EXTRAIT. DES MÉMOIRES DE LADY MORGAN
« May 1835. — Habbagc's Parly last night very pleasant; gol into mon petit coin — liad a Minister, a philosopher, a reviewer, a polilician and a dandy, successivily sur la sellette. Van de Weyer charming, spirituel and observing. He inspires one with views and opinions sjmilar to his own, and we agrée upon most things. I told him I had received a letter from our mutual good friend Rogier, in the morning, full of cordiality and wann fceling — reniinding me of the old happy days of thirly-lhree. ■> (Ludy Morgan's Memoirs, autobiography, diaries, etc. London, W. Allen, 1862. Tome II, p. 599.)
APPENDICE
(Page 62.) M. VAN DE WEYER ET SYDNEY SMITH.
In the autumn, hearing that his friend M. Van de Weyer and his family were coming into the west, my father sent him the following note :
« October 1843.
« Health to the greatest of diplomatists, and, te- the belgian kingdom, trade, glory, and peace ! You must not pass this way without visiting Combe Florey ; we shall expect you on the 9'\ we dine at seven, — Madame Van de Weyer, you, and the little ambassador. We are six miles from Taunlon, and Taunton is an hour and a half from Bristol. If you Write to Sweet's Hôtel, they will bave horses ready for you, and the people know the way to my house. Pray write a Une to say whether we may expect you ; we shall be delighted to see you, and truly mortified to miss you.
« Yours ever very truly, « Sydney Smith. »
They came and spent a day or two with us ; days, alas ! of incessant rain, putting the charms of the little parsonage to the severest trial. But if it was dark and gloomy without, it was ail gaiety and sunshine within ; for our guests came disposed to be pleased with evcry thing they found, and the intercourse of two such remarkable men as M. Van de Weyer
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and my father, both loving to exercise Ihcir mincis on grave and important subjects, and both possessing such a fund of knowledge, wit, anecdote and clever nonsense, lo intermingle witb llieni, made one quite forgetthe passage of time, and the visit scemed over almost as soon as begun. They left us on the most Iovely morning, when Combe Florey had put on her gayest and freshcst garb ; and carried away, I trust, as agrecable impressions as they left behind. In the evening of the saine day arrived M. Van de Weyer's secretary, bearing a summons lo Windsor, which owing to M. Van de Weyer's movements, had remained some days unnoticed, and it became necessary to follow him to Bowood immediately. But as M. Delep.... could not arrive till one or two in the morning, my father thoughl Madame Van de Weyer might be much alarmed by suddenly hearing in the middle of the night, that a messenger had arrived from home, and it was agreed that M. Delep.... should send in the following note, lo set their minds al ease.
« Dear Van de Weyer,
« Long live the Belgic lion ! long may he roar over the liger of France! You are wanted at Windsor. Delep.... is below. The young ambassador, and ail the children, and ail the grandpapas are quite well. Thcre is an air of picty in Delep.... that is very agreeable to me.
« Ever yours, <• Sydney Smith.
« Gel up immediately. »
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And lie wrote at more length, to explain, as hc says, his share in the transaction.
« Dear Van de Weyer,
" Let me explain my share in tlie proceedings. Between five and six o'clock appeared, in a fly, a grave person, who denominatcd himself Octave Delep...., in scarch of you. I concluded by the solemnity of his aspect, that he was corne lo announce the last days of the belgian monarchy. On the contrary it was to carry you off to the castle at Windsor. He could not go from hence, seeing the lime of his arrivai, till the cleven o'clock train ; and as he was resolute to hâve you, and 1 believe madame also, in London h.y six o'clock to morrow, we agreed that nothing remained but lo procced to Chippenham in the train, to extract you from Bowood, and lo convey you to the melropolis. I told (lira he would most probably be sliol at Bowood by the watchman ; but he declared that his papers were ail in order, and to die in the performance of his duly was a glorious death for a Belgian. I wrote a jocular note to send up to your bedside, lhat you might not be alarmed about your children.
•• If Octave Delep.... bas perished in the invasion of Bowood, I certify that he dieil wilh the deepest admiration of the ever mémorable Belgic révolution.
« Yours very truly,
« Sydney Smith.
« 12 october 1843. »
(Memoir of the révérend Sydney Smith, by his daugbterlady Holland(1855), vol. I, pp. 522-525).
APPENDICE
(Page 69.)
