of national independence can ever authorize-the custom of singling out officers!" MOUNTJOY. A high compliment, if hand to hand !” LORD EDWARD. " But the rifleman is rude at compliments, and I should be grieved to the heart at your falling, be the cause what it may." MOUNTJOY. "I have little inclination to die just at present, and less to desert my station. If you heard any threats against my life, individually, you ought to have seized the threatener by the collar, and to have delivered him over to the laws." LORD EDWARD. "I chose to do what I believe to be more efficacious. The apprehension of one would excite a thousand to avenge him, by doing what he left undone. Should you be ordered to quell any disturbance, vain as I know it is to request you not to be the foremost, let me entreat you rather to be heard and known among your own men than by those opposite." MOUNTJOY. "Lord Edward! both sides shall hear and know me. ice that is imposed on me is indeed most painful, and, for this very reason, the discharge of it shall be complete and prompt. We are lost when our affections glide in between us and our duties; and I perceive you do not like a moralizer, and look graver than one yourself." The serv LORD EDWARD. “If all moralizers were Mountjoys, I could listen in the thickest of a sermon. In general, men are given to moralizing when their most ravenous desires are crop-full, and when they are determined to sit quiet and enjoy their sunny side of life; you take to it, for the first time, when you are resolved on more activity than ever, and are as ready to die as to live." MOUNTJOY. "Lord Edward! in this I am confident we agree that a glorious death is the best gift of heaven, and that an early one is not the heaviest of its dispensations." LORD EDWARD. "True, true; God bless you, Mountjoy (going). I must not falter; but—are all the rest in the kingdom worth this man?" No. XIV. LETTERS TO AND FROM LORD BLESSINGTON. Letters from the late Duke of Richmond to Lord Mountjoy: "Dublin Castle, March 24th, 1810. "MY DEAR MOUNTJOY,-I perfectly remember your speaking to me on the subject of an earldom, which I understood from you the Duke of Portland had given you hopes of when any promotion to that dignity should take place, and am glad to find it is recognized by Mr. Perceval. “With respect to the next vacancy in the order of St. Patrick, I can assure you that it is not promised, and that I shall be glad to take your wishes into consideration with other claims; at the same time, I must say that there are several stanch supporters of the present administration who have not, so lately at least as yourself, received a mark of their good wishes. I am sure I need not say that I shall, on many accounts, be glad to attend to your wishes when I conceive I can, with fairness to the general good of the country and of other well-wishers to government. Yours, dear Mountjoy, very sincerely, "RICHMOND." "Phoenix Park, January 12th, 1811. "I will take a note of your wishes respecting your chaplain, Mr. Ellison, and also Humphries. "The difficulties are, however, great. ment claimed sinecures for themselves. Formerly the supporters of govern- they now ask for livings for their relatives and friends. By this means the claims for Church preferment have increased enormously. "As for Humphries, I do not exactly see what can be done for him. Few things are compatible with the situation he holds. "If any thing should occur that would answer for him, and which, consistent with necessary arrangements, I could appoint him to, I shall have much pleasure in so doing.* RICHMOND." "Phoenix Park, June 30th, 1811. "I am sorry it so happens that you will not be in Ireland at the time I shall be in your part of it. The reasons, however, are good; I hope we shall yet meet before your return to England. "I am very much obliged to you for the bust of Charles the Second. "Charles Gardiner and one of the 7th have hired a cottage at Clontarf; it is generally called ‘Rattletrap.' RICHMOND." "Phoenix Park, August 3d, 1811. "At present it is impossible for me to settle about the winter shooting; but if I remain in Ireland, and can manage it, I shall be happy to accept your invitation and that of Mr. Browne. "As for a room, I care not one farthing about it, and can sleep quite as well on a floor as in a bed. I am obliged to him for his offer of the Tyrone mountain. RICHMOND." Letter from Mrs. Siddons to Lord Mountjoy : "Westbourne House, Paddington, July 1st, 1812. "MY DEAR LORD,-It is impossible to express the vexation which I have felt from being deprived of the honor of your presence at the theatre on the 29th; and it is more, much more grievous to me, that you, to whom I feel indebted for so many polite and gratifying attentions, should be the only per * In a letter of a previous date, October 28th, 1809, the following passage relating to the major above-mentioned occurs: "I have appointed Brigadier Major Humphries to your district. He is an active, jolly man, and will, I am convinced, give you satisfaction. Pray let me recommend him to your notice."-RICHMOND. VOL. II.-X son who has had cause to complain of the arrangements of that night. Allow me, my lord, to trouble you with the inclosed vindication of my conduct and attentions, and with my most grateful acknowledgments for your temper and forbearance on so vexatious a predicament. Indeed, indeed, my lord, your gentle and considerate goodness upon that occasion has left an impression of your character upon my mind of higher value than all those gifts, whether of birth, or taste, or talents, with which you are endowed and ever possibly have made. I have the honor to be, my lord, your lordship's most obliged and obedient servant, SARAH SIDDONS." Letters from Lord Blessington to Charles James Mathews, Esq. : "Villa Gallo, Tuesday, October, 1824. "MY DEAR C. MATHEWS,-In returning to you your sketch of the house we proposed to build, I wish to say a few words respecting the deferring of a project which I had last year so much at heart. You may recollect that it was determined, in case the site and ground plan were approved, the foundation should be commenced this summer, so that in five years, at farthest, the building should be completed; at the same time I said, whatever faults there were in the plan should be attributed to me, leaving you any praise which it might receive. "It appeared to me the project was not warmly received, and I said no more about it, but wrote to your father, telling him to say nothing to you, as, after the trouble taken, it might be disheartening. 'There was a point which I did not mention to your father, but one of some consequence, namely, that I found the plan suggested by Mr. Branson to raise funds to meet the annual expenditure would not succeed. I told your father that I would patch on, looking forward to better times for a building suitable to the grounds. I still look to that 'golden age.' I also told him that if you would give me your opinion and advice in my patch-work, I would be much obliged, but I should be cautious not to injure your reputation as an architect by letting people believe you could be to blame for the faults committed by me. "This will make your family and friends perfectly understand that no change took place in my opinion of you, or my confidence in your zeal and abilities. "The project has caused one solid good: it led to a year's study in Italy, and has enlarged your mind without endangering your morals. You will therefore return to your home improved in taste and uncorrupted in heart. "May you live to be a blessing to the mother who adores you, and a true friend and comfort to so fond and kind a father as yours. And believe me to be your sincere friend, BLESSINGTON." "N.B.-With respect to the elevation, I wish, at your leisure, you would That "golden age" of Irish landlordism which has loomed so long in the distance, and merges at last in the era of the Encumbered Estates' Court.-R. R. M. put in the wing, as intended, of the Gothic work, and I think the appearance would be better if the tower for the staircase and chimney was altered. "B." "Villa Gallo, February 1st, 1825. M——, how I value your letter, and while Michael is preparing "To prove to you, my dear C― J— I will merely say that I have just received it; my coffee, which Johnny Purves used to call Daddy Olay, I sit up to reply. Your pretty mother has bestowed on you her eloquence de billet, but she has also given you some portion of her reserve, for you say nothing of the garden or of herself. Now you know I have a tenderness for both, mais nous ne parlerons plus. "It is true they do dig up fresh treasures, and we hear of, and intend to see them; but, with all our love for the sublime and beautiful, a fresh assortment of potatoes would be most agreeable to our humble appetites. Artichokes we have, but, alas! no gravel-pits and few coal-mines; consequently, the walks are bad, and the fires expensive. Our volcanic mountain does not smoke, but my chimney does. The count does wear calicoes and nankeens. I continue as I did in summer, with my flannel and patent hosiery. We have our Gaetanos-Giovannis-Amelioras, but wish fervently for a John and a Betsy, and Sal would turn our heads. Naples is a delightful place-not to eat in, although I name it with awe. I dined on Sunday with Sir W. Drummond, and went to the Opera, where I heard the Sekart—is that right ?—and saw the Telamon, Colonel Stanhope's passion. The last played in the new ballet, founded on the Exile of Siberia; but the empress is made a man, as the men here are made women, and the women men. You, however, allude to Naples as the point recollective, and if you did feel that you incurred my displeasure, you must acknowledge that my intention was to supply the place of those who value you more than I can describe; and though you might for the moment consider me severe, your cooler moments must have admitted that I would have no object but your advantage. Your father told me that you had the best heart in the world, and your conduct has proved it. I feel that you left us as innocent of vice as when you left your mother's fostering care; and if improved in temper and manners, as well as knowledge, your parents must acknowledge that your time was not misspent. “I have just read your letter to Lady Blessington, and she is as much pleased with it as myself, and desires me to say 'mille de choses.' "Fortunately for your comparatives, the day is lovely, the sky blue propre, the barometer nearly two sections above 294, but we have had snow, thunder and lightning, wind, hail, and rain. The Revenge ran to Malta in thirty-six hours-nine knots an hour under bare poles, and thirteen with a foresail. The post-captain has been thinking of going for more than a quarter of an hour, but is by no means gone, although he has the prayers of every one in the house for a speedy voyage. His grievances are much too numerous to relate, and imaginary ones' when I dine out Mr. Steadfast recounts. Scene-The Horns at Kennington, or the Elephant and Castle, where he wishes to insinuate that he is a welcome visitor. There has been one scene, I hope not to hear of a second-not that I think he is much improved by the rehearsal; and he may perhaps live to consider himself fortunate if his Much Ado about Nothing' concludes with 'All's Well that End's Well.' "I am happy to hear that you are in favor with the speaker, for he is a man high in the estimation of the world, and whom I am sure you will always treat with marked respect, and, in return, be assured of receiving kind ness. "As your mother has resigned my bantling to C- B, I am satisfied she did not think it worthy of being healed; as Kemble said of Miss Owenson (Lady Morgan), 'Time was, Mr. Curran, when they strangled such reptiles in their birth.' If the poor baby dies a natural death, you may write its epitaph. "Great events have happened here. Ferdinand is gone, and Francis reigns in his stead. The spies are sent to the right-about, and Abbé C—— is in the grumps. He has had a pitched battle with his dear Mary, and we are encouraging her to call him out. "I have made an architectural plan of the Belvidere for certain purposes, and wished much that you had been here, as I might have put you en train. We are great friends with Sir Richard Church, and he has the charge of the plan-more of that hereafter. We have finished the billiard-table, and established a handsome library. "The carpet, marble slabs, escritoire, &c., are taken from Lady B's large sitting-room, and the sofa has been covered, and arms added, and occupies the drawing-room. The billiard-room is the large room at the top of the marble stairs; two green doors have been moved from our rooms, and put up in the dining-room. The landau is repaired; the linings and hind seat taken off, and we have bought a carriage, saddle, and horses. We have found out the means of living better for less money, and as we are to remain, determined to be comfortable. The count is sitting for his picture to M. le Comte, who has succeeded à merveille. Lady Bis to sit to him, and I also. All we want is books. We have got permission from Medici for them to land. Before Mr. Hamilton went away, I asked him to dinner, and thanked him for his kindness to you. Sir William Gell has the gout. We have seen Saint Angelo's collection. He is a nice little man, and has beautiful things. I dine to day with M. Antrobus, the chargé d'affaires. You will say, what a resolution! I have written a second tale in three volumes, and am employed in a political and historical work. We leave this, I believe, for Rome in the beginning of April, when the chimney is to be built; from that I go to England. Write me word what you are doing, and tell me about your father, mother, &c. Give my kindest remembrances to both. Lady B-generally speaks for herself better than I can speak for her. Gibbon's 'Decline |