Memoirs of the Life and Correspondence of Henry Reeve, C.B., D.C.L. Part 44

Je serai heureux d'en retrouver l'occasion; car, plus les evenements rendent ma situation grave et difficile, plus ils grandissent ma responsabilite, plus naturellement je tiens a recueillir les avis d'un observateur eclaire, impartial et bienveillant pour la France. Dans cette situation si nouvelle, et, je puis dire, sans precedents, je tiens a resserrer les liens de mes vieilles amities, et je tiens particulierement a entretenir mes relations avec la societe anglaise, ce grand centre intellectuel qui recueille et juge les affaires du monde entier....

Je vous prie d'offrir mes hommages a Madame et a Mademoiselle Reeve et de me croire Votre bien affectionne,

PHILIPPE COMTE DE PAEIS.

All the Comte de Paris' earlier letters are signed Louis-Philippe D'Orleans, the capital D' being a noticeable peculiarity. By the death of the Comte de Chambord at Frohsdorf on August 24th, the Comte de Paris had become the head of the Bourbons, [Footnote: Always excepting the impossible Don Carlos.] and linked the Legitimists and Orleanists in the person of one capable man. At the same time he changed his signature, as now claiming the throne by hereditary right. Among the Orleanists, however, there were many--including the Duc d'Aumale--who considered the change ill-judged, as implying that his grandfather, Louis Philippe, was a usurper--as, of course, he was, if the will of the people is to count for nothing.

[Footnote: Cf. _Le Duc d'Aumale_, par Ernest Daudet, pp. 334-5.] Among the Legitimists, on the other hand, there were many who protested that under no circ.u.mstances could they accept one of the line of Philippe egalite as their lawful sovereign. Still, for the next two or three years, it seemed not impossible that the Comte de Paris might be called to the throne by a const.i.tutional reaction and a popular vote. He does not seem to have had any wish to head or stir up a revolution of force and bloodshed.

The Journal records:--

_October 29th_.--To Oxford. Dined at the Deanery. Jowett, Duke of Buckingham, Max Muller, Brodrick. 31st, dined at All Souls. Sir William Anson. November 1st, lunched with Max Muller.

_From M. B. St.-Hilaire_

_November 21st_.--I notice that to you, as to me, the situation of France appears very sad. I conceive that it is a source of alarm to all Europe. We are falling lower and lower towards the Radicals and the Extreme Left. If that party should come into power, it would be a very serious threat to the peace of the world. From the weakness of our Government, everything is to be feared; and as this weakness must become greater, there does not seem any remedy in the near future. Notwithstanding our wealth, our finances are in a bad state, and it is on that side that the inevitable storm will burst. To ward it off an entire change of conduct would be necessary; and at the present time we have no one strong enough to guide our policy in the right direction.

_To Mrs. Parker_

_Foxholes, December 18th_.--If anyone is to write Lord Westbury's Life, yours is the pen to do it. n.o.body expects a daughter to be impartial, or wishes it. I will see what letters I can find, and will write again when I have looked over my packets of letters.

This promise was afterwards fulfilled. Lord Westbury's letters were sent to Mrs. Parker, and several of them, with some of Reeve's, were incorporated in the 'Life of Lord Westbury' (2 vols. 8vo. 1888), by Mr. T. A. Nash, whom Mrs. Parker afterwards married.

Early in January 1884, Mrs. Reeve went to Paris, on a visit to Lady Metcalfe--one of Mr. Dempster's nieces. On the 16th Reeve joined her there.

Among other entries, the Journal notes a breakfast at Chantilly on the 27th--'chateau finished, galleries splendid'--and on the 30th, dinner at the Emba.s.sy. They returned to London on the 31st. A few dinners in town are noted, and a visit to Covent Garden on March 5th, to see Salvini in 'King Lear.' To Foxholes on April 9th.

This meagre chronicle of course gives no idea of Reeve's intellectual activity at the time, which was really very great. With his official duties, the conduct of the 'Review,' an extensive correspondence, and, at this time, the preparation of the second part of the 'Greville Memoirs,'

with dinner parties or receptions three or four times a week, it would seem as if Reeve's days must have consisted of an abnormal number of hours. And effectively they did; for, though on pleasure--at proper seasons--Reeve might be bent, he had always a frugal mind as to the disposal of time.

Most, if not all, of his correspondence, much even of his more serious work, was got through in spare half-hours at the Council Office; and when at home, in his study in the house in Rutland Gate, it was a standing rule that he was not to be disturbed. The study was a cosy room on the ground floor, built out at the back, and so removed from all noise of pa.s.sing to and fro. It had no outlook to distract the attention, and no man was ever less addicted to day-dreaming. To work whilst he worked and play whilst he played was the golden rule which enabled Reeve for over fifty years to get through as much hard work as a successful lawyer, to do as much hard writing as a successful novelist, to hunt, shoot, or travel whenever opportunity offered, and to be one of the best known figures in the world of London society.

_From the Duke of Argyll_

_March 8th_.--Many thanks for your letter. I am pleased to know that the scientists find my science accurate. Writers in the interest of religion have generally, of late, been disposed to make as much as possible of the distinction between man and nature. The speciality of my book [Footnote: _The Unity of Nature._ There is an article on it in the April number of the Review.] is, on the contrary, to maintain the unity, as really essential to all belief, thus going back to the paths of Butler.

_From M. B. St.-Hilaire_

_Paris, 15 avril._--Cher Monsieur Reeve,--J'etais bien sur de vous faire plaisir en vous envoyant les discours p.r.o.nonces sur la tombe de M. Mignet.

Celui de M. Martha est le plus remarquable; M. Jules Simon a tres bien parle aussi; mais on peut trouver cependant que M. Martha l'emporte.

Je suis tres sensible a votre amicale invitation, et je serai heureux de visiter cet ete votre ermitage de Foxholes. Nos vacances commenceront probablement en aout, et je reglerai mes mouvements sur les votres.

Je vous remercie de votre bienveillance pour l'Histoire des Animaux; je ne crois pas que nulle part le genie d'Aristote se soit montre plus grand, plus scientifique et, l'on peut ajouter, plus moderne. Entre lui et Linne, Buffon et Cuvier, il n'y a rien. L'histoire de la science a beaucoup a profiter de cet exemple frappant.

Je suis absolument de votre avis sur le role de l'Angleterre en egypte; vous n'avez qu'a faire ce que nous avons fait a Tunis, ou les choses marchent a souhait. C'est l'interet de votre grand pays, en meme temps que l'interet de la civilisation et de l'humanite. Les affaires egyptiennes ne peuvent rester dans l'etat ou elles sont; et il faut les regler au plus vite, pour l'honneur de tout le monde.

Je presente mes hommages bien respectueux a Madame Reeve, en attendant le pet.i.t voyage a Foxholes vers l'automne. Votre bien devoue,

B. St.-HILAIRE.

And here the Journal notes:--

April 16th.--Edward Cheney died, aetat. 82.

From Dr. Vaughan [Footnote: Then Master of the Temple; he died November 15, 1897, aged 81.]

The Deanery, Llandaff: April 19th.

Dear Mr. Reeve,--I am grateful to you for your kind letter. I will try to remember to make the reference with which you furnish me when I am again at the Athenaeum.

The year 1185 is always in my recollection as the date of the consecration of the Round Church by the Patriarch Heraclius. I am already in communication with Dr. Hopkins about the musical part of its celebration, on or about the day (I think February 10) next year. And there must be a sermon about it on the nearest Sunday. So you see how exactly your thoughts and mine agree on the subject.

Ever truly yours,

C. J. VAUGHAN.

The other part of the church was consecrated on Ascension Day 1240. Who will be Master when _that_ seventh centenary comes round?

_From the Duke of Argyll_

Argyll Lodge, Kensington: April 19th.

My Dear Mr. Reeve,[Footnote: Written in pencil.]--I am laid up with a very sudden and sharp attack of the enemy; but I must write a line from bed to say how _more_ than satisfied I am by the article in the Review, which goes straight to the main points of my Essay, and which distinguishes exactly those which best deserve notice. I am the more grateful as all the others I have seen--whether laudatory or not--have all been the production of ignorant men who did not see, or of learned men who did not wish to see, any of the specialties of the book.

I am better, but unfit for any work.

Yours very truly,

ARGYLL.

_To Mr. T. Norton Longman_

_Foxholes, April 20th_.--Much obliged to you for the Beaconsfield book, [Footnote: The _Beaconsfield Birthday-Book_.] which is very pretty. I hope you will sell as many as there are bunches of primroses in Covent Garden Market. The extent of Lord Beaconsfield's popularity is really curious. Yet this is the man whom Gladstone hunted to death and called a fiend!!

And the Journal for the summer runs:--

At Foxholes all May.

_June 26th_.--Marriage of Hallam Tennyson and Miss Boyle in Henry VII.'s Chapel.

_July 12th_.--Dinner at Sir Henry Maine's. The Actons, Lindleys, Evelyn Barings, Brookfield, Venables--interesting party.

_16th_.--d.u.c.h.ess of Argyll's garden party.

_17th_.--The great Canadian case between the Provinces of Ontario and Manitoba was argued for six days before the Judicial Committee.

_24th_.--To Foxholes. On August 11th we went to Strode, to see Mr. Gollop, aetat. 93. 15th, back to Foxholes.

At this time, on behalf of Sir Henry Taylor, Reeve had been conducting a negotiation with Longmans for the publication of Taylor's Autobiography, and an agreement had been come to which was to take effect after Taylor's death.