afraid
and made difficulties; they were excessively provoked, but at
last induced him to speak to Lord Aberdeen about it, which he
said he would do after dinner. In the meantime Montrond got me to
tell the story to Aberdeen, which I did, and got him to encourage
Laval to do the business. He then told Laval that I had _aplani_
the matter, at which the Ambassador was rather affronted, but I
suppose the thing will be done and Dino will get out. The Duc de
Dino is Talleyrand's nephew, and his son has married Mademoiselle
de Montmorency, a relation of the Duc de Laval.

[1] [The Duc de Laval had succeeded Prince Polignac as
French Ambassador in London.]

December 10th, 1829 {p.255}

Last night Miss Kemble acted Belvidera for the first time, and
with great success.

December 18th, 1829 {p.255}

At Roehampton last Saturday to Monday; Granvilles, Byng, Lord
Ashley, and I. Dino was extricated from prison by Laval's paying
the money, which he did very handsomely; he thought it wrong to
have him in prison and wrong to attach him fictitiously to his
Embassy, so he paid the debt, and Dino is gone back to France.

Despatches were received from Gordon yesterday giving an account
of a ball he had given to the Divan; the Turks came, and the
Reis-Effendi waltzed with a Mrs. Moore. After supper they drank
King George IV.'s health in bumpers of champagne. This story was
told to Lord Sidmouth as a good joke; but he said with a face of
dismay, 'Good God, is it possible? To what extent will these
innovations be carried?'

December 19th, 1829 {p.255}

There is a review in the 'Foreign Quarterly' (the last number) on
Greece, which is a remarkably able critique of the conduct of our
Government in the affairs of that State. The writer, whoever he
may be, has been amply supplied with documents and information,
probably from Paris. Nothing can be more just than his remarks on
our miserable policy, or more severe. I showed it to Lord
Granville, who told me that it was generally correct, though
containing some errors; for instance, that it was not true that
we had engaged to afford the Greeks pecuniary aid, which we never
did promise, but that he had been himself the person to negotiate
with M. de la Ferronays, then Minister for Foreign Affairs at
Paris, for the more limited boundary, and to dissuade the French
from sending their expedition to the Morea; that there had been a
violent contest in the English Cabinet o