Talma,[207] the celebrated tragedian. His voice is bad, nor is his conception of his part always correct. He is the person who has introduced the severity and perfection of costume in the theatre. He is not clever and not well informed.

Abbé Sicard,[208] the successor of Abbé de L’Épée. He brought with him his most intelligent pupil Massieu. The pains he bestows upon the unhappy objects confided to his care entitle him to much praise; the lectures are worth seeing once, but to those who stand not in need of this assistance are soon tedious.

Bertrand.[209] I knew him in Italy. He is a friend of Mde. d’Albany’s, and belongs to the society of Mde. de Souza, Morellet, &c., &c. He is declining fast; he was a lively man.

Charles de Noailles,[210] an uncommonly handsome man, son of the Prince de Poix. He lived very much in England, and at one time with the Prince, who grew jealous at Mrs. Fitzherbert’s partiality to him, which occasioned their rupture. He has much more sense and useful knowledge than one might suppose from a slight acquaintance with him he possessed.

ENGLISH IN PARIS

The English who dined with us were Mr. and Mrs. Fox, Ld. Robert Adair, St. John, Mr. Trotter, Mr. Clarke, Green, Heathcote, Kemble, Pinkerton, Fitzpatrick, 2 Erskines, Mr. Merry, Lens, Abbé Roberts, Banks, Mrs. H. Fox, Mr. Neave, Miss Townshend, Mr. Parish, St. Leger, Tuyle, Warner, Francis, A. St. Leger, Capt. Jones, Jerningham. We dined twice at Sieyès; once at Cambacères’s and Lucchesini’s; often at Talleyrand’s; once at Versailles with the Caumonts and Andréossys.

The Hollands left Paris on September 20, 1802, for a tour in the South of France and Spain. They did not return to England till April 1805. The Journal continues until April 8, but is omitted from these pages.

July 24th, 1806.—The Russians have made a separate peace.[211] The Cabinet have determined upon sending a person upon an extraordinary Mission to Portugal, and have chosen Lauderdale for that purpose, and he has accepted. Ld. St. Vincent is to follow with the fleet, and be joined in the Commission; the nature of the appointment to be the same as Ld. Minto and Ld. Hood were at Toulon. It is proposed, if Portugal be invaded, that we should carry off (vi et armis) the Royal family, and such as choose to follow their fortunes, and establish them at Brésil. A French army of 90,000 men is assembled at Bayonne for the invasion of Portugal. Eugène Beauharnais, the Viceroy of Italy, is to have the command of it; the attack is to be made by Galicia.

NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE

25th.—The preliminaries of peace between France and Russia have been signed by d’Oubril, though he knew at the time that Basilico was on his road to Paris with dispatches from our Governt. He signed three hours after he knew of his landing at Boulogne. The following stipulations form the basis of the peace. The Russians are to return Corfu, but they are not to keep more than 4000 men in garrison there. Dalmatia and Ragusa are left to the French. The Montenegrins are not to be punished for the successful resistance which, in conjunction with the Russians, they have opposed to the French arms, but this amnesty does not extend to any offences which they may have committed against their lawful Sovereign. Sicily is left exposed to the French without a stipulation in its favour. No provision of any sort is made for the ex-King of Naples, nor is there any allusion to him in the Treaty, except a declaration on the part of the French that they have no objection to the King of Sicily et sa femme (they will not call her Queen) finding an asylum wherever they can. By a secret article, Minorca, Majorca, and Iviza are to be transferred from Spain to the D. of Calabria, on condition that the ports of these islands shall be shut against the English. The Russians agree to exclude the English from all their ports in the Mediterranean. The French are to be allowed six months[212] to evacuate Germany. The present Treaty must be ratified within twenty-five days.