disenchantment.

_Mr. G._--Italy would have been very different if Cavour had only lived--and
even Ricasoli. Men ought not to suffer from disenchantment. They ought to
know that _ideals in politics are never realised_. And don't let us forget
in eastern Europe the rescue in our time of some ten millions of men from
the harrowing domination of the Turk. (On this he expatiated, and very
justly, with much energy.)

We turned to our own country. Here he insisted that democracy had
certainly not saved us from a distinct decline in the standard of public
men.... Look at the whole conduct of opposition from '80 to '85--every
principle was flung overboard, if they could manufacture a combination
against the government. For all this deterioration one man and one man
alone is responsible, Disraeli. He is the grand corrupter. He it was who
sowed the seed.

_J. M._--Ought not Palmerston to bear some share in this?

_Mr. G._--No, no; Pam. had many strong and liberal convictions. On one
subject Dizzy had them too--the Jews. There he was much more than rational,
he was fanatical. He said once that Providence would deal good or ill
fortune to nations, according as they dealt well or ill by the Jews. I
remember once sitting next to John Russell when D. was making a speech on
Jewish emancipation. "Look at him," said J. R., "how manfully he sticks to
it, tho' he knows that every word he says is gall and wormwood to every
man who sits around him and behind him." A curious irony, was it not, that
it should have fallen to me to propose a motion for a memorial both to
Pam. and Dizzy?

A superb scene upon the ocean, with a grand wind from the west. Mr. G. and
I walked on the shore; he has a passion for tumultuous seas. I have never
seen such huge masses of water shattering themselves among the rocks.

In the evening Mr. G. remarked on our debt to Macaulay, for guarding the
purity of the English tongue. I recalled a favourite passage from Milton,
that next to the man who gives wise and intrepid counsels of government,
he places the man who cares for the purity of his mother tongue. Mr. G.
liked this. Said he only knew Bright once slip into an error in this
respect, when he used "transpire" for "happen." Macaulay of good example
also in rigorously abstaining from the inclusion of matter in footnotes.
Hallam an offender in this respect. I pointed out that he offended in
company with Gibbon.

_Monday, Dec. 28._--We had an animated hour at