ll them that 'Sir Isaac Newton was
nothing compared to some of the present professors,' or something
to that effect. I put down all this nonsense because it amused me
in the recital, and is excessively characteristic of the man, one
of the most remarkable who ever existed. Lady Sefton told me that
he went with them to the British Museum, where all the officers
of the Museum were in attendance to receive them. He would not
let anybody explain anything, but did all the honours himself. At
last they came to the collection of minerals, when she thought he
must be brought to a standstill. Their conductor began to
describe them, when Brougham took the words out of his mouth, and
dashed off with as much ease and familiarity as if he had been a
Buckland or a Cuvier. Such is the man, a grand mixture of moral,
political, and intellectual incongruities.

June 10th, 1831 {p.150}

Breakfasted the day before yesterday with Rogers, Sydney Smith,
Luttrell, John Russell, and Moore; excessively agreeable. I never
heard anything more entertaining than Sydney Smith; such bursts
of merriment and so dramatic. Breakfasts are the meals for poets.
I met Wordsworth and Southey at breakfast. Rogers' are always
agreeable.

June 15th, 1831 {p.150}

Five new peerages came out yesterday--Sefton, Kinnaird, Fingall,
Leitrim, and Agar Ellis; John Russell and Stanley are to be in the
Cabinet. At the ball at St. James's the other night George Dawson
told me that they had 270 people in the House of Commons on the
side of the Opposition, if they could command their attendance;
that he did not mean to say no Reform Bill would pass, but that
the details of this Bill had never yet been discussed, and when
they were it would be so clearly shown that it is impracticable
that this identical measure never could pass. The Opposition are
beginning to recover from their discouragement; there is to be a
meeting at Lord Mansfield's on Friday, and they do, I believe,
mean to fight it out.

June 19th, 1831 {p.150}

[Page Head: THE CHOLERA.]

The last few days I have been completely taken up with quarantine,
and taking means to prevent the cholera coming here. That disease
made great ravages in Russia last year, and in the winter the
attention of Government was called to it, and the question was
raised whether we should have to purify goods coming here in case
it broke out again, and if so how it was to be done. Government
was thinking of Reform and othe