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THE LATE EARL OF ABERDEEN.

(Daily Neas.) The hypothesis which prevails ou the Continent, to the effect that all Englishmen are mad, will be considerably strengthened by two cases which are now before our law courts, but the deeds of the claimant have been so strangely similar to those of the late Earl of Aberdeen, that a French or German critic need be guilty of no unusual non s equlter in pointing to them as characteristic of English gentlemen, and as another proof that the whole English nation is mad, hopelessly mad. Here is a young man who has been born heir to a historical name and an ample fortune, whom nature has gifted with a variety of aesthetic likings, who is fond of sport, and furnished with every means of gratifying his bent. When he is but twenty-three years of age he succeeded to the title and estates, and acquires his right to a seat in the House of Lords. He leaves England in the company of two gentlemen, and gets to Boston, ihere he suddenly disappears from human ken, and is no more heard of as Lord Aberdeen, except in certain letters to his mother. But the story to which his mother and a host of lawyers give credence is, that the young man, who for a couple of years enjoyed the title of Earl of Aberdeen, forsook that dignity, assumed the name of George H. Osborne, became a sailor, and continued to fulfil all the arduous conditions of a seaman’s life, until he was drowned on board the Hera, in January of last year. The truth of the story is not denied by any one; indeed there seems to be no doubt about it, strange and improbable as it may appear. “Only another mad Englishman,” will be the verdict of many an intelligent foreigner, in reading a narrative as singular as any that ever appeared in the domain of fiction. The question to be decided is whether the sailor George H. Osborne and Lord Aberdeen are one and the same person. In the first place photographs are produced. All of them were recognised to be a likeness of her son by the late Earl’s mother, Lady Aberdeen. Several other witnesses have also recognised the photographs as being those of one person. Then conies the similarity of appearance, manners, and habits. Lord Aberdeen had a peculiarity in his walking ; so had George Osborne. Lord Aberdeen was an excellent shot ; and George Osborne bad sold to a gentleman in Bichmond a rifle, which it is said can be proved to have belonged to the late Earl. George Osborne, it is proved, had a great liking for the sea, for mechanics, mathematics, pictures, drawing, music, and children; and these, say the witnesses, ‘ were exactly the characteristics of Lord Aberdeen when in this country,” Then comes the matter of handwriting ; and again, Lord Aberdeen’s mother bore testimony to the fact, that several accounts, journals, and letters written by G. H. Osborne were in the hand-writing of- her son. Furthermore, it seems that both these persons were extremely religious and well conducted, and never missed an opportunity of attending church. All this evidence makes it more than probable that G. H. Osborne was the late Earl of Aberdeen. No one comes forward to put in an objection. There is no claimant for the title and estates. The heir presumptive merely wishes to prove the death of his brother that he may succeed, and the only difficulty in the matter would seem to be the absence of certain small links in the chain of testimony, which, it is anticipated, will be easily supplied. There can be no doubt that the nobleman who was fond of mechanics, mathematics, pictures, drawing, music, and children, actually left behind him all these enjoyments and took to the laborious and hardy life of a sailor; and that, when he was not commanding a vessel of his own, but merely voyaging in the capacity of a passenger, his love of the sea and seamanship caused him to volunteer as an ordinary hand, and display his knowledge of navigation to the surprise and admiration of his captain. The only link between this erratic Englishman and his country was the correspondence which he kept up with his mother ; and that, certainly, is not without certain curious characteristics. Of what could an Earl complain as regards the privileges of living in England. And yet he writes from America that he cannot leave that “land of freedom and common sense. ” If Lord Aberdeen found America to excel in the virtue of common sense, some cruel critics will consider it rather a pity he did not imbibe some of it there. In another passage of those letters ho bursts into a series of confidential disclosures, which would probably be less startling if they were more coherent. It seems to have suddenly occurred to Lord Aberdeen that he had enjoyed the benefit of many rare and strange experiences, and these he strings together in an abrupt, cheerful, jerky fashion, which is at once amusing and puzzling. What human being, howsoever acquainted with the artistic and domestic prepossessions of the late Earl, could extract a grain of information from such a spasmodic narrative as this:—“l never told you my adventure on the African voyage, or about loading salt in the West Indies, or about the mysterious man, or about the wounded cook turned sailor, or the amorous mate, or the mate in fits calling on his mother, or about the cook drunk, a Frenchman crying, the second mate bullying, or about the captain drunk, the mate three-quarters drunk, the second mate gretn, and the ship running on George’s .Shoal, and being saved by the undersigned, who was not drunk ; about the talking parrot overboard, saved, saved, saved—about the honest soldier—about the happy island, the Arcadia of the Atlantic—about the French cook—good times now for the small backs, plenty to eat,' and good at that—or ‘ A shark ! a shark ! ’ pork the hook—he is caught, haul him aboard—frantic terror of the parrot—be tries to commit suicide—the shark is killed-shark steaks for breakfast,” &c. The only theory on which it is possible to account for this odd sort of letter-writing is that Lord Aberdeen had been struck with the usages of American journalism, as well as with the virtues of freedom and common sense peculiar to the country; and had imitated in his letters those fiery and enigmatical headings which usually preface American news. It is only fair to add, that neither in his correspondence, nor in the evidence which numerous witnesses bring forward, is there anything to show that the late Earl of Aberdeen was not an accomplished, amiable, and intelligent young man, possessed of the most virtuous disposition.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18711019.2.17

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2706, 19 October 1871, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,131

THE LATE EARL OF ABERDEEN. Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2706, 19 October 1871, Page 4

THE LATE EARL OF ABERDEEN. Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2706, 19 October 1871, Page 4

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