A Little Savoir Faire

On the eve of the 1878 Congress of Powers in Berlin, rumours were flying in the British Embassy that the Prime Minister, Lord Beaconsfield, intended to give his keynote speech in long-winded and mispronounced French. An aide burst into the Ambassador’s room and begged him to help, and being rather tickled by the request Lord Odo Russell smilingly agreed.

Lord Odo made his approach just as the Prime Minister was retiring, saying that he hoped Lord Beaconsfield would not disappoint the gathered ministers of state by speaking in French, when to a man they were looking forward to hearing English spoken as few even in England can speak it. Flattered, the Prime Minister complied.

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Character and Conduct (88) George W. E. Russell (1) Benjamin Disraeli (2) Biographical Extracts (43) Modern History (268) Extracts from Literature (459) History (777)

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