nd that Metternich would have listened eagerly
to this if he had dared, and was only prevented and induced to
entreat the Spaniards to go away by his overwhelming dread of
Russian indignation.

January 14th, 1840 {p.251}

At Wrest for the last week. It is a new house built by Lord de
Grey, without architects or any professional aid, and a great
work for an amateur to have accomplished. Returned yesterday, and
found London beginning to fill for Parliament. Everybody asks his
neighbour, will the Government be able to go on--a question which
nobody pretends to answer on any good grounds of probability.
Electioneering casualties during the recess have brought the two
parties (supposing all the Whig alliance to cohere) nearer to an
equality than they were before, and they are so bitter against
each other, that the Tories will certainly drive the Ministry out
if they can, and take the chance of being themselves able to
govern. But with reference to the state of public affairs and the
composition of the Government, the Ministry presents a much more
respectable appearance than it has heretofore done; the Cabinet
contains men of character, of experience, and of great
acquirements, and Clarendon, who has just taken his seat among
them and has added to it a good diplomatic reputation, tells me
that they are not only very united, agreed in general principles,
and only differing to an extent that any thirteen men must
occasionally differ on particular points; but that they are as
Conservative a Cabinet as possible. And so, no doubt, they are in
their hearts and wishes, and so they would be, if the
Conservatives would allow them to keep their places, and give
them strength enough to maintain Conservative interests. It is
impossible to doubt that the best thing that could happen in the
present situation of the country would be the continuance in
office of the present Government, with the consent and
acquiescence of the Tories, so long as they administered the
government on just, moderate, and constitutional principles, and
with a full understanding that any departure therefrom would be
followed by their unrelenting hostility. But this would require a
large amount of patriotism and self-denial from a great party,
who, besides a consciousness of strength, have their minds full
of bitter animosity, and an impatience for party victory, and the
acquisition of official power; and in their eager desire for
revenge and triumph, they ov