The sun., 1885-11-01

ended In his triumphant return to office and
the virtual exclusion Of the Prince Consort
| from public affairs Greville takes down from
| the lips OF Lord Clarendon a curious account
| OF the efusion and acerbty with which both
the Queen and the Prince discoursed to him
| upon this theme. February. 1880. The mo-
mont Lord Clarendon came into the drawing
room lat Buckingham Palacel after dinner. the
Queen exploded. and went with the utmost
vehemence and bitterness into the whole Of
Palmerston's conduct all the effects produced
all over tho world. and all her own feelings and
sentiments about 1t. After she had done Prince
Albert began but. not finding time and opppr-
| tunity to say all he wished. he asked Clarendon
| to call on him the next day. Clarendon went.
and had q conversation OF two hours and half.
| In the course Of which the Prince went
into every detail. and poured forth without
stint or reserve all the pent-up indigna-
| tion. resentment. and bitterness With which
the Queen and himself have been boil
ing for a long time past" The Prince obvi.
ously desired that the Premier. Lord John
| Russell. should be enlightened In regard
to their feelings But 1t Is a shrewd comment
Of Greville's. Il don't believe It will make the
least alteration In Palmerston's conduct or
change an iota OF his unco nauernble will and
study OF revenge. or prevent his doing just
what he pleases In spite Of all the world" Tho
truth. OF course. is that tho Queen and Prince
Albert were at this time laboring under an abb
surd misconception regarding their true post
tion and real powers. They supposed that
| they had much In common with the crowned
heads tho Continent. and they had not yet dis
covered that they were mere flRureheads. whose
so-called prerogatives had become tho most at
tenuated OF legal actions. It was the mission
OF Lord Palmerston to give them an unwel-
come but salutary lesson. He taught them
what Prince Bismarck has learned from OBJ
servatlon. and without needing to sojourn for
years In Great Britain. The German Chancel-
lor has often declared In the ReichstaR that
those countries whore Ministers could be
turned out at tho bidding OF popular assem-
bly, were republics In fact whatever they might
term themselves in theory. and their so-called
sovereigns were merely hereditary Presidents
While the present section OF this journal Is
less entertaining than that formerly published.
1t still regnles us with good many anecdotes
that throw light upon tho characters Of distin-
guished men and upon tho tone OF society In
tho earlier part OF the Victorian era. 1t is true
| that the court was pure. but society in general
had not as yet so far recovered from tho taint
pervading 1t in preceding reiRns as to merit
the certificate OF virtue somewhat too hastily
conferred upon 1t in the preface by the editor OF
these volumes. While large number OF the
men OF the Georgian epoch remained alive no
marked change in respect OF morality was to be
| looked for though material improvement in
outward decency did undoubtedly take place.
While such man as Lord Melbourne could be-
Prime Minister. and such person as Lord
Hertford retained sufficient political weight
to command some marks OF Difference
from party managers. thorough re-
form of social principles and stand
ards was scarcely practicable. or Lord
Melbourne. for example the author Of this
diary feels constrained to speak with consider
able severity. although he entertained for him
a sincere regard From some extended COM
ments. penned Just after the death OF the Whig
Premier. we learn that 81 he was certainly a
very singular man. resembling In character
and manner. as he did remarkably In feature.
his father the late Lord Egremont." There Is
something so amazing to the modern reader
in the coolness with which this imputation OF
an illicit paternity is assumed TO be indisputa-
ble that the editor OF the diary deems it need
full to append tho following explanation In a
foot note: This sounds strange. but 1t was
believed by those who were acquainted with
the ch,oniqte scandaleuse OF a former genera
ton that William Lamb and Lady Cowper
tafterward Lndy Pamerston, wore not the
children OF their putativo father. tho Lord
Melbourne of that day. but OF Lord
Egremont. who never married. but had
numerous ilegiHmate offspring" To return
TO Lord Melbourne we are told that he was
exceedingly handsome when first knew him.
which was in 1915 or thorcabouts. 1t was at
this period that the irregularities Of his wife
Lady Caroline Lamb. best remembered for her
passion for Lord Byronl had partially estranged
him from her. though they were not yet sepa-
rated and he was occasionally amused By her
into condonation OF her amours. and into sort
Of half laughing half resentful. reconciliation.
They lived in this queer way He. good nntured.
eccentric and not nice; she. prohigate. roman
| tic and comical sensuaist and n
Sybarte without much refinement or delicacy.
a keen observer OF the follies and vices Of man
kind. taking the world as he found 1t.
and content to extract rs much pleasure
and diversion as he could from it. Hs
at time would edfy and astonish
his hearers with the most exalted sentiments.
and at another would terrfy and shock them
by indications OF the lowest morality and
worldly feelings and by thoughts and opinions
fraught with the most cold hearted hooking
and sarcasm" 1t should be remembered to
his credit that in his will he not only left
beQuest to Mrs. Norton but did his best to re-
dress tho injury inflicted on her reputation. 1t
appears that letter which he left for Lord
Beauvale. his brother. contained besides pc.
cuniary directions in favor OF Lady Brandon
and Mrs. Norton. solemn declaration that
what he had instructed tho Attorney General
to say on the trial as to her purity was true.
He said that as his indiscretion had exposed
her to oblo1uy and suspicion. he was bound to
renew this declaration"
Tho delineatlon Of Lord Hertford In this diary
is no doubt far more life-like. because more
scathing and repusive, than tho softened like
ness OF him presented in the papers OF his ben-
eliciary. Croker Detesabe were his life
and character. he belongs to the history OF Eng
land. for circumstances had made him q great
parsonage. and even after tho passage OF tho
first Reform act he retained good deal OF his
previously immense Parliamentary influence.
He also belongs to literature. for it is perhaps
superfuous to remind the reader that we see
in him the ugly original of Thackerays Lord
steyne." OF Disraeli's Lord Monmouth"