When I was presented at the Court of Louis XVIII., Lord Westmoreland,
the grandfather of the present lord, accompanied Sir Charles Stewart
to the Tuileries. On our arrival in the room where the King was, we
formed ourselves into a circle, when the King good-naturedly inquired
after Lady Westmoreland, from whom his lordship was divorced, and whether
she was in Paris. Upon this, the noble lord looked sullen, and refused
to reply to the question put by the King. His Majesty, however, repeated
it, when Lord Westmoreland hallooed out, in bad French, "Je ne sais
pas, je ne sais pas, je ne sais pas." Louis, rising, said, "Assez,
milord; assez, milord."

On one occasion, Lord Westmoreland, who was Lord Privy Seal, being asked
what office he held, replied, "Le Chancelier est le grand sceau (Sot);
moi je suis le petit sceau d' Angleterre." On another occasion, he
wished to say "I would if I could, but I can't," and rendered it, "Je
voudrais si je coudrais, mais je ne cannais pas."


ALDERMAN WOOD


Among the many English who then visited Paris was Alderman Wood, who
had previously filled the office of Lord Mayor of London. He ordered
a hundred visiting cards, inscribing upon them, "Alderman Wood, feu
Lord Maire de Londres," which he had largely distributed amongst people
of rank - having translated the word "late" into "feu," which I need
hardly state means "dead."