"Hungary has behaved most handsomely; having, extra legem, strengthened, by more than a third, her regiments of Hussars, and raised a considerable body of troops to which the Emperor had no claim. All has been effected by good will alone, no Diet having been convened."

Mr. F. J. Jackson to George Jackson, Esq.

Lyndhurst, July 25th, 1813. I have taken a house, my dear George, for the next three months, in this pleasant spot, at which allˆour family arrived from Brighton yesterday. It is a very nice villa, and has beautiful gardens, which, with the quietude and retirement we shall find here, are doubly attractive after the noisy round of the socalled pleasures of a London season. We are in hopes of having Madame Moreau for a neighbour, if I can find hereabouts a suitable dwelling for her,— some snug pretty cottage that may be hired for our term.

I, however, purpose leaving this to-morrow for Bath, with the double object of spending a day or two with our mother and sisters, who pass the month of August in some visits near town, and of consulting our family doctor, Creaser, about an oppression and heaviness in the head with which I have been troubled the last two or three months. I have more faith in him than in most men of his profession, and he is, besides, well acquainted with our constitutions.

Your packet to the 25th of June I shall deliver to our mother. We are allowed to know so little

that all you note down is highly acceptable.

On

this side of the water, every one is anxious to hear whether the armistice will have been denounced on the 20th, and hostilities recommence to-morrow, or if, as seems most probable, the armistice will be renewed for the purpose of negotiation.

I know that the mediation of Austria is accepted, but I know not precisely upon what terms; only that we have communicated the basis of restitution upon which it is accepted. This may, or may not, be acceptable to Austria, as you, who are nearer the spot, will know best. The general expectation seems now to be that Metternich has gained the upper hand, and that Austria will in no case take up arms against the French. But I am quite convinced that our people do not understand the matter, and that we shall one day hear of all the blunders they have committed. This, however, is no reason why each should not labour heartily and zealously in his vocation; and the scene is altogether so interesting, that whichever way it is conducted, all those persons engaged in it should stay at their posts and stick to their pippins to the last. I should, in your case, even try to get employed upon the Continent if the mission should be withdrawn, I mean if Lord Cathcart returns to St. Petersburg and Sir Charles Stewart to London. This may happen, if Bonaparte gets the upper hand where he is. I will not suppose that he will so completely succeed as to re-establish the continental system.

I have little doubt that the war might be success

fully carried on by the Russians and Prussians, Austria remaining only neutral. Whether it will be so or not, I cannot tell; I only think that there are means sufficient; and the statements of the Prussian force on foot are highly encouraging. But I clearly perceive que les actions autrichiennes ont baissé since the time of our coming to London. By the way, our stay there was sufficiently pleasant; but it was difficult to talk to people upon politics. Some knew nothing of the matter; others wrapped up the little they knew in impenetrable mystery. The chief topics of rejoicing, are those of Vittoria and the successful issue of the parliamentary campaign. We really might hope that the former would have some influence on the belligerent powers, and it is natural that the latter should afford Ministers a legitimate subject of joy; both, we may hope, are in a degree connected with the prosperity of the country. Lord Wellington, now that he has Lord William Bentinck and his army completely under his orders, seems to be proceeding rapidly towards the emancipation of Spain.

The festival at Vauxhall, which unworthily kept us in town for a few extra days--for we had intended to wind up our season with the hard-working week that was brought to a close by the Duke of Devonshire's breakfast at Chiswick on the 17th-took place on the 20th as was announced. It is the fashion to say every thing in praise of it; but the truth is, that it was a bad dinner to some hundreds more people than ever sat down together before; a grand illumination

VOL. II.

0

in the evening, with some few thousands more lamps than are usually employed, and transparencies with allegorical devices more or less appropriate, and a most disorderly arrival and retreat for the ladies. On the whole, a very incomplete and ill-conducted thing. We were waiting two or three hours for our carriage, and with difficulty got home by six in the morning. The two speeches, of the Speaker and the Prince Regent, you will see in the will see in the papers. Both were well calculated for the occasion; the former somewhat longer than has been usual. The Prince is going to Brighton until his birthday, which, on dit, is to be kept at Windsor this

year.

Elizabeth has stood out the London campaign pretty well, and we look to the fine air of Lyndhurst to set us both up for the winter.

Both your salary and pension, to the 5th of April, were received by your agent, Broughton; but as I found he had paid nothing, I thought it right to speak to him before I left town. Your pension is stopped from that date, which is right, and not to be regretted, because if you were to ask for another it would of course be a better one.

August 2nd. I returned to Lyndhurst last night. I left our mother well, and was extremely well satisfied with Creaser's attention, as I was in general with the correctness of his theory. I am rather weak to day, but not more than was to be expected after being bleached, as Creaser calls it. I am convinced, from what he told me, of the necessity of the lowering system, which will eventually, no doubt, be successful.

I met at Bath, the father of a young man who was charged after the battle of Vittoria with searching Joseph's portefeuille. He found in it several letters addressed to the said Joseph from Bonaparte's Generals, saying that, the armistice had saved them, for that the times of Jena and Austerlitz had gone by.

7th. I do not at present expect anything interesting from your part of the world. The different Powers having betaken themselves to negotiation, it will be much if means be not found to separate them in some degree; but I shall be delighted to find that it is not so. You are observing pretty strictly the injunction laid upon you, for you have not even sent me a copy of or extract from Gentz's letters. This new law, which the higher Powers are desirous of establishing, to prevent those who are in the way of knowing what passes from writing on public matters to private friends, may to a certain extent be judicious. But it has on the other hand its disadvantages; as the many reports, more or less inaccurate, now in circulation, and which have been gleaned from the messengers and other "gentlemen of intelligence," fully testify.

I see that Lord Aberdeen has set out; and I should hope, from what I have know of his principles, that he will do things well. There will be a great want of the knowledge of the elements of negotiation, and being naturally a shy man some embarrassment may arise on that score; but in the main, I should hope for something stout and good, and worthy the Pitt school