little miss austin

When he first met Alice, she was just 2 years old, a little baby.He had a short vacation, so he hurried home to visit his parents and siblings.The little sister is unexpectedly cute. When Jane was born, he was only 20 months old. In fact, he didn’t remember what the little Jane looked like. The little sister made him clearly experience holding a little girl for the first time. how the little girl feels.

There are generally two types of relationship between brothers and sisters who are not familiar with each other, either indifference or unconditional pampering.Junior officers in the navy have no additional sources of income, except for the fixed allowances associated with their ranks, which are bonuses for participating in battles. Charles used the bonus he received for his first battle—30 pounds—to buy for his mother and sisters. Francis also used the prize money from his first battle—a little more than Charles—to buy some Oriental silk and French ribbons for his mother and sisters.Francis also bought an extra French doll for his little sister, and the little girl liked that doll very much.

Seeing Alice at the seaside hotel in Cadiz, Francis sighed that the little girl had grown up back then and was almost 20 years old.

Alice happily hugged her brother and introduced him to her companions.Young men saluted him and called him "Captain Austin."Among them, he had seen Ivo and Byron before, but Hobhouse had not. Grant had heard of the names, but had not seen them either.

After sitting down, they talked about the current situation in Cadiz.

"Marquis Richard Wesley is in Cadiz and he is the new ambassador to Spain," Francis said.

"Because of General Wesley?" asked Hobhouse.

"Yes, he arrived in August and has been busy coordinating the relationship between the Spanish army and Wesley's troops."

It is really a headache to fight together and the friendly forces are simply pig teammates.As the commander of the army, the most basic thing is to try to achieve the greatest victory with the least cost. General Wesley must avoid the failure of his predecessor John Moore. The domestic government has now sent tens of thousands of troops to participate in a war abroad. Very dissatisfied, he couldn't afford to fail.For this reason, the Marquis of Wesley did not hesitate to put aside his domestic political affairs and went to Spain to help his brother coordinate the relationship between allies to ensure his success.

——Sure enough, there are still brothers who are easy to handle. Thinking about it, I feel that having more children and more blessings still has a certain meaning.

Ivo asked Byron, "Would you like to visit the Marquess of Wesley?"

Byron shook his head and said lazily, "He doesn't like me. It just so happens that I don't like him either."

Alice looked at him.

Hobhouse explained to the Austin siblings, "Byron and William of the Wesleys were friends."

"Which William?" asked Francis. "William" is a very common boy's name. There are 5 brothers in the Wesley family, and there are many third generations.

"William Pol-Wesley. His father was the second Wesley." That was the Ambassador's brother, General Wesley's brother.

Then I understand, this William must be Byron's drinking buddy or something, and he is a prodigal son, so he doesn't like his uncles, and he doesn't even like his cronies.

Mr. Ambassador is not very popular in London society.He was born into an Irish-English aristocratic family, the son of the 4st Earl of Mornington, who on his death became the 5nd Earl of Mornington.He had four younger brothers who lived to adulthood, William Wesley (father of William Pol-Wesley), Arthur Wesley, Gerald Wesley, and Henry Wesley.The ambassador lived together for many years with a French actor, Accent Gabriel-Roland, and had 1794 children. He did not marry Accent until [-] and moved to London; Mrs. Accent could not enter London social circle, because she barely speaks English.

William Wesley served in the navy in his early years, then retired and ran for parliament.The Wesley family is a Tory party (Conservative Party) and is a political enemy of the Whig Party (Liberal Party) of Byron and Hobhouse.

At present, the British government is managed by the cabinet established by the Tory Party. At the end of 1783, King George III appointed the youngest prime minister in British history, William Pitt, who was only 24 years old at the time. At that time, people thought that he was a transitional acting prime minister. Unexpectedly, Pitt His tenure lasted 17 years and he did not leave office until 1801, but in 1804 William Pitt became Prime Minister again until his death in January 1806.

The Wesleys were supporters of Prime Minister Pitt, the Marquess of Wesley became Governor-General of India in 1797; William Wesley was Secretary of the Admiralty from 1807 to 1809 (boss of Francis's boss); Arthur Wesley in 1802 Was promoted to major general.

William Pitt claimed to be an "independent Whig party", but people regarded him as a Tory party. His political inclinations were relatively neutral. Later generations of political historians believed that his temperament was very un-British, withdrawn and too high-spirited.During his tenure, it was at the beginning of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, as well as the important period of the industrial revolution. He tried to balance the two political parties, vigorously develop the economy, and ensure that Britain's stable transition from the feudal system to the capitalist system did not occur. Concussion, later generations consider him to be one of the most outstanding prime ministers of Britain.

Warren Hastings admired the prime minister who was 27 years younger than him, and believed that Pitt was an outstanding leader; during his impeachment, Prime Minister Pitt expressed his support for him, and finally the House of Lords ruled against Hastings He was not found guilty of all the charges, and there must be a game of political factions and forces, which also expressed the Prime Minister's support for him from another aspect.

Hastings had no specific political leanings, neither did the Austins, the Austin men were not politically sensitive; Tom Lefroy leaned Whig in the House of Commons, but was actually Whig At this time, it was not a formal political party with a well-established system, so there was such a strange thing as William Pitt thinking that he was a Whig party.

Because Hobhouse had made it clear at this time that he was a member of the Whig Party and brought Byron into the Whig Party, they began to discuss their respective political leanings.

Francis believes that as long as it is beneficial to Britain, it is a good policy, regardless of whether he comes from the Tory or Whig cabinet; Alice basically agrees with her brother, thinking that it only needs to look at the effect. Prosperity and the well-being of the people are the primary considerations. With less strife, the country will be more prosperous and stronger.

Hobhouse first laughed at the naivety of the Austin brothers and sisters, and then quickly admitted that what Alice said is indeed a perfect form, although it is actually impossible to achieve; politicians do fight each other most of the time, but In the end, we will make progress gradually and do practical things that are beneficial to the people. This is the inevitability of historical progress.

Byron ridiculed the Tories below William Pitt one by one, thinking that politicians care too much about their own interests. Really speak for the people.Alice choked that he didn't know what the common people and even the poor needed and wanted, so stop mocking others.

Byron was a little embarrassed.

Grant knew nothing about British politics and didn't care, and his only interest in the British cabinet lay in some of the big expeditions supported by the British government.After the American War of Independence, Britain lost the rich eastern coastal area of ​​the North American continent. The climate in Canada was cold, and it was impossible to develop cotton and sugar cane plantations. Its economic value was far inferior to that of the eastern United States, so it was very anxious to find a new colony. , step up control of India.

He brought the conversation back to the new colony.

Then Alice said: "Pete should complete the bill to abolish slavery during his term. The 1807 Slave Trade Act could have become the '1806 Act' or the '1805 Act'." All the children of the Austin family obeyed their father's wishes and expressed their opposition to slavery.

Grant was a little embarrassed. After all, the United States is now the largest slave market, and there are thousands of slaves in Temple's estate and farm.His own black slaves were freed only when they arrived in England.

"And the 1807 Act was still too mild. It only abolished the slave trade in the British mainland and Upper Canada, and did not free the existing slaves." Alice added: "This means that slavery still exists."

Hobhouse agreed, "But you have to know why it took decades to just abolish the slave trade. This is because many nobles have made huge profits from the slave trade, and these vested interests will not be willing to take the initiative. Giving up huge profits. If it weren't for the fact that the opposition to the slave trade is now so loud, they wouldn't even think about giving up."

"So everything can be attributed to profit. As long as there is enough profit, they dare to sell anything."

"The world is cruel and real."

Then they discussed "human rights". The definitions of human rights are different. American Grant believes that there must be personal freedom first. Trade and slavery are indeed inhumane, backward and cruel, but he has no right to dispose of the family property, and he can't even manage his own slavery; Alice said that women's human rights are not guaranteed, first Not to mention the tragic fate of black female slaves, white free women do not have "personal freedom" even in the family, and married women do not have "divorce freedom" and "financial freedom"; both Ivo and Byron agree that women should enjoy the same rights as men. rights, but discussed for a while on the topic of "freedom to divorce".

Hobhouse believes that if women have the freedom to divorce, then the foundation of this society will be bad!Britain's divorce rate is set to soar.

"That's because many husbands are so shameless!" Alice glanced at Byron, "For example, John Byron, people like him shouldn't get married. If Lady Catherine can get a divorce, at least she can keep some property. Can have a better time."

Byron smiled wryly, but did not express any objection.

Hobhouse also smiled wryly, "This situation is indeed worthy of sympathy."

"Actually, you also know that many men are not suitable to be husbands, but society requires that a man must marry a wife of the right family, and a girl with a dowry should also be a wife. As a result, many resentful spouses have been created. It sucks and the wife can't get a divorce. It's not fair."

"Girls should choose their husbands more carefully."

"The problem is that many girls really have no way of knowing that the suitor is unreliable before they get married." This is not the era of free love, but the era of free love. In fact, the situation has always existed, and it cannot be avoided in any era.

There is a small group of people who "chasing property" for both men and women. Many young men are heavily in debt before marriage, such as Byron and General Wesley; Byron's father married two wives, all of whom were greedy for their property.

After Francis left, Byron thought about it and felt more and more that he was no different from the father whom he looked down upon?Maybe the difference is that he doesn't have to marry Alice to get enough money to pay off the debt?

A little frightened and bewildered, he paced up and down the corridors of the hotel, wondering if he should talk to Alice about it.

Kate came up from downstairs and looked at him strangely, "Master George, have you lost your room key? Why don't you go back to your room?"

He bit his fingernails, "Where's your lady?"

"She hasn't come back yet. She went shopping with Master Ivo."

"Well, when she comes back, come and tell me."

"Yes, Master George."

Alice's room is a suite, the bedroom has an outside living room, and the living room is like a small living room. When Byron came in, Ivo was sitting next to Alice, and the two were fiddling with the things they bought.

"You should have gone shopping with us just now." Alice said to him with a smile.

"What did you buy?" He sat on the other side of her.

"Look, this is a brooch made of seashells. It's pretty, right? It's not expensive." The snow-white shell has a unique texture, and it's a cheap little ornament.

He took the shell brooch, and for some reason, with a little force in his hand, he broke the shell.

He was taken aback, and Alice laughed, "Why do you exert so much strength?"

Ivo also laughed, "I'm sure he thinks it's ugly and doesn't like it, so I broke it for you."

He hurriedly said: "No - I have been thinking, am I just like John now? When someone lends me money, I will think carefully unless I want to lend me a few thousand pounds at once, a few hundred pounds I don't think about this kind of thing at all, if he is willing to borrow me, he will spend it hard, but you..."

"You don't feel comfortable spending my money?"

"It's not—" Speaking of which, Ivo was the one who spent her money along the way. "It's kind of weird anyway."

When he said this, Ivo also felt a little uncomfortable.

"You are so stupid! It's not like you that you struggle with money. Just treat my wallet as a bank. You borrow money from the bank and you have to repay it later. The travel expenses are not included for the time being. You want the 5000 pounds?" Pay it back to me, and I will pay you back the interest, did you not remember the IOU you signed?"

Only then Byron breathed a sigh of relief, "Yes, I forgot."

In fact, in this era, many people have huge debts, so many debtors go abroad and never come back. Litigation related to debts and debts in the courts also accounts for a large proportion. Byron owed 4 pounds in 5000 years of university, and Not much.

He quickly forgot about the money. "What would you like to have for dinner? I have a nice bottle of white wine here."

"We bought some nice bread and biscuits just now, and I'll ask Sidney to bring them later."

They had bought some small rugs of good quality in Sintra. Alice thought the carpets in the hotel room were not clean, and had asked the servants to take them away, and replaced them with her own rugs, which she spread in front of the sofa, with cushions thrown on them. .

The coffee table was re-arranged, with a Chinese porcelain set for bread and biscuits, placed on the coffee table, and a plate full of cream for dipping biscuits or bread.

Both Alice and Byron like to eat sweets. Because of his weight problem, Byron knows that eating too much sweets will cause him to gain weight, so he has a love-hate relationship with sweets.Alice explained to him why they all like sweets, mainly not for appetite, but because people with active brains need a lot of sugar intake to supplement nutrition, so now he can eat his favorite sweets without any psychological burden .

Francis had brought her a pile of letters from home, and she opened a few to read.

First came Cathy’s letter, saying that she and her mother went to Goldmusham again, that Edward’s brother did not plan to marry another wife, and that 10 children would be enough for him to work for 20 years, and there was no need to marry another wife and have more children.

Then there was Jane's letter, saying that Helena and Diana were fine, and that Tom, who had failed to continue as an MP in the last election, planned to return to the courts and become a judge.Because his background is too low, he is not a descendant of aristocrats, it is basically impossible to find a position in the cabinet, and he is not willing to be a position too low. It would be better to become a judge, but whether it is the Supreme Court of England in London or the Supreme Court of Ireland Court, he hasn't made up his mind yet.

Mom's letter said, let her pay attention to her body, don't be too tired on the road, and it is best to leave the Iberian Peninsula as soon as possible.Then I was very happy to tell her that she was an aunt again. Charles’s wife, Fanny Palmer, gave birth to a daughter last year named Cassandra Esten. The reason why they only received the news now was that Since Charles' home was in Bermuda, the letter could not arrive in time.Fanny is the youngest daughter of the Minister of Justice of Bermuda, born in 1790, a few months younger than Alice - fortunately, her mother did not mention Alice's marriage.

Alice cheerfully said that she had another little niece, and both Ivo and Byron congratulated her sensibly.Nephew? Because Jane doesn't want to have another child, there should be only Helena and Diana.

She said: "In the future, I will leave a sum of money for both Helena and Diana. They can freely choose whether to get married or not. Although Jane and Tom make a lot of money, they also spend a lot of money. I will let Jane buy a few more houses." , so that the girls can have their own houses to live in in the future.”

In fact, the two cousins ​​have never been clear about how much money Alice has. They only know that she has income from publishing novels, because they are all published by their own publishing house. cost.They are both sensitive and insensitive to money. They both know the magic of money, but neither has the skills to make money. For Alice to make money by writing novels, they actually accept it faster and better than Oliver.

Ivo agrees that girls need some money in their hands. He also has two older sisters who have passed the optimal age of marriage to stay at home, because Mr. Gordon can't give more dowry, so it has been delayed for a while. There are many suitors—there must be suitors, but a man cannot get married without money. After all, there are not many men like John Byron who marry by prestige and rhetoric.

Byron has no real sisters, only a newly married half-sister. Augusta Byron was raised by relatives in her mother's family since she was a child, but she has never been short of money.

But he also agreed, saying that whether it is a man or a woman, there will be more choices with money.

Neither of the cousins ​​brought the conversation up to Alice herself.

Julian sent letters one after another, talking about General Wesley, saying that he is a thin man, not impressive, and a military strategist. Currently Wesley's troops are stationed in the area north of Lisbon to recuperate. Several defense lines were built in the north of Lisbon to resist the attack of the French army. Several army engineers were transferred from London to inspect the terrain on the spot.He knows this because Oliver is in charge of the safety of the engineers.

The second letter said that Oliver asked her often, and Julian asked him why he didn't write back to her. Alice had written him several letters since she left London.Oliver said that he had nothing to say. Nothing happened to him when he was stationed abroad. He stayed in the barracks every day without fighting and there was no danger.

The third letter said that the defense line had already started construction. First, the scorched-earth policy was carried out on the area marked out by the line of defense. All the residents there were removed, the fruit trees were cut down, and whatever was planted in the fields were destroyed, and the livestock were taken away. A pig Not a single chicken was left behind, and a lot of livestock and poultry were confiscated to supplement the military rations, and the task of requisitioning farmers to build defense lines was issued. The Portuguese government and local residents were very cooperative, and the Portuguese government paid for the relocation of farmers and expropriation. Salary for farmer's work.Oliver was transferred back to Wesley's headquarters at this time, and was responsible for some logistics, mainly to ensure food reserves. Winter was coming, and he had to be responsible for getting enough tents, blankets, and firewood for 3 British soldiers. Clean drinking water and so on, things are trivial and troublesome, and he is still learning Portuguese in order to work better.

Hobhouse believes that General Wesley of the Tory Party is unwilling to let Oliver, who is inclined to the Whig Party, enter the military decision-making circle; Alice believes that Oliver has no actual combat experience, and it is not shameful to do logistics support, and he is the fastest to become familiar with military affairs Method, a general must be familiar with logistics, you don't have to do it, but you have to understand; Oliver has been in the army for less than two years, and he has just been promoted to captain, which is considered fast.

The author has something to say:

*The film "Amazing Grace", which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2006, is about the "1807 Slave Trade Act". De played William Wilberforce, the promoter of the Abolition Act.