1817.] TIERNEY.-BROUGHAM. 171 In another cover I return you the two Acts of Parliament you sent me; and this reminds me to tell you the fate of your Clause. Poor George Ponsonby's accident happened the evening before I left town. He was the least eminent man that ever filled such a station, and yet his loss is an event of considerable political importance. If Tierney were able to succeed him the party would rather gain by the exchange; but his health, I am sorry to learn, is a good deal impaired, so that the fatigue of leading one side of the House would be too much for him, and he will scarcely desire it ;—Brougham is able and willing, and yet there are formidable objections. But I am persuaded that it is the best thing they can do. It is their only chance of going on as a party. They may prevent him from being leader; but he will then take special care that they shall have no leader at all. By placing him at their head, they will lose little in point of numbers, (for the Grenvilles must be considered as gone already,) and gain greatly in point of energy and union. But Charon calls-so Adieu. Yours ever sincerely, J. W. W. My direction is "Chez Messrs. Ardouin, R.F. B. Poissonnière, à Paris." LETTER XXXIV. Dresden, August 17, 1817. It is a good while since I wrote to you last, and the time seems longer on account of the space. Six weeks passed on one spot, particularly if that spot be a great town full of business and amusement like London, where one day is so like another, seem like six days; but if they have carried one through two or three kingdoms, they seem in retrospect like as many months. I staid eight or nine days in Paris, longer than I intended, (but my carriage which had been left at Calais wanted some repairs,) and French workmen are all slow, and most of them unskilful. From Paris I went directly through Strasburgh to Baden. I had been at Baden last year, but it is so beautiful a spot that I was desirous to revisit it. Several Courts had been there, but they were all gone except the Bavarian. To that I was pre sented, as I understood that such was the custom. It seems a very agreeable royal family. I saw the King only once, as he was going the next day. He has a plain but cordial and gentlemanlike manner. The Queen staid longer, and I saw her several times. She is a very pleasing, accomplished wo 1817.] SOCIETY AT BADEN. 173 man, and a very model of good breeding. I found she understood English very well, though she cannot speak it. She seemed acquainted with some very late publications. We had but few English, amongst others the Between ourselves, they made themselves prodigiously hated by the others for what is commonly called, "sporting fine." To be sure, the other two English families there were nothing distinguished, and my excellent friend Sir is as ludicrous a personage as vanity and self-importance can make a man. But then they were all perfectly harmless, perfectly respectable in all the essential points of character, and as good-natured and obliging as possible; and if Lady were a Montmorency, a Guzman, a D'Aremberg, or a Howard, (which she is a long way from being,) she might have come into contact with them without damaging a single quarter in her escutcheon. However she thought it right to cut them dead, and seemed surprised that I did not do the same thing. They of course detest her, and the court only laughed. After all, Baden (where I staid rather more than a week) would have been dull if it had not been for Rostopschin. I knew him before at Paris, and at Baden we met every day. He is a most entertaining person knows the world thoroughly—is acquainted with many languages and many nations, full of anec dotes, and full of sarcastic but cheerful wit; and, to complete the list of his companionable qualities, he is very communicative, and his animal spirits never failed him an instant. He amused me so much that I quite forgot to ask him whether he burnt Moskow or not; I rather think though that he says the people burnt it themselves. I believe you know Studtgart and Frankfort, so I need say nothing about them. From Frankfort to Dresden is a six days' journey-avdpi évve and I believe I was seven about it. The road is tolerably good, and almost constantly through a fine country. If I recollect right poor Madame de Staël, says, "that Germany looks gloomy after France." A natural opinion enough, for an exiled lady of fashion torn much against her will from the drawing-rooms at Paris; but if she meant to speak of the face of nature there could not be a grosser misrepresentation. "La belle France," as they have had the impudence to call it for several centuries (for I remember Shakspeare makes their King John speak of "our fair France") is as dull and uniform, as Germany is varied and interesting. The land is everywhere cultivated with more diligence than skill; their agricultural instruments (so far as I am able to judge) are very imperfect and their crops foul. Indeed I don't recollect to have seen any clean ones any where out of Eng 1817.] CANNING AND BROUGHAM. 175 land. The country people don't seem so well off as they are with us; in the towns I think they are, in proportion, better off; but I of course as yet speak from a very superficial knowledge. I have been here a week. The town and the surrounding country are quite beautiful. In my catalogue they come immediately after Florence. Your letter of the 21st July followed me here. One from an Opposition friend which came to hand at the same time, confirmed to me your account of the great success of Canning's last speech. It would have been worth my while to stay in England to hear it. His superiority over Brougham will, I presume, be scarcely contested any longer, even by the Reformers. Adieu. I have more to say, but my paper is at an end. Besides, as one's letters may be lost, one ought to write frequently, rather than much at a time, to and from the Continent. LETTER XXXV. Vienna, December 24, 1817. I HAVE been silent for an unusual, and I am almost afraid, for an unfriendly period; but in |