The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-07
STORIES OF GREAT PEOPLE.
Anecdotes and Incidents Concerning Some of
the Worlds Famous People.
''Y You're too old. I want IT,"

STORIES OF GREAT PEOPLE.
Anecdotes and Incidents Concerning Some of
the Worlds Famous People.
Extracts from an Article in the London Standard.
The Correspondence and Diaries" of Mr..
Croker (Iohn Wilson Croker, editor of Boswells
johnson" y amply justify the antcipations which
have been formed respecting them. In a series
of letters to his wife Croker describes his expe-
riences in Paris after Waterloo Dining at
Lord Castlereagh's, he met Fouche and Talley-
rand, of whom he gives the following description:
''fhe wonder was to find ourselves at table with
Fouche, who, to be sure, looks very like what
one would naturally suppose him to be-a sly
old rogue; but l think he seems to feel passion
of which | did not expect to find him capable;
mean shame, for he looks conscious and en-
barrassed. He is a man about five feet seven
inches high, very thin, with gray head, cropped
and powdered, and a very acute expression of
countenance Taileyrand, on the other hand, is
fattish for a Frenchman his ankles are weak
and his feet deformed and he totters about in q
strange way His face is not at all expressive,
except it be of kind of drunken stupor; in fact,
he looks altogether like an old fuddled, lame,
village schoolmaster, and his voice is deep and
hoarse. should suspect that at the Congress
his most natural employment would be keeping
the unruly boys in order"
Mr.. Croker has a good deal to say about the
Prince Regent and the royal personages and ia
vorites of the period. In some instances the
Greville memoirs have forestalled a portion of
journal describes society at the Brighton Pavil-
ion in 1878 Zone reason why Mrs. Fitzherbert
may like this place is that she is treated as
Qaeen-at least at Brighton. They don't quite
highness her in her domestic circle, but they
madame her prodigiouSly and stand up longer
for her arrival than for ordinary folks, and, in
short, go as near to acknowledging her for
princess as they can without actually giving her
the title. When she dimes out she expects to be
led out to dinner before princesSes-mig
foolish all this"
Mr.. Croker was an assiduous collector of jokes
and rare stories. Here are two specimens of his
collection about this period: "There have been
disputes pending between Baden and Bavaria
these two years, which, contemplate they
were compared with the great European system,
were yet so serious as to threaten that part of
Germany with war. Some lamentng
the likelihood Of hostilities in presence of NJ de
| Talleyrand Rassurez vous mon ami, said the
prince, 'toutes ces discussions ne sont que ba-
dinage ct bavardage.'
Lady Warrender told me one day that her
alliance with Sir George was a crying proof of
the falsehood of the proverb that marriages
were made in heaven l ventured, as she had
taken a laughing tone about it. to say that, on
the contrary, thought it strong proof of
providential arrangement, as there would other
wise have been two unhappy couples instead Of
one, She laughed very good humoredly, but l
believe the joke was plain truth"
On another occasion, duringa discussion about
the value of the cuirass, the Duke of Wellington
expressed an opinion adverse TO it. Thereupon
''some one asked whether the French curas-
siers did not CONT up very we'll at Waterloo.
Yes he said, and they went down very well,
too" The following anecdote supplies an
amusing sequel to q well-known story: "Every
one knows the story of gentleman's asking
Lord North who that frightful woman was
and his lordShips answering. That's my wife ,
The other, to repair his blunder said, 4 did not
mean her, but that monster next to her Oh
said Lord North, that monster is my daughter
With this story Frederick Robinson in his usual
absent enthusiastic way, was one day entertain
ing lady whom he sat next to at dinner, and
10! the lady was Lady Charlotte Lindsay-the
monster in question"
Mr.. Croker's conversations with the Duke of
| Wellington occupy a considerable portion of the
diaries. The Duke unbosomed himself with a
| frankness which gives the record of his CONVEX
sations vivid interest. We have only space for
few specimens of what passed at these inter
esting interviews Discussing the merits of diff
| ferent generals, the Duke asserted that Lord
Beresford was the best man we had for the com
| mand of an army Mr. Croker asked if the
Archduke Charles was really good officer, and
the Duke replied: "A great oficcri Why, he
knows more about it than all of us put together
| what than BUonaparte, Moreau, or yourselfi
| AYE! than BuOnaparte or any of us. We are
none of us worthy to fasten the latchet of his
shoes, if l am to judge from his book and his
plans of campaign But his mind, or his health,
has they tell me, very peculiar defect He is
admirable for five or six hours, and whatever
can be done in that time will be done perfectly;
but after that he falls into kind Of epileptic
stupor, does not know what he is about, has
no opinion of his own and does whatever the
man at his elbow tells him."
The Duke spoke freely about Napoleon's abili-
ties The following is a summary Of his views
on the Moscow campaigns "If am to believe
Segur's, and, indeed all the other accounts of the
Russian campaign, Buonaparte committed the
most egregious faults of generalship and con
duct. Time was everything, and [ can show on
paper, out of his own reports and returns, that
he lost seven weeks in point of time in the ad-
vance to Moscow. He made also false move
ment in changing his line upon Mnsk, which
had, inter ALA the disadvantage of bringing him
nearer to the south Russian army, when he
might have attained his object in another way
(which the Duke explained, but which l cannot
pretend to follow without these disadvantages
He lost good deal also by what looks like in
dolence. His personal proceedings previous to
and during the battle of Borodino are inexplica-
bic. His conduct in all these cases is not easily
accounted for. [ believe he was in more awe Of
mis- marshals than was generally supposed-he
acted as if he were not sure of their obedience.