nything.' 'Ah!
but he must make sacrifices; things cannot go on as they do, and
he must make sacrifices.' Lord Bath, too, came to town, intending
to leave his proxy with the Duke, and went away with it in his
pocket, after hearing his famous speech; though he has a close
borough, which he by no means wishes to lose, still he is for
Reform. What they all feel is that his obstinacy will endanger
everything; that by timely concession, and regulating the present
spirit, real improvements might be made and extreme measures
avoided. I met Rothschild coming out of Herries' room, with his
nephew from Paris. He looked pretty lively for a man who has lost
some millions, but the funds were all up yesterday; he asked me
the news, and said Lafitte was the best Minister France could
have, and that everything was rapidly improving there.

November 15th, 1830 {p.058}

[Page Head: ROBERT SOUTHEY.]

Yesterday morning I breakfasted with Taylor[15] to meet Southey:
the party was Southey; Strutt, member for Derby, a Radical; young
Mill, a political economist; Charles Villiers, young Elliot, and
myself. Southey is remarkably pleasing in his manner and
appearance, unaffected, unassuming, and agreeable; at least such
was my impression for the hour or two I saw him. Young Mill is
the son of Mill who wrote the 'History of British India,' and
said to be cleverer than his father. He has written many
excellent articles in reviews, pamphlets, &c., but though
powerful with a pen in his hand, in conversation he has not the
art of managing his ideas, and is consequently hesitating and
slow, and has the appearance of being always working in his mind
propositions or a syllogism.

[15] [Henry Taylor, the author of 'Philip van Artevelde.'
Edward Strutt was afterwards created Lord Belper.
'Young Mill' was the eminent economist and philosopher
John Stuart Mill. 'Young Elliot,' Sir Thomas Frederick
Elliot, K.S.M.G., long one of the ablest members of the
Colonial Department, to which Henry Taylor, the poet,
himself belonged.]

Southey told an anecdote of Sir Massey Lopes, which is a good
story of a miser. A man came to him and told him he was in great
distress, and L200 would save him. He gave him a draft for the
money.' 'Now,' says he, 'what will you do with this?' 'Go to the
bankers and get it cashed.' 'Stop,' said he; 'I will cash it.' So
he gave him the money, but first calculated