LOED LILFORD 



great traveller in South America, comes here 

 frequently ; he is full of acquirement, and has a 

 great deal of conversation, which would be very 

 agreeable were it less full of parentheses and 

 digression; M. Benjamin Constant and the 

 Comte de la Yalette have dined here also, not to 

 forget M. Barante, the author of the " History of 

 the Dukes of Burgundy." I have heard many 

 delightful conversations among the remarkable 

 people who dine here, and I much regret that I 

 have not written them down directly, as I am 

 sorry to find my recollection of them is now very 

 imperfect.' 



* January 16, 1826. Mr. Adair and Baron 

 Louis dined with us. The latter was Minister 

 of Finance in the time of Napoleon, and seems 

 a shrewd, thorough Frenchman. He gave an 

 interesting account of Louis XVIII. ; he said he 

 was very constant in his dislike of people, and 

 very much the reverse in his affections. II avait 

 de I'esprit, et beaucoup de grace. The present 

 King (Charles X.), though far from being as 

 clever as Louis, is more to be trusted ; very 

 warm and very constant in his attachments. As 

 an instance of the fickleness of Louis XVIII., 



