Life of Henry Reeve, vol 2 | Page 3

forgetfulness,
to express to you the very high gratification Mrs. Reeve and myself
derived from your most kind reception of us at Bowood, and I am sure
we shall always retain the liveliest recollection of this most agreeable
visit. But, in truth, I waited till something should occur which might
have the good fortune to interest you, and I think the accounts I
continue to receive from France, on the present threatening aspect of
affairs, may be of that nature. M. Guizot says to me, in a letter of the
23rd inst.:--
'Jusqu'à ces jours derniers je n'y voulais pas croire. J'essaye encore d'en

douter; mais c'est difficile. Ce sera un exemple de plus des guerres
faites par embarras de ne pas les faire bien plus que par volonté de les
faire. Je suis porté à croire que l'Empereur Napoléon serait charmé de
ne plus entendre parler de l'Italie; mais pour cela il faudrait qu'il n'y eût
plus d'assassins italiens, plus de Roi de Sardaigne, plus de cousins à
marier, plus de brouillons révolutionnaires à contenter. Aujourd'hui, et
malgré toutes les paroles contraires, il me paraît probable que ces
causes de guerre prévaudront sur la modération naturelle, sur le goût du
repos voluptueux, sur l'avis des conseillers officiels, et sur le sentiment
évident du public. Que fera l'Allemagne? Le tiendra-t-elle unie? Là est
la question. L'Angleterre y peut certainement beaucoup. Je ne vois plus
que là une chance pour le maintien de la paix.'
These words are so remarkable, coming from a man whose disposition
is ever so much more sanguine than desponding, that I have quoted
them at length.
We have all been greatly touched by the close of Mr. Hallam's most
honourable, useful, and I may say illustrious life. [Footnote: He died on
January 21st, 1859.] It so chanced that my sister-in-law, Helen
Richardson, who has been to him a second daughter for the last few
years, came up from Scotland on Thursday [January 20th]. On Friday
she went down with Mrs. Cator to see him. He perfectly knew her, and
seemed charmed to see her again; but before she left his bed-side the
light flickered in the socket, and he expired a short time afterwards in
their presence, conscious and without pain to the last. I thought the
notice of him in the 'Times' of Monday very pleasing, and was inclined
to attribute it to David Dundas, but I know not whether I am right....
I remain always
Your obliged and faithful
H. REEVE.
From Lord Clarendon _The Grove, January 26th_.--I am much obliged
to you for M. Guizot's letter, [Footnote: Apparently that of January
23rd, quoted in the previous letter to Lord Lansdowne.] which Miladi

and I have read with interest, as one always does everything he writes. I
showed it to G. Lewis and C. C. G., feeling sure you would have no
objection. It is impossible not to agree in his gloomy view of things. It
must be owned that the position the Emperor has made for himself is
one of extreme difficulty. His _idée dominante_ has been how to pacify
Italian conspirators by bringing away his army from Rome, without
having the Pope's throat cut or letting in an Austrian garrison there; and
he determined that driving the Austrians out of Italy was the
indispensable preliminary step. He was urged to do this and to think it
easy both by Russia and Sardinia; and we may be sure that the
Sardinians would not have committed themselves as they have done,
and incurred such inconvenient expense, if they had not received
promises of active support. How would it be possible then for L. N. to
recede? Cavour would show him up, and fresh daggers and grenades
would be prepared for him. I look upon war, therefore, as certain. We
have only to hope that Austria may continue to act prudently, and not
furnish the cause of quarrel which her enemies are looking for, and
which might turn against her those who, for decency's sake, wish to
remain neutral; and next, that Germany may be united by a sense of
common danger. This may tend to limit the area of the war; but
altogether it is a deplorable _gâchis_, out of which L. N. can no more
see his way than anyone else.
From Lord Brougham _Cannes, January 26th_.--I must throw myself
and the cause of law amendment on your kindness, under a great evil
which has befallen us. The 'Quarterly Review,' under Mr. Elwin, was so
favourably disposed to law reform as to resolve upon inserting a full
discussion of the subject on the occasion of Sir E. Wilmot's volume on
my 'Acts and Bills;' and Bellenden Ker had undertaken it, and was, as a
law reformer and as, under Cranworth, in office as consolidation
commissioner,