, a son of Louis Philippe. The two marriages were
celebrated together with great pomp and ceremony. The Spanish government
did not much care whether the royal lady married an Orleans or a
Cobourg, so as France or England were engaged on its side against the
apprehension of a republican or Carlist revolt; and, on the whole,
France was supposed more likely to interfere for such a purpose than
Great Britain.

The singular dishonesty of M. Guizot and his master startled the
politicians of Europe. The French government had pledged itself to the
English not to take any step to secure the hand of either of the royal
ladies of Spain for a French prince. M. Guizot afterwards justified his
conduct by alleging that the English government was secretly abetting
the interests of a Cobourg. He admitted that he could not prove this,
but justified his acting upon such a strong suspicion as he entertained.
When, in 1847, M. Thiers brought on certain stormy discussions in the
French chambers on this subject, the admission was wrung from the
French foreign minister that the conduct of England had been loyal and
honourable--that no efforts had been made to press a Cobourg upon
the attention of the Spanish court; this too celebrated person thus
convicting himself of premeditated bad faith, and of resorting to
accusations and falsehood to vindicate a policy which he had falsely and
wilfully initiated, or, at all events, pursued, when initiated by his
royal master.

One feature of the infidelity of the French court and minister to their
engagements excited the indignation of all honourable minds acquainted
with it. When the English government detected the intention of Louis
Philippe to break his engagements and to prosecute the Montpensier
marriage, that government urged that, at all events, it was desirable,
if the treaty of Utrecht was to be observed, that the Queen of Spain
should have an heir to the throne before the marriage of her sister took
place. The French minister promised that the marriages should not take
place _at the same time_. When the English government remonstrated upon
the disregard of this engagement, shown in the actual fact that the two
marriages had their celebration together, M. Guizot justified himself
by alleging that, inasmuch as the queen was married first, although her
sister was married immediately after, the ceremonial was not celebrated
at the same time! This audacious departure from every decent observance
o