When I was presented at the Court of Louis XVIII., Lord Westmoreland,
the grandfather of the present lord, accompanied Sir Charles Stewart to
the Tuileries. On our arrival in the room where the King was, we formed
ourselves into a circle, when the King good-naturedly inquired after
Lady Westmoreland, from whom his lordship was divorced, and whether she
was in Paris. Upon this, the noble lord looked sullen, and refused to
reply to the question put by the King. His Majesty, however, repeated
it, when Lord Westmoreland hallooed out, in bad French, "Je ne sais
pas, je ne sais pas, je ne sais pas." Louis, rising, said, "Assez,
milord; assez, milord."
On one occasion, Lord Westmoreland, who was Lord Privy Seal, being
asked what office he held, replied, "Le Chancelier est le grand sceau
(Sot); moi je suis le petit sceau d' Angleterre." On another occasion,
he wished to say "I would if I could, but I can't," and rendered it,
"Je voudrais si je coudrais, mais je ne cannais pas."