That it should be so _is very natural_, because of _what use_ would be some _foreign provinces_ if they would only add to the difficulty of governing the old?
Therefore, knowing as I do all the proceedings of the King and his Cabinet, even more fully than I do those of your Government; seeing constantly in the most unreserved manner the whole of the despatches; knowing as the nearest neighbour the system that they constantly followed up towards us, I must say that no one is more against acquiring influence in foreign States, or even getting burthened with family aggrandisement in them, than he.

He rejected most positively the marriage of Joinville with Donna Maria because he will not have anything to do with Portugal.

He rejects a _mille_ times the idea of a future union of the Queen of Spain with Aumale, because he will not have a son where it _is not_ his intention to support him.
His fear of being drawn into a real intervention has been the cause of his having been so anxious not to have a French Legion in Spain.

He may be right or wrong on this subject--I do not decide this, as I was of a different opinion last year; but his fear of being drawn too far, like a man whose clothes get caught by a steam-engine, is natural enough.

His dislike to the ultra-Liberals in the Peninsula is also very natural, because they uphold principles of Government which render Monarchy impossible, and the application of which to France would be the ruin of the King.