ufficiently master of his subject to make his explanations very
lucid and perfectly intelligible, but he conveys good general
notions, and introduces such a mixture of anecdote and
illustration as makes it sufficiently entertaining. The
undertaking is highly laudable; it is carried on with great zeal
and spirit, very considerable ability, and, as far as it has
gone, with complete success.

Dined yesterday at the Hollands': Normanby, Melbourne, and
Luttrell; pretty good talk. Melbourne, rather paradoxical,
asserted that 'men with quick feelings were always the worst men;
that he could not work out the proposition metaphysically then,
but that he should do.' It was the assertion of Brougham's having
quick feelings which elicited the saying, though certainly
Brougham is not the _worst_ of men: far from it, nor did he mean
to say so. Brougham denies this pamphlet, and says he cannot be
the author for this reason: the pamphlet reasserts something
about Melbourne which he had asserted in one of his articles in
the 'Edinburgh Review.' Melbourne, when he read that article,
wrote to Brougham, and told him that as he was sure he did not
wish to misrepresent him, he informed him that he had never
entertained the opinions nor given the vote there ascribed to
him. Brougham replied, admitting his error, and promising to
correct it, offering to do so at Melbourne's option in another
number of the 'Edinburgh Review,' or _in some other work_ (I
forget what). Melbourne wrote back, in rather a jocular strain,
that he thought it would be preferable to have the correction in
the same publication as the statement, to which Brougham sent a
good-humoured answer, and there it ended. After this, he says
that he could not by possibility repeat the very same thing in
another work that he had already engaged to recall, and this is
certainly strong. At the same time there are things in it which
no other man could have written. Just before it came out he was
preparing something for the printer, for he came into my room
with a parcel of proof-sheets in his hand, which I fancied were
for me to frank to Macvey Napier, and I said so; when he replied,
'Oh no, they are going to the printer here.' It is after all not
improbable that it was a joint production--his and Roebuck's--
Roebuck making the pudding, and Brougham putting in the plums.
Melbourne was talking of Brougham's indignation and mortification
at being deprived of his pre-eminence in the Hous