BETWEEN THE CZAR AND THE SULTAN. 225 great lengths in that direction ; but liable to find chap. . • XIV himself balked in the moment of trial by the 1_ sudden and chilling return of his good sense. He was not by nature bloodthirsty nor cruel, and besides that in small matters he had kind and generous instincts, he was really so willing to act fairly until the motive for foul play was strong, that for months and months together he was able to live amongst English sporting men without incurring disgrace ; and if he was not so constituted nor so disciplined as to be able to re- frain from any object of eager desire merely upon the theory that what he sought to do was wicked, there is ground for inferring that his perception of the difference between right and wrong had been dimmed (as it naturally would be) by the habit of seeking an ideal of manly worth in a personage like the First Bonaparte. It would seem that (as a study, or out of curiosity, if not with a notion of being guided by it) he must have accustomed himself to hear sometimes what con- science had to say ; for it is certain that, with a pen in his hand and with sufficient time for pre- paration, he could imitate very neatly the scrupu- lous language of a man of honour.* What he always longed for was to be able to seize and draw upon himself the wondering atten-
- See inter alia his address to the Electors, 29th Nov. 1848 ;
his speech, read after taking the oath, 20th Dec. 1848; speech at Ham, 22d July 1849 ; ditto, at Tours, 1st Aug. 1849 ; mes- sage to the Chambers, 3d Dec. 1S49 ; ditto, 12th Nov. 1850. It will he seen (see pn.st) that, according to my view, these declarations may have beer composed at a time when lie was VOL. I. p
