reat Britain, the bulwark of the World, the Rock which alone had
withstood the sweeping flood, the ebbs and flows of Democracy and
Tyranny, was herself feeble, disjointed, and almost on the eve of ruin.
So, at least, it was represented by her antagonist in argument, Childe
Harold, whose sentiments, partly perhaps for the sake of argument, grew
deeper and darker in proportion to her enthusiasm.

The wit was his. He is a mixture of gloom and sarcasm, chastened,
however, by good breeding, and with a vein of original genius that makes
some atonement for the unheroic and uncongenial cast of his whole mind.
It is a mind that never conveys the idea of sunshine. It is a dark night
upon which the lightning flashes. The conversation between these two
and Sir Humphry Davy,[25] at whose house they met, was so animated that
Lady Davy[26] proposed coffee being served in the eating-room; so we did
not separate till eleven. Of course we had assembled rather late. I
should not say "assembled," for the party included no guests except Lord
Byron and myself in addition to the "Stael" quartette....

As foreigners have no idea that any opposition to Government is
compatible with general obedience and loyalty, their astonishment was
unbounded. I, perhaps I only, completely relished all her reasonings,
and I thought her perfectly justified in replying to the pathetic
mournings over departed liberty, "Et vous comptez pour rien la liberte
de dire tout cela, et meme devant les domestiques!" She concluded by
heartily wishing us a little taste of real adversity to cure us of our
plethora of political health.

* * * * *

In consequence of the difficulties and dangers anticipated in the above
letters Edward Stanley finally decided to take as his only travelling
companion his young brother-in-law, Edward Leycester, who was just
leaving Cambridge for the Long Vacation.

Mrs. Stanley accompanied her husband and brother as far as London, in
order to see the festivities held in honour of the State visit of the
Allied Sovereigns to England in June, on their way from the Restoration
ceremonies in France.

Her letters to her sister-in-law during this visit describe some of the
actors in the great events of the last few months and the excitement
which pervaded London during their stay.

_Mrs. Edward Stanley to Lady Maria Stanley._

LONDON, _Friday, June 13, 1814_.

Edward went for his passport the other day, and was