30 LORD LTLFORD 



an Englishman, as in both houses they spoke 

 extempore. He hopes that it may become 

 habitual here.' 



' January 25, 1826. M. St. Aignan, who 

 was a friend of Napoleon, came in. Much 

 talk a.bout some very discreditable memoirs of 

 M. Clermont. M. St. Aignan said there really 

 could now be no safety in conversation, if one 

 was to feel that everything said was marked 

 and set down with a view to publication by 

 the members of society. He praised St. Simon 

 excessively. I have seen Marshal Soult's pic- 

 tures, which are very fine. He came here him- 

 self one evening. I cannot say that I think 

 his looks prepossessing, they are so harsh and 

 forbidding.' 



' January 30. I went to the opening of the 

 Chambers, and heard Charles the Tenth speak. 

 It was a very short speech ; he dwelt on the ex- 

 cellent state of the finances, and expressed a 

 hope of improving the condition of the minister 

 of our holy religion, which I should imagine was 

 not very favourably heard by many of his 

 listeners, as terror of the increasing power of 

 the Jesuits is great and universal.' 



