^T. 49.] LORD LANSDOWNE. 489 



slightest possible tincture of interest ; for within six 

 weeks I have refused the most easy and secure income 

 for life of 7000 a-year, and high rank, which I could 

 not take without leaving my friends in the House 

 of Commons exposed to the leaders of diiferent par- 

 ties.* Yours ever, H. BROUGHAM." 



FEOM LOED LANSDOWNE. 



"BowooD, Septemb&rb, 1827. 



" DEAE BROUGHAM, You are of course satisfied 

 with the example of passive obedience and non-resist- 

 ance I have given, as you so strongly recommended it 

 to me, and so generally to others. 



" I have as sincere a deference for your judgment as 

 that of any man, but I think it right you should know 

 that in the last discussions respecting an appointment 

 which I h&djirst been led to consider as most objec- 

 tionable, by a statement of yours which had been 

 communicated to me, I was met by the observation I 

 could not deny, that you were well known to be quite 

 ready to acquiesce in it ; precisely as in the first ne- 

 gotiation with Canning, in attempting to obtain some 

 security, not for personal objects of my own, but for 

 the public, as far as Ireland was concerned, I was met 

 by the statement, pretty well founded, that my Whig 

 friends in St James's Street were ready to join Govern- 

 ment on any terms. 



" These circumstances increase the embarrassment of 

 a position otherwise difficult enough. I am willing to 

 hope for the public what has been recently done may 

 be for the best. For my personal credit and character 



* The office of Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer. See this referred 

 to ante p. 458, and post p. 494. 



