1814 Describing an audience with Pope Pius VII and reporting at second hand what Napoleon has been saying on Elba - an unsigned letter fragment from Rome.

 

I have only two sides of what was once at least a four-side letter but the contents are remarkable enough to justify including the material here. It was written at the end of 1814, the year in which Napoleon was defeated for the first time and exiled to Elba off the west coast of Italy.

The addressee is precisely identified as Sir William Forbes, 1771-1828, seventh baronet Pitsligo and resident in Edinburgh, a prominent and wealthy banker who appears in another letter on this site – a link is in the References at the end. The writer could have been one of his brothers or else a high-ranking individual known to the baronet; Forbes had been quite recently widowed and his own children were still young.

Whoever wrote it has had a private audience with Pope Pius VII and summarises their conversation; the Pope has just recently returned from Napoleonic imprisonment. The writer has been at a ball given by Napoleon’s brother Lucien on behalf of the exiled Caroline of Brunswick, wife of the Prince Regent; he summarises at length an account given to him by a gentleman who has just visited Napoleon in exile on Elba and was party to a four-hour conversation with him which ended with Napoleon getting up to piss against the nearest wall.  It's possible that the gentleman was one of those who tarvelled out to Elba with Viscount Ebrington early in December 1814 though the time-frame is then very tight in relation to a letter which reached London on 12 December. But all in all, a remarkable amount of information passed back to Edinburgh and much more that is missing.

It is relevant that  this letter was not posted from Rome; a note in French in different hnadwriting and  added to the outside of the letter  suggests that it was carried privately to Calais and only put into  the regular post to England from there – it received a London FOREIGN letter receiving mark on 12 December 1814. The courier who writes the note in French appears to be “C.Matis". Either the post from Rome was reckoned unreliable or there was a suspicion that mail censorship was in place.

 Pope Pius VII painted by Thomas Lawrence

Transcription

Addressed to: Sir Wm Forbes of Pitsligo Bart.  Edinburgh

No dateline

London FOREIGN entry postmark dated DE 12 1814, London despatch mark of the same day, Edinburgh arrival mark DEC 15 1814, charged 4/2 [four shillings and two pence] on arrival plus 1/2d  (halfpenny] additional standard internal Scottish charge

[pages 1 and 2 and possibly more missing] … at Rome we saw the King and Queen of Spain and poor Louis [ probably Napoleon's brother, exiled King of Holland ] who is strolling about most majestically – Lucien [Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon]  is here too. It was at a ball given by him to our Princess [Charlotte, exiled wife of the Prince Regent] where she made so sad an exhibition.

Should we return to Italy in the Spring and you make out your trip to the Continenet we cannot fail to meet . Rome you ought unquestionably to visit and spare as much of your time for it as possible; the other twons excepting Paris may be soon discussed – altho’ only five days in Rome I yet contrived to see the Pope who is a very prepossessing Person. There was no public day and I was presented privately, he is a most uncommonly gentlemanlike old man, soft and condescending in his manner without pomp or formality, he expressed the strongest admiration of the British government and its steady perseverance in the good cause: he said that Italy would not recover its misfortunes for a period of years and asked me what appeared to be the general feeling regarding the fate of Naples. I must tell you of the reception given by Bonaparty [sic] to his …[?] gentlemen just returned from Elba one of whom we dined with today – he [Napoleon] conversed with them for 4 hours  … thro’ his political career and defended his conduct spoke of the whole as a matter of history reasoning matters cooly and without seeming irritation – he laughed at our [the British] destroying Washington [ in 1814] and asked how the English who condemned him for such acts could be guilty of them themselves – confessed his error in remaining so long at Moscow [in 1812] and said his reason for not making peace with the allies latterly was that the French would not have supported his government – he said his part was played but that that the Bourbons know not the French people – denied having had any correspondence with the Americansand sid his sole purpose for invading Austria  was to accomplish the independence of Poland. – said that Marmont [Marshal of the Napoleonic Empire who surrendered Paris to the Allies in 1814] had totally deceived him and added “what could I do with such a friend and a General who fought in a valley instead of the heights as I desired him”. The conversation took place in a garden when it was over turned around and made water against the wall before taking leave. They say his manners are quite those of a rough soldier – one of his questions to Douglas …. [remainder of this passage missing] 

 

References

https://shs.cairn.info/journal-napoleonica-the-journal-2023-2-page-101?lang=en  

https://www.frenchempire.net/biographies/marmont/

Wikipedia: Pope Pius VII

Wikipedia: Lucien Bonaparte

Wikipedia: Joachim Murat [for Naples]

Wikipedia: Caroline of Brunswick

https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/30280/sir-william-forbes-pitsligo-1773-1828-7th-baronet

https://www.otherpeoplesletters.com/2026/07/sir-william-forbes-receives-letter-from.html

Sir William Forbes receives a letter from his children Charles Forbes James Forbes and Jane Forbes 1818

 

Miss B has bought a new top for me it is very elegant and larger than my other one I hope to be able soon to succeed in spinning it three times up and down the Library.

Charles aged eleven, James aged nine, and Jane aged twenty have combined to fill up this letter sheet addressed to their father Sir William Forbes, Seventh Baronet of Pitsligo and currently in Paris. He is the head of an Edinburgh banking house and his Care Of address is that of the Parisian bankers Perregaux & Lafitte.

Charles fills one side, James another, and Jane with smaller handwriting runs over to a fourth side; she has perhaps supervised the younger boys’ contributions. Microsoft slaps down only one spelling mistake. The children’s mother Williamina died in 1810 when Charles was two and James one; their father did not re-marry and it is clear from Jane’s contribution to this letter that she is now managing the household.

Charles grew up and went into banking; James became a notable earth scientist (glaciology, seismology) and eventually (1859) Principal of St Andrews, then known as a United College and now the University. Jane never married and remained very close to her immediate family; in the census of 1861, for example, she is head of a household which includes James, his wife, and their two teenage children as visitors.  

It is a commonplace that Scottish culture placed a high value on education and the letter shows Charles and James benefitting from that. Jane confines herself to domestic matters in this letter, but from her only archived correspondence of four letters written to her older brother John in 1850-51 it’s clear that she had also been well-educated; she mentions modern books and travelling in Europe she attends a Protestant Sunday service at Moutier in French-speaking Switzerland and carefully assesses the experience.

Her father commissioned from Sir Henry Raeburn paintings of each of his two elder sons (the William and John mentioned in the letters) who are depicted embracing large dogs; the paintings are now in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. I can find no trace of paintings of Charles, James or Jane; unfortunately  the boy in Raeburn’s well-known painting (circa 1814) is not Charles or James though its content suggests that the two boys were not alone in the fondness for rabbits which they express in this letter.

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Transcription

Addressed to: Sir William Forbes Baronet of Pitsligo Care of Perregaux & Lafitte & Company à Paris

Datelined: 18^th September 1818

Dear Papa I hope you are well and comfortable and pleased with your journey. We were much obliged to you for your nice long letter from Calais and we soon expect another one as we hope you will soon be at Paris. I still continue to like my black beasty very much and Sisters do not think his legs so ugly as before. I am reading a very amusing part of Virgil when Aeneas hears what he is to go through before he gets to Italy from the prophet Helenus and the liberal presents he received from him before he sails. In Livy I am hearing of Servius Tullius the fifth king of Rome which is the LXIII chapter of the first book. I think it is very distinct and amusing but I like Virgil best. I long for you to be home again which I hope will not be very long I hope you have good weather as it will be more agreeable for you ours is still very fine for the season Yesterday the thermometer was as high as 61. We are endeavouring to make a boat out of a half of a tar barrel to sail on the horse pond. We mean to stuff the seams with tow and cover it with tar. Jane has told you that we have got a rabbit that we think will suit you. We heard from William [brother] yesterday and from John [brother] very lately they are both quite well. I am ever Dear papa your affectionate Son Charles Forbes

 My Dear Papa I hope you are quite well. Our rabbits are thriving very nicely. We have got two young ones since you went away, one a beautiful black & white, the other gray & white. I think that the black one will suit you it is a little beaty with tipped ears and tipped fore legs. I believe it has a tipped tail and regularly marked on both sides and altogether I think that it is a remarkably pretty little Rabbit.

I am reading the XXXII Chapter of the VI Book of Caesar; and the 675 line of Ovids, in the fable about Mercury being sent to kill Argus.

By seeing so many people spinning the peerie [Scottish for spinning top] I have at last made out to spin too and can do it three times running and hope soon to be able to do it six times. Please papa if you see any curious stones or curiosity places or any bits of ancient Roman wall will you bring us a few bits for Miss B has been reading the Roman History to us which amuses us very much. I hope you have been very happy in your journey. I have gained five feet of ground and will gain at least one more today. Miss B has bought a new top for me it is very elegant and larger than my other one I hope to be able soon to succeed in spinning it three times up and down the Library. I am ever dear papa Your affectionate Son James Forbes 

18^th September 1818

My dear Papa

I hope you are now far south of Paris, enjoying Mr Wood’s company, he will surely not resist the temptation of coming home with you. We are all quite well, & heard from William yesterday. I had a note to-day from Miss Dundas, saying that Mrs Naughton, a very respectable woman who had been eight years a Housekeeper with her Sister Lady Wedderburne, hearing that you were in want of such a person, had requested Miss Dundas to recommend her. Her last place was with Mrs McCleod of Catbole (if I have read the name of the Place right) Miss Dundas says, “In point of Sobriety, Honesty & good temper she has few equals … is a most excellent Cook, Pastry Cook, & Confectioner, and very good at taking charge of a Dairy. I must hope that you do not think me officious in this affair, but I really know Mrs McNaughton to be so worthy & so clever a Servant that I could not resist the desire I had of mentioning her to you”.

Knowing the respect you have for Miss Dundas we thought this a recommendation you would be likely to think satisfactory. I have therefore written to Mr Keyden to do nothing decisive till he hears from us again & I shall call on Miss Dundas & tell her that I have written to you, & that if Mrs Naughton does not hear of any place that suits her till I can receive your answer, I should think her likely to suit you in every respect. She was five years with Mrs McCleod.

Upon due deliberation we have agreed that waiting a reasonable time for an answer, if all we can hear in the mean time corresponds with this recommendation, you would rather she should be engaged at once, than run the risk of losing a right person so near the Term – but I hope we shall hear from you before that is necessary, as you will write whenever you receive this. The letter you wrote from Calais was nine days of reaching us. I hope you approve of all this. I am my dear Papa your affectionate Daughter Jane Forbes.

Sunday. My Aunt Grace says she knows this woman is a first-rate Cook, but not a fine Lady.     

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1818 Charles Forbes, James Forbes, Jane Forbes

Dr Richard Forty read the four letters from Jane Forbes to her brother John held in the National Library of Scotland ACC 13827/305. The Library did not allow him to photograph them (which would have enabled him to read them at leisure) and, as is normal archival practice, he had to use a pencil to make notes.

Under Creative Commons, Wikidata for Sir Henry Raeburn’s Boy with a Rabbit.