pposition of maritime and
manufacturing towns that prevented this consummation.
When Milor (CORNWALLIS?) observed, with insular bluntness
(_bonhomie_), 'The outcome will be a new throne (_encore
une chaise bien decore_) for J. B.' I replied, 'This will
certainly not be to the advantage of Son Altesse JOSEPH (_pas
pour Jose_).'"

Does not this read as if written yesterday? Five years later
TALLEYRAND entered into a direct communication with Fox by letter, and
this led to a personal interview with Lord YARMOUTH. I make a second
quotation:--

"I told Mister-for-laughter (_esquire pour rire_) that there
would be no difficulty in restoring to England Hanover,
which was then in possession of Prussia. The Englishman
(_l'Anglais_), who had been imbibing some generous wine (_vin
ordinaire a dix sous_), stammered out that he considered the
suggestion piscatorial. 'Milor,' I retorted, with a polite
bow, 'to a YARMOUTH accustomed to bloaters all things must
appear fishy!'"

Considering TALLEYRAND'S flexible mind, and the ease with which he
resigned himself to blunders when they did not seem to him dangerous,
this judgment, expressed with surprising emphasis, is the most
striking condemnation which can be passed on the tone adopted by the
British negotiator. With rare skill TALLEYRAND avoids the dryness
usual to memoirs of a personal character. As an instance of this,
I give a description of the desertion by the wily diplomatist of
NAPOLEON in 1814, when the Emperor had consented to retire to
Elba. That this passage may have additional force, I give it in the
original, possibly very original, French:--

"Je n'aime pas lui. Je pensais de cet homme qu'il etait un
espece de polichinelle (_a quaint sort of puppet_), qu'il
n'etait pas la valeur de son sel (_not the value of his
salt_), et voila la raison pourquoi je lui vende (_why I
offered him for sale_). Il n'a pu supporter la bienfaisance
avec satisfaction, ni les choses bien desagreables avec
complaisance."

"He could not bear the things that were disagreeable with
complacency." Volumes might be written on that phrase, which at this
moment, if we look around us, suggests numerous parallel instances.
I have heard a man growl when a plate of soup has been poured by a
careless waiter on his dress waistcoat, I have noticed a lady frown
when I have myself accidentally torn her train from its body