"TO HIS EXCELLENCY, MONSEIGNEUR, THE DUKE

OF BASSANO, &c. &c. AT PARIS.

"London, April 28, 1815.

"MY DEAR DUKE.-At last, after a most vexatious delay, the plan of the Constitution has reached England, and I hasten to give you, for his Majesty's information, some account of the sensation it has produced here.

"I grieve to be obliged to say, that it has not so completely succeeded as we had promised ourselves, and I fear the absurd prejudices of this besotted nation as to the bad faith of the EMPEROR are not likely to give way even to this document, though no pains have been spared to prepare their minds for the proposed change of character which he assumes: indeed I regret to state to you, that he is almost as unpopular in London as at Paris, and I doubt whether your badauds can have regarded the Con

stitution with more profound contempt than our Cockneys.

"The chief cause of ridicule against our Constitution is, that it is a mere experimental machine, which the EMPEROR never intends to put in force, and which, if he were sincere, could not act for want of practised workmen (if I may use the expression) to put it into motion-' you have Houses of Lords and Commons-Liberty of the Pressresponsible Ministers-rights of petitioning,' say they, all upon paper; but you have not the materials to make Lords, Commons, political writers, or independent petitioners.' This objection, we know, has no real force, because it is far from his MAJESTY'S intention that the Constitution should ever be called into effect, unless indeed it be, like the machine of MARLY, once or twice a-year, to amuse the Parisians on a holiday; but, as, in appearance, it has some weight, and as I know his MAJESTY attaches so much importance to any colour of approbation

which can be obtained from this country, I have thought of a scheme which may remedy the inconvenience, and which I trust you will submit to his MAJESTY'S Consideration.

"As the machine itself is purely English, I propose that English artificers (to continue my metaphor) should be engaged to set it in motion; in other words, I propose to his MAJESTY to place some English gentlemen in the conduct of his affairs, and in the places made by the new Constitution. This may be done with perfect propriety on both sides, if, as I hope, we should succeed in maintaining peace between our countries.

"I dare not promise as to the persons I might be able to obtain for this purpose, as without his MAJESTY'S sanction, I have not dared to open myself at large to any person on so delicate a subject; but I have no hesitation in saying, that I think his MAJESTY would find that his opinions of certain individuals would not be deceived. Be that,

however, as it may, I venture to suggest, whether, after the manner of the conductors of our Opera here, who hire at Paris second-rate dancers to be first in our ballets, I might not be authorised to endeavour to try to engage in London a company of second-rate politicians to set the Constitution a-going.

"Of course I should naturally turn my eyes to my own friends, or, as we call them, the Opposition ; firstly, because they never have exhibited that determined hostility to his Majesty which all other classes of the country have shewn, secondly, because they are, in their and my opinion, the greatest statesmen and constitutionalists of the age; and lastly, because I can have them, I believe, at a very reasonable rate.

"I do not promise myself that I should be able to engage any of the first-rate performers. Lord GREY, I apprehend, would hardly give up the place of first serious man at Westminster, to be a buffo at

Paris. Lord GRENVILLE, I fear, recollects his old quarrel with the Emperor, when First Consul. My friend WHITBREAD would do very well in many particulars, but as you have SANTERRE,* you would hardly want a person of that character; besides, I believe in my heart that we should not keep him quiet three days, and that he would be in Vincennes in the course of a week. Indeed, I consider personal vanity and selfish arrogance so much the great bases of his character, that if he were placed under the Emperor's Government, he would soon declaim against it, if he dared, as loudly as he does against his own.

"As to TIERNEY, I don't well know what to say. -With all the apparent phlegm of a John Bull, he is as versatile as a Frenchman; and, indeed, I doubt whether he could be made any thing of, except in Opposition. His hostility might be advantageous to your budget, for we observe here that our financial

* Mr. Santerre was like Mr. Whitbread, an eminent Brewer.