short but well-written
and well-reasoned paper. The Queen desired to keep it, and there
can be little doubt that in her heart she coincides with them,
for Leopold is frightened out of his senses, and is sure to have
made her in some degree partake of his alarm. She told Melbourne
that, of all things, what astonished her most was the coolness
and indifference of Palmerston. It is remarkable that Clarendon,
who expresses himself with energy, was never asked to Windsor
while Leopold was there, Palmerston being there the whole time;
and the day that Leopold departed, Clarendon was invited.

[Page Head: ADMIRAL NAPIER'S PROCLAMATION.]

Yesterday morning arrived a fresh budget of alarming news,
amongst the rest a proclamation of Admiral Napier, which people
are disposed to consider a forgery and an impossibility, but
which was believed at Paris and by Guizot here, and consequently
raised a storm there, and put the Ambassador in despair.
Clarendon went to him in the afternoon, when he broke out: 'Mon
cher Comte, I appeal to you, as representing the Government, to
tell me what I am to think of such a proceeding as this, and how
is it possible that I can continue to 'gerer les affaires de mon
gouvernement' here, if such provocations as this proclamation are
to occur.' Clarendon acknowledged that if this proclamation was
authentic, nothing was to be said in its defence, but urged that
no definite judgement should be formed till they had some
conclusive information; but he told me, that he should not be
surprised to find that it was authentic and in virtue of
instruction from Ponsonby, and he fully expected Palmerston would
highly approve of it. When it was suggested to Palmerston that it
might with every effort be impossible to prevent the Pasha from
crossing the Taurus, he said, 'So much the better if he did, that
he would not be able to retreat, his communication be cut off,
and his ruin the more certainly accomplished.'

September 12th, 1840 {p.305}

Yesterday at Windsor for a Council, when Prince Albert was
introduced. The Ministers who were there had a sort of Cabinet
afterwards, and a discussion about increasing the naval force,
which Lord Minto thought they could not venture to do without
calling Parliament together; but they agreed that this was to be
avoided, and would be on every account objectionable. They might
incur any expense for naval affairs on their own responsibility,
and Parliament would be sure to b