I was in an army, the Duke concludes, which cannot be governed on the Prussian principle.  You cannot treat the English soldier as a man of honour.

The Duke had been with the King, who was in very good humour.  He had not, however, got to close quarters with him as to the changes.

April 29.

Cabinet at 12.  A letter has been received from Lord Heytesbury, from which it is clear that Russia will very soon resume altogether the exercise of her belligerent rights in the Mediterranean.

Nesselrode communicated to him the blockade of Candia.  Lord Heytesbury only observed that ‘it was a resumption of belligerent rights.’  This Count Nesselrode did not deny, and he said they could not long remain in the false position in which they now were in the Mediterranean.

Count Heyden at the end of January blockaded Candia on pretexts arising out of the state of Greece.  In three weeks from that time he rested his interception of the Egyptian vessels near Candia on the necessary exercise of his rights as a belligerent.  Lieven, when first spoken to, disavowed Heyden.  He now changes his tone, and it is evident that Russia now for the second time breaks her word.  The French do not behave much better.  They have 6,000 men in the Morea, and mean to keep them there notwithstanding their engagement to withdraw their troops as soon as the Egyptians were embarked.  To be sure, they say if we insist upon it they will withdraw them.

I have always been for getting out of the treaty.  We have been dragged along very unwillingly—­we have been subjected to much humiliation.  We seem to me to have gained nothing by all our compliances.  We have been led on from the violation of one principle to that of another.  Our position has discouraged Turkey.  We have been made the tools of Russia, and have been duped with our eyes open.  I think the sooner we get out of this false position the better, and there is no time so favourable for us to hold strong language as this, when by the settlement of the Catholic question we are really strengthened, and when all foreign Powers believe we are yet more strengthened than we are.  The Duke is certainly for getting out.  He has long wished it.

A paper of Peel’s was read suggesting the difficulties in which we should still be placed by our moral obligation towards the Greeks, and by our reasonable fear that on the principles of the Greek Treaty, to which we have unfortunately given our adhesion, Russia and France may combine and make a partition treaty.  My expectation is that Russia and France would soon quarrel, and I think I could before now have made them jealous of each other, but we have done nothing.

After much conversation, V. Fitzgerald agreeing with me and the others saying nothing, it was determined to insist upon the freedom of communication with Candia under the protocol, to insist upon the Greeks withdrawing from their advanced position near Prevesa under the protocol, and to insist likewise upon the withdrawing of the French troops from the Morea, according to the engagement.