Two and a half years after Carlyle's interview with
Prince Albert, Lady Ashburton died, and her generous
patronage was thus ended. " Monday, May 4, at



304 CABLYLE, AND THE

Paris/' he notes in his Journal, " died Lady Ashburton,
a great and irreparable sorrow to me, yet with some
beautiful consolations in it too ; a thing that fills all
my mind since yesterday afternoon that Milnes came to
me with the sad news, which I had never once antici-
pated, though warned sometimes vaguely to do so.
* God sanctify my sorrow/ as the old pious phrase went.
