red to see the letters, and then to keep
them. This she refused. This Captain Hess was a short, plump,
vulgar-looking man, afterwards lover to the Queen of Naples,
mother of the present King, an amour that was carried on under the
auspices of the Margravine at her villa in the Strada Nova at
Naples. It was, however, detected, and Hess was sent away from
Naples, and never allowed to return. I remember finding him at
Turin (married), when he was lamenting his hard fate in being
excluded from that _Paradiso_ Naples.

September 28th, 1832 {p.321}

[Page Head: BELGIUM, SPAIN, FRANCE.]

At Stoke from the 22nd to the 26th, then to the Grove, and
returned yesterday; at the former place Madame de Lieven,
Alvanley, Melbourne; tolerably pleasant; question of war again.
The Dutch King makes a stir, and threatens to bombard the town of
Antwerp; the French offered to march, and put their troops in
motion, but Leopold begged they would not, and chose rather to
await the effect of more conferences, which began with great
vigour a few days ago. What they find to say to each other for
eight or ten hours a day for several consecutive days it is hard
to guess, as the question is of the simplest kind. The King of
Holland will not give up the citadel of Antwerp, nor consent to
the free navigation of the Scheldt; the Belgians insist on these
concessions; the Conference says they shall be granted, but
Russia, Prussia, and Austria will not coerce the Dutchman;
England and France will, if the others don't object. A French
army is in motion, and a French fleet is off Spithead; so
probably something will come of it. Nothing has damaged this
Government more than these protracted and abortive conferences.

Four days ago there was a report that the King of Spain was dead,
accompanied with a good many particulars, and all the world began
speculating as to the succession, but yesterday came news that he
was not dead, but better. Pedro and Miguel are fighting at Oporto
with some appearance of spirit; Miguel is the favourite. The
French Government is represented to be in a wretched state,
squabbling and feeble, and nobody is inclined to be Minister.
Dupin was very near it, but refused because Louis Philippe would
not make him President of the Council. The King is determined to
be his own Minister, and can get nobody to take office on these
terms. They think it will end in Dupin. The present Government
declares it cannot meet the Chambers until A