760 LIFE OF (OBDEN. [omar

1860. blazing with stars and decorations. There were the balls
A: t6, and receptions of the ministers’ wives, where Cobden uBgallantly
 noted that the number of handsome toilettes Was
more striking than the beauty of their wearers. He W88
baken one day to see the studio of Ary Scheffer ; and 0B
another day he went with Clara Novello to visit Rossini 8b
his villa at Passy. The composer's vivacity and cleverness
pleased Cobden, and he was perhaps not displeased whet
the old man asked why the English were in a panic, and
declared his indignation at such childishness in a great
nation for whom he had all his life long felt the deepest
respect. One night at the table of Arles Dufour, Cobden
met Enfantin, the head of the Saint Simonians, and the
mogt wonderful and impressive figure in the history of
modern enthusiasm. The party sat until midnight, talking
over the question of a mutual limitation of the armaments
of France and England, and all agreed that unless something
 were done to put a stop to this warlike rivalry, 8
conflict must inevitably break out. “If you would preserve
peace,” said Enfantin, amending the saying of the old world,
“ then prepare for peace.”
Cobden was more than once a guest at the house of
the Marquis de Boissy, and the more famous Marquise,
better known as the Countess Guiccioli. Cobden’s simple
mind was surprised at the fact that, so far from having
lost caste by the notoriety of her relations with Lord
Byron, the lady moved in the highest circles in Paris and
was much sought after. The Marquis was a strong old
Tory, vigorously opposed to Free Trade and every other
reform; he predicted that the Emperor's concessions t0
England would be his ruin; confidently foretold a reign of
terror for Italy, the death of Victor Emmanuel on the
scaffold, and “many other equally pleasant and probable
events.” Cobden listened to all this nonsense with wnrafiled