Memoirs of the Life and Correspondence of Henry Reeve, C.B., D.C.L. Part 50

The effect of our visits to both Italy and Spain has been--especially in the case of the latter country--remarkably gratifying. The presence of a son of the Queen was evidently taken as a compliment by Italians and Spaniards of all cla.s.ses. Barcelona, Cartagena, and Malaga are notoriously anti-monarchical in sentiment. Yet in every one H.R.H. had a most flattering reception. The enthusiasm of the populace at Cartagena was fully equal to any shown by an English crowd for any popular royal personage.

People may say what they like, but the advantages to the country of having a prince in the position held by the Duke are considerable. The friendliness of the Italians is striking; and I am confident the feelings of Spaniards of all cla.s.ses are more favourable to England than they have been for half a century. We hear now that we are to go on to Cadiz, where a maritime exhibition is to be opened this month; and it is understood that this extension of our cruise is at the request of the Spaniards themselves.

I have visited Spanish ports often before now, and never noticed any friendliness towards us. Should the necessity of looking for allies arise, it is nearly certain that both Italy and Spain would be disposed to range themselves on our side. It will be a pity if diplomatic bungling occurs to alter this satisfactory condition of things....

Pray give my kind remembrances to Mrs. Reeve.

Yours sincerely,

CYPRIAN A. G. BRIDGE.

It has been seen that for some years back Reeve had been occasionally thinking of retiring from his post of Registrar. The near completion of fifty years' service revived the notion, and his illness at Wiesbaden, following an earlier attack in April, confirmed it. When his mind was once made up, the rest was a matter of detail. The Journal notes:--

_August 10th_.--Taxed costs and wound up business at the Council Office for the last time again; but went there again on October 11th.

_12th_.--To Foxholes, where fever and bad fit of gout came on; I was very unwell till September 3rd.

_21st_.--My dog Sylvia [Footnote: A collie, so called after her donor, M.

Sylvain van de Weyer. A brother of hers belonged to the Queen.] died. A fond and faithful companion of sixteen years.

_September 5th_.--Mr. G. H. Dorrell came as my secretary, and I dictated an article on foreign affairs.

_From Mr. C. L. Peel_ [Footnote: Clerk of the Council in succession to Sir Arthur Helps. Now Sir Charles Peel.]

56 Eccleston Square, October 5th.

My Dear Reeve,--I was so taken aback by your announcement to-day, that I really could not find words in which to express the sincere regret with which I heard it. You are so thoroughly identified in my mind with the Council Office, and I am so much indebted to you for advice and a.s.sistance during the last twelve years, that I shall feel quite lost when I can no longer rely upon the experience, judgement, and kindness which have hitherto been available to me in any difficulty.

I only trust that by relieving yourself in good time from the ties of office, you may enjoy a long spell of happy and active retirement, which you have so well earned, and into which you will be followed by the best wishes of all you leave behind. Believe me always,

Yours most sincerely,

C. L. PEEL.

It appears from the Journal that the resignation was not officially made till some days later.

_October 24th_.--I resigned the Registrars.h.i.+p of the Privy Council, which I had held, as Clerk of Appeals and Registrar, since November 17th, 1837. The rest of the year at Foxholes.

At the sitting of the Judicial Committee on November 2nd, Sir Barnes Peac.o.c.k formally announced to the Bar the resignation of the Registrar, and after briefly mentioning the dates of his service as Clerk of Appeals since 1837 and Registrar since the creation of the office in 1853, he went on:--

'It is unnecessary to state to the Bar the manner in which the duties of that office have been performed by Mr. Reeve. He is not present to-day. He has been prevented, I believe, by the state of his health, from travelling to London. Their Lords.h.i.+ps are sorry that he is not present, that they might personally bid him farewell. They have given me, as the oldest member of the Judicial Committee now present, the privilege of expressing and recording their deep sense of the loss which must be sustained, both by the Judicial Committee and the public, by being deprived of the valuable services of Mr. Henry Reeve. His long and varied experience, extending over a period of nearly half a century, his extensive knowledge, his great tact and the sound judgement which he brought to bear in the discharge of the duties of his office, render his retirement a serious loss both to the Judicial Committee and to the public. Their Lords.h.i.+ps could not allow Mr.

Reeve to depart from his office in silence. They trust that he may long enjoy in health and happiness that rest, relaxation, and repose which he has so fully and meritoriously earned, and to which he is so justly ent.i.tled. Many men retire from an arduous profession or office, and when they are relieved from the duties which they have for many years been called upon to discharge, sink into a state of _ennui_ and listlessness which are not conducive either to a long life or to health or happiness.

But their Lords.h.i.+ps feel sure that that will not be the case with Mr.

Henry Reeve. His literary and other congenial tastes and pursuits, and his industrious habits, will no doubt supply him with full employment for his still active and vigorous mind. In taking their leave of Mr. Henry Reeve on his departure from office their Lords.h.i.+ps will only add, 'Let honour be where honour is justly deserved.'

To this Mr. Aston, Q.C., replied, as the oldest member of the Bar present:--

'I refrain from attempting to add anything to what your Lords.h.i.+p has said, for fear that the feebleness of my addition might detract from the force of that which your Lords.h.i.+p has expressed. But I cannot help saying that, after having appeared at your Lords.h.i.+ps' Bar in this place for upwards of a quarter of a century, I have myself personally received, and I have seen the members of the Bar who have practised with me always receive, from Mr.

Reeve the utmost courtesy, attention, and a.s.sistance. We often have, my Lords, in practising before you, a difficult task to discharge. Our clients are not familiar with the practice of your Lords.h.i.+ps' Court, if I may use the term. But on all occasions Mr. Registrar Reeve has given the utmost a.s.sistance, and therefore I beg to say, on behalf of the Bar whom I venture to represent, that we cordially endorse all that your Lords.h.i.+p has said, and express our unfeigned regret that we shall no longer have the services of Mr. Reeve in your Lords.h.i.+ps' chamber.'

_To Mr. T. Norton Longman_

_Foxholes, November 4th._--I hope you saw the funeral oration Sir Barnes Peac.o.c.k p.r.o.nounced on me in the Privy Council. It is in the outer sheet of the 'Times' of Tuesday [Nov. 1st], and perhaps in some other papers; a very kind and handsome tribute; and it is pleasanter to have these things said when one is alive than when one is dead.

The notice in the 'Times' brought Reeve many letters from his friends; amongst others, the following:--

_From Lord Ebury_

_November 9th._--I see you are going to desert the Council altogether. I hope you will long enjoy the _otium_ which you have so worthily merited, and will have time to a.s.sist in extinguis.h.i.+ng Gladstone.

_From the Duc d'Aumale_

_Woodnorton, 15 novembre._--Je regrette d'apprendre que votre sante a ete si eprouvee.... Je suis toujours affligee de voir mes amis se retirer de la vie active; mais je comprends les motifs qui vous ont dicte votre demission....

Je suis si honteux de ce qui se pa.s.se en France que je n'ose pas vous en parler, et je me borne a vous serrer bien cordialement la main.

The Journal then notes:--

1888.--The year began at Foxholes. The Ogilvies there for three weeks. Came to London on January 3rd.

_February 4th._--Sir Henry Maine died at Cannes. A great loss.

_March 5th._--The railroad from Brockenhurst to Christchurch opened. Went down to the ceremony. Came back at 7 and dined with Millais to meet the Lord Chancellor. Mrs. Procter died.

_9th_--Emperor William of Germany died. Various dinners.

_April 10th._--Gladstone dined at The Club. Froude, Smith, Hewett, and Hooker there.

_27th_--Left London for Basle with Christine at 11 A.M. and arrived there, and thence, at Lucerne, on the 28th at 9 A.M. Capital journey.

From Lucerne they went on to Milan and Bologna and to Florence, which they reached on May 3rd, which they made their headquarters for the next three weeks, seeing all that was interesting in the city and the neighbourhood, and visiting Siena, Chiusi, Perugia, and a.s.sisi. Then to Spezia, Turin, Geneva, and to Paris on the 24th.

Meantime Reeve, having been proposed by St.-Hilaire, supported by the Duc d'Aumale, Jules Simon, and Duruy, as a foreign member of the Inst.i.tut de France, in succession to Sir Henry Maine, had been elected by a large majority on May 8th. He seems to have received the first news of this from the Duc d'Aumale, who wrote from Palermo on May 10th:--

Mon ancien maitre, confrere et ami, Duruy, m'ecrit que vous venez d'etre nomme a.s.socie etranger de son Academie par vingt-sept voix. C'est un beau succes dont je veux tout de suite me rejouir avec vous, en attendant que je puisse le faire de vive voix. Je compte etre le 20 de ce mois a Bruxelles, et diner avec le Club quelque jour du mois de juin.

The election had to be approved by the President of the Republic, and the result was not officially communicated till the 19th. It would seem that Reeve did not receive it till his arrival in Paris, and on the next day, May 25th, St.-Hilaire wrote:--

Demain je vous accompagnerai pour votre entree a l'Academie. Vous verrez que le ceremonial est des plus simples. Je vous presenterai specialement a M. Franck, qui, sur ma demande, a ete votre rapporteur, et qui a parle de vous en termes excellents.

From the Duc d'Aumale he received, a few days later:--

_Bruxelles, 31 mai._--Je ne doutais pas du bon accueil qui vous serait fait a l'Inst.i.tut, et je suis ravi d'en recevoir le temoignage par votre lettre.

Je voudrais bien pouvoir a.s.sister au diner du Club du 12 juin; mais j'en ai quelque doute, tandis que je crois etre certain, _Deo adjuvante_, de pouvoir m'a.s.seoir a notre table fraternelle le mardi 26. Je vous serre affectueus.e.m.e.nt la main.

On May 28th Reeve returned to London. The entries in the Journal are of little interest, but he noted:--

_June 12th._--At Lady Knutsford's, evening, met Lord and Lady Lansdowne, just back from Canada.

_15th_.--To Foxholes. The Emperor Fritz of Germany died. During the whole of his short reign, which lasted ninety-nine days, the most bitter quarrels went on about his medical treatment. It was a great tragedy.