Prayers for the preservation of his health and long life were offered up by rich and poor, irrespective of their religious creed. But his deep sorrow had affected his health so much, that serious symptoms began to appear, and his physician strongly disapproved of Sir Moses continuing his journey to Jerusalem.
His friends joined with the physician in dissuading him from proceeding further, calling his attention to the many changes which had occurred during the last few months in Eastern politics. Said Pasha, the Viceroy of Egypt, and friend of Sir Moses, was dead, and Ismael Pasha had assumed the reins of the Egyptian Government. This new Viceroy did a great deal for Egypt, by introducing financial and other reforms. The papers reported that he had made a very promising speech to a deputation of merchants. He was not inclined to support the Suez Canal, but it was thought that he would have to yield to French influence, and to pressure from the Emperor of the French.
The Sultan had visited Egypt, and signed a firman guaranteeing eight per cent. for the railway to be established along the banks of the Orontes, which it was supposed would have a most favourable influence on the traffic in the Holy Land. These events were accompanied by other political events in Turkey, where Fuad Pasha, the former Governor of Damascus, had been raised to the high office of Seraskier. All this, the friends of Sir Moses said, did not make the time propitious for the objects Sir Moses had in view in going to Jerusalem, and so he was reluctantly persuaded to give up the journey and return to London, where he arrived early in July, after going first to Ramsgate.
There is the following entry in his Diary:—
"I have returned home in safety, and somewhat better in health, after a long journey and an absence of more than six months, but am still very depressed in mind."
He drove immediately to his wife's grave, and prayed to God to give him strength to bear his irreparable loss with resignation, and to grant him the happiness of joining his angel wife in Heaven, when it should please God to call him from this world.
He intended going to London, but still had not sufficient fortitude to sleep at Park Lane. Mr and Mrs Benjamin Cohen having heard of this, immediately requested him to stay with them in their house at Richmond, and he was pleased to accept the hospitality of his kind relatives.
During his stay with Mr and Mrs Cohen, his health and spirits improved so much that he soon felt able to go to London, and during the time he remained there to attend, as before, the meetings of the financial and communal institutions of which he was President. After he returned to Ramsgate, his time was fully taken up in answering his numerous correspondents in all parts of the world.
To his young friend, Toussoun Pasha, he sent an affectionate letter, conveying to him his sympathy and condolence on the death of his father; and, in return, the young Egyptian Prince wrote to him, expressing his deep grief at the death of Lady Montefiore, and his gratitude for the kind sentiments Sir Moses manifested to him on the mournful occasion of the early and unexpected death of his father.
The young Prince himself did not live long. He died at an early age of consumption—so it was said.