months; not a moment of _ennui_; had become acquainted with a host
of remarkable people of all sorts, political characters of all
parties, and the _litterateurs_, such as Victor Hugo, Balzac, &c.,
the latter of whom, he says, is a very agreeable man. He told me
that 'Le Pere Goriot' is a true story, and that since its
publication he had become acquainted with some more circumstances
which would have made it still more striking. He has been leading
here 'une vie de garcon,' and making himself rather ridiculous in
some respects. He said to me, 'I suppose the Government will get
on; I'm sure I shall not go on in the House of Lords this year as
I did the last. I was induced by circumstances and some little
excitement to take a more prominent part than usual last session;
but I don't see what I got by it except abuse. I thought I should
not hear any of the abuse that was poured upon me when I came
here, and got out of the reach of the English newspapers, but, on
the contrary, I find it all concentrated in Galignani.' Lyndhurst
and Ellice have been great friends here. Madame de Lieven seems to
have a very agreeable position at Paris. She receives every night,
and opens her house to all comers. Being neutral ground, men of
all parties meet there, and some of the most violent antagonists
have occasionally joined in amicable and curious discussion. It is
probably convenient to her Court that she should be here under
such circumstances, for a woman of her talents cannot fail to pick
up a good deal of interesting, and perhaps useful, information;
and as she is not subject to the operation of the same passions
and prejudices which complicated and disturbed her position in
England, she is able to form a juster estimate of the characters
and the objects of public men. She says Paris is a very agreeable
place to live at, but expresses an unbounded contempt for the
French character, and her lively sense of the moral superiority of
England. I asked her who were the men whom she was best inclined
to praise. She likes Mole, as pleasing, intelligent, and
gentlemanlike; Thiers the most brilliant, very lively and amusing;
Guizot and Berryer, both very remarkable. She talked freely enough
of Ellice, who is her dear friend, and from whom she draws all she
can of English politics; that he had come here for the purpose of
intriguing against the present Government, and trying to set up
Thiers again, and that he had fancied he should manage it.