, and the Queen sent for Lord John,
who became Prime Minister in July, 1846.

This time, beyond the usual troubles in the distribution of offices, he had
no difficulty in forming a Ministry; but when formed it was in an unusually
difficult position. They were in power only because the Protectionists had
chosen to send Peel about his business, and the Irish problem was growing
more and more acute. The potato crop of 1846 was even worse than that of
1845, and Peel's system of public works had proved an expensive failure,
more pauperising than almsgiving. The Irish population fell from eight
millions to five, and those who survived handed down an intensified hatred
of England, which lives in some of their descendants to this day.

In the autumn of 1846 Lord John, little thinking that a home would soon be
offered to him by the Queen, bought a country place, Chorley Wood, near
Rickmansworth.

_Lady John Russell to Lady Mary Abercromby_

CHORLEY WOOD, RICKMANSWORTH, _December_ 12, 1846

About the 10th January we all go back to town for good, as John
must be there some time before the meeting of Parliament. Oh that
meeting of Parliament! It is so different from any I have ever
looked forward to; and though it has always been awful, this is so
much _more_ so. I shall then first really feel that John is
Minister, and find out the _pains_ of the position, having as
yet little experience of anything but the pleasures of it. Then
will come the daily toil beyond his strength, the daily abuse to
reward him, and the daily trial to us both of hardly meeting for a
quarter of an hour between breakfast and bedtime. In short, I had
better not begin to enumerate the evils that await us, as they are
innumerable. However, I feel very courageous and that they will
appear trifles if he succeeds; and if he is turned out before the
end of the session, I shall never regret that he has made the
attempt. It is a fearful time to have the government in his hands;
but for that very reason I am glad that _he_ and no other has
it. The accounts from Ireland are worse and worse, and what with
the extreme misery of the unfortunate poor and the misbehaviour of
the gentry, he is made very miserable. As he said this morning, at
times they almost drive him mad.

During Lady John's long illness in Edinburgh, Francis Lord Jeffrey had been
one of her kindest friends, and