«Y^LE«¥]MH¥JEI^SKir¥"

Bought with the income of the
William C. Egleston Fund
1916°

EXTRACTS FROM THE
DIARY OF DR. ROBERT LEE.

ExtraBs from the Diary of the
late Dr. Robert Lee^ F.R.S.
(1821-22), while resident with
the Hon. William Lamb (after
wards Viscount Melbourne) . .
Edited with Preface by K. L.

'Privately printed by ^Messrs. Hatchard,
187 'Piccadilly, London . 1897

PREFACE.

'"TT^HESE Extracts are made from the
Diary of Dr. Lee, and are of
the last seven months of the five years
passed in the Hon. Wm. Lamb's family
(the previous diaries being lost); and,
as they are taken from minute short
hand difficult to decipher, some allow
ance will perhaps be made for mistakes.
It is trusted that they will interest those
few who remember the noble gentleman
to whom they chiefly refer, and they
cannot but increase the respect and ad
miration which his culture and fine
character deserve.

THE Hon. William Lamb, after
wards Viscount Melbourne, had
an only son, whose health almost from
infancy was the cause of much anxiety
to his parents. When the boy was
about ten years of age, Mr. Lamb
requested Sir Gilbert Blane, a well-
known physician in London, to re
commend him a young medical man
to reside in his house, and to superintend
the treatment and education of his son.
Dr. Lee was warmly recommended and
appointed, residing for five years with
the family.
When Dr. Lee left the Hon. Wm.
Lamb, he travelled and lived for
nearly two years with Lord Bess-
borough, the father of Lady Caroline
7

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
Lamb, and after that he spent between
two and three years in Russia with
Count (Prince) Woronzow, having the
honour of intimacy with the Emperor
Alexander and many nobles of the
Russian court. Dr. Lee refused the
flattering and strongly urged request to
become attached to the court of Russia
as physician to the Czarina, and returned
to London in 1827. ^^ ^^^ at the
desire of his friend, Mr. Bentley, that
he published at the time of the Crimean
war The Last Days of Alexander and
the first of Nicholas.^ and this is the
only use he made of his diaries except
professionally. His acquaintance with
Sevastopol, the climate of the Crimea,
and other matters of importance at the
time of the Crimean War, was placed,
by request of Lord Aberdeen, at the
service of the Government. The rest
of Dr. Lee's life was spent in London
8

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
in the active practice of his profession,
and the ardent pursuit of anatomical
and physiological research, to which
branches of science he added some
valuable discoveries.
The professional position Dr. Lee
won for himself is shown by Lord
Melbourne's appointment of Dr. Lee to
one of the Regius Professorships in
the University of Glasgow, an act that,
from a man so just and intelligent as
Lord Melbourne, was prompted by
esteem for Dr. Lee's attainments rather
than by personal feeling, and is there
fore the more admirable.
In the life of Viscount Melbourne
by Mr. Dunckley, we find the following
mention of his son Augustus.
* In 1807 their only son was born,
the Prince of Wales standing sponsor for
him at the font. He was called George
Augustus Frederick after his royal god-

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
father, Augustus being the name selected
from the three for daily use, and its
magnificent suggestiveness offered a
melancholy contrast to the destiny thus
honoured. Outwardly healthy, and
even handsome as he grew up, there
were symptoms in infancy of a con
stitutional ailment which showed later
on in an infirmity of the intellect that
lasted through life. There was no
actual imbecility, but rather a constant
promise of a maturity which was
watched with unceasing anxiety but
never came.' In the same volume
(pp. 236-237) the death of Augustus
some years later is graphically described.
' It was there (Brocket Hall) that he
(Lord Melbourne) had witnessed the
departure of his only son, whom he
had loved and watched over from
childhood with more than a mother's
tenderness. " Augustus," he wrote at
10

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
the time, " was lying on a sofa near
me ; he had been reading, but I thought
had dropped asleep. Suddenly he said
to me in a quiet and reflective tone,
* I wish you would give me some franks
that I may write and thank people who
have been kind in their inquiries.' The
pen dropped from my hands as if I
had been struck, for the words and the
manner were as clear and thoughtful
as if no cloud had ever hung heavily
over him." '
The following letter, which refers
to Dr. Lee's appointment, addressed to
Sir Gilbert Blane by Mr. Lamb, must
have been given to Dr. Lee by Sir
G. Blane.
[Copy in Shorthand.'] '¦Brighton, Oct. 12, 18 17.
* Dear Sir Gilbert, — I have many
thanks to return you for your kindness

1 1

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
in inquiring for and recommending a
person who is in your opinion well
qualified to fill the situation which
has been described to you by Lady
Caroline. ' The letter which you enclose from
Dr. L. gives me a good opinion of his
character and understanding. I gather
from it, as well as from your own, that
you are personally unacquainted, but you
have, no doubt, information with respect
to him from competent persons upon
whose impartiality you can implicitly
rely. With respect to talents and (at
tainments ?) I have no doubt he has
enough for the task he is desirous of
undertaking. The fear, perhaps, is
lest he should possess too much. As
you well know, that for the purpose of
education, industry, steadiness, and pa
tience in a life even (often ?) of drudgery
is qualification far more important and
12

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
essential than quickness of parts or
extent of knowledge. With regard to
the management of the health of his
pupil. Dr. Lee will, of course, have the
entire control. With respect to his
education, I beg leave distinctly to state
that the principal object of it at present
must be to teach him the Latin and
Greek languages according to the modes
practised in our English schools, which
I shall be able to point out to him, and
that he must come prepared to submit
any opinions he may have formed re
specting the superiority of other branches
of study, or of more eligible modes of
conducting this branch, to my southern
propensities. The first place being
given, and the principal attention
directed to this point, he should have
carte blanche as to the rest, and may
teach him as much logic, moral philo
sophy, and metaphysics as he can get
13

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
in. This is almost the only preliminary
upon this part of the subject that I
should have to state, being willing to
rely in other respects on Dr. Lee's own
good sense and right understanding.
' It is necessary, however, before the
engagement proceeds, that you should
give me some idea of the terms which
you think it will be right for me to
offer. My means are somewhat limited,
and it is possible that they may at once
prove an insuperable objection to the
arrangement. I rather fear, from some
expressions in Dr. Lee's letter that he
exaggerates to himself the advantages
which are likely to arise to him from
the connexion. Persons at a distance
are very apt to do so. Nothing is
so painful as to excite expectation
that must be afterwards disappointed,
and you will, of course, make him
thoroughly understand that, though he
14

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
may probably derive some advantages
from being introduced and becoming
known to persons whom he would
otherwise have no opportunity of
seeing, yet that any such result is
very doubtful and in no respect to
be counted upon. You will be kind
enough to explain to him my situation,
but no point of political connexion
and of fortune. I certainly have no
interest that can serve to advance him
to any public employment, nor suffi
cient wealth to enable me to make for
him any permanent provision. Perhaps
I say too much upon this part of the
subject, but I am particularly anxious
that there should be no misunderstand
ing. I shall be glad to hear from you
again at your leisure upon all the points
which I have noticed in this letter,
particularly upon that of terms, I
must rely upon your goodness to ex-
15

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
cuse the trouble which I am imposing
upon you. Augustus has had attacks
since he has been here, but appears
notwithstanding exceedingly well and
strong. I have, as usual, a cough at
this time of the year ; I expectorate in
the morning, and perhaps seven or
eight times in the course of the day.
In other respects I am exceedingly
well. Believe me,
Dear Sir Gilbert,
Wm. Lamb.'
Those who know something of Lord
Melbourne's domestic life may find in
this sad condition of an only son much
to explain the unhappiness of the home
and the conduct of the mother. It
would have been better to have placed
the boy among companions and away
from his mother, and certainly a classi
cal system of education in the case
i6

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
of defective intellect would not find
favour at the present time with those
who understand this interesting subject.
(Diary.)
Wed. July 11 th^ 1 8 2 1 .-Melbourne
House. Dined with Lord Melbourne
at 8 (this was the father of Mr. Lamb,
he died in 1828). Present, Lord
Cowper and Lady Cowper, Lady
Caroline and Mr. Lamb, Mr. and Mrs.
Latour, Lord W — and Mr. Milbank.
Nothing very remarkable passed ; con
versation chieffy about the coronation.
July 12th. — Went to Astley's to see
the Champion ride. He had a suit of
beautiful armour. The horse is a pie
bald, a large head like a cart-horse ;
it is thoroughly trained to retreating.
There were present the Duke and
17 c

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
Duchess of St. Albans, Mr. Beauclerk,
Col. Carnac ; returned at 5, and then
went to the Exhibition at Somerset
House. Afterwards walked to Lord
Guilford's and left my card. Dined
with Lord Melbourne, Lord and Lady
Cowper, Mr. Lamb, and Lady Caroline.
Mr. Lamb's conversation brilliant, yet
nothing remembered.
July i^th. — Slept at Mr. Murray's,
Albemarle St., where I saw Dr. Black
and Mr. Belzoni. Mr. Belzoni accom
panied Mr. Murray and myself in the
carriage to Westminster Hall.
July ii)th. — The Coronation
(George IV.). The magnificence of
the scene in Westminster Hall exceeded
all description. The Queen presented
herself at the platform about half-past
6. The shouting, a mixture of huzzas
18

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
and hisses, was very great. The rush
along the platform was soon stopped
by the decision of the soldiers and
order almost immediately restored.
July 2ist. — Dined with Lord Mel
bourne. There were present, Mr.
Clifford and his lady, Mr. Ponsonby
and Lady Barbara, Mr. Banks, the
great traveller, Mr. Foster, Mr. Lamb
and Lady Caroline, and Mr. Milbank.
It was stated that 10,000 troops are to
be exported. Mr. Banks seems a very
clever and learned man, but I could
recollect but little of what he said.
July 2'^rd. — Dined with Lord Mel
bourne, Mr. Lamb and Lady Caroline,
Mr. and Mrs. Latour, and Mr. Milbank
at 8 o'clock. Remember but little of
the conversation which passed. Some
thing was said about the Coronation
19

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
medals. Lord Melbourne had pro
mised 3 to some children, and was
astonished to find that they cost 3
guineas. Mr. Lamb said he was to
receive his to-morrow morning, and
that he would instantly carry it to the
Mint. The King is going to Ireland;
four Lords of the Bedchamber are to
accompany him. The Queen has dis
appeared, and gone nobody knows
whither. Lord Melbourne said he
supposed it would be necessary to take
some Cabinet Minister, and that he
thought Lord Sidmouth would be the
proper person, as the management of
Ireland belongs to the Home Depart
ment. The King will enter Dublin in
a chariot drawn by 8 grey horses. The
occasion will be very great, no doubt.
Lady Caroline talked a great deal of
nonsense at dinner, but was rather
20

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
more agreeable than usual, a certain
prelude to a violent storm.
August t^th. — At dinner Mr. Lamb
told a most interesting story of Sir Gore
Ouseley when Ambassador to the Court
of Persia. It was said that it produced
a violent dislike to him on the part of
the King of Persia. One day when at
court the King publickly insulted him
and asked who he was. He told him
he was the representative of the King
of Great Britain. The King of Persia
said, ' The King of Great Britain is not
as great as the King of Russia.' * In
the eyes of Russians; but much greater
in the eyes of Englishmen.' The King
of Persia replied, * I have heard that
your King is a mere cypher, and can
do nothing.' Upon which Sir Gore's
loyal spirit rose to such a height that
he said, ' He was such a cypher as to

21

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
be able to make and unmake a hundred
such kings as you,' alluding to the
Rajahs in India, for whose wealth
the King of Persia entertained great
respect. The King was so enraged at
this observation that he drew his sword
half out, and Sir Gore expected to be
killed instantaneously. He, however,
remarked, * Attack me in the midst of
your Court?' Upon which the King
said, * I only wished to frighten you.'
The quarrel had arisen from a cause I
have not mentioned. It was that Sir
Gore had not visited the King's Prime
Minister before he had called on the
King himself; and this gave rise, on
the King asking why he did not do
so, to his stating that he was the re
presentative of the King of Great
Britain, and the subsequent question.
August %th. — Received the account
22

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
of the Queen's death. It took place
yesterday evening at lo o'clock. The
symptoms became very rapidly un
favourable after the bulletin at i
o'clock. August iSth. — Mr. Lamb said he
did not quite trust Southey in detailing
facts ; that he thought him accustomed
to exaggerate. August 30/^. — Mr. Sheridan (son
of the great S.), Mrs. W. Hallett, and
Miss  came over. I walked in
the garden with Mr. Sheridan, but
heard no observations worthy of being
remembered. After we returned to
the house there was much light con
versation, which was chiefly on the
subject of marriage. Lady C. thought
it would be an improvement if ladies
lived in houses different from their
husbands, and that they only simply
23

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
called upon them. Mr. S. remarked
how delightfiil it would be to have a
card left for you on the table by your
husband ; that before the Revolution
in France this was the case, the house
was divided completely, and Mr. L.
said it was so bad that it was all swept
away. Mr. S. said that it was a
pleasant way of going to the d — 1. It
was a path strewed with roses, &c.
He mentioned a work which he had
seen by an Italian on whether an old
man ought to marry ; it was in Latin.
The first question was whether an old
man ought to marry a young woman,
or whether he ought to marry at all
or not. Mr. S. said he would rather
like a woman to have some faults. It
would interest him more deeply in her
welfare. Mr. L. thought there could
be no doubt it was most advisable to
marry, but that those who are not rich
24

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
ought not to marry at all. People
who are forced to live much together,
are confined to the same room, the
same bed, &c., are like two pigeons
put under a basket who must fight.
Mrs. Hallett and the other ladies
said they wished that they were men ;
but I did not learn what they proposed
to attain by the change.
October i()th. — Mr. Lamb observed
that it was the common practice among
the Jews to send their children out
into the world at a very early period
to make provision for themselves;
that the parents furnish the children
with a certain stock, and that they
demand an account of the profits every
week. Mr. Ricardo was abandoned by
his father when young, because he re
nounced the Jewish religion and married
a Quaker lady. Mr. R. had, however,
25 u

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
previously to this been known on the
Stock Exchange as a man of talent and
character, and he was befriended by
others. His wealth now is very great.
October 20th. — When at dinner, we
had a long account of Lady Caroline's
meeting with Sir W. Scott at Paris,
after the Battle of Waterloo. She
declared that he then denied upon his
honour that he was the author of the
tales. Waver ley, &c. Mr. L. said
that although he admired Sir W.
Scott's talents, still there was some
thing about him which he did not like
— a sneaking, flattering, sycophantish
manner, and that he considered his
conduct in regard to the * Beacon ' as
by no means open and fair.
October 2 c^th. — Mr. Lamb remarked
at dinner, when the subject of emigra-
26

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
tion was mentioned, it was no loss to
the country for the gentry to live
abroad : for example, in Italy, as it
enabled the Italians to take so much
more of our manufactured goods than
they would otherwise be capable of
doing. It was necessary to recollect
that money was seldom taken out of
this country to Italy. Mr. R. had
reduced his rent 20o/°. Mr. Lamb
remarked that he could afford to do
so, as he had but little land, and had
large property in the funds.
Mrs. Opie, Mr. L. remarked, had
rather a wild, roving look. Lady
Cork remarked that she was propriety
itself, though her manner was certainly
against her. Her father is now in an
hypochrondriacal state, and will not
allow her to leave him. He is an old
man and had been irreligious, his
reason never having been convinced
27

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
of the truth of the Bible. He is now
a truly evangelical man and completely
altered. Mr. L. said that he should
not have thought the worse of her for
being a little wild. He asked if she
had never thought of marrying again.
Lady Cork said that Lord  , the
uncle of the Marquis of Bute had pro
posed to her, but her father would
not consent to the match. He is a
very clever and agreeable man. The
cause of this I did not discover. Mr.
L. remarked that all the Stuarts were
clever. Lady Cork said it was so,
and that she was accustomed to
designate them by the term of the
'Bute Creation.'
Lady Cork gave us some account
of Mr. Littleton, son-in-law of Lord
Spencer. On talking of Lady S. going
abroad, Mr. L. said, ' May she go, and
may the d — 1 go with her ; she is a
28

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
cold, hard person.' Lady C. remarked
she must have suffered much on account
of her son having gone abroad with
some common person's son.
October 2'jth. — There dined here
to-day Lady Cork, Mr. and Mrs. and
the two Misses Blake, and Mr. Sheridan,
the son of the late Mr. Sheridan by his
second wife. It was a most agreeable
party. The manner in which Mr. B.'s
family spend their time is most rational
and must be delightful. The young
people occupy themselves with drawing,
botany, and other studies. Lately they
visited Devonshire. One of the ladies
draws outlines of the various scenes they
visited on their tour, and Mr. B. fills
them up and colours them in the most
beautifiil manner. They are also ma
king a collection of all the plants to be
found in this neighbourhood. Mr. B.
29

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
informed us that Mr. Chevern is the
gentleman referred to by Dr. Marcet
in the Medico -Chirurgical Transac
tions, in whom exercise cured the
chronic rheumatism. He resides in
France, and is the author of the papers
in the Edinburgh Review on France.
He married a French lady. Mrs. Mar-
cet's last work on Natural Philosophy
is not considered so good as her two
former. She is a person of very great
attainments, and yet is quite destitute
of presumption. Mr. Blake, when
talking of tragedies, said that one in
which all the individuals introduced
are murdered, reminded him of the
story ofthe two Irish cats, which fought
until nothing of them was left except
the tails. Mr. Sheridan said he did not
like any part of the ancient tragedies
except the choruses, and those as
odes, which were most beautiful.
30

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
The ministers, Mr. Lamb told us,
had sent in their resignations before
the King's departure for Hanover.
They will not allow him to appoint
Lord Conyngham to be Chamberlain.
Lady C. would not go to the Con
tinent, which fretted him exceedingly.
She said that, if she were to do so while
her husband held no official situation,
it would be publicly proclaiming her
self the King's mistress. I did not
hear any material cause assigned for
this disagreement between the King
and his ministers. They agreed that
she was a fine woman, but Mr. Blake
could not comprehend how she could
have such an influence over him. He
thought it dangerous in her to allow
him to go abroad without her, and
thought it not improbable that he
might fall into the hands of some Ger
man or French dolly, and that Lady
31

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
C. would lose all. He asked how
Lady Hertford bore all this. Mr.
Lamb said it was strange that the King
should behave so ill to all whom he left.
The King told the ministers that he
would consider the subject of their
resignation when he returned. Mr.
Lamb said the country contained a
great number of very aged people, and
not more than seven or eight beautiful
women in the lower ranks. Mr. Blake
saw Wimbledon House burnt about
36 years ago. He said that a house
not far from London was on a confla
gration, and two gentlemen rode past
at the time. They remarked it was
not half so fine as Drury Lane. The
person to whom the house belonged
heard this, and said that he was sorry
for it, but it was the best his house
could afford. Mr. Sheridan told us
that when Will's Coffee House was
32

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
burning many of the Whigs were stand
ing at the door of Brooks's witnessing
it. An Irishman passing at the time
when Mr. Sheridan was expressing his
admiration at the effect of one engine,
and supposing that he enjoyed the
scene, said, ' Don't be afraid, your
honour ; there will not be a drop of
water in two minutes.' Mr. Blake
thinks there is danger from the quantity
of capital carried out of the country
and invested in the French funds, and
that the state of the circulating medium
has very little to do with it.
November i st. — Dined yesterday at
Mr. Blake's ; present, Sir G. Ouseley,
Lord Dacre, Mr. H. Cowper ; Sir Gore
informed me of some things respecting
Persia. Mr. Martyn died three weeks
after leaving his house of dysentery,
from eating too much fruit, not of
consumption. His translation of the
33 E

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
New Testament was good, though
sometimes defective. He was assisted
by a native who had renounced Mo-
hamedanism and become a Deist.
Deism is not uncommon in Persia.
The Turks are fatalists, not so the
Persians. The most common of the
people can read and are poets. More
men devote themselves to learning in
Persia than in this country. The
atmosphere is so hot that the best
mahogany tables will be immediately
burnt if exposed to the sun; but the
air is remarkably dry, and there are no
marshes, so that fevers, except along
the shores of the Caspian, are quite
unknown. The finest surgical instru
ments may be exposed and never rust.
Plague has visited Persia, but not for
a long period. The Turks, being
fatalists, will use no precautions to stop
it, although they see Europeans in Con-
34

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
stantinople perfectly exempt from its
ravages. The Persians use all proper
precautions. The conversation turned next to
Cobbett and Lady Morgan. They all
thought it was unfair to cast reflections
on the truth of Lady M. or the profes
sion of her husband. Sir Gore was
prevented from reading it in con
sequence of what was stated in the
reviews. If she stated that she had
been introduced to different people,
and had conversation with them when
she had not, certainly no treatment
could be too bad for her to receive.
She had shown more genius, Mr. Lamb
thinks, than Miss Edgeworth, and that
the 'Wild Irish girl' was beautiful. She
was the heroine, and how could a
woman of fifty be a wild Irish girl ?
Mr. B. replied it is twenty-one years
since the publication of this book. He
3S

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
thought Miss Edgeworth had done
more for morality by her tales than
all the sermons that had been written
for the last forty years. Much was to
be learned from her treatises on educa
tion. Mr. Blake tried with one of his
children the plan recommended by her
to learn to read, not to divide the
words into syllables, but to take the
whole word ; but it did not answer for
the spelling. Sir John Sebright's spell
ing was this method. Sir John states
that the only difference between him
and General Gage when they left West
minster School was that he could spell
a little, which Gage could not.
Nothing has occurred of any con
sequence. November ^th. — Lady Cork in
formed us that she was once dining
with Lord Erskine and Mr. Jekyll, and
36

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
that some persons came in on urgent
business, which obliged Lord E. to
leave the dinner-table, and to put Mr.
Jekyll in his place, Mr. J. began a
discourse with Lady E., supposing that
her husband was dead and that they
were married. ' You will recollect,'
he said, ' a dinner that Thomas gave
to us at one time. It was a very bad
one, and we were never asked to drink
wine.' In this manner he went over
everything that was laughable respect
ing Lord E., and all the persons who
were then present. The effect was
ludicrous in the extreme. She also in
formed us at breakfast that Lady
(then Mrs.) Crewe gave a grand
ball in honour of Mr. Fox's return
for Westminster (in 1784). The
dresses were all blue and buff, and
she first saw quadrilles danced that
evening. 37

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
November 12th. — After dinner sat
for a short time in the drawing-room
with Lady Caroline. She said that
Lord Byron was about to publish his
Memoirs, and that Mr. Murray had
given him 2000/. for them ; that they
were of no value — a mere copy-book,
and that they contained an account of
all his profligate amours ; that they
were worse than Rousseau's Confessions,
and that there were passages which
could not be published. Lord Byron
was very ignorant before she and her
friends took him up, and had always
lived in the worst society ; that he had
read nothing but a few classical books ;
that she would publish her memoirs,
which would be worth 5000/. ; that she
had been acquainted with all the great
people of former times, &c., &c. Then
she went on to give an account of Mr.
Beckford's disgrace. 38

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
February 1822.— Left London in
the evening at 7 o'clock, and reached
Dover at 8 a.m. the next morning.
There were two persons in the coach
with me. Col. French, M.P., and Mr.
Cuff, Sadler, of Charing Cross.
It was proposed that I should join
the Duchess of Devonshire at Paris
and accompany her Grace to Florence,
where the family of Lord Bessborough
was, whom I was to accompany in
the capacity of physician from Italy to
London. The Diary contains an account of
the various places, districts, &c., &c,,
which were visited during the follow
ing six months, as Lord Bessborough
travelled through the North of Italy,
along the Riviera to Nice, and
thence to Bordeaux. About the
middle of August the family returned
to England. 39

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
(Diary.)
The night that we slept at Mon-
treuil a messenger passed from England
who conveyed intelligence that the
Prime Minister was dead, and until
we reached Boulogne we all believed
that it was Lord Liverpool who had
died suddenly from gout. The morn
ing before we left Boulogne I went to
the English reading-room, and there
saw the account of the coroner's
inquest and the statements respecting
Lord Londonderry's having committed
suicide. We had rather a rough, un
pleasant passage to Dover, where we
slept the first night. The following
night we reached Rochester, where
we were met by Lady Caroline,
Augustus, &c. At first there was a
good deal of feeling on all sides, but
it was soon over, and in a few instants
4°

DIARY OF DR, LEE.
she seemed to feel as little as if nothing
has occurred since their separation.
Her conduct is as strange as ever; the
boy has grown much, particularly in
the extremities, but his head is small
and there is a lamentable appearance
of vacancy in his look. His attacks
are the same, although Sir A. Carlisle
promises great things from animal
diet, &c.
On returning to London we have
occasional entries in the diary of the
dinner parties at Lord Bessborough's,
at which the members of the family
and intimate friends of Lord and Lady
Bessborough, and (as was natural) Mr.
Lamb and Lady Caroline were usually
present. August :^ist, 1822. — Mr. Lamb,
Mr. Greville, and Mr. Foster dined
here to-day. Wine was the subject
41 F

DIARY OF DR, LEE.
of conversation during the first part of
the dinner.
Mr. Greville asked of Mr. Lamb what
advantage we reaped from Portugal by
our treaties. What do they take in
exchange for the port we took ? He
answered, they took a great quantity
of cotton goods to the amount of
j^6oo,ooo annually; but that lately
they had passed several laws against
our trade. Claret was the common
drink of the people at one time. Mr.
Ponsonby said it was a mistake that
Burgundy could not be drunk out of
France ; it was just as good in London as
in Paris. The French at Bordeaux, Mr.
Lamb remarked, never knew the value
of claret till the English taught it them.
In a short time, a long discourse
took place on the income of certain
persons in England. The Duke of
Devonshire was declared to be the
42

DIARY OF DR. LEE.
greatest landed proprietor in England.
The Duke of Rutland's estate in
Derbyshire is soon to be offered
for sale. Mr. Greville did not
expect this, for he always looked
a contented, comfortable man, and
did not appear to be in difficulties.
His income is about ^70,000. The
Duke of Devonshire would, it was sup
posed, purchase this estate if it were to
come into the market. Lord Grosvenor
is said to be immensely rich. Mr.
Lamb said it was a foolish thing to
calculate what a man saved and to add
the compound interest; there were a
vast number of expenses never men
tioned. Mr. Ponsonby remarked,
Mr. Portman is one of the richest
men in England.
After this date the diary ends, so
far as any general interest is concerned.
43

-Jf','