But out of office you are 250. You can set your enemies by the ears; the public will see that it is you who command the measures, though your opponents carry them through by your patronage of them; and when once this, the greatest of all changes, is completed by the leader of those who oppose it most, the two great divisions or parties of Whigs and Tories will be left in their natural position, without any extraneous element to alter their essence; but the Whigs will be united, _with the Reform Bill fairly working in town and country_, and the Tories would be at sixes and sevens amongst themselves, and with a leader who has insulted, deceived, and crushed them. But if it were to be wished that the Whigs had not undertaken to form a Government, it were also desirable that they should not have been obliged to give up on account of a crotchety nobleman, who “Mal del corpo intero E della mente peggio,” quarrels so easily with every one, and does not probably agree with himself. It gives a despicable opinion of the power of a party that cannot do or will not do without such a man, and personal objections of not a grand and important public principle that prevent two great men from agreeing together at all conscientiously, are but sorry reasons to give for such a failure. The discreet letter of our friend Tom is certainly to be regretted; the discreet friend to whom he wrote it deserves to be kicked for his breach of confidence. The less said the sooner mended on that. Grey will be up, say his say, Macaulay, I hope, will not answer him, and the matter will so far end and be forgotten. But other explanations will be necessary. I am surprised you don’t know more of what really passed, as I should have thought Lord John, being at Edinburgh, would have told you all. But, perhaps, he does not like to say the whole; and so recollect that I write in full confidence. You may rely on the correctness of what I say, and, of course, use the knowledge as a prudent man to shape your questions and answers. _Don’t compromise me_, or say what you know, because, even without my name being mentioned, your authority would certainly be guessed. It so happens that I have had occasion to hear much about all this, and it is known that I have heard so much. Macaulay did not wait for Lord Grey’s consent or conniving or declaration, but joined the other at once.