I am greatly and agreeably struck by the animation and showiness of Madrid--after Lisbon, which is one of the dullest towns I ever saw. Life at Lisbon is _en robe de chambre_; here it is all _en toilette_. Madrid is like a pretty provincial who has been to Paris, and come back _mise a la mode_, and with a decided taste for spending more money than she has at her bankers'. The beauty of the women's faces, too, as you see them in the streets, the Prado, and at the opera (for I have not yet seen the _beau monde_ at home), is very agreeable. Pretty faces seem to be as plentiful here as gold nuggets in the streets of Eldorado, when Candide saw them. The day after we got to Madrid, Narvaes died, and till yesterday he has been lying in state and receiving the visits of a grateful public at all hours of the day. Yesterday his body, _empaille_, was removed with due honours to be buried in Andalusia. The story goes about the town that on his deathbed his confessor, having told him to forgive his enemies, he replied: 'I have none.' 'Impossible! A man who has been governing Spain so long must have many.' 'But I assure you there is no man alive whom I even suspect to be my enemy.' 'No enemies?' 'None; I have shot them all!' I sincerely hope that you will be able to visit Spain in the autumn. About that time, if still here, I shall try to see Seville and the South. But my plans are entirely dependent on Crampton's [Footnote: Sir John Crampton, minister plenipotentiary at Madrid, retired from the public service on July 1st, 1869.] movements; and I fear we shall have to pass the summer at Madrid, which I rather dread on account of the children, who have already caught feverish colds. With my wife's affectionate greetings, and my own respects, to Mrs. Reeve, pray believe me to be yours very faithfully, R. LYTTON. The Journal records:-- _May 6th_.--Disraeli was in the chair at the Literary Fund dinner. [He spoke--wrote Mrs. Reeve--with grace, and had a brilliant reception. I never heard such cheering at any previous dinner. He has stormy nights in the House of Commons, and how it will end is still uncertain; but his wonderful tact and control of feature, voice, and language give him marked advantage.] _From the Comte de Paris_ York House, Twickenham, le 20 mai. Mon cher Monsieur Reeve,--Je ne puis resister au desir d'appeler votre bienveillante attention sur le dernier numero de la 'Revue des deux Mondes,' que je ne vous envoie pas, sachant que vous la recevez, ou notre excellent ami X. Raymond a traite la question de l'eglise d'Irlande. Je veux en meme temps reclamer votre indulgence pour son travail, et vous demander de ne pas vous etonner si vous n'y retrouvez ni la clarte de style ni la variete de connaissances qui distinguent votre ami. Ne le lui reprochez pas trop severement, car, s'il est coupable, ce n'est pas de cela.