The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-09-17
EXCERPTS FROM THE JOURNAL OF THos.
RAIKEs, ESQ 1881 to 1s47.
WELLINGTON

hA4hES, EeQ'- 1851 TO 1877.
WELLINGTON
Wednesday, l9h.-Lord Fitzgerald made US
laugh at dinner to-day, with story about C,
whose pertinscity of opinion is well known. He
was laying down the law, after dinner, to the
Duke of Wellington; and, according to CUSTOM
asserting the superiority of his own information
on all subjects, having even fatty coutradicted
the Duke, who bad mentioned some incident
that took place at the battle of Waterloo. At
last the conversation turned upon the use of
percussion caps for the muskets Of the army,
when C again maintained directly oppo-
site opinion to that which was urged by the
Duke, who at last good humoredly said to him,
My dear C, can yield to your superior
information on most points, and you may per-
haps know great deal more of what passed at
Waterloo than myself; but as a Sportsman,
caps.'"
GEORGE ".
"George ~ never had any private friends
He selected his confdants from his minions
Mscmahon was an Irishman, of lowly birth and
obsequious manners he was little man, his
face red, covered with pimples, always dressed
in the blue and buff uniform, with his hat on
one side, copying the air of his master to whom
he was prodigious foil, and ready to execute
any commissions, which in those days were
somewhat complicated. Bloomfield was hand
some man, and owed his introduction at Court
to his musical talents. He was lieutenant in
the artillery, and by chance qysrtered with his
regiment at Brighton. The Prince, who was
always fond of music, then gave frequent con-
certs az the Pavilion some one happened to
mention that young officer of artillery was
proficient on the violoncello; an invitation was
ant fbar 0v-ol IL Al
became more frequent, a prediction ensued
and the fortune of the young lieutenant was as
sured. In the latter days of his
reign, and. before his health had rendered it ne
cessary, he very seldom went out, even in his
favoritee low phaton and ponies, at Windsor
his more general habit was to remain in his robe
de chGm6re ell the morning, and never dress
till the hour of dinner. In this diShd6ILe he
received his Ministers, inspected the arrange
ment of all the curiosties which now adorn the
gallery in the Castle, and are standing monu-
ments of his good taste, amused himself with
mimicking Jack Radford, the stud groom, who
came to receive orders, or lectured Dawson, the
tailor on the cut of the last new coat. His
dress was an object of the greatest attention to
the last; and, incredible as it may appear, /
have been told by those about him, and by
Bachelor, who, on the death of the Duke of
York, entered his service as U1Iet de cham6re,
that plain coat, from its repeated alterations.
would often cost G300 before it met his appro-
baton. This of course, included the several
journeys of the master and his men backwards
and forwards to Windsor, as they almost lived
on the road"
Among other calumnies, they imputed to
Mr.. Pitt a venality, which was not only belied
by his disinterested conduct through life, but
sttested by the poverty in which he died. |
have heard many anecdotes of that great man
from my father, who, when Governor of the
Bank at a very awful crisis of public affairs,
1897, had frequent communications with him,
both of a public and private nature, and he al
ways expressed his deep conviction of Mr.. Pitts
highly disinterested conduct. 1t is possible
that many of those who enjoyed his intimacy
may have availed themselves of the informa.
ton which they derived from him, to speculate
with advantage in the funds; but so ignorant
was the Premier of these circumstances, that
he once said to my father, with great naivets,
$50 little do public events influence the financial
system as should haveexpected, that, had been
a Spectator, with all my means of information,
should have been ruined man. At that period
l was boy, and how often have l rode over with
my father to HOLLYWOOD, from Freelands, where
we lived; and while he was closeted with the
Minister, was left to wait in the dining room,
which had full time to explore. The furni-
ture was of the most simple description re-
member a chGise Tongue was drawn near the
fireplace, on which he might be supposed to
have thrown himself on his arrival from town,
when jsded by long and stormy debate in the
House. A few books lay on hanging shelf
within reach, amongst which l recollect peck
ct Virgil. marked and dog's-eared in every part
of the Eneid. 1t may be recollected that the
quotations in his speeches were generally taken
from that source. No Minister was ever the
subject of so many caricatures, or of so much
virulent abuse from the Opposition, as Pitt
even his prediction for bottle of port, which,
after his violent exertions in debate, was prob.
ably necessary to his existence, was imputed to
him as an excess. One of the best of these,
called Uncorking Old Sherry (alluding to
the debate on the Regency bill, when some re.
marks reused the ire of Sheridan,) represents
Pitt uncorking bottle, and completely inunda-
ted with the effervescent contents, while the
bloated countensnce and red nose of Sheridan
is apparent in the foam.
TALLEYRAND.
Thursday, 17h.-This day, at four o'clock,
Prince Talleyrand died. 1t would seem that
the priest, who arrived on Tuesday morning,
was sent for privately by Mile Pauline Peri.
CORD, the daughter of Madame de Dino; but
the dying man would have no communication
with him, and refused the consultations of re-
ligion. The priest, therefore, took up his post
in the ante,room, awaiting favorable turn in
his sentiments. Last night, the Due de Polk
and others of his relations represented to the
Prince the scandal which would result to the
family if he persisted in his resolutions, and
that bis corpse would be debarred by the clergy
from Christian funeral. After some considera-
ton, for he enjoyed his senses to the very last,
he refused their overtures for that night, but
fixed the hour of five o'clock this morning for
his compliance with their wishes. The
King and Madame Adelaide paid him visit at
halfpast eight, when he remarked that three
individuals in the room had never been pre-
sented, namely. the two nhpsiciana and the valet