832 LIFE OF COBDEN. [omar

1861. and vacillating in choosing any course of action, but that
&r.57. when once decided, he followed his bent with great energy:
She did not regard him as a genius, but as possessing great
good sense, with a very amiable disposition.
“ May 15.—Dined with M, Rouher, Minister of Commerce,
and met a large party, Had a conversation with the
Minister of Marine, who narrated to me the facts of the
explanations he had had with Mr. Lindsay respecting the force
of the two navies ; said he had invited Lord Clarence Paget
to come over and inspect the French navy and ascertain the
truth of the statement made by the French Government. He
(the Minister of Marine) stated that the French did nob
nim at an equality with the English, but merely to be the
first of the second-class Powers ; that they relied on their
army and regarded their navy as merely an accessory, whilsb
England trusted to her navy, and only looked to her army
88 an accessory. He complained that England had last year
greatly exceeded the fair proportion which she was sccusfomed
 to maintain in comparison with the French navy.
He told me that the Emperor had often spoken to him on
this subject. He remarked, also, that the Emperor had
discussed with him the question whether he ought to make
additional outlays for his navy and for fortifications to meet
the preparations going on in England, and that he (the
Emperor) had dismissed the subject with the observation,
"Let them (the English) go on with their expenditure; they
will find out the uselessness of their policy by-and-by.
In the meantime, I don’t know that it does us any harm.’
The Minister of Marine told me that Lord Cowley had
complained to him that he had given the particulars of the
amount of the French naval force to Mr, Lindsay, and not to
him ; the Minister replied that it was useless to give such
particulars to the English Government, as they were only
misconstrued and misrepresented ”