on. By a discussion
which arose about Bickersteth's merits it was clear that there is
a question of his being Solicitor-General. Melbourne said 'he was
a Benthamite, and they were all fools.' (He said a doctrinaire
was a fool, but an honest man.) I said 'the Austins were not
fools.' 'Austin? Oh, a damned fool. Did you ever read his book
on "Jurisprudence"?' I said I had read a great part of it, and
that it did not appear to be the work of a fool. He said he had
read it all, and that it was the dullest book he ever read, and
full of truisms elaborately set forth. Melbourne is very fond of
being slashing and paradoxical. It is astonishing how much he
reads even now that he is Prime Minister. He is greatly addicted
to theology, and loves conversing on the subject of religion.
----, who wanted him to marry her (which he won't do, though he
likes to talk to her), is the depositary of his thoughts and
notions on these subjects, and the other day she told me he sent
her a book (I forget what) on the Revelation stuffed with
marginal notes of his own. It was not long ago that he _studied_
Lardner's book on the 'Credibility of the Christian Religion,'
and compared it with the Bible as he went along. She fancies that
all this reading and reflection have turned him into the right
way. I can see no symptom of it at Holland House.

After dinner we talked of languages, and Lord Holland insisted
that Spanish was the finest of all and the best adapted to
eloquence. They said that George Villiers wrote word that nothing
could be better than the speaking in the Cortes--great readiness
and acuteness in reply--and that a more dexterous and skilful
debater than Martinez de la Rosa could not be found in any
assembly. '_That_ speaking so well is the worst thing about
them,' said Melbourne. 'Ah, that is one of your paradoxes,' Lord
Holland replied.

Allen talked to me about the Harley papers, which were left in a
box not to be opened for sixty years; the box was only opened a
few years ago at my cousin Titchfield's (the first) desire, and
the papers submitted to Mackintosh, with permission to publish
them in his 'History of England.' Mackintosh's death put an end
to this, and Allen wants me to ask my uncle the Duke of Portland
to put them in my hands and let me publish them. I never did so.
Macaulay had all Mackintosh's papers, and amongst them his notes
from these MSS.

London, November 13th, 1834

[Page Head: REFLECTIONS ON THE TURF