The sun., 1903-12-27

British war vessel, hoped to be taken TO
England, where he counted upon securing
the good will Of the Whig party. Ihat
the expectation was we'll founded may be
inferred from what Mr.. Creevey says
about the feeling with which the wing
leaders regarded the ex-Emperor OF the
French. In letter to Mrs Creevey on
June IA, 1914, we read. 'The Emperor
OF Russia sent for Lord Grey, Lord Gren-
vile, Lord Holland, Lord Lansdowne ana
Lord Erskine, and had long conversations
with all OF them. Lord Grey represents
him as having very good opinions upon an
subjects, but quite royal in having AL the
talk to himself, and OF vulgar mahne'e,
He says the Emperor was much indepteo
to his sister, the Duchess OF oldenDure'
for keeping him in the course by her Jua'-
cious interposition and observations. All
truth, he thinks him a vain, silly felio~'
and this opinion Is much confirmed pv
what the Austrian who Is In London now
and who went with Buonaparte 10 hipa' )
states to be Buonaparte's opinion, as ne
the Aust RAM heard him deliver IT, IL
seems there is no subject more dealt IN by
Buonaparte than criticism upon people,
He said to this Austrian: Now. I'll tell
you the difference between the Emperor
OF Russia and the King Of Prussia. Ihe
Emperor thinks himself very clever
fellow, and he is damned fool: whereas
the King Of Prussia thinks meanly OF MS
own talents and he is very sensible man
Mr.. Creeyey goes on to cay that 0Grey'
Holland. DC, DC, agree in their opinion
Of Buonaparte. so that Buonaparte seems
the most popular person possible with all
parties. both foreigners and our own
grnrdees."
Even after Bonaparte returned from
Elba. many influential Englishmen were op-
posed to joining a coalition against him.
Thus. on April 8, 1915, the Hon. II. q, Bennett
writes to MIR Creevey, who was at Brns-
sells. that Lord Grey was anxious for peace,
and had prevailed on Lord Grenville to
declare that his opinions were not made
up, and that he should await further in
formation. $50 much is gaiped by Grey's
firmness, who is behaving very we'll
Lord Spencer, the Carringtons,
dc.. are for peace, and, what is more anus
ing still, Yarmouth, who breaches peace
at the corners Of all the streets, and is at open
war with Papa and Mama Lord and Lady
Hertfordl upon that subject. Prinney
lthe Prince Regent. Of course, is for war:
as for the Cabinet. Liverpool and Lord Sid
mouth are for peace; they say the Cham
cellor lord Eldonl is not violent the other
way; but Bathurst. Castlereagh. DC, DC.
are red hot. and II our allies will concur.
and the plans do not demand too much
money, war we shall have. Sam Whit
bread is all for Boney, and the Slave Trade
decree has done something. Most
brilliant Court at the Tuileries, and the
French say II Emperor est la bonfe meme
they would say the same Of the devil; but.
If was Frenohman, should be all for
Napoleon"
VI.
Mr.. Geevey, who, on account OF his wife's
i'll health, found himself constrained to re-
main at Brussels, was an eyewitness OF
the Belgian campaign that ended at Water
loo. In his journal, there is the following
entry penned at half-past on the morn
ing OF Friday, June 10; "The girls just
returned from ball at the Duke of Rich
mond's A battle has taken place to-day
between Buonaparte and the Prussians:
TO what extent Is not known; the result is
known, however, to be in favor OF the
French. Our troops are all moving from
this place at present. Lord Wellington
was at the ball tonight. as composed as
ever"
A number of incidents contained in Mr.
Creevey's letters and journals Of this period
were afterward thrown by him into
consecutive form. He says that son Satur-
day. June II, I remember feeling free from
much alarm, reasoned with myself that,
as our troops had kept their ground under
all the unequal circumstances of the day
before lat Quatre Brasl surely when all the
guards and other troops had arrived. with
all the cavalry. artillery &c, they would
he too st rong for the French to venture to
att ack again So we went on flatt ering our
selves during the day. especially as we
heard no firing About O'Clock. however.
the Marquis Juarenas. who l always found
knew more than anybody else, met me in
the st rect and said; Your army is in retreat
on Brussels, and the French in pursuit,
He quite satisfied me that he knew the
facts, and not long after the baggage OF
the army came down the Rue De Namur,
filling up my street. and horses were
picke.e.l all round the park, At night,
Hamilton Ian aitle-tle-camp of Welington's
who had married one of Mr.. Creevey's step
daughters came in to us again and we learnt
from him that Buo'apare had beaten
Butcher 40 completely tho night before that
all communica' ion between the latter and
Wellington had been cut of. and that under
such circrlns. ances Wellington had been
Obliged to fall back and take up another
position"
As late at II O'Clock on the night Of June
1s the English sojourners in Brussels were
convinced that Wellington had lost the
battle at Waterloo. Not until 9 o'clock on
the morning of June 10 did Mr.. Creevey
learn that in the end the French had been
defeated and had fed in great confusion.
About II o'clock on the morning OF June
10 he heard that the Duke was in Brussels.
and. going to hs house, saw him upstairs
at a window. The Duke beckoned to Mr..
Creevey to come up II may seem inn
probable that the Duke should have made
himself so accessible to civilian on
such a momentous morning, but there
is ample confirmation of Mr.. Creevey's
narrative from the Dukes own lips. In
1899 he described the incident to Lady
Salisbury, who noted it in her journal. Mr..
Creevey records that Wellington made
a variety Of observations in his short,
natural, blunt way, but with the greatest
gravity all the time. and without the least
approach to anything like triumph or joy.
III has been a damned serious business