Lord Mahon and General Greene and La Fayette.—C. F. D. presents his compliments to Mr. Willis, and with reference to the fifth paragraph headed "Scraps from the United States," which appeared in "Current Notes" for February last, p. 13, forwards him the following communication, which from the initials he presumes is from the pen of Mr. Hildreth, the historian:—
"The fifth and sixth volumes of Lord Mahon's History of England from the peace of Utrecht, have for a leading subject the early years of the American Revolutionary War. Writing from the English point of view, the proceedings of Parliament and the English side of the story naturally form the foreground of the picture, while the affairs of the colonies themselves—certainly the most interesting as well as the most important, not for Americans only, but for all historical students—fall into a distant perspective. The American part of Lord Mahon's book is very slight in its execution, made up mostly of anecdotes and extracts of letters, good as illustrations, but hardly as substance; indicating often but a superficial knowledge on the part of the writer, and conveying to the reader no distinct or connected idea of the American side of the story. With a great show of candour, 'My Lord' also evinces throughout a somewhat anxious desire to depreciate the 'rebels.' Thus Franklin is pursued with pitiful but persevering rancour, charged with falsehood and duplicity, because he, like most of the other Americans of that day, arrived at the point of separation and independence only by gradual steps; because his opinions and views of 1769 and 1775 did not correspond altogether with those of 1795; and because he appears to have spoken—as what was more natural?—with somewhat more of freedom and with greater dislike of the British connexion among his intimate associates than when addressing himself to the British ministry or to British statesmen.
A curious instance of this sort of spitefulness, which constantly exhibits itself throughout the book, occurs in the case of Gen. Greene, of whom Lord Mahon writes: "The command of this important post (Brooklyn) was entrusted by Washington to Gen. Greene, an officer of bravery and enterprise, 'but of intemperate habits;' and he adds, in a note, 'Greene, un général souvent ivre.' These are the words of La Fayette; Mém. et Corresp. Vol. I. p. 21, ed. 1837." The edition in the original French here quoted is not at hand, but in that published the same year at New York and London, in England, and like the French edition under authority of La Fayette's representatives, the entire passage above referred to, reads as follows: After an account of the appearance of the American army as first seen by La Fayette in the summer of 1777—about 11,000 men, ill armed, and still worse clothed, and very deficient in tactics, La Fayette adds: 'Lord Stirling, more courageous than judicious, another General who was often intoxicated, and Greene, whose talents were only then known to his intimate friends, commanded as Major Generals.' The other General here referred to was Stephen, who was cashiered not long after on that very ground, for his misbehaviour at the Battle of Germantown. And as there can scarcely be a doubt that this version gives the correct sense of the French original, there is room for apprehension that Lord Mahon is not only incorrect in giving only a part of a sentence, thus putting into La Fayette's mouth what he never said, but that even the order of the words has been changed, the name of Greene being removed from the end to the beginning of the quotation. Upon this point I will add something further, so soon as I can obtain the French original."
H. H.
The Sale of Antiquities, &c. which took place at Messrs. Sotheby and Wilkinson's rooms, on the 5th of this month, and two following days, although one made up by the dealers in such articles, attracted considerable attention, and many things, if not bought in, realised considerable prices; the total produce of the sale being, it is said, upwards of twelve hundred pounds.
fig. 1.
fig. 2.
In the first and third day's sale several lots of articles, well known to Archæologists as Celts, and of which the usual appearance may be recognised from figures 1 and 2, sold on the average for about half-a-crown each. A large quantity of antique gems—none of any extraordinary merit—in modern setting of gold, ranged from about ten shillings to two guineas each. There were some specimens of Irish ring money, which sold or were bought in at very high prices; and some appeared to have been tampered with, if not manufactured for the market.
The second day's sale contained many good Etruscan and Roman bronzes. A Winged Victory (Lot 222) was knocked down at £5. A Lamp with the original chain for suspension (Lot 238) at £5. 8s. An Etruscan stew-pan (Lot 256) at £5. 10s. And the Leg of a Roman Warrior, the foot sandalled (Lot 234) at £7. 7s. But the great object of the day was (Lot 266) a bronze figure of an Archer, which was stated to have been discovered in July, 1842, while excavating for making a sewer in Queen Street, Cheapside, London, and which, if standing erect, would have been fifteen inches, but in its stooping posture the perpendicular height was about eleven inches. It has been described and figured in the Archæologia, vol. xxx. plate xxii. p. 544.