The loss of all interest in public affairs was the natural effect of the change of Administration to me. The Dissolution took place in May. The elections turned out full as favourable as had been expected. Bedfordshire was closely run between Fitzpatrick and Osborne, and carried by a moderate majority. Yorkshire very triumphant in favour of Ld. Milton;[295] Wilberforce accused and suspected of coalescing with Lascelles, lost him greatly his popularity, and his shabby desertion of the late Ministry.[296] A petition against Milton was ready, and upon the point of being presented, but he judiciously procured one also against Wilberforce, which, being held in terrorem, inclined Wilberforce to exert and pledge himself on behalf of Ministers, who came forward and promised to drop the petition against Ld. Milton, if he in return would stipulate that the one against Wilberforce should be dropped.
On ye 1st of May we went with all our family, excepting Mary,[297] to Southampton. We lived in the Margravine’s house on the margin of the water. The weather was remarkably fine, the scenery agreeable, and the singularity of the arrangement of the houses and a terrace give it a foreign air, which transported me in imagination to happier localities.
SOUTHAMPTON
The Cowpers[298] made us a visit of a week; the Kinnairds took a house near to us and spent a fortnight. Lauderdale, Marsh, B. Frere, and Mr. Horner made us a visit for a few days. We went over to Portsmouth to take leave of Bartholomew, who was going with Sr. Arthur Paget[299] to Constantinople. He brought with him Mr. Morier,[300] a sensible, agreeable young man, who went in the capacity of interpreter; he is a nephew of Ly. Radstock’s, his mother being a Smyrnese. Made several excursions to Broadlands, the New Forest, and Titchfield Castle, &c. The latter is remarkable for having been the birthplace of the celebrated Ly. Russell; the last place in England where Charles I. took refuge. It is in a ruinous state, but even in its decay retains strong marks of its former splendour; the stables are spacious and grand.
Returned home about 17th June, 1807. Parliament very briskly attended; scandalous retaliation of each party upon the score of jobbing. Unfortunate Scotch business of Adam about Ld. Cullen.[301]
Ld. Granville Leveson set off upon his Embassy to Petersburg. An expedition fitted out to the Baltic. Treaty of Tilsit arrived.
After the delay of a fortnight, in consequence of my having a smart bilious fever, we set off on the 22nd of August for our Scotch tour. Our party consisted of ourselves, Charles, Mr. Allen, Marsh, Mr. Knapp, Amelie, Aleck, Baptiste, Wm., Antonio. Being rather weak, the journeys were to be short. The first night we slept at Dunstable. On Sunday went through Northampton to Welford. The road remarkably good and handsome, raised upon a chaussée, like the public roads in France, Italy, or Spain.
On Monday passed through Leicester and Loughboro’ to Nottingham, where we dined. It is a considerable town, well situated; the site of the ancient castle is very striking, tho’ it is greatly destroyed by the modern mansion which the bad taste of a Duke of Newcastle allowed to be erected within the old walls.[302] The Trent is rather a large river; the bridge we crossed was handsome and well built. Ld. H. called upon the Mayor and Recorder; the Corporation are chiefly Dissenters, and strongly attached to the Opposition. They testified their respect for the memory of Mr. Fox by sending a deputation from the town of Nottingham to walk at his funeral. In the evening we were overtaken by a storm of thunder and lightning just upon the outskirts of Sherwood Forest; I was terrified, and sought shelter in the house of a family of the name of Lowe. We proceeded on to Mansfield, where we slept. On Tuesday we set off at eleven, went about two miles out of the direct road to see Hardwicke, the prison for many years of the unfortunate Mary. The house in which she was confined is falling into ruins; the present house was built by the celebrated Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury, after Mary had been withdrawn from her custody.
The road to Chesterfield is pretty. Sheffield was full as dirty and offensive as before. Slept at Penistone, a small village and bad inn quite out of the high road. Got out and looked at the Castle of Skipton, a valuable estate annexed to which belongs to Thanet. Got late in the evening to Lowood Inn, by the side of Windermere. I was not well in the night.