The paintings appeared to him of considerable excellence, and he made two large drawings of them. Mr. Bankes, when in Italy, had seen paintings in fresco removed from the walls entire, and he conceived that he could pursue the same method with these. I witnessed with regret his preparations and success in removing two, because I feared that succeeding travellers would blame the act: and yet, on the other hand, two such pieces of antiquity would be highly esteemed in England, and I knew that an idle boy or a fanatic Turk might destroy them for ever, if left where they were.
Mr. Bankes left Mar Elias immediately afterwards for Dayr el Kamar, to pay a visit to the emir Beshýr. He had brought with him from Egypt a renegado Italian in the Albanian costume, who acted as his interpreter. As a private soldier is not a proper person to come into the presence of people of rank, Mr. Bankes was advised to obtain the services of M. Bertrand in his interview with the prince, which he did. They proceeded to Btedýn, the emir’s residence. After visiting the emir, Mr. Bankes pursued his journey, and M. Bertrand returned to Sayda.
Soon after Mr. Bankes’s departure, we heard that he had made an attempt, in the month of April, to go to Palmyra, but had failed. Lady Hester had told him how many difficulties he would have to encounter in the passage of the Desert, unless he went under the escort of the Bedouin Arabs; and, to secure him a favourable reception from them, she offered him letters of introduction to Muly Ismael of Hamah and to Nasar, son of Mahannah; soliciting him likewise, for his own sake, and for the sake of his parents, who would lay much to her charge, should any misfortune happen to him, which a prudent foresight on her part might have prevented, to take as a guide her servant, Pierre, who had already been twice into the Desert, and was personally known to all the Arabs. But Mr. Bankes seemed inclined to trust to his own resources and management, which had hitherto brought him thus far in safety: and unwillingly accepted both the letters and the man.[97]
Soon after Mr. Bankes’s departure, I had one night retired to bed in my cottage, when I heard the trampling of horses near my door, with a talking, as of persons who were strangers. To this succeeded a knocking, and then a parley with my servant: the result of which was that a voice, in English, made known that it was Mr. Buckingham, who was bending his way to the monastery, where he had been expected some days, yet was afraid to present himself, as it was so late. Finding, however, on looking at my watch, that it was only two in the morning, and knowing that Lady Hester was seldom in bed at that hour, I urged him to go on, which he did.
On the morrow I found him safely housed. Mr. Buckingham’s Turkish dress became him, and he looked very much like a Mahometan. Lady Hester found much pleasure in his conversation, and detained him until the 18th of April.
As soon as Mr. Buckingham was gone, Lady Hester, who had deeply reflected on the then recent events which had anew convulsed Europe, gave vent to her indignation in a letter which is couched in such energetic language as to be worthy of standing as a record of her opinions on men, whom, perhaps, she had a better opportunity of knowing than most persons of her times.
Lady Hester Stanhope to the Marquis (afterwards Duke) of Buckingham.
Mount Lebanon, April 22, 1816.
My dear Cousin,
For years, in writing to you, I have been silent on politics: but as it is probable that this letter will reach you, I avail myself of this opportunity to give you my real opinions.