On Thursday, ye 10th July, we quitted home to make an excursion for two or three months upon the Continent. Our party consists of Ld. Duncannon,[133] Mr. Marsh, Dr. Drew, Charles, Hortense, Charles, 4 maids, and five men. We manage to stuff all into a coach and postchaise. We set off at five o’clock in the afternoon, slept at Epping Place; began our journey the next day at 7. At Newmarket I saw D. of Queensberry: he wanted us to dine with him. He was violent at the continuance of the war, and spoke roundly against Ministers. He told Ld. H., upon the Dutch business, that if he had not made a determination never to vote against Government he would have voted with him upon that question. Mr. Vernon also came and sat by me whilst I eat: he envied my stomach that could digest and relish cold meat and porter. We stopped at Thetford. The D. of Bedford thought our coming so uncertain, that he did not hear even of our arrival until 10, and it was then too late to join us at supper, for we went to bed at ½ past nine. This morning we were up at 4 o’clock, off at 6, and passed through Norwich (where Ld. D. overtook us), and got here (Yarmouth) at about 2. Ld. Spencer wrote to order a convoy, but there is some difficulty about getting a better than a cutter. The Admiral (Dickson) has just been with me; he promises two cutters, but the lugger in port is better.
We were landed upon terra firma within fifty hours after we had sailed from Yarmouth, a surprisingly quiet passage. Met on our way from the jettée at Cuxhaven, Mr. Arbuthnot; he now is attached to Prince Augustus. I knew him formerly at Naples when he travelled with Ld. Digby.
The party set off that day, and slept at Basbeck, where there was no inn. ‘Ld. H. and self lay upon the ground in the room we supped in; the gentlemen, Charles, and the maids lay in a large room together.’ They took the road to Hamburg by Cranz, crossing the Elbe at Blankenese. ‘The wind rose and the water was rough; we were about forty minutes in the passage.’
HAMBURG
We came through Altona to this place (Hamburg) where we are very tolerably lodged at Kaysershoff. Mr. Berchemeyer, a great merchant, called to offer us every civility, as did Mr. Parish, the son of the late American Consul; he belongs to a great house of commerce. In the evening of the 18th we drove about the ramparts, and went to the French comedy, a neat theatre with a tolerable troupe.
During our stay at Hamburg we received much hospitality and civility. On the Sunday after our arrival we dined with Mrs. Parish at their country house upon the banks of ye Elbe. She is a sensible, voluble Scotchwoman. The party consisted chiefly of merchants; Symons, his wife and sisters, Flemings and relations of the famous coachbuilder of that name at Bruxelles. The ladies were recently returned from Paris, but their attire was such as Bonaparte would have corrected. We returned early, as the gates shut always at nine, the only one which is left open until eleven is only attainable by crossing the Alster, a sort of lake.
Bourgoing,[134] the traveller and author, on his way to his mission to Copenhagen, demanded of the Senate of Hamburg two French emigrants, who are conductors of a journal called the Censeur, in which Bonaparte is virulently and clumsily abused. Paul’s Minister, on behalf of his master, claimed them, and the business is not settled. This is merely a pendant to our claiming Napper Tandy, for one injustice begets another.[135] Dumouriez is extremely out of spirits, indeed well may he be from the absurdity and inconsistency of his conduct. All that are busy and idle assemble at Hamburg, merchants and sharpers—Major Semple,[136] Mr. Holcroft,[137] Dr. Maclean,[138] etc. On Wednesday we dined at Monsr. Mathison’s[139]; he is a wealthy merchant married to Henriette, one of Mde. Genlis’s élèves, and in consequence of her connection with Ly. Edward[140] is become one of her most cordial and useful friends. Ly. Ed. lives in his house.
MADAME DE GENLIS
Mde. Genlis was just arrived from Berlin; I felt great curiosity to see a woman so justly celebrated for cleverness. Her countenance denotes talent and mischief; more of the latter than real vice. She has just published a new novel, Les Mères Rivales; there are some good things in it, but it is rather tedious from its length. She gives her political and religious creed, which are curious from the novelty of her having any. Bourbon monarchy and Papal Catholicism she now holds to be indispensable to the benefit and salvation of mankind. Permission has been granted for her return; her own account is that Bonaparte has ordered her into France from regret that so great an ornament should seek repose in a foreign country.
On Thursday Dumouriez and Berchemeyer dined with us. In the morning we went to see Klopstock, the father and founder of German poetry. He is now near 90 years of age, full of vivacity and as strong in intellect as he probably ever was. His writings are known throughout Germany, but are difficult to translate, as they are in the sublime, incomprehensible style. His Messiah is his greatest work. He talked to us of English literature, especially of Pope’s Homer.