at any moment find ourselves at war, and it is
high time to consider the very serious state of affairs. I should
like,' he added, turning to Melbourne, 'to know what is your
opinion upon the subject.' Nothing, however, could be got from
Melbourne, and there was another long pause, which was not broken
till somebody asked Palmerston, 'What are your last accounts?' On
this Palmerston pulled out of his pocket a whole parcel of
letters and reports from Ponsonby, Hodges, and others, and began
reading them through, in the middle of which operation someone
happened to look up, and perceived Melbourne fast asleep in his
armchair. At length Palmerston got through his papers, when there
was another pause; and at last Lord John, finding that Melbourne
would not take the lead or say a word, went at once into the
whole subject. He stated both sides of the case with great
precision, and in an admirable, though very artful speech, a
statement which, if elaborated into a Parliamentary speech and
completed as it would be in the House of Commons, was calculated
to produce the greatest effect. He delivered this, speaking for
about a quarter of an hour, and then threw himself back in his
chair, waiting for what anybody else would say. After some little
talk, Palmerston delivered his sentiments the other way, made a
violent philippic against France, talked of her weakness and want
of preparation, of the union of all the Powers of Europe against
her, said that Prussia had 200,000 men on the Rhine, and (as Lord
Holland said) exhibited all the violence of '93. Lord John was
then asked, since such were his opinions, what course he would
advise? He said he had formed his opinion as to what it would be
advisable to do, and he produced a slip of paper on which he had
written two or three things. The first was, that we should
immediately make a communication to the French Government,
expressing our thanks for the efforts France had made to induce
the Pasha to make concessions for the purpose of bringing about a
settlement; and next, to call together the Ministers of the other
Powers, and express to them our opinion that it would be
desirable to re-open negotiations for a settlement of the dispute
in consequence of the effects produced by the mediation of
France. There then ensued a good deal of talk (in which, however,
the Prime Minister took no part), Lord Minto espousing
Palmerston's side, and saying (which was true enough), that
though Lord H