George Ticknor, Life, letters and journals of George Ticknor
George Hillard, Ed.

[373] and 7, which I read through twice without stopping, and then carried to bed with me. . . .

July 19.—Twisleton and I breakfasted with Milnes, and we had Mad. Mohl, Sir John Simeon,—a book-collector whom I met at the Duc d'aumale's and find very pleasant,—General Kmety,—a Hungarian, who flourished much in the last war at home and now flourishes much in society here,—young Harcourt, Lord Stanley, and enough more to make up a dozen. The talk was much about the defection of the Sepoys in Bombay, which begins to trouble them very much. I noticed last night that Lord Clarendon, Lord Palmerston, and two or three of their set, seemed so anxious to put a good face on the matter and keep up a cheerful courage, that I could not help feeling that they must have serious misgivings. Indeed, it cannot be otherwise; and the impression seems to be that there will be angry discussions in Parliament. But this last I take to be uncertain. British pluck will, I think, stand the ministers in good stead on this occasion, as it did in the war with Russia.

I came home before two, and wrote to you and Circourt till four, when I made a very agreeable visit at Holland House, where I went into the old library and turned over a good many curious books, the very positions of which I remembered, so that when Lord Holland mustered up a knowing person and sent him to me,—for I went to the library alone,—I found him useless. Lord and Lady Holland were receiving a good many friends, and I lounged with them some time, after which I made a visit to Macaulay, who lives near, and with whom I had a long and interesting talk about Burke, as we sat on his beautiful lawn, where I found him reading. He said that Burke would have made a good historian, judging from his East India speeches and papers, which were drawn up with great labor, and perfectly accurate in their facts. I doubted, and doubt still. Burke was really made for a statesman and orator, and for nothing else.

In the evening I went to Lord Granville's, having been obliged to refuse an invitation to dine there two days ago. Sir John Acton, who has been to see me twice, but whom I have not before met, was there, having arrived four days ago from the Continent.¹ Both he and his mother, Lady Granville, received me with the greatest kindness. Lord Granville came in soon afterwards, wearing the Star and Garter, because he had been dining with the Queen of Holland. He was followed by Count Bernstorff and his wife, the Prussian Ambassador