I have no doubt that he believed the world and its
loaves and fishes was all expressly contrived for the
scions of the Beaufort and other great houses. He
was very clever and brave, and deserved a happier
end. We are all naturally in great suspense, waiting
to hear who will take his place. The loss of our Com-
mander at this juncture is very embarrassing, as I
doubt if he had any one in his complete confidence,
and acquainted with all his plans, if he had any. The
Chief of the Staff is now senior officer ; a very gentle-
man-like person, with not much experience, and by
no means up to the crisis. He got his rank early by
being in the Guards. Just see how that system ope-
rates. We have five divisions, with a Chief of the
Staff : he is a Guardsman, and three out of the five
divisions are commanded by Guardsmen, — Bentinck,
Barnard, and Codrington ; while Lord Rokeby is very
much discontented because he has not another divi-
sion. Mark, none of these men had any claims at all
till they came here, except the Chief of the Staff, who
did command a brigade in India, which was not en-
gaged. Is it any wonder we cry out ? They have all
risen to rank younger men than their neighbours, from
the advantage of beginning in the Guards. Codring-
ton has turned out to be a good hard-working officer.
