A Memoir of the Reverend Sydney Smith
Letters 1820
Sydney Smith to Lord Grey, 15 April 1820
Saville-row, April 15th,
1820.
Dear Lord Grey,
People—that is, Whig people—are very much out of humour
about Lord Morpeth. Lord
Morpeth bears it magnanimously; and, I really believe, is glad
he has left Parliament, though he does not like the mode. Lord Holland is very well; Lady Holland I have
not yet seen. I have seen Lady Grey, the
General, and Mrs. Grey. Brougham attends frequently at the Treasury, upon the Queen’s business.
The King sits all day
long with Lady C——., sketching processions
and looking at jewels; in the meantime, she tells everywhere all that he tells
to her. It is expected Burdett will have
two years, for which I am heartily sorry. Hunt, I hope, will have six, if it is possible to inflict so
many; not so much for his political crimes, but for himself; he is such a
thorough ruffian. But he acquitted himself with great ability on his trial.
A narrative is handed about here, written upon the spot by Stanley, a clergyman, brother to Sir John,—![]()
| 196 | MEMOIR OF THE REV. SYDNEY SMITH. | |
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a very sensible,
reasonable man. Read it before your first speech.
Walter Scott’s novel is generally thought to be a failure;
its only defenders I have heard of are Lord
Grenville and Sir William
Grant. Furniture Hope has
published a novel;
Malthus, a new book of Political Economy. I was glad
to see the health of Lord John so firmly
established; he is improved in every respect. People are red-hot again about
the Manchester business, but the leading topic is Scotch and Yorkshire riots. I
am truly sorry you do not come up, but I am not quite sure yet that you
won’t be provoked to come. Can I do anything for you in town? If any of
the Ladies Grey want anything in the dress line, I will execute it better than
Lord Lauderdale himself. Ever most
sincerely yours,
Henry Peter Brougham, first baron Brougham and Vaux (1778-1868)
Educated at Edinburgh University, he was a founder of the
Edinburgh
Review in which he chastised Byron's
Hours of Idleness; he
defended Queen Caroline in her trial for adultery (1820), established the London University
(1828), and was appointed lord chancellor (1830).
Sir Francis Burdett, fifth baronet (1770-1844)
Whig MP for Westminster (1807-1837) who was imprisoned on political charges in 1810 and
again in 1820; in the 1830s he voted with the Conservatives.
Queen Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1768-1821)
Married the Prince of Wales in 1795 and separated in 1796; her husband instituted
unsuccessful divorce proceedings in 1820 when she refused to surrender her rights as
queen.
Henry Richard Fox, third baron Holland (1773-1840)
Whig politician and literary patron; Holland House was for many years the meeting place
for reform-minded politicians and writers. He also published translations from the Spanish
and Italian;
Memoirs of the Whig Party was published in 1852.
Sir William Grant (1752-1832)
After education at King's College, Aberdeen and military service in Canada he was a Tory
MP (1790-1812) and master of the Rolls (1801-17).
William Wyndham Grenville, baron Grenville (1759-1834)
Educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, he was a moderate Whig MP, foreign secretary
(1791-1801), and leader and first lord of the treasury in the “All the Talents” ministry
(1806-1807). He was chancellor of Oxford University (1810).
Charlotte Grey [née Des Voeux] (1789 c.-1882)
The daughter of Sir Charles Philip Vinchon Des Voeux, first baronet; in 1812 she married
General Sir Henry George Grey, son of General Charles Grey, first Earl Grey.
Sir Henry George Grey (1766-1845)
The second son of the first Earl Grey; he was a military officer who served in the West
Indies and was commander at the Cape of Good Hope, 1806-11.
Thomas Hope (1769-1831)
Art collector and connoisseur, the son of a wealthy Amsterdam merchant and author of the
novel
Anastasius (1819) which some thought to be a work by Byron.
His literary executor was William Harness.
George Howard, sixth earl of Carlisle (1773-1848)
Son of the fifth earl (d. 1825); he was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, wrote
for the
Anti-Jacobin, and was MP for Morpeth (1795-1806) and
Cumberland (1806-28).
Henry Hunt [Orator Hunt] (1773-1835)
Political radical and popular agitator who took part in the Spa Fields meeting of 1816;
he was MP for Preston (1830-33).
James Maitland, eighth earl of Lauderdale (1759-1839)
Scottish peer allied with Charles James Fox; he was author of
An
Inquiry into the Nature and Origin of Public Wealth, and into the Means and causes of
its Increase (1804) and other works on political economy.
Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834)
English political economist educated at Jesus College, Cambridge; he was author of
An Essay on the Principles of Population (1798; 1803).
John Russell, first earl Russell (1792-1878)
English statesman, son of John Russell sixth duke of Bedford (1766-1839); he was author
of
Essay on the English Constitution (1821) and
Memoirs of the Affairs of Europe (1824) and was Prime Minister (1865-66).
Edward Stanley, bishop of Norwich (1779-1849)
Son of Sir John Thomas Stanley, sixth baronet; educated at St John's College, Cambridge,
he published on ornithology before become bishop of Norwich in 1839.
