Volume I Part 8 (2/2)

[19] Villele was a lieutenant in the navy, and afterwards went to the Isle of France, where he was a islation was called)

At the revolution he returned to France and lived with his family near Toulouse, became a member of the departmental body, and subsequently Mayor of Toulouse; he was afterwards elected a Meuished himself by his talents for debate, and became one of the chiefs of the Ultra party He was a member of the Duc de Richelieu's Government, which he soon quitted, and was one of the principal instru administration--[CCG]

The Duke said he had been struck down by athe ene in the Pyrenees

The people round hiot up directly Alava ounded a few minutes before him, and Major Brooke nearly at the saeneral to whom he was ever opposed

He said that Bonaparte had not the patience requisite for defensive operations His last can (before the capture of Paris) was very brilliant, probably the ablest of all his perforreater patience he would have succeeded in co the Allies to retreat; but they had adopted so judicious a system of defence that he was foiled in the impetuous attacks he made upon them, and after a partial failure which he ot tired of pursuing a course which afforded no great results, and leaving a strong body under Marmont to watch Blucher, he threw himself into the rear of the Grand Army The march upon Paris entirely disconcerted him and finished the war The Allies could not have er, and had he continued to keep his force concentrated, and to carry it as occasion required against one or other of the two armies, the Duke thinks he must eventually have forced them to retreat, and that their retreat would have been a difficult operation The British army could not have reached the scene of operations for two months The Allies did not dare attack Napoleon; if he had himself come up he should certainly have attacked him, for his army was the best that ever existed

The Duke added that he traced back the present politics of France to their chagrin at the dissolution of the Faeneral pacification the Duke, on the part of the English Govern renewed, andthe Spanish Governreat efforts to induce the Duke to desist from his opposition to the renewal of the treaty, and both were exceedinglyunable to shake the determination of our Governton told 's affairs very well, that he was getting him out of debt very quickly, and that the Ministers ell satisfied with him When he was appointed to the situation he now holds, he called at Apsley House to announce it to the Duke, and expressed his hopes that the appointment would not displease him The Duke said that he could have no objection, but he would give hiood part: this was, that he would confine hi to his own situation, and that he would not in any way interfere with the Governo on very well, but that if ever he should ive them such offence that they would not suffer hihton thanked him very much for his advice, and promised to confor, for the next ti said he had heard the advice which he had given to 'a person,' and that heit entirely

[20] [Sir Willia's physician, had been appointed Keeper of the King's Privy Seal and Receiver of the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall; but in fact he acted as the King's Private Secretary, and it was to the duties of that delicate office that the Duke's advice applied]

[Page Head: DUKE OF YORK'S ANECDOTES OF GEORGE IV]

November 29th, 1823 {p073}

In the various conversations which I have with the Duke of York he continually tellsto politics, butthe affairs of the Royal Faenerally forget thee, however, that they do not interest me so much as they would ossip Another reason, too, is the difficulty ofa clear narrative out of his confused communications The principal anecdotes he has told me have been, as well as I recollect, relative to the duchess of Gloucester's e and all the dissensions to which that event gave rise in the Royal Fa and Prince Leopold, and other trifling otten In all of these histories the King acted a part, in which his bad tement, falseness, and duplicity were equally conspicuous I think it is not possible for any man to have a worse opinion of another than the Duke has of the King

From various instances of eccentricities I a is subject to occasional impressions which produce effects like insanity; that if they continue to increase he will end by being decidedlywhich I have heard was at Euston the other day I went into the Duke's rooot up and told reat dile, who had behaved extremely ill to him The matter which I could collect was this:--Upon the disturbances breaking out in the West Indies it became necessary to send off some troops as quickly as possible In order to ements without delay, the Duke made various dispositions, a part of which consisted in the reuard at Windsor and the substitution of another in its place Orders were expedited to carry this arrangement into effect, and at the sa what he had done and desired his sanction to the arrangement The Duke's orders were already in operation, when he received a letter froiment which was at Windsor, and that it should not move; and in consequence of this fancy the whole business was at a standstill Thus he thought proper to trifle with the interests of the country to gratify his own childish caprice He gave, too, great offence to the Duke, in hindering his dispositions fro carried into effect, at the saht was indirectly connected with the first It seems one of the people about the Court had ordered soe to Windsor (so for the Chapel) Stephenson, as head of the Board of Works, on being informed this was done, wrote to the man to knohat orders he had done it The ly incensed, and wrote to Lord Liverpool to say that Stephenson's letter was insulting to hiht be turned out After some correspondence on the subject Lord Liverpool persuaded the King to reinstate hiies and excuses for having done what it was his duty to do Stephenson is a friend and servant of the Duke's, and in his ill-hue himself upon the Duke as well as on Stephenson, and he thwarted the Duke in his ements What made his conduct the less excusable was that it was is should be done quickly, and as the Duke was out of town a correspondence becareat delay would be caused

1824

[Page Head: CHARACTER OF LORD titCHFIELD]

March 6th, 1824 {p075}

Poor titchfield[21] died last night at eight o'clock, having lingered for soave to his family alternate hopes and fears He was better till yesterday afternoon, when he was rereeaker, and at eight o'clock he expired He is a great loss to his family, of which he was by much the cleverest member, and he ell calculated to fill the situation in which fortune had placed him His talents were certainly of a superior description, but their efficacy was counteracted by the eccentricity of his habits, the indolence of hisand uncertain disposition He was, however, occasionally capable of intense application, and coht fit to grapple with; his uination, and to passion, 'the sanguine credulity of youth, and the fervent glow of enthusiaser He never had any taste for society, and attached himself early to politics He started in life with an enthusiastic ad thrown into the society of an to entertain opinions very different fro He never, however, enlisted under any political banner, and his great object seeed to no party After Mr Canning ca his constituents that he was unfettered by any political connection with him titchfield was never at a public school, but was educated at hoiven to a young reat situation--was not without its effect upon his ences and the early habits of authority and power in which he was brought up, without receiving correction fro circumstances which are incidental to public schools, threw a shade of selfishness and reserve over his character, which time, the commerce of the world, and a naturally kind disposition had latterly done much to correct The subject to which he had principally devoted his attention was political economy, and in the discussions in the House of Couished hireat expectations were entertained of his future success, and the indications he had given of talent will ensure to hisreputation He has died at a moment the most fortunate, perhaps, for his fareat, and by the felt and deeply lamented

[21] [William Henry, Marquis of titchfield, eldest son of the fourth Duke of Portland]

[An interval of two years occurs in the Journal, during which Mr

Greville wrote nothing]

CHAPTER III

The Panic of 1825--Death of Eton's E--Robinson Chancellor of the Exchequer--Se III and Lord Bute--Illness and Death of the Duke of York--His Funeral--Lord Liverpool struck with Paralysis-- Rundell's Fortune and Will--Copley and Philpots--The Cottage-- For's Ads join hi's Govern's Death--Anecdotes of Mr Canning-- Recognition of South Aton on Canning--Lord Goderich's Administration fors--The King's letter to Herries--Peel and George IV--Interview of Lord Lansdoith the King--Weakness of the Governnation of Lord Goderich--Lord Harrowby declines the Preers-- Conversation and Character of Brougham--Lord Goderich's Ministry dissolved--Cause of its Dissolution--Hostility of Herries--Position of Huskisson and his Friends--Herries and Huskisson both join the New Cabinet

1826

[Page Head: FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES]