sary that his eyes should be opened;
Lord Clarendon only regretted the precious time that was lost.

He must really say that he thought he could do no good in joining Lord
John; his Government would be "a stillborn Government," which "the
country would tread under foot the first day," composed as it would be
of the same men who had been bankrupt in 1852, minus the two best men
in it, viz. Lord Lansdowne and Lord Grey, and the head of it ruined
in public opinion. If he were even to stay at the Foreign Office, his
language to foreign countries would lose all its weight from being
known not to rest upon the public opinion of England, and all this
would become much worse when it became known that from the first day
of Lord John's entering into Lord Aberdeen's Government, he had only
had one idea, viz. that of tripping him up, expel the Peelites, and
place himself at the head of an exclusive Whig Ministry. Besides,
he felt that the conduct of all his colleagues had been most
straightforward and honourable towards him, and he was not prepared
"to step over their dead bodies to the man who had killed them." The
attempt of Lord John ought _not_ to succeed if public morality were
to be upheld in this country. He had avoided Lord John ever since his
retirement, but he would have now to speak out to him, as when he was
asked to embark his honour he had a right to count the cost.

Lord Lansdowne had no intention to go to Lord John's meeting, as he
had originally taken leave of public life, and had only entered the
Coalition Government in order to facilitate its cohesion; among a
Government of pure Whigs he was not wanted, for there was no danger
of their not _cohering_. Sir C. Wood declared he had no business to be
where Lord Lansdowne refused to go in.

He thought Lord Palmerston would have equal difficulty in forming an
administration, but when that had failed some solid combination would
become possible.

Lord Lansdowne had declared that he could not place himself at the
head for more than three months, but that was a long time in these
days.

VICTORIA R.

[Pageheading: FRESH DIFFICULTIES]

_Memorandum by Queen Victoria._

Lord John Russell returned at six o'clock from his meeting, much
put out and disturbed. He said he had nothing good to report. Mr
Gladstone, whom he had seen, had declined to act with him, saying that
the country did not wish for Coalitions at this moment. Sir J. Graham,
whom he had visited,