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A Memoir of the Reverend Sydney Smith
Letters 1820
Sydney Smith to Lord Grey, 10 May 1820
INTRODUCTION & INDEXES
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
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Author's Preface
Contents
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Index
Editor’s Preface
Letters 1801
Letters 1802
Letters 1803
Letters 1804
Letters 1805
Letters 1806
Letters 1807
Letters 1808
Letters 1809
Letters 1810
Letters 1811
Letters 1812
Letters 1813
Letters 1814
Letters 1815
Letters 1816
Letters 1817
Letters 1818
Letters 1819
Letters 1820
Letters 1821
Letters 1822
Letters 1823
Letters 1824
Letters 1825
Letters 1826
Letters 1827
Letters 1828
Letters 1829
Letters 1830
Letters 1831
Letters 1832
Letters 1833
Letters 1834
Letters 1835
Letters 1836
Letters 1837
Letters 1838
Letters 1839
Letters 1840
Letters 1841
Letters 1842
Letters 1843
Letters 1844
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May 10th, 1820.
My dear Lord Grey,

I will try to get you a copy of Stanley’s Narrative, which is printed, not published. I have seen your two daughters at Lady Lansdowne’s, and at Lady Derby’s; they both look well, and the gowns look more like French gowns than other people’s gowns do. I am quite out of patience with Lady ——: her fate will be to marry on the Bath road or the Norfolk road; any other such offer on the North road can hardly be expected to occur. I think you might have talked it over with her, and good-naturedly attacked the romantic. The young man was introduced to me, or
MEMOIR OF THE REV. SYDNEY SMITH.197
rather I to him, at Lord Jersey’s,—a very decent, creditable-looking young gentleman, and a good judge of sermons. He paid me many compliments upon mine, delivered last Sunday, against bad husbands, so that it is clear he intended to have made a very good one.

The B—— of —— is turned out to be baited next Friday upon the —— case, which appears to be one of great atrocity and persecution. It will end with their rejecting his petition, upon the principle of his having had his remedy in a court of law, of which he has neglected to avail himself; but the real good will be done by the publicity.

The picture of Our Saviour going into Jerusalem, by Haydon, is very bad; the general Exhibition good, as I hear. I have seen West’s pictures:—Death on the White Horse—Jesus Rejected; I am sorry to say I admire them both. A new poem, by Milman, author of ‘Fazio,’ called ‘Jerusalem,’ or ‘The Fall of Jerusalem,’ very much admired, as I hear. Dudley Ward a good deal improved,—I believe, principally by Ellis’s imitation of him, of which he is aware. The Whig Queen revives slowly; the seditious infant not yet christened. Lady Jersey as beautiful and as kind and agreeable as ever. Long live Queen Sarah!

Bayley told Tierney, Hunt would have been acquitted if he had called no witnesses. Tierney well, but very old, and unfit for anything but gentle work. I am going to dine with the Granvilles, to meet the Hollands. Lady Granville is nervous, on account of her room being lined with Spitalfields silk, which always makes Lady Holland ill; means to pass it off as foreign and smuggled, but has little chance of success. Creevy thinks the Session opens in a very mealy-mouthed
198MEMOIR OF THE REV. SYDNEY SMITH.
manner. I like your nephew Whitbread, the member, very much.

Lady Grey knows my regard and respect, and that I always send her such courtesy and kindness as I am capable of, whether I write it or not.

Sydney Smith.