well-meaning man. Last night 'Hernani' was acted at Bridgewater
House before the Queen and all the Royal Family. Aubin, who had
acted Don Ruy, was sent to Rome, so Francis Leveson took the
part. I was disappointed, though all the company were or
pretended to be in ecstasies. The rhyme does not do, the room is
not good for hearing, and with the exception of Miss Kemble (who
was not so effective as I expected) and Craven, the actors were
execrable.

[Page Head: PREVENTION OF CHOLERA.]

News came the day before yesterday that Marshal Diebitsch had died
of the cholera. It was suspected that he had made away with
himself, for he has failed so signally in his campaign against the
Poles that his military reputation is tarnished; and it is known
that his recall had been decreed, and that Count Paskiewitch was
to succeed him. The alarm about the cholera still continues, but
the Government are thrown into great perplexity by the danger on
one hand of the cholera and the loss to trade on the other. A
board of health has been formed, composed of certain members of
the College of Physicians, Sir William Pym, Sir William Burnet,
Sir Byam Martin, Sir James M'Grigor, and Mr. Stewart; and they in
their first sitting advised that all the precautions established
by our Orders in Council against the plague should be adopted
against the cholera. This opinion was given under the authority of
Dr. Warren, who, it appears, exercises the same ascendency in this
Board that he had previously done in the College of Physicians on
the same subject. The fact is that he takes the safe side. They
have nothing to do with trade and commerce, which must shift for
themselves, and probably the other members will not take upon
themselves the responsibility of opposing measures which, if the
disease ever appears here, and should they be relaxed, will expose
the physicians to the odium and reproach of having been
instrumental to its introduction. We, however (Auckland, Poulett
Thomson, and I), are resolved to make the Cabinet take upon
themselves the responsibility of framing the permanent rules which
are to guide us during the continuance of the malady. It is
remarkable that there never was more sickness than there is at
present, without its being epidemic, but thousands of colds, sore
throats, fevers, and such like; and a man at Blackwall has died of
the English cholera, and another is ill of it, but their disorders
seem to have nothing to do with the Ind