man, and some cut off "Copenhagen's" mane. This hair, and the horse's, are set in the frame of a miniature (now at Levens) of the Duke, which he gave to Lady Mornington when he went to India as Sir Arthur Wellesley. He was at that time so "hard up" that Lady Mornington gave him his socks, and, indeed, most of his outfit. The Duke of Wellington said that, when he received the report at Brussels, on the night of the 15th June, that the French had driven back the Prussians and advanced to Quatre-Bras (thirtysix miles in one day, thirty miles of which were fought), he looked at the map, and would not believe it possible. The Duke told Lady Mornington: "I have taken a good deal of pains with many of my battles, but I never took half the pains I did at Waterloo. By God! there never was such a battle. 150,000 men hors de combat. Blucher lost 30,000— I can account for 20,000, and the French loss may be fairly reckoned at 100,000 more.' a was necessary to present length of front to the enemy, so I made them fall into line, four deep. That manœuvre won the battle: it was never tried before.' After the pursuit of the French army to Genappe, the Duke of Wellington and my uncle Henry Percy returned to Waterloo. The Duke was very low, and said to my uncle: "I believe that you are the only one of my A.D.C.'s left." My uncle replied, "But we ought to be thankful, sir, that you are safe!" "The finger of God was upon me all day-nothing else could have saved me," was the Duke's answer. My uncle replied that he had feared that the Duke was a prisoner when he had got amongst the French. "I got away through the 95th Regiment three times during the battle," said the Duke. Sir Peregrine Maitland told me that he had such a raging toothache during the battle of Waterloo, that he never knew General Arthur Upton (born how he got out of the wood in 1777) asked the Duke what which the Guards lost so many he should have done had the of their officers and men, and Prussians not come up in that he could tell me absolutely time. The Duke replied: "The nothing about the battle. His Prussians were of the greatest wife was the beautiful Lady use in the pursuit. If they Sarah Lennox, a daughter of had not come up in time, what the Duke of Richmond. It was should we have done? Why, a Why, a runaway match, and the we should have have held our Duchess, who was furious at ground. That is what we the marriage, had the bad should have done! Our army was drawn up into a great many squares, with the cavalry riding among them. I saw it taste when speaking of her daughter to call her "Barrack Sall" Sir Peregrine told me that Before Louis XVIII. was obliged to fly from Paris, the 19th March 1815, he sent for Fouché and wished him to take the department of the Police. Fouché informed the King that it was too late, and frankly told him his reasons for thinking so. M. Blacas, who was present, twice interrupted him by saying, "Monsieur Fouché, you forget that you are speaking to the King." Fouché, indignant at being interrupted, turned upon Blacas, and retorted: "Monsieur Blacas, your impertinence compels me to tell his Majesty that you were fourteen years in my pay a spy upon him when he was in England!" as The King burst into tears, and broke up the conference. When Talleyrand returned from the Congress, the Duc de Berry persuaded the King to dismiss him, and at his first audience with Louis XVIII. the King was markedly cold to the great Minister. Talleyrand demanded an explanation, and was informed that he was no longer in the King's confidence. Talleyrand went privately to the Duke of Wellington, with the result that the Duke told the King that the only condition upon which he would support his Majesty's interests was that M. de Talleyrand should be retained in office. The following is from a letter of my uncle, Lord Charles Percy, dated Paris, 8th July 1815: "Lord Wellington decided to enter Paris yesterday. I believe none of the Prussians knew of it; I am sure none of his A.D.C.'s did. They, poor souls, were left in a state of edifying ignorance of all his measures, even of those of the least importance, so much so that when we left headquarters upon our respective horses, not one of the company, except the Lord Paramount, knew how he was to enter it [Paris]-whether in state or not, and if there was to be a review previously. "The result was that he rode into Paris, followed by his suite, without demonstration of any kind, nor were there twenty people assembled. His house is situated at the extremity of the Champs Elysées and the Place Louis Quinze, therefore, before any rumour could reach the inhabitants, he was safely housed. The tricolor flag continued to fly over the Tuileries, the Invalides, and the Place Vendôme, and the Corps Législatif continued their sittings under the accursed ensign as if the city had not capitulated and they were still masters of their own proceedings. "Twenty thousand Prussians marched immediately into the town, and the boulevards were crowded to see the sight; but no feeling was discoverable. The English troops are en opposite. camped in the Bois de Boulogne of York, Clarence, and Kent and have possession of the Barriers, but are not to take up their quarters at all within the walls of Paris." Extracts from Lord Charles Percy's Journal. "On Thursday, the 2nd May 1816, I received an order from Lord Hertford to command my attendance at Carlton House, to be present at the marriage of H.R.H. Princess Charlotte Augusta to the Prince of Coburg at 8, or between 8 and 9 o'clock P.M. "Accordingly, at half-past eight o'clock I reached Carlton House. Pall Mall was pretty full of people; guard of honour in the courtyard, &c. "I was conducted through the great hall to a room in which were the foreigners, great officers, &c., and in a few minutes Princess Charlotte's old and new establishment were ordered into the room, where the Queen's attendants were. Loud cheering announced the arrival of Prince Leopold, and in about a quarter of an hour we all moved forward to be present at the ceremony. "The Queen and the Princesses Augusta, Elizabeth, Mary, and Sophia of Gloucester were led out into the room appropriated for the ceremony, and there was, of course, considerable crowding after them. "When I got into the ballroom I went round behind the Queen and Royal Family. The Queen sat on a sofa to the left of the altar, the Princesses in a row on her right, the Dukes "The company stood in an elongated semicircle the whole length of the room. The Prince Regent stood in front of the altar, a little to the right. When everybody was settled in their place, the Lord Chamberlain returned to the closet and brought forward Prince Leopold dressed as a full general. He walked up to the altar, bowed to the Prince, Queen, and Royal Family, and looked a little distressed. The Lord Chamberlain then returned for Princess Charlotte, and every eye was fixed on the door in silence. She came forward, neither looking to the right nor to the left, dressed in white tissue, with diamonds round her head, and no feathers. The Prince Regent led her up to the altar and pressed her hand affectionately; she betrayed no other emotion than blushing deeply. The Archbishop of Canterbury commenced the service, which he read distinctly, though somewhat tremulously, and Princess Charlotte was very attentive to the service, repeating the prayers to herself after him. "When he addressed himself to Prince Leopold, 'Will you take this woman, Charlotte, to be your wedded wife?' the Prince answered in a low voice. When he addressed a similar question to Princess Charlotte, she answered, 'I will,' very decidedly, and in rather too loud a voice. She looked very handsome, and her manner was resolute and dignified, without being bold. "Immediately after the service she threw herself upon her knees, and seized the Prince Regent's hand, kissing it with every appearance of affection and gratitude. He, in return, kissed her on the forehead and raised her up. She then kissed the Queen's hand, and then the Princesses on the cheek. She kissed Princess Mary repeatedly, and said to her, 'You are a dear, good creature, and I love you very much!' She shook hands with the ladies who came up to congratulate her, saying to them, 'Did I not behave well? could you hear all my answers?" my answers?' "The signatures then took place, by the Queen and the Royal Family, the Officers of State, &c. This was a tedious business, and after it was over the Royalties returned into the closet. The procession of Royalties closed with the Princess Charlotte and the Prince of Coburg, who received the congratulations of the company as they passed. Mr Disbrowe summoned me to the closet, where Princess Charlotte presented me to the Queen, and I kissed hands. "Princess Charlotte and her husband left the house and drove through the parks to Oatlands Park. I ought to have been there to hand H.R.H. into the carriage, but I did not know that I had to do so, and therefore was absent. After the departure a circle was made, and the Queen went round with the Prince Regent. "The Queen then played at cards. The Princesses sat in different rooms, and ices, tea, and bridecake were liberally dis pensed. About one o'clock the Royal Family returned to Buckingham House, and the Prince kept some of the Ministers and household to supper. "November the 6th was а heavy day in these kingdoms. Princess Charlotte died at 2 A.M., after being delivered of a stillborn son at 9 the previous evening, and having got through her labour favourably. The calamity was first announced to Lord Bathurst and the Duke of York, who were nearest to Claremont. The Duke and Lord Bathurst met at York House, and at once proceeded to Carlton House, having first of all sent an express thither to prepare the Prince Regent. When they arrived at Carlton House they found that the Prince, who had been absent, had already arrived, and was lying down, having missed the messenger on the road. Finding no tidings awaiting him at Carlton House, the Prince had sent to the 'Home Office, and there learned that Princess Charlotte had been delivered of a still-born son, but was going on very favourably. Bloomfield was immediately summoned, and told to communicate the deplorable event to the Prince. This he refused to do, saying that he thought it would kill him. The Duke of York therefore told him to go into the Prince's room and announce to him his and Lord Bathurst's arrival from Claremont, intending thereby to alarm him and in some manner prepare him for the intelligence. The message, unhappily, had no such effect, and when they entered his room the Prince said, 'It is a sad disappointment to me, and will be so to the country, but, thank God, my daughter is doing very well.' "A long pause succeeded his words, and then Lord Bathurst said, 'Sir, I am sorry to say our news is bad.' "What is it?' asked the Prince. 'I command you to tell me instantly the whole extent of my misfortune.' They then announced the death, and the Prince remained for some minutes aghast and speechless, holding his hands to his head. He then rose and fell into the Duke of York's arms, weeping bitterly. "Lord Bathurst and the Duke of York afterwards returned to Claremont, where they found Prince Leopold as composed as he could be in his broken-hearted state. "When Sir Richard Croft announced to Princess Charlotte that her child was still-born, she said, 'I am satisfied. God's will be done!' "The Prince of Coburg is overwhelmed by his bereavement. He follows the wheeltracks of the carriage in which they last drove together. He was much shocked at her embalmment, which was unexpected, and, having got into the room unobserved with the coffin, was found on his knees almost senseless. "I went yesterday (November 18) down to Windsor, to be present at the funeral of Princess Charlotte, with the LordSteward, Lord Cholmondeley, and Sir William Keppel. The whole road from London was covered with carriages, caravans, horsemen, and pedestrians all hurrying to Windsor. We reached the Queen's lodge, ready dressed, at about a quarter before four. There appeared to be no assemblingroom prepared, but two or three dinners. I went through the garden to the Lower Lodge, where were the Prince of Coburg and his attendants, and also those of the late Princess. In the garden I met the Dukes of Sussex and Cumberland returning from paying Prince Leopold a visit. On reaching the Lodge, I received a paper of instructions, ticket, scarf, and hatband of crape. I remained at the Lodge and dined with Baron Hasdenbrock, Colonels Addenbroke and Gardiner, Sir Robert Gardiner, and Dr Short. "Before dinner the Prince of Coburg retired into the room where the coffin was. His dinner was sent from our table, so was also that of Lady John Thynne and Mrs Campbell. During dinner Prince Leopold sent down for some woodcock. "After dinner I wished to go into the room where the coffin was, but the Prince had again gone to it. "About a quarter past seven a royal carriage conveyed Baron Hasdenbrock, Sir Robert Gardiner, and myself to the cloister door. We had to wait at least an hour, and there was a good deal of talking, which was the reason, I suppose, why I found the ceremony so little affecting. |