Volume I Part 24 (1/2)

Deceht Miss Kereat success

December 18th, 1829 {p255}

At Roeha, Lord Ashley, and I Dino was extricated fro theto have hi to attach him fictitiously to his Eone back to France

Despatches were received froiven to the Divan; the Turks came, and the Reis-Effendi waltzed with a Mrs Moore After supper they drank King George IV's health in bune This story was told to Lord Sidood joke; but he said with a face of dismay, 'Good God, is it possible? To what extent will these innovations be carried?'

December 19th, 1829 {p255}

There is a review in the 'Foreign Quarterly' (the last number) on Greece, which is a remarkably able critique of the conduct of our Government in the affairs of that State The writer, whoever he may be, has been amply supplied with docu can be more just than his remarks on our miserable policy, or more severe I showed it to Lord Granville, who toldsoaged to afford the Greeks pecuniary aid, which we never did prootiate with M de la Ferronays, then Minister for Foreign Affairs at Paris, for thetheir expedition to the Morea; that there had been a violent contest in the English Cabinet on that subject, Huskisson and Dudley being in favour of the French expedition, and the Duke and the rest against it, but that the ave way and agreed to the measure This affords another exa the views and plans of others violently, and when he finds opposition fruitless, or likely to beco the so He did so in the case of the recognition of the South American colonies, of the Test and Corporation Acts, the Catholic question, and in this instance

Then his conduct on the Corn Bill is only the converse of the sa a party to it and then procures its rejection Greece and Portugal, if well handled, would afford two great cases against the Duke's foreign policy, and they serve as ade of Previsa, and the respect paid to Miguel's blockade, and coh to prove everything

Ashley toldabout Sir Thomas Lawrence the other day His father kept the inn at Devizes,[2] and when Lord Shaftesbury's father and mother were once at the inn with Lord Shaftesbury, then a boy, the innkeeper caenius for drawing, and, if they would allow him, his little boy should draw their little boy's picture; on which the little Lawrence was sent for, who produced his chalk and paper, andLord

[2] [Sir Thomas Lawrence's father at one time kept the 'Black Bear' at Devizes In 1775 Lord and Lady Kenyon had the young prodigy (as he was called) introduced to thee Head: GALLATIN]

December 21st, 1829 {p257}

At Roehampton froton Irving, Melbourne, Byng, and on Sunday the Lievens to dinner Maclane a sensible ood A, who has been so n to the tone of good society Maclane gave me a curious account of Gallatin He was born at Geneva, and went over to A; there he set up a little huxtering shop--in I forget what State--and fell in love with one of the daughters of a poor woed, but he was so destitute that the mother refused him In this abject condition accident introduced him to the celebrated Patrick Henry, who advised hi State and try to advance hian to make himself known

Dece yesterday and reat lover of conundrums, which taste he acquired from Beresford, the author of the 'Miseries of Human Life,' who has invented some very curious but elaborate conundru Moore told a story of an Irishton!' which being complied with, 'And now silence for the rest of the family!' He complained that all the humour which used to break out in an Irish audience is extinct

Fitzgerald toldthe his Government weak, that the money matter (which the Duke told me of before) had been settled by 'contrivances,' or that they one to Parliament for the amount; that he has just ordered plate to the aerald is so ill that he can scarcely carry on the business of his office, and yet he does not like to give it up, for fear of e the Government; he complained that the other offices had thrown much of their business on the Board of Trade, a custorown up in Huskisson's time, as the most competent man, and who took it all Probably Huskisson was not sorry, byhimself very useful, to ht that he was so; and so he was _de jure_, but the Duke would not let hie Head: PRESS PROSECUTIONS]

Dece's Bench this ton is a Privy Councillor, on the trial of the action which the Duke brought against the 'Morning Journal' The action brought by the Chancellor had been tried the day before

Scarlett was feeble; Alexander again defended himself in a very poor speech; the jury retired for three hours, and I thought would have said 'Not guilty;' but they brought in a verdict which is tantae, and a instituted it at all I did not hear the second trial, on which they gave a verdict of guilty, after consulting for about half an hour The jury in each case consisted of eight special jurors and four talesmen Afterwards there was a _cri enough froe, the witnesses, and the interpreters, for some of the witnesses were French Lord Tenterden has a co to hi or co (in this last case) that he could not prove the fact, but he could prove that the defendant passed the night in the lady's rooe what he did, when Tenterden , as he there for?'

The prosecution finished with the trial of Bell (of the 'Atlas'), who ood speech (it was about Lord and Lady Lyndhurst), and the jury found hi only, which I take to be an acquittal; the point, however, will not be tried probably, for it is not likely that he will be brought up for judget off, and they will not like to stir such a question The result of the trials proves the egregious folly of having ever brought them on, especially the Duke's One of the verdicts is, as far as he is concerned, an acquittal; the author showed himself to be so contemptible that he had better have been treated with indifference He has been converted into a sort of ar scurrility of the language, ruin and imprisonment will appear to most people too severe a punishment for the offence Then the whole press have united upon this occasion, and in some very powerful articles have spread to every corner of the country the strongest conde The Government, or rather the Duke, is likely to becoood end will have been answered I do not believe that these prosecutions originate in a desire to curb the press, buta writer who had so violently abused him; not, however, that he would be sorry to adopt any measure which should tend to fetter free discussion, and subject the press to future punishe, and I do not think he is rash enough to undertake such a crusade

Deceer since the 24th; Lievens, J Russell, Montrond, M

de la Rochefoucauld, F Laot up a little _fete_ such as is custoreat pots were put upon a long table covered with pink linen; each tree was illuminated with three circular tiers of coloured wax candles--blue, green, red, and white Before each tree was displayed a quantity of toys, gloves, pocket-handkerchiefs, workboxes, books, and various articles-- presents made to the owner of the tree It was very pretty Here it was only for the children; in Geres The Princess told us to-day about the Emperor of Russia's relapse and the cause of it He had had a cold which he had neglected, but at length the physicians had given him some medicine to produce perspiration, and he was in bed in that state, the E to him, when on a sudden a dreadful noise was heard in the next (the children's) room, followed by loud shrieks The Empress rushed into the room, and the Emperor jumped out of bed in his shi+rt and followed her There the children, the governess, and the nurses were screa out that Constantine (the second boy, of two years old) was destroyed; a huge vase of porphyry had been thron and had fallen over the child, as not to be seen So great was the weight and size of the vase that it was several h assistance was immediately fetched, and all that tinorance of the fate of the child, and expecting to see the reled body, when to their delight it was found that the vase had fallen exactly over hiitation and the cold brought on a violent fever, which for soer The Princess said she was surprised that it did not kill the Empress, for she is the most nervous woman in the world, ever since the conspiracy at the time of his accession, when her nerves were _ebranles_ by all she went through That scene (of the revolt of the Guards) took place under theof the Palace The whole Imperial Fa in the middle of men by whom they expected hi all that ti Empress never spoke, but stood 'pale coth it was all over, and the Ean to pray

December 29th, 1829 {p260}