Full text of "The Spanish journal of Elizabeth, lady Holland"
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Prado, depot for garde meuble. Sumptuous apartments above. The mansion is immense ; it covers several acres of ground, stands in three parishes, and commu- nicates by covered galleries with three churches. 3000 persons lodge under the roof. They alone preserve the custom of pages, los caballeros, dressed in yellow with black stockings. Many have the crosses of military orders, and are promoted to high posts in difft. pro- fessions. They are very devout. Saturday. — Me. Montijo, Lambert, Falck, Quintana dined. Letters from Nelson saying that he believes the French fleet has slipped out of Toulon, 10 sail of line and 4 frigates. A messenger immediately dispatched to Corufia to apprise Sir E. Pellew's squadron ; because should they make a junction with the ships in Ferrol, the combined forces would be too strong for him. 2 On Monday, the 6th, Ld. Hd. met with a deplorable accident in riding in the Prado. At the very moment Frere was extolling the excellence of his horse, the animal fell, and in the struggle of getting up, broke Ld. Hd.'s arm ; the fracture is in the forearm, of the two ' D. Luis Maria Fernandez de C6rdova, XIII Duque de Medinaceli ( 1 749-1 806) married, in 1764, Da. Joaquina Maria de Benavides, after- wards Duquesa de Santisteban del Puerto, in her own right. 2 This was only one of the periodical scares which the French admiral in Toulon was giving Nelson throughout 1803 and 1804. His ships were continually coming out of harbour to give the sailors practice, but he never dared face the British fleet, which was ever on the alert. l8 o 4 ] LORD HOLLAND'S ACCIDENT 137 bones. At first he fainted frequently, but after the setting he declared the pain was not nearly as great as that of a gouty twitch. He continued totally free from fever. Our excellent friend Lambert has been of the utmost use and comfort by never quitting the bedside whilst he thought his services were useful in the least degree. His calmness and address were far more useful than the skill of the surgeon. He dines here every day. On the Saturday following the accident Ld. Hd. dined at table. His spirits have throughout been good, except within these 4 days, when the pain in his fingers and hand made him fear an attack of gout. Every eve. we have a numerous tertulia of Spaniards and foreigners. D. of Infantado very kind and attentive, also P. E. Salm. Dine frequently with Le Chevalier de Toledo ; his brother also. 21st March. — It would be lost time to attempt either to bring up my journal, or wait until I was in a humour to make a correct resume of the events of the period which I have allowed to go by unnoticed. The King of England's death was currently reported ; in addition to his mental derangement it appears that he has been afflicted with an acute disorder. As late as the 25th of Feb. no communication was made to Parlt. about his health. Willis and his son were sent for, but refused attending unless ordered to do so by the Privy Council ; Addington refused to allow Willis to be called in, having given his word to the King that he never should be attended by Willis whilst he was Minister. Dr. Symonds l from St. Luke's was called in. Prince had been in danger from an inflammation on his lungs in conse- quence of dining three successive days with the D. of Norfolk. 1 Samuel Foart Simmons, M.D. (1750-1813). 138 LADY HOLLAND'S JOURNAL [March Moreau arrested, 1 accused of being in a conspiracy to assassinate Bonaparte and, in conjunction with Pichegru, to restore the Bourbons, — an accusation at first universally discredited, but the arrest of Pichegru, and subsequently that of Georges and many Royalists in the Vendee, add credit but too strongly to the story. With great concern I read among the list of those already seized the names of Armand and Jules Polignac, and with some regret that of the Marquis de Riviere. The latter had long forfeited my esteem from the strong suspicion entertained of his having meddled in the affair of the 3rd Nivose. 2 Assas- sination without the extenuation of personal animosity or prompt revenge is so foul and mean, that it is not to be defended upon any score. 31st March, 1804. — By a messenger, who arrived from Paris yesterday, and brought with him the Moniteur of the 23rd March, it appears that the Due d'Enghien has been arrested, tried, and condemned to death ! The trial was conducted by a military commission named by General Murat (the brother-in-law of Bonaparte and the military Governor of Paris). 3 The trials of Moreau, 1 It is probable that General Moreau was not in reality a partici- pator in the schemes of Pichegru (whose treachery in 1797 he had denounced) and Georges Cadoudal, though it is equally certain that he was perfectly willing to assist any plot detrimental to Napoleon' s interests. The latter, who looked on him as a dangerous rival, was enabled to cause his downfall, on the grounds of Royalism and attempted assassina- tion, at a moment when it would have been difficult to assail his popularity with the army. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, but was allowed to leave the country and go to the United States. 2 The attempt to assassinate Napoleon on his way to the Opera on December 24, 1800. See Journal, vol. ii. 127, 142. 3 Murat always denied that he was responsible for the appointment of the eight officers who sat in judgment on the Due d'Enghien : in fact he always maintained that he did all in his power to save him. Certainly Murat was a most humane man, and never signed a death warrant during the seven years he was reigning in Naples. The Duke had no connection whatever with Georges' plot. He was at Ettenheim; in Baden territory, in pursuit of a love affair. It is probable i8o 4 ] D'ENGHEIN'S DEATH 139 Pichegru, and the others have not yet come on. It is hard that such a calamity should have befallen this young Prince, as he is high-spirited, gallant, and full of estimable qualities, all calculated to advance the cause he served by the admiration and respect they excited. Through- out the struggle the Conde branch of Bourbon House have been the only one which endured the hardships of the war, exposing themselves indiscriminately with the commonest soldier to all the dangers and inconveniences of a severe campaign. Hitherto the conspiracy appeared made up of such incongruous personages that the object of it was not clearly understood, but the presence of this ill-fated young man, accompanied by the staunch adherents of the C. d'Artois, puts it beyond a doubt that the restoration of the House of Bourbon was the purpose to be effected. This discovery, however, throws no light upon Moreau's conduct, whose alliance with Pichegru in a Royalist plot must remain a mystery, when it is recol- lected that Moreau himself denounced his friend Pichegru for holding a traitorous correspondence with the Princes. 24 of the chief men at the bar have offered their services to plead his cause ; he has accepted 2, but means to plead for himself. They tell a story of his coachman, that may be true. On the road from Grosbois to Paris, he was met by Gen. Moncey ' and a detachment of gendarmes. The General, on stopping the carriage, lamented the service he was employed upon, and apprised Moreau that his orders were to conduct him to the Abbaye, upon which Moreau, with the utmost composure, that Napoleon was spurred on to action by the belief that Dumouriez was also there. It was however a case of mistaken identity ; the ex-general was far away at the time. 1 Moncey, Due de Conegliano, was appointed Inspector-General of Gendarmerie by Napoleon in 1801, 140 LADY HOLLAND'S JOURNAL [April halloed to his coachman to drive to VAbbaye. The coachman jumped down, and asked Moreau if he meant really to go to the Abbaye ; upon being assured that such were his orders, the man replied, ' Te menera qui voudra, ca ne sera pas moi tou jours,' and a dragoon was obliged to take the reins and drive. His wife and mother-in-law were in the greatest consternation when the carriage arrived empty, altho' they had endured with tranquillity the seizure of his papers, &c. The mode of trial is to be changed : the military are to be admitted, but in either case Bonaparte may be satisfied that the sentences will be such as he will approve, so low and abject is the French character become. The adulatory addresses congratulating him upon his escape from the machinations of Georges Roi et Georges brigand are truly disgusting, and show a depravity that one can hardly suppose an enlightened nation capable of. Gravina is appointed Ambassador from this Court to Paris. There are various opinions on this nomination ; some think that the P. and Queen dislike that so honest a person should be about the King, and also that he may be a support to the Princess of the Asturias in the mauvaise chicane that they intend to excite against her. Advices from England by the regular Lisbon post as late as the 7th March. Domestic news not good. Lady Ossory, after a lingering illness, in which she suffered cruel pain, died in Feb. Lord Lansdown had a severe paralytic stroke, which has left his understanding clear, and his voice is recovered from the shock. The Prince of Wales has given a place in the Duchy of Cornwall to Sheridan ; shortly after the appointment, Warwick Lake produced a signed promise from the Prince, in which the place was given to General Lake. 1 H.R.H. means 1 General Gerard Lake, created Baron Lake in 1804 for his dis- tinguished services in India. At the time of his death in 180S, he was i8o 4 ] THE ESCORIAL 141 to get off by annulling the transaction on the score of its illegality. King better. Appearance of a coalition between Fox and Ld. Grenville. Ld. Camelford killed in a duel in H. House grounds. 6th April, Friday. — On Monday we dined with Mde. de l'lnfantado. Made some visits in early part of evening. On Tuesday at one o'clock, set off to the Escorial, arrived at i before 8. Mr. Miners, the Dutch Minister, lent us his house, which, as I took the children, was more agreeable than going to an inn. Our party consisted of ourselves, Lambert and B. Frere, and P. Emanuel de Salm. Having provided ourselves with a letter from the Secretary of State to enable us to see the Royal apartments, and another which was a Bull to enable me to enter the clausura, 1 we set off on Wednesday morning. Having seen the church and mausoleum in the summer, the novelty of the first impression was lessened, tho' surprise can scarcely be diminished when one beholds such a stupendous, heavy monument of gloomy super- stition. The library is very spacious and well pro- portioned ; the ceiling is painted by Luca Giordano. 2 There are four full length portraits of the Austrian Kings, from Charles V inclusive to Philip IV ; the latter is ascribed to Velasquez, but is out of all drawing, especially in the right leg. The librarian, who was remarkably obliging, showed us some manuscripts ; 3 one upon hunting, which had belonged to the Count of Foix, beautifully illuminated, done in the 13th century ; the a member of the Council of the Duchy of Cornwall. Warwick Lake was his youngest son. This appointment of Receiver was worth about ^1000 per annum. Sheridan surrendered the emoluments until after General Lake's death. 1 Cloister. 2 This ceiling is by Tibaldi ; but there is one in an anteroom near at hand which is by Luca Giordano. 3 Joseph removed the books and manuscripts, and though Ferdi- nand VII sent them back, 10,000 were missing. 142 LADY HOLLAND'S JOURNAL [April Revelation and Apocrypha ; an Alcoran in Arabic. On quitting the library, on my expressing a wish to see a cell, the librarian offered to show us his ; after traversing extensive and numerous cloisters, we reached his very cheerful habitation. From thence we went to the Prior's apartment, which is spacious and was formerly occupied by Don Gabriel, who died in it. In the choir saw the\ two monks who were praying for the soul of Philip II. From the moment of his death to the present one, two friars have incessantly been interceding for his spiritual welfare ; they are relieved every 6 or 8 hours. Friday. — The unfortunate D. d'Enghien appears to have been murdered most unjustifiably : seized on neutral territory (in the Electorate of Baden), conveyed under a strong escort to the castle of Vincennes, where he arrived at 8 o'clock in the eve. ; dragged out of his bed at 12 to appear before the military judges, and shot in the fosse of the castle by torch light at \ past two o'clock. He refused to allow his eyes to be covered, adding that he did not fear meeting death, and himself gave the word of command ! Thus, at the age of 32, expired this gallant young man. In the Retiro I went to see the bronze statue of Charles V crushing heresy ; it is very good, but rather small. Monday. — In the morning early went to the bull feast ; to see the humours of it completely, instead of going as usual in a box, I went to the gradas. The bulls were furious : one alone killed 6 horses and threw the picadores down in the most dangerous manner. The rapture of the spectators is a thing quite incredible ; whenever the bull foils the picador whom they dislike, they applaud him. Once they were so incensed at an awkward thrust of the lance, which made them infer a want of courage in the caballero, that several cried out that they hoped they should see him killed. i8o 4 ] THE ALAMEDA 143 Tuesday, 10th April. — P. Emanuel de Salm, Mde. de Montijo, her daughter Mde. de Lazan, Falck, Lambert, Gravina. Extremely pleasant, and delightful coze upon interesting subjects. Friday, 13th. — Went with Madame d'Osuna to her country house, called the Alameda ; 1 she conveyed us in an immense carriage, made to hold 12 persons. The party consisted of herself, Mde. de Penafiel, Perico, P. Emanuel, M., Mde. de la Pena, Olmeda, an officer, and Manuelita. The distance from Madrid is about a league and a quarter on the road to Alcala de Henares. It is a creation of her own, as she found 24 years ago the same sterility and nakedness which characterizes the environs of Madrid ; it is now cheerful and woody. The garden is rather crowded with a profusion of difft. ornaments, some in the German sentimental taste, others in a tawdry, citizenlike style. La Casa delta vieja (sic) is very pretty. The mansion is excellent and well fitted up. We had an agreeable day, altho' the weather was as unfavorable as rain and hail could render it. Returned by torch light at 9. 14th. — Left Madrid late in the day, and reached Aranjuez at night. Our house is excellent ; it belongs to the Marques of Santiago, and costs us 15,000 reals for the Jornada ; it is the dearest, tho' not the best house in the sitio. 16th. — Set off to Madrid. On the evening of the morning in which I went to the bull feast, a picador was killed : he was removed senseless from the Plaza, and languished a few hours. Ximenes, the matador, was, in the same corrida, cruelly wounded and gored by the bull, and if he recovers, which is doubtful, he will not be capable of following his noble calling in life. 1 Bought by Don Gustavo Bauer, the banker, a few years ago. 144 LADY HOLLAND'S JOURNAL [April About 10 days ago, there appeared in the Moniteur, under the date of Madrid, the substance of a conversation supposed to have taken place between Mr. Frere and the P. of the Peace, in which Frere is represented as justifying assassination, from the necessity of it in the deplorable state into which England is now thrown. The Prince is made to use very grand language, deprecating such doctrines, and prophecying that their effects generally recoil upon those who act upon them. A note of obser- vation is added by the editor, that at the moment such opinions were promulgated in favor of the Bourbons one of their house had perished by the sword of justice (the only public notification of the murder of the D. d'Enghien). Many days previous to the publication of this paragraph or rather its arrival here, the P. of the P. had told the French Ambassador and others that it was inconceivable the interest which the English Minister manifested about Georges and others of the conspirators. Frere sent a note to the P., testifying his surprise at the publication and requiring a contradiction of it, that he might be acquitted to the public and to his own Court. The Prince sent a shuffling answer, advising F. to treat the whole with contempt, a line of conduct he had always found the most successful whenever he himself had been abused. In the meantime, the Prince of the P. affected towards the French Legation great satisfaction that publicity had been given to his sentiments, and corro- borated by the strongest assertions the veracity of the statement. Frere, not satisfied with the note of reply, passed another, in which he categorically demanded a satisfactory answer. No sooner was this dispatched, than he grew frightened at the peremptory tone he had used, and consulted with Mouravieff, who offered to see the P. and mediate before a final answer should come. l8 o 4 ] FRERE AND GODOY 145 Consequently he came here and had an audience. He was coldly received ; the P. said he should give no further answer, that the Spanish Governt. was tired of the uncertain state of affairs with England, and had 60 thousand troops ready to add to the French expedition. However he added he was going to Madrid and would consider more upon the subject. Serra is suspected to be a contriver of this plot to bring on the war ; he is dissatisfied with his position here, which is a sort of exile in consequence of his having quarrelled with Bonaparte, who made use of his influence to overturn the Governt. of Genoa, and having obtained all he wanted has thrown him aside, but fears his return to Genoa and dreads his plotting at Paris. Hence Serra seeing the French Governt. so permanently established, calculates that it is more advantageous to make his Directory: textos diversos textos diversos -> Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos ufólogos, contactados y espiritualistas Download 4.2 Mb. Share with your friends:
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