220 THE REFORM BILL A HUMBUG [CH. XI I have never done yet, as the Duke is always in a hurry; and shall have Lord Rosslyn and Sir Robert Wilson as chaperons. I have heard no news. The newspapers tell us to-day that we are on the point of losing the Mauritius! Jamaica, I imagine, will follow, and our dismemberment is begun; J'enrage! but yet one must... [The remainder of this letter is missing.] "WALMER CASTLE, November 15, 1832. "MY DEAR LADY SHELLEY, "People are beginning to discover the truthviz., that the Reform Bill, as to benefit, is a humbug. They are therefore indifferent. Very few like to take a little trouble to avert an evil which is distant. They will not exert themselves therefore. "I shall be happy to see you, and Sir John. I will write you word when I shall be at Stratfield Saye. "Ever yours most affectionately, "WELLINGTON." CHAPTER XII June 30, 1833.-We left London for Dover, and crossed the Channel in a steamboat. We were delayed at Abbeville, owing to the Queen of the French having put all the horses in requisition, for the purpose of visiting her daughter at Brussels. We saw the Queen pass. The band played the Parisienne, and every window was full of spectators. The best society is anti-revolutionist. No balls were given, until the liberation of the Duchesse de Berri. We reached Paris on July 4, and went to the Hôtel Meurice, which was noisy. July 6.-We dined with Lord Granville, our Ambassador. He has a good cook, but the society was triste. July 7.-We visited Prince Pozzo di Borgo, and had some interesting talk about the political state of Europe. The French stage is now in such bad taste, that none but the canaille visit the theatre. They are making preparations to place a statue of Napoleon on the top of the column in the Place Vendôme. Notre Dame has been opened out at the back, by the removal of all the rickety old houses. It is evident that those two plagues, Revolution and Cholera, have purified the atmosphere by causing the destruction of the old buildings, and clearing out the dirtiest parts of the town. We left Paris for Dijon on July 11, and by slow stages arrived at an inn near Geneva. 222 MR. CROKER ON BATTLE OF NAVARINO [CH. XII Our society at Geneva was varied by an evening goûter at the Campagne Duclous, which overhangs the Rhône, close to the junction of that river with the Arve. Captain Basil Hall is living near Geneva. His views on the political situation are more cheering than our own; but as he is not behind the scenes, I fear that they cannot be relied upon. We had been so much threatened with spoliation at the Douane, especially in the matter of books, that we left a great many under Captain Basil Hall's care at Geneva. We journeyed to Aix, and at the inn there we found Mr. Croker, whose conversation is most agreeable. He gave us some interesting particulars of conversations which he held with George IV., who permitted him to write down, under his own dictation, details of his early intimacy with Mr. Fox. Mr. Croker stated, from his own knowledge, that the Lord High Admiral' was not in correspondence with Codrington previous to the Battle of Navarino; and that the news came upon him quite as unexpectedly as upon the other members of the Government. Mr. Croker says that the Lord High Admiral had not the wit to see how probable would be a collision between the combined European and the Turkish Fleets. He thinks that Codrington was spurred on by the French Admiral, and from a fear of being thought backward in fighting. Mr. Croker assures me that William IV. is not capable of reasoning justly. It appears that the King had stated, long before the late King's death, that he would keep the Ministers whom he found on his accession, so long as they were supported by Parliament, being determined to take his Ministers from that body. When the Duke of Wellington advised the King to send for Lord Grey (it being impossible for the Duke to carry on the government), the Parliament sup 'H.R.H. the Duke of Clarence, afterwards William IV. |