gland。〃　He；　therefore；　with　extreme　politeness；　gave　it　to　be　understood　that　he　would　not　commit　himself　in　any　way。　But　Lord　John；　in　reality；　needed　no　pressure。　Attacked　by　his　Sovereign；　ignored　by　his　Foreign　Secretary；　he　led　a　miserable　life。　With　the　advent　of　the　dreadful　Schleswig…Holstein　questionthe　most　complex　in　the　whole　diplomatic　history　of　Europehis　position；　crushed　between　the　upper　and　the　nether　mill…stones；　grew　positively　unbearable。　He　became　anxious　above　all　things　to　get　Palmerston　out　of　the　Foreign　Office。　But　thensupposing　Palmerston　refused　to　go？
  In　a　memorandum　made　by　the　Prince；　at　about　this　time；　of　an　interview　between　himself；　the　Queen；　and　the　Prime　Minister；　we　catch　a　curious　glimpse　of　the　states　of　mind　of　those　three　high　personagesthe　anxiety　and　irritation　of　Lord　John；　the　vehement　acrimony　of　Victoria；　and　the　reasonable　animosity　of　Albertdrawn　together；　as　it　were；　under　the　shadow　of　an　unseen　Presence；　the　cause　of　that　celestial　angerthe　gay；　portentous　Palmerston。　At　one　point　in　the　conversation　Lord　John　observed　that　he　believed　the　Foreign　Secretary　would　consent　to　a　change　of　offices；　Lord　Palmerston；　he　said；　realised　that　he　had　lost　the　Queen's　confidencethough　only　on　public；　and　not　on　personal；　grounds。　But　on　that；　the　Prince　noted；　〃the　Queen　interrupted　Lord　John　by　remarking　that　she　distrusted　him　on　PERSONAL　grounds　also；　but　I　remarked　that　Lord　Palmerston　had　so　far　at　least　seen　rightly；　that　he　had　become　disagreeable　to　the　Queen；　not　on　account　of　his　person；　but　of　his　political　doingsto　which　the　Queen　assented。〃　Then　the　Prince　suggested　that　there　was　a　danger　of　the　Cabinet　breaking　up；　and　of　Lord　Palmerston　returning　to　office　as　Prime　Minister。　But　on　that　point　Lord　John　was　reassuring：　he　〃thought　Lord　Palmerston　too　old　to　do　much　in　the　future　（having　passed　his　sixty…fifth　year）。〃　Eventually　it　was　decided　that　nothing　could　be　done　for　the　present；　but　that　the　UTMOST　SECRECY　must　be　observed；　and　so　the　conclave　ended。
  At　last；　in　1850；　deliverance　seemed　to　be　at　hand。　There　were　signs　that　the　public　were　growing　weary　of　the　alarums　and　excursions　of　Palmerston's　diplomacy；　and　when　his　support　of　Don　Pacifico；　a　British　subject；　in　a　quarrel　with　the　Greek　Government；　seemed　to　be　upon　the　point　of　involving　the　country　in　a　war　not　only　with　Greece　but　also　with　France；　and　possibly　with　Russia　into　the　bargain；　a　heavy　cloud　of　distrust　and　displeasure　appeared　to　be　gathering　and　about　to　burst　over　his　head。　A　motion　directed　against　him　in　the　House　of　Lords　was　passed　by　a　substantial　majority。　The　question　was　next　to　be　discussed　in　the　House　of　Commons；　where　another　adverse　vote　was　not　improbable；　and　would　seal　the　doom　of　the　Minister。　Palmerston　received　the　attack　with　complete　nonchalance；　and　then；　at　the　last　possible　moment；　he　struck。　In　a　speech　of　over　four　hours；　in　which　exposition；　invective；　argument；　declamation；　plain　talk　and　resounding　eloquence　were　mingled　together　with　consummate　art　and　extraordinary　felicity；　he　annihilated　his　enemies。　The　hostile　motion　was　defeated；　and　Palmerston　was　once　more　the　hero　of　the　hour。　Simultaneously；　Atropos　herself　conspired　to　favour　him。　Sir　Robert　Peel　was　thrown　from　his　horse　and　killed。　By　this　tragic　chance；　Palmerston　saw　the　one　rival　great　enough　to　cope　with　him　removed　from　his　path。　He　judgedand　judged　rightlythat　he　was　the　most　popular　man　in　England；　and　when　Lord　John　revived　the　project　of　his　exchanging　the　Foreign　Office　for　some　other　position　in　the　Cabinet；　he　absolutely　refused　to　stir。
  Great　was　the　disappointment　of　Albert；　great　was　the　indignation　of　Victoria。　〃The　House　of　Commons；〃　she　wrote；　〃is　becoming　very　unmanageable　and　troublesome。〃　The　Prince；　perceiving　that　Palmerston　was　more　firmly　fixed　in　the　saddle　than　ever；　decided　that　something　drastic　must　be　done。　Five　months　before；　the　prescient　Baron　had　drawn　up；　in　case　of　emergency；　a　memorandum；　which　had　been　carefully　docketed；　and　placed　in　a　pigeon…hole　ready　to　hand。　The　emergency　had　now　arisen；　and　the　memorandum　must　be　used。　The　Queen　copied　out　the　words　of　Stockmar；　and　sent　them　to　the　Prime　Minister；　requesting　him　to　show　her　letter　to　Palmerston。　〃She　thinks　it　right；〃　she　wrote；　〃in　order　TO　PREVENT　ANY　MISTAKE　for　the　FUTURE；　shortly　to　explain　WHAT　IT　IS　SHE　EXPECTS　FROM　HER　FOREIGN　SECRETARY。　She　requires：　（1）　That　he　will　distinctly　state　what　he　proposes　in　a　given　case；　in　order　that　the　Queen　may　know　as　distinctly　to　WHAT　she　has　given　her　Royal　sanction；　（2）　Having　ONCE　GIVEN　her　sanction　to　a　measure；　that　it　be　not　arbitrarily　altered　or　modified　by　the　Minister；　such　an　act　she　must　consider　as　failing　in　sincerity　towards　the　Crown；　and　justly　to　be　visited　by　the　exercise　of　her　Constitutional　right　of　dismissing　that　Minister。〃　Lord　John　Russell　did　as　he　was　bid；　and　forwarded　the　Queen's　letter　to　Lord　Palmerston。　This　transaction；　which　was　of　grave　constitutional　significance；　was　entirely　unknown　to　the　outside　world。
  If　Palmerston　had　been　a　sensitive　man；　he　would　probably　have　resigned　on　the　receipt　of　the　Queen's　missive。　But　he　was　far　from　sensitive；　he　loved　power；　and　his　power　was　greater　than　ever；　an　unerring　instinct　told　him　that　this　was　not　the　time　to　go。　Nevertheless；　he　was　seriously　perturbed。　He　understood　at　last　that　he　was　struggling　with　a　formidable　adversary；　whose　skill　and　strength；　unless　they　were　mollified；　might　do　irreparable　injury　to　his　career。　He　therefore　wrote　to　Lord　John；　briefly　acquiescing　in　the　Queen's　requirements〃I　have　taken　a　copy　of　this　memorandum　of　the　Queen　and　will　not　fail　to　attend　to　the　directions　which　it　contains〃and　at　the　same　time；　he　asked　for　an　interview　with　the　Prince。　Albert　at　once　summoned　him　to　the　Palace；　and　was　astonished　to　observe；　as　he　noted　in　a　memorandum；　that　when　Palmerston　entered　the　room　〃he　was　very　much　agitated；　shook；　and　had　tears　in　his　eyes；　so　as　quite　to　move　me；　who　never　under　any　circumstances　had　known　him　otherwise　than　with　a　bland　smile　on　his　face。〃　The　old　statesman　was　profuse　in　protestations　and　excuses；　the　young　one　was　coldly　polite。　At　last；　after　a　long　and　inconclusive　conversation；　the　Prince；　drawing　himself　up；　said　that；　in　order　to　give　Lord　Palmerston　〃an　example　of　what　the　Queen　wanted；〃　he　would　〃ask　him　a　question　point…blank。〃　Lord　Palmerston　waited　in　respectful　silence；　while　the　Prince　proceeded　as　follows：　〃You　are　aware　that　the　Queen　has　objected　to　the　Protocol　about　Schleswig；　and　of　the　grounds　on　which　she　has　done　so。　Her　opinion　has　been　overruled；　the　Protocol　stating　the　desire　of　the　Great　Powers　to　see　the　integrity　of　the　Danish　monarchy　preserved　has　been　signed；　and　upon　this　the　King　of　Denmark　has　invaded　Schleswig；　where　the　war　is　raging。　If　Holstein　is　attacked　also；　which　is　likely；　the　Germans　will　not　be　restrained　from　flying　to　her　assistance；　Russia　has　menaced　to　interfere　with　arms；　if　the　Schleswigers　are　successful。　What　will　you　do；　if　this　emergency　arises　（provoking　most　likely　an　European　war）；　and　which　will　arise　very　probably　when　we　shall　be　at　Balmoral　and　Lord　John　in　another　part　of　Scotland？　The　Queen　expects　from　your　foresight　that　you　have　contemplated　this　possibility；　and　requires　a　categorical　answer　as　to　what　you　would　do　in　the　event　supposed。〃　Strangely　enough；　to　this　pointblank　question；　the　Foreign　Secretary　appeared　to　be　unable　to　reply。　The　whole　matter；　he　said；　was　extremely　complicated；　and　the　contingencies　mentioned　by　His　Royal　Highness　were　very　unlikely　to　arise。　The　Prince　persisted；　but　it　was　useless；　for　a　full　hour　he　struggled　to　extract　a　categorical　answer；　until　at　length　Palmerston　bowed　himself　out　of　the　room。　Albert　threw　up　his　hands　in　shocked　amazement：　what　could　one　do　with　such　a　man？
  What　indeed？　For；　in　spite　of　all　his　apologies　and　all　his　promises；　within　a　few　weeks　the　incorrigible　reprobate　was　at　his　tricks　again。　The　Austrian　General　Haynau；　notorious　as　a　rigorous　suppressor　of　rebellion　in　Hungary　and　Italy；　and　in　particular　as　a　flogger　of　women；　came　to　England　and　took　it　into　his　head　to　pay　a　visit　to　Messrs。　Barclay　and　Perkins's　brewery。　The　features　of　〃General　Hyena；〃　as　he　was　everywhere　calledhis　grim　thin　face；　his　enormous　pepper…and…salt　moustacheshad　gained　a　horrid　celebrity；　and　it　so　happened　that　among　the　clerks　at　the　brewery　there　was　a　refugee　from　Vienna；　who　had　given　his　fellow…workers　a　first…hand　account　of　the　General's　characteristics。　The　Austrian　Ambassador；　scenting　danger；　begged　his　friend　not　to　appear　in　public；　or；　if　he　must　do　so；　to　cut　off　his　moustaches　first。　But　the　General　would　take　no　advice。　He　went　to　the　brewery；　was　immediately　recognised；　surrounded　by　a　crowd　of　angry　draymen；　pushed　about；　shouted　at；　punched　in　the　ribs；　and　pulled　by　the　moustaches　until；　bolting　down　an　alley　with　the　mob　at　his　heels　brandishing　brooms　and　roaring　〃Hyena！〃　he　managed　to　take　refuge　in　a　public　house；　whence　he　was　removed　under　the　protection　of　several　policemen。　The　Austrian　Government　was　angry　and　demanded　explanations。　Palmerston；　who；　of　course；　was　priva