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A SKETCH OF THE LIFE

GEORGIANA, LADY DE ROS,

SOME REMINISCENCES OF HER FAMILY
AND FRIENDS,
INCLUDING THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.

BY HER DAUGHTER,
THE HONBLE. MRS. J. R. SWINTON.

WITH PORTRAITS AND ILLUSTRATIONS

LONDON :
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
1893.

LONDON :
PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED,
STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS.

PREFACE.
In the January and February numbers
of Murray's Magazine for 1889, the
Dowager Lady de Ros published, at
the request of many of her friends, her
" Personal Recollections of the Great
Duke of Wellington." These were so
favourably received by the public, that it
has been thought desirable to reprint them
in one volume, prefacing them with a
short memoir of the writer, together with
some of her correspondence, and a few
other reminiscences of a life which ex
tended over nearly a century.

CONTENTS.

PAGE
Princess Charlotte . 3
Jubilee of 1809 and
1887  5
Anecdote of Lady
Sarah Lennox. . . 7
Death of the Duke of
Richmond .... 9
Nineteen Prime Minis
ters  II
Lord Melbourne and
Sir R. Peel ... 13
Marriage  14
Early Married Life . 17
The Duke of Welling
ton  19
Opening of the Liver
pool AND Manchester
Railway  20
Mr. Huskisson's Death 22
The Royal Family . . 24
Anecdotes of the
Duke  27
Anecdote of Geo. IV. 29
Anecdotes of the Duke 31
Polignac .... 33

page
The Duke of York's
Statue  35
Marmont  37
The Duke's Godson . 39
Lord Brougham ... 41
London Society in 1831 43
The Hon. Emily Eden. 44
Death of the Duke . 47
The Duke's Funeral . 49
The Funeral Proces
sion  51
Lord de Ros in Paris . 53
Napoleon III. ¦ . . SS
Letters from Varna . 57
Omer Pacha .... 59
Lord de Ros in Tur
key  61
Pravadi  62
Lord de Ros invalided 65
Hon. Emily Eden at
Broadstairs ... 66
Life at Strangford . 69
Lady Westminster . . 71
Lord de Ros at the
Tower  73

VI

Contents.

page
Military Visitors . . 75
Friends and Occupa
tions  77
Royal Engineers at
Runnymede. . 79
Occupations .... 81
The Waterloo Ball
Room  83
Waterloo Day . . 85
The Jubilee of 1887 . 86
Waterloo Reminis
cences  89
Visit to the Queen . 91
Royal Visitors . . 93
Waterloo Day ... 95
Waterloo and Vit-
toria  97
The Earl of Albe
marle  99
Life at Englefield
Green  102
The Duke's Letters to
Miss J  104
Last Days  107
Death of Lady de Ros 109
Bishop Wilkinson . . m
Lord Dufferin's Re
collections . . .113
Personal Recollec
tions of the Great
Duke of Wellington 117
Brussels in 1814. . 119
June 1815 at Brussels. 121

IN

THE

PAGE
The Brussels Ball . . 123
Guests at the Ball . 124
The Eve of the Battle 132
Tidings of the Battle 135
The Duke's Return
The Field of Water
loo
Cambrai, 1816-17
General Alava
Spain .
Mont St. Martin
Anecdotes of
Duke
The Spanish Prayer-
book . . .
Walmer and Strath-
fieldsaye .
Ireland . .
Life at Walmer
Strathfieldsaye
The Cato Street Con
spiracy . .
The Duke's Precau
tions . . .
The Ride from the
Mint  166
Cantillon's Attempt . 169
Napoleon and Mol£ . 171
Mr. Pitt . . .172
Talleyrand . . 175
Sir R. Wilson . . .177
Education OF Spaniards 179

Espionage

137
139 141
143145
146

153 1 54
157 158
160163

180

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Portrait of Lady de Ros. From a Picture by
THE LATE James Swinton, PAINTED i86s Frontispiece
Old Court, Strangford Lough . . facing page 70
Portrait of Lady de Ros in her 93RD year.
From a Photograph by her Son . facing page 80
Mont St. Martin  page 117
Play-Bill at Mont St. Martin . . facing page 144
Portrait of the Duke of Wellington. From a
Drawing by Sir Thomas Lawrence, P.R.A., in
the Possession of Lord Frederic Kerr facing page 1 60
Autograph of Lady de Ros . . . ., ,, 99
Autograph Note of Lady de Ros „ ,, 172

GEORGIANA, LADY DE ROS.

Georgiana Lennox, afterwards Lady de
Ros, was the third daughter of Colonel
Charles Lennox, only son of Lord George
Lennox. She was born on September
30th, 1795, at Molecomb, in Sussex, until
1806 the residence of her father, when he
succeeded his uncle Charles, third Duke
of Richmond, Lennox and Aubigny, in the
titles and estates. Her mother was Lady
Charlotte Gordon, the eldest of the five
daughters of Alexander, fourth Duke of
Gordon, by his marriage with Jean Max
well, known as the beautiful and witty
Duchess of Gordon. B

Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.

Molecomb is a short distance from
Goodwood, and there was constant inter
course between the two houses. One of
Lady de Ros's earliest recollections was
that of going to Goodwood to play with
her pretty little cousin, Pamela FitzGerald,
(the daughter of the unfortunate Lord
Edward FitzGerald,) afterwards Lady
Campbell, who had been smuggled over
from France in a cheese-ship during the
war, and whose French coal-scuttle-
shaped bonnet was the admiration and
envy of her young cousins !
Another early reminiscence was that
when the Duke of York came to dine
with her parents, and the children were
brought in for H.R.H. to see them, he
good-naturedly insisted on sending them
off at once in a hackney coach to his box
at the theatre, to see the Pantomime of
" Mother Goose," in consequence of which

Princess Charlotte.

they all adored him. The duel between
Colonel Lennox and the Duke of York, in
1789, did not hinder H.R.H.'s subsequent
friendship with the family.
As a child, Lady Georgiana often
played with Princess Charlotte, whom
she described as a merry, frank, and
extremely indiscreet girl, openly avowing
that the two things in the world she most
hated were " boiled mutton and — grand
mamma ! " When Lady Georgiana first
went to Court, the hoop was still worn
as Court dress, and just as she was ap
proaching the Queen, she found herself
seized by Princess Charlotte, who turned
her hoop round, telling her " it was all
wrong ! "
On Lady Georgiana's return from
Brussels, when there was a question of
marriage between the Princess and the
Prince of Orange, to whom she had
B 2

4 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
a great dislike, H.R.H. asked Lady
Georgiana, "Well! how did you leave
the Prince of Orange ? is he as beautiful
as ever ?" he being remarkably the
reverse. The Duke of Richmond was made
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1807, and
took up his residence with his family in
Dublin. The Jubilee of George III. was
celebrated in October, 1809, and Lady de
Ros remembered going out into the streets
of Dublin to see the illuminations, as de
scribed in the following letter.
William Ogilvie, Esq., to his wife, Emily,
Dowager Duchess of Leinster {the Duke of
Richmonds aunt). Dublin, Oct. 27th, 1809,
5 o'clock.
". . . . 1 did not get to Bed, till near two this
morning and was up at 7, and have never till
this minute been able to sit down to write to you.
I had dined at the Park and went with some of
the young Ladies and the Dutchess to see the

yubilee of 1809 and 1887.

Illuminations, which far exceeded anything I
ever saw in London or Paris. Nothing ever
equalled the Brilliancy of the Illuminations — I
do not believe there was a Window in this Great
City that was not illuminated down to a Cob
bler's Stall and the Variety and fancy of the
Transparent pencillings was very great — and
had a fine effect. The Crowds in the Streets
exceeded everything I could have conceived, but
the most perfect good Humour reigned thro'
them all, and I have not heard of a single Acci
dent. The Duke and Dutchess who passed
from the Park to Stephens Green to see Fire
Works were everywhere huzza-ed and applauded
by the People, and way made thro' what ap
peared an impenetrable Crowd for them wher
ever they passed. No Lord-Lieut, ever reigned
so much in the Hearts of the People of every
Rank and Religion and no Man ever was more
respected at the same Time. He understands
them and manages them beyond any Body I
ever saw — and the Dutchess is also a very great
Favorite." Writing in 1887 of the Jubilee in 1809,
Lady de Ros says, " I remember the
last Jubilee, and having a sash with

6 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
God save the King on it." Another
memorable sash was a black one, worn
in mourning for her father's cousin, the
gallant Charles Napier, who was sup
posed to have been killed at Corunna,
but who survived to be the conqueror
of Scinde.
After leaving Ireland in 1813, the Duke
of Richmond lived either at Goodwood
or at Richmond House (now Richmond
Terrace), Whitehall. At the latter place
some of the younger sisters were in! the
habit of running down to the river, and
giving sixpence to a bargeman to get
them a Thames flounder, with which to
propitiate their very cross Swiss governess!
Apropos of the large luncheons of the
present day. Lady de Ros used to tell
how she once went with her aunt, Lady
Bathurst, to stay with her grandmother.
Lady Louisa Lennox {nie Kerr), and of

Anecdote of Lady Sarah Lennox. 7
the indignation of the old lady when it
was suggested by Lady Bathurst that her
granddaughter, who had been ill, was
ordered to have a mutton chop in the
middle of the day. "A mutton chop!
No wonder girls were delicate if they
ate mutton chops before dinner."
Lady de Ros recollected going to
Court with her mother and sisters, each
in her own Sedan chair, attended by
running footmen.
It may not here be irrelevant to tell a
curious anecdote of her sister Lady Sarah
Lennox's presentation, about the year 1813,
to George III. It was then customary for
Peers' daughters to be privately presented,
in -the evening, at Court. Lady Sarah's
name was sent in, but a request came that
if she had a second name it might be used,
as it was feared the name of Lady Sarah
Lennox, his first love, might have an

8 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
exciting eiifect upon the poor King ; Lady
Sarah, however, had no other name, and
the King was informed she was to be
presented. He immediately inquired if
she was pretty, and, on being answered
in the affirmative, he further inquired if
she was like her namesake and great-
aunt, the Lady Sarah Lennox of his young
days ; and he was told that there was said
to be a resemblance. When the evening
came Lady Sarah was taken up to the
King, and to her great surprise and
consternation he begged her to allow a
blind old man the privilege of passing his
hand over her features ! — this he did,
making no remark. Lady Sarah after
wards said she could not refuse, knowing
the reason for his request, but she found
it a very embarrassing position.
The events of the memorable years
1815 and 18 16 have been chronicled by

Death of the Duke of Richmond. g
Lady de Ros herself.* She used to tell of
a visit with her father to the Chiteau of
Aubigny in Berri, which then belonged
to him, and from which he. took one of
his titles. There being no carriage road,
they performed the journey on horseback,
and she described the amazement of some
of their French neighbours at the riding
of the English young ladies. Shortly
afterwards, the Duke of Richmond went
as Governor- General to Canada, accom
panied by two of his daughters. Lady
Louisa and Lady Charlotte, but Lady
Georgiana remained in England with her
mother. Her health was much affected
by, the news of her father's most tragic
death in August, 1819, of hydrophobia
from the bite of a tame fox. She after
wards lived almost entirely with her aunt,
Lady Bathurst. * See page 117.

IO Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.

Lord Bathurst was then a' member of
the Liverpool Administration, and so she
was thrown much into the political society
of that time. Among the many changes
witnessed by Lady de Ros none were more
remarkable than that of the London of
her youth and of her latter days. She
would point out a tree, now to be seen in
Hobart Place close to Eaton Square, as
the last relic of Lady Buckinghamshire's
country place, where as a young lady she
recollected going to garden fetes, then
called "breakfasts." It was also con
sidered quite a country drive when shq
was taken to Cadogan Place to visit her
father's blind old aunt, the once beautiful
Lady Sarah Napier, of Holland House
celebrity, one of Sir Joshua's most lovely
sitters, and the mother of three heroes —
Sir Charles, Sir George, and Sir William
Napier.

Nineteen Prime Ministers. 1 1
In the course of her long life Lady
de Ros had met many celebrities, and had
been acquainted with no less than nine
teen Prime Ministers. The list begins
with Mr. Pitt, whom she recollected
coming to dine with her parents in
Harley Street, when she and the other
children were sent for to see the great
man. Her lifelong friendship with the Duke
of Wellington commenced, as she has
herself narrated, when her father was
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. She also
remembered Mr. Addington, afterwards
Lord Sidmouth — " the Doctor " as he was
called ; and the unfortunate Mr. Perceval,
assassinated in 1 8 1 2 ; Lord Grenville, the
Duke of Portland, Lord Liverpool, Lord
Goderich, Mr. Canning, Lord Grey, Lord
Melbourne, Sir R. Peel, Lord J. Russell,
Lords Aberdeen, Palmerston, Derby and

1 2 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Beaconsfield, Mr. Gladstone, and Lord
Salisbury. While she was living with Lord and
Lady Bathurst at Cirencester in 1822,
Mr. Canning came there on a visit. They
all expected to be delighted with his bril
liant conversation, but were woefully dis
appointed, as he would hardly open his
lips, being at that time much disconcerted
at his appointment to the Governor-
Generalship of India. This, however, was
cancelled by his appointment to the post
of Foreign Secretary on the death of Lord
Londonderry. In spite of the difference
in their political opinions. Lady Georgiana
used to be on very friendly terms with
Lord Melbourne, often meeting him after
her marriage at the house of Lord Auck
land, whose charming and agreeable sister,
the Hon. Emily Eden, was one of her
greatest friends. She always retained

Lord Melbourne and Sir R. Peel. 13
most interesting recollections of the pleas
ant dinner-parties at Lord Auckland's,
where Brougham, Luttrell, Rogers, Lady
Morley, Mr. George Villiers (afterwards
Earl of Clarendon) and his accomplished
sister, afterwards Lady Theresa Lewis,
were among the frequent guests.
Lady Georgiana used to joke with Lord
Melbourne over their opposed politics,
and once, when the Ministerial majority
was reduced to five, as it happened to be
the Queen's Birthday, she congratulated
him on the pleasure it must give him to
see " V " illuminated all over the town !
He replied, " Five was as good a number
as any other."
Sir Robert Peel was a connection of the
Richmond family by the marriage of his
brother, Mr. Laurence Peel, to Lady
Jane Lennox, a younger sister of Lady
Georgiana.

14 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Lord John Russell, another habitu6 of
Eden Lodge, was also a connection, his
father, John Duke of Bedford, having
married as his second wife, her aunt.
Lady Georgiana Gordon. Once, when
they met at Holland House, Lady de Ros
expressed her fears lest those beautiful
grounds would one day be built over ;
Lord John observed, " How sorry I am
for posterity ! "
Lord Derby and Lord de Ros were old
Oxford friends, and a great intimacy
existed subsequently between the families.
Lady de Ros's recollections of Lord
Salisbury dated from his early youth,
when his mother, one of her greatest
friends, used to prophesy that " Bobby
would some day be a very clever man ! "
On June 7, 1824, Lady Georgiana
Lennox was married in St. George's,
Hanover Square, to her cousin, the Hon.

Marriage. 1 5

William FitzGerald de Roos, a captain in
the ist Life Guards, and third son of
Lord Henry FitzGerald and Charlotte
(in her own right) Baroness de Ros. He
was on the staff of General Sir Colquhoun
Grant in Dublin, and they had rooms in
the Royal Barracks. As Sir Colquhoun
was a widower. Lady Georgiana was called
upon to do the honours of his parties, and
she used to tell of a terrible scrape she
once got into by sending the wife of the
second major in to dinner before the
wife of the first.
In the summer of 1824 she, for the first
time, visited Strangford, co. Down, which
was destined to be later, for many years,
her happy home. Her husband was
agent of his father's property there, and
while he was busy visiting the tenants,
she employed herself in making a little
garden, in a spot where her myrtles and

1 6 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
fuchsias have since grown to an unusually
large size.
While Captain de Roos was in the
ist Life Guards they were in country
quarters at Maidenhead and Laleham, and
at one of these places they lived over a
hairdresser's shop, and engaged the girl
of the lodging as Lady Georgiana's maid,
in which capacity she remained for sixty
years, living on in Lady de Ros's house
when past work. When the regiment
moved to London, Captain arid Lady
Georgiana de Roos occupied four rooms
and a kitchen in the Regent's Park Bar
racks, their income being extremely small ;
and she often, in later years, laughed about
the conflicting opinions in London society
as to the . propriety of this arrangement.
She was amused by receiving a message
from Lady Bath, who then held a high
position in society, and considered herself

Early Married Life. 17
as the first authority upon all matters of
decorum, expressing her admiration and
approval ! On the other hand, the
Colonel of the regiment would not allow
his wife to call upon Lady Georgiana " in
barracks," although in all other respects
they were both very kind.
Lady Georgiana was very much ad
mired at the time of her marriage, and
extremely popular as a member of society.
She was of small stature, but very well-
proportioned, with beautifully formed
hands and feet. Her features were
regular, with a delicate and transparent
complexion. There was never any good
likeness of her in her youth, but in 1865
she sat to her son-in-law, Mr. J. R. Swin
ton, whose admirable portrait of her was
exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1866.*
* In her 96th year she sat to Countess F^odore
Gleichen for a very clever sketch in crayon.

1 8 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
In 1824 Lady Bathurst wrote to her as
follows, after alluding to the recent visit of
a bride to Cirencester : —
" It is evident she has been well
brought up. She is not the least prim or
prudish, but she has strict notions and prin
ciples, not unlike a certain little personage
of my acquaintance, to whom she is in
looks not entirely dissimilar at some parti
cular moments, and I would not swear that
this had not some little weight in forming
my partiality, for I had no prepossession
in her favour when she arrived here."
In 1827, when Captain de Roos ob
tained his majority and the appointment
of brigade major of cavalry, the barrack
rooms were exchanged for a small cottage
at Thames Ditton, adjoining the home of
his parents — Boyle Farm, subsequently the
scene of a celebrated f^te, Immortalised by
Moore in his poem " On the B  F 

The Duke of Wellington. 19
breakfast." From their cottage they often
drove to London to dine with the Duke of
Wellington, or to go to the opera with
him. They annually visited the Duke
for the Easter holidays at Strathfieldsaye,
with their children, and also in the autumn
at Walmer Castle, spending Christmas In
the old-fashioned style at Hatfield.
The following letters to her at this
period are interesting.
Priscilla, Lady Burghersh, to Lady G. de Roos.
[No date.]
" Dear Lady Georgiana,
" The Duke has desired me to write to ask
you, if you are not too angry with him for his
bad behaviour, if you would like to come to
town on Monday next to dine with him
at 6 o'clock and go afterwards to Madame
Albertazzi's Benefit at Drury Lane, where all
the Italian singers will sing. He will have a
box. " Believe me ever,
" Yours affectionately,
P. Burghersh.' c 2

20 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.

In 1830 Major de Roos was present, on
his way to Ireland, at the opening of the
Liverpool and Manchester Railway, and
wrote the account of it, and of Mr. Hus
kisson's fatal accident, to Lady Georgiana.
The letter also illustrates the difficulties
of the journey in those days from England
to Ireland.
Major the Hon. W. F. de Roos to Lady
Georgiana F. de Roos.
Liverpool, i^th Sept., 1830.
"As I am now lodged for the night, I sit
down to tell you all that has happened since we
parted. The tide was against us all the way
from Margate to London, so we did not arrive
till S o'clock, and were rather hurried to save
our time by the mail at 8. We had an enter
taining companion, fresh from the Paris Riots,
of which he gave a good account ; and though
rather tired we arrived very comfortably at
Liverpool by 6 o'clock yesterday evening, crossed
the Mersey immediately, and found a car waiting
to take us four miles through a wild sort of level
between the mouths of the Dee and Mersey to

Liverpool and Manchester Railway. 21

Cust's house called the Leasowe Castle. . . . We
did not arrive at Liverpool to-day, till they said
the railway party had started. However we
thought best to try for it, and by great luck
reached the place just as the very last of the
machines was starting. We had only one ticket,
but the people — tradesmen and the like — ^very
obligingly pulled us in among them, and away
we went at a prodigious rate, through cuts and
bridges, over roads and causeways, all lined with
thousands of people, for about fourteen miles,
when the whole concern was stopped at an
appointed place to take in water for the engines.
I should now explain that there were about six,
each drawing several things like coaches, brakes,
and cars, holding the company, and occupying
near half a mile in length.
" When this halt took place Cust and I got
down, and walked forward to the leading train,
where the Duke and all the Heaton party were
placed, in order to get taken into their carriage,
which was like a great tent on wheels, and held
some fifty people. Just as we reached it, we
found that a dreadful accident had happened to
Mr. Huskisson, who had got out of his carriage,
and was walking about rather heedlessly, when
one of the attendant carriages coming past,
everybody jumped out of the road or got up into

2 2 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
the tent carriage, which the Duke had, just
before, cautioned him to do. By some awk
wardness, or getting flurried, he fell in attempt
ing to do this, and his leg lying across the track
of the passing carriage, it ran over him and
broke his thigh-bone before anyone could help
him. When taken up he said he felt he should
die, and begged them to call Mrs. Huskisson,
who arrived in a moment from the car — poor
creature ! and assisted in laying him in one of
the carriages. A good surgeon was presently
on the spot, but T think twenty minutes' time
was lost in deciding what to do with him, for we
were about half-way between Liverpool and
Manchester. I begged one of the surgeons and
people about him not to hesitate in starting at
all speed for Manchester, which at last they did
decide upon, and fastening a machine to the
carriage in which he lay, they were out of sight
in an instant (they say at forty miles an hour),
for they put the thing to its extreme speed, and
had no weight but the poor man, with her and
the surgeon. There now was a dreadful contrast
to the former gaiety of the scene which was
indescribable, and a debate arose as to what
should be done, for immense preparations had
been made for the Duke at Manchester, and
though he and everybody felt it was by no

Death of Mr. Huskisson. 23
means proper to proceed on a party of pleasure,
yet the magistrates declared there was so enor
mous a crowd expecting him, that if the mob
were disappointed there would inevitably be a
riot of a most serious kind. It was therefore
settled that we should go on to Manchester,
send to enquire after Mr. H., and return at once
without going to the Collation. The trains were
therefore again started after an hour lost in
discussion. On arrival, the scene was truly
wonderful. I did not think there had been so
many people in all England. The report of
Huskisson was almost hopeless. The people
crowded round our car to shake the Duke's
hand, who was exceedingly good-humoured to
them and was enthusiastically cheered ; and they
detained us near two hours before we could
start to return, which, had no accident occurred,
was to have been by four o'clock, in time for me
to start by the steamer at five. Had it not been
for the gloom and horror of this accident, which
most of the party actually saw, it was impossible
to see a more splendid sight ; and as the motion
is so very smooth, and the cars so low and
broad that there is no fear of danger, the speed
with which one was whirled through the multi
tude of spectators was the most exhilarating
sensation you can imagine. The journey ended

24 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
by coming through a subterranean railway a
mile in length under the whole town of Liverpool,
into the Dockyard. Altogether my day has
been like some feverish dream with a mixture
of wonder at all I saw and distress at this poor
man's accident."
Before the accession of the Duke of
Clarence to ithe throne, he and the
Duchess resided at Bushey Park, where
Major and Lady Georgiana de Roos,
being near neighbours, were often Invited
to dine with them. The Duke was ex
tremely curious about everybody's doings,
and Lady de Ros used to tell the following
anecdote of the Royal inquisitlveness.
She met His Royal Highness one day
when she was going Into Kingston. He
inquired where she was going. She
replied, " To Kingston, sir." " What
for ? " " To shop, sir." " What are you
going to buy?" "Petticoats for the
children, sir," and she had the greatest

The Royal Family. 25

difficulty in preventing His Royal High
ness from accompanying her.
Her sister-in-law, the Hon. Olivia de
Roos,* was afterwards Maid of Honour to
Queen Adelaide, and a great favourite
with her and the King, who, on the
occasion of her marriage to the Hon.
Henry Wellesley (afterwards Earl Cow
ley) insisted on the ceremony taking
place at Windsor Castle, on the 22nd of
October, 1833, the King giving the bride
away ; and His Majesty was much dis
appointed that the bride and bridegroom
declined to be present at the large
banquet he gave afterwards.
The late Duchess of Gloucester always
showed great kindness to Lady Georgiana,
being an Intimate friend of her aunt, Lady
Bathurst. In July 1835, Colonel de Roos

* The spelling of the family name was altered in 1838
to de Ros.

26 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
was sent at two days' notice by Lord Palmer
ston, then Secretary for Foreign Affairs,
with Captain Drinkwater of the Royal
Navy as his colleague, to accompany Lord
Durham's embassy to the Black Sea, in
order to observe the warlike preparations
which the Russian Government was said
to be making. He was absent six months,
a period of much anxiety to Lady
Georgiana, as his return journey through
Moldavia and Wallachia, in deep snow
In the middle of winter, was one of great
difficulty and danger. He used to tell
how he made notes of the Sebastopol
fortifications on his shirt-sleeve.
From Lady Georgiana F. de Ros to CoL the
Hon. Wm. F. de Ros.
Strathfieldsaye, March 26th, 1839.
"The Duke has just brought us ah to our
rooms, and as it is not quite dressing-time, I
shall scribble some of his conversation. He was

Anecdotes of the Duke. 27

most amiable about you and very sorry not to
see you.
" He talked with Lord Tweeddale about Sir
J. S., who, it appears, had a most ungovern
able temper. He was standing one day with
his arms folded behind him, and Sodere (that
Portuguese about whom he tells such good
stories) was in the room — whom he hated ; and
so he marched up to him, saying, ' You had
better go off; directly I unfold my arms and
put them in front, I cannot resist knocking you
down, and not even the presence of the Com
mander of the Forces shall prevent my doing so.'
" Then at Seringapatam ' there was a devil of
a breeze,' for a native prince came through a
gate which Sir John thought ought not to be
passed through, and he actually fired at him !
The Duke was obliged to remonstrate, and
observed, 'After all. Sir J., you were yourself
passing through that gate, and ought not to have
been there.' This made no impression, except
reiterated oaths, accompanied with, ' All I can
say is, that if I had met you there, I should have
fired at you.' 1 "
After Colonel de Ros's accession to the
title in 1839, he changed his residence to

28 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Cholmleys, a villa on the Thames, near
Boyle Farm, and he also spent as much
time as his military duties permitted at
Old Court, on Lough Strangford, where
they had built a small house, which has
since been much enlarged. He and Lady
de Ros entirely created the gardens and
pleasure-grounds, and took the greatest
interest In the place and In the people,
by whom they were much beloved, and
their memory is to this day warmly
cherished there.
The following letter is characteristic of
the kind interest taken by the great Duke
In^Lady de Ros and her family, which was
maintained unbroken until his death.
From Lady de Ros, 1842.
"I enjoyed my dinner much [at Apsley
House] for the Duke was so kind. ' I thought it
would do you good to come away from your
boy's sick-room, and as he is doing so well, I

Anecdote of George IV. 29
thought I would send after you ' — and he called
me to sit next him at dinner, though it was not
my place."
One of the last appointments made by
the Duke of Wellington, as Constable
of the Tower, was that of Lord de Ros
to be Deputy- Lieutenant of the Tower ;
and In the summer of 1852 Lady de Ros
was present at the official entry of the
Duke Into the Tower as Master of the
Trinity House.
Anecdotes told by the Duke of Wellington,
and written down at the time.
1836. — George IV. had, from the time
he was quite a young man, been in the habit
of carrying about him a doulllette pocket-
book. Into which he used to put money,
letters, trinkets, miniatures, and any of the
numerous fans, odd gloves, locks of hair,
and similar keepsakes which he was always

30 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
adding to his stock from all quarters. As
soon as his pocket-book became full, he
used to put it away in a drawer without
ever troubling himself to examine its pre
sent contents or take out whatever money
It might contain, mixed with the miscel
laneous articles. Whenever he thus put
away a full pocket-book, he took another
to replace it from a great stock of new
ones he kept by him, and this, as soon as
filled, was laid by and replaced in like.
manner. At the time of his death it
devolved upon the Duke and another to
examine the personal effects of the King,
and accordingly they had to look over the
contents of a whole chest of drawers en
tirely filled with these pocket-books, filled
and stowed away by the King from the
time he was a young man. When the
Duke first looked at one of them, and
found the toys It contained, he was about

Anecdotes of the Duke. 31

to have the whole stock burnt, but some
money accidentally fell out, which led to a
careful scrutiny of others, and they actually
collected In various sums no less than
^10,000 from these pocket-books, after
which they caused them to be destroyed
with their less important contents.
The following incident is given as related
by the Duke of Wellington.
Strathfieldsaye, March 2?>th, 1839. —
" Sir W. G. was not fit for his situation
— he knew nothing and would not obey
orders. I remember one day I was riding
with Sir Edward Paget, who said, ' G.
has made a false movement.' I fired up
Instantly, and exclaimed, ' Where and
when ? ' — to Sir Edward's amusement, who
had only been alluding to G.'s having
come out to Spain, whereas I thought he
was talking of some movement with the
troops. He had a protigS of the name of

32 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
De B., a great rascal — and God forgive
me If I wrong the man, but I always have
suspected him of giving information which
got us into a bit of a scrape near Madrid.
He was with a patrol, and he said to some
one, ' I will show you how to treat a
picket,' and he galloped off and was not
seen again. Soon after, the French, with
out feeling their way in the least, or doing
the usual things on such occasions, rushed
In and surprised us, and I am almost
certain the Information (for information
they must have had) was given by
De B., and many others were of the
same opinion. I told it to G., who
was very angry. Afterwards, when we
were in Madrid, Alava took me one
evening to see some ladles, friends of
his, at whose house most of the other
party met, and the first person we saw
there was De B., who looked so ashamed

Polignac. 3 3
of himself that Alava and I were
confirmed In our opinion."
Strathfieldsaye, December, 1839. — " Po
lignac was not a stupid man, on the
contrary, sharp and intelligent, but his
fanaticism was Inconceivable, and there
never was a more bitter enemy to Eng
land. He was always busy about the
state of Roman Catholicism in this
country and In Ireland, and never lost
sight of the notion of the revival of the
Roman Catholic religion in Europe.
" The Expedition to Algiers was entirely
his own scheme, with a view of courting
popularity by the delusion of military glory.
Even Buonaparte did not go beyond
Polignac in aversion to England, and in
this idea of military glory being the only
engine by which to govern the French.
He also invariably reverted to the views
of Louis XIV. respecting the Rhine being
D

34 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
the proper boundary for France, and it
was almost wholly at his instigation that
Potter and the other malcontents in Flan
ders organised their rebellion, though It
did not break out till after he and all that
he belonged to had fallen victims to their
own Revolution of the Three Days — a
just retribution upon him at least.
" Marmont was of opinion that, had he
remained with the Court as a matter of
course, he would not have been molested,
but permitted to embark along with the
King and his other followers ; but he
foolishly attempted to escape disguised as
the footman of a lady who had brought
the Duchesse d'Angouleme in disguise as
her maid from the south of France.
Polignac, though he might have known
better from former experiences, never
thought of laying aside his rings and orna
ments he used to wear, and was also so

The Duke of York's Statue. 35

foolish as to sit at dinner with the lady
whose servant he represented himself to
be, which caused him to be detected and
arrested at Granville, where he thought he
could get on board a vessel for England.
"He is now living on his estate in the
north of France ; there has been no confis
cation of his property, nor of that of the
other followers of Charles X. His second
wife was a widow, Mme. Cesar de Choiseul,
nie Miss Parkins, an Irish young lady."
Walmer Castle, September I'^th, 1840. —
The Duke told us that at the dinner after
the Duke of York's funeral, Mr. Canning
made a speech to the effect that, as Officers
of the Army were subscribing for a statue
of the Duke of York, it would become a
question whether their pay was not too
high ! Sir Alexander Hope answered
angrily that the statue was a present from
certain Officers to the club, not a general
D 2

36 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.

contribution, and that he was one of those
who subscribed to It. The Duke added,
" And I another," which stopped Canning
at once. Walmer, October loth. — "After the
battle of Fuentes d'Onor I positively saw
the French taking up the dead horses and
cutting them up, and then putting them
Into the bullock-carts, and I had them
followed and watched, and found that they
were taken to another part of the French
army, which had not been In action, and
delivered out as rations !
" Nothing could be more dignified and
well-bred than the manners of Charles X.
of France. When he was in England as
Monsieur, I had opportunities of seeing
him In the company of George IV. ; and;
with all the acknowledged pretension of
the latter to fine manners, the contrast
between them was striking, Charles X.

Marmont. 37

was everything most gentlemanlike and
refined, while the other, from his flourish
and display, might have passed for his
valet ! "
On the day Marmont determined on the
necessity of the troops abandoning Paris,
he had an interview with the Duke
d'Angouleme, in which the latter (although
It had never occurred to him to mount his
horse and show himself to the soldiers
in the moment of danger) so violently
reproached Marmont for his failure, and
used such threatening gestures in the heat
of his passion, that the Marshal actually
laid his hand on his sword, and, stepping
back, said to him In a manner not to be
mistaken, " Prenez garde — prenez garde,
Monseigneur I fCallez pas trop loin I "
Strathfieldsaye, May igth, 1844. — "The
Prince of Wales, Duke of York, and Duke
of Clarence made a plan for raising some

38 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.

;^ 1 00, 000 on a post-obit bond on the death
of George 111. It was deposited at Ham-
mersly's, but the Duke of Portland, then
Prime Minister, hearing of it, sent the
police to seize it as illegal and treasonable,
because It was a record of imagining the
King's death. However, an attested copy
had been sent to Paris, and, as It was just
the commencement of the Reign of Terror,
there were plenty of unfortunate persons
ready to take coupons, and a very large
number were issued. Labannue, a Dutch .
banker, was one of the chief managers,
and he and another being reported to the
revolutionary authorities, as aiding the
aristocrats to conceal their money, were
tried and guillotined. As for the money,
neither the Prince of Wales nor his brothers
ever got a shilling ; it was all made away
with. "There was a capital story told of me

TJie Dukes Godson. 39
in Spain. I don't know that it was all
quite true, but that don't signify. It was
a fashion at one time for our men to plunder
bee-hives. I met a fellow one day who
had got one, and was carrying it off. I
stopped him and asked him where he had
got it. ' Why, out there where the picket
is ; but if you don't make haste they will
all be gone,' was the soldier's reply ! A
Spaniard caught one of our men plundering
a bee-hive, and he took it and rammed It
down on his head like a shako, with the
bees and honey all in it ! "
The Duke, as Sir A. Wellesley, was
asked to be godfather to a baby which was
born on the voyage to or from India, in
the Madras Roads. He lost sight of his
godson for some years, until one day, when
he was out hunting In England, he was
struck by a remarkably rough, ungentle-
manlike lad, and, asking his name, he was

4© Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
much horrified to find it was his god
son. So he spoke to the boy's tutor, and
begged him to attend more particularly
to his manners ; he then himself sent the
youth first to Sandhurst and then to
Oxford, got him a commission, and he
turned out very well.
The following letters from Miss Eden
allude to the Reform Bill Riots, and the
formation of Lord Grey's Government,
in which her brother was one of the
Secretaries to the Treasury.
Miss Eden to Lady Georgiana F. de Ros.
2Stk Nov., 1830.
" Thank you a thousand times for writing to
me. " I was going to write to you, but I was told
at Bridgewater House, that you were fighting
the rebels, and that your direction was not
known— supposed Canterbury ; so then I trusted

Lord Brougham. 41

to the papers to tell you of George's * appoint
ment. Of course we were being very much pleased
with it, and are so still, I believe — and yet I
rather begin to wonder where the joke is —
seeing that I have seen him but for five minutes
the last three days, and to-day I have not seen
him at eill. I do not think that amusing at all ;
however, he likes business and it is all right, I
daresay. What little airs we may choose to
give ourselves will, I think, be in the general
mysterious diplomatic line — the airs of wealth
we have" settled not to attempt, because as this
Government is not probably worth three months'
purchase, it would be a pity to change a way of
J^]J__vith which we are all contented now, and
which we might not like to return to. George
suggested with much diffidence, that as he must
be often at Court, he thought he might be
allowed to buy a dress-sword ; to which I re
joined that I thought a hammock-cloth {sic) would
be better under those circumstances than a dicky
— and these, it appears, are the only privations
under which we can have been suffering.
" We went down to see the Lord Chancellor
(Brougham) take his seat. It was very amusing,
as we have seen a great deal of him in his
struggle against the Chancellorship, and knew
Lord Auckland.

42 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
all the pangs that his — annihilation I believe
was the word — gave him. He shook hands so
demurely as he went in, and he sat so patiently
on the woolsack, watching his mace, even his
nose was stupefied into quiet. . . . Your proteg6,
Lord Melbourne has been so attacked and
sneered at about his indolence, that he was at
the Home Office on Tuesday morning by six
o'clock, and consequently there was not a clerk
up or ready for him. Lady  marries
Mr.  , nephew to Rundell ; 45,000/. a
year. Lord B  's house, and everything that
is to be wished — except in the article of
manners. He has taken the fatal vow of vulgarity
like — the man in ' The Heroine,' and in the
most unlimited sense."
From Hon. Emily Eden. 1831.
" I hear strange accounts of society. Second
childhood begins at the early age of forty now,
— and all the matron society of London meets
eveiy evening to play at nice little infantine
games, literally every evening at Lady D.
Stuart's, Lady Tankerville's, Lord Dudley's,
anywhere.. All of a sudden the P. of O.
and Mrs. F. insist on a good game, and
they begin playing at the 'Toilette de

London Society /« 1831. 43

Madame,' ' Birds, Beasts, and Fishes,' and ' Puss
in the Corner.' The other night, at the second
of those games, somebody called out to the
P. of O. ' Beast,' to which he gave the natural
answer ' Donkey, E-haw E-haw E-haw,' and
added, '¦Ah, c'est trop fatigant, il faut changer
lanimal! on which G., who was playing cards
in the next room, could not help gently re
marking ' C'est ce que la Belgiqiie a d^jd,
fait .1" These parties end in mulled claret for
the gentlemen, and cigars for the ladies. When
we have settled that little frivolous point of
Reform in Parliament, we must try something
more serious about Reform in Society. An act
for the suppression of ' Puss in the Corner,' and
a bill to prevent the unlawful assembling of
persons as Birds, Beasts, and Fishes, must be our
next case. I will mention it to the Chancellor.
" The clerks at the Home Office complain that
they are over-worked by dear Lord Melbourne,
who we all know possesses every private virtue
under heaven — you recollect one Broadstairs'
opinion of him ; but none of us suspected his
public energy, did we 1 In short we are a
wonderful ministry, and we shall see on the ist
of March what people think of us."

44 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.

From Hon. Emily Eden. May 1833.
The London Season. — " It is very difficult to
get any interruption at this moment to the
London turmoil. ' The creature is in its flurry,'
as Tom Coffin says of a whale, and as I always
feel of London in May and June. The streets
are not wide enough for the carriages, nor the
week long enough for its engagements, there is
not enough money to spend, nor sufficient time
to spend it, not people enough to go to the
dinners that are given, yet more than enough to
fill the largest house that can be opened for
them. In short such a mess ! Puck was a
clever fellow when he looked on and said, ' Oh
what fools these mortals be ! ' They were just
the same in his time."
From Hon. E. Eden.
" Lady Holland has certainly organised a good
system of society — ten people every day at
dinner, and a few in the evening, and there is
always an author for the good of one's mind,
and a doctor to prevent one's dropping down
dead, and the rest are people who know each
other well, and have the same politics. "

The Hon. Emily Eden. 45

On her return from India in 1842, Miss
Eden wrote :
" I am getting on very well with England,
thank you ; fine climate, good roads, fair-com-
plexioned people, language not difficult, costume
rather unbecoming, but probably adapted to the
feelings and wants of the natives, in short it all
does very well." November, 1842.
" I shall be glad to hear how you are settled at
your sea. The houses, I believe, are good at St.
Leonards, but still they are not home, and I
daresay the chimneys smoke, or the windows
rattle, or there are some odd, inexplicable
draughts that come blowing in under your feet,
or behind your ear. I believe you do not detest
that rumbling old monster, with its eternal
fidget and smell of bad salt, to the degree that
might be expected from a person of such
general good taste. Do you know any St.
Leonardites, anything that will at once enable
you ' to move in the first circles ' of St.
Leonards, or must you ' work your way up ' ? "
1847.
" How oddly little coincidences occur ! My
sister had lent me the old Indian journals I

46 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
wrote to her, by way of amusing me, not that
amusement is the characteristic of Indian letters,
but last night I was poring over some of them,
and I came to a grand character I had written
of you, evidently struck off in a transport of
enthusiasm after reading one of those delicious
little books in the shape of letters that you used
to write to me. However, there was no mention
of your letter, but a simple intimation that you
possessed every virtue under the sun, and every
charm that graced earth, and all other merits
besides. I began to think as I had heard
so little of you lately, that posterity would
be grossly deceived, and that I must add a
note explaining that there were spots on that
sun, that as life wore on, this paragon's powers
of penmanship wore out. But to-day your nice
letter has appeared, and the text may remain
without annotation. Your Irish accounts are
very satisfactory. It is a comfort to hear of
any one nook in that wretched country that is
peaceable. I wish Lord Clarendon would pre
tend to misconstrue part of the Coercion Bill,
and fancy he had seen a clause empowering him
to hang John of Tuam,* and Laffan, and
M'Dermott, &c., and then, when he had hanged
* Mac Hale, Archbishop of Tuam.

Death of the Duke. 47

them, we could all be so sorry, and get a bill of
Indemnity passed instantly."
The death of the Duke of Wellington
in September 1852 was a great shock to
Lady de Ros. It was announced to her
by the Duke's faithful servant Kendall.
Walmer Castle, 14M Sept., 1852.
My Lady,
I sent a letter this afternoon by mes
senger to your house in London, but should you
be at Strangford, possibly you may receive this
first. It is my painful duty to inform you that the
Duke of Wellington died this afternoon at a
quarter past three o'clock. He was as well as
usual yesterday, and went to bed to all appear
ance quite well. I found him unwell this
morning when I went to his room, but capable
of asking me to send for the doctor. He died
at the time above stated. Lord and Lady
Charles are in the Castle, and witnessed his last.
I have the honour to remain
Your Ladyship's most obedient Servant,
"H. Kendall."

48 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Her cousin. Lady Georgiana Bathurst,
then Lady in Waiting to Her Royal
Highness the Duchess of Gloucester,
knowing how Lady de Ros would wish
for all the details of this great event, wrote
to her also.
Lady Georgiana Bathurst to Lady de Ros.
Wednesday, \i,th Sept.
" An hour after the post was gone the over
whelming intelligence reached us — as yet we
have only the telegraphic account. What a
loss ! how it takes one by surprise, one can
hardly believe it, Httle as one saw of him. Yet
it seems as if it would quite alter one's existence.
The world without that great name, one can
hardly believe it I I am happy to hear the
C. Wellesleys were at Walmer. Well may we
all say, ' We ne'er shall see his like again.' "
Richmond Park, 26/^ Sept.
" I came here Thursday, and found my Duchess
(Gloucester) thinking of nothing but the sad
event which, one still feels, fills all one's thoughts.
The Queen's letter to the Duchess is really
beautiful. She calls the poor dear Duke the

77/1? Dukes Funeral. 49

greatest patriot, and the most devoted servant
to the Crown this country ever had ; that she
can hardly yet believe he is here no longer to be
referred to.
" There is to be general mourning ordered the
day of the funeral ; in the meantime the Queen
is in mourning for a week, and so is my Duchess
and the Cambridges. The Duchess of Cam
bridge sheds many tears in talking of the Duke,
but feels, as we all must, that we ought to be
thankful he was taken before his faculties failed."
{After the lying in state?) Sunday, Nov.
" To my mind the room in black cloth, with
soldiers on each side with arms reversed, was
very sad and appropriate. The intense crowd
was wonderful, and so it will be each day "
Thursday.
" We are returned from seeing the sad pro
cession from Gloucester House. As far as there
all went well ; it was a melancholy and striking
sight, but the car ! oh, so frightful ! I can't de
scribe it. I must leave it to the Morning Post^
Lord de Ros took part in the military
arrangements for the funeral. He wrote,
e

50 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.

November nth : " I am quite touched by
this act of kindness of Lord Hardlnge.
He took me aside (at Lord Derby's dinner),
and said he knew no one who had more
veneration for the Duke's memory ; and
thinking it would be agreeable to my feel
ings to take an active part In rendering him
the last honours, he had put me in orders
as Quartermaster-General of the troops
assembled for the occasion, under command
of H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge."
Again, on November 19th he wrote :
" At length this heavy load is off" my
back. Yesterday I was nearly eleven
hours on my unfortunate horse. How
ever, everybody tells me that the march
and formation of the troops was perfectly
managed. It was at the last stroke of
eight that the first section moved off, and
in exactly four hours the whole infantry
was formed, and the cavalry and guns

77;!^ Funeral Procession. 51

packed away in back streets, with a clear
passage for the car and carriages, but the
anxiety and fatigue were great. The
Duke of Cambridge thanked me in the
most friendly, cordial way, when we parted
at 5.30, after all was over. Fancy my
finding the Lord Mayor, In his huge coach,
so placed that one regiment could not
have formed at all. I took twenty men,
and moved him, bodily, coach and all, just
in time. Then the undertakers deserted
the car when the Service began, and I
was forced to send a police serjeant to
drag out the head man, sending at the
same time for thirty Life Guards and forty
Foot Guards to drag It off and escort It,
unless he moved it in ten minutes by my
watch ! This brought them to their work,
and I got it away just before the Service
ended. All these are trifles, but 1 should
have been so vexed had any thing gone
e 2

52 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
wrong. I felt it a sort of obligation to
his memory and a relief to many painful
thoughts." St. James's Palace,
November 20th, 1852.
" Mv DEAR De Ros,
I think it right to forward to you the accom
panying General Order which has been issued by
the General Commanding in Chief to the troops
employed on the i8th instant, and in so doing I
cannot deprive myself of the pleasure of again
assuring you that I am extremely indebted to
you for the trouble you took in aiding my
humble endeavours that all should go well on
the occasion of so great and so national a
solemnity. " I remain, my dear De Ros,
" Yours most sincerely,
" George."
The year 1854 brought great anxiety to
Lady de Ros, As soon as the expedition
to Turkey was decided on, there were
reports that Lord de Ros would be among
the officers selected for the Staff. He was

Lord de Ros in Paris. 53

employed for some weeks In February and
March going to and from Paris with con
fidential communications between the Duke
of Newcastle and the Emperor Napoleon,
for which, from his near relationship to
Lord Cowley, then British Ambassador at
Paris, and also from his facility In speak
ing French, he was peculiarly fitted. This
mission was full of interest, as the follow
ing extracts from his letters show.
Extract from Lord de Ros's Letters from Paris.
Feb., 1854.
" I am none the worse in any way for about
twenty-eight hours of writing, talking, reading
on one subject with all sorts and classes of
human beings, and only half an hour's walk at
night from the Tuileries  My astonishment
increases the more I see of that marvellous
being ! . . . . Here we have gone on with
discussions and discourses, and looking over
maps, and writing notes for another day in the
same style. I hear that a certain potentate
took very well some contradiction I felt bound

54 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
to oppose to him, which speaks well for his good
sense and right feeling." March /\th.
" Yesterday I was for an hour with Marshal
Magnan, an hour with Veli Pasha, and three
hours with the Emperor, who took me in an
open carriage with him to see the trial of his
light breaching-guns, with which they knocked
down about ;£'Soo worth of a fine new fort near
Suresne. It all seems to me like a strange
dream. I find I can now say anything I please
to him, and you may be sure I do so. . . . Some
thing must be done about State Secrets, for they
get out even quicker than private ones now.
The more I see of my new trade of Diplomacy,
the more I perceive the infinite value of atten
tion to personal feelings of others and of put
ting one's own aside entirely. This morning
I have been with Marshals Vaillant and St.
Arnaud. The former is one of the most charm
ing old gentlemen I ever met, and exceedingly
sensible, as well as eminent in his merit as an
engineer. I have been writing to -^  and 
all I can learn worth telling them almost daily,
but I get no answers, nor do I really know what
/ am here, nor what is expected of me. How
ever, H. agrees in supposing I am fulfilling my

Napoleon III. 55

mission, like General Prim, only without much
chance of his bag of piastres ! . . . I am glad to
say I think I have done good in sobering down
wild schemes, and I must say I have every reason
to be more than content with ' the author ' *
for his reception and support of my views in
this respect."
Lady de Ros fondly hoped that this
mission would prevent his being sent to
Turkey, but Lord Raglan, one of his
oldest friends, was most desirous of his
services as Quartermaster-General of the
Army, and she at once, as a good soldier's
wife, resigned herself to the terrible part
ing, appreciating the compliment to him.
She followed him to Paris, where the Staff"
remained for a week on their way to the
East. A curious incident occurred during
their stay. The Emperor invited the
English officers to see some military ex
periments at Vincennes, after which he
* The Emperor.

56 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
walked into the Chapel, and stood for a
few moments In silence by the tomb of the
Due d'Enghien. Lord Raglan, Lord de
Ros, and the other officers who were
standing by, were much struck by this
tacit acknowledgment on the part of the
Emperor in their presence, of the great
blot on his uncle's fame.
Lady de Ros wrote the account of this
to Lady Georgiana Bathurst, whose reply
Is given. Lady de Ros to Lady Georgiana Bathurst.
Easter Tuesday, March 1854.
" How very nice of you, dearest G., to write
me such an agreeable long letter in the midst of
all your turmoil ; it really must have appeared
like a dream to you, who recollected former
days. I am thinking much of you to-day ! as I
fear by what you say Wm. positively goes. I
think you are better at Paris at present, but it
will be sad wherever you are. . . . How curious
that visit to Vincennes I "

Letters from Varna. 5 7
At first Lord de Ros stood the heat of
the climate well, and was deeply interested
in his work. He was sent In May by Lord
Raglan to Shumla, to communicate with
Omer Pacha, and gave the following
account of his expedition. May nth.
" We landed at Varna, at 8 a.m., and set off
for Devna, along the shore of a wild, melancholy
lake which runs up inland from Varna. My
A.D.C., the interpreter, my batman, and myself
on ragged but well-bred ponies, and our baggage
strapped on the backs of three other miserable
little nags. After four hours' riding we arrived
at a most picturesque glen, where we stopped
to eat bread and drink cold tea, and then on to
the village of Devna, where we found a squadron
of Turkish cavalry, an outpost of the army.
"The commanding officer had not even a
quarter guard, no patrols out, and no guess
where the Russians might be, all alike to him !
Here Henri (St. Arnaud's A.D.C.) came up,
with Colonel Dupuis of the Turkish cavalry,
and a Captain de Romano, a very pleasant
gentleman-like fellow of the regiment of Guides

58 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
come here to see the army. We cooked up a
joint supper by eight, and we went to bed, or
rather to floor, my party in a very small room
absolutely empty, the Frenchmen in the kitchen.
I was up before five, being awoke by my guard of
honour, got some boiled rice-milk, and was off at
six. My ' guard of honour ' were four men and a
Serjeant ; two had. spurs, the third a pair of old
slippers, the fourth boots outside his trousers ;
none had straps. They slept outside the house-
door with no end of fowls, dogs, and- cattle.
Such a procession in the yard for starting, and
such work to pack the baggage. We reached
another outpost about eleven, when the standard
was unfurled, and the Colonel gave us some
pipes and very nasty coffee-grounds in his tent,
while his wild-looking troopers stared at us, and
saluted by kissing their hands to us.
" We approached Shumla towards sunset, and
a most beautiful scene it presented. The town
lies in a large amphitheatre under a wooded
mountain, all along the top of which were
Turkish camps and forts, and two large camps
with the red standard on each side as you enter
the gates from the plain. There, however, the
illusion ends, for such a beastly, ramshackle,
filthy, rubbishy place it is hard to describe I
The outskirts of Drogheda are clean and tidy

Omer Pacha. 59

compared to it ! After plunging and tumbling
and scrambling along the streets, or rather
lanes, for half an hour, we were met by Captain
Simmons,* our resident engineer here, who got
us some dinner. With some difficulty Simmons
procured us a lodging belonging to General
Cannon (Evans' A.D.C. at Chobham, who is
converted into a Turkish general I and is now
at Constantinople). We slept sound enough, as
you may suppose.
" Next day we went to see Omer Pacha. He
is a very fine-looking man, a very military air,
with most gentlemanlike, quiet manners com
bined with great spirit, genius, and resolution ;
no bravado, but much sound sense. He uses
French, Italian, and German in conversation,
just as he finds the suitable word, which is a
little puzzling till one is used to it. He dis
penses with all the nonsense of coffee and pipes,
and proceeds at once to business, which he
discusses clearly and plainly. He has no end of
attendants and officers, who treat him with much
respect. I asked him if the reporters were not
a trouble to him. " Non^' he said, " quand je
liai pas molti affari il rrHamouse de les voir et
intendere was sie haben von neues zn sagen." He
offered me a Pacha to go found the works,
* Now F.M. Sir Lintorn Simmons.

6o Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
but I preferred Simmons alone, who is an extra
ordinary clever fellow, and cannot be too much
praised for all he has done here.
" We rode for many hours over the mountains
above the town, and then went to see some
Egyptian regiments exercising on the plain
outside the Great Camp, and got back to a late
dinner, which we had scarcely finished when we
heard a prodigious clatter of horses and soldiers
in the little yard of Simmons' lodging, and in
walked Omer Pacha to tea ! He made himself
very agreeable on several — besides military —
subjects, but I was so sleepy I could hardly
listen. He said good-humouredly, he saw I
was tired, and after requesting to see me next
day at dinner, he retired." Sunday.
"The following morning, Sunday, I visited
Omer Pacha, to return his private visit, and to
thank him for his consideration of my unfortu
nate sleepiness, after which we had an hour of
business alone ; and then, after reading prayers,
I took a walk with young Cannon, a Scotch
clergyman, who showed me a very remarkable
Bulgarian school and chapel, where three hundred
boys are instructed in mathematics, arithmetic,
Greek, French and German. It is supported by

Lord de Ros in Ttirkey. 6i

the tradesmen of Shumla — who they are or
what they trade in except teapots and sugar
plums I really do not know, for that is all I see
in the shops ; but however, not only is the
school excellently fitted up with maps, books,
&c., it is looked after by a Bishop and an
Archbishop. Omer Pacha by-the-bye has a
Dervish as Chaplain, such as is not often
found among our clergy. He wears two
brace of pistols, a dagger, a scimitar, and a
huge blunderbuss hung over his shoulder, with
a large pouch-belt full of ammunition. He is
a great fierce, tall fellow, nearly black, and
one of his chief duties is to break young horses
for the Pacha 1
" The dinner was a most tiresome affair — we
went at seven, as invited, but the Pachas came
in one after another so unpunctual that it was
8.30 before we sat down to the very nastiest and
oddest preparation of victuals I ever tasted —
grease, grease, grease I all grease ! We took
leave with much cordiality, and when I see what
he has done, for he has the whole work of the
army with no assistance but Simmons, I cer
tainly feel more than common interest in his
fate. Simmons possesses much of his confidence,
and he could not place it better. The regular
Turkish and Egyptian soldiers are orderly and

62 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.

obedient, and had they better officers would be
very respectable troops.
"We started for Pravadi, Capt. Simmons
coming with us so far to show me some new
works there and also some important features of
the country. We came a little round to see
Madara, where there is a very curious cave in a
precipice, where five hundred men could be
sheltered under a huge projection of rock. I
never beheld grander or more beautiful scenery
than at Madara. It is six miles from Shumla,
and the road is through pretty woods and
through a Bulgarian village as clean as Shumla
is the contrary. Poor people 1 they were quite
relieved to find our cavalcade was not composed
of the villanous Bashki Bazouks, a sort of
Turkish yeomanry who are doing every sort of
mischief and crime and who must be inost
severely controlled or disbanded and disarmed.
On reaching Pravadi, Simmons, and W. and
I set off (on hands and knees part of the
way) to examine a sort of natural citadel above
the town, which is like Shumla, in a horse-shoe
valley, we got up the mountain and then
clambered up a stair in the rock, till we reached
a plateau shaped like a pear, of several acres'
extent and accessible to troops only at the
stalk, which is about six feet wide, a ridge of

Pravadi. 63

rock with such a precipice on each side, awful
even to look down. It had evidently been a
castle of the middle ages — the steps of more
modern work. Part of the old gate still exists,
but the rest had been utterly ruined and the
walls rolled down to the valley where we saw
many huge piles of cut stone. This plateau is
to be the resource of the Turkish troops in and
about Pravadi, and Simmons has found some
wells which we hope to get cleaned out — they
were cut in the living rock with much art, and
one is probably very deep indeed. On the
broad part of the plateau we found a huge rock,
which we think may, with a little labour be con
verted into casemates for one thousand men.
These gigantic features and strange old ruins
were most interesting, and Omer Pacha having
requested me to examine them with a military
view, I did not like to hurry over it, and we got
down to our Bulgarian hut, having been twelve
hours on horseback, pretty well tired.
We were off at 6 a.m. on better horses than
we had yet obtained, and about ten we passed
Devna. We got a cup of coffee at a little khan
there, and then made the best of our way to the
pretty fountain in the glen where we had stopped
before. Here we dined on some cold turkey
Simmons had given us, with a large party of

64 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Bulgarian peasants, all like the people in Raphael's
cartoons, and civil, good creatures as ever I
saw. Just as we were leaving the fountain up
came Gen. Cannon from Varna going post for
Shumla. He told me Lord Raglan was
anxiously expecting my return, and the Banshee
waiting for me with her steam up, and that Lord
R., Marshal St. Arnaud and the Seraskier were
coming up as soon as I should return, for a
council with Omer Pacha, whom Cannon was to
request to meet them at Varna.
" Of course we pushed on. A. W. saved
me fatigue by driving my post-horse before
him with a hunting-whip ! We got to Varna
by five, and as soon as I had examined
some matters at the pier and landing-place,
we sailed, had a quiet passage, and reached
Scutari about 9 a.m.
" I went straight to Lord R., and by his wish
afterwards to Lord Stratford, who detained me
so late that I could not go to a great dinner
given by the Sultan. I had much to write in
throwing my numerous notes into a report, and
it was past twelve before I could get to bed, but
you will like to know everybody says I am
looking the better for my extraordinary journey.
. . . Mrs. Brown of Strabane, near Lisburn,
is my wa.sherwoman, and I hear Irish in

Lord de Ros invalided. 65

every direction to my unspeakable refreshment.
. . . Things are now in better order, and I
am, though incessantly occupied, not incessantly
harassed as at first. I fear my letters are
very unconnected, for I write them on boxes,
on men's backs, on saddles, anywhere as I
get time ! "
It Is matter of history how the army
moved on in June to Varna, where the
incessant hard work and the heat of the
climate proved too much for Lord de Ros,
and he had a severe attack of fever and
ague at the end of July. Instead of his
usual cheerful and Interesting letters, the
August mail brought from Lord Raglan
the alarming Intelligence of his serious ill
ness. In the hope that change of air would
lead to his recovery, he was sent to Buyuk-
dere, but after two relapses, It was decided
by a medical board that he must go home,
to his most deep mortification and sorrow,
for he could not bear leaving Lord Raglan

66 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
at the moment of the embarkation for the
Crimea. He returned to England In September,
very much weakened, and was obliged to
lead an invalid life for many months, but
the rest of home and Lady de Ros's
devoted nursing restored him to health,
although he was ever afterwards subject
to return of ague and the Varna fever.
The Hon. Emily Eden to Lady de Ros.
Broadstairs, Sept. 1854.
" I did not know till I heard from Lord
Derby that you and dear Lord de Ros were
again established at Strangford, where I earn
estly trust he is regaining strength, and you re
covering nerves, which must have been sorely
tried. But still, when you think of all the
anxious wives and mothers that have had to drag
through this week, and who will, I fear, have
two or three more such weeks — you must nOw
think Lord de Ros's illness a positive blessing.
I am sure I do, though I daresay he does not see
it in that light ; but men are no judges on those

Hon. Emily Eden at Broadstairs. 67

very nice points of illness, and fighting, and
home and abroad, &c. He did his best by
going, and staying much longer than he ought,
and now he must do his best, by letting you
nurse him up again into good health. . . . My
history is extremely uneventful, but smooth,
which is the best thing I can hope for now.
" My cottage is very charming (to me at least)
and my garden a great interest all the more
from having no gardener, and that flowers are so
utterly unknown at Broadstairs, that I could not
hire a labourer who knew one from another, or
who could even mow the lawn, so I imported a
ragged boy from a London family who are
pensioners of mine, and gave him patterns of
weeds and patterns of flowers, because he was
naturally inclined to water \hz first, and pull up
the second, and I direct all the planting from my
sofa, and keep my boy constantly drenching the
flowers (it never rains here), and the result is my
garden is a mass of colour, and that on a fine'
day there are seldom fewer than three Ramsgate
or Margate flys drawn up in a line, with their
occupants screaming with delight at my gera
niums ; and the flymen wind up by pointing at
me with their whips, and saying, ' Three years
ago it was a mass of chalk and rubbish, and
there's the sick lady herself I have thought
F 2

68 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
of drawing up a short but correct account of my
life, as the flymen tell it, with variations I "
Lady Georgiana Bathurst was a
constant correspondent of Lady de Ros,
and kept her au courant of London news
when she was in Ireland.
Lady G. Bathurst to Lady de Ros.
White Lodge, Sept. 1855.
" I am glad the Queen's visit to the Emperor is
well over ; it was most admirably managed, and
she was enchanted. The Princess Royal wrote
a most admirable description to my Duchess, of
all she had seen. She can never forget the im
pression all she has seen has made upon her, and
very naturally alludes to the extraordinary sight
of ' dear Mama ' visiting Napoleon's tomb lean
ing on the Emperor's arm."
The same to the same on the Princess Royals
Wedding. Jan. 1858.
" It was a pretty and interesting sight. The
young bride looked so nice, and seemed so
happy, though full of feeling, evidently, at
quitting her family. I was much struck with the

Life at Strangford. 6g
pretty manner in which, after kissing her parents,
she went up to her mother-in-law, and put her
arm round her neck, as much as to say, ' You are
now my mother.' . . . You never saw anything so
absurd as the toilettes are this year, so many petti
coats one over the other, looped up with flowers,
ribbons, and bows ; I never saw the like."
After 1854 there is little of interest to
relate In her life, which was chiefly
passed between Old Court and London,
with the exception of two winters at
Cannes. Lord and Lady de Ros used to
visit many country houses in Ireland, and
gave a hearty welcome to the numerous
friends who came to Old Court. In the
summer-time several of Lord de Ros's
yachting friends were in the habit of
anchoring in Lough Strangford, and one
who used to be often in the neighbour
hood contributes the following description
of Lady de Ros at that period.
" My recollections of Lady de Ros date

70 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
from the year 1858, when as a child I used
to stay every summer with my grand
mother at ' The Lodge,' Strangford. It
would be impossible to enumerate her
many acts of kind thoughtfulness to the
poor in her village, where ' her Ladyship's '
visits were greatly welcomed and valued.
"This kindness was equally shown to
all who came to the house. The young
people of the neighbourhood, who used to
meet at Old Court for picnics, boating-
parties, croquet, &c., felt the keen interest
taken by Lady de Ros in all that went on.
"In the winter amusements, charades,
&c., which used to take place at Old
Court, she would enter heartily into all the
preparations, sparing no pains or trouble to
make all go off" well.
"A day at Old Court was a red-letter
day in many young lives, and I shall never
forget how keenly I enjoyed hours spent

Lady Westminster. 7 1

there, which are amongst some of the
happiest memories of my life."
For a long period Lady de Ros corre
sponded with Lady Westminster, who was
a friend from the days of their girlhood.
Phillis in the country to her Indamina in town.
{Lady Westminster to Lady de Ros).
Motcombe House, April i/^h, 1859.
" At least, my dear, I suppose you are now
settled there — perhaps at this very moment in
a train of ' rich moire antique,' basking in the
sunshine of the Royal smile, while we are basking
in no sunshine at all, but with a violent storm
of a southern gale — the rain pattering against
the windows, and, what is very serious, obliged
to put off one school-dinner all settled for to
day, and, though the rain would not matter for
the banquet itself, it quite destroys the Olympic
games which take place in the garden, and which
constitute, as you know, a very material part of
the entertainment.
"We have just set up a night-school once or
twice a week, with which la Jeunesse Agricole
are perfectly delighted, and do wonderful things

72 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
with arithmetic under T.'s inspection. As I never
could even learn the multiplication-table I keep
quite aloof from that branch, which I leave to
W. and T., and take, very humbly, care of some
of the writers, and also of the very worst of the
readers." December, 1859.
" The Rifle movement has occupied me
incessantly, which sounds very arrogant and
something i pritention, but W.'s work is so
overwhelming with military correspondence as
Lord- Lieutenant, that I am glad when I can
relieve him of any other (civilian) letters. Ches
hire, my dear, has started thirty rifle companies
— about 2000 men, rifle and artillery, all burning
with frantic patriotism (and quite right too !).
I reckon that each man costs a letter more or
less on an average, and new troops constantly
announcing themselves. The Lord-Lieutenants
ought to have a testimonial, either a purseful of
sovereigns, their own portrait leaning on a re
volver, or a tea-service in German silver, with
snuffers to match. I am sure they deserve it
all 1 " Motcombe, February 20th, 1878.
" I have been rather putting off writing, being
so engrossed, like everybody else, by the extra-

Lord de Ros at the Tower. 73

ordinary news of almost every day that I hardly
felt steady enough to write, till I knew what was
to come next ! However, now there seems a
lull. The Grand Duke and the Sultan are de
lighted with each other (though the Sultan would
like the English ships a little nearer him !) ; the
Russians and the Turks are all love and friend
ship. Russia's holy aspirations mean no harm
to us ! Schouvaloff is a type of forbearance and
goodness, &c. — so I suppose I may write in
peace !
" Meantime' the country generally is delighted
to hear of the preparations for war — no harm to
be ready ! — and it is astonishing how much the
poorest people are interested, and how much
they know of the leading points — how thoroughly
pleased they are with Lord Beaconsfield, and
thankful to him for bringing us through."
During the time that Lord de Ros was
Governor of the Tower of London, he and
Lady de Ros frequently entertained their
friends at the Governor's house. He took
the utmost pains to investigate and record
all the historical associations of the fortress
and its contents — of which he wrote an

74 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
account — and delighted in exhibiting them
to visitors. There are few of the royal
personages of Europe who have not in
spected the Tower under the guidance of
Lord de Ros, among the latest being the
present Czar and Czarina. The Shah's
visit to England was also made the
occasion of one of these parties.
On January 6th, 1874, within six months
of Lord and Lady de Ros's golden wed
ding-day, came the great sorrow of
her life, in the death of her beloved
husband, after a short illness. She
quitted Old Court a month after, and
from that time forward resided In
England, living in retirement, chiefly at
her house In Eaton Place, where she had
always a kind welcome for her numerous
relations and old friends, and their
descendants down to the third genera
tion. Lady de Ros always kept a

Military Visitors. 75

special store of bonbons and presents for
the children, who were often brought to
see her.
It gave her great pleasure to make the
acquaintance of any distinguished officers,
and to show them her mementoes of the
Great Duke. Amongst these came Gene
ral Sir Charles Yorke, who supplied her
with the subsequent histories of many of
the officers who were at the famous Brus
sels Ball ; Field-Marshal Sir Patrick Grant,
whose histories of his India campaigns were
a great delight to her ; General Sir Gerald
Graham, from whom she was much inte
rested to hear anecdotes of his friend the
heroic General Gordon ; and last, though
not least, General Sir Frederick (now
Lord) Roberts, of whom she was a
great admirer. Another of her military
visitors. In whose career she took a warm
Interest, was the gallant Colonel Barrow,

76 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
19th Hussars ; and after he had taken
leave of her, to go back to Egypt, she
absolutely ran to the top of the stairs with
a woollen comforter of her own work to
give him.
To the Hon. Mrs. Ward.
Nov. 1885.
" I had a visit from Sir Frederick Roberts
after you left ; he was full of praises of the
D  s. He is such a simple, modest man, and
I was pleased to make his acquaintance ; having
known most of the Peninsular generals, and all
those at Waterloo, I was glad to see the most
distinguished one we have now." Feb. 2yd, 1882.
" I cannot help thinking that the old army I
knew was far, far better than this new Cardwell
one, composed of young generals and boy
soldiers. Formerly a reverse or defeat was as
rare as it is now common." March 29//%, 1882.
" It was delightful to receive your lovely
flowers this morning, and some delicious violets,
with beautiful pansies, also arrived from your

Friends and Occupations. 77
gardener, for which accept my best thanks. My
flower-table looks so pretty and bright, only
yesterday I was lamenting that it would be bare
to-day. I am also very grateful for your letter
telling me you are pretty well and out again.
The severe and sudden changes in the weather
have tried me a good deal, but I am not laid up,
and I can occupy myself at home, and swarms
of nephews and nieces appear most days, so I
am very thankful to be as well as I am, though
I have been out very seldom."
To Miss F. May t,th, 1885.
" I have been busy illuminating book-markers
and texts, and selling them for Truro Cathedral."
In connection with this, it must be ex
plained that her interest in Truro proceeded
from her friendship with Bishop Wilkinson.
His visits, which began when he was Vicar
of St. Peter's, Eaton Square, were always
a great pleasure and comfort to her, and
were continued to the last days of her life.
In AugTJSt 1883 she drove from Engle-

78 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
field Green* to Bagshot, to see a musical
ride of the ist Life Guards, in which
regiment she took a lively interest, as
having been that of her husband, and sub
sequently commanded by her son, to whom
she wrote the following account. .
Aug. 2ist, 1883.
"We have had an amount of gaiety. On
Wednesday we went, after an early luncheon, to
Bagshot ; a lovely drive, and Bagshot Park per
fect for the Tournament, which was the prettiest
sight possible. We got tickets for the enclosure,
but were soon promoted, as the Duke of Con-
naught came and took us off to their enclosure,
where of course we saw better. The Life Guards
were the admiration of all ; the Duke kept ap
plauding, and told the Duchess to clap. I never
saw anything so pretty as the musical ride, which
the Life Guards did much better than the Bays.
We came away after the Life Guards' ride, and
got back at seven. L. G. told me yesterday that
it was lucky I came away when I did, as the
* Until the year i8gi, Lady de Ros used to take a house
at Englefield Green or Windsor for two months in the
summer.

Royal Engineers at Runnymede. 79

Royal Artillery beat the Life Guards in the
tug-of-war. Nothing could have gone off better
than the whole affair, the arrangements excellent,
the weather splendid, and no accidents.
" In the enclosure we had the Napiers of Mag-
dala. Sir Archibald and Lady Alison, and the
R. Talbots very pleased at the regiment doing
so well. They showed me a man of the name
of Fisher, who was in Egypt, and who has lately
called his little girl Kassala in remembrance of his
campaign. The Duke of Connaught pointed
out to me all the men who have been in Egypt.
I did not feel to know the regiment at first, with
their black sheep-skins, and regretted the white
ones ! "
During one of her visits to Englefield
Green, some of the Royal Engineers were
encamped at Runnymede, and it was a
great delight to Lady de Ros to drive
down and witness their pontooning
operations. Once, when the pontoon
bridge was completed to Magna Charta
Island, she accepted the Invitation of the
officer In command to walk across it, being

8o Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
escorted by Field-Marshal Lord Napier of
Magdala, who was Immensely interested
by her telling him that the last time
she had crossed a pontoon bridgfe was
In 1815, when riding with the Great
Duke. Lady de Ros to the last took a keen
Interest both in public affairs and in the
private concerns of her relations and
friends. She was a great letter-writer, and until
her sight failed, her handwriting was
beautifully clear. Every note and letter
was scrupulously answered by herself, and
she regularly kept a diary, besides doing
all her household and other accounts. She
was extremely fond of reading, and de
lighted in being read to. Memoirs and
biography were her favourite studies, but
she also much enjoyed a good novel,
whether by Jane Austen or a more modern

Occupations. 8 1

author, viewing it however somewhat in
the light of a relaxation.
Immediately after losing two teeth, at
the age of eighty -three, she writes —
" I am going to read ' Blue Stockings,' which
I think is rather a lazy indulgence, as I feel quite
well." She was, moreover, an adept In all
kinds of work, from the finest embroi
dery to spinning flax ! The spinning-
wheel which she used for many years
was presented by her to the Queen.
Latterly she made it a rule to make
twelve dozen crochet shawls for her
annual Christmas presents, in addition to
many other articles. Carving in wood
was once a favourite occupation, but she
excelled above all in the art of illumination,
of which she has left many most beautiful
specimens. Among her chief works on
vellum were the de Ros Pedigree, and two
G

82 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
volumes of the Collects from the Prayer
Book ; and on wood she illuminated the
Creed, the Ten Commandments, and a
Scroll, for Old Court Chapel. After her
ninetieth year she still illuminated texts for
book-markers on ivory or cardboard, and
almost her last work was a Jubilee con
gratulation to the Queen.
A few more specimens of her character
istic letters are given.
To Lady 

R. Lodge, W. Park., Oct. 2nd, 1885.
" How very kind of you having written me
such a nice letter ! I cannot tell you what
pleasure it gave me. I do so value old friends'
attentions. I had nearly thirty letters, cards,
and gifts to acknowledge.
The following letter scarcely bears out
the assertion it contains.

The Waterloo Ball Room. 83

To Lady W.
R. Lodge, W. Park,
Oct. \th, 1888.
" I am grown deaf and stupid ! " It goes on :
" I have nearly lost the sight of one eye ; I trust
the other will last my time. I am well, barring a
few small ailments, and very thankful, to be as
well as I am. I had a visit from my great-
great-granddaughters, which was a great pleasure
to me. I have been persecuted by correspond
ence about the Waterloo Ball room ....
Twenty years ago I hunted in vain for it, and
then heard it had been pulled down long ago,
. . but  will not believe me, nor will he
allow me to know the name of the street in
which we lived ! D. wrote to the Times 
so I hope the matter will rest now. Think of
the editor of a London paper coming down to
Englefield Green to interview me I "
Dec. 14M, 1889.
" No doubt your visit to [your old home] will
recall many sad memories, but I am very glad
you are going, and I heartily wish it may be
productive of more pleasure than pain." G 2

84 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Feb. 1st, 1890.
" How good of you to have sent me those
lovely anemones ! they quite enliven my room
in the very dull gloomy, rainy weather we are
having ... I congratulate you most sincerely on
H.'s expected return so soon. I like to think of
your happiness.
" I hardly ever go out, which I do not mind so
much, if I can only see to occupy myself; but
it is very trying when obliged to have lamps
burning all day,
" Ever with much gratitude,
" Your very affectionate
" G. DE Ros."
Lady de Ros to Lord G. FitzGerald. July (jth, 1890.
" Accept my very best thanks for your letter
and for the lace bark, which will be very useful
to me, and cover all the lamp-shades I shall
ever make. I sell them for the benefit of the
Distressed Irish Ladies' Fund. I can no longer
draw or illuminate, as my left eye is all but
gone, or I would have sent you some contri
butions to your exhibition : as it is, I can only
send you my best wishes for its success ... I

Waterloo Day. 85

had forty-nine visitors on Waterloo Day, and
eleven people left their cards, and my room
could hardly hold the flowers, &c., that were
sent to me, and among them there arrived a
beautiful bouquet from the Queen. All these
attentions gratified me much, as they showed
that my dear Duke is not forgotten."
When her eyesight did not allow of
other work, she amused herself by making
hand-screens with scraps, and In the country
she made lamp-shades with leaves and
flowers, which she designed and arranged
with exquisite taste, selling them for the
Irish Distressed Ladies' Fund, her contri
butions to which amounted, between July
1888 and December 1891, to ^70.
The Marquis of Hertford to Lady de Ros.
May t,th, 1883.
" My dear Lady de Ros,
"The pretty and clever lamp-shades arrived
safely, accompanied by the bill, which is far more
interesting than those documents usually are. I

86 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
comply with the proviso of ' no credit or dis
count,' by sending the money, and the bill itself
for the purpose of your signing the receipt, which
I beg may be in your own handwriting, as I hope
to hand it down to posterity as a specimen of
what octogenarian patience and ability can do.
" Ever yours affectionately,
" Hertford.''
When Her Majesty's Jubilee Presents
were exhibited, Lady de Ros went to see
them, and the friend who accompanied
her has written the following account :
" I accompanied her to St. James's
Palace, where the Jubilee presents were
shown. She was much interested by the
display, and expressed a wish to see her
own work. I went off" to find It, and soon
discovered a stalwart policeman mounting
guard over a portion of the presents. On
telling him what I was in search of, he
immediately showed me Lady de Ros's
illumination, adding, ' I would give any-

77/^ Jubilee of 1887. 87
thing to see the old lady who drew that.'
' 1 will bring her here in a ffew minutes,'
was my reply, and by the time I returned
with Lady de Ros to the spot, the police
man must have told some of the by
standers of our colloquy, for I soon
perceived that she was the centre of
an admiring circle, who peeped round her
eagerly, in order to see her, and not the
presents, while she was absorbed in what
was before her, equally unconscious of the
policeman's respectful salute, and of the
inquisitive spectators that surrounded her.
One of them even whispered to me,
' That's the old lady herself! '
" When we left, we waited for the car
riage in a large room on the ground-floor.
Over the mantelpiece was a picture of
the death of the Duke of Brunswick. 1
drew Lady de Ros's attention to this
picture ; and she told me that she had

88 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
accompanied the Duke to see him review
the ' Black Bruns wickers,' on the morn
ing before the celebrated ball. He made
them a little speech, saying he hoped
they would always bear in mind that they
had had the honour of being reviewed by
a lady before going into action. Tears
ran down her cheeks as she described
the scene, and 1 saw that to her the
remembrance of that long past summer
morning was as fresh as ever. The
fashionable London crowd, intent only on
getting away as quickly as possible, never
noticed the picture that so profoundly
affected her, bringing back to her memory
the days of her youth."
Lady de Ros witnessed the procession
of the Queen's Jubilee from one of the top
windows of the Duke of Grafton's house
in Grosvenor Place. Two days after, the
King of the Belgians, having heard of

Waterloo Reminiscences. 89

Lady de Ros's wonderful memories of
1815, begged to be allowed to call upon
her, and was deeply interested in her
reminiscences of Brussels. In reading the
list of the guests at the famous ball, the
King remarked upon the names of four
of his attendants — one of whom. Count
D'Asche, was the grandson of the lady
from whose house Lady de Ros remem
bered seeing the wounded brought in from
Waterloo. The King repeated his visit
when next in London.
Lady de Ros was always delighted to
talk about her youthful days to those
who were really interested, but she
would never have published her Recollec
tions of the Great Duke, had it not
been for the newspaper controversy,
which she was extremely anxious to
set at rest, concerning the Brussels
ball-room.

go Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
From the Marquis of Dufferin and A va.
British Embassy, Rome,
March ijth, 1889.
" I have found several people here who have
read your articles with the greatest admiration ;
indeed, anything that concerns the Duke of
Wellington cannot fail to interest an English
man, if he is worthy of the name, and I envy
you your reminiscences. Dean Wellesley once
presented me to him, and I saw him frequently
at Windsor. ... I am looking forward to seeing
you in June, and having many a long chat. I
have passed so many happy days under your
roof, and I am so fond of you and yours, that I
can have no greater pleasure than to see as
much of you as I can.
" Ever yours affectionately,
•' D. & A."
When the Recollections of the Duke of
Wellington were published, Lady de Ros
was quite Indignant at one of the papers
praising the articles as " the utterances of
an octogenarian," observing "they might
have given me the credit of being a

Visit to the Queen. 91

nonagenarian ; " and also remarking that
"it was not often any one made their
ddbut as an author at the age of ninety-
three ! "
It Is almost equally wonderful to relate
that the venerable nonagenarian should
have taken part in the Schoolboard
Election of 1888, but Lady de Ros was
determined upon recording her vote, and
accordingly went to the polling-place
accompanied by a friend.
In March i8go. Her Majesty the
Queen expressed a wish to see Lady de
Ros again, and so It was arranged for her
to go to the Palace one morning. She
was extremely pleased by the Queen's
cordiality and kindness, and the Dowager
Duchess of Roxburghe wrote to Lord de
Ros afterwards, " I must tell you how
delighted the Queen was with your dear
and wonderful mother's visit, and I wish

92 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
you could have heard all Her Majesty
said." Lady de Ros's account of the visit to
her daughter is as follows :
3 . 30 P.M. — Well, the visit is over, and most
satisfactory. Nothing could be kinder than
H.M. was ; embraced me twice, and talked on
many subjects. I was tite-d-tite with her for
more than twenty minutes ; she asked about you,
and talked of Dudley. She asked me a good
deal about the Duke; and I told her about
the white cloak,* which she said she felt sure he
had never worn."
She also wrote to an old friend In
Ireland : March i()th, 1890.
" Your anemones are too beautiful and en
liven my room, and I am most grateful for
them, and still more so for your kind recollec
tion of me. . . . Dudley took me last Thursday
to visit the Queen, who had desired him to do
so. I was with Her Majesty tHe-d-tite for
* The white cloak exhibited at the Waterloo and
MiUtaiy Exhibitions by the present Duke of Wellington.

Royal Visitors. 93
twenty minutes, and very gracious and amiable
she was, talking upon all subjects. I was glad
to have the opportunity of thanking her for
her kindness to Dudley.
" I trust your son is recovering, and that his
deafness has passed off. I can sympathise with
him, for I am very deaf, and find it a great
privation, and it is so tiresome for my friends."
She also wrote to her godson in the
West Indies : " Just before the Queen left
England, she sent to me to go to her.
Nothing could be more kind and gracious
than she was, and 1 was much surprised
at her knowing so many details of our
family. She kept me twenty minutes, and
took leave of me most affectionately,
hoping to see me again, and she was so
nice about D. that I quite enjoyed my
tUe-a-tUe with her."
The same year H.R.H. the Duchess of
Albany, honoured Lady de Ros by a visit,
and Mrs. Moreton wrote the next day to

94 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Lord de Ros : " The Duchess wishes me
to tell you how completely and entirely
she was fascinated by your mother. The
Duchess is so glad to have had this
opportunity of making Lady de Ros's
acquaintance, and H.R.H. hopes to see
her again very often, and to enjoy as
pleasant a chat with her, as she had
yesterday." When the Duchess of Albany heard
that Lady de Ros contemplated a visit
to the Panorama of Waterloo, H.R.H.
begged to be of the party, and afterwards
had luncheon with Lady de Ros.
Besides going to the Waterloo Pano
rama, Lady de Ros paid a visit with her
son to the Military Exhibition at Chelsea.
They went by a private entrance, and were
met by the veteran Sir Patrick Grant, who
escorted her through the most interesting
galleries, stopping to look at the portraits

Waterloo Day. 95

of the many Peninsular and Waterloo
heroes whom she had known so well in the
early part of the century. In her diary she
observes how much she enjoyed it.
The glorious i8th of June was always a
joicr defite at 19 Eaton Place. The house
was decorated with laurel ; all Lady de
Ros's mementos of her hero were arranged
on the tables, and from an early hour
there poured In beautiful bouquets, and
baskets of flowers and fruit, also telegrams
and letters from friends in all parts of the
world, including the Viceroys of India
and Canada. In the course of the day a
succession of Field-Marshals, Generals,
and many other visitors paid their respects,
some of whom were on their way to the
venerable Lord Albemarle's Waterloo re
ception. On one occasion Sir H . Ponsonby
brought a bouquet from Her Majesty. If
the weather allowed of Lady de Ros being

96 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
able to drive, she used to call upon Lord
Albemarle, taking him a sprig of laurel.
And on two occasions she also laid a
similar tribute at the foot of the Duke of
Wellington's statue.
The following letters show how she
valued all the attentions she received, not
on her own account, but as marks of
respect to the memory of the Great
Duke. Lady de Ros to the Hon. Mrs. Ward.
June 2ist, 1886.
" I had an ovation on Waterloo Day — flov/ers
from many friends, and visits from two field-
marshals and four generals ! It pleased me
that the day should be remembered in these
radical times. I am pretty well, only a few
small infirmities, but thankful to be as well, as
I am bordering on ninety-one ! "
Lady de Ros to the Hon. Mrs. Ward.
June 20th, 1889.
" On Waterloo Day I was loaded with atten
tions. Telegrams, letters, and such a profusion

Waterloo and Vittoria. 97

of flowers, and I had thirty visitors I among
them there were five Wellesleys. I was much
pleased at Lord Arthur coming up to London
for the day, on purpose to call here. Altogether,
I was much gratified at the tribute to my dear
old Duke's memory. Would that we had any
patriots like him now ! "
A letter from Lord Stradbroke witnesses
to a friendship with dates from the stir
ring days of 18 15.
From the Earl of Stradbroke to Lady de Ros.
June 21st, 1882.
" I was sorry to miss seeing you last Sunday,
the anniversary of Waterloo. I intended to
have called to-day, the anniversary of the battle
of Vittoria, really a more brilliant victory than
the Waterloo affair ; we took 198 guns, and de
stroyed the French array. The Duke told me that
if he had commanded the Peninsular army at
Waterloo, it would have been settled in four hours.
The charm of Waterloo was conquering Buona
parte, and having thirty-five years of peace in
consequence." Lady de Ros had no early acquaintance H

9 8 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
with Lord Albemarle, with whom at the
end of the century she shared the ovations
of Waterloo Day.
From the Earl of Albemarle to Lady de Ros.
June 14th, 1887.
"Dear Lady de Ros,
" I enclose a formal invitation to my Saturday
five o'clock tea. Proud as I should feel to re
ceive you under my roof, I fear you would find
my rooms too crowded, for although I am ex
pecting ' troops of friends,' which the Poet says
should accompany ' old age,' they will not be so
commodiously housed as I could wish. Still I
confess, if you should happen to be passing this
door on the 1 8th of June, I should feel greatly
honoured by a call ; for to my mind, the lady
whom the Prince of Waterloo handed in to
supper on the night of the ever-memorable
Brussels ball, ought to be at least an equal
object of interest as the junior ensign of his
army. May I be allowed to sign myself
" Your affectionate kinsman,
" Albemarle."

The Earl of Albemarle. 99

Lady de Ros to the Earl of Albemarle.
Waterloo Day, 1888.
" Dear Lord Albemarle,
" I am so sorry that the N.E. wind prevents
my having the pleasure of calling on you to-day
to present a bit of laurel in remembrance of this
glorious day. " Yours very sincerely, " G. DE Ros."
From Lady Augusta Noel {daughter of the
Earl of Albemarli) to Lady de Ros.
July t,th. [No year.]
" My father is quite delighted with his
Waterloo screen, and as proud of it as he can
possibly be. It is to be kept among his choice
treasures, with your card and its kind words
fastened on to it. I assure you, you could not
have given him a greater pleasure, especially
by adding the little illumination at the top of
the word 'Waterloo.' I am guided by the
ticket on my screen as to the price, but the one
made for my father, specially, is to him ' beyond
price.' "
H 2

ICO Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
In reference to the laurel leaf Lady
Augusta Noel wrote to Mrs. Swinton
after Lady de Ros's death : 1892.
" Lady de Ros's visits to my father and re
membrance of him on the i8th June were, each
year, one of his greatest pleasures, and he used
to treasure the laurel leaf she almost always
sent to him. We have a photograph of him
with Lady de Ros's laurel taken on the last
Waterloo Day of his life. He took it with him
to the Military Tournament that afternoon, and,
I remember, gave it as a souvenir of the anni
versary to the little Duke of Albany, who came
to see him in his box.
"It must have been, I think, in 1889 that
Lady de Ros sent the screens to my father.
She was making (and selling) them for the
Distressed Irish Ladies, one day when I went
to see her, and she kindly let me order a pair
for my father. The screen that was to be for
him she covered with cannons and military
emblems, and pasted a soldier of the 14th* on
it, and also ' Waterloo,' illuminated by herself, at
the top. He was quite delighted with it, and I
* Lord Albemarle's old regiment.

The Earl of Albemarle. loi
keep it with great care as a recollection of
the 'Waterloo lady's' kindness to 'the last
Waterloo man ' I I shall never forget his deep
interest in his visit to her, when she showed
him the plan of the ball-room, and the list
of the guests, and the Duke of Wellington's
Prayer-book." Lord de Ros says in reference to Lady
Augusta Noel's letter, that " 1 was in the
Royal box with the Duchess of Albany,
and pointed out Lord Albemarle to
H.R.H., upon which she expressed a
wish to speak to him and to present the
little Duke to him on such a memorable
day ; so 1 went down to where he was,
and told him of H.R.H.'s wish. He then
showed me the laurel leaf, and said he
prized it more than any of the presents he
had received on that day. The Duchess
then came down to the box where Lord
Albemarle was, to greet him and intro
duce her son to him, upon which he

I02 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
presented the young Duke with the laurel
leaf." During Lady de Ros's residence at
Englefield Green she greatly enjoyed the
beautiful drives in Windsor Park, and
received many kind attentions from her
Royal neighbours. Prince and Princess
Christian, including the valuable present
of a pair of piebald horses. After she had
completed her ninetieth year, she was still
able to enjoy watching the cricket matches
at Cumberland Lodge.
Her love of children was a very great
feature of her character, and she was
found playing at bo-peep in the garden
at Englefield Green, with her youngest
great-grandchild, when their respective
ages were four and ninety-four ! On
Drawing-room days some of her numerous
nieces and great-nieces usually appeared
In Eaton Place, to show themselves to

Life at Englefield Green. 103

" Aunt Georgie ; " and the many little
tokens which she received from them on
her birthdays and at Christmas, proved
how much they valued her never-
failing sympathy with all their joys
and sorrows.
A birthday congratulation from a great-niece.

" It is impossible to realise that you are 94 ;
we all feel you as young as ourselves, and more
full of life and energy than many of us."
To Lord G. FitzGerald. Nov. 10th, 1890.
" I send you a very small souvenir, hoping it
may remind you occasionally of one who takes
great interest in you. I am glad to think of the
pleasures you will have in your sister's visit. I
trust you had a pleasant autumn. We enjoyed
the lovely drives in Windsor Park. I must tell
you of a pretty attention I had on my birthday
from some Americans' who were living near us.
They sent me a beautiful basket, decorated with

I04 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
blue ribbon, containing twenty rosebuds, and
seventy-five full-blown roses, to commemorate
my 9Sth birthday, with such a pretty note.
What an interesting article Sir H. B. wrote in
the Nineteenth Century. " Ever my dear G.,
" Your very affectionate
" Godmother."
In 1890 there appeared a volume con
taining "Letters of the Duke of Wellington
to Miss J., 1834-51," which aroused some
curiosity as to the Identity of " Miss J."
On this subject Lady de Ros wrote as
follows : —
La(t^ de Ros to Mrs. B.
August 6th, 1890.
" In reply to your questions about Miss J.,
I can only say that I never heard of her until
the publication appeared. I think it possible
that the first few notes are authentic, as the Duke
was very particular in answering letters, but I
cannot beheve more than that. The present
Duke has not found any trace of correspondence

77^^ Dukes Letters to Mi'ss J . 105

with Miss J. My opinion is that she wrote
the letters herself."

At the close of the year 1890, Lady de
Ros was attacked with severe illness, and
the Times newspaper of December 31st
contained the false report of her death,
which occasioned a perfect storm of tele
grams and enquiries all day at the door of
19 Eaton Place. As she was still very ill,
it was thought best not to tell her of this
report, but she became aware of it In the
manner she herself narrates.
Lady de Ros to F.M. Sir Patrick Grant after
her severe illness of Dec. 1890. Jan. %th, 1 89 1.
" One of my first letters must be to you, to
thank you for your constant enquiries. I am
very thankful to say that I am getting on very
well, and am only confined to my rooms up
stairs by the severe v/eather. ... I trust ere

io6 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.

long I may have the pleasure of seeing you all
again. I think you will be as much amazed as
I was at hearing that I received a printed paper
from the Newspaper Agency, saying, ' We have
the pleasure I of sending you the enclosed
notice, and shall be obliged by your subscribing
to our paper.' The notice was the announce
ment of my death ! I the first I had heard of it.
The editor must be an Irishman ! "

Lady de Ros to Lord G. FitzGerald. Feb. 25//%, 1891.
" How very kind of you, my dear George, to
have written me such a nice letter, and to have
sent me the Jamaica papers, which interested
me fnuch, and I am so glad the exhibition was
so successful after all the trouble Sir H. and
Lady B. have taken. I have been trying to
write to you for some time, but was not up to it,
for although I am much better now, I am still
an invalid. I was confined to my room seven
weeks, so I am thankful to be as well as I am.
During my illness I received a printed letter
from the ' Special Information Agency,' be
ginning with ' We have the pleasure of sending
you the enclosed notices, and beg for a sub-

Last Days. 107
scription, &c. &c. The notices were the account
of my death I ! I The writer must be a country
man of yours ! They had not told me of
the report, so this announcement amused me
much."

After this she recovered enough to
be again in her drawing-room, but she
did not go out ; and about Easter her
sight became so much impaired that
she was debarred from her favourite
occupations of reading and writing.
She felt the privation acutely, but
submitted to It most patiently, and after
a little she resumed her knitting, and
set herself to work to learn writing
with a frame.
Up to 1 89 1 she had been always
occupied with her fingers in some way ;
but during the last months of her
life she was only able to do a little
knitting.

io8 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
The Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava to
Lady de Ros.
British Embassy, Rome,
Jan. Zth.
" My dear Lady de Ros,
" I am so delighted at receiving a letter from
you, and I think I shall frame and glaze it, as I
certainly never before got one under such extra
ordinary circumstances, or from such a charming,
cheery, and courageous convalescent I You and
Lord Brougham are the only two persons who
have gone through such an experience, and he,
I believe, arranged it for himself ... It was very
funny that you should have heard of it through
the Press Agency, a most original idea of theirs
to send it to you. Well, I am glad to think that
we may hope to see you again in your corner in
Eaton Place, full of friendly interest and sym
pathy as heretofore."
It was evident in the autumn of 1891
that she was failing fast. She did not
leave London, and on December 8th was
attacked with congestion of the lungs ; and

Death of Lady de Ros. 109

she passed away peacefully and quietly on
December isth.
The following notice appeared In the
Parish Magazine of St. Peter's, Eaton
Square, the Church which Lady de Ros
constantly attended for twenty-five years.
" One of our oldest. If not actually our
oldest, parishioners has just passed to her
rest, the Dowager Lady de Ros, In the
ninety-sixth year of her age. She was the
third daughter of Charles, 4th Duke of
Richmond, and married the Hon. William
F. de Ros, afterwards Lord de Ros, in
1824. " Lady de Ros was present at George
I H.'s Jubilee In 1809. She also witnessed
the procession to the abbey on the
occasion of the Queen's Jubilee in 1887.
She retained her faculties, both physical
and mental. In extraordinary perfection ;
and in the Jubilee year she presented the

no Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Queen with one of her illuminations, which
in its delicacy of finish would have taxed
the youngest eyes.
" To the last week of her life she was
busy knitting caps to be sold for the
Distressed Irish Ladies' Fund. Up to
last winter she attended the ii o'clock
Wednesday Celebration at St. Peter's,
whenever she was able. Her illness was
of short duration, there was no specific
disease, but she was simply worn out,
and fell asleep on the 15 th December,
1891." She was laid to rest by the side of her
husband at Old Court Chapel, and a
Memorial Service was held at the same
hour on the 21st December at St. Peter's,
Eaton Square, conducted by the Rev.
Brook Deedes and the Rev. C. S. Miller,
which was largely attended by many true
mourners of all ranks.

Bishop Wilkinsott. 1 1 1

Among the many wreaths which were
sent, was one from the Queen, as " a mark
of respect and regard."
A very true picture of her character
has been drawn by her valued friend,
Bishop Wilkinson.
Bishop Wilkitisoji* to the Hon. Mrs. Swinton.
34, Cadogan Gardens, S.W.
Christmas, 1892.
" My dear Mrs. Swinton,
" I am glad that you are preparing a memoir
of Lady de Ros. Many, besides myself, will
value it It was a great privilege, from time
to time, to visit her during those later years of
her life.
" I was specially struck with three things : —
(i) " Her thankfulness to God and man. How
ever weak or lonely she might seem to others,
she was never tired of referring to the goodness of
her Heavenly Father, the results of the Saviour's
* Now Bishop of St. Andrew's.

112 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.

Atonement, the unvarying kindness which she
received from her many relations and friends.
(2) " Her activity : —
"To the last she worked for others — for
friends — for comparative strangers — for the dis
tressed Irish ladies. Her mind and hands were
never idle. As I write, I have before me a
beautiful ivory marker, with the most delicate
illuminations, made only a few years before her
death. Whenever I visited her, she was, with
hardly, I think, an exception, doing something
which would give pleasure to others.
(3) " As the result of this thankful spirit and
active effort she was, so far as I saw, always
bright and cheerful. Even in a time of great
trial and anxiety, there seemed to be hidden
deep down in her heart a well of happiness
springing up into everlasting life. It was, I
repeat, a privilege to know her, and it is a real
pleasure to recall our many happy hours to
gether. " Believe me, my dear Mrs. Swinton,
" Yours very sincerely,
" George H. Wilkinson,
" Bishop."

Lord Dufferin s Recollections. 1 1 3
The following was written by one whom
she knew from his boyhood, and whose
distinguished career she had always fol
lowed with the keenest interest. How
he reciprocated her feeling. Is shown by
his eloquent words.
From the Marquis oj Dufferin and Ava to
the Hon. Mrs. Swinton.
British Embassy, Paris,
Nov. 7th, 1892.
" H. has handed me your letter, and you know
there is nothing I would not do either in this
direction, or in any other, for you, but the very
innocence, purity, of your mother's duty-loving
life renders the task of describing her character
very difficult. My recollection of her dates, of
course, from very early days, and as a boy I
remember her as the kindest and most indulgent
of friends. It was always a delight to me to be
allowed to pay a visit to your parents, for never
do I remember a brighter home, or one in which
a husband and wife contributed in such equal
shares to distribute around them the gaiety and
cheerfulness which turned their cottage on the
I

114 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Thames, as well as their ancient dwelling-place
at Strangford, into a very paradise of joy and
animation. I never knew two married people
who seemed to suit each other so entirely as
your father and mother. Your father's loveable
qualities, his charming courtesy, his high animal
spirits, his simple tastes, his delightful fund of
anecdote, were all supplemented and enhanced
by the high-bred and refined manners and
bearing of your mother. Her quiet appreciation
of everything that passed around her, her
shrewd insight into character, set off as it was
by her quick wit, and her keen sense of the
ridiculous, made her, when I became old enough
to enter their domestic circle upon equal terms,
one of the most delightful companions I have
ever known. The constant affection which she
showed both to me and to my mother, attached
me to her by the strongest ties of gratitude,
while my affection for your brother,* who was my
school-fellow, for your sister, who was more of
my own age, as well as the life-long friendship
which has bound you and me together, drew,
* Of Lady de Ros's three children two survived her.
Dudley Charles, the present Lord de Ros, and Blanche
Arthur Georgina (the Duke of Wellington's god-daughter),
who married in 1865 the late J. R. Swinton, Esq. Frances
Charlotte, the eldest of the family, who. was horn in the
Royal Barracks, Dublin, died in London in 185 1 at the
early age of 25.

Lord Dufferin s Recollections. 1 1 5

more closely year by year the ties which united
us. After a time my public duties, which kept
me so much abroad, unfortunately diminished
my opportunities of seeing your mother, but if
anything they rather increased the devotion I
felt for her, and this latter feeling became
eventually combined, as time rolled on, with a
feeling of reverence, as I returned at intervals to
find her softened, ennobled, and dignified by the
tender touch of time, and the passage — I will
not say the burden — of the accumulating years,
which seemed to invest her with fresh beauty,
and a still more tender claim to the love and
homage of all who knew her. Although at
each successive return to England, after a
certain number of years' absence, I observed a
change, there was not, until my last visit to her,
when her sight began to fail, the slightest
symptom of decay, either in her intelligence, or in
her appearance. She retained to the last the
old bright look in her eyes, and the same keen
interest in public events, in persons, and in
everything that was going on around her. Ex
treme old age seemed rather to invest her with
a new kind of grace and beauty, than to destroy
the beauty and grace with which she had been
endowed in her youth. Her feelings, her affec
tions, every quality and characteristic which
I 2

ii6 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
constitutes the delight and nobleness of life,
appeared as active and warm within her heart
and mind as ever, while her whole being seemed
penetrated by an atmosphere of softness, sym
pathy, and indulgence, which rendered her more
lovable than ever. Her memory retained its
power to the last, and as it ranged over the
doings of three generations, her reminiscences
were full of the greatest interest, especially when
she talked of the Duke of Wellington, with
whom she had been so great a favourite in her
youthful days. The personal interest which she
continued to take in my own fortunes, no matter
where I was, constantly filled me with the
deepest gratitude, and always after Russia,
Constantinople, India, and Rome, I felt that my
first duty was a pilgrimage to her door, a pil
grimage from which I never returned without
increased admiration for her saint-like patience
her unselfish care for others, and the majesty of
her humble resignation to the will of God.
" Ever yours affectionately,
"Dufferin and Ava."

MONT ST. MARTIN.
[From a sketch by Lady de Ros.)

PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF THE
GREAT DUKE OF WELLINGTON.
By Georgiana, Lady de Ros.
It has been thought that the personal
recollections of one whose memory ex
tends to the beginning of this century,
may be Interesting, especially as It was
my privilege to enjoy for a space of forty-
six years the friendship of the great Duke
of Wellington, and to be constantly in his
society at the memorable period of Water

ii8 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
loo. I had written down at the time
many anecdotes of the Duke and many
notes of conversations with him, which are
now published at the request of many
friends. My earliest recollection of Sir Arthur
Wellesley was when he returned from
India and had the command of a brigade
in the Sussex district In 1806. In the
following year my father, the Duke of
Richmond, was made Lord Lieutenant of
Ireland, and Sir Arthur being Chief
Secretary, we saw a great deal of him.
My sisters and I used to ride with
"great Sir Arthur," as we called him,
every day from the Vice- Regal Lodge in
the Phoenix Park to the Dublin Gate,
when he was going to his office. At that
time he gave a watch to one of my sisters,
which has lately been erroneously stated
to have been his own watch, and to have

Brussels ?'« 1814. 119

been given to her on the eve of Waterloo.
It is still in her possession.
In 1814 we went to live at Brussels, ia
a house in the Rue de la Blanchisserie,
with a large garden extending to the
ramparts. The Duke of Wellington
always called it " the Wash-house." It
has been pulled down, and when I visited
Brussels in 1868 I could find no vestige of
it. The Prince of Orange was in com
mand of a small force there, and my
brother. Lord March, was his A.D.C.
There were constant reviews and many
balls at the various Belgian and English
houses, for there were many English
families living there. During the Duke's
absence at the Congress of Vienna, the
rumour arrived of Napoleon's intended
invasion of Belgium, and there was great
anxiety among the English officers for
the Duke's arrival, as the Prince of

1 20 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Orange would otherwise have been in
command. The Prince himself was quite
angry with me for sharing this feeling,
exclaiming, "Why have you no confidence
in me?" to which I replied, "Well, sir,
vou have not been tried and the Duke
has." It is impossible to describe the
general relief it was when the Duke re
turned from Vienna ; for the Prince of
Orange, although personally much liked,
was inexperienced and rash. I have now
In my possession a fan made of amber,
which H.R.H. gave me at that time. It
is a curious example of the way in which
fashions change, for its dimensions are
only six inches by thirteen !
I often rode with the Duke to the
reviews. On May 22nd I accompanied
him to one at Vilvorde, of the Brunswick
troops ; as it rained, I rode home wrapped
in a soldier's greatcoat, which Lord Ux-

fune 1815 at Brussels. 121

bridge got for me, escorted by General
Alava. Early in June 181 5 some of the officers
were anxious to organise a party of
pleasure In the neighbourhood, either to
Tournay or Lille, and begged me to ask
the Duke's leave ; but when 1 mentioned
the idea he at once said, " No ; better let
that drop ; " for he knew we should all
have been probably taken prisoners by
the French. There were such constant
rumours of the troops moving for two
months before Waterloo, that when they
were renewed some days before the 15 th
we did not attach much importance to
them; and on the afternoon of the 15th
Lord Hill called upon us, when we were
all sitting in the garden, and disclaimed
any knowledge of a move.

122 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.

Plan of the House in which the Duchess of Richmond's
Waterloo Ball took place.

Gate

Rue d e la

+ Spot tohere Lady Georgiana Lennox
took leave of Duke of Brunewick

Blanchisserie ^t + lV/jece OMfce (tf Welliagtop
loohBd at map and ' painted
to Waterloo as the probable
field of battle.

Stables.

My mother's now famous ball took
place in a large room on the ground-floor,
on the left of the entrance, connected with
the rest of the house by an a.nte-room.

The Brussels Ball. 123

It had been used by the coach-builder,
from whom the house was hired, to put
carriages in, but it was papered before we
came there ; and I recollect the paper — a
trellis pattern with roses. My sisters used
the room as a schoolroom, and we used to
play battledore and shuttlecock there on a
wet day. The accompanying plan of the
ground floor of our house was given me
by my brother William, and corresponds
exactly with my recollections, and those
of my sister, Lady Louisa Tighe. When
the Duke arrived, rather late, at the ball,
I was dancing, but at once went up to
him to ask about the rumours. He said
very gravely, " Yes, they are true ; we are
off to morrow." This terrible news was
circulated directly, and while some of the
officers hurried away, others remained at
the ball, and actually had not time to
change their clothes, but fought in evening

1 24 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
costume. I went with my eldest brother
(A.D.C. to the Prince of Orange) to his
house, which stood in our garden, to help
him to pack up, after which we returned
to the ball-room, where we found some
energetic and heartless young ladies still
dancing. I heard afterwards that it had
been said that " the Ladies Lennox were
fine, and did not do the honours of the
ball well." The following list of the in
vited guests was given by my mother to
Lord Verulam, who sent me a copy of it.
Several of the officers were not present,
being on duty.
List of Invitations to the Duchess of
Richmond's Ball at Brussels,
June 15, 1815.
H.R.H. the Prince of Orange.
H.R.H. Prince Frederic of Orange.
H.R.H. the Duke of Brunswick.
Prince of Nassau.
Due d'Arenberg.

Guests at the Ball. 125
Prince Auguste d'Arenberg.
Prince Pierre d'Arenberg.
Le Maire de Bruxelles.
Due et Duchesse de Beaufort et Mademoiselle.
Due et Duchesse d'Ursel.
Marquis et Marquise d'Asche [from their house we
saw the wounded brought in : Lord Uxbridge,
Lord F. Somerset, &c.].
Comte et Comtesse d'Oultremont.
Comtesse Douairifere d'Oultremont et les Mesde-
moiselles.
Comte et Comtesse Liedekerke Beaufort.
Comte et Comtesse Auguste Liedekerke et Made
moiselle.
Comte et Comtesse Latour Lupin.
Comte et Comtesse Mercy d'Argenteau.
Comte et Comtesse de Grasiac.
Comtesse de Luiny.
Comtesse de Ruilly.
Baron et Baronne d'Hooghvoorst.
Mademoiselle d'Hooghvoorst et Monsieur C.
d'Hooghvoorst.
Madame Constant D'Hooghvoorst.
Monsieur et Madame Vander Capellan.
Baron de Herelt.
Baron de Tuybe.
Baron Brockhausen
General Baron Vincent, wounded at Waterloo.
General Pozzo de Borgo.
General Alava.

126 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Comte de Belgade.
Comte de la Rochefoucauld.
Gen. D'Oudenarde.
Col. Knife, (?) A.D.C.
Col. Ducayler.
Major Ronnchenberg, A.D.C.
Col. Tripp, A.D.C.
Capt. de Lubeck, A.D.C. to H.R.H. the Duke of
Brunswick.
Earl and Countess of Conyngham and Lady Elizabeth
Conyngham.
Viscount Mount-Charles and Hon. Mr. Conyngham.
(Afterwards 2nd Marquess Conyngham.)
Countess Mount-Norris and Lady Juliana Annesley.
Countess Dowager of Waldegrave.
Duke of Wellington.
Lord and Lady Fitzroy Somerset. (Neither were
present ; Lord Fitzroy lost his arm at Waterloo.)
Lord and Lady John Somerset.
Mr. and Lady Frances Webster.
Mr. and Lady Caroline Capel and Miss Capel.
Lord and Lady George Seymour and Miss Seymour.
Mr. and Lady Charlotte Greville.
Viscountess Hawarden.
Sir Henry and Lady Susan Clinton. (He was Lt.-Gen.
and G.C.B., and commanded a division.)
Lady Alvanley and the Miss Ardens.
Sir James, Lady, and Miss Craufurd.
Sir George Berkeley, K.C.B., and Lady Berkeley.
Lady and Miss Sutton.

Guests at the Ball. 127

Sir Sidney and Lady Smith, and Miss Rumbolds.
Sir William and Lady Johnstone.
Sir Hew and Lady Dalrymple.
Sir William and Lady Delancey.
Hon. Mrs. Pole. (Afterwards Lady Maryborough.)
Mr., Mrs., and Miss Lance, and Mr. Lance, jun,
Mr. and the Miss Ords.
Mr. and Mrs. Greathed.
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd.
Hon. Sir Charles Stuart, G.C.B. (Minister at Bru
xelles), and Mr. Stuart.
Earl of Uxbridge. (Commanded the Cavalry ; lost his
leg at Waterloo.)
Earl of Portarlington.
Earl of March, A.D.C. to H.R.H. the Prince of
Orange.
Gen. Lord Edward Somerset. (Commanded a brigade
of cavalry ; wounded at Waterloo.)
Lord Charles FitzRoy.
Lord Robert Manners.
Lt.-Gen. Lord Hill. (Commanding the 2nd Corps.)
Lord Rendlesham.
Lord Hay, A.D.C. (Killed at Quatre Bras.)
Lord Saltoun.
Lord Apsley. (Afterwards Earl Bathurst.)
Hon. Col. Stanhope (Guards).
Hon. Col. Abercromby (Guards ; wounded).
Hon. Col. Ponsonby. (Afterwards Sir Frederick Pon
sonby, K.C.B. ; severely wounded.)
Hon. Col. Acheson (Guards).

128 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Hon. Col. Stewart.
Hon. Mr. O. Bridgeman, A.D.C. to Lord Hill.
Hon. Mr. Percival.
Hon. Mr. Stopford.
Hon. Mr. John Gordon.
Hon. Mr. Edgecombe.
Hon. Mr. Seymour Bathurst, A.D.C. to Gen. Mait-
land.
Hon. Mr. Forbes.
Hon. Mr. Hastings Forbes.
Hon. Major Dawson.
Hon. Mr. Dawson, iSth Lt. Dr.
Maj.-Gen. Sir Hussey Vivian. (Commanded a brigade
of Cavalry.)
Mr. Horace Seymour, A.D.C. (Afterwards Sir Horace
Seymour, K.C.B.)
Col. Hervey, A.D.C. (Afterwards Sir Felton Hervey,
Bart.).
Col. Fremantle, A.D.C.
Lord George Lennox, A.D.C.
Lord Arthur Hill, A.D.C. (Afterwards Gen. Lord
Sandys.)
Hon. Major Percy, A.D.C. (Son of ist Earl of
Beverley. He brought home three Eagles and
despatches.)
Hon. Mr. Cathcart, A.D.C. (Afterwards Sir George
Cathcart; killed at Inkermann, 1854.)
Hon. Sir Alexander Gordon, A.D.C. (Died of his
wounds at Waterloo.)
Sir Colin Campbell, K.C.B., A.D.C.

Guests at the Ball. 129
Sir John Byng, G.C.B. (Created Earl of Strafford ;
Commanded 2nd brigade of Guards.)
Lt.-Gen. Sir John Elley, K.C.B.
Sir George Scovell, K.C.B. (Major commanding
Staff Corps of Cavalry.)
Sir George Wood, Col. R.A.
Sir Henry Bradford.
Sir Robert Hill, Kt. ) ,^ , , , , ,,.„ ,
Sir Noel Hill, K.CB.} (brothers of Lord Hill.)
Sir William Ponsonby, K.C.B. (brother of Lord
Ponsonby ; commanded a brigade of cavalry ;
killed at Waterloo).
Sir Andrew Barnard. (Afterwards Governor of
Chelsea Hospital.)
Sir Denis Pack, Maj.-Gen., G.C.B. (Commanded a
brigade.)
Sir James Kemp, Maj.-Gen., G.C.B. (Commanded a
brigade.)
Sir Pulteney Malcolm.
Sir Thomas Picton, Lt.-Gen. (Commanded sth
Division ; killed at Waterloo.)
Maj.-Gen. Sir Edward Barnes, Adjt.-Gen. (Wounded
at Waterloo.)
Sir James Gambier.
Hon. General Dundas.
Lt.-Gen. Cooke. (Commanded ist Division.)
Maj.-Gen. Maitland. (Afterwards Sir Peregrine,
G.C.B. ; commanded ist brigade of Guards.)
Maj.-Gen. Adam. (Not present; commanded a
brigade. Afterwards Sir Frederick Adam, K.C.B.)
K

1 30 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.

Col. Washington.
Col. Woodford. (Afterwards F.M. Sir Alexander
Woodford, G.C.B., Governor of Chelsea.)
Col. Rowan, 52nd. (Afterwards Sir Charles Rowan,
Chief Commissioner of PoUce.)
Col. Wyndham. (Afterwards Gen. Sir Henry
Wyndham.)
Col.Cumming, i8th Light Dragoons.
Col. Bowater. (Afterwards Gen. Sir Edward Bowater.)
Col. Torrens. (Afterwards Adjt-Gen. in India.)
Col. Fuller.
Col. Dick, 42nd. (Killed at Sobraon, 1846.)
Col. Cameron, 92nd. (Killed at Quatre Bras.)
Col. Barclay, A.D.C. to the Duke of York.
Col. Hill. (?) (Col. Clement Hill, brother to Lord
Hill.)
Major Gunthorpe, A.D.C. to Gen. Maitland.
Major Churchill, A.D.C. to Lord Hill and Q.M.G.
(Killed in India.)
Major Hamilton, A.D.C. to Gen. Sir E. Barnes.
Major Harris, Brigade Major to Sir Hussey Vivian.
(Lost an arm.)
Major Hunter Blair. (Wounded.)
Capt. Mackworth, A.D.C. to Lord Hill.
Capt. Keane, A.D.C. to Sir Hussey Vivian.
Capt. Fitzroy.
Capt. Wildman, 7th Hussars, A.D.C. to Lord
Uxbridge.
Capt. Eraser, 7th Hussars. (Afterwards Sir James
Eraser, Bt.)

Guests at the Ball. 131
Capt. Verner, 7 th Hussars.
Capt. Elphinstone, 7 th Hussars. (Taken prisoner,
June 17.)
Capt. Webster.
Capt. Somerset, A.D.C. to Gen. Lord Edward
Somerset.
Capt. Yorke, A.D.C. to Gen. Adam. (Afterwards Sir
Charles Yorke ; not present.)
Capt Gore, A.D.C. to Sir James Kempt.
Capt. Pakenham, R.A.
Capt. Dumaresq, A.D.C. to Gen. Sir John Byng.
(Died of wounds.)
Capt. Dawkins, A.D.C.
Capt. Disbrowe, A.D.C. to Gen. Sir G. Cook.
Capt. Bowles, Coldstream Guards. (Afterwards Gen.
Sir George Bowles, Lieutenant of the Tower.)
Capt. Hesketh, Grenadier Guards.
Capt. Gurwood. (Afterwards Col. Gurwood.)
Capt. Allix, Grenadier Guards.
Mr. Russell, A.D.C.
Mr. Brooke, 12 th Dragoon Guards.
Mr. Huntley, 12 th Dragoon Guards.
Mr. Lionel Hervey. (In Diplomacy.)
Mr. Leigh.
Mr. Sliakespear, 18th.
Mr. O'Grady, 7 th Hussars. (Afterwards Lord Guilla-
more.)
Mr. Smith, 9Sth, Brigadier-Major to Sir Denis Packe.
(Killed at Waterioo.)
Mr. Fludyer, Scots Fusilier Guards.
K 2

132 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
2 Mr. Montagus (John, and Henry, late Lord
Rokeby, G.C.B.).
Mr. A. Greville.
Mr. Baird.
Mr. Robinson, 32nd.
Mr. James.
Mr. Chad.
Mr. Dawkins.
Dr. Hyde.
Mr. Hume.
Rev. Mr. Brixall.

It was a dreadful evening, taking leave
of friends and acquaintances, many never
to be seen again. The Duke of Bruns
wick, as he took leave of me In the
ante-room adjoining the ball-room, made
me a civil speech as to the Brunswickers
being sure to distinguish themselves after
"the honour" done them by my having
accompanied the Duke of Wellington to
their Review! I remember being quite
provoked with poor Lord Hay, a dashing,
merry youth, full of military ardour, whom

The Eve of the Battle. 133
I knew very well, for his delight at the
idea of going into action, and of all the
honours he was to gain ; and the first
news we had on the i6th was that he and
the Duke of Brunswick were killed. At
the ball supper 1 sat next to the Duke of
Wellington, when he gave me an original
miniature of himself, painted by a Belgian
artist. There is no truth whatever in a
ridiculous story lately published about my
sister. Lady Louisa Tighe, having buckled
on the Duke's sword on the evening of
the 15th. In the course of the evening
the Duke asked my father for a map of
the country, and went into his study,
which was on the same floor as the ball
room, to look at it. He put his finger on
Waterloo, saying the battle would be
fought there. My father marked the
spot with his pencil, but alas ! that map
was lost or stolen, for it never returned

134 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
from Canada with his other possessions.
Many people left Brussels at once, and
we had post-horses in the stables, but the
Duke had promised to send us word If we
were to leave. There was a great supper
prepared at Brussels on the i8th for
Napoleon, by some strong Bonapartists of
the name of Tresigny. , On the i6th
came the dispiriting news of Quatre Bras
and the death of many friends.
The next day my brother George, who
was one of the Duke's A.D.C.s appeared
on his way with orders from the Duke,
and he was full of excitement, saying
bullets had been flying about him all the
morning !
On the 1 8th we walked about nearly all
the morning, being unable to sit quiet,
hearing the firing and not knowing what
was happening. The wounded officers
who were brought Into Brussels kindly

Tidings of the Battle. 135

sent us messages about my brothers being
safe. The first sight of the poor wounded
was sickening, and each litter as it came
into the town, filled us with intense
anxiety to know whom it contained. We
went to the Marquise D'Asche's house
(at the corner of the Pare and the Rue de
la P^pinlere) from whence we saw Lord
Uxbridge and Lord Fitzroy Somerset, the
Prince of Orange, and others brought in.
We afterwards heard that when the
Prince of Orange was wounded, my
brother March, who was his A.D.C,
before going after some men to carry
him off" the field, tore out of his hat the
Orange cockade, lest he should have been
recognised, and the Prince always said this
precaution had probably saved his life.
My father, with my brother William,
who had been prevented from taking part
in the action by an accident, rode to the

136 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
army, but the Duke of Wellington would
not let them remain, and they returned
about 6 P.M. with the good news that all
was going on as well as possible.
We had had a fearful alarm during the
day, as the Cumberland Hussars (a
Hanoverian Regiment) came full gallop
through Brussels, saying that the allied
army was defeated and that the French
were arriving in the town. But before
long the truth was known, and not much
credit was given to the story that these
Hussars had been pursued ; the facts
being that, upon hearing the whistle of
shots about their ears, they had wheeled
round and trotted off from the field !
During the i6th, 17th, and for many
succeeding days, we were all employed in
scraping lint, and preparing cherry water
for the wounded. In the evening of the
1 8th the brilliant victory was known In

The Dukes Return. 137

Brussels, and most thankful we were that
our Immediate belongings had been merci
fully protected, and that war was at an end,
although the losses were fearfully great.
The next morning we heard that the
Duke had arrived in Brussels, so I walked
with my father at about 10 a.m. up to the
Pare, his house being in the Rue de la
Montagne du Pare, and my father went
Into the house to enquire for the Duke,
who sent word he would join us in the
Pare, which he accordingly did, and took
a turn with us. He looked very sad, and
when we shook hands and congratulated
him, he said, "It is a dearly bought
victory. We have lost so many fine
fellows." My father asked him to dinner,
but he refused. The reason of his coming
early Into Brussels was that he had given
up his bed at Waterloo to poor Sir
Alexander Gordon, who was dying of his

138 Remhiiscences of Lady de Ros.
wounds. The Duke tried to sleep on
the floor, in the next room, but after
being called up to speak to Sir Alexander,
he could not go to bed again, and began
to write his despaitch ; however. Sir
Alexander's groans were so distressing
that he could not get on with It, and so
he rode into Brussels, where he was busy
with despatches all day, and left on the
20th. On the 28Lh he wrote me these
few lines from Orville, about a proposal
to have a copy made of the miniature he
had given me. Orvillii, Jtme 2%th, 1815.
" Dearest Georgy,
" I am very much obliged to you for the
embroidery.* If you give your picture, the
painter will change it, therefore you should sit
with it while he copies it. We are getting on
delightfully. Your brothers quite well.
" Ever yours, most sincerely,
" Wellington."
* This referred to a sash I had embroidered for him.

The Field of Waterloo. 139
Soon after the battle, many ladies came
out from England to nurse their wounded
relations. I visited the field of Waterloo
a few days after, when the dead had been
buried, but the ground was strewed with
relics of the battle : it was a most painful
sight. The Duke wrote to me on 13th July
from Paris again on the subject of the
miniature. " I don't care how many copies the painter
makes of the picture. As you liked it, however,
I recommended it to you not to trust it in his
hands. " I do invite you to Paris.
" Your brothers are quite well. I saw William
last night ; such a buck, I should not have
known him. " Ever yours, most affectionately, " W."
In the winter of 1815 we all went to
Paris, when I had typhus fever, and the

140 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Duke was most kind, sending me my
dinner daily, and when I was con
valescent, coming to see me and lending
me one of his carriages to drive in.
He gave a ball at the Elysde Bourbon,
and Insisted on my coming to It, though I
did not care about doing so, as I felt very
weak. However, as he sent me a pretty
shawl (which I have in my possession
still) I felt bound to go in it, but did not
much enjoy sitting In an armchair Instead
of dancing ! Thirty-eight years later I
was again In that ball-room, on the eve
of Lord Raglan and the staff departing
from Paris for the East in April 1854.
Lord Raglan reminded me of our last
meeting in that room. The coincidences
were strange. For on the latter occasion
Napoleon's nephew, the late Emperor,
was our host, and we were staying at
the British Embassy with the Duke's

Cambrai, 1816-17. 141
nephew, and my brother-in-law, Lord
Cowley ! And among the guests was
the late Duke of Wellington, and,
strangest of all, the English and French
troops were an allied army !
I went to England early In 1816, and
had the following letter from the Duke —
about my hair being cut off" after the fever.
" I am delighted to find that you have per
formed your journey so well. You must take
care of yourself, and keep yourself warm during
the winter. I don't agree with your barber
about your hair. All his frizzling will not
preclude the necessity of your being shaved."
During the Army of Occupation.
I joined my parents at Cambrai for the
years 18 16 and 181 7, and used to ride
constantly with the Duke to the great
reviews. I have an old MS. music-book,
containing several marches composed at
the time in honour of the Duke, of

142 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Marshal Blucher, &c. We often stayed
with the Duke at Abbaye, Mont St.
Martin, near Cambrai, and one morning
he announced that there was to be a sham
fight, and that he had given orders to
Sir G. Scovell that the ladies riding
should be taken prisoners, so he recom
mended our keeping close to him. I had
no difficulty in doing so, as 1 was riding
Copenhagen,* and 1 found myself the
only one with him in a square, where they
were firing. To the Duke's great amuse
ment we heard one of the soldiers saying
to another, "Take care of that 'ere horse,
he kicks out ; we knew him well in
Spain," pointing to Copenhagen! He
was a most unpleasant horse to ride, but
always snorted and neighed with pleasure
at the sight of troops. I was jumping a
ditch with him one day when the stirrup
* The Duke's Waterloo charger.

General Alava in Spain. 143
broke, and I fell off. In the evening the
Duke had a dance, and said to me,
" Here's the heroine of the day ! got
kicked off" and didn't mind it ! "
At that time General Alava told me
that in Spain he always asked the Duke
the same three questions, and got the
same answers.
" When do we start ? "
" Daybreak."
" What do we have for dinner ? "
" Cold beef."
" Where do we sleep ? "
" Don't know."
1 used sometimes to ride to cover when
there was a boar-hunt. On the 30th
October, 1817, the Duke killed an enor
mous boar at Walancourt, of which feat
he was prouder than of Waterloo ! He
was very anxious to show me the boar,
and I was equally anxious not to see it.

144 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
and Sir George Murray helped me to
avoid the unpleasant sight. The boar's
bristles were given to me, and were
mounted for me by Lord Arthur Hill,
A.D.C. to the Duke, with -an inscription.
There were constant private theatricals
and all kinds of gaiety going on at Mont
St. Martin, as is shown by the playbills
which I have still. Lord Arthur Hill
(afterwards Lord Sandys), Honourable
George Cathcart (afterwards Sir George
Cathcart, who was killed at Inkerman),
Sir Andrew Barnard and his nephew, Mr.
afterwards Sir, Henry Barnard, who died
as Commander-in-Chief in India, and
others took part. Lord Arthur taking the
ladies' parts.
A letter from the Duke to me at
Brussels gives an account of some of their
gay doings. There were long corridors
at Mont St. Martin ; along these they

THEATRE, MONT ST. MARTIN.
THIS EVENING WILL BE PERFORMED
The favorite Farce of
THE BEE HIVE.

Captain Merton,  Lord Arthur Hill,
Rattan,  Colonel Egerton,
Mingle,  Sir Andrew Barnard,
Joe,  Colonel Freemantle,
Emily,  Mr. Seymour Bathurst.
Cicely,  Mr. Cradock,
Mrs. Mingle,  Captain Stuart.

riVANT REX ET REGINA.
To face page 144-
PLAY-BILL AT MONT ST. MARTIN.

Mont St. Martin. 145

dragged ladies on rugs, the gentlemen
being harnessed, and called it riding in
the coach. Mont St. Martin,
December iqth, 1816.
" Dearest Georgy,
". . . . We are going on here as usual —
' Riding in the coach,' dancing the Mazurka, &c.,
&c. The house is as full as it can hold. Yester
day was a very bad day, and I went to Cambray,
and I understand that they hunted Lord C 
through all the corridors, even that in the roof
At night we had an improvement on the coach.
Two goats were brought in and harnessed, but
instead of being horses and assisting to draw,
they chose to lie down and be drawn. The
night before, the ladies drew me the petty tour,*
and afterwards Lord Hill the grand tour, but
the 'fat, fair and forty,' and M  were so
knocked up that some of us were obliged to go
into the harness, although we had already run
many stages.
" I can't go to Bruxelles on the 23rd, but I
dare say others will. I never know anything
* Referring to longer or shorter routes through the
corridors.

146 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
about my company, and cannot tell where they
will go. God bless you, dearest Georgy.
" Ever yours, most affectionately, " W."

Later Years.
After my marriage we were often the
Duke's guests at Walmer Castle and at
Strathfieldsaye, and we often dined at
Apsley House, a party of six or eight ; or
went to the opera with him when he was
in London. It was his custom always
himself to show every guest to their room
at Walmer and Strathfieldsaye. After
breakfast he used often to sit on talking
and telling us most interesting anecdotes.
One day he came into the drawing-room
at Walmer Castle from the ramparts,
laughing and saying, "I've just been re
ceiving a lecture from Croker on fortifica
tion ! " Apropos to this, 1 also recollect
meeting the Duke, Croker and Rogers at

Anecdotes of the Duke. i^y
a small dinner-party at the Arbuthnots ;
when the conversation turning on Water
loo, Mr. Croker entirely took the lead.
Suddenly Rogers said In a loud voice,
" Hush ! " which startled us all, and there
was a dead silence. In the evening I
remarked upon this to Rogers, who
replied, " I wanted to get a hearing for
the Duke."
The Duke much appreciated " Pick
wick " when it came out. I recollect his
reading aloud to us the " Breach of
Promise " trial with great delight.
He would tell a story against himself
sometimes, and amused us all quite in his
latter days by the account of various im
postures that had been practised upon
him ; for years he had helped an
Imaginary officer's daughter, paid for
music lessons for her, given her a piano,
paid for her wedding trousseau, for her
L 2

148 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
child's funeral, &c., &c. At last it came
out that one man was the author of these
impostures, "and then," the Duke said,
"an Officer from the Mendicity Society
called on me and gave me such a scolding
as 1 never had before in my life ! "
History of the Spanish Prayer-book.
One day, when we were at Strathfield
saye, the Duke of Wellington was alluding
to having learnt Spanish from a Spanish
translation of the English Prayer-book,
which was given to him when he was
going to take the command (in 1808-9) i"
Spain, by Lady Elinor Butler, the Duke,
then Sir Arthur Wellesley, having visited
her and Miss Ponsonby at their cottage at
Llangollen, as he went through Walra
from Ireland. On my asking him what
had become of the Prayer-book, " Oh, it's
somewhere In the library here," was the

The Spanish Prayer-book. 149

answer. Whereupon I searched until I
found it, with no name, or anything to tell
its history. He was very much pleased to
see it again, and said he would give it to
me, as I had taken such pains to find it.
I carried it off" at once. Soon afterwards,
the Duke wrote to ask for It, to show to
Dr. Bliss, Registrar of the University of
Oxford. I sent it, making a condition
that before returning it to me, the Duke
would write its history inside — which he
did as follows : — London, June 1837.
" This book was given to Lieutenant-General
Sir Arthur Wellesley, before he went to com
mand the Armies in the Peninsula in 1808, by
Lady Elinor Butler and Miss Ponsonby, better
known as the Ladies of Llangollen.
" He had it in his possession and with him
during the whole of the war ; and learnt from
the perusal thereof what he knows of the
Spanish language.
" Lady Elinor Butler was a lineal descendant

150 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
from the Duke of Ormond, who had resided in
Spain, and to whom probably the book had
belonged. The Duke of Wellington gave it to
Lady Georgiana de Ros."
Independently of its great historical
interest, as having belonged to the Duke,
the Prayer-book is a literary curiosity —
there being no other copy of that Edition
extant. Dr. Bliss mentions In a letter to the
Duke, in my possession, that there is
record of a first edition of the Prayer-
book, which is in Christ Church Library,
and which appeared in 1 707. " Londres,
Impresso por G. Bowyer a costa de Fran.
Coggan en Lnner TeTnple Lane, 1707."
From the fact that no bookseller's name
Is appended to the second edition. Dr.
Bliss Infers that it was not printed in
England, but possibly for dispersion
among the British merchants resident

The Spanish Prayer-book. 151
in Spain. The translator Dr. Bliss avers
to have been a native of Seville, but
naturalised in England, and admitted into
Holy Orders. The late Dean Stanley
thought that the basis of the translation
might have been made in the time of
James I., for the courtship of Prince
Charles ; first because the titlepage men
tions that it contains the alterations ne
cessary to accommodate it to the reign
of George I., and secondly because the
Uniformity Act of 1662 is omitted;
whereas that of 1558 is printed, as well
as the Proclamation, never published in
modern Prayer-books, of James I., but
from page xxvil the Prayer-book is taken
from that of 1662, with the alterations in
the Fifth of November Service made in
the reigns of William III. and Anne. It
Is an octavo, and has an engraving of
George I. as frontispiece, and the date

152 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Is 1 71 5. Edicion Segunda, Corregida y
Augmentada; Londres, Lmpresso por
William Bowyer, Lmpressor de Libros.
The Duke's kindness to children Is
well-known ; when he invited his friends
to visit him, their children were always
included ; and on one occasion, passing
through the room where some of his
juvenile guests were at tea (1 rather think
the present Premier was one !), he was very
angry at finding they had no jam, and
instantly gave orders it was never to be
omitted ! When my little girl of five years
old — his god-daughter — worked him a pin
cushion, he apologised for his delay In
writing to thank her ! *
When we assembled for dinner, we
usually found the Duke, who had dressed
early, engaged In a regular game of romps
with the children, who came down on
See p. 114, and Letter IV. p. 156.

Walmer and Strathfieldsaye. 153

purpose for what they called the Battle
of Waterloo, which commenced by one
of them throwing a cushion at the
newspaper the Duke was reading. I
close these recollections with a few
extracts from his letters to me, and
also notes of some of his conversa
tions at Walmer and Strathfieldsaye, and
anecdotes which were all written down
at the time.
Extracts from Letters of the Duke of Wellington
to Lady Georgiana F. de Ros.
I. June 22,rd, 1832.
" My dearest Georgy,
"I sincerely congratulate you. I am much
flattered by your desire to call the young lady
Arthur, and shall be delighted to be her god
father. " Believe me, ever yours,
" Most affectionately,
" Wellington."

154 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
II.
Strathfieldsaye, Jan. igth, 1838.
" Dearest Georgy,
" I am astonished at the effect produced by
Lord Oxmantown's and Lord Charleville's
speeches upon Whigs as well as Tories. How
could anybody expect any other result from the
system which all know has been carried on in
Ireland for many years ?
" In other countries men in modern times may
feel secure against the danger of assassination.
Formerly assassins looked for their reward in
Heaven. In these degenerate days they look
iorpelf from an employer. They must live to
receive and enjoy it.
" I consider it absolutely impossible for a man
to assassinate another who does not frequent in
secret some place, on the access to which the
assassin might conceal himself, prepared to
commit the crime. A man can assassinate
another anywhere — in the street, in the park, in
the theatre — provided he will sacrifice his own
life. But then he cannot receive and enjoy his
pelf — he must be discovered, delivered up to
justice, tried and executed.
"But this is not the case in Ireland. All
mankind would favour the execution of the

Ireland. 1 5 5
design of the assassin, and his escape after it
should be carried into execution. Then, if by
accident he should be brought to justice, wit
nesses will not appear against him ; if they do,
they will not tell what they know ; and if, not
withstanding all, the case can be made out, the
jury will not convict. The reason is that all are
engaged in a conspiracy against Protestant
property and Government ; and all classes
of persons connected with and acting under
the Government, and even the Government
itself, are cognizant of and parties to this
conspiracy so far at least as that they will
not, dare not take effectual measures to put
it down. " Therefore it is that I say that an assassin is
tolerably certain of escaping, receiving and
enjoying his pelf in Ireland, which is not possible
in other parts of the world." III.
Strathfieldsaye, Feb. nth, 1838.
" I recollect that Blanch * has as much, if not
more, reason to complain of my neglect than
you have. I enclose a note for her.
" Believe me, ever yours most affectionately,
" Wellington."

*

See pp. 114, 152.

156 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.

IV. (Enclosure)
Strathfieldsaye, Feb. nth, 1838.
" Dearest Blanch,
" I am very much obliged for your beautiful
present. I shall now be able to keep my pins,
which your mamma will tell you were heretofore
stolen !
"But I admire your writing still more than
your work.
" Believe me, ever yours most affectionately,
" Wellington."

V.

March 2t,th, 1838.

" Dearest Georgy,
"I am sorry that the Queen did not
come to my review on Wednesday. I took the-
battalion in hand myself, and knocked them
about the Park, as I should have twenty-five
years ago with an enemy in front, to their in
finite amazement. I made them march in line,
which they did beautifully, from Tyburn Gate
to the statue of Achilles.
" Ever yours, most affectionately,
" Wellington."

Life at Walmer. 157

VI.
STRATHFIELDS.'i.YE, Nov. 2W1, 1 838.
" Dearest Georgy,
" I have been here about a week since my
return from Kent, and I think that I continue to
improve, but I am not yet quite comfortable on
a horse's back. They advise me not to go to
Bath for eight or ten days longer, that is till the
weather will be more settled. The house is
finished and beautiful ; I am myself astonished
at the effect of the improvements .... I am
glad you like the twelfth volume,* it is very
curious, certainly.
" God bless you.
" Believe me, ever yours most affectionately,
" Wellington."
VII.
Walmer Castle, Oct. iSth, 1839.
Dearest Georgy,
". . . . I did not write to ask you to come
here when the Duke of Cambridge went away,
as I expected a descent of artists. I have had
one ; some still remain, and more are coming —
two from Scotland. I literally lead the life of
* Of the Despatches.

158 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
the subaltern officer of a regiment. I parade,
dressed for duty, at nine in the morning, and
again once or twice a day. There is not a
moment of the day or night that I can call my
own. These gentlemen are at breakfast, dinner,
and supper, and all the evening my existence is
at their pleasure ; I cannot move along the
passage, or on the staircase, or the ramparts,
without meeting them. Even if I had rooms in
the house for you- and your family, which I have
not, I could not consider that I should make you
as comfortable as I should wish to make a guest
of mine by asking you to come here when thus
for my sins visited. . . .
" Believe me, yours most affectionately,
" Wellington."
VIII.
Strathfieldsaye, Dec. 12th, 1841.
" Dearest Georgy,
" I shall be happy to see you when you can
come. I am now going away on Tuesday for a
wedding, which is to take place on Wednesday.
But I shall return, I hope, and stay as long as I
may be permitted to be absent from Councils,
Weddings, Christenings, and Parliaments. But
as nothing can go on without me, I am afraid

Strathfieldsaye. 159

that this interval of time which I shall be able
to pass here will not be long.
" Believe me, yours most affectionately,
" Wellington."

IX.

Strathfieldsaye, Dec. ith, 1849.
" Dearest Georgy,
"... You had better fix an early day [for
coming]. Lady Burghersh and Arbuthnot are
here, and you would incur no risk of being bored
by finding me alone  By means of the
railroad we are neighbours, and you can come
any day you please. I can lodge the whole
family, and shall be happy to see them.
" Ever yours, most affectionately,
" Wellington."
The following narratives and anecdotes
were told me on various occasions by the
Duke, and taken down by me at the time ;
some of them are of historical value, and
all appear to me Interesting as having
come from his lips.

i6o Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
The Duke's Account of the Cato
Street Conspiracy.
Strathfieldsaye, Nov. 2, 1838. — The
Duke told us about Thistlewood's attempt
to murder the Ministers. The first In
timation of a conspiracy was received
sorne months before the Cato Street
attack, from a young sculptor employed at
Windsor, who, it seems, had been en
gaged in the affair, but on finding It ex
tended to the massacre of the Ministers,
was seized' with compunction, and gave
information to Lord Sidmouth. Little
attention was paid by him to this man's
story, nor did he pay much more to the
intelligence brought to him by a person
who was a kind of foreman to a set of
Irish bricklayers, most of them living in
Gee's Court, Oxford Street, and who
stated that he heard among his men some

Cato Street Conspiracy. i6i
conversation which convinced him they
had been tampered with to engage them
selves In some desperate plan for a
general riot and plunder, though he could
not arrive at any particulars.
On occasion of a grand ball given by
the Spanish Ambassador In Portland
Place, to the Prince Regent, about a
month before, the Duke of Wellington
was at a dinner of the Cabinet at Lord
Westmorland's, when he received a note
from the Spanish Ambassador, saying,
that he was informed that a crowd of very
desperate persons had collected round his
house, and begging him (he was the Gold
Stick as Colonel of the Blues) to give
orders for the attendance of military. He
handed the note to Lord Sidmouth, and
orders were directly despatched to the 2nd
Life Guards, then in the old Cavalry
Barracks In King Street, Portman Square,
M

i62 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
to send off instantly a troop to Portland
Place. The order was promptly obeyed,
the soldiers going off as fast as they could
mount, some in one dress and some in
another. And it appeared afterwards that
ten minutes' delay might have had serious
results, for Thistlewood and others of the
Cato Street gang were on the point of
attempting to force their way Into the
house. It is, however, to be observed,
that, being a full dress ball, all the officers
and others in uniform were armed with
their swords, and. If not surprised at first,
would no doubt have been able to make
much resistance.
The third and most explicit piece of
information about the Cato Street affair
was as follows. Lord Harrowby was
riding in the Park when a man came up
to him and asked, " Are you one of the
Ministers.?" He replied, "Yes." "Are

The Dukes Precautions. 163
you Lord Castlereagh ? " " No," " Can
you give this letter to him, which conveys
information of a dreadful conspiracy ? "
Lord Harrowby took the letter, making
an appointment to meet the man in a
more retired spot.
So little was thought of this that when
Lord Harrowby brought the letter to the
Council, where he was then going, and
which sat at Carlton House, no one of the
Ministers would open It till Lord Castle
reagh came, whom, however, they sent for
from his house in St. James's Square.
As soon as he had read and told
them Its contents, there was much agita
tion and debate as to how they should
proceed. The Duke recommended that the
attack of the conspirators should not be
prevented, but that the Cabinet dinner
should take place, as If nothing had been
M 2

164 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
known, at Lord Harrowby' s, and thus, by
a concerted arrangement, the whole of the
gang should be captured. Had the rest
agreed, his plan was this. A piquet of
the Guards in Portman Street barracks
was to be warned for duty of some nature
not to excite suspicion ; a couple of
officers, in plain clothes and well mounted,
were to ride about the neighbourhood of
Grosvenor Square as If returning from the
Park, and the moment they perceived the
gang assembling, were to slip away, and,
galloping to the barracks, bring back the
soldiers as fast as they could run, who, on
entering the square, were to divide In
two bodies, and surround the whole of the
south side of the square, by one party
detaching men round by Audley Street,
and the others meeting them by Charles
Street. As to the arrangements in Lord
Harrowby's house, each Minister was to

Cato Street Conspiracy. 165
bring a pair of pistols in his official box,
and also a servant on whom he could
depend ; they usually brought servants at
Cabinet dinners to assist in waiting ; the
dinner was to be upstairs, but the dining-
room below lighted and prepared as usual
in order to deceive the conspirators ; the
hall was to be barricaded with heavy
furniture, and the stairs also secured by
impediments, by which means, before an
entrance could be effected, the troops
would be upon them In the very act, and
scarce a man could have escaped.
I may here add my own recollections of
that day. I was living with my uncle,
Lord Bathurst, one of the Cabinet
Ministers, and he had said he was going
to a Cabinet dinner at Lord Harrowby's.
He appeared dressed for dinner, and the
carriage was announced and remained
some time at the door. At last Lady

1 66 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Bathurst remarked that he would be late.
On which he said he would not go at all,
and dined at home. Lady G. Bathurst
went to a party that evening, and came
home full of the whole story! The
Ministers had agreed to allow their
carriages to be seen, at their doors, as if
they were going to Lord Harrowby's.
The Duke's Ride from the Mint.
Walmer Castle, Sept. 15, 1842. — The
Duke told us that when he went, on the
morning of the i8th of June, 1832, to give
a sitting to PistuccI at the Mint, he ob
served a great many odd-looking people
about, who showed marks of dissatisfac
tion. By the time he came away an
immense mob had assembled. Ballantyne}
the ma:gistrate, came to him and offered
his services, but the Duke said, " You can
do nothing. The only thing you can help

The Ride from the Mint. 167

me in is to tell me exactly the road I am
to take to get to Lincoln's Inn ; for the
great danger would be in my missing my
way and having to turn back on the mob."
Accordingly, he started and the mob kept
following and increasing. A gentleman,
driving a Tilbury, put himself exactly
behind him, which was a great protection
to him, and he regrets he never could find
out who he was. Two old discharged
soldiers came and offered their services,
and he placed them on each side of his
horse, and whenever they were obliged to
stop, he ordered them to face outwards
with their backs to his legs, as he had a
horror of the mob running in before him
and tilting him off his horse. In this
manner they got to Lincoln's Inn, where
he was joined by numbers of lawyers, who
escorted him on horseback and on foot,
and the procession had then the appear-

1 68 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
ance of a triumph, ladies waving their
handkerchiefs at the windows, and gentle
men at their doors inviting the Duke to
come in ; but that, he said, " I would not
do : it was easy enough to go In, but how
was I to get out, there was the difficulty ;
like people getting into a scrape, easy
enough to do that, but not so easy to get
out of It."
When the Duke reached Stable Yard,
and got into the Park, he desired the gate
keeper to shut the gates, which he did,
but the mob rushed through a passage
near the Duke of Sutherland's house, and
across the Green Park, and received him
with execrations at Apsley House gate.
It was fortunate that the streets were
perfectly dry and there were no -loose
stones about, so that they could not pelt
him. He said he saw a coal waggon come
by with some anxiety.

Cantillon's Attempt. 169

The Duke's Account of the Attempt
on his Life by Cantillon in Paris
IN 1818.
The Duke had received a great many
Intimations that he was to be assassinated,
and therefore did not go to any public
f^tes. Once It had been arranged that his
life should be taken at a bal masqu6
where they expected him, but he did not
go. The next day, February nth, 18 18,
he had a dinner-party, after which he went
to Mrs. Craufurd's for half-an-hour, and
on his return, just as his carriage was
turning Into his own porte-cochere, a
shot was fired. The Duke thought that
the coachman in driving full gallop, as he
did, had knocked down the sentry, and
that the latter's piece had gone off, and so
began , reproaching the coachman, who
then told him that a man had fired at him,

170 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.

which was the cause of the coachman
dashing into the gateway. By thus
rushing in the coachman certainly saved
the Duke's life, for the shot was aimed
exactly at the corner of the carriage
where the Duke sat, and It neither
touched the carriage nor the footmen.
The next day the Commissioner of Police
arrived early to examine the servants and
make enquiries, etc. The Duke went out.
On his return he still found the Com
missioner there, and on asking if he had
taken the depositions of the coachman, the
man replied, " Non, milord, je cherche
toujours la balle ! " The Duke en
deavoured to persuade him that the
assassin was not likely to have risked his
life by firing at him without having had a
ball to kill him with.
Two of the Duke's servants were
walking that evening down the street, and

Napoleon and Mold. 171
met a man running very fast, which
evidently must have been the assassin,
Cantillon. He was taken and tried, but
acquitted. Napoleon.
The Duke said —
" After the retreat of Buonaparte from
Leipsic, he never In fact had any hope of
getting over his bad fortune.
" Mole, then Minister of War, told me
that shortly after Napoleon's return at
that time to Paris, he was playing at
billiards with him, when he became
thoughtful, and laying down his cue,
began talking to him of the Impossibility
of ever reviving the spirit of the nation
sufficiently to expel the Northern Powers.
Had these reverses, he said, occurred in
the first days of the Republic, there would
have been a freshness of spirit that might

172 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
have saved the game, but that spirit was
now worn out and never could again be
expected to revive. Yet with this de
pressing conviction upon his mind, he
went through his wonderful campaign of
Champagne with an activity perhaps
unparalleled in his former wars." The
Duke's invariable comment on Napoleon
was, "He was not a gentleman."
Mr. Pitt.
Mr. Pitt was remarkable for never
answering any letter, and generally for
writing as seldom and as little as possible.
Lord Grenville, on the other hand, was
extremely punctual in answering letters,
and a good correspondent. After some
great political event. Lord Grenville
wrote a detailed account of it to Lord
Wellesley at Calcutta, with many private
details known only In the Cabinet, pre-

.y^2-^9t-: ..j*::^ -gg^^g-y ''^''

^.

To face page 1 72

AUTOGRAPH NOTE OF LADY DE ROS.

Mr. Pitt. 173

facing his letter with the observation that,
knowing Mr. Pitt's bad practice of not
writing, he thought it proper to let Lord
Wellesley fully into the transaction. As
ill-luck would have It, the ship which was
conveying this letter was captured in the
Channel by a French privateer, and the
letter-bag falling into the hands of the
French Government, Lord Grenville's
letter was Immediately published in the
" Moniteur," which fact soon coming to
Mr. Pitt's knowledge, he dryly observed
that " he hoped Lord Grenville would not
be In a hurry to call his practice of not
writing letters so very bad a one ! " The
Duke, talking of Mr. Pitt (Dec. 17, 1839)
at Strathfieldsaye, said that the fault of
his character was being too sanguine, that
he conceived a project and then Imagined
It was done, and did not enter enough into
the details.

1 74 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
In Spain.
The Duke told us that among his
A.D.C.'s, when he went to Spain, there
was a blunt Captain, who knew nothing
of the refinements of life, and who remon
strated at all their luggage, and begged to
know what each box contained. The
other A.D.C.'s had each their box of
blacking, and another for boot-trees.
"Boot-trees!" said the Captain, "you
may call 'em what you like, but I see
plainly they are wooden-legs t what a
desperate set of fellows you must be ! "
— imagining they all meant to lose their
legs !
Sayings of Talleyrand.
Walmer Castle, Oct. lo, 1838. — The
Duke said, "When Buonaparte died, I
was at old Crawford's in Paris, and every-

Talleyrand. 175

body came In full of it. Some exclaimed,
' Quel dv^nement ! " Talleyrand, who was
present, said ' Non, ce n'est plus un
dv^nement, ce n'est maintenant qu'une
nouvelle! "
A man who squinted very much asked
Talleyrand, " Comment vont les affaires a
present ? " Talleyrand looked at him a
moment, and answered, " Comme vous
voyez." 5". Saye, Dec. 14, 1839. — The Emperor
Paul, meeting an Englishman one day In
St. Petersburg, who did not take off his
hat to him, enquired the reason, and on
being told that he was short-sighted, he
issued a decree, which the Duke saw,
ordering the Englishman to wear spec
tacles for the rest of his life.
Strathfieldsaye, March 1845. — .The
Duke told us a story of Madame de

1 76 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Stael, to show the importance of an
invitation to' dinner.
She was extremely desirous that Mon
sieur Benjamim Constant should have
some good place, and she applied to
M. Blacas to make him Conseiller d'Etat.
" Non, cela est impossible," was the
reply. " Eh blen, alors faites-le Minlstre
d'Etat." " Non, cela ne se pent pas."
" Alors faites-le Huissler."
" Non, je ne peux pas."
" Eh bien done — priez-le a diner."
And even that was refused.
Lavalette's Escape and Sir Robert
Wilson.
Walmer Castle, Sept. 12, 1840. — The
Duke in speaking of Lavalette's escape
from Paris in 181 5, told us that "Sir R.

Sir R. Wilson. I'j'j

Wilson boasted to several Russian ladies
of having assisted in it, and he also wrote
a letter to Lord G., detailing the whole
affair, which letter he gave to his laquals
de place to put Into the post, not liking to
send it by the military or the ambassador's
bag. The laquals de place was a spy,
and instantly carried It to Des Cases
(the sous-prdfet of Police) who brought
me information of it. A day or two after
Sir Robert was shut up in the Con-
clergerle, a letter arrived for him in the
English bag. I gave It to Scovell (Sir
George), who found out from the arms on
the seal that It was from Lord G. ; so
I thought It better to send it back to him,
and to tell him that Sir R. was In the
Conclergerle, and if I had sent it there it
would have been opened by the French
Government. The first suspicion was
aroused by Sir R. Wilson and Hutchln- N

1 78 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
son sending an order to a French tailor
for an English General's uniform, and the
tailor, seeing that the proper snips were
not made in the measurement, suspected
all was not right, and informed the Police."
The Duke on Mr. Fox.
"He was a very silent man In company.
I remember a story Arbuthnot told me of
him : when he was either at Houghton or
Holkham, he had, contrary to the rules of
the house, killed a number of hen pheasants.
He carried them home himself, but he did
not dare show them, so he secreted them
behind his bed, and they were only dis
covered when he left the house."
A Respectable Man.
" People are so fond," said the Duke,
'of talking of a 'respectable man.' The
waiter at the Salon, when pressed on a

Education of Spaniards. 1 79
duel inquest, admitted that it meant a ' man
in good clothes.' Lord Liverpool used
to talk of ' respectable men,' and when
I pressed him as to what that exactly
meant, I never could get a satisfactory
explanation. I own my object was to bring
him to the same admission as this waiter —
that It meant a ' man In good clothes.' "
After Sir Arthur Wellesley returned
from India, he was one night in the House
of Commons sitting between Sir J. Shelley
and some other great sporting man, and
heard them talking repeatedly of their
" books," which aroused his curiosity, and
to their Infinite amusement he asked
" What books they were talking of .-^ "
The Education of a Gentleman.
" During all my experience," said the
Duke, " of the leaders both civil and
military In Spain, 1 never met with a
N 2

i8o Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
Spaniard of a superior education, nor
indeed do I believe there has been any
thing like a good education in that country
since the Jesuits were expelled from It ;
they not only looked to the instruction of
youth, but they took care to bring their
pupils up in the habits of gentlemen. As
to military education, 1 am persuaded that
the best education for an officer is what
ever may be considered the fittest educa
tion for a gentleman, whether In England
or elsewhere. Let that be the foundation,
and it Is easy to add such technical science
as may be necessary for an officer."
Espionage.
Talking of the system of espionage
abroad, the Duke told us the following
story of himself, to show how stories are
fabricated and circulated. When he was
Secretary for Foreign Affairs, several of

Espionage. 1 8 1
the Foreign Ministers called one day to
enquire after his health. He assured
them he had not been ill. One of them
said, " that was very strange, for he had
heard the Duke was 111 with a severe cold,
and had kept his head for a whole day
under the bed-clothes ! " The Duke was
at a loss to discover how this story had
got about until Gen. Alava told him that
he had been one morning to Apsley House,
and, on hearing the Duke was not out of
his rooms, he went downstairs to have a
gossip with Mrs. Cross, the housekeeper,
who told him she was afraid the Duke was
not well, as the housemaid said, when she
lighted the fire he was sleeping with his
head under the bed-clothes.
General Tchernlcheff was very fond of
recounting his exploits at the Battle of
Chalons, and his wife having heard them

1 82 Reminiscences of Lady de Ros.
often, used to say to him "Eh bien,
donnez-nous votre Chalons, et puis —
taisez-vous ! "
Bonaparte said one day to Mdlle.
Condorsay, "Je ddteste les femmes
d'esprit ! " She answered, " Pourtant,
pulsqu'on leur fait I'honneur de leur
couper la t^te, II faut bien qu'elles aient
assez d'esprit pour savoir pourquoi I "
At the time of a riot in St. James's
Square, when Lord Bristol's windows were
broken, Betty, the housemaid, met a friend,
who said to her, " We've had such fun ; I
wish you had been with us." Betty replied,
"/'m all for the Duke!" to which the
other answered, " Tm all for the King ! "
The Duke said General Alava de
scribed his wife as " excellente femme !
mais fort ennuyeuse ! "

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