New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-06
MEMORIES OF A DIPLOMAT.
AN ENGLISHMAN AT FORElGH 'OtK io'

AN ENGLISUMAN AT FOREIGN COURTS.
TIE DIPLOMATIC REMlNlsC ESCEg OF l., hV ~ y
AUGUSTUS LOFTS, G {. b.. 1877 lso2 IN wv wv
volumes. evo. With portrait. Ncw-fork: C~''eh
Publishing Company
The feeling with which the reader Will conclude
the perisal OF the two volumes OF "reminiscences
Of Lord Augustus Lotus will be one OF disap-
pontment II is well nigh inconccivable that a
man who for more than half century has rep
resented Queen Victoria in various parts Of the
world and who hes mingled u footing OF more
or less social equality with all the greatest states
men and creators Of history during tho last five
OF six decades. should have very little that il
either new or interesting 10 tell The present
serics of his "reminiscences. which extend over "A
period from 1887 10 1862, consist OF little else
than che repub lication Of number OF the dis
patches which he exchanged In his official capacity
with the London Foreign Office, documents which
have already seen the light of day In the Para-
mcntary blue books, and which, while possibly
of interest 10 the student. are scarcely Ike 10
prove so 10 the ordinary reader Here and there,
these official reports Interpreted with the ac-
count Of a dinner gwen by Lord Augustus the
relation Of some xell-worn anccdotc which has
already been seen in Print elsewhere, or with the
description Of some incident. th" circumstances
OF which are familiar 20 every one. The entire
work may indeed bc described as species Of
rechsufe the only piqnancy Of which Is 10 he
found in Lord Augustuss profound conviction.
apps rent every page OF his book that he has
been ono Of the chief factors In the political lis-
tory OF Europe during IN" past fifty years. Lord
Aug stus has always eaIoycl the T reputation, both
at home and abroad. o. being little else than a
respectable mcdiocrity, who was indebted for the
raDidifV his Ia fhs that "A ia
members Of his family, notably his sisrcr-in-law.
the late Marchionese Ely, were always in partc-
ulafly high favor at Court. Lady Ely, ind.el,
was for many years tho conlidant and most trusted
lady in waiting Of the Queen.
Like most men of his mental cnlibrr, Lord
Augustus Is firmly imbucd with the idea that his
talents both as statesman and a diplomatist
are Of the mort superior AMI exceptional character
and the only subject which he seems = possess
any modosty is his authorship. This may be-
gathered from the fact that he closes his second
volume with II plea foi lenicnt Judgment for his
first literary effort His aim has been only 10 give
"A faithful historical account Of events which
have come under my personal notice ard in some
of which have been actor
Although the first appointment OF Lord Augustus
in the diplomatic service WIS signed by 3uecn
Victoria the very day of her accession 20 IN,
throne, yet he indebted for his nomination
10 King William ", 70 whom he had been nrc.
sented a couple of years previously AT Brighton
Having been included in the Royal dinner party
together with his parents, The X ne asked h m what
profession he was destined for Lord Augustus
reTlied, that h. hoped TO serve Ills Majesty in
the diplomatic SERVICE 10 which the King re-
Piled, good-naturelly, land you shall, my boy.
and ! will look after you"
His first appointment was 10 Paris, where he
was presented TO old Prince TaIlcyrand. n, his
house in the Rue ~. Florcntin, overlooking the
Iuileries Gardens, and which i. now inhabited by
Baron Alphonse Rothschild The Prince oxprc.ecd
the hope that Lord Augustus was amusing him
self, adding, with touch Of regr,t. "D'ailIcur.
vous etcs n lagc on ron -amusc facement"
1t was Singular" adds Lo.d Amu,gus "to %.
this venerable old man. with his -ivrry locks fU
ing on Ms shoudrr, Win sin keen and piercing
by those entering the Joyous stage of lIf, ,,'',''
WILL the bloom ana nd 6rshncss Of youth lis oo9nte
he had shown on ali occasions. even durlnS iJ, mo-,
nno ana smxioIs pr%s through which lie Ind
have been told by an eyewitness that on h death
mlnd' ''c"'S vi
Lord Augustus likewise relates bov,,,, ,.,.
present at q dinner party given At the ,r,uor;a"
where he confesses himself 10 have hoe, .,,,oa,I.
struck by seeing boiled goose beng nl,coJ
before king Louis Philippe which His N,,cs,.
carved most dextrously" From Pnr,. bo ,,ns
transferred TO Bern; where King FredcricL yyiII-
lam III, the father Of old Emperor William stiIt
held sway. Lord Augustus portrays this Kim -,
Just, merciful aud benevolent sovcrcign ho
was often humorous in doing kind actr Az an
illustration thereof Lord Augustus relates .,ory
Of lackey who, having been di,cov.rcd ,,,n,
the annual dejeuncr dansante TO the dinlom,tic
corps, TO have partaken Of a certoin red vino h,
the stains on his white livery had been .un,m,riI,
dismissed.
He placed himself In the Kings vay md foil m
his knees. asking forgiveness. The King erntei him
Ms pardon. adding, "Dummcr Kerr. .warim hast din
You not drink white wlnc'7 '"' why u'o
Berlin must have been dull nlace n Ill.,.
days from the picture which Lord Augustus draws
Of It. The society did not exceed three bundred
in number The King, and conservative also tho
beau monde, dned AT O'Clock and s,Ip,~, n, Q
and once year the King gave a matinee dance
TO the corps diplomatic, an entertainment which
commenced ut o O'Clock in the morning and vouoI
up with banquet At p. III.
According to Lord Augustus, the late Fmneror
Frederick was partly responsible for the dc,tl ~
his grandfather, King Frederick William ILL., For
sitting on the old gentlcman's knee. ON tho first
Of January, 1910, the ten-year old Prince OK
claimed, What a pity il If, dear grandpaoa. that
you must die this year," This childish remark.
which Is said TO have had fatal effect On the
Kings mind, bore reference to a prediction made