‘My dear Sir,—So long a time has elapsed since we
parted, that I am almost afraid to write you, though the object of my letter is
a tardy but sincere expression of the grateful recollection of all your
kindnesses when in London. I did write to you with the same in tent from
Florence early in 1829, but some circumstances have led me to infer that by an
oversight the letter was never
| JAMES FENIMORE COOPER | 13 |
‘From London, as you may remember, possibly, we went to Holland, and, after a short delay in Paris, to Switzerland, where we passed the summer. In the autumn we crossed the Alps. Our stay in Italy extended to near two years, and we left it by the Tyrol for Germany. After the late revolution we came back here for the purpose of giving our girls, of whom there are four, the advantages of the masters. I regret to say that my nephew, whom you may remember, a tall stripling, and who grew into a handsome man, died of consumption in September last. Little Paul often speaks of the Pare St. Jacques, and Monsieur Rogers, and of an old woman who sold fresh milk in your neighbourhood. I do not know that you ought to be much flattered by the association, but you will at least admit that it is natural.
‘I continue, as George
III. said to Johnson, to
“scribble, scribble, scribble,” though with something less of
advantage to mankind than was the case with the great moralist. In one sense,
however, I am quite his equal, for I do as well as I can. Since I saw you I
have published three tales, and am now hard at work at a fourth. The last was on a subject connected
with Italy,
| 14 | ROGERS AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES |
‘I heard through Mr.
Wilkes that the picture which I wished you to accept as a feeble
testimony of my recollection of your kindness was sent, and I hope it was not a
bad specimen of the artist’s talent, which I take to be of a very high
order. I hear he is doing wonders, and that he is attracting notice in Italy.
He is studying the figure, they tell me, with signal success. I picked up a
little picture the other day in the open streets that is generally much
esteemed. It is a female portrait of the time of Louis
XIV., of the Flemish school, we think, and certainly an original
from the hand of some eminent painter. I do not remember a dozen better
portraits, though it is something the worse for exposure and time.
| JAMES FENIMORE COOPER | 15 |
‘Wonderful changes have occurred since I had the
pleasure of seeing you, but I think greater still are in store. Is not the
tendency of the present spirit obvious? and ought not your aristocracy to throw
themselves into the stream and go with the current, rather than hope to stem a
torrent that in its nature is irresistible? If your system of Government has
had its advantages in its pliable character (and it certainly has avoided many
great dangers by quietly assuming new shades of policy), it has also one great
and menacing disadvantage, that I do not see how it can resist. The
contradiction between theory and practice has left your controlling power
exposed to the unwearied and all-powerful attacks of the press, for though
treason can [not] be written against the king the aristocracy has no such
protection. The idea of defending any limited body by the press against the
assaults of the press seems a desperate experiment, for, right or wrong, there
is but one means of keeping physical force and political power asunder, and
that is the remedy of ignorance. To me at this distance it seems an inevitable
consequence of your actual social condition that both
| 16 | ROGERS AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES |
‘It is curious to note the effect of the present
condition of England. When the prerogative was in the ascendant, Charles made six Dukes of his illegitimate sons
(Monmouth included), and George IV. scarce dared his progeny. Even the
first of the Hanoverian princes presumed
to make a Duchess of his mistress,
| FRENCH POLITICS IN 1831 | 17 |
‘Here we have just got out of the provisoire. The furor of moderation is likely
enough, I think, to put us all back again. There is an unfortunate and material
distinction between the interests of those who rule and those who are ruled to
come in aid of the floundering measures of the ministry. The intentions of the
“juste milieu”
are obviously to make the revolution a mere change of dynasties, while the
people have believed in a change of principles. Could the different sections of
the Opposition unite, the present state of things would not endure a month.
Neither the National Guard nor the Army is any security against a great
movement, for they are more likely to go against the Government than with it.
There have been some very serious steps taken in the courts here of late which
look grave. The judges have exercised a right of sentencing prisoners that a
jury had acquitted. There is probably some show of law for the measure, but it
is a very grave and hazardous course. On the whole, I am of opinion that
King Louis Philippe’s
| 18 | ROGERS AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES |
‘But I am boring you with politics, when apology for writing at all is the most material matter. Mrs. Cooper desires to be remembered to Miss Rogers and yourself, and I beg also to be mentioned to your sister. I should like exceedingly, did you not think it encroaching on your good nature, to be mentioned to Dr. and Mrs. Somerville.
‘I can tell you nothing of Parisian society, not having dined or passed an evening out of my own house in five months. Nobody comes to see me, and I go to see nobody, or next to nobody. I have a pleasant and happy fireside of my own, and am quite content. I should be very glad to see you among us. There was a report some time since that you were about to visit Paris, and I had hopes of meeting you here. Perhaps you did come, and I was ignorant of your presence, for I am so much out of the world that it might very well happen. Should you not have been, and should you in truth come, I trust you will take the trouble to send a card with your address to me, and I add my street and number not to miss the occasion of seeing you.
