2 7 o RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



spondeut is to be communicated with and asked to 

 examine the question without prejudice, and ascertain 

 if it is really believed in Egypt that the project is 

 practicable. 



" Then again Mr. Keeve, one of the Secretaries of 

 the Queen's Privy Council, who has great influence 

 with The Times, to which he is a frequent contributor, 

 though he does not admit the soft impeachment, was 

 very explicit. I was specially recommended to him 

 by M. Barthelemy St. Hilaire, his intimate friend, in 

 whom he has the utmost confidence. He told me that I 

 might be certain of not encountering any preconceived 

 opposition, and he added 



" * It would be degrading that England should have 

 an interest in rejecting a scheme which would be 

 beneficial to the whole world. Upon the contrary, we 

 should derive more benefit from it than anyone else. 

 All that you have to do is to show the public that it 

 is feasible ; that English capital, as well as that of 

 other nations, will be allowed to share in it ; and that 

 there will be no special privileges for any one nation.' 



" By the advice of Lady Tankerville, a friend of 

 Lady Palmerston, I called upon Lord Palmerston one 

 morning, with a letter of introduction from Paris. He 

 received me at once, but I thought that I could see at 

 once that his mind was made up on the subject. I 

 entered upon it at once, and asked him if he could 

 spare the time to discuss it with me openly, and not 

 scruple to tell me what his objections really were. He 



