cessively overthrown. Every at tempt for the redress of grievances was, in the mean while, resisted; a system of coercion prevailed; and the friends of peace and reform were idly stigmatized as hostile to their country's welfare. At length a partial change in the administra tion, in 1801, put a stop to the calamities of war; though hostilities were, alas! too soon resumed, on the pretence of checking the career of a usurper, whom such fatal policy had seated on the throne of France. Mr. Pitt was afterwards recalled to power: not indeed to the paramount authority which he had formerly exercised in Parliament; but, persevering in the same counsels, to encounter the same humiliating defeats. On the death of this minister, in January, 1806, Mrs. Jebb had the satisfaction of seeing Mr. Fox invit ed to the counsels of his sovereign, although she was too well aware of the difficulties by which he was sur rounded, to expect the immediate accomplishment of almost any of their common views. She looked forward, however, to much par tial advantage from the event; conceiving that whatever tended to restore the blessings of peace, must be of the most essential importance. On the first appearance, indeed, of any change of ministry, she had clearly expressed her con viction of the very delicate circum. stances in which Mr. Fox and his adherents must now succeed to power. In a letter to Dr. Disney, Jan. 23d, 1806, she said: "A friend called before I was up, to inform me that Mr. Pitt died at four this morning: I own I am one of those who wished him to live. I did not fear his doing more evil, and I flattered myself that he might be the cause of good being done by others. An opposition to the minister, and a pretender to the And on the 20th of February, when the arrangements for a new ministry were completed, she again observed to the same correspondent, it is more "I believe that we think pretty nearly alike of the present crisis, and that our fears and hopes are of a similar magni tude: but my constant prayer continues to be for a speedy peace, with as little loss of honour as possible. As for what would be called a good peace, than we have any right to expect, and I to such terms, as Buonaparte will think, fear the present ministry, dare not agree, in his situation, that he has a right to insist upon My hopes, therefore, of a speedy peace are not very great, though for that purpose. I have only seen Mr. I rather expect to hear of a negociation Wyvill once he was then satisfied with Mr. Fox; but I see not what can be done at present, except making peace, necessary-Mr. Pitt did not live long and raising taxes to prepare for war if enough to convince the city or the peo ple sufficiently, that he was driving the nation to a precipice; and left it just in time to avoid the odium of the sirong measures, which must be resorted to, in the effort made for its preservation. I am one of those who wish that he had lived till other people had known and branch, I shall be very thankful." thought of him as I did myself. I trem- of them to exult in the downfal of ble for those in power-I wish well those ministers, who, however reto many of them. I often think of Noah's ark, clean and unclean, but it prehensible in some parts of their might now be as necessary as then; and conduct, had effected the abolition yet, if the vessel will only keep us above of the slave-trade; and were atwater till the dove returns with the olive tempting to restore, though but in part, the rights of conscience to Mrs. Jebb's alarm for the public all dissidents from the established safety was once more excited by church. Addressing herself again the rapidly declining health of to Dr. Disney, April 2d, 1807, Mr. Fox, in whom her confidence she said, was chiefly placed. She observes in a subsequent letter, July 18th, "Mr. Fox, as I am informed, is much better: I wish he may live to make a peace, which is the wish of his heart; and I am told he lately said, If I can only live to see a general peace I shall think that I have lived long enough.' But if he should die, I should fear that even the abolition of the slave-trade would not pass." Again, September 1st, "I tremble lest the news from France should be unfavourable, for what but peace can save us: and yet, unless we make some concession with respect to the liberty of the seas, I think we have no reason to expect it." And on the 4th of October, when Mr. Fox was dead, and the return of the Earl of Lauderdale resolved on, she thus resumes the subject: "With the horrors of war before me, I see nothing very agreeable to ruminate upon; but I will not yet entirely give up the hopes of peace, and should not be surprised to hear very soon that the affair is settled. But if itis not, and Austria should join in a new coalition, the carnage will be dreadful, and, in all probability, no party, all things considered, a gainer." "The king has made a precious change. The present ministry have been watching behind the scenes, and the king's conscience greatly assisted them, and pointed out the proper moment.. Yet I do not think he would have ventured to exert his prerogative so soon, if certain friends of liberty all over the country, had not opposed their old friends, and made an outcry against them for not attempting impossibilities. And even now, when they have so very honourably resigned their post, they still continue to abuse them, to the great delight of all the new ministry and their friends. The Times of to-day begins to be afraid of peace: still I cry nothing but peace can save us, and even that may come too late." Again, on the 10th of June, she observed, "As for the new ministry, it is so much for the king's interest to keep them, and their own interest to keep in, that I fear it will not be very easy to rout them. And then you know, we are taught by all the violent friends of liberty, that the last ministry did nothing but deceive the people, and that both parties are equally bad. Some people seem to wish for a new party :-but where are we to get them? Who can point out to us where those wonderworking men are to be found, who can do the work of thirty years in a single session? Rome was not built in a day; less time than that was in building. But nor can our state be repaired perhaps in I never despair: peace and patience, wisdom and honesty, and a reform will follow of course; and then-but they Mrs. Jebb lamented the increasing divisions amongst the friends of liberty, on matters of little im. portance, when compared with the great constitutional questions in which they had so long agreed, And she regretted still more the fatal delusion, which led so many remarked, who live the longest will see the most." And on the 24th of August she "It hurts me to see the friends of interference. She observed, August liberty abusing one another to the great 17th, 1808, in writing again to diversion of the worst party, and without the least hope of finding, in the Dr. Disney, whole kingdom, an administration that would be suffered to do us half the good we wish, even if they were ever so well disposed." The atrocious attack on Copenhagen, the first fruits of these new ministerial arrangements, as a Christian she decidedly condemn. ed, conceiving it equally repugnant to every principle of sound policy and justice. In the letter last quoted, she said, "You do not imagine that I can be blind or indifferent to what is passing abroad or at home. Denmark has very long taken up my attention. I feared we should not let those friends to peace remain quiet, although Buonaparte has not once desired them to give up their neutrality, and they were entirely unprepared to defend themselves. Every exertion, I believe, will be made by prince and people to repel this invasion; and I would advise the authors to prepare their backs for a scourge so highly de served." "As to Spain, I think the prospect of any good is far from being clear, and it is very shocking to think of the blood which they will have to wade through. In ble of contradictions, and is supported short, the whole business is such a jumby men of such very different principles, and for such very different reasons, that am sick of the subject." I September 28th, she resumed, "As for peace, I fear I shall not live to see it; nor do I see any good we are doing by sending troops to Spain at a great exceive them; and doing every thing we can pence, where they seem unwilling to re in Portugal to disgust and make them jea lous of us.-Our expeditions, I fear, are time and labour thrown away, doing much mischief to others, without any chance of benefiting ourselves. We may gain a bloody victory in Spain one day, and the next may lose our whole army I wish we could be led to make a peace, but I fear nothing but driving will do. Whatever else is done, the door must be left open wide enough for peace to enter†." In these sentiments Mrs. Jebb persevered to the last; July 20th, 1811, she declared, "As for Portugal, I wish we had done with it. We are draining our best blood, parting with our treasure, and starving our own people, only to lengthen a war, which I fear will prove our ruin; because we will be tyrants of the ocean. In a time of peace there is no necessity for it, and in time of war, we are always successful; and may long continue to be so, if we do not ruin ourselves." "The prospect both at home and abroad appears more gloomy every day. I was much struck this morning with some verses in the beginning of the seventh Psalm. I think they will put you in mind of the kings of England and Denmark, and that we shall agree in giving to each his due. Great pains are taken to commend our exploits at Co. penhagen, and to shew not only their wisdom and necessity, but even their humanity and justice: the former of. And she concluded this very these, because we might have been more interesting correspondence, Nocruel, though I scarcely see how; and the latter, because they refused our de- vember 2d, 1811, in these words: mand, although they knew what would be the consequence." So decided, indeed, was Mrs. Jebb's aversion to war, that even the most plausible pretences, adduced in support of the war in the peninsula, were insufficient to con vince her of the propriety of any "At length people begin to open their eyes, and to see the desperate situation into which this detestable war has brought us: but how to get us out of it grows every day more difficult; and 11th August, 1809. +13th March, 1819. I fear England, this most thinking na- scription of intolerance is disgrace tion, is very deficient in the ways and ful to the Christian name, and means necessary for such an arduous that all men are equally entitled undertaking. Certain ministers know how to extract money out of our pockets, and turn it to paper or send it abroad to do mischief but further I fear they know not, and we know not where to find men who can teach them." 10 the full enjoyment of the rights of conscience, unrestrained by any sort of penalty or disqualification whatsoever. But notwithstanding some oc- Mrs. Jebb's attention was directed But whilst so large a share of mid on by casional dissatisfaction, she still to public affairs, no person could continued to think favourably of more readily descend, on proper the Whigs, making far greater al- occasions, to the intercourse of lowances for the difficulties with common life. She was fond of which they were surrounded, than children, and took pleasure in ensome of her friends were disposed, deavouring to amuse young perto admit. She discriminated very sons, especially those of a mild accurately, between those who and tractable disposition. When were invariably true to principle, devoting herself to a school girl of and those who at times appeared a quick and lively turn, who was to be actuated chiefly by the lust for some days her visitor, Mrs. of power. Our friend Romilly," Jebb was much struck with the she would say, "continues bonest, animation and intelligence with and so does my favourite Whit which, entering into the spirit of bread. Romilly always pleases the writer, she recited some interme, and that is some comfort: it esting passages of a popular play hurts me to differ from my friends, and was thence led to disapprove or any one of whom I wish to the practice of encouraging such think well. Whitbread is always recitations before a large audience, in the right: Mr. Fox himself, or lest the mind, which in youth so Dr. Jebb, could not have been easily acquires a bins, should be more desirous of peace. In Sir induced to persevere in an incli. Samuel Romilly, indeed, she re- nation for the stage. cognized an old acquaintance, On the death of Mr. Brand who, dtrue to his early principles, Hollis, in 1804, Mrs. Jebb had was now attempting a revision of the happiness of seeing Dr. Disthe penal code a subject in the a subject in the ney succeed to his estates, although, discussion of which he had first from her ill-health, she could not engaged during his intercourse like his other friends, enjoy the with Dr. Jebb. And in Mr-beauties or the hospitality of this Whitbread she beheld, not only truly classic mansion at the Hyde the intrepid advocate of a pacific Few persons, indeed, shared so and constitutional policy, but the largely as he did in her confidencer steady asserter of religious liberty, and esteem; for the justice which on the great principle maintained he had done, as a biographer, to by Mr. Wyvill, that every de entered with ardour into all his views and feelings on this unexpected change of fortune; although it was attended with an irreparable loss in her social enjoyments, which she could ill afford. In one of the first letters which she addressed to him after his removal into Essex, she said, ever leave town I shall certainly either be a candidate for a share of it, or desire to be admitted as a tenant of the other." exceedingly in the respect and attention which was so generally paid to him on his arrival by the most liberal and intelligent inhabitants of the place. In the autumn of 1808, Mrs. Jebb experienced another dimi nution in her small society by the removal of Mr. Jervis from the Unitarian chapel in Prince's. street, Westminster, to the Mill. hill congregation at Leeds. Amidst "Every thing remnds me that my friends have left Sloane-street: I have all her afflictions her greatest connot seen Mr. Jervis, he ought to con- solation had been derived from the dole with me, for he feels as I do. I intercourse of her friends: she advise you entirely to drive care away; had already survived many of her you must not fatigue yourself with any thing. I am glad that Mr. Jervis has earliest connections, and could ill found his way at last, and I desire that bear the loss of one in every rehe will call upon me, as soon as he re- spect so estimable and so highly turns, that we may talk of you.† I esteemed. She accompanied him rejoice to find that you like your neigh in thought, however, amongst his bourhood so well I sincerely wish you to surmise all that you desire to see in new engagements, and rejoiced my breast, all that is friendly and affectionate to you and your family, and be fully satisfied that all is there engraved. I have been made very happy by the good accounts I have received of you and yours: you have done a great deal for one year, and done all well.SIn the same year, the present I like the account you give me of your writer being engaged in compiling self and your daughter's occupations in the garden. By the bye, I shall hope the Memoirs of Dr. Paley, anxi. to hear from my young friend, and also ously sought the assistance of to see her in the spring. long to Mrs. Jebb, and shall not readily see all your alterations and improvements, as I dare say they all are; but, forget the alacrity with which she alas! that would be too great a treat for entered into the spirit of his en. me.**-My nerves would not now bear quiry, and endeavoured to recal a balloon, though I once thought I her scattered thoughts upon the could have ventured, if it would have answered any good purpose.++-As for subject, though in a very feeble He was at once your doing the work of ten years in state of health. one, your friend must at least have seen proud and happy in being able to that the Devil had nothing to do with record her testimony to the me it, as his work is to destroy and lay waste, not to build, improve, and beau- rit of so eminent a man, from tify.tt-I have been more than usually whom no difference of character silent of late, but I do assure you, my or sentiment could alienate her thoughts have been more than ever with well founded esteem. Amongst you. I have attended you in your improvements, have been with Miss Dis. the extracts then made from her ney in her green-house, and even with correspondence, for the most part your cook in her new cottage; and if foreign to the present work, there is one passage so striking and so characteristic, that no apology can be necessary for its insertion 6th Feb. 1805. YOL. VII. I + 26th Feb. 4B * 8th June, 1808. |