Ellis Cornelia Knight

“ The house inhabited by our ambassador was the palace of Pauline, Princess Borghese, sister of Bonaparte, and is a magnificent and elegantly fitted-up dwelling; perhaps rather too showy. I called, also, on the Duke de Sérent and his daughter, Madame de Narbonne, whose husband, ambassador at Naples, has lately been made a Duke, as a compliment for his negotiating the marriage between the Duke de Berri and Princess Caroline of Naples. The Duke de Sérent’s hotel is beautiful, both with respect to situation and neatness: it has a terrace overlooking a garden. ”

“ MISS KNIGHT TO MR. WILLIMOTT.
9, Little Stanhope-street, May Fair,
Monday, Dec. 12, 1814. Dear Sir,—I beg you will return my best thanks to Lord Liverpool for his very obliging attention as to the mode in which the warrant for my pension should be made out. Indeed, I am fully sensible of his Lordship’s readiness to oblige throughout the whole, and I am convinced that after the explanation I had with him, if he can obtain for me the whole of my salary (500l. a year) he will, although I am too dutifully attached to the Prince Regent to murmur at whatever he thinks proper to grant. ”

“ Illuminated with its thousand lights reflected from their crystal branches, it appears some fairy palace of Parian marble and burnished gold, at once noble and simple, magnificent and tasteful. To this splendid theatre no one was admitted who had not been presented at Court, and received a special invitation through the ‘premier gentilhomme de la chambre,’ or through their own ambassador. Every one appeared in full court dress, and the boxes, or rather the gallery which was round the theatre, is so constructed that every individual is distinctly seen. ”

“ I went to Lady Ashbrook’s in the evening, and received a letter from Princess Charlotte, which gave me sad accounts of the unkind manner in which she is treated, not being spoken to by her father, nor ever seeing him but when the Queen is in town. The Duchess d’Orleans and Mademoiselle had visited her, and she was to be allowed next day to return the visit, but to have no further communication. She is not allowed to go out in an open carriage, and a coach makes her always sick. This, however, is the only carriage allowed her, as she must have two ladies and a gentleman with her. ”

“ This answers to the Pallavicini villa.
Genoa is sadly altered and degraded. Many of its finest buildings are falling to decay, and the grass grows luxuriantly in their court-yards. And yet trade flourishes more than ever. The principal nobility and merchants are still very rich, and the King of Sardinia does all in his power to render it a flourishing seaport and an agreeable residence. But it is more difficult to make the Genoese amuse themselves than it is to make them get money—the former implies spending it. There is great inequality of fortune—great riches and great poverty. ”

“ On the 28th, Miss Knight reached Paris, having travelled by way of Rheims, where great preparations were making for the approaching coronation of Charles X. Lord Grenville had succeeded Sir Charles Stuart as British Ambassador at the French Court. The Duke of Northumberland was also in Paris on a special mission, to represent the King of England at the coronation. His Grace’s suite was very brilliant, his liveries in the old-fashioned style magnificent, and his carriages and horses the admiration of the Parisians. ”

“ Brougham was sent to meet Lord Grey on the road to persuade him to give the advice he did to the Duke of Sussex. All this involves matters in much mystery, and naturally raises suspicion in the minds of many; but it is to be remembered that Miss Mercer is an heiress, and very clever, and will, therefore, always excite jealousy. Time alone can show what her real intentions are, and consequently what her real conduct has been. ”

“ The ties of blood and of alliance are forgotten; and while it is pretended that everything is being done for the maintenance of peace, no security is given for the preservation of internal tranquillity. France is still under the government of Louis Philippe and his Minister, Casimir Périer; Belgium, under that of Leopold. Poland is reoccupied by Russia. Italy, notwithstanding the efforts made to revolutionise her, is still quiet, except, perhaps, in the three Legations, and they are kept in awe by Austria. ”

“ When Lord Exmouth was at Genoa, he took everything he could take, even to the brass rings which received the chain of the port. How different was this from the conduct of Lord Nelson and Sir Thomas Troubridge when in the Mediterranean! They came to rescue nations, and not to plunder them.
It is said to be a custom here, that when a man is displeased with another, as a token of resentment and defiance, he lets his whiskers grow. Perhaps this may be the reason why the King expressed his dissatisfaction with a young nobleman who allowed his whiskers to grow, though he was not in the army. ”

“ The young man was to be dispensed from the ancient custom of watching to meet the young lady whenever she went out with her mother, and he was to be allowed now and then to visit at the house. They were to live with Signora Spinola for a year and a half, or two years, until a house could be fitted up for them.
The King and Queen of Naples were wonderfully pleased with Rome, though they had taken a prejudice against it. They were magnificently treated at the Pontine Marshes at the Pope’s expense. ”

“ The Landgravine had two maids of honour, and the Landgrave a master of the household, an aide-de-camp, and an officer who served as secretary, always in waiting, and who dined with us every day. There was also a widow lady, who had belonged to the Landgrave’s mother, who dined daily at the castle, but only the maids of honour slept there. There were other gentlemen who belonged to the Landgrave, and often dined at his table, as did their ladies on the Sunday. A Princess of Solms also dined there frequently, and she lived in a house in the town belonging to the Landgrave. ”

“ There was a grand ball at the Pavilion, attended by “all the families of rank and fashion” at Brighton.
60. Mr. Ward, afterwards Lord Dudley, was a great favourite with the Princess of Wales. “How melancholy are all the recollections attached to his name! A person endowed with such supremacy of talent and situation, and yet so blasted by an invisible hand, that none of the former availed to his happiness. ”

“ It was curious to see in this congress of beauty and fashion, to which so many countries lent some of their lovely representatives, the belles of Berlin, Petersburg, Rome, London, Paris, Edinburgh, and Dublin, all assembled under the same roof; Bonapartist generals waltzing in close embrace with pretty royalistes enragées, and revolutionary senators linked in a chaîne-entière with ultra partners, formed the best illustration of the ‘Holy Alliance’ that could possibly be given.”—Lady Morgan’s France in 1816, vol. ”

“ The King has been as ill as ever, and takes so little nourishment that it is scarcely possible he can recover any strength—his mind as much deranged as ever. I have been almost every evening with the Queen and Princesses Elizabeth and Mary at Frogmore. ”

“ Dear Princess Augusta makes all happy around her.
[On the 13th of August, Miss Knight again left England for Paris, where she remained until the 2nd of October. On that day she started for Germany, and on her arrival at Frankfort, eight days afterwards, received the melancholy news of the death of the Queen-Dowager of Würtemberg, “who expired on Monday, the 6th, at a quarter before two—a dreadful loss to the country where she lived, and to all who knew her.” On the following day, October 11, Miss Knight reached Homburg, and was, as usual, kindly greeted by the Landgrave and Landgravine.] ”

“ The castle is a large irregular building, and in the midst of the inner court is a very high insulated tower, which is said to be of Roman construction; but the upper part seems to be of the middle ages. It stands at the highest extremity of the town, with a large garden and a terrace lined with orange-trees. I found the Landgravine (Princess Elizabeth) in a comfortable though not splendid apartment, and she introduced me to the Landgrave and to his sister, Princess Mary Anne, who is married to Prince William of Prussia, brother to the King. ”

“ The poor lady herself, who is very civil and good natured, has nearly lost her mental faculties; but a friend of her late husband manages everything for her. In the grounds is a Gothic chapel, as also the Temple of Flora and a rustic building, all of which are well placed. There is likewise the tomb of a dog, with his image at the top. It seems that when this place belonged to the Duchess de Roquelaure, in the reign of Louis XIV., Mademoiselle de Scudéry had a dog named Badine, who died while she was staying here. ”

“ JOURNAL CONTINUED. Montreuil, May, 1816.—The appearance of France is exactly what it was when I first travelled, but the inhabitants wear a different aspect. The women are not much altered; if anything, rather graver; the men more stern and sententious than before the Revolution. The people we met looked pale and wretched, and, except the postilions, we saw scarcely a single young man. The woman of the inn at Montreuil seemed a good Royalist, and talked with much feeling of the bon Roi, who had kissed her child when she saw him at Calais. ”

“ It was reported, however, that victory was in our favour.
On the 22nd came the account of the most decisive and important victory. The Duke of Brunswick killed, gallantly fighting at the head of his brave little army—the Prince of Orange wounded—Lord Uxbridge lost a leg—General Picton killed. The Prussians fought most nobly as well as our own people, and Bonaparte lost almost all his artillery, with the total defeat and dispersion of his chosen body of Imperial Guards, and, indeed, of his whole army. I went with Lady Aylesbury to visit the Duchess d’Angoulême, whom we found in sober joy. ”

“ The entrance of Warwick House towards the lane is secured by bars of iron in the inside, and she goes through Carlton House, or rather through the court. Lady Ilchester and Mrs. Campbell are to sleep in the house, and the other ladies and gentlemen to come in the day; a list given and signed by the Prince Regent of what people she is to see. Only Miss Mercer Elphinstone, and Lady Warwick and her daughters, to be suffered to see her in the evening. She is to go once a week to the Play or the Opera, but to go away before it is over, and not to court publicity. ”

“ His portrait was in one of their bedrooms. The old lady is now able to indulge in the constant use of a carriage, and in going to the theatre, to balls, and great parties, from which she is the last to retire. The daughter, whom I had formerly seen at Rome with the Countess of Albany, with whom I was not then acquainted, appeared to be a sensible woman, and by no means so young in her ideas and pursuits as her mother.
After staying a few days at Frankfort I went on to Homburg, a small town situated on an eminence of one of the little hills on the ascent to the Feldberg. ”

“ Only one man cried “Vive l’Empereur!” and was taken by the collar and thrown out of the crowd. Affairs do not appear to be as desperate as they were represented. Madame de Talleyrand (Princess de Benevento) and Madame Moreau are arrived in England. The latter is said to be engaged to Marshal Macdonald. He appears to be very zealous in the royal cause.
19th.—The accounts from France are serious, but certainly have a better complexion than they had. Marshal Ney is said to be on his march to meet Bonaparte, and a battle is expected. Much will depend on the event of it. ”

“ I had a letter from Rome, dated 10th of March, by which it appears that everything was quiet in Italy as to outward appearance.
7th.—Yesterday a message from the Prince Regent [38] went down to Parliament, stating that the events which had lately taken place had induced him to order an increase of his Majesty’s forces by sea and land, and to take the advice of his allies for the security of Europe. I called on the Duke de Sérent, and found he had received letters from the Duchess, who is with Madame d’Angoulême, at Bordeaux. The people there are loyal. ”

“ The city of Rome, he remarked, offered the most august, and, at the same time, the most humiliating spectacle in the world, as it showed to what a height men could attain, and also how low they could descend. ”

“ Pope Ganganelli would have secularised Père Jacquier, but he declined it. He admitted that, if he had to begin life again, he would not be a monk, but it was now too late to make a change without necessity. He was very well satisfied, he said, with his present situation, which did not deprive him of the pleasure of seeing his friends: any alteration, therefore, would only make people talk to no purpose. Besides his pension as professor at Rome, he had one from the Duke of Parma, but he gave everything away, and very often had no money left before the end of the quarter. ”

“ The expression is, “a pistol has been held to his throat, and another to that of the King of Holland, to make the one accept and the other resign, to avoid bringing England and Holland into collision.” We are not, however, obliged to believe this. Louis Philippe has long had great influence over Prince Leopold.
The King (William IV.) said the other day, in speaking of Don Pedro: “To be sure, we are both sovereigns—at least, he was one: but there is a great difference between us for all that; for I am an honest man, and he is a thief.” ”