162 THE FLORAL TELEGRAPH. 
This is very absurd, and, what is more, 
very injurious to the interests of this 
country; for, diplomacy without se¬ 
crecy is, as the T urks say, all bosh , 
(nothing) ; and so it generally proves 
to be as soon as it is made public. 
“ Now, if diplomatic correspond¬ 
ence were carried on by means of bou¬ 
quets, how completely would secrecy 
be preserved, and how a perfumed 
foreign secretary would laugh in his 
sleeve when, questioned in the house, 
he held up a withered Nosegay, and 
begged the honourable house to de¬ 
cipher it! Oh, if this would but be 
adopted, then, indeed, would I raise 
my crest; then, indeed, would the 
serpent be wreathed around the 
