Lady Morgan’s Memoirs
Henry Colburn to Sir Thomas Charles Morgan, [12? January 1838]
My dear Sir,
I was very much disconcerted on having pointed out to me
a day or two ago, a passage in the diary about Queen
Caroline, which refers in a very bad spirit to Lady Morgan. Unfortunately, the work was never properly examined by me,
having been hastily published the moment it was finished at press.
On enquiring how it was that the passage came to be
overlooked by the reviser, I am told it
was thought that the note at the foot of the page was considered as a perfect
refutation of the unjust and ill-natured remarks. I need not say that if I had
been made aware of them, and had had time to give them proper consideration, I
should certainly not have allowed them to appear, and I will now cancel them
with great pleasure, if you wish it, being anxious to do everything that is
honourable towards Lady Morgan, with whom it
gives me great pleasure to be again on the most friendly terms.
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With my best compliments and apologies to Lady Morgan and yourself, I beg to remain,
Dear Sir,
Yours very faithfully,
PS. I had not either the least knowledge that such a
person as Lady Holland was alluded to
in the book, and few others would have been aware of it, had not Colonel Webster made it public, and acted
against my advice, very urgently given, of submitting first to Lord Holland the letter he sent to the Literary
Gazette.
H. C.
Queen Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1768-1821)
Married the Prince of Wales in 1795 and separated in 1796; her husband instituted
unsuccessful divorce proceedings in 1820 when she refused to surrender her rights as
queen.
Henry Colburn (1785-1855)
English publisher who began business about 1806; he co-founded the
New
Monthly Magazine in 1814 and was publisher of the
Literary
Gazette from 1817.
Elizabeth Fox, Lady Holland [née Vassall] (1771 c.-1845)
In 1797 married Henry Richard Fox, Lord Holland, following her divorce from Sir Godfrey
Webster; as mistress of Holland House she became a pillar of Whig society.
Henry Richard Fox, third baron Holland (1773-1840)
Whig politician and literary patron; Holland House was for many years the meeting place
for reform-minded politicians and writers. He also published translations from the Spanish
and Italian;
Memoirs of the Whig Party was published in 1852.
John Galt (1779-1839)
Scottish novelist who met Byron during the first journey to Greece and was afterwards his
biographer; author of
Annals of the Parish (1821).
Henry Vassall Webster (1793-1847)
The second son of Godfrey Webster and Elizabeth Vassall (afterwards Lady Holland); a
military officer, he was aide-de-camp to the Prince of Orange at Waterloo. He died a
suicide.
