Before and after Waterloo Part 5

_June 18, 1814._

On returning from Miss Fanshawe's we saw a royal carriage in George Street at Madame Moreau's, and we waited to see the Emperor and the d.u.c.h.ess (of Oldenburg) get into the carriage. He was in a plain blue coat; she without her curious bonnet, so that I had a good view of her face, which I had the satisfaction of finding exactly what I wished to see. The extreme simplicity of her dress--she had nothing but a plain white gown and plain straw hat, with no ornament of any sort--and her very youthful appearance made me doubt whether it was really the d.u.c.h.ess; but it was.

She is very little, and there is a strong expression of intelligence, vivacity, and youthful, unsophisticated animation in her countenance. I fancied I could see so much of her character in the brisk step with which she jumped into the carriage, and the una.s.suming, lively smile with which she bowed to the people.

The Emperor looks like a gentleman--but a country gentleman, not like an Emperor. His head is very like R. Heber's. The d.u.c.h.ess allowed herself to be pleased and to express her pleasure at all the sights without the least restraint. She asks few questions, but those very pertinent. She is impatient at being detained long over anything, but anxious to silence those who would hence infer that she runs over everything superficially, without gaining or retaining real knowledge.

At Woolwich she was asked if she would see the steam-engines. "No, she had seen them already, and understood them perfectly." As they pa.s.sed the open door she turned her head to look at the machinery, and instantly exclaimed, "Oh, that is one of Maudesley's engines," her eye immediately catching the peculiarity of the construction.

LONDON, _June 22, 1814_.

In the middle of Edward's sermon at St. George's to-day somebody in our pew whispered it round that there was the King of Prussia[35] in the Gallery. I looked as directed, and fixed my eyes on a melancholy, pensive, interesting face, exactly answering the descriptions of the King, and immediately fell into a train of very satisfactory reflection and conjecture on the expression of his physiognomy, for which twenty minutes afforded me ample time. The King was the only one I had not seen, therefore this opportunity of studying his face so completely was particularly valuable. When the prayer after the sermon was concluded, my informer said the King was gone, when, to my utter disappointment, I beheld my Hero still standing in the Gallery, and discovered I had pitched upon a wrong person, and wasted all my observations on a face that it did not really signify whether it looked merry or sad, and entirely missed the sight of the real King, who was in the next pew.

Nothing but his sending to offer Edward a Chaplaincy in Berlin for his excellent sermon can possibly console me, except, indeed, the _honour by itself_ of having preached before a King of Prussia, which can never happen again in his life.

...The d.u.c.h.ess of Oldenburg took all the merchants by surprise the other day. They had no idea she was coming to their dinner; she was the only lady, and she was rather a nuisance to them, as they had provided a hundred musicians, who could not perform, as she cannot bear music.[36]

She was highly amused at the scene and with their "Hip! Hip!"

MONDAY, _June 23, 1814_.

At our dinner Mr. Tennant came in late, with many apologies, but really he had been hunting the Emperor--waiting for him two hours at one place and two hours at another, and came away at last without seeing him at all.

He said, in his dry way, that "Have you seen the Emperor?" has entirely superseded the use of "How do you do?"

In the morning he had gone into a shop to buy some gloves, and whilst he was trying them on the shopman suddenly exclaimed, "Blucher! Blucher!"

cleared the counter at a leap, followed by all the apprentices, and Mr.

Tennant remained soberly amongst the gloves to make his own selection, for he saw nothing more of his dealers.

Rooms are letting to-day in the City at 60 guineas a room, or a guinea a seat for the procession. Tickets for places to see it from White's to be had at Hookham's for 80 guineas; 50 have been refused.

Your letter revived me after five hours' walking and standing, and running after reviews, &c.

I did see the King of Prussia, to be sure, and the Prince, and the people climbing up the trees like the grubs on the gooseberry bushes, and heard the _feu de joie_, whose crescendo and diminuendo was very fine indeed, but altogether it was not worth the trouble of being tired and squeezed for.

At the reception at Sir Joseph Banks's house last night the most interesting object of the evening was a sword come down from heaven on purpose for the Emperor! Let the Prince Regent and his garters and his orders, and the merchants and the aldermen and everybody hide their diminished heads! What are they and their gifts to the Philosophers'?

This is literally a sword made by Sowerby from the iron from some meteoric stones lately fallen--of course in honour of the Emperor. There is an inscription on it something to this effect, but not so neat as the subject demanded, and it is to be presented to Alexander--who does not deserve it, by the by, for having entirely neglected Sir Joseph amongst all the great sights and great men, which has rather mortified the poor old man.

LONDON, _Monday night_.

They are off, and in spite of all my friends' predictions to the contrary, I am here.

Edward went this morning to Portsmouth on his way to Havre, but the Havre packet is employed in pleasuring people up and down to see the s.h.i.+ps. Not a bed is to be had in the place, so he has secured his berth in the packet, if he can find her, and get on board at night after her morning's excursions.

Standing room is to be had in the streets for three s.h.i.+llings; seats are putting up in and for two miles out of the town; all the laurels cut down to stick upon poles; in short, everybody is madder there than in London.

Can the English ever be called cool and phlegmatic again? It is really a pity some metaphysicianising philosopher is not here to observe, describe, and theorise on the extraordinary symptoms and effects of enthusiasm, curiosity, insanity--I am sure I do not know what to call it--en ma.s.se.

One should have supposed that the great objects would have swallowed up the little ones. No such thing! they have only made the appet.i.te for them more ravenous.

The mob got hold of Lord Hill[37] in the Park at the review, and did literally pull his coat and his belt to pieces. He s.n.a.t.c.hed off his Order of the Bath, and gave it to Major Churchill, who put it in the holster of his saddle, where he preserved it from the mob only by drawing his sword and declaring he would cut any man's hand off who touched it. Some kissed his sword, his boots, his spurs, or anything they could touch; they pulled hair out of his horse's tail, and one butcher's boy who arrived at the happiness of shaking his hand, they chaired, exclaiming, "This is the man who has shaken hands with Lord Hill!" At last they tore his sword off by breaking the belt and then handed it round from one to another to be kissed.

My regret at not having been at White's is stronger than my desire to go was; it must have been the most splendid and interesting sight one could ever hope to see.

On Friday, June 27th, Edward Stanley and Edward Leycester finally set off and sailed from Portsmouth, all gay with festivities in honour of the Allied Sovereigns.

Mrs. Stanley was left to spend the time of their absence at her father's house in Ches.h.i.+re, but the keen interest with which she would have shared the journey was not forgotten by her husband.

The events of the tour were minutely chronicled in his letters to her, and not only in letters, but in sketch books, filled to overflowing with every strange group and figure which met the travellers on their way, through countries which had been, although so near, prohibited for such a long time that they had almost the interest of unknown lands.

_Mrs. E. Stanley to Lady Maria Stanley._

STOKE, _July 4, 1814_.

...That my curiosity may not catch cold in the too sudden transition from exercise to inaction, the Shrops.h.i.+re and Ches.h.i.+re Heroes have followed me down here, and I have had the pleasure of seeing and hearing of the crowds going to touch (for that is the present fas.h.i.+on of seeing, or, to speak philosophically, _mode_ of _perception_) Lord Hill; and yesterday I met Lord Combermere and his Bride at Alderley, and a worthy Hero he is for Ches.h.i.+re!

A folio from Havre just arrived. I am very n.o.ble, very virtuous, and very disinterested--pray a.s.sure me so, for nothing else can console me--it is too entertaining to send one extract.

CHAPTER III

UNDER THE BOURBON FLAG

French prisoners--Oldenburg bonnets--"Fugio ut Fulgor"--Soldiers of the Empire--Paris--A French hotel--A walk through Paris--Portrait of Madame de Stael--An English amba.s.sador--The Louvre--French tragedy--The heights of Montmartre--Cossacks in the Champs Elysees--900 for subst.i.tute--Napoleon's legacies to his successor--A dinner at the English Emba.s.sy--Botany and mineralogy--Party at Madame de Staels--A debate in the Corps Legislatif--Malmaison--Elbowing the marshals--St Cloud and Trianon--The Catacombs.

_Edward Stanley to his Wife._

LETTER I.

HAVRE, _June 26, 1814_.

We have pa.s.sed the Rubicon--nous voila en France, all new, interesting, and delightful. I know not where or how to begin--the observations of an hour were I to paint in Miniature would fill my sheet; however, you must not expect arrangement but read a sort of higgledy-piggledy journal as things run through my head. I must pin them down like my b.u.t.terflies as they pa.s.s, or they will be gone for ever.

At half-past four on Friday we sailed from Portsmouth, and saw the fleet in the highest beauty--amongst them all while they were under sail tacking, &c.; the delay has not been lost time. I should observe before I quit the subject of Portsmouth events, that the Emperor could not find time to sail about for mere amus.e.m.e.nt two days, this he left to the P.

R.[38] He (the Emperor) and the d.u.c.h.ess of Oldenburg occupied themselves in visiting the Dockyards, Machinery, Haslar Hospital--in short, everything worthy the notice of enlightened beings....

Our pa.s.sengers were numerous, about 25 in a vessel of as many tons, with only six what they called regular sleeping-places.... But I had no reason to complain, our party was in many respects excellent--one, a jewel of no ordinary value, by name Mr. John Cross, of whom I must enquire more. I have seldom met with a man of more general and at the same time deep information; he seemed perfect in everything. Mineralogy, Antiquities, Chemistry, literature, human nature were at his fingers'

ends, and most gentlemanly manners into the bargain....