in THE CONFERENCE 29

in soul and empty of hope, very old and tired, butsurveying the scene with a cynical and almost impishair; and when at last silence was restored and thecompany had returned to their places, it was to dis-cover that he had disappeared.

He felt about France what Pericles felt of Athens—unique value in her, nothing else mattering; but histheory of politics was Bismarck's. He had one illusion—France ; and one disillusion—mankind, includingFrenchmen, and his colleagues not least. His prin-ciples for the Peace can be expressed simply. In thefirst place, he was a foremost believer in the view ofGerman psychology that the German understandsand can understand nothing but intimidation, thathe is without generosity or remorse in negotiation,that there is no advantage he will not take of you,and no extent to which he will not demean himselffor profit, that he is without honour, pride, or mercy.Therefore you must never negotiate with a German or conciliate him; you must dictate to him. On noother terms will he respect you, or will you preventhim from cheating you. But it is doubtful how farhe thought these characteristics peculiar to Germany ,or whether his candid view of some other nations wasfundamentally different. His philosophy had, there-fore, no place for " sentimentality" in internationalrelations. Nations are real things, of whom you loveone and feel for the rest indifference—or hatred.The glory of the nation you love is a desirable end,—