. This
Palmerston (through Lord Granville) refused; but Guizot had not
waited for the answer, and in his speech he said so, and it was
not without its use. But while everything was on the point of
being settled, Metternich (who is always in hot or cold fits of
courage or cowardice) sends over a proposal that Egypt shall only
be granted to Mehemet Ali for his own and his son's lives, and
not hereditary. For what possible reason this absurd proposition
was made, unless to create embarrassment and rekindle
animosities, nobody can conceive; though probably the real
solution is that Metternich is in his dotage, has no policy in
his brain, and acts from foolish impulses. I have heard no more
of it; and though Palmerston would not be at all averse to the
proposal as a matter of inclination, I do not suspect him of the
folly of listening to it, and, if he did, his colleagues would
not.

December 29th, 1840 {p.357}

[Page Head: LORD MELBOURNE IN HIGH SPIRITS.]

Went on Thursday last to the Grange, and returned yesterday. Just
before I went, the Duke of Bedford called on me; he was just come
from Woburn, where he had had a great party--Melbourne, like a
boy escaped from school, in roaring spirits. They anticipate an
easy session, and all Melbourne's alarm and despondency are
quickly succeeded by joy at having got out of a scrape, and
confidence that all difficulties are surmounted and all
opposition will be silenced. But it now comes out that of all who
were opposed to Palmerston's policy, not one--not even Lord
Holland--was _in his heart_ so averse to, and so afraid of it, as
Melbourne himself; and, nevertheless, he would say nothing and do
nothing to impede or alter it. Palmerston is now doing his best
to flatter Lord John out of any remains of sourness or soreness
that their recent disputes may have left in his mind; and
(passing over all that subsequently occurred) he writes to him to
invite him to Broadlands, and says that while their recent
successes have far exceeded the most sanguine expectations, he
never shall forget how much of them is owing to the powerful
support which he (Lord John) gave to him (Palmerston) in the
_Treaty_. There is, it must be owned, astuteness in this; for
Lord John's original support of the Treaty, and Palmerston's
success in the operations, bind them indissolubly together, and
it is very wise to put this prominently forward and cancel the
recollection of all the rest.

[Page Head: TOR