MR. CANNING AND THE PRINCESS OF WALES. | 9 |
Nobility of blood
Is but a glittering and fallacious good;
The nobleman is he whose noble mind
Is filled with inborn worth; unborrow’d from his kind.
|
I had been slightly acquainted with Mr. Canning for some years previous to the date at which
my first volume closed, but various circumstances, deeply gratifying to me, conspired about
this time to advance this condition into an intimacy which has been the delight and pride
of my life. My residence was close at hand, and every Sunday after church I was expected at
Gloucester Lodge. If the weather was fine, we walked for an hour or two in the garden; if
wet, we sat and conversed in the library, of the aspect of which the Vignette (from a
drawing by Mr. Fairholt) is now, perhaps, the only
memorial, as the house has been recently taken down, and the materials sold, to make room
for new buildings on the site and grounds made imperishably classic by the presence of a
Canning, and the resort of the eminent persons who continually
circled round this brilliant centre of attraction:—statesmen, poets, painters,
philosophers, wits; men of all ranks and degrees, who had aught to recommend them to
notice, and were invited to enjoy themselves in the light of his genius and the enchantment
of his conversation.
10 | AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. |
That he penetrated this sentiment I cannot doubt; for I do not remember
that I ever presumed to pay him a compliment, except where my opinions as a public
journalist were stated in defending him from the attacks to which he was so much exposed,
or justifying his policy and acts, which it was my good fortune to be able conscientiously
to do throughout his whole career. Under such circumstances, utter sincerity was a natural
and certain result; and out of this grew our bond of union and friendship. It might be
chance or position which threw me in his way; but, however it happened, he entertained an
idea that it was useful for a politician and a minister to learn as much as he could of the
opinions of various classes of the community upon the measures of Government, and other
subjects of interest to the country; and he was aware that I mixed much in the society of
intelligent men of every description—literary, agricultural, mercantile, professional, busy
and idle.
MR. CANNING AND THE PRINCESS OF WALES. | 11 |
As a slight proof of the nature of our conferences, I may mention that on some occasion (I do not recollect what) I must have stated something unpalatable to Mr. Canning; for a day or two afterwards I met Mr. William Dundas, the member for Edinburgh, who took me to task for my plain-spokenness, after the fashion of Lear with Kent, and told me I had been too blunt. I defended myself on the plea of sincere regard and truth, which I was sure would be better liked than reserve or concealment; and his remark was, “Well, you at any rate use a privilege which I, though so near a relation, would not venture to extend so far, for fear of offence.” It struck me that I must have trespassed, and the matter had been spoken of to Mr. Dundas; which indeed it had been, but, as Mr. Canning was good enough shortly after to tell me, with praise of the spirit which had dictated my conduct in all I ever said or did with him.*
12 | AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. |
At this period the arrangements for Mr.
Canning’s mission to Lisbon, after the approaching prorogation of
Parliament, were entered into, and underwent several modifications, both on family reasons
and political grounds. The delicate health of his son rendered a sojourn in a warm climate
desirable, and the uncertainty of the relations between the Brazils and Portugal caused a
difficulty as to the official character in which the appointment to the Court should be
made out. These points furnished plenty of topics for the Opposition press to inveigh
against the embassy and the ambassador, or plenipotentiary, or whatever the name might be,
and his allowances. The powers of eloquence, withering sarcasm, and hardly more tolerable
ridicule, with which his speeches in the House of Commons abounded, were not easily to be
forgotten or forgiven by those upon whom they were inflicted; and no opportunity was ever
lost of assailing him with bitter hostility. Gross misrepresentations were also employed to
swell the list of his offences; and thus the Lisbon mission served its purpose for a
prolonged series of attacks, which were, indeed, continued till after his return, and the
debate on the subject. Connected with this it will be appropriate to mention here (rather
than a year hence, in the order of time) that, from the wording of the notice, it could not
be foreknown whether the general policy of the measure or the personal conduct of the
individual was to be censured; and it was agreed that, in the former case, Lord Castlereagh, in the latter, Mr.
Canning, was to answer the mover, Mr.
Whitbread. I was asked to hear and make notes of the debate, which I did;
and went home, after it was over, to Old Brompton with Mr. Canning,
who assured me that the votes of Sir James Macintosh
and Mr. (Conversation) Sharpe gave him greater pain
than all the rest of the votes of the minority put together. I never could
MR. CANNING AND THE PRINCESS OF WALES. | 13 |
It will be remembered, that in May 1814, the Princess of Wales was forbidden to present herself at the Queen’s drawing-room, in consequence of an objection
from the Prince Regent, who must of necessity be there,
and refused to meet his wife “for reasons of which he alone could be the
judge.” The Queen was thereupon placed in a dilemma, and obliged to communicate the
unwelcome intelligence to her Royal Highness, who acquiesced in the decision “out of
personal consideration for her Majesty,” but peremptorily insisted on the fact, that
as she had been pronounced innocent on the investigation against her, she would not be
treated as guilty, and demanded of the Queen to state this to the distinguished visitors
who attended. From this public outbreak, the Princess became more than ever a political
engine in the hands of the Opposition to gall and depreciate the Regent. It was endeavoured
to increase her popularity, and in the same degree diminish that of her husband; and the
country was in a favourable condition for the diffusion and adoption of these views. The
question therefore assumed a prominence of State importance, which was but too well
calculated to agitate, and, I may add, demoralise the population, though
14 | AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. |
MR. CANNING AND THE PRINCESS OF WALES. | 15 |
16 | AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. |
There can be no doubt that in this affair Mr. Canning was partly influenced by political considerations, involving the tranquillity of the country, the removal of a serious source of injurious scandal, and the contentment of the reigning sovereign, so long harassed by the conflict; in whose breast, as I shall have occasion to relate in a future page of this Memoir, he implanted a grateful memory which was not impaired by his noble refusal to take any part in the accusations and bill of pains and penalties afterwards brought against the Queen, over whom, as Princess, he had thus thrown the shield of his affectionate sympathy and manly protection.
Preparing for his voyage to Portugal, with the intention of remaining a year in that country, it was a great relief to him when he had so satisfactorily accomplished this object. It seemed as if a weight had been taken off his head and heart; his conversation resumed its usual cheerfulness and vivacity; and the trying scenes of misery and grief were happily banished from Gloucester Lodge.
At this time I had experienced a peculiar trait of Mr. Canning, which it may be amusing to record, and deemed
somewhat characteristic. Near the beginning of our acquaintance, when we met in the Old
Brompton lanes, he used, on giving me his hand, to place in mine only one, or occasionally
two, of his fingers, and this I have reason to know was his general habit with those with
whom he was
MR. CANNING AND THE PRINCESS OF WALES. | 17 |
Although five years in advance, I will conclude this chapter with a personal proof of this great man’s regard for so humble an individual as myself. I had asked him to stand godfather to an infant son of mine (now the bearer of his name, “George Canning,” in Bengal), and was in painful suspense at having no answer, when I received the following letter, which converted my annoying uncertainty into pleasure:—
“I am quite shocked, on looking over your letter of the 31st to see that I omitted, in our conversation yesterday, to advert to its more immediate object.
“The truth is, that I put your letter by, intending to read it over again before I should see you, and that I had unluckily left it among my papers in town, when you called upon you [me] yesterday.
“I hope you have understood silence to mean consent, so far as my consent was necessary; and that you will have the goodness to signify so much to me, and to accept my best wishes on behalf of my young godson.
18 | AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. |
“I again beg you to believe that I am most truly sorry for my inadvertence, and that I am, dear Sir,
As a farther proof of the fine feeling and goodness of the writer of this gratifying letter, I have to add, that he went to Kensington Church himself, in order to authorise the baptismal name to be properly registered in the parochial book.
* It is sometimes difficult, in cases of baptismal mistake, to induce straightlaced clergymen to correct the errors. Thus I heard, whilst writing this chapter, an anecdote of a baby whose parents were desirous that he should hear the name of their friend, Mr. Peto. But the minister did not hear it distinctly, and christened the child Peter; nor could all the persuasions afterwards urged in the vestry, when filling in the register, induce him to alter the fiat. Peter he had baptised him, Peter he was, Peter he must remain, and Peter he is to this day. |
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