Volume III Part 1 (1/2)
The Greville Memoirs
by Charles C F Greville
VOL 3
A JOURNAL of the REIGN OF KING WILLIAM THE FOURTH
CHAPTER XXI
Dinner at Greenwich--Monk Lewis--The King's Letter--Lord Althorp's Finance--Salutes to the Royal Fahauelite Fleet--The Irish Church Bill--The Duke of Wellington and the Bonapartes-- Blount's preaching--Sir Robert Peel on Political Unions--Mr
George Villiers appointed to Madrid--Duke of Richmond-- Suspension Clause in Irish Church Bill--Apprenticeshi+p Clause in West India Bill--State of House of Commons--Lucien and Joseph Bonaparte--Lord Plunket--Denis Leden--Princess Lieven--Anecdotes of the Euel at Strathfieldsaye--Prorogation of Parliament--Results of the Refor, if not too lazy, to note down the everyday nothings of my life, and see what it looks like
We dined yesterday at Greenwich, the dinner given by Sefton, who took the whole party in his oe; Talleyrand, Madame de Dino, Standish, Neumann, and the Molyneux family; dined in a rooht we should never get Talleyrand up two narrow perpendicular staircases, but he sidles and wriggles himself somehow into every place he pleases A capital dinner, tolerably pleasant, and a divine evening Went afterwards to the 'Travellers,'
and played at whist, and read the new edition of 'Horace Walpole's Letters to Sir Horace Mann' There is so I don't like in his style; his letters don't aht to do
A letter this ton about Monk Lewis
He is rather averse to a biographical sketch, because he thinks a true account of his life and character would not do him credit, and adds a sketch of the latter, which is not flattering Lord Melbourne told -standing quarrel with Lushi+ngton Having occasion to go to Naples, he wrote beforehand to him, to say that their quarrel had better be _suspended_, and he went and lived with hi his stay When he departed he wrote to Lushi+ngton to say that now they should resume their quarrel, and put ly he did resume it, with rather more _acharnement_ than before
Charles Wood ca's letter, said he understood the Archbishop had i would coht to take up I see the Governoodwill The King and Taylor both love letter-writing, and both are voluot one letter fro approves) of seven sheets; what a h[1]
[1] [This is not just The published correspondence of King Willia's letters ritten by Sir Herbert Taylor with the greatest ability]
July 3rd, 1833 {p002}
Nothing to put down these last two days, unless I go back towhat I read, and which I rather think I left off because I read nothing, and had nothing to put down; but in the last two days I have read a little of Cicero's 'Second Philippic,' Voltaire's 'Siecle de Louis XIV,' Coleridge's 'Journey to the West Indies;' bought some books, went to the opera to hear Bellini's 'Norht it heavy, Pasta's voice not what it was Everybody talking yesterday of Althorp's exhibition in the House of Coht before (for particulars of which see newspapers and Parliamentary debates) It is too ludicrous, too_ed_ by such a e medley politics produce: a wretched clerk in an office who makes some unins of incapacity for work, which it does not ot rid of, and here this ood fellow, norance before a Refor their shoulders, and laugh and chuckle, but still on he goes
July 4th, 1833 {p003}
[Page Head: SALUTES TO THE ROYAL FAMILY]
At Court yesterday, and Council for a foolish business The King has been (not unnaturally) disgusted at the duchess of Kent's progresses with her daughter through the kingdoht, and the continual popping in the shape of salutes to Her Royal Highness He did not choose that this latter practice should go on, and he signified his pleasure to Sir Jaeneral order, both to arht it better to otiation with the duchess of Kent, to induce her of her own accord to waive the salutes, and when she went to the Isle of Wight to send word that as she was sailing about for her amusement she had rather they did not salute her whenever she appeared The negotiation failed, for the duchess insisted upon her right to be saluted, and would not give it up Kemp told me he had heard that Conroy (who is a ridiculous fellow, a compound of 'Great Hussy' and the Chamberlain of the Princess of Navarre[2]) had said, 'that as Her Royal Highness's _confidential adviser_, he could not recoive way on this point'
As she declined to accede to the proposals, nothing rely yesterday, by an Order in Council, the King changed them, and from this ti or the Queen is on board
[2] See Sir C Hanbury Williae Head: CHARACTER OF LORD DOVER]
Went to Newot back at half-past nine, went to Crockford's, and heard on the steps of the house that poor Dover had died thatThe accounts I had received at Newmarket confirmed my previous iuine expectations of his family are only to be accounted for by that disposition in the hu with pertinacity to hope when reason bids us despair There has seldom been destroyed a fairer scene of happiness and domestic prosperity than by this event He dies in the flower of his age, surrounded with all the elements of happiness, and with no drawback but that of weak health, which until within the last few ood, and only amounted to feebleness and delicacy of constitution; and it is the breaking up of a house replete with social enjoyment, six or seven children deprived of their father, and a young wife and his old father overwhelrief which the foret over, for to him time sufficient cannot in the course of nature be allotted Few retted than Lord Dover will be by an immense circle of connections and friends for his really ae for the serious loss which society sustains, and the disappointht have been He occupied as large a space in society as his talents (which were by no reeable, good-teood-natured, hospitable, liberal and rich, a zealous friend, an eager political partisan, full of activity and vivacity, enjoying life, and anxious that the circle of his enjoyar Ellis was the only son of Lord Clifden, and obtained early the reputation of being a prodigy of youthful talent and information He was quick, lively, and had a very retentiveentered the world with this reputation, and his great expectations besides, he speedily beca ireat admiration for Lord Orford (Horace Walpole), he evinced a disposition to make him his ht ot into the House of Commons, but never was able to speak, never atteave up all idea of oratorical distinction