LORD  BYRON  and  his  TIMES
Byron
Documents Biography Criticism
The “Pope” of Holland House
John Whishaw to Thomas Smith, 14 April 1817
INTRODUCTION & INDEXES
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
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Preface
Contents
Introduction
Chapter I: 1813
Chapter II: 1814
Chapter III: 1815
Chapter IV: 1816
Chapter V: 1817
Chapter VI: 1818
Chapter VII: 1819
Chapter VIII: 1820
Chapter IX: 1821
Chapter X: 1822
Chapter XI: 1824-33
Chapter XII: 1833-35
Chapter XIII: 1806-40
Chapter XIV: Appendix
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April 14, 1817.

I have lately looked over the “Embassy to China” of Sir G. Staunton, and entirely agree with you that it is one of the most dull and pompous books existing. I am reading Van Braam’s account of the Dutch Embassy, made the following year, which, though not a lively work, is much more interesting than the former. Taking both accounts together, it seems to have been quite preposterous to send out Lord Amherst. Nothing better was to be expected than what actually took place, and it was almost as if Mr. Canning’s friend was to be provided with a sinecure Embassy as well as his master. The East India Company are understood to have been quite averse to the measure.

Philips is just come from Manchester and Scarlett from the Northern Circuit. They both agreed that Lancashire is remarkably quiet; and Scarlett is clear that the Manchester conspiracies were false alarms. One of the leading orators is a bricklayer’s labourer, lately a Methodist preacher, now a Spencean philosopher, and the people brought to
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Manchester Riots
London and examined day after day at Lord Sidmouth’s1 office are of the lowest class of society. No books or papers have been found, and it is thought they have no evidence sufficient to bring them to trial. Many, indeed, have been discharged both at Manchester and Chester. Indeed, the form of the commitments were perfectly ludicrous: “For that they, together with other ill-disposed persons, amounting to five thousand, combined together and conspired to proceed from Manchester to London for the purpose of presenting a seditious petition to the Prince Regent, &c.”2