April 1817
r Charles Pinkney came for a
Passport. He is going to embark in the Packet for Cuxhaven: to proceed
from Hamburg to Elseneur; and there to take passage for St. Petersburg to join his father. He was compelled by the
state of his health to leave him at Vienna, and came to Paris and London
for the Winter. Jouffroy the
Prussian Charge d’Affaires came, and told me he had made an excuse to
Fernan Nuñez for to-morrow, and would come out and dine with us to
morrow at Ealing. I had asked him on Sunday Evening, but he then pleaded
an engagement to Fernan Nuñez—
I asked also Mr Pfeffel, the Bavarian Minister, and Mr
Poletica, both of whom had engagements. Jouffroy told me
that his Government had appointed Mr Greuhm who was sometime here
as Chargé d’Affaires, to go as Prussian Minister to the United
States—and that he expected him here on his way to America by the end of
the Month. I spoke to Jouffroy about the misunderstanding between this
and the Prussian Courts relative to the Duchess of Cumberland. He gave me some particulars
concerning it, but let them out with reserve and reluctance. He said
that the Queen’s refusal to receive
the Duchess had been much instigated by tittle tattle scandal, from the
Queen of Wirtemberg. That
the Prince Regent though he had not
taken part against the Duchess, might however have prevented the
extremities to which things have been pushed, and have reconciled all
the parties, if he had chosen— That the Duke himself by his violence had contributed to make the
breach as it now is utterly and forever irreparable. That Baron Jacobi had very
injudiciously taken up the affair without Instructions, in a very high
tone, and most absurdly by attacking Lord Castlereagh about it; who could have had no concern
in the Queen’s animosities, and could have no influence in removing
them. That the king of
Prussia had indeed approved of Jacobi’s proceedings after
the fact; because he had been unwilling formally to disapprove the acts
of an old and faithful Servant; but the approbation had been merely
formal. Jacobi was now living in retirement, in the neighbourhood of
Dresden; and without any public employment. He had made the situation of
a Prussian Minister here extremely aukward; for he could not appear at
the Queen’s Drawing-Rooms, and that excluded him from a very extensive
circle of Society— But that was not all. The Minister was exposed to
meet the Queen at the Prince Regent’s, and to have the Queen turn her
back upon him, as she had turned her back upon Baron Jacobi— Et c’est
que, quand La Reine tourne le dos, tout le monde tourna le dos— The
matter had now become involved in such inextricable confusion; and the
Queen had become so inveterate that it never could be reconciled during
her life; and she might live these ten years. The Duke and Duchess would
ultimately be obliged to go and live in Germany, for the manner of
interdict under which they were living here, would in the end prove
insupportable. Indeed they ought not to have come here, after they knew
how the Queen was indisposed towards the Duchess— Jouffroy cautiously
avoided mentioning if he knew the particular causes of the Queen’s
displeasure, and they are not publicly known— I finished a Letter to
my father that I have been these
three days writing, and shortened my Morning walk to an hour. I dined at
the Earl of Harrowby’s, 29.
Grosvenor Square— Count and Countess Lieven, Mr and
Mrs Bourke, Counts
Fernan Nuñez, Palmella, and Caraman, Mr
Neumann, Earl and Countess Bathurst, and their eldest 164daughter, formed
the Company, with the family; Earl and Countess of Harrowby, and their eldest daughter Lady Susan Ryder. There was one other daughter a child of four or five
years, in the Drawing-Room before dinner; and two daughters of
perhaps twelve and fourteen after dinner— There was altogether a
general, and a very pleasing appearance of domestic life about the house
and family. I was seated at table between the Countess of Bathurst, and
Lady Susan Ryder, whom I found very agreeable & sensible. She is one
of the most beautiful and fashionable young Ladies of the Court— Lady
Bathurst told me that Coll. Harvey, who is to marry
Miss Louisa Caton, was a
relation of Lord Bathurst’s— Fernan Nuñez before dinner, asked me if I
had any late accounts from the United States— There was an Article in
this Morning’s Newspapers, of 11. February from New-Orleans, stating
that Spain had ceded the two Floridas to the United States. He asked me
if I knew any thing of it. I said I knew it could not be true; because
there were authentic Accounts from Washington, to the last days in
February, when a voluminous Correspondence with the Spanish Government
was communicated by the President
to Congress, from which it appeared that no arrangement with Spain had
then been made— He then said etes vous maintenant content de Monsieur Onis— I answered laughing that I
certainly could not be otherwise than content with him, not having the
honour of any personal acquaintance, and never having been in any direct
relation with him. But he said he meant to ask whether the Government
were satisfied with him— I said that when Mr
Onis had been first received it was not without reluctance on the part
of the Government, because his previous conduct had given Offence; and
about a year ago it had been mentioned to me in a despatch that there
was some personal dissatisfaction, but since then I had not heard of any
further cause of complaint. I added that I most earnestly hoped that
Spain and the United States would not quarrel with each other— He said
that he very cordially concurred in the same hope; and that the policy
of his Government was entirely pacific; a very decided proof of which
they had just given, by asking for the Mediation of the Allies in their
dispute with Portugal— I told him I had seen it intimated, and had
thought it probable, the invasion of Buenos Ayres had been by some
understanding between the Governments of Spain, and Brazil— He said Oh
No! none in the world. But Spain, instead of invading Portugal, as she
might have done upon such provocation had preferred to ask the Mediation
of the Allies; and he could tell me confidentially that was the business
upon which he was going to Paris— He asked me who was our Minister at
Paris, and when I told him, said he thought he had seen Mr
Gallatin here. I gave Mr
Bourke the letter from Mr Jaques to Baron Rosenkrantz, which he
promised to forward the next Post-day. After dinner Earl Bathurst asked
me whether I was acquainted with Mr Cobbett, and whether I
thought the American Government would give him any encouragement. I said
I had never seen him; and did not suppose there would be any intercourse
between him and the American Government— I knew not what his projects or
intentions were in going to America; but if he should interest himself
much in the Politics of that Country, I should, from the character of
his mind expect very soon to see him writing against that Government—
Lord Bathurst agreed in that opinion; and said Cobbett was a very vain
man, though he certainly had the talent of writing with great effect to
a certain Class of readers— He said Cobbett’s change of Politics had
proceeded from two causes—first Mr Windham had invited him to
dine at his house with Mr Pitt. He had there
introduced him to Mr Pitt, who had taken
little or no notice of him beyond that of common civility— This gave him
an immediate and decided turn against Mr
Pitt: and he had afterwards quarreled with Windham; because being in
power, Windham had declined appointing him Under Secretary of State— I
think however there were other causes— Madame Bourke had a party made up
to play whist with her; but I came home about ten, leaving all the rest
of the company there.