admitted that the nature of man was incapable at a single
effort of attaining to such mature perfection. His bewildered colleagues
could only assert in excuse that their chief was deaf, and wish that
everybody else had been deaf too. The second ministerial feat was of a
piece with the first. Their Majesties had accepted an invitation to dine
at Guildhall on the 9th of November. The Lord Mayor elect informed the
Home Office that there was danger of riot, and the Premier, (who could
not be got to see that London was not Paris because his own political
creed happened to be much the same as Prince Polignac's,) advised the
King to postpone his visit to the City, and actually talked of putting
Lombard Street and Cheapside in military occupation. Such a step taken
at such a time by such a man had its inevitable result. Consols, which
the Duke's speech on the Address had brought from 84 to 80, fell to 77
in an hour and a half; jewellers and silversmiths sent their goods to
the banks; merchants armed their clerks and barricaded their warehouses;
and, when the panic subsided, fear only gave place to the shame and
annoyance which a loyal people, whose loyalty was at that moment more
active than ever, experienced from the reflection that all Europe was
discussing the reasons why our King could not venture to dine in public
with the Chief Magistrate of his own capital. A strong Minister, who
sends the funds down seven per cent. in as many days, is an anomaly that
no nation will consent to tolerate; the members of the Cabinet looked
forward with consternation to a scheme of Reform which, with the
approbation of his party, Brougham had undertaken to introduce on the
15th of November; and when, within twenty-four hours of the dreaded
debate, they were defeated on a motion for a committee on the Civil
List, their relief at having obtained an excuse for retiring at least
equalled that which the country felt at getting rid of them.

Earl Grey came in, saying, (and meaning what he said,) that the
principles on which he stood were "amelioration of abuses, promotion
of economy, and the endeavour to preserve peace consistently with the
honour of the country." Brougham, who was very sore at having been
forced to postpone his notice on Reform on account of the ministerial
crisis, had gratuitously informed the House of Commons on two successive
days that he had no intention of taking office. A week later on he
accepted the Chancellorship with an