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article . . He had five ehildren- > -ifour sons , John , . Thomas , ( Francis , Charles , and . a daughter , called Elizabeth . Two of these sons , John and Francis , established themselves , under tue firm of John and Francis Baring , at London , originally -with a view of facilitating tbeii father ' s trade in disposing of his goods , and so as to be in a position to import the raw material to be required , such as ' wool , dye-stuffs , &c , themselves directly from abroad . Thus was-established 'the house which—after the withdrawal of the elder brother John , who'retired to Kxeter- —gradually , under the firin-narne of Francis Baring and Go ., and eventually , . under the firm-name of Baring , Brothers and Co ., rose to the highest rank of mercantile eminence in the commerce of the world . u Sir'Francis , who , . under the Ministry of the Count Shelburn , father of the present Marquis of Lansdowne , had become his intimate friend and adviser in financial matters , having in the-year 1793 received the title of Baronet , was already styled by the latter the Prince of Merchants . ' He had become somewhat feeble and very deaf when I first got personally acquainted with him . On the . occasion of one of my visits to him , he told ane that lie had kept at . his business for thirty years before he considered himself entitled to keep sin orminncrA . "TTnnn Another occasionwhen I sDoke to him of mv uroiect- in establishing
, myself in New Orleans , after the termination of my mission , he remarked , ' Usually , my young friend ,-that commission , business is the beat-in . which the commissions take this direction '—Jierehe . iuade a motion with . his hands , . as if throwing something towards him—* but -where the business goes thus , I '—^ motioni ng as if be was throwing somethiug from him < This amounted to saying , in other words , that receiving consignments was a better business than executing commissions . Three of his sons , Thomas , Alexander , and Henry , entered the London establishment ; but the first ,-who was intended to have carried on the father ' s name , after the death of the latter , on the 12 th of September , 1810 , assumed the name of Sir Thomas , and-withdrew from the chouse , as . the third also fuund occasion , to do at a later period . The latter -was passionately fond of ; play , and indulged in it with so much success , that he several times broke ' Entreprise ¦ Generate Des Jeux , ' of Paris . But the sight of one of the heads of such a house , one night after another , in the great gambling establishments , produced a'bad effect ; and even if it did not impair his credit , it in no slight degree damaged his respectability . Tiiis was felt at head-quartersj-and an understanding was come tofor his withdrawal from the -firm . .
" . iA . IejtanderJBa . ruig , the second son . of Sir Francis , had received aportion of his education in , Hauau , had then completed it in England , and commenced his mercantile career in the house of Messrs . Hope , where a friendship sprung up between him and Mr . P . C . Labonchere , which led to the latter ' marriage , at a later period , with his sister , Maria Baring . When the Messrs . Hope retired to England , in consequence ' -of-the occupation of'Holland by the revohitioaary \ French army , under Pichegrue , and . after Alexander 'BatingJiad left ihe House ,. he determined . to visit the United States of North America , j&t his , departure , Lis father confined his advice to -two especial recommendations ,. one of which , was to purchase zio . uncultivated land , and .. the other not to marry a wife there : ' Because ^ ' said he , ' uncultivated lands can be more readily bought J tban sold again ; and a wife is best suited to the home in which she-was raised , and cannot be formeuLor trained a second time , ' 'How- - . ever , Alexander Jiad . not passed one year . in the United States before he forgot , both branches of . 'his father ' s advice . ; Not only did . he purchase large tracts of land in ; the western part of the State of . PennsylYania , ; and lay out a not inconsiderable capital ( 100 , 000 dols . at least ) la the then District and now State of Maine , and that too under the annexed condition of
bringing a number of settlers thither within a certain term of years , but also , in 17 & 8 , when just twemfcy-four years of age , / he married Anna , the eldest daughter of Mr . William . JJinghar o , ( in Philadelphia , who was at that time considered the richest man in the United States , naud was then-a member of the Senate . The inheritance he had to thank her for m at the . deatlx of her father , amounted to 900 , 000 dols . She bore him nine children of . which seven are still living . The eldest of these , called William Bingham , after his grandfather , is the present Lord Ashburton , and lias reached the age of fifty-tree . His wife is a Lady Sandwich , and their marriage-has remained childless . After his death , his title , alon « with'the greater part of . his fortune , . will pass to the second son , Francis ,-who is married to . adaugbter . of the I ) uke Bassano , , a . fonner ' State Secretary of Napoleon . This gentleman usually resides at Paris , and is the eldest head of the London house , inthe manageimmt of whose business , however , he seldom takes any active part . He has two sons . Tbe favourite from the first , of his father and-mother , botli title and fortune will pass entirely according-to theirwishes , into the hands of him-who in their eyes deserved the preference . ' ' In 1-822 , Wolte is at Paris . He tells us of his interview with Lafitte , the Paris banker r—
• "I had more or less ' extensive connections with all the great bankers of Paris , except Jacques Lafitte , who , aa . a native Frenchman—he came from Bayonne—kept himself at the head of the others , whowcro mostly Swiss . A very pressing letter of introduction , from AlexanderBaring himself , naade me at length acquainted with him . He was then owner . of the former . Hotel de TEmpire , and had his various offices on the ground floor . His own counting-room -was in a great hall , where , upon a very broad dais of mahogany , four steps high , stood his huge writing-desk . Before him , at the foot of the dais , were some twenty arm-chairs , in half circle ; behind him , right and left , a dozen speaking tubes in the hall sorved . as meana of communication with the heads of tho various departments . which composed his . establishment . ^ Tlie-arrangements . were princely . As I entered 1 found most of tuesarm-ohairs filled by . exchange brokers , I mounted the four stops , and presented to the chief of this gathering my letter . of introduction , which , after a glanco at its contents , ho laid behind him , and'grnciouslywaived mo to one of tho empty chairs . After some minutes awordwaswliisiperedintooneof 4 hc speaking tubes , and a clork appeared from within , to whonvftlr . Lafitte gave my letter , and then beckoned to me . With all due reverence I drew
near lus . mercantilo majesty , and received h-om his own mouth , a polite invitation to visit him on . next Sunday , at the Maison aur Seine , a country-seat which he had just purchased from Government , and which Louia XIV . hud built . " ' Come early , ' ho said , ' and wo will talk at our case , while-promenading in tho park . ' I made my appqarar . ee on Sunday , about three o ' clock ,-was ' received by the steward ,-and shown into tho reception rooms , library , billiard room , , saloon v &c , after which I was told that I / would find M . Lalltto walking iatho park . Thereupon I . took . for my companion an elderly Englishman ,-who appeared to bo boring himself in the library . We soon mot tho master of tho house , in company with two very simply-dressod , well-mannered Englishmen , one of whom wore something then unusual in French society—a summor costunuy white tinning trousers , lino cotton stockings , nnd shoes . JJotli spoke I'rench . well . The ¦ ¦ perfection of 'English cotton manufactures appeared to be tho topic of conversation ; and wheniwo returned to the house I had . decided that . the two gentlemen w » re , gr "« at Munoliester spiunera . M . ¦ JLantte , aa usual , led tha . conversation , as tUaJPreach say , il ttnait In come ; that is , he apoko out whatsoever caino into his head , interrupting others , and starting countless topics that had nothing to do with the matter in hand . On reaching tho drawing-rooms-we found Mndaino Lantto , with her only daughter , iwtho I ' rincossdola JMoslcown , and soverrtl ¦ gontlemon , most of them opposition deputies tovi 1 Jtmuui
7 """ - ~ -. •« ., » . »••«*••{ , .. .... VW . JU .. H , nun in .. vnmiJIUOHli . tOWHOmivl . JUUHCLO » ntwdufiod , mc , , yBreonftlly . At tablo ona of tho Jinglislunon was placed at Madnmo Laiitto '« Wght hand , the , other at her husband ' s . I concluded , by this distribution of tho places of honour , that they must bo , probably , owners of aoveriil groat cotton factories , with enormous credits at LnfittoV ) , -which regulated the proportion of hia groat politeness to them . M / . Lutitto , > TYlu > s <> talkativeness hud uayot found no obstuelo . rattled « wny . Ho told a croat dcalabout tho ' ihundreddaya , ' « nd aaid ho had novor ttdralrod Napoleon ; and that during thottiino . whon > Uo was daily sent for , and consulted hy the emperor , ho hud learnod to know him well , and had discovered that ho possessed tho art of making hiuwolf popular in tho highest degree . Mlo wa » (^ uito conlidontiiil with mu , ' said Lulitto , ' spoko wuhmt . any retmonco , nnd ^ nco made to n » o n . notivblo remark about our nation . "The French , " ho bm ' ilL are a IjcoplQ whom oho must know how to Rovorn with arms of iron , but with velvot , Slovea . Myreftdera . muy have heard thia ; but a remark which full from tho lip 3 of K r L ? ) tlO 8 , ?« f » t i « ud nckUbour ia newer . ' Klghl , said lu > , ' it i » so—but ho very f ! uZ 3 i ^ h H 8 J ? - Thi « wua bo true , and « o iipropos , that nil who I , OWU ft fn mv «» ,. i , Ii \ i wkod ln , y noxt " «>« hboMr who tho witty Runtloinnn was , mid lo . vnc . l , ^ m 7 « n ! ZS . Wd B ° rS . " ° ^ * P ° ' llmn th ° « lubr ' Munmwof Lun » domio , hi , tLn' ^ mltUm Ti !! ' ^ " ^ , OIui ! UWl 1 llia « lttco » ruing , and diapluyod flroat powor of roUining 1 111 iS Z- J' ? KWoatt " » ° «> wny » h « d a little cfrolo round Aim wlaoUl juiuud tliemoru wilUpfi ly boc > uw ifc g « vo mo . Au o » o » tuuHy to ob « urvo tho roiniirliaUo aupcrlurily of mi
English parliamentary speaker , like iLord Lansdowne , over a French fuiseur de discaters aud pln-ase-liunter . Lafitte , in bis attempts to develop and render comprehensible the uae and method of the French Chamber of Deputies , met with constant difficulties intheanswers and remarks of his English listener . ' Faire preuve de capacity , ' said he , ' e ' est le premier devoir d ' un deputd quand il s ' agit de parler . ' The simple answer of the marquis was , ' Oliezs nous on ne preiid la parole que pour poasser a la roue et avaneer les affdires—to do the business of the nation—comnae nous disons ea AnglaLs . ' " The next anecdote is not new , bu £ deserves repeating : — " Chantrey was a farmer ' s son , and had studied painting in his youth , but with no great . success . At a family feast , where his mother wished to regale her guests with a . pasty , Jie conceived tlie idea of moulding a . hen in dough , and putting it on the top of the pasty . This hen was Lis golden egg-laying goose , for it commencad that fortune which grew before his death to L 5 , 000 J . per annum . The fowl was so exquisitely natural , that the fame of ifc spread far and wide , and Chantrey , after several other attempts , recognised bis proper vocation to be that of a sculptor , and went to London . Here he earned a poor livelihood by portrait painting , and at last saved enough to procure a little sculptor ' s studio . He then went to ceiebratan
cue . . -ilorne looke , who had broken a stout lance witn Junius , andhad been prosecuted by Pitt as a demagogue and public disturber , and obtained from him several . sittings . When the bust was finished , Chantrey had not money enough to cast it in plaster ; bub he got it at last , and took the bust to the sculptor Nollekens-, at that time at the head of the art world in London . He was too late , however , for the exhibition . Though a man of cool phlegmatic temperament , Chantrey was ' cruelly disappointed . ' ' Let us see what you , have here , ' said Nollekens , and Chantrey uncovered the bust . At the first glance , Ifollelens started with amazement . ' What ! ' he cfied , ' is that your first work ? ' Scarcely had Chantrey said yes , when be added , ' Well , it is too perfect to be kept from the public , * and though thfl exhibition was full , Nollekens took back one of his own works , and ^ placed the ticket upon Tooke ' s bust and the bust in the exhibition . The consequences were unexampled , but well meiited . I have seen it fifty times , and always with fresh pleasure ; for it bore the namistakeable stamp of Truth , and " to all who had seen Took or not , it appeared like a living being , who would answer if addressed . Before the forty days of exhibition , were over , Chantrey told me he had received orders for 500 OJ . worth of busts . "
In 1837 , Nblte has an interview with . Queen Victoria , and gets . into sad trouble thereby . lie had determined to do a favour to " a very worthy young artist , " as he calls him , Mr . Henry Weeks , who wished to make a medallion portrait of the Queen . This honour Nolte was resolved to procure for him . He succeeded , and here is the result : — - _ u She gave him three sittings , and this bust , the first of the Queen , was a real masterpiece , and obtained a great deal of attention at the Exposition of 1838 . I had suggested to Weeks to fasten up the great quantity of back hair which the Queen wore on the back of her head , and to replace the comb by a small crown . The suggestion was successful , and pleased everybody ; particularly her Majesty , when she first saw the bust . - The medallion , portrait was also successful , and the plate taken from it by Bogardus' ' self-acting tracer , ' was the finest , specimen . of art that had yet appeared . Neither GoUas ' machine , ; nor the Stiffly moving one of Bates , had . the soft weir formed lines of Bogardus' iuventiba . 'whicb , imitated the best productions of Kapbael Morgher . * ' The Baroness Lehzen had procured permission for me to present some twenty copies of this to her-Majesty , and Weeks and myself were requested to come to Buckingham . Piilace . I could . not avoid remarking that all persons seemed to have a very favourable impression ia reference to the Queen's personal appearance , and that the usual answers to any interrogations on tliat subject were , —< she is most beautiful—you never saw the like . ' .
'' On my arrival . at Windsor , I was sent into a room , where the baroness soon came jn her riding dress , with the skirt thrown over her arm . " ' -Ah I * she said , you are there . I will tell her Majesty . You will not have to wait long . ' " Sho had just returned from accompanying the Queen in a ride . In a little while I heard a rustle , ani said to myself , ' In a moment the Majesty oi England will stand before thine eyes . ' " The door opened , and a young lady , with a couple of heavy locks fallen about her tace , entered liastily , followed by the baroness and two ladies of honour . The Queen entered suddenly , and evidently without premeditation , and went directly to the bust which was placed on lather too lofty a pedestal , and repeated two or three times , ' It is very fine . ' " Her Majestythen came to me , who had opened a handsome portfolio , containing the engravings . She was astonished at the relief ; lifted one of them , and turned it to sea if it were not embossed . ' ¦
" I had prepared answers to expected questions on the nature of the machine , bat , in & moment , she gave me a nod , and Weeks another , and with one moiq glance at her bast departed , followed'by a lady of honour . The other lady , Lady Carolino Cavendish , and the baroness remained , and having . somowhat critically examined the engravings , asked me-a great many questions . Then the baroness inquired if it were my iiitentioiv . to get tho portraits of other European sovereigns . I answered yes ; and mentioned tho J £ ing of the Belgians as the next , because I knew that ho was her friend and patron , aud had procured her her post near the Queen . "As 1 returned from , the castle , I met with Mr . Fozard , the Queen ' a riding master ; with whom 1 had become acquainted . on my former visits to Windsor , who entered into a lively conversation with me in reference to her Majesty , narrating several anecdotes , calculated to illustrate her natural buoyancy of spirits and unaffected simplicity of heart , when released from the trammels and restraints ot her royal position . " Mr . Fozard seemed justly proud of having been the Queen ' s equestrian preceptor ; and
spoke highly and'even enthusiastically of her Majesty s manner of riding , and stated that he had seen but few ladies who , in his opinion , wore more graceful and more dexterous in the management of their high-bred stecda . " In tlio Court News appeared a short notice of the honour her Majesty haddono mqi ; anji I saw no result , save a good ono , from it all . Nevertheless , two days afterwards I was arrested in my house , in Kdgeware-road , at the suit of Duke Charlos of Brunswick . I had taken a contract from his companion , Baron Andiau , for sabretaches , sword and bayonet shouths , and kuapsaclcs ; for which the duke had paid 60 , 000 francs on account , and had promised to pay nil within two months . This contract was not fuWilled , and tho belligerent duko instantly commenced a suit , without a word of advice to me . The question was , simply , whether I w « s bound by tho whole contract before the duke had fulfilled } iU part ; but ho was fond of lawsuits , as his numerous cases in England proved .
" I had hitherto lived unsued , and this ona only , served to complete my distress . So eoon as Baron Andiau heard of . this , suit , ho brought mo 8000 l ' mnos . out of 10 ^ 000 which hud not boon paid . in , tho above-named sum of 50 , 001 ) , and said that tlio . agent in tho . traus't action would bo accountable for tho other 2000 . Tha baron had served tho duAca as long as the unworthy nature of tho latter would permit , but thcro wore other grounds fpr tlioir separation , which took pluco soon after . Ho now brought mo back tho money , for foar of certain possible expositions , which would have lost him tho duko ' s confidence . Tho oasa was decided uguinut mo , and I . was condemned to pt \ y back tho whole sum , without regard to thu fket that I had expended 80 , 000 francs in tlio contract . There should have- heun an appeal , but my clerk , whom I loft in 1 'iuis , on my journey to Homo , bccjiik how dUlicultiea woro thronging about me , lost his head , ami did nothing , except soil all tho aliwahs aijd knapsacks that luvu heon bought for about hull' their coat . I was utterly holnlesa on my return from Koine , and was nearly penniless wliou I wont to England . " Of eourao I could , do nothing without money . Tho duko hail sworn in London to my
indebtedness , anil that uuflicod to put inu in prison . Ho know my elrounistniicos poHectly well " , and although ussuruil that my iinpii .-ioiiiiiont would nut proouru restitution <» hw advances , yet hia evil nature forbailo him to bo kind to any ono whom ho had m hid powor . I Uwmod , too , that lie was angry bwmuso tho Qiicon hud rocx-imi me , wliilo Jio was lorbidden tho oourt for ever . 1 could havu got ton bail , but was uimlilu to pay a lawyer , and bo I determined to boar my fato uh it caino . I had two *«««<»»« lor tJlia - l'lrot , . tint tho House of Commons wua tlioa occupied with tlm . mention of imprisonment lor debt , und everybody was waitimr for tlio uwik of their dulibonilioii * j anil weeund , that , my honest friend Kmanucl Bernoulli , then nuiiloul in London , www lit hopes of arranging mutlwd wuh thu duko ' ti uolicitor . , . ., . TT " My old friend iiieginoiiu Bllcker dlaoovoro . l my whonmbouts by ucculont . Ho oamo to « eo in-. ' , und nroiuwcd to « ct mo the ' Jlbiu-iied , ' naiuoly , lour eiiuaro miluH about tbo prison
Untitled Article
Auausg 12 , 1854 . ] THE LEADER , ? m
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 12, 1854, page 763, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2051/page/19/
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