r Robert Peel, who thought Palmerston a dangerous
and mischievous Foreign Minister, and the hostility of
Lord Aberdeen. In fact, when these statesmen came into
office a few months later, they applied themselves
mainly to obliterate the traces of Palmerston's
quarrels. Nothing would have induced Sir Robert Peel to
take Palmerston into his Cabinet. It was otherwise,
some years later, when Lord Stanley had succeeded to
the leadership of the Conservative Party, and at that
time the negotiations between him and Lord Palmerston
were renewed, though without any result.--H.R.]

January 13th, 1841 {p.365}

Notwithstanding the comparative tranquillity which now prevails
in France, the madness of that people having taken another turn,
and venting itself upon a reckless expenditure, and the
extravagant project of fortifying Paris, Guizot is evidently
aware of, and alarmed at, certain intrigues now at work, for the
purpose of his ejection. Of these Mole is the object or the
agent, or both. Guizot sent over the other day to Reeve a paper,
cleverly done, in which Mole's position was discussed, and the
morality as well as possibility of his coming into office with
the aid of a coalition.

[Page Head: THE DUCHESS OF CANNIZZARO.]

The other day died the Duchess of Cannizzaro, a woman of rather
amusing notoriety, whom the world laughed with and laughed at,
while she was alive, and will regret a little because she
contributed in some degree to their entertainment. She was a Miss
Johnstone, and got from her brother a large fortune; she was very
short and fat, with rather a handsome face, totally uneducated,
but full of humour, vivacity, and natural drollery, at the same
time passionate and capricious. Her all-absorbing interest and
taste was music, to which all her faculties and time were
devoted. She was eternally surrounded with musical artists, was
their great patroness, and at her house the world was regaled
with the best music that art could supply. Soon after her
brother's death, she married the Count St. Antonio (who was
afterwards made Duke of Cannizzaro), a good-looking, intelligent,
but penniless Sicilian of high birth, who was pretty successful
in all ways in society here. He became disgusted with her,
however, and went off to Italy, on a separate allowance which she
made him. After a few years he returned to England, and