THE GREVILLE MEMOIRS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 8123, 21 March 1887, Page 3

THE GREVILLE MEMOIRS.

Two volumes, containing the third and concluding part of the' Greville Memoirs, have just been published by Messrs Longmans. They coverthe period 1852-60, and are perhaps lees amusing than thememoirs for earlier years, when Greville entered more Into society. On the other hand, Mr Henry Eeeve says in hia preface, these volumes deal with more important events than the decline and fall of Cabinets; they record, for instance, the re-estahlishment of the French Empire, the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, and the Italian War; and perhaps the most- interesting thing ii the volumes before ns is to note the effect produced at the time by these great events on the mind of an acute contemporary observer like Charles Greville, Clerk of the Council. THE EMPBESS EUGENIE AND HEB, - . ENGAGEMENT. * The volumes open with the negotiations for the formation of the Aberdeen Ministry, and in the second chapter Greville makes some entries about the French Emperor, whose prospects and position he sums upas follows s

It remained to be seen whether it was possible that a Government could be maintained permanently in France on the principle of the total suppression of civil and political liberty, which had the support of the masses, but which was abhorred and opposed by all the elevated and educated classes. The limbs of the body politic are with the Emperor, and the head against him. The Emperor himself was not over sanguine, as the following interesting story shows: —

Clarendon told me a curious thing about the Emperor Napoleon and his marriage, which came in a roundabout way, but which no doubt is true. Madame de Monti jo’s most intimate friend is the Marchioness of Santa Cruz, and to her she wrote an account of what had passed about her daughter’s marriage and the Emperor’s proposal to her. When he offered her marriage, she expressed her sense of the greatness of the position to which he proposed to raise her. He replied, "It is only fair that I should set before you the whole truth, and let you know that if the position is very high, it is also perhaps very dangerous and insecure.” All this he told her with entire frankness and without concealing the perils of his position or his sense of them, and it is one of the most creditable traits I have ever heard of him. It was, of course, calculated to engage and attach any woman of high spirit and generosity, and it seems to have had that effect upon her. AN ALLY FOB MB BBIGHT. As for the Crimean War, Greville was dead against it from the first, as he predicted that every one else would be “before many months were over.” He antedated the reaction, but its tardiness in coming did not make Greville change his opinion. He applauds Mr Bright’s speeches, deplores the dislocation of trade and commerce, and makes entries over and over again on the “egregious folly” and “wickedness” of the war.

mb Gladstone’s gbeat budget. On the home politics of the period Greville’s memoirs continue, of course, to be a running commentary, from the point of view of an observer who was at once inside and outside. We have only space to run over a few of the interesting points, and we will begin with Greville’s estimate of Mr Gladstone, who even thirty years ago was regarded as a dark horse who might plunge into rank democratic radicalism any day. Qrevillo is enthusiastic on Mr Gladstone’s great Budget of 1853. He says:— He had kept his secret so well that nobody had the least idea what it was to be, only it oozed out that the income tax was not to be differentiated. He spoke for five hours, and by universal consent it was one of the grandest displays and most able financial statement that ever was heard in the House of Commons; a great scheme, boldly, skilfully, and honestly devised, disdaining popular clamour and pressure from without, and the execution of it absolute perfection. Even those who do not admire the Bridget, or who are injured by it, admit the merit of the performance. It has raised Gladstone to a great political elevation, and, what is of far greater consequence than the measure itself, has given the country assurance of a man

equal to great political necessities, and Hit to lead parties and direct Governments. April 22,—1 met Gladstone last night, and had the pleasure of ; congratulating him and his wife, which I did with greafr sincerity, for his success is a public benefit* They have been overwhelmed with complin ments and congratulations. Prince Alberts and the Queen both wrote to him, am? John Bussell, who is spitefully reported tßhave been jealous, has, os the contrary', shown the warmest interest and satislaetion in his success.

THE PBXNCE OP WALES AS A GOODLITTLE BOY.

Passing from politics to society aneT literature, we may notice first some interesting references to the Prince of WaleetIt is dated 1853; how far, one would like' to know, would Greville in 1887 think Oast Prince fulfilled his early promise ? Lady Lyttelton, whom I met at Althorpey told me a great deal about the Queen andT her children; nothing particularly interesting. She said the Queen was very fond of them, but severe in her manner’*, and a strict disciplinarian in her family. She described the Prince of Wales to be extremely shy and timid, with very goodl principles, and particularly an exact observer of truth; the Princess Soyaff is remarkably intelligent. I wrote this because it will hereafter be curious to sett how the boy grows up, and what sort offperformance follows this promise, though I. shall not live to see it. She spoke in very high terms of the Queen herself, of thePrince, and of the simplicity and happiness of her private and domestic life. THE queen’s ADVICE TO BEB SON. . The next interesting entry under - head does equal credit to the Queen and the Prince:— The Queen, says Greville. has written letter to the Prince of Wales, announcingr to him his emancipation from parental! authority and control, and " I hear that ibis one of the most admirable letters ♦■Tmfc' ever were penned. She tells him thathtt may have thought the rule they adopted forhis education a severe one, bnt that Mswelfare was their only object, and well knowing to what seductions of flattery he would eventually be exposed, they wlshcdf to prepare and strengthen his against them, that he was novr to consider himself his own master*, and that they should never intruder any advice upon - him, although always ready to give it him whenever he thought; fit to seek it. It was a very long letter, all in that tone, and it seems to have a profound impression on the Prince, and to have touched his feelings to the quick. He brought it to Gerald Wellesley in flood* of tears, - and the effect it produced is M> proof of the wisdom which dictated its composition.” macaulat’b death. One of the latest entries is of considerable literary interest. Greville, it will seen, gives us a more favonrable view e£ Macaulay’s talking than some others haw done. He does not allude to " delightful flashes of silence,” and says never talked for display. Jan. 2,1860. —“ The death of Macaulays is the extinction of a great light, ondv 'although every expectation of the completion of his great work had long ag» vanished, the sudden close of his career wa serious disappointment to the world. JE have mentioned the circumstance of nqp first meeting him, after which we became rather intimate in a general way, and be need frequently to invite me to those breakfasts in the Albany at which he used to collect small miscellaneous generally including some remarkable people, and at which he loved to pour forth all those stores of hie mind and accumulations of his memory, to which his humbler guests, like myself, used to listen with delighted admiration, and enjoy as the choicest of intellectual feasts. 1 don’t think he waw ever so entirely agreeable at his own breakfast table, though I shall remember as long: as I live the pleasant days I have spent in. his society at Bowood, Holland House, and elsewhere. Nothing was more remarkable in. Macaulay than the natural way in whicft he talked, never for the sake of display, er tomonifest his superior powers and knowledge.- On the contrary, he was free from Any assumption of superiority over and seemed to be impressed with the notion that those he conversed with knew as muck, as himself, and he was always quite an ready to listen as to talk. A DUCAL MISEB. On the Duke of Bedford of the time,. Greville is very severe; and the arrangements between the Duke and Lord Johivwho was leader of the House of Commonsat the time, were certainly not very" generous. “ He (Lord John) is poor and has a large family. While he is in office he is obliged to incur expenses by giving dinners and. parties, and this additional expense is defrayed by the Duke, but in a very unsatisfactory way. Lord John sends him a sorb of estimate or account of bis extra, expenses, and the Duke pays the money. It is not surprising that Lord John dislikessuch assistance as this, and, though he never complains, he is probably mortified and provoked that his brother does nobonce for all give him a sum of money or a large annuity. Everybody else is amazed that he does not do this; but though he la much attached to Lord John, admires him and is proud of him, his love of money is so great that he cannot bring himself, even for his brother, to do a generous thing oa a great scale. His colossal fortune, whicb goes on increasing every day, and for which, he has no use, might well be employed inmaking his brother easy, and in buyinggolden opinions for himself.”

LORD CHIEF JUSTICE COCKBUEN. We will conclude our notice with the following account which Greville gives of ~ Cockburn’s appointment as Chief Justiceof the Common Pleas: — “According to established usage,” Bessys, “the Attorney-General, Cockbum, had a right to take the place, and for the last fortnight nothing occupied public attention more than the question whether he would take it or not. He was much averse to take it, but everybody pressed him to accept it, and after much hesitation and consultation he agreed to be Chief Justice, and now it is said he regrets his determination and thinks he has made a mistake. He gives up Parliament, for which he m well adapted, where he acta a conspicuouspart, being a capital speaker, and which Be likes, and feels that it is his element. He gives up the highest place at the bar, where he is a successful advocate, and makes £15,000 or .£16,000 a year, and Be sees that he shall be obliged to give up ingreat measure his loose habits and assume more decorous behaviour, which will be a.great sacrifice to him, and he becomes a Judge with .£6OOO a year for life, not being a good lawyer, and conscious that he will bo inferior to his colleagues and to the Puisne Judge in his own Court. He hasall his life been a very debauched fellow, but he is clever, good-natured, and of liberal disposition, and much liked by hie frienda. A story is told of him that Be was in the habit of going down on Sundays to Eicbmond or elsewhere with a woman, and generally with a different one, and the landlady of the inn he went to remembered that Sir A. Cockbum always brought Lady Cockburn with him, but that she never saw any woman who looked so different on different days.”