2 3 o RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



Ministers in general, and Beschid Pasha more espe- 

 cially, entirely approved of the scheme, and would be 

 only too glad to oblige the Viceroy if they could do so 

 without compromising themselves overmuch. 



" But there could be no doubt that they are all here 

 under the pressure of, not to say dependent upon, the 

 English Ambassador, whom the public call Sultan 

 Stratford, or Abd-ul-Canning. 



" I assured myself of the support of Baron de 

 Bruck, the internuncio of Austria, of M. de Souza, 

 the minister of Spain, of Count de Zuylen, the 

 charge d'affaires of Holland, and of several other 

 personages who were in various ways likely to be of 

 use to me. 



" I heard that Lord Stratford de Eedcliffe was per- 

 sonally very much opposed to the scheme, that he had 

 received no official instructions from his Government, 

 but that, when the occasion arose, he would act as if 

 he had, in accordance with his arrogance and deep- 

 rooted jealousy of all that is French and his incor- 

 rigible and antiquated British egotism. 



" It was doubtful, I was told, whether Eeschid 

 Pasha would dare to shake off the yoke, intolerable as 

 it was beginning to be felt. 



" M. Benedetti, our charge d'affaires, whose local 

 experience, tact, and prudence were to stand me in 

 such good stead, saw that it would not do for him to 

 put himself too forward, but he promised me to do all 

 he could to facilitate the success of a negotiation by 



