Sunday, December 26, 2010

26Jul1875, Spencer on World Tour

LONDON, July 26th–August 1st, 1875.
—One of these days we bade dear old Spencer good-bye, as he is going to Hagley, en route for Liverpool, New York, California, Australia, New Zealand, and India with Mr. Balfour. Oh dear !

10Jul1875, The Last Lyttelton Half at Eton


LONDON, Saturday, July 10th, 1875.
—Six brothers and 8 sisters and their husbands, Mazy, Helen, and G. G., all at Lord's for the rest of King Alfred's innings—his last match against Harrow, and this the last Lyttelton half at Eton. This, and the immense blank left by darling May, always such an element during these cricket times, made the day sadly unlike itself. Most of us stayed all day. The match was of course drawn—in favour of Eton, but only slightly: Harrow had to follow their innings. Alfred's total was 59—one more than any of them have made against Harrow. Spencer once got 58. Mr. Balfour had Papa and all of us to dinner, as poor Portland Place is being dismantled for its new owners.

09Jul1875, Eton and Harrow Match

LONDON, Friday, July 9th, 1875.
—The Eton and Harrow match began, but only 35 minutes' play could be had, because of the torrents of rain. Alfred and Harding went in, and Alf. got over 20 at a great rate, the state of the ground spoiling both bowling and fielding.

05Jul1875, Queen Sophia of the Netherlands

THE COPPICE, Wed. July 5th-11th, 1875.
—We had luncheon at Devonshire House, after which came the Queen of the Netherlands to see the house, and was great audience to the pictures, giving us the pedigree of the Pr. and Prss. of Orange and the Governess of the Netherlands. Settled Medes and Persians to pay Chatsworth a visit the end of October!

28Jun1875, King Alfred Got 102

LONDON, June 28th–July 4th, 1875.
—On Friday G. G., Mazy, and I went to Eton with Papa, Spencer, Charles, Bob, and Arthur for the Winchester match. Darling King Alfred got 102, but it was not very exciting owing to poor bowling; he made one fine straight drive for 5.

14Jun1875, First Literary Earnings

LONDON, June 14th-20th, 1875.
—MMurray has sent Sybella and me 8 guineas between us for our translation. Our 1st literary earnings.

08Jun1875, Giggles over Dr. Pusey and Miss Sellon

LONDON, June 8th-13th, 1875.
—Clever breakfast at No. 23 on Friday, when I was also well off between Mr. Murray, the publisher, and Archbishop Trench who, poor man, looks older and grimmer than ever after his thankless incessant toils over the miserable Irish Church legislation. It was quite a treat to see him giggle over Dr. Pusey having been told by candid friends that it was improper for him to entertain Miss Sellon!!! who must now be a very sour old saint verging on 60; while he is a saint indeed, getting on for 80.

16May1875, Translating for Uncle W.

CHATSWORTH, Sunday, May 16th-23rd, 1875.
Syb. and I had to grind hard at translating an anti-Papal pamphlet by Laveleye for Uncle W.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

15May1875, Wales Children Like Anybody Else

CHATSWORTH, Saturday, May 15th, 1875.
—Saturday the 15th I came to Chatsworth with Papa and Sybella; F. having gone down Friday, when I stayed on to go with M., Mrs. T., Gertrude, and Willy to hear "S. Paul" at Exeter Hall, which was glorious. Endless dawdling journey. At S. Pancras were all the little Wales children, knocking about with tutor and nurses like anybody else on the platform. The 2 boys in Scotch dress; the eldest very pretty and noble-looking, like his mother; and so slim and well-made as to look a fair height; Prince George a gig: little girls fair and like the Queen, I think. F. was at Bradford all day; turned up at midnight.

Saturday, December 04, 2010

21Mar1875, Her Sister Mary Dies

HAGLEY, Palm Sunday, March 21st, 1875.
Edward Talbot (who with Lavinia was at the Rectory) [FN: Her sister May had been very ill for some weeks, at Hagley Rectory.] came down at 8, and came to our room. The night had been profoundly quiet: nothing swallowed; no pain. Except Newmany's name, which has all along been oftenest on her lips, I believe she did not speak. It was a bright, clear morning, with shining sun. F. and I walked up together about 9 o'clock, and he went upstairs with me. We knelt together by the bed; he saw her last at Chatsworth in her beauty and brightness. She lay a little propped up, breathing gently; her look was a little troubled. Auntie P. was on the bed at her right side, stroking the wavy hair; Newmany holding her left hand, close to me; poor Edward also near me, watching her earnestly. Auntie P. said, "It's all right, darling; God is taking such care of you," and she told me to say some verses. I repeated, as slowly and clearly as I could, only 2 or 4 lines at a time, parts of Keble's Evening Hymn. The morning must have been streaming in; but the words fitted the awful, still approach of death. The troubled expression passed from the darling's face, and she stretched her hand out to me. When I paused she would look at me, and then turn her pretty head and look up at Auntie P. as if appealing for more words of comfort. I kissed her hand, and we went away. Dr. Wade could not tell how long it might last, so we went down again to be with poor Papa and Sybella. They were setting off to go up the Hill and I was sitting in the Library, looking out other hymns which I thought I might repeat to our darling, and I had chosen "There is a green hill far away," which she so loved to hear Spencer sing — Alfred was playing soft, solemn music, and the pathos of it was bringing floods of tears — when Meriel came down and gently told us the end had come. Not a sound, not a pang: the breathing died away imperceptibly as Uncle B. read the last prayer.

11Feb1875, Cavendish Elected to Liberal Leadership

HAGLEY, February 8th-11th, 1875.
—Oh dear, not a word have I said of the public and private event of Cavendish's unanimous election to the Liberal Leadership a week or so ago. There would have been great conflict of opinion between him and Mr. Forster, if Mr. F. had not generously refused to be put forward. I believe he would have been the right man; but neither the frantic League dissenters (fools that they are!) nor the old Whigs would follow him. Cavendish seems to be very generally respected and trusted, and he has plenty of abilities, besides great accuracy and good judgment; the worst of him is that I can't imagine him ever strongly zealous or earnest about anything; and he may be lazy; but this I don't expect, as the sense of responsibility will weigh much with him.

18Jan1875, Gladstone May Retire

HOLKER, Monday, January 18th, 1875.
—To-day the blow that has so long been dreaded falls on the unhappy divided Liberal party. Uncle W. writes to Ld. Granville resigning the Leadership, in a short letter. He says he feels he may fairly retire, after 40 years of public life and at the age of 65, when there is nothing in the state of politics to justify him in hoping his leadership will serve the party, and when his hands are full of other important matters—by which no doubt he means the Papal controversy. We somehow hoped he was willing to come to a compromise, such as being in London thro' the Session, tho' with slight attendance at the House, but so as to be at hand whenever he might be wanted as leader, and thus avoiding the difficulties that came last year of his absence from town, colleagues, and newspapers; (for he never will take in any but the Echo!! when out of Office).

01Jan1875, The Skating Was Grand

HOLKER, Friday, New Year's Day, 1875.
—Yesterday should have changed places with to-day for weather; it was dismal, black, and raw. Nevertheless we set out stoutly for Windermere along with Drewry sons and daughter. Began to snow halfway there, and went on till dark with hail, sleet, and rain modifications at last. The skating, however, was grand, the wind blowing much of the snow off the ice, which was splendid, black, and hard, the lake frozen quite round, right across, and nearly up to Bowness.

10Dec1874, The Hunting Proved Fragment

CHATSWORTH, Thursday, December 10th, 1874.
—Fairly fine again. L. tennis; Charlotte very eager. It froze sharp, in spite of which Spencer, like his uncle before him ("Uncle Jack"), arose before the dawn on the chance of hunting being possible in S. Derbyshire, and departed with the hapless Mr. Coke and brothers Buller, all en route for various destinations. The hunting proved fragment, as was to be expected. Scarsdales came. [FN: "Uncle Jack" is the Lord Althorp of the great Reform Bill, who was afterwards 3rd Earl Spencer. Spencer in the text means Lord Spencer, not her brother] [FN: Lord and Lady Scarsdale, father and mother of Lord Curzon of Kedleston, the statesman.]

09Dec1874, Prince George and the Greville Memoirs

CHATSWORTH, Wednesday, December 9th, 1874.
H.R.H. is very good-natured and jovial, nudging and patting his neighbours, and putting his nose in their ears: he looks 70, which is a pity, at 55. He declaims about Bismarck and the Pope, and lets fly at the "Greville Memoirs" which are just out. No wonder! I have not read it yet, but everyone is open-mouthed about its unkind and trivial gossip, and absence of praise of anyone. To be sure the Regency and late reign must have been thoroughly evil times; and one good the book must do by showing one the present times in bright contrast. What are the Queen's retirement and over-weening love of Scotland, or even the P. of Wales' bad habits, in comparison with the vile Court of Geo. IV, the debts and scandals of the Royal Dukes, and the horrid Queen Caroline chapter!—Thick mist and rain on the top of half-melted snow all day: an appropriate reminiscence of the P. of Wales' visit. We took H.R.H. and the guests over the house.

08Dec1874, The Chatsworth Magic Lantern

CHATSWORTH, Tuesday, December 8th, 1874.
—We are come to the last slide of the Chatsworth magic lantern: the Duke of Cambridge and his equerry, a funny little man called Tyrwhitt, of no particular age, in a grey wig; Lord Carlingford and Ly. Waldegrave, the Spencers, Mr. Leveson, Cavendish.

01Dec1874, Pope Calls Uncle W. a Viper

CHATSWORTH, Tuesday, December 1st, 1874.
Manning has thundered out a circular letter, informing the world that whoever does not accept and believe Immaculate Conception and Papal Infallibility is no Catholic. The Pope has made a funny metaphor in an angry speech calling Uncle W.. a viper attacking the bark of S. Peter!!

24Nov1874, Cavendish and Flo?

CHATSWORTH, Tuesday, November 24th, 1874.
Florence [FN: Lady Florence Leveson-Gower, daughter of the Duke of Sutherland.] is a most winning creature, and we can't help a little exciting hope that Cavendish thinks of her. He certainly likes her better than other girls; and at his age one almost feels it is now or never. One evening he even condescended to billiard-battle when she was in the room, and he talks a good deal to her, and what's more watches her. Some people think her like her mother; I don't, thank goodness, see this in the least either in looks or ways. First and foremost, she is extremely natural and genuine.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

22Nov1874, Letters From R.C.s Keep Appearing

CHATSWORTH, Sunday, November 22nd, 1874.
—Hoarfrost, hardly visible for fog. Georgiana Cavendish played, and Spencer sang delightfully, in church between services; the new organ being lately put up. Various other remarkable letters from R.C.s keep appearing in the papers; Mr. Shee, Mr. Petre, Lord Camoys, and others, disavowing the Decree in very plain language; Sir Geo. Bowyer, etc., taking Manning's view. The whole thing reveals deep and wide differences among R.C.s; and, if Ld. Ripon reads the controversy, he surely must feel a little uncomfortable. Manning, by the bye, pronounces Ld. Camoys a heretic, if he sticks to what he says.

13Nov1874, Manning Answers the Pamphlet

CHATSWORTH, Friday, November 13th, 1874.
Manning has answered the pamphlet in the out-and-out Ultra-montane style, arguing as if submission to Papal Infallibility was identical with obedience to God and conscience, and stoutly maintaining his own loyalty. Ld. Acton, on the same page of The Times, takes the very different line of assuring the world that the Papal pretensions are no worse than they ever were; that R.C.s have been loyal in spite of them before, and will be loyal in spite of them now!!

11Nov1874, Gladstone Pamphlet on Catholocism

CHATSWORTH, Wednesday, November 11th, 1874.
Uncle William has sent F. a pamphlet just brought out on the Vatican decrees. It is a "Remonstrance," elicited by an outcry which has been raised by one sentence in his article on Ritualism. This is the sentence: "Rome has substituted for the proud boast of 'semper eadem' a policy of violence and change in faith; she has refurbished and paraded anew every rusty tool she was fondly thought to have disused;... no one can become her convert without renouncing his moral and mental freedom, and placing his civil loyalty at the mercy of another;... she has equally repudiated modern thought and ancient history." The Irish and other R.C.s are frantic over this. I can't imagine why. They have always been in the habit of giving hard knocks, and should take return ones philosophically. It almost looks as if they had been imagining Uncle W. a sneaking Romanist, and are now disappointed. This pamphlet defends and substantiates his accusations, and is a powerful and telling show-up of the new and intolerable position in which the Infallibility decree has placed R.C.s who accept it, with regard to their national allegiance. He gives them full credit for practical loyalty; but in face of the demand now made upon them to be absolutely governed by the personal will of the Pope, he calls upon them to declare their allegiance as English subjects. The whole pamphlet is in better and clearer style than anything of his I ever read, has some eloquent passages, and ends with all the fire and dignity of one of his great speech perorations. G. G. and I rode.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

19Oct1874, Deep But Cheerful Mourning

RABY, Monday, October 19th, 1874.
—We 3 went on to Raby, where we found the Duchess of Cleveland, in deep but cheerful mourning for her sister-in-law Ly. Augusta Milbanke who died last month; entertaining Foresters, Carpenters (Talbots), and Miss Mundy, a Mr. Crofton and Mr. Williamson. Whist with the gracious old Duke.

09Oct1874, Walked With Florence

DUNROBIN, Friday, October 9th, 1874.
—Yesterday at noon- the beauty of things was intense. It was radiant, cloudless S. Luke's summer weather, and I went down to the sea—blue, blue sea, with the glowing woods sloping down to it, and the kingly white pinnacles of the castle towering up into the heavenly sky. Muggy to-day. Lawn-tennis. I walked with Florence, [FN: Lady Florence Leveson-Gower. She married Henry Chaplin afterwards 1st Viscount Chaplin.] whom I greatly like. She is very pretty, without real beauty; very high-bred and with a delightful figure: coming in from tennis in a big Rubens hat, she looked enchanting.

23Sep1874, Hardly Any Royal Proprieties

INVERARAY, Wednesday, September 23rd, 1874.
—We have hardly any Royal proprieties with H.R.H.—an occasional "Mum" from us visitors, and a very feeble pretence at getting up when she comes in late for breakfast, is about all. She seems very much devoted to her husband: jumped up from the floor where she was playing with the little Percys when he came in from shooting, saying, "Oh, I must go and see about his clothes or he will never change!"... I had a lovely walk. The giant beech avenues and other glorious trees are a great delight.

21Sep1874, Driving With the Duchess and Edith Percy

INVERARAY, September 21st, 1874.
—Much rain. F., however, had an enchanting day's shooting: black game; the grouse are more destroyed here than in Yorkshire. I drove with the Duchess and Edith, and darling Lord Warkworth [FN: Afterwards Earl Percy and Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs.] who loves my catspaw seal being stamped on his little white arm. He is Percy-ish and not pretty, but has a dear smile: Josceline, a fat two-year-old, is the only beauty, being like his mother; the twin girls are like demure damsels in stiff long frocks out of a Vandyck picture, and there is a baby called Margaret with the D. of Argyll's red-gold hair. We drove in the woods amid magnificent trees, and ended along the loch to see the yacht appear, which brought home the Lornes and Ld. Percy. Princess Louise very pleasant and easy; seems comfortable with them all.

20Sep1874, In a Scotch Kirk

INVERARAY, Sunday, September 20th, 1874.
—I had my first experience of a Scotch kirk. Lifeless and dull and dead—a very frame of dry-bones it was to me! and I can't get over my amazement at such services being the food of so much religious life, as no doubt they are in this country. Two chapters in the Bible, and the fine old rolling tunes to which they sang the rough metrical Psalms, and "Sun of my soul," with which we ended (at noon!) were the only comforts.

19Sep1874, Touring Scotland, Visting the Argylls

GLASGOW, Saturday, September 19th, 1874.
—Did Glasgow; viz., the quay, where F. had to acknowledge Barrow immensely outdone, tho' Barrow has some better appliances; some shopping, and the noble cathedral, whose Presbyterian arrangements nearly gave me a fit: the crowning object being of course the pulpit. As soon as we were clear of the town, about 11, rain set in, and lasted without intermission all up Lake Lomond, all thro' our 24 miles' posting by Glencroe and Loch Long, and so up to the castle door of Inveraray. We made the most we could of the bases of the mountains, and the innumerable torrents, and were much refreshed by a nap in the midst of the grandest part of the posting! In the blur of the mist and rain we both took a cluster of tree-tops above the town of Inveraray for the castle!! and as the effect of lofty, hoary towers and pinnacles quite out-Hardwicked Hardwick, we wondered at what we had heard of the ugliness thereof. But the real article, seen in the gloomy twilight, looked dismal enough: rather like Milbank Penitentiary. Warm and kind and comfortable within, however: Duke and Duchess, Edith Percy and her 5 children, Colin, a very beautiful youth, Libbie, Victoria, Evelyn, Mary, and lovely little Constance. [FN: are children of the Duke of Argyll, not of his daughter Lady Percy.]

18Sep1874, Crossing the Border for the 1st Time

GLASGOW, Friday, September 18th, 1874.
—The great event came off of my crossing the Border for the 1st time. We reached Glasgow about 6 and went to the Queen's Hotel. It is great fun for me; so little do I see of new places in Great Britain. We are rather dingy, but comfortable.

17Sep1874, Lawn-Tennis Prevailed

HOLKER, Monday, September 7th, 1874.—Lawn-tennis prevailed.
HOLKER, Thursday, September 17th, 1874.—Lawn-tennis.

05Sep1874, Lord Ripon Gone Over to Church of Rome

HOLKER, Saturday, September 5th, 1874.
—One horrid thing signalized my birthday: the news in the paper of Ld. Ripon of all people in the world having gone over to Rome. I knew months ago that it was brewing: in March. How any sensible, straightforward, middle-aged Englishman can bring himself to believe the Infallibility of the Pope and the Immaculate Conception, as he believes the Apostles' Creed! or can in conscience accept these doctrines without believing them, beats me. Even if (which God forbid) I saw no alternative between this and infidelity, I had far rather "wait in the darkness" patiently, and be as illogical as possible, than so force my conscience.

03Sep1874, Potentate Impressed With the Duke

HOLKER, September 3rd, 1874.
—Gentlemen perdus as before. A very funny Belgian potentate named d'Andrimont is here, and makes himself agreeable to us on their return after dinner: he is greatly impressed with "l'activité du Duc, qu'on dirait un jeune homme de 17 ans: il saute, il danse, comme un chevreuil." (looks like a young man of 17 years: he jumps, he dances like a deer) Not quite one's idea of His Grace!

06Aug1874, Floods of Butter Over Dizzy

HOLKER, Thursday, August 6th, 1874.
—We stuck up lawn-tennis just outside the garden-gate, on a bit of grass Eddy had been cutting and rolling....
The H. of Lords has kicked out the "appeal" to the Archbishops, and the Commons have had the sense to submit, and so the Bill [FN: The Public Worship Regulation Bill.] is passed, decidedly improved. It is a triumph for Uncle W. to have gained this point about the Archbishop appeal, in spite of his small and disorganized party. But indeed parties have been mixed up in an odd confusion upon the question. At the 3rd reading, Sir W. Harcourt was so insufferably insolent to his late chief, that he, at last, after long patience on the part of Uncle W., caught it uncommonly hot from him! and the House seems to have been delighted thereat. To make his speech still nicer, Sir W. poured floods of butter over Dizzy, while Dizzy, on his part, made savage tho' sly cuts at Lord Salisbury; so it was a surprising and peculiar scene altogether.

23Jul1874, Fancy Dress Ball at Marlborough House

LONDON, Wednesday, July 23rd, 1874.
—We dined with the Granvilles, meeting Cowpers, Cavendish, Ld. Mandeville [FN: Afterwards 8th Duke of Manchester.] (an ugly youth, but rather taking), De Vescis and daughter, Bertie, Duke of Sutherland, and certain Americans, etc., one of whom got drunk. Conversation turned much on the fancy ball at Marlboro' House, which came off t'other night, and for which I saw Cavendish arrayed in Tudor costume. He looked famously well and handsome—very like one's idea of Henry VIII [FN: I think he again appeared as Henry VIII at the famous fancy-dress ball given at Devonshire House after he had succeeded to the Dukedom.] in his youth, before he was fat. Lord Cowper was in Venetian dress, and, quoth Ly. Cowper, "looked beautiful," as I can believe. Among the ladies (who clearly produced less effect) Ly. Hardwick seems to have been preeminent; Ly. Granville very striking in Vandyck dress, with great shady hat. The whole thing was arranged and set in order by Leighton the artist.

07Jul1874, Old Sir Anthony Panizzi

LONDON, Tuesday, July 7th, 1874.
—We dined with Uncle W. at old Sir Anthony Panizzi's [FN: An Italian patriot and refugee who became Principal Librarian of the British Museum and a K.C.B.]: he is chair-ridden and very helpless, but amazing good company. Flew at Uncle W. for having too much to say to "priests"; and would not be pacified by his rejoinder of "How comes it, then, that no man is so hated as I am by the Roman Curia?" or by his announcement that it was orders from Rome that shipwrecked the Irish Universities Bill. Capital good dinner for us four. The old fellow kept breaking out with his objurgations against "priests" at odd moments all the evening through.

11Jun1874, Thoughts on The Archbishop's Bill

LONDON, Thursday, June 11th, 1874.
—The Archbishop's Bill for facilitating legal proceedings against supposed law-breaking clergy is passing thro' the House of Lords. Some of the Ritualist proceedings are nearly unbearable. The enforcement of Fasting Communion as a sort of 11th Commandment is one common practice. I mean it is made next to impossible for people to Communicate at mid-day; so that the mid-day Celebration (generally the musical and "High" one) is fast becoming a Service to "assist at" instead of a Communion to receive. Urging habitual confession on all, instead of recommending it in extreme cases to some, is another. Invocations to the B. Virgin and the Saints, imploring their prayers, is another; and along with this one cannot but be suspicious of side-altars which one sees now and then in ordinary-sized churches where they cannot be required for duplicate services. These things are distinct disloyalties to the Prayer Book; and therefore I think show more than anything else that distaste for our Church as Anglican which leads people to Rome. They fix their whole affections on Catholicity, and cease to be watchful against its medieval and modern corruptions, and drop altogether all interest in the English Church.

20May1874, A Meeting of Supplemental Ladies

LONDON, Wednesday, May 20th, 1874.
—Went with Lady Granville to a little meeting of Supplemental ladies at the Oldfields', to discuss a little "Steppingstone" Home for little would-be servant gals of low degree. Charlotte Spencer, Mrs. Loyd Lindsay, Ly. Marion Alford, Aunt Yaddy, and other great dames were there.

19May1874, The Queen and Nicholas I of Russia

LONDON, Tuesday, May 19th, 1874.
—One of these days came off a fine ball at Stafford House, where the Czar, [FN: Alexander II] who has just come over to see his daughter, was entertained. He is a dignified, well-looking man, but must be immeasurably inferior in appearance to his splendid gigantic father, of whom the Queen must often have thought as she received this one with the same honours. Well do I remember Granny's description of the grand parting of the Queen and the Emperor Nicholas; when, encircled by the whole Court in the great hall, the Queen bade him farewell with a magnificent curtsey, and he made a magnificent bow.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

29Apr1874, Sir Ch. Trevelyan Remembers

LONDON, Wednesday, April 29th, 1874.
—Visited Aunt Caroline, and Mrs. Dugdale, who seems to be keeping house for poor widowed Sir Ch. Trevelyan. He was there, and enjoyed our visit, and showing off a beautiful Dugdale baby. Went off into reminiscences of his youth, a propos of the great increase of religious earnestness: said he used to be sent as a boy to see the "promenade" in the Park on Sundays of all the beauty and fashion driving and gossiping. Those who didn't were called Saints. And he said he remembered boys at school going up for Confirmation again and again for the sake of the day's outing!! Likewise, he remembers seeing a wretched boy tossed at a bull-baiting.

25Mar1874, The Lion: Sir Garnet Wolseley

LONDON, Wednesday, March 25th, 1874.
—Dined at No. 11, meeting no less a lion than Sir Garnet Wolseley [FN: Afterwards Viscount Wolseley. He had just returned from the Ashantee War.] with all his laurels fresh. A little, spare, brown man, only 40, with nothing about him to show his power except his very bright steady eyes. His wife pretty and nice, and proud of him. He was quite simple in manner, and told one straightforwardly all one wanted to know.

23Mar1874, As Jolly as a Sand-boy

LONDON, Monday, March 23rd, 1874.
—Eastward! Dear Miss Lilley turned up at the Hospital, having been to see a sick Limehouse body (who arose up in bed and kissed her!). At 5.30 tea turned up Uncle W., as jolly as a sand-boy at having shirked the House; and made himself highly agreeable to Lady Ripon who also turned up.

21Mar1874, Beautiful Quartet Fiddling

LONDON, Saturday, March 21st, 1874.
—After dinner had the great treat of beautiful quartet fiddling at Mr. Balfour's, along with a select circle almost entirely composed of Lytteltons and Gladstones.

19Mar1874, Gladstone House To Let

LONDON, Thursday, March 19th, 1874.
—Poor old Auntie more composed and cheery, tho' hating the thought of No. 11 [FN: The Gladstones' house in Carlton House Terrace] being let for the season. To the great relief of all his unfortunate party, Uncle W. has consented to lead when he is wanted! and sure enough yesterday he spoke very well upon the Address, and to-day as brilliantly as ever in explanation of his late course, demolishing the impertinent "Harry Chaplin," who thought fit to give him a blowing-up for his past Irish policy.

08Mar1874, Yonge's Life of Bishop Patteson

HOLKER, Sunday, March 8th, 1874.
—Finished this evening a book that has taken great hold upon me, and that one ought to thank God for, Miss Yonge's Life of Bishop Patteson. It is a glorious shining proof from beginning to end of what our own dear Church can bring forth. His life was given in single-minded, pure devotion to God's work in the Melanesian Islands; and without sensational results though it might be, the seed sown went deep down and he lived to see it take root downward and bear fruit upward. Oh, what it is to see the Divine Life and Power as fresh and prevailing as ever, when once the Love of Christ is shining! What but that could produce in the heathen converts the blessed gifts of joy and hope and true penitence: their very words the same as of old, speaking of "all things being made new" to them. And then the Bishop's own shining character! Thro' toil and anxiety and loss of home and friends, loneliness, and, latterly, weakness and suffering, what blessedness and peace! what humility, faith, and love!

07Mar8174, Gladstone: No Active Lead in House

HOLKER, Saturday, March 7th, 1874.
—Grim news of Uncle W.'s determination, on deliberate grounds of what he thinks right, to take no active lead in the House this year. It will have to be Cavendish.

Saturday, November 06, 2010

02Mar1874, The Tichborne Verdict

HOLKER, Monday, March 2nd, 1874.
—The magnificent summing-up of Lord Chief Justice Cockburn ended on Saturday, and the jury in half an hour's time brought in a verdict of Guilty on both counts ; and miserable Arthur Orton stands at last stripped of all his shams and masks, in native baseness. He is sentenced to penal servitude for 14 years. His counsel Kenealy is gibbeted by judges and jury for abominable slanders and false accusations: and people say he must be disbarred. It is some comfort to perceive that the very mob have lost faith in their hero and he was taken off to Newgate without disturbance.

20Feb1874, A Great Five Years

LONDON, Friday, February 20th, 1874.
Uncle W. picking up his spirits already; but he is deeply indignant with the party—says there is no one point on which they would act together, and calls his 2nd fiddle election his "disgrace." Declaimed about it all a good deal; but after all Mr. Leveson was right t'other day when he said no Government ever went out with cleaner hands and a more glorious past. It has been a "great five years."

17Feb1874, Disembodied Spirits

LONDON, February 17th, Shrove Tuesday, 1874. —
To London. Saw the Gladstones before dinner. He had just come from the Queen, and was looking upset and sad; he had no expectation of anything like such a crash, and, with all his longing for rest, the mighty defeat cannot but be heavy to bear. She, poor dear, is very wretched about it.

We went to their tail after dinner—saw Argylls, Ld. Granville, Ld. Wolverton, Charles, and many "disembodied spirits," as Uncle W. calls the unseated members.

12Feb1874, We Came Out Triumphant

BRADFORD, Thursday, February 12th, 1874.
—We came out triumphant, 3 cheers! F. at the head, Mr. Wilson only 23 behind him — majority over 800. In brighter days it would have been 2,000; but this ain't amiss. It is a great delight and gratification. I "put in" the time of suspense pretty well, skating with the Law girls in Peel Park.... Our news came at 4.30.... I much feared I should kiss Mr. Law, dear man, or Mr. Wilson, or both; but it was happily averted.

11Feb1874, Pollingday

BRADFORD, Wednesday, February 11th, 1874.
—Pollingday. We should be delightfully confident, if it were not for the general rout of the Liberal party which is taking place all over the country, the causes of which are not every easy to determine. Probably many causes combine. Uncle W.'se government has been economical, with the grand result of national unbounded prosperity; but various "interests" have suffered in their pockets, and are furious against him; the Licensed Victuallers and publicans are all up in arms; and there is a universal sense of weariness and wish for letting things alone. And I believe the Secularists, and their tools the Irreconcileable Dissenters, have thoroughly frightened the country, which has plenty of strong attachment to the Church Establishment and Religious Education; and this must have a deal to do with the reaction. The Liberation and Birmingham League return very few representatives, and the party is paying the price of its wretched disorder and splits, and suffering for its innumerable hobby-riders and crotchet-mongers, who, like dogs on a racecourse, prance wildly about the field and get under the feet of the great champions of the great cause—breaking their own stupid backs in the process, and spoiling the race. Frank, Cavendish, Willy, Mr. Leveson are in, but Uncle W. himself is but a miserable 2nd at Greenwich and Eddy is beaten with Sir J. Shuttleworth in N.E. Lancashire. He turned up to dinner here last night.

06Feb1874, The Tichborne Trial

BRADFORD, Friday, February 6th, 1874.
—All this while the Lord Chief Justice Cockburn has been summing up in the Tichborne trial. The Spectator truly says that he must have felt as a 1st-rate singer would do, when, on striking up, all the children in the house began to squall! His speech beginning with the General Election. The Claimant is being clearly tho' gradually unravelled, and an unspeakably mean monster of fraud, lying, perjury, and all uncleanness he must be.

02Feb1874, Like Tragedy and Comedy

ESHTON, Monday, February 2nd, 1874.
—The meeting was in the Keighley Mechanics' Institute, at 8. The fine big hall was crammed in every corner. F. spoke with rather less effect than at Halifax, confining himself almost entirely to finance, but the people listened famously well, and I enjoyed the sight of their keen, shrewd faces. At first there were symptoms of opposition, from Tory, extreme Radical, and Republican (! ! !) sections, but all this seemed to dwindle away. My proudest time was during the questions, in which my old Fred does certainly excel. He is thoroughly up upon all the subjects and one could see growing respect and confidence in the faces below. Jolly old Mr. Wilson followed suit with unbounded good-will and pluck, but not quite with all the knowledge of the various matters one could wish; occasionally taking wild Radical flights, occasionally coming out rather old Tory than otherwise; but always with straightforwardness and bonhomie. What with F.'s profound earnestness and his humorous hitting, they are a good deal like Tragedy and Comedy. The meeting ended with splendid enthusiasm, and was all but unanimous, barely 6 hands being held up against us.

28Jan1874, The Irreconcileables and Sir Salt

BRADFORD, Wednesday, January 28th, 1874.
F. came home late, and a good deal harassed. He has no wish to attempt to conciliate the Irreconcileables; but the best class of dissenters who are supporting him and earnest against splitting up the party, have sat upon him to make some concession, and he has written to Sir Titus Salt (a typical man of the sort) to re-state his determination against excluding religion from Board Schools, and his opinion that taking away the liberty of parents in the choice of schools will greatly hinder compulsion, but promising eventually, rather than ruin the whole cause by Liberal strife, to vote for the repeal of the clause, should the bitter feeling continue. I can hardly think him right; but I daresay I am no judge of the duty of concession in the matter.

27Jan1874, Mr. Forster's Election

BRADFORD, Tuesday, January 27th, 1874.
—We came to Bradford, F. having left London at 6, I at 12. Good staunch friends (albeit Independent), the Laws, put us up. The town is wild over Mr. Forster's election, and we shan't be much thought of till that's over. The miserable 25th clause of the Education Act is made the battle-ground by the frantic section of the Dissenters, as I prophesied, but I should fancy nowhere so vehemently, or with so little common sense, as here. Here, where the rates paid on behalf of children whose parents could not afford to pay fees have amounted in the whole year to the interesting sum of 30s.!! the Irreconcileables mean to oust Mr. Forster after his years of stout Liberal service; and they may very probably do it, by splitting the party.

24Jan1874, The Duke of Edinburgh Marries

LONDON, Saturday, January 24th, 1874.
—By some mysterious process the Tory newspapers have the news, Uncle W.'s address and all! tho' it was only sent late last evening to the Times. The address is more a manifesto and mighty long, but excellent and forcible, with the grand plum of abolition of the Income Tax, on the strength of a great surplus of £5,000,000 and promised reduction of indirect taxation. General stir and bewilderment. F. is certain to have a sharp contest for the first time since he became an M.P., 8½ years ago; he plunged into his address....
Yesterday the Duke of Edinburgh married the Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia with all the gorgeous Eastern ceremonial, and the English Service besides; the Duke, by the account in the paper, received the Sacrament (at least the Cup) which I can hardly believe (No; it was not the Eucharist Cup, but a simple ceremony), as I know Mrs. Helbert was refused when in one of her phases she wished to communicate in the Greek Church, at St. Petersburg. The Dean of Westminster celebrated the English rite, and must have been in his glory. A magnificent Russian choir sang at both services.

Friday, November 05, 2010

23Jan1874, Parliament to be Dissolved!

LONDON, Friday, January 23rd, 1874.
—An extraordinary thunderclap exploded this evening, after a long Cabinet Council: Parliament is to be dissolved at once! Various important elections during the recess have been going against Government, and the state of things ever since Dizzy refused to take office after the Irish University defeat has been very creaky and unsatisfactory ; Government greatly weakened. So what should Uncle William hatch as he coddled his cold but this spirited move! In bed he wrote a fine eloquent address to the Greenwich electors, which is to burst upon the astonished world to-morrow. F. told me on Wednesday that we were on the brink of a volcano, but not till just before dinner to-night did he tell me what was up. It was a complete dead secret and will take Liberals as much by surprise as Tories.

31Oct1873, Lay of the Last Minstrel

HOLKER, Friday, October 31st, 1873.
William and Fritz actually love the "Lay of the Last Minstrel"!!! The illustrations first attracting them: they make me read bits of it, and can spout "Yes! I am come of high degree," "Nine and twenty knights of fame," etc. Cavsh. went late.

30Oct1873, Wild Wind and Rain

HOLKER, Thursday, October 30th, 1873.
—Except school (where we 3 are taking the religious teaching of the 1st class), no outing: wild wind and rain.

16Oct1873, Teaching the Dear Boykins

HOLKER, Thursday, October 16th, 1873.
—Had a fine galloping ride on Republic, with F., on the sands. Grey mild day. Uncle Dick came. I do Bible and hymns, and reading, and am beginning a little adding and counting, with the dear three eldest boykins before breakfast. Only Victor reads.

15Oct1873, Visiting in Raike

HOLKER, Wednesday, October 15th, 1873.
Emma and the girls and I went to Raike to see Mesd. Abbotson and Kelly; Mr. Jodrell came.

14Oct1873, A Bit of Spitting by Dizzy

HOLKER, Tuesday, October 14th, 1873.
—Very lovely with glorious views; walked with Emma up Byland Scarr, and to see Mesdames Telfer and Mackreth. The Howards came late; it is 4 years since they were here and must be very sad to poor At. Fanny. Another Govt. victory at Taunton; this little turn of the tide is perhaps to be attributed to an extraordinary bit of spitting on the part of Dizzy, who has written a letter (for publication) to Ld. Grey de Wilton savagely calling the Govt. names, and dubbing their whole career "plundering and blundering." This must disgust lukewarm Liberals.

10Oct1873, Catholics of Prussia

HOLKER, Friday, October 10th, 1873.
—The old Catholics of Prussia have now a Bishop duly consecrated and a constitution; also they have just been recognised by the State—a notable event which seems to give them a position such as the English Church acquired after the Reformation, only they have cleaner hands and, I suppose, if possible, a more urgent cause ; inasmuch as Papal aggression and the worst abuses of religion are less intolerable than Papal infallibility, and new falsehoods imposed as articles of Faith. God preserve them in His Truth, steadfast to the end!

Alas, Mrs. Helbert has gone over to Rome, dreaming, in the face of all these things, of unity and purity and peace there!

09Oct1873, Lauching the Duke of Buccleuch

HOLKER, Thursday, October 9th, 1873.
—Went with F. to Barrow for the launch of the Duke of Buccleuch, one of the new E. Indian "Ducal Line." I named her and made a splendid smash of the champagne bottle, to the joy of all beholders. Having never seen a launch before, I was delighted and rather throat-lumpy at the fine rush and plunge into the sea of the poor brave ship, little knowing what may be before her !

06Oct1873, Mrs. Polly's Horrible Ordeal

LONDON, Monday, October 6th, 1873.
—Eastward! Less work than in the summer. Cd not talk to my poor Mrs. Polly, as she was brought in all wretched and senseless with chloroform from one of her innumerable hideous operations and aftds fell asleep. She is a dear, tidy, nice-minded woman, wife of a respectable country gardener. It is a horrible ordeal for her.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

05Oct1873, Edward's Vision: An Eton Master

LONDON, October 5th, 1873. 17th Sunday after Trinity. —
Had the great pleasure of spending the day at Eton with darling old Edward and Alfred. Edwd. looking thin and Alfred hectic, from the exertion of playing football in the late great heat. Saw Spencer in S. George's, and walked with him round about Granny's beloved Windsor Castle and my beloved too. The very sight of its outside brings rushes of very romantic memories over me! Had luncheon at the White Hart with the boys and walked with them between services in the Park. Talked with Edwd. of his vision of being an Eton master [FN: Edward Lyttelton became a master, and ultimately Head Master of Eton.]; I wish it may come to pass. Second service in Eton Chapel—singing very nice to what it was. Such a nice day, pleasant to look back upon. Got home to dinner, and entertained Uncle W. and Willy; Uncle W. agog upon perversions; gave us a brilliant history of the rise and development of Confession in the Roman Church from the earliest period to the present time! which ought to have been "taken down."

30Sep1873, Irving in "Richelieu"

LONDON, Tuesday, September 30th, 1873.
—We went with Alfred Howard and Spencer to see "Richelieu" with Irving; he was excellent, tho' too like a swearing cat at times.

24Sep1873, Letters of Sarah, Lady Lyttelton

CHATSWORTH, Wednesday, September 24th, 1873.
—The Dean has now pounced upon the book, and is in raptures over it; goes off about it to me on every opportunity. Wants us to present it to the Queen, who, he is sure, will greatly like it, in spite of one or two little things which may take her aback.

[FN: Dean Wellesley, of Windsor. The book was the privately printed Letters of her grandmother Sarah, Lady Lyttelton.]

19Sep1873, Sweet Converse With Tallee

CHATSWORTH, Friday, September 19th, 1873.
—I have sweet converse with Tallee. Va is a good-tempered cheery thing, with a funny little face rather like an apple that has been hung a few minutes to roast.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

01Sep1873, A Monster Expedition to Wrekin

HAGLEY, Monday, September 1st, 1873.
Papa headed a monster expedition to the top of the Wrekin. It consisted of himself and Sybella, his 8 sons, 3 of his daughters, 2 sons-in-law, a grandson, 3 cousins (Pole Carews), a niece (G. G.) [FN: Gertrude Glynne, afterwards Lady Penrhyn], and Mr. Balfour. At Wellington Station (odd coincidence) we met Aggie [FN: Agnes Gladstone, engaged to Rev. E. Wickham, Head Master of Wellington, afterwards Dean of Lincoln.] and Mr. Wickham, chaperoned by Mazy, Harry, and Herbert. Poor Mr. W. must have looked on bedazed as the 21 came bubbling endlessly one after another out of the saloon carriage. We all set off up the hill, and I had the very appalling honour of walking tête-a-tête with Mr. W. for a good bit! At the top we perched all over the crags and revelled in the glorious, widespread, many-tinted view, while the dear posse of big brothers set up various part-songs, and the hero and heroine sat happily together.

24Aug1873, Remembering Mamma

BOLTON, St. Bartholomew, 11th Sunday after Trinity, 1873.
—The usual dear Bolton Sunday, with an additional sacredness. It is the 1st S. Bartholomew's Day since that Funeral Day in '57 that I have been able to receive the Holy Communion. How well I remember the intense comfort of it when one's heart was all wrung and aching! And how I wrote of it: "It is like Holy Hands blessing and soothing one: Peace, be still." God grant it may always be so to me, in joy and sorrow, to the end.

08Aug1873, I Shall Have Him With Me

LONDON, Friday, August 8th, 1873.
—My Fred back from Holker at 6 a.m. this morning. If he takes the office, he vacates his seat; it was therefore to be kept back for a time, to get Registration matters, etc., forward, and to consult influential constituents. But by some unaccountable blundering the cat came out of the bag in the paper this morning, and he is in for it. It will be a horrid business if he has a contest, Greenwich and East Staffordshire having just been won by the Tories owing to the split caused by the precious League. But we hope better of the stout old Riding, and, if it only shows a firm front, the Tories won't be mad enough to contest it. Poor F., however, has to post off again at 3 to Bradford.
I saw Uncle W. at his window when we got home; he called me in and was delightful about F., calling him "such a compound of gallantry and good sense" and saying "I shall have him with me" with great pleasure and affection.

06Aug1873, Government Positions

LONDON, Wednesday, August 6th, 1873.
—A notable day, F. being offered a Lordship of the Treasury and thus entering upon official life. Uncle W. takes the Chancellorship of the Exchequer on himself, and F. will be an extra Lord, owing to the double work this will give Uncle W. Mr. Lowe is bowed off the Exchequer of which he has made a grand muddle, and becomes Home Secretary, Mr. Bruce getting a peerage and Presidency of the Council. F., of course, can't accept without asking the Duke, so went off to Holker this evening. Atie. P. and I to The Coppice.

Saturday, October 09, 2010

05Aug1873, Thickening of Ministerial Plot

LONDON, Tuesday, August 5th, 1873.
—Thickening of Ministerial plot. Thank goodness F. was able de refuser l'offre d'être "fouet" en place de G. G. G. [FM: George Grenfell Glyn, the then Whip ; afterwards 2nd Baron Wolverton.], chose qui lui serait insupportable et pour moi un supplice. Uncle W. le lui offrit d'une fawn tres aimable et ne voulut point insister, surtout en comprenant que le duc s'y opposait fort. Je ne crois pas que F. s'en tirerait bien : it n'est pas assez rapide et il est trop scrupuleux-peut-être aussi trop enthousiaste.... The interesting event took place of Mr. Bright and Uncle W. dining with us (a dead secret!) ; said Mr. B. having consented to take office. He was very pleasant and downright ; during a few minutes that I had him alone said he would never have done it for anyone but Uncle W.; spoke of him in the warmest way; said of himself that he felt quite well now, but was apt to flag, and get discouraged over work. I happened to say during dinner that I had no Scotch blood. "Nor have I," said he; "I wish I had; then perhaps I should have been a less lazy man." They talked composedly of the price of cotton, the Shortening of Hours Bill for women (of which Mr. B. disapproves), and such subjects, most of dinner time.

04Aug1873, Unpleasantnesses

LONDON, Monday, August 4th, 1873.
—Eastward, I hope for the last time, but there are unpleasantnesses in les hauts quartiers qui retiennent notre chef en ville, et nous par consequent. Il doit y avoir plusieurs échanges de role.[FN: Rearrangement of the Cabinet took place at this time.]

30Jul1873, Jubilee Singers

LONDON, Wednesday, July 30th, 1873.
—We went yesty to breakfast at No. 11, along with the "Jubilee Singers"— emancipated slaves, every one of them from the Southern States. They sang quite gloriously. Never shall I forget the enthusiasm and inspiration of their poor ugly faces in "John Brown," especially at the line "All mankind is free." Trumpet-like tones and wonderful softness, too, in their voices. One hymn was most beautiful—"Can I forget thee?" Little Sarah was brought in and listened entranced, instead of screaming at the black faces as was to be expected.

21Jul1873, Bp. of Winchester Dies From Fall

FALCONHURST, Monday, July 21st, 1873.
—A letter from Atie P. at Holmbury came to me this morning with the appalling news of the death of the Bp. of Winchester. He travelled with Ld. Granville to Leatherhead, where they were met by horses that they might ride the rest of the way to Holmbury. The Bishop immensely pleased with the beautiful weather and scenery and with the horse Ld. G. mounted him on. They were cantering down a grassy slope not far from Abinger Hall, when the Bishop's horse stumbled at a grip, and came down on his knees (or all but). The Bishop was thrown over its head and, falling heavily on his head and turning right over, dislocated his neck and was killed on the spot. It is certain he cd have had no moment's pain or even consciousness of danger, but went in one instant from his enjoyment of earth to the Presence of God. It is an unutterable loss.
We came home. Went E. with poor Atie. P., who is dreadfully taken out of: they were at Holmbury to meet the Bishop, and were just expecting his arrival when the groom brought word of a "bad accident," but they all tried to hope the best, until poor Ld. Granville arrived at 10, looking ghastly, with the fatal news. About a week ago we rode with the Bp. in Rotten Row ; he was in all his usual health and vigour and high spirits, and, when we got upon Church matters, said much that was interesting and that I shan't forget.

18Jul1873, Scott-Siddons and Mrs. Siddons

LONDON, Friday, July 18th, 1873.
—Had a delightful Scott-Siddons reading for a charity at Grosvenor H.; made her acquaintance aftds at tea with Constance : we reminded her of Granny's interview with her after a reading abt the year '67, when Granny told her of her likeness to her great-grandmother Mrs. Siddons. She remembered it well, and was so delighted to be told who Granny was; said it chanced to be the 1st time she had been told of the likeness. We made her pose under the famous Sir Joshua of the Tragic Muse, and the likeness was most striking, only this little person is very dark. She is exceedingly handsome—almost beautiful.

16Jul1873, "Marie Antoinette" by Ristori

LONDON, Wednesday, July 16th, 1873.
F. and I, May and Atie. P, went to see "Marie Antoinette" done by Ristori at Drury Lane. It was grand tragic acting—the only thing of the sort I have ever seen (except the same actress in "Medea" when I was fifteen, of which I have only a confused recollection). The awful truth and recentness of the events made it almost intolerably painful and pathetic to a degree that set many off crying, me to a frightful extent! A tiny girl who cdnt have been more than 8 played the poor little Dauphin's part wonderfully and the King was well done too. But oh, the Queen!—especially when she asks the King's forgiveness, when she cows Simon and aftds appeals to him before he carries off the child, and at the end when she goes to execution, and with her hands tied behind her, is sublime. The horror and pity of the whole thing was to me intensified by realising what the sufferings of the miserable mob must have been, and of their ancestors for generations, brought before one in the play by the clamour and shouts for bread coming from a distance nearer and nearer—and all the vengeance falling, as so often, on the guiltless heads. But they were happier in death than their predecessors had been in the pride of life.

14Jun1873, Larking to the Opera

LONDON, Monday, July 14th, 1873.
—Dined en garcon in Gt. George St., and went larking aftds with old "Henry Barker" to the Opera. "Don Giovanni" with Patti, most delightful.

Thursday, October 07, 2010

12Jul1873, Professional Billiards

WIMBLEDON, Saturday, July 12th, 1873.
—Came to Wimbledon to dine under canvas with the Ducies, very pleasant and pretty. Met the Tecks, Selbornes, Ripons, L. Lindsays, Ld. Ossulstone, etc. Aftds saw some tip-top professional billiards (Cook and Bennett), to my delight ; a wonderful break of 117.

10Jul1873, Variegated Bonbons Or Christians

LONDON, Thursday, July 10th, 1873.
—Beautiful garden party at Montagu H. Tho' individually people are apt nowadays to look more like variegated bonbons than Christians, yet en masse the effect of the gay colours is very bright and successful.

07Jul1873, Shah Goes to France

LONDON, Monday, July 7th, 1873.
—The Shah went off to France on Saturday, having pretty well tired out King, Lords, and Commons. Even the Prince of Wales is said to be dead beat. The French are going to make the best splash they can, but how poor, with no National Anthem, no flag, and nothing but a mushroom President. One of these days the Gladstones had the Shah to tea, and little Mary and Agnes Talbot were fetched upstairs to look at him. What shd he do but pat them on the cheeks and say, "Tres jolies," to their infinite excitement. "He patted me twice," quoth Agnes, "because I'm fair; so he is sure to ask for me as his 4th wife."

04Jul1873, Ball for the Wales'

LONDON, Friday, July 4th, 1873.
—Ball at the Goldsmiths' Hall, for the Wales's; a fine sight: entrance-hall like a small Stafford House, only better, inasmuch as the marble is all real.

02Jul1873, Squirming Duke of Wellington

LONDON, Wednesday, July 2nd, 1873.
—Lovely concert at Mrs. Ralli's ; took Agnes and Helen to Apsley House ball and left them there. Never noticed the D. of Wellington before! Why does the poor little squirming man look as old as his father?

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

28Jun1873, Meeting Young Nicholas II

LONDON, Saturday, June 28th, 1873.
—Smart garden party for the Shah at Chiswick; the Queen came and looked very cheerful with a little white about her. The Czarevitch and Cesarevna [FN: Afterwards Alexander III; the Cesarevna, afterwards Empress, was the sister of the Princess of Wales.] are here; he is an ugly, fair, big dog of a man; she dark and pretty and with our Princess's manner; but not high-bred looking. I had the honour of shaking hands with their two little Grand Dukes Nicholas [FN: Afterwards the ill-fated Nicholas II.] and George; fine children, but plain. The little Wales girls dainty and pretty, and two bouncing handsome Teck boys. The public in rainbow hues, "only more so." The sister Princesses dress alike and seem immensely happy together.

19Jun1873, A Fine To-Do

LONDON, Thursday, June 19th, 1873.
—London had the Shah-ums; streets in horrid state. We went in full fig to the Guildhall for a fine to-do; he is a small brown man, with a handsome cruel face: diamonds wonderful to behold.

18Jun1873, The Shah of Persia

LONDON, Wednesday, June 18th, 1873.
—The Shah of Persia arrived in London and everything is turned inside-out in consequence. We saw him arrive in a thunder pelt by the Mall and go to Buck. Palace.

15Jun1873, An Extreme Ritualistic Church

OXFORD, June 15th, 1873. 1st Sunday after Trinity.
—We went to S. Barnabas for Matins ; an extreme ritualistic Church, but with nothing I much disliked in the Service except a side-altar!! and the odd take of the Clergy marching in to the Church in "birettas." Fine hearty singing, good clear reading and intoning. But the sermon was misery to us both, from inordinate affectation of delivery and emptiness of matter. "Father" Benson was the man, and I am told he is a saint, which grieves me the more.

11Jun1873, Smart Evening-looking Skirts

LONDON, Wednesday, June 11th, 1873.
—Garden party with Mazy and Helen at Ly. Airlie's: I was enraged at people's appearing in smart evening-looking skirts.

09Jun1873, Back Into the Collar

Monday, June 9th, 1873.
—Went off a little with the feeling of putting one's head back into the collar. The unlucky Alexandra Palace, opened only t'other day after two former collapses, was being burnt to the ground as we came along the line. I stayed at Hatfield till 2, to see my dear Bp. Confirm, which he did beautifully. Also got a basket of rhodos, etc., with the help of Fish [FN: Now Bishop of Exeter.] and Nigs,[FN: Late Lord Edward Cecil.] left it behind, and dear Jim (the eldest) [FN: Present Ld. Salisbury.] tore down to the station, hatless in the heat, to catch me!

08Jun1873, How I Have Enjoyed Myself

HATFIELD, Sunday, June 8th, 1873.
—Annivy. of my 1st Communion. Early Celebration here at 8. Resisted a temptation to go with the Bishop and see his Ordination at St. Alban's Abbey and was rewarded by the fine hearty service in the parish church. Evensong in the beautiful private chapel of the house—very delightful—"rivers of water."

Pleasant to sit in the vineyard in fine warm weather: the children tumbling up and down the grassy slope.

Before dinner the dear Bishop read to his wife and daughter and me the "Xtian Year" for the day and for the 2nd Sun. aft. Trin, recalling a long-past happy visit to Summerhill, where he read the same hymns to M. and me. Also some good and very devout verses on the H. Communion by Uncle W. written in 1838, which I showed him.

Then a little walk with Ly. Salisbury and a sister and F., among the abundant rhododendrons and pines, and a pleasant evening ; folks telling each other what their earliest recollections were. No one cd cap the Duke's, which I told of—viz., the Battle of Leipzig ; imprinted on his infant ears by hearing it spoken of thus, "Boney has been well licked," and taking the verb literally.

Mr. Richmond had painted Mr. Tom Grenville, who knew Sir Joshua Reynolds well.
How I have enjoyed myself!

07Jun1873, Riding Through the Green

HATFIELD, Saturday, June 7th, 1873.
—The Cowpers and Mr. Leveson came over to luncheon, and we went back with them to Panshanger, Blosset Alderson, Ld. Edmund, and I riding through the green Hagley-like lanes. Pictures beyond at Panshanger. Dear Bp. of Rochester, Mrs. and Lucy Claughton came; also Brownlows, and Sir A. and Lady Gordon and a Miss Lefevre.

05Jun1873, This Noble Place

HATFIELD, Thursday, June 5th, 1873.
—Parted with F. on the railway ; he going to Kirby Lonsdale for more speechifying; I (chaperoned by a clever little Cambridge oddity named Stuart [FN: Afterwards Professor Stuart, M.P.]as far as Hitchin) came to this noble place. Find host and hostess, 2 Miss Aldersons and Mrs. Cocks, Ld. Edmund Fitzmaurice, Uncle Dick, Mr. Balfour, and Richmond père [FN: George Richmond, the artist.] : very pleasant.

30May1873, Uncle W. Don't Believe

CHATSWORTH, Friday, May 30th, 1873.
—Uncle W. don't a bit believe in Mr. Harcourt's Bright story.

27May1873, Harcourt Cynical and Unprincipled

LONDON, Tuesday, May 27th, 1873.
—Dined with Sir Harcourt Johnstone, meeting Wenlocks and various folk ; Mr. W. Harcourt was there, as cynical and unprincipled in talk as may be! The most pleasing thing he had to say was that Cavendish was the only member of the Govt. who had common sense : "He's the leader for me." Informed us that he sat near Bright during Uncle W.'s fine anti-Miall speech the other day (on Church disestablishment) and that Bright was in a fury therewith.

Saturday, October 02, 2010

25May1873, Lady Essex's Children

CASSIOBURY, May 25th, 1873. Sunday after Ascension.
—Some enchanting weather. Nice warm services at Watford Parish Church. Pretty poking about in the aftn., with tea out of doors at a bewitching dairy. Ly. Essex, in a bright green silk and yellow hair, looked like an emerald pin. Her little boy of 8 is nice-looking, though terribly blind ; but the creature to enslave all hearts is Lady Betty Capel, aged 2 1/2.

24May1873, Junket to Cassiobury

CASSIOBURY, Saturday, May 24th, 1873.
—Had the junket of going to Cassiobury [FN: The house of Lord Essex.]. So seldom do we see new places, that I do enjoy it. Lovely warm day ; birds clamorous, foliage tender green. The house, in spite of much ginger-breading outside, very delightful and with a Gloire-de-Dijon rose in bloom growing up it. The Powerscourts and Fredk. Stanleys are here. F. had to do birthday dinner at No. 11 and came here Sunday.

20May1873, Doomed Northumberland House

LONDON, Tuesday, May 20th, 1873.
—Drum at poor doomed Northumberland House at which we all took a sad farewell.

16May1873, Uncle W. Overthrows Disestablishment

LONDON, Friday, May 16th, 1873.
Uncle W. made such a brilliant overthrow of Miall and his Disestablishment as the cause ought to take long in recovering from. No one so much as answered him and the whole thing was over before dinner. Smart drum at Lansdowne House, stifling crush at Baroness Coutts's.

13May1873, Delightful and Intensely English

CHICHESTER, Tuesday, May 13th, 1873.
—Nice service at the cathedral at 10. Miss Durnford took me about the enchanting garden, all sweet and old and peaceful ; and to the top of the Tower, whence the views of the quiet, red-tiled town, green blossoming fields and orchards and woods, Goodwood hills, the Channel and the faint blue Isle of Wight, were delightful and intensely English. Somehow this sort of sight always gives me a strong sense of the healthiness and peace of England, with her Church and her home life deep-rooted in the hearts of her people ; and all notion of disestablishment or revolution seems a perverse dream. How unlike Ireland!

Friday, October 01, 2010

12May1873, Bishop's Palace of Chichester

CHICHESTER, Monday, May 12th, 1873.
—Here I am at the Palace of Chichester. Having been put, rather willy-nilly, on the Bishop Otter College Committee, I cd not resist an invitation from Mrs. Durnford to attend a meeting to-morrow. A dream of delight to my Cockney eyes was the Palace as I drove up to it under a "sunbright" sky: the tall glorious cathedral, spire-towering above, the green gardens, the quaint old house....
The Bp. a dear, kind, very episcopal old man, wife nice and homely, daughter lively. Poor old Dean Hook dined ; he is terribly unwieldy and infirm, and can't sit upright. On collapsing into his chair after a prodigious business—"sic a-getting up stair"—he puffed and panted most desperately, and then broke out in a funny laugh at himself.

09May1873, Huges and Manning

LONDON, Friday, May 9th, 1873.
—Meeting of the "Provident Knowledge Society," a new thing, likely to be very useful in puffing and explaining P.O. Savings Banks, Govt. investments, penny banks, etc. Ld. Derby presided, and the Bp of Exeter, Mr. Th. Hughes, [FN: The author of "Tom Brown."] Manning, etc., spoke. The contrast between the ascetic, skeleton, spiritual face of Manning and the florid, well-fed, pink face of Mr. Hughes, as they sat side by side, was very funny.

08May1873, A Gamboge-ey Green Gown

LONDON, Thursday, May 8th, 1873.
—Why did I go to this May Drawing-room? Endless dismal business, too late to see the Queen, squeeze, and dead tire. Sarina [FN: Mrs. Godley, afterwards Lady Kilbracken.] and I went together, she wanting to kiss the Queen's hand, being presented on her marriage. No such honour. Baroness Burdett, poor old maid, with her very red nose and flurry colour, thought fit to wear a befurbelowed gamboge-ey green gown, "couleur aeuf pourri" as near as could be imitated. Ly. Airlie's fine big girls looked well in a sort of new-ink colour, with white, and Ly. Brownlow was a radiant sight.

02May1873, The Albert Memorial Cross

LONDON, Friday, May 2nd, 1873.
—Had a little junket with my Fred to choose him a library table and then to examine the Albert Memorial Cross in Hyde Park. It really is a beautiful thing, but, placed where it is, it will look like a gingerbread ornament just taken off the top of that Twelfth cake, the Albert Hall!

29Apr1873, A New Carriage

LONDON, Tuesday, April 29th, 1873.
—Had the immense break of going out for the first time in My Victoria —an elegant little equipage with a good-looking black horse, and all ship-shape. Inaugurated it by taking F. to Downing St. (a good omen, I hope!), and then went to S. James Hall and heard an interesting S.P.G. speechification. Ld. Napier dry and John Bull but telling, in his stout defence of missionary work in India. Canon Lightfoot excellent, cheering one up by comparing the progress in given districts with the progress ditto in the third centy, and proving we gained much by the comparison.

20Apr1873, Evangelical Sermon

LISMORE, April 20th, 1873. 1st Sunday after Easter.
—Dr. Morgan preached a sermon with much beauty and eloquence in it and the charm of strong feeling: but all "Evangelical" sermons leave me in the same vague state of mind as to what they mean us to do or to be. Lovely delightful walk on the greenissimus grass up the river.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

26Mar1873, Burials Bill Carried by 63

LONDON, Wednesday, March 26th, 1873.
—The precious Burials Bill (2nd reading) carried by 63, in spite of a capital, I shd say unanswerable speech, unluckily of Dizzy's. The line is to talk as if the Church was the persecuting virago in the matter, which is rather too bad when she meekly buries everybody, unlike any sect, and merely begs to be left to use her own service on her own ground. Dizzy's best point was the inconsistency of the Dissenters claiming exemption from the Ch. rates some years ago because they wd not pay for what did not concern them, and now, while never offering to pay rates as before, calmly claiming a right to what, on their own showing, is the Church's ground. Of course there is not a shadow left in their way, either of principle, logic, or common sense, when they take it into their heads to announce their "right" to do what they please in the Church's fabrics. But in this proposal, as in the sister-in-law one, consistency and principle are utterly scouted. And to think that my perverse Fred shd support them both! It isn't for want of many a talking to.

22Mar1873, The Duke of Cambridge

LONDON, Saturday, March 22nd, 1873.
—Dined at the Staffd. Northcotes' to meet the D. of Cambridge whom I have never talked to before : I liked his simple, jolly, straightforward way and famous laugh. He broke the ice and our courtly silence on arriving, by shouting out to someone at the top of his voice, "COLD to-day."

18Mar1873, Dined at the Deanery

LONDON, March 18th, 1873.
—Dined at the Deanery, the little Dean [FN: Stanley] in high form; maliciously made out that Pusey had adopted his clumsy way of using and italicizing the word "that" from Gibbon! I wonder which wd be most affronted!

16Mar1873, A Cabinet Council on Holyday

CLIVEDEN, March 16th, 1873. 3rd Sunday in Lent.
—The decrepit old Prime Minister walked us off to Burnham Church (3 miles) at a killing pace, and likewise sallied forth again with wife and daughter (who drove before) in drenching rain to another church a mile off in the afternoon. Georgey Grenfell came to dinner with Lena, who sang delightfully. After dinner came despatches from Windsor, including a long letter from Dizzy to H.M. definitely backing out. As the D. of Argyll and Uncle W. put their noses together on the sofa over the box, the faithful Willy and Fred hovering near, I thought it was a fine thing to assist at a Cabinet Council. No one can regret his being obliged to take up office again, but it has its keen disappointment to him, loving the prospect of a holyday as he had been doing, and having ticklish business to carry through in a rather dislocated House.

15Mar1873, Uncle W. Gives an Ivory Madonna

CLIVEDEN, Saturday, March 15th, 1873.
—Raw and ungenial. Abbey. We came to Cliveden [FN: Then the Duke of Westminster's house.], with the W. E. G.'s (he walking to Paddington), Mazy, the Dss. of Argyll, and Mr. Leveson. Uncle W. has given me a little ivory Madonna he picked up on his way to the station, in a shop ! I told him it was highly compromising and Ultramontane.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

11Mar1873, Gladstone's Finest Speech

LONDON, Tuesday, March 11th, 1873.
—To the House again, but not till after dinner (at Ly. Mt. Beaumont's), as a pack of wild Irish were to begin the debate [FN: On the Irish University Bill]. Heard the main part of Dizzy's speech, which was wild-hitting and weak. He cast "longing lingering looks behind" on concurrent endowment! an unearthly sort of card for Tories to depend on. As the clock struck 12 down he sat after a strained bit of declamation, and up sprung Uncle W. and made "the finest speech" of his life—so say many folks. It took exactly 2 hrs. He may have been more strikingly eloquent at other times ; but for strong conviction, perfect temper, mastery of his subject, brilliant hitting and power and fervour and ability, nothing cd equal it. He ran splendid tilts against Ld. Edmund Fitzmaurice for reversing the ancient custom of elders castigating the young, against Dr. Playfair for being misled by his professorial position into thinking nothing cd be done without lectures, whereas he, Uncle W., had gained all the academical trifles he had gained with hardly the help of a single lecture—(but this attack was most gracefully done so as to be complimentary both to Playfair and Scotland)—and against one or two others ; with a delightful quizzing of "Big Bentinck" as a "repentant rebel." It will be hard to look upon Uncle W. after this vigorous feat of arms as an old man in great want of rest, which he rather tries to make himself out! He drank nothing but water, despising his usual egg-flip, as it was after dinner. Well, it was over, with a fine appeal to the Liberal Party at the end, urging them to put the crown to their work of justice to Ireland. I cdn't help thinking such a speech wd turn the tide, but Atie. P., an older hand than me, did not let herself hope. When I saw F.'s face coming back from the lobby, I foresaw defeat; and so it was, by a majority of 3, showing a coalition between the Irish Ultramontanes and the Conservatives. Old M. was in Sir Ch. Russell's box [FN: "Sir" in the Diary : but she probably refers to Lord Charles Russell, then Serjeant-at-Arms.] and greatly delighted with the speech: wigged Johnny for voting against. Mr. Forster came to the Speaker's box and said, "I don't care for anything after that speech"—touching, as I know he is wretched at the prospect of going out before carrying through his Education Act. Uncle W., finding us waiting at the Ladies' Gallery door, mornes et mélancoli-ques, for the carriage, gave me a kind little kiss. Mary [FN: I.e., of course, Mary Gladstone, afterwards Mrs. Drew.] was there : it was the 1st time she had heard him.

25Feb1873, Shot Albert's Quondam Tutor

LONDON, (Shrove) Tuesday, February 25th, 1873.
—Went with old M. to a special Committee at the House in hopes of hearing Papa examined about Endowed Schools; but only came in for a rather inaudible duel between Mr. Roby and Sir Michael Hicks Beach. Shot, to my amusement, Albert's quondam tutor Mr. Richmond, doing Secy. to the Schools Commission. Afterwds to my Chelsea School Council : felt like a strong-minded woman altogether. We have started a Beautiful Being named Henderson as butler.

24Feb1873, The Horrible Price of Coal

LONDON, S. Mathias, Monday, 1873.
—I went with Mazy to represent Aggy at a Poplar tea-party : very successful. The poor women talked of the horrible price of coal, which, owing to strikes in Wales and other labour hitches, has gone up to 40s. and even 50s. a ton. The poor people buy a ¼ of hundredweight. A sack costs 3s. and only lasts, for two fires, 10 days.

06Feb1873, Parliament Open, Charles Speaks

LONDON, Thursday, February 6th, 1873.
—Parlt. opened (alas ! no Queen) ; old Charles moved the address, capitally well in expression and matter, and only a trifle too stiff in manner. He looked beautiful. So did not the seconder, Mr. Stone (a Waterloo House bigwig), who was gig major, but spoke well.

Friday, September 24, 2010

30Jan1873, George IV, An Abominable Man

LONDON, Thursday, January 30th, 1873.
—Met wonderful old Sir Henry Holland, who might, however, be 30 times better company than he is : he always seems devoured by doctorial reserve and afraid of committing himself about characters 70 years ago. However, he did let fly upon George IV, saying he had attended his two wives, and his mistress Ly. Conyngham, the latter of whom had told him awful things of him. "He was an abominable man from the beginning of his life to the end," quoth Sir Henry — "far worse than any of his brothers," all of whom Sir H. knew. He also talked of Prss. Charlotte, and the lamentable job perpetrated by "my old friend Dr. Willis" in getting appointed as accoucheur his brother-in-law wretched Sir R. Crofts, who had before been shut up for insanity, and who bled the poor flabby-habit-ed Princess 2 or 3 times before her confinement, so that she died of exhaustion.

23Jan18873, The Whirl of London

LONDON, Thursday, January 23rd, 1873.
—Came to London for good — earlier than ever before, I do believe, except the year of Bob's birth. My heart always rather sinks at the prospect of the whirling, strenuous sort of life, in contrast with peaceful, gliding Holker days.

18Jan1873, In a Rage Over the Burials Bill and Slavery

HOLKER, Saturday, January 18th, 1873.
—I have been reading " Uncle Tom's Cabin " again, also its Key, and an article in the Edinburgh of '55 about it. In this troublesome world, many are the things that one dislikes and disapproves of, many that grieve and fret one ; but there are only a few subjects which put me into a thorough rage ; which I avoid speaking of from the exasperation they produce all through me. They are various in magnitude—some may have but the smallest external scope : for instance, the " Burials Bill " is one of them. But one strong element of insufferability is a malevolent lie, clothed in religious cant, which I detect in such things, and which to my mind the Burials Bill has in great perfection. I have the strongest conviction that the originators of the agitation have for motive the desire to claim what does not belong to them, what they have justly and deliberately forfeited—not by way of disability, but by the very act of dissenting. It is as if a family had come into possession of a house and grounds to which it was agreed they were all entitled, as long as by common consent they lived under certain rules, and as if some out of the number, on conscientious grounds having come to the conclusion that they cd no longer submit to these rules, shd calmly demand their share in the house and grounds comme si rien n'était!
The old disabilities which were very rightly removed from Dissenters were political ones, wrongly imposed for religious differences. But here is the Church's own ground, paid for by her own members, claimed by those who, of their own free choice, have broken off from her. Nay, it is still worse ; for in the wide charity taught by our Lord, the Church does admit all who are baptized to her buildings and her churchyards, counting them all Church people whenever they come to her. But it is a little strong to ask her to let them bring into her own holy places, their own forms and ministers ! so as comfortably to combine the pleasures of Dissent with the advantages of Churchmanship. The original Dissenters were more manly and true. Objecting in their consciences to the Church's system, they left her honestly, and never invented a clever plan of both keeping their cake and eating it. There wd be some¬thing to be said for the demand if there was one word in our Burial Service which cd run against the doctrines or feelings of any Christian whatever—but this nobody pretends to say. If, however, it was so, all difficulty wd be removed by their having their own minister and service over the body in the house, and having the funeral in silence aftds (a thing R.C.s and Presbyterians always do). The reasons and pleas brought forward — "National" churchyards should be free to all—it is wicked to forbid their own services to the dead—etc., etc., are all false at bottom. Another subject of rage with me is the Birmn. League outcry agst the 25th clause of the Education Act, which is still more undoubtedly a false one ; but I have talked about that before. But the monstrous one of all is now, thank God ! a thing of the past—American slavery. I suppose "Uncle Tom," first read to us when I was about 12, when it came out, took a tight grip of me ; at all events it has fresh-gripped me now with wonderful strength ! Of course I don't mean but what the upholders of slavery did an enormously more awful thing than the would-be defrauders of the Church are attempting now ; but the element these things have in common is the plea that by unfairness and oppression they are doing God service. (I don't apply this to individuals, who, to be sure, may be and constantly are honestly convinced that the reasons on their side are good—I only speak of the thing that I believe is at the bottom.) The defending of slavery on religious grounds must now, I should think, be an atrocious blasphemy to the eyes of everyone ; but when one recalls the network of self-interest, conservatism, and national pride that kept the "institution" going, helped by all that is worst in human passions and the whole glazed over by that hateful distortion of "religion," one can understand why the agony of the long civil war was the only hope for the country. The cancer had to be cut out by the roots, and it was a blessing that it was at the risk of life itself. The old planters, I believe, are mostly ruined and gone ; and the present race must surely be penitent and in their right minds !