A DISTINGUISHED DIPLOMAT: THE LATE SIR ROBERT MORIER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2528, 27 August 1902, Page 66

A DISTINGUISHED DIPLOMAT: THE LATE SIR ROBERT MORIER.

liady Morier has returned to her residence near Rickmansworth, and her health is better than it has been for some time. Bhe is the widow of the late Sir Robert Moriev, the distinguished diplomat ; and her quiet life at Blatchworth Heath must be in curious contrast to the brilliant times she has spent at Vienna, Athens, Darmstadt, Stuttgart, and afterwards at Berlin and St. 1 Petersburg. Sir Robert Morier was distinguished, even among ambassadors, as a man of most charming manners. He was a giant in height, veiy handsome, and knew how to make himself the admired centre of any society in which he might find himself. His career began somewhat tamely by a bardly-won degree in honours at Oxford ; and he got an appointment in the Education Office which he loathed. Desk work had no charms for him, but Society had rerhaps too many, and the result was he fiad to resign his place. Fortunately Lord 'Aberdeen, an old friend of bis father's, found him some chink in the diplomatic service, and then Morier was in his element. He possessed the art of gaining the confidence of the great men with whom he had to deal. Crowned Heads and Ministers instinctively trusted and liked him — except, jlndeed, Bismarck, .who could not endure him, and fried several times "ta trio him up." But that was not to be wondered at, since Morier was greatly appreciated by the Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia, afterwards the Emperor and Empress Frederic of Germany. - Bismarck went so far as to accuse the jEnglish Ambassador of having conVeyed private information of the Military position before Paris to the French officials, information detired either from the Crown Princess or the English Court. The charge was out-Ei-geous, of course. The English Court ad no private information to give, and Jf it had, Morier was a gentleman and a 'diplomatist, and could not have betrayed jsecrets to an enemy in the field. Bisjnarck had to eat his words, but his son, Count Herbert, took up the quarrel, and Iried to force a duel on tha Englishman, plorier was promoted to St. Petersburg, /tvbere his tact and address steered the ship jthrough some very stormy seas. In private life he had met with a crushing grief. His only son was the pride and Soy of his life — a remarkably handsome fellow, very like Sir Robert, hugely tal], and singularly attractive in voice, temper, and* manner. The father would not part with the lad. and instead of sending him to jßchool kept him at his side, giving him tutors, of course, and training which Sir Robert ■. thought would fit him for life's Jbattle without the pang of parting. Suddenly it dawned on him that he had been mistaken. He sent the boy to his pld college, Balliol, but it was too late. He had lost the power o f serious work, and fio spur rould rouse him to mental effort. He never passed a single examination. In sheer despair he volunteered for police work In South Africa, and died, on the voyage to the Cape. The father, whose love had been of that absorbing kind that forms the very mainspring of life, never recovered from. the blow. He died himself coon after, titacallx heartbroken*

The University coterie in which Morier mingled was a very brilliant cue, and the .Ambassador necer tired of telling stories of his University time, stories which always ccme fresh from his lips, although, possibly, some may have belonged to Balliol by virtue of a long descent. We remember one about Dr Symons of Wadham, who had to preside at a missionary meeting, and to introduce a certain Sir Peregrine Maitland, a most distinguished officer and thoroughly good man. Dilating on the Christian work done in India by Sir Peregrine, he called him again and again "Sir Peregrine Pickle." The effect on +he audience was electric. "Roderick Random" was a classic then as now, and when the chairman called at last on "Sir Peregrine Pickle" to address the meeting, the gallant officer rose to his feet, and he and the whole company indulged in such a shriek of laughter as seldom enlivens missionary meetings. And nobody ever tried to explain to Dr Symons the meaning of that mighty laugh. Then there was Dr Gaisford, the Dean of Christ Church, who once ordered an unwary undergraduate to "get down from my hearthrug, sir. ' And Dr Bull, the Christ Church Bursar, whose great sagacity saved his college from serious embarrassment. A well-known banker had transacted the college' banking affairs for years, and was trusted implicitly by all. One night he dined with Dr Bull, and the Bursar was struck by his very pious remarks. His conversation had suddenly b& come more like that of an archbishop than a London banker. Dr Bull marvelled and pondered. Without saying a word he next day went to town, drew every penny of college money from the bank, demanded all his papers, and returned to Oxford. The week aftjr. to the dismay of London, the bank failed ; the depositors lost tlwir money, but Christ Church was vnhurt. " I learnt a great deal from Dr Bull," Sir Robert Morier would say.