"Pray," Continues Lord Edward, "Write To Uncle Richmond, I Would Write
If There Was Time, But I Have Only Time To Fill Up This."
Tom Moore adds, that the plan of Lord Edward's route through the woods
was forwarded from Quebec to the Duke of Richmond, by Mr. Hamilton
Moore, in a letter dated Quebec, May 22nd, 1789, this letter closes
with the following:
- "Lord Edward has met with the esteem and
admiration of all here."
In a subsequent epistle to Mr. Ogilvie, his step-father, dated
"Quebec, 12th April, 1789," Lord Edward mentions the death of the
Lieut.-Governor of Quebec (Major Patrick Bellew). "It is a place of
L1,600 a year, and I think would do well for Charles. The day before
he died I was in treaty for his Lieut.-Colonelcy in the 44th
Regiment."
Later, on 4th May, 1789, he writes from Montreal, and speaks
gratefully of the open-handed hospitality extended to him, and of the
kind lady friends he met at Quebec. (Page 67.)
Alas! generous youth, what foul fiend, three year later, inspired you,
with Tom Paine as your adviser, to herd at Paris with the regicide crew,
and howl the "Carmagnole" and "Ca Ira," with the hideous monsters who
revelled in blood under the holy name of liberty?
Again, one follows the patriotic Irish nobleman, in 1793, plighting his
faith to a lovely and noble bride, Pamela Sims, the youthful daughter of
the Duke of Orleans, by Madame de Genlis.
A few short years and the ghastly phantom of death, in a dismal prison, in
the dearly loved land of his birth, spreads a pall over what might have
been to his unfortunate country, a career full of honour. Alas! brave,
noble Edward! Poor, pretty little Pamela, alas!
The Castle had its sunshine and its shadows. Many still survive to tell of
an impressive, and gloomy pageant. On the 4th September, 1819, previous to
their transfer to the chancel of the Anglican Cathedral, were exposed in
state in the Chateau, the mortal remains of the late Governor-General, His
Grace Charles Gordon Lennox, Duke of Richmond, Lennox and Aubigny, who, on
the 28th August, 1819, had died of hydrophobia.
The revolving wheel of time ushers in, with his successor, other actors,
and other scenes. One likes to recall the presence there of a graceful and
noble Chatelaine, his daughter, Lady Sarah Lennox, the devoted wife of the
administrator of the Government of Lower Canada, Sir Peregrine Maitland,
"a tall, grave officer, says Dr. Scadding, always in military undress, his
countenance ever wearing a mingled expression of sadness and benevolence,
like that which one may observe on the face of the predecessor of Louis
Philippe, Charles the Tenth," whose current portraits recall, not badly,
the whole head and figure of this early Governor of Upper Canada.
"In an outline representation which we (Dr. Scadding) accidentally
possessed, of a panorama of the battle of Waterloo, on exhibition in
London, the 1st Foot Guards were conspicuously to be seen, led on by
'Major General Sir Peregrine Maitland.'" [38]
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 67 of 451
Words from 34959 to 35473
of 236821