Xx] CONVERSATIONS WITH PRINCE NAPOLEON. 765

%lf told Lord Cowley that it was absolutely necessary for 1860.
he satisfaction of the French people, who required some ir b6.
"turn for the sacrifices they had made for the independence
of Italy. He spoke of our Tory party as being just as
ostile to the Bonapartes as were their predecessors of the
ime of the first Empire ; that some of the Whig party were
°f a similar character. He mentioned Lord Clarendon as
being a ¢ thorough aristocrat,” who had told him that Bright
ind myself were a couple of fools who thought of converting
England into a Republic.
“June 10.—In consequence of a letter which I received
rom Prince Napoleon’s Secretary, I called at the Palais
Royal to-day, and had a conversation with the Prince. He
%id that the political relations of the two countries were
very far from being in a satisfactory state; that he feared
‘he Austrians were going to interfere in Naples; that he
Suspected they were encouraged by the confidence they had
the support of our Court and the Prince Consort, and that
the English Government would not join France in prevent-0g
 it, The consequence might be that the Piedmontese
Would interfere also, and a war would be the consequence
Which would compel France to take a part, or else allow the
Austrians to march to Turin, which they would certainly do
f they had mot a French army to oppose them; that
fngland might avert this by undertaking with her fleet to
Prevent an expedition from leaving Trieste ; that no blood-Shed
 could arise; and that the least England could do would
be to assist France in maintaining the principle of non-inter-Yention,
 He dreaded the complications that would arise,
nd feared that it might lead to a rupture between France
nd England.
“He then said he was about to mention a delicate
Datter, and he suggested that I ought to be appointed
Ambassador to France: that this would do more than