de Ros about, who likes to see sights, but
is not strong enough to undergo fatigue. Yesterday I called on M.
de la Ferronays, and had a long conversation about French
politics; he is greatly alarmed at the state of affairs in
France, and told me that he had said everything he could to the
King to dissuade him from changing his Ministry and trying a
_coup d'etat_, that the King has always been in his heart averse
to a Constitution, and has now got it into his head that there is
a settled design to subvert the royal authority, in which idea he
is confirmed by those about him, 'son petit entourage.' He
anticipates nothing but disaster to the King and disorder in the
country from these violent measures, and says that France was
increasing in prosperity, averse to change, satisfied with its
Government and Constitution, and only desirous of certain
ameliorations in the internal administration of the country, and
of preserving inviolate the institutions it had obtained. He
thinks the success of the expedition to Algiers, if it should
succeed, will have no effect in strengthening the hands of
Polignac; says they committed a capital fault in the beginning by
proroguing the Chambers upon their making that violent Address in
answer to the Speech, that they should immediately have proceeded
to propose the enactment of those laws of which the country
stands in need, when if the Chamber had agreed to them the
Ministry would have appeared to have a majority, and would
thereby gain moral strength; and if they had been rejected, the
King would have had a fine opportunity of appealing to the
nation, and saying that as long as they had attacked him
personally he had passed it by, but as they opposed all those
ameliorations which the state of France required, his people
might judge between him and them, and that this would at least
have given him a chance of success and brought many moderate
people to his side. He added that he had also said the same thing
to Polignac, but without success, that he is totally ignorant of
France and will listen to nobody. I told him that Henry de Ros
had been at Lyons when the Dauphin came, and how ill he was
received by the townspeople and the troops, at which he did not
seem at all surprised, though sorry.

Went to Santa Maria in Trastevere to-day, the Farnese Palace, the
Farnesina and Spada, Portico d'Ottavia and Mausoleo d'Augusto;
this last not worth seeing at all. The last time I was at the
Spada I