t is
lost in the country, and fully confirms the report of their
universal unpopularity: Cambridge lost by one hundred, and
Manchester barely won. Poulett Thomson told me just before that
the Liberals had a certain majority (for any candidate) of
several hundreds.

September 14th, 1839 {p.238}

[Page Head: BROUGHAM'S LETTER ON EDUCATION.]

Brougham has sent to the press a letter to the Duke of Bedford on
Education, of which he thus speaks in a letter to Lord
Tavistock:... 'I have sent my letter to the Duke to the press at
Edinburgh. I wrote it in eight and a half hours the day I came
here; but if I am to judge, who should not, it is by far the best
thing I ever did, and the only eloquent. My whole heart was in
it, both from affection to your excellent father, and to the
subject. I hope it will do good, for the time is going away under
me, and I shall be called to my great account before I have done
any good on earth. Therefore I must make a new attempt at having
something to show.' The production will be probably very good in
its way and very eloquent, but the note is characteristic--a
mixture of pride and humility, humbugging and self-deceitful.
What cares he for the Duke of Bedford, whom he scarcely sees from
one end of the year to the other, and why should he care? They
have very little in common--neither the _idem velle_ nor _idem
nolle_; and a more uninteresting, weak-minded, selfish character
does not exist than the Duke of Bedford.[3] He is a good-natured,
plausible man, without enemies, and really (though he does not
think so) without friends; and naturally enough he does not think
so, because there are many who pretend, like Brougham, a strong
affection for him, and some who imagine they feel it. Vast
property, rank, influence, and station always attract a sentiment
which is dignified with the name of friendship, which assumes all
its outward appearance, complies with its conditions, but which
is really hollow and unsubstantial. The Duke of Bedford thinks of
nothing but his own personal enjoyments, and it has long been a
part of his system not to allow himself to be disturbed by the
necessities of others, or be ruffled by the slightest self-
denial. He is affable, bland, and of easy intercourse, making
rather a favourable impression on superficial observers; caring
little, if at all, for the wants or wishes of others, but
grudging nobody anything that does not interfere with his own
pursuits, and seein