JET. 36.] EUROPEAN CRISIS. 95 



ably be soon cleared of the French, and Hamburg and 

 the garrisons, Dantzic, &c., must fall. Wellington has 

 met, I apprehend, with more resistance than he looked 

 for, for it certainly was his intention to attack Bayonne 

 immediately. It even seems upon the cards that 

 something should happen to Bonaparte himself; but 

 what the Austrians would then do is another question ; 

 and it seems pretty clear that Bernadotte won't attack 

 France. He may be speculating on something leading 

 to his own succession, in which case he of course must 

 keep aloof from all invasions. Our Carlton House wise- 

 acres continue to abuse him, calling him the Sergeant, 

 and saying he was once flogged for stealing, &c. &c. 

 They deride the notion of peace while Bonaparte 

 lives, and speak of a new declaration of peace by 

 Louis XVIII. (By the way, what a good thing of it 

 that old gentleman would have were he restored, 

 without anything like a party to back him, and all 

 the property, places, and commands in the hands of 

 his enemies !) 



The person who is now at the head of affairs in 

 Holland, Mr Von Hogendorp, is one of the best and 

 ablest men I ever knew. He is a particular friend of 

 mine, and constant correspondent ; and Lord Liverpool 

 and his colleagues will probably now repent of having 

 turned a deaf ear to all the complaints which he made 

 to them, through me, of the confiscation of his colony 

 at the Cape by Baird and Popham.^ I never could 



* Gilbert Charles, Count of Hogendorp, born 1762, died 1834. It is 

 mentioned in the usual histories and biographies that lie lost a consider- 

 able private fortune through the capture of the Cape of Good Hope. 

 He was active in the restoration of the house of Orange, while his 

 brother, General Hogendorp, was intrusted by Napoleon with the govern- 

 ment of Hamburg, when Davoust commanded the garrison during the 

 memorable siege. 



