The Vice Of Virtue (A Poor Man At The Gate Series Book 10)

by Andrew Wareham

  Quarrington was taken aback, could not imagine that all was quite as bad as Robert suggested.

  “Many of our people do live longer and in greater comfort than was used to be the case, I believe, my lord. And it is possible, as we well know, for a poor man to become rich, to climb in the world.”

  “Very true, but, I wonder, is such a man truly happy? Might he not have been better off in his own inherited place? I know that my dear father could have been described as very content in his life, but is it not possible that that was a measure of the man? Might he not have been equally joyful, and far less troubled in his mind, in his fisher’s cottage?”

  Quarrington thought that to be utter nonsense, but a wedding was no place to call his lordship a fool; he turned the conversation with a comment on how well the bride looked – she certainly seemed content in her lot.

  The rain beat in from the west and the sea showed troubled; the newly-weds were to travel to Ireland as soon as could be, but it seemed that they would be delayed a few days.

  “The Irish Sea in winter, Mr Nash! I am told it is no time to travel if one may avoid it.”

  “We have five weeks in hand, my lord. I must be in Dublin early in January, as you know, but a crossing requires no more than a day of less inclement weather now that the steam ship is with us. I remember nearly ten years since, when first I had travelled overseas, returning by way of Bristol and being three weeks aboard the packet, tacking half-way across the Atlantic Ocean it seemed to be able to make the westing desired. The paddle-steamer forcing its way directly against the wind has much to recommend it!”

  Ireland had been made much closer by the innovation, Robert realised. He wondered whether that was a good thing.

  “What is the word of the harvest, Mr Nash? Will the peasantry eat this winter?”

  “My own people in the North will, my lord. The wheat and the oats came in and the barley cropped heavily for fodder and brewing and distilling; the potato crop was healthy and the flax came home for the linen mills. The Protestant community has experienced God’s blessing, my lord. As for the Croppies – well, they have experienced famine in many of the past years and have lifted a very poor yield of the potato again, especially in the West. Wheat and beef have both thrived, however, so the export of foodstuffs to England will not be impaired.”

  “Another flood of the starving into English ports, Mr Nash!”

  “Their landlords should be encouraged to put them aboard ship to America, my lord. One hears that there is land in plenty lying idle in the States, just waiting for a peasant population to take it up.”

  Robert was forced to agree – the excess population should be put to use. Starvation was wasteful, and one hardly wanted another mob of idlers demanding from the English Poor Law.

  “A Society, perhaps, to put the spare bodies aboard ship and send them where they are wanted. Perhaps the Antipodes would benefit from an influx of free settlers to counterbalance the criminal population.”

  “No doubt, my lord – but you will not find that sort amongst the Papists – every man of them is born to be hanged!”

  The unwavering hostility of the man could become very wearying, Robert reflected. Catholic Emancipation was obviously a concept yet to be accepted in the North of Ireland. He moved on to allow others to make their congratulations, fetched up at Joseph’s side.

  “I hear that you are to interest yourself in the fishing fleet, brother!”

  “The design and building of steaming fishing smacks, Robert; ownership of them only in the very short term. The shortage of foodstuffs is such that a greater supply of fish can only be welcome in our towns, and steam trawlers and drifters will be able to sail independently of the wind of course, thus able to catch far more. The first of our little ships is to be launched next month, though she will probably be unable to show her real value during the storms of winter. The yard expects to lay the keels of at least two every month for the next year – we have already had enquiries from buyers, in advance of our proving the first a success.”

  “Is the demand for fish so great?”

  “Not yet, but many business men have a great faith in us and believe that if Roberts is to build steam trawlers then they must be good. They are in fact speculating, based on our past successes.”

  “That may not be a very good thing, you know, Joseph. Should we fail then we shall all be tarred with the brush of incompetence.”

  Joseph was irritated; he was not in the habit of failure.

  “The trawlers will be very profitable and will encourage a great growth in the consumption of fish, much to the benefit of all of our people. I have no doubt that within a very few years there will be trawlers and drifters of far greater dimensions plying their valuable trade on West and East Coasts alike. I shall write letters to Sir William detailing specifications for our Irish Sea boats and suggesting that he may wish to work up his own draughts for the English Channel, where conditions and needs will not necessarily be identical.”

  “I am not at all sure…”

  “I am,” Joseph interrupted him. “Better perhaps, brother, if you are to devote your undoubted talents to the maintenance of our social and political status in these troubled times. From all that you say, the King cannot rule much longer over us and there will be unpredictable changes. The Whigs are insistent on an extension of the franchise, one is reliably informed, and there will be other upsets as the number of people grows. I am sure that you will find it necessary to spend your days in such concerns, rather than involving yourself in those business matters which are increasingly distant from you.”

  Charlotte, observing the heat in their conversation, swept them apart and into other groups, gently chiding both. Weddings were no place for disputes, she said.

  "My apologies, sister! I find the company of my aristocratic brother increasingly tedious of late. Do you know why he is so insistent upon lordly virtue nowadays?"

  "The children, I believe, Joseph. He wishes his eldest to be a paragon, an exemplar of the true gentleman, thus to lose my father and his wife's bloodlines in a far distant, hazy past. If young Thomas shows willing and able, then he may bring the house to an earldom, or his son might, at least. There is much to be said for a county, after all - political place will always be to hand. Besides that, he is wealthy enough in his own mind, he needs no more and can make an allowance to you sufficient to keep you in comfort, so there is no requirement for you to be a money-maker; he would far rather see you as a man-about-town, a genteel lounger able to talk to all of the rich and powerful and keep our name in the forefront of fashionable life."

  "No! His second boy can do that - that is the function of the younger son of the wealthy. I am to be my own man, I am afraid. I will not play the idler for my brother's convenience."

  "I have informed him of that fact already, Joseph, but he only half believes that you really wish to work. Since he gave up the bank he has persuaded himself that he never actually enjoyed the existence - no gentleman could have, after all."

  "He should spend a few days in Mr Stephenson's company, sister. He would soon find such foolish conceits banished!"

  "Possibly, though I know as well he fears the effects on the country of the new manufacturing, the recent growth of very large 'factories'. The change to our way of life that must come over the next few years will be far greater than any we have yet seen. The 'Luddites' will turn our streets into cockpits of revolution he is convinced."

  "They will try, but the bulk of the hands will not follow them - they know there is other work for them than in the factories. Ten shillings a week is poor money, I agree, but nothing a week is even worse when there is not even a garden to till. Ordinary men will continue to display ordinary sense - they are good at that. There will be no revolution whilst they can put a meal in their children's bellies."

  Book Ten: A Poor Man

  at the Gate Series

  Chapter Eight

  Parliament sat through the month of June, hurriedly
dealing with the outstanding business that might normally have waited till later in the year. During the decade both Houses had been spending longer and longer in Town, often now attending for as much as seven months at a time and rising in August, but it was clear that there must be an election within a short while. The King was dying.

  Few members of either house found themselves much distressed by the prospect. George had been a better king than expected, certainly less of a disgrace than most had feared, but the country would be better-off without him as an example of morality and public decency for the people to follow. There was a new age of overt sobriety, paradoxically created by the Prince Regent's excesses, and this king no longer fitted.

  Unfortunately, his younger brother, next in line to the throne, was very little better suited to the tasks of leadership. George had at least been intelligent, had been able to temper his gross self-indulgence with a little of wisdom, but William was fundamentally dull - he was a little more than an idiot, but not a great deal; add to that, he was ill-mannered and often foul-mouthed, a very poor example for the people. The French had been heard to refer to him as 'a typical Englishman', which was hard to swallow.

  "At least he has not bred, Robert!"

  "A pity in some ways, James. Had he done so then there would not have been this problem of a husband for the young princess. How do we explain to the great mass of the people that she must be married off to a foreigner? How are we to persuade them that not a single Briton is worthy of her hand?"

  "We could try honesty, brother! Explain that it is better that no English family should enjoy the power that must come to them from a Prince Consort - most of the people would understand that."

  Robert shook his head - the masses could not be expected to comprehend such subtleties.

  "They might consider us all to be disloyal, untrustworthy, unfit to exercise power."

  "But... that is why none from the great families may be permitted to marry the poor girl. We could trust none of them not to abuse the power they would gain."

  "Yes, James, but there is no need to say so in public!"

  James shook his head, turned to the original subject.

  "How long has HM left in this world, Robert? What is the word?"

  "Days, the doctors say. The hot weather is not helping him. The Archbishop of Canterbury has been to him and reports him to be pitiably penitent of his many sins, aware that he may be called to account in the near future and not relishing the prospect."

  James had scant sympathy.

  "A bigamist; a drunk; a spendthrift; a lecher - and those are amongst his lesser divagations from the path of decency! The Devil will be stoking a pit for his particular pleasure, I doubt not!"

  Robert glanced about to ensure that there were no servants within earshot.

  "They say that he wept for his behaviour to his poor father, regretting his gratuitous cruelties to the old man."

  "I had heard that he took his cronies to listen to the old gentleman when he was raving, laughing mightily at his sad drolleries."

  "Certainly true, James, and the mad King able to realise that he was mocked and unable to comprehend why. That was vicious, I believe."

  James could not comprehend such behaviour, was unable to understand how any man could do such a thing.

  "Difficult to forgive, certainly, Robert. He has much to repent, and small time left to do so, it would seem. Is his brother at his side?"

  "He is at Windsor, certainly, and is much distressed. He is a simple fellow, but none could question his affection first for his father and then for his brother. A pity that he is not more the gentleman."

  "What is to be done with him, Robert?"

  "Speak to him firmly and overcome his dull obstinacy - not a task that will fall to me, I am glad to say. His government will almost certainly be drawn from the Whig interest, and they will have the privilege of making it clear to him that he must knuckle under when it comes to major issues."

  "Will he do so? Could he not dismiss his Prime Minister and attempt to replace him with a more malleable man of his choice? What for example if he was to turn to Brougham rather than the acknowledged leaders of the Whigs?"

  "The Duke will speak to him if he makes such a sally, I understand."

  James was satisfied - very few men would withstand the Iron Duke when he was in trenchant humour. Silly Billy would certainly crumble under the onslaught of the Duke's displeasure.

  "A Whig government will seek some measures of Reform, I know, Robert, and the Duke is opposed to them."

  "He is more opposed to Royal despotism, of that I am reliably assured. He had to deal at first hand with too many monarchs during and immediately after the wars to have any respect for the breed. Should King William show any desire for real power then we have our Cromwell ready and waiting, and I have no doubt at all of his willingness to serve his country."

  King George declined rapidly, his many ailments combining to bring his end upon him. The word came to Parliament towards the end of June that his last hours had come and the government made the appropriate arrangements. The populace was informed that their King was coming peacefully to the grave and had sent messages of his love for them; he was dying painlessly and with dignity, they said.

  A few of the more gullible believed the official communiqués; most did not.

  "There should be a period of national mourning, but the government is too busy with this damned silliness in France to close down the public offices."

  James agreed; the word was that the French King was likely to be overthrown and was begging assistance from the other Powers of Europe. The British had refused to intervene and were very busily pressing the Spanish and Austrians to keep their noses out of the affair. Prussia was following the British lead, mainly because they had no objection at all to the French weakening themselves in civil strife. Russia wanted to assist the French royalty, being opposed to any form of disorder that could possibly spread across European borders, but had no practical means of affording military support, distant as they were. The fear in Whitehall was that Russia and Austria might form an alliance to offer support to the French monarchy, and in process so upset the current order in Europe as to start another major war.

  "There is no gain to us in such a conflagration, James. Our power is naval, and this would be a land war; we could neither contribute a great army nor take colonies from the losers. Best for us if we keep out entirely, and ensure that trade continues unchecked. Ideally, there should be no war at all, but if there is to be a conflict then we must protect our right to sell guns to any merchant with the cash to buy them."

  "What of Belgium, Robert?"

  "A good question, James. The Dutch are determined to hold onto the Belgian provinces, despite their wish for independence. Damned fools!"

  George died and was put into his ornate box and laid in state, the wags saying that he looked dignified for the first time ever. Arrangements were made for a proper funeral, all European royalty expected to attend, which was a potential nuisance as they would have every opportunity to talk together and plot a response to the French business.

  "An irritation in death as he was in life, James! Why could the awkward fellow not have died six months earlier, or hung on for a few more weeks yet? Wholly unreliable, all of that damned family!"

  "What of the new King, Robert?"

  "His Grace has him in hand, I understand. He will do as he is told for the nonce. I am informed that he had one or two silly ideas in his head, but Wellington soon removed them. He has insisted on titles for a few of his cronies, which matters not at all, and has made a clearance of some of the more egregious hangers-on about the court, which is a damned good thing. Other than that, he is spending his days with his tailors, being fitted for his Coronation robes, and planning the details of the joyous occasion and having tantrums whenever he is asked who is to pay for his excesses. The quantities of cloth of gold are being scaled down every day!"

  "I presume the French are much
in his mind."

  "No. He has never forgiven the nation for attaching itself to Bonaparte and cares not at all if they tear themselves to pieces in another revolution. As for the French King himself, he has little other than contempt for him, for running with the mob when he could have fought against the revolution in '89. He will press for no action at all from London."

  "Good! We want nothing to do with their upheavals."

  "We will have problems enough with Belgium, of course."

  "Why?"

  "Antwerp."

  "Explain, please."

  "I am sorry, James, I had thought you would have been familiar with the problem. The city sits on its estuary and is a major port, almost directly opposite to the mouth of the Thames. An invasion fleet could load there and cross the German Ocean in a day. Antwerp must be held by a nation friendly to England, or by no nation at all. If Antwerp is not in safe hands then it must be held neutral. If Belgium is to be freed from Dutch rule, as it seems to wish, then it must not fall under French or Prussian or Austrian influence. This is a sine qua non of British policy. Belgium is necessary to our security."

  "Does His Majesty understand this?"

  "Of course not. The man is an idiot - or next best thing to it."

  "What is to be done, do you know?"

  "With any luck, nothing. If the French mischief subsides then the infection may not spread, the Belgians may settle down again and the Dutch may be persuaded to act more politely to them. Given twenty years of prosperity and common sense on the Dutch part then all may yet calm down and the country may attain stability."

  "Luck can never be relied upon, brother."

  "Quite correct, James. Such being the case, the Belgian leaders must look to London rather than to France. They must be assured that Britain will stand guarantor to them, protecting them in neutrality and going to war to maintain their borders. In response to an absolute undertaking that no foreign navy will ever be granted bases on their coastline then Britain will defend them against all comers."