FREDERICK SHOBERL, JUNIOR,
PRINTER TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ALBERT,
51, RUPERT STREET, HAYMARKET, LONDON.
CONTENTS
OF
THE THIRD VOLUME.
| CHAPTER I. | |
| Prince Pückler Muskau—His letter to Lady Hester Stanhope—Storyof the Serpent’s Cave—Letter from Lady Hesterto the Prince—Ride from Jôon to Sayda—Cadi’s Justice—MadameConti—Syrian surgeons | [1] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| Mehemet Ali’s hospitality to travellers—Prince PücklerMuskau’s appreciation of it—His reception of the Author—Reflectionson passports—Lady Hester’s pecuniary difficulties—Herreluctance to reduce her establishment—Her restlessness—Presentsin Eastern countries—Severity necessary with Easternservants—Letter from Lady Hester to Lord Ebrington—Outragecommitted on old Pierre—Defection of the Ottomanfleet—Khalyl Aga | [29] |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| Lady Hester’s mode of life—Boghoz Bey—The insurrectionof the Druzes—Character of the Emir Beshýr—IbrahimPasha—Lady Charlotte Bury—Preparations for the receptionof Prince Pückler Muskau | [50] |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| Prince Pückler Muskau’s arrival at Jôon—His costume—Physiognomicaldoctrines—The Prince’s remarks on LadyHester—Dr. Bowring—Lady Hester’s remarks on the Prince—Raceof Abyssinian women—Remarks on public grants, &c.—Thepolytheistic school of Germany—Remarks on pensions, onAbyssinian slaves, &c.—Story of Sultan Abdallah, the negro—Excursionon horseback—Horse-jockeys in Syria—Servants’vails—Lord M. and Captain G.—Talismanic charm about LadyHester—Her visions of greatness | [73] |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| Prince Pückler Muskau’s style of writing—Talking beneficialto health—Young men of Lady Hester’s time—LadyHester’s superstitious belief in good and bad days—Hamâady,the executioner—His importance—Folly of education, accordingto Lady Hester—Lord Hood, Lord Bridport, Payne, thesmuggler’s son—the O****s—The Prince’s self-invitations todine out—B.—Prince Pückler and old Pierre—The AmericanCommodore—Lady Hester’s cats—Mahomet Ali’s secret devices | [107] |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| Author’s dilemma—Apprehensions of poisoning—Mr.Cooper’s dray-boy—Memoirs of a Peeress—Lady B. and theDuchess of——Novel scheme for making maids obedient—Englishservants—Lady J.—Lord C.—Mr. Pitt, and thedisturbed state of England—Peers made by Mr. Pitt—Footmen’snosegays—Mr. Pitt’s last words, as related by Gifford—Melancholyreflections—Mr. Pitt’s signature—Mr. Pitt aStatesman inferior to Lord Chatham—Mr. Fox—Sir WalterScott—Shaykh Mohammed Nasýb—Turkish dervises—Anecdoteof Sir William Pynsent—Sir John Dyke—High and lowdescent exemplified in Captain—and Count Rewisky—LadyCharlotte Bury—The Empress Josephine—Buonaparte—Mr.Pitt’s physiognomy—Advantageous offers refused byLady Hester—Her house in Montague Square—The CheshireSquire—Ingratitude of the world—Trust not in man, butin God | [128] |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| Journey to Beyrout—Death of Mrs. K—- —Mr. GeorgeRobinson and M. Guys—The River Damoor—Khaldy—Letterfrom Lady Hester to Mr. K.—Lord Prudhoe—Mrs.Moore—Lady Hester’s dislike to be the subject of occasionalpoetry—Striking a Turk—Lady Hester’s opinion ofLord Byron—Arrival of Maximilian Duke of Bavaria—Letterto the Baron de Busech—Letter to H.R H. the Duke Maximilian—Adventuresof the Duke—Illness of the Duke’s negro,Wellington—Vexation of His Royal Highness—Letter toMr. K., merchant at Beyrout—Letter to Lord Brougham—Professionalvisit to Sulyman Pasha’s child—League betweenthe maids and receivers of stolen goods—Black doses for thePrince’s suite—Letter from Lady Hester to the Duke ofBavaria on his intended visit—The Duke leaves Syria | [171] |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| Petty annoyances in hot countries—Lady Hester refusesDuke Maximilian’s portrait—She insists on the Author’s leavingher—Continuation of the negro Wellington’s case—Progress ofthe Druze insurrection—Destruction of locusts—Mysteriousvisit at the Dar—Reasons why Lady Hester kept daring fellowsin her service—Russian spies—Dr. Lœve’s visit—Dangerousstate of the country—Lady Hester’s dream—Her resolutionto immure herself—Visit from Mr. M.—Visit fromColonel Hazeta and Dr. Mill—Letter from Lord Palmerstonto Lady Hester—Her answer—Inexpediency ofhaving consular agents, not natives of the country theyrepresent—Successes of the Druzes—Lady Hester’s belief infortune-telling—Letter from Sir Francis Burdett—ColonelNeedham’s property—Lord Coutts—Subscribers to payMr. Pitt’s debts—Fright from a serpent—Battle of Yanta—SirN. Wraxall a peer—Discourse upon heads—A spy—Letterto the Duke Maximilian of Bavaria | [225] |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| Vessel hired for the Author’s departure—Lady Hester’s intentionof writing her Memoirs—Letter from Lady Hester toSir Francis Burdett—From Lady Hester to Count Wilsensheim—Eventsof the Druze insurrection—Inexpediency ofM. Guys’s removal from Beyrout—Letter from the Author toCount Wilsensheim—Letter from Lady Hester Stanhope tothe Baron de Busech—Lady Hester immured—Principalreason of the Author’s return to Europe—His adieux—Passageto Cyprus—Reception by Signor Baldassare Mattei—Provisionsin Cyprus—Mademoiselle Longchamps—Letter fromLady Hester to the Author—Commissions—Second Letterfrom Lady Hester to the Author—Third Letter from LadyHester to the Author—Advice—Obligations—Violence of temper—Mr.U.—General Loustaunau—Logmagi and the muleteer—FourthLetter from Lady Hester to the Author—Correspondenceof the first Lord Chatham—Lady Hester’s death—Conclusion | [271] |
MEMOIRS
OF
LADY HESTER STANHOPE.
CHAPTER I.
Prince Pückler Muskau—His letter to Lady Hester Stanhope—Story of the Serpent’s Cave—Letter from Lady Hester to the Prince—Ride from Jôon to Sayda—Cadi’s Justice—Madame Conti—Syrian surgeons.
March 20.—Lady Hester rose about three in the afternoon, and went into her garden: I joined her about five o’clock. Spring had already begun to display its verdant livery. The weather was exceedingly fine, and every bush and tree seemed to have swollen with sap, buds, and leaves, so that the eye could perceive a palpable difference even from the preceding day. The birds were singing on every branch (for nobody dared to molest them in this sacred spot), and the bulbuls sat warbling a low but gentle music, which, now and then, was broken in upon by their clear whistle, falling in cadences on the ear like sweet concords. It was one of those hours which a man, who feels himself in the decline of life, or gradually sinking under disease, would most regret, in thinking that the harmony of nature must soon close on him for ever.
Lady Hester had placed herself in a small white alcove, which closed the vista at the bottom of a walk. A sofa, covered with marone-coloured cloth, with flowered chintz cushions, ran across the back of the alcove. On this she was leaning; and, being dressed in her white abah with its large folds, she looked exactly like an antique statue of a Roman matron. Half way up the avenue stood an attendant in a handsome white Nizàm dress, which is exceedingly becoming to youth, waiting her call. As I advanced towards her, between two hedges—the one of double jessamine in full bud, and the other of the bright green pervenche, or periwinkle-plant, with its blue flowers, forming an azure band from one end to the other, I was struck with the magical illusion which she ever contrived to throw around herself in the commonest circumstances of life.