled. No one could attempt a forecast of the future, though wild guessing was easy. Nothing was certain; everything waspossible. Hope was guided rather by fancy than by reason, and tinted theyears to come in brighter colours than--now that those years have passed--history has warranted. For many years back the French Princes had beenReeve's occasional correspondents, but their letters had seldom had anypolitical significance. At this time they began to have a more seriousimportance; and during the next six years those of the Comte de Paris, moreespecially, are full of deep and pregnant meaning. In England, the topicsof the day were the dissolution in March, Mr. Gladstone's Mid-Lothiancampaign, which will live in history as an instance of the noxiousadmixture of sentiment and politics, and the overwhelming success of theLiberal party at the polls, which brought Mr. Gladstone back to office, atthe head of an absolute majority in the House of Commons of 56. Reeve, ofcourse, followed the progress of the election with anxious eyes. To Mr. T. Norton Longman he wrote:-- _Foxholes, April 2nd_. --The Liberal gain on the Elections is far more thanI anticipated, and I begin to hope there may be a decided Liberal majority. What I most deprecate is an even balance of parties. If the Liberals arestrong, they will be moderate; if weak, they will be violent. It is raining heavily to-day--rather damp for the electors, but a capitalthing for the country and for my shrubs. The further course of the election brought him the following letters fromthe Comte de Paris:-- _Château d'Eu, le 12 avril_. --Je vous remercie de tout mon coeur des voeuxque vous m'adressez à l'occasion de la naissance de mon fils, et je suisheureux de pouvoir vous donner les meilleures nouvelles de la mère et del'enfant. Je suis bien peiné d'apprendre que vous avez été si longtemps souffrant cethiver. La rigueur de la saison peut bien en avoir été la cause, et j'espèreque l'été achèvera de vous remettre. Nous serions heureux, la Comtesse deParis et moi, si durant cet été vous pouviez, avec Madame et MademoiselleReeve, renouveler la visite que vous nous avez faite au château d'Eu il y atrois ans. Depuis lors la maison a été toujours en deuil; l'événement quivient de s'accomplir ici nous permet, j'aime à le croire, une année plusheureuse. The result of the elections in England has caused great surprise in France. Nothing led us to expect such a complete change in the opinion of theelectorate. When I saw Mr. Gladstone a few months since, he did not seem atall confident of his party's speedy return to power. A year or two ago Ishould have greatly regretted the fall of Lord Beaconsfield; but myopinion is entirely changed since Lord Salisbury's speech in honour of theAustro-German alliance. Lord Beaconsfield's term of power has had the onegood result of obliging the Government which succeeds him to pay more andcloser attention to Continental politics than the English Cabinet did in1870 and 1871. But for some time back the Russophobia of the Foreign Officeand its agents has been so great that it looked as if England was going togive up the idea of preserving the equilibrium of the Continent, and becomethe accomplice or the dupe of those who played on this passion. _20 avril_. --Je m'empresse de vous remercier de votre lettre et de vousdire tout le plaisir que la Comtesse de Paris et moi nous aurons à vousvoir ici avec Madame et Mademoiselle Reeve. Malheureusement les troisdernières semaines d'août sont le seul moment où je ne serai pas ici, et sivous venez un peu plus tôt en France je vous prierais de commencer par lechâteau d'Eu. .. . I have read the article on M'Clellan by Mr. Curtis, in thelast number of the 'North American Review. ' It did not teach me much, for Ihave often talked it all over with M'Clellan, in his visits to Europe. Butthe article is good, and all the facts alleged are perfectly true. Lincolnwas very weak in this business, the tool--without knowing it--of Stantonand Halleck. The author sometimes closes his eyes to M'Clellan's faults, which, though they do not excuse Lincoln, impartiality will not permit usto ignore. M'Clellan was an excellent organiser and a skilful general, buthe made blunders; he could not take a decided resolution at the propertime, and it is not correct to say that he was considered a faultlessgeneral: he was loved, appreciated, and respected by all, and justlyconsidered as the best chief of the Federal armies, when Grant, Sherman, and Thomas were as yet little known. Personally, he was, at times, veryindiscreet: he permitted those about him to speak of the President ininsulting terms, and he wrote the letter quoted by Mr. Curtis. An extremelysilly thing, for it could not possibly do any good, and it was easy tosee that his enemies would use it against him. With these exceptions, Ientirely share the views of the author of the article. We await the formation of your new ministry with curiosity. I agree withyou that it is better that Gladstone should be its recognised head than itsunofficial and irresponsible leader. I hope the experience of 1871, and theverdict of the electors in 1874, have opened his eyes to the dangers of a_far niente_ policy, as practised by the Foreign Office during his lastadministration. _27 avril_. --Je vous remercie infiniment de votre lettre du 21 et je meréjouis bien de penser que nous aurons probablement votre visite ici aumois de juillet. Je vous remercie de l'intention que vous m'exprimezd'arranger vos projets de manière à pouvoir venir en France à cette époque. I see Mr. Gladstone has not been afraid of the fatigue you thought wouldbe too much for him. I quite understand that after his disaster in 1874 heshould insist on a material proof of his wondrous political rehabilitation. But it seems to me that he ought not to have combined the Exchequer withthe leadership--unless, indeed, his friends wanted to handicap him byallowing him to take upon his strong shoulders a burden which is usuallydivided between two ministers. I am not surprised at this change, socomplete, so striking to one who thinks of the time when Mr. Gladstone, almost disavowed by the party he had so imprudently led to defeat, couldhardly find a constituency to open the doors of the House to him. It isa spectacle presented by all free countries, a salutary warning to thevictors of the day, and a consolation to the vanquished, to whom hope isalways left. But what does astound me is that the change should not havebeen foreseen. It is rather a severe democratic shock to the parliamentarymachine. Is it the effect of the lowering of the franchise, or of thesecret ballot? I do not know. But does not the astonishment of the leadersof the victorious party prove that their followers are escaping from theircontrol? And if so, where and to whom will they go? However, I am confidentthat the practical spirit which has hitherto inspired all classes of theEnglish people, as they have been successively called upon to taketheir part in the government--from the old nobility to the pettyshopkeepers--will not be found wanting in the new electoral body, constituted by the last reform. _4 juin_. --Si, comme je l'espère bien, vous pouvez réaliser la bonnepromesse que vous m'avez faite de venir ici avec Madame et MademoiselleReeve dans la seconde moitié de juillet, je serais heureux de vous voirfixer votre visite aux environs du 22: en effet, nous attendons ce jour-làou le suivant quelques personnes qui vous intéresseront certainement et quiseront charmées de vous rencontrer: le Comte et la Comtesse d'Eu, le Duc etla Duchesse d'Audiffret-Pasquier, M. Et Madame de Rainneville (Rainnevilleaformosa, d'après votre botanique spéciale). _19 juillet_. --Je m'empresse de vous remercier de votre lettre, et de vousdire que je vous enverrai jeudi, à Dieppe, une voiture pour vous chercher àl'Hôtel de la Plage à deux heures après midi, à moins d'avis contraire. Toutefois je dois vous prévenir que M. Alexandre Dumas, qui habite près deDieppe, et auquel j'avais demandé de venir déjeuner ici l'un de ces jours, en lui laissant le choix du jour, m'annonce qu'il viendra déjeuner auchâteau le jeudi 22. Le déjeuner est à onze heures et demie. Si vousdésiriez le rencontrer il faudrait que vous partiez le matin de Dieppe. Dans ce cas, sur un avis de vous, je vous enverrais la voiture à neufheures du matin, au lieu de deux heures après midi. So on July 21st, Reeve, with Mrs. Reeve, left London for Dieppe, whencethey went on to the Château d'Eu. On the 26th they went on, through St. Quentin, Namur, and Liège, to Aix, where, for the next fortnight, Reevedrank waters and took baths. They then returned through Brussels andLondon, reaching Foxholes on August 14th. And there they stayed for nearly three months, during which time, beyondnoting a few visits or visitors, the Journal is a blank. On November 6ththey returned to London. _To Mr. T. Norton Longman_ _C. O. , November 26th_. --I have not for a long time read a book sofascinating to me as these Reminiscences of Carlyle; for though he callsthem reminiscences of Irving &c. , they are, in fact, essentially anautobiography. It is impossible to present the details of life with moreattractive clearness and picturesque effect. The most curious thing isthat the style, instead of being a mass of cloudy affectation, is simple, flowing, and natural. To me, especially, all this is most captivating. Theaccount of Mrs. Montagu, Coleridge, the Bullers, the Stracheys, &c. Revivesa thousand recollections. It was through the Bullers that we first knewCarlyle, and I suppose in due time he will relate his intimacy with theAustins and Sterlings in the same manner. It is right to say that there are many persons still alive who will not bepleased at having their portraits drawn by so strong a hand--Mrs. Procter, for instance. Altogether, I think the book is eminently interesting and valuable, andwill have a very large circulation indeed. It is the sort of book everybodylikes to read, and in this case it is backed by names of great celebrity. Iwill send the MS. Back to you on Monday. What a wonderful thing it isthat Froude should have had the patience to copy all this out in his ownhandwriting! I dined last night with the Chancellor, and found both him and the HomeSecretary deep in 'Endymion. ' Everybody abuses it more or less, buteverybody reads it, so the abuse does not go for much. Only Lady Stanley(the dowager) declares she could not get through the first volume. Such isthe strength of party feeling. _From the Duc d'Aumale_ Chantilly, 2 décembre. Mon cher Monsieur Reeve, --Je me fais une fête de vous revoir. J'ai vendumon hôtel de Paris et n'ai pas encore pu y reconstituer d'établissement. Mais Chantilly [Footnote: During the next few years, before he was againexiled, the Duc d'Aumale restored Chantilly on a magnificent scale (see_post_, pp. 319, 320), making it a repository for his splendid collectionof pictures, works of art, and library, which included many precious MSS. By a will dated June 3, 1884, he bequeathed the whole to the 'Institut deFrance, ' in trust for the nation. ] est si près! Dès que vous pourrez, donnez-moi votre adresse de Paris, et indiquez-moi quels jours vous serezlibre, afin que je puisse en choisir un et vous demander de venir àChantilly. Dites-moi aussi quels jours il vous serait agréable d'avoir maloge aux Français. J'espère bien avoir lu 'Endymion' d'ici là. Je vous serre la main. H. D'ORLÉANS. Reeve was thus meditating a visit to Paris for Christmas, as soon as theCourt rose. Its session ended in the death of one of its most esteemedmembers. Sir James Colvile, formerly Chief Justice of the Supreme Courtof Bengal, had a house in Rutland Gate, and a great intimacy had grown upbetween the two. On Friday, December 3rd, he had dined with the Reeves, 'infair health and excellent spirits, ' as Mrs. Reeve wrote a few days later. 'He, with Lady Colvile and his brother-in-law, Lord Blachford, sat on forquite half an hour after the other guests left' On Saturday morning he wentdown to the office with Reeve. On the Monday he was dead. Sir LawrencePeel, [Footnote: First cousin of Sir Robert Peel (the statesman), formerlyChief Justice of Calcutta, and since 1856 a member of the JudicialCommittee. He died in 1884, in his 85th year. ] one of his colleagues in theJudicial Committee, himself now old and feeble, wrote, apparently the sameday:-- My dear Reeve, --A blow terrible indeed to all of us, to me most terrible. Aman so close to death as I think myself feels more deeply the awe a suddendeath causes. I know not the man to whom a sudden death could come and findmore well prepared than he was. I thank you for your kind forethought. Sayfor me to his late colleagues that I feel his loss to them and to all ofus irreparable. That he should go first! Oh God, preserve me and bless youall. Ever yours truly, L. PEEL. Could you say or write a line in season to Lady Colvile? They say I ambetter. _To Mr. T. Norton Longman_ _Rutland Gate, December 7th_. --I have been and am horribly upset by thesudden death of Sir James Colvile, which took place yesterday morning. Hewas really my most intimate friend; for twenty-two years we have worked andlived together, and to all of us the loss is irreparable, _From Sir Lawrence Peel_ _December 11th_, --One word about your 'resignation. ' 'Don't. ' The weakerthe thing is, the more your value will be felt. Sir Montague [Footnote:Sir Montague Smith, one of the paid members of the Judicial Committee. Heresigned the office on December 12th, 1881, and died, in his 82nd year, in1891. ] will go. He has as much as told me so, not very lately. It will be anew Court, not the old P. C. , nor can it have the character of the House ofLords. It will have its entire way to make, and where is the stuff? It mayin time win approval; but it will be a child at first. Of course if thingsare made unpleasant to you, Go; but my impression is the other way. I think I do get better, but I am very bad. It [the death of Sir JamesColvile] was a terrible shock; and I lie and think, yet cannot throw itoff. To-day is the funeral. Alas! Alas! _Nulli flebilior quam mihi!_When earth covers him, not a better man will be left on its face. _Tibiconstabat_. Ever the servant of Duty and of his God, and letting no mannote in him a sign that he thought himself better than the ruck. .. . Godbless you! Don't resign--wait. On December 15th Reeve went to Paris alone. His Journal notes:-- _17th_. --Opera 'Aïda, ' with the Comte de Paris and the Duc d'Aumale. _18th_. --To the Français, with the Duc d'Aumale. _19th_. --Breakfasted at Chantilly; went all over the Château, rebuilt. _24th_. --Dined alone with Lord Lyons. But a few letters written at this time to his wife give the bestdescription of his visit, and call more particular attention to what seemsto have been in great measure the cause of it--the paper to be read beforethe Institute. _Paris, December 21st_. --I dined yesterday with Laugel to meet the DeWitts, the young De Barantes and M. De Mérode. The Duc de Broglie came inthe evening. The eldest son of Cornélis de Witt is about to marry Mlle. De Labruyère, a considerable heiress, dans l'Agénois. This is a capitalmarriage for the family. To-morrow I am going to a lecture by M. Caro atthe Sorbonne. On Thursday there is the reception of M. Maxime du Camp (whowrote about the Commune) by M. Caro at the Académie Française, when Ishall take my seat amongst the Forty Immortals. It will be interesting. OnWednesday 29th I shall probably make an address to the Institute (simpleénoncé de faits) on the State of Landed Property in Ireland--a formidableundertaking! I think now that the Radicals will break up the Government and break theirown necks. I cannot conceive that the English people and Parliament willcondone such monstrous conduct. I therefore now hope that they will playout their abominable game. Mr. Plunket's speech is admirable. _December 23rd_. --I am just come back from the Institute, where there hasbeen a grand function--the reception of Maxime du Camp by M. Caro on behalfof the Académie Française. All Paris was mad to go, and I believe theyexpected the Communards would storm the sacred building. I sat aloft amongthe Immortals, with the Duc de Broglie, Haussonville, Lesseps, VieilCastel, and next Alexandre Dumas, who was very pleasant. The Duc d'Aumalewas on the other side. Yesterday we had a very pleasant dinner at the De Broglies'--Gavard, Lambert de Ste. -Croix and Cornélis de Witt. They shot 1, 250 pheasantsat Ferrières [Footnote: It was here that the celebrated meeting betweenBismarck and Jules Favre (cf. _ante_, pp. 186-7) took place, on September19th, 1870. ] (Baron Rothschild's) on Sunday. The Comte de Paris broughtdown 300 himself. I have written out my speech on Irish Land and read it to Gavard. It willtake about fifteen or twenty minutes in the delivery. I breakfast tomorrowmorning with St. Hilaire. _December 27th_. --I went to the English Church in the Rue d'Aguesseau onChristmas Day--full congregation and nice service--but saw nobody I knew. Mme. Faucher's dinner was dull, but Passy and Leroy-Beaulieu were there, and there was some good music after dinner. I called yesterday on Feuilletde Conches and Mme. Mohl, each looking a thousand and older than the hills;and I spent some time in the galleries of the Louvre with my old favouritesin their eternal youth. It is infinitely touching, when so much else isgone, to look at those pictures which I myself remember for sixty years inunchanging beauty. I perfectly remember the impression made on me when Iwas seven years old by the picture of the Entry of Henry IV into Paris. I have copied out my whole oration to be read on Wednesday, and, incopying, enlarged it. It is chiefly taken from the Irish Land Pamphlet. _December 30th_. --My discourse at the Institute went off very well. I wastold by the best French writer, Mignet, that it was well written, and bythe best French speaker, Jules Simon, that it was well delivered, which isenough to satisfy a modest man. The MS. Will be printed and published inseveral forms. Léon Say sat by my side. There were about thirty peoplepresent. I went to the Due de Broglie's reception last night. Nothing can exceed thedulness of French society--ten or twelve men sitting in a circle to discussmiserable municipal politics; not another subject, or a book, or an ideaso much as mentioned. I am now going to breakfast with the Duc d'Aumale atLaugel's. Gladstone seems to think that everything must go right since he is inpower. It is a case of mental delusion, but I am curious to see how theHouse of Commons will deal with him. _December 31st_. --We had a very pleasant breakfast with the Duc d'Aumale atLaugel's yesterday. He was most agreeable. He had a narrow escape on Mondayfrom a stag at bay, which pursued him with fury, killed a hound and woundeda horse. He said, 'J'ai fui comme je n'ai jamais fui de ma vie. ' The stagsthey hunt are wild red deer. He asked me to go in the evening with himto the Français to see 'Hernani, ' which I did; glad to see the old pieceagain, though I thought it not well acted. I am now going to breakfast with St. -Hilaire. _To Mr. T. Norton Longman_ _Paris, December 29th_. --I am very anxious to learn what the bulk of theLiberal party in England now think of the results of a Radical policy inIreland and elsewhere. Unhappily our friends, the Whigs, are to a certainextent responsible for having assented to it, though reluctantly; but thereal author of this Irish policy is Mr. Bright. The consequences of itappear so disastrous that I cannot conceive it will last. But we are on theeve of stormy times. The Journal continues:-- 1881, _January 2nd_. --Returned to London in 8 1/2 hours. The Club met in January as Parliament was sitting. _14th_. --Dinner at home. Prince Lobanow, [Footnote: The Russian Ambassador. ]Acton, Burys, C. Villiers, Leckys. _15th_. --Small dinner at Lord Derby's. _18th_. --Tremendous snow-storm. 21st. Excessive cold. _From Mr. E. Cheney_ _Audley Square, January 5th_. --I must apologise for having kept yourprecious manuscript [Footnote: The _Greville Memoirs_, second part], solong. The truth is, I left town for a month, and left the volumes carefullylocked up, and only finished them on my return. I have read them with thedeepest interest, and am truly obliged to you for having procured me somuch amusement. I think these volumes even surpassing the last in interest. I see you have marked several passages for omission which I should retain. I allude particularly to those relating to the French Revolution and theconduct of the Orleans family. It is impossible that any relation of thosefacts can be made so as to be agreeable to that family; and no omissionscould be made that would render the narration palatable to them. Besides, these are Charles Greville's opinions, and not yours; and you are notanswerable for them. His remarks on the state of Ireland and the conduct of the Government arecurious, as being exactly those which people are making at this moment. Gladstone's policy is exactly that of Lord John Russell; but the urgency ofaction is now still greater, and the outrages committed still more heinous. Gladstone may apply the words of the poet to himself--'In not forbidding, you command the crime. ' Also the Duke of Wellington's opinions on armyreform are applicable to the present moment, when such determined attacksare made upon its efficiency. The Duke said, 'We had a damned good army, and they are trying to make it a damned bad one. ' Our present patrioticGovernment, he might say, 'are trying to make it a damned deal worse. ' What would be personally offensive to the Queen should be omitted; but asto his criticisms on public men and their measures, I cannot see why theyshould be suppressed. The daily newspapers all over England are free tomake what comments they please, and I cannot see that a well-informedindividual is not entitled to the same privilege. His account of his quarrel with Lord G. Bentinck should in justice to himbe printed; Lord G. Told his own story, and Greville has every right togive his version of it. He certainly intended it, for he read me that partof his journal. The name of the Duchess of ------ should of course be leftin blank, but, with this exception, I think the whole might be printed. There is no private scandal, and public men and their friends should notbe thin-skinned, and must learn to bear adverse criticism. The affectationof calling Lord Russell 'John' and 'Johnny' is offensive and tiresome;also, by omitting persons' titles there is frequently some ambiguity--'Grey' may mean Sir George or the Earl, and the context does not alwaysmake his meaning clear. I think a few lines of preface from you explaining your motives for leavingGreville to express his own views and opinions would quite clear you withall reasonable people. _From M. B. St. Hilaire_ [Footnote: At this time Ministre des AffairesEtrangères. ] Paris: January 10. Cher Monsieur Reeve, --I quite understand that the reticence of the Toriesis very wise. Office is not tempting, and it is prudent to leave it tothose who actually have it. But the situation is very precarious, as Mr. Gladstone will no doubt soon learn. Meanwhile he has given me powerfulassistance by speaking of arbitration as he has done, supported by thecomplete and unanimous assent of the English Cabinet. This may very likelydecide the Greeks and Turks to adopt more sensible notions. But the thingis giving me a great deal of trouble. .. I hope you may be able to pacify Ireland, but it will be very difficult. Against such atrocious and persistent determination, force is almost asunavailing as gentleness. If, as we may believe, that is what Cromwell metwith, we can understand the excesses into which the barbarity of his ageled him; but in two hundred and thirty years we have not gained much. Evenemigration has had no good effect. 'Tis a frightful sore; though during thelast forty years England has done wonders to cure it. Much might be said on this subject. I see by the newspapers that you haveread before our Academy a most interesting paper on Property in Ireland. Ifyou should print it, I hope you will not forget me. Towards the end of thismonth I will send you one of my latest works--to wit, a Yellow Book onGreece. It will at least be curious. Agréez, cher Monsieur Reeve, tous mes voeux de nouvel an pour vous et pourtous ceux qui vous sont chers. Bonne santé. Votre bien dévoué, B. ST. HILAIRE. _Paris, January 11th_. --I am greatly obliged for the account of yourinterview with Musurus Pasha. If the key to this business is in our viewson the Conference of Berlin, the house is open, and we have nothing to dobut enter. I have written with my own hand three long despatches, showingby a reference to Vattel that the Conference was nothing more than themediation promised by the XXIVth article of the Treaty of Berlin. These despatches I have communicated in the first place to Athens andConstantinople, and afterwards to all the foreign ambassadors here, as wellas to Essad Pasha and to Braïlas Arméni. If there is one thing certain, it is that the Conference of Berlin neitherdid nor could do anything but mediate; it merely gave advice; it did notdeliver judgement to be enforced. I am doing what I can to convince theGreeks of this all-important fact, but hitherto without much success. Ihave even gone farther, and have pointed out to them in these despatchesthe limits within which arbitration will probably have to confine itself. As I am only one out of six, I can do no more, and even this was perhapstoo much. The Porte and Greece cannot help knowing all this. The publicalso will know it by the end of the present month, when I shall publish thedespatches in the yellow book which I am preparing, and which I will sendto you. The state of Ireland appears to us here to be truly dreadful. We do not seehow such crimes can be tolerated. _From Mr. E. Cheney_ _January 13th_. --I see no reason why this sequel [of the 'GrevilleMemoirs'] should not be published whenever it is convenient, but of thisyou only can be judge. There is very little private scandal, and thatlittle should of course be omitted. The Queen should always be spared; but as to Lord J. Russell and LordPalmerston, they are public men, and their public conduct requires noreserve in the discussion of it;--the Queen herself, in her own Journals, speaks of them and of Gladstone in terms that prove how little reserve shethought necessary. It is amazing to me that a man who lived so much in theworld [as Greville], and who had great curiosity and a taste for gossip, should so carefully have avoided all scandal. The criticism that was sometimes made on the former volumes reminds merather of the note on the quiz on Crabbe in the 'Rejected Addresses':--'Theauthor is well aware how ill it becomes his clerical profession to give anypain, however slight, to any individual, however foolish or wicked. ' Painmust be given, and offence will be taken; but you will do what is right andmust be indifferent. I think these last volumes even more amusing than thefirst, and the discussions about Ireland are of peculiar interest at thismoment--I am very glad that these precious volumes are again in your hands. I felt quite uneasy whilst they were in mine. _From the Comte de Paris_ Chateau d'Eu, le 2 février. Mon cher Monsieur Reeve, --Nous ne pouvions douter, ma femme et moi, de lapart que vous et Madame Reeve prendriez au malheur si cruel et si inattenduqui vient de nous frapper. Vous aviez vu ici le bel enfant que Dieunous avait envoyé il y a dix mois [Footnote: _Ante, p. 275_] et dont lanaissance nous avait causé une si grande joie. Il était si fort et si bienportant que jusqu'à la veille de sa mort nous n'avions pas eu un instantd'inquiétude. Vous comprenez done bien notre douleur. Je ne doute pas queMademoiselle votre fille ne s'y associe, car nous connaissons et nousapprécions les sentiments dont vous nous avez donné, tons les trois, tantde preuves. Ma femme, qui depuis dix ans a perdu trois soeurs, deux frères, et deuxfils, est, comme vous le pensez, bien accablée; mais les enfants qui luirestent l'obligeront heureusement à reprendre à la vie. Ne voulant plusaprès notre malheur laisser derrière elle notre dernière fille, la petiteIsabelle, et ne pouvant l'emmener en Espagne dans cette rude saison, elle aremis ce voyage à l'automne prochain, et s'est décidée à ne pas quitter lechâteau d'Eu, où l'hiver a été rude. Mais si nous avons eu le froid et laneige, l'Andalousie n'a pas été épargnée par la tempête, et les inondationsy sont terribles. Je termine en vous priant de croire aux sentiments bien sincères deVotre affectionné, LOUIS-PHILIPPE D'ORLÉANS. During the preceding autumn the state of Ireland had been exceptionallybad. There were many who believed that the attempt was being made, by acold-blooded calculation, to work on the sentimental instincts of Mr. Gladstone's character. The verb 'to boycott' had been introduced into theEnglish language; murders and agrarian outrages had been frequent; butwitnesses and juries were so terrorised, that prosecution was found to bedifficult and conviction impossible. In charging the grand jury at Galwayon December 10th, the judge had commented on the fact that, out of698 criminal offences committed in Connaught during the four months, thirty-nine only were for trial, no sufficient evidence as to the other659 being obtainable. On November 2nd, fourteen members of the LandLeague--including five members of Parliament--were arrested and committedfor trial on the charge of inciting to crime. The facts were matter ofpublic notoriety, but the jury refused to convict, and the prisoners weredischarged. The Government was compelled to act; and on January 24th Mr. Forster moved for leave to bring in a bill for the better protection ofperson and property in Ireland. After an unprecedented obstruction on thepart of the Irish members, and after a continuous sitting of forty-onehours, the Speaker summarily closed the debate, and the bill, commonlyknown as the Coercion Bill, passed the first reading on February 2nd. Onthe 3rd, twenty-seven of the Irish members were suspended; and the bill, having passed through the succeeding stages, finally became law on March2nd. * * * * * _From M. B. St. -Hilaire_ _Paris, February 6th_. --I am happy in your approval, and permit me to addthat I am proud of it. I know the value and sincerity of your judgements. You have a long experience of politics, and every reason not to be deceivedeven by the most obscure complications. There was certainly an intrigue onfoot against the Cabinet, but I believe a stop has been put to it for sometime to come, and we shall now probably have all the trouble of the generalelection, which will be very advantageous for the republic; but, froma personal point of view, I am anything but charmed with the prospect, finding myself chained up for several months. Nothing could be morevexatious, though I put as good a face on it as I can. We do not understand here how a political assembly can endure what yourParliament has put up with. Thanks to Mr. Gladstone, the Speaker is nowarmed with sufficient power, and I take for granted he will know how touse it. But Ireland, terrible Ireland, is always there. If an insurrectionbreak out, it will be necessary to have recourse to repressive measures, more or less similar to those of Cromwell. I do not believe that therewould be many in Europe to blame you. How can you do otherwise? Of theirown free will, the Irish sink to the level of brute beasts, which are to betamed only by force. * * * * * The next letter, and many others following it, from M. BarthélemySt. -Hilaire, refer to the action of France in regard to Tunis, as to whichthere was a strong feeling in England both then and since. France, it maybe admitted, had grievances; whether she would have taken the steps she didfor their settlement if the English Government had been stronger in itsforeign policy may very well be doubted. For many years, almost since the first establishment of the French inAlgeria, there had been differences between France and Tunis, over whichthe French pretended a protectorate which neither Tunis nor Constantinoplewould allow. There had been also many commercial difficulties--somehonest, some dishonest; but what led to the acute stage which thesedifficulties and differences assumed in 1881 was the purchase, in 1880, bythe Société Marseillaise, for 100, 000 £, of a large tract of land known asthe Enfida--subject, it had been stipulated, 'to the provisions of thelocal law. ' But the purchase was no sooner publicly declared than itslegality was disputed; a Maltese--therefore an English subject--namedLevy claiming that by the local law he had a right of pre-emption and wasprepared to buy. This right the French Government denied, and alleged thatthe intending purchasers were really Italians--private or official--Levybeing only a man of straw put forward to strengthen their case by theEnglish name. Lord Granville, the then Foreign Secretary, instructed theEnglish Consul at Tunis that it was an affair of Tunis law, and that he wasnot to interfere beyond seeing that the English subject got what the lawentitled him to. The French Government, however--of which M. St. -Hilairewas the exponent--refused to be bound by Tunis law, and on May 1st landed10, 000 soldiers, and took military possession of Tunis, disclaiming allidea of being at war with Tunis, but being obliged--they said--to defendand maintain their just rights. They were neither going to annex Tunis norto rebuild Carthage. * * * * * _From M. B. St. -Hilaire_ _Paris, February 25th_. --I should be quite as deeply vexed as you if anycoolness should arise between England and France. I am doing everything inmy power to maintain and even strengthen the good relations. I am happy tosay we have a better understanding than ever in Egypt; but at Tunis mattersare not so favourable, and I fear that the English Cabinet has been toohasty in taking under its protection a person who is but little deservingof it. I hope to show this very plainly. The Marseilles Company which wedefend is quite _en règle_, in every respect, and what M. Levy is aiming atagainst it is simply a forcible spoliation by means of an intrigue hatchedby the principal members of the Tunis Government, [Footnote: It is quitepossible that this was true, but it was merely an assertion based on theone-sided declaration of the Marseilles Company and its agents. ] with theprime minister at their head. And whatever difference of opinion there maybe, Lord Granville, of his own accord, said to M. Challemel-Lacour that inthis there was no cause of quarrel between the two countries. That is myopinion also, and I hope to bring the English Cabinet to it; but it is notfor us to sacrifice the Marseilles Company, by subjecting it to tribunalswhose hostile decision is known beforehand. The whole trouble has beencaused by the Italians, who have started and are prosecuting this intrigue, at the very moment in which they are asking us for a loan of six hundredand fifty millions. The speech of M. Gambetta was eloquent, and above all dramatic, but notconvincing; and it is really very difficult to believe that he knew nothingof the Thomassin mission till after it had failed. I have no knowledge ofwhat passed between M. De Freycinet and M. Gambetta; but it is certain thatfor the last five months Gambetta has made no attempt to control me and mypolicy. He affects to show his sympathy and approval whenever he meets me, and notably so last Monday. At the same time, his newspapers attack me inevery way they can, whilst he, verbally, disavows them, as he did for M. Proust and M. Reinach. This double game does not tell in Gambetta's favour;he has lost much during the last two months, and if the _scrutin de liste_is not passed, his influence will be greatly diminished. In short, he isplaying a very equivocal part, which is injurious both to himself and tothis republic. What saves him are attacks of the kind which M. De Broglieineffectually made yesterday in the Senate. .. . Of current and social events the Journal notes:-- _March 5th. _--Visit to Battle Abbey. Duke and Duchess of Somerset there. Ed. Stanhope, Arthur Balfour, H. Brougham, Lord Strathnairn. _11th. _--Dinner at home for General Roberts: but he had been ordered off tothe Transvaal. _13th. _--Emperor of Russia (Alexander II. ) murdered. _16th. _--Tennyson gave an evening party in Eaton Square. _April 7th. _--To Foxholes. Cold: gouty. Lady Colvile came. _20th. _--My cousin, John Taylor, died. _26th. _--Lord Beaconsfield's funeral. Of this last, he received the following account from Mr. T. NortonLongman:-- _April 28th. _--The sad ceremony I had the honour of attending the daybefore yesterday will for ever live in the memory of all who were present. Nothing could have been more simple in its character, nothing more strikingin its solemnity, and nothing more in strict accordance with his wishes. I may well say I shall not forget so great an occasion, not only from thefact that the ceremony was the burial of a great man, but from the veryselect band of followers I had the privilege of joining. There were only120 invitations sent out, and all these were not made use of. I travelleddown in a saloon carriage with Drs. Quain, Bruce, Lord Lytton, LordAlington, Count Münster, with all of whom I had very pleasant conversation. Sir William Harcourt, Lord Rosebery, the Danish Minister, and anotherambassador were also in the carriage; so I had plenty of good company. I had a little conversation with poor Lord Rowton, and thanked him forthinking of me. 'Not at all, ' he said; 'I am quite sure it would be _his_wish that you should be here to-day. ' This was, to say the least of it, gratifying. The persons who appeared to be most touched were poor Bruce andLord Henry Lennox. On our return to the Manor about fifty of us went intothe drawing-room to hear the will read, and a very interesting document itproved to be. It is perfectly clear Lord Beaconsfield contemplated a greatdeal of publication. After the reading was finished and those present hadmostly left the room, I waited behind a little for the three Princes tomove first; and, much to my surprise, the Duke of Connaught turned roundand shook me by the hand. This little incident makes it all a peculiarlyinteresting and eventful day. We all returned to town together (I mean thePrinces and the guests); and I think I may safely say that a train neverarrived at Paddington Station with a more distinguished company on board. As I walked up from the church I could not help thinking that the lasttime I walked up that hill I had poor Lord B. On my arm. The demand for'Endymion' is very great, and in fact the demand for all his novels isgreater than we can meet. We are printing night and day to try and keep thetrade supplied. _From M. B. St. -Hilaire_ _Paris, 27 avril_. Il y a bien des jours que je voulais vous écrire, et celong silence me faisait craindre que vous ne fussiez malade, comme vousl'étiez en effet; mais je me disais aussi que les vacances de Pâques vousameneraient sans doute à Paris. J'espère que le printemps vous guériracomplètement de cet accès; et que vous serez délivré de ce mal sidouloureux, dès que la chaleur nous sera revenue. Ici, nous avons un tempsdes plus maussades. I have done everything in my power to keep clear of this Tunis business;but the Khroumirs' affair has filled the cup to overflowing, and we areobliged to resort to force. I shall finish the business off as quickly asI can, and as we have no idea of annexation, all that we want is a treatywith the Bey, giving a lasting guarantee for the security of our frontierand our interests. I believe that even in Italy people are beginning tounderstand or to admit the necessity which is pressing on us; but they willowe us a grudge, and later on will resent it, if they can. For the present, the loan of six hundred and fifty millions paralyses their wrath. We areno more going to refound Carthage than Italy is going to re-establish theRoman Empire. The death of Lord Beaconsfield is a great blow for England. I have noticed, not without some surprise, that I am of the same age as he was. I have reason to believe that Lord Dufferin is quite of your opinion aboutRussia, and thinks that the most truly sick man is not at Constantinople. He may be right. Meanwhile the Conference will fail. I happen to know thatthree of us will refuse--England, Italy, and France. Austria would like todo the same. People are speaking no more of the _scrutin de liste_ than if the questiondid not exist. It was in fact altogether artificial; but the talk willbegin again with the meeting of the Chamber. The _scrutin d'arrondissement_appears to gain ground. Its success is much to be desired; for if it isrejected, we shall pretty quickly find ourselves in a critical position. _May 16th_. --Your letter is gloomy indeed, and should your forebodings berealised you may be sure that I should be as grieved as yourself. All mylife, and now as much as ever, I have looked upon the alliance of Franceand England as infinitely desirable for both; and if I were so unfortunateas to cause a breach between the two countries, it would be very muchagainst my will, and without my knowledge. Tunis cannot be a source ofdiscord between us, and I hope that public opinion, over-excited atpresent, will return to a more calm and just appreciation of the case. Wehave declared to Europe that we wish for no annexations or conquests, andwill attempt none; we have quite enough with the two million five hundredthousand Mussulmans in Algeria; it would be madness to add fifteen orsixteen hundred thousand more to them, and a hundred and fifty leaguesto our frontier. For Algeria thus extended we should require an army of100, 000 men, who would be much missed in case of any complication inEurope. All that we want in Tunis is a power which will not be hostile tous, and continually threaten our African possessions. We shall only occupyBiserta and the other places as long as appears necessary; but we will notmake a port of it; for that, as Sir Charles Dilke has said, would involve acost of some 200 millions. I have just sent Lord Lyons a despatch upon thatspecial subject, which will appear in the next Blue Book. Tunis will never belong to France; she does not want it; but should itbelong to Italy, who already owns Sicily, the passage to Malta might bemade difficult. I know that England has not much to fear from Italy; butcircumstances may change; and the gratitude she shows towards us now proveshow much she will have for other benefactors. I cannot understand how mydespatch of May 9th can have been interpreted as the announcement of ourtaking possession. In form and intention it was quite the contrary. Ouractions will show that we only speak the truth. Neither can I admit thateven the conquest of Tunis can ever equal in importance the taking ofConstantinople by the Russians, which in my eyes will be the greatest eventof modern times, as the taking of it by the Turks in 1453 was an importantevent in the fifteenth century. As to the Treaty of Commerce, I am doing all in my power to facilitatethe negotiations. I suppose that public opinion in England is at presentprincipally occupied with this; and that, if it is satisfactorily arranged, Tunis will very soon be forgotten. A thousand more interests are engagedin the agreement on a specific tariff than could ever be involved in thisunfortunate Regency. But I content myself with saying with the poet--_Di avertant omen_; and Idesire that England may be as well disposed towards us as we are towardsher. _May 23rd_. --I knew of the correspondence between Lord Salisbury and Mr. Waddington long ago. I should never have thought myself authorised topublish it; but I will take it from the Blue Book and publish it in theYellow Book. It is quite allowable. My declarations of our intentions in Tunis are the exact truth. Annexationwould be an act of folly. We have quite enough with three millionMussulmans in Algeria without adding another two million in Tunis, andanother hundred and fifty leagues to the length of our frontier, whichalready reaches from Nemours to La Calle. In doing good to the Regency weare serving ourselves, and we only ask one thing in return--that it shouldbe as well disposed to us as we are towards it. But it is not easy toestablish the good terms which would be so profitable to all. England oughtto be very well pleased that both sides of the passage to Malta are not inthe hands of the same Power, which would be the case if Italy, who alreadypossesses Sicily, had possession of Tunis on the other side. Geographydemonstrates the fact. As to us, we wish to do nothing at Biserta. Our portis necessarily at Algiers in the centre of our possessions. Like you, I deplore the _scrutin de liste_. It will give rise to formidabledifficulties in the near future. I am an optimist by nature, but thatfuture seems to me very dark. I do all I can to prevent it by foretellingit to everyone; but I only play the part of Cassandra. In the Council, M. Ferry and myself were the only ones who supported the _scrutind'arrondissement_. _July 9th_. --I did not think that the Tunis affair was concluded by thetreaty of May 12th; that is the first stage if you like; but it was ratherdifficult. The difficulties which arise are very simple consequences; wewill put down rebellion, but this will not incite us to conquest, whichwe do not want. The interests of the English, and those of other nations, would not suffer by our preponderance; and unless all the advantages ofcivilisation are ignored, it is certainly better to treat with the Frenchthan with the Moors. Europe will soon see [Footnote: Europe has seen;though not quite in the sense that St. -Hilaire wished to convey. ] that ourpromises are not vain, and that we have only good intentions towards Tunis. We wish for nothing but the security of our great African colony. The commercial negotiations have been transferred to Paris, at the requestof the English Cabinet, which had at first expressed a wish that theyshould take place in London. This seems to me to imply the very opposite ofa rupture, which, for our part, I can answer for it, we ardently desireto avoid. We only wish for an equitable treaty, and this I hope we shallmanage. .. . Est-ce qu'on ne vous verra pas durant les vacances? Mistress Ross estpassée par Paris il y a huit ou dix jours; elle est venue me voir uninstant; elle m'a paru très bien portante. Bonne santé et bien des amitiés. _July 22nd_. --I assure you that should any rupture take place betweenEngland and France, it will be very much in spite of all my efforts topreserve harmony between two great nations. The English alliance is, in myopinion, the right one for France; for many reasons, with which you areas familiar as myself, it is the one which should take precedence of allothers. I do not by any means disdain other alliances, but the English isthe first, the most important, and, I may add, the most natural. It wassincerely desired under Louis Philippe, in spite of a few passing clouds. Under Napoleon III. They were, in reality, strongly inclined to break it, notwithstanding the Crimean war. To-day we are anxious for an agreementwith England, if both sides will consent to reciprocal concessions. I am deeply grieved--surprised too--at the death of Dean Stanley. Sixty-twois too early to die, and nothing seemed to foretell his premature end. Hepassed through Paris, scarcely two months ago, and came to see me at theMinistère. Like yourself, I should be happy to escape, but my chain is too short; andwhilst I am minister I shall not go the length of a day's journey away. Wemust be at the command of circumstances, since they are not at ours, andthe shortest absence is enough to spoil many things. But I shall be happyon the day when I can break my bonds, and return to philosophy. _July 27th_. --I hope that my answer to the Duc de Broglie the daybefore yesterday will convince England of the value I set upon our goodintelligence, and of the open honesty of French policy. I hope, too, thatmy declarations may appease Italy and Turkey. I have done my best, and if Ido not succeed it will not be my fault. Our treaty of commerce is my chief source of anxiety, and for my part Iam trying to avoid a rupture. But there are the resolutions of the twoChambers which cripple the negotiators and above all our minister ofcommerce. These are impassable limits to the best will. The negotiationswill doubtless begin again in Paris, in about a fortnight, but it is notyet certain. The incident you point out is very curious, and Englandbecoming Protectionist, and England becoming Protectionist again under Mr. Gladstone, would be an astonishing spectacle. .. . Je ne savais pas que l'île de Man fût 'le royaume des chats sans queue. ' The Journal meantime notes:-- _June 3rd_. --To Foxholes: beautiful weather; 13th, back to town. Moredinners. _30th_. --To Drury Lane to see the German company act 'Julius Caesar. ' _July 2nd_. --Dinner at Walpole's to meet Archbishop Tait, Arthur Stanley, Lord Coleridge, Lord Eustace Cecil. _6th_. --Arthur Stanley's garden party at the Abbey. Lord Carnarvon's dinnerto the Antiquaries. [Footnote: Lord Carnarvon was president of the Societyof Antiquaries, of which Reeve was, at this time, a vice-president. ] _July 13th_. --Breakfast of Philobiblon at Lord Crawford's. Large gardenparty at Holland House. Great heat. _16th_. --To Foxholes and back. 18th, Arthur Stanley died. _July 23rd_. --From London to Government House, Isle of Man, on a visit tothe Henry Lochs--eleven hours. _25th_. --To Peel Castle with Loch and Coleridge; thence to Castletown. 27th, Ramsay. _July 29th_. --To Barrow in Furness. Furness Abbey. [Thence toScotland--Ormiston, Novar, Perth, Abington, &c. ] _August 24th_. --Back at Foxholes. _From Archbishop Tait_ August 16th. My dear Reeve, --It seems to me that a most important service might bedone if a good article was published in the 'Edinburgh' on the perniciousperiodical literature which spreads low Radicalism and second-hand scrapsof infidelity amongst the labouring classes, both of town and country. Myfriend Mr. Benham lately gave a lecture at Birmingham on the literature ofthis or a kindred style, written for boys--'Police News' and the like. Wedo little for the people if we only educate them to read and rejoice inthis trash. Ever yours, A. C. CANTUAR. The hint was not lost on Reeve, but it did not bear fruit till nearly sixyears later. In January 1887 the 'Edinburgh Review' contained a strongarticle on 'The Literature of the Streets, ' in which the proposal wasdefinitely made for the issue of wholesome fiction and good works of goodwriters, sensational and otherwise, in penny booklets. Eight or nine yearslater the idea was taken up by at least two publishers; such penny booksare now issued by thousands, and, together with the countless numberof halfpenny and penny periodicals, do something to mitigate the evilcomplained of by the Archbishop. The Journal notes:-- _September 9th_. --Picnic in New Forest with the Lochs and Clerkes. 30th, steamed round the Isle of Wight. _To Lord Derby_ _Foxholes, October 6th_. --I must express to you the very great pleasurewith which I have read your article [Footnote: 'Ireland and the Land Act, 'in the _Nineteenth Century_ for October. It does not attempt to argue thequestion of Home Rule, but concludes with the pregnant words: 'My presentobject will be sufficiently accomplished if I have indicated some ofthe difficulties which lie before us, and explained why--at least in mybelief--it is premature to say, "Now we have settled our Irish troubles andmay deal in peace with questions that concern England. "'] on the Irish LandAct. It states in the most terse and telling language precisely the viewsI have entertained for the last two years; and the conclusions it suggestsare even more striking than those it expresses. The ministers of England, be they who they may, have a difficult task before them. The odd thing isthat our present ministers seem totally unconscious of the difficulty andthe dangers. I am told that they view the state of Ireland with greatcomplacency. It is astonishing how office blinds people's eyes. We have lost two members of The Club--Lord Hatherley and alas! ArthurStanley. I hope you will be able to suggest somebody to replace them. _From Lord Derby_ _October 8th_. --I am glad you liked the article in the 'NineteenthCentury. ' I do believe it comes near to an accurate statement of the factsof the case--no one can hope for more than approximate accuracy in suchmatters--and on that account I expected it to be equally disagreeable toboth sides. Its reception has been better than seemed probable. Gladstonehas spoken out his mind about Parnell, and quite right too; but I wish hehad not accused the unlucky loyalists in Ireland of being slack in theirown defence. He does not know, evidently, how much they are overmatched. .. As to The Club. Two names have occurred to me--one, Browning the poet, who is an excellent talker (I have heard him), and as unlike his books aspossible; the other, Sir John Lubbock. What do you say? The opening sentence of the next letter, from Lord Derby, appears to referto an after-dinner speech made by Mr. Gladstone at Leeds, on the 7th, whenhe had alternately complimented Mr. Dillon and denounced Mr. Parnell. Thelatter part, the denunciation of Mr. Parnell and his faction, is unusuallystraightforward, and might profitably be studied in connection with some ofMr. Gladstone's later speeches. _October 11th_. --I don't understand Gladstone's phrase any better thanyou. Probably the explanation of it is that in Ireland it will be read asmeaning fresh concession, in England as meaning coercion. For anybody whohad leisure and disposition to take it up, I think a very interesting anduseful article for the 'Edinburgh Review' might be made out of the presentstate of Irish literature and journalism. I do not believe the Irish lowerand middle classes ever read an English book or newspaper, and their nativeliterature is saturated throughout with the bitterest hatred to England andall that belongs to our side the water. We do not in the least know herethe kind of mental food which is supplied to the amiable Celt. A goodanalysis of it would throw more light on the very old subject of why theyhate us so. Reeve adopted the suggestion, and the subject was discussed in an articleon 'Irish Discontent' in the next number of the 'Review. ' Lord Derby goeson:-- _October 15th_. --Since you wrote the Government has screwed up its courageto act. I never knew any proceedings so universally approved as the arrestof Parnell. [Footnote: Mr. Parnell, Mr. Dillon, Mr. Sexton, and the chiefofficials of the League were arrested in Dublin on the 13th and lodged inKilmainham. ] But we have not seen the end yet. _October 21st_. --Many thanks for your letter, which is returned. I dobelieve that it would be of use, as making intelligible the present stateof Irish feeling, to show to the English public (which is absolutelyignorant on the subject) what the kind of instruction is that the Irishpeasant and farmer receives. Another matter. What do you think of Matthew Arnold as a possible memberof The Club? He is a good fellow and his literary reputation is veryconsiderable. I think we could do with him if he would attend. _From M. B. St. -Hilaire_ _November 22nd_. --You know how little value I set on my office; I onlyaccepted it from a sense of duty, and quit it to-day, not only withoutregret but with great pleasure. I am glad to receive your congratulationsbecause you correctly estimate the person to whom they are addressed. Like yourself, I am not without anxiety for the future. In placing mattersin the hands of M. Gambetta, I said all I possibly could on the affairsof Europe and our relations with Germany; but I will not swear that moreattention will be paid to my advice than to that of many others. The Journal has:-- _December 10th_. --To Timsbury; 13th to Foxholes. The Mintos were living atBournemouth. Lunched with them on the 31st. 1882, _January 1st_. --At Foxholes. Sir A. Lyall came. _9th_. --Returned to London. A few dinners. _From Mr. E. Cheney_ _Badger Hall, January 19th_. --I have been reading the political articles inthe last number of the 'Edinburgh' with great interest and pleasure. Theone on 'The Bonapartes, ' though not strictly political, amused me much, as at one time of my life I knew Hortense and Louis Bonaparte intimately. Hortense was an agreeable woman, very French, but lively and full ofanecdote. She had been and was _très galante_, but with decency. When Iknew her at Rome she was near fifty, and though not handsome, had still theappearance of once having been a desirable woman. .. . Her son was then withher--a youth of my own age, with whom I was intimate without liking him. Hewas cold, disagreeable, and full of pretension, silent and reserved in hisown family, and anxious for distinction, which no one seemed willing toaccord him. I believe--contrary to the usual opinion--that he was theson of Louis Bonaparte; he was like him. He was short, not ill-made, butungraceful; his face was plain, his skin bad, complexion muddy; small pig'seyes, a coarse nose and mouth, lank hair, with little expression, and whathe had far from good. Neither I, nor any that then knew him, thought himat all clever. I remember he got into a ludicrous scrape by intruding, in female attire, into the apartments of the mistress of the Spanishambassador, from whence he was kicked out with every circumstance ofignominy. When the disturbances broke out in the Papal States, he took a part in themwhich was eminently unfitting, as he and his mother had found hospitalityin the States of the Church which they were refused in every other country. I saw Hortense at night, just before her hurried departure from Rome, whenthe news of her son's participation in the revolt at Ancona became public. I had always been well treated by her, and had tasted her hospitality bothat Rome and at Arenenberg, and wished to show her sympathy and interest, though I had nothing else in my power. .. . She received a passport fromSir Hamilton Seymour and travelled through France. In Paris she had aninterview with Louis Philippe, who was kind to her. In the days of herprosperity she had had an opportunity of showing kindness to the King'smother. She showed me a letter from that princess, in which there were veryardent expressions of gratitude for the service rendered to her. This shetold me she intended to show to L. Philippe as the certificate for herclaims on his protection. I saw her in London several times during herstay; she returned to Switzerland, and I never saw her again. Louis Bonaparte I only spoke to once afterwards. I happened to be at Corkwhen he landed there from America. I was at the same inn, and I understoodhe was in great distress for money. I asked to see him, and we met. I askedhim if he required any trifling service that I could render him, thinkinga five-pound note might take him to London. He thanked me, but said he wassupplied for the moment. He lived with the D'Orsay and Blessington set, which I did not frequent. I did not call on him, and in Paris I neverafterwards made the slightest effort to renew my former acquaintance withhim. .. . I had intended saying something about the two other articles that relateto home politics, but I have been already too prolix. I must tell you, however, how much I like them. Whigs as well as Tories will soon cease tobe separate; the struggle will soon be between those who have _culottes_and those who have not. We have got already to the Girondist ministry--aparty I hate particularly, in spite of their pretensions to virtue andphilosophy, or perhaps in consequence of it. There are some men ofbirth and distinction who belong to the party; but the Levesons and theCavendishes may soon find themselves stranded like the Narbonnes andMontmorencies amongst the Rolands and the Condorcets. .. . When are your new volumes to make their appearance? I long to have them asthough I had not already read them. _To Mr. E. Cheney_ _Rutland Gate, January 20th_. --I am uncommonly glad to hear from you again, and I have to thank you for a most interesting and amusing letter. Myacquaintance with Louis Napoleon began when yours left off, and I saw agood deal of him in 1838 and 1839. He wanted me to translate his 'IdéesNapoléoniennes. ' But when he became a great man I dropped his acquaintance. I am glad you like my tirade. I suspect my Whig friends do not; for themore one asserts Whig principles, the bitterer is the reflection on thosewho desert and betray them. I do not believe that the majority of thecountry or of the Liberal Party is Radical; but the danger is that aviolent minority always overpowers an inert majority. I care nothing at allfor any political persons, and but little for parties. It seems to me thatthe right and the wrong of government lies in the principles that regulateit, some of which are as certain as the truths of mathematics. The 'Greville Memoirs' have rather slumbered of late, but I am graduallyscrewing up my courage to begin printing, slowly. We are very well, and spent our Christmas pleasantly in Hampshire, theweather being delightful. London is dark and _un_delightful. Then the Journal:-- _February 24th_. --Visit to the Markbys at Oxford. Vespers at New College. Dined at All Souls. _28th_. --The Club. I was in the Chair. Mr. Gladstone attended; Lord Derby, Maine, Hewett, Tyndall, Coleridge. Matthew Arnold elected. _March 23rd_. --Electrical Exhibition at Crystal Palace, with Dr. Mann. _April 1st_. --To Foxholes. Very fine weather. No rain for three months. _To Mr. T. Norton Longman_ _Foxholes, April 4th_. --I like the concluding pages by Froude in theCarlyle book, but I am disappointed in Mrs. Carlyle's letters. They arepleasant and cheery, but there are thousands of women who write as well. As for Carlyle himself, he is _odious_--arrogance, vanity, self-conceit, ingratitude to old friends--I never thought I should dislike him so much. He seems to have looked at everything the wrong side outwards. The Journal notes:-- _April 11th_. --Lunched with the Mintos. They drove me to Christchurch. LadyMinto died on the 21st. _29th_. --A great salt hurricane that singed the trees all over the country, and also in France. _May 5th_. --Saw Lord Frederick Cavendish before he started for Dublin. Onthe 6th he was murdered. _From the Duke of Argyll_ _May 8th_. --You ask a difficult question about politics. On the one hand, Isee no possibility of a Conservative Government being formed just now, nor do I believe that a Liberal Government could be formed on purely Whiglines. On the other hand, I have the deepest conviction of the mischievoustendencies of Gladstone's leadership, and of the utter instability he isimparting to all the fundamental principles of government as hithertounderstood in all civilised countries. I can only advise that the truthin this matter should be spoken freely, in the hope that when Gladstonedisappears from the stage, there may be some return to sounder principlesof legislation. I do not wish to see a change of Government just now. TheTories could not govern Ireland in its present condition; at least it wouldbe a dangerous experiment. Half the Liberal party, which now supportscoercion when it is forced on Gladstone, would undoubtedly oppose everypossible form of it if proposed by Tories. The deplorable disaster madeknown to-day will have its effect. I hope it will force the Governmentto give form and substance to an amended Coercion Act--strengthening theordinary law and widely extending the sphere of summary jurisdiction. Ifthis be done well and sufficiently, it will be better than the powerof arbitrary arrest. But before this event, I really feared that dieGovernment might do nothing of the kind. The Journal mentions:-- _May 20th_. --At Foxholes, till June 13th. Bought rowing boat. _June 20th_. --Great dinner at The Club to the Duc d'Aumale. Nineteenpresent. _21st_. --Great dinner at Archbishop Tait's at Lambeth. Forty-three people. Evening service in Lambeth Chapel. _22nd_. --Wagner's 'Meistersinger' at Drury Lane. _From Sir Henry Taylor_ [Footnote: A very old friend of Reeve's. See_ante_, vol. I. P. 91. ] Bournemouth, June 22nd. Dear Mr. Reeve, --Thanks for telling me what splendours I missed at The Clubdinner. You ask what Dr. Johnson would have said if he had stepped in. Asit was his own Club, he would have been gracious; but it was not everydinner that could please him. Do you remember his remark as he wentaway with Boswell from a dinner at one of the colleges at Oxford? 'Thismerriment amongst parsons is mighty offensive. ' I always remember the singularly representative character of the onlydinner I have had an opportunity of attending since I was elected. Literature and Learning represented by yourself, Dr. Dictionary Smith, Lecky and Lord Acton; the Church by the Archbishop of Canterbury and DeanStanley; political life by Lord Derby and Spencer Walpole; the Law by LordRomilly, and the Dukes by the Duke of Cleveland--and there was no one else. It was very pleasant, and there were not too many for conversation incommon. I always feel that, as I have not been in London for more than a day sincethat dinner, and am not likely to be there again, it is hardly right tooccupy a place which might afford so much pleasure to some one else; but Ihave said this before, and your answer was that no one ever retired fromThe Club. As I am in my eighty-second year, I suppose it will not be long[Footnote: He lived four years longer, dying in 1886. ] before Providencewill place my seat at the disposal of some one who will turn it to moreaccount. Believe me, yours sincerely, Henry Taylor. _From the Comte de Paris_ Château d'Eu, 22 juin. Mon cher Monsieur Reeve, --J'apprends par M. Gavard que vous avezl'intention de venir en France vers le 20 juillet. Je m'empresse de vousdire tout le plaisir que vous nous ferez, à la comtesse de Paris et àmoi, en commençant ce voyage par un séjour au Château d'Eu. Je regretteseulement que vous ayez l'intention de l'entreprendre seul. J'ai fait ici, il y a trois semaines, de fort belles pêches à la truite, qui m'ont faitregretter que Mademoiselle Reeve ne fût pas ici. Vous trouverez chez nousle Duc d'Audiffret Pasquier, que vous avez déjà vu ici, je crois, il y adeux ans; et un général américain, qui a servi avec moi sous M'Clellan, M. De Trobriand. Je ne vous parle pas de la situation de nos deux pays en Orient: elle estpénible, et il me semble que le dernier numéro du _Punch_ l'exprime avecune vérité parfaite. Veuillez offrir mes hommages à Madame Reeve et me croire votre affectionné, LOUIS-PHILIPPE D'ORLÉANS. The Journal here notes:-- _July_. --The Egyptian Expedition was now resolved on. [Alexandria wasbombarded on the 11th: the Army Reserves were called out on the 25th. ] LordGranville thought it would be finished before the end of August. _16th_. --Crossed to Boulogne. Thence by Abbeville to Château d'Eu. Ducd'Audiffret, St. Marc Girardin, Duchesse de Montpensier. 21st, drive in theGreat Park. Tréport. 24th, returned to London. 28th, to Foxholes: quietlife. _To Mr. E. Cheney_ _Foxholes, October 20th_. --I am glad the article on Shelley [Footnote:'Shelley and Mary, ' _Edinburgh Review_, October 1882. ] has interested you. The perusal of these private letters and correspondence has considerablyaltered and raised my estimate of Shelley as a man. As to his poetry, itproduces on me exactly the effect of delicious music, which enchants theear even when you can't understand it. But these papers, which Lady Shelleyhas had printed in order to secure their preservation, are a sealed book. Ibelieve she never can show them again to anyone--at least not at present. The copy she lent me has been returned to her and I do not possess it. Nobody else does. It is, therefore, impossible to ask her for a copy. Iundertook to compile an article--as I did for Lady Dorchester, on herfather--_omissis omittendis_. But that is all. I think the history ofAllegra is in great part new, and one of the difficulties in this matter isthe connexion existing between these papers and the papers of Lord Byron, which are unpublished. Are you going to stay in London? I hope so. I shall return to town onNovember 6, and should be very glad to find you there. And the Journal accordingly has:-- _November 6th_. --Returned to London. _18th_. --The troops came back from Egypt. _December 3rd_. --Archbishop of Canterbury (Tait) died. _4th_. --The Law Courts opened. _16th_. --To Foxholes till the end of the year. Gambetta died just as theyear expired. _To Lord Derby_ _Foxholes, December 23rd_. --The Club has lost one of its most respectedmembers in the Archbishop, and all parties seem now to feel how greatand wise a man he was. Huxley would be rather an odd successor to anarchbishop; but I am inclined to think that he ought to be one of our nextadditions. I am a very old and fervent supporter of the Anglo-French alliance, but inthe present state of France I doubt whether anything is to be gained bymaking sacrifices to her pretensions. In justice to other States, such asItaly and Austria, I see no reason for conceding to France any exceptionalposition in Egypt, and I think all countries should be treated with equaljustice and liberality. It is probable that a firm though friendly attitudetowards the French will answer best for them and for us. Their expeditionsto Congo, Tonkin, and Madagascar will do more harm to themselves than toanyone else; but they prove the weakness of the present French Government. _From Lord Derby_ _Knowsley, December 25th_. --I agree in what you say about France, if youmean that the dual control is dead and cannot be revived; nor ought it, ifit could. Other nations may fairly claim a voice in Egyptian affairs. WhatI lay stress upon is that we should make it clear that we are not going totake Egypt for ourselves; which nearly all foreigners suppose to be ourintention, and give us credit for disguising it so well. It is odd that the French are doing badly. The country is fairlyprosperous, there is no war of classes, no apparent revolutionary feeling, yet distrust and doubt as to the future seem universal. It almost looksas if revolutions had driven the better sort of men out of public life. Icannot believe that their colonial craze will last long. There is, in allEurope, no country to which colonies are so entirely useless; for theFrench never emigrate and seldom even travel; and to send conscripts totropical settlements cannot be popular with the peasantry. As to The Club--I am quite in favour of Huxley's admission; but have weonly one vacancy? Would not any possible opposition to him be disarmed, ifhe were brought in, not singly, but as one of two or three? We must talkover candidates when we meet. .. . Poor old Owen cannot, in the course ofnature, last long. [Footnote: He lived, however, for another ten years, dying at the age of eighty-eight in 1892. ] Huxley would be his naturalheir; more than the Archbishop's. _To Lord Derby_ _Foxholes, December 27th_. --To return to what you say of France. Do you notthink that a democratic republic, in which every citizen is striving to getall he can for his vote at the expense of the State, necessarily becomesthe most rapacious and corrupt form of government? It is this which hasraised the budgets of France for 1883 to 122 millions sterling; and if youadd the communal expense, to 154 millions. It is this which compels themto persist in a reckless expenditure, and to invent new modes of spendingmoney and creating places by absurd expeditions abroad. The system there, as you say, drives every man of honour and honesty out of political life, and substitutes for them adventurers and idiots. The evil will become moreintolerable still, and there will come another revolution, probablyat first violent in form and ultimately put down by force. This is amelancholy forecast, but it is that of all the persons in France whosejudgement is of value. As to The Club--we had better not propose Huxley while Owen is amongst us. But we have several octogenarians--Overstone, Henry Taylor; and as for thelower grade of septuagenarians, they are numerous; but I will say nothingof them, as I shall shortly join that body. Altogether The Club presentsa respectable array of years, and tends to longevity. I should like anengineer, if we could catch an agreeable one. What would you say to SirHenry Loch? Few men have seen more of the world--in India, China, theCrimea, down to the Isle of Man; and I think him vastly agreeable. However, we can talk this over when we meet. CHAPTER XXI THE FRENCH ROYALISTS Many others besides Lord Derby were at this time speculating on the chancesof one more revolution in France. The state of public opinion seemed topoint to a coming weariness of the corruption incidental to a republic, anda desire for the restoration of the monarchy. Since the obstinate refusalof the Comte de Chambord, in 1873, to accept the change from the _drapeaublanc_ of the Bourbon dynasty to the flaunting _tricolor_ which savoured ofdemocracy, monarchy had seemed impossible. But the Comte de Chambord wasknown to be in feeble health, and he had no children. If he should die, thefusion of the antagonistic parties was possible, was indeed probable; andit was generally understood that the Comte de Paris was singularly freefrom the prejudices which had rendered impossible a restoration in theperson of his cousin. He was, indeed, not ambitious, and he was wealthy. The two ordinary motives of conspirators were wanting; but he loved Franceby force of sympathy and education, and he honestly believed that arestoration would be the best thing for his country. As a matter of loveand duty he felt bound to work in order to bring about this most desirableof changes. _From the Comte de Paris_ Chateau d'Eu, le 2 janvier 1883. Mon cher Monsieur Reeve, --Je suis bien touché de la bonne pensée que vousavez eue de m'écrire à l'occasion de la nouvelle année. Je vous remerciede tous vos bons voeux, et je vous prie de recevoir ici l'assurance deceux que je forme pour vous et pour les vôtres. I am greatly obliged by your remarks on the future of France. This isindeed dark; and, as you so well express it, the sterility of democracy andthe impotence of the institutions based on it are most striking. They areespecially so here. This dearth, this void, of which you speak increasesfrom day to day. The men of note who were formed under a different rule, and who came to the front under special circumstances, are dying off andare not replaced. It is only a few days since one, [Footnote: Gambetta, died December 31st, 1882. ] the most able we have had since the death of M. Thiers, has been carried off by an obscure--a mysterious--illness. Of thoseleft, there is no one who can take his place. In some respects he was atruly remarkable man. He, and he alone, was known from one end of Franceto the other; he, and none but he, could even for one day have united theblind and jealous forces of democracy; he alone could give the republicansthe organisation and appearance of a party, but owing to the violence ofhis temperament he could never have held the reins of government. He wouldhave been exceedingly dangerous in the department of foreign affairs, whichwould have been his choice. He would, indeed, have brought to it a mosthonourable sentiment of the dignity of France, but he had neither prudencenor experience. There were in Europe some who counted on him; others whofeared him; every one, I think, exaggerated what he would have done ortried to do. I regret extremely the difficulties which are rising between France andEngland about Egypt, and I confess I do not understand the attitude of ourGovernment. The temper of France towards England resembles that of a manwho has been offered an equal share in a profitable adventure, who hasrefused to accept the risk, and who is now vexed at the success of hisneighbour. But no Government worthy of the name will allow itself to beinfluenced by such feelings, or is unable to adapt itself to the changeswhich circumstances may give rise to. And besides, so little attention ispaid in France to foreign politics that the Government may do whatever itlikes, provided that does not lead to war--under any form or against anyenemy. .. . J'ai bien regretté de ne pas pouvoir rencontrer Mlle. Reeve à Paris. Veuillez lui dire que si elle veut prendre quelques truites, elle devraitvenir ici du 28 ou 29 mai au 5 ou 6 pin. C'est la date exacte de l'éclosiondu May-fly, et à ce moment-là nous faisons vraiment de très belles pêches. En attendant nous partons pour Cannes la semaine prochaine. J'espèrey rencontrer quelques amis d'Angleterre, dont plusieurs sont déjà fortanciens--comme Lord Cardwell, Sir C. Murray, Lord Clarence Paget, le Ducd'Argyll, &c. Veuillez offrir mes hommages à Madame Reeve, et me croire. Votre bien affectionné, LOUIS-PHILLIPE D'ORLEANS. _From Lord Granville_ _Walmer Castle, January 7th_. --I return you, with many thanks, the Comte deParis' remarkable letter. If the Duc de Bordeaux would follow the examplewhich has been sadly set by Gambetta and Chanzy, [Footnote: Chanzy had diedtwo days before, January 5th. The Duc de Bordeaux better known at thistime as the Comte de Chambord, did follow the example a few months later, August 24th. ] the prospects at Eu would be good. With you, I do not feel inclined to gush over Gambetta. It is true thathe was well disposed towards England, but his love would have been of atroublesome and exacting character. The Journal has little of interest. It notes the return to London onJanuary 13th; a journey to York on the 29th, on a visit to the Archbishop[Thomson], who wrote an article for the 'Review' on the EcclesiasticalCommission; and, on February 17th, to Battle Abbey. Beyond these trivialentries, nothing except the mention of several dinner parties--some 'good, 'some 'dull. ' Then, later:-- _April 16th to May 22nd_. --At Foxholes. Very cold. Snow in May. _June 8th_. --Dinner at Lord Carnarvon's. Sir R. And Lady Wallace, LordSalisbury, Lady Portsmouth. _15th_. --Dinner at Alfred Morrison's, [Footnote: Mr. Morrison, so wellknown to historical students by his splendid collection of MSS. , died onDecember 22nd, 1897. ] first time. Splendid house. _21st_. --Dinner at home. Duc d'Aumale, Granvilles, Malmesburys, Carlingford, G. Trevelyans, and others. _23rd_. --Philobiblon breakfast at Gibbs's. Duc d'Aumale, Duke of Albany. ToMilitary Tournament with Lady Malmesbury. _25th_. --Duke of Cleveland's dinner to Duc d'Aumale. Duke of Grafton, LadyCork. _From the Comte de Paris_ Château d'Eu, 16 juin. Mon cher Monsieur Reeve, --J'ai hâte de répondre à votre aimable lettre du8, et de vous remercier de votre bienveillante appréciation d'un travailqui prend des proportions vraiment formidables. Je suis en effet en traind'imprimer le 7me volume, et d'écrire le 8me, qui sera suivi encore de deuxautres, si Dieu me prête vie. Je suis obligé d'entrer dans beaucoup dedétails pour donner à cette histoire un véritable intérêt aux yeux dupublic américain, qui est celui auquel je m'adresse particuliérement, leseul qui puisse me fournir beaucoup de lecteurs. La traduction anglaise enun gros volume a dû paraître ou paraîtra incessamment à Philadelphie. Vous trouverez le Duc d'Aumale en fort bellé sante et très brillant, malgrétoutes les préoccupations que nous avons eues, et la blessure très viveque lui a faite l'odieuse mesure militaire [Footnote: The removal of theOrleanist princes from the active list of the army in February. ] dont il aété l'objet. Je regrette de ne pouvoir l'accompagner en Angleterre, oùj'ai tant d'amis que je serais heureux de revoir. Mais ne puis-je au moinsespérer que vous nous ferez cette année, avec Madame et Mademoiselle Reeve, une visite au Château d'Eu? Nous resterons ici tout le mois de Juillet. J'ai été assez heureux à la pêche ici dans notre petite rivéire. Pendantune quinzaine, du 25 mai au 10 juin, j'ai pris à la mouche 82 truitespesant 42 livres. This was the sport to which he had particularly invited Miss Reeve inJanuary, and which, he goes on to say, has given him the idea of going toNorway in August. As to this, he begs Reeve to make some inquiries for him, and concludes--Veuillez me croire votre bien affectionné, LOUIS-PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. Another chatty letter, four days later, June 20th, has:-- Nous serons charmés de vous voir venir ici vers le 24 juillet avec MadameReeve, tout en regrettant que Mademoiselle votre fille ne puisse pas vousaccompagner. Nous espérons qu'elle pourra venir ici l'année prochaine enmai. Mais qui peut faire sous un gouvernement démocratique des projets à silongue échéance? The visit was, however, prevented by an event of the most serious politicalimportance; an event which during the next three or four years was thoughtby many to be likely to change the destinies of France, to affect thefortunes of Europe. It may be best told in the words of the person mostaffected. _From the Comte de Paris_ Château d'Eu, le 18 juillet. Mon cher Monsieur Reeve, --Je suis revenu ici il y a deux jours après avoirfait en Autriche un voyage imprévu dont vous avez connu le motif et lerésultat. J'ai été reçu par l'auguste malade [Footnote: The Comte deChambord, known among the Legitimists as Henri V. ] avec une affectueusecordialité qui m'a profondément touché, et j'ai quitté Vienne en conservantquelque espoir de le voir sortir de la crise cruelle qu'il vient detraverser. Les dernières nouvelles reçues ne démentent pas cet espoir, quoique son état soit toujours fort grave et plein de périls. Je ne puisnaturellement faire dans une pareille situation de projets à longueéchéance. Non seulement tout plan de voyage est abandonné pour le moment, mais je vis au jour le jour, toujours prêt à partir au reçu d'une dépêcheannonçant le dénouement fatal. Aussi ne puis-je dans ce moment insisterpour vous engager à faire au Château d'Eu cette visite dont je mepromettais tant de plaisir et d'intérêt, mais qui, dans les circonstancesactuelles, risquerait fort d'être brusquement interrompue. Je le regrettevivement, et j'espère pouvoir m'en dédommager plus tard. En attendant, j'ai hâte de vous remercier de tout ce que vous me dites surma situation actuelle et sur l'intérêt que vous y portez. Je vous remercieégalement de ce que vous avez écrit sur ce sujet à la fin du dernier numérode la _Revue d'Edimbourg_. On sent en lisant ce morceau combien celui quil'a écrit aime et connaît bien la France. Il a été fort remarqué chez nous. Si vous me permettez d'ajouter un seul mot qui vous prouvera que je l'ai luavec attention, je vous signalerai un _lapsus calami_ qui vous a échappé. Le fondateur de notre branche d'Orléans, fils de Louis XIII, frère de LouisXIV, s'appelait Philippe et non Gaston. Gaston était le nom du fils deHenri IV, frère de Louis XIII, le Duc d'Orléans de la Fronde, qui ne laissaque des filles, entre autres Mlle. De Montpensier. Like you, I am uneasy at the existing relations of France and England, though I fully believe that the two Governments are respectively animatedby the most conciliatory intentions. In my opinion, the blame rests onwhat is now called 'the colonial policy, ' which consists in scattering ourforces to the four corners of the world, while Continental Europe is armedto the teeth and does not afford us a single ally. But even this policymight be followed without causing any difficulty with England, if there wasa readiness to anticipate it by frank explanations. The world is big enoughfor it. Unfortunately, since the Egyptian business--which might easily havebeen the opportunity for a friendly agreement, but which we have made sucha mess of--all these questions are confused and taken amiss. .. . Je termine en vous renouvelant encore tous mes remerciments, et en vouspriant de me croire votre bien affectionné, LOUIS-PHILIPPE D'ORLÉANS. The Journal then has:-- _July 24th_. --Great dinner at the Granvilles' to receive Waddington[Footnote: M. Waddington had a career that has perhaps no parallel. The sonof an Englishman settled in France, he was educated at Rugby and at TrinityCollege, Cambridge; and was second classic, Chancellor's medallist, andNo. 6 in the University boat in 1849. Having elected to be a Frenchman, hetravelled in Asia Minor, and achieved a reputation as an archaeologist andnumismatist. After the fall of the Empire he entered into public life; wasforeign minister and the representative of France at Berlin in 1878; wasprime minister and the representative of France at the Coronation of theTsar in 1881, and was French ambassador in London from 1883 to 1893. He died in 1894 at the age of 68. ] [the new French Ambassador]. I wasintroduced to Count Herbert Bismarck. Sat by Errington. Forty-two peoplethere at several tables. _26th_. --To Foxholes. _September 10th_. --Left Foxholes for Broglie _viâ_ Havre. Slept at Rouen. 11th, Broglie, by rail to Bernay; at Broglie, Vieil Castel, Laugel, Target, Gavard. Old name of Broglie, Chambrey. _15th_. --Left Broglie for Val Richer. Drive with De Witt. _17th_. --Gout coming on in foot. Started for Honfleur and Havre; quitelame. Spent the day on board the Wolf; met Prothero again. Managed to gethome on the 18th. Laid up in bed for a week. _From Lord Granville_ _September 29th_. --The Comte de Paris has a difficult game to play; and thelarge intelligent family, living in great luxury and consideration, is notthe best machine for carrying hopes more or less forlorn; but I expect itwould be difficult to find an abler or more judicious pretender. My fear isthat--as you say--their way to success lies through some disaster. I donot feel convinced, if an opportunity or a necessity arose, that men likeWaddington and Ferry would not be among the first to act as civil Moncks. In the meantime, we shall know in a very few days whether the wisest amongthe present ministry will have their way and do the right thing by us inthe Madagascar matter. It will take a little longer to settle the Chinesedifficulty. This can only be done by great sacrifices on the part of theFrench. The Chinese will not hurry themselves, and believe they have theFrench in their pockets. _From the Comte de Paris_ Château d'Eu, 3 octobre. Mon cher Monsieur Reeve, --J'ai reçu votre lettre du 4 septembre à monretour de Frohsdorf, mais j'ai eu tant à faire depuis lors que je n'aipas, jusqu'à ce jour, trouvé un instant pour vous remercier de la preuved'amitié et de sympathie que vous m'avez donnée dans ces circonstances sigraves pour moi. J'ai eu depuis des nouvelles de votre séjour à Broglie etau Val Richcr par Messieurs Gavard et de Witt, et j'ai bien regretté queles convenances du deuil ne m'aient pas permis de vous demander cette annéede venir an Château d'Eu. J'aurais été, en effet, fort heureux de pouvoircauser avec vous de toutes les graves questions qui se posent aujourd'huidevant nous, tant à l'intérieur qu'à l'extérieur. Je serai heureux d'en retrouver l'occasion; car, plus les événementsrendent ma situation grave et difficile, plus ils grandissent maresponsabilité, plus naturellement je tiens à recueillir les avis d'unobservateur éclairé, impartial et bienveillant pour la France. Dans cettesituation si nouvelle, et, je puis dire, sans précédents, je tiens àresserrer les liens de mes vieilles amitiés, et je tiens particulièrementà entretenir mes relations avec la société anglaise, ce grand centreintellectuel qui recueille et juge les affaires du monde entier. .. . Je vous prie d'offrir mes hommages à Madame et à Mademoiselle Reeve et deme croire Votre bien affectionné, PHILIPPE COMTE DE PAEIS. All the Comte de Paris' earlier letters are signed Louis-PhilippeD'Orleans, the capital D' being a noticeable peculiarity. By the death ofthe Comte de Chambord at Frohsdorf on August 24th, the Comte de Paris hadbecome the head of the Bourbons, [Footnote: Always excepting the impossibleDon Carlos. ] and linked the Legitimists and Orleanists in the person of onecapable man. At the same time he changed his signature, as now claimingthe throne by hereditary right. Among the Orleanists, however, there weremany--including the Duc d'Aumale--who considered the change ill-judged, as implying that his grandfather, Louis Philippe, was a usurper--as, of course, he was, if the will of the people is to count for nothing. [Footnote: Cf. _Le Duc d'Aumale_, par Ernest Daudet, pp. 334-5. ] Among theLegitimists, on the other hand, there were many who protested that underno circumstances could they accept one of the line of Philippe Égalité astheir lawful sovereign. Still, for the next two or three years, it seemednot impossible that the Comte de Paris might be called to the throne by aconstitutional reaction and a popular vote. He does not seem to have hadany wish to head or stir up a revolution of force and bloodshed. The Journal records:-- _October 29th_. --To Oxford. Dined at the Deanery. Jowett, Duke ofBuckingham, Max Müller, Brodrick. 31st, dined at All Souls. Sir WilliamAnson. November 1st, lunched with Max Müller. _From M. B. St. -Hilaire_ _November 21st_. --I notice that to you, as to me, the situation of Franceappears very sad. I conceive that it is a source of alarm to all Europe. Weare falling lower and lower towards the Radicals and the Extreme Left. Ifthat party should come into power, it would be a very serious threat to thepeace of the world. From the weakness of our Government, everything is tobe feared; and as this weakness must become greater, there does not seemany remedy in the near future. Notwithstanding our wealth, our financesare in a bad state, and it is on that side that the inevitable storm willburst. To ward it off an entire change of conduct would be necessary; andat the present time we have no one strong enough to guide our policy in theright direction. _To Mrs. Parker_ _Foxholes, December 18th_. --If anyone is to write Lord Westbury's Life, yours is the pen to do it. Nobody expects a daughter to be impartial, orwishes it. I will see what letters I can find, and will write again when Ihave looked over my packets of letters. This promise was afterwards fulfilled. Lord Westbury's letters were sent toMrs. Parker, and several of them, with some of Reeve's, were incorporatedin the 'Life of Lord Westbury' (2 vols. 8vo. 1888), by Mr. T. A. Nash, whomMrs. Parker afterwards married. Early in January 1884, Mrs. Reeve went to Paris, on a visit to LadyMetcalfe--one of Mr. Dempster's nieces. On the 16th Reeve joined her there. Among other entries, the Journal notes a breakfast at Chantilly on the27th--'château finished, galleries splendid'--and on the 30th, dinner atthe Embassy. They returned to London on the 31st. A few dinners in town arenoted, and a visit to Covent Garden on March 5th, to see Salvini in 'KingLear. ' To Foxholes on April 9th. This meagre chronicle of course gives no idea of Reeve's intellectualactivity at the time, which was really very great. With his officialduties, the conduct of the 'Review, ' an extensive correspondence, and, atthis time, the preparation of the second part of the 'Greville Memoirs, 'with dinner parties or receptions three or four times a week, it would seemas if Reeve's days must have consisted of an abnormal number of hours. Andeffectively they did; for, though on pleasure--at proper seasons--Reevemight be bent, he had always a frugal mind as to the disposal of time. Most, if not all, of his correspondence, much even of his more seriouswork, was got through in spare half-hours at the Council Office; and whenat home, in his study in the house in Rutland Gate, it was a standing rulethat he was not to be disturbed. The study was a cosy room on the groundfloor, built out at the back, and so removed from all noise of passing toand fro. It had no outlook to distract the attention, and no man was everless addicted to day-dreaming. To work whilst he worked and play whilst heplayed was the golden rule which enabled Reeve for over fifty years toget through as much hard work as a successful lawyer, to do as much hardwriting as a successful novelist, to hunt, shoot, or travel wheneveropportunity offered, and to be one of the best known figures in the worldof London society. _From the Duke of Argyll_ _March 8th_. --Many thanks for your letter. I am pleased to know that thescientists find my science accurate. Writers in the interest of religionhave generally, of late, been disposed to make as much as possible of thedistinction between man and nature. The speciality of my book [Footnote:_The Unity of Nature. _ There is an article on it in the April number of theReview. ] is, on the contrary, to maintain the unity, as really essential toall belief, thus going back to the paths of Butler. _From M. B. St. -Hilaire_ _Paris, 15 avril. _--Cher Monsieur Reeve, --J'étais bien sûr de vous faireplaisir en vous envoyant les discours prononcés sur la tombe de M. Mignet. Celui de M. Martha est le plus remarquable; M. Jules Simon a très bienparlé aussi; mais on peut trouver cependant que M. Martha l'emporte. Je suis très sensible à votre amicale invitation, et je serai heureux devisiter cet été votre ermitage de Foxholes. Nos vacances commencerontprobablement en août, et je réglerai mes mouvements sur les vôtres. Je vous remercie de votre bienveillance pour l'Histoire des Animaux; je necrois pas que nulle part le génie d'Aristote se soit montré plus grand, plus scientifique et, l'on peut ajouter, plus moderne. Entre lui et Linné, Buffon et Cuvier, il n'y a rien. L'histoire de la science a beaucoup àprofiter de cet exemple frappant. Je suis absolument de votre avis sur le rôle de l'Angleterre en Égypte;vous n'avez qu'à faire ce que nous avons fait à Tunis, où les chosesmarchent à souhait. C'est l'intérêt de votre grand pays, en même temps quel'intérêt de la civilisation et de l'humanité. Les affaires égyptiennes nepeuvent rester dans l'état où elles sont; et il faut les régler au plusvite, pour l'honneur de tout le monde. Je présente mes hommages bien respectueux a Madame Reeve, en attendant lepetit voyage a Foxholes vers l'automne. Votre bien dévoué, B. St. -HILAIRE. And here the Journal notes:-- April 16th. --Edward Cheney died, aetat. 82. From Dr. Vaughan [Footnote: Then Master of the Temple; he died November 15, 1897, aged 81. ] The Deanery, Llandaff: April 19th. Dear Mr. Reeve, --I am grateful to you for your kind letter. I will try toremember to make the reference with which you furnish me when I am again atthe Athenaeum. The year 1185 is always in my recollection as the date of the consecrationof the Round Church by the Patriarch Heraclius. I am already incommunication with Dr. Hopkins about the musical part of its celebration, on or about the day (I think February 10) next year. And there must be asermon about it on the nearest Sunday. So you see how exactly your thoughtsand mine agree on the subject. Ever truly yours, C. J. VAUGHAN. The other part of the church was consecrated on Ascension Day 1240. Whowill be Master when _that_ seventh centenary comes round? _From the Duke of Argyll_ Argyll Lodge, Kensington: April 19th. My Dear Mr. Reeve, [Footnote: Written in pencil. ]--I am laid up with a verysudden and sharp attack of the enemy; but I must write a line from bed tosay how _more_ than satisfied I am by the article in the Review, which goesstraight to the main points of my Essay, and which distinguishes exactlythose which best deserve notice. I am the more grateful as all the othersI have seen--whether laudatory or not--have all been the production ofignorant men who did not see, or of learned men who did not wish to see, any of the specialties of the book. I am better, but unfit for any work. Yours very truly, ARGYLL. _To Mr. T. Norton Longman_ _Foxholes, April 20th_. --Much obliged to you for the Beaconsfield book, [Footnote: The _Beaconsfield Birthday-Book_. ] which is very pretty. I hopeyou will sell as many as there are bunches of primroses in Covent GardenMarket. The extent of Lord Beaconsfield's popularity is really curious. Yetthis is the man whom Gladstone hunted to death and called a fiend!! And the Journal for the summer runs:-- At Foxholes all May. _June 26th_. --Marriage of Hallam Tennyson and Miss Boyle in Henry VII. 'sChapel. _July 12th_. --Dinner at Sir Henry Maine's. The Actons, Lindleys, EvelynBarings, Brookfield, Venables--interesting party. _16th_. --Duchess of Argyll's garden party. _17th_. --The great Canadian case between the Provinces of Ontario andManitoba was argued for six days before the Judicial Committee. _24th_. --To Foxholes. On August 11th we went to Strode, to see Mr. Gollop, aetat. 93. 15th, back to Foxholes. * * * * * At this time, on behalf of Sir Henry Taylor, Reeve had been conducting anegotiation with Longmans for the publication of Taylor's Autobiography, and an agreement had been come to which was to take effect after Taylor'sdeath. _From Sir Henry Taylor_ Bournemouth, August 26th. My dear Mr. Reeve, --Thanks for your very kind letter. I am so glad you cantake a favourable view of my autobiography. I am rather surprised myself that there is nothing in it of Mrs. Austinand Lucy. I was intimately acquainted with them, and I may perhaps findsomething said of them in letters, as I proceed with the task of sortingmy correspondence. Of Mr. Austin I saw very little. He led such a secludedlife. But one could not see him at all without knowing something of theintellect which lay hidden in him for so many years. As to the date of publication, I shall leave the necessary instructions. Iwish the work to be published as soon as possible after my death. Believe me, yours sincerely, HENRY TAYLOR. _From the Comte de Paris_ Château d'Eu, 17 septembre. Mon cher Monsieur Reeve, --Je ne veux pas tarder un instant à vous remercierde votre lettre du 14, et des félicitations que vous m'adressez àl'occasion de la naissance de mon fils Ferdinand. .. . Grâces à Dieu, touts'est passé aussi bien que possible et, depuis l'événement, la mère etl'enfant vont à merveille. Je vous remercie bien cordialement des voeux quevous formez pour celui-ci. Je connais de longue date les sentiments quivous inspirent, et vous savez tout le prix que j'y attache. Vous avez raison de dire que l'avenir se montre assez sombre pour toutesles nations de l'Europe. Les opérations de l'Amiral Courbet au Tonkin eten Chine montrent que notre marine se maintient à la hauteur de savieille réputation; elle le doit aux traditions, à l'esprit de corps, auxsentiments de respect pour les chefs qui s'est conservé chez elle tandisqu'il disparaissait ou s'affaiblissait partout ailleurs. Mais cettedémonstration nous coûte bien cher. La guerre avec la Chine nous alarme, parce qu'il n'y a pas de guerre plus difficile à terminer que celle-là. Lapolitique coloniale est un luxe que nous aurions pu nous donner dans unautre temps, mais que ne nous convient pas dans notre situation européenne. Elle a de plus été conduite d'une façon irrégulière, l'action au Tonkinsuccédant à l'inaction en Egypte. Cette affaire d'Egypte aurait pu servirde base à une entente avec l'Angleterre. Au lieu de cela on n'a pas voulul'aider, puis on a boudé parce qu'elle agissait seule, et lorsque lesdifficultés ont commencé pour elle, on n'a su ni s'entendre absolumentpour agir en commun, ni s'effacer derrière l'Europe pour ne pas assumer laresponsabilité de l'echec de la conférence. Bien des gens croient ici quetoute cette politique a eu pour but de sauver le ministère Gladstone. Celan'en valait pas la peine. Il en est résulté de l'aigreur dans les journaux. Mais cette aigreur sent bien un peu le fonds des reptiles, et personne n'asérieusement envie de chercher querelle à la perfide Albion. Ceux qui admirent ses institutions et qui croient que leur pondération estla garantie du plus précieux de tous les biens--la liberté, se préoccupentvivement des tendances jacobines de notre ami Gladstone. L'extension dusuffrage est logique, l'anéantissement de la chambre des Lords est logique. Mais les meilleures institutions ne sont pas les plus logiques. À force delogique on tend à remplacer le gouvernement pondéré de l'Angleterre par ceque nous appelons le gouvernement conventionnel, c'est à dire le despotismed'une Assemblée unique appuyée sur la brutale loi du nombre. Que Dieu vousgarde d'un tel avenir. C'est le voeu d'un ami sincère de vos institutions. Ce qui préoccupe ici bien plus, et à bon titre, que les aventurescoloniales, c'est la situation économique. La France s'appauvrit parcequ'elle perd en impôts improductifs une partie de son épargne, parce queses fils travaillent moins, dépensent plus et boivent davantage, parcequ'ils demandent des salaires trop élevés, et parce que la concurrenceallemande, américaine, italienne, anglaise, nous ferme peu à peu tous lesmarchés, et enfin parce que le phylloxera ruine la moitié du pays. Lecourant protectionniste se prononce avec une force irrésistible en cemoment. Je vous prie d'offrir mes hommages à Madame et à Mademoiselle Reeve, et deme croire Votre bien affectionné, PHILIPPE COMTE DE PARIS. _From M. B. St. -Hilaire_ Paris, 19 octobre. Cher Monsieur Reeve, --J'ai reçu le numéro de la _Revue d'Edimbourg_, et jevous en remercie. Le rédacteur de l'article a été plein de bienveillance àmon égard, et je vous prie de lui faire savoir que je suis fort touché del'appréciation qu'il veut bien faire de mes travaux. Je profiterai de sesjustes critiques pour mes autres traductions; mais il est un point où je nesuis pas tout à fait d'accord avec lui. Je ne trouve pas qu'il tienne assezcompte à Aristote d'avoir commencé la science, et de l'avoir fondée. Les débuts sont toujours excessivement difficiles, et il ne serait paséquitable de demander à ces temps reculés de savoir tout ce que nous savonsaujourd'hui. Nous devons toujours nous dire que dans deux mille ans d'icion en saura beaucoup plus que nous, tout savants que nous sommes. Ceci doitnous engager à être reconnaissants et modestes. Je vais mettre sous presse le Traité des Parties des Animaux en deuxvolumes, et je prépare celui de la Génération, qui, sans doute, en auratrois. J'espère que vous vous portez bien, ainsi que Madame Henry Reeve; je luiprésente mes respects et mes amitiés, avec tons mes voeux pour sa santé etpour la vôtre. Votre bien dévoué, B. ST. -HILAIRE. The Journal here has:-- _October 28th_. --Dinner of The Club to Lord Dufferin before his departurefor India. _November 14th_. --Dinner at Lady Molesworth's to the Waddingtons. _December 3rd_. --Small dinner at Lord Cork's, with Gladstone and Sir H. James. _From Sir Henry Taylor_ Bournemouth, December 10th. Dear Mr. Reeve, --It has come into the head of my family, and through theirsinto mine, that there is no particular reason why my Autobiography shouldnot be published now, instead of posthumously, and that there are somemotives for giving a preference to present publication. The agreementwith Messrs. Longman which you brought about has been, perhaps, a sort ofsuggestion of this change of purpose; so I write to mention it. The workwas written with more unreserve than would be natural to a man who hearswhat he says, and some erasures will be required; but a man in hiseighty-fifth year is, in some respects, as good as dead, or, at allevents, as deaf: so there need not be much alteration. I hope you will notdisapprove. Believe me, yours very sincerely, HENRY TAYLOR. On December 17th the Reeves went to Foxholes, where they spent Christmas, ushered in the New Year, and returned to London on January 15th, 1885. Theentries in the Journal are for the most part trivial, though politicallythe year was one of extreme interest and excitement, much of which isreflected in the correspondence. _From the Comte de Paris_ 6 _janvier_. --J'ai été vivement touché de la lettre que vous m'avez écrite, des voeux que vous m'adressez au moment où nous entrons dans une année quisemble nous réserver bien des surprises. L'avenir est plein d'incertitudeset de dangers. Je n'ai pas besoin de vous dire que j'observe avec unesérieuse inquiétude l'état des relations entre l'Angleterre et la France, non que je croie même à la possibilité d'un conflit qui répugneraitégalement à tous les membres des deux nations voisines, mais parce qu'unehostilité diplomatique seule serait déjà un grand malheur pour l'une etpour l'autre. .. . Vous avez raison de croire que le désir universel de lapaix prévaudra sur les périls de la situation internationale. Ce désirest bien puissant en France, et les aventures de l'extrême Orient, danslesquelles on nous a lancés si mal à propos, ne font que lui donnerl'occasion de se manifester. Ces aventures ne font pas diversion à la crise si grave qui éprouve notreindustrie et notre agriculture. Les causes de cette crise sont multiples. Quelques-unes sont communes à toute l'Europe, d'autres le sont aux quelquesnations qui avaient le monopole de certaines industries, et leperdent, grâce aux facilités actuelles des transports. Il en est une, malheureusement très-active, qui nous est propre; c'est la tendance desouvriers depuis l'établissement de la Rèpublique à chercher l'améliorationde leur sort, moins dans l'accroissement de leur salaire que dans ladiminution de leur travail. Cette funeste tendance leur a été inspiréepar les flatteries de tous ceux qui briguent leurs suffrages, et leurrappellent que toute législation émane d'eux. Le pays produit moins, etpar conséquent s'appauvrit. L'imprévoyance de nos gouvernants a aggravéla crise. Aujourd'hui un cri puissant s'élève en faveur des droitsprotecteurs, même sur le blé. Il est probable qu'on en fera assez pourinquiéter les consommateurs des villes, pas assez pour satisfairel'agriculture. .. . Si Mademoiselle Reeve voulait faire de jolies pêches detruites, c'est le 1er juin qu'elle devrait venir à Eu. _From the Duke of Argyll_ _Inveraray, February 13th_. --The Nile affair is too miserable. No possibleissue can be otherwise than a misfortune. The despatch in which theGovernment asked Gordon to advise them how to relieve him--in April last, when he was closely beleaguered--reads like a horrible joke now. A horrible joke indeed:--for on February 5th news had come of the fall ofKhartoum and the death of Gordon. On the 26th a vote of censure on theGovernment was carried in the House of Lords by 189 to 63; but a similarmotion in the Commons was rejected by 302 to 288. The Government majorityhad fallen from 56 to 14. On March 8th a special service was held in the Temple Church to commemoratethe completion of the seventh century since its consecration. [Footnote:See _ante_, p. 322. ] The Master preached the sermon on the text Psalm xc. 1--'Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. ' [Footnote:The _Times_ of March 9th gave a pretty full abstract of the sermon. ] Reeve, who was present, considered it one of Dr. Vaughan's happiest efforts, and wrote to say how greatly he had been pleased by it. Vaughan'sacknowledgement of the kindly feeling which dictated the letter hasotherwise no particular interest. _From Sir Alfred Lyall_ [Footnote: At that time lieutenant-governor of theNorth-West Provinces. ] _March 31st_. --When we closed in 1881 the second act of the Affghan drama, I calculated on an interval of at least five years; and I thought that ifwe could get a joint commission to settle some boundary that Russia couldprovisionally agree to, the interval might be longer. But the BoundaryCommission, which I first pressed for in 1881, has propelled, instead ofdelaying, the crisis. I suppose our Egyptian entanglement seemed to Russiato offer an irresistible opportunity; at any rate, the Russians have somereason for precipitating the issue between us, and at this moment we may beon the verge of a war. It is very curious to find ourselves so close to thecollision that we have been so long trying to fend off, and to realise thata land invasion of India by a European Power, which has been the nightmareof Anglo-Indian statesmen since Bonaparte seized Egypt in 1798, is now nolonger a matter of remote speculation. The Russian menace is, however, already producing one result that I had always anticipated; it is evokingamong all substantial classes of Indians a strong desire to support theBritish Government in India. You may remember that in my paper of January1884 I wrote that the natives would, in times of rumoured invasion, hold byany Power that could keep the gates of India against Central Asia; and thisis now strongly showing itself. The adventurous classes are ready toenlist and follow our colours; the propertied classes look to us as therepresentatives of order and security; the educated classes depend whollyupon our system; if the Russians calculate on any serious rising againstus in India, they will be mistaken. Of course a series of reverses wouldchange the whole face of affairs. .. . We are very fortunate in having LordDufferin here at this time. Everyone likes him, and has confidence in him. He is clearly a Viceroy who listens to everyone, but makes up his own mindindependently. And Lady Dufferin charms us all. .. . The Mahdi's fortunes do not interest India. The talk in some of the papersabout the necessity of smashing him, in order to avert the risk of somegeneral Mahomedan uprising, is futile and imaginative. The Indians thinkthe English rather mad to go crusading against him in the Soudan, and theymay soon get irritated at the waste of Indian lives at Suakin, when we wantour best men on the N. W. Frontier; but, for the rest, they do not concernthemselves about remote Arab tribes. Of course everyone sees that theEnglish Government has now an excellent pretext for getting partially outof a hopeless mess by transferring most of our English troops from the RedSea to the Punjab. * * * * * On April 9th news reached London that on March 30th the Russians, underGeneral Komaroff, had attacked and carried the Affghan positions atPenjdeh, concerning which negotiations were going on. As our Government waspledged meanwhile to the support of the Amir, this action of Komaroff's washeld to be a very aggravated insult to England. Explanations were demanded, but preparations for war were hurried on, and on April 27th, after animpassioned speech by Mr. Gladstone, a vote of credit for eleven millionswas passed almost by acclamation. The negotiations, however, werecontinued; explanations were given: the Russians kept Penjdeh; the Affghanshad lost their territory, their guns, and 500 men; and Mr. Gladstoneexpressed himself satisfied. Four days afterwards, May 8th, the Governmentwas defeated on the budget, and resigned a few days later, the Marquis ofSalisbury forming the new ministry. _From Sir Alfred Lyall_ _June 5th_. --Probably you know more in England than we do in India of thecourse of negotiations with Russia, It seems just now more smooth thansatisfactory. I fear we have lost credit in India over that unlucky Penjdehbusiness. One would fancy that our representatives on the spot might havebeen wary enough to discern that where the Russians and the Affghans weredrawing close to each other, there lay the risk and the strain of thesituation. I have a very moderate trust in our ally the Amir, though he isa very able, if unscrupulous, ruler. I hope fervently he has sense enoughnot to use those breech-loaders we are sending in such quantities, and thathe won't repeat the Penjdeh blunder by provoking some collision with theRussians on his border. .. . India is very quiet. The Russian scare of the spring has turned rather toour advantage, as I always prophesied it would, by bringing home to thenatives their dependence on England for protection from foreign invasion. _From Sir Henry Taylor_ _Bournemouth, July 14th_. --I have just read the excellent article in the'Edinburgh Review' on my Autobiography; and as there is no amount ofkindness on your part which I cannot believe in, I am disposed to thinkthat it is you who have written it. [Footnote: It was written by Reeve. ]Whoever it is, I should like him to know that I am very thankful. _From Sir Alfred Lyall_ _August 1st_--India is now perfectly quiet; but the new generation ofhungry, ambitious, English-speaking natives are persuading themselvesthat they can have all the benefits of English rule without the burden ofEnglish officialism. If they are encouraged and supported by the English_Demos_, there will be confusion before long. * * * * * On August 14th Parliament was prorogued, with the clear understanding thatthe dissolution would follow. This, however, was put off for three months, during which time the country was turned upside down by the excitement ofthe electoral campaign and the unbridled license which many of the mostdistinguished candidates permitted themselves; rank Socialism, theabolition of property, 'three acres and a cow, ' being freely spoken of bythe irresponsible, and hinted at, in no obscure language, by some who hadborne office in the Gladstone ministry. By a curious coincidence, theFrench elections were nearly synchronous with ours, and the results werekeenly watched by one, at least, of Reeve's correspondents. But of all thisexcitement and agitation the Journal has no trace. The only entries of anyinterest are:-- Foxholes: very hot: no rain for two months. _August 22nd_. --Excursion to Studland with the Denisons, Lord Canterbury, and Prothero. _26th_. --To Malvern with Hopie; 27th, Worcester; 28th, Tewkesbury; 29th, Hereford Cathedral; then Boss, Monmouth, and Chepstow. _September 1st_. --Chepstow Castle, Tintern Abbey, then to Clifton acrossthe Severn. 2nd, rain, so returned to Foxholes. _From the Comte de Paris_ 18 _septembre_. --Je m'empresse de vous remercier de votre lettre du 15, quim'est parvenue hier. Vous savez avec quel plaisir je reçois toujours devos nouvelles, avec quel intérêt je lis toujours vos appreciations sur lasituation de nos deux pays. Malgré de bien grandes différences dans l'étatpolitique, qui sont tout à l'avantage du vôtre, et dans l'état social, quile sont peut-étre moins, ces deux situations ne sont pas sans analogies. Les modérés, de part et d'autre, comme vous le dites, semblent êtrepeu écoutés, et cependant je suis persuadé que leurs vues finiront parl'emporter des deux côtés du détroit, parce que, sous une surface agitée enapparence, aucune passion violente ne bouillonne dans l'une ou l'autre desdeux nations. Vous avez devant vous le grand inconnu de la nouvelle loiélectorale; dangereux, parce que l'omnipotence de la Chambre des Communes, favorable au gouvernement parlementaire lorsque cette Chambre se recrutaitexclusivement dans la haute classe et en avait l'esprit, pourra être uninstrument redoutable pour la liberté et pour toute l'organisation socialele jour où MM. Chamberlain, Parnell et Bradlaugh auront chacun un partiderrière eux. Heureusement pour vous, l'institution monarchique vouspermettra de traverser la crise qu'entraînera la modification de lacomposition et de l'esprit de la Chambre des Communes. Grâce à cetteinstitution, l'esprit politique du pays pourra rétablir l'équilibre entreles pouvoirs publics. En France, l'expérience de la République démocratiqueet pacifique s'est faite dans les conditions les plus favorables, et aéchoué. Elle n'est ni conservatrice ni réformatrice. Tout en restantbourgeoise, elle est pardessus tout prodigue. Les classes qui payentl'impôt sont parfaitement édifiées sur son compte; celles qui nelepayent pas, et qui votent cependant, sont frappées indirectement parl'appauvrissement national et commencent à s'étonner que la République, dont le nom les flatte encore, réponde si mal à leur attente. La Républiquereste bourgeoise parce que le suffrage universel est trop défiant pourchercher des représentants dans le sein de la classe la plus nombreuse. Mais il n'est pas difficile dans les choix qu'il fait dans les rangs d'uneclasse plus élevée. Le niveau intellectuel et moral des Assemblées qu'ilélit s'abaisse à chaque renouvellement. C'est un fait qu'il faudra accepterdésormais comme inévitable, et dont il faudra tenir compte dans l'avenir. La République est essentiellement prodigue parce que, toute la machinegouvernementale reposant sur l'élection, les ministres sont obligés dedonner aux deputés des places innombrables pour satisfaire la foule encoreplus nombreuse de leurs agents électoraux, et de permettre des travaux, desdépenses exagérés dans chaque arrondissement, ici pour favoriser le députérépublicain, là pour nuire au député conservateur. C'est par là qu'ellepérira, parce que le mal est sans remède et s'aggrave chaque jour. Loigénérale d'ailleurs. C'est par les finances que périssent les gouvernementsdéfinitivement condamnés: témoin l'ancien regime. Cette mort-là est sansrésurrection. Le caractère nouveau de la période électorale qui s'est ouvertepratiquement depuis quelques mois est le réveil des Conservateurs. Ilscomprennent enfin qu'ils peuvent et doivent lutter pour défendre la sociétémenacée, les richesses nationales compromises. Ils apportent à cette lutteune ardeur tout à fait nouvelle. Depuis deux ans [Footnote: Since the deathof the Comte de Chambord. ] je me suis efforcé de faire comprendre à nosamis que la politique avait sub les mêèmes transformations que la guerre;que, pour gagner la victoire sur le terrain politique, il ne fallait rienlaisser au hasard, rien confier aux petites coteries; qu'il fallait agiravec de gros bataillons, et que, pour les mouvoir il fallait un système demobilisation aussi parfait que celui de l'armée allemande. Ces conseils ontété suivis, et les monarchistes se sont préparés à entreprendre lalutte électorale avec une organisation de comités de départeméent, d'arrondissement et de canton, appuyés le plus souvent sur des réunionsplénières qui marquent un grand changement dans la vie politique du particonservateur. Cette organisation se perfectionnera dans les électionsmêmes. Elle doit donner un jour, et par l'élection et par l'action pluspuissante encore de l'opinion publique, le pouvoir à ceux qui l'aurontconstituée et qui sauront s'en servir. A la veille des elections. .. Tandis que tous les autres partis faisaientfaire leur programme par un petit comité parisien, craignant qu'une granderéunion ne trahît leurs divisions, les monarchistes ont envoyé des quatrecoins de la France des délégués qui, tous animés du même esprit, ont adoptépar acclamation le programme soumis à leur approbation. Je dois même direque nous avons tous été frappés de leur extrême modération. Pas une voix nes'est élevée pour réclamer en faveur d'un ton plus aggressif. Le programme, retouché sur place par une commission de neuf membres, avait, vous lepensez bien, été soigneusement préparé d'avance; toutes les expressions enavaient été pesées. Aussi suis-je heureux qu'il ait eu l'approbation d'unaussi bon juge que vous. 21 _septembre_. --Depuis gue je vous al écrit, j'ai lu le grand manifestede M. Gladstone. De celui-là, on ne peut pas dire qu'il brille par lamodération. Il y a des phrases redoutables et effrayantes à l'adresse de larichesse et de la propriété, base de la société. Jamais je n'aurais cru leGladstone que j'ai connu capable de parler de la Chambre des pairs comme ille fait. Et cependant, une profonde modification dans la composition dela Chambre Haute ne sera-t-elle pas un jour le salut de la cause et desintérêts conservateurs en Angleterre? Si cette Chambre se retrempe aumoins partiellement dans l'élection, elle y trouvera, peut-être, une forcecapable de lui assurer dans le gouvernement une part au moins égale à cellede la Chambre des Communes, au moment où celle-ci baissera en valeur moraleproportionnellement à l'extension du suffrage. .. . En ce moment, il serait bien désirable, également en France et enAngleterre, de voir les modérés de nuances diverses se rapprocher, pourformer un véritable parti conservateur: chez vous, anciens whigs et ancienstories; chez nous, les centres droits et les centres gauches. Mais c'estentre ceux qui sont le plus rapprochés en politique que le souvenir desluttes passées laisse les plus profondes rancunes. * * * * * The Journal notes:-- _October 12th_--Went to town for the Riel [Footnote: Louis Riel hadstirred up a rebellion in Manitoba, had been captured, tried, and sentencedto death. He appealed, and the case thus came before the JudicialCommittee. On October 22nd the appeal was dismissed, and on November 16thRiel was duly hanged at Regina. ] case. Dined with Captain Bridge [Footnote:Now Rear-Admiral Bridge, lately commander-in-chief on the Australianstation. ] at the United Service Club. _14th_. --Second part of 'Greville' published; 2, 700 copies subscribed. * * * * * In comparison with the tremendous excitement caused by the publication ofthe first part of the Greville Memoirs, the second part attracted littlenotice, although large sales testified to the interest it raised. Reevementions 2, 700 as the number of copies subscribed for: but the firstedition of 4, 000 was exhausted almost immediately, and a second largeedition was sold out within a few months. _To Lord Derby_ _Foxholes, October 28th_--I am much obliged to you for your note. We mightelect three new members of The Club, because there remain two vacanciescaused by the honorary list, besides the death of Houghton. I should verymuch like to see Edward Stanhope and Harry Holland in The Club. They areamong the most rising men of the day--accomplished and agreeable--and theirfathers were respectively two of our most faithful members. We should, I think, choose men from the younger generation, for many of us arefrightfully old. It is more difficult to point out eligible men in theliterary or scientific world. To say the truth, there is a remarkabledearth of distinguished authors. Violent politicians are objectionable. I am very much gratified by what you say of the new volumes of Greville'sJournals. Your estimate of their value exactly coincides with my own. I amhappy to say that I have not yet heard that anyone is annoyed or offended. I sent a copy to Henry Ponsonby, who laid it before the Queen, but I havenot heard what sentence Her Majesty has passed upon me. There is a great deal of political noise, but very little light. In thesouth of England I think the Conservatives will carry a good many seats. IfI were to venture on a prognostic, I should say that the opposition willhave a majority in Great Britain, though by no means so large a one as theRadicals expect. The effect of this would be that the Irish can turn thescale, and I think Mr. Parnell would refuse, for the present, to turn outthe present Government in order to bring in Mr. Gladstone. In that case, the existence of the present ministry may be prolonged for some time, butit would be on sufferance and by Irish support. On the other hand, if aLiberal Government were formed, it could only exist with the support of theIrish vote. Eventually, I hope, this anomalous state of things may bringthe moderate men of both the British parties together, and throw bothextremes into opposition. That, I am convinced, is the real wish of thecountry, and the obstacles to such a combination are chiefly personal. I fancy the next parliaments will be very impracticable and probablyshortlived. _From the Comte de Paris_ 22 _novembre. _--Je vous remercie de ce que vous me dites à propos desMémoires de M. Greville. [Footnote: Sc. That there were passages in it notcomplimentary to the Orleans family. ] Je comprends parfaitement que vous ne pouviez supprimer certains passagesdont vous ne voulez cependant pas assumer la solidarité. Ces passagesne m'empêcheront pas de lire avec intérêt la suite des oeuvres de cetobservateur peu bien-veillant, mais fin et spirituel. Ne croyez pas que je vous écrive avec d'autre pensée que de faire part demes vues à un êtranger qui connaît, comprend et aime la France. On November 18th Parliament was dissolved by proclamation and the electionswere held from the 23rd to December 18th. In the English towns, where theelections were first held, the Conservatives had a large majority, and itseemed as if they were going to sweep the board. In the counties, however, the 'three acres and a cow' was taken by the ignorant rustics, justadmitted to the franchise, as a splendid reality, and their votes wentstrongly in favour of the Liberals, or rather--as it would be more correctto say--the Radicals. Mr. Gladstone had appealed to the country to give hima working majority. He had, in fact, a majority of eighty-four over theConservatives; but the Irish, or so-called Nationalist, party numberedeighty-six; and as these were bound by their bond of union to oppose theGovernment, whatever it was, they had to be counted with the Conservativesas soon as the Conservative Government had fallen. And the comparison ofthe numbers showed that it must fall as soon as Parliament met. As Reevehad forecast, neither party could form an effective administration withoutthe support of the Nationalists, a position which seemed for the moment torender them the arbiters of the nation's destiny. _From Count Vitzthum_ Paris, December 1st. Dear Mr. Reeve, --Many thanks for your kind letter. You will find me herein my winter quarters until the end of May, then from June to the end ofOctober at Baden-Baden, where we have built a villa. I would always behappy to see you and talk over old times. I have just finished reading the third volume of Greville's Memoirs andhave been very much struck by your notes, without which some passages wouldnot have been intelligible. Old Greville was a portrait-painter rather inRembrandt's style. In putting together all he says of Palmerston, Peel, andthe Duke of Wellington, very remarkable full-length portraits would comeout. He seems rather partial for John Russell. My little book makes more noise in Germany than I expected. W. Oncken, thecelebrated historian of Austria and Prussia in 1813, will review it forthe 'Allgemeine Zeitung, ' and the Vienna press has been unexpectedlyfavourable. An English friend of mine wants to translate it. I think itwould be 'love's labour lost;' for everybody who cares for such trifles andphotographs taken on the spot understands German nowadays in England, andwill prefer the original. Still, if you thought it worth your while to senda short notice to the 'Times, ' it would be a favour. My old friend Delaneis no more, else I should have asked him. Cotta writes me that he hassecured the English copyright, and sent some copies to the principalReviews and the 'Times. ' Believe me, very faithfully yours, VITZTHUM. _From the Comte de Paris_ Château d'Eu, 9 décembre. Mon cher Monsieur Reeve, --Un de mes amis va partir pour la Belgique. Jetiens à en profiter pour lui confier une lettre à votre adresse, qu'ilmettra à la poste chez nos voisins. En effet, je connais par expérienceI'indiscrétion dont la poste française a pris la mauvaise habitude sousl'Empire, habitude qu'elle n'a pas perdue sous la République. J'ai hâte devous remercier de votre lettre du lr qui m'a vivement intéressé. J'ai étéun peu confus d'apprendre l'usage que vous aviez fait de la mienne, carje l'avais écrite au courant de la plume, et uniquement pour me donner leplaisir de causer avec vous. Mais, puisque vous l'avez trouvée bonne àmontrer, je m'en rapporte à votre amitié, et j'espère qu'elle n'a pas ététrop indulgente. Je suis d'ailleurs fort heureux d'avoir quelquefois, parvotre intermédiaire, des relations avec Lord Salisbury, pour le caractèreet le talent duquel j'ai toujours eu une si haute estime, et que j'aimed'ailleurs toujours à considérer comme mon proche voisin de campagne. The success of the Conservatives in the towns, their defeat in the country, is the very opposite of what is taking place here; so that we foreignersmust exercise great reserve in giving an opinion on the political situationcreated in England by these last elections. It is, however, evidentthat there, as everywhere else, the old parties are in process ofdisintegration, and that, in a new social state, in presence of newproblems, a new distribution of parties is called for. In the history ofall nations there are periods when the need of political progress rendersit necessary for the reformers to remain long in power; and if from time totime they yield it to their adversaries, it should only be for long enoughto recover breath in climbing the long ascent. On the other hand, thereare also periods when the wearied people long for repose; when progress nolonger aims at completeness, but at change; when reforms are mere Utopianfancies or appeals to evil passions; and when the partisans of the _statusquo_ ought to have the direction of affairs for as long a time as possible. I believe that we are now entering on one of these periods. But it becomesthe duty of the Conservatives to defend existing institutions by taking theinitiative in such modifications as may be necessary. This is what, with atrue political insight, they have always done in England. The vote of thecounties does not affect the justice of your appreciation of the generalcharacter of the elections. It is not a return to the old Tory party, butrather the condemnation of the Radical programme; and from this point ofview they have an international importance which nothing can weaken. Allthe same, this vote of the counties seems to me to render absolutelynecessary the modification of parties which the complete success of theMinistry would have postponed. After the redistribution of seats, thereis need of a redistribution of persons and of political groupings. EitherParliament will be controlled by the Irish Nationalists, and Ireland by Mr. Parnell, or, in opposition to the Nationalists and the Radicals, there willbe formed a Government which will be Conservative in its respect forthe great social institutions, in its antagonism to the levelling andcentralising spirit, and withal Liberal in the manner in which it willhandle the agrarian question. Judging by what I see here, where over three millions of rural proprietorsare 'a tower of strength' for the Conservatives, I am persuaded that inEngland also the Conservatives have no greater interest--after the defeatof the socialist and revolutionary plans of Mr. Chamberlain--than to workvigorously at the formation of a numerous class of small landowners. _Mutatis mutandis_, we have here also the corresponding phenomenon of thetransformation of parties. We are unquestionably entering on a period oflassitude. The Conservatives have gained one hundred and twenty seats atthe last elections, for four principal reasons, all of which spring fromthe faults of their adversaries. 1. The Tonkin expedition. 2. The waste of the national and municipal finances. 3. The aggravation of the agricultural and industrial crises by the grosserrors in the conclusion of treaties of commerce and the establishment oftransit tariffs. 4. The war on the clergy, foreshadowing the separation of Church and State. To these particular reasons must be added the general dissatisfaction withan administration at once weak and corrupt, which is not in accord withthose instincts which a thousand years of monarchy have impressed on ourmanners and tone of thought. The moderate Republicans have been beaten because they allied themselveswith the Radicals, and because they themselves have not shown the governingqualities which could gain the confidence of the country. If the checkhas not been still greater, it is because the country has a horror of allchange; because the interest of the Government is exceedingly strong;because the electors do not care to vote for the opposition candidate, whocannot do anything for them; and lastly, because, at the second _tour descrutin_, the Government, in the most shameless manner, brought pressure tobear on all who are directly or indirectly dependent on it, the number ofwhom is very great. We have then two hundred Conservatives deputies, who represent three and ahalf millions of electors. Three-fourths of these are Monarchists more orless avowed; one-fourth represents the Bonapartist element, and among theselast are many with whom I have well-established personal relations. It isnot, however, the part of this large minority to set forth any opinions asto the form of the Government, nor even to cause obstruction; still less toally itself with the Radicals for the vain satisfaction of overturning theMinistry. Its aim must always be to promote the passing of Conservativelaws, and by every possible means to oppose such Radical measures as willbe proposed to the Chamber. It is for this that it has been elected. If itfulfils its task aright, when the dissolution comes--and this cannot befar off--it will reap the fruits of its policy. It will have meritedthe country's confidence, which the Radicals will have lost; and, notwithstanding the pressure, perhaps even the violence of the Government, the current of public opinion will be so strong that it will send aConservative majority to the Palais Bourbon. Under the influence of thiscurrent we may hope to see the collective or individual conversion ofthe moderate Republicans, which must lead to the reconstruction of theConservative party and to placing the direction of it in the hands of theMonarchists. For, though by temperament these moderate Republicans oughtto be the last to come to us, the Radical danger must bring them; they arebound to come; their place is marked in our ranks. They will never go toBonapartism: on the contrary, they will one day enable us to rid ourselvesof the _intransigeunt_ element which forms a disturbing minority in theparty. This will be the work of to-morrow. To-day, the principal task which Irecommend to my friends is the reconstitution, or rather the creation, ofthe 'active list' of the Conservative array. We have the model in Belgium. People are beginning to understand that the Conservatives cannot remain forever on the sufferance of the Government. No Government shall he stablebut that which they can support. For this they must form a compact andwell-organised party. Encouraged by the results of the elections, every onehas set to work with new ardour. My only trouble at present is the utterinexperience of the Conservative minority. It is made up of men almost allof whom are new to Parliament, are unacquainted with each other, and asyet are without a leader. I reckon, however, that such blunders as it maycommit will be balanced and amended by those of its opponents. Je tennine sur cette pensée consolante, et je vous prie de me croire. Votre bien affectionné, PHILIPPE COMTE DE PARIS. It is interesting to compare with this another view of the French electionsand of the probable course of events, taken from a very differentstandpoint. _From the Due de Broglie_ 8 _novembre_. --Vous avez vu le rèsultat de nos élections, qui ont été plusheureuses pour la cause générale du parti conservateur que pour ce qui meregarde particulièrement. Si nous ne vivions pas dans un temps oú toutesles prévisions sont trompées par une certaine inertie générale qui amortittoutes les passions et ralentit le cours naturel des événements, jecroirais qu'une crise violente est assez prochaine, les éléments extrêmesse trouvant réums et rapprochés dans l'Assemblée nouvelle, de manière àformer un mélange explosible comme la chimie redoute d'en amener. De partni d'autre, d'ailleurs, il n'y a d'homme en état de diriger les événements;ils iront done probablement tout seuls, commes des chevaux qui n'ont pas decocher, ce qui est le moyen à peu près sûr d'aller dans le fossé. CHAPTER XXII RETIREMENT Christmas and the early days of the New Year were passed at Foxholes. OnJanuary 15th the Reeves returned to Rutland Gate. Parliament met onthe 21st, and, as had been foreseen, the Government was defeated on anamendment to the Address. Lord Salisbury's resignation was announced onFebruary 1st, and, on the 3rd, Mr. Gladstone's Cabinet was formed, SirWilliam Harcourt being Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Rosebery ForeignSecretary, and Mr. John Morley Secretary for Ireland. Sir Henry James, now Lord James of Hereford, declined the office of Lord Chancellor; LordHartington, the present Duke of Devonshire, declined office of any sort ina Ministry whose policy, as yet but dimly shown, was generally understoodto be on the lines of advanced Radicalism. For his part, Reeve abhorredRadicalism. He had never approved of Gladstone as a politician, and nowless than ever. He looked on him as a danger to the Empire, to be foughtagainst, to be resisted, to be crushed. Nor was he singular in this. Itis customary to speak of the extraordinary influence which Gladstoneexercised. It was this influence, directed by sentiment or by vanity, whichconstituted the danger. There were many who believed the country to beon the eve of a violent, perhaps a sanguinary, revolution, fomented andabetted by Mr. Gladstone; and this belief was strengthened when, onFebruary 8th, an East-end mob, meeting in Trafalgar Square, was allowed, without opposition, to march by Pall Mall, St. James' Street andPiccadilly, to Hyde Park, breaking the windows and plundering the shops onthe way. When to this supposed revolutionary tendency of the new Ministrywas added their avowed intention to bring in a measure for the pacificationof Ireland, which--in the absence of details--was believed to mean thedisintegration of the kingdom, the feeling of alarm, which must be verywell remembered by many who read these pages, can be easily understood. _From Lord Ebury_ [Footnote: Lord Ebury died at the age of 92, in 1893. ] Moor Park, January 4th, 1886. Dear Reeve, --Allow me to wish you and Mrs. Reeve a happy New Year, andto say how much I have been interested in the second part of our commonfriend's Memoirs, which--if you care to know it--pleased me more than thefirst; but the most characteristic passage of the writer, and which made melaugh aloud, is the three pages in which he vents all his wrath against thepublic for their approbation of Lady Blessington as an authoress, and thepedestal upon which they placed her. I was glad to read the editor's note, which completed the page. When once he got into that sort of mood, andperhaps was influenced by a touch of gout, and let himself go, it was veryfunny to listen to him; and really he was a good-natured man. I wonderwhat he would have said of Parnell and his ragged regiment, and the G. O. M. [Footnote: As even in twelve years the name has become quite obsolete, itmay be as well to note that Mr. Gladstone was generally designated by theseletters, said by his friends and admirers to stand for Grand Old Man. ] ashe now appears. What in the world are we to do? The 'Times' is working mostpatriotically; but why, in the world, did it or he not find out earlierwhat the G. O. M. Really was and is?. .. With my best regards to Mrs. Reeve, I remain, yours very truly, EBURY. _From the Comte de Paris_ _8 janvier_. --Je vous remercie bien sincèrement des bons voeux que vousm'adressez pour la nouvelle aimée. Comme vous le dites fort bien, il y ades bonheurs que la politique ne peut pas empoisonner, et ce sont les plussolides. L'année 1886, je le crois comme vous, nous réserve des surprises plusdramatiques que celle don't nous venons de voir la fin. En France, cerenouvellement de l'année nous donne un Président renommé mais non rajeuni, un Ministère reconstitué mais non raffermi . .. En Angleterre, Gladstoneet les Irlandais vous auront pour une fois rendu service s'ils forcent às'unir les conservateurs, aujourd'hui séparés par d'anciennes divisionsen whigs et en tories. Ce jour-la vous pourrez de nonveau avoir ungouvcrnement fort et national. _From Lord Ebury_ _February 13th_--I cannot recollect anything about Charles Greville'spamphlet on Ireland, though I imagine I must have read it at the time. Canone get it now to look at it? or are things so much changed by the marchof events since that its interest has passed away? I re-read Gustave deBeaumont's marvellous work, with which no doubt you are acquainted. I confess it rather staggered me when it first came out; and how theprophecies it contained are accomplished, almost to the letter! I remembercalling the old Duke's attention to it; especially to that strangephrase-speaking of the then Irish landowners--'C'est une mauvaisearistocratic; il faut la détruire. ' Was it ever reviewed in the'Edinburgh'? When will this horrible Government be overthrown? _To Mr. T. Norton Longman_ _Rutland Gate, March 29th_--From what I learned yesterday as to theprobable course of proceeding in the House of Commons, I am strongly ofopinion that it will be necessary to accelerate the publication of the'Review' by two days, instead of postponing it, as we had proposed to do. The 'Review' would be of use in the debate which will then be going on, andwill probably be noticed; whereas, after the division on leave to bring inthe Bill, it would be less opportune. The article on Ireland is complete, and it would be premature to speculate on the details of an unknownmeasure. The 'Review' was published on April 13th, and, as Reeve had expected, thearticle on 'England's Duty to Ireland' was in everyone's mouth. It was apowerful appeal to the Liberals, as distinct from the Gladstonians, whichmay even now be read with advantage as a lucid exposition of the principlesof the Union. _From Lord Ebury_ _April 14th_. --Thank you for so speedily answering my question: also forpointing my attention to the concluding article of the 'Edinburgh'--justpublished--written by yourself. I have just finished its perusal, and amvery much pleased with it. No doubt you have had a certain advantagein seeing what has been already said upon this insane proposition ofGladstone's; but I have hitherto seen nothing which so completely exposesthe dangers that threaten us, and gives so much historical information toguide opinion upon the subject; and you have put forward a subject whichto my astonishment has not (or scarcely) been noticed at all. I meanthe danger to the throne of England. I see you dismiss with scarcely aremark--which, indeed, in your province, would have been injudicious--theresponsibility of those, our grandees--I won't mention names--who haveassisted in giving the G. O. M. Power to do the almost irreparable mischiefhe has perpetrated. The Journal here has:-- _April 17th_. --To Foxholes. On the 29th, Unionist meeting at Christchurch;Lord Malmesbury in the chair. I read an address [which was printed andcirculated as a leaflet]. This was one of the first Unionist meetings inEngland. _May 3rd_. --To Portsmouth, on a visit to Captain Bridge, on board the'Colossus. ' On May 10th Gladstone, in moving the second reading of his 'Home Rule'Bill, seemed to accept the truth of the maxim that 'Speech is given to manto conceal his thoughts, ' and led someone--commonly believed to be Mr. Labouchere, who made no attempt to hide his own opinions--to say, 'How isit possible to play with an old sinner who has got an ace up each sleeve, and says God Almighty put them there?' What Gladstone wanted to do was, in fact, never exactly known; all that could be made out was that he wasprepared to grant whatever the Irish Nationalist party demanded. It was forMr. Parnell to speak; for him to obey. Such an attitude was revolting toa very great many of the Liberal party. They maintained--they rightlymaintained--that the name 'Liberal' belonged to principles, not to men; andthat those who sacrificed their principles to follow the lead of one man, even of Gladstone's eminence, ceased to be Liberals, and could only becalled Gladstonians. The Bill was discussed for many days, and on June7th it was negatived by the House of Commons in the fullest division everknown; the numbers being: _Against the Bill. For the Bill. _ Conservatives. . . . 250 Gladstonians. . . . 230 Liberals. . . . . . 93 Nationalists. . . . 83 ___ ___ 343 313 Majority against the Bill, 30. Reeve was triumphant, and wrote to Mr. T. Norton Longman the next day, 'What a triumphant division! What a defeat for the G. O. M. ! Even he mustbelieve this. I think his colleagues will hardly agree to dissolve. If theydo, they will be annihilated. ' They did, and they were. The General Election held in July fully ratifiedthe vote of the House on June 7th, and left the Gladstonians andParnellites combined in a minority of 115. _To Mr. T. Norton Longman_ _C. O. , June 23rd_. --Sir Francis Doyle's Epilogue [Footnote: The lastchapter of Doyle's _Reminiscences and Opinions_ (8vo. 1886). It ismore than 'invective;' it contains much sound argument and admirableillustration. ] is a powerful piece of invective; but it is essentiallyaddressed to Gladstone's public career and conduct, and if he likes topublish it, I see no objection. Doyle was at Eton with Gladstone, and isone of his oldest and most intimate friends--or rather, _was so_. What hehas written is not stronger than what George Anthony Denison has publishedon Gladstone, he too being a friend of forty years. I do not rememberanother instance in which a man's best and earliest friends have turnedupon him, to unmask him, and that without any motive of personalresentment. It is the noble motive which led Brutus to strike Caesar. If this is to appear, it should be published _immediately_, as it relatesto the affairs of the day. _C. O. , July 21st_. --I think Gladstone has fulfilled all my predictions andcompleted the ruin of the Liberal party and his own. The net result is thathe has brought in the Tories for several years. Whilst this tremendous storm was raging in the political world in England, France also had been much excited. The letters of the Comte de Parishave shown that he was, in point of fact, conducting an intrigue for thesubversion of the republic, the re-establishment of the monarchy; and itis not surprising that the Government, more or less cognisant of what wasgoing on, struck in defence of the constitution under which they ruled. Their action was said to be illegal; but in time of war the laws depend on, are upheld by, and interpreted by the greater force; and on June 23rdthe Comte de Paris, with his family, was ordered to quit France, and theOrleanist princes, including the Duc d'Aumale, were deprived of their rankin the army, their names being erased from the army list. On June 29thReeve noted in his Journal, 'To Tunbridge Wells, to see the Comte deParis, exiled the week before;' but that is all; the home interest was tooabsorbing, though even of that the only trace in the Journal is on July5th, 'Unionist meeting at Tuckton. I took the chair. Election. ' _To Lord Derby_ _C. O. , July 10th_. --I am much obliged to you for the copy of yourexcellent speech. In this remarkable debate _coram populo_, it seems to methat the defeat of the Home Rulers in argument has been even more completethan their rout at the polling booths. The people have shown more seriousintelligence than I had given them credit for. I saw this even in ourHampshire bumpkins. On July 20th the Gladstonian Ministry resigned, and before the end of themonth the new ministry was formed under Lord Salisbury as premier and firstlord of the treasury. The Journal is occupied with personal and familyaffairs of special interest. _July 25th_. --To Antwerp by the 'Baron Osy. ' Forty-seven Americans onboard. Aix very dull. Back to London on August 11th. _August 18th_. --Letter from Hopie announcing her intended marriage. _September 6th_. --Hopie married at Kirklands to Thomas Ogilvie of Chesters. Chesters is in the immediate neighbourhood of Kirklands, and the friendshipbetween Miss Reeve and Mr. Ogilvie was of many years' standing, though thedetermination to marry was rather sudden, and the engagement very short. Mr. Ogilvie was a man of good family and property, and though several yearsolder than his bride, Reeve appears to have been very well satisfied; hisrelations with his son-in-law were always cordial, though the distance atwhich they lived restricted the intercourse, and the formed habits of bothprevented anything like intimacy. Amidst the political excitement and the family interest of the summer, thefollowing comes in almost like the Fool in 'King Lear' or Caleb Balderstonein the 'Bride of Lammermoor. ' It refers to a proposition--surely one of thestrangest ever submitted to a publisher--which, in ordinary course, hadbeen sent to Reeve for an opinion. And this is what Reeve wrote:-- _To Mr. T. Norton Longman_ _Foxholes, August 24th_. --Your correspondent is the coolest fellow I everheard of. He not only proposes to complete Macaulay's 'Lays' by some newones, but to re-edit and correct the original Lays, which, he says, 'arevery irregular. ' His own verses have not a spark of poetry or fire in them;they are mere trash, and he is an impertinent fellow. Here the Journal has:-- _September 7th_. --Went to Exeter with Christine; 8th, to Chagford andDartmoor; 10th, back to Foxholes. _29th_. --To Holyhead and Penrhos with Christine. Bad weather at Penrhos;gout in hand came on. _October 2nd_. --To Knowsley; Lord Lyons there. _6th_. --To London and Foxholes. Christine went on to Chesters. On the 20th, Mrs. Ogilvie came from Scotland. November 2nd, James Watney died. _From Count Vitzthum_ Paris, November 7th. Dear Mr. Reeve, --I beg you to accept kindly a copy of my memoirs 'St. Petersburg and London, ' 1852-1864, which Cotta will send you from theauthor. Please to remember, if you find time to read these two littlevolumes, that it is a German book, written for Germans, by one who isneither Whig, nor Tory, nor Red; who is very fond of Old England, , buthas nothing to do with your party feelings and prejudices. I see men andthings, not from the English, but from the European standpoint, and leaveit, as far as possible, to the leading men of the day to tell their owntale. If you find time, read the book and tell me what you think of it. Yours very truly, VITZTHUM. _To Mr. T. Norton Longman_ C. O. , _November 12th_. --My old friend, Count Vitzthum, formerly SaxonMinister in London, has sent me his 'Reminiscences of St. Petersburgand London from 1852 to 1864' in German, 2 vols. This is a book ofextraordinary interest to the English public, full of conversations andconfidential details of Prince Albert, Lord Palmerston, Lord Clarendon, Disraeli, &c. --quite a contemporary political history, as amusing andinteresting as Greville himself. Vitzthum knew this country well, and allits society. I shall write on Monday [15th] to thank him for the book, and I propose toask him whether he has made any arrangements for the translation of it. Iam not much in favour of translations; but this book is of such peculiarand exciting interest that I should strongly recommend you to secure itif possible. I think the Taylors, who did Luther, would undertake thetranslation. I think this an important affair. _November 15th_. --I am afraid you are out of town, but it is of greatimportance to come to an immediate decision about Count Vitzthum's book. Itis a work of the greatest possible interest and importance, and containsmany entirely new facts and anecdotes as to contemporary history. You willperceive this from the enclosed notice of the book which appeared lastweek in the 'Daily News. ' [Footnote: November 6th, 'From our BerlinCorrespondent, ' a notice mostly made up of extracts from the book, thendescribed as 'just about' to be published by Cotta of Stuttgart. ] The Queen has seen the sheets and approved them. The result of this notice was that three English publishers at once appliedto Cotta for the right of translation; but the Count has retained that inhis own hands, and he says that, if _you_ will publish the translation onsuitable terms, and if _I_ will edit the translation with my name, andwrite a preface to it, he will make an arrangement with us. This I am readyto do, and I shall tell him so to-day. There is not a moment to lose; andas you appear not to be in town, I must act myself in the matter. I wantto know as soon as possible what terms you would offer. I think the Countwould accept either a sum down or a share of the profits; you might proposeeither alternative. The Taylors would execute the translation promptly andthe book would appear in May. I do not suppose that you will hesitate toagree to so important a proposal; but if it does not please you, I amcertain that Murray or Macmillan would jump at it. _C. O. , November 17th. _--Max Müller has written to Count Vitzthum, to makeexactly the same suggestion I have done. He highly applauds the book andrecommends the Count to make arrangements with _you_ for the translation. Ihave seen Fairfax Taylor. He will undertake to complete the translation bythe 15th or 20th of February. The printing can go on when he has got somecopy in hand, and the book can be brought out early in April, which is avery good time. I have given him my copy of the first volume to begin upon. Pray get another copy of the book. _November 18th. _--Count Vitzthum accepts your proposal. He asks me whetherhe should write to you; but that is unnecessary. _Four_ other Englishpublishers have applied to him for the right of translation. _November 23rd. _--It will be necessary that the translation of Vitzthum'sbook should be set up in slips, in order that he and I may have anopportunity of adding notes or making omissions. At this time the question of having him elected as a foreign member of theInstitute was mooted by Reeve's friends in Paris. It is to this thatthe following letters refer. Though not successful on this occasion, because--as Reeve was afterwards told--two out of the six foreign memberswere already English, they carried their point some eighteen months later, on an English vacancy. _From M. Jules Simon_ Paris, 18 décembre. Cher Monsieur, --J'ai en effet exprimé à notre ami commun, M. Gavard, ledésir que j'éprouve de vous attacher plus complètement à notre Académie. C'est line opération assez difficile, car les associés étrangers pouvantêtre choisis indistinctement dans tous les peuples du monde, il y ararement disette de candidats. A chaque vacance, une commission est nominéeau scrutin. Elle présente trois noms à l'Académie, qui consacre une séanceà les discuter, et vote dans la séance suivante. Nous devons élire tout àl'heure le successeur de Ranke. Parmi les deux noms qui ne sortiront pas del'urne, il y en a un qui pourra bien réussir quand on élira le successeurde Minghetti. En général on est porté deux ou trois fois avant de passer. Vos amis s'occuperont d'abord de vous faire figurer sur la liste. Il fautpour cela qu'un d'entre eux ait la liste exacte de vos écrits, et de tousles titres que l'on peut invoquer en votre faveur. Les débats ne sont paspublics; les candidats n'écrivent pas de demande; celui qui les proposeparle en son propre noni, ct est même censé les proposer à leur insu. Enfin, le public ne connaît que le nom de l'élu. Je crois que vous avezenvoyé a M. Barthélemy St. -Hilaire les renseignements nécessaires. Si celan'est pas fait, faites-le, je vous prie, sans délai. Vous pouvez, si vousle préférez, les envoyer à M. Gavard, qui me les remettra, ou m'écriredirectement. Je vous prie, cher monsieur, de croire à mes sentimentscordialement dévoués. JULES SIMON. _From M. Leon Say_ Paris, 25 décembre. Mon bien Cher M. Reeve, --Je ferai naturellement tous mes efforts pour vousrapprocher encore plus de l'Institut, et vous y donner un rang digne devous; mais je ne dois pas vous laisser ignorer qu'il y aura lutte. Je nesais s'il vous conviendra que votre nom soit discuté. Pour vous éclairersur ce point, je vous envoie à titre confidentiel un billet que me faitparvenir M. Aucoc pour faire suite à un entretien que j'ai eu avec lui. Je vous prie de croire à mes sentiments les plus distingués et les plusaffectueux. LÉON SAY. Jules Simon m'a promis une note qui me servirait à soutenir vos titres, etme permettrait de dire aux Français de ma section, passablement ignorantsde l'étranger, avec exactitude ce que vous avez fait. Meantime the Journal notes:-- _December 7th. _--Meeting of the Liberal-Unionist party. On the 11th, dinnerat home. Duc d'Aumale, Froude, Carnarvon, Lady Stanley, Colonel Knollys, F. Villiers, Lady Metcalfe, Newton. _19th_--Dined at the Duc d'Aumale's, who had bought Moncorvo House inEnnismore Gardens. Comte and Comtesse de Paris, Haussonville, Ségur, Target, Audiffret, Leighton. _December 21st_. --To Timsbury. 24th, to Foxholes. The Ogilvies there. 1887. _January 3rd_. --Came to London. 10th, dinner at Pender's to meetStanley, the African traveller, before he went to find Emin Bey. _19th_. --The third part of Greville published, 3, 007 copies subscribed. Among the many letters which the publication of these last volumes ofthe 'Greville Memoirs' brought him, the following from Sir Arthur Gordon[Footnote: Fourth son of the Earl of Aberdeen. ]--now Lord Stanmore, and then Governor of Ceylon--have a peculiar interest from their exactcriticism of a point of detail with which the writer was personallyacquainted at first hand:-- Queen's House, Colombo, June 18th. My dear Mr. Reeve, --I have very long delayed answering your last letter, inthe hope that, when I did so, I might at the same time be able to send youmy notes on the two last volumes of 'Greville. ' But these notes willbe numerous, and my time is scant for such work. On one point, the'graspingness' alleged to have been shown by the Peclites after theformation of the Government in December 1852, and its modification tosatisfy their exigencies, I have felt constrained to address the 'Times. '[Footnote: June 13th. The letter is reprinted in the Appenduxm _post_, p. 411. ] The truth happens to have been exactly the other way, and Greville'snotes are only the echo of the grumblings of the disappointed Whig placemenwho talked to him. It is decidedly unjust not only to my father, Graham, and Gladstone, who are indirectly charged with this trafficking, but to theDuke of Newcastle and Herbert also, who more directly are so. I have, of course, read the volumes with great interest, but have hadmy suspicions greatly heightened that whatever may have been the casebefore--say 1841, the confidences Mr. Greville received in the later yearsof his life were not unfrequently only half-confidences, for the sakeof obtaining his opinion on some collateral point, or of flattering orpleasing him by the show of confidence. There are, of course, many matterstreated of in these volumes as to which I have no personal or privateinformation, and I have no reason to question what he says about them; butI have some inclination to doubt, even as to these; for I find that asregards almost every transaction of which I do happen to know the wholehistory, he knows a good deal about it, but not _all_ about it. He waskept specially in the dark about the real history of Lord Palmerston'sresignation in 1853 which is all the odder because he very nearly found itout. Hardly anybody does know what lay behind, though the difference aboutReform was a very real one, so far as it went, and quite sufficient tojustify--at all events, ostensibly--Lord P. 's virtual dismissal. Again, onanother occasion, I see Mr. G. 's special friend, Lord Clarendon--I willnot say, deliberately deceived him, but, certainly with full knowledge--allowed him to deceive himself on the strength of a half-confidence. [Footnote: A politic reticence, that has been called 'an economy oftruth. '] I am more disappointed than I can say to find that M. De Sainte-Aulaire'selaborate Memoirs have been 'used up' for that stupid book of Victor deNouvion's, [Footnote: Histoire du Règne de Louis Philippe (4 tom 8vo. 1857-61)], if--as I suppose-that is the book you refer to. I thought it hadnever got beyond the first two volumes, and have never seen any more of it. I am vexed that M. De Sainte-Aulaire's elaborate Memoirs should have beenutilised for such a book; generally, because I know M. De Sainte-Aulairecontemplated their publication, and because they deserved to appear ina separate form; and, personally and specially, because, of course, hisaccounts of his intercourse with my father, and the elaborate study of hischaracter which he had written, are thus lost. .. . Yours ever faithfully, A. GORDON. _To Sir Arthur Gordon_ _C. O. , June 13th_. --I have just read in the 'Times' of this morning yourinteresting letter on the formation of Lord Aberdeen's ministry. I have nodoubt you are quite right. It _was_ John Russell and the Whigs who wererapacious for office--much more than the Peelites. John Russell, I know, kept Cardwell out of the Cabinet. You observe that Greville only notes whatLord Clarendon told him; and I have no doubt that Clarendon was rather outof humour with arrangements which were personally disagreeable to himself. But that again was John Russell's fault, because he insisted on taking theForeign Office _pro tem_. I shall probably publish another complete editionof Greville next year, and I think it would be well to insert in a note thewhole of your letter, or at least the greater part of it. [Footnote: SeeAppendix, post, p. 411. ] If you have any other criticisms to make, theywould be valuable to me. I have availed myself of those you were so good asto send me on the second series. You are aware that Mme. De Jarnac is dead. I do not know who has herhusband's papers; but the Comte de Paris is here, and as I frequently seehim, I will take an early opportunity of asking him whether he can give meany information about Lord Aberdeen's letters. M. Thureau's 'Histoire dela Monarchic de Juillet' is a remarkable book, because he has access tooriginal sources and quotes largely from them, especially from the Memoirsof M. De Sainte-Aulaire which are still in MS. [Footnote: And _still_ so in1898. ] They appear to be extremely interesting. We are getting on here pretty well. If the Whigs had joined the Government, there might have been a scramble for office, as there was in 1853; forthe Whigs are now in the same position as the Peelites were at thattime--officers without an army. It is much more to the credit of my friendsto give a disinterested support to Lord Salisbury; and this alliance givesa sufficiently Liberal colour to the measures of the administration. Thereis every appearance that the Unionists will hold together. Mr. Gladstonecontinues to be in a state of hallucination and excitement which exceedsbelief. It is a case of moral and political suicide. The crisis willprobably end by the death of Mr. Parnell, the falling [off] of the Americansubscriptions, and the extinction of Mr. Gladstone; but in the meantimethey have totally ruined Ireland. _From Sir Arthur Gordon_ _August 30th_. --Your letter of June 13th must have crossed one from me, in which I explained to you why I had written to the 'Times' aboutthe formation of the Government of 1853 instead of merely sending myobservations to you as a note for future use. I need not say that I am muchflattered by your proposal to insert the letter--or part of it--in a noteto a future edition of Mr. Greville's Memoirs. .. I am struck very muchby what I think I mentioned once before--the frequency with which Mr. Greville's friends gave him what may be called 'a three-quarters knowledge'of pending affairs. They told him a great deal, but frequently not _all_. In the affairs with which I am really acquainted, there is almost alwayssomething--and that an important something--which does not appear in hisnotes. .. I have specially noticed this with regard to Lord Palmerston's'resignation' in 1853, It is the more remarkable, because it is apparentfrom various passages that he 'burnt'--as they say in a game of hide andseek--but never actually quite caught the true facts. I have never knowna secret better guarded than the fact--which, after a lapse of four andthirty years, one may, I think, mention--that Lord P. 's resignation onthat occasion was _not_ voluntary, and that he was, in fact, extruded. [Footnote: In a later letter, June 5th, 1888, Sir Arthur Gordon wrote:--'Hehad given great offence to the Queen; and his colleagues--at least, hismost important colleagues--distrusted his action in reference to pendingnegotiations, Lord Clarendon especially resenting the intrigues he believedhe was carrying on. Things being in this state, he announced his hostilityto Reform, and it was determined to take advantage of this announcement toremove him; and removed he would have been, but for the two causes I havenoted. '] But, to be sure, half the Cabinet did not know this; and it wastheir ignorance, coupled with Newcastle's and Gladstone's dislike of LordJohn, that brought him back again. I must get M. Thureau's 'Histoire de la Monarchic de Juillet, ' of which Inever even heard. It is dreadful to reflect how utterly behindhand one getsin all things, literary, artistic, and political, through long sojourns outof Europe. But I do hope there is some prospect of M. De Sainte-Aulaire'sMemoirs themselves being published at full length. I know it was M. DeSainte-Aulaire's wish and deliberate intention that they should be given tothe world, and he took much trouble with them. _From the Duke of Argyll_ Inveraray, January 22nd. My dear Mr. Reeve, --I have been longer in getting the book off my handsthan I had hoped. It is now in the press, and Douglas talks of getting itout about February 10th or a little later. .. . There is a good deal inthe book which, in one sense, may be called 'padding, ' because I haveendeavoured to relieve the very dry subject of Tenures and AgriculturalImprovement with historical episodes, with pictures of manners, and evenwith personal anecdote. But I think there is a considerable bulk of newmatter, or at least of old matter put in new points of view, and every partis written with an aim to establish the principles which _we_ think 'sound'on Law, on Property, and on Union. Your new Greville seems to be veryinteresting. Yours very sincerely, ARGYLL. _From M. B. St. -Hilaire_ _Paris_, 29 _janvier_. --Je vous remercie de la peine que vous voulezbien prendre, et j'ai profité des corrections que vous avez bienvoulu m'indiquer. J'avais déjá profité des deux articles de la 'Revued'Edimbourg' sur les chemins de fer russes en Asie et sur l'armée indienne. I have no wish to appear more royalist than the king himself; but I cannotfeel so sure as you do about the security of India. The Russians arealready threatening it, and I do not think they are near stopping. The baseof their operations will be in the Caucasus, where they already have veryconsiderable forces. It is true that their finances are in bad order; butthis may perhaps be an additional motive to them to undertake a war ofconquest. I agree with you, however, that before the attack on India willcome the attack on Constantinople, the consequences of which will be verygreat. On the other hand, the railway connecting Candahar with the Induswill certainly be a great obstacle to the advance of the Russians on Cabul. In all this I see many of the elements of catastrophes which the nextgeneration will witness. I hope I may be out of this world before theycome. _To Mr. T. Norton Longman_ _Foxholes_, _April 17th_. --I see the 'Athenaeum' complains that I did notcorrect all Vitzthum's mistakes and rearrange his book; but that is morethan I undertook to do. We did correct a good many mistakes, natural enoughin a foreigner; but I do not hold myself responsible for his facts or hisopinions. _April 22nd_. --I know more about M. Barthélemy St. -Hilaire's book on Indiathan any other Englishman, for I revised and corrected the proof-sheets forhim. A French writer on the subject was sure to make blunders. The book ismost valuable to _foreigners_, for it is a perfectly fair account of theBritish administration of India; but it would be entirely useless in thiscountry, inasmuch as it is a mere compilation from well-known Englishdocuments. I think, therefore, that a translation into English would be awork of supererogation and a failure. _Journal_ _April 30th_. --Dined at the Royal Academy dinner. _May 9th_. --Great Unionist meeting at Winchester. _28th_. --Barthélemy St. -Hilaire came to Foxholes on a visit. _June 10th_. --Dined with the Duc d'Aumale, Moncorvo House. Electric light. _15th_. --Dined at the Middle Temple. Grand day; Prince of Wales in thechair. _18th_. --Dined with the Lord Mayor. Literature, Science, and Art. _21st_. --Celebration of the Jubilee. Splendid day. _July 3rd_. --Went to Eastbourne. _7th_. --Dined at East Sheen with the Comte de Paris. Duc and Duchesseof Braganza there. Duke of St. Albans, Arran and daughter, Duc de laTremoille--twenty. _18th_. --Duc d'Aumale's evening party; very brilliant. _25th_. --To Ostend and Brussels. 26th, to Cologne. Great heat. _27th_. --To Wiesbaden. Lady Dartrey died while I was at Wiesbaden. I tookleave of her on her death-bed just before I started. It was the loss of amost kind, faithful, and affectionate friend. _August 5th_. --Ill in the night; incipient fever. 6th, to Cologne. 7th, toAix, very unwell. 9th, got back to London by Ostend-Dover. _From Captain Bridge, R. N. _ H. M. S. 'Colossus, ' Gibraltar, August 3rd. Dear Mr. Reeve, --The Naval Review and the ensuing operations have not, Ihope, given you such a surfeit of naval affairs as to indispose you to heara little of the recent cruise of the Mediterranean squadron. We left Malta, under the command of the Duke of Edinburgh, in May, and visited severalports on the coast of Italy. During H. R. H. 's absence in England, whenattending the Jubilee, we stayed at the convenient harbour of Aranci Bayin the island of Sardinia. There we carried out a series of instructivetorpedo and under-water mining exercises. After leaving Sardinia, wecalled at several Spanish ports--Barcelona, Valencia, Cartagena andMalaga--eventually reaching this place last Friday evening. The effect of our visits to both Italy and Spain has been--especially inthe case of the latter country--remarkably gratifying. The presence ofa son of the Queen was evidently taken as a compliment by Italians andSpaniards of all classes. Barcelona, Cartagena, and Malaga are notoriouslyanti-monarchical in sentiment. Yet in every one H. R. H. Had a mostflattering reception. The enthusiasm of the populace at Cartagena was fullyequal to any shown by an English crowd for any popular royal personage. People may say what they like, but the advantages to the country ofhaving a prince in the position held by the Duke are considerable. Thefriendliness of the Italians is striking; and I am confident the feelingsof Spaniards of all classes are more favourable to England than they havebeen for half a century. We hear now that we are to go on to Cadiz, where amaritime exhibition is to be opened this month; and it is understood thatthis extension of our cruise is at the request of the Spaniards themselves. I have visited Spanish ports often before now, and never noticed anyfriendliness towards us. Should the necessity of looking for allies arise, it is nearly certain that both Italy and Spain would be disposed to rangethemselves on our side. It will be a pity if diplomatic bungling occurs toalter this satisfactory condition of things. .. . Pray give my kind remembrances to Mrs. Reeve. Yours sincerely, CYPRIAN A. G. BRIDGE. It has been seen that for some years back Reeve had been occasionallythinking of retiring from his post of Registrar. The near completion offifty years' service revived the notion, and his illness at Wiesbaden, following an earlier attack in April, confirmed it. When his mind was oncemade up, the rest was a matter of detail. The Journal notes:-- _August 10th_. --Taxed costs and wound up business at the Council Office forthe last time again; but went there again on October 11th. _12th_. --To Foxholes, where fever and bad fit of gout came on; I was veryunwell till September 3rd. _21st_. --My dog Sylvia [Footnote: A collie, so called after her donor, M. Sylvain van de Weyer. A brother of hers belonged to the Queen. ] died. Afond and faithful companion of sixteen years. _September 5th_. --Mr. G. H. Dorrell came as my secretary, and I dictated anarticle on foreign affairs. _From Mr. C. L. Peel_ [Footnote: Clerk of the Council in succession to SirArthur Helps. Now Sir Charles Peel. ] 56 Eccleston Square, October 5th. My Dear Reeve, --I was so taken aback by your announcement to-day, that Ireally could not find words in which to express the sincere regret withwhich I heard it. You are so thoroughly identified in my mind with theCouncil Office, and I am so much indebted to you for advice and assistanceduring the last twelve years, that I shall feel quite lost when I canno longer rely upon the experience, judgement, and kindness which havehitherto been available to me in any difficulty. I only trust that by relieving yourself in good time from the ties ofoffice, you may enjoy a long spell of happy and active retirement, whichyou have so well earned, and into which you will be followed by the bestwishes of all you leave behind. Believe me always, Yours most sincerely, C. L. PEEL. It appears from the Journal that the resignation was not officially madetill some days later. _October 24th_. --I resigned the Registrarship of the Privy Council, which Ihad held, as Clerk of Appeals and Registrar, since November 17th, 1837. Therest of the year at Foxholes. At the sitting of the Judicial Committee on November 2nd, Sir BarnesPeacock formally announced to the Bar the resignation of the Registrar, andafter briefly mentioning the dates of his service as Clerk of Appeals since1837 and Registrar since the creation of the office in 1853, he went on:-- 'It is unnecessary to state to the Bar the manner in which the duties ofthat office have been performed by Mr. Reeve. He is not present to-day. Hehas been prevented, I believe, by the state of his health, from travellingto London. Their Lordships are sorry that he is not present, that theymight personally bid him farewell. They have given me, as the oldest memberof the Judicial Committee now present, the privilege of expressing andrecording their deep sense of the loss which must be sustained, both bythe Judicial Committee and the public, by being deprived of the valuableservices of Mr. Henry Reeve. His long and varied experience, extending overa period of nearly half a century, his extensive knowledge, his great tactand the sound judgement which he brought to bear in the discharge of theduties of his office, render his retirement a serious loss both to theJudicial Committee and to the public. Their Lordships could not allow Mr. Reeve to depart from his office in silence. They trust that he may longenjoy in health and happiness that rest, relaxation, and repose whichhe has so fully and meritoriously earned, and to which he is so justlyentitled. Many men retire from an arduous profession or office, and whenthey are relieved from the duties which they have for many years beencalled upon to discharge, sink into a state of _ennui_ and listlessnesswhich are not conducive either to a long life or to health or happiness. But their Lordships feel sure that that will not be the case with Mr. Henry Reeve. His literary and other congenial tastes and pursuits, and hisindustrious habits, will no doubt supply him with full employment for hisstill active and vigorous mind. In taking their leave of Mr. Henry Reeveon his departure from office their Lordships will only add, 'Let honour bewhere honour is justly deserved. ' To this Mr. Aston, Q. C. , replied, as the oldest member of the Barpresent:-- 'I refrain from attempting to add anything to what your Lordship has said, for fear that the feebleness of my addition might detract from the forceof that which your Lordship has expressed. But I cannot help saying that, after having appeared at your Lordships' Bar in this place for upwards ofa quarter of a century, I have myself personally received, and I have seenthe members of the Bar who have practised with me always receive, from Mr. Reeve the utmost courtesy, attention, and assistance. We often have, myLords, in practising before you, a difficult task to discharge. Our clientsare not familiar with the practice of your Lordships' Court, if I may usethe term. But on all occasions Mr. Registrar Reeve has given the utmostassistance, and therefore I beg to say, on behalf of the Bar whom I ventureto represent, that we cordially endorse all that your Lordship has said, and express our unfeigned regret that we shall no longer have the servicesof Mr. Reeve in your Lordships' chamber. ' _To Mr. T. Norton Longman_ _Foxholes, November 4th. _--I hope you saw the funeral oration Sir BarnesPeacock pronounced on me in the Privy Council. It is in the outer sheet ofthe 'Times' of Tuesday [Nov. 1st], and perhaps in some other papers; a verykind and handsome tribute; and it is pleasanter to have these things saidwhen one is alive than when one is dead. The notice in the 'Times' brought Reeve many letters from his friends;amongst others, the following:-- _From Lord Ebury_ _November 9th. _--I see you are going to desert the Council altogether. Ihope you will long enjoy the _otium_ which you have so worthily merited, and will have time to assist in extinguishing Gladstone. _From the Duc d'Aumale_ _Woodnorton, 15 novembre. _--Je regrette d'apprendre que votre santé a étési eprouvée. .. . Je suis toujours affligée de voir mes amis se retirer dela vie active; mais je comprends les motifs qui vous ont dicté votredemission. .. . Je suis si honteux de ce qui se passe en France que je n'ose pas vous enparler, et je me borne a vous serrer bien cordialement la main. The Journal then notes:-- 1888. --The year began at Foxholes. The Ogilvies there for three weeks. Cameto London on January 3rd. _February 4th. _--Sir Henry Maine died at Cannes. A great loss. _March 5th. _--The railroad from Brockenhurst to Christchurch opened. Wentdown to the ceremony. Came back at 7 and dined with Millais to meet theLord Chancellor. Mrs. Procter died. _9th_--Emperor William of Germany died. Various dinners. _April 10th. _--Gladstone dined at The Club. Froude, Smith, Hewett, andHooker there. _27th_--Left London for Basle with Christine at 11 A. M. And arrived there, and thence, at Lucerne, on the 28th at 9 A. M. Capital journey. From Lucerne they went on to Milan and Bologna and to Florence, which theyreached on May 3rd, which they made their headquarters for the next threeweeks, seeing all that was interesting in the city and the neighbourhood, and visiting Siena, Chiusi, Perugia, and Assisi. Then to Spezia, Turin, Geneva, and to Paris on the 24th. Meantime Reeve, having been proposed by St. -Hilaire, supported by the Ducd'Aumale, Jules Simon, and Duruy, as a foreign member of the Institut deFrance, in succession to Sir Henry Maine, had been elected by a largemajority on May 8th. He seems to have received the first news of this fromthe Duc d'Aumale, who wrote from Palermo on May 10th:-- Mon ancien maître, confrère et ami, Duruy, m'ecrit que vous venez d'etrenommé associé étranger de son Académie par vingt-sept voix. C'est un beausuccès dont je veux tout de suite me réjouir avec vous, en attendant que jepuisse le faire de vive voix. Je compte être le 20 de ce mois à Bruxelles, et dîner avec le Club quelque jour du mois de juin. The election had to be approved by the President of the Republic, and theresult was not officially communicated till the 19th. It would seem thatReeve did not receive it till his arrival in Paris, and on the next day, May 25th, St. -Hilaire wrote:-- Demain je vous accompagnerai pour votre entrée à l'Académie. Vous verrezque le cérémonial est des plus simples. Je vous présenterai spécialement àM. Franck, qui, sur ma demande, a été votre rapporteur, et qui a parlé devous en termes excellents. From the Duc d'Aumale he received, a few days later:-- _Bruxelles, 31 mai. _--Je ne doutais pas du bon accueil qui vous serait faità l'Institut, et je suis ravi d'en recevoir le témoignage par votre lettre. Je voudrais bien pouvoir assister au dîner du Club du 12 juin; mais j'enai quelque doute, tandis que je crois être certain, _Deo adjuvante_, depouvoir m'asseoir à notre table fraternelle le mardi 26. Je vous serreaffectueusement la main. On May 28th Reeve returned to London. The entries in the Journal are oflittle interest, but he noted:-- _June 12th. _--At Lady Knutsford's, evening, met Lord and Lady Lansdowne, just back from Canada. _15th_. --To Foxholes. The Emperor Fritz of Germany died. During the wholeof his short reign, which lasted ninety-nine days, the most bitter quarrelswent on about his medical treatment. It was a great tragedy. _25th_. --To London again. 26th, breakfasted with the Duc d'Aumale, whodined at The Club. _July 2nd. _--To Winchester Quarter Sessions to qualify as J. P. ForHampshire, having been recently appointed by Lord Carnarvon. _9th_. --Attended Petty Sessions at Christchurch. _30th_. --Winchester Assizes. On the Grand Jury. The next letter, from Sir Arthur Gordon, refers to an incident alluded toin the 'Greville Memoirs, ' [Footnote: Third Part, i. 54-5. ] which Reevehad commented on at some length, with a reference to the Memoirs of LordMalmesbury, published some four years before. What Lord Malmesbury had said amounted to this--that in 1844, when theRussian Emperor Nicholas was in London, 'he, Sir Robert Peel (then primeminister) and Lord Aberdeen (then foreign secretary) drew up and _signed_a memorandum' to the effect that England 'would support Russia in herlegitimate protectorship of the Greek religion and the Holy Shrines, without consulting France. Lord Malmesbury added that the fact of LordAberdeen, one of the signers of this paper, being prime minister in 1853, was taken by Nicholas as a ground for believing that England would notjoin France to restrain the pretensions of Russia, and therefore, byimplication, that Lord Aberdeen's being prime minister was a--if notthe--principal cause of the war. [Footnote: _Lord Malmesbury's Memoirs ofan Ex-Minister_ (1st edit. ), i. 402-3. ] The memorandum itself, as printed in the Blue Book, differs essentially, both in matter and form, from Lord Malmesbury's description of it. Itis entitled 'Memorandum by Count Nesselrode delivered to Her Majesty'sGovernment and founded on communications received from the Emperor ofRussia subsequently to His Imperial Majesty's visit to England in June1844. ' [Footnote: _Parliamentary Papers_, 1854, lxxi. 863. ] It is unsigned, and from the nature of it must be so; it is in no sense an agreement, buta proposal that England should agree to act in concert with Russia andAustria; and nothing whatever is said about the Greek religion, theHoly Places, or the Russian protectorate. It is of course possible thatconversations between Nicholas and Lord Aberdeen, which preceded thedrawing up of this memorandum, may have encouraged the one and hamperedthe other; but of this there is no evidence, and Lord Malmesbury couldnot possibly know anything about it, though he did know something--veryinaccurately it appears--about the memorandum. The discrepancies had, in fact, led Reeve to suppose that Malmesbury's statement must referto another memorandum; and thus Lord Stanmore's letter has a singularhistorical interest, bearing, as it does, on a point that has been muchdiscussed. _From Sir Arthur Gordon_ _Queen's House, Colombo, July 30th_--I am very sorry that I did notcontrive to meet you while in England. .. . I am almost equally sorry--infact, am equally sorry--that my laziness and procrastination in sending youmy notes prevented their being of any use in the revision of the seventhvolume [of the Greville Memoirs]. I am the more sorry because I confessI greatly regret that the mare's-nest of the Russian Memorandum of 1844should remain unpulled to pieces. You seem half-incredulous as to myexplanation, and ask very naturally, If that is all, why should there havebeen any secrecy about it? The secrecy was due to the form, not the matter. The memorandum was the Emperor's own account of his conversations withthe Duke, Sir R. Peel, and Lord Aberdeen, and a copy of it was sent in aprivate letter from Count Nesselrode to Lord Aberdeen. It was never in thehands of the ordinary diplomatic agents for official communication to theEnglish Government, nor was it ever treated as an official document. Butits importance was too great to allow its being treated as an ordinaryprivate letter, and my father personally handed it to Lord Palmerston whenreplaced at the F. O. By him. Lord Palmerston delivered it in the same wayto Lord Granville, Lord Granville to Lord Malmesbury, Lord Malmesbury toLord John Russell, and Lord John to Lord Clarendon. In 1853 the Emperormade some reference to this paper which was supposed to make it a publicdocument, and it was then printed and laid before Parliament soon after thebeginning of the war. This I assure you is the whole history and mysteryof the Russian Memorandum, Lord M. Notwithstanding. This is not the onlyinstance in which Lord M. Has mixed up, in singular fashion, what hehimself knew and what was the club gossip at the time. The Journal here notes:-- _August 20th. _--Drove over to Lytchet Heath, to stay with the EustaceCecils. _September 10th. _--Joined Mrs. Watney in the 'Palatine' yacht atBournemouth. Crossed to Trouville in the night. Lay in 'the ditch' fortwenty hours. 12th, Cherbourg. Met the French fleet and saw the arsenal. 13th, back to Southampton and to Foxholes. Pleasant trip; good weather. _20th_--The Eustace Cecils came: took them to Heron Court. This was thelast time Lord Malmesbury saw people there. _From the Duc d'Aumale_ Woodnorton, 26 septembre. Très cher ami, --Vous êtes bien heureux de pouvoir aller vous promener àCherbourg et à Paris. Enfin! Oui, j'ai reçu un peu de plomb, et même assez près de l'oeil gauche; maisle proverbe dit que ce métal est ami de l'homme. J'en serai quitte pourquelques petites bosses sous la peau, et je vous souhaite de vous porteraussi bien que je le fais en ce moment. J'irai à Knowsley dans la seconde quinzaine d'octobre; à Sandringham, dans les premiers jours de novembre; puis mes neveux viendront tirer mesfaisans. J'espère bien prendre part aux agapes du Club le 27 novembre et 11décembre, et serai bien heureux de vous revoir un peu. En attendant je vousserre la main, mon cher confrère. H. D'ORLÉANS. _To Lord Derby_ _Foxholes, October 2nd. _--I am amused by the Court quarrel in Germany, though I am afraid the broken heads will not be royal heads. Bismarck willwreak his vengeance on numberless victims. Geffcken is a very old friendof mine, and an occasional contributor to the 'Edinburgh Review;' but I amafraid it will go hard with him, for Bismarck regards him as a personalenemy. If the Prince had lived Bismarck could not have remained in office, and the course of affairs might have been materially changed. * * * * * On October 25th Reeve, with his wife, crossed over to Paris. He attendedthe Institut on the 26th, and heard mass at Notre Dame on the 27th; but hisprincipal object seems to have been to consult Dr. Perrin about his eyes, which for some time back had caused him some uneasiness. A literary man ofseventy-five is naturally quick to take alarm, and an English oculist hadrecommended an operation. This Reeve was unwilling to undergo, at anyrate without another and entirely independent opinion; and as Dr. Perrinpronounced strongly against it, no operation was performed; and with careand good glasses his eyes continued serviceable to the last. On November8th the Reeves returned to London, where, as Parliament was sitting, theyremained till Christmas; and, according to the Journal:-- _November 27th. _--The Club was brilliant with the Duc d'Aumale, Wolseley, Lord Derby, and Coleridge. Boehm and Maunde Thompson were elected. _December 1st_. --To All Souls, Oxford. Prothero, Dicey, Oman, GeorgeCurzon, &c. Stayed over Sunday. _27th_. --To Timsbury: thence to Foxholes on the 29th. _January 15th_, 1889. --Returned to London. _From M. B. St. -Hilaire_ _Paris, January 20th_. --It was very good of you to think of my book on'L'Inde Anglaise, ' and I thank you for the 'Edinburgh Review' which youhave sent me. I read the article with great interest. It is very well done, and I beg you to thank the author in my name for having taken the troubleto read me with so much attention and good will. I do not think I haveexaggerated the danger which threatens your great enterprise in India. TheTranscaspian Railway, which will very soon run from Samarkand to Tashkend, seems to me one source of it. Yours will, indeed, soon reach to Candahar;but Russia is at home in the country, whilst England is very far off. The magnanimous confidence you have in your own strength is mostpraiseworthy--provided that your watchfulness is not allowed to slumber. .. . Meanwhile I remain constant in my admiration of what the English are doingin India; and the administration of Lord Dufferin may well confirm me in myopinion. There is nothing like it, or so great as it, in the history of thepast. _From Lord Dufferin_ British Embassy, Rome, January 27th. My dear Reeve, --Many thanks for your letter of the 16th. As you may wellsuppose, I am delighted with Lyall's article; for he is acknowledged, bothby Indian and by so much of English public opinion as knows anything ofthe matter, to have been the best Indian public servant that the presentgeneration has produced. In addition, or, as perhaps some would say, inspite of possessing real literary genius, he proved himself a most wise, shrewd, and capable administrator. I do not believe he made a singlemistake during his whole career. At all events, I never heard of his havingdone so; and a slip is scarcely made in India without the fact being dulyrecorded. What pleases me most is that the kind words he uses about myselfshould be embedded in the exposition of his own opinions upon Indianquestions--opinions full of acuteness, justice, and knowledge. It isthese that will really make the article interesting to your readers, andconsequently give a greater importance to what he has said about me thanotherwise would have been the case. I have obeyed your orders in regard tosending a copy of my speech to M. Barthelemy St. -Hilaire. The social history of the season is adequately chronicled in the Journal:-- _February 5th_. --The Ogilvies in London. _22nd_. --Mr. Gollop [Mrs. Reeve's father] died; born October 11th, 1791. Christine had been down just before. _March 12th_. --The Club. Good party: Lord Salisbury, Walpole, Tyndall, Hooker, Hewett, Lecky, Lyall, A. Russell, Layard, and self. _March 20th_. --Meeting at Lord Carnarvon's about the bust of Sir C. Newton. _25th_. --Breakfast at Sheen House with Comte and Comtesse de Paris, to meetLefèvre-Pontalis and Bocher. _28th_. --Lunched with Major Dawson at Woolwich and went over the Arsenal. Very interesting. _April 12th_. --Meeting for Matthew Arnold's Memorial. 7, 000 _l_. Raised. _May 4th_. --Dined at the Royal Academy dinner. Sat by Horsley, Tyndall, andChitty. _From Sir Arthur Gordon_ _May 5th_. --You may rely upon it that I am absolutely right as to theRussian Memorandum--Lord Malmesbury does not himself assert that he eversaw it, which, had it existed, he must have done when Foreign Secretary. Icannot, of course, expect you to attach the same weight that I do to whatI may call the personal reasons which make me utterly incredulous of LordMalmesbury's story; but there are other reasons for doubting it, some ofwhich may have already occurred to you. One is the alleged form of thedocument, which is said to be signed by the Emperor, the Duke, my father, and Sir R. Peel. Lord Malmesbury prides himself on the knowledge ofdiplomatic forms and etiquettes derived from his grandfather's papers. Hemight have known that the signature of an engagement by a Sovereign (andsuch a Sovereign!) on the one side and _three ministers_ of anotherSovereign on the other (thereby putting them on species of equality) wasan impossibility. Such a paper, if it existed, would be signed either by_both_ Sovereigns or by the ministers of both. I think I may say withconfidence that the Emperor Nicholas was a most unlikely man to performsuch an act of condescension. And why should he? He had his confidentialminister with him. Another, and I think fatal, objection is that neithermy father nor Lord Clarendon were altogether absolute fools, and when, inanswer to the Emperor's challenge, they published the secret memorandumwhich had till then been handed on privately from minister to minister, they knew what they were about, and would never have put it into the powerof the Emperor to retort that _that_ was not what he referred to, but to apaper which would not improve the cordiality of the Anglo-French alliance. Again, is it likely that, if the Emperor had entered into such anagreement, he would take the trouble to write another long memorandum, containing the 'substance' of his discussions with the English ministers?This is the memorandum which was sent in a private letter, which I possess, from Count Nesselrode to my father; which was handed from minister tominister, and which was published in 1854. The original draft, CountNesselrode said, was in the Emperor's own hand. I have another little bitof evidence which I think also goes to prove that no such agreement wasentered into in 1844, as Lord Malmesbury supposes. In 1845 Count Nesselrodevisited England. My father, writing to the Queen, gives an account of hisconversations with Nesselrode, and says: 'His language very much resembledthat held by the Emperor; and _although he made no specific proposals_, hisdeclarations of support, in case of necessity, were _more_ unequivocal. '(The italics are mine. ) Could he have written this if he had already, some months before, signed an agreement with the Emperor, which was bothunequivocal and specific? _From the Comte de Paris_ Sheen House, 7 mai. Mon cher Monsieur Reeve, --Nous aussi, nous n'avons pas oublié votreprésence à notre mariage le 30 mai 1864. La Comtesse de Paris et moi noussommes bien touchés de la manière dont vous nous le rappelez, et je vousremercie de tout coeur de ce que vous me dites et des voeux que vousm'adressez en cette occasion. Au milieu de toutes les vicissitudes de notrevie pendant ces vingt-cinq ans nous avons été constamment soutenus parle bonheur domestique que cette union nous a donné et par toutes lessatisfactions que nous ont causées nos enfants. Lorsque j'ai reçu votre lettre j'allais vous écrire, ainsi qu'à MadameReeve, de vouloir bien venir ici le 30 mai dans l'après-midi: nous recevonsentre 2 et 5 tous les amis qui viendront fêter cet anniversaire avec nous. Je me souviens bien que Madame Reeve était avec vous à la chapelle deKingston, mais ma mémoire n'est pas sûre en ce qui concerne Madame votrefille. Je vous serais bien reconnaissant de me faire savoir si elle étaitavec vous ce jour-là. En attendant je vous prie de me croire Votre bienaffectionné, PHILIPPE COMTE DE PARIS. The Journal notes:-- _May 7th. _--The Club: Due d'Aumale, Lord Salisbury, Wolseley, Carlisle, A. Russell, Hewett, Stephen--very brilliant. _8th_. --Returned to Foxholes. _16th_. --Drove to Heron Court. Lord Malmesbury dying. _17th_. --Lord Malmesbury died. 22nd, attended his funeral in Priory Church. 29th, to London. _30th_. --The silver wedding of the Comte and Comtesse de Paris at Sheen. All the French Royalties, Prince of Wales, &c. About five hundred people;169 persons still alive who were at the wedding in 1864. A silver medal wassent to all the survivors. _From M. B. St. -Hilaire_ _Paris, June 6th_. --If I am free in the autumn, it will give me greatpleasure to pay you another visit at Foxholes; the first has left apleasant memory, and I ask no better than to repeat it. But, without havingto complain of old age, I find more difficulty in going about. I am notexactly ill, but my strength gradually fails--a sign that the end is notfar off. I foresaw that General Boulanger would have no success in England; you aremuch too serious for such a nature as his. His popularity diminishes daily;and if the Cabinet act with judgement from now to the October elections, I have no doubt they may regain public favour. The triumph of Boulangismwould be the signal for horrible anarchy at home and war abroad, provokedby the madmen who had climbed into power. Monarchy, in the person of the Comte de Paris, is losing rather thangaining ground here. If France should ever return to a dynasty, it would bemore likely to be the Bonapartes. The terrible name of Napoleon has stillan immense _prestige_, however unworthy his successors. M. St. -Hilaire's visit did not come off. The Journal mentions many dinners, receptions, and garden parties in town during June and July, and elevendays in August on board Mrs. Watney's yacht 'Palatine, ' to see the navalreview on the 5th. 'Very rough weather all the time. ' In September ajourney to Edinburgh and on the 14th to Chesters, chronicled as 'my firstvisit to my daughter. ' A week later Reeve returned south; and, paying a fewshort visits on the way, including a day at Knowsley, was back at Foxholesby the 26th. _From Count Vitzthum_ Villa Vitzthum, Baden Baden, August 30th. My dear Mr. Reeve, --I beg to send you the proofs of the preface andcontents, in order to show you the plan of my book. I am very sorry that you do not approve of the account I have given of ourinterview in September 1866. It was unfortunately too late to cancel theletter, but nothing would prevent leaving it out if those memoirs shouldever be translated. On further consideration, and after reading theforegoing pages, you will find, I am sure, that your comment on thesituation in September 1866 was not only correct, but very valuable. Thepeace of Europe then was threatened by two eventualities, of which onehappened: by an ostensible alliance between Prussia and France, or by animmediate war between both. Rouher and Lavalette worked very hard for thealliance, and your sound judgement indicated the consequences which such analliance would have had. I quite agree with you about these relations. Butthe opinion of a man like you is a fact, and an important fact; because youhave been in those days what they call a representative man; because yourepresented a great portion of the Liberal party. It does not take one iotaoff the value of your opinion--which, you may depend upon it, was correctlyrecorded--if the course of events took another turn, and if this monsteralliance remained a dream of adventurous French politicians. The thing wason the cards. As for Napoleon's malady, all I can say [is] that Nelaton, who then wasconsulted for the first time, wrote a letter to King Leopold of Belgium, stating that it was very probable the Emperor of the French would be foundany morning dead in his bed, and that he would most likely die before theend of November. Very truly yours, VITZTHUM. In consequence of this letter Mr. Reeve wrote to Mr. T. Norton Longman:-- _Foxholes, September 3rd. _--Count Vitzthum is about to publish two morevolumes of his political reminiscences during his mission in London. I sendyou the index of the work, from which you will see that it contains a gooddeal of matter, anecdotes, &c. , of interest to English readers. You willjudge from the result of the former work whether you think it worth whileto engage in the publication of a translation of these later volumes. But, as I am going away till the end of the month, I cannot negotiate with CountVitzthum or with the translator, and I must beg you to take that uponyourself. A month later, however, on October 2nd, he wrote that, after seeing thebook, he was of opinion that it would not stand translation. It wasreviewed in the 'Edinburgh' of January 1890, but was not translated. _From Lord Derby_ _November 11th_. --I have only begun the Life of Lord John. It would be avery difficult one to write in a spirit at once of fairness and friendship. My impression of the man was and is that he was more thoroughly andessentially a partisan than anyone I have known; and sometimes open to thecomment, that he seemed to consider the Universe as existing for the sakeof the Whig party. Perhaps this would not strike anyone who was trained upin the same school, as strongly as it did me. On the other hand, I think hewas more generally consistent, and had fewer of his own words to eat, thanany politician of his time or of ours. His religious politics were his weakpart; they were rather narrow and sectarian. I suppose he was forced by theCourt into his quarrel with Palmerston; which was the trouble of his laterofficial life, and caused these uneasy struggles to recover a lost positionwhich did him harm. But with all drawbacks he has left an honoured anddistinguished name. Do you think there is any ground for the idea whichLady Russell puts about that, if he had lived till now, he would have gonefor Home Rule? CHAPTER XXIII THE ONE MORE CHANGE The very wide range of Reeve's studies has appeared from many indicationsscattered through these pages, and it has been seen how, at differenttimes, he was occupying himself with various subjects far outside theordinary course of reading. These were, however, connected by some generalidea which pervaded the whole. Of natural science he knew little. As a boy, the study of mathematics was irksome to him and repulsive, nor was he atany later time more favourably inclined towards it. His acquaintancewith astronomy, chemistry, physics, and the cognate sciences was verylimited--not more, perhaps, than he picked up in his careful andintelligent study of the articles published in the 'Edinburgh Review'during the forty years of his editorship. His real knowledge was confinedby a band of history, but of history in its very widest sense, includingnot only war and politics and law, but political economy, literature, religion, and superstition. Of military science he had read sufficient totake a technical interest in the details of battles and campaigns, andhe was perhaps one of the first landsmen of this age to understand the'influence of sea-power. ' His attention had been called to this at a veryearly period in his career by the utter collapse of Mehemet Ali in Syria;and reasoning on that, he had learned that 'sea-power, ' or, as he preferredto call it, 'maritime-power, ' controlled and directed affairs with which, at first sight, it seemed to have absolutely nothing to do. Long before Captain Mahan began to teach, or to write those admirable workswhich came as a revelation to the English and the European public, he hadopened the pages of the 'Edinburgh Review' to writers who, in differentways and in different degrees, were inculcating the same doctrine, whichduring the long peace, and by reason of the overwhelming superiority of theallies in the Russian war, had been almost forgotten, even by professionalmen. It would not be difficult to show how, during the thirty years whichpreceded the publication of Captain Mahan's 'Influence of Sea-Power, ' itsmost important theories were illustrated and discussed in the pages of the'Review. ' The following, by one of the most accomplished officers in ournavy, refers to such an article in the January number:-- _From Captain Bridge, R. N. _ _January 19th_. --As an Englishman and a sailor, I feel it to be a dutyagain to congratulate you on the article 'Naval Supremacy, ' &c. , in the newnumber of the 'Edinburgh Review. ' That article and the one concerning whichI previously addressed you can hardly fail to do good. The Maurician schooland its 'two Army-corps and a cavalry division, ' which were to be launchedat the Caucasus, must have received a severe check from the earlierarticle. The disaster-breeding facts of the fort-builders can hardlysurvive many more such assaults as that so sharply driven home in 'NavalSupremacy. ' The opinions of the writer of the latter, I venture to think, foreshadow those of the Navy on the subject of huge ships and huge guns. I hold it to be highly beneficial to the country that the editor of the'Edinburgh Review' should have so keen an appreciation and, for a civilian, so rare a knowledge of naval affairs. _From Lord Derby_ _April 3rd_--What a new Europe is beginning! Bismarck dismissed; Emperorsholding Socialist conferences; more attempts to murder the Tsar; strikesall over the world; Germans going to Prussianise Central Africa! No want ofnovelty in our time and amusing enough, if one is far enough off. _From the Duc d'Aumale_ _Chantilly_, 14 _juin_. --Où diable avais-je la tête, mon cher ami? (nemontrez pas ce préambule à nos amis puritains. ) Je croyais bien vous avoirécrit que je comptais passer la mer vers le 22, dîner avec le Club le 24, embrasser mes neveux et nièces de toutes générations, voir quelques amis, et rentrer ici vers la fin de la semaine. Je persiste dans ce projet, _weather permitting_; c'est-à-dire sauf le cas de tempête que l'on est bienforcé de prévoir avec une pareille saison. A bientôt donc, s'il plaît àDieu. Je finis mieux que je ne commence, et je vous serre la main. H. D'O. _From the Duc d'Aumale_ _Chantilly_, 26 _juillet_. --J'essaye de chasser par le travail lespréoccupations qui m'obsèdent. Je n'y réussis pas toujours. Est-ce l'effetde l'âge? mais je suis de plus en plus anxieux sur l'avenir de mon pays etmême de l'Europe. Nous sommes dans le faux depuis 1848, et il est sorti dela guerre de '70 un état de choses bien périlleux. Au revoir et mille amitiés. The diary and the correspondence for the rest of the year are singularlybarren of interest. A troublesome attack of sciatica in the end of July ledto Reeve's being advised to try Harrogate, whither he accordingly wentin the beginning of August. He found the place--possibly also thewater--disagreeable, and after a week's stay he went on to Bolton Abbey, toMinto, and to Chesters. By the end of the month he was back at Foxholes, where he remained throughout September. Early in October he went for a tendays' visit to Knowsley, where he met Froude and the Duc d'Aumale, withwhom he returned to London. Then to Foxholes for a month, coming up totown in the middle of November, and--with the exception of a week atEaster--staying there till May 1891. _From Lord Derby_ _Knowsley, January 20th_. --What do you think of Home Rule in its presentphase? Chamberlain says it is dead; I say it is badly crippled, but capableof a good deal of mischief still. I see no new question coming forward, except that of strikes, eight-hours legislation, and Socialism generally. Do you ever see the 'New Review'? I picked it up yesterday, and read a verypretty Socialist programme by Morris and a Mr. Bernard Shaw, whom I neverheard of before, but who is apparently rather clever and rather cracked. Isuspect ideas of that class are making progress. This letter, though not calling for any hurry, Reeve answered immediately, as was his general custom. It was indeed only by this prompt attentionthat, with the enormous correspondence which he carried on, he couldprevent an accumulation which would have been overwhelming. _To Lord Derby_ 62 _Rutland Gate, January 21st_. --I think Home Rule, as an English partycry, has received a death blow, and cannot be used to bring a party intopower. But Ireland remains open, an eternal field of agitation, and theIrishmen are still in the House of Commons. Perhaps the want of funds mayembarrass them. I have not seen the 'New Review, ' but there is a vast dealof lawlessness and wild speculation in the air, injurious to the firstconditions of social life, and I confess I have no unbounded confidence inthe boasted good sense of the English people; they are very ignorant andvery selfish. No one tells them so many sensible home truths as yourself. As for the strikes, the strikers are the greatest sufferers. I have published a remarkable article on the fiscal system of the UnitedStates--by an American--which I hope you will read. My contributor thinksthere are great difficulties ahead in America, and Mr. Blaine's bluster isan attempt to direct public attention into another channel. I have been laid up for some days with a cold and gout, but have been outto-day and am better. I never remember so terrible a winter; but we hope itis passing away, though it is still freezing here. _Foxholes, May 12th_. --I was sorry to leave London without seeing you andLady Derby again; but the Fates were against me: you were laid up withcold, and I have been troubled for some weeks with sciatica, which impedesmy movements. I hope you have shaken off your attack and will get out oftown. The atmosphere of London seems to be in a very noxious state, and Idon't know that the atmosphere of the House of Commons is much better. Acommittee of the whole House strikes an outsider as the clumsiest machinefor legislation that was ever invented. An unlimited power of moving amendments brings us to the same results asthe Polish Veto. I hope to come up to the dinners of The Club on June 2nd and 16th. On thelatter day the Duc d'Aumale will dine with us, so I trust you will keep itfree. _From Lord Derby_ _May 13th_. --You are quite right about the House of Commons. They willpass the Land Bill, I suppose, but scarcely anything else. Most of theobstruction is unintended; loquacity, vanity, and fear of constituents domore mischief than faction. I am not sure that it is an unmixed evil thatthe legislative coach should be compelled to drive slowly. For Reeve the principal social event of the year, or rather the one mostout of ordinary course, was the conferring an honorary degree on the Ducd'Aumale by the University of Oxford. Of the preliminary step no recordremains, but it would seem that at a very early stage Reeve was requestedto sound the Duke, who wrote on November 30th, 1890, that he should feelgreatly honoured if the University of Oxford should confer on him thedegree of D. C. L. --'si pauvre légiste que je sois. ' On this Reeve wrote toDr. Liddell, then Dean of Christ Church, [Footnote: After having held thisoffice for thirty-six years, Dr. Liddell retired in 1891, and died at theage of 87, on January 18th, 1898. ] who replied on December 2nd:-- Dear Mr. Reeve, --I shall be proud to propose H. R. H. 's (the Duc d'Aumale's)name for an Honorary Degree at the next Encaenia. This will not be tillJune 17th, 1891. I hope his R. H. Will be my guest on the occasion. Meantime, it is our rule that no mention should be made of the name to beproposed. Yours very truly, H. G. LIDDELL. Other correspondence about this there was, and on February 25th, 1891, Dr. Liddell again wrote:-- The arrangements you suggest for the Duc d'Aumale will suit very well. Ofcourse it is running it rather fine to arrive at 11. 13; but we will seeabout this as the time approaches. Meantime I must ask you and the Duke'sfriends not to say anything about the matter at present. I shall have togive notice to our Council in May. A fortnight after, his name will besubmitted to ballot; and though there can be no reasonable doubt thatH. R. H. 's name will be received with acclamation, they make a great point ofsecrecy till the ballot takes place. Perhaps about the beginning of May you will be so good as to send me acomplete statement of H. R. H. 's claims to an Honorary Degree. I know muchabout them, but should be glad to be fully equipped. _From the Duc d'Aumale_ _Chantilly_, 9 _juin_. --Bon! très cher ami, nous irons, s'il plaît à Dieu, ensemble à Oxford, le 17, par 9. 55 en cravate blanche. Je compte arriver le14 au soir à Claridge's, où je serai présent le lundi, 15, de 10 à midi, et de 6 à 7; le mardi, 16, de 10 à midi. Si vous pouvez venir m'y voir, je serai très heureux, car j'ai encore besoin de quelques renseignementscomplimentaires. Vous m'avez offert l'hospitalité du Dean, et je lui ai écrit que jel'acceptais. Mais en quoi consiste cette hospitalité? Simple luncheon suivid'un départ, ou dîner et coucher au doyenné? Je ne voudrais pas manquer decourtoisie; but above all I would not intrude--et je suis _très disposé_à me retirer de très bonne heure. Seulement j'aimerais à être fixé pourprendre tous mes arrangements. The Journal simply notes that on June 16th the Duc d'Aumale dined at TheClub; and on the 17th 'with Duc d'Aumale to Oxford, where he was madeD. C. L. Lunch at All Souls; very pleasant day. ' Reeve left early andreturned at once to Foxholes. _From the Duc d'Aumale_ _Chantilly_, 1er _juillet_. --Après votre départ de Christ Church [Oxford]le 17 nous avons eu le ou la 'Gaudy. ' Ainsi que vous l'aviez prévu, j'ai dûdire quelques mots à peine préparés. Comme il n'y avait pas de _reporter_, et que je n'avais aucune note, et comme l'auditoire, y compris nosSeigneurs les évêques, avait accueilli mon _speech_ avec bienveillance, jel'ai noté sur le papier--comme disent les musiciens--avant de me coucher. Vous avez été presque mon parrain à Oxford, je vous en dois bien la copie. C'est, en tous cas, un témoignage de ma fidèle amitié. The speech which follows, although delivered under circumstances whichnecessitated a complimentary tone, is a more than usually graceful tributeto our old Universities, and the introduction of the little analogue issingularly happy. The Duke, whose letters to Reeve are all in French, wrotethis _verbatim_ as here given, in correct English, perfectly well spelt. Mr. Dean, my Lords and Gentlemen, --Let me first express how highly I prizethe honour which has been conferred upon me to-day, and how glad I am to beso connected with your illustrious University. I have always admired theUniversity of Oxford. I have more than once visited this town, when Ireceived a princely hospitality in the noble baronial halls of thisneighbourhood--Nuneham, Blenheim--or when I was quietly living on the banksof the Avon. Often I brought here my French friends, and I tried toexplain the peculiarities, the complicated machinery of this illustriouscorporation; to show how, remaining faithful to the traditions, preservingyour old customs, you did not remain deaf to what might be said without, nor blind to the movement of the world; how, slowly perhaps, but prudently, step by step, you managed to bring the necessary changes, the wantedmodifications, so as to keep pace with the times without breaking with thepast. 'Mais c'est le couteau de Jeannot que cette Université, ' said one of myinterlocutors. Well, I will give you the tale of Jeannot's knife. There was once a young peasant called Jeannot, and he had a knife of whichhe took great care. He found that the blade was rusting and he changed theblade. Then he found that the handle was decaying from dry-rot, and hechanged the handle; and so on. His friends laughed at him, and would nottake the same care of their knives, which they lost--one breaking theblade, another the handle. But Jeannot, having always kept his knife ingood order, could always make use of it, cleverly and powerfully. Well, I think there is some analogy between the tale of this humble man andthe history of your great University. It seems to me I see the huge frameof a large fabric which has stood for centuries glorious and proud. Thestones are changed, the bricks, the mortar, or the roof are renewed; andthe fabric still stands through the ages, through the storms, glorious andproud. And I hope it will so remain and stand everlasting, with its oldframe and the new materials; and I wish glory and prosperity to theUniversity of Oxford. To all who have thought of my name and conferred upon me the honour I havejust received, and to those who have given me such a kindly reception, Isend my best thanks, and I wish prosperity and success. At this time, and indeed ever since his retirement from the Council Office, Reeve's chief work was in connexion with the 'Review;' but he also did avery great deal as literary adviser of the Longmans. He had indeed, to someextent, acted in this capacity ever since he undertook the conduct of the'Review;' the two offices fitted into and were supplementary to each other;and it will be remembered that in 1875 [Footnote: See _ante_, p. 243. ]he had contemplated retiring from the public service, with the viewof undertaking the main responsibility of this work for the firm. Circumstances had delayed his retirement; but by an arrangement with thefirm in 1878, which continued in force during the rest of his life, thenumber of works he examined and reported on was considerably increased, andmust have been very large. Books in French, German, or Italian offered fortranslation, MSS. In English offered for publication--whatever there was ofgrave, serious, or important, as well as a good deal that was not, was sentto him for a first or a revised opinion. And this opinion was given veryfrankly, and most commonly in the fewest possible words: 'My advice is thatyou have nothing to do with it' was a not unfrequent formula. Another, less frequent, was, 'He--the aspirant to literary fame and emolument--canneither write nor spell English;' 'I wish they wouldn't send their trash tome' was an occasional prayer; 'Seems to me sheer nonsense;'--'What a wasteof time and labour!'--'It is very provoking that people should attempt towrite books who cannot write English, ' were occasional reports. Of coursemany of his judgements were very different: 'A work of great interest whichmust have a large sale;' 'Secure this if you possibly can;' 'A mostable work, but will scarcely command a remunerative sale;' 'Not worthtranslating, but send me a copy for the "Review, "' are some of his morefavourable verdicts. But in all cases the judgements were sharp anddecisive; there was about them nothing of the celebrated 'This work mightbe very good if it was not extremely bad, ' or its converse. These reportswere, of course, in the highest degree confidential; and, especially of theunfavourable ones, Reeve made a point of forgetting all about the origin ofthem. On one occasion, when a reference was made to a work he had reportedon a few weeks before, he wrote in reply, 'The numerous MSS. &c. Sent foran opinion leave no trace on my memory. ' As it was with printed books and larger MSS. , so it was with articlessubmitted for the 'Review;' but he did not encourage casual contributions, and seldom--perhaps never--accepted any without some previousunderstanding. The political articles and the reviews of important bookswere almost invariably written in response to a direct invitation; butwhether the articles sent in were invited or offered, he equally reservedthe right to express his approval or disapproval or disagreement, and toinsist, if necessary, on the article being remodelled or withdrawn. Suchan insistence is more than once noticed in his correspondence, quiteirrespective of the high reputation of the author. Probably every one whosecontributions have been at all numerous has had an opportunity of noticinghow perfectly candid and yet how courteous his remarks always were. If anarticle pleased him, he said so in terms that from anyone else might haveseemed extravagant. Many letters of this type might be given; one mustsuffice, written to a valued contributor, dead, unfortunately, many yearsago--Colonel Charles Cornwallis Chesney:-- _C. O. , February 26th, 1873_. --I received the proofs of your article on Leelast night, and therefore I conclude that you have received them also. Idon't exaggerate the least when I say that the article strikes me asa _chef d'oeuvre_ of military biography. You have drawn a most heroiccharacter with peculiar grace and fervour, and the account of the militaryoperations is singularly clear and interesting. It only strikes me that youhave repeated the comparison with Hannibal rather too often. Pray be so good as to return the proofs to _me_ as soon as you can, that Imay have the article made up and printed off. I feel infinitely obliged toyou for it. The value of such praise was heightened, its apparent extravagance doneaway with, by the knowledge that dissatisfaction would be expressed inlanguage equally unmistakable, and that either by the contributor or theeditor the modifications which seemed to him desirable would be made. Itwas partly because he reserved to himself this power and accepted all theresponsibility, that he insisted so strenuously on the anonymous characterof the articles. But more even than that was his abhorrence of anythinglike 'log-rolling, ' which, in his opinion, was inseparable from signedreviews. To the very last he discouraged, and indeed openly expressed hisdisapproval and dislike of the presumably inspired announcements ofauthors' names in the 'Athenaeum' or other journals. Here is an extractfrom a letter dated October 6th, 1891, which illustrates this objection:--'The only objection I have to the republication of articles with the nameof the writer is that it destroys their anonymous character, which oughtespecially to be retained when they contain criticism of contemporaries. 'So careful was he lest anything might warp the perfect fairness ofcriticism, which should 'nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice. 'I, who write these lines, can say positively, after having written for the'Review' under Reeve for upwards of twenty years, that in all that time Inever received a hint or suggestion that any book should be dealt withotherwise than on its merits; and whilst engaged on this present work Ihave learned, for the first time, that men whose books I have reviewed, not always favourably, were personal friends of the editor. The followingletter, addressed to Mr. T. N. Longman, is merely a concrete illustrationof this:-- _December 26th_, 1891. --I thought it best to tell Froude frankly that thereview of his book [Footnote: The Divorce of Catherine of Aragon, ' in the_Review_ of January 1892. ] in the 'Edinburgh' would be an unfavourable one. At the same time I disclaimed in the strongest language any dispositionto make a personal attack on himself. Unfortunately he seems to ascribeadverse criticism of his works to personal animosity, which, in his case, is entirely wanting. It is a painful necessity. Froude and his book are too important to bepassed over in silence. But the judicial character and consistency, and Imay say honour, of the 'Review' absolutely require that the truth should betold about the book. I should consider it a derogation to my duty to the'Review' if, from personal motives or affection, I suppressed an adversecriticism of a work which imperatively demands an answer. The independenceof the 'Review' requires an independent judgement; but I expresslystipulated with the writer of the article that he should abstain from_bitterness_, which was carried too far in Goldwin Smith's article onthe same subject in 1858. The 'Review' is pledged to the views alreadyexpressed on that occasion. I have therefore modified as far as possible any expressions which appearedto be of too censorious a character; but it is impossible to avoidcondemning a mistaken book because the author is a personal friend. _Judexdamnatur si nocens absolvitur_ is our motto. Froude does not like Mr. Gardiner's book. He says, 'It's a menagerie oftame beasts. ' I think very highly of the book; and as we differ, I haveyielded to his wish to be released from the engagement. Nobody can regret more than I do any differences between old friends; butmy duty is to look solely to the consistency and integrity of the 'Review, 'without which criticism is worthless; and this consideration leaves me noother course. Another point, of a similar nature, I can illustrate by my own experience. I had undertaken, at Reeve's request, to review a rather importanthistorical work published by Longmans, but on reading it was sounfavourably impressed by it that I wrote to say that the best thing Icould do would be to return the volumes; that the book was bad, and ifI reviewed it I must say so; but that doing this in the publisher's ownReview would have a certain resemblance to seething a kid in its mother'smilk, and might probably be objected to. 'Not a bit of it, ' was the senseof the reply I received by return of post: 'a bad book may be the text foran interesting article, and we have nothing to do with who published it. 'So I expressed my opinion of the book in very plain terms; the review wasprinted exactly as I wrote it, and the editor thanked me warmly for whathe was pleased to speak of as an 'excellent article. ' It may, perhaps, beassumed that this was not an isolated case; but written evidence of anyothers is not before me. After returning from Oxford, Reeve spent the rest of the year at Foxholes, He had intended going to London and possibly to Scotland in October, but anaccidental stumble in his library over a heavy despatch box made a nastywound on the left shin, which took many weeks in healing and prevented histravelling till the middle of December. On the 19th he went to town, where, with the exception of some short visits to Bath or to Foxholes, he remainedtill June, dining several times at The Club, entertaining at home in hiscustomary manner, and keeping up a constant--almost daily--correspondence, such as has been indicated, with the Longmans, for the most part with thehead of the firm, whom he had known from childhood and habitually addressedby his Christian name. As he returned to Foxholes the country was in the throes of a generalelection. Tired, it would seem, of steady and consistent government, itlonged for a change--anything for a change; and so opened the door for anadministration whose almost avowed object was to play skittles with theConstitution--to bowl down the Union, the Established Church, the Houseof Lords, the rights of property, and any other little trifles that weresacred to law and religion. It was with deep regret that Reeve watched theoverthrow of what he considered the true Liberal party, and he wrote to Mr. T. Norton Longman:-- _Foxholes_, _July 14th_--The results of the elections are far worse thancould be expected. Some of them are very odd. I have to deplore the defeatof many of my friends. I suppose the Queen will have to make up her mindto a ministry composed of men she abhors; but the majority will have in itinherent weakness and the seeds of dissolution. I have found it difficult to say anything about the elections and have beenas short as possible. From a somewhat different point of view, he wrote a few days later to LordDerby:-- _Foxholes, July 22nd. _--I have, of course, been watching with greatinterest the progress of the elections, and I am happy to say thatHampshire, like all the southern counties, comes out with a clean Unionistbill. If the ultimate majority was to be small, is it not better to be inopposition than in power? Mr. Gladstone's position, as the man responsiblefor the conduct of affairs, is much less desirable than that of LordSalisbury, for he has the better half of the country dead against him. Howcurious it is to trace on the map in the 'Times' the old traditions ofSaxon, Celtic, Mercian, and Danish origin in the counties of England, Ireland, and Wales! Are the Celts to govern the Saxons? Early in August Reeve was visited at Foxholes by Count Adam Krasinski[Footnote: Son of Ladislas and grandson of Reeve's early friend SigismondKrasinski. He was born in 1870, and married at Vienna in 1897. ]--aconnecting link with the past, the merry days when he was young; and onKrasinski's departure, he went north to visit some friends in Wales andthence on to Chesters. Parliament met on August 4th, and on a simple motion of want of confidence, as an amendment to the Address, the Ministry was defeated. Lord Salisburyresigned, and Mr. Gladstone came into office with a Cabinet in which everyshade of unconstitutional opinion and every socially destructive fad werefully represented. Reeve consoled himself with the belief that such aministry could not last. To Mr. T. Norton Longman he wrote:-- _Chesters, August 22nd_. --I have been paying some visits in Wales and havecome on here, where Mrs. Reeve preceded me. We find the Ogilvies veryflourishing, and the place beautiful. Here, at least, it is not hot, whichseems to be the grievance elsewhere. We are going to Rutland Gate on Friday and to Foxholes on Monday, and shallremain there, except for a visit to a neighbour. I think Mr. Gladstone's Ministry a wretched affair. The old ones are wornout, and the young ones are not broken in, and bring no weight at all. The sole gratification of every one of them is absolute submission andobedience to the Chief. But he will have some troublesome outsiders. _Foxholes, September 7th_. --We shall stay here till October 6th, when Imean to come to London for two or three days, on our way to Knowsley. Theworld seems fast asleep after the excitement of the summer, and people havenothing to talk or write about but the cholera--which is not amusing. It was whilst at Chesters that Reeve received a curious note from theMarquis of Lorne, written to 'The Editor of the "Edinburgh Review, "' as toa total stranger:-- Osborne, August 21st. SIR, --I have found a number of original unpublished letters written by theDuke of Argyll in 1705 and the Earl of Leven in 1706, from Edinburgh, toQueen Anne and Godolphin, on the measures taken in the Scots Parliamentfor the Union between England and Scotland, and am writing a notice of andgiving extracts from these papers, and wish to ask if you would care tohave this notice as an article in your 'Review. ' I remain, yours faithfully, LORNE. Reeve's answer corrected the mistake, and in forwarding the MS. Referredto, to Foxholes, Lord Lorne wrote:-- Kensington Palace, September 5th. My dear and ancient friend and editor, --I did not know, to my disgrace, that you are still in command. I never thought when the grey mare subsidedunder you at Inveraray, in--year, [Footnote: Blank in the original; meaningpresumably--'so long ago that I've forgotten. ' Reeve's one recorded visitto Inveraray was in August 1858 (_ante_, vol. I. P. 395), when the Marquisof Lorne was a boy of thirteen. ] that in 1892 I should be writing to youabout proofs! It makes me feel young again to think of you in your oldcapacity. If old times' gossip suits the 'Review, ' please send the proofsto me here--to Kensington Palace--whence, if I be away, they will beforwarded to me. Yours very faithfully, LORNE. A few days later came the following letter from Count Adam Krasinski, towhom, when at Foxholes, Reeve had given the letters of his grandfather, Sigismond Krasinski. Royalin, September 10th. SIR, --On arriving in Warsaw a few days ago, I took the liberty of sendingyou some bottles of wine from our cellar, among which is someHungarian Tokay, one of the oldest wines we have, bought by mygreat-great-grandfather, the father of General Vincent, in the year of thelatter's birth. I hope you will be so good as to accept this littlepresent and make it welcome; for, being young myself, I have chosen an oldambassador to thank you for your kindness to me. I can never sufficientlythank you for the charming way in which you have made me the handsomepresent of my grandfather's correspondence, which is of inestimable valueto me. The more I read it the more I realise its value. It contains thewhole developement of a noble character, and a fine nature, set forth inlong, full, and frequent letters to a trusted friend. And what a pleasureit is to have the answers of this friend, so clearly showing your relationsto each other, and the reciprocal influence of two minds! Thanks, and againthanks. I am very well, and am at present with my stepfather in the Grand Duchy ofPosnanie. Our plans for the winter are not yet fixed. Paris attracts megreatly; but, on the other hand, I am advised to go to Heidelberg, wherethere is better air and a milder climate. In any case, I will endeavour torevisit England next year, and so recall myself to your memory. Agréez, Monsieur, l'expression de ma très grande considération, à laquelleje joins des sentiments respectueux pour Madame votre femme. ADAM KRASINSKI. To Mr. Norton Longman at this time Reeve wrote--primarily on the businessof the 'Review, ' but incidentally on a literary conundrum which was justthen causing a little excitement:-- _Foxholes, September 16th_. --I do not think the translation of a Frenchbook on Political Economy is _primâ facie_ advisable. But the book seems(from the accounts in the 'Nation') to be so excellent that I should beglad to see it, and may have it reviewed in the 'Edinburgh. ' The title is, 'Le Capital, la Spéculation et la Finance au XIXe Siècle;' par ClaudioJannet. Published by Plon. No one who knew Sir Richard Wallace could believe that he wrote 'TheEnglishman in Paris. ' I said from the first that it was a mere collectionof old gossip to be passed off on the English public as something racy. IfGrenville Murray were alive, this is exactly the sort of thing he wouldhave done. But Grenville Murray left a son, who must now be grown up, andwho may have inherited some of his father's sinister talents. They havelived for many years in Paris. Sir Richard Wallace was the very type of agentleman of the highest breeding--rather stern, melancholy, not at allhumorous, and incapable of vulgarity or pretence. October slipped away in visits to Stratton (Lord Northbrook's) and toKnowsley, and the remainder of the year for the most part at Foxholes. InDecember Reeve was proposing to have a review of Sir Mountstuart GrantDuff's 'Life of Sir Henry Maine, ' and consulted the author as to who wouldbe the best fitted to write it. This is what Sir Mountstuart wrote inreply:-- _Twickenham, December 11th_. --I am very proud to find that so excellent ajudge thinks well of my little memoir of Maine. As to the article aboutwhich you write, I think Sir Frederick Pollock would be very much the bestman to undertake it--the only man who could tell us, without any bias, whatI exceedingly want to know: how much of Maine's juridical speculations, especially in 'Ancient Law, ' is finally accepted. He may say that he hassaid his say about Maine; but he has not; he has said a little, but I amsure he has a great deal more to say. I wish to know the real value of eachof Maine's books. .. . I am writing a quite small book about Renan--the onlygreat Frenchman of our day whom you did not know very well. The next was a Christmas greeting from Lord Derby, with an interestingcomment on the situation in France:-- _Knowsley, December 5th_. --Thanks for your letter of inquiry and goodwishes; the latter are cordially returned. Lady Derby joins me in the hopethat the coming year may be one of health and happiness to you and yours. Icannot give a very rosy account of myself, being still ill and weak; evenif all goes well, I expect to have to lead in future a life of quietand privacy. My days of speeches are almost certainly ended; and afterforty-four years of public life, I do not much regret it. The developement of events in 1893 will be interesting to watch. Allreports agree that Gladstone is taking the work of his office very easily, and that he leaves nearly everything to his colleagues. That will not be soeasy in the Session. The Cabinet will be prevented by fear of ridiculefrom breaking up on the Irish Bill, but all their friends and backers seemprepared for its failure. You are a hopeless pessimist as to French affairs. They certainly are notgoing on smoothly, but where is the new Boulanger? Bourbons and Bonapartesare played out; and France might advertise for a dictator without findingone. If that be so, what threatens the republic? A socialist outbreak wouldonly strengthen it. Surely a nation may go on muddling its affairs a longwhile without mortal harm. Waddington, I am told, was informed by his friends that he had no rightto remain a Senator without taking his seat, and that he must give up oneposition or the other. This is the excuse made for his recall. The truth, Isuppose, is that his place was wanted. He will be a real loss. With the new year the party from Foxholes came to town, and there Reeve waslaid up with a serious illness which lasted nearly a month. The Journalnotes on February 7th--'I attended a dinner of The Club, and resigned thetreasurership, which I had held for twenty-five years. ' A correspondingentry a month later, on March 7th, is 'At the third dinner of The Club. Lord Salisbury came "to my obsequies" and Gladstone wrote to me. Grant Duffelected to the treasurership. ' Sir Mountstuart Grant Duff has been so good as to amplify this by a notefrom his own diary. 'At the dinner on February 7th, 1893'--he writes--'Iwas in the chair. .. . Reeve made a statement for which he had prepared meby letter, to the effect that his great age, breaking health, and frequentabsences from London, would oblige him to resign ere long the treasurershipof The Club--the only office which exists in connection with it. He hasheld it for some five-and-twenty years, and it is not surprising that hisvoice faltered as he addressed us. .. . _March 21st_--Dined with The Club, taking my seat for the first time astreasurer. After the last meeting mentioned, Reeve wrote to me to say thatthere was a feeling in favour of my becoming his successor, and askedwhether I should object. I replied in the negative, and on the 7th I wasunanimously elected, upon the proposal of Sir Henry Elliot, who was in thechair, and was seconded by Lord Salisbury. ' Of the correspondence of this period there is little. Lord Derby, who wasalmost, or quite, the last of his political correspondents, was too illto write, and died on April 21st. On the 27th Reeve attended the funeralservice at St. Margaret's. Letters relating to the 'Review, ' of course, continued. Here are three referring to a political problem which, so latelyas five years ago, few could have the patience to be bothered with. ThatReeve, at his advanced age, could take it up with such interest is a strongproof of the vitality and even freshness of his intellect. _To Rear-Admiral Bridge_ 62 Rutland Gate: April 27th. My dear admiral, --I wish you would read an article in 'Blackwood'sMagazine' for May (just out) on the Russian occupation of Manchuria. Inever read a more impudent piece of _blague. _ ------ must have written it. Nobody else would boast of swindling the Chinese with a false map. This induces me to ask whether you could not give me a short article forthe 'Review' on The Russians on the Pacific' and the naval effects of theirposition at Vladivostock. They have made it a fortress, but it will take along time to make it a settlement. But it may become important. Yours very faithfully, H. REEVE. _April 30th. _--I am very glad you will revert to the North Pacific. Youshould refer to your excellent article of 1880, which I have read overagain. It seems to exhaust the subject as far as relates to the settlementson the Amoor, and even as to Vladivostock; but I suppose that thirteenyears have materially augmented the strength of Russia on the Pacific, andany additional information would be valuable. _Foxholes, May 23rd_. --I am much obliged to you for your interestingarticle. I think the best heading would be 'Russia on the Pacific. ' As I ammuch pressed for room, I have ventured to excise some of your introductoryremarks, which are not essential to the main objects of the paper; but whenyou come to positive business at Vladivostock, all that you say is mostexcellent and important. I believe the Siberian railroad--like the line toSamarkand--is only a single line. Such a line 5, 000 miles long is a veryineffective instrument for military and commercial purposes. How much canit carry, allowing for return trains, chiefly empty? Where is Russia, witha debt equal in charge to our own, to find forty millions sterling for sucha work, which would be wholly unproductive? It is true that, by employingtroops and Turkomans, the work may be done cheaply; but all this will takea long time. I am very glad you touch on the question between France and Siam: it is aserious one. In the early days of July the Reeves settled down for the summer atFoxholes, avoiding the great heat, with the thermometer at 80° F. When inLondon it was reaching as high as 93° F. In the beginning of SeptemberReeve, together with his wife, returned to London, crossed over toBoulogne, and so to Chantilly, where, as the guests of the Due d'Aumale, they spent his 80th birthday. They stayed there till the 12th, andreturned, again by Boulogne and London, to Foxholes. It was his last visitto the France he had loved so well. The year was in many respects a sadone. His own health was becoming very uncertain, and gout, feverish colds, and violent bleeding of the nose laid him up for weeks at a time. Thedeaths of his friends, too, recurring in rapid succession, were frequentreminders of what he had written nearly sixty-two years before: 'Betweenseventy and eighty there rarely remains more than one change to be made. '[Footnote: See _ante_, vol. I. P. 17. ] He had now exceeded the higherlimit, and it happened that the obituary of 1893 contained an unusualnumber of men of high literary and scientific distinction. Through all, however, Reeve's head remained clear, and his work was seldom disturbed. There is no sickness or feebleness in the following:-- _To Mr. T. Norton Longman_ _Foxholes, October 3rd. _--I have read a great part of the 'Life ofPusey'--an appalling book from the length of the letters in it. In myopinion it lays bare, as nothing else has done, the total weakness andinconsistency of the Tractarians, and their absolute disloyalty to theChurch of England. It is very difficult and very important to find asuitable person to review such a work, for it must be done in the spiritof the articles of Arnold, Tait, and Arthur Stanley, which express theprinciples of the 'Edinburgh Review. ' I incline to think it had better bedone by a layman. The parsons are all hostile to their own Church. _To Rear-Admiral Bridge_ 62 _Rutland Gate, November 12th. _--We are come to town, and I hope it willnot be long before I have the pleasure of seeing you. Meanwhile, I havebeen reading again the article on Mediterranean Politics which you gave uslast autumn. The combination of the French and Russian fleets seems to meto be a matter of grave importance. Both those countries are unhappilyanimated by very hostile intentions to us. They have discovered that itis only by a superiority of sea power in the Mediterranean that they canaccomplish their twofold object, which I take to be for Russia to force theDardanelles and for France to compel us to evacuate Egypt. This seems to meto be the _but_ of the alliance, in as far as it is an alliance. It is allvery well to talk of our maritime supremacy, but have we got it? Youknow, and I do not. But to my mind, the worst is that we have got aGovernment--or rather a minister--profoundly incapable of foreseeing agreat emergency or providing against it. It is quite possible that theGladstone administration may be blown up by a tremendous catastrophe. Thesethoughts perplex me; but I hope you will tell me that I am quite wrong andthat Britannia rules the waves. An exceptional chance gives us a picture of Foxholes, at this time, whentwenty years' occupation had enabled its owner to perfect all the detailswhich go to make up comfort. During his absence in London in the beginning of 1894, he let it, for theonly time, to his friend, Lord Hobhouse, for many years a member of theJudicial Committee, and just then convalescent after a serious illness. Acouple of notes which Lord Hobhouse wrote during his four weeks' tenancymay be classed as 'Interiors' or 'Exteriors' from the practical point ofview. Foxholes, February 16th. My dear Reeve, --I imagine that this morning Mrs. Reeve will have got a notefrom my wife telling her of our settlement here. I was contemplating 'afew words' to you, when Lady H. Told me of her writing; and now comes yourletter, partly of welcome, partly of information. I don't think it possible that we could be more happily housed. Size, arrangement, warmth, beauty, inside and out, evidences everywhere ofcultivated taste and refined pursuits--all is calculated for enjoyment andrepose, probably for anybody, certainly for an invalid. I have establishedmyself in a corner of the library--which, partly from its intrinsicadvantages and partly from the presence of a thick cushion in the seat ofthe armchair, I conjecture to be yours--between the writing desk and theN. W. Bookcase, with the N. E. Window at my back and my legs protrudingbeyond the jamb of the mantelpiece into the sacred [Greek: temeuos], whichis guarded by a low marble fence, and over which the fire which Iworship has sway. Both by day and by night the situation is perfect fordistribution of light and warmth. And I can read almost all my wakinghours; for all through my illness my head has been clear. My principalembarrassment is to choose among the many temptations with which yourgoodly bookcases beset me. However, after reading Traill's 'William III. '(a rather thin composition, I think) I have settled into Gardiner's 'CivilWar, ' which is much more solid and satisfying. This morning I have been reading your little notice of Lord Derby; and Ithink you do not speak at all too highly of his capacity for examiningpolitical and social movements. In 1880 I delivered a lecture, whichwas printed and circulated, on the eternal division of politicaltendencies--movement and rest; and I took Lord Derby (then temporarily inthe Liberal Camp) as the best type of conservatism; cool, patient, keen, sceptical, critical, just, impartial, with a mind always opento conviction, but refusing to move until convinced. Such men are aninvaluable element in the deliberative stages of every question; but theirvery critical powers paralyse action, and when movement becomes necessarytheir hesitations are a drawback. I fancy that Cornewall Lewis was justsuch another, but I did not know so much about him. .. . For me, I improve, slowly but enough, I think, to show at least that ourmove was not premature. In the pick of the day (would that it were alwaysafternoon) I am able to walk for an hour or more, and I get good sleep inthe most luxurious of beds. Pray give my kind remembrances to Mrs. Reeve, and believe me, Sincerely yours, HOBHOUSE. _Foxholes, March 6th. _--Alas, alas! time flies away, and pleasant thingscome to an end, and I shall not have many days' more enjoyment of yourcharming house and library and outlook. But my time has not been wasted. Ihave recovered strength, a good deal more than I expected, and am probablynow--at all events hope, by our return next Monday or Tuesday, to be--ableto re-enter the ordinary routine of life. Of course, we have had, likeother people, a great deal of blustering wind--for the most part fromnorth-west--very cold and very noisy in your chimneys. But there has alsobeen a great deal of sunshine with the gales, and the exposure of yourhouse to south-east has, on most days, given us a sheltered walk. Moreover, your soil is so porous and absorbent, that one gets dry walking immediatelyafter rain. I have only been kept indoors two days since our arrival. A few letters from Reeve himself show the continued activity of his mind, and at the same time his consciousness of, his readiness for, the end whichwas drawing nigh. _To Mr. T. Norton Longman_ _Foxholes, May 29th. _--Lord Derby's Speeches contain more political wisdomthan any other book of our time. I think people will find out its permanentvalue. _June 13th. _--I have nothing to correct or alter in the Greville Memoirs, and am glad to find that some sale of them goes on. I am much touched by the [approaching] death of Coleridge, whom I haveknown so well and so long. I expect he will not survive to-day. He dinedwith us at The Club on April 24th, and was then very well. _Sic transit. _ _Foxholes, October 23rd_. --The notices of our old friend Froude[Footnote: He died on October 20th, in his 77th year. ] have been verygratifying--especially the leader in the 'Times. ' He leaves the world quiteglorified, and they now find out what a great man he was. I wonderwhether you are going to attend the funeral. I never send wreaths on suchoccasions, but if I ever did send one it would be now, for I am trulyaffected by the loss of such a friend. The newspapers seem to havediscovered that there were some big men in the last generation, and thatthere are very few of them in the present. _Rutland Gate, February 16th, 1895. _--I am pretty well--not worse thanusual; but I don't go out. My dear old friend, Lady Stanley of Alderley, died this morning. She wasonly ill four days, and expired without pain or suffering at eighty-seven. To me an irreparable loss, and to a vast circle of descendants and friends. [Footnote: Among Reeve's papers there are a great many letters from LadyStanley of Alderley, telling plainly of the long and close friendshipbetween the two. Unfortunately, there are no available letters from Reeveto her. ] _To Rear-Admiral Bridge_ [Footnote: At this time Commander-in-Chief inAustralian waters. ] 62 Rutland Gate, May 2nd. My dear admiral, --I wish you were in reach of us, to discuss theextraordinary events which are taking place in the North Pacific, to whichyour articles on that subject have for some time pointed; but no oneforesaw the sudden uprising of Japan. It seems to me that, in spite of her victories, Japan is in a very criticalposition, politically speaking. She lies between two huge empires, and shehas undertaken to occupy more than she can hold. Her position is absolutelyfatal to the grand design of Russia, of crossing the north of Asia to thePacific, and I expect Russia will not submit to it. But Russia would findit extremely difficult to carry on military and naval operations at suchan enormous distance from her base. I doubt whether she could destroy theJapanese fleet, and it certainly is not for our interest that it should bedestroyed. The disposition here is to observe strict neutrality and watchthe course of events. It is curious that nobody points out that the United States are the countrywith the largest future interest in the Pacific, and that they must havea voice in this controversy. It also largely affects our own Australiancolonies. A Russian establishment in Corea would effect a momentous changein the Pacific, and Japan will doubtless resist it to the uttermost. We are very dull here. Lord Rosebery has sunk into complete insignificance, and his state of health is doubtful. The Government is rotten, butcontinues to hold together. I think something must occur before long tostir the waters. We are going to Foxholes on May 20th to stay there. I have spent a drearywinter, being unable to go out, but I am not seriously ill--sufferingchiefly from old age. Mrs. Reeve sends you her kind regards, and I amalways Yours very faithfully, H. REEVE. * * * * * _To Miss A. M. Clerke_ _Foxholes, September 8th_. --Many thanks, dear Miss Clerke, for your elegantand instructive Life of the Herschels; they could not have had a moreaccomplished biographer, if they had waited for it another century. Yourarticle on Argon fills me with amazement and admiration. How can thehuman mind fathom such things! I beg you to send me the corrected proofsto-morrow by return of post, as I want to make it up immediately. Ifanything new is said on the subject at the British Association, you can adda note to be printed at the end of the number. To-morrow is my 82nd birthday--probably the last. But I am not ill, onlyfeeble and tired of living so long. Yours most faithfully, H. REEVE. _To Captain S. P. Oliver, R. A. _ _Foxholes, September 12th. _--I have sent your corrected proofs [Footnote:'The French in Madagascar, ' October 1895. ] to Spottiswoode, with a fewslight suggestions of my own. They will send you a revise. .. . I see youhave now so far modified your opinion that you think with me that theposition of the French is most critical. Unless they can announce somesignal success in the next two weeks, there will be a disaster and an awfulrow. I see by the map that on the 5th of this month they were stillat Andriba, which I take to be about three-fifths of the distance toAntananarivo. They have been five months getting there, and as they advancethe difficulty of bringing up stores, supplies, and reliefs increases, andwill increase. In my opinion, the Hovas are quite right _not_ to treat forpeace till they see what the rains will do for them. I hope they will holdout, but avoid fighting. Captain Oliver writes that 'One of Reeve's last pieces of work connectedwith the "Edinburgh Review" must have been the paragraphs which hesubstituted for my ending to the article. He was doubtful of the eventualFrench success, whereas I felt pretty certain that affairs would terminateas they have done in that island. ' The forecast of the result of acomplicated business was erroneous, but to make one at all, and to commitit to paper, was a remarkable display of energy in a dying man who was nowin his eighty-third year. _To Mr. T. Norton Longman_ _Foxholes, September 12th_. --Thanks for your birthday congratulations, butI doubt whether great age is a subject of congratulation at all. _29th_. --I am extremely feeble, faculties low, eyesight weak. I shouldlike, if I live so long, to edit the January number of the 'Review;' butafter that I must stop. _October 2nd. _--Much obliged to you for your very kind note. .. . You willdoubtless pay me on November 15th the sum due then; but I wish to say thatI cannot go on to receive remuneration for services I am scarcely capableof rendering. Therefore this payment in November will be the last on thataccount [as literary adviser]. This was probably the last letter Reeve wrote with his own hand. Forseveral months he had been very much of an invalid, though he had persistedin continuing his work, in which he found distraction and relief. And nocomplaint passed his lips. 'The kindest thing you can do for me, ' he saidto his anxious wife, 'is to leave me alone. ' He made a point of coming downto breakfast; but his strength was gradually failing, and he moved withdifficulty. His medical attendant recommended an operation, but this he wasunwilling to undergo, feeling doubtful whether at his advanced age it couldbe successful. Sunday, October 13th, he passed in the library among thebooks he prized. He dictated a letter, listened to the Psalms of the day, and asked his wife to read also the First Epistle General of St. Peter. In the afternoon Dr. Roberts Thomson and Dr. Davison saw him, and after aconsultation wrote to the distinguished specialist, Mr. Buckston Browne, tobe prepared to come on receipt of a telegram. On Monday Reeve was unableto get up; he consented to undergo the operation, and Mr. Browne wastelegraphed for. On his arrival, about 7 o'clock in the evening, it wasdecided to lose no more time. The operation was successfully performed, under chloroform, and everything, the surgeons hoped, would go well. Andthis they repeated for the next few days; the wound, they thought, wasclosing nicely. At 82, however, wounds do not close readily, and Reeve'ssystem was weakened by some years of bad health. He never regained entireconsciousness; and though from time to time he gave some directions aboutthe 'Review, ' they were not intelligible to those who heard; they probablyhad no meaning even to himself. On Monday, October 21st, at half-pastone in the morning, 'the one last change was made, ' and he passed awaypeacefully and without suffering. In a letter of sympathy to Mrs. Reeve Dr. Roberts Thomson wrote:-- 'I was very much struck with your husband's wonderful patience when I sawhim, and the calm way in which he was able to face the future--whatever ithad in store for him. It is some consolation to know that he did not suffermuch, and that perhaps, had he recovered from the illness, his healthwould have been so affected that great valetudinarianism would have beeninevitable. To him, this would have been suffering; and for his sake we arethankful that he was spared it. ' His remains were interred in the Brookwood cemetery at Woking on October24th. He died, literally in harness. On Saturday, October 12th, he dictated alast letter on the business of the 'Review;' and his indistinct wordsduring the few days of partial unconsciousness showed that his mind wasstill endeavouring to fix itself on what had occupied it for so many years. It was in his editorial capacity that I, who write these lines, first knewhim in 1866, though I did not make his personal acquaintance till 1877, when he was a few months over 63. I found him a tall, stout, and--thoughnot strictly handsome--a good-looking man, who might very well have passedfor ten years younger than he actually was, and whose burly figure mighthave seemed more at home in the covers or the turnip-fields than in thePrivy Council Office; his weight, which cannot, even then, have been muchunder eighteen stone, must have stopped his hunting some time before. Butin his manner there was no trace of this fancied rusticity--how could therebe, indeed, in one trained in society almost from the cradle?--and hisvoice was soft and musical. I have seen it stated that he was pompous, self-assertive, and dictatorial. That his manners, formed by his mother andhis aunt on eighteenth-century models, and perfected in Paris among thetraditions of the _ancien regime_, had about them nothing of the 'hailfellow, well met' fashion of the present day is very certain, and, joinedto his height (about 6 ft. 1 in. ) and his great bulk, may sometimeshave given him the appearance of speaking _de haut en bas_, and must, unquestionably, have enabled him to repress any unwelcome or unduefamiliarity. As an editor, of course, he was dictatorial. We may talk ofthe Republic of Letters; but in point of fact a successful journal isand must be an autocracy. In his private capacity, I never found in hisconversation that habit of 'laying down the law' which some, with probablyinferior opportunities of judging, have complained of. Of his untiringapplication and power of work enough has already been said; but the uniformgood luck which attended him through life is worthy of notice. In thecourse of eighty-two years he experienced no reverse of fortune, no greatdisappointment, and--with the one, though terrible, exception of the deathof his first wife--no great sorrow beyond what is the lot of all men. Weknow that fortune favours the brave. It favours also those who to abilityand temper join prudence, courtesy, and careful, systematic, painstakingindustry. At the age of 82 Reeve had outlived all of his contemporaries--the men whohad associated with him and worked with him in his youth. Their opinion ofhim is only to be gauged by the fact that, with but few and easily explainedexceptions, the friendships of his early manhood were broken only by thegrave. The number of friends of forty or fifty years' standing who diedduring the last decade of his life is very remarkable. As these arewanting, I am happy in being able to conclude this tribute to his memoryby two appreciations, one English, the other French; the first, from andrepresenting the 'Edinburgh Review' to which it was contributed in January1896, by Mr. W. E. H. Lecky. 'Although it has never been the custom of this "Review" to withdraw theveil of anonymity from its writers and its administration, it would be mereaffectation to suffer this number to appear before the public without someallusion to the great Editor whom we have just lost, and who for fortyyears has watched with indefatigable care over our pages. 'The career of Mr. Henry Reeve is perhaps the most striking illustration inour time of how little in English life influence is measured by notoriety. To the outer world his name was but little known. He is remembered as thetranslator of Tocqueville, as the editor of the "Greville Memoirs, " asthe author of a not quite forgotten book on Royal and Republican France, showing much knowledge of French literature and politics; as the holderduring fifty years of the respectable, but not very prominent, post ofRegistrar of the Privy Council. To those who have a more intimate knowledgeof the political and literary life of England, it is well known that duringnearly the whole of his long life he was a powerful and living force inEnglish literature; that few men of his time have filled a larger placein some of the most select circles of English social life; and that heexercised during many years a political influence such as rarely fallsto the lot of any Englishman outside Parliament, or indeed outside theCabinet. 'He was born at Norwich in 1813, and brought up in a highly cultivated, and even brilliant, literary circle. His father, Dr. Reeve, was one of theearliest contributors to this Review. The Austins, the Opies, the Taylors, and the Aldersons were closely related to him, and he is said to have beenindebted to his gifted aunt, Sarah Austin, for his appointment in the PrivyCouncil. The family income was not large, and a great part of Mr. Reeve'seducation took place on the Continent, chiefly at Geneva and Munich. Hewent with excellent introductions, and the years he spent abroad wereabundantly fruitful. He learned German so well that he was at one time acontributor to a German periodical. He was one of the rare Englishmen whospoke French almost like a Frenchman, and at a very early age he formedfriendships with several eminent French writers. His translation ofthe "Democracy in America, " by Tocqueville, which appeared in 1835, strengthened his hold on French society. Two years later he obtained theappointment in the Privy Council, which he held until 1887. It was in thisoffice that he became the colleague and fast friend of Charles Greville, who on his death-bed entrusted him with the publication of his "Memoirs. " 'Mr. Reeve had now obtained an assured income and a steady occupation, butit was far from satisfying his desire for work. He became a contributor, and very soon a leading contributor, to the "Times, " while his close andconfidential intercourse with Mr. Delane gave him a considerable voice inits management. The penny newspaper was still unborn, and the "Times" atthis period was the undisputed monarch of the press, and exercised aninfluence over public opinion, both in England and on the Continent, such as no existing paper can be said to possess. It is, we believe, noexaggeration to say that for the space of fifteen years nearly everyarticle that appeared in its columns on foreign politics was written byMr. Reeve, and the period during which he wrote for it included the year1848, --when foreign politics were of transcendent importance. 'The great political influence which he at this time exercised naturallydrew him into close connexion with many of the chief statesmen of his time. With Lord Clarendon especially his friendship was close and confidential, and he received from that statesman almost weekly letters during hisViceroyalty in Ireland and during other of the more critical periods of hiscareer. In France Mr. Reeve's connexions were scarcely less numerous thanin England. Guizot, Thiers, Cousin, Tocqueville, Villemain, Circourt--infact, nearly all the leading figures in French literature andpolitics during the reign of Louis Philippe were among his friends orcorrespondents. He was at all times singularly international in hissympathies and friendships, and he appears to have been more than oncemade the channel of confidential communications between English and Frenchstatesmen. 'It was a task for which he was eminently suited. The qualities which mostimpressed all who came into close communication with him were the strength, swiftness, and soundness of his judgement, and his unfailing tact anddiscretion in dealing with delicate questions. He was eminently a man ofthe world, and had quite as much knowledge of men as of books. Probablyfew men of his time have been so frequently and so variously consulted. He always spoke with confidence and authority, and his clear, keen-cut, decisive sentences, a certain stateliness of manner which did not so muchclaim as assume ascendency, and a somewhat elaborate formality of courtesywhich was very efficacious in repelling intruders, sometimes concealed fromstrangers the softer side of his character. But those who knew him wellsoon learnt to recognise the genuine kindliness of his nature, hisremarkable skill in avoiding friction, and the rare steadiness of hisfriendships. 'One great source of his influence was the just belief in his completeindependence and disinterestedness. For a very able man his ambition wassingularly moderate. As he once said, he had made it his object throughoutlife only to aim at things which were well within his power. He had verylittle respect for the judgement of the multitude, and he cared nothingfor notoriety and not much for dignities. A moderate competence, congenialwork, a sphere of wide and genuine influence, a close and intimatefriendship with a large proportion of the guiding spirits of his time, werethe things he really valued, and all these he fully attained. He had greatconversational powers, which never degenerated into monologue, a singularlyequable, happy, and sanguine temperament, and a keen delight in cultivatedsociety. He might be seen to special advantage in two small and very selectdining clubs which have included most of the more distinguished Englishstatesmen and men of letters of the century. He became a member of theLiterary Society in 1857 and of Dr. Johnson's Club in 1861, and it is aremarkable evidence of the appreciation of his social tact that both bodiesspeedily selected him as their treasurer. He held that position in "TheClub" from 1868 till 1893, when failing health and absence fromLondon obliged him to relinquish it. The French Institute elected him"Correspondant" in 1865 and Associated Member in 1888, in which latterdignity he succeeded Sir Henry Maine. In 1870 the University of Oxfordconferred on him the honorary degree of D. C. L. 'It was in 1855, on the resignation of Sir George Cornewall Lewis, that heassumed the editorship of this "Review, " which he retained till the dayof his death. Both on the political and the literary side he was in fullharmony with its traditions. His rare and minute knowledge of recentEnglish and foreign political history; his vast fund of political anecdote;his personal acquaintance with so many of the chief actors on the politicalscene, both in England and France, gave a great weight and authority to hisjudgements, and his mind was essentially of the Whig cast. He was a genuineLiberal of the school of Russell, Palmerston, Clarendon, and CornewallLewis. It was a sober and tolerant Liberalism, rooted in the traditionsof the past, and deeply attached to the historical elements in theConstitution. The dislike and distrust with which he had always viewed theprogress of democracy deepened with age, and it was his firm convictionthat it could never become the permanent basis of good government. Likemost men of his type of thought and character, he was strongly repelled bythe later career of Mr. Gladstone, and the Home Rule policy at last severedhim definitely from the bulk of the Liberal party. From this time thepresent Duke of Devonshire was the leader of his party. 'His literary judgements had much analogy to his political ones. Hisleanings were all towards the old standards of thought and style. He hadbeen formed in the school of Macaulay and Milman, and of the great Frenchwriters under Louis Philippe. Sober thought, clear reasoning, solidscholarship, a transparent, vivid, and restrained style were the literaryqualities he most appreciated. He was a great purist, inexorably hostileto a new word. In philosophy he was a devoted disciple of Kant, and hisdecided orthodoxy in religious belief affected many of his judgements. Hecould not appreciate Carlyle; he looked with much distrust on Darwinism andthe philosophy of Herbert Spencer, and he had very little patience withsome of the moral and intellectual extravagances of modern literature. But, according to his own standards and in the wide range of his own subjects, his literary judgement was eminently sound, and he was quick and generousin recognising rising eminence. In at least one case the first considerablerecognition of a prominent historian was an article in this "Review" fromhis pen. 'He had a strong sense of the responsibility of an editor, and especiallyof the editor of a Review of unsigned articles. No article appeared whichhe did not carefully consider. His powerful individuality was deeplystamped upon the "Review, " and he carefully maintained its unity andconsistency of sentiments. It was one of the chief occupations andpleasures of his closing days, and the very last letter he dictatedreferred to it. 'Time, as might be expected, had greatly thinned the circle of his friends. Of the France which he knew so well scarcely anything remained, but his oldfriend and senior, Barthélemy St. -Hilaire, visited him at Christ-Church, and he kept up to the end a warm friendship with the Duc d'Aumale. He spenthis 80th birthday at Chantilly, and until the very last year of his life hewas never absent when the Duke dined at "The Club. " In Lord Derby he lostthe statesman with whom in his later years he was most closely connected byprivate friendship and political sympathy, while the death of Lady Stanleyof Alderley deprived him of an attached and lifelong friend. 'Growing infirmities prevented him in his latter days from mixing much ingeneral society in London, but his life was brightened by all that lovingcompanionship could give; his mental powers were unfaded, and he couldstill enjoy the society of younger friends. He looked forward to the endwith a perfect and a most characteristic calm, without fear and withoutregret. It was the placid close of a long, dignified, and useful life. ' The second, the French appreciation, was spoken at the meeting of the'Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques, ' on November 16th, 1895, by the Duc d'Aumale, who, after regretting his absence on the previousoccasion when the President had announced the death of their foreignmember, Mr. Henry Reeve, continued: 'Je n'aurais sans doute rien pu ajouter à ce qui a été si bien dit par M. Le Président, mais je tenais à rendre personnellement hommage à la mémoired'un confrère éminent, pour lequel je professais une haute estime et unesincère amitié, et je demande à l'Académie la permission de lui adresserquelques mots. 'Qu'on l'envisage au point de vue littéraire ou au point de vue social, la figure d'Henry Reeve était essentiellement originale, et il devait cecaractère non seulement à la nature de son esprit, mais à l'éducation qu'ilavait reçue. Sur la base anglaise de la forte instruction classique sonpère [Footnote: A momentary lapse of memory. It is scarcely possible thatthe Duc d'Aumale did not know that Reeve's father died whilst Reeve wasstill an infant, and that his education was directed by his mother. ] voulutajouter le couronnement des hautes études continentales, et, pour que cetteculture intellectuelle n'eût rien d'exclusif ou d'absolu il fit choix deGenève et de Munich. C'cst dans ces deux villes, dans ces deux grandscentres intellectuels, que Reeve passa une partie de sa jeunesse. Ce séjourdans des milieux si différents laissa dans son esprit une double impressionqui se refléta sur toute sa vie. 'Peu de personnes, de nos jours, ont aussi bien connu que lui cettecharmante et originale société de Genève, qui semblait dater dudix-huitième siècle, et qui en a si longtemps conservé les traditions. C'est là qu'il acquit la connaissance approfondie de notre langue; il enavait saisi les nuances délicates; il connaissait toute notre littérature. Je ne connais guère d'étrangers qui puissent parler, comprendre, écrire lefrançais mieux que lui. 'L'allemand ne lui était pas moins familier. Le séjour à Munich lui inspiraaussi le goût des arts envisagés à un point de vue qui n'est pas tout àfait le nôtre. Dans un petit volume, oeuvre de jeunesse, "Graphidae, " iltraduisit sous une forme poétique l'impression que lui avaient laissée lesoeuvres des premiers maîtres italiens. On y retrouve, avec la mesure quietait un des caractères de cet esprit bien pondéré, la trace des théoriesqui prévalaient alors dans l'Allemagne méridionale. 'À d'autres points de vue ce long séjour à l'étranger lui avait laissédes traces plus profondes encore. Il en avait rapporté une sorte decosmopolitisme éclairé, tempéré, entretenu par ses nombreuses relations. Je ne veux pas dire qu'il ne fut pas Anglais avant tout. Passionnémentpatriote--et ce n'est pas moi qui lui en ferai un reproche--il épousait lespassions, les colères de son pays, mais sans rudesse, sans hauteur, sanshaine ou mépris des autres peuples, sans préjugés contre aucune nationétrangère. 'Il ne cessa d'entretenir des relations intimes et constantes avec tout leparti libéral français (je prends le mot libéral dans le vrai sens, le sensle plus large), depuis M. Le Duc de Broglie et M. Gruizot jusqu'à notrevénéré confrère M. Barthelémy Saint-Hilaire. 'Malgré son impartialité j'oserai dire qu'il avait une certaine faiblessepour la France. Certes il n'aurait jamais épousé la cause de la Franceengagée contre l'Angleterre; mais quand il voyait la France et l'Angleterred'accord sa joie était vive. Et lors de nos malheurs, sans prendre partidans la querelle, il n'a jamais cachée la sympathie que lui inspirait laFrance vaincue. 'Je ne sache pas que Reeve ait écrit aucun ouvrage de longue haleine, saufcertaines traductions difficiles, importantes: quelques-unes rappellent àcette compagnie des noms qui lui sont chers--la "Vie de Washington, " parGuizot; la "Démocratic, " de Tocqueville, un de ses plus intimes amis. 'Il n'a pas pris une part directe au mouvement des affaires de son pays, n'ayant siégé ni dans le parlement ni dans aucun cabinet; mais soninfluence était considérable: sans cesse consulté, souvent chargé demessages importants; enfin sa plume, sa plume surtout, ne restait jamaisinactive, et ses écrits portaient coup. Le "Times" l'a compte longtempsparmi ses principaux collaborateurs; plus tard il se recueillit et seconsacra exclusivement à la direction de la "Revue d'Edimbourg, " dont ilavait été longtemps un des principaux redacteurs. [Footnote: The Duke wouldseem to have misunderstood Reeve's position, or, more probably, hismemory was confused by the lapse of forty years. Reeve was never _'un desprincipaux rédacteurs'_ of the Edinburgh Review. Till he became sole editorand, in a literary sense, autocrat, he had no part in the conduct of it, nor was he a constant contributor (cf. _ante_, vol. I. P. 173). ] 'Je n'ai pas besoin de rappeler à l'Académie quel rôle appartient à"l'editeur" dans les grandes revues anglaises, quelle part il prend auchoix des sujets, à la rédaction des articles, quelle autorité il exerce, ni de m'etendre sur l'histoire du plus ancien, je crois, des recueilspériodiques, assurément un des plus importants. La "Revue d'Edimbourg" estplus qu'un simple organe; souvent elle donne la note, la formule des idéesacceptées par le parti dont elle continue d'arborer les couleurs sur sacouverture bleue et chamois, les couleurs de M. Fox. 'J'ai dit que Reeve n'avait pas pris part au gouvernement. Il exerçaitcependant une charge, un veritable office de judicature, dont lesattributions ne sont pas d'accord avec nos moeurs et dont le titre même setraduit difficilement dans notre langue. Attaché au Conseil privé comme_Appeal Clerk_, puis comme Registrar, il jugeait des appels des îles de laManche. [Footnote: This, as has been seen (ante, vol. I. Pp. 85-6), is avery inexact and imperfect description of Reeve's duties, either as Clerkof Appeals or as Registrar. ] On comprend qu'une connaissance si parfaitede la langue et des usages français le qualifiait particulièrement pourremplir ces fonctions, quand on songe que la langue officielle de cesîles est encore aujourd'hui le français et que dans les questions dejurisprudence la coutume de Normandie y est constamment invoquée. 'Officiellement Reeve était sous les ordres du secrétaire du Conseil privé, et ces rapports de subordination avaient créé des relations intimes entreson supérieur et lui. M. Charles Gréville avait tenu la plume du Conseildans des circonstances deélicates et s'était trouvé mêlé à une fouled'incidents; en mourant il chargea Reeve de publier ses mémoires. Cettepublication eut un grand retentissement. 'Reeve était fier d'appartenir à votre compagnie. Lorsque l'Universitéd'Oxford me conféra le degré de docteur il était près de moi. "Rappelez-vous, " me dit-il en souriant, "que l'Académie des SciencesMorales a sa part dans l'honneur que vous venez de recevoir. " Fort répandu, fort apprécie dans le monde, il menait de front ses travaux littéraires, ses devoirs de juge, ses relations sociales, ses excursions; son activitéétait extraordinaire. La goutte le gênait quelquefois, et d'année en annéeses visites devenaient plus fréquentes. 'Il avait bâti au bord la mer, en face de l'île de Wight, sous un climatdoux, une charmante villa, où il aimait a s'enfermer avec ses livres, poursuivant ses travaux auprès de la digne et gracieuse compagne de sa vie. Ses dernières années s'écoulèrent ainsi entre cette résidence et la maisonbien connue de Rutland Gate, où sa table hospitalière était toujoursouverte à ses amis de France ou d'ailleurs. C'est à Foxholes que la mortest venue le chercher. 'Je n'ai pas la préention de prononcer devant vous l'éloge d'Henry Reeve;la competence me manque comme la preparation. En vous rappelant quelquestraits de cette noble figure je voulais, comme je vous l'ai dit tout àl'heure, acquitter une dette de coeur envers un ami qui, jusqu'aux derniersmoments de sa vie, m'a prodigué les marques d'affection. Il voulut célébrerà Chantilly le 80e anniversaire de sa naissance, et un de ses dernierssoucis était de réclamer les bonnes feuilles du septième volume de"L'Histoire des Condé, " dont il voulait rendre compte dans sa Revue. [Footnote: The present writer feels a personal satisfaction in addingthat one of the last letters which Reeve dictated about the work of the_Review_, was to him, asking him to undertake this article. ] 'La mémoire du philosophe, du lettré, de l'érudit, dn confrère éminent, del'homme bon et aimable, mérite de rester honorée dans notre compagnie. ' APPENDIX It has been seen (_ante_, vol. Ii. ) that Reeve intended quoting LordStanmore's letter on the formation of the Aberdeen Cabinet, in a futureedition of the 'Greville Memoirs. ' There seems, however, to have been noopportunity for doing so, and the letter has remained buried in thecolumns of the 'Times' of June 13, 1887, becoming each year more and moreinaccessible. As relating to an interesting point raised by the 'GrevilleMemoirs, ' and also as, to some extent, carrying out Reeve's intention, itis here reprinted, with Lord Stanmore's express permission. _To the Editor of the 'Times'_ Sir, --It is only recently that the two new volumes of the 'GrevilleMemoirs' lately published have reached Ceylon. I fear that before thisletter can arrive in England the interest excited by their appearance willhave passed away, and that, consequently, comments upon their contentsaddressed to you may seem as much out of place as would a letter writtenfor the purpose of correcting some error in any well-known collection ofmemoirs which have been long before the world. It is therefore not withoutsome hesitation that I venture to request permission from you to point outthe inaccuracy of a statement which appears near the commencement of thefirst of these two volumes, and casts an undeserved imputation upon theconduct, in 1852, of the chief members of the Peelite party. Mr. Greville, under the date of December 28, 1852, writes thus:-- 'Clarendon told me last night that the Peelites have behaved very ill, andhave grasped at everything; and he mentioned some very flagrant cases, inwhich, after the distribution had been settled between Aberdeen and JohnRussell, Newcastle and Sidney Herbert--for they appear to have been themost active in the matter--persuaded Aberdeen to alter it, and bestow oroffer offices intended for Whigs to Peelites, and in some instances toDerbyites who had been Peelites' (vol. I. ). In the next two pages lie comments with severity on the selfishness andshortsightedness of the Peelites in reference to this matter. Now, thereflection thus cast on the foresight and disinterestedness of the Peeliteleaders is in no wise warranted by the facts. What really occurred at theformation of the Cabinet of December 1852 was, in truth, the exact reverseof what is stated in Mr. Greville's pages. It was not the Peelites, butLord John Russell and the Whigs, who, after the list of the Cabinet and ofthe chief officers of the State had been agreed on between Lord Aberdeenand Lord John Russell, and had been submitted to and approved by the Queen, objected to the composition of the Cabinet as 'too Peelite, ' and strove tochange the arrangements made originally with Lord John Russell's entireacquiescence. I will not, however, occupy your space with remarks of myown; I will at once produce incontestable proof of what I have asserted. Ihave now before me a manuscript journal kept by Sir James Graham, and fromit I quote the following extracts. In reading them it should be borne inmind that the proposed distribution of offices agreed on between LordAberdeen and Lord John Russell had been formally approved by the Queen onDecember 23rd. _December 24th_. --'Lord John Russell most unexpectedly raised freshdifficulties this morning, on the ground that the Whigs are not representedin the new Cabinet sufficiently. He wished that Sir F. Baring should beplaced at the Board of Trade to the exclusion of Cardwell; that LordClarendon should have the Duchy, with a seat in the Cabinet; and that LordGranville should be President of the Council. He thus proposed at one_coup_ an infusion of three additional Whigs, and talked of Lord Carlisleas the fittest person for the Lieutenancy of Ireland. It became necessaryto make a stand and to bring the Whigs to their ultimatum. Lord Aberdeenconsented to Lord Granville as President, and proposed that Lord Lansdowneshould sit in the Cabinet, without an office. This proposition, whichreduced the Whig addition, from three to two, saved the Board of Trade forCardwell, but excluded both him and Canning from the Cabinet. Lord Johndid not regard it as satisfactory, and fought the point so long and sopertinaciously, that the new writs could not be moved to-day, and theHouse was adjourned till Monday. Towards evening, at the instance of LordLansdowne, Lord John Russell yielded an unwilling assent to Lord Aberdeen'slast proposals. .. ' _December 25th_. --'Lord John Russell is very much annoyed by thedisparaging tone of the articles in the "Times, " which, while it supportsLord Aberdeen, attacks him [Russell] and the Whigs. He is still alsodissatisfied in the exclusion of Lord Clarendon and of Sir George Grey fromthe Cabinet, and thinks that the Whig share of the spoil is insufficient. It is melancholy to see how little fitness for office is regarded on allsides, and how much the public employments are treated as booty to bedivided among successful combatants. The Irish Government, also, is stilla matter of contest. The Whigs are anxious to displace Blackburne and toreplace him with Brady, their former Chancellor; they are jealous also ofSt. Germans and Young, as Lord-Lieutenant and Chief Secretary, and want tohave Lord Carlisle substituted for the former. I discussed these matters atArgyll House with Lord John and Lord Aberdeen. If we three were leftalone, we could easily adjust every difficulty; it is the intervention ofinterested parties on opposite sides which mars every settlement. .. ' _December 27th_. --'The Whigs returned to the charge, and claimed in a mostmenacing manner a larger share of the minor offices. Sir C. Wood and Mr. Hayter came to me in the first instance and tried to shake me individuallyin my opinion. I was stout and combated all their arguments, which assumedan angry tone. We came to no satisfactory conclusion in my house, and thediscussion was adjourned to Lord John's. I found Lord John more amenable toreason; but the whole arrangement was on the point of being broken off. It was 1 o'clock. The House of Commons was to meet at 2 by specialadjournment, and the writs were to be issued punctually at that hour. Sir C. Wood intimated that unless some further concessions were madethe arrangement was at an end, and that the moving of the writs must bepostponed. I said I should go down to the House, and make then and therea full statement of the case, and recall by telegraph my address tothe electors of Carlisle, which declared my acceptance of office. Thisfirmness, coupled with my rising to leave the room, brought the gentlemento reason. I had a note in my pocket from Lord Aberdeen, which placed theDuchy of Lancaster at their disposal, and Strutt was in the House ready toreceive it at the hands of Lord John. This offer was snatched immediately;Strutt was consulted and accepted on the spot, and Hayter was sent to theHouse of Commons, and he moved the writs of the Cabinet Ministers, ofStrutt also, and of Baines. .. ' _December 28th_. --'The contest as to minor offices was renewed with equalpertinacity, but with less effect, after the moving of the principal writs. A battle was fought for the Great Seal of Ireland, which was ultimatelyyielded to Brady, the ex-Whig Chancellor. This concession was no soonermade than an attempt to force Reddington as the Under-Secretary for Irelandwas commenced. He, being a Catholic, had consented to the EcclesiasticalTitles Bill, against his private judgement and in defiance of hiscoreligionists. His appointment would have been war with the Brigade, andit was necessary to refuse it peremptorily. The dissatisfaction ofLord Clarendon and of Lord John Russell was eagerly expressed, but wasultimately mitigated by the offer to Reddington of the Secretaryship ofthe Board of Control. The suggestion that Lord John might provide for himabroad was not so favourably entertained. I have never passed a week sounpleasantly. It was a battle for places from hostile camps, and the Whigsdisregarded fitness for the public service altogether. They foughtfor their men as partisans, and all other considerations, as well asconsequences, were disregarded. Lord Aberdeen's patience and justice areexemplary; he is firm and yet conciliatory, and has ended by making anarrangement which is, on the whole, impartial and quite as satisfactory ascircumstances would permit. ' The evidence of Sir James Graham on points of fact will hardly be disputed, nor will it be denied that he, who took an active part in the constructionof the Government and was in the most intimate confidence of Lord Aberdeen, was in a better position for knowing what passed than Mr. Greville, whowas dependent on the information which he received from others. But if anyconfirmation be desired it will be found in the extracts which I add fromthe correspondence of Lord Aberdeen. The Queen, as I have before said, approved the lists submitted to her on December 23rd. The same evening, Lord John Russell wrote to Lord Aberdeen as follows:-- 'I am told that the whole complexion of the Government will look tooPeelite. G. Grey suggests, and I concur, that Clarendon should be Presidentof the Council immediately, and when he leaves it someone else may benamed--Harrowby or Granville. I am seriously afraid that the whole thingwill break down from the weakness of the old Liberal party (I must not sayWhig) in the Cabinet. To this must be added:--President of the Board ofTrade, Postmaster, Chief Secretary for Ireland, all in Peelite hands. Isend a note which Bessborough has given me, and which is said to convey theopinion of the Irish Liberal members. _It is not very reasonable_, but Ithink Blackburne should be changed for Moore, and St. Germans for LordCarlisle. Palmerston consents to Bernal Osborne. You should write or seeCranworth. Forgive all this trouble. ' Lord Aberdeen replied:-- 'I do not admit the justice of the criticism made on the composition of theCabinet, if you fairly estimate the persons and the offices they fill. I donot object to Clarendon; but my fear is that he will not be able to do thebusiness of the office in the House of Lords, and we are so weak there thatI entertain very great apprehensions. ' Lord John rejoined:-- 'What I suggest is (1) that, as I have frequently proposed, with yourconsent, Lord Granville should be Lord President; (2) that Sir F. Baringshould be President of the Board of Trade, with a seat in the Cabinet; (3)that Clarendon should at once enter the Cabinet as Chancellor of the Duchyof Lancaster; (4) that Lord Stanley of Alderley should be Vice-President, not in the Cabinet. Let me add to what I have said that ten Whigs, membersof former Cabinets, are omitted in this, while only two Peelites areomitted, and one entirely new is admitted--Argyll. Let me propose furtherthat the minor posts be recast with less disproportion. Cardwell ought notto have office while Labouchere, Vernon Smith, and others are excluded. 'Pray let me have an answer before the writs are moved. I have sent for F. Baring. If he will not join, G. Grey will. 'P. S. --About Ireland afterwards. ' On the receipt of this letter Lord Aberdeen wrote to the Queen that itput it entirely out of his power to go to Windsor on that day as had beenintended, and that 'he regretted to say that the new propositions, whichhad been made by Lord John that morning, although the scheme submitted tothe Queen had been approved of, were so extensive as very seriously toendanger the success of his [Lord Aberdeen's] undertaking. ' It appears to me to be thus shown, beyond dispute or question, that it wasthe Whigs and not the Peelites who, after the distribution of offices hadbeen fully agreed on, and approved by the Queen, sought to modify thearrangements effected. Whether the Whigs had or had not cause for theirdiscontent is another question, on which it is unnecessary now to enter. That such discontent was (considering their numerical strength) extremelynatural, none can deny. That, on the other hand, it would have beenimpossible to exclude Sir James Graham, Mr. Gladstone, or the Duke ofNewcastle from a Cabinet formed and presided over by Lord Aberdeen, andthat the important share taken by Mr. Sidney Herbert in the overthrow ofLord Derby's Government rendered him also entitled to claim Cabinet office, most men will admit. While anxious to correct a statement which appears to me injurious to thereputation of public men, some of whom are still living, I trust I maybe permitted at the same time to record my strong sense of the generalaccuracy of Mr. Greville's information. Where his notes are inaccurate, their inaccuracy may, I believe, be more generally accounted for by hisomission in those cases to insert in his diary (as in many other instanceshe has done) a subsequent correction of the erroneous reports which had inthe first instance reached him. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, ARTHUR GORDON.