458 POSITION WITH THE BAR. [1823. 



describes them as all in the same story about Can- 

 ning's folly in coming in alone, for to my utter astonish- 

 ment I now find he does so. I at least had expected 

 that he would have had the sense to make some sort 

 of terms for himself. But it would appear that he 

 jumps at any means of escaping banishment to India. 

 " This is all the news I have, and I fear it may not 

 reach you till it is old, as there seems considerable 

 delay in the communication between the two, from 

 motives without the slightest tincture possible of inte- 

 rest, for within six weeks I have refused the most easy 

 and secure income for life of 7000 or 8000 a-year 

 and high rank, which I could not take without leaving 

 my friends in the House of Commons exposed to the 

 leaders of different parties. Yours ever, 



" H. BROUGHAM." 



" BROUGHAM, January 10, 1823. 



" MY DEAR LORD GREY, I feel with you that there 

 is still a considerable difficulty in keeping the peace 

 at Paris with Spain ; but the Ultras, how crazy soever, 

 dare not go to war when it comes to the point. Tal- 

 leyrand has always disbelieved it. So has Baring, 

 who, however, ascribes more, far more, to Wellington 

 than he deserves. My apprehension rather is that 

 the Spaniards may do something aggressive, and that 

 would be frightful, for it might unite the French on 

 national grounds, and then an attack on Spain, dis- 

 united, would be a very fearful risk. We shall have 

 meetings in these counties at the Easter season, to 

 which the Yorkshire meeting will certainly be put off. 

 A general expression of opinion during the recess, after 

 a judicious opening, might do real good. 



