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Je n'ai pas l'honneur de connoître de personne M. le Général de Stewart; mais indépendamment de sa grande réputation militaire qui a dû le rendre très-intéressant à quelqu'un qui a suivi l'histoire des belles campagnes de la Péninsule, j'ai une raison toute particulière pour l'estimer et pour l'aimer.

Dans une séance assez orageuse de la Chambre des Communes, au mois de décembre dernier, lorsqu'on attaqua, peut-être avec un peu trop de sévérité, une mesure prise en faveur de la brave Légion Hanovérienne, il fut le seul qui plaida la cause des militaires Allemands, avec un courage et une vigueur qui me l'a rendu cher, bien avant que j'eusse l'idée de le voir employé sur le théâtre de nos grandes affaires actuelles. Quand vous en trouverez un jour une occasion convenable, monsieur, je vous prie de me recommander à ses bonnes graces, et de lui faire part des sentimens respectueux et affectionnés que je lui porte. Quelqu' indifférent que puisse lui être cet hommage, je suis sûr qu'il ne le repoussera pas.

S'il arrive quelque chose de bien marquant, je vous écrirai sans attendre même votre réponse à cette lettre; mais il dépendra de vous de donner à notre correspondance toute la suite et toute la vivacité que vous pourriez désirer. Agréez, &c., &c.

GENTZ.

Diaries-July 29th.-After working half the night, with the hope of getting through so much of the overwhelming amount of writing on my hands just now as would set me free to go to Grottkau, where

the Emperor and the King reviewed yesterday eightysix squadrons of cavalry, I found I must give up all thoughts of assisting at that grand military spectacle, as I had had a great desire to do, and keep close to the inkstand instead. I turned in then to get a nap, but had not had my snooze half out, when a courier arrived from Berlin, where Sir Charles now is; tired, I suppose, of kicking his heels at Stralsund and waiting there in vain for the return of Thornton with the Crown Prince.

Lieut.-Gen. Sir Charles Stewart to George

DEAR JACKSON,

Jackson, Esq.

Berlin, July 27th, 1813.

I am anxious for arrivals from England which may set me in motion towards you. But as I hear both the King and the Emperor are absent from Trachenberg, and as Thornton is not yet with the Crown Prince, I think I may be best employed at present in seeing what the Prince is about here.

He talks wonderfully bold of war, and boasts not a little of what he will do; which is just the reason that I believe we shall have a prolongation of the armistice, and in the end, a peace. He says he shall make Demmin his head-quarters.

Lord Cathcart's letters of the 21st are, as usual, very sanguine; but I confess I have not been of his lordship's opinion during the course of the late transactions. Certainly, however, he ought to know best. He understands these matters. I

VOL. II.

N

profess myself to be so bad a diplomatist and politician.

The Crown Prince was at the opera last night, but not received with any great applause. Prince William gave him a grand dinner yesterday, and he gives one himself to-day. The Princess Ferdinand to-morrow, and the Princess of Orange the day following. So we are feasting, you see, and in good German style, until we get some news from our flanks.

I hope it goes well with you all. Compliments to all friends. Deering's horses are here with mine— all well.

Believe me ever, &c., &c.,
CHARLES STEWART.

Diaries-30th.-A great official dinner at General Barclay de Tolli's. While at table Count Klamm arrived from Prague. He reports that Bonaparte had left Dresden in the night of the 25th, very privately, and after receiving four successive couriers. Fresh advantages are said to have been gained by Lord Wellington, in consequence of which twentyeight thousand men, under Augereau, have been marched back to France. Coulaincourt arrived at Prague on the 20th.

M. Niebuhr, Sir Robert, and Count Stadion drank tea with me. We had an interesting conversation on the present state of affairs, in the course of which I was particularly pleased with the general tone of Stadion's remarks. On leaving he took me

aside, and said, "J'espère bientôt avoir de bien bonnes nouvelles à vous donner."

We were all engaged to supper at Count Löwenhjelm's, but a note from the Duke of Oldenberg, requesting that I would sup with him, obliged me, unwillingly, to separate from my party. At the Duke's I met Prince Paul of Würtemberg. Both seemed to be of opinion that war between France and Austria was certain. The conversation, however, was rather of a general character, public affairs being only incidentally touched upon.

The supper was intended to be rather a lively one, and quite sans gêne. But in this respect it was a failure. The mirth fell flat, the jokes hung fire, and seemed to be made only to hide anxious thoughts; so that the honour of supping with their Serene Highnesses but poorly compensated me for the loss of my old friend Löwenhjelm's entertainment and Wilson's lively rattle.

A letter from the Commandant at Silberberg, informing the Chancellor that Mr. Robert Semple was actually at liberty, was sent to me by Hardenberg last night. This morning, August 1st, the great traveller himself made his appearance at head-quarters in a most outrageous humour, and abused us soundly all round. We, however, made some allowance for this; and although he lost by his ungentlemanlike behaviour the civilities he would otherwise have met with, we took into consideration his having been nearly three months under lock and key at Silberberg, and therefore did not resent his violent language and conduct in

the way we might have done. The assistance I was authorized to offer him, he refused, and in terms not too polite. He demanded to see Lord Cathcart, whom he seemed to think was, like the rest of us, eternally disgraced by "the incarceration that he, a British subject, had undergone in a Prussian fortress." But his lordship was engaged with the Emperor, and, consequently, Robert Semple "the traveller," indignant at this fresh slight-for, a true born Briton being in the case, a foreign emperor or king should surely give place-went off in high dudgeon. He may perhaps attack Sir Charles, at Berlin; but I trust we shall see nothing more of him here, though he assured me I should certainly hear of him again.

In the evening I went to Lord Cathcart. He was much amused with the account I gave him of Semple's behaviour. We had afterwards a long and interesting conversation on the subject of a despatch from Lord Castlereagh, of the 5th July, declaratory of the views of the Prince Regent's government, with respect to the present situation of affairs, and the prospect of a peace. It stated that, "Hitherto peace was impossible; because"-with reference to Spain"on a point on which Great Britain never could or would recede, Bonaparte had pledged himself not to yield, and that as long as Joseph remained in dominion in that country, and a French force existed in many of its provinces, there could be no question of negotiation. But Field Marshal Wellington's brilliant successes having, it is hoped, settled this question, the Prince Regent would make no difficulty

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