Part 7 (1/2)

He began asking me about my family, the allowance my father gave me, if I ran into debt, drank, played, etc.

He asked me if I had been in Spain, and if I was not imprisoned by the Inquisition. I told him that I had seen the abolition of the Inquisition voted, and of the injudicious manner in which it was done.

He mentioned Infantado, and said, ”II n'a point de caractere.”

Ferdinand he said was in the hands of the priests--afterwards he said, ”Italy is a fine country; Spain too is a fine country--Andalusia and Seville particularly.”

_F. R._ Yes, but uncultivated.

_N._ Agriculture is neglected because the land is in the hands of the Church.

_F. R._ And of the Grandees.

_N._ Yes, who have privileges contrary to the public prosperity.

_F. R._ Yet it would be difficult to remedy the evil.

_N._ It might be remedied by dividing property and abolis.h.i.+ng hurtful privileges, as was done in France.

_F. R._ Yes, but the people must be industrious--even if the land was given to the people in Spain, they would not make use of it.

_N._ Ils succomberaient.

_F. R._ Yes, Sire.

He asked many questions about the Cortes, and when I told him that many of them made good speeches on abstract questions, but that they failed when any practical debate on finance or war took place, he said, ”Oui, faute de l'habitude de gouverner.” He asked if I had been at Cadiz at the time of the siege, and said the French failed there.

_F. R._ Cadiz must be very strong.

_N._ It is not Cadiz that is strong, it is the Isle of Leon--if we could have taken the Isle of Leon, we should have bombarded Cadiz, and we did partly, as it was.

_F. R._ Yet the Isle of Leon had been fortified with great care by General Graham.

_N._ Ha--it was he who fought a very brilliant action at Barrosa.

He wondered our officers should go into the Spanish and Portuguese service. I said our Government had sent them with a view of instructing their armies; he said that did well with the Portuguese, but the Spaniards would not submit to it. He was anxious to know if we supported South America, ”for,” he said, ”you already are not well with the King of Spain.”

Speaking of Lord Wellington, he said he had heard he was a large, strong man, _grand cha.s.seur_, and asked if he liked Paris. I said I should think not, and mentioned Lord Wellington having said that he should find himself much at a loss what to do in peace time, and I thought scarcely liked anything but war.

_N._ La guerre est un grand jeu, une belle occupation.

He wondered the English should have sent him to Paris--”On n'aime pas l'homme par qui on a ete battu. Je n'ai jamais envoye a Vienne un homme qui a a.s.siste a la prise de Vienne.” He asked who was our Minister (Lord Burghersh) at Florence, and whether he was _honnete homme_, ”for,” he said, ”you have two kinds of men in England, one of _intrigans_, the other of _hommes tres honnetes_.”

Some time afterwards he said, ”Dites moi franchement, votre Ministre a Florence est il un homme a se fier?”

He had seen something in the papers about sending him (Napoleon) to St. Helena, and he probably expected Lord Burghersh to kidnap him--he inquired also about his family and if it was one of consequence.

His great anxiety at present seems to be on the subject of France.

He inquired if I had seen at Florence many Englishmen who came from there, and when I mentioned Lord Holland, he asked if he thought things went well with the Bourbons, and when I answered in the negative he seemed delighted, and asked if Lord Holland thought they would be able to stay there. I said I really could not give an answer. He said he had heard that the King of France had taken no notice of those Englishmen who had treated him well in England--particularly Lord Buckingham; he said that was very wrong, for it showed a want of grat.i.tude. I told him I supposed the Bourbons were afraid to be thought to depend upon the English.

”No,” he said, ”the English in general are very well received.” He asked sneeringly if the Army was much attached to the Bourbons.