Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/34

 4 CAUSES INVOLVING FUANCE AND ENGLAND CHAP. Either by tliciv real dread, or by tlicir crafty ' simulation of it, the Turkish statesmen succeeded hl'aiarmfng^ iu iufecting M. dc ha Cour with sincere aharm. lie Am^7sador. "^^''"^^ easily brouglit to the conclusion that ' the ' state of the Turkish Government was getting ' worse and worse ; and that matters had got to ' such a state as to cause dread of a catastrophe, ' Avould be the first victims, and which would even ' threaten the Sultan's throne.' * He called upon the English Ambassador to consult as to what was best to be done ; and both he and the Austrian Internuncio expressed their readiness to join with him in adopting the needful measures. Composure Lord Stratford does not seem to have suspected btra'tfoni. that tlic usc which the Turkish INIinisters were making of their divinity students Avas in the na- ture of a stratagem ; but, assuming and believing their alarm to be genuine, he was still proof against the infection, and retained his calm. In- deed, he seems to have understood that a cry for war on the part of the religious authorities was a healthy sign for the Empire. He expressed to his colleagues his readiness to act in concert with them; but he said he was reluctant to take any step which M'as not clearly warranted by the ne- cessities of the case, and that he desired to guard against mistake and exaggeration by gaining a more precise knowledge of the grounds for alarm. He deprecated any joint interference with the Turkish Government, and was still less inclined
 * of which the inhabitants, Payahs or Europeans,
 * 'Eastern rajicrs,' port ii. p. 115.