"Do you know that if any of the blunders had failed, these poor fellows would now have been alive! and even with the concurring mistakes of [?
], Erskine, and [? ], they would not have succeeded if the rains had not swollen the streams and made them unfordable. It is the saddest story of cross-purposes and stupidities I ever listened to in my life."
_To Mr William Blackwood._
"Trieste, _June_ 30,1870.
"I have just reached home, and send you at once what I have done, and what may still require a page or two to complete. Not knowing where your uncle is, and not liking to incur the delay of sending on a wrong errand if he should have left London, I hope he may like what I have written, which, whether good or bad, I can honestly declare has occupied all my sleeping and waking thoughts these last four weeks, insomuch that I have never looked at the [? proofs] of a story* that must begin next August _a contrat_, and for which I can feel neither interest nor anxiety.
Indeed, I am in every way "at the end of my tether," my journey, and certainly my heart symptoms are greatly diminished, and the sooner I shut up altogether the better will it be for that very little sc.r.a.p of reputation which I once acquired.
* "Lord Kilgobbin."
"I am very "shaky" in health, but very happy to be again at home with my dear girls, who never weary of kindnesses to me, and who would give me comfort if I could be comforted."
_To Mr John Blackwood._
"Trieste, _July_ 1,1870.
"Your letter just reached me by a late post as I was sending off this packet. I write a line to thank you, and say how happy it made me to see your handwriting again.
"My daughters find me looking much better for
"It is quite true "this Greek story is a very strange one"; whether we ever shall get to the bottom of it is very doubtful. I believe the present Cabinet in Greece are dealing fairly with Erskine now,--partly from a hope that it is the best policy--partly from believing that England will resent heavily any attempt at evasion. Of Noel I have great distrust; he has been brought up amongst Greeks--and even Greek brigands--of whom he speaks in terms of eulogy and warmth that are (with our late experiences) positively revolting.
"I hope you will like what I have written. I have given it my whole thought and attention, and for the last four weeks neither talked, reflected, or speculated on anything but the Marathon disaster. I saw Finlay, who is very old and feeble, and I thought mentally so too.
"I wonder will the new Secretary at F. O. act energetically about Greece? I have grave doubts that Gladstone will make conciliation the condition of his appointment. We are in a position to do whatever we like: the difficulty is to know what that should be. To cause the misfortune [? ], the blunders of [? ] & Co. would not have succeeded without the heavy rain that made the rivers impa.s.sable and r.e.t.a.r.ded the movements. In fact, such a combination of evil accidents never was heard of, and had anybody failed in anything they did, the poor fellows would now be living.
"I am glad to think Oliphant will come back to the world again,--these genial fellows are getting too rare to spare one of the best of them to barbarism. I should like to meet him again."
_To Mr John Blackwood._
"Trieste, _July_ 9, 1870.
"I have just received your cordial note, and write at once to say how sorry I am not to be able to do a sketch of Lord C[larendon]. First of all, I have not anything that could serve to remind me of his career.
I know he was a Commissioner of Customs in Ireland, an Amba.s.sador in Spain, and a Viceroy in Dublin, but there ends my public knowledge of him. Personally I only remember him as a very high-bred and courteous gentleman, who made a most finished manner do service for wit (which he had not), and a keen insight into life, especially foreign life, of which he really only knew the conventional part. If I had the materials for his biography I would not hesitate about the sketch, but it is as well (for _you_) that I have not, for I should not do it well, and we should both of us be sorry at the failure.
"I"ll tell you, however, who could and would do it well, Rob. Lytton, who married his niece, and is now at Knebworth. _He_ knew Lord C.
intimately, and had exactly that sort of appreciation of him that the public would like and be pleased to see in print.
"I don"t think d.i.c.kens" memory is at all served by this ill-judged adulation. He was a man of genius and a loyal, warm-hearted, good fellow; but he was not Shakespeare, nor was Sam Weller Falstaff.
"I hope you will like my Greek paper. I cannot turn my mind to anything else, and must add some pages when I see the proof. I hear there will be no Greek debate, as all parties are agreed not to discuss Lord C."s absurd concession about the ship of war to take off the brigands,--a course which would have given Russia such a handle for future meddling, and left us totally unable to question it.
"My journey has certainly done me good. My flurried action of the heart has greatly left me, and except a sense of deep dreariness and dislike to do anything--even speak--I am as I used to be.
"I"d say time would do the rest if I did not hope for something more merciful than time and that shall antic.i.p.ate time: I mean rest--long rest."
_To Mr John Blackwood._
"_Aug_. 4, 1870.
"I was conning over the enclosed O"D. when your letter came this morning,--and of late the post misses three days in five,--and I believe I should have detained my MS. for further revision, but I cannot delay my deepest thanks for your munificent remittance. I have not now to be told so to feel how much more you were thinking of me than of Greece when you advised this journey. Be a.s.sured that in the interest you felt for me in my great sorrow I grew to have a care for life and a desire to taste its friendships that I didn"t think my heart was capable of. I know well, too well, that I could not have written anything that could justify such a mission--least of all with a breaking heart and an aching head,--but I was sure that in showing you how willing I was to accept a benefit at your hands I should best prove what a value I attached to your friendship, and how ready I was to owe you what brought me round to life and labour again. I do fervently hope the Greek article may be a success; but nothing that it could do, nor anything that I might yet write, could in any way repay what I am well content should be my great debt to your sterling affection for me,--never to be acquitted--never forgotten."
_To Mr John Blackwood._
"Trieste, _Aug_. 7, 1870.
"I am full sure that nothing but war will now be talked, and so I send another bellicose "O"Dowd" to make up the paper. I hope there may be time for a proof; but if not, my hand is so well known to you now, and you are so well aware of what I intended where I blotch or break down, it is of less consequence.
"This Wissembourg battle was really a great success; and I don"t care a rush that the Prussians were in overwhelming numbers. May they always be so, and may those rascally French get so palpably, unmistakably licked that all their lying press will be unable to gloss over the disgrace.
"If L. Nap. gets _one_ victory he"ll go in for peace and he"ll have England to back him; and I pray, therefore, that Prussia may have the first innings, and I think _Paris_ will do the rest by sending the Bonapartes to the devil."
_To Mr John Blackwood._
"Trieste, _Aug_. 14.
"An idea has just occurred to me, and on telling it to my daughters they wish me to consult with you on it. It is of a series of papers, the _rationale_ of which is this:--
"All newspaper correspondence from the war being interdicted, or so much restricted as to be of little value, I have thought that a mock narrative following events closely, but with all the licence that an unblushing liar might give himself, either as to the facts or the persons with whom he is affecting intimacy, and this being done by Major M"Caskey, would be rather good fun. I would set out by explaining how he is at present at large and unemployed, making the whole as a personal narrative, and showing that in the dearth of real news he offers himself as a military correspondent, whose qualifications include not only special knowledge of war, but a universal acquaintance with all modern languages, and the personal intimacy of every one from the King of Prussia to Mr Cook the excursionist. This is enough for a mere glimpse of the intention, which, possibly, is worth consideration. Turn it over in your mind and say has it enough in it to recommend it? I know all will depend on how it is done, and I have no sanguine trust in myself now, either for nerve or "go," and still less for rattling adventures, but yet the actual events would be a great stimulant, and perhaps they might supply some of the missing spirit I am deploring.
"I don"t know that I should have written about this _now_, but the girls have given me no peace since I first talked of it, and are eternally asking have I begun Major M"Caskey"s adventures. Your opinion shall decide if it be worth trial."
_To Mr John Blackwood._
"_Aug._ 29,1870.
"A post that takes seven days (and travels, I believe, over Berlin and part of Pomerania) before it reaches Vienna, warns me to be early, and so I despatch these two O"Ds. to see if you like them as part of next month"s envoy.
"Of course, people will admit of no other topic than the war or the causes of it. As the month goes on new interests may arise, and we shall be on the watch for them.
"Be a.s.sured "The Standard" is making a grave blunder by its anti-Germanism, and English opinion has _just now_ a value in Germany which, if the nation be once disgusted with us, will be lost for ever.
"Even Mr Whitehurst of "The Daily Telegraph" gives the Emperor up, and how he defers his abdication after such a withdrawal of confidence is not easy to say.