The private journal of Judge-Advocate Larpent

by Francis Seymour Larpent

I hear the same accounts of the state of commerce at Lisbon as George sends from London. Old Colonel Arentschild here says, “She (meaning England) will make enough in Germany, by trade, to enable her, in the first six months, to carry on the war for two years, if necessary.” I fear the news in the papers concerning the Prince of Orange was rather premature. He states, that he has hitherto had no offer except from the Continent, nor heard anything from the newspaper. It will prove a prophecy, I hope, instead of a fact. He seems a very amiable, deserving youth, is liked by every one, and has had the greatest of all advantages for a young prince, that of being educated in a great measure with persons who have behaved to him as if he were their equal. So, indeed, he is treated now; except that he has a little more respect paid to him, which I believe is really felt, for he lives nearly on terms of equality with Lord Fitzroy Somerset, Lord March, Colonel G——, &c., and is quite one of the set, and is little or no restraint to any one. I met him, two days ago, scrambling down on the banks of the Coa, three miles off, by himself on foot. He must just now have some interesting subjects for contemplation, and I have no doubt some very flattering visions pass through his brain.

I am looking so much better than when I arrived at head-quarters, that Lord Wellington and several others think I am an exception to the general rule, and that the climate here agrees with me. Lord Wellington says he has had so many ill and dead since he has been here, that he does not like to think of it; many, like General Hulse, &c., whose loss he feels in every way. He says now, he is always ready to let every one go home when first he complains, and is disposed to tell every one who looks ill to be off.

I have just seen some very handsome specimens of the Castilian dresses, male and female, of the higher classes of rich peasantry, made I believe, by a tailor from Salamanca. The three female dresses Lord Wellington means to give to his nieces for masquerades; they are covered with work—embroidery, lace, and gold; he gives two thousand dollars for them. The man’s dress was for Lord March, and is certainly most becoming to almost every one.

I must now go and consider the new intended Bill to punish our offenders here, which Lord Beresford has sent for Lord Wellington to consult him upon it, and he has sent it to me—the draught of the intended Act I mean; and as every one makes some observation, I must make a few also. So, for the present, adieu.

I never told you that some of our military great boys here got very tipsy on the commemoration of the fall of Badajoz, and went to a poor Juge de Fores, that is a Portugal law magistrate, who was on a visit, and poured a bottle of blacking partly in his mouth, and partly over him, at twelve at night; and then made him dress, and go and help break poor C——’s only pane of glass, and upset his bed, as he had retired. Soldiers, lawyers, and all, I see, are boys at times alike.

April 13th.—Much too hot for hunting I should think; but all the sportsmen are out. Lord Wellington has not got good horses to be idle; he works them well. Besides all the hunting, &c., the day before yesterday, after doing business until twelve o’clock, off he went by himself, without saying a word to any one, across to Ciudad Rodrigo, seventeen miles off, inspected all the works, and was back again here in five hours and a half to dinner. He says that they are now going on very well there, and seems to be a little anxious about his own town. I suspect when we do move that we shall get on fast, for Lord Wellington will like to pass the Douro before the French know his plans.

Wednesday, April 14th, Post-day.—This will be but a stupid packet, as I have no news or events here to communicate. General Castanos arrived here yesterday in a great lumbering carriage, with eight mules and ropes from Cadiz, on his way to his division. He called here for instructions.

We have had in my own line another murder: a private grenadier of the Buffs shot his officer, on their private parade at Placencia, in the second division, from the window of his quarter, just opposite to that of the officer, and just as he came out to the men, who were all there. The officer was Lieutenant Annesley. The grenadier wounded a sergeant at the same time, and was instantly secured. No quarrel or disagreement was known, but he said that he was satisfied he had killed his enemy, and the day before, when another man committed suicide, he said, “What a fool, not to kill his enemy first, if he had one!” The officer is well spoken of. The conduct of the grenadier resembles madness more than anything else, yet they say he was not mad; I have just sent out a charge against him, and an order for his trial.

Our own army is now quite clothed, I believe. I fear that the Portuguese are only in the middle of theirs, and will not have finished these three weeks. You have no notion what there is to be done before an army like ours is fit to move in such a country as this. We have been three months getting up these clothes from Lisbon for our men; the tents have not yet arrived for head-quarters, and some say that only the army are to use them. I suppose, however, that we must carry them.

Lord Tweeddale continues here as an amateur, and will probably advance with us. When we march I may not be able to write so often, as our time will be much occupied, and pen and ink will not be always at hand. An order has just now come out to pay everything up to the 24th of December, that the officers may have a little money to prepare for the march.