infinitely more amusing.  The oddest part of the business is that Shaw’s frank good-natured way of proceeding, absurd as it was, has made him popular.  He was never so great a favourite with the House as after harassing it for two or three hours with the most frivolous opposition.  This is a curious trait of the House of Commons.  Perhaps you will find this long story, which I have not time to read over again, very stupid and unintelligible.  But I have thought it my duty to set before you the evil consequences of making vows rashly, and adhering to them superstitiously; for in truth, my Christian brethren, or rather my Christian sisters, let us consider &c. &c. &c.

But I reserve the sermon on promises, which I had to preach, for another occasion.

Ever yours

T. B. M.

To Hannah and Margaret Macaulay

London:  August 17, 1832.

My dear Sisters,—­I brought down my story of Holland House to dinnertime on Saturday evening.  To resume my narrative, I slept there on Sunday night.  On Monday morning, after breakfast, I walked to town with Luttrell, whom I found a delightful companion.  Before we went, we sate and chatted with Lord Holland in the library for a quarter of an hour.  He was very entertaining.  He gave us an account of a visit which he paid long ago to the Court of Denmark; and of King Christian, the madman, who was at last deprived of all real share in the government on account of his infirmity.  “Such a Tom of Bedlam I never saw,” said Lord Holland.  “One day the Neapolitan Ambassador came to the levee, and made a profound bow to his Majesty.  His Majesty bowed still lower.  The Neapolitan bowed down his head almost to the ground; when, behold! the King clapped his hands on his Excellency’s shoulders, and jumped over him like a boy playing at leap-frog.  Another day the English Ambassador was sitting opposite the King at dinner.  His Majesty asked him to take wine.  The glasses were filled.  The Ambassador bowed, and put the wine to his lips.  The King grinned hideously and threw his wine into the face of one of the footmen.  The other guests kept the most profound gravity; but the Englishman, who had but lately come to Copenhagen, though a practised diplomatist, could not help giving some signs of astonishment.  The King immediately addressed him in French:  ’Eh, mais, Monsieur l’Envoye d’Angleterre, qu’avez-vous done?  Pourquoi riez-vous?  Est-ce qu’il y’ait quelque chose qui vous ait diverti?  Faites-moi le plaisir de me l’indiquer.  J’aime beaucoup les ridicules.’”

Parliament is up at last.  We official men are now left alone at the West End of London, and are making up for our long confinement in the mornings by feasting together at night.  On Wednesday I dined with Labouchere at his official residence in Somerset House.  It is well that he is a bachelor; for he tells me that the ladies his neighbours make bitter complaints of the unfashionable situation in which they are cruelly obliged to reside gratis.  Yesterday I dined with Will Brougham, and an official party, in Mount Street.  We are going to establish a Club, to be confined to members of the House of Commons in place under the present Government, who are to dine together weekly at Grillon’s Hotel, and to settle the affairs of the State better, I hope, than our masters at their Cabinet dinners.