, as he had done others before. I am not a fair
judge of him, because the pique which his conduct to me naturally
gave me would induce me to underrate him, but I take vanity and
self-sufficiency to be the prominent features of his character,
though of the extent of his capacity I will give no opinion. Let
time show; I think he will fail. [Time did show it to be very
considerable, and the _volvenda dies_ brought back our former
friendship, as will hereafter appear; he certainly did _not
fail_.]

He came into Parliament ten years ago, spoke and failed. He had
been a provincial hero, the Cicero and the Romeo of Yorkshire and
Cumberland, a present Lovelace and a future Pitt. He was
disappointed in love (the particulars are of no consequence),
married and retired to digest his mortifications of various
kinds, to become a country gentleman, patriot, reformer,
financier, and what not, always good-looking (he had been very
handsome), pleasing, intelligent, cultivated, agreeable as a man
can be who is not witty and who is rather pompous and slow, after
many years of retirement, in the course of which he gave to the
world his lucubrations on corn and currency. Time and the hour
made him master of a large but encumbered estate and member for
his county. Armed with the importance of representing a great
constituency, he started again in the House of Commons; took up
Joseph Hume's line, but ornamented it with graces and flourishes
which had not usually decorated such dry topics. He succeeded,
and in that line is now the best speaker in the House. I have no
doubt he has studied his subjects and practised himself in public
speaking. Years and years ago I remember his delight on Hume's
comparison between Demosthenes and Cicero, and how he knew the
passage by heart; but it is one thing to attack strong abuses and
fire off well-rounded set phrases, another to administer the
naval affairs of the country and be ready to tilt against all
comers, as he must do for the future.[4] Palmerston is said to
have given the greatest satisfaction to the foreign Ministers,
and to have begun very well. So much for the Ministers.

[4] [This opinion of Sir James Graham is the more curious
as he afterwards became one of Mr. Greville's
confidential friends, and rose to the first rank of
oratory and authority in the House of Commons. As
Secretary of State for the Home Department in the great
Admini