His tone is: "If foreign artists are more capable than English, let them be employed.

All I require is that the work should be done as well as it can be." The English are certainly very jealous of foreigners, and so, Lord Melbourne apprehends, are the rest of mankind, but not knowing himself any nation except the English, he cannot venture to make positively that assertion.

Lord Melbourne has been reading the evidence given before the committee of the House of Commons upon this subject.

It is well worth attention, particularly Mr Eastlake's,[112] which appears to Lord Melbourne to be very enlightened, dispassionate, and just....
[Footnote 112: Afterwards Sir Charles Eastlake, Keeper of the National Gallery, 1843-1847, President of the Royal Academy, 1850-1865.] [Pageheading: THE PRINCE'S GRANT] _Memorandum by Mr Anson._ WINDSOR CASTLE, _6th October 1841._ Sat by Her Majesty last night at dinner.
The Queen had written to Lord Melbourne about coming to the Castle, but in his answer he had made no allusion to it; she did not know whether this was accidental or intentional, for he very often gave no answer to questions which were put.
I told Her Majesty that I feared he had raised an obstacle to his visit by making a strong speech against the Government just at the time he was thinking of coming.

That this attack had identified him as the leader of his Party, at a moment when I had been most anxious that he should abstain from taking an active part, and by withdrawing himself from politics he would enable himself to become the more useful friend to Her Majesty.