Lord Beaconsfield's French.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume X, Issue 1841, 30 January 1888, Page 2

Lord Beaconsfield's French.

The following story is told by the London correspondent of the Manchester Guardian of Lord Beaconsfield and Lord Ampthill. The latter's tact, says the correspondent, was skilfully employed at the opening of the Congress of Berlin, in 1878, in a delicate matter which taxed it to the utmost. On the evening before the Congress was to be opened Lord ftowton (then Mr. Montague Cbrry, and Lord Beaconsfield's private secretary) came to Lord O. Russell and begged his assistance in a difficult task. Lord Beaconsfield fancied he could speak French jvthis wa's-a delusion. Accent, syntax, grammar — all were faulty,' and as .he,;iiad prepared an elaborate French, '.speech for the opening of the Congress, \he results bade fair to be deplorable. "We shall be the laughing stock^of .Europe," cried tHe despairing aecretaryv f.Prjay, try what you can do 'with^frcli^ef.. (We dare not approach him on' such" a subject." Lord Odo at once went into the

humor of the situation.' He went to the great man and said, "We hear a dreadful rumor that you are going to speak in French to-morrow. No one can do it better than you ; but then all the Congress can do it equally well. But there is one thing which only you in all Berlin can do — you alone can make a really fine English speech. All tbe Ambassadors are counting on tho intellectual treat of hearing English spoken by its great living master. Do not disappoint them." Much impressed by this view, Lord Beaconsfield consented to change his plan. The Congress was duly addressed in English, and the linguistic honor of Great Britain was saved.