The Greville Memoirs.

SOME men, we are told, are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. As with men so with books. Books like the 'Greville Memoirs' are born great. We think the present instalment, and, alas! the last, the most interesting politically of the series. The wondrous history therein contained of the marvellous proceedings of the Aberdeen Cabinet, which landed us in the Crimean War, has never been so well detailed. It is terribly ludicrous. Byron said, "If I laugh at any mortal thing, 'tis that I may not weep." And one cannot help laughing at some of the incidents recorded in the Journal of Mr. Greville. A learned Serjeant (it was not Serjeant Ballantine) used always to say of a lugubrious witness" that he was a man who would cast a damp on a funeral." Mr. Reeve in his two last Prefaces actually casts a damp on the 'Greville Memoirs.' Is there anything funereal about them? Not in the least. Yet Mr. Reeve apologises for their dulness, and gives the important information that he does not object to them on that account, and that he does not care about amusing the public; and in his Preface to the new Memoirs he actually writes "that there is less of novelty and original information than in the preceding portions of the work." We differ with reluctance from such a very high authority, but we think the extracts we shall give from the Journal will show how mistaken Mr. Reeve is in his opinion. Then Mr. Reeve tells us changes were wrought in Mr. Greville's character at three different periods, and this change can be traced in his Memoirs. This has puzzled us, and we have made enquiries of some of Mr. Greville's friends, and they are all incredulous about Mr. Reeve's statement. Mr. Greville seems to us in the new Memoirs "just the same man as before." Mr. Reeve tells us that even in the "first period" he was getting tired of the amusements of the day! Now Mr. Greville's amusement, and it may be said business, was racing. He had all the hopes and fears of a gambler, and when he lost he was apt to moralize and pour the vials of his wrath on the "blackguards and fools" of the turf with whom he chiefly passed his life.

The following extract from the pleasant Reminiscences of Sir

VOL. LXXIX.

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Francis Doyle' will give us an amusing idea of Mr. Greville in what Mr. Reeve thinks "the second period" of his life.

"On one occasion I accompanied Charles Greville, the Memoir-writer, to York from a country house at which we were staying together. He had entered a mare called Adine for the principal handicap at that meeting, and felt quite certain, with very good reason, I believe, that she would carry off the prize. Accordingly he drove into York in high spirits, kept rubbing his hands joyously together, and remarked: 'I don't think I can be beat. I shall stick it into Davis for another thousand or two.' Davis, a thoroughly honest and straightforward fellow, was then generally known as the Leviathan bettor. It was my unpleasant office to throw cold water on these exulting anticipations, and I had to say: 'I don't think you will do that this morning, Mr. Greville, for I met Davis in the Strand last week, and he told me he never meant to go to York againthey robbed him so.' Mr. Greville seemed to regard this abandonment of professional duties on Davis's part very much as a general would regard the refusal of a colonel to advance upon the enemy because their fire was too hot, and he began to curse and swear in the most emphatic manner, ending his conversation thus: 'Not come to York indeed; what the hdoes he mean by it?' There was but one answer possible: 'Well, I suppose he does not mean to have those additional thousands stuck into him by you and other people.""

The devotion of Mr. Greville to the "Turf" only ended with his life. One of the last acts of his life was to pay a visit to Tattersall's, then about to be removed to Knightsbridge Green"; and according to a high sporting authority his last words were "Mind you take the pump with you." This is contradicted by a higher authority, who states that they were "Mind and take the fox with you." The image of a fox was then an adornment of Tattersall's. There is always a dispute about the last words of great men. Some critics have said that Mr. Greville in the third part of his Memoirs had grown good-natured. We do not see that. The Memoirs have been Bowdlerised and many harsh expletives struck out, yet we read that the King of Sardinia is "a debauched and dissolute fellow," whilst Sir Alexander Cockburn is only a "debauched fellow." Louis Napoleon, who gave Mr. Greville an exquisite dinner when he went to Paris, is stigmatised as "a rascally adventurer." Some members of the Carlton Club are branded as "ruffians." Sir James Graham is "rash and cowardly." (Sir James was Mr. Greville's intimate friend, and they used to groan over the state of affairs together.) As to Lord John Russell he is thus pilloried:-" He has shown himself to be actuated by motives of pique, personal ambition, and mortified vanity, and to have been insincere, vacillating, uncandid, and untruthful." And this is written in the third period of Mr. Greville's life!

On the fall of the Derby Ministry a Coalition Government was

formed. Lord Aberdeen became Prime Minister, Lord John Russell Foreign Secretary (who was soon succeeded by Lord Clarendon) and Leader of the House of Commons, Mr. Gladstone Chancellor of the Exchequer, whilst Lord Palmerston wsa persuaded by Lord Lansdowne to take the Home Office. The scramble for office seems to have been on this occasion more keen than usual. Amongst the more anxious to secure a good berth was naturally Lord Clanricarde.

"In the afternoon I called on Lady Clanricarde, who gave me to understand that Clanricarde was likely to become a personage of considerable influence and power (and therefore worth having), inasmuch as the Irish Band had made overtures to him, and signified their desire to act under his guidance. She said this was not the first overture he had received of the kind from the same quarter; that for various reasons he had declined the others, but she thought at the present time he might very well listen to it; that they were very anxious to be led by a gentleman, and a man of consideration and station in the world. All this, to which I attach very little credit, was no doubt said to me in order to be repeated, and that it might impress on Aberdeen and his friends and colleagues the importance of securing Clanricarde's services and co-operation; and I am the more confirmed in this by receiving a note from the Marchioness in the evening, begging I would not repeat what she had told me.”

Cynical Mr. Greville! How well he understood the wily manoeuvres of Canning's clever daughter. Lord Clanricarde would certainly have made an appropriate captain for the "Pope's brass band," as the Irish members were irreverently called; but we doubt very much whether he was ever thought of for that high position. One must draw the line somewhere, and the Irish brigade drew it at Lord Clanricarde. Two members of the band, Mr. Keogh and Mr. Sadleir, who subsequently poisoned himself on Hampstead Heath, became members of Lord Aberdeen's Government. Lord Clanricarde was left out in the cold, and put himself in opposition, and attacked the Ministry on all occasions.

The Peelites, who had been out of office since 1846, were very eager to reward themselves for their virtuous resistance to Ministerial wiles, and certainly they secured the lion's share of the spoil. Even their friend and councillor, Mr. Greville, was shocked at their rapacity.

"The Government is now complete, except some of the minor appointments and the Household. It has not been a smooth and easy business by any means, and there is anything but contentment, cordiality and zeal in the confederated party. The Whigs are excessively dissatisfied with the share of places allotted to them, and complain that every Peelite without exception has been provided for, while half the Whigs are excluded, Though they exaggerate the case, there is a good deal of justice in their complaints, and they have a right to murmur against Aberdeen for not doing more for them, and John Russell for not insisting on a larger share

of patronage for his friends. Clarendon told me last night that the Peelites have behaved very ill, and have grasped at everything; and he mentioned some very flagrant cases, in which, after the distribution had been settled between Aberdeen and John Russell, Newcastle and Sidney Herbert-for they appear to have been the most active in the matterpersuaded Aberdeen to alter it and bestow or offer offices intended for Whigs to Peelites, and in some instances to Derbyites who had been Peelites."

During the Ministry of Lord Derby Mr. Greville distinguished himself by his opposition to it, and the following account of the way in which he showed his contempt for it is very delightful.

"It is singular that I have never attended a Council during the six months Lord Derby was in office, not once; consequently there are several of his Cabinet whom I do not know by sight-Pakington, Walpole, Henley. With my friends I resume my functions.”

Very singular! Mr. Greville evidently thought that it was a great mistake his being only a Clerk of the Privy Council, when he ought to have been a Cabinet Minister. It will be recollected that once when there was a dearth in the land a Council was to

assemble to admit foreign corn. This Council was postponed because Mr. Greville wanted to disport himself at Egham Races. When Lord Derby's Ministry was formed Mr. Greville struck work altogether. The Clerk of the Council's neglect of his duty was brought under the notice of Lord Derby, who scornfully said "that he had not observed his absence, as he never knew whether it was John or Thomas who answered the bell." This comparison of the magnificent Mr. Greville with a Jeames de la Pluche must have hardened still more the rebellious Clerk's heart towards the Rupert of debate.

"The Queen is delighted to have got rid of the late Ministers. She felt, as everybody else does, that their government was disgraced by its shuffling and prevarication, and she said that Harcourt's pamphlet (which was all true) was sufficient to show what they were. As she was very honourable and true herself, it was natural she should disapprove."

The pamphlet of Mr., now Sir William, Harcourt had a very suggestive title. It was 'On the Morality of Public Men.' The morality of public men was never at such a low ebb as at the present time; and it is saddening to think that Sir William Harcourt, "Historicus," late Professor of International Law at Cambridge, is now, to use his own expression, "stewing in Parnellite juice," and debasing the character of the greatest of Englishmen, John Hampden, by comparing it with that of the miserable pilferers who have lately inaugurated the Plan of Campaign. On the Morality of Public Men'! We should think even Sir William Harcourt could not read his pamphlet without a blush.

Lord Melbourne's character has been admirably described by Mr. Greville. His less known brother seems to have been a man of great abilities, and there is a curious and interesting account of him in the present Memoirs.

"Yesterday morning Frederic Lamb, Lord Beauvale and Melbourne, with whom both titles cease, died at Brockett after a short but severe attack of influenza, fever and gout. He was in his seventy-first year. Lady Palmerston thus becomes a rich heiress. He was not so remarkable a man in character as his brother William, less peculiar and eccentric, more like other people, with much less of literary acquirement, less caustic humour and pungent wit, but he had a vigorous understanding, great quickness, a good deal of general information, he was likewise well versed in business and public affairs, and a very sensible and intelligent converser and correspondent. He took a deep and lively interest in politics to the last moment of his life, was insatiably curious about all that was going on, and was much confided in and consulted by many people of very different parties and opinions. He never was in Parliament, but engaged all his life in a diplomatic career, for which he was very well fitted, having been extremely handsome in his youth, and always very clever, agreeable, and adroit. He consequently ran it with great success, and was in high estimation at Vienna, where his brother-in-law Palmerston sent him as Ambassador. He was always much addicted to gallantry, and had endless liaisons with women, most of whom continued to be his friends long after they had ceased to be his mistresses, much to the credit of all parties. After having led a very free and dissolute life, he had the good fortune at sixty years of age, and with a broken and enfeebled constitution, to settle (as it is called) by marrying a charming girl of twenty, the daughter of the Prussian Minister at Vienna, Count Maltzahn. This Adine, who was content to unite her May to his December, was to him a perfect angel, devoting her youthful energies to sustain and cheer his valetudinarian existence with a cheerful unselfishness, which he repaid by a grateful and tender affection, having at once an air marital and paternal. She never cared to go anywhere, gave up all commerce with the world and all its amusements and pleasures, contenting herself with such society as it suited him to gather about them, his old friends and some new ones, to whom she did the honours with infinite grace and cordiality, and who all regarded him with great admiration and respect."

There is in these Memoirs a most graphic portrait of the celebrated Madame de Lieven, who played such an important part in the political transactions of the reign of George the Fourth, William the Fourth, and Queen Victoria. The Princess Lieven first arrived in England in the year 1812, during the Regency.

"She was at that time young, at least in the prime of life, and though without any pretensions to beauty, and indeed with some personal defects, she had so fine an air and manner, and a countenance so pretty and so full of intelligence, as to be on the whole a very striking and attractive person, quite enough so to have lovers, several of whom she engaged in succession