44 MEMOIR OF FLEEMING JENKIN 



men distinguished on the Liberal side. Like Words- 

 worth, they beheld 



France standing on the top of golden hours 

 And human nature seeming born again. 



At once, by temper and belief, they were formed to 

 find their element in such a decent and whiggish 

 convulsion, spectacular in its course, moderate in 

 its purpose. For them, 



Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, 

 But to be young was very heaven. 



And I cannot but smile when I think that (again 

 like Wordsworth) they should have so specially 

 disliked the consequence. 



The insur- It came upon them by surprise. Liberal friends 

 of the precise right shade of colour had assured 

 them, in Mrs. Turner's drawing-room, that all was 

 for the best ; and they rose on February 28 without 

 fear. About the middle of the day they heard the 

 sound of musketry, and the next morning they were 

 wakened by the cannonade. The French who had 

 behaved so ' splendidly,' pausing, at the voice of 

 Lamartine, just where judicious Liberals could 

 have desired the French, who had * no cupidity 

 in their nature,' were now about to play a variation 

 on the theme rebellion. The Jenkins took refuge 

 in the house of Mrs. Turner, the house of the false 

 prophets, * Anna going with Mrs. Turner, that she 

 might be prevented speaking English, Fleeming, 



