ck put it, "with
the hand on the sword-hilt." These rash words of challenge were the first
of the French disasters. On July 8 the Duc de Gramont begged her Majesty's
government to use all their influence to bring about the voluntary
renunciation by Prince Leopold of his pretensions. This he told Lord Lyons
would be "a most fortunate solution" of the question. Two days later he
assured Lord Lyons that "if the Prince of Hohenzollern should, on the
advice of the King of Prussia, withdraw his acceptance of the crown the
whole affair would be at an end."

On July 10 Lord Granville suggests to Mr. Gladstone: "What do you think of
asking the Queen whether there is any one to whom she could write
confidentially with a view to persuade Hohenzollern to refuse?" Mr.
Gladstone replies:--

1. I should think you could not do wrong in asking the Queen, as
you propose, to procure if she can a refusal from Hohenzollern,
through some private channel. 2. I suppose there could be no
objection to sounding the Italian government as to the Duke of
Aosta. 3. If in the meantime you have authentic accounts of
military movements in France, would it not be right formally to
ask their suspension, if it be still the desire of the French
government that you should continue to act in the sense of
procuring withdrawal?

The ambassador at Paris was instructed to work vigorously in this sense,
and to urge self-possession and measure upon the Emperor's council. On
July 12, however, the prospects of peace grew more and more shadowy. On
that day it became known that Prince Leopold had spontaneously renounced
the candidature, or that his father had renounced it on his behalf. The
French ministers made up their minds that the defeat of Prussia must be
more direct. Gramont told Lyons (July 12) that the French government was
in a very embarrassing position. Public opinion was so much excited that
it was doubtful whether the ministry would not be overthrown, if it went
down to the Chamber and announced that it regarded the affair as finished,
without having obtained some more complete satisfaction from Prussia. So
the Emperor and his advisers flung themselves gratuitously under
Bismarck's grinding wheels by a further demand that not only should the
candidature be withdrawn, but the King should pledge himself against its
ever being at any time revived. Mr. Gladstone was not slow to see the
fatal mischief of this new deve