John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

5. VI:30. Wrote a short Letter to the Secretary of State. Went with Mrs Adams into London, and found George and his schoolmate Chambré at the Office— I immediately dressed and went with Mr Smith to the Prince Regent’s Levee at Carleton House— Before leaving home I had received a Card of invitation from Lord Castlereagh, to dinner, next Friday the 12th: instant, and a Card for Mr and Mrs Adams, of Mr Penn at Home this Evening.— At the Office I found a Card of invitation, from the Lord Chamberlain, to Mr: and Mrs Adams, to a Dress Party, a Ball, at the Prince Regent’s, on Friday next, to have the honour of meeting the Queen— A Card to Mr: and Mrs: Adams, of the Marchioness Dowager of Lansdowne, at Home, Sunday, the 7th. to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland—and a Card to the American Ambassador, of the Countess of Jersey at Home, on Monday the 8th. instt— The Levee was more numerously attended than the last; but less crowded than the preceding one— The Duke of Wellington was there, and his brother, Mr Wellesley-Pole, introduced me to him. Mr Pole and Lord Westmorland, told me, that they had seen last Evening Mrs Patterson and the Miss Caton’s; they brought Letters from Mr and Mrs Bagot, who Mr Pole told me, he was happy to hear, were very popular in America.— Count Lieven asked me what was the explanation that had taken place between Lord Castlereagh and me, relative to the late transactions of Lord Exmouth at Algiers and with the Barbary States; I told him the substance of what had passed between us— Baron Nicolaï told me that in the course of eight or ten days, he should embark for St Petersburg; and that the Emperor had appointed him, Minister at Copenhagen.— The Levee was soon over— The Prince Regent, passed me, simply saying, “How do you do, Mr Adams”—which is the same thing he always says, on these Occasions— He seldom says any thing more, to others; but he was peculiarly gracious to the Duke of Wellington; and complimented him upon the cheerings of the People, with as much apparent satisfaction, as if they had been bestowed upon himself.— The Dukes of Kent and Gloucester, and the Earls of Liverpool and Westmorland, spoke to me, the two former about the weather, and the latter, about the distresses of the commercial interest in this Country, and in America— It appears they are as great in the United States, as here— From the Levee, I returned to Craven-Street, where I found Coll: Aspinwall the Consul, who gave me a despatch from the Secretary of State, dated 24. May— I gave Coll: Aspinwall, the Letter which I received yesterday from Henry Sparks, with all the enclosures, requesting him to make the necessary enquiries concerning Matthias Masoner, at the Admiralty— Mr R. Patterson soon afterwards came in— He and his family are going in a few days to Cheltenham, and from thence in the Autumn to France— Mr Patterson had brought the despatches, which I received the 25th ulto: from Mr Grubb, to whom they had been delivered by the Master of the Virginia Coffee-House— Mr Patterson, on landing from the Vessel, at one of the outports, gave the despatches into the charge of the Captain, and they were doubtless given by him to the Master of the Coffee-House— When Coll: Aspinwall and Mr Patterson left the Office, I went with Mrs Adams to Thomas’s Hotel Berkeley-Square, to visit Mrs Patterson, and the two Miss Caton’s her Sisters— Mrs Patterson who has been unwell, had a fire— The young Ladies, when 24we went in, were gone out; but came in while we were there; quite enchanted with having witnessed the transports of the People at the sight of the Duke of Wellington— Lady Morven also came in, upon a visit to the Ladies, and brought a Card for them to the Countess of Jersey’s Route, next Monday— As we came away Mrs Patterson, and especially the Miss Catons were extremely anxious in their enquiries, whether they could not be presented at Court; which we assured them they might be, without difficulty, at the Queen’s first drawing-room—and I offered to present Mr Patterson at the first Levee; which according to the etiquette should precede the presentation of the Ladies— But he appeared to have an aversion to the whole affair— He proposed to postpone it all until their return here, next Spring; but the Ladies were very earnest in their purposes, and insisted by all means upon being presented at Court—because it was one of the things, to be seen in this Country— A Show, and they wanted to see it, like other Shows— On leaving them I left Cards at the Earl of Jersey’s, and then called at the lodgings of Mr Balk-Oleff, the Russian Minister going to Rio de Janeiro. He was not at home, and I left my Card, with the Letter for Mr Sumter— We called at the House of Mr Allston and Mr Leslie; neither of whom was at home; but we saw the Picture of Mr Charles King’s three children which Mr Leslie is painting— Thence we returned to Craven Street, where I found Mr G. Joy—Mr L. Bathurst, and Mr John Macky. Mr Macky had been at the Office before; and had left Letters of Recommendation from Mr Monroe, Secretary of State, from Mr Dallas, Secretary of the Treasury, and from Mr H. St. George Tucker, a Member of Congress from Virginia— He has business here in which they suppose I can assist him; and I offered him every service in my power— Mr Bathurst has received no answer from the Earl, to the Letter he wrote, requesting to see him; and came to ask me to do something for him. I had taken the Letter from Mr Gregg, with me to London, expecting to meet Earl Bathurst at the Levee, but he was not there.— I told Mr Bathurst I would send the Earl the Letter this Evening; and was persuaded he would shortly receive his answer— Mr Joy, had made some enquiries, about wine, in the London Docks, and recommended the same he had mentioned to me in a Letter— It was six O’Clock when these Gentlemen left the Office— Mr Chitty the Tailor was in waiting, and I settled his Bill. Mr Smith and George went and dined with Mr Sanders— Mrs: Adams and I dined at the Office; after which we sent Cards of invitation to Mr and Mrs. Patterson, and the Miss Caton’s to dine with us next Tuesday— They answered a previous engagement. I answered the Card from Lord Castlereagh—enclosed Mr Gregg’s Letter with a Note to Earl Bathurst, and wrote an order upon the Brothers Baring and Co. in favour of Samuel Williams, on account of James Maury, the Consul at Liverpool, to be charged to the Seamen’s fund— Wrote also a Letter of recommendation for A. G. Goodlet, to H. Jackson, Chargé d’affaires at Paris.— Left copies of those Papers at the Office to be copied by Mr Smith, and at nine in the Evening went with young Chambré to Mr Sanders’s—there was there an assembly of sixty or seventy persons, strangely collected together.— Among them were Mrs Opie, the Novelist, a General Burgoyne, Mr Marset a Genevan, Mr Beresford, a son of Dr Beresford now at Berlin, Mr Amory, Captain Magee, Mr Prescott, the young man who brought me Letters of Recommendation, Mr Bryden, John Clerkson, and others. Mr Sanders, made me an apology, for having by mistake omitted to send me a Card, for his dinner— There was a Band of Music, and an intended Ball, which partly failed.— About eleven, we left the party, and went to Mr Penn’s, where we found another Ball, and a company, perhaps of three hundred persons, scarcely a soul of whom we knew.— After some time however we met Mr West the Painter, and had much Conversation with him— His original Picture of the foundation of Pensylvania by William Penn was also there— We came away soon after one in the Morning; went to Craven Street and took up Lucy.— Mr Smith and George were returned from Mr Sanders’s, and just in bed— We got home, just at three in the Morning; with broad day.