illiancy,
our now too leaden-coloured Era of Hope, and wind it up--into
fulfilment.

Great, in any case, is the felicity of the Oeil-de-Boeuf. Stinginess has
fled from these royal abodes: suppression ceases; your Besenval may
go peaceably to sleep, sure that he shall awake unplundered. Smiling
Plenty, as if conjured by some enchanter, has returned; scatters
contentment from her new-flowing horn. And mark what suavity of manners!
A bland smile distinguishes our Controller: to all men he listens with
an air of interest, nay of anticipation; makes their own wish clear to
themselves, and grants it; or at least, grants conditional promise
of it. "I fear this is a matter of difficulty," said her
Majesty.--"Madame," answered the Controller, "if it is but difficult, it
is done, if it is impossible, it shall be done (se fera)." A man of such
'facility' withal. To observe him in the pleasure-vortex of society,
which none partakes of with more gusto, you might ask, When does he
work? And yet his work, as we see, is never behindhand; above all, the
fruit of his work: ready-money. Truly a man of incredible facility;
facile action, facile elocution, facile thought: how, in mild suasion,
philosophic depth sparkles up from him, as mere wit and lambent
sprightliness; and in her Majesty's Soirees, with the weight of a world
lying on him, he is the delight of men and women! By what magic does he
accomplish miracles? By the only true magic, that of genius. Men name
him 'the Minister;' as indeed, when was there another such? Crooked
things are become straight by him, rough places plain; and over the
Oeil-de-Boeuf there rests an unspeakable sunshine.

Nay, in seriousness, let no man say that Calonne had not genius: genius
for Persuading; before all things, for Borrowing. With the skilfulest
judicious appliances of underhand money, he keeps the Stock-Exchanges
flourishing; so that Loan after Loan is filled up as soon as opened.
'Calculators likely to know' (Besenval, iii. 216.) have calculated that
he spent, in extraordinaries, 'at the rate of one million daily;' which
indeed is some fifty thousand pounds sterling: but did he not procure
something with it; namely peace and prosperity, for the time being?
Philosophedom grumbles and croaks; buys, as we said, 80,000 copies of
Necker's new Book: but Nonpareil Calonne, in her Majesty's Apartment,
with the glittering retinue of Dukes, Duchesses, and mere happy admiring
faces, can let Necker and P