The French have taken advantage of the peace to order their troops home from the Morea.

October 9.

Read many of the Protocols of the early Conferences after the Russian, declaration of war.  I shall to-morrow read these again carefully and sketch my State paper.

If I was in opposition I should describe the details relative to the Principalities, as showing the moderation of the thief who would stipulate that men should sleep with their doors open, till they have ransomed themselves by paying their uttermost farthing.

October 10.

Received a letter from Sir J. Malcolm.  He seems pleased with the secret dispatches relative to Persia and the Pacha of Bagdad.  He seems upon the whole very much gratified, and very grateful.

He strongly presses the appointment of an Indian as his successor, and mentions Sir Ch.  Metcalfe and Jenkins.  He likewise mentions a Mr. Chaplin, of whom I never heard.  I take Jenkins to be a cleverer man than Sir Ch.  Metcalfe, [Footnote:  Afterwards Lord Metcalfe.] who rather disappoints me.

Had three letters by Petersburg from Colonel McDonald, the last dated in August.  The Persians, thoroughly alarmed, are doing all they can to satisfy the Emperor Nicholas by punishing the persons engaged in the massacre of the Russian mission; but they had an insurrection to quell on banishing the High Priest, who was at the head of all.  As they conclude all the bad characters had a hand in it they mean to take the opportunity of punishing them.  Paskewitz is said to have from 20,000 to 22,000 men—­to have sustained no loss in the late engagements, but to suffer from the plague.  At Erzeroum the Mahometans are not only satisfied, but well pleased.  The Government of a Russian general is better than that of a Turkish Pasha.

The Prince Abbas Mirza is at last doing something towards making an army.  Major Hart, alone, however, keeps it together.  The troops are as yet ill-armed, but they have their pay.  McDonald thinks the King not likely to live long.  He wants a cypher.

October 11, Sunday.

Came up from Worthing to a Cabinet.  Before we met read the last letters from Lord Heytesbury, which show a degree of infatuation respecting the Russians, which is quite wonderful.

Before we began to talk Rothschild called out the Duke of Wellington, and offered at once all the money to pay the Russian Indemnity.  He said he only wanted the guarantee of England!

If the Russians remained in the Principalities there would be a general war.

Irvine, an English loan jobber, saw the Duke yesterday with the same offer.

The joke is that Rothschild is to pay the money for the Turks, and to be made King of Jerusalem.

Aberdeen began by begging we would first settle the Greek question.  He brought a paper the Russians were willing to deliver in containing a sort of apology for the 10th Article, and declaring that it by no means interfered with the powers of the Conference.  We took a great deal of time in considering whether we should not suggest some alteration in this paper—­some is to be proposed—­not very essential.