ful, that I can not indulge a hope of being soon able to accomplish what would be scarcely less agreeable to me than it would be to yourself. Since I had the pleasure of hearing from you, I have received a very kind letter from Lord Blessington. Perhaps you will allow me to take the occasion of conveying to him, through you, my acknowledgment of it. Our friend Hare has been in England about six weeks. I find that during the last two years he has received from you a great deal of attention and hospitality, with which I am the more gratified, because it is through me that he made an acquaintance that he found so advantageous to him. Lord B- mentions Count D'Orsay as still belonging to your party, and as preserving a friendly recollection of me. Pray be good enough to offer to him my compliments and regards.

"Believe me, my dear Lady Blessington, yours most sincerely and faithfully, D."

LETTER FROM LADY BLESSINGTON TO SIR ROBERT PEEL. "Gore House, July, 1845. "DEAR SIR ROBERT PEEL,-In the heavy affliction that has just occurred to Lady C in the death of her husband, one of the most amiable and kindhearted men that ever existed, the thought of the ill provided state in which she and her daughters are left has, even during the first hours of a grief as sincere as it is deep, induced me to address you, who were the friend of her departed husband. You are aware that poor dear Lord C- -'s circumstances were in a most embarrassed state, so much so, that the anxiety and increasing uneasiness occasioned by them, and the knowledge that, at his death, his wife and child would be left so ill off, preyed so heavily on his mind as to have produced the fatal event that occurred on Sunday last. I saw him a prey to anxiety and disappointment that weighed him to the earth, and, though deeply grieved, am not surprised at the sad catastrophe.

"You are aware that the pension he had reverts to his eldest son, but with a saving of one thousand a year to the country; but of this saving to the country might not you, as an act of kindness to an old friend, and of generosity to the widow and child of an old and faithful public servant, recommend some provision to be made for Lady C and her daughter?

"The health of poor Lady C- is such as to leave little hope that her life will be long spared; therefore a pension to revert to Lord C's daughter, at her death, would not be unreasonable. The severe disappointment poor Lord C experienced in not being allowed compensation for the heavy losses he sustained by the fire at Palace Yard led to the embarrassment of his affairs, and has ever since embittered his life.

"To you I address myself in favor of the widow and daughter of your old friend, while yet he lies unburied, and while tears for his death almost blind me. But I think I best show my regret for the departed by making an attempt to serve those so dear to him, and who are left so unprovided for In * From a copy among the papers of Lady Blessington.-R. R. M.

a few days the session will close, and before it does, I appeal to those good feelings which I am sure fill your breast to take some step to obtain a provision for the widow and daughter of the late Lord C.

Believe me, dear Sir Robert Peel, yours faithfully,

M. BLESSINGTON."

It was wholly impossible to carry Lady Blessington's wish into effect. The fund which benefited by the death of Lord C was the Parliamentary Fund. The fund from which pensions are given is that of the £1200 given by Parliament to the queen for that purpose. As to providing for any child not his was wholly out of the question. But even if he had a child to be provided for, as well as a widow, nothing but a bill could give that provision; and £3000 a year being secured to the son, who succeeded to the title, would be an answer to any application.

Lady Blessington wrote to a friend on the 24th of July that Sir Robert had stated to her "how deeply he regretted that he could not feel justified in making any proposal to Parliament for a provision for the widow and daughter of his lamented friend, Lord C.

"He felt very confident that the attempt would not be a successful one.

"The provision made for a person holding the office which had been held by him on his retirement was more liberal than that made for any other public servant. In the case of a minister of the crown, entitled, from the inadequacy of his private means, to claim a retiring allowance, the amount was limited to £2000 per annum; no provision whatever was made for the widow. The pensions granted to Mrs. Perceval and to Lady Canning, the widows of prime ministers dying while in the exercise of the highest functions, were special and exceptional

cases.

"The provision made for Lord C was an annual pension of £4000 for his own life, and £3000 for his son, until his son should succeed to a lucrative sinecure office.

"He was not aware of any instance in which a pension had been granted to the widow of a person holding such an office; and he was confident that the House of Commons, considering

the liberality of the provision made for Lord C on his retirement, and contrasting it with the provisions made for other public servants, would not consent to the establishment of the precedent which such an arrangement as that which she proposed would constitute.

"He was compelled, therefore, very reluctantly, as far as private and personal feelings were concerned, to decline acceding to her suggestion."

From another letter of Lady Blessington, dated the 6th of August, 1845, it appears that her exertions for her deceased friend's family were not to be discouraged even by the very explicit statement just referred to. She renewed her application to Sir Robert, modifying it, however; but it was attended with no better success than the former. Sir Robert had stated to her, "He could not think it would be for the real advantage of the family of the late lord, even if the means existed, that a provision should be made for his daughter from the Civil List.

"The whole sum available for the grant of pensions for the present year was £700.

“From such a fund was the vain attempt to be made, that had to meet the various claims upon the bounty of the crown, founded upon personal service to the crown-public service not otherwise provided for, and eminent literary and scientific merit.

"No pension granted (for the one to Mademoiselle D'Este stood upon special grounds) would probably exceed £200, and he did not think that a pension of such an amount would be an appropriate recognition of the services she would have considered."

Poor Lady Blessington writes that she had made one more effort for a very limited provision for a daughter of Lady Cby a former husband; but it failed, like the former. Sir Robert had plainly given her to understand,

"The means did not exist, at present at least, of making even the limited provision for the daughter which alone could be made under any circumstances.

"Assurances had been already given, the fulfillment of which would entirely absorb the sum available for the current year."

LETTERS SIGNED F

B

TO LADY BLESSINGTON.

"February 24th, 1829.

"DEAR LADY BLESSINGTON,-I send you a line, though I have nothing to say, nor time to say any thing in, even if I had wherewithal, as Burns says in his letter to a friend, though it may serve for neither, and but just a kind memento.'

"Now pray remember me kindly, yea, most kindly, to Madame Crawford, to your amiable ladies, milord, and to all the family of D'Orsay, l'aimable baronne, and pray make use of me on my return if I can do any thing, bring any thing I can. Should D'Orsay want a horse, Lord Blessington a house, or any

one any thing, pray spare me not.

“I can not omit expressing my wonder and gratification at the astonishing change of the great duke and Mr. Peel, converted into the Pacificator of Ireland! Let no man hereafter talk of the conversion of St. Paul as a miracle, nor woman either, not even Madame Krudner.

"April 1st, 1832.

"You are very kind, and I should be very happy could I profit by it, but you have no idea of my state; not quite so bad as Theseus, who was fixed forever and immovably to his seat, but able to move only, crab-like, with the aid of crutches. What is very provoking, too, I am as well in health as any body, and, could I creep to your presence in a becoming posture, no one would be more capable or disposed to enjoy it. F. B."

[No date.]

"You make me renew past griefs; I really had forgot the most important use of knees. As you say, there seems to be a marvelous sympathy between the hinges of the knee and valves of the heart; the one, indeed, seems the safety-valve of the other rather than a hinge at all. Certain it is, they move in wonderful accordance. You ask whether your observation is a satire on our sex. Philosophers say every thing receives its nature from that of the recipient; if so, he who so takes it may, but those who, like me, witness it, don't feel it. I can not answer the question. F. B."

"May 5th, 1832.

"Solomon says, that though you pound a fool in a mortar, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.'

"I am making a sad confession; but my spirits getting the better of my prudence the other day-only the other day, mind-I, having one or two people to dine with me, brought back my gout, which I had flattered myself I had got rid of; so that, with a short interval of promise, I am now nearly as when last I wrote to you, with the addition of recent experience, which makes, they

say, fools wise; but I am past that age when men are said to be either fools or physicians; and as I am feelingly convinced that I am not the last, I fear my share of the alternative condemns me to Solomon's mortar, and certainly deprives me a second time of the pleasure you again so obligingly offer.

"F.B."

"July 19th, 1832.

"I trust nothing will, and nothing but death shall, prevent me from having the pleasure of coming to you on Friday. F. B."

66 August 14th, 1832.

“I am again confined to my own room, and this day, marked with chalk, must be marked with carbon. This is very sad, but such are the fickle terms on which we hold this tenement of clay. My repeated attacks seem to amount almost to a notice to quit. I don't mean to take it, however, but it certainly lowers its value. Well, the bill is carried. I should like so much to have talked it over with you, but it seems good otherwise to the gods. F. B."

"October 16th, 1832.

"I am delighted you entertain so favorable an opinion of that most deceptious of all the human anatomy-the heart, and I will confess that upon that subject I would rely on a woman's opinion in preference to a physician.

"I am grieved at the state of Paris, poor Madame Crawford, and, indeed, the whole state of France. I hear all parties-ministers and anti-ministerialists are in the greatest spirits, and equally confident of success. Lord writes he is sanguine, and that is not natural to him. Lord Eand a large party yesterday were full of exultation, so that we inhabit a sort of fools' paradise.

A

"I know the people will have the Reform, or more, and am only anxious for health to enjoy the difficulties that may arrive. I feel so well that it is quite ridiculous; and if I could but have got seated at your table on Saturday, I should not have been the guest least enjoying it.

"The prince* is not only gossiping, but impertinent, affected, false, and not acquainted with the manners of good or bad society in England. It has all the appearance of a fictitious performance. A young lady just says that she should like to look at the two last, so I will send for them in the morning. I am glad to hear of the recovery of Sir Walter Scott; and as soon as I can move, except backward, I shall move up to Seamore Place.

F. B."

"June 25th, 1833.

"A certain place, says Daniel-not the true prophet, but the false-is paved with good intentions. I fear in that regulated floor specimens of me will be found, and not rare. I will, however, encouraged by your unvarying indulI presume Prince Puckler-Muskau.-R. R. M.