DEATH OF A NOTABLE DIPLOMAT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 94, 20 April 1904, Page 4

DEATH OF A NOTABLE DIPLOMAT.

Lord Augustus Loftus, G.C.8., who died on Monday at the age of 87, was the last survivor of the sons of the second Marquess of Ely, who were known collectively and sportively as "the wicked sons of Ely"— a generalisation, by the way, to which Lord Augustus was an honourable exception. Of Lord Augustus', colonial career it is unnecessary to speak. It was a risky experiment to transfer our Ambassador at St. Petersburg to Government House, Sydney, when he had reached an age at which" it was unfair to expect that he would readily adapt, himself to an entirely novel environment, and the experiment is not likely to be repeated. Few men have had more interesting experiences than Lord Augustus. His memory reached far back into the last century." William IV. once carved him a slice of roast-goose, and told him, "I'll look after you, my boy," and he afterwards did. He was taken over the • Royal Palace of Versailles by the French King in 1837; he was Minis-ter-to Austria early enough to see the rise of constitutional government, and he travelled from St. Petersburg to Berlin Iwhen the journey took seven days. V Some of • Mr. Balfour's whilom con-

fibres will appreciate message which LordAuehA^T^ ol <*• ceived from Lord mKdW^ l * fall of Count Buol £?"* <* U, something amiable from 2 £\* »* his H j turnVL? onl * month I beg you will SS"2N contrary strain, and wish nu.-- tt **• Malmesbury fell next month*t' '/** gustus witnessed the rise of m( J|* -**• many, and was one of thes^T congratulate the present "*■ father on escaping assassination* ; -W" Lord Augustus Itfftug »„*» 'i , sador in Berlin, from '63 to *n I**1 ** always hit it off with timately begged for some members of. our T* looking at the French m Spandau, were set upon bytlevS? , One of them, CfcckereU, Was and blue. "Did they gi v TtWv^u I ** a sound hiding- aske!'«£££*** certainly," replied Holstein. am glad Cockerell got a proper dr«,.T' Z said the chief; "it will dJnmf£» it's a pity thatLoftus £ thrashed, as we should then be him." - * a * The world of fashion little knew «*. debt of gratitude it owed to Lord Ar,*? Jul, M Worth, the great Ssfe deayoured to escape from beleaeiSi Paris in a balloon. His plump into the middle of the m v2E. army's encampment. A solicitous riSJ tive went in tears to Lord Augustus besought him to secure the lease. The Ambassador managed to «nT vince the dressmaker's captors that titoS, prisoner was a quite harmless inoiviS without any malignant design of snvnw upon them—and all was well. : - ™ THE COINER OF THE W.OBR JTNGOj, By the death of Mr G. W. Hunt, th. well-known music-hall song writer \ra lost the man who added the void "Jingo" to the popular and political vocabulary. When the trouble ia Easfr ernEurope had*reached a serious pitek in 1877, Mr Hunt was one day seized with an inspiration to ; write, a topi«l patriotic ballad for the late "Great Mac dermott." Accordingly "Mac" came for. ward, and in characteristic style Bant amidst uproarious cheers, the noirJii2 toric chorus: ~ ..-. *-*£ -» ■-----'' -i-^s«it,a-jiaitigj We don't want to fight, but, by Jinn if we m We've got the ships, we're got the am. we've got the money, too; ■ We've fought the Bear before, and whtia we're Britons true. / *^ The Russians, shall not have Constmi. nople. " lr ,Immediateiy Macdermott found himself famous. "We don't. want 46 spread like wild-fire; "Jingo" became * current term applicable to enthusiastic patriots, and the Jingo and Jingoism have become part" of history. Probably such a stir will never again be created in this country by » song. Yet the song was perilously neat sharing tit fate of Macdermott's domestic rubbua. Hunt sent the gong to the vocalist witk the intimation that he needn't botija to return it if he didn't think; it good enough. Macdermott, after trying the song over once or twice, decided it was no good, and the W.P.B. received it During the day. however, (h* melody; kept running through his head, and on -^a«hij9g be would try it .agaiC" c song had disappeared, and was jbnly iineartb. .Ed, -after Xn hour's- searchers ■ the dust* ; bin."' Finally, = some misgivings, thought' he'd try once ia. public. Band parts were hastily prepared, and the following evening, at the Oxford, the vocalist bellowed out the now familiar lines. The effect was ' electrical. He bad the house on its feet % cheering hoarsely ere he had finished the first verse. • •}■ . Among other well-known songs whidi Mr Hunt wrote was "The : German Band," "Poor Uncle Sain," "Up in a Balloon," "Captain Cuff," "Bffl(r John* son's Ball," and "Old Brown's Danga* tef." Mr Hunt's later years: were spent in -poverty. His health bioka down, and the man- who had induced members to leave their duties in tha House of Commons in order -to hen Macdermott at the Pavilion died an is* mate of the Essex County Asylum. v