The truth in shortest about matters of importance shall be taken for good style." With great love of power, which he was conscious of exerting with ease to himself and for the good of the public, he had little personal vanity, and not the smallest ambition of authorship.

Many volumes might be collected out of the vast accumulation of his writings now mouldering and forgotten in archives.

Had the language in which they are written become a world's language, they would be worthy of attentive study, as containing noble illustrations of the history and politics of his age, with theories and sentiments often far in advance of his age.

But he cared not for style.

"The truth in shortest about matters of importance" was enough for him; but the world in general, and especially the world of posterity, cares much for style.